EARLY RELEASE!!! Tears of Tess by: Pepper Winters

This is the newest book on my favorites shelf.  Do yourself a favor, get a copy today.  Get lost in Q.

NOW on Amazon -> Click here!
NOW on B&N -> Click here!

Synopsis: A New Adult Dark Contemporary Romance, not suitable for people sensitive to grief, slavery, and nonconsensual sex. A story about finding love in the strangest of places, a will of iron that grows from necessity, and forgiveness that may not be enough.


“My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.
Then it all changed.
I was sold.”


Tess Snow has everything she ever wanted: one more semester before a career in property development, a loving boyfriend, and a future dazzling bright with possibility. 

For their two year anniversary, Brax surprises Tess with a romantic trip to Mexico. Sandy beaches, delicious cocktails, and soul-connecting sex set the mood for a wonderful holiday. With a full heart, and looking forward to a passion filled week, Tess is on top of the world.

But lusty paradise is shattered.

Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror. 

Captive and alone with no savior, no lover, no faith, no future, Tess evolves from terrified girl to fierce fighter. But no matter her strength, it can’t save her from the horror of being sold.

Can Brax find Tess before she’s broken and ruined, or will Tess’s new owner change her life forever?

COVER REVEAL: Allegiant (The Guardian Trilogy #2) by Sara Mack

Release Date: October 6, 2013

Synopsis:  

Last summer, Emma discovered that true love never dies.

It can return.

It can give you hope.

It can pull you from darkness.

Until it’s ripped from you.

Again.

As her 22nd birthday approaches, Emma Donohue finds herself back at school and utterly alone.  Hours away from family and friends, her solitary days are spent contemplating what never should have been.  James should never have died, but he did.  He should never have been assigned as her Guardian,

but he was.  And she should never have allowed Dane to get too close to her heart.

But she failed.

Desperate to fill her time, Emma is intrigued by her mysterious new neighbor, Garrett.  She’s never met anyone quite like him before, and, curious, she attempts to discover his past.  Little does she know his presence will pull her into a world she could never imagine.  A world that follows an ancient doctrine.

A world built on loyalty, yet plagued by secrets and lies.

A world that will threaten everything – and everyone – she loves.

COVER REVEAL: Nightmares from Within by: Jessica Prince

Book Tittle: Nightmares from Within

Author: Jessica Prince

Genre: Romantic Thriller

Release Date: October 8, 2013

Goodreads link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18232527-nightmares-from-within

Blurb

I can see how a person is going to die.

I don't know when and I don't always know who but it's a curse I've had since childhood.

There are people who call what I see a gift but I disagree. After years of trying to ignore the visions that haunt me I'm being told I have to embrace this "gift".

If I refuse the punishment will be catastrophic.

Embracing the nightmares within my own mind is the only way I can save myself... and HIM.

The only man I've ever let close.

The only man I've ever loved.

Can I let go of the fear I've carried around my whole life in order to save him?

I just don't know.

***

Meet Jessica Prince

I'm a wife, mother, wino, coffee addict and avid a lover of all types of books, but romances are my main favs. My husband likes to say reading is my obsession but I just say it's my passion... there's a difference. 

I've been writing since I was a little kid and I finally decided to take the leap and actually publish when Picking up the Pieces came to me. Now that I've been bitten by the writing bug I just can't seem to stop. 

Author Links:

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJessicaPrince
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7044544.Jessica_Prince

COVER REVEAL: The Darkest Joy by: Marata Eros

COVER REVEAL INFORMATION

Title: THE DARKEST JOY
Author: Marata Eros
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Expected release date: February 18, 2014
Genre: Dark Romantic Suspense
Age Group: New Adult
Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours; http://atomrbookblogtours.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17932216-the-darkest-joy

Book Description:

A sexy and poignant new adult novel from New York Times bestseller Marata Eros, about two lost souls who find each other in the wake of tragedy, only to learn that love may not be enough to heal the wounds of a dark and tortured past...

Twenty year-old Brooke Starr has escaped the aftermath of a brutal tragedy by abandoning her music studies and moving north to take a summer position as a part-time deck hand on a deep-sea fishing boat. When her survivor’s guilt becomes unbearable, Brooke realizes there's only one thing she can do to finally erase the pain.

Deep sea fisherman, Chance Taylor, has just wrapped his guitar set at the local saloon when he sees the silhouette of a young woman in repose, the full moon highlighting her shadow as she plummets from a pier too high for diving... into water too cold to survive. Without thinking, he plunges in after her, saving Brooke from drowning.

As Chance works to save her from her own emotional fragility, Brooke finally begins to learn how to save herself. But when their chemistry begins to consume them, Brooke withdraws. She’s determined to be the master of her own destiny... until the past catches up with her in a cataclysmic plan so dark, so final... it threatens their love and their very lives.

About the Author

Marata Eros is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of dark, romantic new adult novels, including A Terrible Love and its companion novel A Brutal Tenderness. A passionate writer who loves interacting with her readers, Marata lives in South Dakota with her husband.

Author social media links:

Blog: http://marataeroseroticaauthor.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marata-Eros/336334243087970
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarataEros
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5052261.Marata_Eros
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/floresdm08/marata-eros/

Review: Ruin by: Rachel Van Dyken

Ruin
By: Rachel Van Dyken

Click here to see Ruin on Amazon

Click here to see Ruin on B&N

Click here to see Ruin on Goodreads

Synopsis:  I'm not your typical girl. I've been running away from the memories that haunt me for so long that depression has become my only comfort. I was content in the darkness...until Wes Michels offered to be my light.

I didn't know that time wasn't my ally -- that every second that ticked past was one step closer to the end of something that was beginning to mean the end of myself. He tried to warn me. He promised me all he was able to offer--each moment as it came--but it would never be enough.

Sometimes when you think it's the end, it's only the beginning. Wes thought he could save me, but in giving me everything, he ruined me. Because after one kiss, one touch, I couldn't--I wouldn't ever be the same.

And from that moment on, his heartbeat became my own

***

Review:  Well Ruin has me ruined.  I am surprised I was able to comprehend the last third of the book through the tears and sobbing.  There should be a warning on the cover 'Have Kleenex on hand.'

     Ruin is the story of Kiersten and Weston.  Kierston is a college freshman scared to live.  Having tragically lost her parents she is just trying to survive each day.  Her first few days on campus are tough and uncomfortable until she walks head first into a wall of a man.

     Weston has also had his share of tragedy, having lost people he loved.  In his final year of college he has been assigned as a RA in an on campus dorm.  Just trying to survive the year he has planned to change his playboy ways and focus on his priories, his health, football and his family.  What Weston never expected was to be felt up by sheepish redheaded freshman on one of the first days on campus.

     Quickly, Weston and Kiersten become friends.  Weston makes it his mission to help Kiersten breakdown her walls and start living.  Teaching her to live afraid instead of being afraid to live.  What Weston doesn't tell her is he is fighting his own battle to live.  A battle of life and death.  Does love conquer all?  Can it heal all wounds?

     I adored the characters.  I love Kiersten's innocence.  She trusted Weston wholeheartedly and maybe even a little naively.  Weston was sweet and kind.  He was completely down to earth despite his family's circumstance.  The connection the author was able to create, not only between the characters, but also between the characters and the reader was mesmerizing.  Two thirds in I felt like I was there holding Wes's hand.  It was also around this time I began bawling like a baby.

     Ruin was one hell of an emotional roller coaster.  If you are looking for a sweet love story laced with true raw emotion I suggest you pick up a copy of Ruin today!

Happy reading!!

REVIEW: Two Roads by: L.M. Augustine

Two Roads
By: L.M. Augustine

Click here to see Two Roads on Amazon
Click here to see Two Roads on B&N


Synopsis: The only person poetry-loving Cali Monroe hates more than herself is Logan Waters, the geeky kid who lives in the dorm building next to hers.

Ever since Cali's parents told her she would amount to nothing, she has felt entirely inadequate. Friendless and alone, she takes on the mean girl role in hopes it will make her feel better--and Logan serves as the perfect target. He infuriates her with his obnoxiously long lashes, his all too perfect dimpled smile, and his complete lack of personality outside of his intelligence. It doesn't hurt that he's part of the reason her brother is dead, either. So Cali hates him, and he returns the favor. Thus, their prank-filled, insult-driven rivalry is born, and torturing Logan quickly becomes the highlight of her life.

But when Cali's parents set them up on a blind date, she begins to realize Logan might not be as boring as she always thought. He shares her love of poetry, takes a sadistic pleasure in making fun of crepes, and he makes her blush when he calls her smile pretty.

And hey, maybe those long lashes of his aren't that obnoxious after all...

Two Roads is a New Adult Romance containing some language and mild sexual content. It is a standalone book. 

***

Review:  Two Roads was a sweet combination of Slammed and Flat Out Love.  Cali and Logan's story is one of loss, heartbreak, guilt, love, and poetry.  After the death of Cali's brother, Ben, both she and Logan are drowning in a sea of despair.  Both try to move forward the best they can, but the facades they put on only mask the pain that lies beneath.  It is only with each other can they begin to shed the masks and begin to heal.

    The author did a great job showing the agony both character felt, while also creating a wonderful balance in their love-hate relationship.  I adore his writing style.  The scenes are innocent, tasteful, and heartfelt.  If you are looking for a lust filled novel, this is not for you.  However, if you are looking for a beautiful story of finding yourself in the midst of loss, this is the novel for you.

With a Bang (inspired by Cali)

With a bang the world came tumbling down.

Smashing and crashing.

Cracking and shattering.

With a bang guilt bubbled up.

Churning and stirring.

Simmering and boiling.

With a bang the walls were built.

Mean and frightening.

Protecting and fortifying.

With a bang the equation didn't add up.

Negative and positive.

Dividing and multiplying.

With a bang the sun began to shine once more.

Peaking and glimmering.

Shimmering and flirting.

With a bang the road began to divide.

Bending and splitting.

planning and deciding.

With a bang the world began to heal.

Hopes and dreams.

Love and family.

***

About L.M. Augustine

L.M. Augustine is a YA romance author who is obsessed with writing about dorky teenagers, love, and happy endings. He currently lives in New England, where he spends far too much time reading books and screaming at his computer, and he believes that the solution to the world's problems can be found in chocolate cake. Click To Subscribe is his first novel, but it won't be his last.

'To Be Read' Tuesday #3: A Window to Love by: Fifi Flowers

A Window to Love

By: Fifi Flowers

Click to see A Window to Love on Goodreads

Melissa Bennette, a young beautiful woman who has tragically lost her parents in a devastating plane crash, is set to spend another Christmas holiday alone until one night as she gazes into the dressed up holiday windows of New York City and her path crosses with the gorgeous man of her dreams.

Evan Duke is the world's top male model, dreamed about and wanted by women everywhere, but he only has eyes for her.

This erotic tale of twists, turns and surprises stretches from twinkling lights of New York to the sun drenched beaches of Santa Monica to the art world of Paris. With each destination, the layers of their lives and closely held secrets fall away as a beautiful love grows out of the weeds of self doubt and heartbreak.

This book contains sexually explicit material and is intended for adult readers only.

'To Be Read' Tuesday #2

No Attachements
By: Tiffany King
Click here to see No Attachments on Goodreads

** Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations, language and mature subject matter **

Ashton Garrison walked away from a privileged life in order to hide from the one thing she's not willing to face. She knows she left behind a trail of pain, but in the long run, her betrayal will hurt less than the truth. She now has one goal: Live life to the fullest with no regrets and no attachments. She has high hopes that a move to new surroundings will provide the escape she desires, but what Ashton doesn't count on is how fate always seems to find a way to screw up any good plan. Sometimes, when love comes knocking, the pull is too strong not to answer. Suddenly, what she thought she wanted to escape from is what Ashton now wants more than anything.

Nathan Lockton has one mission: find his target and complete the task he was hired to do—no attachments and no emotion necessary. He's done it over and over again. What he thought was a typical lost-and-found job has turned into a life examining moment as Nathan is forced to deal with something he has always ignored--his feelings. Now faced with a decision, Nathan must choose to either follow his heart or complete the job.

Love can come when you least expect it. The question is: If the odds are stacked against you, how far are you willing to go for the one you love?

Review: Stripped by: Jasinda Wilder

Stripped
By: Jasinda Wilder

Click here to see Stripped on Amazon

Click here to see Stripped on B&N

Click here to see Stripped on Goodreads

Synopsis:  So how did I get myself into this situation, you ask? Simple: desperation. When you're faced with being homeless and hungry or taking off your clothes for money, the choice is easier than you'd imagine. That doesn't make it easy, though. Oh no. I hate it, in fact. There's nothing I'd like more than to quit and never go into another bar again, never hear the techno beat pulsing in my ears again, never feel the lecherous gazes of horny men again.

Then, one day, I meet a man. He's in my club, front and center. He watches me do my routine, and his gaze is full of hunger. Not the kind of desire I'm used to though. It's something different. Something hotter, deeper, and more possessive. I know who he is; of course I do. Everyone knows who Dawson Kellor is. He's People Magazine's Sexiest Man alive. He's the hottest actor in Hollywood. He's the man hand-picked for the role of Rhett Butler in the long-awaited remake of Gone With the Wind. 

He's the kind of man who can have any woman in the entire world with a mere crook of his finger. So what's he doing looking at me like he has to have me? And how do I resist him when he looks at me with those intoxicating, changeable, quicksilver eyes? 

I'm a virgin, and he's an American icon of male sexuality. I'm a stripper, and he's a man used to getting anything and everything he wants. And he wants me. I know I should say no, I know he's the worst kind of player...but what my mind knows, my body and my heart may not.

And then things get complicated.

***

Review:  Stripped is the story of Grey, a pastor's daughter from Macon, GA.  Her whole life she has been raised to be a demur Christian girl.  Always expected to be neither seen nor heard.  For sixteen years she has put her own dreams on hold and plays the part, until one day she fell in love with dance.  Dance became a secret passion, an outlet to be herself.  A way to break free of the restraints that bound her.

     Experiencing the freedom dance allows her, Grey was able to think clearly about what she wants in her life.  She is able to explore new interests, which leads to her love of videography and the desire to go to college far from the watchful eye of her father.  Sadly, her father believes the world of film and movies is filled with sin and is no place for his daughter.  Forbidding her to leave, Grey must choose, a quiet Baptist life potentially married to a pastor, like her mother, or fleeing to Los Angeles to pursue the life she dreams of.

     Standing up to her father wasn't easy, but when her life began to crumble around her and she was forced to make a decision, Grey follows her heart.  With only a few hundred dollars in her pocket she sets out to live her life her way for the first time ever.  Unfortunately, following your heart is never easy.  Life will try you are every bend and turn.  Grey's strength during this time was amazing, but it is only the tip of the iceberg.

     Now obviously the title of the book is Stripped, which implies stripping.  So how does a good southern girl end up in the gritty world of exotic dancing?  That is the dark story the author tells.  However, even in the darkest times there is always a glimmer of hope.  For Grey that glimmer is Dawson.

     Dawson grew up as a privileged L.A. brat.  He has always had everything he could want.  Lavish homes.  Fast cars.  Beautiful woman.  The one thing that has always been missing is love.  Lost in an emotionless world, Dawson turns to acting in a quest to feel something, anything.  Pretending to be a character on set allows him a small taste of the emotional connection he craves.  Dawson is drifting through his life until the night he meets Grey.  Watching her sway her hips he is hypnotized.  When he looks into her eyes he can see the innocence and knows she doesn't belong in that dingy place.  He feels the need to pull her from Hell.  He feels...  His whole life he had been empty, but one look at Grey and he feels emotion bubble in his chest.

     I really liked Dawson's character.  He was more than a pretty face.  Despite his upbringing he was still a guys guy.  He enjoyed fast, loud, muscle cars and one too many beers on a Friday night.  Dawson has an air of alpha to him, but it wasn't too overbearing.  I enjoyed watching him breakdown the walls Grey had erected around her heart.  Grey was also an amazing character.  One would think that due to her upbringing she would be meek.  That was very far from the truth.  Beneath the ladylike exterior is a fighter.

     This was my first Jasinda Wilder book.  I liked her style and plot development.  I look forward to reading more of her novels in the future.

Happy reading!!

     

'To Be Read' Tuesday #1

Fueled (The Driven Trilogy #2)
By: K. Bromberg
Released date: August 27th.
Click to see on Goodreads

What happens when the one person you never expected suddenly happens to be the one you’ll fight the hardest to keep?

Colton stole my heart. He wasn't supposed to, and I sure as hell didn't want him to, but he crashed into my life, ignited feelings within me that I thought had died forever, and fueled a passion that I never knew could exist.

Rylee fell out of that damn storage closet and into my life. Now I don't think I'll ever be the same. She's seen glimpses of the darkness within me, and yet she's still here. Still fighting for me. She is without a doubt the saint, and I am most definitely the sinner.

How is it the one thing neither of us wanted—neither of us anticipated that fateful night—has us fighting so hard to keep?

He steals my breath, stops my heart, and brings me back to life again all in a split second of time. But how can I love a man who won't let me in? Who continually pushes me away to prevent me from seeing the damaged secrets in his past? My heart has fallen, but patience and forgiveness can only go so far.

How can I desire a woman who unnerves me, defies me, and forces me to see that in the deep, black abyss of my soul there's someone worthy of her love? A place and person I swore I'd never be again. Her selfless heart and sexy body deserve so much more than I'll ever be capable of giving her. I know I can't be what she needs, so why can't I just let her go?

We are driven by need and fueled with desire, but is that enough for us to crash into love?

BLOG TOUR: Take It All (Blinded by Love #1) by: Emma Grayson

Take it All (Blinded by Love#1)
By Emma Grayson

Amazon: http://amzn.to/11ZYsI6

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/16IwYud

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/15j4rac

Synopsis:  ***Inspired by true events***

Judy Garland said it best, ‘For it was not into my ear you whispered but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed but my soul.’

If you asked her why she loved him, she would only be able to tell you it was because he was who he was and well, she was who she was.

Plain and simple.

All her life Lennox Ward felt incomplete. That her heart was always searching for that one special thing; that special someone she had yet to find.

Then Caleb Kingston came strolling back into her life unexpectedly, and little did she know her world was about to come crashing down around her; forever shattering it.

Is love enough to conquer all?

Will she be able to lead them out of hell and off their path of self destruction?

Or will Caleb take it all?

***

Review:
     Have you ever fallen head over heels, tumbling down the rabbit hole, over the moon in love?  Have you ever met someone that makes you feel so profoundly that you are willing to overlook all of their faults just to be with them?  To swallow the disappointment that rises in your throat and hang on to your faith that they will change?  That next time will be different?  For Lennox, Caleb was that person.  But change is never easy.  It is grueling.  It is exhausting.  It is not for the weak at heart.  It takes commitment and determination.  Most importantly the person changing must want to change for themselves, and no other.  Only then will they truly be able to follow through.

     The story of Lennox and Caleb is hopeful and hopeless.  Uplifting and drowning.  It is sunshine and darkness.  It is every emotion, good and bad, melded into one enormous roller coaster ride.  I am literally sitting here with my stomach in knots.

     Lennox is a young woman living in a small town in Canada.  She has great parents and an close network of amazing friends.  Even though she has not had an abundance of romance in her life she is content.  At least she thought she was until she is set up on a blind date.  That one evening sitting in a booth of a local coffee shop changed her life forever.  The moment her eyes meet the gaze of Caleb's from across the room there was a spark that ignited something deep within and she knew she would never be the same again.

     Seeing those familiar honey colored eyes in that busy restaurant lit something in Caleb.  Those eyes became the lighthouse shinning through the haze leading his way home.  Only the raging storm of his own creation may never allow him peace.  He is the only one who can decide if he is willing to change course and weather the tempest.

     There were moments when I want to scream at Lennox.  Tell her to pull her head from the clouds.  To tell her that the pain wasn't worth it.  But I felt her love for Caleb, as irrational as it might seem.  I felt my heart squeeze with hope.  Maybe this time would be different.  Perhaps Caleb would prove me wrong.  God, I wanted him to prove me wrong.

     This novel is inspired by true events.  Knowing that made the journey even more treacherous.
The quest of Lennox and Caleb wasn't a figment of the author's imagination or a plot that developed in her mind.  These were scenes based on moments that really happened.  For me, that added a whole new level of connection to the characters.  I was truly seeing a glimpse into someone's life.  It also gave me an enormous amount of respect for the author and the courage it must have taken to write this.

    There is one other person in this novel that I believe deserves special mention.  Raine.  He is the embodiment of a true friend and an amazing man.  The way he was always there for Lennox.  Quick to lend a shoulder to cry on or an warm embrace.  I would love to meet the real person behind his inspiration.

    If you haven't read Take It All yet you need to.  Today!

Happy Reading!!

***

About Emma Grayson

Emma Grayson is a Canadian author who resides outside of Edmonton, Alberta with her family and five year old son. 

She is currently working on Take it All, book one in her new series, Blinded by Love, as well as Unbearable Guilt, book two in her Breathe Again series. 

When she’s not writing she enjoys time with her son, going to movies, reading, or enjoying Starbucks latte’s with her girlfriends. She’s the lover of music, television, all things purple, Oilers hockey and doesn’t leave the house without her iPhone, Kobo, flip flops or a pack of gum.


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Emma-Grayson-Author

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/EGrayson_Author

Blog: http://authoremmagrayson.blogspot.ca/

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NEW RELEASE: Two Roads by L.M Augustine

Happy Release Day!!

The only person poetry-loving Cali Monroe hates more than herself is Logan Waters, the geeky kid who lives in the dorm building next to hers.

Ever since Cali's parents told her she would amount to nothing, she has felt entirely inadequate. Friendless and alone, she takes on the mean girl role in hopes it will make her feel better--and Logan serves as the perfect target. He infuriates her with his obnoxiously long lashes, his all too perfect dimpled smile, and his complete lack of personality outside of his intelligence. It doesn't hurt that he's part of the reason her brother is dead, either. So Cali hates him, and he returns the favor. Thus, their prank-filled, insult-driven rivalry is born, and torturing Logan quickly becomes the highlight of her life.

But when Cali's parents set them up on a blind date, she begins to realize Logan might not be as boring as she always thought. He shares her love of poetry, takes a sadistic pleasure in making fun of crepes, and he makes her blush when he calls her smile pretty.

And hey, maybe those long lashes of his aren't that obnoxious after all… 

Two Roads is New Adult Romance about finding love, standing out, and learning to embrace who you are. It contains some language and mild sexual content.