City of Fandoms: March 2017

Friday, March 31, 2017

ALEATHA ROMIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig is showing us a lighter side in this new fun, sexy new stand-alone, PLUS ONE releasing on May 16th! We are so thrilled to share this fabulous cover to you today.

PLUS ONE

by: Aleatha Romig
Release Date: May 16th, 2017
Genres: Contemporary Romance

A fun, sexy new stand-alone from New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig.

He's sexy and confident, the kind of man every woman notices. You know, the one with the to-die-for body and panty-melting smirk. And then there's the way his designer suits drape over his broad shoulders and big...well, we've all heard the rumors, the ones that say he's up for any challenge.

But I can't see him that way. He's my boss—technically one of the owners of the company where I work—and definitely not in my league. Men like him don't notice women like me, and they don't date them.

And I don't date men like him.

Until that one time that I catch him in a compromising position when I'm also in need of a last-minute date for a wedding...and then it's not real. It's blackmail.

For one weekend, he's my plus-one.

Beautiful and unobtainable.

From the moment she walked into my office with those stunning blue eyes and crazy sensual curves, she's been on my mind. Three years and never once has she acted interested in me. Usually I flash a million-dollar smile and women fall to their knees, some literally.

Not her.

Then on the occasion that I agree to let another woman do that—fall to her knees—guess who happens to catch us?

It may not be the most conventional way to get on her radar, but I didn't get this far in business without knowing when to seize an opportunity. If this sexy little firecracker with perfectly kissable lips thinks she can blackmail me into attending her cousin's wedding, I'm going to jump at the chance to be her plus-one.

You love her darker side. Now it's time to meet Leatha, the lighter side of Aleatha, as she trades her renowned twists and turns for laughs and love with this sexy new stand-alone romance, PLUS ONE.

PRE-ORDER NOW

Amazon US | Amazon UK | iBooks | B&N

Kobo and Google Play coming closer to release

AUTHOR

Aleatha Romig is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis. Aleatha has raised three children with her high school sweetheart and husband of nearly thirty years. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she's not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns, she likes to spend her time a with her family and friends. Her other pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams!

Aleatha released her first novel, CONSEQUENCES, in August of 2011. CONSEQUENCES became a bestselling series with five novels and two companions released from 2011 through 2015. The compelling and epic story of Anthony and Claire Rawlings has graced more than half a million e-readers. Aleatha released the first of her series TALES FROM THE DARK SIDE, INSIDIOUS, in the fall of 2014. These stand alone thrillers continue Aleatha's twisted style with an increase in heat.

In the fall of 2015, Aleatha moved head first into the world of dark romantic suspense with the release of BETRAYAL, the first of her five novel INFIDELITY series that has taken the reading world by storm. She also began her traditional publishing career with Thomas and Mercer. Her books INTO THE LIGHT and AWAY FROM THE DARK were published through this mystery/thriller publisher in 2016.

Aleatha is a "Published Author's Network" member of the Romance Writers of America and a member of PEN America. She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Thursday Tracks [44]

hosted by Gone with the Words

Ohhh! You know, and if you don't you'll know now, that I LOVE, love, LoVe music. Just as I live and breathe words, I live and breathe music. Those two things are just part of me as any other organ in my body. As you can see in my Music page, I hear music while reading! My Thursdays will become from now on... Thursday Tracks day! A feature created to share what song, album, playlist, artist I got stuck in my head every week. Now, this week song is...

STAY

Artist: Zedd ft. Alessia Cara

favorite lyrics: Won't admit what I already know. I've never been the best at letting go. I don't wanna spend the night alone. Guess I need you, and I need to... All you have to do is stay.

Hear me next Thursday!

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

[Excerpt Reveal] Twist, by: Kylie Scott

Dive Bar #2

TWIST

by: Kylie Scott
Release Date: April 11th 2017
Genres: Contemporary Romance

From New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott comes the second sizzling stand-alone novel in the Dive Bar series!

When his younger brother loses interest in online dating, hot, bearded, bartender extraordinaire, Joe Collins, only intends to log into his account and shut it down. Until he reads about her.

Alex Parks is funny, friendly, and pretty much everything he's been looking for in a woman. And in no time at all they're emailing up a storm, telling each other their deepest darkest secrets... apart from the one that really matters.

