RELEASE BLITZ: FIRST COMES MARRIAGE by Emily Goodwin

Title: Then Comes Marriage

Author: Emily Goodwin

Publication Date: June 30, 2016

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb

Fall in love—check. Get engaged and plan a perfect wedding—check and check. Find my fiancé with another woman—I never thought I’d check that off the list, yet here I am, putting a giant “X” in that box just months before we take our sacred vows. Along with recovering from a broken heart, I’m left with the mess of canceling all things wedding. The venue gave me the deposit back. The florist canceled my order with no charge. The resort we booked for the honeymoon—yeah, they’re not giving me a dime. But I’ll be damned if I throw away a chance to spend two weeks in a tropical paradise, lounging on the beach with a drink in my hand, looking for anything but love. When I see Derek Turner—a sexy homicide detective I’ve run into a few times before—walking along the beach, I’m not sure if he’s stalking me or if it’s fate. Dark and brooding with a past he refuses to talk about, Derek is the last thing I need…and is exactly what I want. But when what started off as a rebound turns into something more, something neither of us can deny, I’m left with love’s greatest irony: finding the right person at the worst possible time.  

Purchase your copy today!

 

About the Author

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Emily Goodwin is the author of the twice banned dark romance, STAY, as well as over a dozen other titles. Emily writes all types of romance, from love stories set in the zombie apocalypse to contemporary romances taking place on a western horse ranch. Emily lives in Indiana with her husband, children, and many pets, including a German Shepherd named Vader. When she isn't writing, Emily can be found riding her horses, designing and making costumes, and sitting outside with a good book.

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Book Review: THE FOLD by Peter Clines

Title: The Fold
Author: Peter Clines
Category/Genre: Adult Sci-Fi
My Star Rating: 3/5

Goodreads blurb:

STEP INTO THE FOLD.
IT’S PERFECTLY SAFE.
The folks in Mike Erikson's small New England town would say he's just your average, everyday guy. And that's exactly how Mike likes it. Sure, the life he's chosen isn’t much of a challenge to someone with his unique gifts, but he’s content with his quiet and peaceful existence.

That is, until an old friend presents him with an irresistible mystery, one that Mike is uniquely qualified to solve: far out in the California desert, a team of DARPA scientists has invented a device they affectionately call the Albuquerque Door. Using a cryptic computer equation and magnetic fields to “fold” dimensions, it shrinks distances so that a traveler can travel hundreds of feet with a single step.

The invention promises to make mankind’s dreams of teleportation a reality. And, the scientists insist, traveling through the Door is completely safe.

Yet evidence is mounting that this miraculous machine isn’t quite what it seems—and that its creators are harboring a dangerous secret.

As his investigations draw him deeper into the puzzle, Mike begins to fear there’s only one answer that makes sense. And if he’s right, it may only be a matter of time before the project destroys…everything.

A cunningly inventive mystery featuring a hero worthy of Sherlock Holmes and a terrifying final twist you’ll never see coming, The Fold is that rarest of things: a genuinely page-turning science-fiction thriller. Step inside its pages and learn why author Peter Clines has already won legions of loyal fans.


My Review:

The premise of this story was SO promising, and I was so excited to dive right into this book.  Enter chapter one: pure excitement and grabs you straight from the get-go.  As you get further in, the amount of research that went into all the little details becomes obvious.  The characterization was my favorite thing about this book, though. Leland (Mike), the main character, has so many unique character traits that were articulated so well it became easy to feel like you knew him.  The secondary characters are treated with just as much care, to the point where you didn't need a tagline to know who was speaking.  That said, I struggled to stay interested in the story.  After the first couple of chapters, the story slows significantly, then towards the middle it gets crazy again, then drags out some more until the end.  Personally, I feel like about 75 pages of the story could have been taken out and I would've enjoyed it much more.

**I received a complimentary copy from Blogging For Books in exchange for a honest review**

About The Author

Peter Clines is the author of the genre-blending -14- and the Ex-Heroes series.

He grew up in the Stephen King fallout zone of Maine and--inspired by comic books, Star Wars, and Saturday morning cartoons--started writing at the age of eight with his first epic novel, Lizard Men From The Center of The Earth(unreleased).

He made his first writing sale at age seventeen to a local newspaper, and at the age of nineteen he completed his quadruple-PhD studies in English literature, archaeology, quantum physics, and interpretive dance. In 2008, while surfing Hawaii's Keauwaula Beach, he thought up a viable way to maintain cold fusion that would also solve world hunger, but forgot about it when he ran into actress Yvonne Strahvorski back on the beach and she offered to buy him a drink. He was the inspiration for both the epic poem Beowulf and the motion picture Raiders of the Lost Ark, and is single-handedly responsible for repelling the Martian Invasion of 1938 that occurred in Grovers Mills, New Jersey. Eleven sonnets he wrote to impress a girl in high school were all later found and attributed to Shakespeare.

He is the writer of countless film articles, several short stories, The Junkie Quatrain, the rarely-read The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe, the poorly-named website Writer on Writing , and an as-yet-undiscovered Dead Sea Scroll.

He currently lives and writes somewhere in southern California.

There is compelling evidence that he is, in fact, the Lindbergh baby.

Release Blitz: GEM APOCALYPSE by RUth Silver

Gem Apocalypse

by Ruth Silver

Released: June 15, 2016

Publisher: Lazy Day Publishing

  At seventeen, Aria Stone has broken the laws of her kingdom by refusing to come to court and offer herself as a courtesan. When guards storm Aria's house and murder her mother, she is drugged and dragged from her home, taken to the royal palace. Aria must accept her fate: be chosen by a prince of Brayleigh or die. Prince James is third in line for the throne and forced to follow and obey his father's rule. King Gideon is known for running the country and his household with a strict hand. When the prince discovers the young woman brought in by the royal militia, she peaks his interest, and his desire to bring her to his harem. Aria awakens at the palace and is forced to strip down and bare herself to the king and his four sons. Humiliation is just the beginning of her journey to survive. In a tale of murder, heartbreak, lust, and betrayal, Aria must come to terms with the life forced upon her, just as a prince of Brayleigh must recognize his power to change a corrupt system and discover the world outside of their kingdom. Recommended for readers 16+  

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Excerpt

Aria sneered at James. “Tell me you don’t believe it.” Emeralds, people with green eyes, were known to be power and money hungry. Did James think that about her? It was not true. No part of the belief system created to destroy the world in genocide was true. How could James think of her like that? She may not be easy or pleasant at times, but she wasn’t what the enemy said.

James shifted in his seat. “Of course not, but you are trouble. I can see it in you, the rebellious streak. My father will beat it out of you if you are not careful.”

She did not let his words hurt her. They were mere threats. King Gideon did not have to know of her struggle or her disloyalty to the crown. “So what? I’m supposed to pretend it doesn’t bother me that he ordered the execution of my mother and dragged me from my home, drugged me, stripped me naked, and stole my freedom? No part of what you and your father are doing is okay.” Did he not see the problem or was he too blinded by the gems and riches that he was given?

James grimaced. “I am sorry about your mother. I can’t change our world, but I can protect you here. If you will let me.”

Aria stood. The longer she spent time with James the faster he seemed to be growing on her nerves. “I don’t need your protection.” She thought August or Henry would have been a poor choice to be paired with as a courtesan, but James seemed to be the winner in pissing her off. She would have been happier not discussing her life, pretending to be another girl like Lucie or Adalyn.

“Where are you going?” James asked. He stood and followed after her as she headed inside.

“Back to my room. Which is where?” Aria asked, feeling turned around. Aria hadn’t learned the halls of the palace. It wasn’t as though she was freely allowed to explore the area.

James reached for her arm, pulling her closer, his hand grazing her hip as he leaned in to kiss her.

How dare he! The nerve of him. She elbowed him away, forcefully, before smacking him across the face. “Do not dare touch me ever, without my permission!”  

About the Author

Ruth Silver first began writing poetry as a teenager and reading heaps of fan fiction in her free time.

She attended Northern Illinois University in 2001 and graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication. While in college she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, "Deuces are Wild", which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories. Her love of writing, led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading and sharing her favorite books with other readers. She runs her own book blog and also enjoys photography and traveling. She currently also writes adult romance novels under the name Allison West.

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Book Tour: CLASH by CA Harms

CLASH by CA Harms

A New Adult Standalone Romance Novel

Publisher: Limitless Publishing

Release Date: April 12, 2016

— SYNOPSIS —

It was time to fight back. 

Time to live. 

Too much of my life had already been taken from me by a man that should have protected me. At the hands of pure evil I have lived in fear. When most young women were learning to love, I was fighting to live. 

I had broken free of the hate. 

Finally getting the chance to feel what real love was, but with all good things, bad times seem to follow. At least for me it does. My name is Payton Walters and I refused to allow them anymore of my freedom. 

I will not fall… 

Not this time.

ADD TO GOODREADS

— PURCHASE —

KINDLE US: http://amzn.to/1SzAePM

KINDLE UK: http://amzn.to/1TsUNyq

— EXCERPT —

“That was the day everything changed. It’s what led me here.” I tore away at the edges of the napkin twisted in my hands. “It hasn’t been easy. It’s one of the hardest things I have been through, but I made it.”

“You have,” Dr. Perkins agreed with a smile. “The steps you’ve taken to heal have been remarkable. You went through a tremendous amount of pain and anguish for years and came out on top.”

“It has been two very long years, but you helped me face everything. You helped me understand it was not my fault.” It wasn’t easy after the night I was attacked. I went through a long stage of depression and then anger. My nights were filled with nightmares and fear of being alone.

“How are things at Karen’s?” Dr. Perkins’ question brought a smile to my face.

“Great,” I said without hesitation. “Karen has been such an amazing part of the last two years. Without her, Casey, and even Carter and Dylan, I’m not sure I would have come this far. They’ve been there for me every step of the way.”

My mind drifted back to the morning of the attack…

***

I slowly opened my eyes, looking around an unfamiliar room. I was in a home I did not recognize. The sun was bright and it shone through the large living room. I was wrapped securely in a big, warm blanket as a small fire crackled in the fireplace just across the room.

I could hear people talking in another room to my right, just before an officer came through the door. He stopped a few feet away and kept his distance as he offered me a gentle smile. “It’s good to see you awake,” he said.

He approached slowly and knelt down next to me. Without warning, a sense of fear ran through me. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, but the memories from earlier that morning came rushing back. I began shaking uncontrollably, and he quickly inched back, allowing more room between us. “I won’t hurt you. No one is going to hurt you,” he assured me in a gentle tone. “Can you tell me your name? Is there someone I can call? Can you tell me what happened?”

All I could manage to say were two words— “Karen Andrews.” She was, at this point, the only adult I wanted and trusted.

I sat up, wrapping the blanket tighter around me as I stared at the two people watching from the doorway where the cop had entered. I assumed they were the same two people I had seen coming out of the barn only hours ago.

The cop stepped away and dialed his phone, leaving space for the older woman to approach. “Honey, can I get you anything, maybe some water?” she asked in a soothing voice.

“Yes, please,” I whispered as I pulled the blanket in toward my chest. “Thank you.” My eyes filled with unshed tears, but I began to blink rapidly to hold them back. She turned and quickly headed toward the kitchen.

I turned toward the fire, staring at the flames. I could still feel the man’s hands on my body and smell his stale breath in my face as he kissed my neck. My stomach began to turn as I remembered the things he said to me, the plans he had for me.

I looked back as the woman returned, carrying a small glass of ice water. She carefully placed it in my hands, smiling kindly before exiting the room once again.

I felt lost and broken. I spent so much time hiding, and now everyone would know. People would look at me differently, treat me differently. The idea of it all made me feel nauseated.

“Payton! Oh my god, what happened?” Karen's voice came out of nowhere. I hadn’t realized I was lost in my own thoughts. My mind must have wandered off in the time it took for the police to locate her.

My hands began to tremble as she stepped into the living room and rushed in my direction. And then I saw him—Dylan had come too.

Karen took a seat at my side and wrapped her arm around my shoulders protectively, but I couldn’t stop looking at Dylan. He walked toward me and knelt in front of me as he reached out and took one of my hands in his. “It was John, wasn’t it,” he whispered, “who left the bruises?”

I could only nod my head in response before Dylan wrapped his arms around me and held me close. It was then that I let go and stopped fighting the tears I spent years hiding. I sobbed heavily against Dylan’s chest as I gripped his shirt tight in my hand. The last thing I wanted was for him to let go.

***

“Payton?” Dr. Perkins said my name to gain my attention.

I looked up and shrugged. “Sorry. I was just remembering that day. Thinking about when Karen showed up.”

“And Dylan?” she added with a smile.

“Yeah, and Dylan,” I confirmed. Once again I looked down at my hands, still nervously picking away at the napkin I held. “How are things going with Dylan?” she asked, and my stomach tensed.

—

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

—

 

C.A. Harms is like any other addicted reader. She enjoys happy endings and HEA love stories. She hasn't always been a lover of Romance and had once been addicted to a good Mystery. Just recently she has taken on a new liking and now is a full blown Romance novel addict.

She lives in Illinois and enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. You will always find her with her kindle or paperback in hand as it is her favorite pass time.

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Book Review: THE LIBRARY AT MOUNT CHAR by Scott Hawkins

Title: The Library at Mount Char
Author: Scott Hawkins
Category/Genre: Adult
My Star Rating: 5/5

Goodreads Blurb:

Neil Gaiman meets Joe Hill in this astonishingly original, terrifying, and darkly funny contemporary fantasy.

Carolyn's not so different from the other human beings around her. She's sure of it. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. She even remembers what clothes are for.

After all, she was a normal American herself, once.

That was a long time ago, of course—before the time she calls “adoption day,” when she and a dozen other children found themselves being raised by a man they learned to call Father.

Father could do strange things. He could call light from darkness. Sometimes he raised the dead. And when he was disobeyed, the consequences were terrible.

In the years since Father took her in, Carolyn hasn't gotten out much. Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to Father's ancient Pelapi customs. They've studied the books in his library and learned some of the secrets behind his equally ancient power.

Sometimes, they've wondered if their cruel tutor might secretly be God.

Now, Father is missing. And if God truly is dead, the only thing that matters is who will inherit his library—and with it, power over all of creation.

As Carolyn gathers the tools she needs for the battle to come, fierce competitors for this prize align against her.

But Carolyn can win. She's sure of it. What she doesn't realize is that her victory may come at an unacceptable price—because in becoming a God, she's forgotten a great deal about being human.

My Review:

 This was an incredible, gruesome, fantastical read that I flat out could not put down.  I spent half of the book trying to figure out what was wrong with me; clearly I should have been gagging instead of giggling maniacally at the dark humor that expertly offers relief in exactly the right places.  The twisted methods of torture and murder surely could only from the mind of a mad genius.  This book erred on the side of horror, with a complex and intense story-line that will have you desperate to find out what will happen next...and trust me when I tell you, the second you think you've got it all figured out, remind yourself that you don't.  You won't see what's coming.  I have one and only one author on my automatic "buy it now" with out reading the blurb (ehem, Debbie Herbert), and she is a totally different kind of writer than Scott Hawkins, but I enjoyed this book so much that he has officially been added to that very exclusive list.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for a honest review**

About The Author

 

SCOTT HAWKINS works as a software engineer for Intel. He and his wife live in Atlanta, where they spend much of their time playing Olympic-caliber fetch with their large pack of foster dogs. THE LIBRARY AT MOUNT CHAR is his first novel.

Book Tour: Poor Boy Road by James L. Weaver

Poor Boy Road, Jake Caldwell Book One by James L. Weaver   Genre: Thriller Publisher: Lakewater Press Date of Publication: March 21, 2016   ISBN 978-0-9944511-2-5 ISBN: 978-0-9944511-3-2 ASIN: B019X3WELC Number of pages: 251 Word Count: approx. 78,000

Cover Artist: E.L Wicker

 

Blurb

  As a mob enforcer, Jake Caldwell is in the dark business of breaking kneecaps and snapping bones. But each job sends him one step closer to turning into the man he swore he’d never become—his violent and abusive father. Leaving the mob is easier said than done. When his boss offers a bloody way out, Jake has no choice but to take it, even if it means confronting ghosts of old.   Arriving in his Lake of the Ozarks hometown, Jake has two things on his mind: kill ruthless drug lord Shane Langston and bury his dying father. What he doesn’t expect is to fall in love all over again and team up with his best friend Bear, the Sheriff of Benton County, to take Langston down. Racing through the countryside searching for Langston, the web of murder, meth and kidnapping widens, all pointing toward a past Jake can’t escape and a place he never wanted to return—Poor Boy Road.        

Excerpt

  “Open the door, Carlos,” Jake said, pounding the door twice. No answer, but the shadow wavered as if its owner was uncertain if it should stay or run. Jake sighed and stepped back. With his good leg, he exploded forward, driving his heel above the knob. The lock assembly collapsed against the splintered wood and the door burst open. Carlos cried out as the door cracked his face, his wiry frame collapsing to the floor. He landed on his ass, holding his nose. Blood poured through his fingers and onto his stained, white T-shirt. Jake entered the apartment to the stench of cigarettes and fried onions, and shut the remains of the door behind him. Carlos pushed back toward a kitchen stacked with crusted plates and glasses, his wide eyes fearful. Jake tucked the Glock in his waistband and picked up a dented baseball bat leaning against a bookcase covered with dead plants. He held it with both hands, testing the weight. Thirty-two ounce aluminum fat barrel. He walked to Carlos and tapped him hard on the leg with it. “Where’s your daughter?” Jake asked. The last thing he wanted was a little girl to run in screaming. It happened before. “Hospital.” “Still?” Carlos nodded. “They can’t figure out what’s wrong.” “Sorry to hear it,” Jake said. He didn’t wish that kind of heartache on anyone, but Keats wasn’t paying him as a shoulder to cry on. “The two grand. Where is it?” “Ain’t got it. No insurance and the damn hospital’s sucking me dry.” The bat burned in Jake’s hands. He didn’t want to, but his orders were to liberally apply a blunt object to Carlos’ legs if he didn’t have the money. There would be hell to pay otherwise. He raised the bat, white knuckling the handle. “Please, Jake,” Carlos pleaded, tears rolling down his weathered cheeks. “It’s my little girl, man.” The brief howl of air and hollow thunk of metal meeting bone echoed in his head, a ghostly sound from long ago. The excruciating pain would rip through the man’s body, so intense he would shred his vocal cords from the screams. He knew because he dealt this punishment too many times in the past. He could feel it because he was once on the receiving end. As the bat barrel wavered and Carlos sobbed, Jake’s cell phone vibrated for the fifth time in twenty minutes. Like the previous four times, he silenced it. He glimpsed a picture on the kitchen counter of Carlos and his daughter. Eight years old, cute as hell in a white dress with a daisy in her thick, black hair. What would happen to her if Jake broke her daddy’s legs? What would Keats do to him if he didn’t? His cell vibrated again. Jake tossed the bat on the floor. It clanked toward the busted front door and he yanked the cell from his pocket, checking the number. 660 area code. Home, if there was such a place. He needed to think and the call provided as good a distraction as any. Jake answered with his left hand and pulled the gun out with his right, training it on Carlos. “Dad’s dying,” Janey said. His sister’s first words to him in a year. Like he was supposed to give a shit.  

About the Author:

James L Weaver is the author of the forthcoming Jake Caldwell thrillers Poor Boy Road and Ares Road from Lakewater Press. He makes his home in Olathe, Kansas with his wife of 18 years and two children. His previous publishing credits include a six part story called "The Nuts" and his 5-star rated debut novel Jack & Diane which is available on Amazon.com. Author note: a handful of the raters are actually not related to him. His limited free time is spent writing into the wee hours of the morning, playing parental taxi cab to his kids' sporting endeavors, and binge watching Netflix. You can read his blog at weaverwrites.wordpress.com and follow him on Twitter @WildcatJim2112.   Blog: https://weaverwrites.wordpress.com   Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28121043-poor-boy-road   Twitter: https://twitter.com/WildcatJim2112   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/James-L-Weaver-1561520517509056   Tour giveaway, enter HERE!   1 copy of Poor Boy Road and swag pack   3 ebook copies of Poor Boy Road

Release Blitz: Finding Rapture (A Bitten Novel) by Jennie Leann

Photography and Cover Design by Cover Me Darling

At a young age Georgia Rain learned that life and happiness can be taken away in the blink of an eye. Many years later Georgia is finally determined to find her joy, her happiness, her rapture.

Over the last thirteen years Tru Braden has done all he can to be a small part of Georgia’s life…without actually being part of it. Now the time is right to give himself to her, or so he thinks. Tru lives his life in the spotlight with his band, The Bitten. Everyone knows his every move. After crippling news, Tru is not sure he can drag Georgia into a place of unhappiness and fear.

Can they find their rapture together? Or will they drown?

LINKS:

Amazon (US): http://goo.gl/5wjQ2r

Nook: http://goo.gl/Eti1lW

iBooks: https://goo.gl/0eJ13n

Kobo: https://goo.gl/1ScP8o

On Goodreads: Finding Rapture

  Jennie LeAnn is a popular author who currently resides in Tennessee with her family. She writes stories packed with emotion and action, and she’s always been a hopeless romantic at heart. But it wasn’t until a few years ago that she decided to write her first novel which is bursting with intense emotion and scorching romance. In addition to writing her epic tales in spiral-bound notebooks, she enjoys lazy days spent reading, traveling the world, listening to great music, and munching on dark chocolate covered almonds. Check her out here: AuthorJennieLeAnn.wordpress.com Facebook: Author Jennie LeAnn Twitter: @AuthorJLeAnn Instagram: @singergenie