Book Blitz: Drawn by Cecilia Gray

Organized by Xpresso Book Tours, here's the Book Blitz for Drawn by Cecilia Gray!

Drawn by Cecilia Gray
Publication date: November 13th 2013
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Take a journey into the gritty world of political espionage through the eyes – and lies – of one extraordinary girl. A wholly original tale of friendship and betrayal from the author of The Jane Austen Academy series….

Sasha has a secret – that she can make you spill your secret with nothing more than a question. Her strange gift makes her a burden to her foster family and a total freak of nature. Not that Sasha cares. Why should she when no one cares about her?

Then the CIA knocks on her door. They want to give Sasha a new identity and drop her into a foreign country to infiltrate a ring of zealous graffiti terrorists. They want to give Sasha something to care about.

To survive a world where no one is who they seem, Sasha needs to make people trust her. But when that trust blossoms into love, Sasha is forced to decide between duty and friendship, between her mind and her heart, and whether to tell the truth or keep her secrets.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17725214-drawn?ac=1

Purchase:
--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cecilia-Gray/e/B0077RU55Y/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
--B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/cecilia-gray

Excerpt:

After a lifetime in orphanages, research labs and assignment to the FBI, Sasha has been transferred overseas. She's alone and just off the plane…

Zaventem National Airport, Brussels, Belgium

I'm herded through a swinging door into a crowded pickup zone. Waiting families shuffle back and forth, vying for a glimpse of us past the barrier. Every searching gaze brushes over me, as dismissive as the disembodied female voice whispering from above.

Please report any suspicious activity to the nearest airport official.

S'il vous plaît signaler toute activité suspecte à la fonctionnaire le plus proche.

Meld verdachte activiteiten aan de politie.

First time out of the country. Don't know a soul. Working for the CIA, surrounded by all this foreignness—and not just the languages. What have I gotten myself into?

The surge of bodies at my back carries me toward the open lobby. Chelsea had said he would find me, but as I keep walking I'm struck with this vision of running outside to the street. Not stopping until I'm swallowed by the city. No job, no ties. I whip my head back and forth, hoping for something familiar, and I find it in the crowd of eager faces—my name, written in black marker on a piece of cardboard.

Holding the sign is Porter Jennings, fresh from Clark Kent's Smallville: salt-and-pepper hair, weathered skin, and a blue and white checkered shirt. He looks so normal that my relief at not being abandoned at the airport is tempered by a flare of disappointment. No James Bond tuxedo for this Company NOC.

At second glance, I concede he's clever. He's been assigned to Brussels for over a decade but hasn't shed his Midwestern vibe. A perfect anti-spy disguise. No one would pick him out of a lineup unless it was for a tractor driver. I'd packed and unpacked my pinstriped suits a half-dozen times before finally leaving them hanging in the closet. The decision that had at first felt petty now feels smart.

Porter spots me, folds the sign into halves, and shoves it in his back pocket. As I approach, he grabs my hand for a vigorous shake but never breaks stride, forcing me to keep up.

"Welcome aboard, Sasha."

"I'm glad to be here, sir." Simple. To the point. Pretty close to what I'd practiced on the plane.

"Quick, quick. I'm hoping we can make it home for dinner." He makes for the automatic glass doors, leaving me to break into a jog, canvas bag and all. What kind of spy cares about being home for dinner, I don't know. Maybe he's not very good at his job after all. Maybe that's why he needs a teen misfit to do his dirty work.

Author Bio:

Cecilia Gray lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where she reads, writes and breaks for food. She also pens her biographies in the third person. Like this. As if to trick you into thinking someone else wrote it because she is important. Alas, this is not the case.

Cecilia has been praised for “instilling a warmth and weight into her characters” (Romancing The Book Reviews) and her books have been praised for being “well-written, original, realistic and witty” (Quills & Zebras Reviews).

Her latest series of young-adult contemporary Jane Austen retellings was named a What’s Hot pick (RT Book Reviews magazine) and is a Best of 2012 pick (Kirkus Reviews) where it was praised for being a “unique twist on a classic” and offering “a compelling mix of action, drama and love.”

She’s rather enamored of being contacted by readers and hopes you’ll oblige.

Website: http://www.ceciliagray.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ceciliagray
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5061397.Cecilia_Gray
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ceciliabooks

Grand prize giveaway! Enter for a chance to win a $50 gift card to the online retailer of your choice (open internationally):
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Cover Reveal: Rumor Has It by Elisabeth Grace

Rumor Has It by Elisabeth Grace
(Limelight #1)
Publication date: December 6, 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

All publicity is good publicity, right? Unless you’re recent college grad Ellie Wagner and an embarrassing video of you and your boyfriend goes viral. Every man in your life abandons you, but who knew a one-minute clip of your latest doomed relationship would brand you a slut, prevent you from getting your perfect job, and force you to keep doing the one thing you swore you’d never do again…live with your mother.

But staying with mom and her latest boy-toy (is this husband number four or five?) until your life turns around might not be all bad. Especially when you fall – literally – at the feet of a sexy, green-eyed stranger who offers you freedom and a life of luxury on a gold-rimmed platter.

There’s only one little problem – the man of your dreams is none other than Mason Nash, the latest hip-hop star busting up the music  charts. Fame and fortune are his calling cards and he’s vying to steal the show on a new reality TV series that will catapult him into mainstream stardom. Hello spotlight.

The man behind the famous persona is perfect for Ellie in every way, but can she overcome the ugly pitfalls that come with Mason’s celebrity status? Or will she be forced to choose between the man she loves and the independent life she longs for? After all, fame and fortune aren’t always what they seem and not all publicity is good publicity…

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18517591-rumor-has-it?ac=1

Author Bio

I have a soft spot for romance novels with happily ever afters and a hot spot for alpha males! I currently live outside Toronto, Canada with my hubby and two small children. Life is busy, but never to busy for a good story and to share my love of reading and writing with others.

My debut New Adult Contemporary Romance, Rumor Has It, releases December 6, 2013.

For more of the lowdown on me feel free to visit my author website at http://www.Elisabeth-Grace.com

Author Links:
Website: http://www.Elisabeth-Grace.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/1elisabethgrace
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elisabeth-Grace-Author/637982532897100
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7276641.Elisabeth_Grace

Cover Reveal: Stone of Destiny by Laura Howard

Stone of Destiny (The Danaan Trilogy #2)

Author: Laura Howard

Expected Release Date: December 31, 2013

Cover Design by Najla Qamber Designs

Summary from Goodreads:

Allison thought it was crazy enough when she found out her father, Liam, wasn't entirely human. But now she has to join his magical allies to unravel his former mistress's plans. Aoife wants to keep Allison's parents apart forever.

Despite Allison's efforts to keep Ethan, the only guy she's ever cared about, out of this supernatural mess, fate keeps throwing him back into the mix.

Will Allison be able to find the amulet that holds the enchantment Aoife placed on Liam and destroy it? Are Ethan' s feelings for Allison strong enough to endure the magic of the Tuatha De Danaan?

Book One:
(linked to Goodreads)

About the Author

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

Author Links:

   

Cover Reveal Hosted by:

Book Blitz: Drowning by Rachel Firasek

Organized by Xpresso Book Tours, here's the Book Blitz for Drowning by Rachel Firasek!

Drowning by Rachel Firasek
Publication date: October 26th 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult

Synopsis:

*Drowning is a New Adult Contemporary Romance suited for 18+ due to some violence, language, and sexual content*

“I dare you.”

Those words would change adrenaline junkie, Alice Harrison’s life forever. She’s a party girl that doesn’t believe in love until she meets a man that only writes about it.

Seth James escaped his overbearing father and moved into one of the James family’s vacant condos, hoping to create the music he loves in peace. But the fragile calm he’s envisioned shatters when a tiny woman with a world full of energy bounces out of the elevator and nearly takes him out.

With the patience of a saint, Seth seeks the dark that keeps Alice from enjoying life. He challenges her to exorcise the demons in her past in order to discover the true meaning of love. But when the walls fall down, the hidden deceptions will bare the ugly truth about a woman drowning in sorrow and a man who may not know how to be her hero.

LINKS:
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17668038-drowning?ac=1

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Drowning-Tears-Series-Rachel-Firasek-ebook/dp/B00G8JAQFQ

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/drowning-rachel-firasek/1117186911?ean=9781493533572

Guest post by the author:

Why NA?

After years of writing adult romance, why did I pick New Adult? Well, probably because I finally found a niche for my voice. Maybe because I miss my twenties. It could be due to my fresh and youthful personality.

Or it could be because guys in their early twenties are damn hot and I’m at that age where COUGAR is no longer a big cat. Yeah, that’s probably it.

My very first novel could be arguably a New Adult Paranormal Romance—before NA was popular—but that’s not the way it was marketed. I like writing young heroines that are spunky and full of sass. I love writing heroes that are full of testosterone and make tons of alpha mistakes.

NA is just fun. What is there not to like about it? Some will argue that all the angst is hard to get through. Well, I’m in my mid-thirties, and I can honestly say that I’ve never felt more alive than when I was in my early twenties. Everything is vibrant and new and wild. Sex is better. Drinking is better. Mistakes are easier to get over.

My thirties have brought me worries over my kids, worries over my career, worries over my future… mostly worries. I don’t remember the fate of life being so strained in my late teens/early twenties. So yeah, NA was a no brainer. So… what exactly do you like about the NA genre?

Author Bio:

Rachel Firasek spends her days daydreaming of stories and her nights putting the ideas to ink. She has spent a dull life following the rules, meeting deadlines, and toeing the line, but in her made up worlds, she can let the wild side loose. Her wonderful husband and three children support her love of the written word and only ask for the occasional American Idol or Swamp People quality hour.

She has a philosophy about love. It must devastate or it isn’t truly worth loving. She hopes that you all find your devastating love and cling to it with all your heart! 

Links:

Website: http://www.rachelfirasek.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RachelFirasekAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachelFirasek

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4736939.Rachel_Firasek

Giveaway! Enter for a chance to win an ebook of Drowning. Open internationally:

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Grand prize giveaway! Enter for a chance to win a Kindle Paperwhite (open internationally):

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Book Blitz: In Kelly's Corner by Roxie Rivera

Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours, here's the Book Blitz for In Kelly's Corner by Roxie Rivera!

In Kelly’s Corner by Roxie Rivera 

(Fighting Connolly’s #1) 

Publication date: September 27th 2013 

Genres: Adult, Romantic Suspense

Synopsis:

After a stalker breaks into her home, internet entrepreneur Bee Langston decides Kelly Connolly is the only man who can help her—but  seeking help from the former Marine isn’t easy, especially after she made a spectacular fool of herself trying to kiss the sinfully sexy bodyguard.

When Kelly spots Bee weaving her way through the Houston nightspot where he’s working security, all those feelings he’s desperately tried to deny for his best friend’s sister come flooding to the surface. He’ll do anything to keep her safe, even if means getting up close and personal with the one woman he simply can’t have.

Soon, Bee’s stalker isn’t his only problem. His gambling addict father is tangled in a mess of debts to two of Houston’s toughest loan sharks. With the family gym on the line, there’s only one way for Kelly to make everything right. He agrees to fight for the Albanian mob in an underground bare-knuckle fighting tournament.

But winning the tournament and saving his family’s legacy comes at a high price—one that just might cost Bee her life.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18591210-in-kelly-s-corner?ac=1

Purchase:
- Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/In-Kellys-Corner-Fighting-Connollys-ebook/dp/B00FH4FKZE

- B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-kellys-corner-roxie-rivera/1117000229?ean=2940148812807


Excerpt:

"Where is Winn?"

Kelly's gruff, rumbling voice caught me by surprise. I whirled around to find him standing a few steps behind me. Wearing only shorts and sneakers, he wiped at his ridiculously sexy chest with a white gym towel before slinging it over his shoulder. The sight of his tanned, toned chest and the tattoos accentuating the rippling bulges of muscle left me momentarily speechless.

"Bee?"

Shaking myself from my lust-induced stupor, I said, "He's in the restroom. I sort of busted his nose."

He looked taken aback and then smiled proudly. "Way to go, sweetheart."

"Um…not exactly. It was an accident."

"An accident?"

"Well, it tickled and I started laughing—"

Eyes narrowed, he asked, "What tickled?"

"Winn's hold on me."

"I see." His lips twitched, and I knew he wasn't angry at all. Touching my cheek, he murmured, "I'll have to keep that in mind…for later."

At the mention of later, I trembled with anticipation. "Oh?"

"We'll practice some of the holds Jack showed you."

"Holds, huh?" I daringly traced his navel and delighted in the way he inhaled sharply. Thinking of the moves I had just learned, I considered whether or not I could take Kelly down. He was a foot taller than me and nearly twice as heavy. Could I catch him off-guard?

Deciding there was no time like the present, I hastily planned my attack. Kelly reached out to stroke my face, but I kicked out my leg to hook his knee. The expression on his face was comical as the realization that I was attacking him registered—but his lightning fast reflexes, honed by years at war, snapped into action. 

I gasped as he snatched my ankle mid-air and jerked hard enough to pull me off my feet. The thick mat cushioned my fall. Kelly followed me down to the floor, attempting to trap me, but I twisted my hips and narrowly evaded him. My brief victory didn't last. He grabbed my wrists in one big paw and pinned them overhead before insinuating himself between my thighs.

Remembering Jack's lessons, I arched up onto my shoulders and tried to squeeze his ribs with my knees. Kelly shifted, and I ended up wrapping my legs around his waist. Our bodies locked together in such an intimate way. Suddenly my failed attack started to feel like foreplay.

Changing tactics, I hooked my ankles at the small of Kelly's back and rocked my body against his. His low groan sounded almost pained. Eyes flashing with need, he lowered his face and warningly growled, "Bee."

Breathless and shaking with desire, I whispered, "Kiss me."

He capitulated to my request and brushed his mouth against mine. Refusing to be denied what I wanted most, I thrust my aching breasts against his hot, hard chest and dipped my tongue between his lips. A rumbling noise emanated from his throat, vibrating against my lips and sending white-hot shivers through my core.

A loudly cleared throat interrupted our steamy kiss. Tearing away from each other, we glanced in the direction of the noise and discovered Jack standing a few feet away and watching us with amusement. The rest of the room was empty except for Winn, who seemed to have gotten his bloody nose under control.

Jack rubbed his jaw as if thinking. "You know, I'm pretty sure that's not a self-defense technique I teach."

Not the least bit embarrassed, I simply shrugged. "You'd have a hell of a lot more signups for your classes if you did."

Author Bio

I like to write super sexy romances and naughty erotica that make your pulse pound. You can get updates on new releases by visiting my website (roxierivera.com), signing up for my newsletter (http://eepurl.com/sX-z1) or liking my author page on Facebook.

I also write erotic romances as Lolita Lopez including the red-hot GRABBED series for Ellora's Cave and the upcoming Dragon Heat series from Forever Yours/Grand Central.

Author links:
Website: http://www.roxieriverawriter.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6740126.Roxie_Rivera
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lowriter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Roxie-Rivera/498250823565481

Giveaway! Enter to win ebooks 1 and 2 in Her Russian Protector series by Roxie Rivera. Open internationally.

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Grand prize giveaway! Enter for a chance to win a $100 gift card to Amazon or B&N (international):

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Book Blitz: Unintentional Virgin by A. J. Bennett

Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours, here's the Book Blitz for Unintentional Virgin by A. J. Bennett!

Unintentional Virgin by A.J. Bennett 

Publication date: September 19th 2013

Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

Karma Points is cursed. Cursed with a stupid name and the inability to lose her virginity. She’s on a mission to lose her virginity before she turns twenty if it’s the last thing she does.

One night, her good friend Eva brings her to an underground club where Karma meets a tattooed bouncer. He’s far from the clean-cut type she normally falls for, which makes her think this finally might be the night she crosses the threshold of womanhood.

Excited, she goes home with the bouncer named Jax and as always, her dreams crash down once again. Jax cannot believe she is willing to give away her virginity to a stranger she met at a club. As the only son with five sisters and a widowed mom, he can’t morally go through with it, even though he’s never been more tempted in his life.

Unwilling to let her walk away he strikes a deal. Karma has to spend three weeks dating him and then decide if she wants to have sex or walk away.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18212168-unintentional-virgin?ac=1

Purchase:

- Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Unintentional-Virgin-A-J-Bennett-ebook/dp/B00FBQLQL0/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1

- B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unintentional-virgin-aj-bennett/1116961649?ean=2940148754213

Excerpt:

Why was he stopping? Her stomach clenched. She tried to still her frantically beating heart. Her mind screamed, don’t stop. Please don’t stop. She needed this experience. She wanted it with every ounce of her being. 

“Don’t stop.” She hated the pleading she heard in her own voice. 

“Karma,” he said as he closed his eyes and leaned back on his knees. “Tell me you didn’t go to a club to pick up a guy for your first time? What the hell…” He ran his hands over his face. 

Karma was shocked by his reaction. “You sound like my father.” 

Jax pulled away as if he’d been bitten by a snake. The look on his face was of total disbelief. Gone was the look of lust in his eyes. No. No. No. They were so close. Why did she have to say anything? She hadn’t meant to, it just came out like word vomit. 

“You’re really a virgin?” He ran his hand through his inky black hair. 

“Yes! I’m a virgin. Everyone has to lose it at some point.” 

“My mother would kill me if I took a girl’s virginity on a one-night stand.”

“Why are we talking about our parents right now? We were about to have sex.”

Author Bio

A.J. Bennett lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and bulldog. She’s addicted to coffee, popcorn and books. Becoming an author has been a lifelong dream, and she’s extremely excited about her debut novel Now or Never.

Author links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Giveaway! You can win one of two ebook copies of Unintentional Virgin. This is open internationally.
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Cover Reveal: Into the Storm by Melanie Moreland

Into the Storm by Melanie Moreland 

Publication date: Late 2013

Genres: Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

She is a woman on the run. Pain, loneliness and terror are what she is leaving. Where she is headed doesn’t matter as long as it’s away from the hell her life has become.

Joshua Bennett is trapped in a prison of his own making by the memories of his past. Traumatized and isolated, he is a reclusive writer, living a quiet, lonely life, his only companion his dog, Bear. It is what he knows, what he has accepted to be his life.

One dark night, one huge storm, and one ice patch brings them together. He finds himself with an unexpected houseguest with no memory. She wakes up a stranger to herself and the man watching her. Even more mysterious is the lack of any sort of identification with her or in her car. She is an enigma to both of them.

Trapped by the storm and isolated from the outside world, they slowly open up, learning to trust and love, until the world once again shows up, threatening the fragile peace of their newly discovered world, and tearing them apart.

There are many twists and turns as they struggle to find each other, overcoming both the mental and physical elements that keep them apart.

A story about overcoming our fears, finding love and learning to live again.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18698973-into-the-storm

Author Bio

Melanie Moreland lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her husband and fur children. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them. 

Known as the quiet one with the big laugh, Melanie works at a local university and for its football team.  Her (box) office job, while demanding, is rewarding as she cheers on her team to victory.

While seriously addicted to coffee, and somewhat challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties and socialize, and also enjoys travelling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip.  

Melanie delights in a good romance story with some bumps along the way, but is a true believer in happily ever after.  When her head isn’t buried in a book, it is bent over a keyboard, furiously typing away as her characters dictate their creative storylines, to let her share them with her readers.

Author Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/MelanieMoreland

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MorelandMelanie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Melanie-L-Moreland/512254118848084