Friday, May 29, 2015

PROMO: Dangerous Desire




Romantic Suspense
Date Published: March 25, 2015

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Sometimes you have to lose one thing to find another.

Sienna Diaz is desperate to find her missing Beagle, no matter what it costs. She hires Cruz Santino, the best—and hottest—in the business. He’s an ex-cop, dangerous on many levels, which comes in handy when all evidence indicates her beloved pet was snatched to use in a dogfighting ring.
Cruz will do whatever it takes to find Sienna’s lost pet, but he also wants results from the smokin’ hot attraction between them—and he isn’t above breaking his own hands-off-clients rule to get there. However, until he brings her beloved Beagle home safely, he won’t have Sienna's undivided attention...and affection.

Content Warning: Strong language, caliente sex, violence, and a dangerously hot rescue.



EXCERPT

In full view, Cruz stripped off his sweaty black tee and Sienna nearly had a heart attack. Jesus Christ. The men at her gym would’ve despised him. Her eyes slowly drank him in. Good God. He had the sexiest bod she’d ever seen. Taut and tan, his muscles were chiseled in a way that gave his dimensions beautiful symmetry. Tori would’ve been impressed. She’d always preached about the importance of muscle balance. Some men took it to the extreme. Not Cruz. He sported a tapered waist with shredded abs, V-shaped torso, and arms that made her drool because, if she had to pick a favorite body part, arms were it.

He used the dirty shirt to dry sweat off his gorgeous frame. Her eyes followed his movements, stopping at the bulldog tattoo etched on his sculpted pec, with the word Marines below. He’d been in the service, a kickass Marine. How hot!

He busted her checking him out.

She yanked her eyes away. Jeez. Her face probably looked as red as it felt.

Holding up a fresh shirt, he shook it out a few times. The sound of fabric caught her attention. Her gaze slid that way again. Okay. Sound had nothing to do with it. She just had to look one more time. He pulled the shirt over his head. Terrific. Now he wore a white muscle shirt tailor-made for his ripped physique. The thing should’ve been outlawed.

Wearing a sly smirk, he combed his fingers through his short, spiky hair. Running down the inside of his arm below his rock-hard biceps, he had another tattoo, this one with five small Chinese symbols. What a unique spot for a tattoo, and unbelievably sexy, like everything else about him. Even his name sounded hot.

He climbed into the driver’s seat and snapped his door shut. He didn’t look at her, but then, he didn’t have to. She knew he knew what kind of effect that little display had on her. Oh yeah. He had it written all over that smug face. He might be a soaking-wet dream she didn’t mind entertaining on a nightly basis, but she didn’t have to be so obvious.

Sienna grabbed her seatbelt and tried to latch it.

“Damn,” Cruz mumbled, as he watched her struggle with the belt. He turned on the ignition and flipped the air conditioning to the highest setting.

She looked at his face instead of his sinewy arm. It took willpower, because those arms really did it for her. “Is there a trick?” The mechanism wouldn’t click into place.

“I keep forgetting to get that thing checked,” he said. “Don’t usually carry passengers except for Roman.” He looked back at his dog and grinned. Roman sat on the bench seat patiently waiting to go bye-bye.

“It doesn’t work at all?” She preferred to wear a seatbelt, and not just because of the law. South Florida had some loony drivers.

“It just takes a little maneuvering,” he replied. “Let me give it a try.” He turned all that magnificence toward her and reached across her chest.

Holy crap, he was totally in her face, his delicious body stretched across her lap. Sienna held her breath and pressed her back into the seat. She felt his weight, smelled his soap and baby shampoo. Her every cell fell under his spell. She tried to find her voice. “Any luck?” she squeaked out.

They were eye-to-eye, his mouth so close that if she puckered her lips, that would be it. His gaze traveled downward. He tilted his head like he wanted to kiss her. Uh-oh. She hadn’t made out in years. She probably sucked at it by now. A magnetic intensity pulled her to him, and she had a feeling she’d relearn pretty quickly. Her body buzzed with sexual urgency. Not once in her life had she felt this consumed, this desperate to feel a man’s lips on hers.



   


About the Author


Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, Diane Escalera makes her home in coastal North Carolina. The sultry surroundings are a steady source of inspiration for her hot love stories. Diane is married, has two children and a super cute dachshund she can’t get enough of. She writes contemporary romance and is published with Kensington Publishing and Lyrical Press.

Author Links




Purchase Links

Available in eBook & Paperback
Special Price for a Limited Time!




Giveaway

One (1) eBook of Playing With Destiny, a 2015 RONE Award Nominee for Best Novella.




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Blog Tour: Your Hear to Keep by @AmandaMacey43 #interview


Contemporary Romance
Date Published: April 30, 2015


We don’t choose fate. It chooses us. Or so we are led to believe. 

Holly Jenkins is about to receive a new heart, thanks to a donor match from accident victim, Chloe McQuade.
The victim’s boyfriend, Bad boy Jax, is angry and grieving for his lost love. He hates everything and everyone, including Holly. It isn’t until he meets her that he realizes there is something about her he 
can’t explain. 
Could it be the beating heart of his dead girlfriend - the very one he owned, that calls to him? 
Is the intense pull towards Jax coming from Holly’s own emotions or are they Chloe’s? And why is she suddenly craving things she never did before? 
How do they decide what’s real and what’s not? 

Is fate at play or is it something more? 




Purchase Link

Interview

Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?
There is definitely a plug for organ donation in the book! I am a huge believer! It’s a horrible thought to many but at the end of the day it helps to save lives. The heart that Holly receives is the key to the story and it also brings Jax into her life.



Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Showing and not telling. Trying to write a story that is like a movie in the readers minds. A story that transports them from wherever they are and into the world I have created. That’s challenging.



How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
I have written 7 books, although the first one was re-written and turned into a trilogy. My favorite is the latest one: Your Heart to Keep. I love the characters of Holly and Jax and really feel connected to them more so than my other novels.




If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?
Hmm, that’s a tough one! I think Channing Tatum would make a great Jax. He has the looks and is buffed. It definitely needs to be someone who could pull off the bad boy persona and look good on a motorbike! Actually yes, the more I think about it, the more I think Channing would be perfect!!



When did you begin writing?
Believe it or not I began writing 17 years ago and my first novel sat for 16 years until I had it published. I guess the timing was all wrong back then. I am a passionate reader and love all things books, so writing is a natural extension of that.



How long did it take to complete your first book?
Regarding the time it took to write the first book, I wrote it in about 4 weeks! During the 16 years it took me to publish it, I tweaked it A LOT!



Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?
As a kid I read a lot of Enid Blyton and then as a teenager I loved Virginia Andrews so I would say both of them. There are so many amazing authors around now and because I read so much I would say that there are many that continue to inspire me to keep writing.



What is your favorite part of the writing process?
My favorite part is creating the words on paper that correspond with the thoughts in my head. It’s challenging but so rewarding. Sometimes I look back on things I’ve written and go, “Wow! Did I write that?” Marketing is my least favorite thing! There is so much competition out there now and you really have to plug your book non-stop to get it seen. Word of mouth works too!



Describe your latest book in 4 words.
Sexy, emotional, relatable, sweet.



Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?
I have started a paranormal novel with angels and demons but have come to a standstill with it as I feel like there is something else brewing! I would like to think in the future I could have novels in a few different genres to show my diversity as a writer.






I was born in NZ and raised in Australia where I’ve been living most of my life. My love of books came at an early age, introduced to me by my wonderful mother. I’ve always been an avid reader and writing became an extension of that. My favorite genres are paranormal, romance, erotica and some crime. I adore animals and I’m currently sponsoring a Malaysian Tiger through WWF. Cats in general, whether they be small house cats or larger wild tigers and lions are my favorites. I’d love to travel to Italy and Europe as well as Africa, Tibet and Nepal. 



Thursday, May 28, 2015

Blog Tour: Dark Pursuit by @JChaseNovelist #interview



Crime Thriller
Date Published: 3/13/15



From the International Award Winning EMILY STONE THRILLER SERIES: 





Vigilante detective Emily Stone has covertly hunted down killers and closed more serial cases than most seasoned homicide cops combined. Her exceptional profiling skills and forensic techniques, along with deductive crime scene investigations, have made her a compelling force that cannot be beat.

She has reached her ultimate breaking point and now must face her toughest opponent yet – her biggest fears.



With preciseness, the Tick-Tock Killer has taken his next child victim and promised to dump the body precisely four days later, mocking police and the community. Stone struggles to balance her inner demons and ghosts from the past, against the wits of a brutal and cunning serial killer in an all-out battle of psychological warfare.

Can Stone save the next child in time? Dark Pursuit is an action-packed cat and mouse game that will take you to dark places rarely explored.







Purchase Link



INTERVIEW


Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?

I include a deep look into the criminal mind with forensic based techniques into my novel to create authenticity, along with the mystery and action. I hope that some of the things that I write about help to create a more intense and authentic experience for the reader.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Every time I begin a new novel, it can be overwhelming. Even though I know that I can accomplish what I set out to do, it is still a big challenge for me.  The easiest way that I tackle such a big project is to outline or have a solid plan of attack. 

How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

I have written six novels and one screenwriting workbook. It is difficult to say which one is my favorite because all of them were enjoyable to write and included a piece of me.  However, I love my Emily Stone series because she is tough and makes every effort to save a victim.  It is so much fun writing storylines for this character. 

If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?

Good question!  There are so many wonderful actors today that it is difficult to choose.  I would say Angelina Jolie or Kate Beckinsale would make a great Emily Stone.  However, in my book series trailer the beautiful and talented actress Kim Poirier made a fantastic Emily Stone. You can watch the Emily Stone book series trailer here.

When did you begin writing?

Books have always been a big part of my life as long as I can remember. The earliest recollection of writing would have to be when I was about four-years-old. I wrote dialogue for my stuffed animals at teatime J

How long did it take to complete your first book?

My first novel Compulsion poured out of me and I completed my first draft in about six weeks.  The rewrites and editing took much longer.  The entire process took about six months.


Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?

I cannot say that just one writer inspired me to become a writer.  It has been many authors and books over the years that continually keep me inspired.  There has been Jeffrey Deaver, David Baldacci, Vince Flynn, and Stephen King to name just a few.

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

I love creating characters, especially the bad ones. From my criminology background, I treat each character as if I am writing a criminal profile.  Also, I absolutely love to research.  It is my personal challenge to find new tidbits to incorporate into my stories of something that I have learned. 

Describe your latest book in 4 words.

Action. Thriller. Gripping. Rollercoaster.

Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?

I am outlining the next Emily Stone thriller and developing a new forensic mystery series. There are also some short horror stories that I am also developing.  There is never a dull moment!  You can catch up on all of my upcoming books, projects, forensic blog articles, and more at www.authorjenniferchase.com. 








Jennifer Chase is an award-winning author and consulting criminologist.  She has authored six crime fiction novels, including the award-winning Emily Stone thriller series along with a screenwriting workbook.
Jennifer holds a Bachelor degree in police forensics and a Master's degree in criminology.  These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent sociopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells. In addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling.  She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic Criminologists.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Week Blitz: MORE by @TM_Franklin with an #excerpt and #giveaway



Young Adult Paranormal
Date Published: October 4, 2012

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Ava Michaels used to think she was special. As a child, she fantasized about having magical powers . . . making things happen. But Ava grew up and eventually accepted the fact that her childish dreams were just that, and maybe a normal life wasn't so bad after all.
Now a young college student, Ava meets Caleb Foster, a brilliant and mysterious man who’s supposed to help her pass physics, but in reality has another mission in mind. What he shows Ava challenges her view of the world, shaking it to its very core. Because Caleb isn't quite what he seems. In fact, he's not entirely human, and he's not the only one.
Together, the duo faces a threat from an ancient race bound to protect humans, but only after protecting their own secrets—secrets they fear Ava may expose. Fighting to survive, Ava soon learns she's not actually normal . . . she's not even just special.
She's a little bit more.


