Releasing Now: Contrite Duet Box Set by Kathy Coopmans

Posted in Releasing Now Book Addicts by mkcooke

What happens when the man you’re married to

isn’t the man you married anymore?

Find out in Kathy Coopman’s Contrite series! This Duet has been bundled into one complete set for ONLY $0.99!

NOW AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING RETAILERS:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1LaVQ0W

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1UPFlbF

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1J69nko

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1Y0mqit

CONTRITE BOOK ONE

What happens when the man you’re married to isn’t the man you married anymore? Clove Calloway knows within an hour of picking up her husband Turner from the airport that something is different. Yet she can’t pin point what. Together since College, they know everything about each other. So why has she spent the last few days watching everything he does, hoping for a clue? What could have happened within that week he was gone?

One way or another she’s going to find out.

When Clove invests in the help of her brother Zack, a police detective, she’s afraid her suspicions of infidelity will be confirmed. Terrified that such news will crush her heart, she sets about preparing for the worst.

Only to find it’s much more than she could have imagined—there is no other woman.

Clove’s life is about to descend into a web of deceit, lies and betrayal.

Appearances can be deceiving… and only the Master Manipulator will be left standing.

“The eyes only see what the mind is prepared to comprehend.” – Henri Bergson

REPRISAL BOOK TWO

Clove Calloway thought she ended her nightmare life when she stabbed herself.

When the darkness took over, she thought she’d find peace. Seeing her husband die by the hands of his traitorous brother, Trent, destroyed her. Little did she know, her dreadful life without Turner is just the beginning. She awakens from one nightmare right into another, confined in a house with the Master Manipulator of them all.

Now, she’s fighting for her life instead of trying to end it. As the truth unfolds, layer upon layer of deceit could suffocate her. How many times and in how many way can she be betrayed? But Clove refuses to lose. Just how she’s going to win is a plan she’s yet to determine…

Zack is determined to find his sister Clove, he knows she is out there somewhere. He can feel it. He wants her home. And he is going to find her! He’s ready to take down the evil that has her in his clutches. Only he’s just as shocked as Clove when the truth unfolds…

There’s more…. So much more. Are you ready?

Revenge.

I look at the clock and realize I still have an hour left. Turner is on a conference call, therefore I can’t ask him if he wants to skip out a little early and get to the bar for happy hour. Reaching for my phone, I decide to kick back and relax and maybe download some new songs. I plug in my phone to keep it charged and start listening to some music as I browse through the new selections.

“Clove?”

I jump, catching sight of Zack out of my peripheral vision.

“Christ, you scared the shit out of me!”

I sit back in my chair with a smile on my face, placing my hand over my heart as I slump back in my seat. I laugh, finding the situation funny. Pulling my ear buds out, I watch my brother as he strolls in and sits across from me at my desk. But he’s not laughing or smiling.

“There’s something wrong,” I say in a strangled voice.

“Yeah, there is.”

“Is . . .?”

I start crying and can’t seem to get any words to come out. My chest starts heaving and I hold onto the edge of my desk, my knuckles snow white from my tight grip.

“Is he cheating on me?”

“It’s worse. Much worse.”

The way he looks at me tells me whatever his news is, it’s going to rip me to shreds.

“Wha-what is it?” I can barely choke the words out.

Amazon Best Selling Author Kathy Coopmans, lives in Michigan with her husband Tony where they have two grown sons.

After raising her children she decided to publish her first book and retiring from being a hairstylist.

She now writes full time.

She’s a huge sports fan with her favorite being Football and Tennis.

She’s a giver and will do anything she can to help another person succeed!

Stalk Her: Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

15Sep2015

Releasing Now: Hard Love by Meredith Wild

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts, Review Post by mkcooke

HARD LOVE by Meredith Wild

(September 15, 2015; Forever Trade Paperback; The Hacker Series #5)

Days after their wedding, Blake and Erica Landon embark on their honeymoon-a journey that deepens their bond and promises to fade the scars of their past. Just when their troubles seem safely behind them, scandal surrounding would-be Governor Daniel Fitzgerald’s election threatens their newfound peace. Back home, Blake finds himself at the center of the controversy, haunted by the transgressions of his hacker past that he has no wish to relive.

With Blake’s freedom at stake and their future in peril, Erica will stop at nothing to clear his name. But when Blake defies the authorities and refuses to seek the truth, their world gradually begins to crumble. Will he let his past win? Or can Erica convince him that their life together is worth fighting for-now more than ever…

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We walked the now familiar path back to our hotel, through the dark uneven streets out of Dublin’s city center. A hint of rain and the lingering scent of the fresh flowers that had been sold on the streets hours earlier filled the air.

I held Blake’s hand, admiring the details of the building architecture framing the old streets, greeting the bright-eyed faces that met us on the sidewalk. It was almost midnight, but our schedule was a mess and I was in no rush to be anywhere as long as we were together. Seeing my old professor again had been a flashback to a simpler time in my life. So much had happened since that first meeting in the Angelcom boardroom that he’d arranged with Max’s initial support. I could have never known then that I’d fall head over heels for the cocky investor sitting across from me…that I’d be his wife. But here we were, bound together as closely as two people could be.

Blake caught me closer to his side and brushed a soft kiss over my cheek. “I like Brendan. I can see why he’s become a friend.”

I smiled. “It seems odd to call him that, but it’s true. He encouraged me to build the business when I had so many doubts. He’s the reason I took the path I did.”

“A path that led you straight to me.” He squeezed my hand. “Lucky me.”

I was lucky too. I couldn’t deny it. But I could have never imagined traveling the road I had.

“You’re quiet. What are you thinking about?” he asked.

I blew out a breath and shook my head. “The business, I guess. I can’t help but feel like I…failed somehow.”

He glanced down at me. “You didn’t fail. You learned.”

I scuffed the sole of my boots against the stones as we walked, avoiding his stare.

“I’ve been around the block a few times, you know. You should trust me.”

I smirked. “That’s why I married you, of course. For your business acumen and wealth of knowledge.”

He lifted an eyebrow.

“And your mountains of money,” I added quickly.

He frowned. “You’re trying to tell me you didn’t marry me for my dashing good looks? I might be insulted.”

I pursed my lips, trying to look serious. “If I had to pick one thing that tipped the scales, I’d say it was your exceptional skills in bed. I think that’s where you really excel.”

“Well then”—he laughed, his eyes twinkling—“at least my purpose is clear.”

He gave my ass a firm squeeze. Laughing, I pushed him away as we approached a street performer who was crooning for the barest of audiences. A small group of French-speaking tourists stood nearby, and an older man, dirty from the streets, sat on the opposite side of the street with a sloppy grin.

We slowed to listen as the tourists dispersed. The song was sad, but rich with love—raw and emotional the way he delivered each verse. Blake turned me to him, bringing us chest to chest. Our fingers laced, his breath warm against my hair, he led us into a simple nameless dance. I swayed toward him and closed my eyes, clinging to his muscular frame the way I clung to every magical moment between us.

Straining for the lyrics through the singer’s thick accent, I caught the verses.

When misfortune falls sure no man can shun it.

I was blindfolded I’ll ne’er deny.

Now at nights when I go to my bed of slumber,

the thoughts of my true love run in my mind.

Another moment passed as the young man’s voice faded into the night. The song was a somber one, made light only by his passionate delivery of it. Like so much of life, the pain was what you made it. He’d made something sad beautiful.

I sighed, still tight against Blake’s chest. His body emanated warmth. His heartbeat was a steady reminder of his support, his love—a force that had saved me, changed me, and healed me in ways I’d never thought possible. He tipped my chin up, the glint in his eyes matching the passion in my heart. He parted his full lips, but hesitated, a wordless moment passing between us.

“I’m going to show you the whole world, Erica.”

“I can’t imagine enjoying a minute of it without you,” I whispered.

He stilled our slow dance, tracing a fingertip over my lips, his countenance now serious in a way that threatened my next breath.

“And I’m going to make you fall in love with me all over again. Every morning and every night. In every city and at the edge of every ocean. I’ll remind you why you’re mine and why I’ve always been yours.”

I drew in an unsteady breath, feeling his promise all the way to my soul. Swallowing hard, I found my voice. “I think you’re on the right track.”

I arched toward him until our lips met. Soft and slow at first, the kiss went deeper, stealing every thought that didn’t revolve around his taste and touch.

We broke apart slightly when a gravelly voice interrupted us.

“Go make love to her, lad, before she changes her mind already.”

Behind us, the man who’d made his home for the night in the entryway of a high-end store offered an imperfect grin, pairing his words of wisdom with a friendly tip of his small bottle of liquor.

I smiled, and Blake, by the dark look in his eyes, seemed to immediately accept the stranger’s challenge.

“I plan to,” he murmured, his tone all velvet and delicious threat. My skin tingled and he took my mouth again with a kiss that promised so much more.

Listen to a clip of the Hard Love audiobook below!!

(Click the link for more information on the Hard Love audiobook! https://soundcloud.com/audible/hard-love)

5 UNFORGETTABLE STARS

Hard Love was the absolute perfect conclusion to Meredith Wild’s captivating and utterly phenomenal Hacker Series. I couldn’t have asked for a better ending book for Blake and Erica and their breathtakingly emotional love story. This series is one of my all-time favorites, and what Meredith Wild gave me in each of these books, but especially in Hard Love, left me in true literary awe. As I sit here writing this review, I still can’t believe that Blake and Erica’s story is really over, but what I got from those two dynamic characters in this book is something I will never forget.

Meredith Wild weaves her distinctive writing magic once again in a gripping story that has you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end, has you feeling and fully experiencing every thoughtfully crafted emotion and feeling, and has you realizing once again why Blake and Erica’s journey together is beautiful, authentic, and utterly unforgettable to say the least.

Hard Love is an enthralling, superbly intense, and emotionally breathtaking read that I loved every word of. It’s a beautiful love story, brimming with raw, vulnerable, consuming love that’s depth truly has no boundaries. While reading Hard Love you will breathe in the fierce love that Blake and Erica share, and that love will fill you. It will melt and simultaneously ignite you. It will mesmerize you with every word, and have you feeling every ounce of this book in the most remarkable way. There is something so special and wonderful about the love that Blake and Erica share, and Meredith Wild gives you one last outstanding chapter to relish in all of that love.

The entire time I was reading Hard Love, I was enraptured with Blake and Erica and what they were going through in this story. I felt for them. I loved them so fiercely, and I connected to them on such a real level because of how fantastically Meredith Wild creates and captures their characters. I just got them one hundred percent. I understood them, their thoughts and feelings, their desires, their flaws, and everything that made them the wonderfully distinctive characters that they are.

The events of Hard Love are engaging in every way, and Erica and Blake are faced with one last fight, and one last hurdle to overcome in order to be together. There were so many times while reading where I didn’t know where the next page would take these two, and Hard Love had so many fantastically shocking moments that just pulled me in all the more. The many intense and varied events brought out so much in their characters, and truly allowed me to understand them on completely new level. Obviously I’ve known their characters since Hardwired, and I’ve had the phenomenal chance to see them evolve over the course of the series, but in Hard Love you really get them.

You get them at their most vulnerable at times, and at their fiercest at others. You get the real, honest and raw them, and getting them on that level is spectacular. That allows you such an immense understanding of their characters, their motives, and just how far they will go to be with one another. It brings out such an exceptional level of fight and determination and will power from them both that will have you feeling them every single breathtaking step of the way. Having that well rounded and magnificently crafted understanding of them sets this chapter of their story in a league of its own.

In Hard Love you get to see Erica’s sheer strength and fight come out full force once again. There is such a power to her character, such a determination that defines her in the best way, and a stubbornness that makes you smile, but really exemplifies so much about her. The level of fight Erica has is remarkable, and is just one of the many things I love about her character because she never gives up, she never stops giving it her all, and she never stops fighting for the love that she and Blake share. The events of Hard Love definitely throw her for a bit of a loop in more ways than one, but through it all Erica keeps trying with all her might to get her and Blake to the place they both want to be. I heart that girl something fierce for her unwavering fierceness, and she is hands down one of my favorite female characters ever.

Blake Landon is one of the most intense and dynamic characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. There is such a force and presence to him that just emanates from these books. You feel that fully once again in Hard Love, but what was even more amazing in this book was that you got to see an entirely new side to Blake. You get to see a more vulnerable side, a more raw and visceral side that just pulls at your heart again and again. You really get to see how his past is affecting his present and future, and what that all adds to the story. There are so many remarkable layers to his character, and you get to delve heart first into each and every one of them, allowing you the phenomenal opportunity to see Blake Landon in a way you’ve never seen him before. He’s still the Blake you know and love, but in this chapter of the story you get more of him, and that more is the best.

Along with Blake and Erica, you get one last chance to spend time with the wonderfully distinctive supporting characters that help make this series the spectacular thing that it is. I loved getting to spend time with each and every one of them, even the ones who I sometimes wish I could shake for the things they were doing. They added a magnificent layer to everything that I was reading, and their interactions with Blake and Erica had me feeling and thinking and experiencing so much. I loved each and every one of them for different reasons, but mostly I loved them all because they were them through and through, they brought so much to the story, and they brought out so many immense and incredibly immense things from Blake and Erica. I’ve also got my fingers crossed that at some point in the future we’ll get a little bit more from some of them, because they truly were something else.

One of the many reasons Meredith Wild is a top favorite author of mine is because she creates and evokes so much varied, vibrant, and exceptionally crafted emotion and feeling in her writing that you whole heartedly experience. In Hard Love Meredith Wild gave me so many different moments with Blake and Erica that had my heart melting from all the feels and the depth behind them, had my heart racing from the shocking and riveting turn of events, had it squeezing like crazy at all that they went through, and certainly had it filling with the immense level of love and desire and passion being shared between them. While reading this book, I laughed and I cried, I also smiled more times than I could count, while thinking and wondering so much, and through it all I felt.

I felt the immense level of love and trust that Blake and Erica had for one another. I felt what it was like for them to go through everything that came there way. I felt their fierce level of fight and determination they both had to end up exactly where they wanted to be. I felt and experienced it all because Meredith Wild’s magnificent writing allowed me to feel every single amazing word of what I was reading.

Like I said, Hard Love is the perfect conclusion to this series. While reading this book everything just felt very full-circle and extremely meaningful. Erica and Blake’s hard fought journey together culminates in this extraordinary book, and Meredith Wild hit is out of the park with what she gives you from them as their story epically concludes. Through everything that you read you realize how far these characters have come and evolved from where they started, what it is that they share truly offer one another, the immense level of trust they fought to have, and why their love is so worth fighting for with everything that they’ve got. Hard Love is Blake and Erica and their insurmountable love, and it honestly doesn’t get much better than what you get from them in this book.

I could honestly continue on for with so many more words about how much I loved Hard Love (Hacker Series #5) by Meredith Wild, and why this series will remain a favorite of mine forever. The moment I finished this book, in the wee hours of the morning I might add, I cried. Not because I was sad or because I was so exhausted, but because I realized fully in that moment when it was all over, how much I literally got from Blake and Erica. I got them, who they became individually and together, I got all of their fight and the meaning behind everything they did and said and felt, but most of all I got their love. Their breathtakingly beautiful love that shows the amazing things that can really happen when two people take a risk, throw that caution to the wind, and give themselves fully to another person.

Feeling that so completely and meaningfully after reading Hard Love was nothing short of superb to experience, and is one of the many reasons The Hacker Series is one of the best series I’ve ever read. What you get from this fantastic book, these brilliant characters, and this phenomenal series is every positive adjective under the sun rolled into one extraordinary book that I guarantee will leave you fully satisfied, and in literal awe of every wondrous thing that it so fantastically gave you.

Check out the other AMAZING books in The Hacker Series:

HARDWIRED by Meredith Wild (May 12, 2015; Forever Trade Paperback; The Hacker Series #1)

Determined to overcome a difficult past, Erica Hathaway learns early on how to make it on her own. Days after her college graduation she finds herself face to face with a panel of investors who will make or break her fledgling startup. The only thing she didn’t prepare for was going weak in the knees over an arrogant and gorgeous investor who’s seemingly determined to derail her presentation.

Billionaire and rumored hacker Blake Landon has already made his fortune in software, and he’s used to getting what he wants with very little resistance. Captivated by Erica’s drive and unassuming beauty, he’s wanted nothing more since she stepped into his boardroom. Determined to win her over, he breaks down her defenses and fights for her trust, even if that means sacrificing a level of control he’s grown accustomed to. But when Blake uncovers a dark secret from Erica’s past, he threatens not just her trust, but the life she’s fought so hard to create.

Buy the book!

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Read My 5 Star Review of Hardwired

HARDPRESSED by Meredith Wild (May 12, 2015; Forever Trade Paperback; The Hacker Series #2)

Despite Blake Landon’s controlling ways, the young and wealthy hacker finally won the trust of the woman he loves. Internet entrepreneur Erica Hathaway broke down the walls that kept her from opening her heart and her business to Blake. Ready to start this new chapter in her life, Erica is determined not to let anything come between them, even if that means giving Blake back some of the control he craves in and out of the bedroom. But when demons from her past threaten their future, Erica makes a decision that could change their lives forever.

Buy the book!

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Read My 5 Star Review of Hardpressed

HARDLINE by Meredith Wild (May 12, 2015; Forever Trade Paperback; The Hacker Series #3)

Software mogul Blake Landon has met his match in headstrong Erica Hathaway. While his controlling nature and her independent spirit continue to battle, Blake has no intention of letting her out of his life again. Erica has given Blake her trust and her love, determined that they will conquer any challenges together. But when he demands more and tests the boundaries of her commitment, she is forced to face the dark desires he’s kept hidden. As their bonds grow tighter, their enemies close in. With Erica’s start-up in danger, Blake’s frustration grows as he tries to protect her from those who would ruin her only to get to him. Can their relationship survive when Blake’s enemies cross the line and threaten more than her livelihood?

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Read My 5 Star Review of Hardline

HARD LIMIT by Meredith Wild (May 12, 2015; Forever Trade Paperback; The Hacker Series #4)

Blake Landon is a man who has everything-wealth, good looks, and the love of Erica Hathaway. The power couple has been through hell and back, and when life has torn them apart, somehow they have always found their way back to each other, more in love and stronger than ever. On the verge of making the ultimate commitment, Erica uncovers an unsettling chapter of Blake’s history. As she makes peace with her own past and the family who left her behind, she presses Blake to tear down the last walls between them. Determined to know the man he once was, she opens a door to a world beyond her wildest imagination-a world that has her questioning the limits of her own desires. As danger lurks and dark secrets come to light, will the past destroy their promise of forever?

Buy the book!

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Read My 5 Star Review of Hard Limit

Meredith Wild is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of romance. Living on Florida’s Gulf Coast with her husband and three children, she refers to herself as a techie, whiskey-appreciator, and hopeless romantic. When she isn’t living in the fantasy world of her characters, she can usually be found at www.facebook.com/meredithwild. You can learn more about her upcoming projects at www.meredithwild.com.

Social Media Links:

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Click the link below to enter the giveaway!!

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10Sep2015

Releasing Now: Paper Hearts by Claire Contreras

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts by mkcooke

Meet Mia and Jensen in Paper Hearts.

This beautiful standalone contemporary romance by Claire Contreras is NOW LIVE! #ClaireWrites

Grab your copy at:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1KSiifj

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Lben8Y

iBooks: http://apple.co/1JJXiFm

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1M21cgB

I lost her.

No, I didn’t lose her. I threw her away.

She was my best friend.

I was never supposed to fall in love with her.

I was careless.

She was heartbroken.

I thought I was doing fine. But here she is, years later, forced to work with me, reminding me why I fell in love with her in the first place.

And this time I’m going to do everything in my power to never let her go.

Prologue

Jensen

I don’t take ownership in a lot of things. I rent an apartment, lease a car, and go to a no-contract gym. I have a wandering heart—an incessant mind. It’s hard for me to look at something and see forever; though I had a forever once.

I let her go, not because I loved her too much to ask her to stay, but because I couldn’t bear to hear her tell me she wouldn’t. Still, every once in a while I wonder.

And nothing is more haunting than regret.

Chapter 1

Mia

I used to wonder what I would do if I had the chance to go back in time and right something. Would I take it? Would I look at it as a second opportunity, or would I just let it go, knowing the experiences I went through and learned from?

Discomfort spread through me as I walked into the building of my new, albeit temporary, job. The feeling stayed there, stuck to the lining inside of my uneasy stomach, echoing its way into my mind until I reached the twentieth floor of the building. As I exited the elevator and stepped into the lobby of the magazine, a smiling brunette, who was sorting through a colorful cup of pens, greeted me. Something about her—maybe her fidgetiness, the Lisa Loeb look she had going, or the welcoming smile on her face—made me breathe a little easier.

“How can I help you?” she asked in a singsong voice as she swiveled slightly in her chair.

“I’m here to see Mrs.—I mean, Dr. Zamora.”

“Fran,” she said. “She likes to be called Fran. Are you Mia?”

“Yes.”

The girl smiled and gave me a quick onceover. “Cool. I’m Katie. Let me make sure she’s in. Take a seat.”

I let out a breath as I placed my bag on the floor and sat across from her in a sleek white chair, taking in the vast space filled with photographs shot by people whose work I admired. In an effort to calm my nerves, I picked up one of the magazines beside me and leafed through it, and even went as far as to try to channel my inner zen, remembering what an incredible yoga session I’d had earlier that morning. But nothing worked. That sticky feeling of what did I get myself into? could not be soothed.

It felt like the time I let my twin brother talk me into letting him cut my hair so that we could “really be twins,” and I ended up looking like Peter Pan for two months while my mother cried into her pillow every night. I fished out my phone and contemplated sending him a text. Rob had always been the brave twin, with words of wisdom to get me through these times. But, I’d dug my grave, and now I had to lie in it.

When I ran into my favorite college professor months ago, a local magazine had just published some of my pictures for a special they were circulating. The accomplishment I felt at telling her this dwindled when she asked the dreaded words: what next? But then she offered me the opportunity of a lifetime: to take pictures for a huge magazine, one I probably wouldn’t have had an opportunity to work for had my professor’s sister not been the person in charge of the project. The catch, of course, unbeknownst to my professor or her sister, was that my exboyfriend, The Dream Crusher, wrote for the same magazine. But I’d have been an idiot to turn it down. Regardless of where I worked after this, to have this experience on my resume would be incredible.

“She just got here,” Katie said, jerking me out of my thoughts. I stood quickly, hitching my bag on my shoulder as the glass door to my right opened and a tall woman with an uncanny resemblance to my professor—wild red hair and bright green eyes—walked through it.

I laughed when she winked at me. After she hired me for this job, we started following each other on any social media that allowed for stalking.

“It’s like we’ve been friends forever.”

“Social media will do that,” she responded with a laugh as she turned on her heels. “Let me show you around.”

If Fran were a car, she’d be in fourth gear at all times. By the time she finished showing me around the place and we got back to her office, my legs felt like they were on fire. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the heels I was wearing, or because I had to take four strides to her two. Being short could be a bit of a curse.

“We already got the clearance from W Magazine and are keeping the title ‘What Would You Do With Your Second Chance?’ I’m sure they told you already,” she said as we each took a seat.

They hadn’t told me anything. Not that it mattered. I’d taken pictures for an article with a similar name, but it was for a small, local magazine, nothing of this stature.

“I hope your friends don’t mind that we’re stealing their limelight,” Fran added with a smile. She’d become completely fascinated by the fact that the couple on the cover of the magazine, my best friend and her now-husband, were a second chance love story.

“They definitely don’t mind,” I replied with a laugh. “They wanted to kill me when they saw the magazine in our grocery stores, so replacing it will be a good thing.

” She laughed. “Were they uneasy because they weren’t an official couple yet?”

“Basically. Her brother wanted to kill Oliver … the guy,” I paused to clarify before continuing, “when he found out about the whole thing.”

“But it’s so romantic,” Fran said, letting out a deep sigh.

“I guess it is.”

“Oh, don’t tell me you’re one of those girls!”

“One of what girls?”

“The ones who are all ‘I don’t need a man’ and ‘I hate romance.’” She rolled her eyes, but I could tell she was biting back a smile as she said it.

I shrugged. “I’m not any kind of girl. I don’t need a man, but I don’t hate romance. I think I’m kind of obsessed with romance, really, which is probably why I’m still single.”

Fran laughed loudly. “Funny how that works, right? I’ll tell you what, had it not been for Match, I would have never met mine. I’m sure you don’t need any help finding a guy, though.” She waved the length of my torso as if she was presenting me to someone as some kind of trophy.

“Finding a guy isn’t a problem. Keeping a guy is a problem, and finding the guy is a complete catastrophe.”

Fran nodded in sympathy. “Yep. I’ve been there. But alas, you’ll find the one. You’re young, adorable, funny, talented, and smart. Hell of a combination.”

I smiled and looked away. “One day.”

“Anywho, enough about boys. Let’s talk about work. As I stated in the email, you’ll be taking your headshots today. You don’t need to come into the office every day, but feel free to use our facility for anything you need. I sent you the contact information for the couples you’ll be shooting so that you can schedule their test shots first, and after that, we’ll let you know who we narrowed it down to. We only want to select four couples to feature: two young, and two older. They all have different stories, anyway, so that’ll be fine.”

She paused for a breath as I nodded, taking mental notes. “And … oh yeah, here are the names of the writers working on the special. Carlos and Deborah are regular staff; the other two are freelance, but work with us often. I wrote down their emails and will send them yours now so they can contact you. Sometimes they like to go along for the shoots and do their interviews there.”

My eyes scrolled down the list as I nodded. I stalled when I saw his name. Just words on a page, but they made my heart flip once, twice, and finally nestle its way into the pit of my stomach. I was prepared for this.

“You should meet us for drinks on Wednesday,” Fran said, pulling me out of my thoughts. I was so not prepared for this.

“So I only see them on days that I shoot?” I asked, waving the paper slightly.

“Well, that only happens if they want to interview the people in their element. Otherwise, we only see each other during meetings, and we don’t have many. We’ll be having one this Wednesday over drinks, though, and then again to lay out the final plans.”

I swallowed loudly and nodded. “Okay.”

“It would be great for you to come on Wednesday and meet them,” she said again. I felt like I was on a downward spiral, moving here, knowing this job would mean I would be insanely close to him, secretly hoping that I was, while reminding myself of the reasons I’d avoided him in the first place. I took a breath and braced myself for the inevitable fall.

“Sure. Drinks sound great.”

Claire Contreras graduated with her BA in Psychology from Florida International University. She lives in Miami, Florida with her husband, two little boys, and three dogs.

Her favorite past times are: daydreaming, writing, and reading.

She has been described as a random, sarcastic, crazy girl with no filter.

Life is short, and it’s more bitter than sweet, so she tries to smile as often as her face allows. She enjoys stories with happy endings, because life is full of way too many unhappy ones.

Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | Twitter

$20 Amazon Gift Card (International)

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9Sep2015

Anniversary Post: Worth The Fall by Claudia Connor

Posted in Books I love by mkcooke

Title: Worth the Fall

Series: The McKinney Brothers #1

Author: Claudia Connor

Publisher: Loveswept

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: September 9, 2014

They meet on a beach. . . . Abby Davis isn’t wearing a skimpy bikini or sipping umbrella drinks, not when she’s busy chasing around four little ones. And Matt McKinney isn’t looking for fun—he’s a Navy SEAL, a grown man with a long list of missions . . . and fallen brothers.

They only have a week. . . . Abby has brought her children to this beach to start over, to give them the enjoyable memories they deserve. Matt’s been sidelined by a combat injury, and haunted by the best friend he lost and the promise he made: to remain a SEAL—focused and dedicated. This leaves no time for what he’s always wanted: a family.

But a week is all it takes. . . . Matt opens her heart while Abby soothes his soul. And though they plan to say good-bye when the week is over, something magical happens on that beach, something neither can forget. Something utterly, completely worth falling for.

Read my review of Worth the Fall

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NOTE FROM CLAUDIA

& CHARACTER INTERVIEW

Happy first birthday to Matt and Abby!! I can’t believe it’s been a year since Worth The Fall left the nest of my tiny writing closet and went into the world. I can’t thank you all enough for reading, for sharing, and for loving Matt, Abby, and the kids as much as I do. I hope you enjoyed catching up with them in Worth The Risk and you’ll get another sweet update in JT’s, book Worth It All.

Matt and Abby mean so much to me and Worth the Fall is about falling in love, making choices and taking chances. It’s also about believing you’re enough, believing you’re worthy of what’s being offered. I absolutely LOVE these characters. I spent three years with them before I ever considered writing their story, then almost three more years writing it. Any minute of any day, I can pop into their lives, be a fly on the wall. It’s like watching your favorite movie that never ends!

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Matt and ask him some fun questions. 10 questions, to be exact!

10 questions from Inside the Actor’s Studio:

“Thanks for having me.” Matt sits back in the leather club chair and checks his watch. “I’ve got ten minutes before all hell breaks loose but we’ll do what we can.” *smiles*

1. What is your favorite word?

Hmm…The first word that comes to mind is glubs, Mary’s word for gloves. She’s three now and we were outside the other day and she said, “It’s cold. I weally need my glubs.” Now we all call gloves glubs. Makes me smile every time I hear it.

2. What is your least favorite word?

Vomit. Or more like the phrase, “I just threw up”. I cringe and thank God for my wife who handles things like that way better than I do.

3. What turns you on?

That’s easy. Abby. Everything about her turns me on. Dressed up and in heels, that’s killer. But a t-shirt and sweats does it for me too. Hair down, I run my fingers through it. Hair up, I kiss her neck. Hearing her laugh, seeing her smile, watching her…um…Sorry. *smiles embarrassed and runs a hand through his hair* Your fault for leading my mind there. Next question.

4. What turns you off?

Black licorice, black jelly beans. Always has. My brothers used to put all of theirs in my Easter basket. They paid dearly for that.

5. What sound do you love?

Favorite sound…I guess it’d be the combination of sounds when we’re all out in the backyard and everyone’s happy. Abby and I were just talking about this the other day, how much we love that sound. *wide smile* Even if it only lasts a minute without anyone needing a bandaid or fighting over a swing, it’s a beautiful sound.

6. What sound do you hate?

The alarm clock. Every damn morning. I still wake up around four, a habit from the military, but the alarm says time to get up. Time to leave Abby all warm and wrapped up beside me. Or okay…yeah. *sheepish grin* Maybe she’s not always asleep.

7. What is your favorite curse word?

Fuck. It works. And when I’m alone I tend to let an entire string fly, get it all out. It’s obviously a no-go at home.

8. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

*thinks for a second, shakes his head slowly* Sorry. I got nothing. I honestly can’t think of a single thing I’d rather be doing. Every house I flip is something new and different. Abby helps me with the details, like what tile goes with what granite, and all that. I’m home in the morning to help get the kids ready for school. I’m here at night for homework, bath, and bed, which can turn into a full scale assault. I honestly don’t think my life could be any better.

9. What profession would you not like to do?

*shrugs* Anything that’s not this.

10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

I hope he’d say, false alarm. Like, Hey, Matt. Just checking in, you can go back now. Because the thought of leaving my family is… It’s just not something I ever want to think about.

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New York Times bestselling author Claudia Connor attended Auburn University, where she received her undergraduate and masters degrees in early childhood education, and completed her studies in Sawbridgeworth, England. Always a lover of happy endings, she enjoys movies, reading, and spending her days putting on paper the stories in her head. She lives near Memphis, Tennessee, with her husband and three daughters.

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8Sep2015

Summer of Series: The Edge of Never Series by J.A. Redmerski

Posted in Books I love, Review Post by mkcooke

Labor Day has come and gone, which means it is officially the end of summer. *Insert tears here.* That also means that it is time to end my Summer of Series. At the beginning of this summer I set out to read some of the many unread series that I owned. I had a goal of reading 5 of them, and I ended up reading 4 including the one I’m posting about today. (Check out more on those series here: The Blackstone Affair, The Stage Dive Series, The One Night Series) So I almost made my goal, but really I had the chance to read and LOVE so many of the books that I’ve had forever and have been dying to read! I honestly couldn’t be more thrilled with what I got to read and experience with these books this summer….it was amazing to say the least.

I absolutely loved my Summer of Series, and I wish it wasn’t ending here, but alas summer is over so I guess I must move on to something else. That in no way means I am abandoning the idea of reading all of those fantastic series, it just means I need to find a new name for my series reading endeavor…I’m thinking of calling it Falling Into Series… (Get the fall theme?!) but we’ll see where that goes. I wanted to end my Summer of Series with a series that I have had for forever. Literally. And I think it’s only fitting that not only was this series not on my original Summer of Series list, it’s only two books which makes it more of a duet than a series, but I just couldn’t not read it anymore. So with a little encouragement from one of Author M. Mabie (who is amazing by the way, if you haven’t read her books, do it. I LOVED them all!) I decided to finally read The Edge of Never & The Edge of Always by J.A. Redmerski.

What can I say about these books….I LOVED every spectacular word of them. Wholeheartedly with everything that I had. They were mesmerizing, bursting with vibrancy and feeling and so much meaning, and I was so beyond emotionally invested in everything that I was reading. Camryn and Andrew’s story gave me everything, and I gladly accepted everything they gave me because I was completely blown away by everything that I got from them. These characters are more, their story is more, and just everything about them is more. I loved these books, and I’m so mad at myself for waiting years to read these books. Yes, years!!

I have waited way too long to fall in love with these characters, but I couldn’t be more thrilled with what I got from their characters and from their unforgettable story.

The Edge of Never & The Edge of Always tells the story of Andrew Parrish and Camryn Bennett. Two vibrant, unique, authentic and mesmerizing souls whose paths cross in the middle of nowhere on a Greyhound bus, and what happens when their two distinctive paths begin to intersect in ways they never imagined they could. Their journey together in this series has its ups and downs, twists and turns, and it definitely puts your emotions through the ringer a bit, but through all of that you fall heart first in love with these two characters and just who they are. Their characters are real and messy and they have gone through way more than any one person deserves, and when you begin their story you will begin connecting to them from the very first word and you honestly won’t stop. I don’t know if I will ever truly stop thinking of these characters in some way, shape or form. They’re that memorable. They’re that consuming. They’re that everything.

This author does an amazing job of allowing you the chance to get to know them, to understand them, and to fall in love with their characters over the course of this series. You get such a foundation with them both, you get the phenomenal opportunity to get into both of their heads, and you just get them. You get why they think the things they do, why they’ve made the choices the do, why they chose to go on this great adventure with one another, and so much more. You get Camryn and Andrew full force, and it’s the best thing because it allows you the chance to love them fiercely. I cared so much for the two of them, felt for everything that they were going through, and just relished in the connection I felt to them both. I loved their characters so truly, connected with them so hard, and just loved them both to pieces because they were who they were and they didn’t apologize for it one bit.

Suffice to say, Andrew and Camryn are just about every positive adjective under the sun.

Camryn is real and relatable, and has such a determination and fire to her that just makes you love her. You get to know her first in these books, and I felt like she was the closest of friends after reading these books. Andrew is charming and witty, and has that same kind of determination that just sets him apart. He’s highly memorable for so many reasons, much of which comes from the life and goodness that just emanates from him in the most amazing way. These two cross paths in the most unlikely of ways, when neither of them is looking for anything, and yet soon they find that they have found their everything.

Their connection and story begins to build, and build, and build some more in The Edge of Never, and then continues to build and grow and evolve in The Edge of Always. J.A. Redmerski does an utterly fantastic job of creating that build, that tension, and all of the glorious feeling to go along with it. She pushes these characters in the best way, she makes them fight and work and choose, she allows them to grow and evolve as individuals, and that results in something that is nothing short of spectacular. Getting what I did from Andrew and Camryn’s characters was wonderful in every way. These two have such a spirit and drive to them that is so distinctive, and you get to experience that vibrancy and liveliness while falling so hard for their characters.

Their story was mesmerizing and enrapturing to say the least, and the moment I started these books I could not put them down. Along that event filled ride, I got every lick of emotion and feeling and intensity from them both because of this author’s fantastic writing and storytelling. She creates a book and a world that you get to live and breathe and experience everything in. You get every hope and fear, every want and desire, every moment of falling and feeling, every moment that makes your heart literally beat out of your chest. You get everything because J.A. Redmerski thoughtfully crafts and cultivates everything in such a way that you’re there with Camryn and Andrew, living and experiencing it all, and that will just leave you in literary awe with what you get from them.

What can I say? I loved these books.

I loved the moments that made me laugh, the moments that felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest repeatedly, the moments that gave me hope and tried to heal me right along with Camryn and Andrew. I loved when these characters made me feel, and think, and wonder, and when they just blew me away with who they were. I loved where I got to see them go, how they evolved and changed, and how they stayed the same too. I loved everything about The Edge of Never & The Edge of Always because these books were well rounded, outstandingly written, and just captured every single aspect that makes a book exceptional to read.

When I finished these books, I seriously wanted to kick myself for having waited so long to read them, but in the end I am just so in love with these books and what they gave me. They gave me so much, and I know that I will never forget so many things about these books and Andrew and Camryn’s wonderful little selves. This series was just amazing. Period. I loved every feeling and emotional word, every breathtaking moment, and every single thing I felt and thought and experienced while reading because it just made me fall under the spell of these characters even more. I loved getting to be there through it all with them, and let me just say that J.A. Redmerski gives you every ounce of their story in a way that just works for these characters. Their story will satisfy you in every way, make you feel so much, and will have you loving everything that you’re getting because it is truly something else.

These books are some of the best I’ve read, and what they evoked in me as I experienced them fully is something I will always remember and love. Just like I will always love Camryn and Andrew, everything they went through, everything they fought for, and everything that they are, because all of that is absolutely phenomenal.

These books reminded me once again what books can do for you, what they can make you feel and think and experience, and how they can blow you away in every way if you give them the chance too.

Keep reading below to find out more on The Edge of Never & The Edge of Always by J.A. Redmerski!

**Please be aware that both books in the series are featured below. While the synopsis’, quotes, as well as my reviews for each book are as spoiler free as possible, you might find out more than you want to about Andrew and Camryn’s story if you read too much, so if you plan to read the books, start with The Edge of Never. **

~The Edge of Never~

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“Heart always wins out over the mind. The heart, although reckless and suicidal and a masochist all on its own, always gets its way.”

Synopsis:

Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart.

Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward, Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. But after an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown North Carolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she’s ever known, far behind.

With a purse, a cell phone and a small bag with a few necessities, Camryn, with absolutely no direction or purpose boards a Greyhound bus alone and sets out to find herself. What she finds is a guy named Andrew Parrish, someone not so very different from her and who harbors his own dark secrets. But Camryn swore never to let down her walls again. And she vowed never to fall in love.

But with Andrew, Camryn finds herself doing a lot of things she never thought she’d do. He shows her what it’s really like to live out-of-the-box and to give in to her deepest, darkest desires. On their sporadic road-trip he becomes the center of her exciting and daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But will Andrew’s dark secret push them inseparably together, or tear them completely apart?

Read My 5 Star Review of The Edge of Never

~The Edge of Always~

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“I guess we are just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl,” I say.
Her eyes narrow. “I’ve heard that somewhere before.”
I smile and point at her briefly. “Pink Floyd. But it’s the truth.”
“You think we’re lost?”
I tilt my head back a little and look up at the stars behind her and say, “In society maybe. But together, no. I think we’re right where we need to be.”

Synopsis:

Five months ago, Camryn and Andrew, both dealing with personal hardships, met on a Greyhound bus. They fell in love and proved that when two people are meant to be together, fate will find a way to make it happen.

Now, in the highly anticipated sequel to The Edge of Never, Camryn and Andrew are pursuing their love for music and living life to the fullest as they always swore to do. But when tragedy befalls them, their relationship is put to the ultimate test. As Camryn tries to numb her pain, Andrew makes a bold decision: To get their life back on track, they’ll set out on another cross-country road trip. Together they find excitement, passion, adventure-and challenges they never could have anticipated.

Read My 5 Star Review of The Edge of Always

Be sure to check out more about these unforgettable books, and the fantastic J.A. Redmerski at the following links!

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Website

3Sep2015

Promo Post: Ethan Walker’s Road to Wonderland by L.J. Stock

Posted in Releasing Now Book Addicts by mkcooke

Blog Tour 1^st September – 5^th September

Day 3 features Ethan Walker

Book: Ethan Walker’s Road to Wonderland

Author: LJ Stock

Genre: New Adult

At nineteen, the world has so many possibilities.

Ethan Walker was a typical teenager in that respect. He was happy, living at home with his family and partying when the mood struck. He was in no rush to grow up. His life was a blank page just waiting to be written, but that couldn’t last forever.

Unfortunately, reality came knocking at Ethan’s door, forcing him to face truths he’d never allowed himself to see in the past – truths that soon robbed him of his innocence and youth. With the life he’d always known gone forever, Ethan found himself battling demons in disguise, only to find his own weakness was his worst enemy.

When temptation turned to indulgence, and the ghosts of his past encouraged him to dig deeper, Ethan sought salvation in the form of violence. His fists and fortitude became his bread and butter, but the new turn in his life rejected the familiar and opened the door to more evil.

Inevitably, the darkness tried to sink him, and there was only one constant light that somehow seemed to shine brighter than the promise of escape: the mystery girl with the golden hair.

In order to survive, Ethan had to dig deep and find a strength in himself not even he was sure existed. Only when he found himself on a path to Wonderland did he start to see a future beyond his past. All he had to do to get there was learn to breathe and not get himself killed in the process.

Road to Wonderland Series book 5 (all books are standalone reads)

From a young age L.J. Stock was led by her imagination. From the moment she could read she fell into worlds where trees could talk and little girls could move things with their minds.

In no hurry to grow up, she found stories all around her, in the forests of Plym Bridge, the moss covered hills of Dartmoor, then, as she grew older, the wide spread city of Houston, where she currently resides and works. A constant daydreamer, she hopes that one day, her passion can become something more than just a hobby for her.

Still led by her imagination, the worlds have slowly grown from childish adventures to urban fantasies and romances. With inspirational authors such as Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, Judy Blume, John Grisham and Stephen King guiding her through her life so far, L.J. Stock has finally decided that it is time for her to go for gold and try land herself on someone else’s future list of favorites.

Putting words on paper is as essential as breathing to her, but on the rare occasions that she isn’t writing, she can be found with a video game remote in hand or curled up on the couch with her pup and a good book. Music is also such an important part of her life, it’s a wonder there isn’t a background soundtrack playing wherever she goes.

A good girl to most, a bad girl to a few, L.J. believes that every genre should be attempted and is more than likely to have tried to release three hundred series’ ranging from vampires and werewolves, to dystopian and even classic romance, before she reaches even middle age. At least, that’s the plan for now.

Social Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LJStockAuthor?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/L_J_Stock

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9833142.L_J_Stock

Wonderland Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RTWSeries?fref=ts

The Road to Wonderland Series

Available as ebooks and paperbacks

The Road to Wonderland Series:

Izzy @ Amazon US Paris @ Amazon US Ethan @ Amazon US
Izzy @ Amazon UK Paris @ Amazon UK Ethan @ Amazon UK

Max @ Amazon US Add to your TBR

Max @ Amazon UK Releases 16th October

H.A. Robinson interviews L.J. Stock

*Plonks down on your super insanely comfy couch and rustles a bag of crisps to steal the love and snuggles of your hound before plucking out a notebook and pen and rounding on you.*

Soooooo… How are you, Miss Author Lady?

You’ve had rather a prolific year with the releases of four books since last December. As somebody who works full time AND makes all the graphics for the other books in the series, how on earth do you manage to create so many amazing words? Are you secretly superwoman?

*Pulls legs up under me and pulls hair up in an attempt to look studious.* I wish. I’d have a better figure and get things done in half the time. *Giggles* Truth be told, though, I don’t think about it anymore. I have a to do list, and I chip away at it in between a full time job and my writing. It needs to get done, although I do have to say it sucks when I sit down to put my feet up and feel guilty as sin for doing it, but I wouldn’t change a thing! *Looks up and grins*

Oh and I’m very well thanks. That was rude of me. *Slaps forehead*

*Snickers* Yeah, so rude. Honestly. I’ll have to get Jared in to sort you out.

Your books feature an insanely diverse array of characters, from a grieving young man from Manchester who turns to drugs, to a young woman working three jobs to support her younger brother after losing loved ones and getting caught up in a Motorcycle Club in Texas, right through to a bubbly, submissive woman living in Louisiana. Where do your ideas come from and how on earth do you keep track of all those voices in your head?

*Rubs forehead and smiles* You missed out a couple, but I thank you for not giving away spoilers *winks* It’s hard to say where they come from. I’m going to dig a bit deeper into Ethan here for a minute so bear with me. Essentially, Ethan was a pre-existing character from the mind of Victoria L. James, and I was gifted him to shape him into something. He was actually an exception that proved a rule for me. From the moment I took him on, he was an extraordinarily loud voice in my head. He flung images at me and wouldn’t shut the hell up. He was so layered and detailed that it was like he took the steering wheel whenever it came time for him to appear.

With other stories, it’s a lot more complex. They come from dreams or daydreams, music or pictures. Then these sudden characters make dynamic appearances and paint very vivid pictures in my head. It’s chaos, and as much as I’d like to say it’s organized, it’s really not.

It sounds like your mind is an insane and wonderful place to be. I wouldn’t mind a sneaky peek into that brain of yours. As this is a Wonderland blog tour, I’m going to ask a couple of questions about Ethan Walker. In his story, you wrote some pretty heavy scenes fuelled by the drugs he finds himself addicted to. The scenes are stunningly written. As a writer, did you have to do a lot of research in order to write those scenes and how emotionally draining was it to write something so dark?

I actually agonized over those scenes. *Grins and shakes head.* I’ve never tripped a day in my life, unless you count the really good drugs they gave me when my gallbladder got infected. I did do a lot of research, though. I also watched a lot of documentaries, and pulled from some personal conversations I’ve had in the past. Put it together with my vivid imagination and it’s basically what you end up with in the book. I’m still not sure how close to reality it actually is, but it felt real when I was writing it. I had a pounding heart and a headache after I’d finished, and I took a few days off before I went back to writing.

It sounds like it was a real challenge writing such heavy scenes. I know when some actors play roles, they totally immerse themselves in the characters in order to create the role more convincingly. When you write, how much do you lose yourself in the moment of what you’re creating and how hard is it to come back to the real world when you’re done?

This is a brilliant question. For me, it depends on a couple of things. The first, my surroundings, and the second is the music. If I am in a setting where there are going to be no interruptions and no distractions, I can lose myself completely in the moment. If the right music is playing, then immersion is a guarantee. I think I lost almost six hours once, living in a completely different dimension, surrounded by their scenery. By the time I resurfaced, it took me two hours to snap out of it. I was so spaced out I didn’t even answer to my name. It doesn’t happen often, but in the right conditions I quite happily let myself go.

You talk about music a lot, and you know I love your Facebook song of the day posts and playlist. Can you write to any sort of music or are there specific genres or bands that you return to again and again?

I do talk about it a lot, don’t I? lol *grins* I can write to any sort of music, but the trick for me is what I’m writing. I have a broad, eclectic taste in music that ranges from classical to death metal, but it has to fit the scene. Everything I write has its own playlist, mainly because it sets the tone for that particular world. For Ethan, there was a lot of music that *scratches head* this is going to sound ridiculous *laughs* but it made me feel a little spacey and disconnected. A lot of his book – no spoilers, I promise – was about him finding himself. It was about his growth as a person and learning to accept his faults. So rather than letting myself slide into it comfortably, I kept the music eclectic, moving from high to low, fast to slow to shake me up. *Snorts* If you didn’t already think I was six shades of squirrel crap, you do now, huh?

*Laughs and pokes her with a toe then snuggles back with the dog* I don’t know about squirrel crap but you definitely have the markings of a creative genius. So far, you’ve released books in several different genres and nailed each one. Is there a genre that you’re the most fond of writing, and is that genre reflected in what you enjoy reading?

You’re so kind, but I’m starting to think you’re crazier than I am! *Sticks tongue out* I love writing in general and I pretty much follow where the characters go. I’ve actually started a manuscript not knowing where the hell it was headed. I know that’s probably breaking every rule out there or something, but I like to think you go where you have to in order to get the story told. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be fantasy. You get to make up your own laws, your own rules, and in some cases, your own worlds. Keeping track of that is much more complicated than writing a romance because you have to make your own parameters, and then remember them all and keep them relevant. In the end, though, I think you have this intense satisfaction. You have a globe and cast of characters that couldn’t have possibly existed without your imagination.

Though the problem with that is also having to survive some of the choices and deaths. You have to commit to it sometimes, even when you really don’t want to!

Ah, yes, character deaths. As an avid reader, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve cursed authors for killing off my favourite characters. (*Coughs* J.K. Rowling, George R.R. Martin, I’m looking at you, people!) As an author, when it comes to having to put those words on the page and bring an end to a life that you’ve created entirely inside your head, do you feel it as keenly as the reader does? Or even more so? These are, in effect, your word children. That’s got to hurt. How do you deal with that and move forward with writing?

You’re killing me with these questions, H. *Scrubs face with hands and laughs* I can only speak for myself here, and it’s not as easy as you’d think to answer. I have had character’s deaths plotted from the beginning before, and some that only occurred to me just before it happens. I think for me, it hurts worse to write it than it does to read. I have a lot of unreleased manuscripts, so I’m going to tread carefully here, but I’m a notetaker and I will sometimes play a scene over in my head for days before even attempting to get it down on paper. I was driving home one day when inspiration hit for one death scene and I voice noted it, and you can hear me crying. It broke my heart to do it.

When I finally did get it on paper, I think i stopped every couple of minutes to blow my nose, then when I was finished I watched Step Mom, and ate a tub of ice cream.

I’m gonna go right ahead and lighten the old mood up at this point. I know you live in Texas where the sun shines all the damn time and you melt the moment you walk out of the door in summer. If you could go to any place in the world, free of charge, where would you go and why?

Oh man, loaded question. Yes, this is the one I flounder on… If it was just for me, and not taking account of all the people I want to visit and spend time with, I would say the redwoods in California. To see those giants rising above and disappearing into the sky, I can’t imagine it. Forests have always held a mysticism for me anyway, but giant trees? I’m so there.

I know you recently went on a trip to Colorado and came home all fired up to write your next story set there. Do you find seeing different places and interesting people fires your imagination and are you as bad at people watching as I am?

Very fired up, and very loud, too. *Rolls eyes* I think there’s inspiration in everything. Colorado was beautiful. It had everything that I love – trees, mountains and formations of red rocks that have no rhyme or reason to them. I think being able to remove yourself from where you’re most comfortable and experiencing new things really can help with writing. Especially when you’re writing something like urban fantasy. When you’re used to the people and scenery around you, I feel like elements of that bleed into your work and your characters, so expanding your horizons and seeing new things can help shape new worlds and give characters more depth.

Wow, it’s been absolutely incredible to get a sneaky peek inside that amazing brain of yours. You’re an absolute inspiration to me and I know you are to many others, too. For the last question, I’m gonna go generic and do a few quick fire questions to round the interview off.

Favourite colour? Besides Black? Purple

Favourite food? Spag Bol

Favourite flower? Lily

Favourite movie? Poltergeist

Favourite book? Pass

Favourite pastime? (When not writing!) Binge Watching TV shows or photoshop (It’s a tie)

Favourite drink? Iced Tea

Favourite quote? “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill

Biggest phobia? Spiders/clowns… If there’s ever a clown spider or a spider clown I’m done for!

And what the piss do you want for your damn birthday? *Snickers* Now you have to answer me! PASS *Smirks*

2Sep2015

Releasing Now: The Wrecked & Ruined Box Set by Aly Martinez

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts by mkcooke

The beautifully emotional Wrecked and Ruined Series is

now bundled into one set for ONLY $0.99!

NOW AVAILABLE

**Limited Time Only**

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1KgrJ9H

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1MTmsUm

iBooks: http://apple.co/1KSDiy3

B&N: http://bit.ly/1UbDvXp

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1UbDAdH

One accident. Four lives. Forever changed.

“It was only a single moment, but it destroyed us all.”

Changing Course After a tragic accident robs him of a future with his wife, Brett Sharp must let go of the past and learn to love again. But what happens when the woman he used to love refuses to accept the woman he can’t live without?

Stolen Course After the loss of his fiancée, Caleb Jones is angry and numb. His only goal is to make the woman who killed her pay. But what happens when everything he knows to be true explodes around him? Who will be left to pick up the pieces, and who will need to be saved from the wreckage?

Among The Echoes After being stripped of her identity, Dr. Erica Hill has long since stopped living. The day she meets celebrity boxer, Slate Andrews, her life drastically changes for the better…and the worse. She’s on the run, determined not to take him down with her, but absolutely unable to let him go.

Broken Course After the fated accident that killed her best friend, Sarah Erickson is left consumed by guilt and self loathing. But can a second broken soul be enough to fill the voids of her own? Or will such scarred pasts prove too much for love alone to overcome?

Changing Course

Prologue

Brett

“Sarah, don’t do this. Damn it! Stay with me.” I reach over and gently brush the blood-soaked hair off her forehead.

Even in this horrific moment, I’m in absolute awe of how beautiful she looks. Bleeding and broken, unmoving in my arms, she is still the most mesmerizing woman I have ever laid eyes on. Deep down, I know this is just the husk of my wife. My Sarah would never have done this to herself. More importantly, she would have never done this to me. Maybe it takes this level of madness, but I finally realize that I have lost her completely.

Whether she lives or dies, Sarah is gone. This is not the woman who made me laugh more in seven years than the rest of my life combined. She definitely isn’t the woman I spent years planning a future with, a future that now no longer exists. I feel a heavy weight in my chest at my silent confession, but oddly enough, I also feel a weight lifted off my shoulders. I have watched this woman disintegrate in front of my eyes for almost seven months. Every day, losing her a little more. The light in her eyes fading, while piece by piece and bit by bit, she lost grip of reality. Mentally, emotionally, and now physically, she’s left me.

My Sarah died seven months ago on her way home from dinner, and I will never see her walk back into my life. Suddenly, I can’t breathe. I’m terrified—and not only because Sarah might finally succeed in taking her own life. I’m paralyzed by the realization that my life is spiraling down in a free fall headed straight for misery, and the only thing I can think to do is anchor myself to this dying woman. I love Sarah with all my heart, but I am not clinging to the woman in my arms. Rather, I’m clinging to the life I thought we were going to have together. I have to accept that she isn’t there anymore. Her heart might still be beating, but the bloody, confused, emotionally lost woman I am holding now is only the shell of my first and only love.

“Where the fuck is that ambulance?!” I yell as loud as my cracking voice will allow. Stroking the little bit of her unmarred skin I’m able to reach, I whisper in her ear, “Hang on, baby.” Then I repeat the one sentence I have said almost daily since the tragic event that stole her from me. Maybe I say it for her, maybe just for me, but I know that it’s the biggest lie I have ever uttered. “Just hang on, baby. It’s all going to be okay.”

Read My 5 Star Review of The Wrecked & Ruined Series!!!

Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in South Carolina, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.

After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. Five books later, she shows no signs of slowing. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

1Sep2015

Releasing Now: 9 Ways to Fall Anthology

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts by mkcooke

9 WAYS TO FALL (An Exclusive Collection of NINE Red-Hot Romances by bestselling authors, featuring Alpha Males, Fighters, Rock-Stars, Movie Stars, Sexy Bad Boys and more)

by Lexi Ryan, Kaylee Ryan, HJ Bellus, Cambria Hebert, Aly Martinez, Erin Noelle, Tessa Teevan, Ilsa Madden-Mills, and Tia Louise

What’s unique about this anthology? Well….most of these titles have NEVER been in an anthology and a few are very recent releases, not just first books in a series. The authors really worked hard at making this collaboration ONE OF A KIND!

NOW AVAILABLE

ONLY $0.99

ONE-CLICK NOW – THIS 9-BOOK BUNDLE WILL BE GONE OCT. 1!!!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1JfDDOF

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1gUhVEF

iBooks: http://smarturl.it/9WiB

B&N: http://bit.ly/1J0oRdk

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1hKKdSZ

Google Play: http://bit.ly/1WCk6xx

Head Back to School with NINE COMPLETE (Full-Length) Romances from New York Times, USA Today, and Bestselling authors NEVER BEFORE in ONE Boxed Set!!!

NINE new book boyfriends are all here to make you sigh, swoon, and switch panties as you head back to school (or kiss the kids and send them out the door! *wink*)

INCLUDING:

UNBREAK ME, by Lexi Ryan: Returning home to be a bridesmaid in her ex-fiancé’s wedding to her sister, Maggie Thompson, a 21-year old college-dropout, hopes to salvage her long-tarnished reputation and strained relationship with her family. Instead, she finds herself caught in a web of secrets and deception between the man who once promised to fix her and the sexy ex-rocker who gives her permission to break.

LEVITATE by Kaylee Ryan: Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, you realize your puzzle is unfinished. With one touch you find a piece you never thought you needed. The piece that makes you Levitate.

BLUE by HJ Bellus: Blue Williams shines no matter the circumstance, until one night changes her forever. The beauty is gone, and all she has left are nasty, ugly memories. The man who saved her has a story of his own, with 90 percent of his body scarred. What happens when the Beauty falls for the Beast?

TATTOO by Cambria Hebert: An undercover cop on vacation, a bank teller just doing her job, and a group of bank robbers waiving a gun around. Just when Brody and Taylor think they’ll make it out a tattoo changes everything.

FIGHTING SILENCE by Aly Martinez: I spent my life dodging the punches reality threw at me. I had worthless parents and two brothers who depended on me. Meeting the love of my life at age thirteen was never part of my plan–neither was gradually going deaf at the age of twenty-one. They both happened anyway.

SPARK by Erin Noelle: Desperate to improve his younger brother’s worsening condition, Crew Elliott and his family decide to turn to unconventional treatments and move to Colorado. It is there, in the search for medical marijuana, he finds beautiful, free-spirited Hudson Shavell–a girl who may not only hold the key to heal his brother, but to fix him as well.

COMBUST by Tessa Teevan: When Virgin Queen Andi Kane meets Cohen Wellington, she’s sure he’s The One… She’s never been more wrong. Three years later, he’s the man she never wants to see again, she’s the one who got away, and this time, despite her protests, he’s not letting her go without a fight.

VERY TWISTED THINGS by Ilsa Madden-Mills: He’s a rock star with a past. She’s the heiress who’s lost everything. Welcome to Briarcrest Academy–Hollywood style–where sometimes the best things in life are VERY TWISTED THINGS.

ONE TO LOVE by Tia Louise: Fighting, tattoos, fame, love, LOSS… It’s the one thing Kenny and Slayde have in common, until the night Fate throws them together and everything changes. It’s a story about fighting, about falling in love; and it’s about losing everything only to find it again in the least likely place.

Signed Paperback from the following authors: Lexi Ryan, Kaylee Ryan, HJ Bellus, Cambria Hebert, Aly Martinez, Erin Noelle, Tessa Teevan, Ilsa Madden-Mills, and Tia Louise

Click the link below to enter!!

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31Aug2015

It’s a Cover Reveal: After the Storm by Faith Andrews

Posted in Books I love, Cover Reveal by mkcooke

Expected Release Date – September 21, 2015

Noah and Willow know not to mix business with pleasure. They’ve both been burned in the past, he thinks she’s too young, and she definitely shouldn’t hook up with her boss. So, they don’t. Instead, they build a friendship, while fighting an obvious attraction.

But when Noah’s called back East after a natural disaster that threatens his home and the loved ones he left behind, he’s forced to face his past with Willow by his side.

Will their turbulent pasts hold them back from giving into fate? Or will the two of them realize that they’ve been each other’s calm before the storm?

Add to your Goodreads TBR —> https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25559886-after-the-storm

Prologue

Falling for a married woman was never my game plan. I’m a stand-up guy. Being part of a love triangle or a flat out affair—just not my M.O.

I’m the good guy; the one you take home to Mom. The one Dad fawns over because I always say the right thing. I’m a fucking catch. But right now I’m nothing but a rejected loser, because when it comes to Mia Page—or Mia Murphy, as I was reminded by her husband just moments ago—all my morals and practicality mean shit. Mia was the game changer. Mia was the one I’ve been waiting for my whole life. But Mia was not available and I’m a schmuck for thinking she ever was.

Too little, too late. End of the line, buddy. She chose the man of her dreams and you are not him.

The throbbing pain in my battered fist is nothing compared to the aching emptiness in my heart. I was falling for her. Scratch that, I fell. Hard. Mia wrapped me around her pretty little finger—the one with the wedding band screaming a warning—and now I’m left alone, like a chump, without so much as a consolation prize for all the back and forth I endured these last few months. She strung me along and I allowed it because I was happy to have her any way I could. I was that desperate for the dream of the future I longed for, and I truly believed Mia was supposed to be a part of it. I guess some dreams just aren’t attainable, no matter how hard you fight for them.

Running through the events of the last half hour—asking Mia to come to San Diego with me, Declan showing up at the bar and singing to his wife, my fight with him, losing the girl—I don’t know how much more I can take. But as Mia’s best friend Grace’s car pulls away from the curb with Mia and her asshat husband in the backseat, it all sinks in. She was never mine. I know this because Mia doesn’t even give me a farewell glance. She’s too busy tending to her husband’s broken nose. That was my parting gift. The least I could do, if you ask me. My ego is bruised, my heart is crushed, and his face got the brunt of it. Asshole.

But who’s the real asshole here? Me. That’s who.

I should have known better than to accept her invitation the night of the reunion, but I couldn’t help myself. The nostalgia, the alcohol, Mia’s smoking hot body, and the longing in her eyes—I took my chance because she gave me the go ahead.

I should have known better than to get in bed—so to speak—with someone who wasn’t available. Mia found a way to convince me it was okay because she was separated. She made me believe it wasn’t wrong to give in to the curiosity we felt as teenagers and carried around with us for ten years. I thought I had a chance to steal her away from what no longer made her happy.

I should have known better than to ask a married woman to uproot her kids, her life, her home and move across the country with me to follow my dreams. My decision to take her with me wasn’t on impulse. It was well thought out. I put a lot of consideration into our unique situation, poring over every potential setback. But even the best laid plans can get shot to shit by a husband swooping in to serenade his wife and win her back.

What I do know now is that I’m heartbroken for the first time in my life.

I shake my head and rake my hands through my unruly hair. Her car becomes a blur in the distance. She’s gone for good. I’m moving to San Diego without the girl, without the dream, all alone.

I’ve never felt this fucking low.

Faith Andrews lives in New York where she is happily married to her high school sweetheart. They have two beautiful daughters and a furry Yorkie son, Rocco. If she isn’t listening to Mumford and Sons or busy being a Dance Mom, her nose is in a book or her laptop. She’s a sucker for a happily ever after and believes her characters are out there living one somewhere . . .

Social Media Links:

Website —> http://www.authorfaithandrews.com

Facebook —> https://www.facebook.com/authorfaithandrews

Goodreads —> http://www.goodreads.com/AuthorFaithAndrews

Twitter —> https://twitter.com/jessicafaith919

Giveaway – 2 ARC copies of After the Storm

Direct Link:

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31Aug2015

It’s a Cover Reveal: Some Sort of Happy by Melanie Harlow

Posted in Books I love, Cover Reveal by mkcooke

Coming September 22, 2015

Skylar Nixon is a twenty-seven year old failed actress with no Plan B. After a humiliating stint on a reality TV show crushes what’s left of her childhood dream, she finds herself back in her hometown with no money saved, no college degree, and no confidence she’s anything but a joke—a small town starlet who couldn’t hack it in the big city.

When she runs into former classmate Sebastian Pryce, she can’t believe the hot body and chiseled jaw belong to the shy, troubled loner she knew ten years before. He’s not exactly friendly at first, and she’s heard the rumors about his tragic past, but something in his sad eyes intrigues her. She only wants to get to know him better.

Until the night she wants more—and takes it. (Hard and deep. Twice.)

Are they just two lonely people seeking solace? Or can a disgraced beauty queen and flawed, frustrated man find some sort of happy ever after?

**SOME SORT OF HAPPY is a full-length, dual POV novel, complete with a happy ending.**

Goodreads

Click the link below to enter the giveaway!!

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Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her lipstick red, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not reading good books, she gets her kicks from TV series like Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, Masters of Sex, Deadwood, Mad Men, and Downtown Abbey (although she wishes it were more HBO and less PBS). Melanie is the author of the FRENCHED contemporary romance series (FRENCHED, YANKED, FORKED) and the sexy historical series SPEAK EASY (SPEAK EASY, SPEAK LOW), set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.

Connect With Melanie

Melanie’s Website: http://www.melanieharlow.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/melanieharlow2

Instagram: https://instagram.com/author_melanie_harlow

Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelanieHarlow?fref=ts

Facebook Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/351191341756563/

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7095467.Melanie_Harlow

Goodreads Fan Group: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/160643-melanie-harlow-books

Newsletter sign-up: http://eepurl.com/Oyn5j

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Tag Archives: Love Story

Releasing Now: Contrite Duet Box Set by Kathy Coopmans

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Releasing Now: Hard Love by Meredith Wild

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5 UNFORGETTABLE STARS

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Releasing Now: Paper Hearts by Claire Contreras

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Summer of Series: The Edge of Never Series by J.A. Redmerski

Keep reading below to find out more on The Edge of Never & The Edge of Always by J.A. Redmerski!

~The Edge of Never~

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Read My 5 Star Review of The Edge of Never

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Promo Post: Ethan Walker’s Road to Wonderland by L.J. Stock

Releasing Now: The Wrecked & Ruined Box Set by Aly Martinez

Read My 5 Star Review of The Wrecked & Ruined Series!!!

Releasing Now: 9 Ways to Fall Anthology

It’s a Cover Reveal: After the Storm by Faith Andrews

It’s a Cover Reveal: Some Sort of Happy by Melanie Harlow

Coming September 22, 2015

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*****5 UNFORGETTABLE STARS*****

Check out the other AMAZING books in The Hacker Series:

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$20 Amazon Gift Card (International)

Signed Paperback of Paper Hearts (US ONLY)

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Keep reading below to find out more on The Edge of Never & The Edge of Always by J.A. Redmerski!

~The Edge of Never~

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~The Edge of Always~

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Be sure to check out more about these unforgettable books, and the fantastic J.A. Redmerski at the following links!

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Coming September 22, 2015

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5 UNFORGETTABLE STARS