Waiting On Wedneaday #21

This weekly event is hosted by Breaking The Spine where bloggers spotlight upcoming releases that they are eagerly waiting patiently for.

Book that I am most eagerly anticipating this week is:

Publisher: Hachetter Book Group

Release Date: July 28th 2015

Genre: Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Erotica

Link: Goodreads

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

We met in a nightmare.

The in-between world where time had no power over rhyme, reason, or connection. We met. We stared. We knew.

There was no distortion from the outside world. No right or wrong. No confusion or battles from hearts and minds.

Just us. In our silent dream-world.

That nightmare became our home. Planting ghosts, raising fantasies. Entwined together in our happily skewed reality.

We fell in love. We fell hard.

In those fleeting seconds of our nightmare, we lived an eternity.

But then we woke up.

And it was over.

Top Ten Tuesday #20

Top 10 Best Books of 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish.

No specific order but go ahead and add them to your GOODREADS.

1. Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan

2. Maybe Someday (Maybe #1) by Colleen Hoover

3. City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) by Cassandra Clare

4. Raw (Raw Family #1) by Belle Aurora

5. The One (The Selection #3) by Kiera Cass

6. Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi

7. Crashed (Driven #3) by K. Bromberg

8. The Spice of Life by Jake Furie Lapin

9. Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer

10. Ugly Love by Collen Hoover

Friday Finds #20

This is a meme hosted by Should Be Reading. What ya do is post up books that you discovered through bookstores, friends, goodreads etc, whichever way you discovered them. But only post up the books that you discovered during that Friday week only.

Book I found this week:

publisher: Harper Collins
Release: March 26th 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary
Link: Goodreads

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
In this full-length novel from Chris Crutcher, his first since the best-selling Deadline, the ultimate bully and the ultimate good guy tangle during Period 8.

Paul "the Bomb" Baum tells the truth. No matter what. It was something he learned at Sunday School. But telling the truth can cause problems, and not minor ones. And as Paulie discovers, finding the truth can be even more problematic. Period 8 is supposed to be that one period in high school where the truth can shine, a safe haven. Only what Paulie and Hannah (his ex-girlfriend, unfortunately) and his other classmates don't know is that the ultimate bully, the ultimate liar, is in their midst.

Terrifying, thought-provoking, and original, this novel combines all the qualities of a great thriller with the controversy, ethics, and raw emotion of a classic Crutcher story.

Waiting on Wednesday #20

This weekly event is hosted by Breaking The Spine where bloggers spotlight upcoming releases that they are eagerly waiting patiently for.

Book that I am most eagerly anticipating this week is:

Publisher: Atria Books

Release: March 10th 2015

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Link: Goodreads

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…

ARC Review: Corrupted Hearts

Corrupted Hearts by J.E & M. Keep

Publisher: CreateSpace, 2014
384 pages, paperback

Source: Xpresso Book Tours

Genre: Romance, Paranormal

Link: Goodreads

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

After all, even demons deserve a chance at love.

With her angelic wings and his demonic horns they were never meant to come together. But his red eyes trap her and her seductive wings lure him. Their hot demon blood clashes. What starts as one night of carnal pleasure turns into an adventure of epic portions.

Shades of Dungeons and Dragons twisted in wicked ways

Within days of meeting Lilah and Glaurakos fall across the path of an evil sorceress who traps them in a strange and dangerous "other world" The threats in the new world are perilous, yet their lust for each other is far more frightening. Will their bond be strong enough to make it out alive?

Against all odds of the damned, can love grow between two half demons?

My Review:

Corrupted Hearts is the story about a woman who looks like an angel but is actually a part ‘avian’ which is a demon, and a part dragon man. It follows them as they first meet, both captured by slavers, and then as they begin to work together and go adventuring.

It was really interesting how their relationship developed over time from not really trusting each other and fighting that attraction and affection, to how the story ended! I won’t ruin it, but the ending was really satisfying to me and made me want to read more about their adventures.

This story was very much like a sexy dungeons and dragons campaign, though I’d never be able to RP like this with my friends! But it was a really hot idea, and now I want to read more like this. I even looked it up, but only found a sex guide to D&D! lol.

My Rating:

Top Ten Tuesday #19

Top 10 Best Covers of 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish.

No specific order but go ahead and add them to your GOODREADS.

1. The One (The Selection #3) by Kiera Cass
2. Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi
3. A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird #1) by Claudia Gray
4. Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer
5. City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) by Cassandra Clare
6. The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #3) by Michelle Hodkin
7. Love Letter to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
8. Heir of Fire (Throne of GLass #3) by Sarah J. Mass
9. Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3) by Magie Stiefvater
10. Rebel Belle (Rebel Belle #1) by Rachel Hawkins

Friday Finds #19

This is a meme hosted by Should Be Reading. What ya do is post up books that you discovered through bookstores, friends, goodreads etc, whichever way you discovered them. But only post up the books that you discovered during that Friday week only.

Book I found this week:

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Release Date: March 25th 2014 (First Published March 13th 2014)

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal

Link: Goodreads

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Magical realism, lyrical prose, and the pain and passion of human love haunt this hypnotic generational saga.

Foolish love appears to be the Roux family birthright, an ominous forecast for its most recent progeny, Ava Lavender. Ava—in all other ways a normal girl—is born with the wings of a bird.

In a quest to understand her peculiar disposition and a growing desire to fit in with her peers, sixteen-year old Ava ventures into the wider world, ill-prepared for what she might discover and naïve to the twisted motives of others. Others like the pious Nathaniel Sorrows, who mistakes Ava for an angel and whose obsession with her grows until the night of the Summer Solstice celebration.

That night, the skies open up, rain and feathers fill the air, and Ava’s quest and her family’s saga build to a devastating crescendo.

Review: Incandescent (Knights Rebels MC #1)

Incandescent (Knights Rebels MC #1) by River Savage

Publisher: River Savage (CreateSpace)
Source: Purchased through Amazon
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Erotica, Abuse, New Adult
Link: Goodreads | Amazon

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Phoenix ‘Nix’ Knight thought pulling his club out of the illegal shit his Pops got them into was difficult.

Until he meets Kadence.

Kadence Turner has no business lusting over a student’s father, especially the president of the Knights Rebels MC. Nix is crass, obnoxious and dangerously sexy and for some reason, Kadence can’t seem to hate him for it. The bossy biker breaks down her defenses, but unlike the old Kadence, the woman she is today won’t give in without a fight.

The tension is undeniable, the attraction fierce. A man that wants what he wants and a woman that will fight him every step of the way.

My Review:

INCANDESCENT is the debut novel of the Knights Rebels MC by River Savage. This book grabs you from the Prologue and doesn't let go. The story starts with Kadence Turner, your typical school teacher who loves her job and Nix Knight the hot, sexy, dirty-talking MC President. From the moment they meet sparks start to fly. Kadence is a feisty, smart-mouth woman, whose attitude brings out all the HOT, dirty-mouthed alpha tendencies we like in our leading men.

This MC book is not as dark as the genre tends to go now, but it is refreshing to still get all the raunchiness of biker books with a good romance sewn through. There is action and antagonists in this story that cause chaos and problems to the characters' lives. Kadence struggles to overcome tragedy in her past and be comfortable enough to give herself over to another dominating, yet ironically freeing male in her life. There is Nix's struggle to turn what used to be an illegal sex, drugs, and greed Motorcycle Club into one that is respected by the community and is a positive place to raise his son Zayden as opposed to the mess he grew up in himself.

The secondary characters all have interesting stories to tell and I am sure that River will be spinning their tales over the upcoming books in the series. I laughed out loud reading this book, there were places where I cried, and there were places that the panties did need a refreshing LOL. That is all due to River Savage's writing style. She has grasped in her first published book, a writing style that allows you to feel the chemistry between Kadence and Nix fly right off the page and make you wish you were experiencing what they were. The love transpiring in the interactions between Nix and his son Zayden just made you fall in love with both characters, and nothing is sexier in a book than a man who is an amazing father, and you can feel all that through her words.

My Rating:

Blog Tour: Unleashed by J.E & M. Keep (Review + Giveaway)

Unleashed by J.E. & M Keep

Release Date: December 13th 2014

Genre: Fantasy, New Adult, Paranormal

Link: Goodreads | Amazon

Synopsis:

Kanika has just barely entered adulthood when her world is thrown upside down. Her school is magically cut off from the rest of society, and she’s risking expulsion.

She entangles herself in an immoral and erotic sexual awakening with the half-demon administrator in exchange for her continued education, but her life will never be the same.

Devastated by the fact that she callously threw away her virginity to a powerful man she’s just met, she’s easily seduced by her charismatic and tender linguistics professor, Cyril Thackeray.

When she learns that she can’t judge a person by their appearance, and is left uncertain as to whom is lying to her, she spirals deeper into depravity and promiscuity, embarking upon a dangerous exploration of her new sexual desires.

A paranormal fantasy novel for new adults, Unleashed is a powerful and unflinching novel that will leave your morality in tatters

Author Bio:

(No Photo Available)

J.E. & M. Keep love to combine fantasy, scifi, horror, romance and mystery into exciting and titillating novels.

They are long term, loving partners in a very happy relationship and because of this, they love to torture their characters. Dark romance touches all of their stories in one way or another, from elicit trysts to forbidden love.

Some of their work contains dubious consent and erotic pain, so it’s not for the faint of heart. Their stories are often called twisted and arousing -- at the same time.

All work is 18+, trigger warnings available on the second page of every book. If you want to hear about new releases, sign up for the newsletter!

Author Links: Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter JM Keep | Twitter JE Keep

My Review:

Man there is absolutely no doubt about it that this story of Kanika’s awakening desires is explored with great detail, it is full of chemistry, attraction and hot heat. But either way over all this was quite a read, the author made a good decision joining all 3 short stories together as 1 book, because it would have left myself and other reads with many more questions that needed answering. But my fellow readers be very prepared for some hot sexy steamy scenes!!!! There are loads of them.

Giveaway:

Tour-wide giveaway (OPEN INTERNATIONALLY)

1. 5x $10 Amazon gift cards

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday #19

This weekly event is hosted by Breaking The Spine where bloggers spotlight upcoming releases that they are eagerly waiting patiently for.

Book that I am most eagerly anticipating this week is:

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: January 6th 2015
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romace
Link: Goodreads

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Bryn Aven is an outcast among the Kanin, the most powerful of the troll tribes.

Set apart by her heritage and her past, Bryn is a tracker who's determined to become a respected part of her world. She has just one goal: become a member of the elite King’s Guard to protect the royal family. She's not going to let anything stand in her way, not even a forbidden romance with her boss Ridley Dresden.

But all her plans for the future are put on hold when Konstantin– a fallen hero she once loved – begins kidnapping changelings. Bryn is sent in to help stop him, but will she lose her heart in the process?

Top Ten Tuesday #18

Top 10 Book Boyfriends

Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish.

No specific order but go ahead and add them to your GOODREADS.

1. City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare
2. Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1) by Jeaniene Frost
3. Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead
4. The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins
5. Divergent (Divergent #1) b Veronica Roth
6. Shadowfever (Fever #5) by Karen Marie Moning
7. Hush Hush (Hush Hush #1) by Becca Fitzpatrick
8. Twilight (Twilight #1) by Stephenie Meyer
9. Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare
10. Anna and The French Kiss (Anna and The French Kiss #1) by Stephanie Perkins

Review: Better Than Perfect (More Than A Game #1)

Better Than Perfect (More Than A Game #1) by Kristina Mathews

Publisher: Lyrical Press, 2014

222 pages, paperback

Source: Purchased through Amazon

Genre: Sports, Romance, Contemporary, New Adult

Link: Goodreads

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

More Than A Game, #1 The woman he left behind and the son he never knew are tougher opponents than any he's met on the field.

Pitcher Johnny "The Monk" Scottsdale has won awards, been named an All-star and has a perfect game to his credit. Known for his legendary control both on and off the field, his pristine public image makes him the ideal person to work with youth players in a preseason minicamp. Except the camp is run by the one woman he can't forget...the woman who made him a "monk."

Alice Harrison's three strikes include an unexpected pregnancy, a marriage of convenience and young widowhood. She once traded her dreams so Johnny could have a chance at making it to the Majors. Johnny comes back into her life just as she's ready to resign as foundation director and pursue her own dreams of finally earning her teaching credential. Her plans may go on hold, though, depending on the reaction when she confesses she may have kept a major league secret from Johnny and her son.

With the minutes ticking by until Johnny will leave for spring training, they'll need to let go of the past and work together in order to win the game of love.

My Review:
I loved that Johnny was not portrayed as a stereotypical jock, in that he wasn't made to be a grade A jerk that broke Alice's heart and then went on to use his fame and riches to become an arrogant womanizing a** only to end up redeemed by his former flame. There was nothing about Johnny that wasn't swoon-worthy -- what woman wouldn't want to be loved the way he loved Alice??? Kristina Matthews did a great job of making the story about more than just a long lost love that magically becomes reunited. I liked that there was real depth to the characters, and that even though they both still loved one another after all this time the author didn't make the relationship easy or light and fluffy. I loved that they had to face their problems, their fears, the lies and shortcomings head on and deeply before they could have their happily ever after. The author did a great job of really letting the reader know the characters, their emotions, their inner thoughts, and so it was easy to feel so connected to them and not able to help rooting for them to work through their turmoil and come together.

I only wish it hadn't taken so long - as in her husband, and Johnny's ex-best friend, had been dead for 9 years - so 9 years of her raising her and Johnny's son alone that they could have spent together. 9 more years that Johnny could have had knowing his son as a little boy. I could understand her initial reasons for leaving and even marrying Mel, but I wish this story would have taken place not so long after Mel's death. That detail is what holds me back from giving it 5 stars - maybe it's because I'm a mother of two young kids and can't imagine missing a single day of their lives, or maybe it's because I lost my dad at a very young age and still feel that loss deeply almost 25 years later and every life milestone has a hint of sadness around it for him not being able to be there to share it with - but I just have trouble fulling loving a story about a woman who keeps a child from his dad regardless of her justifications, otherwise I probably would have given Better Than Perfect 5 stars. It was a great read, one I'll come back to on a rainy day when I'm looking for a good romance to curl up with.

My Review:

Review: Stand Of Honor (stand #1)

Stand Of Honor (Stand #1) by Cathryn Williams

Publisher: Young Ink Press, 2014

193 pages, kindle edition

Source: Purchased through Amazon

Genre: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary

Link: Goodreads

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Melanie Brooks is determined to prove her father wrong, she does have what it takes to be a champion in the cage. The only problem is that she needs a trainer, one that can help her get the championship belt she's determined to win. Her brother's friend Zane is the obvious choice, now she just has to convince him.

Zane, a disgraced MMA fighter, takes one look at the feisty Melanie and knows he is headed for trouble, but decides to go for it anyway. For her own safety, he should stay away, but Melanie’s fighting spirit reawakens his own, forcing him to make the choice to stay a prisoner of his past or fight his way back to being a champion.

This work of fiction is intended for mature audiences only. All sexually active characters portrayed in this ebook are eighteen years of age or older. Please do not buy if strong sexual situations, moderate violence, and explicit language offends you.

My Review:
Melanie watched her brother Nick and his best friend Zane fight all her life with the help of her dad. All she wanted was to fight like her brother, and win the women's championship belt. However her dad thought it was ridiculous and would not support or help her. She resented her dad, but sought training on her own knowing one day she'd prove him wrong.

Zane hasn't fought in three years since his ex-girlfriend helped get him thrown out of the league for supposedly throwing one of his fights. It took a year, but Zane proved his innocence. Instead of fighting again, he now trains up and coming fighters.

When Melanie approaches Zane to help her train, he knows he should stay away from her and refuse. Unfortunately, he can't. The attraction between them is intense, but they agree to focus on the training and keeping it professional. That decision only lasts for so long, and soon they begin seeing each other. As Zane begins training with Melanie, he realizes how much he misses the fight. He knows in order to win the championship belt, he'll have to beat his best friend Nick who currently owns the title.

Watch as both Melanie and Zane train and fight for the championship in their leagues. There are a couple of altercations and a side story, but mostly this story is about fighting for what you want and not giving up.

My Rating:

Friday FInds #18

This is a meme hosted by Should Be Reading. What ya do is post up books that you discovered through bookstores, friends, goodreads etc, whichever way you discovered them. But only post up the books that you discovered during that Friday week only.

Book I found this week:

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!

It just might.

Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.

Book Blitz: Sarah Daltry

No Such Thing by Sarah Daltry

Publisher: Smashwords Edition

Release Date: November 27th 2014

Genre: New Adult, COntemorary

Link: Goodreads | Amazon | Smashwords | Kobo | Paperback

Synopsis:

College was supposed to be perfect. She was supposed to be perfect.

For Lily Drummond, life is about following the rules. To be specific, her mother’s rules. College fit into the plan – maintain perfect grades, date the perfect guy, and live the perfect life. On her own, though, Lily realizes that she doesn’t actually have a plan. Without being told what to think and do, she keeps making mistakes.

Away from home, the perfect facade is beginning to shatter. When Lily herself starts to break, it’s the support of an unlikely friend that teaches her how much of a lie perfect really is – and how to be whole on her own terms.

No Such Thing as Perfect was inspired by Sarah's Flowering series, but it stands completely alone as its own title. The same characters appear and some situations are similar, but this was written with a different goal in mind. There is NO on-camera sex in this novel and it is not a "romance" novel by most standards, but a story of growing up and being okay with who you are.

Excerpt:

I make it through the week otherwise unscathed. All my work is done, I seem to be maybe becoming friends with Kristen, and Derek’s on his way up to campus. I’ve been pacing for the better part of an hour.

“You need to relax,” Kristen says. “What could go wrong?”

For people who don’t need things in their places, it’s easy to relax. If something goes awry, it can always be fixed later. For people like me, though, everything can always go wrong. When I can’t control it, I panic. It’s the only thing I know how to do.

“What if something’s happened?” I ask for the third time. He was supposed to be here an hour ago.

“Nothing happened. He hit traffic, I bet.”

“But why didn’t he call?”

“Because he’s an idiot. Now sit down and stop pacing. You’re making me nervous.”

There’s a scuff on the toe of my shoes, so I do sit down. I scrub at it, but it won’t come out; my attempts end up making it worse, so now the entire toe is dirty. “I look like hell,” I tell Kristen.

“You look fine – just like you have for the last few hours when you’ve asked. How long have you been dating again?”

“Ten months.”

“Ten months, and you think he’s going to show up having not seen you in a week and realize he must have been crazy?” she asks.

“It’s just… he’s the only boyfriend I’ve ever had.”

“So?”

How do I tell her about Rebecca Ellison, about Heather Yost, about Jill Pevarski, about Gina Frey, about all the girls Derek’s dated? How do I explain that nothing ever seemed to happen, that one day he was with them and then one day he wasn’t? How do I make her see that I’ve only wanted him and he fits into the puzzle and that I don't have a backup plan?

“Never mind. Can I borrow your shoes? The black ones you wore yesterday?”

Kristen shakes her head and jumps down off her bed. “Lily, none of it matters. If Derek doesn’t want you, you’re good enough without him.”

Good enough is not good enough, I think. No one wants good enough. I don’t say anything, though, but I take the shoes and change them. There’s no sign of the scuff. Nothing is out of place, nothing out of order.

Author Bio:

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Sarah Daltry is a varied author, known best for the contemporary New Adult series, 'Flowering', a six-title series that explores the complexities of relationships, including how we survive the damage from our pasts with the support of those who love us. Although the books are no longer in print, they are being rewritten and redeveloped for future publication. Please visit Sarah's website for more details.

As a former English teacher and YA library coordinator, Sarah has always loved Young Adult literature and 'Dust', an epic fantasy novel where romance blends with the blood and grit of war, is her second official foray into YA, following the gamer geek romantic comedy, 'Backward Compatible'. Most of Sarah's work is about teens and college students, as it's what she knows well.

Sarah's passion in life is writing - weaving tales of magic and beauty. The modern and vast social networking world is an alternative universe that she makes infrequent trips to, but when she does, readers will find her attentive, friendly and happy to discuss the magic of stories and reading. Please stop by and say hello anywhere Sarah is online! You can find these places at http://sarahdaltry.com

Sarah has moved back and forth between independent and traditional publishing. Her first novel, 'Bitter Fruits', is with Escape, an imprint of Harlequin Australia, and she signed with Little Bird Publishing in the spring of 2014.

Sarah has also written 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,' a reimagining of one of her favorite poems in a contemporary setting.

She is an obsessive Anglophile who spends more time watching BBC TV than any human being should, as well as a hardcore gamer and sarcastic nerd.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway:

Blitz-wide giveaway (INTERNATIONAL) ENDS DECEMBER 14TH 2014
1. $15 amazon Gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz: J.A Huss

Tragic (Rook & Ronin #1)

Publisher: Science Future Press (first Published May 15th 2013)

Release Date: December 16th 2013

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Abuse, Erotica, Young Adult, Chick-Lit

Link: Goodreads | Amazon

Synopsis:

How far are you willing to go to start over?

Rook Walsh is homeless, jobless, and down to her last ten bucks when opportunity knocks her in the head and delivers a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Internationally renowned photographer, Antoine Chaput, knows the minute he spies Rook in his studio that she's got The Look. The dark and desperate look he must have to land the exclusive TRAGIC media contract.

Rook is paired up with top model Ronin, and he knows exactly what to do to make her blush for Antoine's camera. Her luck changes in an instant and suddenly she's got more attention and exposure than she can handle—both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

Excerpt:
Ronin
The girl catches me staring and I hold my breath. But neither of us turns away. We stare, unabashed, until Antoine's direction pulls her back into the shoot and she's lost again—guarded and unhappy, frowning and resigned. She's a blackbird sitting in a tree staring out at the world, daring the wind to come and knock her off the swaying bough.
She is wrecked, Elise is right. But she's not down yet. The look on her face is defiant.
When I look over at the clock it's well past five. Antoine has been shooting her for almost two hours. Elise left a while back but whether she's still here in the studio or up in her apartment, I have no idea. I lost track of her because my eyes are only on the girl.
Antoine does pretty well until the end. It's clear he's finished shooting and the girl is starting to look uncomfortable when he asks her what she was thinking about during the shoot.
I cringe. No, you don't ask them! You make them want to tell you, you idiot! I want to pull him aside and stop the crash and burn that's coming, but it's too late. She snaps at him and he pulls back when he realizes his mistake.
He turns the conversation to business and this is where it really gets interesting. She tells him she's not a model and has no portfolio. I'm just about to laugh when she starts yelling about pictures as payment.
I look back towards Elise's station and realize she forgot to explain the terms to her.
We are so off our game today. One tragic girl has disrupted all the carefully laid plans and protocols we've had in place for years.
The tragic girl storms off yelling. Antoine walks over to me and we wait together as she rants to Elise.
"You better fix this, Antoine," I say calmly, but inside I'm screaming too. "Pay the fucking girl, she needs the money."
He snorts like a fucking Frenchman. "I do not pay for test shoots."
"This," I say, turning to face him, "was no test shoot and you know it. You've got hundreds of shots in that camera. Pay her and make sure she comes back or I won't do the contract. I want her. I've put up with hundreds of stupid girls over the years for you and I've never asked you for a favor like this. I want this one, or I won't do it."
He fishes through his pocket and pulls out the cash that Clare never earned.
The studio door slams and we are all reminded that two models have walked out on us today.
"Elise!" Antoine calls, thrusting the bills out at her. "Catch her, pay her, and invite her back on Monday."
Elise grabs the money and flies out the door.
"We're in trouble, Ronin. She is trouble." He turns a little to look me in the eye, something he rarely does unless he's serious and wants me to consider his advice. "You should stay away from her, keep it professional. Or it might get messy."
I shrug. "I'll do what I want. And staying away from her isn't even in the top million things I want to do with that girl."
"Elise will hurt you if you ruin this one, Ronin. She won't tolerate another Mardee."
Fuck you, is what I think. But I don't say it, I just sigh and we wait in silence for Elise to come back.

Manic (Rook & Ronin #2) 

Publisher: Science Future Press (first Published July 23rd 2013)

Release Date: August 1st 2013

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Abuse, Erotica, Young Adult, Chick-Lit
Link: Goodreads | Amazon

Synopsis:
TRAGIC is over and Rook is ready for the future—Spencer Shrike and the STURGIS contract!

It's three months of body art modeling! That means three months of Spencer Shrike's paintbrush all over her body, three months in front of Antoine's camera, and three months of twenty-four-hour filming for Spencer's Biker Channel reality show.

Wait a minute… what reality show? Maybe she should've read that STURGIS contract a little closer?

Sure, Rook's bank account is overflowing, but Ronin is angry, Clare is trying to escape rehab, Antoine is a worried mess, and Elise is just trying to hold everyone together. Rook's new family is about to fall apart before she even gets the chance to enjoy it.

Excerpt:
"You scare me, Rook."
"Why?" I ask, puzzled.
"Because your future is making itself right now, this very moment. And you have no idea it's happening. I want you so completely it hurts. But you and I are in two totally different places."
My whole body shivers with a chill as I absorb his words. I swallow. "That sounds like the beginning of a break-up speech. Are you breaking up with me?"
He scoots my bottom closer, thrusting himself inside me a little more. "I love you, Rook. I'm not breaking up with you. But it's all bad timing, you know?"
I shake my head. "No, not really."
"My career started when I was seventeen. I've done everything you're just getting a taste of now. I've traveled all over the world, I've made a shitload of money, I have pretty much everything I want."
"But—"
"Except the only thing I really want."
I wait for it, but he lets out a long sigh and holds it in. "Is it a secret?"
He lets out a soft laugh and rocks himself into me again. "No, it's not. I already told you that night we went to the zoo."
"A family," I say, a little breathless now because what he's doing, this serious conversation combined with the sensual lovemaking, is making my heart pound.
"Yes. I'm done, Rook. I can live off the money I've made for decades. I'm ready to do something else. Start something new."
"Well, how is that a problem for us?" I ask, lifting up and slipping down on him. It's his turn to become breathless. "I'm not against the idea, you know."
He smiles as his hand reaches up to cup my breast.
I shiver again, but this time it's a good one.
"Not against the idea is not the same as on board." His fingers stop and his hands wrap around my waist as he slides me back and forth across his lap. My whole body flushes with heat and I tip my head back and close my eyes.
"I'm looking for a partner."
I swallow. "I'd like to be that partner, but—"
He waits.
I open my eyes. He's watching me very closely, his hands still gliding over my body, slowly—so, so slowly. My clit throbs against his friction.
He waits.
"I'm scared too, Ronin. But of very different things."
He wraps his arms around me completely and buries his face in my neck, tasting the water on my skin left over from the misting shower spray. "I'll take care of you, Rook."
I take a deep breath and let it out. "I want you to take care of me, Ronin."
His palms slide up underneath my wet hair and then he fists it, just a little, like a claim. It makes me hesitate, but then he pulls me forward until my cheek touches his. "Then let me, just let me put it all together for us. I can make you happy."

Panic (Rook & Ronin #3)

Publisher: Science Future Press
Release Date: October 5th 2013
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Abuse, Erotica, Young Adult, Chick-Lit
Link: Goodreads | Amazon

Synopsis:
Rook is chasing her dream—film school and a chance at a life beyond the one she ran from six months ago. But before she can become the girl she wants to be, she must deal with the girl she left behind.

Ronin is also chasing his dream—a family of his own and a life away from erotic modeling. And he too, has a past he’s trying to forget. A past that makes Rook question everything about their life together.

Lies, secrets, and shocking truths will rock the foundation Rook and Ronin have built. Can they put the past behind them and move forward together? Or is this just another too good to be true relationship that will crash and burn in the end?

Excerpt:
My phone beeps an incoming text just as I settle back on my couch and turn on the TV.
My heart flutters a little as I read the text.

Dear Rook (AKA Gidget),

I’ve never had the urge to write a love letter but I’m lying in bed, looking over at your side, wondering if I can somehow change your mind about this whole deal and talk you into coming the fuck home. (I’m a selfish asshole, I know.) But I get that you need this so I’ll just say this instead: I felt like I was leaving a piece of my soul behind the moment I left. And every second that passes, I miss you like that, times a million.

Love,
Ronin (AKA Larue)

I press call under his name and he picks up on the first ring. “Ronin Flynn, you are like a door.”
He laughs. “It was that touching, huh?”
“Not a window where you can see through to the other side and be sure of what’s coming. But a door, still closed and leading to every opportunity imaginable and requiring a leap of faith that the risk is worth it. You are my doorway to endless possibilities and I’m ready to take that risk.”
I can hear him swallow on the other end and when he’s done his words rumble out in his deep, sexy voice. “Rook, I’m not a risk, I’m a sure thing. You’re the only girl I want to build a future with. Ever. You’re the one, Rook. The love that only comes around once in a lifetime and I refuse to settle for anything else.”
He’s perfect. Simply perfect. “I love your love letter, Larue. It made me sigh like a schoolgirl.”
“Well, you are a schoolgirl, right? I think I’m gonna have to go looking for a little tartan skirt and some knee socks. Dress you all up in a sexy outfit this weekend.”
“If you do that, I might have to be bad on purpose, Mr. Flynn.”
“Don’t tease, Gidget, or I’ll spank you.”
“You promise that so much and never come through. I hardly get excited about it anymore.”
He guffaws this time and I can practically picture his gorgeous smile lighting up his electric blue eyes. “I can’t fucking wait until Friday.”
I giggle a little as I picture our Friday. “I might just ditch class early, Mr. Flynn.”
“And that will earn you two spankings, Miss Corvus.”
“Promises, promises.”

The Rook and Ronin Series has SEVEN books TOTAL:
(1) TRAGIC
(2) MANIC
(3) PANIC

Spin-offs:
(4) SLACK: A Day in the Life of Ford Aston
(5) TAUT: The Ford Book
(6) BOMB: A Day in the Life of Spencer Shrike
(7) GUNS: The Spencer Book

Author Bio:

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.


Giveaway:
Blitz-wide giveaway ENDS DECEMBER 15TH 2014
1. $20 gift card and signed set of Rook and Ronin (New Covers)
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