Monday, July 25, 2016

Idolizing In: The Dream Chronicles, Book 1

- This is an ARC book - Available Formats through Amazon: Paperback - Pages: 252; Kindle Edition - File Size: 757 KB | Expected Release Date: March 25, 2015 | Publisher: ImaJinn Books | Obtained: NetGalley

"DreamSinger" / "Dream Singer" [The Dream Chronicles, Book 1] by J. A. Ferguson (aka Jo Ann Ferguson, Joanna Hampton, Jo Ann Brown, Rebecca North, & Marianne Ellis)

Author's Book Description : A world lost . . .

First Daughter Nerienne, heir to the Tiria of Gayome, faces the destruction of everything she knows when her mother’s enemies kill the Tiria. Nerienne is left with just her magic and with Bidge, a mysterious creature that speaks only to her. She is rescued by Durgan Ketassian, leader of the rebels in the northern woods, but can she trust this man whom her mother condemned to die?

A dream found . . .

Durgan knows he cannot trust Nerienne. Her mother had been his enemy ever since she began slaying dreamsingers, skilled musicians who sing the future through one’s dreams. He has vowed to see his people free of the Tiria’s domination, never guessing the Tiria’s daughter could awaken parts of his heart he’d shut away.

A song without end . . .

To save Gayome, Nerienne and Durgan must work together to defeat their common enemy. But to become allies opens them to the greatest threat of all . . . falling in love.

My Book Review : 5 out of 5 stars!! One woman struggles to uphold her responsibilities in the face of her world crumbling around her while one man seeks vengeance for all he has lost. Together they become unlikely allies against those who plan to give them equal harm. Yet, can they do so without losing themselves and their hearts to one another in the process?

This epic journey begins with this enticing novel! Intense and spell binding, I was riveted from the very beginning when Durgan is plotting his “escape.” In ways, it reminded me a lot of Maxine Mansfield's The Academy Series because of how the characters from Ms. Mansfield's series and this one (Ms. Ferguson's) seem to have similar characteristics to me, and how the series' are laid out.

Their snark, courageousness, and determination won me over in the beginning and reading about them slowly falling for one another made me root for Durgan and Nerienne more so then most characters I’ve read about. Together they make one grand couple (two pieces of a whole) that could rule all if only they'd allow it. I LOVED their banter! Plus, adding cute/sweet Bidge into their relationship didn’t hurt either.

I HIGHLY recommend this novel to those looking for a fantasy romance with an epic tale.

Purchase This Book and/or The Other Books From It's Series Here : Shop Your Indie/Local Bookstores (IndieBound - Paperback) USD : DreamShaper / Dream Shaper (Book 2) | Shop Your Indie/Local Bookstores (IndieBound - Paperback) USD : DreamMaster / Dream Master (Book 3) | Shop Your Indie/Local Bookstores (IndieBound - Paperback) USD : DreamTraveler / Dream Traveler (Book 4) | Shop Your Indie/Local Bookstores (IndieBound - Paperback) USD : DreamSeeker / Dream Seeker (Book 5) | Amazon (Kindle) USD : DreamShaper / Dream Shaper (Book 2) | Amazon (Kindle) USD : DreamMaster / Dream Master (Book 3) | Amazon (Kindle) USD : DreamTraveler / Dream Traveler (Book 4) | Amazon (Kindle) USD : DreamSeeker / Dream Seeker (Book 5)


Shop Your Indie/Local Bookstores (IndieBound - Paperback) USD : DreamSinger / Dream Singer (Book 1)
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Kobo (e-Book) USD : DreamSinger / Dream Singer (Book 1)
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Alibris (Paperback) USD : DreamSinger / Dream Singer (Book 1)

Amazon (Kindle) USD : DreamSinger / Dream Singer (Book 1)

Amazon (Paperback) USD : DreamSinger / Dream Singer (Book 1)
Dream Singer
Barnes & Noble (NOOK Book) USD : DreamSinger / Dream Singer (Book 1)
Dreamsinger
Barnes & Noble (Paperback) USD : DreamSinger / Dream Singer (Book 1)
Kobo (e-Books) USD : The Dream Chronicles

Book Teaser(s) :
"You are a woman, not a goddess. You are mortal," he whispered. "A single slash of a blade here will rid Gayome of you."
"You will not kill me." Her voice wobbled on each word, but she kept her chin high. She must not let him discover how his touch unnerved her. "You need me."
"You have no idea how much."
His lips claimed hers as he swept her to him. She gripped his sleeve, caught between wanting to flee and wanting to stay in his strong arms. ~ within Chapter 4
Their guards argued over who would have the honor of announcing their victory. Underneath their voices, Nerienne whispered, "How do you fare?"
"Not bad," Durgan answered. "The bleeding's stopped. I should survive long enough to be executed." ~ within Chapter 13
"Let's go and look about the marketplace. There is no sense fighting about this now."
"I am sure we can find something else to argue about."
"Without a doubt." ~ within Chapter 17

Book Preview(s) :
For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by J. A. / Jo Ann, then please check out her Amazon Acct.

