Tuesday 28 January 2014

Review ~ Sesame Swallow, Private Investigator by D.Scott Meek.

Title: Sesame Swallow, Private Investigator.
Author: D. Scott Meek.
Genre: Romance, Mystery, Comedy.
Publication Date: November 13, 2013.

Purchase Links: Amazon Kindle ; Amazon Paperback

Looking for a chance to make a name for herself, Sesame Swallow, wanna-be Baltimore private eye, finds herself in the midst of her first real case and on a slipperier slope than usual to danger.

If Nancy Drew had come of age in the modern world, worn eye-popping short skirts and stilettos and drank Johnny Walker Black with the best of them, she would have been Sesame Swallow, a late-twenties party girl with an oral fetish straight from the not-so-hallowed halls of a local college and looking to make a splash in the shady world of private investigation. After months of questioning her career move, Sesame finally lands her first case: find a missing person, the web-famous wife of a local entrepreneur and wealthy businessman, but she’ll need to get her hands and her knees dirty to do the deed. A raunchy, laugh-out-loud adventure, this first in a series of seductive mysteries finds our sexy heroine doing what she does best: whatever must be done to whomever she must do it.




Review:

So let’s start with the title… Private investigation really isn’t a huge theme in this book. Sesame Swallow, Private Investigator is more of a raunchy, steamy book that focuses on a lot more sexual activity than the accurate job of a private investigator. However, the author’s writing is extremely funny and it sure isn’t lacking in entertainment.

D. Scott Meek had me cracking up right from the very first page. Sesame’s outlook on her job and her life was fun to read. Safe to say, her sexual escapades were more successful than her actual investigating although the name Sesame Swallow probably suggests where her strengths lie, or kneel, as it happened. The characters she meets along the way all brought something to the story too and it was a crazy ride.

A serious, complex plot this book is definitely not, but that wasn’t important. Throughout, from the job Sesame took on to her various sexual encounters, Sesame Swallow, Private Investigator was fast-paced, light-hearted and with a lot of laugh out loud moments. Of course, not everyone will be totally into the full-on crude story but if you’re packed with a sense of humour and a liking for some dirty humour at that, this book is a quick read which will win you over and I really enjoyed it.

Rating:
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.


About the Author:

What's a mid-40's divorced man to do after wrapping up twenty years in the US Navy? Why, start a career in teaching and writing, of course. Oh, and explore the world some more. And read everything possible. And go back to school. And enjoy every moment to its fullest.

A teacher for the government by day, I ply my wares at night on my laptop, where I'm cranking out silly blog posts, socio-political commentary, poetry, short stories and novels at an excessive rate. If I was driving, I'd have been pulled over by now. Meanwhile, I have kids to raise, a girlfriend to love, and a spunky wiener dog named Sloppy Joe to goof around with.

Beyond that, I'm busy with life, having fun, working out, going to parties, traveling, etc. When I burn out and die, I want to be able to say that I did everything that was possible for me to do. I want to die like I live: with a smile on my face.

Connect with Scott: Goodreads ; Twitter ; Facebook ; Website

Friday 24 January 2014

Book Blitz & Author Interview ~ Weak For Him by Lyra Parish.


Title: Weak for Him (Weakness #1).
Author: Lyra Parish.
Genre: Contemporary New Adult Romance.
Publication Date: January 15, 2014.

Purchase: Amazon ; B&N

Weak for him is a New Adult read with sexual content.

“Have you heard the saying, ‘sex sells’? Well, I’m the supplier.”

Finnley Felton sells sex.
Jennifer Downs is a virgin.
With the help of lady luck, the two meet.

Money. Bright lights. Sex.

Jennifer is made an offer: sell her virginity to the highest bidder and transform into one of Finnley’s girls. But she finds herself weak for him, and doesn’t fully realize what she’s agreed to until it’s too late.

Will she rise to the challenge and play by the rules in a land where money is king and love is prohibited? Or will she lose herself and values in the attempt?











About the Author:

Lyra Parish loves to write, travel, and sing obnoxiously loud at the top of her lungs in the shower. Sweet love stories (along with the dirty ones) make her gush.

She is a firm believer that a person can never have too many cats, cups of coffee, or read to many happily ever after's. When she isn't busy writing, she can be found sipping various beverages from her non-alcoholic drink buffet, pimp slapping excel spreadsheets, or riding her bike.

Weak for Him (Weakness #1) is Lyra's debut novel. Weak Without Him (Weakness #2) will release Spring 2014. Lyra currently resides in Texas with her husband and black cat.

Connect with Lyra: Street Team ; Website ; Twitter ; Facebook ; Goodreads

Author Interview:

Can you sum up Weak for Him in 25 words or less?

Oh wow. That’s a hard one. Ummm…
Virgin goes to Vegas after her parents death and learns how to live in a world where love is forbidden and money is king.

How did you get the idea for Weak for Him?

I was driving home listening to NPR and this story came on about a lady who sold her virginity on eBay for 750k. I was intrigued and thought to my self, "self, that would make an amazing story" ....but it was right around the time when I strived to be a YA author, so I ditched the idea and moved on. After a year, several failed attempts of writing not so great stories that were never published…. I started Weak for Him. In May 2013, I started drafting and had my synopsis written and placed that baby on Goodreads in June. Five months later the story was finished. Weak for Him spoke to me, very loudly, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to write anything else until this one was complete.

If you could compare your novel to another, what would it be?

Actually, I'm not sure. I don't read in the genre... I know, gasp! I do purchase a lot of novels that are in the genre, that are still on my to-read list, but I just haven't had a chance to lose myself in them yet. I guess my readers will have to do that for me! It's kind of a good thing though because that means others words and thoughts aren't seeping into my own. I was really unsure when I decided to write this because I knew either I would have an original story, or one that was so horrible that people would laugh at me. I'd like to think it was the first.

Would you do what Jennifer did?

A part of me really really wants to say yes, but it would be a lie. I'm somewhat old fashioned in a sense and think that it should be special (Not that it is NOT in Weak for Him, but you know what I mean). Maybe if I were in her exact situation with a hot young corporate big-wig offering me a job at a call high-end call service, I would consider it but cool skankalicious things like that don't really happen to me.

If you could have any actors play your leads, who would they be?

Jennifer – Megan Fox
Abbie – Billi Piper
Lori – Emma Stone
Jesse - Rachel McAdams
Finnley – Alex Pettyfer
Luke – Henry Clavill
I actually have a Pinterest board for this very thing!

Can you name one song that would sum up your characters?

Jennifer – Don’t Call It Love by Eliza Doolittle
Finnley – Dark Paradise by Lana Del Ray
Luke – Fix the World Up for You by James Morrison
If you want to hear the Weak for Him soundtrack, check out the playlist I created on Spotify.

What do you want your readers to get from your novel?

I hope most people think it’s a fun, sexy story that keeps them on the edge. Maybe the moral would be: Bad things happen but it's important to stay strong and keep going because sometimes Lady Luck really is on our side. #yolo

One quote that sums up Weak for Him:

I would have to say the quote at the beginning of the novel.
To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist. – Oscar Wilde

The question that everyone keeps asking is when will Weak Without Him (Book #2) be released?

I have some fans and advanced reviewers that wanted it before book 1 was released, but I can tell you that it won’t be long. My goal is to have it out before Summer. If I pimp slap my personal deadlines, it could be as early as April, but if not, for sure May 13. I can tell you this, all of my books will always release on the 13th (hence the early release of Weak for Him) because it's my lucky number.

Thursday 23 January 2014

Reviews & Giveaway ~ Renhala & Golden Dunes of Renhala by Amy Joy Lutchen.

Today is my stop on the Golden Dunes of Renhala tour, hosted by Lola's Blog Tours. My stop will include reviews of Renhala and Golden Dunes of Renhala, plus a tour-wide giveaway. To follow the rest of the tour, click the banner above to take you to the schedule.

Title: Renhala (Renhala #1).
Author: Amy Joy Lutchen.
Genre: New Adult Urban Fantasy.
Release Date: September 26, 2012.

Purchase Links: Amazon ; B&N ; Kobo ; Smashwords

Kailey Rooke, timid accountant dedicated to philanthropic work, finds herself spiraling into a deep depression after she suffers a horrifyingly odd and humiliating assault, to only discover more of these freakish assaults occurring across the globe.

A chance discovery leads Kailey to a meeting with elderly Gunthreon, actual master of persuasion. Gunthreon, who seems to know too much of Kailey's history for her liking, opens Kailey's eyes to a coexisting magical realm she never knew existed: Renhala, while entrusting her with the knowledge of her newfound power as karmelean, serving as a beacon to the Higher Ones. She soon discovers that Renhala is in danger, and this danger has been leaking into her own realm. As she uncovers secrets within herself, and attempts to toughen up, she fuses with an unlikely band of fellow travelers/creatures, falls into an unexpected love triangle, and finds the courage to master a new deadly weapon.

As blood is shed and puzzles near completion, Kailey pulls from deep within herself, conjuring up mystical qualities that enable her to astonish as once predicted at her birth, but despite the newfound strength, Kailey will discover that monsters not only come in ugly packages, but can be easily disguised as those she has come to love and trust.




Review:

Renhala was quite a long, complex book full of originality. Weird and wonderful characters combined with lots of suspense, humour and even a love triangle proves this book does actually provide something for all readers to enjoy.

It was a bit of a slow burner for me but once the story got going, I was really enthralled and enjoyed it a lot. I loved how full of invention and creativity it was and Amy Joy Lutchen’s writing of the setting really made me feel like I was in that world as I was picturing it as the story went on.

Another plus to Renhala was its great cast of characters. I loved Kailey – she was caring and strong and her humour added a lot of light to the story. Her relationship with her mother was a highlight of this book for me – it was great to read.

Honestly I can be put off by really long books but Renhala was well worth the extra pages. Amy Joy Lutchen seems like a very talented author and her writing left me captivated with a story I never expected to like as much as I did.



Rating:
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.


Title: Golden Dunes of Renhala (Renhala #2).
Author: Amy Joy Lutchen.
Genre: New Adult Urban Fantasy.
Release Date: November 26, 2013.

Purchase Links: Amazon ; B&N ; Kobo

How do you live with a secret so dark and so deeply woven into your being that it threatens to smother your very existence, with no known way out? Use it to your advantage.

Kailey Rooke, karmelean, and now a possibly unethical karma-for-hire, has spent the past year jumping from project to project without any real hope for salvation. With repercussions from her actions at every turn, she discovers that as time goes on, she loses a bit more of herself to that which feeds on her anguish--that which is thriving inside her own body.

When a new contract to find a missing girl arises, Kailey attempts to put her past and its associated problems on the back burner, but she soon finds out that treachery and deceit lie shortly ahead in Golden Dunes, only giving face to new problems, with one leading right back to her childhood past.

She struggles to complete her contract as her own life teeters on a fulcrum, constantly tipping according to karma’s whim. How long will she keep her balance? Which way will she fall?




Review:

After I was thrown into the world of Renhala, I didn’t want to leave it and therefore, I was really eager to read the sequel, Golden Dunes of Renhala.

It’s said a lot that sequels are never better than the first book. With Golden Dunes of Renhala, I have to say I probably found it on par with book one, Renhala. There were parts of the style of this book which I preferred to Renhala but then I did miss some bits from book one.

The pacing starts off much better in Golden Dunes of Renhala and the story is less complex which made it easier for me to get into from the start. The book in itself is a lot shorter than the first book in the series so it was important that Amy Joy Lutchen refreshed my mind on the fantasy world the story revolves around. I thought the author did this very well.

I would have preferred this book had it been as light-hearted as book one. The plot was quite dark and with this, I struggled to feel for the characters like Kailey as much as I did in Renhala. However, Golden Dunes of Renhala had an awesome ending which left me very impressed!

Overall, this book had lots of epic action which was a joy to read. The author writes a crazily strong plot which you can just lose yourself in and it’s well worth reading.

Rating:
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.


About the Author:

Was born in Chicago and slept in a dresser drawer for the first few weeks of my life, marking me as a future claustrophobe.

I studied at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana (man I grew up quick), where I became a number, but decided it was a good number.

I write with plenty of snacks in hand, making sure they are not in multiples of three. That number makes me nervous.

Author of the Renhala series.

Connect with Amy: Website ; Facebook ; Twitter ; Goodreads



Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal ~ The Revealed by Lara Henley.

Title: The Revealed (Flawed Series #2).
Author: Lara Henley.
Expected Publication: March 2014.



Misty Scott’s life was destroyed the moment her boyfriend, and father of her child, landed in jail. The only family she knew was lost due to lies and deceit. Where would her life take her now?

Drake sits behind bars battling a secret that will surely destroy his and Misty’s relationship. While Sean, the bad boy brother who is used to getting any woman he wants, finds himself helping Misty piece her life back together, and falling more and more in love with her every day.

Who will Misty choose? The golden boy who has given up everything for her, or the bad boy who is after his brother’s girl and her heart?

Dive into The Revealed






Check out the book trailer here!


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Title: The Unknown (Flawed Series #1).
Author: Lara Henley.
Publication Date: November 7, 2013.

