Monday, October 26, 2015

Cover and Blurb Reveal for The Lock by K.T. Grant


Welcome to my stop on the Cover and Blurb Reveal, presented by Bridging the Gap Promotions, for The Lock by K.T. Grant.  Please leave a comment or question for K.T. to let her know you stopped by,



The Lock
Book 3, Dark Paths Series
KT Grant
Erotic Romance, 105,000k

The dark path continues for Erika and Max as secrets unfold and threaten to destroy all they hold dear…

Erika Walsh’s every dream has come true. She’s received both critical and public acclaim for her best-selling erotic romance, and has chosen the magnetic millionaire and BDSM club owner Maxwell Crawford as the keeper of her heart. Although, her former crush Chris Milton still refuses to accept her decision. As she plans her wedding to Max, she’s confronted with his past and the many secrets he’s kept under lock and key –for good reason.

When Max’s older brother, Daniel, a big Hollywood producer falls ill, Erika and Max rush to Los Angeles to help him recover. Max is shocked to find Daniel has become the victim of a blackmailer who seeks revenge against the brothers. Max must confront the loathsome Abraham Rovner, a former classmate from high school, who has never forgiven him for breaking off their relationship.

Abraham brings out Max’s lurking deviant nature, which sends him to a dark place in his mind. Erika must find the strength to help her lover purge his demons, even though it may come at a major cost for them both.


Releasing December 14th, 2015!!


Book 1  -  The Gate
A chance encounter between a successful author and a billionaire owner of an underground BDSM club, leads to the most pivotal relationship of their lives…

Erika Walsh has carried a torch for Christopher Milton, heir to her father’s publishing empire for years. After one steamy make out session she begins to wonder if it might develop into something more. But when M. L. Crawford, better known as Max, her father’s publishing rival, seeks her out at a society event, she’s drawn to his magnetic charisma and powerful demeanor. Their verbal bantering and innuendo laced overtones stir feelings she never knew existed, and soon Erika is consumed with knowing the real man under Max’s restrained public façade.

Erika’s sweet nature and naivety excites Max to near madness. He wants to train her in the art of seduction and make her succumb to his every wish and command…as his perfect submissive. Yet, Christopher is determined to keep Erika from becoming the latest victim of Max’s sinister sexual hungers. He knows all too well what Max hides in his black soul and will stop at nothing to reveal all of Max’s secrets in order to protect the one thing he holds dear above all else- Erika.

Max’s dark desires scare yet arouse Erika, as he opens her eyes to a new bold world full of passion and ecstasy she never imagined until him. But the biggest question remains: Is Erika’s craving for Max just an illusion that transpires behind the walls of The Gate?

Available now…  Amazon

Book 2  -  The Key
The seductive world of The Gate continues with The Key...

Erika has reinvented herself as an author of erotic romance under the pseudonym, Lily Fredericks. After her eight month sabbatical in New Orleans, she’s returning to Manhattan to promote her new book. Chris is handling her book tour and wants Erika to give him another chance. She’s forgiven Chris, but Max is always in her thoughts. Sick of waiting for Erika to come to her senses, Max takes matters into his own hands. He’ll go to New Orleans to claim her before it’s too late.

With Erika back in Manhattan, both Chris and Max try to seduce her in the hopes she’ll choose one of them. As both men battle for her heart, a woman from Max’s past reappears, bent on revenge. Chris will ruin Max anyway he can in order to make Erika his own. However, Max has something up his sleeve to insure he’s the victor, but not without a price—Erika’s soul.

Can Erika choose between a man who seeks to possess and a man who can’t live without her?

Available now… Amazon


About the Author:
KT Grant is a self-proclaimed eccentric redhead who not only loves to read a wide variety of romances, but also loves writing it. Under her alter-ego, she is a well-known book blogger who doesn’t shy away from voicing her opinion. A proud native of New Jersey, KT is multi-published and writes Gay, Lesbian and Straight romance. KT has been a top ten best-selling author at Amazon, as well as being a multiple All Romance Ebooks best seller and a Night Owl Reviews Top Author Pick. KT is also About.com’s Romance Novel Expert and Columnist.

KT loves to hear from readers. You can drop KT an email at ktgrnt@gmail.com.



Friday, October 23, 2015

Virtual Tour & #Giveaway for Going Backwards by Jacki Kelly

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Tour, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for Going Backwards by Jacki Kelly.  Please leave a comment or question for Jacki to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway, where Jacki will award one (1) $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter, by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can follow all of the stops on Jacki’s tour by clicking on the banner above.  The more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning.
Keep Your Marriage Happy and Faithful by Jacki Kelly

Just like all people are different, every marriage is different, too. What might keep one marriage happy and the spouses faithful might not work for a couple in another marriage. Of course everyone knows the fundamentals like communication and honesty. So I won’t even list those.

In my latest books—The Baptiste Series—infidelity is a thread in both books, but the outcome is very different. There are some other basic fundamentals that are required for all relationships to remain happy and the partners’ faithful.

  • Be kind. Even on those days when you’d rather crawl into bed and pull the blanket over your head, you’ll be amazed at what a kind word or gesture will do for the person you love. It doesn’t have to be something grand. Sometimes all it takes is a thank you, or saying I love you. Everyday, you should strive to say or to do something nice for your spouse. In Packed and Ready to Go, Walter failed at this simple gesture in a massive way.
  • In order to maintain intimacy and passion, put your relationship first.  Intimacy doesn’t always have to take place in the bedroom. I’m not suggesting loving has to take place on the dining room table (even though that might work). I’m suggesting intimacy as a much broader range of contact. It could be a kiss, a hug, or just holding hands. Don’t look at intimacy as making love. Intimacy isn’t one of the covenants of marriage where you have to go big or go home. Just do something. Daily.
  • Be willing to say you’re sorry. As much as we all wish we could be right all the time, it’s impossible. Some believe saying those two words diminishes them. It takes a very strong, confident person to admit when they’ve done something wrong. In a relationship the mileage you can get by admitting you’re wrong will go a long way to keeping your marriage happy.  Marriage isn’t a game. There are no winners and losers.
  • Find your own space. Marriage doesn’t mean two people become one. It means two people share a life together. Often newly married couples become inseparable, thinking they must do everything in step. However, studies show spouses find each other more interesting when they’re doing something interesting. The old adage ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ has stuck around so long because of its merit.
  • Marriage takes courage, and a willingness to fight for the relationship. You have to be willing to give up something to get something even better. For a lot of people this is a frightening thought. There will be ebbs and flows and you have to have the courage to remain strong enough to steer your relationship back to that place where you fell in love.
Other than the mainstream responses can you think of something to keep a marriage happy and faithful?

Going Backwards
By Jacki Kelly
The Baptiste Family, Book 2

Publisher:  Yobashi Publishing
Release Date: August 18, 2015
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Format: eBook/Print
Length:  298 Pages (433KB)
ISBN:  978-1942202059
ASIN:  B0139MWS5K

Buy Links:  Amazon | B&N | Kobo  



About the book


The tentacles of infidelity are insidious, running long and deep and destroying everything they touch along the way. Crystal Davis can’t shake the images and whispered conversations she overheard as a child as her parent’s relationship fell apart. As a married woman she finds herself walking in the footsteps she abhors.  But once on that path, getting off is not easy and to set her life right may cost her more than she ever imagined.

EXCERPT

I couldn’t hold back the tears. I needed to be strong, rattle off some supporting clichés I’d picked up from some sitcom I’d watched on television - everything is going to turn out okay, this is not the end of the world, a lump doesn’t mean cancer. But I had nothing meaningful to say. I should have gathered her in my arms, stroked her back and let her cry on my shoulder if that’s what she needed.

I couldn’t speak.

I couldn’t breathe.

I was frozen.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Jacki Kelly has been writing since her fourth grade teacher made her keep a journal for a grade. Now she does it to keep track of all the fascinating and heartbreaking moments that life throws our way. Poetry, personal essays, short stories and novels have all occupied space in her heart and her hard drive.

Jacki loves to read almost as much as she likes to write. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s walking her adorable cocker spaniel or on the golf course. Her idea of bliss is squeezing all this stuff into one day. Happy Reading!




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Thursday, October 22, 2015

Virtual Tour & #Giveaway for Moonstone Conspiracy by Elizabeth Ellen Carter

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Tour, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for Moonstone Conspiracy by Elizabeth Ellen Carter.  Please leave a comment or question for Elizabeth to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway, where one (1) randomly drawn commenter will win a $30 Amazon/BN GC, by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can follow all of the stops on Elizabeth’s tour by clicking on the banner above.  The more stops you visit, the better your chances of winning.
Interview with Elizabeth Ellen Carter


Me:   What inspired you to write Moonstone Conspiracy and use Bath as the setting for the story? 

Elizabeth:  First of all, thank you very much for having me as a guest on your blog!

I picked Bath after being inspired by Georgette Heyer’s Bath Tangle. After doing some reading about this fabulous location – its Roman-era baths, the Georgian architecture, the pre-eminent spa town of the 18th century it was great fun to set the first half of Moonstone Conspiracy in the city.

In addition to that, I wanted a contrast between the wealthy and decadent British upper classes and the hard and impoverished lives of Parisians suffering under the Reign of Terror exactly at the same time.


Me:  What one item on your bucket list as an author do you plan to accomplish in the beginning of 2016?

Elizabeth:  I hope to have my next full length historical romance ready to pitch to a publisher. Dark Heart is set in 3rd century AD Rome, with the Empire at the brink of its downfall. I also hope to have one, possibly two titles written for a six part series called The Crowner which is a medieval mystery with a romance arc.

Me:  If money, and time was not an obstacle, what one place and thing would you like to visit and do in 2016?

Elizabeth:  I would love to visit all the places I’ve written about – Cornwall, Bath, London, Paris and Rome. Alas that may have to wait until at least 2017. I have much needed house renovations to complete first.

Me:  You currently live in Australia, however all of your books are set overseas.  Do you ever plan to write a historical romance about your own country?  If so what time period would you choose to write about?

Elizabeth:  I would love to write a historical romance set in my state’s capital city, Brisbane.

Not a lot of people know that famous US General Douglas Macarthur was based in Brisbane during World War Two in the darkest days of the Pacific War when it was feared that Japan would invade the mainland. The last ditch fallback position was known as The Brisbane Line.

In addition to that, there was a bit of tension between the Australian and American troops who were better paid and provisioned than our boys. The relationship got so bad at one point that there was fighting in the street and shots fired which is known locally as The Battle of Brisbane.

45 miles south of Brisbane is the city I live in, called The Gold Coast, it was an R&R centre for Allied troops and some of the city’s suburbs, Palm Beach, Miami, Florida Gardens, were named for the great many US troops who rested here.

Me:  Have you always been a fan of historical romance? Do you remember the title of the first historical romance you read that turned you onto the genre?

Elizabeth:  I’ve always loved historical romances. They always seem much larger than life, so much more epic than romances set in contemporary times.

The title that cemented the genre for me was one I read when I was 17 called Rose of Rapture by Rebecca Brandewyn. It was set during the War of the Roses and it is a wonderful mix of romance, family saga and genuine English history.

5 Quickie Get to Know You Questions

1.    Peanut butter, Jam or Vegemite? I love Vegemite! And I get to have it all to myself. My husband is English and he doesn’t care for it.

2.    Beer, Wine or non-alcoholic beverage? Definitely wine – a lovely crisp Chardonnay serve ice cold on a summer’s afternoon and a lovely mellow Merlot with dinner.

3.    Favorite Candy? I love Violet Crumble. I don’t know if you have them in the US but it is a length of honeycomb covered in chocolate. My second choice is Maltesers, little malt balls covered in chocolate. Yum!

4.    Boots, heels or sandals? I’m fond of heels, everything from stilettos to little kitten heels.

5.    Name that cat……. I have two of them, Coco and Claude. They’re litter mates. They’ll be 3 years old in December. We got them in January 2013. We spotted their mother and three kittens on our driveway on the eve of a big cyclone. Just before the storm hit, we checked and mother cat had gone with one kitten to find shelter but had to leave two behind so Coco and Claude have been with us ever since:)                                                                                                                                                                                     
Coco
Claude

Thank you very much for such wonderful questions!

Moonstone Conspiracy
By Elizabeth Ellen Carter

Publisher:  Etopia Press
Release Date:  July 2, 2015
Genre: Historical Romance
Format: eBook
Length:  336 Pages (1154KB)
ISBN: 9781941692868
ASIN:  B010UBKGO8

Buy Links:  Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes | Google Play | Etopia Press | ARe |
Scribd


About the book: 

Revolution in France, rebels in England, and one woman caught in the crossfire...

For her unwitting participation in a plot to embezzle the Exchequer, Lady Abigail Houghall has spent the last two years exiled to the city of Bath. A card sharp, sometime mistress, and target of scandalous gossip by the London Beau Monde, Lady Abigail plots to escape her gilded cage as well as the prudish society that condemns her. But the times are not easy. France is in chaos. The king has been executed, and whispers of a similar revolution are stirring in England. And because of her participation in the robbery plot, the Spymaster of England is blackmailing her into passing him information about the members of London’s upper crust.

When the dashing English spy Daniel Ridgeway takes a seat at her card table and threatens to expose her for cheating, she has no choice but to do as he demands: seduce the leader of the revolutionaries and learn what she can about their plot. As she’s drawn deeper into Daniel’s dangerous world, from the seedy backstreets of London to the claustrophobic catacombs of a war-torn Paris, she realizes an even more dangerous fact. She’s falling in love with her seductive partner. And the stakes of this game might just be too high, even for her.

EXCERPT


Daniel picked his moment carefully. He watched Sir Percy’s wife leave with another group soon after the announcement was made. And although he made no especial effort to hide, he nonetheless remained in the shadows. He pulled out a cigar and lit it on a nearby taper.

As soon as he heard the footman call for Sir Percy’s carriage, he stepped forward into the carriage and waited for Blakeney to join him.

“Send me to France, Percy,” he said as soon as the carriage jolted into motion.

“I’m not going to do that,” Blakeney replied.

“You can’t just leave Jonathan there!”

“He signed on knowing the same risks as you.”

“He has a wife and children!”

“And you seem inordinately fond of them,” Sir Percy snapped back. “You saw the list you gave me tonight. A dozen good men and women dead because of the Jacobins. I’m not prepared to risk more. Not until we know what we’re up against.”

“It could be too late!”

“You took an oath when you joined the League, Ridgeway. One to command, all to obey. Bear that in mind.”

Daniel leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees and exhaled long and sharp.

He felt Percy slap him on the back.

“Just wait a week until we know the lay of the land. I haven’t studied the documents you gave me and Parliament hasn’t even prepared a response to the National Committee’s declaration of war.”

“A week is a long time, Percy,” Daniel warned.

“So is eternity, dear chap. Don’t lose your head. As you well know, those Frenchies have a devilish way of parting you from it.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Elizabeth Ellen Carter’s debut novel, Moonstone Obsession, was published in 2013 by Etopia Press. Earlier that year, the Regency adventure romance had been shortlisted in the Romance Writers of Australia Emerald Awards for Best Unpublished Manuscript. Set in England and France during the French Revolution, it was heralded as ‘edge-of-seat adventure and intrigue’ and ‘a rollercoaster of love, blackmail, ill-gotten gains, treason and trickery’ with Carter described as ‘a writer worth keeping an eye on’ with ‘a hint of classic suspense novelist Daphne du Maurier’.

Her second novel, Warrior’s Surrender, was published by Etopia the following year. Set in Northumbria in 1077, it sets the relationship between a displaced Saxon noblewoman and a Norman baron against the turbulent backdrop of England in the years following the Norman invasion of 1066. Reviewers found the novel ‘a fast moving and passionate read’ with ‘strong characters, an intriguing plot, and plenty of action… a sexy romance to be savoured’. Readers agreed, voting Warrior’s Surrender Favourite Historical Fiction in the 2015 Readers & Writers Down Under Readers Choice Awards.

Also in 2014, the short story Moonstone Promise, spinning off from Moonstone Obsession as part of Etopia’s Valentines Heat anthology, followed the fortunes of one of the supporting characters back home to 18th century Pittsburgh in a tale of ‘second chance romance’.

Warrior’s Surrender (now in print as well as eBook) was named Favourite Historical Fiction at the 2015 Readers & Writers Down Under Readers Choice Awards in March this year.

Carter moved up to 1802 for the light-hearted romantic short story Three Ships, part of the Christmas 2014 anthology A Season To Remember, and ventures briefly into contemporary romance for the first time with her Romance Writers of Australia annual Little Gems competition placegetter, The Tin Bear, publishing in August 2015.

And another Moonstone Obsession character, the sinful Lady Abigail Houghall, features in the full length novel Moonstone Conspiracy, coming from Etopia Press in 2015.

Carter is currently working on her fourth novel, set in ancient Rome and tentatively titled Dark Heart, which will bring together the elements for which she has become known in just a few years – in-depth historical detail woven through gripping adventure and captivating romance.

The author lives in Australia with her husband and two cats. A former newspaper journalist, she ran an award-winning PR agency for 12 years.



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Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Virtual Tour & #Giveaway for Up and In by Deborah Disney


Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Tour, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for Up and In by Deborah Disney.  Please leave a comment or question for Deborah to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter Deborah’s tour wide giveaway, where three  (3) randomly drawn commenters will each be awarded a digital copy of her book, by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can follow all of the stops on Deborah’s tour by clicking on the banner above.  The more stops you visit, the better your chances of winning. 
The Hazard of Keeping Up with the Joneses
By Deborah Disney

Once upon a time, (how authorly of me to start like that) social standing was determined by the family you were born into. In the modern day, social standing is often less about surnames and lineage than it is about how much – and what kind of – STUFF you have, how much money you have and just what you like to spend it on. The house, the car, the jewelery, the clothes, the holiday destinations. Consumerism is all-consuming, and the only way to tell if you are doing it ‘right’ is to measure up against how other people are … consuming.

The saying ‘Keeping up with the Joneses’ seems to date back over a hundred years, when an American comic strip of the same name detailed the exploits and acquisitions of the main characters’ unseen neighbours – the Joneses. The strong and continuing tendency of those in our society to compare their lot with others has kept the saying relevant. Enter Facebook and other forms of social media and keeping up with the Joneses can become a full-time job. There’s no getting away from the bloody Joneses with their tropical holiday snaps and Tiffany boxes on proud virtual display.

But just as we are being bombarded with well-angled photos of all the stuff we might convince ourselves we must have, many of us are realising that no matter how much we might be neck and neck with the Joneses, it doesn’t make us happy. Its joy, not stuff, that humans are craving, and although there can be a small measure of joy in stuff, stuff-joy is mostly fleeting. There is a growing realisation that comparing your life to the lives of the Joneses around you is a waste of time, energy and headspace. And this was a point I wanted to make with my novel, Up and In. Concentrate on your own life, and wringing every bit of joy out of it that you can – not by buying yourself more stuff, but by really being there, in the moment, with the ones you love. That is joy!

Up and In
By Deborah Disney


Publisher:  AUS Impulse (HarperCollins)
Release Date: December 1, 2014
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 258 Pages (717KB)
Format: eBook
ISBN:  9781460704356
ASIN:  B00LZB9FFY

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON | B & N | KOBO | iTUNES | GOOGLE PLAY



About the Book: 

Distinctly middle-class parents, Maria and Joe have committed every bit of available income to giving their daughters Kate and Sarah the best education possible, which to them means attending the most exclusive girls school in the state. But when Kate befriends the spoilt and moody Mirabella, Maria finds herself thrust into a high society of champagne-swilling mother-istas she hasn't budgeted for. Saturday morning netball is no longer a fun mother-daughter outing, but a minefield of social politics.

While the increasingly neurotic Maria struggles to negotiate the school mum hierarchy, Joe quietly battles a midlife crisis and Kate attempts to grow up as gracefully as possible (without having her life ruined by embarrassing parents).

For every woman who has ever felt she may be wearing the wrong shoes, this is a book that will remind you - you're not alone.

Fans of Liane Moriarty and Fiona Higgins are sure to enjoy this debut offering from new Australian author, Deborah Disney.

EXCERPT


I first encountered the phenomenon that is Bea when Kate and Mirabella started kindergarten together. Kate was coming home every afternoon with stories about Mirabella. Her rushed delivery of the events of the day was interrupted only by peals of laughter as she enthusiastically recalled Mirabella’s crazy antics. I was so happy that Kate appeared to have made a friend so quickly and I was keen to meet this little dynamo.

One morning I decided to stay in the kindy room for a while with the other mothers, instead of doing my usual drop off with a quick cuddle at the backpack rack so that I could get Sarah home for her morning nap. As we walked into the room, Kate immediately flung away my hand – which she had been holding all the way from the car – and excitedly squealed out 'Mi-ra-bel-la' as she raced off towards a tall, blonde girl dressed in Ralph Lauren from top to toe. As I glanced around the room, I noticed that Kate’s kindy clothes signalled a mother more practical than à la mode, and that although her pre-paint-stained shorts and dark-coloured top may not cause me any stress when I picked her up covered in Play-Doh in the afternoon – or as I unloaded them from the washing machine – they were certainly causing me a lot of stress right now. Every child in the room looked ready for a game of croquet. Except Kate. All of a sudden she looked like a little street urchin. Why on earth did I agree to let her do her own hair today?

‘Okay, boys and girls, let’s all say goodbye to our mummies, and let’s put our special art smocks on so we can do some finger-painting!’ announced Miss Collins. Righto then, I guess there was no need for pre-paint-stained shorts. The next day she would be mixing it with the best in her latest outfit … the latest outfit which I planned to go and buy for her as soon as I left the kindy. Sarah’s sleep could wait.

As I was leaving, I noticed a crowd of children around Mirabella – Kate was just one of many vying for her attention. And then I noticed the tall, tanned blonde who bent down to kiss the smaller version of herself, and how she too attracted a crowd of mothers as she made her way out the door.

‘Hi there,’ I ventured a little too loudly as I tried to steal her attention. ‘I’m Maria, Kate’s mum.’

The woman looked at me quizzically. Then she looked to the group of women around her. ‘Kate? Which one is Kate?’ They looked back at her, equally puzzled. Then one announced, ‘Kate is the one who wears the runners.’

‘Ohhh,’ it dawned on them all at once. Add designer kids-size-nine shoes to this morning’s shopping list.

‘Kate just can’t stop talking about Mirabella,’ I continued. ‘I was wondering if she would like to come for a play one afternoon?’

The tall, tanned blonde had still not offered her own name. ‘Yes, perhaps,’ she replied through a forced, yet dazzling, smile. ‘Mirabella does have a lot of activities in the afternoons, though.’

Hmmm, ‘perhaps’? This was going to be harder than I thought. ‘Oh, well, Kate only has swimming which is on Wednesday afternoons, so any other afternoon would be fine with us.’

‘What a shame. That is really Mirabella’s only free afternoon.’ And that was that. If it had not been for two other women chiming ‘Bye Bea’ as they climbed into their four-wheel drives, I still wouldn’t have known her name that day.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Australian author, Deborah Disney, grew up in the regional city of Toowoomba and now lives in Brisbane with her husband and two school-aged daughters. Deborah has a BA/LLB from the University of Queensland and practised as a solicitor for a number of years prior to having children. She chose to specialise in litigation law as that seemed like the best preparation for what is now her looming battle – mothering her daughters through the teenage years. Deborah's first novel, Up and In, is a satirical look at the interactions of school and sporting mums.




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