• Home
  • Reviews
  • Ratings
    • 3 Stars
    • 3.5 Stars
    • 4 Stars
    • 4.5 Stars
    • 5 Stars
  • About Us
  • REVIEW POLICIES AND DISCLAIMER
  • Our Rating System
  • Contact
  • New Releases

TheBookBellas

  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Ratings
    • 3 Stars
    • 3.5 Stars
    • 4 Stars
    • 4.5 Stars
    • 5 Stars
  • About Us
  • REVIEW POLICIES AND DISCLAIMER
  • Our Rating System
  • Contact
  • New Releases

BLOG TOUR, EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY: BAD BOY ROCK STAR by CANDY J. STARR

November 23, 2013

image

image

Bad Boy Rock Star by Candy J. Starr
Publication date: November 18th 2013
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

Hannah Sorrento never planned to be a band manager. She’s a princess. The toughest obstacle she’s had to face is finding shoes to match her outfit.

Then her father disappears and she’s left with only the money in her purse and a contract for the management of hot, indie rock band, STORM. She plans to sell the management company, one or another, then head back to law school with her designer wardrobe and wait for this whole mess to blow over.

But lead singer, Jack Colt, has other ideas and he’s messing with Hannah’s head. Not to mention her heart.

With the help of crazy rock chick, Angie, Hannah sets the band on their first steps to the big time and learns that poor people can have a lot of fun.

But this isn’t some game she can escape from and soon her secrets get exposed.

He’s arrogant and infuriating but he’s the one that’s there for Hannah when her world comes crashing down. With secrets of his own, will Jack Colt save Hannah or destroy her?

Goodreads

Purchase:

EXCERPT:

This was totally embarrassing. What did I know about playing a tambourine? I’d only make a fool of myself. The couch was plenty good enough for me. But Jack and Eric grabbed my arms and pulled me up.
“Okay, okay. I’ll do it and prove to you I’m crap.”
I started shaking the tambourine around. Jack grabbed me from behind and guided my movements. It didn’t seem that hard but I wasn’t in any hurry to let on. Maybe it was my imagination but he did seem to get himself into situations that involved putting his arms around me quite a lot.
The heat of his body warmed my back and I felt as if I could almost feel his heartbeat. His hand covered mine, prompting me when to tap the tambourine and when to shake it. His other hand rested on my waist. His breath tickled my neck and my heart felt lighter. I tried not to grin too much but to focus on his movements.
As Spud began tapping the drums, we followed his beat – shake, shake, tap. That was easy but, as the beat became faster, we both moved, our hips swaying in time. Shake, shake, tap. And a hip thrust on the tap.
I leaned back against him and maybe my thrusts became a bit more of a grind. He responded by grinding himself into me and pulling me a bit tighter into him. Then suddenly he pulled away from me.
“Right, let’s do Party Dress, from the top.”
Spud started with the drums, a simple beat leading in. I followed what he was doing. Soon, I got the hang of it and was playing along with them. I shook my hips and tapped the tambourine against them. I looked at Jack and he grinned back at me. A thrill went through me. I was really doing this.
I felt at one, not just with Jack but the entire band. I’d worked with them to create this. I bit my bottom lip to control my smile but it was something awesome, this teamwork thing.
I didn’t even need to concentrate, I began moving around, doing some sexy little dance moves, shaking my hips and running my free hand down my body.
Then I thought I’d do some backup vocals, singing along with the melody.
“Stop! Stop!” Jack seemed distressed. Had his amp blown a fuse? He’d stopped playing.
All three of them stared at me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Your singing…”
Was I really that good? They did seem awestruck. Maybe I could do this, maybe I could have my own singing career. I’d always thought I’d look great up on stage.
“Yeah, sorry Hannah, but that’s really putting me off.” Eric smiled at me apologetically.
“I’ve heard strangled cats sound better,” added Spud.
“You are joking, right?” I could sing. I could sing really well. People had always said so. They were just having a joke.
“NO!” all three of them cried.
“It’s terrible.” Jack shook his head as though he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.
I picked up a cushion from the couch and threw it at Jack. Then I picked up another and threw it at Eric.
Jack and Eric looked at each other then rushed at me with the cushions, raining blows down on me. I covered my head to block them. They knocked me back onto the couch as I tried to wrench the cushions from their hands.
“Stop, stop.” I tried to sound serious but I couldn’t stop laughing.
Instead of stopping, Jack went for my ribs, tickling me until I screamed. I tried to squirm away from him but rolled onto the floor. He kept at it, pinning me down so I had no control. His fingers dug into my ribs again and I squirmed and screamed until I fell on the floor in exquisite agony. Even that didn’t stop him though. If anything, it seemed to encourage him. He straddled me and kept tickling. I kicked out with my legs and punched at him, trying to get him off me, feeling as if I’d pee my pants.
Then he stopped and looked down at me. His hair flopped in his eyes and his face was flushed. He relaxed his grip on my wrists and I could’ve easily rolled out from under him while his guard was down but I no longer wanted to.
Everything else stopped until it became just the two of us in the entire world. Every part of me became aware of him, moving closer to me as though in slow motion. I bucked my hips, not wanting to get away, but wanting to feel his body against mine.
His gaze went from my face to my nipples, hard and straining against the thin fabric of my dress. So hard that they almost caused me pain. I wanted to feel his full lips pressed around them, sucking and licking.
“Hey, settle down you two. Get a room.”
Well, that sure broke the spell. I’d forgotten about the other two in the studio but became fully aware of my surroundings and the floor beneath me, and the hard cock of Jack Colt pressing into my leg.

AUTHOR BIO

image

Candy J. Starr used to be a band manager until she realised that the band she managed was so lacking in charisma that they actually sucked the charisma out of any room they played. “Screw you,” she said, leaving them to wallow in obscurity – totally forgetting that they owed her big bucks for video equipment hire.

Candy has filmed and interviewed some big names in the rock business, and a lot of small ones. She’s seen the dirty little secrets that go on in the back rooms of band venues. She’s seen the ugly side of rock and the very pretty one.

But, of course, everything she writes is fiction.

Author Links:

Blog
Twitter – @candyjstarr
Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Tour

image

Categories : Blog Tour, Contemporary Romance, Giveaway, Rocker, Romance Tagged : Bad Boy Rock Star, Blog Tour, Candy J. Starr, contemporary romance, Excerpt, Giveaway, rocker

BACKSTAGE PASSION by JADE C. JAMISON: RELEASE DAY BLITZ

November 21, 2013

image

Synopsis:

No one writes a rock star book quite like Jade C. Jamison. Four of her rock star novels and one short story are collected together for the first time ever as Backstage Passion. From the local indie band scene to the famous multi-platinum album rock gods, from an innocent young woman playing lead vocalist to a cheating frontman, Jade weaves a story like no other.

Then Kiss Me: Casey Williams has left a loveless marriage and is trying to rebuild her life. She finds that, even though you can never go home again, you can find lust again, and she finds a love interest in Scott, her coworker. She also discovers his secret, that he’s a drummer for a heavy metal band, and falls hard for him…just in time to find that, between his questionable friends and psychotic maybe-ex-girlfriend, he might not be the right guy for her. But her heart beats like a drum for him, and she finds herself willing to play with fire to get closer.

Tangled Web: Katie Logan has had a secret crush on her best friend Johnny Church since high school, but he’s never looked at her the same way. So when Johnny—now a famous rock-and-roll guitarist—comes home to visit, Katie can’t bring herself to tell him she’s engaged to be married. She should have, though, because she soon discovers that maybe the attraction is mutual…

MADversary: Megan Walker doesn’t plan to attend her high school reunion, but her best friend Lisa begs her to come along. Megan doesn’t want to risk running into her old boyfriend Tyler Green, a man who has since become rich and famous as the frontman of a heavy metal band called Madversary. Lisa convinces her that Tyler would never show up for something like a reunion, so Megan gives in, only to regret it. Because when Tyler does show up, the spark reignites, and she doesn’t know that she can bear letting him go again.

Be Careful What You Wish For: Grad student Jessica is given an offer she plans to refuse—hundreds of dollars to try to seduce an angry wife’s maybe cheating husband. But when the price just so happens to cover Jessica’s much-needed car repairs and she finds hot rocker Kage irresistible, she decides to give it a try, no matter the ultimate cost.

Bullet: An Epic Rock Star Novel. What if you discover the man you want is toxic?

She’d tasted a little bit of heaven with him, and now they’ve gone through hell and back, but can their relationship take anymore?

Valerie Quinn is a naïve college freshman when she meets on-the-rise rock star Ethan Richards. He’s an idealistic, handsome, reckless young man, but he’s captured her heart. She doesn’t give up on him and eventually his walls crumble down. By the time Valerie has given herself to him completely, she discovers he’s damaged and may be beyond help. Can she save Ethan and their relationship before he implodes, or will he self-destruct and take her with him?

Excerpt from Backstage Passion: Tangled Web

He shut the door and stood, facing Katie. “Well?” Katie drew in a deep breath. She was grateful that she wasn’t getting the vibes off him she had at their last face-to-face meeting. That night outside the bar when he could hardly stand to look at her was one of the worst nights of her life. She’d never felt so miserable as she had then, and she was convinced until today that she’d lost the best friend she ever had. She felt relieved now but knew there was still more she needed to say.

Johnny leaned back onto the counter, not sitting but no longer standing, his legs stretched out so that his eyes were almost level with Katie’s. There were no chairs to sit on in the room, and Katie was all right with that. This wasn’t that kind of conversation, and she didn’t need to relax. She took another deep breath before she began. “I just feel like we left things on a bad note the last time I saw you.”

Johnny shrugged, a wan smile on his face. “Hey. I’m over it, okay?” His smile finally moved up into his eyes a little bit. “No harm done. We’re still friends.”

“Yeah, but…” Katie forced herself to look in his eyes. “I just want you to know none of what happened was meant to intentionally hurt you.”

“Yeah, I know. You already told me that. And you’re forgiven, okay? We don’t have to keep talking about it.”

Katie swallowed. Wow. This was hard, and he wasn’t going to let her relieve her own guilty conscience. That was fair, she guessed. “Well, I just wanted to thank you, though, because if we hadn’t…done what we did…I would probably be married now and stuck in an endless, soul-sucking job for the rest of my life.”

Johnny’s mouth screwed up into a ball before he said, “I thought you liked your job.”

“I thought I was doing something important, and I was good at it, but I don’t think I could honestly say that I liked it. But…” Johnny finally raised his eyebrows, encouraging Katie to continue. “You remember what I planned to do after high school?”

“Yeah. You’re were gonna write the great American novel.” Katie nodded. “Weren’t you going to go to CU or something and study English or creative writing or something like that?”

She nodded again. “Yeah, but I found out before I left that dad already had cancer. I couldn’t go. So I went to WCC and then transferred, and by then I already had plenty of credits that applied to sociology, and my advisor steered me there. There was no value to a creative writing degree, she said. Creative writing degrees were a dime a dozen. She told me I could write while working at a job that paid the bills. So I just did it—she told me sociology was a diverse and growing field, and I had the aptitude for it. And before you know it, I’m pulling bruised and broken kids out of alcoholic homes, neglected and sick kids out of meth homes, and counseling parents who have no clue how to keep a clean house and pay the bills. It’s an important job, but it was killing me.

“I don’t regret staying home to go to school. In fact, I think I would never have forgiven myself if I’d missed that time with dad. But you reminded me of how I felt when we were ready to leave school and conquer the world, when we had hopes and dreams, and…”

He lowered his head, peering into her eyes. “And?”

“Well, I’m going to school here in Denver now, working on an MFA in Creative Writing.”

“What’s an MFA?”

“A Master of Fine Arts. I should be done in another year or so.”

“So now you’re going for it.” She nodded. “That’s good, Katie. You should.” His face was unlined and earnest, his eyes peering into hers.

She had so much more to say, but she was now close up to him, her face less than a foot away from his, those dark blue eyes framed by long, dark lashes almost crying out to her. She wanted to profess her deepest feelings to him, but she didn’t think she’d be able to get the words right. Maybe on paper she would’ve had a chance, but here, live, she doubted herself. She wasn’t an impromptu stage performer like Johnny. And being near him again, all she could do was remember their one night together as they were meant to be. It had been almost a year ago, and yet she could remember the way his tongue tasted in her mouth, the way his back muscles had felt under her fingertips, the way his skin smelled, the way his hands felt on her breasts, her hips, her back. She couldn’t forget the feeling of being so close with someone who had meant so much to her for so long, who knew her inside better than anyone else and yet had never tasted her intimately until that one time. It was a perfect feeling, and it had lasted but a few short minutes, before the guilt had weighed her down. And now she had no reasons to feel guilty anymore. She stared into those eyes of his that were as blue as the Rockies on a clear day and couldn’t hold herself back any longer. She had no way to stop herself, and she watched as though from outside as her hands cupped his cheeks. She closed the gap between them and brushed his lips with hers.

But the brush became insistent. He seemed to pause at first as she kissed him, but he responded quickly. As her arms wound around his neck, his wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer. And Katie thought that maybe her lips could say what her voice hadn’t been able to.

Author Bio:

image

BESTSELLING AMAZON AUTHOR

Jade C. Jamison was born and raised in Colorado, moved from one city/town to the next, and she’s decided she likes it so much she wants to stay…although travel is not out of the question. She lives in a big town in Colorado (not unlike Winchester!) with her husband and four children. She is working on becoming a crazy cat lady. Okay, so maybe not.

Still want more? Jade has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Theater, a master’s degree in English, and a master of fine arts in Creative Writing. Obviously, she loves school and the student loan folks love her. She works in human services by day, teaches English and creative writing at night, and—in between playing soccer mom and community leader—writes like a fiend. Someday soon, she’ll narrow it down to just writing, but let’s get all those kids off to college first.

Goodreads Author Link

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Amazon Author Page

Categories : Book Launch, Contemporary Romance, Rocker, Spotlight Tour Tagged : Backstage Passion, Book Blitz, Excerpt, Jade C. Jamison, rocker

BLOG TOUR, REVIEW, EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY: ROCK THE BEAT (BLACK FALCON #3) by MICHELLE A. VALENTINE

November 7, 2013

image

image

Today we have a review and fantastic giveaway for Michelle Valentine’s ROCK THE BEAT, along with a very spicy excerpt! Enjoy – Trip and Holly would make some great weekend reading!

Synopsis:
Twenty-year-old Holly Pearson never dreamed that while working at her father’s motocross track she’d run into the walking, talking definition of trouble in a sexy, tattooed package—Trip Douglas, the man sent to evaluate the track for a possible investment opportunity. Holly makes no attempt to hide the fact she despises Trip, but she learns to be civil toward him when he offers to help her land the man of her dreams.

Trip needs a break from the crazy rock-and-roll lifestyle he’s been living for the past few years. With his Black Falcon band mates settling down with marriage and babies, Trip peruses an investment opportunity in motocross, something he’s always been passionate about. Hiding his celebrity status, Trip infiltrates the new business posing as a dirt bike rider training for the X-Games. The only obstacle is the owner’s daughter, Holly. She’s a real ball bustin’ Ice Queen, and she’ll do whatever it takes to make the deal fall through. Trip soon discovers that winning over his new enemy is the key to gaining a partnership in Mountain Time Speed Track.

Knowing he’s the expert on getting laid, Trip ropes Holly into becoming his ally by helping her score a date with the man she’s crushing on. The problem is, the more time Trip and Holly spend together, the more they uncover the undeniable attraction between them. Soon they both realize that even the best laid plans go to hell when you find you’re falling in love with the enemy.
**Book THREE in the Black Falcon series. Can also be read as a stand-alone novel**
Review
No one can write a hot and sweet rocker book quite like Michelle Valentine. In Rock the Beat, we have good-girl Holly, who finds herself in the middle of a very painful break-up with her semi-famous boyfriend, Jackson. Along comes hot-as-hell Trip, who is looking into investing in Holly’s family business. Holly has no idea who he is, but makes it quite clear that she detests celebrities and would never become involved with one. Trip is increasingly attracted to Holly so he hides his true identity. He wants Holly to accept him for who he is and not because he is rich and famous. Trip agrees to help Holly try to win Jackson back, but in the process, he can’t deny his feelings towards the very sweet and very beautiful Holly.

There is an interesting subplot involving Holly’s best friend Max which adds some weight and drama to this hot rock star romance. I also love the alternating POV’s. Overall, a very sexy and fairly quick read for fans of the Black Falcon series!

Excerpt:

I pull a pair of sunglasses out of my pocket and slip them on my face. “I’m new in town.”
“Is that right?” I don’t care for the snide tone in his voice. No one challenges me even a little bit and gets away with it.
I stiffen my back. “Yeah. That’s right. What of it?”
Jackson raises his eyebrows. “It’s just I know all the riders around here.”
“Like I said, I’m new, and to be honest I don’t care for the fucking third degree you’re trying to give me. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll back off. Now.”
He narrows his eyes at me. “Maybe you don’t get how things work around here, so I’m going to fill you in. I run this place. Nothing goes on around here without my okay.”
I laugh. “That’s funny, because I sure as hell swooped in and stole your girl from under your nose.”
He shakes his head. “You and I both know I can get Holly back anytime I want her. When I get tired of fucking around and I’m ready to settle down, she’ll take me back. Don’t doubt my hold on her. I own her.”
My fingers curl into fists at my side. I know the plan is to make him want her back, but after talking to this motherfucker, I know she deserves better. The urge to protect her rages inside me. “That’s what you fucking think. I’d like to see you try and take her from me.”
Jackson smirks. “Care to place a bet on that?”
Is this asshole for real? He has no idea who in the hell he’s challenging. “I don’t need to gamble on something that I know is a sure thing.”
He steps closer, invading my personal space. “I was with her two years. I could fuck her right in front of you if I wanted.”
“Watch your fucking mouth. I swear if you say one more thing about her—”
“You’ll what?” he dares me. “Hit me? Do you know who I am, pretty-boy? My lawyers will eat you for breakfast.”
His threat doesn’t even faze me and it’s obvious he has no clue who I am, and that I don’t give a fuck about the law. It’s never stopped me from ripping into someone’s ass before, and it’s not going to start now. “Talk about her like that again, and see what happens.”
Jackson’s tongue touches the corner of his mouth as he wears a smug smile. “You don’t know what you’ve fucking started. I’m going to take her away from you now just because I can. Your days are numbered, prick.”
The muscle in my jaw flexes. “Keep telling yourself that, while I’m in her room at night tasting that sweet pussy.”

Add Rock The Beat on Goodreads

Buy Links:

Barnes & Noble
Playlist:

Direct Link

Author Bio:

image

Michelle A. Valentine is a Central Ohio nurse turned New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of erotic and New Adult romance. Her love of hard-rock music, tattoos, and sexy musicians inspired her erotic BLACK FALCON series.

Social Media Links:
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads Author Page

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Categories : 4 Stars, Blog Tour, Contemporary Romance, Giveaway, Rocker, Romance Tagged : 4 stars, Black Falcon, Blog Tour, contemporary romance, Excerpt, Giveaway, Michelle A. Valentine, Rock the Beat, rocker

BOOK PROMO and GIVEAWAY: THE DEVIL’S REPRISE (DEVIL’S #2) by KARINA HALLE

November 1, 2013

imageimage

Title: The Devil’s Reprise (Devil’s #2)
Author: Karina Halle
Release Date: October 29th

Goodreads

Summary:

Given a second chance, music journalist Dawn Emerson and guitarist Sage Knightly are reunited, only to have their lives threatened again by a demonic bargain. The sequel to THE DEVIL’S METAL, from USA Today bestselling author Karina Halle.
When Dawn Emerson got the chance to go on tour with her favorite metal band, Hybrid, she thought she landed the writing gig of the century. But what started off as a dream for the budding music journalist quickly turned into a nightmare that she and guitarist Sage Knightly barely escaped alive.
Now, months after they went their separate ways, Sage invites Dawn to accompany him on his first solo tour across Europe and write about it for Creem Magazine. But like the last tour, nothing is as easy as it seems. Sage is a broken man on the path to self-destruction and Dawn isn’t sure if she’s the right person to save him. And aside from having to pick up the pieces of their burgeoning relationship, they have to negotiate the mysterious new photographer assigned to Dawn’s story, as well as vindictive promoters and demonic groupies they thought they’d never see again.
Because this time, it’s Dawn who made a deal with the devil and the only thing worse than having to uphold a bargain with the prince of darkness is not remembering how you’re supposed to pay it back.
It may be with their souls.
THE DEVIL’S REPRISE is the sequel to THE DEVIL’S METAL and the final book in this series.

image
Authors Social Networking links:


Blog


Twitter: @MetalBlonde


Facebook
Goodreads

Author Bio:

image

The daughter of a Norwegian Viking and a Finnish Moomin, Karina Halle grew up in Vancouver, Canada with trolls and eternal darkness on the brain. This soon turned into a love of all things that go bump in the night and a rather sadistic appreciation for freaking people out. Like many of the flawed characters she writes, Karina never knew where to find herself and has dabbled in acting, make-up artistry, film production, screenwriting, photography, travel writing and music journalism. She eventually found herself in the pages of the very novels she wrote (if only she had looked there to begin with).
Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently splits her time between her apartment in downtown Vancouver and her sailboat, where a book and a bottle of wine are always at hand. She’s hard at work on her next novel.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

image

Summary:

It’s the summer of 1974 and 21-year old Dawn Emerson has only three things she wants to do: compete one last time in the Ellensburg Rodeo, win back her ex-boyfriend Ryan, and become the best damn music journalist at Central Washington University. But all her plans are left in the dust when she’s contacted by Creem magazine to go on the road with one of her favorite groups, the up-and-coming metal band, Hybrid. 

At first the assignment reads like a dream come true. Not only will Dawn land some much-needed credibility as a female music journalist, but she’ll finally get to experience life from the other side of the stage, and maybe crack the drunken, enigmatic code that is guitarist Sage Knightly. Instead, Dawn finds herself on an aging tour bus filled with ego-maniacs, band politics and a whole lot of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. When monsters start showing up in dressing rooms and some of Sage’s groupies become increasingly strange and dangerous, Dawn discovers the band is not only going places – they’re going straight to Hell. 

And Dawn has a backstage pass.

***

The Devil’s Metal is the first book in a two-part New Adult Horror/Paranormal Romance and very (very!) loosely based on the author’s exploits as a music journalist. Hell comes in different forms.

image

Categories : Giveaway, Rocker, Romance Tagged : Book Spotlight, Devil's Reprise, Giveaway, Karina Halle, rocker, Romance

BLOG TOUR, REVIEW and GIVEAWAY: THE DEVIL’S TATTOO by NICOLE R. TAYLOR

October 28, 2013

image

image

The Devil’s Tattoo by Nicole R. Taylor
Publication date: September 1st 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance 18+

SYNOPSIS:

Zoe Granger picked up her first guitar the day her heart was smashed into a billion pieces. It was a way to keep her mind off her inevitable downward spiral, but music soon became her escape. She’s been burned too many times to tell and is just happy to coast through life, never putting herself out there. That’s until her best friend Dee suggests they start a band and suddenly she finds herself not just a part of it, but fronting the whole outfit.

They call themselves The Devil’s Tattoo and when they release their debut EP, it rockets to the top of the charts and it’s like an overnight fairytale. Contracts, photo shoots, royalties and interviews are heaped onto the shy Zoe and it’s like she’s finally found her place. Then comes the phone call that changes everything. They’ve been asked to co-headline a tour with one of the hottest bands of the moment, The Stabs and Zoe will never be the same again.

Will Strickland is one fourth of the hottest indie rock band to ever grace the airwaves. He’s the bass player in The Stabs, hot as hell and could have his pick of any girl that flings herself at him. But he’s only got eyes for Zoe and she has no idea why he’d bother. She’s got one hell of a trust issue and an attitude to boot and Will seems to be the one who wants to tame her, but is he game enough?

The Devil’s Tattoo and The Stabs go on the road and it’s either going to be a highway to hell or a stairway to heaven. Only time will tell who will come out on top and Zoe’s determined to do it without getting her heart broken… again.

Goodreads

Purchase:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

REVIEW:

I was immediately drawn into this book and read it almost in one sitting! I loved the characters, and loved that the author featured a female musician, and not just the same predictable male rock star. Zoe is a tough-on-the-outside, brilliant but insecure up-and-coming singer and songwriter who finds herself on tour with Will, the hot bass player in a popular band. These characters have a lot of depth, and I loved seeing their relationship develop over the course of the story.

I am a big fan of dual POV’s when done right, and and the author does an amazing job here with alternating between Zoe and Will’s voice. There is lots of steam in this story and the scenes between Zoe and Will are natural, sexy and real all at once. An added bonus for me was that I picked up a few new Australian terms! I loved The Devil’s Tattoo and highly recommend it for any fan of rock star books.

AUTHOR BIO:

image

Nicole R. Taylor is an Australian born paranormal, fantasy and contemporary fiction author. She is a graduate of the University of Ballarat Professional Writing and Editing programme and is a former music memorabilia sales person and grocery merchandiser.
She currently lives in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia with a two year old rescue cat named, Burger. She enjoys reading, writing (of course!), traveling and a little too much chocolate. One day she hopes to sky dive, but has to work up the courage first.

The first in her new paranormal fantasy series, The Witch Hunter Saga is available in e-edition and print from March 20th 2013

Author links:

Website

Author Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

Giveaway (open internationally):

image

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Blog Tour

Categories : 4.5 Stars, Blog Tour, Contemporary Romance, Giveaway, Rocker Tagged : 4.5 stars, Blog Tour, contemporary romance, Giveaway, Nicole R. Taylor, rocker, The Devil's Tattoo

COVER REVEAL and GIVEAWAY: RAGE by MICHELLE PACE and TAMMY COONS

October 18, 2013

image

image

Rage by Michelle Pace and Tammy Coons
Contemporary Romance, Contemporary Women
Anticipated Release: December 1, 2013
Cover Reveal Hosted by: Literary Mania Reviews

Fury’s sequel Rage THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED TALE OF FURY’S FRONT MAN PHILLIP AND STEPHANIE OF THE SOUND WAVE.

Synopsis:

Phillip Kersey finds himself and his hotheaded girlfriend, Stephanie, at a crossroads. He’s the singer of the chart-topping rock band, Fury, and they’re forever in the studio laying down tracks for their third album.
Steph’s photography career has exploded. She’s always on location and out of his grasp. Tired of Skype dates and stolen weekends, Phillip makes plans to whisk her off to Ireland so he can pop the question.
When Steph returns to the U.K. for the birth of their friends’ baby, Phillip finally gets his chance. He’s down on one knee when tragedy strikes. Aching hearts cause tempers to flair chaotically out of control. Phillip feels pushed aside and vanishes. Assumptions and accusations follow, and the public fallout between them becomes the stuff of legend.
When fate brings both Fury and Stephanie to a remote Brazilian paradise, the former lovers have no choice but to face each other head on. Will their wildfire chemistry burn down the wall between them, or will the tumultuous pair simply go up in flames?

imageimage

a Rafflecopter giveaway

On SALE now for 99 Cents each

Fury on Smashwords
Quest on Smashwords
Fury on Barnes and Noble
Quest on Barnes and Noble
Find Authors:
Facebook
Michelle Pace Facebook

Goodreads

Categories : Cover Reveal, Giveaway, Rocker, Romance Tagged : contemporary romance, Cover Reveal, Giveaway, Michelle Pace and Tammy Coons, Rage, rocker

Launch Blitz: Crash Into Me by Tracy Wolff

October 14, 2013

We’re thrilled to be part of the launch of a new Brazen series by Tracy Wolff, and we have an excerpt…Happy reading!

image

Buy Links for Crash Into Me

Barnes and Noble/Kobo/iTunes

 
SYNOPSIS:

She’s totally off limits, but this rocker wants a taste…
Jamison Matthews has lusted after Ryder Montgomery since she was a preteen. But now that Ryder and her brother’s band, Shaken Dirty, has made it huge, she’s just one of many pining for the brooding lead singer. Too bad Ryder still sees her as a little sister. Not that it matters. Her brother would never allow it, and the last thing Jamison wants is to be another notch on a rock star’s bed post. Even if it’s Ryder’s.
Ryder doesn’t deserve happiness. After his fame destroyed his last girlfriend, he swore he’d never fall in love again. So when Jamison, the girl he’s been in danger of loving for years, joins the band on the road, he’ll do anything to deny the sparks between them—even after one hot night together. But Jamison is determined to show Ryder that he’s worthy of love—her love—and that she’s all grown up…and ready to play.

EXCERPT:

​Onstage, the band launched into “Awake,” one of the power ballads that had made them famous. The crowd screamed their approval and so did she. Totally not her typical modus operandi, but she couldn’t help it. Something about listening to Ryder croon the darkly haunting lyrics had her knees trembling and her heart beating much too quickly. If she closed her eyes, she could do what all the other women in the audience were doing and pretend that he was singing straight to her.
​So much better than remembering he’d written these heartfelt words for another woman. For Carrie, who had killed herself and broken his heart so many years before. Her own heart ached at the thought. For him. Always for him. At twenty-nine, Ryder had already been through more darkness and despair than any one person should have to handle.
​“Awake” finally came to a close, the last note hanging in the air for long, tension-fueled seconds. Then the band fell silent and the audience did the same, as if they were all holding their breaths. Ryder lowered his guitar, shuffled, and stamped his feet once, twice. It was a familiar gesture, one years of experience had taught her was his way of shaking off excess emotion. Again her heart twisted. It devastated her that more than ten years after the fact he was still eaten up by what had happened. Still determined to bury it under a bunch of layers that not only insulated him from his pain but also hid the real Ryder so deep inside the public Ryder that she wondered sometimes if he even existed anymore. Or if the boy who had held her while she cried, who had let her whisper her pre-adolescent fears without ever making fun of her, had disappeared forever.
​She searched for him in that one endless moment.
​Looked for him in the obsidian eyes that arrowed to the heart of the crowd even as they barricaded his own emotions.
​Combed through her own memories and expectations in an effort to see Ryder as he really was instead of how he portrayed himself.
​And when his eyes—his crazy, beautiful eyes—met hers, she found him. Seconds passed, long, intense seconds where she lost the ability to hear or breathe or even think. All she could do was look into Ryder’s eyes, at the feral heat boiling up and out of them, and want.
​She smiled at him, waved. He snarled back. But it wasn’t a leave-me-alone snarl. No, definitely not. It was his I-want-to-fuck-you-up-against-a-wall snarl—she knew it well, had seen it directed at a lot of women through the years—and her knees gave way when she realized that this time, finally, it was directed at her. It didn’t matter that there was no sign of recognition in his eyes, no knowledge that the woman he was looking at like that was actually her. Jamison. For one moment, he wanted her the way she’d always wanted him.
​It was more than enough.

Connect with Tracy:

Website/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads/Blog

Categories : Book Launch, Contemporary Romance, Giveaway, Rocker, Romance Tagged : Book Launch, contemporary romance, Crash Into Me, Excerpt, rocker, Tracy Wolff

RELEASE DAY PROMO, TEASER and GIVEAWAY: IRRESISTIBLE REFRAIN (TEMPEST #1) by MICHELLE MANKIN

October 3, 2013

RELEASE DAY BLAST ~ OCT. 3rd

Irresistible Refrain – Tempest Series (Book #1)
Genre: New Adult
Two years ago everything changed for the remaining members of the Seattle rock band Tempest.
Two years is a long time.
Too long to keep on remembering.
Not nearly long enough to forget.
In trouble with nowhere else to go songstress Lace Lowell seeks refuge with the band during their stop in New York City. It’s a risky move for her because they are both there, two impossibly good looking men whose lives are inseparably entwined with hers. One who bruised her heart and one who smashed it into pieces.
Warren “War” Jinkins, the mercurial lead singer of Tempest, has always had a thing for Lace. But then again so does his best friend and band mate.
Bryan “Bullet” Jackson, the sinfully handsome tat-sleeved lead guitarist, has a bad boy reputation befitting his nickname. For the past two years Bullet’s had a rule with the groupies: one time, never twice, leave ‘em satisfied, but always leave ‘em.
Two guys, one woman, and a host of dark secrets all together within the tight confines of a tour bus as the group travels cross country.
Can the past be forgotten and buried?
Will friendships prevail?
Or will the three of them succumb to seductive impulses too addictive to resist?

** Irresistible Refrain is a gritty rock and roll tale intended for mature readers seventeen and up. Contains sexual situations, strong language, and drug use. **

*** TEASER ***

“Holy shit!” Lace exclaimed after War let out the last primal yell. “Why didn’t you guys do that one in New York? It sounds even better live than it does on the recording.” She stood, smoothing the wrinkles from her black tunic top, and walked over to me, gesturing at my Les Paul. “How the hell do you do that?”
“Bullet’s pretty fast with his fingers.” Sager chuckled.
“Ah, so that’s how you got the nickname.” Lace smiled. “Faster than a bullet on the frets, huh?”
“Uh, sort of.” King shoved Sager. “Even faster to get a woman off. One time he even…”
“Shut it.” I cut in and glared at King.
Lace’s smile warbled, but she managed to right it.
“What?” King shrugged. “It’s Lace. It ain’t like she never heard that shit before.”

Message from Michelle:

A portion of all my first day sales are going to covenant house. They counsel and assist at risk teens like my heroine in the story. This is an excerpt from the mission statement on their website http://www.covenanthouse.org/ Homeless kids have rights. They have the right to a home … the right to food … the right to guidance and an education … the right to be free from sexual, emotional, or physical abuse … and the right to be free from exploitation. These kids have the right to be safe and – most important – to be loved.*

About the Author:

Michelle Mankin is a young/new adult romance writer as well as a self-proclaimed giant…inside her own mind.
For many years, she toiled in the insurance industry as an underwriter. Somehow, the boredom didn’t kill her, and the hours of looking at facts and figures provided ample time for her mind to wander.
Love Evolution, Love Revolution, and the latest novel, Love Resolution are rock ‘n roll romances. The first is based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, the second on Much Ado About Nothing, and the third on The Tempest. The first three books in the Black Cat Records series combine the plot underpinnings of the famous playwright with the drama, excitement, and the indisputable sexiness of the rock ‘n roll industry.
When she is not putting her daydreams down on paper, you can find Michelle traveling the world with her family. Sometimes for real and sometimes just for pretend as she takes the children to school and back.
Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

*** GIVEAWAY ***

3 Ebooks of Irresistible Refrain

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Categories : Book Launch, Contemporary Romance, Giveaway, New Adult, Rocker, Romance Tagged : Book Blitz, Book Launch, contemporary romance, Excerpt, Giveaway, Irresistible Refrain, Michelle Mankin, New Adult, Release Day, rocker, Tempest Series

BLOG TOUR, EXCERPT and DELETED SCENE: ROCK BOTTOM by JADE C. JAMISON

September 14, 2013

image

Goodreads

image

SYNOPSIS:

Ethan Richards has fought depression and a host of other demons all his adult life, and it’s caused him to lose everything—his wife, his son, his friends, and he almost loses the one thing that means the most to him—his band. He hits rock bottom and believes there is no way out.

Enter Jenna McCormick, a feisty drug and alcohol counselor, a woman with her own share of troubles. She finds Ethan intriguing but keeps him at a distance while trying to help him face life without crutches. She feels a spark but denies it, knowing that a relationship with unstable Ethan could be dangerous for both of them.

Ethan knows what he wants, though, and isn’t used to being told no. Jenna isn’t willing to risk Ethan losing his tenuous grip on sobriety, however, and is prepared to deny her deeper feelings to help Ethan climb out of his hole, but he learns how to let go of his pain when he finds that someone is prepared to walk with him through the shadows. Can he convince Jenna that they should take a chance on love or will they forever deny their feelings in an effort to keep Ethan on the straight and narrow?

AUTHOR BIO:

image

BEST SELLING AMAZON AUTHOR ~

Jade C. Jamison was born and raised in Colorado and has decided she likes it enough to stay forever. Jade’s day job is teaching Creative Writing, but teaching doesn’t stop her from doing a little writing herself.

Unfortunately, there’s no one genre that quite fits her writing. Her work has been labeled romance, erotica, suspense, and women’s fiction, and the latter is probably the safest and closest description. But you’ll see that her writing doesn’t quite fit any of those genres.

You’ll have to discover Jade’s writing for yourself to decide if you like it.

GOODREAD LINK FOR ROCK BOTTOM

GOODREAD AUTHOR LINK

LINK TO AUTHOR’S WEBSITE

LINK TO AUTHOR’S FACEBOOK

TWITTER

AMAZON AUTHOR LINK

PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon:

Amazon Canada

Barnes and Noble

Smashwords

GIVEAWAY:

1st ~ Signed paperback Rock Bottom
2nd ~ $10 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt from Rock Bottom
Jade C. Jamison

Jenna knew as soon as it started that she shouldn’t have told Ethan he could kiss her. That was it. She now wanted him desperately, and unless someone pulled the fire alarm, something serious was going to happen between them tonight.

It would probably be as hot as a fire and just as dangerous.

The second his lips touched hers, she let herself go. She kissed him back hard and wound her fingers through his hair.

She was going to break her own promise to herself, that impossible promise she’d made over a year ago. She’d known celibacy would be unlikely, but she knew she had to save herself. Now, though, she didn’t know if denying herself the pleasure of this man was salvation or torture. She knew, underneath it all, that Ethan was a good guy, but she also suspected, just from what he’d said, that he hadn’t been a nice person when he’d been under the influence. Still…he was trying now, and that meant something. It meant everything. So she wasn’t about to stop him, not now.

When he did come up for air, though, she tried not to make it obvious that he’d almost winded her. She took a deep breath and smiled. “Okay, so I guess I’ll invite you in for a while.” He smiled and cocked his head but didn’t say a word, and she turned around and opened the door.

She flipped the switch that turned on the light. One thing she didn’t like about her apartment but couldn’t change was that the kitchen was the first room when she opened the door. She didn’t like it because she felt like she had to keep it pristine at all times. She was glad the dishes were done. She would sometimes have one or two rinsed dishes in the sink, but tonight she’d made sure everything was clean before leaving. The living room was off to the left and she usually felt as though it had to constantly look nice as well. The couch created a bit of a break between the two spaces.

Unfortunately, she was thinking more about a room in the back of her apartment.

She walked toward the fridge as she heard Ethan close the front door. “Can I get you anything to drink? Should I make some coffee?”

She turned around to face him, her fingers still on the handle to the refrigerator. He had a bit of a devilish grin on his face, and she suspected she knew his thoughts. Damn, he was a good-looking guy. His longish hair framed his gorgeous face, and she knew from the videos that she’d seen that his hair often covered much of his face when he played; even if it hadn’t, he didn’t seem to notice or even care about the camera. Here and now, though, he was in the moment and looking straight at her with his intense green eyes. She felt as though he could see her every thought, her hidden intentions. Maybe that was okay, because she didn’t want to have to beat around the bush or act coy.

She could still feel his stubble burning her face from their kiss moments earlier. She wanted to feel that sensation all over her body. She felt a shiver begin crawling up her spine as she imagined it, and she almost blushed, believing he really knew what she was thinking.

Ethan took two steps closer to her. “Can I be honest with you?”

Jenna hoped her voice wouldn’t give her away. She had to be the cool, direct professional Ethan knew. “Haven’t we always been?”

His smile lost its little boy quality and looked ravenous as he took another step toward her. It was then that she realized, taking in a breath, that she couldn’t hit the bottom of her lungs. He’d taken away her ability to breathe. He said, “I told you a few weeks ago that I wanted to fuck you and now…I don’t.” She felt her breath catch in her throat again as her heart sank. She knew she wasn’t letting it show on her face and that was good, but he continued. “Well, okay, I guess that’s not entirely true. I do want to…but I’m not going to be satisfied with just a quick lay. I want to try you every way you’ll take me.”

Rock Bottom Alt POV scene
Jade C. Jamison

Brad had tried cheering up Val again earlier that afternoon, but there wasn’t much he could do about her mood. She felt dejected whenever Chris would spend the weekend with Ethan. By the same token, she would get angry when Ethan didn’t get Chris. He understood. They’d talked about it. Val didn’t much care if Ethan was going to have visitation or not, but she wanted consistency in Chris’s life. If Ethan was going to take Chris every other weekend, then she wanted him to do it faithfully. Otherwise, she felt like Ethan was jerking on his son’s heartstrings.

Based on what Ethan had hinted at the last time, though, he was having a pretty bad time. He’d explained that he didn’t think it would be good to have Chris around him. Val had agreed but ragged him out and then ranted about it after they hung up. She didn’t want her son to be heartbroken. But she and Brad made sure Chris never noticed. They baked cookies, watched movies, and read lots of books to him. He didn’t remember that his real daddy wasn’t there as planned. Truthfully, it bothered Val more than her son, so Brad tried to keep her mind off it too.

This afternoon, though…this was going to be the first time in over a month Ethan was going to see his son. Val had already made a comment that morning in bed, though, saying she wondered what excuse Ethan was going to conjure up this time.

Brad didn’t say a word. He knew Val had a lot of anger to work out when it came to her ex. She’d stood by his side faithfully until the time he’d hurt her and scared her out of her mind. She believed to this day that Ethan had almost killed her. It might have been true, but Brad had known Ethan a lot longer than Val had and couldn’t imagine his friend trying to kill the woman he loved. Ethan was good inside, but he didn’t know how to act like it. Brad kept wishing, hoping…but it had finally been time to just walk away, let his brother sink or swim.

He’d sunk at first, but Brad thought maybe now Ethan was floating and finding his way to the surface. Or at least he hoped. He and Val were expecting Ethan around five o’clock, and his arrival would be a good sign. Val had said, “I’m not even going to pack Chris’s stuff until I know he’s coming for sure.”

Brad had been sitting on the couch next to her. He squeezed her knee. “He’ll be here, Val. He promised. You’ll feel like an ass when he gets here and you’re not ready. Then who’ll be the bad guy?” Considering it was ten minutes to five, he hoped she’d decide to do it.

She sighed and gave him a dirty look which quickly melted into a smile. “I hate when you’re right.” She kissed him and then got up, walking out of the living room.

When the doorbell rang a few minutes later, Brad said, “Come here, kiddo,” and scooped Chris up off the floor where he was playing with plastic blocks. “I think that’s your dad.”

“Daddy?”

Brad nodded. “Uh-huh.” He walked to the door, Chris in his arms. When he opened it, Ethan and Jenna both stood outside.

Chris leaned forward. “Daddy!”

Ethan looked a little worn down, not as good as he had last time. He looked a lot like he had during certain periods in high school when he’d disappear for days at a time. Brad wasn’t sure what to make of it, but Ethan started smiling when Chris reached for his father. Ethan took him in his arms as his child held him close around the neck.

“Chris, my buddy.”

Brad stood back. “Come on in.” The cold air from outside was rushing in, and he wanted them to come inside where it was warm. He shut the door and turned around to see Ethan and Jenna standing side by side.

Ethan kissed Chris on the cheek and looked at Brad. “Can I talk to you about business sometime?”

Brad was silent for a moment. This had been a moment for which he’d been waiting for quite some time. The fate of Fully Automatic rested in Ethan’s hands, and it could go one of three ways: the band could stay together and continue making music; Ethan could leave and they could make do without him (or hire another second guitarist if they felt they needed to); or (the option Brad dreaded but also expected the most) they could disband. It told him, though, that Ethan had been able to find some clarity and knew now what he wanted. As much as Brad selfishly wanted Ethan to stay (clean and sober, of course), he would support his friend if he walked away. He didn’t want to give his thoughts away or put any undue pressure on Ethan, so he didn’t plan to give away what he was thinking. “Have you thought about it?”

“Yeah. I can’t walk away. I’m in.”

Brad nodded. He was grateful and happy to hear it. His friend—and his band—would be whole again, and that was huge news. Before he could say anything, though, Valerie walked in. Either she was done packing or had heard them talking. She said, “Ethan. Glad you could make it.”

“Yeah.”

Brad loved his wife, but her timing at this particular moment had been shitty. He needed to know for sure what Ethan had in mind. He wanted to clarify a few things. He needed to talk to his brother, man to man…and he needed his girlfriend to stop coiling up like a rattlesnake every damn time she got near her ex. So he said, “Hey, Jenna, would you mind helping Val get some drinks for all of us? Ethan has some business matters to discuss with me.”

Ethan looked surprised. “Now?”

“What better time than the present?” They hadn’t done anything as a band in over a year. He didn’t want to wait, so he motioned Ethan into the living room. He could tell Val wasn’t too happy about what he’d done, but he’d explain it later. She’d understand then.

Val smiled at Jenna and said, “Come with me to the kitchen.” Oh, yeah. He saw the look. She wasn’t happy with him at all. She’d understand, though.

The women left and Brad and Ethan went into the living room. Both sat on the couch and Chris said, “Daddy, frain?”

Ethan furrowed his brows. “What?”

“Frain.”

Brad smiled. “He’s talking about his train.”

“Oh, you have a train?”

“Choo-choo frain, daddy. See it?”

Ethan looked over at Brad but then said to his son, “Do you want to show it to me?”

Brad said, “Why don’t you bring it here so daddy can see it?” He just couldn’t bring himself to call Ethan Daddy Ethan, even though that’s what Val had taught the child. He had to admit he didn’t mind being called Daddy Brad, but Ethan was the kid’s real dad and deserved the original title. Chris nodded and toddled off in the direction of his bedroom.

“So what’s your decision?”

Ethan nodded. “I’m all in, man. I can’t…I can’t not do it. It’s just been hard…and I needed time.”

“I get that. I know you’ve had it rough.”

“Yeah, but no excuse. You guys have been carrying the load without me.”

“Not really. We’ve been thinking of it as an extended vacation. It’s all good. I’ve been writing some. You?”

“I just started.” Ethan ran his hand through his hair. “It feels pretty good.”

“Yeah…it does. So…are you ready now?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“So…why don’t we plan on getting together after Christmas? I’ll call up Nick and Zane, and we can start writing together, sharing what we’ve got, practicing…maybe record in the spring. Dean’ll be glad to hear that.” No way was Brad going to tell Ethan that their manager Dean had initially tried to talk the other band members into dropping Ethan like a fashion designer drops last season’s creations. His friend didn’t need to hear that.

“Yeah. Dean’s been chewing my ass a little too, but I haven’t heard too much from him in a while.”

“Well, there’s no pressure. We have a little bit of time. There’s no hurry. But…January sound good?”

“Sounds great.”

Chris came out of his room, a chunky-looking plastic train engine in his hands. It was mostly red, but it was trimmed in white and yellow. The smokestack was red and the wheels blue. Chris was grinning from ear to ear walking toward his dad. “Frain, daddy.”

“Very cool, buddy.” Chris stopped at the coffee table and started pushing the train around on its wheels, showing off his toy.

Brad said, “He’s a good kid.”

Ethan nodded. “I miss him.” Ethan tousled his hair and the men sat in silence watching Chris push the train around. The only sound in the living room was the noise of the plastic train’s wheels gliding across the wood of the coffee table.

That is, until they heard Valerie’s voice coming from the kitchen. “Look…I know you’re feeling some sympathy for Ethan. I get it. I’ve been there. But I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t warn you. He’s poison. He’s charming and irresistible. He makes you feel like you’re the only woman on the planet…until he makes you feel like shit because he’s off screwing someone else. Or he’ll tell you he’s clean but the next thing you know, he’s high as a kite. Ethan is good looking and he’s charming and he knows it. It took me years to realize that Ethan’s only concern is himself.”

Oh, shit. Brad couldn’t believe Val had actually said that. Okay, that wasn’t true. He could believe it. He knew how badly she’d been hurt. Her timing again sucked, though. He wanted to disappear but that wasn’t an option. He and Ethan looked at each other at the same time. He could hear Jenna saying something back to Val, but he couldn’t tell what she was saying. What the hell could he say? Not much. “Sorry, man.”

“No. It’s fine.”

Chris walked over to the other side of the coffee table and got up on Brad’s lap. He grabbed the plastic blocks on the table and started pushing them together. He looked at Ethan again and said, “Blocks, daddy.”

Brad was grateful for the distraction because he hadn’t felt this awkward in a long time. Ethan smiled again at his son and said, “We have some like that at my house too, remember?”

Chris held a yellow block out to Ethan. His father opened his hand and let Chris place the block on his palm. A few seconds later, Val and Jenna came in the room with lemonade and glasses. Val started pouring lemonade in a cup for Chris and Brad was trying to think of a way to break the ice. Before he could, though, Ethan leaned forward. “Val, I overheard part of your conversation in the kitchen with Jenna…purely by accident.” Brad nodded at Val to confirm, in case she had any doubts. Ethan continued. “I know you’re probably never gonna trust me, but I’d appreciate it if, from now on, you could keep that to yourself. I am better and I have changed. I know it’s not easy for you to understand that, but it’s true. You’re still clinging to your old beliefs about me, and if that works for you, great. But my son is getting old enough that he’ll start listening to you and believing every word you say. I start using again…you take him away from me. Get full custody. Get a restraining order. Move and don’t give me your forwarding address. I don’t give a rat’s ass. But for now—when I’ve actually made those changes—give me a chance, would you?”

Val didn’t miss a beat. “Why now, Ethan?”

Ethan was looking at his son but made eye contact with his ex before speaking again. “I guess it’s because I finally hit rock bottom. There was no hope, no future, and I was being swallowed by my addictions…and more. I have a lot of mental shit going on that fueled a lot of it, and I’m just now becoming aware of it.”

“Depression?”

He closed his eyes for a moment in confirmation before continuing. “Jenna’s helped me see how it feeds into the destructive behavior I tend to lean toward, and I’m learning new ways of coping with it.” Ethan made a gesture with his index finger and thumb to indicate a tiny space. “I’m this close to happiness, Val, something I’ve never been…ever. And, whether she wants to admit it or not, Jenna is a big part of it. I’m not a slave to the shit I took anymore. I’m free, and now I just want to try to live a normal life.” He smiled at Jenna. “I know that doesn’t mean I’m on easy street now, but it does mean that I want to live, and I want to live a good life.”

Val’s eyes filled with tears as she said, “Sorry.”

Ethan stood and stepped close to Val…and then he said something Brad had thought he would never hear from his best friend. “You don’t need to be sorry, Val. I’m sorry…I’m sorry for the hell I put you through. I know I don’t even know half of what you went through, but I know you did it because you believed in me, and I let you down. I don’t do all the twelve step stuff, but I do think it’s a good thing to apologize for what I did when I was consumed by all that shit.” He looked over at Brad for a moment. “That goes for you too, Brad. I don’t expect you guys to forgive me or trust me, but I hope I can prove myself over time. I just ask that you let me see my son. He’s the world to me.”

Val started crying in earnest as she closed the gap between herself and Ethan. She hugged him and said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how hard it had been for you. I was just feeling my own pain.”

And now, finally, Brad thought, Val could begin healing as well, something she’d needed to do for a long time. He let out a slow breath and hugged the child in his arms. It might not have started out that way, but today was winding up to be the best day he’d had in a long time.

Categories : Blog Tour, Contemporary Romance, Giveaway, Rocker Tagged : Alternate POV, Blog Tour, contemporary romance, Deleted Scene, Excerpt, Giveaway, Jade C. Jamison, Rock Bottom, rocker

Review and Giveaway – Love Resolution (Black Cat Records #3) by Michelle Mankin

June 3, 2013

image

Today we welcome Michelle Mankin with a review of Love Resolution (Black Cat Records, #3).

Title: Love Resolution (Black Cat Records, #3)

Author: Michelle Mankin

Age Group: New adult

Genre: Contemporary rock n roll romance

Tour organized by: AToMR Tours

Goodreads
image

Follow the Blog Tour

image

Book Description:

There’s a storm brewing at Black Cat Records and lead singer Marcus Anthony and guitarist Avery Jones are at the center of it.

Brutal Strength is leaving Vancouver and heading out on a big stadium tour with reprobate rockers from Tempest as their opening act.

Avery is forced to deal with a troubling figure from her past while being pursued by Tempest’s tatted bad boy, Bryan ‘Bullet’ Jackson.

Meanwhile, Marcus must battle his own internal demons as well as this rival for Avery’s affection.

Can Avery and Marcus keep their fairy tale happily ever after together when the prevailing winds of the real world are against them?

Love Resolution is the third and final book in the Black Cat Records Shakespeare inspired trilogy.

**A new adult contemporary novel with mature subject matter**

Review:

Book 3 in the Black Cat Records series follows rockers Marcus and Avery as the band Brutal Strength gets ready to go out on tour. If you are looking for an entertaining rocker story, this book is for you. Mankin builds lots of chemistry between the two main characters and I actually really enjoyed the second half of this story as the tension and angst between Marcus and Avery builds to a very satisfying conclusion.

There are several interwoven story lines in Book #3 and I really enjoyed the presence of the guys from Tempest. Watch out for sexy Bryan ‘Bullet’ Jackson! The author creates lots of chemistry between Bryan and Avery, and tension between Marcus and Bryan, and I would love to read more of Bryan’s story. There is a heartbreaking scene involving him that really gives a glimpse into his tortured soul.

But Love Resolution is truly Marcus and Avery’s story and Mankin really delivers on the intensity between the two characters. All in all, a very enjoyable story about the world of rock and roll, filled with lots of very memorable characters.

(ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review)

About the Author:

Michelle Mankin is a young/new adult romance writer as well as a self-proclaimed giant… inside of her own mind!

For many years she worked in the insurance industry as an underwriter. Somehow, the boredom didn’t kill her but the hour and hours of looking at facts and figures provided ample time for her mind to wander.

Love Evolution, Love Revolution, and Love Resolution are all part of the Black Cat Records trilogy using the plot underpinnings of Shakespeare combined with the drama, excitement, and indisputable sexiness of the rock ‘n roll industry.

When she is not putting her daydreams down on paper, you can find her traveling the world, sometimes for real and sometimes for pretend as she takes the kids back and forth to school.

Facebook

Purchase:

Giveaway: Print & ebooks + Concert Bracelets & Tattoos

Print Book:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

ebooks:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Categories : 4 Stars, Blog Tour, Contemporary Romance, Rocker Tagged : Avery, Black Cat Records Series, contemporary romance, Love Resolution, Marcus, Michelle Mankin, rocker

Next Page »

Categories

  • 2 Stars
  • 2.5 Stars
  • 3 Stars
  • 3.5 Stars
  • 4 Stars
  • 4.5 Stars
  • 5 Stars
  • Action Romance
  • Adult
  • Adult Coloring Book
  • Adult Romance
  • Adult Suspense
  • Alpha male
  • Alpha- hero
  • Angsty
  • Anthology
  • Audiobook
  • Author Interview
  • Author Signing
  • Autobiography
  • BDSM
  • BDSM – Dark and Angsty
  • Biker
  • Billionaire Romance
  • Biographical Fiction
  • Bisexual Romance
  • Blog Hop
  • Blog Tour
  • Book Blast
  • Book Blitz
  • Book Launch
  • Book Tour
  • Charity
  • College
  • College Romance
  • Coming of Age
  • Contemporary
  • Contemporary Erotic Romance
  • Contemporary Fiction
  • Contemporary Gay Romance
  • Contemporary Homoerotic Romance
  • Contemporary M/M Romance
  • Contemporary Queer Romance
  • Contemporary Romance
  • Contemporary Western Romance
  • Courtroom Drama
  • Cover Reveal
  • Cowboy Romance
  • Cozy Mystery
  • Crime
  • Crime Romance
  • Dark
  • Dark and Twisty
  • Dark Contemporary Romance
  • Dark Erotic Romance
  • Dark Erotica
  • Dark Romance
  • Diverse
  • Domestic Fiction
  • Domestic Suspense
  • Domestic Thriller
  • Dominant
  • Dystopian
  • Enemies to Lovers
  • Erotic
  • Erotic Humor
  • Erotic Romance
  • Erotic Romantic Comedy
  • Erotic Suspense
  • Erotic Thriller
  • Erotica
  • Erotica/Sci-Fi
  • Events
  • Family Drama
  • Family Saga
  • Fantasy
  • Fashion
  • Fiction
  • Fighter
  • Financial Thriller
  • Forbidden
  • Giveaway
  • Gothic Romance
  • Guest Post
  • Historical Fiction
  • Historical Romance
  • Holiday Fiction
  • Holiday Romance
  • Horror
  • Horror Romance
  • Human Sexuality
  • Humor
  • Legal Thriller
  • Lesbian Romance
  • LGBQT Science Fiction
  • LGBT
  • LGBT Romance
  • LGBTQI
  • Literary Fiction
  • M/m
  • M/M Contemporary Romance
  • Mafia Romance
  • Magical Realism
  • Mature YA/NA
  • MC Romance
  • Memoir
  • Ménage
  • Military Romance
  • MM Romance
  • MMA
  • Movie Star Romance
  • Mystery
  • New Adult
  • New Adult Contemporary
  • New Adult Contemporary Romance
  • New Adult Romance
  • New Adult Romantic Comedy
  • New Adult Romantic Suspense
  • New Release
  • Non-con
  • Non-Fiction
  • Novella
  • Office Romance
  • Organized Crime Thrillers
  • Own Voices
  • Paranormal
  • Paranormal Romance
  • Political Romance
  • Post-Apocalyptic
  • Prequel
  • Psychological
  • Psychological Thriller
  • Release Blitz
  • Reviews
  • Rock Star
  • Rocker
  • Romance
  • Romantic Comedy
  • Romantic Erotica
  • Romantic Suspence
  • Romantic Suspense
  • Romantic Thriller
  • Romantic Women's Fiction
  • Satire
  • Sci-Fi Romance
  • Science Fiction
  • Second Chance
  • Second Chance Romance
  • Self-Help
  • Serial
  • Series
  • Shifter
  • Single Dad
  • Slow Burn Romance
  • Small-town Romance
  • Speculative Fiction
  • Sports
  • Sports Romance
  • Sports-Hockey
  • Spotlight
  • Spotlight Tour
  • Standalone
  • Student-Teacher
  • Suspense
  • Taboo
  • Tattooed hero
  • Teaser
  • Teaser Tuesday
  • Thriller
  • Time Travel Romance
  • Trailer Reveal
  • Uncategorized
  • Urban Erotica
  • Waiting on Wednesday
  • Western Romance
  • Women's Fiction
  • Women's Studies
  • Young Adult
  • Young Adult Contemporary Romance
  • Young Adult Fantasy
  • Young Adult Romance
  • Young Adult Time Travel
  • Young Adult-New Adult

Stay Connected

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Recent Favorites:

Search The Book Bellas

New Posts Delivered Straight To Your Inbox

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 41 other subscribers

Recent Posts

  • MOTHER MAY I by JOSHILYN JACKSON
  • NEW RELEASES – WEEK OF APRIL 6, 2021
  • THE INTIMACY EXPERIMENT by ROSIE DANAN
  • THE LIGHT THROUGH THE LEAVES by GLENDY VANDERAH
  • NEW RELEASES – WEEK OF MARCH 30, 2021
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Archives

Find us on GoodReads

Goodreads: Book reviews, recommendations, and discussion

Grab our Button


Tags

4 stars 4.5 stars 5 stars A.L. Jackson Aleatha Romig Alessandra Torre alpha male BDSM Bella Jewel Blog Tour Book Blitz Book Launch Cat Porter Chelle Bliss contemporary romance Cover Reveal Erotica Erotic romance Excerpt Giveaway Jane Harvey-Berrick K. Bromberg Karina Halle Katy Evans Kristen Ashley Laurelin Paige Mara White Nelle L'Amour New Adult New Releases Pam Godwin Penelope Douglas Penelope Ward Pepper Winters R.S. Grey Release Blitz Review Reviews S.L. Scott Skye Warren Tarryn Fisher Tessa Bailey Tia Louise Vi Keeland Young Adult

Copyright © 2021 · Annabelle Reloaded Theme