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Monday, October 30, 2017

An Exaltation Of Larks by Suanne Laqueur - 99 Cents Sale




September 11, 1973: Eleven-year-old Alejandro Penda watches from his apartment window as Santiago, Chile falls to a military coup, destroying his family and his childhood. Arriving alone in America, he’s taken in by the Larks: a prominent family in the town of Guelisten. Though burdened by unresolved grief for his disappeared parents, he becomes fiercely loyal to the Larks, eventually marrying one of their daughters, Valerie.

September 11, 2001: Javier Landes watches from his apartment window as New York City falls to terrorism. As one of Manhattan’s top-paid male escorts, this professional lover has never lacked for company and is loyal only to himself. But in the wake of 9/11, Jav is named guardian for an orphaned nephew in Guelisten and must open his carefully-guarded heart to pain he's long suppressed.

Alex, Valerie and Jav meet first in their twenties, with a sudden attraction each finds strange and compelling. When they meet again in their forties, they discover not only is their bond still strong, but their life experiences are strangely similar. All have been shaped by separate 9/11s, and their unfinished business from the past will change everything they know about love, loyalty and friendship.

Across three decades and two continents, An Exaltation of Larks explores the unpredictability of sexual attraction, how family ties are forged, torn and mended, and how love's downfall can turn to exaltation.







A former professional dancer and teacher, Suanne Laqueur went from choreographing music to choreographing words. Her books fall between romantic literature and literary romance, although she’s fond of saying, “I write Contemporary Train wreck.” Her emotionally-intelligent love/life stories prove to appeal to the passions of all readers, crossing gender, age and genre. 

Laqueur’s novel An Exaltation of Larks won the Grand Prize in the 2017 Writer’s Digest Book Awards. Her novel The Man I Love won a gold medal in the 2015 Readers' Favorite Book Awards and a gold medal for Best Debut Author from Feathered Quill Book Awards. 

Laqueur graduated from Alfred University with a double major in dance and theater. She taught at the Carol Bierman School of Ballet Arts in Croton-on-Hudson for ten years. An avid reader, cook and gardener, she started her blog EatsReadsThinks in 2010. She lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband and two children. Visit her on Facebook or at http://suannelaqueurwrites.com. All feelings welcome. And she always has coffee.



Also by Suanne Laqueur
The Fish Tales:
*The Man I Love
*Give Me Your Answer True
*Here to Stay
*The Ones That Got Away

The Venery Duet:
*An Exaltation of Larks
*A Charm of Finches





Saturday, October 28, 2017

Fish Tales by Suanne Laqueur - 4.99 Sale



The Fish Tales trilogy follows the extraordinary love story of Erik “Fish” Fiskare and Marguerite “Daisy” Bianco. When they meet in college, she is an aspiring ballet dancer and he is learning the behind-the-scenes art of stagecraft. Their love affair is set at the center of a circle of friends, bound by creativity and artistry. Then a shocking act of violence on their campus tears the circle apart and leaves Erik estranged from Daisy for over ten years. The series follows Erik and Daisy’s parallel journeys, exploring the effect one traumatic event in their youth has on their lives and how they choose to deal with the experience as adults.


Book 1, The Man I Love follows Erik “Fish” Fiskare over a 15-year period, in an emotional journey back to the truth of himself and a woman he can’t forget. During college, he falls deeply in love with a dancer named Daisy Bianco. Their passionate, soulful relationship is destroyed after they witness a murder on campus. The trauma tears apart their circle of friends and leads to bitter estrangement. Yet as he moves into adulthood, Erik is haunted by the past and the things he left unfinished. Did he ever get over Daisy? Or did he just leave? He soon discovers that in the face of heartache, grief and betrayal, love is not always enough to make you stay. And sometimes, it’s the only thing that can bring you back.
The Man I Love received a gold medal in Realistic Fiction at the 2015 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards. 
Book 2, Give Me Your Answer True inverts the narrative and tells the story from the POV of Erik’s girlfriend, Daisy Bianco, answering the questions the reader was left with at the end of The Man I Love. Rather than a rehash of the same exact events, the focus is on the years she is estranged from Erik—with some flashbacks—and her own journey as she takes responsibility for the mistakes of her youth without letting them define the woman she is evolving into.
Give Me Your Answer True received a gold medal in Realistic Fiction at the 2016 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards.


The third book, Here to Stay, follows Daisy and Erik into the next phase of their lives together. Though separated for twelve years, the extraordinary bond forged in their youth has endured. But when your soulmate has caused you indescribable pain, how easy is it to forgive? How much trust is needed to place your heart back into the hands that once broke it? How much faith does it take to ask the question, "Do you still want me?" and believe in the reply: "I still want us."






Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1Ud9W5l
Book Trailer: http://bit.ly/1vgFR7t
Artwork/Teasers: http://bit.ly/29pCBSr







Friday, October 27, 2017

Release Blitz - Fervent by Claudia Burgoa




Title: Fervent
Author: Claudia Burgoa
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 27, 2017



Blurb

As a former Army Ranger who works for a high intelligence, private security company, I’ve seen my fair share of death, betrayal, and pain. 
I’ve lived them. 
I trust no one, only my brothers, and my best friend.
I wasn’t always like that. Everything changed the day my parents died and my nation was attacked. 
Since then, family comes first. Work is my mistress. 
Nothing else matters. 
That is, until she walked into my life.
Short dress, long, tanned legs, and honey eyes that make me weak. 
She’s chaos.
She’s sunshine and daffodils.
She’s loud.
She’s a fighter.
She’s a dreamer.
She’s everything I hate.
Why is it so hard to walk away from her?







I can’t get enough of these four gorgeous Everhart brothers. First it was the youngest brother Hunter in Flawed and now it’s the oldest Harrison in Fervent which isn’t only centered around him but the entire Everhart family and their dynamics. I really love and appreciate that cause every brother is interesting, crucial for the other brothers and has so much story to tell.

Luna is a kickass and fierce woman who has lost her mother when she was just a baby. Her loss will still play a huge part of Luna’s job and choices especially when it comes to men.
Harrison is a nurturer and has cared for his brothers since they lost their parents. When he meets Luna through his colleague sparks fly instantly and he starts to reevaluate his life.
I could easily feel an emotional connection between them but I would’ve loved more intimacy between them.

What I love about Fervent is how other characters from other Claudia Burgoa books make an appearance. It can easily be read as a standalone. Fervent is all about family, love and loyalty. So many new revelations are revealed and still many seeds are planted. Now I just want Scott’s or Fitzhenry’s story. I don’t care as long as I get more Everhart.
4 BadAssDirtyLittleMoonStars


Purchase Links

$1.99 for a limited time

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS





Excerpt

Stretched t-shirt, dry blood and badass attitude looked good on him. That’s nothing compared to Harrison Everhart wearing a suit. His tall, broad, body wrapped in a dark gray is a site I want to photograph, frame and stare at it forever. He’s the type of man who behaves differently depending on the place and time. For the past five hours, we chatted pleasantly about our families. Nothing too superficial but nothing too intimate, either. If I had time to date, he’d be the kind of man I’d choose. Easy to talk to, funny, and a gentleman.
A refreshing touch from the guys who I hook up with when I have time to go out with my friends. Which lately it’s been never. Maybe I have time, but I don’t want to waste it by doing the same thing over and over again. Meeting a guy who has little social skills, only talks about himself, and by the end of the date is the only one who is satisfied isn’t great. I have my little friendly toys that to do a better job and I don’t have to listen to nonsense.
This would be a great subject for a sociology class; the interactions between humans, and how out of touch they are with one another that dating has become a joke. What happened to love letters? The chase is so much different now than it was back when my parents dated. I should quit the Bureau and go back to school. Finish my psychology degree, go into anthropology or sociology. I would enjoy doing that more than having to jump through hoops to show that I’m capable of more things than my superiors like to acknowledge. If anything, I can write a book with Mom’s letters and notes.
A manual on how it’s done.
“Everything okay?” Harrison asks when the service car stops, and the driver opens my door. “You’ve been quiet since we left the party.”
Define okay? My skin tingles every time you touch me. Your deep voice makes me shiver, and dancing in your arms was a bit torturous because everything inside me wanted you to touch more than my bare shoulders and my waist. But yeah, I’m cool.
“Your brother and Hazel never arrived at the party,” I comment, not disclosing that I’d like to find out how my fake future boyfriend kisses. “Gia wasn’t there either.”
 “I’m sorry about that. If you want, I can try to find out her whereabouts. My people can hack her phone and track her daily activities. He smirks and winks. “We can start stalking her.”
“Stalking?” I boom, laughing and covering my mouth when a couple walking close to us turns to glare at me.
“Yeah, that’s the word and you know what they say, ‘couples that stalk together stay together.’” He grins, his blue-crystal eyes shining with the post light.
That grin is addictive. I shouldn’t mind pretending to be with him while I’m working. A little fun on the side, some sexy times. Sex. I haven’t had that in a long time. So long that I can only remember what my toys can do for me. But I care. He’s a distraction. Each time he smirks, touches me or talks with the low-bedroom voice I want to jump him. That’s not only unprofessional but also illogical.
“Anything for the sake of the case, right?” My voice comes out a little throaty, needy.
He clears his throat, looking around and poking the elevator. “We should do this again,” he says, leaning closer to me.
“Technically, we have to do it again.”
Have I mentioned this is the best case I’ve ever worked on in my entire life.” He leans forward, kissing my cheek. His lips lingering close to my ear for one too many seconds. His musk-wood scent making my stomach flutter.
“Thank you,” I swallow hard, turning around and stepping into the elevator. “We can discuss our next move tomorrow.”
I poke the elevator, looking at the doors that start closing his gaze locks with mine.  His eyes darken, the intensity of that gaze makes me feel vulnerable, bare. I imagine my skin searing with the touch of his big hands. As the doors close, my phone rings. An incoming message. Unknown number reads the screen.
Unknown: This was the best first date I’ve had in a long time. Thank you.






Also Available


NEW COVER & TITLE

(Previously titled All of You All of Me)

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited






Author Bio

Claudia grew up with a childhood that resembled a caffeine-injected soap opera.

She lives in Colorado working for a small IT company, managing her household filled with three confused dogs, her geek husband, two daughters wrought with fandoms and a son who thinks he’s the boss of the house. To survive she works continually to find purpose for the voices flitting through her head, plus she consumes high quantities of chocolate to keep the last threads of sanity intact.


Author Links





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Thursday, October 26, 2017

Release Day and Review of Unveiling Fate by Jeannine Allison








Unveiling Fate is a STANDALONE romance. You don't have to read any other books in the series to enjoy it :)

The girl who everyone forgot…

Ellie Harrington wanted to be remembered. After years of being neglected by her parents and ignored by her peers, she tried to drown her sorrows in alcohol. But at the tender age of twenty, her biggest crutch becomes her greatest obstacle when a positive pregnancy test changes her life forever. 

The boy who wished to be forgotten…

Grayson Mable wanted to disappear. After suffering years of torment at the hands of bullies and the tragic loss of his best friend, he cut himself off from the world. Almost a decade later, the victim has become the protector. But instead of seeing a hero, he sees a broken man, haunted by his past.

Tell me something that hurts…

Both believe they’re destined for loneliness, until their paths cross and everything changes. The pair become fast friends, trading their darkest secrets and revealing their deepest regrets. As time goes on and their feelings grow, the pieces of their broken hearts come together, fitting perfectly to make them whole. But mended hearts are fragile… Will Ellie and Grayson crumble under the weight of their pain? Or can they stand strong and embrace what fate has planned?



The Unveiling gang are my people. After reading three books I couldn’t be more invested in their stories and after being introduced to Ellie and Grayson in Unveiling Chaos I was beyond ready to know theirs. Already in Unveiling Chaos Ellie was struggling with her current situation but thankfully she had the support of her brother Damien, his girlfriend Naomi and common friend Grayson.
Unveiling Fate can be read as a standalone but I recommend reading from book 1 Unveiling The Sky just to experience the connection with characters and being introduced to everyone in each book.

