"Best Friends Forever" Is A Story That Your Heart Will Want To Hold On To

25604483 Title:  Best Friends Forever
Author:  Kimberla Lawson Roby
Format:  Print
Length:  192 pages
Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing
Rating:  4 Stars

Angry arguments between Celine Richardson and Keith, her husband of twelve years, have become common over the past several months. She resents that he's working very long hours and staying out, and he accuses her of not giving him the attention he deserves. The situation turns devastating when Celine is diagnosed with breast cancer and Keith moves out. Even more heartbreaking is how their ten-year-old daughter, Kassie, is affected. Celine's only comfort is her best friend, Lauren, who's there for her every step of the way. Even when Keith decides he's made a mistake, begs forgiveness, and asks to come back home. Now, Celine will be forced to make tough decisions, and for the first time in her life, she wants to give up. Lauren vows to help by any means necessary and makes the kind of sacrifice only a best friend can. But will it be too late?  -Goodreads


My Thoughts
Celine Richardson never thought that her 12 year marriage to her husband Keith would dissolve.
She never in her wildest dreams, dared to believe that he would go so far as to leave her, and their daughter.  At a time when they needed him most.  Celine Richardson never considered that she, and the life that she so lovingly crafted, would or could be reduced to a statistic by the person closest to her heart.
But the reality of her situation is just that.  Keith is gone.  Having found the attention that he claims Celine hasn't given him, in the arms, bed, and body of another.  Unrepentant and seemingly unfazed by both the destruction of his family, and his wife's Cancer diagnosis.

But Celine will soon learn that night is indeed darkest, just before the dawn.  A dawn being ushered in by faith, family, and the unwavering love of her best friend Lauren. 


Authoress Kimberla Lawson Roby takes readers inside the the heart and mind of a woman scorned.
Granting her audiences a glaringly honest depiction of infidelity, betrayal, resilience, faith, and friendship.  Celine is a strong but emotional heroine.  A woman that every reader can relate to.  A woman striving to do her best for those she loves...at any cost.

A woman who, when presented with the choice between a life lived as second to someone only capable of loving himself, and a life freely lived in faith, with the unconditional love of family and one true friend.  Finds the strength to calculate her own worth; before making the decision of a lifetime.

At 192 pages, Best Friends Forever is the perfect length for those reading on the go.  Or, those seeking a one sitting read.  Offering readers a well constructed, emotionally relevant, and fully articulated story. Ms. Roby leaves no doubt about her ability to craft a multifaceted world. A world designed to anger, provoke, enlighten, and inspire.




About Kimberla
Kimberla Lawson Roby
New York Times Bestselling Author, Kimberla Lawson Roby, has published thirteen novels which include, BEST FRIENDS FOREVER, THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL, A CHRISTMAS PRAYER, THE PRODIGAL SON, A HOUSE DIVIDED, THE PERFECT MARRIAGE, THE REVEREND'S WIFE, SECRET OBSESSION, LOVE, HONOR, and BETRAY, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PRAY FOR, A DEEP DARK SECRET, THE BEST OF EVERYTHING, ONE IN A MILLION, SIN NO MORE, LOVE & LIES, CHANGING FACES , THE BEST-KEPT SECRET , TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING, A TASTE OF REALITY, IT’S A THIN LINE, CASTING THE FIRST STONE, HERE AND NOW , and her debut title, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS , which was originally self-published through her own company, Lenox Press. Her novels have frequented numerous bestseller lists, including The New York Times and those in The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, Essence Magazine, Upscale Magazine, Emerge Magazine, Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, Wal-Mart, The Dallas Morning News, and The Austin Chronicle to name a few and both BEHIND CLOSED DOORS and CASTING THE FIRST STONE were #1 Blackboard bestsellers for four consecutive months in both 1997 and 2000. BEHIND CLOSED DOORS was the #1 Blackboard Best-selling book for paperback fiction in 1997.

In addition, Ms. Roby’s first novel was nominated for Blackboard’s 1998 and 1999 Fiction Book of the Year Award, and she received the Blackboard Fiction Book of the Year Award in 2001 for CASTING THE FIRST STONE. She is also the 2006, 2007 and 2009 recipient of the Author of the Year – Female award presented by the African-American Literary Award Show in New York, the recipient of the 1998 First-Time Author Award from Chicago’s Black History Month Book Fair and Conference, and her fifth novel, A TASTE OF REALITY, was a 2004 finalist for the Atlanta Choice Awards sponsored by the Atlanta Daily World. Additionally, TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING received a 2004 Patron Choice Award from the Central Mississippi Regional Library System.

Each of Ms. Roby’s novels have dealt with very real issues, including social status, gambling addiction, infidelity, single motherhood, infertility, sibling rivalry, corruption within the church, domestic violence, sexual abuse, care-giving of a parent, racial and gender discrimination in the workplace, sexual harassment, overweight issues, and female illnesses to name a few.

Ms. Roby resides in Illinois with her husband, Will. Her 24th book, A SINFUL CALLING, will be released June 21, 2016.

To share your thoughts with Kimberla regarding her work, please e-mail her at: kim@kimroby.com



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Avon Books Presents: The Perks Of Loving A Scoundrel Review And Giveaway


25980816THE PERKS OF LOVING A SCOUNDREL
By Jennifer McQuiston
Avon Books

September 27, 2016

ISBN: 9780062335142; $$7.99

E-ISBN 9780062335159; $5.99


About the Book

New York Times bestselling author Jennifer McQuiston continues her enchanting Seduction Diaries series as a bookish spinster and an unrepentant rogue unite to unmask a traitor.

Every girl dreams of a hero….

No one loves books more than Miss Mary Channing. Perhaps that’s why she’s reached the ripe old age of six-and-twenty without ever being kissed. Her future may be as bland as milk toast, but Mary is content to simply dream about the heroes and adventures she reads about in her books. That way she won’t end up with a villain instead.

But sometimes only a scoundrel will do.

When she unexpectedly finds herself in the arms of Geoffrey Westmore, London’s most notorious scoundrel, it feels a bit like a plot from one of her favorite novels. Suddenly, Mary understands why even the smartest heroines can fall prey to a handsome face. And Westmore’s is more handsome than most. But far worse than the damage to her reputation, the moment’s indiscretion uncovers an assassination plot that reaches to the highest levels of society and threatens the course of the entire country.

When a tight-laced miss and a scoundrel of epic proportions put their minds together, nothing can stand in their way. But unless they put their hearts together as well, a happy ending is anything but assured.

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Praise for Jennifer McQuiston and THE PERKS OF LOVING A SCOUNDREL:

“McQuiston’s third Seduction Diaries novel is to be commended for its complex and unusual plot and for featuring characters the reader comes to care for. A surprising, readable story about healing, forgiveness, and trust.”   — Kirkus

“The story is equal parts mystery and romance, and just when readers begin to feel cheated, the twists and turns navigate to a stunning ending.”— Publishers Weekly

“Pure Escapism. Ms. Mcquiston created a romance as epic as the characters who lived it. [...] With easily identifiable main characters and a thrilling story, it was a no brainer for me to gift this book with 5 stars and a Top Pick.” — Night Owl Reviews

”McQuiston’s Seduction Diaries series captivates readers with clever plots and engaging characters. Incorporating plenty of sexual tension, bantering dialogue and a mystery into this installment delivers everything fans expect from McQuiston. This is truly a delightful addition to a reader’s library.”— RT Book Reviews

“THE PERKS OF LOVING A SCOUNDREL is full of interesting characters and their interactions, especially those between West and Mary. There is also plenty of suspense concerning the assassination. The era is also a change from the Regency that so Dominates British historical romances.”— Romance Reviews Today

“Regency romance fans will adore this addition to McQuiston’s Seduction Diaries series”— Booklist


Excerpt from THE PERKS OF LOVING A SCOUNDREL:

From the Diary of Miss Mary Channing
May 24, 1858

            Eleanor wrote today. I should have been glad to hear from her, given that she is my twin sister and I love her dearly, but it would be untruthful to say the contents of her letter pleased me. Her new husband, Lord Ashington, has been called away on business and she’s asked me to come to London to keep her company during the last two months of her confinement.
            Can you imagine? Me, in London?
            My family says I must get my nose out of my books and begin to live in the world around me. It is true I’ve never been further afield than a day trip from home, and that I have never slept a night outside my own bed. But why would I ever want to leave, when I have my books to keep me company? And a trip to London is not without its perils. I could very well end up like one of the characters in my beloved stories, snubbed by the popular crowd. Whispered about behind lace fans. Or worse . . . led astray by a handsome villain and then abandoned to my fate.
            Yet, how could I not go? Eleanor is my sister, and she needs me. So I shall put on a brave face. Pack a trunk. Smile, if I must. But I can’t help but wonder . . . which worries me more?
            The many things that could happen in London?
            Or the thought of seeing Eleanor, with her handsome new husband, and her shining, lovely life, and everything I am afraid of wanting?

Chapter 1

London, May 29, 1858

The smell should have been worse.
            She’d expected something foul, air made surly by the summer heat. Just last week she’d read about the Thames, that great, roiling river that carried with it the filth of the entire city and choked its inhabitants to tears. Her rampant imagination, spurred on by countless books and newspaper articles, had conjured a city of fetid smells, each more terrible than the last. But as Miss Mary Channing opened her bedroom window and breathed in her first London morning, her nose filled with nothing more offensive than the fragrance of . . .
            Flowers.
            Disconcerted, she peeked out over the sill. Dawn was just breaking over the back of Grosvenor Square. The gaslights were still burning and the windows of the other houses were dark. By eight o’clock, she imagined industrious housemaids would be down on their knees, whiting their masters’ stoops. The central garden would fill with nurses and their charges, heading west toward Hyde Park.
            But for now the city—and its smells—belonged solely to her.
            She breathed in again. Was she dreaming? Imagining things, as she was often wont to do? She was well over two hundred miles from home, but it smelled very much like her family’s ornamental garden in Yorkshire. She didn’t remember seeing a garden last night, but then, she had arrived quite late, the gaslight shadows obscuring all but the front steps. She’d been too weary to think, so sickened by the ceaseless motion of the train that she’d not even been able to read a book, much less ponder the underpinnings of the air she breathed.
            She supposed she might have missed a garden. Good heavens, she probably would have missed a funeral parade, complete with an eight-horse coach and a brass band.
            After the long, tiresome journey, she’d only wanted to find a bed.
            And yet now . . . at five o’clock in the morning . . . she couldn’t sleep.
            Not on a mattress that felt so strange, and not in a bedroom that wasn’t her own.
            Pulling her head back inside, she eyed the four-poster bed, with its rumpled covers and profusion of pretty pillows. It was a perfectly nice bed. Her sister, Eleanor, had clearly put some thought into the choice of fabrics and furniture. Most women would love such a room. And most women would love such an opportunity—two whole months in London, with shops and shows and distractions of every flavor at their fingertips.
            But Mary wasn’t most women. She preferred her distractions in the form of a good book, not shopping on Regent Street. And these two looming months felt like prison, not paradise.
            The scent of roses lingered in the air, and as she breathed in, her mind settled on a new hope. If there was a flower garden she might escape to—a place where she might read her books and write in her journal—perhaps it would not be so terrible?
            Picking up the novel she had not been able to read on the train, Mary slipped out of the strange bedroom, her bare feet silent on the stairs. She had always been an early riser, waking before even the most industrious servants back home in Yorkshire. At home, the cook knew to leave her out a bit of breakfast—bread and cheese wrapped in a napkin—but no one here would know to do that for her yet.
            Ever since she’d been a young girl, morning had been her own time, quiet hours spent curled up on a garden bench with a book in her lap, nibbling on her pocket repast, the day lightening around her. The notion that she might still keep to such a routine in a place like London gave her hope for the coming two months.
            She drifted down the hallway until she found a doorway that looked promising, solid oak, with a key still in the lock. With a deep breath, she turned the key and pulled it open. She braced herself for knife-wielding brigands. Herds of ragged street urchins, hands rifling through her pockets. The sort of London dangers she’d always read about.
            Instead, the scent of flowers washed over her like a lovely, welcome tide.
            Oh, thank goodness.
            She hadn’t been imagining things after all.
            Something hopeful nudged her over the threshold of the door, then bade her to take one step, then another. In the thin light of dawn, she saw flowers in every color and fashion: bloodred rose blooms, a cascade of yellow flowers dripping down the wrought iron fence. Her fingers loosened over the cover of her book. Oh, but it would be lovely to read here. She could even hear the light patter of a fountain, beckoning her deeper.
            But then she heard something else above those pleasant, tinkling notes.
            An almost inhuman groan of pleasure.
            With a startled gasp, she spun around. Her eyes swam through the early morning light to settle on a gentleman on the street, some ten feet or so away on the other side of the wrought iron fence. But the fact of their separation did little to relieve her anxiety, because the street light illuminated him in unfortunate, horrific clarity.
            He was urinating.
            Through the fence.
            Onto one of her sister’s rosebushes.
            The book fell from Mary’s hand. In all her imaginings of what dreadful things she might encounter on the streets of London, she’d never envisioned anything like this. She ought to bolt. She ought to scream. She ought to . . . well . . . she ought to at least look away.
            But as if he was made of words on a page, her eyes insisted on staying for a proper read. His eyes were closed, his mouth open in a grimace of relief. Objectively, he was a handsome mess, lean and long-limbed, a shock of disheveled blond hair peeking out from his top hat. But handsome was always matter of opinion, and this one had “villain” stamped on his skin.
            As if he could hear her flailing thoughts, one eye cracked open, then the other. “Oh, ho, would you look at that, Grant? I’ve an audience, it seems.”
            Somewhere down the street, another voice rang out. “Piss off!” A snigger followed. “Oh, wait, you already are.”
            “Cork it, you sodding fool!” the blond villain shouted back. “Can’t you see we’re in the presence of a lady?” He grinned. “Apologies for such language, luv. Though . . . given the way you are staring, perhaps you don’t mind?” He rocked back on his heels, striking a jaunty pose even as the urine rained down. “If you come a little closer, I’d be happy to give you a better peek.”
            Mary’s heart scrambled against her ribs. She might be a naive thing, fresh from the country, and she might now be regretting her presumption that it was permissible to read a book in a London garden in her bare feet, but she wasn’t so unworldly that she didn’t know this one pertinent fact: she was not—under any circumstances—coming a little closer.
            Or getting a better peek.
            Mortified, she wrapped her arms about her middle. “I . . .that is . . . couldn’t you manage to hold it?” she somehow choked out. There. She’d managed a phrase, and it was a properly scathing one, too. As good as any of her books’ heroines might have done.
            A grin spread across his face. Much like the puddle at the base of the rosebush. “Well, luv, the thing is, I’m thinking I’d rather let you hold it.” The stream trickled to a stop, though he added a few more drips for good measure. He shook himself off and began to button his trousers. “But alas, it seems you’ve waited too long for the pleasure.” He tipped a finger to the brim of his top hat in a sort of salute. “My friend awaits. Perhaps another time?”
            Mary gasped. Or rather, she squeaked.
            She could manage little else.
            He chuckled. “It seems I’ve got a shy little mouse on my hands. Well, squeak squeak, run along then.” He set off down the street, swaying a bit. “But I’ll leave you with a word of advice, Miss Mouse,” he tossed back over one shoulder. “You’re a right tempting sight, standing there in your unutterables. But you might want to wear shoes the next time you ogle a gentleman’s prick. Never know when you’ll need to run.”

My Thoughts
This romance is one that will appeal to all the true bibliophiles out there.
At least its bookish leading beauty will anyway!
It seems that Miss Mary Channing is much more taken with the notion of spending her nights ensconced within the pages of her latest book, than running  the ballroom to bedroom gauntlet of the London social scene.
This bookish babe is so set against caving to the machinations of those scheming to make her the latest offering in the Marriage Mart.  That at 26, she has still not had a proper Season.


Try as she might to avoid London.  It seems that fate, and her heavily pregnant sister have other plans.  Plans which not only put Mary smack dab in the middle of things socially.  But also cause her to cross paths with the charmingly roguish Geoffrey Westmore.  
While it is true that Westmore is more than capable of wooing any damsel of his choosing.  There seems to be something about our learned lady that this mischievous mister cant seem to resist. 
And...
It stands to reason that Westmore just may hold the pen that is destined to write the final line of Miss Channing's "happily..." as well.       

This third offering in Jennifer McQuiston's The Seduction Diaries series, offers readers a very light hearted approach to Regency romance.
The tempering of Mary's sheltered seriousness, and seeming apprehension of the world around her by West's devil-may-care charm and playful spirit, works to make this a very engaging read from chapter 1.
When the sluething, scandal, situational high jinx, and culminating sensuality that West and Mary bring to the table are brought to the fore.  The read is nothing less than delicious.  There are times when both Mary and West's polar opposite dispositions can be a bit over played.  But the momentum of the story and their interactions within said momentum, work well to negate any lasting notice of these minor faux pas.
Careful not to make Mary the complete emotional heavy in this tale.  Authoress McQuiston, does allow West precious moments of adulthood.  During which he proves more than made for the task of saving Mary from both her flights of fancy, and the baddies of the day.

The Perks Of Loving A Scoundrel is a wonderful book, for those seeking fun, mystery, flirt, and female driven fierceness. 

Reviewer's Notes:  The opinions expressed in the above literary review have in no way been influence by Avon Books, or those acting as their agents.
This is the third book in a companion series, and as such, may be read in any order.    
  
   

About the Author
Jennifer McQuiston
A veterinarian and infectious disease researcher by training, Jennifer McQuiston has always preferred reading romance to scientific textbooks. She resides in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, their two girls, and an odd assortment of pets, including the pony she promised her children if mommy ever got a book deal.
Connect with Jenny Colgan

Discover Unforgettable Life Lessons In "The Memory Of Things"

28220960Title:  The Memory Of Things
Author:  Gae Polisner
Format:  Print
Length:  288 pages
Publisher:  St. Martin's Griffin
Rating:  5 Stars

The powerful story of two teenagers finding friendship, comfort, and first love in the days following 9/11 as their fractured city tries to put itself back together.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, sixteen-year-old Kyle Donohue watches the first twin tower come down from the window of Stuyvesant High School. Moments later, terrified and fleeing home to safety across the Brooklyn Bridge, he stumbles across a girl perched in the shadows. She is covered in ash and wearing a pair of costume wings. With his mother and sister in California and unable to reach his father, a New York City detective likely on his way to the disaster, Kyle makes the split-second decision to bring the girl home. What follows is their story, told in alternating points of view, as Kyle tries to unravel the mystery of the girl so he can return her to her family. But what if the girl has forgotten everything, even her own name? And what if the more Kyle gets to know her, the less he wants her to go home? The Memory of Things tells a stunning story of friendship and first love and of carrying on with our day-to-day living in the midst of world-changing tragedy and unforgettable pain—it tells a story of hope.  -Goodreads


My Thoughts
Ask anyone old enough to remember 911 as more than just a tragic day in American history; the thing that they can remember most clearly about that day.

And...

Invariably, the majority of those asked will say that they can remember exactly where they were.

But for sixteen year-old Kyle Donohue, the day the towers fell was never so much about where he was.  But where and who he was in relation to those places and people who mattered to him most.

And...

The very special girl with beautiful wings and no memory of who or why she was.  Who would serve as both his compass and his companion on his journey back to some semblance of sanity.

The Memory Of Things is, on its surface, a book about 911.  But one needn't look too far beyond that surface to see that the story told here is about so much more.

Our protagonist, Kyle, begins this book in much the same way that we all live our lives.
Unconsciously.
That is not to say that we are unaware.  We are to an extent.  That magical realm of immediate contact that is both a universal fact of human existence, and oddly individual.
That space reserved for mothers, fathers, siblings, jobs, friends, lovers, spouses, bills, pets, and all of the other important minutia which comprises our 'lives'.

A space in which Kyle doesn't quite seem to fit.

Until the day that the towers fall.  Forever changing Kyle's world, and everything about it that he once knew to be true.  Allowing his exclusionary bubble to become an endless web of connectedness.
A web that though hours old, proves strong enough to anchor  him to him to her.
That lost girl on the bridge.
And then...
to everything!

The importance of this book lies not in the fact that 911 acts as its backdrop.
But that 911 acts as a catalyst for growth, change, acceptance, understanding, and a realized self worth for both protagonists.
With Kyle realizing his place of importance to the structure of his family.
While Hannah experiences the same epiphany.  But on a much larger scale.  As her interactions with both Kyle, and his uncle; help her to grasp the concept of her importance to both herself, and the world at large.

The Memory of Things is a study of lives.  How one event can alter countless existences.  How many lives can forever validate one.


About Gae
Gae PolisnerI am the author of THE SUMMER OF LETTING GO and THE PULL OF GRAVITY.

Please note that, although I originally tried to assign star-ratings to my book reviews (and, thus, you will see some of my favorite books with stars), I have stopped doing so. A 3-star review, for example, can mean such different things to readers and reviewers, some rarely give more, so 3 means pretty great, to others 3 is barely mediocre. Because of this, it feels arbitrary and capricious to assign them, and I'd rather merely provide (in some cases) my brief thoughts on the book (unless I really can't help myself in giving it 5-stars, which usually means I wish there were lots more to give. . .). But for the most part, I'm only going to add the word recommended.

As for writer-me, if you want to know more about me, you can find me at my website, gaepolisner.com. You may also find me on twitter (gaepol) or on facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gaepolisnera... and a number of other social networking sites.

I'd love to interact with you here or there. :)


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Barclay Publicity Presents: First Look: Red Winter + Giveaway


Synopsis:

Emi is the kamigakari. In a few short months, her life as a mortal will end and her new existence as the human host of a goddess will begin. Carefully hidden from those who would destroy her, she has prepared her mind, body, and soul to unite with the goddess—and not once has she doubted her chosen fate.
Shiro is a yokai, a spirit of the earth, an enemy of the goddess Emi will soon host. Mystery shrouds his every move and his ruby eyes shine with cunning she can’t match and dares not trust. But she saved his life, and until his debt is paid, he is hers to command—whether she wants him or not.
On the day they meet, everything Emi believes comes undone, swept away like snow upon the winter wind. For the first time, she wants to change her fate—but how can she erase a destiny already wrought in stone? Against the power of the gods, Shiro is her only hope … and hope is all she has left.

Releasing October 21, 2016.
Pre-order Red Winter Now:
Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon AU |  Amazon CA
Add RED WINTER to Your TBR List on Goodreads!


Excerpt for RED WINTER (Red Winter Trilogy Book 1)
The yokai didn’t move, just held her in place with a strength she couldn’t fight. She tipped her head back to see his face, to gauge his intent. His gaze traveled across her room, intent and analyzing. Then his eyes flicked down and he appeared almost surprised to see her staring up at him. His mouth curved into a sly grin, flashing pointed canines.
His amusement at her terror sparked a tiny surge of anger. “Let me go!”
“Ah, little miko, didn’t anyone ever tell you not to run from yokai?” His deep, purring voice sent a shiver across her skin. He leaned down as his hand on her throat forced her head back. He brushed his nose along her jaw, from her chin up to her ear. “It’s the surest way to make us pounce,” he whispered, his breath tickling her ear.
Goose bumps raced down the back of her neck and she clenched her jaw. “Get your hands off me.”
He hummed as he pushed his face into her hair, inhaling through his nose. “But didn’t you put your hands on me first?”
“I was treating your wounds.” She summoned her most commanding tone, desperately hoping her voice wouldn’t quaver. “You’re proving that your kind’s reputation is well deserved with such disrespect and ingratitude toward the person who saved your life.”
His head came up and fear shot through her that she’d offended him, that he would surely kill her now. Instead, he made a thoughtful noise, and his hands fell away, releasing her.
She almost leaped out of his lap but remembered his comment about running from yokai. With more self-control than she’d thought she had, she carefully stood, walked four steps, and turned to face him. He stayed where he was, lounging on the bed with his feet on the floor, casually propped up on one arm. His head tilted to one side as he watched her, and that slight, knowing grin played about his lips.
She sank down to kneel on the floor, mostly because her legs were shaking so badly she was afraid he’d notice. As nonchalantly as possible, she slid her hands into the opposite sleeves of her kimono and pinched her hidden ofuda between two fingers, ready to pull the paper talismans out.
“No need for that, little miko,” he remarked, each word almost caressing her. How could he have such an otherworldly yet still human voice? “I will not harm you.”
She flushed, embarrassed she’d been so obvious, but didn’t let go of the ofuda. “What was that—that assault then?”
“Assault, you call it? That little embrace?”
“You—” She broke off with a small shake of her head. If he was determined to ignore the inappropriateness of forcefully holding a woman against him and rubbing his face on her, nothing she said would change his mind. “You have the manners of a dog.”
“What did you expect? The ritual greetings of the imperial court?”
“Some respect for the person who saved your life would have been welcome.”
“Ah, yes, you did save me, and I am very grateful.” He idly tugged at a lock of his hair as his gaze slid down her and back up again. “I am in your debt. Tell me your desire and I will fulfill it.”
“My—my desire?” she choked.
He smirked again. “A favor, little miko. I am saying I owe you a favor.”


Annette Marie is the author of the Amazon best-selling YA urban
fantasy series Steel & Stone, which includes the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award nominee Yield the Night. Her first love is fantasy, a limitless realm of creativity where she can break all the boring rules of real life, but fast-paced urban fantasy, bold heroines, and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She proudly admits she has a thing for dragons, and her editor has politely inquired as to whether she intends to include them in every book.
Annette lives in the frozen winter wasteland of northern Alberta, Canada (okay, it’s not quite that bad). She shares her life with her remarkably patient, comparatively sensible husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.
To find out more about Annette and her books, visit her website at www.authorannettemarie.com
Find Annette Marie: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads

 


Celebrate the First Look with a Giveaway!
Grand Prize: 1 Winner will Receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card
Runner-Ups: 3 Winners will Each Receive one $10 Amazon Gift Card Each


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InSlinger PR Presents: Lorelei Jame's Strung Up

strung-up-tour-banner    

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Review & Excerpt Tour for Lorelei James’ STRUNG UP! STRUNG UP is a Blacktop Cowboys Series Novella brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights. Check out all the stops on this awesome tour and grab your copy today!

    strung-up-tour-teaser-2    
Lorelei James’ STRUNG UP – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:
September 14
2OCC reviews – Review
Books to Breathe – Review & Excerpt
Redhot Romance – Review
September 15
Books,Dreams,Life – Review & Excerpt
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
WTF ARE YOU READING? – Review & Excerpt
September 16
SBB Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Nicole's Book Musings – Excerpt
Theory of A Dreamer – Review & Excerpt
September 17
Bookaliciousbabes – Review & Excerpt
Under the Covers – Review & Excerpt
Dog-Eared Daydreams – Review & Excerpt
September 18
The Reading Cafe – Review & Excerpt
Vagabonda Reads – Review & Excerpt
September 19
Shannon's book blog – Review & Excerpt
Reese's Reviews – Review & Excerpt
September 20
That's What I'm Talking About – Review & Excerpt
EskieMama Reads – Excerpt
Sexy Book Reviews – Review
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September 21
Evermore Books – Review
Greyland Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Read-Love-Blog – Excerpt
Mean Girls Luv Books – Excerpt
September 22
Krista's Dust Jacket – Review & Excerpt
Naughty Book Eden – Review & Excerpt
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September 23
Ramblings From This Chick – Review & Excerpt
WickedGoodReads – Review
The Book Reading Gals – Review & Excerpt
The Linseyverse – Review & Excerpt


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About STRUNG UP: A Blacktop Cowboys Novella

From New York Times bestseller Lorelei James…

Rancher Creston Grant retreats from the world after he loses the love of his life….Can his former flame, rodeo cowboy Breck Christianson prove he’s a changed man who can give Cres a second chance at love?


Sutton studied me before he sighed. “I’m protective of him.”
  “Why? I get that he’s your younger brother, but he is an adult.”
  “Cres has had a rough go of it and I don’t want you takin’ advantage of him.” Sutton’s gaze hardened. “Like you did a few years ago when I sent him to you to deal with my horse.”
  “Cres was an adult then too. He made his own choices. And fuck you if you think his bein’ with me back then somehow turned him gay.”
  “Whoa. I never said that and I sure as hell didn’t mean to imply it.” He paused. “Let’s start over. This isn’t meant to be accusatory. But when you were talkin’ with Cres last night, did you tell him about bein’ outed and all the crap that happened afterward?”
  “Yeah. I always thought you were bein’ humble when you said not everyone in your family rabidly followed rodeo.” I sipped my coffee. “He didn’t know anything about it.”
  “Not surprised. People outside the world of rodeo would likely shrug and wonder why it’d been such a big deal.” He folded his arms on his chest. “So part of me wonders why you’d willingly put yourself back into this world, Breck.”
  My cheeks heated. “It’s not like I have another skill set. And besides, don’t think I don’t know that you’re the one who suggested me as a possible instructor for the Gradskys’ rodeo school.   Macon made the call, but that happened at your urging, Sutton.”
  He grinned. “I figured if they couldn’t have me, they’d want the second best champion bulldogger…which is you.”
  “You’re hilarious. And if I haven’t said it, I appreciate your faith in me.” Before things got sappy or awkward, I added, “So why didn’t you take the job? Since your wife is here all the time anyway?”
  “After I survived that last run, during my stint in the hospital I swore that I was done throwing myself off the back of a galloping horse onto a steer. It’s a promise I’ve kept.”

My Thoughts
Creston Grant never thought that he would love again; after a freak accident took the life of his love.
But luckily for both him and his wounded heart...
Life has other plans.

The professional rodeo circuit provides for hard won fame,
and a rough and tumble life, under the best circumstances.
But when rodeo badass and shining star, Breck Christianson, is outed.
Life on the circuit becomes down right dangerous. 

Breck knows that he wants Cress from the first look.
Cress feels Breck's fire from their first touch.
The passion the two feel for each other, just as strong as when they
first met.
So long ago.

Just as the fire from past embers burns strong enough to heat the blood of these two lovers.
Can it prove lasting enough to heat the hearth of a lasting home.

Cress's story is one that is full of family, love and loss.
Breck's is much the same, save the  element of family.
A fact that is rectified by both his relationship with Cress and with his job in the Gradsky farm and rodeo school.
This is a beautiful M/M romance.
The passion, sex, and emotional complexity of this read is one that has to be read.
This is one of the most beautiful romances that this reviewer has had the pleasure of reading.
EVER!!
  

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  loreleijames-headshot   About Lorelei James: Lorelei James is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary erotic western romances set in the modern day Wild West and also contemporary erotic romances. Lorelei’s books have been nominated for and won the Romantic Times Reviewer’s choice Award, as well as the CAPA Award. Lorelei lives in western South Dakota with her family…and a whole closet full of cow girl boots. From Lorelei: “Why do I have a particular fondness for all things western? Well, I’m a fourth generation South Dakotan, living in the Black Hills, which is chock-full of interesting characters, including cowboys, Indians, ranchers, and bikers. The geographical diversity of the surrounding area showcases mountains, plains, and badlands. Living in and writing about rural settings gives me a unique perspective, especially since I’m not writing historical westerns. Through my fictional world, I can show the ideals and the cowboy way of life are still very much alive.”  



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