{Blog Tour} CHARMING by Krystal Wade -- with excerpt and Kindle Paperwhite Giveaway!

{Cover Reveal} The Schwarzschild Radius by Gustavo Florentin

The Schwarzschild Radius, by Gustavo Florentin
Genre: detective mystery-thriller
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Date of Re-Release­­: September 23, 2014.
Cover Artist: Andrea Garcia (http://andyg4rcia.com/)
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22828394-the-schwarzschild-radius

The review tour is scheduled for 22nd September - 3rd October; excluding weekends. If you’re interested in participating, please sign up here: https://docs.google.com/a/curiosityquills.com/forms/d/1NZYUEogUHCICEBq_aPyJ9Ts6ZaofJCZoJLe9yW4xYiM/viewform
Description:
Rachel, an 18-year-old Columbia University student, descends into the netherworld of runaways and predators to find her sister, Olivia, who has suddenly disappeared.

After getting a job in a strip joint where Olivia worked, then doing private shows in the homes of rich clients, Rachel discovers that Olivia has been abducted by a killer who auctions the deaths of young girls in an eBay of agony.

When she finds Olivia, Rachel becomes the killer’s next target.

--

About The Author:
GUSTAVO FLORENTIN was born in Queens, New York, and received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Polytechnic University of New York. He spent a decade in the defense industry, working on the F-14 fighter jet and classified electronic warfare projects.
After the fall of the Soviet Union many thought America wouldn’t need weapons anymore. While others waited for the “peace dividend,” he moved on to the financial sector in New York where he is currently a network engineer. His passions include violin, travel to exotic destinations and exploring worldwide conspiracies. He’s currently working on his third novel in his New Jersey home.
Find Gustavo Florentin Online:

Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/GustavoFlorentinAuthor) | Twitter (https://twitter.com/gflorentin6) | Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8293386.Gustavo_Florentin)

{Author Spotlight} JOSEPH RINALDO

Today I'm shining the spotlight on

JOSEPH RINALDO 

and his latest book, 

VALERIE'S RETREAT!

The protagonist in Valerie's Retreat runs off with a man sixteen years her junior. My wife is sixteen years my senior, so many of our triumphs and trials have made their way into this book. Our relationship provided a good foundation for the two main characters’ lives together. The way his and her friends react to their age disparity also derives, at least in part, from my own experience.

For approximately one year I labored as a Head Teller at a bank. This employment history enabled me to create a believable bank robbery. The theft described in Valerie's Retreat is easy to conceive and execute, but leaves a very clear path to the perpetrator. That is why the characters had to immediately run.

If you are part of a book club, I would be more than willing to be a guest at one of your meetings where any of my books are discussed. Please feel free to contact me through my website (www.josephmrinaldo.com) or on Facebook. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Valerie, a 40-ish Head Teller at a bank, has met Franco, 16 years younger and studying for a doctorate in archaeology. He is stunned yet eager to begin a relationship with this attractive "cougar", and they become lovers. Their lives begin to unravel when Valerie's female bisexual boss makes advances (and threats) toward Valerie and Franco is accused of the theft of an Incan artifact from a museum where he has been working part-time. Frustrated, under surveillance by the FBI, and seeing no way out of their dilemma, they decide to steal money from Valerie's bank and flee the country. They go to Peru to start a new life, but they find there the same type of corruption and threats. How can they escape their nightmares and make their dreams come true?

GOODREADS | AMAZON 

{COVER REVEAL} Chasing Prophecy by James Moser

Check out the new cover to Chasing Prophecy!

Chasing Prophecy by James Moser
Publication date: January 2nd 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Thriller, Young Adult

Synopsis:
"Chasing Prophecy" is the story of Mo, a teen boy just trying to survive high school in the mountain town of Boulder Creek, Washington. Boulder Creek is an isolated and mysterious place, proud of its reputation as the "Bigfoot Sighting Capital of the World". Mo falls in love with a girl named Prophecy who lives with a group that some call a commune and others call a cult. When she disappears, Mo must find the courage to face the monster that her family has become. "Chasing Prophecy" is a heartwarming contemporary coming of age story. This book chronicles the adolescence of one boy who must transform himself to save the girl of his dreams.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20431983-chasing-prophecy?ac=1

AUTHOR BIO
The author works with high school students because young adults inspire him. As such, he wanted to write about teenagers transforming themselves to overcome obstacles, which is what he watches them do every day. This book's mission is to entertain adults while inspiring teens. The result is "Chasing Prophecy," a story about love, loss, redemption, and monsters.

Boo Radley is the author's all-time favorite literary character, which is how the Seattle-area legend of Bigfoot entered "Chasing Prophecy".

The author lives in Seattle with his beautiful wife and lively eight year old son. When he's not reading and writing, or talking about reading and writing, he's watching too much television and snacking on frozen treats from Trader Joe's. Man, those things are good.


Author links:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7735290.James_Moser
https://twitter.com/moser_james
https://www.facebook.com/1chasingprophecy

{Book Review} Counterstrike by John Groh

Book Title: Counterstrike
Author: John Groh
Publisher: CreateSpace
Publishing Date: January 2014
Length: 436 pages (approx)
Source: Gifted by Author

Book Blurb
They grew up competing as brothers and develop real estate in two worlds, apartments and commercial. Only natural—in their father’s tracks.
But after Boyce’s wife dies in a ferocious car accident it’s more than two rivals in their thirties. Overnight their safe zones bleed at the edges as Boyce’s animosity grows more treacherous by the hour.
The brothers wield all available tools to outwit and unhinge each other while a family friend named Boots watches the reciprocal backstabbing. Meantime their father’s $60 million trust finally nears distribution.
These well educated brothers carefully measure the gains and losses of each deal, not throwing millions at the Phoenix wind like swashbuckling entrepreneurs. But their recriminations escalate over three hot months and the action-reaction Richter registers earthquakes.
Hold on for the ride! From two hack sawed human hands to a llama’s neck cut at 90 degrees; opening a grave at midnight; Indian remains covering a mall site; bribing the county tax assessor; a rubber doll’s serrated shoulders with no arms; and gun show booths called Bob’s Bang Room and Shoot the Works.
This masterfully drawn narrative features hate, betrayal and murderous treachery. Shifting alliances, riveting intensity and shocking thrills propel the story like a Ferrari racer through twists and turns to a terrifying climax. Some pages may repel and others are naughty, but they push Counterstrike to riveting levels of jaw dropping entertainment.

 Counterstrike by John Groh is a mystery/thriller that focuses on two brothers who seem to be siblings in name only. There is no camaraderie between them, only stiff competition.

Boyce receives a phone call that his wife has died in a car accident. It's from his brother, but the phone call is strange in the way it is delivered considering the news he is imparting. It seems cold, clinical, and utterly unsympathetic. And it is that which is the first clue that Boyce and Spencer are not very close. From there we get the details of their father's will as Boyce remembers his funeral while planning his wife's.

From flashbacks of meeting his wife to snippets of his friend, Boots, this story is told in bits and pieces that keep you guessing as to the killer and motive. Dealing with his grief, his ex-wife, trying to figure out Spencer's angle, and keeping tabs on his livelihood in real estate, Boyce is thrust into the midst of craziness as he ascertains the truths behind his wife's death among other things.

As each piece is revealed, your brow will furrow, you'll snap "I knew it!" even though you didn't REALLY know it, and as you come to the end, I'm sure you'll say, "oh my gosh." This book elicits those kinds of reactions as you read. The action is riveting, the characters human, and then there's the ending. I think the outcome will leave readers flabbergasted!

GOODREADS  | AMAZON | AMAZON KINDLE

John Groh bought, sold and invested in real estate for thirty-five years to gain valuable experience for this thriller called Counterstrike. He lives in Arizona with his spouse Nancy and German shepherd Rex, a dog of big heart who's always hungry. His favorite lair for writing is a log cabin in Arizona's White Mountains where Rex provides comic relief chasing ravens, squirrels and elk. A proven writer with backbone, John knows that sometimes truths about real estate and sibling rivalry are best told through fiction. He has written eight books and holds a doctorate from the University of Chicago. Along the way he taught in higher education and served in the USAF Reserve. His website is http://johngroh.com.

{Book Review} DINNER WITH A VAMPIRE (The Dark Heroine #1) by Abigail Gibbs

Dinner with a Vampire (The Dark Heroine #1)
by Abigal Gibbs
Publisher: William Morrow, imprint of HarperCollins
Published: October 2012
Length: 549 pages
Editions: ebook and print
Source: Publisher gifted in prep for Autumn Rose, Book 2.

The sexiest romance you’ll read this year…

One moment can change your life forever...

For Violet Lee, a chance encounter on a darkened street draws her into a world beyond her wildest imaginings, a timeless place of vast elegance and immeasurable wealth – of beautiful mansions and lavish parties – where a decadent group of friends live for pleasure alone. A place from which there is no escape...no matter how hard Violet tries.

Yet all the riches in the world can’t mask the darkness that lies beneath the gilded surface, embodied in the charismatic but dangerous Kaspar Varn.

Violet and Kaspar surrender to a passion that transcends their separate worlds – but it’s a passion that comes at a price..

My notes for this one are a little all over the place, so bear with me and please accept my apologies if the flow of thought is hard to follow!

Let's start with an overall impression: I kept reading this book, didn't look for excuses to stop reading, but read it over the course of a day, stopping for real life needs (food, drink, potty, taking out the dogs, etc). It's dubbed as "the sexiest romance you'll read this year" and I definitely do not agree with that, however I would say that it is intriguing and held my attention much better than say, Twilight. Overall, I found the book enjoyable and interesting, and my interest definitely peaked when it turned towards a prophecy. Yes, there is a romance. No, I don't think it's the sexiest romance ever. If anything, I think it's a side story to the political machinations of a world where humans are very much aware of vampires and how the vampires decide to deal with them. The vampires' caution is interesting!

The protagonist is described as feisty by her kidnappers, and boy is she. I liked her snark and her courage. But holy naivete. I know she is only 17, but you would think that with a political father, a brother who died due to a drug overdose, and a younger sister who is ill with cancer, that she would be more worldly. At one point, she says  something along the lines of, "Monsters do this. Humans do not." I made a face at the book. In her 17 years has she not read the news or seen a single news program? Not even a headline on the internet?  I was a very a naive 17 year old, and even I recognized that humans are the worst monsters on earth (of course, I don't know of any vampires, werewolves, or other supernaturals). So her naivete bothered me a tad, especially as she starts in on her moral issues. But I suppose as a teenager I was firm in my blanketed beliefs.

Also, I was confused as to whether or not vampires are living or dead. You have these vamps who are born and age up to age 18 and then are set at that age forever. Then you have the kind that are made. No heartbeats but alive? Which is it? I'm okay with either description, but I would like a definitive answer as to whether or not you are alive or dead. Or is it both because one is born and one is made? But then...can made vampires have children with born ones? Argh

There is a deep sympathy for Violet - her brother died young due to an overdose, her younger sister is stricken with leukemia, her mother is a wreck, and then she gets kidnapped. She then discovers something about her father that disturbs her greatly.

There is also a deep sympathy for Kaspar who was very close to his mother, who was murdered.

This does NOT excuse his behavior however. He isn't just rude, he's violent towards Violet. You can tell he's a mess of emotions, but I was actually kinda pissed that she was starting to fall for him despite his actions. Stockholm syndrome...but really more like stupid-teenage-girl syndrome. Why does every single young adult girl seem to have a female lead who falls for a complete and total ass? And later in the book, you have two people who were supposedly trying to befriend her, turn on her and viciously so. Yeah, those two could die in the next book and I wouldn't shed a tear. At LEAST Kaspar was upfront with her: you're food to us, you're weak, we know you taste good, no you aren't a "person" to us. But the totally bothersome thing is that he tells her that he wants to find who murdered his mother and that he would "kill his love first, suck his children dry, and rape his daughters." What?! Even those who want vengeance rarely go after the innocents. Why would you want to be with someone who is so willing to kill innocents and RAPE? Bleh. Sexiest romance? Are you kidding me?!

But the most interesting part of this book is really watching this political thriller play out between Violet's father, Michael Lee, and the vampiric council. There is this history that is only hinted between humans and vampires in this dimension. (I wasn't too happy with the multiverse thing either as it seemed to come out of nowhere. Conveniently not explained as it's forbidden to talk to Violet about it, but hopefully in future novels this gets fleshed out more.) And Violet's dad came into political power several years ago just when they were going to have a treaty; but no treaty was signed. I think this tug of war (really, what power could humans have except they all die out and there's no more food source for the vampires who have existed before humans?) is really intriguing and would've liked to spend more time on this. Instead, it just says they are trying to avoid out and out war.

I think other little things that might throw off the american reader is the english. There are references and ways of phrasing that is decidedly not american. I tend to read a lot and also spent half a year in London, so it did not throw me off, however I can imagine others might reread a sentence a few times. I would NEVER change this, just warning you that you should expect it. They ARE in the UK after all as he kidnaps Violet from Trafalgar Square!

Autumn Rose is the title of the sequel and she does make an appearance in this book, a very interesting appearance. From what I know about book two, it doesn't pick up where we left off, but changes point of view totally to the world of Autumn Rose. From the little I learned of her in this book, and the prophecy we learned about, I'm totally intrigued. While this book had me alternating between liking it and not liking it, ultimately I gave it 3 stars because it evoked emotion, kept me reading, and kept me interested enough in this world and characters to want to read book 2!

{Blog Tour} The Agent's Daughter by Ron Corriveau -- with review and giveaway!

{Blog Tour} NIGHT CHILL by Jeff Gunhus --- with review and giveaway

Night Chill by Jeff Gunhus
Publication date: May 31st 2013
Genres: Adult, Supernatural, Thriller

BOOK BLITZ: DiSemblance by Shanae Branham

DiSemblance

Jason Tanner’s life has always been different from the ordinary citizen’s. It started when he was an infant and his parents were only teenagers. A computer science prodigy, Lloyd attended MIT but left a pariah in the eyes of the school’s dean—but a computer physics genius in the eyes of his primary investor. Then his theories and ideas created a holographic machine and their world shrunk as contact with the outside world became less and less frequent. A computer prodigy now himself, Jason is about to learn that the world never waits for you if you have the ability to change it: it will come for you.

Detective Bruce Durante has been handed the case of the Comfort Killer, a serial killer so named because he appears to abduct terminally ill patients before returning their corpses to their families in refrigerated coffins. When he picks up the trail, it leads straight to the home of Lloyd Tanner.

Jason has been living life through the world of Lloyd’s invention and wishing he could carry on a relationship with Boston, the beautiful girl next door. When his father is murdered and framed as the Comfort Killer, he is brought back to reality in a hurry. He is forced to destroy all of the planted evidence—and finds he is being targeted as the killer’s new fall guy. But the secrets of his father’s invention run deep and Jason, his brother Isaac,Boston, the Comfort Killer, and Detective Durante hurtle towards one another on a deadly collision course that leaves everyone’s life hanging in the balance.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Author Shanae Branham

I am a professional writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and a minor in grammar. I have also attended several years of classes and workshops in screenplay writing at the Los Angeles Screenplay writer’s Expo.

I love suspense thrillers and am a master at plot and character development. I enjoy stories with happy endings. I promise all my readers that when they put one of my books down or walk away from one of my movies, they will be enthused with excitement and joy. This does not mean there will not be some sad parts, because you have to feel the bitter in order to understand the sweet. In fact, I have struggled with Dyslexia my whole life, so you can imagine how overjoyed I was when DiSemblance won a Silver metal in the fantasy/science fiction category at the eLit awards in 2012.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Tour Schedule

BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 9/13/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.



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BLOG TOUR! Day 4 of 6: D.N. Simmons Knights of the Darkness Chronicles HOSTILE TERRITORY

Hostile Territory (Knights of the Darkness Chronicles #4)

Hostile Territory is the fourth novel in the edgy, action-packed, sexually charged Knights of the Darkness Chronicles. In this installment, be prepared for the ultimate supernatural adventure! It's no holds barred in this tale and there's going to be hell to pay! A single orchestrated attack initiates a hunt unlike Darian and his friends have ever encountered. You really don't want to miss out. The ante has been upped and they are out for blood!

Purchase now:  Amazon | B&N

A_TiffyFit's Review:

Happy Independence Day, everyone! It's kinda fitting that I am writing this review today on a book in the series whose plot centers around defending their ways of life and keeping from being under the rule of a vicious tyrant. 

This time a pack member, a pride member, and a coven member have been kidnapped to try and force a takeover of the territory. Not just any members were kidnapped either: We got Natasha (Xavier & Darian's lover) missing, Sebastian (Sergio's son), & Matthew (Warren's lover) all missing! Darian can't use his bond with Natasha to find out where she's being held or who took them, either, as the kidnappers are keeping them all drugged up. For poor Natasha, who is a psychic, this means an endless loop of jumbled visions as she sleeps under the influence of the sedative. 

This book has a TON of action with vicious fight sequences that play like a movie in your head. Very well described and easy to visualize. There are also some super sexy instances, demonstrations of love and devotion, and some VERY interesting revelations and developments. ;) 

I wonder if Natasha will ever become a vampire? I truly hope so. I want her to live forever with her chosen loves. 

The next book is called THE LION'S DEN and I am thinking this means we will be meeting some lion shifters...oooh weeee! 


GIVEAWAY
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Review: DEJA VOODOO by Elle James

Title: Deja Voodoo
Author: Elle James
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Publishing Date: June 24, 2013
Length: 233 pages
Source: Publisher for an honest review

A little magic goes a long way… Alexandra Belle Boyette is closing in on the big 3-0 and her mama has made it her mission to marry her off. In the tiny parish of Bayou Miste, deep in the Louisiana swamps, finding suitable hubby material can be a challenge—and Alex would rather not rely on magical spells to do the trick. But there is a sexy new man in town who might fit the bill... Ed Marceaux is in Bayou Miste to safeguard a key witness to a Louisiana Mafia murder. He must keep an eye out for suspicious characters—but the place seems to be full of them! What could be stranger than a woman dressed in a sexy nightgown chasing a naked man down the street? The enchantingly gorgeous Alex Boyette certainly makes it worth his while to find out… Add a Voodoo spell gone wrong, and voila! madness—and love—ensues.


A_TiffyFit's Review
 This was a thrilling read! Hot, steamy romance, great action, and characters who really leap off the page with their personalities. I have to admit, I fell in love with the Boyette clan. Their names, their personalities, their adoration and love for one another.

Alex is an independent woman who adores and loves her family and owns a gym. She helps her mother out with her siblings, is a steadfast friend, but despite her protestations, she's a little lonely. Enter her matchmaking mother and the hunky Ed Marceaux, her mother's new vacation cabin renter. Their first meeting is quite something and had me giggling as I imagined it: a hot, well-built man running butt-naked down the street chased by two women, one in a see through nighty and black lace panties... lol

I've never been to Louisiana, but from reading other novels, watching television and movies (I'm sure exaggerated, but still that's my exposure to it!), and from the author's descriptions, I felt like I was a part of the book. Nicely detailed movement within the book (through the town, the swamp, etc). Hell, I would love a little bit of this voodoo in my life. Lucie and her grams can come up with a little voodoo bag for me any time!

As the story unfolds, Alex and Ed are each fighting their attraction towards one another, extreme lust and chemistry turning into something more. But Alex wants to stay in Bayou Miste to help her mother and keep her business, and Ed's from Baton Rouge over 2 hours away. Plus, he's being a bit weird and shady at times...what is he keeping from her? Well, we the readers know that it's because he's undercover, but Alex doesn't.

I love romance books where you have two strong characters with chemistry who fall in lust and then in love with one another. I love thrillers and magic, too. This book has it all and was a very satisfying read. This was the first book I've read by Elle James and I must say that I'm looking forward to more!

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for the advanced readers e-copy! :)

This book releases today, Monday, June 24, 2013, readers! Perfect summer read if I do say so myself: sizzling, suspenseful, action-packed romance!