Thursday, August 29, 2013

Secrets of A Real-Life Female Private Eye Spotlight & Giveaway



*Don’t forget to enter our giveaway, below!*

About Secrets of a Real-Life Female Private Eye

Secrets of a Real-Life Female Private Eye by Colleen Collins, a professional private investigator and award-winning novelist, is a no-holes-barred, modern-day story about life in the female P.I. fast lane.
Helpful Links: Goodreads | Amazon

PRAISE

"Colleen Collins's chronicle about her investigative career is completely authentic. She brings her real-world P.I. stories to your e-reader straight from the streets!"  ~ Shaun Kaufman, former P.I. and managing partner, Shaun Kaufman Law

“As an experienced private detective and a skilled storyteller, Colleen Collins is the perfect person to offer a glimpse into the lives of real female P.I.s”   ~Kim Green, managing editor of Pursuit Magazine: The Magazine of Professional Investigators

"SECRETS OF A REAL-LIFE FEMALE PRIVATE EYE features [Colleen's] honest, engaging voice and takes full advantage of the interactivity ebooks allow. Part memoir, part reference, SECRETS delivers Colleen's firsthand experience and looks at the latest resources and equipment private investigators use."  ~Gerald So, moderator of DetecToday, editor, poet, book reviewer

“SECRETS OF A REAL-LIFE FEMALE PRIVATE EYE  is a research must-have.”  ~Holly Jacobs, award-winning author of Steamed, featuring amateur sleuth Quincy Mac


BIO

Colleen Collins is an award-winning author who’s written 22 novels and anthologies for Harlequin and Dorchester. Her books have placed first in the Colorado Gold, Romancing the Rockies, and Top of the Peak contests, and placed in the finals for the Holt Medallion, Coeur de Bois Readers Choice, Award of Excellence, More than Magic, and Romance Writers of America RITA contests.
 
After graduating from the University of California Santa Barbara, Colleen worked as a film production assistant, improv comic, telecommunications manager at the RAND Corporation, technical writer/editor, speech writer, and private investigator. All these experiences play into her writing.
 She’s a member of the Mystery Writers of America (MWA), Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) and Sisters in Crime.
 When not sleuthing, Colleen’s hanging with her two Rottweilers (named Jack Nicholson and Aretha Franklin), her three cats, and plotting or writing her next book. Visit her at http://colleencollinsbooks.com/
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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

{Cover Reveal} Never Let You Go by Michele G. Miller


I have to say, I am really excited to be a part of this cover reveal. I absolutely fell in love with Skye and Xander when I first read their story and I jumped at the chance to reveal the cover that Xander would grace. And I have to say that this cover does not disappoint. It blends well with the cover from Never Let You Fall and really has an amazing mystic and bright feel to it. It almost feels old world. I can't wait to see what's inside.


Never Let You Go (Book 2 in The Prophecy of Tyalbrook Series)
Author: Michele G. Miller
Genre: YA Fantasy Romance
Release Date: Late Fall 2013

Summary:
Two souls desperate to discover the truth about the past and determined to save their future...



SKYE
The usual warmth I felt deep in my soul when Xander was near me was beginning to dull. Yet I still remembered the warning:“Be careful,my Princess...you will lose all you love before you can win what you want.”
XANDER
I could feel it; she hadn’t been here. Two days of hell, riding as fast as we could and only taking small breaks, and yet she had outrun us. How?



A PRINCESS set on regaining her Kingdom and protecting those she loves...
A GUARDIAN who will stop at nothing to find the woman who stole his heart...
An EVIL FORCE who will destroy everything they know in order to have power over all...
The journey continues in Never Let You Go, book two in The Prophecy of Tyalbrook Series.




About the author


Michele is the author of the Amazon bestselling Coming of Age Fantasy- Never Let You Fall, The Prophecy of Tyalbrook Series.  She is currently working on two books due to be released late 2013.  Never Let You Go, the second book in The Prophecy of Tyalbrook Series and Last Call, a New Adult Romantic Comedy.

Having grown up in both the cold, quiet town of Topsham, Maine and the steamy, southern
hospitality of Mobile, Alabama, Michele is something of a enigma.  She is an avid Yankees fan, loves New England, being outdoors and misses snow.  However she thinks southern boys are hotter, Alabama football is the only REAL football out there and sweet tea is the best thing this side of heaven and her children’s laughter!

Her family, an amazing husband and three awesome kids, have planted their roots in the middle of Michele’s two childhood homes in Charlotte, North Carolina.  

Find Her: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Website | Amazon Author Page |  Goodreads


Other Books By Michele G. Miller:

Never Let You Fall by Michele G. Miller
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Released May 1st 2013
Summary:

Orphaned at 7, with no memory of her past or the family she lost, 17 year old Skye Martin is tired of being alone and afraid. After a hard night of partying, Skye wakes up alone in an unfamiliar hotel. All she can remember is the deep voice of her rescuer and his promise: “I am safe.”

Xander has been tasked with watching Skye from afar for the past two years, in order to keep her safe from the demons that hunt her. An easy job - until a pair of red glowing eyes reveal themselves to Skye, and Xander, in a moment of weakness, is forced to break his cover to protect her. Never good at trusting people, Skye is inexplicably drawn to Xander and the immediate bond she feels for him. However, Xander is filled with secrets and ties to her past that threaten to thrust Skye into a world she could never imagine existed…

As she begins to unravel the truth about who Xander is and the details surrounding her family, she discovers that she might just be the key to saving everything... And, most importantly, she finds that there has always been someone by her side who would never let her fall…

Helpful Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Review: Songs from the Phenomenal Nothing

*Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis
It’s just me and him. Him and me. A man I can’t comprehend, designated by the universe as my father but someone I prefer to call Tom, and a kid he can’t relate to but calls son anyway because he’s determined to try. I really wish he’d just call me Tyler.

He probably wishes I’d call him Dad.

But I’m not comfortable with that at this point.

Our differences and our lack of mutual understanding are the only things we seem to agree on. And even those get heated sometimes.

Seriously, it’s a miracle that we haven’t hurt each other yet.

I’m not sure how much longer we can hold out.

***

Seventeen year-old guitar prodigy Tyler Mills has become lost in the aftermath of his mother’s death. Disconnected more and more from his father, he takes refuge from it all in two things: his music and his girlfriend. But everything changes with the chance discovery of his mother’s journal—and the long-held family secret within that could alter his life forever.

Helpful Links: Goodreads | Website

My Review

Since Tyler's mom passed, music has become Tyler Mills life. It's what speaks to his soul and what he thinks his calling is. It's how he stays sane and in control. He knows he's good and now everybody wants him to take his talent to school. Only he doesn't want to. He just wants to play in his band in the hopes of making it big someday. His father is all that's left of his family and he feels like his father barely tolerates him. Well he barely tolerates his dad. And when Tyler discovers journals his mother buried deep in the garage he is determined to chase down the secrets that she kept and find the answers that he thinks he seeks.

In Songs from the Phenomenal Nothing, Tyler or Ty as he is also called is a great kid who just so happens to be having an extremely hard time moving on after the loss of his mother. Like most teenagers he doesn't want to be told what to do, how to do it, or when to do it. He just wants to live life his way and live his dream. But everyone who loves Tyler wants more for him, they want him to succeed and nurture his talent in a way that will be beneficial to him in the future. Of course the more they push him the more he pushes back. But really his pushing back is less about him not caring, and more about his search for himself.

To Tyler his search is about answers. But really it seems to be about the search for a part of his soul. The part he lost with the death of his mother, the part of his soul that will finally make him feel like he belongs. And he thinks the one place he will find his answers is in the secret past of his mother. As he chases her once forgotten dreams Tyler finds himself in the middle of nowhere looking at a bleak glimpse at what could very well be his future. Now he's not certain he wants the connection he has been seeking. When he gets home from his little soul journey he discovers that what he's been looking for has been right there all along.

Songs from the Phenomenal Nothing is an absolutely beautiful story from beginning to end. Author Steven Luna has such an elegant and rhythmic way with words. He is fully capable of creating the image of music in your head that as Tyler performs, notes and music float through your head. It's almost as if he is giving you a private concert.

Songs from the Phenomenal Nothing will sweep you up like a tidal wave, carrying you out to a vast sea of teenage angst, raw emotion, soul searching and connections. Before you know it the ride is over and another life has flashed before your eyes. It was beautiful, poetic and will leave your heart full.


"She was an artist, and she was art, in the truest sense. Everything she touched was created anew." (kindle, loc. 2031).
This is just one example of the amazing beauty that is this story. This is a description of Tyler's mother, beautiful and poetic.

Labor Day Kindle/Nook Giveaway Event

giveaway pic
Labor Day is fast approaching; a day that we take the time to recognize the economic and social contributions of hard working Americans! Many of us take the long weekend to barbeque, rest and relax and maybe even catch up on our sleep. But if you’re a true bibliophile, you are probably bypassing all of that in hopes of getting in some valuable reading time! This week, discovering new authors and taking advantage of their marked down titles can earn you entries toward a Kindle Fire or Nook HD, winner’s choice! With a diverse selection of books including Young Adult, New Adult, Romance, and Erotic Romance, you’re sure to find some awesome reads for the upcoming holiday weekend!
 This giveaway sponsored by:

Check out our selection of ebooks marked down to only $0.99 each for the duration of the giveaway. Once you've downloaded the ebook(s) of your choice, you will be emailed an invoice from wherever you purchased your ebook. Simply find which book you purchased on the Rafflecopter widget below and enter your invoice's order number (which does not contain any of your personal information). Each order number entered will earn you TEN entries toward the Kindle Fire or Nook HD. For every author whose page you follow on Facebook, you will receive one entry each. You can also receive an entry for tweeting about the giveaway on Twitter. So, get to browsing, get to know our sponsoring authors, and find your next favorite book! The winner will be drawn and notified September 3rd.

Books by Category:

 Paranormal Romance
 Contemporary Romance

Young Adult/New Adult

Erotic Romance

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Saturday, August 24, 2013

The Reborn by Casse NaRome Book Blitz & Review


Welcome to my stop on The Reborn Book Blitz. The Reborn is a fun book that you have to read! See that guy on the cover, he is your new book boyfriend.

*Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review


Book Info-

Title-The Reborn: The Book of Dain
by Casse Narome
Genre -YA Paranormal Romance
Release date 3/21/13 from Bayou Brew Publishing

Blurb-

Dain has lived a total of ninety-nine different lifetimes and in every single one, he has loved the same girl.
  
Their past is marred by ill-fated romance and almost encounters.
  Evil forces have conspired to keep the two of them a part and it seems to have succeeded ...
 
 Tara is gone, and in her place stands Bonnie, the complete opposite of Tara.
 
 Is Dain's shot at love over or has he lived all these lives because he has loved the wrong girl all along?
  A hundred chances at love…and it comes down to only one.
Helpful Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

My Review

Dylan is content with his life. Well he was until the day Tara, a girl he doesn't even know walks into his life. Now he can't stop thinking about her and memories he shouldn't have haunt his dreams. He feels lost without her, aches to have her near and is suddenly questioning everything he thought made him happy. 

And when he learns the truth of it all, he will fight to have it all, to have his true love and destiny. But there are those out there trying to stop him from having his happy ever after, those that will do anything to destroy his last chance at destiny. 

I am an absolute sucker when it comes to true love and destiny. So The Reborn had me hook, line and sinker. Once it had its hooks in me I couldn't put it down, I just couldn't get enough--enough of the story, the characters, of everything. 

Dylan or Dain-his true name-is pretty much every girls dream, gentle, kind, caring, smoking body, sexy as hell and a true gentleman. He could get any girl he wants, but it seems that he can't have the one that he wants, Tara; his one true love, his destiny. They have been trying to be together for 99 years and every time they are thwarted, every time they have to start over. But Dain always finds her and fights to get her back, but this time is different.

The bad guys or the Facility as they are called have found a new way to intervene with destiny and Dain and Tara are their newest test subjects. Now not only does Dain have to fight to stay with Tara he has to fight to get her back, literally. The Facilities new weapon has taken Tara from him. But Dain is a fighter and will do anything to get Tara back, but things go south and suddenly Dain doesn't want to fight anymore. Things have changed, he is on the run and for the first time he is confused about his feelings for Tara.

The story of Dain and Tara is definitely not an easy one. They walk a dangerous path that seems destined to lead to sadness. Their souls call to each other, ache for each other and leave them without a piece of themselves. Yet every time they get close to their happy ever after they have it snatched away from them in the blink of an eye. Casse NaRome does an excellent job of selling this story, of making you feel their love for each other and making you feel their loss. 

The Reborn is a fast paced read about the power of destiny. It will cause you to laugh out loud, tug at your heart and have you fully believing in the power of true love. You will find yourself cursing the shortness of this story as Casse NaRome leaves you with a cliffhanger that breaks your heart. All I can say is that I hope there is more!


"but honestly I just couldn't let Bonnie go. Period. Ever." (kindle, loc. 792).
This is just one of those heart warming moments that shows the power of love and what Dain is willing to do for the one he loves.

Author Bio-
Casse Narome is the alter-ego of a self-proclaimed awesome weirdo who spent her childhood reading and daydreaming. As an adult that is also how she spends her time only now she writes her daydreams down for everyone to read. Casse is never serious, has been accused of wishing her life was a sitcom, laugh track and all, has a bad habit of talking out loud to herself and she is fine with being a little insane. She spends way too much time online, too much money buying books and laughing at her own jokes. You will find her on Twitter being very random and spewing her opinions. When you see her online, tell her to get back to her writing! Or just engage her in a hilarious random conversation. She blogs book reviews and the adventures of being a writer atwww.CatholicKittie.blogspot.com & www.CasseNarome.blogspot.com She is an avid tweeter www.twitter.com/catholickittie She is also on Facebook www.facebook.com/CasseNarome

Find Her: Publisher | Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Website | Goodreads



Friday, August 23, 2013

Blog Tour: Kojiki by Keith Yatsuhasi {Review, Dreamcast + Giveaway}


Welcome to my stop on the Kojiki Blog Tour!! I am really excited to share this book with you today because this book was a lot of fun! Stick around and find out why!

Book Info-
Title: Kojiki
By: Keith Yatsuhashi
Published: April 19th, 2013 by Musa Publishing
Word Count: 109,000
Genre-YA

Book Blurb-
When eighteen-year-old Keiko Yamada’s father dies unexpectedly, he leaves behind a one way ticket to Japan, an unintelligible death poem about powerful Japanese spirits and their gigantic, beast-like Guardians, and the cryptic words: “Go to Japan in my place. Find the Gate. My camera will show you the way.”
  
Alone and afraid, Keiko travels to Tokyo, determined to fulfill her father’s dying wish. There, beneath glittering neon signs, her father’s death poem comes to life. Ancient spirits spring from the shadows. Chaos envelops the city, and as Keiko flees its burning streets, her guide, the beautiful Yui Akiko, makes a stunning confession--that she, Yui, is one of a handful of spirits left behind to defend the world against the most powerful among them: a once noble spirit now insane.
  
The Earth itself is at stake, and as Keiko fights to save it, strange, dormant abilities stir within her. She suspects they are vital to her world’s survival, but to summon them, she must first unlock the mysteries within herself and a past shrouded in mystery.
Helpful Links: Goodreads | Musa Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble


If ‘Kojiki’ was made into a movie, who would you cast?

Nozomi Sasaki as Keiko


Meisa Kuroki as Yui


Richard Armitage as Aeryk


Delta Goodrem as Seirin


Ken Watanabe as Takeshi


Russell Crowe as Vissyus


Adewale Akinnuoye Agbaje as Roarke


Kenneth Brannagh as LonShan

David Tennant as Paitr Norwoska


*I have to say that this Dream Cast is absolutely spot on! I can definitely see each of these people as the characters in the book, especially David Tennant as Patir, perfect fit!!!

My Review

I was really excited to read Kojiki. I am a big fan of Hayao Miyazaki and when I read the synopsis for Kojiki I knew that I just had to read it. And boy am I glad that I did.

Kojiki delivered on everything that I hoped it would, great action, magic, adventure, characters, mystery, and what would certainly be mind blowing special effects if it were a movie. At least the way it played out in my mind. With the way that Keith Yatsuhasi wrote this book you can't possibly imagine yourself watching the next Hayao Miyazaki movie. If your not a fan of Anime then imagine yourself watching the next Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon! The action is absolutely mind blowing. There are so many elements in every sequence that it literally leaves you in awe. And I absolutely loved Keith Yatsuhasi's spin on elemental magic and Japanes lore.

Every aspect of Kojiki left me wanting more. The characters were great. With every character getting a spotlight in the story. Though the story was told from multiple POV's it never got confusing or strayed from the overall story. In fact the change in POV's only helped to add to the flow of the story. With every POV change we got to see a glimpse into who each of the characters were and the role they played in the complex story that Keith Yatsuhasi created. And like in every story you have characters you love, characters you hate and characters you love to hate. 

From start to finish Kojiki took me on a magical ride that I would never forget. Giving me a new appreciation for the magic of dragons and the culture around us.


Author Info--
Keith Yatsuhashi was born in 1965 in Boston, MA. He graduated from Northeastern University in 1989 and is currently the Director of the U.S. Department of Commerce Export Assistance Center in Providence, Rhode Island.
 Keith was a competitive figure skater for ten years, winning the U.S. National Junior Dance Championships in 1984, a bronze medal in the 1983 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, and a silver medal in 1984.

 In addition to his love of writing, Keith enjoys many hobbies such as golf, reading, and playing football and hockey with his sons. Keith currently lives in Norfolk, MA with his wife, Kathleen and three children—Caitlin, Jeffrey, and Justin. 


Find Him: Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway Info-
Open to US only-
Signed ARC of ‘Kojiki’ by Keith Yatsuhashi 


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