Excerpt

“Is everything okay?” Ava asked.
Caleb smiled, but didn’t look at her. “Sure.”
“You seem . . . I don’t know . . . nervous?”
He glanced at her briefly. “Just doing my job.”
Ava snorted. “Your job is tutoring physics.”
“Call this moonlighting.”
Ava tucked her hands more deeply into her coat pockets as Caleb returned to his steady surveillance. She started to say something more, but forgot it immediately when Caleb stopped suddenly.
“Caleb?”
“Shhh . . .” He stepped in front of her, his head tilted to the side.
“What is it?”
He touched a finger to his lips, his body impossibly still.
Ava froze, pressed slightly against his back as she tried to peer over his shoulder. He stretched his hand behind him, as if blocking her from something, and his fingers curled slightly around her hip, stilling her movement.
A prickle of awareness ran over her skin, stealing her breath. For a long moment, the world seemed to slow around her, growing silent and still, and Ava closed her eyes, unsure what she was searching for, but feeling her consciousness reach out, calling out into the darkness.
Ava gasped suddenly as a strong arm wrapped around her waist, sweeping her up in a blur of motion. Her eyes flew open, trying to make sense of the whirling world around her, and in the next instant, she found herself pressed against a wall, Caleb’s back to her. Her fingers gripped his shoulders as she tried to regain her balance and clear her head. A low voice chilled her blood.
“Get out of the way, Foster.”
No. Not him. Not again. Ava’s confusion gave way to outright fear. She shrank behind Caleb’s back, as if hoping to disappear.
“Leave her alone, Tiernan,” Caleb said, his voice deadly. “The Council gave me three days.”
A mocking laugh grated back at him. “Time’s up.”
“Not until tomorrow.”
“Technicalities aren’t going to change a thing,” Tiernan growled. “The Council’s fed up with your stalling. I’m taking her now.”
“No,” Caleb said, his voice a quiet but not subtle threat. “You’re not.” He grabbed her again, so fast she didn’t even see him move. Once more, she found herself fighting for breath, suddenly behind a tree and unsure of how she got there. A moment later, Tiernan’s hulking frame appeared a few feet away.
“You can’t outrun me, Caleb,” he said, shaking his head. “And you don’t dare risk a shift.”
Another blur of movement and Ava was face-to-face with a door.
“Go inside,” Caleb urged. “I’ll draw him away.”
“What?” Ava shook her head. “What’s happening? Where am I?”
“It’s your dorm,” he hissed. “Hurry, before he—”
“Really, Caleb?” Tiernan’s mocking voice interrupted him. “This is getting tiresome, don’t you think?”
Caleb turned, squaring his shoulders. “You’re not taking her.”
A flash of red and blue lights drew their attention, and Ava breathed shakily at the sight of a police car driving up the path.
Tiernan glared at Caleb. “This isn’t over,” he said.
And then he was gone.
Two city cops stepped out of the car, hands resting on their weapons, one shining a flashlight toward them. Caleb pulled Ava through the door into the dorm.
“What are you doing?” Ava asked. “We need to tell them he was back.”
“Not a good idea,” Caleb muttered. He grabbed her wrist, heading down the hallway, but she yanked out of his grasp.
“Caleb, what the hell’s going on?” she asked, stepping back warily from his angry gaze. “How did you do that . . . move so fast? What happened out there?”
“We don’t have time for this,” he snapped.
She reached for the door, Caleb’s eyes following the movement. Her challenging gaze focused on Caleb as she whipped the door open to run to the police and tell them what had happened.
At least that was her intent.
But before she even turned the knob, Caleb had her across the hall, all but carrying her around the corner.
She gasped. “What . . . what are you?”
Caleb frowned. “That’s not your concern.”
He placed a hand on her forehead, and the world went black.




About the Author

T.M. Franklin writes stories of adventure, romance, & a little magic. A former TV news producer, she decided making stuff up was more fun than reporting the facts. Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days. MORE was well-received, being selected as a finalist in the 2013 Kindle Book Review Best Indie Book Awards, as well as winning the Suspense/Thriller division of the Blogger Book Fair Reader's Choice Awards. She's since written three additional novels and several best-selling short stories...and there's always more on the way.

Author Links

Purchase Links

Giveaway
Paperback of Frequent Flyers, Paperback of How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love with You, 3 swag packs, 2 $5 Amazon gift cards (Amazon U.S.)




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Monday, May 25, 2015

Blog Tour: Whipped up by @GlennStuart with #review



Thriller
Date Published: November 2014


Paul Chaise is a former operative in the SBS – the Special Boat Service – but has been ‘retired’ for over ten years, living a quiet life in Spain, following a career as an estate agent, selling villas to the ex-pats seeking a new life in a new country. Everything is going very well until he inadvertently gives a hitchhiker a ride and his life begins to spiral out of control. This is the premise for the first book ‘Burnt Offerings’. At the end of the book, with his girlfriend fleeing to the UK, and his former employers incensed that he has emerged from his ‘cover’, he too is summoned to return.

