FIRE OF STARS AND DRAGONS by Melissa Petreshock and Swoon Romance

Following the death of her vampire uncle, twenty-one-year-old CAITRIONA HAYDEN finds herself in the midst of a trio of quintessential alpha male suitors in 22nd century sovereign America where human females should be seen and not heard.

Theo Pendragon claims her as his ward, ordained to guard her through to a long-awaited destiny unbeknownst to Cait, but finds more than he expected when passion ignites within the dragon for the first time. Always drawn to the pursuit of knowledge rather than the heat of desire, powerful demigod Dante cannot deny everything his future holds in Caitriona. America's monarch, ancient vampire Corrin, has no interest in the frivolity of love, yet marrying Cait could be the answer to his continued survival.

Soon, Cait goes from studying for college exams to choosing a husband in seven days, knowing the consequences are eternal, the love undying, and the bond timeless.

FIRE OF STARS AND DRAGONS

By Melissa A. Petreshock

New Adult Romance

Releasing April 2014

Publisher: Swoon Romance

Purchase Links:

Amazon * Kobo

About the Author:

Melissa lives on a small farm in rural Kentucky with her genius husband, exceptional children, and their feline overlords. When not inhaling or exhaling words, she subsists on unnatural doses of coffee, sarcasm, and music. To date, no dragons have been found in the woods surrounding her house, but she continues to hold out hope.

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Tour Giveaway!

(1) $10 USD Gift Card to Amazon.com – International

(1) eBook copy of FIRE OF STARS AND DRAGONS (mobi and epub) – International

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My Thoughts:

A human woman, a vampire, dragons, and a demigod are just a few of the reasons that this book was so enticing.

Cait is a human woman who was raised by her uncle who was a vampire in high standing. He left her to be his heiress when he died. She was to be the sole recipient of his estate. She is smart, stubborn, polished, natural and open, pretty, and charismatic. ;-)

The book begins in court. You see, in this world, the King is a vampire named Corrin. He rules in a way that is less than flattering to women. They must have a male be responsible for them. Because Cait does not, the King gives her an ultimatum. Basically, he wants her to marry him. Luckily for her, the demigod, Dante, and a dragon named Theo, also put in a bid for her hand in marriage. She only has seven days to decide between the three. This is only the beginning of the story but I will not ruin it for you by saying much more about the plot.

I can tell you that I adore Dante and Theo though Theo annoyed me a few times when he was trying to hard to be noble. I liked all of the dragons especially Jai. :D

I certainly hope that this wonderful book with the fantastic characters, engaging plot, and too few pages for my liking ;-), continues on in this manner. I want more I tell you! Soon?

In Fire Of Stars And Dragons you'll find romance and steam, nobility and noble actions, a great mix of supernatural beings, a terrific heroine that you can't help but love, a heap of humor and snark, and action including fire breathing, and a few sparkles!

If you like supernatural creatures, you need to add this to your TBR list yesterday!

I received an ecopy in exchange for my honest opinion. I thought it was an awesome debut, a super, terrifically fantastic beginning to what I am sure will be an all consuming series worthy of my favor. :-) I can not wait to see what these characters do next!

Don't forget to enter the Comment Incentive Giveaway. It is a great chance to win a book you'd like to have! The link can be found at the top of the page.

Giveaway & Review ~ Catch Me by Katherine Grant

BLURB:

Adam. Enigmatic. Arrogant. Unwilling to take no for an answer. Everything about him threatens my carefully constructed life. Everything about him makes me want him more.

Isabelle Jennings has it good. She’s a self-proclaimed guys’ girl (football, beers, and kicking back with her “bros”) who has worked hard for everything she’s gotten. And she’s succeeded. Only twenty-six, she already has a startup company – one that helps her atone for past sins. She has (well, had) a healthy sex life, a great apartment and an even better group of friends. No romantic entanglements. No mess. Just how she likes it.

Enter Adam Weston, a young, ambitious businessman in Chicago. Between his money, looks, and charm, he’s never had a problem with women. Until Isabelle.

Overwhelmed by her attraction to him, Isabelle does everything she can to avoid the charismatic playboy. But Adam won’t give up that easily. He dares her to be with him, promising sex sans strings. Isabelle’s burdened with a nightmarish guilt she can’t outrun. And Adam won’t settle for less than everything. He’s breaking down her walls, one touch, one look, at a time.

** Due to language and strong sexual content, this book is recommended for readers who are 18 and older. **

Although Catch Me is the first book in a series, it is a standalone novel.

Catch Me

by Katherine Grant

Purchase Links:

Amazon * B&N

Amazon UK * Kobo

Smashwords




Excerpt:

I woke up to the sound of my laptop chirping, alerting me to a new email. My thoughts were blurry, still caught in the horror of my nightmares.

The email was from an address I didn’t recognize. It was probably spam, I assured myself.

But the subject line didn’t look like spam.

You can run, but … you know the rest.

A video download was attached. I really shouldn’t click. But some masochistic compulsion had taken over my body. When you’re a kid, and you think there are monsters under the bed, you have three options. Option one was to stay in bed and yell for your parents. Mommy, Daddy, I’m scared, you’d say. They’d turn on the lights, and check under the bed for you. Nothing’s there, sweetie. Don’t worry. Go back to sleep. And, comforted with their love, you could.

The second option was to cower under your covers, close your eyes, and tell yourself that monsters weren’t real. The third was to brave it, to face it. Get out of bed and look yourself.

I’d always chosen option three. That wasn’t about to change now. Even if the monsters were real.

I downloaded the file, and a grainy video popped up. I recognized the scene. It was from Poltergeist II. I hated scary movies but Simon had made me watch it anyway. I suspected he’d liked how I’d snuggle against him, covering my eyes. It made him feel powerful.

A little blonde girl sat in front of a child’s pink toy telephone. It rang and she answered. She turned to look at the camera.

“They’re baaaaaack,” she singsonged.

At the bottom of the video were four words, words that made my throat close.

Did you miss me?

Author Info:

Katherine Grant is a 28-year-old avid reader, writer and soon to be author in Southern California (who likes to talk about herself in the third person in bios because it makes her feel important). Raised in a town in Michigan so small you've never heard of it, Katie used books as a way to travel. As a child, she talked so much that her family suggested she started writing her thoughts down. And thus, a lifelong dream and career was born. She has been everything from a short-order cook to a teacher to a music journalist. She's finally embarking on being a novelist full time, and she couldn't be more excited.

When not hard at work, Katie enjoys hanging out with her dog, lying on the beach, promising herself she'll one day learn how to surf (although it will never happen), making her boyfriend crazy by refusing to do the dishes, and getting lost in books. Also, cookies. She really, really likes cookies.

Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads


Katherine will be awarding a $25 Amazon giftcard to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Follow the tour and comment. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here.


My Thoughts:

Isabelle is our leading lady and Adam is our man du jour! ;-) Adam is overbearing, confident, possessive, caring... I could go on and on and on. I really liked him!

Isabelle is in a pickle. She swears off  relationships with men because of guilt she feels for something that happened in the past that she blames herself for. That is until Adam. Well even then she tries hard to push him away. He refuses to leave though. :-)

Let me just say that there are lots of surprising twists and turns, romance, steamy scenes, danger, mystery, and of course an extremely hot alpha male!

I found it hard to walk away from Catch Me and pretty much finished it in one setting. It is a fast paced and compelling story.

I recommend this to those of you who like romance with some suspense and good characters.

I received an ecopy of Catch Me in exchange for my honest opinion. I thought it was great and I will be waiting for the next book! 

Don't forget to enter the Comment Incentive Giveaway. It is a great chance to win a book you'd like to have! The link can be found at the top of the page.

Review ~ Favorite Obsession by Nancy Corrigan

Royal Pride Book 3,

Centuries after what should have been a blessing from a goddess, Mira has gone from the chosen daughter to a woman shamed. She’s found a tentative peace among her family and the females they’ve chosen to mate. And despite the potentially fatal consequences, Mira has found the one thing she never thought she’d have—love. Josh is the only male she’s ever wanted, desired and burned for, and he’s the only man she can never hope to keep.

One glance into Mira’s exotic feline eyes and Josh is lost. She’s everything he never knew he wanted and loving her becomes a passion he can’t deny. The obstacles keeping them apart seem insurmountable, but Josh knows he’s the man Mira needs. With every passionate encounter, every stolen touch, his certainty that he and Mira belong together grows. He’ll defy every shifter decree and fight to his dying breath to convince those around them of the truth—Mira belongs to him, mind, body and soul.

A Romantica® Paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Forbidden love…Undeniable passion.

Purchase Links: Elloras Cave * Amazon * Kobo

Excerpt:

“You’re a horrible liar, Mira.” He stood with one hand on the doorknob and the other fisted at his side. “You get this little twitch by your eye and lower your gaze so you’re staring at my nose instead of my eyes.”

Yeah, she sucked at it but if she made a conscious effort, she could pull it off. She straightened her shoulders and held his gaze. “I’m telling the truth. I want to be with Aron.”

Eyes locked to hers and chin lowered, he advanced on her. Blue fire burned from behind his long, thick lashes. The intent displayed in their depths sent a shiver of awareness through her.

He stopped a few feet away. “Do you think me a fool then?”

“No, of course not.”

“Good.” He took a single step closer. “Because I know what you’re doing.”

She shook her head. “You know nothing.”

Another step. “That so?”

She nodded.

He took one more and kicked a box out of his way. Something rolled and shattered against the wall. His gaze never left hers. “Let me prove it to you.” He extended a hand and curled his fingers. “Come here.”

“No.”

He sighed but disappointment didn’t show on his face. Excitement did.

Oh, gods.

She scrambled backward. Her legs hit his desk. He kept coming, not stopping his focused approach until his thighs bracketed hers. Hands on the desktop on either side of her waist, he leaned closer, surrounded her with his presence and completely shattered her control.

She trembled.

He pressed his nose to her neck and groaned. The raw sound reached deep inside her womb. She grasped his wrists, neither pushing him away nor tugging him closer. His warm breath heating her skin froze her in place. Each slow exhale fanned the flames of desire she always experienced around him. He flicked his tongue across her sensitized skin. A whimper crawled up her throat.

“Josh.”

“That’s right, kitten.” He tilted his head so his rough-cut features became her world. “Aron’s touch didn’t make you hot because it’s mine you want.”

Author Bio:

Nancy Corrigan believes in unending love and epic tales with a paranormal flare. She enjoys transcending the boundaries of reality to take her readers on an erotic, emotional and romantic journey.

 She resides in Pennsylvania with her husband and three children. When she’s not weaving sizzling fantasies, she works as a chemist in a pharmaceutical lab.

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My Thoughts:

This is the third book in the Royal Pride series. You can see my review for book two, Beautiful Mistake, here along with the deets for book one, Unexpected Find, too! You do not need to read them in order but I would. You will appreciate Mira's story a little better if you've seen what happened to her brother Devin in book two. You would miss a great story if you skipped it as well.

What you need to know: This series focuses on shifters. :-) Some of these shifters are extra special. Those shifters have more than one animal in there soul and are immortal. Our heroine in this book is one such shifter. However she is even more valued because of a prophecy made when she was younger.

Mira has been through so much! When she was much younger, a vile shifter tried to rape her. She killed him and was meant to be punished but Devin her brother took the punishment. It hurt both of them. For years now, the council has left her go without a mate. Now they have decreed that it is time for the prophecy to be fulfilled. She has a month to choose a mate or they will pick one for her.

To say that men still make her anxious is putting it mildly. That is, except for her brother and a human named Josh.

Josh is a great guy. I love the males that Nancy brings to life in her books! Prime Alpha material (almost all of them, not the bad guys of course).

I feel bad for Josh for much of the book. He is this awesome guy that is raising his brother's shifter daughter and he cares about Mira so much. Every time he turns around though, someone is forbidding him from being with her. They even threaten him at times. The heart wants what the heart wants though and just because he's not a shifter doesn't mean his feelings shouldn't matter. Especially when Mira feels for him too!

I was just a tad frustrated with all of the shifters. I kept thinking duh they are mates. It all worked out the way it was meant to. I just kept waiting for them to see what I did. lol!

In Favorite Obsession, there was a forbidden romance, action, suspense, traitors, secret agendas, an appearance by a Golden Goddess, steamy scenes ;-), and so much more!

I don't want to give too much away. I'll just have to say, if you like shifters, you do not want to miss this series.

The characters are great, the plot is captivating, the pace is perfect and each book, while satisfying, makes me want more at the same time!  

I do declare that this series is quickly becoming one of my favorite obsessions. ;-) I really liked it and of course I recommend reading it after you devour the other books in the series. I received an ecopy in exchange for my honest opinion. Another winner if you ask me! It was terrific!

Don't forget to enter the Comment Incentive Giveaway. It is a great chance to win a book you'd like to have! The link can be found at the top of the page.

Book Blast & Giveaway ~ Life in the Palace by Catherine Green

Life in the Palace by Catherine Green

“We need to talk,” Tal said. Then I knew it was going to go badly. ‘We need to talk’ is the conversational equivalent of walking into your basement without turning on the light, on a dark and stormy night, when a known psychopath is on the loose. You might as well cut to the chase and slit your own throat.

Chloe Diaz assumed three things: that when Tal said that she was one of The People sent from heaven to maintain the cosmic balance, it was code for ‘I’m a pamphlet distributing, incense burning, religious weirdo;’ that the gorgeous Seth Wilks would never be her soul mate and that she’d never have to choose between them. Chloe was wrong.

Now the future of the world is in her hands, but what if price is too great to pay?

Download a FREE copy now!

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Chloe on Facebook * Seth on Facebook

This is a brief description of the plot:

After a lifetime in the shadow of her sister, Chloe is severely phobic of the chronically cool. Seth is everything she avoids; a pre-med philosophy major who works in a bar, plays in a band and is so good looking that grown women stare at him in the street. But it’s hard to say no to your soul mate. Thinking she’s maxed out her supply of destiny, Chloe settles down to enjoy the happily-ever-after.

Tal says that she’s one of The People sent from heaven to maintain the cosmic balance. Chloe assumes this is code for ‘I’m a pamphlet distributing, incense burning, religious weirdo.’ Actually Tal’s main extracurricular activity is fighting the forces of Oblivion. The People never need to hide what they are because no one ever believes them. Until Chloe does.

Chloe sets out to help Tal and The People as much as she can as an outsider. Seth says as long as no one wears their underpants on the outside Chloe can do what she likes. What he doesn’t say is that he’s also one of The People, although non-practicing. But as the Final Battle draws nearer, Chloe realizes it’s time for Seth to go collect his regulation sword. The only thing standing in his way is her. Seth says he’ll give up his place in heaven to stay with her. Chloe must choose between Seth’s soul and her own happiness.


Praise for Life in the Palace

An interesting take on the paranormal romance genre. …..While other books in the genre have unrealistic buy in to the acceptance of someone from the outside entering a "new world" Life in the Palace handled it from both the main character looking in and the dwellers of the Palace looking out at this person trying to enter their world. …….I am so happy to hear that there are more books in the series! – Yonit on Goodreads

I loved this world that Catherine Green created. I happily lost myself in the life & deep love between Chloe & Seth …..I loved the attention to detail, the fleshing out of the world around them, the obvious growth of all the characters... Even the heartbreaking choices made at the end.

Book two I cannot wait to read! – Ebon Darkmyth on Smashwords

Loved it, great story line, fun characters and after reading it and thinking deeply about the duality of our lives, it made my prayers come alive! – Rebecca Wittenstein on Amazon.com

This book introduces you to a whole host of characters that you want to meet in real life. ….The action keeps you reading, while the budding love between Seth and Chloe makes you breathless. A great read. – Cypora Cohen on Amazon.co.uk

Tour Schedule

Author Catherine Green

Catherine Green writes fantasy books featuring religious characters in a brazen attempt to make the people in faith communities seem less weird. She lives with her husband, children and three marginally neglected goldfish. When she's not writing, or pretending to be one of her characters on Facebook, she has been known to cook dinner.

Website * Goodreads * Twitter * Facebook


Blast Giveaway Ends 5/15/14

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

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 and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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I'll be sharing my review with you soon. In the mean time, take the opportunity to grab a free copy for yourself! :D

 

Don't forget to enter the Comment Incentive Giveaway. It is a great chance to win a book you'd like to have! The link can be found at the top of the page.

Review ~ Songbird Caged by Lisa Edward with a Giveaway

Tara has made a promise.

A promise to wait six months for Riley to come home from his tour of duty, so they can be together.

But as secrets and lies are uncovered, it leads Tara to question their commitment, and she is finding it difficult to keep that promise.

 

The distance between them is growing, and only one person can fill the void, Tara’s best friend Cole.

As Cole tries to support Tara, he is struggling with demons of his own, that threaten to tear him away from the life he has built for himself. 

After devastating news is received, who will be there to pick up the pieces?

Purchase Links:

      

Excerpt:

I awoke with a start.

My arm had gone to sleep from laying on it all night, and my face was squished into someone’s neck. It was Cole’s. I inhaled his warm cedar and musk scent. Even after sleeping on the couch all night, he smelt unbelievable.

Sitting up, I moved my head from side to side, trying to stretch out the kinks.

“Good morning, sleepy head. Did you just sniff me again?”

I looked down at Cole. He was grinning up at me as I rubbed my shoulders and numb arm.

“Good morning,” I replied with a groan, as I stretched my arms over my head. “You know I’m staying here so I don’t have to sleep on a couch. Kind of defeats the purpose, spending the night out here.”

He sat up and started rubbing my arm, trying to get the blood to flow back into it.

“I disagree. I’m sure I’m much more comfortable to lay on than your lumpy couch.” He moved his attention to my shoulders, and I sighed. “Besides, it’s not every day I have someone dribble all down my neck.”

I wiped my hand across my cheek. It was damp. Oh my God, I had dribbled in my sleep. I checked Cole’s neck and quickly wiped it dry.

“You should be used to it,” I said, trying to make light of the embarrassing situation. “You have girls drooling over you everywhere you go.”

He chuckled. “No one who matters.” He took my hand away from his now dry neck and held it. 

“Until now, that is.”
 

Songbird, book 1
 
For a limited time, purchase Songbird for only $0.99! :D


 

 

 

Synopsis:

Every relationship changes you, some for the better, others can shatter your confidence and almost destroy you.

For the musically talented, twenty-four year old Tara O’Connell, her relationship with Stephen almost broke her, until Tara found the strength to leave.

Now she is on the road to discovering that it is never too late to pursue your dreams and follow your heart.

As Tara’s self-belief grows, she meets two men she is instantly drawn to who will change her life forever.

Corporal Riley Hammond is a soldier in the Australian Military Special Forces. With his smiling sapphire blue eyes, Tara falls for him instantly. He is thoughtful and caring, and gives her the support and love she needs.

While Cole Michaels is the overconfident singer in a popular local band. His charisma, emerald green eyes, tattoos and  piercing, have girls falling at his feet. But while Cole pushes Tara’s buttons, he also pushes her to reach for the stars.

Both men couldn’t be more polar opposites, but both offer Tara different qualities that she needs to fulfill her destiny.

As Tara continues her journey, she will discover fate can offer you more than one path. Her fate is in her own hands, and the choices she makes, will shape her life forever.

 

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While Lisa Edward has called Melbourne Australia home for her entire life, she has lived and worked in England, and travelled through most parts of Europe and the United States. She loves nothing more than spending time with her husband and beautiful daughter, or curling up into the early hours of the morning with a great novel. 

By day, Lisa works in the analytical IT field, so relishes the opportunity to foster her creative side through writing. Her deep appreciation for literature was nurtured from a young age, being taught to respect books and get lost in their stories. She enjoys reading honest and realistic novels that are relatable, thought provoking and leave a lasting impression. 

She can’t write without music playing, using the emotions from different songs to invoke that of her characters. Lisa takes inspiration from her own life experiences, the people around her and those she has met in her travels.

 

My Thoughts:

I read both Songbird which was the first book and Songbird Caged which is the second book. I strongly suggest reading them in order.

This series is about Tara. She is a talented musician who's spirit has been broken by an a** of a man that she's been shacking up with. Luckily she leaves him at the beginning of the book! :D

Tara is one of those charismatic people that others seem to flock to. She is kind, caring, talented, and loyal. I really liked her. Every once in a while, something she said or did got on my nerves but that was mostly when she was doubting herself or how someone felt about her. I understood that she would have doubts after the abuse she dealt with but it still grated a little.

There is an abundance of men wanting to be Tara's but she doesn't realize her appeal.

She ends up with one man much to the dismay of the others. I really liked all of the guys with the exception of the a** she started out with and one other who makes an appearance in both books. Lisa Edward has a great talent for writing book boyfriends. ;-) I am sure you will all agree!

The first book shows lots of character development in Tara. She starts to blossom under the positive attention that she receives from her friends. :-) 

Songbird features music, an obnoxious ex, a heroine with a lack of confidence at first, awesome men galore including a few in uniform ;-), drama, romance, some steam and dirty talk, ;-) all wrapped up with a ribbon of emotional ups and downs.

If you like steamy romances with a bit of a love triangle, you'll want to read this one!

In Songbird Caged, we pick up where book one left off. Tara is still the focus along with all of the guys. :-) She is still in a relationship with the man of her choice, however, things become far from perfect.

Meanwhile, she gets closer and closer with the others.

There is more angst, drama, and emotion in this book along with some sad and dangerously scary happenings. There is still music, romance, steam, and dirty talk as well. :D

Songbird Caged had my tears flowing freely in one or two places but I also found a few things to be predictable. 

I really really liked both of these books. I am team Cole. I liked all of the guys but I just don't quite trust Riley. I don't exactly know why. 

I would recommend these books to those of you who like sweet guys and bad boys, musicians, romance and especially a mixture of these things. And the first book is only 99 cents. Trust me, get it now!

I had a hard time putting either book down. I am eagerly awaiting the next book.

I received ecopies of both books in exchange for my honest opinion. They were both awesome! I really liked the first book and I liked the second book even more. I am now a huge fan of Lisa Edward. ;-)

            

 

Don't forget to enter the Comment Incentive Giveaway. It is a great chance to win a book you'd like to have! The link can be found at the top of the page.