Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Finally Found


 
Where one story ends, often another begins. For some reason, Adam Davenport can’t see past the ending. The hit and run has forced him to slow down and stop running from the pain of losing his parents. He has tried to hide behind meaningless, superficial relationships and even more shallow friendships, but the time has come to face his loneliness. Now he is finally ready to start being a family with his brother Sam. However, Sam and Haley, who was once Sam’s personal assistant, are too busy basking in their newfound love. Though breaking the rules for the first time ever has changed Sam’s life for the better, Adam has always broken the rules, strayed from responsibility, and done as little as he could get away with. One of the main reasons that he refused to believe that Cammie was more than friend material was because she was impervious to his charms. She was so driven and determined to make her new catering company a success that she couldn’t see past her own dreams. Suddenly, Adam found himself behaving in ways he never imagined. He was working to impress a woman, but more than that, he was working to help make her dreams come true. He soon realizes that there are times in life when giving is more important than taking and when helping someone else is more important than what that person can do to reciprocate. He also learns there are times that the biggest risk is to stop hiding from emotions and to start allowing love to finally be found. 3 of 5 stars false1/2 



Q&A With Nicole

When you write does inspiration hit you all at once or does it come in spurts?
Inspiration, in my case, tends to come in spurts. All of a sudden, I’ll start playing with some ideas, so I write them down, and take enough notes that they still make sense to me when I finally arrive at that scene. I stick them at the end of the word doc and add them in as I get there. It may be confusing, but it makes sense to me. Plus, I get this feeling of accomplishment when everything gets all caught up.
What are the eleven Margaritavilles you have left to visit?
I just took a look at the website. Jimmy has been busy. When I first started this quest, Margaritavilles were in the Caribbean and a few oceanfront and tropical touristy locations. Now, it looks like they are in malls and everywhere. So, I’m going to share the locations I still want to visit, the original places that really scream Margaritaville, like the three in Jamaica: Ocho Rios, Negril, and Montego Bay; the few in Florida: Panama City, Orlando, Key West, Cancun and Grand Cayman. By the time you read this, I hope to have been to Grand Turk.
Do you need to read Sam’s story before you read Finally Found You or are they independent books?
It’s best to read Sam’s story in Hiding Out before reading Finally Found. That’s why I decided to create the package book. Those who haven’t read either can buy both together at a discount. There are only the two books so there’s no cliffhanger.
What authors have influenced your work?
I am ashamed to admit that prior to publishing, I had never really read any Indie authors. As a traditionally educated college grad, I had been trained that the Indie books were lesser works than those traditionally published. While that is true in some cases, I have discovered that such a blanket theory doesn’t apply to the community as a whole. So, my influences were more romance authors like Janet Evanovich, Christine Feehan, Christina Dodd, and Jennifer Crusie. Now, however, I am more influenced by JB McGee, Katie Ashley, and Nicole Edwards.
Favorite book you have read this year so far?
Hmmm. There are no true favorites yet this year. I haven’t had the opportunity to read for pleasure. It’s all been for review or editing for others. The last book I read and couldn’t put down, however, was Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. Brilliant. Seriously twisted. It had stayed with me.

 

Review

****This book was part of a blog tour I received an uncorrected ARC and based my review on storyline alone.****

Adam has spent most of his life as a playboy, after being in a coma and then living with his brother Sam while recovering, he realizes that there is more to life than partying and sleeping around. When Sam and Haley hire a nurse for Adam and take him back to his place on his birthday, Adam decides to take off. He asks Cammie to drive him and the two of them go to his families Hampton home. He wants Cammie to stay so he offers to help her get her catering business off the ground and the two of them spend the time between fighting their attraction, moments between the sheets, denying their emotions and trying to get Cammies business started. Can a playboy really be reformed and can Cammie really trust that he has when she has personally been a witness to the women he has picked up and left? This was such a cute story, Cammie was a strong woman, I loved how she didn't shy away from anything, when she wanted something she went for it. Adam went from being a good time playboy to a man trying to prove himself, it was interesting and at times amusing to watch. The storyline itself was not very original, kinda Cinderella/pretty woman, but the author did such a great job of writing it that she owned it, she added little things here and there that made stand out. Finally Found is a good lazy day read to pick up and just relax with. 

 Tasty Book Tours

Freaky Flashes



Death Day Anniversary by Lee Brazil 
A newcomer to town follows urban legend to the cemetery- is he a willing sacrifice, or an unfortunate dupe? 
The Sum of His Parts by Hank Edwards Scott Tallow awakens in a hospital, stitches holding him together. As a handsome doctor helps him heal, Scott comes to realize he's not quite himself. 
Writing is a Socially Acceptable Form of Schizophrenia by Havan Fellows 
Almost everyone has an interesting story to tell. I've got numerous—and they've declared war against me. 
 That Special Feeling by Raven McAllan
 Can you carve your future happiness in a pumpkin?
Andrew Calls the Dead by Dianne Hartsock
 Love is powerful, but is it strong enough to raise the dead?
 Make me a Sandwich by Lee Brazil
 When his roommate is away, distraction is just a horror movie away for Gregory...until the things that go bump in the night take over. 
Destiny by Doris O'Connor
 Can Arabella reach sanctuary, or will her dreams become reality? 
Spin the Bottle by Raven McAllan 
Aeons ago, Attric had been banished in disgrace. Halloween gave him the chance to redeem himself. Would he? Or was he doomed to live in a bottle forever? 
The Birthday by Dianne Hartsock 
Every birthday Cyrus visits the dance clubs with a surprise for the young men. This year, the tables are turned. 
Strength's Curse by S.J. Thomas 
Hunted through the night by a terrifying creature a young girl refuses to give up, but her strength will be her curse.
Reaping Darkness by Jamieson Wolf
As a new Reaper of Souls, Kale knows who Death is. He just isn't used to Death showing up in his dreams. When he does, Kale learns that attraction, even in dreams, can be very real indeed... 
The Fog by Lee Brazil 
Starting afresh in a new home in the valley should have helped Jeff leave memories of his lost love behind. Instead his dreams are filled with a passion that is terrifying in the light of day.
In the Shadows by Dianne Hartsock 
He waits in the shadows; silent, hungry. Careful! He might be watching you.

Excerpt
 
Death Day Anniversary by Lee Brazil

His squirming movements created unbearable friction, and I traced a hand down the tight denim to capture a taut buttock and hold him still against me while I thoroughly explored the wet cavern he’d granted me access to.
I drew away and stared down at him. “I wanted to do that the first moment I saw you at my resting place.”
Awakening at moonrise to find such a tempting morsel in my tomb had been a delicious surprise. His flight across the graveyard had been invigorating.
“Yeah.” His breathy agreement made me smile again
 

Author Bios and Links 

Lee Brazil: I'm an avid reader and former teacher of grammar and composition who believes that falling in love is the grandest adventure anyone can have. In a nutshell, that's every story I have to tell.
Relocating from the crazy pace of life in Southern California's Orange County to the beautiful and leisurely atmosphere of the Illinois countryside has given me the time to indulge the desire to write, which I'd set aside when I started teaching fourteen years ago. Readers can find out more about me and my writing by visiting my blog, Lee's Musings, or finding me on Facebook. Feel free to drop me a line at lee.brazil@ymail.com.
Lee Brazil Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/leebrazil/

Hank Edwards: Hank Edwards is a member of the Story Orgy writer's group and posts free m/m stories on his blog every Monday morning at www.hankedwardbooks.com/blog. His published titles include the first book of his Venom Valley Series, the self-published cowboy/vampire/zombie mash-up Bounty, as well as the Charlie Heggensford series, Fluffers, Inc., A Carnal Cruise, and the Lambda Literary Award Finalist Vancouver Nights, all available from Lethe Press. He has also published three books through Loose Id: the romantic suspense thriller Holed Up, the time travel romance Destiny's Bastard, and the contemporary romantic comedy Plus Ones. Dozens of his short stories have been published in a variety of erotic magazines and anthologies, some of the most recent collections being Frat Boys from Cleis Press and Bear Lust and Tales from the Den from Bear Bones Books. Hank lives in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, with his partner of more than 15 years and their two cats, who rule their lives with iron paws. Find out more at www.hankedwardsbooks.com.
Hank Edwards Twitter: https://twitter.com/hanksbooks
Hank Edwards Website: http://hankedwardsbooks.com/

Havan Fellows: Something about me? Hmm…well I'm a mild mannered person with an imagination that makes me blush, and I'm itching to get under your skin as we speak. I thoroughly love getting lost in a book or two and pray for the day my kiddos or family won't find me there. I write with the group Story Orgy and hope to continue doing so for a long time and I follow my muse where ever he takes me … he hasn't failed me yet! And just like every other red blooded human – I love hearing from people. So feel free to drop me a line – whether it's a comment on my blog, an email, a tweet or you track me down on FaceBook or Google +…it's easy to catch someone who wants to be caught.
I annoy, love, respect, scare, seduce, hurt, anger, infatuate, frustrate, flatter, envy, amuse and tolerate everyone. I just do it better in writing thanks to a little thing called...edits.
Havan Fellows Twitter: https://twitter.com/HavanFellows

Ravan McAllan: Raven lives in Scotland, along with her husband and their two cats—their children having flown the nest—surrounded by beautiful scenery, which inspires a lot of the settings in her books.
She is used to sharing her life with the occasional deer, red squirrel, and lost tourist, to say nothing of the scourge of Scotland—the midge.
A lover of reading, she appreciates the history inside a book, and the chance to peek into the lives of those from years ago. Raven admits that she enjoys the research for her books almost as much as the writing; so much so, that sometimes she realizes she's strayed way past the information she needs to know, and not a paragraph has been added to her WIP.
Ravan McAllan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ravenmcallan
Ravan McAllan Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/ravensramblings/
Ravan McAllan Twitter: https://twitter.com/RavenMcAllan

Dianne Hartsock: After growing up in California and spending the first ten years of marriage in Colorado, I now live in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with my incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours I spend hunched over the keyboard, letting my characters play.
I have to say, Oregon's raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write my slightly twisted tails. There's something about being cooped up in the house while it pours rain outside, a fire crackles on the hearth inside, and a cup of hot coffee warms my hands that kindles my imagination.
The intricate and fragile nature of the mind is always fascinating. Having worked with the public through various careers, I've come to respect the resilience and strength of the human spirit. I'm always trying to capture that spirit in my writing.
Currently I work as a floral designer in a locally owned gift shop, which is the perfect job for me. When not writing, I can express myself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.
My first publication was Shelton in Love from Breathless Press, released May 13th, 2011.
Dianne Hartsock Twitter: https://twitter.com/diannehartsock
Dianne Hartsock Website: http://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/

Doris O’Connor: Glutton for punishment would be a good description for Doris... at least that's what she hears on an almost daily basis when people find out that she has a brood of nine children, ranging from adult to toddler and lives happily in a far too small house, cluttered with children, pets, dust bunnies, and one very understanding and supportive husband. Domestic goddess she is not.

There is always something better to do after all, like working on the latest manuscript and trying not to scare the locals even more than usual by talking out loud to the voices in her head. Her characters tend to be pretty insistent to get their stories told, and you will find Doris burning the midnight oil on a regular basis. Only time to get any peace and quiet and besides, sleep is for wimps.

She likes to spin sensual, sassy, and sexy tales involving alpha heroes to die for, and heroines who give as good as they get. From contemporary to paranormal, BDSM to F/F, and Ménage, haunting love stories are guaranteed.
Doris O’Connor Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/dorisoconnor/
Doris O’Connor Twitter: https://twitter.com/mamaD8
Doris O’Connor Website: http://www.dorisoconnor.com/

S.J. Thomas: I believe in love at first sight and instant attraction. I love strong possessive alpha males and the feisty heroines (or heroes!) who bring them to their knees. I read, write and breathe paranormal romance and erotica with occasional forays into paranormal horror and sci fi. Come find out more with excerpts from my writing together with some fun things on my Facebook Page www.facebook.com/sjthomaswpr or website.
S.J. Thomas Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sjthomaswpr
S.J. Thomas Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sjthomas25/
S.J. Thomas Twitter: https://twitter.com/SJThomas25
S.J. Thomas Website: http://sjthomaswpr.weebly.com/

Jamieson Wolf: Jamieson has been writing since a young age, when he realized he could be writing instead of paying attention in school.
Since then, he has created many worlds in which to experience his fantasies and live out his dreams. He is the author of many best-selling works including Cupid's Delight, Starlight Starbright, and The Awakening. His best-selling Hard Series includes Hard, Hardening, Harder, Hard Glory and Hardest.
He currently lives in Ottawa, Ontario with his his cat, Mave, who thinks she's people.
Jamieson Wolf Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamiesonwolf
Jamieson Wolf Website: http://www.jamiesonwolf.com/
Reading Addiction Blog Tours

Queen's Consort 18+

The Queen’s Consorts. Just laying eyes on one is a death sentence. So when Sari, who spent most of her life on the streets, ends up entangled in a steamy relationship with the two most forbidden men on the planet, she knows it can’t end well. After a brutal attack, Sari’s taken to the Sacred City, exposing her to the secret lives of the Rayians who rule in the long lost queen’s absence. It’s in this darkly sexual world where she first meets the legendary consorts. Too handsome and talented for their own good, Calder and Taryen have learned to trust only each other in order to survive. Bred to be feared warriors and exclusive companions to a queen, instead they’re slaves to other Rayians desires for them. Their brutal lives make the two consorts hesitant to care for Sari when she’s unexpectedly dumped in their laps, but they soon discover she’s different from the cruel women they’re used to serving. Drawn to Sari on a soul deep level, Calder and Taryen can’t seem to stop themselves from going back for one more taste of the beautiful outsider...even when it puts the fate of the entire world in jeopardy.
 Links: Goodreads Amazon Barnes & Noble 









Excerpt
Calder walked back into the room, three female attendants following him. “Come here.”
Sari gasped when he pulled her gently away from Taryen and swept her into his arms as if she weighed nothing to him.
“What’re you doing?” she choked out, the pain still making her vision foggy. “I’m naked.”
Calder rolled his eyes, careless of her being uncomfortable as he walked out of the room he shared with Taryen and down a long, richly decorated hallway. Sari should be more concerned with her nudity in such a public domain, but the pain was making her forget everything. As was Calder’s scent. Like Taryen, he smelled divine.
“You smell good,” she mumbled, not knowing what it was about these two males that left her feeling safe to the point that she trusted them even while naked. She turned her face toward his chest, inhaling deeply. “Different from your lifemate. His scent is more exotic. Yours is a clean, crisp scent—both are nice.”
“We wear different scents,” Calder explained, taking long, fast strides toward his destination, not even sounding winded from her weight. “The attendants try to use oils they feel suit us.”
“They do a good job,” Sari whispered as she focused on the way he smelled, his strong arms holding her, his smooth, tanned skin that felt so good against hers. Calder was an effective distraction from the pain. “I think I’m attracted to you.”
“Very likely,” Calder agreed matter-of-factly. “Most Rayian females are.”
“You sound unhappy about that.” Sari found him unique as well as handsome. “Females are rare. Most males would consider themselves lucky to have such attention.”
“If you say so.” Calder turned around, looking to the attendants and Taryen behind them. “She’ll need something to dull the pain.”
“We brought it, my lord.”
Sari frowned. “I thought the waters—”
“Trust me on this.” Calder winced. “You want something to dull the pain.”
Sari opened her mouth to argue but was hushed by Calder as the attendants opened the doors. He carried her into a room that looked like a large, communal bath. Beautiful pillars and decorative lounge chairs surrounded a massive pool with sloping sides that would be nice to rest against in the water.
One of the attendants leaned over Sari as she rested comfortably in Calder’s arms. “For you, my lady.”
Sari blinked up at the young woman, fighting to keep her face in focus. The scent in the bathing area was aromatic and full of burning leaves like Taryen and Calder’s room. It was a strangely lulling scent, and her eyes felt heavy. Despite the fog to her thinking, Sari refused to open her mouth to the small cup of unknown liquid the pretty attendant was offering.
“It’ll help your pain. You’re gravely injured,” the attendant coaxed when Sari shook her head, refusing the offering.
“I don’t drink strange substances. It could cloud the mind.”
“It does cloud the mind,” Taryen assured her as he brushed her hair tenderly off her forehead. “The waters’ healing is painful when the injuries are grave. Be thankful you can take it.”
Sari stared at Taryen with his dark, soulful eyes that shone with empathy. “Will you protect me while my mind is clouded?” she asked, feeling seduced by his beauty and kind nature. “Will you keep the predators at bay until I can do it myself?”
“There are no predators here, my lady.” Taryen’s voice was entrancing. “But if there were, Calder and I would protect you. We’re well trained to protect the females we serve.”
Sari surprised herself by believing him. She leaned up in Calder’s arms, stifling a scream and choking down the horrid-tasting liquid the attendant held to her lips. “It’s awful.”
“Is it?” Taryen asked curiously, his large hand stroking her hair in a way that was calming.
She squinted at Taryen, who became fuzzy around the edges almost instantly. “You’ve never tasted it?”
“Neither of us have.” Calder pushed past Taryen and walked with Sari toward the pool. “As Taryen said, be thankful you can take it. This is going to be painful. I apologize in advance.”
“Not your fault.” Sari’s tongue felt thick. The drugs were obviously doing their job as her eyes grew heavy. “As long as it doesn’t kill me, I can endure.”
“All right.” Calder waded into the waters with her.
Her feet touched the water first, and she jerked from the searing burn. Her first instinct was to tell him to stop, but she fought the urge to flee, wanting her strength back, even if the healing was agonizing.
“Fast,” she choked, her body stiff not just from the pain but in anticipation of more. “Do it fast. End it now.”
A scream burst out of her when Calder obeyed, dropping down in the water, plunging her into the steaming pool. Her entire body convulsed from the level of pain that seared through her.
“He has to obey you. Your will is his.” Taryen jumped into the waters with them, helping Calder hold on to her as she fought against the torment that was blinding in its intensity. “Breathe, my lady. Long, slow breaths. Listen to my voice and the pain will fade.”
“It’s not fading.” Her attempt at long, slow breaths sounded more like hyperventilating. “I’m dying.”
“No, no, you’re not.” Taryen cupped her face with both hands. He turned her head toward him as she fought to break free of Calder’s strong grip. “You said you trusted me. Hear me when I say you aren’t dying. Just look at me and see the truth of my words.”
Sari panted through the pain, her eyes wide and stunned as it continued to rip through her. She stared at Taryen as instructed, finding that on some level it did help. His eyes were strangely dark, with the irises hard to find even in the brightly lit room. She became entranced, feeling suddenly as if he were some sort of mirage. She stared for several minutes, following his instructions to take concentrated breaths in a long, slow manner.
It worked. The pain started to fade faster than anticipated, though she knew instinctively it was Taryen’s beauty more than his instructions on how to breathe that was distracting her. He was so alluring. Taryen almost radiated with something stronger than good looks. In the distant part of her mind not dazed by drugs and pain, she recognized an oddly healing vitality that seemed to pulse off him. His hands on her cheeks felt warm, as if exuding some sort of restorative life energy.
“The queen is very lucky,” Sari whispered in a heavy voice she didn’t recognize as her own while she studied Taryen. “I’m attracted to you.”
“Thank you.” Taryen’s voice was still soft and hypnotic. “Appealing to you pleases me.”
“It should,” she told him, lifting her eyebrows to emphasize her point. “I’ve never been attracted to a male before. I don’t crave sex—ever.”
“All Rayian females crave sex.” Calder sounded harsh and cynical. “Give yourself time and you’ll catch on.”
“I never crave it. I never even think of it except to avoid it,” Sari explained, feeling too hazy and dazed to argue more than that. “I think it’s you. There’s something strange about both of you.”
“Our life force is bound to the queen,” Taryen explained, his voice making Sari’s eyelids heavier with its lulling pitch. “We naturally release a pheromone designed to entice her. It’s very strong. It appeals to all Rayian females.”
“I don’t understand,” Sari mumbled.
“You don’t have to.” Calder held her tighter, making her feel secure and
protected. “It is us. We apologize if it upsets you. If we could turn it off, we would.”
“It doesn’t upset me.” Sari fell lax in Calder’s arms, and gave up the battle to keep
her eyes open. “It makes me feel sort of nice.”
The water’s healing was no longer painful. It was warm and calming, much like Calder’s arms around her as he waded over to the shallower side of the pool. Then he lay back against one of the sloping sides with her. Taryen’s fingers were still in her hair, stroking it softly away from her face. She hardly noticed the attendants bathing her while she lay in a dazed realm of half sleep, with strong, hard arms shielding her and the smell of burning herbs mixing with the enticing combination of Calder and Taryen.
Feeling comfortable and safe for the first time in her memory, Sari fell into an exhausted, drug-induced sleep nothing could disrupt. Unusual that these two strangers were able to give her that gift when Sari rarely trusted, but Taryen and Calder didn’t feel like strangers. The sleep brought a bizarre clarity that told her on some level her soul knew these males even if they should be completely alien to her. 



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