#BookNerd: March 2014

Monday, March 24, 2014

Roar Blog Tour and $50 GC Giveaway!!

Title: Roar

Author: Aria Cage

Genre: New Adult

Release Date: March 17, 2014

Synopsis

Charlie
I’m shadowed by sins; mine and the ones passed on to me. The only light comes in the way of him. He wants to fix me, but he can’t fix something so lost and broken. I'm completely undeserving and secretly unwilling. But how do I turn away the one person my body and soul soars for, the one thing that makes me forget the fear, the loss and the guilt? How do I stop the primal need which we are addicted to?

Nate
She is a stranger amongst the world, a captive behind her smiles and lies which shelters the truth. But I know her, we are caged together with the demons and guilt, yet my love is stronger against all our loss and I want to help her heal, to set her free. Under her cloak still lies my scared kitten, feral to her soul because of what he took from both of us. If it’s the last thing I do, I will help her roar like the tiger I know her to be, even if it means setting her free from me.

Caged by their demons and primal need, will their love be strong enough to set them free?

Buy the Book

Amazon US - http://www.amazon.com/Roar-Aria-Cage-ebook/dp/B00J18NQ3K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1394942035&sr=1-1&keywords=roar+aria+cage

Amazon UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Roar-Aria-Cage-ebook/dp/B00J18NQ3K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395013612&sr=8-2&keywords=roar+aria+cage

Barnes & Noble - (paperback only) http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/roar-aria-cage/1118899053?ean=9781496084217

Roar was a quick but dark and taboo read.. maybe less taboo and more on the sicko-pervy side of books. Reader be warned, there are some scenes that are hard to handle. Honestly I can't really say that any of this book is bad, but I would've liked more resolve at the ending than an epilogue. Also, since this book focuses so much on physical abuse, I personally didn't feel good during the smexy scenes, I just wanted to take a shower and maybe have an hour of counseling.

I love the duel POVs and how they transitioned from past to present for both characters. I just wanted more. I feel like a lot of life events were touched on, but there wasn't enough there for me to sympathize, except for the terrible "past" scenes.

Overall it was a good read, its pretty a little depraved. Even though there is some heavy angst, there is a lighter side of swoon with Nate. I'd recommend this read to anyone that is in the mood for a darker read.

About the Author

My name is Aria and I have three confessions:
#1 No matter how much I try, I can't stop shopping at Typo or the local tattooist. I believe that would be how I would introduce myself at an anonymous club, right?
#2 I write under another name but I'm not going to tell you ... don't beg, she will kill me if I tell. Ha! So I guess you could call me a genre whore.
#3 My phone is my life line. I can't leave the house without it.
If you want to get to know me, follow my social pages on facebook and twitter and my blog.

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Giveaway

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Reclaiming the Sand Blog Tour and $50 GC Giveaway!!

Title: Reclaiming the Sand
Author: A. Meredith Walters

Bully and victim.
Tormenter and tormented.
Villain and hero.

Ellie Mccallum was the bully. The Tormenter. The Villain. Taking what she wanted, stomping over anyone that got in her way. Feelings, futures, and relationships be damned. She felt no emotional connection to anyone or anything. A sad and lonely existence for a young woman who had come to expect nothing more for herself. Her only happiness coming from making others miserable.

Particularly Freaky Flynn.

Growing up, Flynn Hendrick was known only as “Freaky Flynn.” He lived a life completely disconnected even as he struggled to become something more than that boy with Asperger's. He was taunted and teased, bearing the brunt of systematic and calculated cruelty, ultimately culminating in a catastrophic turn of events that brought Ellie and Flynn’s worlds crashing down.

But then Flynn and Ellie grew up.

And moved on.

Until years later when their paths unexpectedly cross again and the bully and the freak are face to face once more.

When labels come to define you, finding yourself feels impossible. Particularly for two people disconnected from the world who inexplicably find a connection in each other.

And out of the wreckage of their tragic beginnings, an unlikely love story unfolds.

But a painful past doesn’t always want to let go. And old wounds are never truly healed…and sometimes the farther you try to run from yourself the closer you come to who you really are.

Goodreads * Amazon

RECLAIMING THE SAND

EXCERPT #1

An older man stopped Flynn and I ducked behind a tree to watch them, fascinated in spite of myself. Flynn fidgeted, his hands jammed into the pocket of his khakis. I snickered seeing them. He always wore the same thing. Khakis and a long sleeved button down shirt, no matter how hot it was. Always blue and always buttoned to the neck. The guy really hadn’t done himself any favors by dressing like a dork. He was such an easy mark. As though he were begging to be picked on.

I took a sadistic joy in realizing he was still awkward and fucked up.

Just like me.

But then he did something that surprised me. He lifted his head and smiled at the older man. Then he laughed. And I could hear it from my hiding spot behind the tree.

It had been a long time since I had seen Flynn Hendrick smile. In all the years I had known him. In all the time I had made it my mission to hurt and humiliate him, he hardly ever smiled and he very rarely laughed. I often made sure that he never had a reason to.

But he was laughing now and it completely transformed him.

My heart twisted painfully in my chest at the sight.

Because Flynn looked happy.

Freaky Flynn looked content and at ease.

My hatred and bitterness clawed inside of me, desperate to get out. Wanting to be free. To bring this guy back down to the depths of hell with me.

Why did he get to be happy? What rules of the universe deemed him worthy of joy while I was suffocating in my own despair?

Fuck Flynn Hendrick and his smile. Fuck him and his apparent wonderful life.

I was having a hard time breathing. I wanted to leave. But I couldn’t stop watching this man that I blamed for so much. This man I had tried so hard to bring down and who was clearly better off for it.

Flynn turned his head, as though feeling the weight of my stare. The sun shone down on him like a freaking halo. How fitting.

And then he found me. As though I had a neon sign pointing in my direction. He frowned and I knew he was trying to place me. And I knew the moment when he recognized me.

He began to rub obsessively at the back of his hands. Something I remembered him doing when he became upset.

The rubbing became more pronounced, as though he were trying to remove his skin.

The older man beside him said something but he didn’t respond. He continued to stand there, like a deer in headlights, staring at me as though he had seen a ghost, rubbing at his hands over and over again.

Then some cruel part inside me that had been left to fester all these years lifted its ugly head. I grinned at Flynn’s discomfort. It made me feel good.

I raised my hand and wiggled my fingers in his direction. Letting him know that I saw him too.

Flynn’s hands stopped rubbing, as though he were making a conscious effort to stop himself. He shoved his hands back in his pockets, his eyes never leaving mine. I was surprised to see a strength that had never been t here before.

It left me feeling weak in comparison.

He turned to the man beside him, giving me his back. Letting me know that he didn’t care if I was standing there or not. That I didn’t bother him.

Not anymore.

6 Stars

Words cannot describe the range of emotions you feel while reading Reclaiming the Sand. It is a completely maddening, at times horrible, yet absolutely brilliant read.

If you stand back from the book and just look at the plot, it is not complex. It's a story about Flynn a boy with Aspergers syndrome who gets bullied in school, and Ellie, an orphan, a victim of her circumstances, who tries to fit in. After a rocky start, Ellie and Flynn begin an easy uncomplicated friendship. That was, unless she was with her friends. Then she bullied the shit out of him, or watched as unspeakable things are done to him.

I cannot express how heavy my heart gets, how fast the tears come when I think about what was done to him (even days later). I screamed, cried, and hurt for Flynn, a simple boy who understood simple things. A boy who didn't understand feelings, both emotionally or physically. Yet, everything that he goes through, Flynn forgives Ellie.

Some may sympathize or begin to like her, or understand her. I am not forgiving. I understand some of her actions, but don't others. As the book progressed, you can slowly begin to like her, but as I said, I don't. The only reason I could tolerate her as a character, is because Flynn could. He was only comfortable around her. He wanted her to be his, and forsaking every damned thing, painful experience after another, he forgave her because she was it. While she does grow and learn as a character, and is redeemable at the end, it wasn't enough for me.

The story is told from a mixture of both POVs, with Flynn's POV mainly being in the past. Walters did a wonderful job with researching the subject and mannerisms of someone with Aspergers and portraying that to the reader. You get a glimpse of what life would be like for them, and that insight alone opens your eyes. I think though, that his character feeling such raw emotions, while being bullied, is the blade that cuts you. Yeah, anyone can write a book about bullying.. but Walters gives you a book that lets you know how awful it feels. And it HURT me to read this. I tried to tell my heart, that this is just a boy on paper, just words that make sentences and paragraphs, but I still wanted to scream and cry.

I think some of the feelings could relate to me having my own child, and fearing something happening to him. Or thinking back to a time when I could have stood up for someone and didn't. Wondering what type of impact could I have made in someone's life.

I think the true test of a book should be based upon the emotions you have while reading. Sure plot, characters, and all that are good, but if you can cry for a person, can absolutely hate a girl, all from reading.. then the author has definitely passed.

Overall, this isn't a rainbows and flowers type of read, yet it's not truly dark either. It's real and raw and heartbreaking. It fucking hurts. It doesn't have the a sappy ending, but is good. I would have liked more at the ending, only because it would have redeemed Ellie a little for me. That's what I wanted, a little more redemption, or maybe for Karma to step in and kick someone's ass. But in keeping with the realism, it's not often that you get what you want. You have to learn to move on, forgive, and live your life the best way you can. Read it, if not for the enjoyment of reading, read it to open your eyes in someone elses shoes.

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary and Paranormal romance including The Find You in the Dark and Bad Rep series as well as the upcoming stand alone romance, Reclaiming the Sand, and a dark new adult series for Gallery Books.

A. Meredith spent ten years as a counselor for at risk teens and children. First working at a Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault program and then later a program for children with severe emotional and mental health issues. Her former clients and their stories continue to influence every aspect of her writing.

When not writing (or being tortured with all manner of beauty products at the hand of her very imaginative and extremely girly daughter), she is eating chocolate, watching reality television that could rot your brain and reading a smutty novel or two.

A. Meredith is represented by Michelle Johnson with the Inklings Literary Agency.

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Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Tied with Me Release Day Launch and Giveaway!!

Title: Tied with Me
Author: Kristen Proby
Publication date: 3/18/14

A man whose lifestyle is so different from her own…
Nic Dalton’s cupcake bakery is thriving. She serves both rock stars and locals alike, content with her growing business. But one adventurous night out with her best friend, Bailey, turns her life upside down. She meets a handsome stranger who makes her skin sizzle and her heart race. Their one night together is explosive and unexpected, but when he has to suddenly leave without taking her phone number, Nic resigns herself to never seeing him again.
…What will it take to trust and submit to his every desire?
Matt Montgomery is one of Seattle’s finest. He works hard, loves and protects his family fiercely, and is loyal almost to a fault.
And he has a penchant for bondage.
Matt enjoys the way a woman looks wrapped up in his ropes, and makes no apologies for his preferences. When he meets Nic at a fetish festival, the small, beautiful woman catches his eye, drawing him to her. His one night with her was everything he’s ever looked for in a partner, but is cut short because of a family emergency. Even before he sees her again weeks later, he knows he’ll never get her out of his system.
And he’ll do whatever it takes to make her his.
“Give in to this, Nic. Let me prove to you that I will be one of the best decisions you ever make.” –Matt Montgomery

Goodreads * Amazon * B&N

I grin and offer her a fresh bottle of water, which she accepts, unscrews the cap and takes a sip.

Fuck, she has beautiful lips. Lips that look amazing wrapped around the head of my cock.

“It’s not a crime to belong to a gym,” I reply.

“My gym?”

“Do you own it?” I ask with a grin.

She laughs and shakes her head. “No.”

“It’s not far from my apartment, and it’s convenient to work, too, so here I am.”

She nods and glances down, not sure what to say next.

“The cake was delicious today,” I comment casually, giving her the opportunity to talk about her work.

“Oh, good!” She grins and joins me as I walk toward the smoothie bar, pull out a chair for her to drop into at one of the tiny two-person tables and sit opposite her. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“You do good work. Leo and Sam are always talking about your cupcakes.”

“Leo and Sam keep me in business, I swear.” She laughs, sending electricity down my spine. “They’re very good customers.”

I nod, watching her.

“I like your shorter hair,” I murmur and reach out to brush the ends with my finger, enjoying the softness.

“Most men like long hair,” she replies softly.

“I like long hair, too. You look beautiful in both.”

She frowns and glances away from me.

“Why did you cut your hair, Nic?”

She shrugs and won’t meet my gaze. “It was time for a change.”

“Try again,” I reply.

She turns her eyes to mine and squares her shoulders, firms her chin. “It was time for a change.”

That’s a lie.

I cross my arms over my naked chest and drag my finger over my lip, watching her squirm.

She isn’t a good liar.

Good.

“Okay.”

She sighs, relieved, before I continue.

“For now.”

She scowls at me, making me laugh. “Friends don’t lie to each other, little one. The sooner you remember that, the better.”

“You’ve known me for three minutes, Matt. Don’t assume you know all there is to know about me.”

“You know what they say about assuming,” I murmur with a grin.

“Well, you are an ass,” she replies and then giggles.

I lean in and rest my mouth next to her ear. “This ass would love to smack your pretty little ass until it glows,” I whisper so only she can hear.

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong characters who love humor and have a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.
Kristen spends her days with her muse in the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.

Website: http://www.kristenproby.com/

Twitter: @handbagjunkie

Facebook: www.facebook.com/booksbykristenproby

Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/kristenproby

Friday, March 14, 2014

Given & Take This Man Blog Tour and Giveaway!!

Take This Man

TAKE THIS MAN (Forever E-Novella; $1.99).

It's finally here. After many twists and turns and shocking revelations, it's time for Merrick and Rocha to declare their love for one another in front of their family and friends. And what better place than the historic island where their love first began?

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iTunes

Given

GIVEN (Forever Trade Paperback; $14.00).

For Merrick and Rachael, Turtle Tear Island has become their own private paradise with days of unimaginable bliss and sizzling nights in the bedroom—and beyond. But Rachael and Merrick’s happiness is shattered when his daughter, Nadia, suddenly becomes increasingly demanding of his time and devotion. It soon becomes clear that Merrick will have to make an agonizing choice: the woman whose love saved his tortured soul or the daughter he never knew existed…

Rachel can't stand the thought of losing Merrick after everything she's sacrificed to be with him. She had thought she and Merrick were done with secrets, that the passion that burned so brightly between them had forged an unbreakable connection, but she begins to wonder if she ever really knew the man at all. Now the love they've fought so desperately to protect may not be enough to save them…

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Take Me Back

TAKE ME BACK (Forever E-Novella; $1.99)

Rachael DeSalvo is haunted by the past. She's come home to her beloved Turtle Tear Island, where she looks forward to happy days and bliss-filled nights in the arms of Merrick Rocha. But when she finds a trunk full of old photo albums and handwritten notes, Rachael soon realizes that the island has not given up all its secrets…

For long before Rachael and Merrick made Turtle Tear Resort their home, this historic island was a haven for sensual, forbidden affairs. As Rachael and Merrick work to restore the grand hotel to its former glory, they will be caught in the perfect maelstrom of conflict and desire.

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Taken by Storm

TAKEN BY STORM (Forever Trade Paperback; $14.00)

Maddie Simcoe knows the devastation that comes from keeping secrets. Now, she's desperate to move on from the heartbreak that almost destroyed her--- trading wild passion that once made her knees weak for a life of comfortable stability. But before Maddie can start over, she must return home to put the past behind her once and for all…

When Maddie blows back into MJ Rocha's life, nothing will stop him from proving to her that walking away from him was the biggest mistake of her life -- not even the engagement ring she wears. Her every look, every touch tells MJ that the fire that once raged between them still burns hot, and MJ won't give up until Maddie gives in to the inferno.

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No Take Backs

NO TAKE BACKS (Forever E-Novella; $1.99)

The man Rachael DeSalvo loves more than anything is suffering in silence. The grand opening of Turtle Tear Resort should be a time of celebration for Merrick Rocha. But he's suddenly intent on selling off the business he built from the ground up-and Rachael's hell-bent on finding out why. Only one man can give her the answers she seeks, but meeting with him would be the ultimate betrayal to Merrick. Merrick once asked Rachael to trust him against all odds…can he do the same?

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Taken

TAKEN (Forever Trade Paperback; $13.99)

He steals her away to a deserted island, to the one place she's dreamed of being-the one place she can't go. He's used to buying whatever he wants, but he can't buy her. How can she resist the magnetism of his body, the longing ache deep inside her? She wants him to take her-on her terms. Every attempt he makes to love her only hurts her. How can they go on like this? This is the story of how she was . . .

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Although exhausted, I didn’t sleep. While Merrick napped, I got online and looked up as many apartments on Rue Lincoln that rented weekly as I could find. I called the phone numbers listed on the rentals, pretending to be Enzo’s daughter in-law, hoping to find Nadia, but wasn’t having any luck.

I was so focused on my search, I didn’t hear Merrick come up behind me. “You’ll never find them,” he whispered in my ear, making me jump and grasp the arms of the chair.

“God, you scared me.”

He swept my hair to the side and kissed my neck. “If Enzo doesn’t want to be found, he won’t be.”

I closed my laptop. “Then why are we here?”

He traced my earlobe with the tip of his nose. “Nadia will contact me. She’ll tell us where to find her.”

I wanted to believe that. I heard the desperation in his voice. He didn’t want to believe his daughter would betray him and be loyal to Enzo. I hoped for his sake—for all of their sakes—Nadia would get in touch.

Merrick took my hands and pulled me up out of my chair, wrapping his arms around me and holding me against him. “Let’s get out of here and go look around.”

He kissed me. I remembered our first kiss and how I’d been so hesitant, so nervous, but my raw lust for Merrick took over and I couldn’t hold myself back. Now my lust and desire pooled with comfort and love. His kisses made me feel cherished and treasured as well as physically wanted.

It was so clear to me, even though neither one of us had actually spoken the word marriage, that he was my husband. He would be—it was meant to be. I felt the white, hot truth of it in every cell of my body. We were one soul, torn in half and put on earth to find each other.

And there he was, right in front of me. He’d made it happen. He must’ve somehow known deep inside that I belonged with him.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” he asked, a cocky grin forming on his lips.

I rose up on my toes to kiss him again. “Like what?”

“Like you have some dangerous secret.” He pinned my hands behind my back and pressed me into the wall. “Are you keeping something from me, Ms. DeSalvo?”

“Nothing you don’t already know,” I said, smiling.

“And what’s that?” He nuzzled my neck. It tickled and I leaned my head against his, laughing.

“You’ll figure it out sooner or later,” I said, nipping his earlobe. “I’m just giving you time.”

Merrick chuckled and rested his forehead against mine. “Is that so? How much time do you think I need?”

I shrugged playfully, wondering if he knew what I was referring to.

“Maybe you’re the one who needs time.” He winked.

Caught off guard, my pulse quickened. Were we talking about the same thing? Marriage? Why was he giving me time? I was waiting on him. “Maybe I don’t.”

He stepped back and turned me toward the big suitcase, still packed and sitting beside the bed. “Maybe you should change out of that robe and get dressed so we can get out of here.” He smacked me on the bottom to get me moving.

Padding across the plush carpet, I felt my heart sink a little at his dismissal of the conversation we’d been circling so closely. His giving me time sounded like a poor excuse.

I knelt on the floor and began to dig through the clothes I’d brought.

I was so certain we were on the same page, just not verbalizing it yet. But… maybe we weren’t on the same page?