Posted in 4 paws, Fantasy, Review, romance, suspense on April 14, 2013

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Synopsis:

Felicitas’ life is thrown into chaos when she begins to have dreams of Raine Zadock. Not only has she never met him, but the intimate night in her dreams shows a positive result on her pregnancy test. She doesn’t dare tell her controlling father, Melvin Rebold, the town’s most prominent Baptist minister or her passive mother Sharon. The only person she can confide in is her grandmother Rosie, however her father forbids her to have anything to do with her, claiming she’s insane and speaks with the dead. But, before Felicitas can confess her secret, she mysteriously vanishes. During the search to find her, news of her pregnancy surfaces along with a cryptic Nocturnal Journal that cast an accusing finger on a secretive stranger.

A week later, she is found wandering the woods but with no memory of where she has been. An angry Detective, her boyfriend and her parents are furious with her and of course do not believe her story of becoming pregnant in a dream.

After her father threatens to send her off to County Mental Health, she runs away to her grandmother’s house, all the while haunted by her father’s continual warnings about the woman. True to her father’s description, Rosie seems a bit eccentric and shares wild mystical tales of dreams and other dimensions. Together Felicitas and her grandmother trace their roots back ten generations and make a disturbing discovery that someone very close to her is not who they seem.

Excerpt:

“You keep torches in your trees?”

He didn’t answer. Instead he held the flame high lighting the grove of ghostly looking trees. Their massive gnarled trunks grew within inches of each other creating a large circle impossible for anyone or anything to enter. The thick branches void of any leaves entwined with the boughs from the neighboring tree creating an impenetrable barricade. An ancient well sat in the center protected by the trees.  A fog hugged the ground surrounding the well. Water spilled softly over the top like a fountain. Esther realized what Reed meant by no one being able to fall into this well. It was impossible to get anywhere near it.

“What is this place?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know? You have to know, you brought me here.”

“I don’t know what it is though. I have my ideas, but….”

“What do you mean you have your ideas? Do you think it has something to do with Taz disappearing?”

“I don’t know.”

Esther was becoming impatient. Her quest for answers superseded any crush or would-be relationship. Now was not the time to be charming. She would grab him around the neck and choke the answers from him if need be.

“You do too know. You thought it was important enough to check out. I want to know why. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Reed continued to hold the torch in his hand. It lit his face, outlining his strong features. Usually Esther would be nervous in his presence; tonight it was Reed that seemed anxious.

He stepped up close forcing her against the trunk of a tree his face directly in front of hers. She swallowed hard, taken back by the unintended intimacy of the moment.

“Promise me you will not tell anyone about this place.”

Emotion choked the voice from her throat. She managed a hoarse whisper.

“I promise.”

“I think it’s some sort of gateway.”

She swallowed hard.

“Gateway to where?”

Reed bit down hard clenching his jaw. “I know it sounds crazy, but I think it is a passageway to the afterlife.”

A cold chill passed through Esther as terror invaded her. She glanced at the vapor hovering near the well and the gnarled trees standing vigil and she began to tremble. This was too much. She wanted to turn and run as fast as she could, removing herself as far from this bizarre place as possible. Instead she grabbed Reed’s hand.

“Okay, I am scared to death right now…I may pass out at any minute.”

Reed’s lips gave way to a smile.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t bring you here to scare you.”

“Then why did you being me here?”

Reed moved in pinning her closer against the tree. He placed his mouth close to her ear and whispered as if he feared being heard.

“To see if there was water. When there is water there is activity…..it means they have come.”

Esther wanted to scream and run like a banshee through the woods. Reeds words made her legs shake uncontrollably. She wished she were anywhere but where she was, yet the intimacy of the moment made a fire burn in her belly.

“Who are they?” she whispered back

She didn’t know why, but his next words chilled her to the bone, and for some reason she wished she had not asked the question. It’s better not to know some things, because sometimes with certain knowledge comes great misfortune.  Yet, she had asked; and, he had whispered back into her ear. She never could have dreamed that the two words he spoke would change her life forever.

“The Harets.”

 

Review:

I really enjoyed this book.  I wasn’t expecting the fantasy portion (I know, I need to read the synopsis better, but it sounded good!) but it added a nice twist to the story.  The characters all seemed realistic and it was nice to see Felicitas’ father as a somewhat bad guy for a minister.  I like how Felicitas stood up for herself and stuck to her principles.  Her friend Esther seemed somewhat gullible, but that is what made her character interesting.  I have to say I had no idea where the story was going to go or how it was going to end, so that was a bit of a surprise.  I’m not sure if I loved or hated how it ended and part of me wants another book to see how the story continues!

I give the story 4 paws and suggest checking it out next time you are looking for something to read.

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About the Author:

denisedaisyJoining the ranks of best-selling authors, Denise Daisy is described as one of the purest storytellers of all time; pulling of romance, suspense and a touch of fantasy, all in the same piece. Denise’s novels include, The Secrets of Moonshine, Haytham The Secret in the Rubble, both books are a part of her popular Moonshine Series. The third installment The Storyteller’s Secret is due out in 2013.The Haret is the first book in The Haret Series, and, Thirteen for Dinner is a stand-alone suspense thriller.She lives in San Diego with her youngest daughter Journey. She free-lances as a hairstylist and make-up artist. She is very active in the community, directing and teaching for the national CYT, children’s theater. During her free time she enjoys hanging out with all four of her daughters, Autumn, Brittany, Kendall and Journey or taking a sail with her real life leading man Scott Dazey.

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Posted in 4 paws, Review, romance, suspense on April 11, 2013

firefly moutain

 

Synopsis:

Firefighter Patrick Barre is determined to hide away in the woods of Vermont. He’s content to do his job, remodel his house, and enjoy the company of his arson-detection dog, Midas. Scars from the fire that destroyed his family keep him from letting anyone into his life.

Gini Claremont uses her camera to celebrate the beauty of life. Nature soothes her, while anger is dangerous for Gini–and anyone near her. If she doesn’t guard her emotions, her surroundings could go up in flames. Living alone, keeping busy, and letting her family keep watch on her is best for everyone.

When an arsonist declares war on their town, Patrick and Gini reluctantly band together to sift through the ashes, each holding a secret close to the heart. As the arson escalates, so does their mutual attraction. Will teaming up put out the fires, or start a whole new one?

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book….some romance with a little suspense thrown in is a winner in my book!  Both Gini & Patrick have secrets that they don’t want to get out, or at least not to each other….but in this world all secrets come out at one time or another.  I thought that the development of their relationship was interesting after all how many people do you know that can start fires when they get mad?  I did find that a little unrealistic at first…We first find out she can start fires when mad when she meets Patrick for the first time and he says no to being in the calendar she is creating to raise money for the animal shelter.  Ummm….you have JUST met this guy and him saying no sets you off?  I guess she wasn’t used to someone telling her no.  I thought her character, while well loved by many, still very immature.  Perhaps that was her parents sheltering her because of her gift.  Patrick’s hangup happened when he was a teen, perhaps it was the guilt talking?  But he has to let his guard down and it doesn’t hurt that Gini and the gang don’t let him hide away and become a recluse when not working.  Oh and can I say I want to visit the Northeast now?  The scenery sounds gorgeous and I have never been to Vermont….it would need to be during the summer, I don’t need cold and snow!

April, Gracie and I give it 4 paws and if you get a chance check out the book

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About the Author:

christine By day, I teach fifth grade and inspire young writers. By night, I write everything. Adult romance, young adult romance, science fiction, fantasy, poetry, pieces about nature, pretty much anything that pops into my head. I can’t NOT write. I’ve tried, but The Voices won’t let me. They insist I write their tales.

I first seriously considered writing as a lifestyle choice when I worked as a receptionist in a law office as a teenager. That was a lonely, quiet, boring job. Lawyers look exciting on TV, but the real world of it is about as entertaining as getting a paper cut from a file folder. The phone never rang in that office, and when it did, I had to pull myself out of the coma I’d slipped into and try to get the caller’s name right when I buzzed the lawyers. To pass the time I would start a story, leave it hidden in the day secretary’s desk calendar, and my friend, who worked the days I didn’t, would continue the story. We would volley back and forth for pages and pages. Even then the tales were romances, mostly about a character named Anastasia who had joined a convent, but was secretly in love with the groundskeeper. A direct reflection of our pathetic, dateless weekends, you ask? But of course.

The stories helped us cope. We didn’t do drugs, or drink alcohol, or go clubbing to deal with our social anonymity. No, we wrote, dammit. Today, I tell stories meant to make you laugh, maybe make you sweat, and definitely make you believe in the magic of love.

Website * Facebook

 

This book was provided to me by the author for an honest review.

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Posted in 3 1/2 paws, Review, romance on April 10, 2013

acadian waltz

Synopsis:

At thirty, Nora Kehoe is feeling pressured to settle down. On a blind date, Nora unexpectedly ends up in the emergency room where she meets Dr. John Blessing. She hopes the pragmatic Dr. Blessing can make her life complete. Then, a passionate encounter with a childhood friend changes everything.

The charismatic Jean Marc Gaspard manages the family business, Gaspard Fisheries. But rumors abound that Jean Marc is running more than seafood through the waters around Manchac Louisiana. When a family crisis sends Nora to Manchac, she is thrown headlong into the dangerous world of smugglers and swindlers. And as Jean Marc tries to protect Nora from his past, he realizes he may lose her because of it.

The dark bayou waters run deep with secrets in Louisiana, and every Cajun knows how to dance the fine line between the right and wrong side of the law. But for strangers, learning the steps to staying alive in the swamps can be tricky. Life, and love, will be dependent on how well one can master the … Acadian Waltz

Review:

This story is set in Louisiana with ties to Dallas Texas….so this hit home for me as I live in the Dallas area and have family in southern Louisiana!  The characters are believable and the setting is true N’awlins or southern Louisiana.  Nora’s mother is overbearing, typical of a southern mother…and a Catholic to boot and she knows how to lay that guilt!  So much that Nora accepts a proposal from a man that her mother will love but she doesn’t…but of course she doesn’t know that yet.  She thinks that his actions should be accepted since he is a doctor.  Meanwhile there is Jean Marc, a long time friend that she had not seen in quite some time.  Let me tell you the sparks seem to fly with Jean Marc that aren’t with the good doctor, and THAT should be a tip off, don’t accept what you don’t like.

Overall the story was solid with interesting characters but sometimes Nora got on my nerves.  I wanted to shake her to come to her senses.  I enjoyed the story but it didn’t WOW me as other books have in the recent past, but it was still an enjoyable story.  I give it 3 1/2 paws.

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Posted in Book Blast, contest, Giveaway, romance, suspense on April 9, 2013

 

Replacing Gentry

When Marlie agrees to attend a cadaver ball at Vanderbilt Medical School, she did not expect to actually see any cadavers. Or, that a strange apparition would issue her a chilling message.

Despite the cadaver’s warning, Marlie is married a year later to Tennessee State Senator, Daniel Cannon, and living in a plantation-style mansion with two step sons. Add to the mix her growing suspicion that something is amiss with the death of Daniel’s first wife, Gentry; and newlywed Marlie is definitely in over her pretty Yankee head.

What begins as an innocent inquiry into her new husband’s clouded past, ends with Marlie in the midst of a dangerous conspiracy.

A modern twist on the classic Gothic romance novels of Rebecca and Jane Eyre, Replacing Gentry follows Marlie’s precarious journey as she learns the truth about the man she married.

 

Author Julie N. Ford

Julie N. Ford graduated from San Diego State University with a BA in Political Science and a minor in English Literature. In addition, she has a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama. Professionally, she has worked in teaching and as a Marriage & Family Counselor. She is the author of two women’s fiction novels, The Woman He Married and No Holly for Christmas, published in 2011. In addition, she wrote a romance/chick-lit novel, Count Down to Love, also published in 2011. Count Down to Love was a 2011 Whitney Award finalist. Her next novel, Replacing Gentry, is due for release April 9th, 2013.

Currently, she lives in Nashville, TN with her husband, two daughters and one hedgehog.

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Posted in Cover Reveal, romance on April 9, 2013

 photo CUPFINAL__zps221586bf.jpg

Title: Animate Me
Author: Ruth Clampett
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult/Adult
Expected release date: May 1, 2013

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She seemed far beyond his reach…could love draw them together?
For years shy animator Nathan has carried a torch for Brooke, the beautiful and dynamic Director of Development at their animation studio, even creating B-Girl, a comic-book heroine in her likeness. When a new project throws the two of them together, lovestruck Nathan finally seizes his moment – only to find Arnauld, head of the animation studio, claiming exclusive rights to Brooke’s affections.

But Nathan, it turns out, is not giving up on his dreams so easily. With inspired determination, he sets out to be the super hero of wooing his girl. Threatened by his persistence, Arnauld plays dirty – only to spark an uprising at the studio that unleashes the sort of havoc only a building full of frustrated animators can create. While Nathan pulls out all the stops to win his B-girl, Brooke has to choose. Should she pursue the sparkling career that has taken her years to build…or follow her heart?

 

About the Author

Ruth Clampett, daughter of legendary animation director Bob Clampett, grew up surrounded by artists and animators. A graduate of Art Center College of Design, she has been VP of Design for Warner Brothers Studio Stores and taught photography at UCLA. Today she runs her own studio and as the Fine Art publisher for Warner Brothers Studios has come to know and work with some of the world’s greatest artists in the fields of animation and comics.
From this colorful background comes Ruth’s first novel, Animate Me, a fun and sexy, unique and engaging contemporary romance.
Ruth lives and works in Los Angeles, strictly supervised by her teenage daughter, who helps plan their summer around their yearly pilgrimage to the San Diego Comic Con.

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Posted in excerpt, Fantasy on April 8, 2013

lichgates

Synopsis:

Kara Magari is about to discover a beautiful world full of terrifying things–Ourea.

Kara, a college student still reeling from her mother’s recent death, has no idea the hidden world of Ourea even exists until a freak storm traps her in a sunken library. With no way out, she opens an ancient book of magic called the Grimoire and unwittingly becomes its master, which means Kara now wields the cursed book’s untamed power. Discovered by Ourea’s royalty, she becomes an unwilling pawn in a generations-old conflict–a war intensified by her arrival. In this world of chilling creatures and betrayal, Kara shouldn’t trust anyone… but she’s being hunted and can’t survive on her own. She drops her guard when Braeden, a native soldier with a dark secret, vows to keep her safe. And though she doesn’t know it, her growing attraction to him may just be her undoing.

For twelve years, Braeden Drakonin has lived a lie. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. Though he begins to care for this human girl, there is something he wants more. He wants the Grimoire.

Welcome to Ourea, where only the cunning survive.

Excerpt:

Thunder rumbled overhead. A dark cloud churned in the sky, and her heart fell into her stomach; there hadn’t even been a single fluffy cloud up there ten minutes ago. That didn’t make sense at all—how could the weather shift so suddenly?

She glanced to the door and then back up the trail, hesitating, but her decision was soon made for her.

A blinding bolt of moss-colored lightning flashed, striking something in the sinkhole. The hairs on her arms stood on end. Heat coursed through her calves, and she caught her breath. Her ears rang.

Wait. That lightning was definitely green.

The cliff trembled as a deafening boom shattered the air. A drizzle of rain began, but it quickly melted into heavy drops that pelted her skin and clung to her hair. Another rumble coursed along the far edge of the valley. Kara needed shelter, and the last place she would go in a lightning storm was up a hill.

She turned back and twisted the door’s handle, sighing with relief as it openedunlockedand swung inward. Still, as wet as it was outside and as much as she wanted a safe place to wait out the rain, she lingered on the threshold to examine the room.

Mud covered everything from the floor to the ceiling, and since there weren’t any supports to hold the roof, she couldn’t figure out how the ten-by-ten dirt shelter hadn’t caved in yet. The air within was heavy, moist with the rot of dead leaves, and her only guiding light streamed in from behind her. Roots dangled from the ceiling like stalactites reaching for the floor. The wind picked up, howling as it pelted rain against her back.

She tested the ground with her sneaker. The dirt floor supported her weight, so she tip-toed into the room and left the door open. Rain fell in lingering drops on the threshold before disappearing into the growing pools of mud. She stuck her hands in her pockets and watched the raging storm outside.

A flash of dark brown blurred past her.

She jumped. A tan flicker snaked along the roof, and clumps of soil fell in sheets. She glared at the ceiling, holding her breath as the settling dust rained onto her shoes.

It had almost looked like a root moving, but—no, that was crazy.

Another streak of motion raced down the opposite wall. It passed through a shaft of light, and Kara saw its pointed, wooden tip. Tiny veins sprouted from it like hairs, digging into the dirt so that it could travel.

It was a root moving.

Lichgates is FREE

Download your copy now!

Posted in Book Blast, contest, Giveaway on April 8, 2013

 

Goddess Girls #10 – Pheme the Gossip

Get to know Goddess Girl Pheme…the original “gossip girl”!

As the goddess girl of rumor and gossip, Pheme prides herself on being “in the know” and having the most up-to-date info on anyone and everyone at Mount Olympus Academy. To make sure that people really get her VIP messages, her words tend to linger in cloud letters above her head—just in case people don’t catch what she says!

But not everyone is thrilled with Pheme’s insider knowledge on everything MOA—including the Goddess Girls. Can Pheme ever be trusted? Or will this “gossip girl” find herself on the other end of the rumors?



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Praise for The Goddess Girls

“…a clever take on Greek deities…”

~ Booklist

“Readers familiar with Greek myths should get a kick out of this plucky restaging.”

~Publisher’s Weekly

“…an enchanting mythological world with middle-school woes compounded by life as a deity…”

~ School Library Journal

 
The Goddess Girls Series

The Goddess Girls series, by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths. Follow the ins and outs of divine social life where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.

  • Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!
  • Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.
  • Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.
  • Artemis the Brave She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.
  • Athena the Wise Zeus says Heracles has to do twelve tasks or he’ll get kicked out of MOA! Although she’s not sure it’s wise, Athena agrees to help out.
  • Aphrodite the Diva Isis claims she’s the goddess of love? Ha! But to keep the title all to herself, Aphrodite has to find the perfect match for Pygmalion, the most annoying boy ever.
  • Artemis the Loyal It’s time for the annual Olympic Games, and Artemis and her friends are not happy. It’s boys only. Not fair!
  • Medusa the Mean Medusa wants to be more like her two sisters and the other kids at Mount Olympus Academy — immortal. Is that too much to ask?
  • The Girl Games (Goddess Girls Super Special) Listen in on what all four goddess girls are thinking as Mount Olympus Academy hosts visitors from many lands–including an adorable kitten!The first-ever standalone superspecial in the Goddess Girls series!
  • Pandora the Curious Pandora is one of the few mortals at Mount Olympus Academy—and probably the most curious of all the students in school.
The Goddess Girls

Author Suzanne Williams

Suzanne Williams is the award-winning author of nearly 40 books for children, from picture books and easy readers to chapter books and middle grade fiction series. A former elementary school librarian, she lives near Seattle. Her picture book Library Lil (illustrated by Steven Kellogg) won the New Mexico children’s choice award in 2000 and was on several other state award lists. She is co-author (with Joan Holub) of the popular Goddess Girls series(for ages 8 – 12) and Heroes in Training (ages 6 – 11). Other series include Fairy Blossoms and Princess Power.

 

Author Joan Holub

I graduated from college in Texas with a fine arts degree, and then freelanced as an art director at a graphic design firm for eight years. I dreamed of working in children’s books, so I moved to New York City and became associate art director in Scholastic trade books, where I designed books for children and worked with editors and illustrators. It was a great job.

I illustrated my first published children’s book in 1992 and soon began illustrating full time. I began completing manuscripts and mailing them out to publishers in the early 1990s. In 1996, I sold my first two manuscripts — Boo Who? A Spooky Lift-the-Flap Book (Scholastic) and Pen Pals (Grosset & Dunlap). Yippee!

Now I write full time and have written and/or illustrated over 130 children’s books. Creating books that entertain, inform, and interest children (and me) is a fabulous job that I truly love.

 



Book Blast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 4/21/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Posted in Cozy, Monday, mystery on April 8, 2013

This is book two in the Novel Idea Mystery series by author Lucy Arlington.

