Saturday, September 29, 2012

IMM #3



In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren that allows book bloggers to share the books we’ve received or purchased over the past week…There's no right or wrong way to go about it. For More info, go visit the Story Siren's IMM Page .



 
It's going to be a busy, busy month of October for me!!!
I'm off to a great start and it's only the 29th of September! ^_^



E-Books (Purchased):
 
 
 
 


E-Books (Gifted):

 
 
 
 
 
   For Review (Straight From The Author):
 
 
 
 
Literally In My Mailbox:
 

Whoohooo!! I'm like a kid in a candy store!! I received my signed copy of Easy by Tammara Webber! This has been one of my favorite reads of the year!  Definitely in my top 10 of all time!!    ^_^

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Tour, Info & Giveaway: The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice



Publisher: Plume (Penguin)
Published under pseudonym:  A.N. Roquelaure
Original Release:1983, re-released 2012
Follow the tour schedule here.
Event Organizer: AToMR Tours


From bestselling author Anne Rice, writing as A.N. Roquleaure. In the traditional folktale of 'Sleeping Beauty,' the spell cast upon the lovely young princess and everyone in her castle can only be broken by the kiss of a Prince. It is an ancient story, one that originally emerged from and still deeply disturbs the mind's unconscious. Now Anne Rice's retelling of the Beauty story probes the unspoken implications of this lush, suggestive tale by exploring its undeniable connection to sexual desire. Here the Prince reawakens Beauty, not with a kiss, but with sexual initiation. His reward for ending the hundred years of enchantment is Beauty's complete and total enslavement to him as Anne Rice explores the world of erotic yearning and fantasy in a classic that becomes, with her skillful pen, a compelling experience.



THE CLAIMING OF SLEEPING BEAUTY
Chapter 1 Excerpt
Anne Rice

The Prince had all his young life know the story of Sleeping Beauty, cursed to sleep for a hundred years, with her parents, the King and Queen, and all of the Court, after pricking her finger on a spindle.

But he did not believe it until he was inside the castle.

Even the bodies of those other Princes caught in the thorns of the rose vines that covered the walls had not made him believe it.  They had come believing it, true enough, but he must see for himself inside the castle. 

Careless with grief for the death of his father, and too powerful under his mother’s rule for his own good, he cut these awesome vines at their roots, and immediately prevented them from ensnaring him.  It was not his desire to die so much as to conquer.
And picking his way through the bones of those who had failed to solve the mystery, he stepped alone into the great banquet hall.

The sun was high in the sky and those vines had fallen away, so the light fell in dusty shafts from the lofty windows.

And all along the banquet table, the Prince saw the men and women of the old Court, sleeping under layers of dust, their ruddy and slack faces spun over with spider webs.
He gasped to see the servants dozing against the walls, their clothes rotted to tatters.
But it was true, this old tale. And, fearless as before, he went in search of the Sleeping Beauty who must be at the core of it.

In the topmost bedchamber of the house he found her.  He had stepped over sleeping chambermaids and valets, and, breathing the dust and damp of the place, he finally stood in the door of her sanctuary.

Her flaxen hair lay long and straight over the deep green velvet of her bed, and her dress in loose folds revealed the rounded breasts and limbs of a young woman.

He opened the shuttered windows.  The sunlight flooded down on her.  And approaching her, he gave a soft gasp as he touched her cheek, and her teeth through her parted lips, and then her tender rounded eyelids.

Her face was perfect to him, and her embroidered had fallen deep into the crease between her legs so that he could see the shape of her sex beneath it.

He drew out his sword, with which he had cut back all the vines outside, and gently slipping the blade between her two breasts, let it rip easily through the old fabric.

Her dress was laid open to the hem, and he folded it back and looked at her.  Her nipples were as rosy pink as were her lips, and the hair between her legs was darkly yellow and curlier than the long straight hair of her head which covered her arms almost down to her hips on either side of her.

He cut the sleeves away, lifting her ever so gently to free the cloth, and the weight of her hair seemed to pull her head down over his arms, and her mouth opened just a little bit wider.

He put his sword to one side.  He removed his heavy armor.  And then he lifted her again, his left arm under her shoulders, his right hand between her legs, his thumb on the top of her pubis.

She made no sound; but if a person could moan silently, the she made such a moan with her whole attitude.  Her head fells towards him, and he felt the hot moisture against his right hand, and laying her down again, he cupped both of her breasts, and sucked gently on one and then the other.

They were plump and firm, these breasts.  She’d been fifteen when the curse struck her.  And he bit at her nipples, moving the breasts almost roughly so as to feel their weight, and then lightly he slapped them back and forth, delighting in this.

His desire had been hard and almost painful to him when he had come into the room, and now it was urging him almost mercilessly.

He mounted her, parting her legs, giving the white inner flesh of her thighs a soft, deep pinch, and, clasping her right breast in his left hand, he thrust his sex into her.

He was holding her up as he did this, to gather her mouth to him, and as he broke through her innocence, he opened her mouth with his tongue and pinched her breast sharply.

He sucked her on the lips, he drew the life out of her into himself, and feeling his seed explode within her, heard her cry out.

And then her blue eyes opened.



 The Story Continues in Books 2 & 3



Enter to Win:
 

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Promotional Event: "Down to You" by M. Leighton

 
Genre and Age Group:  Adult Contemporary Romance (Mature/New Adult ages, too)
Author:  M. Leighton
Release date:  September 23, 2012
A big thank you to AToMR Book Tours for organizing this promotion!
Links: 


Book Description: 
The scorching tale of one girl, two brothers and a love triangle…that’s not.
Olivia Townsend is nothing special.  She’s just a girl working her way through college so she can return home to help her father run his business.  She’s determined not to be the second woman in his life to abandon him, even if it means putting her own life on hold. To Olivia, it’s clear what she must do. Plain and simple.  Black and white.
But clear becomes complicated when she meets Cash and Nash Davenport.  They’re brothers.  Twins.
Cash is everything she’s always wanted in a guy.  He’s a dangerous, sexy bad boy who wants her in his bed at any cost.  He turns her insides to mush and, with just one kiss, makes her forget why he’s no good for her.
Nash is everything she’s ever needed in a guy.  He’s successful, responsible and intensely passionate.  But he’s taken.  Very taken, by none other than Marissa, Liv’s rich, beautiful cousin.  That doesn’t stop Olivia from melting every time he looks at her, though.  With just one touch, he makes her forget why they can never be together.
Black and white turns to shades of gray when Olivia discovers the boys are hiding something, something that should make her run as far and as fast as she can.  But it’s too late to run.  Olivia’s already involved.  And in love.  With both of them.
Both brothers make her heart tremble.  Both brothers set her body on fire. 
She wants them both.
And they want her.
How will she ever choose between them?



Excerpt:

My first thought upon waking is of Cash.  Licking my stomach.  Tonguing my navel.  And then looking so hard into my eyes. 
God, I could’ve devoured him right then and there!
Damn the bad boys! 
I blame everything on my inherent weakness for them, because my head tells me I should be looking for someone much more suitable.  Someone like Nash. 
Nash.
In my head, I even sigh over his name.  He’s every bit as delicious as his brother.  Obviously.  They’re twins.  And even though he’s got less of the edge that seems to draw me in like a bee to honey, he’s got so many other things I love.
 
 
Enter to Win:
(1) eBook copy of the New York Times Bestseller, THE WILD ONES, by M. Leighton
Open International.
 
 
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, September 24, 2012

Promotional Event - "Dante's Girl" by Courtney Cole





Genre and Age Group: Young Adult
Author: Courtney Cole
Release date: July 2012
Event dates:  Sept. 10-29, 2012

A big thank you to AToMR Blog Tours for organizing this promotion!


