Sassy Book Lovers: April 2015

Thursday, April 30, 2015

SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY Twice a Texas Bride by Linda Broday

Howdy, ma’am. I’m Rand Sinclair the middle brother in the Bachelors of Battle Creek series – Twice a Texas Bride.

Do you and your significant other have a song? If so, what is it?

I don’t know much about music except for the tinny piano I had in the saloon I used to own. But I loved when Callie and I once went into town and they were having their annual winter festival. Some fiddlers were playing the Blue Danube on the street. I pulled Callie into the dancers and we lost ourselves as the music swirled around us. The feel of her in my arms with her body swaying against mine is branded into my memory. For a few moments we could forget the outlaw Nate Fleming and his plan to kill her. I knew in that moment that if she died, I wouldn’t want to live.

What is your favorite comfort food?

Everything Callie cooks. That woman sure knows the way to my heart. But, I’m very partial to her cornbread and fried potatoes with a thick slice of ham on the side. Then add peach cobbler for dessert and I’m in heaven. Ranchers need to eat hearty. My brothers Cooper Thorne and Brett Liberty always joke that I’m hollow inside because of my big appetite. I never seem to get full.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Playing poker always relaxes me and keeps my mind sharp. The game that calls for skill and luck. There’s something about the pot in the center of the table and thinking I might win it. But then what would you expect of a man who’s spent a good portion of his life in a saloon?

Twice a Texas Bride

By Linda Broday

Bachelors of Battle Creek, Book 2

Sourcebooks Casablanca

Historical Western Romance

May 5, 2015

ISBN: 9781492602842

$7.99 Mass Market Paperback

“Linda Broday’s books always take me back to a west that feels true. Her love stories run deep with emotion. A delightful read.” —Jodi Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of Promise Me Texas

Callie leaned into him, borrowing his strength. “I’m so tired of being scared, Rand.”

“Running away won’t change that. Trust me with your secrets. There’s no reason to hold back any longer.”

She knew he was right. It was time to come clean.

“Start with your name,” he said.

Left with emotional scars from his time in an orphanage, Rand Sinclair has vowed never to marry. But when he discovers Callie Quinn and a small orphan boy hiding on his ranch, he can’t help but open his home to the desperate runaways.

Callie has been betrayed by every man she’s ever known. While she’s grateful for Rand’s incredible kindness, she knows it’s only a matter of time before he shows his true colors. But she needs this safe haven—maybe the outlaw on her trail won’t find them here. Yet as Rand slowly uncovers her secret fears, they each come to realize that the only way to keep her safe is for Rand to risk everything to offer her the protection of his name…and his heart.

Where to Buy

TEXAS MAIL ORDER BRIDE (Book 1)

TWICE A TEXAS BRIDE (Book 2)

COVER REVEAL Finding Me by Mariah Dietz

Finding Me

(His, #3)

Author: Mariah Dietz

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: June 1, 2015

I came here to escape. Leave the debris and avoid the inevitable truths.

Things are better.

Worse.

Different.

I’m finding me, but in the process I fear I’m forgetting those I have left, and the ones who have left me. Maybe I’m losing who I was.

Can I forget my past and move forward?

Can I forget him?

Excerpt

My eyes fly open and my mind feels alert. Normally nightmares wake me up like this, but this time, nothing is haunting me.

I look around the dark living room, feeling my heart race, and then realize what woke me up. A loud train of curses followed by a whine and a scratching at the door makes my heart squeeze. I sit up slightly, my eyes and ears desperately seeking the night for the confirmation that I’m not dreaming. A scraping against the lock sends my heart rate to unhealthy levels as my eyes widen and my muscles tense. When I hear the key turn, I drop back to the couch, squeezing my eyes shut and trying to bury my face in my pillow, behind a wall of my hair as I try to make my breathing sound normal.

I can tell when the door is opened by the click of Zeus’s nails against the hardwood floors growing closer to me. His voice is hushed as he calls out to Zeus, making my entire body pulse with familiarity and nerves. Zeus’s heavy breathing grows until he places his front paws on the couch in front of me and begins bathing me in heavy kisses. There’s no way to try and pretend I’m sleeping through this. I’ll drown first. Plus my need to see him is outweighing my fears.

I sit up and wipe a hand down my face while searching the dark living room for him as Zeus pushes closer to me, whimpering with anticipation and what can only be described as unleashed excitement.

Then he appears in front of the coffee table. It’s too dark to make out much of him, but every fiber of my being feels some sort of response, verifying that it’s him. Elation and fear, mixed with rage and jealousy, are topped with curiosity and pain. It’s a confounding and stifling overabundance of emotions that has my eyes staring wide at him, soaking up every last detail that I can manage in the dim light while Zeus works to climb higher on the couch, hovering over me.

Max stares back at me and although it’s too dark to see the blueness of his eyes, I can see the fierceness in them. He looks pissed. No relief, no happiness like Zeus, just anger.

“Zeus,” he calls again in a tone I’ve rarely heard.

“It’s alright. He can stay.” Thankfully my voice barely comes out above a whisper because my emotions are shooting through me like vinegar when it meets baking soda—unsteady.

He stares at me, and like a geyser, unspoken words flood my mind. “Hey, Max.”

He must be just as shocked as I am that I was able to speak those words because as soon as his name leaves my lips, he turns and ascends the stairs without responding. His bedroom door slams and then silence rings in my ears.

I catch a movement out of the corner of my eye and turn to see Landon in the hallway, running a hand over his jaw, wearing only a pair of gym shorts. His head turns from the stairs to me, and then he silently walks to the couch.

“He’s …”

“It’s okay,” I say when the rest of his words don’t seem to find their way out. “This is his house too.”

“He’s not mad at you.”

I turn to look at him in obvious disbelief. Anyone would have been able to see that Max was mad at me. His reaction wasn’t shocking exactly. Max lost one of his best friends, just like I had. There have been days that I have felt really angry over the whole situation too. Angry that I didn’t know how to communicate my feelings, and angry about the way he dealt with my insecurities. I still struggle with being angry over removing myself and moving to Delaware because I thought it would be the right decision for me.

Kitty and I have discussed my tendency to run from awkward situations; she’s the one who provided me with the new term “remove myself from.” It sounds a lot better than fleeing, but I had fled, and I know it. I can give a hundred reasons why for each time too, rationalizing each situation until I’m nearly positive it was the right decision—but I can never make it to one hundred percent. That small bubble of resistance and doubt always prevents me from being able to allow the memories to finally be discarded, and then it begins spreading, eating the conviction one doubt at a time.

About The Author

Mariah Dietz lives in Eastern Washington with her husband and two sons that are the axis of her crazy and wonderful world.

Mariah grew up in a tiny town outside of Portland, Oregon where she spent the majority of her time immersed in the pages of books that she both read and created.

She has a love for all things that include her sons, good coffee, books, travel, and dark chocolate. She also has a deep passion for the stories she writes, and hopes readers enjoy the journeys she takes them on, as much as she loves creating them.

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His Series

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Giveaway

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COVER REVEAL No Limit by L.P. Dover

No Limit

(Armed and Dangerous, #1)

by L.P. Dover
Publication date: June 1st 2015
Genres: Adult, Romance,

Suspense

Murder. Lies. Betrayal.

I deal with those things every day. My name is Jason Avery, one of the best undercover agents in the country. I have yet to fail on a mission, which is why I’ve been sent to Vegas. Countless women have been abducted, tortured, only to show up dead in the middle of the night. It’s my job to find out which sick fuck is responsible. Unfortunately, every lead sends me to a dead end; at least, until Aylee McFadden shows up at my door.
Aylee is a stubborn, headstrong FBI agent and also one of the sexiest women I’ve ever seen with a gun. In joining me, it gives us the leverage we need to get on the inside. She fights me at every turn, but soon realizes there’s more to me than tattoos and a dirty mouth. I can’t get enough of her. Now that we’re in the game, we’re one step closer to solving the crime. However, gambling with money isn’t what the big boys want. They want the one thing I’m not willing to give.
It’s a no limit game, and if I back down I lose everything. I will lose her.

Cover Design by Mae I Design

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AUTHOR BIO

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, L.P. Dover, is a southern belle residing in North Carolina along with her husband and two beautiful girls. Before she even began her literary journey she worked in Periodontics enjoying the wonderment of dental surgeries.

Not only does she love to write, but she loves to play tennis, go on mountain hikes, white water rafting, and you can’t forget the passion for singing. Her two number one fans expect a concert each and every night before bedtime and those songs usually consist of Christmas carols.

Aside from being a wife and mother, L.P. Dover has written over nine novels including her Forever Fae series, the Second Chances series, and her standalone novel, Love, Lies, and Deception. Her favorite genre to read is romantic suspense and she also loves writing it. However, if she had to choose a setting to live in it would have to be with her faeries in the Land of the Fae.

L.P. Dover is represented by Marisa Corvisiero of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Author links

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Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Paradise City Blog Tour - Review & Giveaway

Welcome to our stop on the Paradise City Blog Tour. ^_^

Paradise City

(Paradise, #1)

By C.J. Duggan

Release Date - 28th April, 2015

Published by - Hachette Australia

There's bound to be trouble in Paradise . . .

When her parents decide a change will be good for her, seventeen-year-old Lexie Atkinson never expected they'd send her all the way to Paradise City. Coming from a predictable life of home schooling on a rural Australian property, she's sure that Paradise will be amazing. But when she's thrust into a public school without a friendly face in sight, and forced to share a room with her insipid, hateful cousin Amanda, Lexie's not so sure.

Hanging out with the self-proclaimed beach bums of the city, sneaking out, late night parties and parking with boys are all things Lexie's never experienced, but all that's about to change. It's new, terrifying . . . and exciting. But when she meets Luke Ballantine, exciting doesn't even come close to describing her new life. Trouble with a capital T, Luke is impulsive, charming and answers to no one. The resident bad-boy leader of the group, he's sexier than any boy Lexie has ever known.

Amidst the stolen moments of knowing looks and heated touches, Lexie can't help but wonder if Luke is going to be good for her . . . or very, very bad?

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Stolen Art

Author: Ruth Silver

Publisher: Lazy Day Publishing

Release Date: April 28, 2015

Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi Romance

Sixteen-year-old Madeline has been living on the streets, biding her time until she's eighteen. With little to no money, she takes on a heist in hopes of making ends meet. What could possibly go wrong?

Everything.

Getting caught is just the beginning of Madeline's adventure as she meets Weston and discovers the secret of where she came from.

Fans of Orphan Black, The X-Files, and Fringe will fall head over heels for STOLEN ART.

Recommended: 15+

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StepSister Devotion

The Complete Series

Author: Eve Cates

Genre: Erotic Romance

Release Date: April 29, 2015

Forbidden love between a stepbrother and a stepsister. Told from the male point of view. 18+ due to sex scenes and language.

She had me at the word ‘Run’.

I first met my stepsister, Abigail Dorset at a wedding – my father had left my mom and married hers; I went there expecting to hate her.

Instead, I found something much worse…I found my soul mate. It was in the form of a girl who looked just like Snow White, and just like in the fairy tale, there was a wicked stepmother who would do everything in her power to keep control over her daughter’s destiny. Being a Dorset meant you have to marry into the right gene pool and appear to be of the highest moral code. Abigail’s life was mapped out the day she was born. I was seen as bump in the road – a deviant boy who needed to be avoided at all costs. So my stepmother kept us apart…or so she thought…

From the moment we met, Abigail and I knew there was something – some invisible force that makes two people want the one thing they can’t have. But we wanted it anyway. Over the years, we would fight and lie, sneak and hide – we’d hurt those around us in our need to be together in whatever way we could.

But most of all, we’d hurt each other and we’d hurt ourselves, all in a bid to figure it out and find a way to finally be together because every day we spend apart feels like dying.

A life with love is magical. Without it, living is torture.

