BLOG TOUR: Fading by E.K. Blair

 Can a guilty conscience keep wounds from healing?

Fine arts major, Candace Parker, grew up with a mother who thinks image is everything, and her daughter’s perfection will never be good enough. About to graduate college and pursue her dreams of becoming a professional ballerina, Candace decides it’s time to let go and have a little fun. But fun is short-lived when a brutal attack leaves her completely shattered. 

The memories that consume and torment Candace are starting to destroy her when she meets Ryan Campbell, a successful bar owner. He feels instantly connected and tries to show her that hope is worth fighting for. But is Ryan harboring his own demons? As walls slowly begin to chip away, the secrets that are held within start to become painful burdens. 

At what point do secrets become lies?

Fading by E. K. Blair

Rating:  5 Perfect Stars

“Pain is a reminder you’re still alive”

The cover of this book is absolute perfection. It captivated me from the first time I saw it. Sometimes we should not judge a book by its cover but when I finished reading Fading that is exactly what I felt: absolute perfection. Even with the ache, pain, anger, and without the explicit sex I’m so much fond of in the books I usually read. This book was absolute perfection. A book all women should read because it is real. This book is a reminder that inside every one of us lives a child who for some is sometimes happy and for others sometimes not so happy and for the heroine in this book is shattered. This book is as perfect as it is raw and covers the unfortunate reality that many women face today: a brutal sexual attack that is the key to the story line and also the key to the redemption of Candace Parker.

“Piece by piece I begin to lose myself. My chest is crumbling into painful shards of what used to be me.”~Candace

Candace Parker is a university student majoring in Fine Arts and a ballerina. She is an only child to wealthy parents who never had the time or the willingness to give her the attention and dedication that any child deserves. Her parents live by appearances and every decision and wish that Candace takes, goes against their norm. As a result Candace continues to feel rejected and unloved by her parents. She has two best friends, Kimber, her roommate and Jase.  Oh how I love Jase! Jase is the pure example that sometimes good friends can be more than even your own family. This is what he is to Candace. Jase is a gay man who is in a relationship with Mark. Jase is Candace’s rock and she depends a lot on him. I love how the author develops and intertwines the secondary characters in this book.

It is because of her mother’s pressure that Candace accepts to go out on a date with Jack. Meeting Jack changes Candace’s fate forever and not for the best as she experiences a brutal attack that leaves her existing but not living. As she feels her life is fading away the two constants in her life are dancing and her best friend Jase. Through Jase and Mark she meets Ryan Campbell.

“It’s just you and me.  You’re all I’ll ever want.”~Ryan

Ryan Campbell has a tormented past. He also holds a key to Candace’s past that OMG I can’t say anything else because you just have to read about it. Ryan is good looking, owns a bar, and becomes a good friend to Candace. I loved how Ryan helped Candace heal and little by little with a lot of patience showed her that there is a life out there for her. Their relationship keeps growing with baby steps and I was just mesmerized with his sexiness and how protective, caring and supportive he was of Candace. He gave her safety, the love of a loving family, and she started to let go.

“I love you will never be strong enough for what I feel for you.”~Ryan

I ached for Candace, I felt her need to be loved in my core. I wanted her to survive and be free. I wanted her to be happy. And I wanted her to be happy with Ryan. This book has a HEA but it was so emotional and soul wrenching that when I reached the end I was sad because I wanted more. I can’t wait for the next book.

“He is my amazing.”~Candace

At the end of the story the author provides readers with important statistics about sexual assaults in the US and important links and numbers because THERE IS HELP! If you don’t live in the US there are similar entities and Hotlines available in other countries. 

E.K. Blair is a RAINNMAKER for RAINN.org.  A portion of the money YOU spend when you purchase her book FADING goes straight to RAINN.org.

Fading by E.K. Blair book trailer from Novel Idea Inc. on Vimeo.

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Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6905829.E_K_Blair

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COVER REVEAL: Fatalism by L.K. Collins

Release Date: August 1 2013

Alexa Schaefer has been through more pain and

hurt in her life than your average twenty-eight year old.

She protects her heart by controlling everything around her and living her life according to a strict set of rules.

For years, she has lived behind a wall, not allowing anyone into her heart. That is, until she meets Vincent, a man

she can't get out of her head no matter what she tells herself.

On the outside, Vincent Mileski appears to be a

confident, no nonsense attorney. A prodigy in the field of law, he has just won the biggest case of his career. Needing out of

the spotlight, Vincent moves back to his home state of Colorado to get some time alone to heal from a previous betrayal.

He hasn’t had a woman turn his head in years, that is, until he meets Alexa. After only knowing her name and the sweet taste of her kiss, she is torn from his arms.

Will fate bring these two back together, or will they spend an eternity searching?

LK is, first and foremost, a wife and a mother. She has always had a mad passion for reading, and recently turned that passion into the love and talent of writing. She writes sexy and erotic adult romance. Fatalism is her debut novel, which is part of the Life. Destiny. Fate Series. The series will contain five books, all of which are their own stories and can be read in order or as stand alones.

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COVER REVEAL: My Unexpected Forever by Heidi McLaughlin

I expected a life of music.
I expected to raise my son.

It took one look to make everything change.
I never expected happiness.

I never expected to find her.
I never expected to feel desire.
I never expected I’d be a family man.
I never expected to be loved.
I never expected to fall in love.

They say you should expect the unexpected. I didn’t realize my unexpected would be the forever kind.

Expected publication: 

September 2, 2013

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Heidi McLaughling is offering My Unexpected Forever up for pre-buy for those attending the Naughty Mafia Rocks Vegas 2013. Pre-buy: http://bit.ly/11JRWEP

Pre-buy My Unexpected Forever for August delivery: http://heidimclaughlin.com/buy-books/

Heidi is the author of USA Today, Digital Book World, Amazon and Barnes & Noble Bestselling novel, Forever My Girl.

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is an over-hyper Beagle/Jack Russell and two Parakeets.

During the day Heidi is behind a desk talking about Land Use. At night, she's writing one of the many stories planned for release or sitting court-side during either daughter's basketball games.

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BLOG TOUR: Ember by Jessica Sorensen

**Mature Content Advisory**
Recommended for readers 17+ due to sexual situations and language

For nineteen-year-old Ember, life has always been about death. With a simple touch, she can see when someone will die. It’s her curse and the reason she secludes herself from the world. 

The only person that knows her secret is her best friend Raven. But that changes when she meets Asher Morgan. He’s gorgeous and mysterious and is the only person.

Ember can't sense death from. The silence he instills in her mind and body allows her to feel things she’s never been able to before, so despite her initial reservations, Ember lets Asher into her life and lets herself to get close to him. But the closer they get, the more Ember realizes that Asher is keeping secrets from her.

When unexplained deaths begin to surface in her town, Ember questions why she can’t see Asher's death and what it is he’s hiding from her.

I have to admit, I wasn't that keen on reading this book. I love Jessica Sorensen, but am not a big fan of Paranormal. My friend Christine (*waving* Hi!! Christine) told me to read it. Told me to be on the tour (and when your BBF tells you to do something - you do- LOL) She had said the same about a few other books I was iffy about, so I signed up and took the leap of faith that my friend would not steer me wrong. I put the book off to the last minute. And so I am telling all of you - I WAS WRONG. I loved Ember X!

Ember can see death. She can tell you the when, where and how someone is going to die. Ember deals with things on a daily basis that would send most people running for the hills. She has a best friend, Raven, but she was just a little too over-powering again Ember's shy demure. Ember mets Asher, who happens to be the first person that she can't see how he is going to die. Is he like her? I really liked Asher. He was sweet and you just kinda swooned over him.

Ember, Death Collectors is the first in a series from Jessica and I can't wait to see where this story goes.

Four Stars 

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jessica Sorensen, lives in the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.

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BLOG TOUR: The Enforcer by Nikki Worrell

Lacey Benoit is in need of a fresh start. Her best friend, Dr. Zoe Millis, has been begging her to make the move from Maine to California. Taking a leap of faith, Lacey does just that.

Living in San Diego definitely has its perks, such as, sunshine and beaches. The best part of moving to the west coast, however, is that Steven is still on the east coast. Catching your almost husband having sex with one of your bridesmaids on your wedding day would make even the strongest woman jaded. Therefore, Lacey has sworn off men for a while, especially men who travel a lot that have easy access to loose women.

When Lacey meets the new enforcer for the San Diego Scorpions, she thinks she might be in trouble. But she is determined to fight her attraction to the sexy NHL hunk. And she is successful...for about a day.

He was due to get home around four o’clock and Lacey wanted to be at his house when he did. A home-made meal never tasted better than after eating out for days on end. At least Lacey thought so, and she was going to cook for Jody. He said he liked spicy, so she was cooking a Mexican dinner. 

She had just put the chicken in the oven when she heard the door open. “Lace? Where are you? I’m so glad to be home.”

“Follow your nose!” She heard him put his travel bag down. Footsteps fell on the tile as he came closer to her, and then he was standing in front of her. “I missed you. I’m glad you’re back.”

Lacey launched herself into his arms, burying her face in his neck. That’s when she caught the scent. A feminine scent. Not quite perfume, but feminine all the same. Oh god, oh god, oh god. No, please no, not Jody too. 

Jody felt Lacey stiffen immediately. He pulled her away and looked into her eyes. Her eyes were shiny with unshed tears, but they also held anger. “Hey, what’s wrong, Angel?”

“I can’t believe it. Aw, Jody, not you. How? How could you do this to me?” Lacey was mortified when a sob escaped her. She covered her face and turned away from him.

“Lace, sweetheart, what are you talking about?” He tried to put his arms around her but she whirled around and shoved him away.

She was incredibly sad, but she was also getting pissed. “You forgot to shower, sweetheart. I can smell her on you. I can smell her scent on your skin.”

Nikki Worrell

I am a hockey fan (Go Flyers!) who loves to read. And now I am enjoying writing. What do I write about? Hockey and men. Really, is there anything better?

I live in Hammonton, NJ with my husband of over 18 years. It's not always easy but it's always worth it.
I have a B.S.B.A. in Human Resources and work for a law firm in Philadelphia.

Favorite Books

Pretty much anything with strong characters. I also love some supernatural thrown in and anything that involves a hockey player!

Who is your favourite author and is you writing style similar to theirs?

Karen Marie Moning – No, actually it’s not. She writes in first person, while I prefer third. She writes paranormal books and I don’t. She does use sarcasm and humor which I try to use and all of her characters are strong, as are mine (90% of the time).

Any recent works that you admire?

I have read a lot of indie author’s books lately. I’m not going to name one particular book but I can tell you that I admire each and every book an indie puts out there. It’s hard work and sometimes the reviews are tough to read, so I admire them all!

Is your writing affected by any personal experiences?

I am an avid hockey fan and I’ve always liked the “underdog” so to speak. Therefore, I never buy the jersey of the team captain or the #1 goal scorer.  Nope, I like the 3^rd and 4^th liners, enforcers specifically.  I think that enforcers are underrated in the league and a lot of people don’t understand their role. They also have a suicide rate that’s too high. There is a correlation between being hit in the head and depression. Enforcers are hit a lot (as are other players). So my love of enforcers in the NHL led me to write “The Enforcer”.

What advice would you give to people who "run out of creativity" when writing?

Take a step back. Look at some of your notes to see if that jogs anything loose. But number one – do not be afraid to delete something if it doesn’t work (sometimes that makes me think of an entirely new thing to put in its place and gets me going again). You can’t write a book overnight, give it time and it’ll come to you.

When naming your characters, do you give any thought to the actual meaning?

No, I have not. I give more thought to where they are from and what that might mean. For example, my first male lead in my first book is an NHL hockey player. He is from Canada (as are most hockey players), others are from Finland, Russia, Czech, etc. but you most likely won’t see a hockey player from, let’s say, India or Iraq, etc. I need my secondary characters to be believable.

What's your favorite part of a book?

The middle. I feel like that’s where all the twists and turns take place. The middle of the book allows you to understand what the beginning was leading up to. It also makes your mind wander in different directions when you are trying to figure out how it will end.

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SPOTLIGHT: Maid for Love by Marie Force

Maddie Chester is determined to leave her hometown of Gansett Island, a place that has brought her only bad memories and ugly rumors. Then she’s knocked off her bike on the way to her housekeeping job at McCarthy’s Resort Hotel by Gansett’s “favorite son,” Mac McCarthy. He’s back in town to help his father with preparations to sell the family resort and has no intention of staying long. When Mac accidentally sends Maddie flying over the handlebars, badly injuring her, he moves in to nurse her back to health and help care for her young son. He soon realizes his plans for a hit-and-run visit to the island are in serious jeopardy, and he just may be “maid” for love.

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 Mac's stomach clutched with nerves when he realized that Janey really was his only other option. His father would do it for him, but he couldn’t ask him. Even at almost thirty-five, he just couldn’t. Swallowing hard, Mac flipped open the phone and called his sister.

“Hey, brat, what’re you doing?” Mac considered telling her about their mother’s visit that morning but decided against it. He wanted to forget the whole unfortunate encounter.

“Heading into work, why?”

“I need another favor.”

“You want to go out again tonight?”

“Not exactly.”

“Then what?”

“I need you to, um, well. . . If you could go to Gold’s,” Mac said, referring to the island drug store, “and just, you know. . .”

