Friday, February 28, 2014

**BT & Giveaway** Night Games ~ Collette West






The moment Grey Kelleher locks eyes with All-Star shortstop Chase Whitfield, she's a goner. For years, she's watched him play on TV, and now she's gazing at his hard, lean body across a bar in her hometown.

Grey's crush on Chase goes all the way back to his rookie season. So when she approaches him for an autograph, she's startled by what a jerk he can be.

Chase is no mood to humor his fans, even one as alluring as Grey. He's in the last year of his contract and stuck having to prove himself on a minor league team. He's only there to rehab an injury, nothing more.

But when Grey tells him off, Chase realizes her fiery spirit may be just the distraction he needs to take his mind off not being in the majors. His heart is safe. No one's going to break his streak as baseball's most eligible bachelor. Not even someone as irresistible as Grey.






Night Games is a sweet and sexy "Cinderella" read about a small town girl, Grey, who loves her quiet, and her baseball. Spending most of her life revolving her jobs, her friends, her fun times around what the baseball schedule is, just so she can take a glimpse of her favorite player. Chase Whitfield.

Some people seem to think that Chase is a jerk, but really when day after day, year after year, he's hounded for autographs, pictures, sometimes you just got to have a little quiet time. When his debut game after being on the injured list comes around, he goes nuts when a heckler in the crowd gets a little too loud. Chase is immediately drawn to Grey when he catches a glimpse of her at his game. He wishes he would have at least gotten her number!

Chase and Grey set off on a whirlwind rollercoaster of a ride, between heckling fans, injuries, managers, and annoying sisters. They need all the help they can get.

In my opinion, great little read, I will definitely pick it back up again. There was moments when I thought "what the heck just happened?" "Really, did he just do that??". There was a couple of little things about the story that caught me off guard, especially in regards to Chase's emotional standpoint. I did feel like the controversary in the story was a little bit anti-climatic and should hvae been thought out a little more. At one point, I couldn't help but think it was completely outrageous in the conclusion of the conflict. Otherwise, very well thought out story. I loved the entire line of small town girl and famous all star player falling in love. Props to Collette West, I'll definitely be checkign out any other works she has coming soon. ;)







Collette West grew up as somewhat of a jock-nerd hybrid. Entering the world three weeks premature, her dad nearly missed her birth because he had seats behind the dugout for a sold-out, highly-anticipated match-up between two of baseball's biggest rivals. Not to be outdone, her book-loving mom taught her how to read by the time she was three. A love of the game coupled with an appreciation for the written word were instilled in Collette's impressionable brain from a young age. No wonder her characters believe in the philosophy: sports + romance = a little slice of heaven.

Splitting her time between the Pocono Mountains and Manhattan, Collette indulges her inner fangirl by going to as many games as she can from hockey to baseball and downloading every sports romance novel in existence onto her iPad. When she's not clicking away on her laptop, she enjoys walking her dog in Central Park, satisfying her caffeine craving at the Starbucks on Broadway and keeping an eye out for Mr. Right. But above all, she loves dishing with her readers. Email her at collette_west@yahoo.com.


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**CR** Caged in Winter ~ Brighton Walsh



In this emotional and sexy New Adult debut from Brighton Walsh, the only thing more frightening than commitment is hope…

Aspiring chef Cade Maxwell is immediately, viscerally attracted to Winter Jacobson. But it’s not her mouthwatering curves he’s drawn to—it’s the strange emptiness in her eyes. When Cade saves her from a drunken customer with grabby hands, he’s shocked at her response…

Winter doesn’t need Cade’s help. After a lifetime of getting by on her own, she’s happy to rely on herself. She’s exactly seventy-six days away from graduating college, and if she can hold it together that long, she’ll finally be able to rise above the crappy hand she was dealt. 

But now, every time she turns around, Cade is there, ready to push her, smile at her, distract her from her plans. Winter knows she can’t afford to open up—especially to a man she’s terrified to actually want.



Brighton Walsh spent nearly a decade as a professional photographer before deciding to take her storytelling in a different direction and reconnect with her first love: writing. When she’s not pounding away at the keyboard, she’s probably either reading or shopping—maybe even both at once. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and two children, and, yes, she considers forty degrees to be hoodie weather. Her home is the setting for frequent dance parties, Lego battles, and more laughter than she thought possible. Visit her online at www.brightonwalsh.com.






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Wednesday, February 26, 2014

**CR** Finding My Way ~The Beaumont Series 4 ~ Heidi McLaughlin



Coming April 2014
New Adult Contemporary Romance 
The Beaumont Series, #4




Liam Westbury has the world at his feet. He’s the quintessential golden boy. He’s the superstar quarterback for Beaumont High. His girl, Josie, is head cheerleader. He has his choice of colleges just waiting for him. Except he’s suffocating from all the pressure he’s under and no one understands.

Liam Page is the heartthrob he never wanted to be. He’s successful, smart and in demand by record companies and his adoring fans. Music is his passion, his love, but something’s missing. His nights are lonely and he longs for the girl he left behind. Seeing her in every face in the crowd haunts him with the knowledge that she hates him. Going home has never been an option until now.

Be there when Liam Westbury becomes Liam Page and follow the highs and lows of the Quarterback turned Rockstar as he finds a way back to Beaumont in this prequel to Forever My Girl.











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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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

**ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE by Marie Force** HUGE HUGE GIVEAWAY!!!!

***All New Selfie Contest!***

The publisher of ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE soooo loved the selfie contest, they asked us to do it again! Fun fun FUN! We have all new FABULOUS prizes up for grabs! Here’s how it’s going to work and please make sure you read ALL the way to the end so you can see the many ways to WIN!

Starting TODAY, get back out there and find ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE in your local bookstore (Barnes & Noble, Target, WalMart, Books-A-Million, grocery stores, drug stores, etc,) or order your copy from an online retailer such as Amazon and take a picture of yourself holding the book. We want to see you WITH the print copy of ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE (sorry, no ebook copies for this contest). When you’re out and about, consider getting a copy of the book for a friend who loves to read and hasn’t yet discovered Marie’s books. And remember, books make great gifts for birthdays and other important events! Better yet, once your friends have the book in hand, they can enter the selfie contest too! While you’re out taking selfies, consider getting a copy of ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE to donate to your local library, nursing home, hospital or other organization where people might enjoy Will and Cameron’s story! AND, if you’d like to have your book SIGNED, we can do that too with a signed book plate right from Marie! Send your request for an ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE bookplate and postal address to author@marieforce.com.

For each of the next THREE weeks, we will award a $100 gift card to one selfie photographer. You can enter as many times as you’d like to increase your chances to win. Entries carry over to the next week’s drawings, but we need ALL NEW selfies. The earlier ones will not count for this NEW contest. We will award the gift cards on Friday, February 28, March 7 and March 14. But wait, there’s MORE! On Friday, March 21, we will award YET ANOTHER grand prize trip to the Green Mountain Series Launch Party on June 28 at the Vermont Country Store in Weston, Vermont! This package includes:

•          Two nights lodging for up to two guests in Weston, Vermont.
•          $750 toward airfare for two from anywhere in the United States. We suggest flying into Manchester, NH (2.5 hours away), Burlington, VT (2.25 hours away), Hartford, CT (2.5 hours), Albany, NY (1.75 hours) or Boston, MA (3 hours).
•          Reimbursement of up to approximately $300 for car rental and fuel to be used for transportation from the airport to Weston, VT.
•          A special breakfast with Marie for you and a guest.
•          $100 gift card to the Vermont Country Store
•          $100 gift card to Bryant House Restaurant at the Vermont Country Store
•          Your very own stuffed “Fred the Moose”
•          Signed copies of All You Need Is Love and I Want to Hold Your Hand
Everyone who enters a selfie in the next three weeks will be entered into this grand-prize drawing. In order to WIN the prize, however, you must be able to answer three new questions about the short story TO KNOW HER IS TO LOVE HER, which is found ONLY in the back of the print book. (It will be released to e-readers on Marie’s website in May.) ALSO, everyone who enters this new Selfie contest will get our ALL NEW Green Mountain Romance sticker! UK, Australia, New Zealand readers: You are looking for YOUR LOVE IS ALL I NEED and your selfies count!
WAIT, there’s one more chance to win! If you SHARE this post, you will be entered into a drawing to win yet another super fun prize pack that includes signed copies of Marie’s books, Fred the Moose and other fabulous swag. Everyone who clicks the SHARE button on this post will be entered into the SHARE drawing!
So go forth and take those selfies and SHARE this post to get your friends out there taking pictures, too! We will feature as many selfies as we can on Marie’s Facebook page!
You must send your selfie to author@marieforce.com to be entered into the drawing. If you’d like the Green Mountain Romance sticker, please include your postal address (international entries permitted) and let us know if you’d like to be on the list for occasional postcards and other items by mail. NO selfies posted directly to Facebook or Twitter will count as entries. The only way to ensure that your entry is counted is to email it to author@marieforce.com with:

Your name: 
Where you found the book (store/location):
Mailing address if you want the Green Mountain Sticker:
Do you wish to be added to the postal mailing list for occasional postcards and other swag during the year?

HAVE FUN!!!
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**CR** Very Wicked Things ~ Briarcrest Academy 2 ~ Ilsa Madden-Mills

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Very Wicked Things
Book 2 of the Briarcrest Academy Series
A new adult romance from bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills
Release Date May 13, 2014



Born on the poor side of town…
Ballerina Dovey Beckham is a scholarship student at Briarcrest Academy, determined to prove she’s more than just a girl with the wrong pedigree. She does whatever it takes to succeed in her endgame, even if it means surrendering her body…but never her heart.
Until the day she meets him, and he rips apart all her well-laid plans. Suddenly, the girl everyone thought unbreakable might just shatter.
Born into wealth and privilege…
Cuba “Hollywood” Hudson is rich, spoiled, and a star football player. With his fast cars and superficial girlfriends, he lives the high-life, hiding his secrets from the world.
Until the day he meets her, and she offers him something he’s never tasted…love.
But once in a lifetime kind of love doesn’t come easy. When trust crumbles and doubts creep in, both will have to decide to either love or let go…forever.

Welcome to Briarcrest Academy, where sometimes, only the wicked survive.




Cuba’s POV
Not exactly a meet-cute…
The room closed in, making me sweat. I hadn’t talked to her in over a year, and now here we were, face-to-face. Two ex-lovers who hated each other.
I had to get away from her.
Dovey tilted her head as I stood, giving me a scathing glare. “Leaving so soon? Yeah, go ahead, cut and run. Coward.”
I ignored her and tried to get Weinstein’s attention, to let her know she could flunk me for all I cared.
“Before you go, tell me one thing, and I’ll make sure we aren’t partners in this class. You’ll be free of me,” she said.
“What?” I asked, my voice going all raspy, blocking all the words I wanted to say. They weren’t things she ever needed to hear.
“Why so cruel to me? You aren’t to the other girls you date and dump. Why single me out?”
I seethed. “And it didn’t take you long to find someone else, now did it? How is Spider? Does he get you hot like I did?”
She smirked. “He’s fine. He thinks I hung the moon. He thinks you’re an ass. I agree.”
I tightened my fists and pressed them against my thighs, swearing to myself I wasn’t responding to her bait. I swore. She was a dangerous game I didn’t need to play.
Suddenly, her face fell. Was she recalling the last time we were together? Was she remembering how I used to…
“I trusted you,” she whispered, all her anger seeming to be gone. The unsteadiness of her voice undid me, sent me right over the edge of that precarious cliff I’d been hanging on to by the skin of my teeth.
Yeah, she hadn’t been the only one who’d trusted me. I’d ruined them all. Every last one. Dark thoughts assaulted me, of the blood I had on my hands.
Snap! My pencil broke and small pieces flew across my desk and into the empty space between us.
I wanted to pummel my desk until my fists bled. I wanted to punch a hole through the wall, the floor, my face.
Everything was my fault. Just mine.
She’d been collateral damage, the kind that breaks everyone involved. And I was sorry for it, but sometimes you do what hurts because it’s for the best.
But she was my kryptonite, leaving me no option but to hurt her. Again.
I didn’t think about my cruel words, I just said them. “You were a curiosity, Dovey. You weren’t the usual BA girl, and I wanted a taste. That’s all. I moved on when it got boring. Get over it.”




Ilsa Madden-Mills is a loving wife and mother, a loyal friend, and a teacher. When all that is done, she writes. Obsessively.  She spent several years teaching high school English, but now hangs out at home with two small kids, a neurotic cat, and her Viking husband. She collects magnets and rarely cooks except to bake her own pretzels.
When she’s not typing away at a story, you can find her drinking too much Diet Coke, jamming out to Pink, or checking on her carefully maintained chocolate stash.  She loves to hear from fans and fellow authors.
Very Wicked Things is Book 2 of the BA Series.  Very Bad Things is currently available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks.



Awesome Book Trailer to Very Wicked Things:
   
Author Goodreads Link to Very Wicked Things:





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Haven't read book 1 in the Briarcrest Academy series??? 

Check out Very Bad Things HERE

Born into a life of privilege and secrets, Nora Blakely has everything any nineteen-year-old girl could desire. She’s an accomplished pianist, a Texas beauty queen, and on her way to Princeton after high school. She’s perfect…

Leaving behind her million-dollar mansion and Jimmy Choos, she becomes a girl hell-bent on pushing the limits with alcohol, drugs, and meaningless sex. 

Then she meets her soulmate. But he doesn’t want her.

When it comes to girls, twenty-five-year-old Leo Tate has one rule: never fall in love. His gym and his brother are all he cares about...until he meets Nora. He resists the pull of their attraction, hung up on their six year age difference.

As they struggle to stay away from each other, secrets will be revealed, tempers will flare, and hearts will be broken.

Welcome to Briarcrest Academy…where sometimes, the best things in life are Very Bad Things.



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**Release Day Blitz & giveaway** Hard As You Can ~ Hard Ink 2 ~ Laura Kaye





Five dishonored soldiers.
Former Special Forces.
One last mission.
These are the men of Hard Ink.

Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he's shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister's sake, Crystal can't get too close. Until her job and Shane's mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed.

Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn't want him to uncover. Too bad. He's exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can--and never let go.


Read an Excerpt of Book 1, Hard As It Gets



Buy Hard As You Can at Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo



 Hard As You Can is book 2 in the Hard Ink series following Hard As It Gets. We follow with the HI Boys as they continue to delve deeper into the mystery of their dishonorable discharge. Coupled with the help from Becca and Charlie, secrets are unveiled daily. As they continue to search and seize, heads are rolled, friends are made, enemies are revealed. 

Shane is dealing with a double whammy. The fallout from his best friend and a new found attraction to the cocktail waitress. Dealing with Nick is the harder of the two. How does he express himself without looking like a pansy? How can he connect with Crystal without raising red flags all over the place. 

Crystal has so many regrets, so many times she's thought about leaving, yet she's stuck. Stuck in a place where she's counting the days to get out. Determined to make sure her sister has the life Crystal hasn't, she continues to suffer at the hands of Bruno. Meeting Shane seems too good to be true. How can she trust her gut? Putting everything on the line, including her life, Crystal reaches out and grabs onto the olive branch Shane is handing her. 

Shane, the HI boys, and the rest of the crew embark on a deadly trail of drugs, prostitution, guns, stepping up to figure out the reason for their burning and hoping to save Crystal in the process. 

Laura Kaye, HAYC is just as amazing as HAIG. And intriguing, exhilarating read that will have the reader on the edge of their seat, turning the pages as quickly as they can. Hard As You Can is a thrill ride, never knowing what is going to happen next. The camaraderie between the boys continues to grow and entertain even as new friends are introduced and brought up to speed. I absolutely loved this novel. Laura Kaye has become a "go-to author" for the likes of me. If you haven't checked out this series, do so immediately, the Hard Ink boys are super sexy Special Forces Alpha boys who never know when to quit!!  Laura Kaye has once again delivered a Best Seller.




“Tell me not to,” Shane said, his voice a raw scrape.

“I can’t,” Crystal whispered in a shaky voice. “I don’t want to.”

Shane’s body took over then, all urgent need and basic instinct. The rest of the world be damned. He pulled her in and kissed her, his lips devouring, his tongue exploring deep. Nothing held back. Nothing denied. Not even as her lips reawakened the sting from the cut on his lip. Totally worth it.

Crystal’s arms came up around him. She trembled against him, and Shane wasn’t sure if it was caused by adrenaline or fear. Unable to tolerate the thought that she might feel forced, he eased off.

She moaned and held him tighter, like his retreat had made something snap within her. Their kisses deepened, and her body moved against his, sinuously, maddeningly, desperately.

They tasted one another again and again, giving in to the heat that had sparked between them from the moment Crystal had collided with him at Confessions. Little nips and bites of lips and teeth warred with long, sensual strokes of tongue that stole his breath and made him instantly hard. The sting in his lip, the throb of his GSW, the aches from Nick’s asskicking, every bit of it faded away—no, her touch made it all go away.

The few times they’d spoken, Crystal had most often been guarded, tentative, fearful. Just as she’d been when he first kissed her. But, now, she was revealing a passionate woman who could be fearless, giving and receiving openly and without hesitation. Christ, the thought that this fierceness was the real Crystal slayed him because it meant she was burying and denying her true self, not because she wanted to, but because she had to.

No, because someone forced her to.

The thought reminded him of the bruises on her arm. Shane had known this woman for three days, and twice in that time she’d been hurt by another man. And both as a consequence for things Shane had done.

A crack of thunder echoed from the heavens, making Crystal jump and gasp into his mouth.  “I’ve got you,” he rasped around a kiss.

Part of him wanted to say more, to tell her he had her and he’d keep her safe. But he couldn’t make himself give up her heat, her sweetness, her obvious hunger—for him.

So he made her a silent promise instead.

Never again, Crystal. He’ll never hurt you again. Not on my watch.
Because Shane McCallan had made a mistake like that once. And, as bad as his sister’s disappearance had been, something’s happening to Crystal would actually be worse because Shane knew it was coming. The one break he’d ever given himself over Molly was that he’d had no way to know she’d be abducted. Didn’t excuse the role he played in allowing it to happen, but he couldn’t have known. But with Crystal, while he might not know when or how this Bruno asshole would strike out to do the ultimate damage, it was all but a done deal at this point. Always was with guys like him. And Shane would go to the grave before he let it happen, before he failed another female for whom he cared.

Because he did care. Made no damn sense given how long he’d known her. And the timing was beyond piss-poor. But there it was all the same.



So that’s Shane and Crystal starting to give in to what they feel for one another – I hope you enjoyed! Did you have a favorite line? Thanks for reading!
~Laura





Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.






HARD AS YOU CAN is your second book in the “Hard Ink” series (after USA Today bestseller, HARD AS IT GETS). What can readers look forward to?

Readers can look forward to tons of sexy alpha male goodness, awesome bromance between the Hard Ink men, more antics from the Hard Ink puppy, and another great love story between Shane and Crystal. But readers should also be ready for a book that is darker, more intense, and more emotional. This book pushed me to emotional places that were tough as a writer, and might be tough for readers, too. But I think that just makes the payoff at the end so much sweeter!

Describe Shane and Crystal. What are their best traits? What are their weaknesses?

Shane and Crystal are such an amazing couple to me. They’re each exactly what the other needs. Shane’s best traits are his protectiveness, his fundamental kindness, and his soul-deep loyalty (his southern accent and humor are also right up there!). His biggest weakness for sure is a tragedy from the past for which he blames himself—and it’s something that continues to motivate him in Hard As You Can. Crystal’s best traits are her courage, protectiveness, and selflessness—she’s willing to do anything to keep her younger sister safe. Her biggest weakness is also that selflessness, because the sacrifices she’s required to make are getting bigger and bigger and bigger.

If you could describe your book in a 140 character tweet, what would it be?

When a woman in trouble assists an ex-soldier's covert mission to regain his team's stolen honor, he finds a new mission to save her, too

What are you most excited about with this second book release?

I’m really excited to take readers deeper into these awesome characters and into the mystery behind the Hard Ink team’s ambush and discharge!

What books are you reading right now?

I’m almost done with Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander (yes, I’m very late to the party but OMG JAMIE FRASER!!!). And I’ve recently devoured and loved Juliana Stone’s Offsides and Shelly Thacker’s time-travel historical romance, Forever His.

What can fans of your “Hard Ink” series look forward to next?

There will be two more Hard Ink books in 2014!

Hard to Hold on To – August 2014
Hard to Come By – November 2014








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**CR** Sparrows For Free ~ Lila Felix




There are skeletons in every closet. Some stay quiet—and some rule your soul with an iron fist.

Ezra is ruled by the ghosts of his past—and needled by the guilt they create. Not only does he have to manage his own guilt—his friends are forced to bear the weight as well. He lives in limbo, never dreaming of anything that lies beyond the grave.  In his mind, he’s a murderer, pure and simple.

Hide and seek is Aysa’s game. She begs for small spaces and empty places. But, she secretly desires so much more.  When they find each other, a hope for something new is sprung.

But Ezra’s skeletons are out for blood.

“I hide shock well. I’m a pro at hiding. I have no idea that whatever he had to tell me would be so personal—so heartbreaking. But, I quickly remembered that heartbreak was all around him every time he turned around. He needs no more empathy or sympathy in his life. He craves someone to give him a different take on a tired situation.  And different is practically my middle name.”



Lila Felix made the decision to write a book after being encouraged by friends. She is a stay at home mom to three wild children and three boisterous dogs and her high school sweetheart husband encourages her daily. Between writing books, she loves to read and watch sappy 80's movies. Favorite things: ice cream, anything purple, roller derby and any kind of music she can get her hands on. If you're looking for her, try looking in the swamp, she's probably duct taping something under the shade of a Cypress tree.

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