Special Assignment Release Day!!!!

BLURB
Jake left Justice, Kansas shortly after the wreck. His life had been forever changed and he didn’t know how he could stay in the one place that was a constant reminder of both women. Now on a quest to prove himself he taps into the one thing better left alone.    

Charlie knew that eventually she’d have to run again. Resolution, California wouldn’t be safe forever, someone would learn about her past. She just never imagined it would be the one person she’s spent a decade trying to forget.    

Charlie and her brother Justin have made a new life in their beach side house on the banks of California. Justin stripping and Charlie hooking - neither wanted these jobs but they both paid the bills. Life was calm until trouble happened inside one seemingly friendly hotel.    Jake and Charlie, face to face with each other and their past.     

Will they both overcome their shadows that haunt each of them?    Is there ever a way to forgive and forget when death is involved?     

Special Assignment - The only thing special about this assignment are the two people involved.

PURCHASE LINKS

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Wow -- What a whirlwind of an adventure my alter ego Niki has taken this year. We went from just an idea of erotica to a full on series of short stories and now a novel series has been birthed. I never would have seen this coming - not at all. But here it is ... and I couldn't be more excited!

The first bits of feedback from my beta readers and early reviewers has been so positive. That tells me two things - 1 my beta readers have good taste and 2 - I am improving. This has been such a personal victory me, the whole course of this adventure and each time I hear the positive feedback it's just one more check on my to do list in life.

This book is really out of my comfort zone - mystery and erotica combined. I much more prefer the blood and guts of the Blood Series. But for whatever reason this story called to me.

As all of you read it - your reactions to the twists and turns I hope are the same as mine. I didn't see any of it coming, the characters just took over.

Please don't forget to leave a review after you have enjoyed SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT and if you want to send me an email or leave a comment that would be great too. I love hearing feedback!

Happy Reading Everyone - and may all of you have a very blessed holiday season and a wonderful start to the new years that is approaching ever so quickly!

-Ash

Sunday Review: Sail Away With Me by Kate Devaux

Title:  Sail Away With Me

Author: Kate Deveaux

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance

Published: December 1, 2013

Source: Free Copy from author for an honest review

Blurb:

Before Jody Carter and her three best friends ever set foot aboard the luxury cruise ship, Jody falls into the arms of uber hunky celebrity guest Taggart Keith, when he saves her shoe from falling to the depths of the sea. Their attraction is undeniable, but the recently divorced single mom knows the last thing she needs is to complicate her life in just seven short days. But that’s exactly what happens when Jody takes a chance — for once in her life— and gives into a week of sensational pleasure. Taggart helps her discover her more sensual side — one tantalizing night at a time.

Review:

What a fun read! I really enjoyed this book, and I loved that while parts were predictable other parts were not and I was able to have some surprises while reading. That's not always the easiest to pull off.

Taggart was an author - which made me laugh and smile. Jody a single mom doing the best for her son and her father. She was easily identifiable with. These two made the book fly by. It didn't take me much time at all to get sucked in and pulled through to their world and crave to find out what happened.

The reason that this is a 4.5 instead of 5 star was kind of minor. There were a few phrases that the author chose to use that would throw me out of the read. It would take a moment to allow myself to get pulled back into the story. But other than this issue (that only happened a few times) I really enjoyed this.

My favorite part of this book would have to be the night of the party and when someone went overboard. I did laugh out loud when I read that one. I think that's a good sign, when a book can make you laugh. 

 

Excerpt:

“Hey there, Jody,” he called out.

“Oh, hi….Taggart,” she said with surprise, pretending she hadn’t seen him.

“We really have to stop meeting like this.” He smiled and walked towards her down the narrow hall dotted with luggage.

She laughed nervously at the cliché that was proving all too true if she was to keep her sanity. “I guess so. Well, this is my room.” She fidgeted with her keycard as he came up beside her.

“Mine’s just down the hall.” Taggart pointed behind him, but he just stood there, his tall frame close to her. She looked up at him, overly aware of the scent of sandalwood, one of her favorites. Very masculine.

“Mmm…coincidence,” she said, the hallway becoming smaller by the minute when he flashed that boyish smile, with one corner of his mouth raised. Cocky, but undeniably sexy at the same time.

Unable to break the gaze, she tried to insert the keycard into the lock, not paying attention to what she was doing. The card grazed the slot and she forced her eyes away from his.

“I guess you didn’t find your friends after all?” he inquired, leaning casually against the wall, as she slid the keycard all the way in the lock.

Caught red handed at her own lie, she smiled down at her shoes. “No, I didn’t.”

“So you can have that drink with me after all,” he stated flatly, placing his hand over hers as she held the key in the lock.

Her heart pounded in her chest. She couldn’t move a muscle. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said.

He frowned but left his hand on hers. “Because?”

Because? Her mind raced. She couldn’t tell him it was because she was afraid. Afraid how her body trembled when he was near, how her cheeks burned and her sex thrummed.

“I’ll wait,” he said with a devilish grin eyeing the keycard still in the lock.

“I really don’t think it’s a good idea, is all.”

“You already said that,” he said straight-faced, but she could see the playful look in his eyes. As he removed his hand, he continued to lean easily on the door frame, his face close to hers as if he had all the time in the world to wait for her to be ready. He was close enough she could see the barely visible laugh lines when he smiled and the slight five o’clock shadow on his chiseled jaw.'

“Look Taggart,” she said, just saying his name made her heart beat faster. “I’m not ready for…” her heart beat rapidly thinking about just what she wasn’t ready for….to be intimate with a man.

“Ready for what?” he teased. A flush of desire rushed through her. He was playing with her, flirting with her.

She took her key out of the lock and looked up at him trying her best to hang on to some semblance of control. “Whatever it is, I’m not ready.”

“Fair enough,” he said, completely unarming her with his understanding.

“Really?” she asked, almost disappointed he gave in so easily. “Really,” he said, imitating her.
He was so fucking sexy she was going to melt right there in the

hall. “Well in that case, maybe I’ll have that drink with you, but it better be a quick one, the girls will wonder where I am.”

“Good,” he said slowly, and leaned towards her, his body inches away, her heart pounding and her body humming with anticipation. He was so close she could feel the heat from his skin, the pulse of his heartbeat.

Her lips met his, at first tentatively, as if unsure of herself. His hot mouth was inviting as she kissed him again, this time parting her lips as his arms wrapped around her waist, his tongue finding hers. Instinctively, she reached one arm around his neck and pulled him to her, kissing him more urgently. His stubble against her chin made her melt when he grasped her tighter and kissed her back. Hard and hungry. Her body quivered as she pressed against him, their mouths exploring one another.

Lost in the moment, her mind swirling and her body electric, she ran her hands along his broad back, her breasts squashed against his muscled chest, his hands running along her body. It felt so good. He smelled so good, tasted so good, it had been forever since she’d felt this way. So…so…so fucking turned on. Demanding and capable, his hands roamed wantonly over her hips and then cupped her ass.

Buy Links:

Red Sage

Amazon

Barnes & Noble 

About the Author:

Kate Deveaux is a contemporary erotic romance writer and die-hard romantic. A former wedding planner, she has always been “in love” with love! Kate is currently working on several fictional stories – each filled with sexy romance, heroines who are no shrinking violets and heroes who make your heart skip a beat. She is a member of Savvy Author, Romance Writers of America (RWA) and their erotic romance chapter, Passionate Ink. 

Kate currently resides with her husband in Arizona.

Connect with the Author:

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Giveaway:

Grand Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card

Kate is also giving away:

One copy of The Butler Did It (ebook)

One copy of Academy of Love (ebook)

Two additional Amazon Gift cards ($10 each)

For a total of five winners/prizes! Must be 18 or over to enter. Enter through Rafflecopter.

Tour Information:

Fire & Ice Book Tour: Apocalipstick by Lisa Acerbo

 

 

Apocalipstick by Lisa Acerbo

Virtual Book Tour Dates: 11/19/13 – 12/17/13

Genres: Horror, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fiction

Blurb:

Jenna should be having the time of her life at college. Instead, her only desire is survival. She lives in a world gone insane after a virus kills most of the population. Being alive after the apocalypse is bad, but when the undead return, hungry for humans, times turn darker. For Jenna and a small group of survivors, the goal is to reach the High Point Inn. At the inn, Jenna develops feelings for Caleb, who, while exotic and intoxicating, is not quite human. Will this new utopia last?

Excerpt:

“By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes…” ran through Jenna’s mind, another remnant of her former life. Now the graveyard was the safest place. Evil openly roamed the streets and it was coming for her.

Jenna blinked the sweat out of her eyes and took a deep breath. She swayed with exhaustion. Angels, symbols of all things God and good, adornments of the dead, swam in and out of Jenna’s clouded vision. She placed a scarred hand on the peaceful, cold stone markers, embellished with the names of forgotten loved ones. Nowadays, loved ones wanted to come back from the grave and claw your face off, devour your insides.

Jenna wanted to lie down and give up. She was tired and had lost everyone she knew. Hair lank and greasy, mud splattered clothing, old and mismatched. Instead of admitting defeat, she forced herself to stay alert, pushing matted, raven hair out of her eyes with a dirty hand. Jenna could not remember a time in her recent history where she felt clean or had a moment in which she was not fighting to stay alive. Looking around the darkened landscape, she wanted to live. She shoved to her feet once again.

 

Review:

What an entertaining read!!! I knocked this little gem out in two days. Really two days with a couple hours of reading each. It was just a nice and easy read. I told my husband that I was almost done with the book and I didn't even remember reading so much of it because it just flew buy. I was sad to see Jenna and Caleb end their story.I hope there will be more.

The authors style was so simple and easy.everything flowed nicely. This was a different look at the whole vampire story as well which I loved. The whole end if the world thing. Great.

What I would have liked more of its the scene endings. They would just stop and sometimes it felt abrupt. Maybe it's cause I wanted more. Either way that issue want enough to deter from the story lines or the book.

Well done on this little gem. Thank you for writing an easy read that kept my attention.

Solid four stars.

Author Bio:  

Lisa Acerbo is a high school teacher and adjunct faculty at the University of Phoenix. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, daughters, three cats, and two horses. When not writing, she mountain bikes, hikes, and tries to pursue some type of further education--she's working towards an EdD.

Author Links:

Website

Email

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Giveaway:

Lisa is giving away a print copy of her book and a $20 Amazon gift card to two lucky winners! Open worldwide, must be 18 and over to enter. Entry dates: 11/19/13 – 12/17/13

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Fire & Ice Book Tours: Giveaway The Fifth Column by Robert Corrado

Please welcome Fire and Ice Book Tours presenting, Robert Corrado!

Virtual Book Tour Dates: 11/12/13 – 12/10/13

Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction

Purchase:

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords

Blurb:

In the near future, the United States has been transformed into the Unified State, an oppressive police state that keeps its citizens under constant surveillance. Poverty and crime are rampant, and the citizens live beneath a perpetual cloud of fear. Pedro Pulido has never known his country to be any other way, but his grandfather remembers a time before, and he teaches Pedro to recognize the propaganda for what it is and to think for himself. Still, Pedro is no revolutionary.

Then Pedro’s quiet town is engulfed by the country’s growing anti-government insurgency, and terrifying changes begin to occur. A mechanical soldier with artificial intelligence, Samuel, is deployed in the neighborhood and, like others of its kind, is glorified by the government as a great protector of the people.

However, it quickly becomes apparent that Samuel isn’t just keeping an eye out for insurgents. After the death of one of Pedro’s closest friends at Samuel’s hands, Pedro finds himself faced with a decision. Does he accept the status-quo or seek justice for his friend’s murder?

Excerpt:

Samuel sat motionless at the end of the cul-de-sac in the pouring rain. Or, seemingly motionless to the residents of Sanctuary Court, anyway. Currently, it had 12 uni-directional robotic ears trained with mathematical precision on strategic points within the neighborhood. Three other microphones were set to record all nearby ambient noise through a variety of filters for the sounds of electrical and mechanical tools, the spoken word, and even whispering. They could record the drop of a pin with crystal clarity from over 100 meters away. Samuel’s numerous optical lenses were trained similarly. In wide-angle they could snap to movement and then zoom in and follow. In tight-angle they could record in high-definition a portion of a citizen’s tattoo or birthmark and, even if it was half concealed, compare it against millions of others in the FBI, CIA, NSA, Homeland Security, and Civil Defense Intelligence databases. For all of its concealed functionality, it looked like its power switch had been shut off. Samuel observed the residents of the street peering out through their half-closed curtains and blinds or through front doorways held slightly ajar. The heavy rain pattered against its frame, and in the gray overcast day, it looked like something discarded.

 

About the Author:

Robert Corrado grew up in a small town in the California foothills reading comic books and science fiction novels, muddling through pen and paper role-playing games, and filming amateur action shorts on his neighbor’s VHS camcorder. He currently resides in Denver Colorado.  He’s always been a big dreamer, starting his own business at the age of 21, and pursuing creative projects throughout his life in a variety of mediums.  He enjoys reading novels, watching films, skiing, dancing and karaoke with his wife Karen, and spending time with his Jack Russell Terrier, Joey. He has been writing creatively since grade school and shows no signs of stopping.  Some of his favorite books are 1984, Jennifer Government, and just about anything by Phillip K. Dick.  If he were standing in front of you or writing an about page for you he’d definitely thank you for taking the time to read something he wrote so…

Author Links:

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Giveaway:
Author Robert Corrado is giving away some great prizes! One lucky winner will receive a free copy of The Fifth Column, plus a $50 Amazon gift card. Four other winners will receive a copy of the book! Enter through Rafflecopter. Winners will be randomly selected by the author at the end of the tour.
 

 

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Sunday Review: Lion's Head Deception by Chuck Waldron

Title:  Lions Head Deception
 

Author: Chuck Waldron

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Dystopian

Published: June 15, 2013

Source: I received a copy of this book from the Author for an honest review

Purchase: Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble
Blurb:
Matt Tremain is a shy, private person who discovers a passion for writing blogs—a mission that propels him into investigative reporting. A tipster warns him of a diabolical scheme Matt simply can’t ignore. After the tipster is killed, Matt honors his memory by going forward to investigate the truth behind the conspiracy. He meets a television reporter and a cameraman also investigating the intrigue. Are they potential partners or rivals? A detective offers his assistance, but Matt is unsure of his true motivation. He is equally unsure of the allegiance of those in the top administration of police services. Matt Tremain and his friends are forced to go on the run, evading the newly-formed security teams. They must expose the truth before they are discovered, arrested and perhaps exterminated themselves…

Lion’s Head Deception is set, amongst rioting and unrest in a destabilized city. 
Matt Tremain, an investigative blogger has been made aware of a sinister conspiracy to exterminate citizens who fail to meet the screening matrix designed by a billionaire and his corrupt government co-conspirators. A phone call sets Matt on the run, aware that he is being sought for his knowledge of the plan. In the secret hidey-hole office in his apartment’s basement he contacts the only people he knows he can trust, cyber-friends whom he’s never met.

Charles Claussen—the billionaire—is determined to see his plan CleanSweep become reality. Despite his successful and wealthy businessman persona, his true nature and diabolical intentions are revealed. 

At a remote lodge in Lion’s Head on the beautiful Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, CleanSweep’s founder, and those he needs to convince to play ball, meet. Claussen is the architect of the plan, but needs the financial and political backing of the three men he is meeting with. 

With the cooperation of these men, Claussen returns to his headquarters and puts the plans into operation Claussen and Angela Vaughn visit the militia camp where people are being trained for the riots that will soon destabilize the city. The rioting begins

Matt meets the whistle-blower Tanner, who originally sparked his interest in the CleanSweep plot. After a few drinks together, Tanner leaves and neither of them are aware that it might be their final meeting. 
After a CleanSweep raid of a newsroom, hard-nose reporter Susan Payne and her cameraman Carl manage to escape with footage that could easily cost them their lives. They have unknowingly scooped a story that has yet to be revealed, even to them, but they know they’ve hit on something, and hit a nerve. Hiding out in a seedy motel, they have a meeting with Matt, and the three begin to piece together the truth about CleanSweep, putting their initial differences behind them.
What finally happens will test the strength and courage of Matt Tremain and his friends.

Review:
One thing I feel is becoming a well known concept lately is the genre 'dystopian.' I am really enjoying this a lot because I love exploring the minds of other individuals to see what they can come up with. I can tell you that there are some very specific things I liked about this book, no, loved about it. First - I loved how it was a mixture of Hitler and Stallen brought back onto the pages of reality. I loved this whole, 'Clean Sweep'  that the government gave a blank check to basically with our (Americans) human rights. I loved that so much. When the parts about history repeating itself, but better came up that's what really sucked me into the book. Not that I'm supporting any of those crazy and barbaric ways, but the imagination and talent that goes into creating that kind of world and existence should be respected.

The downside about this book was it took me approx 120 pages to get 'sucked' into the world. It was a good third of the book. Typically if I'm not hooked by 20% into it I put the book down but something made me keep going. I am really glad that I did. It was so engaging and intriguing  once the hook was set. So if you are like me and need a quick hook, give this some patience. It was worth it to me.

I had wished the ending hadn't been so 'ready set go' feeling. The whole book had this huge bubble of expecting a complate and total shock and awe ending that when you hit page 290 and realize there are only about 30 pages left...it's going to end ... you get (or I got) rather sad. I wanted to see more of the ending. There was such great build up that I really thought the ending was going to blow me away.

One other thing I should note - I did not see a few of these twists and turns coming. One thing I hate is when you can predict everything and that was NOT the case in LHD. Not at all. 

Overall I'd say this book is a solid 3.5 stars. Had it hooked me a bit earlier it would have been an easy 4 stars. That being said - if there was a way for this book to have a sequel I'd deff read it because I liked the characters that much.