Thursday, 24 September 2015

Release Day: Initium (Nocte #2.5) by Courtney Cole

The end is coming. LUX is almost here. But everything has a beginning. A beginning before the night. Before Finn. Before Calla. Everything starts somewhere.

This is where the darkness is born. ANOTHER STORY.

INITIUM (Nocte #2.5), a Nocte Trilogy between-the-books novella, is now available...and only $0.99 for TODAY ONLY! Includes an exclusive FOUR CHAPTER sneak peek of Lux (Nocte #3)!

Get it on Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo

I never knew what the consequences would be.
I say that like it’s a defense, an excuse.
It’s not. It’s simply the truth.
I never knew what he would become to me.
Through everything, he’s become everything.
My rock, my air, my love.
My everything.
And then….
Things changed.
Because it was wrong.
Because sometimes, our sons must pay for the sins of their fathers.
Or their mothers.
I’m afraid that I’m lost,
that I’m damned.
After you read this, you’ll probably agree.
Really, it doesn’t matter.
All that matters is that I save him.
Because he shouldn’t pay for my sin.
Judge me if you like.
But keep reading.
This is our beginning.
This is where the darkness truly starts.

Get INITIUM on Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo

Get NOCTE, the first book in the trilogy
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Get VERUM, the second book in the trilogy
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LUX, the final book in the trilogy, is coming October 28, 2015.

Spotlight: The Lair by A.B. Michaels

Enter to Win a $25.00 eGift Card to Choice Book Retailer Amazon, B&N or iTunes

THE LAIR

A Sinner's Grove Novel

A.B. Michaels

Released June 16th, 2015

Red Trumpet Press

The Lair follows on the heels of Sinner’s Grove, a contemporary suspense novel centered around the fictional artists’ retreat on the northern California coast known as “The Grove.”

Dani Dunn, the local innkeeper, has just learned of her famous father’s death and must travel back to her home country of Italy to attend the funeral. To say she’s not looking forward to it is an understatement. In fact, she’s petrified. The estate she grew up in holds terrifying memories that she knows she’ll have to confront if she’s ever to get on with her life.

Complicating matters is the fact that her flirtatious friend, Detective Gabe de la Torre, is coming along for the ride – without being asked. However, as Dani discovers the true evil that awaits her, Gabe proves he’s much more than a friend – he’s a sworn protector who may lose his own life in the process of saving hers.

Author's Note: THE LAIR deals with a very real, but sensitive subject, human trafficking. It may be disturbing to some readers.

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Now, lying here, she was filled with regret; how could she have been so stupid? At the time, it all seemed so safe. The company man had been clear and straightforward, with no funny business. He’d even given her a choice of country and she’d chosen Italy—known for its beautiful churches, just like those of Maramureș. Only Italy’s churches were of stone, not wood, and they were overwhelming. The company had paid for her train ticket, assuring her the hotel she worked for would cover her fees and living expenses until she earned enough to pay her own way. Strong, bright girls are in high demand, the company man had said; you will be promoted in no time at all.

The only thing that had seemed strange to her was the tattoo he’d insisted she have put on her hairline, just behind her right ear. He told her it was to help identify her until she learned to speak Italian. It seemed a small enough request. The design was of a very small golden tree, visited by a tiny blue butterfly. Even though she’d been scared of the needle, it turned out not to hurt very much, and it was a pretty little mark. In fact, she came to think of it as her own little secret, like wearing red silk panties beneath her maid’s uniform.

The door opened and in the dim light of the hallway beyond she saw an older woman with dark hair talking with a tall, white-haired man in a suit. He looked vaguely familiar, but Mirela couldn’t recall where she had seen him. The two of them glanced in at her and the woman nodded before entering the room and shutting the door. Mirela recognized her from the hotel. “Signora, please, you must help me!” The woman could speak some Romanian; they’d even talked a little on Mirela’s first day.

“Do not worry, puiu,” the woman said soothingly. “No harm will come to you.”

Mirela winced at the endearment—“little chick.” It was the same one her mother used. How could this woman pretend to care about her when it was obvious she did not? “Why am I tied down like this? What happened to me?” Mirela tried but failed to keep the fear out of her voice.

The woman, brisk in her movements, brought a pan out from underneath the bed. She carefully cut off Mirela’s panties. “Come, you will use this now,” she said.

Mirela was mortified, but desperate to empty her bladder, she complied with the woman’s directions. Afterward the woman did not replace Mirela’s underwear. She merely tossed the cut garment into a nearby waste can as if she were straightening up a room.

“It won’t be long now,” the woman said, and left.

“Until what?” Mirela cried after her. “Until what?!”

A.B. Michaels' dual-genre series "Sinner's Grove" follows the family, friends and associates connected to a world-famous artists' retreat on the California coast. While The Lair is a contemporary novel of romantic suspense, The Depth of Beauty (soon to be published) is historical fiction, set at the turn of the twentieth century. Both San Francisco and the retreat of Sinner's Grove are featured in the story.

To read a free sample, visit https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/3MTD47701RSD4. If you enjoy the sample, please nominate it for Kindle Press; if it's accepted, you'll receive a free download of the entire book.

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Born and raised in northern California, A.B. Michaels holds master's degrees in history and broadcasting, and worked for many years in the public relations and marketing fields. An avid quilter and bocce player, she currently lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband and two furry "sons" who don't seem to realize they're just dogs.

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Release Day & Review: Tempest Rising, Episode 1 in the Rising Storm Series by Julie Kenner.

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Release Day Launch for Julie Kenner's TEMPEST RISING! TEMPEST RISING is Episode 1 in the Rising Storm Series brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights. It's out today so grab your copy and pre-order the following episodes in what promises to be an amazing new series!

Rising Storm Episode 1 (Sept. 24): Julie Kenner’s Tempest Rising

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Welcome to Storm, Texas, where passion runs hot, desire runs deep, and secrets have the power to destroy...

Nestled among rolling hills and painted with vibrant wildflowers, the bucolic town of Storm, Texas, seems like nothing short of perfection.

But there are secrets beneath the facade. Dark secrets. Powerful secrets. The kind that can destroy lives and tear families apart. The kind that can cut through a town like a tempest, leaving jealousy and destruction in its wake, along with shattered hopes and broken dreams. All it takes is one little thing to shatter that polish.

Reading like an on-going drama in the tradition of classic day and night-time soap operas like Dallas, Dynasty, and All My Children, Rising Storm is full of scandal, deceit, romance, passion, and secrets.

With 1001 Dark Nights as the “producer,” Julie Kenner and Dee Davis use a television model with each week building on the last to create a storyline that fulfills the promise of a drama-filled soap opera. Joining Kenner and Davis in the “writer’s room” is an incredible group of New York Times bestselling authors such as Lexi Blake, Elisabeth Naughton, Jennifer Probst, Larissa Ione, Rebecca Zanetti and Lisa Mondello who have brought their vision of Storm to life.

A serial soap opera containing eight episodes in season one, the season premiere of Rising Storm, TEMPEST RISING, debuts September 24^th with each subsequent episode releasing consecutively this fall.

So get ready. The storm is coming.

About TEMPEST RISING: Episode 1 of the Rising Storm Series

Secrets, Sex and Scandals …

Welcome to Storm, Texas, where passion runs hot, desire runs deep, and secrets have the power to destroy… Get ready. The storm is coming.

Nestled among rolling hills and painted with vibrant wildflowers, the bucolic town of Storm, Texas, seems like nothing short of perfection.

But there are secrets beneath the facade. Dark secrets. Powerful secrets. The kind that can destroy lives and tear families apart. The kind that can cut through a town like a tempest, leaving jealousy and destruction in its wake, along with shattered hopes and broken dreams. All it takes is one little thing to shatter that polish.

Ginny Moreno didn’t mean to do it, but when she came home to Storm, she brought the tempest with her. And now everyone will be caught in its fury…

Experience Rising Storm Here…

Rising Storm Episode 1 (Sept. 24): Julie Kenner’s Tempest Rising
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Rising Storm Episode 2 (Oct. 1): Lexi Blake’s White Lightning
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Rising Storm Episode 3 (Oct. 8): Elisabeth Naughton’s Crosswinds
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Rising Storm Episode 4 (Oct. 15): Jennifer Probst’s Dance in the Wind
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Rising Storm Episode 5 (Oct. 22): Larissa Ione’s Calm Before the Storm
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Rising Storm Episode 6 (Oct. 29): Rebecca Zanetti’s Take the Storm
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Rising Storm Episode 7 (Nov. 5): Lisa Mondello’s Weather the Storm
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Rising Storm Episode 8 (Nov. 12): Dee Davis’s Thunder Rolls
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Reviews for TEMPEST RISING:

“After reading Tempest Rising by Julie Kenner I can honestly say it is everything I loved about those shows from the 80's and more; heart-stopping, twisted, engrossing, captivating, epic all describe this very first episode of Rising Storm. Even better I FELT like I was watching a television mini-series while reading it. Each time the "scene" changed, I held my breath wondering who was up next.”-Slick Reads, Guilty Pleasures Blog

I love the concept of this new series, so dived into Tempest Rising, the first book in the Rising Storm series with high expectations.

Julie Kenner has done a tremendous job introducing us to the inhabitants of Storm, giving us a tiny glimpse into their worlds before we spend more time with them in subsequent books. This is done in a surprisingly enticing way, which doesn't leave you overwhelmed by name and places. Formatted like a soap opera we learn just enough about everyone to set a scene.

Unsurprisingly, Storm has a fabulous collection of interesting inhabitants. Many are clichés of small town living, but I'd be disappointed if they were not! We begin this episode with a tragedy, but deception, lies and lust are all part of the mix too.

I finished and wanted more and can't wait for the next instalment – White Lightening by Lexi Blake.

Warning – a very strong chance this series is going to be addictive.

4 stars

***arc generously received in exchange for an honest review***

Julie Kenner (aka J. Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 international bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas, and short stories in a variety of genres.

Praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations,” JK writes a range of stories including super sexy romances, paranormal romance, chick lit suspense, paranormal mommy lit, and, with Rising Storm, small town drama. Her trilogy of erotic romances, The Stark Trilogy (as J. Kenner), reached as high as #2 on the New York Times list and is published in over twenty countries, and her Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom series (written as Julie Kenner) has been optioned by Warner Brothers Television for the CW Network.

A former attorney, JK lives in Central Texas with her husband, two daughters, and several cats. One of her favorite weekend activities is visiting small towns in the Texas Hill Country.

Visit Julie Kenner’s website and follow her on:

Rising Storm Website | Facebook |Twitter | 1001 Dark Nights | Rising Storm on Goodreads

New Release Spotlight: Sins Of Sevin by Penelope Ward

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward, comes a new forbidden STANDALONE romance!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Qryeok

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1YrHjDx

iBooks: http://apple.co/1gmN9nq

Kobo:http://bit.ly/1Qd6oMs

B&N: http://bit.ly/1KakZ7G

What happens when the one you want is the only one you can't have?

My name is Sevin.

Homeschooled and sheltered by my ultra-religious family, I was always taught that lust was a sin.

Elle was the girl who'd been carefully chosen for me.

After a long-distance courtship, I'd be moving into her family's guesthouse so that we could get to know each other in the months before the wedding.

Boundaries were set: no inappropriate touching, no kissing, no sex before marriage.

I'd accepted those rules and my fate.

Until I met the one I wanted to sin with.

That was when restraint became a problem...especially since THE ONE wasn't Elle.

It was her sister, Evangeline.

You know what they say about best laid plans.

My name is Sevin, and I have sinned.

Told in alternating points of view, Sins of Sevin is a full-length standalone novel.

Contains graphic sexual content and harsh language.

Only appropriate for adult readers

age 18+.

SINS OF SEVIN EXCERPT

He quietly followed me into the dining room, carrying the flatware. The tension in the air was thick as he walked behind me around the oval table, setting down silverware after each plate I’d put down. It was like some weird game of musical chairs where awkward silence replaced the music. The hairs on my back stiffened. We weren’t saying anything, but it was as if I could feel the weight of a thousand words along with the heat of his body so close behind me.

When I noticed he’d just put a fork where the spoon was supposed to go, I switched it. “The forks go on this side, actually.” My hand was shaking. I couldn’t believe how little control I had over myself.

Noticing my nerves, he suddenly placed his hand over mine and whispered, “Stop.”

Chills ran through me. My heart started to beat faster. My nipples hardened. I hated my body for responding to him with equal amounts of fear and lust.

I turned to him, his hand still over my knuckles. It felt like I couldn’t breathe as he just looked at me.

My mother’s footsteps caused Sevin to move his hand off mine with lightning speed.

Mama entered, and we continued setting the table as if our stolen moment hadn’t happened.

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 10-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.