Breaking Her Rules

August 4, 2015May 13, 2017 Laurie Winter

Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter to win 1 of 3 $20 Amazon gift cards

Book Description:

Walker Adams was supposed to follow in his lawyer father’s
footsteps, but instead he’s training to be an MMA fighter. And while he works
for his chance to make it in the Maximum Fight League, he’s bunking on his baby
sister’s best friend’s couch. Gracie Andrews is all grown up—in all the right
places. But she’s engaged to the fight match-maker who holds Walker’s career in
his hands…

Gracie had almost convinced herself that she’d put her silly
childhood crush on Walker to rest. But the sight of him sleeping in only a pair
of boxer briefs makes it clear that some things never change. And as old sparks
turn to flames, Gracie is forced to decide between the future she thought she
wanted or the man she’s never stopped loving…

Review:

What could go wrong when Gracie Andrews agrees to let the brother of her best friend crash on her sofa for a few weeks…the brother who she grew up having a crush on…the brother who is now a hunky MMA fighter. Or should I ask…what could go right??

While Walker Adams is trying to breaking into the UFC, he is totally reliant on Grace’s ‘good graces’. She gives him a place to stay, helps him find a job and a gym to train at, and leaves his head spinning. Grace is now engaged to a powerful Vegas fight match-maker and has no interest in turning her back on a stable relationship for one with Walker, a man with no career and no money. (Don’t worry Walker, I’d take you regardless)

The chemistry between Grace and Walker was red hot! I loved the push and pull as they tried to figure out how to make it work between them. Jennifer did a great job of creating believable characters, ones that I was cheering for in the end.

I loved this book and I can’t wait for the next one in the series.

**I was given an ARC for an honest review

Bio:

Jennifer Snow lives in Edmonton,
Alberta with her husband and four year old son. She is a member of the Writers
Guild of Alberta, the Romance Writers of America, the Canadian Author
Association, and SheWrites.org. She is
also a regular blogger on the Heartwarming Authors site and is a contributing
author to Mslexia Magazine, WestWord Magazine and RWR. She has also taught RWA
Chapters courses online. Her 2013
Holiday Romance-The Trouble With Mistletoe was a finalist in the 2014 Golden
Quill Contest and the Heart of Denver Aspen Gold Contest.

Her publishing credits include two
holiday novellas, previously published by The Wild Rose Press, now re-released
or being re-released as self-published editions through Amazon. The Mistletoe
Fever was an Amazon bestseller for two weeks in the category of Kindle Short
Reads. Her six book small town, Brookhollow series is published through
Harlequin Heartwarming and she has a new MMA sports romance series releasing
through Berkley/NAL Intermix in 2015. RT Reviews has given each of her
Brookhollow series books 4 stars.

She also hosts an annual SnowGlobe
Award contest in recognition of holiday themed romance stories, with over forty
entries each year, with participants ranging from new authors to NYT
Bestselling authors, such as Brenda Novak and Sarah Morgan. More information
about the contest can be found at http://www.snowglobeawardcontest.vpweb.ca

She is active on her website,
Facebook, Twitter, and various blog sites and has a monthly author newsletter.
Web links

Website

Twitter

Buy Links

Amazon

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A Pirate’s Command

August 1, 2015May 13, 2017 Laurie Winter

Review: A Pirate’s Command

By Meg Hennessy

I’m a sucker for a historical pirate romance (who isn’t?). So when I saw the cover of A Pirate’s Command, I needed to read this book.

The story takes place in New Orleans in the early eighteen hundreds. Europe is in turmoil with revolutions rocking the peace of the ruling class. Donato de la Roche is Spanish royalty but also a feared pirate, who roams the waters of the Caribbean. His beloved wife, Colette has fled back home to New Orleans, taking their son with her. Donato wants his son back and won’t let anyone get in his way.

Only someone else gets to the boy first. Now Donato and Colette have to work together to figure out who kidnapped him and get their son. Along the way, they will also have to come to terms with truth about their feelings for one another. Love might not be enough to heal their two wounded hearts.

This book was everything I anticipated; love gone awry, secrets, a sexy pirate, political intrigue, and a smoking hot love story. Meg Hennessy did her homework. She added plenty of cool nautical terms and period dialogue that gave the story an authentic feel. I liked the slow burn between Donato and Colette. After Colette’s disappearance with their son, their relationship would naturally take time to heal. Colette had very valid reasons for returning to New Orleans with her brother and not trusting Donato…but a handsome, Spanish pirate is pretty hard to resist!

I am looking forward to reading more from Meg Hennessy.

Reviewer was giving a ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

blog, Book Review

At the Corner of King Street

July 20, 2015May 13, 2017 Laurie Winter

Review:

I was given a copy of this book by the author, the wonderful Mary Burton (she writes under Mary Ellen Taylor for her women’s fiction series), at a recent Greater Detroit RWA meeting. She gave a informative presentation on writing and plot development. Now that our move is complete and the family is established in Wisconsin, I got to sit down and enjoy this story. This is the first book of Ms. Burton’s / Ms. Taylor’s that I’ve read, and I realized that ‘At the Corner of King Street’ is part of a series, but none of that mattered once I started reading. I fell head over heals in love with this book.

Addie Morgan is happy and in love. She lives and works on a vineyard in the Shenandoah Valley. The life that she’s built for herself is shattered when the past comes back in full force, pulling her home to Alexandria and her family’s curse. The curse is a mental illness that has been passed down from generation to generation of Shire women.

Addie’s sister, Janet, has just had a baby girl and because of her illness, can not care for her. So Addie does what she does best and becomes the glue that holds the family together. With her boyfriend and job at the vineyard pulling her one way, and her family pulling her back home, Addie listens to her heart.

Sitting on the corner of King Street is Shire Salvage Company. Addie’s Aunt Grace runs the family business now. As Addie starts to find her way back home, the Salvage Company starts to see new life under her care.

As a reader, I really connected with Addie. She didn’t carry the curse of mental illness but she had suffered because of it. I say curse of mental illness because the story points to a witch that cursed the Shire women back in the 1700s. Between each chapter in the book is a backstory, set in the eighteenth century, about how the curse came to be.

Again, I loved this story and look forward to reading the rest in the series, Sweet Expectations and Union Street Bakery. At the Corner of King Street left off with the potential for another story.

You can find her suspense novels under the author name Mary Burton.

You can buy At the Corner of King Street here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0425278255/booktalkA/

http://maryellentaylor.com/

http://www.maryburton.com/

blog, Book Review

REVIEW – Homefront

July 5, 2015May 13, 2017 Laurie Winter

Review of Homefront by Jessica Scott

After reading Ms. Scott’s Back to You, I was very excited about her new release, Homefront.

This story follows a formerly married couple, Gale and Melanie Sorren, and their teenage daughter, Jamie. Gale is a career soldier, who has always put his commitment to the Army before anything else, including his family. Being a soldier is the only thing Gale feels he’s ever excelled at. As a husband and father, well, to be honest…he kinda sucked.

Now, having been stationed at Fort Hood, Gale’s living close to his ex-wife and daughter. He wants another chance to make things right. Only Melanie has been burned by him before. She’s spent fifteen years raising their troubled daughter, all on her own. Why would she want to take Gale back?

That is the million dollar question in Homefront. Mel stills carries a flame for Gale, and Gale is obviously still in love with her. Neither one has found someone else to fill that void.

Fifteen years is a long time to be apart, and not just – hey, I’m living on the other side of town, but I’m living on the other side of the world. Their daughter has more than her fair share of teenage angst, and Mel has been having to deal with that all on her lonesome for way too long.

I’m a sucker for second chance romances, and there is plenty of conflict preventing Gale and Mel from getting back together. I liked both characters. Ms. Scott did a great job bring them to life, faults and all. Her writing style is gritty and real, and doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff.

My only complaint is that I felt Mel was way to easy on Gale. I would have made him grovel a bit more, but maybe that’s just me.

If you like military romance and second chance love, pick up Homefront.

* Reviewer was given a free copy from NetGalley for a fair review

Uncategorized

Book Tour – Bound by Blood

April 27, 2015April 27, 2015 Laurie Winter

This is my stop during the book blitz for Bound by Blood by Scott Springer. This book blitz is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 21 till 27 April, you can view the complete blitz schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours.

Bound by Blood
by Scott Springer
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Age category: Adult
Publisher: Anaiah Press
Release Date: September 23, 2014

Blurb:
Julia has accepted the Lord and is busy returning her life to order. She is not ready for love, especially when the new site foreman at work stirs up forgotten feelings. She knows a playboy when she sees one, but to Rick Mercado the attraction between them is surprisingly real. Other girls no longer interest him, and if she wants to play hard to get that’s fine with him. Let the games begin!

What he doesn’t realize is that her dangerous secret is not a game.
Julia’s brother has returned from the street, strung out and in trouble with rival gangs. Loyalty to her brother draws Julia deeper into a world of drug deals and thugs. Rick doesn’t understand why Julia won’t simply go to the cops, especially once the bullets start flying. As Julia slips further into a world of violence, Rick realizes how easily his heart can be broken. His brain says to run, but his heart isn’t listening. It may already be too late.

BOUND BY BLOOD. Love and suspense, heartfelt moments and guns a blazing.
What a killer combination!

You can find Bound by Blood on Goodreads

You can buy Bound by Blood here:
– Amazon
– Barnes & Noble
– Kobo
– Smashwords

You can watch the trailer for Bound by Blood on Youtube

About the Author:
Scott Springer spent his youth playing pretend and dreaming of being a writer. As an adult he worked as a carpenter before becoming a software developer. Having produced much, his two children remain his proudest accomplishment. His wife led him to the Lord, and he’s glad that she did.

You can find and contact Scott here:
– Website
– Twitter
– Goodreads

There is a tour wide giveaway for the book blitz of Bound by Blood. These are the prizes you can win:
– $10 B&N or iTunes giftcard (US only)

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

blog, Book Review

Review – Pure Death

April 22, 2015May 13, 2017 Laurie Winter

Description:

A murdered society debutante, her body sprinkled with 89 Costa Rican butterflies. A headless, gutted corpse washed up on shore with a beautiful, dead teenager. The case is anything but straightforward, and in an uncertain future, where resources are limited and the genetically defective are banished to a ghetto territory for Impures, Chief Detective Ina Stone and her partner, rookie detective Sam Fujimoto, must cross into Pure Territory to find a killer. An Impure herself, Ina must overcome her defect. And when her life is threatened, she must learn to rely on Sam, whose interest in her seems more than just professional.

Yet the Pures may have created a world in which even they don’t want to live anymore. Resources have become too scarce to hide, and a black market for medicine comes to light. When a third murder is discovered, Ina and Sam know there’s a connection. With too many suspects and not enough time, they must find that connection before the killer strikes again.

My Review:

In her book, Pure Death, Liah Penn creates an interesting world, where only the Pure members of society get to enjoy a comfortable and protected life. They live in a bubble, so to speak, with no crime or disease. So when a young woman is murdered in Pure territory, Detective Ina Stone gets called to solve the crime before another Pure death.

Detective Ina Stone is an Impure and was taken at birth to live in Impure territory. Her defect – a withered hand. Her new partner, Sam Fujimoto, has a defect of his own and questionable connections to crimes that are happening in both territories.

I thought this story had an interesting concept, creating a master race of people, trying to breed out disease, defects and degeneration. They use the Impure as a servant race, a group that is less than, who have little resources.

The mystery behind the murders was very interesting and had me guessing up until the end. I really liked Ina and her struggle to survive in a tough world that was set up to discriminate against her. She was tough and smart, but wasn’t afraid to let in a new love.

Pure Death was a well written book that had me thinking about it long after I was done.

Bio:

Liah Penn is an author and attorney who resides outside of New Orleans, Louisiana with her husband and two sons. A former prosecutor, she has worked on an Indian reservation, on the Mexican border and as a small town lawyer. She is hard at work on the second book in the Ina Stone and Sam Fujimoto mystery, “Pure Justice”.

Website

Twitter

Buy Links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Book Club

Character Interview – Evelyn Baine

March 21, 2015March 21, 2015 Laurie Winter

Character Interview with Evelyn Baine of Hunted

I am so pleased that the star of our book club pick, Hunted, has taken time out of her busy schedule to grant me an interview

Thanks for joining us Evelyn. I know you’re a busy woman so I promise not to take up too much of your time. Please explain to your readers what it takes to become a FBI profiler?

Well, first, you have to make it into the FBI. The Academy is no joke – besides learning all the laws, and the PT, you actually have to do things like box fellow trainees. Once you finish the Academy, it’s time to prove yourself as a regular Special Agent. I was assigned to a Violent Crimes Major Offenders (VCMO) squad in Houston, where I worked ten hour days for six years, trying to get myself noticed. Then a spot opened up at the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) and I jumped at it. It’s where I’ve wanted to be since I was twelve years old. But that’s a story for another day.

You’re relatively new to the profiling task force and one of the only women in the department. How did you break the glass ceiling in the FBI?

Only 20% of Special Agents in the FBI are women, and in some ways – like a lot of law enforcement – it’s still an old boys’ club. My method was to work harder than the agents around me, trying to stand out. It doesn’t hurt that I’ve been studying profiling since I was a kid, since I knew this was where I wanted to be when I grew up. Don’t tell them, but it’s not just the criminals I use my profiling skills on – it’s also my fellow agents.

Besides the case you’re working on in Hunted, what has been your most difficult case?

When I was in the Houston field office, we were investigating a serial rapist. The police were stymied – the perpetrator was really skilled at leaving behind no physical evidence. They had a suspect who had the right history and who had acted suspiciously in interviews, but something just didn’t feel right about it to me. I dug and dug and ultimately, I uncovered that the rapist was actually a member of their police force. It was a tough case, but it was the one that finally got me noticed by the BAU.

Okay, give it to us straight…what are your feelings for Kyle? He seems like a really good guy. Maybe you should give him a chance.

He is a good guy, and a good agent. The problem is, we both work for the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG), and the FBI doesn’t allow its agents to date and work the same squad. Kyle would argue we’re not precisely in the same squad, but the rules here are murky. Our jobs are important to both of us, and I’m not willing to give up profiling. It’s pretty complicated, though, especially because of what happened after this Bakersville Burier serial killer case (in HUNTED) ended…

Thanks Evelyn for answering a few of my questions.

Do you have any questions for the main character, Evelyn Baine, of Hunted?

Don’t forget to leave a comment or question for a chance to win a signed copy of Vanished, the sequel to Hunted or a $10 Amazon gift card!!!

Book Review

Blog Tour – SPELLBOUND

March 14, 2015March 14, 2015 Laurie Winter

Making Connections Blog Tour Stop for Spellbound by SL Ross

Sarah Daniels has just discovered that life as she knows it is not what it seems.

Sarah is your typical American girl, happy, loving parents and off to college. She even falls in love for the first time with a perfect take home to mom kind of guy Jeff. But like everything all things must come to an end. Trust is now an issue with Sarah. Jeff had destroyed her feelings on love and all that comes with it. It’s now Sarah’s senior year of college when strange things begin to happen to her. She meets a mystery man she feels she knows and the only problem with it is that she had a vision about it before it happened. Then her parents go missing. Sarah is a strong person but with everything falling apart around her she doesn’t know how much more she can handle. Especially not the news that her new boyfriend is a vampire and her ex is a werewolf…

Enter to win an e-copy of SPELLBOUND –http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6289a72774/

Author Bio

My name is Sabrina Ross, I live in Canada. I’m married, been married for 11 years. We have two wonderful children, both boys, both under 10. I love to read, write, listen to music and I am a huge movie fan. My preferred genre to read is is paranormal but I am game to trying anything and same goes for writing. I have 5 books published. The first four are part of the Immortal Island Series under the name SL Ross, book 1 Spellbound, book 2 The Vampire Masquerade, Book 3 The Fallen, and book 4 The Reckoning. My most recent book is Hard to Love under my full name Sabrina Ross. All available at amazon.com and createspace.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SLROSSAUTHOR

Twitter: @sl_ross and @immortalislands

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/250719-post-links-to-book-websites-groups

Blog: http://sabrinaross.blogspot.ca/

You can buy SPELLBOUND at the links bellow:

Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/3478896

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Immortal-Island-Spellbound-S-Ross/dp/1453780009/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1425511640&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=immortal+island+spellbound

Book Review

Blog Tour Review

March 4, 2015March 4, 2015 Laurie Winter

Reaper Madness

by Nessie Strange

Story Summary:

This isn’t the afterlife she expected…

Jen MacLellan can’t get the hang of being a reaper. She’s been separated from Jack, the man she loves, and is stuck with an annoying telepathic link to her ill-tempered mentor, Sam. Now Death is breathing down her neck, promising to remove that annoying link if she gives him what he wants. But when reapers begin to disappear back on earth, leaving behind walking, talking dead people, Jen and Sam are thrust into a dangerous mission to recapture the souls, and a passionate physical relationship that complicates everything.

Jack Norris has no memory prior to waking up on the half-demon Nulcifer’s couch six months earlier. As he begins to investigate his past, he discovers a string of past lives tied together by a beautiful, mysterious brunette. Who is she? And why does finding her seem like a life or death proposition?

When Sam falls victim to fate during a routine visit to earth, Jen’s devastated. Desperate to get him back, she runs smack into the man she never thought she’d see again—Jack. She tries to keep her distance, but there’s no time to be awkward if they want to save Sam. When sinister plots are revealed, and betrayals threaten everything, she’s forced to make some tough choices—and learns that life is just as difficult when you’re dead.

My Review:

Reaper Madness is the second book in the series, Living Dead World.

The first, Living Dead Girl, introduces the reader the main characters – Jen and Jack. These two have a heated first encounter, which makes their love story very unexpected. While they are planning their future together, a woman with a fatal attraction to Jack plans Jen’s demise. I won’t give away too much about how Living Dead Girl ends, but let’s just say that both Jen and Jack end up in the afterlife.

Now, in Reaper Madness, Jen has been assigned to Sam as a Reaper and Jack is stuck in purgatory with a blank memory. They have become lost to each other in this strange realm between heaven and hell. Over time, Jen starts to fall for her partner Sam, who is so much more than he first appears. But when Jen and Jack finally find their way back together, strong forces work to keep them apart.

I really liked both of these books. The dialogue was sharp and smartly written. Jen, Jack, and Sam have interesting personalities that played well against each other. Reaper Madness was a different type of paranormal than I’m used to reading. I thought the afterlife world was well crafted and multi-layered. It kept me wanting more.

Luckily, the author has another book to add to the series! I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Author Bio:

Nessie is a Massachusetts native and mother of two who has dabbled in everything from abstract painting to freelance sports reporting. She also loves a good story, whether it’s reading or writing one. Living Dead Girl and Reaper Madness, the first two novels in her urban fantasy Living Dead World series, were published by Etopia press in 2014.

Author Links

Buy Links:

Blog Hop – Sun vs Snow

February 14, 2015February 14, 2015 Laurie Winter

Welcome to the Sun vs. Snow blog hop!

As part of the Sun vs. Snow contest, I am publishing a short pitch and first 250 words of my work in progress, True Horizon.

Side note- Check out my Paper Dreams book club post! Paper Dreams is a totally online book club. A new book each month. No getting out of your pajamas in order to participate!

Title- True Horizon

Genre- Contemporary Romance

Word Count- 73,000

Short Pitch-

Struggling with PTSD, a former soldier never thought he’d find something to live for. Until the woman he rescues from drowning makes it her mission to save him.

First 250 words-

Each loud firework explosion pushed Heath Carter’s cautious self-control closer to the edge. He blocked out the noise and focused on his surroundings. With every deep inhale and exhale, the rapid beat of his heart began to slow, warm air filled his lungs. Looking down at his hands, he saw they were once again steady. While he had attained the ability to control his rage, Heath knew it would never go away. It always kept company with the guilt and sorrow that would also rise up without warning.

He was safe, for now, in a cheap hotel room in Galveston….not in Afghanistan. In order to keep the panic from rising up again, Heath hit the volume button on his iPod and Highway to Hell blasted into his ears. “Fifty more,” he said, tucking his bare feet under the ugly floral chair, then laying his back down on a long towel set on the floor. Sweat dripped from his body as he flawlessly executed the sit-ups. “Duty…Honor…Country,” he repeated the chant, his body moving in rhythm with words from another life.

Finishing in an upright, seated position, Heath grabbed the towel thrown over the arm of the chair and wiped his face. The air conditioner unit that stuck precariously out of the wall started humming its death throes. His hotel room must be ninety degrees by now, but that discomfort was nothing compared to what awaited him if he opened the window to let in the cool night breeze.