Sworn to Protect Blog Tour ~ Series Spotlight and Giveaway with Jo Davis

ARMED AND DANGEROUS 
A Sugarland Blue Novella, Book 0.5 
April 2, 2013

From the author of the popular Firefighters of Station Five series comes a sizzling new novella about Sugarland’s favorite cop—and the courageous woman destined to steal his heart... 

When Detective Shane Ford, Sugarland’s favorite man in blue, and Juvenile Detective Daisy Callahan work together on a dangerous case, they find themselves ignoring their professional instincts and falling hard. But when their romance gets in the way of their job—and puts both their lives in jeopardy—Shane vows to break things off. But as they’re about to discover, this kind of steamy passion is impossible to deny… 

Includes a preview of the first book in Jo Davis’ new Sugarland Blue series, Sworn to Protect.  

Available at:
Amazon | B&N | Kobo

SWORN TO PROTECT 
Sugarland Blue, Book 1 
May 7, 2013

Sugarland loves their men in blue, especially Detective Shane Ford. But Shane’s mission to protect and to serve has just gotten personal.... 

Detective Shane Ford, Sugarland’s favorite cop, has been blindsided by the sudden death of his best friend, NFL star Brad Cooper, and by becoming the legal guardian of Brad’s son, Drew—a bitter, angry sixteen-year-old with a dangerous secret. Shane is determined to pry the truth from Drew, but he manages only to alienate him—and winds up going head-to-head with Juvenile Officer Daisy Callahan, whose job is to protect the teen’s best interests.

Shane has always been drawn to Daisy’s beauty and strength, but he’s determined not to allow their intense attraction to interfere with his duty ever again. It’s a vow that will prove difficult to keep, as the realities of Shane and Daisy’s blossoming love and their growing bond with the grieving teen propel Shane headlong into danger for the new family he has sworn to protect.

Available at:
Amazon | B&N | Kobo (coming soon)

National Bestselling author Jo Davis is best known for her popular Firefighters of Station Five series written as Jo Davis, and her dark, sexy paranormal series Alpha Pack, written as J.D. Tyler. PRIMAL LAW, the first book in her Alpha Pack series, is the winner of the National Reader's Choice Award in Paranormal. She's also been a multiple finalist in the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, a finalist for the Bookseller's Best Award, has captured the HOLT Medallion Award of Merit, and has been a two-time nominee for the Australian Romance Readers Award in romantic suspense. 

Jo's books regularly appear on the Neilson Bookscan, Barnes and Noble, BooksOnBoard, and Amazon bestseller lists, among others.

Jo is currently at work on a new contemporary romance series titled SUGARLAND BLUE for NAL/Signet Eclipse, a spin-off of her Firefighters of Station Five series scheduled to debut in April 2013 with the kick-off novella ARMED AND DANGEROUS. Book 1, SWORN TO PROTECT, is being released May 7, 2013. She's also publishing a new FBI series, ARMED AND DEADLY, set to debut in April 2013 with ONE LAST KISS. Jo lives in Texas with her two kids and a cute Boston terrier.

Jo Davis' SWORN TO PROTECT Blog TourSchedule

5/03 - 5/13

5/03 - Book Lovin' Mamas

http://booklovinmamas.blogspot.com//

5/03 - Buffy's Ramblings

http://buffy-kennedy.blogspot.com/

5/03 - Flirting with Romance

http://flirtingwithromance.blogspot.com/

5/04 - Romance Junkies

http://www.romancejunkies.com/rjblog/

5/04 - Cocktails and Books

http://www.cocktailsandbooks.com/

5/05 - Reading Between The Wines

http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub.blogspot.com/

5/05 - Darkest Addictions

http://darkestaddictions.blogspot.com/

5/06 - Books-n-Kisses

http://www.books-n-kisses.com/

5/06 - United by Books

http://unitedbybooks.blogspot.com/

5/07 - Confessions of the Paranormal

http://confessionsoftheparanormal.blogspot.com/

5/07 - Nina's Literary Escape

http://ninasliteraryescape.blogspot.com/

5/08 - Book Monster Reviews

http://www.bookmonsterreviews.com/

5/08 - Page Flipperz

http://pageflipperz.blogspot.com/

5/09 - Books, Books and More Books

http://booksbooksmorebooks.blogspot.com/

5/09 - Toot's Book Reviews

http://tootsbookreviews.blogspot.com/

5/10 - The Reading Café

http://thereadingcafe.com/

5/10 - Ramblings From This Chick

http://ramblingsfromthischick.blogspot.com/

5/11 - Under the Covers

http://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/

5/11 - Mimmi's Musings

http://mimmismusings.blogspot.com/

5/12 - Love in A Book

http://loveinabook.com/

5/12 - Night Owl Reviews

http://www.nightowlreviews.com/V5/

5/13 - GraveTells

http://gravetells.com/

5/13 - Bookin' It Reviews

http://www.bookinitreviews.com/

 ******** GIVEAWAY ********

Jo is giving away the following prizes on her tour:

Grand Prize:  

$25.00 Gift Card to Amazon or B&N and an autographed paperback of SWORN TO PROTECT

Runners-up:

Eight (8) runners-up will receive an autographed paperback of SWORN TO PROTECT

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Blitz ~ Cowboy Boots and Inexpressible Longing by Natalie Acres

His pain is far greater than his need for love

Master Drew Remington knows pain. He understands its fury. He has walked through its unrelenting terror and remembers the torment in his brother’s eyes as he lay dying in front of him.

His affliction is too vast to overcome

Oh yes, Master Drew knows heartache. He watched as his father was gunned down by a hired assassin. He understands what it’s like to feel helpless and utterly consumed by a harrowing tragedy that left his family in ruins.

Only one woman can heal his soul and mend his wounded heart

A former lover, Suzy Matthews reenters Master Drew’s life. Suzy is determined to win her Master’s heart, but as she plans to embrace the love she and Master Drew share, an emerging war finally erupts. Soon, Suzy is used as a pawn in a very dangerous game set to unfold between old enemies looking to settle one final score.

Available from: http://www.bookstrand.com/natalie-acres

   

******** EXCERPT ********

“He’s got her,” Drew said.

“No shit.” Crue’s voice filled his ears. “Gabe and I have clear shots in the guest room. We can take out all but one of his men. Looks like Esparza’s son is standing at his twelve o’clock.”

“Don’t take those shots,” Drew whispered, easing closer to Esparza and Suzy. He couldn’t risk a complication. Suzy’s life was on the line.

“Damn it, Drew. If we don’t take them out, you won’t stand a chance when they scatter,” Gabe snapped.

“Then I won’t stand a chance.” He tucked his weapon at his waist and walked down the hallway with his hands in the air. This was like déjà vu, only worse. Suzy was on the floor. Esparza’s gun was aimed at her head. Damn if he didn’t know how that felt. He’d been there. He’d done that.

Damn man must’ve liked reliving moments in life. As Drew locked gazes with Esparza, he reminded himself of where he’d been, what heartache he’d suffered, all at the hands of a monster.

This despicable devil had been at the root of all his problems. He’d taken away the heart and soul of his family. He’d killed his father and slaughtered his brother. Now, he had his woman!

He’d be damned if he’d let him take one more person he cared about. And he wasn’t about to lose his life to Esparza so another one of his brothers would face off with him in the future.

It was time to end this. The moment had come. It was time to send a devil back to hell.

“What have we here?” Esparza cocked the gun.

“You’ll never get away with this,” Drew told him, glancing at Suzy. “We have the place surrounded.”

“Really?” Esparza threw his head back and laughed. “My property is twenty-five acres and your team—your team of six or seven men—have my place surrounded?”

“Your surveillance must’ve failed you somewhere, Esparza. We’ve pulled divisions from across the country.” Drew crept forward as he spoke. “I don’t foresee any way out of this for you.”

Esparza sneered. “I don’t see any positive outcome for your girl. Do you?”

Drew flinched. “I still can’t figure out why you have her. She’s been in town for two days and you think there’s some sort of lasting connection between us?”

Suzy shot him a quick glance. He wanted to run to her as soon as he implied she wasn’t important to him. He needed to wrap his arms around her and reassure her.

Again, Esparza tossed his head back. “You’re living in Vegas now. Haven’t you learned the laws of the land, yet? You can bluff a skilled player, a player who cares about the end result more than the temporary win. But you cannot—or at least you shouldn’t—bluff a true gambler. These individuals will go all-in without considering the risks.”

“Let her go,” Drew said, still holding his hands high. Manny was behind him now. Drew had worked with him long enough to feel him like a second skin. Scott was positioned at the other end of the hall. There was a little red dot on the side of Esparza’s head.

“Do you remember the time we spent together in Virginia, Drew?” Esparza grinned. “Of course you do. I’m the reason behind that drive you have now. When you rise every morning, I’m the only excuse you have to get out of bed. I’m your inspiration when you pound the pavement for four or five miles every day, and I’m—me, Drew, and no one else—the very reason you’ll never know a peaceful rest when you lay down at night and go to sleep.”

“You’re fucking insane.”

“And I speak the truth,” Esparza said. “We share a history that can never been separated. Don’t you feel it, Drew? I do. We’re linked together by what I now consider a very beautiful past, one wrought with murder and deceit, fraud and manipulation. Death surrounds us. Your father took away my family. I’ve slowly killed off yours. We meet, separate, and reunite again. We are so much a part of one another’s lives now that we’re almost family.”

Esparza yanked Suzy’s head back. “When families play together, darling, they stay together. You understand that. Don’t you?”

Copyright © 2013 Natalie Acres

International bestseller Natalie Acres is a Tennessee author writing exclusively for Siren Publishing. Prone to pen Western ménage romance and BDSM romantic thrillers, Natalie Acres enjoys sports, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. When she isn’t writing, Natalie is often found at a dice table in Cherokee, North Carolina, or playing poker in Tunica, Mississippi.

http://natalieacres.wordpress.com

http://www.amazon.com/Natalie-Acres/e/B002T575KC/

https://twitter.com/NatalieAcres

https://www.facebook.com/NatalieAcresAuthor

Demon A La Mode Blog Tour ~ Interview and Giveaway With Deena Remiel

DEMON A LA MODE

The Book Waitress, #3

Camille Dutton thinks she can save the world. But a rogue ice demon has no intention of letting her. At least not the way she’s planned. Forced to hide out from Satan, they find much in common even though they couldn’t be more different. Sparks fly as an undeniable force draws them together and they find out just how necessary he is to Camille’s life.

Complications abound as they return to the library. Derek and friends are none too pleased with the new addition to their group. With Hell’s portal opened and beasties passing through every day, there isn’t time to soothe emotions. Can the ice demon be trusted? Will this fragile group fall to pieces and allow Satan to gain control over the world? Or will they rise up stronger and with new resolve?

Amazon | B&N | Smashwords | iTunes

******** INTERVIEW ********

United By Books is pleased to have Deena Remiel on the blog today so we can learn more about her amazing books........

1 ~ Can you please share with us a little about yourself?

 I am a mom of two teenage girls, so I get my gray hair colored religiously every 4 weeks. I have a very understanding and loving husband, too. I’ve been teaching for 23 years and started writing seriously in 2009. Now, I can’t imagine my life without writing, without all the stories that percolate in my mind, or without all the characters that have grown to be a second family.

2 ~  Please tell us a little about your newest release ?

 Demon a la Mode is the third book in the urban fantasy series, The Book Waitress. Camille Dutton has been marked by Satan, inadvertently opened a portal to Hell, and as this book opens, we find out if she’s sacrificed herself to him for the sake of the world! It’s hard to tell you about this story without giving away spoilers. Let’s just say, once you open the book, you won’t put it down until you’re done. Because of the serialized nature of the series, I strongly recommend reading the books in order: The Book Waitress, Devil Du Jour, and Demon a la Mode.

3~  Would you like to share an excerpt with us today?

Sure, I’d LOVE to!

Dying was different this time around. More purposeful and focused. Camille’s decision to do something great and good for the sake of the entire world overshadowed the frantic cries and look of horror on Derek’s face as she mouthed the words, I’m sorry. She lifted her foot over the well’s seductive darkness and leaned in, relinquishing her entire body to Satan’s persistent beckoning.

A moment of weightlessness gave way to the inevitable pull of gravity. Arms involuntarily flew straight up, and her hair streamed above her like an angry flag. Crisp, rushing air raised goosebumps on her skin, and she gasped as she wondered just how far down she would go before hitting… Hell.

An intense burning and glowing of her scars, married with a high-pitched screeching, assaulted her senses. Gruesome creatures whizzed past, lashing her fragile body as they made their escape. She howled, recoiled, and tumbled awkwardly out of control. Dear God, what have I done? Flames seared every inch of skin as it continually regenerated. Her eyelid tattoos blazed, and with the last shred of consciousness, she recognized death was near.

A sudden jolt to her body and a voice, so insistent and rugged, roused her from semi-lucidity. “Not today, Marked One. He ain’t getting his claws into you today. Hang in there. I’ve got you now.”

An instantaneous icy sensation washed over every exposed area of skin, and she sighed with exhaustion before fading out completely.

4~ What's in store next for your readers?

Well, the Book Waitress Series is a 13-part, episodic novel series, so the next three books are in creation. Readers can expect paperback compilations after every 3 books are released. That means a paperback is headed their way at the end of May!

5~ What's the weirdest thing you've ever done in the name of research?

I connected with a travel blog writer to help me understand the setting’s unique climate in one of my books.

6~ What are some of your favorite kinds of stories to read?

I’m a sucker for highlander books, and if a romantic suspense gets within a mile of me, it’s mine.

7~ What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

I love shelving books in my school’s library! Actually, not so surprising, as I am the 1st Book Waitress!

8~  Do you sing and dance around the house while picking up?

I’m assuming you mean while cleaning around the house, so I will say this, as soon as I mention the word clean the house, the stereo goes on full blast and the ENTIRE FAMILY rocks out! J

9~ Describe yourself in three words?

Idealistic, fun-loving, determined

10~ What is the most embarrassing thing you got caught doing?

I got caught sleeping sitting up with my laptop on my lap. My fingers typed as I was awakened, and I wrote what was happening in my dream. I typed in an order for a hoagie! Haha!

11~ How did you celebrate the sale of your first book?

The family ate dessert for dinner, then ate dinner for dessert. J

12~ What are the scenes that are the hardest for you to write?

Believe it or not, it’s the love scenes that take the longest to write! I write the scene, revise it by adding more intensity, revise it again by adding more emotionality, and revise it again until it’s exactly how I want their love to be portrayed.

13~ Is there anything special you would like to say to your readers while we have you here today?

I’d like to thank them for their continued support and loving my books! It’s for them I write, so it gives me such pleasure to know they enjoy my stories.

It was the mystique of Arizona’s history and landscape that called to Deena and catapulted her career as an author. When she’s not writing romance and urban fantasy in the wee small hours of the morning or in the deep, dark of night, Deena teaches language arts to middle school students. She currently lives in Gilbert, Arizona with her husband and two children, but New Jersey will always tug at her heartstrings. She believes in angels and loves connecting with her fans, so find her at deenaremiel.com.

Connect with Deena:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

******** GIVEAWAY ********

Grand Prize:

1. Promotional T-shirt

2. Free eBook of Demon a la Mode 

3. Signed cover poster

4. Fan club bracelet

Runners up:

2nd place: signed cover poster and fan club bracelet

3rd place: signed cover poster

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

DEMON A LA MODE

Blog Tour Schedule

4/29 - 5/05

4/29 - Book Monster Reviews

http://www.bookmonsterreviews.com/

4/29- Literal Addiction

http://www.literaladdiction.com/

4/29 - Mythical Books

http://mythicalbooks.blogspot.com/

4/30 - Confessions of the Paranormal

http://confessionsoftheparanormal.blogspot.com

4/30 - Nette's Bookshelf

http://nettesbookshelf.blogspot.com/

5/01 - Sassy Book Lovers

http://sassybooklovers.blogspot.com/

5/01 - Kristina's Books & More

http://kristinasbooksandmore.blogspot.com/

5/02 - Close Encounters With The Night Kind

http://closeencounterswiththenightkind.blogspot.com/

5/02 - Urban Girl Reader

http://www.urbangirlreader.com/

5/03  - United by Books

http://unitedbybooks.blogspot.com/

5/03 - Page Flipperz

http://pageflipperz.blogspot.com/

5/04 - Toot's Book Reviews

http://tootsbookreviews.blogspot.com/

5/04 - Delphina Reads Too Much

http://www.delphinareadstoomuch.com/

5/05 - Salacious Reads

http://www.salaciousreads.com/

5/05 -  Book Lovin' Mamas

http://booklovinmamas.blogspot.com

05/05 - Darker Passions

http://darkerpassions.net/

Guest Post and Giveaway With Kathleen Harrington

LADY FRANCINE AND FINGUS MACKAY

Lady Francine Walsingham, the heroine in my latest book, LACHLAN'S BRIDE, is astonished when Laird Lachlan MacRath appears at the Tudor court as the personal representative of James IV of Scotland. MacRath and his kinsmen have come to act as royal escort for Princess Margaret, the eldest daughter of Henry VII and promised bride of the Scottish king.

Francine isn't the only person staring in disbelief at the chief of clan MacRath. All the English courtiers draw back in dismay, for the Scotsman is known throughout Europe as the Sorcerer of the Seas. English sailors tell stories of how that infamous pirate conjured up fierce storms which dashed their ships against the rocks to be plundered.

Francine suspects that Lachlan MacRath is a sorcerer, who may have the power to enchant her. She remembers the stories she's heard as a child, told by her family's falcon-keeper, Fingus Mackay.

Here is an out-take, which had to be cut due to the constraints of space, which shows a scene from Francine's tenth birthday.

**********************************************************

"My father is gifting me with a falcon for my birthday," Francine told Fingus Mackay. She scrambled up on an empty wooden crate, where she perched and smiled at her family's Master of the Hawks. "I'll be ten tomorrow," she added, just in case he'd forgotten.

Fingus pushed his woolen cap up over his wrinkled forehead and ran his fingers through his grizzled hair. "Wheesht, milady," he said, "'tis a powerful responsibility for one so young. Are ye certain ye be ready for it now?"

She giggled. "Well, you are the one who told Papa I could do it."

Fingus leaned one thin shoulder against a post and eyed her thoughtfully. Not much taller than Francine, he resembled one of the gnomes he often described in his fantastical stories. "And do yer tutors know where ye be at the present moment, milady"" he chided mildly.

"We stopped for the midday meal," Francine assured the falcon-keeper. "Will you tell me another wonder tale?"

Fingus gathered up a leather glove he'd been stitching when she first came in, pulled up a second crate and sat down. "Now, let me see," he said, scratching his gray whiskers. "Since tomorrow ye'll be celebrating the day of yer birth, I'll be telling ye what happens when the heir of a Highland chief is born."

Francine smiled eager to be enlightened. "What happens?"

Fingus tipped his crate back and leaned against the wooden post behind him, as he sewed the two pieces of the hawking glove together with a thin strip of leather. "When a baby boy who's destined to be chief of a Highland clan is born, he must be watched verra closely. Verra closely, indeed."

"Why?" she asked in a whisper.

"To guard him."

"From who?"

"Why from the faeries," he replied, as though everyone should know the answer to that. He calmly plied his needle through the holes he'd punched in the leather with an awl. "There must be a nurse watching the wee babe day and night. If she falls asleep for as much as a minute, the infant will be taken."

"Taken? Where?"

"To the Other World, where the hero gods of old abide."

"Will they hurt the baby?"

Fingus shook his head. "Nay, nay. The child will be raised with great care by a wizard, who will teach him the sorcery of the ancient ones and how to become a shapeshifter. The youngster will learn the magical alphabet and the answers to all the faery riddles that have ever been told. When he returns home, he will know how to cast spells using runes and secret incantations."

Francine slid down for the wooden box and moved closer to the falcon-keeper. She spoke in a hushed tone. "I asked Father Anselm if he believed in faeries and elves and he said he wasn't sure they existed, for he'd never seen one. But he did see a witch once."

Fingus jerked his bewhiskered chin in solemn confirmation. "Oh, aye, there be witches and wizards, right enough, milady. But as for faeries and elves," he quietly pointed out, "Father Anselm has nay been to the Highlands."

I'm presently working on the third book of theHighland Lairds Trilogy, with the tentative title of KEIR'S STORY. I'm looking forward with excitement to the release of LACHLAN'S BRIDE, an Avon Impulse, on April 30th.

Thank you for inviting me to share my thoughtswith your readers. I can be found at the following places:

http://www.kathleenharringtonbooks.com

http://www.facebook.com/kathleenharringtonbooks

Twitter @kathleensbooks

http://www.avonromance.com/author/kathleen_harrington

******** GIVEAWAY ********

Kathleen is offering up one eBook of Lachlan's Bride to one lucky commenter. All you have to do is fill out the rafflecopter below to be entered. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway