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Friday, January 29, 2016

Release Day Blitz: Devious Minds by Colleen Helme


Devious Minds 
(A Shelby Nichols Adventure Series #8)
by Colleen Helme

Blurb: 

It’s been almost a year since a near-fatal gunshot wound left Shelby Nichols with the ability to read minds. In that time she’s faced one problem after another. She’s been shot at, framed for murder, and targeted by a serial killer, just to name a few. Now she’s trying to help her lawyer husband win a murder trial that will enable him to become a partner in his law firm. Sounds easy, right? But nothing ever goes as planned when it comes to Shelby Nichols.

When special agent, Blake Beauchaine, shows up to collect a debt from Shelby, things get even more complicated, and Shelby is soon on her way to Paris. A routine meeting with a rogue agent reveals a sinister plot, putting Shelby into the cross-hairs of a known terrorist. Even worse, she doesn’t speak French, so it seems her mind-reading abilities won’t help her this time.

Things go from bad to downright dangerous for Shelby, especially since her usual guardians, Uncle Joey, and his hit-man, Ramos, are back in the states. Lost and on her own in the streets of Paris, can Shelby escape the cold-blooded killer in time to stop his devious plans, or will this be the end of the line for Shelby Nichols?



Available for purchase at 



Excerpt


The first day of spring arrived, filling me with an overwhelming sense of freedom. Even though the temperature wasn’t real warm, it meant that winter was officially over. Even better, a ride on the motorcycle behind Ramos was now a possibility.
I’d missed that and I’d missed him. He’d been gone for two weeks helping Uncle Joey take care of some out-of-town business. I wasn’t exactly sure what that entailed and... believe me, I didn’t want to know. Jackie, Uncle Joey’s secretary and wife, told me they were both due back in the next few days, and deep down where I didn’t want to admit it, I could hardly wait to see them again.
That probably made me a bad person, since I worked for Uncle Joey, and he was a mob-boss. Ramos was his hit-man and he’d saved my life a few times. I had to admit, it was a far cry from the first time I’d met Ramos almost a year ago, when he was thinking he might have to kill me for the big boss.
I’d had to tell Uncle Joey my secret that I could read minds to stop that from happening. Since then, my skills had come in handy for Uncle Joey, and gotten me into a lot of trouble. But he’d always been there to bail me out, both literally and figuratively.
So now I helped Uncle Joey, not because I was forced into it, but because I wanted to. That was just twisted on so many levels, and he wasn’t even my real uncle. But I couldn’t seem to stop, so I did my best to keep on the right side of things.
Ramos was another part of that story. He was one hot and swoon-worthy man any woman would fall for. I had to keep reminding myself that I was happily married every time I laid eyes on him. He was the quintessential bad boy and, like a decadent chocolate dessert with whipped cream and a cherry on top, something that I might want in the worst way, but would also be very bad for me.
If I wasn’t married with kids... well, who knew what could happen, but I loved my husband and children, and Ramos respected that. Even so, there were still times when my heart seemed to have a mind of its own around him, and I’d have to rein it in or lose control, which was not an option.
Only a handful of people knew I could read minds, and I liked it that way. I told everyone else I had premonitions, and that mostly worked. I also had my own consulting agency, which included helping the police along with my own clients. Because of that, I managed to get into even more trouble, and that wasn’t counting the mob-boss part.
Like now.
My husband, Chris, had asked for my help on a hard case. He was an associate partner in the prestigious law firm of Cohen, Larsen and Pratt. This case was the single most important event of Chris’ career, mostly because the partners were looking to replace the Cohen part of the firm, and changing it to Larsen, Pratt and... Nichols.
This was a huge deal, and I wondered if the fact that Chris handled all of Uncle Joey’s accounts had something to do with it. Probably, but I wasn’t touching that with a ten foot pole. This put a lot of pressure on me. Not as much as Chris, but still… I didn’t want to screw it up for him.
That brought me to my problem. I wasn’t sure I wanted to help Chris, mostly because he was defending a woman accused of killing her husband, and ten million dollars from the life insurance policy was in the balance. To complicate matters even more, the husband’s company was one of Chris’ biggest clients.
If they won, Chris’ firm would get a nice, fat share, and also keep the company as a client. But from everything he’d told me, she sounded guilty as sin. If I listened to her thoughts, I’d know for sure, and that would just ruin everything. It made me realize that sometimes my ‘gift’ wasn’t so great. Not when I had to use it to get someone off who actually deserved some jail time.
But... wasn’t that what I did for Uncle Joey? So how was this any worse?
In fact, I’d recently made a deal with a government agent to keep Uncle Joey out of prison. In exchange for my help on one of his cases, he’d agreed to make any charges against Uncle Joey disappear. When Uncle Joey found out what I’d done, he wasn’t too happy with me. Especially since he thought I’d told Blake Beauchaine I could read minds.
Once he knew I hadn’t, and Blake just wanted me for what he thought were my mad interrogation skills, he’d calmed down. Still, Uncle Joey told me he could have handled anything Blake might have thrown at him without my deal. To be honest, it kind of hurt my feelings. Then he made me promise to involve him if Blake ever came to collect.
So now on top of everything else, I had Blake’s phone call to look forward to, and Uncle Joey to involve after that. It was enough to give me an ulcer.
“Shelby? We’re ready for you,” Chris said, poking his head out of the conference room.


The Shelby Nichols Adventure Series




Series Trailer





About The Author

As the author of the Shelby Nichols Adventure Series, Colleen is often asked if Shelby Nichols is her alter-ego. “Definitely,” she says. “Shelby is the epitome of everything I wish I dared to be.” Known for her laugh since she was a kid, Colleen has always tried to find the humor in every situation and continues to enjoy writing about Shelby’s adventures. “I love getting Shelby into trouble… I just don’t always know how to get her out of it!” Colleen lives in the Rocky Mountains with her family. Besides writing, she loves a good book, biking, hiking, and playing board and card games with family and friends. She loves to connect with readers and admits that fans of the series keep her writing.


You can find Colleen at 

               



 Giveaway







Presented By


Audio Book Review: Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose

Closer Than You Think 
(Romantic Suspense #16/Cincinnati, #1) 
by Karen Rose

Blurb: 

Psychologist Faith Corcoran is desperate to escape the stalker who’s made her life a nightmare for the past year—desperate enough to run to the one place that has been her nightmare far longer. Both boon and bane, her recent inheritance of her grandmother’s old house in Cincinnati offers sanctuary in which she can start her life anew, but requires that she face the dark memories that still resonate to this day.

But she has no idea how close to home her fears still are.

Two college girls have gone missing in the area, and FBI Special Agent Deacon Novak is called to work on the case. When his inquiry unexpectedly leads him to Faith, he finds a beautiful and brave woman he can’t help but fall for. Soon they’ll discover that this seemingly simple investigation is anything but. Reaching back decades into Faith’s own past, it will shatter everything she believes to be true and will give terrifying new meaning to flesh and blood.


Available for purchase at 

   

Nina's Review:
Closer than you think - get ready for a few all-nighters

Listened to it, loved it, and as soon as it was over I HAD to listen to it again. It was that good. Even at a second listen the story was just as exhilarating as the first time.

Let me tell you, I'm not typically a repeat reader. There are very few Authors whose books I revisit, only one, aside from this one, whose book I actually reached "the end" and flipped right back to the beginning, but Closer Than You Think warranted an immediate re-read, and let me tell you something else: this book is 28 hours long! I just couldn't believe I was so stoked after such a long book. My attention span is short and to keep me engaged that long is impressive!

Something that I thought was absolutely brilliant was the time tracking in the book. Sometimes I wonder how long it passes between certain parts in the stories that I read, and Karen Rose solved that in the most perfectly way, making me feel like I was IN the story. She set the timing and place where the scenes are occurring so it felt like I was right there with the characters. What enhanced the "all-immersed" feeling, was the exhaustion. Like Deacon, detective Bishop, and Faith, I too couldn't sleep while all that was going on in the story. I remember thinking "my gosh, I haven't slept a wink in almost 24 hours. This book is holding me hostage!".

But here we are, I reached the end again and immediately missed them all. I wanted more of Deacon Novak, He is SUCH a great hero and his imperfections make him so perfect! Faith as a main character also didn't disappoint. She is not the typical damsel in distress, nor does she act like those "to-be-rescued" women who we tend to roll our eyes at when they make silly decisions. She is very smart, interesting, strong, and so likable.

Narrator Review: She did a good job with the performance. I think she captured Faith's personality very well, and the sultry sexy scenes were on point. But there wasn't much distinction between the character voices. Kind of got me a little confused if I stopped the book for a moment or two. Overall a passable performance though, I would give the narrator 3 stars out of 5.

As a whole, I truly enjoyed the mystery and found the romance part of the story to be hot, well balanced and exciting. I had never read anything by this Author before but I confess I had a hard time letting go of the characters. 4.5 stars!

I'm super psyched to find out what happens next. Book 2 is coming soon and will feature 2 characters seen in this book. I can't wait!




Rating: 4.5 - I Really LOVED It! 



Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Blog Tour - Character Bio & Giveaway: Tackling The Tight End by Tara Lain



Hi Everyone!! I'm happy to host Tara Lain today!
Meet Dennis! He's one of the heroes in Tackling The End! 


Meet the Serpent – 

Name: Dennis Hascomb
Age: 21
Ethnicity/Nationality: American; “the whitest man on earth”
Hair: pale blond
Height: 6 ft. 
Weight: Slender, about 165
Sexuality: Confused; attracted to men, but being gay is very inconvenient (and perhaps life threatening)
Occupation: college senior film student; a key player in his “family business”
Personal goals: to rescue his sister; to live to see tomorrow
Family: Antoinette and Mercer; grifters and con artists
Greatest desire: to have a friend who genuinely likes him; to have a life of his own
Greatest challenge: Survival


Inspirational Image ONLY
Copyright Disclaimer -  we do not own or claim to own the rights to this image





Tackling The Tight End
(Long Pass Chronicles Series, #3)
By Tara Lain

Blurb:
Everyone wants the best for SCU student and tight end, Raven Nez—and they know exactly what that is. Enter the NFL draft, become a big football hero, promote his tribe’s casino, and make a lot of money to help people on the reservation. Just one problem. Raven really wants to work with gay kids, and while he loves his tribe and likes football, his visions for the future don’t mesh with theirs. Then the casino board hires a talented student filmmaker to create ads for the tribal business and asks Raven to work with him. But the filmmaker is Dennis Hascomb, a guy with so much to hide and a life so ugly it’s beyond Raven’s understanding. Still he’s drawn to Dennis's pain and incredible ability to survive. Captivated by Raven’s stories of the two-spirited and by the amazing joy of finally having a friend, Dennis knows he has to break free from everything he’s ever been taught was good—but that’s a struggle that could kill him and Raven, too. Is there a chance for “the great red hope” and the “whitest guy on earth”? A future for the serpent and the raven?



Available for purchase at 

      
 

You can also order your copy at





Excerpts


Raven laid out paper plates with pizza, two Cokes, and a bowl of potato chips on a box he used for a coffee table in front of the couch. He set them up so that Dennis either had to sit on the floor—not too comfortable, considering it was very worn carpet—or sit beside Raven. Maybe he could get Dennis to relax a little.

The movie started, and Dennis took a bite of cheese and artichoke hearts. He sighed and closed his eyes for a second.

Raven smiled. “Good?”

“Oh yeah. I always have dinner with my parents, which means I never get to eat anything normal.”

“They must really have bought into all that crap about eating together keeps the family together.”

“Yeah.” He pointed at the screen. “Okay, so you know this was partly an homage to the old western serials, right?”

Raven wrote in the air as he said, “Cowboooooys in Spaaaaaace.”

“Exactly. But it goes a lot deeper. It’s a real Biblical epic battle of good versus evil. I mean Luke, right? This is the book of Luke. And the Force. Interesting that most of the ordinary dumb bad guys make fun of the ancient religion, but Darth Vader knows and uses the Force. That’s what makes him so powerful. Darth, of course, is a play on Dark, and all the Darths in the series are the most dangerous villains.”

“Vader is short for invader?”

“I think that’s where it came from, but did you know that vader means father in Dutch?” He laughed. “They probably weren’t so surprised at the whole ‘Luke’s father’ revelation in the Netherlands.”

“No kidding?”

Dennis leaned forward for a piece of pepperoni pizza just as Raven grabbed for the same one. Their hands touched as they both held the crust. Raven grinned. “If they did this in a movie, you’d probably say it was contrived, right? Could never happen. The director should get a more original idea to get them together.”

“Yeah.” Raven heard Dennis swallow.

“So now that you have us here, director Hascomb, what do you plan to do with us?”

Dennis swallowed again, lifted his thumb, and gently rubbed Raven’s little finger.

Well damn, he’d had a fair amount of sex in his twenty-one years, but nothing had ever dived straight to his dick quite as fast as that gentle caress. “Man, you do it for me.”

“I-I do?”

“Yeah. That’s no demand or even request. I just want you to know.”

“What’s it like to kiss a guy?”

Their fingers stroked and twined. Nothing else moved if he didn’t count the expanding of cocks. “I don’t know. It’s great. Maybe not that different from kissing a girl. More stubble, I guess.” Raven wiped his other hand across his chin. “But not from me. No beard.”

“I’ve never kissed a girl. I tried to have sex a couple times but skipped the kissing part.”

“Well, hell, man. That means—”

On the screen, the 3-D projection of Princess Leia popped out of the communication device in R2-D2. Dennis stared at their linked hands. “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi—”

Raven joined in. “You’re our only hope.” He reached a hand around Dennis’s head and pulled him closer, then pressed half-open lips to Dennis’s closed mouth. Stroking gently, he persuaded those full pink lips apart and slipped his tongue slightly between. Dennis startled, but Raven held his head just tight enough to keep them in contact, but not so tight as to scare him.

Dennis shivered, made a little gurgling sound in his throat, brought his hands up against Raven’s shoulders, and then—some dam gave way. He dissolved in Raven’s arms, even wrapping his own around Raven’s chest, and oh God, his mouth opened, accepting all of Raven’s tongue. Sweet. As Raven’s tongue slid in, Dennis sucked. Jesus, Raven practically came just from the heat of that suction. 





The Long Pass Chronicles Series











About the Author


Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her best­selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!


You can find Tara at

               







Giveaway





Presented By



Gift Ideas for the Book Lover #68





Welcome to this week's "Gift Idea For The Book Lover"!  A little bit of everything that make great gifts instead of a gift card!  Scroll down below and check out this week's items and let me know which is your favorite? 




William Shakespeare Midsummer's Night Dream Book Clutch
$66.81 (plus S&H)

The loveliest one-of-kind handmade purse!

These sweet little Book Purses are not made with old books covers, I couldn’t bear the thought of strapping a book of its pages. The cover is made from classic book covers and my own book designs, all printed on cotton fabric and binded, as a normal book would be. It's finished with golden metal corners to embellish and protect the clutch.

This listing is for "Midsummer's Night Dream" cover by William Shakespeare. Ideal for any occasion. A smart-chic idea for a romantic girl or a book lover! The prefect gift!!

If you want it with the chain, just purchase it separately and I'll mount it to your book clutch. Press this link https://www.etsy.com/listing/105539462/purse-chain

My book clutches are big enough to carry your cell phone and a money purse. Dimensions: 13.5X19cm or 5.3"x7.5"





Book Club, Keep Calm Read On, Wine Glass Charms, Wine Charms, Reading, read wine charms, Bottlecap wine charm, book lover
$18.00 (plus S&H)

Keep Calm & Read On. The perfect addition to your next book club meeting. Add some flair to your wine glasses with these charms. Wine charms are also a great way for guests to keep track of their glass next time you entertain! Just because something is sensible, doesn't mean it can't also be pretty.

For protection the images are covered with 1 inch epoxy stickers - then attached to flattened white bottle caps. Each of the six charms is attached to a 1 inch (25mm) silver colored metal hoop. A small organza bag is included to keep they safe and sound for years to come.







A Perfect Library Pillow Cover- Books, Decor, Bedding, Nursery, Girl's Room, Jane Austen, Alice in Wonderland, Fairy Tales, Mint, Aqua, Pink
$30.00 (plus S&H)

Pillow Cover made from my original photograph "A Perfect Library," a fine art photograph of pretty books spines that include Grimm's Fairy Tales, Anne of Green Gables, Sense and Sensibility, Alice in Wonderland and The Ladies of Grace Adieu. Great decorative pillow for a library or librarian, a teacher, a girl's room, a nursery or any room in the house of a book lover! Color themes are pink, mint, aqua and cream.

*Made to order*

*This is for the cover only, pillow insert is not included*

Available sizes: 16x16," "18x18," or "20x20." Just select the size from the drop down menu.

* 100% spun polyester poplin fabric
* Individually cut and sewn by hand
* Features a double-sided print
* Finished with a concealed zipper for ease of care
* Spot Clean

Each pillow cover is made to order from a professional printer so please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery. International orders may take longer. Sorry but I do not accept returns on merchandise other than photographs.






My Weekend is Booked Book Tote Bag, Book Tote, Book Lover Humor
$20+ (plus S&H)

My Weekend is Booked, book lovers' inspired print on a fantastic heavy canvas book tote bag. Your choice of a Zippered or Non-Zippered Heavy Canvas Tote!!! Check out our color selection of matte and glitter prints, and leave your print color in comments section.

Product Description: Zippered Tote Bag

Heavy canvas Full length top inside zippered pocket.
Long self-fabric handles. Squared-off bottom.
Reinforced at stress points.

