Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Review & Giveaway ~*~ That First Kiss by J.C. Valentine


Erotic Contemporary Romance
Publisher: J.C. Valentine
Release Date: June 18, 2013
Heat Level: Sizzling
Length: 340 pages

Blurb ~*~
Mercurial and charming, Tate Larson is a rising author and playboy who has a different woman on his arm every night of the week. Focused on his work, Tate has no plans to settle down any time soon. That is until he meets his pretty new assistant, Piper Donovan.

Desperate to escape the promise of backwater living, Piper ditched her Alabama hometown and never looked back. That was almost two years ago. Now that she is out of a job and her bank account is running on fumes, she’s desperate to find a job, fast. She finds the break she is searching for when she lands a position at Bookish Temptations. A little dancing and a lot of drinks with the girls seem the perfect way to celebrate. After a brief but explosive encounter with a man she was never supposed to see again turns out to be the same man she will be bending over backwards to please, her every instinct tells her to run. But when running means leaving the life she has struggled so hard to create, Piper decides her only option is to continue working for the devastatingly sexy Tate Larson...even if it kills her.

Unable to deny their growing attraction, they struggle to keep their distance in a relationship that requires anything but.

Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains explicit sex scenes and/or situations and adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.

~*~Trailer ~*~


Excerpt ~*~
His finger stroked the inside of her thigh, seeking higher ground as his thoughts rolled forward. Piper’s eyes trained on his face, hanging on his every word. “I didn’t intend for things to get as heated as they did, but as soon as I touched you, I needed more. I couldn’t help myself. You possessed me.”

The glazed look in her eye told him that she was remembering that night as vividly as he was. Placing both hands on the cushions on either side of her body, he hemmed her in, bringing their faces so close that when he spoke, his lips grazed hers. “The way you danced that night, pushing that sweet little ass of yours against me. It’s haunted me, Piper,” he whispered. “You need to understand, I tried to resist you, just like I have been trying to resist you, but you drive me crazy. When I’m with you, it takes everything in me to stay away. All I think about, all I dream about is burying myself inside you.”

Piper licked her lips and Tate zeroed in on the tiny movement. “I want to suck those plump lips into my mouth,” he murmured. Shifting, he brought his knee up so it rested on the couch alongside hers and hovered over her. Her face was flushed and her chest rose and fell heavily. She wasn’t unaffected.

“You need to leave,” she said weakly.

Tate chose that moment to drop his head into the crook of her neck, nuzzling her. She smelled faintly of roses, and his cock jumped at her soft, feminine scent. “Do you want me to leave?” he asked softly.

He could feel her softening beneath him, her breath coming out in shudders as he skimmed his lips lightly up her neck to her ear, where he licked the pulse beating rapidly beneath her sensitive skin. “Yes.”

The single word left her on a stilted breath, only solidifying his need to get inside her. “I don’t think you do,” he murmured. With sure hands, Tate grabbed the backs of her thighs and yanked her toward him, seating her firmly beneath him on her back with her legs spread wide.

Buy Links ~*~
Amazon    ~   B&N   ~    Kobo   ~   Smashwords 

4 Star Review ~*~
That First Kiss was a refreshingly fun read.  J.C. Valentine created realistic characters that face some of the trials that each of us face every day.  You will definitely laugh at the complete opposite attitudes of these two characters and the turmoil that they put each other through. You don't have to read Stranded (the novella of supporting characters Felix & Poppy) but you probably will because you want to know about them after reading That First Kiss.  They really add to the story.

Now Piper and Tate are combustable and after their one night stand together they can't seem to get the other out of their heads . . . but they never exchanged names or information.  So when Piper get s a new job the last person she expects to meet is her one night stand and the first thing he does is fire her.  Tate is an a$$ of a boss.  But Piper can't deny the attraction to him.  They have a roller coaster ride of a relationship as she fights him at every turn to do her job.

That First Kiss flows quickly and time will speed by as you get lost in the pages.  Recommended to anyone that likes a contemporary romance with some heat and humor.


About the Author:
J.C. Valentine is the alter-ego of Brandi Salazar, whose enjoyment of erotic tales of romance spurred her to branch out and create her own.

Connect with J.C. Valentine
Website - http://jcvalentine.weebly.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JCValetineAuthor
Twitter - https://twitter.com/brandellavanela







LINK TO SCHEDULE: http://www.cblspromotions.com/2013/07/blogbarrage-that-first-kiss-night-calls.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, July 29, 2013

Guest Post & Review ~*~ A Touch of Lilly by Nina Pierce


Yeah!!  We are super excited to welcome Nina Pierce to the blog today!!
We've been reading various books by Nina for several years and have enjoyed each and every one! Let's see what kind of interesting things she has for us today . . . 


Thanks so much for letting me come over and hang with you for the day. It’s always nice to get out and stretch my legs in another corner of the Internet. Since this is my first visit, how about I tell you a few things about myself your readers may not know. Oh … and how about we turn this into a game for your visitors?

Sounds like fun Nina . . . I'm sure I've got the smartest visitors, at least in this corner of the Internet . . . Bring it on!!

Below are listed 9 facts about me. Some of you may know these things, others … maybe not. But buried in this list of 10 is one totally made up thing that isn’t true. Yep, just like Sesame Street (and I’m showing my age here), one of these just doesn’t belong.

 Some Facts About Nina
Can you guess which one of these things is NOT true?

1. I graduated Summa Cum Laude from college as one of three valedictorians
See this one also goes with the fact that when I do something I like to be the best or come in first. (Competitive much, Nina?) I owe this to being the middle of 5 children and always looking to both please and garner some attention. (Which totally backfired in high school when my straight A’s never got my parent’s attention, but my brother’s D’s always did. Nope, not bitter about that one at all!)

2. I’ve flown into the Grand Canyon in a helicopter
Yes, this was very cool. But the Grand Canyon has its name for a reason … it’s grand. When you land inside the canyon you get to see only a very small portion of its beauty. I still want to go back and see it from the rim. However, having the bragging rights to say I had a champagne lunch in the canyon and then our pilot got permission to buzz the Las Vegas strip, isn’t something everyone’s done.

3. I’m a licensed pilot
One of those crazy things that was just on my bucket list. I was given flying lessons as a high school graduation gift and had my license before the end of my freshman year in college. I love the freedom of being up among the clouds! My solo flight was down the New England coast … beautiful! Of course airplane rental (because who owns a plane these days), fuel costs, and failing health make taking trips cost prohibitive.

4. I’ve had no less than 50 jobs so far in my life
Really, this is one of those things people just don’t believe. But I’ve written them down. I started babysitting when I was 11, progressed to McDonald’s and then to a jean retailer. Through college I worked as an RA, a girl’s dormitory janitor *gag*, admin at a real estate office and a tutor. I’ve harvested potatoes, framed pictures, run a gift shop and worked for the local paper. But the best gig I’ve had—by far—is making up stories to entertain people!

5. I have a degree in Marine Biology
I grew up on the Maine coast and always loved the ocean. I think salt water runs through my veins. Nothing soothes my soul like the sound of calling gulls and the rhythmic swish of the waves. Of course I never did get to travel with Jacques Cousteau … which had always been my dream. But I did get to use my degree to teach. 

6. I’ve been skydiving
You’d think I’d tell you this was terrifying, but it was nothing short of thrilling. I spent a day training with a good friend and the following day about a dozen of us went up in a small piper cub and solo jumped. (Someday I’d like to do this tandem.) Of course our chutes were tethered to the plane and deployed when we stepped off the airplane strut. No one trusts a first time jumper to actually pull the ripcord! It’s easily one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had.

7. I have 3 kids, 3 cats, owned 2 houses, 2 cars, have 1 son-in-law, 1 grandson and only 1 husband. ‘Nuf said.

8. I have Multiple Sclerosis
It’s an ugly disease that frustrates the living $%&^ out of me! Mostly because my particular variation can’t be treated, so it progresses without any way to slow the debilitation. But I was diagnosed when my children were just babies and I’m still on my feet and my hands and eyes still work so I try not to complain too often. (And like I tell people … crying about it only gets you puffy eyes and blotchy cheeks, so I persevere.)

9. I have a great uncle who was in the CIA
He’s nearly 90 now, so definitely retired. But he spent his adult life working for an airline company. Little did we know he was actually secretly helping to shuttle people who worked for the government and often times political prisoners to destinations throughout the world. We’re just now finding out the details of what he did for some forty years.

10. I’ve flown in a hotair balloon
As you can see I’m really a thrill seeker. And this one was definitely a thrill ride. Breathtaking. Majestic. Completely serene. I loved every minute of being in the balloon, even the bumpy landing! I would go up every weekend if I could!


So what do you think? Which one of these isn’t a fact about me?

Well Nina, you've made this difficult but interesting . . . I still have faith in my visitors that they can spot the non~fact!  Everyone, Leave a comment and let's show Nina just how bright you are ;-) Ohhh and you can win a prize from her!  Or just leave a comment and thank Nina for her time in visiting us!!

