Anastasia’s entire family had been killed by something quite un-natural. She has her own horrible obstacles to face. Let’s follow the journey to see what happens with Anastasia in The Dregg Chronicles.
Torn between the day and the night, Catalina treads a dangerous, deadly trail among the monsters; sex is her weapon. But what happens when her heart takes over and she falls in love with the head monster, the leader of a new breed of Vampire that is chillingly capable of killing her and the humans she loves?
Courageous Catalina never had the chance to live in the normal world we take for granted. Instead she was born into a world ruled by the alien Vampires that have taken over the planet. Half the human race is dead, the survivors have been raped and pillaged, and the alien Vampire invaders have bred a nearly indestructible new race, the Dominus, a horrific genetic mix of human and vampire.
Catalina and her small family of rogue humans have been led by a brooding Doctor since their infancy. So far, they have managed to live secretly among the new deadly breed of monster, killing when they can.
Then Catalina, the black sheep of the family, rejects the subservient female role assigned her, and demands to be a warrior on the front lines with the men, bedding one Dominus after the next, in a world where sex kills. Hell bent on destroying as many of the Dominus as she can, Catalina is drawn to the bed of the King Dominus, Akia. Her emotions flare in his presence and she feels a strange, tumultuous, magnetic pull towards him and him to her, but this star-crossed attraction can only lead to death. But for whom?
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Title: Off Sides
Author: Sawyer Bennett
Release date: February 21, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Event organized by: AToMR Tours
“I’m not sure what possessed me to do it. Maybe it was the impossible expectations I faced, maybe it was my own self-loathing. But I just knew I needed something different to happen. I needed someone…something…to derail me from my current path. Otherwise, I would become lost…a hollowed out shell of a man. So I did it. I approached her, then I pursued her, then I made her mine. And my life was saved…”
Ryan Burnham is the privileged son of a U.S. Congressman and captain of his university’s hockey team. While he is on the verge of fulfilling his dreams to play in the NHL, his parents want him on a different course. One he is expected to accept for the sake of his family’s public image.
Forced to abandon her music career after the heart breaking death of her parents, Danny Cross exists on the opposite side of the tracks from Ryan. She is struggling to make her own way, working two jobs, attending college part time and volunteering in a homeless shelter. She is on a mission to build her own success.
With a chance meeting, their vastly different worlds collide, causing each to evaluate whether they are truly on the correct path to self-fulfillment and happiness. Can their relationship survive? Particularly when others are against them every step of the way. A lot can happen in just ten short days…
Ryan opens my car door for me and takes my hand. We walk together to my apartment door and I’m looking for my keys in my purse, all of a sudden nervous. A minute ago I was ready to jump in bed with Ryan, but now, in the harsh fluorescent light of the hallway outside of my apartment, I’m faced with the uncertainty of a relationship with a man who is so different than me.
Putting his finger under my chin, Ryan tilts my head up to his and says, “Don’t.”
He knows I’m doubting this and that tells me a lot about how perceptive he is. Before I can respond he pulls me to him and kisses me…hard. And every thought flies out of my head.
My hands snake up his chest and wrap around his neck before slipping into his hair. It’s as soft and silky as I had been trying hard not imagine. Our tongues are swirling…stabbing…and then my teeth grab his bottom lip and bite. He answers me with a guttural sound that vibrates from his mouth into mine.
Without breaking our hold on each other, Ryan pushes me one step backward until my back is pressed into my door. His hands graze down my sides until they reach my hips. His fingers dig in, pulling me tight against him and I can feel his hardness. I am drowning in Ryan, or maybe he’s downing in me by the sounds of his ragged breathing, I do not know. I just know I have never been kissed like this before and something warm is unfurling in my chest in response to this passion.
Ryan finally pulls away slightly, breathing hard against my mouth. “Jesus, Danny.”
I don’t think Jesus has anything to do with the explosion that just happened between us but if He did, I’m heading to church this weekend to thank Him.
Sawyer Bennett is the pen name for a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.
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One winner will receive an eBook of their choice (descriptions below). Just fill out the form after the descriptions and the winner will be chosen April 3rd. Open internationally.
Forever Young – Paranormal with romantic elements (Young Adult)
Charlie Wright is an ordinary seventeen year old, high school girl. Well, if by ordinary you mean she can see demons and she likes to fight…a lot, then Charlie is your girl. Rather than taking a one-way trip to juvenile detention, Charlie chooses to join a mysterious group called The ForeverLand Alliance. And then her life gets really weird.
Charlie is magically transported to an alternate universe. In Semper Terra, no one ages, people fly and mermaids frolic in the translucent blue seas. But it’s not all fun and games. For Charlie is training to become an Annihilator, a select group of Semper Terrans who protect mankind from all of those things that go “bump in the night”.
It’s only when Charlie finds herself stuck in the middle of a prophecy that could bring about the end of the world that she truly begins to understand the deep sacrifices she will have to make.
Second Chance – Paranormal Romance (Adult)
War hardened and dangerously ruthless, Carrick Dunne, will stop at nothing to save his country from an evil sorceress who has usurped the royal throne. As he leads his army to battle against the darkest of blood magicks, he finds himself aligned with the passionate woman whose love he betrayed four years earlier.
Ava Clairmont lived a peaceful life in Wyoming, blissfully unaware that she was the heiress to a kingdom embroiled in a vicious war. Now, Carrick has brought her home. Fighting side by side with the sexy warrior that broke her heart is only complicated when their incendiary desire for each other re-ignites. Can the power of forgiveness overcome the hurt of betrayal?
Stolen Heart – Paranormal Romance (Adult)
Smokin’ hot and firmly entrenched in bachelorhood, Kieran Dunne has realized his life has become somewhat boring as of late. But after being recruited by his Queen to recover a stolen, magical artifact, his life gets turned upside down as he embarks on an adventure to catch a thief.
Nightclub owner, Annika Foss leads a solitary life in New York City and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Unfortunately, she is forced to help Kieran in his mission to recover the artifact and finds herself jumping dimensions with him as they work together to solve the crime.
See what happens when two fiercely independent people who shun love are thrown together in a daring mission to help save the world of Vyronas.
Max Xylander and the Island of Zumuruud
Max has anger management issues. But she has a secret, too. She can make things happen. Like magic. She almost killed a loser skate punk and nearly used it on her stuck up older sister. The question is, can she do anything other than blow things up? Can she learn to control it? And is it really possible that an obscure teenage girl is the key to keeping all of humanity safe?
Philip just got his ring back. He got it taken away for messing with his teacher’s mind so he can cheat on a test. Now that he has his ring, he thinks he should be able to use his power to make his life better. A lot better. The problem is that people want him to be responsible. But if you could do magic, wouldn’t you use it to escape work in any way possible?
Aaron wants to be a soldier. He knows there are lots of people who would try to take over, and he’s determined to stop them. The problem is that there’s this new girl. And she might be not be on the right side of things. She’s really talented and pretty, but she might be able to destroy everything he believes in. Whatever the case, he knows he needs to learn to be world class with the magic sword while he figures out what to do.
Brynn never gets out. Her grandfather won’t permit it. Her only access to the outside world are high fashion magazines, so she has an unusual idea what she should wear. She’s dying to get out and travel. And adopt animals. Any kind of animal. Is she a lonely future granny with cats or are her ridiculous clothes actually the next fashion craze? What possible role could she play in the destiny of the world?
Max Xylander and the Island of Zumuruud is a fast-paced fantasy adventure for all ages (10 and up) and is the first of a planned trilogy. Fans of magic, swordplay, secret agents, and conspiracies set in a modern everyday world will not be able to put the book down. Jon Thomason is a debut author and paints a vivid world of magic right under our noses and delivers rapid-fire action that keeps the pages turning.
Praise
“Impressively inventive and enjoyable…vivid storytelling and exceptional characterization…Max’s personality is layered and complex…conveyed flawlessly…keeping readers intrigued and engaged…writing style is smooth, and a subtle sense of humor comes through…narrative tension builds at a good pace and easily flows toward a satisfying and exciting conclusion…parents are likely to both approve of the story and enjoy reading it themselves…talented writer…sure to find an appreciative audience that will eagerly anticipate the next book in the series.” — ForeWord Clarion Review
“Thomason shines in his heroine’s characterization…magical” –blueink Review
Download a FREE Copy!
