New Release & Giveaway: Rise by Karina Bliss
NEW RELEASE
Adult Contemporary Rockstar Romance
Release: January 28, 2015
Amazon Print | Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Kobo
“You have the ability to make controversial characters sympathetic. Maybe I just want to be understood.”
Acclaimed literary biographer Elizabeth Winston writes about long-dead heroes. So bad boy rock icon Zander Freedman couldn’t possibly tempt her to write his memoir. Except the man is a mass of fascinating contradictions – manipulative, honest, gifted, charismatic, morally ambiguous.
In short, everything she sought in a biography subject. When in her life will she get another chance to work with a living legend? But saying yes to one temptation soon leads to another.
Suddenly she’s having heated fantasies about her subject, fantasies this blue-eyed-devil is only too willing to stoke. She’d thought self-control was in her DNA, after all she grew up a minister’s daughter. She thought wrong.
Outside your comfort zone is the only place worth living…
Zander Freedman has been an outlier – many would say an outcast – for most of his life. But there’s no disaster he can’t overcome, from the break-up of his band to the fall-out on his reputation. His Resurrection Tour is shaping up to be his greatest triumph – if his golden voice holds out. Contracting a respected biographer is simply about creating more buzz; Elizabeth’s integrity the key to consolidating his legacy as one of rock’s greats.
All the damn woman has to do is write down what he tells her. Not make him think.
Or encourage the good guy struggling to get out. And certainly not to fall in love for the first time in his life.
Turns out he is scared of something – being known.
Rise – a redemption story of a rock star going straight(er) through the love of a good(ish) woman.
Turning a bad boy into a romance hero
By Karina Bliss
Zander Freedman, the rock star hero of Rise, has been a minor character in three previous books. I wrote him as vain, selfish and egotistical, a neglectful son, bad brother and lousy boyfriend. And yet readers loved this guy and wanted his story, possibly because of his few attractive qualities – unflinching honesty, intelligence and a keen sense of irony.
One of my biggest challenges in finding ‘the hero-within’ was Zander’s reputation for vanity. How is a reader going to fall in love with a guy rumoured to have had everything from Botox and tattooed eyeliner to hair implants?
In one scene, I had the heroine’s family voice every Yuck the reader would have around a guy with a ‘beauty’ regime. And then fall over themselves when they thought Zander was visiting. Because the guy’s still a rock god, still extraordinary. And it’s too easy to criticize a stranger. In effect, I’m asking the reader to keep an open mind.
Given that Zander is smart and ambitious it also made sense that he would deliberately exaggerate his vanity for the press. Any publicity is good publicity when this showman is promoting the band’s tour. He also takes a pragmatist’s view of maintaining his looks; keeping in shape is simply a part of his job as Rage’s frontman. And finally, I made him supremely confident in his masculinity. At one point he even says, “A real man should be able to seduce a woman in a tutu and a tiara…Actually that would be fun.”
Most importantly, I gave Zander the vulnerability attached to being a beautiful person. Women date me because of the way I look. What will happen if I stop these treatments? Who will love me as I age? The Beauty, as well as the Beast, is judged on appearances.
Of course that’s just one aspect of the reinvention of Zander Freedman. Hopefully, I’ve intrigued you enough to read about his moral make-over.
Do you have a favorite bad-boy hero? Enter the Release Giveaway and go into the draw for an e-book of Rise.
About the Author
New Zealander Karina Bliss’s debut, Mr Imperfect, won a Romantic Book of the Year award in Australia, the first of eleven books published through Harlequin SuperRomance. Her most recent release, A Prior Engagement, was a Desert Island Keeper at likesbooks.com. Her next release, Rise, is a single title, self-published contemporary which continues the story of Zander Freedman, who first appeared as a villain inKarina’s bestselling title, What the Librarian Did – a book that made DearAuthor’s Best of the Year list in 2010.Two of Karina’s books have also featured in Sizzling Book Chats at SmartBitchesTrashyBooks.
Find out more at www.karinabliss.com
Book Tour & Giveaway: Love Bites by Rachel K. Burke
New Adult Contemporary
Published by HarperCollins
Release: December 29, 2014
Synopsis:
What do you do when you fall in love with your best friend’s boyfriend?
That is the question that twenty-six year-old Justine Sterling has been asking herself ever since the day she met David Whitman, her best friend Renee’s boyfriend. Justine is determined to ignore her growing feelings for the irresistibly charming David, until one night, when she finds herself in the bed of the one person she should stay away from.