Blurb ~*~
Ex-Chicago detective LILLY D’ANGELO has a secret she doesn’t share with anyone. A master of the one night stand, she’s given up ever finding a soul mate and thrown herself head first into her career. That is, until she captures the wrong alien. Kidnapped and sold into the sex slave trade, she’s shipped into deep space. Barely escaping with her life, Lilly now travels the galaxy working as a bounty hunter using her secret talents to bring down criminals and seeking revenge on the one male who ruined her life.

Agent DALLAS SAWYER works for deep space’s version of the FBI. After a disastrous mission that left several of his team members murdered, a president executed, and Dallas near death, he’s determined to take down the assassin targeting government officials. When a sexy human female gets between him and his goal, Dallas and his alien partner find themselves on the receiving end of a passionate night they won’t soon forget and a proposition that may very well blow up in their faces.

Because in deep space … true love can happen with just a touch.


Excerpt ~*~

(from Chapter One)

Lilly D’Angelo wasn’t expecting a trip down memory lane when she sauntered into the dingy tavern, but the acrid stench and gruff hum of the Friday night crowd carried her back to one of the seedier establishments on Chicago’s south side nonetheless. Except for the clientele, the owner had managed to replicate nearly every detail right down to the blue haze of cigarette smoke and the soft crooning of a jazz band on the corner stage.

Pushing the sour thoughts of home from her mind and focusing on the job at hand, Lilly morphed her features into her sexiest vixen pout and moved gracefully toward the long bar on the other side of the room. Her voluptuous breasts, spilling temptingly from her silk blouse, led the way. The eyes watching her leather-clad ass sashay around the battered tables were clustered on various life forms—none of them human.

Yeah, definitely not Chicago. Hell, this wasn’t even Earth for goodness sake.

“Regent’s ale, straight up, hold the brenic.” Lilly ordered the local brew in English, hoping the two-headed alien behind the bar had a cochlear translator in one of those eight holes that passed for ears. Satisfied when one head nodded, she settled on a stool, making sure her fur jacket and blouse parted just enough to offer a seductive view of her cleavage. She shifted, allowing the black leather skirt to ride up her thigh and expose a little more silky real estate. The reflection she saw in the mirror behind the liquor bottles was every inch a working woman on the prowl. She wasn’t trying to attract anyone in particular, just hoping to mislead the locals into thinking she was some female making a living with her body—which was true—just not as the human streetwalker she impersonated.


Buy Links ~*~
Amazon   |   B&N   |   Smashwords   |   Kobo


4 Star Review ~*~
A Touch of Lilly was a read that was different for me but I had to check out Nina Pierce's ventures into more of a sci-fi realm than I am used to.  Happily, I wasn't disappointed with this story either!

A Touch of Lilly has a little menage action, hot and seXy just the way we like it . . . It also has a great sci-fi story line with interesting characters and a plot that is suspenseful, action packed, and sweet all rolled together in a nice package.  It flows very well and you'll finish it before you even realize time has passed ~ it just sucks you in and leaves you with a great feeling after.

Meet up with Lilly and Dallas and their friends for some fun.  If you like a romance with spice, a little sci~fi added in then this is your story.  If you aren't a sci~fi fan, don't let that scare you away.  The story feels like a futuristic romance with some paranormal elements thrown in for good measure.  I loved reading about Nina's vision of what could be!

Besides, A Touch of Lilly is on sale for 99 pennies right now!  Take a chance on something new from a fantastic author!


Author Bio & Links ~*~
USA Today Bestselling author, Nina Pierce, grew up in a house full of readers. Nina's discovered the passionate side of romance with her sexy stories. For her, it's all about the sweet scent of seduction mixed with the heartwarming aroma of romance.

Nina resides in New England with her high school sweetheart and soul mate of twenty-eight years and several very spoiled cats who consider her "staff". When she’s not writing she enjoys spending time with her three grown children, one love-sick son-in-law and a heart-melting grandson.

You can keep up with her new books at her website (http://www.NinaPierce.com) or by following her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/nina.pierce) or Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/ninapierce)


Giveaway ~*~
Nina will be awarding A print copy of HEALER’S GARDEN and author swag (Shipping to US winner only. International winner will receive a $25 Amazon OR BN Gift Card in lieu of print book and swag) to a random commenter during the tour!

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/06/virtual-book-tour-touch-of-lilly-by.html


Sunday, July 28, 2013

Guest Post & Excerpt ~*~ Iyana Jenna

 Happy Sunday!!

We are excited to welcome Iyana jenna to the blog today . . .
A relatively new author she has put out three short stories this year and hopefully will have more to come!  
Everyone say Hi and give Iyana a warm welcome!!!

Hi everyone! First off, I would like to extend my thanks to Star for allowing me to do a guest post on her blog. And today I want to talk about cover arts. :D
Well, I’m a bit new to this writing and publishing thing. I just started this year, on March 23 to be exact, the time when my first story was released. It was a short story and honestly, I didn’t expect to get a cover art for I read somewhere on the publisher’s site that I wouldn’t get one. It was a sweet surprise when their artist contacted me and gave me several photos to choose to be my cover art.
Getting my first art for my first story and to see my name on it—it was unbelievable. I love reading and I always love to see the covers of the novels I bought. I never imagined someday I would get my own cover. Then I got to realize the importance of a cover art. It’s the first thing people see when they want to buy a book. And I began to pay attention to the kinds of cover arts that ‘sell.’
Apparently skin is important. Some artistic cover arts don’t use half naked men and women and that’s okay. Still the majority of the arts use them. I don’t mind that, to say the least. I love to see hard, muscled chest of a man, and with me writing m/m, a double dose of that is totally welcome.
So I couldn’t wait when my release date for Release Me was getting closer. I wanted to see what my publisher has in store for me for my story, and my, that didn’t disappoint at all. I don’t want to sound shallow but I love to see not one, but two lovely men on my cover. Not only that, the cover also details the important aspects in my story. This writer is happy.

How about you? For authors, do you like your covers? And readers, what kind of cover is your favorite?

Blurb:
 Taking a break from dealing with his father’s clients on legal matters, Nicholas Haynes went out to the sea on his yacht—only to find a man floating in the water. The man was still alive, much to Nicholas’s relief.

Gregory Phillips was a private investigator and his last job almost turned him into fish food if not for Nicholas. Little did he know that the main suspect in his case was one of Nicholas’ father’s clients. When Nicholas insisted on taking care of Gregory after the incident that almost killed him, can he trust Nicholas enough with his life?

Excerpts:
Stanley Haynes threw the newspaper, and it landed with a slap on Nicholas's plate. The headlines blared at Nicholas as though his father had shouted at him.
Heir to US Banking Chain Wedded?
"You ever plan to tell us about this, Nicholas?"
Nicholas glanced briefly at his mother sitting across from him, but she kept stirring the cooling coffee in her cup. Nicholas could see a smile flicker in her eyes. He shrugged.
“Come on, Dad. You know it was impossible for me to talk about it before everything was done.”
“Are you saying you don’t trust me, or your mom—” Stanley threw a glance at his wife, and his eyes widened. “You knew about this?”
She threw her hands up.
“God, no, honey. I wouldn’t lie to you.”
“All right, all right.” Stanley took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “Is it that Phillips guy?”
“Of course. Who else?” Nicholas grinned.
His mother went back to stirring her coffee. Her voice was calm when she asked, “When was it, Nicholas? How come both of us didn’t know anything about it?”
“A moment after Greg was released from the hospital.”
“Wow. That fast?”
Nicholas chuckled. “Yeah. Now you can’t accuse me of being a playboy anymore.”
“That’s good, dear.” His mother took his hand, and Nicholas squeezed hers gently. “So those journalists—they just found out the other day?”
“They’ve just seen this ring, that’s all.” Nicholas lifted his left hand and eyed the simple platinum band around his ring finger.  Gregory had exactly the same kind of ring around his finger.
****
A month earlier
It was the lulling sounds of the waves and the gentle breeze above the vast, boundless ocean that Nicholas loved most. He could spend days, even weeks, drifting seemingly without any course and purpose on his boat, all by himself. After months dealing with his father’s clients about legal matters, he was always desperate for some time alone. Sometimes he just couldn’t understand why he had to work twice as hard as the other employees in his father’s bank when he was his only son. However, most of the time, he just couldn’t see it any other way. His father was not the type to want to spoil his family. Everyone had to earn what life had given to them. Nobody was allowed to simply ask and receive.

Today, though, he ended up not alone.

Book Links ~*~
Amazon   ~   Kobo   ~  ARe   ~   Smashwords   ~   Bookstrand  ~  Evernight Publishing


A little about me:

Iyana lives in Jakarta, a city famous for its traffic jams, a lot of cars and motorcycles, and people selling stuff on the roads. You can spend two hours on the road going to a place you can reach in half an hour in a normal situation. Thanks to the traffic jams, though, Iyana can come up with a lot of stories, mostly shorties, as she prefers to spend the time during her trips writing into her cell phone rather than sleeping.
Iyana loves kitties. Right now she has five of them. Their names are Larva, Nyil, Cil, Mermood, and Horus. When she doesn’t write, she plays with them, or they would play with her when she writes.
Iyana loves teaching. She teaches English and her students range from elementary school kids to college students to employees. She enjoys working with them all. Teaching is so much fun for her.
Find Iyana here: