Promo Post : Jivin' Tango by Connie L. Smith

Title: Jivin' Tango
Author: Connie L. Smith
Release date: May 18th, 2015

Lila and Austin have known each other since she befriended his younger brother when she was a toddler. In fact, since her parents moved from her hometown, Lila’s lived with Austin’s family. The two are friends, though more of the teasing, taunting breed than the BFF variety.

But all it takes is one moment for everything to change…

For Austin, that moment comes when Lila performs a rumba in the school’s auditorium to qualify for the state dance competition, the young woman on stage so far-removed from the little girl in his memories.

For Lila, the moment is a reflected image of Austin preparing for prom, the guy standing in front of his mirror hardly resembling the child that spent so much of his youth pestering her.

Will they find a way to admit to themselves and their families that their feelings are deeper than friendship? And can Lila focus on this building relationship – and deal with her unstable ex – and still win the dance contest?

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Check out Connie's Facebook Party for Jivin' Tango  here on May 23rd

“I kind of have a thing for this other girl.”

She smiles a bit. “Anyone I know?”

“Yeah, you know her.” I lean closer to her, not moving my stare from her face. “She’s beautiful, and smart, and funny, and quirky. The sad thing is, I didn’t notice any of those things until about a week ago.”

“What happened a week ago?”

“Well, she did this dance. One she hates, by the way.” I pause to let her laugh. “She wore a blue dress, and her hair was flowing down her back. She was elegant, and gorgeous, and I couldn’t look away.” Reaching out, I play with a strand of her hair that’s fallen forward, one that’s dripping water from her shower. “And I couldn’t push the attraction back. I tried, because it was so confusing.

“You see,” I continue, “I’ve known her since she was just a pesky girl who hung around mostly for my kid brother, and being attracted to her took some getting used to. But I had to deal with it, since I couldn’t look at her the way I used to anymore. Once I saw her as the beautiful woman she’d grown into, I couldn’t step back from that.”

“Austin—”

I put a finger to her lips to stop her comments. I need to get all of this out. Now. “I tried, Munchkin. I tried to keep myself from wanting you, but I can’t. I figured that out at prom. You’re what I want, what I need, and the one girl I have to be with. If you don’t want to be with me like that, I’ll take friendship. I’ll take just about anything because you’re the one part of my whole life I can’t let go of.”

She reaches up so she can move my finger away from her mouth. “I wouldn’t have kissed you if I didn’t want to be with you.”

Relief fills me, and I let out a long breath. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

Connie L. Smith spends far too much time with her mind wandering in fictional places. She reads too much, likes to bake, and might forever be sad that she doesn’t have fairy wings. And that she can’t swing dance. Her music of choice is severely outdated, and as an adult she’s kind of obsessed with Power Rangers. She has her BA from Northern Kentucky University in Speech Communication and History (she doesn’t totally get the connection either), and is currently working on her MA.

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Review: Hearts of Stone by Inka Loreen Minden

Title: Hearts of Stone

Author: Inka Loreen Minden

Series: Guardian Wings

Release date: February 15^th, 2015

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Noir...if he could touch her only once, he would sacrifice his life. Dullness spread in his chest. Of course, Noir's protection had priority over his own cravings. Like always, he had no other choice but to drool over her from a distance. How robust was a gargoyle heart, really? 

Hearts of Stone is a heart-melting love story about a witch and a gargoyle. 

Two forlorn souls, not allowed to love... 

His Clan took everything from him and forced Vincent to live in the shadows. Shunned by his own kind, his only light in the dark is the witch Noir LeMar. He is her secret guardian. He wants to touch her—only once—but his Clan has cursed him. 

Demons have wiped out Noir LeMar’s family. Ever since she’s fighting a lonely battle. She does not know that she has a protector who watches her day and night, while she tries to find the killers of her parents. 

To save Noir’s life, Vincent has to give up his cover. Although they feel attracted to each other, both know, they never can fall in love and feel passion. The consequences would be devastating because everything he touches in his human form turns into stone. 

But fate has other plans...

Hearts of Stone by Inka Loreen Minden is the first novel in her Guardian Wings Series. Since I’m a huge fan of paranormal romance and particular vampires, demons and shifters, I couldn’t refuse the opportunity to read and review this book.

Vincent is half human/half gargoyle and has been an outcast within his clan as long as he can remember. But because he is half human and can shift during the day makes him unique and perfect for the job to protect a young human witch. So for ten years he’s watching and protecting her against the Demons who are hunting her. Even though it is forbidden Vincent definitely falls deeply for this young witch.

At an early age Noir saw her parents killed by Demons, who are after the two most powerful artifacts. She couldn’t save her parents, but was able to keep one of the artifacts save and away from the demons, but lost her younger brother in that battle. But she is determined to get her brother back and kill the demons responsible for their parent’s death. During one of her battles with the demons she gets help from a handsome stranger and when he gets hurt, she takes him home to take care of his wounds.

I love the chemistry between Vincent and Noir; you can sense the attraction between them from the moment they finally meet. Normally I hate it when a second storyline is woven through the main story, but I have to say I love Ash and Kara, it wasn’t a distraction at all.

I’m looking forward to see more of this author and especially this series in the future. I know there are more half humans/half gargoyles out there that deserve their own story.

I was lucky to receive a copy of this book for an honest review.

Inka Loreen Minden is a German author of erotic and paranormal romances and young adult books. 

She has so many pseudonyms that people call her "the multi-named woman." 

Inka lives in Munich and shares her home with her husband and son. She has written more than 26 books—historical, contemporary, and paranormal—and her titles appear regularly on the German online bestseller charts.

Author Website / Author Twitter / Publisher Website / Amazon

Review: Dark Shadows by Toni Vallan

Title: Dark Shadows

Author: Toni Vallan (aka T.G. Ayer)

Publisher: Infinite Ink Books

Genre: Horror / Thriller

My name’s Ella Raimi.

Until last week, my life was pretty normal for a sixteen-year-old. Until I spent that awful night trapped in the janitor's closet in utter darkness. Until the dreams began — suffocating, panic-filled dreams. My best friend Kyla stays with me, but the dreams still continue. And I wake each morning with cuts & burns on my skin. I don’t recall inflicting them.
And then there is the blood on my hands and my sheets when I wake up.

I’m afraid of myself and what I've done.

And I'm beginning to be more afraid of Kyla. And what she will do.

Dark Shadows by Toni Vallan was a very pleasant novel to read. I’m a huge fan of T.G. Ayer (aka Toni Vallan), but I was a little worried about this novel because I normally don’t read horror/thriller books. But when I read the description I knew I had to try it.

I loved Ella from the first page and my heart was in pain when she was bullied into that closet and attacked later by one of those boys who locked her in. It was great to see how she dealt with the things that happened to her.

I had my questions about Ella’s best friend Kyla, yes she was very protective of Ella, but there was something about that girl that made you questioned her intentions. Kyla was around when strange things began to happen around Ella. The one question in my mind was “Is Kyla apart of all things happening to Ella or was it only coincident.

The further I got in the book, the more I thought I figure it all out, but every time something happened that blew my theory away. But I couldn’t have predicted the ending of this book. It was a total surprise and I’m wondering if there will be a sequel.

I loved this book and I have to say that this author did it again, I love her writing and I’m looking forward to more of her work.

I was given a copy of this book for an honest review.

Review & Giveaway: The Rooftop Inventor by Nooce Miller

Title: The Rooftop Inventor
Series: The Steampunk Adventures of Theodocia Hews #1
Release Date: May 1, 2015
Genre: Young Adult Steampunk Fantasy Romance

It’s 1879 and seventeen-year-old Theodocia Hews is out of control. Her inventor father Orin Hews tried to raise her to be a proper lady, but Theo says and does whatever she wants. Since girls aren’t supposed to be inventors, she’s secretly building her own airship up on the roof of their house. When her father is attacked and his valuable invention is stolen, she sets out in her untested airship to get her father’s contraption back. She’d better hurry. Her father’s contract with his buyer expires in three days and without it they’re ruined.

The airship lifts off but things get complicated when Theo finds an unintended passenger aboard. Henry Caracticus Thorne—the thief she’d spotted that morning making off with things in the market—is an altogether unsuitable companion. But he’s unlike anyone she’s ever met before, he’s willing to help, and he’s drop-dead gorgeous. As they soar through the sky in the close quarters of Theo’s airship, it’s not just the steam engine heating up.

Theo has a hunch who took her father’s invention. Will she manage to catch the culprit before it’s too late? What did that strange lightning storm do to Theo and Henry? And will Theo give in to her heart and act on her growing feelings for Henry?

The Adventures of Theodocia Hews is a humorous YA steampunk adventure/romance series set in 1879 Cincinnati in an alternate universe where the evil institution of slavery was abolished shortly after the United States was founded, the Civil War never happened, crazy inventions are commonplace, and steam power rules!

Amazon | Goodreads

The Rooftop Inventor by Nooce Miller is the first novel in the Adventures of Theodocia Hews Series. This was the first novel I have read by this author and I have to say I don’t think it will be my last.

Theodocia “Theo” Hews is a seventeen year old young lady with a dream. She knows she has to be a proper lady, but secretly she wants to be an inventor, just like her father. So she’s building her own airship on the roof of her house in secret. She has been alone with her father for a long time and loves him to the moon and back. So when her father is attacked in their own home and his latest invention is stolen, she knows what to do. She takes her airship in the air and gives chase to get her father’s invention back.

Henry Thorne has lost his family at an early age and was raised by his grandmother. To keep food on the table in the winter, he steals from time to time. So when he is on the run for the police, he sees the only escape will be to hide in the airship on top of Theo’s roof. Sometime later he finds himself in the air with the lovely lady Theo. After hearing her story he wants to help her get the item back and help Theo to save their home.  But Henry isn’t totally honest with Theo, when they are getting closer and closer, he has a secret he needs to tell her.

I have to say I really love this story, it’s an easy read and very enjoyable. I love the characters; Theo is smart, strong and very talented. Henry turns out to be exactly the young man I hoped he would be.

I’m looking forward to read the next book in this Adventure series.

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Nooce Miller writes fantasy, speculative fiction, and YA steampunk. Technical writer, lawyer, marketing communications editor, medical writer, she’s held a lot of jobs, but her current gig is the one she likes best—author. Her favorite music to write to is silence because the dialogue turns out better. She’s also fond of birdsong, thunder, and the sound of the wind in the trees. She sees herself as a visually creative person, though others might disagree once they’ve been exposed to the questionable quality of her drawings, paintings, and photography. She drinks a lot of hot Earl Grey tea, usually in the company of her dog Stinky—who never partakes.

She’s lived in six different states and one foreign country. Tiring of so much moving, she undertook to persuade her husband that they should settle down and enjoy the four glorious seasons of her beloved Midwest until their two sons were grown, and lo and behold, it worked.

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Cover Reveal: Had a Great Fall by Shawn McGuire

 Blurb

A new home in a new state. The chance to get away from the relentless bullies and reinvent himself. Then on the first day at his new high school, Robin Westmore finds himself in the exact wrong place at the exact wrong time and right back into the role of victim. All Robin can do now is wish for the harassment to stop.

Being the leader of the genie world is not what Desiree expected. The Guides aren’t happy with her or any of the decisions she makes. The only thing they all agree on is that they want their old boss back, but Kaf has vanished, leaving the Guides in shock and Desiree with a broken heart.

While Desiree hides from her responsibilities, Robin disappears into the video game he’s created. There he finds excitement, adventure, and control. When the game presents him with an escape from his tortured life, will he take it?

Chapter One

Robin

Maybe I could call in sick. With something fatal. Something so contagious the entire high school would contract it just by looking at me. Was there such a thing? I took out my phone. “Okay, Google. What is visual contagion?”

“Good morning, Robin.”

For half a second I thought my phone had learned my name. And had started speaking in my mom’s voice? I entered the kitchen and found Mom in her pink bathrobe with the tea stain down the front, waiting for me. She must’ve heard me talking to my phone.

“Morning.” I set my messenger bag by the back door and took a seat at the kitchen bar.

Google had only come up with only one direct hit and was now blinking at me, waiting for something that would challenge its storage banks. The ‘contagion’ it presented wasn’t even a disease. It was some company in Vancouver that spread positive messages on organic hemp or bamboo T-shirts. Great. I ask for science, I get hippies.

“Do you think Visual Contagion would be a good name for a band?” I asked Mom as I scrolled through a few of the t-shirt pictures.

“Hmm,” Mom said, tapping her fingernail against her teacup. “A band that plays music?”

My turn to sit and blink. “What other kind is there?”

“Plenty. A wrist band. Hairband. Wedding band. Waistband.”

“Okay, okay.” She’d go on and on and then open the thesaurus app on her tablet if I didn’t stop her. “I’m a guy. I don’t think about hairbands or jewelry. Yes, I meant a band that plays music.”

“Then I’d say no. Visual Contagion, great a name as it is, would not work for a musical group.” She took a sip of her tea, Irish breakfast according to the tag hanging from the string, as she contemplated. “Auditory Contagion could work. Audio? Audial?”

Auditory Contagion would indeed be a damn cool name for a band. Almost made me want to form one. Except I couldn’t play a single instrument. Not even that plastic flute-thing they made us play in elementary school. Maybe I could compose something on my computer. I needed music for my video game anyway.

“Okay, Google. Popular music software.”

“Would you like some breakfast?” Mom asked. “Or are you just going to play with your phone until it’s time to leave?”

My mom wasn’t the most domestic person. She did like to feed people though, and when she took the time to make an actual meal, she was a great cook.

I set my phone in my lap and analyzed my hunger level. “Juice and toast with butter and jam. Two slices.”

“Two? You’re hungry today. What kind of tea?” She held up her Irish breakfast to me with a questioning look and wiggled the box as if that would lure me to the Celtic side.

“English breakfast, please. With cream and two sugar cubes.”

 “Off to the range,” my dad said as he entered the kitchen and set a black case—smaller than a briefcase, larger than a lunchbox—on the gray marble counter.

“Before work?” Mom asked.

“I don’t have any meetings until ten today. I want to try out my birthday present.”

Who knew a guy could get so excited over a handgun? Then again, this one did have a built-in laser. Guns weren’t my thing, but if presented with a laser-operated piece of technology I’d be all over it. So, I could understand his enthusiasm to a point.

“Want to come with me, Robin?” Dad asked as he plugged the first of two coffee pods into the machine to fill his travel mug.

“Thanks, but I do have a meeting before ten,” I said. “I have that test first thing.”

“Finally,” Dad said. “I don’t understand the holdup on allowing you to take a placement test. You studied?”

“Of course he studied,” Mom said as though nothing could be more unthinkable than me not studying.

“I did,” I told them. “Don’t worry, I’ll pass.”

“They should put him directly into Calculus and Differential Equations,” Dad said.

“He could handle it,” Mom agreed, “but AP Calculus will be an easy A for him.”

“Good point,” Dad said and clapped me on the back, nearly knocking me off my stool. “Build that killer GPA. Get into the college of your choice and academic scholarships as well.”

“Don’t pressure him,” Mom said, setting a plate with my buttered and jammed toast on the placemat in front of me.

Shawn McGuire is the author of young adult novels that blend contemporary settings and issues with a touch of fantasy and magic. She started writing after seeing the first Star Wars movie (that's episode IV) as a kid. She couldn't wait for the next movie to come out so wrote her own episodes. Sadly, those notebooks are long lost, but her desire to write is as strong now as it was then.

Her books deal with harder topics (death of a sibling, divorce, dating violence, bullying, and teen suicide) because she believes it is important to talk about these things. Those kinds of topics can be hard to handle and a bit overwhelming, so she infuses a bit of humor in her work as well because she also believes that a sense of humor can help you get through just about anything.

Shawn lives in Colorado with her family where she spends her time reading, cooking and baking, practicing yoga and meditation, and hiking and camping in the spectacular Rocky Mountains.

Author Links

Website / Facebook / Newslettersignup / Pinterest / Twitter / Goodreads / AmazonAuthor

Author’s Other Works

The Wish Makers Series

Sticks and Stones

Break My Bones

Never Hurt Me