Cover Reveal + Excerpt: Phenomenal X by Michelle A. Valentine

Today we’re excited to help Michelle A. Valentine reveal the cover to her upcoming New Adult novel, Phenomenal X!

Phenomenal X is a sexy story with a hot alpha male who will leave you hot, bothered and wanting more!

Phenomenal X by Michelle A.Valentine

Title: Phenomenal X
Author: Michelle A. Valentine
Release Date: TBA
Reveal Organized by: I Love Indie Books
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From the mean streets of Detroit rises the newest superstar of professional wrestling, Xavier Cold, better known as Phenomenal X. His muscular physique makes men cower before him and woman lose their minds with desire.

Anna Cortez is fresh out of college and naive to the harsh realities of the real world. Tired of living under the thumb of her conservative family, she defies them when she accepts a job as the assistant to wrestling’s most notorious bad-boy. Phenomenal X has an animalistic nature that even good girl Anna finds hard to resist.

One night forced to share a bed in a sold-out hotel, lines blur between them and they quickly learn that one lustful night changes everything and neither one of them will ever be the same.

Excerpt

His lips pull into a tight line, and I fully expect him to release me, but he doesn’t. Xavier’s grip stays firmly in place. “It’s fine if you don’t want to say what’s on your mind. I get that, but no more frowning for the rest of this trip, or I might be forced to find other ways to make you smile just to piss your boyfriend the fuck off.”

My mouth drops open and I can’t stop myself from asking, “What kind of ways?”

Damn my stupid curious brain. That just set him up for all kinds of more dirty talk.

He tries to fight back a smile, but it doesn’t work. It comes at me in full, glorious force. “More ways than that sweet brain of yours could ever imagine.” He leans into me and I tense while he still holds me in place. He’s close enough that if I pushed forward a couple inches our lips will meet in what I imagine would be an earth altering kiss. “I could do things to your body that most women only dream about while reading their dirty, porn romance novels, and I promise you’d fucking enjoy it.”

about the author

Michelle A.ValentineMichelle A. Valentine is a Central Ohio nurse turned New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of erotic and New Adult romance. Her love of hard-rock music, tattoos, and sexy musicians inspired her erotic BLACK FALCON series.

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Book Blitz + Excerpt & Giveaway: Counting Shadows by Olivia Rivers

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beautiful young girl dreams of lying on a magic meadow in spring

Counting Shadows by Olivia Rivers
(Duplicity #1)
Publication date: June 30th 2013
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
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Two hearts, one kiss…

…Nothing left.

Faye’s soul-mate is everything she should hate—an Angel, an outcast, an enemy. Ashe is just one more imperfection in her life that somehow makes everything… perfect.

Until he’s murdered.

With the only person she loves ripped away, Faye sets out to avenge Ashe’s death. The task seems impossible, until she finds Lor—an Angel who looks nearly identical to Ashe’s killer. Arrogant and hot-headed, Lor is everything Ashe wasn’t. But Lor is connected to her soul-mate’s past, and Faye needs him to find the killer—even if Lor is potentially deadly.

But when Faye discovers that Ashe’s past isn’t as black and white as she thought, she faces an impossible choice: Give up the hunt, and risk the lives of others. Or continue pursuing Ashe’s murderer, and forfeit the lives of everyone in her family—including herself.

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Excerpt

I face a dark cell, one far from any window and trapped in shadows. I take a step toward it, and then back, unable to see anyone in the darkness.

Then a figure steps forward into a faint patch of light, and I let out a choked sound.

It’s him.

Young, about my own age. Tanned skin. Muscular and well-built, but taller than any Irradorian. Sharp facial features, strong jaw, and the scar that runs from his right eyebrow down to his bottom lip—

The scar. It’s not there. I frantically scan the man’s face another time, but the scar is still missing.

The man in front of me raises an eyebrow and leans against the bars of his cell. “You like something you see?”

“No,” I blurt out.

I don’t like this. I hate this. This man looks exactly like Ashe’s killer, but… he’s not. As I look over him a second time, I notice a few more subtle differences; this man is a little taller than Ashe’s killer, a little younger, and he has a tattoo on his collarbone. I can only see a portion of the black ink, but it’s enough to prove this isn’t who I’m looking for. Ashe’s killer didn’t have any tattoos.

But maybe he just got the tattoo after he killed Ashe. Maybe… No. He could gain a tattoo, but he could never lose a scar.

This isn’t the man I’ve been searching for.

The man in the cell hisses in a breath, reminding me that I said something offensive. “Ouch.” The way he speaks reminds me of Farren’s sarcastic drawl, only this man’s is much more practiced. He has a slight accent that somehow manages to make his husky voice sound elegant, but it just makes me shudder. His voice sounds so much like Ashe’s killer’s. “That hurts, sweetheart. Like an arrow through the heart. Words can kill, you know.”

My chest constricts, knowing how right he is. Knowing he knows how right he is. It was words that killed Ashe, just a few whispers in the ear of Father. And, somehow, this man is tied to that.

I glare at him, doing my best to look intimidating, despite the shivers crawling over my skin. “What’s your name?”

He bows deeply, the motion even more sarcastic than his words. “My name is Lor. At your service, sweetheart.” He looks up and winks. “Any service.”

“I’m not here to play games with you,” I growl.

“Too bad.”

“I want to know right now. What part are you playing in this? How do you know my Guardian’s killer? What did you have to gain from his death?” I gasp in air, suddenly out of breath.

Lor tilts his head and stares at me for a long moment, his eyebrows raised in amusement. “You know,” he says, his voice softening to a tone that’s darkly patronizing. “Where I come from, it’s considered rather rude to come barging into someone’s prison cell and accuse them of murder. That’s usually done before the whole incarceration thing.”

about the author

Olivia RiversOlivia Rivers is the author of five novels, ranging in genres from Epic Fantasy to Contemporary Romance. Along with being a writer, she’s a freelance digital artist, a literary agent assistant, and a high school student. She’s a nerd at heart, and is a hopeless fan-girl for Doctor Who and Pokémon. Olivia lives in California with a dog who thinks he’s a cat, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and a kitten who is just generally confused.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter

giveaway

–one (1) ebook copy of Counting Shadows

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Blog Tour + Excerpt & Giveaway: A Vampire’s Christmas Carol by Cynthia Eden

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A Vampire's Christmas Carol by Cynthia Eden

A Vampire’s Christmas Carol by Cynthia Eden
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This holiday season has bite.

Ben Prescott hates Christmas—he’s a vampire, and to him, there’s certainly nothing jolly about the holiday season. While the humans are running around being merry, he’s hunting in the shadows. Ben plans to spend the holidays his way…by stalking deadly prey.

But fate has other plans for Ben.

Three visitors are coming Ben’s way…A demon who will force Ben to face his past, a ghost who will show Ben the present he could have, and a shifter who will reveal the darkness that waits in Ben’s future. Unless Ben can change his ways, he may just turn into a real monster, one who can’t be saved by anyone or anything.

‘Tis the season…to be undead.

Ben’s redemption rests in the hands of the one woman he loved and lost—Simone Laurent. If Ben is going to have a chance at being more than just the beast in the darkness, he has to prove himself to the lovely Simone. A very hard task, considering that, once upon a Christmas Eve, Simone died in Ben’s arms…

Warning: This book features one very tortured vampire, a sexy ghost from his past, and hot scenes designed to melt the winter snow. Plenty of action, adult situations, and steamy times are ahead. Happy holidays!

Buy Links:
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excerpt

Lust clawed through him. The need, the red-hot desire, seemed to burn Ben from the inside.  He grabbed Simone, yanked her flush against him. His mouth locked on hers. He’d always tried to be so careful with her in the past. Played the gentleman because she mattered.

He wasn’t a gentleman any longer. Ben wasn’t even sure what he was. He just knew he needed Simone naked, and he had to be in her.

He carried her back to his bedroom. He ignored the glittering New York skyline. She was the only thing he could see. Desire pounded through him. His cock was so swollen that he hurt and—

His teeth were extending. Stretching in his mouth.

Ben dropped Simone on the bed and stepped back, horrified.

“Ben?”  Simone sat up on the bed and pushed back the blonde hair that had tumbled forward. “What’s wrong?”

She was so gorgeous and sexy staring up at him. Looking at him with those wide, dark eyes.

I’m going to hurt her. He grabbed for the control that he’d always held so easily in the past. Only that control was broken. Shattered. “You need to leave.”

about the author

Cynthia EdenUSA 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.

Website/Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

giveaway

–$100 Amazon.com (or B&N.com) gift card

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The Twelve Days of New Adult Giveaway Hop

The Twelve Days of New Adult Giveaway Hop

Welcome to The Twelve Days of New Adult Giveaway Hop, hosted by Stuck in Books!

Here are your choices! One winner will receive one of the following:

Following Me by K.A. Linde Mine by Katy Evans Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire

-SIGNED paperback of Following Me by K.A. Linde
-paperback of Mine by Katy Evans
-paperback of Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Down to You by M. Leighton Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover UK

-paperback of Down to You by M. Leighton
-UK paperback version of Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover

Tidal by Emily Snow The Coincidence of Kallie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen

-paperback of Tidal by Emily Snow
-paperback of The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden by Jessica Sorensen

Giveaway is US ONLY! Ends Dec. 12, 2013.

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Click here to see the rest of the stops in this giveaway hop!

Review: If You Leave by Courtney Cole

If You Leave by Courtney Cole

If You Leave by Courtney Cole
Series: Beautifully Broken #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 6th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

26-year old Gabriel Vincent is a badass hero. Or he used to be, anyway. As an ex-Army Ranger, Gabe never thought he needed anyone. But after one horrible night in Afghanistan scars him in a way that he can’t get past, he needs someone who can help him heal…even if he doesn’t realize it.

25-year old Madison Hill doesn’t need anybody…or so she thinks. She grew up watching her parents’ messed-up abusive relationship and she knows there’s no way in hell that she’s ever letting that happen to her.

They don’t know it in the beginning, but Gabriel and Madison will soon develop a weakness: Each other.

But Gabriel’s got a secret, a hidden monster that he’s afraid Maddy could never overcome… And Maddy’s got issues that she’s afraid Gabe will never understand. They quickly realize that they need each other to be whole, but at the same time they know that they’ve got demons to fight.

And the problem with demons is that they never die quietly.

Oh my… If You Leave is a huge improvement from If You Stay, the first book in the Beautifully Broken series. I didn’t connect very much with If You Stay, but If You Leave took my breath away. It wasn’t perfect, but I still loved reading it. Courtney Cole is an absolute genius at wringing out the angst and pain and emotion to the max. In this book you really feel–the characters’ pain, their heartbreak, their fears, everything. Because of this book, I’m a huge, huge fan of Courtney Cole’s writing.

If You Leave tells the story of Madison, the sister of Mila from If You Stay, and Gabriel, the older brother of Madison’s friend Jacey (whose own book, which I loved, is coming soon!). From If You Stay, we saw how Madison took over her parents’ restaurant after their deaths, and how protective of Mila she is. Madison is very put together, and can sometimes act cold, but this is only because of how much she had to grow up at a young age. And in If You Leave, we truly see how much Madison’s parents’ deaths have taken a toll on her. We also get more in depth than we did in If You Stay about how abusive her parents’ relationship really was, and how that’s affected Madison and her fears and her relationships with men.

Madison and Gabriel meet, unbeknownst of their connection through Jacey, and are instantly taken with each other. They want each other, and are close to having a one-night-stand until they get into a car accident. They are unharmed, but the car explodes, and Gabriel freaks, badly. He just came back from war and has PTSD, but Madison has no idea of his problems and becomes wary of him. She takes him home though, helps him get through the night, and then she leaves, thankful that she never has to see him again.

But… of course they see each other again. And though they try to pretend their feelings are casual, they fall for each other so hard. The road to their happily ever after, though, is not easy. Far from it. They have to deal with Madison’s trust issues and Gabriel’s PTSD. They’re both broken, but together they’re happier than they’ve been for a long time.

Oh my goodness, Gabriel is wonderful. He’s an ex-soldier who recently retired and came back from Afghanistan, but the horrors he witnessed still haunt him daily, and he carries so much guilt. Courtney Cole writes Gabriel with such perfection, because he’s so real. His pain and his guilt and especially the love he has for Madison come right off the pages, and this beautifully broken man stole my heart. But the best thing about this man is that despite how alpha-male he is, he knows he’s broken and is willing to get help for his PTSD. He wants to be the man for Madison, but he knows he can’t when he’s still dealing with his guilt.

“Is everyone in the world broken, Gabriel?” Even to my own ears, my whisper itself sounds broken in the velvety night. I can feel the weight of Gabriel’s gaze as he stares down at me in the dark.
“I think so,” he finally answers. “In their own way.”

(Can you hear my heart breaking?)

If You Leave is so intense. It’s gripping and raw and passionate and real. Madison and Gabriel, especially Gabriel, go through hell and back. Reading this, I was on such a roller coaster of emotions. My heart broke so many times for Gabriel and Madison, at how many times they had to deal with death and other devastating parts of life, but I held on to hope for them. Despite being broken, they fight through their pasts and fears, and they fight for each other.

But death is part of life and the fear of it can’t stop us from living.

4 hearts (although there were some emotion parts that warranted a 5)! If You Leave is a beautiful, heart-wrenching story of how a broken soldier and an emotionally scarred woman find love and happiness through each other.

4-hearts

lacey

Reading Order: Beautifully Broken series

If You Stay by Courtney Cole If You Leave by Courtney Cole
Until We Burn by Courtney Cole Before We Fall by Courtney Cole Until We Fly by Courtney Cole

#1 ~ If You Stay: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ If You Leave: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Until We Burn: Ebook • Goodreads
#3 ~ Before We Fall: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Until We Fly: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads