Tuesday, June 26, 2018

DEFINING RILEY A Harper's Rock Legacy Series, Book 4 by JJ Ellis


Genre: Young Adult
Please note: This series deals many teenage issues. This particular book touches on sex talk, closed-door sex, foul language, cancer, LGBT (bisexuality), depression, and talk of suicide. JJ doesn't go into physical and descriptive aspects of these issues but uses the issues to allow the story to move forward.



At what point will defining Riley become a matter of life or death? Is a legacy left by someone he's never met the only thing that can save him from himself?

Riley Johnson has always carried one label or another. He's the ranch kid, the bully, the jock, the closeted bisexual, the wild kid, the son of the town drunk. But these are all labels placed on him by others. Who is Riley Johnson really, in his own eyes?

Starting with the death of someone he loves, Riley's world beings to fall apart. As he tries to keep his head above water, he's faced with a choice. He can live down to the labels and be the Riley everyone believes him to be or he can search within himself and the hearts of those who care about him to find out who he really is and who he will someday become.




“Come on, sit down,” Johnny said motioning to the arm chair across from the couch. “I don’t know if you remember but when you were a little boy you guys used to come to Denver.”

“Before my mom died.”

“Yes. You and Addie were inseparable. You used to protect her from the neighborhood boy when he’d call her names.”

“And now I call her those same names, yet you’re still willing to take me in.”

“Your dad and I were best friends too. I was his protector. But then…” When Johnny paused just a moment too long, Riley’s curiosity got the best of him. “But then what?”

“Something happened that changed my life forever. I was no longer capable of protecting or being a friend or brother to anyone.”

Riley’s demeanor suddenly turned ice cold. “So, you’re saying you owe my father and taking care of me repays that debt?”

“No, what I’m saying is that you’re my nephew and I love you despite the sins of your father and since he no longer wants my protection and since I’m capable, I’m offering it to you.”

Riley couldn’t quite bring himself to look at his uncle so he set his gaze on the snag in his jeans. “But you don’t even know me.”

Johnny chuckled knowingly. “I know more than you think. Between when you guys stopped coming to Denver when you were six and when I moved home a few months ago, I was in almost daily contact with Uncle Joseph. I arranged for food baskets and grocery store gift cards, Angel tree nominations, and visits from social workers to make sure you were properly taken care of.”

“I…what? Why?”

Johnny shrugged and stood up. “I don’t know. I maybe couldn’t stand the thought of the little black-haired boy with sad eyes who used to crawl into my lap for story time going without. Maybe I missed my own child when her mother took her away. And maybe it was just time to help and be a part of the family again.”

“Thank you.” It was a whisper so soft that only way Johnny knew it was real was because he saw the gratitude in his nephew’s eyes.





Anguish


One young man
One desperate decision

Being a teenager is hard enough, but when you have a diagnosis of depression and anxiety life can feel like it is caving in on you. When you add in a new awareness of your sexuality and falling in love for the first time, life can become almost too much to bear.

Ben Harper is determined to make it all work with the help of his best friend and new love, JC Croft. But when his inner demons conspire against him, can he come out on top or will he be crushed by the pressure?

A Promise to Sadie


Michael Croft, a sensitive, artistic teen, is trying to decipher his father's tragic and complicated legacy.Then, life presents Michael with the opportunity to help his childhood friend Sadie. He agrees, knowing he would do anything for the girl he loves.

When tragedy strikes the young couple, Michael makes a promise that beings to tear his life apart. But he has a guardian angel watching over him. Can his father's broken past help him face life as it should be? Or will Michael turn his back on the lessons of the past and sabotage his own peace?

Adella's Heart


Ben Croft and Adella Johnson come from two different worlds. Ben's a high school football star who likes the party girls. Adella is autistic and prefers the majesty of the horses she works with to the social awkwardness created by teen boys.

But for Ben, there's just something about the unpretentious, pretty blonde. So, when his usual charms don't work on her, he drops the act and gets real. They form a quick and powerful bond.

It seems almost from the beginning that the world is working hard to shred everything that ties them together. And it just might succeed when each is faced with a future they never saw coming.