Max Xylander and the Island of Zumuruud is FREE from March 7th to 11th on AMAZON.
Author Jon Thomason
Jon Thomason lives with his family in San Diego, after many years living in the beautiful Seattle area. He has a successful career in high tech where he’s been fortunate enough to participate in many big-name industry releases.
Storytelling permeates everything he does. In the moments when Jon is not helping build the story of the tech world, he can almost always be found working on a project: writing, photography, videography, graphics design, or 3D art.
And he’s always careful to conceal his jinni magic abilities, though perhaps might slip one day and be discovered…
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$75 Amazon.com Gift Card or Paypal Cash (International)
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Pearl is the first novel for author Malory Thomas. Malory contacted me about reading and reviewing her book and I love to read first books for new authors. Sometimes they are good and sometimes not. I’m happy to say that Pearl fit into the good category (but more on that shortly)! I also did a short interview with Maloryher, I always like finding out more about new authors and what makes them tick (well to a degree!)
I took a creative writing class in graduate school for fun and I wrote the first few chapters of Pearl in that class. At the time, Pearl was meant to be strictly a short story, but I became fond of her, and wanted to explore her life further by putting her beliefs to test through her relationship with Austin.
In terms of the setting, I actually briefly worked in a convenience story in Vermont while I was in college.
Bits and pieces of the characters remind me of someone I know. Pearl reminds me of a relative; Vern reminds me of a former boss, and Austin was inspired by a younger co-worker that I had an an and off quasi-romantic relationship with.
I have actually published a dozen science library books under another name. Pearl is my first novel.
Wow, where do I start? My list is huge, but recently I found a few authors that I have fallen in love with: Maria Semple (Where’d You Go, Bernadette), Matthew Quick (Silver Linings Playbook), Liz Moore (Heft), and Carol Rifka Brunt (Tell the Wolves I’m Home)
Right now I’m reading Book of Illusions by Paul Auster and This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz is up next on my nightstand. On my e-reader,the two up next are Pretty Little Liars (Sara Shepard) and Waking Up Married (Mira Lyn Kelly). I love the depth of literary fiction, but I also like the dialogue and quick-pacing of genre fiction, particularly romance.
Pearl, a married 30-year-old convenience store worker, longs for change and excitement. Believing she can find it in the purchase of a Mustang, she soon learns that her co-worker, Austin, a recent college graduate, offers the thrill she’s missed out on.
When circumstances force the two apart, Pearl faces the difficult decision of repairing her marriage, thereby staying true to her religious beliefs, or disrupting her entire life to explore something life-changing.
At first I thought this book would all be told from Pearl’s point of view, but there are also sections where Austin and Vern tell their story. I think this helped round out the story, because as the saying goes, there are always 2 sides to every story (or 3 in this case). Pearl married young to leave a not so good situation, but she didn’t realize that marrying Vern may not be the best option. When she ventures out and gets a job and starts working with Austin, she realizes that perhaps there is more to life out there than keeping the house clean and making a meal for someone that doesn’t appear to appreciate the effort. I like that Pearl learns to stand up for herself (of course that also gets her into a little bit of trouble initially) and to seek out a better life than what she has had until that point. Vern also manages to grow in the novel. It is always nice to see people learn from their mistakes.
Overall I give it 4 paws and suggest checking it out if you have an eReader (or get the Kindle app for your PC).
I have a lot of giveaways going on my blog and thought I would help you find the ones that are still open so you can enter for a chance to win!
$50 Amazon or Paypal giveaway – Baked Alaska by Josie Kilpack (ends 3/17)
$50 Amazon or Paypal giveaway – The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson (ends 3/5)
eBook of Helen Smith’s 2 books, Three Sisters and Showstoppers (10 winners and ends 2/28)
$50 Amazon or Paypal giveaway – Red Madrassa by Terah Edum (ends 2/28)
The first two books of the Rule of Ten series by Gay Hendricks – US Only (ends 2/28)
Kindle Fire or Amazon cash or Paypal cash (ends 2/28)
Kindle or Nook or if the winner is international, a $100 gift card to a bookstore
Hardback copy of The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan (ends 2/28) – US only
Title: A Song for Julia
Author: Charles Sheehan-Miles
Release date: December 15, 2012
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Event organized by: AToMR Tours
Buy the book here:
Amazon * Kobo * Barnes & Noble * Apple
Book Description:
Everyone should have something to rebel against.
Crank Wilson left his South Boston home at sixteen to start a punk band and burn out his rage at the world. Six years later, he’s still at odds with his father, a Boston cop, and doesn’t ever speak to his mother. The only relationship that really matters is with his younger brother, but watching out for Sean can be a full-time job.
The one thing Crank wants in life is to be left the hell alone to write his music and drive his band to success.
Julia Thompson left a secret behind in Beijing that exploded into scandal in Washington, DC, threatening her father’s career and dominating her family’s life. Now, in her senior year at Harvard, she’s haunted by a voice from her past and refuses to ever lose control of her emotions again, especially when it comes to a guy.
When Julia and Crank meet at an anti-war protest in Washington in the fall of 2002, the connection between them is so powerful it threatens to tear everything apart.
About the Author
Charles Sheehan-Miles has been a soldier, computer programmer, short-order cook and non-profit executive. He is the author of several books, including the indie bestsellers Just Remember to Breathe and Republic: A Novel of America’s Future.
Author social media links:
Facebook * Facebook Fan Group * Twitter * Website * Goodreads
It was funny, I thought, as we paid the bill and left the restaurant. Crank was … different. Easy to be around, and he made me laugh. But I was never going to see him after tonight, and that made me kind of sad. For a brief second, I thought of seeing him when we got back to Boston, but seriously? Bad idea. My life didn’t have room for someone like Crank. And from what he’d said, his didn’t have room either. This was all a little off-key, out of place, almost as if it was someone else out to dinner with him, and I was playing a role. I almost never go out with guys. And I never let my emotions get ahead of my brain.
But tonight, as we tried to wave down a cab to head toward Georgetown, I was feeling a little out of control. The way his shirt gathered around his arms, the easy strength in them, the easy grin … I was attracted to him in a way I hadn’t been with anyone in a long time.
I’ve never liked feeling out of control. Not like that. I’d gone there once, head over heels in love, and it did so much damage to my life I didn’t think I’d ever recover. No way I’d ever go there again. Whatever else happened, I was in control of my life. No one else. Certainly not some formless emotion and lust that can take away who you even are. I was fourteen when it happened, almost eight years ago, and the consequences and damage were beyond anything I could have conceived. What I learned was this: letting myself be at the mercy of hormones and brain chemicals and emotions can be deadly.
A cab pulled up, and we got in. I thought of tossing away caution and telling him I wanted to go home with him. One night wouldn’t be so dangerous. One night could be okay. One night could be free and fun and not go anywhere.
The cab driver took a hard right turn, accelerating to get through the light before it changed, and in the process I was pushed across the back seat toward Crank. He put his arm around me, an automatic reaction I’m sure, but I stayed there.
“You all right?” he asked.
“Fine!” I said. “Where are we going, anyway?”
“No idea. Aren’t there a bunch of clubs in Georgetown?”
“I think so. I didn’t get out much when I lived in the area.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Why not? Don’t take offense, but you seem like you were probably one of the popular girls.”
“You couldn’t be more wrong. What makes you think that?” I asked, giving him a challenging stare.
“First impressions, I guess. You still look very professional in that outfit, kind of preppy. Sexy as hell.”
I’m not a blushy sort of girl, but that made me blush. “It’s not exactly club attire, is it? But I don’t want to take the time to go back and change.”
“No worries, Julia. It’s just us, anyway.”
I swallowed and then leaned against him. What had gotten into me?
Lust. That was the only explanation. I could feel the hard muscle of his shoulders and thighs pressing against me, and my body was responding to that—no matter what my mind said.
The cab came to a halt, and the driver muttered something. I leaned forward. Nothing but red taillights ahead of us for blocks.
“What’s going on?” Crank asked.
“Construction,” the driver said. “Bad. You want me to let you out here?” He looked anxious to dump us out of the cab as soon as possible, to avoid being stuck in the westbound traffic.
I took a breath. My chest was tight, my whole body tense. I rubbed my hands on my skirt, closed my eyes and thought, Screw it. I can do this. It’s just one night, anyway.
“Do you want to…” he asked, just as I started to say, “Let’s …”
We both stopped, and he laughed.
“You go first,” he said.
I bit my lip, and I could feel my cheeks heating up again. “I was going to say …” and my voice trailed off.
“You were going to say?”
He grinned. It was a crooked grin, the left side of his mouth slightly higher than the right, and it made me want to melt into my seat and pull him right after me.
I took a breath and closed my eyes. “I was going to say, where are you staying?”
I kept my eyes closed another fifteen seconds or more. And, let me tell you, fifteen seconds is a long, long time. Finally I opened them, and he was looking at me with an expression I couldn’t interpret. For someone who was always joking, always making snide remarks, he looked serious. Too serious. More serious than I was comfortable with. I didn’t need serious in my life.
I saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed, then he said, “I’m at some dump in Arlington. Sharing a room with Mark.”
“Oh,” I said, my voice unnaturally tense.
“What about you?” he asked. He spoke very slowly, carefully.
“Um … my parents have a condo in Bethesda. I was planning on heading back there tonight.”
“I don’t want to say goodbye,” he said.
I couldn’t get control of my breathing. I felt lightheaded. Out of control. “Come back to my place.”
He titled his head, leaned close and whispered, “Are you sure?”
I found myself chewing on my lower lip again. “Yes.”
I dropped my eyes and leaned forward, putting my hand on the back of the taxi driver’s seat. “Can you take us to Bethesda instead? Wisconsin Avenue and Montgomery.”
Suddenly it was quiet in the cab. Tense, awkward. I couldn’t believe I’d done this. I did not do one-night stands. But here I was, half-hyperventilating, with this guy I’d only known for eight hours sitting beside me in the cab. And I guess if it was just for now that was fine, but what if he wanted to see me again? What if he wanted to date? What if?
I didn’t think I could handle that.
This was so stupid. Things were so much easier with Willard, before I broke up with him. I was always in control. There was no passion there, true. There wasn’t anything there. But it was comfortable. Easy. I wasn’t afraid.
Crank, though: he made me afraid.
The cab cleared the traffic and turned up at Massachusetts Avenue, and we were speeding out of downtown DC.
“You’re awfully quiet now,” Crank said.
I looked at him, and his eyes were boring into mine, intense, probing.
“Having second thoughts?” he asked. “It’s okay.”
I leaned a little closer. “No. Just … it’s just tonight. We don’t see each other again. We don’t call each other in Boston. We don’t … anything. Okay? We enjoy each other’s company tonight, and then we’re done.”
He stared at me, surprised. And … his face looked disappointed. He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing once in his throat. “I don’t know why, but that’s … not what I expected.”
“Don’t get expectations. Not with me.”
He shook his head. “Usually I’m the one who says things like that.”
The cab came to a halt, and he paid it, and we were out on the street. A cool wind blew through the streets of downtown Bethesda, and traffic rolled by us. I took his hand and walked to the entrance of the high rise, swiped my access card to unlock the front door, and we walked into the lobby.
The night concierge was sitting at the counter, watching a small television. She looked up briefly, gave us a casual wave and went back to her show. Good. If it had been the day concierge, my appearance with Crank would have been reported back to my parents by morning.
We waited in silence for the elevator. The bell when it arrived on the ground floor was loud.
“Nice place,” he said. “Fancy.”
“My parents bought it a few years back when we were living in the area.” I didn’t want to talk about the year I’d lived with my parents here. I didn’t want to think about it. If there’d been any other place I could have taken him, I would have. I didn’t like having this crazy, free moment mixed with my past.
We stepped into the elevator. It rose, quickly, to the top floor. He followed me down the hall, and we stopped at the door while I fumbled for keys. I was shaking with anxiety, nervousness. The weight of this place made me want to scream. But not enough to push him away.
I unlocked the door and opened it, then started to step in. My heart was thumping in my chest, and my throat was tight. Not just because of him. Because of this place. I had no good memories here. Even with the lights still out, looking inside this condo, which I’d stepped foot in only a few times since the day I graduated high school, shook me to the core and made my skin crawl.
I shuddered and then turned back toward him when he didn’t come inside. He gave me a speculative, questioning look. As if he were curious about me, about who I was.
But that wasn’t any of his business.
“What?” I asked.
“You don’t want to see me again,” he said.
I did. But I shook my head no.
“You don’t sleep with guys unless you’re serious with them,” he said.
“I don’t have room for serious in my life.”
He stepped close and brushed my lips with his, then spoke in a low tone. “I want you to be serious about me,” he said. “I can get a girl to sleep with me any time. But there’s something different about you.”
I stared into his eyes. He meant what he was saying. We’d only known each other for a few hours, but I felt a connection too, even if it was only lust. I wanted him. Right now. I felt my breath speed up as I started to speak, “I …”
“Julia,” he interrupted. “I’d love to get to know you better,” he said. “But I’m not going to sleep with you. Good night.”
Then, unbelievably, he leaned forward and kissed me again. Slow. Our tongues just made contact. Wet and warm. Hungry. I wanted to whimper, pull him inside, but he turned and slowly walked back down the hall until he was out of sight.
I just stood there and watched him go, and part of me, a huge part of me, wanted to run after him. But I still remembered.
I remembered what it was like to have a hot, sexy, charismatic guy want me. I remembered what it was like to lose control, to feel that rush of emotion. To be overwhelmed.
I remembered what it was like to have my heart torn out, to have my dreams smashed, to be bleeding and lost in the back streets of Beijing. To have scandal nearly tear my family apart.
No matter how much I might have wanted this guy: I couldn’t go back there. Not now. Not ever. If it wasn’t going to happen for just tonight, it wasn’t going to happen at all.
So, I walked in the condo and closed and locked the door. I didn’t turn on the lights. I didn’t want to see the inside of this place. Instead, I made my way to the couch and lay down, alone.
I didn’t cry. Not here. Never again.
Giveaway: (1) eBook copy of A SONG FOR JULIA. Mobi and epub formats are available. Open Internationally. Closes February 20th, 2013.
Title: Edge of the Past (Edge, #2)
Author: Jennifer Comeaux
Release date: November 27, 2012
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Event organized by: AToMR Tours
Buy Links:
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Smashwords
Book Description:
Emily’s skating career and personal life have never been more golden. She and her partner Chris have won every competition they’ve entered this season, and she’s found the man of her dreams in her coach Sergei. But when one of the biggest competitions of the year takes Emily and Sergei to Russia, Sergei’s past explodes into the present and makes Emily doubt everything in their future.
I went inside the small room and pulled the curtain shut. The ivory satin dress hung on the wall. The first time I’d tried on the gown, we all ended up in a mess of tears – me, Mom, Aunt Debbie… even Aubrey, who was the least sentimental person I knew.
Stripping out of my clothes, I stepped into the dress and peeked around the curtain. “Mom, can you help me?”
She maneuvered around the dress’s long train as her fingers carefully made their way up the long row of delicate buttons. When she finished, Mom held my skirt and we moved out into the shop and in front of the huge mirror on the far wall.
My chest tightened as I stared at my reflection. Louann’s final alterations made the dress fit my petite curves perfectly. I ran my hand across the off-the-shoulder neckline and down the draped bodice to the A-line skirt, sliding my fingertips along the cool, silky material. I hadn’t wanted any frills on the dress, so the gown had a simple yet elegant look with only a touch of beading. It was everything I’d dreamed, just like I’d thought my life with Sergei would be. The tightness in my chest rose to my throat, creating a painful lump.
“It’s so beautiful,” Mom said. “I know I say that every time I see it, but it’s true.”
I nodded and attempted to speak, but no words came. Only tears. I tried to breathe them back with quick gasps, but I couldn’t stop them as they seeped from my eyes.
Mom brushed my hair away from my face. “Sweetie, those don’t look like happy tears.”
About the Author:
Jennifer Comeaux earned a Master of Accounting from Tulane University and is a Certified Public Accountant in south Louisiana. While working in the corporate world, she sought a creative outlet and decided to put on paper a story that had played in her head for years. That story became Life on the Edge, her first published novel.
When not working or writing, she is an avid follower of the sport of figure skating, travelling to competitions around the country. Those experiences allow her to see a different side of the sport and serve as an inspiration for her writing. Jennifer is blessed with a wonderful family and friends who have encouraged her to pursue her dream of being a published author.
Author social media links:
Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads
Life on the Edge (Book #1) description – Giveaway Title:
Nineteen-year-old Emily is new to pairs skating, but she and her partner Chris have a big dream–to be the first American team to win Olympic gold. Their young coach Sergei, who left Russia after a mysterious end to his skating career, believes they can break through and make history.
Emily and Chris are on track to be top contenders at the 2002 Winter Games. But when forbidden feelings spark between Emily and Sergei, broken trust and an unexpected enemy threaten to derail Emily’s dreams of gold.
Giveaway: (1) eBook copy of LIFE ON THE EDGE (Edge, #1). Books will be gifted from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Open Internationally. Winner will be chosen on February 15th
Title: Beauty From Pain
Author: Georgia Cates
Release date: January 31, 2013
Genre: Contemporary romance
Age Group: Adult
Event organized by: AToMR Tours
Buy: Amazon
Book Description:
They agreed on three months…but their love knew no boundaries.
Jack McLachlan is a winemaking magnate and easily one of Australia’s most eligible bachelors. His success and wealth makes him no stranger to the complications of romantic relationships and that’s why he goes to extreme measures to avoid the hassle. He prefers simplicity in the form of a beautiful female companion with no strings attached. He arranges relationships like business deals and they’re always the same. No long term relationships. No real names.
It’s his game and his rules. He’s content to play as usual, but when Laurelyn Prescott enters his life, his strategy must change because this player is like none he’s ever encountered. His world is turned on its head after he begins a three month affair with the beautiful American musician. Nothing goes according to plan and as he breaks more and more of his own rules for her, she’s exceptionally close to becoming something he never thought possible. His ultimate game changer.
About the Author:
Georgia resides in rural Mississippi with her wonderful husband, Jeff, and their two beautiful daughters. She spent fourteen years as a labor and delivery nurse before she decided to pursue her dream of becoming an author and hasn’t looked back yet.
When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing. When she’s being domestic, she’s listening to her iPod and visualizing scenes for her current work in progress. Every story coming from her always has a song to inspire it.
Author social media links:
Georgia Cates on Twitter
Inspiration for BEAUTY FROM PAIN
By Georgia Cates
Where did the inspiration for Beauty from Pain come from? My readers. My last published work was classified as new adult and it received a warm welcome from readers. They liked my racier story. I felt more open to write scenes I couldn’t for the “normal” young adult genre. But I still wasn’t satisfied and wanted to take it up another degree.
What can I say? I’ve fallen in love with adult contemporary romance.
What is Beauty from Pain about? I’ll tell you what it’s not about … Not the perfect man and the perfect woman having the prefect love affair. Beauty from Pain is unconventional to say the least. Laurelyn’s scruples could be questionable. Jack’s maybe even a little frightening, all while being hot as the devil’s ass. Their relationship will be considered bizarre by some. (Most.) And I’m okay with that. It’s different. And interesting. That’s always all right in my book.
Beauty from Pain Excerpt
Jack McLachlan’s POV
I sit in the dark corner and scan the room like a starved predator searching for prey. I haven’t chosen her yet, but the woman who will share my bed for the next few months is in this room right now.
I watch a lovely blond approach my table. “What can I bring you?” Hmm. A waitress—not at all my usual taste.
I have a type. Attractive. Mature. Refined. This barmaid meets the attractive requirement well enough, but she’s void of refinement or maturity as displayed by her choice of apparel—a white, barely there tank top and frazzled cutoff denim shorts. She doesn’t do it for me. Plus, my last two companions were blond. I want a different flavor this time, but no redheads. I want a brunette. A beautiful one.
I remind myself I’m not in Sydney where I have an endless variety of sophisticated women from which to choose. My choices are more limited in the small town of Wagga Wagga, but that doesn’t mean I have to settle for the first attractive woman I see.
“I’ll have a Shiraz.”
I’m prepared for a more prolonged relationship this time—three whole months instead of the usual three or four weeks. I’m looking forward to keeping this one around a little longer, and that’s all the more reason to be certain I make a wise choice.
I begin my search of the club with the first table toward the front of the room. A brunette beauty sits with a group of women. I watch her for a while, but decide she’s too friendly with the woman sitting next to her. Lesbians aren’t in my repertoire.
I spend the next hour scanning the club and come up empty-handed. I’m discouraged. No one stands out as the one and this club is by far my best bet for meeting single women in this town. Maybe I should consider coming back another time when it’s not open mic night. Tonight, the place is crawling with boozed college students.
Tonight’s search has been a failure, but at least the karaoke was entertaining.
I’m finishing off the last of my wine before I leave when an announcer from the club takes the stage and asks for the next singer to step forward. A small group of people across the room nominates one of its own. My view of the poor bastard is blocked by the crowd of intoxicated kids standing between us, but I’m certain this is going to be another delightful train wreck.
The club erupts into cheer and chants. “Do. It. Do. It. Do. It.” A young woman walks onto the stage and stands with her back to the crowd as she lifts a guitar from its stand. She lifts its strap over her head and then tosses her long brown hair over one shoulder. When she’s finished settling the guitar into place, she circles around and sits on the stool in the middle of the stage.
She’s beautiful. And somehow overlooked during my search.
She’s wearing a short ivory dress and a denim jacket with brown cowgirl boots. She bares her thighs as she lifts her feet to rest on the bottom rail, but she’s careful to push her dress between her legs so she doesn’t provide a peep show to the crowd.
She strums the borrowed guitar a few times and then leans into the microphone. “Is everyone having a good time tonight?”
She’s American. I think. Her accent sounds different—not like what I’ve heard in the past.
The crowd erupts into a drunken cheer and I hear a man’s voice yell over the crowd, “It’s better now, sweet thing!”
She smiles and adjusts the mic. “I’m not from around here. It’s my first night in Australia.”
“Leave with me and I’ll make you feel right at home!” a man shouts from the back of the room.
She ignores the fat, ugly bastard yelling at her. “I don’t know what kind of music Australians like, but this has been one of my favorites for as long as I can remember.” She strums a few more chords. “This is ‘Crash Into Me’ by the Dave Matthews Band.”
She sings it slower than the original, putting her own twist on it. Her voice is raspy and sexy, her eyes closed. She oozes eroticism. She tilts her head and opens her eyes when she begins to sing the chorus. I swear it feels like she’s looking right in my direction, singing to me. “Oh, and you come craasshh … into me. And I come into … you … And I come into you … in a boy’s dream … in a boy’s dream.”
The stage lights shine in her face and common sense tells me she can’t see me sitting in the dark corner at the back of the club, but that doesn’t stop me from hoping.
She finishes the chorus and shuts her eyes again. Her long legs bounce against the rail of the stool to keep rhythm and I fall victim to her siren’s song. She has bewitched me. And I want her. She’s the one.
I have read and reviewed several books by Bette and have LOVED every one of them! Today you get a chance to pick up one of her books for free for your eReader through Amazon.
Synopsis:
Trust, love and friendship — Abigail Anne Lannigan searched for these things all her life; now, when she is at the tail end of her years she teams up with a free-spirited young woman, a nobody from nowhere, who suddenly moves in across the street. It’s an unlikely friendship which comes under suspicion when a distant relative, claims embezzlement. One million dollars is missing and only Abigail knows the truth of what happened – but, she’ll never get the chance to tell.
The Twelfth Child, a novel rich with emotion, humor and tenderness, explores the splintered relationships of a Shenandoah Valley family and their willful daughter’s struggle to survive America’s Great Depression and overcome the past.
