Sunday, March 31, 2013

Angel


Angel
5 of 5 stars false
Since the loss of his lively, charming wife to cancer six years ago, minister Paul Tobit has been operating on autopilot, performing his religious duties by rote. Everything changes the day he enters the church lobby and encounters a radiant, luminous being lit from behind, breathtakingly beautiful and glowing with life. An angel. For a moment Paul is so moved by his vision that he is tempted to fall on his knees and pray.
Even after he regains his focus and realizes he simply met a flesh-and-blood young man, Paul cannot shake his sense of awe and wonder. He feels an instant and overwhelming attraction for the young man, which puzzles him even as it fills his thoughts and fires his feelings. Paul has no doubt that God has spoken to him through this vision, and Paul must determine what God is calling him to do.
Thus begins a journey that will inspire Paul’s ministry but put him at odds with his church as he is forced to examine his deeply held beliefs and assumptions about himself, his community, and the nature of love.


Review

****This book was part of a blog tour I received a copy for my honest review****

What a shame it would be to stay away because you were afraid it would end. What a shame it would be to miss so much beauty.... touching words to finish a stunning book.

Laura Lee, has written a book that will challenge your thoughts on homosexuality within the Christian religion. It is based around Paul, a 42 year old widow that lost his wife 6 years ago to cancer. Since then he has lived a shell of a life and although he is a minister in a church he really feels no inspiration to live.

Ian is a 24 year old very troubled young man, he is an alcoholic who struggles with the belief that he is unlovable and unworthy of time because he is gay.

Paul comes across Ian, who is on his way to his AA meeting, and mistakes him for an angel, a sign from god. This moment is a life changer for Paul who sets out to save Ian because he is drawn to him. He struggles with his new feelings for this young man, especially trying to reconcile his feelings with the views of the church. A secret relationship follows to which these two really form what they both feel is a”blessed union of souls”, no matter what anyone else thinks.

He sat with his head down, letting the emotions wash over him in waves of anger, sadness, shame, and fear. He was the same person he had always been. How could one choice make him seem suddenly different to the world?

I don't want to give this story away. I want you to read it, because it is worthy of people experiencing it with an open mind and ready to see it for themselves without my views on what happens. I will say that this was a highly emotional book for me and affected me very deeply. I loved how easy it was to read for something that had such a real and meaningful message within. I loved how it dealt with the very relevant issues within its pages. I loved how the relationship between the couple seemed like a real relationship with the normal ups and downs but also the underlying tension of the very real problems they faced. You will feel a multitude of things, rage, indignant, righteous, sad, validated, happy, deep sorrow... I felt all of these things. To me that is a sign of a great book, to have been moved and provoked into thought. I will leave you with another quote from this book, because it made me smile and I think it outlines these two characters and their relationship perfectly. Once again, please read, it is a great book that will stay with me for a while.
Ian unwrapped one of the fortune cookies and cracked it open. “‘Everything has beauty’,” he read, “‘but not everyone sees it.’” He shrugged and set the slip of paper down next to the used chopsticks. “What does yours say?” Paul cracked open his cookie. He read the fortune to himself and chuckled at its appropriateness. “Well?” Ian asked. “What’s it say?” “‘Never regret anything that made you smile.”

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Hunter 18+

 The following review is for 18+ readers.
Hunter
4 of 5 stars false
This can’t be happening to her. A random break down…an isolated mountain road, a seemingly chance meeting with a hotter-than-hot stranger. Tatyana is a modern gal who can handle any crisis, but before she knows what’s hit her, she’s sensing a hideous threat, not to her but to this man who draws her like a moth to flame. Hunter.
“I know things…I saw it.”
When the attack comes, she is his protection from a diabolical enemy, even as he initiates her into a startling world of magic, sorcery and sensuality. For in a moment of terrifying danger a spark has been struck, and neither can escape the erotic fire to come…

Review

***I received this arc from Netgalley for my honest review***
Hunter Finn has is the Sentinel of the Willow Coven and after 10 years of self imposed isolation, he has been called home. But when he arrives he finds out he has a new "brother" within the coven, Dimitri Petrova, and their is unknown coven reeking havoc and attacking his sisters.
Tatyana Petrova is one of 13 siblings, but she has always been very close to her brother Dimitri. Recently Dimitri has been awol,claiming he has found a new family and distancing himself from her. She senses something is not quite right so she sets off to find him, in the middle of nowhere, to get some answers and give him a piece of her mind. Unfortunately things do not go to plan, her car breaks down, it storms and she has to set off on foot.
When she arrives she immediately feels a connection to the lovely witches within the Willow Coven home, definitely an attraction to Hunter Finn. However things become serious when they are all attacked, Tatyana is thrust into a world she had never really experienced, although her family is steeped in magical legends,she finds out fast that she is a witch and becomes blood bound to Hunter. This act saving her from a fate a slave/familiar to an evil warlock.
The evil warlock attacking the coven is intent on destroying them through any means, rape, torture,murder and planting malicious thoughts/ plots to tear them up from the inside. Everyone has to work together to beat the enemy before he rips them all apart.
I enjoyed the suspenseful, magical ride that was Hunter.Meeting all the members of the coven, the personalities varying as much as their powers and positions.
Hunter, himself, was an interesting character who had his fair share of demons that needed to be exercised. Lucky for him he meets the equally endearing, feisty Tatyana. I loved the connection between the two, the battle for each of them to withhold their feelings for one another. The tension between the two was electric which led to some very steamy scenes.
I found the villain of this book to be very scary, any sexual predator is and that is exactly what he is, preying on the woman of the coven to break them. I always like when the villain is a good one.
This was very easy to read and paced extremely well. The story was an interesting one and it was good to have a story fixed on witches rather than vampires and werewolves for a change. I am really keen for the rest of the characters in this book to get their own stories, so I really hope we get more of this magical group in the future.
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Saturday, March 30, 2013

Jamie McGuire

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Jamie McGuire was born in Tulsa, OK. She was raised by her mother Brenda in Blackwell, OK, where she graduated high school in 1997. Jamie attended the Northern Oklahoma College, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Autry Technology Center where she graduated with a degree in Radiography. Jamie now lives in Enid, OK with her three children and husband Jeff, who is a real, live cowboy. They share their 30 acres with four horses, four dogs, and Rooster the cat. Books published by Jamie include the Providence trilogy, and The New York Times best seller Beautiful Disaster, a contemporary romance. When she’s not writing, Jamie spends her days letting her four dogs in and out.
Links: Website Goodreads Twitter 





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Books

Beautiful 
  INTENSE. DANGEROUS. ADDICTIVE. Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand. Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.
 5 of 5 stars false
Links: Goodreads Amazon Barnes & Noble







Finally, the highly anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster. Can you love someone too much? Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder. In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. But just when he thinks he is invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees. Every story has two sides. In Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it’s time to see the story through Travis’s eyes.
 5 of 5 stars false
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Providence
 




Struggling with her father's death, Nina meets Jared Ryel, presumably by chance. However it soon becomes clear that he knows more about her than even close friends. When her father's former associates begin following her in the dark, Nina learns that her father was not the man she thought he was, but a thief who stole from demons. In searching for the truth behind her father's death, she stumbles upon something she never expected, and something Hell wants, that only she holds the key for. Jarel risks everything to keep the women he was born to save, by sharing the secret he was sworn to protect.
Links: Goodreads Amazon Barnes & Noble  










Dreaming of the dead might mean a restless night for anyone, but for Nina Grey it was a warning. Still healing from her last run-in with Hell, Nina struggles with not only her life as a Brown University student, but also as an intern at Titan Shipping, her father's company. Recurring nightmares about her father's violent death have become a nightly event, but being overwhelmed with guilt from Ryan's unexpected departure to the Armed Forces, and heart ache over Claire being across the ocean to protect him, Nina believes her sleepless nights are the least of her problems—but she's wrong. Worried about Nina's declining health, Jared must steal back Shax's book for answers. Fighting new enemies, and with the help of new friends, Jared's worst fear comes to fruition. Desperate, he is faced with a choice: Fight Hell alone, or start a war with Heaven.
Links: Goodreads Amazon Barnes & Noble  







She had seen the unspeakable. She had learned the unknowable. Now, she would fight the invincible. In the third and final installment of the Providence series, Nina Grey will marry the wrong man, carry the child that was never supposed to be born, and fight a war she can't win. Faced with the impossible task of protecting his new wife and unborn child against the throes of Hell, Jared Ryel is allowed no mistakes. Pressured to return the Naissance de Demoniac to Jerusalem, he revisits St. Ann's to learn the answers were in front of him all along. Together, they must survive long enough to let their child save them - and the world.
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Friday, March 29, 2013

Resisting the Bad Boy

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Links: Goodreads 

Abby Bartlett is the quintessential nice girl. Between teaching, volunteering, completing her PhD, and helping her best friend raise his daughter, Abby never gets the chance to be anything but nice. That is, until the all-wrong-for-her man she’s only ever known from afar starts daring her to simply take that chance for herself. His sage advice? Try something wild and fast. Preferably him. An unbridled, hotshot attorney with a not-so-little black book, Connor Sullivan has earned himself quite the bad boy reputation. But in his defense, he’s a very conscientious one. He knows far too well that sometimes in life, love isn’t enough…or worse, not even a factor at all. To avoid that misery—and repel the drama—Connor always makes his one and only rule crystal clear right from the start. Absolutely nothing more than a month. Turns out, a whole lot can happen in one month.










Excerpt
“Why you little—”
Connor launched at Abby as she shrieked out in laughter and tried ducking around him to make for the door. Snatching her around the waist, he hoisted her cackling body over his shoulder and upended her back onto the bed. “You set me up.”
Now unliddable, her giggles effervesced, giving zero credence to her perfectly scandalized denials. He trapped her under him and buried his grin against the curve of her neck, feeling disproportionately victorious at the gasp she couldn’t contain when he skimmed his lips over her collarbone.
The woman was getting to him. This time, when his lips found her soft skin again, it was with purpose. “You planted that wicked little bag-o-fun there for me to find, admit it.”
She gave an Oscar-worthy gasp at the accusation. “What? What possible reason would I have had to do that?”
“To drive me up the wall? Send me bursting through my zipper?” He nipped at her earlobe playfully. “Though I guess I should be flattered to be the reason you bought all that stuff.”
The cutest derisive snort he’d ever heard shot out of her like a torpedo with impeccable aim. “Breaking news, Connor: scientists have in fact discovered that the earth doesn’t revolve around you. Women buy toys for themselves all the time.”
He nearly bit off his tongue to avoid even thinking about Abby having any sort of toy-based fun. “I still call foul. When you and I agreed to this who’ll-beg-first stint, you didn’t say you’d be weaponizing your attacks.”
“Weapons?” She blinked innocently. “You make them sound so sinister. I’d say they’re more like…private tools. Survival tools, if you will. For my time here. Naturally, you were never meant to see them.”
“Bull. Next, you’ll tell me the snowflake masquerading as underwear in that bag is worn strictly for comfort. Hell, I’ve seen more fabric on the teeny doilies in Skylar’s toy tea sets—”
“Aw, I remember those,” she cut in softly with a smile. “She used to go on and on about how her ‘bestest Uncle Connor’ hosted the fanciest dress-up tea parties.”
“I wore suits,” he clarified gruffly, “and don’t change the subject. Why buy sexy lingerie if not to have them be seen?”
By me. He didn’t have to say it out loud, they were both thinking it. And his ego was celebrating it.
“Easy access,” she eventually answered, straight-faced.
His imagination went nuts. Picturing Abby wearing the microscopic scrap of white lace he saw earlier for private ‘easy access’ unhinged him. He shackled her wrists above her head with one hand and began tickling her ribs. “Another foul.”
“Stop!” she screeched and dissolved into a breathless puddle of mirth. “Okay, I admit it! It was a dirty, dirty foul on my part. You should definitely take a free throw shot.”
He paused, wondering where she was going with this.
She pointed to the trash can. “There’s the basket; my new panties can be the ball…since yours are clearly in a twist.”
Incredulous, he dialed up the tickle torture to merciless.
Her squealing ‘I-take-it-backs’ became unintelligible as she wriggled and squirmed and bucked until soon, he was fairly certain he was suffering more than she was.
Breathing hard, he released her wrists and rolled onto his back beside her. “You’re planning to drive me completely crazy these next few weeks, aren’t you?”
Limbs all akimbo, head dangling off the bed, she heaved between breaths, “Like you wouldn’t believe.”


VIOLET DUKE is the pen name for Nina Nakayama, former professor of English Education turned author who now spends her days on the other side of the page writing wickedly fun contemporary romance. When she’s not catering to the whims of her story characters or feeding her book-a-day reading addiction, she enjoys randomly rearranging the furniture in her house, tackling reno projects with her power tools, cooking ‘special edition’ dishes that laugh in the face of recipes, and trying pretty much anything without reading the directions first. Nina lives in Hawai‘i with her two cute kids and similarly adorable husband. Learn more about her and her books at http://www.violetduke.com.
Links: Website Twitter Goodreads


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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Undressed

Undressed
Avery Aster
Erotic Romance


Synopsis:

(78,000 words, Erotic Contemporary Romance, M/F, HEA, Ages 18+ due to sexual situations and mature content)

Milan's notorious playboy, Massimo Tittoni, seems to have everything--Lamborghinis, exotic women, palaces throughout Europe and business success. Ramping up his fabric company to go global with a new apparel brand, he ruthlessly stops supplying fabrics to the American client who inspired the collection. But once they meet, what's he willing to give to get her in his bed?

Upper East Side designer Lex Easton will be damned if she'll let an Italian stud muffin knock her down. So what if she named her favorite vibrator after him. With Fashion Week approaching, she'll do whatever it takes to secure the fabrics she needs to become the next Diane von Furstenburg-- even sleep with her rival. Lex's Louboutins stilettos are dug in deep to win this war.

Avery Aster's super-glossy debut novel is loaded with passionate escapism, pitting American ambition against Italian tradition. Erotic romance fans who appreciate extended sex scenes, witty banter and glamour mustn't miss Undressed.

Inside Scoop: Though the hero and heroine remain monogamous, their Prada-wearing friends indulge in a ménage a trois and other fashionable sexual fun and games.

The Manhattanites is a series of full length novels focusing on relationships. Each book may be read as a stand alone. If you've enjoyed TV shows like Girls (HBO), Dirty Sexy Money (ABC), and The Bold & the Beautiful (CBS) then you'll love this series. Avery's characters are over the top. They have raunchy sex, speak their minds and the plots are twisted. (In a good way!) Manhattanites celebrate lust, ambition, and true devotion.

25 New Yorker Insights Revealed After Reading Undressed by Avery Aster
Sex 
§  Your vajayjay can take a guy’s cock 'n' balls…at the same time.
§  Always name your butt plug after Anderson Cooper.
§  Pre-ejaculation while jetting a plane over Italy causes turbulence.
§  Never let a dog sleep in your bed, especially three dogs. It’ll ruin your sex life.
§  If he’s as hung as an Evian bottle, it’s best to look away.
Money 
§  Always retain the legal services of female lawyers, particularly ones named; Sarah Goldbaum and Hannah Goldstein.
§  Never allow your mother to spend your line of credit on a psychic from the Caribbean.
§  Sexual frustration leads to good business practices, enough to earn three hundred million dollars.
§  If Bergdorf’s, Barney’s and Saks Fifth Avenue reject your upcoming fashion collections try selling it to JCPenny’s or Kmart.
§  Use your American Express reward points wisely. You never know when you'll need to jet.
Life 
§  Bellini cocktail consumption will induce foot fetishes.
§  Swedish Fish, Now & Later, and Gummy Bears from Dylan’s Candy Bar are perfect for your fuck-it bucket.
§  Everyone should be so lucky to have a best friend like Taddy Brill.
§  Never drive a Ford Thunderbird off a cliff thinking you’re Thelma & Louise.
§  Stay away from any woman named Scilla or Ottavia.
Fashion 
§  Wearing Tory Burch ballet flats while racing a sports car may cause ones clitoris to hum.
§  Think twice before sitting Lady Gaga and Madonna next to one another at your fashion show.
§  Prada and a condom, when worn together, are known to make bisexual men go bonkbuster cra-cra.
§  Altering a vintage Valentino dress, formerly worn by socialite Nati Abascal, may land you on the red carpet.
§  We should all get "f'd" in Fendi.
Love 
§  When in love, you can have as many orgasms as you like…in one day!
§  Slow dancing to Giuseppe Verdi enhances one’s emotional state.
§  Don't argue with your lover in public, above all—never in front of Anna Wintour, Marc Jacobs, or Karl Lagerfeld.
§  Playing Simon Says, in bed, may lead one to reveal their true feelings. So will strip dancing in front of him to the song Girls, Girls, Girls by Mötley Crüe.
§  And finally, he must always say, “I love you,” first.

Avery Aster

Broken Gates




Paperback
Expected publication: May 24th 2013 by Dragonfairy Press 
 ***Genre - New Adult Paranormal Romance
P.J. Stone is a Seer who saw too little, too late.
In the past, her biggest worries were boys and school—but war has a way of changing things. Now, the alien Riders are trying to overrun the world. As the last of their kind, P.J. and her friends must find a way to save humanity before there’s nothing left to save.
After choosing a mate, P.J. hoped she'd have time to enjoy her love life. But with everything changing so quickly and major secrets revealed, who knows what the future will bring?




First Book in this series



Click on the photo above to learn more.



Skeleton Key Guild


Release: May 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Steampunk, Paranormal

Her parents dead, her sister missing, and those she loves branded traitors to the Old Kind... Chloe Masters is on the run.

To fulfill a parent’s dying wish she will do anything to save the sister she has never met. Can she learn the secrets of the Artifacts before it’s too late? Surrounded by her friends; Slade, Edgar, Jess, Val and the man she loves James Nightshade, Chloe has never had so much to live for... but will her enemies let her?

Reviews about The Doorknob Society


I am SO GLAD that I said I’d review the 
book!! It had me interested from the first 
chapter, and HOOKED shortly after that!” 
Puretextuality.com 

Let me start by saying that I'm a pretty picky 
reader. I have to be captured by a story almost 
immediately in order to continue reading. Well, I 
was captured by The Doorknob Society...and I 
am hooked!” Amazon 

I couldn't put it down and read straight 
through and was so mad at myself for finishing 
it. I. CAN. NOT. WAIT. FOR. THE. NEXT. 
BOOK!” Goodreads 



Other books in the series...



About M.J. Fletcher
MJ Fletcher is the creator of the comic book series Adam Zero: The Last Man of Earth published by Ronin Studios. He’s also been published in Hope: The Hero Initiative and Digital Webbing Presents. The Doorknob Society series is his first book series and he’s thrilled about it. He lives near the beach with his wife, daughter, and dog.


The Doorknob Society Book Trailer






Win an ebook copy of the first in the series, The Doorknob Society! Open International! 


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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Mobster Series

 
 
1. Your Mobster series has a lot of violence in it, were you cringing when you wrote certain parts?
The series has a ton of violence. I wasn’t cringing when I wrote it, but I was exhausted after. A great deal of the violence takes place because of unwritten rules and guidelines of the Mafia underworld. You never rat anyone out, whether they’re a friend or enemy.
It is a bizarre code of ethics and it has its own language (jargon).
2. I saw on Goodreads that you want to have 4 books out by September, do you have titles for these books yet?
Out of the four books I have planned to have out by September, only one of them is Mobsters. Right now, I only have one more book planned in that series. Mobster’s Angel is Vito and Erin’s story. It is told from their perspective just like Antonio and Megan story. While writing Mobster’s Girl, Vito’s character takes the shape of sidekick/henchman but grows into something vital and enthralling. I have grown to love him just as much as Antonio. There is something about him that sends shivers up your spine and curls your toes to the point where your feet don’t fit in your shoes anymore. I have received countless FB messages and emails about the couple. The age difference really sparks conversation as readers wrestle with whether or not they find it taboo.
Another book that is scheduled for release is Frosted Over. It is a survival romance. The story is about six people will meet for the first time on a ski weekend and get caught in an avalanche/blizzard. Sparks fly between different characters. They have to learn on the spot survival skills as they face different situations. Libby and Kyle are telling the story. This book is due out in April.
Silencing Joy is a book I started a few years ago. I just never finished it. I plan on finishing it up this year. It is a dark look into the life of young girl who witnesses a brutal beating and that event begins a series of them. Joy is caught in the middle. The genre is romance/action-adventure. It is told from Joy’s perspective.
I am a paranormal/science fiction reader at heart. I watch all types of sci-fi/paranormal/dystopian movies and shows. I am a Walking Dead Fanatic and a Trekkie. I can probably repeat Star Wars verbatim. Another book I have started is called Sybrina. It takes place in the 1800s aboard a clipper ship. The main character, Sybrina, is traveling from America to England. The genre of this particular book is historical paranormal romance.
3. What kinds of things can you do to help out families of the Fallen?
Families of the fallen are military families who have lost a loved one in the war. If someone was interested they could donate to the many of the organizations that support these families, such as the American Gold Star mothers, and the Good Grief camp that supports the children of Fallen Service members. They can volunteer to help maintain monuments and gravesites of the Fallen as well.
4. The Mobster books switch from Megan’s POV to Antonio’s POV, did you have a hard time making both characters got the same amount of time?
I didn’t really pay attention to how much time each character received. I focused on the story and each character’s perspective. However it worked out was how worked out, I didn’t really have a plan.
5. The Mobsters series is an unconventional love story, what inspired you to write something dark and gritty?
My inspiration came from different places. It came from stories I heard growing up. It also came from people I have met over the years. Time and time again, I have learned of situations in which a person rationalized bad behavior or illegal behavior. In Antonio’s case, he is a victim of his own environment but flourishes in it. He epitomizes the criminal hero.
One of my favorite scenes is Antonio punching Dino in church. It shows the paradox of acceptable and unacceptable behavior/actions. It doesn’t matter where you beat the crap out of someone, just as long as it’s not in church. Antonio lives by a mafia code. He has been raised in it for his entire life.

Gripping my chest is the only way to hold myself together or what’s left of me will fall out. The past week has enlightened me on one thing-I don’t care. Megan, Mobster’s Girl I didn’t even hesitate. I took two strides and blasted him in the face with my fist. He was ready for it this time-unlike in church. He tried to hit me back but I ducked and smashed him again. Antonio, Mobster’s Girl You can’t help what family you’re born into or what lies they keep from you. You can’t help it if they mold and shape you just the way they wanted. Are monsters born or made? Antonio and Megan have a timeless issue. They were told to stay away from each other. They try, they really do. But they are drawn to each other. Mature Young Adult YA underage drinking, violence, strong language.
Links: Goodreads Amazon Smashwords 
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Review

****The author provided me with a copy of this book for my honest review****
Megan is a red haired white Irish girl living in an area dominated by Italians. Antonio is the mob bosses son, he actively participates in his fathers business, he has liked Megan since her family moved to the area. Everyone has been warned to stay away from Megan, but Antonio and Megan want to be together, their parents can't stop them, at least that's what they think. I am so in love with this book, Megan is shy, cute and has a surprising amount of backbone. Antonio is the hot dangerous guy, but he has this marshmallow center when it comes to Megan. The two of them together is so sweet, they have this sweet relationship that their parents seem intent on destroying. This book was a good fast paced, action packed quick read, there is a cliffhanger, which normally would have me cursing at my kindle, but the book was so good I couldn't be mad. I enjoyed the book and am getting ready to dive into the next one.



A breathtakingly beautiful man is standing right next to me-holding me, reassuring me, protecting me. Antonio is my savior. Having him with me makes the ickiness that’s stuck in my stomach tolerable. Megan, Awakening the Mobster Loving Megan and caring for Erin like the sister I never had is dangerous. These feelings cause you to think. But I was raised, Don’t think, just do! Antonio, Awakening the Mobster What draws and binds people together-circumstance, experience, blood? Can you change what you’re made of or is it predestined? If you fight it, will it just come back to you ten-fold? Antonio and Megan are running. Running away. Megan’s father told them to. Antonio and Megan fly to South Bend, Indiana. They are hiding out at Notre Dame until it’s safe to come home. But will it ever be safe with the line of work Antonio and Megan’s father do? There is no escaping the mob. It’s part of your existence. This is the second book in Mobster Series.
Links: Goodreads Amazon Smashwords 
4 of 5 stars false

Review

****The author provided me with a copy of this book for my honest review****
The second book in the Mobsters series takes up right where the first one left off, Megan, Antonio, Vito and Erin are hiding out trying to stay safe. Antonio and Vito are trying to find out who in the organization betrayed them and is trying to kill them. New secrets and enemies emerge as Megan and Tonio get closer, Erin is still having problems dealing with what happened  in the first book. This book is not as fast paced as the first one, it's more focused on dealing with the fall out of the problems from the first one. I don't want to say to much and spoil the book, so I will just say this was a good book. It was entertaining, emotional and a nice quick read. It's not a light read, it still has violence and there is some mystery. There is a cliffhanger so if you read it make sure you have the third book ready.


My soul was drawn to him. It isn’t about the danger or his dark beauty, it’s the connection I feel – the feeling of home I have with him even though I am miles away from it. Megan, Mobster’s Vendetta The mob underworld never changes. It hides itself deep in the cities. The rules, people, and danger are identical no matter where you go. Sometimes I wish things were different, but they're not. Antonio, Mobster’s Vendetta Antonio and Megan have had to overcome severe challenges in the short time they have been together. Things just happen that way sometimes. Circumstance has kept them apart, but their biggest challenge is yet to come. Power, greed, and malice can crush a person from the inside out. Antonio and Megan are in Chicago. Antonio needs to take care of business. Business that includes taking down his Uncle - for good. *MATURE YA sexual content, strong language and violence.
Links: Goodreads Amazon Smashwords 
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Review

****The author provided me with a copy of this book for my honest review****
  The third book in the Mobsters series starts right where the second one left off, Megan and Erin are now ensconced safely in a casino of a mob boss. Antonio is still trying to clean up the mess and find the traitors, Megan is trying to help her sister get over the trauma. The two of them are having to spend a lot of time apart, they miss each other and the stress of mob life is weighing on both of them. I started reading this book as soon as I finished the second one, this series is really addicting I just couldn't put it down. I loved how the characters seemed to mature through out this book. The ending had me clapping my hands in joy, again I don't want to give to much away. This was another fast paced quick read, the violence is disturbing and provides a great contrast to the sweet love story between Megan and Antonio. This book was a good addition to a great series, Amy has written another book that has to be added to my favorites list. I can't wait to get my hands on Vito and Erins story and will probably beg the author shamelessly for an ARC. 


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Kiss of Temptaion


 
Ivak Sigurdsson had led a lustful life, leaving a trail of broken hearts--and lives--in his wake. Of course, a man can only live that way for so long, and when a vengeful husband finally breaks through Ivak’s defenses, he is given a choice: die, or serve the archangel Michael and become a vangel.
A thousand years later, determined to prove his worth to Michael and finally gain reprieve, Ivak is successfully avoiding temptation...until he meets Gabrielle Sonnier. The sexy lawyer is just his type, and Ivak wastes no time in telling her so. But Gabrielle has bigger problems on her plate than a horny Viking. So Ivak has no choice but to help Gabrielle, and in doing so, they might both discover there are more tempting things in life than work or play...like love. 

Exceprt

Prologue
 
The Norselands, 850 a.d., where men…and life…were always hard…
Ivak Sigurdsson was an excessively lustsome man.
Ne’er would he deny that fact, nor bow his head in embarrassment. In truth, he’d well earned his far-renowned wordfame for virility. On his back. On his front. Standing. Sitting. On the bow and in the bowels of a longship. Behind the Saxon king’s throne. Deep in a cave. High in a tree. Under a bush. On a bed. In a cow byre. Once even with…well, never mind, that had been when he was very young and on a dare and another story entirely.
He liked women. Everything about them. Not just the sex bits. He liked their scent, the feel of their silky skin, the allure of their secrets, the sound of their sighs and moans, the taste of them. And women liked him, too. He wanted them all.
You could say lust was a sixth sense for Ivak. He was a Viking, after all.
He’d been twelve years old when, swaggering with over-confidence, he’d tried his dubious charms on his father’s eighth concubine who’d laughed herself into a weeping fit afore showing him exactly which hole he should aim for. Now, twenty years and at least two hundred bedmates later--he’d stopped counting after that incident in Hedeby-- there was naught he did not know about sex. Men came to him for advice all the time. Women, too
The cold Norse winds blew outside his keep now, but he and his comrades-in-arms were warm inside as they sat before one of the five hearth fires that ran through the center of his great hall at Thorstead. Their body heat was aided by the mead they were imbibing and the satiety that comes from having tupped more than the ale barrel, and it not yet eventide.
When bored and having no wars to fight, or any other time for that matter, taking an enthusiastic maid to the bed furs was always a worthwhile pastime. Leastways, it was for Ivak. You’d think his jaded appetites would have waned by now. Instead, he found himself wanting more and more. And the things he tried these days pushed even his sensibilities for decency…but not enough to stop him.
And, of course, when bored and having no wars to fight, men did what men did throughout time. Drank.
In fact, Esbe, the widow of one of his swordsmen, walked amongst them now, refilling their horns from a pottery pitcher. When she got to him, she smiled, a small, secretive smile that Ivak understood perfectly. Women told him that he had an aura about him…a presence, so to speak. By leaning against a wall just so, or merely staring at them through half-slitted eyes, or gods forbid, winking at them, he sent a silent message. Here was a man who knew things.
He smiled back at Esbe, who shared his bed furs on occasion, and watched appreciatively, along with every one of his men, as she walked away from them, hips swaying from side to side.
Another thing men did when bored and having no wars to fights, and especially when drinking, was talk about women.
Tell me true, Ivak,” demanded Haakon the Horse, a name he’d been given because of a face so long he could lick the bottom of a bucket and still see over the rim, not because of other bodily attributes. Haakon was a master at swordplay if ever there was one, a soldier you’d want at your back in battle, but an irksome oaf when drukkinn, and he was halfway there already. “There must have been times when your lance failed to rise to the occasion. It happens to the best of men betimes.”
Ivak exchanged a quick glance with his best friend, Serk the Silent, who sat beside him on the bench. Serk, a man of few words, did not need to speak for Ivak to know that he was thinking: Here it comes!
Ivak tapped his chin with a forefinger, as if actually giving the query consideration. He could feel Serk shaking with silent laughter. “Nay, it never has, though there have been times I’ve had to take a vow of celibacy to give it a rest.” He cupped himself for emphasis.
For how long?” scoffed Ingolf, his chief archer. A grin twitched at Ingolf’s hugely mustached upper lip, knowing when Ivak was about to pull a jest.
Oh, a good long time. Two days at most,” Ivak admitted.
Everyone, except Haakon, found amusement in his jest, including Kugge, the young squire he’d been training of late. Gazing at Ivak in wonder, Kugge blurted out, “Did it hurt?”
The celibacy or the excess?” Ivak asked, trying to keep a straight face.
A blush crept over Kugge’s still unwhiskered face as he sensed having made a fool of himself.
Ivak patted Kugge on the shoulder.
Haakon glared at him, his question not gaining the results he’d wanted…a fight. Ivak returned Haakon’s glare, his with a silent warning that Haakon thankfully heeded. Haakon stood, tossing his horn to the rushes, and stomped off, hopefully to sleep himself sober.
Ingolf took a long draught from his horn of ale, cleared his throat, and proclaimed with a chuckle, “To my mind, a man’s cock is like a brass urn.”
Oh, good gods!” Ivak muttered.
How true!” Serk encouraged Ingolf and nudged Ivak with an elbow to share in his mirth.
Now, hear me out,” Ingolf said, stroking his mustache. “Everyone knows that brass needs polishing from time to time, and--”
Mine is especially shiny these days since I got me a second wife,” one of the men contributed.
Ingolf scowled at the interruption and continued, “Of course, a one-handed rub will do to ease the throb, but best it is if the polishing is done in the moist folds of a female sheath’s choke hold.”
I don’t understand,” Kugge said to Ivak.
“’Tis a mystery,” Ivak replied with dry humor.
Ingolf, who fashioned himself a master storyteller, was on a roll now. ‘Twas best to let him finish. “The thing about brass is that too much rubbing and it loses its luster. Even grows pits.” Ingolf pretended to shiver.
Pits? Like a peach?” Kugge whispered.
Nay. Like warts,” Ivak told the boy. “You do not want warts down there, believe you me.”
Even worse,” Ingolf told Kugge, “tainted oil in the sheath can spoil all it touches. Remember that dockside whore in Jorvik.” The latter Ingolf addressed to the other men. “Now that was a woman with teeth down there.”
She had a lot more than teeth,” Serk remarked, “as many men soon learned.”
The difference, my friend, is that some cocks are solid gold.” Ivak motioned a hand downward.
The other men rolled their eyes and guffawed.
Mine is solid silver,” Bjorn No-Teeth said, his lips twitching as he attempted to hide his gummy smile. “I’m thinking about having it…etched. Ha, ha, ha!”
Others offered their own self-assessments:
Mine is ivory, smooth and sleek, and big as an elephant’s tusk betimes. Not that I have e’er seen an elephant.”
Mine is a rock. A rock cock.”
Mine is iron, like a lance. A loooong lance.”
Holy Thor! Do not make me laugh anymore lest I piss my braies.”
Someone belched.
Someone else farted.
More bragging.
Ivak sighed with contentment. It was the way of men when they were alone with time to spare.
Their merriment was interrupted by the arrival of Ivak’s steward announcing Vadim, the slave trader from the Rus lands, who had come from Birka before circling back home. He would probably be the last one to make it through the fjords before they were frozen solid for winter.
Ivak and Serk left the others behind as they went out to the courtyard and beyond that to an outbuilding that usually housed fur pelts. It was empty now, the goods sent to market, and cold as a troll’s arse in a blizzard. He waved to a servant who quickly brought him and Serk fur-lined cloaks.
Vadim was a frequent visitor at Thorstead. As often as he dealt in human flesh, Vadim also traded in fine wines, spices, silks, and in Ivak’s case, the occasional sexual oddity…dried camel testicles, feathers, marble phalluses and such.
Serk joined the steward who was examining some of the wares on display in open sacks while Ivak, at Vadim’s urging, walked to the far end of the shed.
Come, come, see what delights I have for you, Lord Sigurdsson.”
Ivak was no lord, and he recognized the obsequiousness of the title dripping from the Russian’s lips, but it wasn’t worth the bother of correcting him. “So, show me the delights.”
Three men were roped together against one wall. Nothing delightful here. An elderly man that Vadim identified as a farmer from the Balkans. With the rocky landscape at Thorstead, Ivak had no need of a farmer and certainly not a graybeard. Next was a boyling with no apparent skills; Ivak passed on him, as well. The third was a young man that Ivak did want…a blacksmith’s apprentice. He and Vadim agreed on a price, although Ivak did not like the angry exchange of words in an undertone between this last man and Vadim that the trader dismissed as of no importance.
Next came the best part. The delight part. The women. Ivak always enjoyed checking over new female slaves. Serk, who had finished examining the household wares, joined him.
The five women were not restrained, but they were shivering with cold, or mayhap a bit of fear, not knowing that Ivak would be a fair master. They shivered even more when Vadim motioned for them to disrobe. While Ivak pitied them this temporary chill, he was not about to buy a piece of property without full disclosure. Once he’d purchased a prettily clothed slave in Jorvik only to find she had oozing pustules covering her back, from her neck to her thighs.
I see several you would like,” Serk whispered at his side.
Ivak agreed, a certain part of his body already rising in anticipation.
The first was clearly pregnant, normally a condition that would preclude his purchase—there were enough bratlings running about the estate, including some of his own--but he had a comrade-in-arms who had a particular taste for sex with breeding women; so, he motioned for her to join the young blacksmith at the other end. With an appreciative nod of thanks at her good fortune, she quickly pulled on her robe and drew a threadbare blanket over her shoulders.
This one is a Saxon, a little long in the tooth, but an excellent cook,” Vadim said.
I already have a cook,” Ivak demurred.
Ah, but does she make oat cakes light as a feather and mead fit fer the gods?” the heavy woman of middle years, whose sagging breasts reached almost to her waist, asked in Saxon English. The Norse and Saxon languages were similar and could be understood to some extent by either. She’d obviously got the meaning of his remark.
Ivak liked a person with gumption, male or female, and he grinned, ordering her to join the other two. Besides, a Viking could never have enough good mead.
All the thrall bodies were malodorous from lack of bathing…for months, no doubt…but this next one—an attractive woman of thirty or so years--had a particular odor that Ivak associated with diseased whores. He gave Vadim a disapproving scowl and moved to the fourth woman.
This one is a virgin,” Vadim said. “Pure as new snow. And a skilled weaver.”
Ivak arched a brow with skepticism as he circled the shivering female who had seen at least twenty winters. He doubted very much that a female slave could remain intact for that many years. Still, she would be a welcome diversion. New meat for jaded palates. Not to mention, he had lost a weaver this past summer to the childbirth fever. He nodded his acceptance to Vadim.
And then there was the fifth woman…a girl, really. No more than sixteen. Red hair, above and below. Ah, he did love a red-headed woman. Fiery, they were when their fires were ignited, as he knew well how to do. He could not wait to lay his head over her crimson fluff and…
He smiled at her.
She did not smile back. Instead, tears streamed down her face.
He ran his knuckles over one pink, cold-peaked nipple, then the other.
She actually sobbed now, and stepped back as if in revulsion.
The tears didn’t bother him all that much, but the resistance did. Thralldom was not easy for some to accept, but she would settle into her role soon. They usually did. They had no choice. Not that he would engage in rape. Persuasion was his forte.
But wait. She was staring with seeming horror at something over his shoulder.
Ivak heard the growl before he turned and saw the smithy tugging to be free from the restraints being held by both Vadim and his assistant. At the same time, the young man was protesting something vociferously in what sounded to Ivak like the Irish tongue.
What is amiss?” Ivak demanded of Vadim.
He’s her husband, but you are not to worry--”
Ivak put up a halting hand. “I do not want any more married servants. Too much trouble.” He started to walk away.
You could take one of them,” Vadim offered.
Ivak paused. The woman’s skin wasdeliciously creamy and her nether fleece was tempting. “I’ll take her. You keep him.”
The husband didn’t understand Ivak’s words as he spoke, but Vadim must have explained once Ivak and Serk left the building and headed back to the keep because his roar of outrage would be understood in any language.
Is that wise, Ivak?” Serk asked. “Separating a man and his mate?”
It happens all the time, my friend, and do you doubt my wisdom in choosing good bedsport over good metalwork?”
Serk laughed but at the same time shook his head at Ivak with dismay. In some ways Serk had gone soft of late, ever since he’d wed Asta, the daughter of a Danish jarl. Six months and Serk was still besotted with the witch. Little did he know that Asta was spreading her thighs hither and yon. Ivak knew that for a fact because he’d been one of those to whom she’d offered her dubious charms. He would have told his friend, but he figured Serk would grow bored soon enough, and then it would not matter. As long as she did not try to pass off some other man’s bratling as his own. When Ivak had mentioned that possibility to Asta, she’d informed him that she was joyfully barren. That was another thing of which Serk was uninformed.
And women claimed men were the ones lacking in morals!
That night he swived the Irish maid, and she was sweet, especially after having been bathed. It was not an entirely satisfying tup, though. The girl was too willing. He kept seeing her husband’s face as he was dragged away. No doubt Ivak’s distaste would fade eventually, but tonight he had no patience for it, especially as she begged him to be permitted to stay. Instead, he sent her away after just one bout of bedsport, wanting no more of her for now.
He drank way too much mead then, which only increased his foul mood. That was the only excuse he could find for his seeing Asta slinking along one of the hallways and motioning him with a forefinger to come to her bedchamber. Another round-heeled woman with the morals of a feral cat. He knew for a fact that Serk was serving guard duty all night.
Mayhap he should tup Serk’s wife and then explain to him in the nicest possible way on the morrow what a poor choice he had made in picking this particular maid for his mate. He would be doing his friend a favor, he rationalized with alehead madness.
Asta was riding him like a bloody stallion a short time later, and while his cock was interested, he found himself oddly regretting his impulsive invitation. Bored, he glanced toward the door that was opening, and there stood Serk, staring at them with horror. This was not the way he’d wanted his friend to discover his wife’s lack of faithfulness.
Ivak? My friend?” Serk choked out.
I can explain. It’s not what you think.” Well, it was, but there was a reason for his madness. Wasn’t there?
At the stricken expression on Serk’s face, Ivak shoved Asta off him, ignoring her squeal of ill-humor, and jumped off the bed. By the time he was dressed, his good friend was gone. And Asta was more concerned about having her bedplay interrupted than the fact that her husband had witnessed her adultery. To Ivak’s amazement, she actually thought they would resume the swiving.
Ivak searched for more than an hour, to no avail. It was already well after midnight and most folks, except for his housecarls, were abed. His apology and explanation to Serk would have to wait until morning. Without a doubt, Serk would forgive him, once he understood that Asta was just a woman, and a faithless one at that. Oh, Ivak did not doubt that Serk would be angry, and Ivak might even allow him a punch or two, but eventually their friendship would be intact.
Still, he could not sleep with all that had happened, and he decided to walk out to the stables to check on a prize mare that should foal any day now. What Ivak found, though, was so shocking he could scarce breathe. In fact, he fell to his knees and moaned. “Oh, nay! Please, gods, let it not be so!”
Hanging from one of the rafters was Serk.
His friend had hung himself.
What have I done? What have I done? She was not worth it, my friend. Truly, she was not. Oh, what have I done?
Ivak lowered the body to the floor and did not need to put a fingertip to Serk’s neck to know that he had already passed to Valhalla. With tears burning his eyes, he stood, about to call for the stablemaster in an adjoining shed when he heard a noise behind him. Turning, he saw the young Irish blacksmith, husband of the red-haired maid he’d bedded, running toward him with a raised pitchfork. Vadim and his crew were supposed to depart at first light. The man must have escaped his restraints.
Before Ivak had a chance to raise an alarm or fight for himself, the man pierced his chest with the long tines of the pitchfork. Unfortunately, he used the special implement with metal tines that Ivak had purchased this past summer on a whim in the open markets of Miklegaard, also known as Byzantium. Why had he not been satisfied with the usual wooden pitchforks for his fine stable? So forceful had the man’s surge toward him been that he pinned Ivak into the wall.
You devil!” the man yelled, tears streaming down his face. “You bloody damn devil! May you rot in hell!”

Sandra Hill is a graduate of Penn State and worked for more than 10 years as a features writer and education editor for publications in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Writing about serious issues taught her the merits of seeking the lighter side of even the darkest stories. She is the wife of a stockbroker and the mother of four sons.
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