Laney by Joann I Martin Sowles

What would you give to be with the one you love?

Would you give it all, including your life?

In a small college town in Northern California, Laney Alexander leads a regular, uneventful life–that is, until the charming and alluring Oliver Knight enters her world. Who is this gorgeous and mysterious stranger? Or, rather, what is he?

As Laney’s sophomore year of college begins, so does an unbelievable adventure–including a love she didn’t know she longed for. She soon learns that Oliver is not ordinary, nor is the rest of his family, including a sister who openly hates her and a brother who will stop at nothing for revenge. As she fights for her life, and Oliver’s love, Laney discovers that the fictional world of vampires isn’t so fictional after all. Nobody is safe, especially Laney, Oliver’s most important priority, and he will stop at nothing to protect her. With her mortality at risk, and a commitment revealed that she, without a doubt, knows she wants, Laney’s life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn…

Joann I Martin Sowles brings us Laney –

Must Read Young Adult - - Yep I said it!!

I love what this new author has done with this book.  Laney is the first in the Brookhaven Vampire Series.  We have been set up for this series to keep us anxiously awaiting the next!!!

Sowles has given us a story that starts right out and gets you interested.  I definitely wanted to know Oliver…young and fresh romance wrapped in with action and plot.  We’re set up that I can see many twists and turns left to come.   We still have so much to go with this story.  Sowles comments on another top YA that you’ll have to read to find out about…

Laney and Oliver share a hot connection.  As a young college student, Laney is new to relationships, Oliver is an ‘old pro’.  The references and comments in this book were straight from my time.  I felt like this book is meant for the 25-35+ crowd.  I related to Oliver although at some points he went a little old fashioned for my *coughs* crazy tastes.  We end with a great cliffhanger.  I can’t wait for the opportunity to read the next one!!!  Could not put this one down!

5 Slices

Deadly Promises Anthology - Kenyon,Love,Griffin,Gerard

THESE HEROES ARE 100 PERCENT RAW, DANGEROUS, AND . . . UNDENIABLY SEXY.

New York Times bestselling authors Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love, and Cindy Gerard and rising romance star Laura Griffin mix seduction and suspense in three irresistible romantic adventures. From sultry international jungles to the rugged terrain of the American Southwest, join the larger-than-life, scorching-hot alpha heroes of the Bureau of American Defense, Black Ops, Inc., and the U.S. Navy SEALs for all the pulse-pounding, heart-racing, toe-curling excitement. They’re cool under pressure, steamy under the sheets, and when the enemy strikes, there’s not a lethal mission these gorgeous men can’t handle. . . . 

Just Bad Enough Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love

Leave No Trace Cindy Gerard
Unstoppable Laura Griffin (courtesy of Amazon)

I read this book to keep up with the B.A.D series from Kenyon/Love – I have plans to circle back for Gerard and Griffin, but my TBR pile has been growing.  I have read the entire BAD Series and for a FBI Thriller Romance it’s top notch. 

I was beyond pleased with this short from the series.  It could definitely stand alone and get you sucked into read the rest of the series. 

As usual the heat is up at the right level and the action and story line keep you going.  I can’t complain.  Our main couple are beyond lovable.  You instantly connect with CeCe and can’t wait to see where the story is leading…

 4 Slices

Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich

Life in Marblehead has had a pleasant predictability, until Diesel arrives. Rumor has it that a collection of priceless ancient relics representing the Seven Deadly Sins have made their way to Boston’s North Shore. Partnered with pastry chef Lizzie Tucker, Diesel bullies and charms his way through historic Salem to track them down—and his criminal mastermind cousin Gerewulf Grimorie. The black-haired, black-hearted Wulf is on the hunt for the relic representing gluttony. Caught in a race against time, Diesel and Lizzie soon find out that more isn’t always better, as they battle Wulf and the first of the deadly sins. (courtesy of Amazon)

I expected a little more from this book.  I LOVE the Stephanie Plum series.  Diesel had been introduced in our Plum in between books.  I did end up liking where the book went, but wanted a little more with the humor and plot.  I will patiently await the 2^nd Unmentionable book in this new series.  Evanovich has kept me involved in her series as well, I just felt a few things were a little off base.

I love the way Evanovich ends this one.  She is known to leave you guessing, and in the first pages of the next book you learn what really happened!  Diesel is his tough, sexy self.  Lizzy has a bit to learn in the new world of unmentionables.  Good humor and an interesting mystery!

Scott Nicholson Blog Tour and Kindle Giveaway!!

We're so excited that Scott Nicholson is here with us today.  Read his post below to learn a bit about him and his books, as well as how to enter the awesome Kindle giveaway that he's doing with his blog tour!   As if that giveaway isn't enough, he's also doing a bonus giveaway with us.  You can win a signed copy of Thank You for the Flowers, a collection of his short stories.  To enter, leave a comment below. For an extra entry, follow us on Google friend connect. The book contest will end Monday, 11/15/10 at midnight (EST). Winners will be chosen on Tuesday.  Full details on Scott's Kindle giveaway in his blog post below!

Being “Big”
By Scott Nicholson
http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/


Success for writers gets really squirrelly.

Rankings, ratings, reviews, book advances, agent names, industry mentions, peer perspectives, and so much noise noise noise that sometimes you can’t tell your place in the universe anymore. And, to judge by all the noise, your needle on the hype-meter is the sole measurement of where you are. And what you are. And who you are.

I’ve definitely had my ups and downs, both externally and internally. I went from a guy whose first book was an alternate selection of the Mystery Guild (the mail-order book club, for those who remember the pre-Kindle days), to a guy whose books went out of print almost as fast as they rolled off the press. I went from a guy with an agent at one of the Top Three agencies in the world to a guy who couldn’t even get agents to bother responding to a query.

I went from a Nobody to a Top 30 Amazon Kindle bestseller. And I’m almost certain to be a Nobody again at some point.

And I am almost certain to be exactly the same person, doing the same things, writing the same stories. That’s really the only connecting link and common denominator, besides the loyal core of readers who travel with me.

“Success” as measured by outside observers is a loaded term and attracts weird energy. When I first started self-publishing on Amazon, I’d write “reviews” of my own books, telling funny stories about the book. Someone ratted me out to Amazon—I didn’t know it was against the rules and it wasn’t like I was trying to trick anybody by pretending I was a real critic with a false name.

But even weirder was a few days ago when my wife got a notice saying HER funny reviews were being pulled. Now, no computer on earth would know she was my wife, because we have different last names, if she hadn’t said she was my wife in the review. That means there is someone, or more than one person, going around playing “Amazon cop” on me. Amazon’s message was “It has been brought to our attention…”

After my initial hilarity that someone was so lacking in usefulness as to spend time that way, I felt a little invaded. I don’t care about me, but don’t mess with my sweet little Lefthanded Puppeteer. But she said, “That’s a sign you’re succeeding. People are noticing you. They want to tear you down. That means you’re up.”

Others have told me a lot of people are watching my indie efforts and blog tour, because I am charting a crazy new course. Some will be jealous because they think I am having the success they deserve. Others will support me because they see, like I do, that more people reading good books means more people wanting more good books.

I haven’t been successful at all. What has been successful is the accumulation of book bloggers, partners like Amazon, Kindle Nation Daily, Dellaster Design, Stephen and Neil at Ghostwriter Publications, my supporters that I consider “friends” instead of “fans” or “followers,” and a handful of books into which I poured my heart and talent.

All I can do is write the next sentence as best as I can, as truthfully as I can, and hope that it reflects onto you and gives you a little joy or meaning or escape or insight. That’s what I call being “big.”

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Current 99-cent specials are As I Die Lying and Disintegration. For every book of mine that hits the Top 100 during the tour, I will throw in an extra Kindle 3 giveaway. Tell your friends. Amaze your neighbors. Shock your therapist.

Scott Nicholson is author of 12 novels, including the thrillers Speed Dating with the Dead, Drummer-Boy, Forever Never Ends, The Skull Ring, Burial to Follow ,and They Hunger. His revised novels for the U.K. Kindle are Creative Spirit, Troubled, and Solom. He’s also written four comic series, six screenplays, and more than 60 short stories. His story collections include Ashes, The First, Murdermouth: Zombie Bits, and Flowers.

To be eligible for the Kindle DX or Kindle 3, simply post a comment below with contact info. Feel free to debate and discuss the topic, but you will only be entered once per blog. I’m also giving away a Kindle 3 through the tour newsletter and a Pandora's Box of free e-books to a follower of “hauntedcomputer” on Twitter. Thanks for playing. Complete details at http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/blogtour.htm



Don't forget to visit the other blogs on his tour for more chances to enter his giveaway!

October Girls: Crystal and Bone by L.C. Glazebrook (Scott Nicholson)

Five days until Halloween and all hell is about to break loose.And it’s all Crystal’s fault.

Momma warned her not to consort with the dead and tried to teach her the magic spells that would close the portal to the afterlife. But Crystal doesn’t want to be a trailer-trash witch like Momma. She has dreams of going to community college and escaping the Appalachian town of Parson’s Ford.

Her best friend Bone is only too happy to escape the afterlife and help Crystal break the rules. Bone died too young, and she’ll do whatever it takes to remain among the living.
 Then a teen movie maker comes to Parson’s Ford, and he has a very special project in mind: a horror movie starring a real ghost. The kids who watch his movies turn into brainwashed zombies. And to totally complicate matters, Crystal thinks he’s kind of a hunk, and she’s afraid her boyfriend Pettigrew only loves her because of Momma’s magic spells.

Now it’s Halloween, the night when the portal to the afterlife is widest, and somebody’s been messing with Momma’s potions. The fate of the world is in Crystal’s hands, but she hasn’t been paying attention to her lessons. And a mysterious figure in the afterlife is urging Bone to stay loyal to her own kind instead of to Crystal.
The movie is rolling, the creatures are stirring, and the brainwashed teenagers are ready to welcome a new star from the other side of the grave.

Crystal and Bone must overcome drama queens, coffin cuties, and mangled magic if they want to remain best friends forever—but at this rate, forever may not last much longer.  
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 L.C. Glazebrook is the family pen name of author Scott Nicholson. With contributions from Girl and The Left-Handed Puppeteer, together they are creating LC's secret identity. She was raised in Batesville, Indiana, the casket capital of the country, and was kicked out of Catholic School in the seventh grade. She's an art teacher and community artist. She's a beekeeper, gardener, and paraglider.  
 (all above courtesy of Amazon)



 
Since we have Scott Nicholson joining us tomorrow, I wanted to be sure to get my review of his book up. This is the first of his books that I’ve read, and I really enjoyed it. October Girls: Crystal and Bone is a young adult paranormal romance with a quite a bit of action.

Crystal is a small town high school drop out who lives in a trailer park with her mother. She wants nothing more than to get her GED, go to community college and move on to bigger and better places. Unfortunately, since she is from a long line of women that have lived in that town for centuries as guardians of the portal to the afterlife and it’s almost her turn, it doesn’t seem like it will work out that way.

Bone is Crystal’s best friend. She recently died, and still hangs out with Crystal thanks to the portal. Plus, she doesn’t like being dead all that much anyway!

As Halloween draws closer, things start to get crazy. There’s another ghost sneaking out of the afterlife, a new guy in town that is trying to make a horror movie, and the portals are getting bigger. Crystal, with Bone’s assistance, has to figure out how to make sure none of the creepy things from the other side come through and try to take over the world! Definitely not your typical teenage responsibilities.

I really like the characters of Crystal and Bone. Despite the fact that one girl is a witch and one is a ghost, it feels like a very real relationship. They’re best friends, yet they still tend to be a catty with each other, which is so true of young women sometimes! LOL
Also they way they both like the attention of the cute guys, so funny.

Overall this was a cute book and a quick, fun read. I definitely recommend it!

 Don't forget - Scott Nicholson will be with us tomorrow so come back and check it out. There will be fun things to read and contests to enter for great prizes!!

Taken by Midnight (review & bookmark giveaway) by Lara Adrian

AT THE CROSSROADS OF DEATH AND DESIRE, A WOMAN TASTES A PLEASURE NO MORTAL IS MEANT TO SURVIVE.
 
In the frozen Alaskan wilderness, former state trooper Jenna Darrow survives an unspeakable breach of body and soul. But with her narrow escape comes an even greater challenge. For strange changes are taking place within her, as she struggles to understand—and control—a new hunger. To do so, she will seek shelter in the Boston compound of the Order, an ancient race of vampire warriors whose very existence is shrouded in mystery. Perhaps the most mysterious of them all is Brock, a brooding, dark-eyed alpha male whose hands hold the power to comfort, heal . . . and arouse. 

As she recovers under Brock’s care, Jenna finds herself drawn to the Order’s mission: to stop a ruthless enemy and its army of assassins from subjecting Earth to a reign of terror. Yet in spite of their resolve, a purely physical relationship without strings soon binds Brock and Jenna together with a desire fiercer than life and stronger than death itself—until a secret from Brock’s past and Jenna’s own mortality challenges their forbidden love to the ultimate trial by fire. (courtesy of Amazon)

Lara Adrian has created a world of vampires where the Breed Order is protecting humans and the Breed from rogues and the ultimate threat of Dragos. 8th book in the series and I’m definitely enjoying the story line for our two main characters.  Anxious to see where the next few books go given some of the great accomplishments in this book and in the overall plot. 

I felt the book wrapped up a little too quickly, where there may have been some items in between that could have been shortened.  However, it was hard for me to find any places to take out, since to enjoy the characters, you needed the storylines.  Most of the focus and back story has been established and I do enjoy that there is not too much retelling.  By now in this series you are reading it because you want to and you know the past. 

We went a little sci fi in this book, and quite honestly I’m not upset about it.  I’ve already come to terms with Adrian’s origin of this Breed and I don’t mind the sci fi fix at all.  If you are looking to keep to some ‘tradition’ of vampires this may not be the series for you, but if you enjoy a good read – grab it, there is no sparkling day walkers (I’m not hating on twilight), but rather just an interesting twist.  I finished this book in less than a day because it kept me turning the page. 

4 slices

In honor of this new release we were able to get some Lara Adrian Midnight Breed book marks, we have various styles.  If you would like one, please email us for our address where you can send a self addressed stamped return envelope.  We’ve got a limited supply so get the emails in quickly – seducedbybooks@gmail.com

Crave by J R Ward

Seven deadly sins. Seven souls that must be saved. One more no-holds- barred battle between a fallen angel with a hardened heart and a demon with everything to lose. 

Isaac Rothe is a black ops soldier with a dark past and a grim future. The target of an assassin, he finds himself behind bars, his fate in the hands of his gorgeous public defender Grier Childe. His hot attraction to her can only lead to trouble-and that's before Jim Heron tells him his soul is in danger. Caught up in a wicked game with the demon who shadows Jim, Isaac must decide whether the soldier in him can believe that true love is the ultimate weapon against evil. (courtesy of Amazon)

I thoroughly enjoy J R Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series, so you can imagine my excitement when she created a new series – The Fallen Angels.  This is the 2^nd book in the series (Covet being the first). 

I felt this book started out a little slower than I anticipated, but it definitely picked up and took me on a twisting coaster ride.  Just when you are following along, you’re thrown a hard left that gives you that drop your stomach feeling and gets you in to find out where you’re going.  The battle for souls rolls on, this is the 2^nd out of 7 and good can’t lose, can they?? 

Our lead character Grier is a hard core buttoned up female lawyer, who still wants to save any defendant she can.  On her latest pro bono case she gets match to a bad ass assassin, Isaac with a past to scare most woman off.  But that isn’t all our storyline – angels and demons must battle over who can be saved or pulled to the ‘dark side’.  A few things are a little over the top and partly wished it was a little shorter.  The story buttons up a little quicker than it took to get there. 

3 slices