Kristen Ashley

 

About the Author

Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn't taken her first breath!).  Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write. Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched). Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.  And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.   

Where to Find Kristen          

Goodreads  Kristen Ashley  Facebook  Twitter  

Books

Based in Denver, the Rock Chick Series is eight books that take you on the wild ride of the courtships of the Rock Chicks and the Hot Bunch.

    Rock Chick 8, Not Yet Released

Dream Man 

 

Colorado Mountain Series 

 The Colorado Mountain Series takes place in two fictional Colorado towns situated close to each other, Gnaw Bone and Carnal. This series that will be six novels follows the stories of six connected men on their rocky road to second chances.

The 'Burg Series

 Based in my hometown of Brownsburg, Indiana, The 'Burg Series will be six books following the interweaving tales of friends, family, love and crime in a small town.
 

Unfinished Hero Series

The Unfinished Hero Series is very new (first book published in April 2012) and as yet, I have not quite decided how many books will make up this series. At the very least, it will be three. Perhaps five. However, these stories will be interweaving. They are also not my usual steamy romances, they are erotic romances. Not erotica, as such, but the sex in these books, starting with Knight is quite explicit and explores the intricacies of love and trust in a relationship including sexually. As the tales unfold, I don't know how this will continue. However, as it stands in my head, this series will continue to explore these themes however they come about for my characters. That said, these are love stories. It isn't about sex, it is about happily ever after. As always. And last, one final warning, the heroes of these books are anti-heroes. They are good men who do bad things. They have their reasons. They have their own codes. They may seek (and find) redemption. Or they may not. They simply are who they are, do what they do and find love along the way

 

Ghosts and Reincarnation Series

An important FYI: Three books in my Ghosts and Reincarnation Series take place in my favorite National Trust properties. Penmort Castle is based on Dunster Castle. Sommersgate House takes place in a property based on Tyntesfield. And Lacybourne Manor in one based on Clevedon Court. If you ever have the opportunity, my strong recommendation is to see these beautiful properties and hopefully, one day, you can read these books that fictionally take place in them. To learn more about The National Trust, go to: www.nationaltrust.org.uk(less)
 

Fantasyland Series

The Fantasyland Series will be a series of five novels that take place in our world and a parellel universe where fantasies are true... but perhaps not all you would expect.

 

The Three Series

The Three Series will be a trilogy which follow the three couples, mixtures of immortal and mortal, prophesied to save humanity. We start with a vampire and a human. We move onto werewolves. And after that... surprise!

 

Heaven and Hell Series

  

Mathilda's Book of Shadows Series

 

Books not in series

 

 

Post by:

 

Beautifully Damaged 18+

The following review is for 18+ readers

 

  

Ember Walsh was always the quiet one, enjoying a book and a glass of wine over the noise and crowds of a club, but when her best friend asks her to come out and meet the boy she likes Ember's world is turned upside down. He appears like a mythical avenging angel, inked, gorgeous and completely out of her league but one look and Ember no longer wants the quiet, she wants him.

Trace Montgomery has buried his damaged past with women and fighting until one day he meets an angel and suddenly he wants more, he wants her. For her, he's determined to overcome his demons but will the dark secret that links their pasts bring them closer or will it tear them apart.

Review

Ember had a pretty good childhood, despite her mother dying when she was young; she had a wonderful father and his friends to raise her. She moves to New York to become a writer, gets a job at a restaurant while rooming with her best friend Lena. One night she goes to a club to meet Lenas new boyfriend and ends up meeting Trace Montgomery. Trace is a big, tattooed, rich guy who fights in a gym to help him control his rage. Trace had a really bad childhood, he has a strict moral code and he doesn't do relationships. I am so incredibly in love with Beautifully Damaged. Ember is such a sweet girl, she is oblivious to how truly beautiful she is outside as well as in. She has a really messed up best friend, but she is still loyal to her to a fault. Trace, any words that I use to describe him will not do justice to this wonderfully broken man. He hurts himself and does things to Ember that are so wrong, yet he is doing them because he thinks that it is the right thing to do. Lena, Embers roommate/best friend, is a self centered, jealous slut; she puts Ember down to make herself feel better. She puts Ember in bad situations which result in Ember gaining a stalker/psychopath/would-be-rapist.  Rafe who is Traces best friend is a tough guy with a heart of gold, he has been friends with Trace a long time and he tries everything he can to keep the two together. Trent works at the restaurant with Ember and ends up becoming a great friend and ally to Ember. Ember also finds an unlikely ally when she goes on a date with Lucien, he gives her advice and they become good friends as well. Ember and Traces story is not a hearts and flowers story, its a honest, gritty, dark tale of two people with tragic pasts, self-destructive tendencies and dangerous obsessions trying find a way to get past everything and finally be able to just be happy and love each other.

Post by:

 

  

 

Soul Walker

  

I need to get you to the hospital." He was taking responsibility for me. Only my parents had that job. I stretched my hand out in protest, but the lack of depth perception had my trembling fingers grazing his overheated neck. I swore his whole body shook.
When five-year-old Anna Pierce is offered a chance to have nightmare-free nights for the small price of her voice, she jumps at it. Silence has to be better than all-consuming dreams about blood and death and fangy monsters. The bargain she strikes comes with a secondary benefit, visions of a person's future potential. The combination of visions and silence changes her very nature and soon she's diagnosed with autism. Twelve years of living in her head comes to a screeching halt the moment Peter Davis pulls her out of an icy river.
Her new life has her twirling, tiptoeing, and crashing through unfamiliar territory, one filled with a cranky grandma, a knocked up cousin, an unpleasant cousin, a bunch of mostly good vampires, and the boy who rescued her.
To top it all off, the deal she made at five is no more. Anna is expected to talk, to figure out her resurfacing nightmares, and to control her ever-growing powers. And she'd better get it done soon because if the good vamps want a piece of a living, breathing Touched girl, the evil ones simply want. They'll take Anna for their very own.

Review

****I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review****

When Anna was a young girl she had horrific nightmares, at five years old she is given a deal, no more nightmares if she stops talking. Anna keeps her end of the deal; she doesn't talk not even when her parents die on a rafting trip with her. She is rescued by a mysterious boy named Peter and has to move in with her Grandmother. Her nightmares come back, she has to start talking, deal with an off the wall family, finds out vampires do exist and they come in shades of gray. I really enjoyed this book and respect Robyn for inserting accurate and uncomfortable information in a book could have been just another YA vampire book. Anna is genuinely autistic, her parents have always been there to protect her and when they die she is left trying to find a way fit into society. You can tell that her Grandmother is uncomfortable and doesn't know how to react to Anna and while her cousin Betsy can have her catty moments her and Sara show that they love Anna. The rest of the characters in the story are mysterious, funny or just downright scary. The storyline was original and heartfelt. The writing itself was very good, the scenes fit together perfectly and the pace of the book was just right. My only problem with the book was some of the wording and terms used, it just didn't sit right with me and brought it from a solid five stars to four. Soul Walker is an original book that stands out in the growing sea of YA vampire books.

Post by:

 

Oxford Shadows Cover Reveal

 

(Trailer on the Right)

Title: Oxford Shadows (The Oxford Trilogy, # 2)

Author: Marion Croslydon

Expected release date: May 6^th, 2013

Age Group/Genre: New Adult Paranormal

Cover Designer: Phat Puppy Art, Photography by Teresa Yeh

Book trailer by: Studio22 Production

Goodreads: (Insert Goodreads badge and link to: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16270093-oxford-shadows)

Book Description:

When death is a new beginning and love an old curse.

Still recovering from her last tango with the afterlife, Louisiana-born Madison LeBon struggles not only with her life as an Oxford postgrad but also with her budding love for Rupert Vance, aristocrat extraordinaire. One thing is certain, though: she won’t run away from her powers anymore. From now on she’ll face the music …

… literally!

When a sixteenth-century ghost makes an appearance during a classical concert Madison attends and threatens her boyfriend’s family, she sets out to explore the dark mysteries of the Tudors, even if that means confronting their most royal and homicidal character.

Her plans take an unexpected turn when her voodoo heritage catches up with her. With horror, she understands what her fate was always meant to be.

The question now is: Can Rupert be part of it?

 

 

About the author

In addition to being an author, I work as an entrepreneur, wife and mother-of-one but spend a good deal of time with books, DVDs and listening to my mp3 player; all for the sake of inspiration, of course.

My debut series, The Oxford Trilogy, has been a blast to write because I can indulge in my favorite types of music: Country and English rock.

My main goal as a writer is to make readers dream bigger and cause their hearts to beat a little faster.

Since my writing is all about sharing dreams and stories, I love connecting with fellow readers and authors.

Marion Croslydon  Twitter Facebook 

The Gamble 18+

The following review is for 18+ readers.

Nina Sheridan’s on a timeout adventure in the Colorado Mountains. She needs distance from her clueless fiance, distance to decide whether she wants to spend the rest of her life with a man who doesn’t care enough to learn how she takes her coffee.
Arriving in a blinding snowstorm at the A-Frame she rented, she comes face to face with the most amazing man she’s ever seen. Minutes later, when he kicks her out of his house, she goes head to head with him.
Beyond angry because she’s flown half a world away to start her timeout adventure, not to mention her sinuses hurt, she heads back down the mountain and ends up in a ditch. Unable to extricate herself, she gives up, hopes for rescue and falls asleep in the backseat.
The next morning she wakes up in the amazing man’s bed and she’s sick as a dog.
Holden Maxwell spends days nursing her back to health and then he spends the next two weeks trying to convince her to take her Colorado adventure further, in other words, make it permanent and take a gamble on him.
Nina has a tough time fighting her attraction to Max, especially when it seems all Max’s friends, her mother and step dad and the whole town want them together and both she and Max get embroiled in the murder of Max’s ex-friend and the town of Gnaw Bone’s most detested resident – a man everyone has motive to kill, especially Max.

Review

This book was a pure joy to read. This was actually my second time reading about Max and his Duchess and the second viewing certainly didn't diminish the effect this story had on me. This book has some intense and heart wrenching themes, rape, death, tragedy, suicide..... so needless to say you will need some tissues while you are on the emotional journey that is "The Gamble".
Never said this, Nina, never thought I'd have the chance, Charlie whispered into my head and the only response I could give was to hold Max tighter, I'm so sorry, sweetheart.
A new sob slid from my throat and Max held me closerFirstly, I love Charlie. Charlie is Nina (our leading ladies)dead brother. He committed suicide after his tour in Afghanistan left him without legs from a mine explosion. Throughout this story, we still get to here from him because his spirit still talks to Nina,guiding her from beyond.
I have a brother who I love with all my heart, we have a special link.
Charlie and Nina have that same link. My brother loving heart is crushed by this tragic sibling story. The conversations she has with her dead brother throughout this book are bittersweet.I am equal parts sad and angry,especially because he obviously loved her back. Anyway no girl should ever have to lose their beautiful brother the way Nina did."Best night I've had since Charlie got hurt."
His arms got tighter. I nestled closer.
"What was he like?" Max asked, still talking quietly.
"Charlie?" I asked back, still talking in my sleep.
"Yeah."
"Best brother ever," I whispered and snuggled closer.
So although this is not the primary storyline or primary character, I latched onto any single little thing that Charlie said to Nina, every little thing being precious.
Secondly, I believe that Nina could be one of the best heroines in KA's extensive repertoire of heroines. Or at least she has the very best line. I read this after I have read most of her books and I have to say at one time or another all her male leads have said this or used a similar word I have always thought to myself, those men seem to be saying a whole lot with that word. Well Nina summed it up perfectly for me and I say kudos to you Duchess!

"Babe," he replied, grinning then said no more.
Still being helpful, I explained, " I know you think that word speaks volumes but, I have to tell you, it acutally doesn't." 

hahahaha yes!! Best line, love it.
She is smart, witty,protective and feisty and I just simply loved her
Thirdly , I am going to talk about Max, who I have come to the realisation is a highly underestimated KA hero. We all have our favourites,mine are usually the most outrageous ones, Tate, Joe, Tack, Hawke, etc Now Max, is sneaky, well at least for me. He is a romantic, a beautiful caring Moutain Man. His reassurances to Nina of how he is as a man, his caring way, this second time read really let him worm his way into my heart and I have to say that I think he may be there to stay.
Learned some things in my life, Duchess, one of the most important, you find a good woman, you take care of her."
"Please"
" This happens between us, Duchess, I'd take care of you"
"Don't."
"Die doin' it."
I am not going to go on an wax lyrical anymore about these characters, I do not want to give away anymore of their story. They all have a troubled past, Maxs' quite tragic.
All I am going to say is this is not a book to skip. I know you have heard wonderful things about the next book and this series, but give this one a try first. It is well worth it, just a wonderful, beautiful read   

Post by:

Nalini Sing

Unfortunately Nalini is knee-deep in revisions right now and didn't have time for an interview, however she has offered to give away a book.

 

About the Author

I've been writing as long as I can remember and all of my stories always held a thread of romance (even when I was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes). I love creating unique characters, love giving them happy endings and I even love the voices in my head. There's no other job I would rather be doing. In September 2002, when I got the call that Silhouette Desire wanted to buy my first book, Desert Warrior, it was a dream come true. I hope to continue living the dream until I keel over of old age on my keyboard.

On Me

I was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I also spent three years living and working in Japan, during which time I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page (updated frequently). So far, I've worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher and not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency but I call it grist for the writer's mill. 

Where to find Nalini

Goodreads   Nalini Singh  Facebook

 Angels rule over humans and vampires, but the most powerful of them all are the archangels. Beautiful. Deadly. Sometimes cruel. Always unpredictable. There are several different groups represented – the archangels, the angels, the vampires, and the Guild Hunters.

                                             

                                                                      

  Two of the strongest Changeling packs in North America are the DarkRiver Leopards, controlling the San Francisco area, and the SnowDancer Wolf Pack, in control of the rest of California. The icy and emotionless Psy are under the control of a powerful council of seven beings with very different goals. And some of the humans, often thought to be the weakest of the three races, have decided to level the playing field.

             
  

Nalini also has written many novellas.

Post by: 

The Daring Young Man

  Title: The Daring Young Man

Author: Jane George

Release date: December 10, 2012

Genre: Fantasy

Age Group: Young Adult Fantasy – I usually recommend for 14+

Promotion Event organized by: AToMR Tours 

Once, sixteen year-old Dante Delgado dreamed of being one of the few trapecistas able to do a quadruple somersault in the air. Then a tragic accident took his parents, their circus, and his ability to fly. Circus is one big family all over the world, and Dante hates everything to do with it. But to survive, he must choose between joining the ranks of the tiny, yet magical Mumbo Jumbo Circus or its nemesis, the Las Vegas spectacular, Cirque Patron. And it doesn't help that two very different girls are confusing the situation. If he makes the wrong choice, he won't have a future to worry about. 
Buy Links: Kobo   Amazon Barnes and Noble 

Excerpt from Chapter 13

Dante and Markie, a strange girl who has taken up with the circus teens, are busking (performing for money) in Balboa Park, San Diego. The act ends with a kiss:

Markie crashed into him. By all rights, he should have been flattened. The impression was more like being absorbed into a marshmallow. Her arms wrapped around him, sending a rush of feeling all down his back that continued into his hamstrings and calves. He shuddered, and she responded by quivering with glee. Her eyes were bulbous. Her teeth protruded. Dante should be repulsed.

But he wasn’t.

The crowd started chanting, “Kiss him! Kiss him!”

Markie played the moment to its fullest, glancing at the crowd, her expression bursting with naiveté, as if to ask, “Should I, really?”

They hooted and stomped.

She ripped the fake lips from her face and placed her mouth upon Dante’s.

A collective, “OOOOOOOOH,” rose from the audience.

Dante barely heard it. What he did hear was the haunting lullaby from the night he almost drowned and the seductive sound of ocean waves relaxing his defenses, drawing him in. Her mouth slid over his with sublime tenderness. He couldn’t stop himself from kissing her back. The kiss grew deeper.

His body buzzed, and along with the sensation came an overwhelming sense of her love. For him. He felt himself melting into her. He craved this unconditional comfort she offered. And her kiss was so incredibly hot. So sinuous. He forgot this was Markie. She hugged him tighter, and he floated on a soothing bed of complete ease. His hurt, his worry, his anger, vanished. He longed to keep kissing her, to disappear into her love.

The lullaby pulled at his thoughts. A hiss-hiss sound tugged at his body. It was the sound waves made as they kissed the sand. Over and over. He could no longer tell where he ended and Markie began. They merged. For a split second, he connected with her pure, inner joy, sparkling and fizzy, like he was her.

Dante wasn’t swimming, but he felt like he was. Deep in his soul, something black rose up like a shark, ascending toward the surface beneath his desperate, paddling feet. He couldn’t allow this. She’d drown him. Kill who he was. He couldn’t breathe.

He pushed away from Markie and stumbled backward.

They were alone. The crowd had long dispersed.

“¿Qué diablos?” he demanded.

“We kissed.” She stared at him with those ugly, gorgeous goggle-eyes. “It was part of the act.”

“I’m talking about the rest of it.” He backed a step further from her. “What in hell happened, man?”

She walked over to the coffee can and lifted it. “We made a bunch of money is what happened. We work well together.”

“Huh.”

“There’s a group of people coming out of the conservatory.” Markie pointed. “Let’s start the act over.”

“You mean do it again?” Dante couldn’t quite keep the dismay out of his voice.

“Yeah, of course. The Mumbo Jumbo Circus needs money. We can double what’s in this can right now.”

He narrowed his eyes at her, trying to see her secrets. “You’re some type of siren aren’t you? You know, like the ones that drown sailors.”

She startled. “What are you talking about? We don’t… Those aren’t real.”

“You tried to drown me with that kiss,” he accused.

“You’re nuts. I would never…” She set down the can and put her hands on her hips. “I saved your life on that beach!”

Angry again, Dante walked up close to her. “Saved my life? I woke up naked, covered in sand, and couldn’t remember much. How about you tell me what went on, yeah?”

“I rescued you so now I care about you, is that so awful?”

Dante froze. That was exactly how he felt about Belinda. Well that, and a healthy dose of lust.

He said, “I don’t remember needing to be rescued.” Which wasn’t true.

“Trust me. You were well on your way to being the cutest corpse I’ve ever seen.”

Dante hated to be called cute. And wait a minute, she’d seen other corpses? He was far from reassured. He could recall the gangbangers, their fists and their knives. He remembered backing into the ocean to escape them. After that, his mind filled with that haunting lullaby and a warm mushy feeling. Yuck. That feeling, combined with the frustration of not being able to recount everything that happened that night, added to his rage.

“You must be one heck of a swimmer,” he spat out. “Olympic level even.”

“Oh, I’m better than that. I’m a regular sea monster.”

Dante laughed and, oddly, his anger dissipated. He couldn’t figure her out. What an absurd thing to say.

About the Author

 

Author and illustrator Jane George lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds a BFA in illustration from the California College of the Arts and has won awards for her art.

A dedicated writer for over a decade, she produces and publishes her YA fantasy and literary titles under her personal imprint, Paper Grove Publishing. Find out more at: www.Jane-George.com

Links:Twitter    Facebook

 

Post by:

 

Liberating Lacey 18+

  The following review is for 18+ readers.

  

Newly divorced Lacey Meyers wasted too many years yawning through sex in the missionary position. Now she's looking for a hookup with a man who can make her shatter. What she gets is a hot younger cop with handcuffs...and he's not afraid to use them.

Hunter Anderson knows the score-though classy, successful women like Lacey might play with guys like him, at the end of the evening, they walk. But when one night leads to another and then another, he finds himself getting too attached to a woman he can't have.

Lacey knows Hunter - gorgeous, hard-edged and eight years younger - won't want anything permanent. No matter how hot and daring he makes her first public sex, quickie, backseat encounter and secret fantasy role-play, she can't mistake adventurous sex for emotional involvement. They both know it's got to end, and soon, or someone's going to get hurt.

Reader Advisory: Lacey's highly erotic "forced" sex fantasy comes true in this book. Lucky her

Review

Lacey just got divorced after years of being married to a man who didn't satisfy her; she goes out to a club and meets Hunter. Hunter is younger, hotter and more adventurous than Lacey knew. Both of them want something more than the no string attached sex they think the other wants, but they don't want to get hurt. I liked Lacey, she was a smart, strong woman who worked hard and knew what she wanted, yet she was also vulnerable. Hunter is a big strong man with a lot of pride, while he may know what he wants he still has a lot of insecurities. I loved their story; it was hot and sweet at the same time. Despite their age difference, upbringing, jobs and money, they fit together really well. The writing was good, there were only a few editing issues mostly due to spelling, but it didn't take away from the story. The sex scenes were detailed, without containing too much information. Both of the characters were well developed and changed enough throughout the story that it made it interesting, without fundamentally changing the people that they originally were.  I loved the book and I would be interested in reading other books by this author.

 Post by: