Padme's Library

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Tangled Sin by Georgia Lyn Hunter

Title: Tangled Sin

Author: Georgia Lyn Hunter

Series: Dark Realm

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release Date: June 21, 2016

Summary:

In a world of encroaching darkness and carnal hunger, a deadly sin awakens…

Bound to a legacy he cannot escape, Riley is a demon unlike any other. With each passing century, his soul grows darker until the seductive trouble-magnet, Saia Sen-Grayson, stumbles into his path and throws his entire world off kilter. But danger has a way of finding him and destroying anything worthwhile in his life.

The biggest challenge in Saia’s life is evading her matchmaking socialite mother. Then she crashes into the sexiest man in her aunt’s building. One look into his striking green eyes and her fleeing days skid to a halt, except she gets more than she bargains in the sexy, tattooed bartender.

And neither can deny the burning attraction between them.

When his tainted past closes in on him, Riley’s forced to make the toughest decision ever to keep her safe. Then Saia’s hauled by a deadly adversary into his dark and treacherous world of Stygia—a place of old betrayals. Now Riley must face his past and accept his future in order to save the woman who belongs to him.

But danger comes in many forms and the one least expected might be the sin that seals their fates once and for all…

Shivering a little, Saia gratefully slipped into the warmth of the softly lit bar. The low, sultry sounds of blues drifted from a jukebox on the far end near the red brick wall. Two pools tables were adjacent to it. Dark wood made up the bar that ran almost the length of the back wall. Leather seats and wooden tables filled the rest of the space around a small, makeshift dance floor where several couples swayed.

Women crowded the bar at one end—probably because of the eye-candy that Niki mentioned. Snorting, Saia shrugged off her coat and handed it to Niki. Spying an empty table at the back, she nodded at it. “Grab that spot, I’ll go get our drinks.”

She turned for the bar and froze. All thoughts of having fun and forgetting about the horrible weekend ahead slid right out of her mind, her attention caught by the guy behind the counter.

He worked here?

As if there was a direct link between them, Riley looked up and stilled, then his green eyes narrowed. Her stomach whirled like leaves in the wind.

“Sai, where are the drinks?”

The sound of Niki’s voice yanked Saia back to where she was. She wasn’t even aware that she’d backed away and had dropped down beside her friend.

“So, you like the eye-candy, huh?” Niki teased when she saw where Saia was looking. “He’s the best one here. You want some fun, he’s perfect for that.”

Perfect? He’d already shown her exactly what he could do with his mouth, both verbally and physically. Heat flooded Saia’s face.

“Ahh, so that’s how it is. Make a move then, Sai”—Niki nudged her shoulder—“or one of those bar-tarts will wind up with him in her bed tonight.”

Darn, she couldn’t keep anything hidden from her sharp-eyed friend.

For some reason, the thought of him with another woman made her tummy hollow out. Unable to get her chaotic thoughts in order, she pushed to her feet. “I'm going to the restroom.”

Niki sprang up and grabbed her by the elbow, effectively blocking her escape. “Oh, no you don’t. Come on, Sai. Live a little. Soon enough, you’ll be shackled to a man of your mother's dream.”

“Stop saying that.”

“Then prove me mistaken. Hell, Sai, I love your family, but this is just so wrong, your mother choosing your husband.”

At Niki’s comments, Saia’s stomach churned. God, she hated how wussy she appeared. But she had to tell her friend the truth about Riley.

Author Bio:

I’ve been creating stories from the moment I could string two words together. No matter the tale, it always has romance woven through them. Yes, I'm a hopeless romantic.

When I’m not writing or plotting new books, I like to read, travel, painting, or troll flea markets where I usually buy things I might never actually use because they're so pretty.

After working in a few jobs all art related, a chosen career as a fashion designer, then an art teacher, I finally found my passion four years ago: writing. There really is no other job I’d rather do.

Oh, and I live in the beautiful country of South Africa.

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Re-Release Day Blitz: Heads & Tales by Karina Kantas

Title: Heads & Tales

Author: Karina Kantas

Genre: Horror, Comedy, Romance, Thriller, Science Fiction, Historical, Short Story

Re-Release Date: June 25, 2016

JOIN THE FACEBOOK RE-RELEASE PARTY TODAY(JUNE 25, 2016)

Summary:
28 flash and short fiction that will delight, fright and leave you questioning your sanity.

Virus

“Well, that's it. Now we wait again,” Maria announced.

Phil watched her sit at a cluttered desk to scribble yet more failure notes. His eyes did not linger for long though. He scanned the laboratory. It might be the last time he'd see it. Beds lined the walls of the spacious room, virtually hiding its sterile, white-tiled floor. “How long until we see results this time — if any?” he asked.

“Same as the others. Twelve hours.”

“That doesn't give us much time to administer a vaccine.”

“No. And — yes, before you say it, you're right — there's no guarantee we'll ever find an acceptable vaccine.”

On each bed lay a test subject. Even those that had succumbed remained, since the examination of their rotting bodies still offered the faint hope of a cure.

But Phil knew. The virus had won this war. There was no hope. Eight months of this. And nothing but 665. The committee was right.

Phil turned his face away from the rotting, deformed victims, and stared at his co-worker. It was time to tell her, although he knew how she'd react. Maria was obstinate — so certain she'd find a cure.

Phil walked to his colleague’s desk. Each step weighed heavily on him, like the weight they'd shouldered as a team these past few months. He rested his hand on her shoulder.

“Maria?” he whispered.

Her eyes shimmered. “Yes?”

Phil blinked and spoke. “The committee has decided if this last trial is unsuccessful they'll go with 665. They've already begun to manufacture it.”

“What? You're joking?”

“They say there's no more time to be choosy. It's 665 or total annihilation.”

“Choosy… Don't they realise what will happen? 665 has such awful side effects.”

“Sorry. Maybe choosy was the wrong word, and yes, they know the peril. I agree with them. What other choice do we have?”

“I'd rather die.”

Phil turned and looked at the bed beside him. Clear plastic sheeting did nothing to hide its occupant’s demonic deformities. IT was the only way to describe this once-person. Its new facial appearance removed any identification of what sex, race or age test subject 665 had once been.

“At least it's a life,” Phil assured.

“We'd be like a totally different species,” Maria said. “And, there may be other side effects.”

“We don't have time to find out. The countdown has begun. Half the population is infected. Six hundred and sixty-four test subjects died, 665 was the only survivor.”

“Yes, but with diabolical consequences.”

“Nevertheless, the committee has decided.”

Maria rubbed her eyes. “But what of our future? What about our children? They may not be born with mutations. Who'd be the freaks then?” She ran a hand through her hair in frustration.

“I can't give you the answers you seek, Maria. No one can.”

Maria sighed. “So we wait. And in eleven and a half hours we'll know our fate.”

Two heads simultaneously turned towards the large, white clock on the wall. The thick, black hands held a new responsibility now — to count time down for 666 — the number of the beast.

Author Bio:
Karina Kantas comes from the UK but has lived in Greece for most of her life. She is the author of eight books and another 30 publications. As well as writing she is also a VA, narrator and she designs book trailers Karina loves singing and riding her motorbike.

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Friday, June 24, 2016

Friday's Film Adaption: High Sierra by WR Burnett

Summary:
The tormented man at the center of W.R. Burnett's High Sierra is a notorious criminal whom the newspapers call "Mad Dog" Roy Earle. Earle is every bit the criminal the newspapers depict, but he is also a complicated soul. Earle, the tragic hero of the novel, is a horribly flawed man, a violent criminal who still retains a conscience.

Earle is been moved by the plight of the physically impaired woman named Velma Goodhue, whom he resolves to help, imagining, somehow, that she will be his. After a holdup he plans with Red, Babe, and Marie (who has now fallen in love with him), Earle takes his share of the money to Velma for an operation to repair her clubfoot. But the holdup has disastrous results. Red and Babe are killed, and Roy goes on the lam with Marie. The runaway outlaws have nowhere to turn. Eventually, Velma leaves. Earle sends Marie away to meet him ultimately in a mountain pass in the High Sierras, a rendezvous in the sky in which all that occurs will not take place as envisioned.

The plot of High Sierra is remorselessly fast and multithreaded, but Roy Earle trumps our interest. Burnett manage to pain a rich and deeply compelling man without sentimentalizing him. Here is a plot with a tough, bleak, and unforgiving narrative that works a dark magic.

Film
An aging ex-con sets out to pull one more big heist.
Release Date: January 21, 1941
Release Time: 100 minutes

Cast:
Ida Lupino as Marie Garson
Humphrey Bogart as Roy Earle
Alan Curtis as Babe Kozak
Arthur Kennedy as Red Hattery
Joan Leslie as Velma
Henry Hull as Doc Banton
Henry Travers as Pa Goodhue
Jerome Cowan as Healy
Minna Gombell as Mrs. Baughman
Barton MacLane as Jake Kranmer
Elisabeth Risdon as Ma Goodhue
Cornel Wilde as Louis Mendoza
Donald MacBride as Big Mac
Paul Harvey as Mr. Baughman
Isabel Jewell as Blonde
Willie Best as Algernon
Spencer Charters as Ed
George Meeker as Pfiffer
Robert Strange as Art
John Elredge as Lon Preiser
Sam Hayes as Announcer
Zero as Pard
Eddie Acuff as Bus Driver

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Author Bio:
William Riley Burnett (1899-1981) was a master of fiction, a skillful writer, contemporary to James M. Cain, Raymond Chandler, and Dashiell Hammett. Burnett authored some 36 novels and either wrote alone or in collaboration 60 screenplays. His novels Little Caesar, High Sierra, The Asphalt Jungle represent a rich vein of thought in contemporary American literature and culture.

After he began his career as a writer, Burnett moved to Chicago in the late 1920s at the height of Al Capone's power and sway over the city. It was this atmosphere, Chicago in the '20s and notably the St. Valentine's Day Massacre (Burnett was one of the first people on the scene) that inspired Burnett’s first great success Little Caesar, which was made into a film by the same name starring Edward G. Robinson.

After this initial success, Burnett had a strong, close working relationship with Hollywood as both a novelist and screenwriter, and eventually found a champion in writer/director John Huston. Burnett collaborated with Huston on the adaptation of High Sierra in 1941 in which Humphrey Bogart redefined himself in the role of Roy Earle. The two men's paths crossed again when Huston filmed The Asphalt Jungle in 1950. The Mystery Writers of America awarded Burnett their highest honor--the prestigious title of Grand Master--at the 1980 Edgar Awards.

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The Private Secretary by Summer Devon

Summary:
Down on his luck and desperate for employment, Ezra Seton is offered only one job: to work in the house of a heartless bully, the very man who drove Ezra's lover away. Gritting his teeth, Ezra takes the position. But neither the new job nor the master of house are what he expected. Still, he vows to keep his distance, no matter how difficult it is to maintain his composure.

Robert Demme's pleasure-seeking days are over. Having rescued his cousin Ambrose from a lunatic asylum, he expends much of his energy pacifying the fragile eccentric. Hiring an assistant offers some relief--and also intriguing temptation. Unfortunately, the fascinating Seton apparently loathes him. Determined to discover the reason, Robert uses his considerable wit to get under the man's skin, stunned when his plan backfires. Instead of unraveling the stalwart secretary, Robert has undone himself. All he's accomplished is a deepening of his own interest.

When the two spend the night together in an inn, their mutual desire proves too strong. The secretary and the gentleman succumb to lust. But when Ezra's old flame reappears and the cousin's experiments go awry, it's a battle to discover which will win the day: love or lunacy.

It's no secret that I love historicals nor is it a secret that I absolutely love to devour historicals co-authored by Summer Devon & Bonnie Dee. So when I had a chance to read The Private Secretary by Summer Devon, I jumped at the chance because even though I've never read one of her solo pieces, I had no doubts and I was not let down. Ezra finds himself having to take a job for the man who sent his friend and lover packing. But is Robert the heartless bully that Ezra's ex painted him out to be? For the answers to that you will have to read this one for yourself, trust me you will enjoy finding out. The attention to detail is one of the things I love most about a great historical and again I was not disappointed. Combine great historical detail, romance, intriguing characters with all around great drama and what you have is The Private Secretary well worth reading, even if you are not a typical historical fan. This is one that will tug at your heartstrings and keep you coming back for more.

RATING:

Author Bio:
Summer Devon is the pen name writer Kate Rothwell often uses. Whether the characters are male or female, human or dragon, her books are always romance.

You can visit her facebook page, where there's a sign up form for a newsletter (she'll only send out newsletters when there's a new Summer Devon or Kate Rothwell release and she will never ever sell your name to anyone).

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Bring Your Own Baker by D.E. Haggerty

Title: Bring Your Own Baker

Author: DE Haggerty

Series: Death by Cupcake #2

Genre: Mystery

Release Date: June 20, 2016

Summary:
Anna just wants to earn enough money on the side to buy into the bakery, Callie’s Cakes, where she works together with her best nerd pal Callie. The last thing she expects to see when she walks into Arthur’s apartment to do some moonlighting is a blood bath. Callie’s ready to jump into the investigation into Arthur’s murder, and she’s bringing another bakery worker, Kristie, into their hijinks whether Kristie wants to or not. But things aren’t as they seem. There are gang affiliations, illegal gambling dens, and ladies of the night to wade through. Will Anna and Callie discover who murdered Arthur or will Callie’s detective boyfriend and Anna’s self-appointed protector put a stop to such aspirations?

Come join us at Callie’s Cakes, where murder investigations are on the menu, but make sure to bring your own baker, because Anna’s a bit preoccupied at the moment.

Warning: This is NOT your mom’s cozy mystery. Bring Your Own Baker may be a ‘clean’ read, but if gangs, illegal gambling, and pimps make you turn your nose up at your e-reader, you might want to skip this one. Although you’ll be missing some sizzling chemistry between Anna and her protector. Not to mention a whole bunch of witty dialogue.

I grasp the weapon in my hand and throw it with all my might at him. The weapon makes a ‘tee hee’ sound as it hits his stomach.

“Did you just throw a Pillsbury dough boy at me?” His voice carries a hint of humor. The Pillsbury dough boy was probably not the best item to grab from the kitchen to use as a weapon. Obviously, I’m totally losing it.

I inch backwards into the kitchen searching for a more appropriate weapon. Dag nab it! The knives are way over on the other side. I have no choice. Without taking my eyes of the man, I grab a perfectly formed and probably fricking delicious muffin from the tin and throw it at the intruder. Apparently, my fast ball needs some work as he just catches the muffin as if I merely lobbed it in his direction. He smiles and, not bothering with the paper liner, takes a huge bite.

“Mmmm…,” he groans around a mouthful. “This is really good.”

“Seriously?” I throw my arms in the air before planting my hands on my hips. “If you want my muffins, just come to the bakery. You don’t have to break in.” Uh oh, I nearly forgot that he broke in. I start backing up again, getting ever closer to those knives.

The man’s eyes narrow as he notices me shuffling my way towards the knives. He stalks me and, when he’s only an arm’s length away, reaches around me and grabs the knife block. He keeps his eyes steady on me as he places the block on top of the refrigerator. Somewhere I can only reach if I get out my step ladder.

“Who are you? And what are you doing here?” I may be terrified and my voice my stutter a bit, but I’m not backing down. Not. One. Bit.

“You’re a feisty little thing, aren’t you?”

“Who you calling little?” Apparently, I have no regard for my safety at all as I’m now goading an intruder.

The man chuckles. His smile shows a perfect set of teeth. Huh, not exactly what I expected from Mr. Piercings and Tattoos. “For a pink-haired pixie, you sure aren’t afraid, are you?”

Never Trust a Skinny Cupcake Baker #1
Summary:
A cozy mystery with a heap of laughs, a generous portion of romance, and just a smidgen of suspense.

Callie’s life is rather awesome. She owns a successful bakery and teaches German literature at the local university. There’s just one tiny problem. She has no self-confidence when it comes to her body. And then there’s the little matter of her being accused of murdering her pole dancing instructor. There’s no way Callie’s going to risk losing her teaching position and thus she embarks, with her best baker bud Anna, on a journey to discover the real killer. Between stripper auditions and a detective who insists Callie is the woman of his dreams, it’s a roller coaster adventure. Cupcakes not included.

Author Bio:

I grew up reading everything I could get my hands on from my mom’s Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew to Little Women. When I wasn’t flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although I did manage every once in a while to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. Another job change, this time from lawyer to B&B owner, and I was again fed up and ready to scream I quit, which is incredibly difficult when you own the business. Thus, I shut the B&B during the week and in the off-season and started writing. Several books later I find myself in Istanbul writing full-time.

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Bad Boys After Dark: Mick by Melissa Foster

Title: Bad Boys After Dark: Mick

Author: Melissa Foster

Series: Bad Boys #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: June 22, 2016

Summary:
The Bad Boys are a series of stand-alone romances that may also be enjoyed as part of the larger Love in Bloom series.
.
Indulge your inner vixen…

You asked for naughtier lovers, with the same fierce loyalty as The Bradens – Meet the Bad Boys… Four sinfully sexy, uber alpha brothers, about to fall head over heels for their leading ladies.
.
Everything’s naughtier after dark…

Amanda Jenner is done being a boring-man magnet and has finally taken control of her love life. As any smart paralegal would, she’s researched the hell out of how to seduce a man. She’s waxed, primped, and ready to put her newfound skills into action–and a masquerade bar crawl is the perfect venue for her solo coming-out party.

Entertainment attorney Mick Bad lives by two hard and fast rules. He never mixes business with pleasure, and he doesn’t do relationships, which makes the anonymity of a masquerade bar crawl the perfect place for a onetime hookup.
.
Amanda thinks she’s hit the jackpot when she bags a tall, dark, and sinfully delicious masked man–until she discovers the man she’s made out with is her off-limits boss. Mick’s already crossed a line he can never uncross, and one taste of sweet and sexy Amanda has only whet his appetite. When Mick offers to give Amanda a lesson in seduction–no strings, no regrets, and for goodness’ sake, come Monday, no quitting–the tables turn, and Mick’s totally unprepared for the lessons this sweet temptress provides.

BAD BOYS AFTER DARK
Mick
Dylan (coming December 2016)
Carson (coming soon)
Brett (coming soon)

More After Dark books:
WILD BOYS AFTER DARK (Available Now!)
Logan
Heath
Jackson
Cooper

The AFTER DARK series are part of the LOVE IN BLOOM big family romance collection. Each book may be read as a stand-alone novel, or as part of the series.

LURED BY THE pulse of sex and anonymity, Amanda Jenner moved through the dusky bar, brushing against silk, satin, cotton, and flesh, each graze feeding the adrenaline coursing through her veins. Blue lights misted over sweaty strangers lost in the seductive bump and grind of foreplay and hoping for a night of erotic pleasure. If Amanda tried hard enough, she could smell tomorrow’s scent du jour—regret. Tonight she had no room for the confidence-crushing worry of what tomorrow would bring. She scanned the crowd, as she had in the previous three bars, immediately dismissing anyone who wasn’t in costume. Her world was full of boring men who excelled at wining, dining, and boring her to sleep. Ten years of romance novels and movies had led her astray, looking for the elusive needle in a haystack. She’d led herself astray, always the careful thinker, careful dresser. Or as her younger sister, Ally, would say, Careful kisser, careful lover. Ally, however, had taken charge of her sex life—and she’d found the perfect man.

Now it’s my turn.

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

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

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