First things first. I love Grayson Maple! He wooed me properly and also made my heart break. Ellie showed everyone how strong and determined she really was. She couldn’t have done it without Grayson. He showed her how important she was, to him, to herself and that she could achieve her goals. Ellie on the other hand made Grayson accept his past, face his fears and reevaluate his life now that Ellie was a huge part of that.

Unveiling Fate revolve around topics which are pretty common today. Bullying, loneliness and not being validated or acknowledged by the people you love. It’s a huge part of why Ellie and Grayson grew up the way they did and made certain choices.

Unveiling Fate is emotional and all about Ellie and Grayson which I loved. I loved how brave they both were. Together and individually. Especially Ellie found her voice and self confidence. Grayson had experienced a loss when he was a kid and carried it with him still. Despite that he was still a loyal and strong support for Ellie and her son Andy. He was her rock. Her and Andy’s.
When they were together intimately it was a first for them both. In different ways. Allison captures it beautifully that I could easily feel the love and the passion between them.
It was pure and honest. Their course towards a relationship was in a steady pace that benefited the characters and their growth.

These two lonely souls came together, brought light in their darkness so the other could shine and ultimately saved one another.

I was so happy that a couple of other characters from the Unveiling universe besides Damien and Naomi made an appearance. They are each other’s family and tribe. That little seed or teaser that Allison planted regarding the next book only made me wish I could continue reading and stay in this fabulous universe.

This is the fourth book in the Unveiling series and it’s still going strong. Jeannine Allison has created a wonderful series with relatable characters whose stories have heart and are meaningful. I’m so happy there’s another book cause I’m not done with this gang. Not by a long shot.

5 BadAssDirtyMyHeroStars



Cover Reveal - Imagine Me by Fiona Cole

Cover Design: Najla Qamber Designs
Release Date: November 16, 2017
 

Synopsis

Shane’s her brother’s best friend and thirteen years older than her. Juliana knows his desire to be the loner and to never settle down. But none of that stops her from showing up at his hotel room late one night. Months later, she imagines every scenario for when she runs into Shane again. However, she never imagined him brushing off their scorching night together. She never imagined him calling her a ‘little girl’ who can’t handle a man. His words ignite a fire in Juliana. If she has to date every single guy in Cincinnati, she’ll prove that she is more than capable of “handling” a man. Except Juliana and Shane can’t stay away from each other, so they set up some rules; only sex, and no telling her brother.  It doesn’t take long for the sex to turn into feelings, and Juliana can feel his icy exterior melting. Is he willing to risk his best friend for a chance at love? For Juliana, that might be too good to imagine.

Goodreads

 

 

Giveaway

One of Five ARC's for Imagine Me
 
 
 

About the Author

Fiona Cole is a military wife and a stay at home mom with a degree in Biology and Chemistry. As much as she loved science she decided to postpone her career to stay at home with her two little girls and immersed herself in the world of books until finally deciding to write her own. Where You Can Find Me is Fiona's debut novel and will hopefully be the first of many.  

 

Connect with Fiona

Newsletter Sign Up: http://bit.ly/2tvtGIV
Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/2uulD0i
Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2uSdsgG
Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/2ur1d9S
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2uqWZ2k
BookBub Author Page: http://bit.ly/2yL3Bui

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Release Blitz And Review - Forever Right Now by Emma Scott



