[Blog Tour] Vigilante Nights by Erin Richards: Excerpt + Giveaway

Hey Everyone!!! I am pleased to be hosting today's stop for Vigilante Nights by Erin Richards. Look on to learn more!

Vigilante Nights by Erin Richards
Release Date: July 18th, 2013
Publisher: Merit Press
Pages: 303
Source: IFB Blog Tours for touring purposes
Amazon/ Goodreads

Goodreads Synopsis:

 A "good boy" will do anything for vengeance when a gang rite kills his twin sister. Will Lucas win, or follow his sister Silver into the darkness?

After a hideous car wreck, Lucas wakes from a coma to find that his world is gutted. Not only is his beloved twin sister, Silver, gone forever, but Lucas is broken in body and spirit. He will never be a college athlete, and is robbed of what he now realizes was the most important bond of his life. Although they weren't identical twins, Lucas and Silver shared a bond so fierce it defied reason, and was nearly supernatural.

After her death, that bond seems to endure when Lucas sees Silver everywhere he turns. Either he's crazy, or Silver is trying to tell him something about the California gang initiation they stumbled into that cost Silver her life. Lucas is bent on revenge, turning on Raymond, Silver's former boyfriend; the one Lucas never wanted her to date. He forms a posse of vigilantes to take out the gangsters responsible for Silver's death, but he risks not only his own life, but the love of the new girl on his block, who knows more about Lucas and Silver than can be accounted for by mere chance.

Excerpt:

I leaped at him, my fist hitting his face full force. I felt his nose fracture against my knuckles and the scathing chaser up my hand. He roared and shot an arm toward my gut. Lashing gusts forced us backward, and we rolled down the side of the cliff onto a narrow stony landing. The last firm footing before we tumbled into hell. That’s when I noticed the ripping burn in my middle. Stunned, I felt the warmth of blood mushroom across my stomach beneath my cold, clammy shirt. He’d stuck me with the knife, buried so deep it appeared his fingers were digging inside my gut. My hands circled his neck. As I began to squeeze, a mountainous wave blasted the rocks and slammed us flat. Water sloshed over the ledge, dragging at us like an undertow.

He lost his hold on the knife. Pulling on my arms, he tried to loosen my grip on his neck. I dug for his jugular. Blinded by blood lust, I lost notice of everything except the sneering face pissing on my car, the lustful eyes staring at Silver, the gaping mouths when the two hot rods approached the intersection.

Another wave smashed into us, knocking us apart. He toppled backward, tumbled into the receding water. I fell forward on my hands and knees, gripping a sharp edge of rock.

“I’m gonna kill you.” Pisser sprang up bowed over, prepping to gore me again.

I rolled out of the way, tripping him. He fell onto another flat boulder. I managed to push to my feet, the dark, tempestuous sea behind me an ominous threat. Pisser lunged for me, barreling us both onto the jagged rocks along the edge. He thudded on top. I rolled, flipped him on his side, my hand fisted on his jacket sleeve. His body thumped on another ledge of rocks.

Another wave towered up. Too late. It crashed down, a bludgeoning, suffocating weight pinning me to the boulders. Hanging on for what sketchy life remained, I waited for the wave to recede. It didn’t. Another followed and a third. A triple threat.

I heard screaming. Tara or Alyssa? Strange thoughts of death flashed through my mind. A white beam lit the rocks lending their dark death a momentary glimpse of rebirth. If I died, am I supposed to limp into the light or some stupid thing? Did Silver ever go into the light? Where’d she go? She seemed to disappear when I didn’t think of her. My mind rambled.

A hoarse, terrified voice spiraled above the storm. “Help me, man. You want another death on your hands?”

Water flowed, ebbed, and I lay half over the cliff, my right leg stuck between two rocks. Frozen fingers slid over my hand. I tightened my tenuous hold, reaching forward to grab Pisser’s arm with my other hand. He dangled from the cliff, dead weight in my faltering grip. Without my help, he’d bite it hard. In one split second, I contemplated letting go, prying his fingers off the rock one by one, hearing his body plop to its death on the boulders below.

Author Bio: 



Erin Richards writes SF&F romance and young adult fiction. Her YA debut novel, VIGILANTE NIGHTS, releases from Merit Press (F+W Media) on July 18, 2013. Erin has also published two adult romance novels: CHASING SHADOWS, a romantic suspense (EPPIE award finalist), now available in print for the first time (July 2012); and WICKED PARADISE, a fantasy romance, was released by Crimson Romance (F+W Media) in August 2012, available in eBook and print format. 
 Erin Richards lives in Northern California. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, photography, and American muscle cars.

www.erinrichards.com | twitter.com/ErinRichards

  

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[Blog Tour] Shudder by Samantha Durante: Review + Excerpt + Giveaway

To check out the rest of the tour stops visit HERE

Shudder (Stitch #2) by Samantha Durante

Release Date: June 15th, 2013

Publisher: Self-Published

Format: Paperback

Pages: 348

Source: Author, in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Amazon/ B&N/ Goodreads

Goodreads Synopsis:

-- Book 2 in the Stitch Trilogy --

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.

 

Review:

The Story

I liked this story a lot. In a way much more than the other one because we are able to get a little more dystopian goodness this time around. But I will say that missed the crazy twist ending from that last end. Really through me off!

The Writing

The writing is great as always! And now that its in a different setting (than a college) it makes  more sense and fits more.

The Characters

I really like that we get to know the characters better this time around. Which really helps with the alternative POV's.

I like to know my heroines and I really got to know Alessa better this time around. Which was great because one negative factor for me from  Stitch was that I really had was indifferent towards the characters.

The Good

List 'em:

1. The writing
2. Improvement on the characters
3. More adventure and dystopianess? (I know, that's not a word)

4. Creative
The Bad

List 'em:

1. Slow sometimes
2. Like to get into characters more

My Final Thoughts

Good Book! I do recommend. Though it was better than the first although if you don't read the first book you be very much behind :)

Excerpt:

 

The crunch of broken glass outside the dumpster broke Isaac’s train of thought. Alessa looked up at him with alarm and he just held her tighter in his arms, his ears straining to track the movement of the sound.

The noise moved back and forth, back and forth, as if someone were pacing only steps away from the dumpster. Isaac held his breath, his pulse pounding in his ears, his skin crawling with every snap reverberating through the empty dumpster.

And then suddenly the noise came faster, like more sets of feet tramping across the pavement in a violent rush. His ears pricked at the intrusion of their snarls and growls, eerily raspy and shrill at the same time. He couldn’t place the sound at all – it was unlike anything he’d ever heard.

Squinting in the darkness, he tipped his head back and strained the muscles in his neck, hoping for a glimpse through the crack in the lid of the predators beyond.

There was a quick flash as a hulking mass darted past the front of dumpster; Isaac jumped, quelling the gasp at his lips. Alessa convulsed under his arms, her face still buried in the front of his coat.

For a moment everything grew quiet. Isaac fought the tingling in his limbs and willed himself a statue, not daring to move or breathe, his senses prickling at the slightest hint. Had the hunters left?

BOOM, BOOM.

The force of whatever had just landed on the lid thundered through the dumpster, the walls and floor ringing with an earthshaking rattle. Isaac and Alessa flinched as one, him bearing down instinctively over her curled, trembling body as the center of the ceiling crumpled inwards under the weight of their attackers.

From above their heads, a magnificent piercing howl penetrated their hiding place, resonating off the walls of the hollow enclosure and chilling Isaac to his core. Any sense of security that Isaac had felt was shattered with that nightmarish wail; whatever it was that wanted them was directly above their heads.

BOOM.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

A series of crashes shook the dumpster from the sides, Isaac and Alessa lurching away from one thunderous bang only to be bombarded from the other side with the next.

BOOM.

Another jolt from above and a savage grating snarl sent Isaac jerking to the floor, his eyes wide with terror as he gaped at the buckling ceiling. This was no wolf, and no cougar – this was something far more dangerous.

He seized Alessa in his arms and said a silent prayer for mercy. The only thing they could do now was wait to live or die.

Giveaway:

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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



Haven’t read the first book in the series? Check it out on Amazon and Goodreads. Just $0.99!

[Blog Tour] Marked for Vengeance by S.J. Pierce: Excerpt + Giveaway

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Marked for Vengeance (The Alyx Rayer Chronicles #1) by S.J. Pierce
Release Date: October 10th, 2012

Publisher: Self-Published

Format: ebook

Pages: 339

Amazon/ Goodreads

Goodreads Synopsis:

Alyx Rayer’s existence in Atlanta, the eternally bustling capital of Georgia, is one of routine and blending in among the worker bees. But her ‘normal’ life is actually a façade for a higher calling; she's a three hundred year old soul, encased in a human vessel and sent from the darkness between heaven and Earth to capture her Marked when summoned by her superiors.

During the initial, routine stake-out of her Marked, a dream prophet named Isaac Walsh, Alyx is thrown for an emotional loop when his allure captivates her heart from two rooftops away. The event marks the very instance when her sense of what’s right and what’s wrong is brutally challenged as her contact with him is strictly forbidden.

While already trapped between honor and desire, her emotional struggles are further challenged by a man in a black suit who continually pops up when she least expects it, his presence evoking a strange response from the scar she was branded with at birth. The scar tingles like a warning beacon, alerting her that something is amiss. Because her superiors never told her what this would mean, or much of anything except what to do when they summon, she can only conclude to try and keep her sanity, and her life, from completely shattering to pieces.

This engaging first book of the series is a Paranormal Romance novel interlaced with twists, turns, and thrilling suspense that is sure to satisfy readers of any genre. (Add on Goodreads)

Excerpt

CHAPTER 11: Marked for Vengeance, The Alyx Rayer Chronicles

Isaac zipped the bag closed and rounded the corner to the kitchen, snatching the butcher knife from the counter on his way to the door. When he emerged from behind the cabinets, he halted. Alyx stood in the middle of the living room between the staircase and the sofa, staring through the broken door.

“Where’s my son, bitch?!” he barked. Seeing her there was of no surprise to him now, he had almost expected her to show up.

At the sound of his voice, she spun around. He dropped his bag, pointing the knife in her direction to show that he meant business, her frightening appearance not deterring him in the least. Because she had occupied his dreams for so long, this didn’t seem any different.

Her dark, polished eyes studied him intently as her body positioned into a careful stance, like a lioness sizing her opponent – or her prey – anticipating her next move. Fairly certain that his face didn’t reveal it, he now felt hunted and vulnerable. “Hello again, Isaac,” she said with a caginess to her voice that harmonized with her posture.

The feral tone in her words almost unraveled him. “Do you know where my son is?” he asked again and hoped she hadn’t noticed the crack in his voice.

Her eyebrows pinched together as she searched the flat, his question taking her by surprise. “Your son?”

“Yes, I have a son! Don’t play around with me,” he said, waving the blade violently through the air.

“Why would I know?”

“Well don’t you?!”

Her brows pinched tighter. “I wasn’t aware you had one.”

Oh, I’m sure.

She placed one foot in front of the other, carrying her smoothly in his direction, reminding him again of a feline.“Do you know who I am?”

He jutted the knife toward her. “I know that you look like a demon and that your name is Alyx… is that even your name?”

“Yes,” she said calmly. “But do you know why I’m here?”

She took another indulgent step, and Isaac lunged forward. “I will use this. I’m not playin’ around!”

She fought an amused smile and held up her hands. “I don’t think that will be of much use to you.”

“All I want is my son, so if you can’t help me with that you need to get out of my way,” he said, grabbing the bag he had dropped, and marched for the door.

“You don’t want to do that,” she warned as she moved into his path.

He stepped around her. “Watch me.”

“No, you don’t understand… you don’t want to do that!” she shouted desperately.

He had almost made it there when she gripped his upper arm, pulling him back with the strength of a man three times her size. Clang! The power behind her quick grasping had launched the blade into the wall and onto the concrete floor. He hollered under the vise of her death grip and dropped to his knees.

“Oh, Isaac, I’m so sorry!” she cried and released her hold. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I don’t know my own strength yet.”

He rubbed his throbbing arm as he stood, and when he glared at her, a burning remorse showed in her eyes. She told the truth; his pain upset her. “You care that you hurt me?”

“It was a reaction. I’m sorry.”

Isaac’s anger slowly withered away. Maybe he should listen to what she had to say. After all, if she had come to harm him, she wouldn’t be upset over his pain.

About the Author

Susan James Pierce has a degree in Marketing Management, works for a Fortune 500 company in Atlanta, Georgia, and devotes her precious, spare time to writing Fantasy and Sci-fi novels. 

Even though her full-time career has nothing to do with books at all, she has always enjoyed complex storytelling with fascinating characters, and has had a penchant for the written word since grade school. As a matter of fact, her first publishing credit was a poem she wrote at the age of twelve. Why her love for writing never translated into a career, she can only attribute to 'life happens', but her wish is that she can redirect her career path into something that satisfies her creative inner-self.

Where to find her: Website/ Facebook/ Goodreads

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[Book Blast] Spring Training by Parker Kincade: Excerpt + Giveaway

He’s got his eye on the ball, but his sights are set on her.

For baseball superstar Garrett Donovan, his contract with the New York Empire baseball team meant he’d finally have the means to secure a future for his family. He should focus on that…not on the sassy, beautiful Jessa Montgomery — or what she looks like naked. Getting involved with the daughter of the Empire’s owner would be career suicide. Jessa is a distraction he can’t afford.

Her father had warned her never to get involved with his athletes, so his request that she keep an eye on his new star player came straight out of left field. The last thing Jessa needs is another spoiled, egotistical ball player to deal with. But Garrett is none of those things. His no-nonsense attitude and smooth Southern charm make her blood burn and her knees weak. Giving into temptation, she is consumed by the pleasure she finds in Garrett’s arms.

Jessa wants to protect his career. Garrett won’t let anything get in the way of their passion.

A passion that could cost him everything.

Strawberries.

You’re such a dumbass.

What the hell was he thinking? If there was one thing every baseball player knew, it was that you didn’t fuck with the owner’s daughter. Ever.

And there he was … talking goddamned condoms and telling her she’d made him hungry.

Jesus Christ.

Garrett scrubbed his hand down his face. He’d heard about the beautiful Jessa Montgomery. From what he’d seen just now, she’d earned every ounce of praise. She was a total knockout. Her hair was a gorgeous shade of blonde and copper, long enough to drape over her breasts. Breasts that weren’t overly large, but perfect to fill his hands.

And her eyes. Garrett bit back a moan. Her eyes were mesmerizing. Not quite blue, not quite green.

But when she started rattling off stats with that voice as smooth as honey, sweet mercy, he’d gone rock hard. Which was damned uncomfortable when his junk was crammed into a protective cup.

Not even his mother could rattle off stats like that and know what they meant. The fact that Jessa understood the game he loved? Fucking. Sexy.

Garrett reached down to adjust himself, hoping to get some relief from the pinch currently nagging his balls.

Two weeks. He’d better chill the fuck out if he was going to survive two weeks with Jessa. Garrett respected the hell out of TJ Montgomery. It was rare for TJ to take a personal interest to the extent he had with him. He still hadn’t figured that one out, but Garrett liked the man. And he needed this job. He had his mom and Leah to worry about. And now little Georgia Grace.

His dad had died years ago, and now that his brother-in-law was gone, Garrett was all they had. The family farm in Mississippi had been his parents’ dream, and Garrett worked hard to make sure it would continue to provide for them. But there was only so much he could do by himself.

Baseball was his ticket to securing a future for his family. He couldn’t afford to screw that up. He had no business thinking about strawberries and wondering if Jessa’s nipples would taste the same as she smelled.

Shit.

Garrett made his way onto the field. He didn’t know what she was getting all bent out of shape about anyway. Even being a few hours later than he’d scheduled, he was still two days early for team practice. If anything, he should be offended about the crack she’d made about him wearing protection. As if he was some kind of man whore.

Ah, if only he’d had that kind of time to waste.

He scanned the growing crowd. He smiled and waved to the fans calling his name. He took in the excitement like the ground soaked up the sun, giving himself a moment to revel in the fact that he was here. All the years of hard work and sacrifice had finally paid off.  

“Hey, Donovan!” Garrett turned to see the batting coach signaling him over. “You planning to stand around all day, or you gonna show these folks whatcha got?”

He caught sight of Jessa, already sitting in the first row with her bare feet propped up on the rail. He couldn’t resist stretching his neck to check out her long, lean legs. He cursed as she eased out of the short-sleeved button down, leaving her in a tight top with tiny straps. He wondered how easily those straps would snap if he wrapped his hands around them and tugged.

As if she sensed him watching, her gaze locked on him. Her smile was almost apologetic. Then she laughed and waved her clipboard — her demand for him to get busy.

“Donovan!”

Garrett grabbed his bat and sighed. It was going to be a very long two weeks.

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Parker Kincade is an award-winning erotic romance author of The Martin Family Series. Her first novel, One Night Stand, won the category of Best Erotic Romance in the Celtic Hearts Romance Writers Golden Claddagh contest and was named finalist in the Romance Writers of America/Passionate Ink Stroke of Midnight contest.

Parker lives in the southern United States with her husband, children and beloved boxer sidekick. She loves reading, playing golf, spending time with her family and friends, ice cream from the ice cream truck, taking her dog to the park and watching old musicals.

Website † Blog † Facebook † Twitter † Group Blog

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[Book Blast] Tragic by J.A. Huss: Excerpt + Giveaway

Tragic (Rook and Ronin #1) by J. A. Huss

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Science Future Press
Release Date: May 15, 2013

Rook Walsh is TRAGIC

Because life so far – just sucks. Some girls get parents. Rook got the foster care system. Some girls get Prince Charming. Rook got an abusive frog. Some girls get lucky…

Rook got a second chance.

And she took it. Because when fate throws you a bone – you grab it with both hands and run.

Antoine Chaput knows the minute he spies Rook in his photography studio that she’s got The Look. The dark and desperate look he must have to land the exclusive TRAGIC media contract.

Rook is paired up with top model, Ronin, and he’s everything her abusive ex-boyfriend wasn’t. Patient, gentle, happy, attentive, and sexy! He knows exactly what to do to make Rook blush for Antoine’s camera.

Rook’s luck changes in an instant and suddenly she’s the darling of the modeling world. It’s a dream job to go with a dream guy and all she has to do is look pretty and follow directions. But there’s always a price to pay – and Rook is about to get the bill.

New Adult Contemporary Romance *Mature Content* Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations and language usage

**Does contain strong language**

I gather up all my clothes and stick them in the stackable washer in the closet just off the bedroom. The breeze caresses my naked limbs and gives me the chills, but I enjoy it. The goose bumps travel up my arms and spread out to my whole body. I shiver for a second and then head to the kitchen.

And stop dead in the living room.

Ronin fucking Flynn is sleeping on the couch.

What is he doing here? My eyes track to the front door and I suppose it's my fault, I left it open. There's nothing but a screen door between this apartment and the terrace. My gaze wanders back to the sleeping man. He's lying on his stomach, his one arm tucked underneath him, the other falling over the edge of the cushion, and he's shirtless.

And then I realize I'm naked.

"Shit!"

He stirs and I make a break for the bedroom. It's one thing to let him see me naked half hidden in darkness and quite another to be fully illuminated by the bright morning sunshine. I wrangle the sheet around my body and then head back to the living room, wistfully looking at the washer that contains every single article of clothing I own.

"Ronin!" I say loudly.

Nothing except a half-muffled snore from him. Lord, this man has the most perfectly chiseled and muscular back I've ever seen. Both hands pull up and go under his face, like he's blocking out the sunlight, and this gives me the perfect opportunity to study his flexing biceps. The muscles are thick and hard-looking near his shoulders. They curve down, dip into a little valley, and then climb once again.

I lean down and smell him.

"Why are you sniffing me?" he asks groggily.

"Uh—" Because you smell delicious, the inner Rook says. But luckily the outer Rook says, "I'm checking to see if you're drunk. Why are you sleeping on my couch?"

He peeks up, opening one eye in my direction, squints, and then croaks out some words. "I love your outfit." He grins, winks, and then drops his head back down into his arms.

"Are you leaving?" I ask, frustrated and confused at the same time. "I mean, why are you here?"

"I told you I'd come back with dinner. But when I got here, the lights were on and you were in bed. I only sat down for a second to think up a rational excuse to wake you up, but I guess I fell asleep." He raises his head again, grins sheepishly, and then rolls over on his back, tucks his hands behind his neck, and flashes his perfect body at me as he closes his eyes, probably confident that I'll be checking him out.

I do check him out. It's quite hard not to notice that he's got the perfect six-pack abs and that absolutely adorable fuzzy happy trail you see on a shirtless designer jeans model. Hmmmm… maybe he is that model? "You have no shirt on."

Yes, after all that gawking, I finally manage the obvious.

He opens the one eye to look at me again. "Neither do you."

Purchase your copyAvailable on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

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