Thursday, December 26, 2013

Cinderella Wore Combat Boots by D.L. Jackson


Cinderella Wore Combat Boots by D L Jackson

                        Sometimes Fairytales come true... 

   First Sergeant Cori Valentine faces a bleak future. She’s turning forty in three weeks and life as she knows it is over. An injury received while on deployment has earned her an early retirement from the Marine Corps, something she’s not sure she’ll survive. Things get even better when interfering Marines set her up on a blind date for a party she doesn’t want. The guy has to be a total toad to want to go out with her. Right? 

   When Madame Eve informs Retired SEAL, Sol Keller she’s found his perfect match, he doesn’t believe it, but takes up the challenge. One look at the First Sergeant in a sexy dress and combat boots has him wondering if fairytales really can come true. Madame Eve might be the legendary Fairy Godmother, and Cori his Cinderella. Sol intends to show the Marine beauty a Prince Charming she’ll never forget, and that retirement isn’t the end of her story but merely the beginning.


Star Rating: Five Stars
Review:   What a kickass story!! I absolutely loved this one, not that I haven't loved others' but this one hit close to home.
   Everyone deals with some sort of insecurity or phobia, some more than others. This is especially the case when you've suffered a career altering injury like First  Sargent  Cori, or retired Navy Seal Sol who lost a limb while on a mission.
    First Sargent Cori doesn't know what she's going to do without The Corps, she never thought that she would have to face this decision. Enter Gunny who contacts Madame Eve at One Night Stand and sets Cori up with retired Navy Seal Sol Keller for her retirement party. Cori reluctantly goes along with the goof, never expecting to be knocked on her ass when she meets Sol and sparks fly between the two of them. 
    But is she willing to leave everything that she knows behind to try something new, or put her trust in someone she barely knows?
    And what about Sol? What are his hidden secrets?

  I have once again fallen in love with DL's portrayal of Cori and Sol, two war scarred heroes that have had to find something else to do with themselves after injuries sideline them. You can see the insecurity in both Cori and Sol, and I can relate to Cori as she tries to figure out what the hell she's supposed to do now.
   The reason this hit close to home is that I myself have Cystic Fibrosis, and I look like any other thirtyish year old female. I don't look sick, but I am and someday CF will most likely kill me. It's a daily battle to do my treatments, medicines and take care of my family, and battle depression. When I met my Soul thirteen years ago I sincerely thought at that time that I would never find him. That I would be forever damned to be alone because of my CF.
  But that's not all my husband came into our relationship with his own battle scars. When he was seventeen months old he managed to pull a pot of boiling hot water and noodles onto himself, sustaining third degree burns over a third of his body. He had to endure months of hospitalization,  and years of brutal teasing and bullying from others. 
   I remember when we had just met he asked me if his scars bothered me, and I asked him 'What scars?' 
   Because at that point I hadn't seen any of his scars, I didn't know the story behind them either. His scars cover the upper left pectoral, down to his elbow on his left arm, and the left half of his back all the way to his waist. When he asked me the question he was referring to the few scars that grace the side of his neck and jaw. I honestly hadn't seen them ( I have to admit that I am an ass girl, and my hubby.... *fans self*) 
   In summary, because I could go on and on and on, lol, there are somethings that we just have to learn to let go and strive forward. And others that if we find the right  person  won't matter at all. We're each unique and beautiful in our own ways. Each of us have that something that will make us stand out to that one person. They won't see our flaws, and we won't see theirs, we'll both complete and strengthen the other.


You can follow DL Jackson at these links:
Facebook
Her Website
Decadent Publishing

Buy Links:
Amazon


Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Divided Loyalties by Lia Davis

Divided Loyalties by Lia Davis

     Trained to hunt rogues and protect the human race from the threat of shifters, Christa Baker is beginning to rethink her career choice. Especially when her niece and nephew--who she's raised on her own--end up in the crossfire. Now she's looking for a way out and disappear off Shield's radar for good. She never thought her out would be a gorgeous wolf who kidnaps her after raiding Shield HQ.
     Hayden Raines has always followed the rules. As the Ashwood Fall wolf Marshal, he has to set the example for those working under him. When he sets his sights on the beautiful human hunter things go downhill, fast. Fate has a funny way of turning things inside out--because the woman he kidnaps, the enemy he might need to protect his family from, just happens to be his mate.

Warning: Contains one woman on a path she's not ready for, a man who thought things would be different, and a heated exchange that turns out to be the best thing ever.

Star Rating: Five Stars
Review: This is book four in the Ashwood Falls Series by Lia Davis, and I have to admit that the only other book I have read in this series is Winter Eve. (You can find my review on Winter Eve here on my blog as well)
   The battle against Onyx and the mutant virus has escalated, Felix and Vance will stop at nothing to make sure the Ashwood pack falls. They've even stooped to injecting humans and shifters with the mutant virus and then messing with their minds.  
    Christa knows something just isn't right, ever since Vance took the reigns of her unit things have been on his "word" alone. That doesn't sit well with her and after she makes sure that her twin niece and nephew are safe she leaves for the day only to walk into an attack by Hayden and his entourage.  Only Christa doesn't know that her fellow hunters aren't exactly human anymore when they are gunned down in front of her. She's taken captive much to her dismay briefly wondering whats going to happen to her niece and nephew when she doesn't check in.
   Can Christa overcome her past and accept the mating or will Hayden become like Jared, barley functioning and sane. What about Christa's niece and nephew, how will she deal with them and the issues that arise from that?
   I could go on and on about this book, so thoroughly did I enjoy it, but I don't like to spoil things, so get out there peeps and buy it already! You won't be disappointed, especially for those that have followed the series since the beginning.
   For those that are just now finding Lia Davis start with Winter Eve and work your way through the series. I myself have to go back and do some reading ^_^
    To Ms. Davis....WRITE FASTER!!! I NEED to find out what happens in Ashwood next!


You can follow Lia Davis on Facebook, and on her web page:
Lia's Author page
Lia's Webpage
 or at Fated Desires Publishing (which she co-owns)
Fated Desires Publishing Facebook
Fated Desires Publishing

Buy links
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
ARE

Amazon Print

iTunes and Kobo coming soon.




Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Being Prince Charming by D.L. Jackson



Being Prince Charming by D.L. Jackson

You’re no Prince Charming.” 

Words screamed in anger, an empty nest, and an emptier life are just some of the reasons people divorce. For Gunny, a diehard Marine who refuses to give up the Corps, and Lissa his wife of over twenty years, the reason isn’t a good one. After a heated argument morphs out of control, Lissa walks away and in his pride, August refuses to go after her. 

It took two years, but Lissa is finally ready to move on with her life and marry another man. Only one problem, her heart still belongs to the Marine she left behind. 

August is back, looking for a second chance, and this time he isn’t letting Lissa walk away without a fight. Gunny has given up everything, including the Marine Corps, for a second chance with the woman he loves. Madame Eve has given him one night to prove to Lissa he’s all she ever wanted—that he can still be her Prince Charming. Fail, and she’ll marry another man in the morning. 

For this Marine—failure is not an option. 


Review Rating: Five Stars



Review: D.L. Jackson has done it again! 
  Being Prince Charming brings to light that you can't stop letting your other half know that you love them, that they are special to you! Tell him/her everyday that you love them, that they're are beautiful and you can't live without them. But don't stop there, SHOW THEM! And guys I know its exceptionally hard for some of you to do that, but if you want to keep your other half then you're gonna have to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and do it!
   This book had me turning the page until the very end, I wanted to cry and cheer at the torment that both Lissa and Gunny went through for the sake of pride.  I absolutely LOVED the dress up bit that Gunny did for Lissa, I know that it more than likely wasn't easy for him being that he's a macho Marine, but for the sake of the woman he loves he donned those tights and sucked it up. 
  I won't spoil the end of the book for those that have yet to read it, but if you've read other books by D.L. then you know you're in for a treat!
  I'm fortunate that I have a husband that shows and tells me everyday that I am beautiful, that he loves me. He has kept me sane, and brought me back from the depths of post-partum depression and allowed me to be an incurable book nerd. I couldn't ask for a better life partner than him, I hope ya'll find yours if you haven't already. 

You can follow D.L. Jackson on her fb, and at Decadent publishing for further tidbits on her upcoming books.
D.L. Jackson's Facebook
Decadent Publishing Discussion Group


Buy Links
Amazon



Friday, December 13, 2013

Snow White and The Vampire by Marina Myles

Snow White and The Vampire by Marina Myles

      Alba Spencer thought her past in Romania and the dark magic that haunted it was behind her forever. She is one of the first female barristers now, safe in London. But London has its dark side, too. A man called the Ripper stalks the midnight streets. There are rumors that her hated stepmother has found her again, suggestions that the nightmares of her childhood are returning. And with them appears the cursed Gypsy boy she once loved, grown into a man more seductive and more terrifying than she ever could have dreamed…
      Dimitri Grigorescu has become a surgeon, a gentleman—and a vampire. The lusts that drive his body are scarcely under control, and even he does not truly know what he is capable of. To fight evil and confusion, Alba must rely only on her wits—and a desire that overwhelms her doubts…


Review Rating: Three Stars

Review: The title to this book grabbed me off the get go, and the blurb made the story sound inriguing. But as some of you know you sometimes can't always tell a book will be great or stink just from those two things alone.
   This was the case with this book.
While over all the story was intriguing, I believe that it could have been better. For me there wasn't enough 'meat' to the story and often found myself confused as to what was going on.
    There was a brief mention of the heroines name having something  to do with 'Snow White' but in my opinon there was little else that even resembled the popular fable, other than the evil step-mom. (Evil Queen) There were no dwarves, no huntsman, and the Tuttenbaum girls, if they were the reference to the dwarves,  featured so little in the story that they may as well have been not in it to begin with.
I'm sorry, I don't mean to tear apart an authors hard work, and I sincerely dislike those that do so. I don't intend for any of this to be negative, or criticizing in any way, this is just my humble opinion of what I read. I realiz that Ms. Myles took liberties with the original fable, and that is fine. I know there are people out there that will most likely disagree with my opinion, and that too is fine. 
   In conclusion, I believe this author deinitely has potential, but this book did not inspire me to pick up more from this author. Maybe you my fellow readers will have a different opinon, and I would love to hear it if you post a comment. 







Thursday, December 5, 2013

Return of The Assassin Blog Tour


Return of the Assassin Blurb

All the King's Men - Book 5

3rd place winner - RWA Heart of the West contest

"If you've been waiting for the next Black Dagger Brotherhood, this is it…" -GraveTells Review

Assassin Gina Carano doesn't have time for love. In fact, the last thing she wants is a mate. But Gina can't stop thinking about Malek, the handsome AKM enforcer she met in Chicago. And now she's beginning to fear Malek's memory is the reason for her crippling panic attacks, which have assaulted her relentlessly since she left him.

Malek has never dealt with the centuries-old death of his first mate, but now that he's formed a new mating link to Gina, he has no choice. Stuck between the agony of mourning and the despair of being without Gina, his mind fractures as he attempts to reconcile the two halves of himself.

When Gina botches a hit on two vicious vampires in Miami, she reluctantly flees back to Chicago, where Malek must choose between the past and the future before he loses Gina forever.


Warning: This book contains explicit sexual content, sensitive subject matter, references to non-traditional/alternative lifestyles, and profanity.

Welcome to Dark Desires Book Blog! Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Donya Lynne the author of All The Kings Men Series, and Arms of Winter (stand alone M/M book) Her newest release Return of The Assassin is out at your favorite retailers! 

Donya, you’ve been writing for a little over a year now. Writing full time for a few months. How do you like it?
I love it. Love every second of it. I'm working more hours per day than I did at my day job, but it doesn't feel like work. They say if you do what you love, you'll never work another day in your life, and I believe it. A 16-hour day doesn't feel like a 16-hour day when I pack it in for the night.

Is there anything that you miss about the pre-published era?

Not really. I always felt like I was wandering through life without purpose before. My life was pretty bleak and I was in going-nowhere jobs and felt a general sense of unhappiness. Before Rise of the Fallen was published, I had been unemployed for over a year-and-a-half, as well, and I knew it was time for a change. In many ways, I feel as though my life only just started with the release of Rise of the Fallen. Isn't that funny? It took me until I was 42 years old for my life to start. Up until now, I've simply been building the experiences and emotional baggage necessary to make my stories the conflict-laden roller coaster rides that they are. Now I'm very happy with my life. The happiest I've ever been, even though I work seven days a week, and usually pull 10-16 hour days.

Are your characters happier now that you can devote more time to their stories?

Yes. When the characters talk now, I can listen. I no longer have to hastily jot down notes in my notebook until I can get home from work.

What is one thing about being an author that you are OCD about and why?

Edits. Usually, authors can't edit themselves. You'll hear it said again and again that authors are too attached to their work to effectively edit and rewrite…and to "kill their darlings." I am the exact opposite. I have no problem killing a sentence, paragraph, scene, or chapter if it doesn't propel the story or fit into the rest of the plot. I will edit right up until the last day. I have a rewriting and editing process that lasts for months through several re-reads of the manuscript, but each pass brings the book closer to tight, and I've gotten to the point that I crave this part of the writing process.

Is there a favorite author that you HAVE to read, when you’re not writing, editing…etc?

It used to be J.R. Ward, but the two authors I'm most fascinated with now are Gayle Forman and Alma Katsu. They're writing is simple and yet complex, and very inspirational.

You have a few other stories waiting patiently in the wings, is there anything you want to share with your fans?

Just to hold on tight, it's about to get crazy. The Mark Strong Chronicles promise to be an erotically charged, humorous, and touching contemporary romance that exploits how a casual meeting can become the greatest moment in a person's life. Good Karma is the first of four books I have planned for the series, and the first draft is currently in rewrites.

As for All the King's Men, the series is about to split into two. In Return of the Assassin, we met Trevor Knight, who started a security agency similar to AKM in Miami with his ex-boyfriend Talon Justice. Fittingly, the agency is called the Knights of Justice, which will be the sister series name, as well. There won't be as many books in KOJU as in AKM, but eventually the two series will join back into the Progeny Series, which will extend for as long as there are stories to tell and readers who want to read them. I'm very excited about Progeny, but I have about 8-10 more books to write for AKM and KOJU before Progeny starts.

Other than that, I have several stand-alone projects I'm working on, including some more m/m romance and contemporary romance.

Is there anything the guys want to share about themselves or their mates?

We could be here all day. The guys adore their mates and dote on them no end. Micah is beside himself to see Samantha get pregnant, and Sev and Ari are madly, passionately in love—still in their honeymoon phase, but talking about options for kids of their own. Io is a changed male now that he's mated Miriam. Who would have thought he would shun his playboy ways and settle down, but Io is head over heels and ever-worried over the growing baby inside Miriam's belly. Malek is over the moon for Gina and loving every minute of exploring the Kama Sutra and Tantric sex with her. And of course, Tristan is enjoying his house arrest a little too much, being that he gets to spend his time with Josie, who's only four months away from her due date. There's a little baby boom about to happen at AKM, hence the reason for the Progeny Series.

When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?

You mean it's not all about writing? LOL. When I'm not actually writing, I'm thinking about writing. Even when I'm watching TV, my subconscious is working on my stories, and it's not uncommon for me to have an epiphany during dinner. I had one last night. I was eating and just broke out laughing. I told my hubby, "I just got the part of Trace's story that will make fans cry."

I would like to go to movies more, though. I enjoy a daytime matinee during the work week. I love having the theater all to myself, more or less. And I read a lot, too. As I write this, I'm also waiting on my new elliptical trainer that I bought for my birthday (and to celebrate the release of Return of the Assassin) to arrive. I used to work out every day. Hardcore kind of workouts. But since I injured my back several years ago, I haven't been able to. So I finally broke down and bought an elliptical, which is a lot easier on the back and joints than most gym equipment. So, I'll add exercise to my list of things I do when I'm not writing, as well. J

If there was one bit of wisdom that you felt compelled to pass on to other aspiring writers what would it be?

Have an exceptionally thick skin and don't take negative reviews personally. In fact, don't even read your reviews. I rarely read mine, but I find when I do, the negative comments can still negatively affect my psyche, even when they're part of a good review. It's not that I get down, but if I'm having a bad day or just feeling a little emotional, such comments can pull the creeper voice into my head that whispers, "You aren't good enough." I'm pretty good about moving past it now that I'm comfortable with my process, and there's a stronger voice in my head that drowns out the negative one, but for an aspiring writer who hasn't yet gotten comfortable with his or her writing process and/or hasn't yet established an audience, those negative reviews can be huge mountains that can kill their career before it even starts. New writers have to remember that they will always have critics. There will always be readers who hate—and I mean, HATE—their work. I've been threatened in reviews. I've been lied about in reviews. I've been accused of things I never did in reviews and been the subject of a large-scale Goodreads attack that forced me to go shadow for a couple of months (I didn't even write on my blog for months, because my blog posts were being bastardized and misquoted to attack me). But I can't let those hooks catch me and drag me in, because if I do, two things will happen: 1) If I retaliate or go on the defensive, I will suffer in more ways than I can count; and 2) I will take my energy and focus away from the 95% of readers who love my work. I owe it to the 95% to focus on them, not on the 5% who don't. Aspiring authors need to take a similar approach, and if they find themselves the victim of attack, they need to simply delete anything that's being used against them and go away for a while until the riff-raff move on. If you provide no ammo, they have nothing to talk about.

What is the most frustrating thing or things about being an author?

Not having enough time to write everything I want to write. I joke all that time that I need four more of me so I can get all my stories written faster.

Have you had any rabid fan moments yet?

A couple. I've had a couple of fans who went fangirl when I posted "Happy Birthday," on their Facebook wall. That was funny. And I've had a couple of fans get excited when I posted on their Facebook posts. I'm just a person, too, and I’m on Facebook a lot more than any other social media site, and when I see something I like, I post. So, you never know where I'll show up next. J I will say this: I'm realizing that even though it was never my intent, I am developing a celebrity persona. To me, I'm still the same person I was five years ago…the person who got fired for being "different," the person who likes hot tea and opening my window to listen to it rain while I write, and the person who thinks the movie, The Thing, is the coolest horror movie ever made, bar none. But as readers react with these cute fangirl moments, I have to be aware—as does anyone with a celebrity persona, no matter how small—that others see me differently than I do. With that comes tremendous responsibility, like it or not. So, perhaps this is another piece of advice for aspiring authors: Be aware of your influence, and make sure you don't abuse it or use it for harm…and that you protect your image by not doing or saying anything publicly that will get you into hot water and put egg on your face. Sometimes that can be very hard to do, but you have to if you want to protect your image. Have one trusted friend you can bitch to when need-be, and then smile for the world. 


 Thank you so much for allowing me to interview you D.L. I'm sure your fans are anxious for you to finish writing Trace and Cordray's story, I know I can't wait to read it myself! 
 Thank you to all the fans that stopped by my Blog today as well, you can follow Donya on Fb, her blog, and her website for interesting little teasers that she loves to drop on us! 


Donya Lynne Bio
Donya Lynne is the author of the award winning All the King's Men Series. Making her home in a wooded suburb north of Indianapolis with her husband, Donya has lived in Indiana most of her life and knew at a young age that she was destined to be a writer. She started writing poetry in grade school and won her first short story contest in fourth grade. In junior high, she began writing romantic stories for her friends, and by her sophomore year, they had dubbed her Most Likely to Become a Romance Novelist. In 2012, she made that dream come true by publishing her first two novels and two novellas. She has several more stories planned for the AKM Series, as well as two sister series that are in development.


Buy Links

Blog Tour Giveaways
1. I will be giving away a free ebook of Return of the Assassin on each blog. Bloggers are free to run this contest however they like, but if Rafflecopter is used, please include any or all of the following elements for contest entry:

A.      Tweet: " #NewRelease #RWAFinalist RETURN OF THE ASSASSIN #RaveReviews #SexyVampires #AKM @DonyaLynne http://amzn.to/1aozesD "
B.      Like my FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/DonyaLynne
C.      Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DonyaLynne

2. Two Grand Prizes will be given away at the end of the tour, drawing to be held on Christmas Day (Merry Christmas!). A rafflecopter code is included below for each blogger to include in their post. The first name drawn will have their choice of the following two prizes, and the second name drawn will receive the other. The two prizes are valued at $210 each and include:

Grand Prize #1: Coach bag and a $50 Amazon gift card
Grand Prize #2: The newest version of the Kindle Paper White, leather cover (winner's choice of color), and an AKM blanket


Again Thank You so much for stopping by, and Best of Luck to all that entered the giveaway!