***STANDALONE new adult romance from the author of The Butterfly Project and the Full Tilt Duet***

Darlene Montgomery has been to hell and back…more than once. After a stint in jail for drug possession, she is finally clean and ready to start over. Yet another failed relationship is just the motivation she needs to move from New York to San Francisco with the hopes of resurrecting her dance career and discovering that she is more than the sum of her rap sheet. As Darlene struggles in her new city, the last thing she wants is to become entangled with her handsome—but cranky— neighbor and his adorable little girl...
Sawyer Haas is weeks away from finishing law school, but exhaustion, dwindling finances, and the pressure to provide for himself and his daughter, Olivia, are wearing him down. A federal clerkship-- a job he desperately needs--awaits him after graduation, but only if he passes the Bar Exam. Sawyer doesn’t have the time or patience for the capricious—if beautiful—dancer who moves into the apartment above his. But Darlene’s easy laugh and cheerful spirit seep into the cracks of his hardened heart, and slowly break down the walls he’s resurrected to keep from being betrayed ever again.
When the parents of Olivia’s absentee mother come to fight for custody, Sawyer could lose
everything. To have any chance at happiness, he must trust Darlene, the woman who has somehow found her way past his brittle barbs, and Darlene must decide how much of her own bruised heart she is willing to give to Sawyer and Olivia, especially when the ghosts of her troubled past refuse to stay buried.




I’m content. I’m emotional and feeling it all after finishing Forever Right Now by Emma Scott. But that’s not surprising. Scott’s work and storytelling always brings me so much joy and feels. This slow burn love story is masterly created and depicted. I was fully invested in this story almost immediately. Darlene and Sawyer’s story.

I don’t know what it is but every one of Scott’s characters not only from this book but from her other ones as well resonates with me. Her characterization, her narrative and flawless prose are her strengths. Scott knows how to utilize these to perfection and did so with Forever Right Now.
Yes, it’s a slow burn and a beautiful and emotional one at that but that’s not the only thing I loved and enjoyed about FRN. It was Darlene, Sawyer, Livvie, Max and Jax. Pretty much every character cause they had a story to tell and it was essential. They were all well developed and some flawed. Human and I connected with them. I hurt, broke and cheered for them.

Darlene and Sawyer made me soar. From their first meeting and I was done for. The pace of the story was just right cause what Darlene and Sawyer was struggling with couldn’t be rushed. It wasn’t and not only did it allow them both to grow individually but also did their friendship and relationship which was meticulously executed.
The topics in FRN are real, difficult and relatable. Emma Scott treats them with care and weaves them into the story effortlessly.

Having said that Forever Right Now is a must read. Scott doesn’t disappoint and delivers heart, story and emotion in spades. Sawyer says that Darlene is a tornado. Well, Forever Right Now tornadoed straight into my heart.
5+ BadAssDirtyTornadoStars




Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2fRUBK8
Amazon Universal: myBook.to/EScottForeverRightNow
KOBO: http://bit.ly/FRNKobo
BN: http://bit.ly/FRNBNScott
iBooks: http://apple.co/2x0t8Au
Goodreads: https://goo.gl/LR6Kb9

Excerpt:

"Who are you?" he demanded rudely, shifting the diaper bag higher on his shoulder while hoisting his little girl in his other arm. He was six feet of hotness in a rumpled suit, glaring at me with suspicion in his dark eyes.
"I...I'm your new neighbor?" It sounded more like a question; as if I needed this guy's permission to live. I straightened to my full height. "I just moved in upstairs. I'm a dancer. Well, I was. Had to take some time off but I'm going to get back into it soon...ish." I put on my friendliest smile. "I'm a massage therapist now. Just got my license and..." My words died under Sawyer's withering stare. "A dancer. Fantastic," he said bitterly. "Just what I always wanted. Someone leaping and thumping above me, waking my kid up and disturbing my studies at all hours of the night." I planted my hands on my hips. "I can't dance in a dinky apartment, and besides..." Words failed me again as the sharp planes and hard angles of Sawyer's face melted when his daughter--I guessed her to be about a year old--suddenly clapped her small hand over his chin. Sawyer's hard gaze softened, and his broad mouth turned up in a smile--a beautiful smile I was sure only his little girl ever got to see, and so full of love that for a moment I could hardly breathe.



Emma Scott writes romances with flawed characters, characters with artistic hearts: builders, poets, and writers of various makes and models. And love always wins. Always.

Where to find Emma:

Website: www.emmascott.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmmaScottwrites
Twitter: @EmmaS_writes
Instagram: @EmmaScottWrites
Amazon: http://bit.ly/EmmaScott


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