@SensuousPromos #BlogTour: “Unraveling the Earl” by @lynnebarron06 #Contest #Excerpt #Historical #EroticRomance

 

 

Welcome to Sensuous Promo’s UNRAVELING THE EARL Book Tour. Watch for the Giveaway Below!

 

Unraveling the Earl, Book 3 in the Idyllwild series:

 

The Earl of Hastings’s reputation as London’s greatest gift to the ladies has taken on a life of its own, one he is only too happy to live up to in one Mayfair bedchamber after another. Until he encounters a lady more interested in poking around his country estate than sampling his lauded charms.

 

Georgiana Buchanan is possessed of murky morals, skewed notions of right and wrong, a talent for dancing around the truth, and a penchant for crashing weddings, funerals and charity balls.

 

When Georgie catches Henry’s roving eye, she turns the tables on the arrogant scoundrel, introducing him to a world of sensual delights and unraveling his vaunted control before fleeing into the night.

 

Henry is determined to make the elusive Georgiana his mistress while the lady wants only to use his desire to further her own schemes. When they find themselves marooned at Idyllwild during a summer storm, they will both discover they’ve gotten more than they bargained for.

 

– EXCERPT –


“Damn it to hell.”

 

“Such language, Lord Hasty,” a husky voice called out.

 

Swiveling around in the saddle Henry found Georgiana Buchanan gliding to a stop just beyond his horse’s flank. In her customary fashion she’d adorned herself in yards of silk and lace, from the frilly edge of the modest square-cut bodice of her lavender gown, to the wide ribbon cinched around her waist, to the layers of ruffles and furbelows of her full skirts.

 

Atop her head she wore a ridiculous concoction of straw, flowers, ribbons and bows, hiding her glorious hair but for one long spiral that had escaped its pins to flutter over her shoulder.

 

“And in front of two young ladies.” She smiled up at him, her eyes shining in the sunlight that had yet to be chased off by the gathering clouds. “Poorly done even for a libertine, my lord.”

 

Henry could only stare at the lady, too surprised by her sudden appearance to form words.

 

“Miss Georgiana, there you are,” Miss Margery called, hurrying over to join the lady, her gaze flitting over Henry atop his horse. “We waited for you as long as we could, but there is the loveliest lace shawl in Mrs. Peabody’s shop that I simply must have.”

 

“You will not,” the dark-haired goddess warned as she stopped beside the blonde.

 

“Lord Hasty, are you acquainted with Miss Eleanor Brooks and her sister Miss Margery?” Georgiana asked, her eyes never leaving Henry’s face that suddenly felt too hot.

 

“Lord Hastings, silly,” Miss Margery corrected with a smile. “We have had the pleasure of making his lordship’s acquaintance two years past when he visited Idyllwild. How do you do, my lord?”

 

The sisters dropped into curtsies that showed off trim ankles in satin slippers. Georgiana did not follow suit, instead continuing to look at him, her smile growing wider with each passing second.

 

“A pleasure to see you again,” Henry replied with a nod, barely sparing a glance for the ladies he had no memory of having met.

 

“Have you come to spend some time at Idyllwild?” Miss Margery asked, her gaze darting between Henry and Georgiana.

 

“What in blazes are you doing here?” he barked.

 

The Misses Brooks looked at one another and back to Henry, two sets of green eyes round and unblinking.

 

“We are just coming from Matilda Marshall’s wedding,” Georgiana replied as calmly as if he hadn’t shouted at her on the street. “And what a lovely wedding it was, too.”

 

Huffing out a frustrated breath, Henry climbed from his mount to join the ladies on the walkway. “What are you doing in Deerfield? Why are you not in London where you belong?”

 

“I wasn’t aware I belonged in London, or anywhere else for that matter,” she answered, wrapping her hand around his arm. “Will you walk with us, my lord?”

 

“Oh yes, please do, Lord Hastings,” Miss Margery urged while her sister bobbed her head. “Perhaps Jilly and Laura will see you escorting us.”

 

As he looped the horse’s reins around a hitching post, it occurred to Henry that the Misses Brooks were quite young, likely barely out of the schoolroom, which would explain why he did not remember meeting them. Two years ago they’d still been in braids and pinafores.

 

“Oh I’d wager they are in the bakery,” Miss Margery told her sister.

 

“Shall we run ahead and see?” Miss Eleanor asked with a giggle.

 

“Please do,” Henry muttered.

 

“We’ll stay to the street so that you might readily find us again,” Georgiana offered, turning her smile on the exuberant girls. “His lordship will be certain to fawn all over the both of you when you return. That’ll pickle Silly and Laurel’s insides to no end.”

 

Beaming their gratitude before spinning away, the two girls with curves too generous for their young minds hurried down the street hand-in-hand.

 

“Aren’t they darling?” Georgiana asked, tucking her hand more firmly around his arm and tugging him forward along the sidewalk.

 

“What are you doing here?” Henry asked for the third time, his frustration falling away as his balls twitched and his cock pulsed.

 

“Is there some reason I should not be here?” she asked.

 

“Why did you run off?” Henry watched her as they set off toward the center of the village, quite unable to look away from her profile and the smile that coasted around her full bottom lip. “I awoke to discover you’d fled in the night. In my shirt, no less.”

 

“There was no need to linger,” she replied airily. “I’d gotten what I wanted, after all.”

 

Dumbstruck by her blasé words and the slow lift of her lips into a full-blown grin, Henry halted beside her.

 

“Never fear, my lord. I shall return your shirt.” Georgiana peered up at him through her lashes.

 

“I don’t give a damn about my shirt,” he muttered. “I am not accustomed to falling asleep with a lady only to awake alone.”

 

“No, you likely lie abed devising ways to remove either the lady or yourself from the premises,” she agreed. “Have you contemplated sawing off your arm?”

 

“Sawing off my arm?”

 

“Killjoy once told me he has considered such drastic measures on more than one occasion, most especially when he awoke to find Prudence McIver curled up beside him.”

 

Henry barked out a laugh.

 

“You have imagined it!” Georgiana skipped ahead of him and spun about to face him, clapping her hands and beaming up at him. “Who inspired you to meditate upon life with one arm?”

 

“I have never—”

 

“Come, come, my lord. You can tell me. Who was she?”

 

Henry shook his head, enchanted by her smile, by the dimple that winked beside her wide mouth, by the humor shining from her eyes.

 

“Tit for tat,” she teased, falling in beside him again and twining her hand through his elbow, her fingers curling around his arm.

 

Dropping his hand over hers, he laced their fingers together. “What are you offering up in trade?”

 

“To be sure I’ve never thought to lop off my arm,” she drawled, her voice taking on a soft lyrical cadence.

 

“You must share some dark secret from your past,” he told her.

 

Tapping one long finger against her chin, she hummed softly.

 

“Too many to choose from?”


 
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@BitnBookPromote #BookTour: “Steampunk Carnival” by Cassandra Leuthold #Contest #Interview #Excerpt

 

 

STEAMPUNK CARNIVAL By Cassandra Leuthold

Genre: Science Fiction/ Steampunk

 

Katya Romanova gave up everything to work at the one-of-a-kind Steampunk Carnival – her family, her home, her reputation. She wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.As a guide to the guests, Katya enjoys more freedom than most. She makes time to gossip with her best friend, Magdalene.

She basks in the elaborate costumes that bring her awed attention, hoping they might also win her a husband. And no man pays her more attention than her boss and carnival owner, William Warden.

But in the summer of 1887, death threats against Mr. Warden break the spell. Katya knows he might be as underhanded as he is charming, but who would
actually want him dead?

When Katya finds unexpected evidence about the carnival’s true origins, the stakes jump even higher.

Not sure whom they can trust, Katya and Magdalene work to unravel the carnival’s mysteries. Who really invented the innovative rides?

Is Mr. Warden protecting his employees or only himself from the looming violence? And will Katya cling to the better side of his nature or eventually turn her affections for him into a powerful rivalry?


BOOK LINKS

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads


ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Cassandra Leuthold

Cassandra grew up in the small town of La Porte, Indiana, exploring wooded parks and sparkling lakes. Making South Bend her home, the scenery hasn’t changed much – inspiring trees and a long, winding river. From the time she started writing in second grade up to the projects she works on now, the nature, history, and people around her inspire the stories she tells. You can find her work listed under many different genres, but the heart of each story remains the same. What keeps us together, and what pulls us apart? She lives with her writer husband and their moody cat, Gaia, in a house three sizes too big. She holds a Bachelor’s in Liberal Studies and a Master’s in English. When she’s not writing, you can find her sewing, enjoying nature, listening to music, researching family history, and watching TV.

 

 


EXCERPT

With a gentle lurch, the car rose into the air. Katya grabbed hold of the partitions between the seats, her knuckles bumping the hand of the guest on her left, who had also grabbed for it. Maddox did not reach for a stronghold. His mouth twisted in amusement, watching Katya seek security as everything that held her ascended ten, twenty, thirty feet.