Follow Sebastian Hawke and Abigail Dorset as they embark of a journey of love and devotion, kept secret, spanning years. Watch, as it drives them together and tears them apart before bringing them together again, older and wiser, ready to find a way – to do whatever it takes – because being apart from the one person you were born to love, isn’t an option.

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COVER REVEAL Palace Secrets by Ravyn Rayne

Palace Secrets

(Palace Secrets, #1)

Author: Ravyn Rayne

Publisher: Blushing Books

Expected Publication: June 6, 2015

Love comes in many forms and always at a price.

At twenty-three, Princess Isabella must settle down for the sake of her kingdom. Caught up in a secret affair with her lady-in-waiting, Hannah, the princess knows it can only last for so long.

When Prince Alexander arrives to court her, he confides that his father is on his death bed, and he will be crowned king soon. Isabella hastily agrees to the proposal, desiring to be queen, knowing little about her soon to be husband.

Murder, secrets, and lies combine with menage, spanking, and erotic encounters in this steamy medieval romance.

EXCERPT

Teardrops fall from the sky as I sit in my room with the window open, watching the dirt road into the castle. Prince Alexander, from a neighboring kingdom, is scheduled to arrive at court today. It's no secret I've made things difficult for the last prince that courted me. I can't remember his name, only his beady eyes and putrid breath. I have no desire to tie my heart down.

The thought terrifies me to no end.

There's a knock at my door and I shut my window, keeping the mood from seeping inside. Silly superstitions.

"Princess Isabella," Hannah says, greeting me with a curtsey. Her blonde hair is braided intricately across the top of her head and down her back. I wonder who did her the honor. She's wearing my favorite color on her too, a deep rich blue that accentuates and compliments her pale blue eyes.

I pull her into my room, slamming the door shut behind her. Hopefully no one saw her entrance. If they did, we can surely think up an excuse for her presence in my room. Unlike a boy, there's no rules being broken having Hannah alone in my chambers. Lucky me.

Without thought, my lips descend onto hers, shoving her forcefully against the door.

Hannah is not shy, though she pretends to be around my parents. I don't blame her, they are intimidating and also the king and queen of our land.

"You have to tell your father King William," Hannah whispers between kisses. Her fingers slip against the back of my neck, moving my dark locks to one side. Hannah's rosy lips fall against my bare skin, kissing a path up to my ear. "It's the only way we can be together."

"He'll never allow it," I say and sigh letting my eyes shut. I worry that confessing my feelings for her might result in her banishment from our kingdom. It's not only the fact Hannah is a woman and our relationship is forbidden, there's also the issue that she's a lady-in-waiting.

She's not of royal blood and I'm to marry a prince and strengthen our alliance. Nothing can ever develop between us more than lust and romance.

About the Author

Ravyn is a sassy, fun-loving, and adventure-seeking young woman. She loves to travel and can’t wait for her next vacation, wherever it might be.

Ravyn writes romantic erotica. She began writing romance novels in college, spending her down time either reading a book or writing fiction. Please don’t make her choose between the two, she loves them equally.

Although BURNING DESIRE is her debut romantic erotica novel, it is not her first published book. She has been published professionally since 2013. You can find her other books here.

Follow Ravyn: Blog | Facebook | Twitter

For less steamy reads, you can follow her here: Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY Kilts and Daggers by Victoria Roberts

To celebrate the release of KILTS AND DAGGERS, the second title in Victoria Roberts’ Highland Spies series, Fagan Murray, the strong and handsome captain of Laird Sutherland’s guard has agreed to sit down with us and answer our questions so you can know more about this rugged Highlander!

What physical feature do you like the most about your partner?

My wife knows how to light up a room with her smile.

What is your favorite food?

Dried beef. You can take it anywhere.

Kilts and Daggers
(My Highland Spy, Book 2)

By Victoria Roberts

Sourcebooks Casablanca

Scottish Historical Romance

ISBN: 9781402292033

May 5, 2015

$7.99 Mass Market Paperback

“This book begs to be read and reread.”—RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 stars on My Highland Spy

Ever since Lady Grace Walsingham discovered her uncle and sister are spies for the Crown, she has yearned for adventure. She’s counting the days until she can leave barbaric Scotland behind, even if she must endure Highland captain Fagan Murray’s company for weeks.

Fagan has a simple mission: escort the haughty Lady Grace back to England. But nothing is ever easy. The sharp-tongued woman needles him at every turn. But when a menacing threat follows them on their journey, Fagan’s grudging tolerance for Grace turns to respect…and into a perilous attraction that could seal their fate.

More praise for My Highland Spy:

“Beautiful! This book has it all.”—Night Owl Reviews, 4.5 Stars, Reviewer Top Pick

“One of the best... an outstanding Scottish romance.”—Romance Reviews, 5 Stars

“An exciting Highland tale of intrigue, betrayal, and love with a braw Highland hero and strong English heroine any reader will love.”—Hannah Howell, New York Times bestselling author of Highland Master

Highland Spies series:

My Highland Spy (Book 1)

Kilts and Daggers (Book 2)

Plaids and Petticoats (Book 3)

Buy the Book

MY HIGHLAND SPY (Book 1)

KILTS AND DAGGERS (Book 2)

The Story Of Lansing Lotte

(Legendary Rockstars, #2)

Author: L.B. Dunbar

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 28, 2015

I get it. I’ve heard the jokes. My name sounds like some medieval character who was a hero. Hell, my best friend’s named Arturo King. Ring any medieval bells? But this is my story and I’m no hero. I also get the jokes. Lancelot is a play on the words lance and lot, and a lance refers to a sword, which is a euphemism for dick. What does a man do with his dick? He fucks. A lot. So if my name is Lansing Lotte, I must be “fucking lot.” Get it? Fucking a lot? Which I’m not saying I don’t, that’s not the point. Another reference to something sexual. Get my point? Huh, I made a punny. But again this is my story, and I haven’t done anything funny. In fact, I’ve killed three women, and only one of them I loved. Yeah, that’s right? Not laughing now. It’s not funny. And I’m definitely no fucking hero.

Buy The Book

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COVER REVEAL Implanted by Heather Letto

Implanted

(Ascension, #2)

by Heather Letto
Publication date: June 2015
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult

After a narrow escape from the city of Impervious, Fran’s heart aches for the ones she left behind. Will her brother ever connect the dots? And, what about Pete? Could he, along with the remaining Rebels, have survived the Council’s violent oppression?
As Fran ponders the fate of her friends, an even more disturbing revelation drops into her world—the knowledge that she, along with anyone who had lived underground remains implanted with the sinister presence of the Council. A fate rendering her powerless to save.
Yet one with pure blood, untouched by the Council’s defiling, lives among them. Could he be the new lifeline of hope? Is salvation of the city worth risking the life of this one-and-only?

ADD ON GOODREADS

Purchase book 1: In keeping with the spirit of celebration--for reveal day only--all IMPERVIOUS (Ascension Series Book 1) Kindle downloads will be .99! This new edition of Impervious includes a Glossary of Terms and thought-provoking Discussion Questions.

Purchase for .99c

Amazon

AUTHOR BIO

I’m a book-writing, selfie-taking, latte-drinking, social media gal. I’m living a good life on the road as a full-fledged Bedouin (Well, except, my tent is actually a fully-equipped RV.) Me and my partner-in-crime (Benj) tend to hunker down wherever the skies are clear and the temps stay in the 70’s. We call ourselves Gypsy Nerds because we aimlessly wander the U.S. with glasses perched upon our noses and faces jammed into computer screens (for the first half the day... The second half of the day is typically devoted to playing because we’re also somewhat immature.)

Like most authors, the characters I create are my extended family. And like most readers, when the story ends, I get a little sad. In real life, I have two handsome, hardworking, grown-up boys who know how to make their Mama proud! *Waves to Joey and Mike!*

The Ascension Series is my debut into the world of YA fiction.

I’m living what I love and loving what I live!

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