Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Touched by Love - Melissa Foster



Fiercely independent Janie Jansen has always believed there were worse things in life than being blind, and she’s spent her life proving it. She’s moved away from her overprotective parents, built a life in New York City, and is one of the top technical editors in her company. That is, until an unfortunate accident turns her life upside down and she’s forced to give up the very independence she’s worked so hard to achieve.

Firefighter Boyd Hudson pushed past his tragic past and is weeks away from accomplishing his ultimate dream—being accepted into medical school. His intense focus on his goal while working three jobs has taken its toll. With a trail of failed relationships behind him, Boyd is painstakingly aware of his limitations and avoids girlfriends completely—a difficult task given his attraction to one of his co-workers.

When Boyd comes to Janie’s rescue, she’s forced to accept his help, and Janie discovers there’s more to the sexy-sounding office flirt than one-liners. Their connection deepens as Janie heals, but it turns out that Janie isn’t the only one who needs healing. Boyd’s painful past comes back to haunt him, threatening their relationship and forcing Boyd to reevaluate everything he knows about himself.

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This by far is Melissa best book to date. WOW is all I can say. It's such a raw, emotional read - powerful. From the very start of this story, Melissa grabs a hold of you and takes you on a journey that will touch you with this incredible story of two people who work through their demons to find love. 

You can't go wrong with any of Melissa's books but this one is definitely on my top reads for 2016.


Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women’s fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café and Fostering Success. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.

Melissa hosts an Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

Visit Melissa on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

Release Day Blitz: Don't Wake the Dead by C.C. Wood



My name is Zoe Thorne and I'm just an ordinary woman. My life is mundane, and that's perfectly fine with me; I work a boring job, watch TV, read books, and sleep alone. There's nothing special about me.

Except that I can see ghosts.

After suffering years of rejection due to my freakish ability, I'm determined to hide my "gift" from others. That is until I meet Malachi Flemming and his peculiar yet amusing friends. Mal hosts a paranormal web show titled The Wraith Files and when he discovers my talent, he offers me a job. Well, offer may not be the right word.

He won't take no for an answer.

One night, we stumble across a spirit on the side of a deserted, country road. He seems lost and scared, convinced someone murdered him. Mal's interest is piqued and he insists on helping me investigate the accident. The deeper we dig, the clearer it becomes that the killer doesn't want us to discover the truth.

Desperate people will go to any lengths to keep their secrets buried. Sometimes it's best not to wake the dead unless you plan to join them.



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A native Texan, C.C. grew up either reading or playing the piano.  Years later, she’s still not grown up and doing the same things.  Since the voices in her head never shut up, C.C. decided to share their crazy stories and started writing books.

Now that she has a baby girl at home, C.C.’s non-writing time is usually spent cleaning up poopy diapers or feeding the poop machine.  Sometimes she teaches piano, cooks, or spends time bugging her hubby and two beagles.


SALE: Unforgiven by Rebecca Shea

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    On sale for the first time since its release, Rebecca Shea's UNFORGIVEN is a Contemporary Romance and is the final book in the Unbreakable Series.  Be sure you grab the last book in this incredible series today! This sale won't last long!

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For the first time since it’s release, UNFORGIVEN is on sale for just $.99 for a limited time only!

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Grab your copy of UNFORGIVEN now!

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 A companion novel to "Unbreakable" & "Undone" and is the final book in the Unbreakable series -- This is Lindsay and Matt's story. Lindsay Christianson seemingly has it all—the perfect career, the perfect boyfriend, and the best-laid plans for a perfect life—until one phone call changes everything. With a moments notice, Lindsay must choose between her perfect life and her professional dreams. The choice momentarily seems clear when the opportunity to propel her career abruptly sends her across the country, leaving everything she loves behind in North Carolina. Navigating a new city with a broken heart and a job where her colleagues will do anything to sabotage her success, the pressure quickly becomes too great. When old habits resurface, Lindsay finds herself chasing demons she thought were long since buried. With pain and destruction left in her wake, will Lindsay find a way to erase the damage she’s done, or will her sins remain unforgiven? 

 **This book is a Contemporary Romance and contains mature subject matter. It is not intended for those under 17 years of age.**

 

Author Photo - Rebecca Shea ABOUT REBECCA SHEA: Rebecca Shea is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Unbreakable series (Unbreakable, Undone, and Unforgiven) and the Bound and Broken series (Broken by Lies and Bound by Lies). 

She lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her family. From the time Rebecca could read she has had a passion for books. Rebecca spends her days working and her nights writing, bringing stories to life. 

Born and raised in Minnesota, Rebecca moved to Arizona in 1999 to escape the bitter winters. When not working or writing, she can be found on the sidelines of her sons’ football games, or watching her daughter at ballet class. Rebecca is fueled by insane amounts of coffee, margaritas, Laffy Taffy (except the banana ones), and happily ever afters.  
  
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Saturday, May 28, 2016

Good Girl by Lauren Layne



In this steamy novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Blurred Lines, country music’s favorite good girl hides away from the world—and finds herself bunking with a guy who makes her want to be a little bad.

Jenny Dawson moved to Nashville to write music, not get famous. But when her latest record goes double platinum, Jenny’s suddenly one of the town’s biggest stars—and the center of a tabloid scandal connecting her with a pop star she’s barely even met. With paparazzi tracking her every move, Jenny flees to a remote mansion in Louisiana to write her next album. The only hiccup is the unexpected presence of a brooding young caretaker named Noah, whose foul mouth and snap judgments lead to constant bickering—and serious heat.

Noah really should tell Jenny that he’s Preston Noah Maxwell Walcott, the owner of the estate where the feisty country singer has made her spoiled self at home. But the charade gives Noah a much-needed break from his own troubles, and before long, their verbal sparring is indistinguishable from foreplay. But as sizzling nights give way to quiet pillow talk, Noah begins to realize that Jenny’s almost as complicated as he is. To fit into each other’s lives, they’ll need the courage to face their problems together—before the outside world catches up to them.



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Jenny

“Sweetie . . . ,” Amber says in a gentle voice that has me tensing.

I love Amber to death, but she’s not usually one for sweet-talking. She’s more the type of friend who will actually tell you that a certain pair of jeans absolutely makes your butt look big.

I go very still, wondering if I’m going to need more chocolate chips for this. “What? Tell me.”

“Have you ever hooked up with Shawn Bates?”

I make a face. “Yuck, no.”

“But you’ve hung out?”

“No. I’ve met him, like, twice. Maybe three times.”

“When was the last time you saw him?”

My heart is pounding now, because there’s an urgency in Amber’s voice that I’m not used to hearing. “I don’t know. The Grammys, I guess. We had our picture taken together, I think.”

Shawn Bates is one of those ridiculously good-looking guys who’s also been blessed with a decent voice. He won best pop vocal album three years in a row.

He was up against me for album of the year. I can’t imagine he was thrilled about losing, but he was friendly enough. A little skeevy, but maybe that’s because I only know his reputation. And I, of all people, know not to believe everything you hear.

“Do you have your laptop handy?” Amber asks in that scary quiet voice.

Oh, crap. Instinctively I know this is bad. Really bad.

I stand, heading into the kitchen, where I left my iPad, Dolly trotting along at my ankles, happy and oblivious with her little chipmunk in her mouth.

“Which site?” I say as I turn on the tablet.

“Any of them.“

As it turns out, I don’t even need to go to a celebrity gossip site. I was reading Google News this morning with my coffee, and it’s still up on my browser window.

Only this time . . .

This time I am the news.

I stare blindly, clicking on the top article, my eyes reading the headline about a dozen times before my brain finally registers it: “Does America’s Favorite Good Girl Have a Secret Seductress Side?”
Below the headline is a picture of me and Shawn at the Grammys, both of us with awards in hand. My head is tilted back in a laugh, and even though I know my happiness comes from winning the award rather than my proximity to Shawn Bates, I have to admit that I look semi-smitten with the guy.

His eyes are locked on my cleavage, his smile far more intimate than it has a right to be considering that our conversation lasted only a split second longer than the picture itself.

At the time, I’d thought the shimmering pink dress the perfect combination of sweet and sexy, but looking at it now, with this headline, it seems garish. My smile’s too wide, my posture too open, my smoky eye makeup too much . . .

“Jenny. Talk to me,” Amber says.

“It’ll pass, right?” I say, still unable to look away from the photo to actually read the article.
Amber doesn’t reply, and Dolly lets out a sad little whimpering noise before sitting on top of my foot as though trying to shield me from what’s to come.

“It’s just another stupid rumor,” I say. “The tabloids are getting exceedingly bold. I can sue, right? 

And Shawn can sue, and we’ll—”

“Shawn confirmed it,” Amber says.

My ears buzz. “What?”

“This morning. Coming out of the gym, the vultures were all over him. Instead of keeping his mouth shut, Shawn said, and I quote, ‘Look, I’m not proud of my actions, but I can’t be the first guy to get pulled into Jenny Dawson’s vortex, and I’m sure I won’t be the last. At this point, all I can do is look forward and try to make amends.’”

“What is he talking about?” I squeak, my eyes closing as I pull hard on my ponytail in frustration. 

“Make amends for what? My vortex? Is that a thing?”

“It gets worse,” Amber says, her voice miserable.

“I don’t know how that’s even possible.”

“He’s not the only one who’s confirmed the story.”

I blink. “Someone else is also delusional?”

“Yeah. His wife.”

“Oh my God,” I whisper.

I don’t know much about Shawn Bates’s wife, but pretty much everyone knows their story. Childhood sweethearts who started dating in middle school, they got married right out of high school, shortly before Shawn got famous.

There are always rumors that he’s cheating, but like I’ve said, I don’t put much faith in rumors.
One thing I know for sure is that if he is cheating, it’s not with me.

“She posted a tearful selfie on every single social media platform along with a big old statement about how she and Shawn are going through a rough patch, but their love is stronger than any country-singing home wrecker.”

“I’m not a home wrecker.”

“I know that, J. But you have that song, and there’s that picture—”

“The song was euphemistic!” I say, referring to my first hit single, a song I wrote about all the things that can come between a couple once the honeymoon period’s over: the TV, bills, iPhones, work. 

Those are the home wreckers.
Not me.
 
What you read online or in the news isn't always true and Jenny Dawson is learning that first hand. As an up and coming country singer turned superstar, she is always under the public's eye. And when a picture with an acquaintance gets spun in an unflattering way - Jenny just needs to get away.  

Noah Maxwell's life is spinning out of control. With the death of his father came a ton of responsibilities that he just isn't willing to take. On top of that a cheating fiance, who is determined to still walk down the isle is adding even more pressure that he just doesn't want to deal with.

So with Jenny Dawson ends up on the front porch of the house his father left to him and assumes he's the handyman, he doesn't say a word to correct her. Maybe he can hide out here and work on the old house, keeping out of the way of the superstar who's rented it for the month to hide from her own problems. 

The chemistry between Noah and Jenny is fun, flirty and through the roof. Two people who can't seem to stand each other, grows into a friendship that sometimes goes off the hook in an exciting way. But both have secrets... and those secrets could mean the end of carefree life that both of them crave.

Lauren is a master at letting you become a part of the story. Her main characters are enticing and secondary characters are always a great relief with their comedic fair and support.

Loved this book and Lauren is definitely becoming one of my go to authors.



Lauren Layne is the USA Today Bestselling author of more than a dozen contemporary romance novels.

Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. A year after moving from Seattle to NYC to pursue a writing career, she had a fabulous agent and multiple New York publishing deals.

Lauren currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and plus-sized Pomeranian. When not writing, you'll likely find her running (rarely), reading (sometimes), or at happy hour (often).



Friday, May 20, 2016

Showmance by LH Cosway

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Showmance_L.H. Cosway_CoverDamon Atwood was Hollywood’s golden boy. Having won an Oscar at the tender age of thirteen, he had the life many could only dream about. But his success came at a price, and after a short but fruitful film career, he chose to live a life of obscurity on a remote Scottish island. Almost a decade later he’s finally ready to make his return, starting with a lead role in a musical on London’s West End.

As a choreographer’s assistant, Rose Taylor has always faded into the background. She watches shows come to life from the side lines, but has never craved the attention of stardom. When rumours begin circulating of Damon’s involvement in her latest gig, she doesn’t predict how she will be thrust into the limelight, nor how the mysterious and strangely introverted man will need her to teach him how to be a star again.

Rose knows that show crushes don’t last. Actors fall for each other during the intensity of a production, often losing themselves in their roles. These kinds of affairs burn bright and then they fade. The question is, should Rose let herself shine with Damon, or guard her heart from being broken after the final curtain call?

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 LH Cosway has a unique voice in this sea of romance authors. When you pick up one of her books, you know you are going to get a story unlike anything else out there, full of one of a kind characters that will take hold of you as you join them for a ride. Showmance is no different.

Rose is a dance who works as an choreographer's assistant. Working in the business, you tend to fall in and out of love with those you work with and Rose is no different. She doesn't have the best track record when it comes to her love life. Rose is kind and genuine in a world that is anything but.

Damon is a jaded actor - who has been in recluse for the past 10 years. He meets Rose during a show where she works and there is something different about her that appeals to the secluded man. But life in showbusiness is not easy. Egos and attitudes get in the way... and the bond that Damon and Rose have is definitely put to the test.

This is a great read and I absolutely, most definitely recommend LH Cosway anytime you're looking for a great read!


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His hand slipped beneath the cup of my bra, palming my breast fully and I pulled free from the kiss to bury my face in the crook of his neck. This was all too much, and I was so turned on I was just about ready to have sex with him here on the floor of this damp old shed.

His lips sought mine again as he flicked my nipple with his thumb. I gasped into his mouth, his tongue sliding leisurely along mine.

“Rose,” he groaned, still palming my breast. “I could fuck you right now.”

God. I shivered at his dirty words and the way he said my name. Moving my hips, I felt his erection press firm and hard between my legs. I couldn’t tell how much time passed, and I wanted him to fuck me I was that desperate for him, even out here in the middle of the woods with our colleagues nearby.
I arched my spine and his cock moved against me in the just the right spot that I cried out in pleasure. Damon broke away from the kiss, his breathing erratic as he struggled to restrain himself. My feet hit the damp floor and I tried to calm down a little. He’d been right to break the kiss. We’d barely even discussed what was going on between us, and diving right into forest sex was probably a bad idea.
Probably.

Silently, he moved his hands over my clothes, fixing everything back into place. My cheeks burned bright red and I trembled when his fingers brushed my collarbone. His mouth curved into an almost smile that very near did me in. “So reactive,” he murmured.

“That’s what happens when you kiss a girl to within an inch of her life then leave her hanging,” I griped.

His eyes flicked to mine, so dark and brown I could’ve gotten lost in them. And then something truly wondrous happened. Damon smiled at me, a full, beautifully masculine smile that made my knees weak.

“You’re smiling at me,” I breathed.

He quirked an eyebrow. “And?”

“And stop it, you can’t just never smile and then suddenly lob one on me. It’s disconcerting.”

He chuckled in response and I groaned. “Now you’re laughing. Gah! Are you trying to kill me? Do you realise your laugh is the sexiest sound on earth, only surpassed by the noises you make when you kiss me?”

His smile started to fade, only to be replaced with a look of such fierce desire I swore a bucket of ice water wouldn’t be enough to cool me down. I cleared my throat and tried not to spontaneously orgasm. “We should head back. Everybody will be wondering where we’ve been.”

 
Listen to the amazing playlist on Spotify HERE


Fun Facts About Showmance
 Fun Fact #1: When Rose tells Damon how she got to meet Gene Kelly’s wife, that was actually me! I didn’t hug her for too long or creep her out like Rose, but she did mention that Gene used to have a thing for women who wear glasses. I like to imagine this means I could’ve been his wife if I were born a few decades earlier :-D

Fun Fact #2:
There are some “easter eggs” sprinkled throughout the book, which I mostly included just to amuse myself. For example, in the show Damon plays the lead role of Christian, while Alicia plays Satine. So the names sort of have interconnected meanings. Damon (as in demon) as opposed to Christian. Alicia reminds me of angel, and her character’s name is Satine (as in Satan/Lucifer the fallen angel).

Fun Fact #3: Another easter egg of sorts. There are some parallels in the story that mirror some aspects of Moulin Rouge. For instance, Julian is a real life male escort while the musical tells the story of a fictional courtesan as played by Alicia.

Fun Fact #4: When Rose tells Damon about Gene Kelly sneakily making Cyd Charisse’s skirt shorter during the filming of Singin’ in the Rain, this was an anecdote his wife told when I went to see her give a talk about the film. I’ve searched high and low but cannot find any mention of this story online, so perhaps it only exists as a word of mouth tale. Well, now it will live on in Showmance.

Fun Fact #5: When Julian tells Alicia about the French demi-monde, this actually comes from research I did during my post-grad thesis, which focused on depictions of courtesans in 18th & 19th century French literature. For years I’ve wanted to use this research in writing a novel about a real life sex worker, but set in modern times, and it’s finally going to happen when I write Julian’s story next year.
 

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L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.

She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories.




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