Welcome to the Review Tour of King of Bad, by Kai Strand!
Kai will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC plus a signed book mark to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour (International). a Rafflecopter giveaway
Jeff Mean would rather set fires than follow rules or observe curfew. He wears his bad boy image like a favorite old hoodie; that is until he learns he has superpowers and is recruited by Super Villain Academy – where you learn to be good at being bad. In a school where one kid can evaporate all the water from your body and the girl you hang around with can perform psychic sex in your head, bad takes on a whole new meaning. Jeff wonders if he’s bad enough for SVA.
He may never find out. Classmates vilify him when he develops good manners. Then he’s kidnapped by those closest to him and left to wonder who is good and who is bad. His rescue is the climactic episode that balances good and evil in the super world. The catalyst – the girl he’s crushing on. A girlfriend and balancing the Supers is good, right? Or is it…bad?
My Review of King of Bad:
The only thing I didn’t like about this book was that it had to end. I wanted to finish it, but I didn’t want to see it end!
Great character development, good twists, and a unique storyline among a common tale of villains and superheroes. The story flowed well and smoothly, and the author did an excellent job of making me feel like I was inside the story, inside Jeff’s head. This story is a unique gem among a common theme of superheroes. The author does a great job of balancing the character with the action, the setting, and the plot. I never felt like I was reading a story; I felt I was a part of the story. I’d love to see it on the big screen! I can’t wait to see what else Kai Strand has to offer her readers.
I’d give this book five stars! An A+! And absolute 100. Even though it’s a young adult fiction, it was a great read for adults as well. I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to see what would happen next and was surprised in the end. Highly recommended for you or your teen!
Excerpt…
“Source, who is she?”
Source followed Jeff’s line of vision. “Oh, that’s Oceanus. Don’t even think it, kid. She’s already found a match.”
“What do you mean?”
“See the guy next to her?”
“The skinny red head?” Jeff hoped.
“No, the other one.”
“Oh, the Adonis?” Jeff’s heart fell. He’d no hope to thwart the god-like S.V. seated next to Oceanus.
“Not far off. People call him Set. The God of chaos, storm, wind. He’s a great guy.” Sarcasm wrapped around Source’s words. “Descended from a long line of super villains Known he’s an S.V. his whole life so came to the school ready to rule from what I hear. Real nasty character, even for an S.V. You don’t want to piss him off.”
“Oh, I won’t piss him off. I don’t go looking for trouble.” Jeff considered his life before the academy and real-ized that looking for trouble was the only thing he used to do. He amended his statement, saying, “Much.”
His stomach knotted. Had the academy turned him into a coward?
Source chuckled. “Don’t worry. You’ll get a name and things will settle into some sort of normal. Once we figure out what your root ability is, I’ll help you develop it. Though, after your hulk impersonation, I doubt anyone will dare taunt you.”
Jeff felt the anxiety lift. Source was okay for a bad guy.
About Kai Strand
When the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fireplace and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died, the end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers and short stories for younger children Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults. Visit Kai’s website, www.kaistrand.com, to browse her books, download companion materials or to find all her online haunts.
At a writer’s meeting the other day, an author was asked what the best piece of advice she’d give her younger self, and it mimicked what I’d tell myself if I knew then what I know now.
“Finish the damn book.”
She said she spent years putzing around, doing other things, not writing, wasting time. She worked full time but ended up wasting a lot of time, and I could relate to everything she said. I, too, spent years putzing around. Sometimes I catch myself still trying to hang on to this dreadful habit. Oh my, I had a long, hard day at work and I’m brain dead. There’s just too much other stuff going on right now.
Yep, putzing around.
She didn’t truly start pursuing publication until after she was able to retire from her full-time job, and as much as I’ve told myself I might ever be truly clear-headed enough to keep writing until after I retire from the job I’m at now (I have another five years and I’m eligible) the fact is I just don’t want to wait that long.
And I shouldn’t wait that long to pursue something I love.
So I balance the two. NaNoWritMo (NaNo for short, which means National Novel Writing Month) has helped me get back into a writing routine after all the work involved in getting my first novel published and the other three in the series edited and ready to submit. The goal is to complete a 50,000 word manuscript in one month. For me, that’s a first draft since my novels are generally longer, but I can get a first draft at 50,000 words. Still, it’s a lot of writing and a lot of pages! I love it, and hate it, but even if I only get three pages out of my goal of ten, I feel pretty good about my production.
Again, it’s a balance game.
Many writers hold down a full time job, and many in addition to children and the myriad things that go along with raising children. So what’s a writer to do? Well, you know, get up earlier. You can spare fifteen minutes. Write on your lunch break.
You make time to do what you love.
My job, like many, can be emotionally draining. My mental state sometimes when I get home from work is overtaxed. That’s when I should get lost in my writing, but it isn’t always easy. The transition isn’t always easy.
Exercise, yoga, walking, photography. There are many healthy ways to make that transition, but sometimes it takes hours, the rest of my brain cells are depleted for the day, and I’m just ready for bed or a good snuggle on the couch with TV or a book.
That’s why I believe mornings are the best time to write. And when I get into my funk and don’t get up in the mornings, it makes the rest of my day really bad. It makes me less able to handle the things that pop up at work.
But again, we gotta make time to do the things we love. Whether it’s getting up earlier, staying up later, or just choosing not to “putz around”.
Welcome to Flick’s Virtual Book Tour. One randomly chosen commenter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click the banner to find the extra tour stops, or find it here at Goddess Fish Promotions.
Leanna Matthews enjoys flying below the radar. She does well in school, has a few close friends and hides the fact she’s an astral-traveling telekinetic. But there’s no escaping her creepy dreams or Simora, the bizarre little spirit lady, that suddenly pops out of nowhere to warn her against keeping secrets and predicts an encounter with a sinister evil. For the first time in forever someone…or something…is on to her.
But life turns around when Leanna meets Piper one sunny afternoon. She’s inexplicably drawn to him, almost as if she’s been waiting for him to come. Forbidden to have a boyfriend Leanna throws caution to the wind, lying to her family and friends to be with him, while ignoring Simora’s ominous message.
Yet Piper has a secret of his own. He is on a mission and Leanna, unwittingly, is the key.
Excerpt…
He stood idly by Ms. Fenson’s hedges, shifting around uncomfortably and looking at nothing in-particular. After gazing at the sky, he stared at his feet and pulled at the shrubs behind him – which unless he had a death-wish, was an absolute no-no. Ms. Fenson was a legend in her neighborhood and Leanna knew if this guy stood anywhere near the hedges too long she’d most certainly come after him – and it wouldn’t be pretty! Although notorious for her loony behavior, no one denied Ms. Fenson took excellent care of her yard and was fiercely protective of it – in a scary, mad-womanish sort of way.
I’ll just walk by him, Leanna thought, trying to ignore the sudden tightness in her chest. Anyway, who cares? He doesn’t know me from a hole in the ground.
With each step, her legs turned to mush. But an invisible force pulled her forward. The pressure grew stronger, involuntarily pushing her along until she finally passed him; her heart racing, her body stiffening…
“Hey!” he called.
She stopped abruptly. Was he talking to her? It was hard to focus; the thumping in her ears grew nauseatingly louder. But since there wasn’t anyone else around, he must be speaking to her. Leanna turned around uncertainly.
He casually strolled over with his hands in his jean pockets. When they finally stood face-to-face, Leanna’s breath caught.
He was even more strikingly handsome up close. At around 5’10, he wore his wavy hair cropped close to his head, and in spite of his loose, red Ecko T-shirt, he sported a visibly muscular build. His chestnut eyes were splashed with the tiniest specks of green and framed by long, dark eyelashes, in stark contrast to his honey brown skin. They were the most beautiful eyes Leanna had ever seen. But it wasn’t the color that intrigued her. His eyes were clear and telling; their depths ran deep. And for a fraction of a moment, she could’ve swore she saw herself.
By day, Keira des Anges has the distinct pleasure of assisting teenagers with disabilities find employment, empowering one life at a time. By night, she is a chew toy for her dog and cat and avid reader of anything spooky, magical and totally out of this world. She lives in sunny Florida with her husband and two kids.
Writing is a deeply personal experience. It isn’t an exact science and there’s no right or wrong way to get it done. But who hasn’t sat listlessly at the computer, or stared down at that blank piece of paper, wishing…praying…for just the right words to magically spring from our hands. But if there isn’t a formula, how do we unleash our creative juices and write that next masterpiece? Here are 5 tips that just may help:
1. Create the Perfect Space: Ambiance is everything and we feel better in a comfortable environment. This might be a special chair, sitting under a particular lamp or writing in a certain place or room. Our environment can make the difference between 1 paragraph versus 10 pages. Think about it. Where do you feel at your best?
2. Unclutter Your Mind: Should I wash clothes? Did I pay the electric bill? Did I turn in the project at work? It’s hard to turn off the self-talk running rampant through our head. For most of us there are a million things we need to do, and thinking about them while trying to write is the kiss of death. Close your eyes, inhale and exhale. Empty your mind; allow the story to take over.
3. Turn Off the Phone and Wi-Fi: Oh, technology! Procrastination is thy name! The allure of texting, answering the phone and social media is just too strong. It sucks us in and before we know it, hours of valuable time is lost. Don’t try and beat it – you’ll lose. Just turn them off.
4. Remember the Muse: Writing is emotionally frustrating at times. When this happens, remember what inspired you to write in the first place. What do you love about it? What spurs you on? Focus on the moment your love affair with writing began.
5. Write When Fully Awake: You’re tired and in the middle of a really good scene. The computer screen grows blurry and your head falls forward, but you plug on, determined to see it to the end. The next morning you turn on the computer only to discover the story you so desperately wanted to finish sounds choppy and disjointed. The idea is good, but the execution is poor. I’m all for jotting down ideas wherever I am, yet, save the big stuff for when you’re fresh and alert.
Last but not least, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! Watching the story develop is exhilarating. Relish the experience. It is a journey all your own.
When Emma Grant returns to her family’s Audubon Springs beach house to fulfill the stipulations of her father’s will, she has every intention of forcing her former lover out of the house for good. She’s never fit into her wealthy family and would prefer avoiding her past, but with her brother threatening to reveal her young daughter, she has no choice.
Rafe Iuliano has other plans. The wealthy Grants tried to bribe him out of Emma’s life years ago, but he’s determined to prove once and for all that a master carpenter is worthy of Emma and the house.
Their ridiculous and steamy battle for the house reignites the love and passion that bloomed between them years ago. But when Rafe discovers she’s kept their daughter a secret for two years, can he overcome anger and pride to claim his family and the love of his life, or will the deception drive a final wedge between them?
Excerpt:
“This is your fault!” Emma shouted.
“My fault?” Rafe blinked through the thick coat of flour. “You’re the one who started this.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you—Miss Macrobiotic Princess!” They used the barstools for support, and pulled themselves up from the slippery floor. “You’re immovable just like your mother.”
“And you’ve got about as much depth as a toenail. For the life of me, I can’t remember why I was ever with you.”
With a predatory look in his eyes and gait, Rafe advanced. In two long strides he pinned her to the counter, his hands grasping her hips. “Don’t!” His voice, low and dangerous, and his near proximity overwhelmed, charging her body with a jolt of electricity rendering breathing impossible. His gaze locked on hers for an eternity, then without warning, he dipped his head and licked lavishly at the syrup on her chest and neck.
Need and heat consumed her at his touch, fraying what was left of her nerves. She dropped her head back, shivered, and her knees buckled. He held her steady, fully pinned against the counter and continued to feast on her neck. Then with a shake as if waking from a dream, he stepped away, taking his heat with him.
