Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Broken Notes - Release Day

Wow, I feel like I have been gone forever instead of just over a week with the holidays.  I hope that you all had wonderful Holidays.  I am back and ready to kick things in to high gear starting with a Release Day launch post for Broken Notes by Ann Marie Frohoff.  Broken notes is the second book in the Heavy Influence Series.  So come check it out and enter the giveaway.  I'll be back in a few days with a review for it as well! 
The Heavy Influence Series is an edgy sexually charged coming of age story.  A Modern Day 'WALK THE LINE' Romance.
The edgy Heavy Influence Series is about young, intense and reckless love between a rising rock star and his younger muse. 
Follow their journey through temptation, deception & forbidden love. 
 


Book Description:
Music fades with a death. Dreams and impulses may kill a future. 
Being rich, famous and in an award winning, multi-platinum band can't save you from life's tragedies.
When Jake and Alyssa begin to build a life together in New York City, a death and an unfortunate set of events rattle Jake's very existence. Alyssa clings to her own dreams. Jake's blurred take on life may end what they've fought so hard to keep. 

Will love remain the same?

Book Trailer:
Original Soundtrack:
Giveaway:
One signed copy of FIRST KISS (Heavy Influence, #1)
One signed copy of FEVER PITCH (Heavy Influence, #1.5)
Heavy Influence Original Soundtrack Vol. 1
$10 Amazon Gift Card
*Giveaway is open to US and International Residents* To Enter: Comment with the reason you want to read Broken Notes as well as your email address to contact you, should you be the winner.

About The Author:
Ann Marie ("Annie") Frohoff grew up in sunny Southern California. As a teen and young adult, she spent her time frequenting and living in nearly every beachside city up and down the coast.
Ann Marie is a debut author whose vision to tell a story started out like many other aspiring writers, with a dream, literally.
After taking her then eight-year-old daughter to a concert, her dream weaving took on a life of its own. Long story short, she quit her high- paying corporate job and went for broke to follow her dream.
The first installment in her Heavy Influence Trilogy, FIRST KISS, released June 11, 2013 — the series is a story about young, reckless love between a rising rock star and his younger muse, spanning 10 years of their tumultuous and passionate relationship. Each book in the Trilogy will come with a soundtrack of original music, of which the lyrics will appear in the pages of the books.
Annie has settled in the South Bay area of Los Angeles with her family.
Social Media Links:
 
 

Book Description (Book One)

Jake, an up and coming teenage rocker on the verge of stardom, reconnects with Alyssa, the younger girl next door.
When she becomes something more they're forced to face the harsh realities on his road to fame and the expectations of their friends and family.
Sacrifices are made as everything changes as they know it. 

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Being a Jett Girl - Review





Amazon  


Author: Meghan Quinn
Publication Date: December 8, 2014
Publisher: Self Publication
Series: The Bourbon Series, Book Two
Age Recommendation: 18 and Up
Rating: 3 stars

Book Description
How did I become a Jett Girl?

Hell if I know, one moment I’m working at the premiere spot for creepy men and sloppy drunks and the next, I’m being whisked away by a moody ex-boxer and a mysterious man in a suit that overlooks his girls from the third floor of the Lafayette Club.

It wasn’t easy but now that I’m a Jett Girl, there is only one thing on my mind and that is Jett Colby.

He has captured me, stolen my heart and entwined my soul into his at such an alarming rate that it seems almost difficult to breathe without him holding me, touching me, kissing me...

He won’t give me his heart though, he won’t let me own every last inch of him and not because he doesn’t want to, but because he doesn’t want to jeopardize my ambiguity.

Because of this, there is only one thing standing in my way when it comes to completely and utterly living my life with Jett Colby and it’s called Lot 17.


My Review:

Being a Jett Girl starts right where we left off in Becoming a Jett Girl.  Goldie/Lo (Lo is Goldie's stage name) has become an official Jett Girl.  She has also caught the heart of Jett Colby although he is bound and determined to not let her in.  This is one tumultuous relationship and all I can keep thinking is how right Kace was in book one when he told Jett that Goldie wasn't cut out for the club.

Goldie/Lo is a girl who needs saving, a girl who needs to be shown love and compassion.  While Jett can save her from a difficult life (only to throw her into one equally as difficult only in a different way) he is fighting against his own demons to be able to love her and give her all that she needs.  I enjoy Goldie's sassy-ness, her determination, and her giving heart.  She only wants what is best for everyone around her, she wants to please those she loves and considers friends. She can be crass and vulgar at times but she is fiercely determined to prove herself, she's strong-willed, and loving.  If I didn't know better I'd think she was a red-head and a Taurus, haha.

Jett, what do we say about Jett.  He's a crushed soul who doesn't know how to come back form being destroyed by a father who doesn't know how to love, the loss of his mother, and the betrayal of an ex-fiancee.  Jett is trying to save the world (or at least New Orleans) when he can't even save himself and the amount of pain he ends up causing himself and those he loves can be difficult to 'watch' at times.  He's a serious guy both inside the bedroom and out of it and he needs Goldie to help him find his heart again, the question really is does Goldie him.  Are they really going to be able to make it.  They both have a long and troubled history and come from two different worlds, can they overcome the obstacles in front of them and find happiness?

We get to see a bit more of the other Jett Girls in this book, particularly Pepper, who I have been curious about since book one.  Is she really as unemotional as every one seems to think she is?  I enjoyed meeting two new characters Diego and Jeremy, both men that Jett took under his wing and saved from unfortunate situations.  I am really looking forward to seeing more of them and I know that Meghan has mentioned spin-offs, I have to believe that Diego will be one of those. 

The other Spin-off has to be for Kace!  Kace for me is the star of this book.  I know he isn't the lead hero, but I can't get him out of my mind.  My heart is breaking for him in a way that it doesn't for Jett.  Maybe that is because Jett has perfected his ability to be standoff-ish, but we see Kace battling everyday to keep his temper and his heart intact.  I am so worried about this character.  I don't know how if his HEA will happen but I can only hope that it does.  He deserves happiness and love more than any character in the book in my opinion.  It's always hard when a secondary character wins your heart over the leads, especially one like Kace who is so wrapped up in the lives of Jett and Goldie, when I am reading their story, I am always considering his future.  

This is an entertaining read, it's full of emotion, tension, and romance.  Keep in mind that this is a 18 and Up read.  There are many sexual scenes and remember Goldie and the other girls can get a bit crude, but they will make you laugh and smile while they are at it.



When I was in high school I occasionally read books but was consumed by other teenage things so I didn't take the time to appreciate a good book on a cloudy day, wrapped up in a blanket on the couch. It wasn't until I received a Kindle for Christmas one year that my world completely flipped upside down. When looking for books I came across the Contemporary Romance genre and was sold and I haven't turned back since.

You can either find my head buried in my Kindle, listening to inspiring heart ripping music or typing away on the computer twisting and turning the lives of my characters while driving my readers crazy with anticipation.

I currently reside in beautiful Colorado Springs where the sun is always shining and there is a trail waiting to be hiked on every corner. I share a lovely and warm home with the love of my life and my five, four-legged.




 

Asa - Cover Reveal

So you guys know how much I love a good cover and how much I like to pontificate all about covers but seriously guys I am speechless.  This is Jay's BEST cover ever for the Marked Men series.

ASA is the sixth and final book in Jay's Marked Men Series, published by HarperCollins. 

 

 

~HEEEEELLOOOOOOOO ASA!~

 

  Image Map  

Amazon US ~ iBooks ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo

You guys all still with me?  Check out the book description below and don't forget to pre-order...I'll just be up ^^^^there swooning!  

