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Showing posts with label 4 Star Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 4 Star Reviews. Show all posts
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Her Russian Protector Tour YURI & NIKOLAI (Guest Post/Giveaway)
I'm a huge fan of
dark TV dramas with tons of suspense and action and anti-heroes like Sons of
Anarchy. When it was time to start plotting NIKOLAI's
book, I knew that this story would have a
darker, more intense feel than the
first three in the series.
As the Russian
mob boss of city, Nikolai has his fingers on the pulse of Houston's underworld.
He feels something new coming and knows that things are about to change. There
are big power plays on the horizon—and Vivian, the budding artist he considers
his ward, is right at the center of it.
Her notorious
criminal father has just been popped from pen by the Feds and rumors of his plans
to flip on a cartel and outlaw motorcycle gang are whirling around Houston. The
men he threatens will stop at nothing to draw her father out of hiding—even
going so far as to take on Nikolai himself.
NIKOLAI Excerpt
At the last
possible second, he noticed the bright headlights rushing toward them as they
crossed the intersection. Thinking only of Vivian, he thrust out his arm to
hold her back against the seat. The crushing impact of the SUV that slammed
into the front edge of the car spun them around violently. Amid the splintering
metal and bursting glass, he heard Vivian's terrified scream. The sound chilled
him to the very bone.
When the car
finally lurched to a stop, he blinked and tried to clear his dazed mind. He put
a hand to his aching temple and felt the blood trickling along his skin.
Vivian's low moan of pain drew his attention. He'd locked his elbow trying to
hold her in place. Now it throbbed terribly. Bending his arm proved nearly
impossible.
Vaguely, he was
aware of other cars rushing onto the scene, their tires squealing as they
stopped, but he was focused solely on Vivian. She grimaced with discomfort but
looked wholly uninjured. His bleary gaze raked her body for any hint of blood
but he found none.
"Angel moy." He reached for her
hand. "Are you all right?"
"I think
so," she answered in a whisper. She blinked a few times and turned her
gaze toward his faze. Her eyes widened with sudden panic. Her hand flew out and
snatched the front of his shirt. As she jerked him toward her, she screamed,
"Nikolai!"
A second later,
something very hard hit the window behind his head. A hammer? A crow bar? He wasn’t
sure.
Someone tried to
open her car door but the impact of the SUV had crunched and crimped the metal.
Heavy footfalls sounded on the roof and hood of the car. A sledge hammer
wielded by a man in black slammed against the windshield. Glass shards exploded
all around them as the sledgehammer broke through the safety glass.
He reached for
Vivian and dragged her into his protective embrace. He wrapped his battered
arms around her in a desperate attempt to keep the flying glass from cutting
her face and neck. She flicked off her seatbelt and burrowed into the safety of
his embrace, burying her face against chest and whimpering with fear.
As a crowd of men
descended on the car, Nikolai heard gunshots in the distance. Kostya and
Sergei? He hoped they would reach the car in time to help them fend off this
blitz attack.
As the men
outside the car started to rip the windshield free, he reached under his jacket
and retrieved his loaded gun. "Cover your ears."
Vivian hurried to
comply with his order, placing her small hands against her ears. The moment the
windshield was ripped free he fired at the first man who came into view.
Staggering backward and clutching at his chest, the man fell onto the hood and
tumbled onto the pavement. Another man took his place, and Nikolai fired again,
carefully conserving his rounds until help arrived.
But it wasn't
enough.
The window behind
him was ripped free. A series of blows to the back of his head stunned him.
Four hands grasped his shoulders and arms. In the melee, the gun was knocked
from his grasp. Vivian's scream echoed in the night as he was torn through the
window. Jagged edges of glass ripped through his clothing and into his skin.
He watched in
horror as three men tried to grab Vivian. Somehow she'd managed to grab the pepper
spray from her purse. Judging by the screams of pain and the sounds of coughing
that erupted, he figured she'd gotten at least two of them.
Refusing to be
taken down so easily, Nikolai twisted and kicked until he managed to free
himself from the clutches of the men who had dragged him through the door. With
one swift movement, he yanked out the knife he kept holstered in his boot and
wielded it menacingly.
He'd been in
enough prison brawls, armed only with hastily crafted shivs, to know how this
fight against five men would end. He'd be lucky to survive it but he'd do
whatever it took to buy enough time for Kostya and Sergei to reach Vivian and
get her to safety.
Two of the men
rushed him. Relying on instinct and adrenaline, Nikolai stabbed and ducked to
evade them. He caught one in the hand, driving his blade through the man's
palm, and wrenching a guttural cry from the attacker's throat. Ripping the
blade free, he turned his attention to the other man. The injured one fell away
but another quickly took his place, this one carrying a length of pipe.
Bracing for the
painful impact, Nikolai refused to back down. In the background, he heard
Vivian shouting and fighting off the men trying to pull her from the car. The
pipe connected with his arm and shoulder just as he witnessed Vivian being
hauled out through the gaping hole where the windshield had been. Her panicked
shriek broke his concentration, giving his assailants the opening they needed.
The man
brandishing the pipe cracked Nikolai along the side of his head. The blinding
pain sent him to his knees. A boot caught him in the jaw and flipped him onto
his stomach. Clawing at the pavement, he tried to force his battered body to
move but the jarring impact of the pipe and boot rendered him worthless.
As blood dripped
into his eyes and clouded his vision, he watched helplessly as two men dragged
Vivian toward an idling SUV. She kicked and bit and shrieked but she couldn't
get free. Their gazes met across the impossible distance now between them.
Rolling onto his side, he lifted his hand in a final desperate but futile
attempt to reach her.
"NIKOLAI!"
Her terrified
scream was suddenly muffled as her kidnappers managed to get her into the SUV.
The vehicle raced away from the scene, taking the woman he loved more than
anything in the world.
An angry kick to
his gut tore a pained groan from his throat. Another blow to his shoulder
knocked him onto his back again. One of the assailants bent down and slammed
the full-length of Nikolai's own knife into his shoulder. He gasped, but the
pain of the blade slicing through muscle was nothing compared to the
soul-crushing agony he experienced at the knowledge he'd failed Vivian.
"Jesus, we
weren't supposed to kill him." One of the masked men dragged away the man
who had stabbed Nikolai. "Let's go."
The attackers and
his people started to trade gunfire. The assailants piled into the remaining
SUV, leaving behind the crashed vehicle but taking their injured comrades with
them. Kostya and Sergei finally made it to his side.
Dropping to his
knees, Kostya grabbed Nikolai around the waist and dragged him out of the
roadway. Men were shouting all around him but he couldn't understand anything
they said. His battered brain couldn't compute a single word after the nasty
blows he'd taken.
Gripping Kostya's
hand, he growled, "They took her. They took my Vivian."
"We'll get
her back."
As Kostya shouted
at Sergei to get a fucking ambulance, Nikolai fought to remain conscious. Blood
seeped out of his body and soaked into his jacket and pooled around Kostya's
legs. Nikolai relished the excruciating pain accompanying each and every
breath. It reminded him that he was still alive—and if he was alive, he could
get her back. He had to get her back.
And the men who
had taken his beautiful, precious Vivian would know true agony.
IVAN
Her
Russian Protector, #1
Desperate to find her sister, Erin goes to
the only man in Houston who can help her: Ivan Markovic. The intimidating,
tattooed Russian operates one of the most elite mixed-martial arts training
centers in the world but it’s his shadowy past and reputed connections with
Houston’s underworld that interest her most.
To find her sister, she’ll need the help of
her big, scary Russian protector—but asking for help from a man like Ivan
carries a steep price, one that might just include her heart.
DIMITRI
Her
Russian Protector, #2
Refusing to lose her brother to the violent
Hermanos street gang, Benny turns to Dimitri, the dead sexy Russian who lives
in the apartment above her family’s bakery. He’s the only man tough enough to
get through to Johnny and save him from a life in prison—or worse.There’s
nothing Dimitri won’t do for Benny, even if it means dealing with her troublemaking
brother. He quickly realizes that it’s not just Johnny and his thug friends
that pose a threat to Benny. A shady real estate developer needs to buy her
bakery to secure a multi-million dollar deal and he’ll stop at nothing to make
her sell.
Threatened from all sides, Benny finds
safety in Dimitri’s strong arms — and in his bed. Her big, sexy Russian has no
intention of ever letting her go—and he’ll brave the fires of hell before he
lets anyone harm her.
Reader’s Note: Dimitri is an incredibly
passionate man with a dominant streak—and Benny is only too happy to indulge
his need for a little…restraint.
Read Anna's 4 Star Review HERE
YURI
Her
Russian Protector, Book 3
While
clawing her way out of Houston’s worst neighborhood, Lena vowed to never let
any man have power over her. After a lifetime of broken promises from her
criminal father and a mother who abandoned her, Lena believes that love makes
you vulnerable. She’s never been tempted to test that belief…until Yuri.
Sexy as sin
and with a dark reputation, Russian billionaire Yuri Novakovsky survived a
miserable childhood of poverty and neglect to ascend the pinnacle of success.
He enjoys the perks of his massive wealth without much thought to the
consequences…until Lena.
When Lena’s
father and cousin blunder into an international art theft operation, Yuri
seizes his chance to be her protector. But when past misdeeds catch up with him
and threaten Lena’s safety, Yuri puts her love and trust in him to the test.
He’ll prove
he’s the man she needs—a man she can trust and depend upon—one sensual, wicked
kiss at a time.
***YURI
is a full-length novel, clocking in at 90,000 words and 300+ pages.***
NIKOLAI
Her
Russian Protector, Book 4
Now Available!
After a
brush with death as a juvenile delinquent, Vivian swore she'd never stray
across that line again—but there's just one problem with her plan to stay on
the right side of the law. She's completely, irrevocably and unabashedly in
love with Nikolai, the Russian mob boss who saved her life.
From the
moment Vivian appeared in his life on that tragic April night, Nikolai felt
himself inextricably bonded to her. She's the bright light in his dark world
and the only thing that keeps him from sliding deeper into a life of crime and
violence—a mobbed-up life he can't escape no matter how hard he tries.
After Vivian
is ripped from his arms in a brazen blitz attack, Nikolai will stop at nothing
to get her back—but rescuing her and keeping her safe in his arms isn't enough.
Suddenly, Nikolai's only chance to keep her safe is to do the one thing he
vowed never to do—he'll drag her deeper into his shadowy world and bind her to
him forever.
Because
their tangled pasts are about to collide and the shockwave threatens to bring
Houston's criminal underbelly to its knees…
Reader
Advisory: This story contains scenes of violence against women and
frank descriptions of trafficking.
Available at:
Amazon | B&N | Kobo | All Romance eBooks | Smashwords.
Read Anna's 5 Star Review HERE
When I’m not
chasing after my wild preschooler, I like to write super sexy romances and
scorching hot erotica. I live in Texas with a husband who could easily snag a
job as an extra on History Channel’s new Viking series, a sweet but rowdy
three-year-old with Tetralogy of Fallot, and Bosley, our Great Dane with major
mommy issues.
I also have
another dirty-book writing alter ego, Lolita
Lopez, who writes deliciously steamy tales for Ellora’s Cave,
Forever Yours/Grand Central, Mischief/Harper Collins UK, Siren Publishing and
Cleis Press.
YURI & NIKOLAI Tour Schedule
June 17 - June 30
6/17- Books, Books & More Books (series
spotlight & review)
6/17- Reading Between The Wines (guest
post)
6/18- Nina's Literary Escape (series
spotlight)
6/18 Flirting with Romance (interview)
6/20- The Reading Café (series spotlight
& review)
6/20- United by Books (interview)
6/21- Book Monster Reviews (guest post)
6/22- Night Owl Reviews (guest post &
review)
6/23- Romance Junkies (series spotlight
& review)
6/24- My Reading Obsession (series
spotlight & review)
6/25- Offbeat Vagabond (series spotlight
& review)
6/26- Cocktails and Books (series
spotlight)
6/27- Salacious Reads (series spotlight)
6/27- Riverina Romantics (guest post)
6/29- Book Lovin Mamas (guest post)
Roxie is giving away the following prizes on her tour:
GRAND PRIZE: US/CANADA ONLY
Signed set of all four HER RUSSIAN
PROTECTOR print books in a tote with swag
RUNNERS UP: US/CANADA ONLY
TWO (2) runners-up will receive a
signed copy of IVAN and swag..
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Shelley Munro's Fancy Free Blog Tour (Review/Giveaway)
Fancy Free
by: Shelley Munro
Warning:
Condoms were tested and a few harmed during the writing of this story.
It’s not every day a girl inherits a condom company, and to say
accountant Alice Beasley is astonished and out of her depth is putting it
mildly. For an almost virgin, she needs a quick education in all things condom
because her inheritance is in danger. Someone is intent on sabotage and trying
to destroy her new company.
Alice is suddenly getting down and dirty with charismatic James,
the factory manager, all in the name of business, testing new condom designs.
The sex is hot. Mind-blowing. It’s a dark thrill and an erotic journey. Yeah,
it’s a hard job, but a girl’s got to do what a girl’s gotta do.
Alice wants James. She craves his talented touch and sultry
kisses, she desires passion and physical pleasure on a permanent basis but
first she must convince bad-boy James to give up his fancy-free ways.
Purchase links:
Ebook
Print
This was a fun and sexy read! Great for a Summer afternoon for sure!!! I really enjoyed the characters. They were hilarious at times and quirky. The story was fun and original. I am SO glad I read this book!!!
I'll start with my one issue with the book and it really isn't issue, more of a dislike. James was a jerk! Always jumping to the worst conclusions before he could even blink. But he was raised by a shrew and her little shrew minion so I can't blame him for being a little uneasy all of the time! Seriously, I very strongly dislike his mom and sister. They're awful!
As for the rest of the book, I loved it! Alice the almost virgin inherits a condom company! I mean, what better storyline? The poor girl was so out of her comfort zone but she handled it well! I LOVED the oldies! They were SO funny! Old people as condom testers! Hilarious! The little bit of a mystery thrown in was fun too.
All in all I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all of my erotica reading friends! If you enjoy a fun, sexy story then check out this one! You are sure to love it!!!
Shelley Munro is tall and curvaceous
with blue eyes and a smile that turns masculine heads everywhere she goes.
She’s a university tutor and an explorer/treasure hunter during her vacations.
Skilled with weapons and combat, she is currently in talks with a producer
about a television series based on her world adventures.
Shelley is also a writer blessed
with a VERY vivid imagination and lives with her very own hero in New Zealand.
She writes mainly erotic romance in the contemporary, paranormal and historical
genres for publishers Carina Press, Ellora’s Cave and Samhain Publishing. You
can learn more about Shelley and her books HERE
Shelley Munro's FANCY FREE Book Blast
Schedule
June 10 - 22
6/10 - For the Love of Reading
6/10 - Mimmi's Musings
6/11 - Reading Between The Wines
6/11 - United by Books
6/12 - Books, Books & More Books
6/12 - Sassy Book Lovers
6/13 - Urban Girl Reader
6/13 - In Shadows
6/14 - Wicked Readings by Tawania
6/15 - Book Lovin' Mamas
6/15 - Feeling Fictional
6/16 - Mama's Reading Break
6/17 - The Book Chick
6/18 - You Gotta Read
6/19 - Cocktails and Books
6/20 - Scorching Book Reviews
6/21 - Book Monster Reviews
6/22 - Flirting with Romance
Shelley is giving away a $20.00 Amazon Voucher
Monday, June 10, 2013
Review: "Retribution" by Winter Austin + Guest Post
10
Reasons Why Remy and Cody
Are
a Fantastic Couple
1. They’re two of the most stubborn people I’ve had
the pleasure of writing. Just when there’s a breakthrough in their
relationship, one or the other does something to irk the other one. Usually
clamming up about something from their pasts.
2. Because they’re so stubborn Remy and Cody refuse
to give up on their relationship. As screwed up as it seems, they both know
they were meant for each other. And that means nothing will come between them.
Not even their preconceived notions.
3. Cody is the opposite of the type of woman Remy
is used to being with. She’s brash, quick-tempered, and a fighter. She won’t
sit back and let him be the hero all the time. But she’s enough of a woman to
realize sometimes she can’t do it alone.
4. Remy is the kind of man Cody isn’t used to
dealing with. He’s broken and carries such deep scars he usually misses the
forest for the trees. But he has an uncontrollable urge to protect her at all
costs.
5. They have a give and take that at times is
loaded with humor. Life for them is serious: Remy as a homicide detective where
he sees death on a daily basis. Cody as a woman coping with tragedy in her life
and trying to find her place in the world. Both use their humor to deflect and
also connect with each other.
6. The sexual tension between them sizzles.
7. Remy is willing to step outside his comfort
zone for Cody. And she for him.
8. Remy’s cynicism is enough to drive Cody
completely mad. He refuses to see the good side to life, and Cody’s faith won’t
let her give up on it. One day someone will win this argument and Remy has a
sinking feeling it won’t be him.
9. Culture clashes big time between them. Remy’s
Cajun background and charm make him laidback, but his job as a cop combats with
his upbringing—and Cody’s Texas spirit. Cody is a Texan down to her roots, hard
work and a mile-wide streak of independence drive her, but she’s not one to
pass up a good time.
10. Neither one of them shies away from danger. And
a good thing too, since danger always seems to find them.
Retribution
(Degrees of Darkness Series #2)
by: Winter Austin
Publishing Date: 6/10/13
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Description:
Called to the homicide of a Dallas criminal lawyer, Detective Remy LeBeau stares at a scene that drags him back into his past. To another murdered lawyer in New Orleans. A case that put Remy on a collision course with death.
Cody Lewis struggles with the horrific memories of her kidnapping and the need to numb the pain. The battle she puts up causes her to avoid Remy and their undetermined relationship. But the flashbacks and nightmares are proving more potent than Cody thought and she's having a harder time resisting the cravings for alcohol.
As the case takes a turn in revealing a professional assassin is behind the death, Remy begins to make decisions that could cost him his job and Cody. Because the deeper he sinks, the closer the enemies of his past come to finding him.
My Review:
Retribution is the second book in the Degrees of Darkness Series by Winter Austin. If you have no read the first book, Relentless, yet...you will definitely need to before you read the second book.
Winter Austin has the previous characters back in Retribution and this time Remy is the one, who is in trouble. Someone is out to kill him and he's afraid for Cody, who just got over what happened to her. She is having a difficult time getting through the kidnapping and almost being killed by someone she thought was not dangerous. Now, Remy is hiding something from her and she is feeling left out on what is going on.
Remy is afraid to tell her about his past and why he is where he is today. Although, the past is biting back at him and now someone in town was killed and his past is what had the person killed. It is all up to Remy to keep Cody protected of what is going on...but he also has to figure out to save her from herself since she suffers with PTSD.
This book was full of suspense and I literally was confused just like Cody was with why Remy would not have come straight out and told her truth from the beginning. I think it would have went better. She actually had a lot of episodes in this book where she was not herself and was suffering with what happened to her in the first book, but in the end I have to say I am very proud of how she handled herself. She actually proved Remy and his partner, Heath wrong.
Winter Austin gives you a very suspenseful read that will take you on a ride through a town that has already dealt with death before...but this time, it has nothing to do with rodeos. It has to do with something that Remy had no clue about until the end. Winter does leave you hanging though and what could happen in the next book.
I loved both characters in this book and even liked secondary characters that were introduced. They played a major role in this story too.
I am intrigued now about Remy's partner, Heath Anderson. I found out something about him that made him even more interesting than Remy. I want to know more about him.
I give this book 4 full moons and highly recommend it to romantic suspense readers out there.
I look forward to the next book in the series. Here's hoping Remy does not keep any further secrets from Cody and Cody gets some help on what happened to her. Here's also hoping that Heath Anderson plays a bigger part in the next book.
Winter Austin has the previous characters back in Retribution and this time Remy is the one, who is in trouble. Someone is out to kill him and he's afraid for Cody, who just got over what happened to her. She is having a difficult time getting through the kidnapping and almost being killed by someone she thought was not dangerous. Now, Remy is hiding something from her and she is feeling left out on what is going on.
Remy is afraid to tell her about his past and why he is where he is today. Although, the past is biting back at him and now someone in town was killed and his past is what had the person killed. It is all up to Remy to keep Cody protected of what is going on...but he also has to figure out to save her from herself since she suffers with PTSD.
This book was full of suspense and I literally was confused just like Cody was with why Remy would not have come straight out and told her truth from the beginning. I think it would have went better. She actually had a lot of episodes in this book where she was not herself and was suffering with what happened to her in the first book, but in the end I have to say I am very proud of how she handled herself. She actually proved Remy and his partner, Heath wrong.
Winter Austin gives you a very suspenseful read that will take you on a ride through a town that has already dealt with death before...but this time, it has nothing to do with rodeos. It has to do with something that Remy had no clue about until the end. Winter does leave you hanging though and what could happen in the next book.
I loved both characters in this book and even liked secondary characters that were introduced. They played a major role in this story too.
I am intrigued now about Remy's partner, Heath Anderson. I found out something about him that made him even more interesting than Remy. I want to know more about him.
I give this book 4 full moons and highly recommend it to romantic suspense readers out there.
I look forward to the next book in the series. Here's hoping Remy does not keep any further secrets from Cody and Cody gets some help on what happened to her. Here's also hoping that Heath Anderson plays a bigger part in the next book.
Purchase at Amazon
Winter Austin was once asked by her husband if he could meet some of the people who took residence in her head. She warned they weren’t all characters he wanted to meet, as killers walked among them. Needless to say, that conversation ended abruptly.
A lifelong Mid-West gal, Winter swears she should have been born in the South, Texas or Louisiana preferably. But then she’d miss the snowy winters.
Dividing her day between her four children and their various activities, a growing pet population, and her Beta-with-Alpha-tendencies Hero, Winter manages to find time to write chilling thriller novels between loads of laundry.
Don’t worry. You won’t find any of her mouthwatering culinary dishes poisoned. Unless you’re one of her fictional creations.
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