Friday, December 27, 2013

Release Blitz & Giveaway: Conflicted Love by Lola Stark...




Conflicted Love
Book #2 Needle's Kiss Series

Synopsis

(Conflicted Love is book #2 in the Needle's Kiss series and should be read AFTER Tattered Love to fully grasp the story.)

Trip’s life motto is simple: get in, get off, get out. His lifestyle works for him, that is until he finds himself in an unexpected situation with the one girl he can't seem to get out of his mind.

Teeny has been strong for too long. One amazing crazy night, with her best friend's cocky colleague, leaves her with more than just unwanted feelings and cravings she just can’t seem to quench.

She's knocked up.

He's freaked out. 

Life is about to get crazy for two people who can't stand to be close, yet can't seem to pull apart. Tension and confusion turn into mood swings and midnight snacks. How can things ever go back to simple times when every direction leads to chaos?



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Excerpt

I threw my leg over my bike and started for her. The streetlight out front was busted, causing the place to be darker than normal. There was just enough light that as I walked behind her, I could see her sexy little ass encased in those prissy jeans she always wore. I caught up to her at the bottom of the stairs and reached out to grab her arm before she made it any further. Next thing I knew, Teen spun, her fist flying right into my nose; at the same time, she drove her knee up into my groin, dropping me like a sack of shit to the ground.

“F*ckkkkkkkk” I moaned, cupping my junk, rolling up onto my knees, and trying to get my breath back. Pain shot up into my stomach with each attempt.

“Oh, it’s just you.” Teeny breathed hard. I looked up at her through narrowed eyes.

“Oh, it’s just…F*ck, Princess. What the hell’d you do that for?” I wheezed.

“Well, you deserved it. You don’t sneak up behind a chick and expect not to get hit. Now, get up, dipshit. You’re making a scene,” she hissed, looking around the complex.

Needle's Kiss Series
by Lola Stark

Book #1 
Tattered Love


Synopsis

When ex-Special Ops bad-ass Mace walks into Needle's Kiss tattoo parlour, he never expected to find the girl who would turn his life upside down.

Hard as nails Scarlett has been unlucky in love: she’s been burnt, chewed up and spat out. Reluctant to have another relationship, can she keep her wits about her when hot-as-sin Mace walks into her tattoo parlor? Or will he break her down and leave his mark within her ink?

What starts out as a little fun, turns into something so much more.

Can Scarlett look beyond Mace's devastating past or will his demons come back to haunt them both?

Content warning: contains steamy, anywhere-goes sex, an alcohol induced embarrassing night out and two headstrong lovers taken on a whirlwind of crazy.




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About the Author

Lola Stark lives in Australia. Is an at home mummy with no filter raising a hoard of minions and a husband who sometimes appears not to have grown up. Lola has loved to read for as long as she can remember. When not wrangling the family she can be found sitting at her computer , writing, facebooking or just generally messing around.


Connect with Lola Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

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Thursday, December 26, 2013

Hunter's Moon by Tabitha Conall...Excerpt & Giveaway...

Title: Hunter's Moon
Author: Tabitha Conall
Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance mmf (menage/werewolf)
Tate did everything she could to save her sister from being kidnapped, but
failed. When Sawyer sees Tate lying in the hospital after the beating the kidnapper gave her, he feels rage like he's never felt before. But it isn't until Tate and Sawyer go to Lunaville to help hunt down the kidnapper and retrieve Tate's sister that they meet Matt, their mate...and their lives are changed forever.
Despite wanting to find the nearest bed and complete the mating bond, cops Matt and Sawyer investigate the clues while holding Tate back from getting in the middle of things. But Tate's the one who finds the biggest clue of all, a scent trail that smells just like the kidnapper. In the midst of following the trail and tracking down clues, Matt and Sawyer try to heal Tate of her biggest wound--the guilt of not being able to stop the kidnapper herself.

This 20,000+ word novella is the second in the Mad Wolf's Harem series that starts with Harvest Moon.  It can be read as a stand-alone.
What did it take to make a werewolf cry?  Sawyer Hansen stood next to the hospital bed, machines beeping and whooshing around him.  Slowly, Tate McKenna opened her eyes to focus on him.  Her face looked puffy and discolored.  Worse, he could see dried tears caking her eyelashes.
Sawyer wanted to find the man who'd done this and tear him to pieces with his teeth and claws.  He had never felt so livid standing at a victim's bedside.  He'd visited plenty of hospitals and plenty of victims, seen them beat up, cut up, torn up, but this time he could barely contain his rage.

When he spoke, his voice had taken on the rumble of his wolf, and he was glad no humans were near.  Who did this?

Tate swallowed. I couldn't stop him. Her voice sounded scratchy and strained, and he could see why.  Purple and black marks ringed her neck.  The man had strangled her.

Claws sprung out of the tips of his fingers.  He'd never been so close to a change in such a public place.  

Who?

Don't know, she whispered. Didn't know him.

Sawyer took a deep breath, trying to get control of himself again.  He couldn't change in the hospital with all these humans around.  And he couldn't be half-changed because a nurse could walk in at any second and see him.  He waited until his claws had retracted and the wolf had receded to an angry distance.

After he'd pulled the guest chair to the bedside and sat down, Sawyer said, Can you tell me what happened?

She closed her eyes for a second and then began, her shredded voice pulling at him with each syllable.  I was sleeping on the couch.  I woke up, didn't know why.  Saw a shadow moving toward Britton's room.  A man.  I waited until his back was turned and jumped him.

His hand fisted.  Tate was tall for a female, and athletic.  But the thought of her putting herself in such danger made him want to rip something in two.

And why?  Why did he feel this way about this particular victim when he'd never felt like this before?  Was it because she was Pack?

He was fast.  Strong.  We fought, but I couldn't stop him.  A tear slid down her cheek.  He took Britton and I couldn't even get up off the floor.

Sawyer waited a second, mostly to hold himself in check, but before he could ask another question, she continued.
He even took some of her stuff.  He made sure I was down, then he went into her bedroom.  I heard her scream.  Then a few minutes later he came out with her over his shoulder and he was carrying one of her little suitcases.  

Do you know what was in it?

They hadn't even realized the perp had taken anything of Britton McKenna's. 
 No.
Tate closed her eyes.  Why would he do that?

It might be good news. He'd say anything to make her feel better.  Which was strange for him because he usually played it straight, but he didn't stop to question it.  He wouldn't have taken a suitcase full of her things unless he meant to keep her a while. You mean she could still be alive.
Yeah. He itched to take her hand, just for the comfort it might give her.

She gazed at him.  I already know she's alive.  I'd know if she died.

How was he supposed to interpret that?  No wolves he knew of had psychic
abilities.
Don't question it.  We're not twins; it's not one of those things where I feel her pain or something.  But she's my sister.  I'd just...know.

He didn't get it, but he could go with the evidence on this one.
There was a good chance Britton McKenna still lived.  We're going to do everything we can to get her back.
I know.  I'm going to help.

His wolf surged up, angry the female would try to put herself in harm's way again.  You've done your part.  We can handle it from here.



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Monday, December 23, 2013

Book Spotlight: Tinsel My Heart by Christi Barth...



Becca Huntley’s produced the Lyndale Park Player’s over-the-top Christmas pageant for ten years. The beloved Minneapolis tradition is the theatre’s main fundraiser. But this year’s production is almost canceled when their director disappears into rehab at the last minute. Good thing his directing partner steps in to save the day. Except for the minor fact that he hates everything about Christmas.
Jack Whittaker wiped the Twin Cities off his shoe with his graduation tassel and never looked back. But duty compels him to fulfill Tyler’s promise to direct the show. Even though it means working side-by-side with Becca, the girl he always wanted, lost to Ty, but never forgot.
It’ll take more than a few handfuls of tinsel to soften Jack’s heart toward Becca’s favorite holiday. Steamy kisses that melt the snow right off his boots are a step in the right direction. They’ll both discover that Christmas is about making each other's dreams come true. But will doing so destroy their chance at a happily-ever-after together?
ChristiBarth-amyjphoto
Christi Barth earned a Master’s degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage.  A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning.  Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes contemporary romance.  She is the award-winning author of the Aisle Bound series. Christi is President of the Maryland Romance Writers and lives in Maryland with her husband.

She picked up the end of her braid and tickled his cheek. “Told ya.”
The silken hair set off a chain reaction in his body. Blood pounded south in great, galloping leaps and bounds to pool in his crotch. Jack hadn’t experienced an insta-hard-on like that in years. He quickly shifted the black script binder across his lap.
“You’ve changed, Becca.”
“Since high school? I would hope so.” Then her lips pursed. “Okay, you’ve piqued my curiosity. Exactly how have I changed?”
“You’ve grown from a pretty girl into a beautiful woman.”
“Oh.” Her pale cheeks turned the color of ripe strawberries. It made Jack wonder if her nipples were the same color. Or would turn that color after he used his lips on them. “Um, thank you. And let me just say that adding a few pounds of pure muscle didn’t hurt you any, either.”
Interesting. Might as well push a little harder, see what developed. “Here I thought you were going to comment on my righteously masculine goatee.”
As if lifted by marionette strings, her hand rose, scraped along the end-of-day stubble on his cheeks to trace the outline of the goatee. “It, ah, makes you look devilish.”
“Want to dance with the devil?”
“What?” Her gaze flew up to meet his as her hands dropped to her lap. “You want to dance?”
Super literal people made flirting much more difficult. Jack sighed. “Metaphorically.” When she still looked bewildered, he continued. “Forget it. Do you want to have dinner with me?”
She blinked, rapidly. Looked down at her hands twisting together. “That depends.”
It wasn’t a complicated question. Jack didn’t want her take on the crisis in Syria. Why would a simple dinner invite come with conditions? “On what?”
Becca looked over both shoulders, as if to check they were still alone. Or as alone as you could get in a three hundred-seat theatre full of people milling about from the lobby to the dressing rooms. “Are you just lonely, Jack? Because of Ty?”
“I’m a grown-ass man. I can eat by myself,” he growled.
“I know. I guess my real question is, do you want to have dinner with just anyone? Or do you want to have dinner with me?” She fluttered her hands up to cover her heart.
Now he got it. Well, he didn’t get why she had the crazy female insecurity, but at least he knew what she was driving at. “I want to have dinner with you. Only you. Not because we used to be good friends. Not even because we’ve slid pretty well back into those roles. And not just dinner.” Jack grasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “You’re a beautiful woman who heats me up every time you slide those cool lake eyes over me. With enough talent and know-how and passion for my business to make for interesting conversation. So what I want from you, Becca, is a date.”
To his utter surprise, she didn’t blush again. Or look away. Or for that matter, look flustered at all. Instead, she mimicked his pose, putting her hand to his mouth. Rubbed her soft thumb in a slow glide across his lower lip. Her eyes darkened from the clear blue of Lake Harriet in the summer to the darkness of a winter’s night.
“Well, why didn’t you say so? Of course I’ll go out with you.”
No matter how many he tried on for size, women never failed to confound him. Jack didn’t know what he’d said to peel off her timidity. Didn’t care, either. Just looked forward to an evening filled with more surprises from the woman he was discovering he liked even more than the girl he used to adore.


Friday, December 20, 2013

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Christmas Fantasy by Siren Allen...

Belle's Book Bag 12/20/13...

Today is my stop during the blog tour for Christmas Fantasies by Siren Allen. Christmas Fantasies is published by Entranced Publishing.


Title: Christmas Fantasies
Author: Siren Allen
Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance
Release Date: 9 December, 2013
One bite was all it took.
It's that time of year again. Alyssa Blakely is busy writing in her fantasy diary, filling it with all her forbidden, sexual fantasies. The star: her very sexy boss, Devin Jordan. Too bad for her, he's never given her a second glance.
Or so she thought.
After a steamy kiss under the mistletoe and a night of wild sex, Alyssa has the bite to prove just how wrong she was.
Devin Jordan has found his mate. The only problem: she's human. He's not. Can he prove to her that his inner beast can be both naughty and nice? Or will her fear of the unknown keep him from claiming her?



Devin turned and placed his back against the window. He stared at the door that separated him from the woman he desired. A piece of metal and space was all that separated his body from hers. It would only take a couple of strides for him to reach the door.
One pull on the door knob and he could send it flying across the room. Then he would be face to face with the one woman in this world that made him wish he wasn’t a beast with a conscience. If he had no conscience, he would take her, now, against his desk, against her desk, against the wall, on every damn hard surface in this building.
    He would make sure she enjoyed it. He would make sure he pleased her so thoroughly that she wouldn’t even think of leaving him, even when she found out that he was not the man he pretended to be. Devin sighed, but that would never happen. Because though he was a beast, he did indeed have a conscience
That conscience kept her safe from him…for now.


About the Author:
Hi, my name is Siren Allen. I'm a writer and lover of all things erotic and romantic. I reside in southern Mississippi where I write steamy romances that are guaranteed to make you blush. When I'm not listening to the characters in my head and jotting down their adventures, I am busy working as a Clinical Laboratory Technician.
I love to travel, preferably with my husband, so he can do all of the driving. I enjoy time with my family, who are just as silly as I am. I have no children yet, wish me luck! My hobbies are reading, writing and shopping, though I hate trying on clothing. If I wasn't a writer or a Laboratory Professional, I would probably be a Secret Agent. But that's the beauty of being a writer; you can create your own world and be whoever you want to be. In my imaginary world, I am Queen and my siblings are my minions.

You can Find Siren Allen here:

There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Christmas Fantasies.
These are the prizes:
- 2 10$ amazon gift cards
- 2 e-copies of Christmas Fantasies
- 1 e-copy of Yours, for Now by Siren Allen
- 1 e-copy of The Makeover, by Monica Garry-Allen
- 1 e-copy of Lovers Unchained by Siren Allen

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Guest Post & Giveaway: Deadly Deceit by Mari Hannah...



Title: Deadly Deceit (DCI Kate Daniel Series #3)
Author: Mari Hannah
Genre: Mystery/Detective
Publication Date: December 17, 2013
Published By: Witness Impulse an imprint of HarperCollins
Event organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc.


Four a.m. on a wet stretch of the highway: a driver skids out of control. Quickly arriving on the scene, detective Kate Daniels and her partner, Hank Gormley, witness a horrifying display of carnage and mayhem that proves to be one of the worst traffic accidents in Northumberland’s history. But as the casualties mount, they soon realize that not all of the deaths occurred as a result of the accident …

At the same time, on the other side of town, a house goes up in flames and its two inhabitants become charred corpses. Except for the timing, there is no evidence to connect this incident with the traffic accident. But it soon becomes apparent that all is not what it seems, and that Kate and her colleagues are always one step behind a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Note: Can be read as a stand-alone novel.




From Probation Officer to Crime Writer - From the UK to the US.
My Journey by Mari Hannah
My journey began when an assault while on duty ended my career as a Probation Officer eight years after completing my studies. It left me with a dodgy right wrist but I refused to be a victim. In order to get my hand working again, I began typing on a keyboard and never stopped.  
I chose to write crime because it’s what I know best, my knowledge of the criminal justice system informing my work. I tried different forms of writing. If you have aspirations to be a writer, you should too until you find the one that best suits you.
Struggling to write prose, I turned my hand to screenwriting after a chance meeting with American writer, Heather Jeurgensen. She encouraged me to try something different. I then built up a body of work in the hope of getting a foot in the door of the BBC. I had some cracking feedback too – comments that made me keep the faith – but my first break was still a long time off.
In 2005, I was accepted on a scheme to write a feature film. I chose to write a romantic comedy. Yes, I know I’m a crime writer but that’s another story. I’m very proud of my film which one day I hope will go into production. Ahem . . . any film producers out there? I’d love to hear from you!
Working on that feature was a fantastic experience. It taught me the process of editing, critiquing the work of others, taking notes on my own projects, collaborating in the development process – all of which served me well when it came to editing my debut, The Murder Wall and getting my book out there. The main thing was I was having fun, meeting new people, doing something productive again.
I decided to keep writing both prose and TV scripts so long as something good happened each year to show I was on the right track. In 2006, I heard about the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival, in particular ‘Creative Thursday’ a day of workshops and talks from writers, agents and publishers. It sounded right up my street. It was a hundred pounds for the day but it turned out to be worth every penny, an inspirational event.
That year, delegates of Creative Thursday were asked to submit ‘Opening Lines’ and mine were read out. I was SO proud . . . and in 2008, I was chosen for a BBC Drama Development Scheme and my debut novel was consigned to the backburner once more. I seemed to be making more headway with the TV stuff. Be warned, the whole time I was trying to get into television was unpaid, apart from a small BBC bursary.
Working with the BBC was thoroughly enjoyable – let’s call it my apprenticeship. So, I found my niche. What next? For those trying to break into television, it’s a hard road. Even though I was a graduate of the drama development scheme, I soon learned that to get an original piece of work commissioned was almost unheard of.
I wrote to every producer whose name I could get hold of and spent thousands of pounds attending writing events in order to network my head off. The way into TV in the UK is either through soaps or on shadow schemes, both of which are very hard to come by. I ended up with a number of finished pieces of work: a feature film, several original TV pilot episodes, radio plays, short films – enough to make your eyes bleed.
Quit while you’re ahead? Not my style – time to go back to the book. When it was finished, I sent it out. A top London agent asked for exclusivity of the material (hooray!) and gave me notes (double hooray!) a good sign she was interested. She gave me criticism too: also good because writing is constantly learning and re-evaluating. Three drafts later, she bowed out. Her verdict: she didn’t know if I had it in me to do what was required. I was sure I did. We parted company but I’m so grateful to her because by then I knew then I had something.
Gutted but undeterred, I sent the manuscript out again to no avail. Rejection after rejection followed. Writers meet rejection a lot. Some agencies just said no, but if an agent took the trouble to write anything positive, I seized the moment. Back then, it seemed that I couldn’t get an agent or publisher for love or money. One day, I saw an article in my newspaper about a local publisher. I got in touch and he offered to publish my book. By now it was August 2008. Yay! I’d made it . . .
Wrong. I did more work on the book. That was okay. I was living on the adrenalin of being published. But at the point of writing acknowledgements, I realised that something was very wrong. I tackled the publisher and found out that he couldn’t publish in the contracted time. I was desperate . . .
A glimmer of hope arrived when my regional writing agency rang me up and asked if I’d like to go to London to their annual summer party where recipients of the Northern Writers’ Awards get to pitch to agents and publishers, a kind of speed-dating for writers. I had twenty-four hours to practice my pitch and research the people who’d be there. I can’t stress how important research is in those situations.
That party turned out to be the most important event in my writing life up to that point. It was where I met agent, Oli Munson, who agreed to read my manuscript. He was really enthusiastic and offered representation – this was August 2009.  
So, I found my kick-ass agent: what next?  Time to start over . . . I revised my book and just kept on writing my Kate Daniels series as my agent submitted The Murder Wall both here and abroad. Then, in March 2010, there was a mini auction in Germany and I was offered a two-book translation deal.  A few months on, major publishing house Pan Macmillan became interested. I was told the publishing director really ‘got’ the book. I was due some luck - it landed on his desk in the same month as I won the Northern Writers’ Award for my second novel, Settled Blood.
A few tips here if I may for any aspiring writers out there – indeed for anyone in the creative industry be it the arts, music, whatever. Have the confidence to show your work to others. I know that’s easier said than done but it’s a necessary hurdle. Do enter competitions. Even if you don’t win, you‘ll enjoy the experience. Look out for competitions and awards. They make such a difference to your CV if you win, as I did. I very nearly didn’t send my entry in!
If like me you write crime, enter the CWA Debut Dagger. It makes you work really hard to get your material in good shape. It’s not easy getting over the initial embarrassment of sending your work out with a little voice inside your head telling you it’s not good enough. But logically, you can only move forward if it stands up to independent scrutiny.
Network your head off, attend festivals, take every opportunity you can to meet agents, publishers, and/or producers if it’s screenwriting you’re into. You may be nervous – in fact you WILL be nervous – but remember you only have a few minutes to impress: so practice your pitch. Above all, don’t sell yourself short. If you have an interesting background, put it in your submission letter and always read the submission guidelines or your hard work will hit the bin.
And study the industry you are aiming at. You wouldn’t try joining the police force without knowing what they do. It’s the same in publishing. If that ‘hobby’ is ever to become your profession you need to know what it is you are entering and how it works. Above all, be patient: the wheels turn very slowly in publishing. There is no quick fix, no easy way in. Waiting and taking advice is all part of the process.   
The day I learned that Pan Macmillan wanted to sign me was a cause for celebration after years of hard work following a traumatic end to a career I loved. An initial three-book deal was followed by a two-book deal. Forgive me if you know this already but, for those who don’t, when a publisher takes you on it’s usually two years before a book sees the light of day. It isn’t the end of the journey, it’s just the beginning – it’s where the real collaboration begins.
And as Tuesday 15th October draws near, I’m eagerly awaiting the launch of The Murder Wall in the US by Witness Impulse, digital imprint of William Morrow/Harper Collins who will also publish two more books before the end of this year. I may have taken the scenic route to being a crime writer but I got there in the end. Whatever your ambition, perseverance is the key. Best of luck with your own projects - I wish you every success.  
This is where I hang out: www.marihannah.com
And also on Twitter here: @mariwriter

About the Author
Mari Hannah was born in London and moved north as a child. Her career as a probation officer was cut short when she was injured while on duty, and thereafter she spent several years as a film/television screenwriter. She now lives in Northumberland with her partner, an ex-murder detective. She was the winner of the 2010 Northern Writers’ Award and is a nominee for the 2013 Polari First Book Prize.


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