Happy Release Day x2!!!

I'd risk anything to save her – even my freedom.

Megan Whitaker thought she had them beat – and then everything went to shit. Zander got to walk and Friggs was in the wind, and unfortunately, both were still hell-bent on making her his. Megan and Nick might’ve given Friggs the slip by hiding away in witness protection, but when Thea goes missing, nothing will keep Megan away. Not when her sister’s abduction was her fault.

Thea Whitaker’s dark new reality was something made of nightmares. Friggs might’ve only stolen her to lure out her sister, but it doesn’t keep the sadistic man from taking out his issues on her. Now it’s her turn to be on the receiving end of unspeakable acts, and though she prays her sister can find a way to free her, Thea also fears it, because she knows if Megan fails, Friggs’ will never let either of them go.

With Thea lost and no hope in sight, Megan begrudgingly beseeches the help of the one man who has the connections to find her. But enlisting Zander’s help will come at a price, and for Megan and Nick, it might just cost them everything they’ve been fighting so hard to protect.

New Adult Romantic Suspense / Dark Realistic FictionRecommended for 17+ for mature and disturbing situations, language and sexual content.

Add it to GoodReads.

eBooks: Amazon US, UK, DE, IN, FR, ES, IT, NL, JP, BR, CA, MX, AU, Nook, Kobo and Lulu.

Or, if you haven't started this series yet, grab the trilogy set exclusively at Amazon. KindleUnlimited users can READ FOR FREE! US, UK, DE, IN, FR, ES, IT, NL, JP, BR, CA, MX, AU.

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NEARLY Trilogy Official Book Trailer

The NEARLY Trilogy is complete, and with it a book trailer covering Megan's gut-wrenching story! NEARLY UNDONE releases AUGUST 30TH! Some of you have already found the pre-release links on your own (love that!) but for the rest, I’ve got the links below.

NEARLY UNDONE (Nearly #3)

Pre-order: Amazon US, UK, DE, IN, FR, ES, IT, NL, JP, BR, CA, MX, AU.

Also, for all you procrastinators who have been waiting for me to finish before beginning, a trilogy set will be available exclusively at Amazon! Kindle Unlimited users can even READ FOR FREE! Perfect timing to choose your read for September! 

Pre-order: Amazon US, UK, DE, IN, FR, ES, IT, NL, JP, BR, CA, MX, AU.

Crane by Stacey Rourke

Crane (The Legends Saga, #1)
Stacey Rourke
Pub: May 26, 2014

The Horseman is unending,
his presence shan’t lessen.
If you break the curse,
you become the legend.

Washington Irving and Rip Van Winkle had no choice but to cover up the deadly truth behind Ichabod Crane’s disappearance. Centuries later, a Crane returns to Sleepy Hollow awakening macabre secrets once believed to be buried deep.

What if the monster that spawned the legend lived within you?

Now, Ireland Crane, reeling from a break-up and seeking a fresh start, must rely on the newly awakened Rip Van Winkle to discover the key to channeling the darkness swirling within her. Bodies are piling high and Ireland is the only one that can save Sleepy Hollow by embracing her own damning curse.

But is anyone truly safe when the Horseman rides?

Ichabod Crane's descendent has returned to Sleepy Hollow, and the moment she does, residents suddenly become victimized by beheadings. And the residents aren't shy about showing their distrust of Ireland and her familial connection to their small town. But when a mystery dude from the past shows up and her dreams start becoming a little prophetic, Ireland Crane is forced to believe that maybe, just maybe, those murdered were selected on her behalf. 

 

I thought I was really going to like this, as I love the Sleepy Hollow storyline in general, but I guess I felt this particular version was lacking as I read through it. I will say it's got a pretty cool cover, which is what drew it to me to begin with. Crane takes readers back and forth between Ireland's present to the past with what happened on Ichabod's end, and I dare say I actually preferred Ichabod and company to the modern day story. So much I would've liked to have had the first book dedicated to the past and a second following up with Ireland, just so their stories flowed more smoothly. I wasn't a huge fan of how someone from the past awakened in the future as the Horseman became active again, because it was too similar to what's been done with the popular TV show. But I will admit I enjoyed Rip's character immensely. He definitely stole the show from the alternating main characters.

Though it was an interesting story, I felt several things were left unanswered. Like why did a Crane have to return to Sleepy Hollow in order for the character responsible for the Horseman to suddenly make itself known (I'm using it to hide the gender). Did Ireland's presence set off a chain reaction? Did it need a Crane around, or did he or she just want to inflict more pain on that family, for messing with it in the past? I didn't think Ireland being there had anything to do with the magic that caused that spell, so I'm just left to wonder why this particular spirit didn't try the spell whenever it wanted, long before a Crane ever returned, because this second time around, the Horseman didn't seem controlled by this individual. Or was it? It wasn't clear as I read through. Also, I found the romance a bit underwhelming, both between Ichabod and Katrina and Ireland and Noah. Ichabod and Katrina seemed a little silly, but given the historical time, their behavior and attraction was probably pretty close to what happened back then, so I found myself forgiving that they seemed ready to have each other soon after meeting. But that's no excuse for Ireland and Noah, who hardly interacted at all before he confessed his willingness to love her despite the evil lying within her. I don't know...just this day in age, it screams insta-love and was just put there to make the two time periods mirror each other.  And Noah is so nonchalant about suddenly sharing a bed even though the Horseman could rise as she slept, no matter how much she claimed she had a hold on it. I sure the hell wouldn't be able to sleep so easy! Or in the same house! And I'm not even sure of what to make of the fiancé Ireland left behind. Forget me asking why she was ever involved with such a snooty douche to begin with, but what relevance did all that drama have to the storyline, other than giving the Horseman someone to play with? All this so-called romance was just plain frustrating.

If you're into Sleepy Hollow or other suspenseful horror stories, might be good to go with Crane. Lots of people have four and five-starred this, so don't let my ho-hum-ness deter you from checking this out. It certainly had some moments here and there that were pretty entertaining.

This is more like a 2.5 for me.

 

Novel provided by Anchor Group Publishing for honest review.

Nearly Undone Cover Reveal

The Nearly Trilogy is coming to a close. Bummer, really. Though incredibly difficult to write at times, this series has been a blessing. It’s brought me a slew of new readers, and judging by all the reviews, I’ve come really far as a writer – one who can engage readers on such an emotional level that they feel everything as if they were right there themselves. Which given the subject matter can be quite disturbing! And I hope I continue growing and churning out stories you love, because I want to keep writing for a very long time!

But right now, it’s time for another cover reveal. If you haven’t caught it yet, the covers for the Nearly books have shown you different couples.

• Nearly Broken: Megan and Nick
• Nearly Mended: Natalie and Zander

and now…

• Nearly Undone: Thea and Friggs, with Megan on the back.

Also, the second POV for Nearly Undone will go to Thea this time, so you'll get an idea of what life is like for a slave who's caught the special attention of Friggs, who's already bitter for losing out on Megan. (shivers...) If you thought Nearly Broken was an uncomfortable read, don’t read Nearly Mended! And for the love of puppies everywhere, if you couldn’t stomach Nearly Mended because you thought those scenes were atrocious, do not read Nearly Undone, ‘cause things are about to get way more sinister in the finale.

Click for full size.

 

I'd risk anything to save her – even my freedom.

Megan Whitaker thought she had them beat – and then everything went to shit. Zander got to walk and Friggs was in the wind, and unfortunately, both were still hell-bent on making her his. Megan and Nick might’ve given Friggs the slip by hiding away in witness protection, but when Thea goes missing, nothing will keep Megan away. Not when her sister’s abduction was her fault.

Thea Whitaker’s dark new reality was something made of nightmares. Friggs might’ve only stolen her to lure out her sister, but it doesn’t keep the sadistic man from taking out his issues on her. Now it’s her turn to be on the receiving end of unspeakable acts, and though she prays her sister can find a way to free her, Thea also fears it, because she knows if Megan fails, Friggs’ will never let either of them go.  

With Thea lost and no hope in sight, Megan begrudgingly beseeches the help of the one man who has the connections to find her. But enlisting Zander’s help will come at a price, and for Megan and Nick, it might just cost them everything they’ve been fighting so hard to hold on to.

 

 

Add to GoodReads.

Nearly Undone (Nearly #3) Cover Reveal Sign-ups!

Excited to see how it all plays out in the final installment of the Nearly trilogy? Sign up for the cover reveal and description release for NEARLY UNDONE right here. This is open to anyone with a blog or facebook account dedicated to books. 

Dollhouse by Anya Allyn

Dollhouse (Dollhouse #1)
Anya Allyn
Pub.: May 20, 2014

Dress-up turns deadly. . .

When Cassie’s best friend, Aisha, disappears during a school hike, Cassie sets off with Aisha’s boyfriend Ethan and their best friend Lacey, determined to find her. But the mist-enshrouded mountains hold many secrets, and what the three teens discover is far more disturbing than any of them imagined: beneath a rundown mansion in the woods lies an underground cavern full of life-size toys and kidnapped girls forced to dress as dolls.

Even as Cassie desperately tries to escape the Dollhouse, she finds herself torn between her forbidden feelings for Ethan, and her intense, instinctive attraction to The Provider, a man Cassie swears she has known before…

Because Cassie’s capture wasn’t accidental, and the Dollhouse is more than just a prison where her deepest fears come true—it’s a portal for the powers of darkness. And Cassie may be the only one who can stop it.

Creepy dolls everywhere just got dismembered. Just in case...

(Hell, I would've done it anyway!)

When Aisha goes missing during a group nature hike and her boyfriend Ethan gets blamed for her disappearance, friends Cassie and Lacey trek back into the forest after Ethan, who's determined to clear his name. But he's running out of time, because police and their hound dogs are closing in fast. And when they spot the owner of a creepy mansion in the middle of the forest burying something in the ground, their last ditch effort has them sneaking inside. But unfortunately, what goes in, doesn't always come back out again.

 

I'd love to tell you a little more of the world inside, but that would be completely spoilerish. I will say that it involves creepy oversized dolls, several kidnapped girls, a mild love triangle with the worst timing ever, captors who are beyond messed up and secret tunnels that open up for a strange reason. Gothic horror fans are in for a treat, and if you haven't read one before, this is a goody to get your feet wet with. Just be sure to lock up the creepy dolls before you read. Better yet, spare yourself the anxiety and just chunk the nasty things.

Copy provided by publisher for honest review.

The Rules for Breaking by Ashley Elston (ARC)

The Rules for Breaking (The Rules for Disappearing #2)
Ashley Elston
Exp. Pub.: May 20, 2014 TODAY!!!

Anna Boyd almost lost her life to get what she wanted most in the world: freedom.

But just when it seems that her family has finally escaped Witness Protection, the illusion that Anna could resume a normal life comes crashing down.

The deadly man Anna knows as Thomas is still on the loose, and now he's using her as a pawn in a dangerous game with the drug cartel determined to silence her forever. When Thomas and a mysterious masked man capture not only Anna but also her fragile younger sister and her boyfriend, Anna decides it's time to break all the rules-even if it means teaming up with the lesser of two evils.

Anna will do whatever it takes to protect the people she loves and win her life back once and for all. But her true enemies are hidden in plain sight. Before long, Anna will learn that putting her trust in anyone may be the last mistake she ever makes.

Anna is finally getting her life back together. Problem is, she hasn't been that honest. The journal that was stolen from her made its way back with a note and flowers. Thomas, the assassin who pretended to be one of her witness protection handlers, is still out there. When her journal is discovered by others, its back to semi-witness protection until they can figure out what Thomas' interest in Anna is. But its not long before their new location is jeopardized and both Anna and Ethan are kidnapped, along with Teeny as she happens by at the worst possible moment. Why the abduction? Thomas allowed Anna to live the first time, so there's a price on his and Ethan's heads now too. Being his bait in a deadly game between assassins is bad enough, but when Anna discovers who the guy is who's helping Thomas keep them prisoner, it's absolutely devastating.

I actually felt this was better than the first novel. In The Rules for Disappearing, I felt it was a little unbelievable that a teenage girl would throw herself into the thick of assassins and cartels and come out the victor, but in The Rules for Breaking, the action seems to find Anna and her goal switches to survival, so the story comes off way more believable. Lots of action, chills and perilous thrills keep you glued to your seat and the pages flipping as they desperately try to escape their captors. So if you liked the first, you'll probably the love this follow-up. Pick it up!

ARC provided by Disney Hyperion for honest review.

Happy Release Day! NEARLY MENDED (Nearly #2)

Yay! Today's the Day! All the blood, sweat and tears are finally paying off! Okay, I only cried, but Megan does all three, so that counts, right? Pick up your copy today at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Kobo is still pending as I'm having trouble getting the system to actually publish the thing. Paperbacks will be available through Amazon in just a few days.

 

Happy Reading! Though it's not really a happy story, is it? Gah!

eBooks available on Kindle US, UK, DE, FR, IN, IT, ES, CA, BR, JP, MX, AU; Kobo and Nook.

Nearly #2

 

Megan Whitaker desperately wants to forget what the Malone brothers have done to her over the past two years – the haunting images and sensations still plaguing her thoughts and dreams – but she can’t. Charles may be dead, but Zander isn’t. I’ll find you and bring you back to me. She wants to believe she’s safe with Nick in their secluded new home, but it doesn’t keep her from looking over her shoulder, jumping over unexpected sounds, carrying a concealed weapon or even preparing for the worst. Because she fears the time is near.

Nick Ellis has seen a change in his long, lost love. Battered emotionally and physically, Megan spends her days at self-defense classes and researching things that’ll never allow her to let go of the past. And he feels guilty even wanting her to, because he knows that heathen will return, it’s only a matter of time. And when he does, Nick knows he will do everything possible to save her, even if it means taking another shot to the heart.

But for Megan, there is no escaping the world of sex trafficking, nor the band of men who continually aid one another to keep it thriving. And as her nightmarish world encroaches on reality, Megan soon realizes there are far worse evils to fear than the sadistic man who haunts her dreams.

New Adult Romantic Suspense / Dark Realistic Fiction
Recommended for 17+ for mature and disturbing situations, language and sexual content.

NEW Cover Reveal for NEARLY MENDED (NEARLY #2)

I know I debuted the cover for Nearly Mended last summer, but I've seen several covers come up the past few months with the exact same cover, and unfortunately, there's not a whole lot that can be done to make it different. This happens a lot now that authors are hitting up the stock photos to make their own covers. The same thing has happened with my Nearly Broken cover, but that cover's been out for a year now, so I'm not going to worry about changing it any time soon, even though I've spotted at least four other books using it now. Water off a duck's back. But since Nearly Mended is six weeks shy of publishing, what better time than to change it out now? So lo and behold, here's the new cover. I haven't seen this photo used yet but I'm sure someone will dig one out of the woodworks for me. :) And in case you missed the memo last week on my facebook page, the description has changed slightly, so be sure to check that out too!

 

 Click for full size image

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Megan Whitaker desperately wants to forget what the Malone brothers have done to her over the past two years – the haunting images and sensations still plaguing her thoughts and dreams – but she can’t. Charles may be dead, but Zander isn’t. I’ll find you and bring you back to me. She wants to believe she’s safe with Nick in their secluded new home, but it doesn’t keep her from looking over her shoulder, jumping over unexpected sounds, carrying a concealed weapon or even preparing for the worst. Because she fears the time is near.

Nick Ellis has seen a change in his long, lost love. Battered emotionally and physically, Megan spends her days at self-defense classes and researching things that’ll never allow her to let go of the past. And he feels guilty even wanting her to, because he knows that heathen will return, it’s only a matter of time. And when he does, Nick knows he will do everything possible to save her, even if it means taking another shot to the heart.

But for Megan, there is no escaping the world of sex trafficking, nor the band of men who continually aid one another to keep it thriving. And as her nightmarish world encroaches on reality, Megan soon realizes there are far worse evils to fear than the sadistic man who haunts her dreams.

SPARROW 59 Cover Reveal - NA Romantic Thriller

Sparrow 59
Devon Ashley
Exp. Pub.: Fall 2014

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Members of the CIA’s specialized team Sparrow, who investigate specifically into black market deals involving stolen medical research, were mostly wiped out in a single night. Drew and Samantha, team five-nine, have been more than just partners since their academy training days. Safeguarding their secret tryst from everyone in their professional lives, they trust no one but themselves. But when Samantha finds herself left for dead and Drew missing, she won’t believe the truth until the CIA throws it in her face – proof that Drew is not only alive and has defected from their organization, but is facilitating the deaths of prominent research developers worldwide. Now the only member of Sparrow Drew hasn’t killed off, Samantha finds herself under serious investigation by association – and a prisoner within her own home.

Just when she’s on the verge of being labeled a traitor to the United States, Drew activates a beacon only she can see, taunting her from across the world. She knows he’s watching. She knows he’ll be gone forever if she discloses his location to anyone else. With nothing left to lose and everything to gain, she does the very thing he baits her to do – she deactivates her CIA tracker and goes rogue to track him down and clear her good name. But when she finally catches up to her partner of four years, he hasn’t a clue who he is or what he’s done, and bullets rain down on them both.

Frantic yet determined, Samantha is forced to protect Drew’s life as they backtrack his steps and learn why Sparrow is suddenly on someone's hit list. The truth may be just around the corner, but the unknown variables haunt her every move as she finds herself falling for this possible killer all over again. But is he really amnesiac and a victim himself in a much greater scheme, or is Drew pulling the ultimate ruse to finish off the last surviving member of Sparrow?

New Adult Romantic Thriller

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Waiting on my Reason - Take a Peek at the First Chapter! / Giveaway (INT)

 

Release Date: January 21st, 2014

New Adult Romantic Suspense
Note: Language and Sexual Content

 

She loves him. He loves her. But sometimes love just isn't that easy...

 

Things always happen for a reason.

I just wish I knew the why behind mine.

Five years ago, graduation wasn’t what it was supposed to be. Publicly humiliated, Melanie was more than happy to kiss off her high school sweetheart. But in doing so, she lost more than just her boyfriend, she lost the only other guy she truly cared for – his best friend, Shane.

Shane loathed the idea of returning to his small hometown. He just wanted to get in, help his best friend manage a legal matter, and get the hell back out again. But he wasn’t expecting to run into the one girl who got away, who always held a piece of his heart despite the animosity that lingered. Melanie could’ve been the one, but after everything that happened, trust was a serious issue.

She just wanted to do right by her son. He just wanted to do right by his best friend. And just when they thought they could find the strength to forgive the sins of the past, more secrets and lies bubble to the surface, threatening to push them irrevocably apart.



 

Guess I knew what my social identifier would be for the rest of my life. Amazing how one little picture could define your high school career. Like nothing ever happened during those four years to contradict that one moment in time, that people would suddenly look at you like you sprouted warts and aimed to shun you for the rest of your life.

     One. Little. Picture.

WAITING ON MY REASON Cover Reveal!

 

 ADD IT TO GOODREADS.

 

Waiting on my Reason

Expected Pub.: January 21, 2014

  Everything happens for a reason.
I just wish I knew the why behind mine.

Five years ago, graduation wasn’t what it was supposed to be. Publicly humiliated, Melanie was more than happy to kiss off her high school sweetheart. But in doing so, she lost more than just her boyfriend, she lost the only other guy she truly cared for – his best friend, Shane.

Shane loathed the idea of returning to his small hometown. He just wanted to get in, help his best friend manage a legal matter, and get the hell back out again. But he wasn’t expecting to run into the one girl who got away, who always held a piece of his heart despite the animosity that lingered. Melanie could’ve been the one, but after everything that happened, trust was a serious issue.

She just wanted to do right by her son. He just wanted to do right by his best friend. And just when they thought they could find the strength to forgive the sins of the past, more secrets and lies bubble to the surface, threatening to push them irrevocably apart.

New Adult Romantic Suspense
Language and Sexual Content

Elite by Rachel Van Dyken (ARC)

Elite (Eagle Elite #1)
Rachel Van Dyken
Pub: July 9, 2013

For Tracey Rooks, life with her grandparents on a Wyoming farm has always been simple. But after her grandmother's death, Tracey is all her grandfather has. So when Eagle Elite University announces its annual scholarship lottery, Tracey jumps at the opportunity to secure their future and enters. She isn't expecting much-but then she wins. And life as she knows it will never be same . . .

The students at Eagle Elite are unlike any she's ever met . . . and they refuse to make things easy for her. There's Nixon, gorgeous, irresistible, and leader of a group that everyone fears: The Elect.

Their rules are simple.
 1. Do not touch The Elect.
2. Do not look at The Elect.
3. Do not speak to The Elect.

No matter how hard she tries to stay away, The Elect are always around her and it isn't long until she finds out the reason why they keep their friends close and their enemies even closer. She just didn't realize she was the enemy -- until it was too late.  

When you attend a university filled with future mobsters and political figures, you better believe the hazing will be a little extreme.

 

 

Quicksilver by R.J. Anderson (ARC)

Quicksilver (Ultraviolet #2)
R.J. Anderson
Pub.: January 2013

Back in her hometown, Tori Beaugrand had everything a teenaged girl could want—popularity, money, beauty. But she also had a secret. A secret that could change her life in an instant, or destroy it.

Now she’s left everything from her old life behind, including her real name and Alison, the one friend who truly understood her. She can’t escape who and what she is. But if she wants to have anything like a normal life, she has to blend in and hide her unusual... talents.

Plans change when the enigmatic Sebastian Faraday reappears and gives Tori some bad news: she hasn’t escaped her past. In fact, she’s attracted new interest in the form of an obsessed ex-cop turned investigator for a genetics lab.

She has one last shot at getting her enemies off her trail and winning the security and independence she’s always longed for. But saving herself will take every ounce of Tori’s incredible electronics and engineering skills—and even then, she may need to sacrifice more than she could possibly imagine if she wants to be free.

 

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Ransom Riggs
Publication: June 7, 2011

Synopsis: A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

Fresh, creepy and unique. All those crazy stories Jacob's grandfather used to tell him about going after the monsters could easily be explained by Nazi memories plaguing him, but who'd have thought the monsters his grandfather was referring to were actual monsters? Certainly not Jacob, who saw one in the woods the night his grandfather died and later haunted him in his dreams. Everyone kept telling Jacob that he was simply traumatized, but he began to wonder if there was something more to the stories his grandfather told him as a child about Miss Peregrine and the children that lived on an island off Wales. The peculiar ones that levitated, lifted heavy objects, were invisible, etc. He once thought the old photos had been manipulated, but once he saw a monster in the woods that night, he's not so sure anymore.

Jacob sets out to the little island of mystery, and once he finds the old mansion that was once bombed during the war, his world gets turned upside down as he learns more about his grandfather, the children he lived with at one time, and even the possibility of Jacob being a little 'peculiar' himself, and finds himself  in the middle of a war the real world doesn't even realize is going on around them.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this when I first started out...possibly something with a little more horror, but I was pleasantly surprised nonetheless. This novel had a little bit of everything - suspense, mystery, paranormal elements and even a smidgen of romance. Old, creepy photographs fill the pages within and offer visuals I'm not sure my imagination could have done any better creating. The approach this novel took was fresh and creative and I'm looking forward to the next installment!