Thursday, May 31, 2018

#Dust Off Your Bookshelf

Dust off your Bookshelf was originally created to share books that have been on my “to read pile” for a long time. Some so long I’ve forgotten that they are there, and have purchased duplicate copies. Each week I will share on my blog as well as Instagram a new title. Some may be newer and some so old I have forgotten they are there. I do have issues with buying books and never reading them. I’m hoping that by share them I will be motivated to read them. Plus it’s always fun to find new books hiding within the bookshelves. Feel free to join in and share on Instagram or your blog. Just let me know so I can check out your choice this week too. Just use #DustOffYourBookshelf

New Year all new books to read on my dusty shelf. I have a slight one-click problem which keeps my shelves full of dusty books. This year I hope to read more of them. 

I read this one back in high school when it was new. Christopher Pike was one of my favorite horror writers when I was a teenager. I have most of his book in one form or another on my shelf and figured it would be fun to dust one of my favorites from the 90's. Decided that I might have Fall right into it today. I've baked some yummy cinnamon apple sourdough and have hot coffee. 

My book choice this week: 
Fall Into Darkness 
by Christopher Pike 
Add to (Goodreads)

Opening Lines
The trial was for murder. Sharon McKay stands accused. She was supposed to have killed a girl named Ann Rice.  

Synopsis
The trial is for murder. Ann Rice is dead. Her best friend, Sharon McKay, stands accused. But there is no body. And the three witnesses to the crime only heard what happened, and did not see it. Nevertheless, the prosecution is almost certain of victory. Ann was alone in the dark with Sharon on top of the cliff when Ann fell the 500 feet into the torrential river that claimed her life. There was only one route leading to the cliff, and all the witnesses can remember hearing the girls arguing before the fall occurred. Sharon's only defense is that Ann committed suicide. But everyone who knew Ann, including Sharon, said she was not the suicidal type.

And they were right.

Ann was much more than suicidal.

She was obsessed. 
Feel free to dig through your shelves and share what you find. 
Please leave a comment telling me where I can check it out.

Book Blitz: Pink Slips



Pink Slips 
Emma J. Wolfe 
Publication date: Summer 2018 (relaunch)
Genres: Adult, Romance

Happily married and the head of a prestigious ad agency’s venture capital division, Hope Hunter has it all. Then, disaster strikes as an attack on her reputation ends her marriage and puts her career in jeopardy.
Hurting and still recovering from a whirlwind affair with a man who reveals an unforgivable secret, Hope flees Chicago for London, England. There, she tries to pull herself together and decide what, if anything, of her old life is worth fighting for.
They say you can’t have it all, and the events of the last few months seem to be trying to prove that. Hope’s not ready to give up, however. After all, where is it written that a woman must choose between passionate love and an exciting career?
A story about beating the odds, Pink Slips is the first installment in Emma J. Wolfe’s Hope Hunter Chronicles.

EXCERPT:
The next morning, she awoke with an odd feeling of vigor and excitement. Somehow the turn of events made her happy. How that could be, she was not sure, but she felt inspired—hopeful—in a way she had not for so long. Finally, she would be free of David; he would no longer abuse her emotionally. Her future was ahead of her. Her marriage was over…but so was a caging relationship that kept her from real happiness. Being alone would be better than being with him. She was about to launch one of the most successful new companies focused on the new condition of a contemporary woman. She would bring a voice to so many. She would channel her pain into helping others—and maybe even herself. And now, thankfully, David had cheated, and so she didn’t have to. She could escape and be free—free to live and to love.
She wore her favorite blue Armani suit that day with beautiful nude pumps and a matching Valentino handbag. She piled on as much eye serum as she could to hide the evidence of the tears and shame from the night before. She wasn’t sure if she should go home first or not, but she decided not was a better answer. She threw all her things in the trunk of her car, unsure where she would spend the night but certain today would bring something new and better. I have my courage and conviction. I have me, Hope, she thought. No pun intended.
Today, she thought, would change everything.

Author Bio:
Emma J. Wolfe is a technology entrepreneur and attorney. She is currently working on the second installment of the Hope Hunter Chronicles, Southern Life.
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Release Tour: LEGENDS: CATORI

It’s hard to keep secrets in a small town…. 
Out June 2nd – The first in a new Paranormal Romance series from Maggie Adams – Legends: Catori!
Follow the tour and enter to #win a beautiful owl necklace!
Title: Legends: Catori
Author: Maggie Adams
Series: Legends
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: June 2, 2018

Blurb: 

It’s hard to keep secrets in a small town…

It’s even harder to keep a secret that could expose not only your family, but an entire species. That’s what Frankie Cavanaugh must do. As the daughter of the leader of the Wisdom Council, it’s up to her to step into her father’s shoes until another leader is chosen.
It’s also up to her to continue her lineage within the species. 
She wants to do neither. She considers the shifter gene a curse rather than a gift, robbing her of a normal life. Unfortunately, the Council doesn’t see it that way and is determined to wed her to their next leader – by force, if necessary.
Tanner Coalson is fresh out of college and ready to tackle whatever life has in store for him. First item on his to-do list is marrying the woman he has loved for years. He knows Frankie will baulk at the notion because she’s fifteen years older and was his childhood sitter. He’s no longer a young boy, but a man who is determined to win her heart, and he is prepared to do just that.
But convincing her they are destined to be together gets much harder when she is kidnapped by an old enemy. In order to survive, Frankie may have to reveal her secret, and Tanner may have to accept what seems impossible, or reject the love of his life.

Find out more at: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Prologue Excerpt:
Talon Cavanaugh stood on the grassy knoll above the cemetery, watching the procession as it wound through the cracked tombstones to the final resting place of the Wisdom Council’s leader, Leonard Cavanaugh. He smiled in satisfaction as the urn was laid into the dirt pit next to where his human wife would someday reside. Soon, he thought, soon all would be in place and he could claim his birthright. 
“Son, I know how much you loved your uncle. Are you sure you don’t want to go down and join in the ceremony?” his father asked. 
Well, the man he had called ‘father’ for most of his life, inquired. It was only on his mother, Sylvia’s, death bed, that Talon had learned the truth. He was the son of Leonard Cavanaugh, the owl leader of the Wisdom Council, who had died never knowing he had fathered a son. Sylvia had wanted to ensure the bloodline stayed pure when it became apparent that the old fool was planning to wed that woman, Paige, an inferior human. Sylvia had slipped a potion into his wine as the family celebrated her engagement to the leader’s brother, Lester, Talon’s assumed father.  Leonard Cavanaugh had mated with Sylvia that night, the potion making him hallucinate that he was with his beloved Paige.  Sylvia’s plan worked, and she gave birth to Talon, who was a pureblood shifter, keeping the bloodline intact.
Glancing over his shoulder, Talon shook his head in the negative at Lester. He had no need to go down there. He was the true heir to the leadership position of the Council. He knew the death procedure -  one year of grieving for the widow and the family. He looked to Frankie Cavanaugh. She was a beautiful woman, despite her human blood. Her red hair glowed like flames in the sunlight. She was appropriately dressed in black, her cultural brooch, made of gold and the feathers of her father, pinned to her breast. She was crying quietly into a handkerchief, hugging her mother, in solace. It was almost a pity she would have to die, but there could only be one true leader.
And that position would be filled by him.
About Maggie Adams:

Maggie Adams is an Amazon Best Selling contemporary romance author. Her first book in the Tempered Steel Series, Whistlin’ Dixie, debuted in Amazon’s Top 100 for Women’s Fiction, humor, on November, 2014. Since then, she has consistently made the Amazon best seller 5-star list with Leather and Lace, Something’s Gotta Give, and Love, Marriage & Mayhem. She is also the recipient of the Dayreader Review’s Best New Series Award for 2015. Her series has launched the tiny town of Grafton, Illinois, into International recognition with sales in Mexico, Ireland, Scotland, Australia and the UK.



Back home, she resides in the Midwest, with her high school sweetheart, Ned, and their children, Katie (Kyle) and Ross (Valerie) and first granddaughter, Lorelei, otherwise known as “The Boss”

You can connect with her online at: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest | BookBub
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Book Blitz: Hands of the Colossus



Hands of the Colossus: A Steampunk Space Opera Adventure 
Nicole Grotepas 
(A Holly Drake Job, #2)
Publication date: May 31st 2018
Genres: Adult, Science Fiction, Steampunk

One massive shadow organization. One bad ass heroine.
Holly Drake just wants a simple thing–to destroy the Shadow Coalition and the evil at the heart of their business. Using tip-offs from the secretive government official pulling her strings, Holly and her crew swoop in, break up the cash drops and steal the money. If one or two baddies die on accident, no big loss. Right? Holly could do this forever, picking the Coalition apart till not even bones remain.
Until someone goes missing. In that moment, everything changes.
To save the victim, Holly and her team will put everything on the line to penetrate the mysterious Shadow Coalition and stab at their enigmatic leadership: the Hands who protect the Heart. Treacherous journeys across the 6-moon system in space-zeppelins, dangerous infiltrations of the Coalition, bartering with thieves, and relying on the seedy underbelly of the 6-moons. Anything it takes.
But … is the whole set up a trap? How many snares will Holly and her crew have to spring to the save just one victim?
This is Holly Drake and her crew of thieves. If they have to, they’ll go into the hornet’s nest to get the job done. But will it be their final job?
The Hands of the Colossus features a snarky, strong, bad ass heroine fighting against the odds to save the helpless.
If you don’t like seeing a woman experience self-doubt, overcome obstacles, and then dominate, this book is not for you.
Love strong female leads, an entertaining cast of characters, and adventure? Then grab your copy today!
EXCERPT:
“What do you think, Trip?” Holly Drake asked. She glanced at the pilot of the ship the SC Olavia Apollo. The female was a Centau, which Holly would have never imagined using in her life. However, tech genius crew-member Darius had sworn that she wouldn’t compromise the operation and turn over their illegal activities to the Centau leadership. Despite his scoundrel ways, Darius had proven himself enough that Holly trusted him. “Can you do it?”
The Centau turned to the stare at Holly, where she sat in the co-pilot seat, and smirked. “‘Think I can do it?’ What sort of question do you ask me, Drake?”
“A nervous question. I hate space-flight.”
“Yes. So you’ve said. Repeatedly.” Trip’s dark gaze flickered over Holly’s face, then went back to the monitor.
Charly was already suited up in the air-lock and waiting, while Odeon was strapped in behind Holly, humming. This mission wasn’t the sort that lent itself to drinking for nerves. Was it a terrible thing to ask her Druiviin friend that he hum to help her through the ordeal?
Probably. But there weren’t a lot of options at the moment.
“You needn’t worry the least. Centau ships are the most advanced in the known galaxies. He’s mapping the gravity of this misshapen moon as we approach for landing. It won’t even be rough. And I will have very little to do with the actual landing. It is in the hands of the Olavia Apollo’s AI.” Trip gestured at the video image of the moon on the monitor as they approached.
It was a small one, indeed. Around seven and a half miles at its longest and as lumpy as a potato-tuber hybrid. Darkness and unfiltered sunlight gave the moon’s surface relief, revealing its pockmarks, scars, and vast gouges. There were several transponders attached to the surface. These transponders were what had brought Holly and her team to the small moon in the first place.
Holly held her breath as their ship, in some mysterious advanced physics and engineering, slowed upon nearing the touchdown. A low noise began suddenly, whining through the background sounds of the ship’s systems. Holly looked around, panic rising as the danger seemed to grow.
“What is that?” she whispered, clutching the hard cushion of the edge of her seat.
A calming violet hand appeared on her shoulder. She could see it in her peripheral vision.
“It is you, Holly Drake,” Odeon said. There was a song in his voice, and a slight tone of humor. “Peace. You are nervous. All will be fine.”
Trip’s gaze was also on Holly.
“Shouldn’t you be watching this landing?” There was a definite edge in Holly’s tone. No peace at all.
“The AI. If I interfere, I could ruin the landing. Olavia Apollo has it.” Trip nodded at the sleek control board. “Don’t worry.”
The first time they’d ridden with Trip, Holly had expected wood, brass, and a large steering wheel—like the space zeppelins. Not at all what she found. Instead the small space cruiser was something right out of the future. Trip barely even piloted it.
That didn’t stop the Centau from wearing a white jumpsuit with patches on the upper arms and a pair of goggles with amber tinted lenses. Right now the eye-pieces were on top of Trip’s ivory stubble-covered head as she watched the surface of the moon float toward their ship on the video image on the screen.
“What is it you want to do with the transponders?” Trip asked. She watched the video footage onscreen as they moved closer to the surface.
A knot tightened in Holly’s gut. Her stomach stretched taut. Her shoulders arched back against her seat slightly. Odeon’s hand burned through her jacket, seeming to heat up as the tension tore through her body. She wasn’t sure what she feared—crashing too hard into the unforgiving surface of the moon or their ship ripping apart and sending them all careening into the void of space, like flecks of ice off one of the un-terraformed ice moons of Ixion. The one they were about to land on was one of the few asteroid-like moons, and therefore peppered with transponders on all sides, repeating audio and video signal through the 6-moon system.
If Odeon’s hand hadn’t been there, if Odeon’s low song hadn’t been worming its way into her ears, digging deep into her brain, pirouetting across her neurons like an ancient earth-ballet dancer, soothing her like a pied-piper of lore, Holly knew that she would have been nothing more than a puddle of adrenalin, dispersed through the low-G-interior of the ship, floating around like rain drops.
She did not like space-flight.
The ship balanced, thrusters fired, a harpoon-like anchor ejected and tethered their ship to the rock and they connected with the moon in a light thud, touching down.

Author Bio:
I'm passionate about human rights, animal rights, and living life with no regrets. I love how becoming a parent has deepened my devotion to making the world a better place. I do that best by crafting stories that attempt to answer hard questions--the ones I think about most--while also being entertaining and fun. I live in a landscape that reminds me of my place in the universe, under an endless sky and towering mountains that are older than human memory, and I love it here.
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RELEASE BLITZ PACKET - Cheat Codes




Title: Cheat Codes
A Dawson Family Series Novel
Author: Emily Goodwin
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 31, 2018

Blurb
Archer has always wanted what he can’t have—Quinn Dawson. Since the moment he saw her, he’s been denying his feelings for her, ignoring the void in his heart he knows only she can fill.

Everything about them was wrong, the kind of wrong that felt so right. But none of it mattered. Not the terrible timing. And definitely not the mess it would create if Archer made a move on his best friend’s baby sister.

It was supposed to be one night, but one night is all it takes to make everything more complicated, and they only have nine short months to sort it all out.

No, none of it mattered. Until it did.
Purchase Links
99c for a limited time
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Playlist
Imagine Dragons - Whatever It Takes
Campsite Dream - Beautiful Mistake
Ariana Grande - No Tears Left to Cry
David Guetta/Sia - Flames
Selena Gomez - Back To You
Zedd/Maren Morris/Grey - The Middle
Bon Jovi - Livin’ On A Prayer

Excerpt
Those little bitty shorts ride up her tight ass as she walks. I want to put my hands on it. Press my cock up against it as I kiss her neck, gathering her hair into one hand and move it over her shoulder.
I swallow hard. I can’t think like that. Not here. Not now.
Not ever.
“Are you done?” Quinn puts one hand on her hip and for a split second I think she knows what I’m thinking.
“Yeah,” I say, picking up my last piece of bacon. I pop it in my mouth and stand, bringing my plate over to the sink. Quinn takes it from me and bends over to let the dogs lick the remnants of eggs. Her ass is in the air right in front of me, and I wonder if she’s doing it on purpose to get a rise out of me.
Because she is, and I have to change my stance thanks to my hardening cock.
“Quinn,” I start, not sure what to say, but I have to say something. “We should talk.”
“About what?” She straightens up and rounds on me, crossing her arms. Her eyes meet mine, drilling in with an intensity I’ve never seen from her. She has little flecks of blue in her brilliant green irises that I haven’t noticed before.
I move closer, stepping over Boots. If I say it now, there will be no more wondering. No more waiting. She’ll either take me or leave me, but at least I’ll know. I can kiss her now or move on. Somehow, someway.
It’s not hard. All I have to do is open my mouth and let the words come out, speaking with unwavering vehemence as I tell her how I feel.
Yet, I can’t.
Standing here looking at Quinn, with her messy hair, thick sweater hiding her perfect tits, and dogs circling around her feet in hopes of more food, I feel more nervous that I did the first time I stood in front of a patient on the operating table with a scalpel in my hand.
“Archer?”
“Your wrist. How’s your wrist?”
“My wrist?” she questions, nostrils flaring. She lets out a sigh and picks up the plate the dogs licked clean. “Same as yesterday. I ordered a posture brace on Amazon to help with my shoulder pain, not that you care.”
I’d offer to massage her shoulders, but the moment my hands land on her back, all bets are off.
Suddenly, Quinn advances. She’s inches away, arms crossed tightly over her chest and head tipped up to mine.
“That’s not what you wanted to talk about.” She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and cocks her head. “Is it?”
“Quinn.”
“Don’t Quinn me, Archer Jones. You know as well as I do you weren’t going to talk to my about my wrist.” She lets out a frustrated breath and lets her arms fall to the sides. Her fingers brush against me, and my skin feels electric just from that small touch.
Goddammit.
“But fine. I’ll play that game. Here.” She holds up her hand. “Examine me, doctor.”
Her words are meant to mock, but they do the opposite. I’ll examine every inch of her body. Twice. Three times. Just to be certain nothing was missed.
I take her wrist and tug her forward, knocking her off balance so she falls against me, both her hands flat on my chest. I slip my other hand around her waist, stopping at the small of her back. Quinn’s lips part and she gasps.
Instead of struggling to get away, she relaxes in my arms, and nothing has ever felt more right.
Even though this is wrong.
Quinn is in my arms, back arched and tits against my chest. My cock is hard, pulsing against the confines of my jeans. Thunder booms above and Quinn shivers.
“Do you still want to talk?” My voice is gruffer than I intend, but the harshness does something for Quinn. She slides her hands up my chest and around my shoulders.
“There are other things I’d rather do,” she says, voice breathy. Fuck. She’s killing me. She brushes her hips against mine, feeling my erection through my pants. “And I think you would too.”
I do. I so fucking do and she knows it.
“Archer,” she says softly and hearing her whisper my name is almost enough to make me come right then and there. I slowly bring my face down to hers. I’m going to kiss her. After all this time, it’s finally fucking happening.


Author Bio
Emily Goodwin is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of over a dozen of romantic titles. Emily writes the kind of books she likes to read, and is a sucker for a swoon-worthy bad boys and happily ever afters.

She lives in the midwest with her husband and two daughters. When she's not writing, you can find her riding her horses, hiking, reading, or drinking wine with friends.

Emily is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency.

Author Links

RELEASE BLITZ PACKET - True North




Title: True North
Series: Bad Idea Series #3
Author: Nicole French
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 31, 2018

Blurb

They said I was a bad idea. Poor. Violent. Criminal. 

They said I’d amount to nothing, and I believed them too. 

Until I met her.



Layla saved me from my worst, but sacrificed her best to do it. Now the tables have turned, and it's time for me to bring her back to the land of the living.

But I might be too late.  

Because sometimes our worst demons are those we never expect. And sometimes getting rid of them isn’t a choice at all. 

The odds have always been against us, but this time is different. But how can I be her true north if I'm still finding my own direction? I'll never know if I don't try. And one thing's for sure: I'll try anything for her.
Purchase Links
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Also Available
FREE!!!
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU



AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited


Author Bio

Nicole French is an East Coast/West Coast hybrid creature, Springsteen fanatic, hopeless romantic, and complete and total bookworm. When not writing or teaching about writing, she is hanging out with her family, playing soccer with the rest of the thirty-plus crowd in Seattle, or going on dates with her husband. In her spare time, she likes to go running with her dog, Greta, or practice the piano, but never seems to do either one of these things as much as she should.

Author Links