Monday, April 27, 2015

Release Blitz for Carter Reed 2 by Tijan



More Carter Reed?  Yes, please!   



Blurb

Carter bought his way out of the mafia to protect Emma, but when an old ghost returns to the Mauricio Family, a chain of events starts that can harm everyone. While Carter must decide to return to the Mauricio Family or not, a face that is oddly familiar to Emma comes into her life. She’s given the chance to discover more about her family while tensions between the rivaling Mauricio and Bertal Family comes to a head in an explosive way. The truce is officially off, and when the two worlds collide, Carter’s decision is made.

He didn’t start this war, but he will end it.

He will do anything to protect Emma.


Excerpt One

We’d been learning how to shoot for a couple of months now. It had been Theresa’s idea, and these sessions had started to replace our wine nights. It had also been her idea to have Noah be our instructor. Carter was the better shot, but Theresa still liked to keep her distance from him. He still made her uneasy.
Amanda had asked her about it one night at their apartment when I’d gone to the bathroom. I stopped in the hallway when I’d overheard Theresa explain, “It’s not that I don’t like him. It’s just…he’s a killer, Amanda. He’s dangerous. I know he loves her, and I know if anyone is going to protect her, it will be him, but…” She’d sighed. “I don’t know. He’s known as the Cold Killer. It’s hard to get past that, even though I know Emma loves him so much.”
Amanda had asked, “Are you worried for her?”
“No.” She’d hesitated. “I mean…maybe. I’m not worried for her from him, but because of him. He’s with the mafia.”
“She said he’s out.”
“Yeah, well, is anyone really out?”
Amanda had replied, “She wasn’t in trouble before because of him. Emma and I did that all on our own.”
“I know. I really do, and I feel bad, but I’m just on edge with the guy. He’s deadly. Can’t you see it in his eyes?” Theresa got up for the kitchen. “I need a refill. You?”
I had melted backward, back into the bathroom. When she’d crossed the hallway, the bathroom door was shut.
Glancing over at her now, I remembered how her smiles had seemed more forced that night, her laughter a little louder, and the secretive looks she’d sent Amanda’s way. They were roommates. They were going to talk about me. That was obvious, but I’d been hurt, though I knew I shouldn’t have been.
Theresa worried about me. I tried to keep telling myself it was as simple as that.
I tried.

Excerpt Two

As I held the gun, alone now, some of the old memories came back to me. But they were never very far away.
I had killed two men.
“Jeremy.”
My voice had been soft when I called to him. He’d been raping my roommate, and he was going to kill her. I had no choice. When he turned around and saw the gun in my hand, I shot him. The bullet hit the center of his forehead.
I swallowed now, remembering Mallory as she had watched me, pinned to the wall by his hands. Her eyes had been so lifeless. They were the opposite of Ben’s. He’d been pleading for his life, but minutes earlier he’d been planning to kill Amanda, then me. My stomach churned, remembering that he was going to take me to Franco. He wanted to barter, trade me in for more money, more drugs.
He was the one who killed Mallory, but the Bartel family set all of it in motion.
I drew in a ragged breath, cradling the gun in my hands like a precious baby. This little piece of metal had caused so much havoc in my life, and it was Carter’s weapon of choice. He’d killed plenty with it when he worked for the Mauricio family.
Somehow, I knew this weapon would have a place in our lives again. I didn’t want it to, but I knew it would. And with that last thought, my hand closed over it, and I raised my arms, aiming with my feet apart, my shoulders rolled back. I shot, one after another, until my clip was done.
All except one hit the bullseye. The other one, the outlier, was just outside the inner circle on the target.
I’d have to get better.

Teaser Quotes

A tingle started in the base of my stomach, and it rose up, spreading through my body, warming me as it went, until I was almost salivating for him. When I saw him, I needed to touch him. It had been like this for a year, and I never wanted it to end. I always wanted to thirst for him.

He murmured against my skin, “Why is it that your presence can calm me? Your touch can make me alive, and one little sigh from you makes me want to sleep for days in your embrace?”
I smiled, moving to press a kiss to his ear. “Because you love me.”

Pulling me back into his arms, he nudged my legs farther apart, moving closer, and pressed his lips to the underside of my jaw. He whispered, “Never.” Another kiss to the corner of my lips. “Ever.” A third kiss, his lips resting atop mine and he murmured, “I promise. Nothing will ever happen to you.”
“Because you need to understand. It’s time you know more. You’re mine, Emma. My first allegiance is to you. Things are going to happen now, and I can’t control them. The Mauricio family has always followed me."
Suddenly I realized—he was going back in. A tear formed in my eye, and I ignored it. This was what he was telling me. I swallowed over a lump. “What happens now?”
He didn’t answer at first. Then he let out a soft breath of air and turned, his eyes pained. He said one word: “War.”

I closed my eyes and just felt her. She trailed a hand down my face, tracing my lips. That small touch, so gentle, so loving. That was Emma.

No other woman made me feel like this. It was her, only her. Opening my eyes, I found her watching me and smiling as her chest heaved for air.
"I love you," she murmured.
Goddamn. I kissed her and whispered against her lips, "I love you too."

I closed my eyes and held the man I loved. Resting my forehead to his, I placed my arms on his shoulders as he held my hips. His thumbs rubbed back and forth. This. Right here. He was the most powerful man I knew, and he was all mine.



Author Information

tijan bio.jpeg

I didn't begin writing until after undergraduate college. There'd been storylines and characters in my head all my life, but it came to a boiling point one day and I HAD to get them out of me. So the computer was booted up and I FINALLY felt it click. Writing is what I needed to do. After that, I had to teach myself how to write. I can't blame my teachers for not teaching me all those years in school. It was my fault. I was one of the students that was wishing I was anywhere but at school! So after that day, it took me lots of work until I was able to put together something that resembled a novel. I'm hoping I got it right since someone must be reading this profile! And I hope you keep enjoying my future stories.

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Friday, April 24, 2015

Promo Tour: The Consequence of Loving Colton by Rachel Van Dyken



RELEASE: April 21st, 2015
It’s all fun and games…until someone’s heart is broken.



They’re not kids anymore, but Milo Caro is certain that Colton Mathews will only see her as his best friend’s little sister for the rest of their lives. After all, he made that clear the night before she left for college. But four years later, her brother is getting married and Colt’s the best man—and guess who is the best man’s last-minute date?

Milo vows to use the wedding to either claim the smoldering firefighter’s heart or douse this torch for good. When Max—her best friend from college, who may be carrying a torch of his own—crashes the party, they devise a plan to make Colt see what he’s missing. But after Colt catches on, he decides to cook up his own revenge.

Now it’s personal. Colt and Milo are at war, and between Max’s questionable acting methods, an unfortunate trip to jail, and a maniacal fiancée, what could possibly go right?



Giveaway:




About Rachel Van Dyken:



Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at www.rachelvandykenauthor.com


Links:


Playlist:




Excerpts:

Excerpt 1

“Aw, sweetie.” Max laughed and pulled me in for a hug. I winced as my pounding head made contact with his chest. “Believe me, if we would have slept together, you would remember, even drunk, you would remember.”
“Someone’s cocky.”
“Confident.” He released me. “So are we upset or are we okay?” We?”
“Partners.” He winked. “For life. You and me, we’re a we.” He lifted the coffee to his lips. “Hey, that rhymed, how badass am I, after getting drunk last night?” He nodded his head. “Sharp as a tack.”
The coffee slid out of the cup and onto his hand.
Lots of cursing followed.
Then flailing.
“Yeah.” I took the coffee away. “Sharp as something.”
“So.” Max reached behind him and pulled out my diary. “Curious minds want to know, when you drew that picture of the house you and Colton were going to live in once you got married in front of the queen of England, did you purposefully draw the dog without a tail or were you just confused?”
“Give me that!” I lunged for the pink diary. “How the hell did you find it?”
Max held it above his head and took a sip of coffee. “People always hide interesting stuff under their mattresses, though I had you pinned for more of a signed ’N Sync poster, considering all the stupid hearts around JC Chasez’s face on the torn-up poster in your closet.” The freak had gone in my closet too? “This is just as good. Though I have to admit, I’m a bit disappointed that you chose Prince Harry to walk you down the aisle. Do I mean nothing to you?”
“I had a thing for royalty!” I shouted, my headache making a fierce pounding in my temples.
“Mmm.” Max set his coffee down but kept the diary above his head. “One last question.”
“If I answer, will you give it back so I can burn it?”
“I’ll give it back.” He held up his hand. “But burning this would be a crime. It’s like reality TV only worse, I seriously cried real tears and it wasn’t because the story was sad. Oh, and P.S. It took you five years to spell nightmare right, just thought I’d let you know.”



Excerpt 2

 “I win,” Colton said, his eyes narrowing, “she promises never to bring up the pancake incident again—or at least for a year, we all know it’s hard for little squirt to keep her mouth shut.”
I stuck out my tongue.
Colt’s eyes heated for a brief moment before he swore and said, “Cute.”
“And your terms?” Jason’s eyes narrowed. “If you win?”
“I want . . .” I bit my lip. I wanted a kiss. I wanted time with Colton, I wanted . . . “Colton watches Star Wars with me.”
Colton groaned. He was the only guy breathing who hated Star Wars. When he was little he’d had nightmares that Jabba the Hutt was in his closet.
“Four, five, and six,” I added. Jason whistled under his breath. “Tough terms. Tough terms.”
“I accept.” Colton shrugged as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Bastard. “I’m not worried, been training, lifting weights . . .”
Yeah, I’d noticed. Not that he’d needed to before, but damn, now the man was cut.


Excerpt 3

I slept like crap all night—proving my point again. All men should burn in hell. I switched between nightmares of Colton’s rejection and dreams of Max riding in to rescue me on a giant-ass aloe vera plant.
Groaning, I tossed and turned, finally falling into a deep sleep around two a.m.
“Fire!” A voice penetrated my dreams. “Fire! Wake up!”
I jolted out of my bed to see Max sitting calmly at the end. He had two Starbucks cups in hand and was sporting a pair of black skinny jeans, a blue V-neck T-shirt, and a smile that looked like it belonged on the cover of GQ.
“Hey, you’re awake.” His grin widened.
“Yeah, weird, I thought there was a fire.”
He handed me the coffee. “There is. In your pants.”
“Pardon?”
“Because you’re a liar.” He patted my leg and shook his head. “Do I even want to know how this happened? Or was it the usual?”
“Usual?” My voice was gravelly, I took a large sip of coffee—it did wonders for my mood.
“Yeah, the usual Milo freak-out where you speak before you think. Typically involves lots of cursing, yelling, sometimes a fight breaks out, and I always end up having to fix it.”
My face burned.
Max nodded. “The usual, then. Gotcha.”
“Why are you here? What time is it?”
“Five a.m.,” he answered. “Your mom’s a fox, by the way, I swear she checked my ass out twice as I walked up the stairs.”
“She did not.”
“Your dad did the same. Ten bucks says your mom asks where I got my jeans and buys him a pair—oh, and by the way, you owe me big. I finally asked out the Starbucks girl and had to cancel our date on account that my other girlfriend”—his eyes narrowed—“had an emergency.”
I winced. “Please tell me you didn’t explain it that way to her.”
“Course not. I said my asthmatic little sister had an attack and almost died screaming my name . . .”


“You don’t have a sister.”
“Little Maddie’s screams were so loud, all she wanted was her big brother Max.”
“Who’s Maddie?”
“And I can’t deny her the one thing she wants in life, the one thing that makes her go on living.” Max wiped a fake tear. “I’m a broken man, Milo, and sisters are more important than dates.”
“I’m sure she was understanding.”
Max grinned. “You could say that.”
“Gross.”
“What?” He held up his hands. “I’m a guy. Just because you labeled me your gay friend freshman year does not actually make it true.”

Excerpt 4

“It just sucks. When you see your ex you want to win.”
“Win?”
Max sighed and patted his knee. “Have a seat while I explain how the world works, Milo.”
I sat on his knee and crossed my arms.
“Boy meets girl. Boy and girl break up. Boy and girl go separate ways. Fast forward ten years. Boy meets girl at supermarket. Boy wants to look like man, have balls of steel, sport a six-pack, and be driving a Ferrari. Now, tell me girl doesn’t want the same thing.”
“I’ve never wanted balls of steel.”
  

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Review for Filthy Desire by Sebastian Ex


My name is Matthew Weston. Don't call me anything else, because I won't respond. And if you think you can get away with whimpering ‘Matt’ while I have you tied to the bed, about to devour you, it'll end up being your loss.
Men like me don't talk about feelings. We just don't.
What men like me do is pound. I pound the asphalt with my running shoes on morning runs. I pound a punching bag in the gym until my knuckles bleed. And when I need a release, I find a beautiful woman sprawled out on her bed, eagerly waiting for my cock, and pound her into oblivion. Yeah, that's me. I don't have feelings, and I don't do love.
At least I didn't, until the night Ella walked into my office looking like a disgusting junky to interview for a position for The Onyx Club.
She was like no one I'd ever met before. She was timid, reserved, and quite plain with her mousy brown hair and dirty clothes. Ella also had a dark and haunted gleam in her eye. A secret, a past she was desperate to conceal.
And when she called me ‘Matt’ it didn't seem to bother me.
She came into my life and turned it upside down. The only question is, can I screw her out of my system, or will my filthy desire for her keep her by my side?

Amazon Link:


My 5 Star review

I started this book at 7pm and finished it at 9:05pm...That should tell you how this review is going to go.
Matthew is a man that I want in my life. He is an arrogant, *sshole, prick. His character oozes power, in more ways then one. I have to say that I truly enjoyed his character. I wasn't sure at first if I was going to like him but he did a 360 on my ass and now I am madly in love with this character... (I love and want to do very bad things in Matthews car....just an FYI.)
Ella is hands down my send favorite book character and that is saying alot! (I am a huge booknerd and I read a lot) This character is strong, brave, adorable, ordinary, and *ucking perfect. This young woman is broken beyond repair or so she thinks. This character holds a very special place in my heart.
I was a highlighting fool with this books. This book is so not what I expected. This book is more than just a hot sexy erotic read to me. I will tell you right now that this book is hands down one of the Best books of 2015...and it is only April people!! Here is the line that put me over the edge with this book. (at 23%) This line right there has more meaning to me then anyone will ever know! I laughed, cried, smiled, and even fist pumped the damn air while reading this book.
" The devil's danced on my body and clawed his way through my veins. If i can endure the things he did to me, I can sleep with the door unlocked. Goodnight, Matt. "
So with that being said... Sebastian Ex I am bowing down and cheering you on. This is his first book and I beg that it isn't his last. He has some wicked mad genius writing skills. I love that he took a subject that is not often talked about and turned it into perfection.
So thank you Sebastian Ex...


 About the Author:

Sebastian Ex is a native of Sydney, Australia, having grown up in a tight-knit family mostly surrounded by women. From a young age he had a passion for all things green and outdoors, when he hit mid-teenage years he did an apprenticeship as a landscape gardener. 
A serial lover of women, Sebastian was encouraged to pen his words when a lady friend of his compared some paragraphs from contemporary erotic novelists to his scorching, hot sexts. Now, Sebastian is about to release his debut novel in a bid to transition from landscaping to writing full-time.


Monday, April 13, 2015

Review for Inhibitions by Kimberly Bracco



Inhibitions
Book 1
Kimberly Bracco
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: Readily Available
Goodreads book link

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24486965-inhibitions

Synopsis

In the last six months, Ashley’s life has been one disappointment after another. She walked in on her boyfriend with another woman, leaving her needing a new place to live and a mountain of debt. As if that wasn’t enough, her ex convinces her that his infidelity is her fault for being unadventurous in bed.

Deep down Ashley has always had the desire to be wild but has been held back by her own insecurities. She’s desperate to break free, but she's fearful of how people will judge her if they know her inner desires. She wants nothing more than to lose herself in sex that pushes her to the limit, but she hasn’t found anyone she trusts enough to take her there until she meets Tanner.

Tanner doesn’t trust anyone outside of his inner circle easily. The infamous, media proclaimed playboy, quarterback is tired of people using him for money, connections and to get their fifteen minutes of fame. Determined to protect his image and himself, he makes sure to keep most people at arm’s length until Ashley is thrown into his life. He’s inexplicably drawn to her, and she needs his help in more ways than one.  But to help her, he’ll need to let her in.

 There’s an immediate attraction and connection that neither can deny, but can both of them get past their inhibitions and find what they are looking for in each other or will everything backfire in their faces?

Excerpt

My bad luck first started six months ago, when I discovered my boyfriend, Jason, had been cheating on me. I suppose if you asked my mother though, she’d say my bad luck had started two and half years ago, when I started dating Jason. My parents never liked him.

"He just rubs me the wrong way, Ashley," my mother had always said. "He's not the guy for you." She’d claimed that it wasn't one thing in particular but that something about Jason as a whole just didn’t sit right with her. Either way, she was right. I guess mother's intuition really is accurate… But I’ve never told her the real reasons we broke up or how much debt he put me in before we did. Let’s just say I don’t want to see the look on her face if she found out the truth about Jason. She’d say that since she’d been right about my choice in him, maybe I should consider another career before it turned out she was right about that as well.

Jason and I had shared an apartment in Jersey City. That is until I’d found him having an afternoon romp in our sheets with someone who certainly wasn’t me one Thursday when he should have been working, and I kicked him out.

I’d come home early that day to grab a few outfit choices to bring with me to my best friend Quinn's. We were heading to the city that night so I could check out a hit club for the weekend edition of the paper. I’d known that something was off the minute I walked through the door. A pair of women's shoes lay on the living room floor. They were not mine. I didn’t own electric blue stilettoes.
Then I heard them.
*********
What the fuck was I thinking? I have no idea why I did that. I could totally lose my job for this sort of slip-up. Maybe I can claim temporary insanity. It’s obvious my sanity is missing today. I really hadn’t meant to take the interview in that direction. I really had just been curious about his love life. Tanner had been sitting there all altruistic, talking about doing everything as a team, not taking any of the spotlight for himself. It had really thrown me for a loop. He’d seemed the complete opposite of everything I had read about him last night.

The fact that he’s so hot it’s distracting hadn’t helped. God, pictures don’t do that man any justice. His hair had been a hot mess, in a good way—as though he cared enough to make sure that he wasn’t rocking bed head but not enough to put any effort into an actual style. It looked so silky. I wonder if it’s as soft as it seems. And good Lord, those eyes. They’re the most unique green I have ever seen, a dark grass green with the sparkling gold flecks in them. The man obviously isn’t afraid to dress brightly, considering the lime green shirt and tie he wore with his dark grey suit pants. And his clothes looked as though they were tailored just to fit his perfect body, which I’m sure looks truly magnificent naked.

 From the moment we’d shaken hands, everything had taken a weird turn. I’d kept catching him staring at me, almost in a daze. I don’t know what I should make of it. There was a bizarre electricity in the air that seemed to be passing all around us, clouding my judgment. Suddenly, my inner curiosity had taken control of my mouth and decided to try to prove that the man was all act. I mean, he had to have been acting. No way can someone run through that many woman, have that hotness level, and still be the nice guy he appeared to be.
*********
The hairs on the back on my neck stand up, and I feel Goosebumps rise on my skin, as though a chilly breeze has blown through. I look toward the door and see Tanner there. The unusual sensation only gets stronger as he gets closer. What the fuck is up with my body when he’s near? He looks downright delicious in black dress pants and a gray button-down shirt that clings to broadness of his lean, muscular shoulders. The splash of gold in his tie makes the flecks in his eyes shine. His square jaw and chiseled cheekbones make a deadly combination for my panties. Jesus, it should be illegal for someone to look that damn good. It’s as though someone carved him out of stone in tribute to an ancient Greek god. I’m jolted out of perusal of him by a little chuckle, and I look up to see a devilish smirk on his face that only makes his features more striking.
**********
Come on Ash. You can do better than that," Quinn says, obviously unimpressed with my dancing. When she pulls my arm, I wind up in front of her, and she starts grinding up against me. I do love that my bestie has no shame and couldn’t care less what anyone thinks. I wish some of that attitude would rub off on me.

I start shaking my ass and let the world fall away. Over the din, I hear someone speaking to Quinn but can’t make out the words. After a moment, I feel her pull away and a much larger person take her place. I see her sneak away, flashing me a thumps up as she grabs a guy to dance with a few feet away. I decide to go with it. It can’t hurt to let loose for one night. The songs all blend together, one after the other, and I’m actually relaxed and having a good time. Maybe Quinn’s been right and I just need to let loose a little more. My body sways with the mystery man’s in perfect time to the music. I feel the warmth of his hands radiating from my hips through my body, setting it ablaze. He has a soft but firm touch. Innocent but deliberate. The way my body has been mesmerized by the combination of his touch and the beat of the music is unreal but masterful. I feel at home, which is slightly unsettling, but I don’t want to put a stop to this moment.

"Maybe we should have had the interview in a club. You seem much more relaxed and in your element,” a husky voice I recognize whispers in my ear. I stop mid-movement and look toward Quinn with wide eyes only to see a shit-eating grin on her face. That bitch. She could have told me who it was. In that spilt second, my body’s reactions over the last half hour all make sense.
***********
"Hello, beautiful." I smile at her as she approaches.
The smile that lights up her face is bright enough to illuminate the whole floor. God, she’s absolutely stunning, and I know she has no clue just how stunning she is, which make her even more attractive.
"Hey there, handsome. What’re guys up to?" she asks. "I hope we aren’t cramping your style tonight. I know you didn’t plan on hanging out with us." Her insecurity is cute only because of how oblivious she is to the way every guy is looking at her.

"The minute I spotted you, I had no intention of being with anyone else for the rest of the night. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since we had dinner, but everything has been so hectic. That article of yours has done wonders for my image but not for my spare time.” I laugh. “So what were your plans for the evening, baby?" I notice her shiver each time I call her ‘baby.’ I don’t think she’s aware that she does it, so she clearly isn’t aware of how hard my cock gets when she shudders like that. I can’t remember having this problem before. No one has ever affected me this way. I’ve never called anyone ‘baby’ either, but with Ashley, it rolls off my tongue like second nature. I hadn’t been kidding when I’d said I haven’t been able to get her off my mind. I’ve been checking out her other articles over the last few weeks, and she’s been making nightly visits to my fantasies. It’s as though she inside my mind, taking control of me the instant I’m alone. I wonder what she’s doing, if she’s happy, how her day has been… Not to mention all the sexual positions I’ve pictured fucking her in.



 My 4.5 star review

I want to say that I loved this book. I really believe that this book could be a movie on the Lifetime channel and yes I would totally watch it too. I mean I was biting all my damn nails off while reading this book...There is an intense part but that is all I am willing to say.
Ashley has had her heart broken by every boyfriend that she has even had and naturally they always seem to blame her. Which that is a total tool for you...yes I used the word tool ;) Tanner is a pro football player that is so sick of woman wanting him only to use him for his incredible... you know and his money. He is a super sweet, loving, family guy who wants to be loved for him just like the next person.
So one day Tanner finally decided to do an interview for the paper and Ashley is the lucky journalist that gets to do the interview... BUT let me tell you that when you are reading this part of the book, I promise you that you will love it and not want to put it down.
OMG and then the ending will blow your mind!!! All I can say is Lifetime Channel, please pick up and read this book and make it a movie for me! Pretty Please....
Kimberly Bracco you had me hook line and sinker!! I also am really needing Tanner in my life right about now. Bravo with this amazing book and I can't wait for book two....All I can say is HOLY Mother-loving cliffhanger!!


Buy links

 Barnes & Noble: http://goo.gl/SB1Qfg


About author

Kimberly is a stay at mom of four crazy beautiful children. She lives in New Jersey with her husband of ten years and enjoys every minute of her never dull life. She loves a good book that is impossible to put down and you will mostly likely find her reading in her downtime, unless of course, there is a football game on.
Inhibitions is her debut novel. 

Author links

FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/authorkimberlybracco
INSTAGRAM: @AuthorKimberlyBracco