Book Blast - The Skeleton Key Collection

The Skeleton Key Collection - Amazon Buy Link

Buckle in and hang on with Award Winning and New York Times & USA Today bestselling authors! The Skeleton Key Boxed Set is a collection of 12 Fantasy Romance novellas, and all 12 Intriguing Stories include the Mysterious Skeleton Key.

The SK stories are chock-full with magical creatures from dragons, powerful angels, royal elves, and enchanting elementals to a time-traveling sorceress, sensual vampires, and frisky fae. These authors transport the reader to an exciting new world with their sword and sorcery, action and adventure, dark fantasy, and spellbinding romantic comedy stories!

Skeleton Key books included in this set:

1. Eunica by J. Rose Alexander

2. Curse of the Undead Dragon King by Konstanz Silverbow

3. Army of the Winter Court by Ali Winters

4. His Immortal Kiss by Liliana Rhodes

5. Fate of Elements by M. Stratton

6. Thief of Sanguardia by Cherie Marks

7. Spell Slinger by K.N. Lee

8. Princess of the Damned by Wendy Knight

9. Royal Enchantment by Lia Davis

10. Love in Fantasy by Elle Christensen

11. Game Master by Scarlett Dawn

12. Eternal Night by Marian Tee

This Skeleton Key boxed set is only available for a limited time!

~ Amazon ~ 

Book Blitz - Forgetting Yesterday by Ava Wood

Forgetting Yesterday
by Ava Wood
Genre: YA Romance
Release date: October 28th 2016

From the Back Cover:

Missy Shaw thought she had her life planned out perfectly; do well in school, take her basketball team to state, and get a free ride to college. Her life wasn't perfect, but it was constant. With her best friend Karley at her side, she could handle anything.

After the death of her mother, however, her dad had other plans. Moving Missy from everything she knew in Kansas to the great unknown created a new set of problems. Attending a new school, all she really wanted was to be invisible, but that simple feat proved difficult when she had a run-in with the school's basketball star, Adam Miller, on her very first day.

Adam is every girl's dream; charming, sweet, and gorgeous. And for some reason, he's very interested in Missy. His attentiveness is unnerving as Missy does everything in her power to evade his interest. Living with secrets she's not willing to share, Missy works to push Adam away in order to keep her family safe. But will keeping secrets really keep her safe?

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | iTunes    

About the Author

Ava Wood is an insomniac who writes to calm the voices. When the voices get too loud, stories are formed.

Ava was born and raised in Texas but got to Florida as quick as she could, enjoying the fresh sea air and summer storms. She believes there is nothing more beautiful than an evening summer light show.

She’s married to the love of her life whom she shares two beautiful daughters and four sweet fur babies. Their marriage is the perfect “North-meets-South” pairing.

When she’s not writing, Ava can be found chasing her children all over the county, snapping photos of any and everything, visiting one of her local theme parks, or just spending quality time with her family.

Author Links:

Book Review: A Cowboy's Christmas Eve by R.C.Ryan

A Cowboy's Christmas - Amazon Buy Link

Available for Pre-order - Release Date is December 6, 2016

From the Back Cover:

Silent Night, Snowy Night . . .

Colin Malloy enjoys spending Christmas with his family at the Malloy ranch. But this holiday, what he really wants to do is to get closer to the alluring Dr. Anita Cross. So when a blizzard conspires to keep her from joining the Malloy family's festivities, neither snow, sleet, nor spun-out cars will prevent Colin from reaching her side.

As the new doctor in town, Anita is wholeheartedly devoted to her patients. So when a little boy needs her on this snowy night, she doesn't hesitate to care for him and send him home in time to spend Christmas with his family. An evening with a certain sexy cowboy will have to wait-or so she thinks. When a breathless Colin Malloy shows up at her clinic, Anita finds her cold, lonely night quickly heating up. And no crisis or well-meaning relative will stop them from making this a Christmas to remember . . .

My Thoughts:

Cowboys and Christmas!  What's not to love?

Colin Malloy is everything a Montana cowboy should be.  Strong, masculine, good looking, caring and sexy.  And he has his eye on the pretty new doctor in town, Dr. Anita Cross.  When a blizzard causes Anita to get stuck at the clinic alone with no electricity and no heat, Colin comes to the rescue.  Even with the constant interruptions of a break-in, injured patients arriving and a baby being born, the heat between Colin and Anita keeps sparking.  And to top it all off, it's Christmas Eve.

R. C. Ryan (also known as Ruth Ryan Langan) did a great job with character development and visualization of a blizzard torn small town and the people in it.  As I was reading, I was almost ready to pack my bags and move to Montana!  A fairly quick read that I didn't want to end.  Then I discovered that there are more of this author's books in this series known as The Malloys of Montana.  Can't wait to read more!

An advance copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating:  

Book review: Bearly in Control - Shifter Undercover Book 1 by Milly Taiden

Bearly in Control - Amazon Buy Link

Available for Pre-Order at Reduced Price - Release Date is December 13, 2016

From the Back Cover:

For vet and animal whisperer Charli Avers, talking to bears is all in a day’s work. But when she finds a man—a very sexy, very alpha man—where a bear ought to be, the wild comes close to home. Charli is drawn to this mysterious stranger. She wants to help him piece together the past he can’t remember—even if that means shedding her human misgivings and embracing her more carnal desires.

After shifting from bear to man, Barry believes he’s finally found his mate. Now he just needs to find himself. He doesn’t know much about the animal within him, but his human heart aches for Charli. She ignites his instincts to protect her from all danger—including their electric attraction.

The stakes climb as Charli investigates the mystery behind Barry’s memory loss and how it may relate to strange sightings and thefts in this little corner of Oregon. Without answers, she may lose Barry—and herself—to the wild side forever.

My Thoughts:

Wow!  Talk about animal magnetism!  This bear is hot!  

Best selling author, Milly Taiden has done it again with another great story line and some very hot scenes between the main character Charli Avers and her bear shifter, amnesia ridden, muscular, sexy, hot, hot, hot guy she named Barry.  And did I mention that he was HOT?  Oh yeah!

This is definitely an Adult Only book.  And it will even make the adults blush (or was that a hot flash?)

I did have a bit of trouble keeping the characters straight with the various people sometimes being called by their first names and sometimes by their last names and sometimes by a nickname, and then there was Marika who was then called Mari... and who the heck was Klamin?  His name was mentioned one time in Chapter 8.  I'm hoping we will be learning more in Book 2 of this series. 

There was a lot going on here!  Aside from the hot sexy scenes, we had jewelry heists, armored car robberies, shootings, maniac drivers intent on killing, bear fights, a couple of redneck country-funny guys, a mysterious cat and so much more.  Lots of action!  And a lot to keep the reader thoroughly entertained.

An advanced copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating:

Tinker (Elfhome series) by Wen Spencer

Tinker (Elfhome series) - Amazon Buy Link

From the Back Cover:

Move Over, Buffy! Tinker Not Only Kicks
Supernatural Butt
Shes a Techie Genius, Too!

Inventor, girl genius Tinker lives in a near-future Pittsburgh which now exists mostly in the land of the elves. She runs her salvage business, pays her taxes, and tries to keep the local ambient level of magic down with gadgets of her own design. When a pack of wargs chase an Elven noble into her scrap yard, life as she knows it takes a serious detour. Tinker finds herself taking on the Elven court, the NSA, the Elven Interdimensional Agency, technology smugglers and a college-minded Xenobiologist as she tries to stay focused on whats really important her first date. Armed with an intelligence the size of a planet, steel toed boots, and a junk yard dog attitude, Tinker is ready to kick butt to get her first kiss.

My Thoughts:

I sat down and read the first three books in the series. While I understand there's a fourth, it doesn't follow the story line of the main characters from the first three so I didn't bother reading it.

That said, I have a lot of mixed feelings about this series. First of all, the world building and originality was fantastic. It was well developed and a lot of fun to learn about the world of Elfhome. The author obviously spent a great deal of time developing the world and this is where the books really shine. I loved the mixture of science fixture combined with magic. The main character, Tinker, was a lot of fun with her quirky and spunky personality. I especially liked her in the first book where we could see her in her natural habitat -- a junkyard.

There are a few things that I had trouble wrapping my head around though. I found some inconsistencies in the story/world building that kind of pulled me out of the story. These weren't major, and I can sort of understand -- it looks like there was a big time gap between the release of the first and third books. It's hard to keep it all straight when the world and events are that intricate and detailed. It wasn't a huge deal. If I hadn't read them back to back, I probably wouldn't have even noticed.

The biggest drawback though... there was some emotional disconnect between the reader (me) and the characters. These books were pretty action-packed, but the romance and relationships were so... flat. There was no real development. There was no true emotion. All of a sudden the main characters were in love... and I was like, "What the heck just happened?"

Tingles, people. We need tingles. Love involves tingles! There were no tingles. It made me sad.

The bad guys in the story (Oni) were truly evil. I mean, these guys were.... really freaking bad. Like, I'm gonna have nightmares bad. Eating babies? Check. Rape? Check. Forced bestiality? Check. While these acts were horrendous, they were so casually thrown into the story in such a matter-of-fact way that the characters didn't really react to the emotional horror of the situation. I had some trouble wrapping my head around it. I mean, come on -- EATING BABIES? Seriously? What the hell kind of book is this? You'd expect a bit more of an emotional reaction than the attitude of:  "Gee. We should probably stop them."

So yeah.

It was an interesting and different story. The writer is obviously very talented and I'll probably pick up another one of her books in a different series. I liked a lot of things about this series, but I think many people may be sensitive to a lot of the topics in the book.

My Rating:

Release Day Blitz - The Whizbang Machine by Danielle A. Vann

The Whizbang Machine - Amazon Buy Link

Title: The Whizbang Machine
Author: Danielle A. Vann
Genre: Young Adult

From the Back Cover:

After years of running from his tragic past, Jack Yale books a flight home. With him is a typewriter that is intended to be a gift for his granddaughter, Elizabeth. The minute Elizabeth’s fingers cradle the large black and cream keys the machine responses: popping, sizzling, and roaring to life with a Whiz-Whiz-BANG!

Elizabeth quickly discovers the typewriter has powers beyond anything she has ever seen. The more she types, the more the machine spells out guarded secrets. Each secret leads them deeper into a haunted past. Each secret must be revealed in order to set history straight and remove a curse that has been on their family for centuries.

To solve the mystery, Elizabeth Yale, alongside Jack, will have to crack the code of the Whizbang Machine. What they find challenges their most basic assumptions of their family, the history of the typewriter, and even Elizabeth’s father’s death. The ultimate goal is to remove the curse.

The question is: will Jack and Elizabeth be able to carry out their mission?

Author Bio:

Danielle A. Vann lives to write. When she was small, she spent endless days writing and crafting wild characters out of thin air. As Danielle grew, that love for writing sparked a career in journalism. She began her career as a scriptwriter and then moved into a flourishing career as a news reporter, food reporter, and morning/evening news anchor. That career earned her an Associate Press Award.

After becoming a mother, she was inspired to write children’s books for her three adorable children. While she holds children fiction especially close to her heart, she also loves to write books for all ages. These genres include Young-Adult Fiction, Adult Fiction, Young Reader Fiction, and Non-Fiction.

When she isn’t writing you can find her doing “mom” things, digging in her organic vegetable gardens, running, finding her Zen in yoga, or playing chef in the kitchen. She currently lives in Mansfield, Texas.


Danielle is also the author of Gracie Lou and The Bad Dream Eater, November 2016 release The Whizbang Machine, and September 2016 release The Very Tall Tale of Ranger, the Great Pyrenees, and his Adorable Friend, Miss Keys, and October 2016 release Building Faith Through A Carpenter’s Hands.

To learn more, visit www.authordanielleavann.com.

Links:

Website: http://authordanielleavann.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorDanielleA.Vann/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorDanielleV

Big Mike and Minnie - Cooked Goose by Susan Amanda Kellly

Cooked Goose - Amazon Buy Link

About the Book:

Mistletoe mayhem! Cooked Goose is a hilarious holiday love story filled with sizzle, sugar, and sass...
“Your father called me. He invited me for Christmas. I have a ticket for the same flight as you. Tonight.” 
With those words, Big Mike sucked the oxygen out of the room. Minnie intended her father would meet her new man, Big Mike… eventually. Minnie wanted to give Daddy time to get used to the idea that his 'little girl' is embroiled in a serious relationship. A few decades, perhaps. Because Daddy’s not your run-of-the-mill protective father - he's a criminal. But now Minnie is heading home for the holidays with Big Mike in tow. 
Big Mike is no delicate violet. He’s quiet and lethal, an ex-Special Forces soldier whose day job involves ‘keeping the Free World safe’. But Big Mike doesn’t want to spoil Minnie’s Christmas and promises not to hurt anyone… His resolve will be tested by Minnie’s father, her psycho brother and three outlaw lieutenants who want his woman. 

*This is a 12,000 word story packed with everything needed for a very merry Christmas: love, family, laughter and psychos.

My Thoughts:

This was an extremely short story and I'm not even sure I would describe it as a novella it was so short.  It seemed a bit silly and I had a difficult time relating to any of the characters, but it did give me a few quick chuckles.  The author seems to have a good sense of humor, but I'd like to see a bit more depth.  At the time I read this, I didn't realize it was not the first in the series.  Perhaps if I had read Book 1 it would have been more enjoyable for me.  For that reason I am giving this four wine glasses instead of three.