Purchase Links: Amazon ; B&N

Misty found out early in life that things just don't come easy. She has learned to trust no one, and that you can't depend on anyone but yourself when the chips fall. Finally free of the states clutches she sets out on a whirlwind adventure called LIFE...

But she never expected Drake...

Drake... is used to being in the limelight just graduated from college. Wondering what's next? Misty is a welcome surprise. So different from his everyday mundane experiences...

Can two completely different people share a journey that could change both of their lives forever? Or will they end up destroying each other in the process?

Escape to The UnKnown.




Check out my review of The Unknown here!


About the Author:

I originally from Oklahoma, but have lived several places in my life. I began writing in 2009 when I had a dream about a little girl traveling with her grandmother. In essence that is how Jessie Discovers Christmas was born. I then ventured out into YA and adult romance. I hold a bachelors degree in Fashion Marking and a Masters in Administrative Leadership. I love all things creative and hope to a full-time writing career.

Connect with Lara: Website ; Facebook ; Twitter ; Goodreads

Tuesday 21 January 2014

Book Blitz & Giveaway ~ Knowing Jack by Rachel Curtis.



Title: Knowing Jack.
Author: Rachel Curtis.
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance.
Publication Date: January 17, 2014.

Purchase Links: Amazon ; B&N

I am not a slut, although I’ve been called one often enough. Yeah, I spent three months screwing one of my college professors, but I was crazy about the guy. Then he broke up with me.

I am not a bitch, although people like to say I am. I kept our relationship secret. I’m not responsible for telling the university administrators about it, but a lot of students still blame me for getting their favorite professor fired.

I am not a drama queen, although everyone thinks I am now. When I got a few nasty messages, I just deleted them. When I got the threat, I assumed it was someone being stupid. I still think that’s all it was. My parents worry, though, so they hired me a bodyguard. Now Jack follows me around, intimidating everyone who approaches me and looking obnoxiously hot.

This is what I am. I’m Chloe. I’m a twenty-year-old art history major. Kind of shy, although I pretend not to be. Stubborn enough to stay here for my senior year, even though everyone hates me.

And I’m stuck with Jack.

He calls me “Princess,” but I’m not a princess either.


Knowing Jack is a New Adult contemporary romance and includes adult content and language. The plot of the book is fully resolved at the end, but the last page includes a hanging teaser for the next book in the series.






About the Author:

Rachel is a writer, a teacher, a romance reader, and a dog-mom. She loves animals and art and hot men with soft hearts under a tough exterior. She tries to write love stories that feel real, even in unlikely circumstances.

Connect with Rachel: Website ; Facebook ; Twitter




Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday 20 January 2014

Cover Reveal ~ Orenda by Ruth Silver.

Title: Orenda.
Author: Ruth Silver.
Cover Design: Erica Crouch.
Publisher: Patchwork Press.
Expected Publication Date: Spring 2014.
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy.


A sword wielding girl, an eternal suit and an alternate universe.

Lil has a gift, one she never thought possible as she finds herself awake after a strange dream with the tell-tale sign that what she dreamt was in fact real. The dreamscape, was more than just a premonition it happened. She’d been momentarily tossed into another dimension. Where most would consider her crazy, not her best friend Bray.

In another reality, one similar and yet slightly different Willow has been kidnapped by the sorceress turned demon, Eilith. Rawlie, Willow’s friend and companion crosses to our universe for help and brings Lil into his world. Filled with frightening creatures and magical elements, Lil demands to go home, until she discovers Bray has been taken by Eilith as well. Unable to watch her best friend die, she joins forces with Rawlie, Jamie and the others to hunt down Eilith and rescue those they care about.




About the Author:

Ruth Silver attended Northern Illinois University and graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication in the spring of 2005. While in college, she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories. Her love of writing led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading, photography, traveling and most of all writing. She loves dystopian and fantasy young adult stories. Her debut novel published by Lazy Day Publishing and Patchwork Press, ABERRANT, was released April 2013. The second novel in the series, MOIRAI, continues the saga. ISAURA, is the final installment in the ABERRANT trilogy. Ruth has been actively writing since she was a teenager. Her current writing projects include a YA science-fiction fantasy series, ORENDA, and a YA/NA paranormal series, DEAD GIRL WALKING. Both novels are due for release in 2014. She currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois.

Connect with Ruth: Website ; Twitter ; Facebook

Sunday 19 January 2014

Review & Giveaway ~ Beneath Manhattan Skies by Emma Meade.


Today is my stop on the Beneath Manhattan Skies tour, hosted by Paranormal Sisters Touring. My stop will include a review of the book. To follow the rest of the tour, click the banner above to take you to the schedule.

Title: Beneath Manhattan Skies.
Author: Emma Meade.
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance.
Publication Date: November 15, 2013.

Purchase Links: Amazon ; Smashwords

November in New York is cold but full of possibility for college freshman Erin Harris. When her twin brother, Nick, shows up on her doorstep for a surprise visit, Erin is delighted. Unfortunately, Nick’s arrival coincides with the discovery of a body outside her apartment building, a body drained of blood. Right away, Nick assumes vampires are involved. He’s not exactly their biggest fan since Erin dated one in high school.

Juggling nosy roommates, a first date with a gorgeous guy from college and a brother on a Van Helsing kick is enough to keep any nineteen year old girl busy - And then Erin’s old flame walks back into her life.

Is Erin destined to be caught up in supernatural shenanigans, or will she choose a different path?




Review:

Beneath Manhattan Skies was a paranormal novella which was a quick, easy read with good pacing and an enjoyable plot.

There was kind-of a love triangle between Erin, Tommy (human) and James (vampire). Love triangles aren’t exactly my favourite thing in the world to read, but it was written well, although I struggled to understand Erin’s sway towards one of the guys involved.

Emma Meade did a great job at bringing the characters to life. I really liked Tommy and was rooting for him from the beginning and Erin’s best friend, Sadie, was another of my favourite characters. However, what really helped me enjoy Beneath Manhattan Skies was how full of action it was. This was when the book was at its best and the most entertaining.

This wasn’t the shortest of novellas and I thought the length and pacing worked really well. Although Beneath Manhattan Skies can be read as a standalone, it is part of a series and follows on from Under the Desert Moon. However, you don’t really need to have read the previous book to follow and enjoy the story.

Beneath Manhattan Skies was fun to read with vampires that didn’t sparkle and a plot that was never dull. With a bit of romance and a lot of action packed in, I would recommend this to any fans of teenage paranormal books.

Rating:
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author:

Emma Meade writes paranormal fiction.

She lives in rainy Ireland and loves all things supernatural. Stephen King's The Stand is one of her most loved books and she's lost count of the number of times she's read L.J. Smith's trilogy, The Forbidden Game.

Books, DVDS & TV show boxsets take up lots of space in her home and she collects all the Point Horror books she can get her hands on.

She is not ashamed to admit that Dirty Dancing and Twilight make her top ten movie list but wishes to point out that The Last of the Mohicans, Reality Bites, Dead Poets Society, Stand by Me and The Goonies are in there too.

Writing supernatural stories & watching marathon re-runs of Buffy are some of her favourite ways of escaping reality.

Connect with Emma: Website ; Facebook ; Twitter ; Goodreads

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday 18 January 2014

Promo Blitz ~ M-Day by D.T. Dyllin.

Zombies? That's kids stuff.  

Welcome to the ultimate battle of the sexes. Welcome to M-Day... 

Available now and on sale from February 7-14!


Title: M-Day (M-Day #1).
Author: D.T. Dyllin.
Genre: Dystopian Romance.
Publisher: Tik Tok Press.
Cover Artist: Lindsay Tiry.
Interior Book Design: The Eyes For Editing.

Purchase: Amazon

Before the day… before M-day… people used to read books and watch movies about zombies. They used to dress up as zombies; pretend to kill zombies… Basically, zombies had become a part of popular culture in a very unexpected way.

The highly anticipated zombie apocalypse never came.

What did come was much worse than any city over run with shambling corpses after brains and flesh. A virus… a virus that only affected men. Nobody knew what caused it, or where it had come from, not that it really mattered. It's here and there’s no going back.

Maxine was one of the lucky ones--she got out alive. She and her friends banded together to survive the new desolate conditions left behind by the virus. When a supply gathering mission goes awry, Max and company are left with no better choice than to trust a group of uninfected military men. No longer on the run from her infected husband, Max discovers there could be worse dangers for her on the horizon… Like losing her heart to her mysterious savior everyone calls Zee.


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18755234-m-day?ac=1


About the Author:

D.T. Dyllin is a Bestselling Romance Author who writes in both New Adult and Adult genres. She is a member of the RWA (Romance Writers of America) and also her local chapter, the MCRW (Music City Romance Writers).

D.T. was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Black & Gold for life, baby!) She now lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and two spoiled GSDs.

Connect with D.T.: Website ; Twitter ; Facebook ; Goodreads
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