September 30, 2015

Blog Tour and Review: River










River Ryan is used to getting his way. Girls, parties, drugs... As the lead singer of Deadly Intent, he's got the rockstar lifestyle down pat.  But when journalist, Harper James, shows up to follow the band around for an article, River just sees her as another groupie. Little does he know, Harper is actually a spy for the label, and they want him out. 

An unlikely love story about love on the road and how two people who couldn't be more different actually fit together perfectly.


Amazon Exclusive: http://amzn.to/1L25Wku



3.5 Hearts



This is the first of Marie York’s Deadly Intent series.  Deadly Intent is a rock band and this book is about lead singer River Ryan.  All of the band members have been living the life—booze, groupies, drugs, paparazzi. River is probably the worst of the bunch.  But, for all the fame, he wants to keep his private life private.

Along comes Harper James.  She is a journalist set upon getting all the inside scoop on Deadly Intent.  But, she battles her own demons that she hides behind a tough exterior.  She is not about to let an arrogant rocker get under her skin.

The band sets out on tour and River does his best to stay on the straight and narrow and out of Harper’s crosshairs.  This is a quick moving book.  A lot happens in a short amount of time.  I found myself wishing there was about 20 more pages.  Harper and River have quite a bit of animosity for the first half of the book.  I would have liked to have seen a slower build to their relationship. It wasn’t insta-love for them but they went from throwing daggers at each other to making out without much conversation in between.  I wanted to feel how their feelings toward each other had changed.
 
This was my first read of this author.  I do like her writing style and her approach to character development.  I am interested in seeing where she goes with this series.  Not a bad read.


·        An ARC of this title was received in exchange for an honest review. 





Marie York is an American

writer who works the corporate circuit by day but come nightfall

transforms into a steamy writer. She loves the city life and a good

cocktail.



Review: Memphis Black

*** From USA Today Bestselling author MJ Fields***
Memphis Title trans (1)




From bedroom performances to center stage, Memphis Black’s dreams have come true.

Together with his band mates—Finn, River, and Billy B—he takes some time for fun in the sun in Miami while gathering inspiration to finish their first full-length album. Some down time before hitting the road to tour the country, spreading their kind of rock like an STD.

Tallia Priest, a preacher’s daughter grew up next door to Madison Black, her polar opposite and very best friend. Tallia has harbored a crush on Madison’s older brother Memphis for a lifetime.

A boy like him would never notice a girl like her, yet he did … once.

After a tough freshman year of college, Madison invites Tallia to join her in Miami for a much needed break. Madison fails to mention they will be staying with ‘Steel Total Destruction.’

When Tallia arrives, there is no way for a stunned Memphis to miss the transformation of the once awkward, innocent girl next door.

Forbidden desires must be hidden, lines cannot be blurred, and no one can ever know.

Will the heat in Miami tempt them even further? Will buried secrets destroy lives? Can a broken heart ever be mended?


ebook cover

It’s all fun and games until someone gets rocked.

Buy Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1KnoGfQ
Amazon Uk: http://tinyurl.com/pwfz46d
Amazon AU: http://tinyurl.com/nzjpwq2
Amazon CA: http://tinyurl.com/nkomnna








I’m a big fan of friends to lovers stories.  Also a huge fan of the Men of Steel books by this author.  And, MJ Fields can write some s3xy-ass men!  Memphis Black hits all those categories for me.  This is the first book in a spin off series of the Men of Steel series.  Xander Steel and his wife have taken to promoting up and coming bands.  Steel Total Destruction or STD is the epitome of young rockers out on the road for the first time.  If you are looking for a sweet, mild love story, this is not for you.

Memphis is a total party machine.  Any band who has condom launchers at their concerts is bound to be ready to celebrate all the time.  The band decides to take a little break before heading out on the road as headliners.  A beach full of beautiful women sounds perfect.  That is until Memphis sister Madison and her best childhood friend Tallie decide to come hang out as well.  Memphis protective instincts go into high gear when he sees Tallie.  She is no longer the awkward neighbor girl from his youth.  He is not about to let her out of his sight. 

Tallie is a super sweet young lady who has been dealt a bad hand recently.  She is needing a break before moving on to the next chapter of her life.  She does not expect that the man she has lusted over from afar would ever be interested in her.  She doesn’t want to mess up her friendship with either of the siblings, but can’t help her attraction to Memphis.


This story has humor.  I mean really, the band’s name is STD!  Plus typical sister/brother fun and the ribbing only true friends can give one another.  It has some super steamy scenes between Memphis and Tallie.  This is a fun NA read.  I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of the bandmates get up to in the next books.  I have a feeling they are going to fall just as hard as Memphis and Tallie.  

STDteaser2
USA Today bestselling author MJ FIELDS's love of writing was in full swing by age eight.
Together with her cousins, she wrote a newsletter and sold it for ten cents to family members. She self-published her first New Adult romance in January 2013. Today she has completed six self-published series,The Love series, The Wrapped series, The Burning Souls series, The Men of Steel series, Ties of Steel series, and The Norfolk series.


MJ is a hybrid author who publishes an Indie book almost every month, and is signed with a traditional publisher, Loveswept, Penguin Random House, for her co- written series The Caldwell Brothers. Hendrix is available now, Morrison will be released on December 22nd, 2015.


There is always something in the works, and she has three, yes, three, new series coming out this summer, and fall.


MJ lives in central New York, surrounded by family and friends. Her house is full of pets, friends, and noise ninety percent of the time, and she would have it no other way.



Follow MJ Fields

Twitter  @mjfieldsbooks
Instagram  mjfieldsbooks
Tumbr  mjfieldsbooks
Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/MJ-Fields/e/B00DLWOP2I/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1441033694&sr=8-2-ent

September 29, 2015

Blog Tour and Review: blurred Lines

Blog Tour for the #1 Best Seller,
 blurred LINES

Book 1 of Scott Hildreth’s NEW series, 
Bodies, Ink & Steel.


Book Information

Title: blurred LINES
Author: Scott Hildreth
Release Date: September 21st, 2015
Series: Bodies, Ink & Steel, Book 1
Cover Design: Jessica Hildreth




Blake West is the mysterious owner of Blurred Lines, a tattoo parlor that not only has provided him with a steady income, but has also supplied a steady stream of women into his life. 


Now, however, things for him are much different.  

Riley Campbell just ended a relationship with an abusive man who enjoyed controlling her every move. Now free of his grasp, she feels the need for a celebratory tattoo, her first of what she expects to be many. Her expectations of the parlor, the artist, and the process were pretty weak when she walked in.

And then she meets Blake West.

Covered in tattoos, handsome, mysterious, and muscular, Blake West is not at all what Riley expected to find, but exactly what she feels she needs.

There’s one small problem.

Blake is a sex addict.

And he’s trying to quit.

Blurred Lines is a stand-alone erotic romance and the first book in the Bodies Ink and Steel series. It has an HEA, no 
cheating, no sex outside the relationship, and no sharing of partners.







        5 Hearts



Scott Hildreth is a one-click author for me. I have read just about everything he has written.  His latest book came out of nowhere for readers.  I think we were expecting more of his MC series.  But, when the voices in his head demand to be heard, the man writes!  Blurred Lines in the first in a series about a tattoo shop.  The Bodies, Ink and Steel series is loosely linked to the Selected Sinners MC.  We see some familiar faces pop-up in this book.

We meet Blake West, the mysterious, sexy, tatted owner of Blurred Lines.  As the universe sometimes does, fates collide and Riley Campbell awkwardly stubbles into his shop and pushes her way into his heart.

Yep. So that’s about all you’re getting from this review.  I’m not sharing more details because the reader just needs to take part in the wordsmithing that is Scott Hildreth.  I know I have said this before, but this man can dig deep and give the reader such thoughtful insight in the human psyche.  I felt all of those emotions and demons Blake struggled with.  This is a book that begs to be re-read.  Now that I know the outcome, I need to go back and see if the groundwork laid by the author would have led me to the same conclusion. 

Blurred Lines is listed as a romance.  There are romantic elements but the book is truly about the evolution of a man.  Riley really is a supporting character although she is the catalyst for change.  It truly is a testament to the healing power of love.  Riley’s love brings the light.