A copy of a digital version of this book was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

My Review:

Cover Reveal - Celtic Fire (Highland Celts series, #1) by Liz Gavin

Celtic Fire
Liz Gavin
(Highland Celts Series, #1)
Publication date: January 31st 2017
Genres: Adult, Historical, Paranormal, Romance

REDUCED PRICE UNTIL RELEASE DAY ONLY
This is a standalone, historical/paranormal romance. Its mature themes – violence, religious war, and pagan rituals – might not be appropriate for audiences under 18.
When ancient gods ruled and Druids kept Faith alive, the Celts thrived as a democratic, matriarchal society. Then savage Roman soldiers swept across Europe, killing and enslaving. The Celts did not succumb without a fight. Their Old Ways survived centuries of ruthless domain until another menace loomed: a tortured god worshiped in cold stone buildings. The sacred shores of Avalon began to drift away, the mists threatened to hide the island from mortal eyes forever.
Against the bleak backdrop of war, the gorgeous Scottish Highlands stood tall, sheltering its inhabitants from greedy invaders. Yet the reach of the eagle banners was long and the highlanders turned to the Goddess for protection. However, the sacred groves felt silent and grim as Avalon faded away. Once sad, pealing bells began to sound strangely comforting while the high walls of monasteries offered an alluring barrier from violence. Caught in the middle of this centuries-old war, a young High Priestess might be Avalon’s last chance.
Wise beyond her years and powerful like no other Priestess in her lifetime, Rowen had served the Goddess faithfully, forsaking her family and the company of her soulmate. When the Lady of the Lake asks for another sacrifice, it might be one too many for her scarred heart. How could she obey the Goddess without betraying Caddaric? Could she trust Eochaid, who embodied everything she despised and hated? Would she be able to fulfill her duties without losing her soul?
Caddaric had been Rowen’s companion in countless lives; but, now, they existed in different realms. Beautiful Rowen lived in the mortal world while sweet Caddaric remained in the sacred isle of Avalon, watching over her. Could he step aside to allow another man – a flesh and blood man – to become her protector?
Eochaid had sworn to protect the Old Ways. The rude warrior never quite understood his faith yet his loyal heart belonged to the Goddess. A gorgeous, fiery High Priestess was not in his plans. He would risk his life to protect Rowen; but, would the Goddess safeguard his heart? Could he defend the bewitching maiden from himself?
When stakes were so high that a simple mistake could cost their very world, a priestess, a Druid, and a warrior must learn to trust each other and the mysterious ways of the Goddess. Their success would save Avalon. Their failure would tear the island from the human realm forever, condemning it to oblivion.
Failure was not an option.

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Author Bio:
When Liz Gavin was in Second Grade - just a couple of years ago, really - her teacher told her mother the little girl should start a diary because she needed an outlet for her active and vivid imagination. She was a talkative child who would disrupt the class by engaging her colleagues in endless conversations. She loved telling them the stories her grandfather used to tell her.
Apparently, the teacher wasn’t a big fan of those stories, and Liz’s mother bought her a diary. She happily wrote on it for a couple of months. Unable to see the appeal of writing for her own enjoyment only, she gave up on it. She missed the audience her friends provided her in class. She went back to disturbing her dear teacher’s class.
Since then, she has become a hungry reader. She will read anything and everything she can get her hands on – from the classics to erotica. That’s how she has become a writer of erotica and romance, as well.
As a young adult, she participated in a student exchange program and lived in New Orleans for six months. She fell in love with the city and its wonderful inhabitants. NOLA will always hold a special spot in Liz Gavin’s heart. Nowadays, living in Brazil, Liz’s creativity has improved many times because it’s such a vibrant, gorgeous and sexy country.
Welcome to her world of hot Alpha males and naughty, independent women. Add a touch of the paranormal in the presence of some wicked souls and you’ll get the picture.
Sit back, fire up your Kindle and enjoy the ride!

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Cover Reveal - The Lost Girl by Candy Atkins

The Lost Girl
Candy Atkins
(The Lost Knight, #2)
Publication date: November 20th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

If Stratagor Ziras doesn’t kill me, my training program will!

Every day I wake up and go through the motions, but they’ve figured out that I’m not a Knight. I can’t ride, I can’t fight, I can’t do magic, and worst of all, I can’t see whatever it is I’m supposed to see in this stupid Orb.

Nothing is what it seems here. Everyone says they want what’s best for me, but who can I trust? The lying snake? The feathery crocodile trying to lock me away? The Queen who wants me dead? Or the devil himself?

