Friday, March 29, 2013

Review: Vacant by Evelyn R. Baldwin

 Title: Vacant
Author: Evelyn R. Baldwin
Source: Received through blog tour in exchange for an honest review


Synopsis:

Ethan Parker gets up every day, surviving the only way he knows how—alone. Orphaned as a child and forced into the child welfare system, he knows better than to depend on anyone but himself. He’s learned trust is a word used all too often, but rarely earned. Ethan believes that his best chance for maintaining a simple and solitary existence is to live by a simple mantra: Don’t get involved. Keep things simple. Take care of yourself! When a young woman moves in next door, Ethan is forced to reevaluate his beliefs. He tries to keep his distance, but his new neighbor’s infectious smile and outlook on life leave him struggling with the decision of living the life he knows, or taking a chance on the unexpected. As Ethan develops a relationship with his new neighbor, Emily, he realizes nothing is simple and learns that life is about more than just surviving... it’s about living.


Review:



 

Vacant is a contemporary adult novella by Evelyn R. Baldwin. This particular version has some sexual content, though there is another version of this book that is clean. This story is told from a male point of view. Ethan is a young man that you can't help but feel sorry for. He was orphaned as a child, and has nobody in his life. When he turned 18, the state pretty much kicked him to the curb and he had to fend for himself. He is very much a loner. He goes to work each day, and comes home. That's it. He leads a rather sad and lonely life.

When this book starts, it is Ethan's 21st birthday. He is sitting home alone when his new neighbor knocks on his door asking for help with her window. Her name is Emily, and she is a teenage girl living alone. He finds out that she is an orphan too. Even though he wants to keep to himself, he finds that he keeps reaching out to her to help her. He knows exactly what she is going through and feels a need to protect her. Because she is underage, Ethan refuses to consider having a romantic relationship with her.

Unfortunately, this book is way too short. It's around 100 pages and spans 15 years. It jumps around a lot and seems very rushed. There are big chunks of time missing when these two are getting to know each other. It's hard to feel a connection with these two, when you don't really have a chance to see their relationship build. Also, while most of the book is told from Ethan's point of view, there are a couple of chapters randomly thrown in from Emily's point of view. It felt very odd.

The story as a whole, was good. It could have been great if it was longer and if Emily would have come into Ethan's life when she was older so there wouldn't have been so much time go by before their relationship started. Something that I really liked was the fact that there was an Autistic child that Ethan spent time with toward the end of the book. My son has Autism, so that little bit of Autism awareness included in the book meant a lot to me. There were actually several good messages that were included in this book.

The romance in this book was sweet, I just wish I could have read about their relationship more. I read that this version is considered erotic, but it's really not. There wasn't a lot of time devoted to sex, and it went into less detail than a lot of other non-erotic books I've read. The book was more about being able to be happy with what little you have in life – as long as you have the right person to share it with.

Visit the author here:

Purchase the ebook at Amazon

 

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Review: The Crimson Hunt by Victoria H. Smith

 Title: The Crimson Hunt (Eldaen Light Chronicles #1)
Author: Victoria H. Smith
Source: Received though blog tour in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis:

College junior Ariel Richmond is working on year three of Project Normalcy.

Her house reeks of keggers past and her bestie is just a slight bit vulgar. But the thing is—they both aid in making life refreshingly uneventful.

So much for hard-earned mediocrity when Luca Grinaldi appears on the scene.

Luca’s sudden presence on campus is hard to ignore. Those bright eyes act like a beacon to unsuspecting females, and with features like his, he’s got to be moonlighting for GQ. Luca hopelessly captivates Ariel with his confidence and charisma, but the mysteries surrounding him make him nearly untouchable. And just when Ariel grows close enough to unlock his secrets, a tragic event sends her life in a downward spiral.

That steady life is no longer an option and allies quickly become scarce. The mysterious Luca seems to be the only one willing to help her—but with that trust comes the burden of his secrets. He has a dark mission of otherworldly proportions, and is willing to sacrifice as many lives as it takes to see it completed.

