Sunday, April 29, 2012

Book Review for Josh of the Damned Triple Feature #1 by Andrea Speed


What most people call a hellish shift, Josh Caplan calls a normal evening. After all, he works nights at a convenience store beside the mouth of hell, selling snacks to zombies and lizard men.

Some monsters are odder—and more dangerous—than most. Like the rampaging, oversized mustache who skips the Pringles and eats the customers instead. Or Cthulhu’s half-brother Stan, who doesn't know how to take no for an answer . . . or where to put all those tentacles.

But killer facial hair and inept hentai beasts pale in comparison to the monster even other monsters fear. When hell’s big boss demands a sit-down with Josh, she reveals a destiny bigger than he’d ever imagined—or wanted. You'd think preventing the apocalypse would net Josh more than minimum wage and a hot vampire boyfriend, but it turns out saving the world can be a pretty thankless job.

********************

Fans of Andrea Speed's Josh of the Damned series will find this an intriguing addition to the story seen thus far.  For those unfamiliar with this world you'll get an eye-opening glimpse of the humor and adventure Josh and his sometimes-lover vampire Colin experience anyday of the week.

This book contains three short stories and involves three different battles against intriguing baddies that gives off a B-movie feel with plenty of action and wonderfully snarky humor.  That humor comes courtesy of Josh who's taken a job working at a convenience store next to a hell mouth and for reasons unbeknownst to him he's considered special in this paranormal world.  There's a sense of wide-eyed innocence amongst all his snark and I found Josh utterly delightful and entertaining, along with that mysteriously hot Colin.  Together they just click and their back and forth banter added to the entertainment.  Their romantic interludes were sweet with a bit of sexiness and the short snippets of this part of their relationship had me longing to see more.

This was a wonderfully entertaining read that invites you to sit back and enjoy it for what it is, an exciting trilogy of action and humor that unleashes a few secrets.  It's the perfect summer movie flick in book format and a fun extension to the world Andrea Speed has already introduced readers to and an entertaining enticement to new readers.

My rating for this is a B.

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Book Tour for Carnal Denial by DL Jackson (Promo Post & GIVEAWAY)


Today is our third and final day devoted to DL Jackson and her Carnality series.  This is a sexy series full of shifters and other paranormal creatures.  Today you'll get a glimpse at the third and final book in the series, Carnal Denial, as well as having the chance to win an eBook copy of it.  So be sure to add this to your to-be-read list after reading this intriguing snippet...........

Carnal Denial (Carnality, Book 3) by DL Jackson

Game on.

Another lamb for the feast. Not likely. Jezebel knows that taking a bite out of the virgin bait the demon slayers have tossed into the club is a bad idea. But there’s also more than one way to skin a proverbial cat, or in this instance, pop a slayer’s cherry before she causes any problems. There’s nothing in the succubus rule book that says Jezebel has to play fair. After all, she need only suggest. What the slayer does with the nudge is up to her.

Check mate.

EXCERPT:

She adjusted her top again, strode up to the door, and tugged it open, only to walk head on into a tall drink of bouncer. She tipped her head back and gasped. Wow, evil sure looked good these days. No wonder they did so well in there.

“ID,” he said, giving her a thorough head-to-toe appraisal.

Cass handed him her driver’s license. “I’m not here to drink. I’m looking for a job.” She gave him a crooked smile, certain she looked more like an escaped mental patient than a woman trying to flirt her way into working in the place.

He glanced down at her ID. “Cassidy, not much of a stage name. The boss privately interviews all the dancers. He won’t be in for another hour.”

“Oh, I don’t want to strip—exotic dance. I’m not that kind of girl.”

The bouncer stared at her with eyes that made her want to take her clothes off and be that kind of girl. Her body began to buzz under his gaze. A toothpick in his mouth twitched, the only indication he wasn’t a statue.

“I want to tend bar,” she stuttered. “I make a mean Screaming Orgasm. I’m really good at it—making drinks that is.”

He eyed her double Ds and a smile curled one side of his mouth. “I’ll bet you are.”

BUY HERE


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


D. L. Jackson is a writer of urban fantasy, science fiction, military romance and erotic romance. She loves to incorporate crazy plot twists, comedy and the unexpected into her worlds. As a U.S. Army veteran, she naturally adores men in uniform and feels the world could always use more. She does her part by incorporating as many sexy soldiers in her novels as she can. When she isn't writing or running the roads, you can often find her online chatting with her peers and readers. Grab a cup of iced coffee, pull up your virtual chair and say hi. She loves emails and blog visits from her readers. Visit her at http://authordljackson.com.

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Prize is an eBook copy of Carnal Denial

-Giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE!
-To be entered, just leave a comment, along with your email addy.
-Winner will be chosen using random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my winner's confirmation email or a new winner will be chosen.
-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 5/7.

*To learn more about this book and for more chances to win a copy, find more tour stops here.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Winner of An Uncommon Sense

Before I announce the winner of an eBook copy of An Uncommon Sense by Serenity Woods, I want to thank CBLS Promotions and Serenity herself for letting me host the giveaway.  And now, without further ado, the winner is......

...........Brenda Hyde!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll be emailing you soon to confirm your win so be on the lookout for my winner's confirmation email. 

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Feature & Follow Friday........


Hello all, it's that day of the week where we learn new things about each other and discover new blogs along the way.  We also help each other by becoming followers of one another.  Normally that following would be through GFC (which would be great if you'd still take a few seconds to do), but with that being eliminated for certain blogs (a big boo-hiss to that) I now ask that you follow through a RSS Feed (or Twitter, FB, or email) which you can find to the right.  I want to thank all of you ahead of time who choose to become a follower and make sure to let me know in the comments if you're new so I doubly make sure to follow you back.  And now for this weeks get to know me question....

Q: Have you had a character that disappointed you? One that you fell in love with and then "broke up" with later on in either the series or a stand-alone book? Tell us about him or her.

 

A:  I used to love Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum and her humorous antics and bought each book upon their release.  Now, her indecision when it comes to the Ranger/Morelli question and her repetitive and annoying incompetence has caused her to lose her luster in my eyes.  The movie version made with an actress I'm not a fan of hasn't helped the situation.  I still check in with the books from time to time via borrowing them but no more autobuying for me and I haven't read each release since number ten.

Book Tour for Fearless by Cheryl Douglas (Guest Post)


After reading the first book in Cheryl Douglas' Nashville Nights series I knew I had to revisit the world she created with her newest release Fearless.  Cheryl is here again today giving us a glimpse of her new book as well as talking about her favorite book, so get comfy and join me in welcoming Cheryl Douglas............

