Friday, November 30, 2012

The Sun Dwellers ~ Blog BLAST and David Estes Guest Post!



How love made me a writer

By David Estes

I wouldn’t be a writer without love. When I left college I became an accountant. Yeah, boring. No offense to any accountants out there but it is. I did it for 7 years, so I’m allowed to say it. Of course, there are a lot of things to be said for accounting, especially for someone with serious OCD, like me. All the numbers are neatly organized and everything balances, or at least it should. But sitting in a cubicle crunching numbers and looking for discrepancies…urrr, it almost sucked the life out of me. So no, if you’re thinking it was my love of accounting that made me a writer, you’d be wrong.

So five years of accounting in my good old hometown of Pittsburgh and I was ready for some serious change, an adventure, something, anything! Naturally I did what anyone in my situation would do, I wrote a book. Just kidding, we’re not to that part of the story yet. No, I did the other thing that anyone in my situation would do. I moved to Australia. What? That’s not what people do! Oh well, it’s what I did. Why’d I do it? Looking back, I think the creative side of my brain needed some kind of nourishment, and surely a new place on the other side of the freaking world with strange animals that hop like bunnies but stand upright, and people that say “boot” when they mean the trunk of a car and shorten everything (who knew afternoon could be shortened to “arvo”), would be able to help me.

I’m going to read your mind and guess that you’re thinking “Wow! I bet that worked to unlock your creativity so you could write your first book!” That would be wrong, too. Well, I guess technically it’s right that moving to Australia led me to write my first book but not because of the awesome place that it is; rather, it was because of who I met there.

I met Adele. A beautiful smile, delicate shoulders, gorgeous wavy hair, big brown eyes, a nice tan: based on looks alone, I was ready to get down on one knee! Okay, okay, I know, stop being a guy already, but it was true. Her smile caught my attention right away and I wanted to get to know her. We went to the same party, I got bold, used my pathetically unsmooth moves to get my arm around her and then we kissed (if you ask her, she kissed me, but I firmly believe it was mutual).

Sparks flew. Like all over the place to the point where another guy who had a crush on Adele threw a bit of a fit and stormed out of the party. True story. We were making waves already. The rest of the love story moved fast. I moved in to her place in Manly Beach after six weeks. Asked her to marry me after three months. Eloped after eight months. I found my soul mate.

And still I wasn’t happy. I mean, yeah, I was so happy with my personal life, with how me and Adele spent every spare second together. But something was missing. My career was just a job, a way to pay the bills. Adele, my hero, convinced me to switch jobs. So I got a job as a risk officer, hopefully to do something that would allow me to challenge my creative side a bit more. I had three weeks in between jobs. Adele knew I was one of the biggest book worms in the entire world and I constantly talked about how I wanted to write a book one day. She told me to write a book.

“But I have no good ideas,” I complained.
“Then pick your best bad idea,” she suggested. “Give it a try. What else are you going to do for three weeks?”

So I started writing a book about angels and demons who evolved from humans. Three weeks later it was half done and I had officially caught the writing bug. My new job didn’t really satisfy my creative side the way I’d hoped but it didn’t matter, I was writing books! What my new job did do was give me the time to work on my new hobby. I wrote every day. Half an hour on the ferry ride to work, an hour at lunch, and a half hour on the way home. I finished Angel Evolution three weeks later and my iPhone was full of other book ideas. Seems that once you get the creative juices flowing, coming up with new ideas gets easier.

I didn’t know what to do with my book so I wrote a children’s book about a nine-year-old girl who finds a treasure chest of magical gloves, each of which gives her a different superpower. Nikki Powergloves was born in four weeks. I couldn’t get enough writing and I watched as my daily word count rose from 1,500 to 2,000 to 2,500 to 3,000, which is what I average today. Five weeks. Demon Evolution popped out. Then Archangel Evolution. I had a whole trilogy!! So I self-published it. So cool, I’m an author! Buy my books!

Not many buyers out there for a random no-name like me. So I started giving away books. Lots of books. Hordes of books to anyone who would take them. In the meantime I wrote three more Nikki Powergloves books and started on my new YA dystopian series, The Moon Dwellers. When things started picking up with the Angel Evolution books, I hired a copy editor and a cover artist and partnered with a marketing team.

Adele, my sweet, life-saving Adele, once again stepped in.
Adele: “You should write fulltime.”
Me: “I’m not selling that many books.”
Adele: “You’re selling enough.”
Me: “OK.”

I left my job and we left Australia, on the adventure of a lifetime, travelling the world for two years while I embarked on my new career as a fulltime writer of YA and children’s books. In the six months we’ve been gone I’ve published five books with another three to come in the next three months.

That’s it. That’s my story. Without love, without Adele, I wouldn’t be where I am today. A writer.  If there’s a moral to this story, it’s that love can change lives. Not only change, but remake. Into something better, something worthwhile, something meaningful. Thank you, Adele, for loving me, believing in me, and for changing me.


Early praise for The Sun Dwellers


"This finale exceeded all of my expectations. The action, the intrigue, and the relationships were taken to a new level. Fantastic finish to the series, and definitely the best of the three."
Kerri Hughes ~Goodreads

"There are some very surprising twists and turns. And the ending is awesome! I can’t wait to read what David writes next! "
Lolita ~ Goodreads

This was a great ending to the series! So much action and emotions packed into this story.
The pacing was great and we get a lot of big secrets to come out and finally tie everything together. 

Alexandria Nicole ~Goodreads

“This series is nothing short of amazing. It's given us more than the moon and the stars, now we the brilliance of the sun.”
Terri ~ My Book Boyfriend



Early praise for the author

“David created a world I was excited to learn about and characters I cared about. I'll remember this story for a very long time!”
Alexandria Nicole ~Goodreads

“Estes delivers a winner with confident writing that truly draws you into the story. “
Think ~ Goodreads

“The author, David Estes, has forged his name into writers to be watched and read.”
Marni ~Goodreads

“David is such a fantastic author and he really knows how to pull at the heartstrings.”
Kay ~K-Books





About the author

David Estes was born in El Paso, Texas but moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was very young. He grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Penn State for college. Eventually moved to Sydney, Australia where he met his wife. A reader all his life, he began writing novels for the children's and YA markets in 2010. He´s a writer with OCD, a love of dancing and singing (but only when no one is looking or listening), a mad-skilled ping-pong player, and prefers writing at the swimming pool to writing at a table

You can follow David at:


The Dwellers Saga
The Moon Dwellers Synopsis:
In a desperate attempt to escape destruction decades earlier, humankind was forced underground, into the depths of the earth, creating a new society called the Tri-Realms.

After her parents and sister are abducted by the Enforcers, seventeen-year-old Adele, a member of the middle-class moon dwellers, is unjustly sentenced to life in prison for her parents' crimes of treason.

Against all odds, Adele must escape from the Pen and find her family, while being hunted by a deranged, killing machine named Rivet, who works for the President. She is helped by two other inmates, Tawni and Cole, each of whom have dark secrets that are better left undiscovered. Other than her friends, the only thing she has going for her is a wicked roundhouse kick and two fists that have been well-trained for combat by her father.

At the other end of the social spectrum is Tristan, the son of the President and a sun dweller. His mother is gone. He hates his father. Backed by only his servant and best friend, Roc, he leaves his lavish lifestyle in the Sun Realm, seeking to make something good out of his troubled life.

When a war breaks out within the Tri-Realms, Tristan is thrust into the middle of a conflict that seems to mysteriously follow Adele as she seeks to find her family and uncover her parents true past.

Buying Links


The Star Dwellers Synopsis:

After rescuing her father and younger sister, Adele is forced to leave her family and Tristan behind to find her mother in the cruel and dangerous realm of the star dwellers.

Amidst blossoming feelings for Adele, Tristan must cast his feelings aside and let her find her own way amongst the star dwellers, while he accompanies Adele's father to meet with the leaders of the moon dwellers and decide the fate of the Tri-Realms.

Will Adele be able to rescue her mother and make it back to the Moon Realm before the President and the sun dweller soldiers destroy her family?

Can Tristan convince the moon dweller puppets of the error of their ways?

Was Adele's lost kiss with Tristan her one and only chance at love?

In her world there's only one rule: Someone must die.
Buying Links


The Sun Dwellers Synopsis:

With those she's closest to dying around her, Adele embarks on a secret mission to the Sun Realm to assassinate the President. Along the way she'll uncover secrets about her relationship with Tristan that she might not be ready to face.


Tristan has a secret, too, one that's been eating him up inside ever since he met Adele. Will he reveal all, and
risk the loss of friendship and love at a time when he needs it the most?


At the same time, Adele's mother, General Rose, must lead her soldiers into battle to face the sun dweller army in the hopes of holding them off until Adele can complete her mission. Can she outlast the strength of
President Nailin's elite fighting force?

There's only one truth in their world: someone must die.

Bonus Material

Includes a bonus Dwellers Short Story (Anna's Story) and a sneak peek at David Estes's follow up YA Dystopian Series, Fire Country!


The Dwellers Saga books are now available everywhere ebooks are sold or in print via Amazon.com. Also, David pledged when he started writing to always respond to his readers, and he loves getting comments and questions, so please contact him using one of his favorite social networking sites below.  As always, happy reading!


Where you can find David Estes hanging out:
My blog/website: http://davidestesbooks.blogspot.com
My Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/davidestesbooks

Other YA Books by David Estes!
The Dwellers Saga:
Book One—The Moon Dwellers
Book Two—The Star Dwellers
Book Three—The Sun Dwellers

The Country Saga (A Dwellers sister series):
Book One—Fire Country (Coming March 1, 2013!)

The Evolution Trilogy
Book 1- Angel Evolution
Book 2- Demon Evolution
Book 3- Archangel Evolution

Children’s Books by David Estes
The Nikki Powergloves Adventures:
Nikki Powergloves- A Hero is Born
Nikki Powergloves and the Power Council
Nikki Powergloves and the Power Trappers
Nikki Powergloves and the Great Adventure
Nikki Powergloves vs. the Power Outlaws (Coming in 2013!)

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Let's Get Underneath with Michael Cargill ~ Making Connections Blog Tour




Let's get Underneath Michael Cargill's collar.... and see what we find....

First off... and excuse me if I'm kinda quirky... Hugh?  Why did you choose the name Hugh for your character?
Choosing names for main characters is always a bit of a pain.  In this instance, I looked at the names of authors on my bookshelf and saw Hew Strachan!  That particular spelling is kind of odd, so I changed it to the more conventional one.

Is he TRULY crazy, or just your average everyday weird person?
He’s a sociopath, born and bred.  Well, maybe not born.  You’ll have to read it to find out anything more...

Do you use multimedia (pictures, music, or other) to assist you with writing?
I always bosh some music on when I’m going to do some writing.  It’s partly because I like the music, but also because my PC fan is outrageously loud.  Unfortunately, my musical tastes are far from cultured; it’s pretty much dance music, or nothing for me.

What are you reading right now?  (Other than this question....)
I go through bouts of reading non-fiction, and I recently started a book about the Napeolanic wars.  I know very little about this era, so it’s all very interesting and stuff.

As a child, what did you want to be growing up?
I remember reading comics that would occasionally feature people smashing up pianos with huge mallets.  It always looked great fun, and getting paid to do something like that would be amazing.  Certainly beats being a train driver.

Star Wars or Star Trek?
I don’t really care for either, really.  Piano Wars, or Piano Trek is what I want to see.

Ginger or Mary Anne?
I have no idea who these people are!  Ginger is a good name for a cat, whilst Mary Anne would be good for a ship.  Or a horse.  Horses are rubbish with pianos, so I’ll go for Mary Anne the Ship.

Do you think androids dream of electric sheep?
Androids can only think in binary, and Excel spreadsheets.  They probably have nightmares about humans saying “try turning it off and on again”

Monty Python or Mel Brooks?
The Life of Brian is timeless, and still funny even after all these years.  Python for me.

Why did the chicken cross the road?
Because somebody swapped his street around.


And finally...
What's the answer to life, the universe, and everything?
If you can train a cat to cook you a bacon sandwich, I reckon you’ll be close to getting the answer to that.



Underneath
A thriller by Michael Cargill

Look at the person sitting just
across from you. It doesn't matter
whether they’re a loved one, a
friend, or a complete stranger.
Now look at their face. Are they
happy? Are they sad? Or are they
angry? Can you even tell?
How well do you actually know the
people closest to you?
Have you ever seen the real person
that lies just underneath what you
see...?

Underneath trailer

ASIN - B008C3HIA2

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Stacking the Shelves #16


Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme to feature all the books that have made their way into our homes this week! 
Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Be sure to check out Tynga's Reviews on how to participate and create your own post!

Won:


 Thank You So Much!


Because of winning a Amazon Gift Card at
 The 50 Shades Support Group on GoodReads
 (Q and A with author Molly McAdams)
 and another from
 Aestas Book Blog
I Purchased from Amazon:
 



Free from Amazon:
 *While I got them for free from Amazon, there is no guarantee that they are still free on Amazon.  The special promotion may have ended.  



Feel Welcome to leave a link or a comment on a 
'Stacking the Shelves' of your own!


Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Opal Book Trailer Reveal




No one is like Daemon Black.


When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.


But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.


After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.


Together we’re stronger... and they know it.



 USA TODAY Bestselling author, Jennifer L. Armentrout, lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class where she spent most of her time writing short stories…. which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She also writes adult romance under the name J. Lynn.


Find Jennifer on:

Monday, November 19, 2012

The Athena Effect ~ Rainbow Review + Giveaway!




I received this book for free from the author in exchange for a honest review.


I'd go as far as 4½♥'s on this. It is technically a YA story, but I think this is one that adults can easily enjoy. This is a first of a series that I am eagerly looking forward to continue.


With all the auras splashing color everywhere, this book reminds me of a Skittles commercial, "Taste the rainbow!" In fact, if I had to sum up the book with one slogan, that would be it. I've forgotten what color contentment is, but I would be surrounded by a cloud of it. It was just plain different, definitely in a great way.


Bad boy LOVE .... the motorcycle and tattoos! There were a high amount of what seemed to be more stereotypical characters: the 'bad boy', the 'innocent girl', the 'lecherous step-father-like figure', and the 'mad scientist'; while on the surface not appearing as unique, the book adds just enough spin the break the most of the characters out of their molds. Cal/Cali is so strong and intelligent but simultaneously naive and ignorant. Hard combo to pull off, but Derrolyn succeeded!


There are mature themes and the book leads into a much bigger story. Almost odd jump - beginning with a off-the-grid country girl and then ending how it does. It's very an engrossing tale that I would recommend to others.





... and ALMOST reached 5 heart EPIC level!


Book Description:

Country girl Cali has been kept a secret her entire life, raised in isolation by two very troubled people. Despite her parent’s disturbing fits, Cal is perfectly content, living at one with the nature that surrounds her, and finding adventure inside the pages of her beloved books. When an awful tragedy tears her away from her remote cabin in the woods, nothing she’s ever read has prepared her for a world that she knows very little about.

Girls and motorcycles are what bad-boy Cal’s life is all about. Brought up in a raucous party house by his biker brother, he’s free to do as he pleases, going through the motions on his final days of high school. Aimless, Cal stopped thinking about his future a long time ago.

Attacked by a gang of thugs while running an errand for his brother, Cal is in serious trouble until a fierce girl appears out of nowhere to intervene. She chases off three grown men, sparing Cal a brutal beating before disappearing into the night like a spirit. He can’t stop thinking about his mysterious rescuer, and when she turns out to be the weird new girl at school who goes out of her way to avoid him, he can’t contain his curiosity.

He’s never met anyone like her before, and the more he learns about the unusual girl who shares his nickname, the more he wants to know. Cal can’t help falling for Cal, but can he keep her from falling victim to a dangerous enemy from her parent’s tragic past?





Derrolyn Anderson is a visual artist and writer of fiction. The creator of the four part "Marina's Tales" series and the YA romance, "The Athena Effect", she's currently hard at work on her next book, "The Mackenzie Legacy".


Visit Derrolyn's Website


... and did I mention she is totally crafty and artistic?


Look at this BEAUTIFUL necklace that she is offering for the Giveaway!


It totally reminds me of when I was a kid and refused to take off a rainbow scarf that vaguely looked like Dr. Who's scarf. Despite my mother trying to tell me it didn't match my outfits, I wore it anyway. Rainbows have every color... so therefore they match everything (or at least that was my justification.)


Necklace Description:
Approximately 18’’ with a toggle closure, the necklace is a rainbow of gemstone chips, including : Citrine, Peridot, Green Adventurine, Malachite, Amazonite, Magnesite, Turquoise, Lapis, Howlite, Amethyst, Coral, Jasper. and Amber.

And....

an eBook (via Smashwords coupon) of The Athena Effect will be given away!

The Necklace is US/Canada Only, but the eBook is International!
a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Stacking the Shelves #15


Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme to feature all the books that have made their way into our homes this week! 
Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Be sure to check out Tynga's Reviews on how to participate and create your own post!

Won:

 Won eBook from The Avid Reader

 Thank You So Much!

For Review from NetGalley:



Sunday, November 11, 2012

Trapped ~ It's INCONCEIVABLE How Much I LOVE this Series!




Trapped (Iron Druid Chronicles, #5)Trapped by Kevin Hearne

Okay... I'm going to try something a little different. One would hope, at this point, that anyone interested in reading the Iron Druid (this installment specifically) would have read the previous books. So instead of telling you what a clever dog Oberon is (he seriously deserves a treat) or mention how funny it is (I SO wish I could hear the story -in person- of "The Purloined Poodle" featuring two dogs and Abe Froman, the Sausage King of Chicago) or how action packed it is (okay, how many Gods is this Druid going to piss off?)... instead I'm going with a Top Ten List of why Trapped is one of the best installments to date of the Iron Druid:

10. Coyote is finally gone... for now at the very least. He's not necessarily a bad guy, but I was ready for a rest from his wily ways.

9. Druids kick some serious, serious butt- regardless if that butt is immortal or not. And yes, I meant to use the plural forms of Druids.

8. When in doubt, blame the dark elves. (Not to be mistaken with dwarfs. Totally different.) It's sound logic, trust me.

7. You get a dose of mythology and culture along with the book... you always wanted to know more of the finer points of Ragnarok and Greek and Roman Olympians..... right? Or for those of the fantasy history persuasion... you always wanted to know the mourning habits for a dwarf... right?

6. All the damn vampires. Not a sparkle to be found. And Gods. And Goddesses. Sometimes even 'clothes optional'.

5. Oberon is the way and the truth, Bacon Testify! You cannot attain 'badass-ness' without that ever required love of all things Bacon or Sausage. (OR the three "H's" of doggie dogma.)


4. Oberon's running commentary and philosophy regarding human mating habits. Yeah, you heard that right.

3. Clowns. Coulrophobia for everyone! It's not just for kiddos anymore.


2. Paranoia... Just because you are paranoid does not mean there is not an army (maybe even immortal army with sharp, pointy teeth) out to get you.

1. So many fun movie references, you can cackle with glee and get your Geek on. Inconceivable!

So run, don't want, and get your own copy once it comes out! And be sure to bring extra sausages for Oberon!


I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for a review.


Saturday, November 10, 2012

Stacking the Shelves #14


Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme to feature all the books that have made their way into our homes this week! 
Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Be sure to check out Tynga's Reviews on how to participate and create your own post!

For Review from NetGalley:



Purchased from BookPeople and Signed!

 And Check Out the Video of Laini reading Chapter 1!
 
Purchased from Amazon:

 

Free from Amazon:


 *While I got them for free from Amazon, there is no guarantee that they are still free on Amazon.  The special promotion may have ended.  



Feel Welcome to leave a link or a comment on a 
'Stacking the Shelves' of your own!


Thursday, November 8, 2012

Ashes of Honor (October Daye, Book #6)



My Review should also be know as, "Meow.  Got Catnip?!"


Ashes of Honor (October Daye, #6)Ashes of Honor by Seanan McGuire

This is the October Daye book I've been waiting to be written. From the moment I stumbled across this series in my local library, there has been one thing, and one thing only that I have been patiently (or not-so-patiently) waiting to see.  Things that I had to see, begged to see, dreamed, hoped, wished, and pleaded to see... and it's there! In spades!

As with the entire series, this is an urban fantasy, not a paranormal romance. The romance is not entirely absent, but it takes a back seat to characters and plot.  As the series progresses, the level of romance and heat seem to increase with each installment. However, do NOT read this series expecting a 'bodice-ripper' or you will be let down and left wanting.  Rather, save and savor this lovely series during a tamer reading session.  In my attempt to not spoil anything in this book in particular, all I can say is I am fist pumping in the air like a mofo!

The overall direction of the plot left me a bit worried at first. How many times are there going to be missing kids, and then October has to go looking for them?  Especially, after going to the sea witch (lalala) having a rag-tag band of helpers (lalala) and fighting some big bad _____ (insert any number of fae bad guys here.)   Sounds more than a wee bit familiar.  Surprisingly, McGuire was able to still keep this story line unique for the most part.  I don't know how she did it, exactly, but she always seems to add some spin on the story and make it fresh and new.  My hat is off to you, Seanan McGuire!

LOVE LOVE LOVE Tybalt, always have, always will. Love that King of Cats! Anyone out there still early in this series, if you LOVE Tybalt like I do, hurry up and get to this book! No questions, just get reading.. I'm waiting.  Just trust me, you will thank me later.

If you haven't tried this series, I'd recommend it to anyone that likes snarky dialogue, funny movies references, and urban fantasy that is not porn.  If you are a fan of the Dresden Files and the Cassandra Palmer series, there is a very good chance you will enjoy this.




About Seanan McGuire

Hi! I'm Seanan McGuire, author of the Toby Daye series (Rosemary and RueA Local HabitationAn Artificial NightLate Eclipses), as well as a lot of other things. I'm also Mira Grant (www.miragrant.com), author of Feed and Deadline.


Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).

Be sure to check out Seanan McGuire's website!


One of these days I need to read my already purchased copies of these other books by Seanan!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Dark Waltz Cover Reveal ~ Bring on the HAWT!




Dark Waltz--A sizzling legend of loss, lust and love.


It’s the year 2030 and the human population has been annihilated by a virulent form of small pox.  Liasare Davidson is desperately searching for her brother, who has been missing for three months.  It’s been eighteen years since she was evacuated from Earth and she is horrified to see it’s become a cesspool of unimaginable things.

In her quest to find her brother, she meets Jurek, a powerful and enigmatic being that frightens her, yet she is unable to resist.  When things begin to unfold between them, they both discover a paralyzing truth that puts Liasare at grave risk.  She must make a choice to join Jurek and find her brother or fulfill a role she believes she is ill equipped to undertake.  



TEASER!


Now, please enjoy an excerpt from A.M. Hargrove’s latest book, Dark Waltz, a Praestani Novel, to be released November 2012.


Dark Waltz, A Praestani Novel

by A.M. Hargrove


“Going somewhere?” that husky voice asked.

Crapitty crap!

She sucked in her breath and dropped her annihilator, as his voice startled her. Before her brain could comprehend what was happening, she felt her body swirling through a vortex. She finally came to rest in another place.
Disoriented and dizzy, she tried to focus on her surroundings, but everything seemed to tilt sideways.  She reached out her hand to stop herself from falling, but only succeeded in grabbing a fistful of air.  Not knowing which way was up or down, she tried, unsuccessfully, to break her fall. Instead, she felt her breath leave her body in a whoosh as she slammed into the ground.  

Fighting for oxygen, her diaphragm wouldn’t cooperate with her brain’s commands.  Worse yet, she felt a pair of hands latch onto her waist, drag her to her feet and ram her back into a wall.  Her head hung down as she fought to draw in precious oxygen, yet found she was still unable to do so.  Then the asshole had the nerve to jam his arm straight into her diaphragm and start demanding things of her.

“Who do you work for?”

Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, like a poor fish that had been hauled out of the water, desperate to be thrown back in.

“I’ll ask again, who do you work for?” he bit out each word with precision.

Things began to turn grey and hazy as the lack of air finally took its toll on her brain.  She knew she was going to pass out.

Double crapitty crap!

Her head lolled to the side and...blink, lights out.

Jurek looked at her and cursed, “What the fuck?”

He hadn’t realized she was so close to losing it.  He laid her out on the floor and looked at her for a moment.  She wasn’t beautiful in that traditional, cookie-cutter sense, but there was something about her that enticed him.  Her chestnut mane for one, and Jurek had always been a sucker for women with beautiful hair, but those hazel eyes of hers were something else.  Her full lips were kissably soft, he thought, as he ran his thumb along her mouth.  He finally placed his hand on her forehead and in seconds, she came to, moaning.  

Her eyes fluttered open and when the recognition in them flickered, those hazel eyes shot sparks of gold.  Hovering before her was the dark haired man from the bar.  She wouldn’t have had to open her eyes to know it was him since every cell in her body was on fire with his power.  

Soft black hair hung close to his shoulders and he wore it brushed back off his face.  Liasare briefly wondered if it would feel as soft as it looked.  He had a bit of scruff on his face; he obviously hadn’t bothered to shave in the last couple of days.  His lips were full and sensuous and definitely made for kissing.  In fact, Liasare could imagine running her tongue along that lower lip of his, tugging on it and gently sucking it.  What made her nearly lose it were his eyes.  They were extraordinary.  Lavender, rimmed in indigo with flecks of silver swirling within their depths, Liasare had never seen anything so stunning in her life.  

Regaining her senses, Liasare flew to her feet and threw a right uppercut that connected beneath Jurek’s jaw.  Had he been a lesser man, it would have laid him out.  Then she spun on her heel and began the motion for an intended groin kick, but his quick reflexes caught her leg before it connected and he flicked it off with his hand.

“You flaming asshole.  Who do you think you are?  You fucking knock the wind out of me and then you do it again for shits and giggles?  Who the hell do you think you are?”  

“Watch your language and I’m asking the questions here.”

“Not anymore,” Liasare hissed as she turned to head out of the building.  

Before she could take another step, an arm snaked out and grabbed her around the waist.  He pulled her tightly against his chest and whispered huskily into her ear, “I asked you a question.  I want to know who you’re working for and I don’t intend to let you go until I get an answer.”

His voice washed over her with that electrifying intense heat.  She felt her skin erupt in a million goose bumps as every hair on her body stood at attention.

Damn him, she thought.  How can he have this kind of power over me? Fuck!

“You have no idea Brownie.”

“Brownie?  

“Mmm.  Brownie.  For that glorious mane of hair you have.”  His hand spanned across her stomach and she felt a million butterflies suddenly erupt as he hugged her tightly against him.
“I’ll bet you taste better than one too.”  If she could have turned around she would have seen the corners of his mouth turn up as he baited her.



End of preview
You can find A.M. Hargrove and more information about Dark Waltz and her other books at her website
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I am SO excited!  How HAWT is that cover!!

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