Saturday, May 14, 2016

Second Sentence Saturday: The Duke's Holiday


SECOND SENTENCE SATURDAY is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jess of From Me to You ... Video, Photography, & Book Reviews. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab the novel/novella your currently reading or previously read
  • Open to the first page of Chapter 1 or its Prologue
  • Share the SECOND sentence from that page
  • Share the novel/novella's title & its author, so that other participants can add that novel to their TBR Lists if they want



MY Second Sentence Saturday :

"The Duke's Holiday" [Regency Romp Trilogy, Book 1] by Maggie Fenton (aka Margaret Foxe)

His best mate, Sebastian Sherbrook, managed to procure a bottle of blue ruin from a stable hand for a sum of money they later found out to be outrageous---a crown indeed!---and the two of them, curious as only twelve-year-old boys can be on the subject of vice, hid in a copse of elderberry bushes outside their dormitory at Harrow during the winter holidays (as neither had families to go home to), drank down the whole bottle like it was water, and scoffed to each other how little effect it had on them.



PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT to share either the link to your own SECOND SENTENCE SATURDAY post or share the sentence in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thank You!

Friday, May 13, 2016

Blog Tour - Wolf's Blade & Merry "Chris" Mas by Clare Dargin | Spreading the Word, Review, & ARC Novel Giveaway

Today I'm showing off Clare Dargin's "Wolf's Blade," which is her FIRST book in her The Paladins Series, & "Merry "Chris" Mas," which is her FIRST book in her The Love Play Matchmaking Service Series!!

ALSO -- Be sure to check out Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post to be able to sign up for this blog stop's GIVEAWAY(s)!! [Blog Tour & Giveaway will run from May 11 - 18, 2016]



"Wolf's Blade"
[The Paladins Series, Book 1] by Clare Dargin

Author's Book Description :
    Samantha Dixon rescues a wounded wolf shifter in the woods near her home … and unwittingly gets drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a murderer. Callum Blake is on the trail of an evil man who would be king of all wolf kind, no matter the cost … it’s up to Callum to stop him. How can Callum fulfill his duty to protect his pack and save the woman who is destined to be his mate? Filled with passion, action, and suspense, "Wolf’s Blade" is Book 1 of Clare Dargin’s new paranormal romance series, The Paladins.

This book is available to order on :

Amazon (e-Book) USD | Barnes & Noble (NOOK Book) USD | Kobo (e-Book) USD

** Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads & LibraryThing! **




"Merry "Chris" Mas"
[The Love Play Matchmaking Service Series, Book 1] by Clare Dargin

Author's Book Description :
    [Ménage Amour: Erotic Ménage a Trois Romance, M/F/M, HEA]

    Jilly Reimers wants love but can't find it. Chris Spinell is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who suffers from PTSD and a haunting feeling that something is missing in his life. Chris Poole is also an Afghanistan war veteran is ready to break out of his shell but is unsure how.

    With Christmas just around the corner, they decide not to spend it alone. Believing The Love Play Matchmaking Service to be just what they need for a night of fun and passion, they sign up. But when the guys show up and see that they've been set up on a menage, the only one happy about it is Jilly.

    Their consultant, called an Eros, assures Jilly that the service has a perfect track record but she's certain they'll be the first ones to get their money back. Will they have a very merry Christmas? Or will the three spend yet another one alone?

    A Siren Erotic Romance

My Book Review :
    3.5 out of 5 stars! Three strangers decide on (or get talked into) signing up for The Love Play Matchmaking Service’s “One-Nighter” date and end up in a date all together. Jilly requested the ménage setup while the guys find out that surprise once they arrive. Yet, while they make their time together work for them is it something that they’ll be able to turn into a lasting relationship, especially once society’s standards come into play…

    This quick erotic Christmas read gets straight to the point and leaves you wanting more. While slightly paranormal, because of how Chris S.’s personal issues end once he meets Jilly & Chris P., this novel revolves around these three getting together and becoming essential roles in one another’s lives. [READ MY FULL REVIEW & TWO EXTRA TEASERS]

This book is available to order on :

Amazon (e-Book) USD | Barnes & Noble (NOOK Book) USD | Kobo (e-Book) USD

** Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads & LibraryThing! **




Clare Dargin in my room having fun with my laptop's new video editing software

Posted by Clare Dargin on Saturday, April 30, 2016
About the Author :

Clare Dargin is a multi-published romance author. She has written for several publishers in different genres, including erotic romance, military romance, contemporary, paranormal, and sci-fi. She lives in the mid-west, and when not surfing the web, she is hard at work writing her next romance novel.

My Previous Review(s) for this Author : Merry "Chris" Mas








Book Excerpt(s) :

"Wolf's Blade" ::

Why are you silent? You’re the reason I took this mission and now you’re allowing me to suffer?

His frustration mingled with his physical pain, adding to his misery. The beast fought its way to the surface. He opened his mouth and howled. A mixture of a roar and a yell, it relieved some of the tension within him, but it did not drive away the urge to shift.

Leaning against the tree, he dug his claws into the bark, burrowing deep grooves as he exerted his strength against the muscle contraction. His pulse pounded in his ears as sweat poured down on his face. Unlike his wolf self who resided peacefully inside of him, his lycan did not have the same kind of placating nature. It yielded only to the strongest of commands exerted to it from his mind. It was supposed to live in harmony just as his inner wolf, but it refused.

"Merry "Chris" Mas" ::

Jilly idly twirled a lock of her hair as she gazed at the fire. The meal was good, a bit awkward, but all right. Now with Chris S. in the shower, she and Chris P., who’d freshened up after her, sat beside her. She hoped she’d get a chance to know him a little better, now that they were alone.

Unlike Chris S., Chris P. was quiet, more reserved. His warm smile could melt ice. They’d spoken a bit about his life in Australia and how he met the other Chris when they were on Diego Garcia, a tiny atoll in the Pacific. It was there he garnered a better perspective on life, friendships and love. She reasoned that war tended to do that to a person.

She looked at him again, admiring what she saw. He was gorgeous. If only she were a femme fatale like her friends. She pictured grabbing him by the scruff of his collar and planting a long seductive kiss on his pouty lips.

Golden and sun-kissed like a surfer, he had a look impossible to have around this time of year in Michigan, unless he spent countless hours in a tanning booth. But at the same time he didn’t look like the type who’d go to one. He seemed too rugged. She glanced at his short, flaxen hair, which he wore pulled back in a stubby tail. It accentuated his keen facial features. His physique, like that of a gladiator, made her want to whimper. Built like a brick wall without being too thick, he was three words—supple, etched, steel. And his Australian accent added to his raw sexiness....




Book Preview(s) :




Giveaway(s)!! :
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Soo .... TWEET about this post!! And you could WIN!! =0)

ALSO -- Be sure to follow the tour around the other blog sites!



Find Clare Dargin :

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Made the Grade: The Love Play Matchmaking Service Series, Book 1

- This is an ARC book - Available Formats through Amazon: Kindle Edition - File Size: 324 KB | Expected Release Date: January 19, 2015 | Publisher: Siren Publishing / Siren-BookStrand, Inc. : Ménage Amour | Obtained: Magic of Books Promotions

"Merry "Chris" Mas" [The Love Play Matchmaking Service Series, Book 1] by Clare Dargin

Author's Book Description : [Ménage Amour: Erotic Ménage a Trois Romance, M/F/M, HEA]

Jilly Reimers wants love but can't find it. Chris Spinell is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who suffers from PTSD and a haunting feeling that something is missing in his life. Chris Poole is also an Afghanistan war veteran is ready to break out of his shell but is unsure how.

With Christmas just around the corner, they decide not to spend it alone. Believing The Love Play Matchmaking Service to be just what they need for a night of fun and passion, they sign up. But when the guys show up and see that they've been set up on a menage, the only one happy about it is Jilly.

Their consultant, called an Eros, assures Jilly that the service has a perfect track record but she's certain they'll be the first ones to get their money back. Will they have a very merry Christmas? Or will the three spend yet another one alone?