 

Book Description:

Starting over in Denver with a whole new circle of friends and family, Asa Cross struggles with being the man he knows everyone wants him to be and the man he knows he really is. A leopard doesn’t it change its spots and Asa has always been a predator. He doesn’t want to hurt those who love and rely on him, especially one stunning arresting cop who suddenly seems to be interested in him for far more than his penchant for breaking the law. But letting go of old habits is hard, and it’s easy to hit bottom when it’s the place you know best. Royal Hastings is quickly learning what the bottom looks like after a tragic situation at work threatens not only her career but her partner’s life. As a woman who has only ever had a few real friends she’s trying to muddle through her confusion and devastation all alone. Except she can’t stop thinking about the sexy southern bartender she locked up. Crushing on Asa is the last thing she needs but his allure is too strong to resist. His long criminal record can only hurt her already shaky career and chasing after a guy who has no respect for the law or himself can only end in heartbreak. A longtime criminal and a cop together just seems so wrong . . . but for Asa and Royal, being wrong together is the only right choice to make.   



Marked men Banner

 

Don’t miss the previous books in The Marked Men Series!

RULE

JET

ROME

NASH

ROWDY

And don't miss Jay at 3pm EST over at the Between The Covers page on Facebook today! Come chat with her!

 

 

Jay CrownoverJay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series. She also introduced the dark and sexy world of The Point that started with BETTER WHEN HE's BAD and is currently working on her newest series The Saint of Denver. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.    

Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ ASA Goodreads ~ Jay Crownover Goodreads

Enforce - Excerpt and Giveaway


Day two of the Enforce Excerpt reveal.  Come check it out! 
I'd also like to mention how much I love these covers, uhm especially Tex's cover. (Elicit, book 4) You know not that I am giving any of the guys special attention or anything, but I am still hoping that one will come out in poster size, haha.  ;-)


 iTunes  ~   Barnes & Noble  ~  KOBO   ~  Smashwords


Book Description:

There’s two sides to every story...
And ours? Isn't pretty...
Then again, what's pretty about the mafia?
Trace Rooks, that’s what.
But she only wants one of us, and I'll kill him before I let him have her.
The only problem?
We're cousins.
And she may just be our long lost enemy.
Whoever said college was hard, clearly didn't attend Eagle Elite University.
Welcome to hell also known as the Mafia where blood is thicker than life, and to keep yours? Well, keep your friends close, and your enemies?

Even closer...

      



Enforce/Nixon by Rachel Van Dyken from Becca the Bibliophile on Vimeo.

Enforce/Chase by Rachel Van Dyken from Becca the Bibliophile on Vimeo.






NIXON:

I held out my hand to help her up.
She eyed it like it was the plague.
I couldn’t blame her.
Reluctantly, she took it, and I used the opportunity to pull her into my arms and carry her down the hall.
She gasped, and then the fight left her as she leaned her wet head against my chest.
And suddenly everything clicked into place.
It felt so right, having her in my arms, protecting her. I was half-tempted to growl “mine,” as professors watched us walk down the hall. I’d deal with them later, what the hell? A girl gets bullied that bad, and they’d just watched, sipping their coffee like it had been a normal occurrence. Assholes.
Trace’s hand pressed against my chest.
My breath hitched. I fought to keep the moan in. Touch from girls had always been something I loathed because it always seemed like there was a selfish reason behind it. They wanted to be screwed, they wanted to say they’d been with me, or they wanted my money. It was never what was behind the mask of Nixon Abandonato, but what I could offer them.
Touch had been made worse when I was little.
My father used to beat me within an inch of my life, making me shy away from any sort of human contact. Could you blame me for not wanting to show weakness? It just seemed better to hate touch — to hate pity, to hate everything — than show that it was actually a huge chink in my armor. The longer her hand stayed there, the warmer I felt, as if the heat from her palm was cracking through the ice, reaching into my chest and massaging my heart back to life.
Thump, thump, thump. It picked up speed, like it had been starved for years and was finally getting fed.







Elite:



Elect:

Entice:
 B&N

Elicit: 


BANG BANG:

 B&N





Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.

She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at 
www.rachelvandykenauthor.com









Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Enforce - Chapter 1 Excerpt and Giveaway


So I have to tell you how excited I am about sharing excerpts from Enforce with you all today and tomorrow.  I have slowly fallen in love with this series and these characters (Although, I will admit to being slightly more enthralled with Tex, sigh) and now I can't get enough of them.  Enforce is a novella (book 1.5) from two differing points of view.  The book revolves around Nixon and Chase and their thoughts, feelings, etc on the love triangle from Elite and Elect, (books 1 and 2 in the Eagle Elite Series) I am really looking forward to getting inside these guys heads and see how it all really went down from their perspective! Check out the awesome trailers, the excerpt and the giveaway below! 


  iTunes  ~   Barnes & Noble  ~  KOBO   ~  Smashwords


Book Description:

There’s two sides to every story...
And ours? Isn't pretty...
Then again, what's pretty about the mafia?
Trace Rooks, that’s what.
But she only wants one of us, and I'll kill him before I let him have her.
The only problem?
We're cousins.
And she may just be our long lost enemy.
Whoever said college was hard, clearly didn't attend Eagle Elite University.
Welcome to hell also known as the Mafia where blood is thicker than life, and to keep yours? Well, keep your friends close, and your enemies?

Even closer...








Enforce/Nixon by Rachel Van Dyken from Becca the Bibliophile on Vimeo.






Enforce/Chase by Rachel Van Dyken from Becca the Bibliophile on Vimeo.






CHAPTER 1: Enforce (Elite from  Nixon/Chase’s POV)

Nixon's POV
 Chapter One

Nixon
            I watched as the parade of cars made their way through the black iron gates, as if somehow those gates would protect them if the country went to war. Funny, they had no clue that the war—Lucifer himself, was already parading around inside, safe from the police- the feds- anyone who would be a threat.
            Safe from everyone but me.
            My eyes flickered to Phoenix on my right, he grinned as a new girl walked up to him and gave him a flirty wave.
            I elbowed him hard in the ribs.
            His grin turned sour as he glared at the girl and flipped her off.
            Remember your place.
            I’d said it once, twice, a million times to the guys, and they were still struggling with the idea that they weren’t here to go to school, they weren’t here to make friends. We weren’t at peace. We were in a freaking war zone.
            And Phoenix’s family was our only key to redemption.
            “That seems to be the last of them.” Chase’s cool gaze surveyed the main road that led into campus. It was easier on security to have one road in and one road out. Too bad life wasn’t that convenient.
            If someone didn’t belong—it would take us minutes, scratch that, seconds to eliminate them, their family, all while making it look like a very unfortunate accident.
            “Wait,” Tex squinted towards the iron gates, “I think there’s one more car.”
            “The hell there is.” I muttered, “I counted the cars, I’ve looked at the lists, we aren’t missing anyone.”
            Chase yanked the list out of my hand and started reading through the names of all the freshman enrollees. His grin made me about lose my shit as he lifted his head and handed back the paper.
            “I hear Wyoming’s beautiful this time of year.”
            “What?” I jerked the list away and started greedily reading through the names.
            One stood out.
            Trace Rooks, Female, 18, Casper, Wyoming.
            “Great.” I dropped the list onto the ground and smirked, “A girl who probably smells like cow shit. What’s her background?”
            Nobody answered.
            I said it louder, this time grinding my teeth together.
            Tex was the first to answer, “We couldn’t really find any.”
            “Couldn’t. Really. Find. Any.” I repeated. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
            “Look,” Tex shook his head, “We have Sergio on it, but the girl doesn’t really have a lot of information about her. Parents dead, Grandma dead, Grandpa her only living relative and somehow her social as well as her birth certificate were both lost.”
            “Lost.” I licked my lips. I told my head not to go there, told my heart to stay in my damn chest and stop hoping as images flooded my mind. Dark hair, dark eyes, “Nixon, I’ll save you.”
            “Dude, you okay?” Chase elbowed me.
            “Let’s go welcome her to Eagle Elite.”
            Nobody moved.
            “I said,” I started marching towards the girls dorms, “Let’s go welcome her.”
            “Why do I have a feeling this is a really bad idea?” Tex said under his breath.
            “For once, Tex, keep your mouth shut and stay in the background, paste a shit eating grin on your face and let me and Chase deal with this. Do you think you can do that? Hmm?”
            “Take a Xanax.” Phoenix grumbled.
            I sent a seething glare in his direction.
            He mumbled a curse and walked off with Tex to wait by the tree while we continued the next few feet to the girls dorms.
            The car was a rental.
            The grandpa was ancient.
            The girl was…young.
            And she had shit as belongings. Her suitcase was covered with stickers, her grandpa handed her a small box, and I could have sworn I saw a tear escape her eye and roll down her smooth cheek.
            “Hell no.” I grumbled, “She’ll be destroyed here.”
            “Won’t last five minutes.” Chase agreed.
            “Tears.” I wiped my face with my hands, “Tell me I’m not seeing tears.”
            “Girls don’t cry here.”
            “They don’t.” I agreed.
            “She isn’t like them.”
            “No.”
            “We need Mo.”
            I laughed at that, “We need a miracle.” With a curse, I quickly dialed the number for orientation and made arrangements for the New Girl to be moved to the United States room. Mo was supposed to be on that same floor. I figured she needed all the help she could get. No way would little Wyoming survive the year with anyone else, not that I was happy about it. I mean in hindsight that was probably my first mistake.
            I’d officially invited her into my life—by way of my sister.
            “New girls here.” I said loud enough for Tracey to turn around and gape. So squeaky clean and innocent. Like a little lamb, right, Chase?” I tilted my head and offered her a smirk.
            The old man reached in his jacket. It was a move I knew well. Another clue. He wasn’t what he said he was. He wasn’t who he said he was. As if noticing my calculating glare, he removed his hand and offered a forced smile, “A welcoming committee? This place sure is nice.”
            I had to respect his control. The way he protectively stood in front of Tracey as if he was the only thing standing in the way of my devouring her.
            “Is there a problem?” He scratched his head, causing his shirt sleeve to fall, revealing a small tattoo. One I’d seen as a child but couldn’t place.
            “Do I know you?” I blurted.
            He laughed, “Know any farmers out in Wyoming?”
            It was his tone that convinced me, the way his shook his head slightly, waiting for my challenge. It was the same look my Uncle gave me when he wanted me to stop pushing.
            It was the look that my dad taught me when I was ten and witnessed my first torture.
            The girl was still staring at us. Easy target. I’d leave the old man alone, he reminded me too much of mine. And I didn’t need that reminder, not now.
            I lifted my arms and stretched lazily.
            The girls eyes went wide as she stared at my body.
            Chase hit me in the stomach.
            I sauntered forward and tilted her chin towards me, closing her mouth in the process. “Much better,” I licked my lips and fought the urge to kiss her. Yeah, I was losing my shit. “We’d hate for our charity case to choke on an insect on her first day.” Her lips trembled as she looked from me to her Grandpa. I released her before she could do anything, and walked past, with Chase in tow.
            I needed to talk to the girl at registration anyways. We disappeared behind the building, but I’d be back. I just needed the Grandpa to leave.
            Within seconds the rental car was driving away. And the girl as all mine. My heart thudded against my chest, and for a second, I regretted what I was about to do.
            But every possible outcome ended with either her death, or her in danger. And for some reason, I didn’t want someone like her at Eagle Elite. She didn’t belong in my world.
            She deserved a picket fence.
             A husband.
            A good college experience without classmates who’d rather see her commit suicide then survive the next four years.
            They would destroy her.
            And she would make it so damn easy to do so.
            The only way—was to beat them to it. To be the first, marking her as our target, our play-thing.
            Nobody messed with what was mine.
            And in the end, nobody would mess with her. They’d allow me to entertain them with her innocence. I’d dangle her in front of them like a carrot, and at the end of the day, she’d be untouchable.
            I sighed as she looked up at the building gaping like someone who’d been homeschooled and never seen a sky scraper before.
            She was too skinny.
            I made a mental note to get her one of my access cards—she didn’t need to know how much they cost—or that every single student at EE would kill to have one. Mo would take care of the rest.
            She’d eat with us.
            She’d want for nothing.
            It was the least I could do after what I was about to make her endure.
            Licking my lips I approached her again, this time, damning myself to hell with each step I took. “Are you lost?”
            “Nope.” She grinned, damn it made her prettier. “Apparently I live in the United States.” With a shrug she tried and failed to lift her heavy suitcase and nearly toppled over onto her cute ass.
            I muffled a laugh, knowing that Chase was doing the exact same thing. Being mean to her would be like kicking a puppy. But the world was ugly. I just hated that I would be her tutor in the ways of reality—her prince of darkness.
            Damn, I would have done anything to be the hero.
            “I’m Nixon.” I stood directly in front of her, shifting my eyes from her poorly fitting clothes to her ugly shoes.
            “Tracey, but everyone calls me Trace.” She held out her hand.
            I itched to touch it.
            To touch her skin.
            Instead, I scowled, shook her hand, then wiped that same hand on my jeans as if she was diseased.
            “Rules.”
            “What?” She took a step back.
            Chase moved past me, “He’s right. As cute as you are, Farm Girl, someone needs to tell you the rules.”
            Her gaze narrowed, “Can it be fast?”
            Yeah, again, I almost lost my mind. Chase was probably ready to shit his pants. The last person that talked back to him was Phoenix and that ended with a few broken bones and a trip to the dentist.
            “You hear that Chase?” I said amused, “She likes it fast.”
            “Pity,” Chase took a step closer, nearly touching her with his body, “I’d like to give it to her slow.” His eyes raked her in, as if she was the first girl he’d ever seen in his entire existence. Jealousy surged through me. What he hell? She wasn’t’ his. Not that she was mine, but still. He was standing too close, too close.
            “The rules.” He stepped back. My heart beat returned to normal, “No speaking to the Elect, unless you’ve been asked to speak to them.” He circled around her staring a little long at her ass before he continued.
            “Who are the--“
            “—Nope. You’ve already broken a rule. I’m speaking New Girl.” Chase smirked. “Geez, Nixon, this one’s going to be hard to break in.”
            “They always are.” I said without taking my eyes from her, “But I think I’ll enjoy this one.” The first true thing I’d said. I would enjoy it too much. I’d enjoy her too much, because she reminded me of someone I used to know. Someone who offered to save me, when I was already past saving, someone who wiped my tears, and cried as if they were her own.
            Chase continued with the rules. Making me sicker as her face continued to fall.
            Finally she asked, “Is that all?”
            “No.” Raw desire pulsed through me as I approached her, needing to touch her, needing to make sure she was real even though I knew I was acting like a complete and utter lunatic. Chase and I would have words later. He knew me better than I knew myself sometimes. I was going too far, pushing myself, pushing him.
            My hand caressed her face, then moved down her smooth neck to her shoulder. I wanted to claim her, to possess her, to make her scream—but not with fear, with utter ecstasy. I had no idea who she was, but she made me want. And that was the problem.
            For the first time in years. I wanted.
            I wasn’t allowed to want.
            I had to die to myself.
            Because in the grand scheme of things? It wasn’t about me. It was about blood, family, protection. Blood in, blood out.
            Her eyes dilated. Furious that she’d reacted so easily, upset with myself for making my own body suffer, I snapped.
            “You feel this? Memorize it now, because as of this moment, you can’t touch us. We are untouchable. If you as much as sneeze in our direction, if you as much breathe the same air in my atmosphere. I will make your life hell. This touch, what you feel against your skin, will be the only time you feel another human being as powerful as me near you. So like I said, feel it, remember it, and maybe one day, your brain will do you the supreme favor of forgetting what it felt like to have someone like me touching you. Then, and only then, will you be able to be happy with some mediocre boyfriend and pathetic life.” Away from me. Away from it all. Safe.
            A few more tears escaped down her cheek.
            And I knew in that moment. It was the beginning of the end.
            My end.
            My downfall.
            My demise.







Elite:



Elect:

Entice:
 B&N

Elicit: 


BANG BANG:

 B&N





Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.

She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at 
www.rachelvandykenauthor.com