I don’t know what I’m more afraid of—the enemies that have made several attempts on my life, or my allies now that they know they’ve made a huge a mistake.

Add to Goodreads

Sequel to:

—

Get exclusive sneak preview sample excerpts of The Lost Girl by subscribing to Candy’s newsletter!
After the blitz, the author will giving away one signed copy of The Lost Knight and one signed copy of The Lost girl to one random newsletter subscriber.

Author Bio:

Candy Atkins is a full‐time writer who lives with her husband and two kids in Orlando, Florida. She’s an avid reader and lover of all things fantasy and sci‐fi. Her debut novel, The Lost Knight, is volume one of the six‐part Lost Knight Series.

Her life’s journey has taken her from dining with the President to being on food stamps to running her own company. And since all author bios end by naming and quantifying pets...she also enjoys spending time with her boxer, Butler, and Wynona the cat.

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All the Breaking Waves by Kerry Lonsdale

All the Breaking Waves - Amazon Buy Link

Release Date is December 6, 2016 - Available for Pre-Order

From the Back Cover:

From the bestselling author of Everything We Keep comes a gripping tale of long-buried secrets, the strength of forgiveness, and the healing power of returning home for good.

After a harrowing accident tore her family apart, Molly Brennan fled from the man she loved and the tragic mistake she made.

Twelve years later, Molly has created a new life for herself and her eight-year-old daughter, Cassie. The art history professor crafts jewelry as unique and weathered as the surf-tumbled sea glass she collects, while raising her daughter in a safe and loving environment—something Molly never had. But when Cassie is plagued by horrific visions and debilitating nightmares, Molly is forced to return to the one place she swore she’d never move back to—home to Pacific Grove.

A riveting exploration of love, secrets, and motherhood, All the Breaking Waves is the poignant story of a woman who discovers she must confront her past, let go of her guilt, and summon everything in her power to save her daughter.

My Thoughts:

ALL THE BREAKING WAVES begins with Molly comforting her daughter in the middle of the night after the young girl suffers another devastating nightmare that acts as a premonition of a serious accident and possible death of a school friend.  This isn't the first time Cassie has had one of these premonitions.  And the next one involves her own mother.  As Molly prepares for her own death while trying to find a way to alter the inevitable, old memories of her own psychic abilities come into play.  Will she be able to forgive herself for what happened in the past?  Can she reclaim the love of her life, her soul mate, Owen, or will her fears force her away from him once again?

Kerry Lonsdale masterfully created a story deep in emotional conflict while emphasizing a mother's love and a sense of the need to return home to fight the main character's inner demons.  This had a well-written story line with lots of twists and turns.  When you think you have it all figured out, something totally unexpected happens.  

Once I started reading this book, I didn't put it down until I read the very last page.  I heartily recommend it!

An advanced copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating:

Ten Beach Road by Wendy Wax

Ten Beach Road - Amazon Buy Link

From the Back Cover:

Another perfect beach read from the USA Today bestselling author of While We Were Watching Downton Abbey.

Madeline, Avery, and Nikki are strangers to each other, but they have one thing in common. They each wake up one morning to discover their life savings have vanished, along with their trusted financial manager- leaving them with nothing but co-ownership of a ramshackle beachfront house.

Throwing their lots in together, they take on the challenge of restoring the historic property. But just as they begin to reinvent themselves and discover the power of friendship, secrets threaten to tear down their trust-and destroy their lives a second time.

My Thoughts:

This was the my first experience reading anything by this author, but it will definitely not be my last.  I loved this novel and I loved the writing style of Wendy Wax.  

TEN BEACH ROAD is about three women from different backgrounds who were thrown together through a shared hardship.   The friendships that developed and the strength each woman was able to discover within themselves was beautifully portrayed in a story that takes you through all emotions.  I laughed out loud and toward the end I was wiping tears from my eyes.

Wendy Wax did a beautiful job of allowing me to visualize the community and Bella Flora, making me feel like I was right there, sipping my wine along with the other ladies and watching the sun as it slowly dips down into the ocean.  This story line contained many of the things I enjoy in a book including strong, empowered women (I hate reading about wimpy ladies), deep commitment (Maddie's marriage), hunky men (Chase and Joe), emotional conflict (Nikki and her brother) and romance (yes there was definite sexual magnetism)!

There was a small amount of repetition and a few things that were not quite believable, but all-in-all, this was a very entertaining novel.  I highly recommend it and I will be reaching for the other books in this series!

My Rating: