Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Half Empty (First Wives #2) by Catherine Bybee: Release Blitz w/ Excerpt & Giveaway


Blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee continues her sassy series with another of the First Wives finding that love and secrets are a dangerous combination.

Trina Petrov’s marriage-by-contract was only meant to be temporary. But when tragedy strikes, Trina is left one of the wealthiest women in the world. To recover from the shock, she takes some time off in Italy, swearing not to fall for any men while there. But that doesn’t mean she can’t fall for anyone on the trip home

Country-music superstar Wade Thomas is lying low in a hotel bar when he gets the cold shoulder from the woman next to him. He’s used to fans fawning at his boots, and Trina is a refreshing change—so is the fact that she has no idea who he is.

As things begin to heat up, Trina discovers that the circumstances of her late husband’s death are not what they seemed. Now she’s in trouble, and Wade isn’t about to let her out of his sight. Getting close to love and danger could get them killed…or it could sweep them both off their feet. 
 


Click to Buy the First Wives Series on Amazon:

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About the Author:

New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee has written twenty-eight books that have collectively sold more than 4.5 million copies and have been translated into more than a dozen languages. Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the Not Quite series, the Weekday Brides series, the Most Likely To series, and the First Wives series.
 
Social Media Links:


Excerpt:

They closed the bar and took their last round to the hotel lobby.

Wade had to admit he was a bit more than tipsy, and Trina wasn’t exactly sober. She’d tucked her feet under her on the lobby sofa as she described Venice in a way that made him want to visit.

“There isn’t one car?” he asked.

“No place for them. You only get around on foot or boat. Which is probably best to help counter the pasta you consume while you’re there.”

“So why did you pick Venice?”

Her eyes drifted away, something Wade had noticed happened a lot when she was lost in thought. A hint of sorrow quickly came and went, almost as if she caught herself. The smile she flashed felt forced. “I wanted isolation so I could study.”

“Study?” She rattled off something that went completely over his head.

Her dark brown eyes glistened with her smile. “I’m learning Italian.”

Wade blew out a breath. “Oh, thank God. I thought maybe that last beer was one too many.”

“I like languages.”

“As in many?”

“A few.”

He was happy to speak English. “I’m impressed.”

“Don’t be. Most Europeans are fluent in a minimum of two languages.”

“Are you from Europe?”

“No. Born and raised in Southern California. My grandparents on my mother’s side are from Mexico. Spanish was always spoken in our home.”

“So you speak Spanish as well?” He squirmed in his chair.

“Yup.”

“Now I’m feelin’ a bit inferior.”

“Language is my hidden talent,” she said.

“So how did you end up in Texas?”

Her gaze met his before she wrinkled her nose and gave a quick shake of the head. “It’s a long story.”

“Which is your way of saying don’t pry.”

She stretched out her arms. “It’s my way of saying that we’ve had a pleasant conversation, and bringing up my recent move will change all that. I’d just as soon keep this light.”

Wade wasn’t expecting her reply. “Now you’ve piqued my interest.”

“Another time,” she said.

He offered a smile that usually had women crawling all over him. “Am I going to have that chance?”

“Chance for what?”

“Another conversation.”

Her eyes bored into him as if he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. “I told you, I’m not interested.”

He lifted one eyebrow, flashed a dimple. “What if I told you I was rich?”

She burst out in laughter.

His smile fell.

“Sorry…” She appeared to pull in her mirth. “You’re gonna have to do better than money.”

“Good lord, woman.”

“Sorry.”

He scratched his head. “I’m famous.”

She bit her lip. “That explains the arrogance.”

Wade placed a hand on his wounded chest. “I am not.”

Trina tossed her head back, and her deep laugh filled the empty lobby. “My name is Wade Thomas, you don’t know who I am?” Her mimicry of him was off by several octaves.

Her laughter tickled his gut.

“I can teach you the two-step.”

She pinched her lips together, trying to contain herself.

His pride was starting to dim.

“I’m not bad looking.”

She looked him up and down … twice. “I’ll give you that.”

He lifted both hands in the air. “Finally.”

For the span of a full minute, she stared. Her smile slowly started to fall, and he knew she was talking herself out of dating him.

“Tell you what. I’m flying home tomorrow. Private charter, because I’m rich, famous, and arrogant.” He moaned on that last word.

“And good-looking.”

Now they were getting somewhere.

“I can give you a lift home.”

Trina blew out a breath. “I’m avoiding going home,” she reminded him.

“And I was thinking I needed a quick stop in Nassau … where the plane might not be able to leave right away. That tropical depressed storm and all.”

She pointed a finger in his direction. “I like the way you think.”

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Monday, July 30, 2018

Dr. Strange Beard (Winston Brothers #5) by Penny Reid: Release Blitz


Blurb:

Hunches, horse races, and heartbreak

Ten years after Simone Payton broke his heart, all Roscoe Winston wants is a doughnut. He’d also like to forget her entirely, but that’s never going to happen. Roscoe Winston remembers everything—every look, every word, every single unrequited second—and the last thing he needs is another memory of Simone.

Unfortunately, after one chance encounter, Simone keeps popping up everywhere he happens to be...

Ten years after Roscoe Winston dropped out of her life, all Simone Payton wants is to exploit him. She’d also like some answers from her former best friend about why he ghosted her, but if she never gets those answers, that’s a-okay. Simone let go of the past a long time ago. Seriously, she has. She totally, totally has. She is definitely not still thinking about Roscoe. Nope. She’s more than happy to forget he exists.

But first, she needs just one teeny-tiny favor...



Click to Buy the Winston Brothers Series on Amazon:

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About Penny Reid:

Penny Reid is a part time author of romantic fiction. When she is not immersed in penning smart romances she works full time in the biotech industry as a researcher. She's also a full time mom to two diminutive adults (boy-7 and girl-5), wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought hijacker.




Connect with Penny Reid:

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Website


Sunday, July 29, 2018

Wild Like the Wind (Chaos #6) by Kristen Ashley: Blog Tour Review, Interview & Giveaway


GUYS!!! I can't tell you how ridiculously excited I am not only to be a part of the blog tour for Wild Like the Wind but to have Kristen Ashley answer a few interview questions as well. I LOVED Hound and Keely's book and I can't wait for you guys to get to know the newest Chaos MC couple. Read on for the Q&A and my spoiler-free 5 Star review, and make to enter the epic giveaway hosted by the author. Don't forget to pre-order Wild Like the Wind for its release on Tuesday!

Blurb:

The brother known as Hound has a reputation. He’s all about cracking heads, having a good time, and when the Chaos Motorcycle Club needs someone to do the tough job, they call on him.

But Hound has a secret. He fell in love with a woman years ago. She’s untouchable. Unattainable. And even when her status changes, for Hound, it remains the same.

Keely Black had it all early and lost it all not long after. Thrown into an abyss of loss and grief, she’s faced a life of raising two sons alone and battling the rage at all that had been ripped from them.

And why.

Words spoken in anger open Hound’s and Keely’s eyes. For Hound, he sees he’s wasted his life loving the wrong woman. Keely sees she’s wasting her life not opening herself to the love of a good man.

Releases: July 31, 2018


Click to Buy The Chaos Series on Amazon:

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Interview with Kristen Ashley (Yas queen!):

What is it about MC culture that drew you to write the Chaos Series?

It wasn’t so much the MC culture as the motorcycle culture. I’d gone to Sturgis during their rally and I’d had the time of my life. It was fun, but it was an eye-opener for a variety of reasons.

First and foremost was that nearly every man we came into contact with was a gentleman. I would even go so far as to say they were more gentlemanly (by far in some cases) than most other men I’d met throughout my life.

Needless to say, I got a little tipsy and we’d made friends with this group of dudes. They watched our purses while we danced (no joke) and once, when I was coming off the dance floor, a guy got in my space, got a little handsy, and Bear, one of the dudes we met, slipped in between him and me and made no bones about the fact that was not okay and the guy needed to back off. The guy backed off.

Later, I was wandering on the street, my girls a few feet ahead of me, so to the casual observer, I probably looked inebriated and lost, a lone woman wandering the street during a bike rally. A guy came up to me and said, “Baby, you lost?” Being in my state, I cried “you called me baby!” and threw myself in his arms, He didn’t act like I was some drunk idiot throwing herself at a random guy (which I was). He laughed, put his arm around me and not only guided me to my friends, but walked us to our car.

We ended up driving him to his campground, and get this, he and I had a huge debate about Harry Potter on the way. He was tall, dark and very good looking, and discussing Voldemort and Dumbledore with this jeans and boots clad, rough-around-the-edges biker was hilarious!

Make no mistake, they were rough and tumble in appearance and speech. But after the rally, on reflection, it hit me that they were romance novel heroes come to life. And I needed to capture that rough and tumble sweet and give it to my readers.

How did you choose the names of your characters in Wild Like the Wind?

Although there are times when I have to find names for my characters, every single Chaos brother came to me named. Sometimes, I understood why the minute they introduced themselves (this happened with Shy and Joker). Sometimes, I had to wait for them to explain it to me (these including Tack, High and Hound).

I think Shy and High are the funniest, Tack and Hound are the most accurate.

Keely also came to me named. I honestly don’t know where that name came from. I don’t know anyone named Keely! But it’s perfect for her.

What excited you the most about writing Hound and Keely's story?

Finally delving into the lore of Black. He’s been a specter since Motorcycle Man. He seemed larger than life, too good to be real, a martyr to the cause. The brothers’ grief for his passing was palpable, even years later. So I was excited to get to know him, even if his story was tragic.

What was the hardest scene you wrote in Wild Like the Wind?

I don’t really want to say because it’ll be a huge spoiler. Though I think anyone who reads it will know precisely which scene was the hardest to write.

What can we expect next from the Chaos Series?

The finale to the series has already been written, Rush’s story, simply titled Free, and it’ll be out in January of 2019. It utterly consumed me. I don’t think I ever was obsessed about writing a book like I was that book. And I can get obsessed with writing my babies! There is a slow crescendo to this series, so I don’t want to say much. Just that things get even more serious.

But I love Rush and his girl, Rebel. I was very worried about the right girl coming to me for him. He’s special. So she had to be amazing. Then she hit me with a BANG! She’ll be introduced in my novella for Maddox, Molly and Diesel (from The Greatest Risk) in my anthology coming out this fall, Loose Ends. She’s perfect for him. And I’ll just say, like father like son.

I’ll also say there are two particular characters introduced in Wild Like the Wind that my readers will never allow me to get away with not writing their stories. That being, I would not allow me to get away without writing their stories. HA! I probably did this intentionally, so I don’t really have to say goodbye to my boys. So I see some Chaos novellas in the future!

About Kristen Ashley:

Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn't taken her first breath!).

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.

Social Media Links:


Yvette's Review:

Fresh off a Chaos Series re-read, I was an emotional wreck, my mind whirled with various characters and events, and my heart was filled to bursting with the swoon-worthy love stories from the previous books in the series. Going in to Wild Like the Wind, my expectations were high, and I was eager to become better acquainted with Hound and Keely – a pairing that’s forbidden in the eyes of Chaos. I just knew theirs would be an unforgettable romance and the author didn’t disappoint. With Wild Like the Wind, Kristen Ashley delivers an achingly romantic, gut-wrenchingly emotional, breathtakingly beautiful story about love, loyalty, and second chances.

As the widowed old lady of former Chaos brother, Black, Keely is off limits to Shepherd “Hound” Ironside. Hound’s longtime feelings for Keely haven’t gone unnoticed, especially as he’s been a constant presence in her life, stepping up to support her throughout the years, above and beyond the call of duty of Chaos. Devoting his life to loving and caring for a woman who couldn’t return his feelings didn’t seem to phase Hound, until a wakeup call finds him attempting to move on with his life. Once Keely realizes what she stands to lose, the two embark on an illicit, secret relationship, succumbing to the overwhelming sexual tension that’s been building between them. Friendship turns into passion, which has the potential to turn into something deeper, though the two have a fierce battle ahead of them – a battle that’s filled with questions of loyalty, a long and complicated history, and inescapable ghosts of the past.

With plenty of drama, pulse-pounding suspense, a bit of mystery and intrigue, and a smoking hot romance, Wild Like the Wind is the textbook definition of a page-turner. What I found refreshing, albeit unusual about this book in comparison to other Kristen Ashley books, is that it’s narrated by Hound for roughly the first half of the book. Getting Hound’s perspective gives the narrative a grittier, rough-around-the-edges feel, even while exposing his softer, more vulnerable side. I did appreciate the eventual introduction of Keely’s point-of-view, though, because I was burning with curiosity to learn what she was thinking and feeling regarding her budding relationship with Hound, especially after having experienced such a profound loss.

With a completely and utterly engrossing storyline packed with unexpected twists, a romance that’ll have you swooning one minute then fanning your flushed cheeks the next and characters that’ll tug on your heartstrings, Wild Like the Wind is a thrilling new installment in Kristen Ashley’s Chaos Series. Between Hound and Keely’s romance and the imminent danger encroaching on Chaos, this book wreaked havoc with my emotions and had me on the edge of my seat. While the romance is sweet, sexy, and perfectly satisfying, the Chaos-related drama provides just enough revelations to whet your appetite while leaving you thirsty for more. I can’t wait to discover where Kristen Ashley takes the Chaos Series next because: Rush.

*complimentary copy provided by publisher for an honest review

Rating: 5 Stars

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Friday, July 27, 2018

One True Pairing Podcast Tour: Q&A and Giveaway


I love the ladies over at St. Martin's and I'm excited to spotlight their One True Pairing podcast as part of Romance Awareness Month. Read on for a Q&A with Erica and Marissa and check out a podcast episode with Alexis Daria, RITA Aware winner for Best First Book.

Romance Awareness Month Q&A:

Can you introduce yourselves and tell me how you got into romance?

Marissa: I’m Marissa Sangiacomo and I'm a marketing manager at St. Martin's Press where I work on romance and commercial women's fiction. I've loved romance novels ever since I was young and would share books with my mom. The ironic thing is that she would flag the sex scenes with post its and tell me to skip them, which just highlighted them for me. I was really drawn to the romances because I loved fairy tales and it was a natural progression from fairy tales to romance for me.

Erica: I’m Erica Martiano. I’m a senior associate director of marketing for St. Martin’s Press where I work on a variety of women’s fiction, health and wellness, and celebrity nonfiction. But I miss working on romance desperately! I started reading romance as a young girl stealing my mom’s historicals when she wasn’t looking. Where Marissa, you told your mom you were taking her books, I just took them. Sometimes while she was reading them, which would really tick her off. I was also the type of kid that would dog-ear pages, so not only was I taking her romance novels, she would know I took them. But similarly my mom loved her romance books and reading in general. I started with historicals. Dirty historicals, which is probably why I still love dirty romances.

So what is the show about?

Erica: One True Pairing is a podcast about love, romance, and couples. Every other week, we chat about either an individual couple, like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, or about a series or universe, like the Marvel Universe. We also have romance writers, like Laurelin Paige, Kayti McGee and of course, Alexis Daria, on to talk about our favorite romance couples.

Marissa: And we really try to dig deep into these couples–we do a lot of research on the couples and we try to pull out themes. Why do people love this couple? What does our love of them say about society as a whole? We really want to look critically at the couples, with a little bit of gossip thrown in for good measure.

That’s great to hear about! So, I’m interested to hear more about what you are doing for Romance Awareness Month on the show and why?

Marissa: We've always been big fans of romance and August is Romance Awareness Month. As a podcast that covers couples of all kinds, what better couples to cover than the ones that started our obsession with love? We want to help our listeners explore the genre if they never have. Our listeners tend to skew more pop culture but we think there’s such an overlap between what we talk about and what they can find in romance.

Erica: And if they have tried reading romance before, we want to help them dig a little deeper and find something they haven't read before. Step out of their comfort zone and celebrate the variety of stories you can read.

Marissa: So every week in August we are talking with people in every part of the romance community. We have editors and a writer and a publisher and reviewers all coming on the show. We’re asking them questions about their work and they will all be telling us their favorite couple from a romance novel. So definitely stay tuned!

What romance are you reading at the moment and why should we ship the couple?

Erica: I ship the book I just finished reading so hard. It’s Silver Bastard by Joanna Wylde. Becca and Puck are awesome! He saves her from a life of biker prostitution. She slams a pot of hot coffee over someone's head to protect him in a bar fight. They’re wonderful and I definitely ship them. It's such a great book.

Marissa: I'm going to go with Tara Sivec because I love her and her new book, Kiss the Girl in the Naughty Princess Club series, is coming out soon. It's about three ladies who start an at-home stripping business. They are all vaguely like princesses–the main character is named Ariel and she’s with a guy named Eric. So, Ariel and Eric, like The Little Mermaid. It's so fun and adorable. She also has a mouth like a sailor, so I doubly love her.

What's coming up for the podcast during Romance Awareness Month? What do we have to look forward to and where can we find you?

Both: We have so much coming up. Like we said earlier, we have an episode dropping every Wednesday in August. You can listen to those on Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, or whatever podcast platform your prefer. You can follow us on Twitter @OTP_Pod. We love interacting with our listeners so please do tweet at us!

Thank you so much for coming on and I’ll be sure to listen!

Marissa: Thanks for having us!

Erica: This was so fun!

About the OTP Podcast:


Pop culture, juicy romance and hilarious conversations come together in the recently Cosmopolitan featured One True Pairing podcast! Join Erica Martirano and Marissa Sangiacomo as they talk romance and revisit their favorite couples from across TV, movies, books, and pop culture. From Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Ross and Rachel, this roller coaster of bad boys, break-ups, and HEAs (Happily Ever Afters) combines love, feminism, sex, and relationships with the gossip you love.

About this Episode:


This week Erica and Marissa have romance author (and RITA winner for Best First Book!) Alexis Daria back on for a full episode. What’s a RITA? Think Oscars, but make it Romance Novels. The crew looks at their faves in all the categories and talk a little bit about what the RITAs mean for the romance community as a whole. Listen here! Or press play below.

 
Sweepstakes:

You can enter for your chance to win an epic romance book bundle from One True Pairing here! The sweepstakes ends on 7/31 at 11:59PM so hurry and get your entries in while you can.

In honor of Romance Awareness Month, One True Pairing podcast is giving away 5 grand prizepacks featuring some fabulous romances! Enter for a chance to win:


- Take the Lead by Alexis Daria
- Breathless by Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan
- The Big Alpha in Town by Eve Langlais, Milly Taiden, and Kate Baxter
- The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely
- The Warrior of Clan Kincaid by Lily Blackwood
- Set the Night on Fire by Laura Trentham
- Deep Cover by Scarlett Cole
- I Flipping Love You by Helena Hunting
- All Night with the Cowboy by Soraya Lane
- It's All About the Duke by Amelia Grey
- One for the Rogue by Manda Collins
- Torched by Donna Grant

Saving Beck by Courtney Cole: Blog Tour Excerpt


Blurb:

Reminiscent of the beloved novels by Mary Kubica and Jodi Picoult comes a chilling portrayal of a son’s addiction and its harrowing effects on both him and his mother from New York Times bestselling author Courtney Cole.

There comes a time when offering your life for your child’s doesn’t work, when you realize that it’ll never be enough.

The cold needle in his warm vein was a welcome comfort to my son at first. But then it became the monster that kept us apart.

Heroin lied, and my son believed. It took him to a world where the last year didn’t happen, to a place where his father was still alive. What Beck didn’t understand was that it couldn’t bring his father back from the dead. It couldn’t take away his pain, not permanently.

You think it can’t happen to you, that your kids, your family, will never be in this situation.
I thought that too. But you’re wrong.

Step into our world, and see for yourself.
Watch my golden boy become a slave to this raging epidemic. Watch me try and save him.

Drug addiction comes with a price.
Trust me, you’re not equipped to pay it.

Don’t miss this heartwrenching, evocative, yet hopeful novel—it will leave you forever changed.


Click to Buy on Amazon:

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About the Author:

Courtney Cole grew up in rural Kansas and now lives with her husband and kids in Florida, where she writes beneath palm trees and is still in love with the idea of magic and happily-ever-after. She is the author of Saving Beck.

Social Media Links:





Excerpt:

The hospital is a beacon of light and hope as we pull in. I barely remember to put my car in park before I jump out and I leave it in the middle of the lane, the tires wrenched haphazardly toward the curb.

“Ma’am, you can’t park there,” a guy in a security uniform says with his fake badge, but I don’t answer. I toss him my keys and push my way to the doors, and that’s when I see him.

My son.

They’ve pulled him out of the ambulance, and he’s so still, so white. He’s got the body of a man and the face of a boy, and he’s got vomit in his hair. One hand dangles over the edge of the gurney, orange flecks dripping from his fingers to the floor, but no one notices, no one cares.

“Beck,” I breathe, and he doesn’t open his eyes. “Beck,” I say louder, as loud as I can. His mouth is slack, but he’s not dead, he can’t be dead because someone is pumping his heart with her fist. She’s running next to the gurney, and she’s pounding on his heart, making it beat.

“Coming through,” she yells at the doors, and there is a team of people working on him. They’re frantic, and that’s not good.

I chase after them, through the emergency room, through the people, but someone grabs me at a giant set of double-doors, the gateway to the important rooms.

“You can’t go in there,” a nurse tells me.

“That’s my son,” I try to tell her, but she doesn’t care. “Beck,” I scream, and I try to see through the windows, but I can’t because he’s gone. “I love you, Beck. Stay here. Stay here.”