Posts Tagged ‘romance’

Welcome to The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

 

This is a really fun meme!

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!

My 56 for this week is from

 Somewhere Only We Know

by Cheyanne Young

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My 56

 If I had any class I’d show up in my dreams wearing a gorgeous Marie Antoinette-style dress and a pair of solid gold Chuck Taylors. My hair would be blue. I’ve always wanted blue hair.

I just received this book in the mail plus two others by Cheyanne, Motocross Me and Understudy. They all sound fun.

Read on if you want to know more.

Synopsis

Sadie Bradford’s life is one anxiety attack after another. All she wants is to escape life’s realities for the summer and hang out with her best friend Aaron. But her grandmother has other plans: Sadie will get a job. Sadie will do volunteer work. Sadie will make new friends – friends without brain injuries that make them forget everything…friends that aren’t Aaron.

While Sadie struggles to survive her anxiety with all these new changes, she finds an escape when she dreams herself into the beautiful world of Isola Fiona. It’s a place that cures memory loss and anxiety. It’s a place where she and Aaron can fall in love.

But after dragging Aaron along with her to her dream world, things take a turn. Every time they return home, Sadie’s anxiety is a little better but Aaron’s memory is still gone. And Isola Fiona may not be much of a dream after all. As Sadie realizes that Isola Fiona is as real as her anxiety, she rushes to change the course of fate and make things right, but she may be too late…

Amazon

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Leave your link and I’ll drop by your 56.

Until the next time….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways click on the Christmas Flamingos below!

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I’m thrilled to showcase another book by Kristine Mason

If you’re looking for an intense, suspenseful, romance, you need to read this series.

Kristine takes it to next level and then some!

Enjoy the glimpse inside the book.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

PerfectlyToxic cover

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Genre: Romantic Suspense

Synopsis

What do you get when you mix a mad scientist, a psychopath, an ice cream lady and a repo man? Something perfectly toxic…

Melanie Scarlet is a knife-wielding badass who knows how to dispose of a body, and make evidence disappear. But Mel, a.k.a., the Ice Cream Lady, draws the line at one thing: she refuses to live with her husband, Cash Maddox, unless he quits the repo business that nearly got him killed—no matter how much she loves him.

To thaw Mel’s heart and convince her to leave the Everglades and move back home to Tallahassee, Cash is finally ready to retire from his adrenaline-fueled job…until homeless men begin vanishing. As Mel investigates the disappearances, Cash’s temper goes into overdrive when he realizes his wife has been keeping a dangerous secret from him. She’s been doing more than scooping ice cream—she’s a cleaner for the underground criminal investigation agency, Above the Law.

Mel isn’t the only one with a secret. A scientist has created a drug that will cure psychopaths by deadening the urge to dominate, hurt and murder. To prove his chemical combination works, he uses the homeless as test subjects. He breaks and scrambles their minds, turns them into killers, then tries to fix them. But what if the scientist creates a killer he can’t fix? A true psychopath he can’t control? As Cash joins Mel and the ATL crew, they learn firsthand, the results could be…toxic.

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Excerpt

When Melanie reached the front door, she touched the faded, sun-bleached wreath she’d made over two years ago. Nostalgia settled over her heart. Although Cash had still been recovering from his injuries, those days had been happy ones. He hadn’t been able to repo.

Betrayal and frustration gave nostalgia the boot. Dang it. They could have been good together. She knocked on the door. Instead, they were living separate lives because she wasn’t enough. Not enough excitement, not enough of a challenge. His accident had taught her that she didn’t need those things anymore. Then again, she had signed on to ATL and did still chop the occasional car or boat. Oh, God. There was also those bodies she’d disposed of in her daddy’s swamp.

The door opened and Cash’s large body filled the threshold. His t-shirt clung to his arms and chest, revealing the muscles she loved to hang onto when she rode him. Her heart beat hard as she shifted her gaze from his chest to his mouth. How she’d love to shove him against the door and kiss that arrogant, overconfident smile off his lips.

“How are ya’, babe?” Cash asked, his tone rough, sexy.

She met his gaze. His dark-brown eyes held hunger, lust and smugness. During their two-year separation, they’d found excuses to see each other. Then they’d have a long weekend of hot sex. Cash was in for a rude awakening. Just because he knew how to make her moan didn’t mean he’d be getting any action during this visit.

He took a step forward and crowded her space. She inhaled his cologne as he slid a finger along her jawline until he reached her chin. “I’ve missed you.” He leaned forward, brought their mouths so close together his warm breath brushed her lips.

God, how she ached for him. If only he loved her enough. The reminder stung and bolstered the promise she’d made to herself: no sex, discuss making their separation permanent.

“Don’t touch me,” she murmured. “I have my period.”

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Author Kristine Mason

PerfectlyToxic author

Kristine Mason is the bestselling author of the popular romantic suspense trilogies, C.O.R.E. Shadow and Ultimate C.O.R.E. She is currently working on her next trilogy, C.O.R.E. Above the Law, along with a series of Psychic C.O.R.E. novellas.

Although Kristine has published a few contemporary romance novels, she focuses most of her energy on her romantic suspense stories, which she loves for their blend of dark mystery/suspense and sexy romance. She is fascinated with what makes people afraid, and is famous for her depraved villains whose crimes present massive obstacles for her heroes and heroines to overcome.

Kristine has a degree in journalism from Ohio State University and lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband, four kids, and two dogs. If she’s not writing, she’s chauffeuring kids, gardening, or collecting gnomes. Oh, and she makes a mean chocolate chip cookie!

Facebook / Twitter / Website / Email

Purchase on Amazon

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Click on the banner below to follow the tour and comment.

The more you comment, the more chances to win!

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I fell in love with the characters in the P.J. Stone Gates Series.

Come on in and check them out.

Read my reviews.

And don’t forget to enter the easy giveaway!

Open Gates by D.T. Dyllin
(P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy #3)
Publication date: September 28th 2015
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
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My Review
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You finally get all of the answers you’ve been seeking, just as P.J. does.

The war is raging, many people are lost, and P.J. struggles to fulfill her destiny.

I’m going to warn you, the beginning is a shocker, it happens so fast.

P.J. is devastated. Her world is being destroyed and her heart has been shredded.

Her best friend Jenna is unavailable, so she turns to the one person who is always there, always

offering his shoulder to lean on, Khol.

How do you go on when all you love is being destroyed and taken from you?

P.J. has no idea how to continue. How she’ll find the strength to face the fight that is coming.

They’ve fought a tough battle, but things don’t look good for them. There is a clue to getting rid of the Riders and P.J. has to draw on all that she is to find the one thing that can save them all.

I got everything I was looking for in this final book.

You’ll need to set aside enough time to read this straight through. I read this in about 3 hours, but

I’m a fast reader. I also reread a few parts that really touched me.

You’ll get a huge surprise with the ending. I haven’t read one that left me feeling like this

one did for a long time, maybe never.

I read it twice, then read it again, always thinking, “How did the author come up with this ending?

Did she know when she was writing the books that the end would be this?”

I liked it. I really liked it. And I’m still thinking about it. Still wondering…..

5 Stars

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Synopsis:

P.J. Stone gets the answers to all her questions, but will she be able to handle the truth?

Bryn is gone, Jenna isn’t herself, and the world has been taken over by the alien Riders. The only constant in P.J.’s life is Khol, but even he might not be able to help pick up the shattered pieces of her existence. Will P.J. be strong enough to face her destiny when the time comes? Or will she lose everything, herself included?

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About D.T. Dyllin
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D.T. Dyllin is a bestselling author who writes both paranormal and contemporary romance. Anything with a love story is her kryptonite. Her obsession with affairs-of-the-heart is what first drove her to begin twisting her own tales of scorching romance.

D.T. was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Black & Gold for life, baby!) She now lives in Little Rock, Arkansas with her husband and two spoiled German Shepherds.

(Author photo credit: Stephanie Saujon of La Photographie Nashville)

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Author links:

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I have one eBook copy to giveaway. Open Internationally.

To enter, please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win.

And leave some comment love. Tell me anything! Or ask the author a question.

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Here are the first two books in the trilogy.

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Click on the covers for my reviews.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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This is a Tag Team Event hosted by myself and Sherry.

 I have some exciting news to share with you about For Nick by Taylor Dean.  Read on to learn how you can win some books!

After reading Taylor’s guest post and my review, head on over to Sherry’s blog at fundinmental for more and check out her review. Two chances to win!

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For Nick

by Taylor Dean

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My Review

Andie Parker needs a job . She’ll take anything. Do anything, for Nick. So upon someone’s urging, she applies at a Fortune 500 company. She’s the last of twenty girls to apply. Figuring she has no chance, she still stays for the interview. She’d do anything for Nick.

Her name is called. She’s greeted by the owner, Zachary Drake. He’s impeccably dressed and very handsome, but there’s a coldness in his eyes. He rocks her back on her heels with his offer and she quickly goes for her Mace.

This was my first laugh out loud moment. Taylor had me giggling when Andy pulled out her pepper spray. She was so ready to use it.

Zachary, a powerful and very rich man, is used to women falling at his feet. He’s in for a shock with Andie. Yet, she’d do anything for Nick.

After some hemming and hawing, Andie accepts the job. She has no other choice.

I don’t know what it is about Taylor Dean’s books. I’m not much into romance, yet her books captivate me. Perhaps it’s her characters.

Andie and Zach are both so genuine. They have flaws, insecurities. And these cause strong heart ache for both of them.

Both are determined, ready to do whatever it takes to obtain their goals. This also causes some turbulent times.

And both are lonely, in need of a shoulder to lean on, someone to trust. But how do you trust someone you hardly know? Trust them with something so personal, so dear?

This is where Taylor truly shines. She gives you living breathing characters. Ones so real, so full of foibles. You become connected to know them. Feel their joys, pains, and fears. Laugh with them. Worry about them. And yes, cry with and for them.

I knew going into For Nick that I’d need some tissues close by. I almost cried several times. Then, I reached a scene that touched me so deeply. As I was reading, my vision blurred, I could hardly read through the tears welling up in my eyes. As they streamed down my face, I paused, reached for a tissue, and got a hold of my emotions. I wondered if Taylor cried for her characters.

Andie and Zach might not have been looking for love, but love had a way of finding them.

A beautiful love story. I ‘felt’ every bit of it.

5  Stars

Synopsis

Zachary Drake had love in his life–and tragically lost it. He knows it won’t come his way again. Andie Parker would do anything for the love of her life.

Even marry a total stranger.

In spite of the unorthodox manner in which Zach and Andie come together, there is no denying that things are unexpectedly good between them, taking them both by surprise. However, when secrets come between them–and trust does not–Andie soon finds herself vowing to never make the same mistake again. But, she’d do it again in a heartbeat and she knows it. She’d marry a hundred strangers if it helped Nick.

She’d do anything for Nick . . . anything.

Purchase on Amazon

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From the Author
Do you like the cover for FOR NICK?
It’s not the first one.
When I first published FOR NICK, I fell in love with this illustrated image and used it as my original cover.
To this day, I still have readers message me, letting me know they loved my old cover.
I do too.
But, I decided to update all my book covers and give them a more modern flair.
I love the new image. It fits the heroine, Andie, perfectly.
After poring over countless images, we stumbled upon this one and I knew it was THE ONE immediately.
First of all, Andie has long black hair.
Check.
Secondly, I love that the woman is underwater. It speaks to the predicament Andie finds herself in. She’s in way over her head–and she’s metaphorically dying.
I also love that the image screams “bride.” After all, FOR NICK includes a marriage of convenience.
We used another image from the same photo shoot for the back cover.
I love that it’s not immediately obvious that she’s underwater in either image.
You have to look closely and pay attention. Everything is not as it seems.
And that’s what FOR NICK is all about.
About the Author
 
Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of clean romance in her line-up.

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GIVEAWAY
Three winners!
 
Up for grabs: The first winner will receive a signed paperback, bookmark, and tote-bag. (US only) AND the second two winners will receive a Kindle ebook. (INT. Sorry, kindle only.)

To enter, please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win and answer this question:

How do you like your romance? Love at first sight? Or do you like the love/hate kind? Or maybe you prefer the slow blooming kind? Then there’s the tear off your clothes kind too!.LOL Feel free to ask Taylor a question also!

Giveaway ends October 7th.

This is a Tag Team Event hosted by myself and Sherry at fundinmental.

Now hop on over to fundinmental, check out Sherry’s review, and enter for another chance to win  HERE.

More books from Taylor Dean.

Click on the titles to read my reviews.

Click on the covers to get your copy.

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Lancaster House / The Middle Aisle

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Sierra / I Have People / Joshua’s Folly

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I’m With You

My review is pending.

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Girl Of Mine

I can’t wait to get my hands on this one!

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Chasing Fireflies / Power Of The Matchmaker

And these two are brand new. Will be reading soon!

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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Extraordinary Days new banner copy

I have a wonderful series to share with you today.

Polly Beck’s The Extraordinary Days Series.

Enjoy the excerpt.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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Genre: Romance / Mystery / Thriller

NOTE: A percentage of the sales of this book will be donated to Children’s International, a not-for-profit organization very close to the author’s family’s heart. Past books in the series have benefited The American Red Cross, The American Cancer Society, Tuesday’s Children [a 9/11 charity], and The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

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Synopsis

A mystery is introduced in No Ordinary Day, the first book in the Extraordinary Days series that is carried through all eight volumes and solved in the last book, Sunday’s Child: Born on the Sabbath Day, due out in January of 2017.

In the late spring of 1991, a flood and fire of historic proportions tore through the pretty resort town of Obergrande, New York, in the central region of the Adirondack mountains.

The twin disasters destroyed a large part of the east side of the town that bordered the Hudson River and Lake Obergrande.

In the aftermath, a new dam was built, and that damaged part of the town “drowned,” covered by the new, larger lake.

During that terrible flood, five kindergarten girls were trapped in their drowning school, huddled together as the water rose higher, rescued just in the nick of time. The nightmare bonded them, and three others like them, to each other for life.

These are their stories.

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International attorney and human rights advocate Elisa Santiago believes she has life under control—an impressive career, a solid group of friends in Obergrande, and a handsome law partner for hot “car action” when she needs release. Little does she know that her entire world is about to burn down when she discovers that nothing she believes she knows about herself and

her past is true. Can the gorgeous former CIA operative, acting as her guide and guard as she returns to Colombia, the land of her birth, looking for answers, set her world on fire in a good way?

 

THURSDAY’S CHILD: Far to Go is the fifth book in the eight-book series The Extraordinary Days by breakthrough novelist Polly Becks. The first book, No Ordinary Day, tells the tale of an epic tragedy that changes life forever in a small town in the wild, mystic Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, and the mystery surrounding that tragedy.

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Enjoy this excerpt

Present day, Sunday, September 8th, 2:11 PM

Le Mille Neuf, 1009 Rue de Bleury, penthouse, Montreal

 

The young man at the front desk in the luxury apartment building looked up in surprise at the quartet of women making their way across the lobby, carrying what looked like a variety of flowers, sweets, and boxes, chatting happily amongst themselves as every male head in the lobby turned in their direction.

An older man in the uniform of a professional driver or chauffeur was following them, his arms piled high with packages, puffing slightly.

The women, who were carrying on an intense four-way conversation between them, did not notice the attention they were garnering like magnets. They ranged in height from just over five feet to just under six, with a variety of body types, hair and skin colors ranging from alabaster to ebony, and clothing styles, all of which had some sort of bright artistry to them.

They stopped in front of the desk.

The tallest of the group, a fair-skinned beauty with gray eyes and shoulder-length brown hair atop a tall, willowy figure, smiled down at him.

“Penthouse deux, s’il vous plait,” she said politely in a perfect French accent.

The young man slid his swivel chair quickly under the desk to shield his lap from view.

“Qui appelle?” he asked in a French-Canadian accent. “Er—whom shall I say is calling?” He picked up the phone.

“The—uhm—Fivesome,” Briony Windsor, known as Sarah to her friends, said.

The young man waited for an answer, requested permission for entry and, receiving it, directed the four women to the penthouse elevator, only to discover they had started across the back lobby while he was hanging up.

They already knew where they were going.

“Has anyone heard from Sloane’s father recently?” Dr. Corinne Byrnes, a veterinarian and the second-tallest member of the group asked the others as they entered the elevator and pushed the button for the top floor.

“I spoke to him last night,” said Reverend Grace Fuller, the Associate Pastor of the Obergrande Community Church back in New York State. “He says she seems to be doing better, as long as she rests. Apparently he hasn’t been entirely successful at keeping her in bed.”

“Shocker,” mused Elisa Santiago, esq., a practicing attorney and civil rights advocate who divided her time between law on the international stage and a quiet practice back in Obergrande, the pretty Adirondack hometown of the four young women and the friend they had come to visit. At five-foot-three, she was petite, like Grace, and extraordinarily well put-together, every detail of her wardrobe perfect, just as every detail of her business and personal life seemed to be.

“Well, between us we have plenty of things to keep her amused in bed,” said Briony. “Although that’s like selling ice to penguins; Sloane has made of art of being kept amused in bed most of her life.”

“Truth,” mused Corinne as the elevator doors opened, providing a stunning view of downtown Montreal and its exquisite spires.

The four women hurried down the sunlit hallway of windows to the door where the number 2 was elegantly displayed.

Elisa pushed the doorbell.

A tall, strapping, dark-haired man with a finely-featured, neatly-bearded face opened the door a moment later.

All four women blinked in surprise.

“Dr. Marlowe?” Elisa’s voice broke the silence.

The man’s dark blue eyes blinked as well.

“Come in, ladies,” he said quickly.

The women looked at each other, then followed him into the penthouse.

“What’s he doing here?” Grace whispered to Briony. “Sloane told me they couldn’t stand each other.” Briony shrugged.

“Perhaps they’re working on the Quadricentennial?” Elisa suggested as they passed through the elegant central foyer into the open living area, a high-ceilinged room ringed with floor-to-ceiling windows.

She turned to Corinne, the only one not to have met Nathan Marlowe. “He’s a world-class history professor here at McGill and in New York at NYU, a specialist in the Adirondack Park

area and particularly in Obergrande. Sloane’s mother hired him to do the authentication and other research for the town’s four-hundredth anniversary next May.”

“Well, if her mother likes him, I can see why Sloane can’t stand him,” said Corinne. “Those two can’t agree on whether the sun is up or not.”

Dr. Marlowe was standing at the far left edge of the open sitting area, next to the door that led to Sloane’s bedroom suite.

The women and their driver, still lugging their packages, followed him.

A glorious spicy smell filled the air near the kitchen.

On their way past a recessed alcove in which a towering animal cage stood, Corinne paused and clicked softly at the sweet, melon-sized animal inside it.

“Hiya, Pfeffernusse,” she said. “You’re lookin’ good, gurrl.”

Ed Hillenbrandt, the driver, waited until she was following the other girls again, then paused in front of the cage himself.

“I still say you would make a nice hat,” he whispered.

Pfeffernusse just stared at him with her big black chinchilla eyes. Then she flicked her large ears and spun around, her white belly disappearing from view as she turned her gray-blue back to him.

“You’re not by any means the first female to give me the cold shoulder, ma’am,” Ed said as he went to join the women.

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Author Polly Becks

Polly Becks has been making her living writing for more than twenty years, as well as working as an editor, curriculum developer, and teaching secondary-school Spanish. She has more than 350 books to her credit, mostly educational materials, as well as professionally published fiction in both the adult and YA market in a variety of genres, plus more than 30 Children’s books. She is excited about exploring the digital literature frontier and is honored to be the launch series for GMLTJoseph, LLC. – See more at: http://www.pollybecks.com/author/#sthash.pEZ6f3xO.dpuf

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Buy Polly’s Books

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Click on the banner below to follow the tour and comment.

The more you comment, the more chances to win!

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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Love Bites Banner 851 x 315

Love Bites:

A Collection of Short Stories

by Valeria Kogan

Love Bites 3D

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Wattle Publishing

Number of pages: 134

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Book Description:

 

Love Bites is the debut collection of short stories by Valeria Kogan. From heartbreak to redemption, Love Bites provides a spellbinding interpretation of love and friendship, glamour and guilt, secrets and deceit. Each story provides a captivating insight into the world of love; its profound impact and effect; and how women relate to their partners.

This cleverly constructed collection of short stories will leave you tantalized and yearning for more.

Amazon   Amazon UK  

Paperback Amazon.co.uk   Paperback Amazon US

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Foreword

Creating a series of short stories seemed like the best way to write my first book, since it reassured me that I had the stamina for it, but didn’t tie me to a single narrative for its duration. I enjoyed playing with the characters and seeing how they would develop, but did try to create some symmetry among the stories so that they wouldn’t seem too disparate.

Without intending to, this resulted in a book of ‘could haves.’ I’m not sure that I intended some of the characters to be as tragic as they became, or for the impact of other people’s love to have such an impact on some of the protagonists, but, as I wrote, the stories themselves began to unravel and I felt it was more important to stay true to the characters than it was to pursue my own idea of what the story should be.

I examined the characters using myself and people I knew as a basis (sometimes blatantly, and other times only borrowing elements of a personality), so the book functioned as an alternate plane for relationships. In some way, I think my own relationship has elements of some of the stories without being taken to the same extremes. While I’m not entirely adverse to ‘traditional’ relationships, there don’t appear to be many in the book. This wasn’t a completely unconscious decision, but I like the idea of finding love in unexpected places. I also disagree with the notion of needing to have a particular kind of life, even if it doesn’t make you happy. I’m aware that some of my characters could be seen as morally dubious and it was not my intention to shock. These were the characters based on friends, who are wonderfully ‘normal’ people, who happen to do things that aren’t quite so normal, but are brave enough to pursue their own happiness without feeling constrained by other people’s expectations.

In the end, it is a book about love… even if it’s about leaving some loves behind to find others.

Silent

As a faded coastal town, Llandudno was an apt place for misery; once standing proudly on the northern Welsh beaches, it corroded slowly from its Victorian splendor to become a town populated by those who remembered it in better days, and those who were too tired to leave. Or at least people who could not find the opportunity to do so. It was a town filled with nothing but second-hand stores and bars, which waited in their bland decor for the weekends when they would be filled with drunken teens and women past their prime, maybe an unromantic version of those one-horse towns everybody talked about. Naturally, when somebody exceptional lived in a place like this they were easily noticed.

Carla was not only noticed, but was also resented by many; leaving for university was almost unforgivable in the eyes of some of her school friends, who secretly understood that she possessed a methodical charm that they would never master. Of course, it was never phrased that way; usually, just accusations of thinking too much of herself, or believing she was better than the people surrounding her. She was not necessarily the most beautiful girl, but she had the air of a fictional character in a black-and-white photograph; somebody invented and immortalized, but fleeting. There were things that people remembered her for: the fluorescent blue cigarette holder she used, with crystals around the tip (an exercise that took far more time and patience that it deserved); the silver charms on her bracelet. Her mother had bought the bracelet on the day that her first pet died and, every year on the same day, it would gain a charm and her eyes would be tinged with red. Naturally, such superficial things could never define a person, but it was what near-strangers associated with her, so these objects unwittingly became part of her identity.

Their sole respite came when she returned happily to her hometown after finishing her degree, determined to carry on living in what she saw as idyllic tranquillity, far away from the sprawling mess of Manchester and its endless strangers. This, however, did not last long. She brought with her a husband, a man who complemented her with contradictions. It seemed that not a day went by when they were not seen walking hand in hand and talking incessantly, furrowing their brows when topics carried far too many syllables for eavesdroppers to convey to gossips, or simply laughing. All theories on their fast, young marriage were negated when it turned out that she was the wealthier of the two, and her stomach did not swell as time went on.