Emma swayed and gripped the counter. Goose bumps rose on her flesh at the storm brewing in his eyes.
“Say or do anything you want to push me out of this house, but don’t ever say you don’t remember.”
RoseAnn DeFranco grew up in upstate NY with her nose in a book and a song in her heart. Following the pursuit of a musical theatre career in NYC, she turned her creative energy to writing romance. RoseAnn blogs about her writing experiences with her critique partners at www.the violetfemmes.com. A NJ shore transplant, she enjoys time spent at the beach with her family. She would love to one day live in a quaint shore town like the fictional town Audubon Springs from her BROTHERS OF AUDUBON SPRINGS series. More information about these Contemporary Romantic Comedies can be found at www.radefranco.com.
Welcome to the Blurb Blitz tour for A Song for Sophie! Mackenzie will be awarding one of her backlist titles in PDF format to a randomly drawn commenter at every stop, and a Grand Prize of a bundle of 15 PDF titles from various authors and genres of romance, (excluding erotica) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. So follow the link and comment, comment, comment!
A Song for Sophie
Written by Mackenzie Crowne
Jobless, practically homeless, and tired of being manless, Sophie Taylor jumps at the chance to be Beaumont Walker’s personal assistant. Six weeks on the road with country music’s bad boy—and, more importantly, his all-male crew—is the perfect opportunity to change her life.
Beau Walker doesn’t need any more distractions. Sophie, with her butt-ugly suits and balls-to-the-wall attitude, shouldn’t be one, but she proves to be distracting and more—even, surprisingly, a friend. So when he discovers her plan to snag a man from his worldly wise crew, he’s determined to protect her from herself.
When Sophie realizes Beau is behind her failure to attract even one member of his crew, the last place she expects to find herself is in his bed. But will one night of passion convince her she’s woman enough for him? Or will it destroy their friendship and his budding belief in true love?
Excerpt:
His lunch date? Is he insane? His definition of a personal assistant was obviously different than hers. “Now, just a minute.”
Beau ignored her, pulling her toward the wood paneled building. She blinked up at the neon star mounted above the door. A flashing steer rode above the sign announcing the Lonesome Steer Honky Tonk. A few miles outside of Amarillo, she’d driven by the popular bar occasionally, but had never been inside.
“A honky tonk? Really? This isn’t the kind of place I’d expect to find your mother.”
He kept a tight hold on her wrist when she tried to jerk free. “Savanna started her career on the Lonesome Steer’s tiny stage. She makes a point to stop in to see the owner whenever she’s in town.”
Yanking open the door, he pulled her in behind him. Her eyes were slow to adjust to the dim light after the bright sunshine outside. She blinked, glancing around as the door thumped shut behind them. Surprisingly busy for a weekday afternoon, most of the round wooden tables were occupied beyond the large, empty dance floor.
Heads turned at their arrival. Several of the diners called out greetings while others jabbed elbows at their companions and nodded in Beau’s direction.
“Unless you want me to cause a scene in front of your adoring fans, I suggest you let go of my wrist.”
Author Bio and Links:
I’m a wife, mother, and grandmother (a really young one). My husband and I were blessed with two rambunctious little boys who we managed to raise into wonderful men without any disfiguring mishaps. Dirt bikes and ESPN are the order around our house, and life at the ‘Testosterone Ranch’ more closely resembles one of today’s wacky reality shows, than yesterday’s ‘Leave It To Beaver’.
I’m one of eight kids, raised just north of Boston. I moved to Phoenix as an adult because living in the southwest feeds my soul. My childhood was a free-for-all, chock full of laughter, love, family and friends. I was raised on the concept that a stranger is just one conversation away from being a friend and I’m happy to say, that experience remains true today.
My love of books, specifically the romance genre, has been a lifelong affair, both as a reader and a writer. A bout with breast cancer sharpened my resolve to see my stories shared with others. Today, I am a five-year survivor, living my dream.
Reagan is burned out. She’s just lost a coveted advancement for the job she’s spent years at, she’s just broken up with her boyfriend, and she’s tired of being where she’s at, in her comfort zone. Have you ever felt that way? Broken, and no idea which way to go?
How many times have you wished for a clear answer?
I can’t tell you how many times I have. My sister recently moved to Colorado. Left everything she had, and the likelihood of her doing something like that was way less than me doing something like that, because my husband and I have dreamed of moving to Colorado for some time now. She had never even visited, and then she met a man and up and moved. We’ve been dreaming of doing something like that for years, and here my sister and goes and does it and moves to my favorite state in the whole world. The mountains, the outdoor adventures awaiting and abounding, and the fact the state has four seasons (and is close to my home state) is one of many reasons why Colorado would be at the top of my list.
My sister and are both responsible-minded people with long-term jobs and homes, so it isn’t always easy to just pick up and move and leave everything you have, including families who need us. I’ve had other family members who have lived all over the place and will pick up and move at the drop of a hat. I’ve often wished I could be more like them.
And yet, every time my husband and I talk about it, we realize how much we have here. Life is fleeting, yes, but we’re happy here and our home will be paid for by the time we can retire. There are a lot of pros and cons to moving. And it’s never an easy answer, at least not for us. If only it could be more clear on what to do.
What would you do?
So…needless to say Reagan, in Burn on the Western Slope, is a lot like me. Staying in the same job year after year. And it’s not a job she hates, it’s just a job she’s good at and she doesn’t see the point in changing or moving. She’s in her comfort zone. But when she inherits a condo and money from an uncle she never even knew existed, she jumps at the opportunity. And I guess if that happened to me, I’d jump at that opportunity, too.
The likelihood of that happening is few and far between, and usually the answer isn’t near as clear. I’d like to hear from others who have picked up and moved and left everything they had, whether it was an entire state or just a few counties away. What instigated the change? How did you handle it? And how are you doing now? Is it a drastic change for you, or just daily life?
The Writer’s Store recently had a huge sale! 75% off books! And of course, I went crazy. How in the world could I deny myself 75% off of books that I’ve been eyeing for a while? Imagine my excitement when the books came in. opening the new box, thumbing through the pages, and letting them find their place in my home.
I believe that writers should read. I believe that writers should constantly be learning and relearning how to write. Therefore, I have a bajillion books, and at least half of those books are about writing.
Ahh, the smell of new books. Fresh. Clean. A new start. A new beginning. The strength and flexibility of a new page. The words, like art, as you fan through the pages. How can you beat that?
My friend once told me a horror story: she was boxing away her writing books. It meant she was giving up, at least for now. But closed boxes are meant to be opened, the mystery of what’s inside too powerful to ignore. And lo and behold, she opened her box again, even if a few years have passed! Opening a box that’s been closed awhile can give one new strength, new power, and newfound creativity!
I have too many books to keep stored on my shelves, unfortunately. But some books just aren’t meant to be boxed!
Today is a Blurb Blitz for Cristin Harber’s Winter Heat. Cristin will be awarding a $25 GC to Victoria’s Secret, and gifted e-copies of the five titles in the series (starting w/ Winters Heat. Three novels and two novellas) to one randomly drawn commenter during this tour AND the Virtual Blitz Tour.
After putting her life on the line to protect classified intelligence, military psychologist Mia Kensington is on a cross-country road trip from hell with an intrusive save-the-day hero. Uninterested in his white knight act, she’d rather take her chances without the ruggedly handsome, cold-blooded operative who boasts an alpha complex and too many guns.
Colby Winters, an elite member of The Titan Group, has a single objective on his black ops mission: recover a document important to national security. It was supposed to be an easy in-and-out operation. But now, by any means necessary becomes a survival mantra when he faces off with a stunning woman he can’t leave behind.
When Titan’s safe houses are compromised, Colby stashes Mia at his home, exposing his secret—he’s the adoptive father of an orphaned baby girl. Too soon, danger arrives and Mia lands in the hands of a sadistic cartel king with a taste for torture. As hours bleed into fear-drenched days, Colby races across the globe and through a firestorm of bullets to save the woman he can’t live without.
Excerpt: Setup- Colby Winters and Mia Kensington are waiting for her attackers to make another move. They’re trying to appear distracted outside a motel room, as if they let their guard down.
What was it like? Oh, man. He had a thing for her in a bad way. Winters bent his head toward her. Their foreheads kissed, and there was no question. While she was with him, she was his. His to protect. His to savor. A woman like Mia was rare. At least he had brains enough to notice.
He never should’ve put her in this position. He could’ve packed her off in a plane, back toward the East Coast. Someone from Titan could’ve kept her safe while he finished his original job. But selfishness and curiosity made it so he wouldn’t push her away. He couldn’t, because an irrepressible desire consumed him, powering lust through his veins.
“Colby.” Her hushed whisper tickled his skin. “What are we going to do?”
His pulse thumped in his neck, and he tightened the forearm wrapped around her waist, melding her onto him.
I’m on the job. Serious danger ahead.
He’d missed it before and couldn’t let that happen again. No time for arousal. No time for fantasies.
Images flooded his brain, searing his senses. He remembered the taste of her tongue. Red-hot cinnamon. A sweet, delicious burn of aphrodisia.
What were they going to do? Where to begin… A million ideas popped to mind, starting with making good use of the wall behind him.
No woman had pressed against him like this, so pliable, supple, and luscious. They had always draped him like sex kittens on steroids. Those other women were as over-sexed and one-dimensional as they were obvious, all self-fulfilling prophecies, and they were the definitive opposite of Mia Kensington.
Before Mia’s hands explored him, before her beautiful body had even disrobed, she toyed with his mind like it was the first of many playgrounds. And he wanted to play so bad.
“I’ve started a list.” His lips flitted over hers. “Want me to share?”
Her eyelashes fluttered. “What kind of list?”
“I have you thirty feet from a bed. What kind of list do you—” A drunken couple stumbled out of the bar. Actually, more likely a john and a pro. He should have seen them before he heard them. “More on the list later, doll.”
Men were coming to hurt her, and his hard-on could pick another time for games.
“Okay, Mia, here’s what we’re going to do. When they pull up, act like we let loose. We had too many drinks.” He motioned to the karaoke bar with a tip of his head, then dipped his lips to her neck, lingering under her ear. “I’m convincing you to come to my room. You’re not putting up too much of a fight. Just enough to keep it fun.”
He nipped her earlobe, and she took a tiny gasp. It made his gut jump. Her taste drugged him, intoxicated him. Temptation was a cruel mistress. Giving him a little and making him wait.
“That’s your plan?”
“Not my whole plan, no. But that’s the part you have to play.” He traced the slide of her neck. “Think you can act mildly interested?”
“You’re crazy.” Her voice was husky. “Men are trying to kill us. How can you think about sex?”
“You’re not?”
“I’m… I’m—”
“You’re what? I’m getting into character. You should give it a try.”
“You’re rubbing your hard-on against me, is what you’re doing.”
“All part of my cover. Believable, huh?” Her innocent act was toast. She was far more like Jessica Rabbit than Snow White. “If I tried to drag you off to bed right this second, you wouldn’t join me?”
There was only one answer. He knew it. Felt it as sure as he felt her body mold against him. She couldn’t fight their hunger either.
Her breaths escalated. The quick rise and fall of her breasts fueled him. Winters cupped her chin in his hands, palms caressing her cheeks. Sweet Mia. If he could freeze this moment, it’d be one he’d put on repeat.
“I would,” she whispered. “But…”
“Forget everything else. It’s just you and me.” He thumbed her lips, dragging the bottom one down.
Slowly, his hands drifted into her hair. Lust hung heavy in the cool night air. Her dark lashes fluttered, and her hard nipples pressed against his chest.
How beautiful would she be naked? How would she feel? Impossibly smooth. He would whisk across her sensitive spots, watching those succulent breasts rise and fall in anticipation. He would make sure she ached for him. As much as he ached now.
His fingers tangled into her hair, and Mia leaned her head back, heavy lidded and heady breaths.
“Shouldn’t you watch for the bad guys instead of torturing me?” Her eyes were sealed shut, defenseless.
His lips grazed her neck, and she purred, the sinful sound acting as a deft stroke to his already engorged shaft.
“You don’t think I can multi-task?” He kissed behind her ear, dancing his mouth down her neck. It was a tease. A simple promise of what was to come. When he had a moment to concentrate on her, he’d do whatever it took—lick, kiss, caress, and suck—to make her cry out for him.
His fingers slid to her nape, trailing to the front of her shirt. The fabric felt fragile under his palms. He was losing a battle to a ripped shirt on a pretty girl, but revenge would be amazing.
“How can you do this,” she nudged her head down to where he nuzzled his erection, “and pay attention to anything else?”
“Can you imagine what it’s going to be like between us when I don’t have to worry about anyone but you?”
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Cristin Harber
Romantic Suspense Author: Higher Stakes. Hotter Action.
MOM. WIFE. AUTHOR.
Lover of all things sexy and happily ever after.
I live outside Washington, DC with my family: my husband (who doesn’t mind my collection of book boyfriends), an independent toddler, and an English bulldog named Britta who loves to be a conversation piece. Oh, we have a baby on the way—arriving about the same time as WINTERS HEAT debuts!
I love southern food, listen to country music, am always too hot or too cold, and spend hours reading and writing. I cheer on my University of Louisville Cardinals-GO CARDS! When I’m not pregnant (or nursing), I like a little bourbon or sweet wine. Pregnant or not, I love a lot of chocolate.
I can’t save the world, so instead, I write about those that do. There’s a special place in my heart for those who keep us safe. My Titan series debuts this fall with five titles available in 2013: WINTERS HEAT, GARRISON’S CREED, WESTIN’S CHASE, CHASED, and GAMBLED.
Links:
NEWSLETTER signup for series info: http://bit.ly/11aWFzM
Welcome to today’s Super Book Blast from Goddess Fish Promotions! To Steal a Highlander’s Heart, by Samantha Holt. One randomly drawn commenter will receive a $50 Amazon gift card, so be sure to visit the other sites and comment!
BLURB:
Alana sets eyes on Morgann for the first time in several years and what does he do? He captures her! But Alana refuses to go meekly with the sexy Highland warrior. Her kidnapping will reignite the rift that’s existed between the two clans since her father accused Morgann of theft and she doesn’t want to see her father harmed in the inevitable war that will ensue.
Unfortunately for Alana, the faeries seek to interfere with her plans to escape. The sidhe have a debt to repay and Tèile, the green faery, is determined to mend the rift between the clans for good. And that means ensuring Alana and Morgann marry.
Morgann has his own reasons for taking Alana and they are nothing to do with marriage or war. He wants to use her to reveal a secret from the past, the one that had him accused of theft. If only he didn’t find his childhood friend so attractive. When circumstances force them together, Alana’s life is threatened and war is imminent. Can Morgann reveal the truth without losing Alana? And will the faeries meddling help or hinder his cause?
EXCERPT:
Endless moments stretched on as she waited for Morgann to look away, to break the connection, but he stared brazenly on as his gaze trailed over her face. What did he see? As she gaped up at him, the irate warrior dissolved into a flesh and blood man and she recalled how much she used to adore him. When Morgann was banished from her father’s lands, she’d been heartbroken at losing her friend, but with the blazing sensation of having him flattened against her, she remembered that it wasn’t just the loss of his friendship that hurt her so. She’d always silently hoped Morgann would play a bigger role in her future.
But that didn’t change the fact that he was taking her against her will and she would not go meekly, regardless of what she once felt. If only she could ignore the sensuous pull of his lips or the darkening of his pupils as a rough finger drew a path over her cheek.
A crack ripped across the sky and they both jolted. Pushing to standing, Morgann helped her up and grimaced as he eyed her. Aware of the mud coating her, she swiped a hand across her face as her cheeks heated. Titling her head up, she hoped the rain would at least be useful for something and would not only rinse away some of the dirt but also cool her down. The way the man made her skin blister was extremely disconcerting.
Morgann muttered a curse, drawing her attention back to him as he raked a hand through his hair and yanked some rope from the leather pouch hanging from his saddle. As he turned back to her, rope held out, Alana shrank away. “Ye cannae mean to tie me up, surely?”
AUTHOR BIO AND LINKS:
Samantha resides in Warwickshire, England with her twin girls and husband. She’s a romance addict and has been devouring all kinds of romance for as long as she can remember.
Having studied archaeology, Samantha likes to blend her love of the past with her passion for romance to create thrilling and passionate tales set to medieval backdrops. She thinks there’s nothing sexier than a rugged warrior and a feisty maiden falling head over heels for each other.
I’m not sure I believe the hype, but I do believe it can change your mindset. Change your focus into what you do want so you aren’t dwelling on what you don’t have. I also believe a picture can inspire you more than words! And what’s wrong with being, feeling, and acting more positive?
I’ve tried my hand at vision boards before, but nothing really worked for me until I used Pinterest to create my vision board.
I became addicted browsing photos and adding them to my vision board of things I wanted. Now, I can easily view my visions and speak affirmations whenever I want and wherever I am. And when I’m feeling discouraged, I can view my Pinterest board for inspiration, or add photos for what I’m feeling at the time to help me overcome.
If you use the Internet for anything but haven’t signed up for Pinterest, I highly encourage you to do so! It’s an amazing, creative way to see “outside the box”!
Why should you create a vision board on Pinterest? Because you can look at your vision board every morning and imagine your day, your future, your life. You can easily find photos that represent what you want, repin them to your board, and change the description for what you want. And your pins will always link back to the original post, so you can find and remember anything with merely a click! If you’re feeling discouraged, open up your vision board for powerful and inspiring images.
How do you create a vision board on Pinterest? That’s easy! Sign up, if you haven’t already, start browsing photos, and pin them to a board you created. You can always print your pins and add them to a board you hang at home. If you aren’t comfortable sharing your vision board with the world, you can set it to private.
What else can you do with Pinterest? Just about anything you can imagine. It’s a good way to connect with people and realize you aren’t the only person in the world who might feel a certain way, act a certain way, or like a certain thing.
Pinterest is also a great motivation for exercise! You can find many inspiring visuals for exercise programs. I recently began a 10 week Workout Plan that I found on Pinterest!
You can also use Pinterest for prayer. I have a private board where I will find images that represent specific prayers, and I repin them with a prayer. Some of them have already been answered.
My life has changed since I started my vision board. I returned to exercise and yoga, I bought a DSLR camera for a great sale price, and I published my book! I’m about to take a vacation and am looking forward to building my dream home.
Have you created a vision board? If not, why not?!?
Jeff Mean would rather set fires than follow rules or observe curfew. He wears his bad boy image like a favorite old hoodie; that is until he learns he has superpowers and is recruited by Super Villain Academy – where you learn to be good at being bad. In a school where one kid can evaporate all the water from your body and the girl you hang around with can perform psychic sex in your head, bad takes on a whole new meaning. Jeff wonders if he’s bad enough for SVA.
When the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fireplace and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died, the end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers and short stories for younger children Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults. Visit Kai’s website, www.kaistrand.com, to browse her books, download companion materials or to find all her online haunts. 
