Super Book Blast & Giveaway for Steal Me, Cowboy by Kim Boykin

Join author Kim Boykin on her Super Book Blast for Steal Me, Cowboy, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, from January 30 – Feb 4, 2014.  Please leave a comment or question for Kim letting her know you stopped by.  Kim and her publisher will be awarding a $15 Starbucks card, Valentine mug, and yummy candies to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour (US only).  Please be sure to leave your email address with your comment.  You can also follow Kim’s tour here, the more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning.

Steal Me, Cowboy

By Kim Boykin

Copper Mountain Rodeo, Book 1

Publisher:  The Tule Publishing Group, LLC

Release Date: December 28, 2013

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 102 Pages

ASIN:  B00HLPNH84

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About the book: 

Unbeknownst to her boyfriend, Sassy South Carolina hairstylist, Rainey Brown, is headed to Missoula, dead set on giving her minor league baseball player boyfriend of four years an ultimatum. Either put a ring on it or let her go, preferably not the latter.

When Rainey's piece of crap car dies in the middle of Nowhere, Montana, she's sure she's a gonner, until gorgeous restaurateur Beck Hartnett stops to help. Beck falls hard for Rainey, and knows she would admit she's fallen for him too, if she wasn't too stubborn to admit it. Beck has five days before the car is repaired to steal Rainey away from a boyfriend who doesn't deserve her. Five days before she's gone for good.

Buy Link:   Amazon

 Excerpt

“Oh. My. God. Adam. You’re good with this? You seem like you are.” Because I was ecstatic. “Wow, I can’t believe you’re done with baseball.” I leaned over the console and kissed him. God, I loved this man.

“I’m not done with baseball.” He had the gall to smile against my lips. “I got a job coaching in the Pioneer League in Missoula. Montana.”

“Montana?” I felt like I’d been kicked in the gut.

Just last season, the front office of the Blowfish minor league team here in Columbia had offered Adam a job as an assistant coach. Adam turned them down, said his shoulder was good and he was going to play baseball a few more years, maybe forever. Now all of a sudden, he’s going to coach in a lesser league two thousand miles away?

“Yeah, babe, I rented a house. Montana’s gorgeous, you’re going to love it, and when you come visit—.”

“Visit.” 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Kim Boykin is a women's fiction author with a sassy Southern streak. She is the author of The Wisdom of Hair, Steal Me, Cowboy, and Palmetto Moon (Summer 2014.) While her heart is always in South Carolina, she lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, 3 dogs, and 126 rose bushes.

Kim Boykin website: http://kimboykin.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkimboykin

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorKimBoykin 

Don't forget to leave a comment or question for Kim letting her know you stopped by.  Kim and her publisher will be awarding a $15 Starbucks card, Valentine mug, and yummy candies to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour (US only).  Please be sure to leave your email address with your comment.  You can also follow Kim’s tour here, the more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning.

Virtual Book Tour for Battling the Best Man by Elley Arden

Join author Elley Arden on her Virtual Book Tour for Battling the Best Man, presented by Reading Addiction Book Tours, from January 27 – February 21, 2014.  Please leave a comment or question for Elley to let her know you stopped by.  You can follow the rest of Elley’s tour here.  My review will post separately later today. 

Battling the Best Man

By Elley Arden

A Harmony Falls Novel, Book 2

Publisher:  Crimson Romance

Release Date:  January 27, 2014

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 182 Pages

ISBN:  978-1-440572-34-0

ASIN:  B00HK1XX4M

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About the book: 

On the cusp of a brilliant Chicago medical career, Dr. Kory Flemming rarely gets vacation, but she can't say no to maid of honor duties in her best friend's wedding. Home town or not, being in Harmony Falls, Pennsylvania isn't easy, especially when the only man smart enough to trump Kory's high school academic achievements turns out to be a sexy, accomplished adult up to his old, flirtatious tricks.

Will Mitchell has been destined for success since the day he was born. After spending his formative years racking up academic honors, it was only natural for him to be named the chief operating officer of his family's thriving company. He has it all-more or less-so when the target of his high school infatuation turns up hot and haughty at his brother's wedding, Will decides he wants her, too.

Old conflict gives way to new attraction, taking Will and Kory by surprise, until a failed merger and family tragedy threaten both their professional goals. Can they put aside their rocky past and ignore their titillating present in order to work together to secure the future for the people they adore?

BUY LINKS:   AMAZON    BARNES & NOBLE    ARe     KOBO

EXCERPT

The same blast of incredulity that led Kory to call him a dick and walk away earlier prompted a sarcastic laugh. “Are you serious? We aren’t friends, Will! We haven’t been friends since high school calculus when your real friends harassed me to the point I got pulled from the class.” Each word had carried her a step closer to him until she was raging in his face.

He balked. “Come on, Kory.” But then recognition flashed across his annoyingly handsome features. “You got pulled from that class?”

“Yes, I got pulled from that class. What did you think happened to me? I disappeared.”

He snapped his fingers and nodded. “Yeah! Come to think of it I tried to ask you once what happened, but you walked away from me. You do that a lot, you know?” he added with a weak smile. “But apparently, you have reason to.” He shook his head. “I honestly had no idea.”

He didn’t remember what happened. Figured. All these years—all the energy—she’d essentially wasted. It wasn’t at all satisfying to swear revenge on someone who didn’t know how badly he’d hurt her.

“Forget it,” she said, dropping to the flats of her bare feet, suddenly surprised by their close proximity.

“No. This time, I won’t forget it. I’m very, very sorry for whatever part I played in you being pulled from that class.”

The seemingly heartfelt apology stunned her, stopping her before she could step back and put reasonable space between them. She stood there stuck in some strange mix of abhorrence and attraction. 

“It’s okay, Will,” she finally said. But the words weren’t accurate. If anything were really okay her heart wouldn’t be racing.

“It’s not okay. Whoever I was in that class, I can assure you it’s not the real me. If we had more time together, I could prove it.”

His head tilted to one side. His tuxedo shirt opened at the throat. And he studied her with dark sparkling eyes, causing a hot spot low in her belly.

This attraction didn’t make any sense, and Kory thrived on rationality. She hadn’t trusted Will Mitchell for years. What purpose did it serve to let her guard down now?

She’d be back in Chicago before her brain had time to process their interaction.

Then again, maybe that was the best part about it. Maybe that was why she allowed herself to maintain eye contact with him past the point of innocent interaction.

Will leaned closer, his voice just above a whisper. “So, would it ruin all our progress if I kissed you?”

“Only if it’s a really bad kiss,” Kory said, lifting her chin to within a fraction of an inch of his, smelling the whiskey on his breath.

Will’s hands landed on her hips the minute his lips landed on her mouth.

Elley Arden

Website: http://elleyarden.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elley-Arden-Author/540667649278016

Twitter: http://twitter.com/elleywrites

Scavenger Hunt for The Heart of the Hunter by Natalie Nicole Bates

Welcome to my stop on the Heart of the Hunter Scavenger Hunt.  The Scavenger Hunt begins on the Event Page HERE.  Please be sure to visit that page daily to get the links for each day’s blog posts and to read the official Rules. 

Title:  The Heart of the Hunter

Author: Natalie-Nicole Bates

Published: December 2013

Publisher: Gypsy Angel Books

Word Count: 54,000

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Content Warning: Contains heavy adult situations and themes.

Recommended Age:  18+

~Synopsis~

After a devastating accident, Barret Atkins has accepted a quiet, solitary existence. His life is turned upside down, when he finds the badly injured Kansas Smith, left for dead in a case of mistaken identity. As Kansas begins to recover, Barret must face some deep scars of his own. When the couple begin to fall for each other, their lives spin into a revival of past hurts, jealousies, and betrayals, causing Barret to put a halt to their budding relationship. Barret’s hesitation causes his best friend-turned vicious rival, Duncan Craig, to pursue a friendship with Kansas. Where will this leave Barret? Can they all hold on long enough to escape Kansas’s attacker, and will they ever conquer their own inner demons intent on keeping them apart?

