Tuesday, December 31, 2013

BLOG TOUR: Rapture (Elfin Series Book 2) by Quinn Loftis

Rapture (Elfin Series Book 2)


By Quinn Loftis


Synopsis


Triktapic, the deadly dark elf assassin, has been restored by the Forest Lords to his rightful place as king of the Elven realm. Now, he must face his former comrades as he attempts to stop Lorsan, king of the dark elves, from enslaving the human race. Lorsan has already begun distributing Rapture, the irresistible drink that destroys those who unknowingly become addicted to it. Will Cassie, his Chosen, be able to give Trik the strength he needs to face his dark past?

Meanwhile, Cassie’s best friend, Elora, is in a fight for her own life. Elora, her mother, Lisa, and a small band of light elves have traveled deep into the dark elf realm in hopes of rescuing Cassie and Trik. But their mission quickly turns into a battle for their own lives as they are surrounded by Lorsan and his warriors. Though outnumbered ten to one, the humans and elves fight heroically. They fight for a King once lost, but now found. They fight for the human realm that doesn’t yet know it is in need of saving. They fight for love; a love that has already been discovered and a love that is waiting to be revealed. Despite their valiant efforts, the band is captured and held captive by the dark elf king.

The peaceful world that Cassie and Elora knew is long gone, shattered by their realization that elves walk secretly among them, and are bent on their destruction. Soon, each of the girls will be forced to choose her own path. Cassie must decide to which world she belongs and Elora must decide if she will fight for a warrior hell bent on keeping her from his side.

Two species, human and elf, stand on the precipice of war, united in one goal; shatter the dark elf king’s plan, and unite a divided race under the rule of the one true King.

Buy Here:



About The Author




Quinn lives in beautiful NW Arkansas with her husband, son, Doberman and cat (who thinks she is a ninja in disguise). She is beyond thankful that she has been blessed to be able to write full time and hopes the readers know how much all of their support means to her. Some of her hobbies include reading, exercising, crochet, and spending time with family and friends. She gives all credit of her success to God because he gave her the creative spirit and vivid imagination it takes to write.

Links



My Review


Oh Quinn Loftis.....how I love thee?

What I liked: It's no secret that I'm the biggest fan of Quinn's Grey Wolves Series. I mean, I'm still in love with Decebel!!! HOWEVER, I am pretty sure I'm in love with Elfin series just as much. 

Trik and Cassie are two characters that stick in your mind long after you finish the book! I love, love Elves!! The twist and turns of Trik's and Cassie journey is page-turning!!

Now, Quinn didn't leave out the 'additional' characters. I enjoy when she pulls focus to (what some consider secondary characters) the friends and family of Trik and Cassies, especially Elora and CUSH!!! (swoon)

What I didn't like: There was nothing that I didn't like; I wish it was a tad longer. It was a faced pace book!!!!! 

Monday, December 30, 2013

End of the 2013 .... HELLO 2014!!

Mary's Post:

Oh 2013......I can't believe that you have gone already...

Here is my list of best of 2013 (this is no words):

1.  Delta Project: Rescue (Book 2) by 

2.  Sacrifice of Love (The Grey Wolves #7) by 
Sweet Escape (Sweet #2) by 

4. Bet in the Dark by 

5.  The Iron Queen (Daughters of Zeus #3) by 


The War of the Werewolves (The Barking Mad Tale of a Teenage Werewolf) by 
Taboo Kisses by 
AnguiSH by 
Broken (Broken #1) by 
Smash Into You by 
Ditched by 
How It Rolls (Love and Skate #2) by 
Stealing Harper (Taking Chances #2) by 
Even though there are so many more that I want to add to this list .. I love these the most!!

Friday, December 27, 2013

Snakeroot by Andrea Cremer

"Bosque Mar haunts the dreams of both Adne and Logan, trying to escape for the Nether, where Calla, Shay and the other Guardians trapped him in the final battle in the War of All Against All...

Will he turn Adne to the dark side? Will Logan reclaim his birthright? And will darkness take over our world?"
(from Goodreads)

Flo's Review
There's something nice and comforting about coming home, and this is general feeling I got when reading Snakeroot. While we did not have Calla and her pack, many of the characters that we came to know in Wolfsbane and Bloodrose take center in this one. Also, I was really happy to see one particular character return. If you've followed the Book Nerds for awhile, you'll have no problem figuring out who I'm talking about ;-) The new characters also were notable -- Shiloh, and also Holt who I loved to hate.

Detouring to talk about Holt, it was crazy everything that was going on with Anika and the Searchers! Honestly, that all stressed me out even more than the whole, "Oh Bosque Mar is trying to come back" thing.

This was a shorter read than Andrea's other books, so I was able to speed through it in no time. I should have known there would be a cliffhanger ending, but I got so involved in the story that I forgot what Andrea does to us until I reached the end and was like, "Whaat? The book is ending now?!?"

After I finished this, my immediate thought was, "I need to read Captive now!" (Unfortunately, I didn't have it with me.) This is testament to the fact that I love Andrea's writing and this world. If you liked the Nightshade books then you won't be disappointed with this one.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

RELEASE DAY BLITZ and GIVEAWAY: Fractured Innocence by Julia Crane


Fractured Innocence
(IFICS #2Freak of Nature)
By Julia Crane
Release Date: December 24, 2013



Blurb/Synopsis

*Warning 17+ due to sexual gritty topic and language. 

Kaitlyn and Erik are sent on a mission to track down Vance Dasvoik, a ruthless monster. His latest thrill—abducting and selling young women.

Vance's current victim: Aaliyah, a seventeen-year-old who never imagined walking her brother home from school one evening would change her life forever.

The mission quickly turns personal for Kaitlyn when she finds Aaliyah beaten, her mind and soul fractured from abuse of the worst kind. Kaitlyn knows firsthand what it's like to be haunted by the past and resolves to bring justice to the elusive Dasvoik.

Excerpt
This couldn’t be reality. Had they really been abducted? No! No! No! Please let this be a dream. A nightmare. Please let me wake up and find myself in my own bed. Things like this didn’t happen, not to her. Not to her brother! Certainly not in America
Her family didn’t have money, so she knew this wasn’t about ransom. 
Without moving she scanned the room trying to gain her bearings. She was curled up on the floor in the corner of a small room, that much was obvious. Her body ached. She tried to straighten her legs out but they remained bent. She couldn’t even push herself up to sitting.
The walls were white and metal filing cabinets lined the walls. A large wooden desk sat off to the left with a computer. No windows. No pictures or paintings on the wall. Nothing personal whatsoever.   
Her eyes continued to dart around the room, finally settling on the men. They were large, wore dark suits and looked scary. One was tall with a hook nose and curly blond hair, the other was short but muscular with a bald head. They were not the same men from the car. 
Desperately she tried to fight the panic that rose in her chest once she realized her brother was not in the room with them. Where was he? At least she knew he was alive from their comments. Too young? For what? So many questions and no answers. Maybe if she could figure out where they were they could escape. 



Book Link:

Author Bio



Julia crane is the author of the Coexist: Keegan’s Chronicles. She has a bachelors degree in criminal justice. Julia has believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Growing up her mother greatly encouraged reading and using your imagination. Although she’s spent most of her life on the US east coast, she currently lives in Dubai with her husband and three children.

Author Links:

To follow the Release click below

Giveaway

For your chance to win an ecopy of Fractured Innocence by Julia Crane, please leave a comment on each Blog Page participating in the Release.





Thursday, December 19, 2013

BLOG TOUR: The Grace of Darkness by Melissa Andrea

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Synopsis
Every part of me yearns for Ryland and there hasn’t been a day that’s gone by that I don’t question if I made the right decision. Adjusting is something I should be used to by now but how can I do that when life has other plans?
When darkness consumes you, only true light can free you
Remembering how I existed before Araya came into my life and turned everything upside down has been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I can’t stand to be round anyone and the feeling is mutual. But I’m ready to take back what’s mine. I’m ready to be whole again. But every decision has a choice and every choice has a consequence.
To find the grace in darkness, you must Dare to be BRAVE Dare to be STRONG Dare to be ALIVE
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Buy Now
The Grace In Darkness Cover
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Excerpt
His fingers wrapped around the back of my neck, pulling me hard against his
body. I knew what he was attempting to do, but his plan was backfiring.
My body sighed at the contact, and every curve molded against him;
desperate to feel all of him.
“If I feel you beneath me, I won’t
be able to stop Araya. I want you too damn much! I want you, all of you.
I want to be buried so deep inside of you, you won’t know where I end
and you begin.” His breath showered my lips with warmth.
“I won’t want you to stop Ryland. I need you, all of you, now and forever.”
“And the rest?”
His
eyes move over my face, flushing my skin with the intensity of his
gaze. The rhythm of my heart increased, because I know what he wants me
to say.
“Say it.” He growls against my lips.
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Meet the Author
I find it hard to sum up my life in a paragraph, but I’ll try.
I am the author of Flutter, The Discover Series! Reading has always been a passion for me, and writing as instinctive as breathing.
Every inhale is an idea; every exhale a creation. The only thing I do better than writing you ask? Making beautiful girls. My daughter’s will always be my greatest accomplishment.
I was born in Denver, Colorado–but I will always think of sunny Arizona as my home. I don’t have a big family, but I’m close with my sister, brother
& my mom. My mom is my hero, my inspiration, and I couldn’t have asked for a more amazing person to be raised by.
4 things you should know about me: I’m very girly, but I can get down and dirty with the best of them. I adore the color pink and things that sparkle
(including vampires), I am a firm believer that chocolate cures ALL and I like even numbers (hence 4 things about me, not 5) Okay, maybe I cheated a little with my list, shhhh.
 
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Buy The Edge of Darkness Now
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Giveaway
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EJ Button

Saturday, December 14, 2013

BLOG TOUR and AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Taboo Kissess by Gracen Miller


WARNING: This book is for readers 18 and over, contains explicit sexual content, including, but not limited to, m/m, m/f/m, double penetration, anal play, sex-toy play, sex-fruit play, shifter sex, voyeurism, forced seduction, and anything else I might've forgotten to list!

BLURB:

Taboo Kisses…where desires and inhibitions collide.

Dispatched to the mortal realm from Atlantis to seek the source of a brewing rebellion, Sameya is thrown for a tailspin when she discovers her fated mates. As a siren her songs entice mankind and immortals alike to their death. She’s stunned to be seduced by a taboo union with a tiger-shifter and vampyr. Mating the pair could complicate everything and threaten her freedom. Fueled by her duty to Atlantis, Sameya rejects fate’s wisdom and refutes her attraction to the men.

Taboo Kisses…when the forbidden becomes irresistible.

Gabriel and Maximus have been searching for their mate for centuries. Neither expected the siren they were hired to find would deliver more than a lucrative payday. Frustrated
by Sameya’s aversion to their mating, the men anticipate an empty future if she refuses to complete their union. In a rash move Maximus seizes Sameya and holds her captive.

Taboo Kisses…when the siren is serenaded with temptation.

Trapped and at their mercy, Sameya is bombarded with pleasure. Can her mates convince her to take a gamble on their taboo union? With danger lurking in the shadows, will the choice be taken from her?


EXCERPT:

Empress’ delights, she disliked the jumbled way he made her feel. Confused one moment and aroused the next. “What is your name?”

“Call me mate.”

Her breathing died, then escalated. She forced a lame-ass sounding laugh past her lips.

“Don’t get cocky. I’m not into leeches.”

“Don’t disqualify me from the running.” He sidled closer, aligning his body against hers once more, but maintaining space with his palms on the mausoleum on either side of her head. “Not when Gabriel and I haven’t had the gratification of making you come…yet.”

She gasped, her eyes rounding at his foregone conclusion. “Better men than you have tried.”

“None of them were your mates.”

“Wait! Mates? As in plural?” She flattened her hands against his chest to push him away, but forgot to add pressure. The hard contours of his body fascinated her more than was practical. “That’s…insane.” But gods the idea fascinated her. “Sirens don’t partner outside our race and we certainly don’t have more than one partner.”

Sameya didn’t realize she spoke the thought aloud until the vampyr thrust both his hands into her hair. After he had her anchored into position, he shifted closer, widening his stride to fit her pelvis between his legs. His hard-on nestled against her abdomen as he tilted her head back by her hair.

“No more insane than a vampyr mating a shifter.” His mouth landed on hers. He nibbled on her bottom lip, licked the corners and crease. Distracted by the exhilarating sensations, she was unprepared to counteract his move when he placed the pad of his thumb against her chin and tugged, parting her lips for his tongue to thrust inside.


BUY LINKS


BIO:

Gracen is a hopeless daydreamer masquerading as a “normal” person in southern society. When not writing, she’s a full-time basketball/football/guitar mom for hertwo sons and a devoted wife to her real-life hero-husband. She’s addicted to writing, paranormal romance novels, movies, Alabama football and coffee…addictions are not necessarily in order of priority. She is convinced coffee is nectar from the gods and blending coffee and writing together generates the perfect creative merger.

Many of her creative worlds are spawned from coffee highs. To learn more about Gracen and her writing or to leave her a comment, visit her at the following sites:

Where you can stalk me—not really!—but I would love to meet and interact with you


http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NDI0YjQ5OGU4MzBkN2RmYTQzZGQ2YzljMDI5NjIxOjYz/


AUTHOR INTERVIEW:


Now, I know that you wrote Taboo Kisses for your husband, do you plan on writing anymore based on the TK characters?

Gracen: I’d plan to write the guy’s witchy friend, Kat’s story, but so far I haven’t been inspired. There are too many other storylines on my plate to get to this one. And I have Road to Hell readers screaming at me wanting the next story in that series. Maybe eventually Kat’s story will get written. I have it somewhat outlined, so it’s just a matter of sitting down and getting to work.

Why did you choose to do paranormal character for this book?

Gracen: Because at the time of writing Taboo Kisses all I wrote was paranormal, so writing outside the genre never crossed my mind. 

Are any of the characters mimicked by someone you know?
Gracen: LOL Nope. They’re all spawned from my imagination and photos I found online. I wouldn’t mind having a Maximus or Gabriel in my life though. *wink*


What made you become a writer?

Gracen: My 6th grade English teacher, Mrs. Syler, gave us a homework assignment where we had to write a play. I was distraught by the assignment and sure I’d flunk. I’d never written anything like this before. But when I started crafting the story about Atlantis rising from the ocean to take over the world, I had the best time! We had to share our story with everyone in class and as a group we picked the favorite three to be acted out by classmates. Mine was one of the three picked by the class. I remember being shocked that everyone liked my story, but I was excited too. I’ve been addicted to writing ever since. I wrote stories and poetry all through high school, but didn’t get serious about writing a book until my early thirties.

If you could any genre what would it be?

Gracen: I’d pick the ones I already do…paranormal urban fantasy romance, paranormal erotic romance, and I just recently wrote a contemporary new adult.

Are there new projects that you have planned you can tell us that are coming up?

Gracen: I just finished a new adult romance titled Rockin the Heart. It’s the first story in the Hot Wired series. It’ll be released on January 21, 2014. I’m extremely excited about this book. New adult is a genre that is out of my comfort zone. I wasn’t even interested in writing it, but my best friend harassed me to give the genre a try. When I caved to the idea, the storyline filled my head like the characters had been waiting for me to tell their story. I fell in love with these characters. OMG did I fall in love with them! Since writing “the end”, I have suffered the worst book hangover, worse than any of my other books. I’m also working on the fourth book in the Road to Hell series.

P.S. thanks for every blush in the book and the fact I can’t look at a strawberry the same *wink* *love*

Gracen: Ha! That is the one scene that gets the most comments. I didn’t even plan to write it, but rather those strawberries wrote themselves into the scene. Then I worried it went too far for folks…as if the entire book wasn’t pushing reader’s limits. LOL


Saturday, December 7, 2013

Free Book and Guest Blogger for Read Along!


So, my friends at Merit Press were awesome enough to send me an ARC of Lizzie Friend's Poor Little Dead Girls. Then, they sent the published version of the book. I decided to use their perhaps mistake as our gain :) Here is what I'm proposing:

You know how we do monthly read alongs here at Book Nerds Across America? Every month, we pick a different book and at least two of us read it together. Then we do one post with all our reactions. Well, since I have two copies of Poor Little Dead Girls, I think we should do that same thing! And by "we" I mean me -- and whoever wins this contest. So to clarify:

If you win, I will send you a copy of Poor Little Dead Girls, which will be yours to keep. You and I (Flo) will both read the book at the same time, and then we'll do a combined book review post. 

And it's so easy to win, too! All you have to do is email me at flo at booknerdsacrossamerica dot com and let me know why you want to receive the free book and do the joint review.

Here is the description of Poor Little Dead Girls:

Perfect people aren't just born. They're made.

The first time she is blindfolded and kidnapped, star-athlete and posh boarding school newbie Sadie is terrified. She wakes up in a dark room surrounded by hushed whispers, hooded strangers, and a mysterious voice whispering not-so-sweet nothings in her ear. 

But once the robes come off, she realizes it’s just an elaborate prank designed to induct her into the group that’s been pulling the strings at Keating Hall for generations. The circle has it all--incredible connections; fabulous parties; and, of course, an in with the brother society’s gorgeous pledges. 
The instant popularity is enough to make Sadie forget about the unexplained marks on her body, the creepy ceremonial rituals, and the incident that befell one of her teammates the year before. So the next time Sadie is kidnapped, she isn’t scared, but she should be. The worst of Keating Hall is yet to come.

I'm actually really excited about this! I'm looking forward to receiving your emails at flo at booknerdsacrossamerica dot com!

Champion by Marie Lu

Me and author Marie Lu during the Champion tour
The explosive finale to Marie Lu’s New York Times bestselling LEGEND trilogy—perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT!

He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion? 

Flo's Review
I didn't want to post the full book description up there because it might contain spoilers for the first two Legend books if you haven't read them. Which, if you haven't -- why not?!? Go read them now! I loved both Legend and Prodigy.

Like Prodigy, I finished Champion in a matter of hours. The action that Marie Lu is wonderful at writing continues in this book. I was racing through the pages to make sure that Day succeeded in everything he was trying to do. I also really enjoyed Eden's character in this book. At one point Day reflects that he's most proud of his brother for standing up to him -- it's a powerful testament to how alike the two boys are. All the Eden/Day moments warmed my heart. They also shared a scene in the kitchen in the beginning of the book that was sweet.

And, oh, the love. In this book we really get to see more layers of the complexity of the Day and June's relationship. It's not simply a "different side of the tracks" love story. There is so much more to that, and both characters struggle with it. There is a scene in June's apartment around the middle of the book that just breaks my heart. Day feels like he is broken open and I am, too. Love is so powerful when it's raw and honest like that -- hard, but compelling. And June, at the end?!? 

I appreciate the fact that Marie ended the book the way she did. I know a lot of times the story telling element that she used is not always met favorably, but here it works. I thought using the birthdays was really clever! The ending leaves us walking away from Day, June and the Republic with hope, and like Marie says in the Acknowledgements, "They are off to live beyond the confines of the trilogy; I am left waving to them from the sidelines. I don't know where they'll go, but I think they're going to be okay."

Final thoughts: The Legend trilogy is a must read! Go pick it up if you haven't!

My review of Legend
My review of Prodigy

Friday, December 6, 2013

BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY: Broken by Kelly Elliott




SYNOPSIS:

Layton Morris and his brother Mike grew up not knowing what it would be like to live in a normal home. With no running water or electricity in their home, no parents around to protect them, they quickly learned how to survive and depend only on each other.
When a tragic accident takes Mike away from Layton, and the only other person that he ever let into his heart walked away from him, leaving his heart shattered, Layton focuses all of his time and energy into the ranch he and his brother dreamed of. He makes a vow to himself to never let love in again. The last thing Layton needed or wanted was more heartache.

Whitley Reynolds grew up in a privileged home in upstate New York. When she landed the star football player in high school no one was surprised, not even Whitley. She dreamed of a life with Roger living in New York City and happily followed him there. 

The first time Roger hit her for arguing with him about a dinner party, she forgave him. The more it happened, the further Whitley withdrew from her friends and family. One fateful day things go to far. Whitley makes a promise to herself and finds the courage to do the one thing she thought she’d never be able to do.

Fleeing with her best friend Courtney, Whitley was determined to put her past behind her and start a new life in the small town of Llano, Texas, where no one would ever find out about her past.

Will they both ever learn to trust and love again, or will their pasts come back to haunt them,  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id756892264keeping them both alone and…


Broken.


My Review:

WOW! 

As many of you know, I am a HUGE Kelly Elliott and her books. However, reading this book made me see Kelly in a different light.............

Her talent is unmeasurable! No joke! As much as I love the Wanted Series this BLOWS THAT AWAY!! 

Whitley is an amazing character! She leaves an abusive relationship and heads to Texas, with her best friend. 

While she's there she meets Layton *swoon*. This cowboy is a little rough around the edges, but that is because he has had a very hard life. I really feel for him (once you heard his whole story, you'll understand).

Anyway, Whit and Layton DO NOT hit it off at first. But, it's fun to read how their relationship changed. 

In this book there is laughing, crying, hot-cowboy, and a HUGE twist!! 

I loved every moment of it!!





Who is Kelly Elliott?



Really I'm just a wife to a wonderful Texas cowboy who has a nack for making me laugh almost daily and supports my crazy ideas and dreams for some unknown reason...he claims it's because he loves me.....so I'll just go with that one!

I'm also a mom to an amazing daughter who constantly is asking me to make her something to eat while she has her fingers moving like mad on her cell phone sending out what I'm sure is another very important text message!

Oh...and I like to sit down and write in my spare time! 

I live in the Texas hill country and one of my favorite things to do is go for hikes around our property with my second favorite man, Gus....my chocolate lab and my sweet girl Rose, our golden retriever. When I'm not outside helping the hubby haul brush or move rocks or whatever fun chore he has in store for me that day, you will find me inside reading, writing or watching HGTV and soaking in a nice hot bubble bath.....yeah that last one I just made up but it sure does sound nice!!!