Monday, June 22, 2015

Cover Reveal! Over the Fence by Melanie Moreland #romance #giveaway

Over The Fence
by Melanie Moreland
Date of Publication: August 2015

Synopsis

There are so many ways to fall in love in today’s world. Besides the usual bars and blind dates, you can meet someone from any part of the world via the computer. The scope is endless. Possibilities abound, if that’s what you want.
But what happens when you aren’t searching for love, and it shows up—way closer than you ever expected?
Two neighbors—strangers— with one thing in common—they share a fence.
But is that the only thing they share?
Nathan Fraser lives a solitary life, never letting anyone get too close. It’s safer that way.
Kourtney Whyte hides from the world and behind her work, too afraid to really live her life to the fullest. Rejection is what she knows best.
But one night, the sound of her soft voice and the tantalizing aroma of her evening meal, prove too enticing for Nathan to ignore.
So begins their unconventional relationship—talking, learning, texting, and gradually opening up to one another, all over the fence.
That is, until the day Nathan braves the high fence to protect Kourtney from her past, and changes everything forever.
Can they move forward together, without the buffer of the fence?
Or will their pasts prove to be too much of a barrier?

Other Books by Melanie

Barnes & Noble - http://tiny.cc/ou7lzx
Barnes & Noble - http://tiny.cc/0v7lzx

About the Author

Melanie Moreland lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her husband and four children. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them. Known as the quiet one with the big laugh, Melanie works for the sporting teams of a local university. Her (box) office job, while demanding, is rewarding as she cheers on her team to victory. While seriously addicted to coffee, and somewhat challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties and socialize, and also enjoys traveling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip. Melanie delights in writing a good romance story with some bumps along the way, but is a true believer in happily ever after. When her head isn’t buried in a book, it is bent over a keyboard, furiously typing away as her characters dictate their creative story lines to her even more inspired tales, for all to enjoy.
Connect with Melanie 

Sunday, June 7, 2015

New Release: All Cried Out by @AKMorgen #romance #giveaway


 All Cried Out
Sequel to All Falls Down
By: Ayden K. Morgen
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover by: Jada D'Lee Designs
Publication Date: 6/7/15

Summary:

With Jared Corbit and Savannah Martin's wedding day quickly approaching, everything should be golden for the two, but their trouble has only just begun. When the media learns of the damage Stewart Paulson has inflicted on the Talbot family, Savannah and Jared get caught in the cross-hairs.

Even worse, the past has caught up with Savannah in a big way, and nothing will prepare her or Jared for the danger headed their way or the devastating decisions they'll be forced to make as a result. 

Jared's determined to protect his fiancée from the people milling in the shadows, but good intentions only go so far. When Savannah learns the truth he's desperately trying to keep from her, their future together begins to unravel. How can she trust him when he's lying to her? And just how far is he willing to go to protect the woman he loves from her past?

All Cried Out, told exclusively from Jared's POV, is the exciting follow up to Ayden K. Morgen's All Falls Down.

Purchase Links

Amazon      US - http://tiny.cc/9g81yx      UK - http://tiny.cc/6h81yx      CA - http://tiny.cc/5i81yx

25% of proceeds from All Cried Out will go to the Polaris Project, a national nonprofit working to combat human trafficking around the world, in honor of Cassie M. Combs. You can learn more at http://polarisproject.org.



All Cried Out Excerpt: 

All Falls Down

When Savannah Martin walks in on her abusive boyfriend and her best friend in bed together, she thinks life can't possibly get any worse. And then she wakes up in a hospital in Italy, scared and alone. With nowhere left to go, Savannah runs to the family who took her in when her mother abandoned her as a teenager.
But things aren't as simple as they were then.

For starters, two years of constant emotional abuse has broken Savannah in ways she's not sure can be repaired. And patriarch Matthew Talbot has been murdered, leaving his eldest daughter, Lexi, in charge of a global non-profit and her younger sisters.

Jared Corbit, Lexi's gorgeous boyfriend, is the only thing standing between her and whoever murdered her father. That doesn't stop Savannah from falling in love with him. She knows it's wrong, but she just can't stay away from him when he makes he feel like no one else ever has before.

Finding out his relationship with Lexi is a ruse should make things easier, but when the truth is finally revealed, Savannah's fragile world threatens to fall apart. There's a murderer on the loose, and he's gunning for the only family she has. To save their lives, she and Jared will be forced to make a decision that just might destroy her completely.

How is she supposed to let the man she loves be with another woman?


All Falls Down is only $0.99 on Amazon  

About the Author:

Ayden lives in the heart of Arkansas with her childhood sweetheart and husband of ten years, and their five furry minions. When not writing, she spends her time hiking, reading, volunteering, causing mischief, and building a Spork army. Ayden graduated summa cum laude with her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Forensic Psychology in 2009 before going on to complete her graduate degree in CJ and Law. She currently puts her education to use in the social services and CJ field. 

Ayden also writes Young and New Adult fantasy under the penname A.K. Morgen.

You can find Ayden on Twitter, Facebook, or via her website at http://aydenmorgen.com. You can learn more about her YA/NA fiction at http://akmorgen.com.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Interview with Ayden K Morgen

One of the great joys of being a writer is getting to know other writers. No matter where they are on their career path (never-been-published, up-and-coming, or old school) writers are some of the most thoughtful and interesting people to talk to. I think that must be because they notice everything.

Yep, everything.

So, when I get the chance to talk to one, I take full advantage. 900 Bazillion questions in my head and I try to get through as many as I can before I run out of time and they have to run away from me.

And since I do love talking with writers so much (and, as an introvert, that is a big deal) I thought perhaps some interviews might be in order. Here is my first.

I am delighted I got the chance to chat with my dear friend, Ayden K. Morgen, and ask her just a tiny fraction of those questions. Even better? Her latest book is being released in just 4 days!

Here are some of the highlights from our chat. If you would like to read the entire interview, you can by visiting my blog here.

About You:

When and why did you begin writing?
I've been writing since I was a little kid, but there have always been those periods where I would step away for a while. Before my grandfather passed in 2006, he reminded me that I shouldn't give up something I love so easily. I've been writing in earnest ever since.

What book are you reading now?
About five million different books! I'm rereading The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne, which I love. I'm also reading the After Dark series by Kahlen Aymes, Sweet Submission by Roxy Sloane, and several others. I can't remember the last time I was reading only one book at a time.

About Your Writing:

What are your current projects?
I'm currently working on the Teplo Trilogy, an erotic romance series featuring drug trafficking, the All Falls Down duo, a two-part contemporary/New Adult romance duo centered around life after escaping an abusive relationship, the Ragnarök Prophesies series about Norse mythology, the War Scrolls series about angels and demons and the Dead Sea Scrolls, and a historical romance. Aside from the Ragnarök Prophesies series, they are all written. They're in various stages of completion editing and rewriting, wise.

Tell us your latest news?
I received an email from the editorial team at Cobblestone Press letting me know we'll begin edits for Call Your Name, an erotic novella, sometime later this month. I'm excited about that. I signed it months ago!

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Yes! I tend to spend a little too much time getting lost in the internal dialogue and thought processes. I'm still learning to rein that in and cut what isn't essential.

About Your Latest Work:

How did you come up with the title?
My latest work is All Cried Out, which releases June 7th. It's the second book in the All Falls Down duo, and is named after a song of the same name.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I'd love if readers walked away with a better understanding of domestic violence and the long-term consequences of such. People tend to assume that getting out of a violent relationship is simple and that once you're out, you should be able to just "get over it", but it just doesn't work that way for those who were abused, or for those who come into an abuse victim's life after the fact. In many instances, you're in more danger after leaving an abusive relationship. Every day, women and children who have left are tracked down and killed. It's frightening, and it's unfortunate that so many are completely unaware of the realities.

What do you say?

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Don't give up. Writing is hard, even before publishing, and it's so easy to get disillusioned. Remember that constructive criticism is meant to challenge you to better yourself and your skills. Embrace it! But don't forget that YOU ultimately know the story best. Take advice, but know when to stand your ground.

Tidbits

Did you have a favorite toy as a child?
I loved books as a kid. I collected the classics. I also loved the Nintendo, bikes, and rollerblades. I think my younger sister and I spent 90% of our time on wheels or reading to each other. We gave our Barbies to the dog.

What are your pet peeves? 
Rude people, people who drive really slow, and people who don't know the difference between your and you're drive me insane. Since taking on my new job as an emergency dispatcher, I've added parents who let their children play with cellphones to the list. Even a disconnected cellphone will dial 911, and the kids will call us fifty times in a row telling us all kinds of crap. It's infuriating!

Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream?
Chocolate. Chocolate everything!

Sleep in or get up early?
I hate mornings with a passion. If I ever become overlord, we're abolishing anything before 10am.

Stalkers:

Where can your readers stalk you?
My blog: http://aydenmorgen.com or http://aydenmorgen.com/blog
My facebook page: http://facebook.com/akmorgen1
My Goodreads author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8544596.Ayden_K_Morgen
Twitter: http://twitter.com/akmorgen

Monday, June 1, 2015

Melanie Moreland reviews All Falls Down & All Cried Out by @AKMorgen #romance

A few months ago, I was given the privilege of reading the ARC of Ayden K Morgen’s book All Falls Down, then recently for the sequel All Cried Out.  I am thrilled to share my thoughts on the books with you.

All Falls Down

When Savannah Martin walks in on her abusive boyfriend and her best friend in bed together, she thinks life can't possibly get any worse. And then she wakes up in a hospital in Italy, scared and alone. With nowhere left to go, Savannah runs to the family who took her in when her mother abandoned her as a teenager. 

But things aren't as simple as they were then. 

For starters, two years of constant emotional abuse has broken Savannah in ways she's not sure can be repaired. And patriarch Matthew Talbot has been murdered, leaving his eldest daughter, Lexi, in charge of a global non-profit and her younger sisters. 

Jared Corbit, Lexi's gorgeous boyfriend, is the only thing standing between her and whoever murdered her father. That doesn't stop Savannah from falling in love with him. She knows it's wrong, but she just can't stay away from him when he makes he feel like no one else ever has before. 

Finding out his relationship with Lexi is a ruse should make things easier, but when the truth is finally revealed, Savannah's fragile world threatens to fall apart. There's a murderer on the loose, and he's gunning for the only family she has. To save their lives, she and Jared will be forced to make a decision that just might destroy her completely. 

How is she supposed to let the man she loves be with another woman?

All Falls Down on Amazon.

My Thoughts

All Falls Down is a love story about two very different people.

Savannah—the abused, scared woman who so desperately longs to belong somewhere, yet has never felt like she was good enough.

Jared— the strong, confident man who wants to show her she belongs with him—no matter what they have to overcome.

There are obstacles everywhere they turn.  People, situations, unforeseen dangers keep threatening the fleeting happiness Savannah is too scared to believe can truly be hers. Her emotional well-being is fragile at best ,given the situation she has recently fled from, and once again, it is put to the test with Jared.
Jared is a man torn between duty and desire.  His wants to do the right thing, to follow through on his promises, yet in doing so, threaten the very thing that has come to mean more to him than anything else in the world— his “beautiful girl”—his Savannah.

Ayden K Morgen spins an emotional, heart gripping tale of love, mystery and deceit. Her words flow like water—beautiful and sustaining. You feel the emotions of the characters— the highest of highs and the lowest of lows as they fall in love and are forced into decisions that threaten to end them forever.

I loved the story from the start to the end, devouring her words as quickly as my finger could turn the page. Ayden has a way of painting the scene and delivering the words so clearly, it’s as if you were there with them.  Pain, fear, love, and tenderness live in these pages.  I am so glad she brought them to life. A story I will read over and again, simply to soak up the beauty that lies within it.



All Cried Out

With Jared Corbit and Savannah Martin's wedding day quickly approaching, everything should be golden for the two, but their trouble has only just begun. When the media learns of the damage Stewart Paulson has inflicted on the Talbot family, Savannah and Jared get caught in the cross-hairs. 

Even worse, the past has caught up with Savannah in a big way, and nothing will prepare her or Jared for the danger headed their way or the devastating decisions they'll be forced to make as a result. 

Jared's determined to protect his fiancée from the people milling in the shadows, but good intentions only go so far. When Savannah learns the truth he's desperately trying to keep from her, their future together begins to unravel. How can she trust him when he's lying to her? And just how far is he willing to go to protect the woman he loves from her past? 

All Cried Out is the exciting follow up to Ayden K. Morgen's All Falls Down. 

All Cried Out on Amazon. Release Date: 6/7/15.


My Thoughts

Sometimes you read a book you love and the author follows it up with a sequel that leaves you wanting. Other times the sequel makes you fall in love all over again.

Such is the case with All Cried Out by Ayden K Morgen.

Jared.
Sigh.

What can I say about a man who loves a woman so deeply, his every thought and action revolves around her?  His need to protect and care for Savannah is the all-consuming drive behind his actions. When her ex-boyfriend soaks his evil self into their present, threatening both her and their future, Jared is a man possessed.  He cannot allow the malevolent force that belittled and broke her down once to get close enough to do it again, and his training and expertise kick into high gear.

It is a hunt that almost takes away everything he holds dear—including his own life.

One he would give gladly as long as she was safe. But one she cannot live without.

What a ride.
What a man.

So I had to admit, perhaps the sequel did leave me wanting. Wanting more of them.








Sunday, May 31, 2015

Sinful Sunday: All Cried Out by @AKMorgen #teaser #romance

With Jared Corbit and Savannah Martin's wedding day quickly approaching, everything should be golden for the two, but their trouble has only just begun. When the media learns of the damage Stewart Paulson has inflicted on the Talbot family, Savannah and Jared get caught in the cross-hairs.

Even worse, the past has caught up with Savannah in a big way, and nothing will prepare her or Jared for the danger headed their way or the devastating decisions they'll be forced to make as a result.  

Jared's determined to protect his fiancée from the people milling in the shadows, but good intentions only go so far. When Savannah learns the truth he's desperately trying to keep from her, their future together begins to unravel. How can she trust him when he's lying to her? And just how far is he willing to go to protect the woman he loves from her past?

All Cried Out, told exclusively from Jared's POV,  is the exciting follow up to Ayden K. Morgen's All Falls Down.

If you haven't already pre-ordered your copy, you can do so on Amazon now for $1.99! All Cried Out releases on June 7, 2015.

******

"You made dinner."

"I did."

"Thank you." Her smile widens and she leans forward, pressing her lips to mine.

I groan when I feel her tongue swipe across my bottom lip, all thoughts of her past, Lexi, and the media forgotten. My tongue meets hers and I attempt to pull her closer, but she slides out of my arms before I can even think of deepening the kiss.

"Later," she promises when I narrow my eyes at her. "We should eat."

"We should." I let my gaze rove over her slowly, taking in the way her dress hugs her curves, and her creamy skin. More tendrils of her dark hair have come loose since this afternoon, strands curling around her face.

She's radiant.

"You are so fucking gorgeous," I say, shaking my head, trying for the millionth time to figure out how I got so lucky.

Her cheeks flush and she bites her bottom lip, her eyes riveted to my face as I stare at her. And that look on her face, like she needs me as badly as I need her, sends every good intention I have flying out of my mind. My cock hardens, heat racing through me.

"Jared," she moans, shifting restlessly when she notices me readjusting myself. When she bites her lip again, looking at me with those big brown eyes, I lose it.

"Fuck the food," I mumble, reaching out to grasp her arms, dragging her toward me. Her body collides with mine, crashing into me as I crush my lips to hers, kissing her hard.

She moans into my mouth, her hands curling into fists in my shirt. Mine are all over her, touching and caressing as I devour her mouth.

"Goddamn," I growl, tugging her bottom lip between my teeth and biting gently. She tastes so good and feels even better.

Her fingers slide down my chest, fumbling with the buttons of my shirt, but they aren't coming undone fast enough for me. I need her hands on my bare skin. Now.

Leaning back, I jerk the shirt over my head, letting it fall. I'm so worked up, my breath comes in harsh pants.

Savannah's dark gaze dances across my shoulders, my chest, and down my abdomen, raking like fire.

Christ, how does she do this to me? One look from her, one touch, and I'm completely undone… out of my mind. It's hard, so hard, to go slow with her when every part of me screams to rip her dress off, bend her over the table, and take her hard.

"Jared, I need you," she whispers as I clench and unclench my hands, fighting for some semblance of control so I don't scare her. 



xoxo,




Monday, May 25, 2015

Ayden Reviews KIYA: Hope of the Pharaoh by @KatieTeller1


Title: KIYA: Hope of the Pharaoh
Series: KIYA Trilogy #1
Author: Katie Hamstead
Genre: Historical, Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Release Date: April 30, 2013

Links: Goodreads + Amazon

When Naomi’s sisters are snatched up to be taken to be wives of the erratic Pharaoh, Akhenaten, she knows they won’t survive the palace, so she offers herself in their place. The fearsome Commander Horemheb sees her courage, and knows she is exactly what he is looking for…

The Great Queen Nefertiti despises Naomi instantly, and strips her of her Hebrew lineage, including her name, which is changed to Kiya. Kiya allies herself with Horemheb, who pushes her to greatness and encourages her to make the Pharaoh fall in love with her. When Akhenaten declares Kiya will be the mother of his heir, Nefertiti, furious with jealousy, schemes to destroy Kiya.

Kiya must play the deadly game carefully. She is in a silent battle of wills, and a struggle for who will one day inherit the crown. If she does bear an heir, she knows she will need to fight to protect him, as well as herself, from Nefertiti who is out for blood.



Ayden's Review:

Hope of the Pharaoh dives into the story of Kiya, Nefertiti, and Akhenaten, offering a glimpse at an Egyptian queen history knows very little about.

When eighteen year old Naomi (given the Egyptian name of Kiya) realizes the Pharaoh's people plan to take her young sister to the palace to wed Akhenaten, she offers herself up in Rena's stead. As a Hebrew, Kiya realizes the shame and humiliation awaiting her at the Palace and does not want to see her sister endure that. The Pharaoh's men reluctantly agree to take her instead of Rena, and Kiya's story begins.

Hope of the Pharaoh sees Kiya's struggle as she attempts to navigate the often turbulent waters of her new life. Along the way, we're introduced to a plethora of familiar characters, not always written exactly as we might have imagined them. And that's one of the great things about this book... Katie isn't afraid to take a world that has long fascinated us and turn it upside down in order to tell the story of the Queen we know so little about.

Kiya is a strong, confident young woman who meets the challenges of her new life with grace, humility, and stubborn streak that often makes her so easy to relate to. Nefertiti is portrayed as a jealous, hateful wench who isn't particularly thrilled about welcoming a Hebrew into the Palace, especially not one who will give Akhenaten an heir to take the throne. Akhenaten is a kind Pharaoh, if not a little strange. And Horemheb is a patient teacher who pushes Kiya to stand strong despite the odds stacked against her.

If you know much about Ancient Egypt, you'll notice the details aren't always on par with the history we believe to be true. In reality, Kiya was likely a Nubian or Mitanni princess and not the Hebrew girl Katie portrays. But that's another of the great things about Kiya... we simply don't know who she was or where she came from. Katie humanizes a woman shrouded in mystery for centuries, and makes her as memorable as Nefertiti or Akhenaten.

At times, I felt as if Kiya was made into a victim when, in reality, Nefertiti's hate wasn't necessarily unprovoked. During Kiya's first meeting with Nefertiti, for instance, she antagonizes the Queen by flat out stating she thinks Nefertiti will treat her poorly. And then she makes a dig about how Nefertiti can't touch her because she's going to give Akhenaten an heir. When Nefertiti states that she's already given him several heirs, Kiya makes the situation worse by pointing out that Nefertiti's daughters will never be given the throne on virtue of being women. That seemed petty to me. While Nefertiti takes things too far, I can almost see why she dislikes Kiya so thoroughly, and at times, I struggled to empathize with Kiya as a result. 

But all told, I really enjoyed the story (and Kiya herself), and am looking forward to finishing the series. 4.5/5 stars.



xoxo,

Monday, May 18, 2015

Review: Fade by A.K. Morgen


From Goodreads:
What do you do when you realize nothing in your life is what you’ve believed it to be?

When Arionna Jacobs loses her mother in a tragic accident, her world is turned upside down. She’s forced to leave her old life behind and move in with her father. Dace Matthews, a teaching assistant at her new college, is torn in two, unable to communicate with the feral wolf caged inside him.

When they meet, everything they thought they knew about life unravels. Dace has intimate access to Arionna’s mind, and something deep within her fights to rise to the surface. They don't understand what's happening to them or why, and they're running out of time to sort out the strange occurrences around them.

Their meeting sets an ancient Norse prophesy of destruction in motion, and what destiny has in store for them is bigger than either could have ever imagined. Unless they learn to trust themselves and one another, they may never resolve the mystery surrounding who they are to one another, and what that means for the world.


My thoughts:
I love that this wasn't a werewolf book. With vampires and werewolves flooding the market, having a shifter book instead felt... better.
In the beginning, Arionna, understandably, is pretty depressed after her mother's death. Then she meets Dace. She still struggles through her mother's death, but he helps her see a light at the end of the tunnel, but he also introduces her to a world she has forgotten exists.
I enjoyed this book. I love that it uses Norse Mythology and is based on some familiar characters and legends. I also enjoyed the connection to the wolf pack.
The internal dialogue gets heavy in a few places that, for me, really bogged down the pace and became distracting and repetitive. But at about halfway, this seemed to decrease, and although still present in places, I found it didn't affect the pace too much after that.
Aside from that, the concept if interesting, and often sad in places. I'm looking forward to seeing where the next book goes.