Gone are the days of simply maintaining normalcy, and if Ariel isn’t cautious with her trust, so soon may be her future.



Review:



 
The Crimson Hunt is the first book in the Eldaen Light Chronicles by Victoria H. Smith. It's a New Adult Paranormal Romance that revolves around a college girl named Ariel. She is just an ordinary young woman leading a boring, empty life until she meets Luca Grinaldi. Luca is the opposite of Ariel in almost every way. He is captivating and has this otherworldly aura about him.

Luca behaves oddly in the beginning. During the first couple of run-ins with Ariel, he acts like a jerk. Despite that, Ariel can't stop thinking about him. He is handsome and mysterious, and all the girls seem to swoon over him. He suddenly changes though, and shows an interest in Ariel.

There is a lot of mystery involved, and deaths start happening around the school. After a particularly tragic incident, Ariel's world falls apart. Luca is the only person there to help her, but she's not sure she can trust him. After this point is where the story starts lacking for me. Luca puts Ariel in hiding, and it is kind of boring and uneventful. The story picks up toward the end with some action and suspense.

I felt the romance lacked a little as well. Luca denied his feelings for much of the book. Just when you think something was going to happen...it didn't. Again and again. Ariel kept feeling rejected by Luca, which was sad considering how crappy her life had become and she had absolutely nobody. When Luca finally gave in to his feelings and they would start kissing, the scene would just fade out. It leads the reader to believe that more happened than just kissing, but yet makes you feel like you don't know the depth of their relationship. So, I don't feel like there was a whole lot of romance.

The plot was interesting and the writing was good. I just felt a little disconnected from the story. There are some sci-fi elements added in, and some of the revelations at the end took me by surprise. If you're a fan of young adult/new adult books with paranormal/sci-fi aspects, you might really enjoy this story. 

Visit the author here:

Available in ebook format at the following places:

Monday, March 25, 2013

Cover Reveal: Hard As It Gets by Laura Kaye

Title: Hard As It Gets (Hard Ink #1)
Author: Laura Kaye

Tall, dark, and lethal...

Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey's tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome—pure catnip to a very jaded Nick. He's left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander's daughter. Loyalty won't let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.

With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn't expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.

Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge...


Available November 26th 2013





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 About the author:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly 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.


Sunday, March 24, 2013

Free ebooks!!!

Title: True of Blood (Witch Fairy #1)
Author: Bonnie Lamer

"I have a television so I know what a family is supposed to look like but mine is nothing like that. To begin with, both my parents are dead. Not the kind of dead where you bury them in the ground, say some nice words, cry a lot and then never see them again. Nope, when they died they refused to go into the light; or whatever it is you're supposed to do when you die. Instead, they came back home. As ghosts. Have you ever been sent to your room by a parent who has no corporeal form? I have and it sucks..."

Xandra Illuminata Smith has lived for the last three years with ghosts as parents but her life gets even stranger after her seventeenth birthday when she finds out that her mother is actually a Witch in hiding and her biological father, whom she knew nothing about, is a Fairy and King of the Fae realm.

Xandra is the first Witch Fairy to be born in thousands of years for very good reason. No one should be able to control that much magic and Xandra was never meant to be born at all but her mother has manged to keep her hidden away until now.

The Witches want her dead and the Fairies want her blood, for only her blood will reopen the gateway to the Fae realm and allow them back into this realm to take revenge on humans and Witches alike for having banished them hundreds of years ago.

Xandra has very little time to learn how to use her powerful Witch and Fairy magic that has been bound since her birth while running from the Fairies who managed to jump realms and want to take her blood to set the others free. She needs someone to teach her and her parents enlist the help of one powerful Fairy who claims to want to keep the realms closed to each other. He will help keep her safe and alive as she learns, at least that's what he says...



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 Title: Rest for the Wicked (Clair Wiche Chronicles #1)
Author: Cate Dean

She's running from her past. And running out of time.

Claire Wiche is an ordinary woman, running her Wicca shop in an ordinary California beach town. But Claire wasn't always ordinary, and she isn't quite human. She hides a secret, and a past she thought she had put behind her.