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Blog Tour - Seaside Lovers by Melissa Foster | Spreading the Word

Today I'm showing off Melissa Foster's "Seaside Lovers," which is the FORTH novel in her California Dreamers Series!!

ALSO -- Be sure to check out Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post to be able to sign up for this blog stop's GIVEAWAY(s)!! [Blog Tour will run from July 20 - 27, 2016]



"Seaside Lovers"
[Love in Bloom: Seaside Summers Series, Book 7] by Melissa Foster

Author's Book Description :
    Fall in love with Grayson and Parker on the sandy beaches and quaint towns of Cape Cod, and find out why millions of readers are raving about Seaside Summers, a series of stand-alone romances that may also be enjoyed as part of the larger Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. Love in Bloom features wealthy alpha heroes and sexy, empowered women. They're flawed, funny, passionate, and very relatable to readers who enjoy contemporary romance and women's fiction.

    "Melissa Foster is synonymous with sexy, swoony, heartfelt romance!" - NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely

    In SEASIDE LOVERS...
    After months of long-distance communication, actress Parker Collins and artist Grayson Lacroux finally plan to reconnect in the seaside town of Wellfleet, Massachusetts. But Parker never shows, and weeks pass without a word, leaving Grayson to believe he's misinterpreted their budding relationship.

    Parker has been running on autopilot ever since she lost her friend, mentor, and the only family she's ever known, Bert Stein. Armed with junk food, tequila, and her big, lovable dog, she's prepared to hole up and mourn--and determined to mend a fence Bert had never been able to with his estranged and bitter brother. But Parker didn't count on the sinfully hot artist she's been fantasizing about for nearly a year walking in on her grief-induced drunken night.

    When Grayson stumbles across Parker, he has no idea what to make of the gorgeous blonde who blew him off despite the heat sizzling between them. But that doesn't stop him from feeling protective of the woman who's consumed his thoughts for months, and when he learns of Parker's plans to confront an angry old man, he refuses to leave her side. As Parker's past unfolds, they're led on an unexpected journey of discovery. Their connection deepens, and late-night fantasies become passionate realities, until good intentions spark painful secrets, threatening the love they've found.

    ***
    WANT MORE SEASIDE FUN? Read the entire series!

    "Seaside Dreams" (Bella)
    "Seaside Hearts" (Jenna)
    "Seaside Sunsets" (Jamie)
    "Seaside Secrets" (Amy)
    "Seaside Nights" (Sky)
    "Seaside Embrace" (Hunter)
    "Seaside Lovers" (Grayson)
    "Seaside Whispers" (Matt)

    SEASIDE SUMMERS is part of the Love in Bloom big family romance collection. Characters from each sub-series appear in future books.

This book is available to order on :

Amazon (e-Book) USD | Amazon (Paperback) USD | Barnes & Noble (NOOK Book) USD | Barnes & Noble (Paperback) USD | Kobo (e-Book) USD | BAM! / BooksAMillion.com (Paperback) USD | Alibris (Paperback) USD

** Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads & LibraryThing! **





About the Author :

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and new adult romance, contemporary women’s fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café and Fostering Success. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.

Melissa hosts an Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

Visit Melissa on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.


My Previous Review(s) for this Author : Catching Cassidy

My Previous Mention(s) of this Author's Books/Characters :



Book Excerpt(s) :

"Trust me?” Grayson asked.

“Trust a guy who hauled me over his shoulder and kidnapped me?” She looked toward the bar.

“Yeah, trust that guy.”

“I do trust you.” She poked him in his chest. “But if I end up on the front of some rag magazine, I’m hiding out in your basement. With Christmas, chocolate, and a boatload of horror movies that you have to watch with me.”

“Sweetheart, if you move into my house, you won’t be watching movies or hiding out in the basement. You’ll be lucky if you make it out of the bedroom. In fact”—he slid his hand to the nape of her neck, causing her eyes to glaze over with desire—“maybe I should take a few of those pictures and make that happen.” He’d taken a chance, saying something so brazen and holding her like this in the cab of his truck, but he couldn’t hold back.



Book Preview(s) :




Find Melissa Foster :

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Blog Tour - Rookie Mistake by Dakota Madison | Spreading the Word & ARC Giveaways

Today I'm showing off Dakota Madison's "Rookie Mistake," which is the FORTH novel in her California Dreamers Series!!

ALSO -- Be sure to check out Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post to be able to sign up for this blog stop's GIVEAWAY(s)!! [Blog Tour will run from July 19 - 26, 2016 & Giveaway will run until August 1, 2016]



"Rookie Mistake"
[California Dreamers Series, Book 4]
by Dakota Madison
(aka Karen Mueller Bryson, Ren Monterrey, Sierra Avalon, & Savannah Young)

Author's Book Description :
    When a police recruit reports for duty he discovers his wild one night stand from the previous weekend is his new field training officer.

    "ROOKIE MISTAKE" is a romantic comedy novella by USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR Dakota Madison.

    After serving seven years as a police officer in a small beach community is Southern California, Maya Navarro feels like she’s finally been accepted by her peers. Now as a newly appointed Field Training Officer she can finally make her mark.

    Returning to California after serving two tours of duty in Iraq Cody Jackson makes the decision to become a police officer. He graduated from the Academy with flying colors and just has to make it through his field training to become a full-fledged member of the force.

    Maya and Cody are both nursing broken hearts when their best friends push them into a one-night stand with each other. Even though their wild night together is the hottest sex either one of them ever had, they part ways believing they will never see each other again.

    Until Cody reports for his first day of field training and discovers that Maya is his supervisor. Maya would rather die than admit to her sergeant the reason she can’t oversee Cody’s training. So she’s stuck with him for ten weeks of very close and personal contact on a daily basis. As things heat up between them they need to remain strictly professional, or risk ruining their careers.

    WARNING: This book contains foul language, sexual innuendo and a little bit of hanky-panky. Buyer beware.

    CALIFORNIA DREAMERS is a series of interconnecting romantic comedy stories that can be read as STAND ALONE NOVELLAS or as part of the SERIES.

    The CALIFORNIA DREAMERS SERIES:

    "(Not So) Good in a Room" (Nellie’s Story)
    "So Far Away" (Maddie’s Story)
    "Beautiful Abyss" (Chris’s Story)
    "Rookie Mistake" (Cody & Maya’s Story)

This book is available to order on :

Amazon (e-Book) USD | Barnes & Noble (NOOK Book) USD | Kobo (e-Book) USD

** Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads & LibraryThing! **




Review Quotes :

✯✯✯✯✯ Fun Read! Never Disappointed by a Dakota Madison book...
By Kelsey Nelson


This was a fun, short little read by Dakota Madison that takes us with Maya Navarro who has been dumped by her boyfriend who thought he was too good for everybody. When her best friend drags her out to a nearby country bar, she never expects to find herself in the arms of a "wild stallion," and waking up next to him wondering just how much had taken place the night before. Sneaking out doesn't bode well for her, and she swears after the ride home on the back of his motorcycle that she will never see the handsome man she has some how made a connection with ever again. Boy, was she wrong!

Stepping into her new position at work shouldn't be hard after shedding some pent up sexual tension that she knew she had locked up. When he comes waltzing through the door at the police department, reporting for duty under her name, their world shifts from that amazing one night stand, to much, much more than they ever expected it to. This fun, feisty duo has so much in common that I'm not exactly sure where to start with them. As always, Dakota Madison did a wonderful job with her short story bringing her characters to life in a short amount of time, and bringing the story line to a well developed plot that gets to the point, and leaves the reader wanting more.

✯✯✯✯✯ A new romance novel with superb twists.
By Ron Vincent


Dakota Madison creates a new romance novel with superb twists. Rookie Mistake begins with a heroine who loves police work but knows that her job is not a exactly an irresistible pheromone for the opposite sex. When she finally meets a guy who seems to deeply care and attract her, her circumstances and his past act like iron gates to keep them apart. Dakota has written a warm, compelling story with characters that easily merit multiple volumes.



About the Author :

USA TODAY Bestselling author Dakota Madison is known for writing romance with a little spice and lots of heart. She likes to explore current social issues in her work. Dakota is a winner of the prestigious RONE Award for Excellence in the Indie and Small Publishing Industry. When she's not at her computer creating spicy stories Dakota likes to spend time with her husband and their bloodhounds at their home outside Phoenix, Arizona. Dakota also writes under the pen names SAVANNAH YOUNG, SIERRA AVALON and REN MONTERREY.







Book Excerpt(s) :

There’s a knock on the door of my apartment. I don’t want to see anyone in my current state so I ignore it. Maybe if I’m lucky whoever it is will go away.

Apparently I’m not that lucky.

There’s more knocking.

