The Shoppe of Spells - Shanon Grey, Review Sizzling PR Book Tours

Title: The Shoppe of Spells
Author: Shanon Grey

Format: Ebook provided by Sizzling PR for review

When is a whole more than the sum of its parts?

When it has ties to the quaint little town of Ruthorford, GA, as Morgan Briscoe discovers when a cryptic message threatens to change her life forever. Morgan’s relatively normal life is turned on its ear when she learns not only that she is adopted, but her birth parents are dead and she now holds half-interest in a business with their ward, Dorian Drake.

Dorian is running The Shoppe of Spells and despite his riveting good looks, he can barely conceal his hostility toward his new partner.

Morgan discovers that she is more than she seems and together she and Dorian have the ability to control a portal to another dimension. Unable to control their growing attraction, Morgan and Dorian dance around their desires and her burgeoning abilities, until danger forces them to face their destiny.

See my interview with author Shanon Grey HERE

“A beautiful prison is still a prison.”

That’s how Morgan first felt when she found herself in the lush gardens of her new “home”. She’s been through a lot in a short period of time. She’s lost her job, broken up with her boyfriend, learned she was adopted and that her birth parents just died, inherited a herb/home remedy shop, and she is now expected to live in this new place and have this new life. Oh yeah, and this new life includes inter-dimensional creature removal where this creature causes headaches, confusion and memory loss to humans, sorting of bringing them a sort of dementia. Regular humans can’t see these creatures; Morgan has a genetic inheritance in her vision that allows them to be seen. The only trick is that she must work in tandem with Dorian to achieve the goal. 

Overall I can say that I enjoyed this story. It was a unique storyline that I’ve not encountered before. The main character, Morgan, was very likeable and I enjoyed getting to know her. She is a twenty six year old woman who has had a tough time but you can sense strength in her. She stands up for the things she believes in and the care she has for her family and friends is a great asset to her personality. Her love interest, Dorian, was also quite likeable. I actually fancy him as the spitting image of Zachary Quinto. He’s kind of nerdy, incredibly sexy, very intelligent, and despite his best efforts he is falling for Morgan. 

This book had quite a large cast of characters, which normally would irk me to try and keep everyone straight. But the author, Shanon Grey, does a wonderful job of keeping everything organized and in order. Neighbors, friends, ex-boyfriends, and adversaries all were richly written and I felt like I got to know them all. They really helped enrich the story and made everything feel so much more real. Even the dog and cat in the story felt like integral parts of the plotline. I think that takes some wonderful talent and skill to be able to pull that off effectively. 

I must admit when I first started thinking about this book, before I read it, I was a bit wary about the whole idea of portals. I thought it was going to feel like a sci-fi story, which I am not normally a fan of. But that is really not the case! The relationships between the characters, the growth of Morgan… everything felt very natural and real. The romance had a slow and steady build and I was definitely rooting for Morgan and Dorian to get together. There are a few curveballs thrown at you in this storyline that you don’t really see coming, and it helped move everything along. I think this story would appeal to a large audience since there are so many different facets within.

You can join Shanon Grey on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ShanonGrey, follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ShanonGrey and visit her website at www.shanongrey.com. 

Shanon Grey    FictionWeaver

Weaving romance and suspense with threads of the paranormal

The Girls' Guide To Dating Zombies - Lynn Messina

Title: The Girls' Guide To Dating Zombies
Author: Lynn Messina

Format: Ebook provided by CBLS Promotions for review

Hattie Cross knows what you're thinking: Zombie sex? Ewwwww. But she also knows that since a virus turned 99.9999 percent of human males into zombies, it's statistically impossible to meet--let alone date--the remaining 0.00001 percent. So she writes "The Girls' Guide to Dating Zombies" to help her fellow single women navigate the zombie-relationship waters.
Her practical how-to impresses the CEO of the largest drug company in the world, and before she knows it, Hattie, a reporter for a downmarket tabloid that specializes in conspiracy theories, is sitting down with the woman who single-handedly invented the zombie-behavioral-modification market. Granted access to the inner sanctum of zombaceuticals, she meets an actual, living, breathing M-A-N. Now Hattie, the consummate professional, is acting like a single girl at the end of the twentieth century: self-conscious, klutzy and unable to form a coherent sentence without babbling. Worst of all, the human male appears to have impaired her ability to think clearly. Because all of a sudden she's convinced a conspiracy is afoot at the drug company and it seems to go all the way to the top!

This book is crazy.  This book is hilarious.  This book is an alternate universe where the reanimated don’t tear us to shreds, but rather live with us in harmony.  This book is Carrie Bradshaw during an apocalypse outside a bar after getting sauced on black martinis smoking a menthol cigarette beneath a broken out street light.  I loved it!

So the year is 2020. The H1Z1 variant Y zombie virus has come along and wiped out nearly the entire male species.  Yep, this virus turns only those with the Y chromosome into the “reliving”.  Sure, there are some men, actual living men left.  About 300,000 of them worldwide.  So yeah, take your pick, right?

Hattie Cross is a journalist.  Well, she rights a column for the Scoopage and has turned it into a book, The Girls’ Guide To Dating Zombies. According to Hattie, women can now date zombies.  Modern medication has made it possible.  All hail pharmaceuticals!

Seriously, this book is a fun book.  There’s a bit of satire in it, which just makes it awesome.  You will learn new terms like Zombitrex, Zombreeze, Zombolay WearRepair Serum, Zombie Breezulator 2600 and many more!  What?  You’re not hooked yet?

How about this – zombies are more perhaps a better suitor to us than men!  Granted, they are still way into football; so much that there is a channel devoted to showing only football.  But now they like to dance, listen to you, and best of all – they like shoes.  Oh yeah!  Not just wearing them, or seeing them on you, but honest to goodness shopping for shoes!!!!!!!!

                “Choosing a boyzomb comes down to two factors: appearance and personality.  Ideally, you want to look for one who has retained fifty percent of his facial feature, which is to say at least one eye and half a nose.  Limb retention is also important.  Arms are optional, but legs are vital if you want to retain any semblance of an independent life.”

I really enjoyed this book.  It was light and fun,  a fresh breeze of a story with Hattie’s life interspersed with chapters from her own book, The Girls’ Guide To Dating Zombies.  She is funny and impulsive at time.  And when she meets an actual living, breathing man named Jake, hilarity ensues.

Maybe I have been regarding the zombie apocalypse all wrong.  Maybe we don’t need to train and learn how to use weapons.  Maybe we don’t need to evacuate to colder climes.  Maybe everything will be ok.  Maybe rehabilitation and medication are the answer.

Seriously, if you want an entertaining read, then this book is definitely for you.  I urge you to give it a try.  Read it with an open mind, and be ready to giggle, chortle, guffaw, laugh, and maybe even shoot your beverage of choice out your nose.  Enjoy!

Buy it at Amazon

Buy it at Barnes & Noble

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lynn Messina grew up on Long Island and studied English at Washington University in St. Louis. She has worked at the Museum of Television & Radio (now the Paley Center for Media), TV Guide, In Style, Rolling Stone, Fitness, ForbesLife, Self, Bloomberg Markets and a host of wonderful magazines that have long since disappeared. She mourns the death of print journalism in New York City, where she lives with her husband and sons. She is author of six novels, including the best-selling Fashionistas, which has been translated into 15 languages.

Website:  http://www.lynnmessina.com

Blog:  http://zombiedating.wordpress.com

Wicked Road To Hell - Juliana Stone

Title: Wicked Road to Hell
Author: Juliana Stone

Format: ebook requested from Edelweiss

With the legions of the underworld gathering and chaos close at hand, Sorcerer Declan O’Hara’s deadly skills will be tested. But nothing will sway him from his duty, not even her…


Rescued from eternal darkness, vampire Ana DeLacrux owes her life to a mysterious stranger who asks for only one thing—her absolute allegiance. She serves this master without question until Declan, the one man who can make her forget her vow, returns. His magic is stronger, darker…more compelling than ever. His blood awakens a hunger she must resist, or risk deadly consequences.


As Ana and Declan join forces, the streets of New Orleans become a dangerous place for both humans and the otherworld. And the most dangerous place of all is a road Declan’s traveled before…the wicked road to hell.

In Wicked Road to Hell we meet Declan (awesome name, btw!), who is a sorcerer who has just been rescued from the third level of hell by Bill, a Seraph.  Yes, Bill the angel.  Awesome! In return for plucking Declan out of Lilith’s hell Declan is basically in servitude to Bill.  Declan’s current task is to find someone and bring him back.  He doesn’t know who, but of course that eventually comes to light.

Then we meet Ana.  Ana is a centuries old vampire; a royal vampire at that.  Declan and Ana have it bad for eachother, always have.  But they both think the other is dead.  Ana was brought back to life by….. Bill!  That Bill, he’s a helluva guy.  Ana’s task is to protect a young boy named Kaden, who appears to be a sorcerer.

This is a new author to me, and I must say I was totally enthralled with this entire world.  I hear there are other books, a Jaguar series to be precise.  I think I am definitely going to have to look those up and get a little bit more history on Declan and Ana.  Not to mention there is a jaguar in this story, Declan’s friend, Nico.  Nico sounds just like the type of jaguar I’d like to meet (insert evil grin here). But I digress…

                “Ana Delacrux was a fearless, tough operative.  To see her in such a vulnerable state did something to his insides.  It twisted them into all kinds of want and need and filled him with desire to protect what was his.”

Oh, how I love them alpha type males! There is a really good romantic and frustrating tension between Declan and Ana.  I couldn’t wait for them to finally get together and realize that everything is mutual.  Every turn page was agony waiting for it to happen!

Luckily for me there was a lot of other stuff happening to hold me over until that happened.  This book had werewolves that were all kinds of cool.  Demon lords…who doesn’t love a good demon lord?  And Lilith… well, Lilith’s world kind of felt like a demented version of Alice In Wonderland, so I absolutely loved that.  Sides must come together for a common goal.  What’s that saying?  The enemy of my enemy is my friend.  That definitely applies here for this story. 

I found the world the author built to be vibrant and exciting.  The characters were interesting and captivating.  This was a book that I really enjoyed, and I really look forward to seeing what’s next in the series.

Juliana's Website

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Guest Post: Wings of Desire by Arianna Skye, Bewitching Blog Tours

Today I welcome author Arianna Skye to the stage to talk to us a bit about self publishing, and the ups and downs that go along with it.  It's very interesting!  Readers, I hope you enjoy the post, and welcome to Arianna!

Not your (grand)mother's fairytale...
Rhiannon Kinsley's life goes from boring to downright crazy when a freak lightning bolt strikes her laptop. To make matters even more bizarre, strange words and symbols flash across the computer screen and she hears a mysterious voice. Time to call the men in white coats! Then Cerne Silverwing, an intriguingly sexy man, appears. He insists she's a faerie princess whose fate will determine his own. What a crock! Now she knows who really needs those white coats.


With the Dark Faerie forces threatening their kingdom, Cerne kidnaps Rhiannon and brings her to Fey, a land where magic knows no bounds. He's performing a duty to save his kingdom and nothing more--a duty that will bring him his wings and the strengthened magic that comes with them. If he doesn't unite with the princess as her consort, those wings will never grow. But this princess grew up in the land of laptops and instant messages, and she's convinced they're both crazy. Despite their differences, the two are thrust together to defeat the whip-wielding Dark Faerie Queen before she takes over their kingdom. Passion and peril aside, will Rhiannon and Cerne discover their true destiny?

Why I Chose Self-Publishing

Wings of Desire was my first complete as well as published novel. I originally sold the book to a small press and recently had the rights turned back to me. I could have shopped the book around to other publishers, but a lot of publishers don’t usually want to take a chance on a book that was already published elsewhere. Another big issue that affected my decision, was that erotic stories involving faeries are a hard sale. This book is a little long for traditional standards, coming in near a whopping 110K words. With these factors in mind, I decided to research self-publishing instead. There are some costs involved, so it’s not without risks. In my case, I decided the benefits outweighed the risks.

I was able to locate a rather inexpensive editor. It pays to have friends, though. I also needed to pay for my ISBN. An ISBN costs about $125, however when you buy in bulk through Bowker ISBN services, you get 10 for the price of two. I can then use the other ISBNs for my other projects. The most expensive part of this venture has so far been the cover art, and even that was worth the money. If you are familiar with photoshop or any other graphic editing program, you can easily design your own cover. Matter of fact, I’ve just designed the next cover for the second book in the Fey Chronicles series. Not because I wasn’t happy with the first cover, but I’m currently in between jobs and funds are a little tight right now.

Even formatting the book for eBook was considerably inexpensive. The company I went through charged me around $50 to format the book, including a Table of Contents with hyperlinks. I decided to put the book up through Createspace as well. It was a challenge, yet still fun and exciting, figuring out how to format headings, chapters and page numbers. Did you know Microsoft Word has a save as PDF option? It made things a little easier.

I’m rather pleased with the results. Self-publishing has gotten a notoriously bad rep, because of the options that are now open. There’s Smashwords, Amazon Kindle, and Barnes and Noble Pubit that anyone and their mother has access to. Because of this, the quality of books available are less than average. However, if you hire a professional editor and produce an eye-catching cover, you can publish a book just as good (and maybe even better) than a traditionally published book.

I will offer this caveat: I am not trying to preach about self-publishing. I am also a traditionally published author. Self-publishing simply worked better for Wings of Desire. Yes, there are some pitfalls with self-publishing, but there are pitfalls with every publishing option. Research is important, no matter what venue you choose, be it self, small press, or traditional publishing. 

About the Author  

Arianna Skye is the erotic pen name of paranormal romance author, Sidney Ayers. She loves infusing stories with humor. What would the world be without a little bit of laughter? Arianna writes a plethora of genres, ranging from historical, to paranormal, to contemporary.

A native of Michigan, Arianna still lives in the same town she grew up in. No matter how hard she tries, she just can’t seem to get away. Michigan is in her blood, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

To learn more about Arianna/Sidney and her books, you can visit either one of her websites  at www.ariannaskye.com      or     www.sidneyayers.com

Facebook

www.facebook.com/ariannaskyeauthor

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www.twitter.com/sidney_ayers

Shadow Cursed by Naomi Clark, Interview/Giveaway

Shadow Cursed

Naomi Clark

Released from Ottevar Asylum after eight hard years, Lady Emmeline returns to Nachtholm Manor to reclaim her birthright. But she has a battle on her hands—Rainart Eckhard refuses to give up his position as lord of manor, and whilst his cold attitude enrages Emmeline, his smouldering kisses leave her weak at the knees.


Who is this dangerous, enticing stranger, and what secrets does he hide? Caught in a web of desire, curses, and self-doubt, Emmeline is not only fighting Rainart for Nachtholm Manor, but for her own heart as well.

Today I am super lucky enough to bring to you an interview I did recently with author Naomi Clark!  Naomi normally writes in paranormal, urban fantasy and even a bit of horror, but Shadow Cursed is a new writing venture for her, and I think you are going to love it!  So check out our interview, then enter the giveaway to win a copy of your own!  And then go tell your friends, cause hey, why should you have all the fun?  Thanks!

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INTERVIEW

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Hi Naomi!  So nice to talk to you again!  Thanks for coming out for an interview!

Thanks, Liz! Always nice to be on Fictional Candy :)

Ok, so you have a new book out – Shadow Cursed – and its quite different from the books you normally write.  Can you tell us a bit about it?

Shadow Cursed is probably my first serious foray into paranormal romance. Most of my stories have romantic subplots, but this is the first one where the romance has been front and centre. It was born out of my love of paranormal romance and gothic literature - I took the bits of both I liked best and mixed them! So you've got romance and sex, curses and mystery, and creepy old houses!

So is there any particular reason for the genre change?  And how do you like getting into erotic romance?

I'm a big fan of paranormal romance - I love Gena Showalter and Anna Windsor especially, and I'm discovering new authors all the time via ebooks. I wanted to stretch my writing muscles a little, so this seemed the obvious genre to try. I could keep all the things I love about urban fantasy - magic, myth, and the paranormal - but shift the focus to the relationship and sexual aspects, and give myself a mental workout :) I was nervous about submitting erotic romance to publishers, as I was pretty sure I was rubbish at writing sex scenes, but so far the response seems positive!

Let’s jump back to some of your other books.  There’s a lot of paranormal and spooky stuff.  Is that going to stay in your repertoire?

Definitely! I'm a hardcore supernatural fan and there's so much you can explore, I think I could spend the rest of my life writing stories about monsters, magic, and the occult, and never get bored. As I write this, I'm watching a documentary on the sixth sense, which is sparking all kinds of ideas.

Naomi, I’m sure asking to pick a favorite book is probably like trying to pick a favorite child.  But I’m asking anyway!  Do you have a favorite book, and why? 

Oooh...Yeah, that's hard! If pressed, I'd go with my HP Lovecraft omnibus, The Necronomicon. It's a massive doorstop of a book, leatherbound, and one I can read through again and again. It has pride of place in my bathroom (we really don't have enough bookcases in our house).

  

Let’s get to know you a bit!  What can you tell us about Naomi Clark? 

Well, by day I'm a PA to a professor. By night I write and edit. In between those, I make perfume, keep snakes, and laugh at my cat. I love punk music and eat too much chocolate. I collect tarot cards and books (of course!), and probably spend too much time at my laptop.

  

I see on your website you are doing some things with homemade perfumes!  That sounds like a lot of fun!  How did you get into that, and do you sell those online anywhere?

Yes, this is a very new hobby! I love perfume - I have a pretty large collection, and I'm fascinated by science behind blending scents. I've wanted to make my own for years, but only recently stumbled across a recipe for solid perfumes that caught my eye. Right now my weekends are split between writing, editing, and mixing essential oils. I'm not planning to sell any right now, although it's a lovely idea for the future!

Social Media… the evil beast that we all love and hate.  Do you have a favorite place to go?

I'm a Twitter addict. I've become one of those people who needs to Tweet everything they do! It's a great way to meet new people and interact. I don't mind Facebook, but I'm not as big a fan. I've recently discovered Pinterest too, and am having lots of fun making inspiration boards for my books.

So whats coming up in the future for you Naomi?  Are there any exciting releases we can look forward to?

Next up is the next gothic/erotic romance - The Wolf Witch. I've just finished the edits for that one, and it's due out in May. Very exciting! I'm also working on a sequel to Demonised, and am hoping to have that ready to submit in the next few weeks. I'm really, really excited about this one - it's a return to Ethan Banning, and a full-length novel this time, rather than a novella, so yay!

Now, possibly the hardest question of all… If you were a paranormal being, which one would you be?  And why??

Oh, okay, this is easy for me. I'm a werewolf girl all the way. I love wolves and I love shapeshifter folklore. No contest!

Recently I read The Necromancer’s Apprentice, and I fell in love with it.  Do you think there might be a sequel to it in the future?  I could easily see how you could segue it into the erotic romance genre! (I’m totally crossing my fingers for that one!!)

Heh, yes, I've got one more story in mind for Evanthe and Morrow! It's just a matter of finding the time. And totally, they would take their romance to the next level ;)

Ok, I think I’ve pestered you a bit for now.  Just one last question.  What is it about books, writing and reading them, that is so awesome??

Writing them - sharing my ideas, exploring new worlds, and the sheer escapism of it. And actually, that goes for reading them too. I love immersing myself in someone else's imagination. There's nothing else I'd rather do!

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Find Naomi Online!
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads

Naomi Clark lives in Cambridge and is a mild-mannered office worker by day, but a slightly crazed writer by night. She has a perfectly healthy obsession with giant sea creatures and a preference for vodka-based cocktails. When she's not writing, Naomi is probably either reading or watching 80s cartoon shows, and sometimes she manages to do all three at once.

Dark Side of Purgatory - LJ Hadaway - Review/Giveaway

Title: Dark Side of Purgatory

Author: LJ Hadaway

Format: Ebook provided by Bewitching Blog Tours for review

Everyone knows Jaxon Slater. He's the life-of-the-party guy. He's the fun guy we want to invite to our outdoor barbeques but not marry our daughters. He is our nephew, the next-door neighbor who drinks too much, a friend of a friend that overdosed on heroin. He's the class clown in high school that was always in trouble from drinking and driving.

Jaxon Slater has 'pushed the envelope' and tried to scam his way through most of his life. He's charismatic and good-looking. Many things come easy to Jaxon. Sobriety isn't one of them. He's tried staying clean numerous times but always falls into a relapse, using one more time. His long time sponsor had warned him plenty. His last use of heroin landed him dead--in Purgatory.

Jaxon believes he is having a terrible nightmare until he finds an old friend and recalls how he died. Reality sets in and Jaxon begins to learn the rules of the strange land. He runs into a mean bunch of guys and an unlikely guide. To have a chance at saving himself, he must complete a quest: find a certain young woman and steer her away from the highway of destruction that killed him.

Old temptations linger, and dark forces shadow his path. Can Jaxon survive the abyss of his deepest fears to find redemption?

This is a pretty dark story.  If anyone has ever been or known an addict, they will definitely identify with this, and parts of it might even be difficult to read.  To me that means this book is a great success, making the reader feel something even if it isn’t necessarily warm and fuzzy.  First level of this story is about a guy, Jaxon, who has died.  He is currently in purgatory and he has a “mission” to complete before he can proceed to what can only be assumed as is Heaven.  If he fails, well… down he goes. Second level to this story is the compounding factor is that Jaxon is an addict.  Alcohol and heroin have hurt him, his family and his friends for most of his life until they finally killed him for good and sending him into what he initially believes is a nightmare, but soon learns that his new reality is the actual nightmare. 

Jaxon wakes up after falling off the wagon and a one night stand with a petite blonde he met at the bar.  But something is off.  Maybe it’s the lack of movement around him, that strange smell, or the fact he was back in the old neighborhood.  Maybe it is because he is talking to his old friend, Shorts, who was decapitated on his bike years previous.  So Jaxon is…dead?  The scenery purposely lacks vibrant color, which in my opinion we often associate with joy.  There are no birds or butterflies, no children playing in the street, no sprinklers taking care of the lawns.  Everything is still and quite eerie.  This visual really grabbed me, made me feel like this was indeed Purgatory.   

Much of this story is Jaxon revisiting key points in his life.  Some of them are good, but most definitely are not.  Much in the way an addict has steps they need to accomplish before they finish treatment, Jaxon needs to go back and review these points to realize what happened and move past.  Some instances require forgiveness and some require realization.  At times it can be very emotional and sad.  But there are some good times, like a very sweet and tender moment involving his niece that gives me hope that all is not lost on Jaxon.  But much like an addict, he is his own worst enemy.

Jaxon is giving the task of “saving” someone on the living side of things.  A young girl, Dale, is on the edge of going the same path as he.  In my opinion her story was not as interesting as his, but then when everything comes together there is a light shown on everything that kind of makes you go “ahh!  Of course!”  The author did a wonderful job of weaving this whole story together and giving you enough surprises along the way to keep you interested and entertained.

Overall I really enjoyed this book.  Parts were quite raw and depressing.  This is a story about an addict who hurts everyone around him, after all. I found reactions and situations to feel very true and real.  I think readers looking for something a bit different will enjoy this.  For me personally there were a few slow spots, but that can happen with any book.

Martuk... The Holy by Jonathan Winn - Excerpt/Giveaway

Martuk... The Holy

By Jonathan Winn

"I am Martuk. Remember, it’s Martuk as in “too”. Or “two” with that hard “k” at the end. Martuk. The Holy. The audacity of it still makes me smile."


In a crowded Left Bank cafe, an immortal man sits, the phantoms crawling near, the heat of their whispers stinging his cheek …
and Martuk ... The Holy begins.


One thousand years before the birth of Christ, a golden god damns Martuk with a kiss. In a land ruled by a wounded king, life everlasting steals his mortality from the bottom of a golden cup. Finally, generations later, a Messiah who has the power to heal breaks under the weight of Martuk's demons, stumbling to his death defeated by darkness.


From his home in modern Paris, he writes, his memories lush, his words evocative. Revisiting his impossible life, he vents his rage and shares his loneliness. From bloody battles with a demon he cannot escape to the ghost of a beauty who haunts him still, this is his story.
This is Martuk ... The Holy

Now tell me that you don't want to read that?  Just from the synopsis it sounds like this is an awesome story.  And even better - the author, Jonathan Winn, is super nice. And even better than that?  Well, Jonathan has agreed to give a copy of Martuk...The Holy to one lucky winner!  So check out this excerpt, and tell me what you think.  And thank you to Jonathan, for letting me promo your book and for the giveaway!

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Excerpt

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“So much rage in you,” he whispered, looking again at the dying man struggling to breathe. “Just let it go. Let life, all that power, all that glory, go. Those riches. Let it all go. It’s at an end now, you silly, stupid old man. It’s ending. It’s over.”

The Elder opened his eyes and blinked, looking up at The Magician and then glancing at me, searching my face for a clue to who I was.

I considered assisting him, the Elder. Helping him on his journey. But this sliver of inhumanity growing in strength reveled in his struggle.

Not the gloating celebration of the Magician. No, it was a more quiet appreciation of the Elder's pain.

The sweat, the shivers. The stained bedding. The tears and the shallow breaths slowing as he gulped and gasped. The obvious regret.

This battle between Light and Dark as the Veil tugged and pulled and clutched at his sleeve. Wrapped its cold fingers around his bony neck, drawing him near.

Sizzling PR: Texas Hearts by Lisa Mondello - Excerpt/Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Texas Hearts Series! Today I have an excerpt from Her Heart For The Asking and a Giveaway!  So sit back a spell and enjoy, don't forget to enter your info in the Rafflecopter at the end!  And as always, thank you so much for coming by Fictional Candy.  Every visit you make gives me a great big Texas-size smile!

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Amazon / B&N / Smashwords

Mandy Morgan swore she’d never step foot in Texas again after Beau Gentry left her for life on the rodeo circuit eight years before. But now her uncle’s heart is failing and she has to convince him that surgery will save his life. She never dreamed the first thing she’d see when she stepped off the plane would be her biggest nightmare...the one man she’d never stopped loving.
Beau Gentry had the fever for two things: the rodeo and Mandy Morgan. But for Beau, loving Mandy was complicated by his father’s vendetta against her uncle. This led him to make the hardest decision of his life and he can still see the bitterness and hurt on Mandy’s face. All these years it has killed him to think Mandy had forgotten him and moved as far away as possible from him. But now they’re back in Texas, and he’s going to do all he can to win back her love.

Excerpt

"What are you doing here?" Mandy Morgan asked, dropping her too-heavy overnight case on the sun-roasted tarmac. After a grueling forty-eight hour work stint and a five-hour flight from Philadelphia, she stood wilting under the brutal Texas sun, facing her biggest nightmare.

Beau Gentry.

She groaned inwardly, drinking Beau in with her eyes as if she hadn't had a drop of water in months. Eight years was more like it. If she were eight years smarter, she would be moving her aching feet as fast as she could in the opposite direction. But all she could do was stare at eyes so bright they rivaled the blazing sun. At lips so kissable she'd spent the better part of her adult life trying to wipe the memory clean from her mind.

She had expected Beau would have aged some. When she allowed herself to think about him at all, she reminded herself. The faint lines etched in the corners of his sleepy gray-blue eyes gave a hint of maturity, but most probably caused by long days in the cruel sun.

She fought the urge to take a closer look at his ruggedly handsome features, but failed. How could he have gotten better looking after being abused by every bronc-busting horse on the rodeo circuit? His angular jaw, strong and determined, was shaded with beard growth that was probably a day old, maybe more. Mandy suspected if Beau grew a full beard, it would grow in thick and be the smooth texture of his almost black head of hair. She forced aside past memories that gave her such knowledge with renewed irritation.

The man didn't even have the decency to have a crooked nose. What should have been bent and awkward from being broken a few too many times was instead long and straight, shaped perfectly between high cheek bones most women would swoon over, or kill to have themselves. But on Beau Gentry, it was just one thousand percent robust cowboy.

Damn him.

"I'm your ride out to the Double T," Beau said, gripping the edge of his white straw cowboy hat and tipping it in a cordial gesture.

She ground the heels of her low pumps into the soft tar to contain her growing irritation. Did he think she was an idiot? "No way."

"'Fraid so," he said, his expression slightly askew.

"Hank didn't mention anything about you coming to get me when I spoke to him on the phone."

"I suspect he thought you would have found some excuse not to come if you knew I was picking you up."

"He would have been right. Why didn't one of the hands come get me?"

Settling his hand at the base of his neck, Beau replied, "You're looking at him. As of three weeks ago I am one of the ranch hands at the Double T."

Ever since Mitch Broader set foot in Texas, he dreamed of owning his own ranch. Now that he’s bought a share in the Double T Ranch, he’s one step closer to the dream. Then his past greets him in the form of a baby basket, complete with infant and birth certificate naming him as the father. He can’t change diapers and work toward his dream at the same time.

When Sara Lightfoot, “Miss Hollywood” in Mitch’s eyes, rescues him with her particular knack for handling his precocious son, he hires her on the spot as a temporary nanny. No matter how much Sara’s dark eyes and warm heart make this bachelor think of settling down and making their arrangement permanent, she’s made it perfectly clear she has other plans that don’t include him or his dreams.
Sara Lightfoot never thought she’d return to her home on the reservation. Now she plans to reclaim the life she left by going back to the reservation as a Native American storyteller, teaching the Apache children stories of their culture. 

 She didn’t expect Mitch Broader’s sexy smile or job offer as a live-in nanny to derail those plans. After all she’s been through to come home, can she open up her heart once again to love?As a top-notch cutting horse trainer, Cody Gentry was riding high until he lost his eyesight after a freak chemical accident. Unable to see the hand in front of his face, never mind the horse or cattle he trained, he knows his life is over and slips deep into depression. His whole future hinges on the success of an eye surgery that could give him his old life back.
When guide dog trainer, Lyssa McElhannon, arrives on his ranch like Florence Nightingale coming to save him, he wants no part of her or her guide dog. But something about Lyssa’s musical laugh coupled with her tenacity digs under his skin and won't let go. Having been blind most of her life, Lyssa understands the paralyzing fear Cody feels after losing his vision. But she refuses to let the stubborn cowboy waste his life away sitting in a chair when she knows first-hand that a good guide dog can change his world. She just needs one month to prove it to him.Falling in love with Cody was not part of Lyssa’s plan, nor was having him open her eyes to see that there was a whole lot of living she’d been missing out on.

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