Author Archives: ReadingRenee

The Fab Life by Mercy Amare @MercyAmare #excerpts @TessMWatson

Posted in Book Titles by

Blurb

It’s the life I was born to live: billionaire’s daughters, living amongst the rich & famous. But my mom kept me a secret from my dad. Until now.

I am so out of my league. Fancy parties, expensive cars, and a private school for the elite… It sounds like a dream. But everything is not as perfect as it seems on the outside. Here, the secrets are dirty, and the lies comes easy.

Stalk Links

 Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

The Fab Life Links

Goodread 

Amazon 

Author Bio

I am a YA/ NA author, with an addiction to NOS & Red Bull energy drinks. My guilty pleasure is the TV series The Lying Game and The Vampire Diaries. I’m 23 years old. I currently live in St Louis, with my husband of 2 years.

Excerpt #1
My palms are sweating, and my heart literally feels like it’s going to beat it’s way out of my chest. I decide that I may vomit before the night is over, but hopefully it won’t be on myself or Ty. I run my hand over the bannister was I walk down the stairs. I keep in there incase I trip, which is very possible. I try to focus on the steps and not on the fact that I’m about to go out of my first date.
Gah. I hate that word. Date. It’s too gray. I like black and white. Nothing about this night is black or white.
I count the steps as I walk down. There are exactly 32 steps from the top floor to the bottom floor. When I get to the bottom, I am forced to look up at Ty. He looks good. Really good. Dammit. He doesn’t look nervous at all. In fact he looks completely cool. Of course he’s cool. He’s probably been out on like a million dates before. Why should he be nervous?
I am relieved to see that he’s wearing jeans and a concert shirt. I didn’t underdress or overdress, and I’m glad I decided to wear jeans. I’m going to ask Toby’s advice more often.
“You look beautiful,” he says, and then hands me a bouquet of purple flowers.
Flowers = date, right?
Ugh, why does this suddenly feel awkward?
I take them from him. I have no idea what kind of flowers they are. I feel like I should know, but it’s not like I frequently get flowers from guys. “Thank you. They are beautiful.”
What am I supposed to do with the flowers? Am I supposed to take them with us? Or am I supposed to leave them here? There should a Dating for Dummies book that covers this. Maybe there is. Memo to self – look it up. I will be more prepared next time.
Next time? Calm down, Kihanna, I tell myself. Let’s get through tonight before we start thinking about a second date.

Stupid by Choice by Leighton Summers‏ #interview

Posted in Book Titles by

Reading Renee, Q & A with Leighton Summers: Stupid By Choice Book Blog Tour

Thank you so much for having me as a guest author.  I truly appreciate it and want to thank all of you who read this post as well as my new novel, Stupid By Choice.  I hope you enjoy it!

I know this is not really a spoiler but…Why did Melanie leave David?  He was her (first) love—and when she was told that it was him or money, she took that bracelet. Why? 

I know to some people that might have seemed harsh, but the character of Melanie was really making her first big decision of her life in that scene, and it was “one person vs. her whole future” I was looking at, for it wasn’t just the bracelet—it was her whole trust fund that it represented—and in this kind of wealthy, upscale world that’s an amount of money that can last you a lifetime.  (And you never really know if someone else is ever going to stick around for a whole lifetime, no matter how “in love” you are at the moment.)

Also, Melanie was a teenager at this point in the story, and even at that young age she would still know you wouldn’t risk your whole future on only one person for such a large amount of money—or at least in my affluent social circles I’ve never seen that happen at any age—and though this is a novel, I was still trying to reflect the characters doing what most people from my world would do in a situation like that.    *****I liked him and when she took the bracelet  ae533-img51263a0c19dd2

 

Was it hard to write Oldie? I mean, I know a writer is good when she writes a character like him and you hate the man.

 

Actually no, for I had never thought about Oldie as someone a reader wouldn’t like, but I do respect your opinion if you didn’t like Oldie.  (I only hope it’s the kind of “love to hate” emotion like people thought of J.R. on the TV show Dallas.) (**OMG I though JR the whole time when it first started. You loved to hate him, like Oldie he was good, then bing something was wrong and he was hard as nails)  I really loved Oldie and thought he was great fun to write.  He was a strong character with strong opinions, and in Texas you see a lot of real men just like that, so it could also be that I’m just used to this type of male personality more than other people are.

 

Was it hard to write Melanie? (Being a glutton for punishment… bad men and poor choices?) 

In a story you always want to see characters put in challenging situations to see how they grow or change, and I put the main character of Melanie St. John into as many interesting, challenging situations as I could to help show her overall growth as she (hopefully) learned from her past each time as the story evolved, and she then (eventually) made better decisions.

I felt Melanie was also the type of person who needed a challenge too, and she also really wanted to get out of her hometown.  She could have stayed in her “safety zone” in Texas her whole life if she wanted to and settled down with a typical “trust fund brat” like the one she was with, but instead I wanted to show how she wanted to move to NYC to get away from that truly toxic relationship in Texas.  I felt it was the best way to handle that situation in the story too, for it gave the character of Melanie a chance to really grow on her own for the first time in her young adult life when she was still in her twenties, which is important for all women to do I feel.  (And even though this is fiction, I still hope that part inspires them to also do that if they ever want to leave a bad relationship and just start over somewhere else!)

 

How did you come up with the acronyms like BDL (Bad Date List), FF (Fearsome Foursome), T.O.P, (Texas Oil Princess)? I loved them! 

Thank you!  I just made them up—and I’m very happy you like them!  43647-happyjumpingsmiley5

(They were fun to think about and ponder over too.)

Did you like writing Whitney, “Miss Barbie Doll,” and Eva, “Miss Exotic”?

 

What great questions, for these two characters really were written to be the opposites of each other in many ways…

Eva was very hard to write and I often got very sad when I did, for she was my most tragic character.  She was meant to show a person’s dark, painful choices and bring out their troubling emotions at times, especially if they felt they didn’t really “fit in” wherever they were in life like Eva always did… whereas Whitney was the fun, carefree “party girl” with nothing to worry about except her next glass of bubbly most of the time because everything was always handed to her easily, though I did try to show her growth too by the end.

In my upscale world there are all types of people, but I see this kind of “Whitney” character a lot, and I wanted to show that in the book.  There are also a lot of “Eva’s” in regards to how they’ll do anything to be included in this high-society world, but they actually come from all walks of life and aren’t limited to just being “exotic types.”  I mainly created Eva to be that to make her the opposite of Whitney in appearance.

Lastly, who inspired Barc?  I MUST know!

 No one in particular, for like Whitney and Eva’s character’s, there are a lot of “Barc’s” in this upscale, elite world.  I actually created the character of Barc as an example of how you can be fooled by someone’s appearance, their “story,” pedigree, or even their charisma (and even for a long time), and you have to be careful to see what is really inside the initial package you are first presented with.  For like a well-wrapped gift, it could look lovely and shinny on the outside, but sometimes opening it up is really like opening Pandora’s box—and the actual gift you’re left with isn’t what it “appeared” to be.  I unfortunately run across this all the time in my social circles (with both men and women), so I had no trouble creating a fictional version for the book.  He’s a character I hope women will learn from though!

 

  This was my Barc 

 James Spader from Pretty in Pink, oldie (HA HA) but a goodie

 

SBC-Cover

Buy it at Amazon 

Stupid by Choice by Leighton Summers‏ #review

Posted in Book Titles by

SBC-CoverSparkle_Plain

I have to say this was my cup of tea! Back in the day I would walk into the book store and go to my genre of choice and actually choose the longest book. Nothing was worse than being on the good old F train going into Manhattan with nothing to read. Sadly you have to look at the people on the train with you, not good! Anyways This book had a lot of great elements. Melanie St. John was a Texas Oil Attorney’s daughter. Most of the story she struggles with wealth and whether she wants it or hates it. Her and her parents and sister have a lot of emotional turmoil in their lives. The books shows a side of Texas that isn’t usually shown. The oil business is as big as their hats! Oldie is the typical wealthy attorney who loves with his heart and his wallet.

iStock_000001392817_Small

Melanie thinks she is getting away with a secret and her boyfriend David. I know this is a mini spoiler but….Oldie confronts her and wahooo does he have the goods on his little virgin daughter. It broke my heart and this is where I loved to hate Oldie. He was genuine in his care and concern for Melanie but it tore my heart out. She loved David. Yes there wouldn’t be a book if she chose David. I know that, but the characters were really real to me and spoke to me. I grieve the loss of David! 

 

ae533-img51263a0c19dd2

 As Melanie decided to go to UT and with her sister and her friend Eva they start college life. Eva was the daughter of Helmut. OH my did that man scare me!  I really liked the dark side of her. Her life, chances, and the experiences she was famous for were priceless, scary and tragic. When the family goes to Europe and discovers what a colossal mess Eva and Whitney have gotten into.

 ????????????????????????????????????????

Melanie watches Whitney have fun and never let college consume her. She seemed to consume, champagne and men. I liked all of her. She was not superficial, she knew what she wanted and was a semi alpha girl. I guess I appreciated her vision. I enjoyed all the fearsome foursome and their antics. All the college and angst of growing up were were played out well. I liked how descriptive she was with the areas. Whether in Texas, New York, Paris or Italy the author was descriptive with the areas letting you visualize it.

????????????????????????????????????????

Melanie was a wonderful and rich character and so was the book. This is a great weekend at the beach book.

4 .5 stars

 

 This was my Barc 

 James Spader from Pretty in Pink, oldie (HA HA) but a goodie

SBC-Cover

Buy it at Amazon 

About the Author: 

Leighton Summers is a sixth generation Texan who has traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe her whole life.  During her travels she was always surrounded by interesting, successful (and often eccentric) people who encouraged her to find her passion and live life to the fullest.  Writing novels always intrigued her, and so one day while in New York City she took out her laptop in a café and decided to jot down some notes about how a female character created from her own world could “love smarter.”  Over the next four years the notes turned into both funny and sad adventures of a women’s quest for finding friendship, love, self, and family and she weaved them all together into this, her debut novel.

Stupid by Choice by Leighton Summers #debut #spotlight

Posted in Book Titles by

SBC-CoverSparkle_Plain

High Society, High Style, & High Drama!

BIG, RICH, TEXAS: WHAT REALLY LIES BEHIND THE GLITTERING FAÇADE OF DEBUTANTE LIFE?

 

Beautiful, bold, and born with a silver spoon firmly planted in hand, Melanie St. John is, by all outside accounts, the picture-perfect Texan Oil Princess. An independently wealthy daddy’s girl through and through, Melanie has spent her adult years flitting from one exotic, exclusive locale to another, being wooed by handsome, successful men, and in the dizzying center of dazzling, diamond-encrusted society life.

But behind the glittering façade of her debutante life lays a very different story.

In Stupid By Choice, this summer’s must-have beach read from author Leighton Summers, we follow the fictional and fabulous Melanie as she attempts to find true, lasting love amongst the wealthy, jet-set, spoiled, sought-after playboys in the elite social circles of Texas, Monte Carol, Manhattan, Newport, and Palm Beach.

Facing one destructive love affair after another, as well as financial troubles, family drama, unplanned pregnancy, and more, Melanie and her friends traipse through the high high’s and low low’s of elite society, all while negotiating the blows they’re dealt with vulnerability, extravagance, and a resilience that every woman, regardless of social strata, will recognize as her own.

“Stupid By Choice is pure fiction, but it’s entirely inspired by the affluent, privileged world that I grew up—and still live—in,” says Summers. “All that glitters is not gold. It’s easy to get caught up in the glamour of it all, but no matter what your age or station in life, we all have to learn—as Melanie does—to not be ‘stupid by choice’ and stay stuck or settle if we’re not happy.”

A celebratory romp through the lives of ladies who have, lose, and ultimately triumph over it all, Stupid By Choice is as juicy a summer read as they come—equal parts entertaining, thought-provoking, and emotionally gripping. Among the topics and themes explored in it are:

  • Don’t mess with Texas! An insider’s look—good and bad—at what socialite American society life is really like from a Texans’ P.O.V.
  • The ‘problem-free’ lifestyles of the rich and well groomed: does money solve as many issues as one might think?  Or does it just create more?
  • Handling divorce, infidelity, family problems, motherhood, and career goals with grace and fearlessness
  • Finding courage in the face of the unknown, taking risks, and following your heart!

 

About the Author:

 

Leighton Summers is a sixth generation Texan who has traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe throughout her whole life. During her travels, she was always surrounded by interesting, successful (and often eccentric) people who encouraged her to find her passion and live life to the fullest. Writing novels always intrigued her, and so one day while in New York City she took out her laptop in a café and decided to jot down some notes about how a female character, created from her own world, could “love smarter.” Over the next four years, those notes turned into both funny and sad adventures of a woman’s quest to find friendship, love, self, and family and became Stupid By Choice, Summers’ debut novel.

 

Stupid By Choice is available as an e-book from Amazon.

Buy it at Amazon 

 

Website  http://stupidbychoice.net/

 

Save Me From Me by Erika Ashby @erikaashby #cover #reveal

Posted in Book Titles by

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title: Save Me From Me

Author: Erika Ashby

Release Date: October 2013

Goodreads Link:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17281558-save-me-from-me

 

Synopsis:

Dani refuses to lose another parent due to her absence from their life. After pulling herself back together following the death of her father, she moves back to her childhood town to live with her mom. She’s instantly pulled back into the lifestyle she worked so hard to get away from ten years ago. She accepts that this is the life she has always been destined to live. Getting a job at the store down the road and hooking up with an ex fling seem to be the logical way to go…that is until Holden Reynolds shows up in town.
Now that Holden is finally back home from the Navy he plans on following in his father’s footsteps. Still trying to move on from the one woman who had his heart, he busies himself in work and returning to the country boy lifestyle he’s always loved. The best way to get over someone is to be under someone, right? That’s his mindset as he travels town to town with his job perfectly content with being a rambling man…that is until he meets Danielle Brooks.

 

Excerpt:

 *Dani* 

     If first impressions are really everything, then my first encounter with Holden will forever be engrained into my mind. Like seriously. I will never be able to get the look of his face as that slut bag was going down on him out of my mind. The way his head dropped back against the outside wall of the bar and the moan that slowly eased its way out of his throat was the hottest damn thing ever. The thought of wishing I was the one causing it quickly passed my mind. It would have stayed a bit longer if he would have never lifted his head making eye contact with me. He wasn’t fazed at all by me checking out the show. No, instead he just griped the chicks head harder pushing her faster and deeper onto what I’m sure is a very nice cock. It’s sad and maybe a little sick that this is making me horny. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m in a desperate need to get laid. It’s been forever. So long that I can’t even remember. 

 

*Holden* 

      I push back the head of the girl whose name apparently is Loralee. It’s not like I would have given two-shits and even asked. I could care less to be honest. I just got into town today and was just looking for a release and she was more than willing to comply. But now, ever since that hot little thing openly watched me getting my dick sucked and enjoyed the show, this chick is just feeling like a dog licking up slop.

      “Enough.” I say trying to adjust my now deflating dick back into my boxers.

     She huffs, “Wait, why? Is it because of what Dani said?” Dani, I let the sound of her name play in my mind. “Because what she said isn’t true. I’m gonna beat her fuckin’ ass.” 

     I lift my hand to shut her up, “Listen here sweetheart. This has nothing to do with her. It has to do with me not getting anything out of your mouth. I lost interest…my dick lost interest. I could lie and say that I have a case of whiskey dick, but we both know that isn’t true. Maybe you just suck at sucking tonight. It’s okay.” I pat her shoulder, “We all have our off nights.” 

 

Book Trailer:Link

 

Social Media Links: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEAshby

Twitter: @erikaashby

Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/ErikaAshby

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6625020.Erika_Ashby

 

Author Bio:

View author pic.jpg in slide show

Being born an “Army Brat”, Erika Ashby has been residing in Oklahoma the last 10 years finally putting an end to the nomad tendencies she had grown accustomed to. She’s a happily married woman who has 5 kids between her and her husband. She has an insane passion for music and embraces her Inner Groupie any chance she has. It wasn’t until the age of 29 that she realized she also had a hidden passion for reading; before then she claimed to have hated it. Six months after unlocking that deep desire she never knew she held, she turned the key to another chapter of her life which has become the desire to write. And the rest is still history in the making.

 

Amazon Links  

Moving Forward 

 No Going Back 

 

 

 

Something’s Cooking by Meg Lacey @entangledpub #spotlight

Posted in Book Titles by

 

Title: Something’s Cooking
Author: Meg Lacey
Genre: Contemporary Series Romance
Length: 182 pages
Release Date: August 2013
ISBN: 978-1-62266-174-9
Imprint: Indulgence

 

“Meg Lacey’s sizzling romance sparkles with wit and humor. You will fall in love with all of her characters.” Annie Seaton

 Tess Banyon has turned her brilliant recipe and crafting ideas into a multimedia empire. Landing her own TV show throws her into a panic. If she’s not careful, the public will discover she isn’t the domestic diva everyone thinks she is.

Investigative reporter Josh Faraday smells something smoking in Tess’s world. His goal to expose the real Tess goes into overdrive when she lands a television show deal. He secures an assignment to shadow her, reporting on her program, but what he’s really doing is getting dirt for his expose. Things get even stickier when Tess’s family play matchmaker. There’s no shortage of fire between them, and after an impulsive night together, Josh discovers a story he never expected–or bargained for.

Excerpt:

© 2013 Meg Lacey

Josh Redmond Faraday’s Little League baseball team was behind by six runs when it was Joey Murray’s turn at bat. The little boy looked over his shoulder at Josh. His pale face reflected his terror, and the groan of the other kids added to the pressure. Josh could relate. He’d been terrible at sports, too. That’s why he’d agreed when his best friend asked him to coach this Little League team. It was T-ball, and the kids were just learning, but to him it was more important that the boys and the two girls on the team learned confidence as well as skills.

“You can do it, Joey,” Josh said, walking over to clasp the little boy’s shoulder.  “Just take your time, and wait for your pitch. When you see it coming, take a swing.”

Joey’s lips trembled for a minute, and then he said, “Coach Josh, I think I’m going to throw up.”

He squatted down to eye level to look at the chubby little boy in the too-big uniform. “I know how you feel. When I was a kid, I was the worst player on the team.  I missed every time I tried to hit the ball.”

“I always miss.”

“It doesn’t matter if you miss. The important thing is you try your best. Will you do that for me?”

“Okay,” Joey said with a resigned shrug. He picked up his bat and stepped to the plate.

“You can do it,” Josh said as he backed up to join his best friend, Marty Logan.

“Think he’ll hit it this time?” Marty asked, leaning back against the fence.

“Man, I hope so. I’ve been working extra with him. The poor kid’s never even seen a baseball, much less tried to hit one.” Josh felt his stomach clench as Joey took a swing and a miss, and then another. “Shake it off, Joey. You can do it.”

The little boy set his jaw, took a better grip on the bat, and swung, this time connecting with the ball, which dribbled forward a few feet. Joey was so shocked he stood there staring at the ball instead of running, resulting in the other team’s catcher scooping up the ball and tagging Joey out. That’s when a parent started yelling his displeasure from the stands.

Josh glared up at the man who was commenting on Joey’s lack of ability. “Leave the kid alone. It’s not the World Series.”

He walked over to Joey. “Good hit, kid. I’m proud of you.”

“I’m still out,” Joey said, with a disgusted look.

He gave him a high five. “Doesn’t matter. You tried. That’s what counts.” Then he walked back to Marty. “Did you hear that guy yelling at the little kid? I’m going to write about parents who put too much pressure on kids at sporting games.”

“You are, or your alter ego, JR?”

He shrugged. “My column’s under JR’s byline.”

“When are you going to junk that idea and write as yourself? Aren’t you getting tired of the unknown journalist routine?”

“Yeah, sometimes I wish I’d never started it. But until I can get my other ideas off the ground, JR pays the rent.”

Marty nodded. “And from what I’ve seen, pays it pretty well.”

“That it does, but I earn every penny of it.  I’ve worked my butt off to get where I am.”

“That’s not news, you’ve been doing that since we met in prep school.”

Josh watched as their team took the field for the last inning. “You know how it goes. Snooze you lose. Today, competition is worse than ever. Someone’s always snapping at my heels. I don’t have any choice but to go after what I want every way I can.”

Marty heaved away from the fence. “You’re your own worst enemy most of the time.”

“You should talk. I’m amazed you found a woman to put up with you,” Josh said, as they walked toward the team bench.

“Speaking of that, Liza has this friend who’s perfect for—”

“No deal,” Josh said, holding up his hands like a traffic cop. “Not after that last blind date. The woman almost had us married before dinner was over.  I’ll damn well find my own woman, thanks.”

“I wish you’d hurry up so Liza will get off my back.” Marty looked toward the field. “Great. The other team just hit a home run. There goes the ballgame.”

Shaking his head, Josh said, “That’s seven in a row. At least they’re improving. This time we only lost by eight runs.” He chuckled. “I call that progress. I think we should celebrate. How about we take them out for pizza? My treat.”

“Anything to avoid cooking, huh?” Marty said, picking up the bag of bats.

“You got it. When I find my perfect woman, she’s going to look like an angel and cook like a dream.”

Josh shoved a stack of papers aside and hitched a hip onto the corner of his desk, preparing to read his latest newspaper column. He opened up the spread and eyed a photo of his nemesis, Tess Banyon, the so-called “diva of domesticity”, taking up the lion’s share of the page.

“What the—”

He stared at the paper, rage blurring his vision. The irritating image of the gorgeous usurper pulsed in and out of his mind.

“They had the nerve to edit my article so the media’s newest golden girl could take over my page?” He adjusted his tortoise-shell reading glasses and scowled as he stared at the photo. I’ve been working my butt off for years. What makes her so bloody special?

Unable to pull his gaze away, he studied the headshot more closely. He concentrated on her pert little nose, sitting square in the middle of a perfect oval face with high cheekbones, a ripe mouth, and wide blue eyes. The damn woman is way too perfect. His expression darkened. He didn’t trust people who rose to the top of the heap as quickly as she had. Where was the thought, the hard work, and long hours he’d put in for the past ten years?

He stared at the perfection of her hair, falling onto the top of her shoulders in such a smooth, curved style, and his fingers twitched. He wondered if it would feel as silky as it looked. His scowl deepened.

What the hell do I care? Even as he thought that, his eyes zeroed back on her picture, on the full lips that teased the reader. An unexpected rush of blood raced south. His imagination drifted to Tess Banyon dressed in a kinky maid’s costume, with a container of whipped cream in one hand and handcuffs dangling from the fingers of her other, her luscious mouth moistened by—

He sighed in exasperation, drawing the attention of his editor as he walked through the newsroom on the way to his office.

Sam Melnick stopped, reluctantly it seemed to Josh. “Problem, Faraday?”

“Nope.” Josh turned the paper, flicking it so Sam could pay the proper attention to his grievance. “Nothing beyond the Domestic Goddess commandeering my space, jamming my column into this miniscule, bottom corner of the page.”

CONGRATS #Winners of Chance & Choices #Giveaway @HelenKarolwrite

Posted in Book Titles by

Winners of Chances and Choices by Helen Karol

 

Becky N

Stacee P

and

Samantha A

 

You won the kindle copy and a metal book marker charm by Jenna’s Jewelry 

 

Congrats 

Adrienne W

AnnMarie W 

both won the book marker sets

 

Bad Girls by Deborah Doucette @DJDouce #review

Posted in Book Titles by

 

 

Rebecca Griffin is the main character in the book. It starts out with the background of her family. Granted if you never grew up with this type of family it is hard to relate to. I don’t think someone from Texas would relate to them as easily as I did. I don’t know if Rebecca’s mom would be indeared either. My Mother is still the exact same way, some say harsh. Still has plastic runners over the carpet, makes gravy on Sunday and is on an all out war with someone every day. That being said I did totally relate to her. As I grew up I understood the term “bad girls”, others like “she became pregnant/got in trouble”, “went away”for going to jail, and being called a “tomato”because you were easy.

 

Things take a turn when Rebecca learns of a few things, one being her husband is having an affair. Now Rebecca has issues with Dana her daughter. I sort of needed a little more Dana. Rebecca was a little over the top with Dana and worries sometime lead to you asking a question of yourself. Do you think you can change her? stop her? love her any more or less? It was a good mother/daughter battle. Sometimes the internal battle and self punishment can be worse than actually acting on what you think.

I enjoyed the book and thought that the mystery aspect had it appeal. I think if you look past the cover and read it you will enjoy it too. When I say that, I mean the cover doesn’t depict anything, certainly not a story like this. It is not mysterious in a time frame the book is referencing.

How my old house on Chester Avenue in Brooklyn that is cool.

 

 

 

Twitter @djdouce

Web 

Amazon Buy it

Goodreads

Meet the author:

 

Deborah Doucette

 

I began writing professionally after my son was born – a later-in-life surprise baby. A wonderful blessing, and one that helped to galvanize me to reflect on where I was in my career and what I really wanted to do. I knew that answer was, write! Soon, I was writing articles for local newspapers and looking for other opportunities. Then another life-altering event occurred when my granddaughter was born which spun me around and sent me in another direction focusing on grandparents raising their grandchildren and subsequently writing my first book, RAISING OUR CHILDREN’S CHILDREN now undergoing a revision to return as, ROOM IN THE HEART, with a new life! My novel, BAD GIRLS, (which I sometimes describe as a cross between Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman and Moonstruck), will be released in July 2013. I’m currently working on a new novel

Snake in the Grass by @imaquirkybird #excerpt #ParanormalRomance @IMR_BookReviews

Posted in Book Titles by

 sig-cover (1)

 

Book Synopsis:

It’s Round Two of high stakes Love Connection on Olympus, and this time, everything has changed. For Aphrodite, at least.

 Ares is on deck, and Aphrodite is nervous. As much as she loves to hook up with him, she doesn’t trust him as far as she could throw him, which isn’t very far. He’s a big dude. They haven’t been together in a very long time, but she can’t resist him. She never could. Even when every part of her screamed that he was a liar.

He has a plan to keep Aphrodite, for good this time. He wants to win the game, but he’ll hold back to get what he wants. He’s sitting on a chance that he’s been waiting thousands of years for, and he’ll do what he has to do to convince her to stay forever.

The only thing that could stop him is the secret that he’s been keeping from her for eons. If she finds out, it will destroy everything.

Aphrodite is getting crap for her choice in player, because from the outside, it looks like a match that would never work.

Kat and Dillon have been through a lot, and everything has been to protect their younger siblings. They sacrificed everything to make sure their brother and sister would be safe. The players are tough and loyal.

Fierce and determined. But they become each other’s weakness, even though they fight it, and even though it means danger for Kat and her sister.

If Aphrodite can get the players over their egos long enough to see that they’re meant for each other, this competition will be a piece of cake. One that she’ll eat a la mode, right in front of Ares, if she beats him.

 

 Book Links:

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18109813-snake-in-the-grass

 

Author Bio:

Staci Hart Photo (1)

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life — a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can’t forget that. She’s also been a mom; she has three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She’s been a wife; even though she’s certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She’s also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she’s been drinking whiskey. Her favorite word starts with f, ends with k, and there a uc in there.

 

From roots in Houston, to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she’s not writing, she’s sleeping, cleaning, or designing graphics. But let’s be honest, she’s mostly writing.

 

Author Links:

Website: http://stacihartnovels.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17453243-deer-in-headlights

Twitter: https://twitter.com/imaquirkybird

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Staci-Hart/458570357536167

 

Excerpt 

Dillon parked in front of MacLennan’s and stepped out of the car. He looked up at the green and gold pub sign with a small four-leaf clover next to the name. They hadn’t been there in forever, since Brian liked to tour Brooklyn’s Irish pub circuit, to “keep it fresh.” He walked up to the door with his hands shoved in the pockets of his leather jacket, his grey hoodie hanging out of the neck, and Owen walked behind him with his collar flipped against the cold.

Dillon hated these after parties. He didn’t drink. Drinking made him too unpredictable. On top of that, he was always wiped out after fights. He’d much prefer to be home, but there was no way around it. The bigger he got, the more people expected to see him after a fight.

Brain said that it was all about PR. If the people who bet on him got to hang out with him, they’d be more likely to bet on him again. But the attention was too much for Dillon. He was honored that so many people wanted to wish him well, but the whole ordeal exhausted him.

He grabbed the brass handle to the pub door and gave Owen a look before pulling it open. The sound of music and people hit him like a wave, which surged once the crowd saw him and exploded into cheers. He smiled and ran a hand through his hair. The crowd parted, and Brian stepped through to him, grinning.

“Took you long enough. Come on, this way.” Brian turned, and the crowd opened up to let him through. They called Dillon’s name, some slapped him on the back. A few tried to hand him drinks, which he graciously turned down, and followed Brian to the bar with Owen in his wake.

They reached the long bar, all mahogany and brass, and the minute he sat down, a small pack of girls led by a bleached blond pushed their way in next to him.

“Hey, Dillon. Congrats on the fight.” Her glossy lips turned up in a smile, and she batted her mascara heavy lashes at him. She squeezed in close and laid her hand on his forearm.

“Thanks, Jessica.” He slid his arm out from under her hand and turned to Owen.

She poked out her lip for a split second, then pasted her smile back on and tried again. She pressed her arm against his as she leaned over the bar and shoved her breasts together. “So, you gonna buy a girl a drink?”

Dillon’s gaze swept over her cleavage spilling out of her low-cut shirt and he rolled his eyes. “You should ask Brian. He’s in charge of rounds.”

Her lip popped out again, and her cheeks flushed. A brunette next to her gave her a nudge and whispered something to her.

Jessica put on a seductive smile and slipped her hand down to his thigh. “Come on, Dillon.” Her words were sugary sweet. “For old time’s sake?”

Dillon looked her over again, his jaw set. “There weren’t ever any ‘old times’.” He turned in his stool and jerked his chin at Brian. “Hey, Bri. Jessica wants a drink. Can you help her out with that?”

Brian snickered. “Yeah, come on, Jess. The bartender’s down here. What are you drinking?” He draped his arm over her shoulders and steered her away. She looked back at Dillon, blowing him up with her eyes with her cronies on her heel.

Owen laughed and shook his head. “God, she never quits.”

“If I had known she was crazy, I never would have hooked up with her.”

“She’s not just crazy, she’s the queen of the asylum.” Owen leaned over the bar. “Damn, what does it take to get a drink around here?” Owen flagged his hand behind the bar.

A girl bent down behind the bar, hidden by a sheet of long, black hair, and when she stood up and turned to face him, all the breath left Dillon’s lungs.

His eyes met hers, intense and gray-green, lined with thick, black lashes. He traced the bridge of her long nose, over the tiny freckles sprinkled across it and onto her flushed apple cheeks. Her rosy lips were full and parted, and his gaze lingered there before pulling back to her eyes, snapping his to hers like magnets.

Owen’s face ping-ponged between the two, amused as they stared at each other. The noise in the bar was almost deafening, but the two of them were still and quiet, two unmoving points in an ocean of people.

Dillon shook himself, and she did the same. She turned to Owen. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear what you ordered.”

Owen cocked a smile, his eyes on his brother as he answered, “Uh, Guinness. Thanks.”

“And for you?” Her voice was smoke and fire, and she turned to Dillon again, he swallowed hard.

“Just water,” he said, his eyes fixed on hers.

“Sure,” she said and turned to walk to the taps, looking back over her shoulder at Dillon.

He watched her walk away, and Owen gave him a sly smile.

Dillon blinked a few times as his brow dropped. “What?”

“Nothing.” Owen smirked and turned back to the girl.

She came back a moment later and set their drinks down. Owen pulled out his wallet, but she put her hands up. “This goes on Brian’s tab.”

Owen snorted. “Right, Brian’s tab. Hey, what’s your name?”

She stood tall and confident, with her eyes on Dillon, and his on hers. “I’m Kat.”

“Hi, Kat. I’m Owen, and this here,” he slapped Dillon on the shoulder, “is Dillon, my big brother.”

“Yeah, I heard.” She cracked a smile, and Dillon’s heart beat a little faster. “Brian’s been talking you up for the last hour.” Someone shouted to her from the other end of the bar. “Nice to meet you,” she said casually and turned to the mob.

Kat blinked a few times as she walked away. For a second, she had been connected to him, his eyes holding her captive like a snake charmer, and she couldn’t look away. Her brows knit together while she poured a drink, trying to understand what happened. She glanced back over at him and found his eyes on her. The bruise on his jaw was dark, and he had a small cut under his eye. His lips were full and wide, and the bottom one was split. He looked at her fiercely, and she flushed, dropping her eyes back to the drink in front of her.