
An Excerpt from Owning Sarah


So if you didnt read book 1 stop, read and come back! In the second book of the series, Damaged Girls II, I was thrown into Stevie and his sick twisted relationships. Being both girls have kids Steven and Stevie it was easy to see that is where the similarities end. Once again the author takes you deep into Stevie’s friend and their bold opinions. I loved how Morgan would give him hell. She was so immune to his charm and look that it was troubling to him. There were times when I envisioned him trying to get over on her. Not my Morgan she let him have it.
Jessica’s character at times really broke me. The author had me almost yelling at her to grow up. What I realized was that Stevie was so much like the younger version of her Dad that is when the “ding ding ding” happens for me. She will change in a bad way.
As for the Jillian character, she has so much turmoil thrown her way. I think she was my favorite. She is smart, stern and a great Mother. I mean who would take in the kid that belongs to your lover? Yes Jillian did. Her nurturing was important to Jessica. The fact that she cared for her son and his half brother the way she did only made me love her more.
As with book 1 the author wows you with a drama filled novel. It is one that you must read. The Jillian segments were, in my opinion, the best of the book. Now book 3 Will they learn from their mistakes? Will Jillian or Jessica move on? Will Stevie get his ass kicked? Darn it I want Morgan with a boxing glove pronto.

“a heart-quickening novel that will thrill Michael Crichton fans and that T.C. Boyle readers will find wickedly smart“
What if you had the power to heal others but it only brought you personal destruction and ruin? Would you still use it?
When a street shaman meets a horrific demise on Dr. Austin MacLean’s ER table, Austin soon discovers a raw and irrepressible power. But when this power inflicts traumatic effects on three chronically ill children, families rush to accuse him, his colleagues condemn him, and the police begin to investigate in this affluent New Jersey beach town….and so do others when the children begin to show inconceivable progress.
Dara Kleows, a local reporter, is the first to connect the children’s gradual healings back to Austin. The two develop a deep bond but Austin remains uncertain as to what this beautiful woman wants. Is she just after a story, or more? There are those who covet Austin’s “power” and at any cost, while Dara grows concerned by Austin’s headlong march toward his own perdition.
What if you had the power to heal but people condemned you and supected its use? Would you still use it? Read The Power. You just might need it someday when you meet the One, or if that One becomes you.
Jeff Hennelly now lives outside of Philadelphia, PA. He’s been in the medical device business for over 20 years and has worked with hospitals, clinics, and alternate care facilities from Palo Alto to Prague. His articles and short stories have appeared in numerous trade magazines and journals. His latest novel, THE POWER has generated motion picture interest. His fascination remains for the human condition, behavior surrounding procreation, and in art that portrays a metaphor for life. Look for his new novel, THE 95 PERCENT in December of 2013.
Hi there and welcome to the BOOK BLITZ for LOVE, LEX sponsored by Xpresso Book Tours. This is a New Adult release from an up-and-coming author, Avery Aster, about a gal who’s ready to cast off the negativity of her over-privileged childhood.
Let Lex tell you ’bout the book:
This summer, I’d planned to celebrate my eighteenth birthday in Europe with my fellow Manhattanites—Taddy Brill, Blake Morgan, and Vive Farnworth—until I caught my boyfriend screwing my mother. According to the police report, this vomit-inducing incident happened around the same time I’d supposedly blown-up my mother’s penthouse. Like I’m walking around Soho with a stick of dynamite in my Louis Vuitton purse—not! Now, my besties and I are in jail.
Officer Ford Gotti, the Harley-wheelin’ biker cop who arrested us, keeps sticking his perfectly-sculpted nose into my case. His inked body is jacked like a superhero, and he says I can trust him. He wants me to fess up. I won’t. Not again. Why should I? My friends and I had a previous stint in juvie that nearly destroyed us. I gotta protect them and keep my mouth shut. Right? —Lex Easton, women’s studies major, motorcycle enthusiast, and virgin.
The Undergrad Years is a New Adult contemporary miniseries about first loves, independence, and everlasting friendships.
Reader warning: Contains mature content intended for readers 17 and up.
Posted on April 10, 2014
Excerpt from Chapter Seven: The Ride of My Life
*the set up: Lex and Ford go for a ride on his motorcycle
The bike rolled into the garage and stopped. Ford pushed a button, and the garage lights came on as the door closed. Kicking the stand, he got to his feet and cut the engine.
Mindful of where I sat, he lifted his leg and got off the bike. When he removed his helmet, I noticed his eyes weren’t as dark as before. They had hints of hazel in them. His brow furrowed into a straight line when he caught me staring at him.
Quickly, I looked down at the bike and reached up to take my helmet off.
“Allow me.” His big hands came under my chin. He tilted my jaw upward. “Such a beautiful face, Lex. I like looking at you.”
“Thank you…”
I’d heard the “pretty face but” backhanded compliment my entire life. I waited for him to say, “But your body could use some work.” Or my personal favorite, “It’s a shame you forgot to take care of the rest of you.”
Ford didn’t say anything of the sort. He studied me just as he did back in the jail, from head to toe. I’m so uncomfortable. Not because of anything he’s doing, but because usually that is when men, and sometimes women, stop looking at me all together.
He unfastened my chinstrap and teased, “Let’s see if your hair has static.”
Trying to stand, I laughed nervously.
“Stay seated.” He removed my helmet and placed both his and mine behind me. He swung my right leg to the left side of the bike, framing my body with his. He cupped my face in his hands.
Hot cop fantasy? Heck no. This was real. He was going to…
Ford licked his bottom lip. His facial features strained, becoming serious. The tip of his nose touched mine. I smelled mint when he exhaled. “No roommate. Yup, I live alone.” Then he kissed me.
My head fell back into his grip.
With determination, he tongued me, deeply, clockwise, oh yes even his flippin’ tongue was strong and precise, just like the way he weaved his bike through traffic.
Enthusiastically he unbuttoned the straps on my overalls and then without even looking, still lip-to-lip, he worked the closure on the left side then the right. The denim flaps fell to the front and the back.
“Stand for a sec.” Ford lifted me up in the air as if I were a weightless feather. He planted both my feet on the ground, and then he shanked the overalls to my ankles.
“Ford—” Before I could finish whatever I was going to say, he lifted up my shirt and swiftly placed me back on the motorcycle. Worried I’d fall, I dug my back into the seat, reached for each handlebar, pulling myself up as I gasped and garbled some words.
He slid his fingers through the purple waistband on my underwear.
My entire body stood to attention.
“I want you naked so I can admire your body, and fuck you, on my bike.”
Air, I needed to breath. Afraid I might pass out, I inhaled through my nostrils and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. “Umm, Ford,” I whispered when he came in to kiss me again.
What the heck was I going to say? “Excuse me, but as hawt as this whole bike thing sounds, my Lady V and I would be more comfortable on a bed, sofa, or even the floor.” I felt as if I might knock the bike over any second now.
“Nervous?” Ford sensed my apprehension.
“Very,” I replied without thinking.
“I told you not to be.” He repositioned himself holding my legs over his right shoulder.
The panties came off. Then he lifted one leg and rested it on his other shoulder. Leaning down, his hands scooped under my back and unfastened my bra. No directions necessary. This dude could do this undressing thing, in the dark.
“But Ford, ya see, I’m—”
That tongue of magic. Thick and velvety, warm and wetter than the spot between my legs, Ford slipped back into my mouth. This time he rotated counterclockwise.
Dang. Ford is an Olympic kisser. For round two, I braced myself in his arms.
Legs spread wide, my ass still sat on the bike.
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where I was born and raised allows me to hear the waves and stick my toes in the sand whenever I want, which is vital to my emotional well-being. Completely and absolutely obsessed with good music, the lifeline to my creativity, I cannot and will not write without it. Some things that I appreciate are honesty but not cruelty, an unapologetic sense of humor, being able to make any situation fun, often dancing like no one is watching, and a good cup of coffee with enough creamer to make it blonde.
My heart raced, my palms grew sweaty, my skin felt flushed, and my breathing sped up. I let my tongue graze over my lips to wet them, and apparently that was invitation enough. His eyes immediately dropped to my mouth. Drew started to slowly lean in towards me, closing the distance between us, never releasing my face from his hold. Everything moved in slow motion and I knew this was the moment of our first kiss.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the sky opened up and it started raining. Not raining, pouring! Everyone around us (who I’d been unaware of for the last hour) scattered like ants and we stood to run for cover with the rest of the crowd. People were frantic and crazy, squealing and sprinting for cover, bumping into us left and right. Drew grabbed my hand and pulled me with him, jogging away from the chaos in the rain. We were running in the street along the inter-coastal, in the direction of the gym a few blocks away. Already drenched, we laughed at each other, stepping in puddles and pulling each other back and forth to dodge others in our path. It felt like we were children, being playful and having fun with it, because what else could you do
at that point?
When the rain picked up, we were still a good four blocks from the gym. Drew suddenly stopped jogging in front of me and turned around to face me, a look of intensity and determination in his expression. I almost couldn’t stop in time and nearly crashed into his chest. He grabbed my face with both of his strong, masculine hands and looked at me like I was a giant piece of chocolate cake and he was starving. For two seconds he stared at me. Four seconds. Six seconds. All the while standing in the middle of the street in the pouring rain. And then his lips crashed into mine. His lips were firm at first but immediately softened. He licked my lower lip, tasting me, enticing me to open for him and I couldn’t dream of doing anything in that moment but exactly whatever he wanted me to do. I opened my lips slowly to invite him in and our tongues touched each other, playfully at first and then with purpose. They danced together in perfect synchronized harmony like a beautiful Viennese waltz. The waltz turned into an angry paso doble, full of passion and angst. His kissed me with urgency, like he couldn’t get enough, but not with haste. He was savoring me, cherishing me. My hair stuck to my face, slick with wetness from the rain, my dress clinging to my body, soaked all the way to my underwear, but I didn’t want to move. Our hands were everywhere, grabbing each other anywhere, everywhere. He held my face with one hand and reached around to the small of my back to pull me in closer to him. The substantial, hard bulge between us confirmed how much I was affecting him. I felt my core twitch and throb with a need that I’d never felt before. My romance novels were finally right about something—this aching and throbbing stuff was legit. I didn’t want to stop feeling it. I didn’t ever want to stop.
Our mouths separated and I tried to take a deep breath, but he moved his mouth down to my throat and neck, kissing and licking, lapping up the raindrops from my skin, and I couldn’t possibly catch my breath with him doing that. I suddenly realized where we were still outside, still in the wide open, still in the rain. He must’ve felt me stiffen, because he brought his eyes up to mine and smiled.
“Let’s get you out of the rain,” he said, and we started jogging towards the gym again.

The main character is Steven Briggs, aka Stevie. He is a piece of work. He likes woman, does not want to commit, is used to getting what he wants, and he usually does. When he sets his sights on the young Jessica I was hoping that her youth and innocence would have a greater effect on him. Her youth did nothing but fill the void for a young partner. There is a great attraction between these two. I was rooting for them just simply how Stevie waited until Jessica was legal to actually pursue her. I thought it was a noble gesture. Well ok for a while I did.
The other character I loved was Jillian. Jillian was once the youth interest and is now a little older. Jillian is a lot stronger than Jessica and can resist Stevie a little better. She was somewhat stronger, had a career, and she didnt jump to Stevie’s commands.
The entire book is a revolving circle with family as the main theme. The Rodney family is messed up. The story there stems from Mr Rodney essentially acting a lot like the man he hates, Stevie. All of these lives intersect with tons of drama. There is a small lesson inside the pages here too. It seemed the karma queen has a lot of payback here. I thoroughly enjoyed the language, the authors characters and the richness of the story. At times I hurt for Jillian and at times I hurt for Jessica. This will be a must read series! Moving onto book 2

Author Web http://culturalcocktails.com


The Seductors Series Vol. 2
by B.L. Wilde
About B.L. Wilde:

Title: Scared to Live
Author: Stephen Booth
Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Crime
Publish Date: April 8, 2014
Publisher: Witness Impulse

Synopsis:
The seventh novel in the popular Cooper & Fry series.
How do you investigate the murder of a woman without a life? That is the challenge facing Cooper and Fry when a reclusive agoraphobic is found shot to death in her home. With no friends, no family, and virtually no contact with the outside world, the dead woman may have simply been an unlucky victim of a random homicide.
At virtually the same time, a raging house fire claims the life of a young mother and two of her children. But as the debris is cleared, troubling questions remain in the ashes. Among them, how did the fire start, where was the husband at two a.m. the day of the blaze, and was it really the fire that killed his family?
Stephen Booth is an award winning British crime writer, the creator of two young Derbyshire police detectives, DC Ben Cooper and DS Diane Fry, who have appeared in thirteen novels set in England’s beautiful and atmospheric Peak District.
Stephen has been a Gold Dagger finalist, an Anthony Award nominee, twice winner of a Barry Award for Best British Crime Novel, and twice shortlisted for the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year. Ben Cooper was a finalist for the Sherlock Award for the best detective created by a British author, and in 2003 the Crime Writers’ Association presented Stephen with the Dagger in the Library Award for “the author whose books have given readers the most pleasure”.
The Cooper & Fry series is published all around the world, and has been translated into 15 languages.
Connect with the Author:Twitter | Blog | Goodreads
The Retaliation Saga continues in Accused…
An easier and more peaceful life seemed to be destined for Ahmed and Tashera when they left Washington, DC and entered Georgia Atlantic University. But when Ahmed is accused of a crime that he didn’t commit and begins to be tried in the media, his popularity plummets, his self-esteem suffers, and his dreams of playing college basketball disappear.
Meanwhile, there is a serial rapist on campus who has been attacking freshman girls at record numbers and forcing them to keep silent. As Tashera learns about the girls, she begins to close in on the rapist. But is the attacker too crafty to be caught? Will the state prosecutor ignore key evidence to instead focus on the fame that comes with convicting a high profile basketball star?
Tashera is beyond stressed as she divides her time between trying to find enough evidence to clear Ahmed while at the same time stopping the rapist who roams the campus of Georgia Atlantic. Ahmed and Tashera’s journey into a new life away from home is more challenging than they ever thought that it would be.

Yasmin Shiraz is the author of The Blueprint for My Girls as well as The Blueprint for My Girls in Love. She is an empowerment speaker and program developer who has delivered programs and keynotes based on her books.
She is the author of the ALA’s Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers selection, Retaliation. She has spoken at over 100 colleges nationwide on topics such as empowerment, black history and hip hop culture.
She is an award winning film director as her film, Can She Be Saved? won 4 film awards including Best New film.
When not writing books, she produces documentaries for her company, Still Eye Rise Films.
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