A Siren Erotic Romance

My Book Review : 3.5 out of 5 stars! Three strangers decide on (or get talked into) signing up for The Love Play Matchmaking Service’s “One-Nighter” date and end up in a date all together. Jilly requested the ménage setup while the guys find out that surprise once they arrive. Yet, while they make their time together work for them is it something that they’ll be able to turn into a lasting relationship, especially once society’s standards come into play…

This quick erotic Christmas read gets straight to the point and leaves you wanting more. While slightly paranormal, because of how Chris S.’s personal issues end once he meets Jilly & Chris P., this novel revolves around these three getting together and becoming essential roles in one another’s lives. I really LOVED the way the plot played out and how Jilly was not the “shrinking flower” that she at times portrayed herself to be.

Together they were the “soul mates” that the matchmaking service said they’d meet. I liked how the Chris’ already had a shared past that made their relationship more believable.

Overall, I recommend this novel to anyone looking for an erotic holiday quickie!

Purchase This Book and/or The Other Books From It's Series Here :
icon
Kobo (e-Book) USD : Merry "Chris" Mas (Book 1)

Amazon (Kindle) USD : Merry "Chris" Mas (Book 1)
Merry ''Chris'' Mas [Love Play Matchmaking Service 1] (Siren Publishing Menage Amour)
Barnes & Noble (NOOK Book) USD : Merry "Chris" Mas (Book 1)

Author's Novel Extras : Merry 'Chris' Mas; A Sexy New Holiday Menage Romance by Clare Dargin. | Merry "Chris" Mas; A Contemporary Holiday Menage Erotic Paranormal Romance by Clare Dargin | MFRW Book Hook- Merry "Chris" Mas by Clare Dargin. The Love Play Matchmaking Service Book One | Great #Review For My #Erotic #Menage #Romance #MerryChrisMas - The Love Play Matchmaking Service by #ClareDargin


Author's Series Extras : My Sexy Saturday- A Look at the Sequel to the Merry Chris Mas

Book Teaser(s) :
There was no harm in one date, and maybe this service could give him the impetus he needed to get back out there. Of course, he could have gone back home to Sydney to meet a pretty girl. But the Poole men had a thing fr American women and he liked sticking to tradition. ~ within Chapter 1
They were a perfect ten. It was the best Christmas gift anyone could have ever given her. She hoped a Chris Sandwich was definitely on the menu for the night. ~ within Chapter 6

Book Preview(s) :
For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by Clare, then please check out her Amazon Acct.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Blog Tour - Prowled Darkness by Carrie Ann Ryan | Spreading the Word & Gift Card/Swag Pack Giveaways

Today I'm showing off Carrie Ann Ryan's "Prowled Darkness," which is her recently released novel (like TODAY) and the SEVENTH book in her Dante's Circle Series!!

ALSO -- Be sure to check out Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post to be able to sign up for this blog stop's GIVEAWAY(s)!! [Blog Tour & Giveaway will run from May 10 - 16, 2016]



"Prowled Darkness"
[Dante's Circle Series, Book 7] by Carrie Ann Ryan

Author's Book Description :
    Humans aren’t as alone as they choose to believe. Every human possesses a trait of supernatural that lays dormant within their genetic make-up. Centuries of diluting and breeding have allowed humans to think they are alone and untouched by magic. But what happens when something changes?

    Eliana Sawyer’s life was rocked from its foundation twice in as many years. She risked her heart and had it shattered into a thousand pieces when Malik left her with no warning. While she’d normally raise her chin and ignore the pain, she can’t forget what he gave her before he disappeared from her life.

    Malik Ward is a prince amongst the lion shifters and knows that one day he will have to take a mate. Only, his people can never mate with humans. Under the mistaken impression that Eliana was only human, he forced himself to leave before they’d crossed a line and he broke his vow to his people. Now that he knows the truth about Eliana, however, it will take more than groveling to win back the one woman fated to be his.

    While Eliana and Malik embark on a new sensuous path that might lead to disaster, the realms aren’t ready to allow the final lightning-struck human to be enveloped into their fold. The couple will have to combat those plotting against them, as well as the broken promises and heated emotions they share.

    Warning: Contains a Leo with a bite that’s worse than his roar, a woman with one last chance at the life she’s always dreamt of, a flame that could extinguish with the wrong sacrifice, and the final journey in the bestselling Dante’s Circle series.

This book is available to order on :

Amazon (e-Book) USD | Amazon (Paperback) USD | Barnes & Noble (NOOK Book) USD | Barnes & Noble (Paperback) USD | Shop Your Local Bookstores (IndieBound - Paperback) USD | Kobo (e-Book) USD | BAM! / BooksAMillion.com (Paperback) USD

** Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads & LibraryThing! **




whatkind2

Have you always wanted to know what kind of paranormal you'd be from Carrie Ann Ryan's Dante's Circle series? Now you can find out! Take the quiz here - we'd love to see your results!



About the Author :

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan never thought she’d be a writer. Not really. No, she loved math and science and even went on to graduate school in chemistry. Yes, she read as a kid and devoured teen fiction and Harry Potter, but it wasn’t until someone handed her a romance book in her late teens that she realized that there was something out there just for her. When another author suggested she use the voices in her head for good and not evil, The Redwood Pack and all her other stories were born.

Carrie Ann is a bestselling author of over twenty novels and novellas and has so much more on her mind (and on her spreadsheets *grins*) that she isn’t planning on giving up her dream anytime soon.


My Previous Interview(s) with this Author : April 2012

My Previous Guest Post(s) by this Author : I want a Werewolf Husband - March 2012

My Previous Review(s) for this Author : A Taste For a Mate | Trinity Bound | Her Warriors’ Three Wishes | Tangled Innocence

My Previous Mention(s) of this Author's Books/Characters : Teaser Tuesdays: An Alpha’s Path | Teaser Tuesdays: A Taste for a Mate | Teaser Tuesdays: Trinity Bound | Best Book Couples -- Happy Valentine's Day 2013 | Best Book Couples -- Happy Valentine's Day 2014 | Best Book Couples -- Happy Valentine's Day 2015




Book Excerpt(s) :

When he pulled into her driveway behind her beat up old truck, he barely had time to turn off the engine before she had her seatbelt off and was trying to wedge herself out of the Rover.

“Wait a minute,” he snapped. “Let me help you before you get hurt.”

“Too late,” she whispered, and he cursed. “I’ve been getting out of cars on my own for a long time, Malik.”

“But you don’t have to do it alone now,” he said, hoping she understood he meant more than just the vehicle.

She shook her head. “It’s never as easy as that.” But she waited for him to help her out of the Rover. That had to count for something.

His hands shook as she slid down his body, her belly protruding and scaring the shit out of him. When he felt a slight push at his own stomach, he froze.

Eliana blushed and tried to pull away from him. “That’s just little squirt making his or her presence known. Just a kick. You don’t have to freak out.”

Malik’s tongue went dry. He swallowed hard so he could speak. “It’s my first kick,” he whispered. Something else she’d said triggered his mind. “You don’t know the sex of the baby?”

“I wanted it to be a surprise,” she answered. “I don’t know why now that I’m trying to figure out the nursery and everything. But I just went green and yellow.” She shrugged. “And as for the kick? You could have felt them all if you’d been here, but you weren’t.” With that parting shot, she slowly made her way to the front door.



Book Preview(s) :




Giveaway(s)!! :
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Soo .... TWEET about this post!! And you could WIN!! =0)

ALSO -- Be sure to follow the tour around the other blog sites!



Find Carrie Ann Ryan :


Monday, May 9, 2016

Blog Tour - Winging It by Cate Cameron | Spreading the Word

Today I'm showing off Cate Cameron's "Winging It," which is her recently released novel (in Paperback), also the soon-to-be released novel (in e-Book), and the THIRD book in her Corrigan Falls Raiders Series!!



"Winging It"
[Corrigan Falls Raiders Series, Book 3] by Cate Cameron (aka Kate Sherwood)

Author's Book Description :
    Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains adult language, ice-melting kisses, and a swoon-worthy hero. This fake relationship romance will have you wishing for a hockey player of your own…

    Natalie West and Toby Cooper were best friends growing up, on and off the ice. But when Toby’s hockey career took off, their friendship was left behind. Now Natalie has a crazy plan to land her crush—Toby’s biggest rival—and she needs Toby’s help to pull it off.

    When Nat asks Toby to be her fake boyfriend, he can’t say no. Not when it means getting his best friend back. But Natalie is all grown up now, and spending time with her—even when it’s just playing hockey together—stirs up a lot of feelings, old and new. Suddenly pretending to be interested in her isn’t hard at all…if only she wanted him and not his enemy.

    Hockey tore them apart. Can it put them back together?

This book is available to order on :

Amazon (e-Book) USD | Amazon (Paperback) USD | Barnes & Noble (NOOK Book) USD | Barnes & Noble (Paperback) USD | Shop Your Local Bookstores (IndieBound - Paperback) USD | Kobo (e-Book) USD

** Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads & LibraryThing! **




About the Author :

Cate Cameron grew up in the city but moved to the country in her mid-twenties and isn't looking back. Most of her writing deals with people living and loving in small towns or right out in the sticks - when there aren't entertainment options on every corner, other people get a lot more interesting!

She likes to write stories about real people struggling with real issues. YA, NA, or contemporary romance, her books are connected by their emphasis on subtle humor and characters who are trying to do the right thing, even when it would be a lot easier to do something wrong.


My Previous Review(s) for this Series : Book 1

My Previous Mention(s) of this Author's Books/Characters : Second Sentence Saturday: Center Ice | The Books I'm Thankful For (so far) in 2015 | Best Book Couples -- Happy Valentine's Day 2016






Book Excerpt(s) :

That was when a too-familiar voice came to me from the far end of the corridor. “Toby! Hey, man, nice practice!”

I turned around. He was my cousin, so, tempting as it was, I couldn’t just ignore him. “Hey, Scott. Welcome back.” I tried to sound as if I meant it, but it wasn’t like I was going to fool him. He knew how I felt about him, just like I knew how he felt about me. No real point in pretending otherwise, but I generally tried, at least until he did something to piss me off. It usually took about thirty seconds.

“Congratulations on the World Juniors thing!” he said, and now he was close enough to give me a congratulatory shoulder punch. “You’re a big shot, huh? We saw the interviews and everything. Very smooth. We should go down to the city sometime and get you a better haircut and maybe some new clothes. Right? Could the team give you a clothing allowance or something?”

Nice. Triple whammy. I’d looked shitty on TV, I couldn’t possibly look better without his help, and I didn’t have as much money as he did so I’d have to look for alternate funding. All said in such a friendly way that I’d be the asshole if I got mad about it. Classic Scott. “I appreciate the offer,” I said without any attempt to sound sincere, and that was when I realized how close Nat was standing to me. She was tall for a girl but still a couple inches shorter than me, and she’d wedged her shoulder practically into my armpit. “Uh, you remember West?” I said to Scott.

He gave her one of his smiles. “Of course, yeah. How’ve you been? You’re looking good.”

And then, I swear to God, I felt her arm wrap around my waist. “I am good,” she said, and there was something weird about her voice. It was…I don’t know, softer than usual? Can a voice be light? She hadn’t taken it as far as I had when I was making fun of her, but something was different, for sure. She sounded…girlier.

Scott had clearly noticed how close she was standing, his eyes flickering from her face to mine, trying to work out the situation. Trying to figure out how to use it to his advantage. “I heard about you and Dawn,” he said to me. “I’m sorry. I thought you guys were going to be one of those epic couples. Start going out in high school and then grow old together.”

“Nope,” I said, and that was all. I’d known Scott long enough to realize that anything I told him could and absolutely would be used against me. So I wasn’t exactly sorry to have Nat there as a way to distract Scott from whatever he was up to. I just wished I could figure out what she was up to.

Things didn’t get much clearer when she dug her fingers into my ribs to get my attention then half turned without really backing away. Nat was a friend and I’d known her forever, but that didn’t make me totally immune to the sensation of her soft chest rubbing along my side. “I have to go,” she told me, and her voice was still sweeter than I was used to. “But I’ll call you, okay? When I get off work?”

“Okay,” I said cautiously. I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but a phone call seemed like a pretty good way to figure it out.

“Great,” she said, and then she smiled in a way I’d never seen her smile before, stretched up onto her tiptoes, and kissed me. On the lips. Just a peck, and I was definitely too shocked to kiss back or do anything more than stand there like a deactivated robot, but…well, that was not our standard way of saying good-bye. Not by a long shot.



Find Cate Cameron :


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