JJ Ellis is first and foremost a mom to five kids, four girls and one boy, ranging in age from 6-22. After that, she is a physically limited wife, blogger and now an author. She holds a degree in Communication Studies (Public Relations) from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas but never thought she would choose writing as a career, especially at the age of 42. She once wanted to be a publicist in the entertainment industry, but never a writer. Then one day when she was in her mid-thirties she was going through what can only be described as an early 'midlife crisis' and ideas just started to come to her and she felt compelled to write them down. She finished her first book relatively quickly, but life got in the way and it took her eight years to revisit it and then publish her first novel. She can honestly say that now she is finally right where she wants to be. 

JJ has been married to her college sweetheart (and romance novel hero) for twenty-one years and they reside in Casper, WY with their kids and one crazy mutt named Kreuger. She enjoys reading, writing, blogging, computing, and graphic design. She will try anything that will allow her creativity to be released.




Monday, June 25, 2018

CELEBRITY STATUS by Angela Scavone




Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Pearman Literary Publishing


Famous Hollywood actress, Elizabeth Stanfield, has a glamorous lifestyle with a lavish house, glittery parties, a people magazine's fifty most beautiful people fiance and best friend Billy Stone - Famous actor, producer and secret organized crime enforcer.

Everything is not as it seems...Elizabeth's fiance cheats on her, a studio head and director are hell bent on making her life miserable and it gets harder to keep her secrets protected.

The only good thing in her life is Billy, their budding romance, and connections that give them freedom to do whatever they want in Hollywood.

Will their connections be enough to keep their secrets hidden and Celebrity Status safe or are they doomed to be torn down?




“So, Mr. Stone.” I seductively moved towards him. “When do you have to be back on set?” I stood in front of him.

“Well, Miss. Stanfield.” Taking a cue from me, he put his hands on my hips and began to pull me towards him. “I don’t have to be back there for another hour.”

“Really?” I allowed myself to be pulled forward. Putting a knee on the couch on either side of his hips, I straddled him and sat on his lap. “Neither do I.”

With my hands on either side of his face, I bent down and kissed him. He pulled me closer and began undoing my blouse, slowly, one agonizing button at a time.

As I kissed him, I started to work on the button of his pants. Once I got that opened, I pulled my shirt off to speed up the process.

“A little impatient?” He laughed as I pulled his shirt over his head.

“Uh, yeah, we only have an hour.”

“Elizabeth, trust me, that’s plenty of time.”

I began kissing his neck. I could feel his arm muscles tighten as he began work the back clasp of my bra.

I moved from his neck, to his shoulder, to his collarbone, and then down to his chest. I was continuing my descent when there was a knock on the trailer door.

“Go away,” Billy commanded to the intruder.

“Billy, we need to talk.” Sonny’s voice came from the other side.

Without hesitation, I continued my journey down to his stomach as I slid off him and knelt on the floor between his knees.

“Not now, Sonny.” Billy took in a sharp breath as I circled his belly button.

“I’m not asking again.” Sonny sounded angry. “I need to speak with you and Elizabeth now. I do not like to be kept waiting.”

“Oh, for God’s sake,” I said, extremely irritated, and stood up. I quickly threw on my blouse and began buttoning it up as I opened the door.

“What do you want?” I asked angrily.

Behind me Billy was buttoning up his pants and trying to find his shirt.

“Oh God,” Sonny exclaimed as he walked in. “Is this what I have to watch out for every time I come to see you guys?”

“Well, if you had listened to Billy and left us alone, you wouldn’t be witnessing this, would you?”

“What are you doing?” Sonny ignored my snarky comment and asked Billy.

“I can’t find my shirt.”

I looked around and it was on the opposite side of the trailer on the floor. I must have really flung it when I took it off him.

“It’s over there.” Sonny pointed it out.

Billy looked to where it was but didn’t move from the couch. “It’s okay, I don’t really need it right now,” he said as he crossed his legs.

“Oh God,” Sonny repeated. “I don’t know if I can handle this.”

I laughed at Sonny’s discomfort and threw Billy his shirt.

“So?” I said to Sonny. “What was so urgent that you had to bust in here?”

“We have a problem.”

“Yes, I know,” I sarcastically answered. “We now only have forty-five minutes until we are due back on set and I should be underneath Billy by now.”

Sonny made a face.



Angela lives in Ontario, Canada sharing her home with her father and her two much-loved pups. She currently works for the Board of Education behind the scenes supporting and analyzing student data, however, in her spare time, apart from her avid love of storytelling, she likes to read, spend time with family and friends and concoct dairy free recipes from scratch. Sometimes she wins some, and sometimes she loses some – tofu, banana and peanut butter pudding we are looking at you.

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Friday, June 22, 2018

DEADLY DISCOVERY Nova Ladies Adventures, Book Three by Alathia Paris Morgan





Julie, while recovering from wounds sustained in the line of duty, discovers she isn't who she believed herself to be. Her journey into the past, leads her on the path to her future, but there are those who would prefer the past not to resurface. Determined to find out the truth about her family, Julie is in a race to sift through years of secrets before the past has a chance to silence her for good.




“Well, you said you needed to talk, so spill. I’ve got hours to listen, drink coffee, and eat pie.” Allie grinned as she took a sip of her coffee.

“You really should be a cop.” Julie shook her head at Allie’s intuition, and relayed the conversation with her grandmother from earlier in the day.

“I’m very confused. What do I do about this situation?” Julie concluded.

“Do you want to go to Georgia and meet your grandmother?” Allie watched Julie’s face closely.

“Yes, but I feel like I’m betraying Grams. I mean, she’s the one that wants me to go, but doesn’t meeting Mimi Millie lessen all the things she’s done for me over the years?” Julie grimaced in frustration.

“Absolutely not,” Allie exclaimed vehemently. “She will always be your grandmother, and she knew this day would come eventually. It would be good for you to expand your horizons and meet more of your family. Admit it, you might find a handsome man to fall in love with, ’cause Lord knows, you won’t find one here.”

“Allie, I can’t meet a man there. He might be my cousin or uncle, or something weird. There are no men knocking down my door, but I haven’t been overly friendly with guys either.” Julie looked disgusted.

“Julie.” Allie laid a hand on her arm. “There are plenty of men in the entire state of Georgia that aren’t related to you. You just have to be willing to open up and let them get to know the real you.”

“I can’t. As soon as they find out that I carry a gun and run toward danger, guys run in the opposite direction. Besides, if I went out there, it would be to meet my family, not a guy. My life is here,” Julie finished, firmly running out of reasons she couldn’t date a guy.

“Really, your life is here? Where you grew up and know about everyone and their dating histories? Unless you know someplace where they have mail order grooms that don’t need a green card, then you could just order the perfect man,” Allie joked.

“See? This is why I called. I knew it was crazy to go across the country and meet people who might be criminals themselves.”

“Nope, not what I said. Besides, we have serial killers right here. You helped to take one down that you’ve known your whole life, so at least give these new people in your life the benefit of the doubt, okay? They can’t be any worse than the people here in this town.”

“Crap. Why did you have to bring up sensible reasons when I was looking for excuses?” Julie pouted.

“So are you going to tell them you’re coming, or just show up on Mimi Millie’s doorstep?” Allie asked practically.

“I’m going to wait until Grams leaves for church in the morning. She won’t know until she gets home what I’m doing.” Julie pulled out the key to the cedar chest. “I’m going to read through sixty years’ worth of letters before I go traipsing about. I might get all the answers I need and not have to go anywhere.”

“Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that. I’ll just explain it to Justin that you needed to go on an epic adventure and destroy a ring at the top of a mountain.” Allie laughed at the bewildered expression on Julie’s face. “Justin made me watch this movie about a Hobbit who goes on an adventure. He said my movie education was sadly lacking.”

“Oh, I get it now. Haha.” Julie gave her a tight smile.

“All right, that’s it. Get up.” Allie stood abruptly.

“Wait, where are we going?”

“To get you packed for your journey.” Allie collected the trash to dispose of it as they left.

“But I’m not sure if I’m going yet,” Julie protested.

“Julie, do I need to call Megan on her honeymoon?” Allie was referring to their friend who had been chased by a serial killer and poisoned. She was now recovering with her new husband, and wouldn’t want to be disturbed, but the threat of calling her would be enough guilt for Julie to comply.

“No,” Julie whined. “Let’s go.”



Ding-Dong—Is She Dead
After witnessing a Mob murder in NYC, Allie Foster is placed in the witness protection program. Starting a new life in Texas is hard enough—but finding a front door hanging on its hinges while delivering Nova beauty products makes it even more difficult. A grisly trail of blood leads her to a terrifying discover… a body. After a heart-stopping moment of fear, Allie realizes her friend is still alive, although badly beaten. When she rushes Megan to the hospital, it puts Allie right back where she doesn’t need to be—embroiled in yet another mystery.

Allie offers to help her friend protect her daughter, even as a second attempt on Megan’s life reveals her husband will stop at nothing to prove he’s above the law. When it fails again, Megan’s abuser decides to take his anger out on Allie instead. With the help of a handsome stranger, Allie escapes, but now both women are in danger. Justin Greenley, the gallant protector, offers them a safe haven until the would-be murderer is caught. His family’s ranch seems the idyllic choice, but Allie isn’t sure if she should trust Justin with her life… even if her heart tells her she should.

Death by Poison
After surviving an abusive husband, Megan Butts wants nothing more than a fresh start with her daughter Sally. She’s grateful for their home at the ranch, pitching in whenever she’s not working on her new Nova business. When she offers to clean out a cabin on the property, she uncovers more than she bargained for in a stack of old diaries.

Her tentative relationship with Mark Greenley takes a nosedive when Megan starts to investigate his mother’s death by supposed suicide, uncovering a trail of hidden money and blackmail twenty-five years in the making. Mark doesn’t want to dredge up the past, but Megan is determined to dig deeper, despite her overwhelming urge to give into her inclinations to obey men, a lesson her ex tried to beat into her. When the mystery starts to endanger not only her life, but the life of her daughter, Megan must decide if her new love and life are worth the pursuit of justice.


Alathia is known to those around her for having an a long time love affair/obsession with Dr. Pepper, she has asked to be buried with a can so that it never runs out in the after life. Always bossy, she uses her mothering instincts to help others and share awareness of abuse in child and domestic situations.

A B.S. in History and English gave wings to her vivid imagination in book form. A supportive and loving husband has given her the chance to make her dreams a reality. Their three daughters and three dogs keep her busy while writing is a great way for her to wind down and destress.

Friday, June 15, 2018

BUTTERFLIES AND FLUTTERBYES Dreaming in Words by Maggie Lowe


Genre: Women's Poetry
Publisher: Hydra Productions
Cover Designer: Chandra TruLove Fry


This is a collection of poems straight from the heart of Maggie Lowe. Some will bring you to tears, and some will light your face with a smile. They will touch your heart and warm your soul.











Author Maggie Lowe has been writing ever since she was able to pick up a pencil. As a child she could create worlds of all kinds. At the age of eight she wrote her first song. When she was thirteen she wrote her first fan-fiction story. At the age of twenty-five she wrote her first book that she hopes to publish someday soon. And now, at the age of thirty-three she published her first poetry book. Now she is currently working on several WIPs and looks to the future full of hope and excitement for what's to come!

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Wednesday, June 13, 2018

ONE THOUSAND YEARS by PAULINE CREEDEN



Among mermaids and humans, cruelty has many faces. One secret Adelaide has kept for as long as she can remember—her love for Jonas. She is the daughter of the clan’s elder; he is a bottom feeder. As Mer, they can never be together. But as humans, it might be possible. When Jonas’s reckoning comes, he must go to land during the cycle of the full moon. But when the next cycle comes around, he doesn’t return. Fearing what might have become of him, Adelaide follows and gains legs for herself. But living life as a human is much more difficult than she imagined. And finding Jonas is just as hard. To follow him to the underwater city, she must endure the Initiate’s Trial. Her strength and resolve will be tested, if she wants to find Jonas and survive. Adelaide must prove she’s more than just a mermaid princess. Available on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited Pauline Creeden


Pauline Creeden

Pauline Creeden is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy. In her fiction, she creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.   Follow Pauline Creeden: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter --