T's Stuff

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Taming Marco by Alexis James blitz

Taming Marco
Alexis James
(The Moran Family #2)
Publication date: February 14th 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Playing the field does have its perks.
Hot…passionate….naked perks.
Marco Moran knows all about those perks. Wealthy, successful, and fully committed to being single, he’s content strolling through life with numerous women traipsing in and out of his bed. Unapologetic, he embraces the life of a single man, doing all he can to avoid tying himself down.
Amita Morales has a mediocre life….a decent job, a car that runs, a boyfriend she tries convincing herself is worth staying with, even though any love she might have felt for him died years before. Meeting Marco Moran is nothing more than an inconvenience, and yet their attraction to one another is undeniable.
When Amita is suddenly single, everything changes. For the first time in years, her future is open to possibility and happiness. But friendship is the name of the game for Marco and Amita. The committed bachelor in him will gladly settle for friends with benefits, but even he is surprised at their off the charts chemistry. Will she be able to tame this wild playboy? Or will she have to reconcile herself to a life with a man who is determined to remain unattached?
This, the 2nd novel in The Moran Family series, can be read as a standalone, though these characters are introduced in book 1, “Saving Cruz”.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

Prologue

“Are all the guys who work here hot?”

I quickly get to my feet. The sultry and all too sexy voice behind me is like my own personal cat nip. I give the brunette a thorough once-over, then do it again because once really wasn’t enough. Between her knockout curves, fantastic rack, and a face most men only dream of, I’m putty in her hands. If the blush tinting her face is any indication, it’s fair to say she’s having a similar reaction to me.

My good friend Mia, who happens to be the on-again, off-again girlfriend of my older brother Cruz, as well as his assistant for our family-owned company, chimes up and breaks through the hot, sexual chemistry with an introduction. “Marco, this is my best friend, Amita Morales. Amita, this is Marco Moran. He’s the CFO here at The Moran Group.”

Amita rolls her sultry brown eyes over me once more. She reaches out her hand and murmurs, “Mr. Moran.”

It’s like sticking my finger in a light socket when I take her hand in mine. The zing of energy that races through me from her touch is tangible. She’s no longer blushing but her eyes widen expressively and she blinks rapidly, telling me she’s feeling the exact same thing based on her semi-shocked look.

“Miss Morales.”

Mia hops to her feet and interrupts us again. “…you need me to let him know you’re here?” I vaguely hear something that sounds like words, but I’m so damn transfixed by this woman standing in front of me I barely know my own name. “Marco, do you need me to let Cruz know you’re here?”

Regaining my senses, I quickly drop Amita’s hand and shove my own, slightly shaky in my pocket. “What? Oh, no … I’ll let myself in. You girls enjoy.” I give the beauty one more trademark Moran grin and drawl, “I look forward to seeing you again, Amita.”

She smiles broadly, showing me a row of perfect, white teeth. “Oh, you will. You can bet on it.”

Author Bio:
Alexis James lives on the beautiful Central California coast. When she’s not spending time with her hubby of almost 30 years or her amazing kids, you can find her tapping away on the computer. She loves reading, spending time with family, reading, camping, reading….and writing too! She enjoys a good date night, an inexpensive glass of wine, and any story that can make her smile and/or cry.
Alexis’s first novel, “Losing Faith”, was released in September 2014. Her second novel, “Loving Emma”, is a standalone, though it does feature some characters from “Losing Faith”.
She invites you to visit her author pages on Facebook and Goodreads, and her website: alexisjamesauthor.com. You can also follow her on Twitter (@alexisjames27) or you can email her at: alexisjamesauthor@gmail.com.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Devil’s Host MC: The Complete Series by Shari Slade blitz

The Devil’s Host MC: The Complete Series
Shari Slade
Publication date: February 12th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Meet the dangerous enforcer of The Devil’s Host MC in this complete bundle!
When a big scary biker shows up at Jimmy’s Diner fifteen minutes before the end of my shift—covered in tattoos and looking at me like I’m on the menu—I should flip the open sign to closed.

But I don’t.

I’m too used to doing what I’ve been told. Too used to working and struggling and surviving to do anything different. A closed sign wouldn’t stop him anyway. He’s here to collect a debt. And I’m the only one left to pay.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

THE DEVIL’S HOST MC is only 99c for a limited time! Get this “dark, dangerous, and perfectly dirty” bundle while it’s on sale.

—

EXCERPT:

I can’t process all of him at once. He’s that big. He is scruff and muscle and a white T-shirt tucked into dusty jeans. He looks weathered and road weary, like most of Jimmy’s clientele, but…more. Everything about him is intense. His knife-blade cheekbones. His heavy brows.

His blue eyes flash icy heat, and some animal instinct tells me this man isn’t looking for sass, that if he finds it, he might do something about it, something I won’t like at all.

He’s made himself comfortable in the booth with his leather jacket tossed on the opposite side along with a sleek black helmet. I’m pretty sure there’s a motorcycle parked out front now to match his accessories. If only I’d heard the rev of an engine and the spray of gravel, but I was too busy humming and watching the clock. A warning would’ve been nice. I might have locked the door a few minutes early, even if it did mean Jimmy would dock my pay.

No. I wouldn’t have locked a customer out. But I’d have braced myself better.

His hands are massive and flat on the tabletop. Tattoos crisscross his blunt knuckles, the ink broken by spidery scars. It takes my brain precious seconds to decipher the blue-black loops and whirls as letters.

It’s like he’s put them there for inspection. But not the “clean enough for supper, ma’am?” kind of inspection, the “how much damage do you think these can do?” kind.

A lot of damage. That’s the answer. A lot. Those are knuckles that have been through walls and windows. Flesh and bone.

I want to say we’re closed, but Jimmy’d can my ass for turning away a paying customer. I want to run back to the kitchen and get Harry to tell him to take his business elsewhere, but Harry isn’t any match for this man. And I’m frozen in place anyway. I can’t peel my eyes away from his hands.

I stare harder, and it hits me that the letters over his knuckles form words.

Lost. Soul.

Some fear inside me eases, because that’s almost romantic. Lost souls and lone wolves. Desperadoes. If he were really terrible, he wouldn’t have to advertise. The truly dangerous men blend in.

“Not much of a talker, are you?” he says.

I try for caustic, but the words slip out as half whispers. “Not when I don’t have anything to say.”

He laughs again, only softer this time. More smug. “I can respect that.”

Him respecting anything about me seems like the most ridiculous thing yet. Even sillier than me standing here for long minutes without taking his order. My gaze drifts up his colorful forearms, across his chest, and over the hard pecs I can make out through thin cotton. His neck, corded with muscle and more ink, flexes under my scrutiny.

Everything about him is hard, except for his mouth.

His lips look soft. And pinker than they should be. A sensual mouth, curled into a smile that says I know everything you’re thinking, and yeah you’re exactly right. A smile that says test me, please. A smile that says I’m hungry and you look like cake.

Fuck me. I want to be cake.

Author Bio:
Shari Slade is the USA Today bestselling author of sexy new adult, biker, and rock star romance. A would-be academic with big dreams and very little means. When she isn't toiling away in the non-profit sector, she's writing gritty stories about identity and people who make terrible choices in the name of love (or lust). Somehow, it all works out in the end. If she had a patronus it would be a platypus.

Frequently found in a blanket fort, you can also find her on facebook and twitter.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Delicate Destruction by Jillian Ashe blitz

My Delicate Destruction
Jillian Ashe
(Wolfegang #1)
Publication date: July 26th 2016
Genres: Adventure, New Adult, Science Fiction

They Promised her Hope…
My name is Katerina Anderson. In 2016, a drug called Hope was created. Administered during suspended animation, the drug was supposed to cure the cancer my twin brother and I had. When an earthquake leveled Los Angeles, we were presumed dead.
Forgotten, we slept.
The day I woke up, I realized everything had changed. My brother was missing, and everyone else I knew was dead. I booked passage on a ship to find Kris. The government thinks I’m a criminal and the cure did more than just cure my cancer. My brother is the only one who might have the answers I need, but that drug and all its false hope set me on a path I’m not sure I can follow.
Will I find my twin and learn exactly what they did to me before it’s too late?

Goodreads / Amazon

*Get My Delicate Destruction for FREE for a limited time only!*

More books in the series:

—

EXCERPT:

I sat in the interrogation room, waiting. I was annoyed. If they were arresting me for the car, then why was I in an interrogation room? Did they need me to confess? It all seemed a little strange. There had to be some sort of retinal scan that threw up some red flags on my lack of identification if I wasn’t there for the whole car thing.

I tried not to panic. I could totally get out of this. All I had to do was sweet talk them into thinking I was a dumb girl who lost her license…or whatever I was supposed to have.

I waited for almost two hours before Officer Smith came in to do the preemptive paperwork. When he was done, he paged his partner, Officer Cromwell.

Officer Cromwell was the big, burly guy who had knocked me out. One of his arms was the size of my torso and he could probably tear me in two.

“We want to know what connection you have with Captain Chase Wolfe.” His voice was so deep it made the air around him vibrate. I was impressed despite my automatic hatred for him.

Wolfe was the last thing I expected them to ask me about. They went to all that work to arrest me, but for none of the things I was actually guilty of. They wanted to know about the captain instead. My nerves went haywire, surely trying to warn me; the basic survival instinct kicking into overdrive.

I knew nothing about this captain. At least if it was something I’d done I could answer their questions. “Well, I booked passage with him,” I replied. “I’ve never met him prior to today.”

“You’re sure?” the smaller one asked as he walked in, Smith.

“Positive. I actually have no idea why I’m here.” My hands felt constricted in the cuffs, and they jangled unpleasantly when I moved.

Why would they hunt me down for information on this guy? I was on that ship for barely an hour. Things must be worse for the Wolfegang then I’d originally thought. The authorities wanted them bad.

“You have no identification, you aren’t in the system, and you recently went to the bank to exchange a large amount of cash for credits,” Cromwell stated. “It’s not possible to have nothing to identify you. This means you had it wiped somehow, most likely for criminal reasons. Oh, and you stole a car. Anything else I’m forgetting?”

Well, shit. They did know about my criminal activities, but somehow, they thought it was connected to this captain. What exactly had I gotten myself into?

He threw down a plex that showed the stolen car report, the bank transactions, and my passage receipt.

How had they gotten it all so fast?

“You deposited five thousand dollars in cash. Where did you get it?”

“My grandfather left it for me.” At least that wasn’t a lie. I didn’t know what they wanted me to tell them, but they were so convinced that I knew something. How was I going to get them to understand?

Maybe if I played this cool enough they would let me go. Though, I doubted it. Best-case scenario: I was thrown in a holding cell with a court date and no one to pay my bail. Worst-case scenario…I could only imagine what was legal for law enforcement now.

“Have you ever contacted Chase Wolfe prior to the purchase of your passage?” Smith asked me.

“No.” Another truthful answer. I was getting lucky. I was also getting annoyed. I hated roundabout questions that were just the same question reworded. I’d already told him that I hadn’t.

“But you do know a Kristopher Anderson.”

Crap, I had a bad feeling about this. “Yes.” How could they possibly connect me to him? There were probably a million Kristopher Andersons in the world.

“We arrested him a while back on assault charges and resisting arrest. Served time too.”

I didn’t say anything. I didn’t move or react in any way. He watched me, and it made me feel cagey.

“Why are you headed to the same planet that was his last known location?”

Damn, these guys were good. “Vacation.” I didn’t bother to elaborate.

Cromwell slammed his fist on the desk. I jumped about an inch off my chair. “Stop playing around! I know he’s your brother; the DNA we took when we processed you matches. Are you smuggling weapons to him? Are you working for him or Wolfe? Give me answers, damn it!” His fist left an impression in the table.

Author Bio:
My readers are what's important to me. Yes, I write for myself and the enjoyment of it, but I adore when a reader actually has a great time reading a story I slaved over. I don't write any particular genre, but I do stick to kick-ass female characters. I love writing about all types of differently strong women. My debut series is Young Adult Science Fiction. The first novella is free to see if you enjoy what I write.
I'm very involved with my fandoms, and love all things geeky and nerdy. I love connecting with my readers, so if you'd like to contact me just head over to my website :)
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz for: Chameleon by Zoe Kalo

Chameleon

Zoe Kalo

Genre: YA Gothic/Multicultural

Date of Publication: February 15, 2017

Number of pages: 230

Word Count: 55,000

Cover Artist: Deranged Doctor Designs

Book Description:

An isolated convent, a supernatural presence, a dark secret…

17-year-old Paloma only wanted to hold a séance to contact her dead father. She never thought she would be kicked out of school and end up in an isolated convent. Now, all she wants is to be left alone. But slowly, she develops a bond with a group of girls: kind-hearted Maria, insolent Silvy, pathological liar Adelita, and their charismatic leader Rubia.

When, yet again, Paloma holds a séance in the hope of contacting her father, she awakens an entity that has been dormant for years. And then, the body count begins. Someone doesn’t want the secret out…

Are the ghost and Paloma’s suspicions real—or only part of her growing paranoia and delusions?

Excerpt:

I cannot clearly say how I had
entered

the wood; I was so full of sleep
just at

the point where I abandoned the
true path.

--Dante Alighieri, Inferno 1.
11-12

Chapter 1

Puerto Rico, 1973

Oak trees dripping with Spanish
moss embraced us from both sides, but not enough to shield us from the prison
that would be my home for the next seven months. The high stone walls and
neo-Gothic bell tower loomed over us as my stepfather drove his Mercedes
through the spiked iron gates and into the sloping, curving driveway.

A spider of dread crawled up my
back. Prison indeed.

I couldn’t believe it had come to
this. The way things had blown out of proportion. I’d only wanted to contact my
dead father. Ask his forgiveness.

My
mother reached for my hand from the front seat without turning around to look
at me. I stared at her perfectly polished red nails and the glittery square cut
emerald on her ring finger. Her fingers flicked, silently pleading for my
attention, but I was frozen inside. Her hand retreated.

I stared at the convent, my eyes
studying the pointed arched windows, the worn, age-blackened stones. The place
looked haunted. Perfect for my state of mind. What was my mother thinking?

Something moved behind one of the
windows. A face. For an instant my pulse raced at the sheer paleness of it, at
the two dark holes that made up its eyes.

“What are you looking at?” Sara,
my six-year-old half sister, asked.

I pointed. “A girl.”

She followed my line of vision.
“Where?”

“There. High up. In the window.”

She
dipped her head so she could have a better look. “I don’t see anything.”

I
felt a shiver, but not from the cold. It’s white. It’s watching us.

Then
the car moved too close to the building, and the face vanished from view.

“Is
this your new school, Paloma?” Sara asked.

I
nodded. Sara was the child, female version of my stepfather. Her bottomless dark
eyes, framed by velvety lashes, stared at me with misery. “I don’t like it,”
she whispered, grabbing my hand.

“It’ll
be okay,” I whispered back, and gave her hand a little squeeze.

“You
promise?”

“I
promise.”

“Well,
here we are,” Domenico said in his strong Castilian accent, stopping the car in
front of the entrance. He climbed out and opened the door for my mother. Then
he proceeded to take out my suitcases from the trunk.

My
mother was silent. She stepped out like a wooden mannequin, her eyes shimmery
with unshed tears.

I
climbed out, followed by Sara, the gravel crunching under our shoes. The early
morning air was cool and a blanket of mist still lingered—not surprising, since
the convent was on the outskirts of El Yunque, the island’s rain forest. More
Spanish moss hung from the oak trees and rippled in the breeze like long,
shivering memories. I could smell the dew on the leaves and the rich perfume of
moist earth, redolent of open graves.

I
glanced at the ominous clouds. “Beautiful morning.”

An ongoing distant hum resonated
all around us. One, two beats passed, before it struck me: Waterfall.

Something within me shut down—or
exploded, I couldn’t be sure.

I shut my eyes for a second,
wiping out memories of chilled water searing my lungs.

I
repeated the eighth multiplication table in my head. This always helped.

“After you,” Domenico said,
interrupting my thoughts.

I wanted to loathe him. Tried to,
anyway. I could see what my mother saw in him: a powerfully charismatic,
handsome man with the infinite skill to make people do his bidding. My mother,
with her small delicate features and petite frame, looked invisible beside him.
A mere spectre. But that was just a façade. I knew better.

The
big oak door opened and a nun clad in black habit and a wimple came down the
steps to greet us.

Sara
wrapped her arms around my waist. Her gesture both comforted me and heightened
my anxiety. Nuns in habit made me think of great black birds.

“Bienvenidos,”
the nun said. Like my stepfather, she also had a Castilian accent. “I’m Madre
Estela and I’m second in charge to Madre Superiora. You must be Señor and
Señora de Aznar.”

They
exchanged small talk. Madre Estela sounded polite enough, but she didn’t offer
to shake hands with my parents, which I found strange. Maybe nuns weren’t
allowed to shake hands. I wouldn’t be surprised. I noticed the wedding band on
her ring finger. Married to God. Absurd.

“You
must be Paloma,” she said tonelessly.

“Yes,”
I said. Wasn’t it obvious? I didn’t know what else to say.

The
cross on her chest caught my attention. It had a crucified Christ on it and I
noticed the thorns cutting Christ’s forehead, the little drops of blood
glistening on His fragile body.

“Welcome
to our school, Paloma.” Her critical gaze scrutinized my makeup, my tight
jeans. “I’ve heard much about you.”

I didn’t miss the hint of cold
disapproval in her voice. I wasn’t sure how much my parents had complained
about my behavior, but considering I had been kicked out—well, actually, kindly
asked to leave—from my previous school in the middle of October, it couldn’t be
good.

“Are
you ready to resume your senior year of high school?” Stress on resume.

“I
can’t wait,” I said. There was no point in being nice—or pretending to be. That
just wasn’t me. I felt miserable and couldn’t hide it. Besides, I could tell
from our short exchange that she’d made up her mind not to like me long before
meeting me, and I had the sinking feeling that no matter what I said or did,
her opinion wouldn’t change. I had already been stamped in her Inquisition
book, tagged a criminal.

Madre
Estela’s stony eyes moved to Sara. My little sister’s arms clutched my waist
even tighter. From the nun’s expression, I could tell she was wondering if I
had infected Sara with whatever plague ailed me. She dismissed us and turned
back to my mother and stepfather. “Madre Superiora is expecting you in her
office. Let’s not keep her waiting.
Don’t concern yourselves with the suitcases. Someone will come for them
shortly.”

They
thanked her and followed her up the steps.

“I
don’t want to go in,” Sara said.

“It’ll be okay,” I said. I
glanced at the window. I wanted to see the pale face again. But there was
nothing.

A
drop of rain hit my cheek and I wiped it off. Then I held Sara’s hand and
together we walked up the steps and through the arched doorway.

I felt my throat closing up.

Seven
months.

Seven months wasn’t that long,
was it? Besides, Thanksgiving break was just around the corner. Six weeks, to
be exact. I had already marked my calendar. I couldn’t wait. I would go through
the motions, no need to make friends that I’d never see again. When you get
close to people, you end up getting hurt.

About the Author:

A certified bookworm and ailurophile, Zoe Kalo has always been obsessed with books and reading. Reading led to writing—compulsively. No surprise that at 16, she wrote her first novel, which her classmates read and passed around secretly. The pleasure of writing and sharing her fantasy worlds has stayed with her, so now she wants to pass her stories to you with no secrecy—but with lots of mystery. She lives amongst cats and books in Belgium, and is the author of the Cult of the Cat young adult fantasy series and the Retribution novella series for adults.

Website and blog: www.ZoeKalo.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/zoekalowriter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Zoe-Kalo-206262253053039

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14951190.Zoe_Kalo

Purchase link for Chameleon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N18CKAI

 special release price of $.99, but will go up to $2.99 after February 21st. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

cover reveal for Hot Shade by Tamara Lush

Hot Shade
Tamara Lush
Publication date: March 1st 2017
Genres: Erotica, Romance, Suspense

In the tropical Florida heat, a man with deadly secrets falls for a lovely, inquisitive reporter.

***
After Luca Rossi lost everything to the Italian mafia, he used all his skills to write a stunning expose, and managed to put a key don on trial for his life. But now Luca must hide out on the Florida coast until justice is served in Italy. All is well, until he meets a lovely young American reporter who won’t stop asking questions about who he is. Soon he’s fighting the urge to hush her with a kiss … and much, much more.
Skylar Shaw took a job with a small Florida paper determined to make her mark on the journalistic world. She may spend her days writing up alligator scares and human interest stories, but when she meets a handsome mystery man on the beach, she’s not afraid to dig into his past, and the danger stalking him from across the seas. There’s just one problem … will her efforts help Luca, or bring danger straight to him?
Luca knows all too well the journalistic drive to keep digging. Can he trust his lovely Skylar to keep his secrets, or must he push her away to save both their lives?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Author Bio:
Tamara Lush was born in California and raised in Vermont. She graduated from Emerson College with a degree in broadcast journalism. For the last several years, she’s worked as a reporter and is currently a correspondent in Florida with The Associated Press. She lives with her Italian husband and two dogs on the Gulf Coast.
She was recently chosen as one of 24 writers for the Amtrak Residency program, and in 2017, she'll be riding trains and writing romance.
Published in September of 2015, her debut novel HOT SHADE received four stars from RT Book Reviews. Her most recent novel, a five episode serial called TELL ME A STORY, has "an engaging voice, sexy heroes and heroines and a wry sense of humor,” according to New York Times bestselling author Beth Kery.
Tamara is a fan of vintage pulp fiction book covers, Sinatra-era jazz, 1980s fashion, tropical chill, kombucha, gin, tonic, beaches, iPhones, Art Deco, telenovelas, coloring books, street art, coconut anything, strong coffee and newspapers. Find her on Twitter @tamaralush or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tamaralushwrites.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Blitz for Chameleon by Zoe Kalo

This is my 3rd photography book by Debra Schoenberger. I really love her work. The photos really take you to the place she is visiting and shows you the real everyday of that place unlike a tourist brochure.

Of the 3 books of Debra's this is not my favorite. It is still worthy of 5 stars but a lot of the pictures are smaller and black and white. I have the digital copy of this book so the paper book may be large and the pictures are not actually as small as they seem. Her other to books were more vibrant, colorful, and really jumped off the page at you.

I do love how on a lot of her photos if you actually look at the picture you see different things. There is one picture at a train station, at first you see the railroad tracks, the depot, the sidewalk, but when you really look at it you see the shadows, there is a shadow of a person walking across the sidewalk, almost like a ghost, at least that's how I seen it.

My favorite picture would be the one taken at a fruit stand. There are a several people milling around doing their thing not even acknowledging the camera accept one little girl. She is looking directly at the camera with a "Don't take my picture" look on her face. I found it to be adorable and funny. Another of my favorites was taken at dusk of large buildings with cars going down the road. The colors in this pictures are just beautiful to me.

I cannot wait for her to see where her next photography book will take me.

Check this book out on Amazon