Tears of Tess By: Pepper Winters *Guest Post*

Title: Tears of Tess

Author: Pepper Winters

Genre: Erotic/Dark Contemporary Romance

Release Date: August 30, 2013

Tour Organized by: As the Pages Turn

Purchase Links: Amazon I Amazon UK I Amazon CA I B&N I Smashwords I Kobo I Createspace

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18134894-tears-of-tess

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/ZI1azW2ydUo

SYNOPSIS

A New Adult Dark Contemporary Romance, not suitable for people sensitive to grief, slavery, and nonconsensual sex. A story about finding love in the strangest of places, a will of iron that grows from necessity, and forgiveness that may not be enough.

“My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.

Then it all changed.

I was sold.”

Tess Snow has everything she ever wanted: one more semester before a career in property development, a loving boyfriend, and a future dazzling bright with possibility. 

For their two year anniversary, Brax surprises Tess with a romantic trip to Mexico. Sandy beaches, delicious cocktails, and soul-connecting sex set the mood for a wonderful holiday. With a full heart, and looking forward to a passion filled week, Tess is on top of the world.

But lusty paradise is shattered.

Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror. 

Captive and alone with no savior, no lover, no faith, no future, Tess evolves from terrified girl to fierce fighter. But no matter her strength, it can’t save her from the horror of being sold.

Can Brax find Tess before she’s broken and ruined, or will Tess’s new owner change her life forever?

Author's Guest Post Answering This Q:
"Which actors do you see as your characters?"

This is a really hard question as I don’t ever think of my characters as movies stars, or find images online of them. I picture them as Q and Tess. LOL.

If I had to be pushed I’d probably say… Tess would be played by…. Crap I honestly don’t know. Maybe we can get some readers opinions?

And Q? Who knows. No one will stand up to the image of Q in my head LOL, but I’m open for people to suggest. Maybe Robert Downey cause he’s hot, or some unknown French actor who smoulders sex J

Sorry I’m not much more help on this topic!!

I think I need some advice from other readers! <3 font="">

My Review Will Be Posted Soon!




AUTHOR BIO

Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero the better and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.

She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby (who speaks French—hot!) who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends. She loves to hear from her readers so hit her up at pepperwinters@gmail.com

AUTHOR CONTACT INFO

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/pepperwinters/boards/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pepper-Winters/539976006062848

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PepperWinters

Blog: http://pepperwinters.wordpress.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7151973.Pepper_Winters

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*Release Day Launch* Thirty and a Half Excuses (Rose Gardner Mysteries #3) by Denise Grover Swank

THIRTY AND A HALF EXCUSES Synopsis:

Life in Henryetta, Arkansas is turned upside down with the arrival of a televangelist, but it’s the death of a little old lady on Rose’s street that catches her attention. The Henryetta police deem her death natural causes, but Rose suspects foul play and so does an unlikely supporter–-the president of the Busy Body Club, her eighty-two year old neighbor Mildred.

But Rose is in the middle of opening her nursery with her sister Violet, who’s separated from her husband Mike, as well as stalling her boyfriend Joe’s family, rich socialites who are determined to meet her. Along with her multiple encounters with Fenton County’s new assistant DA, Mason Deveraux III, it’s just another day in the life of Rose Gardner–-chaos.

My Review (Will Be Posted Soon! I have read Books 1 & 2 and have loved them both so I know this one will be just as wonderful)

About Denise Grover Swank:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period.  Her hobbies include witty Facebook comments (in own her mind) and dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her offspring.)  Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks.  She has six children and hasn’t lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.

You can find out more about Denise and her other books at: www.denisegroverswank.com.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Thirty-Excuses-Gardner-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00ECJ2ELI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378609332&sr=8-1&keywords=thirty+and+a+half+excuses+denise+grover+swank

Links:

Blog: http://denisegroverswank.com/blog/

Website: www.denisegroverswank.com

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeniseGroverSwank

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeniseMSwank

Novel Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17152015-thirty-and-a-half-excuses?ac=1

Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4921525.Denise_Grover_Swank

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Hydraulic Level Five By: Sarah Latchaw *Review & Giveaway*

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Title:   Hydraulic Level Five

Author:  Sarah Latchaw

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publication Date:  September 3, 2013

Publisher:  Omnific Publishing

Cover Designed By:  Amy Brokaw / Micha Stone

Event organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc.

Synopsis

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How does a woman get over her one great love? With whitewater rafting, bluegrass, and a touch of revenge…

Kaye is an extreme sports addict with a kind heart and an axe to grind with her childhood sweetheart and ex-husband, renowned writer Samuel Caulfield Cabral. While Samuel enjoys a celebrity life in New York, Kaye remains in their hometown of Lyons, Colorado, running her PR agency and chatting daily with Samuel’s family, the beloved Cabrals—first-generation Mexican-Americans who have embraced Kaye as their own.

But when Samuel returns for his sister’s wedding with his new love interest, stunning editor Caroline Ortega , the gloves are stripped off. Kaye is determined to unearth the reasons behind the death of their marriage and why two people who lived to love each other were driven apart.

She discovers startling revelations about Samuel, about life…and about herself.

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18331335-hydraulic-level-five

My Mini Review

(Sry it's not a full review. I'm back in school with five college courses, so I'm a little swamped at the moment)

 I honestly did not know what to expect of this story. I did enjoy the blurb and instantly thought these two characters, Samuel and Kaye, would back together...but hold on, there's a lot more to this story than I thought, and I loved it! I have to write first, that the writing was refreshing to me. There was just a strong flow that kept me intrigued from chapter to chapter, to the final page, and to the sneak peak of the sequel (yeah there's a sequel!), so the Author's writing is just wonderful. I like that there's realistic factors, whether it be the situation or the traits of the different characters, especially from Sam and Kaye. They were childhood sweethearts and some of the flashbacks are cute, from when they were children, and I can see where some of the conflict started, that eventually led to a divorce, and there's one strong flashback that's awful for Kaye, but I'm glad it was there to understand what she went through, that led her to file for divorce, from her soul mate and best friend. As the story progresses, and Kaye and Sam see each other again, after a few years, they might not be able to be together romantically (even though there's strong feelings still) but they decide that friends would be best, so...do you think they become friends or become something more? Well, you are just going to have to find out, and I think if you like a romantic story of childhood sweethearts that could/could not have a second chance at love, then read this! I really loved this one, and I can't wait to read the sequel! I need to read that...now! :)

 My Rating: 4.5/5

I say a PG-13 Rating (Some Adult Language & Mild Drug Content [1 scene])

About the Author

Sarah Latchaw was raised in eastern Iowa and appreciates beauty in mud-splattered gravel roads, weathered farm faces, and combine harvesters powering through cornfields. She also loves to explore the world, thanks to countless family minivan trips across the States to coastal cities and national monuments. This passion for finding stories led to college adventures to Israel and Palestine, Jordan, Slovakia, Germany, and other European countries. Each place’s story rests in the back of her mind and in her childhood photo albums.

In 2002, Sarah received her BA from Wartburg College in public relations and media, and entered the workforce, ready to climb the ladder. However, when researching MBA applications evoked feelings of dread, she realized a corporate marketing career wasn’t for her. With the unfailing support of her loving husband, she chose to pursue a career in freelance and creative writing, and received her MA from Iowa State University in 2009.

These days, Sarah wakes every morning thrilled to cuddle her small children, show them the world, then capture that world and shape it into stories on paper. She also enjoys her piano, volunteering in her community, and reading anything with a cohesive plot. She and her family reside in Des Moines, Iowa.

Social Media Links

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

Tour Schedule

http://literatiauthorservices.com/2013/07/05/sept-3-sept-9-hydraulic-level-five-by-sarah-latchaw/

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Now or Never By: A.J. Bennett *Book Spotlight & Giveaway*

Book Description:

Twenty-one year old Grayson Alexander finally breaks away from an abusive relationship and finds herself free for the first time in three years.

Determined to enjoy her new-found freedom, Grayson is intent on sticking with 'no strings attached' relationships—one-night stands, and steamy sex.

But she didn't plan on Derrick. 

Her attraction to the sexy man in uniform quickly turns into an unhealthy relationship. They both try to resist the pull, but neither can stay away. 

When tragedy strikes, Grayson realizes it's now or never—walk away or make it work.

Add “Now or Never” to your Goodreads TBR list.

Purchase “Now or Never”:

Amazon

B&N

KOBO

Author Bio:

A.J. Bennett lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and bulldog. She's addicted to coffee, popcorn and books. Becoming an author has been a lifelong dream, and she's extremely excited about her debut novel Now or Never.

Author Links:

Facebook / Twitter /  Website / Goodreads

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Feature & Follow *20*

Hey everyone! Ok, I have done this Meme in a LONG TIME, maybe since March? So yeah, I thought I should get back into memes, and I do love this one a lot, and saw this week's Q and it looks like a great one, so I can wait to see what you have to write about my post & I look forward checking out and of course following others :)

Feature & Follow is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read. The purpose is to meet people and gain more followers in the book blogging community.

Q: Back to school. Create a reading list for the imaginary English Lit class you’ll be teaching this semester. 

 Ok, I love this question! I'm not looking to be a teacher, but a lot of books on this list, are mostly ones I would have liked to have read in school, and there are ones that would just be fun to add :)

- Rebecca By: Daphne du Maurier (I love mystery and I'm a Hitchcock fan, so this is a must!)

- Gone With The Wind By: Margaret Mitchell (I'm a fan of both the book and film)

- East Of Eden By: John Steinbeck (I'm not a Steinbeck fan, and every year in High School except senior year, we had to read one, and surprisingly I actually liked this one. I wish the film though concentrated on more of the beginning of the story including to when the brothers are growing up)

- Jane Eyre By: Charlotte Bronte (This is such a great book)

- Sense And Sensibility By: Jane Austen (This is my favorite Austen book)

- The Perks of Being A Wallflower By: Stephen Chbosky

- Short Stories/Poems from Flannery O'Connor, Wordsworth, Eliot, Plath, Blake, Coleridge, Wordsworth & Lord Byron. (Yeah, I love the British Poets. Thank you Brit Lit. Class)

Big Essay Due towards the end of the Year Topic: (Yup, I'm definitely having fun here.) 

Pick two of the books/short stories/poems from either below, or from above. The above list is what we will/have read. The list below are books we are not going to read together, but they are very good ones, so check them out and decide which two you would like to discuss. If you choose one of your choice, let me know, so I can approve it.

- After you have chosen two books, first, compare and contrast them. What makes them different and the same? (Is it types of characters, situations, era etc.) And pick scenes, characters, and themes (etc.) that could relate to you, and discuss what is relatable.

- Double spaced please and at least three pages or more. 

Book List For Paper

- Any books from Above

- Any Harry Potter Book by: J.K. Rowling

- The Hours By: Michael Cunningham

- The Last Queen By: C.W. Gortner (I love European history, and historical fiction based on real Kings/Queens from Europe. This story is very very good!)

- Forever Amber By: Kathleen Winsor (I really enjoyed this book. Wish there was an updated version of the film. The 1940s one is good, but I feel like there could have been more story in there.)

 - Great Expectations By: Charles Dickens (Read this in High School and in College. I definitely appreciated it more in college)

- A Tale of Two Cities By: Charles Dickens (For some reason, I want to read this badly)

- Her Mother's Hope & Her Daughter's Dream both by Francine Rivers (This is a series of two books. They are phenomenally written well. I don't usually read Christian Fiction, but to me, I saw that there was more family issues here. issues revolving mother/daughter relationships and there are parts that actually made me cry and I'm not a book crier, so this took me by surprise. Some things here were relatable to me so maybe that was it, but anyway it's a beautiful story that is inspired by the Author's own family)

- Well, that's my list :) I know there's more novels, but for some reason I could not think of anything else.

- Please leave a comment with your blog url if you want me to check yours out and please follow either by GFC, Bloglovin or Google+ 

Thanks for stopping by!

~Marissa

Bittersweet Junction by: Ivy Sinclair *Guest Post & E-Book Giveaway*

Bittersweet Junction by Ivy Sinclair
Publication date: 2013
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:
Best friends once, lovers never, yet an attraction that can’t be ignored.

Five years ago, Julia Bell walked away from her life the moment her high school diploma was in her hand. She left her family and friends behind to start over and escape the chokehold of small town life in Benton Hill. But an urgent call from her little sister brings Julia back to her hometown wholly unprepared for what awaits her.

Ben Miller was always the nice guy. Just before high school graduation, he stepped out of that role hoping to capture the heart of the woman he loved. Instead, in quick succession he lost the girl, and the future he worked so hard to achieve.

Even though Julia and Ben are drawn to each other, echoes of the past block them at every turn. Secrets are exposed, and reality needs to be dealt with if they can ever hope to move past the bittersweet junction that ripped them apart.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18158385-bittersweet-junction?ac=1

Purchase:
-Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bittersweet-Junction-ebook/dp/B00DV8UAOY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374021903&sr=1-1&keywords=bittersweet+junction
-B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bittersweet-junction-ivy-sinclair/1116001325?ean=2940148331803


Guest Post

I lived in a small town until I was twelve years old. My sixth grade class had thirteen students, twelve girls and one boy. Needless to say, my odds were practically non-existent for young love. Not only did I spend those formidable years in a small town attending a small school, but my family lived five miles outside of town “in the country”. Standing in my front yard, I saw nothing but open fields and gravels roads.

With nothing else to do, I escaped to new places through books. I had a few friends, but the friends that I really cared about existed within the pages of my favorite stories. It didn’t seem that strange to me at the time. It was just my life.

I didn’t realize how small my small town life was until I moved to another state into an actual city between sixth and seventh grade. To say I experienced a tremendous culture shock would be an understatement. It forced me out of my shell.  Although still a voracious reader, I made a larger circle of friends, and started doing things with people outside of my head. Eventually I grew to love living in a city.

I only went back to that small town a few times throughout junior high and high school to visit family. By the time I was in my early 20s, the shift in my perception between small town and city was noticeably evident. When I would go back for a visit, even though I had been gone for a decade, I still ran into a lot of people who acted like they knew me even though I had no idea who they were. “Oh- you’re Jerry and Nancy’s daughter. How have you been?”

It was odd to me how interested these strangers were in the specific details of my life. What was even more uncomfortable was hearing stories about my parents’ adventures when they lived in town, which occurred more than twenty years ago. People had long memories, and not all of those stories were especially flattering, but there were sweet and funny stories too.

Those are the experiences that I drew on when I wrote about Julia, the main character of Bittersweet Junction, coming back to her hometown of Benton Hill. She’s been gone for five years, but when she returns, people expect her that she’s the same person, even though she’s not.

Benton Hill itself is one of the main characters throughout the book, and I believe that anyone who has lived in a small town will be able to related to that. Ben, who used to be Julia’s best friend and is now her love interest, never left Benton Hill. He finds the scrutiny of living under the microscope of small town eyes frustrating and heavy with expectations. This causes several complications for Julia and Ben.

I’ve reached a stage in my life where I can appreciate the benefits of living in a small town. The pace of life is slower, and friendships can easily span a lifetime. Yet I find that I am now a city girl at heart. Between my childhood in a small town, and adult life in the city, I think I’ve had the best of both words.

AUTHOR BIO
Ivy Sinclair cut her romance teeth on classics like Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, An Affair to Remember, and Sabrina. She is a firm believer in true love, a happily ever after ending, and the medicinal use of chocolate to cure any ailment of the heart. Ivy’s guilty pleasures include sushi, endless Starbucks lattes, and wine. Readers of Ivy’s stories can expect smoldering sweet stories of romance that tug at the heartstrings.


Author Links:
Website / Goodreads

Giveaway Details & Rules

- This is an International Giveaway!
- Ends August 8th!
- There Will Be 2 E-Book Copies Given Away.
- The Winners will be picked by Rafflecopter!
- I will be Checking the Entries Regularly, so if there is Cheating, those Entries Will be Disqualified!
- As you submit Entries, be sure to use an Email that you use Daily, as that is how I will contact you, if you Win.
- You will have 48 hours to Respond, or I will have to Choose a New Winner! Check Your Spam Folders, just in case it goes in there.
- And Good Luck! :)

*Come back to this post, when the Giveaway is over, to see who won. I usually do Facebook it as well*

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1 Day E-Book Giveaway for: Wuther by V.J. Chambers!!

Wuther by V.J. Chambers
Publication date: July, 2013
Genre: New Adult Retelling

Synopsis:
his new adult retelling of Wuthering Heights is intended for mature readers due to explicit sexual content and coarse language.

Instead of storms tearing through Yorkshire moors, the sounds of '90s grunge rock whisper through backwoods American cornfields...

And give new life to the Bronte characters you love to hate.

A gypsy orphan, Heath Galloway adores Cathy Earnshaw, his childhood sweetheart. He would do anything to protect her from her drunken, abusive father--even push the man down a flight of stairs to stop him hitting her.

But with her father dead, Cathy's older brother Matt runs the Earnshaw farm and both of their lives. And Matt despises Heath. Forced to drop out of school and work the fields, Heath is separated from Cathy and the two begin to drift apart. 

When Cathy meets the rich, blond, and suave Eli Linton, she finds herself torn between Eli's charm and Heath's brute potency.

Fiercely proud and stubborn, Heath doesn't take well to being brushed aside. He'll get what he wants, or he'll get revenge. No matter how long it takes.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18042503-wuther?ac=1

Purchase:
-Amazon: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/search/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=wuther+chambers&rh=n%3A916520%2Ck%3Awuther+chambers&ajr=2
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wuther-v-j-chambers/1115477174?ean=2940016591544


AUTHOR BIO
V. J. Chambers likes bad boys, but she likes them to be actual bad boys, not misunderstood weaklings who cover up their emotional scars with a thin veneer of pretend bad-boy-ness. 

She likes to tackle difficult philosophical questions. She likes to push fiction to the edge, to go just a little farther.

She writes stories about difficult people living difficult lives in difficult situations. Usually, there’s magic. Or monsters. Or space. Or gun fights. A lot of times, there’s also L-O-V-E. (Or at least uncomfortable conversations about sex.)
She’s the author of the Jason and Azazel series and many other stories for teens and adults. She lives in Shepherdstown, WV with her boyfriend Aaron and their cat.

Author links:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter


Giveaway Details & Rules
- This is an International Giveaway!
- Ends tonight! This is a 1 Day Giveaway!
- There Will Be 1 E-Book Copy Given Away.
- The Winner will be picked by Rafflecopter!
- As you submit Entries, be sure to use an Email that you use Daily, as that is how I will contact you, if you Win.
- Please Respond ASAP if you get an e-mail from me! Check Your Spam Folders, just in case it goes in there.
- And Good Luck! :)

*Come back to this post, when the Giveaway is over, to see who won. I usually do Facebook it as well*

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