Friday, November 29, 2013

Review: Wild Card by Jamie Wyman

Title: Wild Card
Author: Jamie Wyman
Source: Entangled Edge
Genre: Mythology, Urban Fantasy
Release Date: November 25, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

It was bad enough that gods gambled with human souls, but Catherine Sharp’s soul just had to be won by the Greek goddess of Discord, Eris. As if working a dead-end tech support job didn’t suck the life out of her as it was. Now, Cat finds herself performing random tasks for the goddess in her free time.

But when Coyote, the Native American trickster himself, claims to have won her own soul in Mayhem’s weekly poker game, Cat wants in on the action. With five sneaky gods upping the ante, Cat needs to find a way to collect the winning chips that could save her soul.
Marius, a handsome yet irritating satyr with his own debt to Eris, might finally come in handy for something. If they play their cards right and work together, Cat and Marius may just get their freedom back. If they don’t kill each other—or fall in love—first.


How would you like to have your soul used as a poker chip - a very expensive one - but still a poker chip.  Catherine has managed to have her soul traded not once, but it looks like twice now, in a high stakes poker game of the gods.  Now, it's not just Greek gods we're talking about here, although Eris does play a very large roll, but gods from across the pantheons.  It was really cool watching the different dieties interact with Cat, Marius, and each other.  Of course no one, except the gods, is really sure that Cat's soul was up to begin with, but Cat and Marius have promised to help each other out - and maybe save them both from Eris in the end.

Cat was a fun character, but there was so much she never knew about herself - and boy was she pissed when she found out some of it.  She was a computer wiz with no social life outside her little techie sphere.  There were several times when Marius, the satyr, was ablt to completely steal the show from her.  He was suave, sophisticated, and a complete ass - in a humorous way (Cat may disagree with me there).  The story was exciting with the various gods all trying to test Cat and see what made her tick - almost like a little lab experiment.  I know, a little twisted, but what else to gods have to do.

The only part of this book that rubbed me a little wrong was that it screamed sequel at me.  So I hunted and looked to see what I could find.  I was enjoying the story so I figured why not read the first one first?  But there was none - at least not that I could find.  So I kept reading thinking maybe I had totally missed something.  They did eventually explain the past that was repeatedly referenced, but it was almost at the end of the book.  If I was the author, I would write a quicky novella about Cat's past with Daphne as a prequel - I really want to know more now!

And on a totally random side note: I loved this cover!!!

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*


Book Blitz and Interview: Tyler Nitbone by Imran Siddiq

Tyler Nitbone by Imran Siddiq
Publication date: November 29th, 2013
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Tyler can Cross into parallel realities. Employed by a secret organization, he collects data about worlds encountered to improve the Alternate Worlds Map. Except the organization have apprehended him, tampered with his memory, and accused him of a crime he can’t recollect. They must have the wrong seventeen-year old? Nope – even Tyler’s friends have evidence against him.
There are rules to being a Alternate Worlds Viewer:
DO NOT interact with the environment.
DO NOT interfere with events.
DO NOT reveal the ability to Cross.

Tyler has broken with one. But which? All of them?
Worst of all he hates his surname: Nitbone.
Chased by the organization, he will Cross into explosive worlds to uncover the real traitor or risk the lives of zillions.
Tyler Nitbone must interfere to undo the interference


AUTHOR BIO:
Imran Siddiq may have tried to leave Leicester a few times, but its become his place to wake up to two cats, freeze when the heating’s off and most of all, get down to writing. At a young age, his primary school teacher commented on his creativity and ability to tell stories.  At the age of 29, during a night in the jungle, the bug inside awakened, and for the last 5 years he’s been sacrificing every second that he can to write. A veteran of writing festivals, a presence on Twitter and gobbling up all forms of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, he hopes he can bring a smile to others in the same way that he had, aged 5, reading with a torch under his duvet. Imran’s preferred genre  is YA Sci Fi, and he has a tendency to throw a droid in every novel.


Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members. 
Every writer in the forums, Facebook and Twitter. All of them. They all inspired me to keep working hard. They are the shadows that we want to lurk with because they never leave your side.


Do you see writing as a career? 
[Starts begging] – Yes, please.
It’s a difficult career to make a mark and claw back enough income to survive on, but hopefully one day, I will reach it.


If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? 
Maybe make it more of a Poirot mystery, though, that would take away the fun factor and the youth that the protagonist brings to the plot.


Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? 
My mother complained to my teacher, when I was 5 years old, that I was always reading under the duvet (at night) with a torch. I loved reading, and experimenting with my own stories. I loved to escape to another place. Hang on – is that a white rabbit I see running with a watch – see you later.


Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? 
Descriptive narrative. How much is too much? How much is not enough? What words to use? Do they need to know about the lever on the door because it might become important later. There are moments where I cringe at long passages of descriptions. Reading other authors’ and how they tackle this always helps.

Advice for writers of all ages"
Don't think that writing is a past time that you can dip into now and again. Treat it like a job. Make the time to write every other day. Plan it. Do it. Achieve it. If you aim for the finishing line, you will reach it, rather than hoping that you get there. Don't be atria dot give up on an idea if a new one makes you more excited. Even if you are shy, meet other writers online and find out what others think of your novels. Criticism is good. Use it.

You can't build a house out of thin air. You have to make it happen. You want to write a book - then write - and most of all - enjoy it.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? 
Oh most definitely. In fact it’s there on the cover as a tagline. Interfering in anything has consequences. They won’t always be bad, but they won’t always mean good either. Often people say or do something without realising the long term effect. TN is about how he must interfere to do the interference of a previous action.

How much of the book is realistic? 
The bits that don’t involve the non-realistic parts… like parallel universes… and robots… and a certain orang-utan. Then again, maybe it is all possible.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? 
TN is an extension of me whereby I always try to help and do good, but sometimes it can be misconstrued and put me in trouble. Poor TN… he doesn’t know when to stop and reflect.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Review: Falling for the CEO by Audra North

Title: Falling for the CEO
Author: Audra North
Source: Entangled Flaunt
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: November 25, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Finance genius Meredith Klaus prefers numbers to people, especially around the holidays. At least the large sum of money that’s mysteriously vanished from the company accounts will distract her from the ghosts of Christmases past. Until her sexy boss asks her to be his last-minute date to a fundraiser gala, that is, and the promise of a special evening calls to something long-buried in her.

Andrew Stanton, Manhattan’s best-known philanthropist, has worked hard building his reputation in the industry. He offers to work closely with Meredith to fix his company’s financial crisis, but the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to look at her as just a colleague.

A beautiful dress. A handsome man on her arm. A challenge she can’t refuse. Can they find the missing money and fulfill their holiday wishes, or will Meredith be unable to overcome the demons of her past and lose her chance at happiness?



The first thing I noticed about this book was the names of the characters.  We have Ms. Klaus and the Santa CEO.  It seemed a bit cheesey at first, but even the characters make light of it in the story, which made it awesome instead.  I really liked Meredith and her adorable awkwardness.  She was so far from perfect, being clumsy and introverted, that you can't help but love her.  Andrew really is everything that you could ask for in a guy - he was too perfect.  I kept trying to find the flaw that would make him more human, but I just couldn't find it.

The story was cute and a perfect Christmas pick me up story.  With a half million dollar financial crisis hovering the background the whole time, there is just enough conflict to keep it from getting too sappy.  The ending was spot on perfect.  I loved the way it tied up everything. 




Book Blitz Excerpt: Stim by Kevin Berry

Stim by Kevin Berry 
Publication date: October 16th 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult

Robert is different. He has Asperger’s Syndrome. He experiences the world differently to 99% of the population. Follow his entertaining and highly empathetic story as he struggles to realise and accept who he really is, try to understand other people—which he cannot—and find a girlfriend. Especially find a girlfriend—he’s decided it’s his special project for the year. Accompanied on this transformative journey by his quirky flatmates, Chloe (who also has Asperger’s, amongst other things), Stef (who hasn’t, but doesn’t mind) and their oddly-named kitten, Robert endures a myriad of awkward moments in his quest to meet a nice, normal girl…and not even a major earthquake will stop him.

This absorbing and humorous story is starkly told from Robert’s point of view, through the kaleidoscope of autistic experience.


AUTHOR BIO:
Kevin Berry is an indie author. His particular niche is writing Aspie New Adult contemporary novels set in an earthquake zone. The first of these is STIM, published in October 2013.

His first novels, co-written with Diane Berry, are Dragons Away!, Growing Disenchantments and Fountain of Forever (humorous fantasy). These are available as paperbacks and ebooks at Amazon and elsewhere.


Excerpt from Stim:
There is a well-known equation, known as the Drake Equation, that is used to estimate the number of detectable, sentient, communicative races in the galaxy (besides us, if we consider ourselves as one of them). It works (or does not work, according to its critics) by guessing the value of a lot of variables, such as the fraction of stars which have planets, and the fraction of planets which develop intelligent life, amongst other things, and multiplying them all together. Depending on the values chosen, the equation produces a number between zero (we are alone in our galaxy) to billions (we have lots of intelligent neighbours in the galaxy).
I decided to modify this equation to estimate the number of potential girlfriends for me in Christchurch. Here is my Girlfriend Equation, for a Scientifically Calculated Reckoning of Eligible Women (or SCREW score):
G = P . fw . fa . fi . fs . fp . fr . fh . fg
where
G = the number of potential girlfriends for me in Christchurch;
P = the population of Christchurch, which is about 400,000 (I am not interested in a long-distance relationship, so I am restricting this variable to my home city);
fw = the fraction of the population made up of women, which is about 50% (I am not interested in a gay relationship, so I will calculate for females only);
fa = the fraction of the above women within one year either side of my own age, so aged about 18-20, which I estimate at about 5% (I do not want to date a schoolgirl, and women aged 21 or over will surely be too sophisticated for me);
fi = the fraction of the above women who are highly intelligent, say with an IQ within the top 5%, which is (obviously) a certain 5% (because we must be able to talk to each other at approximately the same level);
fs = the fraction of the above women who are currently single, which I…um…guess is about 50% (I do not want to date someone already dating someone else, as I do not want to get involved in threesomes or a trinogamous relationship);
fp = the fraction of the above women who I find physically attractive, which is…er…about 10%, at a guess. I do not know exactly (I think physical attractiveness is probably quite important for the sex aspect of the relationship);
fr = the fraction of the above women who reciprocally find me physically attractive, which is even more difficult to estimate…so about 20%, at a guess (yes, this is double the percentage I estimated I find attractive, but I am not unhandsome, you know);
fh = the fraction of the above women who I will like hanging out with, which I estimate at 100% (I am sure I would like hanging out with an attractive woman, and I am quite easy-going);
fg = the fraction of the above women who will get along with me and tolerate my Aspie ways… Hmm, hard to estimate… I will be generous and guess 20% (most women are likely to consider me too weird to go out with, as Chloe told me).
Treating all of the above as independent variables, which is maybe a little questionable as some of them are probably correlated, I plugged all of the values into the equation, which became:
G = 400000 x 0.5 x 0.05 x 0.05 x 0.5 x 0.1 x 0.2 x 1.0 x 0.2
Multiplying everything together, this equation of somewhat dubious credibility results in:
G = 1
That is it. I have calculated there is one unattached, intelligent woman of about my age in Christchurch who I will find physically attractive and who will find me physically attractive, and enjoy hanging out with. One.
Where is she?


Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Review: Death is but a Dream by Erin Hayes Blog Tour and Giveaway

Title: Death is but a Dream
Author: Erin Hayes
Source: Xpresso Book Tours
Genre: Mythology, Urban Fantasy
Release Date: September 29, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Caught between life and death, all Callie wants is to live again.

Homicide detective Callie Saunders knows that death isn’t all pearly gates and angels. After being hit by a bus, she finds that it's the ancient gods and goddesses of Greek mythology who are in charge of everything.

So when Hades offers her a deal, she accepts. If she wants to be brought back to life, she’ll have to figure out who is trying to kill his son. But if she fails, both her soul and the world will be destroyed.

With the odds mounting against her, it’ll take everything she has within her to wake up from death. But the rules are constantly changing. And someone wants her to stay dead.



Death is but a Dream is a book about the Greek gods - yes, they're real - as Callie finds out when she sacrifices herself to save a little girl.  Hades instantly hires her to become his son's, Plutus, body guard and to try and find out who is trying to kill him.  Seems like quite a daunting task for a lowly mostly-dead mortal.  She jumps right in though, using the skills she picked up as a detective to try and find out who the assassin is.

I think the part I enjoyed most of this story was Callie's time in the underworld.  I loved getting to meet so many mythical characters - and Cerebrus was a big favorite.  Her "partner", a fury named Tisiphone, is also a lot of fun and amazingly resourseful when push comes to shove.

The story continually surprised me on every page.  So many times it seemed like it was about to wrap everything up, and it would all come apart - but each twist was done in a way that it never seemed to get old.  I felt like I had the storyline of three novels in one - and the character development didn't suffer for it either.  I think even the gods, goddesses, and various other immortal beings were even dynamic, which I imagine would be difficult since they have such big, set in stone, personalities.

Unfortunately, the only person that did disappoint me a little was Plutus himself.  He just didn't grow fast enough for my taste - others may love him though.  He needed to come out of his shell earlier for me to have really liked him.  But since he was a main character it lowered my rating of the story.

This was a great modern mythology book that I think even young adults would enjoy (even though it is about an adult).

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*




AUTHOR BIO
Sci-fi junkie, video game nerd, and wannabe manga artist Erin Hayes writes a lot of things. Sometimes she writes books, like the fantasy mystery Death is but a Dream and the sci-fi middle grade book Jacob Smith is Incredibly Average. You can reach her at tiptoegirl87@gmail.com and she’ll be happy to chat. Especially if you want to debate Star Wars.






Tour Schedule
November 25th

November 26th

November 27th

November 28th

November 29th

November 30th
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Cover Reveal: Out of the Ashes by Diana Gardin


Designed by OctagonLab
Out of the Ashes by Diana Gardin
(The Ashes Series #1)
Publication date: December 12th 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Out of the frying pan and into the fire…
Paige Hill is discovering who she is again after losing everything she loves in a tragic fire. She’s endured a long road to recovery with the help of her best fiend Gillian and is finally beginning her life again: college, a job, and a blossoming love she never even saw coming.
Clay Forbes is the notorious campus playboy. He’s a star athlete, a senior architecture major, and the only son in a family with power and money back in his hometown. When he crashes into Paige, his whole perspective on life shifts, and his world as he knew it becomes nonexistent. He’s wrapped up in her.
They’re both learning how to love, but Clay’s ex-girlfriend Hannah won’t make it easy for them. She puts a target on Paige’s back, and won’t stop until she’s derailed their budding romance once and for all. Who will be left standing after the ashes settle for the second time?


AUTHOR BIO
I'm a wife of one and a mom of two. Writing is my second full time job to that, and I love it! I write Contemporary Romance in the Young Adult and New Adult categories. I'm also a former Elementary school teacher. I love steak, sugar cookies, and Coke and I hate working out. Look for more Contemporary Romance Titles from me soon, including Out of the Ashes (Ashes 1) and Wanted (Nelson Island 1).

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Review: Tis the Season to be Tempted by Aimee Carson

Title: Tis the Season to be Tempted
Author: Aimee Carson
Source: Entangled Indulgence
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, New Year
Release Date: November 22, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

After the worst year ever, free-spirited Evie Lee rings in the New Year alone, swearing off men forever. So when her brother’s childhood friend, the perfect man with the perfect life, winds up on the same plane home, she’s determined to ignore him. Wes is determined not to take her seriously. Unfortunately a snowstorm traps them at the airport with no way to finish their commute, and his perfect body is tempting her to break her vow—if only for one hot night!

CEO Wes Campbell is famous for always doing the right thing, and running into Evie again is torture. He’s determined to continue his hands-off attitude. But he wasn’t counting on the little hellion’s infectious smile, her killer body, or the vulnerability in her eyes. For the first time in his life, Wes is tempted to do the wrong thing…


Evie and Wes are complete opposites.  Evie is the wildchild that never follows directions and Wes had followed the perfect path and does everything right.  Wes isn't thrilled to find Evie causing a scene on the plane, but something is different about her now - or maybe it's him that's different.  It sounds like an intriguing storyline, but I had a hard time connecting to either character.  It seemed just a little too one-night-standish to me.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*


Cover Reveal: Tousle Me by Lucy V. Morgan


Designed by Kenny Wright
Tousle Me: A New Adult Parody by Lucy V. Morgan
Publication date: December 13th 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

He’s exquisitely hot. Exquisitely tousled. Exquisitely screwed in the head.
Cammibelle Hicks just wants to survive her first year of college. Desperate to forget her troubled past, she throws herself into her degree and book review blog. So what if her life is one long tumblr page of grumpy cat GIFs? She doesn’t need to get out more, and she definitely doesn’t need a man.
Hunter von Styles approaches life like he’s spoiling for a fight: with a tempting scowl. A cage-fighting, ex-rocker billionaire, it’s unclear why Hunter’s at college. Frankly, it makes no sense. Then Cammie falls into him—literally—at a party, and he’s obsessed. He needs her more than a moist towelette at a barbecue.
Though Cammie’s friends warn her against Hunter, she can’t resist his charms; especially not when he buys her shoes. And GoodReads. And a unicorn. But when her handsome best friend, medieval reenactor Archer Riddick, makes a play for her heart—and challenges Hunter to a jousting match—it turns out that Hunter has demons of his own. Demons that aren’t real ones, but metaphorical ones—which are MUCH WORSE, when you think about it…
Join Hunter and Cammie on an emotionally exhausting journey into love.
And co-dependence.
And probably therapy.

AUTHOR BIO
Lucy writes sharp contemporary fiction, usually with a liberal splatter of filth. She is a Lyrical Press author, an editor and a screenwriter.

Her new adult novel, TWISTED SUMMER, is a gutsy take on forbidden love starring an even gutsier heroine.

Her contemporary series, encompassing CHAIRMAN OF THE WHORED and THE WHORED'S PRAYER, features slick London lawyers with a penchant for sensual violence. BEAUTIFUL MESS, her romantic comedy novella, is a snarky, sexy friends-to-lovers romp.

In TOUSLE ME: A New Adult Parody, Lucy pays homage to the books she loves in the best way she knows how...by mocking them mercilessly.

Lucy lives amid a graveyard of scented candles and half-read books. She's still trying to kick her dirty Pepsi habit.

Book Blitz Excerpt and Giveaway: Entwine by Rebecca Berto

Entwine by Rebecca Berto 
Publication date: November 25, 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult

Sarah Langham’s life was the epitome of normal until her dad slept with another woman when she was sixteen. It ripped her family apart.

Twenty-two-year-old Sarah has it together, though.

Waiting at the train station to go home from her first day of her first proper job out of university, she spots a man.

He is an enigma to her. She’s drawn to him, with his square jaw; buzz of hair; and his tall, solid frame, seen under the contours of his business suit. And he’s been looking at her, too. Fate pulls them together that night on a whirlwind date, exceeding anything Sarah’s experienced before. He’s even more into her than she’s into him. Finally, she wants to trust a guy for the first time since she was sixteen.

But then they discover something.

Something that meant they were never two strangers at a train station.

And it threatens to tear their future apart before it, really, ever begins.



Author Bio:
Rebecca Berto writes stories about love and relationships. She gets a thrill when her readers are emotional reading her books, and gets even more of a kick when they tell her so. She's strangely imaginative, spends too much time on her computer, and is certifiably crazy when she works on her fiction. 

Rebecca Berto lives in Melbourne, Australia with her boyfriend and their doggy.

Author Links:

Excerpt from Entwine:
The smell of the man next to her, panting and sweating from obviously running to catch the train, didn’t matter. Nor did the fact she was standing for a one-hour train trip in heels. There was little that could matter to her right now—except for when the train suddenly stopped, and the driver announced a delay.
“We have stopped to attend to an ill passenger on board,” he said. “I don’t know how long the wait will be, but it could be up to forty-five minutes due to peak hour traffic and the patient’s condition. Thank you for your understanding.”
At that time, Sarah heard a deep, yet smooth voice say, “Lucky I don’t plan on being anywhere.”
She knew it was Him before she looked up to meet his eyes. Apart from the fact she was sure it came from somewhere in front of her, or thereabouts, a voice in her head associated it with the man she’d almost profiled to full detail.
Looking up, she saw his face and, for some reason, knowing what his voice sounded like was like tying up a little bow on top of her perfect package.
“It’s not like I have to be anywhere,” Sarah agreed.
For a moment, she matched his gaze, trying to stop from doing anything suggestive. She wanted to lick her lips as they were dry, and she was sure even a little grin would crack them. Only an hour ago she’d had gloss on them from her special first day at work, but now they felt dry and baron.
Oh, how with every moment she stood here, it got worse. Now her head was itchy. If only she could sneak up a fingernail to scratch. Just above and behind her ear. Just a bit. But Sarah couldn’t. Why was a stranger doing this to her?
Sarah held her place, gazing with as much power as he had. She wouldn’t lick her lips. Or scratch her head. And now she was a dry, twitching freak.
Stuff it.
She turned a little, trying to hide her hand, and covered it by fussing with her hair near her ear, and licked away the cracked feeling from her lips. When she looked up, the man was shamelessly staring. She knew that look. There was no mistaking that, for some reason, he was as intrigued by her as she was him.
“Here,” the man said. He bent and dropped against the railing behind his back, his knees sticking out at the sides, and his huge legs separated in a way that made Sarah want to look away but couldn’t. “Sit here. Your feet must be sore.”
That made Sarah self-conscious, made her unable to move. Had he seen her shoes? Or looked up and down the length of her? The idea thrilled her.


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Monday, November 25, 2013

Book Blitz Excerpt and Giveaway: Peaceful Genocide by J.A. Reynolds

Peaceful Genocide by J.A. Reynolds 
Publication date: November 25, 2013
Genres: Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

Seventeen-year-old Mitzi and Deuce can recall how many drops of water were on a leaf from a rainstorm five years ago and conversations from last week, month, or year. They have the ability to remember every second of everyday—since birth.

This gift has blessed Mitzi with a history of being sexually assaulted by researchers and abused by her own parents. She trusts no one. Likes no one. Deuce, however, is a high school standout. His gift has made him a superstar on the football field and his memory promises him endless opportunities.

When they both end up at an Alzheimer’s research facility under false proviso, they quickly realize this place isn’t what it seems to be. They endure crazy military-style tests, are forcefully drugged, and complete real-life simulations that haunt them.

Mitzi and Deuce have no idea what the researchers want to do with them or their memories. But one thing is clear: the researchers will go to any lengths to get what they want.



AUTHOR BIO:
JA Reynolds lives in the Midwest with a normal family, raising a normal daughter, with some abnormal pets. It’s extraordinarily ordinary. 


Excerpt from Peaceful Genocide:
“Welcome to The Fifteen.” Mark held both hands out to his sides. “Don’t get excited; you aren’t really outside. This is a simulated environment.”
Deuce slumped. It looked so real. Air breezed across his face, ruffling his hair. The bright sun made him squint. He could smell the freshly cut grass. It was too realistic to be fake.
“The Fifteen consists of only one thing: an obstacle course.”
Deuce sat up straighter. An obstacle course, no matter if it was real or fake, was definitely something he was up for. Something he could dominate.
“What do we get if we get done first?” Ralph piped up. “Do we win?”
Mark smiled knowingly. “This isn’t a competition, Ralph. You’ll all be going through together. And you’ll all be finishing together.”
A loud groan came from Mitzi. Deuce grimaced. He didn’t mind teamwork; quite the opposite, really. But working with someone who didn’t do teamwork was going to get on his nerves. And Mitzi wasn’t the teamwork type. Maybe he could tape her mouth shut, strap her to the energizer bunny, Paisley, and get out of The Fifteen fast enough to have an early dinner. Now that was a plan.
“First run starts now.”
Seatbelt-type appendages lifted from the back of Deuce’s chair and folded across his chest and legs, locking him in place. The others had been locked down, too. Mitzi let out a yelp, and Deuce rolled his eyes. Their seats were thrust upward, like they’d been shot out of cannon. Deuce clenched his teeth, but kept his eyes wide. The ground whizzed by beneath him as an invisible force shot him up and over the horizon. The ground below was oddly shaped like a huge piece of pie. Wooden buildings, metal mazes, and patches of black littered the landscape below. His heart rate escalated with the knowledge he would soon get the athletic release he needed.
His breath whooshed out as his forward motion stopped abruptly and he plummeted toward a small lake below. He clutched the arms of his chair. A pop from behind him made him lurch forward. A bright red parachute exploded out of the back of his chair, fanning out to slow his trip back to earth.
With a splash, he landed near the shore of the still, blue water. He was still strapped to the heavy chair and before he could blink, he was pulled underwater. Staying calm, he fiddled with the straps around his chest, easily finding a buckle on both shoulders. His fingers remained steady as he found the buckle on his lap belt. Pumping his arms and legs, he crested the water, inhaling a breath of warm air.
What a freakin’ rush.
His eyes scanned the top of the water. Paisley, Ralph, and Mitzi landed several yards away. Ralph was the first the breach the water, laughing. Paisley came next, coughing and splashing like she couldn’t swim. Within seconds she’d calmed herself and bobbled while her eyes darted around.
 After more than fifteen seconds, Mitzi still hadn’t surfaced.


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Entangled Ever After November Releases and Giveaway


Find Your Ever After in Under An Hour






Ever After features paranormal, sci-fi, and horror novellas, all with the romance you've come to love from Entangled--just in a shorter format. Make sure to like their new Facebook Page and follow them on Twitter.


Today I'm happy to be featuring Ever After's November release!





Christmas Past by Susanna Fraser



Time-traveling PhD student Sydney Dahlquist’s first mission sounded simple enough—spend two weeks in December 1810 collecting blood samples from the sick and wounded of Wellington’s army, then go home to modern-day Seattle and Christmas with her family. But when her time machine breaks, stranding her in the past, she must decide whether to sacrifice herself to protect the timeline or to build a new life—and embrace a new love—two centuries before her time.




Rifle captain Miles Griffin has been fascinated by the tall, beautiful "Mrs. Sydney" from the day he met her caring for wounded soldiers. When he stumbles upon her time travel secret on Christmas Eve, he vows to do whatever it takes to seduce her into making her home in his present—by his side.








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Entangled Covet November New Releases and Giveaway




Covets have all the sexiness, emotion, and happily ever after that readers have come to expect and love from Entangled. They are firmly grounded in the contemporary world, but each novel brings in supernatural twists, breaking the contemporary and paranormal rules, alike. To find out more about their titles, chat with authors, participate in special events, and to find out what books you’ll be coveting next, visit the Entangled website, follow them on Twitter, LIKE their Facebook page, and join the Book Club.





Today I'm happy to be featuring Covet's November releases which is very exciting because in celebration of these three great new books, they are on sale for just $0.99 for the first week of release only. So they are perfect to download and read over the long holiday weekend between all the hussle and bussle for a nice little break.


Also, make sure to hop on twitter tonight, 11/25 at 8PM to join in the #CovetBash. The authors of these fabulous books will be joining in the fun, and there will be lot's of chances to win prizes, including a grand prize giveaway of Covet's entire backlist to one lucky winner! Details here.





Parts & Wreck by Mark Henry




Wade Crowson, a brutish and brooding playboy and veteran vivisectionist for the Parts Department, runs into more than he bargained for in new partner, Lucid Montgomery, a quirky beauty with a bizarre secret and a string of psychiatric diagnoses she tries hard to keep hidden. Loving Luce will stamp a demonic target on her back and thrust Wade into a frenzied whirlwind of hilarious misunderstandings and, quite possibly, a stripping gig for emptynesters. Can they withstand the savagery of an exorcism (with or without the split pea soup) and come out alive and …in love?









Operation Saving Daniel by Nina Croft


At eighteen, Melissa seduced her best friend Julia's brother only to run away shortly after. While Daniel was her fairytale prince, Lissa didn’t believe in happy ever afters.



Ten years and a near death experience later, Lissa is ready for a husband and family. But a cry for help from Julia puts that dream on hold. Daniel is acting weird and he’s about to marry his long term girlfriend—AKA The Evil One. Someone needs to save him.



Daniel has never stopped loving Lissa. Ten years ago when he gave her a little freedom, he always intended that one day they would be together. Right up until the moment he was bitten by a werewolf. Now, Daniel has to hide what he is. He won’t risk anyone else, especially the woman he loves.



But Lissa is back. Their attraction is stronger than ever and Lissa is nothing if not tenacious.








The Awakening: Britton by Abby Niles

The Awakening #3


"I would lick that man up one side and down the other."



Half-shifter and lead SPAC agent, Val Calhoun, has listened to women gush over the Don Juan of the precinct for the last four years. Yeah, Detective Britton Townsend is hot and has stunning blue eyes, but that foul mouth he saves only for her? What a waste of good looks. And no way does Val want that mouth anywhere near hers.



When the shifter community is threatened, Val is assigned to the case…and fails. So the High Council turns to the rogue shifter they'd sentenced to twenty years as a human--that same obnoxiously sexy Detective Townsend. And sends the two arch-enemies deep into the North Carolina Mountains-—together, and alone.



Being stuck in a tiny honeymoon cabin with Miss Castration and only one bed is definitely not Britton's idea of a good time. But the High Council doesn’t take no for an answer. After his shifter abilities are restored, Brit is once again susceptible to the dreaded, irreversible bonding instinct, the Drall. Thankfully, all he’s ever felt for Val is intense loathing, no reason to worry. Right? All he has to do is solve this case pronto, and he can go back to his footloose Casanova ways. That is, if they don’t kill each other first. Or worse...fall in love.






Missed the first book in the Awakening series? While these books stand alone, it can be fun to go back and see how the other couple got together. And in celebration of book #3's release, book one, The Awakening: Aidan is on sale for just $0.99 as well, so grab it while you can!





The Awakening: Aidan by Abby Niles

The Awakening #1


Is the gift of eternal love a blessing or a curse?

After years of counseling grieving shifters, psychiatrist and half-shifter, Dr. Jaylin Avgar has become jaded on shifter mating. She wants to marry a human and forget about the love for eternity crap. Then she meets Aidan O’Connell, an infuriatingly laid back shifter who represents everything she doesn’t want. Yet, the more he pursues her, the more she craves a future with him. Only one thing stands in her way: death. Can she overcome her fear of losing Aidan to the one guarantee in life?

Millionaire consultant, Aidan O’Connell knows he’ll one day meet a woman who’ll awaken an unrelenting mating instinct. Unfortunately, that woman is Jaylin, who has no qualms about telling him that he and his so-called eternity can shove it. When she pushes him away, he takes a drastic step so she can no longer escape. The close proximity throws the instinct into overdrive. Can he control the need engrained in him until he’s certain she will reciprocate the bond, or will a moment of weakness doom him to hell on earth?








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