Size: 20"W x 15"H x 5"D


Product Description: Non-Zippered Tote Bag
Heavy Canvas Shopper. 
Full side and bottom gusset. 
Web handles.

Size: 4"W x 15"H x 4"D

This 14 by 15 inch tote bag is made out of heavy canvas material and comes with full side and bottom gusset for support and durability. The carrying handle will hold plenty of weight. Enjoy this book lover inspired tote bag for multiple purposes and daily activities.

Looking for that perfect gift? Canvas tote bags are excellent gifts, so many uses with one great tote bag. Trips to the library and book store of course, but also great beach bags, extra overnight bag. Economical and environment friendly :)

♥Looking to personalize the tote bag! We can print a personalized message or customize with name on other side of tote. Contact us for more info. This listing is for Front Print Only.




If items are no longer available, please contact the seller to request further information. 


Click here to see more gift ideas!!

Visit us every Wednesdays for more awesome gift/present ideas for you or the 
Book Lover in your life!!! 

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Release Day Launch: Blood On The Bayou by Heather Graham

Blood on the Bayou - RDL banner

 

We are so excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for BLOOD ON THE BAYOU by Heather Graham! BLOOD ON THE BAYOU is A Cafferty & Quinn Series Novella brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights. Grab your copy of this sexy novella today!

  Blood on the Bayou - cover

Amazon eBook ** Amazon Paperback


Blurb:

A Cafferty & Quinn Novella From New York Times bestseller Heather Graham... 
It's winter and a chill has settled over New Orleans, binding a stream of blood that leads a tourist to a dead man, face down in the bayou. The man has been done in by a vicious beating, so violent that his skull has been crashed in. It's barely a day before a second victim is found . . . once again so badly thrashed that the water runs red. The city becomes riddled with fear. An old family friend comes to Danni Cafferty, telling her that he's terrified, he's certain that he's received a message from the Blood Bayou killer--It's your turn to pay, blood on the bayou. The two quickly become involved, and--as they all begin to realize that a gruesome local history is being repeated--they find themselves in a fight to save not just a friend, but, perhaps, their very own lives.  


Blood on the Bayou - RDL teaser 1


  Excerpt: 

 Michael Quinn heard the hysterical crying the minute he entered the police station. The young woman creating the commotion was inside Detective Jake Larue’s office. Someone else was trying to soothe her while not becoming hysterical herself. “This one is right up your alley,” Larue told him as he approached. “My alley?” “That young woman is certain she saw a rougarou. She was on a bayou tour in Honey Swamp last night.” He smiled. No kid grew up in Southern Louisiana without hearing about the rougarou. Every region of the world had their own particular brand of monster. The rougarou belonged to the Cajun region of Southern Louisiana, stretching right into the city. “Honey Swamp?” he asked. “Doesn’t a problem in that area go to the Pearl River police?” “Yep,” Larue said. “But she’s here because she believes the rougarou followed her home, showing up in the window of her hotel last night.” He arched a brow at the ridiculousness of the statement. “I’m assuming there’s more.” “A dead man in the swamp. Head bashed in, throat ripped.” Which grabbed his attention. “I want you to talk to them,” Larue said. “I told them that you’re a rougarou expert and that you’ll get to the bottom of things. They were out on some night ghost tour in the bayou and their boat came upon the dead man. Right now, she’s so hysterical that she’s not making sense. But you rougarouexperts are used to dealing with that.” He shook his head at Larue’s sarcasm. He was no more a rougarou expert than someone was a ghost expert. Once upon a time, he’d worked with Larue as partners in the NYPD. Before that, Quinn’s life had been anything but normal. He’d actually been a pretty horrible person, not as in deadly or criminal, but as in vain and egotistical. His prowess in sports had led to excess, which eventually led to him being declared legally dead. Which changed everything.

     


  Blood on the Bayou - RDL Teaser 2



About Heather Graham


Heather Graham HeadshotNew 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, working on short horror stories and romances. After some trial and error, she sold her first book, WHEN NEXT WE LOVE, in 1982 and since then, she has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. She wrote the launch books for the Dell’s Ecstasy Supreme line, Silhouette’s Shadows, and for Harlequin’s mainstream fiction imprint, Mira Books. Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA and, since 1999, has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Ball, with all revenues going directly to children’s charity. She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty languages, and to have been honored with awards from Waldenbooks. B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, and more. She 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, People, and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including local television and Entertainment Tonight.  

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  Blood on the Bayou - Available Now



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