Tuesday, July 14, 2015

THE DAY OF THE WAVE BY BECKY WICKS - VIRTUAL TOUR & REVIEW + GIVEAWAY

 

The Day of the Wave
by Becky Wicks 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Torn apart by the tragedy. Thrown back together ten years later by destiny... Isla and Ben were just sixteen when the Boxing Day tsunami ripped through their beach resort in Thailand. Just days after forming a life-changing bond, both were missing and presumed dead.




Based on real life events, The Day of the Wave is a story of healing, learning to let go, and figuring out when to hold on with everything you have left.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 EXCERPT
'Don't I have to get a boat, if I go over to Phi Phi?' I say.

'Well, yeah, it's an island.'

I bite my lip, watch the water drip from Ben's hair onto his shoulder blades. Coming here was one thing; going to Phi Phi too, that was never part of the plan. 'I'm not sure I can go on a boat,' I say and he shakes his head at me.

'You've already been on the beach, Izzy. You stepped in the water. You rode a scooter! Come on, you can ride a speedboat. It's not even that far. It's less than an hour from Phuket.'

'All valid points, but...'

'Focus on the prize. You'll feel great for riding the boat, like I know you do about the bike. And you need to catch this asshole, Alan,' he says, 'get your passport back. And your notebook! You need the notebook to finish your book.'

'I need it to start my book,' I admit as Justin lets out a Tarzan cry and crashes into the waterfall pool again. 'Ben, what if it's not even him who took my stuff? Or what if he leaves the island and we can't find him?'

'What if, what if, what if,' he teases. 'What if the cops on Phi Phi keep an eye on him? They will, Izzy, trust me, they love this stuff. Catching dumb tourists out, it's their favorite thing.'

I laugh. I can't help it now. I can see that sixteen-year-old-Ben again; the way he was when we met. There was always another adventure ahead. Something else exciting. In just eight days Ben managed to turn my holiday into a trip through some kind of magical wonderland. I can feel my resolve weakening already. My life is so boring now. Boring and safe and gray. I think of Colin again. One shade of gray. It's all been very far from fifty, actually.

'What about Kalaya? Will she come?' I say, feigning indifference. My stomach knots as I say it but I already know she wouldn't exactly be thrilled about us going off to an island together on some mission. 

'I'll ask her,' Ben says. I can't read his voice. 

'What are you guys plotting over here?' Justin says, walking back over to us from the water. He drops himself down on his haunches, pulls the bottle of water back out of his backpack and swigs it back. It drips down his chin.

'The police found a guy on Phi Phi who might have Izzy's stuff,' Ben tells him.

'Really? I'm heading there next, are you heading over there?'

'I think so.'

'Is your girlfriend going with you?' he asks Ben. 'Or did you forget you had one?'

We both snap our heads to him at the exact same time. Justin laughs, screws the bottle top back on and shoves it with his shirt back into his backpack. 'Come on mate, I can see two people falling when they're right in front of me.'

I make a choking sound. 'Falling... what...' 

'In luuuurve. Any more sparks between you and you'd be starting a bloody forest fire. I hope it rains if you do... it's too fuggin' hot as it is. Right, I'm going now.'

'You're going?'

'I'm heading back, I need a nanny nap,' he says, getting up. 'I'll see you lovebirds later. Thanks for the tour.'

We both watch him leave. My cheeks are blazing hotter than ever. I stare at the waterfall and so does Ben and neither of us says anything for ages. Awkward, awkward, awkward. 

'You know what?' I say eventually, getting to my feet. 'I do want to jump off those rocks.'

'Really?' Ben springs up after me. 

'Yes, I'm going to do it.' 

'Well, wait, I'll come with you!'

'Come on then.'

He follows me back up to the wet, grassy ledge, clambering up rock after rock after rock till we're as high as we can get. I look out at the croaking, chirruping landscape and down at the water. He takes my fingers as I walk to the edge and take a deep breath. 'OK, Izzy, are you sure about this?'

'Yes.'

'Then on the count of three,' he says. 'One... Two...'

'Three!' I yell. And with Ben's hand holding mine, I'm falling. 



~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Becky Wicks is mostly powered by coffee. She had three travel memoirs published by HarperCollins before going the indie route. Her first book in the Starstruck Series, 'Before He Was Famous' recently reached #1 in Amazon's Coming of Age and New Adult & College categories. The second in the series, 'Before He Was Gone', and the third, 'Before He Was A Secret' are both out now along with 'The Day Of The Wave' - a romance based around the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.

Becky blogs most days at beckywicks.com and always welcomes distractions on Twitter: @bex_wicks (especially if you have cat photos)






Twitter: @bex_wicks


YouTube- Book Video: 


MY REVIEW
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I remember 2004's Boxing Day Tsunami like it was yesterday, so when I saw this book, I was a little skeptical. A romance immerse in such a big tragedy? How is the author going to do it?
Like this: The story is written in such a tasteful way, Becky Wicks uses a really heartfelt language, you became pull into the plot with such force, I can't write the amount of emotions that I left in this reading, my heart broke not one nor twice, I was able to feel pain, heartbreak, love, hope, fear, and that's, my friend, the real purpose of books.
This story is about second chances, healing and letting the past go.
Dear Becky Wicks, Can you see me? I'm in the back of the room, giving you a standing ovation.
Highly Recommended

*I received a Free copy in exchange for an Honest Review*


 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY 

 $50 Amazon or B/N GC 



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CENTER OF GRAVITY BY LAURA MCNEILL - VIRTUAL TOUR + GIVEAWAY

Center of Gravity 
by Laura McNeill

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Her whole life, Ava Carson has been sure of one thing: she doesn’t measure up to her mother’s expectations. So when Mitchell Carson sweeps into her life with his adorable son, the ready-made family seems like a dream come true.

In the blink of an eye, she’s married, has a new baby, and life is grand.

Or is it?

When her picture-perfect marriage begins unraveling at the seams, Ava convinces herself she can fix it. It's temporary. It’s the stress. It’s Mitchell’s tragic history of loss.

If only Ava could believe her own excuses.

Mitchell is no longer the charming, thoughtful man she married. He grows more controlling by the day, revealing a violent jealous streak. His behavior is recklessly erratic, and the unanswered questions about his past now hint at something far more sinister than Ava can stomach. Before she can fit the pieces together, Mitchell files for divorce and demands full custody of their boys.

Fueled by fierce love for her children and aided by Graham Thomas, a new attorney in town —Ava takes matters into her own hands, digging deep into the past. But will finding the truth be enough to beat Mitchell at his own game?

Center of Gravity weaves a chilling tale, revealing the unfailing and dangerous truth that things—and people—are not always what they seem.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

Every day, somebody, somewhere, needs a hero.

Think about it. The mom lifting a two-ton truck to save her son after a car crash. The dad who can't swim—who jumps in the water anyway—to pull out his drowning daughter. The guy who kicks down a door of a burning house because his friend’s kid is trapped inside.

All of a sudden, getting hurt doesn’t matter. There’s no thinking twice. Just a gut pumping, jump-off-the-cliff, no turning back.

For these regular people thrown into crazy life or death situations, there's one big hero moment. Then, they go back to work, their jobs, or school.

And it's someone else's turn.

I’m only in the third grade, but I’ve been waiting for my chance to be a hero my whole life.

An ear-piercing shriek yanks me back to the school playground.

“Emma Dunlop’s stuck up in the oak tree.” My best friend Mo runs up, breathless. He bends over, chest heaving in the humidity, and puts both hands on his knees. “She’s freaking out.”

Shielding my eyes, I grit my teeth. The tree’s as big as a monster, with twisted brown branches that extend like arms, thick emerald leaves at the fingertips. Spanish moss hangs from the lowest limbs, the ends curling like a snake’s tail.

Though I can’t see her through the tangle of limbs, I picture Emma hanging on tight to the rough bark. Shaking. Really scared. Trying not to look down at the brick-red clay.

I run a hand through my hair.

She’s in trouble. And I know why.

Legend says a man’s head—a genie—is hidden in the leaves and branches. Weird, rough pieces of wood make up his face. He has knots for eyes. A bump for his chin. It’s for real. I’ve seen it.

All the kids know the story. If you touch the genie’s nose, your wish will come true. Of course, my dad doesn’t believe in stuff like that and says I shouldn’t either. He’s a Ph.D. And does an important job at the college. So I guess he knows what he’s talking about.

 But that’s not going to save Emma now. I start to jog, then full-out sprint. At the base of the tree, I push through a crowd of my classmates. Third and fourth graders, gaping, heads tilted, mouths open like baby birds. When I reach the trunk, I squint up and find Emma’s brand-new saddle shoes dangling high above me. I see pale, thin legs, and the crisp edges of her plaid jumper. And despite everyone talking and whispering, I hear Emma crying. It’s a whimpering wail, like a hurt animal.

“Y’all go on back inside now. Go back to class,” my teacher says, pushing the group back an inch or two. I end up jostled next to the school librarian, who’s holding her hands like she's praying.

Our eyes meet. Mine flicker away.

“Don’t even think about it, Jack,” she warns.  

But I kick off my shoes anyway and grab hold of the trunk. Deep down in my belly, I make myself act like I'm not scared. I don’t like heights or even hanging upside down from monkey bars. But Emma needs me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

After six years behind the anchor desk at two CBS affiliates, Laura moved to the Alabama Gulf Coast to raise her family. Her accolades in broadcasting include awards from the Associated Press, including Best News Anchor and Best Specialized Reporter.

Laura works at Spring Hill College as the school’s web content and social media manager and​ is active in her community—participating in fundraisers for the American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House, and Providence Hospital’s Festival of Flowers.

Laura was recently awarded a 2-book deal with Thomas Nelson Publishing, a division of HarperCollins. Her novel, Center of Gravity, set in Mobile, Ala., will be published in July of 2015. Laura is represented by Elizabeth Winick Rubenstein, president of McIntosh and Otis literary agency in New York.​ Her writing awards include those from William Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, Writer’s Digest, RWA, and the Eric Hoffer competition.

She holds a master’s degree in journalism from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. She is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in interactive technology from the University of Alabama. She is a native of Upstate New York and currently resides near the Alabama Gulf Coast with her two children.

Author's Website: http://lauramcneill.com/ 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY 

Laura McNeill will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC 




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Monday, July 13, 2015

SNOW IN JULY BY KIM IVERSON HEADLEE - VIRTUAL & REVIEW TOUR + GIVEAWAY


Snow in July
by Kim Iverson Headlee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:



Commanded to marry by William the Conqueror, and facing shattered oaths and a ravening evil power determined to overthrow the new king, Alain and Kendra face a battle unlike any other as their honor, their love, their lives, and even their very souls lie in the balance.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~








EXCERPT

Kendra genuflected again, grasped her basket’s handle, and turned to accompany Waldron from the church. Not across the yard to the feast hall, as she’d expected, since that was where most Edgarburh business—including private matters—transpired, but past the garden toward the manor house. In silence they ascended the outer wooden staircase, entered the building, and trod the corridor containing the bedchambers. Specifically, she realized with a start when their course became apparent, Waldron’s.

Several paces from their destination, curiosity compelled her to blurt, “What’s wrong?”

Pulling up short, Waldron gave her an odd look. “Wrong? Let me see.” He snorted, ticking the points on his fingers. “Taxes are due ere long, and the tenants have barely recovered from the war to scrape together their payments. A Norman is on his way to take possession of my daughter and the estate.” His gray eyes gazed at her levelly. “My son is dead, and my daughter acts like a widow rather than a bride.” He inclined his head at the black woolen veil she wore even as these final spring days warmed toward summer.

This time it wasn’t the sun that made her face heat. “My choices honor Del’s memory.” She gripped the basket with both fists, raising it before her like a shield. “Do yours?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BOOK TRAILER

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Kim Headlee lives on a farm in southwestern Virginia with her family, cats, goats, Great Pyrenees goat guards, and assorted wildlife. People and creatures come and go, but the cave and the 250-year-old house ruins—the latter having been occupied as recently as the mid-twentieth century—seem to be sticking around for a while yet.

Kim is a Seattle native (when she used to live in the Metro DC area, she loved telling people she was from "the other Washington") and a direct descendent of twentieth-century Russian nobility. Her grandmother was a childhood friend of the doomed Grand Duchess Anastasia, and the romantic yet tragic story of how Lydia escaped Communist Russia with the aid of her American husband will most certainly one day fuel one of Kim's novels. Another novel in the queue will involve her husband's ancestor, the seventh-century proto-Viking king of the Swedish colony in Russia.

For the time being, however, Kim has plenty of work to do in creating her projected 8-book Arthurian series, The Dragon's Dove Chronicles, and other novels under her new imprint, Pendragon Cove Press.


YOUTUBE VIDEO INTERVIEW


MY REVIEW
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love medieval romance, and especially when we have a knight in shining armor full of guilt and a very strong minded lady, I adore when our main characters try to put their beliefs and obligations before their true feelings, the constant battle, that only leads to love, full of honor, family loyalty, do's and don'ts, betrayal and war. Imagine all that in an accurate historical moment, and you have Snow In July. Oh, wait! I forgot, there's also a little of paranormal!!
The Author give us a story with a plot full of twists and turns, chivalrous acts, the old battle between good and evil, great characters and magic.
Highly Recommended

Are These Chivalrous Acts Cute Or Creepy?

*I received a Free copy in exchange for an Honest Review*


GIVEAWAY
$25 Amazon or B&N GC



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Friday, July 10, 2015

WELCOME TO PARADISE SERIES BY HEIDI LYNN ANDERSON - VIRTUAL TOUR + GIVEAWAY


Welcome to Paradise series: Ava's Awakening, and Maggie's Longing
 by Heidi Lynn Anderson

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Ava's Awakening

When Ava stumbles into Paradise and comes face-to-face with her dream man, she has a feeling she’s standing on the precipice of something life-changing. Not to mention, she couldn’t be more surprised to learn her supposedly prim and proper aunt Julie was actually part owner of the premier sex club in Miami and a top-notch Dominatrix.

Navy SEAL Logan Turner always knew he needed more out of life than the next mission. That’s why he opened Paradise with his best friend Julie. It didn’t hurt that he could reap the benefits of owning a BDSM sex club. But when a sexy, doe-eyed woman walks in, his control slips for the first time ever.




Maggie's Longing

Who would have thought a plan to get the attention of one man, would have Maggie Blake taking two men to her bed?

Maggie Blake has one desire, to experience what the way too sexy Brian O'Malley has to offer in bed. Too bad he thinks of her as an annoyance and not as the hot, willing woman she is.

Brian O'Malley has one rule in life. Never let a woman too close, but club Paradise's sassy little bartender threatens to change that rule and wiggle her hot little ass into his damaged heart.
Julie's Surrender

Mistress Julie has worked to gain control of her life and overcome a tragedy from her past, and as a co-owner of Paradise, Miami’s premier BDSM club, she thought she had everything. But the truth is she longs for something more—something like the happiness her closest friends have found with their new partners.

Nick’s sexual specialty is playing “guest star” as the third in his friends’ ménage encounters. He’s especially good at reading a situation and adjusting accordingly, and giving and receiving pleasure—and then moving on. But once he meets Julie, Nick begins to rethink his ideas on relationships.

Nick and Julie get along great outside the bedroom, but Nick will need all his skills at discerning a woman’s deepest desires to show Julie that what she thinks she wants isn’t exactly what she needs.

Reader Advisory: This story has graphic sexual language and scenes—no closed bedroom doors (or other rooms) here!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT
Logan Turner walked into Paradise. The smell of booze and sex flowed over him, comforting his raw nerves. He scanned the large space and noticed the paint changes and new furnishings. The last time Logan was home, he and his business partner, Julie, discussed the updates this place needed. He liked the contrast of red paint and black leather furniture.

His gaze landed on the pretty little bartender and club manager. Her small, heart-shaped ass wiggled to whatever music beat through her earbuds.

“Hey, Maggie, I like what you did with the place,” he called out, loud enough for her to hear him.

The glass she washed clattered into the sink and Maggie spun. The look of surprise on her attractive face had Logan biting back a chuckle.

“Oh, Logan, you scared me.”

She wiped her palms on a bar rag, pushed her pink bangs out of her eyes and rushed over to him. He enveloped her fairy-sized body into a friendly hug.

“I’m glad you’re home,” she said against his chest.

He let her go. “Glad to be home,” he said and smoothed her multicolored waves from her face. “Julie here?”

Her cheeks pinked. “Yup. She’s in her office doing paperwork.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

By day, Heidi Lynn Anderson is a wife, mother, and owner of a small Green-Cleaning company. By night, she spins erotic tales featuring hunky heroes and the women they love. When not working or writing, Heidi likes spending time with her husband and son, doing what Florida has to offer.

Visit Heidi at:

www.heidilynnanderson.com
https://www.facebook.com/heidi.l.anderson.9
https://twitter.com/SteamywriterHLA


Buy links

http://www.ellorascave.com/ava-s-awakening.html

http://amzn.to/1eLfmnu

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/avas-awakening-heidi-lynn-anderson/1121670017?ean=9781419991325

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ava039sawakening-1776891-340.html



~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY 

$10.00 Starbucks GC


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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FALLBACK BY LORI WHITWAM - VIRTUAL & REVIEW TOUR + GIVEAWAY

 

Fallback: The Dead Survive, Book 2
by Lori Whitwam 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

After being rescued from a brutal band of marauders, Ellen Hale rebuilt her life in the fortified neighborhood that became her home. A heartbreaking decision and devastating loss pushed her to become a fierce fighter, because weakness only got you and those you loved killed.

Now her community is facing a deadly threat, and Ellen has another choice to make.

Ellen volunteers as a member of fallback team three, tasked with establishing a temporary refuge for their citizens in the event their community is overrun by the enemy. As the danger intensifies, she and her adopted sister, Melissa, set off with the rest of their team on the road trip from hell.

Their mission is cloaked in secrecy, but suspicions of a traitor arise.

Something is affecting the zombies’ migration patterns, and when blacksmith Tyler Garrett is discovered trapped in a farmhouse, the team refuses to trust him. But Ellen believes his story, and it’s not just because of his rugged, blond good looks and soft-spoken manner—his skills can greatly benefit their team.

As the team struggles to reach the fallback, previously secure locations are overrun, and their chances of success seem remote. With the likelihood of a traitor nearly certain, and the lives of everyone she loves at risk, Ellen must figure out who to trust before the traitor—or the zombies—destroy them all.

Is there a spy among the fallback team,or is there another threat lurking in the Kentucky hills?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT

We raced to the east gate, while Melissa and Faith clambered up the ladder to the guard tower. The two men currently on watch brought us up to speed. “Forty or fifty,” one told us. “Came from the logging road on the north side of the clearing, not moving fast, but clustered tight and coming steady.”

Marcus gave a terse nod, and we were out the gate, which was secured behind us. We fanned out before the advancing zombies, automatically pairing off with fighters we knew. Rebecca and I drifted to the right, angled slightly away from each other to widen our collective range of vision.

“We got this,” my partner said confidently, tucking her braid down the back of her shirt and giving her sword a practice swing.

This pack of zombies was a mixed one. There were some that seemed—for lack of a better word—fresher, and those moved a little faster than the ones with more wear and tear on their bodies. Funny how missing a foot or having a knee bent the wrong way slowed you down, even if you were already dead.

I selected my first target, a woman with half her scalp missing, the remaining strands of steel-colored hair trailing down over the shoulder of a tattered and gore-encrusted knit poncho. I didn’t think the garment had been stylish even when its owner was alive. Gave a whole new meaning to “I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing that.” I swung my machete, putting an end forever to her final fashion faux pas.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lori spent her early years reading books in a tree in northern West Virginia. The 1980s and 90s found her and her husband moving around the Midwest, mainly because it was easier to move than clean the apartment. After seventeen frigid years in Minnesota, she fled to coastal North Carolina in 2013. She will never leave, and if you try to make her, she will hurt you.

She has worked in public libraries, written advertising copy for wastewater treatment equipment, and managed a holistic veterinary clinic. Her current day job, conducted from her World Headquarters and Petting Zoo (her couch) is as Managing Editor for Limitless Publishing, as well as editing for a select list of indie author.

Her dogs are a big part of her life, and she has served or held offices in Golden Retriever and Great Pyrenees rescues, a humane society, a county kennel club, and her own chapter of Therapy Dogs International.

She has been a columnist and feature writer for auto racing and pet publications, and won the Dog Writers Association of America’s Maxwell Award for a series of humor essays.

Parents of a grown son, Lori and her husband were high school sweethearts, and he manages to love her in spite of herself. Some of his duties include making sure she always has fresh coffee and safe tires, trying to teach her to use coupons, and convincing the state police to spring her from house arrest in her hotel room in time for a very important concert. That last one only happened once—so far—but she still really, really appreciates it.

Links

Email: ripleygold@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/loriauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ripleygold
Website: http://www.loriwhitwam.com

Publisher: http://www.limitlesspublishing.net/authors/lori-whitwam/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lori-Whitwam/e/B00QR5RPXC/

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/lori-whitwam


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MY REVIEW

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If Book 1 was Amazing, Book 2 it's PHENOMENAL!!
In The Dead Survive, we find a broken girl, in Fallback we have a powerful woman. After some very heartbreaking situations (Book 1), Ellen rebuilds herself in a fiercely warrior, she still has open wounds, but is finally comfortable in the Compound, that place that almost feels like home. So when the undead and bands of marauders became in a real menace, she joins Fallback Team Three and that's where our journey begins!
Fast paced, full of action, gore, friendship, romance, second chances, heartbreak, dangerous people, and zombies, Zombies, ZOMBIES!!
Do you really need more info?? If you are a fan of the genre, get a copy.
If you haven't read this genre, get a copy.
If you are Human, get a copy.
P.S. Can't wait for Book 3



*I received a Free Copy in exchange for an Honest Review*



GIVEAWAY 

Lori will be awarding one prize pack consisting of $25 Amazon/BN GC, plus a signed print copy of Fallback, as well as bookmarks and magnets (international) to one randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Thursday, July 9, 2015

DEACON BY CHERYL DOUGLAS - VIRTUAL TOUR + GIVEAWAY


DEACON
by Cheryl Douglas

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:


When Deacon Sarkis sets his sights on the gorgeous young model gracing the pages of his glossy catalogue, he knows he has to have her. One problem. She’s not available. But that won’t stop Deacon. He’s a man used to getting what he wants and he wants Mia.Mia is stunned when she receives an email from the elusive billionaire who owns the lingerie company she models for. He tells her he’s intrigued. He’s not the only one. But she knows she’d be a fool to throw away an eight year relationship for a brief affair with the head honcho. He doesn’t do relationships and she doesn’t do casual sex. It seems they’re at an impasse. Who will come out on top in this battle of wills? The dominant one or the woman intent on teaching him the meaning of submission?




~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT

I stared at my reflection. “I don’t understand, Barbara. I thought Eleni was supposed to be
modeling the bridal collection.”

She pinned the white bustier until my full breasts spilled over the top. Then she artfully
arranged the white sheer robe so it revealed just enough of her handiwork to be enticing without
looking trashy. “What the boss wants, the boss gets. Even if it means we have to lose sleep to get
these damn alterations done on time.”

“Remind me to give you a raise, Barbara.”

I turned so fast that the pin Barbara was holding jabbed me in the thigh, but I barely noticed.
It was him. Oh God. I couldn’t breathe. I was going to pass out right there.

“Mr. Starkis,” Barbara said, a blush stealing over her cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t hear you
come in.”

“I’d like a moment alone with Miss Barnes, Barbara.” He gave her a pointed stare before he
said, “I’ll try not to keep her too long. I understand you’re on a tight schedule.”
She lowered her head before gathering her measuring tape and pins. “No problem, take all
the time you need.”

He waited until Barbara had closed the door and we were alone before he whispered, “Theia,
you look breathtaking.”

I still didn’t know what theia meant, and I was beyond irritated to be meeting him under
these circumstances, especially armed with the knowledge about his penchant for young models.
Closing the gap in the sheer robe, I tried to stare him down, but it wasn’t easy. Even
standing on a pedestal and wearing four-inch heels, I was still slightly shorter than he was.
“We meet at last.” He stepped closer and ran a fingertip over my cheek. “You’re even more
beautiful in person than I imagined you would be.”

His accent was more pronounced than it had been over the phone and sent delicious chills up
my spine in spite of my annoyance at my body’s betrayal.
His bright blue eyes flashed with irritation. “You are annoyed with me. Again?”

“I’m not having this conversation here.” I looked around, wondering if he’d seduced other
women in that very room. “I’m working. Kindly leave.”

His irritation blossomed into anger. “I own this goddamn building. No one tells me when to
leave.”

Oh. Feeling properly chastised, I did the only thing I could. I turned away from him and
fixed all my attention on the mirror in front of me. He walked around me in a slow circle, his hand rubbing the dark stubble on his square jaw.

“Mmmm, this looks even better than I imagined it would. It’s so easy to imagine unwrapping
you on our wedding night.”