And when it comes to love, serving it straight up works better than with a twist.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AUS | Amazon CA | iBooks | B&N | Kobo | Google Play

EXCERPT

I watched the streetlights cast shadows on the angle of his
cheekbone, the furrow of his brow. Strange how his manly beauty
had grown on me, redefining or rather stretching my usual boundaries.
Perhaps some people’s allure came from the inside out. A good thing. Their ways and their words did the wooing instead of their physical appeal. Not to diss Joe’s impressive physique. As nice as a pretty face was, though, the personality, the person beneath
the skin, should matter more. Anything else was pretty
shallow and unlikely to last. Guess that was the difference between
my scratching an itch with a stranger and the way this
man had me tied up in knots. And not even neat, sea-worthy
knots. I’m talking, haven’t washed or brushed your hair in forever
and there’s a big old mess back there.
Shit.
At the bar, he’d flirted with me. Full-on flirted with me, his
supposed platonic friend who was not his type. No way did I
know what to do. Normally Valerie would be first on my hit list of
people to call. But she’d just tell me to jump him, regardless of
what else was going on, or any possible consequences. Plus, with
him beside me it would be kind of uncool. But a couple of whisky
sours or no, I was pretty certain I hadn’t imagined his interest.
As Mom had always said, however, best to be sure.
“What are the renovating plans for tomorrow?” I asked.
“Rip out the old fittings and prepare the space for new.”
I nodded. “So we’ll be doing some pounding and screwing?”
“Ah, yeah.” The man cast me a look out of the corner of his
eye. “Sound okay?”
“Absolutely. Can’t wait to get my hands back on that big hard hammer.”
“Great,” he said, throwing me another questioning look.
I gave a nice bland smile.
Yeah, pal. Two could play at the what-the-fuck-is-going-on
flirting game. I turned in my seat, all the better to face him. “Did
you want to bang, Joe?”
“What did you say?” Wide eyes flashed my way.
“Like I did on that wall today. That was fun,” I said with all
due sincerity. “Will we be doing more of that?”
A pause. “Sure.”
“Awesome.”
Another quizzical look.
“Something wrong?” I inquired politely.
“No.” His Adam’s apple dipped as he swallowed hard, shifting
in his seat, gaze decidedly unsure. The poor fool couldn’t begin to
understand the crazy he’d unleashed with his little taunt. Get
rough with the man? My starved libido was well beyond the
rough-and-tumble stage. No more hiding or denying, sticking
to the sidelines of life. It was my time to step forward and be
brave. When it came to Joe Collins, I was more than ready to say yes.
“I just . . .” he started. “Never mind.”
Neither of us spoke as he pulled into a parking space a short
walk down from the hotel. I leaned over, placing my hand on his
denim-covered thigh. The muscle tensed beneath my fingers.
Shame on me for straying a little close to his loins.
“Thanks so much for tonight, Joe. I’m so glad we decided to be
friends. Because you, sir, make a great friend.”
“Right. Good.” A frown. “How much did you have to drink again?”
“Not nearly enough. Quick, let’s get to my hotel room so I can
have more!” I threw open my door.
“Okay.” Hands stuffed in his pockets, he followed me inside,
lingering a step or two behind. Guess he didn’t like it when
people’s moods got all mixed up and mercurial either. Funny, that.
I nodded to the dude at the front desk and pressed the button
on the elevator. It opened immediately. Mirrors and old-timeylooking
wooden framing decorated the small space. We both
leaned against the back wall as it slowly ascended.
“Yeah, sure can’t wait to do some banging, and pounding, and
screwing around with you, Joe.” I smiled. “Sound good?”
He just gave me a dry look from his superior height. All confusion
gone from his handsome face. Confined spaces only made
him seem bigger, even more imposing than usual. No way, no day,
however, was I crawling back into my shell or turning into a
shadow. We’d agreed to work on our issues, so fine, I was putting it out there.
Still, my bravado was fading, I could barely meet his eyes. The
man affected me in all the ways.
“It’s hard, no pun intended this time, because sometimes it
feels like you want to be just friends,” I said. “But then other times
you flirt with me and I honestly don’t know what’s going on. No
huge surprise there, I know. Social awkwardness is my jam. But I
thought I mostly understood where you were coming from.”
A ding from the elevator and the doors opened at our stop. I
walked out, his bearded hotness following slowly behind, stalking
me almost. For certain his usual cool, easy-going-guy persona was
missing in action. The man radiated tension, intensity, even.
And if he didn’t, I definitely did.
Inside the hotel room I went for mood lighting, only turning
on the table and bedside lamps. I rubbed sweaty hands against the
sides of my pants. “What you said back at the bar about me getting
rough with you, however. Now, that almost sounded like a dare.”
“Did it?”
“It did.”
Arms hanging loose at his sides, he just watched me, saying nothing. Jerk.
“So tell me.” I stood at the foot of the bed, facing him. Every
part of me was wired, wide awake. “What’s going on, Joe?”
His shoulders rose and fell on a deep breath. “I realized something tonight.”
“What?”
“That I was falling into old habits. Doing what was easy instead
of doing what I wanted.”
“Huh?”
“It was just before you spilled ice on that guy’s pants.”
“Sure. I can see how you’d be seduced by my smooth moves,”
I said, voice filled with much doubt. My insides were ready to
spontaneously combust. I swear I could feel sweat breaking out all
over me, the man was just that hot. Also, my nerves were on high alert.
One corner of his lips tipped up. “You know how you said you
weren’t jealous?”
“Yes?”
“Well, I was.”
Wow. I had nothing.
“This is the part where you’re supposed to admit you were
jealous too,” he supplied.
“I didn’t think it needed to be said. I’m not that good a liar.”
“True,” he said. “Anyway, I made the pass at you and then I
was leaving it up to you to figure out what you want. To be brave
and make the next move.”
Softly, I laughed and shook my head. Men were such idiots.
“Make the first move? This isn’t a game. As I said last time the subject
of sex came up, previous hurt feelings, etc. It’s going to get complicated.”
“Yeah, probably,” he said, voice deeper than I’d ever heard it.

AUTHOR

Kylie Scott is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013 & 2014, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet.

You can learn more about Kylie from http://www.kylie-scott.com/

Waiting on Wednesday [82]

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

DEFY THE STARS

by: Claudia Gray

Release Date: April 4th, 2017

In her most epic and ambitious work to date, bestselling author Claudia Gray takes readers on an interstellar journey exploring what it means to be human.

Noemi Vidal is a teen soldier from the planet Genesis, once a colony of Earth that's now at war for its independence. The humans of Genesis have fought Earth's robotic "mech" armies for decades with no end in sight.

After a surprise attack, Noemi finds herself stranded in space on an abandoned ship where she meets Abel, the most sophisticated mech prototype ever made. One who should be her enemy. But Abel's programming forces him to obey Noemi as his commander, which means he has to help her save Genesis--even though her plan to win the war will kill him.

Together they embark on a daring voyage through the galaxy. Before long, Noemi begins to realize Abel may be more than a machine, and, for his part, Abel's devotion to Noemi is no longer just a matter of programming.

What are you waiting on?

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Top Ten Tuesday [54]

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they will post a new Top Ten list that one of their bloggers over at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join! This week Top Ten is...

TOP TEN AUTHORS I'M DYING TO MEET

Cambria Hebert

Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Favorite Series: Hashtag & GearShark

Kristen Ashley

Favorite Book: Motorcycle Man

Cassandra Clare

Favorite Book: Clockwork Princess

Rainbow Rowell

Favorite Book: Fangirl

Tahereh Mafi

Favorite Book: Ignite Me

John Green

Favorite Book: Looking for Alaska

Jennifer L. Armentrout / J. Lynn

Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Favorite Series: The Covenant

Jenny Lawson

Favorite Book: Let's Pretend This Never Happened

Marissa Meyer

Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Favorite Book: Winter

Rick Riordan

Favorite Series: Heroes of Olympus

What authors are you dying to meet?

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Swoon Thursday [6]

From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the steamy button and share it on your blog. We want to know!

Sins Duet #2

DIRTY SOULS

by: Karina Halle

From New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle comes DIRTY SOULS the much-anticipated, nail-biting conclusion to Black Hearts…

Violet McQueen has always been a sensitive soul. Troubled and misunderstood, she never realized her place in the world, nor her true potential…until she met Vicente Bernal.

From birth, Vicente Bernal has always known his place in the world – he’s been groomed to be a ruthless king. Yet for a man whose soul has become morally bankrupt, it’s only through Violet he’s realizing the worth of someone’s heart.

But at what cost?

With a deadly game set in motion taking them from the stark deserts of California to the steamy jungles of Mexico, Violet and Vicente’s forbidden relationship will be put to the test. Boundaries will be pushed, lines will be crossed and souls will get very, very dirty.

Because how do you choose between blood and love when both might get you killed?

a scene swoon worthy

He exhales his breath shaking as he stares back into my eyes, searching, searching."It was never supposed to be this way because I never thought it could be this way. Never thought that you could do to me what you've done."
"What have I done?" I whisper after a beat.
"You?" he asks. "You've given me my heart, this same heart I give back to you. I never thought I could love, never believed it would happen for a man like me. Sometimes I wondered if it even existed. But then you stepped into my world and became my world and how it's all that I know." He takes in a deep breath, his expression softening. "I love you, my mirlo. I have love you to the point of danger. Danger because where you go, I will go. Because I will do everything and anything to keep you with me. This isn't the end of us. There will never be an end of us. Ever."

Awwwe.

Thursday Tracks [43]

hosted by Gone with the Words

Ohhh! You know, and if you don't you'll know now, that I LOVE, love, LoVe music. Just as I live and breathe words, I live and breathe music. Those two things are just part of me as any other organ in my body. As you can see in my Music page, I hear music while reading! My Thursdays will become from now on... Thursday Tracks day! A feature created to share what song, album, playlist, artist I got stuck in my head every week. Now, this week song is...

SOMETHING JUST LIKE THIS

Artist: The Chainsmokers & Coldplay

Album: Memories

favorite lyrics: She said, where d'you wanna go? How much you wanna risk? I'm not looking for somebody with some superhuman gifts, some superhero, some fairytale bliss, just something I can turn to, somebody I can miss. I want something just like this.

Hear me next Thursday!

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

[Review] Dirty Souls, by: Karina Halle

Sins Duet #2

DIRTY SOULS

by: Karina Halle
Release Date: March 20th, 2017
Read Date: March 22nd, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
Pages: 300

From New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle comes DIRTY SOULS the much-anticipated, nail-biting conclusion to Black Hearts…

Violet McQueen has always been a sensitive soul. Troubled and misunderstood, she never realized her place in the world, nor her true potential…until she met Vicente Bernal.

From birth, Vicente Bernal has always known his place in the world – he’s been groomed to be a ruthless king. Yet for a man whose soul has become morally bankrupt, it’s only through Violet he’s realizing the worth of someone’s heart.

But at what cost?

With a deadly game set in motion taking them from the stark deserts of California to the steamy jungles of Mexico, Violet and Vicente’s forbidden relationship will be put to the test. Boundaries will be pushed, lines will be crossed and souls will get very, very dirty.

Because how do you choose between blood and love when both might get you killed?

MY RATE

I read it all. I loved it all. Every single thing. This is how I want my books to end. Happy.

As I did said in the last review, it was obvious that shit was going to hit the fan and hard. So I was preparing myself that people that I come to care die. I braced for impact and it helped me. I am not saying someone died or someone did not, but I hate blood, okay? And there is a lot of it here. I tried to skip the scenes, but I did not skip them all. Just keep in mind what I am saying, okay?

Blood apart. The romance in this book is the one I always love in my favorite books, unwavered. Violet understood that Vicente had lied, but she knew that Vicente loved her with everything in him. You see, that how beautiful everything was. The action on this book was another MVP, because hell. Car chasing, killing people left and right, Violet's mom being all mama bear... everything was beyond perfect, I swear.

The Spanish in this book wasn't that bad as the first, but I have to clear up that is Santa Muerte, not Santa Muerta. I have a crush in gringos that know Spanish, and even though that Vicente is not, I still have a crush on him. I just wish there was more real Spanish.

The book is... I really recommend this series to anyone who want to read romance, have a little heart sometimes and need a happy ending for once. Give it a try and you will not regret it.

LAST REVIEW

Waiting on Wednesday [81]

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

ALEX, APPROXIMATELY

by: Jenn Bennett
Release Date: April 4th, 2017

In this delightfully charming teen spin on You’ve Got Mail, the one guy Bailey Rydell can’t stand is actually the boy of her dreams—she just doesn’t know it yet.

Classic movie buff Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent half of her junior year falling for a sensitive film geek she only knows online as “Alex.” Two coasts separate them until she moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.

Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist trap, the oddball Cavern Palace Museum. Or that she’s being tormented daily by Porter Roth, a smart-alecky yet irritatingly hot museum security guard. But when Porter and Bailey are locked in the museum overnight, Bailey is forced to choose whether she should cling to a dreamy fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex. Approximately.

What are you waiting on?

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

[Review] Black Hearts, by: Karina Halle

Sins Duet #1

BLACK HEARTS

by: Karina Halle
Release Date: February 19th, 2017
Read Date: March 19th, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
Pages: 238

For Vicente Bernal, truth is all he’s known. The son of an infamous drug lord, Vicente was born to help run the family business, which means he’s been raised on a throne of sordid pasts and dirty laundry, violence and pride. But when Vicente stumbles across someone he’s not supposed to know about – a woman from his father’s checkered past – he sets out to California to find her behind his father’s back.

What Vicente doesn’t expect to find in San Francisco is Violet McQueen, the woman’s twenty-year old daughter. Beautiful and edgy with a vulnerability he can’t resist, Violet tempts Vicente from afar and though he promised himself he’d stay away from her, curiosity and lust are powerful forces. Besides, Vicente has always gotten everything he wants – why shouldn’t he have Violet too?

Soon his wants turn into an obsession, one that sweeps Violet into his games as they fall madly, deeply in love with each other, the type of first love that can drive a person mad.

But it’s a love with tragic consequences.

Both the truth – and the lies – not only threaten to tear them apart, but threaten their very lives.

Someone has to pay for the sins of the fathers.

And they’ll be paying the price with their souls.

MY RATE

I devour this book so fast that I wanted to go straight for the second book, but I remembered that I actually have a life and had to study a little, which sucks. I still haven't read second book, but there will be a chance this week for me to read it, there's no other choice.I have to finish this story. That's how good it was.

Going in a little background, this duology comes from other two series that I have not read, but these books can stand alone by themselves (they give you a background in it, so chill). You know, the story goes that the kids fall in love but their parents kind of hate each other, so its like payback or karma. Well, the thing is that the guy is the son of El Jefe of a mexican cartel and the girl is the daughter of a con artist. The girl has always lived in a house full of lies because neither her mom or dad told her or her brother everything and all was founded in lies. But the boy is a different story, he has always known and what he did not was the existence of this other family, till karma happens.

Vicente and Violet are... I would say opposites, but they are not, they are kind of similar, but different in ways that I cannot pinpoint now. Their stories entwines so much, that there's nowhere to go just into the mess they created. What I did hated of the book was that Vicente was NOT fully clear with Violet, he had the chance but he did not took it. And that will be his fall in the next book, or so I think, I'll see when I read it.

What I do have to criticize A LOT, because I HATE this happening, is the Spanish. You all know that my first language is Spanish, so I get really annoyed when an author uses it WRONG. The advice that I will always give... Search for someone to check it, revise it, correct it. Please and thank you.

Basically this book was almost perfect, I would give it five stars if it wasn't for the Spanish. As I said, I will definitely read book number two ASAP. Read me later!

Monday, March 20, 2017

[Cover Reveal + Giveaway] Hate 2 Lovers, by: K. Webster & J.D. Hollyfield

2 Lovers #2

HATE 2 LOVERS

by: K. Webster & J.D. Hollyfield
Release Date: April 4, 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romantic Comedy

She hates him and his big head.
He likes her and her big t*ts.

She hates him because she somehow ends up naked every time she sees him.
He likes her because she somehow ends up naked every time he sees her.

She hates him because the big oaf knocked her up with his kid.
He likes her because she’s carrying his child.

She hates the way he gets inside her head.
He likes the way she lets him see glimpses of her heart.

Andie: I hate you.
Roman: I know…but I’m going to change that.

PRE-ORDER

READ FIRST BOOK ONE

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AUTHORS

K Webster is the author of dozens romance books in many different genres including contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, and erotic romance. When not spending time with her husband of twelve years and two adorable children, she's active on social media connecting with her readers.

Her other passions besides writing include reading and graphic design. K can always be found in front of her computer chasing her next idea and taking action. She looks forward to the day when she will see one of her titles on the big screen.

You can easily find K Webster on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads!

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Creative designer, mother, wife, writer, part time superhero...

J.D. Hollyfield is a creative designer by day and superhero by night. When she is not trying to save the world one happy ending at a time, she enjoys the snuggles of her husband, son and three doxies. With her love for romance, and head full of book boyfriends, she was inspired to test her creative abilities and bring her own story to life.

Life in a Rut, Love not Included is her Debut Novel. J.D. Hollyfield lives in the Midwest, and is currently at work on blowing the minds of readers, with the additions of her new books and series, along with her charm, humor and HEA's.