Thursday, August 31, 2017

Book Tour: Ariella's Escape by Carolee Croft (Epic Fantasy Romance)




About the Book

Title: Ariella’s Escape
Author: Carolee Croft
Genre: Epic Fantasy Romance

Ariella had always believed that the life of a warrior should include indulging in wine and men whenever they were on offer… And in Chaldea, the capital of the old empire, they certainly were.
Especially the man she finds in her bedchamber, a slave provided by her hosts to entertain her in any way she wishes.
But when betrayed and surrounded by enemies in a strange land, there is only one man she can trust—the slave who was meant only for her pleasure but is much more than he seems.
Demetrius had been captured in a battle at the age of fifteen, and slavery was all he had known in his adult life. When his chance for freedom comes along, his fate is bound to the noble warrior maiden whose voice and body he cannot resist. Duty calls him to return to his kingdom, but the journey will take him places that will change him forever.
Together, they make their way through a den of thieves and an enchanted elf forest, but the biggest danger of all may be their fiery attraction to each other and the secret that will draw a dividing line between them.


Author Bio

Enchanted by romance on page and screen, I have always tried to write my own versions of the perfect fairytale. As for real life, I believe I may have already found the man of my dreams, but I still haven’t found the dog of my dreams. Currently, I’m obsessed with Italian greyhounds. I can usually be found enjoying the outdoors or relaxing with a good book on the west coast of Canada.
Connect with Carolee:


Links




Book Excerpts

Excerpt 1
It was strangely reassuring to know that he was not Chaldean, judging from his sun-bronzed skin, fine eyebrows and long brown hair, a shade so dark it was nearly black. And his eyes… like two pieces of a summer sky. She had always been a fool for a blue-eyed man. Judging by his elegant speech, very likely, he came from a noble lineage but was held here as a hostage to ensure peace with another kingdom.
“Then what is it, my lady?”
He sat down beside her on the bed, the scent of some innocent field flower with something more heady and musk-like tempting her to get closer to his bronzed body. She tried to discern his age… late twenties perhaps. His forehead was unlined, but there was something about him that made him appear older, a world-weariness perhaps behind his charming and carefree disposition.
There had been one or two times when she had bedded a man after less conversation than this, but this was strange territory with too many possible complications, and she could not afford to indulge herself on a whim. There was also his status to consider. As a slave, he was obviously not free in his choices, and she could sympathise with that. Ariella knew she would loathe being ordered to “entertain” guests in this manner were she in his place.
“Do my looks please you?” she asked tentatively.
“Yes,” he replied, a slight hoarseness in his voice.
His eyes scorched her, and she had to look away.
“It’s just that… I do not wish you to do this merely out of a sense of duty…” she said softly, “that is… if you did not want to…”
“My lady, I want to,” he said.


Excerpt 2.
“Now tell me the truth, Demetrius,” she asked, a smile playing at the edges of her lips, “Did the king send you here to find out my secrets?”
“The truth…” he lay back, cradling his head in his hands, a pose that the huge muscles of his chest stand out even more. “The truth is, this is a gesture of hospitality. But yes, he did want me to report anything you might say in regards to the negotiations. However, I don’t believe that he was interested in any information regarding your swifthounds, so that secret is safe with me.”
Ariella burst out laughing. She wanted to playfully slap his shoulder, but she was afraid of where it may lead.
“I knew it!” she exclaimed, “But does he really expect me to spill the muckpitts to you, especially when you’ve just told me of his plan?”
“I admit, I find it rather far-fetched myself,” he replied, “but then again, when I’m embracing you in the heat of passion…” he scooped an arm under her and rolled her over to face him, “who knows what political secrets you might reveal.”
When he had first seized her in mock abandon, she laughed, but then feeling the embrace of his strong arms around her, seeing his face just inches from her own, she suddenly froze, not wanting him to let go.
“It’s doubtful I will reveal anything,” she said slowly, “but we won’t know until we try, will we?”
They lay there facing each other, and he still did not let go. This seemed so wrong, Ariella thought. She knew she was in danger here, and that this man could very well be posing as a friend to gain her trust, though she knew not for what purpose. The ease with which he confessed to being sent to her bedchamber as a spy was suspicious, or on the other hand it could mean that he was no spy at all, that he was only teasing her.
She couldn’t read much in the clear blue fount of his eyes, more liquid than fire now, except a strong yearning for closeness.
His lips were slightly open, just inches away from hers. She realized she was now beyond any reasoning. She leaned into him, inhaling that ravishingly innocent smell, and her lips just lightly touched his.
Ariella suddenly wondered if she had had too much to drink after all, for in that moment when their lips had barely touched, she felt as if his lips were the most sensuous, delicious lips she had ever kissed.
As if disbelieving her own senses, she pulled back for a moment – though a moment long enough to see he looked as overwhelmed as she was – and then her lips encountered his once more, with a more determined pressure… Ariella was completely lost in the kiss, which sent the whole room spinning and the blood rushing through her body in a furious tempest.

Excerpt 3.
Ariella was supposed to enter onto the stage to begin the scene. Her hands were trembling, but she took a deep breath and commenced walking towards the low stage. One small step brought her up to Demetrius’ level, and he pretended he had just sighted her.
“What do I see?” he exclaimed, his smooth voice carrying well to the back rows, but not so loud as to be overwhelming. “Are you a spirit? A ghost sent to torment me for my misdeeds? Why do you take on the shape of one so dearly loved, who has too soon departed from this sad earthly abode?”
He had spoken his lines with great conviction, but then, just for a split second, he dropped his act and winked at her with his right eye, unseen by the audience.
Ariella took another couple of steps towards him.
“I am no spirit,” she replied.
“But I received word that you were dead…”
“That is what I wanted everyone to believe. But I did not drown. When I fell in the river, I breathed through a reed and swam away, and then I waited for you to regain your kingdom.”
The audience laughed at this facile explanation for Aurilia still being alive.
“I did so,” Demetrius continued, unfazed, “and I avenged my father’s death. Now we can be together, my beloved.”
He embraced her, and suddenly his mouth was claiming hers, and she nearly forgot where she was. After this, the dialogue ended, and it was all up to them. Ariella was breathless, from the kiss and her nerves. But she buried her face in Demetrius’ long dark hair, determined to carry on.
“We can do this,” he whispered to her.
She squeezed his hand in thanks.
Still hiding her face from the audience, she trailed kisses down his neck. The scent of his skin, which still held whatever perfume it was he had used in the palace, now mingled with sweat and the pine smell of the forest. It enticed her to lick his skin, to lose herself in his kisses and his caresses.
The thought of being watched melted away as passion coursed through her body. She was much more aware of being slowly undressed, the laces of her tunic unwound, of Demetrius removing his silken robe and pressing her against his broad chest.



Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Blog Tour: Love Me Like You Do by E.A. Weston (New Adult, Second Chance, Contemporary Romance)

Title: Love Me Like You Do
Author: E.A. Weston
Genre: NA Second Chance Romance 
Release Date: August 29, 2017


Jenna


At 14 I had my first kiss
At 16 he told me he loved me
At 17 he proposed then disappeared from my life. He told me we would be forever but he broke my heart

Crispin

At 14 I kissed the girl of my dreams
At 16 she finally said it back
At 17 I married her
Crispin Wright has spent everyday missing his wife. Two years after eloping with no communication between them Jenna Monroe walks back into his life in the most unexpected way. 
Jenna wants her husband back but Crispin’s life is in upheaval after making promises to his father that could very well ruin the most beautiful woman he’s ever known…
His Wife.









E.A. Weston was born and raised in Dublin Ireland, She now resides in southern California. 
She is the best-selling author of New Adult contemporary, paranormal, and Fantasy romance novels. By day she stays at home with her daughter but each night she slips away to spin her tales and gets lost in her fantasy worlds. 
As an avid reader, Elizabeth enjoys anything with a bit of romance and a paranormal twist. When she's not writing or devouring her latest read, she can be found spending time with her family or watching movies.





