The LUV'NV

Blog Tour {Excerpt & Giveaway}—Renhala by Amy Joy Lutchen

2013-05-18T00:30:00.000-04:00

Stopping by The LUV'NV today is the Renhala blog tour, organized by Xpresso Book Tours.
We have an excerpt from this Adult Fantasy novel, and you can enter to win a $100 Amazon gift card,
two Renhala magnets, and Amy Joy Lutchen's current favorite teas!

Renhala

by Amy Joy Lutchen

Book #1 of the Renhala series

Publication: September 27th 2012 by Amy Joy Lutchen
Genre: Adult Fantasy

Amazon B & N Smashwords Goodreads

Kailey Rooke, timid accountant, dedicated to philanthropic work, finds herself spiraling into a deep depression after she suffers a horrifyingly odd and humiliating assault, to only discover more of these freakish assaults occurring across the globe.

A chance discovery leads Kailey to a meeting with elderly Gunthreon, actual master of persuasion. Gunthreon, who seems to know too much of Kailey's history for her liking, opens Kailey's eyes to a coexisting realm she never knew existed: Renhala, while entrusting her with the knowledge of her newfound power as karmelean, serving as a beacon to the Higher Ones. Kailey slowly starts revealing new talents, and Gunthreon is fascinated with what she starts achieving.

She soon discovers that Renhala is in danger, and this danger has been leaking into her own realm. As she uncovers secrets within herself, and attempts to toughen up, she fuses with an unlikely band of fellow travelers (including a dragon, woodsprite, six-hundred-pound greble, her faithful female canine companion, and a "giver"), falls into an unexpected love triangle, deals with her sexy and flirtatious best friend’s “issues,” and finds the courage to master a new deadly weapon.

On her mission to save Renhala, Kailey will find herself running from life-threatening disasters, such as greble Tartarin, who likes to remind Kailey that when he catches her, he plans on eating her brains with ice cream; she'll run from the deadly meeples: small cute bunnies with talons and an undeniable thirst for imposing self-destruction on others. Kailey will also run into the possibility that a centuries-old Renhalan rumor is true, that advanced technology existing in Kailey's realm shortens all life spans.

As blood is shed and puzzles near completion, Kailey pulls from deep within herself, conjuring up mystical qualities that enable her to astonish as once predicted at her birth, but despite the newfound strength, Kailey will discover that monsters not only come in ugly packages, but can be easily disguised as those she has come to love and trust.

A peek inside Renhala

Six o’clock means she’ll be here at seven, and that gives me plenty of time to get ready. I can hardly believe I’m the one who initiated a night out, but I’m riding the minute possibility that a few really strong, dirty martinis will crumble a few emotional walls of mine tonight. I’m willing to give it a try, but damn well know the probable outcome: me sitting, totally sober, while already-drunk Amber downs the countless drinks bought for her from overly-anxious meatheads.

I switch on the radio and get dressed while lightly shuffling to “Good Vibrations,” by Marky Mark. As I check myself out in the bathroom mirror, I stare, unhappy with the somewhat low-cut shirt I chose—too revealing. While taking the shirt off, I bend over to plug the iron back in, and then the power suddenly goes out, engulfing me in total darkness.

I freeze for a brief two seconds. Then whirl about, using my hands as eyes in the darkness, searching for any weapons in my bathroom. Realizing that two previous nights ago I walked away with a pocket knife usually stored in the medicine cabinet, I grab my cuticle scissors in one hand and my hairspray in the other. Kioto had only been moaning in her sleep that night I moved the knife, but it sounded so alien. Alien. Alien-like grunting.

The guttural sound of grunting from my assaulter’s throat echoes through my mind as I stand motionless, frozen from fear, remembering the noise as he tore off my cotton panties the day of the assault. I lay there, on my stomach, on top of my newly made bed, staring at Bear—a feeling of despair so great and overpowering pulsing through me. I also remember, too painfully, the blood-curdling scream that escaped my throat as I pleaded to anyone listening, a higher being even, to please save me. Don’t let this happen to me. This shouldn’t be happening to me. I wouldn’t survive feeling that hopeless again.

After my eyes adjust, and as I wait for the sound of footsteps or breathing, I hear neither, so I peek around the door and see Kioto lying on the ground, head turned toward me—possibly perturbed by the roaring sounds emanating from my chest. I walk, shakily, with weapons still in hand, toward the window and I see the whole block is out. A quick check toward the sky reveals the approaching storm. I collapse on my couch and cry like a baby, doubting my ability to function like a normal human being ever again. Kioto walks toward me, and slowly licks my blackened tears from my face. “Thanks, baby,” I say as I snuggle into her and regain my normal breathing.

I wipe my running mascara from my face and gather my composure. A glance at the clock tells me that Amber should be here soon. Sooner than I can fix my makeup, the power goes back on, giving me another heart attack when “Kung Fu Fighting” starts blaring throughout the apartment. What a wonderful start to the evening.

Amber arrives at 7:15 and lets herself in with the key I gave her last week, which was supposed to be for emergencies only. She is absolutely stunning. Her long, straight blond hair complements the lime-green baby-doll dress and her black stilettos. She’s only five foot three, so the extra four and a half inches brings her closer to eye level, but not for long. I decide to wear my knee length, heeled, black boots with my new taupe silk tank top and black pants. I grab my father’s ring off my dresser and slip it into my pocket.

She stares at me and says, “Girl, I need some of that leg length. If you die, can you donate your legs to me?” I laugh and tell her only if she shares some of the endowment on her chest. She’s about a thirty-two E, compared to my thirty-four B.

“You sure you’re ready to do this?” She emanates sincerity.

I shake my head no as the tears fill my eyes and I grab my purse.

Amy Joy Lutchen

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Born in Chicago, Illinois, a few days prior to watching her first movie, at a drive-in theater. Yes, drive-in theater. And yes, her mother believed she was possessed by the devil after said first movie.

Grew up in the Chicagoland area and graduated from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, where she simply became a number, but decided it was a good number.

Loves cooking (mostly candy-cooking), gardening (putting holes in the ground for perennials, DONE!), designing and constructing jewelry (everything from silversmithing to lampworking), and living with her wonderful husband, two children, black Labrador, and frog—and maybe even the chipmunk family that likes to destroy her aforementioned perennials.

Also hopes that you enjoy her writings, and won’t criticize her for her aversion of eating things in multiples of three.

$100 Amazon gift card
Two Renhala magnets
Goodies: Blackberry Sage tea by Republic of Tea and Mighty Leaf's Organic African Nectar tea
Open internationally

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Renhala Tour Schedule

Blog Tour {Review & Giveaway}—Stripped by Brooklyn Skye

2013-05-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

Stopping by The LUV'NV today is the Stripped blog tour, organized by YA Bound.
We have a review of this fabulous New Adult novel for you,
and you can enter to win an autographed paperback or e-copy of the book!

Stripped

by Brooklyn Skye

Publication: May 14th 2013 by Brooklyn Skye
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Amazon B & N Goodreads

“I like you.” His voice is low and soft, which I don’t deserve. I look away, down the rutted parking lot.
“Don’t ... waste those words on me.”
He touches my cheek. “You just need someone to show you.”
“No.” I ease back again. “I don’t. So please, Torrin, stop trying to swoop in and save me. I don’t need saving.”

College freshman Quinn Montgomery will do anything to avoid the mistake her sister made—killing herself over a boy. But when she is forced into nude modeling at a local college to support her family after a bankruptcy, she begins to crack, just enough to let Torrin, the university’s top varsity oarsman, see that the real Quinn is not as feisty and unapproachable as she wants everyone to think. But letting someone in comes at a steep cost and, it turns out, Torrin is connected to Quinn’s family in more ways than she could ever imagine.

Stripped is the New Adult novel I've been looking for since I've heard of the new genre, capturing the life of a college student passing the threshold between youth and adulthood, between dependence and independence, while encompassing the many struggles of what that means—all with a fresh voice, humor, angst, and different kinds of love.

It isn't simply about discovering and growing into oneself but more about parting from all one knows, separating memory from reality, discerning truth from rumor and perception. It's about love—and fear—making one blind, but not in the way you think or expect and is normally written. It's about being stripped of comfort, financial and emotional security, and all you thought you knew. And it was wonderful.

The author, Brooklyn Skye, has a fabulous writing style. The narrative smacked of Quinn's attitude. The characters' actions always spoke louder than words could ever convey. With the right amount of description, the scenes felt real, like I was there and could see through Quinn's eyes, feel her and her surroundings while being in her head. With great pacing, I flew through the book, and every event and character reaction was natural; nothing felt contrived or as if they were added for mere filler or shock value.

The relationships were believable, developing slowly with heart-warming interaction, or if already developed, the dynamics and reasons behind such a relationship were clear. I loved all the characters, even when Quinn was being a bitch, because I felt for her. She was blunt, but she made me laugh and there was an vulnerable honesty—a realism—to her and her emotions that I rarely find and adore when a character is self-destructive. Although I wish I got more of the emotional depth behind Torrin, with his patience and kindness, respect for her and himself, he was lovable and swoon-worthy.

They each had their own struggles that complemented and intertwined, and I really appreciated how that was the focus. While there was sex and sensual and playful romance, neither drove the story. It was about growth and overcoming fears and faults, correcting mistakes and moving past them.

Even better, while Stripped is emotionally poignant and revolves around the baggage and repercussions of suicide, the book wasn't depressing. The two families' connection was predictable and I wasn't a big fan of how quickly the issue behind them was resolved, but how the author handled the sensitive subject matter with care, and with a realism behind love and all its painful beauty in respect to such a tragic event, was so darn good and well-exectued that I could easily overlook how one part of the plot fell just a tad bit flat.

If you're looking for a New Adult novel that's a little more Realistic/Contemporary Fiction than Contemporary Romance, with substance and more emphasis on college life, I highly recommend Stripped.

eARC provided by the author via YA Bound. Thank you!

Check out the Stripped Tour Schedule for excerpts, interviews, guest posts, and more reviews!

Brooklyn Skye

Her Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Brooklyn Skye is just your average awkward girl who's obsessed with words. She grew up in a small California town where she quickly realized writing was an easy escape from small town life.

One (1) eBook with autograph or a signed paperback of Stripped
Paperback US only. eBook for international readers/entrees.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal—Addicted to You by Colina Brennan

2013-05-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the cover reveal for:

Addicted to You
by Colina Brennan
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

When twenty-one-year-old Leah Carter's latest one night stand burglarizes her apartment, her roommate forces her to attend therapy for sex addicts. Leah insists she isn't a sex addict; she just doesn't do relationships. After all, sooner or later, everyone lets you down.

At first, the group sessions are little more than an education on how to be promiscuous. Until she meets the newest addict—blue eyes, killer body, and a smile that tempts relapse.

Psychology student Will McLean is posing as a fellow addict while researching a case study on unusual addictions. But the more he learns about Leah, the more certain he is that his desire to break through her walls and unearth her secrets has nothing to do with his assignment.

As the uncertainties spike alongside the sexual tension, the only thing Leah knows for sure is that falling in love would be disastrous. Too bad love might be one addiction she can't kick.

Expected Publication: June 2013 by Colina Brennan

Isn't the cover PRETTY?! I love the soft colors, and even though I'm not a huge fan of "kissing" covers, I really like this one. I'm more drawn to their faces and expressions than their mouths, and the semi-nude sexiness is there but muted. Then there's the summary. A book blatantly embracing the sex addiction we seem to get (and have) with many New Adult novels, using it as part of the plot? *grabby hands* I can't wait for the release! ;)

Colina Brennan

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Cover reveal organized by GCR Promotions

Spotlight Excerpt & Giveaway—A Matter of Circumstance and Celludrones by Claire Robyns

2013-05-16T12:30:00.000-04:00

A Matter of Circumstance and Celludrones

by Claire Robyns

Book #1 of Dark Matters series

Publication: September 24th 2012 by Claire Robyns
Genre: Adult Steampunk | Paranormal Romance

Amazon B & N Kobo Goodreads

A Victorian Steampunk/Paranormal adventure with strong elements of romance ...

Lady Lily d'Bulier is prim, proper, and prefers to think of herself as pragmatic rather than timid. And avoiding life-threatening situations at all costs is just plain practical. But everything changes when Lord Adair tracks her down in London; searching for answers he seems to think she has.

Greyston Adair is a blackguard and a smuggler, although British Customs will have to catch him red-handed to prove the latter. Fortunately, the dirigibles they float around in have never been able to get near his air dust.

Hell is rising, One Demon at a Time ...

With Lady Ostrich hunting them, and the mystery of how their lives tie back to Cragloden Castle and the powerful McAllister clan, Lily has no option but to throw propriety to the wind and run off with Greyston to Scotland, away from the immediate danger and toward possible answers.

A peek inside A Matter of Circumstance and Celludrones

Evelyn was even more intrigued when she entered the drawing room. Not only was Lily’s mysterious gentleman the scrumptious Lord Adair from the previous night, but the two of them looked as if they’d been caught in flagrante. Lord Adair’s neck cloth looked as if it had been tied in unseemly haste—by a blind man. Lily’s skirts were scuffed and wrinkled and her bodice wasn’t sitting quite straight.

Lily left his side to meet Evelyn halfway across the room.

“If I’d known you were being ravished by Lord Dashing down here,” Evelyn declared in a whisper, “I would have stayed up there—” she raised her eyes to the ceiling “—another twenty minutes.”

“Don’t be absurd.” Lily’s hands flew to her hair.

“It’s your skirts that need patting down.” She linked her arm in Lily’s and strolled in the direction of Lord Adair, keeping her voice low. “What did he do? Drag you into the woods and toss you over a log?”

Lily went white in the face.

“By God.” Evelyn surged forward. “I’ll deal with the bloody Scotsman.”

“Evie, no, wait.” Lily dug her heels in. “Nothing happened. Must you always latch onto the most preposterous conclusions?”

Evelyn’s brows drew tight. Something felt wrong, but her friend made a valid point. She was rash and brash, a fact she’d never denied. She kept her sharp tongue on a leash and turned a smile on the man instead as they drew close. “How charming, Lord Adair, I was hoping we’d see more of you.”

“Lady Harchings.” He inclined his head in greeting.

Clearly not trusting her to keep the peace, Lily inserted breathlessly, “I was just telling Lady Harchings that we were riding in the park—”

“And your horses tossed both of you?” Evelyn couldn’t resist.

Lily rewarded her with a glare. “We were in Lord Adair’s carriage, but, um, yes, a rabbit or fox must have run across the path because one of the horses took fright—”

“You really should train them better,” Evelyn told him.

“The rabbits or the horses?” Lord Adair riposted dryly, his eyes never leaving Lily and a grin tugging at his mouth.

Claire Robyns

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Claire Robyns lives in Berkshire, England, with her husband and twin boys. For so long as she has memories, she was either reading, dreaming about reading, or planning what she'd be reading next. Then one day she started dreaming about writing and that was the beginning of an amazing journey.

When Claire isn't thigh-deep in laundry, shopping, cooking and general crowd control, you'll find her head-and-heart-deep in the tangled lives of her characters.

Claire will be awarding a $50 Amazon gift card to TWO randomly drawn commenters during the tour.

Leave a meaningful comment or question for Claire below. Please be sure to include your email address!
Giveaway ends May 24th

Follow the tour and comment for more chances to win!

Event organized by Goddess Fish Promotions

V Wicked Tease – 05/16

2013-05-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

Hi, fanfictionees! We're so sorry teasers haven't been posted. We weren't getting submission notifications—they must have been reset—but they're set up once more. All missed teasers are below. The teasers from the fics that have been updated are labeled as V Wicked Teasers this time around, even if they're not less than 125 words. Again, we're sorry about missing the teasers! Forgive us?

All the teasers are really good. Hope you enjoy and find a new fic you fall in love with.

— Regular Teasers —
Submit your teasers for an upcoming chapter. Can be E/B or non-canon!
♥ Chapter 13 of "About That Night" by Vampgirl79 **Edward & Bella**
♥ Chapter 4 of "Into the Light" by THE Chick Norris **Edward & Bella**

— V Wicked Teasers —
A different kind of pimpage. Give the fandom a taste of your fic in 125 words or less.
♥ Chapter 24 of "Cocktails at Eclipse" by twilightladies **Edward & Bella**
♥ Chapter 25 of "The End, The Beginning" by starpower31 **Edward & Bella**
♥ Chapter 67 of "Monster" by The.Bloody White.Wolf.xoxo **Emmett & OC**
♥ Chapter 8 of "Told Ya So!" by Lady of Spain **Jacob & Bella**

♥ Regular Teasers ♥

"About That Night" by Vampgirl79
Edward & Bella, AH, Romance, Angst, MA/NC-17

Summary: *Nominated 3 times for Best Lemon & also for Best Kiss in 2012* Bella Swan's life unexpectedly shatters in a matter of hours. That same day, a random encounter with a beautiful stranger leads to an unforgettable evening. What will happen once she faces reality again and has to come clean about the things she's kept hidden? All-human/OOC

*** Chapter 13 Teaser ***

It only takes seconds for our mouths and tongues to tangle fervently, hungrily. We are making out like horny teenagers and have no care in the world as to who may be witnessing our inappropriate PDA.

I just simply cannot get enough of this beautiful, gentle man. I need him, all the time. I need his kisses, his caresses and his body on me as often as possible. God, I am in way over my head!

As Edward’s warm lips kiss mine chastely, I whimper, disappointed that our red-hot lip lock session has ended. Shaking my head to clear the powerful daze I am under, I straighten myself and smooth down my dress. God, my thighs are wobbly like jelly!

With an amused expression and mischievous gleam in his eyes, Edward smirks. Oh, he finds me hilarious, does he?

Casting him a mock-irritated glare, I ask, “What’s so funny?”

Edward laughed. “Nothing, sweetheart. Are you all right? You appear a little, ah… flushed. Should I drive you over to the hospital?”

Glowering at him, I take a step back and fold my arms across my chest. “Ha-ha, hilarious. No, that will not be necessary. Unless… would you care to give me a thorough exam yourself, Mr. Cullen?”

Smiling at him widely, I waggle my eyebrows suggestively and he blushes. Oh, how adorable, I embarrassed him!

Suddenly, his eyes darken with hunger and he exhales sharply. “Mmm, my sweet Bella, that is a very alluring offer. I would love to examine every inch of that delectable body of yours,”

Taking a single step, Edward closes the space between us and places his hands on my hips. Then ever so slowly, his slender fingers travel up, glide across my ribcage and I tremble in pleasure.

Just as he leans in for a kiss, a clearing of the throat captures our attention and unfortunately kills our heated mood.

"Into the Light" by THE Chick Norris
Edward & Bella, Romance, Angst, M

Summary: Phoenix is the catalyst that Bella and Edward both need for the changes that will make everything work.

*** Chapter 4 Teaser ***

His long fingers moved loose strands of hair off my face, and he leaned in to whisper in my ear once again. “I know what you want,” he said. His voice was everything erotic and sensual. “I see it every time you look at me, Isabella.”

I felt my eyes rolling back as my eyelids fluttered closed. I longed for more than just his hot, moist breath ghosting over my ear and cheek; I wanted him touching me, kissing me, pressing me up against the wall and having his way with me.

”Can’t you admit that you like me too?”

♥ Wicked Teasers ♥

"Cocktails at Eclipse" by twilightladies
Edward & Bella, Romance, Drama, MA/NC-17

Summary: What is she still doing here? They shouldn't be together anymore—she should be gone. She's persistent—I'll give her that—digging her claws in so we can't get near them.

*** Chapter 24 Wicked Teaser ***

After a few minutes, she speaks. “Well?”

I look up at her. “Well, what?”

“What do you mean, ‘well, what’? What on earth was that about earlier?”

I shrug. “I told you. I needed to get home. I’m on a tight turnaround on a weekend night. You know that, Bella.”

“I know I do, and you know that’s not what I’m talking about.” She sighs and crosses her arms.

“What?” I turn to face her properly.

“Stop avoiding the question,” she growls. “You never usually have a problem waiting for me, so why was there a problem tonight?”

I sigh. “Bella, I don’t want to get into this before work.”

“Well, I do! I don’t want you storming away again. Talk to me; tell me why you didn’t wait.”

I groan. “Because, Bella. I’m sick of waiting. It feels like it’s all I ever do. Your colleagues get to spend more time with you than I do these days.”

“That’s not true,” she says softly.

I go over and sit on the end of the bed. “It is, and you know it. After last weekend, you said you would work harder at not staying late, and that lasted until Tuesday. You’ve been late every night since.“

She looks as though I’ve just slapped her, but she doesn’t say anything.

Guilt rushes through me briefly, but I continue. After all, she’s the one who wants to have this conversation now. “I understand your job is demanding, but at the moment, it’s controlling your life.” I glance at my watch and realize I have to leave soon. I get up and finish getting ready as I talk. “You live for that place.”

Her eyes are still on me as she walks into the room and sits on the bed. She picks up a corner of the cover and plays with it on her lap. “I need this job, Edward,” she sighs. “I’ve always had a job I hate, or colleagues I can’t stand. Now, I have a job I enjoy and people I like working with.”

“It’s taking over your life, Bella,” I say, watching her reflection in the mirror.

She rolls her eyes at me, which I ignore. I don’t have the time or patience for another argument.

“You don’t get it, Edward.” Her eyes are back on the covers in her hands. “I have to work for my living. If I don’t have this job, then I have to find another one. I need to do whatever I can to keep it.”

“Don’t just stay at a job because you’re worried about finding another one. There are plenty of other places looking for journalists all the time,” I say softly.

“Not all of us have the luxury of rich parents,” she snaps.

"The End, The Beginning" by starpower31
Edward & Bella, AH, Romance, Crime, MA/NC-17

Summary: "Are you guys lunatics? Edward is not some mob boss!" My life was supposed to be perfect. Everything was done - I was going to London. But then... Agent Jacob Black came into my life. And with him, came Edward. Now that they're here, I'm surrounded in a world of crime I can't get out of. Is it wrong that I don't WANT to get out? AH. Might be a little graphic for some. Mafiaward.

*** Chapter 25 Wicked Teaser ***

I don’t even know what to say to that. I mean, love is all about forgiveness and sacrifice right? You forgive those who you love and you don’t hold grudges. That’s how it’s supposed to be.

But does the same rule apply when your best friend for life and after tells you that she doesn’t really want to marry you in the future because marriages suck and they don’t work out?

“Bella, you do love me right?” I ask again, for confirmation purposes, you know.

She looks at me like I’m dense and gives me her “duh” face. “Edward, just because I said I don’t want to consider marriage when I’m ten years old doesn’t mean I don’t love you!”

“Yeah, but…I’m twelve, Bells. I have to sort my future out. I mean, if you won’t accept when I propose when we’re both eighteen, then what’s the point of all this studying? Who am I going to earn the money for anyway?”

She huffs and rolls her eyes, wriggling on the hard bench in the cafeteria. “You’ve seen how my parents fight all the time, Ed. I don’t like to fight, so we can’t marry. You’re my best friend, best friends aren’t supposed to fight. If we marry, we’ll fight—that’s how marriage works.” And then she nods matter-of-factly.

Bullshit, I say.

"Monster" by The.Bloody White.Wolf.xoxo
Emmett & OC, Angst, Romance, MA/NC-17

Summary: I'm nothing but a monster burning in a hell that only exists in my head. There's no hope left until one harmless glance chances logic and binds two eternal enemies together in a twist of fate. Can the escape from this hell be found in an infuriating dimpled grin? Or is this another dark, dirty trick of my own mind? A forbidden passion, heat, and intense anger—this is no fairytale.

*** Chapter 67 Wicked Teaser ***

I'm Jordan Uley. He is Emmett Cullen. I am Jordan. He is Emmett. I am her. He is him. I am. . . He's. . .

He's the scent blazing in my nostrils, cutting through my throat like the sharp silver edges of knives.

The tower of muscle is my target, waiting for me, provoking attack; challenging.

He's my target.

He's the hunter.

No.

I'm the predator.

I'm the killer; I taste the metallic sting of salty red death on my tongue, so familiar it's a friend.

I'm the heat of a billion hells that bring me to the brink of pure rule and power.

I'm the wolf, and he's the demon.

I see it now.

I see it, and I know the bottomless pits of false emotion its hungry eyes.

Touches and kisses; cracks and snaps and hisses. Bleeding burns. The hollowness of my bones as warm golden saps my strength and bends my knees.

I see it in the demon, and the moment we lock eyes, I know.

The moment we lock eyes, I feel it. The jagged punch of hatred in my veins, so hot and real. The slashing and ripping as I'm turned inside out; twisted, remade into something different. Something unreal. What I really am.

There is no such thing as Jordan Uley. That's nothing but weak, spineless, pathetic excuse of a fighter; she's someone a heart that's foreign in wolf skin.

I am the wolf.

And the moment I see those gleaming eyes, clouded as a shining hue of scarlet swims through the yellow like a light of truth seeping through a maze of all of the fucking facades and lies, I know.

Kill him.

"Told Ya So!" by Lady of Spain
Jacob & Bella, Romance, Drama, M

Summary: While in their meadow, Edward finally gives Bella what she's been dying for, and nearly kills her in the process-at least emotionally. She runs to Jacob for comfort, and asks for his help to break up with her "lover". It's up to Jacob to help her recover from the trauma and show her what love is meant to be.

*** Chapter 8 Wicked Teaser ***

“Your father tells us that despite his warning, she had a boyfriend who is in fact a Cold One. Isn’t that true?”

“Yes, but she’s with me now. She saw that it was too dangerous for her to be with him.”

Holding his palm out, Old Quil interjected, “But it’s also true that she had intimate relations with him, and is now carrying his child. Am I wrong?” There was a buzz emanating from the participants surrounding the table at that comment.

The poor wolf boy was cornered. The facts were clear. This was a direct violation of the treaty.

“No, but she came to me. She changed her mind. Bella never thought he could father a child—she’s not happy about any of this.

Spotlight Excerpt—Ruby by Jeffe Kennedy

2013-05-15T01:30:00.000-04:00

Ruby

by Jeffe Kennedy

Book #3 of Facets of Passion series

Publication: May 13th 2013 by Carina Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Erotica | BDSM

Amazon B & N Kobo Goodreads

Danielle Sosna has no problem denying herself in order to achieve her goals—after all, that attitude landed her a dream job at Vogue Paris. But in New Orleans for one last assignment before heading overseas, she's faced with the most decadent of temptations. Seductive Cajun chef Bobby Prejean takes Dani's strength of will as a challenge, and offers her a night of wild indulgence—if she will agree to obey his every command ...

Dani can't resist Prejean's invitation to join him in a world of carnal desire, complete with fetish costumes and masks. Determined to keep her emotional distance, she gives Prejean everything but her name. A night becomes a week, as she spends Mardi Gras suspended ... in the delicious space where pleasure meets pain.

Too late, she realizes the cloak of anonymity has not protected her—and that chasing her dream might come at the expense of her heart.

Ruby is book #3 from the Facets of Passion series:

Sapphire

Book #1 of Facets of Passion series

Publication: October 24th 2011 by Carina Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Erotica | BDSM

Goodreads B & N Amazon

A successful executive, M. Taylor Hamilton is on track with her ten-year plan. Too bad her personal life consists of hitting the gym and grocery shopping. Enter the seductive Adam Kirliss. They may have a working relationship, but everything changes at an office party when he handcuffs her to the rail of a yacht.

Taylor writes off the adventure as too much champagne, but when Adam challenges her to a date, she agrees to meet up with him. And follow his rules. They share a night of exquisite intimacy, brimming with both pain and pleasure. But afterward, fearful of losing her heart, Taylor pulls back emotionally.

Adam is determined to prove that she longs for the loss of control he can give her--and the passionate release it provides. How can he make her see that he wants her, and not just her body?

Platinum

Book #2 of Facets of Passion series

Publication: February 25th 2013 by Carina Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Erotica | BDSM

Amazon B & N Kobo Goodreads

Althea Grant's Charleston gallery might be suffering from the bad economy, and her artistic aspirations have gone nowhere, but she's doing just fine, thank you. When bad-boy sculptor Steel rides up on his motorcycle looking to rent studio space, his infusion of cash is more than welcome. But his art is raw, visceral, sexual—and completely inappropriate for her pastel world of watercolor landscapes.

Steel, fascinated by Althea's rare albino coloring, sees in her the key to his next piece: a metal satyr designed for bondage games. Moving into her gallery basement is the first step; seducing the cool Southern belle into modeling for him is the second.

As Steel peels away her careful manners and tasteful outfits, Althea begins to realize her life isn't just fine at all—it's as pale and washed-out as the watercolor paintings she's failing to sell. Can she transform her life and accept her most secret desires?

A peek inside book three, Ruby

She headed toward the B&B, at first hurrying through the rain. As she splashed through the deepening puddles on the uneven sidewalk, her stockings soaked through. In fact, all of her was as wet as if she stood under a shower. Since her pace didn’t matter, she slowed, rain running down her face, sliding over her skin. A pack of squealing tourists hustled by, sharing one plastic rain poncho like a tarp. Prepared locals gave her smug smiles from under the umbrellas they always carried.

She smiled back. The rain might be cool, but the feel of it sliding on her skin brought the world into focus. A small discomfort, like her hunger, to make getting indoors that much more pleasurable.

She passed the Court des Deux Pendus without glancing at it, no matter how much she might want to. Up ahead, a man leaned against a courtyard wall, legs crossed at the ankles, an enormous black umbrella protecting his upper half, while his stylish leather shoes—likely Italian—were irretrievably drenched. Idiot.

“You look like a drowned rat, chère.”

The familiar voice brought Dani up short before she realized the stranger was speaking to her. Cautiously, she looked over her shoulder to see he’d tipped the umbrella back and was surveying her, an amused twitch behind that neat black beard.

“Are you following me?” She poured ice into the question.

“Now how could that be when you just came walking by? I should accuse you. Perhaps you’re a stalker.”
“Ha!” She barked out the laugh and turned to go, so not in the mood for more shit, all the pleasant sensuality of walking in the rain gone. “I’ll be sure to take a different route in the future.”

“Are you hungry?” he called out, lightly, mocking.

“Fuck you!” she tossed over her shoulder.

“Well, all right,” he said, from close behind her. “Though you’d have to do that my way too. Your place or mine?”

She spun around and nearly slammed into his chest. Backed up a hasty step and snagged her hair on the umbrella.

“Goddammit.” She tugged at her wet, snarled curls.

“You appear to be trapped.”

“Quit harassing me,” she hissed.

“In point of fact, you accosted my umbrella. Now, here. Hold this.” He pushed the handle at her and she took it, not looking at him while he used both hands to untangle her hair from the spokes. In her four-inch stilettos, she was nearly the same height, and his breath blew warm against her cheek, the rain drumming around them.

“Some temper you have there,” he murmured. “I can’t help but think that if you had something in your belly, you’d be a little sweeter.”

She decided declining to respond to that would be the better part of valor. That had sounded like an invitation. A tempting one.

“Nothing to say?” His lips whispered against her cheek.

“Let me go.”

“You’re free. For now.”

She started to pull back, thrusting the handle at him, but he wrapped his hands over hers.

“Let me make it up to you.”

“What?” Oh yes. Definitely tempting.

He returned her gaze, steady, calm. His eyes weren’t truly black, but a deep brown, framed by thick lashes any of her models would have killed to come by naturally. The gold hoop glinted in his ear and she was seized by the random desire to take it in her teeth. “I’ll make you something to eat. Something fabulous.”

“Absolutely not.”

“No?” His gaze fastened on her mouth and the moment felt oddly intimate, with the curtains of rain falling around the umbrella. “Let me feed you.”

“I’m not going to a strange man’s place—for any reason.”

“Ah.” He nodded. “I am stranger than some, it’s true. I’ll take you somewhere then. Buy you a meal. Maybe a drink. All safe and public.”

“You threw me out of your restaurant.”

“You deserved it.”

“You don’t know what I deserve.”

“Oh, but I’d love to find out. You come to my place, you play my way. If you give yourself over to me, I will show you pleasures that will keep you fed for life. A different extreme.”

Something about his tone, the heat from his body, sent arousal rippling through her. An image of the manacles on the courtyard wall slipped through her mind, taunting, compelling.

“Are we still talking about food?” She tried to sound flip, but his eyes glinted and somehow she knew he heard the desire in her voice.

“When it comes to the sensual delights, it’s all the same. Come with me for now. Let me give you a taste.”

She studied him, definitely tempted. Keeping professional distance was important, so she’d stayed in a different B&B than the rest of her colleagues. But it made for lonely evenings at times. In a week, she’d be in Paris, where she knew no one. Who knew when she’d meet another man this alluring?

“What else will you do?” he asked, as if he read her mind. “A rainy night in New Orleans is for sharing good food, a little booze, a lot of nice company.”

“I don’t know why I’m agreeing to this.”

White teeth flashed in a smile, outrageously sexy. “Because you can’t resist me, chère.”

“You wish.”

“Yes, I do. Can you walk a bit in those sexy heels?”

“What’s a little pain, in the face of what you’re promising?”

“Exactly. C’mon, New York.” He tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. “Let me show you my city.”

Jeffe Kennedy

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Jeffe Kennedy took the crooked road to writing, stopping off at neurobiology, religious studies and environmental consulting before her creative writing began appearing in places like Redbook, Puerto del Sol, Wyoming Wildlife, Under the Sun and Aeon. An erotic novella, Petals and Thorns, came out under her pen name of Jennifer Paris in 2010, heralding yet another branch of her path, into erotica and romantic fantasy fiction. Since then, an erotic short, Feeding the Vampire, and another erotic novella, Sapphire, have hit the shelves.

Jeffe lives in Santa Fe, with two Maine coon cats, a border collie, plentiful free- range lizards and frequently serves as a guinea pig for an acupuncturist-in-training.

Ruby Tour Schedule

Vouched Book—Parallel by Lauren Miller

2013-05-15T01:00:00.001-04:00

Parallel

by Lauren Miller

Publication: May 14th 2013 by HarperTeen
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction | Contemporary Romance

Book Depository Amazon B & N Goodreads

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.

As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.

Imaginative and thought-provoking, Parallel is a wonderfully executed story about the complexity of free will and the beauty behind destiny. A two-fold story in alternating POVs, it follows multiple tangents of one girl's lives in two different time and place settings. The Abbi who took a major detour from her life plan and regrets it, then wakes up in a new reality that's still not the life she envisioned but is closer; and the Abbi who is begins to walk the path of her dreams with a few unforeseen turns.

The first Abby, the main one, knows not only is she living in a different reality but she's also conscious of the other Abby, her parallel self living exactly one year and a day behind her, and all the choices she makes because they affect her present—even though they're on completely different paths.

Though complex, the story isn't confusing. It's fascinating and eventually picks up after a somewhat slow beginning. No matter how hard I tried, I wasn't sure where the book was headed, how it would end, whether one life was more real than the other, if at all. As an ever-changing sequence of events that continuously shifted Abbi's lives and those of her friends, it wasn't about one life but multiple. I loved how the results of one person's decisions affected everyone's. Multi-faceted, all the characters stood out and had a significant place in each other's lives and in the story.

But the beauty of Parallel, what made it unique, was the scientific approach and fate combo. All the explanations fed my science-geek and philosophy appetites together, the rational and analytical along with the believer, dreamer, and determined romantic.

Although the shift in theme between science and romance could have been more seamless (the plot fluctuates from a coming-of-age, personal-growth story to intellectual mystery to good, old relationship drama), the ending was fabulous and cinched enough of everything together to make an awesome story that there are no wrong turns in life and you can have more than one soul mate. The book was a conglomeration of foods for thought spread out on a table, each eye-catching and thought-provoking, made only more satisfying and sigh-inducing when taken as a whole. It made me think and stew over it for days.

Parallel proved both journey and destination matter, that knowing and not-knowing both have their pros and cons, and in the end, it probably wouldn't make a difference. In the pursuit of happiness, it's good to pause and just be happy. HEAs are everywhere, and a person will catch up to it and many eventually.

eARC provided by the HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Lauren Miller

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

I was born in NYC and raised in Atlanta. I went to college at Yale and law school at Berkeley, then I got married and moved to Los Angeles to practice law.

I liked it. But after about a year, I got the itch to be doing something more creative. The itch got stronger. I found myself typing out random bits of dialogue on my Blackberry (remember those?) and pitching story ideas to my co-workers. One of those ideas became a script for a TV pilot. When it didn’t sell, I wrote another one and another one. Soon, I was ducking out of work to go to pitch meetings at studios and networks. It felt like I was getting somewhere.

Then I got pregnant. Unexpectedly. This freaked me out. Not because I didn’t want kids (I did), but because I was afraid (ok, convinced) that motherhood would zap my creative potential.

To prove myself wrong, I resolved to write a novel in the first 100 days of my child’s life and blog about it, an experiment I called “embracing the detour” (if you’re looking for an embrace the detour fridge magnet, I’m your girl. If you’re looking for old embrace the detour blog posts, click HERE). At the time, it seemed like a brilliant idea. Looking back, it makes me laugh at the childless version of me.

Then again, she’s the reason the current version of me ended up with a two-book deal at HarperTeen. And my very first script sale (but that’s a whole other story).

Spotlight & Excerpt—Tempted by Alexandra Anthony

2013-05-14T01:00:00.000-04:00

Tempted

by Alexandra Anthony

Book #1 of The Dark Hart Chronicles

Publication: March 31st 2013 by Alexandra Anthony
Genre: Paranormal Romance | Erotica

Amazon B & N Snashwords Goodreads

When personal assistant Savannah Wood lands a dream job with up and coming rock star Nick Hart, it seems too good to be true. He's devastatingly handsome, reserved and charming ... but he has a secret he's determined to keep.

Their attraction to one another is immediate and Savannah is determined to keep a professional relationship between them. She's been burned before and has no desire to reopen old wounds.

The lines between professional and personal begin to blur when Savannah finds out Nick's secret: he's a century old vampire with a painful past. He's also hesitant to open himself up to her, yet they find their temptation to one another is stronger than either can resist.

The paparazzi, a string of murders and cryptic, ominous letters threaten their budding relationship. Will their attraction and love be enough to keep them together ... or will it tear them apart?

A peek inside Tempted
** Rated MA/NC-17 for language and sexual content **

I pushed away from the glass and scurried down the steps, my fingers fumbling over the locks in my haste to open the door. Letting it swing open, I wasn’t surprised to see him standing before me. Rain dripped from his raven black hair to run in rivulets down the sharp planes of his handsome face. His dark eyes were luminous, glowing with passion as he stood before me, both hands bracing the doorframe.

“Nick ...” I whispered. I took a shaky step backwards as he strode across the threshold forcefully and took my face in his hands. Our eyes met for the briefest of moments before he lowered his head to capture my lips in a toe-curling kiss, his tongue searching the contours of my mouth. Much too soon he pulled away, his teeth tugging at my lower lip. His fingers stroked down the length of my neck, cold and wet against my skin. My body trembled in response and when I raised my hands to embrace him, he stopped me and held them in his firm grip.

“I told myself I wouldn’t do this, Savannah. I know I promised to give you your space and that I’d be patient. You can see how well that worked. So here I am, standing here in front of you. I wanted it to be different…I wanted to do this right.” He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He dragged me closer until I was pressed against the solid wall of his chest, soaking my t-shirt with rainwater. “But I can’t do this anymore. I can’t lie to myself and pretend I’m all right with just being friends. I fucking want you.”

His words ignited a fire deep within me, stroking the slow simmer that had been building all week. When he continued, his voice was husky. “I don’t want to talk and I don’t want to think if it’s right or wrong. I’ll deal with the fallout tomorrow, but now ... now I want you more than I can put into words.”

His hands released mine and he cradled my face in his hands. His soft mouth whispered over my lips and the curve of my jaw. Powerless to think clearly, I simply lost myself in him and the emotion he’d unleashed inside of me. He made me feel cherished and desired, as if I was the only woman alive. Keeping myself emotionally unavailable had its drawbacks and I was almost desperate to feel connected to him. Unable to hold back when his lips tentatively covered mine again, I responded shamelessly. I slowly traced the outline of his lips with the tip of my tongue. His body reacted immediately to my unexpected reaction, the front of his rain sodden pants bulging.

"You're soaked," I brushed his wet hair back from his forehead. My eyes followed every line on his face, over his cheekbones and his full lips. As I studied him, I wondered fleetingly if once we made love, the attraction would be gone. Maybe I could fuck him out of my mind.

If only it was that easy, Savannah.

The corner of his mouth twitched. His head tipped back under my touch and the weight of my stare, baring his long neck to me. “Then you should undress me, love.”

Drawing in an unsteady breath, my hands didn’t waver as I swiftly unzipped his pants and flicked open the button of his dress pants. They fell heavily around his feet in a wet heap as my fingers pushed at his suit jacket, easing it over his broad shoulders. All that separated us was his dress shirt and my faded t-shirt.

When he swept me into his arms and carried me up the stairs to my bedroom, I didn’t offer any challenge. He swaggered across the room, laying me across the bed in one fluid motion. My hooded eyes devoured him as stood before me, roughly tugging off his tie and dropping it carelessly on the bed beside of me. His agile fingers slid over his dress shirt, each button slowly falling open to reveal a sliver more of his pale chest until it draped open at each side, his rippled abdomen shadowed in the darkness of the room.

“Savannah. Come here, love.”

My heart was racing as I crawled to the edge of the bed. Reaching out to him, my hands twisted into each side of his shirt and I tugged him against me. Our bodies collided and our mouths met impatiently, the fiery caress of his lips searing through me until I was afraid nothing would be left of me but ash.

His hands tangled in my hair our kiss deepened. He was unrelenting but in control, sexual but sensual. His taste on my tongue was mindless and drugging, leaving me breathless and longing for more.

Nick eased me back onto the bed, hovering lithely above me. As his fingers began a provocative path down my neck and over the curve of my breast, my hands slipped under his shirt and dragged down the flexing planes of his back, cupping his tight ass and dragging his hips to mine.

Visit the Tempted tour schedule for reviews, interviews, guest posts, and more excerpts!

Alexandra Anthony

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Alexandra lives in the Midwest. She enjoys a steamy romance, a happy ending and isn’t afraid of things that go bump in the night. She is the author of two paranormal, erotic series The Dark Hart Chronicles and The Vampire Destiny Series. To find all of her book and to find out more about the author, visit her at www.alexandra-anthony.com.

Event organized by RABT Virtual Tours

$100 Book Blast—The Enemy by Larry Bograd

2013-05-14T00:30:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the The Enemy Book Blast, organized by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.
Learn more about the book, watch the trailer, and enter to win a $100 gift card or PayPal cash!

The Enemy

by Larry Bograd

Publication: January 30th 2013 by Hipso Media
Genre: Political Thriller | Mystery

Amazon B & N Goodreads

A red-hot political thriller from a blue state author.

Buried among the thousands of financial transactions he reviews each day, analyst Randy Duncan finds a secret web of laundered money financing the assassination of the President, which, in turn, will lead the country into war. Can Randy and his law-student daughter Clare follow the money and stop the enemy in time? In a political thriller worthy of Dan Brown, Richard Condon, and Allen Drury, award-winning novelist Larry Bograd charts a political thriller sure to keep you reading and leave you sleepless wondering and worried about who really controls America.

Larry Bograd

His Website | Twitter| Facebook | Goodreads

arry Bograd has published more than two dozen books, primary for children and young adults–and now his first eBook original, “The Enemy.”

He is also a playwright, screenwriter, and filmmaker. He is president of Roundtable Media Group, which produces documentary films, Web shows, and events.

$100 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal Cash

Terms & Conditions:

♥ Giveaway ends May 31st, 2013.
♥ Open only to those who can legally enter, receive, and use an Amazon.com gift code or PayPal Cash. Winning entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary.
♥ You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
♥ This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter, or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
♥ Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour {Character Interview & Giveaway}—Wanted by Amanda Lance

2013-05-13T04:00:00.000-04:00

Stopping by The LUV'NV today is the Wanted blog tour, organized by YA Bound!
We have Amanda Lance interviewing character Chris Hays from Wanted,
and you can enter to win one of three e-copies of the book!

Wanted

by Amanda Lance

Publication: May 1st 2013 by Limitless Publishing
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Amazon Goodreads

Considering she’s a girl who calculates everything, Addie Battes knew the statistical probability of being abducted in her lifetime—too bad she never analyzed the odds of falling in love with her captor.

While stopping at a crowded rest area one summer night, seventeen-year-old Addie accidentally catches a truck hijacking in progress. Desperate to rid the crime of its only witness, one of the thieves kidnaps Addie. Yet surprisingly, when a renegade thief attempts to silence her for good, Addie is saved by the very man who abducted her. Now, forced on board a cargo ship in the middle of the ocean, Addie finds herself surrounded by international smugglers who want nothing more than to throw her overboard.

All except the artistic and intriguing Charlie Hays, whose strange protectiveness convinces Addie to trust him, even when common sense tells her otherwise. Yet, despite her doubt, and his unrelenting temper, their relationship develops into something much more. But, Charlie’s scorned colleague has stowed away, and as he seeks revenge against his coworker, Addie and Charlie are forced to put their new love—and lives—at risk.

Hi, everybody! We’re lucky enough to have Charlie Hays with us today. With traveling, stealing, and the whole running from the authorities’ thing, Charlie is a busy guy, so let’s try to make him feel welcome!

AL: Hi, Charlie thanks for being here.
CH: Yeah.

AL: Okay, so I’ll start with a softball. Favorite food?
CH: Fried chicken

AL: Really? You’ve been all around the world fried chicken is your favorite?
CH: There was this woman at a house the state stuck me in who made it. I was a real picky eater and wouldn’t eat nothin’ else. I was only there for a couple of weeks but she made it for me all the time—I can’t knock it.

AL: I see you have a tattoo on your neck there. What made you choose that particular design?
CH: I think it’s funny how folks are usually afraid of snakes. Did you know there are ‘bout 3000 different breeds of snakes in the world and only 375 of em’ are poisonous?

AL: No I didn’t. Okay, do you have any real life heroes?
CH: Kid Curry, Tom Horn, and Jessie James I guess.

AL: If you weren’t a thief, what else would you be?
CH: Maybe one of them people who draws cartoons. I’m pretty good at it, but I can never sit still for real long so it probably wouldn’t work out.

AL: What’s your biggest pet peeve?
CH: People who don’t listen. If somebody who knows better than you tells ya something, you should just listen. Ain’t no sense in trying to find your own way when you don’t know anything.

AL: What do you consider your biggest achievement?
CH: *laughs* There was this one time; I made a girl fall in love with me. I didn’t mean to or nothin’ but it’s the greatest thing that ever happened to me.

AL: *swooning* Um, biggest regret?
CH: Same answer as before…she’s the greatest thing that ever happened to me, but I gotta be the worst thing that ever happened to her.

Well, thanks for sharing your time with us today, Charlie. We hope everything works out for you and that you don’t get sent to prison ... again.

Check out the Wanted Tour Schedule for reviews, excerpts, and more guest posts!

Amanda Lance

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

A native of New Jersey and lifelong nerd, Amanda Lance recently completed her Master in Liberal Arts at Thomas Edison State College after her BA in English Literature and AFA in creative writing. As an avid reader of all genres, some of her favorite authors include Hemingway, Marquis de Sade, Stevenson, Bukowski and Radcliffe.

When she isn’t writing or reading, Amanda can found indulging in film noir or hiking with her other half and their extremely spoiled dog. She is obsessively working on her next book and trying to tame her caffeine addiction.

Three (3) eBooks of Wanted
Open Internationally

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review—Matchplay by Dakota Madison

2013-05-13T01:33:00.001-04:00

Matchplay

by Dakota Madison

Publication: March 17th 2013 by Short on Time Books
Genre: New Adult Romance

Book Depository Amazon B & N Goodreads

A Girl, a Guy, a Tournament and a Challenge

The Girl: At a time when most girls obsess about homecoming and high school prom, Rainy Dey spent her senior year caring for her dying mother. So when her father drops her off at college to start her freshman year, his words of advice to his bookish daughter are to start acting like a young person and finally have some fun.

The Guy: College senior, Aaron Donavan, aka Mr. Hot-and-Knows-It, is President of the Clubhouse, a social club for the college’s most wealthy and popular guys. Aaron can have any girl on campus except the one who challenges and excites him the most—Rainy Dey.

The Tournament: Every year, the senior members of The Clubhouse engage in a golf-inspired tournament to see who can sleep with the most freshman girls. When Rainy finds out about the tournament, she believes Aaron’s only interest in her is to score points by taking her V-Card.

The Challenge: Can Aaron convince Rainy that his feelings for her are true and that she won’t be just another notch on his tournament scorecard?

Although Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, and Epic Fantasy are my favorite genres, I get in moods and have to switch up what I read. Historical Romance is one of my go-to breathers. Fun, light contemporary romances with cliché plots and an almost guaranteed HEA are another. Matchplay seemed to fit the bill, and I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't.

The book started off well enough. Rainey Day not only has a funny name that she embraces but also a good head on her shoulders. She's smart, caring, and sensical, has a great relationship with her dad, and can call shots as she sees them without feeling a bit of remorse. So when she confronts Aaron Donavan, during their first study date, about his clubhouse's tournament of sleeping with as many freshman girls as possible, I instantly liked her and thought this book would be a little different than the other "bet" books. Aaron Donavan also seemed more than the pretty, rich boy because of his quiet, playful demeanor with a determined streak.

Then somewhere around the middle of the book, between study date number one and two, Rainey is no longer the upfront, self-assured girl who knows what she wants and kindly brushes off other people's assumptions and the lines of cliques. She becomes needy and doesn't stand up for herself, even after she gives up her v-card—pretty darn quickly, I might add. She questions everything but Aaron's involvement and status in the tournament when he supposedly quit but hasn't. She becomes the girl who bites her tongue when her boyfriend obviously lies and treats her like shit in front of everyone, which is too darn often.

Don't get me started on Aaron. The boy needs to grow a pair, and all of his wonderful character building and tidbits in the beginning lead to nowhere. They had no point. They were included for nothing, and the only word that comes to mind when I think of him now is: WEAK.

That's just it. I love character flaws, but there has to be some growth. In Matchplay, there is none. And I mean none. I swear these characters went backwards, only getting worse and worse, eventually leading to the worst.

The ending certainly didn't help. Nothing is concluded, eluded to, or even delved into. The tournament—what tournament? How does golf play into it, the book, or the characters' lives? Aaron's parents have a lot weight on him and his decisions but never make an appearance. All the relationships Rainey has and made—did they have a reason to be in the story other than mere filler? And this challenge of Aaron trying to get Rainey to believe he likes her ... it's not prominent in the book, and he wasn't trying very hard when he lets his childhood friend, who's a girl and utter bitch, grope and hang on him with everyone watching, Rainey included.

When I think Rainey and Aaron have finally hit rock bottom, and I was glad because I didn't want them together any longer, they do something so jacked up that I was left stunned. There were no words, because when a relationship is only full of mistrust, the best thing to do is get engaged, right? Right ...

Matchplay had potential in the backswing and direction. But with a rushed second half, characters too stupid to live after completing a 180, and an ending that made no sense whatsoever, the book didn't simply fall short of the fun, shallow hole—it missed the green by miles.

Paperback provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you! (And I'm sorry I didn't like it more.)

Dakota Madison

Her Website | Twitter| Facebook | Goodreads

Dakota Madison has been writing since she learned to read and fell in love with books. When she's not at her computer creating spicy new romances, Dakota is traveling to exotic locales or spending time with her husband and their bloodhounds.

Cover Reveal! One More Day by L.S. Murphy

2013-05-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

J. Taylor Publishing presents the cover for:

One More Day
by L.S. Murphy
with Erika Beebe, Marissa Halvorson, Kimberly Kay, J. Keller Ford, Danielle E. Shipley, Anna Simpson
Genre: Young Adult Anthology
Contemporary Romance | Fantasy | Science Fiction | Urban Fantasy

What if today never ends?

What if everything about life—everything anyone hoped to be, to do, to experience—never happens?

Whether sitting in a chair, driving down the road, in surgery, jumping off a cliff or flying ... that's where you’d be ... forever.

Unless ...

In One More Day, Erika Beebe, Marissa Halvorson, Kimberly Kay, J. Keller Ford, Danielle E. Shipley and Anna Simpson join L.S. Murphy to give us their twists, surprising us with answers to two big questions, all from the perspective of characters under the age of eighteen.

How do we restart time?

How do we make everything go back to normal?

The answers, in whatever the world—human, alien, medieval, fantasy or fairytale—could, maybe, happen today.

Right now.

What would you do if this happened ... to you?

Expected Publication: December 2, 2013 by J. Taylor Publishing

L.S. Murphy

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

L.S. Murphy lives in the Greater St. Louis area where she watches Cardinals baseball, reads every book she can find, and weaves tales for young adults and adults. When not doing all of the above, she tends to her menagerie of pets as well as her daughter and husband.

She is a member of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the St. Louis Writer’s Guild.

Erika Beebe

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Inspired by her first grade teacher's belief in her imagination from the first story she ever wrote, Erika has been a storyteller ever since. A dreamer and an experiencer, she envisions the possibilities in life and writes to bring hope when sometimes the moment doesn’t always feel that way.

Working in the field of public relations and communications for more than ten years, she has always been involved with writing, editing, and engaging others in public speaking.

Her two young children help keep her creativity alive and the feeling of play in the forefront of her mind.

Marissa Halvorson

Her Website | Goodreads

Marissa’s dream of writing came about when she was ten, after reading a particularly inspiring story of dragons and elves. She instantly fell in love with the fantasy genre, and characters soon began to manifest to satisfy her adoration. It started with a forty page handwritten novel, which she dubbed “Dragon Girl” and continued on to more challenging (and better written) works.

Now, Marissa can often be found to be studying literature in English class, curled up at home with one book or another, or with her eyes glued to the computer screen as her newest set of characters manifest.

Kimberly Kay

Her Website | Goodreads

When Kimberly was younger, she was incredibly timid. She didn’t talk much because she was afraid of what others would think of her. Instead, she expressed herself through drawing. Eventually, art alone wasn’t enough. There were some things she couldn’t express with pencils, so she began talking, and when she did, she realized she had something to say. Now no one can get her to shut up! Worse, she's discovered she can put those words into writing to share what she has to say with even more people.

Kimberly writes short stories and novels—usually fantasy fairytale retellings. Scattered within her works are things she loves: horses, fencing, archery, and so much more. With her friends, she writes fun fan-fiction that expands her creativity, (and shows what a nerd she is).

Through writing, she has found confidence and freedom.

J. Keller Ford

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

J. (Jenny) Keller Ford is a quirky mother of four, grand-mother and scribbler of young adult fantasy tales. She has an insatiable appetite for magic, dragons, knights and faeries, and tries to weave at least one into every story she conceives. Her muse follows her everywhere and talks incessantly, feeding her ideas for stories 24/7.

When she’s not torturing her characters mercilessly, J. Keller enjoys living in sunny Florida, listening to smooth jazz, collecting seashells, swimming, bowling, riding roller coasters and reading. Her most loyal fans (beside her family) consist of two Australian Shepherds, a mixed-breed hippy dog, and a precocious orange cat, all of whom believe J. Keller is their slave. She thinks they might be right.

Danielle E. Shipley

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Danielle E. Shipley’s first novelettes told the everyday misadventures of wacky kids like herself. ...Or so she thought. Unbeknownst to them all, half of her characters were actually closeted elves, dwarves, fairies, or some combination thereof. When it all came to light, Danielle did the sensible thing: Packed up and moved to Fantasy Land, where daily rent is the low, low price of her heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears, firstborn child, sanity, and words; lots of them. She’s also been known to spend short bursts of time in the real-life Chicago area with the parents who homeschooled her and the two little sisters who keep her humble. When she’s not living the highs and lows of writing young adult novels, she’s probably blogging about it.

Anna Simpson

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Anna Simpson, mother of Bossman, enjoys living the good life near the US-Canadian border, in beautiful British Columbia. You will have better luck Googling Emaginette than her given name. Anna chose a web persona that would standout; so far it's one of a kind.

Anna is thrilled that you found her.

When you have spare time check out her blog, and leave a comment or two. As she always says, “I know what I think, it’s what everyone else thinks that’s the mystery.”

To Anna, Life is about celebration. Hence the name of her blog, which encourages everyone to Shout With Emaginette.

Book Blitz {Q&A and Giveaway}—The Heiresses by Allison Rushby

2013-05-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Heiresses

by Allison Rushby

Publication: May 7th 2013 by St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: New Adult Historical

Book Depository Amazon B & N Goodreads

In Allison Rushby's Heiresses, three triplets—estranged since birth—are thrust together in glittering 1926 London to fight for their inheritance, only to learn they can’t trust anyone—least of all each other.

When three teenage girls, Thalia, Erato and Clio, are summoned to the excitement of fast-paced London—a frivolous, heady city full of bright young things—by Hestia, an aunt they never knew they had, they are shocked to learn they are triplets and the rightful heiresses to their deceased mother's fortune. All they need to do is find a way to claim the fortune from their greedy half-brother, Charles. But with the odds stacked against them, coming together as sisters may be harder than they think.

♥ Where did you get the inspiration for The Heiresses?

A. This is extremely embarrassing, but I think it was actually from watching a Dr Phil show, years ago. I can't say too much as it will spoil the plot completely, but I saw a segment that involved a family and their genetic makeup and asked my husband (a medical specialist) about it all that evening. This led me to wondering how this family's scenario might have played out if genetic testing was not available to them, which is the case in The Heiresses, set in 1920s London.

♥ What other novels in the New Adult genre would you compare The
Heiresses to?

I think the obvious comparison is Anna Godbersen's The Luxe series, because of the historical setting and the saga-like plot. I love all her books!

♥ What's The Heiresses about?

The Heiresses revolves around triplets Thalia, Erato and Clio. Estranged since birth, they are thrust together in glittering 1926 London to fight for their inheritance. They quickly learn they can't trust anyone in their new lives—least of all each other.

I had an absolute ball writing The Heiresses with all its dramatic highs and lows. I was even lucky enough to be living in Cambridge at the time, so had the advantage of being able to research in London whenever I needed to.

♥ Who are your favorite authors?

My very favourite author is P.G. Wodehouse. So much so that for Christmas I received the five book The Jeeves Omnibus set because I'd worn my old five book set out! Some other favourites are Stella Gibbons and anything at all Mitford.

♥ How long did it take to you to complete The Heiresses?

The Heiresses was a little different for me because it was contracted from only a short writing sample and a series guide. I wrote it very quickly, in under nine months (altogether, it's roughly 120,000 words). Usually I wouldn't be anywhere near this fast!

♥ What was the hardest part about writing The Heiresses?

The most difficult part was the historical research. Although I love to read historical books and watch documentaries and historical dramas on TV, I hadn't actually written anything historical before. When I started writing, I found myself stopping after every second sentence or so to research this point and that point. After a while, I realised I had to write on and put little 'x' signs where I needed to research and go back later to do all my research in one session, or I'd never get anywhere!

Luckily, I wrote The Heiresses while living in Cambridgeshire in the UK (I usually live in Australia), so could pop on a fast train and be in London in under an hour to research anything I liked. Being so close to London was an enormous bonus—from the London Transport Museum, to simply walking around Belgrave Square, it really brought the story to life for me. I even managed to crash the village set of Downton Abbey, which was a hugely exciting day, despite the fact that it snowed (Australians don't do snow well ...)!

♥ Why New Adult?

I think it's just a fascinating time in life—a time that's difficult to bridge and often scarier than any other change you've been through. You don't necessarily feel like an adult, but you have sudden adult responsibilities (working, studying in the kind of way where no-one cares if you go to classes or not, maybe being a parent if you have children early ...). Everyone has a different experience and everyone deals with that experience differently. There are endless story-telling opportunities!

♥ What do you feel the major differences are between New Adult and Young Adult?

For me, it's all about bridging that gap between childhood and adulthood and the more I see people discuss New Adult, the more this is firmed up in my mind. I do think people focus too much on the sexual content of books when talking about the New Adult genre. For me, The Heiresses is New Adult because of how the girls deal with the sex they are having in the book (and, to be honest, there isn't a whole lot of sex) and how it changes them from girls into women, along with all the other happenings in their new lives.

♥ So much New Adult work is self-published. Is there a reason you chose the traditional publishing route?

The Heiresses was a bit of a different publishing experience for me as my agent approached me and mentioned St Martin's Press was actively looking for New Adult ideas that could work in serial form. I had the basis of an historical idea that I'd been thinking about for years and the timing was great as Downton Abbey (set in a similar time period) was really taking off. Thus, The Heiresses began to take shape very, very quickly. I'd love to say all my ideas pull off so easily, but unfortunately that's not quite true (I sold my first chick-lit novel out of the slush pile and agent-less in 2000 and have many a manuscript in my bottom drawer)!

♥ Most New Adult books seem to be set in college. Can you tell us more about writing historical New Adult?

As it happens, when I first had the idea for what would become The Heiresses (years ago), there was no such term as New Adult. The idea itself meant that the story required three 18-ish year-old heroines (they needed to be able to inherit money, be of marriageable age, live away from home and be generally young and fabulous in 1920s London etc.), so it simply happened to fall into the New Adult genre naturally. As for the world, I've always adored reading about London in the 1920s and it's a perfect fit for the New Adult genre—the years between WWI and WWII were a very heady, unstable time to be young in England, with death looming and a 'live for the moment' motto.

♥ What are you reading at the moment?

I'm actually on a short New Adult/Young Adult reading break (might have gorged myself a little there) and am reading Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which is absolutely fascinating and horrifying all at the same time.

♥ What are you writing now?

I've just finished a contemporary New Adult novel. While it's set in the present day, it's not college-based, but is about a charismatic modern artist and a young woman who becomes his muse. It's set in Paris, London and New York. My next New Adult novel will most likely be historical, though.

♥ Do you have any advice for aspiring New Adult writers?

Read widely and write what you'd love to read. I think it always shows if you're writing something you're excited about, rather than trying to write to a trend.

Allison Rushby

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Having failed at becoming a ballerina with pierced ears (her childhood dream), Allison Rushby instead began a writing career as a journalism student at The University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. Within a few months she had slunk sideways into studying Russian. By the end of her degree she had learned two very important things: that she wasn't going to be a journalist; and that there are hundreds of types of vodka and they're all pretty good. After several years spent whining about how hard it would be to write a novel, she finally tried writing one and found it was quite an enjoyable experience. Since then, she has had nine novels published. She keeps up her education by sampling new kinds of vodka on a regular basis.

Twenty (20) Paperback copies of The Heiresses
US/CAN ONLY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Event organized by:

#NASW13 Spotlight & Giveaway—Broken Promises by Dawn Pendleton

2013-05-12T08:30:00.000-04:00

The LUV'NV is thrilled to join NASW in spotlighting Broken Promises, a New Adult Contemporary Romance by Dawn Pendelton. Check out the book's playlist, enter the giveaway for a signed copy of Broken Promises and a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card, and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the blog tour that starts tomorrow!

Broken Promises

by Dawn Pendleton

Publication: May 7th 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Amazon B & N Smashwords Goodreads

After three years in Boston attending college, Mallory Wells has come home to Casper, Maine to care for her father, who is dying from cancer. She left Casper without looking back, leaving her small-town life and everyone in it, behind. Including her sexy high school sweetheart.

Luke Bates was devastated when Mallory left him for the city life. He managed to pull himself together and move on, even if only just barely. When Mallory shows up in town, Luke vows to stay away from her at all costs. So why does he keep checking in on her and her father, showing up when he's clearly uninvited? Maybe Luke isn't as 'over her' as he thought.

Broken Promises is only 99 cents* on Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords.
Get your copy today!

Be sure to check out the blog tour kicking off Monday, May 13th, HERE!

Dawn Pendleton

Her Website | Twitter| Facebook | Goodreads

Dawn Pendleton is a New Adult & Young Adult author living in Maine with her husband and pup.
Right now, she's working on two manuscripts simultaneously. It's a difficult task for her, but one she's certain will pay off in the end.

Want to meet Dawn?

She will be at the Stamford Author Event this summer!

She is also one of the featured authors of the New Adult Sleepover Weekend. You can find all the details here.

Signed paperback copy of Broken Promises (US Only)
$25 Amazon or B&N gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* Price subject to change without notice.

Blog Tour {Review & Giveaway}—Oxford Shadows by Marion Croslydon

2013-05-11T05:30:00.000-04:00

Stopping by The LUV'NV today is the Oxford Shadows blog tour, organized by AToMR Tours.
We got the pleasure of reading and reviewing this fabulous New Adult Paranormal novel, and you can enter to win eBook copies, an Oxford t-shirt, and a $10 Amazon gift card!

Oxford Shadows

by Marion Croslydon

Book #2 of The Oxford Trilogy

Publication: April 29th by Carlux Publishing
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance | Mystery

Amazon Goodreads

When death is a new beginning and love an old curse.

Still recovering from her last tango with the afterlife, Louisiana-born Madison LeBon struggles not only with her life as an Oxford postgrad but also with her budding love for Rupert Vance, aristocrat extraordinaire. One thing is certain, though: she won’t run away from her powers anymore. From now on she’ll face the music ...

... literally!

When a sixteenth-century ghost makes an appearance during a classical concert Madison attends and threatens her boyfriend’s family, she sets out to explore the dark mysteries of the Tudors, even if that means confronting their most royal and homicidal character.

Her plans take an unexpected turn when her voodoo heritage catches up with her. With horror, she understands what her fate was always meant to be.

The question now is: Can Rupert be part of it?

Marion Croslydon has done it again! Like Oxford Whispers, book one of The Oxford Trilogy, Oxford Shadows combines compelling history and mystery with the supernatural elements of ghosts and bayou magic in a modern-day setting—only this time, with more spirits and thrilling twists, the gasping, deep-cutting kind.

Madison LeBon, a Louisiana-born, Oxford post-grad, has finally accepted her familial ability to see and communicate with the dead. Though she can't fully control her other abilities, she's ready to embrace the life she never wanted, and it's good. Her aristocrat boyfriend, Rupert Vance, now knows her secret and wants to stand by her side. Her friend-slash-professor, Jackson, is helping her hone in all of her unique gifts, and she has a little piece of her Louisiana family in England in the form of her aunt.

So when a ghost appears with an ominous proclamation of death in Rupert's family and another spirit haunts her dreams, Madison has all around support from friends and family to unraveling the mystery of who these ghosts are and the connection between the two while trying to save the lives of her boyfriend's stepmother and unborn sibling.

But as she closer to answers, her newfound foundation begins to show underlying cracks. Rupert isn't ready to believe Madison's instincts and everything she sees. Her professor's feelings toward her are more than professional or simply fascination and respect. Her nun of an aunt is not so conservative in her beliefs nor trustworthy of her actions when it comes to her niece's welfare.

And history is not as solid and full of truths as she was led to believe. When it comes to the most well-known, royal Tudor relationship, the artist of the song "Greensleeves," and Madison's and Rupert's families individually, history might have been written, sung, and perceived wrong.

And with stunning storytelling of an insanely intricate plot, the author weaved a suspenseful tale that shows history can haunt people and maybe repeat itself too, especially when it comes to betrayal, fragile trust, and love between two people of different social classes. Add deep, flawed characters (dead and alive), wonderful description of historical and modern settings, and steamy romance ... well, I can't recommend the first two books of The Oxford Trilogy strongly enough.

I loved the writing, the attention to small details, the parallels in lives, the themes and how they all circled back on each other, as well as the new characters and how they played a part in this book along with the main characters' pasts. I really appreciated how Madison didn't depend on Rupert for everything, that she could and would go to other people, wouldn't forsake herself and her other relationships—that her choices weren't always about him, no matter how hard and painful. Even though there was some angst between them, I understood it and found it believable, considering the pressure they were under. It also made the already sweet and steamy scenes more poignant.

With Oxford Shadows's unforeseen twists and heart-stopping ending—a cliffhanger that I was actually loved—you can bet I'll be reading the next book. I'll be reading all of Marion Croslydon's works, actually. Fans of history, mystery, and the paranormal—be sure to check this series out. You won't regret it.

eARC provided by the author via AToMR Tours.
Thank you!

The Oxford Trilogy

Untitled Book #3 expected to release early 2014
Review of book one, Oxford Whispers

Oxford Shadows

Marion Croslydon

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Marion’s parents are terribly disappointed with her ...

They wanted her to have a serious job, providing financial stability and social standing. For years, she really tried to make them happy; she studied hard, got into top schools, graduated with honors and found a high-achieving job… For everyone around her—friends, family and arch-enemies alike—Marion was the typical Type-A personality.

What they didn’t know was that, deep down, Marion was miserable. She never wanted to be a top executive, brokering deals in New York, London or Tokyo while crossing time zones dressed in designer power suits. Marion wanted to be… a ROMANCE WRITER. She wanted to spend her days in that good ol’ tracksuit of hers, in front of her laptop, popping down Oreos like there was no tomorrow. She wanted to fall in love with a different man each time she wrote the first line of a new book (while being happily married to the most handsome man in Great Britain).

That’s exactly what Marion does these days, and it makes her incredibly happy. She loves to share these happy vibes, talk book crush, fictional boyfriends and sexual chemistry with like-minded people. And because she spends most of her days on her own deep inside her writing cave, you are welcome to come and say “hello” from time to time. Just to make sure she doesn’t sink into insanity.

Her friends, family and arch-enemies (there are quite a few) will be forever grateful for your help.

First prize: Signed copy of Oxford Shadows + Oxford University T-Shirt
Second prize: Signed copy of Oxford Shadows + $10 Amazon gift card
And three people can win an ecopy of Oxford Shadows
All prizes open internationally

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Event organized by AToMR Book Tours
Oxford Shadows Tour Schedule

Vouched Book! Oxford Whispers by Marion Croslydon

2013-05-11T05:00:00.000-04:00

Oxford Whispers

by Marion Croslydon

Book #1 of The Oxford Trilogy

Publication: August 23 2012 by Carlux Publishing
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance | Mystery

Book Depository Amazon B & N Goodreads

Madison LeBon is dead set against the dead.

Her fresh start at Oxford University is a brand new beginning. She finally has a chance to turn the page on her psychic powers and cumbersome voodoo heritage. Snakes, dolls, ghosts, and spirits: Farewell ...

Not quite.

When the tragic lovers in a painting—the subject of her first history class—begin to haunt her, she must accept her gift before life imitates art. The lovers warn her against their own nemesis, a Puritan from the English Civil War. Unfortunately, said nemesis is now going all homicidal on Madison.

College becomes more complicated when she falls hard for Rupert Vance, a troubled aristocrat and descendant of one of the characters in the painting. With the spirit of a murderer after her, Madison realizes that her own first love may also be doomed ...

Oxford Whispers took me completely by surprise. It's an amazing mixture of romance, history, "who dun it" and "who goes there" mystery, and supernatural elements.

Madison LeBon is running from a familial legacy of voodoo, but getting as far away from it as possible only has her running headlong into it. By going to Oxford, she thought she was putting Louisiana and the association of magic behind her, escaping a past that wasn't hers and a future she didn't want. Little did she know that both were waiting for her in England.

When she sees a painting called "The Wounded Cavalier" by William Shakespeare Burton in her history class, she has visions of the people in it. As she tries to discover who the maiden, the Cavalier, and the Puritan are in the painting, she falls in love with Rupert Vance, the bad boy, English aristocrat she couldn't stand and who looks startlingly like the Cavalier in the painting. To avoid a repeat of history that lies with the painting, she has to uncover the story behind it, but she also learns more about who and what she descends from and the destiny she can't escape.

With a steamy romance that felt doomed from the start, vivid description that set me in the heart of Oxford, and a suspenseful plot that had me anxiously tapping my Kindle for the next page, Oxford Whispers is one paranormal romance highly recommended for adults and mature teens looking for something original in the genre.

The Oxford Trilogy

Untitled Book #3 expected to release early 2014
Review of book two, Oxford Shadows

Marion Croslydon

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Blog Tour {Guest Post, Excerpt & Giveaway}—King's Crusade by A.D. Starrling

2013-05-10T16:00:00.000-04:00

Stopping by The LUV'NV today is the King's Crusade blog tour, organized by Bewitching Tours.
We have the pleasure of presenting the playlist for King's Crusade, book two of the Seventeen series by A.D. Starrling, plus an excerpt, and you can enter to win a one of three signed copies or five eBook copies!

King's Crusade

by A.D. Starrling

Book #2 of the Seventeen series

Publication: May 31st 2013 by A.D. Starrling
Genre: Supernatural Thriller

Book Depository Amazon B & N Goodreads

The perfect immortal warrior.
A set of stolen, priceless artifacts.
An ancient sect determined to bring about the downfall of human civilization.

When a team of scientists unearth scriptures older than the Dead Sea Scrolls in a cave in the Eastern Desert mountains in Egypt, a mystery lost to the tides of time is uncovered. Heading the expedition is Dimitri Reznak, the Head of the Crovir Immortal Culture & History Section. But the monumental discovery is spoiled by evidence of looting and half the priceless artifacts Reznak has been seeking for centuries have disappeared.

Alexa King is a covert agent for the Crovir First Council. When she is approached by her godfather for a mission that could help elucidate the enigma of her lost past, she finds herself delving into the dangerous and shadowy world of secret religious societies. Assigned by Reznak to assist her is Zachary Jackson, a gifted human and Harvard archaeology professor.

In their search for the missing artifacts, King and Jackson stumble upon the existence of a deadly sect whose origins are as mystifying as the relics they are searching for. From North Africa to the doors of Vatican City itself, they unveil a centuries-old plan that aims to shatter the very structure of civilized society.

With the help of Reznak and a group of unexpected allies, King and Jackson must stop the enemy and uncover the astonishing truth behind the missing artifacts and King’s own unearthly origins before all is lost.

The King's Crusade is the exciting, action-packed follow-up to Soul Meaning and the second installment in the supernatural thriller series, Seventeen.

Soul Meaning
Book #1 of the Seventeen series
Publication: July 12th 2012 by AD Starrling
Genre: Supernatural Thriller

Book Depository Amazon B & N Goodreads

A half breed immortal. An international manhunt. A race against time to stop a terrifying plot that threatens to kill millions. The gripping, action-packed debut novel by AD Starrling and the first in the supernatural thriller series Seventeen.

‘My name is Lucas Soul.
Today, I died again.
This is my fifteenth death in the last four hundred and fifty years.’

The Crovirs and the Bastians. Two races of immortals who have lived side by side with humans for millennia and been engaged in a bloody war since the very dawn of their existence. With the capacity to survive up to sixteen deaths, it was not until the late fourteenth century that they reached an uneasy truce, following a deadly plague that wiped out more than half of their numbers and made the majority of survivors infertile.

Soul is an outcast of both immortal societies. Born of a Bastian mother and a Crovir father, a half breed whose very existence is abhorred by the two races, he spends the first three hundred and fifty years of his life being chased and killed by the Hunters.

One fall night in Boston, the Hunt starts again, resulting in Soul’s fifteenth death and triggering a chain of events that sends him on the run with Reid Hasley, a former US Marine and his human business partner of ten years. When a lead takes them to Washington DC and a biotechnology company with affiliations to the Crovirs, they cross the Atlantic to Europe, on the trail of a French scientist whose research seems intrinsically linked to the reason why the Hunters are after Soul again.

From Paris to Prague, their search for answers will lead them deep into the immortal societies and bring them face to face with someone from Soul’s past. Shocking secrets are uncovered and fresh allies come to the fore as they attempt to put a stop to a new and terrifying threat to both immortals and humans.

Time is running out for Soul. Can he get to the truth before his seventeenth death, protect the ones he loves and prevent another immortal war?

The King's Crusade Playlist

Hello and thanks for having me on your blog!

Today, I am pleased to present part of the music playlist for King’s Crusade, Book #2 of the supernatural series Seventeen. I say part, because the actual playlist has 61 songs on it! I’ve chosen my favorites and explained how they relate to the scenes in the book. You have been warned. They are LOUD!

1. Warrior by Disturbed

To me, this first song defines the protagonist of King's Crusade. Those lyrics send shivers down my spine and set the pace and flavor for the entire story. I had this on constant replay when I was writing the final battle scene!

2. "Skin to Bone" by Linkin Park

The second song comes to you courtesy of Linkin Park and is the tune I had in mind for the prologue, where Dimitri Reznak finds Alexa on the battlefield at Narva.

3. "This is It" by Staind

Following on from the prologue, we meet Dimitri Reznak in modern day Egypt, where he makes THE discovery of his immortal lives. This was a great song for this scene.

4. "The Consequence" by You Me At Six

This was the song for that opening scene of Chapter Two, when Alexa appears as an adult and jumps off the side of the cliff. The beats seriously rock. The band is British by the way!

5. "Hero" by Skillet

This song defines the Port Said fight scene and Alexa's one-on-one with Boyko Dragov. This is one of my favorite songs of the whole playlist. That chorus is awesome!

6. "Burning Down The House" by The Used

I heard this on the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Soundtrack and fell in love with the heavy beats. This is the song for the Mersin Free Zone plot line in Adana, Turkey.

7. "Run" by Disturbed

This was the song for the chase scene from the tavern in Istanbul to the church.

8. "Our Truth" by Lacuna Coil

This is the first song by Lacuna Coil to feature on the King's Crusade playlist. I discovered this amazing Italian heavy metal band from one of the songs on the Underworld movies soundtracks. Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro are the lead vocalists for the band and I think their voices work very well together to produce a haunting sound. This song was the one I listened to during the Istanbul hotel scene where Alexa confesses the secrets of the Immortals to Jackson.

9. "The Heart of Everything" by Within Temptation

Another new group to feature on the King's Crusade Playlist, this song by Within Temptation defines Francesco Lorenzio's revelations to Alexa and Jackson in Vatican City.

10. "The Path to Decay" by Sirenia

Another big favorite from the soundtrack, you could say this song inspired the first part of the Rome chase scene, after the assassination in Vatican City, and the subsequent escape from Vatican Palace. Close your eyes and imagine that scene, starting with their jump from that window!

11. "Thick as Thieves" by Cavo

Another new band to feature on the playlist, this song by Cavo was perfect for the breaking in scene in London.

12. "Sons of Plunder" by Disturbed

And here comes the action again! This song is for the first part of the Freemasons' fight scene.

13. "Spellbound" by Lacuna Coil

The second song from Lacuna Coil to feature on the playlist for King's Crusade epitomizes the penthouse scene between Alexa and Jackson.

14. "The Truth Beneath the Rose" by Within Temptation

The second song to feature on the playlist from Within Temptation, this is from their album The Heart of Everything. This was the perfect tune for the Sumava lab scene, when Alexa uncovers Cavaleti's plans.

15. "The Howling" by Within Temptation

More from Within Temptation, this song was for the Perm train scene leading up to the gun fight in the wagon.

16. "I'm Alive" by Disturbed

This was the perfect song for the aftermath of the explosion and Alexa waking up in the forest.

17. "Our Solemn Hour" by Within Temptation

This is the song for the start of the final fight.

18. "Stand My Ground" by Within Temptation

For me, this was the hardest scene to write in the entire book. I agonized for a long time before making the decision that this had to happen. The haunting sounds of this song reflects the heartache at losing someone important.

19. "Whispers in the Dark" by Skillet

This is the first song for Alexa's fall into oblivion and the calling of an ancient voice.

20. "Rebirthing" by Skillet

The final song of Alexa's infinite time in darkness and her return to light. The lyrics reflect what she's going through rather well.

21. "I Don't Believe in Tomorrow" by Lacuna Coil

The Perm Hospital scene. This song reflects Alexa's internal conflict and pain.

22. "What Have You Done" by Within Temptation, featuring Keith Caputo

This song’s lyrics evoke Alexa's spiral into hell in the final chapters of the book.

23. "Swamped" by Lacuna Coil

The penultimate song on the playlist. I had this tune in mind for that Epilogue from the very beginning of the book.

24. "Trip the Darkness" by Lacuna Coil

The final song for the King's Crusade playlist was thrown in there for a bit of fun! If this book was ever made into a movie, this song would be my first choice for the end credits. Some of you will recognize this tune from one of the Underworld movies soundtrack.

I hope you've enjoyed the rather extensive playlist for the second novel in Seventeen. That was a fabulous 61 songs in total, which will all feature on my website with a weekly release under News starting May 7. I am pleased to announce that the playlist for Book Three is completed and will feature on the website next year. It’s nice and sweet, with puppies, kittens, and unicorns...I'm kidding, obviously...

Happy reading, writing, and blogging all!

AD Starrling

A peek inside King's Crusade

Prologue

November 1700. Battle of Narva. Swedish territory.

The little girl stared into the dead man’s eyes, her expression steady and unflinching. All around her rose the cries of soldiers and the clash of swords, while cannons boomed on a distant hill, and the sharp reports of musket shots echoed across the banks of the nearby river.

The morning’s blizzard had turned the battlefield into a gray and bloody mire. The snow and rain that had been falling steadily during the night had grown heavy at dawn, and visibility was worsened by vicious gusts blowing in from the west. When the wind shifted to the south at midday, it provided an unprecedented advantage for the eight-thousand-strong army of Sweden’s King Karl the Twelfth. They had been able to advance virtually unseen on the significantly larger Russian contingent, which laid siege to the city of Narva in early November of that year.

Although tired and hungry after traveling across miles of treacherous back roads and countryside laid to waste by the invaders, the better-equipped and more experienced Swedes managed to get within fifty yards of the enemy’s front lines without being detected and led a swift attack on two fronts.

After overcoming Russian General Veyde’s and Prince Trubetskoy’s men, they now marched for the troops on the adversary’s left flank, which were under the charge of Duke de Cröy, the field marshal whom Tsar Peter I of Russia had left in charge of his army.

As he carefully made his way across the treacherous ground, Dimitri Reznak glanced at the bruised skies overhead. Though the worst of the storm had passed, heavy flakes still fell from the low clouds that covered the land in eerie twilight. Interspersed with rain and sleet, the snow melted rapidly in crimson puddles that dotted the plain, forming brief teardrops on the cooling skin of the hundreds of Russian and Swedish soldiers who had fallen since the start of the battle. Reznak frowned at the gruesome sight.

Given that he was an immortal who had witnessed countless wars and conflicts over the five centuries of his existence thus far, he knew he should have been immune to the spectacle of blood and gore that surrounded him. Yet, despite the fact that he and the two hundred Crovir immortals under his command were assisting the young Swedish King in his endeavor to keep the new territories his predecessors had acquired during Europe’s bloody Thirty Years’ War, Reznak could not help but feel overwhelmed by sadness at the needless loss of human life. Which was why he headed straight for the little girl when he saw her standing on the knoll in the middle of the battleground.

Although he hadn’t expected to see a child in the midst of the war zone, Reznak was not surprised. Some civilians had still been trying to reach the safety of the fortified city when they were caught between the advancing armies, and those who had not succumbed to the fierce blizzard perished in the subsequent crossfire. He could only presume that the child had become separated from her parents during the ensuing chaos. The chances of finding them alive, he knew, would be slim at best.

When he got within twenty feet of her, the little girl finally looked up. It was not the panicked, wild movement he had been anticipating. Instead, it was a slow and measured gesture. Reznak froze.

Her eyes were a clear gray, the irises wide and almost silvery in their sheen. Her skin, where it was visible beneath the dirty yet elegant ivory dress she wore, was an alabaster white. Thick, dark curls crowned her head and fell in waves to her shoulders, framing a surprisingly slim face and neck. She looked to be about eight years old and was without a doubt the most shockingly beautiful being he had ever seen.

Yet it was not her startling appearance that stopped him in his tracks; it was the look on her face that sent a sharp chill through his bones and a shiver down his spine, immobilizing his legs.

There was only one word to describe the expression in her eyes: fearlessness.

Pure and unadulterated, the feeling seemed to seep through her pores and emanate from the very core of her being, an almost palpable energy focused in a lance-like beam projected from her dark pupils.

That was when Reznak knew she was not human.

The little girl blinked. Reznak suddenly found that he could move again. His gaze drifted down to her right hand, where the handle of an ugly knife was clasped firmly between her slender fingers. Red droplets still gleamed wetly on the edge of the blade and dropped into an expanding pool by her bare feet. His eyes followed the crimson trail to the dead man lying inches from where she stood. There was a deep, linear wound on the left side of the soldier’s chest; by the looks of it, she had stabbed him in the heart.

It would have taken the man less than a minute to die.

Reznak’s gaze shifted to the girl. "Hello," he said gently in German, conscious of the weight of the sword at his waist. "My name is Dimitri. What’s your name?"

The little girl remained silent. He hesitated. Certain he would not get a reply, he repeated the question in the local Estonian dialect. He was shocked when, in a clear and low voice that was oddly devoid of emotion, she said, "Alexandria."

Reznak took a cautious step forward, his eyes never leaving hers. Her chin tilted as she stared up at him. "Where’s your mother, Alexandria?" he continued quietly in the same vernacular.

A faint frown dawned on her face at his words. "I don’t know," she said.

Less than two hundred feet from where they stood, scores of soldiers fought to the death, their swords and daggers carving through the flesh and bones of their enemies. The harsh breaths of their nervous horses misted the cold air, while musket rounds peppered the ground around them.

Reznak took another step forward. "Can you tell me where you came from?"

The little girl’s frown deepened while she considered the question. "I don’t know," she repeated.

It was then that he noticed the fresh blood matted in her hair. She had suffered a blow to the side of her head. His gaze dropped to the red finger marks on her arm. His eyes narrowed.

"Did that man hurt you?" Reznak asked stiffly, indicating the dead soldier at her feet.

Her chin dipped in a brief nod.

He stared at her for a moment before slowly squatting down. With his face level with hers, he carefully extended a hand. "Would you like to come with me, Alexandria? It’s not safe here."

The little girl gazed at him silently. Undaunted, Reznak stood up and waited. She turned on her heels and stared through the thin veil of snow at the river and the city beyond it. The wind picked up and ruffled her hair.

He peered at the back of her neck curiously. Imprinted a scant inch beneath her hairline, in the very middle of her delicate spine, was a triangular mark—a trishula. Although generically shaped like a trident, the more intricate details of the design reminded him strongly of the weapons he had seen wielded by fearsome Asian warriors in battles past. It was not a tattoo. It looked more like a birthmark.

The knife thudded softly in the deepening snowdrift when the little girl opened her fingers. Still gazing at the battlefield before them, she raised her bloodied hand toward him. Reznak clasped it in his own and was surprised at how warm her skin felt.

"Are you my father now?" she asked calmly.

"No," he said with a weak smile. He glanced at the top of her head. The dark curls shivered slightly in the wind. Beneath them, the child’s body was as still as stone. "Can I call you Alexa? Alexandria is a bit of a mouthful."

She gave this some thought. "Yes," she said finally with a curt nod.

Intrigued and want to know more? Read an excerpt of Soul Meaning, book one of the Seventeen series, and check out our interview with A.D. Starrling.

A.D. Starrling

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

AD Starrling was born on the small island nation of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean and came to the UK at the age of twenty to study medicine. After five years of hard graft earning her MD and another five years working all of God’s hours as a Paediatrician, she decided it was time for a change and returned to her first love, writing. Soul Meaning is her debut novel and the first in a supernatural thriller series entitled Seventeen. She currently lives in Warwickshire in the West Midlands, where she is busy writing the second novel in the series while drinking gallons of tea. She still practises medicine. AD Starrling is her pen name.

Five (5) ebook copies of King's Crusade
Three (3) signed paperbacks with a bookmark + postcard each
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit the King's Crusade Tour Schedule for reviews, interviews, and other guest posts!

Book Blast {Excerpt & Giveaway}—Escaping Darkness by Theresa McClinton

2013-05-10T15:30:00.000-04:00

The LUV'NV is happy to help present ...
Escaping Darkness, a novella in Theresa McClinton's YA Fantasy series Stone Legacy. Read an excerpt of the book, and enter to win eBook copies of Theresa's works and a $50 Visa gift card!
Congratulations on the new release, Theresa!

Escaping Darkness

by Theresa McClinton

Book #1.5 of Stone Legacy series

Publication: May 10 by Theresa McClinton
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance | Novella

Amazon B & N Kobo Goodreads

She may have spent years in an asylum, but that didn’t make her crazy–just fearless.

Dropped in Moscow with her friends on an impossible mission against underworld forces, Tara is left to her feelings of overwhelming inadequacy. Her boyfriend is a healer, her best friend is “the Guardian,” and everyone else is a powerhouse of awesome strengths. The only thing she has been able to contribute are her memories, which has left her with nightmares of her time spent at the mercy of the evil Sarian–who everyone has gone to fight.

Alone with her emotions, Tara finds herself falling into a city of depravity and corruption. And amidst all this evil is a young man with an agenda of his own, who leads her down a road that will either prove she is a hero at heart, or drag her into a world she’s always feared.

He wants revenge, she wants redemption. And in an underground rings of missing girls and bloody sacrifices, only the fearless can survive ...

Escaping Darkness is book #1.5 from the Stone Legacy series:

The Stone Guardian
Book #1 of Stone Legacy series
Publication: December 14th 2012 by Etopia Press
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy | Paranormal Romance

Amazon B & N Kobo Goodreads

When myth becomes reality, reality becomes a nightmare.

Like any other teenager in America, Ashley just wants a normal life. But growing up in an orphanage for the insane is anything but normal. After endless therapy and increasing medication, her nightmares have only gotten worse.

Probably because they’re not nightmares.

When Ashley’s mysteriously abducted, she finds a reality even less normal than the orphanage. And she discovers something else—she’s no ordinary orphan. Faced with enemies thought to only exist in fairy tales, Ashley discovers she possesses a powerful Maya bloodline. She’s the daughter of an ancient Maya Guardian, whose duty is to protect the Stone of Muuk’ich, an enchanted relic blessed by the gods. But first she must get it back from Sarian, a power-hungry demigod who slaughtered the last guardian—Ashley’s mother. Without the stone, all will be lost.

When she meets Arwan, a hot Belizean time bender, his delicious olive skin and dark eyes make her feel a little less alone. But his gentle whispers and reassuring touch might not be all they seem. How can she balance love and duty when it’s up to her to prevent the rising of the underworld? Especially when the guy she loves might be its crown prince ...

A peek inside the novella, Escaping Darkness

Rays of morning sun crept through the windows of Tara’s hotel room. She was already awake, frozen in bed and staring at the entrance. Harsh whispers echoed from the hall paired with rushed footsteps on the carpeted floors beyond the door. She gripped the blanket, her heart pounding in anticipation.

She flung the covers aside and hurried across the room. The knob rattled followed by several sharp pounds. She peered through the peephole before swinging open the door. Renato rushed in with a limp Hawa hanging in his arms.

“Oh my god! What happened?”

Renato laid Hawa on the bed. Black hair spilled over her face as she moaned.

Peter stumbled into the room, his eyes glossed over with sleep. Renato glanced over his shoulder and waved him over. “We need your help.”

Tara’s chest tightened while she stared at them. “Where’s Ashley?” Renato glanced at her and then back to Hawa without a word. Tara stepped forward, a knot forming in her stomach. She gripped the bedpost, her legs beginning to feel like mush. “Mr. Renato, what happened to Ashley?”

“She’ll be fine,” Peter said while examining Hawa’s bandaged leg. “I don’t sense any breaks or fractures. No lesions.” He stared up at Renato. “What the hell happened?”

Renato paced, rubbing the five o’clock shadow that darkened his chin and jawline. “Sarian was much stronger than we anticipated. When Ashley tried to retrieve the stone, he somehow sensed her, even with the masking spell.”

Figures. Tara knew it was bad news when that witch offered to help. She hated the idea from the start, but being outnumbered and a girl with no abilities to contribute, she thought it better to keep her mouth shut and let Renato and Ashley make the final decision. The masking spell could have been a dud. For all they knew, Contessa might have wanted Ashley dead to take her stone. The witch only helped to get revenge on Sarian in the first place. Who knows what other motives she had. Tara still wasn’t sure of the extent of the stone’s power, but since every underworlder seemed to want to get their hands on it, it had to be capable of some unworldly things.

“Who healed Hawa?” Peter asked.

“Contessa. At her home.” Renato glanced at his watch. “We arrived back less than an hour ago.”

“Well, it looks like she did a decent job.” Peter laid the back of his hand against Hawa’s forehead. “No fever. I think she’s just exhausted. We should let her sleep.”

Tara let go of the bedpost, anger peeling away her layers of patience. There was no way she’d let them keep ignoring her. With her fists perched on her hips, she glared at them. “If someone doesn’t answer me in the next two seconds, I swear I’m going to flip the hell out.” They both stopped and stared at her. Tara swallowed. “Where’s Ashley?”

Anger was as good as any other emotion right now—better even, since it kept her blood rushing fast enough to prevent her from passing out if the news was grim.

Renato gave a deep exhale. “Tara.”

The way he said her name sucked the heat right out of her body.

She wound her fingers into her mess of red curls. “Oh God. What?”

“Please don’t panic,” he continued. “She is not hurt.”

Tara exhaled a calming breath and gestured toward the door. “I’m gonna go talk to her.” When she took a step forward, Renato stepped to the side, cutting off her path. She stared up at his tight face. “I’ll be right back. I just want to go see how she’s holding up.”

“Tara.” But when he said her name the second time, his tone hadn’t changed, and the look in his eyes told her something was wrong. He ran his fingers through his hair, smoothing it down. “She’s not here.”

“What do you mean she’s not here? You said she’s all right.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

Tara shifted her weight. “Well, where is she?”

“She and Arwan left to get Jayden back.”

“Back?” Tara scanned the room. In all of the chaos, she hadn’t noticed Jayden wasn’t there. “Is he pulling another stunt to win Ashley over?”

“I don’t think that’s what’s going on this time,” Peter said.
“Sarian is stronger than we realized.”

“But ...” Tara shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

“Jayden was killed in battle.”

She felt like someone had kicked her in the chest. “What?” She gasped, her bottom lip quivering with her voice. She had known Jayden almost as long as Ashley, and even if they weren’t as close, he was her friend. She swallowed past the ache in her throat.

Peter took her hand.

“She and Arwan rushed to Guatemala,” Renato continued. “To the caves of Naj Tunich.”

She tightened her grip on Peter’s hand while suspicion crawled over her. “Ashley hates caves. Why would she want to go there?”

“Ashley was determined. I attempted to convince her it was a dangerous, reckless idea, but she insisted. She and Arwan traveled to the caves to find Houn—the Guardian of Souls. She has the insane thought that they can get Jayden’s soul back in time.”

Tara pulled away from Peter, grabbed Renato’s collar, and jerked him forward. “Are you trying to tell me that my best friend is going to meet up with the Grim Reaper?”

Renato stared down at Tara’s fingers clenching his shirt.

She let go of his collar. “I want proof. Ashley wouldn’t just take off like that. Not without telling me first.”

Renato straightened his posture while smoothing out the wrinkles in his clothes. “I managed to rent a cold chamber for Jayden’s body in the local morgue.” He paused, watching her skeptical stare. His lips pressed tightly together. “If escorting you to see his body is the only way to convince you I am being honest, that is certainly an option.”

Tara took a step back. “Oh my God. You’re serious.”

“Unfortunately, yes. If Ashley and Arwan cannot retrieve his soul before Houn places it, the morgue is where Jayden’s body belongs. Either way, we need to preserve it the best we can.”

“Preserve?” She choked on the word and slowly lowered herself to the mattress beside Hawa’s feet.

Peter tucked a curl behind Tara’s ear. “It’ll be all right.”

She wanted to believe him, but something in her gut told her it wouldn’t be that simple. “Jayden’s dead and ... Ashley didn’t even say goodbye. What if—” Her breath caught in her throat. “What if I never see her again?”

Escaping Darkness

"After reading The Stone Guardian, I fell hard for Tara, and was thrilled when I found that this was her story. Full of twists and surprises, I loved getting to know more about this vivacious girl, and I fell hard for one of the new characters, Malachi. This is a read I highly recommend - loved it, and can't wait for the next in the series!"

— Susan, Amazon Reviewer

For The Stone Guardian

Theresa McClinton

Her Website | Twitter| Facebook | Goodreads

A long time enthusiast of things that go bump in the night, Theresa started her writing career as a journalism intern—possibly the least creative writing field out there. After her first semester at a local newspaper, she washed her hands of press releases and features articles to delve into the whimsical world of young adult paranormal romance.

Since then, Theresa has gotten married, had three terrific kids, moved to central Ohio, and was repeatedly guilt tripped into adopting a menagerie of animals that are now members of the family. But don’t be fooled by her domesticated appearance. Her greatest love is travel. Having stepped foot on the soil of over a dozen countries, traveled to sixteen U.S. states—including an extended seven-year stay in Kodiak, Alaska—she is anything but settled down. But wherever life brings her, she will continue to weave tales of adventure and love with the hope her stories will bring joy and inspiration to her readers.

eBook copy of Escaping Darkness
eBook copy of Stone Guardian
$50 Visa gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spotlight & Giveaway—Soul Catcher by G.P. Ching

2013-05-09T00:30:00.000-04:00

Soul Catcher
G.P. Ching
Book #4 of The Soulkeepers series
Publication: March 14, 2013 by Carpe Luna Publishing
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy | Mild M/M Romance

Book Depository Amazon B & N Goodreads

Dane Michaels has been to Hell and back and isn't interested in repeating the experience. But as a human caught up in the Soulkeeper's world, his life isn't exactly his own. No one can explain why Dane was allowed through the gates of Eden, but it's changed everything. Now, the only one who can make him feel safe is Ethan, the telekinetic Soulkeeper with a dark past and a heart of gold.

When Malini asks Dane to be part of a mission to find the last Soulkeeper, Cheveyo, more than one team member thinks she's tempting Fate. But Malini suspects Fate has had a hand in Dane's life for some time and that he could be the key to unraveling Lucifer's latest plan of attack.

Soul Catcher is book four of The Soulkeepers series:

Soulkeepers
Book #1 of The Soulkeepers series
Publication: June 24th 2011 by Createspace
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Goodreads B & N Amazon Book Depository

When fifteen-year-old Jacob Lau is pulled from the crumpled remains of his mother's car, no one can explain why he was driving or why the police can't find his mother's body. A beautiful and mysterious neighbor offers to use her unique abilities to help him find his mom.

But in exchange she requires Jacob to train as a Soulkeeper, a protector of human souls. He agrees to her demands, desperate for any clue to the mystery of his mother's disappearance. But soon Jacob finds himself trapped in a web of half-truths, and questions her motives for helping him.

Weaving Destiny
Book #2 of The Soul Keepers series
Publication: August 29th 2011 by Createspace
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Book Depository Amazon B & N Goodreads

Malini Gupta thought Jacob Lau was her destiny. But after months of failing to decipher how she fits into the Soulkeepers, frustration threatens to tear their relationship apart. And it doesn't help that a new Soulkeeper named Mara is ready to stop time itself to earn Jacob's love.

When Malini faces her worst fears, and even death, she learns a funny thing about destiny. Fate is a tapestry of choices, and she has the power to weave hers.

Return to Eden
Book #3 of The Soulkeepers series
Publication: February 29th 2012 by Carpe Luna Publishing
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Goodreads B & N Amazon Book Depository

Dr. Abigail Silva has waited over 10,000 years for redemption and a chance at a real relationship with the angel she loves. But when you're made from evil itself, it's hard to remember if salvation is worth the wait. With Lucifer's plan coming to fruition, she must decide if God's offer of humanity is all it's cracked up to be, or if a deal with the devil is the more promising solution.

Weaving Darkness (Book #3)

G.P. Ching

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

G.P Ching is the author of The Soulkeepers series and variety of short fiction. She specializes in cross-genre paranormal stories, loves old cemeteries, and enjoys a good ghost tour. She lives in central Illinois with her husband, two children, and one very demanding guinea pig.

$100 Amazon gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Event organized by SupaGurl Tours

Blog Tour {Review & Giveaway}—Playing Hooky by Rita Webb

2013-05-08T00:30:00.000-04:00

Stopping by The LUV'NV today is the Playing Hooky blog tour, organized by Xpresso Book Tours!
We got to read and review this fun little novella, and you can enter to win an eBook copy!

Playing Hooky

by Rita Webb

Book #1 of Paranormal Investigation series

Publication: January 17th 2013 by Rita Webb
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance | Novella

Amazon B & N Goodreads

Valentine’s Day.

And my 21st birthday.

Whoop-de-doo.

Just another college day full of classes and more homework than is humanly possible.

... until Jason, my best-friend-since-kindergarten, shows up to take me out for the day.

Like old times: the two of us on a wacky adventure, playing hooky from real life. With his lopsided grin and tickets to a circus full of misfits and monsters, he introduces me to a whole new world—one full of magic and mystery—and turns my reality upside down.

Except nothing goes as planned, and we end up running through the city to find a missing siren before someone brews a love potion with her blood.

Sirens and love potions, witches and elves, and Valentine kisses. Nothing will be the same for me again.

Playing Hooky was a sweet, entertaining little novella. While it starts with a NA Contemporary Romance feel, with two best friends secretly crushing on each other and skipping class, it quickly develops into a Fantasy world with a magical circus and mythical creatures.

Emma and Jason have been best friends for as long as they can remember. When he takes her out on their tradition of a new adventure for her birthday, he reveals the one side of his life she never knew. Although I would've appreciated a more realistic reaction from Emma concerning this fantasy world and Jason's secret (among other things I won't disclose to avoid spoilers), I liked their easy relationship. The banter was cute and funny, their chemistry was apparent, and their individual narratives were wonderful and distinct.

The secondary characters were great. In a matter of a few lines, I knew their personalities and couldn't decide who I liked better. Even though this is a short read, the plot was interesting and gleaned into another mystery, piquing my interest for what the next book holds for all the characters, particularly Jason and his secret lineage. This novella is more plot-driven, a race-against-time event, so it's a bit lighter on character growth and development.

Overall enjoyable, Playing Hooky is a nice start and glimpse into a fun Fantasy series. I think the whole story, the series arc and the idea behind it, would've been great as a full-length novel. Rita Webb certainly has the imagination and a good grip on twisty plots.

eBook provided by Rita Webb via Xpresso Books Tours. Thank you!

Rita Webb

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Leaving the house to go to school, I had schoolbooks spilling out of one hand, the other holding my place in a Nancy Drew novel, and bunny slippers still on my feet. My mom was a wee bit upset.

I haven't changed much. Still always have a book (or two) in my hand or creating stories in my head, and although I don't have any bunny slippers, I love writing in my jammies and snuggly slipper socks.

When I grow up (maybe a hundred years from now), I'd like to be a superhero, but for now, saving the day, one page at a time, suits me just fine.

With my husband TJ (my own cuddly werewolf), I home-school our three girls, who keep us busy with art, science projects, books to read, dance classes, and walks about the park.

Two (2) beaded bookmarks
A beaded butterfly bracelet
Ten (10) eBook of Playing Hooky
Three (3) ebooks of Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal
Five (5) ebooks of Daughter of the Goddess

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Playing Hooky Tour Schedule

Cover Reveal—Overexposed by Adrianne James

2013-05-08T00:01:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the cover reveal for:

Overexposed
by Adrianne James
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

In the tiny town of Willowspring, just about nothing ever happens except for layoffs, hockey games, and your average melodramatic teenage angst.

But that was before.

Vi, Ashley, and Macy are just trying to make it through the school year without one more humiliation when they team up for a simple photography assignment: create a story through a series of photographs. Can't be too much trouble, right?

Wrong.

The shutterbugs happen upon Willowspring High School's darkest secret. When everything around them starts to crumble after trying to do the right thing, their only hope is to stick together.

Expected Publication: May 24th 2013 by Star Bound Books

Adrianne James

Her Website | Twitter | Goodreads

am a woman who was raised by two loving parents in a large family. I was taught respect and responsibility. I was taught to follow my dreams and told if I wanted something bad enough, I would make it happen. I like to think that I am exactly what my parents set out to raise me to be.

I am a wife and mother. I do everything in my power to make sure they are cared for. I try to instill in my children everything that was taught to me. I do my best by my husband, supporting him in everything he does and loving him with all of me.

I am a photographer and graphic artist. I see beauty in everything and believe everything has a part in a story somewhere and capturing a single image can inspire someone somewhere to create a whole new story to share with the world.

I am a writer. I have been writing short stories and poems all my life. I took the Nano Challenge in 2010 to prove to myself that I had the ability to write more than a few pages. I did just that. I have completed my first novel, LIFE ON LOAN, and am currently preparing to self publish in February 2013. My second novel, OVEREXPOSED, is in the editing stages and I have many more books bouncing around in my head that I have every intention of putting to paper to share with the world.

Even with everything I have just divulged about myself, there is still so much more. I am a complex and complicated person. I know that, I understand it, I love it.

Cover reveal organized by Good Choice Reading

Tuff Girl Legion {Review, Excerpt & Giveaway}—Of Silver and Beasts by Trisha Wolfe

2013-05-07T02:05:00.001-04:00

The LUV'NV is thrilled to join the Tuff Girl Legion in presenting Of Silver and Beasts, a fascinating New Adult Fantasy by Trisha Wolfe. Tuff Girls love heroines who kick ass, and Trisha Wolfe and her characters definitely rock the top of that list. Check out our review, read an exclusive excerpt, and enter to win eBook copies of Trisha's recent releases, a $15 gift card, and signed swag. Hoo-rah!

Of Silver and Beasts

by Trisha Wolfe

Book #1 of Goddess Wars

Publication: April 19th 2013 by Trisha Wolfe
Genre: New Adult Dark Fantasy

Amazon B & N Goodreads

In the sand-covered queendom of Cavan, the goddess once saved a young Kaliope’s life, preventing the mercury her father attempted to hide in her blood from reaching her heart. Now, a cybernetic clamp filters it, but the silver streaks swirling faintly beneath her skin are a constant reminder that she’s different.

When nineteen-year-old Kaliope is chosen as head of the Nactue Guard, she becomes the sworn protector to her empress. In the midst of an invasion on a neighboring land, Kaliope is placed in charge of guarding Prince Caben, the last heir to his kingdom. But when they’re attacked by the feared Otherworlders, Caben and Kaliope are abducted and taken below to a realm where they must fight for their life in a caged arena.

Kaliope struggles to protect her princely charge, keeping him and herself alive while battling inhumanly opponents, and trying to save the stolen, sacred relic that will restore her empress’s life force and all of Cavan. And if she can somehow awaken the goddess within her, she may save what’s most important.

Trisha Wolfe has done it again, pulling me into an original, intricate world that's imaginative and dark, fascinating and a little scary but also thrilling. Women rule and protect in one realm. Man conquer and hold another. But underground, neither gender seem to matter. There's very little known about the Otherworlders who live in the depths of the planet. They rarely surface—or more precisely, are never seen—and have been thought nearly extinct. When they invade the upper-crust kingdoms and sack them for slaves and mercury, their world's most precious resource, they're proven to be more mysterious, brutal, and a bit crazier than the stories have painted them.

Gladiator meets caged UFC fighting, it's a battle to the death in the pits of darkness. All for someone whose name even the Otherworlders won't utter. And all while Kaliope, the new head of the Nactue Guard, tries to protect her people, sworn sisters, and princely charge, bring back the artifact that powers her empress and land, hide the fact that she pumps mercury in veins, and understand the goal of her enemy. Whew! Like I said, thrilling and a kick-ass heroine.

But I adore how Kaliope has to grow into that role. She has the utmost faith in her goddesses and matriarch but little in her own purpose. Though has she earned her title to lead her empress's closest guard, she has doubts of living up to it, let alone exceeding it. And she must or her whole world will crumble. A part of me did crumble at the end of the book. Once again, Trisha Wolfe ripped my heart out while still giving me some hope. I fell in love with the characters and the relationships. I mourned the losses of both and smiled at the development of the new.

Plot- and character-driven, with rich world-building and emotion, Of Silver and Beasts is a fantastic read. I'm anxious for the next installment of the series, scared yet excited for what it'll bring to the garden of silver goddesses and beasts.

eARC provided by Trisha Wolfe in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you!

The Cavern Scene

The cool sensation of the fresh water on my skin helps me forget my nerves and I lie back, floating just below the top of the water. My body dulls, the cold soothing my sore muscles, and I welcome the numbness. The ceiling of the cave is sprinkled with tiny clusters of white lights, dotting the canopy above our heads like stars in the sky. I feel as if I'm sitting on the rooftop of my apartment, staring at the night sky, not here in the Otherworld, awaiting my death.

The water rolls, rocking my body, and I glance over as Caben floats up beside me. He's on his back also, and points to the lights dusting the cave ceiling.

“Diamonds,” he says.

“Really?” I don't know much about any minerals other than mercury. And somehow, diamonds as our stars makes my chest heavy. It's too beautiful. “How can you tell?”

“The ultraviolet light shows the impurities,” he says. “The imperfections actually absorb the dark light, causing the diamond to emit a visible glow.” He chuckles. “A very expensive lighting effect.”

I laugh. “Quite expensive.” They twinkle as they reflect the rippling water. “But almost more heavenly than the stars.” I lower my voice at the end, hoping he didn't hear my spoken thoughts.

Caben doesn't speak, and the trickling of the stream and lap of the pool becomes the only sound as we float in compatible silence. I could drift off, fall asleep in this peaceful place, but I know we still have a mission to complete before the Reckoning.

This thought awakens me, and I touch my feet to the bottom of the pool and begin to wade toward the edge.

I hear Caben's heavy groan. “No you don't,” he says, and captures the bottom of my tunic. He tugs me through the water, back to the pool's center. “Not yet. This could be our last reprieve, and I plan for us to enjoy it.”

As I turn to face him, his fingers slip from my shirt to my waist, grazing my stomach. My skin prickles, and I shiver, matching the trembling water around us. His deep blue eyes meet mine, and he swallows, his Adam's apple working. Slowly, he begins to inch up my tunic—

“Wait.” I place my hand on top of his.

He cranes an eyebrow. “It should really have time to dry before we go back.”

Logically, that makes sense. But the heated look he's giving me says so much more. And regardless of the attraction I may feel for the prince—a woman would have to be blind—and whether or not we actually escape this hell ... what then? We share an intimate moment once, and go back to our stations in life, simply pretending nothing happened?

Or maybe I'm reading too much into his gaze. He's a man, and physical desire is self-serving. He may die ... and he probably wants to bed a woman one last time. Everything about his character screams he's not one who thinks past the moment.

I could lose myself for now, give in to the pulse quickening my blood with need, but I've never shown a man the clamp over my heart. It would have to be something I did for a different reason if I ever chose to do so. Not merely because I may die soon.

As I push his hand away and start to swim off, he grasps my waist, encircling his firm arms around my stomach, and pulls my back to his chest.

“Don't run from me,” he breathes into my ear. “I'm not asking for anything. Not even whatever it is you're hiding. Just stay here.”

Help Trisha and the Tuff Girl Legion get 50 reviews on Amazon to read this full scene from Caben's POV!
Get your copy of Of Silver and Beasts today.
Read it. Then leave some LUV (or like) in the form of a review.
Scene will release on Trisha's blog. Bookmark the bonus material page here!

Want another peek into Of Silver and Beasts? Read the other excerpt featured here on The LUV'NV.

Trisha Wolfe

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Trisha Wolfe is the author of the YA Steampunk/Paranormal Destiny's Fire (Omnific Publishing) and the upcoming YA Sci-Fi/Utopian Fireblood (Spencer Hill Press, October 2013). Her published short stories have appeared in YA literary journals, Fantasy magazines, and anthologies. She has written five books in the past three years and is currently working on a new YA Dark Fantasy series, Of Silver and Beasts, releasing June 2013.

She's also the creator of YA Bound, a promotional blog for the Young Adult genre. Also a proud member of YALITCHAT.ORG, SCWW, and The Apocalypsies. She's also a business owner, partnered with her partner, her husband. When she's not busy doing all of the above, she's a wife and the mother of a gorgeous teen boy who's the sounding board for her male characters.

Check out her website for more on her books and short stories. Follow her on Twitter or like her Facebook page for updates.

$15 Amazon or B&N gift card or PayPal Cash
eBook of Of Silver and Beasts
eBook of Astarte's Wrath
Signed Bookmarks

a Rafflecopter giveaway

$50 Book Blast—The Tale of Mally Biddle by M.L. LeGette

2013-05-07T00:30:00.001-04:00

Welcome to The Take of Mally Biddle Book Blast, organized by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.
Learn more about the book, watch the trailer, and enter to win a $50 gift card or PayPal cash!

The Tale of Mally Middle

by M.L. LeGette

Publication: November 21st 2012 by M.L. LeGette
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Book Depository Amazon B & N Goodreads

When Mally Biddle agreed to spy upon the King of Lenzar and his overbearing knights, she knew she was heading into danger. She didn’t know she’d find a family unlike any other.

Posing as a servant in Bosc Castle, Mally serves tea and restocks the fires for the most dangerous men in the kingdom. Her goal is to learn the truth of what happened sixteen years ago, when the infant princess met her death … a death that has more questions than answers.

Along her search for the truth, Mally meets the energized Lita Stump, the strict and matriarchal Meriyal Boyd, and the opinionated Archibald Diggleby. Then of course there are the knights: Sir Leon Gibbs who is slicker than a greased hog, Adrian Bayard, hot tempered and violent, and the worst of the lot: Sir Illius Molick, Captain of the Knights. And then there is Maud, a mysterious woman who just might know everything…

The Tale of Mally Biddle is a republication of For the Kingdom by M.L. LeGette.

"To say I loved this book is an understatement. Mally is a wonderful character and she encounters so many quirky folks on her assignment. Very well written and engaging story! And an added bonus of a love triangle! I enjoyed it from beginning to end!! I will definitely be looking for more from this author!"

— April Holgate

M.L. LeGette

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest |Goodreads

Melissa LeGette lives in Georgia where she helps run a family farm, so her nails are a fright. The Tale of Mally Biddle is her second novel. Her imaginary world is always fantastical.

Book Blast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal Cash

Terms & Conditions:

♥ Giveaway ends June 2nd 2013.
♥ Open only to those who can legally enter, receive, and use an Amazon.com gift code or PayPal Cash. Winning entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary.
♥ You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
♥ This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter, or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
♥ Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

New Adult Sleepover Weekend Blog Tour & Giveaway!

2013-05-07T00:01:00.000-04:00

New Adult Sleepover Weekend is a convention taking place December 6th–8th, featuring some of today's best-selling New Adult authors and some upcoming authors you want to keep on your radar.The weekend will be filled with parties, a book signing, reader and author dinners, and tons more! Not only do you get to discover some new authors, but you get to know them on a personal level.

Damaris at Good Choice Reading is co-director of the convention, and she has also put together an amazing blog tour to give readers a chance to get to know the authors before the event. The NA Sleepover Weekend blog tour will be filled with book highlights, reviews, sneak peeks into the authors books, and tons of giveaways! This tour will run from now until September. Yes, you read correctly—a five-month tour, and at the end of every month a chance to win big!

Some of the giveaways involve gift cards, books, and even two registrations to NASW! All donated by the authors. So if you're thinking about attending, make sure you check out the blog tour, which I am proud to be a tour host for.

This month's FIRST NASW giveaway is below. You can enter just for checking out this post!

Just keep an eye for the following logos below for your chance to win! You can enter each blog tour stop, not just once.

To keep up with any updates:
Check out the NASW13 website
"Like" NASW13 on Facebook

Be sure to check out the following blogs for a chance to win this month's awesome prize!
http://www.bookishthingsandmore.com
www.mangamaniaccafe.com
http://newadultaddiction.blogspot.com/
http://bibliophilesthoughtsonbooks.blogspot.com/
http://www.whirlwindbooksandreviews.com/
http://twobrainbookreviewers.blogspot.com/
http://tugceninkitapligi.com
http://www.bookishrandomness.blogspot.com
www.mybookmuse.com
http://thebookishbabes.blogspot.com
www.shortie-says.com
www.thediaryofanengineer.blogspot.com
http://whateveryoucanstillbetray.blogspot.com/
http://selkiereadsstories.blogspot.com
http://www.theluvnv.com
http://www.shereadsnewadult.com
booksaremybestfriendforever.blogspot.in
http://princess-paperback.blogspot.com
http://anovelaffair222.wordpress.com
http://divergentgryffindor.blogspot.com
www.paranormal-bookclub.com
tiffanytalksbooks.com
http://rampant-readers.blogspot.com
www.SMIBookClub.com

Let the fun begin!

Ends May 31st 2013
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour {Guest Post & Giveaway}—Project Five Fifteen series by Samantha Summers

2013-05-06T03:00:00.000-04:00

Stopping by The LUV'NV today is the Project Five Fifteen blog tour, organized by Xpresso Book Tours.
We have Samantha Summers here to talk about her favorite scenes in the series, and you can enter to win signed copies!

First Light

by Samantha Summers

Book #1 of the Project Five Fifteen series

Publication: May 12th 2012 by Samantha Summers
Genre: Young Adult Romantic Thriller

Book Depository Amazon B & N Goodreads

A government experiment. Sixteen teenage boys on the run. An innocent young girl caught in the middle. When Ronnie Rose meets the handsome and alluring Kalen Smith, she can tell there's something he's hiding - something dangerous. But in trying to uncover his secret, Ronnie is plunged into a terrifying world she isn't prepared for... and the consequences could be deadly. Can we choose who we fall in love with?

As You Were

Book #2 of the Project Five Fifteen series

Publication: December 12th 2012 by Publicious Self-Publishing

Goodreads B & N Amazon

For every choice, there is a consequence.

Ronnie and Kalen are finally together, living their life in secret under the radar of the people who want Kalen dead. But when a visit from an old friend sends Kalen away on a rescue mission, Ronnie finds herself plunged back into the world of Project Five Fifteen quicker than she ever thought possible.

It’s fast becoming clear The Agency will never give up their hunt for the boys, and a betrayal closer to home starts a chain reaction that will change everything. Now, caught in a deadly web of lies and deceit, Ronnie is forced to question who she can trust; even the person she once trusted most.

As enemies close in, Kalen’s past threatens to destroy the happiness they sacrificed so much for, and it’s only a matter of time before the ultimate choice must be made ...

Five of Samantha Summer's Favorite Scenes in Project Five Fifteen

1) One of my favourite scenes is when Ronnie first meets Kalen’s friends in First Light. I enjoyed writing their reactions to her. The boys are all very close – like brothers – and while Kalen has tried to keep his growing feelings for Ronnie a secret, his teammates know him well enough to see through his façade. For me this scene showed they weren’t in the least bit shocked to meet her, but each of them had their own opinion/feelings in regards to the relationship. I was able to give an insight in to each of their personalities in that small scene, purely based on their reactions. I hope that came across!

2) There’s a scene in First Light while Ronnie is grieving for her father that she begins to act out, doing things out of character that deep down she doesn’t really want to do. Losing someone close to you at such a young age can drive you to do stupid things, perhaps in a cry for attention or just because you feel like giving up, so for me the club scene was quite poignant.

In this scene, Kalen stops Ronnie from taking drugs, but he’s not kind or sensitive about it. He tells her how things are and he’s very blunt – maybe too blunt – but I think this is what Ronnie needs; someone to make her see she really is strong enough to carry on without losing herself. Deep down she knows this, but she just needs a wake up call. I enjoy that Kalen is that wake up call for Ronnie, because in many ways she is a wake up call for him too.

3) Kalen takes Ronnie skydiving in First Light and I love that for the first time he really let’s himself have some fun; showing Ronnie a part of him that is still innocent and carefree. It’s a turning point in their relationship and pivotal for the whole story.

4) In As You Were, Nash has to get Ronnie across a border. He asks Ronnie to get in the trunk of the car and when she hesitates, he takes matter into his own hands. It made me laugh writing this scene. Nash is actually the most similar character, personality-wise, to Kalen, however he is not in love with Ronnie and this is the key difference in the way they handle her in dangerous situations. Kalen is very caring and aware of Ronnie’s feelings, but Nash is still the soldier he had always been, doing what he must to get a job done. It’s a nice reminder that they aren’t just normal boys and also of the huge steps Kalen has actually made in becoming a more caring, rounded person.

5) Another scene I particularly like in As You Were is where Kalen gives Ronnie her first mission. So much of As You Were is intense and difficult for all the characters, but in this scene Ronnie and Kalen are having fun together again and it’s really enjoyable to write (and read) the moments between the two of them that make their relationship so special.

Hope this gives a little insight into my books. Thanks for having me on your blog! ☺

Thank YOU, Samantha! I'm looking forward to starting the series even more. ♥

Samantha Summers

Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Born in London, an only child with an overactive imagination, Sam spent much of her childhood telling ghost stories to her younger cousins and dreaming about far away places. She graduated university with a BA in marketing, but it wasn't long before her passion for storytelling and travel got the better of her. She currently lives in Sydney, Australia, where you'll probably find her hidden away in the corner of a park somewhere - writing, reading, dreaming or watching movies on her iPad. She loves everything spy and assassin and has a slightly unhealthy obsession with Star Wars, mainly Darth Vader.

Two (2) signed copies of First Light and As You Were, plus
Two (2) Project Five Fifteen shirts
** Two winners **
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Project Five Fifteen Tour Schedule