#SciFi #Fantasy Review – The Days of Tao – Wesley Chu @wes_chu

The Days of Tao by Wesley Chu took me into a science fiction fantasy world where the voice in Cameron’s head was very real.

So…let’s enter his mind and see where it takes us.

Cover:  Galen Dara

Publisher:  Subterranean Press

The Days of Tao

MY REVIEW

I won The Days of Tao by Wesley Chu in the black and white scifi/fantasy/horror novella surprise giveaway at Little Red Reviewer. Thank you Andrea for some fun reading.

The Days of Tao is a science fiction novella that reminds me of The Host by Stephanie Meyer and the TV show Person of Interest.

Cameron is a college student and an agent of Prophus. He gets caught up in a war between Prophus and Genjix and is given the task of extracting Nazar who has vital information. He struggles to make the right decisions and save his college friends at the same time. He is courageous, though naive and learns some valuable lessons.

The Days of Tao is a coming of age story and Wesley Chu’s writing brings Cameron to life within the pages. The action is fast paced and the adventure makes the characters shine, some of them surprising me by their actions. I am still not sure of who the traitor was, but I see why Cameron he made the difficult choice he did. We have to live with the decisions we make and so does Cameron. After all…no one can ask us to do more than our best.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 3 Stars

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GOODREADS BLURB:  Cameron Tan wouldn’t have even been in Greece if he hadn’t gotten a ‘D’ in Art History.

Instead of spending the summer after college completing his training as a Prophus operative, he’s doing a study abroad program in Greece, enjoying a normal life – spending time with friends and getting teased about his crush on a classmate.

Then the emergency notification comes in: a Prophus agent with vital information needs immediate extraction, and Cameron is the only agent on the ground, responsible for getting the other agent and data out of the country. The Prophus are relying on him to uncomplicate things.

Easy.

Easy, except the rival Genjix have declared all-out war against the Prophus, which means Greece is about to be a very dangerous place. And the agent isn’t the only person relying on Cameron to get them safely out of the country – his friends from the study abroad program are, too. Cameron knows a good agent would leave them to fend for themselves. He also knows a good person wouldn’t. Suddenly, things aren’t easy at all.

The Days of Tao is the latest in the popular Tao series from award-winning author, Wesley Chu. Following after The Rebirths of Tao, this novella carries on the fast-moving and fun tone of the series.

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Giveaway – Rising Tides by Katy Haye @katyhaye @YABoundToursPR

 Rising Tides tour bannerThe cover for Rising Tides by Katy Hate is simple, yet captivating and makes me so curious about what is inside. If you want to know, be sure and check out my review below.

What do you think about the cover?

Rising Tides Cover LARGE EBOOK

Rising Tides by Katy Haye

Genre: YA Post-Apocalyptic

Release Date: June 20th 2016

MY REVIEW

I couldn’t resist the alluring cover for Rising Tide by Katy Haye. I am a “cover girl” and can be drawn in by the cover alone. BUT when a story includes water…I dive in with a smille on my face, wanting to get the lowdown.

The world building for Rising Tide is so creative and original that I was caught offguard. I love Katy Haye’s ability to bring it to life through words. For example, their meals are mostly algae, with occasional scavenged goods from the ocean floor. What are they doing on the ocean floor, you ask? Well…you will have to read Rising Tide to find out.

Libby is a doctor trainee, raised by her father, and naive to the real world. Her life is planned, but things happen and she will need to grow up fast.

Cosimo wants to be a Nautilus man and when they meet, trouble arises. What is a Nautilus man? Did Cosimo bring the danger? Why is her father being so secretive?

Libby’s world opens up to her and she and Cosimo vow to save the reapers, and by doing so save themselves.

I cannot help but stress Katy Haye’s ability to make the world in Rising Tide come to life. I do not want to elaborate, because it is so unique and creative, I feel anyone that cares about our ocean and seas, the mountains of trash being built and global warming, will love learning about it on their own.

The characters are the privileged and the downtrodden…sound familiar?

Rising Tide by Katy Haye is a wild adventure of survival, sacrifice and young love. Give me more Katy.

I received a copy of Rising Tide by Katy Haye in return for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars

Summary from Goodreads:

When everything you know is washed away, who can you trust?

Life is precarious on City, the last civilised place left on a drowned Earth. Some might think Libby Marchmont’s safe life there is boring, but she likes it – until her father is murdered and her certainties are swept away.

Stranded in the middle of the sea with someone she’s always considered an enemy, can Libby learn to trust Cosimo? And can they both survive long enough to share the truth her father was killed for: the seas are rising again and City lies on the brink of destruction.

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About the Author

Katy Haye spends most of her time in imaginary worlds – her own or someone else’s. She has a fearsome green tea habit, a partiality for dark chocolate brazils and a fascination with the science of storytelling.

Author Links:  WebsiteTwitterFacebookGoodreads

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Giveaway & Review – Kaitlin’s Tale by Christine Amsden @ChristineAmsden

Inside the Book:

 
 
Title: Kaitlin’s Tale
Author: Christine Amsden
Release Date: May 16, 2016
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Pararnormal Romance.
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MY REVIEW
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The cover for Kaitlin’s Tale by christine Amsden is fantastic. I love it and I loved frolicing with Kaitlin through the pages of her life. For those of you who have read her Cassie Scot series, some of these characters will be familiar to you.
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The story is predictable, yet wonderful to read. I was happy I didn’t have to live through a love triangle, but the romance is there and I find a little love adds a lot to the danger that Kaitlin will have to confront. She will not be alone in her effort to save Jay, her child,  wanted by vampires and the magical community she is immersed in.
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Kaitlin has all the problems of a young woman struggling to grow up and come to terms with the evil in her life, both the normal kind and the magical kind.
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Matthew has given up a chance to climb the stairs to the presidency of the United States, instead striving for the position as leader of the magical community. He makes his share of mistakes, but deep down is good and trustworthy. The problem is getting that across to the “people” that are necessary for him to accomplish this.
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There is plenty of magic, manipulation and treachery to go around and I was often confused as to who I could trust. Sometimes your enemy is your “friend”.
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I have shared some of Christine Amsden’s work before, but this is the first book I have read and reviewed. Needless to say, it will not be my last!
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I received a copy of Kaitlin’s tale from Christine Amsden in return for an honest review.
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Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  4 Stars

Kaitlin Mayer is on the run from the father of her baby – a vampire who wants her to join him in deadly eternity. Terrified for her young son, she seeks sanctuary with the Hunters Guild. Yet they have their own plans for her son, and her hopes of safety are soon shattered.

When she runs into Matthew Blair, an old nemesis with an agenda of his own, she dares to hope for a new escape. But Matthew is a telepath, and Kaitlin’s past is full of dark secrets she never intended to reveal.

 Meet the Author:

Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, which scars the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams.

Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. In addition to being a writer, she’s a freelance editor, mom, and foster mom.

Please visit her at http://www.christineamsden.com

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Giveaway

Christine is giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $50 Amazon Gift Certificate
  • This giveaway begins May 16 and ends on August 5.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on August 6.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

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Tour Schedule

 ________
Monday, May 16 – Book featured at Harmonious Publicity
Tuesday, May 17 – Book featured at The Bookworm Lodge
Wednesday, May 18 – Book featured at I’m Shelf-ish
Thursday, May 19 – Book featured at My Bookish Pleasures
Friday, May 20 – Book reviewed at 3 Partners in Shopping
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Monday, May 23 – Book reviewed at Don’t Judge, Read
Tuesday, May 24 – Guest blogging at Write and Take Flight
Wednesday, May 25 – Book featured at CBY Book Club
Thursday, May 26 – Book featured at Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews
Friday, May 27 – Book featured at Bent Over Bookwords
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Monday, June 6 – Guest blogging at The Noise Beneath the Apple
Tuesday, June 7 – Book reviewed at Books for Books
Wednesday, June 8 – Book reviewed at The Recipe Fairy
Thursday, June 9 – Book reviewed at I Smell Sheep
Friday, June 10 – Book reviewed at Reads and Reviews
________
Monday, June 13 – Interviewed at The Review From Here
Tuesday, June 14 – Book featured at Inkslinger’s Opus
Wednesday, June 15 – Book featured at Confessions of an Eccentric Bookaholic
Thursday, June 16 – Guest blogging at Queen of All She Reads
Friday, June 17 – Interviewed at Book Marketing Buzz
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Tuesday, June 21 – Book featured at A Title Wave
Wednesday, June 22 – Interviewed at The Literary Nook
Thursday, June 23 – Book featured at Voodoo Princess
________
Tuesday, June 28 – Book reviewed at I’m Shelf-ish
Wednesday, June 29 – Book featured at Lover of Literature
________
Monday, July 4 – Interviewed at Literal Exposure
Tuesday, July 5 – Book featured at The Zen Reader
Thursday, July 7 – Book reviewed at Stormy Vixen’s Book Reviews
Friday, July 8 – Book reviewed at Fundinmental
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Monday, July 11 – Book reviewed at Mary’s Cup of Tea
Tuesday, July 12 – Book featured at A Taste of My Mind
Wednesday, July 13 – Book featured at The Dark Phantom
Friday, July 15 – Book reviewed at Cheryl’s Book Nook
________
Tuesday, July 19 – Interviewed at The Writer’s Life
Thursday, July 21 – Book reviewed at Deal Sharing Aunt
Friday, July 22 – Book reviewed at Booklover Sue
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Monday, July 26 – Book featured at All Inclusive Retort
Tuesday, July 27 – Book featured at The Book Refuge
Wednesday, July 28 – Interviewed at Straight From the Author’s Mouth
Thursday, July 29 – Book reviewed at Lynn’s Romance Enthusiasm
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Monday, August 1 – Interviewed at As the Pages Turn
Tuesday, August 2– Book featured at Book Cover Junkie
Wednesday, August 3 – Book featured at The Hype and the Hoopla
Friday, August 5 – Book reviewed at Southeast by Midwest
Book reviewed at Kristy Centeno
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What do Elvis and Puzzles have in Common – The Enigmatologist by Ben Adams @bentadams

The EnigmatologistSalebanner

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000039_00008]Twenty-something, John Abernathy is disillusioned. His job as a private investigator is unfulfilling, and he can’t find work in his chosen field, Enigmatology, the study and design of puzzles. He is about to quit when the National Enquirer calls. A woman in Las Vegas, New Mexico sent them a photo of someone who’s supposed to have died 35 years ago—Elvis Aaron Presley. And they need John to investigate it.

When the Elvis impersonator, Al Leadbelly, is murdered, John investigates, finding Air Force colonel, Alvin Hollister—convinced Leadbelly has information regarding Elvis’s death—at the crime scene conducting his own investigation. John discovers great-great-great grandfather’s journal—unearthing a conspiracy entwining Elvis, shape-shifting aliens, and Mary Todd Lincoln. When John finds Leadbelly, alive and wearing a sequined jumpsuit, John must help him escape before Colonel Hollister finds him, and discover if Leadbelly is really Elvis, an obsessed fan, or something more.

Buy for only $.99 on Amazon

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#FREE – Nine30 by Melissa Lummis @melissalummis

nine30 SALE

Nine30

They say home is where the heart is, but if that’s true, then I’m lost because I have no clue where my heart is, anymore. I thought I knew—until I met Maximillian.

I was on my way out of the Capital City before the local vampires could catch on to me and let’s just say if that happened then this club dancer would be facing her expiration date. And that’s when the famous DJ blew into town—and into my head and heart. He turned all my plans upside down with his sick friend and his electric blue eyes, damn it.

I should have cut bait and run for my life, but I couldn’t abandon someone I could heal—even if it meant the vampires might catch up with me. Besides, Maximillian smelled familiar, like deep forest and pine needles baked in the sun mixed with that chilly snap of running water and the coolness of twilight. Those things have a smell that adds up to a dream.

You can get lost in that kind of dream. It can fill your mind with ideas and notions you have no business thinking or feeling. Dreams like that make it easy to forget the danger you’re in.

Buy on Amazon

FREE until July 2nd.

melissa lummisMelissa Lummis

Melissa Lummis considers herself a truth seeker and a peaceful warrior, in addition to a paranormal and fantasy author. With too many interests for her own good, she has rarely been content with one vocation. Her first professional life was as a high school English teacher, which led to another incarnation as a wife and an instructional designer /technical writer. After starting a family, she found herself reincarnated as a mother, yoga instructor, and personal trainer.

While all her past lives have contributed to who she is today, yoga has become a part of how she gives back, maintaining her Registered Yoga Teacher status with Yoga Alliance so she can help people one-on-one to overcome physical limitations and heal themselves. But she has always been and always will be a writer. She’s authored dozens of wellness articles for various publications, as well as maintains a blog focusing on wellness, healing, and living a life on purpose.

She is an author of new age suspense in a fantasy setting, but her stories are also straight up, steamy adult romance. The Love and Light Series is currently available at exclusively on Amazon, as well as the Little Flame Series, a spin-off focusing on the character Fiamette from the Love and Light world.

A Yankee by birth and a Penn State graduate, she lives in rural Virginia with her husband, two children, an Alaskan Malamute, and a myriad of forest creatures. Melissa believes the universe conspires to help an adventurer, and if we live our lives as if it is a daring escapade (and it is!), then everything we need will find its way to us.

Follow Melissa:  FaceBook | Twitter | Literary Addicts | Goodreads | Newsletter

 

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Friday 56 #91 & BB #67 – Rage by Jonathon Kellerman

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The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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2014-01-10 23.14.27

Rage by Jonathon Kellerman

Jonathon Kellerman is one of those authors that is a must read for me.

There is plenty of mystery, thrills and suspense from this prolific writer.

Have you read any of his books?

Rage (Alex Delaware, #19)MY FRIDAY 56

“She wants to screw me – screw Rand. I thought we were all on the same page but she’s pulling a fast one, shifting to blaming it all on my client so her little sociopath can get easy treatment. I thought you should be alerted.”

(page 56 in hardback)

MY BOOK BEGINNINGS

On a slow, chilly Saturday in December, shortly after the Lakers overcame a sixteen point halftime deficit and beat New Jersey, I got a call from a murderer.

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GOODREADS BLURB:  In a host of consecutive bestsellers, Jonathan Kellerman has kept readers spellbound with the intense, psychologically acute adventures of Dr. Alex Delaware-and with excursions through the raw underside of L.A. and the coldest alleys of the criminal mind.” “Rage offers a powerful new case in point, as Delaware and LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis revisit a horrifying crime from the past that has taken on shocking and deadly new dimensions.

Troy Turner and Rand Duchay were barely teenagers when they kidnapped and murdered a younger child. Troy, a remorseless sociopath, died violently behind bars. But the hulking, slow-witted Rand managed to survive his stretch. Now, at age twenty-one, he’s emerged a haunted, rootless young man with a pressing need: to talk-once again-with psychologist Alex Delaware. But the young killer comes to a brutal end, that conversation never takes place.

Has karma caught up with Rand? Or has someone waited for eight patient years to dine on ice-cold revenge? Both seem strong possibilities to Sturgis, but Delaware’s suspicions run deeper . . . and darker. Because fear in the voice of the grownup Rand Duchay-and his eerie final words to Alex: “I’m not a bad person””-“betray untold secrets. Buried revelations so horrendous, and so damning, they’re worth killing for.

As Delaware and Sturgis retrace their steps through a grisly murder case that devastated a community, they discover a chilling legacy of madness, suicide, and multiple killings left in its wake-and even uglier truths waiting to be unearthed. And the nearer they come to understanding an unspeakable crime, the more harrowingly close they get to unmasking a monster hiding in plain sight.

Rage finds Jonathan Kellerman in phenomenal form-orchestrating a relentlessly suspenseful, devilishly unpredictable plot to a finale as stunning and thought-provoking as it is satisfying.

A killer is watching . . .

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Which cover do you like best? Why?
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Rage (Alex Delaware, #19)

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Giveaway & Review – Tasting Temptation by Aria Glazki @AriaGlazki

I am excited to have Aria Glazki, a long time blogging buddy and author, to fundinmental today to share her new release Tasting Temptation. I hope you are ready for some sweet lovin’, because Aria is going to tell us…take it away Aria…

Why Have Sex? (in Fiction)

Readers who are familiar with Mending Heartstrings might be shocked by the explicit scenes in Tasting Temptation. Those who’ve read my previous posts about writing sex shouldn’t be, because—as always—it’s all about the characters.

For Sabella and Kane (Mending Heartstrings), the relationship progressed in a more “traditional” manner. The two of them got to know each other, became comfortable together, and developed a sense of emotional intimacy before things ever became physical. Add to that the fact that Sabella especially is a bit more private about physical intimacy, and very little of her and Kane’s sexual relationship ended up on the page.

For Gina and Hunter (Tasting Temptation), everything is different. The start of their relationship is nothing but sex—and Gina is anything but shy. At first, these two don’t even know each other’s names. The one and only way they relate to each other is physically. So, of course, those moments are what the reader sees.

Naturally (this is a romance), Gina and Hunter’s relationship grows from that place of simple physicality. As the way they relate to each other changes, so too do the details of how they have sex. In fact, shifts in their approach to the other person, bits of feelings they aren’t ready to express, and more—all of it is visible first in these moments where they retreat to something as basic and as complicated as sex.

Were these scenes not included, or had they been glossed over, much—or maybe even most—of Hunter and Gina’s relationship would be lost. Rather than witnessing the development of their emotions, the reader would be left adrift amid disconnected snapshots culminating in a sense of intimacy that would feel unfounded, and false. So in this book, there is a fair amount of explicit sex, but no moment is gratuitous. Like with the other scenes, every moment when you see Gina and Hunter coming together is an integral puzzle piece contributing to the picture that is their story.

Thanks for sharing, Aria. It has been a pleasure having you visit! Congratulations on the new release and I wish you all the best.

Now…lets check out Tasting Temptation by Aria Glazki. Shall we start with the cover?

What do you think?

 tastingtemptation-glazki-ebookwebMY REVIEW

I love the pretty cover for Tasting Temptation by Aria Glazki. It is simple, yet hints at more than meets the eye. I think it perfectly portrays Gina, who is broken, and I want her whole again. Will she meet the man who can help her?

Tasting Temptation is Book II in the Foraging Forever series. I have read Mending Heartstrings, Book I, and wonder why I only gave it three stars after reading Gina’s story. I think because the characters are polar opposites and I can relate to Gina better than Sabella. Sabella is the goody two shoes kind of gal, while Gina is carefree and flirty with sexual innuendos lacing her dialogue. Her defenses are up and the walls are high, after being badly burned by a rich playboy and I wonder at the type of man that can heal her.

The story starts out hot and heavy and immediately grabbed my attention. To Gina, Hunter is a hot and sexy boy toy and I think I would like to play with him too. Gina meets him at the vineyard where her best friend, Sabella, is getting married. She kept telling herself the single life and casual sex with a yummy guy was for her. I think she is in for a wake up call. I think we all know what is to come, but at 18% into Gina’s story, I am hooked and loving every minute of it. We are getting to the heart of the matter and I am eager to see how it plays out.

Her past nightmare playboy has entered the picture and the abuse of wealth and privilege and his need for revenge creates an insidious evil that touches everyone who comes near her. I am so pissed at him that my anger brings tears to my eyes and I want to reach through my kindle and wreak my own havoc. I didn’t cry…until I was 90% into the story.

Novels that are strictly romance are not big on my hit list, but I love Gina and Hunter. Their romance left me as breathless as Gina was. Even though I know how Tasting Temptation will end, I can hardly wait to get there. I knew there would be a happy every after and Aria Glazki’s writing had me unable to quit until I reached it.

I received a copy of Tasting Temptation by Aria Glazki in return for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars

Tasting Temptation Blurb:
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After last summer’s failed attempt at romance, Gina is absolutely done with men. And especially with millionaires. She has a good job as a fashion editor and amazing friends, and she’s decided she needs nothing else. All she really misses is the sex. But that rush just isn’t worth the risk of being ensnared in another relationship. When the hot bartender at her best friend’s Sonoma wedding suggests some harmless stress relief, she takes him up on the offer. When it’s sufficiently satisfactory, she indulges in a repeat–for the road. When she learns he’s actually the wealthy owner of the vineyard, the mix of fury and fear is damped only by the knowledge that she never has to see him again.
Hunter Cavaliere is determined to honor his grandfather’s legacy, and so far, he’s right on track. The vineyard is thriving, he has plans for expansion, and his wines speak for themselves. The only thing missing is the right woman to share it all. But through his grandparents’ marriage, Hunter learned what true love is, and he’s unwilling to settle for anything else. A woman who judges him because of his money definitely isn’t high up on his list. Still, when circumstance unbelievably keeps bumping him into the intriguing brunette from Portland, he can’t shake the feeling that she is someone he should pursue.
Gina’s poised to run the other way, but one more taste of Hunter may just prove too tempting to resist.
 
BUY LINKS
 

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01FPNK182

CAN: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01FPNK182

Autographed print copies: ariaglazki.selz.com
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ABOUT ARIA GLAZKI
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Aria GlazkiAria Glazki’s first kiss technically came from a bear cub. Though no fairytale transformation followed, she still believes magic can happen when the right people come together—if they don’t get in their own way, that is. So now Aria writes heartfelt romances about relatable people overcoming real-world obstacles to build love that lasts.
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Social media links: 
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a Rafflecopter giveaway

  • To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
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Check out her other stories and my review links below:

Mending Heartstrings

Mortal Musings

Life Under Examination

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$500 Gift Card Giveaway – Sun, Surf & Sand

 

Win a $500 Amazon Gift Card!

 

Follow these eNovel Authors at Work authors on BookBub and enter to win a
$500 Amazon Gift Card at the bottom of the post!

Are you a blogger or active on social media? Click this link and find out how you can win prizes for sharing this giveaway!

Meet your giveaway sponsors from #eNovAaW

 

Jackie Weger

Jackie Weger is a traveler of the good earth by boat, train, plane and truck. But mostly she just gets as far as Walmart.

 

Donna Fasano

Donna Fasano is a USA Today Bestselling Author. Her books have won awards and have sold 4 million copies world wide.

 

Aurora Springer

Morphing from scientific research into fiction, Aurora Springer has achieved her life-long ambition to publish her creations. Her stories include science fiction and fantasy with romance, mystery and a sprinkle of humor. In real life, she works as a scientist and has a PhD in molecular biophysics. She was born in the UK and lives in Atlanta with her husband, a dog and two cats to sit on the laptop. Her hobbies, besides reading and writing, include outdoor activities like watching wildlife, hiking and canoeing.

 

Lorena Angell

Lorena Angell lives in Washington where she enjoys gardening, hiking, bar-b-queing, and being with her family. She writes Young Adult Fantasy/Paranormal. Her series, The Unaltered, is a #1 bestseller in eleven countries and is currently being optioned for film.

 

A.J. Lape

A. J. Lape lives in Cincinnati with her husband, two daughters, an ADD dog, a spoiled hamster, and an unapologetic and unrepentant addiction to Coca-Cola–plus a lifelong love affair with bacon she has no plans to sever. A graduate of Morehead State University with a Master’s degree in Communications, she’s a PI wannabe but daily stops crime and kills bad people through the fictional ADHD character of Darcy Walker. If the FBI ever checks her computer, she’ll be wearing prison-orange due to the graphic and disgusting “wiki” articles she looks up…all in the name of career research, of course.

 

Jerri Hines

Jerri Hines is an Amazon bestselling author of the Winds of the Betrayal and Winds of Change series and Southern Legacy serial that were inspired by her fascination with history. She is a Southern gal who has lived the last thirty years near Boston with her Yankee husband. She believes in love and the power it holds. It is the reason she writes romances. Her much anticipated conclusion to Winds of Betrayal, Set Fire To the Rain, will be released December, 2016. She is also an Amazon Bestselling author under her penname, Colleen Connally

 

Amy Vansant

Amy specializes in fun, comedic reads about accident prone, easily distracted women with questionable taste in men. So, autobiographies, mostly. She is a nerd and Labradoodle mommy who works at home with her goofy husband. She loves interacting with fans when the dog isn’t laying on top of her, so stop by her blog or Twitter and say hi!

 

Dan Petrosini

Dan teaches at local colleges, writes novels and plays the tenor saxophone in a couple of jazz bands. Married with two daughters and a needy Maltese, Dan splits his time between South West, Florida and New York City where he was born. Dan has his own view of the world and culture or lack thereof. He has an active blog at http://danpetrosini.com, has written four novels and is in the midst of the next one.

 

Roberta Kagan

Thank you so much for your interest in my work. My mother was Jewish and my father was Romany. From the time I was young, the dark memories of the holocaust were a part of my life. Soon all the survivors will be gone, and the lessons of the holocaust must not be lost with them. I studied, researched,  and met with survivors, and each story of survival has one common thread, that even in the darkest hour there’s always a flicker of light. And that flicker of light is, love.
I send you many blessings. Roberta

 

Anne Kennison

With more than 30 years of lawyering under her belt, and now retired from the practice of law, Anne describes herself as a “”recovering attorney.”” Anne’s unique plot twists come from a fertile imagination honed by those years of experience.

When Anne’s not writing, she dabbles in photography, makes scrapbooks for her two granddaughters, makes jewelry, hangs out with the grandkids, and travels with her husband. Although they have traveled extensively from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego, and from Asia to Europe, what they love most is adventure travel. Anne says, “”So much world to see, so little time!””

Anne lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband Dale and two Ragdoll cats, Grady and Elliott.

 

Kerry J. Donovan

#1 International Best-seller with On Lucky Shores, Kerry J Donovan was born in Dublin. He spent most of his life in the UK, and now lives in the heart of rural Brittany with his wonderful and patient wife, Jan. They have three children and four grandchildren (so far), all of whom live in England. An absentee granddad, Kerry is hugely thankful for the advent of video calling.

The cottage is a pet free zone (apart from the field mice, moles, and red squirrels).

Kerry earned a first class honours degree in Human Biology, and has a PhD in Sport and Exercise Sciences. A former scientific advisor to The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, he helped UK emergency first-responders prepare for chemical attacks in the wake of 9/11. This background adds a scientific edge to his writing. He is also a former furniture designer/maker.

 

Julie Frayn

Julie Frayn is a Canadian multi-award-winning author of novels and short stories that pack a punch. And a few stabs. Julie lives in Alberta, near the foot of the Rocky Mountains. When not working or writing, Julie spend as much time as possible with her babies. Well, they’re grown adults now, but they still think she’s cool. Right kids? Right? Hello?

 

R.P. Dahlke

Biography for A Dangerous Harbor
This book and its sequel, Hurricane Hole, are the result of my years sailing in Mexico with my husband aboard our cutter rigged Hylas 47 sailboat. Mexico is a culture that was, and still is, struggling to gain a foothold in the 21st Century. These romantic suspense books (no graphic sex, but lots of humor) are about Americans who’re here because they can’t seem to outrun the problems they so desperately want to leave behind.

 

David Wind

David Wind has published thirty-eight novels including Science Fiction, Mystery and suspense thrillers. He lives and writes in a small village about thirty miles upstate of NYC, and shares his house with his wife, Bonnie and dog Alfie, a sub-standard poodle (email him for an explanation).

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Giveaway – Defending Hayden by L P Dover @LPDover @XpressoReads

Defending Hayden
L.P. Dover
(Second Chances #7)
Published by: Loveswept
Publication date: June 28th 2016
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

No one’s tougher than Carolina Cougars linebacker Derek McLaughlin. But when a fatal car accident claims the life of his girlfriend, Derek finds himself caught in a destructive spiral of drugs, alcohol, and meaningless sex. But not even a string of one-night stands can ease the hurt. Football is all he has left. Then fate leads him back to the scene of the crash, and into the arms of a kind, gorgeous woman who sees past his façade to the man he once was . . . and can be again.

When a chance roadside encounter brings Derek into her life, veterinarian Hayden Hunter isn’t fooled by his bad attitude: All bark and no bite, he’s hiding a wounded heart beneath that gruff demeanor. And Hayden wants to be the one to kiss it all better. Soon they both find that a dose of passion is potent medicine. But when a hidden enemy lashes out at Hayden, Derek steps up to do what he does best: put his body on the line in the name of love.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

Defending Hayden Teaser 9

EXCERPT:

Guilt plagued me and I felt sick. Getting out of bed, I paced the room, running my hands angrily through my hair. I didn’t want to hurt Hayden. Keeping her away would protect her from my life. She was bound to leave me anyway. I’d fuck up somehow and it would ruin her. What the hell was I talking about? I’d already fucked her up.

“Derek?” Her voice was like honey, silky and sweet. I’d imagined what it would be like to hear that voice screaming my name as I fucked her over and over. Last night had been the best night of my life, but it had scared the shit out of me. I couldn’t shake it. “Derek, are you okay?” she asked. Stopping midstep, I turned to face her, and her eyes widenened when she got a glimpse of my face. I could only imagine what she saw. So many emotions battled inside me. She held the blanket to her chest, and her lips trembled. “Please tell me this wasn’t just a game to you,” she whispered.

Swallowing hard, I sat down on the edge of the bed and reached for her. She recoiled from my touch. “None of this was a game, Hayden. Last night was fucking amazing.”

Her eyes glistened, but her jaw was firm. “Then why are you looking at me like that? Like you regret what we did.”

I wanted to touch her, but last night had been my only chance. She’d never let me close to her again. “I don’t regret it, but eventually you will. You’re not the only one who’s lost someone they cared about. I can’t go through it again. It’s best to stop this before it goes any further.”

“Any further?” she scoffed. She waved her arm around the room, her anger so thick I could cut it with a knife. “If you didn’t want it to go any further, then why did you bring me here? Why would you do that to me?”

“Because I care about you,” I said, knowing it made no sense to her.

“Then why are you pushing me away?” she cried.

Standing, I got up and walked over to the window. “You wouldn’t understand.”

 

Author Bio:

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

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

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

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

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

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Giveaway – Body and Bone by L S Hawker @LSHawker_Author @partnersincr1me

Body and Bone

by LS Hawker

on Tour June 2016

MY REVIEW

Between the cover and title for Body and Bone by L S Hawker, I don’t know which drew me in more. I love a mystery thriller and Nessa’s story supplied me with a steady supply of suspense.

Nessa’s mother haunts her every move and even worse, she married a man just like her…gimme, gimme gimme, mine mine mine. Usually a daughter marries a man like her father and I liked this nice little twist that L S Hawker supplied. But…wait…there’s more and you won’t believe where she takes the storyline.

Nessa is a strong woman, determined to manage her life on her own. She has secrets…many secrets…and she protects them by building a wall that no one can climb. No one, until Isabeau, her son’s nanny. I love this woman and she quickly becomes my favorite character. If you have a troll stalking you on the internet, she’s your gal.

But…L S Hawker made me question her motives. Could she be the troll that is stalking Nessa’s every move and trying to set her up for murder? Could the stalker be her crack addicted husband she kicked out and refuses to stay gone thinking she owes him everything she has? Could the stalker be the rapist from her past that was just released from prison? Well…I was kept guessing and I love that. I think you will too.

All the characters are richly developed with personalities that shine through, whether good or bad. Some you will love, some you will hate, but you will not forget them.

Nessa’s life is more than difficult, it is tragic. Bad choices left her with nightmares that follow her, dogging her every move. They have her looking over her shoulder, waiting for the hammer to drop. Imagiine that every noise, every knock on the door, every question asked is the one that will bring your world crashing down around you. How a person could even function at such a high level of leaves me wondering when the dam will break.

Body and Bone is a fantastic suspense thriller that has all the elements for excellent reading. L S Hawker’s writing is fast paced and jam packed with action at every turn. The twists and turns keep the mystery alive and I dare you to anticipate the ending. It blew my mind, again and again. Evil does walk among us and the worst kind of evil is the human kind. I must warn you though, once you start reading you won’t want to put it down, so plan accordingly. L S Hawker is an author I will be placing on my MUST READ list.

I received a copy of Body and Bone by L S Hawker in return for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  5 Stars

Synopsis:

Body and Bone by LS HawkerLS Hawker returns with another atmospheric, twisting tale of suspense that questions the nature of identity and how far a young mother is willing to go to run from the mistakes of her past.

He wants to destroy her reputation.
He wants to destroy her life.
He wants to destroy…her.

Nessa Donati used to be a happily married mother with a successful music blog and satellite radio show. But that was before her husband John relapsed on drugs and went missing. That was before he was presumed dead. And before she was framed for his murder.

When a commenter on Nessa’s blog starts harassing her online, Nessa shrugs it off. Trolls are a part of internet life. But eventually the troll begins threatening her safety and releasing personal details… details only her husband would know.

As Nessa’s life is dismantled piece by piece, her only option is to find John and put a stop to the lies. But when their son becomes a pawn in his twisted game, she must face a disturbing truth: Maybe John isn’t tormenting her, after all. But if he’s not…who is? And how far will this monster go to exact revenge?

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Published by: Witness Impulse/HarperCollins
Publication Date: May 2016
Number of Pages: 303
ISBN: 0062435221 (ISBN13: 9780062435224)
Purchase Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

CHAPTER ONE

Tuesday, May 31

Nessa Donati was going to have to sell her brand spanking new car. And all because the rear-view mirror hung in the perfect position to display an accidental glimpse of her reflection whenever she reached into the back seat. Typically she prepared herself before facing a reflective surface. But when she was caught off guard, without fail, her mother’s disappointed, sour Resting Bitch Face stared back at her.

It wasn’t that her mother was unattractive. She was, in fact, far more beautiful than Nessa could ever hope to be. It was that her mother had always used Nessa as a mirror in which to see herself without ever truly seeing Nessa.

So the new black Chrysler Pacifica would have to go.

It was nearing sunset when Nessa parked it on Crestview Drive by the Randolph Bridge, which spanned not only the Big Blue River but the northern tip of Tuttle Creek Lake as well. This was the last stop on a four-day camping trip, just Nessa, her three-year-old son Daltrey, and their Wheaton Terrier, Declan MacManus.

She checked on Daltrey, asleep in his car seat, listing to starboard, mouth open. He’d be okay for a moment, and she was glad she wouldn’t have to explain what she was about to do. She felt silly enough about it already.

Nessa and Declan MacManus exited the Pacifica, the dog running ahead, while Nessa locked and shut the door.

She walked the eighth of a mile to the river’s edge beneath the bridge as sparse traffic droned by overhead, tires making that phut phut phut sound as they traversed the seams in the asphalt. Nessa stood and watched the water flow past, appearing deceptively tranquil until a tree branch rushed by at break-neck speed. Declan sniffed happily around, pausing to mark every object he encountered with a lifted leg.

Nessa looked around to make sure she was alone, then reached into her pocket and withdrew the six-inch-long braid of her husband John’s hair. He’d cut it before their wedding five years ago. She had kept it in a velvet box all this time, never dreaming this day would come. She looked at the sky and the water, remembering all their good times on the river. This was the right place to let John’s braid go.

The water lapped against her tennis shoes as she wound up and let the braid fly. She watched it arc through the air, hit the rushing water with an inconsequential splash, and disappear. She watched for a moment and let herself cry a little. She needed this sort of closure ritual to move on with her life, like spreading his ashes. Except he wasn’t dead. Yet.

Nessa trudged back to the car, Declan MacManus meandering behind her. She unlocked and opened her door, and the dog jumped in and settled in the passenger seat. Nessa noted that Daltrey hadn’t even changed position while she was gone.

Nessa started the car, put it in gear, and headed toward home.

Forty minutes later, she parked in the converted hay barn garage behind her house and decided she’d wait until morning to unload the camping gear.

Declan MacManus jumped from the car and ran, whining, toward the other outbuildings, hops vines, and woods beyond, as Nessa climbed into the back to struggle with Daltrey’s carseat restraints. She draped him over her shoulder, and took him inside and upstairs to his big-boy bed. There, she pulled off his sandals and kissed his fat little feet before slipping him between the sheets. Good. He was out for the night. She left his door ajar, and went downstairs and out the back door to get their suitcase from the Pacifica.

Outside it was full dark, and the woods buzzed with late-spring insects. When she hit the bottom step, she saw Declan MacManus curled up in front of the outbuilding they called the boathouse. He sprang to his feet as if he’d just noticed royalty entering the room. This slowed Nessa down—what was he doing?—but she continued on to the garage, where she retrieved their luggage. When she closed the garage door, the dog jumped to his feet again, in the exact spot she’d left him.

Nessa stood staring at him, and he gazed expectantly back at her.

And then she saw it. The wooden carriage-house door’s lock was gone. In its place was a jagged hole, as if God himself had punched a massive fist through it in a fit of righteous anger.

Nessa froze, her breath captive in her throat.

She set down the suitcase and, after a moment of indecision, pulled out her phone and dialed.

Marlon Webb didn’t say hello, just, “With a student.” This was his way of saying he could be interrupted only for a very specific kind of emergency.

“Call me back,” she whispered. “I’m rethinking that whole restraining order thing.”

 

Author Bio:

ls hawkerLS HAWKER grew up in suburban Denver, indulging her worrisome obsession with true-crime books, and writing stories about anthropomorphic fruit and juvenile delinquents. She wrote her first novel at 14.

Armed with a B.S. in journalism from the University of Kansas, she had a radio show called “People Are So Stupid,” edited a trade magazine and worked as a traveling Kmart portrait photographer, but never lost her passion for fiction writing.

She’s got a hilarious, supportive husband, two brilliant daughters and a massive music collection. She lives in Colorado but considers Kansas her spiritual homeland.

Visit LS Hawker –
LS Hawker's website LS Hawker's twitter LS Hawker's facebook

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Don’t Miss Out on this Exciting Giveaway:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours for LS Hawker and WitnessImpulse. There will be 3 US winners of one (1) eBook copy of Body and Bone by LS Hawker. The giveaway begins on June 1st and runs through July 3rd, 2016.

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