Giveaway and Review of True Colors by Melissa Pearl

Beautiful Cover Design by Kate Strawbridge of Dwell Design & Press
Hosted by Mrs Potter's Book Publicity Services

Blurb Caitlyn Davis always cruised through life, not being the type to ruffle feathers or involve herself in high school drama…until a chance encounter with a strange, homeless man changes everything.
Suddenly, Caitlyn has the ability to see behind people’s masks. She discovers that her life isn’t as simple as she imagined and her high school is filled with secrets…some very sinister ones.
Unable to ignore her new gift, Caitlyn embarks on a mission to learn why one of her friends now appears terrified, but masks her fear behind a bright, smiling veneer. Will Caitlyn’s new ability lead her into hot water? Or is her new found vision a blessing that will expose her friends’ true colors?
Her quest will lead Caitlyn to lose friends, stand up for those in need, and even find love.
At Palisades High School every face tells a story…

Goodreads | Purchase Links Coming Soon

Review
I LOVED this book! The drama, the angst, the danger, and tension.  Reminded me a lot of another 5 Star series I have reviewed.  I can't wait to see what kind of trouble Caitly's new gift will get her into during the rest of the series.  

Facebook Party The True Colors Masquerade Ball is happening on February 16th to celebrate the release of True Colors. All party-goers will be entitled to purchase a copy of True Colors for only 99c. There will also be competitions, giveaways and guest appearances from other authors who will be unveiling their own secrets. So come and join in the fun and help us welcome True Colors into the world with style.

Links
Facebook Page | Twitter | Blog 1 | Blog 2 | Amazon | Goodreads
Smashwords | Newsletter | Website | Pinterest

Bio Melissa Pearl was born in Auckland, New Zealand, but has spent much of her life abroad, living in countries such as Jordan, Cyprus and Pakistan... not to mention a nine month road trip around North America with her husband. "Best. Year. Ever!!" She now lives in China with her husband and two sons. She is a trained elementary teacher, but writing is her passion. Since becoming a full time mother she has had the opportunity to pursue this dream and her debut novel hit the internet in November 2011. Since then she has continued to produce a steady stream of books. Recently she signed with Evatopia Press and her first Evatopia book is coming out in February 2014 - True Colors, The Masks Series #1. She is very excited to be trying out new things this year while continuing to publish under her own name as well. She has six books planned for 2014 and is excited about writing each and every one of them.
"I am passionate about writing. It stirs a fire in my soul that I never knew I had. I want to be the best writer I can possibly be and transport my readers into another world where they can laugh, cry and fall in love."

Other Titles by Melissa Pearl

The Time Spirit Trilogy
Golden Blood - Black Blood - Pure Blood

The Betwixt Series
Betwixt - Before - Beyond

The Mica & Lexy Series
Forbidden Territory
Forbidden Waters (due for release: 2014)

The Masks Series
Book 2 (due for release: 2014)
Book 3 (due for release: 2014)
Book 4 (due for release: 2015)

I Know Lucy Series
I Know Lucy (due for release: 2014)
Set Me Free (due for release: 2014)

The Song Bird Series
Fever (due for release: June 2014)

Check out the rest of the tour!
Reviews
Deborah Bean | Midnight Angel Book Heaven | Tara Moran | Michelle Dodd | Page Princess |DeeJay Sakata
Geeky Chiquitas | As You Wish Reviews | Best Books | Short Side of Tall Editing | Dowie's Place
Young Adult Book Madness | Heather Stanley | It's A Book Thing | Michelle Abbott's Blog | Reviews Unleashed
Shelf Full of Books | Michelle Cable | Rachelle Marie | Kristen Heyl | Linda Terrutty | Jazzy Book Reviews

Guest Post
Ali's Books | Mia Fox Books | Tiffy Fit's Reading Corner | My Book Chatter | Crazy Beautiful Reviews
Brooke Blogs | Mia Fox

Interview & Giveaway
Becky on Books


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Review of Somethin’ Dirty by Em Petrova

Title:  Somethin’ Dirty
Series:  Country Fever, Book 4
Author:  Em Petrova
Genre:  Contemporary Erotic Western Romance
Publication Date:  2/11/14
Length:  217 pages
Publisher:  Samhain Publishing

Blurb She’s headed for the big time…unless her heart gets stopped at the pass.
Forty-two-year-old single father Griffin Turner couldn’t have made it through colic and calving season without his mother’s babysitting services. But just when he thinks he’s got the hardest part of the infant learning curve licked, he gets devastating news. Mom is sick, and Griffin is forced to hire a nanny.
With nothing but twenty dollars in her pocket and her voice, Nola Brady wants to leave small-town Wyoming to pursue her dreams in Nashville. She answers Griffin’s ad to keep body and soul together until her big chance arrives. Love isn’t even on her radar…until she unexpectedly falls for the rough-and-playful cowboy.
Between the sheets, they’re poetry. Outside the bedroom, he inspires her to be more woman than she ever dreamed possible, which scares her enough to put on the brakes…and hit the road.
But if she thought he’d just let her leave quietly, she was wrong. Because hell hath no fury like a cowboy in love…especially one with a baby on his hip. And a ring with her name on it.
Warning: This cowboy daddy is determined to make a May/September romance work - even if he has to lay down his palm or his mouth on a round ass cheek to do it.