“What, Mac? Spit it out, will ya?”

“I need you to buy condoms for me. A lot of them.”

Dead silence.

“Janey?”

“You gotta be kidding me.”

“I can’t do it! It’ll be all over the island in ten minutes, and Maddie can’t deal with that.”

“Get Joe to do it.”

“He’s off-island until tomorrow.”

“So abstain for one night!”

“Janey, please. I’m desperate here.”

“You can’t ask me to do this. It’s too embarrassing.”

“How do you think I feel about asking my baby sister to do this for me?” He let out what he knew was a pathetic wail. “Janey. . . I need you.”

“Don’t do that. Don’t you dare play the need card.”

“Pretty please.”

She let out a swear that shocked him to his core. “Fine,” she said through gritted teeth. “But you’ll owe me forever, do you hear me? There’s no statute of limitations on what you’ll owe me.”

“I understand.”

“I don’t think you do. For the rest of your natural life, anytime I say, ‘Jump’, you say, ‘How high, Janey? How high can I jump for you?’ Anytime I snap my fingers, you come running. Any. Time. Am I clear?”

“Crystal.”

“I’ll need at least a hundred dollars.”

“What the hell for?”

“Buffer items, you buffoon. I can’t just go in there and buy a gross of condoms and walk out.”

“So you’re going to soak me for a year’s supply of nail polish and tampons?”

“That’s the very least of what you owe me.”

“Fine. I’ll bring it to the vet clinic.”

“Pay me later. I can’t look at you right now. Meet me at noon behind the Beachcomber, and do not look at me. Just take the bag, give me the money and walk away.”

“I love you, Janey. Have I mentioned that lately?”

“Screw you.”

Holding back a laugh, he said, “Get the extra large ones, okay?”

“I hate you.”

***

Janey was waiting for him when he arrived at the back steps to the Beachcomber.

As Mac approached, her eyes narrowed. Uh oh.

She swung the bag and smacked him right upside the head.

“Hey! That hurt!”

“Mrs. Gold herself was working the register. You know what she said to me?” Without taking a breath, Janey launched into Mrs. Gold’s nasally New York accent. “‘My oh my, Janey, Doctor David must be coming for a goodlong visit this weekend.’”

Mac knew it wasn’t a good idea, but he laughed anyway.

She pelted him again with the bag. “It’s not funny! I have to live in this town!”

He attempted to wipe the smile off his face and withdrew a wad of twenties from his pocket.

Janey snatched the money and thrust the bag at him. “It’s going to take years of therapy to recover from this.”

“You’re the best, Janey.” Mac gave her a noisy smooch on the cheek.

She pushed him away. “I hate you more than anything.”

He poked her ribs. “Do not.”

“I’m off to get a brain scrub to erase this unsavory incident from my memory.”

“Come by Maddie’s this weekend. Let’s hang out.”

“No way I’m coming near the two of you until the supply is exhausted.”

Mac grinned. “We’ll be giving thanks to Janey McCarthy every time.”

Hands over ears, she shrieked and stalked off.

Mac laughed all the way home.

Marie Force is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling, award-winning author of more than 25 contemporary romances, including The McCarthys of Gansett Island Series, the Fatal Series, the Treading Water Series and numerous stand-alone books. Her new series, Green Mountain Series, is coming in in 2014. 

While her husband was in the Navy, Marie lived in Spain, Maryland and Florida, and she is now settled in her home state of Rhode Island. She is the mother of two teenagers and two feisty dogs, Brandy and Louie. 

Subscribe to updates from Marie about new books and other news at http://marieforce.com/. Follow her on Twitter @marieforce. And on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MarieForceAuthor. Join one of her many reader groups! View the list at http://marieforce.com/connect/. Contact Marie at marie@marieforce.com.

Maid for You is the first book in The McCarthys of Gansett Island series by Marie Force. And after reading book 1, I am hooked on this sweet series.

This is a heartwarming story that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy. Maddie Chester is the perfect heroine along with the swoon worthy Mac McCarthy. 

Maddie has had a tough life. Although she grew up in a family of prominence, with her father leaving and her mother ending up in jail, she doesn't have the best reputation. Especially from lies spread about her in high school. So when she runs into Mac (literally) and he shows interest in her, she is a a little suspicious of his intentions. Plus she has a son, Thomas, that she needs to take care of too.

I loved how Mac knew that starting a relationship with Maddie, also meant a relationship with Thomas. Mac is the perfect knight in shining armor and Maddie the perfect princess.

This book will leave you smiling and wanting more. I can't wait to read the rest of this series.