Every Trick in the Book

The national bestselling Novel Idea Mystery series returns with Lila Wilkins, who’s just been promoted to full-time literary agent. But great new writers aren’t the only people she’s trying to catch…

Lila Wilkins has it all: the home of her dreams in the charming town of Inspiration Valley, North Carolina; a perfect police officer boyfriend; and a new job she absolutely loves. At the Book and Author Festival, which is sponsored by A Novel Idea Literary Agency, Lila expects to discover some talented new authors, but what she finds instead is the body of an editor to whom she bears an eerie resemblance.

Trouble is, the editor’s death isn’t the only literary murder taking place. Soon a blossoming author is also killed, and Lila has a gut feeling that the two murders are linked. Now she must hunt down the dark figure who killed these women—and to her surprise, she just might find the clues hidden in a manuscript…

 

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Posted in Book Blast, contest, Giveaway on April 5, 2013

 

Sprung (Book 2 of the Witchbound Series):

Since she discovered magic, seventeen-year-old Skye Jackson’s life is almost perfect. Almost. Even perfect has its glitches.

What happens when the one with all the power makes the biggest mistakes? Welcome to my life.

Four months ago, I couldn’t have been happier. When my parents got divorced, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. Especially when Mom married a guy half her age. But then I found out I wasn’t the average Joana. Discovering magic existed and, best of all, I could use it, made everything easier to deal with. That is until I got a little too spell happy. But what girl wouldn’t defend her best friend against a world-class creep? Now I’m stuck in a nightmare, forced to make life and death decisions I never dreamed I’d face.

Love the magic, hate the responsibility.

Book Trailer

 

Roots

Seventeen-year-old Baltimore Land just wants to be normal, but magic has other plans.
I don’t consider myself a witch, that’s my parents’ thing. I’ve never really believed in magic either. Sure, I tried it a few times. Fell for the whole “magic happens” thing. But it didn’t happen to me. No amount of rhyming stopped my parents from moving me halfway across the country. Not one spell stopped me from being labeled the town freak.
And worst of all, no matter how many times I begged the Universe to bring my twin back, I was ignored. Until now.
He’s back all right. And in a magical bind of his own. Not the magic-won’t-work-for-me kind either. In fact, it’s working a little too well. Too dark. Too deep.
It turns out our entire family’s magical roots run just as deep and my brother didn’t end up where he is by accident. So I’m going to help him. But magic isn’t really on my side. Nope. Once I finally get the craft under control, I’m expected to abandon the one person in the world who’s closest to me, just to save myself

Praise for Roots (Book 1):

“I truly enjoyed this story.” Jessica, Goodreads

“…a great start to a promising series.” Kaylee, Goodreads

“I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. Sprung is already on my “to read” list now!” Stacy, Goodreads

“…the first novel I’ve read by Kelbian Noel but it sure won’t be the last.” BellaReadz, Goodreads

“This book was great. It showed a different view of witches.” Kristy, Amazon

“A refreshing take on a classic theme.” looks and literature, Amazon

 

Author Kelbian Noel

Kelbian Noel is the author of the Witchbound Series and a blogger at Diverse Pages. She lives in Toronto, Ontario with her two children.

 

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Book Blast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 4/21/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Posted in Book Blast, Cover Reveal, romance on April 5, 2013

 

Welcome to the release of “Resisting the Bad Boy”by Violet Duke.
RESISTING THE BAD BOY (NICE GIRL TO LOVE Book #1)
This is the first book in a three-novel serial romance titled NICE GIRL TO LOVE.  It will be available at most major e-book retailers on March 29.  Its follow-up, Book #2: FALLING FOR THE GOOD GUY, will release at the end of April, and the series finale is due out at the end of May.  The paperback versions of all three novels will come out in June.
Abby Bartlett is the quintessential nice girl. Between teaching, volunteering, completing her PhD, and helping her best friend raise his daughter, Abby never gets the chance to be anything but nice. That is, until the all-wrong-for-her man she’s only ever known from afar starts daring her to simply take that chance for herself.  His sage advice?  Try something wild and fast.
Preferably him.
An unbridled, hotshot attorney with a not-so-little black book, Connor Sullivan has earned himself quite the bad boy reputation.  But in his defense, he’s a very conscientious one. He knows far too well that sometimes in life, love isn’t enough…or worse, not even a factor at all.  To avoid that misery—and repel the drama—Connor always makes his one and only rule crystal clear right from the start.  Absolutely nothing more than a month.
Turns out, a whole lot can happen in one month.

 

Buy it for $0.99 here:  Amazon   B&N
Excerpt
“Why you little—”
Connor launched at Abby as she shrieked out in laughter and tried ducking around him to make for the door. Snatching her around the waist, he hoisted her cackling body over his shoulder and upended her back onto the bed. “You set me up.”
Now unliddable, her giggles effervesced, giving zero credence to her perfectly scandalized denials. He trapped her under him and buried his grin against the curve of her neck, feeling disproportionately victorious at the gasp she couldn’t contain when he skimmed his lips over her collarbone.
The woman was getting to him. This time, when his lips found her soft skin again, it was with purpose. “You planted that wicked little bag-o-fun there for me to find, admit it.”
She gave an Oscar-worthy gasp at the accusation. “What? What possible reason would I have had to do that?”
“To drive me up the wall? Send me bursting through my zipper?” He nipped at her earlobe playfully. “Though I guess I should be flattered to be the reason you bought all that stuff.”
The cutest derisive snort he’d ever heard shot out of her like a torpedo with impeccable aim. “Breaking news, Connor: scientists have in fact discovered that the earth doesn’t revolve around you. Women buy toys for themselves all the time.”
He nearly bit off his tongue to avoid even thinking about Abby having any sort of toy-based fun. “I still call foul. When you and I agreed to this who’ll-beg-first stint, you didn’t say you’d be weaponizing your attacks.”
“Weapons?” She blinked innocently. “You make them sound so sinister. I’d say they’re more like…private tools. Survival tools, if you will. For my time here. Naturally, you were never meant to see them.”
“Bull. Next, you’ll tell me the snowflake masquerading as underwear in that bag is worn strictly for comfort. Hell, I’ve seen more fabric on the teeny doilies in Skylar’s toy tea sets—”
“Aw, I remember those,” she cut in softly with a smile. “She used to go on and on about how her ‘bestest Uncle Connor’ hosted the fanciest dress-up tea parties.”
“I wore suits,” he clarified gruffly, “and don’t change the subject. Why buy sexy lingerie if not to have them be seen?”
By me. He didn’t have to say it out loud, they were both thinking it. And his ego was celebrating it.
“Easy access,” she eventually answered, straight-faced.
His imagination went nuts. Picturing Abby wearing the microscopic scrap of white lace he saw earlier for private ‘easy access’ unhinged him. He shackled her wrists above her head with one hand and began tickling her ribs. “Another foul.”
“Stop!” she screeched and dissolved into a breathless puddle of mirth. “Okay, I admit it! It was a dirty, dirty foul on my part. You should definitely take a free throw shot.”
He paused, wondering where she was going with this.
She pointed to the trash can. “There’s the basket; my new panties can be the ball…since yours are clearly in a twist.”
Incredulous, he dialed up the tickle torture to merciless.
Her squealing ‘I-take-it-backs’ became unintelligible as she wriggled and squirmed and bucked until soon, he was fairly certain he was suffering more than she was.
Breathing hard, he released her wrists and rolled onto his back beside her. “You’re planning to drive me completely crazy these next few weeks, aren’t you?”
Limbs all akimbo, head dangling off the bed, she heaved between breaths, “Like you wouldn’t believe.”
 
 
VIOLET DUKE is the pen name for Nina Nakayama, former professor of English Education turned author who now spends her days on the other side of the page writing wickedly fun contemporary romance.  When she’s not catering to the whims of her story characters or feeding her book-a-day reading addiction, she enjoys randomly rearranging the furniture in her house, tackling reno projects with her power tools, cooking ‘special edition’ dishes that laugh in the face of recipes, and trying pretty much anything without reading the directions first.  Nina lives in Hawai‘i with her two cute kids and similarly adorable husband.  Learn more about her and her books at http://www.violetduke.com.
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