A past that is about to explode into her present.

When it does, and everyone she loves is in danger, Claire must face up to her past - and become what she left behind in order to save them.

Free on Amazon and B&N

 
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  Title: Dirty Blood (Dirty Blood #1)
Author: Heather Hildenbrand

I killed a girl last night. I did it with my bare hands and an old piece of pipe I found lying next to the dumpster. But that’s not the part that got me. The part that scared me, the part I can’t seem to wrap my head around and still has me reeling, was that when she charged me, her body shifted – and then she was a wolf. All snapping teeth and extended claws. But by the time I stood over her lifeless body, she was a girl again. That’s about the time I went into shock… And that was the moment he showed up.

Now, all I can do is accept the truths that are staring me in the face. One, Werewolves do exist. And Two, I was born to kill them.

Free on Amazon and B&N


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 Title: Savor (Warm Delicacy #1)
Author: Megan Duncan

When Claire Miller turned eighteen all she wanted to do was celebrate her birthday, but after a night on the town with her best friend she awakes to a visitor she never expected. The rulers of her region, a vampire royal family, have chosen her to be turned as their new heir and vampire princess. Claire quickly discovers the royal family is not what they seem and that she has secrets in her past, she never knew existed.

Free on Amazon and B&N


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   Title: Perfect Misfits
Author: Lawna Mackie

Ryder, commander of the Levarian legion of gargoyles, has a problem. He keeps dreaming on duty…and falling…neither of which gargoyles ever do. Every dream is of the same woman, and every time, it brings on red-hot, searing pain in the crescent-shaped scar on his palm. Driven to find the woman and the reason for his bizarre dreams, he lets himself fall… …right through to a place he never knew existed…to the woman of his dreams. Labeled a misfit, Tempest was snatched away as a child and imprisoned in the hidden realm of Misfit Mountain. Locked up by Fedor, the ruler of the kingdom, who intends to take her as his bride, she has no choice but to brave the dangerous snow and ice of the Mountain to escape. Despairing, faced with the impossible choices of Fedor or death, love is the last thing on her mind, until Ryder snatches her from the air and into a whole new realm of feeling. Can Ryder find the key to freeing her and save them both?



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  Title: The Pearl Savage (Savage #1)
Author: Tamara Rose Blodgett

Seventeen-year old princess, Clara Williamson, lives an old-fashioned existence in a biosphere of the future.

When her sadistic mother, Queen Ada, betroths her to an abusive prince of a neighboring sphere, Clara determines to escape Outside, where savages roam free.

Clara escapes tyranny only to discover the savages are not the only people who survived the cataclysmic events of one hundred forty years prior.

Once Outside, Clara finds herself trapped, unable to return to the abusive life of the sphere while facing certain danger Outside.

Can Clara find love and freedom with the peril that threatens to consume her?

Free on Amazon and B&N


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 Title: Once Bitten (Alexa O'Brien Huntress #1)
Author: Trina M. Lee


Alexa O'Brien is a professional huntress and a werewolf with the ability to conduct and manipulate metaphysical energy. When she is inexplicably drawn to the enigmatic vampire Arys Knight, the dangerous power they create together becomes more than either of them anticipated. As a result of their actions Alexa risks the loss of more than her remaining humanity, she risks losing the very person who holds her heart, Shaz Richardson.

When her former lover and Alpha pack member Raoul is framed for murder, he comes to her for help and Alexa is forced to face past emotions and betrayals that were never laid to rest. As the murders continue she is torn between past hurts and present loves. Amidst the rush of power and the struggle for control, Alexa must dig deep within herself to discover where her heart truly belongs. As secrets are revealed and lies exposed, she comes to discover that not everyone is who you think they are and the greatest loves are undying.

Free on Amazon and B&N


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  Title: Covet (Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series #1)
Author: Felicity Heaton

They’ve burned for each other for two years, the forbidden attraction between them growing each night. Now resisting the sinful desires of their hearts is becoming impossible.

Javier knows better than to succumb to his hunger for Lilah. The mortal female belongs to a powerful aristocrat patron of Vampirerotique, the theatre he runs with three other vampires. A single touch is all it would take to break the sacred law of his kind, sentencing himself to death, but his passion for her has become too fierce to ignore and he will risk everything to make Lilah his.

Lilah has fought her desire for Javier since arriving at his theatre as a servant but each glance he has stolen, his eyes promising pleasure that will satisfy her longing for him, has chipped away at her defences and she can no longer deny her need and her forbidden feelings for the powerful vampire male.

When they find themselves alone in a private box during one of the erotic performances, will they surrender to their passion and live out their wildest fantasies in a night of wicked pleasure or will the threat of Lilah’s master keep them apart forever?



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 Title: Burden of the Soul
Author: Kate Grace


Book 1 of the Burden Series.

Clara never asked to be special. She was perfectly happy e-stalking her crush’s blog, avoiding the attention of the Bronze Brigade clique at school, awaiting the next visit from her avant-garde Aunt Grace, and dreaming of a strange young man ... who feels too real to be only a dream.

But then one day, her world literally separates at the seams, as a blinding light rips her mother away right before her eyes. In one, inexplicable moment, Clara is tugged from a life where her biggest worry is how to avoid social scrutiny to having the burden of her mother's disappearance and her father’s subsequent unhappiness hoisted squarely onto her shoulders.

Precisely one year later, on her 17th birthday, the blinding white light returns. This time, the light brings with it more than just grief. It ushers in a cast of Guardians who have been with Clara all along, waiting for her to awaken and remember a promise she made in another world. When Clara learns what is expected of her, and the price she must pay to restore order, she can only hope that the still dormant ancient soul that lives inside of her is truly fighting on the side of Good.

Burden of the Soul grapples not only with the battle between Good and Evil, and Action and Complacency, but pits its unlikely heroine squarely against herself. Half of Clara is an ancient soul who made a promise to fight a war, the other half is an adolescent girl who never asked to be special.

Free on Amazon and B&N


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  Title: Pulse of Heroes (The Pulse Myths Series #1)
Author: A. Jacob Sweeny

 A suspenseful, passionate, paranormal romance that sweeps through the emotions of first love and heartache as it traverses centuries and continents.

Michelle used to feel like she was behind in everything, especially school and relationships. Her great aunt from the old country says she is like a bland meal, "no salt or pepper". But in junior year, everything changes. Her father takes a position on the Town Council, a popular boy in school becomes interested in her, and most importantly, the Hekademos Learning Center, a private school for 'troubled' students, moves into her quiet neighborhood amidst the protests of the entire town.

After seeing the School Regent out with a group of young guys just before Christmas, Michelle is convinced that there is something odd about them. Her curiosity gets the better of her and she embarks upon a mission to figure out what is really going on. After an embarrassing fall over the school wall, Michelle meets Elliot and her ordinary 'bland' life changes its course forever.

Elliot is no ordinary human. In fact, no one at the Hekademos Learning Center is. Beautiful and fierce, they have survived throughout the millennia by weaving in and out of human events. Through them, Michelle learns that history and myths from around the world are dotted with references to their kind. Michelle falls madly in love with the ever-striking and mysterious Elliot and, as much as he tries to fight it, he develops powerful feelings for her as well.

Although Elliot carries numerous painful memories from his many pasts, he disregards his own better judgment and the advice of his friends, and finds himself falling for Michelle's offbeat personality. Their feelings grow in intensity, but when History catches up with them, the difference between their life paths threatens to destroy any future that they might have had together.

Michelle learns that there are infinite shades of gray between black and white, and has to deal with the bundle of contradictory emotions called love. After some unexpected twists during a family trip to Europe, she has to trust her intuition in order to face the danger and uncertainty of being drawn into Elliot's wondrous world. Ultimately, it is up to Michelle to make the split-second, life-altering decision that will either tear them apart forever, or give them another chance.

  

 

Saturday, March 23, 2013

New Releases!

Title: The Lost (Celestial Blues #2)
Author: Vicki Pettersson

Griffin Shaw and his wife were both murdered fifty years ago. Now a minor angel, Grif's been granted permission to solve the mystery of his own death... if he helps the Pure angels guide those souls who might otherwise be Lost.

Souls like Jeap Yang, a drug addict in his final moments of life. Grif knows that death is coming, but he cannot intervene. However, Grif's mortal lover, reporter Katherine "Kit" Craig, isn't constrained by angelic protocol. If she can stop a death, she will.

But as Kit is about to find out, there are things more traumatic and evil than murder. A strange new drug is literally eating tweakers' flesh from their bones, and Kit's crusade to get it off the streets is set to propel her and Grif into a battle with a vicious drug cartel. They'll have to scramble to stay alive, stay together, and choose their own fate... before it's chosen for them.

Available at the following places:
Amazon (kindle)
Amazon (paperback)

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 Title: Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3)
Author: Cassandra Clare

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?
Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.
A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.
 

Available at the following places:
Amazon (kindle)
Amazon (hardcover)

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  Title: Surrender Your Love (Surrender Your Love #1)
Author: J.C. Reed

Meeting Jett was like lightning. Dangerous. Better left untouched. And better forgotten. But lightning always strikes twice.

Brooke Stewart, a realtor in New York, doesn’t do relationships. When she’s sent to a remote estate to finalize a real estate deal, she discovers her new boss is no other than the guy she left naked in bed.

Sexy, dangerously handsome, and arrogant Jett Mayfield attracts trouble, and women, like a lightning rod. But the night he meets Brooke he gets more than he bargained for. The green-eyed millionaire playboy isn’t used to taking no for an answer, and he isn’t about to start now.

When he proposes two months of no strings sex, Brooke is intrigued and accepts his proposal. Little does she know Jett’s determined to claim the one woman he can’t have, pulling her deeper into his dangerous world.

A man who doesn't take 'no' for an answer.
A woman afraid to surrender to love.
Two lives that are about to cross...and secrets laid bare.
 


Available in ebook format at the following places:
B&N 

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  Title: Falling Into You
Author: Jasinda Wilder

I wasn't always in love with Colton Calloway; I was in love with his younger brother, Kyle, first. Kyle was my first one true love, my first in every way.
Then, one stormy August night, he died, and the person I was died with him.

Colton didn't teach me how to live. He didn't heal the pain. He didn't make it okay. He taught me how to hurt, how to not be okay, and, eventually, how to let go.
 

Available at the following places:
Amazon (kindle)
Amazon (paperback)

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  Title: Highlander Most Wanted (The Montgomerys and Armstrongs #2)
Author: Maya Banks

In Highlander Most Wanted, a reclusive woman content to live in the shadows shows a Highland warrior the true meaning of love.
 
Genevieve McInnes is locked behind the fortified walls of McHugh Keep, captive of a cruel laird who takes great pleasure in ruining her for any other man. Yet when Bowen Montgomery storms the gates on a mission of clan warfare, Genevieve finds that her spirit is bent but not broken. Still, her path toward freedom remains uncertain. Unable to bear the shame of returning to a family that believes her dead or to abandon others at the keep to an imposing new laird, Genevieve opts for the peaceful life of an abbess. But Bowen’s rugged sensuality stirs something deep inside her that longs to be awakened by his patient, gentle caress—something warm, wicked, and tempting.

Bowen seizes his enemy’s keep, unprepared for the brooding and reclusive woman who captures his heart. He’s enchanted by her fierce determination, her unusual beauty, and her quiet, unfailing strength. But wooing her will take more than a seasoned seducer’s skill. For loving Genevieve, he discovers, means giving her back the freedom that was stolen from her—even if it means losing her forever.
 

Available at the following places:
Amazon (kindle)
Amazon (paperback)

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  Title: The Art of Wishing (The Art of Wishing #1)
Author: Lindsay Ribar

He can grant her wishes, but only she can save his life.

Margo McKenna has a plan for just about everything, from landing the lead in her high school play to getting into a good college. So when she finds herself in possession of a genie's ring and the chance to make three wishes, she doesn't know what to do. Why should she put her life into someone else's hands?

But Oliver is more than just a genie -- he's also a sophomore at Margo's high school, and he's on the run from a murderer. As he and Margo grow closer, she discovers that it will take more than three wishes to save him.

A whole lot more.
 

Available at the following places:
Amazon (kindle)
Amazon (hardcover)

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  Title: You & I, Me & You (Cadence Jones #3)
Author: Maryjanice Davidson

The final book in Davidson's laugh-out-loud trilogy featuring an unconventional FBI agent who finds love in the most unexpected places

Candice (and her sisters) has moved in with Patrick and everything is more than she could have ever dreamed. Except why does the dreamy Dr. Gallo keep popping up unexpectedly in her fantasies? When her pleasantly steady love life suddenly starts looking pretty darn shaky, Candice and her sisters find themselves knee-deep in a new case that brings the escaped Threefer Killers back onto the scene. The stakes are higher, the danger more real, the hijinks more hilarious, and the love and passion are more delicious in this final book of an unforgettable trilogy.
 

Available at the following places:
Amazon (kindle)
Amazon (hardcover)

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  Title: Everfter (Kissed by an Angel #6)
Author: Elizabeth Chandler

The sweeping saga of Ivy and Tristan comes to a breathtaking conclusion in this final book of the all-new arc in the New York Times bestselling Kissed by an Angel series.It seems the odds are forever against Ivy and her fallen angel. Tristan is still trapped in the body of an accused murderer, and as the two star-crossed lovers try to clear his name, they must battle the dark forces that would keep them apart and destroy them both. The danger is especially great for Tristan since, as a fallen angel, death would mean losing his soul. It’s up to Ivy to save the one she loves and, hopefully, find a way for the two of the them to be together…for all eternity. 

Available at the following places:
Amazon (kindle)
Amazon (hardcover)
BAM 

Vacant Blog Tour!

Title: Vacant
Author: Evelyn R. Baldwin

Ethan Parker gets up every day, surviving the only way he knows how—alone. Orphaned as a child and forced into the child welfare system, he knows better than to depend on anyone but himself. He’s learned trust is a word used all too often, but rarely earned. Ethan believes that his best chance for maintaining a simple and solitary existence is to live by a simple mantra: Don’t get involved. Keep things simple. Take care of yourself! When a young woman moves in next door, Ethan is forced to reevaluate his beliefs. He tries to keep his distance, but his new neighbor’s infectious smile and outlook on life leave him struggling with the decision of living the life he knows, or taking a chance on the unexpected. As Ethan develops a relationship with his new neighbor, Emily, he realizes nothing is simple and learns that life is about more than just surviving... it’s about living.
**This version contains sexual content only suitable for adult audiences.


Purchase the ebook at Amazon


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*Note - I will be posting my review soon*

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 About the author:

Evelyn R. Baldwin was born in the Midwest and spent her childhood on a horse ranch. As an only child, Evelyn was often forced to entertain herself with the family's horses as companions, and her imagination the only limitation.

After moving to St. Louis to attend college, she earned a degree in Education. During her Master’s program, Evelyn discovered her fascination with behavior and psychology.

Her first professional job experience was as a juvenile counselor, which led her to venture into other human sciences, eventually making a career with Behavior Analysis. While writing is a hobby for Evelyn, she often uses her experiences with human behavior to guide her characters.

She’s written short stories since childhood but only recently began exercising her real writing muscles. While she does not consider herself a professional writer in any sense of the word, she continues to polish her craft and hopes for success in her writing ventures, even if they are just as a hobby.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Cover Reveal: Harbinger by Philippa Ballantine

Harbinger by Philippa Ballantine
Book of the Order #4
Release Date: July 30th

The Deacons of the Order are all that stand between the wicked spirits of the Otherside and the innocent citizens of the Empire. They are sworn to protect humanity, even when they cannot protect themselves…

After the Razing of the Order, Sorcha Faris, one of the most powerful Deacons, is struggling to regain control of the runes she once wielded. The Deacons are needed more desperately than ever. The barrier between the world of the living and the world of the dead is weakening, and the Emperor has abandoned his throne, seeking to destroy those he feels have betrayed him.

Though she is haunted by the terrible truth of her past, Sorcha must lead the charge against the gathering hordes of geists seeking to cross into the Empire. But to do so, she will need to manipulate powers beyond her understanding—powers that may prove to be her undoing…
 

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About the author:

New Zealand born fantasy writer and podcaster Philippa (Pip) Ballantine is the author of the Books of the Order and the Shifted World series. She is also the co-author with her husband Tee Morris of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novels. Her awards include an Airship, a Parsec, and a Sir Julius Vogel. She currently resides in Manassas, Virginia with her husband, daughter, and a mighty clowder of cats.

Author of: Geist, Spectyr, Wrayth and Harbinger (2013) from Ace Books and Hunter and Fox and Kindred and Wings (2013) from Pyr Books

Co-author (with Tee Morris) of Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences— an Airship Award winning steampunk series. Novels: Phoenix Rising and the Janus Affair. Also includes digital short stories and a free award winning podcast series.
 



 

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Review: Strength by Carrie Butler

 Title: Strength (Mark of Nexus #1)
Author: Carrie Butler
Source: Received through blog tour in exchange for an honest review


Synopsis:

When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, her rumor-laced notions are shattered. Handsome, considerate, and seemingly sane, Wallace Blake doesn’t look like he spends his nights alone, screaming and banging on the walls of his dorm room. Hell, he doesn’t look like he spends his nights alone, period.

Too curious for her own good, Rena vows to uncover the truth behind Wallace’s madman reputation--and how two seconds of contact had left her with bruises. Of course, there are a few setbacks along the way: guilt, admiration, feelings of the warm and fuzzy variety…

Not to mention the unwanted attention of Wallace's powerful, supernaturally-gifted family.

They’re a bloodline divided by opposing ideals, two soon-to-be warring factions that live in secret among us. When Rena ends up caught in their crossfire, Wallace has no choice but to save her by using his powers. Now they’re really in trouble. With war on the horizon and Rena’s life in the balance, he needs to put some distance between them. But Rena won’t let go. If fighting is what it takes to prove her own strength and keep Wallace in her life, then that’s what she’ll do--even if it means risking a whole lot more than her heart.




Review:



 
Strength is the first book in the Mark of Nexus series by Carrie Butler. It's an awesome New Adult Paranormal Romance. It's about a college student named Rena who literally runs into the “crazy guy” on campus. There are all sorts of rumors going around about Wallace yelling and banging on the walls of his dorm room at night. Everyone is scared of him, but Rena doesn't see him as a madman at all. In fact, she finds herself attracted to him and he is nothing but nice to her.

Rena decides to find out if there is any truth to these rumors or not. She gets to know Wallace and they become friends. When she finds out about the rivalry between Wallace and his twin brother, she decides to get involved. She ends up landing herself in trouble though, and finds herself in danger. She finds out about the powers that Wallace's family has, and about the people trying to hurt them.

The thing that bothered me most about Rena is her pushiness. She was too stubborn to stay out of things when Wallace asked her to. It was like she thought she could fix everything and seemed a little too sure of herself. She really was doing what she thought was best for Wallace though. She came to care for him a lot and was just trying to be helpful, even though her help wasn't wanted. She is an emotionally strong and feisty character. Rena is very likable, just a little hard-headed.

Wallace was one of those swoon-worthy characters. Tall, dark, and handsome. He's the strong, quiet type that keeps to himself. Internally, he is a broken man and hates what he is. I think it's in a woman's nature to gravitate toward a mysterious man who needs “fixed”. These authors know what they're doing when they develop lead male characters this way. Wallace is a character that you will feel sorry for, but also admire.

The paranormal aspect of this book is a little different than others. I haven't heard of this particular supernatural being. Also, I am just loving the New Adult genre – all the angst of Young Adult with more adult themes. Wallace and Rena's relationship developed slowly. I'm not a fan of insta-love, but I was starting to wonder if anything romantic was going to happen with these characters. Once it finally happens, there is a lot of passion and chemistry involved. I really like these characters together, and I can't wait to read more about them. 

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