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Saturday, January 31, 2015

Songs of the Earth by Lexi Ander Review Tour & Giveaway





Book Title: Songs of the Earth
Series: Sumeria’s Son #2
Author : Lexi Ander
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Length: 49.000 words
Genre : Paranormal, Fantasy , Urban Fantasy
Release Date: January 7 , 2015
Cover artist: LeBurden Design

Blurb:

Thrust into the role of Prince of the Lycans, Tristan strives to find his footing in a life suddenly rife with secrets and lies—and danger. Betrayed by a Goddess meant to safeguard him, desperate to protect his consort and their growing tribe, he can only prepare for the worst and struggle to hope.

And then the worst comes to kill them…



Excerpt:

I sat on my horse, Dancing Socks, in the middle of the river that cut through my property, the chill of the water numbing my legs. We were stuck, trapped between two creatures of myth and a Goddess of the Lycan race. Behind me, six of my warriors in the fearsome Lupe battle form braced to protect me.

I was in deep, deep shit. For the life of me, I couldn’t see a way out. Two Shirdals―lion-eagles also known as gryphons―one in front of me and one behind, effectively cut off any escape. Socks and I couldn’t outrun these Sumerian creatures of myth. But they were the least of my problems. What held my full attention was the woman standing before me on the water’s edge.

The Goddess Ki, clothed in a long, flowing gauzy dress, wearing a crown of ram’s horns, with a bow and quiver of arrows over her left shoulder and a cudgel hanging from her waist. She held a lion cub’s leash while regarding me with a stern, assessing gaze.

“Tristan Javed Ksathra Janick, Prince of the Enkidu, do you know who I am?”

How could I, or any Lycan, not know her? Regardless of what had happened today, I’d believed there was a solution. There was always a way out as long as I continued to breathe—but this, her, I couldn’t fight and win.

“You are the Goddess Ki, consort of Enki, Lady Life, mother of all living things, Nourisher of Kings. I greet you, Goddess. Do with me as you will.”

From across the water, Ki smiled a very white smile. “Come to me, Tristan. We have much to discuss,” she commanded.

I nudged Socks with my knees and she reluctantly finished crossing the stream, nervously tossing her head and rolling her eyes at the Shirdal. Once out of the water, I guided her a safe distance to the side and dismounted, removing her wet saddle and blanket. Her muscles twitched as she held still for me.

For a moment, I leaned my forehead on Socks’s shoulder. She reached around and nibbled at my hair. Not a half hour ago, I had left the ranch to go for a ride. The morning had offered many revelations with an accumulation of events that changed the course of my life.

After breaking the bond with my Twin Flame, Theo Sullivan, I hadn’t expected to find happiness or to fall in love with my best friend, but I had. Last night we made love, and it had been the best night of my life. This morning I’d awakened to find out I was born of royal blood, and Ushna was my chosen consort. Before I could begin to grasp what that even meant, Caspian MacCuill—one of the Magi—and a group of Lycan warriors invaded my home and attempted to kidnap Ushna and blackmail our friend, Gregori Borchetta, which led to Ushna being shot while trying to protect me.

All I had wanted was an hour. One single, measly hour to gather my thoughts and figure out what the hell we needed to do next. Instead, I sat trapped with no way to escape. The only course of action left to me was to save as many lives as possible. No mortal defied a Goddess and lived. If only I knew what I’d done to draw her attention.

Reluctantly, I straightened, petting Socks’s velvety nose before I removed her bridle. Giving her a smack on the rump, I sent her away. With luck, she’d return home safely and not be eaten.

Ready for whatever fate awaited me at the hands of a Goddess who hadn’t walked the Earth in a very, very long time, I turned to Ki and waited. It couldn’t be taken as good fortune that she was here now.

“Why so gloomy, Tristan? Do you think so poorly of me that you expect to be struck down by my hand?” Ki asked, head tilted to the side as she stared with almond-shaped black eyes.

One Shirdal lay at her feet, allowing Ki to scratch the feathers between its ears. The picture presented seemed surreal, two things that shouldn’t exist in this modern world of skyscrapers, automobiles, space shuttles, and nuclear bombs. Yes, I kept an altar in my room where I left burnt offerings to the Warrior Goddess Anat and Shamash, God of Justice. Believing in the Gods and Goddesses didn’t mean one would manifest into my world and actually speak to me.

“I don’t wish to offend, Goddess. It’s… well… this has been a very unusual day. Right now, I’m assuming the worst because I cannot fathom why you are here—speaking to me.”

She gave me another toothy smile and glanced across the water to the Lupes harassing the other Shirdal. “Please call your warriors to you, Tristan. The Shirdals meant you no harm. They were only playing.”

I barely withheld an ugly snort. Playing with me? I could imagine them playing as they tossed me about with their sharp beaks. Without a word, I lifted a hand to the Lupes and they entered the water, intent upon me as they crossed in a straight line.

Buy Links:

Less Than Three Press   Amazon     Amazon.UK    B and N     AllRomance

REVIEW:

If you haven't read the first book of this series STOP do not read any further!  You absolutely have to read the first book before starting this one!

I had not read the first book when I started this one and I was instantly lost. I got through the first two chapters and had no idea what was going on. I went back and read the first book and everything suddenly made sense.  The story is intricately woven with numerous characters who are well developed and jump off the kindle.

Tristan never knew he was of royal blood, he thought he was less than normal. His lover Ushna has been his best friend his whole life and his only companion since the bond was broken between Tristan and his Twin Flame. Ushna has dedicated his life to Tristan, secretly in love with him for years. When they finally consumate the desire between them Tristan finds out that he is a Prince to his people, destined to be King.

Now Gods have come to "help" him claim his throne but at least one causes more harm than good. And the relationship between Tristan and Ushna is tested by not only the growing followers but by Tristan's changing DNA. Working through these obstacles the love between them grows.

I cannot wait for the third book in the series to find out what happens between these two!

Author Info:

Lexi has always been an avid reader, and at a young age started reading (secretly) her mother’s romances (the ones she was told not to touch). She was the only teenager she knew of who would be grounded from reading. Later, with a pencil and a note book, she wrote her own stories and shared them with friends because she loved to see their reactions. A Texas transplant, Lexi now kicks her boots up in the Midwest with her Yankee husband and her eighty-pound puppies named after vacuum cleaners.

Web site: http://www.lexiander.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexi.ander.9
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LexiAnder1
Blog: http://lexiander.blogspot.com/
E-mail: lexi.ander.author@gmail.com
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6521302.Lexi_Ander

Rafflecopter Prizes:

First Prize:

$20 Amazon Gift card, $20 All Romance Gift card, hard copy of Songs of the Earth, swag (pens, bookmarks, coffee cup)

Second Prize:

$20 All Romance Gift card, hard copy of Songs of the Earth, swag (pens, bookmarks, coffee cup)

Third Prize:

hard copy of Songs of the Earth, swag (pens, bookmarks, coffee cup)

Fourth Prize:

e-book copy of Songs of the Earth

Fifth Prize:

e-book copy of Songs of the Earth


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Monday, January 26, 2015

Release Day ~ Kingston 691 Book 2 of the Cyborgs: Mankind Redefined Series by Donna McDonald





 
How can he love a wife he doesn’t remember?

Kingston West put his military service behind him much easier than most of the men he served with during the final war. As far as he was concerned, the cyborg who was Kingston 691 no longer existed. And the Cyber Husband program? He viewed it like he viewed having been a prisoner of war. Both were just service related memories he didn’t plan on recalling. The future was all he needed.

At least he felt that way until he discovered one wife’s file had been totally erased from his Cyber Husband records. Only her name remained in data storage, though her family swore they’d had a loving relationship. To put the past completely behind him, King must first find the missing Seetha Harrington. Before he can enjoy his new beginning, he needs to find out why Norton took those seven years together away from both of them.


About the Author

Donna McDonald is an Amazon bestselling author in Contemporary Romance and Humor, and lately has been climbing the Paranormal Romance lists as well.
Paranormal reviewers are calling McDonald “a literary alchemist effortlessly blending science fiction and romance”. Contemporary and humor reviewers often write to tell her that the books keep them up reading and laughing all night. She likes both compliments and hopes they stay true forever.
Her idea of success is to be sitting next to someone on a plane and find out they are laughing at something in one of her books. She sincerely hopes that will be you.
My story of writing romances
As a life-long romance reader, I have always been drawn to stories containing strong heroes and heroines who know their minds and live their truths. When I got the urge to write about older women and men, I did so with full knowledge some readers might not be interested in reading about mature characters in love. I knew there was a possibility the stories might not sell, but in typical Baby Boomer rebellious fashion, I said “screw it, I’m not making the characters younger, they need to be older”.
Why did I do this? Because my youngest child is twenty-eight, not eighteen. Because I’ve had two, long term relationships where I continue to happily express my sexuality. The first one lasted for twenty-three years. I personally know people of many ages who are still falling in love as if they were a teenager and new at it. Being older–or so it seems to me–just means you just get to the profound, meaningful sex part quicker, and there’s so much less fumbling in the dark. Thank heaven for experience.
What has my writing brought me? Mostly the pleasure of knowing readers like my work. Your many emails and messages remind me daily why you are the reason I wanted to write so badly in the first place. I want to make you laugh and make you see that significant other person in life with new and more appreciate eyes. I want to inspire you to keep looking for the good things in life, including your pleasure in living. I want everyone I come into contact with to know that love, sex, and romance are great at any age.
Thank you for buying my books and helping make my dreams come true. I hope I can return the favor in some small way with my books.
Much love and happiness,
~ Donna McDonald
PS: I really do believe that it’s never too late for romance and love.



Sunday, January 25, 2015

Strange Magic by Michelle Mankin Review and Giveaway

New Release Blitz &
Two Awesome Giveaways!
Strange Magic by Michelle Mankin
Part One Now Available
YOU ARE INVITED
STRANGE MAGIC Release Party
January 15 to February 17th

Join us for a Mardi Gras/New Orleans themed party with games & prizes every day plus weekly video responses from Ask the Author. Party kicked off with a video interview of how Strange Magic came into being and will end shortly after an Anything-Goes-Embarrass-The-Author-Grand-Challenge for Author Michelle Mankin to undertake while in NOLA for the start of Mardi Gras.

Billy Blade is a hardworking, hard living, razor sharp musical force. Mysterious behind his dark shades, the rough around the edges Texan mesmerizes with his haunting harmonica and tantalizes with his dangerous looks and smooth country charm. His latest album is topping the charts. He’s the newly crowned King of the Bacchus Krewe. He’s definitely living the rock star dream.
Exotic Creole beauty Thyme Bellerose couldn’t be more content. She has it all. An adoring grandmother. A handsome Tulane medical student beau. A satisfying job in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter. Her life is as rich as the ice cream she creates. She’s got everything under control.
But control is an illusion. Dreams can turn into nightmares. And now during Mardi Gras, otherworldly powers stand ready to shape their destinies in ways they could never imagine.
Shadow and light. Magic and mystery. Reality and myth. All come together in a place where rules bend and lines blur. Even those between life and death.
STRANGE MAGIC is a novel in two parts. Part Two, the finale of STRANGE MAGIC will be released on February 5th!
Want a preview of Part One? - check it out here!
http://www.michellemankin.com/strange-magic.php


Review

Strange Magic starts out with Billy Blade at a concert where he finds out he will be Bacchus at a Mardi Gras parade. When he touches the coin which will be thrown from his float he visions a woman begging for his help.  Billy is thrown for a minute but he has a show to do. As he plays we find out that when he plays his harmonica he sees ghosts. And this is the only time we read about Billy in this book. From the blurb you would think we would be following him, but we don't.

The character we follow is Thyme. She helps her grandmother run an ice cream shop in the French Quarter. She's just gotten engaged and she is very happy with her life. When she turns down an offer to buy her store she is thrown into an evil world.

I will undoubtedly read the next book if only because I want to know more about Billy. His character caught my attention and I kept waiting to read more about him. I was disappointed that I only got a glimpse of him. I would suggest you wait for both books to be released until you buy this one because if you are like me you will feel this story is just unfinished. It is short enough to have waited for the whole thing to be finished and published at once.


Pre-Order for Part Two Now Available:
STRANGE MAGIC: Part One & Part Two
DREAM MAGIC: October 2015
TWISTED MAGIC: Coming soon


Love Evolution is a rock star romance based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
http://amzn.to/KZoJS4
After the death of her twin brother, nineteen year old guitar prodigy Avery Jones finds herself desperate, alone, and out of options. Hope arrives in the form of a job opening with Brutal Strength, one of the biggest rock bands out there. Only problem is temperamental lead singer Marcus Anthony doesn't want a woman in the group. So Avery and her manager Trevor come up with a plan involving a Bieber haircut and men's clothing. No one seems to be onto their little con. But what happens when Avery starts falling for Marcus? Will she be able to continue with the farce or will the whole thing come crashing down around her like a house of cards?
(Revised and an additional 10,000 words of content, including 2 new chapters and an epilogue)
Love Revolution is a rock star romance inspired by Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.
http://amzn.to/1aeXf43
The wheels of love are always turning at Black Cat Records. Things are just starting to settle down when two Texas sisters start to stir things up at the Vancouver record label. CEO Mary Timmons sets spirited country superstar Sara Daniels on a collision course with cocky rocker Chris Alex. Meanwhile, Brutal Strength's suave drummer, JR, has his head turned by pretty young intern, Samantha Daniels. Do all their highways lead to happiness or will the wheels fly off when the sisters' tragic past comes back to haunt them?
Love Resolution is a rock star romance inspired by Shakespeare's The Tempest.
http://amzn.to/1whIVAp
To forgive or not to forgive...There's a storm brewing at Black Cat Records and lead singer Marcus Anthony and guitarist Avery Jones are at the center of it. Brutal Strength is leaving Vancouver and heading out on a big stadium tour with the reprobate rockers from Tempest as their opening act. Avery is forced to deal with a troubling figure from her past while being pursued by Tempest's tatted bad boy, Bryan 'Bullet' Jackson. Meanwhile, Marcus must battle his own internal demons as well as this rival for Avery's affection. Can Avery and Marcus keep their fairy tale happily ever after together when the prevailing winds of the real world are against them?

Three full-length rock star novels in one limited edition set


Tempest series (spin-off of The Brutal Strength Series)
Irresistible Refrain: http://amzn.to/SFJ96J & Audible: http://bit.ly/1vOTPPm
Enticing Interlude: http://amzn.to/1gelLT3
Captivating Bridge: http://amzn.to/RT7AMV
Relentless Rhythm: http://amzn.to/1xQpof7
Unforgettable: Tempest #5. A Tempest/ Brutal Strength mashup. Coming soon!

Michelle Mankin is the Amazon bestselling author of the Black Cat Records series of novels.
Romance with subtext.
Reimagining classic stories with sexy rock stars and thought provoking issues.
For many years she worked in the insurance industry as an underwriter. Somehow, the boredom didn't kill her but the hours and hours of looking at facts and figures provided ample time for her mind to wander.
Love Evolution, Love Revolution, and Love Resolution are a Brutal Strength centered trilogy, combining the plot underpinnings of Shakespeare with the drama, excitement, and indisputable sexiness of the rock 'n roll industry.
Things take a bit of an edgier, once upon a time turn with the Tempest series. These pierced, tatted, and troubled Seattle rockers are young and on the cusp of making it big, but with serious obstacles to overcome that may prevent them from ever getting there.
Rock stars, myths, and legends collide with paranormal romance in a totally mesmerizing way in the Magic series.
When Michelle is not prowling the streets of her Texas town listening to her rock music much too loud, she is putting her daydreams down on paper or traveling the world with her family and friends, sometimes for real, and sometimes just for pretend as she takes the children to school and back.
Connect with Michelle Mankin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Michelle-Mankin/233503403414065
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichelleMankin
On tsu: https://www.tsu.co/AuthorMichelleMankin
On her website: http://www.michellemankin.com/
Receive the Black Cat Records newsletter: http://eepurl.com/Lvgzf
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