Links
Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

Review I loved this book!  It's a really high 4.  I felt that I should've been more emotionally connected to the characters.  Aside from that, it was great.  The sex scenes were super hot, and their relationship, while rocky, was great. This is the first book from this author that I've read.  I hope I get to read more of her stuff.  Especially the first 3 books of this series.

Check out the first three books in the series!

Bio

Em Petrova lives in backwoods Pennsylvania, where she raises four kids and a Labradoodle puppy named Daisy Hasselhoff and pays too damn much for utilities. She loves to write gritty characters with lots of heart and is well-known for scorching, panty-soaking erotic romance.

Links
Amazon | Website/Blog | Facebook | Twitter    Networked Blogs Wild & Wicked Cowboys | 69 Shades of Smut
  Giveaway
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Excerpt What the hell was he thinking? Nola was twenty-five if she was a day. Was her brain even fully formed?

But oh Christ, the sight of her stomping her curvy legs to the beat as she ripped through the notes of that song made him harden painfully. When she flashed him a grin, he focused on her luscious pout and his cock swelled another inch. How, he wasn’t sure.

The first two songs she’d sung had blown him away. Reedy’s superstar was an understatement. The girl could sing. What was she even doing in small-town Wyoming?

She strutted across the stage on those little red cowgirl boots, the frayed hem of her mini-skirt riding high on her thighs.

He had to get out of here before he lost control. He’d sworn off younger women. Nola was probably a student just like Miranda.

He stared at the dark strawberry blonde waves spilling over her shoulders and reaching for her cleavage, and he knew he was in serious lust. Lust equaled trouble. What could he do anyway? Take her home and halfway through hammer-f**king her over the edge of the bed, Lyric wakes up and screams for a bottle?

He scuffed a hand over his features, trying to wipe away the pounding need that must be evident in his expression. For an hour, he’d shirked his duties as designated driver, allowing others to shuttle people home so he could remain with Nola.

Nola. Her name tasted old-fashioned and brand-new at once on his tongue. A pretty little thing with tanned legs and a killer voice. What she was doing in Reedy, wasting those talents was beyond him. But he wasn’t ready to see her go yet, if that was her plan.

She threw her head back and held a long, throaty note that raised the hair all over his body.

Applause erupted, and he stuck two fingers in his mouth and gave a shrill whistle. When she scanned the crowd and sought him, his balls clenched up tight. That look held more promise than a man of his age and carrying his amount of baggage deserved.

Still, could he pass it up if she offered?

She jumped off the stage for the third time that night, and someone handed her a shot glass brimming full. Some of the amber liquid sloshed down her fingers, and all he could think of was guiding those digits to his mouth and sucking them clean.

Holding his gaze, Nola knocked back the whiskey.

He stepped forward and removed the glass from her hand. Setting it on the edge of the stage, he caught her fingers. She inched close, invading his senses with lush curves and the ripe scent of vanilla and arousal.

Perspiration dotted her throat, and he licked his lips, hungry for a taste.

“You’ve had too much to drink. I’m taking you home.”

“I was hopin’ you’d say that.” She waved at the redhead who had to be her sister, then pointed at him.

Griffin shot the sister his best nice-guy smile. No, I’m not a rapist or murderer. I’ll see your sister home safe. I just might steal a kiss or more if she’ll allow.

Heart wild in his chest, he wrapped an arm around Nola’s waist and guided her out of The Hellion. The brisk night air cut through the heat of his need, and he gulped the coldness into his lungs.

Maybe he shouldn’t try anything, just take her home and be honorable.

“My truck’s over here.” He waved at a well-used truck splattered with mud from the back tires and wished like hell he had something fancy for her.

She walked at his side, as steady as if she hadn’t drunk three beers and a whiskey throughout the night. For a little gal like her, that was a lot of alcohol, even spread out over a few hours. She could still sing like crazy even with alcohol in her veins.

By the time he guided her into the truck, he’d made up his mind that he wasn’t even going to try to kiss her. But when he got in and she scooted all the way over in her seat, leaning over the console, and threaded a hand into the hair at his nape, all self-control went up in a puff of smoldering hope.

“Where does a guy like you come from? I’ve never seen you in Reedy before.”

“I’ve lived here all my life.” His lips were inches from hers, and her breath washed over him. He studied her hooded eyes and the tips of her lashes, dark with mascara. Stripped of makeup, her lashes would be red-gold.

And the hair between her legs too.

“Hell,” he groaned and dropped his mouth to hers.

The first taste punched him in the gut. He snapped his arms around her, hauling her over the console and onto his lap. She clung to him, soft and willing female, her silky thighs draped over his.

He sealed her mouth under his for several seconds then could stand no more. He probed the seam of her lips with his tongue.

She opened to him at once. Her quiet mewl transformed into his croak of need. He trapped her face in his hands and angled her head to sink his tongue deeper into the sweet recesses of her mouth.

Pleasure-pain built in his groin, his erection throbbing against her maddening heat.

He bent her back over his arm until she was pinned to the driver’s door, sucking her tongue, nibbling her plump lips.

She wiggled and tugged on his hair, drawing him closer. Her breasts conformed to his chest as if she’d been made for him.

He tore away. Gasping, he stared down at her. She squirmed like a kitten under the gaze of a hawk.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t…”

She twisted a hank of his hair. “I wanted you to.”

Review of The Deathly Roses ~ Volume I by Melina Turner

Blurb I had scratches and scars all over me but they were slowly disappearing, which was great and would let my beauty settle in. I looked at myself focusing on different parts of my face, something was different. Was it my full lips? The cleaned face? The well-plucked eyebrows? No, it wasn't. It was my eye color it had changed...
Meet Wisty, a teenager forced by her family to bond to the richest, in Acrelain. But dire punishments have given her something she never believed was true. Join Wisty as she sets off on her journey between good and evil to find the very truths...that could break her or make her stronger.

Links
Amazon | Smashwords | B&N | Goodreads
 

Review You know, I really wasn't sure how to rate this one. On one hand, I'm Melina's PA, so while I want to pimp the hell out of her work, I need to not be biased and rate it fairly right? On the other hand...while I've been known to write a poem or two before, I don't understand poetry very well if it doesn't rhyme or have an obvious set rhythm.
So I had to figure out, what makes prose poetry? I looked up the definition of prose, and The Free Dictionary says it's "A prose work that has poetic characteristics such as vivid imagery and concentrated expression." Well there was that in spades. While the wording sometimes confused me, I could picture the things this poor girl Wisty was going through.
It was a short read, and I had a lot of questions after the end of the first volume, but that's good right? Have to read the next volume to figure those things out, and by the way, the next volume has a really pretty cover, but you'll have to wait for the reveal for that...  So while the PA in me was shouting FIVE STARS!!!!  I figure the non biased me would fairly vote for a Four Star rating, which is still awesome, for me anyway.  The awesomeness of a Five Star rating from me is hard to reach. Although a few authors have reached that recently.  Anyway, I'm getting off topic, sorry.  I can't wait to read the next one.

Bio Melina Turner lives in Australia with the rest of her family, in a little town called Gympie.  She began my writing at an extremely young age starting in primary school in year 3 when she heard about Write4Fun, a school writing competition. Her first poem was called "Wild Brumbies" published in 2003.
In Gympie, she was influenced by an amazing English teacher to continue writing.
In 2005, she was awarded "Honoured Writer" for her poetry.
She was awarded, "Best Poet Of 2012"and put into a poet book that is now in the Library Of Congress.
After she began poetry, she wanted to branch out, thus starting in 2003/2005, The Deathly-Roses Volumes, a flash fiction prose-narrative piece.  "Volume 2" will be published later this year, although it was actually written in 2007. The third will be written this year. The goal with these books was to make it short and poetic-like to gain non-readers interest.
As of 2012 she slowly branched out and started helping co-author for Timothy Mitchell Films. Helping with scripts for movies.
Now, she will be collaborating with many amazing authors and getting herself out there more. Writing all and any genre and different types of writing. As well as her new goal to publish a piece of her writing a month.

Links
Facebook | TDR FB | Twitter | Amazon | Blog

  Title: Weather Child
Series: The Awakened Epoch
Book Number: Book One
Author: Philippa Ballantine
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Publisher: Imagine That! Studios
Date of Publication: 1st March 2014
ISBN: 978-0615953489
Word Count: 105,000
Cover Artist: Alex White

Blurb Never alone. Never apart.
They are the Awakened, a unique breed of people in a remote corner of the world. Faith is one of these gifted carriers of the Seraphim; and in return of her unconditional love, her Seraphim grants her powers of incredible potential.
But not all carriers embrace their blessing.
Jack loathes being an Awakened. He never asked for it, his Seraphim keeping him alive even in spite of his desire to die. Not even a great war could rid him of this curse.
Now a magician of incredible ability and a walking dead man must find a way to work together to save the Seraphim. Someone covets the power of the Awakened, and will not stop until that power belongs to him.

Links
Goodreads

Bio 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, the Steampunk Chronicle Reader’s Choice, and a Sir Julius Vogel. She currently resides in Manassas, Virginia with her husband, daughter, and a furry clowder of cats.

Twitter | Facebook | Website | Amazon

Cover Reveal of The Prince of Punk Rock by Jenna Galicki

Title:  The Prince of Punk Rock Series:  Radical Rock Stars (#1)
Author:  Jenna Galicki
Genre:  Adult Contemporary Romance
Expected Release Date:  March 1, 2014
Cover Designer:  Taria Reed Cover Artist
Hosted by:  Between the Sheets Promotions

Blurb I love her, but I also love him.  
She's everything to me.  
He sets my world on fire.  
It's our dirty little secret, and it’s about to blow our record deal sky high.  
I’m Tommy Blade, the Prince of Punk Rock, and this is our story.
Tommy Blade is a man with a secret.  It’s a secret he only shares with one person, Jessi Blade – and the men he surrenders to in the bedroom.  Her only condition to their tumultuous sex life is that these men are one night stands.  But when Angel Garcia enters his life, it’s like a match to gasoline.
Mega-talented punk rock singer Angel Garcia, with his smoldering ebony eyes, tight leather pants and unstoppable stage presence, is a man who is use to getting what he wants.  He has his eyes set on Tommy Blade as his new lead guitarist, and as his life partner.
Jessi Blade, sympathetic to her husband's bisexual needs, loves him enough to share him, but she never counted on Angel Garcia to test the threshold of her marriage.  He makes her life hell... and heaven.  He’s her damnation and her salvation.  She wants to hate him.  She wants to despise him.  But, his charm and raw sex appeal are impossible to resist.  Without warning, she finds herself falling in love with her husband's gay lover.
At the height of it all, their punk rock band catapults to stardom.
Their lives are marred by secrecy, deception and sacrifice.  Feelings of betrayal, backlash from the sensationalistic media and threats of blackmail send them down a hard road filled with tough decisions.
They aren't your ordinary rock stars.  They're radical rock stars.  And they have a big story to tell.

Goodreads

Bio Jenna Galicki, Author of Adult Contemporary Romance
Jenna Galicki is a strong advocate for LGBT rights and marriage equality.  She volunteers with God's Love We Deliver, delivering meals to people with HIV and AIDS and other life threatening illnesses.  She actively raises money and participates in AIDS Walk New York and is a proud sponsor of Children International.
She lives in Long Island, NY with her husband and three dogs.  She's a Rottweiler enthusiast and an avid music buff.  Elaborate stories and fictional characters are her constant companions. When she's not hunched over a computer breathing life to these strong souls through the written word, you can find her front row at a rock concert.

Follow Jenna Galicki, she would love to hear from you
Website | 
Facebook | 
Twitter | Amazon

Excerpt #1 The faces changed since the last time he was there, but the intention was still the same.  It wasn’t a place to socialize or partake in camaraderie or drop in for a drink on your way home.   It was meeting place for men interested in casual sex.  The backroom served as a shanty for a quick encounter.   You could stop in, get your rocks off and be on your way in half an hour.   It was a smorgasbord of testosterone, a buffet of muscle and beefcake.
Men flocked around him as soon as he walked through the door.  They always did.   A guy once told him that it was the mixture of his rugged jaw and strong upper body, offset by the innocence of his big blue eyes that made him so attractive.   The ladies always said it was his long blond hair and the guitar.

Excerpt #2 He played for Jessi.  He always did, and it made her feel like a queen.  He sat back on his knees, nodded at her and they shared a smile.  The spotlight was on the two of them as he rattled of the intricate guitar solo, and she felt every pair of eyes gravitate toward her.   Gooseflesh rose on her arms and the pitter-patter of her heart made her feel like a teenager.  She needed to cover her lips with her fingertips in order to suppress the jubilant emotions that bubbled up inside her.   Every time he played for her, it felt like the first time.

Additional Books by Jenna
Jealousy Hailed as a modern day 'Will & Grace' meets 'Sex & the City'.  Two best friends, a straight woman and a gay man, struggle to find someone to love as much as they love each other.  It blends genres, in that it has both m/f and m/m romance.  It introduces the reader to m/m romance, in a way that is tender, touching and loving.

Purchase Jealousy, and check out my 5 Star Review of this awesome book!

Links
Amazon | B&N | An Allromanceebooks.com Best Seller!

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Spotlight of the Palace of the Twelve Pillars Trilogy by Christina Weigand

Title – Palace of the Twelve Pillars: Book One

Series – Palace of the Twelve Pillars

Author – Christina Weigand

Genre – YA Fantasy

Publication Date – April 26, 2013

Publisher – MuseItUp Publishing

Cover Artist – Marion Sipe

BOOK SYNOPSIS

The Peace Summit was in shambles, the prince kidnapped.

When the rival king realizes he kidnapped the wrong prince, hostilities escalate. Loyalties to each other and country are tested for the twin princes of Crato, Joachim and Brandan.

Joachim, captive of King Waldrom, faces deception and betrayal as he struggles to find his way home. Brandan, at home with a father focused on rescuing Joachim, wrestles with his own demons as he searches for his place in the world and the favor of his father.

Torn from the safety and peace of their childhood, they are thrust into a world where bonds of family, brotherhood and roles as heirs to Crato are tested. Through war, spiritual journeys, death and marriage, will they choose the path of good or evil? Who can be trusted, as the world they know slips into a whirlpool of chaos?

BUY LINKS

MuseItUpPublishing | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Nobles |Kobo Books

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BOOK EXCERPT

Then his gaze fell on Waldrom. Here was the man, so smug and condescending, who sought to destroy Crato and threatened his parents. He didn’t seem the least bit imposing reclining upon his throne. Disgust overwhelmed the prince, and it was all he could do not to spit on the floor. The man was the antithesis of his father, who, with his broad shoulders and compassionate demeanor, commanded the respect of all who knew him.

The king rose from the throne and waved for the guard to bring Joachim forward.

“Prince Brandan, I presume. I’m King Waldrom.”

“Prince Brandan? No, I’m Joachim.” Waldrom stepped back, and Joachim saw the fire burning in his eyes.

“What do you mean, you’re not Prince Brandan?” Waldrom looked at the guard holding Joachim and waved his hand. A candelabrum flew from the wall, hitting the guard and igniting his beard. The guard swatted wildly at the flames while Waldrom advanced on Melvane, standing by the door. “How could you grab the wrong prince?”

The wizard dropped to his knees. “My Lord, our spies told us Prince Brandan would be in the training room.

Title – Palace of the Three Crosses: Book Two

Series – Palace of the Twelve Pillars

Author – Christina Weigand

Genre – YA Fantasy

Publication Date – September 20, 2013

Publisher – MuseItUp Publishing

Cover Artist – Marion Sipe

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Brandan and Joachim have returned from the brink of Hell, but everyone questions if they are truly healed and one with Asha.

As each prince tries to readjust to life, they must face the funeral of their father and their missing mother.

They each take on the responsibility of ruling a country with new wives by their sides, but can they and the countries survive the trials that will ensue because of their choices?

BUY LINKS

MuseItUpPublishing | Amazon | Barnes & Nobles | Smashwords | Kobo Books

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BOOK EXCERPT

Rupert looked through the window in his tower room at the landscape of Wyrzburg. Months had passed since the Battle of Harable Valley and the spring planting season faded into the wonderful summer growing season. The land progressed in its healing and would soon be returned to its former state. As he turned from the window, he thought about the things that hadn’t healed…the twins. Brandan and Joachim still had a long way to go to erase the darkness that infected them. Joachim seemed better, but at night he still dreamed of Sidramah, and the doubts about what happened still haunted him. Brandan appeared even further from the boy that left to find his brother. The darkness appeared to follow him day and night. He withdrew to chambers as far away from Joachim as he could get.

Walking down the stairs to the great hall, Rupert remembered when the princes first returned; both had seemed healed and better than ever, maybe. But it appeared as if the tentacles of Sidramah still lingered. Any small opening the evil one could find, he exploited, and both boys were once again haunted by dark dreams.

Title – Sanctuary of the Nine Dragons: Book Three

Series – Palace of the Twelve Pillars

Author – Christina Weigand

Genre – YA Fantasy

Publication Date – February 2014

Publisher – MuseItUp Publishing

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Joachim banishes Brandan to prison island of Hyogo. His infant son, Prince Airyn disappears from his cradle. A chain of events is set in motion that will pit brother against brother, friend against friend, parents against children as Brandan and Joachim struggle for control of their sanity and their very lives.

With Brandan declared dead and his son missing Joachim sinks into despair and anger, where those close to him fear he may never return.

Is Brandan really dead and if he is, who is manipulating the Mantion and enemies of Crato?

Can Maeve save her country and her husband from the tentacles of evil pervading the land?

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BOOK EXCERPT

“I have sent one who can save them, but he can also bring about their final destruction.

“You, my Guardians, must seek him out. Protect him and ensure he is guided on the right paths.”

Alorn lifted his great ruby-red head. “Tell us who is he, Lord, that we may fulfill Your wishes.”

“I cannot reveal his identity…yet. Just know there are three who need you now. My power will be seen in all, but only one will be the savior in the end. However, all are needed to bring My Will about, and they must all be protected and nurtured.”

“How will we know them?” Stefano leaned forward.

“All will be children of Brandan or Joachim, and they will blend the lineage of the three races.”

“We know of Joachim’s children, but Brandan has none.”

“He has one, a half Mantion-half human child. Gorou is the third, and he will be the hardest to protect and nurture.”

“Why a child of Brandan?” Cielo asked. “Brandan has already chosen the path of evil time and again. Would not a child of his be exposed to that same evil?”

“Although, he fathered the child, Brandan knows not of his existence.

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AUTHOR BIO

Christina Weigand’s a writer, wife, and mother of three grown children and a middle school daughter. She is also Nana to three granddaughters. She lives with her husband and youngest daughter in Pennsylvania, returning there after a short sabbatical in Washington. Currently, she’s working on fantasy novels and inspirational writing. Through her writing, she strives to share the Word of God and help people young and old to realize the love and mercy He has for everyone.

When she’s not writing, she’s active in her local Church as a lector, Bible Study, or with the church theater group, volunteering at her daughter’s school helping the children develop a love for reading and writing. Jesus fills her home with love as she shares Him through her writing.

STALKER LINKS

BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS | AMAZON

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AUTHOR GIVEAWAY

1 eCopy of all Three Books in the Trilogy (Palace of the Twelve Pillars, Palace of the Three Crosses & Sanctuary of the Nine Dragons).

***Note – Sanctuary of the Nine Dragons will be awarded upon its release.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE AUTHORS GIVEAWAY

 

Review of Borderland Bride & Borderland Beauty by Samantha Holt

  Title:  Borderland Bride & Borderland Beauty
Series:  The Borderland Legacy
Author:  Samantha Holt
Genre:  Historical Romance
Length:  150 pages
Publisher:  Jupiter Gardens Press
Cover Artist:  Valerie Tibbs

Blurbs
Borderland Bride In the wilderness of 14th century Northumbria, Lady Isabel discovers just how dangerous the Borderlands can be. With the loss of her voice and her hearing, there is little hope left for her. But when a brooding knight rescues her, she vows never to become a victim again and buries the secrets of her past in the hope that those hunting her will never find her in the Borderlands.
Jake is astonished to come across the beautiful Isabel, near to death, on his brother’s lands. Bringing her back to his brother’s home, he finds himself longing for something more from the courageous woman, something that he thought he would never want again. Isabel works her way into his scarred heart and opens Jake up to loving once more. But will Isabel’s secrets destroy their bond? And with his charismatic brother, Dominic, charming her, does he even stand a chance?

Borderland Beauty

Lord Dominic is in need of a wife. With the reivers, the wild and dangerous criminals that haunt the borderlands, breathing down his neck and his brother now married, he needs a strong woman by his side. So when he finds out about an old marriage contract between him and his neighbour’s daughter, he vows to give the mysterious woman a chance. Upon meeting the beautiful, feisty maiden, he vows to make her his wife.
Lucy Montgomery wants nothing to do with the arrogant lord. She doesn’t understand his interest in her. Surely a man like Dominic could never fall for a woman like her? Hurt by the past, she refuses to believe that she is anything more than a game to him. If only she didn’t find him quite so charming.
Can Dominic persuade Lucy that she is more than just another woman to him? And with the reivers growing bolder, are there worse dangers than Lucy saying ‘Nay’?

Reviews
Borderland Bride

Normally I don't like reviewing both books at one time.  I prefer to space them out so the author gets more exposure.  However, the author requested reviews on both at this time, so here we go!  This was a really cute book.  I loved the characters and the chemistry between them all.  Jake was dark and broody, but he let Isobel see a part of him that nobody else could. The part included in the excerpt below really annoyed me, but I love how it ended.

Borderland Beauty

This book was even better!  Though they didn't really know each other, the chemistry between them was so great.  Dominic made me laugh so hard, in both books really, but he really became my favorite in this book.  His attitude and patience when he was with Lucy as well as his men was amazing.  Not many men would have his strength and character. The excerpt below includes one of my favorite parts in the book.  I do wonder if there will be any more to this story, as I would love to read it if there were.  I highly doubt it though, since they have no more brothers, but I would like to read more of Samantha Holt's work!  Enjoy!

Links
Amazon:  Borderland Bride & Borderland Beauty | B&N:  Borderland Bride & Borderland Beauty
Goodreads:  Borderland Bride & Borderland Beauty | Smashwords:  Borderland Bride

Bio Samantha lives in a small village in England with her gorgeous twin girls and husband who is a trained bodyguard and ex-soldier (Yes, seriously!). She traditionally writes historical romances involving chivalrous knights and hot highlanders, but occasionally dabbles in contemporary romance. When she reluctantly leaves her computer, she enjoys exploring old ruins and indulging an early midlife crisis. Adrenaline filled suggestions for the bucket list are always welcome!

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Giveaway!
1 x $10 Amazon GC | 2 x $5 Amazon GC | 2 x ecopy To Steal a Highlander’s Heart
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Excerpts
Borderland Bride “Isabel, what in God’s name are you doing?”
“I am returning to my father,” she told him breathlessly.
“You would see yourself in that monster’s hands? Why?”
“I cannot see Thornewall suffer for my sakes. And I cannot see you or Dominic harmed. Not for me.”
“We are grown men; will you not let us make these decisions ourselves? Thornewall is strong, we have endured worse.”
Isabel shook her head. “Nay, I will not see war brought to your door. If my father fails here, then he will turn his attention to your lands. They have not the strength of Thornewall, you have said as much yourself.”
Jake squeezed her arm until he saw her wince. Damn his brutish manners. He could not let her throw herself into the arms of a murderer for their sakes. “I can defend my lands, lass. I’ve done it before and I’ll gladly do it again.”
But she was right, Greycroft was ill prepared for a full-scale war and his own castle would not hold out long against a siege. It was likely he would die defending it.
“That is what I fear,” she said softly and Jake wondered if he had spoken aloud.
Her voice took on a desperate quality and she pulled against his grip. “Let me go, Jake, for I cannot allow you to place yourself in danger for me. Not for a woman that hurt you so.”
He considered her and saw the fear in her eyes - a fear that was not for herself, but for him, his brother, and all their people. How he could ever have thought her as wicked as his wife, he knew not. There was nothing in this lass but kindness. He gulped, fighting the words he would have to say. There was no other way.
“Isabel, you do not have to return.”
“I do, Jake!” She struggled again.
“Listen…” He grabbed at her other arm and pinned her still. “Listen, there is another way. Marry…”
She ceased her struggles and stared at him.
“Marry Dominic.”
Isabel blinked at him. “What?” she whispered.
“Marry Dominic. Your father would be a fool to say nay to such an allegiance. He is one of the richest men in England. There will be no war and you will be safe.”
Safe. He clung to the word, trying to ignore the ache in his heart. It didn’t matter, as long as she was safe. In spite of himself, he urged her to say nay, to confess her love for him, but he knew it could come to nothing. He had nothing to offer Lord Henry in return for her hand.
Isabel gaped at him. “Marry Dominic? But…did he decide this?”
“Nay.” He sighed. “‘Twas my idea.”
She gulped and her eyes misted with tears as she took a deep breath. Her composure regained, she shook her head in disbelief. “Why would you suggest such an idea?”

Borderland Beauty Running a finger over the leather spines, she studied the titles. Dominic went back to his ledger, the faint sound of his quill scratching against the parchment setting her senses on edge. Some were well worn and she pictured Dominic thumbing through them. How odd that she could never have imagined him as a man who enjoyed scholarly pursuits before, but now the image suited him perfectly. Now she knew him better.
“Tristan and Iseult…” she murmured. “I did not take you for a romantic soul.”
“You think it a romance? I think it a tragedy.”
Lucy stared at him. “A tragedy? Nay, dying for love must surely be the most romantic act of all.”
“And here I did not think you a romantic soul. But now I know the key to your heart.” Dominic regarded her with a twist of his lips. “I should die to secure it.”
“My-my heart?”
“I cannot deny I would wish to secure your body along with it, but I should very much like to capture your heart first.”
She gulped. Her heart? Could he hear it pounding with his every word? First he wanted her to believe that he lusted after her body -- a stretch of the imagination, aye, but mayhap he really did -- and now he expected her to believe he wanted her heart?
“You-you are mocking me?”
He sighed but his grin remained. “Do I look like I am jesting?”
Grabbing the book, she clutched it to her chest as she studied him, as if the book could offer some form of protection against his bold stare. Indeed, in spite of the twitch of his lips, his eyes remained deadly serious.
“Think you that I shall fall into your bed when you speak of my heart?”
Releasing a mocking laugh, Dominic threw down his quill. She jolted back as his chair screeched and he stood abruptly, but he didn’t approach. Instead he came around the desk and perched on it, his arms crossed across his chest.
“Nay, Lucy, I do not think you so simple as to come to my bed because of a few artless words. Indeed, I would prefer it you came to me without coercion or seduction. I would tear up our contract if I did not fear it would put an end to the scant hold I have over you.”
She quivered at his words. Why did Dominic having a ‘hold’ over her seem so appealing all of a sudden? Mayhap because she was weak and foolish. After all he had put her through, the self-doubt, the taunts…did they count for nothing?
Pulling her chin up, she affected a cool look. “I will be bound to no man.”
“‘Tis a shame, lass, for I am bound to you. The hold you have over me is surely far more than that of a marriage contract.”
Shaking her head, she drew back toward the door. “I thank you for the book,” she mumbled.
Leaping forward, Dominic strode over and snatched at her arm before she could escape. She sucked in a sharp breath as his fingers seared through her sleeve. “Is that all you have to say?”
“What more can I say? I remain here at my mother’s behest. I know not what your fascination is with me, for you have surely met more beautiful, more accomplished women, so I can only assume that it is the thrill of the chase that drives you. I’d wager many women succumb to your charms readily, but let me assure you, Lord Dominic, I am not one of them. I will not marry you. You would do better to forget this ridiculous contract and pursue another.”
Dominic cast his gaze over her, apparently considering her words. A sharp jolt of disappointment speared through her as he released his grip on her and stepped back.
Shaking his head, he chuckled unexpectedly. “You speak these words well, my lady, but your eyes betray you. I shall have you as my wife, Lucy Montgomery.”

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Giveaway and Review of The Purgatorium by Eva Pohler

Blurb Seventeen year-old Daphne Janus is floored when her parents agree to let her accompany her best friend to a getaway resort on an island off the coast of California. She doesn't know her parents have sent her to the Purgatorium as a last-ditch effort to save their child.

Her best friend and life-long neighbor takes her to a mostly uninhabited island with a wildlife preserve on one side and Chumash Indian ruins on the “haunted” side. The resort might be beautiful, the beach pristine, and the views from the headland amazing, but strange things begin to happen that soon have Daphne running for her life. At first she finds the therapeutic games thrilling: the ghosts that visit her room, the dropping elevator, and the kayak incident are actually kind of fun once she recovers from them. But when her horse bucks her off during a trail ride and she becomes lost on the haunted side of the island, it’s not fun anymore, and she wonders if her parents have sent her there to help her or to punish her.

Links
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Review OH WOW! This book is by far the best book I've read in years! This book was like a really good therapy session for me.  The end was just, OMG, I was bawling hysterically.  I wish this kind of place was REAL!  The weird stuff that happens, it can be confusing, but by the end you will understand why it was necessary.  The end, it's just amazing.  I can't praise this book enough.  I knew Eva was an awesome person before reading this book, and as you may know, I've read several of her books in addition to this one.  After reading this book though, I know I have to read everything she writes.  Even her lesser known titles.  If you haven't picked up a book by this awesome lady yet, you're seriously missing out.  Go buy this one ASAP.  If you have any kind of family dysfunction at all, you will be able to relate to Daphne, and may find this book as healing as I did.


Bio Eva Pohler writes fiction and teaches writing and literature at The University of Texas at San Antonio, where she lives with her husband, three teens, and two dogs. She is the author of The Gatekeeper's Saga, The Purgatorium Series, and The Mystery Box.

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  Excerpt Before they reached the main level, the elevator jerked and stopped.
“What’s going on?” Daphne asked, as her brain fogged up with fear.
The lights blinked off. They were enveloped in darkness.
“You gotta be kiddin’ me,” Stan said.
“What’s happening?” She couldn’t think. Her hands flapped beside her like the wings of a jarred moth.
“It’s okay, Daphne,” he said in a soothing voice. “We’re going to be fine. I’m trying to find the emergency switch. Someone will get us outta here soon.”
Tears ran down her face and her stomach dropped out from under her. She felt like she might be sick. Then it occurred to her that this might be the exercise Cam had agreed to set up for Hortense Gray.
“This better not be an exercise. This isn’t one of their exercises, is it?” She felt along the wall of the elevator for the rail, and when she found it, she held on tight.
“What are you talking about?”
“You know, therapeutic games? Cam knows I’m scared of elevators. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what’s going on here. They’re making me face my fear. Well forget this! Do you hear me out there? I don’t like this one bit!” She hit her fist against the elevator wall.
“Calm down, Daphne.”
“I thought therapeutic games would be like relay races and rock climbing. Scaring the crap out of me is not why I came!”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m sorry, Stan. This isn’t your fault. Oh, God, oh my crap, I can’t breathe!” She felt helpless, out of control, at the mercy of this stupid elevator and the way it was closing in on her, stifling her oxygen, trapping her, not letting her out. “Let me out!”
“Come here.” He pulled her into his arms with a tight grip, forcing her to hold still. “Relax. It’s okay,” he said softly.
The lights flickered and then came on. The elevator dropped a few more feet to the bottom floor.
“Ahhh!” Daphne cried, catching against the wall.
The doors opened, and Daphne leapt out, trembling and angry and amazingly relieved. She avoided the eyes of the others in the foyer as she tried to regain control of her breathing and rushed from the building.
Stan caught up to her and put a hand on her shoulder just outside the main building. “You okay?”
She caught her breath and then said, “No.”
“Let’s head back to the rooms.” He slid a hand behind her back and nudged her down the sidewalk.
“So are they scaring the hell out of you, too?” she asked, after her breathing had returned to normal. “Any games as crazy as that?”
“What do you mean? What games?”
“Isn’t Dr. Gray putting you through therapeutic games?”
“I’m here studying the Chumash Indian ruins and archaeological sites for a paper I’m writing.”
Daphne stopped on the sidewalk near the pool, where the underwater lights had turned on, making the water glow in the dusk falling around them. “I don’t understand.”
Stan put an arm around her waist and pulled her onward. “If you ask me, Cam’s just teasing you.”
“No. Dr. Gray said so, too.”
“Therapeutic games? What does that even mean?”
Daphne shrugged. “I don’t intend to stay and find out.”
They reached her unit.
“You just got here and made my trip one hundred percent better. I hate to see you leave.”



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