RELEASE BLITZ & BOOK REVIEW for "Beg For You (Rocktown Ink, #1)" by Sherilee Gray

Title: Beg For You

Series: Rocktown Ink, #1

Author: Sherilee Gray

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: July 11, 2019

Ten years. Ten endless years I've waited to destroy the man who tore my family apart. But I never thought I'd get the chance... until his daughter walked into my tattoo parlour, looked me in the eye — and had no damned clue who I was.

I never planned on falling for Cassandra Deighton. She's silk scarves and manicures. I'm scars and rage. Yet I can't resist when she begs for more, my ice queen who burns with enough heat to sear the soul.

I need to end this. Before she finds out who I am. Before she gets hurt.

But I'm not the only one with secrets. We both have our scars, and if the truth comes out, we could lose everything…

~ BOOK REVIEW for Beg for You ~

*****(5) out of 5 Stars!

Oh, my gosh!  I freaking LOVED this book!  It may be my new favorite...at least of Sherilee Gray's...or at least one of them.  (Okay, Breaking Him and Mountain Man are still going to be strong contenders for that top spot, but this story is right up there with them!)  I've enjoyed every one of her books since I stumbled upon the first one about a year and a half ago, but this tale was just exquisite.  

From the moment of their first interaction, Cal has Cassy at a distinct disadvantage.  Much of that is due to the fact that he instantly knows who she is, while she doesn't recognize him from their shared past.  But is also attribuable to the definite Beauty and the Beast vibe of their narrative.  He is not only large, but covered in ink and scars; he definitely looks intimidating.  Plus, there's the aspect of her being this rather spoiled little rich girl visiting a tatoo parlor, of all places, on the wrong side of town.  This is the first time that she's been anywhere so far out of her comfort zone, and it completely unnerves her.  

But, as we soon discover, Cal is even more undone by Cassy herself.  Despite the advantage of size and strength that he has over her, she weilds a uniquely intense power over him.  And for quite some time, she doesn't even realize it.  Right from the start though, the chemistry between them is palpable, and the love scenes are correspondingly HOT!  Slowly, each comes to mean more and more to the other, even as they keep their secrets to themselves.  Watching their relationship develop was delightful.  Unfortunately, there were outside influences that negatively affected their relationship.  

The villains in this story are quite apparent and show themselves early.  They are so despicable that it made my skin crawl.  That Cassy allows herself to be manipulated by either of them, regardless of (or maybe more because of) who they are, is just sad.  I often found myself ranting at her to get a life and grow a brain and tell them where they could go.  That's when you truly know that a book has drawn you into its depths: when you starting talking to the characters as if they are real people.  LOL!  

There were other minor characters introduced as well who were not rude and irritating.  Cal's brother and cousin, in particular, and Cassy's friend Ted.  I'm hopeful that we'll get to see more of them in future installments, and perhaps that some of them will even find loves of their own.

Sherilee Gray is a kiwi girl and lives in beautiful New Zealand with her husband and their two children. When she isn't writing sexy, edgy contemporary and paranormal romance, searching for her next alpha hero on Pinterest, or fueling her voracious book addiction, she can be found dreaming of far off places with a mug of tea in one hand and a bar of Cadburys Rocky Road chocolate in the other.

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BOOK BLITZ for "All the Wrong Places" by Randi Perrin

All the Wrong Places 
by Randi Perrin
Publication date: June 25th, 2019
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

American-born, Australian-raised Rachel Kennedy was born to be an actress–all the way down to her drama queen ways. But when a bad day leaves her life and her dream in ruins, she’s not sure what to do next. Her silver spoon-upbringing never prepared her for that. 

With a bank account at nothing and an inability to pull off a convincing accent for casting directors, Rachel’s about to give up on everything. Not on her best friend’s watch. Lily is there to help her every step of the way–if the definition of help involves convincing her to take drastic measures, each one blowing up more than the one that came before. 

Once Lily shoves Rachel into the let’s-get-drunk-and-screw-a-stranger phase, she winds up tangled in the arms of Christian Whitmore, a cop with a sinful smile, sexy stubble, and impeccable timing. He’s there to pick her up when she falls and to take her out for fish and chips at her favourite place. 

But then again, so is his identical twin brother, Kevin. Double. Trouble. 

Stuck at a major crossroads in her life, can Rachel ever find happiness again, or is she just looking in all the wrong places?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

Excerpt:

“Rachel Kennedy.” The guy wearing hipster glasses and khakis that were an inch too short and showed off his mismatched argyle socks tapped a pencil against the clipboard in his hand and scanned the room. “Ugh, Rachel Kennedy. Going once, twice…”
“That’s me,” I shouted as I stood, crumpling the eviction notice into the bottom of my bag. I waved my hands in the air as if I feared he didn’t notice me in the sea of women in their mid-twenties all vying for the same part.
He gave me a once-over and shrugged. “Right this way, Miss Kennedy.”
Well, at least I didn’t get the snort of derision that directly translates into you don’t belong here that I often get. It’s a step in the right direction.
I smiled, my lucky, last season Louboutins clicking on the dingy, white, tiled floor as I walked past a dozen other hopefuls going through their pre-audition rituals. Some closed their eyes and mouthed their monologues. Others paced the floor. One actress, whom I’ve always admired, had her yoga mat out and was in the middle of a sun salutation.
I needed some yoga right now. Or Xanex. Something to ease my nerves from this audition and the frustration about the eviction notice I pulled out of the mailbox the other day. I know I’m not rolling in the dough—anymore, since Daddy told me it was time to live on my own money instead of his—but I paid my half of rent. There may not be petrol money or much food some months, but that rent cheque clears on the third of the month like clockwork. I knew my boyfriend, Mark, had been struggling to make his half because his hours had been cut at work. Our landlord was none too pleased, but he said he’d work with me. Turns out he’s a liar, because now we’re out on the streets in a week.
Straightening my back as I walked into the dark auditorium, I pushed all my anger and nerves aside. I needed to nail this audition. My career depended on it. I hadn’t had a show since Nunsense a year ago, and with that notice burning a hole in the bottom of my designer handbag, even more was riding on this. My big break had to come soon. My mother never made it as an actress, but by God, I was going to. I was going to live the dream she gave up for me. I knew she’d never see it, but I was still going to make her proud.
The click-clack of my heels gave way to a thunk-thunk as I stepped onto the honey-coloured wooden stage. Standing center stage, I focused on the orchestra pit. Staring back at me were three casting directors, and I had to swallow back the bile that crept up my throat. I wouldn’t have a chance in hell if I spewed on the casting directors. The only person who had ever chucked on a casting director and still landed the role was Cassandra Browne. Just thinking the thought of about her sent a shiver down my spine.
Taking a deep breath, I shook the nervous energy out of my hands.
“Whenever you’re ready, Ms. Kennedy,” said a familiar older man with a bushy monobrow. Directopillar. He had a reputation for being tough to impress. But I had impressed him when I landed Nunsense. I could do it again. No. I would do it again.
I glanced at the other two casting directors but didn’t recognise them. I closed my eyes and gathered everything in me before I opened my mouth.
“Well, Tommy has proposed to me again. Tommy really does nothing but propose to me.”
Fudge cookies! I messed up my accent.
I shuffled my feet as I debated continuing in the contrite southern accent that fell off my tongue like I meant to do it. Or should I stop altogether and ask for a redo? The former would be embarrassing, the latter unprofessional. There was no way to win here. Either way I went, I was a colossal screw-up.
Directopillar paused from taking notes and glared at me, a scowl on his face. I wouldn’t be surprised if his note read, Go back home to the States.
“Excuse me, Ms. Kennedy,” Directopillar said, his proper British accent mocking me. “You are aware An Ideal Husband is set in London, correct?”
“Yes, sir.” I nodded, avoiding eye contact. I didn’t want to see the disappointment painted on his face; the tone of his voice was disparaging enough. “I just thought it might be fun to put an American spin on it. Who better to make fun of than those in the American South?”
“We will not be changing the setting.” He cracked the pencil in his hand and tossed it over his shoulder. “I will give you one more chance—and know this is not a luxury I grant many people. Please start from the top.”
Grateful for the second attempt, I decided to move closer to them, so the emotion I portrayed wrapped them like a warm blanket, leaving them with a warm fuzzy that whispered, “Cast Rachel Kennedy,” for the rest of the afternoon.
I walked to the edge and dropped down to the stage, without showing the casting directors everything I owned—not that it mattered. My boyfriend, Mark, and I hadn’t had sex in so long, I think my hymen had grown back. All I needed was a pair of granny panties, and my transition back to virgin would be complete.

Author Bio:

English may be Randi's first language, but she's the most fluent in sarcasm, and it shows in her writing. She is known for creating snarky, realistic characters--badass heroines who can hold their own and flawed, yet lovable heroes. Like Randi, her characters run on caffeine and swear words. 

Her characters are often built around dichotomy, much like Randi herself. Although she is the least romantic person in the world, she writes romance. She also refuses to pick a lane on the romance highway, sometimes writing contemporary, other times paranormal, but always smokin' hot. 

She is the author of the Earthbound Angels paranormal romance series, several contemporary romance novellas including Anticipating Temptation and Mi Amor, and a gay romance novella entitled Wreck You. She has also had several short stories published in anthologies. Her next full-length novel, a romantic comedy entitled All the Wrong Places, will be out in Summer 2019. 

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BOOK REVIEW for "Venomous Lust (Eok Warriors #4)" by Mary Auclair

Venomous Lust (Eok Warriors, #4)

by Mary Auclair

Scheduled release July 9, 2019

Will he choose the mission of a lifetime, or the love of his life?

Commander Khal has been tasked with the mission of a lifetime by Prime Councilor Aav, the most powerful Matriarch in the Ring. He must locate and retrieve a weapon so powerful it could plunge trillions of people into civil war, chaos and violence. This is a dangerous mission – the mission he needs to prove himself once and for all as a worthy Eok warrior, just like his brothers before him. He is the Ring’s only hope for peace, 
and he won’t fail – no matter what the cost.

Hazel wants go to Earth to be reunited with her twin sister and she will stop at nothing to achieve that. When she hides under Commander Khal’s spaceship past curfew, she has no idea of the trouble she’s going to cause. Soon enough, she finds herself hurtling into space, far away from home and at the mercy of a stern and dominant Eok warrior 
who doesn’t want her there.

She is a hindrance to Khal’s mission, but he can’t seem to keep his hands off her anyway. As an intricate web of deception and betrayal threatens to thwart his plan, Commander Khal will have to choose between his lust for Hazel and his duty.

~ BOOK REVIEW for Venomous Lust ~

****(4) out of 5 Stars!

It took me a little while to warm up to Khal.  He was SUCH a jerk to Hazel when they first met.  Okay, so she sounded kind of like a whiny little brat.  But she definitely had good reason to.  She should have been a little more forthcoming about the rationale behind her requests though.

As they're story progresses though, and they face more outside influences, most of them extremely negative, the relationship between these two starts to build, and we get to experience it with them.  Despite being an apparent case of insta-love, they truly did develop a respect for and repoire with one another.  And, of course, the attraction between them is easily felt, making for some spicy love scenes (such as in the excerpt below). 

There are several secondary characters who also play a big role in their story, many of whom are enjoyable, but several of whom are downright despicable.  Some of the villains (and, yes, there were multiple ones), and the acts that they did or were going to perpetrate, made my skin crawl to think about.  There is a lot of tension and drama in this tale, outside of the romance.  Many political things going on the realm that affect Khal and Hazel, and a lot happens in a short period of time.  Although things often seem hopeless, they struggle on through all of their trials.  

Overall, this was a good story in its own right, and a fitting wrap-up to the Eok Warriors series; as well as a book I would recommend for anyone who is a fan of Sci-Fi Suspense Romance.

I received a free eBook ARC of this title from the author, 

and have willingly provided an honest review.

Excerpt:

Khal’s hand reached behind her waist, sliding so easily to the small of her back. His vigilant stare missed nothing of her reaction as his flesh made contact with hers. All seeing. All knowing. Strong, hard fingers dug into her soft flesh and his hot breath fanned her mouth. She couldn’t move, couldn’t think. All Hazel could do was watch as his face changed, the harsh alien features softening impossibly.

He pulled her in and Hazel took the last step. Her body molded to his, all her softness craving his hardness like a thirst. A glow started inside her body, filling her with an almost painful anticipation. The heat of Khal’s skin radiated through his heavy synthetic leather clothing, making her skin prickle with the desire to touch it.

“You should be running away from me.” His voice was husky and low, his face painted with the shades of lust. “If only you knew how dangerous this is.”

“I can’t,” she answered truthfully as his other hand moved, traveling up her stomach, making her skin quiver as his fingers trapped one breast. They were so large they covered its fullness completely.

Khal’s face lowered until his mouth hovered just above hers. Their breaths mingled as he looked at her—really looked at her. For the first time in her life, Hazel felt like someone truly saw her for who she was.

And desired her for it.

“I want to run away, but I can’t.”

“Then you are as lost as I am.”

Then he kissed her, and all her thoughts vanished. Khal’s mouth landed on hers like a dream she never wanted to wake up from, hard and warm, demanding everything from her and taking it. Her willpower shattered and she ceased to be herself. She became a creature of flesh and lust, and Khal was the master pulling her strings. His mouth opened and his tongue pushed through. She responded, allowing him in as his taste slid inside with his tongue. His taste invaded her mouth, clean and masculine, and as her tongue slid over the sharp tips of his fangs, a tangy taste spread over her taste buds.

Fire spread under her skin, making her kiss Khal harder. Her hands reached for the hard, thick muscles of his arms and slid around to the back of his neck. As her fingers ran over his skin, a tangible shiver traveled through Khal’s body, deep and slow. Primal.

The kiss deepened impossibly, until it became raw, animalistic possession.

And she wanted every bit of it. Hazel wanted to belong to Khal’s mouth, to Khal’s hands, to Khal’s body more than she wanted to breathe, more than she ever wanted to admit. The tangy taste of his mouth filled her mind as his hands ran feverishly over her body like he wanted to touch all of her at once.

Then, suddenly, it was like a dam breaking and he became a feral, wild beast. His hands slid to her ass, then to her thighs. He lifted her in a single fluid movement, parting her legs on either side of his body, pinning her to his throbbing, fully erect sex. At the feeling of his arousal, Hazel’s core clenched with need and a flood of wetness answered.

Khal moved, sitting her on the high counter, her legs still parted on either side of his waist. His mouth left hers and she breathed hard and fast, like she had been thirsty for air for days. 

The growl vibrated from his chest all the way to her throbbing clit as his mouth closed over her throat.

No, not his mouth.

His fangs.

The sharp points closed around her throat, the sensitive skin quivering to the rhythm of her heartbeat. The hot wetness of his tongue lapped at her jugular like a large cat’s, slightly raspy and entirely erotic.

Fear mixed with arousal as Khal maintained her in complete submission.

Is he going to bite me?

His jaw tightened, the tips of his fangs barely breaking the skin, and pain shot through the fog in her mind. An incredible bloom of erotic pleasure erupted inside her body as he held her like that, alien and strange, like a drug, but impossible to dismiss.

She knew she was going to come before the orgasm hit her like a blow.

Hazel contorted under Khal, a strangled scream leaving her lips as pleasure shot from her clit to the tips of her fingers in an absolute, all-consuming climax like nothing she’d ever felt. Like nothing that she’d ever thought possible. Khal held her down, his fangs around her throat, his tongue lapping at the tiny wounds on her jugular as Hazel’s body was ravaged by the orgasm.

Then, as her mind still rebelled against the incredible amount of pleasure, his hand moved to her face. His large palm rested against her cheek, but still, the push of those fangs against her jugular increased until she knew he was going to break more than just her skin. It was like he was fighting against his own impulse to bite down—and slowly losing.

This was more dangerous than any kinky alien sex game.

Hazel became very still, all her instincts telling her that if she fought Khal’s predatory hold, he would react like the feral beast he was. He would bite down and claim his prize—only in the process, she would be injured. Humans were not Eoks, their bodies were much more fragile. She could die from a direct bite to her jugular.

Then, with a dizzyingly slow pace, those sharp fangs relinquished their pressure and then completely withdrew. His tongue loitered behind, dragging up and down her jugular like he could taste her blood flowing under the skin. She could almost feel his reluctance to let go, the almost irresistible push to bite down again and go all the way through this time.

But Khal didn’t. His mouth left her body, and soon, way too soon, he pulled away from her. His too-blue eyes were even bluer, lighting up like fiery diamonds, and in those mesmerizing pupils was a lust the like of which she’d never witnessed. A lust that consumed and burned, a lust that defied all the laws of the universe to put her right there, at the center of it.

“How can I ever let you go?”

Author Bio

Mary grew up in the quiet peace of a small rural village in the heart of Quebec, Canada. She spent her childhood chasing butterflies and catching frogs, playing in the mud and generally being as unladylike as she could.

​She now write as much as her busy schedule allows to bring to life her inner world, filled with exotic planets, mysterious creatures and off course, 

hot, alpha heroes and the women who melt their hearts.

When she's not writing, she can be found in the garden, walking her dogs or playing with fire in her kitchen as a part time hit-or-miss chef.

​She loves to hear from her readers, so don't be shy and drop her a line! Sign up for the newsletter on her website to receive sneak peeks, 

exclusive bonus stories and special discounts!

Visit her website: www.maryauclair.com

Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormaryauclair/

Find her on Amazon: amazon.com/author/maryauclair

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BLOG TOUR & AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Sandy Hall for "The Shortest Distance Between Love & Hate"

The Shortest Distance Between Love & Hate 
by Sandy Hall
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: July 9th, 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

A teen girl starting at a new school is torn between long-held loyalties and a bright new love in this irresistible new YA contemporary romance from the author of A Little Something Different. 

Paisley is really looking forward to college. She is ready to take charge of her destiny and embrace some new experiences! Finding a hot guy to make out with at her first ever college party seems like a great start…until her best friend informs her that mystery guy is actually Carter Schmitt, Paisley’s sworn enemy who basically ruined their lives in middle school. 

So much for new people and exciting new experiences. Oh well. Paisley will just pretend he doesn’t exist. Of course that would be easier if Carter, AKA her super-hot-sworn-enemy, hadn’t ended up in three of her classes AND the same work study. Is it too late to rethink this college thing? 

Sandy Hall, author of A Little Something Different and A Prom to Remember, is heading back to college in this sweet and quirky contemporary romance.

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~AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Sandy Hall~

1) What gave you the inspiration for the storyline?

            

I really wanted to write an enemies to lovers story, but it took a while to find the write characters for this one. But then I realized that Paisley from my book A PROM TO REMEMBER would be a great candidate for this kind of storyline. She’s the kind of girl that would totally have a list of enemies.

2) Are there any hidden (or not so hidden) themes in the book that you hope readers will discover?

            

Most of my books deal with the concept of “you never know what’s going on in someone’s life.” I think it’s an important lesson to learn, and one that you kind of learn over and over again throughout your life.

3) Are any of the characters based on real people you know?

For some of my books the answer to this would be a resounding yes, but I don’t think I actually had anyone real in mind while I was working on these characters.

4) Who has influenced you most as a writer?

Up until about ten years ago, I hadn’t done much creative writing. But then I go reallllly into fanfiction. So I would have to say my fellow fandom authors. I learned so much from them and from writing fanfic. I wouldn’t be here today without them.

5) If you could have any three literary characters over to your place for game night, who would you invite, what would you play, what would you serve, and why?

Is it cheating to say Harry, Ron, and Hermione? There’s just something about the golden trio that if given the opportunity I would love to meet them. I would totally invite them over, but would ask them to bring along the treats like Butterbeer and pumpkin pasties while I supplied muggle games like Trivial Pursuit. Hermione and I would obviously dominate while Harry did okay and Ron would totally lose. Poor Ron.

6) Do you feel that you can ever have too many books?

The author and avid reader in me says NO! But the librarian in me is very practical about this kind of thing and knows there’s only so much space in my home. My brain can be a very conflicted place on these types of questions. So the answer is yes and no at the same time.

Author Bio: 

I’m a teen librarian from New Jersey where I was born and raised. I have a BA in Communication and a Master of Library and Information Science from Rutgers University. When I’m not writing, or teen librarian-ing, I enjoy reading, slot machines, marathoning TV shows, and long scrolls through Tumblr.  

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BOOK BLITZ for "Meant to be Different (Meant To Be, #2)" by Amelia Foster

Meant to be Different 
(Meant To Be, #2)
by Amelia Foster
Published by: Limitless Publishing
Publication date: July 9th, 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

As a teen, I had my life figured out: graduate and make my dream of being a bull riding champion a reality. That is right up until the goth girl transferred to my school. Georgia laid the snark on as thick as her eyeliner, but I saw through the toughened façade and fell for her. Hard. 

She was willing to give up her own dream to follow me as I pursued my passion, but I couldn’t let her do that. So, I made the hardest decision of my life…and walked away. 

It’s been twelve years since I left home without her and the all-grown-up Georgia is just as feisty and fiery as she was back then. It’s clear she has no intention of making redemption easy for me. Thankfully, I’m a patient man who knows what he wants. I’ve never stopped loving her, and I know she feels the same. 

Back then I was a rhinestone cowboy, and she was a dark angel, complete opposites, yet we fell in love anyway. We weren’t meant to be like every other cookie cutter couple, we were meant to be different.

Goodreads / Amazon

Excerpt:

“What would you say if I told you that I could fix this? At least a temporary band-aid that will give you time to talk to your insurance agent—and an attorney I might add—without screwing up your timeline.” Her brows lifted in a silent challenge.

The corner of his mouth twitched. “I’d say I always knew you were an Angel, but that might be a miracle just slightly out of your grasp.”

She rolled her eyes with an exaggerated sigh. “Do you want to know or not? This deal might expire if you’re gonna pull the Rhinestone Cowboy routine.”

“You always did like giving me options.” His brows popped twice.

Gigi moved to dig in the small container sitting on his desk before producing a silver coin. “Flip ya for it? Heads I tell you my plan and you don’t give me shit, tails I let you figure this out on your own.”

He tilted his head back and laughed, releasing her before rounding his desk and reaching into the drawer. “Now, Angel, this is my life, my career, and my future.” Our future, he corrected in his head, but wasn’t sure that was something he was confident enough to speak out loud. “We need something a bit more grown-up than flipping a coin.”

She lifted one shoulder. “We’ve always done pretty well with it in the past.”

Wyatt held a pack of cards between his fingertips. “Poker, Angel. Something this serious requires a serious game.”

A mischievous grin curled her lips and every nerve ending on his body took notice. The wicked promises the small gesture offered nearly wiped his mind clear of the looming threat to the future he was so carefully constructing.

“If we are playing poker, let’s make it really interesting, Cowboy.”

He swallowed his suddenly parched throat three times. “What’d you have in mind there, Gigi?”

She leaned across the desk and plucked the deck from his hand. “Strip poker. Winner gets to decide what our next step for your ranch is and where we end up tonight.” Her tongue darted out to run along her bottom lip. “I have a lot of ideas.”

The answer was quick, easy, and required absolutely no thought. “Deal me in.”

Author Bio:

A simple girl born in the South, raised along the Eastern seaboard, now in the wintry North who loves books, coffee, and fluffy cuddles from all the fur babies whether they are hers or not. 

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BLOG TOUR & AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Chloe Liese for "She’s a Spitfire (Tough Love, #2)"

She’s a Spitfire 
(Tough Love, #2)
by Chloe Liese
Publication date: June 24th, 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

One fiery-haired, sexy scientist finds her perfect complement in a dark and handsome soccer star. Opposites attract, and they’ve got chemistry that’s explosive—literally. 

Physics calls it entropy. Philosophy calls it Murphy’s Law: If something can go wrong, eventually it will. Professionally and personally speaking, Zed’s familiar with the principle. 

After a decade of trying to alter the atomic makeup of the mafia from its nucleus, now he’s set on leaving The Life and pursuing his heart. Problem is, the sassy, hot-headed spitfire he can’t quit is meddling in his slow burn escape plan, and turning it into full-on combustion. 

Not to mention, Nairne’s got a painful history she won’t talk about and more secrets than she has lab instruments—which is really saying something. In an ideal world, the bad boy footballer would follow the brainy beauty overseas and they’d live happily ever after. But Murphy’s Law is proven true, as Zed finds his world imploding and his escape plan foiled. These enemies turned lovers end up discovering how costly it can be to meet the right person at the wrong time. 

A present he can’t escape. 

A past she can’t forget. 

A future they won’t stop fighting for. 

They say all’s fair in love…and war. 

Book Two in the Tough Love Series—an enemies to lovers, suspenseful romance, full of sexy Italians, feisty heroines, globe-trotting action, and an ending that’ll both satisfy you and leave you ready for more!

Goodreads / Amazon

~AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Chloe Liese~

1) What gave you the inspiration for the storyline?

Nairne came to me in a season of life where I was reclaiming a lot of lost identity. As I found myself learning to be my authentic self, to take pride and put my energy into my work and interests in life, this fierce, resilient woman was born in my mind. A woman who epitomized resilience; who’d been through hard times but had reclaimed her life and had a pretty controlling attitude toward how life played out. Then she just had to meet a guy who had similar control impulses to deal with his crazy life, and Zed came to me at that point. Their fire and combativeness is born out of their similarity—they’re both intensely driven, seeking to survive and make it through life, and when they fall for each other, they have to sort through prioritizing their coping mechanisms or prioritizing making their relationship work.

2) Are there any hidden (or not so hidden) themes in the book that you hope readers will discover?

I’d say the themes are pretty evident. Self-preservation versus the vulnerability required to build intimacy. Obligation and duty versus self-care and self-discovery. I’d say all my themes circle around the work it takes to figure out your authentic self, to live that honestly, and to entrust it to someone you want to share intimacy and a relationship with.

3) Are any of the characters based on real people you know?

No, they’re all purely fictional!

4) Who has influenced you most as a writer?

Toni Morrison. Her writing is potent. She takes liberties with conventions, writes graphically and honestly, with a kind of unapologetic realism and grittiness that many people want to shy away from in reading or writing. Other than her, I appreciate so many different styles of writing and storytelling, and I think it’s good to read a diversity of approaches. It gets me thinking about form and technique, and even if I simply say to myself, hm, I don’t think I’d do that, or, that wasn’t how I would have written it, it helps me continue to introspect and grow as a writer.

5) If you could have any three literary characters over to your place for game night, who would you invite, what would you play, what would you serve, and why?

What a fun question! I think rather than characters, I’d probably want to spend the night with writers. Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf, and Toni Morrison. I’d serve a full bar, dessert and coffees, and hopefully we’d just have incredible conversation about culture and its representation in fiction. Then we’d play charades. Virginia Woolf would be incredibly sarcastic and derisive about it; Oscar Wilde would be over the top hilarious; Toni Morrison would be all calm and collected—that guest that gives one clue and makes you guess it right away J.

6) Do you feel that you can ever have too many books?

Absolutely not. You only have too many books if you don’t value their stories, if you don’t have a connection and history with them. I’ve passed books on that I outgrew, whether for their themes or subject matter, but it’s not because I think they’re bad now or they don’t belong—they’re just meant for someone else. And that’s the beauty of writing and books. No story is for everyone; no narrative will please each person. Books are personal. They’re an invitation to introspection as well as connection. They create worlds, and they make us better understand our own. So long as the books you own mean something to you, you can never have too many.

Author Bio:

Chloe’s always been a sucker for a suspenseful steamy romance, ever since she managed to find the one saucy mystery series hiding in her high school’s prim little library. Nothing drives her crazier than a story that cranks up the heat, then closes the door on the reader’s face, so don’t read her books if you don’t want to know what actually happens when the lights fade to black… 

When she’s not writing, Chloe’s busy reading books of all genres, rereading Harry Potter (which she can’t help but make her characters similarly obsessed over), and playing catch-up with her bad@$$ little girls. She’s also been known to scramble around the pitch for a pick-up soccer match and run along the river while dreaming up her next book. 

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BOOK BLITZ for "See No More" by W.B. Dineen

See No More 
by W.B. Dineen
Publication date: July 2nd, 2019
Genres: Adult, Thriller

Thirty-three-year-old music therapist, Kate Randolph, is at the top of her professional game. Her life is happily on track, until she receives a phone call announcing the death of the man who abounded her when she was eight-years-old. Kate has no interest in going to her father’s funeral, but soon realizes she must confront the past to move forward. 

While in Oregon, Kate discovers why her scientist/father disappeared, and what she learns will set her on a path that will change her life forever.

With her father’s good friend, Jake, she uncovers conspiracies beyond imagination. She learns of secret societies, cover-ups, and that the planet is in jeopardy from both terrestrial and extraterrestrial threats.
With the aid of a mysterious stranger, Kate must help save the world. Can she stay alive long enough to succeed?

Goodreads / Amazon

Excerpt:

Oregon is the greenest state I’ve ever seen. Abundant, lush foliage carpets gentle, rolling hills as far as the eye can see. Farmland abuts forested areas. It’s breathtakingly gorgeous, and I can definitely see how someone could get lost here.
The green landscape whizzes by and hypnotizes me as my brain begins to wander. I think of my childhood in Pasadena, just off the Caltech campus. We didn’t live in opulence, but we lived comfortably. Jen and I went to the private polytechnic school down the street from our house. It was where a lot of the professors’ kids went. I don’t know how my mom was able to afford to keep sending us there after Dad left, but we spent all twelve years of our education happily ensconced within its walls.
Caltech was my playground when I was very little. My dad taught aeronautics and applied physics. In the summer, I used to run through campus and meet him in the green space in front of Beckman Laboratories for picnics. I remember lying on a blanket next to him discussing the possibility of him shrinking me some day like in the movie Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
He used to look around all shifty-eyed before leaning toward me and whispering, “Can you keep a secret?” Of course, I always said I could. He’d respond, “I’m closing in on the technology and I should be able to do it by the end of the year! What do you think we should do with all the money we’ll make once I sell the patent to my people-shrinking machine?”
Then we’d plot what to do with our newfound riches. I wanted to spend a month at Disneyland before spending another month at Universal Studios in Orlando. Dad wanted to take my mom on a honeymoon, because they’d never gone on a real one. Then we tried to decide which house we’d buy. I had my eye on one we passed during our weekly walks to Huntington Gardens. It was a two-and-a-half story Spanish Colonial Revival with a pool. My dad joked that he wasn’t sure it would be big enough for the four of us, even though it had to be at least five times the size of our bungalow.
Memories burst through my subconscious like a storm-engorged river breaching a failing dam. As soon as one pops into my mind, at least thirty more push their way forward with unstoppable force. I’m sitting on the plaid blanket we always used for our picnics, and my dad says, “Katie, life is never what you perceive it to be.” Then I’m lying in bed and he whispers, “Believe the unbelievable. Things are never what you think they are.” Suddenly, I’m flying through the warm Southern California breeze on my bicycle, and he yells out, “Just because you think these are trees, doesn’t make them trees. Always be open to the truth. Believe in what you can’t see.”
In retrospect, it’s clear he was trying to prepare me for something. At the time I just remember thinking, Silly, Daddy, of course they’re trees. What else would they be? In my child’s eye, everything was exactly as it appeared. My dad was my rock, my mom and sister were ever-present love and comfort, the sky was blue, and life was good. Until it wasn’t.

Author Bio:

Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries -- not always in that order. 

Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to. 

She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables. 

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BOOK BLITZ for "Fractured Sleep (Fairy Tale Ink, #4)"

Fractured Sleep 
(Fairy Tale Ink, #4)
Publication date: June 28th, 2019
Genres: Adult, Fairy Tales, Fantasy

Fairy Tale Ink is proud to present these four retold stories of the classic, Sleeping Beauty. A story for every reader from best-selling and award-winning authors! 

Aurora’s Fight, by Angela Brimhall:  Five years ago, Aurora was forced to live at Thornhurst Manor, the city insane asylum. Every night she dreads sunset when sleep becomes a wicked game of survival. When Aurora is kidnapped and imprisoned in The Briar, a vision reveals the desperate man in the next cell is her only hope in stopping the plague of her nightmares. Will she find a way to rescue this mysterious man before The Dragon’s death countdown reaches zero? 

The Lonely Princess, by Jo Schneider:  Everything changed in the 500 years Aurora slept. Now teenagers go to the Academy, where humans and fey live side-by-side and everyone pretends to get along. In her attempts to find her place in this new world, she meets Saru—a mysterious boy who delights in irritating her. Their attraction is instant, but his forgotten past might be their undoing. 

Dragon’s Curse, by Adrienne Monson:  When her nana is in a near-fatal car accident, Dawn is forced to reconcile her beliefs about magic. Her long-buried powers could save Nana’s life, but at a high price. Accepting magic means that the man Dawn dreamt about her whole life is real and that she’s the only one who can save him from a cursed sleep. To do that, she’ll have to face the terrifying dragon who put him there. 

Restless, by Quinn Coleridge:  Rory Kingston doesn’t want much. Just a good night’s sleep and a normal life free of magic. Yet Rory’s own royal pedigree keeps getting in the way of achieving these goals, not to mention her preoccupation with a new neighbor. Where the darkly handsome history professor goes, danger and mayhem follow. Has Phillip come to drag Rory back to the magical kingdom she left behind years ago or are his motives even more nefarious?

Goodreads / Amazon

SNEAK PEEKS:

At the Edge of Dreams

by Angela Brimhall

(Steampunk)
Aurora pressed her back against the clock tower wall, clutching the stolen scroll to her chest. The whine of clicking machinery from the surrounding buildings tapped like a metronome in her head, beating out the rhythmic heartbeat of The Briar. She squeezed her eyes shut listening for the signal she’d been detected. But nothing came. Aurora’s chest fluttered when she peeked around the corner to Main Street.
Steam hissed from arterial pipes and veiny downspouts protruding from faceless citadels. Aurora searched through shadows for yellow-orange eyes. Mist clouded the alleyways wedged between the buildings, cloaking any Huntsman hiding from view, but she couldn’t see any patrolling the street.
Aurora didn’t hesitate. She bounded away from behind the wall and ran, not looking back. Alarms blared as she passed the city limits and met the lip of Spindlewood Forest.
They know.
Her thighs burned. Puffs of strained breath came in uncontrolled spurts, but the dissonant sound drove Aurora harder. She crashed through the threshold of trees and fought her way up the steep hill into the woodland’s heart.
Aurora pulled herself over the summit and crawled to the nearest bush, wheezing through pursed lips, clutching the stitch in her side. A twig snapped. The sound rode on a whisper of dank smoky air from the grove of trees two feet away.
Something was close.
The hair on Aurora’s neck rose, and she narrowed her eyes, peeking around the shrub. She gripped her piecemeal knife in one shaking hand, the scroll in the other, waiting for the metal minion to show himself.
Where are you?
Several cracks echoed in different directions around her. Blood rushed from Aurora’s face into her stomach. She whipped around, her head darting every which way, ears perked. Aurora crouched, knife out, ready to jab anything that came close.
I’m surrounded.
A skeletal metal face peered at Aurora from behind a large tree trunk five feet in front of her. It’s lifeless eyes twisted and whirred, yellow pupils fixating on her location. Aurora froze. The Huntsman stepped out from behind the tree and brandished a long bronze pistol.

—

Dragon’s Curse

by Adrienne Monson

(Paranormal Romance)
I was going to explode. A restless energy had been building inside me for months now. There were times when it felt like my skin was the only thing keeping me from flying apart. There was no good reason for it. Frustration continued to grow and everything I’d done to ignore it and tamp it down seemed to only feed the impotent ire simmering beneath the surface.
When my coworker, Ben, had asked me out for the third time tonight, I’d lost it. I mean, yelled and came pretty close to slapping him. While he may have been annoying, he hadn’t deserved my freak out.
My phone played Sound of Silence to let me know it was ringing. All I wanted was to take a shower and wash the smell of coffee and baked goods off, but when I saw it was Nana, I answered. “Hey.” I put the speaker on so I could grab some water while I spoke. I tossed my keys on the counter and placed my phone next to them.
“What’s wrong?” Her confident voice flitted through my tiny apartment as if she were in the room.
My shoulders tensed and my defenses kicked in. “Why does something have to be wrong?”
“It’s in your tone. I can tell. What are you so mad about?”
That was the question I’d been asking myself for weeks. I glared at the phone as I drank. The cold water felt nice on my throat, but it was not enough to calm me.
“Dawn?” Nana called, her voice louder. “Don’t you give me that look.”
Rolling my eyes, I huffed. “You can’t see my face. You have no idea what look I may or may not be giving you.”
“I know you. You’re glaring a hot laser at the phone right now.”
It was all too easy to imagine her grey eyes meeting mine in challenge, never backing down. I’d bet anything she was folding her arms across her chest and that her lips were pulled into a stubborn line. “It’s a boy, isn’t it?” she asked.
Grinding my teeth, I picked the phone up from the counter and headed to the bathroom. “I don’t date, Nana. Why would you think it’s a boy?”
“What happened?” Her tone had softened and the concern I heard broke through the barrier I’d had up all evening.
My shoulders slumped and I put the phone down again to pull my long, blonde hair out of its ponytail. Nana didn’t say anything. She always knew when to wait. “Ben asked me out again,” I finally admitted.
“Why do you say that like it’s a horrible thing?”
I was positive that her brows were drawn together and that her thin lips were pulled down into a frown that showcased little wrinkles. It’s how she always looked when we approached this topic.
An image of a man with brown hair and brown skin entered my mind. He wasn’t real – just a man from my dreams that no one knew about. I couldn’t tell Nana he was the reason.

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BLOG TOUR & AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Tori Kron for "Courting Kate (Panther Player, #1)"

Courting Kate 
(Panther Player, #1)
by Tori Kron
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: June 23rd, 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance, Sports

Slapped with court ordered community service for brawling—again, Miller Cassidy, the Indianapolis Panther’s star player, is forced into laboring under stodgy non-profit supervisor, Kate Gallagher. Her saving grace—she happens to be best friends with Stella, the woman he’s been chasing for years. 

Despite the masses falling for his charm, Kate doesn’t care for Miller’s notorious reputation or his flippant behavior. But wanting to impress her strict boss, she agrees to a trade that could give them both a shot at success. 

Propelled into an unlikely alliance, Miller finds himself taking a defensive stance when he sees beyond Kate’s hard exterior. And Kate is equally thrown off guard when she discovers there’s more to Miller than games. 

But is love worth sacrificing friendship? And can Miller let go of the feelings for Stella he’s held onto for years? 

In love and basketball, it’s five fouls and you’re out, and every play counts.

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~AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Tori Kron~

1) What gave you the inspiration for the storyline?

Courting Kate was inspired by several factors in my personal life.

To begin, my cousin died at a young age, but my aunt and uncle chose to find good in the midst of tragedy by donating her viable organs. Then, a good friend of mine started working at an organ donation facility. Through her experience, I was able to understand the vast impact they have in the community. It was important to me to highlight their need for funding and to help draw attention to the importance of organ and tissue donation.

On a lighter note, I hail from Indiana where basketball is THE sport. Combine that with several years of sitting on the sidelines as a cheerleading coach, and it simply became part of who I am. My seventh grade classroom has an annual bracket challenge, and this spring, I went so far as to temporarily depart from a bachelorette party to watch the final minutes of Purdue playing in the Elite Eight.

2) Are there any hidden (or not so hidden) themes in the book that you hope readers will discover?

I wouldn’t call it a theme, but I hope that readers leave my book more curious about organ donation. I would love to inspire readers to register as organ and blood donors.

3) Are any of the characters based on real people you know?

Kate’s assistant, Erin, is named after my friend who works in the industry. I used her name as a nod to all she and her co-workers do to support organ donors and recipients.

4) Who has influenced you most as a writer?

While I’m inspired by every book I read, my editor has most influenced my writing and style. She’s helped me grow as a writer and creator.

5) If you could have any three literary characters over to your place for game night, who would you invite, what would you play, what would you serve, and why?

Without a doubt, I would select the Bridgerton siblings. There are more than three of them, but it would be rude to leave any out of the gathering. In their stories, they play a game similar to croquet, and it becomes quite competitive, so I would definitely want in on that fun. After, we’d have a traditional English tea service.

6) Do you feel that you can ever have too many books?

There is no such thing as too many books! I’m a voracious reader, so my library ebook allowance is always maxed out!

Author Bio:

Tori Kron has spent ten years educating middle school students in the art of English writing. She is a proud graduate of Purdue University, where she discovered a love for nearby Chicago and the adventures that awaited within. When Tori isn’t in front of the classroom, you can find her working with fellow authors in the Midwest Writers Guild or traveling the world with friends. In between excursions, she happily resides in Evansville, Indiana with her husband and son. 

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