Friday, February 20, 2015

Hearts on Fire by Alison Packard Blurb Blitz Tour and Review





Today's post is part of the Hearts on Fire Blurb Blitz Tour presented by Goddess Fish Productions. 
I am also including my review of the book within this post.
Make sure you read all the way to the bottom for a chance to enter to win a $10 Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card to one randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. 


BLURB:

Country music star Jessie Grant has it all. An amazing voice, a string of multi-platinum albums, and a sold-out concert tour. But just before her Hearts on Fire tour rolls into Las Vegas, her lead guitarist is badly injured and is unable to play. Desperate to find a replacement before the night of a televised live show, Jessie is forced to accept help from the last person on earth she wants to see again.

Drew Carmichael has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the best up-and-coming musicians in Nashville, without cashing in on his renowned father’s name. When Jessie’s manager calls and asks him to fill in for her band’s injured guitar player, he agrees to help Jessie out even though she cut him out of her life four months ago.

In Sin City, sparks fly between Jessie and Drew, and it isn't long before they give in to their mutual attraction. But when the dark past Jessie has successfully hidden for ten years explodes in the media, their tenuous bond is put to the test, and both Jessie and Drew must learn to trust each other if they don’t want their new found romantic relationship to go up in flames.




Excerpt:

As if sensing she was being watched, she turned and their gazes collided across the stage. Her smile faltered as the seconds ticked by. She remained rooted to the spot, so he moved forward. One of them had to make the first move; it looked like it would be him.

“Hey,” he said as he halted in front of her. 

She thanked the roadie, who smiled and left them to attend to Tara and Renee.

“Hello,” she replied, her tone formal and her eyes guarded. “Thank you for agreeing to help us out.”

“You’re welcome.” He rested his arm along the top of his favorite guitar, a Fender Strat that he’d bought when he was sixteen, after years of saving his allowance and hoarding the money he’d earned doing odd jobs around town. 

Although his father had made good money and left them fairly well-off after he died, his mom always believed that he should learn the value of money. It was a lesson he’d learned well, and to this day, he hadn’t touched one dollar of the money his father had left him. He wanted to make something of himself on his own terms, not because he had connections or an inheritance.

“Wally gave me the set list yesterday. It looks like it’s pretty much the same as before,” he said, after an uncomfortable silence.

“For the most part.” Jessie tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “The only difference is, I’ve changed up the order so that some of my older stuff is sprinkled throughout the set. Works better that way.”

He nodded. “So what the hell happened to Kenny? Wally said he broke his arm?”

Jessie rolled her eyes. “The damn fool decided to take a swan dive off the stage, and because he’d had a couple of fireballs before the show, he miscalculated how close the audience was to the stage and fell smack dab onto the concrete floor.”

Drew gasped, equally shocked and amused at the picture she’d painted. “Jesus. Are you serious?”

Her lips curved upwards with a ghost of a smile. It was something, even if it wasn’t the usual mega-watt smile she gave him when they used to hang out together. “It’s true. I couldn’t make something like that up. Broke his arm in two places.”

“Ouch.” He winced, thinking of the pain Kenny must have been in. “So he’ll be laid up for a while?”

“Looks like it,” she said. Then, without warning, her tone turned frosty again, and the laughter vanished from her eyes. “Well, we should get started. Do you feel comfortable with all the songs?”

“Yeah. I could do them in my sleep,” he said, then frowned. “Did that sound cocky?”

“No. Just confident.” Her unreadable eyes roamed over his face. “Wally wants us to do a duet.”

“I know.” 

He’d taken a look at the sheet music and recognized the song immediately. Anybody who’d ever attended a wedding in the last twenty years would probably be aware of the hit ballad that was popular in the early ‘80s. It was a nice song, and one that would suit his and Jessie’s harmonies to a tee.

“I’m not sold on the idea, but he seems to think it’ll be good for the CMT taping.”

“Whatever you decide is fine with me.” He brushed his hair back from his eyes and held her gaze. “I miss talking to you, Jessie,” he said, unable to stop himself. 

Her eyes flickered with some unknown emotion, which vanished as quickly as it came.

“We should get to work. Time’s a wastin’.” And with that, she turned her back on him, moved to the center mic near the front of the stage and never looked back. 


AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Alison now lives in Southern Nevada where she’s still getting used to the blistering summers and the slot machines in every grocery store.

When not working at the day job that pays the bills, keeps a roof over her head, and supports her book and chocolate habits, Alison spends most of her free time writing. But when she takes a break, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and spending time with her family and friends.

Website: http://alisonpackard.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alison-Packard-Author/368976796492227?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alleyfics
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Alison-Packard/e/B009JG39XQ/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1419875275&sr=8-4

Barnes and Noble Author Page: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/alison-packard


My Review:

What a sweet, fun, and heart warming story! Jessie Grant is an independent country super star who doesn't fall in love easily. Until Drew. Ready to tell him her feelings, she comes face to face with him and his ex - wearing only a towel- and leaves her heart, and her pride, protected.

Jessie's back story is so heart breaking without making her sound like a weak little girl. I love how independent and head strong she is, while being vulnerable and wanting to be loved. Drew really likes Jessie, but doesn't want her to feel like he is using her to advance his singing career. When Jessie's guitar player breaks his arm, Drew comes to the rescue to save the band, and the tour. With a big performance looming in Vegas, someone leaks Jessie's past to the press in hopes that it trashes her reputation. 

Drew is so sweet to Jessie, but she has such a hard time trusting anyone. Even when it is someone that she loves. When she has to tell Drew the truth, she holds back because she doesn't want him to go running. While the angst might seem silly, it's the perfect catalyst to teach them both to trust and love each other. My favorite part of the entire story was the final chapter when they do the duet for the live Vegas broadcast. **SWOON**  

I have never read anything by Alison Packard before, but you can bet I'll be on the lookout for more from her! I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes a feel good story with a happy ending. 

My Rating: 5 Stars 



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Friday, February 13, 2015

Elite Metal Box Set Blog Tour/Giveaway



Today's post is part of the Goddess Fish Promotions
Elite Metal Tour.






For decades the US Marines funded a top-secret unit known as Elite Recon. A deadly group of men and women sent to infiltrate dozens of countries completely undetected. Mission objectives so extreme casualties were not only probable, but expected.

The current batch of operatives had returned from hundreds of assignments unscathed…until one mission went horribly wrong. Several men lost their lives and the group disbanded. The remaining leathernecks were scattered in the wind with new identities. They were told to blend in. Be normal. Or face being forever silenced just like their fallen brothers.

Now, two years later, each living member of the group is kidnapped and given a chance to make things right. But this time they’re no longer under the thumb of Uncle Sam. A mysterious private backer who knows about their past has brought them back together. No longer are they forced to turn a blind eye to the lost and forsaken.

A new life. A new future…Elite Metal.







Bound By Steele
By Anna Alexander and Jennifer Kacey

To save his Marine brothers and sister he must accept the past isn’t dead and buried. Reuniting survivors means he is forced to first forgive…the enemy.

Steele, the man he was, died. A civilian with a new name stands in his place in the wake of death. Everything he had, lost when his undercover contact, Venus, disappeared when it counted most. In the shadow of regret, Steele is reborn from the flames of a Phoenix. To right the wrongs that destroyed his military family, he must put his trust in the hands of a mysterious backer, and the woman who led his team to the slaughter.

Not knowing who sold her out at the final hour, Alayna Devlin, spent the last two years on the run. Then the mastermind behind Elite Metal tracked her down, and offered her the chance to atone for past mistakes. To cleanse her conscience requires a baptism by fire and submission to the man who will either put the final nail in her coffin or set her heart free.

The past. The future. Truth. Lies. Nothing is as it seems when two shattered hearts are finally given the chance to heal.

Chrome’s Salvation
By Jennifer Kacey

A former leader of Elite Recon, reduced to nothing more than an apathetic existence.

Until his girl’s life hangs in the balance…now nothing will stand in the way of him coming back to life.

Chrome had it all. Exactly what he wanted. A career in the Marines he loved, fighting alongside his brothers and sisters to protect the US from everything set out to destroy it. Then on their last mission as Elite Recon they were double-crossed…and everything went horribly wrong.

Cammie needs help rescuing her siblings from the clutches of a man determined to crush everything she holds dear.  But she has no one to turn to. No one to lean on when she’s trapped in a world she never knew existed. Lost in a world of pseudo-normalcy Chrome’s reduced to nothing more than existing. Day in. Day out. Nothing to live for.

Until his girl’s life hangs in the balance. Now nothing will stand in his way of coming back to life.

Love at first sight is a myth. Or so Chrome thought. Everything he thinks is true disappears in the presence…of his salvation.

Adamantium’s Roar
By Anna Alexander

Adamantium left Beth to what he thought was a better life, only to find she had been living in hell. Now he’ll do anything, break any vow, to claim her as his for all time.

Adamantium feels right at home being back to what he does best with his Elite Metal buddies, especially if it keeps his mind off her.  Beth Bradshaw. His best friend’s girl. But when their paths cross again, he discovers Beth is in the hands of a dangerous man. Vow or now vow to his Elite Metal family, Ant will do anything to claim the woman he loves.

Pure Copper
By Heather Long

Copper will do whatever it takes to get the job done, even if it means seducing and betraying the one man who really sees her.

Former Marine special forces, Sachi “Copper” James is a chameleon. She thrives on being someone else. Her mission? Identify the rat who sold her team bad intel. Gabriel Danvers, ex-CIA analyst, is a master of disseminating the details. He wants to enjoy a normal life, retired from the game. His mission? Teach classes.

 When Gabriel becomes the target of Copper’s investigation, he re-enters a world of danger and deception--all to claim the passion of the one woman who’s haunted him for years.

Sterling’s Seduction
By Sabrina York

When a snoopy reporter threatens the Elite Metal, Sterling will do whatever it takes to kill her story about the team. Even if it means he has to tie her to his bed.

When Sterling spots a reporter masquerading as a waitress in a dingy bar in Deep Ellum, he suspects she’s investigating the team. And that’s something he just cannot allow to happen. Too many lives are at stake. He will do everything in his power to learn the truth—even seduce her. And to stop her story from coming out? He might even tie her to the bed.

 Nothing is off the table when it comes to keeping his brothers safe. Nothing. It’s a damn shame she’s everything he’s ever wanted. It’s a damn shame her touch warms his cold, dead heart.

Platinum’s Choice
By Rebecca Royce

Platinum left the life he had with Rose in New York to rejoin his team and silence the nightmares from Operation Phoenix.   But when Rose is forced to go on the run with Platinum’s hidden son, he will have no choice but to return to his old life and reclaim what he has ached for every day since. Red Wolf’s sniper wants to nudge Plat’s underbelly and they’re going to find out quickly how deadly he can be.

Platinum was a man of few words before he changed his name and had his sniper rifle taken away. But as Elijah, he could start over, maybe even fall in love with his hidden son's Kindergarten teacher, Rose. But Platinum is reborn when Elijah is kidnapped, so he's left with no choice but to vanish, leaving Rose to wonder about his fate, broken-hearted.

Rose has spent the last year getting over the disappearance of the man she knew as Eli. Now, alone and terrified, she finds herself on the run from a sniper while trying to hide a scared little boy from certain death.

Red Wolf's crew isn't done with Plat, and his soft underbelly is just the place to nudge. Sniper vs. sniper, Platinum will reclaim what is his. That is, if she'll even have him back...


Mercury’s Poison
By Saranna DeWylde

A scarred, mad genius more monster than man must protect the beauty he's become obsessed with from a beast more terrible than himself.

Serum 17 took his face, took his kindness and took his empathy. It took, in essence, all of John Thrace leaving only the Elite Metal operative "Mercury" in his place. A man marked with a biohazard tattoo because he knows he's incompatible with other living things. Until he becomes obsessed with the seemingly innocent doctor Hazel Brewer and a chance encounter changes everything.

Hazel knows the giant scarred man won't hurt her even though she's in the business of saving lives and he'd rather take them. In fact, she's never felt safer or more alive than when she's with him. Even when a terrible biological weapon forces her into his arms for a night of hot passion she won't soon forget.

Their love could be the redemption he never thought he wanted, or something even more toxic: Mercury's poison.

Forged in Silver
By Roxie Rivera

Rebel. Nomad. Troublemaker.

After surviving the double-cross during Operation Phoenix, Former Elite Recon Marine Silver embraces the underworld and builds a new life as one of the world's most renowned thieves. Jewels, paintings, corporate espionage--there's no job he won't take for the right price.

Until Poppy Jones orders her ghosts to snatch him up in Budapest and haul him back to Texas to face her brand of justice...

Forced to decide between a prison cell and signing on to Elite Metal, Silver chooses the latter. Quietly operating in the background of a team that no longer trusts or wants him, he completes all the dirty little jobs that keep the team alive and flush with new intel.

But when he learns Poppy plans to infiltrate a terrorist gathering, he refuses to hide in the shadows a moment longer. In a world of secrets and lies, Poppy Jones is his bright light of truth and trust.

And he'll brave the fires of hell--and the disdain of Steele and Chrome--to protect her.



Excerpt:

Pure Copper

“I’m getting ready to fuck you. What are you doing?” Some rational part of his mind stood aside, appalled. He’d been brought up to respect women. To take her out on a date, wine her, get to know her and then maybe pursue some heavy petting. Three dates, according to his father. No less than three before he touched anything under a woman’s clothes.

The room was private and the cameras were outside, not in the lecture halls. He didn’t even know her name. What the hell was he doing?

Stroking her tongue over her lower lip, she studied him. He had the distinct impression she took his full measure, weighing him against some impossible scale. Stroking her nails from his chest to his navel, she whispered. “Considering your offer.”

The tension cording his spine relaxed. “My name is Gabriel.”

“I know your name, Professor.” She circled one of his nipples then leaned in and the whisper of her breath was his only warning before the gentle bite of her teeth. The electric contact pulsed a high-speed connection to his cock.

Tangling his fingers in her hair, he found the band confining the mass into a ponytail and tugged it free. Flicking the band across the room, he stroked through the wild profusion of curls and waves. He’d thought it red in Nigeria, and it had been sleeker in Miami, but it poured over his hands like wild coppery fire. “What’s your name, beautiful?”

Tipping her head back, she surveyed him from beneath lowered lashes. “What do you want it to be?”

The truth would be nice, but if he started down the interrogator path, their very promising encounter would not end well. Catching the hem of her sweater, he gave a tug and she lifted her arms obediently. He dragged the sweater up, then used it to pin her arms, effectively locking them behind her. “I want it to be your name.”

At the maneuver, the sleepy desire in her eyes sharpened. Well, hello kitten… Teeth and claws. God, he had a hard-on for her that wouldn’t quit. Taking his life in his hands, he slanted his mouth over hers and took the next kiss. She opened to him, allowing the thrust of his tongue.

She tasted sweeter than the vanilla of her scent—decadent, rich and altogether hedonistic. Another nip, then she sucked on his tongue and he damn near came in his pants. One moment he had control, the next she had him slammed against the door, face first, with her forearm against the back of his neck. He’d never been into being thrown around by a woman, but when she proved herself more than capable, it simply turned him on more.

The soft sound of her chuckle teased his ear, then she nibbled a kiss against his earlobe. With a breathy murmur, she said, “Games are fun, Professor, but you want to touch, yes?”

No need to lie. “Hell yes.”

“So do I.” As if to prove her point, she slid her hands down his front to stroke his cock through his slacks. He hardened obligingly. At this rate, he wouldn’t have any blood left to get oxygen to his brain and he didn’t think it was a bad thing. Her breasts rubbed against his back, the twin hardened points of her nipples a provocative invitation. “Don’t try to bind me again, and I won’t break you in two, sound good?”

More than good, but he still wanted. “What’s your name?” He found the lock on the door and turned it. The rear entrance was only accessible by key, and no other classes were scheduled for a couple of hours.

“Pushy.” Not a complaint based on the way her hand fisted him, the hard strokes definitely a threat to whether he’d get to sink into her before he came. Catching her hand with his, he twisted around and traded places. He wanted to see her breasts.

“A name for a kiss?” he challenged. “Or a caress?” Then in a repeat of her earlier move, he covered her breast and massaged it through the bra. Her peaked nipple responded beautifully to his touch. The black bra was utterly functional and completely lacking in lace. It also covered her breast, hiding it from view.

Unhooking a woman’s bra was a skill he’d mastered in high school. Who knew how much of a Godsend it would be at this moment? She shed the bra and stood glorious, and…scarred. A cluster of three puckered marks formed a near perfect triangle over her right breast. Tracing the marks, he followed a fainter mark tucked along the curve of her breast—knife injury.

Even as he catalogued the injuries, he explored the expanse of soft flesh. Cupping her breast, he rolled his thumb back and forth over the hardened tip of her nipple. Her breathing grew shallower and, dragging his gaze up, he zeroed in on her damp mouth before meeting her gaze. Her shudder seemed to ripple over his spine and, when she went for his belt, he didn’t argue.





Author Info:

Jennifer Kacey

Jennifer Kacey is a writer, mother, and business owner living with her family in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. She’s the Amazon top seller and award winning author of the Members Only Series and the Surrender Series along with several standalone novels and novellas. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less.

Social Media Links
Website - http://www.jenniferkacey.com/
Blog – The Decadent Divas - http://www.thedecadentdivas.blogspot.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.kacey.7
Facebook Author Page - https://www.facebook.com/jenniferkaceyauthor
Twitter - https://twitter.com/JenniferKacey
Amazon Page - http://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Kacey/e/B00GXHUB30/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d9_al1?_encoding=UTF8&refinementId=618073011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0G8ZPDQJVKJPKXNBRY10&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6941549.Jennifer_Kacey
Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jenniferkacey/

Anna Alexander

Anna Alexander's literary world changed at age thirteen when a friend gave her a copy of Kathleen Woodiwiss's "A Rose in Winter." With her mind thoroughly blown, she decided that one day she too would be a romance writer. With Hugh Jackman's abs and Christopher Reeve's blue eyes as inspiration, she loves spinning tales about superheroes finding love.
Sign up to receive news about Anna's latest releases at http://eepurl.com/Q0tsz

Social Media Links
Website - http://www.annaalexander.net/
Blog – The Decadent Divas - http://www.thedecadentdivas.blogspot.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/anna.alexander.94
Facebook Author Page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anna-Alexander/282170065189471?ref=hl
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnnaWriter
Amazon Page - http://www.amazon.com/Anna-Alexander/e/B008IAKLOO/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1418701356&sr=8-1
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1335912.Anna_Alexander

Heather Long

National bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas summertime. From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories—her characters drive the books. When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them; you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.

Social Media Links
Website – http://www.heatherlong.net
Blog – http://heatherlongauthor.blogspot.com

Facebook Author Page – http://www.facebook.com/HeatherLongAuthor
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/HVLong
Amazon Page - http://www.amazon.com/Heather-Long/e/B002BMBCUC/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1420695270&sr=8-2-ent
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2959976.Heather_Long
Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/hvlong/

Rebecca Royce

As a teenager, Rebecca would hide in her room to read her favorite romance novels when she was supposed to be doing her homework.

She is the mother of three adorable boys and is fortunate to be married to her best friend. They are transplants from the northeastern part of the United States to the great state of Texas, specifically Austin.

She is in love with science fiction, fantasy and the paranormal and tries to use all these elements in her writing. In her world anything is possible, anything can happen, and you should suspect that it will.

Social Media Links
Website – www.rebeccaroyce.com
Blog – www.rebeccaroyce.blogspot.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.grimaldi
Facebook Author Page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rebecca-Royce/172551376131638?ref=bookmarks
Twitter – www.twitter.com/rebeccaroyce
Amazon Page - http://www.amazon.com/Rebecca-Royce/e/B004E50FPW
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3005246.Rebecca_Royce
Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/rebeccaroyce/

Sabrina York

Her Royal Hotness, Sabrina York, is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of hot, humorous stories for smart and sexy readers. Her titles range from sweet & sexy to scorching erotic romance.  Connect with her on twitter @sabrina_york, on Facebook or on Pinterest. Visit her webpage at www.sabrinayork.com to check out her books, excerpts and contests. Free Teaser Book: http://sabrinayork.com/home-2/sabrina-yorks-teaser-book/ And don’t forget to enter to win the royal tiara!

Social Media Links
Website - http://sabrinayork.com/
Blog - http://sabrinayork.com/
http://thedecadentdivas.blogspot.com/
http://sweetnsexydivas.blogspot.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/sabrina.york.14
Facebook Author Page -  https://www.facebook.com/SabrinaYorkBooks
Twitter - @sabrina_york https://twitter.com/sabrina_york
Amazon Page - http://www.amazon.com/author/sabrinayork
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5817917.Sabrina_York
Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/sabrinayork/boards/

Saranna DeWylde

Saranna De Wylde has always been fascinated by things better left in the dark. She wrote her first story after watching The Exorcist at a slumber party. Since then, she's published horror, romance and narrative nonfiction. Like all writers, Saranna has held a variety of jobs, from operations supervisor for an airline, to an assistant for a call girl, to a corrections officer. But like Hemingway said, "Once writing has become your major vice and greatest pleasure, only death can stop it." So she traded in her cuffs for a full-time keyboard. She loves to hear from her readers.

Social Media Links
Website – www.sarannadewylde.com
Facebook – www.facebook.com/Saranna.DeWylde.3
Facebook Author Page – www.facebook.com/SarannaDeWylde
Twitter – www.twitter.com/SarannaDeWylde
Amazon Page - http://www.amazon.com/Saranna-DeWylde
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1228621.Saranna_DeWylde
Pinterest – www.pinterest.com/SarannaDeWylde

Roxie Rivera

A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, I like to write super sexy romances and scorching hot erotica. I live in Texas with my red-bearded Viking husband and a sweet but rowdy preschool-aged daughter with autism and heart defects. We also have two wildly rambunctious Great Danes named Hannibal and Murdock.

My other book writing alter ego--Lolita Lopez--was named one of Latina Magazine's Eight Erotic Latina Authors To Check Out. Lo writes deliciously steamy tales for Forever Yours/Grand Central, Mischief/Harper Collins UK, Siren Publishing and Cleis Press.

Social Media Links
Website – http://www.roxierivera.com
Blog – http://www.roxierivera.com/news
Facebook Author Page - https://www.facebook.com/WriterRoxieRivera
Twitter – http://twitter.com/lowriter

Amazon Page - http://www.amazon




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