Monday, March 24, 2014

Strip Me Bare! by Marissa Carmel

Today we're excited to be revealing the new cover to Marissa Carmel's hit, Strip Me Bare! 




Title: Strip Me Bare
Author: Marissa Carmel
Genre: New Adult
Release Date: October 10, 2013  
Cover Art: Cover Me, Darling





 “I may have had more lovers than you, and I may take my clothes off for countless women, but you are the only one who can strip me bare.”

Do you ever stop loving someone just because they’re gone? Five years ago Ryan Pierce disappeared from Alana Remington’s life without leaving so much as a post-it note behind. He was the one she gave her heart to, her soul to, and her virginity to.  So imagine her surprise when she finds him dancing at one of NYC’s hottest male revues as Jack the Stripper.
Ryan never stopped loving Alana, and now that she serendipitously dropped back into his life, he’s vowed never to lose her again.  But being together has its costs, and challenges Alana isn’t sure she can handle.
She finally has Ryan back; but how in the world is she supposed to share the love of her life with half of the women in New York City?


We stop in front of some hanging crystals. They clink as Ryan pushes them aside, “after you.”  I walk under an orange spotlight, into a small space with a white leather couch deep enough to lie on and walls a warm golden yellow.  
Ryan steps in behind me and presses his body flush against mine. My mind races. 
Is he really going to do this? 
Am I really going to let him?
Can I even handle this? Five minutes ago he was with another woman. Quite possibly in this same room doing God only knows what. 
“Why do you do this Ryan?” I expel. I know he explained it in words, but I need to experience it to truly understand. 
He ambles around me so close; the only thing separating us is a whisper of air. 
“I told you, the money,” he says as he unbuttons his shirt. 
“You said women too,” I watch him cautiously, my gaze jumping between his eyes and his chest.
“That was before you walked back into my life. You’re the only woman I want to touch now. The others, like you saw before, it’s just an act. A business transaction. It’s what I have to do to get what I want.”
“Doesn’t it make them feel used?” I flick my eyes up at him.
“It mustn’t. They always come back.”  
“You like it. I saw your face. That wasn’t an act.” 
Ryan stands right in front of me, his shirt unbuttoned and dangling open. “I won’t lie to you Alana, I’ll never lie to you,” his tone is hard, but seductive. “I do like the attention. But it’s not real. It’s my job to sell attractiveness and fantasy, and I do it well. But that’s all it is, fantasy and I know it. When I’m with you, that’s my real.”
My breath catches when he says the word real. I can’t help but find the irony in his words; I’m exactly to him what he is to me. Two people one and the same, both living a double life to get what they want; a future and each other. 
And that is what I want. A future, with Ryan.  
I go to put my hands on his chest, but he steps away shaking his head no. “In this room, it’s all about you,” he walks around, stopping right behind me. “You have to tell me what you want Alana,” he whispers in my ear and I almost go limp, the sound of his voice is erotic as hell. 
I swallow hard, but can’t utter a single word, because truth be told, I have no freakin’ idea what I want. At least, not in this scenario. 
Ryan starts to rub my shoulders. I think he can feel my hesitation. 
“Why are you so tense? This is supposed to be fun.”
Fun? The word rattles around in my head. Fun - a time or feeling of enjoyment or amusement.
Okay, let’s have some fun. 
I turn around to face him and our eyes lock. “Show me.” 
“Show you what?” his tone dripping with sensuality. 
“Show me Jack the Stripper.”

Holy fuck!   


Praise for Strip Me Bare!
-This story was absolutely amazing. Marissa Carmel is fabulous and her writing style is phenomenal. You can feel the emotions coming right off the pages into your heart and soul…It's hot and steamy and trust me you will say Oh MY! Read it, read it, read it!- Amazon

-This book is all about second chances and starting over, learning to trust and finding yourself. It's an amazing read- Amazon

-5 stripping stars- Angie's Reading Dungeon

-This book surprised me in the best way. The way it's written makes the story flow perfectly, and I absolutely adore Alana's spunk. And the fact that Ryan fights to get back what he lost the moment he sees Alana again tugs and pulls at the heart strings in all the right ways. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book with these two characters to see just how this all started.- Amazon











Marissa Carmel has loved writing ever since a young age. She has a duel degree in History and Political Science, but took as many creative writing classes in college as she could. She spent most of her twenties bartending, which is where she met her husband and a multitude of interesting people. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s hanging out with her family, experimenting in her kitchen or doing yoga on the living room floor. 



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Wrong by K. Webster (Review by Christine)


Book: Wrong
Author: K Webster
Genre: Contemporary Romance


Pepper learned in high school that you have to protect yourself—a handsome devil taught her that the hard way. And she does that by pushing away suitors. Most of them are lame, completely lacking in the brains department. Dating isn’t something she wants or needs—or is it? Jordan works hard, running his father’s legacy. A legacy that may be quickly crashing to the ground. With his brother, Jackson, together, they work to pump life back into their company. He doesn’t have time for dating, but then he meets Pepper. To Jordan, Pepper is an enigma—a fresh blast of cool air to his stressful life. She’s smart, sassy, and sexy as hell—the perfect distraction. Jordan will stop at nothing to claim her. But will Pepper allow herself to be claimed? With Jordan putting cracks in her icy heart at each encounter, Pepper starts to question who she really is—The Ice Queen or the cliché Damsel in Distress? The adorable man is quickly melting her heart and her panties. One thing’s for certain—with Jordan, Pepper struggles to hold on to the only identity she feels safe with. Will he be the one to free her heart from the icy façade and make things right? Or, will things go terribly wrong?


 
 Review by Christine (4 STARS!!!!)
Wrong is book #2 in Breaking the Rules Series by K. Webster. I also had the privilege to review Broken, book #1. This story carries on the but with two different characters from this group of friends. I enjoyed hoe K. Webster has a great story line interjected with steamy scenes. Jordan really has to work for the love of Pepper, or Elizabeth. He opens her heart and shows her how to let people in. The readers really get to develop with her through out this story. It is extremely hard to not like Jordan. He isn't as dark as his brother was in book #1. HE is an honorable man who sure does know how to please a woman! There is more than one happy ending in this sequel! I recommend this series. Although you can read both books as stand alones. I think that reading them in order gives you more of an insight on the characters as a group.

 





I’m a thirty-two-year-old self-proclaimed book nerd.  Married to for nearly eleven years, my husband and I enjoy spending time with our two lovely children.  Writing is a newly acquired fun hobby for me.  In the past, I’ve enjoyed the role as a reader.  However, recently, I learned that I absolutely love taking on the creative role as the writer.  Something about determining how the story will play out intrigues me to no end.  My husband claims that it’s because I like to control things—in a way, he’s right! 
By day, I run around from appointment to appointment, wearing many hats including, mom, wife, part-time graphic designer, blogger, networker, social media stalker, student, business owner, and book boyfriend hunter.  (It’s actually a thing—complete with pink camo.  I lurk around the internet, “researching” pictures of hot guys who fit the profile of whatever book boyfriend I’m reading or writing about)
I guess you can blame my obsession with books on my lovely grandmother, who is quite possibly my favorite person on the planet.  At an early age, she took me to the half-priced bookstore each weekend and allowed me to choose a book.  Every single time, she caved when I begged for two.  Without her encouragement, I wouldn’t have been able to cope during some hard times without my beloved books. 
Currently, I am finishing up my college degree that has taken me forever to complete.  It’s just on the list of my many “bucket-list” goals that I subject myself to.
Most days, you can find me firmly planted in front of my computer.  It’s my life.  If the world ever loses power, I’d be one of the first to die—of boredom!  But I guess as long as I have books and a light, I might just survive. 
Looking forward, you can expect to see two more novels in the Breaking the Rules Series.  I’m nearly finished with the third.  Also, I have a standalone novel that will be released soon as well. 
This writing experience has been a blast, and I’ve met some really fabulous people along the way.  I hope my readers enjoy reading my stories as much as I do writing them.  I look forward to connecting with you all!





Sunday, March 23, 2014

Everything by Jeri Williams (Review by Christine)







Synopsis:
Dacey's Harper is a 22 year old college student who lives in a very small town where everyone knows her name, to everyone in town she is known as the niece of the town crazy and is next in line to jump on the crazy train. Dacey however, is doing her best to keep it all together; including an unsympathetic father, a stepmother who has raised her as her own, a larger than life stepsister who at times she doesn't even know what to do with and not to mention her Adonis God of a boyfriend. Top that off with her spicy Latin best friend and, let’s not forget her crazy aunt who has the world’s best one-liners, Dacey has her hands full but all that changes with one phone call and Dacey is left questioning Everything.




EXCERPT:

               He was always on his super extra-best gentlemanly behavior when at my parents'.

“Well, however long it’s been, it’s been too long,” said mom as she came in from the kitchen. “How are you, Trevor?”

“I’m good, Mrs. Harper,” he said, giving her a hug.

“Please, I have told you since you started dating my daughter to call me Ann. You may even call me Mom one day, who knows?” She gave him a wink.

“Mom,” Aria wailed. “Why would you jinx them like that? Oh my gosh, you're so … ” she said as she put her head in her hands and shook it back and forth.

“Your mom is so embarrassing,” she mouthed to me.

“She was your mom first,” I mouthed back.

“Only by four years,” I said, holding up four fingers.

“What are you girls talking about now?” mom asked.

“Nothing,” we both said at the same time.

“I hate when you do that!” she said.

“Sorry,” we said at the same time, again.

“I give up,” she sighed and went in the kitchen to put dinner on the plates.

That left us to go sit in the family room with Wally, who had been ignoring us so far by reading his paper, but when we sat down next to him, Trevor, bless his heart; actually spoke first.

“Good evening, sir,” he said, extending his hand.

“Uuh,” my dad grunted, not bothering to look up from his paper.

“Hey, Dad,” I said.

“You’re late.”

 And you’re a dick, I thought to myself as I watched Trevor drop his hand limply to his side.

“By like three minutes, and mom said around seven not at seven, so … ” I trailed off.

“All I know is I am hungry and we had to wait for you, and you stroll in here being ungrateful for a meal that’s free,” he grunted out.

“Dad, I didn’t mean … ” I stared.

“Daddy,” Aria cut in, “you didn’t ask how my classes went today, grouchy pants.”

“Thanks,” I mouthed, shooting her a grateful look.

She shrugged it off. She was used to defusing our father-daughter “conversations,” especially when he was grouchy.

“I’m sorry, baby girl, how was your day? Do you like all your classes?” he asked her sweetly.

He did a complete Jekyll and Hyde; if I wasn’t so used to it, I would have been suspicious and started looking in the basement for his laboratory.


Review by Christine (3.5 Stars)

           Everything by Jeri Williams was a very touching book. Dacey was a college student, with a loving boyfriend, and close relationship with her step-mother and half sister. However, her father never showed her love, not like he did with her sister. One day, Dacey and Aria lost their parents tragically in a car accident. Dacey was haunted by her non-existent relationship with her father, trying to be strong and care for her sister, all while handling her grief. It doesn't help when her boyfriend dumps her suddenly and she has to mourn that loss as well. When she needs him the most she meets Officer Parks. I enjoyed the story. I wish we were given more of the story with Officer Parks and a little less of the book spent on building the story in the beginning. However, since this will a series, I am excited to see where Dacey and Justin's relationship goes! Add it to your list of reads folks!!!

About the Author:

Jeri Williams lives a super fabulous lifestyle (by fabulous, she mean’s kinda lame) in the hot Florida sun and loves reading of any kind (except instruction manuals and cereal boxes). She has always written stories and made her family listen to them since she was young, although this is her first book she has ever published. She is a mom of an up-and-coming Jerry Seinfeld (in girl form) and also enjoys being right and knowing everything, although she is hardly ever right and really doesn't know anything and is obsessed with inventing miniature zoo animals you can carry around in your pocket (although not really).

Author Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeri.williamsauthor


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