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | GoodReads

~Excerpt~

“So, what’s it like to be married to a rock star?”

Kansas heard this question so many times during her ten year marriage to Quinn that it now caused her head to ache. She didn’t want to talk about her ex-husband with Barret. Still, she knew a lot of people were _______ about marriage to a celebrity.

“Ex, Barret, ex. Quinn isn’t my husband any longer. But to answer your question, Barret, I’ve known Quinn since I was ten years old. When he was Sean Marshall, an ________ person, long before he ever became Quinn Michaels.”

The resentment was evident in her voice. She didn’t want him to think she lived some fairy tale existence with Quinn. In the end, Quinn was just a man with many foibles who was admired by millions _______ of a pretty face and a beautiful voice. Attributes that Quinn took full _________ of.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. It’s just…I’ve wondered why…” he hesitated.

She knew what he was getting at. “______ not prying, Barret. If you want to know why Quinn and I are no longer married, just ask.”

“Kansas,” he touched her cheek, “you are the sweetest, most beautiful woman I’ve ever known, and after his ________ visit here, I can tell Quinn still loves you.”

There was such a soft look in his blue eyes, and once again, Kansas couldn’t __________ why Barret thought nothing more of her than just a surrogate little sister. Didn’t he realize how good they could be together?

“Be that as it may, Barret, Quinn and I will never again be a couple,” she said firmly. “Once a cheater, always a cheater. I __________ the articles in the weekly rags, and the chatter on the internet for a very long time. But when Lynsey Reznor came into his life, I knew I had to get out with what little dignity I still had.”

He cocked his head. “Lynsey Reznor? That name is so familiar.”

“She’s a very __________ true-crime writer from Miami. You can’t walk past a bookstore or watch the Crime Central channel without seeing her.”

Barret averted his eyes. “Oh, that Lynsey Reznor.”

“I can’t hate her too much, though. Apparently she was as ________ to my existence, as I was to hers. She dumped Quinn when she _____ out he was married.”

He shook his head. “Men like your ex-husband give all men a bad name. If we were married, you never would have to worry that I would give a woman a ______ look. I’m loyal to a fault.”

If only, she thought.

“Well, if anything came out of it, you must be pretty well financially set after your divorce.”

For a ______, she considered lying to him, pretend to be a broken little divorcee. But in an instant, she knew she wanted to keep her relationship with Barret honest.

“My financial settlement with Quinn is public knowledge. For ten years, I receive a certain percentage of his previous year’s earnings. If I remarry, all financial support ends.”

Barret let out a low whistle _____ his breath. “I guess you won’t be getting remarried anytime soon—not for the next years, at least.”

Anger sparked inside her. “Do you really think I’m that shallow? That all I’m _________ with is a never ending tap of cash?” she snapped. “Contrary to your belief, I look _______ to marrying a man who doesn’t need mass love to feed his enormous ego. I want a home in the suburbs and a garden full of children.

_______, even if I was all about the money, one of these days Quinn will fall out of favor with his fans, and the money will dry up.”

She felt the need to not mention that even if she never saw another penny from Quinn, she would never be poor.

Kansas didn’t want to talk any more about money. To her, it didn’t matter what either of them had, if they were only ________. Even though his kisses were frequent, and his touches lingered longer on her skin, it was becoming clearer to Kansas with each passing day that she was deluding herself with the belief that she and Barret would have a _______ ever after together. Still, she would stubbornly cling to the small ____ until Barret once and for all, told her to her face that there would never be anything more between them than good friends.

~About the Author~

Natalie-Nicole Bates is a book reviewer and author.

Her passions in life include books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian era photography and antique poison bottles. Natalie contributes her
uncharacteristic love of hockey to being born in Russia.

She currently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book and adding to her collection of 19th century post-mortem photos.

Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Blog

~Giveaway Details~

There is an international tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:

• Grand Prize: $20 Amazon Gift Card
• Two Runner Ups: $5 Amazon Gift Card 

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Don’t forget that you need to gather all of the missing words together for the excerpt by visiting all of the blog stops during the hunt.  The Hunt schedule is on the Event page here, at Juniper Grove Book Solutions. 

Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for Melting the Ice Queen's Heart by Amy Rutan

Join author Amy Ruttan on her Virtual Book Tour for Melting the Ice Queen’s Heart, presented by Tasty Book Tours, from January 20 – February 7, 2014.  Please leave a comment or question for Amy to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also follow the rest of her tour here.  

Setting:  It was all about the setting

by Amy Ruttan

The idea for Melting the Ice Queen’s Heart stemmed from when my editor at the time asked me to write a story set in a big city for my second book. They knew I could do rural with my debut book Safe in His Hands (Sept 2013), so they wanted to see if I was up to the challenge for my second book.

I said sure and then panicked. ACK! Other than Toronto what big metropolitan city had a I been to and recently.

I was only 13 when I went to Montreal and Quebec City and I couldn’t really remember them.

I wanted to set it in a really big American city and what better place than San Francisco.

I’d been there in 2008 and I love San Francisco.

It was a city that was on my maternal grandmother’s bucket list. She had a painting of the Golden Gate Bridge in her dining room. I’d stare at it for hours. My grandmother never made it there though. She died of cancer when I was 14.

I saw it for her with my cousin.

We hiked around that city. I had scads of photos and so the setting was easy for me and the characters I knew right from the get go. They were quite vocal.

Everything fell into place from there, but the spark to set off the story idea really stemmed from my first editor Suzanne who told me they wanted a story set in a city.

I always laugh at that picture floating around on the web about a writer’s brain being like a computer with 2,000 tabs. Yep, that sums it up in a nutshell.

So, what kind of settings do you like a romance?

Melting the Ice Queen’s Heart

By Amy Ruttan

Publisher:  Harlequin Medical Romance

Release Date: February 1, 2014

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 170 Pages

ISBN:  978-1-460326-30-5

ASIN:  B00EFPVCGM

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About the book: 

It started with a kiss…

Having left his humanitarian posting in Africa to raise his two orphaned nieces in San Francisco, Dr. Gavin Brice has enough on his plate without an inconvenient attraction to his new boss! The frosty Dr. Virginia Potter clearly disapproves of his maverick ways - but with one amazing kiss, the ice begins to thaw….

Buy Links:   Amazon    B&N    Harlequin

Author Info

Born and raised on the outskirts of Toronto, Ontario, Amy fled the big city to settle down with the country boy of her dreams. When she's not furiously typing away at her computer, she's a mom to three wonderful children.

Life got in the way, and after the birth of her second child, she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a romance author.

You can find out more about Amy at her website.

Author Links

Website: www.amyruttan.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ruttanamy

Blog: http://amyruttan.blogspot.ca

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amy.ruttan.3

Harlequin Author Link: http://www.harlequin.com/author.html?authorid=2462

A sweet, contemporary romance, Melting the Ice Queen’s Heart by Amy Ruttan is the story of two career dedicated doctors, the two orphan girls who bring them together, and the struggling San Francisco hospital that almost tears them apart.  Well developed characters, lively dialogue, and just the right amount of romance kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. 

Working for Border Free Physicians gave surgeon Dr. Gavin Brice an opportunity to travel the world and give medical care to the poor and needy.  When his sister’s unexpected death leaves his two nieces in his care, Gavin moves to San Francisco to provide them the stability and family they need.  He never planned on having to work in a large city emergency room or on falling in love with the “Ice Queen”, the hospital’s Chief of Surgery and his new boss.

Dedicated to her career and determined to keep the “endangered” trauma center in her hospital afloat, Dr. Virginia Potter spends most of her days taking care of problems.  While she became a doctor to help people who needed medical care, she spends most of her life doing paperwork and trying to keep the hospital’s board of directors from cutting off her funding.  Dealing with the hospital’s quintessential bad boy, and emergency room maverick, was never a part of her five year plan.  Neither was falling for him or his two precocious nieces. 

Ms. Ruttan does a really good job developing both Gavin and Virginia’s characters throughout the book.  At first Gavin kind of acts like a horse’s butt; he’s unorthodox, doesn’t follow procedure and has little or no patience with the rest of the emergency room staff.  Virginia comes across as cold and aloof (hence the “ice queen” nickname) and only seems to be concerned about following hospital procedure.  Running into each other outside of work gives them the opportunity to get to know each other and fall in love.

The secondary characters are also well written and I especially enjoyed Gavin’s two nieces, Lily and Rose.  Ms. Ruttan does a wonderful job writing them into the story and they really contribute a lot to the story.  I also enjoyed Janice, Virginia’s assistant and Rosalie, the girl’s nanny while Gavin works.  The rest of the medical staff, and even some of the members of the board of directors, are also good additions for the book. 

Will Gavin be happy staying in San Francisco and becoming the family man he never thought he would be?  Will Virginia learn to let others in and take a chance on love and a readymade family?  You’ll have to read Melting the Ice Queen’s Heart; I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Ruttan’s work.

My Rating:  4.5 out of 5 Stars

FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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Book Blast & Giveaway for Burn for Me by Cynthia Eden

Burn For Me

Phoenix Fire Series, Book One

Release Date: January 28, 2014

Publisher: Kensington Brava

Genre: Paranormal Romance

ISBN: 0758284047 / 9780758284044

Under Fire

Eve Bradley was undercover looking for a story, not a cause. But something about the man they called Subject Thirteen got her involved. The scientists said he was a devil, and they had a decent case: Terrifying power. A bad attitude. And looks that could lead anyone to sin. . .

Cain O’Connor knows the minute he catches her candy scent that Eve could drive him wild. But she’s a threat–in a way no one has been for him in years. She’s safer away from him, too. But with a powerful conspiracy determined to shut Eve up for good, there’s no time to argue. All they can do is trust their instincts–and their hearts. . .

Buy Online:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | IndieBound

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

USA Today Best-selling author Cynthia Eden has written over twenty-five novels and novellas. She was named as a 2013 RITA® finalist for her paranormal romance, ANGEL IN CHAINS, and, in 2011, Cynthia Eden was a RITA finalist for her romantic suspense, DEADLY FEAR.

Cynthia is a southern girl who loves horror movies, chocolate, and happy endings.  She has always wanted to write (don’t most authors say that?), and particularly enjoys creating stories about monsters–vampires, werewolves, and even the real-life monsters that populate her romantic suspense stories.

Cynthia’s foreign sales for her books include translations to Japan, Germany, Thailand, Greece, and Brazil.  (Back in the day…) Cynthia graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Alabama where she studied Sociology (because people interest her) and Communication (because she likes to write about said people).  Cynthia has worked as a college admissions counselor, a teacher, and as an editor. But now, Cynthia is thrilled to be spending her days making up stories.

Connect with Cynthia:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway

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Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for Find Me by Ella Jade

Find Me by Ella Jade

A love that transcends time…

As her 25th birthday approaches, Riley Sparrow begins to dream of a handsome, intriguing stranger. Each night the dreams get more intense and the stranger starts leaving her clues to his whereabouts. The dreams always end in a whisper…

Find Me.

Riley has denied her birthright her entire life. She descends from a strong line of witches and warlocks, but she's refused her powers up until now. With the help of her estranged grandfather she learns that her mystery man is from the past and his life is in danger. Will her grandfather help her travel back to 1963 to save the man she believes she's meant to be with? A man she knows nothing about but feels a strong connection to.

If she finds him, can she save him from the evil that haunts them both? By securing his past, she knows there can never be a future for them in her time.

Content Warning: contains sensual sex scenes

Excerpt

Riley closed her eyes and let the heat of the water engulf her tired muscles. Resting her head against the bath pillow, she cleared her mind. The steam seeped out from the bubbles and swirled around the room. Soon the mirror and windows were fogged and a scented mist surrounded the bathroom, creating a relaxing atmosphere. A week's worth of sleepless nights had taken their toll and Riley drifted off.

The squeak of the faucet and the silence that followed distracted her tranquil thoughts. She opened her eyes to find him sitting on the edge of the tub looking at her. For a moment, she felt self-conscious. She glanced down and discovered her body covered in thick, white bubbles. He couldn't see anything but the tops of her shoulders, neck, and face.

"Sorry," he said. "I was afraid the water would overflow."

"Am I awake?"

He shook his head. She noted his green eyes sparkled even in the dim lighting of the bathroom.

"Well, then how—"

"It's complicated." His thin, pink lips formed a small smile. "I can't explain now."

"Why not?"

"There isn't enough time to make you understand while you're in your current state. We need much more time. You can get that for us."

"Are you real or am I crazy?"

"I'm very real, just stuck between realms. I've been waiting for you for a long time." He slid off the side of the tub and knelt down on the floor. "I'm afraid I can't stay very long. I keep trying to figure out how to increase the length of my visits but nothing seems to work."

"I don't know you."

"You will." He reached for the clip in her hair. "May I?"

She nodded.

Once he'd freed her hair from its confines, he smoothed the damp locks out with his hand. "I like when you wear it down. It's so pretty." He continued to stroke her hair. "You're just as beautiful as I remember."

"How do you know me?" She shifted her position to face him. She breathed in his crisp scent. He smelled of spice, maybe a hint of cinnamon.

"I…" He trailed off when his gaze caught her exposed breasts. He looked lost in a distant memory.

When she'd turned to face him she'd upset the bubbles shielding her. Her nipples hardened as she watched him take in her flesh. She no longer felt embarrassed.

"I have to go."

"You keep leaving me. I don't like it." Each time he left, he took a small piece of her with him.

"That's why you need to find me." He leaned forward. "I know you can. You're very powerful." He brushed his lips against her mouth. A rush of warmth coursed through her and settled between her legs. "Find me, Riley." He kissed the corner of her mouth, lingering a second longer than usual. She took the opportunity to run her tongue along his soft lips. "Find me now."

"How?" She wanted more than anything to find this man. "What do I need to do?"

"Tucker…" he whispered.

"What?"

Riley slipped off the bath pillow and under the cold water. She quickly sat up and looked around. The bubbles had evaporated into the freezing water.

Did she turn the faucet off, or did…

I must be crazy.

She thought for a moment. Her mystery man had left her a big clue tonight. Now she needed to figure out what Tucker Sparrow had to do with any of this. It looked as if she would be paying a visit to a man she hadn't seen in a decade.

Buy Links:    Beachwalk Press    Amazon    Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Ella Jade has been writing for as long as she can remember. As a child, she often had a notebook and pen with her, and now as an adult, the laptop is never far. The plots and dialogue have always played out in her head, but she never knew what to do with them. That all changed when she discovered the eBook industry. She started penning novels at a rapid pace and now she can't be stopped.

Ella resides in New Jersey with her husband and two young boys. When she's not chasing after her kids, she's busy writing, attending PTO meetings, kickboxing, and scrapbooking. She hopes you'll get lost in her words.

Author Links:     Site     Facebook Author Page      Twitter

Giveaway

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Tour Schedule

1/20 - Kristy Centeno

1/20 - Reading, Writing, and Roses

1/21 - Sexy Between The Covers (guest post)

1/21 - That Bites - Book Talk and Reviews

1/22 - Literal Hotties Naughty Reviews (guest post) (review)

1/23 - Booklover Sue (review)

1/23 - The eBook Promotions

1/24 - A TiffyFits Reviews (review)

1/24 - Viari Rose

1/27 - Tamaria Soana

1/27 - To Pen a Dream 

1/28 - Indy Book Fairy (review)

1/29 - Queen of the Night Reviews

1/30 - Romancing The Pen Today

A Little Fiction for Every Flavour

1/31 - New Age Mama

2/3 - Literary Nook (Review)

2/3 - Not Everyones Mama (Review)

2/5 - The Talen Cave Reviews

2/6 - CU's eBook Giveaways (review)