When Justine and David’s affair ends in heartbreak, Justine is forced to repair the damaged friendship with her best friend. In doing so, she learns that right and wrong decisions aren’t always black and white, and sometimes you have to follow your heart to see where it leads.
Review:
Honestly I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this one. I read the first book and just didn’t know if I could be as forgiving as Rene. The friend code was violated and it was going to take a lot for me to like Justine.
Justine redeemed herself in my eyes. The saying that there are two sides to every story fit perfectly in this instance. I knew Rene’s feelings about what went down and this book gave me Justine’s feelings and insight. I loved the telling of the story in the here and now and then the flash backs to that time when the betrayal happened. Justine is a character that I think many can relate to (not the cheating with your best friend’s boyfriend). She is an individual who has her own identity but she lost it a long the way. She always had Rene and then she had David. She really got to know herself through a “self help book” that forced her to look at what she really wanted.
Justine’s journey from guilt to redemption, heartbreak to new love, settling to getting the real deal, was everything the reading experience should be. There was so much to take in. You go through a lot of emotion for this one character. She’s a great dynamic. I’m grateful for this story that let me see Justine in a new light. She totally redeemed herself and became her own person.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book. Open the pages and see why Love Bites, but is totally worth it.
Make sure to also check out the first book:
Published December 5th 2013
by HarperCollins Publishers
First Published January 13th 2012
About the Author
Rachel discovered she wanted to be a writer at the age of ten, when her love of R.L. Stine murder mystery novels inspired her to start writing her own.
In 2008, she began freelance writing for several magazines including Prevention, Jamsbio and Worcester Magazine.
Rachel graduated from Bridgewater University in 2011 with a B.A. in Communications and Media Studies. She currently resides in Santa Monica, CA.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Amazon
Giveaway
The author will be giving away (1) Swag Bag and (1) $25 Amazon Gift Card.
Make sure to follow the book tour - http://wp.me/p20ttU-5y
Book Tour: The Runaway Ex by Shani Struthers
The Runaway Series, #2
Adult Contemporary Romance
Release: December 23, 2014
Synopsis:
The Runaways are back…
For Layla Lewis, life is finally back on track. After her “runaway year” in Cornwall, another year has passed—an idyllic year spent with sexy new love, Joseph Scott, in the sultry heat of Florence. For best friend, Penny, life has also changed. Having recently given birth to a baby girl, she’s busy embracing motherhood. But, for the runaways, life is never that easy…
A chance encounter with Joseph’s ex-girlfriend, Tara, has explosive consequences for the new lovers, and all three are forced back to Cornish shores. Meanwhile, motherhood is not the joy Penny thought it would be—she’s heading for a breakdown and fast!
The bubble is burst, the idyll shattered.
Tara has a secret and only Joseph knows what it is. Despite being asked to trust him, Layla can’t help but question what the secret is and what it has to do with them. As Penny arrives in Cornwall too, some friends will pull together, others will not.
This secret, Layla suspects, will tear them all apart.
Review by Jennifer:
Runaway Ex is book two in the Runaway Series. Although I didn’t read book 1, I still enjoyed this book. The author subtly weaved information from book one seamlessly into the story of book 2.
What I found to be the most enjoyable was the eclectic mix of characters and their story. The story was told in moments of the character’s lives until the characters were all brought together into one place. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters as individuals before seeing them interact with each other in a momentous way.
Even though there were couples, the female characters were the ones that struck a chord with me. Layla had a bad breakup in book one so being with Joseph was her reward and she put them in this happy little bubble. The problem with bubbles is that at some point they pop. Penny was a new mom on the brink of a break down. She was questioning why she was depressed and not bonding with her child. She couldn’t possibly have postpartum depression. Tara was Joseph’s ex running away from her life in Australia. She also had a big secret. Each character that came on the scene was absolutely perfect to the story telling. They were characters that were dealing with real world problems. How they handled them and interacted with each other is what kept me glued to the book. I found the female characters to be real and relate-able. They had strength and vulnerability at the same time. To me that is real.
The characters were English so that lent to some sayings that are familiar to the English vocabulary. As I read, I would hear their accents in my mind. I love accents. It seems all my favorite actors are either British/Irish/or Scottish. A book where I can imagine the men speaking to their lady love with those melting accents had me kind of swooning.
Diving into this book I wasn’t sure what to expect, having not read the first book. However, the story telling grabbed my interest then the characters found a place in my heart. This is a well written book. I’m hoping there will be more “runaways” in the future. These characters find that you can’t runaway from your problems, but you just might run into your happy ever after. I totally recommend this book and if your into reading a series read book one as well.
The Runaway Series, #1
Adult Contemporary Romance
Release: July 2, 2013
Dumped by her hotshot boyfriend and boss, Layla Lewis quits her job and heads to Trecastle in North Cornwall to house-sit for a friend-of-a-friend. Trecastle isn’t new to her; it’s a place where she holidayed regularly with her now-estranged mother. It’s also the home of Hannah McKenzie, her childhood friend. Hannah has tempted her with a place to live and a job in the local pub. Needing time to nurse her battered heart and escape her “real life” for a year, Layla accepts.
Hannah is a talented artist as well as a barmaid. She lives in the village center with her boyfriend Jim, a singer in a local band. They are happy together, or as happy as they can be, considering. Hannah loves Jim, but there is someone she loves more and it’s pushing them to breaking point.
Meanwhile, back in Brighton, Layla’s fiery yet loyal friend Penny seeks revenge on her behalf, sending a forged email that could damage her ex’s business prospects. Penny wonders if she has gone too far but is soon preoccupied with her own problems: the sizzle has fizzled in her marriage, and she feels neglected. After getting frisky with Dylan one night, she confesses all to her husband—and he’s been like ice ever since.
Over the course of a year, there is laughter and heartache as all three endeavor to rein in their tumultuous love lives—discovering you can run all you like, but if it’s love you’re up against, true love, good things can only happen when you stand your ground.
About the Author
Born and bred in the sunny seaside town of Brighton, one of the first literary conundrums Shani had to deal with was her own name – Shani can be pronounced in a variety of ways but in this instance it’s Shay-nee not Shar-ney or Shan-ni – although she does indeed know a Shanni – just to confuse matters further! Hobbies include reading, writing, eating and drinking – all four of which keep her busy enough.
After graduating from Sussex University with a degree in English and American Literature, Shani became a freelance copywriter. Twenty years later, the day job includes crafting novels too. She is the author of contemporary Cornish romance – The Runaway Year – published in 2013 by Omnific Publishing. The Runaway Ex is the second in the Runaway series.
To follow the rest of the book tour go to this link - http://wp.me/p20ttU-1F7
Double Cover Reveal: Succubus Series by Jennifer Snyder
DOUBLE COVER REVEAL
A NEW SERIES BY JENNIFER SNYDER
A Succubus Prequel Novella
New Adult Paranormal Romance
Release: January 27, 2015
With one kiss, everything will change…
When a mysterious letter arrives from her estranged mother, twenty-one year old Kenna Blake and her best friend, Bree, make a trip to New Orleans hoping for a little Halloween fun and to get away. The mystifying Crescent City has something else in store for her though.
Cryptic messages, a hot tour guide, and a new sense Kenna can’t seem to explain are just the beginning of this eye opening trip. Will Kenna accept what awakens with in her or will she crumble under its reality?
A Succubus Novel (Book 1)
New Adult Paranormal Romance
Release: February 24, 2015
Life isn’t so bad for succubus, Kenna Blake. True, she seems to be the only succubus with a conscience and a specific strategy for finding her male meals, but she has a cute new apartment, a budding graphic design business, and the most unique friends she’s ever had.
Her personal love life, however, is non-existent.
Until the legendary vampire Randal Vincent sweeps into her life. Even though he isn’t someone she set out to date, at least she can kiss him without killing him. But when you’re dating someone who’s the inspiration for Dracula, there are bound to be a few hiccups along the way…
About the Author
Jennifer Snyder lives in North Carolina were she spends most of her time writing New Adult and Young Adult Fiction, reading, and struggling to stay on top of housework. She is a tea lover with an obsession for Post-it notes and smooth writing pens. Jennifer lives with her husband and two children, who endure listening to songs that spur inspiration on repeat and tolerate her love for all paranormal, teenage-targeted TV shows.
SHATTERED SOUL was my debut novel and no, you haven’t seen the end of me yet…
Website, Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook Author Page
NEW from Nicole Williams!
NEW from New York Times Bestselling Author Nicole Williams
New Adult/Adult Romance
Releasing January 20, 2015
Cover designed by Okay Creations
I grew up with three brothers. They weren’t tied to me by blood, but our connection went beyond genetics or bearing the same last name. Our connection was forged the summer I turned thirteen, the summer my mom ended her life and left me in the custody of John Armstrong, a man I’d never met. Packing all I owned in a couple of boxes, I left the familiarity of the big city and headed west to Red Mountain Ranch, set in a lonely valley outside of Jackson Hole.
Nothing was as it seemed at Red Mountain—it didn’t take long for me to figure that out. John was kind to me but distant, as if he was afraid to let anyone get too close. His three teenage sons had their own devices for keeping love as far away as they could. The eldest distracted himself with cheap relationships that had a shelf-life of one night. The middle son threw himself into the rigor of running a ranch, and the third wielded cruelty and mind-games in his quest to keep people from getting close.
Time has gone by, and I’ve spent those years trying to forget the brother I’d fallen for—the biggest mistake of my life.
Finally, I’ve moved on. Finally, I’m back. But what I didn’t realize was that running away from the wrong brother meant I’d also run away from the right one. The one who’d been there for me all along, waiting in his brother’s shadow for the day I either would or could move on.
But a decade is a long time to wait. Has the brother I should have chosen all of those years ago moved on too? Am I about to discover that my biggest mistake wasn’t falling in love with the wrong brother, but failing to return the love of the right one sooner?
Does unrequited love have an expiration date?
I’m about to find out.
Author’s Note: This book is a “sweet” romance that isn’t overly sexy. Fans of LOST & FOUND will be interested in THREE BROTHERS.
EXCERPT
I stood there, sucking in deep breaths until I felt something that resembled calm. And that was when I noticed a faint red glow coming from one end of the porch. That I hadn’t smelled the familiar scent that came with it was an indication of just how not myself I’d been when I fled out that door.
“You might want to keep running. Things are only going to get worse in there. There’s no happy ending waiting for anyone on the other side of that door.”
His voice blew past the walls I’d been so sure had been impenetrable and threaded through me as it always used to. Instead of feeling like the twenty-five-year-old woman I was, I became that impressionable girl who had worshipped the ground beneath a boy who had no right to be worshipped.
I closed my eyes and bolstered my strength. “You were always the one who was better at running, Conn. That’s more your style than mine.” Instead of down the stairs or back inside, I went toward him. I wanted him to see that he didn’t have power over me any longer. At least, I wanted him to see the façade of him not holding power over me.
“Yet how long were you frozen on that first step when you arrived? I kind of lost count at five minutes.”
His voice was just as smoky and smooth as I remembered it, and age had deepened it a key or two. The porch lights were out. With just the light coming from the buildings and barns dotted around and the orangey glow of his cigarette, I could barely make out Conn’s face. Not that I needed light to remember it. I’d memorized the perfections and imperfections of it years ago, and despite my efforts to forget, it had revisited my dreams too frequently.
Where Chase had been big, blond, and beefy, Conn was the opposite. He was taller than me but only by a couple of inches, and his hair was the same dark chestnut John’s had been before the silver took over. Conn’s body could have been described as lanky and lean, and his dark long-sleeved shirts and pants gave off just the right degree of sinister meets tortured. That, matched with his brooding expression, had alerted me from the beginning that he was the kind of boy I should keep my distance from. The kind who had let so much darkness into his life that it suffocated all of the light
“You were here the whole time? Camped out in your chair, smoking your cigarettes, watching me, and you didn’t say anything?” I stopped when I was still a good ten feet back from him. Distance was a good thing when it came to Conn, both mental and physical. “I should probably be surprised, but I’m not.”
Conn’s jagged smile crept into place. “So? Are you keeping your fingers crossed for a repeat of your sixteenth birthday?”
I didn’t have to see the image flash through his eyes to know exactly what he was talking about. “Nothing happened.” I crossed my arms and stood taller, trying to convince myself at the same time.
“And is that why you disappeared for seven years?” The cigarette dangled from Conn’s lips. The bottle in his hand was already a third empty, and even though I could barely see them, his eyes were both calling me closer and shoving me away. Everything about him flashed danger. Everything screamed stay away.
I’d never read the signs when it came to Conn. This time, I’d promised myself I would. I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t come back here if I wasn’t sure I could keep him at an emotional and physical distance.
“I came back because John, aka your father, is dying. I came to say good-bye.” I leaned into the railing along the porch, keeping a safe distance without making it seem as though I was concerned about how close or how far I was from Conn. “Unlike you, I’m not trying to discover what gives out first: my lungs or my liver.”
“I’m hoping they go at the same time.” Conn plucked the cigarette from his lips long enough to take a pull from the bottle.
Unlike his father, who was adamant that scotch was the only thing to drink when a person needed one, Conn chose tequila. It wasn’t a simple matter of a difference in taste. No, whatever John liked, Conn preferred the opposite. What was sad though was that in Conn’s effort to defy John at every turn, he was only proving just how significant a role his father played in his life. He was just as in tune with his dad as if he’d been mimicking him at every turn.
“Why aren’t you at dinner?” I asked, reminding myself to keep our conversation short. Conn was a master at wordplay and could lure even the greatest of cynics to his side.
“Because I don’t want to go.” He held out the bottle. When I shook my head, he let the bottle hang between us for a few moments before taking another long drink. At this rate, Conn would be shit-faced before that cigarette burned out.
“That seems to be your go-to answer to every question.”
“That’s because that’s my go-to feeling for most everything, family most of all.” Conn looked off into the distance where Red Mountain rested. Unlike the rest of us, who dodged looking at it or venturing up it, Conn seemed to view it as a refuge.
“Still haven’t gotten over your daddy issues?” I closed my eyes, instantly regretting my words.
I was just about to apologize when Conn leaned forward in his chair. All I could see were the whites of his eyes, but that was all I needed to see to know he was staring straight at me. When I’d been younger and under the impression that Conn could do no wrong, I’d measured my life in the moments when Conn had looked at me and me alone. There were only two ways he looked at me: straight through or straight on. Now I would have preferred he look straight through me because his eyes pulled things out of the place I’d buried deep inside myself.
“I don’t know. Have you gotten over your Conn issues?”
About the Author
I’m the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the CRASH series (HarperTeen, S&S UK), LOST & FOUND series, UP IN FLAMES (S&S UK), The EDEN TRILOGY, and a handful of others. I write stories about everyday kinds of people who find themselves in extraordinary kinds of situations. I tell love stories with happy endings because I believe in making the world a better place, and that’s one tiny way I can make it so. I’m one of those people who still believe in true love and soul mates, and would rather keep my head in the clouds any day over having my feet firmly on the ground.
Jaden (Jaded #3) by Tijan Release Day Blitz
Published December 30th 2014
Genre New Adult/Romance
Synopsis:
Being framed for murder sucks. Being framed for the murder of your old friend-turned-enemy-turned-maybe-friend-again sucks even worse. The old Sheldon would’ve raised hell, but no, I’ve been nice. I’ve been quiet. I’ve not said a word while the headlines rip me to shreds, but now? All bets are off. I’m going to find out who did this to me and I’m going to make them pay. I don’t care who will get hurt in the process.
Excerpt:
“Yeah,” I clipped out. “I am. I have been for a long time, but being jaded doesn’t mean I’m pessimistic. I’m realistic. That’s all. I’m not going to entertain any daydreams about having a father who suddenly remembers he loves me. He broke me years ago. He won’t get the chance to do it again, so please.” My heart was pounding and my voice had risen. I hadn’t realized how loud I was until Bryce came around the corner. He’d been there the whole time. I could tell with one look. There was no surprise, just understanding.
My heart paused, then lunged in my chest.
He was seeing me, the real me, and there was no polished-Bryce between us. The persona he had taken on when he became a soccer player, then became famous, all of it was gone. It was just him and my god, I had missed him.
I wet my lips, my throat suddenly dry.
He saw my response and his eyes darkened, but he held himself back, shaking his head in the slightest movement. Beth couldn’t see him. He was standing behind her so as she started to say something, he began walking to the pool area.
Stay up to date with all things Tijan at http://www.tijansbooks.com
Book Tour: Something Reckless by Lexi Ryan
With the holidays, being sick, and getting two temporary crowns placed on my teeth, I missed my posting date of December 23rd for this tour. However, I always say better late than never. So with that in mind here is my offering for Something Reckless by Lexi Ryan.
Adult Contemporary Romance
Release: December 22, 2014
Synopsis:
Dive into a world of secrets and temptation. Read the first novel in the sizzling Reckless and Real series from NYT bestselling author Lexi Ryan…
He talks dirty to me, but I don’t know his name.
He wants to tie me up, but I don’t know his face.
He turns me on, but I couldn’t point him out in a crowd.
I’ve fallen for an anonymous stranger, and now the anonymity ends. I want more than typed secrets and texted promises. I want something reckless. Heat. Passion. The thrill of being entirely possessed.
Because I suspect this anonymous stranger isn’t a stranger at all.
~~
Lizzy Thompson met Riverrat69 online through Something Real, a service promising to deliver meaningful relationships by forbidding its users to share names or photos until they’ve reached a certain benchmark. She was looking for love. He was researching an investment. They hit it off. Talked and flirted, hid behind screen names and cartoon avatars.
Now they’re breaking the rules and meeting in person. But Liz is prepared. She’s picked up hints and followed clues. She’s ninety-percent convinced she’s discovered the identity of her dirty-talking online friend.
She wonders if her ex-lover Sam Bradshaw knows her identity too.
When she rolls the dice on one reckless night, her chance at something real could crumble.
Review by Jennifer:
This book definitely had my attention. Liz is a somewhat strong female with some insecurities. It’s kind of a contradiction which makes her a very interesting character. She has had a crush on Sam Bradshaw since forever. Theirs is a match that just never quite happens at the right time. That age old problem of miscommunication keeps them apart.
I was on the edge of my seat thinking finally they are getting it right when BAM! out of nowhere I am hit with an “OMG, that did not just happen”. My mind was left reeling with unresolved issues. What does Sam think? What does Liz think? and what in the world just happened?
It is a satisfying read but with a huge cliffhanger that I’m not quite sure I have the patience to wait for. Of course, I will read the next installment. I’m not that much of a masochist. I just can’t believe what happened and oh that issue of communication. Always someone is keeping something from the other and that leads to tangled webs of deception. Is it forgivable? Maybe.
You must grab a copy of Something Reckless. It will have you worked up in a good way and leave you wanting more. I want more. I want it Now!!!
Buying Options
**SOMETHING RECKLESS is book 1 in the sizzling new Reckless and Real series and includes the prequel, SOMETHING WILD, for your convenience. Liz and Sam’s story concludes in SOMETHING REAL, coming in March 2015.**
The Reckless and Real Series Includes:
SOMETHING WILD (Liz and Sam’s story begins – novella)
SOMETHING RECKLESS (Liz and Sam’s story continues)
SOMETHING REAL (Liz and Sam’s story concludes, coming March 2015
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author Lexi Ryan’s novels have been described as intense, emotional, and wickedly sexy. A former college professor, she now writes full-time from her home in Indiana, where she lives with her husband, two children, and a neurotic dog. Find her on Facebook or Twitter to chat about books, TV, and her children’s latest antics.
Guest Post by Shani Struthers for THE RUNAWAY EX
Adult Contemporary Romance
Release: December 23, 2014
Amazon | Barnes and Noble
The Runaways are back…
For Layla Lewis, life is finally back on track. After her “runaway year” in Cornwall, another year has passed—an idyllic year spent with sexy new love, Joseph Scott, in the sultry heat of Florence. For best friend, Penny, life has also changed. Having recently given birth to a baby girl, she’s busy embracing motherhood. But, for the runaways, life is never that easy…
A chance encounter with Joseph’s ex-girlfriend, Tara, has explosive consequences for the new lovers, and all three are forced back to Cornish shores. Meanwhile, motherhood is not the joy Penny thought it would be—she’s heading for a breakdown and fast!
The bubble is burst, the idyll shattered.
Tara has a secret and only Joseph knows what it is. Despite being asked to trust him, Layla can’t help but question what the secret is and what it has to do with them. As Penny arrives in Cornwall too, some friends will pull together, others will not.
This secret, Layla suspects, will tear them all apart.
Writing The Runaway Ex
By Shani Struthers
The Runaway Year was meant as a stand-alone novel. I’ve always loved the North of Cornwall, how wild and rugged it is, and I wanted to set a book there, revolving around a group of friends and the various trials and tribulations they face. Well I did that and immediately saw potential for a follow-up. Layla, Joseph, Hannah, Jim, Penny and Richard – they’re a great set of characters to work with, and it was hard to let them go.
The Runaway Ex sees a new character burst onto the scene, however, a blast from the past and mentioned only briefly in The Runaway Year. Although Hannah is still a major influence in the book her ‘voice’ is replaced by Tara – Joseph’s ex. This time around it is she, Penny and Layla who tell the story, which is set over two weeks as spring melts into summer.
It was great fun developing Tara’s character and witnessing the turmoil she causes amongst the more established ‘runaways’! There’s a serious side to the book though, not only because it deals with Penny and her post-natal depression (yep, Penny hasn’t taken to motherhood like a duck to water!) but also because of the ‘secret’ Tara has. What is it? You’ll have to read it to see!
Be warned, The Runaway Ex is grittier than The Runaway Year, we see a different side to certain characters, a more ‘uncomfortable’ side and it all rollercoasters towards an explosive end. As gritty as it is though, it’s also sad, you’ll need a box of tissues beside you when you’re reading. I certainly did!
About the Author
Born and bred in the sunny seaside town of Brighton, one of the first literary conundrums Shani had to deal with was her own name – Shani can be pronounced in a variety of ways but in this instance it’s Shay-nee not Shar-ney or Shan-ni – although she does indeed know a Shanni – just to confuse matters further! Hobbies include reading, writing, eating and drinking – all four of which keep her busy enough.
After graduating from Sussex University with a degree in English and American Literature, Shani became a freelance copywriter. Twenty years later, the day job includes crafting novels too. She is the author of contemporary Cornish romance – The Runaway Year – published in 2013 by Omnific Publishing. The Runaway Ex is the second in the Runaway series.
Release & Excerpt: Something Reckless by Lexi Ryan
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author
Lexi Ryan
Adult Contemporary Romance
Release: December 22, 2014
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes
He talks dirty to me, but I don’t know his name.
He wants to tie me up, but I don’t know his face.
He turns me on, but I couldn’t point him out in a crowd.
I’ve fallen for an anonymous stranger, and tonight the anonymity ends. Tonight I want more than typed secrets and texted promises. I want something reckless. Heat. Passion. The thrill of being entirely possessed.
Because I suspect this anonymous stranger isn’t a stranger at all.
Lizzy Thompson met riverrat69 online through Something Real, a service promising to deliver meaningful relationships by forbidding its users to share names or photos until they’ve reached a certain benchmark. She was looking for love. He was researching an investment. They hit it off. Talked and flirted, hid behind screen names and cartoon avatars.
Now they’re breaking the rules and meeting in person. But Liz is prepared. She’s picked up hints and followed clues.
She’s ninety-percent convinced she’s discovered the identity of her dirty-talking online friend.
She wonders if her ex-lover Sam Bradshaw knows her identity too.
When she rolls the dice on one reckless night, her chance at something real could crumble.
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22434551-something-reckless
Excerpt from Something Reckless
“You look amazing in this dress. I’ve been pretending all night that there’s something I want to do more than get you out of it.”
“What would you do with me if you got so lucky?”
“I’d keep you up all night, for starters.” He slides a hand into my hair and traces the side of my neck with his thumb. His groan rumbles through me. “Tell me what you came here for.”
I thought that was pretty clear. “I’m wearing extremely slutty underwear. What do you think?”
His nostrils flare and his breathing goes thready. “I think I’m going to have to up my game, because now I want to see it.”
I have to bite back a smile. “Good,” I say. My heart thumps out a beat, probably Morse code for please and thank you.
“How slutty is this underwear of yours?”
I lick my lips. “Oh, it’s damn near whorish.”
“Let me see it, Liz.”
I lift my chin and prop my hands on my hips. “Seriously? That’s all the seduction I get? Let me see it?”
He steps closer until I have to crane my neck to look at him, and holy hell he smells good. “What game are we playing here, Rowdy?” he murmurs against my ear. “Is this the one where we pretend we don’t want each other and sleep alone . . .” His fingers skim down my shoulder and my eyes float closed. “Or is it the one where I make you come so hard you scream my name and tomorrow you act like you want nothing to do with me?”
“Are those my only choices?” I ask, but I keep my eyes closed, focusing on the feel of his rough fingers dancing across my skin. The truth is, I don’t want to play either game. I’m done playing games when it comes to Sam. I’m done pretending I don’t want him when I do, and I’m done pretending our annual one-night stand is enough for me.
“Tell me you aren’t going to run away in the morning. Promise me you won’t shut me out again.”
I don’t know what that means, and I’m too scared to analyze it. My eyes are still closed when he takes my chin in his fingers and tilts my face up to his, still closed when he brushes his lips over mine and when I open under him because I’m helpless to this man’s kiss.
“Promise me,” he repeats.
“I won’t run away.” Then I unzip my dress and let it fall to the floor in a puddle, and my boldness is rewarded. Sam’s lips part and his breath escapes him in a rush.
He steps back and takes me in. The bra is strapless, black lace demi-cups that lift my breasts until they threaten to spill out. The panties—what there is of them—are a thong in matching black lace. Their fine lace straps sit in a sharp V high on my hipbones.
A ringlet of hair escaped my up-do, and he takes it between his fingers and twirls it around. I deserve a medal for not melting right here at his feet.
He hooks his index finger under the black bow between my bra cups. “Did you wear this for me?” His voice is a husky whisper that I can’t deny.
“Yes.”
His fingers skim my belly, trace over my hip, following the lace of my thong behind me to where the straps meet at the small of my back. My breath catches as he takes the fabric path over the curve of my tailbone and down, his fingers bringing every nerve ending to life as they pass. Electric pleasure whips through me.
“Fourteen months since I’ve touched you,” he says. “Fourteen months since I’ve gotten to hear the way you breathe when you’re turned on, since I’ve gotten to listen to you scream as I make you come. Tell me you haven’t thought about it.”
“I’d be lying.”
“Don’t lie,” he says, eyes hot and intense. “Just tell me you want me.”
Copyright Lexi Ryan, 2014
Adult Contemporary Romance
FREE introductory novella to the SOMETHING RECKLESS
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“You need a good guy. A long-term guy. One who does dates and romance and emotional strings…I’m just an asshole who wants to tie you up, make you come, and walk away.”
Samuel Bradshaw is a man with a reputation—the kind of reputation that should have me running the other way. Instead, it has me searching for the shortest distance to his bed. I won’t be the starry-eyed girl who thinks she can change a man like Sam, and despite what he thinks, forever is not what I need. I need the things he makes me feel, the way he turns me on, and the promise of pleasure in his eyes. This promises to be SOMETHING WILD.
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author Lexi Ryan’s novels have been described as intense, emotional, and wickedly sexy. A former college professor, she now writes full-time from her home in Indiana, where she lives with her husband, two children, and a neurotic dog. Find her on Facebook or Twitter to chat about books, TV, and her children’s latest antics.
Book Tour: Ripped by Katy Evans
The fifth story in the new adult series that began with the New York Times bestseller REAL.
New Adult Contemporary
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release: December 9, 2014
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Indiebound
Synopsis:
Every woman wants me–except the one I sing for.
Seattle shakes with anticipation: they call it the concert of the year. They say girls are getting pregnant just thinking about my band being in town.
But when you love a girl, you don’t leave her with nothing but a ring and a promise. Any man with half a brain should know.
So what did I expect my girl would do when she saw me again?
Well, for starters, she loathes our music. Particularly the song I wrote about her.
When I sing it, the stadium is in an uproar. Thousands of fans scream my name like I’m a god–but yeah, not her. Crystal clear: the girl’s not happy to see me.
Black hair, black boots, a bad attitude, that’s her — Pandora Stone is a freaking man-eater and she’s out for my blood.
That’s alright.
Let her come at me. Because I’m out for her heart and, this time, there’s no way she can stop me.
Review by Jennifer:
Well, what can I say but that I totally fell for Mackenna Jones. He’s a rock star for goodness sake and that is just kryptonite to my inner Super Girl. Give me a story about a hot rock star and I am melted butter. Pandora felt the same way but she has some deep seeded feelings of being abandoned by Mackenna that she hasn’t quite worked through. Their chemistry is off the charts and I was so glad to be along for the ride.
Secrets? oh yeah, there is a big one that I didn’t see coming. Talk about a kink in the neck. I had to do a double take and gave myself whiplash. It is juicy, heartbreaking, and well worth the read. Katy totally outdid herself with this one. I thought I wouldn’t like anyone as much as I like Remy, because let’s face it Remy is hot with great taste in music. However, Mackenna is not only hot but he makes music. Everything about Ripped is just awesome. From the story telling, to the characters, to the “WTH” moments. I loved every minute and I know you will too. If you have read this series faithfully like I have then you won’t be disappointed.
Way to go Katy Evans. Please tell me that we will get more Mackenna and Pandora. That ending was just ….ugh. Waiting with bated breath for more.
You can see the blog sites participating in the Ripped tour here. Click the image to follow the tour.
About the Author
Katy Evans grew up with books and book-boyfriends until she found a real sexy boyfriend to love. They married and are now hard at work on their own happily ever after. Katy loves her family and friends, and she also loves reading, walking, baking, and being consumed by her characters until she reaches “The End.” Which is, hopefully, only the beginning…