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

When one door closes, another one opens. I closed the door to my business for the last time in 2011, which left me with a decision. What now? Find another location and move my nutrition business, go to work for someone else, or take a chance on my dream? I chose the latter and I’ve never looked back!
I’ve always loved reading and writing, but it wasn’t until I jumped in with both feet and decided writing would be my career, instead of just a hobby, that my muse woke up from her deep slumber.
It was like someone flipped a switch inside my head and stories just came pouring out. At the end of the day, I would often look at the keyboard and wonder, ‘Who the heck wrote that? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure it wasn’t me!’
I don’t write books. I tell stories, or rather, I allow my characters to tell their stories through me. I’m not a plotter, never have been, never will be. Why? Because I have no idea how the story will evolve and it’s not my place to manipulate it. My job is to get to know these characters, figure out what makes them tick, then follow their journey wherever it takes me.
When I’m not writing, I’m daydreaming. Thankfully, I have an understanding husband and son who know I’ll re-join the land of the living just as soon as my muse decides it’s quitting time. I don’t work for myself. I work for her. She’s the boss. And I’m okay with that.

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5761770.Cheryl_Douglas

Book Links:
Kobo: Not Available Yet

EXTRA LINKS:





~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY 

 $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC 



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DARK HORSE BY MICHELLE DIENER - VIRTUAL TOUR + GIVEAWAY


DARK HORSE
by Michelle Diener

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BLURB:

Some secrets carry the weight of the world.

Rose McKenzie may be far from Earth with no way back, but she's made a powerful ally--a fellow prisoner with whom she's formed a strong bond. Sazo's an artificial intelligence. He's saved her from captivity and torture, but he's also put her in the middle of a conflict, leaving Rose with her loyalties divided.

Captain Dav Jallan doesn't know why he and his crew have stumbled across an almost legendary Class 5 battleship, but he's not going to complain. The only problem is, all its crew are dead, all except for one strange, new alien being.

She calls herself Rose. She seems small and harmless, but less and less about her story is adding up, and Dav has a bad feeling his crew, and maybe even the four planets, are in jeopardy. The Class 5's owners, the Tecran, look set to start a war to get it back and Dav suspects Rose isn't the only alien being who survived what happened on the Class 5. And whatever else is out there is playing its own games.

In this race for the truth, he's going to have to go against his leaders and trust the dark horse.

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EXCERPT: 
Her jump surprised them as much as their jump surprised her, she guessed, from the way they reacted to the sight of her suddenly crouched on the roof of her little spaceship.

With a hand signal and a barked command, the big guy whoʼd been standing in the middle, the one sheʼd exchanged a look with earlier, had them all letting the cords on their fancy automatic grappling hooks winch them back to the top again, weapons trained on the gryak. He stayed behind, though, eyes never leaving the gryak, and walked carefully to her ship.

He was going to climb up to her.

The gryak had stopped when sheʼd jumped, and gone very watchful when the soldiers had dropped into its cave, but now it prowled up and down in front of her craft, confused and distressed.

The black helmet and then the enormous shoulders of the Grih whoʼd stayed below with her rose up, her rescuer easily pulling himself onto the roof with her.

They stared at each other again, not that Rose could see much of his face through the helmet, and she mentally called up the Grih sheʼd learned over the last eight weeks.

“Iʼm Rose McKenzie. Pleased to meet you.” Grih informal greetings required her to touch her nose to his left cheek, and he to hers, but they were on more of a formal footing, she was guessing, and his helmet was in the way anyway, so she extended her hands palms facing each other, waiting for him to either cover hers or let her cover his. She couldnʼt remember who should do what, right at that minute.

There was a moment of silence, and then the thin, gray-tinted glass on his helmet retracted, and she looked directly into startled pale blue eyes with a dark outer-rim of navy blue. “You speak Grih.”

“Iʼve been studying it.” She looked at him, and tears pricked her eyes.

Sazo had said the Grih were as close to being like her as it got in this part of the universe. But sheʼd thought heʼd been talking in general terms. Bi-pedal, with two eyes, a nose and a mouth. That was the most sheʼd hoped for.

She even thought it didnʼt matter. She would be happy to be alive, and wouldnʼt care if she looked completely different to the people who would hopefully take her in.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction. Having worked in publishing and IT, she’s now very happy crafting new worlds and interesting characters and wondering which part of the world she can travel to next.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

When she’s not writing, or driving her kids from activity to activity, you can find her blogging at Magical Musings, or online at Twitter, at Google+ and Facebook. 



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GIVEAWAY 

 $25 Amazon/BN gift card.



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