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About the Author

Valeria Kogan_195x300 Photo Credit Stefano Brunesci

Valeria Kogan was born in Russia and moved to the UK in 1991, where she developed her love of art and literature.

Website / Goodreads / Publisher on Twitter / Wattle Publishing on Facebook

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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I have some fun books to share with you today!

The Spellbound Series

Books 1-5

by Lola James

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Book Description:

 

The journey of a spellbound woman, her friends, and the men who vie for her affections as she falls headlong into a world of vampires, witches and Greek gods.

Who will she choose as her one true love and how many lives will be turned upside down in her quest to fulfill her eternal destiny?

Friends become enemies and enemies become deadly as each seek to find the one thing that will bring true fulfillment.

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Excerpt

Bound to Remember, Book One

 

“Hello.” I held out my hand. “I’m Doctor Toni Hollander, but you can call me Toni.”

He stared at me as if he was looking right though me, ignoring my extended hand. A wave of embarrassment washed over me and I pulled my hand back. Maybe I imagined that stare thing with him a minute ago. My thoughts retreated to Kevin. He had only been the last in a long line of failed relationships and I was starting to wonder if my terrible taste in men had struck again.

“Where are my manners? I am Benjamin, but you may call me Ben” He pulled my hand into his, with a toothy grin.

*****

 

Unbound, Book Two

 

Hades closed the space between us. “I will return soon, my sweet.” He took my hand, kissing my fingertips, before releasing it. Then the three gods and Dawn disappeared.

Ben and I stood alone in the hallway as I moved closer to him. The lust from our kiss still lingered thick between us.

“Ben . . . I—”

“Shhh.” His finger touched my lips, stopping my rambling. “We have only a short time, and I need to plead my case to you; so let me show, rather than tell you why it should be me you pick for eternity.”

*****

Bound to You, Book Three

 

“I’ve missed you already. I don’t know how I survived without you for so long.” His warm lips kissed the top of my hand. If my cheeks could blush, they’d be the darkest shade of red.

I had to clear my throat and shake my head from the swoon-worthy trance Hades had me in. “I’d like to have my place back, but Ben compelled my landlord to get me out of my lease.”

His lips trailed to my finger, then fingertips, creating sensations throughout my body. “My Antonia, I want nothing more than to fulfill every desire in your heart. It’s such a beautiful heart. I know that you love me, and that you will make your decision when you are ready. I can wait. I’ve waited so long for you, and I’d continue to wait an eternity to be with you.”

Imaginary butterflies fluttered in my stomach and I felt my heart slipping into his hands. I knew his words were true; he would wait.

*****

Bound by Fate, Short

 

“I have something for you.” It was the same line she sang every time. Her voice was the perfect pitch to allure any human and I felt my body being pulled toward her. I wouldn’t even greet her anymore when she came; I tried to block her out.

“Benjamin, I have something for you.” I didn’t want to go, but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to possibly see Toni. She’d promised me that I could see her one day—to see if she was truly happy; so I gave in each time and went to Aphrodite. I always waited here for her to arrive, for she had me at her beck and call.

*****

Abound Christmas, Short

 

Snow was falling and I heard her charming giggle. The sound enchanted me. I looked down and I was holding her mittened hand in mine.

“I love you, Benjamin,” she said. I looked carefully, trying to make out her face, but caught only her profile bundled under a furry hood and scarf. I glanced around, noting that we were in a carriage riding through Central Park, passing snow-covered trees.

*****

Witch Bound, Book Four

 

My melancholy thoughts broke as I heard my name being called—I wasn’t paying attention to details anymore. I hadn’t left the building in the last 24 hours and I was exhausted. The sounds of the hospital continually echoed in the fog of my thoughts. I played Doctor Stevens’ words in my head on repeat, but the memory of Hermes’ first touch in Hades’ temple still sent chills down my back.

My daddy taught me better than to fiddle between boys. “Always pick the man, Dawn,” he would say. Thinking of my daddy reminded me that I needed to call him. I could only avoid his calls for so long.

*****

Rebound, Book Five

 

“Does beauty run in your family as well?” A nervous chuckle escaped me. What a cheesy pickup line.

“You’re nervous, aren’t you?” she asked, batting her eyelashes and making sweat swell on my forehead.

“Yes.” I nodded. Why was I being so honest? I cleared my throat. “I’m Ben, by the way.” I extended my hand.

She looked at me then my hand before gently wrapping hers in mine.

“And I am Thalia.” The warmth of her hand made everyone on the train disappear.

~~~~~

About the Author:

Lola is a fool for a love story, a sucker for a cupcake, and let’s not talk about what she’d do for a Klondike bar. She enjoys long walks on the beach and movies that involve chainsaws. By day she’s the HR Lady and by nightfall she puts on a cape to become a romance writer.

Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Facebook

Pinterest / Tumblr / Shelfari / Instagram

Blogs: Lola James / Fate Series / Spellbound Series

B&N / Amazon / iTunes

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Until the next time….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.
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We’re blitzing about the audiobook release of
Suspicious & The Sheriff of Shelter Valley
By Heather Graham & Tara Taylor Quinn
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This Harlequin Bestseller Author Collection is the re-release of Suspicious by Heather Graham and The Sheriff of Shelter Valley by Tara Taylor Quinn, two best-selling romantic suspense books.
Find out more about this collection and the audiobook release from its tour here.
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Exclusive Excerpt from The Sheriff of Shelter Valley
By Tara Taylor Quinn
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“MAMA! MAAMAA!” Ryan’s scream tore through her fog of sleep.
Beth Allen was out of bed and across the room before she’d even fully opened her eyes. Heart pounding, she lifted her two-year-old son out of the secondhand crib, pressing his face into her neck as she held him.
“It’s okay, Ry,” she said softly, pushing the sweaty auburn curls away from his forehead. Curls she dyed regularly, along with her own. “Shh, Mama’s right here. It was just a bad dream.”
“Mama,” the toddler said again, his little body shuddering. His tiny fists were clamped tightly against her—her nightshirt and strands of her straight auburn hair held securely within them.
“Mama” was what he’d said when she’d woken up alone with him in that motel room in Snowflake, Arizona, with a nasty bruise on her forehead, another one at the base of her skull. And no memory whatsoever.
She didn’t know how old she was. How old her son was. She could only guess Ry’s age by comparing him to other kids.
She didn’t even know her own name. She’d apparently checked in under the name Beth Allen and, trusting herself to have done so for a reason, had continued using it. It could be who she really was, but she doubted it. She’d obviously been on the run, and it didn’t seem smart to have made herself easy to find.
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Suspicious & The Sheriff of Shelter Valley

(Bestselling Author Collection)
Adult Romantic Suspense

Paperback, ebook, & audiobook 544 pages
May 26th 2015 by Harlequin
Audiobook Release July 7th 2015 by Harlequin

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Suspicious

by Heather Graham

Cold-blooded predators lurk in the Everglades—and not all of them are gators

When Jesse Crane returned to his roots to serve on the Miccosukee police force, he’d hoped to leave behind the violence of the city and the memories of his murdered wife. But bodies start to pile up in Jesse’s corner of the sultry Florida swampland…

As he probes these crimes, Jesse is drawn to the beautiful Lorena Fortier, a new hire at the local gator farm and research facility. Lorena is a little too interested in Jesse’s investigation, but before he can uncover her true motives, they’re both pulled into a dangerous web of greed, ambition and animal cunning. To survive, they’ll have to decide whether they can trust each other…before the hunters become the hunted.

The Sheriff of Shelter Valley

by Tara Taylor Quinn

Six months ago, Beth woke up with no memory of her past, a bruised face and a little boy who called her “Mama.” Until her memory returns, the most dangerous thing she can do is to fall for the sheriff—the one man who can uncover the truth and destroy the person she’s become.

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Heather GrahamHeather Graham

New York Times and USA Today best selling author, Heather Graham, majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write. Her first book was with Dell, and since then, she has written over two hundred novels and novellas including category, suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult and Christmas family fare.

She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty-five languages. She has written over 200 novels and has 60 million books in print. She has been honored with awards from booksellers and writers’ organizations for excellence in her work, and she is also proud to be a recipient of the Silver Bullet from Thriller Writers. (And award for charitable endeavors.) Heather has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, Mystery Book Club, People and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including Today, Entertainment Tonight and local television.

Heather loves travel and anything that has to do with the water, and is a certified scuba diver. She also loves ballroom dancing. Each year she hosts the Vampire Ball and Dinner theater at the RT convention raising money for the Pediatric Aids Society and in 2006 she hosted the first Writers for New Orleans Workshop to benefit the stricken Gulf Region. She is also the founder of “The Slush Pile Players,” presenting something that’s “almost like entertainment” for various conferences and benefits. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.

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Tara Taylor Quinn

The author of more than 70 original novels, in twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestseller with over six million copies sold. She is known for delivering deeply emotional and psychologically astute novels of suspense and romance. Tara is a recipient of the Reader’s Choice Award, a five time finalist for the RWA Rita Award, the Reviewer’s Choice Award, the Bookseller’s Best Award and appears frequently on bestseller lists, including #1 placement on Amazon lists. Tara is the past-president of Romance Writers of America and served eight years on that board of directors. She has appeared on national and local TV across the country, including CBS Sunday Morning and is a frequent guest speaker. In her spare time Tara likes to travel, climb Arizona mountains, and inline skate.Tara is a supporter of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. If you or someone you know might be a victim of domestic violence in the United States, please contact 1-800-799-7233.
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Click on the banner to take you to Tara’s landing page for all her tour events.
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As part of Spend the Summer with Tara Taylor Quinn, Tara is holding a contest for those who share on social media about how they love life during the summer! Each day you can share an image, picture, or quote, linking to her events’ landing page (http://www.tarataylorquinn.com/Summer%20With%20ttq.html) to enter to win ONE BIG SUMMER BASKET!!! We’ll be pulling the best submissions and voting for the top one during her Facebook Party on July 16th. Pull out your creative juices and share your joy of summer, be it with friends, family, or the love of your life!

Beach-themed basket will include: shell wind chime, shell choker and matching bracelet, beach/flip flop note cards, picture frame, 4×6 picture album, plus some surprise print copies of Tara’s books (including Once Upon a Friendship).Share must be public to be eligible. Can enter one each day. US only. Giveaway ends July 16th.

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Tour Giveaways
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GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY
(All to one winner – US only.)
$10 VISA Gift Card
Copies of all five books on Tara’s Summer Tour
Spend the Summer with TTQ T-Shirt
Ends July 16th

BLITZ GIVEAWAY
Audiobook of Suspicious & The Sheriff of Shelter Valley
US Only

Ends July 12th
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Click on the rafflecopter links below to enter the giveaways.
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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T4T-Banner

Hello and welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday Book Blitz #T4T
presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!

Today, we will be showcasing two titles that may tickle your fancy,
and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!

You just might find your next read!

This week, #T4T presents to you:

Call Me Grim by Elizabeth Holloway and
Into the Fire by Ashelyn Drake

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Call Me Grim

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The truck should have turned Libbi Piper into a Libbi Pancake—and it would have, too, if Aaron hadn’t shown up and saved her life. The problem? Aaron’s the local Grim Reaper . . . and he only saved Libbi’s life because he needs someone to take over his job. Now, Libbi has two days to choose between dying like she was supposed to, or living a lonely life as Death Incarnate. Talk about a rock and a hard place. And the choice goes from hard to sucktastic when her best friend shows up marked: condemned as a future murderer. Libbi could have an extra week to stop the murder and fix the mark . . . but only if she accepts Aaron’s job as Reaper, trapping herself in her crappy town forever, invisible and inaudible to everyone except the newly dead. But, if she refuses? Her best friend is headed straight for Hell.

add to goodreads

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | iBooks

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

Call Me Grim is humor, brilliance and a success altogether.” – Paula, Her Book Thoughts

 

“Okay, just the story line over all was GENIUS. I have NEVER EVER read a book like this before. It was just so original and plain awesome. MEGA props to the author. I’m still grinning from what I’ve read.”Rachelann, Goodreads Reviewer

 

“Call Me Grim is one of those books that you do not want to put down. At the same time there is something about it that makes you just want to savor it – you want to know what is going to happen next but at the same time you do not want it to end.” – Mike, Goodreads Reviewer

about-the-author

Elizabeth Holloway

Elizabeth Holloway is a maternity nurse living in Southern Pennsylvania with her two teen children and their pets, Bam-bam the dog and Tinkerbell the cat. In addition to nursing and writing, she’s also an avid reader, an artist, a karaoke singer, a music lover, and a kick-ass Pictionary player. Her debut YA novel, CALL ME GRIM, will be released from Month9Books in Fall 2014.

 

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

*****

Into the Fire

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Seventeen-year-old Cara Tillman’s life is a perfectly normal one until Logan Schmidt moves to Ashlan Falls. Cara is inexplicably drawn to him, but she’s not exactly complaining. Logan’s like no boy she’s ever met, and he brings out a side of Cara that she isn’t used to. As the two get closer, everything is nearly perfect, and Cara looks forward to the future.

But Cara isn’t a normal girl. She’s a member of a small group of people descended from the mythical phoenix bird, and her time is running out. Rebirth is nearing, which means she’ll forget her life up to this point—she’ll forget Logan and everything they mean to one another.. But that may be the least of Cara’s problems.

A phoenix hunter is on the loose, and he’s determined to put an end to the lives of people like Cara and her family, once and for all.

add to goodreads

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | iBooks

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

 

“You witness a major loss to the main character that does not involve a death, and also fully understand just what is about to face the main character. It was such a hook for me and I just had to find out what would happen next.”Maria, The Paisley Reade


“I love finding series about unique paranormals, and Ashelyn Drake did a really good job with this one.”Michelle, Book Briefs

 

“Kelly Hashway aka Ashelyn Drake has created an impeccable story surrounded around mythology, romance, family and deceit.” Nay Denise, Nays Pink Bookshelf

about-the-author

Kelly Hashway

Ashelyn Drake is a New Adult and Young Adult romance author. While it’s rare for her not to have either a book in hand or her fingers flying across a laptop, she also enjoys spending time with her family. She believes you are never too old to enjoy a good swing set and there’s never a bad time for some dark chocolate. She is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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