Strong Hold by Sarah Castille blitz

Strong Hold
Sarah Castille
(Redemption #5)
Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication date: July 3rd 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

“Shayla?”

For the longest moment Zack’s brain couldn’t process the sight in front of him.

Seven years, ten months and twenty-seven days. That was how long it had been since he’d seen her. That was how long it had been since he’d lived a life without regret.
Fight promoter Zack Grayson is on the prowl for a rising star. As the top recruiter of a prestigious MMA promotion company, he wants to take someone where he was never able to go: the top of the professional league. He didn’t expect that someone to be the woman he loved…and left.
Top-ranked MMA amateur fighter Shayla “Shilla the Killa” Tyler built walls around her heart when Zack left her seven years ago–and again when her husband turned violent. Now, seeing Zack is nearly enough to send those walls crumbling. But she can’t risk the exposure of the limelight, and she definitely can’t risk another heartbreak.
As Shayla and Zack grow closer, though, business turns personal. And once their passion unleashes, there’s no going back…
Redemption Series:

Against the Ropes (Book 1)

In Your Corner (Book 2)

Full Contact (Book 3)

Fighting Attraction (Book 4)

Strong Hold (Book 5)
What People Are Saying About Sarah Castille’s Redemption series:

“Powerful. Gritty. And sexy beyond belief. Sarah is a true master!”–Opal Carew, New York Times bestselling author of His to Claim

“Emotionally charged, amazingly sexy, and flat out fantastic.” —Fresh Fiction for Full Contact

“Castille continues to introduce characters who are both intense and vulnerable. The females are more than a match for the men in their lives, and these guys are worth their efforts.” —RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars for Full Contact

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—

EXCERPT:

“That kiss,” he whispers, his breath hot against my ear. “In Torment’s office. That was nothing?”

“Aside from the fact that we risked both our lives, and you have to pay a heavy price, and I maybe got a little hot from all the activity…nothing.”

“And when we touched…” He slides one arm around my waist and pulls me close as if we were alone and not in the Redemption parking lot where, no doubt, we are fueling the overactive gossip mill. “When I held you…nothing?”

My cheeks burn at the memory. “A friendly hug.”

“And back there in class…” His hips press up against mine, and his voice drops to a sensual growl. “When I had you underneath me with your hands pinned above your head totally at my mercy…nothing?”

I open my mouth, but nothing is exactly what comes out.

Zack responds with a satisfied grunt. “Something.”

“Don’t let it go to your head.” I grit my teeth and look away. “It was a natural physiological response. I’m genetically programmed to be attracted to handsome, sexy men in peak physical condition. Survival of the species and that sort of thing.”

He laughs, and oh God, I missed that deep, rich rumble that rolls right through me. “What about this?” He taps my head. “I’ve heard the brain can overcome basic instinct and genetic programming. Free will and that sort of thing.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not working right now. I think it’s the gi.” Unable to stop myself, I run my hand along the edge of his gi, my fingers trailing over the hard muscles of his chest. “It’s…distracting.”

His muscles tense under my touch, and a growl vibrates in his chest. “You’re distracting.”

“We’re supposed to be keeping it professional,” I remind him, pulling my hand away. I watched his body change from boyhood through his gangly teen years and then fill out when he reached his early twenties. He was ripped back then in a way that made heads turn, but his muscles now are thick and hard, ripened by age and hundreds of fights. When I last saw him, there was still some boy left in the way he held himself, a slight unease with his body. But now, he is all confidence and power. Pure solid man.

Zack grabs my hand and presses it against his bare chest, right over his heart. “You’re not making it easy. Your jealousy…knowing you care…feeling that connection… You don’t know what that does to me.” He is on me before I can part my lips, one hand firm around my neck, his lean, powerful body caging me against the car. His mouth claims mine, stealing my breath away with a kiss that sends a scorching wave of heat through my veins.

“Professional means no kissing,” I say when he lets me up for air. Without thinking, I trace the edges of the scar on his forehead, a bitter reminder of Matt’s misdirected anger when Zack brought home his mangled bike.

Zack covers my hand with his, trapping it against my cheek. “No kissing,” he agrees. “Unless you touch me, and then I can’t be held responsible for my actions.”

“Fine. No touching.” I pull my hand away, pleased that we are setting out some ground rules so I don’t have to worry about wanting to tear his clothes off in the gym.

His naughty hand skims the side of my face, his thumb stroking over the apple of my cheek as he tips my head back, forcing me to look at him. “I can’t train you if I don’t touch you, especially when we’re rolling on the mats like we just did in class.”

“Okay. Professional touching. Nothing else.”

He licks his lips like a predator about to feast. “Unless you want something else.”

I press my lips together and scowl. “Stop qualifying everything. I know exactly what you’re trying to do, and it’s not going to work. You can’t seduce me, Zachary Grayson. You know exactly what professional means. Now let’s shake on it.”

He cups my face between his hands and tilts my head back. “Kiss.”

“You had your kiss—”

Without warning, his hands drop to my hips, and he yanks me against him. His mouth crushes mine, and his tongue slides between my lips, touching, tasting, claiming. I startle at the urgency of his kiss, the raw heat, the fierce desire. I shouldn’t kiss him back, but I can’t resist the dark temptation, the firm hand that has found its way to my nape, holding me in place as he coaxes me open for the slow, relentless possession of my mouth.

Blood pounds in my temples, my hunger for him raw and wild. My hand slides up his chest and over his shoulder. I pull him closer, my fingers clutching the soft, silken strands of his hair. My heart pounds in my chest, and the world shatters around me.

Author Bio:
Sarah Castille is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Redemption Series, Ruin & Revenge Series, Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club series, and Legal Heat series. A recovering lawyer with a fondness for dirty-talking alpha males, she now is a full-time writer, who lives on Vancouver Island. Sarah’s books have been listed as Publisher’s Weekly’s Top Ten Picks and Best Summer Reads, and Amazon’s Best Romance Books of the Year, and have won numerous reader’s choice awards including the Holt Medallion.

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The Day of the Orphan by Dr Nat Tanoh

The
Day of the Orphan

Dr
Nat Tanoh

Genre: Fiction, General Fiction

Publisher: Acorn

Publication Date: May 25 2018

ISBN: 9781912145560

Book Description:

Like many eighteen-year-old boys,
Saga’s prime concerns are: listening to music his mum calls “hop-hip”, learning
about girls from his suave best mate Ibrahim, and making sure his considerable
tummy is well-fed. In his affluent, liberal and relatively protected suburb
life is pretty good, especially when his mum’s special peanut soup is on the
table.

However, in Africa, childhoods
can be snatched in an instant, especially when you live in a dictatorship. When
his friends and family are dragged into the conflict, he is given no choice.
Chubby Saga becomes an unlikely revolutionary, but these are very dangerous
times. Their violent President Brewman has built their country on fear and even
he, himself, is terrified. Spies, traps and double-dealings lie everywhere. Can
one happy-go-lucky schoolboy really stand up to a murderous regime? How long
can he stay one step ahead of the Zombie soldiers that will do anything to stop
him?

This thought-provoking coming of
age story touches on many of Africa’s biggest problems today.

Book
Trailer: https://youtu.be/NH3ahDkO2sU

Available at Amazon

Kindle     Paperback

Excerpt:

After the
quasi-formal welcome, the headmaster and form master hastily stood aside,
moving backwards towards the blackboard so the Deputy Minister could take over
by posing his questions directly to the students as part of his verification
process. The bodyguards also placed themselves at the two front corners of the
classroom behind the Minister, and commenced an inexplicable process of
touching their earpieces with equally inexplicable regularity.

Mr Com, who now
had the floor, asked if anyone would volunteer to go first, and a still very
annoyed Saga impulsively raised his hand before any of the others could. The
New Patriotism issue was indeed a very sore point with Saga. He was still
plagued with guilt that he had not been present to defend his bosom friend,
Ibrahim, when he was beaten up badly by New Patriotism fanatics who happened to
be students in their own school. Subconsciously, it was as though he thus felt
the urge to be the one to face any New Patriotism ‘onslaught’ from officialdom
within their school. As to how he would deflect such an onslaught, he had
absolutely no idea. It was a subconsciously inspired impulsiveness so he simply
had to wing it.

‘Well, well – I
see we have an eager beaver in our midst,’ he smiled at Saga, who did not
return the smile. The headmaster, and the form master, and all the five men and
one woman who made up the Minister’s entourage, however, giggled rather
obsequiously at this sally. They truly understood the meaning of grovelling to
those on high. The Deputy Minister turned and rewarded them all with an openly
condescending smile.

‘Okay mister
serious young man, let’s start. So, tell me, who is your mother under our New
Patriotism?’ Mr Com boomed out his question.

Saga knew the
answer he was to give and did so correctly. ‘My mother is the Great South Party
of President Brewman!’

Mr Com was
pleased. ‘Not bad, not bad,’ he said, and nodded happily towards the
headmaster, who gave an equally satisfied beam in response.

‘And who is your
father?’ Mr Com boomed yet again.

Saga again
answered correctly. ‘My father is the Great Leader of our nation, His Supreme
Excellency and President-For-Life-Until-Further-Notice Field Marshal Brewman.’

Both Messrs Com
and Money now beamed in unison. The entourage and form master were not far
behind in this beaming effort.

‘Well done my
boy, well done.’ Mr Com smiled a vastly complacent smile at Saga.

‘Tell me, my
bright, young friend – so what would you like to be when you grow up?’

This was far
from being a question about future careers such as wanting to be a doctor or
lawyer or pilot. Saga knew he should answer something along the lines of
wanting to grow up to be a dedicated follower of the President or the Party.
However, Saga inhaled and dropped his bombshell. ‘I would like to be an ORPHAN
when I grow up,’ he said with utmost seriousness.

About
the Author:

Dr Nat Tanoh comes from Ghana but
grew up in exile, as a child, in England due to his parents’ opposition to the
installation of a one-party state. Today he divides his time between England
(London) and Ghana. He has a rich history of involvement in student and workers
movements, which originally emerged from struggles against the
institutionalisation of military rule in Ghana. Dr Nat has since worked as a
consultant on development projects in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa. He also
continues to uphold a passion for democratic social development.

The Day of the Orphan is Dr Nat
Tanoh’s debut novel.

http://www.drnattanoh.com

https://www.facebook.com/drnattanoh

https://twitter.com/drnattanoh

Guest Blog with Dr Nat Tanoh

Growing up as a child in exile in England in the 1960s was an enriching and alienating experience all at once. As a child with very underdeveloped perspectives on life, the initial result of such contrasting yet simultaneous experience is often confusion. 


The backdrop for me was a very exciting London of the Sixties, when you would wake up to the radio blaring uplifting, energetic and assured Beatles songs such as ‘Yellow Submarine’ and ‘All You Need is Love.’ These were interspersed with equally wonderful and energising hits from groups like the Monkees with ‘Daydream Believer’ and ‘I Am A Believer.’


It was a London struggling to find itself and hesitantly dipping its toes in the unfamiliar waters of what was then the birthing of a cosmopolitan, multi-racial society. The Windrush migrants had landed. The Asians and Africans were landing. Vietnam was raging and on TV. And so you had your other big hits, such as Procol Harum’s ‘Whiter Shade of Pale’ or Marmalade’s ‘Reflections of My Life,’ which blasted more sombre, confusing and less energising tunes out of the radio, as though representing the other end of a less-assured spectrum.


Imagine being a child growing up in a sea of black faces and suddenly being uprooted and catapulted into a sea of white faces for reasons that were quite incomprehensible at the time. Children can be adaptive and resilient, so I somehow managed to gingerly meander my way through such uncharted territory with the instinctive aim to acclimatise.


School was fun and I loved it. I loved morning assembly and the songs we sang. As other cultures and religions were yet to assert themselves, England was then unapologetically Christian and was quite happy to instruct school children in some of the ways of the Bible. ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ was a favourite of mine as a child because it gave one hope that ultimately all would indeed become bright and beautiful in merry England. ‘When a Knight Won His Spurs’ which waxed – “…And let me set free with the sword of my youth, from the castle of darkness, the power of truth…” – was another favourite. It also reassured that, eventually, good would triumph over the not-so-good in my then youthful meanderings through life.


And I needed such assurances; since some experiences at the time were quite harrowing. My first school was Anson Primary in Willesden in north-west London and my first impressionable memory was my elder brother being sent home from school. And what was his ‘nefarious’ crime to warrant such punishment? One of the boys in my brother’s senior class found it impossible to desist from mercilessly harassing my older sister with racial slurs. This went on for some time. The staff at the time, of course, did naught about it. He would single her out on the playground and studiously assault her racially, often ending up with my sister in a flurry of tears, throughout the day. One day he assembled a group of kids to take turns to physically poke at my sister’s beleaguered head in an effort to confirm that her threaded hair strands were indeed comparable to train tracks. For my brother that was the last straw. His efforts to defend my sister from the boy’s train tracks-ascertaining mission ended up in a fight, hence his being sent home.


One does not require an unduly sophisticated mind to be able to imagine how such incidents can impact the young mind. Whether you liked it or not you were made to know, at some level, that you were different and that you didn’t really belong. 


Much later, another memorable occurrence, which could have proved harrowing, was when I was at Hogarth Primary in Chiswick, London (incidentally Hugh Grant was there with me around the same time). I had a friend called Mark whose dad was headmaster of Acton High School. His dad would often pick me up to go over to Acton High to play. And that was when I would unwittingly provide some of the High School boys with the high point of their day. They would mount this wall and start their frenzied screaming at me, “Golliwog,” “black Sambo” and of course, the universal and not very nice ‘n’ word. 


What strikes me with hindsight is that by that stage, even as a child, I was more amused than offended. Mark’s dad, the headmaster, would go livid, chase the boys away, screaming blue murder, apologise endlessly to me and then drown us in sweets, as probably what he perceived to be some form of compensation. 


But overall there was a lot more fun and happiness than some of these harrowing incidents might suggest. So, the questions I would later ask myself include: how did I get to a point where direct racial attacks on me generated some sense of wry amusement rather than rendering me alarmed, angry and petrified? How was my very young mind able to process and view such decided unpleasantness with childlike equanimity? Was it not the kind of experiences that tend to generate destructive alienation and debilitating hostility towards society?


Our experiences in life and how we react to them are oftentimes unique. In this light I can think of a few answers, also in the form of questions. Was it a situation in which I had actually believed the underlying promises that songs such as - “All Things Bright and Beautiful” and “When a Knight Won His Spurs” - made? Did such beliefs give me a backbone that made such assaults appear to me as mere water off a duck’s back? Or was I already a product of a tolerant, multicultural upbringing in which I was becoming sufficiently knowledgeable to understand that such attacks simply sprang from some people simply not knowing any better? Or was it an amalgamation of both?


At the tail end of it all, my conclusion is that growing up as a child exile in England was wonderfully beneficial. The good outweighed the not-so-good. I love that the experience made me into a tolerant person. I love that it makes me feel at ease everywhere and with everyone. I love that it gave me broad and embracing perspectives in life in a discerning manner. Above all, I love that it made me into a person who always wishes to help cure injustices and to come to the fundamental understanding that given the proper, nurturing circumstances, most people have huge reserves of goodness in them. 


In my novel ‘The Day Of The Orphan,’ a privileged youngster, Saga, sets out with the help of friends and family to right so many wrongs at great risk to themselves and without any thought of material or personal gain. He was raised not to be a friend of injustice, intolerance, discrimination or any form of oppression. I developed this Saga character as a reflection of some of the good things I have tried to accomplish in my life and some of which I can attribute to growing up in England.


It is perspectives, as those instilled in me as a child growing up in England, which ultimately generate occurrences in society such as the amazing and absolutely glorious marriage of the wonderful Prince Harry to the resplendent Duchess of Sussex, Her Royal Highness Meghan Markle. What a sight and what a people to so loving and warmly embrace it all! 


All I can say is, Long Live the British People and long live ALL People. And given the chance, I would re-grow up in England all over again. And for the record, I thoroughly enjoyed playing the black king in the Christmas Nativity plays at school.

~Dr.  Nat Tanoh 

Wrecked by Shana Vanterpool

Wrecked
Shana Vanterpool
(Charming Knights #1)
Publication date: August 2nd 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Welcome to Charming High.

Sorry, we’re fresh out of charm …
Hallie:
I am a star.

I’m not famous, before you make that mistake.

Although, I guess I kind of am. Or I will be anyway. My future was planned long before I was born.

The definition of a star is a fixed luminous point in the night sky that is an incandescent body like the sun.

I am a star. I am fixed. I am luminous only when no one is looking. I was stuck to repeat the same night every single day.

Until I met Wreck. And he showed me how alive I could feel within my cage.
Wreck:
I am a knight.

I’m not a knight in shining armor, before you start thinking I’ll save you.

I am a knight in raging darkness.

Until I met Hallie. And she showed me how to break free of my battle-torn armor.
Wrecked is the first book in the Charming Knights series by Shana Vanterpool. An exhilarating upper YA contemporary romance series set deep in the lives of Charming High’s most beloved football team. Where the limits of good and evil are pushed, desires and dreams are twisted, and readers are immersed into the lives of people who have it all. Except their freedom…

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Author Bio:
When I walk into a book store I feel at home. When I smell the pages of a brand new book things make sense. When I read I am who I always wanted to be. I read to escape and I write so others can as well. My family, my actress dog Bella, coffee, and a steamy love story are a few of my most precious things.

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Grey: The Infatuation by Allison White

Title: Grey: The Infatuation

Series: Spectrum Series #2

Author: Allison White

Genre: NA Romance

Release Date: July 3, 2018
Publisher: Limitless Publishing

The day I left for college, falling in love was the last thing on my priority list. But I did. The only problem is I’m not sure whether falling for Grey was the best thing to ever happen to me…or the worst.

Grey is intense, dark—an enigma with the power to hurt me, yet the ability to seduce me with a simple kiss.

If only it were easy for me to fall into his arms and look past all the secrets and uncertainty that surround him.

But nothing about loving Grey is easy.

He is the owner of my heart, and the master of my pain. Yet no matter how much it hurts, I can’t stop loving him. I won’t.

I know my infatuation with him is toxic, but here’s the thing…I don’t care.

Allison is a sixteen-year-old from New York, with imagination as massive as her pile of mostly contemporary romance novels. At the ripe age of sixteen, Allison has already written a total of five full-length books, all of which have been loved by fans on the infamous reading/writing platform: Wattpad. 

Within a short life of four years on the site, she has racked up a whopping 14 thousand readers and lovely supporters. When she isn’t reading or writing, you can find her knee-deep in chocolate and binge-watching TV shows.

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Foam Crafts for Kids by Suzanne McNeil

Summer is here and the kids are out of school. Mine are running around yelling I'm bored, a lot!! Foam Craft for kids features over 100 projects for the kids to make. Foam sheets are available in so many different stores and they are cheap. Our Dollar tree even sells them by the packs of several sheets as well as stickers and shapes.  This book is great for kids of all ages and even us adults can have fun with this book.

The thing I really like about this book is is get the imagination flowing and the kids can create these projects their way and also come up with some new projects on their own. Who knew few foam sheets and bottle of glue could save Mom's sanity?

I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.

Know It All Anthropology Simon Underdown

Are you interested in learning about Anthropology? This book is a great way to learn more about this scientific subject. The book features the 50 most important ideas in Anthropology and explains each of them in under a minute.

The 50 main ideas are grouped into 7 part with a introduction. The ideas are Evolution, The Human Species, Materials, Socialization and Communication, Migration, Ideas, and Modern Peoples. Each subject starts off with a glossary so you are not totally lost when it comes to the scientific terms. There is a profile of one scientist in each of the groups. There is approximately 20 to 30 pages on each idea as well to give you a good understanding without over doing the idea or boring the reader.

This book is great for older kids as well as adults. Very informative and actually teaches you a lot.

I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.

Eating Well Everyday by Peter Gordon

Fabulous Cookbook. This book will have you drooling all the way through it. There are amazing pictures to go along with the surprisingly easy recipes. I love how the recipes in this book feature ingredients that are easy to find in your pantry and at most grocery stores that I have been to at least.

The recipes are broken down into section to make finding what you are looking for so much easier. There is breakfast, soups, Pasta-Rice-noodles, Light meals and salads, dinner, sides and condiments, and dessert.. There is also a index at the back of the book so you can look up recipes either by recipe name or by the main ingredient in most cases. What more could you ask for in a cook book?

The recipes in this cookbook are innovative and fusion inspired. So no this isn't a Betty Crocker cookbook. A lot of the recipes I have never heard of or even thought off adding certain ingredients to others to come up with a tasty dish.

I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.