Links




Book Description:

I have spent every summer since I was ten years old with my father in London.  Every summer, since I was ten years old, has been uneventful and boring. Until this year. And this year, after a freak volcanic eruption strands me far from home, I have learned these things:
1.  I can make do with one outfit for three days before I buy new clothes. 
2.  If I hear the phrase, “You’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto,” even one more time, I might become a homicidal maniac.
3.  I am horribly and embarrassingly allergic to jellyfish.
4. I am in love with Dante Giliberti, who just happens to be the beautiful, sophisticated son of the Prime Minister of a Mediterranean paradise. 
5.  See number four above.  Because it brings with it a whole slew  of problems and I’ve learned something from every one of them.
Let’s start with the fact that Dante’s world is five light-years away from mine.  He goes to black-tie functions and knows the Prime Minister of England on a first name basis.  I was born and raised on a farm in Kansas and wear cut-off jeans paired with cowboy boots.  See the difference?
But hearts don’t care about differences.  Hearts want what they want.  And mine just wants to be Dante’s girl. 
My heart just might be crazy.



Short Excerpt:

There are rose bushes everywhere. And peonies, which are my favorites.  And lots of white marble statues of Greek gods.  And one of Napoleon.  Why in the world is this country so obsessed with Napoleon? 
I am just wondering if the small statue is life-sized when Dante interrupts any coherent thought process that I might have by striding across the lawns with a racquet in hand and wearing short-short tennis shorts. 
Sweet.
Baby.
Monkeys.
It’s like a slow-motion scene from a movie.  Dante shakes his blond bangs out of his eyes and the sun catches every glint of gold in his hair.  His legs are long, lean, tanned and muscled and HolyCowThereIsAGod.  If I were a man, I would totally be wolf-whistling right now.  But then again, if I were a man, I guess I wouldn’t be wolf-whistling at Dante. 
I’m such a weirdo.



Enter to Win:





Winner’s choice of a gifted e-copy (Kindle or Nook) of 
Open International. 
If winner lives within US/Canada, they will also receive  a signed 4x6 glossy of Dante’s Girl.






 






a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Review: "Hyde, An Urban Fantasy" by Lauren Stewart


"Hyde, An Urban Fantasy"
by Lauren Stewart
Published July 8, 2012 by Off the Hook Publishing
Kindle Edition from Amazon - 418 Pages
Nook Edition from Barnes & Noble Coming Soon
Smashwords Edition

Digital Copy Received Directly From Author
For Review & Discussion

Connect with the author
Lauren Stewart:
Website
Twitter
Facebook

Excerpt from Goodreads:

To survive, they must embrace what they most despise . . . in themselves and each other.

Mitch Turner is everything women want most in a man—charismatic, successful, drop-dead gorgeous. Except he’s not a man—he’s a monster.

The only way Mitch can protect others from his monstrous side is to stop them from getting too close…that and a 7x7 foot cage. Isolated by his genetic curse, he spends his life hurting people emotionally, driving them away before Hyde can harm them physically. But, after a night of the best sex Mitch has ever had, he realizes that might be impossible. Except the woman he was with claims she doesn’t remember any of it.

Eden Colfax is everything men want most, men other than Mitch, that is. She’s kind, honest to a fault and sickeningly sweet. To rid herself of the monsters that haunted her broken childhood, Eden doesn’t lie, doesn’t curse, and definitely never wakes up naked in strangers’ beds…until the day she does.

Then the flashbacks start—places she’s never been, people she’s never met, blood she’s never spilled. She discovers she’s split into two parts—the woman she thought she knew and another who is capable of anything. And the only person with any answers is the one man she never wants to see again.

What neither of them know is that someone is watching them both, manipulating them, determined to see just how evil the two of them really are. And when the truth begins to seep through the cracks, leaving them nowhere to turn but each other, they will be forced into a partnership neither had expected.

Because in life, who you trust is as important as who you are. And when you can’t even trust yourself, sometimes the only person you can rely on is the last person on Earth you should be falling for.

*** This novel is intended for adults only, as it includes lots of cursing, descriptive sex, biting sarcasm, and themes similar to those in Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, from which this story was inspired.





My Review:

This book was a breath of fresh air. I absolutely love paranormal romances: vampires, weres, demons, etc... I've never read something like this before though. It's hard to come across good reads that are creative and original - the likes of something I've not read before, but Lauren does it! This spin on the "Jekyll and Hyde" concept makes for such a fresh, suspenseful romance. This book could've been written wrong... but Lauren Stewart did it right.

Lauren created really strong characters. They have their own personalities and they are both strong willed when they need to be. Mitch Turner - he is the good looking guy who thinks he's a horrible monster because of his "Hyde" side but he's really the good guy. You get attached to Mitch throughout the story because he's the big, bad tough, sarcastic character who just wants to push everyone away for their own safety... who of course has a soft side that shows for brief moments at a time. Those brief moments suck you in completely. He acts like such a jerk because he thinks it helps control his, what I'll call, "Hyde outbreaks." Then you have Eden Colfax - she's the girl with the onset of problems that she needs help with and the only person who can actually help her is Mitch.  She thinks her life is working out okay until her "Hyde outbreaks" start occurring and she ends up on Mitch's doorstep a few times with only a few memory flashes that trickle in after the fact. Of course they banter back and forth... it's the hate relationship that you, the reader, just want them to get over because deep down, you, the reader, know that they should get over themselves and just be together. Then of course we have to have the "bad" guy in the story. Those characters are just beginning to become known but for this first book, you have Jolie... she's the character we all love to hate and despise because, even though it's not exposed in the beginning, you automatically get the feeling she's up to no good. Then there's Carter - who you think is a great guy but start seeing something going on behind the scenes... you don't know if he's still a good guy or if he needs to start falling in the bad guy category...

Overall, "Hyde" has paranormal characters with suspense, mystery, romance, great sex scenes that make you want to re-read before moving on to the next chapters (not to mention, make you extremely envious of Eden), confrontations, danger, death, twists, turns... There's a little of it all in "Hyde." It really makes you explore what you really think are the dark and light sides of people... those you might think are dark (or those characters who consider themselves dark), turn out to be light and vice versa... There's moments of pain and moments of passion that will leave you breathless and wanting the pages to be turned faster than your eyes can keep up with...

Needless to say, I can't wait for the next book! I hope there's more insight into their "Hyde" personalities & some scenes from their perspectives maybe? I wonder what the two "Hyde" personalities would be like together, in the same room... Hmmmmm



My Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Cover Rating: 5 Stars
(I think this is such a great artistic representation of Eden)




IMM #2




In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren that allows book bloggers to share the books we’ve received or purchased over the past week…There's no right or wrong way to go about it. For More info, go visit the Story Siren's IMM Page .
 
Up on deck for this week after I finish reading and reviewing "Hyde" by Lauren Stewart :

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Books 1, 2, 2.5, and 3



Ooohh it's going to be a good week :)
 
 
Until next time....

Friday, September 21, 2012

"Opal" Cover Revealed!

Wow today is just full of exciting news!!!
 
The new cover for "Opal" has been revealed!!! I'm super excited for this book to come out!
The series has been one of my favorites & I'm patiently (okay, sometimes, not so patiently) awaiting the release of Opal!


 
Check out Jennifer Armentrout's Official Website for all the juicy info!!
 
Official Blurb:
(Straight from Jennifer's Website)
 
"No one is like Daemon Black.
When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love. After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it."


Opal releases December 11, 2012 in print and digital formats.

Review Coming Soon - "Hyde" by Lauren Stewart

I've been given my first book to review!! Whooohooo! Can you tell I'm alittle excited?
 
I'll be reading (starting today) and reviewing

 
Synopsis from Goodreads:
 
"To survive, they must embrace what they most despise . . . in themselves and each other.

Mitch Turner is everything women want most in a man—charismatic, successful, drop-dead gorgeous. Except he’s not a man—he’s a monster.

The only way Mitch can protect others from his monstrous side is to stop them from getting too close…that and a 7x7 foot cage. Isolated by his genetic curse, he spends his life hurting people emotionally, driving them away before Hyde can harm them physically. But, after a night of the best sex Mitch has ever had, he realizes that might be impossible. Except the woman he was with claims she doesn’t remember any of it.

Eden Colfax is everything men want most, men other than Mitch, that is. She’s kind, honest to a fault and sickeningly sweet. To rid herself of the monsters that haunted her broken childhood, Eden doesn’t lie, doesn’t curse, and definitely never wakes up naked in strangers’ beds…until the day she does.

Then the flashbacks start—places she’s never been, people she’s never met, blood she’s never spilled. She discovers she’s split into two parts—the woman she thought she knew and another who is capable of anything. And the only person with any answers is the one man she never wants to see again.

What neither of them know is that someone is watching them both, manipulating them, determined to see just how evil the two of them really are. And when the truth begins to seep through the cracks, leaving them nowhere to turn but each other, they will be forced into a partnership neither had expected.

Because in life, who you trust is as important as who you are. And when you can’t even trust yourself, sometimes the only person you can rely on is the last person on Earth you should be falling for.

*** This novel is intended for adults only, as it includes lots of cursing, descriptive sex, biting sarcasm, and themes similar to those in Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, from which this story was inspired."

Sea Breeze #4

Whoo hooo! This just in!
 
Sea Breeze #4 "Just For You" by Abbi Glines
Will be released October 23!! The cover & book trailer will be revealed this coming Monday, September 24!
 
Check out Abbi Glines' website for more info!
 
Synosis from Goodreads:
 
"The day Preston Drake figured out that wealthy women paid well for a set of tight abs and a pretty face his life turned around.

The run down rat-infested trailer he had shared with his alcoholic mother and three younger siblings was now only a place he visited to pay the bills and stock the pantry with food.

He no longer worried about his family starving or living without electricity. The money he made entertaining rich older women more than covered his family’s needs and his own. He had it all figured out. Except…

There was this girl.

She was as innocent as he was tainted.

Amanda Hardy wished her knees didn’t get weak when Preston walked into a room. She hated the fact her heart raced when he flashed his smile in her direction. He had a different girl in his bed every night. He was the kind of boy a smart girl ran from. So, why was she coming up with ways to get close to him? Even when it was obvious he wanted to keep her at a distance.

Maybe her heart knew something the world didn’t. Maybe Preston Drake was more than just a pretty face."
 

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

My Son... The Tractor Driver?

 I live in NE Louisiana... farmer country so I've been waiting on this day to come...

H = "Look mom! A Combine!!"

Yes babe, I see, the combine.

H = "Look mom!!! ANOTHER Combine!"

Yes sweetie, I see it.

H = *pouty face* "I wanna drive a tractor too"



He's been obsessed with John Deere tractors since he was an infant so I knew this was coming... I think he'd change his mind if he knew how much work farming actually was, hahaha...

Picture by my bestie JWM  :)



In other news....




 
Molly McAdams, author of the AMAZING "Taking Chances," new book "From Ashes" is set to be released DECEMBER 1st!!!!
 
 
 
 
Excert from Goodreads:
"When Cassidy Jameson's best friend Tyler took her to Texas with him when he left for college, she was expecting his cousin, their new roommate, to be a Stetson-wearing cowboy since his family owned a ranch; not this incredibly gorgeous guy with a husky Southern drawl that seemed to make the world stop whenever she looked at him. Because of her past, she's only ever trusted two men in her life, Tyler and her dad whom passed away when she was six. But there's something about Gage that draws her to him in a way she can't explain, only problem? He's always telling Tyler that he doesn't want Cassidy living there and sees her as nothing more than his little sister."


"Gage Carson was excited his cousin Tyler was coming to live with, and go to college with him. When he'd called to ask if he could bring his friend Cassi with him, Gage didn't care. Gage had heard about this mysterious friend since they were kids and felt like he already knew her. Nothing would prepare him for watching her jump out of Ty's Jeep though. Not only was Cassi the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, but there was something about her that within seconds of meeting her, made Gage want to protect her, and make her his. Too bad Tyler made it a point to remind Gage on a daily basis that he was dating her and she was completely off limits."
 
 
Definitely on my TBR List!!
 
 
 
Until next time....

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

The Mortal Instruments Movie!

The Mortal Instruments: The City of Bones
In Theaters August 2013
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Words cannot describe how excited I am for this movie!!! If you haven't read this series, I suggest you start now! It's definitely one of my favorite series!!! Cassandra Clare's world that she created for this series and for the Infernal Devices Series is brilliant!!! (I wish I could be a Shadowhunter) ^_^

Monday, September 17, 2012

"Walking Disaster" by Jamie McGuire





"Walking Disaster" by Jamie McGuire is now available for Pre-Order!!! Whoohooo!!!


"Beautiful Disaster told in Travis point of view.

How much is too much to love?

Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.

In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. Just when he thought he was invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.

Every story has two sides. In Jamie McGuire's New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster Abby had her say. Now it's time to see the story through Travis's eyes"


B&N Link

Amazon Link

Sunday, September 16, 2012

My Very First IMM!

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren that allows book bloggers to share the books we’ve received or purchased over the past week…There's no right or wrong way to go about it. For More info, go visit the Story Siren's IMM Page .


Since this is my very first IMM, I'm going to have to determine what day of the week and frequency I'll post IMM.... for right now, I'll start out trying weekly posting on Sundays and discussing the books that I've purchased during the past week. I read ALOT (between 4 & 6 books a week)... so it may be hard to keep up with the books that I've obtained during the week but I'll do my best to make sure and point out the ones that I've received and really enjoyed or can't wait to bite into... The links that I'll be posting will direct readers to Goodreads... Maybe after a while, I'll link to other pages like Barnes & Noble and Amazon when I have time to do so...


Last week, I purchased several books to read this coming week! I got a little carried away but when you purchase e-books, it's easy to get lost in the excitement of finding new books to read!


First up: "Taking Chances" by Molly McAdams

"Eighteen year old Harper has grown up under her career Marine of a father's thumb. Ready to live life her own way and experience things she's only ever heard of from the jarheads in her father's unit; she's on her way to college at San Diego State University.

Thanks to her new roommate, Harper is introduced to a world of parties, gorgeous guys, family and emotions. Some she wasn't expecting yet, and others she never knew she was missing.

She finds herself being torn in two as she quickly falls in love with her boyfriend Brandon, and her roommate's brother Chase. Covered in tattoos, known for fighting in the Underground and ridiculously muscled...they're exactly what she was always warned to stay away from, but just what she needs. Despite their dangerous looks and histories, both adore and would do anything for Harper, including stepping back if it means she's happy.

Her first year away is turning out to be near perfect, but one weekend of giving in to heated passion will change everything."


Okay - so I actually read this book yesterday! OMG... this is a MUST READ! It's really emotional and I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry my eyes several times while reading this book... this is really unusual for me... I don't cry, LOL... I'm not going to actually write a review because I'd hate to spoil the story line for everyone who hasn't read it... but really, I'd rate it 5/5...




Next Up: "Branded" (Fall of Angels Book 1) by Keary Taylor

"Jessica's had the nightmares for as long as she can remember. Nightmares of being judged for people who have died, of being branded by the angels. Her friends and family think she's a crazy because of it all. Yet she carries the mark of the condemned, seared into the back of her neck, and hides it and herself away from the world.

But when two men she can't ignore enter her life everything changes, including the nightmares. The two of them couldn't be more different. She will do anything to be with one of them. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck. But one of the two has set events into motion what will pull her toward her own judgment and turn her into the object of her greatest fear."






Next Up: "Dark Craving" (Dark Kings Book 1) by Donna Grant

"Fueled by ancient magic—and enflamed by human desire—the Dragon King known as Hal can transform himself at will into one of the legendary winged creatures he is sworn to protect. But one thing he can never do is fall in love…with a mortal woman.

Searching for her brother in Scotland—and succumbing to the freezing cold—Cassie Hunter awakens to find herself in the arms of a magnificent Highland warrior. Across his chest is the tattoo of a fiery dragon. And in his heart is a burning passion that, once unleashed, will consume them both…body and soul.