 ‘Whipped Up’ sees Chaise trying his level best, but his old ‘employers’ have him followed and then he becomes involved with the problems of a customer who is being harassed by some particularly nasty Eastern European types who want to take over the running of this man’s houses. It all spirals out of control when this man is murdered and his wife tortured, her mutilated body left in Chaise’s flat as a warning to back off. Naturally, this has the opposite effect and the body count soon begins to mount up as Chaise goes on a one-man crusade to bring these Europeans down.

When the S.I.S in 
London gets wind of this, they decide to rein Chaise in, and that’s when it becomes really nasty!

A contemporary thriller set in the sordid world of human-trafficking, this second in the series pulls no punches and will appeal to anybody who likes their thrillers violent, fast-moving and with lots of twists.

Readers will enjoy this novel without having need to read the first in the series, as all is explained at the beginning of this volume.

Purchase Links





Review 


First of all, that blurb completely drew me in. I was pleasantly surprised by the way Stuart Yates was able to keep me on my toes. 

I  love reading thrillers and trying to figure out what could possibly come next. 

 I'll have to admit, I was surprised in a couple of places throughout the novel. A Great Thriller.


Born on the Wirral, in the United Kingdom, Stuart G. Yates went to school, but he may as well have not done so. Until he was sixteen he lounged around and did his utmost to make the lives of teachers hell. After school, he went from one dead-end job to the next, traveled around, met some great people, but had no idea where life was taking him, until one sunny afternoon in his local park, he sat and watched a group of teachers leading their children in a sports’ day. At once, he knew he’d found his vocation. So he went back to school, got educated and ended up in University studying to be a teacher. And all through it, from his days back in secondary school, to the moment he qualified as a teacher, he wrote. Stories, books, novels. And despite being a teacher of 22 years standing, he still writes. Since 2009, sixteen of his books have been published. He concentrates on historical fiction and contemporary thrillers. Whipped Up is the second in his Paul Chaise series, and he is working on the third whilst, in the meantime, drafting out numerous stand-alones. He is forever writing, which has to be a good thing. It keeps his feet firmly planted where they have always wanted to be – in the land of make-believe!

Twitter: @GlennStuart



Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Blog Tour: Reaper by Kristi R. Johnson #review



Young Adult
Date Published: February 12, 2015




Ana "Reaper" Keating has moved onto the Hugo Liberal Arts College campus, forty minutes away from her hometown. Dorm life will be incredibly different from her life in the cave at the quarry. Not only will there be reliable air conditioning and a roommate, but Reaper also believes she will no longer be threatened by the powerful and wealthy Goldwater family that adopted her mother, Sue, when she was a child. Neither Reaper nor her father, Jim, like to talk about Sue's death. And Mr. Paul, the Goldwater patriarch, still blames Jim for what happened 16 years ago. 
When Reaper learns that Mr. Paul's son, Ian, has also enrolled at HuLAC, she realizes that her days of dealing with the entitled and vengeful family are nowhere near over. It is Jim's worst nightmare, but it also what he has been preparing Reaper for all of her life.

Purchase Links

  

Review

I loved the fact that this novel had a imaginative premise. The synopsis is very intriguing and drew me in from the minute I read it. 

I loved the mystery of it and the build up that the author created. She really managed to keep the reader invested to the very end.

Characterization is key and I completely loved Reaper. She was such a wonderful lead and easy to get behind as a character. 

About the Author

Kristi R. Johnson is the creator and primary contributor to the book blog Door Stop Novels. Kristi currently works at the University of Texas at San Antonio as a Senior Admin, and part-time at Our Lady of the Lake University as a Writing Consultant. Kristi writes and reads whenever she can, and plans to keep reading, writing, and traveling as priorities in her life, always returning to her home in downtown San Antonio, which is little more than a treehouse with air-conditioning.


Reaper is her first full-length novel, the first 50,000 words of which she cranked out during National Novel Writing Month 2013.