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Friday 28 February 2014

Book Blitz: His Hometown Girl by Karen Rock with 4* review, excerpt & giveaways






He'd always managed to best her…

Jodi Chapman will do whatever it takes to get top care for her autistic son. If that means going home and convincing local farmers to sell their land, so be it. Even if her biggest opponent, childhood rival Daniel Gleason, is equally determined to convince farmers to buy into his co-op plan. And he's not playing fair.

Facing off against Daniel is the last thing Jodi wants. The attraction that's always fueled their competitiveness is as strong as ever and just as distracting. But with both their futures on the line, and years of distrust between them, how can they ever be on the same side?



 PREORDER




She felt her joints loosen and she relaxed against him. “So you’re okay with us being together, just for this summer?”
He tucked a curl behind her ear and the feel of his touch made her shiver. It was so quiet, she could hear every breath he took, felt it vibrate through him in the cramped bottom of the boat.
“Let’s enjoy every moment together until it’s our last.”
“But that moment isn’t today,” she said, so grateful that he’d agreed. She wanted to be with him until she couldn’t. It was that simple.
His hand smoothed the length of her hair as he gazed into her eyes, his expression tender and full of longing. “No. It’s not.” The words sounded so reverent they could have been a prayer.
His fingers trailed down her cheek to her lips, outlining the shape of her mouth. He bent down, his lips against her cheek, brushing it lightly. Shivers ran through her whole body, making her tremble. He brushed his mouth against the hollow of her temple then traced the line of her jawbone.
The aching anticipation for his kiss was suddenly too much and she reached up and pulled his mouth to hers. He kissed her gently, carefully, but it wasn’t gentleness she wanted, not when time was fleeting. She knotted her fists in his shirt, and pulled him closer. He groaned softly, low in his throat, and then his arms circled her, gathering her against him as the boat rocked beneath them. The small possibility of falling into the water vanished as soon as it occurred to her.
All that existed was Daniel. She could feel his warmth burning through his clothes and hers. She ran her fingers along his arm—soft skin over lean muscle, a scar like a thin wire on his biceps. It was an imperfection that made him seem even more perfect. He fumbled as he pushed her heavy hair aside to kiss her ear. She didn’t think she’d ever seen his hands unsteady before.
She trailed her nose across his jaw, inhaling the clean smell of summer countryside, of him. He released a pent-up breath, the sound like music. Her pulse tapped a fast beat and her breath quickened with it. She stroked his cheek and kissed every inch of his neck until he moaned again. Or maybe she’d made the sound; they seemed to share each breath, each heartbeat. It felt as if the universe disappeared and all that remained was the two of them, holding each other close.
“I forgot it was like this,” she said when Daniel pulled back and looked down at her. It seemed as if the stars hurtled down around her head like a rain of silver tinsel.
“It wasn’t.” He kissed her nose, then traced the line of her cheek with his fingertip, a dreamlike intensity in his gaze. “This is better.”
And she never wanted it to end. She felt feverishly alive, every nerve ending jangling as they watched the sky, enjoying the private moment.
“I agree,” she sighed, nestling against his side. “I wish we could stay like this forever.” When he toyed with her earlobe, she tried, unsuccessfully, to settle her heart back in her body. She watched the stars shimmer above and it also felt as though they were celebrating.
“Me, too,” he said softly in her ear. He captured her lips in a kiss so fierce and full of longing that it felt like a love song.

Andrea's Review 
* ARC received in return for an honest review

His Hometown Girl by Karen Rock is a sweet and gentle story of realising that old, and very true, saying...'home is where the heart is.' I fell in love with all of the characters, especially Tyler!

Jodi Chapman is a single mother who only wants the best care she can get for her young autistic son, Tyler. But the specialised care Tyler needs is way above Jodi's financial means, until she is given the chance (and a huge bonus)to return to her old home town and persuade the local farmers to sell their land to the agricultural company she works for.

Daniel Gleason is a farmer in Cedar Bay and Jodi's rival. He is trying to convince his friends and neighbours to buy his idea of a co-op. 

Jodi and Daniel have a history going back to their school days, they've always tried to get the better of one each other, one way or another. They had a brief relationship until Daniel hurt Jodi and she left Cedar Bay, not returning until now...but the attraction and chemistry is still there.

Jodi has a plan. Buy as much land as possible, go back home to Chicago and enroll Tyler into the school he needs. Sounds simple right? But Jodi doesn't realise how deep their feelings for each other really go or how much she will actually miss him when she eventually leaves.

I  really felt for Jodi.  She felt she wasn't the best mother for Tyler as she couldn't get him to communicate like he did before his father cruelly left them. She was concentrating so hard in trying to secure enough sales to ensure Tyler would get the best support he deserved and needed that she didn't realise she was what he needed. Tyler may not have been communicating verbally the way she felt he should but he still was communicating, it just took someone else to come along and make her realise it.

I loved Daniel, the way he put others before himself, the way he accepted Tyler for who he was and didn't judge him. Daniel put his career on hold, permanently, to help his father on the farm and look after his sister when their mother left ten years previously.

Oh, my heart melted for Tyler, with his eyeglasses attached to his head by a head band, his love for his soft toy elephant, Ollie and his own way of communicating...I wanted to wrap my arms around, give him a huge cuddle and smother him in kisses, he's sooo adorable!!!

I have to admit I did have a few tears and high-fived Jodi when she faced a few less than friendly members of the public, but I won't tell you why. You'll have to go read the book and find out yourself.

His Hometown Girl is a wonderful heart warming story, one I definitely recommend you read. In fact, I'd recommend any of Karen Rock's books, she is fast becoming an author whose books I won't pass up the chance to read!

Andrea gives this a rating of...




Karen Rock has adored romance since receiving Harlequin Presents books from her grandmother each summer. She formed her Young Adult writing partnership, J.K. Rock- pseudonym for the CAMP BOYFRIEND series, with her sister-in-law and Blaze author, Joanne Rock in 2011. When Karen heard of a call for submissions to Heartwarming, Harlequin’s latest line, she was inspired by the possibilities of writing unforgettable, deeply romantic, tender love stories that mothers would feel comfortable sharing with their daughters. When she’s not writing, Karen loves scouring estate sales for vintage books, cooking her grandmother's family recipes, hiking the ‘high peaks’, and redesigning her gardens. She lives in the Adirondack Mountain region with her husband, daughter, and two Cavalier King cocker spaniels who have yet to understand the concept of “fetch” though they know a lot about love.

For more information about Karen's upcoming books, check out her website at http://www.karenrock.com, Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/karenrockwrites or follow her on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/karenrock5 . She’d love to hear from you!




GIVEAWAY #1
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
$50 Amazon Gift Card
SIGNED copy of HIS HOMETOWN GIRL by Karen Rock

2nd & 3rd PRIZE WINNERS
SIGNED copies of HIS HOMETOWN GIRL by Karen Rock


GIVEAWAY #2
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
$25 Gift Card (Amazon or B&N)
Shadow's Curse by Alexa Egan
A Cursed Embrace by Cecy Robson
His Reluctant Rancher by Roxanne Snopek
Free Fall by Karen Foley




To enter: Pre-order a copy of HIS HOMETOWN GIRL on Kindle http://amzn.to/1eveD3C or Nook http://bit.ly/1ktNqWq!
Email a copy or picture of your receipt to karenrock@live.com along with-
Your name:
Your email address:
Blog you found the contest on:
You'll be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to either Amazon or Barnes and Nobles (your choice) as well as the four books in the prize picture.


LAST DAY TO ENTER IS FEBRUARY 28!


Cover Reveal: Catch by Michelle Congdon



Title: Catch Broken # 1.5
Author: Michelle Congdon
Genre- New Adult Contemporary

***Recommended for ages 18+ due to mature situations, sexual content and language***



Even the best fall down sometimes…

Ryan Fox thought he had it all: money, women, fast cars, and a stellar baseball career. He also thought he could hide the memories of his dark past behind the witty charm and the devilish smile. Truth is, he had almost everyone, including himself, fooled. But the past cannot be ignored forever and eventually it finds a way of catching up.

When it all came crashing down, one girl was there to mend the broken pieces. Evangeline Montgomery. Not only did the troubled heiress turn Ryan’s world upside down but she helped him to see what’s most important: It’s not the past that defines you.

In Slide, we heard from Evangeline. It’s now Ryan’s turn to share his story about the girl who stole his heart and changed his life forever.



About the Author

Michelle Congdon resides in Sydney, Australia. She has a Dalmatian named Jett, who to this day continues to hold an 8 year grudge against her after she had to leave him with her parents when she moved to the big city- this only proves animals are much like their owners. Michelle enjoys reading books of all sorts of genres, watching way too many movies and TV shows (and Disney cartoons), singing out aloud to her favorite hits and going on adventures involving food and travel. Michelle is loud, talks a lot and shares an ever-growing list of fictional husbands with a friend. From when she was a small girl, she has always had an overactive imagination and has tried to put it to good use by sharing her stories with anyone willing to listen.
  

Wednesday 26 February 2014

Cover Reveal: Cursed Love by t.h. snyder


Title: Cursed Love
Author: t.h.snyder
Expected Release Date: March 26, 2014
Cover Model: Lance Jones 
Cover Designer: Book Cover by Design 
Photographer: Stacey Micheal


Synopsis

Lincoln Minzotto has the life everyone wants, yet he resents it.

He’s grown up as the youngest of three children to a wealthy congressman and successful lawyer. Pushed to his absolute excellence, Linc felt the real path for him was different than his parents’ hopes and dreams.

On the most important night of his father’s reelection, Linc makes a choice that will lead to a lifetime of regret.

Deciding to start a new life, he and his best friend, Daulton, purchase a rundown tattoo shop called Cursed Magic.

While restoring Cursed Magic, Linc’s faith in life is put to the test in more ways than one. Faced with the horrors of the bleak, starless nights and the women that come and go, he decides to give up all together, until one fateful night with a stranger.

Will one night shape his future forever? Can he turn the Curse he’s endured into a blessing even though all odds are against him?






About the Author

t. h. snyder (1979) was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania. For six years she worked in the field of higher education while earning her Bachelor and Master Degrees in Management from University of Phoenix. She's a single mother to two children. She became an avid reader in spring of 2012 and since has read over 250 books. Her genre of interest ranges from Romance to thrilling Paranormal. This is more than just a hobby for her, it's a passion to read the words of great authors and bring life to their stories with her reviews and character castings. She started writing her first novel in June of 2013 and is anxious to see where this journey takes her!!




Hosted By:

Release Day Blitz: Goodbye Secrets by Jacqueline Ayres with excerpt & giveaway




Title: Goodbye Secrets 
Author: Jacquelyn Ayres
Release Date: February 26, 2014
(Lost & Found Series Book 2 – this book is not a standalone)





What if your life wasn’t exactly as you thought it was? What if there were secrets you kept—from yourself? Becca Campbell has no idea her world is about to be turned upside down when she and Grayson return to New Hampshire. Pieces start flying into place, answering the questions of the puzzle she calls her life. Things finally add up— it all makes sense. All that was lost is now found. But will she be able to move forward, knowing the truth?





I am a Domestic Engineer (born and raised in NJ) whose sole responsibility is to guide three young impressionable kids into becoming phenomenal adults. This challenging, yet rewarding work requires a lot of love (coffee), patience (wine) and determination (periodic exorcisms). I work all of this magic in the beautiful state of New Hampshire. Before becoming a Domestic Goddess (not really), I spent over a decade working in the medical field where I wore more hats than the Queen. I have had a love for the written word and the great escape it provides since I was a little girl. When I wasn't reading about people and the places they lived, I was creating my own characters and adventures. Finally, I have been putting a pen to paper allowing my characters to come to life. When I don't have a pen and paper in hand, you can often find me laughing at the conversations my characters are having in my head






Goodbye Secrets (Lost and Found Series Book 2)
Goodbye Caution (Lost and Found Series Book 1)



Tuesday 25 February 2014

Release Day Blitz: Hard As You Can by Laura Kaye with 5* review, excerpt & more



Title: Hard As You Can ( Hard Ink #2)
Author: Laura Kaye
Release Date: February 25, 2014


Synopsis 
Five dishonored soldiers.
Former Special Forces.
One last mission.

These are the men of Hard Ink.

Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he’s shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister’s sake, Crystal can’t get too close. Until her job and Shane’s mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed. 

Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn't want him to uncover. Too bad. He’s exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can—and never let go.



A message from Laura Kaye

It’s release day! And I’m so excited to share Hard As You Can, the second book in the Hard Ink series, with all of you here today! Hard As You Can follows the surviving members of a disgraced Army Special Forces team as they fight to regain their stolen honor, and finds their investigation crossing paths with a waitress willing to do whatever it takes to stay alive and protect her younger sister. For Shane McCallan, saving Crystal Dean is a mission he refuses to turn down.

Today, I’ve got a scene filled with lots of sexual tension and emotion to share with you, one that I absolutely adored writing! I hope you enjoy this look into the growing attraction between Shane and Crystal from Hard As You Can:
  
Excerpt

“I didn’t mean to criticize you, Crystal. I just cannot abide violence against women. Period. Especially not someone I know.” A long pause. “And definitely not someone I like.” After everything that had happened to her, the words were a balm for her psyche.

Footsteps came up behind her, slowly, cautiously, like she was a wild animal who would bolt in an instant. And she supposed there was some truth to that analogy.

Torn between returning to the danger she knew or staying with the one she didn’t, Crystal debated. Her heart told her Shane might well be the most dangerous man she’d ever met because he made her want, wish, maybe even dream.

Not at all sure it was a good idea, Crystal slowly turned.

Shane was right in front of her. A rock in the middle of a raging sea, a refuge she might claim if she had the strength and the will and the nerve to fight for it. To believe she deserved it. She hugged herself.

“Hey,” he said, cupping her face in his big hands. His fingers slid behind her neck and gently massaged.

She shook her head and glanced toward the treetops in an effort to pinch off the sting building behind her eyes. Why did she have to meet him now? She’d had a plan, and all she’d needed to do was follow it for a few more months. “You don’t even know me.”

“No. Not everything. But I know more than a little. And that much I like enough to want to know more.” His fingers rubbed her neck, gently, soothingly.

And his words, well, his words were perfect. Maybe even too much so. Too good to be true, she thought. “I already told you I’d share what I’d learned. You don’t have to play me.”

His eyes narrowed, and he frowned. “You listen hard and you listen good, sweetness,” he said, the words firm but the tone urgent, almost desperate, and laced with his southern accent. “I’m not perfect, and God knows I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. But I would never play with a woman’s emotions to get information out of her. That kind of manipulation doesn’t hold with me. Ever.”

Sweetness. She’d heard everything he’d said. The passion with which he’d said it. The sincerity that burned from his gaze as the words had poured from his lips. But it was the term of endearment that reached into her chest and gripped her heart. For a long moment, they stood there, bodies touching, faces inches apart, his hands holding her in that firm-but-gentle way he had.

Thunder rumbled again, closer this time, and her heart was a drum beat double-timing
inside her chest. If his hands didn’t feel it racing, he’d have to hear it, because the sound was a loud rush rush in her ears. Beneath the sports bra and tank, her nipples went hard. If his gaze dropped, she knew he’d see, but she couldn’t bring herself to feel self-conscious about it. Not when he was looking at her like he wanted to devour her.

His gaze dropped to her lips.

She shuddered, everything inside her but the smallest voice of reason crying out for him to do it. Just once.

“Tell me not to,” he said, his voice a raw scrape.


So that’s Shane and Crystal for you! Did you have a favorite line? Thanks for reading!
~Laura

“Edgy, sexy, and full of suspense! A great read from a great new author!”

~J.R. Ward on Hard As It Gets

Simone's review 
*I received an ARC via edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.*

I have a major book hangover,  just having finished Hard As It Gets by Laura Kaye at the weekend and jumping in commando style into Hard As You Can, I can't seem to get enough of these Hard Ink military sexy soldiers!! This is the second instalment of the Hard Ink series, so you will need to read the first as the story picks up right after Hard As It Gets leaves off.

So the Hard Inks mission continues in this next instalment, but this time we have Shane take centre stage, if you swooned and fanned yourself with Nicholas in the first book get ready to go grab Shane 'As Hard As You Can' in this story!! His sexy one-liners mixed with that deliciously hot accent alone left me a quivering mess on the floor. I just fell for Shane hard, he has all the right combination I look for in a BBF - strong, sexy, alpha male on the outside but hiding underneath a tender loving man with a huge heart. 

You bring out the best in me, sweetness.”

We also briefly met Crystal in the first book, who's real name is Sara as she was known before her mix up in the seedy world of the Churchmen, and dating Bruno, who  makes her work at Confessions to pay off her debt that her father left to her and her sister who is unwell. Chrystal is trying desperately to protect her from this life of crime, prostitution and trafficking, she believes that if she survives a few more months then her and Jenna could be free to get out and start a fresh. This all  seems like a far away dream until she meets Shane McCallan.

"Once, there'd been a girl named Sara, and her life had been good. One day, Sara would live again. . . Until then, she'd wait. And act. And survive."

I loved Shane and Crystal's romance. They had very different but tragic pasts, but I loved the way they fixed each others hearts so that they could both move on and heal, to have a happy future that they both so deserved. There was many a time through their story my heart broke for them both, just wishing things would go in their favour.

"Crystal-no, Sara-was very likely falling for Shane McCallan."

"You don't have to show me, Crystal. But you do need to know there's nothing on your body I won't love and respect. Because it's you."

I am also a sucker for a good bro-mance and was happy to see that Shane and Nick sorted their shit out and mended their friendship, even though they had to go through ignoring each other for a while followed by a punch up, finishing with a heart-found make up.

"God, what he wouldn’t give for five more minutes with his kid sister. Just five. Did she know how sorry he was? How much he loved her? That he’d devoted his life to making things right for others as a penance for getting so much wrong with her?"

Having said at the beginning of my review I have a major book hangover, I'm starting to have withdrawals from these Hot Ex- military men, so I'm now craving Easy's story which is up next, and wanting answers to Becca's fathers involvement in this story, and why there are people after Becca and Charlie. I have loved the story line so far it has gripped me from the beginning and left me still wanting more of the plot to unfold. So if your looking for an action packed, thrilling, hot ride get your hands on The Hard Ink Series now!!

Simone gives this a rating of...



Q&A WITH LAURA KAYE

HARD AS YOU CAN is your second book in the “Hard Ink” series (after USA Today bestseller, HARD AS IT GETS). What can readers look forward to?

Readers can look forward to tons of sexy alpha male goodness, awesome bromance between the Hard Ink men, more antics from the Hard Ink puppy, and another great love story between Shane and Crystal. But readers should also be ready for a book that is darker, more intense, and more emotional. This book pushed me to emotional places that were tough as a writer, and might be tough for readers, too. But I think that just makes the payoff at the end so much sweeter!

Describe Shane and Crystal. What are their best traits? What are their weaknesses?

Shane and Crystal are such an amazing couple to me. They’re each exactly what the other needs. Shane’s best traits are his protectiveness, his fundamental kindness, and his soul-deep loyalty (his southern accent and humor are also right up there!). His biggest weakness for sure is a tragedy from the past for which he blames himself—and it’s something that continues to motivate him in Hard As You Can. Crystal’s best traits are her courage, protectiveness, and selflessness—she’s willing to do anything to keep her younger sister safe. Her biggest weakness is also that selflessness, because the sacrifices she’s required to make are getting bigger and bigger and bigger.

If you could describe your book in a 140 character tweet, what would it be?

When a woman in trouble assists an ex-soldier's covert mission to regain his team's stolen honor, he finds a new mission to save her, too

What are you most excited about with this second book release?

I’m really excited to take readers deeper into these awesome characters and into the mystery behind the Hard Ink team’s ambush and discharge!

What books are you reading right now?

I’m almost done with Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander (yes, I’m very late to the party but OMG JAMIE FRASER!!!). And I’ve recently devoured and loved Juliana Stone’s Offsides and Shelly Thacker’s time-travel historical romance, Forever His.

What can fans of your “Hard Ink” series look forward to next?

There will be two more Hard Ink books in 2014!

Hard to Hold on To – August 2014
Hard to Come By – November 2014

Read an Extended Excerpt of Book 1, Hard As It Gets



Buy Hard As You Can at Amazon US | Amazon UK B&N | iTunes | Kobo



About the Author 



Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.






Giveaway