Friday 30 June 2017

Release Day Blitz: Holden.






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One look at the gorgeous, curvy brunette standing alone at BDSM club Dark Grove Plantation, and I know she’s mine. She thinks that her desires are twisted and wrong, but I intend to show her how good my harsher methods of seduction can feel. It’s in my nature to dominate, to claim. I have every intention of claiming Holly, body and soul. And if her bastard ex tries to come back for her, he’ll find out just how harsh I can be when someone threatens what’s mine.

Note: An earlier version of this story was released under the title Awakened. It has been extensively re-written as Holden.


“Such a sweet sub,” he said, his voice impossibly deep and heavy with satisfaction. The power exchange passing between us was affecting him as strongly as it had ensnared me. My body and mind were utterly in his thrall, and in that moment, I would have eagerly done anything to please the man who held ultimate control over my being.
He slid two fingers between my legs and traced the seam of my sex through my lacy black panties.
“You’re wet,” he observed with a lustful growl. “I knew you’d be like this.”
“Like what?” I asked, barely able to focus on his words. They seemed to roll off my consciousness like water. Reality was hazy, the world falling away until all I could sense was him: his hard body beneath me, his masculine scent surrounding me, his deep voice rumbling through me. I was captivated by the power that pulsed off him. It caressed my body like a physical touch.
“I knew you’d be naturally submissive,” he replied. “I knew you’d be perfect.”
The praise sank into me to warm my chest.
A different warmth bloomed between my legs when he stroked my clit through my panties. I cried out at the light contact to my sensitive nub. It had grown achy from his ministrations; his gentle fingers contrasted with his stinging discipline. He was harsh and tender by turns, and the dichotomy messed with my thought processes.
“Do you want to come, little sub?” he asked, the question rough with his own desire.
“Yes,” I breathed. “Please, Sir.”
He let out a low groan. “Fuck, you’re sweet when you beg.” He lifted his hips slightly, pressing his cock harder against me. “Do you feel that? Do you feel what you do to me?”
“Please,” I begged again, on the edge of sanity. “Fuck me.” I’d never spoken so crassly, but the deviant words came naturally. I wanted him to claim me, to ravage me.
“You’re going to come first,” he said tightly, restraining himself. “You’re going to come so many times that you’ll be begging me for mercy and sobbing my name by the time I’m finished with you.”

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Julia Sykes is the USA Today bestselling author of the Impossible Series. She has always kept dark stories tucked away in her mind, so she was thrilled when she discovered that other people actually want to read them. Her books blend romance, suspense, and BDSM.
After spending four years living in England, Julia returned to her Southern homeland. She has recently settled down in South Carolina and spends her time petting her cat-children, reading, and binge watching TV with her husband when not writing. You can usually find Julia in Starbucks with a venti iced latte clutched in her hand.
Julia loves connecting with readers! Please feel free to contact her on facebook, through twitter, or email her directly at juliasykes193@gmail.com. You can find out more about Julia's current and future projects at julia-sykes.com.
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Thursday 29 June 2017

Review: The Shape of You

The Shape of You The Shape of You by Felice Stevens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m not going to lie – a large part of why I requested this book was because of the title. I instantly started singing Ed Sheeran, and my mind filled with expectations. I know I shouldn’t have equated the two, but such is where my mind headed. In all honesty, I do not consider Shape of You to be Ed Sheeran’s most emotional song – now, due to the emotional depth of this book, I have an all new favourite Shape of You in my mind.

Honestly, this book was wonderful. It is so much more than a simple love story – it’s a story with real depth, a story that hits you deep, and a story that will leave you thinking long after the story is finished.

Body shaming is a horrible aspect of society, and yet it exists in an extreme it shouldn’t. It happens to a lot more people than society is willing to accept. Too fat, too thin, too tall, too short, too pale, too dark – the list goes on. People seem far too happy to pick out faults, and this can lead to many detrimental thought processes. What this book deals with is two different experiences of body shaming. Someone that is considered too fat and someone that is considered too thin – both have issues, both are uncomfortable, and neither are truly happy. What this book works to show, is that happiness comes from within – not from the way society judges you.

I could rant and rave for hours about how wonderfully this issue was dealt with. We get inside the heads of both characters, being given a real insight to both sides of the issue. The prejudices against someone considered too fat and the stereotypes applied to someone considered too thin. We get to see the societal effects, we get to see the personal impact, and we get to see the undertones of body dysphoria that encompasses the minds of many.

Looking at this book solely from the view of a social scientist, viewing it as a wonderful representation of how society treats looks, is all well and good – but the book is so much more than that. Alongside this deep and meaningful insight, we have a wonderful message about learning to love oneself. It’s a wonderful story of acceptance (of both yourself and others), it’s a story of being true to yourself, a story of refusing to be held back, and so many other positive messages that all the happy vibes were firing from me as I read this one.

To make it all the more wonderful, these deep messages are beautifully intertwined with a marvellous story. The romance element is wonderful (it is super sweet when it needs to be, yet hot and heavy at others), the characters are positively amazing, and the writing is wonderful.

I really did fall so in love with our characters. They were both so real – they were flawed, they were complex, and they could easily exist outside the realm of these pages. I loved them both so much, and I adored watching them develop throughout the story. Their interactions were wonderful, and the way they helped each other left me with all the positive vibes. They really were wonderful characters, characters I loved much more than I can explain in a review.

Overall, this one was wonderful. I really could write thousands upon thousands of words upon the beauty of this book, but it’s much better if you jump in and experience the story yourself. It really is a wonderful read.

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Wednesday 28 June 2017

Review: The Hawk In Winter

The Hawk In Winter The Hawk In Winter by Bekah Clark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You know how sometimes you get a book you’re really excited to read, and then life decides to kick you in the nether regions as a means to prevent you from reading said book? Well, such is what happened with The Hawk In Winter. I was super excited to read it, and then life became all kinds of crazy. I kept trying to start, only have something get in my way. Then, when I finally had some free time to read, I was a silly individual who forgot about the book and read some other things. Finally, life saw fit to remind me of the book. I was angry with myself, and quickly worked to amend the issue. The only problem was that I went in having completely forgotten why I was so excited about this book. I knew I was excited for it, yet I went in with zero ideas and no expectations regarding the story.

Whether you go in, as I did, with zero expectations or whether you go in with high hopes, I can assure you that this read is very much worth it. In fact, I’m extremely annoyed with myself for taking so long to read it. I had so much fun, and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the series brings – I’m positive my love for the series is going to grow the more I read.

The Hawk In Winter reminded me of a number of other fantasy novels. I do not mean this in a bad way – very far from it, in fact. I had Game of Throne vibes with some of the events, I had First Law vibes from some of the characters, and other series I have loved were whispering in the back of my mind. Do not mistake such a statement as my way of saying this book is a carbon copy of other books out there – it could not be further from the truth. What I’m trying to say is that this book hits hard in the way some of the big fantasy writers hit hard. It has all you can hope for from such a series: intrigue, revenge, war, deceit, and all the other goodies that leave you well and truly pulled into the story.

I’ll be honest by saying you’re not pulled in straight away. It takes a while for the world building and setting to reach a point where the story is moving forward, but once everything has been set up the story really does move. Whilst there is a lot of action in this one, it also has a lot of the political side to it. You know, all the behind the fighting goodness that leaves us screaming at the characters. You’re never quite sure how things are going to play out, with your feelings towards characters constantly developing (and believe me when I say the constant shifting of emotions is not always positive, such is the effect characters will have on you).

Seriously, though, I was so in love with this one. It quickly became a single sitting read, something that doesn’t always happen with fantasy novels. Often these types of novels require you to take regular breaks, to process what you’re reading, yet I found myself unable to put it down – I was reading page after page, chapter after chapter, needing to know what happens next.

Speaking of what happens next, I cannot wait to see where the series goes from here. There are so many elements I cannot wait to find out more about. I need more of certain characters, I need to know more about the romantic undertones, I need to know more about the world as a whole, and I just need answers in general. I’m addicted; there is no other way to explain it. There is no doubt that I will be reading the next book, and soon. There is no way I will let the next book slip down my to-read list in the way this one did.

Of course, there are certain things I want more of from the next book – I want to know more about the Second House and I want more about the history of the world – but as it stands I’ll be pleased wherever the story goes.

Without a doubt, this book needs a lot more attention. It’s a brilliant start to what promises to be a wonderful series, and I would love to see the book receive the attention it so clearly deserves.

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Release Day Blitz: Just Until Morning.





