Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Book Review: The Sea Queen

Title - The Sea Queen 
Author - Jovee Winters 
Series - The Dark Queens #1 
Genre - Fantasy Romance 
Published - June 15th 2015
Format - Kindle freebie
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Find it on (Amazon)

Calypso, Queen of the Seas, is mad. Spitting mad. Ghosts of the dead are fouling her waters. She wants this problem fixed, and she wants it fixed now. Rushing off in search of Hades, Lord of the Underworld, to demand answers, she’s soon shocked to discover him bound and standing trial before a jury of his peers—for nothing less than murder. 

Calypso normally despises the beastly gods, all of them, but there’s something about seeing Hades bound as he is that gives her an evilly clever idea. Tired of being a virgin queen, she wishes to shed that boring image once and for all, and no one seems quite as fit for the task as the gorgeous and brooding Hades. Of course, there is the minor problem of murder to deal with, but Calypso is bound and determined to have her way. 

And when a dark queen gets an idea, nothing and no one can stand in her way

Review

Ghosts of the dead have filled Calypso's waters sending her racing into Hades realm where the gates of hell are closed. She finds that Hades is being accused of murdering Persephone which will give Zeus the upper hand to his brother. Seeing Hades as more than a god she seems him as an end to her virgin goddess card. After all, it's only two weeks while Themis decides if he is guilty perfect for what Calypso has planned. 

Returning to her waters with Hades as her prisoner she's determined to take full advantage of her next two weeks with her new sex slave but the more time she spends with Hades she finds herself growing more attached and she isn't the only one falling in love either. As the two weeks come to an end it will be up to Calypso to save her free her dead boy or lose him forever if Zeus has his way.

I adore Calypso she's just the cutest thing when she talks. She may be a primordial goddess older than the Olympians but she still talks like she's so innocent and young. We are given a chance to see Hades in a new light, not as the dark sinister lord of Hell but a true gentleman who's just perfect for Calypso. I also enjoyed seeing Themis and Aphrodite are woven throughout the story they bring a little charm to the story. 

I picked this one up on my kindle a while ago but haven't been in the mood for a mythology story until recently. The author has taken two characters who may not have been the heroes in their story adding her own twists and giving them a happy ever after. I wasn't sure what to expect since I'm not super familiar with Calypso but she blew me out of the water. It's hard to not just love her character she's a total sweetheart even if she's a tiger in the bedroom. I loved seeing a new side of Hades he's not what I expected but it works and learning he's actually a gentleman who wanted to do right by Persephone. I really enjoyed the author's storytelling she has created a beautiful enchanting story that captured my heart. I truly enjoyed every page, finding it hard to put down and a little sad when it ended. I highly recommend if you are looking for a unique happy ever after that will make you smile than The Sea Queen is a must. 

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke And The Bookish. Who doesn't love lists. They make life easy! And fun!! It's always a never ending topic. 

This week's topic: 

Freebie 
 Top Ten Graphic Novels/comics/Manga on my TBR

I don't read a lot of graphic novels but that is something I want to change. I do enjoy Manga's though so this is my current list. I don't have ten but I do have a decent list I think. 


1. Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer 
2. Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya
3. Black Butler by Yana Toboso 
4. Fairy Tail by Hiro Mashima 
5. Soul Eater by Atushi Ohkubo
6. Hellsing by Kohta Hirano
7. Vampire Hunter D by Saiko Takaki  

What's on your list?

Book Blitz: The Knight



The Knight
Skye Warren
(Endgame #2)
Publication date: January 31st 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

The power of pleasure…
Gabriel Miller took everything from me. My family. My innocence. My home. The only thing I have left is the determination to get back what’s mine.
He thinks he’s beaten me. He thinks he’s won. What he doesn’t realize is that every pawn has the chance to become a queen.
And the game has only just begun.
* * * * * *
THE KNIGHT is book two in the Endgame series from New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren about revenge and seduction in the game of love.

Grab book 1 – The Pawn – for only 99¢!
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo
EXCERPT:
A sleek black limo idles in the center of the parking lot, the gleaming black stark against the backdrop of cracked concrete and cigarette-littered gravel. It’s not for me, I tell myself. It can’t be.
It’s probably one of Chastity’s customers.
At eight o’clock in the morning. In the cheapest motel in Tanglewood.
The driver steps out and nods to me in that deferent, discreet way that drivers have. My stomach sinks. He opens the back door and stands beside it, a silent invitation. A tacit command from the man inside.
My feet move me across the pavement, breath trapped. It’s that moment when you’ve slammed your finger in a door, before the pain has registered, when your mind is all too aware of what comes next.
The shadowed interior hides his face, but I know who it is before he speaks.

“Good morning,” comes the low voice of the man who made me come on his desk. The door shuts behind me, enclosing me in the warm darkness.
“What are you doing here?”

A shuffle of papers. The scratch of a pen. As the darkness solidifies, I see him reclined in the back of the limo, focused on a stack of papers in front of him. Working, like I’m a distraction. “I’m your ride.”
He doesn’t even look up. “Excuse me?”
“To Landon Moore’s office. That is where you’re going, I assume.”
My eyes narrow. “How do you know that?”
Finally he looks up, his golden gaze searing me. “Because you’ll do anything to get your house back. It’s the only place you feel safe, isn’t it? The only place you felt loved?”
My stomach clenches. “How did you know where to find me?”
“I don’t think you need me to answer that.”
Because he knows everything that happens in the city. He could have had me followed after I left his office yesterday, but odds are he knew where I was before. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’d rather walk on nails than ride with you.”
I pull the latch to discover that the door is locked. From the inside.
My gaze flies to him. “You’re kidnapping me?”
“Unfortunately,” he says with fake sympathy. “You’ll have to explain to the cops how I abducted you and transported you in comfort to your previously planned destination.”
The car glides forward, as if connected to his very will.
Asshole.
I glare at him, settling into the warm leather. Are these seats heated? Of course they are. I have to admit this is way more comfortable than the city bus, but everything has a cost. And when it comes to Gabriel Miller, the cost is always too high. “Why are you doing this?”
“Does it matter?” he asks, his voice faintly mocking. “As a gentleman your comfort is my highest priority. It’s enough to be of service to you.”
“You’re not a gentleman.”
“Probably right. In that case I’m coming with you to see sweet old Uncle Landon give you the horrible news, to see your face fall as he assures you there’s nothing you can do.”
My throat constricts. “Can’t you find someone else to torture?”
“No one nearly as pretty. Besides, my presence has some advantages.”
“My very own supply of fire and brimstone?”
“People are more inclined to tell the truth when I’m in the room. My reputation for dealing with liars and cheats is somewhat brutal.” He leans forward, his eyes reflecting sunlight. “All of it true, I’m afraid.”
I’m living proof of that, the fallout from my father’s decision to steal. “Be careful or I might think you’re actually being nice to me.”
A short laugh. “Not a chance. It will be my pleasure to see Landon Moore break. And even sweeter to watch you break, too. A show I can’t pass up.”

Author Bio:
Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance such as the Chicago Underground series. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, two sweet dogs, and one evil cat.
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Book Blitz: Rattle The Bones



Rattle the Bones 
Eric Asher
Publication date: January 31st 2017
Genres: Supernatural, Suspense, Urban Fantasy

Much has been lost in the conflict with the Fae king and his allies, a conflict we hadn’t known we were in until one of our own fell at his hand. And while a great Seal between realms may have been rebuilt, dark things slipped through in the chaos, creatures who would overrun this world. Our allies are many. Our enemies are terrible. And someone ate my last chimichanga despite the fact I had marked it with a note that clearly said it was mine.
EXCERPT:
“These are the best effects I’ve ever seen,” an older girl said, maybe a teenager or just out of those awful years. “It feels like stone.”
“Momma says all the people in that shop love Satan,” a little boy said.
“I have lived enough millennia to know evil,” Aeros said. “Despite any transgression those people may have committed, they are benevolent.”
A woman on a bench nearby started fidgeting. She either didn’t realize Aeros was with us, or she thought this was all for fun.
“You have him talking to people?” Edgar said. “They think it’s a show?”
“Some of them,” Zola said as she turned and lowered her voice.
“And not an advertising gimmick?” I asked. I raised my voice. “Maybe we should hang a sign around his neck, could get some extra business.”
The Old God turned to look at me. I was fairly certain he had a few choice words for me, but he kept them to himself. There were kids present after all.

Author Bio:
Eric is a former bookseller, cellist, and comic seller currently living in Saint Louis, Missouri. A lifelong enthusiast of books, music, toys, and games, he discovered a love for the written word after being dragged to the library by his parents at a young age. When he is not writing, you can usually find him reading, gaming, or buried beneath a small avalanche of Transformers.
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Cover Reveal: Pin Me Down



Pin Me Down
Holly Dodd
(Brewhouse #2)
Publication date: February 28th 2017
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Young Adult

Mia Reynolds isn’t interested in relationships. She refuses to follow the same troubled path her codependent mother traveled. Now that she’s graduated from college and has a real job, paying her loads of money, the world is hers for the plucking. She doesn’t need a man at her side, keeping her from having fun. Especially Regi, whose brandy brown eyes and gravelly voice have haunted her since high-school. Together their gunpowder and fire, explosive but dangerous. She’s only willing to give him her body, but never her heart.
Regi O’Connell has been concealing his heartbreak for years. Despite the endless amount of women in his bed, there’s only one whose claimed his heart and soul. But Mia refuses to give him a chance outside of the sheets. He’s her dirty little secret, one she has no plans on revealing to the world. Sometimes all it takes is one incident, one flash of regret, to change who you were, and become who you are meant to be. Mia’s heart is unyielding, a lock-box without a key. She needs to let him in, or let him go. He’s giving it one more shot to show the women of his dreams that love doesn’t make you weak, but stronger than steel.
Book 1 in the series:

Author Bio:
Holly Dodd is an award-winning author. Her novel Covet won the 2016 RWA Beacon award for Romantic Suspense. A member of the Romance Writers of America, her stories are often spicy, with everything salacious right on the page. Ranging from the contemporary anti-hero, to paranormal and futuristic, she loves an Alpha Hero in any setting and a woman destined to keep him on his toes.
Calling Pennsylvania home, she loves autumn, the beach, and beautiful weather. When she’s not writing, reading, or baking, she’s wrangling her three psychotic felines, and wondering where her muse will take her to next.

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http://eepurl.com/bF5U_v


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Cover Reveal: The Daughters of Maine



The Daughters of Maine
Tish Thawer
(Witches of BlackBrook #2)
Publication date: March 7th 2017
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

“With vivid scenes and likable characters, Thawer’s series is a definite winner! Come for the adventure – and stay for the awesome witchery.” ~ #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, PC CAST
Through space and time, sisters entwined. Lost then found, souls remain bound.
After being reunited in the present day, three sister witches are forced to separate once more in an effort to save their newly formed coven and themselves.
Foes from their past now threaten their future, and a trip that spans centuries is their only hope of survival. Chasing their enemy back through time seems like the right choice, but will walking in the footsteps of their previous lives provide the answers they seek?
Only time will tell.
A Witches of BlackBrook novel.
Sequel to:
25271311

Author Bio:
Award Winning Author, Tish Thawer, writes paranormal romances for all ages. From her first paranormal cartoon, Isis, to the Twilight phenomenon, myth, magic, and superpowers have always held a special place in her heart.
Tish is known for her detailed world-building and magic-laced stories. Her work has been compared to Nora Roberts, Sam Cheever, and Charlaine Harris. She has received a RONE Award nomination (Reward of Novel Excellence), as well as nominations for Best Cover, Reader’s Choice, and Author of the Year (Fantasy, Dystopian, Mystery).
Tish has worked as a computer consultant, photographer, and graphic designer, and is a columnist for Gliterary Girl media and has bylines in RT Magazine and Literary Lunes Magazine. She resides in Arizona with her husband and three wonderful children and is represented by Gandolfo, Helin, and Fountain Literary Management.
You can find Tish on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorTishThawer
A common FAQ: "How do you pronounce her last name?"
Answer: Think "Bower" or "Thow-er". It's Persian!

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Release Blitz: Reunited




Title: Reunited
Series: Rescued Hearts #2
Author: Felice Stevens
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: January 31, 2017

Blurb
Ryder Daniels and Jason Mallory seem to have it all but even the most loving marriage takes work. Ryder's past leads him to remain silent yet resentful in the face of conflict while Jason strives to prove he can take care of his family without Ryder's wealth, even if it costs him precious time with his husband and daughter.

When a devastating illness leaves them shaken and helpless, Ryder is forced to face the one person he never thought to see again with a life or death request that even he isn't sure will be granted, but his decisions have far-reaching consequences. Believing he and Ryder have no secrets, Jason is distraught to discover otherwise, revealing yet another crack in their once-perfect relationship.

Adrift and uncertain, both struggle to hold onto a love previously thought unshakable. A forbidden past is exposed, shocking Ryder to the core, but it means little without Jason by his side. Marriage is a true partnership and both men must learn that only by working through their pain and heartbreak together can they achieve a lifetime of love.



Purchase Links
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
KOBO / iBOOKS


Excerpt

“Daddy!” 

Four-year-old Gemma’s plaintive cry split the night. Ryder squinted at the glowing numbers on the digital clock next to his bed. Three a.m. Shit. Nothing good ever happened at this hour of the night, or morning, if he wanted to get technical. Maybe it was a bad dream, even though Gemma rarely woke up at night anymore. 

He settled down beneath the warmth of the comforter, preparing to fall back asleep. Jason moved closer to him, and Ryder slid his foot down Jason’s calf, relishing the scrape of his hairy leg. As long as he was up, it shouldn’t be a total loss. Ryder kissed Jason’s naked shoulder and licked up his strong neck, the steady pulse of life quickening beneath his lips. Jason’s sighs spurred him on, and Ryder smiled to himself, unsure whether his husband was fully awake, but that didn’t stop him from palming Jason’s ass and giving it a hard squeeze. 

“Daddy, please. Come.” 

Damn. No use. Fully awake now, Ryder slid out of bed, immediately missing Jason’s solid heat. Longingly he gazed back down at him splayed out in the center of the bed and shook his head with dismay. The man worked too damn hard. Jason had collapsed after they put Gemma to sleep the night before, barely able to stifle his yawns long enough to eat dinner. Mallory Brothers Construction had taken off in the past few years, and though Jason and Liam had hired several other architects and construction engineers to help alleviate the load of work they took on, Jason still tried to be as hands-on as possible. He and Ryder had numerous discussions about his long hours and how they kept him from being home with Gemma, but Jason insisted his presence was necessary, and Ryder backed off, unwilling to argue about it. 

The past few weeks, Ryder tried to push dinner later and later, but Gemma had fallen asleep at the dinner table too many times for that to remain feasible. He loved the quiet times at night when they’d sit together and he’d read her a bedtime story, but Ryder missed having Jason beside him, sharing those special moments. The last thing Ryder wanted was for Jason to work so hard he missed Gemma’s childhood; his own father had missed his and Landon’s childhoods by burying himself in his work. Ryder wouldn’t allow Jason to do that, but he had to find a way to tell Jason without him getting upset. 

“What’s wrong?” Jason mumbled, his face buried in the pillow. “I had a dream someone was copping a feel.” He turned his cheek on the pillow and mustered a tired smile. “Thought I was gonna get lucky.” 

“You were about to, but Gemma woke up before I could make your dreams come true. Go back to sleep, babe.” Ryder leaned down to kiss Jason’s stubble-rough cheek. “She probably had a bad dream.” 

“Mmm. Well, hurry back. I was dreaming of the beach, and you were my hot cabana boy.” He wiggled his ass. “I’m ready for my massage.”

Ryder snorted and rolled his eyes. “You’re insane.” But he couldn’t help kissing Jason’s smooth shoulder again. “Be right back,” he whispered against Jason’s skin, but all he received was an answering sleepy sigh.

Also Available

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
KOBO / iBOOKS

 Author Bio
I have always been a romantic at heart. I believe that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending around the corner, my characters have to work for it, however. Like life in NYC, nothing comes easy and that includes love.

I live in New York City with my husband and two children and hopefully soon a cat of my own. My day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of red wine. I practice law but daydream of a time when I can sit by a beach somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there is bound to be a few bumps along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.

Author Links
FACEBOOK READER GROUP / TUMBLR
PINTEREST / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM

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Release Blitz: Gutted




Title: Gutted
Series: Torn #5
Author: A.F. Crowell
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Release Date: January 31, 2017

Blurb
KILLING THE LIE


Barb and Viper had an explosive relationship from the moment they met. She looked past his MC affiliation and saw through his rough and possessive exterior. Then she fell. Hard. Just as she let down the wall around her heart, he was gone. It's taken her nearly two years to feel human again, and she's barely recovered. 

Cole Ellett, road name Viper, is back. But his lies remain. Never a member of an outlaw MC. Never murdered. Undercover for the Department of Homeland Security, his job forced him to disappear. But now he's back for Barb, who is everything he’s ever desired. No matter that his life is still in danger and that their relationship was like a house built on sand. No matter that she’s locked her heart away for good. He will reignite her spark and bring back the fire that burns only for him. Theirs is a love that will never die.



Purchase Links
AMAZON US / UK


Excerpt
“Right. Remind me to ask about that later. I’m gonna go try to talk to Barb,” I said as I practically leaped from the chair and bounded up the first and second flight of wooden stairs.

“Good luck,” Jaxon muttered on my way out.

I was going to need all the luck I could get.

Once I reached the master bedroom on the third floor, I looked across the room at the closed white door leading to the bathroom. My heavy boots betrayed my attempt at being quiet. As I stilled, I could hear a low, deep growl coming from the other side of the door.

Fuck. He was in there with her.

“Who’s out there?” She asked through the wooden door.

“Babe, it’s me,” I replied and the growling got a little louder.

“I told Lei I didn’t want to see you. Leave. Me. Alone.”

“You know I’m not gonna do that. I’ve waited almost two years to see you. Hold you. Feel your hair between my fingers. I need you to at least let me try to explain. Please, baby.” Yeah, I was groveling. I would have gotten down on my knees and kissed her feet if that’s what it took. Anything for a chance.

“Leave Cole. There’s nothing you could say to me right now that’ll make me change my mind,” she sobbed and the rift in my chest widened a little more.

“Please, Barbara. I’ll stay out here and explain. You don’t have to see me, just give me a chance. I didn’t have a choice. I was under orders.”

“No, you’re not listening. You don’t get a chance to explain why you left me, or a chance to explain why you allowed me to think that you were dead. You don’t get a fucking chance to tell me why you let me grieve you for a year and eight months. Fuck you, Cole. You don’t get a chance. Now leave me the fuck alone or so help me God, I’ll open this damn door and let the dog out.” The fire in her voice shot straight to my cock. Fuck me, she was hot when she was pissed.

I was quiet for minute and waited for her anger to fade. My girl would get mad fast then soften a little. I knew she was trying to cover.

Even though I couldn’t see the hurt, I could hear it. Her cries and gasps for air damn near killed me. Maybe she did need more time than I was willing to give her.

“I know you’re still there, Cole. Please,” she sniffled as her breath hitched, “please just leave. I can’t deal with you right now.”

Her words were like a sharpened Ka-Bar to the heart. They opened me up and drained every drop of blood coursing through my veins.

In all of my preparation for this day, I never imagined it would be this awful.

She fucking hated me.

Also Available

AMAZON US / UK


AMAZON US / UK


AMAZON US / UK


AMAZON US / UK
B&N / SMASHWORDS

Author Bio

A.F. Crowell lives in Charleston, SC with her husband and two sons. They have two dogs, Diesel, a German Shepherd rescue and Dez, a black Labrador Retriever. She shares her love of books with her children, who have a head start on becoming life-long readers.

Romance fiction hit her radar when her husband forced her to watch Twilight one weekend when they were snowed in. That was it! From there her love grew; Contemporary Romance, Paranormal, YA and Dystopian are her preferred reads.

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