Monday, July 31, 2017

Excerpt & Giveaway: The Eldritch Heart by Matthew S. Cox


The Eldritch Heart
Matthew S. Cox
Published by: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication date: August 1st 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Princess Oona Talomir enjoys the little things that come with her station: a handmaiden, her lavish bedchamber, and scores of fancy dresses―the duty to win a decades’ long war, not so much.
Oh, did I mention assassins?
Seers foretold the conflict would end by her hand. From the moment she drew her first breath, the neighboring kingdom has been trying to kill her so she could not grow powerful enough to destroy them. The king, fearing for his daughter’s life, has kept her confined to the castle grounds for most of her sixteen years. With the tide of war turning against them, the burden of her crown becomes too much to bear, yet one thing lifts her spirits amid the gloom.
Her servant girl, Kitlyn.
Alas, in a kingdom obsessed with the god of purity, she is terrified to confess her forbidden love. When her father makes a demand she cannot abide―marry a prince to forge a military alliance―Oona panics. He is handsome and honorable, but he’s not Kitlyn. Unable to admit why she cannot obey, Oona does the only thing she can think of, and runs away.
Alone and unprepared in the wilderness, she prays the gods will let Kitlyn find her—before the assassins do.


Excerpt:
Pim, the head cook’s son, raced out the kitchen door. The eight-year-old skidded to a halt at her side, almost falling as his bare feet slid on the moss-covered stones. Years of laundry water kept the cobbles around the fire shroud slick with green. He recovered and offered her a tart, his smiling face framed by a near-spherical mass of dark brown hair.
“Me pa jes’ made ‘em.” Grinning, the boy jammed another raspberry tart into his mouth.
Kitlyn shook water off her hands, letting the seventh of Oona’s nightdresses soak a little longer. She accepted the treat, still warm from the oven, and nibbled.
“Pa said he been makin’ treats since he was small as me.” Pim mumbled around sugary jam and pastry. “I fink he’s teasin’.”
“Well, he’s not the head cook because he’s poor at it.” Kitlyn winked.
The boy bit his lip and wiped his hands on his drab brown tunic while grinding his right big toe into the moss. “Kin ya do the fing wif the stones ‘gain?”
She sighed at the basket. “I’d love to, Pim, but I’ve got so much to do.”
“Aww.” He hung his head.
“All right, all right.” Kitlyn knelt in place, Pim flopping down after her, cross-legged.
She put a hand on the ground; a tingle of magic rippled up her arm and washed over her. Her mind reached out to the earth and stone, drawing a chorus of a hundred whispering voices into her thoughts. It took her only a second to sense a handful of small rocks in the grass. At her beckoning, the grape-sized stones bounced free of the soil and came rolling over with a scraping clatter.
“Wow!” whispered Pim, as awestruck as the first time he’d watched her do that.
The stones tumbled across the cobbles and leapt into the air, orbiting Kitlyn’s hands like the beads of a necklace. The boy’s head moved about in a spiral as he attempted to keep his stare locked upon a single stone in the rotating ring. Kitlyn spread her fingers apart and pushed her arms down. As the desire formed in her head, the stones clapped together. A handful formed a man-like shape while the majority gathered in her best approximation of a dragon. Faint green energy glowed from within both, illuminating the gaps between stones.
Pim cheered and clapped as the man and dragon circled, though rather than fight, the man-figure climbed on the dragon’s back and they flew into the air.
“Yer pa mus’ be so happy you kin’ do magic,” said Pim. “Tha’s good as me pa’s cookin’.”
Kitlyn slouched. The stones began to separate, but she willed them back together, creating a rippling series of clicks. “I don’t have a pa, Pim. I’m an orphan.”
He tilted his head. “A what?”
“An orphan is what you call someone who doesn’t have parents.”
Pim blinked. “How’s you not kin ‘ave parents? The gods jes’ make yas?”
Kitlyn giggled. “No, silly.” The stone dragon beat its wings in a slow, rhythmic pulse as she made it fly. “I had parents… but something happened to them, or maybe they gave me away.”
He gasped. “You mean like died?”
“Yes. Like died.” The construct fell apart; rocks scattered to the cobblestones. Not that she wished death on her parents, but better that than being thrown away. “Maybe. I don’t know.”
“You been here f’ever.” Pim licked jam from his fingers.
She gave him an apologetic look, stood, and resumed washing clothes. The momentary break had allowed her arms to cool, making the water painfully hot. “I don’t remember anything. Beredwyn said I’d wandered onto the castle grounds when I was much smaller than you are now. I found the princess, but I was too little to understand who she was, so I walked up to her and we started playing. When they figured out I had no family, the king decided to let me stay.”



Author Bio:
Born in a little town known as South Amboy NJ in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place. He has several other projects in the works as well as a collaborative science fiction endeavor with author Tony Healey.
Hobbies and Interests:
Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- after="" also="" and="" cats.="" deliberate="" fiction="" fond="" happens="" he="" intellectual="" is="" it.="" life="" nature="" of="" p="" questions="" reality="" science="" that="" the="" what="">

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Saturday, July 29, 2017

Spotlight: Tie Me Up Daddy by Cassandra Dee


Tie Me Up Daddy
by Cassandra Dee
Released July 10th, 2017
He's a domineering, commanding alpha who tells me to bend over, open wide, and reach high.
I joined the ballet in NYC.
Living my dream in the big city, the bright lights dazzled.
But then I met Thorn Channing – the CEO of my ballet company.
When he invites me to his private studio, I don’t know what to say.
He’s the boss.
He wants to own my body.
I can’t say no.
But what if I don’t want to say no?
What if all I want to say is, “Yes sir.”
Yes, take me.
Yes, tie me up.
Yes, make me yours.
What happens then?


Blitz & Giveaway: Got Mine by Nicole Loufas


Got Mine
Nicole Loufas
Publication date: July 25th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
When his girlfriend joins the army; Theodore Sway is left to raise their daughter on his own. His shitty job barely covers the ever-rising cost of his San Francisco neighborhood. When Lulu is accepted at a hipster private school, Theo is forced to find a better job. He does what any good parent would – he becomes a stripper.
Theo sacrifices his ego, his morals, and his body hair so his daughter can have the kind of childhood he’s always dreamt about. With the encouragement of his not-so-helpful club brothers and Sylvie, his ex-stripper BFF, Sway struggles to maintain balance between his sexy stage persona and his role as the world’s okayest dad.


Author Bio:
Nicole was born and raised in California. She claims to be a San Francisco native, however she's lived in both Northern and Southern California. She credits her creativity to the fact that she attended 12 schools between kindergarten and her senior year in high school. Her nomadic childhood allowed her to reinvent herself often. Some might say she was a liar. While others see the stories she told as a coping mechanism. Twelve schools, in six cities, in twelve years - give her a break. Today she channels her storytelling ability into writing novels. Long story short - kids that lie become writers.

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Thursday, July 27, 2017

Playlist & Giveaway: Second Snowfall by Sarah Fischer


Second Snowfall
Sarah Fischer
Published by: Limitless Publishing
Publication date: July 4th 2017
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Last semester, Annabelle fell in love. There are just two problems. Jason is her best friend…and he’s already taken.
Refusing to break up a relationship, Annabelle resigns to love him from afar—until a certain hot firefighter walks into her life.
Kingsley is the perfect catch. Rich, attractive, with muscles to boot, and he only has eyes for Annabelle. But things get complicated when he clashes with Jason.
With tensions running high and emotions spiraling out of control, Annabelle finds herself torn between her love for Jason, and her new desire for Kingsley.
The longer Annabelle tries to hold on to both men, the more she gets tangled up in a web of lies, secrets, and chilling revelations.
Now, things have gotten worse and Annabelle must do something—before things get ugly…

Playlist:
-“Good Girls Gone Bad” by Cobra Starship
-“All I wanted” by Paramore
-“Into the Fire” Bruce Springsteen
-“Only the Good Die Young” by Billy Joel
-“Sober” by Pink
-“Hot and Cold” by Katy Perry
-“Toxic” by Britney Spears
-“Something in the Way You Move” by Elle Goulding
-“Good Girl, Bad Boy” by Florida Georgia Line
-“Body Like a Back Road” by Sam Hunt
-“Girlfriend” by Avril Lavigne


Author Bio:
Sarah Fischer works hard fighting the good fight one background check at a time. But before she got into the business of being nosey, she graduated with a degree in criminal justice and married the calm to her crazy. Then she had a scary health scare and needed heart surgery. While recovering, she finally had the time to write stories filled with passionate romance. Her first book, Elton Hall Chronicles: First Semester was published in April and book two, Second Snowfall, will be out shortly. In her spare time, she manages a review blog called, A Kiss At Midnight Reviews.

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Cover Reveal: A Final Deal by Nadia Lee


A Final Deal
Nadia Lee
Publication date: August 15th 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
One thing I’ve never lacked in life is money. I was born to it. I’ve made it hand over fist. I have more than I know what to do with.
But all that money couldn’t give me Faith Mortimer, a damaged heiress with secrets of her own. I found her irresistible two years ago, and would’ve laid my empire at her feet…until she betrayed me.
Now she barges into my office, offering marriage, ostensibly to help me fulfill the conditions of my father’s hateful deal. Although I toss her out, I’m curious. Once I realize how desperate she is, I make a counteroffer that leaves her vulnerable and defenseless.
However, I never counted on my own machinations leaving me exposed in return…and both our hearts are going to break before this is over…


Author Bio:
NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author Nadia Lee writes sexy, emotional contemporary romance. Born with a love for excellent food, travel and adventure, she has lived in four different countries, kissed stingrays, been bitten by a shark, ridden an elephant and petted tigers.
Currently, she shares a condo overlooking a small river and sakura trees in Japan with her husband and son. When she's not writing, she can be found reading books by her favorite authors or planning another trip.
Stay in touch with her via her website http://www.nadialee.net/ or her blog http://www.nadialee.net/blog/

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Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Excerpt & Giveaway: It Could Happen by Mia Kerick


It Could Happen
Mia Kerick
Published by: Dreamspinner Press
Publication date: June 5th 2017
Genres: LGBTQ+, New Adult, Romance
Three misfits, mismatched in every way—Henry Perkins, Brody Decker, and Danny Denisco—have been friends throughout high school. Now in their senior year, the boys realize their relationship is changing, that they’re falling in love. But they face opposition at every turn—from outside and from within themselves. Moving to the next level will take all the courage, understanding, and commitment they can muster. But it could happen.
Henry is a star athlete and the son of religious parents who have little concern for the future he wants. Brody is a quirky dreamer and adrenaline junkie, and Danny is an emo artist and the target of bullies. Despite their differences they’ve always had each other’s backs, and with each of them facing a new and unique set of challenges, that support is more important than ever. Is it worth risking the friendship they all depend on for the physical and romantic relationship they all desire?
In this unconventional new adult romance, three gay teens brave societal backlash—as well as the chance that they might lose their treasured friendship—to embark on a committed polyamorous relationship.


Excerpt:
Henry: My life
Danny marches out the front door of his apartment building the second I step onto the snowy walkway. I turn around and follow him back to the minivan that I left running on the road. We get in, and Danny stares straight ahead.
“We’ve gotten about six inches already,” I tell him. “And the wind is picking up.”
“Thanks for the update, Mr. Weatherman. Now let’s figure out where the hell Brody is.”
My stomach does a somersault. I’m out of my league. Brody was always the one to guide us through the shit. “Well, first let’s find a place I can park, and we can talk.”
“Go to Cullfield Pizza. They always keep their lot plowed.”
We drive there in silence. But what is there to say? The only thing we have in common is that we both want to find Brody.
Once I park I ask, “Do you think Brody would go to Branton Beach? He was really into it during that hurricane.”
Danny turns in the passenger seat so he can look my way, but not at me. “Yeah, he could be there. He loves the wind.”
“Remember he went to that hill on the night of the really bad lightning storm last summer?”
“Pierce Hill. That’s another place he could be.” Danny smiles, probably thinking about Brody. “He told me he almost got struck by lightning that night.”
“He’s reckless.”
“He always has been. It’s like he has a death wish or something.” For the first time, we look each other straight in the eyes. It’s been so long. We both shudder, and my eyes begin to burn and fill.
“Don’t you dare fuckin’ cry, Perkins. This whole thing is your fault. If he dies today, it’s all on you.”


Free Verse Poetry by Danny D
“The good stuff”

waking up between them
touching without thinking
laughing about nothing
holding hands in public
planning nights together
believing it can happen
trusting it won’t end s


Author Bio:
Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.
Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young men and their relationships, and she believes that sex has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press for providing her with an alternate place to stash her stories.
Mia is proud of her involvement with the Human Rights Campaign and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

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Blitz & Giveaway: The Hunting Grounds by Katee Robert

Release Week Celebration for THE HUNTING GROUNDS by NYT Bestselling Author, Katee Robert! 

"Katee Robert has definitely picked up the romantic suspense genre and made it her bitch. I can’t wait to see what we get next. Given some of the books I see she’s been using for research, I know it’s going to be frightening and amazing at the same time."—Goodreads Review 

Download THE HUNTING GROUNDS and add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads! Then keep reading to get an EXCLUSIVE sneak peek at THE HUNTING GROUNDS and to enter the giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card!  

Title: The Hunting Grounds 
Author: Katee Robert 
Series: Hidden Sins #2 
Genre: Romantic Suspense 
Release Date: July 25, 2017 
Publisher: Montlake Romance 
Print Length:  318 pages 
Format: Digital and Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1503946705 


Synopsis:  

For two FBI agents with a past, love becomes a matter of life and death in the new Hidden Sins novel from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katee Robert. 
Maggie Gaines used to be an FBI agent—top of her class and one of the bright, up-and-coming stars—until she spectacularly fell apart during her first high-profile case. That was eight years ago. Now she’s a ranger at Glacier National Park, and she’s found some measure of peace. But when the body of a murdered woman is discovered, she must finally put the past behind her and work with the one man she thought she’d never see again. 
For months, Vic Sutherland has been hunting a killer who’s been targeting unsuspecting hikers in national parks—and now the predator has come to Glacier. Vic knows the case will bring him face-to-face with his former partner, yet nothing can prepare him for seeing Maggie again after all these years, or for the memories of passion it stirs in both of them. 
As the investigation brings them closer together—and closer to the killer—Maggie and Vic fear they have only each other to trust. But even that might not be enough to make it out of Glacier alive. 

Download at:   

Enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card and eBook copies of THE DEVIL'S DAUGHTER (Hidden Sins #1) from Katee Robert! 
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The Hunting Grounds Excerpt 
Copyright © 2017 Katee Robert 

Vic’s gaze fell on his phone. Maggie’s number was now in the contacts folder. It would be easy to dial it, just to check on her.  
Except it was late, and she hadn’t asked for him to babysit her.  
He’d gone years without seeing her, and now that they were in the same general area, it was like they were two magnets that could barely resist the pull. He wanted to hear her voice, to sit her down and share a meal that wasn’t military issue, to actually talk 
His phone rang, which startled him so much he almost dropped it. Vic stared at the screen for several precious seconds, wondering if he was more tired than he’d thought, because it sure as fuck looked like Maggie was calling him. “Sutherland.”  
“It’s me.”  
He sat on the edge of the bed, suddenly painfully aware that he wore only a towel. It shouldn’t matter. She couldn’t see him, didn’t know what he was or wasn’t wearing, but it did matter. “Hey, Maggie.”  
“I have to apologize.” He could almost feel her soft sigh. “You were right, and I was acting like a stubborn kid. This whole thing—the murders in the park and having to deal with my past and you—has got me all twisted up.” 
Maybe it was the events of the last two days, but he was so goddamn tired of doing the noble thing. He never put himself or his personal shit before a case. Not once.  
He’d never wanted to before.  
“I twist you up?”  
“As if you didn’t know. I had something of a crush on you when we were partners—which I’m sure you knew after I threw myself at you—and apparently I didn’t outgrow it as much as I thought.”  
The dimness of the room evoked an intimacy he didn’t deserve. Was Maggie sitting in her bedroom in low light, too? He liked the picture that made. “You have nothing to apologize for.”  
“I’ve been making an ass of myself since you stepped off that helicopter.” She shifted, the sound painfully loud in the near silence. “And I’m doing it again, apparently. My whole point was that I’m sorry and I’ll be professional from now on. You don’t have to worry about any breakdowns or hissy fits.”  
If he was smart, he’d take her apology for what it was and allow it to move them back to solid ground. There were lives on the line and a condensed timeline that was only going to get more condensed with each body that popped up.  
But when Vic spoke, he didn’t move them back to firm ground. He threw them right over the edge of the cliff. “Fuck being professional. I want you, Maggie. Not the former FBI agent. Not the park ranger. I want you.” 
Praise for The Hidden Sins Series 

“…a captivating read, made all the more rewarding when good triumphs.”—Washington Post  

“Robert shows off her impressive versatility in this fast-paced and inventive new Hidden Sins series. The small-town setting is a masterful blend of quaint and oppressive, which ratchets the menace and thrill factor. The protagonists carry the full weight of their pasts with them, making their growing relationship as compelling as the mystery element in The Devil’s Daughter. With plenty of twists and betrayals, this is a book that is sure to earn Robert a wealth of new fans.” RT Book Reviews 


Other Books in the Hidden Sin Series 

THE DEVIL'S DAUGHTER 
Get More information at:  Goodreads  | Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

About Katee Robert 
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. Her 2015 title, The Marriage Contract, was a RITA finalist, and RT Book Reviews named it 'a compulsively readable book with just the right amount of suspense and tension."  When not writing sexy contemporary and romantic suspense, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her children, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.  

Connect with 
Katee at: 
Website | Facebook | TwitterGoodReads | Instagram