Blog Tour + Excerpt & Giveaway: One Wild Night by Magan Vernon

Posted in Blog Tours, Giveaways by Lacey

One Wild Night by Magan Vernon
December 2013
Part 1 in the FOREVER WILD series

One Wild Night Can Change Everything

Valerie Wilder doesn’t do serious relationships. She also doesn’t usually wake up in Vegas next to a male stripper…

A male stripper who happens to be her new husband.

A quickie divorce seems like the answer, but the Nevada legal system doesn’t think so. When her new husband suggests flying back to Chicago with Valerie she accepts, wondering if one night in Vegas could turn into something much more.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble

I propped myself up on my elbows and raised an eyebrow. “You’re going to sing?”

He slung the guitar strap over his shoulder and strummed a few chords. “I told you that I was a musician. Do you think I just carry this thing around as part of my act to get women?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

A slow smile appeared on his face. “Then I just have to prove you wrong.” He took a few steps closer and strummed a few chords, humming along to them. Then he played a few notes that I recognized.

He started in with a soft hum, then he opened his mouth and it was pure, panty-dropping gold. I didn’t think Wild World by Cat Stevens was a sexy song until I heard Wes sing it. His accent came through with a smoky edge to it. If I could have fucked his voice right there, I would have.

When he got through the chorus again he stopped playing and looked at me with his eyes shining. “Still think it’s just something I pretend to do to get women?”

It took me a minute before I could finally talk again and when I did I felt like a nervous teenage girl about to speak to her crush and had to clear my throat a few times. “No. Definitely not. I mean, not that I really thought you used it just to get women. But—”

Wes leaned over his guitar, lightly pressing his lips to mine. “Darlin’, sometimes you talk too much.”

Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. When not writing she spends her time fighting over fake boyfriends via social media. You can find her online at www.maganvernon.com.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

Magan is giving away some signed swag! 5 winners receive a postcard and 1 person will receive a 8X10 signed by Magan and her cover model.

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9Dec2013

Early Review: Elect by Rachel Van Dyken

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Elect by Rachel Van Dyken
Series: Eagle Elite #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 10th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Forever) in exchange for an honest review

Would you die for the one you love?
Nixon Abandonato made his choice. And now he has to pay the price. Tracey is the We’vlove of his life, but being with him has made her a target of his family’s enemies. The only way to keep Trace alive is convince the world she means nothing to him.

Trace Rooks has fallen irrevocably in love with the son of her family’s sworn rival, and she knows in her bones nothing can tear them apart. Until Nix suddenly pushes her away and into the arms of his best friend… But Trace isn’t ready to give up on a future with Nix–and if he won’t fight for them, she will.

In the end, a sacrifice must be made. A life for a life. For what better way to cover a multitude of sins than with the blood of a sinner . . .

Okay, the first thing you should know about Elect is that it’s told in alternating POV! It was such a lovely surprise for me, because I had no idea that Rachel Van Dyken was changing things up a bit in Elect. We get to read from Nixon, Chase, and even Phoenix’s POVS! Hurray for male POV’s, and incredibly written ones at that.

There will be spoilers for those who haven’t read Elite, just FYI!

We found out in Elite that Tracey, Nixon, and the gang are all involved with the mafia in one way or another. And we finally get to know more about the mafia and dangerous people in it. If mafia/mob books are your type of thing, or you want to start reading those types of books, I highly recommend this series. Rachel Van Dyken skillfully integrates the mafia world into her book, and then suddenly you’re thrust into the world and you don’t want to leave. I had a fantastic time reading Elect. It’s fast-paced, thrilling, and so much fun to read. I couldn’t put the book down!

Since we get Nixon’s POV, we obviously get more information about the way the mafia works. Nixon is the leader of the Abandonato family, and he’s in charge of everything–the people, the money, etc. He doesn’t have a clean past, but he wants to be good enough for the love of his life, Tracey. And he’s the most caring, wonderful boyfriend in the world. He puts her above himself and all others, and he’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe and alive–even if it means he can’t have her.

As we get more POVs from Chase, Nixon’s cousin, right-hand man, and best friend, we also get to know Chase’s feelings for Trace. Because Chase is in love with Trace too. He feels guily for loving her, but he can’t stop. Chase is in charge of Trace’s safety, which means he’s around her all the time, and he can’t stop his love from growing. I felt so sad for Chase, because we know that Nixon and Tracey are it. They’re perfect together and they belong together, and it’s so painful for Chase to watch them that my heart was hurting for him.

But then… dangerous people become involved in their lives, and Tracey and everyone’s lives are in danger. We are introduced to the mafia family from Sicily, who are powerful people, and there’s a great mystery involved with Trace’s parents deaths. Unforeseen circumstances tear Nixon and Trace apart, and Chase is there to pick up the pieces. But is Tracey willing enough to let Nixon go and take a chance with Chase?

“Choose me,” I whispered. “Because my heart? My soul? My damn existence? Has already spoken, and it wants you, and only you–forever.”

Oooh, who could it be? Who does Trace choose? Nixon? Chase? AH! I really liked this love triangle. It helped that I didn’t need to read Trace’s POV, because if there were any chapters in her POV, then I would have gotten tired of the love triangle fast. There was no “Which one should I choose?” dilemma that I had to read. We only read from the guys’ POVs, and their POVs are so amazing! I was swooning and sighing a lot in this book.

“I feel lost.”
“Let me find you.”
“I feel sick.”
“Let me heal you.” I kissed her head.
“I feel sad.”
“Let me be your happiness.”

I was Awwwing so hard here! Nixon is just so. damn. sweet.

But anyways, besides the great romance in the book, Elect had so many twists and turns that had me reeling and being so enthralled in the story. There are things that Phoenix is hiding, and once the truth is set free, it changes everything for the characters. And as bad as Phoenix was in Elite, he really had a change of heart in Elect, and he’s such a complex, incredible character.

For fans of Elite, you don’t want to miss Elect. It has everything you’d expect from a mafia romance and more. 4 hearts!

“Besides, romance isn’t something you work at–not when you find the right girl. When you fall in love, when you take that leap, it’s as natural as breathing; it’s as simple as that. I’m romantic because my heart demands I be nothing less than one hundred percent, for you, day and night.”

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: Eagle Elite series

#1 ~ Elite: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Enforce: Goodreads (Dec. 2014)
#2 ~ Elect: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Entice: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Elicit: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#5 ~ Ember: Goodreads (Feb. 2015)

9Dec2013

Release Day Launch + Teaser & Giveaway: Thou Shalt Not by JJ Rossum

Posted in Giveaways, Spotlight by Lacey

Thou Shalt Not by JJ Rossum
Release Day: December 9, 2013

Luke Harper was finally starting to settle into his life – a life that had previously been full of more heartbreak and pain than most people ever experienced. He had a job he loved, and was blissfully content in his on-again, off-again relationship with the striking, and highly sexual, Holly. But, life throws Luke another curveball with the arrival of the alluring April, a woman stuck in a tumultuous, violent marriage to a famous athlete. Luke soon finds himself torn between what is safe, familiar, and right, and what is dangerous, unknown, and forbidden.

Buy Links:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Smashwords

Teaser

She was looking down into the water.

“You know, if I knew you better I would probably push you in,” she said very nonchalantly, as if letting me know the water temperature.

“If I knew you better, I would probably beat you to it,” I replied.

She turned to me, her eyes full of mischievous energy.

“Oh really?”

Her hands quickly went up and grabbed my shoulders, and mine instinctively grabbed her waist. I could feel her grip tighten when I touched her, and her eyes widened.

“If I go in, you are going in with me,” I said, shuffling my feet closer to the edge.

Her hands moved along my shoulders and her feet edged closer to mine.

“I’m a grown woman,” she said. “Threats involving water don’t scare me.”

Her bottom lip curled up under her teeth as she smiled, repeating what I had said earlier. Or mocking me, perhaps.

I tightened my grip on her hips and flinched, pretending I was about to throw her in. She gasped slightly, hands grabbing my shoulders tightly again. Her hips arched forward and she leaned up on her toes as if in reflex.

“I thought you weren’t scared,” I said, pulling her closer to me. “People usually don’t gasp when they are ready for what’s about to happen.”

She was less than a foot from me, her face getting much closer to mine.

“It depends on what’s happening,” she said, looking up into my eyes.

I wasn’t thinking about throwing her into the water anymore. Everything within me wanted to pull her tightly in and kiss her right there, in front of the pool in the house her husband bought with all the millions of dollars he had made throughout his career. Kiss her on the spot where he probably threw numerous parties. Kiss her on the lips I wished were mine, and not his.

The look in her eyes told me she wanted the same. At least I thought they did. I hadn’t been in a position where I felt like this for someone in a long time. Thankfully, my hands were around her waist or I surely would have been able to feel them get clammy, nervous, like a high school kid on his first date with the prom queen he never thought he could get.

She is calculating, remember? I thought to myself. If she hadn’t wanted it to get to this point she never would have asked you over to her house. She wants this as much as you do.

I wasn’t sure which shoulder angel was feeding me that line but whoever it was, I knew they were right.

My hands pulled her closer until her feet were between mine; our legs and waists touching.

“You have really strong shoulders,” she said. Her voice was soft and she tilted her head up toward mine when she spoke.

Do it, I told myself. Kiss her.

My heart was racing, and I could hear the beating in my ears. My hands moved up her body and found her neck. My fingers laced in her hair behind her head and I pulled her up.

Praise from Tarryn Fisher

Salty. This book is salty. There is no sweet. You’ll be hard pressed to find a unicorn. It is sexy and frustrating. I grow so tired of “perfect” steamy hero’s. I don’t like perfect. I like my men a little nerdy and aggressive. Luke is way nerdy. We have a lot of male perspective books coming out, but most are written by women. I’m really wondering at this point if we are getting it right. As for the actual storyline…I was riveted. Hero is playing with married woman fire. He has a hot, little blonde on the back burner. I didn’t know who to root for. The author’s writing style is what I’ll praise most. It’s so different. Polished. And I love being in a man’s head. They’re simple, but damn are they dirty. I.LOVE.THIS.BOOK.

Bonus Chapter at the end of Thou Shalt Not

After you finish Thou Shalt Not, you will be able to briefly reunite with Caleb and Olivia from Tarryn Fisher’s Love Me With Lies series as she gives us one last glimpse into their life.

JJ Rossum traveled the world as a child, and called many places “home”. Currently, home is Portland, Oregon, where he is at work on other novels that were hatched while people watching during many airport layovers.

Facebook | Goodreads

–10 e-book copies of Thou Shalt Not

a Rafflecopter giveaway

9Dec2013

Cover Reveal + Giveaway: Forever with You by Laurelin Paige

Posted in Cover Reveals, Giveaways by Lacey

Forever with You by Laurelin Paige
Series: Fixed #3 (full reading order below)
Release Date: January 14th 2014

Alayna Withers relationship with Hudson Pierce has tested both her and his ability to trust. They decide that the only way they can move forward together is with open doors and transparency. It won’t be easy for the scarred lovers, but they’re committed to each other more now than ever. Alayna, in particular, has grown through their trials, and has emerged more confident and faithful to the man she loves.

But while the pair is focused on the future, their past shows up again to threaten their fragile bond. Promises that were made are broken, and Alayna learns that Hudson still has very potent secrets—secrets that will tear them both apart. As much as she feels for him, her ability to forgive and forget is tested beyond her limits.

Even though she found the only man who could fix her, a forever with Hudson seems more and more out of reach.

Reading Order: Fixed series

#1 ~ Fixed on You: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Found in You: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Forever with You: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

USA Today Bestselling Author Laurelin Paige is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Mad Men and the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Adam Levine. She is represented by the wonderful Bob Diforio of D4EO Literary Agency.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Newsletter • Pinterest

–$50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
–5 ebook sets of Fixed on You and Found in You

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9Dec2013

The 12 NA’s of Christmas + Excerpt & Giveaway: Warmth in Ice by A. Meredith Walters

Posted in Giveaways, Spotlight by Lacey

THE 12 NA’S OF CHRISTMAS

.99 CENT SALE!

The novellas written by the 12 NA’s of Christmas will be on sale beginning December 1^st! From December 1^st-11^th, each day one of the novellas will be highlighted around the book community. Today, the novella spotlight is Christmas Catch by Chelsea M. Cameron. Check out the excerpt and enter the giveaway!

You can buy any of the 12 NA’s of Christmas titles on Amazon.

***Warmth in Ice is proud to be a part of The 12 NA’s of Christmas***

12 New Adult Novellas. 12 Bestselling Authors. November 2013
***********

It’s Maggie and Clay’s first Christmas together…

***Spoilers for those who have not read Find You in the Dark or Light in the Shadows***

Clay and Maggie have gone through the dark and come out on the other side. For the first time, they are on this journey together. Fighting for something they both need and can’t live without…each other.

But a long distance relationship is hard. Particularly for two people who are still trying to build something solid on a shaky and troubled foundation. Clay is finally out of treatment and is living in an out patient halfway house. He struggles with what he wants to do and where he wants to go. Questions he worries he will never have the answers to. Maggie is trying to transition into college life and learning how to create a future with someone who is over a thousand miles away.

As the months pass and they struggle with being a part, old insecurities and fears take root and threaten a love that has come so far.

When Maggie decides to fly to Florida as a surprise for Clay on Christmas, she is unsure whether it will be the first step toward what they both desperately want or whether it could possibly be the end of it all.

But with the holidays approaching, Maggie and Clay are reminded that even when the days are coldest, you can still find the warmth and that hope and love are the greatest gifts of all.

You can buy this book or any of the 12 NA’s of Christmas titles on Amazon.

Excerpt

“Let’s not make each other any promises we can’t keep right now. I’m not sure I can handle the disappointment,” I said, laughing humorlessly.

I was a trip wire set to detonate. These moments were a bitter reminder of the dark, twisted places my mind could go. Of where it still wanted to go.

I picked at the skin around my thumb, drawing blood. Seeing the bright red against my skin I stilled, gripping my hands into fists. “I’d better go.” I strangled out.

“Clay…” Maggie began. She shook her head, her face hidden by a long curtain of hair.

“You know I love you, right?” she asked and I hated how it felt like she was trying to convince both of us.

I nodded, still clenching my fists as tightly as they would go.

“Yeah, Mags. I know. I love you too,” I replied, the words as brittle as glass between my teeth.

Maggie was distracted by a knock on her door and I heard voices that had become unwelcomingly familiar.

“Just give me a minute to finish up and I’ll meet up with you,” Maggie was saying, her back to me as she spoke to the guy at her door.

The hateful coil of jealousy reared its head and without another word, and before Maggie could turn back around, I disconnected the call. I quickly logged out of my computer and slammed it closed with a decisive bang. I pulled the plug from the wall and then picked up the laptop and shoved it in my desk drawer as if I could shove away the ugly emotions burning a hole in my gut.

My breath came in painful bursts.

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary and New Adult Romance.

A. Meredith spent ten years as a counselor for at risk teens and children. First working at a Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault program and then later a program for children with severe emotional and mental health issues. Her former clients and their stories continue to influence every aspect of her writing.

When not writing (or being tortured with all manner of beauty products at the hand of her very imaginative and extremely girly 7 year old daughter), she is eating chocolate, watching reality television that could rot your brain and reading a smutty novel or two.

Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Blog

About the 12 NA’s of Christmas:

The 12 NA’s of Christmas authors are Marquita Valentine, Zoe Dawson, Chelsea M. Cameron, Tiffany King, Breena Wilde, Sawyer Bennett, Magan Vernon, Sarra Cannon, A. Meredith Walters, Shelly Crane, and Addison Moore.

Website

International Giveaway

2 ebook copies of A Perfect Mess by Zoe Dawson – International
1 ebook copy of all 8 volumes of the Blurred Lines series by Breena Wilde – International
5 ebook copies of Live For You (Boys of the South #1) by Marquita Valentine – International
3 ebook copies of Cross Country Christmas by Tiffany King – International
5 ebook copies of Warmth In Ice by A. Meredith Walters – International
3 ebook copies of Off Sides by Sawyer Bennett – International
3 ebook copies of 3:AM Kisses by Addison Moore – International
3 ebooks of Christmas Catch by Chelsea M. Cameron – International
5 ebook copies of The Moment We Began by Sarra Cannon – International
(2) $100 USD VISA Gift Card – e-gift cards
(2) $25 VISA Gift Card – e-gift cards

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US Only Giveaway

3 signed swag packs from Tiffany King – US Only
1 signed print copy of Smash Into You by Shelly Crane – US Only
10 Bookmarks signed by Magan Vernon and the male model on her cover – US only
1 signed print copy of The Moment We Began by Sarra Cannon – US

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Blog Tour + Excerpt & Giveaway: One Wild Night by Magan Vernon