I’ve lived in my tiny studio apartment for the last five years. I realize it’s not much, but it’s what I can afford on a public servant’s salary in very expensive Southern California. I prefer to think of my closet-sized dwelling as cozy. I work crazy hours so it’s not like I’m home that much anyway. I basically just need a place to crash and shower.

I’ve been crying for the last five hours and twenty-eight minutes. I’ve gone through six boxes of heavy two-ply tissues that are now scattered all over my living room floor.

The person at the door isn’t going to give up without a fight. He or she has decided to start pounding.

“Who…is…it?” I manage to chirp between heavy sobs.

“It’s your sister from another mister,” a female voice replies.

I don’t have to open the door to know it’s my best friend, Zoe. Her heavy Brooklyn accent definitely stands out on the West coast.

I grab a tissue and blow my nose. Then I toss it on the floor to join the rest of its former box mates, used then so recklessly discarded.

At that moment I realize those tissues are a metaphor for how I’m feeling…cast aside like unwanted trash.

I somehow manage to pick myself up from my daybed and stagger towards the door. I feel as lifeless as a zombie and I don’t think I look much better.

I know I shouldn’t glance at myself in the mirror. Seeing the horror show I’ve become will only make me feel worse. I’ve had a complete and total emotional breakdown.

It’s hard not to sneak a peek at myself when the mirror is hanging right next to the front door.

Ugh. I look a lot worse than I imagined. My long dark hair is askew. It looks like I’ve just walked through a wind tunnel. And my normally large dark eyes are red and swollen from crying.

“If you run away screaming I won’t be offended,” I warn Zoe as I open the door.

She looks me up and down. “I’m not going to lie. You’re a wreck.”

She pushes past me into my apartment. Unlike the disaster otherwise known as my hair, Zoe’s hair always looks perfect.

“What’s going on?” she asks. “You’re normally so uptight and guarded. It takes a lot for you to even crack a smile. You’ve obviously been crying. That’s not like you, tough girl.”

“I’m having an emotional crisis.”

“Clearly.” She plops down on my daybed. “Let me guess. Guy trouble.”

I sniffle. “Noah broke up with me. He told me he was tired of having his balls in my purse. I don’t even own a purse.”

She dismisses my concerns with a wave of her hand. “What does he know about balls? If anything he needs to grow a pair. You’re better off without him.”

“I thought he was the one.” I start sobbing again.

Zoe grabs a tissue from the nearly empty box and hands it to me. If I don’t implement some tissue conservation measures immediately I’ll soon be wiping my nose on a dishtowel.

“In the grand scheme of things you were with Noah for like a minute. Another minute and you’ll get over him. A minute after that and you’ll be with someone else.”

“We were together almost three months. I thought he loved me.”

“He just wanted a garage to park that long black limousine of his in every night.”

“He’s already found another garage to park in,” I snivel. “I guess she stays open all night. He never has to wait for his space.”

“I hope her garage door closes on him and whacks his limo in half. What a dick.”

“I’ve become a serial dumpee.”

“What does that mean?”

“Guys seem to be excited to go out with me at first, but after a month or two they split. I don’t think they can handle my job.”

“Why do you say that?”



Book Preview(s) :




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Find Dakota Madison :

Second Sentence Saturday: Sacrificed to the Dragon


SECOND SENTENCE SATURDAY is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jess of From Me to You ... Video, Photography, & Book Reviews. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab the novel/novella your currently reading or previously read
  • Open to the first page of Chapter 1 or its Prologue
  • Share the SECOND sentence from that page
  • Share the novel/novella's title & its author, so that other participants can add that novel to their TBR Lists if they want



MY Second Sentence Saturday :

"Sacrificed to the Dragon" [Stonefire Dragons Series, Book 1] by Jessie Donovan - [Amazon Book Link]

She'd been sitting for nearly an hour, and with each minute that ticked by, she started to doubt her eligibility.



PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT to share either the link to your own SECOND SENTENCE SATURDAY post or share the sentence in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thank You!

Made the Grade: Backstage Pass Series, Book 5

- This is an ARC book - Available Formats through Amazon: Paperback - Pages: 197; Kindle Edition - File Size: 1167 KB | Expected Release Date: November 16, 2015 | Publisher: Entangled Publishing : Crush | Obtained: NetGalley

"Abby and the Cute One" [Backstage Pass Series, Book 5] by Erin Butler

Author's Book Description : Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book is as forbidden as the secret romance it contains! It has hot kisses, graphic language, and extreme misbehaving. DO NOT GET CAUGHT WITH THIS BOOK…unless you want everyone to know you believe in true love.

Every member of Seconds to Juliet has a girlfriend—except for Nathan Strong. Now the band's manager is leaning hard on "The Cute One" to play the role of the band's heartthrob. With the band's sales in decline, it's up to Nathan to keep the fans' fantasy alive.

The plan is to stage a fake relationship and a fake breakup, and then let the fans fight to be the one to mend Nathan's broken heart. Just one problem. There's another girl in the picture-one Nathan can't stay away from. In private, Nathan's stealing kisses with the band's new opening act, Abby Curtis.

If they're caught, no one wins. Abby will be fired, and the band might not recover the success they need to survive. But even with the pressure mounting, Nathan and Abby can't stop themselves from stealing one more touch, one more kiss. And it's only a matter of time before it all falls apart.

My Book Review : 3.5 out of 5 stars, the night before Abby’s audition to become the opening act to Seconds to Juliet (S2J), she meets Nathan Strong. They have a magical moment in time together and both yearn to start something more but with Abby winning the audition the following morning and S2J’s rule about not dating the other talent, having a relationship doesn’t seem possible. Will they find a way to make everything work out for themselves or will they allow others to run their lives for good?

This whirlwind romance will charm you one moment while get you ramped up in the next. In addition, it gives you excitingly fun updates of all the other S2J members! The updates are for those (like me) who can’t help but want to stay on top of what is going on with them all. Yet, what hooks you for good are Nathan, Abby, and their relationship.

You can instantly tell Nathan & Abby have a connection that runs deep, which is why their relationship and this novel is rushed. However, their relationship is written in a way that is so sweet I felt like saying, “Awwww,” within most of their scenes. It has that sweet romance teen factor that can charm you from the beginning and leaves you wanting more.

I recommend this novel to those who are S2J fans and/or those looking for a fairy-tale style teen romance!!

Purchase This Book and/or The Other Books From It's Series Here : Shop Your Indie/Local Bookstores (IndieBound - Paperback) USD : Aimee and the Heartthrob (Book 1) | Shop Your Indie/Local Bookstores (IndieBound - Paperback) USD : Mia and the Bad Boy (Book 2) | Shop Your Indie/Local Bookstores (IndieBound - Paperback) USD : Daisy and the Front Man (Book 3) | Shop Your Indie/Local Bookstores (IndieBound - Paperback) USD : Anya and the Shy Guy (Book 4) | Amazon (Kindle) USD : Aimee and the Heartthrob (Book 1) | Amazon (Kindle) USD : Mia and the Bad Boy (Book 2) | Amazon (Kindle) USD : Daisy and the Front Man (Book 3) | Amazon (Kindle) USD : Anya and the Shy Guy (Book 4) | Amazon (Paperback) USD : Aimee and the Heartthrob (Book 1) | Amazon (Paperback) USD : Mia and the Bad Boy (Book 2) | Amazon (Paperback) USD : Daisy and the Front Man (Book 3) | Amazon (Paperback) USD : Anya and the Shy Guy (Book 4)


Shop Your Indie/Local Bookstores (IndieBound - Paperback) USD : Abby and the Cute One (Book 5)
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Kobo (e-Book) USD : Abby and the Cute One (Book 5)
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Alibris (Paperback) USD : Abby and the Cute One (Book 5)

Amazon (Kindle) USD : Abby and the Cute One (Book 5)

Amazon (Paperback) USD : Abby and the Cute One (Book 5)
Abby and the Cute One
Barnes & Noble (NOOK Book) USD : Abby and the Cute One (Book 5)
Abby and the Cute One
Barnes & Noble (Paperback) USD : Abby and the Cute One (Book 5)
Amazon (Paperbacks) USD : Backstage Pass Series

Kobo (e-Books) USD : Backstage Pass Series

My Previous Review(s) for this Series : Book 2 | Book 3 | Book 4

My Previous Mention(s) of this Series' Books/Characters : Second Sentence Saturday: Daisy and the Front Man | Best Book Couples -- Happy Valentine's Day 2016


Series Extras : Backstage Pass Series - Overview



Book Teaser(s) :
"I'm not a fairy tale girl, no one's going to save me." ~ within Chapter 1 - titled 'Nathan'
The excitement in her mom's voice built. "So, tell me everything. Does Miles really have an accent? Are they just as cute in person? Spill!"
"It's unbelieveable. And yes, they're all totally gorgeous."
Just then, Ryder slipped by, his eyebrow raised. "Sorry, sweetie. I'm taken." ~ within Chapter 9 - titled 'Abby'
Love was like a drug. ~ within Chapter 20 - titled 'Nathan'

Book Preview(s) :
For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by Erin, then please check out her Amazon Acct.
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