Monday, February 23, 2015

Monday's Montage Mantlepiece: Pink Shades of Words

Title: Pink Shades of Words
A Fifty Shades of Pink Anthology
Release Date: February 3, 2015
Summary:
Pink Shades of Words is a collaboration of 18 never before seen short stories from 18 NY Times, USA Today, and international bestselling authors. These authors came together to bring you a collection of romance that is a must read including New Adult, Contemporary, Erotica, and Dark Romance.

***Pink Shades of Words is available for a limited time only, so get your copy quick! All proceeds will benefit the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer through the Fifty Shades of Pink team.***

Courage Anthology Charity
All proceeds from sales will benefit the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer via the Fifty Shades of Pink team.
FIFTY SHADES OF PINK team is made up of a group of girlfriends who raise funds annually to participate in the Avon 2 Day Breast Cancer Walk in Santa Barbara, CA.
For one weekend in September, we wake up before the crack of dawn, dress in as much Pink as humanly possible and prepare to walk for 39.9 miles.
We suffer and laugh through:
·        Torn muscles which require surgery
·        Blisters that are almost covering your entire foot and body parts you never realize you could get a blister on (ButtCrackGate 2013)
·        Passing out in the triage medical unit
·        Sleeping in a tent on the grass
·        Taking the best mobile showers EVER
·        Limping like old ladies
·        Cursing at the curbs to get onto the sidewalk (Walk 39 miles and you will be cursing at them too).
We do this all in the hopes that no other Mother, Sister, Aunt or Friend will have to deal with Breast Cancer.

***Money raised from the anthology will go towards the 2015 Avon Walk***

Included in the Anthology
Shanghai Wind by Chloe T. Barlow
When You Want by Ruth Cardello
Alpha Love by Gretchen de la O
Mr. Online by Jennifer Foor
Kindred by Angela Graham & S.E. Hall
Relinquished by K.A. Hunter
Insatiable Hunger by Jade C. Jamison
Will You Be My Valentine? by Jade C. Jamison
Dry Spell by Vi Keeland
Break Down Here by Shayne McClendon
The Auction by J.B. McGee
Frozen Fantasy by Nicole Andrews Moore
Roses are Red by Liv Morris
Cricket by Tess Oliver
The Fantasy by Julie A. Richman
Teasing Destiny by Melanie Shawn
Undoing You by Jessica Sorensen
Always On My Mind by Hilary Storm

Anthology Author Line-Up:
Click on author name to go to their Facebook page
Shanghai Wind by Chloe Barlow
Chloe is a contemporary romance novelist living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband and their sweet dog. She is a native Washingtonian that graduated Duke University with a degree in English and Chinese language. She met her husband at Duke and he brought her to Pittsburgh over a decade ago, which she has loved ever since and made her adopted hometown. She also attended the University of Pittsburgh Law School where she continued to be a book-loving nerd.

Chloe has always loved writing and cherishes the opportunity to craft her fictional novels and share them with the world. When Chloe isn't writing, she spends her time exploring Pittsburgh with her husband and friends. She also enjoys yoga, jogging, and all Pittsburgh sports, as well as her Duke Blue Devils.

She also thoroughly enjoys every opportunity to communicate with her readers. Since the release of her debut novel, Three Rivers, she has enjoyed the honor of meeting and talking with numerous fans, and looks forward to getting to know many more. 

When You Want by Ruth Cardello
Ruth Cardello was born the youngest of 11 children in a small city in northern Rhode Island. She spent her young adult years moving as far away as she could from her large extended family. She lived in Boston, Paris, Orlando, New York--then came full circle and moved back to Rhode Island. She now happily lives one town over from the one she was born in. For her, family trumped the warmer weather and international scene. 

She was an educator for 20 years, the last 11 as a kindergarten teacher. When her school district began cutting jobs, Ruth turned a serious eye toward her second love- writing and has never been happier. When she's not writing, you can find her chasing her children around her small farm, riding her horses, or connecting with her readers online.

Her third book in the Andrade Series, Maximum Risk is now available for pre-order! 

Alpha Love by Gretchen de la O
By day Gretchen teaches computers, by night she dons the cloak of motherhood, wifehood, and authorship. She is making her way through self-publishing and is truly learning to let go with every curve and bump in the creative process. She enjoys writing about first loves and first times, in the first person. She is a firm believer that anything is possible if you set your mind to it; and what you expect out of life, always finds a way of showing up.

Gretchen happily lives in Northern California with her amazing husband, their three terrific boys, her talented mother, one goofy black lab, two crazy kitties, and seven happy chickens. Even though it sounds like it, she doesn't live on a farm.

The Wilson Mooney Series is Gretchen's 3 book complete series about a forbidden student/teacher romance. The series is a New Adult Romance. Pick it up today! 

Mr. Online by Jennifer Foor
Jennifer Foor - Author of the Best Selling Mitchell Family Series, The Kin Series, The Bankshot Series, The Twisted Twin Series, Diary of a Male Maid, Hope's Chance and Love's Suicide. 

Kindred by Angela Graham & S.E. Hall
New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author.

Angela knew she found her calling in the world of fiction the moment she began pounding away at the keys for her first short story in 2012. With a baby on her shoulder, she wrote for about a year before deciding to try her hand at an actual novel. It was the best decision she ever made and since then she continues to bring characters to life in her free time snuck away from her first role as mother to her three young children. 

S.E.Hall is the author of the Amazon Best Selling Evolve Series: Emerge, Embrace, Entangled(novella)and Entice as well as the best selling stand-alone NA Romance, Pretty Instinct. She also co-wrote Stirred Up, Packaged and Handled, stand-alone erotic quickies with her CP and friend, Author Angela Graham and Conspire, a romantic suspense with friend and author Erin Noelle. 
S.E. Hall is honored to be a part of the USA Today and NYT Best Selling Devour box set.
She resides in Arkansas with her husband of 18 years and 3 beautiful daughters of the home.





Relinquished by K.A. Hunter
Kimi grew up in the San Gabriel Valley (mostly Alhambra) and still lives in Southern California. She's been married to her high-school sweetheart and prom date for over 22 years and they have two hilarious boys.

When she's not reading or writing, Kimi spends her time in the kitchen trying to come up with vegan meals that don't taste like cardboard. Her family might disagree with this however.

Volunteering is extremely important to her and her family. Together, they work with several local non-profit organizations. A portion of her sales will always go to charity.

Books 1-3 in the Intertwined Hearts series, are available now and book 4, Grafted Vines (Dani & Zachary's story) is anticipated to release in early 2015. 

*** UPDATE BY AUTHOR...I have some EXCITING news. I decided to write a new novel under the pen name, K.A. Hunter (will add links when they become available). I'm not hiding behind the name but this novel, and others that will follow, is more raw and definitely grittier than my Intertwined Hearts series. The first 4 chapters have been written into a short story that will appear in an anthology in February 2015 and I anticipate publishing the full novel around July 2015. Those that have read it confirm that it's nothing like what I've written before and they were blown away. Can't even tell you how happy that makes me :D

Insatiable Hunger & Will You Be My Valentine (Two Stories) by Jade C. Jamison
For years, Jade C. Jamison tried really hard to write what she thought was more "literary" fiction, but she found herself compelled to write what you read by her today--sometimes gritty, raw, realistic stories and other times humorous, light stories--but most of the stories she writes revolve around relationships and characters finding their way through life. While she doesn't confine herself to just one genre, nor is there a nice neat label for what she writes, most of her work could be called erotic romance.

She lives in Colorado with her husband and four children.

Dry Spell by Vi Keeland
Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn't change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work. She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting New York Times & USA Today Best Selling smut author by night!

Break Down Here by Shayne McClendon
Shayne McClendon is an indie author who has received rave reviews for her premiere novel "The Barter System." 

Other projects recently released are "Yes to Everything," "Completely Wrecked," "Love of the Game - The Complete Collection," "The Hermit," "Hudson" - the second book set in "The Barter System" world, and "Just a Little - The Complete Collection" with Alexandra Andersen.

Writer, mom, and hermit...Shayne listens to the voices in her head because their ideas are awesome. Those around her have learned not to question the crazy. Coffee consumption is too high, amount of sleep is too low, but the words always feel just right.

She currently lives in Oklahoma wrangling teenagers, opening doors for her pets, and running her content writing company. She dreams of peace, quiet, travel, and always having a viable internet connection.

The Auction by J.B. McGee
J.B. McGee was born and raised in Aiken, South Carolina. She is the mother of two beautiful children and a stay at home mom/entrepreneur. She finished her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of South Carolina-Aiken in 2006. During her time studying children's literature, a professor had encouraged her to become a writer.

In 2011, it was discovered that both of her children, she, and her husband have Mitochondrial Disease, a disease that has no cure or treatments. Being a writer allows J.B. to remain close to her family, work on raising awareness for this disease, and to lose herself in the stories that she creates for her fans.

J.B. McGee and her family now reside in Buford, Georgia. She is an Amazon Top 100 bestselling author of her debut series, the 'THIS' Series.

Frozen Fantasy by Nicole Andrews Moore
Nicole lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband, a teenage son and daughter, and Kenna. Every day is new and sparkly...which is why she chronicles them on her blog, Suddenly *Not So* Single Journey. It is a way for her to spread her brand of hope, happiness, and love.

Previously, Nicole has been published by McClatchy News in their syndicated papers. In 2010, she joined the Yahoo! Mother Board, became a Shine Parenting Guru, and has become an award winning dating and relationships expert for Shine. 

After a few bad sailing experiences, the Moores decided they were safer on land. Their boating adventures will be limited to cruise ships. And those cruises are centered around their travel goal of visiting ever Margaritaville. Two down, eleven to go!

Roses Are Red by Liv Morris
Raised in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri, Liv Morris now resides in Manhattan with her first and hopefully last husband. After relocating eleven times during his corporate career, she qualifies as a professional mover. Learning to bloom where she's planted, Liv brings her moving and life experience to her writing.

Cricket by Tess Oliver
Custom Culture #5: Nix & Scotlyn: The Wedding COMING DECEMBER 20th

I write romance for young adult, new adult and those of us past the 'new' stage. My stories take place anywhere from 19th century England to 21st century California. And you can count on a super alpha in each book. 

Tess Oliver is the USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of the Custom Culture Series. She lives in sunny California with her husband, kids and a herd of spoiled pets

The Fantasy by Julie A. Richman
USA TODAY Bestselling author Julie A. Richman is a native New Yorker living deep in the heart of Texas. A creative writing major in college, reading and writing fiction has always been a passion. Julie began her corporate career in publishing in NYC and writing played a major role throughout her career as she created and wrote marketing, advertising, direct mail and fundraising materials for Fortune 500 corporations, advertising agencies and non-profit organizations. She is an award winning nature photographer plagued with insatiable wanderlust. Julie and her husband have one son and a white German Shepherd named Juneau.

Currently, Julie has published The Needing Moore Series - Searching for Moore, Moore to Lose and Moore than Forever, and has works included in Pink Shades of Words and Tempting Fate Boxed Set (Searching for Moore appears in its entirety)

Teasing Destiny by Melanie Shawn
NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY bestselling author Melanie Shawn is the writing team of sister duo Melanie and Shawna. Originally from Northern California, they both migrated south and now call So Cal their home.

Growing up, Melanie constantly had her head in a book and was always working on short stories, manuscripts, plays and poetry. 

Shawna always loved romance in any form - movie, song or literary. If it was a love story with a happy ending, Shawna was all about it! She proudly acknowledges that she is a romanceaholic. 

They have joined forces to create a world where true love and happily ever after always has a sexy twist!

Undoing You by Jessica Sorenson
Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author from the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.




Always on my Mind by Hilary Storm
Hilary Storm lives with her high school sweetheart and three children in Enid, Oklahoma. She drives her husband crazy talking about book characters everyday like they are real people. She graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State University with an MBA in Accounting. Her passions include being a mom, writing, reading, photography, music, mocha coffee, and spending time with friends and family. She is the international best selling author of the Rebel Walking Series.








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Release Day Blitz: Accepting Fate by Brandy L Rivers

Title: Accepting Fate
Author: Brandy L Rivers
Series: Others of Seattle #3
Genre: Adult Paranormal
Release Date: February 23, 2015
Cover Artist: Brandy L Rivers
Summary:
Accept fate, or it destroys you...
Michael Nights hides his true nature. To protect his first love, his magic broke free, terrifying Amanda so badly she left. That day convinced him he was the monster she claimed. Horrified by the damage he could cause, he’s vowed to keep his power locked away.
Gwen Fate meets Mike at a party. One look and she’s captivated. Inherently curious, she wants to discover all of his secrets. What she learns compels her to help, whether or not he wants to embrace what he is.
Amanda deLuna has changed, but was it for the better? She arrives back in Seattle and offers Mike what he always wanted.
After finally learning to control his power, Mike will have to choose.
The life he wished for? Or his fate?

Author Bio:
Brandy L Rivers is the author of the Others of Edenton and Others of Seattle series. There are more Others of Edenton and Others of Seattle books in the works. As an avid reader, Brandy has always loved writing. She became serious about it as a stay-at-home-mother. She has a file full of manuscripts she plans to edit and put out there eventually. She lives in Western Washington with her husband and three kids, where she is already working on future stories in each of the series and several other projects.


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Release Day Blitz: Honor by Rachel Rossano

Title: Honor
Author: Rachel Rossano
Series: Rhynan #2
Genre: Medieval Clean Romance
Release Date: February 23, 2015
Summary:
The Earl of Dentin excels in his position as Securer of the Realm. But the king’s order to pluck an orphaned child from a loving home unsettles Dentin. When a dark-eyed woman challenges his honor regarding the mission, Dentin finds himself unable to justify his actions or get her out of his mind. Something about her lack of fear intrigues him.

Lady Elsa Reeve attempts to avoid the marriage of convenience her brother and mother demand of her. She understands the need to pay off her brother's massive debt. She only wants her family to consider her wishes in the process.

As Elsa becomes further entangled in a snare of her brother’s creating, only one man defends her. But can she trust Dentin, her unlikely champion, and his motives? With a murderer on the loose, Elsa’s fate in jeopardy, and a traitor plotting against the king, Dentin finds his priorities shifting in an unexpected direction.


A smattering of raindrops cut my ruminations short. I studied the angry gray clouds just as thunder rumbled. I decided running for the keep would be better than waiting the storm out in the shelter of the maze tower. I gathered my skirts up and ran for the opening in the nearest hedge. Even running so hard my lungs burned and my legs ached, the downpour beat me to the shelter of the vargar keep.

Normally safe footing became treacherous in the sudden rush of water. Puddles and slick slate pavers slowed me more. Once gaining the half-open undercroft door, I plunged into the underbelly of the castle and pushed the heavy door closed behind me. Not bothering to check the corridor, I began wringing out my heavy rain-soaked skirt.

“Greetings, Lady Elsa?”

I jumped. It took all of my control not to cry out in surprise at the sound of the male voice. I lifted my head to find Lord Dentin standing not three feet away. He looked like he had just returned from a swim. Water coursed down his face and dripped from his clothes into a growing puddle on the stone floor. A partially dry wool blanket draped his shoulders. His hair, black with moisture, stuck out from his head at odd angles as though he had paused mid rub.

Yet, his eyes were bright and a twitch pulled at his mouth. “It is good to know I wasn't the only one caught in the sudden downpour.”

Suddenly realizing I was holding my dress up and exposing quite a bit of leg, I dropped my skirts. The slap of them hitting the wet floor echoed down the corridor. I flinched.

His eyebrows rose and an actual smile pulled at his mouth. It took years off his face, revealing the remnants of the mischievous rascal he must have been in boyhood.

“Don’t look so frightened. I won’t tell on you.”

Anger gripped my chest and my chin rose instinctively. “I doubt my mother would care, my lord. She has grown calloused in her despair of me. I beg pardon. I didn't see you there.”

His smile disappeared and his expression grew thoughtful. “I am a bit hard to miss.”

“True, my lord. I need to proceed to my rooms now and change.”

“By all means. I would not wish you to grow ill. I anticipate an animated conversation at the evening meal.” He stepped back a bit, offering half the narrow hall for me to pass.

I gathered my skirts, keeping the edge just above the floor this time, and stepped through the gap. Then straightening my back and shoulders, I strode down the corridor to the servant’s staircase.

“Wait.”

I paused instinctively, but I didn't turn around. He approached, his boots making squelching sounds on the stone.

“Have this.” He wrapped the wool blanket around my shoulders without actually touching me. It smelled of smoke, rain, and dog, but his residual warmth radiated from it. The heat felt heavenly on my chilled skin. “You need it more than I do.”

Then before I could voice my gratitude, he strode toward the kitchen calling for someone named Reginald.

“Thank you,” I whispered. Clutching the fabric to me, I dropped the pretense of dignity and ran for the stairs. If I was caught in this state of dress, my mother would never let me out of her sight again.

Trailer:


Duty #1
Summary:
Duty to King

Tomas Dyrease, the newly made Earl of Irvaine and the village of Wisenvale, owes his good fortune to his king and the recent civil war. When his benefactor demands Tomas marry the cousin of a noble, he obeys. However, no one warned him that she wasn’t a typical noblewoman.

Duty to Others

Brielle Solarius struggles to keep her village from starvation under the new Lord Wisten, her cousin. The men rode off to war and never returned. The remaining women and children face a dire winter if they do not find a solution soon. When she learns her cousin sold her into marriage to save his life, she isn’t surprised. However, she is taken aback by Lord Irvaine’s unpolished ways. Was this man a noble or a foot soldier?

Duty to Each Other

Bound by the words of their vows, they face a rough future. They must forge a marriage while battling betrayal, accusations of treason, and villains from the past. Survival depends on their precarious trust in each other. Failure could mean death.


Author Bio:
Rachel Rossano is a happily married mother of three children. She spends her days teaching, mothering, and keeping the chaos at bay. After the little ones are in bed, she immerses herself in the fantasy worlds of her books. Tales of romance, adventure, and virtue set in a medieval fantasy world are her preference, but she also writes speculative fantasy and a bit of science fiction.


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Honor #2
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Release Day Blitz: Something Real by Ariadne Wayne

Title: Something Real
Author: Ariadne Wayne
Series: Friends Forever #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 23, 2015
Summary:
Olivia Grant’s husband left her and their two children without even a backward glance. In an attempt to find herself, she turns to an old love. Writing.

Publishing erotic novels in secret, she finds a muse in her neighbour and friend, Logan. She’s not his type, but Logan makes her burn with the desire she conveys in her novels. When her secret is exposed, Logan feels betrayed and used. More than anything, Olivia needs to regain his trust and prove to him that what they have is something real.

***Features characters from the first two books in the series, but is a complete standalone.***




Author Bio:
Ariadne Wayne loves books and lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband and two children. Having always had a prolific imagination she now writes the words down instead of storing them in her head where she can't share them.
When she's not writing she works in Telecommunications, frequently banging her head on the desk with the random things that can happen to the ordinary phone line.


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Something Real #3

Loving Rowan #1 (Currently Free)
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Three Days #2
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Edge by Jamie Magee

Title: Edge
Author: Jamie Magee
Series: Edge Episode One: Season 1
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal
Release Date: August 18, 2014
Summary:
Reveca Beauregard had long ago been dubbed the Queen of Darkness by the dead. To the living she was known as the Pentacle Daughter, the only acknowledged female member of the Pentacle Sons MC, the most lethal biker correlation known to exist. She was rumored to be a witch. That rumor, of course, was true.

New Orleans was her home, at the Beauregard Boneyard, the safe haven the Club resided within. Only those in the inner circle were as Reveca was—immortal. To be as such you had to choose the life, and the life had to choose you. For either to occur, death came first.

Those deaths came from wars the Sons fought with both the mortal and immortal worlds, as they bent the decrees of the modern lawmen and the paranormal world at large who had no hope of opposing the dark splendor of their vengeance.

Presently, the mysterious murder of a mortal coupled with the cold-blooded slaying of Reveca’s close friend has led the lawmen to place their corrupt accusations upon the Sons. A forced barter with a Lord of Death has landed the Club with a soul that is set to rock the foundation the Sons as a whole stand upon.



     “Coward,” Talon growled as he threw his cigarette out and stepped inside. “I fight for my life, every day. I go out and do the shit we planned. I take care of us. I live. And all this while you knew—you fucking knew that it didn’t matter how hard I fought. If I sat on my ass and drank all day or if I built this empire. You were humoring me, knowing that at any moment your family could pull the plug.” He pointed at her. “You fought that war on your own, left me out of it, and now here we are in this hell.”
     Reveca stared before she spoke. She noticed how he struggled to remain cold toward her. It didn’t matter that it was a struggle, he still had the intent to hurt her, and intent is always worse than the action. It means they thought about it—they meant to, had every chance to change their mind but still did so.


     That hum, it was so nullifying that it nearly weakened Reveca. It was like stepping out of a hot tub and finding your ground. Only she wasn’t stepping out of anything, including his embrace, his legs and arms which were framing her. Her head fell back on his shoulder; deep breaths were causing her chest to rise and fall gently as she gained her bearings, felt tingles skirting through her body like live wires.
     “That went well,” King said in a soft, deep tone.
     “You watched?” Reveca asked, closing her eyes, deciding this numb feeling was going to reenergize her, empower her to make sure this spell she was going to use on Gwinn would have no choice but to work.
     “Didn’t really have a choice…you had more of my energy than I did during that little exercise.”
     She should have felt weak then, assuming that all the magic she used tonight was crutched on his power, but right then as she lay against him, as she felt, really felt, the essence encasing her, she understood that it wasn’t more of him or her, but a balance, a oneness.


     “What the hell are you doing!” Reveca whispered harshly as she tried to turn.
     “Obeying,” he said against her neck.
     That one word made her freeze, caused warm chills to wave over her skin.
     She felt his hands slide down her arms then lift them to the wall, bracing them there. His body was against hers, her back to his front.
     “Exaltation,” he said as his hands moved to her waist, slid along her belt, then began to pull the buckle apart. “It’s an odd emotion.” He unbuttoned her jeans. “Feels different to everyone,” he said as the palms of his hands, which she would swear were on fire, vibrating with an intense hum, slid down her stomach. “Except for one degree….”


Author Bio:
Jamie Magee has always believed that each of us have a defining gift that sets us apart from the rest of the world, she has always envied those who have known from their first breath what their gift was. Not knowing hers, she began a career in the fast paced world of business. Raising a young family, and competing to rise higher in that field would drive some to the point of insanity, but she always found a moment of escape in a passing daydream. Her imagination would take her to places she’d never been, introduce her to people she’s never known. Insight, her debuting novel, is a result of that powerful imagination. Today, she is grateful that not knowing what defined her, led her on a path of discovery that would always be a part of her.


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