Blake’s words:  “To recognize darkness as being so, we must have an understanding of what is light.  To truly comprehend goodness, an understanding of what we believe to be evil is necessary.” 

Standing ovation for this one, Mr. Hildreth! Thank you for bringing me, the humble reader, the experience of seeing the human mind and all of its intricacies pouring out in words across the page.  






Excerpt from Book 2

Stevie's Book  (title coming soon)


Dying wasn’t anything I was afraid of, in fact, my life had been lived in quite the opposite manner. For as long as I could remember, living was my biggest fear. Living in a world where I was not only allowed -but required - to a make decisions that would affect me for a lifetime scared the absolute shit out of me. My greatest fears were regarding my inability to make good decisions always seemed to be related to men or relationships.


Maybe it was that I was all too eager to have what I was surrounded by - women in seemingly healthy relationships.

The thought was laughable. 


I caught the first glimpse of him as he walked out of the bedroom. As I stirred my much needed coffee and peered toward him, he sauntered into the living room like he didn’t have a worry in the world. Hell, maybe he didn’t as far as he was concerned.


“Where’s your shirt?” I hollered.


His body swiveled toward my voice.  Upon recognizing me, his eyes went wide. “I didn’t know where you went.”


I glanced down at his bare feet, chuckled, and shifted my eyes upward. “Well, now you know. Where’s your fucking boots?”


He tossed his head to the side. “They're in your room.”


He had the body of a Greek God. 



Muscles on top of muscles, no body fat, a ripped mid-section, and a prominent “V” at his waist – the “Fuck me V” I preferred men to have. Well, to be honest, I required it. He described himself in the bar as being hung like a horse, and he didn’t lie in that regard.


But.


He had no sexual stamina. 



I took a sip of coffee and shrugged my shoulders. “Well?”


“Well what?” he asked as he continued to walk in my direction.


“Well, you aren’t going to want to ride home like that,” I said as I nodded my head toward him. “Go get ‘em.”


“I ain’t plannin’ on leaving just yet. Thought we could go at it again,” he said with a laugh.


I nodded my head and widened my eyes comically, like he’d revealed one of the greatest ideas I had heard in the last decade. Although I hadn’t originally intended to do so, as I lowered my coffee cup, I burst into laughter.

“What?” he shrugged as he stepped into the threshold of the doorway.

I suppose most women would have at least got a little more dick from the guy. Hell, it wouldn’t have cost me anything.  Well, nothing but a little pride. 

“Listen. Go grab your shit and hop on that HOG of yours and go on home,” I said as I turned toward the sink.

“Something wrong?” he asked as he walked into the kitchen.

I placed my cup on the counter and turned to face him. “Other than the fact you’re in my kitchen?  No. Listen, just go.”

And it was then that he grabbed my shoulder. And it wasn’t the kind of grab that a girl likes. Not the one that makes her go weak in the knees or feel butterflies. Hell, it wasn’t even the one where a guy forces his woman to commit the act.

The way he grabbed me reminded me of my ex.


The “I’m getting what I came here for, regardless of what you just said” grab.

I spun to the side, pulled open the kitchen cabinet, grabbed my newly purchased .45 caliber Colt pistol and leveled it at his head.

“See, you could have left. You really could have,” I said as he began to walk backward.

“What the fuck…”

“’What the fuck’ is right. What the fuck did you grab me for? Huh?” I asked as I continued to force him closer to the door.

“I wanted to…”

“Shut up. Now you get to ride home barefoot. Get the fuck out,” I fumed as I tilted my head toward the door.

“Hold on,” he said. “You uhhm.  Fuck, you really need to…”

“You’re all fucked up on where you are,” I said. “I make the rules in this house. You really need to go.”

“I can’t ride without my boots,” he shrugged as he continued to nervously eye the barrel of the pistol.

“You’d be surprised.  Get out,” I demanded. “And I’ll leave whatever you’ve left here at the door of the bar where we met last night on my way to work.”

“You crazy little…”

“Bitch? Yeah. I am,” I said with a grin as he stumbled into the door.

“Now reach around and open it. It’s unlocked,” I said as I nodded my head toward the door.

“You’re really going to…”

“Yeah, really,” I said as I reached  past him with my free hand and opened the door.

“Crazy bitch,” he said over his shoulder as he walked to his Harley.

“You fuck like a girl,” I said as I slammed the door.

I set the pistol on the counter as I walked into the kitchen.  After warming my cold coffee in the microwave I made some toast, sat down, and began to eat my light breakfast. Half a dozen beers, a few margaritas, and who knows what afterward had led to a night that was a blur of a memory at best, and now my stomach was in turmoil; anything more than toast and I’d yack for sure.

And I hated barfing just about as much as I hated men with no stamina.

As the sound of his Harley faded into  the distance, it was almost as if a small part of my confidence went with him. A girl with my looks, body, sexual appetite, and my attitude should be able to find a man compatible with her.

But try as I might, I seemed to always choose losers.

I had decided after leaving Bart that  the next man I settled down with was going to treat me right, fuck me right, and be able to stand on his own two feet without my income as a crutch.  And I really didn’t care how many men I had to force out of my house at gunpoint to find him. 









Born in San Diego California, Scott now calls Wichita, Kansas home. Residing in Kansas with his wife, Jessica, and five children (and another on the way in November 2015), he somehow finds twelve hours a day to work on his writing. 

Addicted to riding his Harley-Davidson, tattoos, and drinking coffee, Scott can generally be found in a tattoo shop, on his Harley, or in a local coffee house when not writing. 

Loyal to the fans, fan girls, and faithful followers who allowed him to make writing a full-time career, Scott communicates with his followers on Facebook almost daily. He encourages his readers to follow him on Facebook and Twitter. 

Twitter: @ScottDHildreth 

Face book “OFFICIAL LIKE” page - (for updates on released books and upcoming books) 

Facebook Author Page - (currently at 5,000 friend limit, but Scott invites you to come enjoy his contests, giveaways, and playful book banter) www.facebook.com/sdhildreth

Goodreads Author Page - www.Goodreads.com/ScottHildreth


To sign up for his promotional newsletter - http://tinyurl.com/Hildrethpromosignups















Review: Absolution Road


Author: Rachel Balufeld
Release Date: September 28, 2015
Series: Crossroads, Book 2
Genre: Contemporary Romance



For Jake Wrigley, the future is bleak. Some people are survivors, but he’s getting by on his bad-boy looks and charming smile. He owns a gym, gets into bar fights, and wrestles his demons with rough workouts—both in and out of the bedroom.

For Alyson Road, the future is bright. Life can only improve from where she grew up. She graduated at the top of her law class, cares for her ailing mom, and in her job, she defends those who can’t afford anyone else. Her work is thankless but honest. 

Jake’s twin brother has been covering his ass for as long as they’ve been alive, but that all changes when Jake finds himself in front of the fiery public defender, his future in her hands. For the first time ever, he doesn’t want to involve his brother, finally realizing he needs to stand alone, be his own man.

Even if Jake’s never absolved of his past wrongdoings or his heart is never scrubbed of the blackness that resides there, he can do one good deed—protect the beautiful lawyer who touched his soul—until helping her nearly becomes his own undoing.

Amazon US


4.5 Hearts


Rachel Blaufeld is a new to me author.  I had the pleasure of reading Absolution Road, book 2 in her Crossroads series.  It can be read as a stand-alone although characters from the first book do pop up in this one.  There was no confusion with story line but I will happily go back and grab book 1 now! 
Jake Wrigley considers himself the ultimate bad boy.  He fights. He has various s3x partners with no promise of commitment.  He has dark thoughts.  He sees a psychiatrist to help him try to get a handle on his life.  He mentally and physically punishes himself any chance he gets. 

Aly Road grew up a geek in a lower class home.  A shy young lady, no one other than her mother paid any attention to her for much of her life.  With her ailing mother out of the picture, Aly ties herself to her job as a public defender and tries to spread goodness to people who have been given the bad luck of the draw. 

The two meet as Aly is called to get Jake out of a mess of his own doing.  He forgoes a call to his twin this time and meets the beautiful red head with fire in her eyes.  Jake tries to push his badass self on her and Aly does allow it.  After several more chance encounters, Jake decides her need to make Aly his.  Jakes POV is humorous at times as he tries to figure out how being in a relationship is supposed to work.  Aly continues to be wary of his intentions.  Protecting her heart. 

The title of the book is perfect for the two main characters.  There is love and lust and suspense.  But ultimately the story is about absolution.  This is Jake’s journey to find the softness inside him and to find himself worthy of the love that Aly so willingly wants to share.  It is also Aly’s fight to feel like a whole person again, worthy of the love that Jake wants to share.  It reminds the reader that there is goodness in everyone if we just look carefully enough.  Forgiving ourselves is sometimes the biggest step in the healing process.  It’s ok to put up the tough guy image as long as we allow those closest to us see our true selves. 

“You know I’m tough, right?”

“Yeah, babe.  You’re big and tough on the outside, but neither of us were survivors until we met each other.  We’re our own little fairy tale, meant to be together.  Beauty and the Beast.”


I look forward to reading more by this author!  Grab this one up as a great contemporary read with some suspense elements.  



Excerpt:

The metal door clanked shut, the sound of its lock slamming into place echoed off the cold wall I currently leaned up against. As I pressed my back against the coarse cinderblock, reality hit me smack in the chest like a bullet train barreling through my heart.
Christ. Look at where I fucking landed after a whole goddamn year of trying to get my life in order, to heal past wounds and move forward.
Shit.
Did they hold mass in the slammer? Not that I was religious, but I would need someone like God on my side, because there was no way in hell Lane was coming to get me. Actually, for the first time ever, I told myself I wasn’t calling him. I’d leaned on my twin brother for two decades too long. I’d only deserve whatever wrath he served up if I called him from the clink.
Again.
Forget it being fucking Christmas, he’d finally gotten his life together. He had a gorgeous wife, cute little baby daughter, a big house in the country, huge career, and lots of cash. He deserved to be left alone.
Me, I deserved this. I’d get to make one phone call, and it looked like it was going to be to that little wench—the same woman who landed me behind bars.
My frayed jeans tightened around my thick thighs as I slumped to the floor. I tilted my head back against the wall, rolling my neck. Taking a long breath, I noticed the guy opposite me—he was big, tattooed, hairy, and snarling at me.
I could fucking take him. Let him just try to approach me. I own a gym, for Chrissake.
“Jake Wrigley?” the guard yelled as he approached the holding cell. “Which one of you fools is Jake?” he asked as he shoved his key in the keyhole, eyeing me up and down. Nothing like a big-as-fuck black dude with his biceps bulging through his polyester uniform looking at me like he was thoroughly pissed.
Who shit in his eggnog?
I stood. “That’s me.” I ran my hand along my buzz cut and smoothed out my beard. “Time for my phone call?”
“Nah, man. DA’s here to see you.”
“Oh, good. Maybe he wants to go home to his family, and I’m gonna get out of here in time for the holidays,” I said, then chuckled to myself.
“I wouldn’t hold your breath, my man,” the guard said, shoving me toward the next set of locked doors.
“Thanks, Paul, I got it from here,” a soft feminine voice called out from behind us.
Sweet . . . a female guard.

“That’s okay, Ms. Road. I’ll make sure he gets to the interview room. This one here’s a live wire,” he said, keeping his hand on my arm as he escorted me forward, not allowing me to turn around.




GIVEAWAY
1 signed copy of Absolution Road
Posted on my FACEBOOK   page
Ends 9/30 at 8am

IMG_8949
Rachel Blaufeld is a social worker/entrepreneur/blogger turned author. Fearless about sharing her opinion, Rachel captured the ear of stay-at-home and working moms on her blog, BacknGrooveMom, chronicling her adventures in parenting tweens and inventing a product, often at the same time. She has also blogged for The Huffington Post,Modern Mom, and StartupNation.
Turning her focus on her sometimes wild-and-crazy creative side, it only took Rachel two decades to do exactly what she wanted to do—write a fiction novel. Now she spends way too many hours in local coffee shops plotting her ideas. Her tales may all come with a side of angst and naughtiness, but end lusciously.
Rachel lives around the corner from her childhood home in Pennsylvania with her family and two dogs. Her obsessions include running, coffee, icing-filled doughnuts, antiheroes, and mighty fine epilogues.
Connect with Rachel: