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Desolation Book Blast

Hi everyone today I am taking part in the Desolation book blast hosted by Book Nerd Tours. There is info on the book and a Giveaway for you all!

Asher St Paul thought it was just a typical zombie apocalypse like in the movies, until the necromancers crawled out of the woodwork. Since the undead have chased the living into hiding, the necromancers are able to roam freely in a new America of their making. Asher is seeking safe harbor. The need for safety is what drove him from his home in Philadelphia Pennsylvania before it was shelled. He has searched from quarantine to quarantine, always finding them overrun with zombies until he hears of The Refuge, a military compound in Binghamton New York. 

With his family and lover lain to rest by his own hand, he has nothing left to lose and gives everything he has to reach the safe haven. But questions arise when he reaches The Refuge, mainly, how has he been able to sustain multiple zombie bites and not change? He thinks he has found safety in the military compound turned quarantine, but he was wrong. Even now there is a necromancer trying to make The Refuge their kingdom of the dead


About the Author
I have always been a do-it-yourselfer. I haven’t had any formal education on writing, and I haven’t been raised around writer types. For that matter, I wasn’t even encouraged to read when I was a kid, even though plenty of people in my family read. When I was a teenager, I discovered Cliff’s Notes on Mythology, and it sparked something in me. It was like a floodgate had been opened, and all of these stories started rushing in. I would get ideas at random times, and I would jot them down. I have a pretty big file system of everything I have ever written. Someday I will get to them and put them all into electronic files. There is some good material in there, but there are a lot of bad stories too.

I started writing when I was thirteen or fourteen. At an early age I was already writing books of Saracin (the world The Bonds of Blood takes place in). The first book I wrote of that place was “The Calling of the Two” (not yet released). While I was writing that, I kept thinking of these characters Jovian and Angelica. I knew they had a part to play in the storyline, but they weren’t going to be in the same series. For that matter, they weren’t even going to be in the same age. As I finished the first draft of “The Calling of the Two” I went on to write the first book of Angelica and Jovian’s story. At that time it was The Mirror of the Moon. Later an editor told me it was so massive that I should make the one volume into two, and so The Bonds of Blood was born, and The Revenant Wyrd Saga went from a planned three to six.

That story has taken many forms until now, and I am sure if I didn’t declare that it was “done” it could continue to transform.

Along the way, I discovered my passion for research. I absolutely love researching. It would be nothing for me to sit for days on end, barely eating, just getting up to take care of necessities, and research really odd theories and stories. I get my ideas from them to be honest. Of course, my idea’s are never the main theme of the research I am doing, but it always seems to come from some obscure topic mentioned while I am researching. For instance one book I am outlining now is based on something I heard while watching Ancient Aliens.

Unlike most authors, I have not always loved reading and writing. I hated it until I was in 7th grade. My teacher wanted us to read the entire semester. We would read a book and write in a journal about it. Back then the teachers were allowed to spend more time on what their passions were, and actually foster something in their students, and she did just that. She made me love reading and writing. She told me to go to her book shelf and pick out a book that I was interested in. I found one of my first loves: David Eddings’ Pawn of Prophecy.

Back then I was in remedial reading, and my teacher (Mrs. Peters) would sit with me for the time I was in her classroom, taking turns reading the story out loud with me. We would read where the adventure was taking Garion, and then we would flip to the beginning and look at the map so we could follow them as well.

I think it was at that point, getting lost in a book I love to this day, that I knew I had to do this. I had to create the same magic for others that Mr. Eddings created for me.

At times it is boggling. I have three series of books started, and 2 more forming in my mind (and outlined on the computer). At this point I have to step back and finish the ones I have started before I can let myself move forward.

I feel that I am blessed in being able to write, and forging a life of my passion. It is tough at times, but that is what makes the payoff all the sweeter. The writing business is a huge adventure, trying to figure out what to do and what not to do; when to do things and when not to do anything. Currently I am planning the release of the second book to “The Bonds of Blood”. This is the first time I am armed with the knowledge of what I must do for a book release, and I finally understand why it nerves so many authors up, but it is that excitement that makes me love writing. Every time I hear a reader I don’t know praise my work, it makes my heart race and brightens my day.

Travis is the author of The Bonds of Blood, the first book in his epic fantasy series The Revenant Wyrd Saga. He has also written a young adult novel called A Lament of Moonlight which is book one of his pre-apocalypse series The Harbingers of Light. He is currently seeking publication for the first book of a third series, a zombie novel called Desolation. When he isn’t writing he is helping his family and trying to live a normal, under the radar life. His interests lie in cooking, gardening, green living, and human rights advocacy. He is a huge supporter of the Trevor Project and all agencies that seek to preserve natural resources and protect pets from abuse.”

Giveaway
Must Be 13 To Enter | Open Internationally | Prize to be delivered via e-mail
One winner will get a $15 Amazon Gift Card
One winner will get a $10 Amazon Gift Card



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Broken Prince Tour - Excerpt

Hi everyone! Today I have a stop on the Broken Prince blog tour. There is an excerpt and info on the book.

Title: Broken Prince (Book 2 of The Broken Ones)
Author: Jen Wylie
Genre: New Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:
Sometimes, when you're broken, you can heal on your own. Sometimes, you need the help of your friends, your family, and the people you love. Keeping those pieces together when the world seems intent on ripping you apart is the greatest challenge of all. Especially when the ones you love, the ones who hold you together, start falling apart themselves.

Arowyn and her family continue on their journey to return the Elven Prince, Shael, to his homeland before he fades and dies. A journey full of triumph and horror, love and sorrow, rips them apart with every fighting moment, and yet brings them together as a family. They don’t allow the prophecy to rule their lives. Some don’t believe, some don’t care. Prophecies aren’t written in stone. Events can change. People can change. They are only words. From besieged cites, to the elusive Were and wild Fey, nothing quite prepares them to face their deadliest of enemies, one they didn't know existed.

Excerpt

Damon knelt before them.
"Will she get better? Will she…" Prince’s voice trailed off.
Her eyes locked on Damon’s face as he regarded her thoughtfully. His hand came up and she flinched as it rested on the top of her head. No pain came. She felt…nothing. If he tried to speak to her, she couldn’t hear him.
"No," he said finally. "There has been damage to the brain. There is bleeding and swelling inside."
Prince’s cry startled her, almost as much as the sudden clutching of his arms around her. "Can you do anything," he choked out. "Please, I am responsible. I can not…I will pay–"
Damon chuckled. "It is not your life that needs saving." He stared at Prince for a long moment. "I see." He shook his head. "Perhaps I was wrong and she isn’t the one. I read so few pages of the book." He turned to Kei.
"No," the Fey said. "I don’t remember."
"Pity."
"Dragos, I beg of you," Prince began again.
"The Elven prince begs, and for a human. How very far you have fallen." He looked down at her again.
Blinking up at him, she tried to get her scattered thoughts to work. She’d barely comprehended what he’d said past the inference she was dying. The words sent an icy chill through her body. Terror crawled through her, speeding her heart. Sweat broke out on her forehead and all she could hear was her increasingly frantic breathing.
Kei startled her, leaning forward over her to press a kiss to her forehead. She tilted her head back, trying to see him.
"I’m with you."
Damon’s fingers brushes her cheek, drawing her attention back to him. "Do you wish to live, young Arowyn?"
Words refused to pass her lips. Somehow she managed to nod. She didn’t know what the cost would be, certainly there would be one. Right then, she didn’t care. Rot it all, she wanted to live!
"Very well." He regarded her thoughtfully for a moment. "Dragos rarely heal others. I do know the magic, but it is difficult. Your story has barely begun. I find I would actually attempt it, just to see what you might become and how it will unfold."
He sat back and gestured to the pile of furs next to him. "Lay her down. This will take some time and I’ll need no distractions."
Prince carefully set her amongst the furs, arranging her arms so her hands rested on her chest, tucking stray locks of hair behind her ears. Leaning forward, he rested his forehead for a moment against hers.
"Get well, Arowyn."
Bo appeared next, smoothing the hair back on the top of her head and squeezing one of her hands. "You can do this, pup."
Garen pressed his wet nose against her temple. If he spoke, she didn’t hear him.
Kei pushed the wolf aside and took her face in his hands. His eyes glowed with that strange orange inner light. Tears streaked down his cheeks. Despite the awkward position he leaned down and held her close for a moment. "Remember our promises," he whispered in her. "I’m always with you." He choked on a sob and squeezed her tightly again. "I love you," he whispered fiercely before quickly pulling away.
She wished she could speak. More than anything, she wanted to tell him she loved him, too. She wanted to tell all of them she did. Tears filled her eyes and slid down her face.
Damon knelt beside her and turned her head to look at him. "I will do what I can," he said. "However I can’t guarantee it will work. I have never tried to heal a human before. Understand?"
She managed a faint nod and pressed her quivering lips together.
He glanced up and gestured the others away. "Stand back and be silent." His eyes found hers again. "Don’t fight me this time, little one. Fall into my eyes…"
Blinking once more to clear the tears away, she tried to do as he asked. Damon’s eyes were strange enough she found it not difficult to stare. They had vertical slits and no whites at all. The iridescent color was a wash of blue-green with streaks of gold and red. The colors began to swirl, making her dizzy as she tried to watch them. A comforting thrum emanated from his chest, soothing her as his power wrapped around her. Her thoughts drifted into nothing.
Buy Links:


Goodreads 

Book One Broken Aro is on sale for 0.99

Author Bio:
Jen Wylie resides in rural Ontario, Canada with her two boys, Australian shepherd and a disagreeable amount of wildlife. In a cosmic twist of fate she dislikes the snow and cold.

Before settling down to raise a family, she attained a BA from Queens University and worked in retail and sales.

Thanks to her mother she acquired a love of books at an early age and began writing in public school. She constantly has stories floating around in her head, and finds it amazing most people don’t. Jennifer writes various forms of fantasy, both novels and short stories.

Links:
My website: www.jenwylie.com
Twitter: @jen_wylie

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Too Sexy For His Stetson- Review, Giveaway & Excerpt

Hey everyone! Today I have a stop on the Too Sexy For His Stetson. There is a review, excerpt and giveaway for you all.


Too Sexy for His Stetson
By: Mal Olsen

Blurb
Anguished over his father's lack of morals, Deputy Blade Beringer struggles to conquer self-doubts. When he and his K9 partner Rambo arrive in the mountains of northern Idaho, Blade is faced with a band of white supremacists, a homicide investigation, and a murder cold case, not to mention the task of training a gorgeous blond rookie. 

Trainee Brandy Wilcox is bent on clearing her mother's name of a wrongful murder conviction. While working the homicide investigation with her sexy new training officer, she discovers a connection between the victim and her mother's case. The two deputies struggle to resist their mutual attraction and abide by the no-fraternizing rules, but passion blazes and teeters on the brink of love. With a killer targeting them and danger lurking at every turn, Brandy doubts their love can blossom, especially when she puts Officer Skip Coogan—Blade's best friend and father figure—at the top of her suspect list.

My Review
Training Deputy Brandy Wilcox is bound to clear her moms name and prove she wasn't a murderess. She is training to be a cop and gets pair with her new training officer Blade Beringer. She tries to keep it a secret that she is still trying to clear her moms name from Blade. The person she believes framed her mom is a close friend of him. It's hard to keep secrets from lade when they are working so close together not to mention he is one sexy man. Blade has his own dark secrets he is trying to let go of and he knows he shouldn't get to close to Brandy not just because it's against the rules but because he doesn't want a relationship. They both find themselves working very close together as a group of  white supremacist are hiding dark secrets that may be a danger to the town and the people in it.  They have to figure out how to work together and trust each all the cases may just tie in together. The danger is heating up and it's not the only thing that has sparks flying.

Brandy  is a smart, sexy woman who works hard. She doesn't blow her money on frivolous things and saves it to use to clear her mom's name. Ever since she was a child she knew her mom didn't do anything. She grew up hard and it create a tough exterior. She doesn't trust easy. Blade is the sexy cop you wouldn't mind pulling you over. He looks out for others and hates to see the bad in anyone. He worries how he will turn out because his father was an awful man. He fears he will be just like him. Blade can be a very teasing kind of man as you will see. These two are great together even when you know they can't be together you want them to be anyway.

Right from the start I could tell I was going to enjoy this book. Brandy comes onto the scene and you can tell even when over her head she doesn't give up and tries to think of ways to get things under control. The action starts right away in this book and doesn't end till you reach the last pace. I read this book in one sitting as it is very easy to get into and enjoy. You never know what is going to happen and your always guessing.  The place you find yourself in is very beautiful and you can picture is as you read. I like the chemistry between Blade and Brandy and liked reading about them circling each other trying not to make a move. This book has drama, secrets, action, love and much more. It's truly a journey of two people doing their job and learning that their past can be let go of. It's an amazing book that you get to see just how far some people will go to get what they want.

4 out of 5 Stars

Excerpt

Brandy’s trigger finger twitched. A bead of sweat tickled its way down her backbone. She was inexperienced, off duty, and miles from her truck, which sat near a trailhead in the mountainous wilderness of northern Idaho, and the intruder she held at gunpoint probably had seventy muscled pounds on her.  
She studied the cowboy’s sweet-as-honey, wicked-as-sin smile through the sights of her department-issued Remington semiautomatic rifle. From his pose on the rickety porch of the old log cabin, he assessed her right back. His full lips tugged across Crest-white teeth, exposing a small but sexy gap between his central incisors.
He tipped his head toward the jimmied-open window. “I know this looks bad, Ma’am, but I can explain,” he drawled out “Ma’am” again.
“Deputy Sheriff Brandy Wilcox. Keep your hands where I can see them.”     
“Brandy?” Impervious to the deputy sheriff title, he straightened and angled his dusty black Stetson over his forehead so the brim shadowed his cool-water eyes. “Name like that could make a man real thirsty.”  
Brandy had heard just about every come-on in the book, but never from a trespasser on the business end of her rifle. She calculated his over-confident grin, the twinkle in his eyes, the tilt of his head—blond curly hair no less. A sensual package that promised a ride on the wild side—if one was so inclined. Which she was not.
Yet something primal tugged deep in her stomach.
Bracing the Remington more firmly against her shoulder, she steadied her aim and revved up her grit. This guy was banking on his wild smile a little too heavily. What he needed was some taming.
“Okay, drop ‘em.”
When he lowered his arms, she said, “Not your hands, your pants.”
For several beats, he stared at her like he hadn’t heard.
“Lose your Levis,” she urged again. She had no desire to shoot him, but she didn’t have handcuffs on her and she wasn’t about to chance his getting away. If it came to a footrace, his long muscular legs could outrun her in a heartbeat. But he couldn’t get far stomping barefoot in his skivvies through the mountainous shale-scabbed terrain. Not that making a break for it was something she intended to let him try.
“Excuse me? You want me to strip?” A trill of elation noticeably brightened his whisky-smooth voice. His expression bounced between “this is my lucky day” and disbelief.
“You got it. And while you’re at it, you can get rid of the shirt too.”
The fine lines defining his too-blue eyes crinkled as his expression turned sultry, and charisma dripped off his broad shoulders like summer rain over mountain granite.
Charisma, hell. That would get him exactly nowhere with her. “Necessary precaution. I wouldn’t want you trying to mosey off.” Not before she could engage an on-duty deputy to make an arrest.
She may have looked as young and inexperienced as she was, but she was physically and mentally tougher than her feminine five-foot-four frame suggested. She could outshoot and outthink every cadet in her graduating class at the police academy.
Revenge had a way of empowering a woman.
Despite her upbringing, she’d beaten the odds. She was making something of herself, and she wasn’t about to be intimidated by this guy and his toothpaste poster-boy smile, nor the blond, sweat-soaked curls straggling across his collar. Or the pumped biceps stretching the fabric of his shirtsleeves.
“I’m still waiting.”
“You’re serious?” He eyed the lettering on her I’m a Redneck Woman T-shirt, a fifty-cent find at Goodwill. “I usually like to get to know a woman a little before taking my clothes off and having a good time.” The dazzle of his smile cranked the charisma meter several notches higher.
“I can assure you, you won’t be having a good time.” Smart ass.
“That’s debatable. I’m already enjoying this more than you can imagine.”
Too eagerly, his fingers began tugging open his shirt buttons, revealing a deep triangle of bronzed skin dusted with tawny chest hair. More sun-kissed eye candy than she was ready to cope with.
As he slid buttons through buttonholes, her gaze skidded to a stop on abs honed like corrugated steel. She tore her glance upward only to meet those unnerving eyes, speckles of light glinting in the azure pools.
As he reached for the fastener on the waistband of his slim-fit 510’s, the heat blooming on Brandy’s cheeks slid south. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. Still, he couldn’t run far in his underwear. Seconds ticked by. Golden sunbeams gleamed off beads of sweat on muscles she didn’t really want to notice, but her attention was completely captured by the liquid heat trickling down his chest. She worked harder to convince herself the quiver in her gut came from adrenaline not feminine hormones. At any moment, her survival instincts and training would take over and stop this ridiculous sensual reaction to him. “Turn around and take off your boots.”
“My boots?” The first sign of indignation crept into his voice. “Brandy, Honey, I think you’re making a big mistake. Did you ever hear of fairness in apprehension?”
“You sound experienced.” Obviously, this wasn’t his first tangle with the law. “Have you heard of justification of lethal force? Consider yourself lucky that I didn’t shoot first and ask questions later. Now turn around and get to work on those boots.”
“What about my Miranda rights? Or the proposition that a man’s innocent until proven guilty?” he asked even as he followed orders and pivoted, presenting her with a view of his equally impressive backside.
But rather than shucking off his well-worn snakeskin Justins, he removed his shirt and slowly slid his belt through the loops, making a sensual striptease out of the movements.
The cotton fabric of Brandy’s T-shirt dampened, and her concentration started to wane. Not because the temperature was flirting with triple digits and the August sun had bullied every cloud from the sky. The blame rested on blue eyes that had messed with her thermostat.
She cleared her throat. “The arresting officer will read you your rights. For now, I’d get to work on those boots if I were you.”
“You want to separate me from my boots, you’re going to have to do it yourself.” His back still to her, he planted his scuffed heels firmly on the cabin’s splintered porch boards and glanced over his shoulder.
“On the other hand, if you’re really interested in seeing what’s under my jeans, I’m all yours, Honey. I do love a redneck woman.”  
Her heart hammered against the fabric of the particular T-shirt she wished she hadn’t selected that morning, which was clinging to her chest like shrink wrap. The Gretchen Wilson song title had made her laugh out loud when she’d come across the tee on the bargain table at the Goodwill store, and because it was a ridiculously outrageous tag for Brandy Wilcox, she’d bought it as a joke.
As she pondered her purchase mistake of the year, wind-tossed grit scratched her throat. Expelling a slow, controlled breath, she dipped into the pocket of her jeans for her cell phone. “You have the right to remain silent in the face of any questions that might be put to you.” With hardly a waver in her voice, she added, “Do you understand?”
For untold sun-blistered seconds, he exercised his right to remain silent. She steadied the rifle, her finger alongside the trigger, and flipped her phone open with her free hand. Glanced down to read the screen. The blank, dead screen.
In the pristine silence, the sound of a zipper rasped.
Lord. Way too much sinewy, masculine muscle made her insides twist. The heat index rose to equator level. Before Mr. Totally Ripped revealed the answer to the age old question “boxers or briefs,” Brandy choked out, “Hold it right there.”
Jeans hanging low on his hips, he swiveled and faced her. “So, Brandy, what are you doing roaming around out here all by yourself?”
She narrowed her eyes and tightened her grip on the rifle. “Maintaining my sharp-shooter’s status.”
A muscle in his cheek twitched. “Maybe you should put down that rifle before you accidentally kill someone. Namely me. It would be ill advised for a deputy to shoot a suspect merely on probable cause. That could get said deputy in a lot of trouble. Guaranteed.”
“If I take you down, Mister, it won’t be any accident, and it won’t necessarily kill you.”
His tongue played sexily over the sweat collecting on the indentation above his upper lip. “You’re that good, huh?”
Double entendre intended—she was sure. Definitely too sexy for his Stetson.
“Good enough to put a hole in your hat and a crease in your skull without turning you into a pulseless, non-breathing suspect. I don’t think you want to chance that. It would smart a whole lot. Guaranteed.”
“That’s some mighty big talk for such a little lady.” The grin that tilted the corner of his mouth irritated more than intimidated her.
“A little lady with a big gun that could put a crease just about anywhere I choose.” She lowered the barrel of the rifle and set her aim in the vicinity of his zipper. “That’d smart a whole lot more. Absolutely guaranteed.”
It warmed her heart when he came to his senses and reined in his smile.

Buy Links


Author Info
Mal Olson writes adrenaline kicked romantic suspense. She enjoys skydiving, ski jumping, SCUBA, hang gliding, big wave surfing, car racing, mountain climbing—that is, vicariously through her characters, who are always kick-ass, and often boss her around rather than allowing her to spin her stories the way she intends. (She did, however, personally engage in zip lining this past summer.) 

Her debut novel Shadow of Deceit, released by The Wild Rose Press in 2012, is an edge of the seat romantic suspense-thriller set in Milwaukee and parts of northern Wisconsin. A couple of her favorite reviews came from Beverly at The Wormhole, who said, "Wow! This one has it all! Non-stop action, hot and sexy characters, betrayal, smokin' romance, and a thrilling plot--" and Gothic Mom's Book Review, which stated, "In the 150+ books that I read per year, there are very few that receive a five star rating. Shadow of Deceit did just that. Non stop action, sexual tension, an adventure that had me on the edge of my seat...A fantastic book that had me from page one..." 

Olson also offers two short stories. Danger Zone, which has spent months in the Kindle top 100 free romantic suspense category, is a guaranteed fifteen minute pulse pounder where two strangers survive a rock 'n roll landing on an icy Milwaukee runway and chase a could-be terrorist into the danger zone. Me and Brad, a feel good romance, features an irresistible K-9 and was ranked in the Kindle free top 100 list for months in the Contemporary Romance category. 

Author Links

Giveaway

Link to follow the tour.
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The Melody In My Head Cover Reveal

Hi everyone! I have the cover reveal for The Melody In My Head today on the blog. I am really looking forward to this book as I loved the first one in this series! First some about the book.


The Melody In My Head. Love and Music in Texas, Book Two by Nikki Lynn Barrett.
Blurb: Welcome back to Harmony's Echo, Texas..... 

Melody Roland is on the run from the one person she trusted completely. One who hid a dark past she could never have imagined. When a pregnant woman on the bus she's fleeing on goes into labor, Melody rushes to her aide. Now she finds herself stranded in a tiny remote town just off the highway, with no way to her original destination. 

She's alone, on edge, and unsure who to trust. Her instincts scream to get far away and fast. But how and where? 

Jameson Grant struggles through the roughest year of his life. Suffering from the loss of his father, one grief stricken night, he made a mistake. One which cost him the only woman he's ever loved. Each lonely day he's faced with the constant reminders of how quick things can change. Throwing himself into the one thing he has left, his music, helps dull the pain he fights to keep hidden. His last salvation begins to crumble as things spiral out of control and he has no choice but to face the 'music' of his past. 

The last thing he needs or wants in his life is a woman with more trouble on her heels than the best of country music lyrics. But Melody sings a sirens call within him that can't be ignored. 

Jameson and Melody bond in ways stronger than either could have imagined, but one dangerous person from her past may threaten it all... 

If she doesn't flee before he can convince her to stay, and that some love songs last an eternity.


Excerpt
She shouldn't have listened to them.
  Ohmygodohmygod
She really was going to be sick. Melody's stomach clenched, her breaths came out on rasps, images she'd rather not have in her mind played over and over again as the sounds repeated.
Melody had to get out of here.  Go somewhere, clear her head. She forced herself to stop crying, dried her face. She hesitated before opening the door, hoping Jameson and Blaine were too busy to notice her. She didn't hear them, and wasn't sure where either of them were.
She made a dash for it. From the sounds of it, the two were still in the kitchen. Melody could go through the front door and get a bit of fresh air. As quick and quiet as she possibly could be, she managed to get out the front door without either of them noticing her.
The ladder still leaned against the house, from when she and Jameson climbed up there. The old wood creaked underneath her weight as she walked across the front porch. Carefully walking down the steps, Melody gripped the sides of the ladder. One by one, she climbed the rungs, pulled herself up onto the roof and scrambled up. She let her feet dangle over the edge as she let the tears flow again.
Patchy clouds hid the sun, and a cool, brisk breeze weaved through her hair, tossing it lightly. Melody pushed strands out of her face as her chest constricted with sobs.
“Melody?”
She gasped at the sound of Jameson's voice. She stared down at him. He frowned, jumped onto the ladder and was at her side in seconds. He pulled her to him. Cupping her face, Jameson persuaded her to look at him.
“What's wrong? I'm sorry. I heard the door and wasn't sure what was going on. Then I saw you up here in tears...” Jameson cradled her to him. “If you need me to leave you alone, I will, but I had to make sure you're okay.”
Melody liked this man. Way too much. He was always right there to talk to her. He had so much to deal with, but he always put it aside when Melody had something going.  She didn't want to lean on him, she didn't want to drag him into her screwed up world.
He knew the real reason she ran, so it was a little too late to keep him out. Damn it, why did he have to be such a great guy?  It was the wrong time! 
“I used your phone to make a long distance call.”
Jameson pulled away and chuckled. “Okay. So you're crying up here because you made a long distance call?  It's not the end of the world. We have long distance on our phone.”
Melody nearly laughed, but the gesture actually forced more tears out.  She'd said the completely wrong thing to start off with. Yes, that did sound foolish! Crying over a long distance phone call. If only it were that simple. Oh, if only.

Fun Facts about The Melody in My Head, and the Love and Music in Texas Book series.
Jameson's character wasn't originally going to be a good guy.  (I know, I know...what was I thinking?) As I wrote Baby Stetson, he surprised me and grew on me. I loved him so much, I had to give him his own story and HEA.

When Picking out covers for this series, I try to put items that are part of the story on the covers. Look at Baby Stetson- the hat there has a valid reason for being there. It's part of Avery's history. Same with Melody in My Head- Jameson is the lead guitarist, so why not use a guitar? :)

Melody's character actually had a part in another book. I had her backstory and plot figured out a long time ago, I just had no idea I'd pair her with Jameson and send her to Harmony's Echo, Texas. But it worked out so well! Love it when I can combine story ideas!

From now until the end of July, Baby Stetson, the first in the Love and Music in Texas series, is discounted to just $.99. You'll meet Jameson in this book, and then you can get his story when The Melody in My Head comes out.

Baby Stetson Blurb:
In small Texas towns, strangers come and go... 

Left in a Stetson hat, on the steps of the local bed and breakfast, Avery Callimer came into the world on a wing and a prayer. Raised by loving adoptive parents, she's never lacked for love...only the knowledge of her past. 

By day she works the Inn, but by night...Avery comes alive as lead singer in a band. Life was good...stable, until new guests blew into town. 

Some strangers come with secrets and lies 

Lucas Bennett is one such stranger. Drifting from one mess to another has left him jaded. Doesn't matter the dramas are never his doing. Giving it one last shot to make a fresh start lands him Harmony's Echo, Texas and smack dab in front of the tantalizing Avery. 

Despite his best efforts to ignore the burn Avery's ignited within, he's intent to keep his distance. Secrets have followed him. Secrets he doesn't want Avery to know. 

Each time they're near the other things heat up like a brushfire on a dry Texas prairie. 

But maybe, after the dust settles and the smoke clears, love can bloom with a fresh start.

Add this book to your goodreads list!

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Other books by Nikki Lynn Barrett
The Secret Santa Wishing Well


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Nikki Lynn Barrett lives in Arizona with her husband and son. She's an avid reader, a dreamer, and loves everything about books. She runs a book blog, an online used bookstore, and writes various genres of romance. Nikki can also be found outside with her camera when a storm is near, snapping photo after photo. Her dreams of becoming a writer started when she was young, when she started writing books in one subject notebooks by the fifth grade. The Secret Santa Wishing Well is her debut book. You can visit Nikki's site at: www.nikkilynnbarrett.blogspot.com for more information. She is working on her next book. Nikki would love to hear from readers. Email her at nikkilynnbarrett@yahoo.com

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Armored Hearts Blog Tour - Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Hi everyone! Today I have a stop on the Armored Hearts Tour. I have a review, excerpt and giveaway for you all!


Armored Hearts
By: Melissa Turner Lee & Pauline Creeden
Cover art by Marcy Rachel Designs
Model Photographer: WinterWolf Studios

This is an exciting collaboration between a Steampunk writer and a Paranormal Romance author. Together we are blending the two cultures as seamlessly as possible so that fans of both genre will love what we’ve come up with.

Blurb
When a crippled young lord rescues a girl falling from a tree, it reveals a secret about himself and his mother's side of the family that could put him at the center of a war with beings he thought only existed in fairytales.

Tristan Gareth Smyth lived his entire life stuck at home at Waverly Park and left behind while his Grandfather makes trips to London, all because of his blasted wheelchair.

Then an American heiress falls in his lap, literally, and he must find a way to keep her at a distance to protect not only his secret, but everyone around him from an assassin sent to kill him.

My Review
Tristan Gareth Smyth has put a wall up to keep people out. He has always been crippled and doesn't want people to feel sorry for him. He figures if he is hateful with them they will leave him alone.Not only does being crippled keep him wanting to keep the walls up but the fact is he has a secret he doesn't want anyone but his aunt to know about. He has kept his walls up for years letting no one in until Jessamine comes into his life. Now he has to figure out how he got his special ability, how to keep Jessamine from getting to close and whether he should open up to her. His life has taking a new turn and danger is getting closer.

Gareth seems like such a jerk most of the book. You understand why he is a grouch but you just want to shake him and say wise up!! I like his ability and think it's one I would like to have myself. I liked seeing Gareth grow in this book and you get a glimpse of how great he will be. Jessamine is smart, pretty, rich and she won't back down. No matter what Gareth throws at her she still persist in helping him and wanting him. I love this girl. In a time when girls are supposed to act a certain way she doesn't care and does what she thinks should be done and what she wants to a certain point.

I liked this story for the most part. At times it seemed a little slow focusing on how grouchy Gareth was. When it takes off it really gets moving. There is action as Gareth tries to protect his villagers and much more. There is magic that I won't give away but I loved it. Love is there but it is not there at first it is something that grows as the book proceeds. Some parts in the book I could see what was going to happen but it still had several surprises that left me thrilled. I love the steampunk parts you get to see. Some of the inventions are amazing and make you wish you could have them. I look forward to seeing what the next book holds in store and I believe the magical journey has just started.

3 out of 5 Stars


Excerpt
Twelve-year-old Tristan Gareth Smyth gripped the armrests of his wheelchair and said, “This will do. I can make it the rest of the way on my own from here.”
His eyes trained up the landmark tree and he had that feeling again. The vapor of a memory, maybe a dream. He always had that feeling when he looked up at the broad branches of this particular oak. Then he remembered who he was talking to and his face hardened.
The new maid, Sarah, with her strong Scottish burr, patted him on the shoulder. Gareth refused to look at her. He stared down at his knee pants instead. “Are ye sure ye will be alright? I do na mind walking with ye the rest of the way to Mr. Strong’s house.”
Gareth clenched his hands into fists. “I’ll be fine.”
“Too bad he didn’t like coming out to the manor. Remember how green Mr. Strong got when he choked on my spice cake that day and ran off.” She laughed but tried to cover it with a cough. “I thought that would be the end of ’im but he worked it out with yer grandfather to instruct ye in town. Funny, my spice didn’t bother the rest of ye.”
She bent down in front of Gareth, attempting to make eye contact. “There are lots of children in this section of town. Ye might try making friends with ’em.”
Gareth turned away and clenched his jaw. Children never wanted to make friends with him. The chair made them uncomfortable. And what did he care anyway? He attempted to give her as stern a look as his grandfather would. “I know the way from here, and I won’t be late. You can go on to market, now.”
The breeze picked up and blew wisps of red hair into the woman’s round face. She smiled. Was she making fun of him? “Oh, it’s such a pretty day. This fresh air will do ye good, for certain.”
Gareth scowled.
She patted her hands on her knees and stood straight again. “Well then, I’ll leave ye to it. I’ve got to run off to the baker’s. Be sure to get to Mr. Strong’s in a timely manner. Though I think yer old governess was doing a fine job. Not sure why ye need Mr. Strong. But I guess it’s none of my concern.”
She was a servant, in uniform, and he was a future lord. Following his instruction was her duty. She and her husband, Thompton had been employed by his grandfather only six months. They might find themselves out of work and heading back to Scotland, if she kept voicing that sort of opinion.
No, Gareth could never really get them fired. But he’d make her think he would. He shook his head in the same disapproving manner he’d seen his grandfather use.
The sunlight played in the golden highlights of the woman’s ruby hair. Although her green eyes twinkled, she continued to voice her cutting opinion. She placed one hand on his shoulder. “It’s not being stuck in this chair that keeps ye lonely. It’s yer surly attitude.”
Gareth couldn’t help but let his face scrunch a little. He crossed his arms and turned his face from her.
Her accent was thick and melodic, familiar in a way. His mother had been Scottish though he hardly remembered her. Still, Gareth kept his pout in place. The truth was, he didn’t know how to relate to others. Even people who could feel at ease talking to perfect strangers stammered or spoke quickly to him and walked away. The wheelchair did more than keep him from playing.
She straightened the collar of his waistcoat. “Look, there’s a little girl coming now. She looks to be about Tabitha’s age. Maybe a wee bit older.”
He did glance then, but just under his lashes, not to give the impression that he cared. Easier to act like he didn’t care than to show he truly did. He refused to give anyone more reason to feel sorry for him. No one pities an angry person.
He missed Tabitha…Tabitha Fitzgerald, Lord Gerald Smyth’s bastard daughter. But ward was her polite title. At five years old, she was the only person he allowed to get close. Maybe it was the way she climbed up in his lap, never caring about the wheelchair. She didn’t see it when she looked at him, she only saw Gareth.
He never spoke to Tabitha about who her parents really were, but she knew. For some reason, servants believed children to be both deaf and dumb, and gossiped openly around them. That’s how Gareth knew the truth about his own mother. He was told she died, but he’d overheard the maids say she had run back home to Scotland and how they didn’t blame her. It’s also how he’d learned the truth of his own father’s death—shot by his mistress’s jealous husband.
“I’m heading off. I’ll be sure to get ye a sweet roll for later.”
Gareth only grunted in response.
When the maid turned away, Gareth allowed himself to watch the little girl play. Her hair was a darker blonde than Tabitha’s and had streaks of amber. She looked to be a bit taller, too, as she ran around in a green day dress and stockings. She pushed a hoop along until she reached the tree. Once there she looked both ways. Her eyes met Gareth’s and, for a moment, he was tempted to turn away to keep her from doing it first. Instead, she smiled broadly and beckoned him closer.
Gareth wheeled his chair to the tree trunk, his curiosity getting the better of him. The girl dropped the hoop on the ground and took hold of the lowest branch. She whispered in an accent he didn’t recognize, “Keep watch for me, and call out if you see anyone coming.”
His chin tucked in and his eyes grew wide. She took it as assent, and nodded, starting her climb. She was spirited like Tabitha. The thought of being able to climb a tree at all pricked at Gareth’s heart. He would never get to climb a tree.
Again he took on the expression of being bored. No one needed to know he was jealous of the girl. Gareth made a habit of never owning his true feelings. It was his protective covering. With his lids half closed, he tried not to watch the girl or keep an eye out for anyone else’s approach. Without his permission, his gaze returned to the girl’s powder white limbs as she climbed higher than most children did.
Soon she was too high up.
Gareth adjusted himself in his seat, his eyes darting around. Instead of keeping lookout, he hoped for some adult to show up and tell the girl to come down.
The girl called down in a harsh whisper.“Look! Watch this.”
She scooted out on a limb, making her way to a bird’s nest. The limb wobbled as she got closer to the end.
He was about to call out a warning to her when it was too late. The branch snapped. The little girl was falling with barely a squeal.
All Gareth could think was that he needed to do something. It was then he noticed he was rushing towards her. He wasn’t sure how he was moving his wheelchair and catching her but he did. Her giant brown eyes grew as he held her. Then she looked about and her eyes became wider. He swallowed hard and stared at the ground several feet away.
In a rush, he placed the girl on the grass and flew back to his chair. His heart still pounded in his ears as he sat. He tried to mask his confusion as he masked all other uncomfortable emotions, but it wasn’t working. The girl stared at him, but said nothing as a dark haired woman rushed toward her.
“Sweeting, are you ok?” The woman swept the girl up into her arms. “I got here as fast as I could. I can’t believe you did that. I thought I told you not to climb that tree.”
She put the girl back down and looked her over, grabbing her head and looking for a sign of injury. “Aren’t you hurt at all? I saw you falling from the window upstairs.”
The girl shook her head too quickly, like she was still in shock.
“Come on back to the house,” the pinch-faced woman snapped, ushering the little girl away.
The girl yanked her hand free of the woman’s grasp and rushed back to Gareth. She placed an object in his hand and kissed his cheek.
“You were amazing,” she whispered and turned back to the woman who called out her name.
Gareth’s cheeks burned. What did the woman say the girl’s name was? He didn’t hear with the blood rushing to his ear drums. Jessie? Jenny?
The woman scolded the girl as she returned to her. “What did you do? Where are your manners? You don’t talk to cripples. Best to act like you don’t see them at all.”
The words struck Gareth like a bucket of cold water. But he let it slide off him as he thought about the fact that he had flown. He watched after the girl as her dark eyes stared back. His mind was muddled at what had happened. The muscles in his face hardened and he glared at the woman’s back as they retreated.
Shaking his head, he remembered he was supposed to be heading to Mr. Strong’s house. He pushed on the wheels of his chair down the road again. He’d forgotten he was holding something, and nearly dropped it. The small, pale blue-green stone had a few dark wrinkles, but almost looked like a robin’s egg. He put it to his nose. Flowers. It smelled just like the girl.
Gareth was so caught up in staring at how tiny the stone was in his palm, he’d forgotten all about Mr. Strong until the man called, “Master Tristan, what are you doing out here? You were to report to my house a quarter of an hour ago.”
“I prefer Gareth.” He narrowed his eyes at the pale, feeble man.
Mr. Strong ran a hand through his thin blond hair and smiled, his lips forming a thin line. “Yes, of course.”
Mr. Strong placed himself behind Gareth’s chair and pushed down the lane. “I have an excellent plan for your studies today. I see you’ve brought no supplies from your home, but no matter, I have plenty of paper and pens to practice your lettering…”
Gareth rolled his eyes, knowing Mr. Strong couldn’t see. The man’s cheerful babble continued as he pushed them towards the house past the inn. The stone rolled between Gareth’s fingers, and he remembered the feeling of the girl’s lips on his cheek.

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Author Info (Melissa Turner Lee)
Melissa Turner Lee holds a BA in Communications with a concentration in Journalism from the University of South Carolina. She has studied fiction writing since 2008, attending various writing conferences and workshops, along with guidance from professional writing coaches. She resides in Spartanburg, SC with her husband and 3 sons.



Twitter: @MelissaTLee1975


Author Info (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.



Twitter: @P_Creeden

Giveaway
Five Digital Copies of ARMORED HEARTS & One Autographed Copy with SWAG

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