Showing posts with label Excerpt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Excerpt. Show all posts

Friday, 28 February 2014

Blog Tour: Going Nowwhere Fast by K.D. Bloodworth, spotlight, giveaway

Going Nowhere Fast Revised Banner

TITLE – Going Nowhere Fast 
AUTHOR –K. D. Bloodworth 
PUBLICATION DATE –12/02/2013 
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) - 382 pages 
PUBLISHER Planettopia Publishing, LLC 
COVER ARTIST – Wendy Chartier
GENRE – Adult Contemporary/ Romance 

Book Cover

Leave your mundane cares behind, sit in your favorite chair and be prepared to travel the road of love, loss and no return. Travel down roads most women would never dare. Delve into the lost and found of life’s trials and tribulations by “Going Nowhere Fast.”

I turned away, bag in one hand, my purse in the other. Two hundred dollars in my pocket and no idea where I was going next. I just knew I had to get away. Phoenix was no option. I never looked back, never heard the truck start, never heard his voice again.
I walked out of the parking lot, down the street and down the entrance ramp to the interstate. It only took a few minutes with my thumb out for a big rig to stop. I ran up to the truck, opened the passenger door, swinging up into the cab.
“Where you headed little lady?” Drawled the driver.
“The question is where are you going?”
“I’m headed to Salt Lake.”
“Well, if you don’t mind some company I sure could use a ride.”
“If I had minded the company I wouldn’t have stopped.” He drawled again only this time with a wide toothy smile.
I threw my bag up in the sleeper, stowing my purse at my feet. I stuck my hand in my jacket pocket and felt the money. My eyes started to fill with tears.
“You OK there?”
“Yep, I’m OK. Just something in my eye.”
“Something like a broken heart?”
“You might say that.”
TOUR-MEETAUTHOR

Author Photo

Growing up in Southeast Michigan, K. D. found herself a wanderer and adventurer, sometimes going down the wrong road, but always finding her way back home. She has found a way to bring her colorful stories to life. K.D now resides in Montana with her husband, sharing their home with Fuzzy, a Goldendoodle and Muddy Brown Dog, a Labradoodle

TOUR-FOLLOWLINKS


TOUR-GIVEAWAY

$5 Amazon Giftcard 2 eCopies of Going Nowhere Fast


 TOUR ORGANIZED BY: myfamilyheartbutton

Thursday, 20 February 2014

blog Tour: Always and Forever Love by Lynn Crandall, excerpt, spotlight, giveaway


Always and Forever Love
By Lynn Crandall
Release date Dec 16th, 2013

Blurb
The presence of a ghost in her life doesn't alarm Lacy Aegar, in fact it makes her happy. Two and a half years ago when her dead husband Nicholas reappeared in her life as a full-bodied spirit, she questioned her sanity. But with Nicholas' explanation that there are things about life that are not as she's always believed, she settled into a pleasant routine of working with her sister at their private investigation business and enjoying home life with her now 10-year-old son – with Nicholas never very far away.
Lacey's complacency and sense of stability is sent topsy-turvy when she runs into Jackson Carter, the son of powerful and influential business tycoon, William Carter. Typical of the Carter reputation, Jackson's slick new private investigating business is siphoning off clients from the Aegar sisters' business, creating financial difficulty. It's a recurring nightmare for Lacey, who has already seen damage done by the Carter family, and when she encounters Jackson, she wants nothing to do with him.
But things are not what they seem when it comes to Jackson Carter, either. Unbeknownst to Lacey and her sister, Jackson is fighting a battle to preserve his business, too, and his integrity. For him, it's a fight for his soul, and he enlists Lacey's help because of her unique investigative skills and open heart. When she uncovers a mole in his business, she also discovers that one of his clients' drug trials has been given the green light to go to the next phase based on falsified data. As they work together to save both their businesses, Jackson and Lacey not only face death, they must come to grips with their feelings about love and life.

Buy Links


 Excerpt 
She couldn’t imagine what he wanted. He seemed completely composed, except for the indications that he wasn’t. She decided to dive in. “So, Jackson, what’s on your mind? Is this a meeting? Are you still going to offer me a job?”
He fumbled with his napkin, his eyes still downcast and his voice soft. “To be honest, asking you to stay with me came out kind of spur-of-the-moment.” His gaze lifted, and he
continued, almost hesitantly. “I want you to know, Lacey, that though I don’t like your opinion of me, I understand. But unlike you, I have been thinking about you.”
Parts of her drew down to complete absorption with the moment between them. It was mesmerizing to listen to his words and feel his sincere need to convey the right message. She didn’t speak, feeling if she did, something inside him would break.
Which was silly. Jackson Carter was anything but fragile. Or so she believed. The idea that she believed she knew him from his father’s works made her shoulders tighten. His gaze flicked around the room, but landed back on her face.
“I’m not going to bore you with details about my past and my family. I think what I want you to know is that I am not my father. I have things to amend for, if only because of my blindness. But the truth is, I woke up about four years ago. I chose another path, and I did it simply because I didn’t belong on the path I was on. It didn’t fit. My father is a liar and a cruel person. There’s only so far I could go with him before I had to say enough is enough.”
Lacey felt like there was no one else in the room. His words carried weight and she knew the moment was sacred. He bared his soul, with no expectation of anything but the hope of understanding. She had to ask. “Why are you telling me this?”
He chuckled. “Good question. Nothing like laying it all out there when we hardly know each other.”
She let the moment hang, waiting for a sincere answer, not knowing if he had it in him.
There is a lot of regret in me. I feel the weight of my legacy. My values have not so much changed, as I’ve come to grips with reality. That’s a hard truth that not many people can appreciate.” He sipped his coffee and again shifted his gaze around the room, but she knew he didn’t see it. “You see things. You see things people miss. I just want you to know that I know much goes before me. It sounds clichéd, but I am different. Maybe you can see that and give me a second chance.”
It was easy to pick up that he carried deep feelings, some of them tender and painful. Lacey understood how devastating—as well as completely life changing—awareness of awful truths could be. Still, she knew firsthand of the shattering that could occur at the hands of the Carter family. She couldn’t forget that.
“Speechless, huh?” He tried to shrug off the intensity of his admission, dipping his head and suddenly busying with the saltshaker. “What do you say to something like that? I’m sorry I put you in that position.”
Again with the defenses? “Jackson. Stop. Can I say something now?” She ducked her head to catch his gaze. “I see that you’re sincere. Thank you for that. And you’re right. I know all about what your family has done to people in this town and out in the world. Your father is a very powerful and influential man. He could have done much good, but he didn’t. He’s put people out of work, destroyed their reputations, ruined lives of people I care about. How do I get beyond that? Why would I want to? Your family is dangerous.” She trembled with memories of the ills caused by William Carter. How could Jackson ask anything of her?
He squared her with his eyes again. “I need your help with finding out why my business is running into so many problems…"

Author Info
Lynn Crandall lives in the Midwest and writes in the company of her two cats. She has been a reader and a writer all her life. Her background is in journalism, but whether writing a magazine or newspaper story or creating a romance, she loves the power stories hold to transport, inspire, and uplift. In her romances, she focuses on vulnerable, embraceable characters who don't back down. She hopes that readers discover, over and over, stories of ordinary people who face ordinary life challenges and are transformed by extraordinary love.

Author Links
@lynncrandall246

Giveaway

($20.00 Amazon or B&N Gift Card)

Wednesday, 5 February 2014

Coulda Woulda Shoulda Song Series Spotlight by Danielle-Claude Ngontang Mba, spotlight and excerpt


Series name: Coulda Woulda Shoulda Song
Genre: Family saga/ chick lit/ interracial romance/ romantic comedy
First Publication: January 2013
Number of books: 3, possible spinoffs later



This Could Have Been Our Song! A coulda woulda shoulda ballad… – Book One
Length: 93000 words/ 400 pages
Release date: January 18 2013


Book One:

Love can be such a “coulda, woulda, shoulda” song sometimes…
 

Lucia Mpobo-Riddell could have been a dancer like the rest of women of her family but instead she chose music. Marcus Grant could have been a doctor like the rest of his family but instead he chose music. She also could have not fallen for Marcus on her birthday but she did. And Marcus, he could have told Lucia the truth about his real reason for being in Toronto that night, but he didn’t. Now they have to deal with big reveals and consequences: Marcus almost stealing her job and being force to work on an album together. Marcus, because he couldn’t swallow his pride, leaves Toronto and goes home to London. Lucia, because she just couldn’t give up on her first amazing opportunity to produce a whole album. And to complicate the situation further, the band they’re working for is not the easiest one. Mary Gillis, Marcus’ on and off flame, still has a hold on him. Greg McMullen, Lucia’s close friend and former dance partner is back in town and has been in love with her for years. Then there’s Marcus and Lucia, in the middle of their own a professional and personal tug-of- war with each over and the rest of the world. But maybe things could still work out… All things considered, this could have been one heck of a love song!


This Would Have Been Our Song! Catchy tunes and dancers’ tales – Book Two
Length: 90000 words/ 350 pages
Release date: January 18 2014

Marcus, Greg and Lucia are back in the second part of their journey to their perfect love song... will they finally find it?


Book Two: This would have been their perfect love song…

It has been two years since Lucia Mpobo-Riddell has made her choice between the two men in her life. She and her beloved would have been perfectly happy if it wasn’t for… the constant distractions from her past, her sister Noor’s complicated life, her own doubts and fears. Maybe there wasn’t such a thing as perfection and this was a lesson that Lucia was going to learn the hard way. Greg McMullen and Marcus Grant’s lives had been affected by Lucia’s choice that day in Glasgow two years ago. Since then one had been fighting to keep her when the other had been relentlessly trying to get her back. It soon became apparent to them that she wasn’t the Lucia they met and fell in love with anymore. Her life and priorities had completely shifted. To even consider keeping her or just getting her back, they would have to accept it or they would have to let her go. But would they ever be able to do either?

 Excerpt - Book One, Lucia and Marcus first day

Nella whispered to me as I was leaving, “That’s not right, Marcus.”
Lucia led me to the dance floor downstairs and I spun her around.
“Oh my, Twinkle Toes, you weren’t kidding earlier; you do know how to dance. Let’s do this!” And we did. We danced to the next song, then the next and the next. Lucia was sometimes lip-singing to the words, staring straight into my eyes. Eventually, her hands traveled from my back to the back of my head and she lowered it and kissed me – a soft, sweet, teasing kiss. I couldn’t let her get away with that and deepened that kiss. She tasted like champagne and something else, something addictive and of course, I instantly got hooked on it.
She slowly released my lips. “Hi, Twinkle Toes.”
“Hi Luce,” I whispered against hers and took them again. I held her closer and tighter to me. I looked around and noticed that Nella, Noor and even John were also dancing like the professional dancers they were. Show offs! Lucia was very good too. I’ve been blessed with rhythms but five years in the Royal Academy of Music with John made me much better.
“I need to know” by Marc Anthony started and John came to us, leaving Nella dancing with someone else.
“May I? I really like what I’ve seen so far.” Not even waiting for a response, he took Lucia away from me with a wink.
“Of course you can,” she giggled, then announced, “Now dancing the samba, Lucia and her partner, John.” And I watched as they started to execute a perfect samba. Scratch that; it was a professionally executed one and John had never been an easy-to-follow partner. I went to Noor and we started dancing.
“She’s adorable isn’t she?” she said.
My look shifted toward John and Lucia, dancing and laughing. “Yes she is,” I answered, smiling to her. “And so are you.”
“I know,” she smirked back.
“Is she a professional dancer too?”
“Until the age of twenty she was the best dancer I’d ever seen,” she answered. “She moved to other passions after that.”
My gaze was always on Lucia and hers on mine. By the time they started to play “No me Ames” I went to get her back from John.
“Missed me, Luce?” I asked her.
She brought her lips to mine for a kiss – a real, deep, long kiss. “John is a better dancer,” she answered.
“I bet. He does this for a living,” I said before kissing her again. “What’s with the Marc Anthony marathon here?”
Lucia laughed, turning around and pressing her back against my chest. It felt amazing. “Noor’s doing, I’m sure.” Her hands were caressing my face and I kissed her neck. “It’s her favorite singer.”
She turned around at the end of the song. I couldn’t speak anymore; my body was in full arousal. I kissed her with all I had and she kissed me back, matching the same passion.
“Luce, you are so beautiful,” I hoarsely said.
“You’re not so bad yourself, Just Marcus.” Her fingers were under my shirt now; she kissed me some more then whispered “Do you want to get out of here?”
How could I say no? There was at least one good reason, but all I could think about was her lips, her smell, her touch, her smile. “Noor?” I whispered back.
“Like a cat always, she falls on her feet,” she laughed. “Andrew is waiting for her outside; we’ve all been drinking way too much.”
“Lead the way then.” 
She took my hand and led to the exit. I took my jacket after a quick, awkward farewell to John and Nella. Lucia hugged them both then we headed outside. Noor was already there kissing somebody I presumed to be her fiancé. She waved us goodbye and got into his car. Now it was just Lucia and me. I hailed a taxi and kissed her. I looked at her sweet, trusting face and felt like a real dick. She kissed my neck, giggling, and for some reason I giggled back. At that moment I was sure we would be able to talk about the whole Second Coming situation in the morning. But we never did. So now I’m going to have to confront her tomorrow. I really should have rung her.





Meet Danielle-Claude Ngontang Mba The Author, The Blogger, The Cheeky Reviewer

“My life journey is like my playlist, amazingly unique but full of contradictions with surprising joys with every song...”

In the past two years, while living in Canada, England and France I wrote four novels: This Could Have Been Our Song! A coulda woulda shoulda ballad... (Book one) currently available on amazon, iTunes, Kobo, Barnes and Nobles and Smashwords. The sequel This Would Have Been Our Song! Catchy tune and dancers’ tales has been in January 2014. Bird Of Prey, my first mystery romance novel has been released in October 7th, 2013 and its first sequel The Plot Thickens (a novella) in December. The second one Polliannah Got Married! will be released in April 2014 or earlier. I’m currently residing in Paris, France.

Twitter: @weissdaughter


Saturday, 25 January 2014

Blog Tour: Cruel Intentions by Riiva Williams, spotlight, excerpt, giveaway



CRUEL INTENTIONS
BY RIIVA WILLIAMS

Genre: Young Adult

It is funny how most people’s life starts and finish in an instant. We are born; we grow up taking whatever life throws at us. Brie was far from an average student at Yale, with her twisted mind she wound people into doing what she wanted. With new friends, new enemies and new threats, she is about to have a college experience to die for.



Excerpt

Brie
                
It is funny how most people’s life starts and finish in an instant. We are born; we grow up taking whatever life throws at us. My name is Brie. I was born and raised in the small state of Rhode Island. I have two sisters and four brothers of which three died throughout the war in Iraq.
                 Being the youngest child, I got away with so much more than my older sisters could have. My parents are good Christian people; they go to church, bible study basically all the good stuff. After a while my sisters and I were not pushed to go because we were teenagers so they just stop forcing us to go, so I found other extracurricular activities to do with my time.
                As my teenage years were diminished, I graduated out of high school with honors and third in my class and got into Yale University.
                Wasn’t that expected?
                In my earlier years I learnt how the guilty pleasures of sex can consume one’s life very quickly, and with mommy and daddy being the good Christian people that they are, I had to make up some very convincing stories when I crossed the line of coming home late to the O’Hara house hold. Lord knows I was crazy and willful.
                 My freshman year at Yale, I knew I had made it.  As I walked unto that campus I knew it was a new beginning, new academic challenges, new friends, new enemies and most of all new dick! 
                Already I saw the Greek organizations Alpha Phi Alpha and Kappa Alpha Psi putting it down for the younger male crowd. Over on the other side if the yard Delta Sigma Theta and Zeta Phi Beta, strolled it out.
                 Although they were awesome at what they do they didn’t really interest me to stick it out in the ninety-eight degree weather. As I reached the sign in table I noticed one of the finest brothers
                I ever saw in my twenty-three years of life. The first thing I noticed on him was his hazel gray eyes, a very unique combination. I knew he noticed me too by the crooked smile that he shot my way. I hurried and finished my signup sheet and walked away with one the resident assistants.
                I thought would never see him any time soon, I moved my things into my room, met the world’s most annoying roommate and I went for a very invigorating run. With my music in my ears I was dead to the world, I was invincible or so I thought until I missed a step and went hurling into this broad back and knocked us both over.
                “Miss, Miss are you ok?” I heard the sexy voice.
                I didn’t want to open my eyes but I kept hearing that southern accent in my head. Slowly I open my eyes one by one, it was the same brother from earlier I almost wet my panties just from watching him.
                “Am I in heaven?” I knew it was a stupid question but I couldn’t help it. I had to make him send that smile my way again.
                He helped me off the ground and by that time his boys were crowding around, I figured that they all wanted to get a glance of whom he was speaking to and making him laugh so much.
                “What’s your name?” I asked him.
                “Richard Barns but my boys call me Rich.”
                “Alright my name is Brie O’Hara.” I extended my hand, which he took.
                “Hmm, Brie I like that very cute.” He was flirting already but I decided to keep him on a run for his money.
                “Nice to meet you Rich and thanks for breaking my fall but I have to get going.”
                 “Anytime mama anytime.” With that my music was back into my ears and I was off.

Cruel Intentions Cast

Brie


Jay


Lyric
Jason

Miguel

Shana

Richard

Peanut

Nick

About the Author


Riiva Williams was born on March 7th 1989 in the US Virgin Islands. She is the mother of one energetic little boy with high expectations and dreams. Riiva graduated from NECI and Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island with degrees in Culinary Arts, and from the Kaplan University in Chicago, IL with her Bachelors of Science in Nutrition Science.
Currently Riiva is studying at the Kaplan University with a pending degree in Business Management for she would like to run her own business one day. One of her main goals right now is to complete her first novel and to continue the trend. In her spare time she throws herself into poetry as it helps her relieve stress and she gets to promote another creative side to herself.
Poetry always has been her life and she has been writing poetry since the age of 12, today she has written over 166 pieces and will continue to grow in her writing.

Tuesday, 7 January 2014

Book Blitz: Tainted Waters by Maggie Thom, spotlight, excerpt






Tainted Waters

by

Maggie Thom


He didn’t commit suicide but who’s going to believe her... 
Frustrated at being fired from her latest job and overwhelmed by her consolatory family, Sam decides to move to the family’s cabin at the lake. A place she hasn’t been since her dad committed suicide there twenty years before. Or did he? Snooping is something she’s good at but someone seems to be taking offence to her looking too closely at what has been happening at the lake. What she discovers is shocking. Now she must uncover what’s real and what’s not. All that she learned growing up, may be false. Keegan, who has recently moved to the area, to finish his latest book is also trying to find out if his grandfather, who’d passed away ten years before, died of natural causes or was murdered? The descendants of the four families who own the land around the lagoon are dying off. Since Sam and Keegan are the only ones questioning the deaths, they find themselves working together to seek the truth. Are people being murdered? Who would benefit from their deaths? Why would there be barricades and armed guards at the north end of the lake? To stay alive, Sam and Keegan must find the answers and convince others, before more people are killed... including them.

"Thom’s book was like one of my Nana’s triple layered chocolate cakes, impossible to walk away from without licking the plate."



Kobo 



Maggie Thom's Bio

Maggie Thom made the hard decision to freefall, leaving her successful, twenty year career in management, to follow her dream and passion to write full time. The leap has been adventurous and very enlightening. A long-time reader and writer, she was thrilled with the release of her first novel, Captured Lies in the fall of 2012 and her second novel, Tainted Waters released April 30th, 2013. She is busy writing her third novel, Deceitful Truths to be published late 2013 or early 2014. Having married her best friend, she is learning that humor, love and patience, help her navigate her way through her twins’ teen years.




“We have to report it.”
“And how are we going to say we found it. We just happened to be snooping ourselves when someone came and ransacked the place. Oh yeah and by the way he was wearing a black baseball cap and he had a great, no let me correct that, a verrrryyyyyy gooooooddddd body.”
“We don’t even know it was him. Why would he come back and rip the place apart. If he was looking for something, why not the first time he was here?” She glared at him as he grabbed her arm and pulled her outside. She jerked out of his grasp.
“Maybe it wasn’t him but that doesn’t mean I want to stick around and see if he comes back.”
“Just let me look around and see if I can tell what they took. You watch for vehicles.”
The mulish look on his face let her know he didn’t like the plan but he wasn’t going to stop her. She waited until he was in place watching the driveway, then she kicked off her shoes and entered. Books from the shelves were strewn about, some of them even ripped in half. Newspapers had been taken from her neat stack of recycling and were torn up, shredded. The couch had been flipped, the lamp overturned and the stuffing had been ripped out of the pillows. The place looked like a bunch of wild animals had been locked in and had gone berserk looking for food or a way out. The scene brought tears to her eyes. It just wasn’t right. Mrs. MacNeil never hurt anyone.
She stepped forward carefully trying to avoid any broken glass. She lifted some of the debris off the floor to see if there was anything under it. It sounded super noisy to her every time she moved. Every few seconds she was glancing over her shoulder to make sure that no one was there.
It didn’t make sense. All she could think was don’t let it be one of her children.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here. This isn’t worth it. Let’s go.”
With one last look around she reluctantly walked out the door, locking it behind her. Not caring that he saw her, she opened the panel under the deck and slid the spare key onto the hidden nail. Obviously someone had their own set anyway. That thought made her nervous. She only knew of a handful of people who had the key to that place.
“Your place or mine?”
It was too much to take in. She couldn’t respond she just headed off through the trees to the path. He followed but they continued on in silence, accompanied by the shrill tweets and chirps of birds as they headed to her family’s cabin. When they reached the end point of the lake, the path swung back towards the pond, allowing them a clear view for a short while. It made her think of her phone. It had vibrated earlier when they’d left Keegan’s and were walking along the lake. Curious as to who called, she pulled it out. There was a missed call and a text. They were from DD.
M :( u.
Sam knew that to mean Shelley was mad at her. Listening to her message she understood why. Taking a chance that DD still had the cell phone she quickly dialled her brother’s number.
“Asaaaaaaam. Asaaaaammmmmm. Aaaaaasssssaaaaaaaaaammmmmm.” DD started blubbering out stuff that Sam couldn’t understand.
“Ssssshhhh. Stop. Ssshhhh. I need you to stop.” Sam repeated this a few more times, speaking softly. DD finally snivelled, indicating she was calmer now.
“You sound funny. What’s up?”
“Cold.”
“You’re cold... oh you have a cold.” Oh no. No wonder Shelley had a bee in her butt.

“Mom’s mad. Said your fault. I can’t see you.” She started to cry, a loud wailing sound. Sam winced, sure that it would make things worse.