[Release Day] Confidante: The Escort by Lilliana Anderson

Confidante: The Escort
Lilliana Anderson

You thought I was shocked when I found out that my mother in law used to work in a brothel! Imagine my surprise when she told me that after she got out of there she decided to return to work in the sex industry. 

But this time - she wanted to go where the money was, she wanted to be an Escort. 

Follow Angelien, a now retired Sydney sex worker, in this true story, as she breaks boundaries when she insists of becoming an escort in her mid 30s, proving to everyone that a mature lady can be a very successful and sought after woman in an industry dominated by youth.

excerpt

“Do you know what I’d like you to do? I’d like you to sit on the bed and watch me try on clothes and tell me what you think, won’t that be fun?” he asked while batting his false eyelashes at Angelien, causing her to think of southern belles.

“Of course. I’d love to see you in some other things Jacqueline. I love your choice of clothes – it’s like a fashion store in here!”

“They’re all designer labels too. A friend of mine is an international model and she gets me clothes from some of the fashion shows. Whatever fits her, fits me. I’m such a lucky girl!” He clapped his hands gleefully as he bounced his way towards one of the racks of clothes.

For the next 30 minutes, ‘Jacqueline’ tried on outfits and asked Angelien’s opinion on what earrings went with each outfit, the best colour lipstick to match and which shoes he should be wearing. Whenever he took off a dress Angelien could see that he had a massive hard on which he would unobtrusively rub in between changes.

When he had on what he thought was his most flattering outfit he turned to Angelien. “Well Diana, I’d like to thank you for helping me with my fashion dilemmas,” he cooed, moving closer to her and lowering his lashes seductively. Sitting beside her on the bed, he reached his hand up and gently touched the side of Angelien’s face and leaned in close, dropping the falsetto he’d been using and in a gruff whisper said. “Now, if you just lie back on the bed I’ll give you the best tongue lashing you’ve ever had. I bet you’re all hot and wet from watching me change clothes, you’re just wishing you could look as good as me.”

Angelien really wanted to respond with ‘And you wish you had a pussy like me’ but knew that comment wouldn’t be appropriate in this situation. So instead, she did what she always did – she hummed appreciatively and leaned back on the bed, while he gently lifted her feet and pushed her thighs apart.

About the Author

Australian born and bred, Lilliana Anderson has always loved to read and write considering it the best form of escapism that the world has to offer. Besides writing Angelien's biographical trilogy, she also writes contemporary romance and drama all based around Aussie characters.

When she isn't writing she is a wife, and a mother to four children. She has worked in a variety of industries and studied humanities before transferring to commerce/law at university.

She currently lives a fairly quiet life in suburban Melbourne.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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[Book Review] Hate Me by Leen Elle

Hate Me
Leen Elle

Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you.

Over two years ago, I saw him, I didn't even know his name, and I was totally in love with him. I don't like telling it this way, but its true. I was enthralled with him. He was perfect. Over the next two years I knew him better. I called him by his first name, texted him, and we got really close for a week, practically inseparable when we were together. It was perfect. But we never got together.

I hated that because I loved him even after our brief romantic history, and I do even now. But now I don't regret it. If a relationship were to work out, he would need to change a lot and so would I. I would need to get my priorities straight, and find out if they were similar to his because we share an interest that rules his life completely. I could never be the person he needed me to be if we had gotten together.

And also because I, myself, did not believe in love. I thought it a glamorous word made up to make humankind seem better than it really is. Now, after thinking about it, I have decided that love...

Raylin is a perfectionist. Viper is a goth. They both do not believe in love. What happens when they meet?

I’ll always look back as I walk away,

This memory will last for eternity.

And all of our tears will be lost in the rain, 

When I’ve found my way, 

Back to your arms again.

But until that day, you know you are

The queen of my heart.

Wow this book was something I did not expect. From the reading the summary, I thought it was going to be a crazy erotic story about some badass characters that used “Hate me” words as some sort of bad word. But I got a sweet high-school love story about two people who rejected love but after being with each other realized that it exists and is worth experiencing in life. 

I’d never say this, Miss Lachey,” He said into the mike once more, “And you probably never expected it either but… I think I love you...”

The Cover. Definitely loved the design of the cover and who doesn’t love some gorgeous people on it? But I do think that the cover should at least match the book somehow. I know it might not be a big deal but being a person who is obsessed with Design & Retouching, I do think that characters should have been chosen differently. In the book, Railyn has jet black hair with gray eyes but in the cover it’s obvious that the woman has dirty blonde hair and looks around 25-ish and not 18. Viper is a Goth in the book with dyed hair and thick eyeliner around his eyes. Cover?? Sexy ass man with natural brown hair and a shadow. Doesn’t effect the book and the way it’s written but it’s something I wanted to point out because some readers do focus on that. 

The Good. I thought that the story was very beautiful. Railyn and Viper both experienced some tragedies in their life and were done with love. Viper’s mother passed away and his father went into complete drunk state and was beating up his brother. Railyn’s father walked out on them and now her mother was dating jerks every week and saying that she loves every single one of them. When Railyn and Viper meet, they don’t believe in love but they cannot resist each other for long even though all good things come to the end. This story has made me cry couple of times because it was sweet and heartbreaking. 

& The Bad. The ending. I didn’t see the sequel to the this book and really think that it would have had a great potential of being a great series. I really want to see what happens next with Viper and Railyn after he returns from England. I couldn’t believe the author decided to stop them… Such a tease!!! One more thing that I thought was really weird the little conversations that they had in their head. It really reminded me of Gollum from Lord of the Rings!! They were literally arguing with each other inside of their head lol Like what the hell!! 

Overall I give this book 3.5 Stars because even though the story was good and enjoyable, there were a lot of things that could have been changed which would make a better book.

[Guest Post + Giveaway] Zombie, Incorporated by Jill Elaine Hughes

Zombie, Incorporated
Jill Elaine Hughes 

Twilight. With zombies.

Eighteen-year-old Katie Allred is socially awkward and unpopular at school. The only child of parents who had her right out of high school, Katie is herself about to leave the nest, even though she hardly feels ready.

Katie’s new after-school job at the Zimble Box Corporation draws her into the complex social strata of high school cliques and backstabbing friends in ways she never imagined. Katie soon discovers there’s something very strange about the “in” crowd at school---and about her employer, too. Shortly after starting her new job, the Contagion breaks out, plunging her town and the entire nation into chaos as zombie shadow forces come out into the open, ravaging the streets. Katie goes into hiding and her parents disappear, along with almost everyone else she knows.

But Katie soon discovers she has special powers that help her survive. She’s a Beacon, someone with the innate ability to help zombies produce children. It’s a power her employer — and what little remains of the U.S. government — both want to exploit for their own ends. Not only that, it runs in her family---which has a secret past Katie never knew about until now.

Enter Agent Morehouse of the FBI Special Zombie Control Unit. A reformed zombie working undercover, he suppresses his urge to eat human flesh in order to serve and save humanity. But Agent Morehouse can’t help but be attracted to a Beacon like Katie, and she to him. Even as they fight zombies the world over, they must fight their intense attraction to each other, hoping to keep Katie from suffering  Agent Morehouse’s terrible zombie fate.

Guest Post: Getting to know Jill

1. I love pizza with black olives and sausage.

2. I'm always ready for a new episode of Breaking Bad.

3. When I'm alone, I read.

4. You'd never be able to tell, but I have a tattoo in a secret spot.

5. If I had a halo it would be orange.

6. If I could speak Swahili I'd move to Africa.

7. I can never be a beekeeper because I’m allergic to bee stings. (They can kill me!)

8. I wrote and illustrated my first horror story when I was in fifth grade.

About the Author

I'm an independent author of New Adult (mature YA, 18-26) fiction as well as a full-time freelance journalist based in Chicago. I've contributed to the Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Chicago Reader and many magazines as a journalist over the past 15 years.  And like most New Adult fiction authors these days, I've gone the self-publishing route for my work since most publishers haven't caught up to the readership trends in this emerging shelf category. My writing is usually laced with humor and also often has sexual and/or dystopian elements.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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[Book Review] Shudder by Samantha Durante

Shudder
Samantha Durante

It's only been three days, and already everything is different.

Paragon is behind her, but somehow Alessa's life may actually have gotten worse. In a wrenching twist of fate, she traded the safety and companionship of her sister for that of her true love, losing a vital partner she'd counted on for the ordeal ahead. Her comfortable university life is but a distant memory, as she faces the prospect of surviving a bleak winter on the meager remains of a ravaged world. And if she'd thought she'd tasted fear upon seeing a ghost, she was wrong; now she's discovering new depths of terror while being hunted by a deadly virus and a terrifying pack of superhuman creatures thirsting for blood.

And then there are the visions.

The memory-altering "stitch" unlocked something in Alessa's mind, and now she can't shake the constant flood of alien feelings ransacking her emotions. Haunting memories of an old flame are driving a deep and painful rift into her once-secure relationship. And a series of staggering revelations about the treacherous Engineers - and the bone-chilling deceit shrouding her world's sorry history - will soon leave Alessa reeling...

The second installment in the electrifying Stitch Trilogy, Shudder follows Samantha Durante's shocking and innovative debut with a heart-pounding, paranormal-dusted dystopian adventure sure to keep the pages turning.

Second book was not as twistful as the first one in Stitch trilogy and it seemed more like in-between story that was more slow. We followed Alessa and Isaac after they left Paragon's walls and now had to find a new base for the rebels where they can strike back. Facing different challenges on the way and almost experiencing death, they have to stay together and try to survive. 

Overall I did think that Shudder was a great sequel to Stitch. I mean that book would be pretty hard to top off but I am looking forward to reading the third book which is coming out in 2014 and hope that it would be an amazing end to this Trilogy!!

Author Bio

Samantha Durante lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio. Formerly an engineer at Microsoft, Samantha left the world of software in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and a lifelong love of writing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Samantha is currently working full time for her company Medley Media Associates as a freelance business writer and communications consultant. The Stitch Trilogy is her debut series. Learn more about Samantha at www.samanthadurante.com.

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[Sneak Peek] This Time Around by Ellie Grace

    

  Title: This Time Around 

  Author: Ellie Grace 

  Genre: Contemporary Romance 

  Age Group: New Adult 

  Expected release date: July 15, 2013   

 Nora Montgomery left home and heartbreak behind in South Carolina when she moved to New York City after her high school graduation. Now, four years later, she returns home and is forced to confront the past she left behind and the reckless boy who broke her heart. It’s not long before the pieces of her past begin to blur with the present and she realizes that the feelings she had for her first love never really went away. As old dreams resurface and new truths come to light, she begins to question the future she's always planned on. Jake Harris has spent four years regretting the night he let her get away. When she finally reappears in his life, he is determined to win her back and prove how much he’s changed. She might never forgive him for that night, but if he tells her the truth about what really happened it will shatter the world she thought she knew. If he doesn’t, he might not get a second chance. He’s already lost her once and he won’t lose her again. They come from two different worlds that are threatening to tear them apart…can they make it this time around?

    

Sneak peak!

A drop of water landed on my cheek, waking me up and interrupting my moment of tranquility. I opened my eyes and saw that the blue sky had turned grey and mean with the promise of a summer storm. This was a common occurrence around here. Short summer storms would come through on even the most beautiful of days.

“Jake, wake up!” I nudged his arm and started packing up the last remnants of our picnic before everything got soaked. He opened his eyes groggily, jumping into motion when he saw the clouds overhead threatening to dump rain all over us.

We moved quickly across the water, thanks to his speedy rowing, and were only a few yards away from the dock when the sky opened up and rain started hammering down on us. I shrieked and made a pathetic attempt to cover myself with the cardigan I was holding, while Jake just looked at me and laughed.

When we edged up against the dock I practically leapt out of the boat and carried my guitar and the picnic basket back to the shelter of the cabin. I was about to go inside to get away from the storm, but when I looked for Jake I saw that he was still out on the dock. He was leisurely pulling the rowboat up onto the dock and flipping it over, clearly in no hurry despite the buckets of rain coming down over his head.

“What’s taking so long?” I said, rushing to the end of the dock where he was still standing, “In case you didn’t notice, we’re getting drenched!”

Jake just smiled. “Since when do you care about getting a little wet? The Nora I remember used to love running around in rainstorms.” He strode over to me and ran his hands up my arms. “It’s kinda nice, isn’t it?”

I nodded, stepping closer and looking up at him through the sheets of rain. He was gorgeous… especially when he was dripping wet. I reached up and traced his jawline, trailing my finger through the droplets of rain and watched as his eyes turned dark with desire.

Within a half a second his mouth was on mine and his hands were at my hips drawing me closer. His kiss started off slow but when his tongue met mine it became needy and impassioned. I slowly ran my hands up his hard chest and over his shoulders, pulling myself closer to him. His grip around me tightened and he moved his hands down, grabbing my bottom and lifting me up. I wrapped my legs around him and held onto him firmly.

“I want you,” he grumbled against my lips, “I can’t wait any longer.”

About the Author

Ellie Grace is an avid reader, chocolate lover and caffeine addict. When a story popped into her head that she couldn’t seem to shake, she decided to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a writer. When she’s not writing, she’s usually curled up with a book by one of her many, many favorite authors.  

[Release Day] City of the Fallen by Diana Bocco

City of the Fallen
Diana Bocco 

Five years ago, vampires came out of hiding and took over the world. It was meant to be a quick enslavement but it turned into a bloody battle that brought humanity to the brink of extinction.

Isabelle Bryant is one of the “lucky” survivors, now living in hiding, scavenging for food through deserted towns. 

And she’s tired of it. 

So she’s devised a plan: find the king of the vampires and drive a stake through his heart.

Except that wickedly sensual king Marcus is nothing like the monster she expected. And while landing on his bed was part of the plan all along, discovering that he might hold the key to humanity’s survival certainly wasn’t. The catch? Saving humanity also means ensuring vampire survival. It means giving up hope for a return to a human-ruled world. 

As sparks fly and hate becomes heat, Isabelle must pick a side -- before the darkness devours them all.

About the Author

Diana Bocco is a full-time writer and author. She's been a fan of all kinds of dark creatures since she was a kid. If it crawls in the night and tugs at your covers while you're sleeping, chances are she's written about it. It's probably no surprise that she's a big fan of old buildings, urban exploring and things that go bump in the night. 

In her other life, Diana also writes nonfiction: articles, books, and even quizzes for markets such as the Discovery Channel, Yahoo! and Marie Claire magazine.

Visit www.dianaboccobooks.com for more info on Diana's work. Or join Diana's mailing list and be the first one to know about new releases, signings, and giveaways:  http://eepurl.com/ugbm5

[Book Review] Stitch by Samantha Durante

Stitch
Samantha Durante

Her heart races, her muscles coil, and every impulse in Alessa's body screams at her to run... but yet she's powerless to move.

Still struggling to find her footing after the sudden death of her parents, the last thing college freshman Alessa has the strength to deal with is the inexplicable visceral pull drawing her to a handsome ghostly presence. In between grappling with exams and sorority soirees - and disturbing recurring dreams of being captive in a futuristic prison hell - Alessa is determined to unravel the mystery of the apparition who leaves her breathless. But the terrifying secret she uncovers will find her groping desperately through her nightmares for answers.

Because what Alessa hasn't figured out yet is that she's not really a student, the object of her obsession is no ghost, and her sneaking suspicions that something sinister is lurking behind the walls of her university's idyllic campus are only just scratching the surface...

The opening installment in a twist-laden trilogy, Stitch spans the genres of paranormal romance and dystopian sci-fi to explore the challenges of a society in transition, where morality, vision, and pragmatism collide leaving the average citizen to suffer the results.

Books that have the most twists and unexpected events are always hard to write a review for so this might turn out very short. The thing about "Stitch" is that you can't actually pinpoint on what the genre of the book is until reading at least half of it. It was crazy how in the beginning I thought it was college chick lit going into drama going into paranormal going into time travel and finally ending up with dystopia/sci-fi. 

With all the twists and turns it's honestly really hard to explain the story without giving everything away and I really want everyone to be surprised just as I was! I really loved Alessa's character and how smart she was. One of my favorite scenes was definitely when her and Isaac were running away and she chopped off her hair. Hell yeah! Loved the book, it was a great introduction to the Trilogy. 4 Stars!!!

Author Bio

Samantha Durante lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio. Formerly an engineer at Microsoft, Samantha left the world of software in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and a lifelong love of writing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Samantha is currently working full time for her company Medley Media Associates as a freelance business writer and communications consultant. The Stitch Trilogy is her debut series. Learn more about Samantha at www.samanthadurante.com.

[Feature & Follow Friday] #6 - Preferred Reading Format!

Q: What is your preferred reading format? Hardcover, eBooks, paperback etc?

This was actually one question that I know the answer to. I LOVE THEM ALL!!! I can read 4 books at the same time, as long as they are in different formats. I actually have a book on my phone that I read during work (PDF), my Kindle (.mobi), hardcover and Audiobook! I really don't mind any of them and each one of them has good advantage. & I read more books that way too tehheehhee

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[Book Review] Paris Love Match by Nigel Blackwell

Paris Love Match
Nigel Blackwell

Piers Chapman had seen Paris,
In pictures, 
In movies, 
In books.
What he hadn't seen was the mobster.
Or the dictator.
Or the trained killers.
Or the diamonds they were chasing.
But it was Paris,
The city of light,
The city of love.
And a girl had already stolen his heart.
What could possibly go wrong?

Getting a taxi in Paris can be hell. Piers Chapman expected a boring business trip to Paris. What he didn't expect was to fight over a cab with a beautiful girl. After a bad meeting, Sidney Roux just wanted to hail a cab, go home, and have a glass of wine. She didn't expect to fight over a cab with some pompous British tourist. Neither of them expected another man to jump in their cab. Or to be involved in a gun fight. Or a car chase through the streets of Paris. Or for the man to die. But they're thrust together when the mob demands they return what the dead man stole. Will Piers and Sidney work together? Will they find what he had stolen? Will they stay alive? And will they do the last thing they expected? Will they fall in love?

Overall score: 4.5 Stars

This has to be one of the most exciting books that I have read in awhile and I absolutely loved it! From the moment I started reading this book, it was an absolute craziness!! Piers is your average guy who works and pretty much has nothing else planned in life because he's just "average". But that all changes when he gets in a taxi and sees a girl - no, a beautiful angel that simply said: "Get the fuck out, this is my taxi". Next thing they know, they are being shot at and have to find a famous painting that has been stolen before the trained killers might roast them on a warm Parisian night. 

Gif explains it all. BADASS. I loved the dorky Piers and confident Sidney, even if she was a little brat at times. I really appriciate that author put more thought into the book so that their adventure wasn't tacky and seemed genuine. Their chemistry and details of this book was incredible! A lot of times I get confused on what's going on because of all the action but Paris Love Match was right on spot with all the moves and description. BRAVO!!

About Author

Nigel Blackwell was born in rural Oxfordshire in England. He has a love of books, a PhD in Physical Chemistry, and a black belt in pointing out the obvious. As a teenager he toured Europe and loved seeing the wonders of the world and the people in it. Since then he has been fortunate enough to travel across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Japan, and hasn't been anywhere that doesn't have the potential for a story.

He now lives in Texas with his wife and daughter, where they enjoy the sunshine and listen to the coyotes howl at night.

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