Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Making Love by Aidan Wayne Virtual Tour | Spotlight, Excerpt & #giveaway @RiptideBooks @justsayins


Hey everyone, Aidan Wayne here! Wanted to welcome you to the blog tour for my latest release, Making Love. Throughout the week I will be sharing behind-the-scenes information about Making Love, and the inspiration behind it. Please feel free to participate in and comment on the tour. By doing so, you also get the chance to receive a $15 Riptide gift card!


Carla the cupid is an excellent shot, but her chemistry is so bad that most of her matches don’t last. Her dream is to shoot a True Love pair, but until her scores improve, she’s relegated to the Puppy Love division of Aphrodite Agency.

Leeta, a succubus, is looking for a True Love match. Which is highly unusual, as most succubi are aromantic. But Aphrodite Agency—her only hope—turns her away because the receptionist can’t believe she’s not just looking for an easy meal.

Carla agrees to take Leeta’s case on freelance. She figures it’s a win-win: Carla gets to put a succubus’s True Love match on her résumé, and Leeta gets to find her True Love! Except as Carla tries to find a match for Leeta, she finds herself maybe . . . relieved when the matches don’t end well. And Leeta seems to be getting pickier and pickier. Things will never work out until Carla learns enough about chemistry to figure out who’s truly best for Leeta, and until Leeta can admit what—or who—she truly wants.

Buy links: Riptide | Amazon

Excerpt...

Tristan was waiting at his desk when she emerged.
“Feeling okay?” He handed her a chocolate square.
Carla took it with a hesitant smile. “Yeah. I mean, I have to be. I’m never going to get better if I stick with being sad. I’ll learn from the Matchmakers, and I’m going to ask every question I can think of, and I’m going to make a True Love match. On my own!”
“That’s the spirit,” Tristan said cheerfully.
“Excuse me,” another voice interrupted, cool as silk. “Do I have the right department?”
Tristan and Carla both turned as a woman walked up to the front desk. She was tall and slender, with brown skin and razor-straight black hair, two little brown horns poking up through it. The woman’s hips swayed as she walked, a long, thin tail just barely brushing the floor behind her. She didn’t walk so much as swish, every inch radiating aloof confidence.
“That depends,” Tristan said carefully, moving back behind his desk. “What department are you looking for?”
“I want to speak with Angel,” the woman said. “I have a request.”
“Name?” Tristan was frowning at his computer. “And regarding what?”
“Leeta Absinthe.” A smile. “I wish to contract a Matchmaker’s services.”
“I see.” Tristan looked up at her, smile bland and brittle. Carla barely even recognized him. What was she missing here? “Well, Miss Absinthe, regrettably Aphrodite Agency does not do contract work with your kind. We are not a catering service. Good day.”
Leeta’s eyes glittered, and she leaned forward over the desk, tail lashing behind her. “I assure you, I have no trouble at all securing my meals—” she glanced down at the nameplate on the desk “—Tristan.” She said his name like it was dipped in honey. Tristan actually scooched his chair back a few inches. “I’m looking for a deeper connection, if you will.” She leaned forward a bit more. “Though far be it from me to say that I wouldn’t mind someone fun. Perhaps you could help me, Tristan?”
Tristan stared at her, eyes wide, before swallowing audibly. “Aphrodite Agency does not serve succubi or incubi. I’m afraid Angel would have no reason to meet with you. Good day, Miss Absinthe.”
Oh! Carla finally realized. The woman was a succubus. That explained . . . not very much, actually. Carla had never met one before. Cupids and succubi didn’t usually cross paths, for obvious reasons. But she was here—because she wanted a match?
The succubus crossed her arms, frowning delicately. “Surely we can come to some arrangement. After all, our work usually leads to the same outcome in the end.” She shrugged one slender shoulder.
Tristan bristled. “I will excuse you not to compare my work with your . . . vocation. I make love, thank you very much.”
She smiled again, slow and cold. “How perfect. So do I. In a number of different positions.”
“Miss Absinthe,” Tristan said, steely-eyed. “I do not appreciate your comments, and you are making me look unprofessional in front of my fellow cupid. Angel will not see you. If you do not remove yourself from the vicinity immediately, I will summon security.”
Leeta raised one elegant, unimpressed eyebrow, before letting out a deeply unsatisfied sigh. “Very well.” She glanced at Carla, who blushed under her gaze. “I’m amazed you’re such a close-minded lot about who deserves your kind of love.” Then she turned and walked off, hips and tail swaying.
Both Tristan and Carla watched the succubus push through the double glass doors, and then until she turned a corner and left their sight. Tristan immediately let out a loud breath of air, as if he had been holding it. He shook his head, and then fumbled in his desk for a rose candy, popping it into his mouth before saying, “I’m really sorry about that! I don’t— What an awful woman! The things she said!” He sounded downright scandalized.
Carla didn’t really understand what the fuss was about. “I didn’t think she was that bad. What was the matter?” She looked back toward the doors. “And why don’t we matchmake for succubi? I’ve never heard of that rule before. Well,” she added, bouncing a little on her toes, “I’ve never met a succubus before either, so.”
Tristan threw a caramel cluster into his mouth, chewing frantically. “They just think we’re free meal tickets,” he managed around the cluster. “It’s a completely underhanded mind-set, and they’re never looking for real love. It’s been against company policy since—since I don’t even know when. I’ve had to deal with a few in my time, and they’re all the same.” He huffed, looking downright angry. “All swishy tails and—and innuendo, and of course there’s nothing wrong with that!” he added hastily. “They can’t help that they feed off, well, you know.” This time he pulled out a milk drop, which had to be sucked, so he was at least calming down. “But if some poor fool falls in love with one of them, they can be drained until they die.”
Carla gasped. “If you fall in love with one, you die? That’s horrible!”
Tristan shook his head. “No, just humans. A fae will get very weak, and might even lose some of their more powerful abilities, but we have too much energy to outright die from that kind of depletion unless the incubus or succubus is starving.”
Carla’s bottom lip trembled, and she cast a quick glance toward the glass doors. “So a succubus might never be able to be in love with someone? Or they can’t have someone love them?” If it was that or your match died . . . “That’s—that’s the worst thing I can imagine,” she whispered.
Tristan shook his head again, and patted her on the shoulder. “Oh, they could,” he said, trying to sound comforting. “Theoretically. If the succubus or incubus returns the love, something about the magical chemical properties stops the more damaging part of the drain. Supposedly it even creates a truer bond, on top of making the lust portion a richer food source.” He shrugged one shoulder. “But it’s rare. It’s against their nature to want to settle down. A real love match? Please. That woman just wanted us to do the leg work for a good, steady food source for as long as it lasted.” He glowered, the expression looking entirely out of character on his normally cheerful face. “It’s disgusting! And not something anyone in this agency will ever be tricked into being a part of.” He let out a long breath, rummaging in his desk again. “Peppermint?”
To read the entire excerpt or learn more about this book and the Author, visit Riptide Publishing.  

Aidan Wayne is a big believer in character-driven stories with happy endings. This is not to say that stories can’t contain a little (or a lot) of grief, just that at the end of it all expect there to be bandages and hugs. They particularly like to write about minority characters because damn it, they deserve happy endings too.

When not writing, Aidan enjoys practicing aerial, martial arts, and ASL, and watching reality cooking shows. They are probably in the middle of twelve projects as you read this.

Twitter: @justsayins



To celebrate the release of Making Love, one lucky winner will receive a $15 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on February 4, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!


at 7 comments:

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Series: Crown and Anchor Series "Icon" Author: Kerri Ann Crashed (Crown and Anchor Series #1) Coming Soon @EJBookPromos @Daresanddreams


Series: Crown and Anchor Series "Icon"
Author: Kerri Ann Crashed (Crown and Anchor Series #1) Coming Soon




With an avaricious appetite for stories, Kerri Ann can be found quite often with her nose in a book or writing it. On many occasion it has been said that she's in her own world, living in the stories of those she reads about, giving them a life they deserve. She can easily be found under a tree in the shade, or reclining at Starbucks scribbling notes about new stories and new characters, all while keeping the coffee chain in business. Whether late at night, at a music festival, or sitting on a ski lift, when the thoughts arise, Kerri Ann will add them to those in progress. So be wary, your antics could be in her next book.




Title: Crashed
Series: Crown and Anchor Series #1
Author: Kerri Ann Cover: Coming Soon










 
Circe All it takes is one wrong choice to change the course of your life forever. It was all planned out; I was going to be someone special. That was me in a nutshell. But, when everything has been in your grasp, how do you live when it all slips away? My life has been a series of bad memories, bad moves, wrong turns and pain. Lots of pain. Then I met him. I thought that pain would be a thing of the past; I guess not. I thought I was living, but I soon found out I was simply surviving until I met him. After years of watching from afar, I realized that there is so much more to him. Wyatt Crown is beautiful to watch, lovely to imagine and a dream come true in the flesh. Every woman knows that. Did they know there are darker, more devilish pieces to his soul? There’s things he can’t show the outside world that is not part of decent society, but, it’s a need he can’t deny. Wyatt I’m wealthy beyond what I’ll be able to spend, I have a family that cares, I have everything I could ever ask for -- yet, I’m alone. There’s a hole in me that can’t be filled. There’s a darkness that can only be fed by depravity. Disguised as loved, it’s my bedfellow of choice. I’m from a family of daredevils. We call ourselves race junkies. I need the roar of the crowd, the rush of pushing limits and most of all -- success. My father is, my sister is and my brother too. We race to win. Nothing less is accepted. If I can’t win, there’s no living with me. This isn’t your sweet, he said/she said, they found true love. This is dirty, dark, twisted and full of partial hope. Don’t expect a happy ending, but if you get it; you can thank me later.



HOSTED BY:
at No comments:

Friday, January 27, 2017

Spell Fall (The Warlock Brothers of Havensbridge book 4) by @JacobZFlores | Tams Release day Review, Excerpt & #giveaway @Dreamspinners




Love and trust made them soul mates, but destiny might have other plans.


Ever since Drake Carpenter fell in love with warlock Mason Blackmoor, his life has been one supernatural battle after another, but Drake doesn’t mind… much. To be with Mason and experience the magical connection they share, Drake would face entire hordes of vampyren, shifters, or fae—and he has. Luckily Drake is immune to magic, though no one can explain his natural ability to negate almost any enchantment. With Drake’s own family gone, Mason is all he has. So why is Drake experiencing disturbing dreams about Mason that terrify him?

A new threat looms on the horizon, and a revelation about Drake’s identity and the true origin of his bond with Mason shatters everything Drake believes. If Drake, Mason, and all of magic are to survive the coming Spell Fall, the most destructive curse in sorcery, Drake must deal with the truth and fight his way back to Mason—because their enemies are gaining strength, and they intend to reach the boy Drake loves first.



Buy links: Dreamspinner | Amazon 


 Tams gives this one 5 Stars...

 The Blackmoor men have all been through so much in their mutual quests for peace among the covens, and individually they all just long to find love. With each brother finally paired up with their destined mates, the youngest brother, Mason, and his boyfriend Drake are put to the test once again. Their past is about to collide with their future, and if they aren't careful, it could destroy not only their family, but the entire magical community.

Flores writing just gets better with each installment of this series. The world building, character development and growth as well as the overall feel of the story is just amazing. The Blackmoor men are continually put to the test, and though they struggle and don't always make the right decision, I'm so engaged with their journeys... both as individuals, as couples and as a family. This time around the focus is on Mason and Drake again, but for an entirely different reason. This evil hits a little closer to home, hits below the belt. As if their own personal demons and issues aren't enough, there is additional strain and distrust added to the already tenuous relationship between the Blackmoors and the other covens. It will be up to the youngest members of each coven to show their parents and families that anger and pride can be set aside if they are to see the bigger picture and win this war, together.

If you are a fan of this series or this Author then of course, this is a must read. This would also be a win win for fans of paranormal romance, supernatural sagas and those like me that just love the hard sought happy ever afters that are wrapped around a passionate romance. Keep in mind that this is a series that must be read in order though. I will testify it's worth the time to catch up.

 Excerpt...
“ARE YOU okay, Drake?”
No, I wasn’t okay. In fact, I was about as far away from being okay as you could possibly get, but my throat kept me from answering. I glanced into the face and eyes of the boy I loved. Mason shook the strands of hair away from his face, but he couldn’t shake away the sadness that flooded his gaze. It told me he’d do anything to take away my pain.
If only grief could be spirited away so easily.
I swallowed hard, trying to force my throat open to respond, but the emotions that bubbled up from my soul refused to budge. They sat there, waiting for the moment when my resolve fell and the pain ripping me to pieces inside came flooding out.
Mason moved to stand behind me and wrapped his arms around my chest, holding me tight. I inhaled his musky, sweet scent and embraced the warmth of his touch and the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat. His love and devotion prevented me from being swept away by the pain I’d yet to fully express.
It told me that I didn’t have to talk. All I had to do was be held.
I leaned into his touch, drawing on the strength he always gave me, and returned my attention to the sturdy half Cape house surrounded by the white picket fence. I could still see my aunt Millie tending to the garden and fussing at me for helping her. God, how she hated that! She would always tell me she could do it her damn self, and despite her advanced age, painful arthritis, and heart arrhythmia, she meant every word. She was the definition of an independent woman with a spirit stronger than a wild mustang running across the prairie, and this house had been her pride and joy.
It was also where she had been murdered, where magic stole something dear from me, and where my aunt Millie had been turned into a vampyre. My heart sank.
“I miss her somethin’ awful.” The white plumes of vapor that exited my body in short, rapid spurts told me it was cold, but I couldn’t feel the sharp sting of the chilly air. I had been numb ever since I woke up that morning because I knew that today I’d be saying one final good-bye to the house that had been my home for too brief a time.
Mason held me tighter, rubbing his cheek against mine. It always made me feel safe when he did that. It told me he was here for whatever I needed. He’d been there for me ever since we met, even if we didn’t particularly like each other at first.
He had protected me, saved me, loved me, and given the boy who had lost his entire world a new family.
“I miss her too. She was the best.”
I nodded, tears streaming down my cheeks. She was the best of the best, and this world was a sadder place now that the monster Ben Crane had turned her into had replaced the Millicent Carpenter I knew. The five-foot-three woman with a heart of gold and a soul of steel was gone. Only a seven-foot-tall vampyre with jagged teeth and a prehensile tongue remained, and the woman who once did everything she could to protect me now tried to kill me every time our paths crossed.
And I was likely going to have to run a stake through her heart.
“I don’t know if I can do this.”

Gay romance that is sinfully charming Jacob Z. Flores lives a double life. During the day, he is a respected college English professor and mid-level administrator. At night and during his summer vacation, he loosens the tie and tosses aside the trendy sports coat to write man on man fiction, where the hardass assessor of freshmen level composition turns his attention to the firm posteriors and other rigid appendages of the characters in his fictional world. Summers in Provincetown, Massachusetts, provide Jacob with inspiration for his fiction. The abundance of barely clothed man flesh and daily debauchery stimulates his personal muse. When he isn’t stroking the keyboard, Jacob spends time with his daughter. They both represent a bright blue blip in an otherwise predominantly red swath in south Texas.

Be sure to leave a comment to be entered into the TTC Books and more monthly comment giveaway. EVERY comment that is relevant to the specific post will be entered. Prizes include various gift cards and swag donated by Publishers, Authors and blog Owner. REMEMBER TO LEAVE YOUR CONTACT INFO! How else will I notify you if you win?



at 5 comments:

** Tams and Cats top picks for 2016 ** Smoke and Mirrors (THIRDS book 7) by @charliecochet | Cat & Tams Reviews & #giveaway @Dreamspinners



Hello everyone, and Happy New Year! 

Cat and I decided to do just one book/audiobook that we enjoyed in 2016 instead of a top 10 or anything along those lines. When it came down to it, we both said THIRDS. Cat has listened to all the Audio's pretty much in the past month, said she couldn't make herself stop and set the iPod down, because the stories were so juicy and enthralling. Myself, I've read all the books in the series at least twice, but my personal favorite that has received much more of my time than any others in the series is book 5, Against the Grain. 

So, we decided to make the THIRDS series our top series for 2016. Just in time for the long awaited release of book 8, Thick & Thin, on February 1st. For the month of January we'll be sharing our reviews for the audios and e-books in this series as well as some fun sneak peaks at book 8, ending with the release review of Thick & Thin on release day. So stay tuned and check back daily for updates and more! 
Smoke and Mirrors
THIRDS book 7
Written by: Charlie Cochet

 Life for Dexter J. Daley has never been easy, but he’s always found a way to pick himself back up with a smile on his face. Taken from his home, and the arms of his boyfriend and THIRDS partner, Sloane Brodie, Dex finds himself in a situation as mysterious and lethal as the Therian interrogating him. Dex learns what he’s secretly believed all along: his parents’ death wasn’t an accident.

Discovering the whole truth about John and Gina Daley’s homicide sets off a series of events that will change Dex and Sloane’s lives forever. As buried secrets rise to the surface and new truths are revealed, Dex and Sloane’s love for each other is put to the test, with more than their relationship on the line. If traversing the waters of murder and secret government agencies wasn’t enough, something inexplicable has been happening to Dex—and nothing will ever be the same.

  • Cat's Audiobook Review...
    "Riveting suspenseful romance."
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    What made the experience of listening to Smoke & Mirrors the most enjoyable?
    Everything. This is the best story yet.

    Which character – as performed by Mark Westfield – was your favorite?
    Dex. I loved how he evolved and Mark showed us so much emotion in this book. I have to Admit I like Wolf and Hudson's British accents too.

    Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
    What moment didn't! I was scared for Dex at the torture in the beginning. I cried several times. Dex and Sloane's love is touching. I cried when Dex heard his mom's voice on the tapes. I cried hard at one point I can't say why as it would be a spoiler. And the ending gave me happy tears. The entire story is so emotional and awesome.!

    Any additional comments?

    OH MY GOSH! Just when you think a series can't get better it surprisingly outshines itself. Smoke and Mirrors is the best in this series yet. The entire book evokes so many emotions from laughter to nail-biting suspense to tears of sorrow and joy.

    I love Sloan and Dex and this story gives us so much more into their lives.I just can't say enough about how great this book is. You have to read it to see!

    If you like unusual shifters, cat shifters, special ops, nail-biting suspense(lots of suspense) romance, hot man sex and a fabulous ending this is a must read!
    Tams E-book Review...

    Let me preface by saying, this a series that MUST be read in order, not a stand alone story. In the last book, Catch a Tiger by the Tail, we were left wondering what happened to Dex after Sloane put out a call to the team that Dex had been taken from their home while they slept. I wasn't sure how this aspect of the story would play out. Would Cochet drag us along while slowly revealing who had Dex and why. Thankfully, that is all revealed in the first few chapters, but it sets a series of events in motion that are going to change everything for Dex, Sloane and Destructive Delta. 

    Friendships will be tested, loyalties questioned and more than one person's life will be in danger by the time the threat is revealed. And even then, you just know that it is only beginning of the end. Several nagging suspicions, or questions if you will, that I've had since the very first book in this series are answered. But Cochet, being the master storyteller she is, threw some new curve balls and grenades into the already chaotic lives of these THIRDS agents. Seven books in and I am still completely engaged in the stories, intrigued by the characters as they continue to grow and evolve. There is one hell of a shocker revealed at the end of the book that really took me by surprise, made me look at a character I believed to be a snake in disguise in a different way. I love when books can surprise me that way.

    Definitely a must read for fans of PNR, Shifter stories, fantastical world building that is completely believable and overall anyone that is looking for a book that will pull you in and have you craving the next installment immediately. Such a great series, one of my favorites.

    Action. Humor. Romance. THIRDS!

     THIRDS exists to uphold the law for Humans and Therians without prejudice.

    During the Vietnam War, biological warfare spread the Melanoe virus, infecting millions worldwide and changing the course of human history forever. The vaccine, Eppione.8, created using strains from animals immune to the virus, activated a dormant mutation within the virus that altered human DNA and gave birth to a new species: Therians.

     In an attempt to restore social order, the US government put new regulations and laws into place, along with a Therian branch of government. In 1990, Human and Therian legislators launched the Therian Human Intelligence, Recon, Defense Squadron aka the THIRDS, an elite, military-funded agency comprised of an equal number of Human and Therian agents. 

     But THIRDS agents are more than a team—they’re a family through thick and thin, and along the way, some find true love. While every day brings dangers and challenges, one thing will never change: standing up for what you believe in and protecting the people you love is never optional. 

     SERIES READING ORDER
    Sign up for Charlie Cochet's newsletter to receive up to date information about the series as well as series exclusives that publish first in the newsletter for subscribers. 



    Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From adventurous agents and sexy shifters, to society gentlemen and hardboiled detectives, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!

    Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.


    Email: charlie@charliecochet.com


    So, there are several opportunities for you to win something here. Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance at an e-book or an audiobook, but remember to leave a comment as well. First, you'll be entered into the monthly giftcard giveaway here at TTC. Second, Mrs. Cochet has been known to pop in and comment on her comments. 
    Remember to leave your contact info in your comment please...


    a Rafflecopter giveaway


at 1 comment: