{Cover Reveal} Day After by Emi Gayle

I’m excited to share yet another lovely cover from J. Taylor Publishing with you today.  Check it out.

Day After

Book 2 in The 19th Year Trilogy

by Emi Gayle

Release Date: May 6, 2013

Target Reader: Young Adult

Keywords: Paranormal Romance, Romance

Back of the Book

Demon crypts. Vampire lairs. Glowing angels. Sexy sirens. The stuff of fiction.

Or so Winn Thomas always thought.

Since being accepted into the fold of the supernatural, he knows better. None of what he imagined is true, but everything he feared is, and binding himself to his changeling girlfriend until her nineteenth birthday will give him an education far beyond what he’d get at his human high school.

Luckily, Winn’s not giving up, he won’t back down, and he definitely isn’t going to run away with his tail between his legs. After all, only werewolves have tails. Right?

In this, the second of the 19th Year trilogy, Winn’s facing the challenge of one lifetime. If he doesn’t learn the truth about mythological creatures, his girlfriend Mac Thorne won’t either. That means, in six months, when she chooses her final form, she won’t know what to pick.

Winn, though, has his own ideas about Mac’s final selection—plans she knows nothing of.

He intends to have her pick human.

Whether she can or not.

URL: http://www.jtaylorpublishing.com/books/20

Other Books in this series include:
After Dark (Book 1)

Is Aimee Laine a country girl or a city girl? #meettheauthor

I have a very special guest for you today on Meet the Author.  None other than Aimee Laine, paranormal romance author extraordinaire, creator of such heart-touching masterpieces as Little White Lies and Hide & Seek, has agreed to plunk her lovely butt in the hot seat for your reading pleasure.  Welcome, lady! 

No squirming, now, while you finish this sentence: 

If I couldn’t be an author, I’d be a ____________.

A ping pong champion. Okay, not really. 🙂 I’d be a professional photographer. Oh! Wait, I am! Actually, I LOVE what I do — managing the development of eLearning programs.

Love ping pong!  Though I suck at it.  And I’ve seen your photography, and it’s awesome!  Liking what we do is so important, isn’t it? 

It is! HUGELY important.

There are a lot of stereotypes cast in a romance novelist’s direction, like they must sleep in slinky lingerie when most I’ve met are dressed from head to toe in flannel jammies when they hit the sack.  Are you a warm and comfy girl?  Or an in-the-buff or silk and satin kind of girl?

Are there really? LOL I definitely don’t sleep in slinky lingerie. Don’t even own any! No flannels for me either. That would be like wrapping up fully in blankets without the ability to kick one leg out! Yes, I’m one of ‘those’ people. For me, to be honest, it’s whatever’s most comfortable for the moment. Could be a T-shirt. Could be undies only. Could be nothing. 

What!?!?  No lingerie?  Ah!  You’ve shattered my image of you!  *snort*  Okay, so no slinky stuff, but I know you’re into romance, so let’s uncover  your secrets, shall we?  😉 

Food is often a good way to create a tension-filled moment in a steamy novel.  What’s the most sensual food you’ve ever eaten?  Have you ever written about it? Come on, no being shy, now.  We have ways of making you talk.  *grins*

I have in fact eaten snails! Yup, the eraser-texture-like gooeyness. And yes, I like them! No, I haven’t written about them though. On the other hand, I’ve also eaten chocolate covered strawberries and oh yeah, those ARE in a book. Oh yeah. 

Ick.  Yeah, me and anything resembling bugs don’t get along so well, but I’d totally hit those strawberries.  Yum!  Do you have any quirks?  Odd little tidbits about you that few people know?

I crack my knuckles incessantly. Bad, nasty little habit, I know!

*cringes*  I live with one of those.  Ouch!  Hey, where are you going?  I’m so not done with you yet.  Let’s go back farther into your past.  What kind of high school personality were you?  Band dork?  Jock?  Loner?  Brainiac?

Band dork and PROUD of it! I played the Oboe in concert band, the xylophone in marching band and piano in jazz band! Year-round music for me!

Wow.  A multi-talented band dork.  Ha!  Damn, do I feel lame now, considering I only played clarinet, which has to be the most uncool of all the instruments.

I played the clarinet in middle school, actually! But for some reason, that instrument made my front teeth vibrate! That’s why I switched to Oboe!

Do you have any phobias, like run-screaming-at-the-mere-mention-of-it, fears?

I cover my ears and sing ‘lalalalalalaa’ anytime my son starts talking about his girlfriend and anything they’ve done of a more intimate nature, which includes a simple kiss!

Hehe.  Ah, the things I have to look forward to.  Good thing mine’s only six. 

Be happy and wish she could stay that way!

If you could live your life as an animal, what would it be and why?

Cat. I’d love to be lazy, but I can’t be, so I’d be forced to me in that case!

Oh, good choice.  Yes, being lazy all day sounds spiffy.  If you were a cat, where would you live?  Would you be a country cat or a city cat?

I love urban life but with the opportunity to go to the city or country whenever I want. That’s exactly why I live where I do. 20 minutes to big city, 10 minutes to country, 2 hours to beach, 2 hours to mountains, 2 hours to Grandma and Grandpas! 🙂 Love it!

Sounds just about perfect.  I’m so deep in the boonies it takes me an hour to get to the closest city that has decent shopping. 

Yikes! The farthest I’ve lived from civilation is 15 minutes and I thought that was unbearable!

I kinda like it that way, though.  🙂  Now for your entertainment druthers.  Best.  Movie.  Ever.  As in, went to the theater ten times to see it.

Titanic. 

I can definitely see that as your favorite.  Deeply touching, great characters.  Good choice.  Do you play music when you write?

I do play. I’ve played the piano since I was 5 ish. I own a baby grand in fact. It was my present to myself for getting my MBA. I love piano music, especially like Norah Jones, but I also love listening to Adele, Katie Perry and others like them, with their beautiful voices that touch more than one way of singing.

Hey, that’s my playlist, too!  🙂  Love the piano, but I’m one of those people who can play the notes, but it doesn’t sound like music.  Envious!

Now for the pretty!  Check it out.

Back of the Book

Face the past or look to the future? Both will hurt. One could kill her.

All her life, Lily Crane has supressed her childhood memories, masking the signs of abuse with a variety of looks. From brunette to blonde, tall to short — as a Mimic, changing shape is her gift. Her right. Her achilles heel.

It’s Lily’s latest likeness, chosen simply by accident, which threatens to repeat a history she’s desperate to forget. Worse, she must do so without the one man who takes all her pain away: Cael Aldridge.

Cael has no intention of leaving Lily on her own. He never has. Now, with the woman he loves in the hands of a predator who wants Lily for her genetics, Cael will do everything he can to bring her home.

Alive.

He can only pray he isn’t too late.

About the author

Aimee is a romantic at heart and a southern transplant with a bit of the accent (but not a whole bunch). She’s married to her high school sweetheart, and with him, she’s produced three native North Carolinians, two of whom share the same DNA.

With an MBA and a degree in Applied Mathematics, there’s absolutely no reason she should be writing romance novels. Then again, she shouldn’t need a calculator to add two numbers, either … but she does.

Connect with Aimee here:

http://twitter.com/aimeelaine

http://www.facebook.com/aimee.laine

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4767490.Aimee_Laine

Purchase Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Surrender-Mimics-of-Rune-ebook/dp/B00927F4U8/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/surrender-aimee-laine/1112665994?ean=2940015232370

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-surrender-926227-234.html

Cover Reveal – Silent Echoes by Aimee Laine

I have yet another haunting cover to share with you from J. Taylor Publishing today.  This is book two in the Games of Zeus series by Aimee Laine.

Isn’t it pretty?

Silent Echoes

Games of Zeus #2

by Aimee Laine

Release Date: March 11, 2013

Target Reader: Adult

Keywords: Paranormal Romance, Romance,
Thriller/Suspense

Back of the Book

For years, Ian Sands has enjoyed his life as a bachelor, taking advantage of singlehood and exploring his own definition of passion—whoever she may be. Blonde. Brunette. Tall. Short. Hot. Not. Five months ago, all that changed. 

Ian’s been celibate, frustrated and desperately seeking answers to why one woman, who doesn’t play by girls’ rules, haunts his every waking moment.

As a renovations specialist, Taylor Marsh lives, works and breathes construction—a profession her southern belle of a mother would rather Taylor not touch. The same goes for Ian; Mama Marsh would never approve of him. 

Like Ian, though, each time he and Taylor draw near, something compels her to get closer.

Something else tells her to run away.

Fast.

As much as their histories suggest they shouldn’t be together, neither Taylor nor Ian can deny the pull, and the two succumb, indulging in a relationship that brings pleasure to body, mind and soul.

Doing so, though, also ushers in a series of events both should have foreseen as well as one final outcome neither expected.

URL: http://www.jtaylorpublishing.com/books/26

You want to read it now, right?  🙂  Here’s the Goodreads link so you can add it to your TBR pile. Click here

Other Books in this series include:
Hide & Seek

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{Book Review} Hide & Seek by Aimee Laine

Hide & Seek by the lovely and talented Aimee Laine is a hardcore romantic’s dream come true.  It’s filled to the brim with conflict, intrigue, heart-melting romance, a hot guy who is flawed but sweet, a heroine who knows what she wants, and enough sexual tension to set the house on fire. Not to mention the poetic writing style and scenery I disappeared into like a daydream.

Five big ones from me! ☆☆☆☆☆

Let’s begin with the cover.  Yummy, right?  What a spectacular view.  The cityscape of Paris isn’t bad, either. 😉

The blend of colors and different fonts give a sense of warmth, and the delicious man-god staring at something we can’t see adds a bit of intrigue.

Here’s the blurb

Lie, cheat or steal, no one can catch Tripp Fox. Except one woman.

Lexi Shepherd’s knack for finding whatever is asked of her isn’t sheer luck. It’s a gift from the Greek god Zeus.

That Lexi doesn’t use her ability to search for “Mr. Right” comes from one of many personal rules she has set for herself. Number one is not to let fate dictate her future.

Falling in love with Tripp breaks all the others. 

Despite her principles, Lexi’s unable to stay away from the bad boy, and she finds herself toeing the grey line of the law for him.

Zeus, though, didn’t give Lexi and Tripp their talents to make their relationship a simple, easy alliance. He designed it to be exactly the opposite. Impossible. Always.

With their separation, Lexi expects Tripp to forfeit love in favor of destiny. He, on the other hand, intends to beat Zeus at his own game. With a plan in place, Tripp challenges Lexi to take the one action no one else can.

Find him.

The question isn’t can she … but will she?

Lexi is bored with her life as a real estate agent, though her moral compass won’t let her use her Zeus-given abilities to find anything that will get her into trouble.  Until she runs into the delicious Mr. Fox on the beach one night.  I could almost feel the sparks flying between the two, and my own anxiety jacked up because I wanted her to say to hell with her misgivings and be with him.

Hide & Seek is essentially a story about trust.  Lexi and Tripp’s talents work against one another, and it’s that air of distrust that stands between them along with Zeus’s little paradox he cursed them with.  Add to that an ex-fiance who won’t take Tripp’s no for an answer, and her Daddy who wants to keep her happy, and there is one giant mountain Lexi and Tripp have to climb to find happiness together.  One quiet enjoyable for us readers to squirm in our seats while we follow along with their ups and downs.

I quite enjoyed this tale and I have to say, it had THEE most romantic ending of all time.  Well done, Ms. Laine.

3 must-read series’ to ask Santa for #giveaway

Welcome, and thanks for stopping by on your tour around the Mid-Winters Eve Blog Hop.  I know I’m always looking for some recommendations for great urban fantasy and paranormal romance reads, so I thought I’d share some recent finds I thoroughly enjoyed.  You can take them off to the nearest mall and whisper them into Santa’s ear.  I’ve already made my list.  Have you?

Maybe I can put something a little extra in your stocking this year.  Click the logo above to continue along the tour and enter to win more great prizes.

GIVEAWAY – International

I’m going to give away the following to one lucky commenter:

An eBook copy of

The Glass Man

Into the Unknown

AND an Advanced Reader’s copy of my new novella, Touch of Frost

What do you have to do to win?

Just leave me a comment at the bottom of this post recommending your favorite UF or PNR book or series before 7pm on December 27th.  I’ll choose a poster at random and post the winner on December 28th.  Don’t forget to leave me a way to reach you (email, twitter account, facebook account, etc.)

Here are my top 3 must-read series for the PNR & UF lovers

3.  Demonica Series by Larissa Ione – Steam rating – 4/5

The covers of this series aren’t very imaginative (though quite identifiable), but the content within is unique and held me rapt book after book.

This series centers around a hospital for demons, Underground General, starring mainly the three seminus demon brothers, Eidolon the doctor, Shade the finder of things and heavy-hitter of the bunch, and Wraith, the vampire, all three incubus’s and faced with nearly impossible relationships.

I love the relationship between these three leading men, each starring in their own book in the series, along with their half brother & sister, Lore & Sin later on.  The fights they get into would scare you skinny, but Ione does a great job of showing their deep-rooted affection for one another when things go awry and they lean on the others for support.

The sex scenes are descriptive enough to be satisfying, but not so raunchy as to offend those of us with more delicate tastes in that department.  As each of these tasty men meet the loves of their lives, we see their struggle with what they are and the relationship they want–always with a price attached.  If I’ve come near the end of the book and I’m still squirming in my seat, I call it a keeper.  The endings are short and sweet, and often set up a little something for the next book in the series.  Definitely on my have-ta-read list.

2.  Mercedes Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs – Steam rating 1/5

Mercy Thompson is a VW mechanic, not your typical profession for a heroine.  I loved it.  She’s also a walker, a coyote shifter different from other types of shifters and werewolves because she can transform instantly and holds a little magic from her native heritage.

This series has lots of action and excitement, as well as some romance and suspense.  She lives in a trailer and the alpha of the local werewolf pack is her back yard neighbor, whom she pisses off by putting a junky looking VW bug between their houses.  You see, Adam is a bit of a neat freak and a control freak, but because she’s not part of the pack, nor is she defying him outright, he can’t do much about it.  It sets off their relationship on a very interesting and tension-filled path.

Add in a sexy ex-boyfriend who somehow manages to become her room mate, a yummy vampire who may or may not have a romantic interest in her, and the heat continues throughout the books.  I was a little disappointed that all of the sex takes place off camera, but it didn’t detract enough to affect my enjoyment of the series.

1.  Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews – Steam rating 4/5

I’m not big on the covers for this series, but what I found within gave me immense enjoyment.  I’ve always loved a post-apocalyptic sort of setting, and this one delivered quite a unique one.  Magic has destroyed a lot of the world.  When it flares, it knocks out all electronic devices and leaves everything dark except for the fae lanterns that come on for safety.

Kate is … well, I’m not really sure we learned exactly what she is, only that her father is powerful and she has to remove any traces of her blood she may leave.  If dear daddy finds her through the magic in her blood, she’d be in trouble.

The icing on this intriguing cake is Curran, the lion shifter beast lord.  He’s scary as hell and yummy enough to star in a fantasy or two, especially when he challenges Kate to a bet (which she loses) and the penalty is for her to serve him supper … naked.  Ha!  The tension between these two picks up heat in book two as Kate is dragged more and more into shifter business and other disasters that affect the beast lord enough he jumps in to help.  I can’t wait for the next one of this series to come out.

I’ve given you my favorites, now don’t forget to leave yours in the comments below for your chance to win.  Good luck!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season.

Be well.

Love lots.

Smile often.

Happy release day! #IntoTheUnknown

Happy release day to my fellow authors, J. A. Belfield and Aimee Laine.  Our collective short stories release today with J. Taylor Publishing in the Into the Unknown anthology.

Woo hoo!  I can’t believe it’s December 1st already.  All year it seemed like October took a million years to arrive for the release of my debut novel, and now Liam Kane (Hero from The Glass Man) is starring in his own little short from his perspective.

After being inside Lila’s head for so long, it took some serious brain twisting to get into Liam’s head and voice.  After a few drafts, I finally managed it.  I think.  I’ll let you be the judge.

Here’s the blurb:

Three men never expected love to wreak so much havoc in their lives.

In Marked, Darkness & Light’s Sean Holloway is on a mission—to find the perfect gift for the woman of his dreams. When all conventional choices turn out to be the wrong ones, each failed attempt convinces Sean his self-imposed task is impossible. But in the world of the Holloway Pack, anything is possible if it can be kept a secret.

In Misguided, Little White Lies’s Wyatt Moreland is hot on the trail of a wanted man when a rumor about his fiancée halts his progress. His desire to keep her safe wars with her need to be involved in his work and could derail their entire wedding unless he finds out the truth before she does.

In Tempted, The Glass Man’s Liam Kane made a promise to the fae he loves never to use his power to harm others. When a horrific event angers him, the energy boiling inside seduces him into walking a dark path. He has but one choice: resist his own nature or give up the one he loves.

Will the three men make the right choices? Or will their actions destroy their futures with the women they love?

For anyone who loves paranormal romance and urban fantasy, this is a great taste of three different worlds, three different writing styles and three wonderful love stories.  It also includes the first chapters from J. A. Belfield’s Darkness & Light, Aimee Laine’s Little White Lies, and The Glass Man.

 

To kick off the release, J. Taylor Publishing is hosting a terrific giveaway.  Click here to check it out.

I won! Sort of #deathmatchresults

So, back in October, the lovely and talented (and way too fast of a writer for my liking), Ms. Aimee Laine, challenged me to a write-off rematch during National Novel Writing Month in November.

Being the non competitive person I am (yeah right *snort*) I grudgingly accepted.

The rules:  First one to hit 50,000 words and send it off to Judge Julie–who had to verify we didn’t type “and” 50,000 times–wins, gets to do a happy dance and point and snicker at the non-winner

The spoils:  The non-winner has to write a blog post bowing down to the winner & send chocolate

Sweet!

November first came and the heckling began.  Check out Judge Julie’s post here to see samples of our back and forth.  🙂  Hehe  It was a blast!

Here are my daily totals, the diagonal line representing the daily goal to hit 50k by the end of November.  Day 5 was a good one.  Any other writing day I can usually manage about 2,500 words.  For some reason when Aimee and I are racing, I can pump out anywhere from 5-10,000 words per day.  Crazy, right?

Although I cursed myself for accepting the dual while it was going on because Aimee is such a formidable opponent, I got so much done it was worth all of the stress.

Thanks to our friendly (mostly 😉 ) competition and despite being sick for half of the time, I set a new personal record.  Fourteen days after NaNoWriMo began, I crossed the finish line.  Woo hoo!  Though, my victory is a little empty this time.  Ms. Laine went on vacation for a whole week where she didn’t write, and if she hadn’t, she might very well have won.

Oh well.  I guess we’ll just have to have another rematch soon to settle this like the proper ladies we are.  *snort*

Click here for a chance to win a $25.00 gift certificate from Amazon or Barnes & Noble

 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Glass Man

by Jocelyn Adams

Giveaway ends December 17, 2011.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

 

Only two days to go! #IntoTheUnknown

This is an eventful week for me.

First, I’m so excited about the release of Liam’s short, Tempted, coming out in the Into the Unknown anthology with J. Taylor Publishing in only … two days.  Eek!  Just in time for reading over the holidays.

What could be better than more Wyatt Moreland (Little White Lies, by Aimee Laine), Sean Holloway (Darkness & Light, by J. A. Belfield) and Liam Kane from The Glass Man?

Here’s the blurb:

Three men never expected love to wreak so much havoc in their lives.

In Marked, Darkness & Light’s Sean Holloway is on a mission—to find the perfect gift for the woman of his dreams. When all conventional choices turn out to be the wrong ones, each failed attempt convinces Sean his self-imposed task is impossible. But in the world of the Holloway Pack, anything is possible if it can be kept a secret.

In Misguided, Little White Lies’s Wyatt Moreland is hot on the trail of a wanted man when a rumor about his fiancée halts his progress. His desire to keep her safe wars with her need to be involved in his work and could derail their entire wedding unless he finds out the truth before she does.

In Tempted, The Glass Man’s Liam Kane made a promise to the fae he loves never to use his power to harm others. When a horrific event angers him, the energy boiling inside seduces him into walking a dark path. He has but one choice: resist his own nature or give up the one he loves.

Will the three men make the right choices? Or will their actions destroy their futures with the women they love?

Yes!  You can read it in only two days.

Two!

Don’t have an eReader?  You can download a free application that will allow you to read kindle books right on your computer.  Click here to read more.

I have another event coming up this Saturday evening.  My initial launch party in my childhood hometown was in a busy bookstore where there were lots of distractions.  The one in the town where I now live will be in a small shop where I am the host and center of attention.  I have to read in front of a bunch of strangers I have to entertain for an hour and a half.

Yikes!

I’ve planned the snacks and beverages, worked out the seating details with the wonderful owner of ReVIBE who has graciously loaned me her store for the event, and selected my passages to read from The Glass Man.  Usually planning will set me more at ease, but I’m still a little nervous.

Will anyone come?  Will they like my book?  Will I have planned enough food?  I guess I’ll find out on Saturday.  I’ve never been a great public speaker and I know this will be good for me.  It comes with the author territory, right?  🙂

Wish me luck!

What do you have going on this week?

Click here for a chance to win a $25.00 gift certificate from Amazon or Barnes & Noble

What’s a guy to do with a woman who hates to cry? #sixsunday

This six comes from Tempted, soon to arrive in the Into the Unknown anthology with J. Taylor Publishing.  This is from Liam Kane’s point of view, the hero from The Glass Man.

Lila hates it when he gets all sentimental with her.

I pressed my lips to hers, let them drift up over her peach-soft cheek, over her long lashes to her brow.  “My only wish is to keep the peace in this world and bring back the innocence I saw in your eyes a few minutes ago.”  I moaned as I recalled [Lila’s] face at the moment of her climax.  “I’ll see it restored one day, just watch and see.”

A dull pain rippled out from my gut.  It took me a second to realize she’d hit me.

Don’t forget to click on the logo above to see the other entries this week.

Coming December 1, 2011

Cover Reveal – Into the Unknown

I’m so excited to announce another release.  SQUEEEEEEEE!!!!  Okay, now that I’ve got that out of my system, here’s the deal.  My wonderful and talented publisher, J. Taylor Publishing, put together this great anthology that includes short stories from the leading men of all three debut novels, Sean from Darkness & Light, by J. A. Belfield, Wyatt from Little White Lies, by Aimee Laine, and Liam from The Glass Man by, you guessed it, ME!

So, without further blathering on by me, here it is:

Book Blurb

Three men never expected love to wreak so much havoc in their lives.

In Marked, Darkness & Light’s Sean Holloway is on a mission—to find the perfect gift for the woman of his dreams. When all conventional choices turn out to be the wrong ones, each failed attempt convinces Sean his self-imposed task is impossible. But in the world of the Holloway Pack, anything is possible if it can be kept a secret.

In Misguided, Little White Lies’s Wyatt Moreland is hot on the trail of a wanted man when a rumor about his fiancée halts his progress. His desire to keep her safe wars with her need to be involved in his work and could derail their entire wedding unless he finds out the truth before she does.

In Tempted, The Glass Man’s Liam Kane made a promise to the fae he loves never to use his power to harm others. When a horrific event angers him, the energy boiling inside seduces him into walking a dark path. He has but one choice: resist his own nature or give up the one he loves.

Will the three men make the right choices? Or will their actions destroy their futures with the women they love?

If you loved the books, you’ll absolutely have to have this excellent companion to give you another point of view from your favorite heros.