Release Day Spotlight & Giveaway: An American Girl in Italy by Aubrie Dionne

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We’re celebrating the release day today for “An American Girl in Italy”, a contemporary romance novel by author Aubrie Dionne.

To celebrate the release, the author is offering Italy booklets for giveaway. Scroll down to find out more!

About An American Girl in Italy 

An Italian paradise is the last thing she wants... but the one thing she needs!

Surely any girl would kill for the chance to tour Italy’s most famous cities for the summer? To experience the warmth of the Tuscan sun, the culinary delights of the pizzerias and caffés and to stroll along the cobbled streets of the City of Love itself...

Any girl apart from ambitious oboist Carly Davis that is! For her, the Easthampton Civic Symphony’s latest European tour is one massive inconvenience. She can’t even put her smartphone down long enough to snap a picture of the Coliseum.

Only, there’s one Italian attraction that Carly hadn’t quite expected to be a part of the tourist route...

Tour guide Michelangelo is as dark and delicious as Carly’s morning espresso. And when she needs a few lessons in the language of love to land her an important gig, he’s a more than capable tutor.

But with her promising career back in Boston, can Carly really afford to lose her heart in Italy?

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Author Bio 

Aubrie Dionne is an author and flutist in New England. Her books have received the highest ratings from Romance Times Magazine and BTS Magazine, as well as Night Owl Reviews and Two Lips Reviews. She has guest blogged on the USA Today Happily Ever After Blog and the Dear Teen Me blog and signed books at the Boston Book Festival, Barnes and Noble, and the Romance Writers of America conference. Her books are published by Entangled Publishing, Harper Impulse, Astraea Press, Spencer Hill Press, Inkspell Publishing, and Lyrical Press. When she's not writing, Aubrie teaches flute and plays in orchestras.

Links 

Blog: http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com
Website: http://authoraubrie.net
Twitter: @authoraubrie

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Giveaway

Win an Italy booklet.

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Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Solomon's Sieve by Victoria Danann

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Solomon’s Sieve, Book 7 (Knights of Black Swan)
by Victoria Danann
Paranormal Romance
Release Day May 27
Publisher: 7th House (Imprint of Andromeda LLC)
90,000 Words
Available at: Amazon, BN, iTunes, Smashwords and Kobo
BLOG: http://VictoriaDanann.me
FACEBOOK FAN PAGE: www.facebook.com/vdanann
FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE: www.facebook.com/victoria.danann.9
GOODREADS FAN GROUP: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/108735-victoria-danann-order-of-the-black-swan
TWITTER: @vdanann

Named Best Paranormal Romance Series of 2013 by REVIEWERS’ CHOICE AWARDS (Paranormal Romance Guild).

Nominated for Best Paranormal Romance Series of 2014 IRC READERS CHOICE AWARDS – Voting in September. Victoria Danann is also up for Author of the Year.

When Sovereign Solomon Nemamiah lay dying on a beach under an overturned vehicle with his fiancé helplessly sobbing next to him, he made a vow to himself that he would refuse to stay in some arbitrary afterlife. He silently promised to return and finish what he started with The Order of the Black Swan and the love of his life. When the new Sovereign of Jefferson Unit begins saying and doing things that remind people of Sol, it raises suspicion in the minds of people who were closest to him.

The mutated and more aggressive strain of vampire virus surges back to the forefront of The Order’s priorities forcing retirees to be recalled and trainees to be inducted earlier than ever before.

Meanwhile, The Order sends Z Team with its newest member, Glendennon Catch,  to escort new recruit, Dr. Mercedes Renaux, to Bulgaria. Her mission is to shut down and investigate an archeological site that may contain irrefutable evidence that vampire exist. Their mission is to protect her.

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EXCERPT

“Well, I’m scheduled to patrol with B Team tonight. I was hoping you could get a babysitter and…”

“Yes. We’ll do it.”

Ram looked at her like he didn’t know her. “Do you no’ think we should talk it over just the two of us?”

“Normally yes, but I’ve given this a lot of thought. I was going to bring it up after my patrol tonight when you’d had a chance to find out how hard it is to sit home and not know what’s going on. This latest crisis has jus moved my schedule ahead by a day.”

“Your schedule,” Ram repeated drily. “I was actually goin’ to have a talk with you today and let you know that I’m goin’ out tonight instead of you. I am no’ likin’ the idea of my child’s mother in the field. Particularly no’ in light of the way these new biters are behavin’.”

Elora gaped at him and Ram knew the flush in her cheeks was never a sign that an argument was going his way. “You mean you were planning to make me fight my way onto B Team a second time?” She outraged-whispered so as not to wake Helm. “As for ‘badly behaving biters’, that’s exactly the point I was going to make and my practical demonstration couldn’t be more apropos to your phrasing.”

“What demonstration?”

“You know how Helm is going through a biting phase?” Elora turned to Rev to catch him up with a summary. “When the baby doesn’t get what he wants when he wants it, sometimes he turns red in the face, screams, and bites like a little pit bull. Three days ago he bit Ram on the shoulder.” She turned to Ram, who was wearing a gray metal band tee. “Come on. Show our guest how it looks after three days.”

Ram hesitated for a couple of seconds, eyeing her in challenge, but finally acquiesced and pulled the short sleeve up above his shoulder to reveal the bite mark . It was ugly. Helm had made a mold of his teeth out of his Daddy’s flesh. It was bruised all around and had the red telltale signs of beginning infection.

“Your baby did that?” Rev asked incredulously.

Ram nodded.

“It looks worse, Ram. When we’re done here, you’re going to go down to clinic and get a shot of antibiotic.” Elora continued. “But back to my demonstration. Tonight, right here in this very high chair,” she pointed to the chair for dramatic effect, “the child threw a similar tantrum - which had Hawking stamped all over it, by the way - and he bit the bejuices out my forearm.”

She then pulled up her sleeve and turned her arm over so they could see that, from any and every angle, there was no sign she’d been touched.

Ram grabbed her arm and gave it a close inspection and then insisted on doing the same with the other arm. When he was satisfied with the inspection, he shrugged. “So you’re a fast healer.”

“No. The point goes much deeper than that. It’s not that Helm bit me and I recovered quickly. It’s that he didn’t do any damage to begin with. Unless you count the fact that I think less of him and question his love.”

Ignoring that last part, Ram said, “So you’re tryin’ to say you can no’ be hurt?” He made a rude noise. “Talkin’ to the wrong person, dearie. You’re forgettin’ that I happened to be there when we almost lost you to vampire bites. Made a righteous mess of that beautiful body if I’m recallin’ correctly.”

“I’m not forgetting that. But you’re forgetting that, number one, I wasn’t out with a team. I was alone. And number two, I wasn’t taken down by vampire. It was a fellow knight, which is why I didn’t see it coming.” Ram responded by slumping down in his chair and starting to thump a nervous rhythm on the table with his hand. “Don’t you see, Ram, if I’m on patrol, I can protect you and Kay and Storm. That’s why I wanted to be a knight to begin with.”

Ram sighed deeply. He was going to give in for all the same reasons he had given in the first time. “That’s why you wanted to be a knight?”

“Rammel, if something happened to you, I would never forgive you because I would always know that I might have prevented it if I’d been there. I owe that to you, to me, to Helm, and to B Team.”

“Are you plannin’ to play every card in your deck?”

Elora raised her chin and smiled. “I’m not playing, Ram. I’m standing by my man.”

“You know there’s a reason why Great Paddy never married.”

Elora cocked her head and looked at Ram thoughtfully. “You do know there’s no Great Paddy, don’t you, Ram?”

“What do you mean?”

Rev interjected. “If this is settled, I need to go throw a couple of things in a bag.”

***

Giveaway:

At each blog tour stop, one lucky winner will win an e-book set of 7 Knights of Black Swan Series!  (one set each stop)

Winner will be announced on May 8th for this blog.

To enter, just leave your name and email address in the comments so I can send the organiser the winner's details :)

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: True Blue by Susan Rae

TRUE Blue - PROMO Blitz

By Susan Rae

Romantic Suspense

Date Published: May 16, 2014
Amazon | BN | Smashwords

  

Sometimes we must revisit the past to embrace our future.

Twenty-four years ago, the murder of a Chicago police officer changed Joey DeLuca’s life.  He lost his best friend and first love, Meghan McConnell, when her mother whisked her out of town.  Now, on the eve of another officer’s death, Meghan is back and about to step into his life again.

There is very little gray in Joey's line of work as a Lt. Detective--it is either black or white, right or wrong. But Meghan’s insistence on finding answers to her father's murder threatens those beliefs and throws his marriage to CPD Detective Andi, his career, and the entire DeLuca family in jeopardy when new revelations come to light.

Can Joey save his marriage, solve the murder, and keep his family together all at the same time?

The third book in the DeLuca Family Series, TRUE blue can also be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel.

EXCERPT

Chapter One

Lieutenant Detective Joseph Anthony DeLuca Jr. of the Chicago Police Department knelt beside the victim and lifted the edge of the plastic sheet to expose the bloodied head and lifeless torso. His gut clenched. This never got easier, but this guy was a cop, a detective under his own watch, and that fact irked him even more.

“How the hell did this happen?” he asked Sergeant Davis, the slain detective’s immediate supervisor.

Oh, yes, he’d gotten the quick initial briefing when he’d arrived on scene. A convenience store robbery in progress. Shots fired. Officers responding, but before backup could arrive, more shots fired, and then a car screaming down the street and Detective Mark Beattie, pursuing on foot, struck down, his body flying through the air on impact, his head smashing against the pavement when he landed.

“Why was he here in the first place?” Lieutenant DeLuca added, ignoring the sweat that beaded on his brow. The late afternoon heat was stifling. The August sun’s hot rays radiated off the pavement. It didn’t help the sick feeling in his gut.

“He was following up on a lead on a previous robbery attempt,” Sergeant Davis said, “questioning a woman in the apartment across the street. As near as we can tell, he must have heard the first gunshots and he ran outside to check it out.

“We got the call at 3:47 for shots fired. According to witnesses, right after the first shots were fired, a man wearing a ski mask ran out of the store and took off on foot. Seconds later, another guy comes running out of the store, again wearing a ski mask. From what we’ve put together so far, when the second suspect came out of the store, Beattie called out that he was a police officer and told him to stop. About the same time, a car pulled up in the parking lot and a woman started to get out.

“The suspect began shooting toward Beattie, and Beattie returned fire, but then the suspect ran toward the woman’s car. He grabbed the woman and threw her aside so he could get into the car. That’s when Beattie took off after him on foot, right about the time another car came racing down the street. The car slammed into him. Beattie didn’t have a chance. Near as we can figure, it was the getaway car.

“The woman’s sitting in one of the patrol cars. She’s pretty shook up. Her eleven-month-old baby was in a car seat in the back. Both are okay. The suspect never made it out of the parking lot. It seems Detective Beattie got off a fatal shot before he was struck by the car. CSU is still working over the perp.”

Lieutenant DeLuca’s jaw clenched as his eyes focused on the bloodied features of his detective. Beattie was a good man, one of his best. He’d left a wife and two children, middle school age. Just last week, the man was telling him about a trip he was planning to take with his family to the Wisconsin Dells. He remembered the light in Beattie’s eyes as he talked about how excited the kids were.

“EMS worked on him for a full twenty minutes before calling it,” Davis continued. “CSU found a bullet hole in his neck and one in his chest. Not sure what really killed him—the impact, the gunshots, or smacking his head on the pavement. Take your pick.”

“What about the owner of the convenience store?” DeLuca asked.

“Deceased.”

Lieutenant DeLuca shook his head. “Are they done here?” He nodded down at Beattie.

“Just finished up, for now.”

The lieutenant eased the edge of the sheet down and said a silent prayer for his detective before looking up again at Davis. “Then let’s get him the hell off the street. Has his wife been notified?”

“I’ve already sent one of our men over there.”

“We’re not releasing his name until I know his wife’s been notified.”

“Right.”

“Any chance the first guy out of the store is the same one that slammed into Beattie?”

The sergeant shook his head. “I don’t know. The timing’s pretty tight. So far, none of the witnesses have put the two together.”

“Then we’re looking for a third suspect.”

“I think so. I’ve got officers canvassing the area.”

Lieutenant DeLuca glanced around at the crime tape surrounding the scene, at the crowd of gawkers and media already assembled around the perimeter. He hoped their man got there before word got to Beattie’s wife. With today’s instant information age, he was sure the news of another cop killing in the city of Chicago was spreading like wildfire across the airwaves, as well as the Internet. He glanced again at the assembled media. They’d want an official statement soon.

“What about the hit-and-run?”

“We’ve got a description of the vehicle. Put an APB out on all channels. Nothing yet, but we’ll find him, Lieutenant.”

“You’re damn straight we’ll find him. What about the prior attempted robbery? Any leads there?”

“We’re checking the surveillance video. We’ll be putting a description of all the suspects out within the hour, along with the video. Of course, they’re all wearing ski masks, but who knows? Maybe we’ll get lucky and somebody will recognize them. The two robberies could be tied together.”

“Best guess?”

“Gang bangers.”

“In the middle of the day?”

“A dare. An initiation, maybe. Crazy what these punks are trying now.”

The lieutenant’s stomach burned. No matter how hard they tried to clean up the streets, some days it seemed like the gangs were getting the better of them.

His cell phone buzzed. He reached into the inside pocket of his suit coat and pulled it out. The caller ID indicated it was Andi, his wife.

Officer Andrea DeLuca was a detective, too. She would have heard about the incident already. She’d also know who was shot and that it wasn’t him.

Deciding he wasn’t ready to talk to her about it just yet, he let the call go to voice mail. Less than thirty seconds later, it buzzed again, this time indicating a text.

You okay?

He sighed and texted back.

Yes.

Are you going to be able to make it to the dinner tonight?

Damn, he’d pretty much forgotten about the dinner. His sister Angela and her boyfriend had invited the DeLuca clan, along with about fifty of their closest friends, to the soft opening of her boyfriend’s bistro. His sister had been pretty adamant about all of them attending.

He texted back, Chances are, not. Go on without me.

Understand. Love you.

He paused for a second and then typed, Me too, and hit send. Why did he hesitate? He didn’t exactly know. Things had been tense between them lately, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on why. Perhaps it was because he was up for a promotion soon and he was working long hours to try to not screw it up. Between that and Andi’s own dedication to their chosen line of work, it seemed they were spending less and less time together. He glanced back down at Detective Beattie. The team had returned and was now placing his body into a body bag. He frowned. Maybe it was time he and Andi did some re-evaluating.

He was about to slip the phone back into his pocket when it buzzed again. Glancing once more at the caller ID, he didn’t recognize the number or the area code. It definitely was not one of his fellow officers or a member of his family. Ignoring the call for now, he slipped the phone back into his pocket and scanned the assembling media again. No less than three satellite trucks had joined them.

According to his cell phone, it was 4:53—just in time for the evening news. Loosening his tie, he took a step toward them. The temperature was a searing ninety-seven degrees. Add in the humidity and the heat index, it had to be about one hundred and five. The heat didn’t help the tension in the streets. It was a well-known fact that crime, including homicides, went up when the temperatures rose.

He glanced up at the sky. They could use a cold front to come blowing through, complete with thunderstorms. It would be a welcome relief.

But there wasn’t a cloud in sight.

About the Author: Susan Rae

Susan Rae grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Columbia College, Missouri with an emphasis in creative writing. She penned her first melodrama in fifth grade for a Girl Scout Drama badge. Complete with hero, heroine, and dastardly villain, it wasn’t so different, really, than the romantic suspense she writes now.

“I love writing romantic suspense because it allows me to combine a sexy, passionate love story with a gritty suspense tale—in my opinion, the best of both worlds.  It also allows me to express my appreciation for the outdoors in the settings that I recreate on the page.”

Freefall,  Susan’s second novel, takes place in Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine Forest and beautiful Door County.  ICE blue returns to the busy streets of Chicago and the shores of Lake Michigan to continue the story of the DeLuca family which began in her award winning first novel, heartbeats. In TRUE blue, the third book in the DeLuca Family series, Susan was thrilled when it became apparent that her characters must take a trip to Montana’s majestic Glacier National Park.

When she is not sketching characters, you might find Susan on the golf course working on her handicap, or traveling around the country seeking out new settings for her novels with her husband and empty nest puppies, Ginger and Nikute.  To read more about Susan’s novels and the writing life, please visit her website/blog at www.susanrae.com

Author Links

Website | Facebook | Blog

Buy Link

Musa Publishing

GIVEAWAY

$10 Amazon Gift Card

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Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Mind Games by Christine Amsden

Mind Games - PROMO Blitz

By Christine Amsden

Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance / Mystery

Date Published: 4/10/2014

  

Beware your heart and soul…

Evan broke Cassie’s heart two months ago, and she still doesn’t know why. She throws herself into family, friends and her new job at the sheriff’s department, but nothing helps. The only thing that finally allows her heal and move on is the love of a new man, mind mage Matthew Blair. Cassie finds him…irresistible.

Matthew may also be the only one who can help keep the non-magical residents of Eagle Rock from going crazy over the murder of a beloved pastor’s wife. It looks like a sorcerer is to blame, but while Cassie tries to figure out who, others take matters into their own hands. With tensions running so hot, a single spark might set Eagle Rock ablaze. Book 3 in the Cassie Scot series.

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

EXCERPT

Rick was still on some tirade about the heat, possibly trying to blame an August heatwave on sorcery, or perhaps the wrath of God, when I got the oddest sense of foreboding. It was a tingle, one of those things that is easily dismissed in the moment but, in retrospect, makes you think, I had a feeling…

Upon entering the diner my impression of danger strengthened, though it took me a minute to pinpoint the source of the threat. I noticed two things at once: First, Mrs. Meyer’s oddly shifty gaze as she worked the cash register, and second, the nervous expression of the stooped, middle-aged man standing opposite her.

The tinkle of bells startled the man in front of the register more than it should have. He turned slightly, took a good look at Rick and me in our deputy’s uniforms, and let out a cry of alarm. The next thing I knew he held a pistol in his shaking hands. “Don’t move!”

I froze. In that microcosm of time between instants, I gathered that Rick and I had interrupted a robbery and the man probably thought someone had called the cops. There was a sense of desperation about the man that made him seem wild and unpredictable – a dangerous combination, especially for a man holding a deadly weapon.

When time resumed, everyone in the diner began to panic. More than a few people screamed. Dishes fell and broke. Everyone scrambled for cover, most sheltering under tables.

In the midst of the chaos, the man’s shaking hand jerked upward and fired a shot into the ceiling, showering plaster and debris all !over a quaking Mrs. Meyer.

“I said don’t move!” He brought the gun back down and aimed it at me. “Drop your weapon.”

With painstaking slowness, I moved my fingers toward my sidearm. To my right and just behind me Rick stood stock still, not going for his weapon at all.

“Don’t try anything!” the gunman warned. He waved the gun at Rick. “Drop your weapon, I said!”

“It’s okay,” I tried to make my voice sound soothing. “You don’t want to hurt anyone. If you put the gun down, we can work something out.”

My gun was halfway to the floor when Rick suddenly withdrew his weapon and aimed it at the gunman, pairing the two of them off in a good old-fashioned Mexican standoff. “Drop your weapon!” Rick shouted.

For a second, I truly believed I would die. The gunman looked crazy and desperate enough to start shooting at a moment’s provocation. I even thought I saw his finger tighten around the trigger.

The gunman opened his mouth as if to speak, but then something rather odd happened. The only physical signs were his eyes, which took on a sudden vacant expression, and his fingers, which went limp. His gun clattered to the floor.

Not sure what had just happened, but not about to let the opportunity pass me by, I rushed up to the man, kicked the gun away, and twisted his hands behind his back. He didn’t even resist as I forced him to the ground, slapped cuffs on him, and patted him down in search of other weapons.

Rick came up beside me. “You shouldn’t have lowered your weapon. I had it under control.”

I doubted it. I wasn’t sure what had happened, but Rick’s move might have gotten me killed. It wasn’t the right time to discuss it, though, so with one knee on the gunman’s back to make sure he didn’t move, I radioed the station for backup. After that, I scanned the crowd for signs of injury. Everyone seemed fine, if rattled, but one face in a nearby booth caught my attention.

Matthew Blair, state senator, son of the mayor, and powerful mind mage, winked at me. Casually, he unfolded his wallet, slid a couple of bills onto the table, and walked outside. But he left me in no doubt that he had used his talents on the gunman to force him into docility.

On a positive note, Rick left the department that afternoon. I’m not clear if he quit or if the sheriff fired him, but he decided to head up private security for his church. I couldn’t feel too surprised when I’d never had a partner last much longer than a month anyway.

Get book #1 for $0.99 during May!

Cassie Scot is the ungifted daughter of powerful sorcerers, born between worlds but belonging to neither. At 21, all she wants is to find a place for herself, but earning a living as a private investigator in the shadow of her family’s reputation isn’t easy. When she is pulled into a paranormal investigation, and tempted by a powerful and handsome sorcerer, she will have to decide where she truly belongs.

First Chapter Here

Buy Links Book One

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Audible Audiobook

About the Author: Christine Amsden

Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a condition that effects the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams.

In addition to writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing at Savvy Authors. She also does some freelance editing work.

Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two beautiful children.

Author Links

Website | Newsletter | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google + | Goodreads

Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card

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Book Spotlight & Giveaway Gabby Angel of God by Greg Sandora

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Gabby: Angel of God
by Greg Sandora
Supernatural Romance


Gabby, Angel of God is a Supernatural Romance Thriller that feels like falling in love!

The story starts out with a young widower, Bo, raising two small children and the three heartbeats that will change his life. Ride along as stunningly beautiful Gabby, takes this human man on the no-holds barred adventure of a lifetime!

If you’ve ever lost a loved one this story is for you!

A story of Peace, Love, Hope, Charity and the strength of Faith, you’ll love Gabby, Angel of God.

About the Book

Gabby, is gorgeous, powerful, and able to take on forces that would make the most powerful armies turn and run for their lives. You’ll be addicted in no time!

Pure Fun…an Adrenaline Rush!

Just when a young man feels he has lost everything he meets an angel and finds out that his life is just beginning. Gabby is an angel of God who shows him that life is always full of surprises, adventures and a lot more meaning than we can easily fathom. She shows Bo how to help others, be open to love again and find the hidden strength that lies within all of us. It is a story with heart and hope that will take you on an adventure of faith with one amazing angel.

Gabby, Angel of God will take you on one heck of a ride!

Gabby, Angel of God is a Supernatural Romance Thriller, it involves an angel, Gabby, short for Gabriella – Basically, a man during a visit to Bar Harbor, Maine encounters a beautiful angel named Gabby; quite accidentally, he is told – she wasn’t supposed to make him aware of her existence. His purity of spirit, kindness and capacity for love has revealed her to him. Naturally he falls hopelessly in love with the beautiful creature, as humans can not resist angels. The book is titled Gabby, Angel of God, Guardian and Messenger (Keeper of the Peace, Love, Hope, Charity and Faith. She’s quite something and they go on a quick but exciting adventure helping people in trouble. Gabby fits nicely in the Supernatural, Romantic Thriller, Paranormal and Time Travel genres.

Think Angel Encounter, Angel Romance Thriller, or Angel Adventure.

Excerpt:

The door chimes at the top of the old door rang, signaling our arrival. Other than the little bells jingling, everything seemed too quiet. I quickly surveyed the room sensing something was wrong. More often than not you would get a friendly greeting when you entered a store, especially in a small one-person shop. The shopkeeper would normally be so glad to see a customer or have anyone stop by. Not here, not today, something was off.

The store itself was normal – laid out the usual way with a few grocery isles to make the state happy. Maine has a stupid rule that small stores must stock at least a certain dollar figure of groceries in order to maintain a license to sell beer, wine, and cigarettes. That’s how the proprietor makes his money. To meet the requirement variety stores usually stock a few isles of dust covered groceries conveniently priced at three times normal. The right side of the store was reserved for groceries, leaving the left side of Zeb’s lined with a neat display of old- fashioned beer coolers. A dark oak, glass front counter had pride of the place at the back of the store. It was topped by and old-fashioned brass cash register.

What seemed odd to me was the way the shopkeeper continued staring straight ahead without saying anything. Not even a friendly, “What can I do you for,” when we walked in. A tall, heavy-set biker stood faced toward the counter between the closest beer cooler and the center aisle. His massive bulk, greasy ponytail, and leather vest made him look ominous. Gorilla hairy except for his shaved arms completely inked with skulls, daggers, and black lettering. The words so stretched over his skin you could barely make out the ink. I always give guys like him a wide berth.

“Don’t worry, Bo,” Gabby offered reassuringly as she walked straight up to the counter as if she hadn’t a care in the world. Standing side by side with the tattooed giant,

“Do you have Tab,” she asked. “My boyfriend would like one.” Her voice was so cute I had to smile. I loved hearing Gabby call me her boyfriend. Even if it was just for show, I played along.

The shopkeeper was shaking his head and biting his lip. I knew he wanted us to just turn around and walk away. The sooner the better, if I was judging his demeanor correctly. I was beginning to feel and sense things around Gabby. It felt like my brain was finally waking up from a long slumber and making connections that I never made before.

The big man turned to face my angel, towering over her, even in her heels. “They’re fresh out, Missy,” he barked, trying to intimidate, “Why don’t you and your little girly man save yourself the trouble, and just leave.”

The storekeeper’s eyes were pleading with us to go. Gabby was undaunted. She turned toward him, “Is that any way to speak to a lady, Wesley?” She asked so fearlessly. It was sexy. I’ve never seen anything like it and I was falling in love.

“How did you know my name you prissy little bitch?”

Gabby stood toe to toe with him. “The same way I know you’re wearing your mother’s underwear, you big pussy-ass fat bastard!”

She’d obviously struck a nerve. Wesley breathed in deep and stood to his full height puffing out his chest. He lifted his fat arm, exposing a grotesque wad of black underarm hair. He pointed a platinum-plated 44 magnum at Gabby’s face. “I’ve heard about a fucking-nuff out of you, whore!” He snapped red faced obviously embarrassed by her perceptive reading of him.Gabby looked at him with contempt. “Oh, shut your bad breath, foul smelling, ugly trap, Wesley, you big-girl phony.”

“Are you done? Slut!” He raged, “Who dies first,” he growled, “you or your little girlfriend.” He pointed the gun back toward me.

“You wanna go first, Fuck!?” He asked, “Or maybe I should let you watch while your little bitch bleeds. How would you like that, Princess?” He cocked the gun.

I was tiring of the fat man. I’ve been called wiry and rugged, even handsome, but never girly or princess. Gaby’s confidence inspired a supreme sense of calm. I was searching my memory for the right words, something droll to say. It wasn’t every day I had the protection of an angel of God. I wanted to say something that would impress her and make me sound cool, like Clint Eastwood. Before I could think of anything Gabby kicked her red heel high into the fat man’s chest, sending him flying into the closest beer cooler. With the force of a projectile, his body hit the back of the antique cooler, shattering through the glass doors and bursting the contents. Beer cans were flying out spurting everywhere, rolling past me squirting their foamy contents all over the floor. The heavy impact caused the store alarm to go off.

It all felt surreal. What’s wrong with this picture? There was a dead body, broken glass, beer spraying all over the place. A half hour ago I was lying down on the seat plank of a picnic table taking a nap, relaxing. Now I’m accessory to murder, with an angel. That’s going to be tough to explain.

Gabby turned to me, “Are you okay?”

I was flabbergasted. “I didn’t know angels killed people?”

“They don’t, Bo, that guy was already dead!” She whispered to me. Gabby looked at the body of the biker and whispered, “Jesus.” While the sweet fragrance of His name was still on her lips, a dark shadow left Wesley’s body, disappearing like black vapor through the sidewall of the store.

“It’s going to be fine.” Gabby reassured the man behind the counter. She went to him and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He was understandably very upset.

“You didn’t see anything. You don’t have to remember what happened.”

“I didn’t see anything,” he repeated her words, shaky and dumbfounded.

She turned to me, “Bo, we’d better go. You’re right; this would be tough to explain.”

“You read my mind?”

She grinned at me. “Yeah, get used to it.”

“Did you know all this was going to happen?”

Gabby shrugged. “No, I usually get my orders just before He needs me.”

“Oh, you find out just before?”

Gabby winked at me. “Don’t worry, He never gives me more than I can handle.”

“Good thing!”

***

About the Author:

I’m originally from the Portland, Maine area and lived and worked there for years before moving to Southwest Florida.

My first book, Jack Canon’s American Destiny: He’s All In, is a Presidential Thriller, or some might say White House Mystery Thriller, packed with action and adventure.

I just completed the sequel to Jack Canon’s American Destiny – which is titled Jack Canon’s Women of the House: Love, Lust and Loyalty (A story of Kindness, Passion and Courage that can’t be separated. It’s has all of the same components of the first but leans toward a Presidential Romance, or White House Romance Thriller.

The sequel is just as action packed, but with a bit more spice than the first, some would say it’s very sensual. Anyway both are available on Amazon now.

My stories are full of adventures, thrills, and romance, are fast paced and even have some hilarious moments.

The Jack Canon series will eventually be about 7 books, book three is tentatively titled, Jack Canon’s Ghost Operative, it’s a Presidential Agent Thriller and deals heavily in the shady dealings of the CIA, Global Terrorism, and the do-what-ever it takes spy mentality. Anyway the attitude of President Jack Canon is to make things right, No matter what!

My hope is to have people read the stories and let me know their thoughts. My dream is to write full time and return to beautiful Maine in the Summertime while spending winters in Florida. I probably share that goal with a lot of people.

My Dad and Mom were artists, my father painted and my mother wrote poetry and loved to garden.

Most Saturdays we loaded up the 1970 Chevy Impala to trek to a one man show somewhere or other. I took a different track graduating with a business degree; owning and operating an Award Winning Franchise Fitness Center. Currently a professional manager I am living in Florida with my beautiful wife and children, and following my passion.

Website | Facebook | Facebook Page | Twitter | Pinterest | Google+ | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

***

Giveaway:

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Book Spotlight Calculated by Renee Novelle

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By Renee Novelle

Psycological Thriller

Date Published: August 30, 2013

  

An investigative journalist gets an unlikely tip from a mysterious informant. Dismissing it as impossible, she disregards the information and drops the story. Until the informant turns up dead, as predicted.

Plunged into the murky waters of a seedy underground prostitution ring, this psychological thriller provides twist upon dark twist in a story that would ultimately pin the church and several government officials in the largest murder cover-up the city has ever witnessed.

But is it true, or has the journalist merely been used as a pawn in a greater scheme? And how many people is she willing to sacrifice trying to figure it out?

EXCERPT

When she arrived at the little facility her building provided, a quick look around confirmed she was the only one there. Just as she’d hoped, and exactly how she liked it to be. Smiling in satisfaction, she flipped on the television that was perched on the wall, and turned up the music on her iPod as loud as she could handle it. The multiple distractions would help her get through the extra mile she was planning to conquer. With chilled water bottle in place, she cranked up the treadmill to a nice brisk pace.

As her breathing picked up speed and her muscles began to warm, Ana’s eye caught a red flash along the bottom of the screen. Breaking News filled the bar, and the too-chipper-for-their-own-good reporters were suddenly getting serious. Since the volume was still muted, Ana couldn’t understand exactly what was going on, only that they were showing the wide stretch of river that ran along the outskirts of the city. She wiped the first beads of sweat from her brow, and used the remote to turn the volume of the television higher while simultaneously adjusting her music.

As the reporters spoke, home-video footage of something floating in the water rolled before her eyes. The camera zoomed in, the frame ever so shaky, and it became clearly apparent that the “something” was a person - face down with long brown hair spread out like a Catholic halo. It appeared another victim had been pulled out of the water; the count was quickly tallying up. A young woman this time, and possibly one who had gone missing the night before.

Ana’s pulse skipped a few beats as they replayed the video over and over. There was something familiar about the long, lean body. Slowing the treadmill to a stop, she ripped the ear buds from her head to give the segment her entire attention.

...it appears at first glance that the victim suffered from a deep cut to the throat, and received multiple stab wounds to the chest...

The beads of accumulated sweat turned cold on Ana’s brow. She immediately reached for her phone and dialed Kylie’s number.

“What the hell, Ana?” Came her friend’s groggy voice.

“Turn your TV on. Channel four. Hurry.” Ana said, eyes transfixed to the screen in front of her. “Recognize that face?”

...It’s thought the victim may be one of the young girls recently reported missing. The screen flashed candids of three possible women. All brunettes. All tall and thin. All roughly the same age. Among them was a photo of Mara, just as Ana had expected there would be.

But the body was too bloated and disfigured to be absolutely certain, and an autopsy would be needed.

... The body will be taken in for processing where officials hope to shed more light on the case in the near future. In the mean time, they’re cautioning residents to avoid....

“Did you see that?” Ana’s voice escaped in more of a demand than a question. “Please tell me I’m seeing things.”

“Oh my god...” Kylie whispered into the receiver, confirming the dread that was building in Ana’s stomach. “Do you really think it’s her?”

“I know for a fact it is.” Ana declared, the pull in her gut getting stronger by the minute. “The autopsy will confirm it.”

“So, what does this mean exactly now?”

“That maybe I should have been listening a little closer when I was talking to Mara.” She said with regret as she swiped her forehead with the back of her hand. “And maybe I should have asked more questions. There’s a story here, I’m sure of it now.”

“What are you going to do?” Kylie’s voice was decidedly more alert now.

Ana shook her head. “I have no idea.”

Though if she were to be truthful with herself in that moment, she’d already made up her mind. Ana flipped off the television, and left the little gym to get started.

About the Author: Renee Novelle

Formerly a freelance journalist, Novelle has found placement of her pieces in both online and print publications since 2008. Additionally, she has written multiple screenplays, and contributed her writing to many non-profit and for profit organizations. She has launched several blogs over the years, which garnered international attention.

In 2013, Novelle returned to her first love – fiction. Writing under the names Renee Novelle and R.S. Novelle, she has a publication schedule that includes Psychological Thrillers, Suspense, Paranormal Fiction, Contemporary Women’s fiction, Chick Lit, and New Adult.

Though she received her Bachelor’s of Science in Communication, summa cum laude, she considers herself a constant student of the written word. She’s an avid reader, an enthusiastic quote poster, and rarely takes “no” as a final answer. She has an unhealthy obsession for theater, dance, music and art, and strongly believes that wine is simultaneously the beginning of, and resolution to, all of life’s problems. She believes in following dreams, and that in the end, you always end up where you’re meant to be.

Author Links

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords | iTunes

  

  

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Revelation by Randi Cooley Wilson

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“I found myself so deep in the story, my ipad followed me everywhere I went so I could sneak a second to read a page or two just because I kept thinking about it.” – My Book Boyfriend

REVELATION, the first novel in the new adult Revelation series by debut author Randi Cooley Wilson,  is a journey of self-discovery, love and sacrifice and has been compared to INESCAPABLE by Amy Bartol and HUSH HUSH by Becca Fitzpatrick. If you want to be swept away into a new world with paranormal characters you haven't read about before then you should snag a copy of REVELATION today!

Want to learn more about REVELATION? Be sure to check out this exclusive interview with Randi Cooley Wilson!

About REVELATION:

A DIVINE SECRET,
A LOYAL PROTECTOR,
A FORBIDDEN LOVE.

Eve Collins starts her freshman year at college blissfully unaware that one revelation will challenge everything she’s believed to be true about her family, life, and future, and right in the midst of it all is Asher St. Michael.

Mysterious and aloof, Asher is appointed to protect Eve at all costs. Bound by his oath of loyalty to mankind, loving her is forbidden. Dark and enigmatic, Gage Gallagher may be even more dangerous to Eve than the demonic army that hunts her.

Caught in the middle of a centuries old war, Eve must choose sides knowing that the wrong choice will cost more than just her life. Can Asher and Eve fulfill their destinies or will their love destroy everything? Revelation is a journey of self-discovery, love, and sacrifice.

Get your copy at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

Add REVELATION to your TBR pile on Goodreads!

Excerpt:

Meet Aria from REVELATION

Aria just stands there, arms folded. Crap, the angry pixie’s back. “Are you going to tell me the absurd reason why you heaved me through the club to hide out in the ladies room? I mean, it is a lovely room,” she motions her hand around, “but this isn’t a seventh grade dance, so spill it, sister,” she coaxes. Thin chocolate slits stare at me in partial amusement.

I exhale in defeat. “There’s a guy out there on the dance floor.”

She rolls her eyes. “Of course there’s a guy, Eve,” she says as if it’s common knowledge.

I throw her a snotty look.

“Eve.” My name comes out as a moan. “A guy’s always the reason a normally sane individual such as yourself would drag her friend across a dark club and into the bathroom without an explanation. Otherwise, you would be peeing or putting on gloss.”

***

About Randi Cooley Wilson: 


Randi was born and raised in Massachusetts where she attended Bridgewater State University and graduated with a degree in Communication Studies. After graduation she moved to California where she lived happily bathed in sunshine and warm weather for fifteen years. She and her husband recently moved back to Massachusetts with their daughter where she was encouraged to begin writing again.

Connect with her at her website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

Win some awesome prizes:

A $25 gift card to Amazon or B&N (winners choice, open internationally), 3 runner up prizes: A signed copy of REVELATION and bookmark (open to US entrants only).

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Release Day Giveaway: Long for Me by Shiloh Walker

Award-winning author, Shiloh Walker, is back with a HOT new series that’ll leave you yearning for more!

Happy release day to Shiloh Walker; LONG FOR ME is here!

LONG FOR ME is the third and final novella in the Secrets and Shadows series that introduces readers to the Bell siblings and sets the stage for the highly anticipated mass market print release of DEEPER THAN NEED, book one in the Secrets and Shadows series coming from St. Martin’s Paperbacks on June 3, 2014!


Find out more about Secrets and Shadows in this exclusive interview with Shiloh Walker!

***

About LONG FOR ME:

In Long for Me by Shiloh Walker, Christina Bell remembers what it was like to be part of a loving family. The youngest of the Bell children, she simply cannot believe that her dad, or anyone else she loves, had a hand in her mother’s disappearance. She’s looking forward to moving on and spending more time with her sexy best friend, Guy Miller, who she is starting to see in a whole new light.Their attraction sizzling and love deepening, Christina feels confident in her life and ability to handle what comes her way...But when Nichole’s body is found—and the mystery of her death slowly reveals itself—Christina is left not knowing who to trust. What if Guy, her one true desire, proves to be her biggest danger?

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes Bookstore


Excerpt:

The roughed-out log cabin wasn’t much.  Perched on the edge of the Ohio River, nearly an hour away from Madison, it was Guy’s personal retreat.  He came to fish or just get the hell away from people.

Too bad, she thought, kicking a leg over her bike and staring up at the cabin.  Some people might have enjoyed the picturesque drive out here.  It had just given her more time to brood, steam, and work herself up.  She was probably as close to exploding as she’d been in a good long time.

The door swung open and she found herself staring at the very object of her wrath.

Guy, in the flesh.

Her heartbeat kicked up and she had to swallow the spit that had suddenly pooled in her mouth.

The very, very nice flesh.  Curling her hands into fists, she used the bite of her nails into her palms to help get centered.  It wasn’t much, but every little bit helped, she figured.

He’d just walked out.

After that night together, after him telling her how he didn’t want her to regret it and how he thought about her—okay, he thought about her naked, or her ass, whatever.

Still.

He’d kinda made her think . . . crazy things.

Then he ignored her.

He’d gone three days, completely ignoring her.

That slow burn of lust settled in her belly—it was a familiar ache, something she’d gotten used to ignoring when it came to him.  She needed him for a friend more than she needed him for a lover.

Or so she’d thought.

But then they’d had that night—it had been as amazing as the first night and she needed him like she needed air and he’d just walked away.

She jutted her chin up as he continued to watch her.

Then he turned around and walked back into the cabin.

The door remained open.

Oh, hell. She was just going to have to kick his ass.

***

About DEEPER THAN NEED:

Time heals all wounds.

Eager to put a dark, troubled past behind her, Trinity Ewing buys an old house that will make the perfect refuge for her and her young son once renovations are complete. The last thing on her mind is finding someone new…but the contractor she’s hired is an irresistible distraction—and Trinity can’t help but fantasize about all the business they could be doing behind closed doors.

So does one man’s touch.

Noah Benningfield thought he’d put his demons behind him. But the moment he lays eyes on Trinity, the temptation he feels is too powerful to deny. Soon the attraction between them explodes into something neither of them could have imagined. But their desire will be put to the test when a shocking local murder has them dodging danger at every turn. Can the beautiful and damaged Trinity trust someone like Noah, whose own past is as haunted as her own? The only thing she knows for sure is that she can’t live without a man who makes her feel this good—over and over again…in Deeper Than Need by Shiloh Walker.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes Bookstore

***

About BURN FOR ME:

Scarred long ago by the disappearance of his mother, Nichole, Tate Bell aches to spend his days and nights with Ali Holmes, a woman he’s loved for years. But while Ali’s heart pines to be with Tate, her head has reservations...

Ali knows that Tate has never forgiven his father for the fight he had with Nichole right before she left the house—and was never heard from again. Ali thinks that Tate's unresolved anger is a force to be reckoned with...even though the heat that blazes between them is undeniable. Now both Tate and Ali are left to wonder: Can love really conquer all? Get lost in a world of secrets and shadows in Burn for Me by Shiloh Walker.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes Bookstore

***

About BREAK FOR ME:

Jensen Bell had twelve happy years before her mother disappeared and her whole world went to pieces. Since then, she's become a cop—one who takes great pride in her work, and in helping keep others safe. The saving grace in her own life has been Dean West, the only man who can make her burn with desire and help her through her burdens. But when a shocking discovery turns her life upside-down, even being wrapped in Dean’s arms might not be enough to keep her out of harm's way, in Break for Me by Shiloh Walker.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes Bookstore
***

About Shiloh Walker:

Shiloh Walker has been writing since she was a kid... she fell in love with vampires with the book Bunnicula and has worked her way up to the more...ah... serious vampire stories. She loves reading and writing anything paranormal, anything fantasy, but most all anything romantic. Once upon a time, she worked as a nurse, but now she writes full time and lives with her family in the Midwest. She also writes under the pen name J. C. Daniels.

Connect with Shiloh at her Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads


Shiloh's giving away some awesome things leading up to the release of DEEPER THAN NEED, book one in Secrets and Shadows!

Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a Coach purse, signed copies of Shiloh's books, and an Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card worth $20!
(Due to shipping and insurance, this giveaway is open to US only)

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