Month: April 2014

Book Review, Fanmade Trailer and Giveaway: The Passion of Darius by Raine Miller

TITLE: THE PASSION OF DARIUS
AUTHOR: RAINE MILLER
~A Blackstone Affair, Historical Prequel~ If you’ve read my contemporary series, you know all about Ethan Blackstone and his American girl, Brynne. The Passion of Darius is a part of their story. 
Somerset, 1837 
‘Ti amo, mia cara’ 
The fine art of persuasion. 
Darius Rourke and his burning passion for a woman. The gentle Marianne…as beautiful as she is mysterious. 
When presented with an opportunity to make her his bride, Darius takes it, and knows Marianne will finally belong only to him. Or will she? 
Marianne carries a secret. Something she believes will prevent her from ever being worthy to be loved by any man—even the masterful Darius, despite the fact he captivates her utterly. 
A look… A caress… A kiss… A brooding sensuality. A lushly passionate tale of lovers entangled in the discovery of each other’s sins and secrets. As Darius and Marianne embark upon a journey together, they will find that learning to command is just as important as learning to surrender. 
A man who knows what he wants… 
A woman who needs him in order to know her worth… 
‘Ti amo, mia cara’ 
This is an erotic romance, intended for readers 18 years and older. Aspects of BDSM. 36,000 words.

This is the first historical romance book that I have actually finished, and I assure you it will not be the last. I was a little iffy about plucking a book from this genre because the few books I have encountered in the past struck me as a little bit boring and slowly paced, which is really not the kind of thing I enjoy reading. But then again it’s a Raine Miller book so I gave it a whirl…

The Passion of Darius is truly an excellent tale about love, acceptance and forgiveness with a great ensemble of characters whose individual stories all weave together perfectly over the course of the book. The writing is excellent (no doubt) and the storyline is beautifully constructed, not to mention the exceptionally beautiful cover that will capture your hearts in first glance.
This book had earned a firm seat on my keeper shelf and I highly recommend this book to ANY reader who enjoys reading historical romances. Trust me, even if you don’t normally read this kind of books, please do give this one a try. I did not find this book to be “boring” in the least and the historical tones that did surface were minimal and did not overpower the excellent story.

“Open up for me Marianne. You want this. You want me to touch you. Don’t be afraid, bella. I want to feel you…and so, you want the same.”

“You – you make me burn like f-fire! I – did – not – know… it would be like this.”

 
5 Captivating Stars. Here’s a little video I have prepared for you all. Enjoy!

Raine Miller has been reading romance novels since she picked up that first Barbara Cartland book at the tender age of thirteen. And it’s a safe bet she’ll never stop, because now she writes them too! Granted Raine’s stories are edgy enough to turn Ms. Cartland in her grave, but to her way of thinking, a hot, sexy hero never goes out of fashion. A part-time teacher and writer of sexy romance stories every other chance she gets pretty much fills her days. She has a handsome prince of a husband, and two brilliant sons to pull her back into the real world if the writing takes her too far away. Her sons know she likes to write stories, but gratefully have never asked to read any, thank God! Raine loves to hear from readers and to chat about the characters in her books.

THE PASSION OF DARIUS
OTHER BOOKS OF RAINE MILLER

THE UNDOING OF A LIBERTINE
Amazon | B&N
NAKED (BOOK 1)
Goodreads | Amazon US | B&N | Kobo 
ALL IN (BOOK 2)
EYES WIDE OPEN (BOOK 3)
CHERRY GIRL (BOOK 3.5)
Blackstone Affair spin-off, yet can be a standalone
RARE and PRECIOUS THINGS (BOOK 4)

Blog Tour Review and Giveaway: Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher (excerpt + book trailer)


Title: Mud Vein
Author: Tarryn Fisher
Blog Tour organized by: Shh Moms Reading


When reclusive novelist Senna Richards wakes up on her thirty-third birthday, everything has changed. Caged behind an electrical fence, locked in a house in the middle of the snow, Senna is left to decode the clues to find out why she was taken. If she wants her freedom, she has to take a close look at her past. But, her past has a heartbeat…and her kidnapper is nowhere to be found. With her survival hanging by a thread, Senna soon realizes this is a game. A dangerous one. Only the truth can set her free.

It’s so hard to write a review for Mud Vein when everyone else has already expressed their thoughts. So I am going to do the whole “pretend you are talking to a friend!” thing. When I talk to my friends, it is a lot of exclamation marks and capslock and FEEEELINGS. So you’ve been warned. And oh, if you’re looking for spoilers its not my kind of thing so you wont see it here. The least I can offer you is to watch the trailer and have a glimpse of what the book is all about.

“Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun, like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.” –Fred Rogers

What I loved about this book is how DARK it was. And I was surprised at how mature this book was.  It stuck to classic fairytales, the ones where Cinderella’s stepsisters chop off the heels of their feet, Rapunzel’s prince gets his eyes poked out, and the Little Mermaid turns into seafoam. I liked how Tarryn always raised questions about the fairytales and their endings.
Mud Vein was full of absolutely all of my favorite things — a deep, emotional story, shocking twists and turns that left me needing to collect my thoughts. The writing was as beautiful as ever, and Senna’s voice was so spot on.
There’s a major, major plot twist that made me gasp when I read through the scene. HOLY CRAP! I was so stunned and silenced. I needed time to walk away and think about how I felt. And that doesn’t happen often. Tarryn made me feel like Senna’s life was real and I was being asked to lend a helping hand and offer advice. After I finished reading, I felt this spoke volumes for Tarryn’s writing — she has an uncanny ability to make me want to take care of all her characters. (I felt the same way when I read the Love Me with Lies Series)
Honestly, the big sell of this book for me are the relationships, nearly every single relationship highlighted in this novel is complicated and messy as hell and I dug them all so much. Isaac, the doctor, Nick, the lover and of course Senna Richards, the anti-social girl who tend to antagonize, manipulate or treat others either harshly or with callous indifference. Call me crazy but I found it to be a pretty realistic problem that was really interesting to watch play out. If you are weary of captivity from the books description, don’t let that scare you off. It’s not your typical captivity in the least and the novel always makes it clear where the real romantic tension is at. The supporting characters aren’t always likable but that sort of worked for me? They can be the absolute WORST one moment only to redeem himself the next. But I like hot messes of human beings. I totally loved it.
Needless to say, this story touched me deeply. I felt the characters’ desolation in winter; I experienced their enthusiasm and renewal of faith with the coming of spring; I rejoiced with them in the summer of their love, which brought the warmth of commitment and the formation of a bond and feeling confident that together, they can do almost anything. But love can be messy, confusing, and imperfect, just like us, and life itself. It’s what Hallmark cards don’t always tell us…what love isn’t. And this is exactly what Mud Vein is all about. It is a marvelous story of realism, inspiration, hope, and redemption. Often times, we form a lot of ideas about what love is based on unrealistic hopes and standards. We learn what we think it’s supposed to look like, and most of the times, we find ourselves frustrated when reality falls short. And this book made me think and change my perception about love. 

Mud Vein is simply… extraordinary. There’s really no other word for it. From the first page, the first line, the book completely enthralled me. I was the teensiest bit concerned that maybe it wouldn’t live up to my sky-high expectations. I needn’t have worried. But if you ever ask me if I plan to have a re-read soon? Absolutely not! I don’t think I can allow myself to undergo the same intense emotions I felt when I was reading it. I mean, I love angst but I am definitely not a masochist! Perhaps a few months after.
Sure this book is not for everyone but I highly recommend this book to anyone craving for something written in the incredible, poetic way which only Tarryn Fisher can deliver, something that they can sink their teeth into and come away feeling fulfilled. If you plan on reading Mud Vein, read it with an open mind. 

Thank you Tarryn! I thank you immensely for sharing this fabulous story with us. 5 +++ stars!

“No one wants to carry someone when they are heavy from life”

Flawed perfection are the words I would choose to define Tarryn’s writing. Twisting together the ugly, dirty, and the beautiful to give the reader a no nonsense view of life’s love and loss. Her words give you a virtual slap across the face. Waking you up and forcing you to ask questions you don’t want to answer. Mud Vein forces you to question the life you are living and challenges the walls you have built. Tarryn created a journey that is personal and different for every reader. Her words ignite thoughts and feelings that most of us bury deep, not wanting to pop the bubble we create around an already fragile life.

“We are all going to die, but I’m going to die first. In the very last second of my life, I will think of you.”

I should have learned from the Love Me With Lies Series!!! Tarryn is flawlessness. The wicked twists and turns drew me in but Mud Vein, MUD VEIN has turned me into a mess of emotions. I can say with complete honestly that this book, these words disturbed the balance I thought I created for myself.

“I didn’t know I needed someone to dig into my heart and figure out why on some days I wanted to play, and on others I craved solitude…It’s a painful thing to look inside yourself and see the whys and the hows of your clockwork. You are a lot uglier than you think, plenty more selfish than you are ever likely to admit. So, you ignore what’s inside of you. Thinking if you don’t acknowledge it, it’s not really there. Until someone unlikely comes along and cracks you. They see every dark corner, and they get it. And they tell you it’s okay to have dark corners, instead of making you feel ashamed of them.”

Ripped raw best sums it up. I flipped page after page and highlighted more than half of the book. Mud Vein is a real reading experience. Not always pretty but real none the less. If you read one book this year read this one. I won’t recap they story. I don’t want to ruin the experience. Truth be told my words, under no circumstances, would ever do the wicked queen justice.

“Love doesn’t leave. It bears all things.”

Bear the emotions, the pain, and the tears then open a bottle of wine…trust me you’ll need it.

“Tell me something about your life with him,” Isaac urges.
I purse my lips. “Hmmm … so much fuckedupness. Where should I start?”
He blinks at me. 
“A week before I graduated from high school he found a chip in one of our drinking glasses. He came storming into my room, demanding to know how it got there. When I couldn’t give him an answer he refused to talk to me. For three weeks. He didn’t even come to my graduation. My dad. He can make a drinking glass feel like a teen pregnancy.”
I hold out my mug and Isaac refills me. 
“I hate whiskey,” I say. 
“Me too as well.”
I cock my head. 
“Hush,” he says. “You don’t get to judge my turn of phrase.”
I lay my arm across the table and rest my head on it. 
He looks less and less like a doctor nowadays with his scruffy face and long hair. Come to think of it, he’s acting less like one too. Maybe this is rockstar Isaac. I don’t ever remember him drinking during the time we spent together. I lift my head and rest my chin on my arm. 
I want to ask if he had a drinking problem back in the day—when he was actually living his tattoo. But it’s none of my business. We all medicate with something. He notices me looking at him funny. He’s on his fifth shot. 
“Something you want to ask me?” 
“How many more bottles of that stuff do we have?” I ask. The one he’s holding has a third left. I’m thinking we might have some darker days. We need to save the happy juice for sadder times.
He shrugs. “What does it matter?”
“Hey,” I say. “We are sharing family memories. Bonding. Don’t be depressing.”
He laughs, and sets the bottle on the counter. I wonder if he’d notice if I hid it. I watch him walk into the living room. I’m not sure if I should follow him or give him space. In the end, I go upstairs. It’s not my business what Isaac is struggling with. I barely know him. No, that’s not entirely true. I just don’t know this side of him. 
I wrap myself in my comforter and try to sleep. The whiskey has made my head spin. I like it. I’m surprised I never got addicted to alcohol. It’s such a nice way to check out. Maybe I should find a new addiction. Maybe I should find Isaac. 
Maybe…
I am a real life villain, truly. I drink sick amounts of Starbucks. Most of the time my hair smells like coffee. I was born in South Africa, and lived there for most of my childhood. I moved to Seattle just for the rain. Rome is my favorite place in the world so far, Paris comes in at a close second. I read and write more than I sleep. When I was eleven, I wrote an entire novel about runaway orphans, using only purple ink. I am addicted to Florence and the Machine and will travel to see concerts. I love scary movies and giraffes. I spend way too much time on Facebook. Meet you there?…

Book Review: Falling Under by Jasinda Wilder

Title: Falling Under
(Falling #3)
Author: Jasinda Wilder

A standalone, sequel novel to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling Falling Into You. 
My name is Colton Calloway. You’ve heard part of my story, but it turns out there’s more. My little girl, Kylie, is all grown up. Seventeen, beautiful, and talented, just like her mother. And just like Nell, my daughter seems to have fallen for a bad boy, one with a lot of darkness and a lot of secrets. 
* * * 
You thought you knew the whole story. You thought it was over. Happily ever after for everyone. 
You were wrong. 
My name is Oz Hyde, and you’ve never met me. I’m part of the story, too, but I’m an aside, a quick line or two you’d all but forgotten about. Well guess what? I’ve got my own story to tell. 
Buckle up, ‘cause this is gonna be a hell of a bumpy ride.
Oh my dear, dear Jasinda! Nothing, and I mean nothing you do is half assed. Every word mapped to create mind trip perfection. I also have a theory that you are hoarding all of the best words. Just waiting to drop them in, create word masterpieces, and then blow your readers minds! BOOM! Hashtag #Jasindawordbombing. 
Book three of the Falling Series has sent me on said mind trip. Falling into You and Falling into Us where remarkable. Pain along with damaged beauty place them at the top of my favorites list. I has happy. I was content. Then, #Jasindawordbombing gave me everything I never knew I wanted with Falling Under. 
The Falling Under journey offers three person narrative. Oz, Kylie, and Colt offer a spin on the story we thought we already knew. Colt as a father, husband, and musician, creating a life for his family. We see insights on how the years have played out. Oz the troubled man boy. Not sure where he fits. Uprooted has become the norm. He has no one or nowhere to call home just a laundry list of apartments to match the growing list of personal demons. Finally Kylie. A chance encounter ties them all together and no one will ever be the same. 
The twists and turns in this book will have you on the end of you couch cushion. After I finished I never imagined what was waiting for me. I didn’t reread the prior two books before Falling Under. I was worried that was a mistake however I was pleased in the end. I was able to revisit old characters with fresh eyes, fall under with new ones, and relish #Jasindawordbombing as if it was the first time. Every story is an adventure. Every word thought out. Every emotion real. Jasinda’s will never be short for words, since she is hording them all, and I will never be short Kindle space. The Falling Trilogy (?) is a must read or a must reread.
P.S. I only question the trilogy part because with this Wild One the possibilities are endless.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jasinda Wilder is a Michigan native with a penchant for titillating tales about sexy men and strong women. When she’s not writing, she’s probably shopping, baking, or reading. 
​Some of her favorite authors include Nora Roberts, JR Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Liliana Hart and Bella Andre. 
She loves to travel and some of her favorite vacations spots are Las Vegas, New York City and Toledo, Ohio. 
You can often find Jasinda drinking sweet red wine with frozen berries and eating a cupcake. 
Jasinda is represented by Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency.

Saving Forever 

 AMAZON US |  AMAZON UK | B&N

Forever & Always Buy Links:
 AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA   
ITUNES |  KOBO | B&N

After Forever Buy Links:
 AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA | B&N

Book Review: Finders Keepers by Nicole Williams

Title: Finders Keepers (Lost & Found, #3) 
Author: Nicole Williams 
Age Group: Mature Young Adult/New Adult 
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

**NEW YORK TIMES and USATODAY Bestselling Series**
There’s tortured. And there’s Garth Black. 
His life has been a constant carousel of tragedy and disappointment, including his love life. Of course, applying the term “love” to Garth’s conquests is a gross misuse of the word. Some people were made to give and accept love, and others weren’t. Garth Black redefines the “others” category. He’s made a vow that the day he meets a woman who could sucker him into falling in love will be the day he runs away. 
Garth’s plan has one flaw. What happens when he’s already fallen hard for a girl before the warning signs and red flags go up? What happens when the love he’s avoided his entire life brings him to his knees? What happens when Garth Black lets the dirtiest four letter word he’s ever known into his dark, lonely life?
This cowboy’s about to find out he can control some things, and he can’t control others. Number one on the what he can’t control list? 
Love.
**Recommended for mature readers due to moderate content and language**
I’m pretty much convinced that in some past life I was in love with a cowboy. Because I find them so attractive. (Like, I may drool a little bit.) With the way they carry themselves, the outfit, the accent, the confidence! Ohhh, I’m a goner.
Finders Keepers has been sitting on my kindle for quite sometime, waiting to be read. I really have no idea what took me so long to pick it up but glad I finally did! It is utterly refreshing! I’m constantly reminded of why I love Nicole William’s characters so much. Each one is so different and so unique in their own ways and there’s never mistaking one for another.
I’ve always been a fan of this series and I adored Garth even from the start. Yeah, he was the douchebag in previous books but I knew that behind the mask of a macho man is a vulnerable guy who is deeply in love with a girl, only he doesn’t know how to say it. Even if he acts without thinking sometimes, he truly means well. He’s not the best person at showing his feelings, but reading from his perspective is a delight. 

“Me? It didn’t matter what age I was or how much I thought I loved the wman. Marriage, rings, and vows were not created with people like me in mind.”

The same goes to Josie without a doubt. She is honestly the sweetest girl. She’s so kind, and constantly thinking of others. She always go waaay beyond what’s expected. Through every hardship and problem, she’s always focused and ready for anything. That being said, she’s got a backbone, that’s for sure. She doesn’t deal with Garth’s shit. She sees right through him. Together, they’ve got this explicable chemistry that is to die for. But Garth denies himself that there is even a slight chance that Josie is feeling the same way. Especially that he made something in the past that is truly unforgivable.
But damn it Garth! How could you not see it?!?! She’s so head over heels in love with you and really doesn’t try to hide it, at all. 

“The only reason why I paint you as misunderstood good guy is because  that’s who you are. You’re the guy who shows up on his friend’s doorstep in the  middle of the night if they call. You’re the guy who plays Cupid when his best friend almost lost the woman he loved. You’re the guy, Garth. You know it. And I’ve known it for  a hell of a lot longer.”

Josie’s constantly making up these excuses just to see him, talk to him, and just to spend time with him. And even she cares a lot for him whether he realizes it or not. Even she does things for him that shocks him, that makes him surprised to think that anybody would ever bother. That’s what I love about their relationship. They do things that are unexpected to each other and they make exceptions to their usual rules for each other. They’ve got each other’s backs and watching them grow and slowly develop their relationship is incredible. 

“Choose me. Be mine. Be happy  and find love with me.”

“Let’s touch. let’s make out. Let’s do all of those things you’ve held back from us doing.”

But love doesn’t always come easy. It’s not always a fairytale; not always perfect. Love is overcoming obstacles, facing challenges, fighting to be together, holding on and never letting go. But will they? 

“But I wasn’t the best for her. How could I be she the only roof I had over my head was the cab of my old truck? How could I be what was best for her when I didn’t even know what was best for myself? How could I love her the way she deserved to be loved when my parents hadn’t shown me an ounce of it?

The answer to those and the other questions streaming through my head was simple – I couldn’t.”

There’s really nothing more heart-breaking than two extremely close people slowly begin to fall apart…
Will they be able to overcome it?

“I couldn’t give her a chance because I didn’t have one to give. It’s too late.”

The story is well-paced. There are no times when I felt the plot was dragging it and while a few elements were as unsurprising as most NA plot twists usually are, I did find myself surprised a couple of times by where the story went. There’s enough of everything; action, romance, humor, and of course familial problems. I adore Nicole! I simply adore her writing. Not overly complicated but certainly worth the read. Finders Keepers is the perfect addition to a brilliant series. 5 stars!

Read my Review of Lost and Found (Book #1) and Near and Far ( Book #2)

I’m the New York Times and USATODAY bestselling author of the LOST & FOUND series, the CRASH series, and a handful of others. Basically, I get to do what I love. Every single day. I write romance because I’m a sucker for a good love story, and I write happy endings because there are too few of them in real life.

FINDERS KEEPERS (BOOK #3)
NEAR AND FAR (BOOK #2)
LOST AND FOUND (BOOK #1)

BLOG TOUR RECAP: Bo and Ember by Andrea Randall

Bo and Ember by Andrea Randall
Book #4 in The November Blue Series
Add to Goodreads
BLOG TOUR RECAP

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TARRYN!

Happy Birthday to one of the smartest author ever and one of TBA’s in-house favorites! 
You deserve all the success, happiness and love in the world.
Happy Birthday Tarryn! 
Here’s a little happy dance for your special day!
TARRYN FISHER’S BOOKS
MUD VEIN
AMAZON | B&N | SMASHWORDS | ITUNES

THE OPPORTUNIST
DIRTY RED

THIEF

BOOK LAUNCH GIVEAWAY: UNSTOPPABLE BY SCOTT HILDRETH

TITLE: UNSTOPPABLE
AUTHOR: SCOTT HILDRETH

Mike Ripton “Ripp” is a fighter who is witty, muscular, tattooed, and has 4 piercings ‘down stairs’. He is a man of principal, great moral value, and has family ties. He has never, however, been in love; nor been in an actual relationship. He does relationships, ‘just not for that long’. 
He boxes professionally, and fights bare knuckles matches in the ‘hood’ for cash. Ripp is a take me or leave me type of alpha male that won’t change for anyone. 
When he meets the ‘most beautiful woman in the world’ one day in the bar, a local prominent attorney, he decides she’ll be his next ‘victim’. Little does he realize that he just might end up being hers. 
She eagerly admits she’s attracted to one type of male, and one type only. Bad Boy. Alpha. Tattooed, and….. 
She prefers at the end of her day of court battles that she be able to throw her respective hands in the air and have a man take charge. She will settle for nothing less. She wants a dominant man. 
As long as she’s in a relationship with him. 
What happens when life offers ‘the man who will not change’ events and opportunities that cause change in his life that he either wasn’t or isn’t prepared for? 
And how deep does the blood of a died in the wool fighter run? 
To what degree will he fight for what he believes in and/or what he wants in life? 
What if his desires change? 
Unstoppable is steamy. The type that fanning yourself wont fix. It’s got alpha males. Fighting. Tattoos. Muscles. And above all, it’s got Mike Ripton. If you enjoy Jamie Begley, Cora Brent, Shayla Black, or Lexi Blake, you’ll love this read.
Readers, 
I will never forget the first time I actually felt as if I had helped someone resolve an issue in their life. I was in middle school. It started then, and has continued throughout my entire life. I have always made myself available to talk to people and resolve (or attempt to resolve) issues that they struggle with. Having an exceptional ability to communicate has always been a gift of mine, and I have enjoyed doing so. Telling stories has always been second nature to me. Writing has been a passion of mine since I was a child. I have written poetry, romance, self-help, addiction, alcoholism, codependency, technical, and satire. There isn’t a genre or a topic that I feel more comfortable with. I enjoy writing about whatever it is that I feel passionate about at the time. Being open-minded and often seeing abusive relationships unfold, I have always been passionate about abuse, or the prevention of it. My main focus has always been people that are incapable of helping themselves, primarily women, children, and the elderly. I have talked to hundreds of women that were in abusive relationships, and assisted many of them in removing themselves from these relationships. I try to focus in my writings to develop a story that makes people stop and think. To look at a subject or subjects from a different point of view. If I am able to get my point across, and make the subject entertaining to the reader, I feel that I have met my objective. I feel that I have tremendous depth as a person, and have had some great experiences in my life. To date, what life has offered me has been nothing short of spectacular. My opinions, point of views, and perspectives on matters are just that; an opinion. There isn’t necessarily a right or wrong in what I write, but more of a belief. I always believe in what I am writing, and I further believe that the reader may benefit from viewing it from the written perspective. I hope that you enjoy reading what I have written as much as I enjoy writing it. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than knowing a reader enjoyed something I have written. Considering that, please take time to leave a book review if you have read something I have written. 
Best Regards,
Scott Hildreth
OTHER BOOKS OF SCOTT

Book Trailer, Excerpt and Giveaway: Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher


Title: Mud Vein

Author: Tarryn Fisher

I have waited for this book with a breathlessness that may eventually warrant medical attention.
And HOLY CRAP! It was absolutely worth the wait!

Truth is I already had a hunch I would really enjoy this story. I have fallen in love with Tarryn’s writing ever since The Opportunist and I knew just by the cover and synopsis that Mud Vein will be as intense as her previous works. And sure it did! Simply…extraordinary! There’s really no other word for it!
Watch out for our back to back review on the 25th for our tour stop. In the mean time, please enjoy the mini book trailer we have prepared for this phenomenal masterpiece.


When reclusive novelist Senna Richards wakes up on her thirty-third birthday, everything has changed. Caged behind an electrical fence, locked in a house in the middle of the snow, Senna is left to decode the clues to find out why she was taken. If she wants her freedom, she has to take a close look at her past. But, her past has a heartbeat…and her kidnapper is nowhere to be found. With her survival hanging by a thread, Senna soon realizes this is a game. A dangerous one. Only the truth can set her free.

A week later we took our first trip into Seattle together. It was her idea. We rode in my car since she said she didn’t have one. She looked nervous sitting in the front seat with her hands folded in her lap. When I asked her if she wanted me to put the radio on she said no. We ate Russian pastries from paper bags and watched the ferries cross the sound, shivering and standing as close as we could get to each other. Our fingers were so greasy when we were done we had to rinse them off in a water fountain. She laughed when I splashed water in her face. I could have written another ten thousand words just from hearing her laugh. We bought five pounds of prawns from the market and headed back to my house. I don’t know why the hell I asked for five pounds, but it sounded like a good idea at the time.

“You have one of these,” I said, as we were cleaning the prawns together at my kitchen sink. I ran my finger laterally along its body, pointing out the dark line that needed to be cleaned out. She frowned, looking down at the prawn she was holding.

“It’s called a mud vein.”

“A mud vein,” she repeated. “Doesn’t sound like a compliment.”

“Maybe not to some people.”

She de-headed her shrimp with a flick of her knife and tossed it in the bowl.

“It’s your darkness that pulls me in. Your mud vein. But sometimes having a mud vein will kill you.”

She set down the knife and washed her hands, drying them on the back of her jeans.

“I have to go.”

“Sure,” I said. I didn’t move until I heard the screen door slam. I wasn’t upset that my words had run her off. She didn’t like to be found out. But she’d be back.

I am a real life villain, truly. I drink sick amounts of Starbucks. Most of the time my hair smells like coffee. I was born in South Africa, and lived there for most of my childhood. I moved to Seattle just for the rain. Rome is my favorite place in the world so far, Paris comes in at a close second. I read and write more than I sleep. When I was eleven, I wrote an entire novel about runaway orphans, using only purple ink. I am addicted to Florence and the Machine and will travel to see concerts. I love scary movies and giraffes. I spend way too much time on Facebook. Meet you there?…

Promo Blitz: Against All Odds by Angie McKeon (Excerpt and Giveaway)

Title: Against All Odds (Standalone)
Author: Angie McKeon
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: Early April, 2014

Our lives shattered… Our hearts broken… Our souls torn to pieces…
He was my world, my whole life. My reason for breathing. I had a perfect marriage, a baby on the way, and I felt fulfilled—almost invincible. 
Until the day life hit, leaving me broken, vulnerable, and alone.
She was my life. My ray of hope on the cloudiest day. With her, I thought I had the ultimate safety. A love that would never hurt or betray me. I gave her my heart, my body, and my soul. 
Until she broke me, destroying every dream and illusion I had about life, love, and marriage.
In our grief, we made a mistake. A mistake I’m not sure we can come back from.

“Look at me, Kylie,” he says.
If I look at him, I’ll die. My heart will crumble, and I won’t make it out of his office. I can’t do it. The pain is unbearable. When I leave here, he’s with her. The thought of him with her, while I’m pining away for him makes me sick.
It destroys me. 
“Please, Ky. I need you to look at me. Don’t do this. Don’t play fucking games with me. I need you to look at me now.” 
Just do it. Suck it up. 
I turn around and look at him with tears in my eyes and distress smeared across my features like paint on a canvas. My body seeps anguish I can’t hide. I can never hide my heart. My feelings are always written on every seam of my face, every angle of my form. My distress penetrates the air around me, pulling him into my suffering, entangling and entrapping him within the storm that rages in me. I’m broken without him and I’ve been without him for so long that I’ve lost pieces of myself along the way. The jar that holds the last of my heart is about to shatter until nothing is left but shards of the woman I used to be.
“I can’t take this anymore,” I whisper, my voice broken. “We need to talk about us over dinner.”
I can’t give a voice to my thoughts. If nothing changes between now and then, our marriage can’t go on. He’s killing me, and I’m killing him. Together, we’re a car wreck heading straight for a cliff. A cliff that spans a mountain. We are on our way to certain emotional death and this ride’s something I don’t want to be a part of anymore. I want off. 
His eyes pierce mine, and I know he knows what I’m thinking. He looks stunned, and for a split second, I see fear. Cold, fucking fear. He sees everything I need him to see and more. I hope he gets it. I hope he understands that this might be the end of our road. We need to have something to work for, or we have nothing. I love him, but this love hurts. It hurts in a way I would’ve never dreamed it could. 

All rights reserved. Against All Odds © 2014 Copyright, Angie McKeon.
A multi-tasker from birth—and now proudly able to add ‘writer’ to my resume—I’m a mother, wife and blogger. I love to read, write and drink copious amounts of iced coffee. 
All three aforementioned addictions are detrimental to my sanity 
I have a voracious appetite for dark, painful and twisted reads. I’m enamored with the concept of love and heart break. I believe life is a journey, a tale in its own for each of us. The road to happiness is sometimes paved with stones from hell, or glitters of satisfaction graced from the heavens above. 
In my upcoming debut novel, ‘Against All Odds,’ I strive to make you feel. I believe any emotion—whether painful or happy—is good. To me, the key to living is to go through life feeling it’s ups and downs. Love is dark and it can be painful but, at the end of the day, it can save the most lost of souls and the most broken of hearts.