Writers are often asked to name their favorite book of all time. I’ve been a voracious reader since I was nine, so I’ve read thousands of books in the past thirty years, but the one that stands out was a game changer for me, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the book, it’s about the Law of Attraction, and is based on the premise that we can attract anything we want into our lives using the power of our conscious mind.

I’ve always believed in the power of positive thinking and read the book on the topic by Norman Vincent Peale years ago. It was informative, but I don’t think I would remember specific details of the book, if asked. In other words, it was just another one of many books I’ve read on the subject. I love authors Louise Hay, Cheryl Richardson, Wayne Dyer, Shakti Gawain, Jack Canfield, and Robin Sharma. I have read dozens of their books over the years. I’ve been practicing visualization, affirmations, and journaling for years, and have read hundreds of books on these subjects.

I have a degree in psychology, so I know how powerful the mind can be, yet this book broke it down in terms that resonated with me. I will never forget the simple message, ask, believe, achieve. It’s not the message that’s important, but the energy we put into creating the belief. Our conscious mind is inundated with thousands of thoughts every day. The majority of them are negative, perhaps because of conditioning or our lot in life, but if we use the power of our mind to replace the negative thoughts with positive thoughts, amazing things begin to happen. We begin to feel better, more positive and energetic, as though we are creating a new reality.

The Secret has evoked powerful responses from readers who either loved the book, as I did, or hated it. Naysayers may tell you it’s New Age garbage designed to sell books or brainwash the masses. Is it? Let’s consider the successful people who have used these techniques. Olympians have used visualization techniques for years, professional athletes; Jack Canfield credits the Law of Attraction for helping them sell a million books when they couldn’t get a publisher for their Chicken Soup for the Soul series. So does it work? That depends on who you’re asking. Jack Canfield swears it does. My next door neighbor swears it doesn’t. Jack has sold millions of books, achieved International acclaim, and won the support of millions of adoring fans. My neighbor? Not so much. Guess who I’m going to believe?

Seriously, these techniques will work only if you put them into practice. The Secret is a book just like any other. Either we close the book and forget about it or use it as a tool to help us change our lives. I’ve used the principles in this book to change my life. Am I selling as many books as Jack Canfield. No. Will I, someday? Who knows, but as long as I believe it’s possible, it is. In my mind, that beats the alternative…believing it’s impossible.

FEARLESS (NASHVILLE NIGHTS, BOOK 2) by Cheryl Douglas

Lexi Brooks has overcome adversity to build a successful real estate business that will enable her to enjoy life on her terms. She envisions travel, fun, and excitement, not marriage, kids or commitment. But will Trey's sexy bodyguard, Josh, throw a wrench into her plans?

Being a cop taught Josh Cooper to take calculated risks, but he's tired of living with the daily threat of danger. He's ready to settle down with someone who wants to be a step-mother to his two teenage sons. Too bad Lexi isn't that woman. She's sexy, smart, head-strong, and they're totally in sync in the bedroom, but she isn't willing to settle for a life of domestic bliss. Or is she?

AMAZON   ARe


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

It took me thirty-seven years to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. I thought I'd found my calling. In fact, I worked as a nutritionist for twelve years before I finally admitted to myself that while I enjoyed my work, I couldn't imagine doing it for the next thirty years.
 

My sub-conscious knew that I wanted to be a writer long before the conscious part of my mind decided to get with the program. While my sub-conscious was hard at work creating character profiles, plots and storylines, my conscious mind was telling me it was crazy to give up a successful business on the off-chance one of my manuscripts might rise to the top of someone's never-ending slush pile. After years of listening to that negative voice, I was finally ready to stop making excuses, face the fear and follow my dream of becoming a full-time writer, no matter the outcome. I'm so thankful I did.
 

I love bringing my characters to life and I am so grateful to have readers who love those characters as much as I do.
 

When I take a break from writing it's to spend time with my husband (a.k.a. my real life hero), my son, and my writing partner, Tia, a spirited Havanese who enjoys tapping her paw on my keyboard whenever I need a little comic relief. 

www.cheryldouglasbooks.com

Review for Fearless by Cheryl Douglas


Lexi Brooks has overcome adversity to build a successful real estate business that will enable her to enjoy life on her terms. She envisions travel, fun, and excitement, not marriage, kids or commitment. But will Trey's sexy bodyguard, Josh, throw a wrench into her plans?

Being a cop taught Josh Cooper to take calculated risks, but he's tired of living with the daily threat of danger. He's ready to settle down with someone who wants to be a step-mother to his two teenage sons. Too bad Lexi isn't that woman. She's sexy, smart, head-strong, and they're totally in sync in the bedroom, but she isn't willing to settle for a life of domestic bliss. Or is she?


******************** 

After reading the first book in this series, Shameless, I knew this was a series that would become an autobuy for me.  With its intriguing characters and with emotions running high in the music city capital I found myself fully immersed in the lives of these friends and families.  While this story is more flawed than the previous installment, it's still an enjoyable read that sets up one or two interesting premises for future books in the series.

In Fearless, the emotional rollercoaster ride continues for friends, and wannabe lovers, Lexi and Josh.  Both of these people have been burned in their previous relationships which makes them a bit hesitant, especially Lexi whose previous relationship was full of physical and emotional abuse.  While Josh wants to remarry and have a family, the only woman who he can see in that role is Lexi who definitely wants to stay single and unencumbered.  She's willing to have a friends with benefits relationship but that's not enough for him and he doesn't want to ruin their friendship by carrying on that way, so they're at an impasse through almost the entire book.  Their understanding, once it finally comes, happens rather suddenly and ends up being rushed through at the very end.

The issues keeping this couple apart are pretty standard in romance novels, so the emotional impact wasn't as affective as the problems plaguing the couple in the previous book.  Josh was an immensely likable character, sexy and strong and great with his teenage sons.  His actions and frustrations throughout the story were believable and easily relatable.  His sexiness was especially evident during their sexual interludes which were intense and made me wish there were more of them.  My biggest problem with the story lies with Lexi and her actions.  I'm sympathetic to the pain she endured but I don't feel she entirely learned from her past.  She became strong in body but her choices in men and how she conducts herself really annoyed me at times.  First, to not confide in her family and friends, knowing that they too could be in danger from a psycho didn't sit well with me.  Second, and the biggest issue for me, came when she immediately trusted a guy she just met in a bar to travel with her and stay at her home just the two of them.  It's quite obvious this man is there for nefarious reasons and before long his storyline evolves into utterly ridiculous and highly annoying and left me even more irritated with Lexi.

The secondary characters in this story were likable and it was nice revisiting the couple from the previous book and how they're still an intregal part of the story.  Josh's twin teenage sons were particularly well-portrayed with a realistic vocabulary and actions.  Lots of couples are still in limbo and with a big secret being revealed a big can of worms is now open and has me excited to see the effect that this will have in future books.

While this story paled in comparison to the previous book, there's still plenty of enjoyment to be found.  This group of friends and family are appealing with realistic issues affecting their lives.  The hero in this book was to die for with many qualities that any woman would kill for.  It's easy to get caught up in the emotional rollercoaster of the Nashville Nights series and I'm waiting with bated breath for the next installment.

My rating for this is a C+/B-

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.    

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Book Tour for Fighting Gravity by Leah Petersen (Guest Post & GIVEAWAY)


As my followers know I'm a big fan of the sci-fi genre and I'm excited whenever I discover a new voice writing about dramas in the universe.  I recently read Fighting Gravity by Leah Petersen and was intrigued by all this book had to offer.  It's part dystopian, part YA, part m/m, part m/f, all wrapped up in a sci-fi bow.  I knew I wanted to introduce my followers to this book so courtesy of Goddess Fish Promotions Leah's here today talking about the sci-fi genre as well as providing a giveaway.  So let's get right to it.............

How Do You Make Science-Fiction Relatable to the Average Reader

Science-Fiction. It’s not what you think. Sci-fi is a (compound) word that turns a lot of people off. It’s “weird”. And let’s face it, we’re all still in high school somewhere in our heads and only the nerds and losers read that stuff, right? The ones who are playing Dungeons and Dragons in their basements and can’t get a date?

Yeah, I’ve heard that one too. Maybe it was true, once. (I doubt it.) Since when was imagination a new thing? It’s just evolved with the times and as science introduced new things and concepts and possibilities into our world, those things and concepts and possibilities became part of our stories as well. And what fiction doesn’t take something that hasn’t happened and tell its story?

That perfectly “normal” piece of contemporary fiction is still completely made up. Is it really that different if you add in a thing or a concept that’s made up, too? A people struggling to survive an attack by an enemy that vastly overpowers them has the same core whether it’s the Germans rolling over the other peoples of Europe in the ‘30s and ‘40s or future humans facing artificial intelligence that’s developed an agenda of its own.

The best thing is, there’s a lot of “soft” sci-fi for people to cut their teeth on these days. It’s not a matter of jumping straight from The Great Gatsby to Star Trek. People who “don’t read sci-fi or fantasy” probably already have and they don’t know it.

FIGHTING GRAVITY’s pretty obviously sci-fi, it’s true. The front cover’s got spaceships on it. The back cover copy has things-that-don’t-exist in the first sentence. But the core of the plot is a love story between two very different (but human) people. Average Reader is pretty familiar with that concept, and for many, that’s what they’re reading for.

Personally, I don’t read “hard” sci-fi. I don’t understand all the tech and science that goes into the really complicated stuff. But I love the idea that anything is possible. Fantasy writers use magic. Sci-fi writers use the future or technology or scientific abilities we don’t have. (Yet.)

But within those contexts are stories of what people do when none of the choices are easy or right. Isn’t that what fiction’s supposed to be about? Isn’t that what we expect from it? How’s a bit of the “currently” impossible all that different?

How about you? Do you think sci-fi has become a part of popular culture, or is it still a genre for a select group?

Fighting Gravity by Leah Petersen

When Jacob Dawes is Selected for the Imperial Intellectual Complex as a child, he’s catapulted from the poverty-stricken slums of his birth into a world where his status as an unclass is something no one can forget, or forgive. His growing scientific renown draws the attention of the emperor, a young man Jacob’s own age, and they find themselves drawn to each other in an unlikely, and ill-advised relationship. Jacob may have won the emperor’s heart, but it’s no protection when he’s accused of treason. And fighting his own execution would mean betraying the man he loves.

EXCERPT:

“Happy birthday, by the way,” I said one evening almost a week later as the emperor accompanied me from the dining hall to the lab.

“Thank you,” he replied. “To you as well.”
 
“How did you know it was my birthday?”

“Oh, there’s not much I don’t know if I choose to,” he said with a smile.

“OK, I should have known that. I suppose I mean, why do you know?”

“In my position, I’ve found curiosity to be an asset. I don’t believe there is such a thing as knowing too much.”

That wasn’t a comfortable thought. How much he could know. How much he knew.

“I’m older,” he added after a long silence. I raised my eyebrows. “Only about six hours, but it counts.”

I had to laugh. “You’re one of the most powerful men in the galaxy and it matters to you whether or not you’re older than me?”

He shrugged. “Wouldn’t it matter to you?”

“That’s not the same thing. There’s a huge power differential between us. At least age would be something I’d have over you.”

“I get the feeling that power doesn’t mean that much to you.”

“Unless you mean as a function of energy.” I grinned at him. “No. I have no need for it. It would get in the way of my work.”

“What did you do for your birthday?” he said after a pause.

“Radiation measurements.”

He laughed. “No party?”

“With whom?”

“Haven’t you made any friends aboard ship? I know it’s only been three weeks, but you don’t seem to be the kind of person who would have trouble making friends.”

“Maybe you don’t know me very well. In my experience, there aren’t many people who are interested in being friends with me.”

“Maybe it’s they who don’t know you very well.”

I frowned, puzzled. When I looked at him again he was watching me. “And what have you concluded?” he asked.

“About what?”

“You look like you’re trying to decide something. My guess is you’re trying to figure me out.”

I thought about that before I replied. “You’re confusing,” I conceded.

He grinned. Reaching into his pocket, he produced something and handed it to me. “Here. Happy birthday.”

He’d given me a small box. I looked at him, surprised, but when he said nothing further I opened it. Inside was a pair of platinum cuff links with a raised imperial crest on them. “I thought they might be less objectionable than a ring.”

I frowned. “I didn’t get you anything.”

“I assure you, I don’t need anything.”

“Neither do I. That’s not the point.”

He shrugged. “It’s the thought that counts. We’ll just say you gave me something.”

“I’m sure you can say whatever you want, but I never thought of giving you anything.”

He stared at me in shock and then started laughing so hard he had to stop walking. We stood in the middle of the hallway and I watched both directions as I waited for him to get control of himself. If someone came along and saw him like this, it wouldn’t go well for me. When he caught his breath he said, “You never thought of giving me anything.” He repeated it as if it was the punch line to a good joke. “Not even just now, when I gave you something?”

“No,” I said. “I can’t imagine what I would get you.”

“Well, whether you realize it or not, you’ve been giving me a gift for the last ten minutes,” he said.

I grimaced. “You’re not going to say something weird like ‘the gift of your company,’ are you?”

He doubled over with laughter again. “No,” he answered when he’d composed himself. “No, I was going to say that we’ve been talking for more than ten minutes and you haven’t called me ‘Excellence’ once.”

I startled. “I’m sorry.” It occurred to me that I should have said “Excellence” just then.

He was grinning. “Don’t be. Isn’t that what I just said? No one’s ever done that to me before. It’s very disrespectful. I like it.

AUTHOR INFO:

Leah Petersen lives in North Carolina. She does the day-job, wife, and mother thing, much like everyone else. She prides herself on being able to hold a book with her feet so she can knit while reading. She’s still working on knitting while writing. 

FIGHTING GRAVITY is her first novel.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/LeahPetersen
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LeahPetersenAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/leahpetersen
Google+: http://profiles.google.com/leahpetersen
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lpetersenauthor/



 **********GIVEAWAY**********

A prize pack containing these items hand knit by the author: a hat, a replica of the symbol of an important institution referenced in Fighting Gravity to TWO randomly drawn commenters during the tour.

-Giveaway is OPEN TO US/CAN ONLY!
-To be entered, MUST leave a comment answering the question Leah asked at the end of her post (it's in bold print as well), along with your email addy.
-Two commenters will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more tour stops you make a comment on the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.
-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 5/11.

Review for Fighting Gravity by Leah Petersen


When Jacob Dawes is Selected for the Imperial Intellectual Complex as a child, he’s catapulted from the poverty-stricken slums of his birth into a world where his status as an unclass is something no one can forget, or forgive. His growing scientific renown draws the attention of the emperor, a young man Jacob’s own age, and they find themselves drawn to each other in an unlikely, and ill-advised relationship. Jacob may have won the emperor’s heart, but it’s no protection when he’s accused of treason. And fighting his own execution would mean betraying the man he loves.

******************

Leah Petersen is giving readers everything they could ask for in her debut release, Fighting Gravity.  What starts out as a story with a dystopian feel soon morphs into a teenage boy/girl romance and then segues into a m/m love story with the entire book wrapped up in a sci-fi/futuristic bow.  The action moves along at a nice pace presenting a young man's life told from his perspective and the events that befall him good and bad.

Jake Dawes is an intriguing character that practically grows up before our eyes.  He came from the unclass and as such was treated shabbily by many.  For him to succeed as he did was quite the nose snubbing to the upperclass.  I enjoyed seeing him excel when so many thought he'd fail and said he wasn't worthy of trying to better himself.  His spontaneous comments and political views sometimes condemned him to some bleak circumstances and I kept wishing he'd learn from those moments, especially when he kept saying he'd learned, but I was continually left frustrated by him.

The Emporer, Pete, is an equally likable character.  He's a just leader and tries to always give Jake what he wants.  Whereas he understands how precarious the line is when it comes to socioeconomic status, Jake bulldozes through a situation which is why he's always in trouble.  Pete's always left trying to reign him in.  The connection between these men was palpable from the first time they made eye contact.  Being with Jake makes Pete feel more human, more real, since everyone else is bowing down to him.  When they're together it's like everyone else doesn't exist.

The romantic life of Jake permeates through the entire story starting with Kirti with them coming together to assuage their loneliness.  What he and Pete have is a more mature and lasting relationship that defied every horrible incident that befell them.  The romantic interludes were romantic but not at all graphic.  There was a sweet edge to the scenes in fact.

Amongst the romance was plenty of political intrigue with a few nasty villains rearing their ugly heads.  Amongst the upperclass are plenty of superficial people who could become a villain at any moment.  This leads to a feeling of constant tension with every scene that takes place in the capital.

This story grabbed me from the very start and although the early parts set in the school seemed to drag a bit, the story definitely picked up the pace in the latter half.  The characters, both primary and secondary and hero and villain, are memorable and written in a realistic manner.  Just when you think happiness reigns be prepared for a tension-filled cliffhanger that has me tapping my toe in frustration and anticipation.

My rating for this is a B+

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.   

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays #64


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.


FEARLESS (NASHVILLE NIGHTS, BOOK 2) by Cheryl Douglas

....from page 142 of 2567 (on my Kindle)

-He was the finest male specimen she had ever seen, fully clothed.  She shuddered to think about what that sculpted body would look like in the buff.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Book Tour for Carnal Attraction by DL Jackson (Promo Post & GIVEAWAY)


Our second week with DL Jackson and the second book in her Carnality series is here!  Courtesy of CBLS Promotions we're going to learn about Carnal Attraction today and its continuing sexiness in a world of the paranormal.  You'll also have the chance to win a digital copy of the book, so let's get right to it!

Carnal Attraction (Carnality, Book 2)

Thousands of years have passed. Azael has returned to Jezebel, and he’s brought her memories with him. Now that Jezebel has them back, she doesn’t intend to lose them again by starving herself of life energies. So, when she encounters a broken heart in the seedy strip club where she works, she knows dinner will be special that night. This time, the feeding will be on her terms, and the man who’s wandered into her snare, shouldn’t miss the small bite of soul she takes. Much.

EXCERPT:

“A freebie. You like freebies, don’t you?”

He nodded slowly.

“Good.” She leaned in, hooked her bra top around the back of his neck, and pulled him into a kiss hot enough to melt him in his boots. Seconds later she released her top, leaving it draped on his shoulders.  “Meet me out back in five minutes,” she eyed his buddies, “—alone.”

Jezebel rolled to her heels and rose to her feet, slowly sashaying her way back from where she’d come. As she passed Azael who crunched on an apple, leaning against a wall that led to the changing rooms, she reached out and brushed her fingers across his jaw. “I’ve brought take-out.”

He grinned and tossed the apple over his shoulder. “American?”

“An MRE,” she said as she exited into the back room.

“God, I love meals ready to eat.” He turned and followed.

BUY HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

D. L. Jackson is a writer of urban fantasy, science fiction, military romance and erotic romance. She loves to incorporate crazy plot twists, comedy and the unexpected into her worlds. As a U.S. Army veteran, she naturally adores men in uniform and feels the world could always use more. She does her part by incorporating as many sexy soldiers in her novels as she can. When she isn't writing or running the roads, you can often find her online chatting with her peers and readers. Grab a cup of iced coffee, pull up your virtual chair and say hi. She loves emails and blog visits from her readers. Visit her at http://authordljackson.com.

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Prize is an eBook copy of Carnal Attraction

-Giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE!
-To be entered, just leave a comment, along with your email addy.
-Winner will be chosen using random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my winner's confirmation email or a new winner will be chosen.
-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 5/2.

*To learn more about this book and for more chances to win a copy, find more tour stops here.


Winner of Carnal Desires by DL Jackson

Before I announce the winner of a digital copy of Carnal Desires by DL Jackson I want to thank DL herself for being here and letting me give away a copy of her book.  I also want to thank all those who took the time to sign up and comment.  So now, without further ado, the winner is......


.............Julianne!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations!!!!!!  I'll be emailing you to confirm your win so be on the lookout for my email.  Congratulations again and Happy Reading!

Sunday, April 22, 2012

A Taste of True Blood.....

With the new season fast approaching, June 10th to be precise, I thought I'd bring you the latest snippets from the show today.  By the way, did everyone read that Anna Paquin (Sookie) is pregnant!  Stephen Moyer (Bill) is of course the baby daddy.  Not sure if any baby bumps will be noticeable this season, but we'll be on the lookout.  Here now is your taste of the new season of True Blood.....



Saturday, April 21, 2012

Book Tour for Starline by Imogene Nix (Promo Post & GIVEAWAY)


As a fan of the sci-fi genre I was excited to discover this new-to-me author and her exciting and sexy time travel story.  Courtesy of CBLS Promotions I'm giving you a glimpse of this story today as well as the chance to win a digital copy of it.  So let's get to it.....

Starline by Imogene Nix

One man, one woman, one psychotic alien. Now the race is on to save humanity. Past. Present. Future.

Mellissa Davis is your average bookstore owner and aspiring romance author until one day an electronic book pad slides through the mail slot of her little bookstore. Now all she has to worry about is a sexy time travelling stealthship captain, staying out of the way of the bad guy and saving the universe, past and present. Not much to ask…

Duvall McCord, an up and coming stealthship captain travels to the past to stop the Ru’Edan leader, Crick Sur Banden, destroying the Earth Empire of the future. His mission? Retrieve the handbook for the Elector. He doesn’t count on love, or saving the woman of his dreams. But time is running out. This warrior must do everything he can to stop the plot…

EXCERPT #1:

“Sir, you have an encoded message incoming from Admiralty,” Engineer Corbin Jard stated. A young officer, new to Duvall’s team, he looked up expectantly at his Captain. His pretty-boy face showed eagerness, and he looked ready to jump up and grab something, anything his Captain commanded. Jard had joined the crew just as the ship prepared to make its maiden journey. A big promotion for one who had, until recently, served on the Star of Ishtar.

“I’ll take it in my office, Jard,” Duvall said, striding through the automatic doors and heading to his office. The crew of the Elector carefully trained for multi-tasking, and given the size of the crew and the status of a Stealth Ship, if one officer sustained injury, someone else could continue their role, and the crew while new, had started integrating nicely.

Hopefully this lead would take them to the handbook they sought, he thought, something to give them a break in the ongoing hunt for Crick Sur Banden. His neck itched, and while he didn’t consider himself superstitious, he never neglected to listen to what his senses told him, and right now they screamed that he needed a lead and quickly.

Once in his office, he secured the door and opened the secure link. “McCord here.”

“Duvall, I have a lead, or something, for you.” The earnest voice of WO Meredith Gentry came quickly. Much as he looked forward to hearing from her, he did not expect to. Meredith continued her work safely tucked away on Aenna. Didn’t she? “I don’t have a lot of time,” she hurried on. “I think they know I suspect something. I rigged the handbook with a tracking device. The secure code is—” He could hear the sound of voices behind her. “Quickly, it’s V422J53. That will allow you to access the secure feed,” she said as he jotted down the tracking device’s code. He could hear her taking quick breaths.

“It moved through the gate outside Eris on code LX543GH4.” He knew that code. He had just generated one giving a similar time path.

“Meredith, are you in a secure location?” he demanded forcefully. Another hitched breath floated through the secure line. He gripped his table and leaned forward, not that he could do anything. The sounds faltered from thousands of miles away. “Meredith?” His sister was in danger, and here he listened on a ship so far away. Barsha! He should have protected her.

“Duvall, you need to access frequency…” Quickly she rattled off the information he would need to follow the device as he tapped into his unit. “Oh God! They’re here—” Abruptly the line went dead.

“Meredith? Meredith?” Now he leaned over the device. Quickly accessing the Admiralty, he demanded a connection to Gentry. A voice informed that Gentry could not be raised, and the voice asked if someone else could help with his query. His demands to talk to the Admiral met with a similar fate. Frustration welled upward, nearly choking him as he disconnected. He knew he couldn’t go back and didn’t know who else to contact. He had to maintain a chain of silence while investigating, especially when the Admiralty could be breached. Never had those words choked him so much.

His heart thudded as he sat back down. Could more than a single infiltrator exist? He hoped not, but the itching at his neck grew in intensity, and he feared the worst. Tapping the information Meredith had given him into his desk screen, he started toward tracking the handbook, thankful for the foresight of officers such as his sister.

The blip of the machine echoed through the room; an answer bounced back to him. A heading he would never have guessed. Toward the Time Port. Well, thank Eshra, if he couldn’t go back to help Meredith, he could at least work toward retrieving the item she had risked so much to track. Quickly he hailed the bridge. “Full speed toward the Time Port,” he instructed, just in time to see the blip disappear.

EXCERPT #2:

Eyes sore and weary from watching information on the changes and major events since her own time had passed, Mellissa reached out and turned off the screen. Amazing. So much had occurred, and to think, I have a chance to be part of it. She shook her head. But so much she needed to learn. Could she manage to do that? What a question to ponder, she thought.

Inside the cramped cubicle of a Security Officer protecting her from prying eyes, she recapped in her mind the wonders she had seen. Interstellar travel—a huge technological leap there alone, she thought, and the change in the governmental systems—so much to learn about. Meeting new species and forming alliances, not to mention colonizing other planets and even inter-species marriages. How amazing was that? In her time, they still carried on talk fests about the feasibility of “some day” considering travel to the stars.

She grinned. And here she was, Mellissa Davis, in space and travelling toward a future she couldn’t possibly have imagined. “George and Eliza would love this,” she muttered to herself.
“Who are George and Eliza?” McCord peered at her, making her jump at the sound of his voice. She had missed the thud of boots on the flooring during her musings.

Mellissa gulped, wishing the floor would open and engulf her. How could she explain without him thinking less of her, not to mention her characters? George, a rough tough space Captain, and his protégée and maybe sometime lover, Eliza? Was it really something you could just blurt out? “Umm, they are characters in a book,” she said.

“A book? Of course, they were still huge in your time. In ours, only the rich have them. The rest have bookpads.” He smiled. “Who was it by? I might be able to access a copy for you.”

Her discomfort deepened. “Umm, I was writing it.” Her cheeks grew rosy.

“Really? Wow. What kind of book is it?” He looked at her, and she was sure his interest seemed genuine. She cringed at the thought of telling him it was a romance. After all, wasn’t it maiden aunts that wrote this sort of stuff anyway? Let alone read them.

Uh oh, she knew what to expect, she thought to herself. “Umm, it was a Sci If Romance.”

He looked at her. “You know, some of the most enduring books from your time are romances. Fancy that.” He grinned, and she could feel the air clear a little. She still felt embarrassed, but not as much as she had.

“Yeah, in my time, romance writers are sort of, well, you know, the bottom of the pack…gaining ground though. We actually have whole associations dedicated to reading romance.” She grimaced up at his face in embarrassment. What must he think of me? I’m some kind of old spinster? But wasn’t that what I was on the road to becoming? An insidious little voice in the back of her head quietly asked. Thinking how she wished her character, George, could be half as sexy as Duvall McCord, she had to mentally remind herself that here stood a real rough-and-tumble Captain and not some figment of her imagination.

“Well, there is definitely a career waiting for you as a writer of romance.” He grinned. “Come on and I’ll grab you a coffee, and you can give me the lowdown on your characters…was it George and Eliza?”

She hopped up quickly and followed him to the mess. Really, it seemed funny how quickly she had settled into ship life, she mused. “So, do you believe in romance yourself?” he asked, and he seemed just as surprised as she did by the question.

“Romance? Yes, absolutely.” Her enthusiastic answer surprised him. It radiated clearly on his face, the way it screwed up slightly. “That’s why I own a bookstore and am writing a novel.”

“Hmm, yes, but did you live alone?” His query zeroed in on a spot she didn’t really like to explore. “I mean, is there a man in your life?”

His gaze zeroed in on her again. She hoped, in fact had prayed, that there was more to the question, and then reminded herself it couldn’t be real. Her imagination still looked for the possibility of a relationship that didn’t and couldn’t exist.

“Not really. I mean, my man is really George at the moment. It’s kinda hard to explain.” She floundered a little, looking for the right words. “The way I grew up, in an orphanage, I never really got to see how families worked together, and I guess it kind of made it harder for me to work out what it looked like, so I guess…” He looked at her strangely.

“Orphanage? I was a fosterling. The Gentry’s fostered me. They were great.” His face softened. “Really good people. It must have been hard with no one in your corner. And they gave me a fabulous sister.” Gently his hand extended toward her chin and raised it until her eyes looked into his. “Really hard for you though…” The words dropped to a trailing whisper as he leaned toward her.

Her eyes fluttered closed as the distance between them melted away. She knew he was going to kiss her. Knew it probably wasn’t a good or even wise decision, but she needed to find out if he tasted as good as he looked.

“Captain, Miss Davis,” Elara called, interrupting the moment. “I see you think it is time for coffee too. Wonderful!” Then she looked again, the realization clear on her face that she had walked in on something. Then Elara seemed to mutter to herself and headed for the mess hall door.

The moment broken, they looked at each other. A wry grin on his face softened the years and hardness from his features somehow. He turned, motioning her toward the door and the coffee that lay within. It didn’t make her feel any better though. She had nearly made a mistake. A big one. Hadn’t she?


Buy at Secret Cravings Publishing here.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A mother of two, compulsive reader and bookstore owner. Imogene lives in regional Queensland, Australia with her husband, 2 daughters, dog, cats, guinea pigs and chooks. She has a particular fondness for Vampires, Star Ship captains and things that go bump in the night.  Visit Imogene at http://www.imoginenix.com.


**********GIVEAWAY**********

Prize is an eBook copy of Starline.

-Giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE!
-To be entered just leave a comment, along with your email addy.
-Winner will be chosen using random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my winner's confirmation email or a new winner will be chosen.
-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 4/30.

*To learn more about this book and for more chances to win a copy, find more tour stops here.

Review for Starline by Imogene Nix


One man, one woman, one psychotic alien. Now the race is on to save humanity. Past. Present. Future.

Mellissa Davis is your average bookstore owner and aspiring romance author until one day an electronic book pad slides through the mail slot of her little bookstore. Now all she has to worry about is a sexy time travelling stealthship captain, staying out of the way of the bad guy and saving the universe, past and present. Not much to ask…

Duvall McCord, an up and coming stealthship captain travels to the past to stop the Ru’Edan leader, Crick Sur Banden, destroying the Earth Empire of the future. His mission? Retrieve the handbook for the Elector. He doesn’t count on love, or saving the woman of his dreams. But time is running out. This warrior must do everything he can to stop the plot…


******************** 

As a big fan of the sci-fi genre and it's mix of action, suspense, and intriguing views of the future I found myself drawn to this story and the groundwork that was laid for a trilogy set in the future with occasional visits to the past.  With its likable characters, action packed scenes, and some super sexy interludes I found a rather enjoyable read that has me intrigued for what comes next.

Mellissa grew up in an orphanage with no family and now runs a bookstore writing a book about other lovers living a life of excitement.  Through a sci-fi twist of fate she ends up traveling through space and time with a no-nonsense overachieving Captain.  I liked Mellissa and felt sympathy for her as her whole world was turned upside down.  She accepted the changes to her life fairly quickly and wasn't one of those annoying heroines who didn't do what she was told in a crisis.  She had a backbone but used her smarts more.

Duvall stayed away from long-term relationships wanting to focus on his career.  That's why it was so surprising how quickly he fell for Mellissa.  The sexual tension between them didn't slowly build, it just suddenly exploded.  The sexual interludes between them were hot and frequently occurring, almost too many which I don't say often.  I'd like to have seen more character development of them as well as the secondary characters, and most particularly the villain and his motives.

We're told how horrible Crick Sur Banden is but we barely see him and his motives aren't really clear.  He uses underlings to enact his plans and therefore he never really seems that dangerous.  Not only do we not get a good understanding of the villain, one of the more intriguing couples, Elara and Grayson, have an intriguing backstory merely alluded to but one I wish would've been told in its entirety.  The traumas Elara went through and Grayson's acceptance of her physical scars would make an amazing love story that should've been told wholeheartedly.

Between the rollercoaster actions scenes, intriguing views of the future, and likable characters I became immersed in this story and was sad to see it end.  There's more characters I long to revisit and look forward to the next story in this proposed series.  I do hope that the agenda of the villains is made more clear in the next release as this would add more excitement to the story.  Fans of sci-fi romance rejoice that there's a new voice in town and take a chance on this newly released story.

My rating for this is a C+/B-

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Friday, April 20, 2012

An Introduction to Boxer Falls.....


For fans of the m/m genre, there's an exciting and unique endeavor taking place on Goodreads every Friday.  Here's what the fun's all about....

Boxer Falls - A Gaytime Drama by Damon Suede, Ellis Carrington & Poppy Dennison.

What goes up always comes down.

Peek behind the fly of Boxer Falls, and see what mischief lurks in its quiet streets and secluded spots of a small New England town with a queer reputation. Around here, the family closets hold more than skeletons and the fights are strictly gloves-off. With folks this gorgeous, the feuds are bound to get ugly.

When the wealthy Cotten family decides to turn their country estate into a luxurious resort, the residents of Boxer Falls face an influx of affluent tourists who rub their sleepy little town in the worst ways. Lust, greed, betrayal, and ambition might just yank the town to its knees.

Tune in each week to get the latest on scorching affairs, family dysfunction, and secret desire.

This week's episode is penned by Xara Xanakas.  Xara has authored, or co-authored, ten books featuring hot m/m combos along with some hot shapeshifting men (it's all about the men).  Her books are full of steamy interludes and nonstop action and I look forward to what she'll bring to Boxer Falls this week.  So hurry on over to Goodreads to read the latest dramatic installment as well as catching up with previous episodes from the very beginning.  Not only that, but each new episode is sponsored by a different blogger each week.  So not only do you get an exciting new chapter of this drama, you can discover new blogs.  This week I'm the sponsor for Episode 16 and I'm so excited to be a part of this groundbreaking endeavor and hope you'll take a moment to see what all the excitement's about.

Review for Country Mouse by Amy Lane & Alexsandr Voinov


Owen may be a bit of a country mouse, but he’s loving his vacation in London. After a long day playing tourist, he’s on the hunt for some cheap beer and a good burger. Instead he finds a man hunting him, an arrogant prick with only one thing on the brain: the kind of meat that doesn’t come on a bun.

Eighty-hour weeks at a trading desk don’t leave Malcolm Kavanagh much time for meaningful relationships. Besides, in his world, everything’s a competition—even sex. When his newest one-night-sub fails to show, Malcolm sets his sights on the pretty young Yank on the bar stool beside him.

Owen’s all for an adventure with a native, but he’s not the pushover Malcolm thinks he is, and Malcolm’s not as shallow as he tries to be. They both soon learn that nothing's too intimate to share with a stranger, and the strangest things happen when two people share the most important pieces of their hearts.


******************** 

Before I get to a more in-depth review of this book, can I just say how wonderful this book cover is?.?  The visual representation of them is exactly as is written and demonstrates the differences between these two men and yet shows how great they look together.  

And together they are simply divine, as is this story.  In too many of the books I've read that feature BDSM acts, the reason an individual chooses the lifestyle isn't made clear, but in this story it's clear that Malcolm chooses the lifestyle because of how he perceives himself in the high pressure business world.  He doesn't feel he has time for anything other than business, so having a meaningful relationship is out of the question.  He takes any emotion out of being with someone by being totally in control.  He was closed off upon first meeting him, very business-like.  Seeing him have doubts as he and Owen got together made him more human, more likable, and his sweetness made me smile.

Owen might have appeared pliable at the beginning, but he quickly showed he had a backbone.  I liked that he wasn't a pushover and that he demanded honesty from Malcolm before being with him.  I liked his outgoing nature that pulled Malcolm out of his shell.  He was close with his mother but was by no means a momma's boy.  He made Malcolm see his world with new eyes and it made Malcolm a new and more endearing person.

The descriptions of London completely immersed me in the environment and I felt like I was on vacation too.  Malcolm and Owen's sightseeing allowed their relationship to grow and the sexual tension to keep intensifying.  This led to some amazingly hot and sensual sexual interludes that were nicely spaced throughout the story.  The lite BDSM play added to the heat while the emotional connection became stronger and more apparent.

I found this story simply delightful!  Malcolm and Owen were truly cute together and I loved how they could express their emotions without being embarrassed about them.  They were strong and sexy and complemented each other beautifully.  They encouraged each other to be better people and to go after what you want and isn't that what defines a perfect couple?.?

My rating for this is an A+!

A book tour in honor of this book will be taking place April 23-27 with the complete schedule found here.

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Feature & Follow Friday......


Hello all, it's that day of the week where we learn new things about each other and discover new blogs along the way.  We also help each other by becoming followers of one another.  Normally that following would be through GFC (which would be great if you'd still take a few seconds to do), but with that being eliminated for certain blogs (a big boo-hiss to that) I now ask that you follow through a RSS Feed (or Twitter, FB, or email) which you can find to the right.  I want to thank all of you ahead of time who choose to become a follower and make sure to let me know in the comments if you're new so I doubly make sure to follow you back.  And now for this weeks get to know me question....

Q: Fight! Fight! If you could have two fictional characters battle it out (preferably from books), who would they be and who do you think would win?

 

A:  I'm going to be a bit mean tonight and pair up my least favorite vampire, Edward Cullen from the Twilight books, against my dear sexy Eric Northman from the Sookie Stackhouse series.  I can't wait to see Eric pummel that puny, sparkly, overly-angsty perpetually teenaged vamp Eddie into the ground!  Bwah hah hah!!!!!!!!  (It's been a long week and I'm definitely feeling bloodthirsty.....plus my monetary wager on Eric would make me rich.) 

Book Tour for An Uncommon Sense by Serenity Woods (Promo Post & Giveaway)


Discovering a new-to-me author is always exciting, and when they write a fun and sexy story like this one, it's even more exciting.  Courtesy of CBLS Promotions I get to introduce you to this humorous and super sexy read and its amazing author.  Not only that, but you'll get the chance to win a digital copy of this wonderfully entertaining book!  So I now present to you An Uncommon Sense by Serenity Woods......

An Uncommon Sense (Sensual Healing, Book 1) by Serenity Woods

All six senses tell him she’s the one.

High school science teacher Grace Fox doesn’t believe in any of that woo-woo stuff. So it’s easy to laugh off her friend’s prediction that she’ll have swear-out-loud sex with the next man who walks through her classroom door.

Who knew that local celebrity Ash Rutherford would have the time to attend his daughter’s parents’ night? Or that the Viking lookalike would trigger an attack of klutziness? He may or may not see dead people, but he certainly got a good look up her skirt.

A doctor turned medium, Ash spends his days communicating with unseen spirits. When it comes to his moody daughter, though, he hopes down-to-earth Grace will give him some insight. The racy lingerie she hides beneath her prim and proper clothing is an added bonus he didn’t expect.

Their attraction is instant and blazing hot, but Ash has been burned before. His ex-wife didn’t believe in his abilities, and no way is he going down that road again. At least not until Grace accepts the possibility there might be life after death. And the ghosts of his past are laid to rest.  

Product Warnings:  Contains a real live Viking, proof of life after death and sex on a 1970s sheepskin rug, but absolutely no Barry White.

EXCERPT:

“You are going to have wild, passionate, swear-out-loud sex with the next man who walks through the door.” Mia read the prediction aloud from the astrology section of her magazine.

“Even if I did believe the position of the stars could tell my future, I’d know you made that up.” Grace continued to study the latest batch of science exams. “And anyway, that doesn’t sound remotely like something I’d do.”

“Have sex?”

Grace put a big red cross against the answer she’d just read. “Very funny. I meant swear. I would never swear during sex. Very unladylike.” She read the next question. What happens to your body as you age? And then the answer. You get intercontinental. Massaging her forehead, she drew another red cross. Jodi Rutherford barely appeared to have retained enough information from her biology lessons over the past ten weeks to fill a postage stamp.

“That explains a lot.”

Grace shot the teacher sitting next to her an exasperated look. “What’s that supposed to mean? And will you please stop trying to distract me? I want to get these finished before I go home.”

Mia grinned. It was nearly seven o’clock on a typically cool New Zealand October evening, and moths had started to flit around the strip lighting. Even though the parents’ evening had been the busiest of the year, the stream of visitors to the auditorium was starting to wane, and the teachers sitting at the rows of tables were beginning to pack up their laptops and books. Neither she nor Grace had seen a parent for fifteen minutes, and she was quite clearly bored. “I meant that your reaction to my prophecy accounts for why you’re still a spinster at the ripe old age of twenty-nine. If you’ve never been with a guy who could make you swear out loud during sex, it would explain why you haven’t come close to settling down.”

“Don’t call me a spinster,” Grace grumbled, turning over the page. “And anyway, I’m only a year older than you. You make me sound like I’m eighty-five.”

“You dress like you’re eighty-five,” Mia said impatiently.

“What’s wrong with the way I dress?” Grace frowned as she looked at her clothes. Her neat pencil skirt and white shirt were hardly retirement-age clothing. Okay, maybe the flat, sensible shoes, hair in a bun and glasses were a bit more “traditional schoolmistress meets university librarian”, but she hardly looked as if she should be vacationing with the over-fifties.

“You’re practically Victorian.” Slim and pretty, with thick, shiny black hair, Mia always wore the latest fashions.

“Because I don’t have a skirt above my knees and my shirt unbuttoned to my cleavage?”

“Grace, honestly. You’re beginning to worry me. You really should try to have sex at least once each decade, you know, or you’ll forget how to do it.”

Grace stared at the floor in front of her desk and tipped open her hands in protestation. “Mia…do you mind?” When her colleague remained quiet, she tried to concentrate on the paper in front of her. Then she groaned. “God, listen to this. ‘If conditions are not favourable, bacteria go into a period of adolescence.’ I mean, honestly.”

Mia laughed. “Whose paper is that?”

She put another red cross on it. “Jodi Rutherford’s.”

“Ooh.” Mia perked up. “The medium’s daughter? I didn’t know you taught her.”

Grace sighed. “Oh Lord, don’t you start. What is it with the women in this school? One mention of that guy and I swear their bodies undergo some kind of chemical change, turning them into goo.”

“Grace Fox, seriously, have you not seen him? What the hell is wrong with you?”

Grace put her pen down impatiently. “Of course I’ve seen him. Well, a photo of him. You can’t avoid it. His picture’s been plastered over half of Wellington for the last week, for crying out loud. But he’s just a guy. Two arms, two legs. Nothing that warrants all the mooning about.”

Mia shook her head. “Now I know there’s something wrong with you. Sweetheart, Ashton Rutherford is sex on legs. Seriously. He’s, like, six-foot-four and played lock for the Hurricanes.”

“That means absolutely nothing to me, Mia.”

Mia rolled her eyes. She was an avid Rugby Union fan. “They’re the tall ones who jump up at the line-outs.”

“Is that supposed to impress me?”

“Don’t you find him a little bit intriguing? A rugby-playing doctor who became a clairvoyant—don’t you think that warrants even a little bit of interest?”

Grace snorted. “Any man who gives up a serious profession after years of training to become a fortune teller needs his head tested.”

“He doesn’t tell fortunes. He’s a medium. He speaks to dead people.”

Grace gave her a look. “This conversation does not sound like something I’d be even vaguely interested in. I’m packing up now. It’s nearly seven.”

Mia sighed and started logging off on her laptop. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me he could have been coming to see you tonight.”

“I honestly didn’t expect the guy to turn up. I’m sure interest in the welfare and progress of his only daughter is way beneath such a superstar. On my to-do list, informing you which students’ parents were coming tonight was right at the bottom.”

“He wouldn’t be at the bottom of my to-do list,” Mia mumbled.

“Mia, honestly.”

“You sound just like your mother when you talk like that.”

Grace shuddered. The ultimate insult. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. You seriously need to get laid, though.”

Tell me about it. She didn’t say that, however. Instead, she said, “For the love of…will you desist?”

“Next guy that walks through the door, I’m telling you. Look—the door’s opening…”

“Please don’t let it be Professor Michaels,” Grace muttered as she got on her hands and knees to pull the plug of her laptop out from underneath the wall heater, making Mia laugh out loud at the mention of the overweight, balding, officious deputy principal who drove them all to distraction.

Mia’s laughter turned abruptly into a gasp. “I don’t believe it.”

“What?” The lead was stuck. Grace pulled it hard, but it had somehow got wedged against the plug of the heater and refused to come out.

“Well, this is going to be interesting.”

Grace took the plug in both hands but it still failed to move. “Sweetie, I don’t care if he’s Robert Downey Junior, I am not having sex with him.” She leaned all her weight on the lead, and all of a sudden, it gave and pinged out of the wall. She fell backward, banged her head and ended up sprawled in a most ungainly fashion facing the parent who was waiting at the foot of her desk.

“If you’d turn down Robert Downey Junior I guess I don’t stand a chance,” he said, amused.

Grace looked up at the face of the man she’d seen plastered on billboards all across town and then turned slowly to face Mia, whose eyes were practically falling out of her head. Mia stared at her and made a slight gesture with her hands, bringing them together, making Grace realise she was facing the guy with her legs open, giving him a splendid view right up her skirt.

BUY LINKS:


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Serenity Woods lives in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand with her wonderful husband and gorgeous teenage son. She writes fun, flirty, and sexy contemporary romances for the modern woman who likes intelligent, spirited heroines, and hunky but approachable heroes. She’s won several romance writing competitions and is a member of the Romance Writers of New Zealand. She would much rather immerse herself in reading or writing romance than do the dusting and ironing, which is why it’s not a great idea to pop round if you have any allergies. You can check out all her books at http://www.serenitywoodsromance.com.

Website:  http://www.serenitywoodsromance.com
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/serenitywoodsromance
Twitter:  @Serenity_Woods
Amazon Page:  http://www.amazon.com/author/serenitywoods

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Prize is an eBook copy of An Uncommon Sense.


-Giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE!
-To be entered just leave a comment, along with your email addy.
-Winner will be chosen using random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my winner's confirmation email or a new winner will be chosen.
-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 4/26.

*To learn more about this book and for more chances to win a copy, find more tour stops here.