This is a story of destiny and desire, magic and mystery, warriors and lovers.

These are the forbidden cravings of the Dark Kings."







Next Up: "Night's Awakening" (Dark Kings Book 2) by Donna Grant

"Fueled by dragon magic, the dark immortal warriors were never meant to feel human desire, much less fall in love. But when Guy, a member of an ancient order of shape-shifting warriors, meets Elena Griffin—a mere mortal whose beauty and blind ambition shakes him to his core—all bets are off…

Having left America to explore the Scottish Highlands, Elena suddenly finds herself lost in a dark cave—alone, injured, and utterly hopeless…until Guy appears from out of nowhere. Is she dreaming her own rescue when she falls into his arms? A man—and a passion—this strong is too good to be true. It’s only a matter a time before she learns the truth about the flames in his heart. And the dragon in his soul..."






Next Up: PRE-ORDERED "Dawn's Desire" (Dark Kings Book 3) by Donna Grant
To Be Released September 25, 2012

"For centuries, the immortals knows as the Dragon Kings have hidden their shapeshifting powers from the world. But when a mortal enemy threatens to expose them, the warrior Banan must leave his secret lair in the Highlands, risk his life for the dragons within – and resist the temptations of human love…

Jane Holden has never considered herself beautiful. But when the impossibly handsome Banan casts his gaze upon her, smoldering with sensuality, she feels like the sexiest woman on earth. Banan, however, is a man on a mission. He refuses to succumb to this modern woman’s charms – or his own desires. Two of his warrior brethren have already surrendered to forbidden love. But as the danger closes in, Banan realizes that he needs to possess Jane – mind, body, and soul. For she is more than his match. She is his destiny..."





Next Up: "Bitten" (Bitten Book 1) by Merrill Gemus

"Ally is pumped for this year's Halloween festivities! As she finally heads to Flambe, she bumps into the hottest vampire she has ever seen.

Dressed as a vamp herself, she is immediately drawn to the handsome dark stranger. Her friends disapprove, but Ally is unable to shake her attraction towards him.

Is he the one? Who exactly is he? And, boy does he look hot in those tight fitting jeans!"






Next Up: "Stolen" (Bitten Book 2) by Merrill Gemus

"When a shackled Ally awakes inside a cold, dank cell, she quickly remembers that her life took a sudden wrong turn. Her friends, also incarcerated, are swiftly brought up to date and now fear for their lives. How could Ally be stuck in a vampiric love triangle? Will they ever be freed? Worst still, Ally was in transformation and she was getting quite… thirsty. Benedict was possibly her only hope."



Side note: The Author reported in 2011 that there was going to be a third book to this series entitled "Unbroken" but I can't seem to find it on Goodreads or on B&N...





Next Up: "Eternal Eden"  (Eden Trilogy Book 1) by Nicole Williams

"College sophomore Bryn Dawson is a self-proclaimed poster child for normal. However, the day William Hayward enters her life, normalcy is the last thing Bryn will be able to count on if she wants to be with him. Too mysterious and appealing to be good for a girl, Bryn feels drawn to him in a way that seems out of her control—as if fate is orchestrating it.

Despite every red flag and warning siren going off in her head telling her not to, Bryn falls hard for William, knowing he’s categorically different from anyone she’s ever met. She never imagined how right she was. When William takes her deeper into the rabbit hole of his world, Bryn must decide just how much she is willing to sacrifice to be with him, knowing no matter what, fate always finds a way to have the last laugh.

Spinning a new twist on star-crossed lovers, Eternal Eden will put Bryn through a gauntlet of turmoil, challenging her to find the power within herself to become the heroine in her own story."







Next Up: "Bonded" (Law of the Lycans Book 0.5) by Nicky Charles

"Reno’s a tough Enforcer for Lycan Link who finds himself drawn to Brandi but duty rules his life. Brandi, just on the edge of starting her career as a Disaster Control officer, falls for Reno at first sight, but are they really meant to be? Is it love or lust and does it really even matter? Enforcers and DCs don't get along...unless fate forces them to.

Bonded precedes The Mating in the Law of the Lycans timeline."



I know the explanation of this book and the others below that fall in this series are really short so it's hard to really go by but the reviews on Goodreads were pretty good... 4.23 out of 5.00 - 1,163 ratings for "Bonded"...







Next Up: "The Mating" (Law of the Lycans Book 1) by Nicky Charles

"Elise had no idea when she came home that day that she'd end up mated to a complete stranger. A new Alpha and the need for an alliance between packs have made her a pawn."


Goodreads Rating 4.09 out of 5.00 - 5,904 Ratings







Next Up: "The Keeping" (Law of the Lycans Book 2) by Nicky Charles

"Ryne Taylor was a sexy bad-ass Alpha set on establishing a new pack. Melody Greene was a journalism student researching his work as a photographer or so she said. But could Mel really be trusted or had she stumbled upon his secret? And if she knew, could Ryne save himself and the pack he d left behind without enacting a deadly ancient law known as The Keeping? Sequel to The Mating."

Goodreads Rating 4.19 out of 5.00 - 4,130 Ratings






Next Up: "The Finding" (Law of the Lycans Book 3) by Nicky Charles

"She discovered a dark secret, witnessed a murder and fled into the night fearing for her life. Three years later, Cassie is still hiding from her past, haunted by a dream lover and fighting to control a terrifying beast that seems to grow stronger each day. When Bryan, pack Beta, appears to claim her, Cassie is forced to face the truth of her existence. Innocence, betrayal, greed and love collide with ancient werewolf laws in... The Finding. Third book in The Law of the Lycans series by Nicky Charles."

Goodreads Rating 4.18 out of 5.00 - 3,525 Ratings





That's what in store for me this week!! If anyone has read any of the above, let me know!!!  I might do an actual review on one of the series above that I'm going to be reading... we'll see... :)







Until Next Time...











Wednesday, September 12, 2012

I see a Whale...

Happy Wednesday!! Okay, well...happy is stretching it - it's been more like a second Monday - I HATE those >_<

On a happier note, I spent some time at the park yesterday overlooking part of the Ouachita River...


That was by far the perfect way to spend my lunch break... the weather was perfect, the breeze was blowing softly, and I stopped for a fabulous frozen strawberry lemonade from a place in town.

"Nothing is permanent in this wicked world - not even our troubles" - Charlie Chaplin

Sometimes everyone needs a nice quiet, peaceful moment to simply sit and enjoy the sun, the fact that no phones are ringing, and no one is around to bother you...and I enjoy playing with my little digital camera when I get to relax outside...
(I couldn't resist)
(I didn't even pick up my Nook a single time - Woah... I know right... that's BIG)




My imagination is a little rusty when it comes to clouds but the one below looked like a whale to me...ya know - one of those cartoon ones that are so cute. Maybe stretching it but hey, at least I tried... Ha


And then my reverie was interrupted when I realized how horrific my poor toenails look... MUST fix this soon... project for the next time H is asleep because he thinks he's entitled to painted toes when mommy paints hers...




In other news....

Since Monday I've read:
"Because of Low" (Sea Breeze #2) by Abbi Glines Info Here
"A Table for Three" (New York #1) by Lainey Reese
"Damaged Goods" (New York #2) by Lainey Reese

And I just started
"While It Lasts" (Sea Breeze #3) by Abbi Glines

I really enjoy the Sea Breeze Series by Abbi Glines... They pull at my heart strings and make me wish I was young again... nothing that exciting ever happened in MY life when I was that age... HA

Okay... I realize that today is only Wednesday but I warned you all before, I'm addicted to reading... Yes, I'm a full time employee at a hospital and yes, I also have a husband and a 3 year old running around... but hey, it's my passion - I make time ^_^




Until Next Time....





Update: 9/13 11:20 AM...
I just finished "While it Lasts" (Sea Breeze #3) and it has been my favorite out of the three!!! LOVED it! Cage definitely pulls at your heart strings :)

I'm about to start reading "Sarah's Surrender" by Lynda Chance