Book Spotlight: Desert Bound by Elizabeth Hunter

Release Date: October 14, 2014

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Can you turn the clock back on your first love? Would you even want to try?

Alex McCann and Teodora "Ted" Vasquez left Cambio Springs together. Ted came back. Alex didn't.

Now, years later, the future alpha of the McCann wolves has returned with plans to bring new life to the dying desert community. Plans that could change everything for the isolated enclave of shapeshifters in the California desert. Some love the plan. Others hate it.

As the town's doctor and one of the strongest daughters in the cat clan, Ted has her own concerns about exposing her community to outsiders. The two former lovers are at each other's throats. And everyone is watching to see what happens.

But when murder once again strikes Cambio Springs, can they overcome their past to help the community they both call home? And can the love they shared once burn again when so many stand against it?

Excerpt

Ted ignored the happy purr of her lion and tried to lean away from his body, but Alex still managed to surround her. With his arms, his scent, and that indescribable hum that always seemed to follow him. Like a live wire, her body reacted. She could feel the spark of awareness as he scented her.

Damn wolf.

He leaned in, his rough voice licking along her nerves.

“You smell good.”

“That’s surprising, considering how hot the bar is.”

His grin was lazy. “You always smell good.”

“You lived with me long enough to know that is not true. Are you getting senile in your old age?”

“Why are you so mean to me?”

So I don’t fall for you again.

“Habit?”

“Why do I like it so much?”

“Definitely habit.”

He laughed, his chest rumbling against hers, and Ted felt her skin light up, ready for his touch. She could feel the hair on the back of her neck rising and her arousal spike. She started to push away, but Alex took a deep breath and pulled her tighter. He leaned down, his eyes narrowed on her face and his lips coming dangerously close. He blinked, and she knew he was feeling the bourbon he’d been sipping all night behind the bar.

“Tea—”

“Don’t—”

“When we get back together, would you be okay with adding on to your house or should I look for a bigger place before we have kids?”

She dropped her arms. “Right. No more dancing.”

“What?”

“This is your idea of a friendly conversation?’”

Even drunk, he still had a comeback. “Friends get married, have lots… and lots of mind-blowing sex, and procreate. Are you saying I shouldn’t look for a bigger house?”

Buy Links

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Author Biography

Elizabeth Hunter is a contemporary fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance writer. She is a graduate of the University of Houston Honors College and a former English teacher. She once substitute taught a kindergarten class, but decided that middle school was far less frightening. Thankfully, people now pay her to write books and eighth-graders everywhere rejoice.

She currently lives in Central California with her son, two dogs, many plants, and a sadly dwindling fish tank. She is the author of the Elemental Mysteries and Elemental World series, the Cambio Springs series, the Irin Chronicles, and other works of fiction.

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Release Day Blitz: Partners by Lilliana Anderson

I am so excited to present Lilliana Anderson's Partners. Today we have her release day, a great giveaway and an exclusive excerpt. Be sure to read down and enter Lilliana's giveaway!! :)

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Random Musesomy

~Chloe~

Rules are made to be broken…

That’s what they say but I used to follow the rules. I used to have pride, honor, and obedience. I was raised to believe that in the world in which I lived, money and power ruled, and everyone made sacrifices. I knew my priorities. Family first. The company second. And what I wanted a very distant third.

I followed the rules, but couldn't have known that obedience would ultimately cause betrayal. On many fronts.

My father was framed, and I’ll do whatever it takes to put the right man behind bars.

My name is Chloe Donovan, and I’m going to make things right. But to do that, I need to break the law, and I can’t do it on my own. I need help. The problem is, the only person capable of helping, hates me. I don’t blame him. I promised him the world and then I ran away…

~Aiden~

I used to follow the rules. Until Chloe Donovan. She was my boss’s daughter. I shouldn’t have touched her. But I did. Three years ago, she came into my life, consuming it. Consuming me. I needed her. She betrayed me, as did her father. Lies and deception. Never again.

Chloe was the worst mistake I ever made. She’s temptation and destruction wrapped in a beautiful package. But, my blood doesn’t really fill my brain when I’m around her…

Now, she’s back, declaring her innocence and once again, ensnaring me with her magnetism, her beauty, her allure. I should say no.

But Chloe Donovan owns me. I still want her. Her draw may be the death of me.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Partners Goodreads

Exclusive Excerpt

“Not one to take a hint are you?” he grumbles as he heads up the path and climbs the steps.

I push off the railing and stand to meet him by his front door. “It’s important.”

“So you keep saying.” He sounds tired, his voice much softer than it had been earlier and he inserts his key, pushing the front door open.

As he walks past me, I smell the faint scent of another woman’s perfume and my mouth speaks before my brain connects. “Have you been with someone?”

Stepping inside his home, he pauses and blocks the door. “That is absolutely none of your business,” he states.

“Does this girl know what you were in your office dry humping me before her? Does she know I’m the one that got you fired up?” I’m attacking him and it’s stupid and unwarranted. Essentially, I have no right to be behaving this way. But I can’t seem to stop myself from feeling a jealous rage at the thought of him with another woman.

His eyes narrow for a moment and within a blink of the eye his arms shoot out and he grabs me, hauling me through the door and slamming me against the wall. The movement surprises me and I gasp and follow my instinct to fight him. He flattens his body against mine, pinning me so I can’t move and he grabs my wrists pressing them together over my head.

I wriggle beneath him, feeling way out of my depth. I talk tough, but in this moment, I feel anything but. “Let me go, Aiden,” I demand through clenched teeth.

“Why? Isn’t this what you came here for?” He readjusts his grip so he can hold both of my wrists in one hand then trails his other one down my arm. “It’s why you’re here acting like a jealous girlfriend, right?” His hand pauses at my throat and wraps around it uncomfortably as he leans into me, brushing his rough stubble across the skin of my cheeks. “Do you want me to fuck you, Chloe?” He pushes his groin against me and I can feel his erection dig into me. I wince. “No? Then what?” His breath is hot and his fingers tighten around my throat as his mouth moves toward my ear and he growls, “What the fuck do you want from me?”

Tears burn in my eyes and I them shut, suddenly feeling as though I’ve pushed him too far. I should have told Leah to go fuck himself. I should have stayed home and thought of another way to get Aiden to listen.

Things are different now. So much has happened in the last three years. So much has changed in each of our lives. We’re different people. Capable of different things. When you back a person into a corner, you can’t always be sure how they’ll react…

I twist my head away from him as my emotions hit me and I let out a strained sob. I didn’t want to cry. I wanted to stay in control but he’s scaring me. At the sound of my cry, his grip lessens, it’s if he suddenly realises what he’s doing and he slowly releases me.

“Shit,” he hisses, taking a step back to give me some space to move. I don’t waste my time, the moment my hands are free, I swing my body, bringing my arm around and slap him loudly across the face.

“Fuck you, Aiden! Fuck you!” I scream, my body shaking with fear, desire and anger from his intimidation tactic.

His cheek becomes immediately inflamed and I watch the red bloom across his skin, as I glare up at him, angry that we’re even in this situation. Things used to be so different between us...

“I guess I deserved that,” he admits.

Lilliana Anderson Bio:

Bestselling Author of the Drawn Series, the Beautiful Series, and the Confidante Trilogy, Lilliana has always loved to read and write, considering it the best form of escapism that the world has to offer.

Australian born and bred, she writes New Adult Romance revolving around her authentically Aussie characters as well as a biographical trilogy based on an ex-Sydney sex worker, named Angelien.

Lilliana feels that the world should see Australia for more than just it's outback and tries to show characters in more of a city setting.

When she isn't writing, she wears the hat of 'wife and mother' to her husband and four children.

Before Lilliana turned to writing, she worked in a variety of industries and studied humanities and communications before transferring to commerce/law at university.

Originally from Sydney's Western suburbs, she currently lives a fairly quiet life in suburban Melbourne.

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Release Day Blitz: Night Sky by Suzanne Brockmann & Melanie Brockmann

Release Date: October 7, 2014

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal)

Sixteen-year-old Skylar Reid is thrown into a strange world when she discovers that she has unique telekinetic and telepathic powers.  After Sasha, the child she babysits, is kidnapped and believed to be murdered, Sky and her best friend Calvin are approached by Dana, a mysterious girl who has super-abilities similar to Sky’s.  With the help of Dana and her sidekick Milo, the four teens embark on a quest to discover who killed Sasha, and to bring the killers to justice.

With Dana as Skylar’s surly and life-toughened mentor, Sky attempts to harness her powers to aid them in their quest. Complicating an already complex relationship with the older girl, Skystarts to fall for the dangerously handsome and enigmatic Milo – and begins to suspect that the attraction is mutual. But then Sky realizes that Sasha might still be alive, and the unlikely foursome’s mission becomes one of search and rescue, pitting the heroic teens against a very deadly enemy.

Excerpt

"Look what I can do look what I can do," the woman, who I nicknamed Little Miss Sunshine because of her fancy clothes, yanked a massive-looking gun out of her bag.

Everyone in the store hit the deck at the sight of the gun—everyone except Calvin and me.

She pointed the barrel at my face.

A wave of deja vu washed over me. It was mixed with a hefty dose of panic and combined with at least a small degree of consolation that Calvin, as always, had my back.

"Oh, hell no!" he barked. All the fear had vanished from his tone, and now he just sounded pissed. "You wanna mess with someone? You wanna put your gun in her face? You're gonna have to shoot me first!"

And then, things got really weird.

"Hey!" someone called form behind Little Miss Sunshine. It was a girl, older than me but probably only by a year or two. She'd appeared as if out of nowhere, but she must've come in through the front doors while my attention was on that gun. Dressed in full motorcycle garb—a red leather jacket and black steel-toed boots—she hollered again. "Hey, you!"

Little Miss Sunshine whirled around.

Motorcycle Girl charged froward and flicked the pistol out of crazy lady's hands as easily as if she was removing a piece of lint from a buddy's jacket.

The gun spun a couple times before landing on the floor. Motorcycle Girl kicked it back into the air with her foot and caught it with one hand. She tucked it deftly into the back waistband of her pants and then slammed the crazy woman down onto the ground using the palm of one hand. I could have sworn Little Miss Sunshine took a nosedive before Motorcycle Chick even touched her, but then again, I'd been seeing all kinds of crazy things this week.

"Whoa," Calvin said, while the crowd gasped again.

Little Miss Sunshine landed, hard, and made a gurgling sound. She looked up once at me and pointed, still smiling that awful smile, before her face dropped to the ground.

The room once again was silent. 

Motorcycle Chick turned, running a hand gruffly through her platinum-blond pixie cut as she looked at me and frowned, her eyes the color of icicles.

Around us, the crowd began to move almost as one, with everyone rushing for the door.

I was about to turn too—getting out of there seemed like a brilliant idea—when Motorcycle Girl spoke again. Her words stopped me. "Way to protect everyone here, Sky. What were you waiting for? A sign from God?"

I looked at Cal—Cal looked at me. And I knew we were both thinking the same thing.

How the hell does this girl know my name?

Buy Links

Goodreads  |  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

About the Authors

Suzanne Brockman, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author, has won 2 RITA awards, numerous RT Reviewers’ Choice, and RWA’s #1 Favorite Book of the Year three years running. She has written over 50 books, and is widely recognized as a “superstar of romantic suspense” (USA Today). Suzanne and her daughter, Melanie Brockmann, have been creative partners, on and off, for many years. Their first project was an impromptu musical duet, when then-six-month-old Melanie surprised and delighted Suz by matching her pitch and singing back to her. Suzanne splits her time between Florida and Massachusetts while Mel lives in Sarasota, Florida. NIGHT SKY is Mel’s debut and Suzanne’s 55th book. Visit Suzanne at www.SuzanneBrockmann.com.

Social Networking Links

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads

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Release Day Blitz: Melody of the Heart by Katie Ashley

Title: Melody of the Heart (Runaway Train #3.5)

Author: Katie Ashley

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As the Runaway Train family gathers in Savannah, Georgia for the wedding of its last single member, Rhys McGowan, to Allison Slater, Jake's little sister, Rolling Stone magazine prepares an issue to celebrate the union. While focusing on the happy couple, they also sit down with Brayden and Lily Vanderburg for a feature on successful rock star marriages. After all, the two have been a couple since they were sixteen years old. But there is more to the story than meets the eye, and their love took a slight detour before finding happily ever after. 

Told in flashbacks from the present to the past, Brayden and Lily share the story of their unbreakable love.

AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON AU | AMAZON CA

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Music of the Heart (Runaway Train Book 1)

Beat of the Heart (Runaway Train Book 2)

Music of the Soul (Runaway Train)

Strings of the Heart (Runaway Train Book 3)

Katie Ashley is the New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author of The Proposition. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her two very spoiled dogs and one outnumbered cat. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Supernatural, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo.

She spent 11 1/2 years educating the Youth of America aka teaching MS and HS English until she left to write full time in December 2012.

She also writes Young Adult fiction under the name Krista Ashe.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

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Event Promo: Book'd In Burbank

Book’d in Burbank literary event concludes its second season as “The Ultimate Bibliophiles’ Night Out” on Thursday, October 23, 2014,

8:00 P.M. – 9:30 P.M. at Theatre Banshee in the Magnolia Park section of Burbank. Presented by Liz D Publicity & Promotions, Book’d in Burbank is a bookish social gathering that treats book lovers to an evening of mystery, romance and YA (young adult) author readings, “bookworm” giveaways, a mingling reception, and the stand-up comedy of writer/comedian Jordan Likover, a former contributor to Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco.

In addition to the usual lineup of mystery, romance and YA author readings, the upcoming October season finale will, also, feature humor and horror fiction. “Genetically engineered zombies and a darkly comical Hollywood TV exec will join Book’d’s cast of sleuths, lovers and coming-of-age teens,” says Liz Donatelli, Liz D Publicity & Promotions Book Publicity & Literary Events Director, “Book’d’s 2014 season finale event is going to be literary smorgasbord. There will be a little something for everybody.”

Author readings will be performed by Melissa Cutler, multi-published contemporary romantic suspense author of RISKY BUSINESS (BOMB SQUAD,#1), Zoë Archer, award-winning author of sexy Victorian romance WICKED TEMPTATION (NEMESIS, UNLIMITED,#3), Steph Cha, critically acclaimed noir mystery author of BEWARE BEWARE (JUNIPER SONG MYSTERIES), Sherri L. Smith, California Book Awards-winning young adult (YA) author of dystopian, post-apocalyptic novel, ORLEANS, Diane Haithman, journalist and author of Shakespearean Hollywood satire DARK LADY OF HOLLYWOOD, a William Faulkner Creative Writing Competition finalist, and Devan Sagliani, screenwriter and Pushcart Prize-nominated horror author of ZOMBIE ATTACK! ARMY OF THE DEAD.

Book’d in Burbank is supported by media sponsors ShelfPleasure.com, a website for women who love to read, and SHELF PLEASURE RADIO. The October “Book’d Lovers Gift Basket” giveaway is sponsored by Was Now Creations, an online shop that crafts e-reader cases from upcycled books, Novel Reveries, an Etsy shop that creates literary-inspired bath & beauty products, jewelry and reading accessories, Magpie Fancies, an Etsy boutique that offers hand-crafted biblio-inspired jewelry, Book Geek Boutique, an Etsy jewelry and gift shop for lovers of books, TV and movies, Thornfield Hall, an Etsy shop that specializes in screen-printed scarves and shirts with classic literary quotes, and A Case of Creative, an Etsy store that sells an assortment of novelty phone cases ranging in theme from Jane Austen to GAME OF THRONES.

General admission is $10.  For event details and ticket info, visit www.bookdevent.com.

Book’d in Burbank is a bookish social gathering that treats book lovers to an evening of author readings and literary entertainment. Festivities include Mystery, Romance, and Young Adult (YA) author readings, giveaways, stand-up comedy, and a mingling reception.  

Liz D Publicity & Promotions offers all authors the opportunity to connect with an enthusiastic audience by providing professional, budget-friendly services. As “The Neighborhood P & P Shoppe,” Liz D guarantees a friendly and collaborative working relationship. www.lizd.co

Media Contact

Liz Donatelli

***@lizdpublicity.com

Press release

Blog Tour Book Review: Beneath This Mask by Meghan March

Synopsis

My name is Charlotte Agoston, and I’m a runner. Not the ‘let’s go for a jog and slap a 26.2 sticker on your bumper’ kind of runner; I’m the kind of runner who takes off when her father is staring down the barrel of a guilty verdict that carries a 175-year sentence for perpetrating the largest fraud in the history of the world. That’s right. Bernie Madoff was an amateur compared to Alistair Agoston.

Faced with living under a cloud of suspicion and constant questioning by the FBI, I ran. I’m making a new life in New Orleans as Charlie Stone. I traded my future in New York high finance for tattoos, booze, a few friends who don’t ask questions, and one giant mutt named Huckleberry Finn. Everything is simple and uncomplicated until Simon Duchesne—former hotshot Navy fighter pilot, NOLA’s favorite son, city councilman, and rumored congressional hopeful—walks into my life.

The flashing cameras he attracts threaten to expose everything I’m hiding, but I can’t seem to stay away. Why are the most dangerous ideas always the most seductive?

In trying to get lost, I found myself. And then I found Simon. He loves me, and he doesn’t even know my real name. I’m going to break his heart, but mine will shatter right along with it. This is our story.

Will we be strong enough to face the consequences of revealing what’s beneath this mask?

Excerpt

He reached a hand back and tugged his shirt over his head. I drank in his tanned skin and rippling muscles. He truly was a beautiful man. He kicked off his shoes and knelt at my feet to pull off my Chucks without untying the laces. It was a staggering realization to my champagne-soaked brain that he might have noticed I never untied them. What other details about me had he noticed that no one else would? I was crazy to think he’d never find out the truth. I never should’ve let it get this far. But how could I stop myself? He was so ... perfectly imperfect, and I wanted all of him. For every second I could steal.

He reached for his belt and paused. “I’m staying tonight.” It wasn’t a question.

“Okay.” I reached for the hem of my shirt and started to drag it upward. He reached out, covering my hand with his to stop me.

“But if you take that off, I’m not going to be able to stop myself from having you.”

“Good.” I yanked at his grip, trying to get the shirt off.

He squeezed my hand. “No. Not tonight. The first time we’re together, you’re going to be stone cold sober, because I want you to remember every single thing I do to you.”

My insides turned hot and liquid. A pulse thrummed between my legs. “You already told me you’d put out. No take backs. It’s not fair.”

He leaned down and brushed his five o’clock shadow against my cheek before saying into my ear, “Tough shit.”

He pulled back, and I stuck out my lip and pouted. Simon caught it between his teeth and tugged before releasing it. “So fucking tempting. You have no idea.” He spun and looked at my bureau. “Pajama pants? And I know you own them. I distinctly recall a striptease that involved a pair.”

I huffed. “Second drawer from the bottom.” He opened the drawer, pulled out a silky pink pair, and tossed them at me.

“I’ll be right back. You better not be naked.”

“You’re such a hardass prude, Mr. Duchesne.” He took a step toward the doorway and gripped the top of the frame. His tongue swiped across his bottom lip, and his hazel eyes shifted from playful to serious.

“You’re worth the wait.”

He walked out of the room, and I heard the bathroom door shut.

I clutched the pajama pants in my fist as my heart tumbled further down the path of no return. A single thought crystallized in my head: Fuck. I could fall in love with this man.

My Review

This book was certainly a good read. We start with the MFC (Main Female Character) Charlotte, aka Charlie, who's the daughter of a Bernie Murdoch-esque type criminal. At the beginning of the book, shit has hit the fan as Charlie's father is on trial for fraud. The rose-colored glasses are off and she sees him for the first time. After her testimony at his trial, she makes a break for a new life. This part was iffy for me. As a fan of cop dramas, it doesn't matter if you're not the only on trial. If you run away from your old life, you look guilty. Granted, Charlie didn't want to be associated with her family anymore, but this will definitely make things harder later on in the book. As her new identity, Charlie Stone, she works as in a tattoo parlor and a doggie daycare. All tattooed arms and multi-dyed hair, she fits into the New Orleans scene just fine. Along with her dog Huck, Charlie stays on the down low and does just fine, until...

BOOM! Simon, the MMC (Main Male Character), shows up to the parlor with his two other buddies, drunk of their asses. It was a mini bar-hopping bachelor party. From the moment they meet, a spark and pull was obvious. Charlie is a smart cookie and her sense of self-preservation is screaming at her that Simon is bad for her, but attraction wins. Their relationship starts out rockier than the best rocky road ice cream. Simon, despite the well-to-do way be was brought up, is a genuinely good guy who on occasions has sex with random women, but with Charlie he feels something different. Not to mention he's a total hottie. His profile would be right for Charlie's former life, but in her new one, all she sees is a probable one night stand. But Simon will have none of that. There are major roadblocks in their continuing relationship. 

First there's Con. Super hot, tattooed, stallion in the sack and Charlie's boss at the tattoo parlor. He and Charlie have previously had no strings attached sex before Simon came along, but it was more than just sex. Con might look mean and scary, but he's supportive and protective of Charlie. I was already half in love with him by the end of the book. I'm super happy he's getting his own book. ekkkkkk I can't wait. Other minor characters were Yve, Charlie's boss at the doggie day care, Delilah, a tattoo artist, Simon's parents and Charlie's landlady. Each character has their own distinct personality and each on every quirky. The last third of the book took a sudden and horrifying turn, but I'm glad everything worked out. You have to read this book to find out what happened. 

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Author Bio and Links

Meghan March is a Michigan native who has spent a good portion of her life buried in a book. Case in point: she read the entire romance section of her small town public library by age fourteen. Even after growing up (sort of) and getting a law degree, she never lost her passion for a great story, twisty plot, epic romance, and amazing characters. When she’s not writing, she’s probably reading, target shooting, drooling over fast cars, playing with her crazy mutt, or hanging with her very own sexy bad boy.

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