Cover Reveal + Excerpt & Giveaway: Forever Ours by Cassia Leo

Forever Ours by Cassia Leo

Forever Ours by Cassia Leo
(Shattered Hearts #0.5)
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Forever Ours is the highly anticipated prequel to the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Shattered Hearts Series. This can be read as a stand alone or before Relentless.

Sometimes, it takes more than love to mend a shattered heart.

After eight years of being tossed around from one home to another, never forming any meaningful friendships or bonds with her foster families, Claire’s caseworker gives her an ultimatum: Behave or your next home will be a halfway house.

When fifteen-year-old Claire arrives at the home of Jackie Knight and meets Jackie’s fifteen-year-old son, tattooed guitarist Chris, she fears she’ll be seeing the inside of that halfway house soon. But Chris isn’t like any other guy Claire has ever encountered and he soon gains her trust through his music and unwavering patience.

Claire has finally found her forever home and she and Chris soon find themselves falling in love.

But Chris’s dreams of musical stardom and Claire’s need for a stable home soon put their love in jeopardy. Chris struggles deeply with his plans for the future, entirely reluctant to leave Claire behind; until Claire does something that may break their love — and the only home she’s comes to know — forever.

FOREVER OURS PLAYLIST

Excerpt

There are moments in life that you know will be burned into your memory forever. Chris calls these “movie screen moments” — where everything slows down and you know that something important is about to happen that will change the course of the story. He says that the best songs are written about movie screen moments. I don’t know if this is true. All I know is that this is one of those moments.

I can feel it in the air. And I know that when I look back, I’ll remember everything about this moment in time; the smells, the tastes, the sounds, and the touch. The touch.

Chris and I are both sitting on the carpet with our backs leaned against the sofa, our fingers woven together as MTV plays in the background. This is something we’ve done every day for the past six weeks, ever since summer break began. As soon as Jackie leaves for work in the morning, we both get up and have breakfast together. He usually makes me a bowl of cereal or I make us both some scrambled eggs. Then we hang out in the living room for a few hours until his friends come over. Sometimes, Chris plays his guitar for me. Sometimes, we sit here and pretend to watch MTV, holding hands while Mr. Miyagi lays out across both of our laps, begging to be petted. Well, I don’t know if Chris is pretending to watch MTV, but I know I am.

All I can seem to think about when I’m near Chris is whether or not this will last or if he will be just another person I have to lose. But this doesn’t stop me from enjoying these hours spent together. I’ve never been happier in all my life. Not even when my mom was alive.

I’ll admit. I was sort of hoping today would be different then all the other mornings Chris and I have hung out. Not that I don’t like this small moment of closeness we share every day. But today’s my sixteenth birthday. I guess I figured that would make today even more special for us. I was kind of hoping I might get my first kiss.

“Tristan’s coming over in half an hour and we’re going to the mall. You want to come?”

My heart sinks a little. Chris knows that Tristan and I don’t get along very well. He hasn’t even wished me a happy birthday and now he’s leaving to hang out with Tristan.

I try to let go of his hand and he tightens his grip. “What’s wrong?”

I attempt to pull my hand away again and this time he lets go. “I don’t want to go to the mall.”

“Are you okay?”

I stand up and he immediately stands with me. “I’m just tired. I think I’m gonna go back to bed.”

I take a few steps, but he grabs my hand to stop me. When I look over my shoulder at him, he’s wearing a crooked smile. “Can you take Mr. Miyagi upstairs with you?”

My shoulders slump as I turn toward Chris’s Shiba Inu where he’s lounging on the sofa.

Chris chuckles. “I’m only kidding. I’m not going anywhere with Tristan today. I’m taking you for a ride.”

“What?”

“On my bike.”

“I’m not going on that thing.”

Chris got his motorcycle license the week after he turned sixteen less than three months ago. He’s been trying to get me to ride with him on his crappy racing bike ever since the first time I let him hold my hand.

“Come on,” he pleads. “I have something I want to show you, but I want to do it alone. I don’t want to ask Tristan to take us. Please?”

I stare into his eyes for a moment and he tilts his head. His brown hair always looks calculatedly messy, the way it’s just long enough to cover his ears yet still sticks out in all the right places. His skin is so smooth; I often find myself wishing I could press my lips to his cheek just to feel the softness of his skin. And don’t even get me started on the metal stud in his tongue. The way he plays with it when he’s tuning his guitar gives me butterflies. I don’t know what Chris sees in me other than the way my hand seems to fit so perfectly in his.

He pulls me a little closer and lifts my hand to his mouth. My heart races as he lays a soft kiss on my knuckles. “Claire, it’s your birthday. And I know you probably haven’t had a whole lot of birthdays you want to remember for the rest of your life, but I want this birthday to be the one you never forget. Let me take you for a ride.”

I stare at his lips as he says these words and that’s when it happens. This is that moment; the moment where everything slows down and nothing is ever the same.

Reading Order: Shattered Hearts series

Forever Ours by Cassia Leo Relentless by Cassia Leo Pieces of You by Cassia Leo
Bring Me Home by Cassia Leo Abandon by Cassia Leo Chasing Abby by Cassia Leo

#0.5 ~ Forever Ours: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#1 ~ Relentless: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Pieces of You: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Bring Me Home: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Abandon: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Chasing Abby: PaperbackGoodreads (Sept. 22, 2014)

about the author

Cassia LeoNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cassia Leo grew up in California and has lived in three different countries. She loves to travel and her dream is to one day score a record deal based on her awesome shower singing skills. She is the author of the Shattered Hearts series (Relentless, Pieces of You, Bring Me Home) and the Luke and Chase series.

Come chat with her on Facebook and Twitter

You can also follow her blog at http://cassialeo.com to stay up to date on new releases and giveaways.

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Book News, Weekly Recap & Upcoming Releases! {14}

Cover Reveals!!

Here are some new covers revealed this week! Goodreads links below 🙂

Breakable by Tammara Webber Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh A Little Too Hot by Lisa Desrochers Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead Lovely Trigger by R.K. Lilley Rock My Body by Michelle A. Valentine Worn Me Down by T.E. Sivec Needing Her by Molly McAdams

Snippets!!

★ A snippet from Cassandra Clare’s tumblr for City of Heavenly Fire!

A parabatai. Like he was. And Jace knew, too, what that faded rune meant: a parabatai whose other half was dead. He felt his sympathy leap toward Brother Zachariah, as he imagined himself without Alec, with only that faded rune to remind him where once he had been bonded to someone who knew all the best and worst parts of his soul.

You can read another teaser here.

★ A teaser from Samantha Young’s blog from Castle Hill

Braden shook against me, his tone rumbling with laughter as he asked, “Am I not allowed out of bed this morning?”

“Nope,” I mumbled against his skin. “If you move, I’ll have to move. If I have to move it means facing the fact that we’re no longer in Hawaii. I don’t know if I’m ready to deal with that.”

He rolled me onto my back, laughing at the fact that I refused to open my eyes. “So is the plan to stay here forever?”

“Yes.”

“That might become a problem.”

I shook my head against the pillows. “I don’t foresee any problems. It’s a sound plan.”

“Well,” Braden sighed, “We will eventually start to smell. And needing the toilet might become a problem. And with your issues with flatulence—”

I punched him on the arm, opening my eyes so I didn’t miss. My husband fought me off, laughing as though he was the funniest man on earth.

“One year,” I growled at him, “All I’m asking for is one year without you bringing that up!”

★ J. Sterling put up on her Facebook a snippet of The Sweetest Game!

When I glanced down at the field, the sight of Jack warming up forced my heart to squeeze with pride. His gray sliding pants hugged against the muscles as he lifted his leg into the air before each pitch. The black shirt-style jersey waved in the breeze he created as his arm flew down to release the ball.

I watched as Jack grabbed his hat and tipped it twice, and I couldn’t hide my smile. That was his sign to me. He had started doing it when I couldn’t travel with him on his road trips, which had become more and more frequent with my work. Whenever he pitched, he’d tip his hat twice and his face would light up with a soft smile. He never knew if the cameras were on him or not, but he tipped his hat regardless.

Eventually it became a habit, because he started doing it at the home games as well. Sometimes his eyes would flash to the stands and meet mine. When they did, I swear my heart would stop beating, causing my breath to catch. Every. Single. Time. If anyone noticed, I would have been embarrassed, but no one ever seemed to.

I more than loved this man.
My husband.
My ball player.
My Jack Fucking Carter.

Even his name still gets me all hot and bothered.

-Cassie Carter, The Sweetest Game, Coming CHRISTMAS DAY!

★ Kristen Proby (author of the With Me in Seattle series) has an excerpt from Loving Cara! Read it here.

★ Another snippet for The Ever After of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen!

Ella and Micha teaser

Other News!!

★ Are you excited for Lucas’s POV? Read all about Breakable on Tammara Webber’s blog here!

Breakable by Tammara Webber

He was lost and alone. Then he found her.
And the future seemed more fragile than ever.

As a child, Landon Lucas Maxfield believed his life was perfect and looked forward to a future filled with promise — until tragedy tore his family apart and made him doubt everything he ever believed.

All he wanted was to leave the past behind. When he met Jacqueline Wallace, his desire to be everything she needed came so easy…

As easy as it could be for a man who learned that the soul is breakable and that everything you hoped for could be ripped away in a heartbeat.

Note: “Breakable is not a sequel. It’s a prequel story from Landon and the Easy story from Lucas. …Breakable is Lucas’s story – for those of you who wanted inside his head. It can be read as a stand-alone of its own, or as a companion to Easy.”

★ OH MY GOSH!! Seth (from the Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout) is getting not only his own book, but his own SERIES!! The Titan series begins with The Return.

The Return by Jennifer L. Arementrout
(Not the final cover)

1. The Return will be in dual POV (Seth and our main protagonist)
2. You have NOT met the female lead yet.
3. The female lead has absolutely no knowledge of gods and any of that
4. Since it’s a Titan novel, you can expect… the Titans.
5. Apollo will be all up in the book, because well, it’s Apollo and I sort of like him.
6. Deacon and Luke will make appearances, but other main characters will not be featured in this series. (Not giving details to avoid as much spoilers as possible)
7. The biggest difference is that the Titan series will be New Adult paranormal. And here’s the reason why. I never gave Seth’s birthday, but he’s always been well over the age of 18 years old, and I really have no real reason bringing him into a high school environment without making him look like a creeper. And he already has enough creeper tendencies as is, so he really is too old for YA. Does that mean the book will be inappropriate for younger readers? Absolutely not.  Will it have more adult content? Probably. I mean, Seth was always borderline inappropriate, but my YA books have that, so….
8. And it will be releasing in early 2015, tentatively February 2015 in both print and digital.

Read more about the new series on her blog here.

★ Ethan Moonsong will be the main character in Fury (The Seven Deadly #3) by Fisher Amelie!

fury coming soon

★ Cassia Leo will be writing another book in her Shattered Hearts series! It’s called Chasing Abby, and this will be book #4.

BLURB: It’s been eighteen years since Abigail Jensen was born with a gaping hole in her heart and five years since she collapsed on the soccer field and spent a harrowing three weeks in the hospital fighting for her life. Five years since she found out she was adopted by Lynette and Brian Jensen.For five years, Abby has gone to sleep wondering about the family she never knew and waiting for her eighteenth birthday. But when her birthday finally comes, she hesitates. What if her birth parents want nothing to do with her?

A month after her eighteenth birthday, Abby graduates from high school and breaks the news to her parents that she will be moving in with her boyfriend, Tate, in off-campus housing. Lynette and Brian are adamant that they will not pay her UNC tuition unless she lives with them.

When Abby and Tate show up on the doorstep of Chris and Claire Knight, they are overjoyed to see the little girl they lost almost eighteen years ago. But the news of Abby’s rebellion leaves Chris and Claire conflicted. After speaking with the Jensens, Chris and Claire agree to let Abby and Tate stay with them for a few weeks during the summer, to catch up on all the years they’ve missed. But when their visit comes to a close, and they encourage Abby to return home, Abby feels unwanted.

When tragedy finds Abby, she must decide whether she will let it ruin her life, or if she will keep fighting to fill the hole in her heart.

★ Congrats to A. Meredith Walters (author of Bad Rep and Find You in the Dark) who has signed a two book deal with Gallery Books! The first book is called Lead Me Not (releases in October 2014).

College student, Aubrey Duncan, is pulled into the dangerous underbelly of the city club scene after meeting a sexy and mysterious stranger. Lead Me Not tells the dark story of love and addiction and fighting a temptation that could lead to destruction.

Read more on her blog here.

Weekly Recap

Reviewed on the blog this week:

Check out my stop on the blog tour for For Real!

For Real Tour Banner

Don’t forget to check out the giveaways listed on the blog on the right!

Upcoming New Releases

Rock Bottom by R.K. Lilley Sempre by J.M. Darhower Asking for Trouble by Tessa Bailey Recipe for Attraction by Gina Gordon Pawn by Aimee Carter Crash Into You by Katie McGarry Brooke by Veronica Rossi Searching for Someday by Jennifer Probst Remy by Katy Evans No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean Hard As It Gets by Laura Kaye Angel Fever by L.A. Weatherly

Book News, Weekly Recap & Upcoming Releases! {13}

Cover Reveals!!

TONS of new covers were revealed this week! I’ll just be showing the covers and linking the Goodreads pages below this time instead of showing book blurbs 🙂

Off the Record by K.A. Linde Blood Games by Chloe Neill Falling by E.K. Blair Song of the Fireflies by J.A. Redmerski Sublime by Christina Lauren Come To Me Softly by A.L. Jackson Black Box by Cassia Leo Avoiding Decisions by K.A. Linde The Secret of Ella and Micah by Jessica Sorensen Fall from India Place by Samantha Young Holy Frigging Matrimony by Emma Chase The Sweetest Game by J. Sterling Out of Time by Jen McLaughlin Mended by Kim Karr Lick by Kylie Scott

Snippets!!

★ A snippet from Cassandra Clare’s tumblr for What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything:

“How have you been keeping? You know, since the last time you summoned me,” said Elyaas, the demon.

“What?” Magnus asked.

“You don’t remember me?” said the tentacle demon.

“I summon a lot of demons,” Magnus said weakly.

There was a long pause. Magnus stared into the bottom of his coffee cup and desperately willed more coffee to appear. This was something a lot of mundanes did too, but Magnus had one up on those suckers. His mug did slowly fill again, until it was brimming with rich dark liquid. He sipped and looked at Elyaas, who was shifting uncomfortably from tentacle to tentacle.

“Well,” said Elyaas. “This is awkward.”

“It’s nothing personal,” said Magnus.

“Maybe if I jogged your memory,” Elyaas suggested helpfully. “You summoned me when you were searching for a demon who cursed a Shadowhunter? Bill Herondale?”

“Will Herondale,” said Magnus.

Elyaas snapped his tentacles as if they were fingers. “I knew it was something like that.”

“You know,” Magnus said, enlightened, “I think I do remember. I’m sorry about that. I realized right away that you weren’t the demon I was looking for. You looked kind of blue in one of the drawings, but obviously you are not blue, and I was wasting your time. You were pretty understanding about it.”

“Think nothing of it.” Elyaas waved a tentacle. “These things happen. And I can look blue. You know, in the right light.”

“Lighting’s important, it’s true,” said Magnus.

“So whatever happened with Bill Herondale and that curse a blue demon put on him?” The cecaelia demon’s interest seemed genuine.

“Will Herondale,” Magnus said again. “It’s actually rather a long story.”

“You know, sometimes we demons pretend we’re cursing people and we don’t really do it,” said Elyaas chattily. “Like, just for kicks? It’s kind of a thing with us. Did you know that?”

“You could have mentioned it a century or two ago,” Magnus observed frostily.

Elyaas shook his head, smiling a slime-bedecked smile. “The old pretend-to-curse. It’s a classic. Very funny.” He appeared to notice Magnus’s unimpressed expression for the first time. “Not from your perspective, of course.”

“It wasn’t funny for Bill Herondale!” said Magnus. “Oh, damn it. Now you’ve got me doing it.”

★ Jennifer L. Armentrout has a snippet from her blog for Bitter Sweet Love!

My eyes narrowed on her. “I’m not telling him yes.”

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “You’re mad. I totally get that, and you have every reason to be, but you haven’t looked at one guy since he left and you’ve definitely been looking at Dez.”

“Who wouldn’t look at Dez?”

She giggled and then her eyes darted to my door at the sound of a throat clearing. Oh, no. I scrunched up my nose, and Danika winced.

Dez, I mouthed.

She slid off the bed, and that was answer enough. As she hurried across the room, I turned. Dez stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

Danika gave him a quick wave as she all but bounced out of my room. He nodded and then stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He was in my bedroom. Again. He’d been in here many times in the past, but that was before, and everything was different now.

★ Katy Evans gave her newsletter subscribers a sneak peek at the first 15 pages of Remy! You can read it here.

★ Penelope Douglas put up on her Facebook a snippet of Until You!

“I love you, Jared,” she said breathlessly in my ear, and I closed my eyes.

My heart filled up so much that it hurt.

“We can wait,” I choked out, never in a million years thinking that we could actually stop what was happening.

She shook her head slowly, a little smile played her lips. Lifting the hem of my black t-shirt over my head, she ran her hands down my chest and up my back. I tensed as she fingered the scars on my back.

But then I just let out the breath.

Her hands were going to be on every part of my body sooner or later. May as well get used to it now.

★ Two snippets from Ilona Andrews’ upcoming Avon book, which you can read here and here.

★ Teaser for Fury (The Seven Deadly #3) by Fisher Amelie:

“You messed up,” I said, stealing his words.

Blood curdled from his mouth and I removed my blades as he slid to the ground. I bent and wiped my knives off on his jacket. His mouth opened and shut like a fish out of water but I couldn’t conjure up any compassion for him. Instead, I stood over him and placed my boot over his heaving chest, pressing as much of my weight into him as possible.

“You will burn in fire so scorching you’ll beg for this moment over and over again.”

★ Snippet from Heidi McLaughlin’s Beaumont series #3!

“Are you a fan?”

“Of yours, I am.”

Putty in my hands is what she is. I take another drag and exhale away from her. I’m a dickhead, but at least I have manners. I pull her closer and run my nose along the underside of her jaw inhaling her perfume. It smells sweet and sugary, not feminine at all. It’s a warning sign for me. It’s always the young ones that smell like candy. I can’t be too careful and definitely can’t afford any bad press.

“How old are you?” I ask, pulling back.

“Tonight’s my twenty-first birthday. We had plans until we saw your tweet. We drove an hour to get here.” Maybe I like Twitter after all.

I pick up a few strands of her blonde ponytail and twist them around my finger. She steps closer and puts her hand on my chest. She’s shy. Her hand shakes. She’s expectant even though I can tell she’s never done something like this before.

“Do you want a birthday kiss?” I ask, fully aware of what her answer will be. She nods, biting her lower lip. Her eyes go from mine to my lips and back again. I lean in, taking my time. I want to put her on the edge with just a little kiss, because that’s the game I like to play with the fangirls.

★ Samantha Towle has a teaser for Trouble!

Trouble teaser

★ Another snippet for The Ever After of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen!

Ever After of Ella and Micha teaser

★ Jen McLaughlin has a teaser for Out of Time! You can also read the first chapter here.

Out Of Time Teaser

Other News!!

★ Jamie McGuire (author of Beautiful Disaster) has a novella coming out soon! It’s called A Beautiful Wedding, and it’s book 2.5 of the Beautiful series!

A Beautiful Wedding by Jamie McGuire

You know that Abby Abernathy unexpectedly became Mrs. Maddox. But what do you really know?

Why did Abby pop the question?
What secrets were shared before the ceremony?
Where did they spend their wedding night?
Who else knew about it . . . and didn’t tell?

Everything about Abby and Travis’s elopement was top-secret . . . until now. Fans of Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster will get all of their questions answered in this whirlwind tale of the wedding day (and night!)—and as with all good stories, this one will definitely have been worth the wait.

★ Jasinda Wilder has an update on her new series, The Ever Trilogy!

PLEASE don’t hate me, but I’ve come to a difficult decision. I’m nearing the end of the first Ever Trilogy book and I’ve decided I can’t release it. It ends in a way that is very raw and emotional. I’m worried that if book 2 isn’t readily available too many readers would be really upset. SO, I have decided to release both book 1 and book 2 together instead. They will release the week of Christmas. I promise you it will be worth the wait. Thank you ❤

Series reading order:
(#1) Forever & Always
(#2) After Forever
(#3) Saving Forever

Forever & Always by Jasinda Wilder After Forever by Jasinda Wilder Saving Forever by Jasinda Wilder

Update for Kresley Cole fans!

IAD News, new title, schedule. Finally got my schedule firmed up– for now through the fall of 2014 and wanted to pass it along asap:

December 16, we have Part 1 of my steamy new erotica series, The Professional [cough-sexiest thing I’ve ever written-cough] Parts 2 & 3 will follow in January. After that, we’ve got the next IAD installment, Lanthe and Thronos’s story, coming August 5. And the title is . . . DARK SKYE! It’s already available for pre-order! (cover to be revealed early 2014). October brings the third book of the Arcana Chronicles, title to be announced.

I’m really excited about these books and can’t wait for you to read them! More soon!

To pre-order Dark Skye, click here:
Kindle: http://amzn.to/17mV0Hi
iTunes: http://bit.ly/17t4JRA

To pre-order The Professional, click here:
Kindle: http://amzn.to/19dWiFQ
B&N Nook: http://bit.ly/1dp2DBg
iTunes: http://bit.ly/169NdRZ
Thanks so much!

★ Read the bonus chapter from The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski here! There are SPOILERS for those who have not yet read the book.

★ ALICE CLAYTON NEWS!! She’ll be writing more books!

Gallery Keeps Clayton At Simon & Schuster’s Gallery Books imprint, Micki Nuding signed a new four-title deal to keep bestseller Alice Clayton at the house. The world-rights MAJOR deal, which Karen Solem at Spencerhill Associates negotiated, is for three full-length books and a novella. The first book, Rusty Nailed, will launch a new series called Cocktail, featuring characters from Clayton’s popular Wallbanger (Gallery, Feb. 2013); it is scheduled for June 2014. Rounding out the series next year will be Screwdrivered and Mai Tai’d Up, set for September and December, respectively.

Read more on her blog here.

★ Play (Stage Dive #2) by Kylie Scott has a blurb!

Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast – at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. But he didn’t count on exactly how much fun he could have being with the one right girl.

Anne Rollins has money problems. Big ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a demented drummer was never going to be a good idea. No matter how hot he is. She’s had her sights set on her male bestie, Reece, for years. And now that she’s supposedly taken, he’s finally paying attention. If only the chemistry between her and her rock star would stop hitting new heights.

Weekly Recap

Reviewed on the blog this week:

Check out my stops on the blog tours for Mine, A Risk Worth Taking, Drift, and Tough Luck!

Mine blog tour button

A Risk Worth Taking banner

DRIFT blog tour

Tough Luck Tour Banner

Don’t forget to check out the giveaways listed on the blog on the right!

Upcoming New Releases

Catch Me by Claire Contreras Cinder by Jessica Sorensen Beautiful Beginning by Christina Lauren World After by Susan Ee The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead Holiday Games by Jaci Burton Torn by Monica Murphy Better by S. Walden Avoiding Decisions by K.A. Linde The Thrill of It by Lauren Blakely Trouble by Samantha Towle Remember When 3 by T. Torrest

Book News, Weekly Recap & Upcoming Releases! {11}

Cover Reveals!!

★ It’s the cover for the sequel to Sempre by J.M. Darhower! Sempre: Redemption (Forever Series #2) releases December 23rd 2013.

Sempre Redemption by JM Darhower

In this thrilling and sexy follow-up to Sempre, two young lovers struggle to keep their relationship intact after they become deeply enmeshed in the dangerous mafia-run crime ring they once tried to overthrow.

Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco have been through a lot. Haven was taken in by Carmine’s father, and with his family’s help, she escaped a gruesome fate. However, saving Haven from the dark intentions of a mafia family cost Carmine a steep price: he was forced to swear loyalty to them.

Now, still passionately in love, Carmine and Haven must face the fall-out of Carmine’s forced service, as Haven discovers terrifying secrets about the family that enslaved both her and her mother—and why she matters so much in this intricate web of lies.

★ ACK it’s the cover reveal for the upcoming book #7 in the Kate Daniels series (one of my favorite series ever!), Magic Breaks! This comes out August 5th 2014 (too far away!).

Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews

No matter how much the paranormal politics of Atlanta change, one thing always remains the same: if there’s trouble, Kate Daniels will be in the middle of it…

As the mate of the Beast Lord, Curran, former mercenary Kate Daniels has more responsibilities than it seems possible to juggle. Not only is she still struggling to keep her investigative business afloat, she must now deal with the affairs of the pack, including preparing her people for attack from Roland, a cruel ancient being with god-like powers. Since Kate’s connection to Roland has come out into the open, no one is safe—especially those closest to Kate.

As Roland’s long shadow looms ever nearer, Kate is called to attend the Conclave, a gathering of the leaders from the various supernatural factions in Atlanta. When one of the Masters of the Dead is found murdered there, apparently at the hands of a shapeshifter, Kate is given only twenty-four hours to hunt down the killer. And this time, if she fails, she’ll find herself embroiled in a war which could destroy everything she holds dear…

★ Raine Miller has a new book coming out called Cherry Girl, which is a Blackstone Affair spinoff novella.

Cherry Girl by Raine Miller

Elaina Morrison has loved Neil McManus her whole life. She doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t love him. Through heartbreaking tragedy and years of separation, her love holds true…until life stomps all over her heart, shattering her perfect dream, teaching her how hard it is to let go.

Real life doesn’t have anything on romantic dreams though, as these two have learned repeatedly. It sucks big time, leaving painful scars in its wake.

But Neil isn’t giving up. He’s endured years of longing and sacrifice to wait for her. Always a soldier, he knows his way around a battlefield, and winning Elaina is no different. So that’s precisely what Neil is going to do. He’ll go in fighting, and make Elaina see what he already knows.
That she will forever be his Cherry Girl…

Better is the sequel to Good in the Too Good series by S. Walden, and releases November 19th 2013.

Better by S. Walden

Their relationship has been exposed, and now their lives are changed forever.

For Cadence Miller, the fast track to adulthood proves intimidating and frustrating. She’s a little girl lost—abandoned by her family and uncertain of her future. She doesn’t think she “fits” anywhere. She’s eighteen. She wants to be older. And the result is both comical and heartbreaking.

Mark Connelly will do anything to provide Cadence a stable, loving home—to be her protector. But he’s just as broken and lost, and his heart won’t let go of his past so easily. He knows he should share his secret with Cadence. He should trust that she’ll understand. But what if she doesn’t? What if their love doesn’t grow stronger?

What if it doesn’t get better?

Catch Me, a new novel by Claire Contreras (author of There is No Light in Darkness) comes out Fall 2013!

Catch Me by Claire Contreras

In the past, I’ve always been given everything I’ve wanted, but nothing that I truly needed. I’ve experienced a lot of things in my twenty-five years, everything except the one thing I want. It’s the one thing that can’t be bought. It can’t even be taken, it has to be given. And nobody has ever given it to me, not really anyway.

Not until him.

Music is the center of both our lives, but as he found his place in it, I lost my way. He soared, while I spiraled down a destructive path.
I lost myself in more ways than I can count.

The ironic thing is that I didn’t realize how lost I was until he found me.

And now that he has, I have to wonder if he’ll stay around long enough to catch me.

Nikolai by S.L. Jennings is a Dark Light Series spin-off novella and releases in November 2013.

Nikolai by SL Jennings

Two centuries ago, I clawed my way into a world of immorality, filth and destruction. A world seething with secrets and lies, both mortal and immortal.

Complete and utter Darkness.

I know we’re supposed to be inherently evil, but something inside me refuses to fully believe our legends. Something that calls out for more…calls out for her. 

But there are rules. Rules that control the balance of nature. And if broken, it could destroy everything I’ve ever known. It could destroy me.

I am Nikolai Skotos, son of Stavros and Delia, and brother of Dorian, the heir of the Dark throne. I am one of the most powerful Dark forces to have ever walked this earth.

And I once was lost.
Now, I’m about to give it all up for the girl that found me.

*This is a PREQUEL NOVELLA for the Dark Light Series, NOT Book 3, to be read AFTER reading Dark Light & The Dark Prince*

Abandon is Cassia Leo’s new standalone novel set to release in January 2014.

Abandon by Cassia Leo

Tristan never gave a shit about the girls he used and abandoned. His manwhore ways were ingrained in him from birth. His past has always been a mystery his conquests have wanted to crack, but no one has been able to… until now.

Senia has always fallen for the wrong guys, but this time she’s fallen for the worst of them. Her attempts to guard her heart from Tristan’s charms and sexual magnetism only spur on his pursuit. And soon, the electric energy between Tristan and Senia sparks a fire too wild to contain.

Now Tristan must decide if he will abandon his old ways or if he will stay true to his past and abandon Senia instead.

Sixth Grave on the Edge by Darynda Jones has a cover! The Charley Davidson series is one of my favorites, and it’s SO hilarious! I highly recommend it!

Sixth Grave on the Edge by Darynda Jones

Few things in life can come between a grim reaper and her coffee, but the sexy, sultry son of Satan is one of them. Now that she’s agreed to marry Reyes Farrow, Charley Davidson feels like it’s about time she knows more about his past. With Reyes reluctant to open up, Charley decides to take matters into her own hands and investigates secretly when the official FBI file of his childhood abduction lands in her lap. Because what could go wrong with that?

Unfortunately, another case has fallen into her lap, too—one with dangerous implications. Some very determined men want to find a certain witness who is scheduled to testify against their boss, a major player in the local crime syndicate. If Charley doesn’t come up with an address in 48 hours, the people closest to her will start to disappear.

On top of that, Uncle Bob has a bizarre case involving random incidents of knifing in Albuquerque’s Old Town. He suspects supernatural forces are at play, but can’t solve the case without Charley’s expertise.

Good thing for Charley she’s used to multi-tasking and always up for a challenge…especially when that challenge comes in the form of Reyes Farrow.

★ It’s the new cover for When We Collide by A.L. Jackson!

When We Collide by AL Jackson

From the bestselling author of Pulled and Take This Regret comes a gripping new tale of loss and love.

William has spent six years running from his past and the last eight months trying to rid his mind of the dreams that increasingly haunt his nights. Trapped in a world of false ambitions and feigned affections, William knows he’s reached a breaking point and something’s going to give.

Maggie had lived her entire life without hope until one man showed her what it meant to be loved. He’d been her light in a lifetime of darkness. Six years ago, that darkness stole him away. Without him, she’s surrendered herself to an existence she doesn’t know how to escape.

When the family William left behind is struck by tragedy, he is called back to the one place he’s sworn to never return to again.

In a moment that will change his life forever, William comes face to face with the girl who, with one look, captured his heart. He is unable to ignore the buried desires and the hope for the future they’d once believed they’d have.

Now William is ready to fight to take back what had been stolen from him six years before.
But he never imagined what that fight might cost him.

A.L. Jackson gives you an intimate look into the lives of a family bound by an unseen connection in this new contemporary romance.

Snippets!!

★ It’s another teaser for Until You (Fall Away #1.5) from Penelope Douglas’ Facebook!

Her eyes were hooded, but she tried to keep going. “The scars on your back,” she started. “You said you had a bad summer, and that when you came back you wanted to hate everybody, but you haven’t treated anyone else as badly as—“

“Tate?” I cut her off and closed the inch left between us. My breathing turned shallow, and all I could see were her lips. “I don’t want to talk any more tonight.”

She stood there, grounded like a tree and waiting for the inevitable storm. She wanted my lips on hers. Her breathing and eyes on my mouth told me that.

Please don’t stop me.

Her skin was like touching cool silk, smooth like butter. I couldn’t wait for her hair to be in my fists.

And then she jerked, as if waking up.

“You don’t want to talk anymore?” Her strong voice broke the spell, and my legs tensed, waiting for her to hit me again.

“Well, I do,” she yelled, and I sprang into action when I saw her twist around to launch another key into the forest.

Hell!

Circling my arms around her body, I pulled her, struggling, into my chest. I don’t know what I was thinking. She was pissed, and she wasn’t going to get over any of it quickly.

But she was mine.

And she was going to realize that fact…even if I had to…

You don’t apologize. You don’t beg! My father’s words came back to me.

I hated almost everything he’d taught me, but that was one lesson I’d committed to practice. Apologizing was a sign of weakness.

But I wanted Tate’s love.

My heart only beat for her, and I’d rather spend my life hating, loving, fucking, and breathing her than losing her.

You need to apologize, dickhead.

“Shhh, Tate,” I whispered into her ear. “I won’t hurt you. I’ll never hurt you again. I’m sorry,” I said, closing my eyes as I swallowed the bitter pill.

“I don’t care about you being sorry! I hate you.”

Well, at least you feel something, I laughed to myself.

Still securing her with both arms, I used my hands to peel open her fingers and pry out my keys.

I let her go, and she stepped forward and spun around to face me.

“You don’t hate me,” I challenged with a grin before she had the chance to speak. “If you did, you wouldn’t be this upset.”

“Go screw yourself,” she spat back and turned, stomping away.

Where did she think she was going?

If she thought I was going to let her traipse home, in the dark, on a deserted road, she was out of her fucking mind!

Digging my feet into the ground, I took off after her, spun her around and threw her over my shoulder. She landed hard, her stomach caving to my shoulder, and I had a huge desire to keep her there and walk home.

Fuck the car.

Well, almost.

“Put me down!” She kicked her feet and punched my back, and I tightened my hold, willing my fingers to stay put.

Her ass was next my head, and goddamn, I wanted to take advantage of her position in her short skirt.

But in her current mood, she’d probably cut off my dick.

PLUS! Bully will be on sale during November and December for only $.99! Purchase here: Amazon

Bully sale

★ Ilona Andrews put up a new snippet from their new book, the Avon story, on their blog! Read it here. Plus, here is the inspiration for Adam Pierce, a character in the Avon story, who I’m hoping will be the hero in the new book, because he is one fine looking man…

★ Another teaser from Cinder X (Death Collectors, #2) by Jessica Sorensen! You can read it on her blog here.

★ You can read an unedited teaser from Gail McHugh for her new novel, Amber to Asheshere. Its anticipated release date is April, 2014.

★ Jennifer L. Armentrout shared a teaser from her Facebook for Sentinel (Covenant #5)!

Sentinel teaser 2

Other News!!

★ Jay Crownover has a fourth book called Nash, which set to release April 29th 2014.

Today is the day! I can finally stand on the highest mountain in Colorado and scream from the top of my lungs that Nash, Rowdy and Asa are officially headed your way!! So very excited to share the news with everyone. That’s right, my super awesome editor, Amanda and the team @ HarperCollins want the world to get a little more Marked.
In fact the worst kept secret in the whole world is that Nashis already available for pre-order and coming out in April, right on the heels of Rome.
I’m so very lucky and feel so fortunate that I get to share the rest of the boys with my readers. I can’t wait for all of them to get their HEA.
Nash is the nice guy, but every nice guy has his limits. Rowdy is the joker but all that humor and quick wit hides a lot of inner turmoil. And Asa, well I never thought he was going to make it out of Jet alive so we’ll have to see if he turns it around and gets his act together.
I really hope this early morning freak-out makes everyone as happy as it makes me. I have a big mouth and not being able to say anything about what was in store for the rest of the boys was KILLING me.
Xoxo
J

★ Samantha Young is going to have a fourth book in her On Dublin Street series!

FALL FROM INDIA PLACE (ON DUBLIN STREET #4)
Release date and cover reveal coming soon.

The Blurb:

The New York Times bestselling author of On Dublin Street and Down London Road and Before Jamaica Lane returns with a story about letting go of the past and learning to trust in the future…When Hannah Nichols last saw Marco D’Alessandro, five long years ago, he broke her heart. The bad boy with a hidden sweet side was the only guy Hannah ever loved—and the only man she’s ever been with. After one intense night of giving into temptation, Marco took off, leaving Scotland and Hannah behind. Shattered by the consequences of their night together, Hannah has never truly moved on.Leaving Hannah was the biggest mistake of Marco’s life, something he has deeply regretted for years. So when fate reunites them, he refuses to let her go without a fight. Determined to make her his, Marco pursues Hannah, reminding her of all the reasons they’re meant to be together.…

But just when Marco thinks they’re committed to a future together, Hannah makes a discovery that unearths the secret pain she’s been hiding from him, a secret that could tear them apart before they have a real chance to start over again…

★ Wendy Higgins (author of Sweet Evil) shared with us on her blog two new books she’s writing! One is a YA contemporary romance called Kiss Collector and the other a YA fantasy/magical realism romance called The Great Hunt. But these books are NOT set in stone yet!

Blurb for KISS COLLECTOR:

All around her, seventeen-year-old Zae Monroe sees boys using girls for their own pleasures. After being cheated on by the only guy she’s ever loved, and then watching her parents’ marriage crumble, she becomes anti-love and pro-fun. It’s time to turn the tables on the stupid boys of the world. It’s time for girls to be a little selfish and take what they want. Zae’s preferred pleasure happens to be kissing. Athletes, musicians, poets, and potheads–their lips are all on her agenda.  When she and her best friends have a contest to see who can kiss the most boys during the summer before their senior year, Zae keeps her eye on the prize while the other girls fall left and right for their victims. It’s not until the sweet guy from her English class rejects her drunken advances at a party that she gains perspective on the reasons behind her boy hatred, and starts to wonder if she wasn’t wrong about the male race…or at least one of them.

★ The third book in the White Rabbit Chronicles series by Gena Showalter is called The Queen of Zombie Hearts!

★ Kristen Proby gives us a Happy Halloween from the Montgomerys! You can read it here.

★ Olivia Cunning has an update about Sinners at the Altar! You can read about it here.

★ Samantha Towle’s book Trouble has a release date! It comes out November 20th 2013.

Weekly Recap

Reviewed on the blog this week:

Don’t forget to check out the giveaways listed on the blog on the right!

Upcoming New Releases (so many good ones!):

  • Sentinel (Covenant #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (comes out today! SO excited to read it!)
  • Consumed (Devoured #2) by Emily Snow
  • Four Seconds To Lose (Ten Tiny Breaths #3) by K.A. Tucker (I still need to read book 2, but I’m excited for Cain’s story!)
  • Declaration of Courtship (Psy-Changeling #9.5) by Nalini Singh (<3 this series)
  • Texture of Intimacy (Psy-Changeling #10.5) by Nalini Singh (Nalini Singh is the best)
  • The Edge of Always (The Edge of Never #2) by J.A. Redmerski (I wasn’t too into the first book, and I’m hoping Andrew’s POV will be better)
  • Jagged (Colorado Mountain #5) by Kristen Ashley (I’m reading book 2 now and really liking it! But the books in this series are just so long)
  • Born Wild (Black Knights Inc. #5) by Julie Ann Walker
  • Mine (Real #2) by Katy Evans (SO GOOD. Loved it!)
  • Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu (OH GOD I cannot wait for this! I’m hoping my preorder will come on the day of its release!)
  • Daylighters (The Morganville Vampires #15) by Rachel Caine (haven’t read this series in forever and there are 15 freaking books! I don’t think I’ll ever catch up…)
  • Kinked (Elder Races #6) by Thea Harrison

Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout Consumed by Emily Snow Four Seconds To Lose by K.A. Tucker Declaration of Courtship by Nalini Singh Texture of Intimacy by Nalini Singh The Edge of Always by J.A. Redmerski Jagged by Kristen Ashley Born Wild by Julie Ann Walker Mine by Katy Evans Champion by Marie Lu Daylighters by Rachel Caine Kinked by Thea Harrison