Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Book Monster Book Blast & Giveaway for Steam and Sensibility by Kirsten Weiss


Welcome to my stop on the Book Monster Promotions Book Blast & Giveaway Tour for Steam and Sensibility by Kirsten Weiss.  Please leave a comment or question for Ms. Weiss to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.


Steam and Sensibility
Sensibility Grey, #1
Genre:  Steampunk Paranormal Suspense
Author: Kirsten Weiss
Print Length: 235 pages
Publisher: Misterio Press
Publication Date:  March 17, 2014
ASIN: B00J2MY35A
ISBN: 0985510390

Buy Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

About the book:

California Territory, 1848. Gold has been discovered, emptying the village of San Francisco of its male population. Steam-powered technology is still in its infancy.

At 19, Englishwoman Sensibility Grey has spent her life tinkering in her father’s laboratory and missing the finer points of proper British life. But when her father dies in penury, she’s shipped to San Francisco and to the protection of an uncle she’s never met.
The California Territory may hold more dangers than even the indomitable Miss Grey can manage.

Pursued by government agents, a secret society, and the enigmatic Mr. Krieg Night, Sensibility must decipher the clockwork secrets in her father’s final journal, unaware she’ll change the world forever.

Magic, mayhem, and mechanicals. STEAM AND SENSIBILITY is a pre-Steampunk novel of paranormal suspense set in the wild west of the California gold rush. 

AUTHOR BIO:

Kirsten Weiss is the author of the Steampunk novel, Steam and Sensibility, and the Riga Hayworth series of paranormal mysteries: the urban fantasy, The Metaphysical Detective, The Alchemical Detective, The Shamanic Detective, and The Infernal Detective.
Kirsten worked overseas for nearly fourteen years, in the fringes of the former USSR and deep in the Afghan war zone.  Her experiences abroad not only gave her glimpses into the darker side of human nature, but also sparked an interest in the effects of mysticism and mythology, and how both are woven into our daily lives.

Now based in San Mateo, CA, she writes paranormal mysteries, blending her experiences and imagination to create a vivid world of magic and mayhem.

Kirsten has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are watching Ghost Whisperer reruns and drinking good wine. You can connect with Kirsten through the social media sites below, and if the mood strikes you, send her an e-mail at kirsten_weiss2001@yahoo.com

AUTHOR CONTACT LINKS:






Kirsten Weiss' Steam and Sensibility Book Blast Schedule 

4/30       Queen of All She Reads

5/01  Book Monster Reviews

5/02       Night Owl Reviews

5/02       Bookin It Reviews

5/03       Reader Girls

5/03       C&F

5/07       Book Liaison

5/09       Two Sassy Chicks

5/11       Mythical Books

5/12       Offbeat Vagabond

  5/12    In The Pages of a Good Book

5/15       Book Lovin' Mamas

5/15       I Smell Sheep

  5/20    A_TiffyFit's Reading Corner

5/21       Tome Tender

5/21   fuonlyknew ~ Laura's ramblins and reviews

5/22       For Whom The Books Toll

5/23       Romancing the Dark Side

5/23       book bliss

5/24       The Rest Is Still Unwritten

5/24       Manga Maniac Cafe

5/27       KT Book Reviews

5/29       Close Encounters with the Night Kind

5/29       StarAngels Reviews

5/30       deal sharing aunt

5/30       LITERAL ADDICTION
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Goddess Fish Book Blast & Giveaway for Charming the Duke by Holly Bush


Welcome to my stop on author Holly Bush’s Virtual Book Blast for Charming the Duke, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions.  Please leave a comment or question for Ms. Bush to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also follow the rest of the tour here, the more stops you visit the better your odds of winning.   Stay tuned for my review of this book later this week. 

Charming the Duke
By Holly Bush

Publisher:  Holly Bush
Release Date: March 18, 2014
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: 289 Pages
ISBN:  978-1497409576
ASIN:  B00J44MRA4

Buy Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ARe | Kobo | Goodreads

About the book:  

1849 . . . Matilda Sheldon, the middle daughter of the sixth Earl of Bisset, has never been interested in the fashionable society events that so preoccupy her parents and siblings. Her loving, albeit, daft family cannot understand why. But Matilda has little use for silly rules and dramas. She would rather occupy her time with a worthwhile cause such as opening The Sheldon Home for Orphans, much to the chagrin of her mother and grandmother. They are quite certain a venture of this nature will discourage suitors. Matilda is quite certain that if suitors are discouraged it is because she is clever, plain, a bit clumsy, and inevitably compared to her beautiful sisters.

The Duke of Thornsby is in tight spot. After receiving the title on the death of his father, he discovers the inheritance is to be gifted elsewhere if he does not marry before his thirtieth birthday. Unfortunately, our man-about-town is embroiled in a scandal, not of his own making, and the marriage mamas won’t let any eligible misses anywhere near him. What’s a Duke to do? Get invited to a house party hosted by the notoriously absent-minded Earl of Bisset, who just happens to be Papa to some young ladies of marriageable age!

Thornsby finds himself fascinated, not with the two Sheldon debutantes actively seeking a husband, but rather with the ‘brown wren’ he first mistakes for a servant. Matilda is counting the hours until the house party ends when the necessity of conversing with the guests will be over, and ridiculously handsome men go far away. Can a worldly Duke convince a sensible girl to accept his court? Find out in Charming the Duke.
Excerpt

Our hero can’t resist a kiss . . .


“Thornsby!” Matilda hissed. People from one end of the room to the other were staring. Oddly, the glimpse Matilda caught of her mother revealed a smile.

“What is wrong with you, Thornsby?” Matilda asked when he finally released her after pulling her into the first deserted room they came to.

“You said yourself that Altry has never asked you to dance. What do you imagine prompted him now?”

“Heavens, I don’t know. Why would I care? It was just a dance,” Matilda replied.

“Just a dance? That young pup was nearly drooling.”

“Drooling? Whatever are you talking about?” Matilda asked.

“Miss Sheldon! You are no fool. Don’t presume to tell me you don’t understand. Altry asked you to dance because of this damned outfit you’re wearing.” Thornsby shouted.

“You’re only angry you can’t compare me to a maid or a washwoman.”

Matilda supposed the Duke was right though. Altry would have never paid her court if she hadn’t been wearing this dress. It all supported her notion that the glasses, brown dresses, and scruffy boots separated the chaff from the wheat. Those that deemed her worthy enough to speak to when dressed that way, and those that chose this evening to address her. The Duke had apparently noticed her gown.

Thornsby stared at her as if in a trance. She wondered what was going through his mind. “Don’t make Altry to be any more the cad than you, Thornsby. You’ve never noticed me either. Unless to insult me.”

His eye twitched. “That is untrue.”

“Far from it,” Matilda said.

“Don’t presume to know what is in my mind,” Thornsby said and grabbed Matilda’s bare shoulders.

The moment was charged with sparks, shooting through the air, connecting him to her. Matilda felt, well, she didn’t know what she felt. Fluttery and female. Angry. Aware. The touch of his fingertips drifted down her arms leaving her hands numb. Her voice came out barely above a whisper.

“What is on your mind then?” she asked.

“I’m thinking of kissing you, Miss Sheldon.”

Matilda batted her lashes. “Is it the dress?”

Thornsby touched his lips to hers. A feather’s touch. He inched back to gaze over her face. “I don’t know. But I don’t think so.”

His breath was warm on her cheeks. She’d never been this close to a man before. She could see the lines around his mouth and the bristle of his beard. He touched his lips to hers again.

“What do you imagine it is?” Matilda whispered into his mouth.

Thornsby slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her close. He tilted her head up with his finger. “I haven’t a clue,” he said. Then he kissed her. Really kissed her.


AUTHOR Bio and Links:


Holly Bush was born in western Pennsylvania to two avid readers. There was not a room in her home that did not hold a full bookcase. She worked in the hospitality industry, owning a restaurant for twenty years. Holly has been a marketing consultant to start-up businesses and has done public speaking on the subject.

Holly has been writing all of her life and is a voracious reader of a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction, particularly political and historical works. She has written four romance novels, all set in the U.S. West in the mid 1800’s. She frequently attends writing conferences, and has always been a member of a writer’s group.

Holly is a gardener, a news junkie, and former vice-president of her local library board and loves to spend time near the ocean. She is the proud mother of two daughters and the wife of a man more than a few years her junior.

Links:


Twitter - @hollybushbooks




Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Book Blitz & Giveaway for Criminal Injustice by Samuel A. Francis



Book Blitz & Giveaway for 
Criminal Injustice by Samuel Francis

Presented by Pump Up Your Book from April 28 – May 9, 2014


Criminal Injustice
By Samuel Francis

Publisher: iUniverse
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
EBook: 188 pages
Release Date: October 11, 2010


Add to Goodreads

Brian Wilson lived a quiet, peaceful life as the vice president of a savings and loan company in Albuquerque, New Mexico, until he approved a loan for a certain corporation—a corporation of which Brian was part owner. For this, Brian was sent to prison for twelve months. Upon his release, lesson learned, he became a business consultant, focused on putting his life back in order and taking care of his wife.

Brian throws all his effort into living a normal life—only to find himself the witness of a drive-by shooting. Brian reacts without thinking, thwarting the gang’s efforts and saving the would-be victim, which eventually leads to the incarceration of the gang members involved. Soon after, Brian and his wife began receiving death threats, but because of his past indiscretions, the court will not allow Brian to own a gun.

Brian’s wife owns a pistol, though, and when the gang sends men to kill the couple, Brian uses it to defend them both. In response, the district attorney indicts Brian for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Now, Brian—a heroic citizen who stood up against crime—must rely on a jury to determine his future. Will their decision determine criminal justice … or Criminal Injustice?



About Samuel A. Francis:

Samuel A. Francis earned his juris doctor degree from the University of New Mexico Law School in 1966. He has been a practicing attorney since September of that year. Criminal Injustice is his fifth book.


Pump Up Your Book and Samuel are teaming up to give away a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • 1 winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive each of the prizes
  • This giveaway begins April 28 and ends on May 9.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on May 10, 2014.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!
ENTER TO WIN!



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Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for The Trucker's Cat by Christina K. Thompson



Welcome to my stop on author Christina Thompson’s Virtual Book Tour for The Trucker’s Cat, presented by Reading Addiction Book Tours.  Please leave a comment or question for Ms. Thompson to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also follow her tour stop here, the more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning. 

The Trucker’s Cat
By Christina Thompson

Publisher:  Christina Thompson
Release date: January 6, 2014
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: 260 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-311727-35-0
ASIN: B00HQNVSTQ


About the book: 
“Some men think there’s a choice between right and wrong. Great men know there is none.” ~General Steven Randall

In The Trucker’s Cat, Samantha Randall and Major Logan McCormick believe in a common value that takes on extraordinary meaning.

At the Russian Embassy where she lives with her mother and stepfather, Samantha uncovers a plot to assassinate the President. Her father’s famous speech urges her to act. She treks cross-country to warn the driver that his cargo has the proof, but she finds herself stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Driving a truck on a special military assignment, Logan sees no choice and rescues Sam from a bloated lecher. Against protocol, he gives the wildcat a ride. With Russian soldiers searching for Logan’s cargo and another team chasing Samantha, they quickly realize they must work together. Making sacrifices for the greater good, they will do what’s necessary to prevent the unthinkable.
Adult Excerpt
Freshly shaved and showered, Logan McCormick sipped his black coffee from a window booth in the truck stop diner. While his partner ranted through the communication piece in his ear, he watched a smoking Greyhound bus catch fire at the edge of the parking lot. The passengers scrambled in every direction except for a young woman in a flannel shirt and jeans. She sprayed the engine with the fire extinguisher. It surprised him that she could hold it up; it was almost as big as she was.

“Mick, are you even listening to me?” Barrett asked in his ear.

“I wish I wasn’t. You’re whining again,” he mumbled.

“I am not. It pisses me off that I can’t get a decent cell signal anywhere at this damn truck stop.”

“Who are you calling? I’m your only friend.” He smirked at the non-reply.

The group from the bus raced across the parking lot knowing they’d have a long wait. Glad he already ordered his meal; he continued to watch the young woman by the pay phone. As she walked gracefully toward the diner, her heels never touched the ground. He smiled when she paused at the lowering of the flag.

When his cell vibrated on the table, he checked the caller ID, winced, and covered it with his Texas Ranger’s baseball cap. Fascinated with the young woman, he pushed his hat aside and leaned forward to see her argue with the attendant. The man nodded apologetically while she shook her finger at him.

He sipped his coffee. As he wondered about the wildcat under the cap, the waitress stopped briefly to deliver his steak and scrambled eggs. He wolfed down his meal, and the young woman disappeared into the gas station’s convenience store. The bus passengers overwhelmed the only two waitresses. It looked like the manager corralled the busboy to carry around a pot of coffee and hand out menus. He chewed his last bite as an elderly woman with a bag of red yarn trolled the diner and eyed his spot.

“How long does it take you to eat?” Barrett asked in his ear.

He set his knife across his plate. “Can I finish my coffee, please?”

Logan held out his mug for the busboy and spotted the young woman scanning the room from the doorway. His wildcat assessment fit. Her body was sleek not awkwardly skinny. The loose curls of reddish brown hair danced around her cap as she turned her head. He couldn’t see her face but knew by her confident stance that she was a spitfire. She caught him staring and moved toward him. Damn it. He didn’t need the attention.

Pulling her cap to her brow to shadow her face, she stood beside the table with her backpack in her hand. “Hello, Major.”

Barrett thundered in his ear, “What the hell? Who is that?”

“Excuse me?” he asked tensely.

“I’m guessing you were a major in the army,” she said.

He relaxed slightly. “What makes you think that?”

“Your hair is army short, your watch is military time, your combat boots are army issue, and your posture is rigid,” she said, setting her bag on the seat across from him. She slid in next to it.

“Military maybe, but an officer?”

She shrugged. “You have a superior air about you. I guessed. Was I right?”

Barrett laughed. “She’s got you pegged.”

Resisting the urge to turn off his com, he frowned and crossed his arms stretching his denim over-shirt. When he didn’t answer, she continued, “I’m looking for a ride.”

“How do you know I’m not done for the night?”

“I think you prefer to drive at night. You’re clean and you just ate breakfast.”

Barrett snickered in his ear. “Let her. She’s amusing, and you’re such a grouch.”

“No,” he replied to her and Barrett. Two could play her game. “What are you running from?”

She stiffened slightly. “What makes you think that?”

“You have leftover hair dye on your earlobe.” She gasped and rubbed her ear. He pointed at her other. “Busted,” he said with a chuckle.

“Are you joking with a woman?” Barrett asked.

He clenched his jaw at the statement. Turning her head, she tugged her cap down farther. He thought she’d completely cover her eyes. The waitress walked by and put his bill next to him. “Honey, you want anything?”

“No, thank you,” she replied. When the waitress hurried away, the wildcat stuck her foot between his legs and pressed her canvas shoe into his crotch. God, it felt good. “If you give me a ride, I can make it worth your while.”

Barrett chuckled. “Take her up on it. How long’s it been? Two years since your divorce? Mick, don’t even think about turning me off. You know the protocol.”

Calling her bluff, he leaned back, which pressed his cock firmly against her foot. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-one,” she replied, wiggling her toes through her shoe.

He was getting hard—so much for bluffing. “Let’s see your ID.”

“Nice try, Major,” she said, glancing around the room. “I’m also guessing you have a nickname like Mac.”

Enjoying the banter, Barrett laughed. “Mick, Mac, same thing.”

“It’s not,” Logan replied.

Her mouth opened with some witty reply, but she snapped it shut just as quick. Before he could follow her eyes to the TV at the counter, she applied a little more pressure with her foot. God, and it wasn’t his own pressure. He needed to focus on something else. He sipped his coffee.

“How about that ride?” Her foot continued to stroke him. “I’m not a virgin if that’s what you’re wondering.”

He choked on his coffee. “Jesus,” he said, looking around.

Thankfully, nobody paid any attention to them. Before Barrett said a word, he tapped off his com. She looked up at him, and he finally saw her eyes. He stared at her freckled face with a mesmerizing green eye and cobalt blue eye.

She quickly looked away. “I know. I’m Sam the Freak.”

When she started to pull her foot away, he held it firm with his hand. “They’re exotic,” he replied, before letting her go.

She smiled. “Thank you, Major.”

Stunned, he watched her leave the diner and wondered why he’d said it. He would have liked to take her up on her offer especially after seeing her smile. It curved at the ends like the Cheshire Cat. It seemed genuine and knocked him on his ass. God, he was hard with only a foot and a smile. It has been too damn long.





About Christina Thompson
Christina Thompson, a retired acupuncturist, enjoys writing about the physical science, the emotional workings of our mind and heart, and the spiritual energy that taps into our passions.

Her degree in biology from Nazareth College in Kalamazoo gave her a love of science and a background into the physical realm of the body. Her diploma in Traditional Chinese acupuncture from Midwest College of Oriental Medicine taught her that the mind and spirit affect the body in powerful ways.

She teaches at the Reflexions Plus Holistic Center on many topics including massage therapy, acupuncture, Feng Shui as well as other modalities of Chinese medicine. She currently resides with her husband, Kraig, in West Michigan.

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/16U7Y0S
Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/GMgINA



Release Day Blitz for Chronicles: The Library of Illumination by C.A. Pack




Chronicles: The Library of Illumination - Release Blitz
By C.A. Pack
Young Adult Fantasy
Date Published: April 29, 2014

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Within the walls of a centuries-old building lies the magical Library of Illumination, a place where books literally come to life. 17-year-old Johanna Charette is the youngest curator ever chosen to oversee the day-to-day operation of the library and she knows, in case of trouble, having an assistant can be invaluable, so she hires 16-year-old Jackson Roth to give her a hand. Jackson gets off to a rocky start, but manages to prove his mettle. Besides, he’s kind of cute and a lot of fun.



Johanna is charming and brilliant—and a natural born leader. She keeps the library operating on an even keel. Jackson is clever and intrepid. He relies on his wits to keep them out of danger when trouble arises. Unfortunately, his derring-do is one of the reasons why they sometimes find themselves in awkward situations. So it shouldn’t be any surprise when his wanton curiosity sparks a journey to a distant realm, where they end up with front row seats in a battle against an ancient foe.



EXCERPT

“What’s this? Jackson asked, picking up a book that sat by itself on a bottom shelf. A thick layer of dust obscured the cover. “Did you leave this book down here?”

“What book?”

He opened the book to a random page to see what it was about. Dracula suddenly loomed over him, blood dripping from his mouth. “Uhhh ...!” Jackson’s scream did not get past his throat.

Dracula moved in for the kill. The teen managed to slam the book shut just as the vampire’s teeth made contact with his skin.

“What are you doing?” Johanna poked her head around the corner of the shelf and spotted the blood on Jackson’s neck. She looked down and recognized the volume of Dracula by Bram Stoker and winced. “We must have missed that one. Are you all right?”

Jackson swiped at his neck.

“Come with me.” Johanna led him to the circulation desk. She took out a first-aid kit and cleaned away the blood with an antiseptic wipe.

“Am I ...?”

“It’s just a surface wound.” She wrapped the bloody wipe in a tissue and threw it in the wastebasket. “You’re going to live ... but not forever.”

Jackson sighed with relief. “You know, when my mother used to patch me up, she would kiss it to make it better.” He raised his eyebrows and grinned at her.

“If you got hurt working for Larry at Once A-Pawn A Time, would you ask him to kiss it to make it better?”

“You really know how to hurt me.”

Johanna laughed. She leaned in and lightly kissed Jackson’s neck.

He could feel the hairs along his nape tingle.

“All better?” she asked.


About the Author : Carol Pack

C. A. PACK, author of Code Name: Evangeline, Evangeline’s Ghost, and the Library of Illumination novelettes, is an award-winning journalist and former television news anchor/writer from Long Island, New York.

Authors Links

Buy Link

Amazon

GIVEAWAY



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