The climb proved gradual and effortless. Once Katya began to relax, she realized how far she could see. The lamplights of the carnival looked beautiful and elegant below them. The slight flickering of the burning gas gleamed off the metal structures throughout the carnival. It lost itself in the velvet of patron jackets and glimmered off their silks. It flashed across buckles on top hats and shoes. It lit up gold and silver jewelry.

Katya could barely breathe. She almost forgot how nervous she had been moments before. The car reached the top of the tower and stopped there, offering its occupants a rare view at the world around them. Katya stared down at the carnival, trying to pick out the details of the band playing in the center of it all. The massive Beast behind it still intimidated, but from this height, Katya marveled in the majesty of its design.

The car shuddered and lowered itself, detaching from its part of the sky. The other occupants chattered to each other excitedly, but Katya could barely form thoughts in her head.

“What do you think?” Maddox asked her.

Katya recited the first thing that came to mind. “The ride lasts for three cycles.” She admonished herself for relying on the only words she knew about the carnival and gave in to sharing Maddox’s enthusiasm. “It’s thrilling.”

The car paused briefly at the bottom before lifting again. Each time it rose, Katya focused on a different part of the carnival. She looked across to the other side, where the Kaleidoscope competed against the game stalls and the Cannon for popularity. It really did shift like a kaleidoscope from this height, the colors of the booths smearing in her vision as they rotated. She looked past Maddox to the El and the food stall beyond it. Magdalene would be handing out cinnamon-sugar desserts and sausages on buns, but Katya was riding the carnival they had staked their lives on. She was riding the dream Brady had worked on years ago. She doubted even he had been able to enjoy it.

The car rested on the ground and stayed there. The operator made his rounds again, helping the patrons get unbuckled and return to their feet. He directed them to an exit gate in the fence. Katya and Maddox filed out with the others to the common grounds of the carnival.

“Where to next?” Maddox prompted.

Katya’s heart pounded with the possibilities. “The coaster.”

“The big one?”

“No, I don’t think I’ll ever be brave enough for that.” Katya watched the Beast’s cars roar high above them. “The smaller one here.”

Katya linked her hand around Maddox’s arm, and they walked to the nearby El. Maddox repeated Katya’s lie to the ticket taker. “Mr. Warden wants us to make sure the coaster’s operating properly.”

The man hurried them past, offering a more courteous front to the waiting customers. “You’ll all have a turn, I assure you. Just a routine inspection.”

Another operator stood a few feet inside the fence, and he motioned for Katya and Maddox to stop where they were. They watched the coaster cars slide and weave their way along the track. A minute later, they slowed into loading position on the platform. The operator stepped over to help the guests out, and once they left the platform, his flexing fingers invited Katya and Maddox toward him. He buckled them into the front seat of the first car.

“Are you nervous now?” Maddox whispered into Katya’s ear.

Katya nodded, but she felt the rush of anticipation filling her chest. “It’s not too fast, is it?”

“You should know.”

“I don’t know. I can’t think of anything except how fun this is.”

The operator filled the remaining seats in the connected cars. With a signal to the ticket taker and the man Katya could not see who ran the switches, the cars jerked forward. This time, Katya and Maddox both reached for the metal grab bar in front of them. A mechanism in the track pulled the train of cars up the initial slope. The passengers behind Katya and Maddox murmured with apprehension and breathed audibly, awaiting the first of many drops.

The train rose steadily, taking its passengers up to a short plateau. Within seconds, the cars slid down, lifting Katya’s stomach into the top of her chest. She let out a shriek amidst the screams and shouts behind her. The train twisted to the left, curving to parallel the outer fence of the carnival. It rose a short distance and fell again, racing its passengers lower toward the ground. A second mechanism pulled the cars even higher than before.

In one graceful motion, the cars slipped down the next slope of track, curving away from the back of the grounds. They dipped down beside the side stage, where Katya could not tell what contest was taking place. The cars sped along, turning left only to bend back to the right. The track led them down beneath the iron structure and returned them safely to the platform.

Katya barely had time to catch her breath before the ride operator unbuckled her belt. She walked with Maddox to the exit gate, where a small wooden sign bore the words Thank You in painted, curling letters.

Copyright © Cassandra Leuthold

 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

  1. What is the best comment that a readers has given you?

 

I’ve gotten great support from a lot of people that keeps me going when the work gets tough.  One of the best things a reader told me recently was in a voice mail my mother-in-law left me when she finished my novel, XZA.  She said it was awesome and now that she knew the ending, she wanted to reread the whole book to enjoy it even more.  That’s a high compliment, creating a book readers want to revisit instead of always reaching for a new story.  There are so many great stories out there.

 

  1. Where do you prefer to write? In your home? In a café?

I work from home for my day job, so I already have a home office set up where I can type for eight hours a day.  I have to be comfortable without too many distractions in order to write, and I like knowing I already have everything I might need at hand – pens, paper, my desk planner, a glass of water, my phone, and some lip balm.  I used to be more fluid about where I wrote, and I’ve written in some unexpected places – during class, while sitting waiting for an appointment, bored at a restaurant, watching TV.  Most of my writing is computer-based now unless I get an idea I have to write down.

 

  1. What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done?

 

I wrote and published for an entire year based only on belief.  Belief in myself.  Belief it would be worth it.  Belief readers would find and enjoy my books.  It was a tough year as I learned the new landscape of publishing.  I have a beautiful deck of cards with a different word and picture on each of them, and I stood the card for Believe where I could see it every day.  I made sure I looked at it, especially when I didn’t believe what I was doing would make a difference.  When I finally felt ready to move on to a new word, I realized it’d been a year since I started.  I knew then – and I feel now – I never could’ve willingly gone a whole year on belief if I’d known how long it would be ahead of time.  Focusing on what I was doing and the results I wanted pulled me through it.  I learned a lot about myself, and even though I still have lessons to learn about life and publishing, I’m much more confident today than I was then.

 


TRAILER

http://youtu.be/PXH02pnBtjM

PLAYLIST

http://open.spotify.com/user/knovitzke/playlist/69TP9kW9jha9Vmidx6IMO3

“What I Wouldn’t Do,” She Swings, She Sways

The first chapter of Steampunk Carnival is different than the rest of the book. It’s narrated by someone whose name isn’t revealed for several chapters. The reason he’s obsessed with filling a journal with his ideas isn’t clear until we find out who he is, but the song gives insight into his situation. He’s a man driven by longing, loneliness, and desperation. It adds extra layers and emotions to what’s shared at that point in the book.

“Kill The Lights,” The Birthday Massacre

I’m a big fan of the movie “Moulin Rouge.” In the director’s commentary, Baz Luhrmann talks about the interesting difference between points of view in the climactic scene when Satine dies after the big, pulse-pounding performance. The audience applauds. They loved what they saw. But what they missed was a murder attempt, and what they can’t see after the curtain closes is Satine’s heartbreaking death. This song represents that for Steampunk Carnival. All the guests see are beautiful costumes, spectacular rides, fun games, and delicious treats. They don’t know about the death threats, the violence, and the arguments. They never find out the games are rigged.

“Common Reaction,” Uh Huh Her

As the story unwinds, Katya finds herself in deeper and deeper trouble. She acquires more to lose – friends, her safety, a boyfriend – and realizes there are fewer things she can be sure of. A lot she took for granted isn’t true. This song expresses Katya’s confusion and caution. She doesn’t know how much to trust her boss, William Warden. She hopes everything will work out all right, but she knows any ending is possible.

“Hold My Hand,” Mister Heavenly

This song reminds me of Maddox’s approach to Katya in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way. If Maddox has one thing going for him, it’s persistence. He tries several different tricks to get Katya to go out with him, and she turns him down several times. She’s not easily persuaded to trade her love of money for appreciation of simple fun.

“Shake It Out,” Florence & the Machine

This song provides the perfect backdrop to the night Katya finally gives in to spending time with Maddox. She leaves her fear, her distrust, and her rigid ideas about dating behind. Katya and Maddox ride three attractions at the carnival, which thrills Katya more than she anticipated. But more importantly, they’re finally able to share more about themselves and build a solid foundation for their relationship.

“Baptized by Fire,” Spinnerette

The lyrics and driving guitar in this song mirror what Katya and her friends are feeling by the time they confront the forces conspiring against them. Katya has seen William Warden’s inner nature, and she doesn’t like it. His security guards, allegedly hired to keep the employees safe, have been watching Magdalene like a hawk for weeks. Katya’s tired of meeting in secret, worrying about how the carnival’s reputation will survive the truth about its origins. But true to the song, with going to battle against powerful rivals comes a new beginning for all of them.

GIVEAWAY

 

 

http://www.bitnbooktours.com/

@masqtours #BlogTour: “Aranya” by @marcauthor #AranyaTour #Contest #Spotlight

 

Evil has a new enemy…
 
Title: Aranya
Series: Shapshifter Dragons #1
Author: Marc Secchia
Publication Date: June 12, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Chained to a rock and tossed off a cliff by her boyfriend, Aranya is executed for high treason against the Sylakian Empire. Falling a league into the deadly Cloudlands is not a fate she ever envisaged. But what if she did not die? What if she could spread her wings and fly?

Long ago, Dragons ruled the Island-World above the Cloudlands. But their Human slaves cast off the chains of Dragonish tyranny. Humans spread across the Islands in their flying Dragonships, colonising, building and warring. Now, the all-conquering Sylakians have defeated the last bastion of freedom–the Island-Kingdom of Immadia.

Evil has a new enemy. Aranya, Princess of Immadia. Dragon Shapeshifter.

 

 

 

 

 aranya excerpt button

Oyda quelled him with a fierce scowl of her own. “Right, my fledgling. Memorise these flowers.”

“I–um, what’s this got to do with–”

“Now, or it’s none of my honey biscuits for you later, you churlish wretch.”

Aranya studied the wildflowers. Five meadow daisies, a sprinkling of tiny blue-tinkles and three each of peonies, red anemones and tall bursts of fireflowers, made up her posy.

“Now, you will make a pass above the dell,” Oyda instructed. “While you fly, you will tell your Human brain to paint these flowers in every detail. I will question you afterward. And–do shut your yawning trap, petal. You’re catching flies.”

Grumbling to herself about how direct Nak and Oyda could be at times, Aranya thumped four-pawed over to the edge of the cliff, to her favourite outcropping, and threw herself into the air. This bit at least she had grasped. As usual, the moment she was aloft, her Human and Dragon brains went to war in her head. She immediately wallowed in the air. Every wing beat was a struggle.

Fine. She would paint flowers.

Aranya shot through the morning air. The deep golden sunbeams of a partial eclipse, the twin suns almost completely hidden behind Iridith’s bulk, seemed thick enough to swim in. She wheeled a thousand feet out and spun back on her wingtip for the required pass over the dell, where the figures of two tiny old people watched her intently.

She shaped meadow daisies. She concentrated on the finely bearded leaves of the fireflowers.

And she flew like a Dragon.

She raced across the sword-grass of the dell, almost brushing the blade-tips with her wingtips, before corkscrewing up above the forest bordering the heights and doubling back for a graceful landing that barely disturbed the still morning air.

Nak and Oyda smiled mysteriously at Aranya.

“Well? How was that?”

Nak wiped his eye. “Got a gnat stuck …”

“You old charlatan.” Oyda clipped the back of his head fondly. “That was Dragon, Aranya. Pure Dragon.”

Copyright © Marc Secchia

 

Marc is a South African-born author who lives and works in Ethiopia with his wife and 4 children, 2 dogs, a rabbit, and a variable number of marabou storks that roost on the acacia trees out back. On a good night there are also hyenas patrolling the back fence.


When he’s not writing about Africa Marc can be found travelling to remote locations. He thinks there’s nothing better than standing on a mountaintop wondering what lies over the next horizon.

Website  | Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads
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@pumpupyourbook Tour: “Order of the Seers Trilogy” by @CereceRMurphy #PUYB #VBT

Please welcome to Moonbeams over Atlanta Order of the Seers Trilogy by Cerece Rennie Murphy.

About The Books

Order of the Seers Trilogy

TitleOrder Of The Seers Trilogy

Author: Cerece Rennie Murphy

Publisher: LionSky Publishing

Publication Date: September 30, 2014

Pages: 164

ISBN: 978-0985621049

Genre: Science Fiction

Format: Paperback, eBook, PDF

What would you do if you held infinite power in the palm of your hand?

The Order of the Seers trilogy poses this question within a story that fuses action, mystery, and romance within a science fiction adventure that keeps you at the edge of your seat.

Captured and enslaved for their extraordinary gift, a group of individuals, known as Seers, are forced to serve a ruthless world organization that uses the power of the Seers to exploit the ultimate advantage: knowing the future. While a brother and his Seer sister fight to evade the group that hunts them, an unlikely captured Seer plots his escape from within the organization and sets off a chain of events that will change the world.

The journey begins with Order of the Seers (Book I) and continues with The Red Order (Book II).  The final chapter in the Order of the Seers trilogy, titled The Last Seer (Book III), will be released on September 30, 2014.

Purchase The Book- AmazonB&NGoodreads

 

 

 

Link to trailer for Book I: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dJHEfETnAE

The Order of the Seers - The Red Order (Book 2)

 

 

Link to trailer for Book II: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL20RBdgji4

Order of the Seers - The Last Seer (Book 3)

 

Link to trailer for Book III: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvduqiK_x8o

 

 

 

Book Excerpt: 

Chapter 1: The End

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Liam was losing his patience. “Aw, come on! Are you serious? You can’t want to ride this thing again!”

Instead of answering her older brother, Lilli remained in her seat as the Ferris wheel conductor looked on expectantly, hand outstretched and waiting for another two tokens.

The way Lilli’s skinny arms hugged her book bag while she stared blankly at the pressed metal floor of their “Fairy Land Caboose” made it hard for Liam to stay angry. The sight of her looking so dejected softened him enough to give the conductor his fifth set of tokens in less than 45 minutes. Liam settled back into his seat just as the lap bar clamped down uncomfortably against his thighs.

“Lilli,say something. Why’d you drag me out here if you were just gonna sulk? I hate the carnival, you know that.”

“I know something… okay? Just… trust me. We have to stay here.” Her voice was so low he could barely hear her over the wind-up music that was blaring from the overhead speakers.

“Did Mom say something to you?”

Lilli responded to his question with silence and a barely discernable shake of her head back and forth. He tried again.

“Lilli! Did Mom…?”

“Yes,” she snapped.

They both fell silent again as Liam took in the latest weird thing day. Lilith Knight, or Lilli as she preferred to be called, had always been of the strange. Even when she was five,she could beat Liam at chess lazily, without even thinking about it. She would find things and give them to you before you asked for them. Before you, or even she, knew why. Up until recently, he thought she was just a freak. No biggie. All little sisters are like that, he told himself.

It was only in the past few months that his perception of her began to shift, after her prediction that he would catch his new girlfriend, Krista, kissing his teammate Lance in the locker room after their championship game. At the time, he’d brushed off her premonition as meddling. Krista wasn’t even his girlfriend and his team was 1-1 with the whole basketball season ahead of them.

He’d forgotten her warning completely until two months later when he ran back into the locker room after winning the championship to get the jacket he’d left behind and immediately smelled Krista’s perfume. When he found them, two thoughts overshadowed the scene unfolding in front of him. The first was that what they were doing wasn’t really “kissing,” though he could see how a sheltered thirteen-year-old would describe it that way. His second thought was that Lilli was right; she was exactly right. He was so stunned by Lilli’s accuracy that he didn’t even bother to disturb them, leaving his new ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend to their business. From that moment, Liam understood that Lilli wasn’t just a freak, or more accurately, that she wasn’t a freak at all. She was special…gifted.

The sound of Lilli’s sniffling followed by the trembling of her body as she began to cry uncontrollably broke the long silence that had fallen between them. What the…, Liam half-mumbled as his mind swung from irritation to absolute bewilderment. Slowly and deliberately, Liam moved his palms down the front of his face as he fought the urge to shake the truth right out of her and end whatever this was. But he couldn’t. She’s so brittle already, he thought, without any idea as to why. So instead, he reached out to envelop his sister in his arms, trying to soothe her and comfort her from some unknown force.

“Lilli, it’s all right. I’m sorry, okay? Don’t cry. Just… tell me what’s going on. Why are we here?”

He tried to wait patiently, to rein in the confusion and frustration that had been piercing through the calm day he had planned for himself when he woke up that morning, as cool and carefree as any sixteen-year-old boy. It was Lilli who had dragged him out of the house before he could even wolf down his second bowl of Honeycombs. “Mom said you have to take me to the carnival. NOW!” She had demanded.

He had started to head upstairs to launch his appeal when his eye caught his mother’s note on the refrigerator door. “Take Lilli to the fair. NOW.—Love, Mom,” it read.He knew that meant his mother had left the house early; there was no appeal to be made. Begrudgingly, he slipped on his sneakers and grabbed the car keys, all the while wondering if Lilli was still too young to be left at the fair by herself.

His earlier thoughts of abandonment brought him back to his sister’s form beside him. Not knowing what else to do, Liam simply held her tight as her convulsing turned to trembling, and finally, back to stillness. At the top of the Ferris wheel,she finally spoke.

“It’s over now, we can go home,” she whispered. But as impatient for answers and a reprieve from big brother duties as he was, Liam knew that it was not over. The emotionless tone in her voice scared him. It made him want to stay on the Ferris wheel he’d been begging to get off of a few short minutes ago. As the music died down and their feet got closer to the ground, he suddenly felt conflicting urges to stay where he was and to rush home to his mother. As the ride came to a stop, he suddenly realized with profound certainty that this was much more than one of Lilli’s “episodes.” Something was very, very wrong

When Liam pulled his father’s green 2002 Saab in front of their small brick house, everything seemed as it always did—quiet and predictable in their modest yet comfortable home. They had lived in a much bigger house before his father died, but Liam never minded sharing a bathroom with his mother and sister. All the toys and trinkets that had mattered to him when he was a child were rendered insignificant the moment his mother told him that his father would never come home again. As he got out of the car and began to take the front steps two at a time, he noticed that Lilli had stopped at the tree stump his mother had cut down the week before. Sitting down, her eyes remained on the ground. Just as his mouth formed the shape of a question,she spoke.

“No, you go. I can’t see it again.”

Liam didn’t stop to ask what she meant. Whatever she meant, he was sure it was worse than he thought. He tried to hold back the swell of fear in his chest as he ran to the front door, but his emotions spun out of control the moment he tested the front door knob and found it opened—easily. They never left the front door unlocked.

When he stepped into the house, he actually felt the life, the person he had been, rush past him and out the door as his eyes took in the overturned, splintered remains of their living room. It was a feeling he’d felt only once before, when his father died. But what made it worse, what made it permanent, was lying in the middle of the floor, with its contents thrown everywhere. It was his mother’s purse, which had not been there when he left that morning.

“Mom!” he shouted as he raced up the stairs to her room. “Mom. Please!” he shouted again, but no one answered. In every room he looked, it was the same – scattered clothes, broken mirrors, and silence—a deafening silence that rang louder than the sound of his own shallow breathing.

If he took the stairs at lightning speed to make it to the second floor, an age could have passed during his descent. The entire house consisted of three bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a small open dining area that you could see clearly from the front door. As he walked down the steps, he knew there was only one room left to check. His mind was frozen on what to hope for as his hand reached the end of the banister. If she wasn’t in the kitchen, she might have been taken, but at least there was a chance she was still alive. If she was in the kitchen, it was unthinkable.

Lilli’s words came to him just as he rounded the doorway to the kitchen.

“No, you go. I can’t see it again.”He found his mother sitting with her feet planted on the floor, shoulder width apart, bright eyes open and cast to the ceiling, with a hole blown through the middle of her chest.

 

 

 

Cerece Rennie Murphy fell in love with science fiction at the age of seven, watching “Empire Strikes Back” at the Uptown Theater in Washington, D.C., with her sister and mom. It’s a love affair that has grown ever since. As an ardent fan of John Donne, Alice Walker, Kurt Vonnegut and Alexander Pope from an early age, Cerece began exploring her own creative writing through poetry. She earned her master’s degrees in social work and international relations at Boston College and Johns Hopkins School for Advance International Studies, respectively, and built a rewarding 15-year career in program development, management and fundraising in the community and international development arenas – all while appreciating the stories of human connection told in science fiction through works like Octavia Butler’s “Wild Seed,” Frank Herbert’s “Dune” and “The X-Files.” In 2011, Cerece experienced her own supernatural event – a vision of her first science fiction story. Shortly after, she began developing and writing what would become the “Order of the Seers” trilogy. Cerece lives just outside of her hometown of Washington, D.C., with her husband, two children and the family dog, Yoda.

For more information, follow Cerece at http://www.cerecerenniemurphy.com

Connect with Cerece Rennie Murphy – WebsiteBlogFacebook | TwitterGoodreads

 

 

Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE

 

http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2014/09/21/pump-up-your-book-tours-presents-order-of-the-seers-trilogy-virtual-book-tour/



puyblogo

@Eyes_on_Books Tour: “Dakota Skies” by @TaylinClavelli #LGBT #Excerpt

FB Cover

Title: Dakota Skies

Authors: Taylin Clavelli

Pages: 359

Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

Synopsis

Born in the wrong time…

In 1875 Dakota, Sheriff Jamie Carter has to hide his interest in men, even from his gutsy twin sister, Anna. On a good day, the truth can mean a bullet between the eyes, and on a bad, one in the back.

A man on a mission…

Jamie leaves Anna in charge of Blackrock and he hits the bounty hunting trail, along with his faithful equine companion, Houston. Five territories, scores of ‘Wanted’ posters, and many bullets later, his path unexpectedly converges with that of enigmatic loner, Kit Brooks.

Two men with one soul…

Will the smoldering fire between them rage into an inferno and break down protective barriers, allowing them to find love? Or will it separate and kill them?

Beneath Dakota skies…

Jamie and Kit’s story is a sweeping saga of cowboys, Indians, persistent broads, and vengeful villains, where the cowboys aren’t always the good guys, and love can’t be taken for granted.

 

dakota skies

Book Trailer: 

http://youtu.be/63nJgZNMJGg

DSMapPicture

Excerpt

Lila skipped over, eating something big and orange. Her nose was already twitching at the smell. Carrots were a major thing in town. When they came in via the big boats, Mr. Miller always bought as many as his storerooms could handle. Jay wondered for a moment how such a small thing managed to sink her teeth into one.

Maybe her mouth is the strongest part of her, considering she rarely stops talking.

Leading Houston to his stall, Jay hoped to escape. Unfortunately, Lila followed and just… didn’t… shut… up.

“I heard you were back, where have you been? You’ve been gone for so long. You didn’t say good-bye, and I’ve been worried sick. Anna never did give me an explanation.”

Anna scowled, backing it up with a growl. “Probably ‘cause it weren’t none of your business, and it’s Sheriff Carter to you,” she spat.

Anna’s reply only momentarily interrupted Lila.

“Humph, anyway, I’m glad you’re back. You’ll have to come over for afternoon tea. Mother will be so pleased to see you, and I’m free today.”

The girl never took a breath. Jay hoped the gods would be kind and let her keel over from lack of air.

No such luck.

If he’d considered her annoying before, it was nothing to what she’d become—unbearable. While she screeched, Jay released Houston and closed the door to his stall.

Lila was between Jay and freedom. Each time he moved to walk around her, his exit was blocked. All the time Lila bounced on the spot, spouting off at a pace that made her words roll into one. Dangerously, as her mouth constantly moved, so did her hands. She waved her carrot perilously close to Houston’s head as it hung over the gate. Jay could see him following its movements, waiting for the opportune moment.

Houston’s big weakness was apples. Jay could never let him loose in an orchard. He’d get drunk on the juice that would fester in his stomach. Carrots were next in line.

Lila’s animated actions came to a stop as she waited for Jay’s answer, though he’d lost track of what the question was. The carrot dangling in Lila’s hand was under Houston’s nose. The moment arrived and the horse made his move. In one swoop, he gobbled it easily from her clutches. Her shriek caused all the horses to shuffle to the back of their enclosures.

When she noticed everyone doubled over with laughter—including Joseph—tiny Lila became enraged. She didn’t see the funny side of it. Instead, she stormed off, waving her arms, muttering to herself.

To the trio’s surprise, she shortly returned with a gun and aimed it at Houston. Merriment abruptly stopped as the shock of what she was about to do took root. Thankfully, the weapon was too big for Lila’s small hands; she was having trouble cocking it. With rage contorting her face, and her tongue between her teeth, she concentrated on pulling back the hammer for a few seconds. She completed her task, then refocused her aim.

Buy Links

WIP | Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N

 

About the Author:

Taylin Clavelli lives in the United Kingdom, about 15 miles south of Birmingham, and a short journey from the world famous Cadbury’s Chocolate factory. She’s married with children and loves her family with all her heart.

Her love of books has been a long standing affair, with Taylin liking nothing better than to lose herself in an imaginary world.

Until she met Lily Velden, she never considered trying her hand at writing. However, after talking ideas, Lily encouraged her to put pen to paper—or rather, fingers to keyboard. Since, with a few virtual kicks in the right place, she hasn’t stopped. Her confidence eventually led to her writing an original work for submission.

Her first published work was Boys, Toys, and Carpet Fitters, developed for the Dreamspinner Press Anthology – Don’t Try This At Home.

Now she absolutely adores immersing herself into the characters she creates, and transferring the pictures in her brain to paper, finding it liberating, therapeutic, and wonderful.

Outside of writing, her interests include; martial arts (she’s a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Taekwon-do), horse-riding, all of which facilitates her love of a wide variety of movies. Her action heroes include Jet Li and Tony Jaa—finding the dedication these men have for their art combined with their skill both amazing and a privilege to watch. If pressed, she’ll admit to thinking that the screen entrance of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean – Curse of the Black Pearl, and Shadowfax in LOTR, to be the greatest screen entrances ever. Her all-time favorite movies are Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.

The simple things in life that make her day, putting a smile on her face are:

Laughter – especially that of her children.

The smell of lasagna cooking – it makes her mouth salivate.

The dawn chorus – no symphony ever written can beat the waking greetings of the birds.

 

Social Media Links

Website: http://www.taylinclavelli.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005234535413

Twitter: https://twitter.com/taylinclavelli

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

@MyFamHrtBookRvw Tour: “Night Magic” by @SusanSquires #Paranormal #Romance

Night Magic - Tour Banner

 Welcome to Moonbeams over Atlanta, the last day of the blog tour for Night Magic by Susan Squires!

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Night Magic
SERIES – Magic Series
AUTHOR – Susan Squires
GENRE – Contemporary Paranormal Romance
PUBLICATION DATE – September 8, 2014
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 374 pages, 110,000 words (including excerpt from next book)
PUBLISHER – Susan Squires
COVER ARTIST – Rebecca Poole – Dreams2Media

 

Night-Magic-eBook-Full-resolution

 

BOOK SYNOPSIS

DESTINY ISN’T CALLING. Kemble Tremaine is thirty-seven. He knows he’ll never get magic like the rest of his family. The Merlin gene has passed him by. No true love, no magic power to help the family in their fight against the descendants of Morgan Le Fay. Since it doesn’t matter who he marries, he asks his sister’s best friend, Jane. At least he’ll be rescuing her from a horrible home life.

CINDERELLA MISSES THE BALL. Jane Butler has loved Kemble since she was twelve years old. She’s well aware he’s not marrying her for love, but she hopes she can make him comfortable.

HAPPINESS IS RELATIVE. Comfort isn’t on the menu for the Tremaines. Kemble’s sister has been having visions of tragedy. The family finds one of Merlin’s precious artifacts, meant to increase the power of those with magic. Morgan and her Clan want it too. They can’t be far behind. Can Kemble and Jane find destiny in the face of danger and even death?

 

BUY & TBR LINKS

AMAZON KINDLE USAMAZON KINDLE CAAMAZON KINDLE UK
AMAZON PAPERBACKSMASHWORDSITUNESGOODREADS

 

Night-Magic-Createspace Promo Image.

 

EXCERPT

Kemble strode around the car without a word, got behind the wheel and slammed the door. His lips were a thin, determined line. Then he seemed to see her for the first time. “Jane, that…that cheek looks really painful.” His face contorted with an angry look. “I should have been over here first thing this morning.” He was angry with himself, of course.
“I could have gone to the doctor if I needed to, you know,” she said.
He snorted. “You never want anything for yourself, Jane. I’ll take care of that too.”
What did he mean by that? The motor purred to life and Kemble put his arm over the back of her seat to turn and look out the rear window as he backed out. His fingers brushed her shoulder. She closed her eyes as the sensation shot up her spine. Did he have to be so careless?
As they turned onto Palos Verdes West she glanced over to him. He was fairly vibrating with…nervous tension? Determination? She couldn’t quite figure it out. He surprised her by sliding into the little shopping center behind the Admiral Risty, an old-school, red-booth dinner place with a wide-water view of the Pacific. “Aren’t you going to be late for dinner at home?”
“Yes, I am.” He nodded his head convulsively. The man was sweating.
“You want to loosen the tie or something?” He really looked like he was about to choke.
“No.” He took a big breath and let it out slowly. Then he turned to her. “I have something I want to ask you, Jane. And I don’t want you to say anything until I’m done explaining.”
“Uh. Okay.” Jane was getting a very bad feeling about this. It was going to be something about what he wanted to do with her mother. She just knew it. And she wouldn’t be able to accept his largesse, so he’d try to bully her into it.
He looked out over the parked cars. “I’m never going to get magic. I talked to Senior and he agrees. We think the gene is recessive in me. I’ve known it for a while.”
She started to protest, but he held up a hand. It was shaking a little. That stopped her far more effectively than anything he could have said. He wasn’t the kind of guy to tremble.
“So.” He acted as though that settled everything. “So he agrees that I ought to get on with my life. Settle down. And if I’m not waiting for the bolt of lightning, well, then I can marry whomever I want. So I’m asking you.”
Jane felt like she’d been struck deaf, dumb and blind by that lightning bolt. Kemble was… asking her to… marry him? After all these years, he’d realized he loved her…
“Now don’t say no,” he rushed on. “Just because we’re not in love doesn’t mean this can’t work out. You need a refuge Jane, and if we marry, I can give that to you.”
Jane carefully shut her mouth, though that didn’t mean she could breathe.
Kemble looked down at his hands, still on the steering wheel. “The family already loves you. And I’ll make sure your mother is taken care of. Enough money cures everything, Jane, and if it’s one thing I have, it’s money.” His eyes were so earnest it might break her heart.
He’d given up. So he might as well marry her. Something heavy sat on her chest.
He got an anxious look. “So…uh…what do you think?”
She hardly trusted herself to speak.
“Oh. Wait.” He lifted his hips to get his hand into the pocket of his slacks, and drew out a small square velveteen box. It said the name of the department store at the top of the hill on the bottom. He fumbled with it until he got it right side up and popped it open. A diamond ring gleamed in the rosy light of the setting sun. The setting was simple, just a band with three medium diamonds set in it. They glinted in the afternoon light.
“I didn’t think you’d want one of those big diamonds that are always catching on everything. These… these are nice stones though.” He cleared his throat.
It was actually just the kind of ring she would want the man she loved to give her. But not like this. She took a breath. “Kemble, you don’t want to marry me.” It took all the courage she had to speak those words.
“But I do,” he protested. “You’re perfect. You’re smart. You’re a calming influence on the family, especially the younger ones.” His voice softened. “And marrying me will give you a place, Jane. Let me take care of you.”
She couldn’t marry Kemble when he didn’t love her. That would be too selfish.
He put the box with the ring on the dashboard and took both her hands in his larger ones. After the shock that went straight to her groin and the points of her breasts, what she noticed was that the warmth, the slight moisture born of his anxiety, enveloped her with his inherent goodness. She felt…maybe not loved, but at least treasured. “I need you, Jane,” he said. “And I think you need me too. Sometimes life just provides solutions we aren’t expecting.”
The words were simple, spoken from his heart. He needed her. It was the one ploy that might get her to agree to this. She couldn’t bear how unhappy he’d been lately. Maybe this solution freed him from the razor-sharp pain of wondering if magic would ever happen for him, thinking he’d never be good enough. She wanted to believe that, because suddenly, she wanted to throw all sense and caution off the cliffs at the Breakers and accept him. Married to Kemble Tremaine, just as she’d dreamed since she was fourteen. A real member of the Tremaine family, with a right to make tira misu for their dinner or cut fresh flowers for the table.
There was another problem. “What if you find your destined love after we’re married?”
“Never going to happen.” He shrugged as though it didn’t matter to him. But in his blue eyes she saw that it did. He wasn’t over mourning his loss yet.
But maybe someday he could be. Maybe time would heal his regret. Maybe they could have something together, if not true love, then companionship, respect. That was more than she was like to have any other way. “You have to promise me something, Kemble Tremaine.”
“Anything.”
He didn’t mean that, of course. He couldn’t give her the one thing she really wanted. And God, he was so close to her, he was overwhelming any sense she had at all.
“Promise that if you ever do find the one really meant for you, you’ll tell me. I’ll set you free the next moment with no regrets.” Well, none she wouldn’t have anyway, whether she married him or not. She’d always regret he didn’t love her.
His brows drew together sharply. He really hadn’t thought this out, had he?
Finally he nodded. “Okay.” He cleared his throat. “Does that mean you will do me the honor of being my wife?”
God help her. She nodded.

Night-Magic-3D-Promo

AUTHOR BIO

NYT Bestselling author Susan Squires published twenty-two novels and novellas with Dorchester Publishing and St. Martin’s Press, as well as self-publishing her new Magic Series. She’s won the Golden Heart and the Holt Medallion, been a finalist in the Rita contest and garnered several Reviewer’s Choice awards from Romantic Times BookReviews. Publisher’s Weekly named Body Electric one of the most influential mass-market books and One with the Shadows a Best Book of Year. She lives at the beach in Southern California with her husband, who is also a writer, and two Belgian Sheepdogs who help her by laying their chins on the keyboardddddddd.

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

WEBSITE / BLOGFACEBOOKTWITTERGOOGLE+

TOUR GIVEAWAY

$25 Amazon Giftcard

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This tour has been organized by
1-MINIBUTTON

@MyFamHrtBookRvw Tour: “Night Magic” by @SusanSquires #Paranormal

Night Magic - Tour Banner

 

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Night Magic
SERIES – Magic Series
AUTHOR – Susan Squires
GENRE – Contemporary Paranormal Romance
PUBLICATION DATE – September 8, 2014
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 374 pages, 110,000 words (including excerpt from next book)
PUBLISHER – Susan Squires
COVER ARTIST – Rebecca Poole – Dreams2Media

 

Night-Magic-eBook-Full-resolution

 

BOOK SYNOPSIS

DESTINY ISN’T CALLING. Kemble Tremaine is thirty-seven. He knows he’ll never get magic like the rest of his family. The Merlin gene has passed him by. No true love, no magic power to help the family in their fight against the descendants of Morgan Le Fay. Since it doesn’t matter who he marries, he asks his sister’s best friend, Jane. At least he’ll be rescuing her from a horrible home life.

CINDERELLA MISSES THE BALL. Jane Butler has loved Kemble since she was twelve years old. She’s well aware he’s not marrying her for love, but she hopes she can make him comfortable.

HAPPINESS IS RELATIVE. Comfort isn’t on the menu for the Tremaines. Kemble’s sister has been having visions of tragedy. The family finds one of Merlin’s precious artifacts, meant to increase the power of those with magic. Morgan and her Clan want it too. They can’t be far behind. Can Kemble and Jane find destiny in the face of danger and even death?

 

BUY & TBR LINKS

AMAZON KINDLE USAMAZON KINDLE CAAMAZON KINDLE UK
AMAZON PAPERBACKSMASHWORDSITUNESGOODREADS

 

Night-Magic-Createspace Promo Image.

 

EXCERPT

Kemble strode around the car without a word, got behind the wheel and slammed the door. His lips were a thin, determined line. Then he seemed to see her for the first time. “Jane, that…that cheek looks really painful.” His face contorted with an angry look. “I should have been over here first thing this morning.” He was angry with himself, of course.
“I could have gone to the doctor if I needed to, you know,” she said.
He snorted. “You never want anything for yourself, Jane. I’ll take care of that too.”
What did he mean by that? The motor purred to life and Kemble put his arm over the back of her seat to turn and look out the rear window as he backed out. His fingers brushed her shoulder. She closed her eyes as the sensation shot up her spine. Did he have to be so careless?
As they turned onto Palos Verdes West she glanced over to him. He was fairly vibrating with…nervous tension? Determination? She couldn’t quite figure it out. He surprised her by sliding into the little shopping center behind the Admiral Risty, an old-school, red-booth dinner place with a wide-water view of the Pacific. “Aren’t you going to be late for dinner at home?”
“Yes, I am.” He nodded his head convulsively. The man was sweating.
“You want to loosen the tie or something?” He really looked like he was about to choke.
“No.” He took a big breath and let it out slowly. Then he turned to her. “I have something I want to ask you, Jane. And I don’t want you to say anything until I’m done explaining.”
“Uh. Okay.” Jane was getting a very bad feeling about this. It was going to be something about what he wanted to do with her mother. She just knew it. And she wouldn’t be able to accept his largesse, so he’d try to bully her into it.
He looked out over the parked cars. “I’m never going to get magic. I talked to Senior and he agrees. We think the gene is recessive in me. I’ve known it for a while.”
She started to protest, but he held up a hand. It was shaking a little. That stopped her far more effectively than anything he could have said. He wasn’t the kind of guy to tremble.
“So.” He acted as though that settled everything. “So he agrees that I ought to get on with my life. Settle down. And if I’m not waiting for the bolt of lightning, well, then I can marry whomever I want. So I’m asking you.”
Jane felt like she’d been struck deaf, dumb and blind by that lightning bolt. Kemble was… asking her to… marry him? After all these years, he’d realized he loved her…
“Now don’t say no,” he rushed on. “Just because we’re not in love doesn’t mean this can’t work out. You need a refuge Jane, and if we marry, I can give that to you.”
Jane carefully shut her mouth, though that didn’t mean she could breathe.
Kemble looked down at his hands, still on the steering wheel. “The family already loves you. And I’ll make sure your mother is taken care of. Enough money cures everything, Jane, and if it’s one thing I have, it’s money.” His eyes were so earnest it might break her heart.
He’d given up. So he might as well marry her. Something heavy sat on her chest.
He got an anxious look. “So…uh…what do you think?”
She hardly trusted herself to speak.
“Oh. Wait.” He lifted his hips to get his hand into the pocket of his slacks, and drew out a small square velveteen box. It said the name of the department store at the top of the hill on the bottom. He fumbled with it until he got it right side up and popped it open. A diamond ring gleamed in the rosy light of the setting sun. The setting was simple, just a band with three medium diamonds set in it. They glinted in the afternoon light.
“I didn’t think you’d want one of those big diamonds that are always catching on everything. These… these are nice stones though.” He cleared his throat.
It was actually just the kind of ring she would want the man she loved to give her. But not like this. She took a breath. “Kemble, you don’t want to marry me.” It took all the courage she had to speak those words.
“But I do,” he protested. “You’re perfect. You’re smart. You’re a calming influence on the family, especially the younger ones.” His voice softened. “And marrying me will give you a place, Jane. Let me take care of you.”
She couldn’t marry Kemble when he didn’t love her. That would be too selfish.
He put the box with the ring on the dashboard and took both her hands in his larger ones. After the shock that went straight to her groin and the points of her breasts, what she noticed was that the warmth, the slight moisture born of his anxiety, enveloped her with his inherent goodness. She felt…maybe not loved, but at least treasured. “I need you, Jane,” he said. “And I think you need me too. Sometimes life just provides solutions we aren’t expecting.”
The words were simple, spoken from his heart. He needed her. It was the one ploy that might get her to agree to this. She couldn’t bear how unhappy he’d been lately. Maybe this solution freed him from the razor-sharp pain of wondering if magic would ever happen for him, thinking he’d never be good enough. She wanted to believe that, because suddenly, she wanted to throw all sense and caution off the cliffs at the Breakers and accept him. Married to Kemble Tremaine, just as she’d dreamed since she was fourteen. A real member of the Tremaine family, with a right to make tira misu for their dinner or cut fresh flowers for the table.
There was another problem. “What if you find your destined love after we’re married?”
“Never going to happen.” He shrugged as though it didn’t matter to him. But in his blue eyes she saw that it did. He wasn’t over mourning his loss yet.
But maybe someday he could be. Maybe time would heal his regret. Maybe they could have something together, if not true love, then companionship, respect. That was more than she was like to have any other way. “You have to promise me something, Kemble Tremaine.”
“Anything.”
He didn’t mean that, of course. He couldn’t give her the one thing she really wanted. And God, he was so close to her, he was overwhelming any sense she had at all.
“Promise that if you ever do find the one really meant for you, you’ll tell me. I’ll set you free the next moment with no regrets.” Well, none she wouldn’t have anyway, whether she married him or not. She’d always regret he didn’t love her.
His brows drew together sharply. He really hadn’t thought this out, had he?
Finally he nodded. “Okay.” He cleared his throat. “Does that mean you will do me the honor of being my wife?”
God help her. She nodded.

Night-Magic-3D-Promo

AUTHOR BIO

NYT Bestselling author Susan Squires published twenty-two novels and novellas with Dorchester Publishing and St. Martin’s Press, as well as self-publishing her new Magic Series. She’s won the Golden Heart and the Holt Medallion, been a finalist in the Rita contest and garnered several Reviewer’s Choice awards from Romantic Times BookReviews. Publisher’s Weekly named Body Electric one of the most influential mass-market books and One with the Shadows a Best Book of Year. She lives at the beach in Southern California with her husband, who is also a writer, and two Belgian Sheepdogs who help her by laying their chins on the keyboardddddddd.

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

WEBSITE / BLOGFACEBOOKTWITTERGOOGLE+

TOUR GIVEAWAY

$25 Amazon Giftcard

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This tour has been organized by
1-MINIBUTTON

@Eyes_on_Books Tour: “Crimson Ties” by @VenusMoon5 & @JTCheyanne #review #LGBT #Excerpt

Crimson Ties Blog Tour

Title: Crimson Ties

Authors: VL Moon and JT Cheyanne

Series: Crimson Nights Saga, book #2

Pages: 794

Synopsis

Not everything in Heaven is as holy as it seems… 

 

In Crimson Ties, the second installment of the Crimson Nights Saga, Laziel is nowhere to be found, and with the ferocity of Malachi Denali’s vampiric temperament growing out of control, Rome’s Vatican enclave and those that dwell there risk everything to keep their King’s throne out of Darklon De Sangue’s treacherous hands.

As Darklon’s mental state deteriorates, his treasonous plans to overthrow Malachi know no bounds. With Arial dancing upon a deadly double-edged sword and working to gain Darklon’s trust, this continuing saga keeps everyone on tenterhooks as new treaties are strengthened and friendships are forged by oaths and blood.

Will Laziel return in time to save Malachi from those that threaten the male he loves, or will the fury of Malachi’s distain for emotion see Laziel ascend if he refuses to accept the hand that destiny has dealt him and the gift of his angel’s love?

With emotions running high, and Malachi’s past turning up to haunt them both in the form of the mysterious Vischeral Bourne, the twists and turns may prove too much for Laziel and his vampire. While Malachi and Laziel struggle with fate, an alliance with the wolves and the secrets behind the Nephilim and their sadistic Queen threaten to rock the very foundations of the supernatural world.

Who knows what ties will bind and which will fade away.

With a high element of supernatural romance and erotic sexcapades between male lovers, Crimson Ties may not be to some people’s taste, but for those brave enough to step into the wicked world of Laz and Lachi, we hope that you will read and thoroughly enjoy…

 

Crimson Ties

The Review:

Thank you to the authors and Eyes on Books for providing the ebooks (Crimson Ties and Crimson Reign, book 1 in the saga) for this review.  I thoroughly enjoyed them. 🙂

5 Stars

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I am a paranormal junkie and love vampires and werewolves in my fiction, especially when together.  I do have to be in the mood for it, so was down to the wire to read two books since this is a series.  I hadn’t read Crimson Reign yet, either. ‘Lo and behold, it was four days before my tour stop and I hadn’t read the first page on the first book yet.

I read both books for a total of about 800 pages (give or take because of my Nook) within two days. Yeah, I stayed up several nights reading them. 🙂

They were that good that I had to finish them.  Moon and Cheyanne weave an intricate pattern between many secondary characters, both male and female, not just Laziel or Malachi, or Laz and Lachi, as they call each other.  You are given a glimpse into the lives of eight intermingled people by Crimson Ties, interwoven from many perspectives to build a world I wanted to sink into, and did.  It was wonderful.   It was complex, complicated, romantic relationships that everyone, and I mean everyone, can relate to.  It does have different perspectives, but I like seeing and feeling the different characters as they live.  It’s a more realistic fantastical world that makes you want to read more.  You will have to read Crimson Reign first if you have not read it before reading Crimson Ties.  It cannot be read out of order.  Now I have to wait for the next one. *sigh*

By the way, Crimson Ties does end on a pretty good cliffhanger but enough of a HFN is mentioned that I don’t mind all that much.  Much. Now I really wish next book was out.

I give Crimson Ties 5 out 5 stars.

Eloreen

Excerpt

Pungent steam rose from the long feral snout of the snarling wolf. Copi shuddered, cold dread slithered over his blood soaked flesh. He released a slow tortured moan as his body, racked by intolerable injuries shivered from the deathly cold of the Alaskan wind. Copi stilled when the wolf’s salivating mouth opened wide showing long glistening rows of razor sharp teeth. It snarled; a guttural growl that rumbled forth from its huge barreled chest to rent its own fury into the cold. It howled long and triumphantly at the capture and despair of his latest victim.

 

Fighting hard against the pain of each fracturing breath, Copi strove to thwart the oncoming attack. He clawed hard with his unbroken arm, aiming for the eyes of the looming beast. Its huge snapping teeth missed his face and gifted Copi the chance to retaliate. Pushing down the overwhelming pain of broken bones and the excruciating inability to breathe, Copi grabbed onto the wolf’s thick neck and bit down hard, tearing through the grizzly fur coated ear with a blood curdling cry. 


Blood pooled in Copi’s mouth, thick, acrid and decisively foul. Copi immediately regurgitated, spilling the stank remnants from his bloodstained mouth only to be dragged further from the truck, and then thrown with ease by the prowling angered wolf.
Turning to face Copi, the wolf’s eyes glowed a bone chilling, menacing red. It lunged, pinning Copi to the cold hard earth. Serrated canine fangs worked to sever bone and flesh, thrashing him from side to side and ripping and shredding again and again until all Copi could do was wait and wish for the horrific end of his painful death. 


Warm thick blood rose in his mouth, chocking off his air supply. Copi’s vision became a surreal and unnatural hazy shade of crimson. Only the memory of the ebony black well of Vischeral’s glare soothed away the tendrils of a slow encroaching death, warming his last memory of the male he would never know. Vischeral.

Copyright © JT Cheyanne & VL Moon

Buy Links

Amazon | Amazon UK | Smashwords | ARe

Book #1 Crimson Reign

Synopsis

A pulse of light preceded the gift of life breathed into the coldest and darkest of souls. Bathed in the glow of celestial love and swathed in a blanket of black satin wings nestled a king among kings, a vampire born to destroy the decay threatening to eradicate the race he was destined to save.

An angelic heart torn by yearning, suffering and pain throbbed to the rhythm of the life he created; a life prophesied in the scriptures by the Creator’s own hand. A vow of servitude given in blood sealed the fate of a Seraphim’s heart and tied it eternally to the creation he craves, protects…loves.

Ancient treaties are lost and reborn, rising from the ashes as the Nephilim ravage the vampire race. The deviant desire that soared in Malachi Denali’s blood threatens to bring Rome to its knees when Malachi’s world, his soul and his heart are brutally shattered and torn apart.

Will purity born of an angel’s love be enough to calm the savage mind of Malachi Denali? Or will Laziel be doomed to a life of purgatory for loving the life he was gifted to create…

This is not a HEA, or even a HFN….Who knows what will happen to seal their fate…only time will tell. Vampires, angels, demons and wolves together with love, betrayal, sadness and yearning make up the ongoing story that is…

Crimson Reign

Buy Links:

AmazonAmazon UKSmashwords | ARe

About the authors

Laz and Lachi Publications is the combined writing team of J.T. Cheyanne and V.L. Moon. The two met in 2010, fell hard and fast for each other and married in April 2014. They write both independently and together in the gay erotica and gay paranormal genres. They also have a couple of contemporary romance novels under their belt.

Social media links

Our joint page

https://www.facebook.com/LazLachibooks

Website

http://www.lazandlachi.com/

JT Cheyanne

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jtcheyannestories

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JTCheyanne

VL Moon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VenusMoonstories

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VenusMoon5

Giveaway

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@pumpupyourbook Tour: “Slow Satisfaction” by @ceciliatan #PUYB #VBT

Slow Satisfaction Banner
Please welcome to Moonbeams over Atlanta, Cecilia Tan, author of Slow Satisfaction on tour here today.  I present a topic that is always interesting to learn about an author… “Five Things You Wouldn’t Know About Cecilia Tan”
I’ve been ask to tell you five things you don’t already know about me. Since I’ve been publishing since 1992, speaking at conventions and bookstores just as long, and blogging since 1996, it was tricky to try to come up with thing I haven’t written about in public before! But I think I came up with a few good ones.
1. You already know I’m into BDSM since if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have written a book like Slow Satisfaction. (My first book was calledTelepaths Don’t Need Safewords, after all!) But what you don’t know is that the first lover to spank me was a cute guy from Connecticut who was in a theater troupe with me. I had recently graduated college; he still had one more year. Neither of us had ever done anything like it before and we knew nothing about it other than I had read in a magazine once that if you started out spanking lightly you could work up to spanking harder. He spanked me during sex and afterward asked me how it made me feel. I think he thought I was going to say “naughty” or “slutty.” What I said was, “Alive!”
2. You already know I’m into writing rock stars in my books. Both Slow Satisfaction and Daron’s Guitar Chronicles have rock star heroes. What you probably don’t know is that when I was in high school I worked at WPLJ Radio in New York City, and after I graduated college and moved to Boston, I managed a rock band called Sexploitation. I also play several musical instruments myself, or used to, including the tuba, the clarinet, the guitar, the Irish flute, and the mandolin.
3. If you follow my Instagram you know I love cats. What you don’t know is that when I was a child I tried so hard to be creative with the name for my first cat. I was five or six and he was the runt of the litter. I tried calling him “Dynamite.” I tried “Jason.” I tried a new name every few hours for several days but none of them fit! It was my first case of writer’s block! My mother insisted I pick something. The only thing that really fit was “Kitty,” as in “Here Kitty, Kitty.” So Kitty it was.
4. You probably know that I’ve been writing erotica and BDSM for over 20 years. What you don’t know is that early in my career I wrote a Penthouse Letter. Penthouse Letters were dirty “true story” letters that were actually written by professional erotica writers but made to seem like they really happened. Mine involved dominating a hot punk boy in my Chevy Camaro and it was published in the Penthouse Variations magazine. What no one knew–including the editor at Penthouse–is that it was actually a true story.
5. Here’s one more that ties back to Slow Satisfaction, the new book that just came out. It’s not a secret that I put a lot of my life experiences into my books. But sometimes things I invent as fiction later come true in my real life. What no one knows is which of Karina’s experiences do I hope will come true…? I hope on my next trip to Las Vegas I’ll travel with someone brave enough to recreate the “Bellagio fountain” scene with me. If you haven’t read the book yet, I won’t tell you what happens, but let’s just say what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
And now… more information about Slow Satisfaction

TitleSlow Satisfaction

Author: Cecilia Tan

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing / Forever / Hachette

Publication Date: August 26, 2014

Pages: 336

ISBN: 978-1455529285

Genre: Erotic Romance / BDSM Billionaire

Format: Paperback and eBook

The sizzling conclusion of the Struck by Lightning trilogy! The story that began with the RT Award-winning Slow Surrender finally brings us all satisfaction. James has finally pushed Karina beyond her limit–not her limit for kinky sex play, but for his extreme secrecy. She has had enough and breaks things off.

But James won’t give up on Karina and he will do whatever it takes to get her back. He’s ready to share his deepest, darkest secrets, but is Karina ready to hear them? When James is blackmailed by an unscrupulous music industry executive, he must give in to unreasonable demands or risk exposure of his and Karina’s secret sex life… a sex life that keeps getting hotter! Will Karina and James’s love be strong enough to withstand the many obstacles being thrown their way?

Purchase The Book – Amazon B&NAppleKoboIndieboundGoodreads 

Book Excerpt: 

James’s eyes were serious, even as his face and body were relaxed and languid post-orgasm. “Did I convince you to give me another chance?”

 

I considered. “You at least earned the chance to tell me what I don’t know.”

 

He took my hand in his, like he had so many times before. This time he kissed my fingertips, his eyes closing as he did. “I have a lot to tell you. More than any single interrogation might reveal.”

 

I squeezed his hand. “I shouldn’t have to interrogate you for the answers.”

 

He sucked in a breath. “No. Of course you shouldn’t. There’s so much I need to tell you if you’re really going to get to know me.” He reached up and traced the curve of my cheek with his fingertip. “Yet I feel like you know me better than anyone.”

 

“I do know you,” I said. “I just don’t know the facts about you.”

 

His gaze shied away from mine. “Many of the facts are sordid.”

 

“Says the man who put a six-inch dildo into me and walked me around the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”

 

“I mean much more sordid than that.” Now his face had completely clouded over.

 

“I want to know, James. I need to know. I have a right to, if we’re going to be together.”

 

He nodded, though his eyes were closed. “I know. I agree. That still doesn’t make it easy for me to open up.”

 

I raised an eyebrow. “Except during sex.”

 

“As you well know. Were you serious about what you said before? I would sincerely give you a piece of my past for every time you give me…” He kissed my fingertips again. “Anything. Sex. Your body. Your submission.”

 

Even though we’d just had sex, I felt a thrill go through my loins. “I wasn’t suggesting it lightly.”

 

“I want to be sure. Sometimes we say things in the heat of passion that seem less than wise afterward.”

 

“But sometimes we get inspired.” This could be the perfect solution, I realized. “I know the time you’re the most open is when we have sex. That’s the time your answers will be the best. Of course, if we do this, I could still revoke my forgiveness at any time.”

 

“Of course. Just as you can revoke your consent at any time. I understand, Karina. It’s the Thousand and One Nights, only this time I’m Scheherazade, telling the stories.”

 

I touched his face with my fingers, feeling like a weight was slowly lifting from my back. Maybe we were going to make this work after all. The fact that he was willing to try so hard made a huge difference in how I felt. And I wanted him. The part of me that had been needing him and pining for him all summer was quelled by the knowledge we could do this.

 

I sat up and discovered I’d been lying on something. In the dim light I could still recognize what it was. “These look a lot like a pair of panties I used to have.”

 

“That’s because they are.”

 

“You’ve been carrying around my underwear?” I turned to look at him.

 

Lying beside me on the pillow, he wore a familiar expression: serene and a bit bemused. “You left them in the limo once. Did you think I’d throw them away?”

 

“I never really thought about it before.”

 

“If I left a pair of my underwear behind with you, what would you do?”

 

“Yeah, I see your point. I’ve got a handkerchief of yours I keep in the—”

 

His expression changed suddenly, his eyes widening and his lips parting in slight surprise. “That’s it, isn’t it?”

 

I felt myself blush even though I wasn’t keeping anything a secret. “Um, partly anyway. My roommate—”

 

“I know. I met her at the spa that day. Becky. She knew the Lord’s Ladies.”

 

“Yeah. And she got one of the handkerchiefs you threw from the stage at Madison Square Garden. It matched one I got from you.”

 

To my surprise, James smiled. He sat up and kissed me softly. “If I believed in fate, I’d say that was a sign. What are the odds?”

 

“And are they better or worse than the odds of being struck by lightning?”

 

His smile turned into a laugh. “Was that a pun?” In a flash he pulled my legs onto his lap, spanking me playfully several times. I couldn’t help it, it was like being ambushed by tickling. I kicked and giggled and shrieked.

 

I wriggled free, hug-tackled him, and ended up on top of him in the center of the bed, kissing him all over his face. “I’m still mad at you, you know.”

 

“If you say so,” he said. “By the way, I agree with your mother. This is a nice dress.”

 

“She bought it for me today. She wants to meet you.”

 

“What have you told her about me?”

 

“That you’re rich and good-looking which is what she cares about most. My sister wants to meet you, too. They know you’re an art world type but that’s all.” I was coming to my senses a little, now that the intense pleasure of the orgasm was receding and the play-spanking had woken me up. “And if you’d really put the rock star stuff behind you, that’d be all they need to know. But that sounds like a big if.”

 

“A very big if.” He nodded slowly, his face sobering again into his usual mask.

 

That would not do. The biggest question he still hadn’t answered for me was the story of Ferrara Huntington. It was the biggest thing that I thought could still be a deal-breaker and send me out of here a single woman. I leaned down and nuzzled his neck, as if the subject were closed for now. He smelled delicious, igniting all my cravings again. I nibbled behind his ear. He arched under me, his cock not yet ready to harden again, but the rest of him responding just fine. He pulled me down beside him, kissing me back and exploring my neck with his mouth.

 

Hadn’t we just finished having sex? I felt my insides melting again though, my desire rising like a tide. Maybe my body felt we should make up for lost time.

 

Making out was nice and I enjoyed the feeling that we were in no hurry. When had we ever done this, kissed for the sake of kissing? I lost track of time. Minutes ticked by in my haze of affection, pleasure, and relief. Yes. We needed this kind of connection, too. Affection, exploring each other, letting chemistry take over.

 

My hands roamed his back, his sides, his hips, until one of them strayed between his legs and I sucked in a breath as I met the scorching hot stiffness there.

 

There was no reason to wait. There was so much we had to talk about. “You’re ready for more?” I teased.

 

“With you, Karina, I always am.”

 

 

Cecilia Tan is “simply one of the most important writers, editors, and innovators in contemporary American erotic literature,” according to Susie Bright. Her BDSM romance novel Slow Surrender(Hachette/Forever, 2013) won the RT Reviewers Choice Award in Erotic Romance. Tan is the author of many books, including the ground-breaking erotic short story collections Black Feathers(HarperCollins), White Flames (Running Press), and Edge Plays (Circlet Press), and the erotic romances Slow Surrender, Slow Seduction, and Slow Satisfaction (Hachette/Forever), The Prince’s Boy (Circlet Press), The Hot Streak (Riverdale Avenue Books), and the Magic University series (Riverdale Avenue Books). Her short stories have appeared in Ms. Magazine, Nerve, Best American Erotica, Asimov’s Science Fiction, and tons of other places. She was inducted into the Saints & Sinners Hall of Fame for GLBT writers in 2010, was a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Leather Association in 2004, and won the inaugural Rose & Bay Awards for Best Fiction in 2010 for her crowdfunded web fiction serial Daron’s Guitar Chronicles. She lives in the Boston area with her lifelong partner corwin and three cats. Find out more at www.ceciliatan.com.

Connect with Cecilia Tan – Website BlogFacebook | TwitterGoodreads

 

 

 

http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2014/06/17/pump-up-your-book-tours-presents-slow-satisfaction-virtual-book-tour/



puyblogo

@BitnBookPromote Book Tour: “War Kids” by @hjlawson1 #GIVEAWAY #YA

 

 WAR KIDS

By H. J. Lawson

Contemporary/ YA

When fourteen-year-old Jada wakes up in a hospital, the last thing she
thinks is that her life has completely changed forever.
But when the
very real civil war forces her to flee from every open space, she must
use the firearm skills her father taught her to reunite with him and
protect herself.

Armed with a single gun and a key to an unknown
locker, Jada crosses Syria on a journey with a group of children called
the Fearless Freedom Fighters.

With the leader, Zak, they mount a
plan to rescue their fathers while they try to cope with the merciless
murders of their families. As Jada and Zak lead the group together, love
blossoms, but with soldiers hot on their tail, they need to stay
vigilant in the face of war.

~*~

PLAYLIST

 

 

 

~*~

QUOTE

Their Corridor of Death is my Corridor of Freedom. Running from the hospital room, I enter a dark corridor. I hesitantly stretch my arm out to the wall and scrape my fingers down its rough sides. My hands will be my eyes as the walls guide me though the black hole. My heart is racing and I can barely catch my breath.

~*~

AUTHOR BIO

Hayley Lawson

 

 

Hayley Lawson is the author of War Kids. She has written a young
adult contemporary novel set in Syria; a story about the Syrian Civil
war though the eyes of children.She was born in Lancaster,
England. Growing up in a single parent household with five other
siblings; was hard, and also character building.

As a young child she
found a passion for drawing, and continued this into adulthood,
graduating from the University of Central Lancashire, England with a
BA(Hons) in fashion design.

At aged twenty seven, Hayley and her
husband packed up their belongings for a lifelong dream to move to
California. Her America dream was complete with the birth of her
daughter. Her love for traveling, continued after the birth of her
daughter traveling around America with the family, and the best
travelled dog.

A new job positioned opened up New York, and the
family decide to relocate to Long Island, NY, which is where she
currently resides.

On August 21 she was moved by the images of the
Syrian conflict, and embarked on an unlikely journey of writing her
first novel.

GoodreadsOfficial Website | Wattpad | Facebook | Website

~*~

GIVEAWAY

Win one of 10 ecopies as well as a swag bag worth $100!
Swag bag contains: one ladies tote, a signed book and one tablet case.
http://www.theindiejourney.com/giveaway/

 

To enter swag bag giveaway go here or click image. All you have to do is enter your email and the winner will be notified August 21st!
For the ebook giveaway, enter below.
Blitz organized by Bit’N Book Tours
http://bitnbooktours.wix.com/bitn