Amazon














Taking what he wants has never been a second thought for Lincoln Kirk. His empire of private, high stakes poker rooms has brought him everything he thought he wanted in this life. Until it didn’t. The moment the lush, blond pixie burst into his life with her Mae West hips and Judy Garland smile, all bets were off.

Holli Holliday works a poker room like a swan on a still lake. Gliding through life on a hustle is what’s gotten her this far. Her dreams for the future don’t include poker and worrying about back rent, but she needs one more good score before she can take back the reins on her runaway life.

To settle a debt, Lincoln Kirk offers Holli the option of staying with him just until morning. Can one night turn into forever? Or will dangerous plans for starting a new life end one of theirs?


Author’s Note: Toss your chips on the pile because you are in for a long night. This sweet novella will steam your wrinkles flat and have you stacking the deck rooting for these two. It’s love at first sight, straight to the sticky bits with a happily ever after that will leave you swooning.





“Tell me your real name,” I growl.

I bring my hands to her face, settling the fingertips against the pink of her cheeks, dancing them across her skin as if the heat there burns me. Slowly, her own hands hook around my wrists, coming along for the ride, keeping her connection to me as I rub my leg back and forth between hers.

“That’s it?” she whispers. “Tell you my name, and you’ll forgive my marker?” She opens her mouth to continue, but I shift two fingers to cover her lips. I don’t want it so easy.

“That’s only part of it. I have more terms in order to relieve you of the debt completely.”

The blush on her cheeks spreads to her neck and colors her chest as her breath falters. She begins to rock as her hips betray her. Pretending to be simply adjusting herself, she gently sways back and forth against my leg. Her need for the very thing I want is growing as the vibration between us nears the point of no return.

I drop my fingers to pinch her chin as she speaks.

“And what…are your other terms?” Her voice shakes on a lower tone as she barely gets the words out, having to clear her throat mid-sentence.

I lean in, my fingers leaving her lips to push her hair behind her ear. My lips trace down over the roundness of her cheek. I linger there for a moment before sliding to within a hairsbreadth of the corner of her mouth, until I feel her breath stop in anticipation.

“With the first orgasm I give you, you’ll cover my fingers. And when you do, you’ll tell me your first name.” I trade the tenuous connection of our bodies for something more solid, pushing myself against her and leaving no doubt what’s about to happen.

My thigh rubs thick and hard against the heat of her cunt as her fingers tighten into forceps around my wrists. Her weight is balanced on my leg, the toes of her red fuck-me pumps barely touching the floor. Her hip joints open, letting her settle against me. She has no idea what this is doing to me. Seeing the desire in her eyes fuels me.

“With the second orgasm, you’ll fill my mouth. And you’ll tell me your last name.”

A whimper catches in her throat as my mouth comes down to take hers. Her lips open, and I plunge my tongue inside, the first taste of her running through me like wine through a drunkard. I’m done. I need this woman. And not only in my bed.

I need her in my life.







AP  new -about the author.jpg

Dani Wyatt loves her alpha men; make them military, cowboys, MMA -- any uber alpha with a wicked possessive streak and an insatiable libido. Receive a free exclusive unpublished title when you join Dani's private readers group for updates, free chapters and discounts.

She's a 40 something regular lady who just happens to love badass alpha males who pull your hair and love their women with a lethal passion.

When she's not writing (which is not often) she is probably laughing about some irony (like A-1 Steak Sauce is vegan), riding her horse, wondering why The Walking Dead can't have a new episode every night, or looking cross-eyed at some piece of technology sent to ruin her day.
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Tuesday 27 June 2017

Review: Hold Me Captive...Forever

Hold Me Captive...Forever Hold Me Captive...Forever by P.G. Van
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hold Me Captive… Forever is another of those books where I spent a good deal of time deciding whether I was to round my rating up to four stars or whether I was to round it down to three stars. If I’m being honest, it’s one of the hardest debates I have had in a very long time – and even having made my choice, a part of my brain is still arguing that I should have gone for the other option.

You see, there were times when I positively adored this book. However, there were also times where I wasn’t as engaged as I would have liked to be. When it was good, it was really good. When it was sitting in the mediocre territory, I felt as though it pulled the feel of the book down. This, in part, may be a reflection of my reading preferences. I am positive many will adore this book, but for me it wasn’t quite all I had hoped to be.

I’ll start with the best bits, before explaining why I opted to round down.

The book was so addictive. It was a one-sit read – once it pulled me in, I could not put the book down. From the very first page, you’re left wanting the details of how things will play out. It’s a story that wiggles in deep, gripping tight enough to threaten suffocation. I can assure you – you will be addicted to this one.

It’s not just the need to see how the story plays out that will have you addicted – the characters really pull you in. At first, I was a bit unsure. However, as the story progressed I came to really enjoy their interactions. The banter was a lot of fun – not just between our leading characters, but also with the side characters. It was a lot of fun to watch the interactions between the entire cast.

Then, for those who are looking, we have the wonderful steamy scenes. As much as I enjoy steamy scenes, I have a massive love-hate relationship with them. They have to be done right for me to enjoy them. Fortunately, the scenes in this book work in well with the overall story and play a purpose rather than simply being there to play out a fantasy scene for the author (trust me, I’ve read plenty of them and such scenes can totally ruin the flow of a story).

Now for what caused the big ‘how many stars to give’ debate.

First off, it’s the predictability. From the very start, I managed to work out who the bad guy was. I found myself debating a little bit at first – I was questioning whether it would be a Stockholm Syndrome story or whether it would be a case of her captor being the hero making questionable choices – but within a couple of chapters I’d worked it out. I kept expecting to be shocked, for something to convince me that I was wrong and it was all part of some twist I hadn’t worked out, but I managed to work things out with ease. I prefer a lot more guesswork to be involved with my romantic suspense books, hence my disappointment here.

Another element is how I felt as though the characters were a bit all over the place at first. It almost seemed as though a single personality could not be decided upon, which really threw me for a while. I understand the whole hot and cold behaviour, yet this felt like complete personality changes for me. Once the story was flowing, things became solid – but at first I was unsure as to what kind of people I would be dealing with.

Overall, however, I was thoroughly addicted to this one. A large part of me really does want to round up to a four star rating, yet the little voice in the back of my head is saying to stick with the three star rating. That little voice, however, is also telling me to pick up more of the author’s work as there are very clear four-star possibilities to be found.

Well worth the read for those looking for a quick escape.

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Review: Scandal

Scandal Scandal by Athena Grayson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Before I go into a deep review of Scandal, I wish to make a quick point. The three star rating is a rounded down rating. I had a huge internal battle of whether I was going to round my three-point-five star rating up or whether I would round it down. In the end, I opted to round this down. For many, it will be an easy four-star rating, yet I decided to hold off on that four-star rating as I believe book two will easily pull such a rating from me and I have no wish to lessen that potential four star rating through rounding this one up. I’m sure many will consider it strange logic, yet it is how I’ve been working with my ratings as of late.

Scandal is an interesting first book in a new series that promises to grab the attention of many. There are so many possibilities opened up for where this series will head, so many things I wish to see, and I cannot wait to jump into the future books. I have so many questions I need answering. There are so many things I wish to see play out. All in all, it has left me with very high hopes of where the future books will take us. The possibilities seem endless with this one, I dare not make any kind of guesses as to what to expect next.

I’ll be completely honest with you, though – it does take a bit of time to get into this one. For the first couple of chapters I was confused. It took me a while to wrap my head around everything – the characters, the setting, and the events. I knew something was happening, but it took a while before I was able to understand what this was exactly. Due to this, I will offer a warning – hold out with this one. It may take you a while to be pulled in, you may not understand everything straight away, but once things start clicking into place you’re pulled under the spell of the story.

There really is so much going on with this one. Multiple storylines are wonderfully interwoven in this one, taking you on a crazy adventure. One element of the story is pivotal for this book, yet so many different elements are brought in. Everything comes together so well, so many things are introduced, and you just know there is so much goodness to come in the future.

Due to this, a lot of this book is build up. There is plenty of action, a lot of things take place, but you’re left with the feeling that all that takes place in this one is simply a prelude to much larger events to come. There are some goodies to be found in this, yet I solidly believe the glimmers of the future we have been given promise seriously dire events.

Overall, I’m excited to see where this series will take us.

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Blog Tour: Hold Me Captive... Forever.

Hold Me Captive …Forever banner

This is my stop during the blog tour for Hold Me Captive …Forever by P.G. Van. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 26 June till 9 July. See the tour schedule here

Hold Me Captive …ForeverHold Me Captive …Forever
by P.G. Van
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age category: Adult
Release Date: December 13, 2016

Blurb:
Emily wakes up in an unknown place without any memory of how she got there. She was supposed to be on her way to a retreat for two weeks after her boss declares she needs it with her latest flare-ups at work. She forces herself to take the time away from her stressful life in spite of the objection from her friends. The last thing she remembers is being at her high school reunion, and the pain that grips her heart when the guy who broke her heart ten years ago shows up looking annoyingly tempting.

Evan didn’t expect her to almost claw his face off at the reunion, but he was surprised at the way Emily reacts to his presence. He asks himself if he cared enough about his high school sweetheart to find out why she had turned into an angry person.

Follow Emily’s journey as she follows her heart to find the person she wants to be held captive by… forever.


You can find Hold Me Captive …Forever on Goodreads

You can buy Hold Me Captive …Forever here:
- Amazon
- Amazon Paperback

P.G. VanAbout the Author:
P. G. Van lives in San Francisco. She published her first novel of The Pure Destiny Series in October 2015 and cannot stop writing. She loves to spend time with family and is a strong believer of retail therapy (mostly shops for boots and purses!!). She enjoys giving her readers an escape to the world of love and romance.

Books by P.G.Van
- Destiny Decides..
- Destiny Embraces..
- The Evil Twin?
- A Reckless Night
- Hold Me Captive…Forever
- The Marriage Contract

You can find and contact P.G. Van here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- Instagram

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Hold Me Captive …Forever. Five winners will each win an e-copy of The Royal Roommate by P.G. Van.

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday 26 June 2017

Review: At Last

At Last At Last by Cynthia Roberts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

At Last is the fifth song in the Love Sing Standards series, and as with the prior books it was a wonderful read. I’m going to be honest and say it is not my favourite read – Can’t Help Falling In Love holds that title – but it is certainly up there in my top three reads of this series. Now the series is really flowing, it has reached a high that I believe shall remain consistent throughout the books.

Note, although this is book five, it is perfectly fine to read this book as a standalone novel. Each book is a standalone read, there is no reason for you to read them in order, but I would suggest you do so. You can really see how the series develops, you get to experience how the series is growing and finding its footing with each book that is added. Whatever your views on jumping into a series of standalone books, I certainly recommend you jump into this series.

Cant’s Help Falling In Love, book four, had a rather romantic suspense feel to the story. Whilst At Last has some of these elements, it much more in line with the prior books in the series. There is still the suspense and dire situations, yet we tone back somewhat on the horrors our characters face. With this one, we’re once again given a true to life romance. There is hardship, yes, but there are many positive emotions to be found throughout the day-to-day rituals of the characters.

What I really love about this series is how real the characters and storylines are. You do not need a dire situation to find true love – you just need to find that special someone, and that is what this series shows. There are difficulties to face, things will not always run smoothly, yet it is worth it in the end. Such is what this book shows: the fear to be found in everyday life, the troubles face through job choices, and yet there is love shining throughout.

It really is refreshing to see relationships dealt with in this way, especially considering our male lead has a high stress job. Most of the time such a job will lead to over the top events bringing the characters together, but this story simply shows life as it truly is.

Another wonderful addition to the series. Again, I became truly invested in the characters and story, unable to tear myself away until I got to see how everything played out. I cannot wait to see what book six brings.

View all my reviews

Sunday 25 June 2017

Blog Tour: Scandal.

Scandal banner

This is my stop during the blog tour for Scandal by Athena Grayson. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 12 till 25 June. See the tour schedule here.

ScandalScandal (Scions of the Star Empire #1)
By Athena Grayson
Genre: Sci-fi dystopian with romantic elements
Age category: New Adult/ Adult
Release Date: 23 March 2017

Blurb:
They can have anything they want...except a future.

Nothing infuriates Princess Ione Ra more than having someone else take control of her reputation from her, and her old nemesis--gossip journalist Jaris Pulne--is poised to do just that with pilfered pics of her caught in a compromising position with her power-couple partner. As someone who's no stranger to manipulating the markets on her own social life, Ione knows the wrong scandal means social suicide.

For the other half of the power couple, Den Hades, his survival has depended on staying in his powerful father's shadow in order to protect his secrets. But on the very night of his one chance to earn a shot at becoming a Scion--and freedom from his father's ambitions, scandal threatens to tear him from Ione, or worse--force them together before their time.

Damage control turns into danger when their attempts to retrieve the images lead them both into the dark underbelly of the glittering city-planet, exposing secrets of both friends and foes that could lead to more than just social suicide.


You can find Scandal on Goodreads

You can buy Scandal here:
- Amazon
- B&N
- Kobo
- iTunes
- Google Play
- Smashwords
- Books2Read

You can also find all the buy links for this book here on the author's website.


About the Author:
Athena Grayson likes kickass heroines, big-brained and sexy beta heroes who aren't afraid of strong women or their own feelings, and stories that turn the genre tropes sideways. If you're looking for something a little unexpected, a little more, and a lot of fun...this is your kinda place.

You can find and contact Athena here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Amazon
- Goodreads
- Bookbub

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Scandal. These are the prizes you can win:
- 2 paperback copies of Scandal by Athena Grayson (US Only)
- 2 $10 Amazon Gift Cards (International)

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Opaque

Opaque Opaque by Calix Leigh-Reign
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m going to be completely honest – I was unsure about this one at first. The synopsis grabbed me, but when I started reading the book, I feared I was not going to enjoy it. To put it simply, I wasn’t pulled in. I wasn’t enjoying the characters, the story wasn’t moving at the rate I had been expected, and I just wanted more.

Then that ‘more’ hit me – and damn did it hit hard.

I cannot give you an exact page number, an exact sentence, when the change happened – but once the change happened, I could not put the story down. It went from a possible three star rating to a solid four star rating in the blink of the eye, from a story that felt like it would take forever to finish to a single sitting read. In other words, what I’m saying is that you need to give this one a chance. It may not grab you straight away, but I assure you, the story is wonderful once it gets moving.

There’s a lot to take in with this one, the story being extremely rich. We have complex characters – they’re multidimensional, we watch them develop, and they’re more than simply ‘good’ or ‘bad’. We have wonderful world building – a variety of powers, a rich history, and a story that merges in multiple ways. We have a storyline that holds you attention – the individual character storylines, the overall story arc, and the way everything comes together to leave you experiencing a wide mix of emotions throughout.

I honestly cannot begin to express how much my view of this story changed as I continued to read. My love for each new element grew stronger and stronger, leaving me thoroughly addicted to the story. I cannot wait to see where the series heads from here – there are so many possibilities, so many things I wish to find out more about, and I’m positive I will love the future books even more than I came to love this one.

Without a doubt, this one is well worth the read.

View all my reviews

Review: Dark Warrior

Dark Warrior Dark Warrior by Denna Holm
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dark Warrior is a super quick, super fun, read. I’m usually tentative when it comes to stories of this length, yet I adored this one. I really was pulled in, and I would love to see this story result in an amazing series.

In all honesty, I’m not quite sure whether to label this story as science fiction or fantasy. It’s one of those wonderful stories where the line blurs in the most wonderful of ways. We’re given fantasy creatures – vampires and werewolves – yet their existence is due to a science fiction element – another planet. It truly is a wonderful merge of the two. It made for a very interesting story, giving us the kind of wonderful world building that pulls you in deep. I could say so much about this alone; just know it’s a great way to mix the two elements together. Admittedly, I would have liked a little more depth to it, yet I feel as though such a thing will come should future stories be released in this world.

From the start, this story has action. It feels like a bit much as you’re unsure about the world, but once you’re a couple of chapters in everything comes together so well. The confusion is lifted, the characters wiggle into your heart, and the story moves at a rapid pace. It really is a wonderful story – my biggest complaint being that I wished the story were longed. I would have loved to spend even more time in this world, with the characters and their story. I really do hope there is a sequel – if not with these characters, at the very least I hope they make a cameo appearance so that we get a glimpse as to how their life progressed.

If you’re looking for a shapeshifter story with a refreshing twist, one that will pull you into the world and leave you unwilling to put the story down, then Dark Warrior is for you.

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Review: The Girl from the Woods

The Girl from the Woods The Girl from the Woods by Chris Keane
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The Girl from the Woods is a book I expected to really enjoy. The synopsis grabbed me and the reviews were great. Unfortunately, I’m part of the minority, as I did not enjoy this one.

Don’t get me wrong I didn’t hate this book. There were some good moments to be found. However, the book was not at all what I had been hoping for. I wanted to be pulled into the story from the very beginning, yet I wasn’t. I wanted a romance I would adore, yet I never really cared much for the romance. I wanted a paranormal read that would leave me with all kind of crazy emotions, yet the paranormal element seemed to take a backseat. All in all, I wanted more from this one.

I think a large part of my issue with the story is that I expected more depth from this one. It’s a very quick read, but even for a quick read, there isn’t quite the depth I would have liked. Things hit you one after the other – they just are, without much by way of explanation. I found myself questioning too much, I found myself unable to buy into a number of aspects of the story, which in turn prevented me from enjoying the way things came together.

It had potential, but for me it didn’t quite deliver.

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Saturday 24 June 2017

MASHED Interview with Cobalt Jade.

MASHED is an anthology of 17 sensually sinister stories curated from over 200 submissions from around the world.

Each story is a unique blend of horror, humor, food and sex, resulting in tales that will leave you both scared and slightly turned on, while laughing out loud and contemplating whether or not you should have your next meal.

Stories including:

“A Woman’s Corn” – By J. Donnait
“Charlie’s Chunky Munching Meat” – By Stephen McQuiggan
“Halloween Nosh” – By Brandon Ketchum
“Biscuit: A Love Story” – By Grivante
“Burnt Scrambled Eggs” – By Devon Widmer
“The Disagreeable Dinner” – By Mark Daponte
“Sugar” – By Darla Dimmelle
“The Henry Problem” – By John Grey
“Nibble, Nibble, My Wolf” By – J.L. Boekestein
“The Wrath of the Buttery Bastard-Taters” – By Alex Colvin
“Sauce” – By Steven Carr
“The Care and Feeding of your Personal Demon” – By Maxine Kollar
“P.A.C.D. : The Kitchen of Tomorrow, Today!” – By R.A. Goli
“Arabica” – By Cobalt Jade
“Toilet Manners” – By Eddie Generous
“The Stray” – By Calypso Kane
“The Tall Man in the Hat” – By Nicholas Paschall

Do you like food? Sex? Horror? Humor? Then this book is for you! Guaranteed to leave you scared, aroused and possibly a little hungry.


From the twelfth to the twenty-fourth of June, get inside the minds of twelve of the authors from the anthology. Find out what inspired the stories, what other projects the authors are involved with, and generally get to know the authors better.

Today, get to know more about Cobalt Jade and Arabica.


In the age-old first date manner, tell me a bit about yourself. 
I am a writer, landlady, and former graphic artist living in Seattle, but I spent my formative years on the east coast, in a decaying industrial city. The combination of early urban blight and later beauty and social progression has influenced me strongly. Generation-wise, ethically speaking that is, I’m more of a Gen X than a Baby Boomer. I’m very changeable in my interests. For a span of months I will be very into a certain topic, like Killer Whales, and research the hell out of it, then get into something else. Right now I’m obsessed with writing horror and have a nascent interest in pulp magazine covers. 

Who has influenced you most as a writer?
I had an uncle who was involved in First Fandom through the 1950s to the 70s, and he generously gave me some books, which I treasure to this day. Among them was Jack Vance, Philip Jose Farmer, and Ray Bradbury, my first love. I fell in love with his use of language. On my own I discovered writers like Ursula K. LeGuin, Tanith Lee, and Anne McCaffrey. All were big influences. 

What are your favourite books and why?
I’ve got a lot of faves, and they change from time to time. In a re-reading sense, I do The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Left Hand of Darkness, and Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour every few years. I think the former is the penultimate ghost story.

When did you realise you wanted to be a writer?
Around age 10 when I started my first science fiction opus, inspired by no less a luminary than Ziggy Stardust!

Do you have any interesting writing quirks?
I am a big fan of word generators. There’s a product I use by Gammadyne called Random Word Generator that I program to create the various languages I use in my work. I also use it to generate phrases for story prompts, like “The Walking Coffin.” Which is a magic item that carries the body of a deceased person back to their homeland for a proper burial, while keeping the body pristine and odor-free.

How did you become interested in writing this particular genre?
Erotic horror? I wrote a lot on the newsgroups in the late 1990s, like alt.sex.stories.moderated. I started for a lark. It was a guaranteed readership and I did fetish stuff that no one else was doing well.

What was the inspiration behind your MASHED story?
I like the combination of the erotic and the machine, also the sense of bondage in being, or acting like, an inanimate object. It was based on an idea from my fetish-writing days. I was also having a problem in drinking coffee, it was irritating my bladder, so I thought what if someone underwent a kind of hypnosis to cure their caffeine addiction, but their mind came up with something their body didn’t like (or maybe did, but too much?)

With over two hundred submissions, what was your reaction upon finding out your story had made the cut?
I expected it, who else could write a story about a human espresso machine?

Each story is a mix of horror, humour, food, and sex; what kind of reaction should a reader expect to have upon finishing your story – will they be more turned on or terrified?
Probably turned on in a reluctant way.

Do you have another writing project in mind or in the making? If so, can you tell us a little about it?
I have ideas for a lot of stuff, some straight horror, some erotic horror. Currently I am working on a story involving Seattle’s grunge years and a crime in present-day Florida. It will be psychological horror and (non-explicitly) erotic.

Excluding your own, which of the MASHED stories is your favourite?
The Wrath of the Butty Bastard Taters, I could relate to it.

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Friday 23 June 2017

Cover Reveal: Bound For Life.

Bound to the Bad Boy: Book 1
Published: August 1, 2017
Cover Reveal: June 23
Pre-order on iTunes: June 20 - July 7
Pre-order on other sites: Sign up on http://alexabbottauthor.com/newsletter for release info
Mafia Romantic Suspense

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Blurb:

Bruno:

I gave up everything for her, and she never even knew it. When I saved her from the mafia, I traded my freedom for hers. I’ve never regretted it. Never looked back. I cut her out of my life to keep her safe.

I did everything I could to protect her from the retribution of the Italian Mafia, but it wasn’t enough. They’re after her again, and all that’s standing between her and the darkest fate imaginable is me.

Serena:

It’s scary the things you can close your eyes to. Even after I was rescued from men who wanted to do the worst things to me, I went on with my life. I forgot all about the threats of the mafia, about what they forced me to do, and even the man who saved me from them.

But now, my hero has returned, and just in a nick of time. Because the mafia is coming for me, and this time, I don’t know if we’re going to get out of this alive.

Links:

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Giveaway:

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Win a Signed copy of Bound for Life, a $20 gift card to LUSH, and a $20 gift card to your favourite ebook store! From June 20 - July 31!

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Teasers:

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Excerpt:


The orange afternoon sun is on my back when I bring my car to a stop about a block away from the well-to-do little store on the corner of the street. When I turn my ignition off, I lean back and just stare at it, letting out a deep breath.

How long has it been?

The light playing off the glass window panes make it impossible to see inside the shop, but the sign outside is clear as ever: Bathing Beauty. I feel a smile on my face. As many mixed memories as it stirs up in me, there’s something comforting about knowing it’s still there, unchanged as ever. Maybe even a little nicer.

All thanks to her.

I catch a glimpse of myself in the car mirror. I’ve changed so much over the years. It feels like a lifetime ago that I was just a teenager, freshly landed in America. I kept my hair cut short back then, and my face was clean-shaven. I run a hand through the long locks that hang nearly to my shoulders now. It’s grown out thick and wavy. Even I have to admit it’s unkempt, and the short, coarse black beard on my face matches.

My voice sounds different, too. I think back to the thick accent I had in those years that I was still learning English, fresh from the old country. I’m so used to it now that English almost sounds as natural as my native Italian on my tongue. I might as well be a different person.

Better that way, I think. When I look into that mirror, I’m not sure I even see myself anymore. What I do see is the face of a man who’s done terrible things. A “made man,” they call us in this country. Mafioso.

What are you really doing here, Bruno?

My mind flashes back to her face, that gorgeous face that’s kept me going all this time. A bright candle in the darkness.

That face doesn’t need to know fear ever again. It doesn’t need to know me.

So why am I here, coming to risk dragging the past back? I don’t dare turn the ignition and drive off. I’ve made my decision, and I’m a man of my word.

After all, I tell myself, I’m not here just to see her, to remind myself that she’s alive and living happily, that what I did for her was all worth it. I’m here to make sure she’s safe.

Author Biography:

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Alexis Abbott is a USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author who writes about bad boys protecting their girls! Pick up her books today and find yourself transported with super steamy sex, gritty suspense, and lots of romance.

She also writes as Alex Abbott for her erotic thrillers and contemporary romance.

She lives in beautiful St. John's, NL, Canada with her amazing husband.


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