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Monday, August 28, 2017

Book Tour & Giveaway: Krait's Redemption: The Cat's Eye Chronicles - Book 5 by T.L. Shreffler (Young Adult, Fantasy, Series)



About the Book

Title: Krait’s Redemption
Author: T.L. Shreffler
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: September 12, 2017

With winter solstice fast approaching, Sora and her companions are running out of time. She must stop The Shade from awakening the Dark God, yet a powerful force has overtaken her Cat’s-Eye necklace, rendering the stone almost useless. To use the stone, Sora must learn to trust her instincts and embrace her own inner strength. She joins forces with unexpected allies, Lord Gracen Seabourne among them, to protect the City of Crowns. 

As the city dissolves into chaos, she finds herself barreling toward an epic battle that will decide the fate of mankind.

At risk to his own life, Crash returns to the Hive seeking aid against Cerastes. However, the events that led him into exile have not been forgotten. 

Will the Hive offer him redemption, or will they demand he pay the ultimate price for his transgressions?

Join Sora and Crash in their epic battle to save the City of Crowns!


Author Bio

T. L. Shreffler is a noblewoman living in the sunny acres of San Fernando Valley, California. She enjoys frolicking through meadows, sipping iced tea, exploring the unknown reaches of her homeland and unearthing rare artifacts in thrift stores. She holds a Bachelors in Eloquence (English) and writes YA Fantasy, Paranormal Romance and poetry. She has previously been published in Eclipse: A Literary Anthology and The Northridge Review.





Pre-order available now!


Giveaway
Win 1 signed copy of Krait’s Redemption, 1 Cat’s Eye Necklace or 1 free eBook copy of the book during our giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



EXCERPT

Prologue

Crash watched the bonfires in the distance.
Each day, more devotees swelled the Shade’s ranks. Shadow portals transported them from cities, from fields and mountains—from anywhere—to this forsaken desert. Nameless warriors pooled beneath a red plateau that towered in the twilight, blocking the moon.
An army of the lost, Crash thought. Their burning pyres beckoned to him like lighthouses on a foreign shore. But he had left those fires behind, walking miles into the flat desert to sit among the sand.
The Shade’s encampment might be in the Desert of Ester, but he wasn’t sure. His sense of certainty had fled long ago. He wondered at this unprecedented gathering. He wondered at the royal city’s evacuation, so close to winter solstice night.
He watched the fires glint against the darkness. He watched, and sat, and pondered. At first, Cerastes’ army had puzzled him. He didn’t know why a Grandmaster, typically a solitary figure concerned with martial discipline and meditation, would want to gather so many numbers. But now, as Crash became more firmly entrenched in the Shade’s activities, he knew what they were about. He had thought Cerastes meant to wage war against the human kingdom, but he was wrong.
Cerastes wanted the Hive.
Crash had realized the Grandmaster’s ambition when the assassin Cobra had issued his last dying words. It had all become suddenly, perfectly clear. Stop him. Cobra’s death had returned the arrow to Crash’s compass, and perhaps for the first time, he knew true north. He knew what he had to do.
He stood and walked away from the crimson fires on the horizon, behind an outcropping of rocks. There, he emptied a bag onto the ground. Ingredients for his spell, including a sheaf of yellowed parchment and fresh salamander ink, fell to the sand. He wrote the spell, then built a small fire out of venomgrass and willow bark. He drew symbols in the sand, and the flames turned indigo blue. Then he burned the paper with its written message. A wandering wind brushed the top of the dunes, carrying wafts of sand and smoke up to the stars.
He doused the fire when he was finished. Then, his black hood pulled low over his face, he sat on his heels to wait.
Redemption. A returning, a renewal. Would the Hive help him now, or would they hold him to his trespasses? Someone must answer, he thought. Someone must answer his call, his message burned on the wind, and someone must answer for his Grandmaster’s mistakes.
He thought back to Sora and the rest of his companions in the City of Crowns, and he felt ashamed. Under the influence of Cerastes’ power, he had wavered. His demon had sensed his Grandmaster’s dark aura, had sensed a home, and for a while, he had lost himself. But Sora’s touch—more than that, her words, her spirit—had brought him back.
He couldn’t fight Cerastes alone. He couldn’t trust his darker half to resist the Shade’s pull, because he, too, was a discarded outcast of the Hive. His Grandmaster’s demonic presence was irresistible, drawing close all those scattered savants with nowhere to belong. Crash had felt his own will tremble. Even now, he couldn’t quite steady his hands. He couldn’t show Sora his weakness. More importantly, he couldn’t show it to his own kind.
Someone had to do the right thing. The right thing, he thought ironically. Someone had to warn the Hive. Anyone who can read the Wind can read this message, he thought. He only hoped Cerastes was too distracted to see it.
Hours passed as he waited. The silence of the desert stretched, as spacious and echoing as a tomb. The stars and moon circled overhead, trailing across the heavens. He found the constellation of Kaelyn the Wanderer and asked, begrudgingly, for luck. Then his eyes picked out other celestial formations known to his race. He recounted their stories in his head: Sibilant, the assassin so stealthy and quiet, she could walk between this realm and the world of ghosts; Dartmouth, who replaced his teeth with knives; Marrow, so cunning he outsmarted the gods and stole the Dark God’s weapons in eons past. Crash found it ironic that, despite all that had transpired, a story could still lend him courage. And each star was a story, a light in the dark, a dream in the abyss.
The wind picked up without warning. A whirl of sand twisted up from the ground, building, growing. Then a figure stepped from the dust.
Crash stood up. He didn’t know what to expect.
The sand settled. A woman dressed in black stood before him. She was insidiously tall. Her hair fell in plaited rows down her back. He noted the chakrams at her belt: circular blades that could remove a man’s head with a single powerful throw. Her eyes glowed the shocking green of aloe.
Memory stirred, and he recognized her. He searched for her name. It came to him.
“Grandmaster Natrix,” he bowed.
“Viper,” she returned, and waited for him to straighten. “I have listened long for word of my brother. Tell me, what has Cerastes done?”



Friday, August 25, 2017

Release Tour & Giveaway: Her Book Boyfriend by K.R Grace (Young Adult, Romantic Comedy)



Title: Her Book Boyfriend 
Author: K.R. Grace 
Genre: Mature YA Romantic Comedy 
Release Date: August 25, 2017 
Cover Designer: Okay Creations, LLC 


She believes the secret to love is in the tropes of her favorite romance novels. He’s the best friend prepared to prove her wrong. Then comes the bet. If she can’t land a boyfriend for prom by recreating the ten popular tropes in her favorite romance author’s books, she has to go to the prom with her. The glitch? They’ve been close their entire lives. He’s the rock god and school legend, while she’s the brainy sidekick who does all his dirty breakups. Thus, finding a guy who doesn’t think they’re already an item is going to be a lot harder than she thinks. Will she land the book boyfriend of her dreams? Or will she be forced to go to prom with her best friend. The truth is in the pages.


     



He took in a deep breath and let it out. “Okay. Here’s what we’re going to do. I’ll let you prove me wrong, but if I’m right, you have to be my date to prom.”
“What?” My eyes flung open. “Why do you want to go to prom with me?”
“Because, like you said, prom isn’t supposed to be spent with someone you don’t know.”
“I figured you had an orgy extravaganza in the works for prom night.” I snorted.
He pulled the green pick from his pocket and began twirling it across his knuckles. “Nah, too wild for me. I don’t want to go down in high school history as the guy who banged a girl on prom night. Too cliché.”
I eyed him warily but he was right. If I wasn’t successful, it would be better to go to prom with my best friend than with some random guy I didn’t have a connection with. “Let’s say I go along with your bet. What’s in it for me if I win?”
His face twisted into the look he always gave me when he thought I was being dense. “You get your magical prom night with the guy of your dreams.”

As a child, K.R. Grace had an overactive imagination. When it was obvious she wasn’t going to change anytime soon, her mom shoved a pen and paper in her hand and said, “Write it down.” So, at the age of eight, her first story was born, and the writing hasn’t stopped since. When she’s not running with wolves, sleeping with bears, or flying with falcons, she can be found checking out local bands or watching movies about things that go “boo” in the night. She lives in East Tennessee with a dog that is afraid of his own shadow and a cat that was a mob leader in a former life.