Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Book Tour: Twain's End by Lynn Cullen


About the Book

Title: Twain’s End
Author: Lynn Cullen
Genre: Historical

Now in paperback for the first time from the national bestselling author of Mrs. Poe, Lynn Cullen, comes TWAIN’S END (Gallery Books; June 7, 2016; Trade Paperback; $16.00), a fictional imagining of America’s iconic writer Mark Twain and the woman who knew him too well.
In March of 1909, Mark Twain cheerfully blessed the wedding of his private secretary, Isabel V. Lyon, and his business manager, Ralph Ashcroft. One month later, he fired both, wrote a ferocious 429-page rant about the pair, and then—with his daughter, Clara Clemens—slandered Isabel in the newspapers, erasing her nearly seven years of devoted service to their family.
In TWAIN’S END, Lynn Cullen “cleverly spins a mysterious, dark, tale” (Booklist) about the tangled relationship between Twain and Lyon. A silenced woman, Isabel’s loyal service and innocence were not enough to combat the slander, and she has gone down in history as the villainess who swindled Twain in his final years. She never rebutted Twain’s claims, never spoke badly of the man she called “The King,” and kept her silence until she died in 1958. How did Lyon go from being the beloved secretary who ran Twain’s life to a woman he was determined to destroy? TWAIN’S END explains.

Author Bio

Lynn Cullen lives in Atlanta surrounded by her large family, and like Mark Twain, enjoys being bossed around by cats. Follow Lynn Cullen on Facebook or visit www.lynncullen.com.  

Links







Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Siren Wakes by J.A. Hayman

 Title: The Siren Wakes
Series: The Sleeper Series #1
By: J.A. Hayman
Publication Date: August 10, 2016
Publisher: Clean Reads
Genre: SciFi/Thriller
Alex wakes in a field with no recollection of how he got there. He is accused of lying about his identity by the police and told his memories are false. He is forced on the run by the corrupt government or face almost certain death. Alex is led on a journey of self discovery, searching for the truth behind the sickness which plagues the country and searching for the truth behind his identity.
Who can you trust.. when you can’t trust yourself?
In the corner of my eye I spotted something behind Terry. There was a man. A man walking by. He looked just like me. It was like looking in a mirror, and my mind struggled to comprehend how this could be possible. He glanced at me before scurrying off into the stairwell. I stood up in a daze and walked to the corridor. Terry protested, but I just ignored him. I reached the empty stairwell perplexed. Feeling inexplicably drawn to the man, I ran out into the stairwell. I felt like I had to find out why he looked just like me; was this some sort of bizarre prank? The man was gone. I looked down the middle of the staircase, but he wasn’t there. I sprinted up the stairs toward the roof, leaving Terry floundering in the stairwell entrance, unsure what to do. My footsteps thudded as I paced upward, anticipating what could be happening, but when I threw open the roof door, I found the roof to be empty. There was no way the man could have gone anywhere else, but he simply wasn’t there. Terry caught up to me. “You...okay there, man?” he said, panting. He wasn’t the most interesting man I knew; however, he was kind, which meant he was decent friend material, not to say I wouldn’t ditch him if someone else swooped into my desolate life. I was confused. I was sure I had seen someone a moment ago, but no one was out on the roof. I gave a nervous laugh, scratching at my palm. “I thought I saw something.” Giving him a meek look, I returned to the stairwell. Maybe I was just tired and seeing things. Could have I fallen asleep for a moment and dreamed it? It’s hard to determine a dream from reality; in a dream everything seems to make sense, only upon waking do you realize the absurdity of it all.
Native to the UK, I was born in the Garden of England in the early 90s. I was creative from a young age, always wrapped up in my own world and fantasies. I was a big reader from a young age, reading Les Miserables and Lord of the Rings while I was still in primary school. I was fortunate enough to be able to travel a lot in my youth, from Hong Kong to Houston I experienced the world and gained a greater perspective of the world outside my small woodland village I grew up in. In secondary school I was told I was too cynical to be a writer and was put off writing for many years. Instead I pursued a degree in Physical Geography, gaining my Masters degree in late 2015. University gave me time to really discover myself as a person. Allowing me to pursue my passions and dreams to their fullest. I want to share my stories and ideas with the world. As a child I hungrily devoured fiction and now I will help feed the minds of others.

Friday, August 26, 2016

Review: Twisted by Lola Smirnova


Twisted 
by 
Lola Smirnova

Inspired by real life events, Twisted is a fascinating story of vulnerability, courage and the art of making a living in the sex trade...

Back in the 90's, the corrupt post-Soviet Ukraine with its faltering economy, is thrown into a devastating depression. Times are hard. Opportunities are scarce. Three young and eager sisters - Natalia, Lena and Julia - dream of a better life and weigh their options: do they stay and struggle like their parents, or join scores of their compatriots in the sex trade in glittering western European cities, who earn in a night what they'd take several months to earn at home? Naive and tempted by the allure of 'quick' money, the girls set off on an adventure that changes their lives forever...

For sensible, resilient and calculating Lena and Natalia, the transition to the underworld of Luxembourg's deceptive champagne bars is eye-opening, but smooth. But for fragile, brittle Julia, haunted by a childhood assault, the change is more than just vocational. Struggling to adapt, she turns to alcohol and drugs, exposing herself to increasing danger and depravity; and, ultimately, betrayal, when a deceitful client, who claims to love her, drugs her and cleans her out.

Despite her sisters' best efforts to intervene, she finds herself in Istanbul - culturally a world apart - in an attempt to make back the money and self-respect she's lost. Vulnerable without the protection of Luxembourg's champagne bars, she descends into a hell of drugs and high-risk sex until, at the novel's terrible climax, a kidnapping, brutal assault and one-sided justice system lead to her imprisonment and a threat of deportation.

How will Natalia and Lena save Julia?

Twisted by Lola Smirnova is a first person tale about a young woman and her sisters working as prostitutes. Julia and her sister are from Ukraine and they travel to other countries to work in hopes of making better money than they were living in their small community. This book is not for the faint of heart.

Chapter one opens with a very descriptive scene of Julia and her client that honestly made me sick to my stomach. The character by no means glamorizes what she does but explains the thoughts on why these girls do what they do in hopes of finding love, freedom and the all mighty dollar. Like the opening chapter, the book is dark, sad and sickening as you travel with Julia and see all that happens to her and the places she goes. There is no fade too black with sex scenes, it is a tell all kind of story. It was well written and full of detail. This is no Pretty Woman where some man is going to fall in love with the girl and save her. This is down and dirty, you need to make some better life choices kind of story.

For me, this was not the kind of book I would pick up and read to escape my day. I admit after reading I realized my life is good and thankfully will never have to live through that kind of a nightmare hellish life. The cover of the book says… Shocking, this is True. Raw, this is True. Explicit, this is True. Funny… Um, no or I missed the humor. When I saw the cover, I thought maybe some BDSM or other Twisted sexual desires, what was inside was twisted in a sex-for-money-in-countries-where-they-do-not-value-women’s-lives kind of way.

It may not be my cup of tea but it may be yours. I like to read for the fantasy and this was a depressing reality knowing that there are girls out there who go through this. 


Twisted is available for sale on Amazon
 in ebook and paperback.  

About the Author:

Lola Smirnova is an author from Ukraine. She loves twisting a suspenseful tale through the dark lens of realism around the sexual underworld, so clocked in secrecy and shame. Lola’s work is inspired by real-life events and is meant for the open-minded readers who are not afraid of a little blood, sweat and semen.

Her debut novel Twisted was released in 2014. The book placed as Honorable Mention in General Fiction Category of The 2014 London Book Festival’s Annual Competition.

Whether you prefer to slide your finger across a touchscreen or turn a paper page, Lola’s thrilling tales will surely shock and surprise you, with both its storyline and its literary value.

Now living in South Africa, Lola is about to release her second novel – a sequel to Twisted – Craved, which proves just how many fascinating stories she has to share about the ordinary women in the global sex industry.

To learn more, go to http://lolasmirnova.com/









Release Blitz & Giveaway: Covet by Amarie Avant

   Title: Covet
Series: Deceptive Desires #1
By: Amarie Avant
Publication Date: August 26, 2016
Publisher: Blu Savant Press
Genre: Multicultural NA Romance
Cover Design: Mayhem Cover Creations
For Jonathan Liam Delacroix Lemaitre, everything revolved around the love of his life: Raven Shaw. But they were too young, too destructive and too clueless.
Raven thought they would always be friends, yet Liam knew a different truth. The son to a vast Legacy, he is shipped off to Paris at a tender age, leaving Raven to fend for herself, full of questions and doubts.
Now, he is back in town and determined to get back in her good graces. Gone is the clumsy, fat boy he once was. In his place stands a man ready to take on the world, with the woman he wants at his side. Raven, on the other hand, can see the new man but still searches for echoes of her friend. Who is this guy that has swept into her life? He was Liam, but he wasn’t HER Liam…. And she wasn’t sure if he ever could be.

Amazon CA - http://goo.gl/GpdKsR
“Try me, motherfucker!” Raven spat through gritted teeth. “You act as if I’m a stranger. As if I just kidnapped you,” Liam grumbled as they stood just outside the city limit. “Damn right you did. No, I don’t know you anymore. And yes, you kidnapped me, Liam. You were supposed to drop me off at home. I know good and damn well you felt me pinching you.” He forced himself not to smile. Her eyes sparkled with daggers, as she backed away on the dusty road. “Take me h-o-m-e. I don't need you!” “Oh, that tone of yours tells me you don't need shit, nobody! But bring your hard headed ass over here; I will correct you, beautiful.” Liam seethed with desire and anger. “Shit, you used to fight for me. It took me all of two seconds when we met at the mall, to see that you've changed—oh but you're sizing me up for differences. Somewhere in there is that girl that doesn't take shit. I don't need that girl to fight anymore. I need her to wake the fuck up and live. See, I care about you enough to spank some sense into you!” The rage left her. She didn't quite return to the nonchalance that seemed to plague her these days. “Don’t yell at me. Does it look like I ever got a fucking hero? I was crawling, fighting my own battles. You acted like hot shit, telling Deputy Frank your full name. Who the hell are you? I’ve known you since you couldn’t do one shitty ass push up, so check yourself.” “Or what?!” Liam’s face was inches away from hers. The tension between them had flown down the highway. Sweet papaya wafted through his nostrils as the breeze sent more of Raven his way. Here she was, in the flesh, ripe for the taking. Her pink tongue dipped out and slid over her bottom lip. The sheer act he coveted, needing to touch her. Then Liam looked into Raven’s eyes. Really looked. Those orbs were welling up with tears. “Let me go home, Liam.” “If there’s something you want, son, you take it,” Grandfather Pierre had said. Liam’s grandfather always used the “son” title for added affect. His grandfather owned one of the oldest publications companies in the world. The newspaper company had been passed down from Pierre’s own grandfather. When electronic marketing hit, Pierre placed his money in other sources, such as renovating a Parisian hotel. Architectural design had always been his passion, more so than his family’s press enterprise company, which seemed to be a lost cause due to a wave of other new social outlets. The historical site became the first of many D-Hotels across the nation, then Europe, and now spanning every exotic land. Meanwhile, Pierre was able to designate funds from his first few D-Hotels to various publication sources as the Delacroix family legacy. They owned magazines, television channels from basic cable to premium movie channels, and the family’s newspaper company expanded to the internet. The Delacroix custom was branded in his brain. Yet, when it came to Raven, Liam would always cave. She thought he was different. Yes, he was. But she'd changed too, and not for the better. Raven fucking hates me the thought consumed him persuading him to give up. Leave her alone. No, she was the only untarnished thing he had in life. He loved her. She was like one of those antique dolls Pierre collected. A doll so intricately designed, with such godlike talent, that it was worth millions of dollars. Those dolls seemed so lifelike, sparkling eyes and all, but no, they couldn’t laugh. He'd give away his own burgeoning fortune to see her smile. Bet every penny she hadn't smiled in a while. Yeah, he loved her, he would save her. Not now though. She was too damn stubborn for that. He started toward the Ducati. She followed.
Mother of two. Wife of one alpha. And alpha to his alpha. Lover of thrills and enticingly sexy chills. Azusa Pacific University alumni where God comes first. This dyslexic and highly attention deficit author has received two Bachelors and a Masters in Counseling. Though sociopaths are very interesting, and coupon shopping is just as thrilling as action or cartoon movies, Amarie Avant has taken on romance. Beware anytime you open an Amarie Avant novel: This is not your ordinary love story… Sign up to Amarie’s Newsletter and receive a copy of her Best Selling Debut Novel “FEAR” or the summer romance HEAVY LOVE

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Book tour: Truthsong - Songmaker: Book 2 by Elisabeth Hamill



Truthsong
Songmaker: Book 2
Elisabeth Hamill
 
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Fire and Ice YA
Date of Publication:  July 26, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-68046-326-2
 
Number of pages: 236
Word Count: 80K
Cover Artist: Caroline Andrus
 
Book Description:
 
The long awaited sequel to SONG MAGICK
 
When Telyn’s song magic freed ancient spirits of the Wood, it also awakened a long-slumbering evil. Now she and her beloved Mithrais must battle a spreading shadow that ignites crippling fear, and deal with the unexpected consequences of magic’s return.
 
More danger arrives with a royal delegation to the forest realm, sweeping Telyn back into court intrigue and the sights of a murderous lord. Mithrais may be forced to choose between his service to the Wood or the obligations of his royal blood.
 
As Telyn’s bond with Mithrais grows, she is torn between her love for him and the freedom of a wandering bard’s life. But when dark magic plunges the Wood into chaos, she must balance the two halves of her heart—or the Fates may take Mithrais from her forever. 
 
Amazon     Smashwords     BN    Fire and Ice
 
About the Author:
 
Elisabeth Hamill is a nurse/wife/mom by day, unabashed geek/chocoholic/closet sci fi and fantasy novelist by night. She lives with her family, dog, and cat in the wilds of eastern suburban Kansas, where they fend off flying monkey attacks and prep for the zombie apocalypse.
 
Song Magick, her first novel, won first in category for Teen Fantasy in the 2014 Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult Fiction.
 
www.elisabethhamill.com
 
https://www.facebook.com/ElisabethHamillWrites  
 
https://twitter.com/SongMagick
 
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8180891.Elisabeth_Hamill


Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Release Blitz: Sugary Sweets: A Taste of Love Novel Vol 2 by A.M. Willard



Sugary Sweets NOW LIVE
#99cents Release Sale


Synopsis
Zara James never expected to fall in love, leaving the hopeless romantic lifestyle to her friends. She also never imagined she’d be expecting a baby and married to the one guy she fought so hard to keep at arm’s length. Faced with life’s challenges of insecurities, pregnancy hormones, and the pressures of being a new wife in the burbs of Atlanta, Georgia, Zara tries to master them one cupcake at a time. Well, that is until her world is turned upside down by one accident that could change everything.
Hatcher James knew his smart-mouthed wife was the only woman for him years ago. He just had to figure out the correct formula to make her fall in love with him. Putting together the perfect mixture of intimacy, spice, and frosting might just do the trick, and bring joy to both of their lives. As Hatcher tries to come up with the right ingredients, will all the hard work end in smoke or will they conquer life’s hurdles together, one tasty treat after another? Sugary Sweets continues the Taste of Love series as we join the gang for some comical scenes, life challenges, friendship, and most of all, love covered in sugar.

Sugary Sweets Teaser updated

About the Author

International Bestselling Author, A.M. Willard is a true believer of soul mates, and happy ever afters. She enjoys reading, sailing, and of course writing contemporary romance, and romantic comedy with some saucy scenes. Releasing her first novella of the One Night Series on April 12, 2014, has sent her on a new journey in life.

Sugary Sweets Now Live

Available Now!
Amazon US → http://amzn.to/2bz6ykn
Amazon UK → http://amzn.to/2bnHDjd
Amazon CA → http://amzn.to/2b6eewh
Coming on Nook, and Scribd soon!

Connect with A.M. Willard
Frosted Sweets Vol 1 of A Taste of Love Series is currently #FREE on #Amazon

Frosted Sweets FREE Teaser

Amazon US → http://amzn.to/2auVdQF
Amazon UK → http://amzn.to/2b251r2
Amazon CA → http://amzn.to/2aH4NmT

cropped-Nells-PR-Marketing-FB-Cover-.jpg

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Release Blitz: Renegade by Heather Dahlgren


~~Release Blitz~~
August 23, 2016

Renegade

Heather Dahlgren



Synopsis:
Brooklyn Adler has the life she’s planned for. Job, house, boyfriend – in that order. It’s a boring, routine life were there are no surprises and nothing is spontaneous. It’s safe, it’s mundane and she’s fine with that.

Crosby Fitzgerald, better known as Fitz from the band Renegade, has a life he never planned for. Popularity, women and success – not always in that order. Everything he does is spontaneous and exciting, because life is worth living to the fullest.

A chance meeting with Brooklyn and Fitz begins to alter both of their worlds – ensuring neither will ever be the same.



Exclusive Excerpt: 


I turn to walk to the gate and I hear, “Wait. Brooklyn, wait.” I turn around and see Fitz, running full speed toward me and I cover my mouth with my hand. I look at Poopy and she shrugs her shoulders. “I swear I had no idea.” Fitz reaches me and holds onto the top of my arms, breathing heavily. “Brooklyn, stay. The thought of you leaving is killing me, I can’t bare it. I want you here, with me.” Tears running down my cheeks, I look into his blue eyes and my heart shatters in my chest. The hope I see in them makes this the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. “I can’t Fitz. I have to go.” “You don’t get it do you? We may not have crossed any lines physically, but my heart did. I fell for you Brooklyn,” he says and starts to move in for a kiss. I step back and shake my head as I try to contain a sob. “I can’t. I’m so sorry Fitz.” I can’t wait for him to reply because I am so close to letting him convince me that this is where I belong. So with my heart broken, my stomach in my throat and the best parts of me left behind with Fitz, I walk through the gate that will take me back to where I came from.




Bio:


Heather Dahlgren writes Contemporary Romance, sprinkling each book with a bit of humor, a lot of naughty and true love. She self-published her first book in 2014 and continues to do so today. Her over active mind promises the stories are in no short supply. Heather grew up and still resides at the Jersey shore. She loves being so close to the Atlantic Ocean and the Pine Barrens. She is surrounded by the best of both worlds. She is married to her high school sweetheart and has three kids. There is nothing more important in the world to her then her family. When Heather isn’t writing you can find her getting lost in a great book, spending time with family and helping her fellow authors.

Click here to add Renegade to your Goodreads tbr!







Follow Heather on:

Monday, August 22, 2016

Book Tour: The Water Kingdom by Deborah Gray




About the Book

Title: The Water Kingdom
Author: Deborah Gray
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
For seventeen-year-old Nell, life is about to take a chilling turn. Raised by a workaholic uncle and used to being over looked in a crowd, Nell has found life to be rather dull and uneventful…Until the day of a school field trip out to White Shell Lagoon. Going against her nature, Nell bends a rule – and makes a shocking discovery.
Now she has a secret that no one will believe, one that whispers danger even as it seems to call to her very soul. What really lurks beneath the glassy waves… and how much will finding out cost her?
All she knows is that she’s caught the attention of a strange boy with special abilities and violet eyes, a boy she is certain cannot be human.
Trapped by rules and tradition in a deteriorating kingdom, Sebastian feels he has no other choice except to act. Taking matters, and fate, into his own hands, the daring young man enters the realm of humans to retrieve what was once taken. The land beyond the waves is no friend to his kind, yet to save his home, he will do what few before him have ever dared. He is prepared for almost anything… except meeting a girl who somehow poses a threat to his identity, his hidden world and to everything he has ever known.
As the two fight for their own agendas it becomes clear that they may just have more in common than either realizes…
The Water Novels - Book One



Author Bio

Deborah Gray holds a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning degree and writes for enjoyment. "The Water Kingdom" is her first full length novel for young adults in the fantasy genre.

She is a member of the Christchurch Writers' Guild and currently lives in New Zealand with her husband, family and a mischievous black Labrador.



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