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We hope to see everyone of you over there and I hope you all are prepared for lots of giveaways coming in August and are prepared for Anna & I's big 30th birthday bash - August 18th-September 5th.
We have lots of stuff to giveaway to you all and we are bringing our 30th birthday in style. =)
GOODBYE Blogger - It was nice while it lasted...but it's time for a BIG change and to make it easier for our followers to find us. =)
Showing posts with label Innovative Online Book Tours. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Innovative Online Book Tours. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Blog Tour: "Seduced by Innocence" by Kimberly Kinrade (Review)
Welcome to our stop on the review tour of "Seduced by Innocence" by Kimberly Kinrade brought to you by I.O. Book Tours.
Seduced by Innocence
(Seduced #1)
By: Kimberly Kinrade
Publishing Date: 1/28/13
Publishing Date: 1/28/13
Publisher: Daring Books
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: Provided by Author (Blog Tour)
Description:
Seduction comes in many forms.
"Liquid fire poured into me, filling me with the intimate sense of him as he leaned in to claim my lips with his own. I reached for him, needing him closer, but my arms couldn't close the distance between us, which grew wider with each hitched breath. So close to finally feeling something real, something carnal and deep, I cried out in frustration, dropping my hands as he disappeared. My cries deepened into a frenzy of panic and my eyes flew open. I clutched my blanket and stilled myself to calm my racing heart.
Just a dream. Always just a dream."
Rose Wintersong didn't have an ordinary upbringing. Raised in what most would call a hippy commune, but what is actually a powerful coven of witches, she never questions the life fate chose for her.
Until she meets Derek O'Conner.
Derek challenges everything Rose believes and forces her to see the secrets hidden beneath the whitewashed walls of her idyllic country life.
Rose knows she should walk away, that the sexy martial arts instructor is bad news bred to create discord in her tight community… but the animal magnetism between them is impossible to fight.
Caught between the passion of first love, and the steady beat of the life she's always known, Rose must choose between the innocence of her youth or the pleasures of womanhood—but lost innocence comes at a price, and Rose harbors a dark secret that could destroy everyone she loves—including Derek.
Submit to the Seduced Saga as Derek and Rose face their future while unraveling the mysteries of their past.
Look for these books in 2013.
January -Seduced by Innocence
February 14, 2013-Seduced by Pain
TBA-Seduced by Power
TBA - Seduced by the Sea (Ocean's Story)
My Review:
Seduced by Innocence is the first book in Kimberly Kinrade's Seduced Saga, which is about two powerful paranormal families that have it out for each other. One family that can shift, while the other that can call upon the elements to help them.
When reading this book, you'll read quotes from William Shakespeare's famous Romeo & Juliet and the storyline of it has a star-crossed lover feel to it. Here is Rose, the innocent girl who is kept away from everyone except her coven, and Derek, the bad boy biker, who is trying to make it on his own with his Druid family and these two cross paths one day. They fall for each other hard. Rose has seen Derek in her dreams and Derek cannot help but feel a connection with Rose. They even have people around them telling them, they are meant to be together, but they both hide secrets from each other and if those secrets come out, they may end up hating each other, or worst killing each other.
I will not go into describing the storyline due to the synopsis of the book giving it in good detail.
I will tell you what I did like and did not like about Seduced by Innocence.
The parts that I adored about this book was the romance between Rose and Derek and how love at first sight happened between them both. I loved Derek not only because he was a bad boy, but he changed the minute he was with Rose because he made him want to be better. I loved Rose because here she is trying to control the power she has and Derek is actually teaching her to control it better and has no idea that she has this power.
What I did not like was the evil wench of Rose's mother and the annoying stalker, Blake. They both got on my nerves. Blake was kind of a creeper and weirded me out several times. Here it is he's doing whatever Rose's mother wanted and he has a thing for Rose, but I think he has his own secret agenda. The mother has a secret agenda for herself and Kimberly Kinrade only touched a little bit on what could be happening between the feuded paranormal families.
Here it is the families are hating each other, but Kimberly throws in a twist where maybe there is something else going on and maybe it is just one family out for the other. You have no idea really because Kimberly leaves you hanging and I do love cliffhangers so thank goodness I can buy the second book and find out what happens next otherwise I would go insane.
I did really enjoy the Romeo and Juliet feel of the story and it makes me want to read the play and watch the old movie version of it again. The quotes before each chapter definitely went with each chapter perfectly.
I also loved certain things in the story that made me smile. One of those things was when Kimberly mentioned Ansel Adams in the story. He was one of my favorite photographers that I have looked up to for awhile now. I enjoyed Kimberly Kinrade's writing style and how she made Shakespeare's star crossed lovers into a paranormal world setting and took her own twist of it.
It was short, but I was prepared ahead of time for Kimberly Kinrade to leave me wanting more.
I liked the story, and I look forward to the next one. I am just hoping the mother and Blake do not make me mad like they did in this book. I hope Rose steps up to her mother because no one should be treated that way. I also hope the truth comes out on what is actually going on because it just was not really covered in the first book.
If you want to read a book about two lovers who are supposed to hate each other due to their families hating each other, you will enjoy Kimberly Kinrade's paranormal version of Romeo & Juliet.
Here's hoping the next book does not make me cry like this one did though. Poor Rose and what she endured with her mother and what happened to one of her close pals. =(
Seduced by Innocence is the first book in Kimberly Kinrade's Seduced Saga, which is about two powerful paranormal families that have it out for each other. One family that can shift, while the other that can call upon the elements to help them.
When reading this book, you'll read quotes from William Shakespeare's famous Romeo & Juliet and the storyline of it has a star-crossed lover feel to it. Here is Rose, the innocent girl who is kept away from everyone except her coven, and Derek, the bad boy biker, who is trying to make it on his own with his Druid family and these two cross paths one day. They fall for each other hard. Rose has seen Derek in her dreams and Derek cannot help but feel a connection with Rose. They even have people around them telling them, they are meant to be together, but they both hide secrets from each other and if those secrets come out, they may end up hating each other, or worst killing each other.
I will not go into describing the storyline due to the synopsis of the book giving it in good detail.
I will tell you what I did like and did not like about Seduced by Innocence.
The parts that I adored about this book was the romance between Rose and Derek and how love at first sight happened between them both. I loved Derek not only because he was a bad boy, but he changed the minute he was with Rose because he made him want to be better. I loved Rose because here she is trying to control the power she has and Derek is actually teaching her to control it better and has no idea that she has this power.
What I did not like was the evil wench of Rose's mother and the annoying stalker, Blake. They both got on my nerves. Blake was kind of a creeper and weirded me out several times. Here it is he's doing whatever Rose's mother wanted and he has a thing for Rose, but I think he has his own secret agenda. The mother has a secret agenda for herself and Kimberly Kinrade only touched a little bit on what could be happening between the feuded paranormal families.
Here it is the families are hating each other, but Kimberly throws in a twist where maybe there is something else going on and maybe it is just one family out for the other. You have no idea really because Kimberly leaves you hanging and I do love cliffhangers so thank goodness I can buy the second book and find out what happens next otherwise I would go insane.
I did really enjoy the Romeo and Juliet feel of the story and it makes me want to read the play and watch the old movie version of it again. The quotes before each chapter definitely went with each chapter perfectly.
I also loved certain things in the story that made me smile. One of those things was when Kimberly mentioned Ansel Adams in the story. He was one of my favorite photographers that I have looked up to for awhile now. I enjoyed Kimberly Kinrade's writing style and how she made Shakespeare's star crossed lovers into a paranormal world setting and took her own twist of it.
It was short, but I was prepared ahead of time for Kimberly Kinrade to leave me wanting more.
I liked the story, and I look forward to the next one. I am just hoping the mother and Blake do not make me mad like they did in this book. I hope Rose steps up to her mother because no one should be treated that way. I also hope the truth comes out on what is actually going on because it just was not really covered in the first book.
If you want to read a book about two lovers who are supposed to hate each other due to their families hating each other, you will enjoy Kimberly Kinrade's paranormal version of Romeo & Juliet.
Here's hoping the next book does not make me cry like this one did though. Poor Rose and what she endured with her mother and what happened to one of her close pals. =(
Kimberly Kinrade was born with ink in her veins and magic in her heart. She writes fantasy and paranormal stories for all ages and still believes in magic worlds. Check out her YA paranormal series The Forbidden Trilogy, her lower grade fantasy series The Three Lost Kids, and watch for her New Adult romance and fantasy books coming in 2013 including The Seduced Saga, Sunrise and Nightfall, Death by Destiny and The Fallen Trilogy and her next YA fantasy adventure, The Reluctant Familiar. You can find her books on Amazon, B&N and Goodreads among other fine retailers.
When she's not writing, she runs Daring Books Design & Marketing with her husband, Dmytry Karpov, where they help authors with all manner of marketing, editing, and design needs until such a time that their brilliant children take over the business for them.
She lives with her three little girls who think they're ninja princesses with super powers, her two cats who think they're gods (and probably are), her two dogs who think they're humans and her husband, also known as the sexy Russian Prince, who is the love of her life and writing partner.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Blog Tour: :Vampire Collection: Brink of Eternity/Embrace the Dark" by Caris Roane
Two vampire novellas from two very
different series, in the same ebook called:
THE VAMPIRE COLLECTION.
The first novella, BRINK OF ETERNITY, belongs to the
Guardians of Ascension series featuring winged vampires in a world of ascending
dimensional earths. The second novella, EMBRACE THE DARK, is the first story in
my Blood Rose series. Both novellas
explore the sexy mystique of the warrior vampire, each over-burdened by the
responsibilities of his job and in need of the love of a good woman.
* * * * * *
* * *
BRINK
OF ETERNITY
Discover powerful winged vampire warriors, the Guardians of Ascension,
and the women they’re sworn to protect!
Warrior Gideon swore he would never
see Elise Jordan again even though they’d been passionate lovers for two
years. Her human nature couldn’t survive
in his ascended vampire world; she would be vulnerable to attack on every front
if he tried to continue a relationship with her. But when Elise starts having visions of the
future of Gideon’s sister hunted by death vampires, Gideon can no longer ignore
that Elise is in her Call to Ascension, her call to become a vampire. Though determined to keep her at bay, the
infamous breh-hedden, an
all-consuming vampire bonding ritual, wraps him up tight and demands that he
protect Elise. As he strives to keep her
alive during her Rite of Ascension, love threatens to overwhelm his carefully
ordered, war-weary world.
* * * * * * * * *
EMBRACE THE DARK
Enter a world of
blood-starved mastyr vampires and the rare women who can satisfy their deepest
needs…
Gerrod, mastyr vampire of the Merhaine Realm, never thought
to have his blood-needs satisfied by a mere human. But Abigail of Arizona is no ordinary
woman. She stuns him with her telepathy
as well as the richness of her blood.
However, her human DNA makes
her an unacceptable mate. Yet how can
Gerrod turn her away when she alone has satisfied his blood-starvation for the
first time in a hundred-and-fifty-years?
When the dreaded enemy of all realm-folk, the Invictus,
attacks at a fae wedding, Abigail’s simple human life gets turned upside
down. She doesn’t know if she has the
courage to pursue a path that means giving herself body and soul to a mastyr
vampire. Will she return to her normal
existence in Flagstaff, Arizona? Or will
she embrace the dark…
My Review of Brink of Eternity
As far as vampire romances go, this is a new favorite series for me! I've just recently started reading these books but I've become addicted in no time. Once I started that first book I just could not stop reading them! There's just something about a hunky vampire warrior with wings that captures my attention!!!
Caris' World of Ascension is a fascinating new take on vampires for me! It's hard these days to find something new and fresh and this series is both of those for me. This being a novella the story was pretty short and there was a lot that happened in such a short time that it might not be too believable to some but for me there was the perfect amount of information, action and romance to keep me happy and entertained! She explains things pretty well, what with the complicated different world and the Call to Ascension, that I don't think you really need to read the other books but I would recommend you read them anyways, just because they are really good. :)
I absolutely love the characters, especially Endelle! She is a hoot! She's always saying things that make me laugh out loud and making my husband think I'm crazy! LOL The mixture of seriousness and humor is a great thing, it really takes the heat off those intense moments and this book had a few of those! Gideon and Elise steamed up the pages pretty good too, so that break for some sexy love scenes was nice too! And can I just say, I wish I could fold my clothes on and off at will! That's a pretty cool power to have and darn convenient!!!
All in all I really enjoyed this read! It has the perfect mixture of action and romance, humor and seriousness and it's a very different and interesting take on vampires that all of you vampire lovers out there don't want to miss! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good paranormal romance!!!
BUY NOW LINK:
Amazon Barnes & Noble
I was ten
when I first watched an old movie version of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and loved
it! Movies led to books, which led to
writing and after a good long while, publishing. I wrote sweet Regency romance for Kensington
for 19 years and recently fell in love with paranormal, although I’ve always
had a thing for vampires. I currently write
paranormal romance for St. Martin’s Press but I self-publish as well. Building an online platform has been an
enormous but rewarding challenge. I
think all the changes in publishing will alter how authors approach the
business going forward and I for one am thrilled to have so many options.
Caris Roane has published over fifty Regency romance novels
and novellas under the pen name, Valerie King.
In 2005, Romantic Times gave her a Career Achievement award in Regency
Romance. Having had a long-time love
affair with vampires, Caris tackled the paranormal genre and built a unique
vampire world based on ascending dimensional earths. Her series is called Guardians of Ascension.
Her most recent self-published project, The Blood Rose Novella Series,
launched in May of 2012 with the first title: Embrace the Dark.
Currently, Caris is working on a new vampire series set to
launch in the Fall of 2013: WARRIORS
IN CHAINS with the first novel, BORN
IN CHAINS.
Caris lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her two cats, Sebastien
and Gizzy.
Caris Roane Links:
Website: http://carisroane.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carisroane
Everyone who purchases The Vampire Collection: The Brink of Eternity and Embrace the Dark will receive a free arc of the next book in the series "The Darkening"! " Simply email your Proof of purchase of "Vampire Collection: Brink of Eternity and Embrace the Dark" to Caris and she will send you a free arc of "The Darkening". Here is her E-mail carisroane@gmail.com . Caris would love to see your reviews posted on Amazon for both "Vampire Collection: Brink of Eternity and Embrace the Dark" and "The Darkening" once you have a chance to enjoy them.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Promo: "Seduced by Innocence" by Kimberly Kinrade + Giveaway
Welcome to our Promo Virtual Tour stop of "Seduced by Innocence" by Kimberly Kinrade brought to you by I.O. Book Tours.
Seduced by Innocence
(Seduced, #1)
by: Kimberly Kimrade
Publishing Date: 1/21/13
Publisher: Daring Books
Genre: New Adult Romance/Paranormal
Amazon Paper book | Amazon Kindle copy
Amazon Paper book | Amazon Kindle copy
Description:
Seduction comes in many forms.
"Liquid fire poured into me, filling me with the intimate sense of him as he leaned in to claim my lips with his own. I reached for him, needing him closer, but my arms couldn't close the distance between us, which grew wider with each hitched breath. So close to finally feeling something real, something carnal and deep, I cried out in frustration, dropping my hands as he disappeared. My cries deepened into a frenzy of panic and my eyes flew open. I clutched my blanket and stilled myself to calm my racing heart.
Just a dream. Always just a dream."
Rose Wintersong didn't have an ordinary upbringing. Raised in what most would call a hippy commune, but what is actually a powerful coven of witches, she never questions the life fate chose for her.
Until she meets Derek O'Conner.
Derek challenges everything Rose believes and forces her to see the secrets hidden beneath the whitewashed walls of her idyllic country life.
Rose knows she should walk away, that the sexy martial arts instructor is bad news bred to create discord in her tight community… but the animal magnetism between them is impossible to fight.
Caught between the passion of first love, and the steady beat of the life she's always known, Rose must choose between the innocence of her youth or the pleasures of womanhood—but lost innocence comes at a price, and Rose harbors a dark secret that could destroy everyone she loves—including Derek.
Submit to the Seduced Saga as Derek and Rose face their future while unraveling the mysteries of their past.
Look for these books in 2013.
January -Seduced by Innocence
February -Seduced by Power
TBA-Seduced by Pleasure
TBA-Seduced by Pain
TBA-Seduced by Love
By Sure to mark as "Want to read" on Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4687115.Kimberly_Kinrade
"Kimberly Kinrade will be giving away a custom made rose pendant based on the book cover, if she gets 1,000 adds on Goodreads before the launch on January 21, 2013.
Kimberly Kinrade was born with ink in her veins and magic in her heart. She writes fantasy and paranormal stories for all ages and still believes in magic worlds. Check out her YA paranormal series The Forbidden Trilogy, her lower grade fantasy series The Three Lost Kids, and watch for her New Adult romance and fantasy books coming in 2013 including The Seduced Saga, Sunrise and Nightfall, Death by Destiny and The Fallen Trilogy and her next YA fantasy adventure, The Reluctant Familiar. You can find her books on Amazon, B&N and Goodreads among other fine retailers.
When she's not writing, she runs Daring Books Design & Marketing with her husband, Dmytry Karpov, where they help authors with all manner of marketing, editing, and design needs until such a time that their brilliant children take over the business for them.
She lives with her three little girls who think they're ninja princesses with super powers, her two cats who think they're gods (and probably are), her two dogs who think they're humans and her husband, also known as the sexy Russian Prince, who is the love of her life and writing partner.
ONLINE LINKS:
Website http://KimberlyKinrade.com
Twitter: @KimberlyKinrade
Facebook: /KimberlyKinrade
If you're an author looking for help in marketing, editing, design or self-publishing, check out http://DaringBooksDesign.com
Monday, October 22, 2012
Blog Tour: "Cassandra by Starlight" by Susan Mac Nicol (Review)
Welcome to our Virtual Book Tour Stop of "Cassandra by Starlight" by Susan MacNicol brought to you by Innovative Online Book Tours.
Cassandra by Starlight
by: Susan Mac Nicol
Publishing Date: 8/13/12
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Provided by I.O. Book Tours from Author
Description:
A London woman is swept off her feet into the glamorous
yet surprisingly dangerous world of an up-and-coming star of stage and screen.
TO CATCH A
RISING STAR
Unconventional though she may be, Cassandra Wallace leads
the life of an average Londoner, from blind dates to rush hour traffic. Then,
along comes Bennett Saville. Charming, erudite, the up-and-coming actor is like
the hero of a romantic movie. He sets Cassie afire like he has the stage and
screen, and defies the tragedy that brought them together. From the tips of his
Armani loafers to their scorching hot first kiss, he’s perfect. Only, he’s ten
years younger and from the upper class, and those emerald eyes invite dangerous
secrets. The world is full of hungry leading ladies, and every show must have
its villain. Yet a true romance will always find its happy ending.
My Review:
Every once in awhile I come across a book on a book tour that I never would have found on my own that I knew I would love to read. Thank goodness for Innovative Book Online Tours, for introducing me to "Cassandra by Starlight" because I really enjoyed reading about the handsome star, Bennett and the beautiful, courageous, Cassie.
I read the book while on vacation when I couldn't get on the computer that much since I was not around any internet services. (My Mom lives out in the country and doesn't need internet since she has no computer...Eeek! What is a avid reader/blogger supposed to do...well..read of course) =)
Cassie is minding her own business driving to work, when she has a body fall into her car while she is driving. She ends up in the hospital...while the person who fell into her car, ends up committing suicide. The man's family is contacted and one of the family members is the famous actor, Bennett Saville, who drops everything to identify his brother for his family and also make sure the woman that was injured is okay.
Bennett, of course expected to fall in love with Cassie, the sexy, older woman who his brother happened to put in the hospital.
He can't stop thinking about her and wants to know more about her. His father doesn't want him getting involved with the older woman who probably just wants him for his money. His father would rather he hook up with his ex-girlfriend.
Bennett has never a great relationship with his father since what his father put him through when he was a child. He will make up his own mind who he wants to be with.
Cassie is dealing with getting back in the groove of things after the accident, when she has another dilemma happen to her thanks to Bennett's family again.
Bennet has other issues as well, but he will do anything to be with the woman he loves and so will another woman who wants Bennett as her own.
I do not want to give away too much about "Cassandra by Starlight", but let's just say it has a lot going on. Both Bennett and Cassie go through a lot in this book. I felt terrible for Cassie the first half of the book and the last half I was upset for Bennett. Actually...for Bennett, I had a more sickening feeling for him because the pain he went through. In the end though, it all worked out.
Love can conquer anything and this book definitely proved it.
Cassie was one strong-willed character who was amazing. I clicked with her as soon as she was introduced. She went through hell and still managed to be the strongest character out of the book.
Bennett was a pain at times, especially when keeping secrets from Cassie, but I had to give it to him because he had his reasons. Cassie could throw a tantrum.
Let's just say, also, Cassie knew how to keep Bennett in check, especially in the bedroom. =)
I loved Sue Mac Nicol's writing and how she kept the suspense and romance going. One incident would happen and she would make sure to play it out where it fixed it self. She never had too much going on at the same time where you got lost.
I look forward to reading more books from Sue soon.
I recommend this book for readers who love contemporary romance and love a little suspense to it because believe me, Sue gives you some suspense to the story.
I was provided a complimentary copy of "Cassandra by Starlight" by Sue Mac Nicol in exchange for an honest review during the virtual book tour of the book brought to you by Innovative Online Book Tours.
Every once in awhile I come across a book on a book tour that I never would have found on my own that I knew I would love to read. Thank goodness for Innovative Book Online Tours, for introducing me to "Cassandra by Starlight" because I really enjoyed reading about the handsome star, Bennett and the beautiful, courageous, Cassie.
I read the book while on vacation when I couldn't get on the computer that much since I was not around any internet services. (My Mom lives out in the country and doesn't need internet since she has no computer...Eeek! What is a avid reader/blogger supposed to do...well..read of course) =)
Cassie is minding her own business driving to work, when she has a body fall into her car while she is driving. She ends up in the hospital...while the person who fell into her car, ends up committing suicide. The man's family is contacted and one of the family members is the famous actor, Bennett Saville, who drops everything to identify his brother for his family and also make sure the woman that was injured is okay.
Bennett, of course expected to fall in love with Cassie, the sexy, older woman who his brother happened to put in the hospital.
He can't stop thinking about her and wants to know more about her. His father doesn't want him getting involved with the older woman who probably just wants him for his money. His father would rather he hook up with his ex-girlfriend.
Bennett has never a great relationship with his father since what his father put him through when he was a child. He will make up his own mind who he wants to be with.
Cassie is dealing with getting back in the groove of things after the accident, when she has another dilemma happen to her thanks to Bennett's family again.
Bennet has other issues as well, but he will do anything to be with the woman he loves and so will another woman who wants Bennett as her own.
I do not want to give away too much about "Cassandra by Starlight", but let's just say it has a lot going on. Both Bennett and Cassie go through a lot in this book. I felt terrible for Cassie the first half of the book and the last half I was upset for Bennett. Actually...for Bennett, I had a more sickening feeling for him because the pain he went through. In the end though, it all worked out.
Love can conquer anything and this book definitely proved it.
Cassie was one strong-willed character who was amazing. I clicked with her as soon as she was introduced. She went through hell and still managed to be the strongest character out of the book.
Bennett was a pain at times, especially when keeping secrets from Cassie, but I had to give it to him because he had his reasons. Cassie could throw a tantrum.
Let's just say, also, Cassie knew how to keep Bennett in check, especially in the bedroom. =)
I loved Sue Mac Nicol's writing and how she kept the suspense and romance going. One incident would happen and she would make sure to play it out where it fixed it self. She never had too much going on at the same time where you got lost.
I look forward to reading more books from Sue soon.
I recommend this book for readers who love contemporary romance and love a little suspense to it because believe me, Sue gives you some suspense to the story.
I was provided a complimentary copy of "Cassandra by Starlight" by Sue Mac Nicol in exchange for an honest review during the virtual book tour of the book brought to you by Innovative Online Book Tours.
Sue Mac
Nicol was born in Headingley, Leeds, in the United Kingdom. When she was eight
years old her family emigrated to Johannesburg, South Africa. One day, after
yet another horrific story of violence to friends, they decided it was time to
leave. In December 2000 they found themselves in the Arrivals area at Heathrow
and have stayed in the UK ever since, loving every minute of it.
In
between her day job as a regulatory compliance officer for a financial services
company in Cambridge and normal daily life, the inspiration for the Starlight
series was born; Sue’s characters, Cassie and Bennett, finally made their debut
onto the flickering screen of a laptop and gave her the opportunity to become a
published author—a dream she’s had since being a young girl old enough to hold
a pencil.
Sue is a
member of the Romance Writers of America and the Romantic Novelists Association
in the UK. She lives in a town house in the rural village of Bocking, Essex,
with her husband of twenty eight years, Gary (who believes he deserves a long
service award for putting up with her for so long), two children, Jason, 24,
and Ashley, 19, and a mixed collie mongrel called Blu.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Blog Tour: "Raging Blue" by Renee Daniel Flagler (Guest Post/First Chapter)
Welcome to our Blog tour stop of "Raging Blue" by Renee Daniel Flagler from Innovative Online Book Tours.
Scratch the Bucket List. I’m Gonna Live-It!
Most people have a bucket list, but I don’t. I have a
“Live-it” list. It’s pretty much the same as a bucket list. However I’d rather
not focus on things I want to do before I die. I’d rather focus on things I want
to do so that I can live life to the fullest. I intend to give this life the
business while I’m here! Just to give you some insight into my nutty world, I’d
like to share 10 things from my “live-it” list! I’ll start by saying…don’t
judge me. J
Renee Daniel Flagler’s Live-it List!
1.
Have lunch with Oprah.
2.
Ride in a hot air balloon.
3.
Be a radio DJ for just a day.
4.
Send a deserving child to college.
5.
Walk the red carpet at a fabulous Hollywood
event.
6.
Have my own talk show. (One season is all I
need.)
7.
Counsel reality show stars. (So what I’m not
certified.)
8.
Go horseback riding. (Can you believe I haven’t
done this yet?)
9.
Rent a flat in London and country-hop around
Europe for a few months.
10. Hit
the celebrity hot spots across LA sporting a low hat and sun glasses
as if I’m
a celebrity trying to be incognito!
What’s on your live-it list?
Fabulously yours,
Renee Daniel Flagler
Raging Blue
by: Renee Daniel Flagler
Publishing Date: 9/1/12
Publisher: Sitting Bull Publications LLC
Buy Links: Amazon
Description:
Blue Holiday has decided to call foul
and leave her destructive marriage. But her cheating husband, Jaylin,
decides he needs her money to survive and insists on a rematch. Usually, Blue
would be game, but after discovering the depths of his depravity, she drops him
from her roster of eligibles. Unaccustomed to rejection, especially from
his wife, Jaylin decides to take what he feels is rightfully his. Problem is,
he forgot a woman in love will put up with a lot. But a woman enraged, she’ll
let you think you’re winning, just before she snatches it all. Raging Blue a contemporary romance by author,
Renee Daniel Flagler. Buy your copy today.
Chapter 1
Blue
He slapped her so hard that her sight blurred for a minute. After a few moments, Blue Holiday
focused on her husband’s towering frame as it loomed over her. Jaylin Mack’s rich, dark
complexion appeared even darker. His French-cuffed shirt was half buttoned and sloped lazily
off his shoulders. His slacks hung low around his slim waist, and his belt was only partially
looped.
“See what you made me do!” he screamed, applying pressure to his temples with the fingers of both hands.
Shocked into silence, Blue stood still, absorbing the verbal assault. Tears had yet to find their way down her cheek. In the five years they’d been married, Jay had never put his hands on her. However, she’d grown accustomed to his crassness, initially intrigued by what she'd perceived as confidence.
The slap still sent a pulsing sensation across her cheek. The tears finally appeared, welling up in her eyes. Her unresponsiveness fell away in clumps. She stared at his moving lips and began to hear him clearly. His words carried as much sting as the slap.
“See what you made me do,” he repeated. The liquor made his tongue lazy, causing each word to slide into the next.
Blue looked into his wild eyes and blinked. Tears trickled down her cheeks, making dark circles wherever they landed on her champagne-colored cocktail dress. She swatted them away. Her eyes were fixed on Jay. He was obviously hopped up on something more potent than scotch.
“See what you made me do!” he screamed, applying pressure to his temples with the fingers of both hands.
Shocked into silence, Blue stood still, absorbing the verbal assault. Tears had yet to find their way down her cheek. In the five years they’d been married, Jay had never put his hands on her. However, she’d grown accustomed to his crassness, initially intrigued by what she'd perceived as confidence.
The slap still sent a pulsing sensation across her cheek. The tears finally appeared, welling up in her eyes. Her unresponsiveness fell away in clumps. She stared at his moving lips and began to hear him clearly. His words carried as much sting as the slap.
“See what you made me do,” he repeated. The liquor made his tongue lazy, causing each word to slide into the next.
Blue looked into his wild eyes and blinked. Tears trickled down her cheeks, making dark circles wherever they landed on her champagne-colored cocktail dress. She swatted them away. Her eyes were fixed on Jay. He was obviously hopped up on something more potent than scotch.
Blue’s eyes darted around the living room of their lavish penthouse, taking in the massive
floor-to-ceiling windows that framed the dazzling Manhattan skyline. A pair of handsome floor
vases sprouting dried flora caused Blue to pause, but they were too heavy to pick up. Her sight
then rested on his set of prized golf clubs. Blue took slow steps in the direction of the irons as
Jay continued rambling.
“Don’t walk away from me. You’re supposed to be my wife! A woman! Act. Like. One!” he yelled as Blue continued to walk towards the clubs. “I saw you whispering to that man,” he said, his voice growing louder. “I saw him kiss you!”
Blue shook her head. Jay’s words lashed at her back. She swatted at them in her mind and imagined the cold steel of the golf club in her hands—as protection. With a few short steps, Jay was right behind her just as she reached for a club. He grabbed at her, pulling her from the pit of her thoughts.
“Get off of me!” Blue jerked away from him. Her voice returned, rising to a shaky screech. “Don’t. Touch. Me.” Her eyes narrowed to slits. “Don’t ever touch me again.”
Jay stared at her, seeming to sober up for just a moment. Blue stared back for a beat before turning to walk away.
“Don’t walk away from me,” he said, reaching for her again.
“I said don’t touch me! I can’t believe you put your hands on me!” she screamed. Her heart felt like it was filled with air. She gasped before her voice came back full force. “I’ve put up with enough from you. But this...,” Blue pointed at the spot on her face that still tingled from the slap, “...I won’t put up with.”
His jealousy was toxic and intensified under the influence of cocaine. No matter how much he denied using it, Blue could always tell when he’d been sniffing. Glassy eyes, dilated
“Don’t walk away from me. You’re supposed to be my wife! A woman! Act. Like. One!” he yelled as Blue continued to walk towards the clubs. “I saw you whispering to that man,” he said, his voice growing louder. “I saw him kiss you!”
Blue shook her head. Jay’s words lashed at her back. She swatted at them in her mind and imagined the cold steel of the golf club in her hands—as protection. With a few short steps, Jay was right behind her just as she reached for a club. He grabbed at her, pulling her from the pit of her thoughts.
“Get off of me!” Blue jerked away from him. Her voice returned, rising to a shaky screech. “Don’t. Touch. Me.” Her eyes narrowed to slits. “Don’t ever touch me again.”
Jay stared at her, seeming to sober up for just a moment. Blue stared back for a beat before turning to walk away.
“Don’t walk away from me,” he said, reaching for her again.
“I said don’t touch me! I can’t believe you put your hands on me!” she screamed. Her heart felt like it was filled with air. She gasped before her voice came back full force. “I’ve put up with enough from you. But this...,” Blue pointed at the spot on her face that still tingled from the slap, “...I won’t put up with.”
His jealousy was toxic and intensified under the influence of cocaine. No matter how much he denied using it, Blue could always tell when he’d been sniffing. Glassy eyes, dilated
pupils and runny nose confirmed words that never passed his lips. Despite his infidelities, it was
apparent he couldn’t cope with the idea of Blue being with another man. It sickened her how he
always accused her, yet she was never unfaithful. She'd sensed his lies but didn’t have proof to
act on any of them. So, she held what little she gleaned for herself.
“You embarrassed me in front of the people I work with and your teammates. I saw you with that woman on the balcony before you disappeared. And you have the nerve to accuse me?”
“I don’t give a damn about those people. No man should be that close to you! This is your fault,” he huffed. “Nobody touches my woman!” he screamed, stabbing the air with his finger.
“Only you, right?” Blue snapped, and walked away. She stopped mid-step and turned back to him. “Maybe I should have just disappeared with him like you did with that woman tonight,” she added, flicking her wrist.
Jay’s eyes filled with surprise and then rage. His breathing became ragged. “What woman?”
Blue refused to buy into the beliefs and acceptance of the other basketball wives. She could care less if all athletes cheated or not. She had her own life to live, and chasing down his infidelities wasn’t in her plan. She’d deal with a problem if it arose, but she wasn’t going to seek it out just to do nothing about it like the others.
“I should have done it!” she taunted while watching Jay’s eyes grow a shade darker. “But that’s not what you’re really concerned about. Is it, Jay?” she asked and sauntered back in his direction.
Jay’s jaw clenched.
“You knew he wasn’t flirting?” she asked, calming her tone.
“You embarrassed me in front of the people I work with and your teammates. I saw you with that woman on the balcony before you disappeared. And you have the nerve to accuse me?”
“I don’t give a damn about those people. No man should be that close to you! This is your fault,” he huffed. “Nobody touches my woman!” he screamed, stabbing the air with his finger.
“Only you, right?” Blue snapped, and walked away. She stopped mid-step and turned back to him. “Maybe I should have just disappeared with him like you did with that woman tonight,” she added, flicking her wrist.
Jay’s eyes filled with surprise and then rage. His breathing became ragged. “What woman?”
Blue refused to buy into the beliefs and acceptance of the other basketball wives. She could care less if all athletes cheated or not. She had her own life to live, and chasing down his infidelities wasn’t in her plan. She’d deal with a problem if it arose, but she wasn’t going to seek it out just to do nothing about it like the others.
“I should have done it!” she taunted while watching Jay’s eyes grow a shade darker. “But that’s not what you’re really concerned about. Is it, Jay?” she asked and sauntered back in his direction.
Jay’s jaw clenched.
“You knew he wasn’t flirting?” she asked, calming her tone.
Jay’s jaw twitched again and his hands folded into fists.
“You know what he said to me, don’t you?”
Now it was Jay’s turn to be speechless.
“Why did I have to find out from someone else that you were cut from the team?” Blue
screamed. “They warned you over and over again. You claimed the coach was out to get you, but it’s time for you to take a look in the mirror and realize this world does not revolve around you. I’m done!” she said, then waved him off with a hard downward fling of her arm.
Jay finally broke his silence. “I’ll kill his ass!” He stomped the floorboards beneath him. “That was none of his business. Those bastards are the problem, not me. And what do you mean you’re done?”
Blue threw her hands up. Jay was playing the victim again, just like his mother had always taught him.
“No, you’re the problem.” Blue pulled off her five- carat princess-cut engagement ring and matching wedding band, then threw them at him. “I’m finished with you,” she said before walking away.
Jay grabbed her by the arm.
“Get off of me!”
“I’m still the man of this house!”
“You’re no man!” she yelled. “You’re a...”
Before she could complete her sentence, Jay grabbed her head with his large hand,
swallowing the side of it the same way he cupped the basketball on the court. He pushed her with so much force; she went crashing to the floor along with the expensive golf clubs. While trying to shake off the sense of disorientation, Blue attempted to scramble to her feet. She reached for a
“You know what he said to me, don’t you?”
Now it was Jay’s turn to be speechless.
“Why did I have to find out from someone else that you were cut from the team?” Blue
screamed. “They warned you over and over again. You claimed the coach was out to get you, but it’s time for you to take a look in the mirror and realize this world does not revolve around you. I’m done!” she said, then waved him off with a hard downward fling of her arm.
Jay finally broke his silence. “I’ll kill his ass!” He stomped the floorboards beneath him. “That was none of his business. Those bastards are the problem, not me. And what do you mean you’re done?”
Blue threw her hands up. Jay was playing the victim again, just like his mother had always taught him.
“No, you’re the problem.” Blue pulled off her five- carat princess-cut engagement ring and matching wedding band, then threw them at him. “I’m finished with you,” she said before walking away.
Jay grabbed her by the arm.
“Get off of me!”
“I’m still the man of this house!”
“You’re no man!” she yelled. “You’re a...”
Before she could complete her sentence, Jay grabbed her head with his large hand,
swallowing the side of it the same way he cupped the basketball on the court. He pushed her with so much force; she went crashing to the floor along with the expensive golf clubs. While trying to shake off the sense of disorientation, Blue attempted to scramble to her feet. She reached for a
golf club, but couldn’t grab hold. Jay ripped across the room like lightning, tossed the club, and
grabbed her arms.
“I am a man,” he said in staccato, pinning her against the floor.
Blue searched the emptiness of his eyes for mercy, and then summoned every bit of energy she could muster and drew him back to reality with a swift kick between his legs
Jay released her and grabbed his groin as he howled.
She scuttled out of his reach. This time, she made it to her feet, leapt over Jay, who was curled in a fetal position, and ran towards the door. Jay reached out and caught her by the leg, and she fell. The side of Blue’s head met the floor with force.
Jay cursed, still declaring his manliness. As the room grew blurry, he let her know he was indeed a man. His ranting grew distant, until everything subsided and fell mute.
“I am a man,” he said in staccato, pinning her against the floor.
Blue searched the emptiness of his eyes for mercy, and then summoned every bit of energy she could muster and drew him back to reality with a swift kick between his legs
Jay released her and grabbed his groin as he howled.
She scuttled out of his reach. This time, she made it to her feet, leapt over Jay, who was curled in a fetal position, and ran towards the door. Jay reached out and caught her by the leg, and she fell. The side of Blue’s head met the floor with force.
Jay cursed, still declaring his manliness. As the room grew blurry, he let her know he was indeed a man. His ranting grew distant, until everything subsided and fell mute.
Renee
Daniel Flagler is an award-winning freelance journalist, marketing
professional, and the author of four novels, Mountain High Valley Low,
Miss-Guided,
In
Her Mind and, Raging Blue. Renee is the founder
of SheBiz.net, a lifestyle blog for women pursuing their passions. She teaches
creative writing through the New York City and Nassau County public school’s
Arts in Education programs and is currently enrolled in the Queens College, MFA
in Creative Writing program. Renee resides in New York and is currently at work
on her next novel, Still Raging, and her first faith-based, nonfiction book
entitled, The Relationship Survival Guide. Connect with Renee on
Facebook, Twitter or online at ReneeDanielFlagler.com.
Check out the other Tour Stops for Raging Blue:
9/25 Books, Books and More Books Review
9/26 Free Book Dude Guest Blog
9/27 My Cozie Corner Review
9/27 Book Lovin' Mamas Guest Post/First Chapter
9/28 T B R Review and First Chapter
9/26 Free Book Dude Guest Blog
9/27 My Cozie Corner Review
9/27 Book Lovin' Mamas Guest Post/First Chapter
9/28 T B R Review and First Chapter
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