New Release: Somewhere I Belong by Barb Shuler

Somewhere I Belong

Barb Shuler

Shattered Lives Series; Book 2

Genre: Suspense/Thriller

Published: February 28, 2017

Cover:

Design by: MadHat Books

Photography: Lindee Robinson Photography

Models: Victoria Morin & Chad Demchik

Blurb:

I was a woman on a mission. I wanted to be.... Somewhere I belonged.

My life as a small town gal kept me cautious, but I wanted to go travel the world, be free and not stuck in a bubble. I traveled through the states and kept moving until I got to Vegas. Flashing lights, casinos and the man in Armani who made traffic stop with his sparkling smile… A smile I quickly learned belonged to the devil.

Not anyone else’s devil – he was my devil.

Then, my world came to a crashing halt one night – the night my life went from dangerous to ready to flatline.

On the ride of my life, I went back to the past I’d abandoned years before. Back to the past that has never been the past. It could have been the present but I was too stubborn to see it.

I'm running back to the arms of safety.

To the arms I should have never left.

Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Amazon:

US: http://a.co/4Gbdn2m

AU: http://amzn.to/2lN5boZ

CA: http://a.co/7ce4ghu

UK: http://amzn.eu/cerZTqa

**Available on KU

Exclusive Excerpt:

Last night I was out with the boys. A night out, drinking - only one beer for me, since I was on duty the next morning - and a few tables of pool. Trevor, his brother Peter, and a few others were yucking it up at a scratch I made when Drew came barreling into the bar. The look on his face made me move from the table and meet him halfway. What in the hell had happened now? Everything had been quiet here over the last couple of years. Ever since his then girlfriend - now wife - Dani Lynn had been kidnapped. Quiet was good. That look said shit was about to get real though.

“What’s that look for?” I asked as he looked around at the faces in the bar. My brow arched and when he looked at me, I saw that look. I had seen it before. “What? Has something happened at my mom and dad’s?”

“No,” again, he scanned the room. “It’s your sister…”

“Alana?” my voice rose as my gut clenched? “What happened? Is she okay?”

“Alana is fine,” he paused as I stepped closer. “Charlie, it’s Anna. Dani Lynn needs you at the center. That’s all I- She’s with Anna… and she’s hurt. That’s all I know.”

“Anna?” I turned to see Trevor standing there, his face a hard wall of nothing. The boy was good at hiding shit, but I saw that look in his eyes. He still loved her. I knew that much. He’d said it before, but until that moment, I hadn’t seen it.

“I’ll be right there,” I said as I turned and lunged past Trevor, grabbing my shit from the table and jogging out to my bike. “Go, Drew, I’ll meet you there.”

Drew nodded and slipped into the car. I took a deep breath and called my dad. As the phone rang, Trevor and Peter came out. They stopped while I waited for someone to pick up. No answer. I cursed and slid my phone into my pocket. I looked up at them.

“If you’re coming, hurry the fuck up,” I said, starting up my bike. I revved it a minute before pulling out onto the road. The three block ride took only minutes. Thank God. My heart was racing as I ran up the walkway. When I hit the door I saw Mama Jay there, a deep frown on her chubby face. She opened the door and let us in. We followed Mama Jay down the back hallway towards the office and exam area. My heart was already thudding, but it skyrocketed when I saw Dani Lynn with tears on her cheeks, covered in blood. “What happened?” I asked her as I stopped before her.

“I-I don’t know,” she swiped at her eyes and put on her game face as she looked up at us. She glanced from me to Trevor and back to me. When I nodded she continued. “I was leaving to head home,” she sighed. “I saw someone stumbling down the sidewalk. When she collapsed I ran to her… there was blood everywhere…” she shook her head and I rested my hand on her shoulder.

 

~Meet Barb Shuler~

I’m a Carolina Girl by right and a Texan by birth. Best of both worlds. I have the brass sass to keep up with my Texas sized temper. Living and working in both states i’ve learned a lot about hard work, adapting to your surroundings and making the best of the path that you have been led down. My grandma Dollie once told me I would know what I was meant to do when it happened. She was right, as always.

As with most book lovers, I am an avid reader. Reading has always been a hobby - a passion, really and a way to get lost in other people’s lives, their drama and other worlds. It’s a private movie in your imagination that you get to cast and navigate through, at your own pace. Reading helps to expand the perimeters of one's mind. That is what got me into writing. Writing has been something that I have done since I was a kid. If I had paper, I was writing. Nine out of ten times it made no sense but what are words if they are not to be used to your advantage? Words are a part of us all. Why not use them, right?

During the day I work as a ‘desk jockey’ and help the residents of my county navigate themselves around our little, but not too little country town. By night I am either blogging with my best friends, doing PA work for some of my favorite authors or fighting with the voices in my head. They can be stubborn at times. It’s a blessing and I am cherishing every moment. Tomorrow is never guaranteed so I want to make sure I live the day as fully as possible. For what is my creation, can become someone else's treasure.

~ Connect with Barb here ~

Email : Website : Facebook : Blog : Blog Facebook : Twitter : Pinterest : Instagram : Goodreads : Amazon Author Page

Buy Signed paperbacks here

Cover Reveal for Ramrod (Broken Deeds MC Book 4) by Esther E Schmidt

¸.•´¸.•*´¨)✯ ¸.•*¨)

✮ (¸.•´✶COVER REVEAL: RAMROD BROKEN DEEDS MC #4

Title: “Ramrod”

Series: Broken Deeds MC #4

Author: Esther E. Schmidt

Cover Design: Esther E. Schmidt

Cover Photographer/model: FuriousFotog - Golden Czermak

Release: 2017

Add to goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30187547-ramrod

Blurb & exact release date will follow soon.

For a greater reading experience:

#1 https://books2read.com/Deeds

#2 https://books2read.com/Broke

#3 https://books2read.com/Depay

#4 Ramrod (coming soon)

Prisoner of Statues by Ainsley Shay

Author Full Biography: Ainsley Shay’s passion for writing sparks from her unstoppable brain conjuring random first sentences, a single trait of a character, or a single thread of a plot. But, when her love for the fantastical world of fiction, where anything can happen takes over, it’s exactly at that moment she is reminded that the possibilities are endless. And, there is where the fun begins.

She surrounds herself with positive people and strives for balance in everything (rarely finds it, but she’ll never give up looking for it!). She sleeps with rocks and dreams in her pillowcase, loves audio books, has more jeans with holes than without, is fascinated with the word “hence”, and has a beta fish named Enzo, who excitedly meets her at his window each morning.
Ainsley resides in South Florida with her incredible husband and three amazing daughters. She loves the beach, but like most Floridians takes that beautiful part of our state for granted. (She’s working on that!)

Book Title: Prison of Statues (Book 1 of The Statues Trilogy)

Genre(s): YA Paranormal Romance

Everything appears colorless in Iris’ world...until she falls asleep and the nightmares begin. 

Iris’ plan to stay in her small town of Gradywoods just long enough to bury her father shatters when she finds a letter he wrote to her only two days before his death. On the evening of his funeral, her nightmare bursts with colors. Being colorblind since birth, Iris feels both amazed and apprehensive, but when she wakes in the morning, her world turns gray once again.

The day after her father's funeral, Iris finds refuge from her pain at Yves Antique Pages, the small bookshop owned by Mr. Yves, her adopted grandfather. She soon encounters three mysterious strangers who are inexplicably drawn to her. Through secrets and deceit, she fears they are all here for one reason…her.

Night after night, the nightmares continue into a series of disturbing events where Iris finds herself caught in a vibrant collision of past and present. In them, she witnesses another’s loss, torture, and broken love. As each episode escalates, she’s brought closer to a place where death may be a more satisfying end.

As Iris’ world reaches fragile limits, she must find a way out of an uncompromising fight for her life and for a love she may once have had.

Excerpt: The front door opened. I reached across the passenger seat and rolled down the window. He was not quite silhouetted as light bathed him from behind. I could easily see the details of his shirtless, firm body. My dream hardly gave justice to the real thing. He stood on the porch with the phone still held to his ear. “Do you want to come in?”

“Yes.” This was not a good idea. I meant, it was a great idea, the best idea I ever had. But, it was bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. I got out of my car to go to him. Blacwin waited for me on the porch. It wasn’t until I heard him breathe as I climbed the few steps of the porch that I realized we both still held the phones against our ears. He whispered, “Hi,” into the receiver.

“Hi.” His bare chest was a distraction, as was the line that led from his chest all the way down to the waistline of his jeans.

“I guess we don’t need these anymore.”

Agreeing, I lowered the phone. We smiled sheepishly at each other. Bad idea, Iris. This is how things that probably shouldn’t happen, happen. But, right now, I really wanted those things to happen.

“I hope this isn’t too creepy, me showing up on your doorstep at four-thirty in the morning.”

“Creepier things have happened.” His smile touched his eyes, and simultaneously, every other part of me, too. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more alive than in those countless seconds of staring into his eyes. It was like he knew every secret, every moment that had ever happened in my life. He pushed open the door and gestured for me to enter. I did. As I passed him, I caught a glimpse of the pendant resting in the hollow of his throat. Unconsciously, I took a sharp intake of breath. It was exactly the one from my dream. I shook my head and tried to conjure some rational explanation. I had to have glimpsed it before and tucked the image into the layers of my subconscious. No, I haven’t. I felt positive I had never seen it.

Other Works by Ainsley Shay:

Adelina’s Curse (Book 2 of The Statues Trilogy)

The Carving Witch (Book 3 of The Statues Trilogy)

After the Curtain Falls

Delicate Thorns

Catching Bait

Website: http://www.Ainsleyshay.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ainsley-Shay-229192347139493/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ainsleyshay

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Ainsleyshay/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=ainsley+shay

Instagram: Ainsley_Shay

Newsletter: https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/k0s0v5

New Release Angelic Outcast by Jessie Wrights

New Release:

Angelic Outcast

by Jessie Wrights

Blurb:

Artan never knew what to expect when he was called to service on Earth, but the sight of his future charge made him think this one wouldn’t be so bad, until he gets shot during his first meeting with Elizabeth Savante. Turns out she already has a protector, and he is none too pleased to find that Heaven has taken an interest in his partner.

Khris thought he was safe, his work with Liz kept him constantly moving and out of Heaven’s cross hairs. That is until an angel shows up, and tells him that a demon is after Liz. And to make matters worse Liz is completely psyched about it. Now he has a choice, he can stay and help protect the best thing that ever happened to him, or he can run before Heaven finds out what and where he is.

Links:

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/515065818704405/

Website: www.jessiewrights.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessiewrights/

Street Team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Jessie.Wrights.ST/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jessie_Wrights

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessiewrights/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15294572.Jessie_Wrights

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jessie-Wrights/e/B01ENTAW8S/

Google: https://plus.google.com/u/0/104757077629025924352/posts

Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jessiewrights

Cover Reveal for Kiss Me I'm Irish by Bee Stevens

HAPPY COVER REVEAL DAY!!

Scroll down to see the lovely cover for

Kiss Me I'm Irish

by Author Bee Stevens

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Day: 14th of March 2017

Ireland calls to Hailey’s soul like an emerald siren. Her past is inextricably linked to this small island.

Cillian is a jack of all trades with a musician’s restless soul. He loves his country - the history, the landscapes, the people and the traditions - but is it his forever home?

With his Irish charm, his silken tongue and the weird effect he has on her nipples, Hailey struggles to resist.

Discovering the romance of the Irish countryside has its own passionate side-effects.

Can an American tourist intent on being independent keep up with a wild Irish rover with more issues than National Geographic? And will Cillian’s heart follow Hailey no matter where she lands?

Add to your Goodreads TBR

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34374443-kiss-me-i-m-irish 

Meet the Author

Born and raised in a sleepy village in North County Dublin, Bee Stevens only ventured outside of it in her imagination. If you asked her as a child what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would have said Journalist. That changed several times over the years, but her dream was always to write, in one form or another. Bee published several short-stories in an in-flight magazine for an airline she worked for but never pursued it outside of her daily routine. When illness changed her daily routine without much preamble, she found being stuck at home was the kick in the arse she needed to finally write the book lurking within her. These days, though she has ventured further afield, Bee can still be found in the slightly less sleepy, but still small village, with a cup of tea in her hand and a dog on her lap, as she tries to type around the ball of fluff who rarely leaves her side.

Connect with Bee

Twitter - @beestevensauth

Facebook – Facebook.com/beestevensauthor

Instagram – instagram.com/beestevensauthor

Email: beestevensauthor@gmail.com

http://www.facebook.com/joandisalovebooks

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour for The Missing Heir of Mandralay by Braden Bell plus Blog Post

Blog Tour ~ The Missing Heir of Mandralay Author: Braden Bell Genre: Young Adult/ Fantasy Dates: 20th – 24th of Feb Hosted by: Ultimate Fantasy Book Tours  

Blurb: 

A heartless monster. An innocent girl. He holds her life in his paws, but she holds his soul in her hands. Thirteen-year-old Tallie has a strange new power. While experimenting with this power late at night, she is discovered by Mother Kyraisa, the ancient nun who runs the orphanage where Tallie lives. Terrified of something, Mother Kyraisa evacuates the orphanage and burns it to the ground. The pair flees into the desert with only a wagon and a lead-lined coffin to protect the girl from the unspoken danger that pursues her. With no memories, no heart, or even a name, X is a monster. Fiercest of the Bestials, his predator’s instincts are controlled only by powerful spells binding his life to the regent’s will. When a flash of apostate magic betrays the hiding place of the late queen’s daughter, the regent dispatches X to kill the child—her niece and the long-hidden heir to the throne. Following the child’s magic, X tracks Tallie to her hiding place. He prepares to kill her, until Tallie surprises him with a sincere request for help. Tallie’s innocence and trust awaken a small spark of humanity inside X, and he tries to help her. But he remains a monster, bound by instinct and unbreakable oaths. Helping Tallie triggers a ferocious battle, as X fights his primal nature for her life—and his only hope of redemption. Meanwhile, Tallie grapples with the tragedy of her past and her identity as crown princess. As royal heir, Tallie finds access to immense power—enough to destroy her enemies, but possibly her own soul as well, turning her into a monster far worse than X. 

↓Buy Links↓ Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Missing-Heir-Mandralay-Soulbound-Book-ebook/dp/B01MU7V87Z/ 

Author Bio:

   

Braden Bell (who writes Young Adult novels under the name Brandon Gray) holds a Ph.D. in educational theatre from New York University. He and his family live on a quiet, wooded lot in Tennessee, where he teaches middle school theatre and music. An experienced performer, Braden enjoys reading, gardening, and long summer afternoons writing in his hammock. To read about his YA novels, check out: amazon.com/author/brandongray Visit him at:

I have been thinking a great deal about love lately. Partly because it's Valentine's Day. Even more importantly, my wife and I will be celebrating our 24th wedding anniversary the same week. At work, I've been busy directing Beauty and the Beast, which eloquently testifies to the transformative power of love.

The power of love is a theme in The Missing Heir of Mandralay, although there's no romance. I worry that as our culture rightly celebrates the joy of romantic love, we forget that there are many other kinds of love that are as important and powerful as they can be overlooked.

I walked from my classroom to the administration building the other day to check my mail. Since the weather was lovely, I walked outside, passing by the playground while the first graders were out at recess. Childish voices shouted, “Dr. Bell!” I looked up as a small gaggle of children ran to me. A few seconds later, amid joyful giggles, my knees were securely wrapped in the all-encompassing hug of small arms.

I froze for a moment. Middle school teachers aren’t usually greeted like this nor are the parents of teens and older children. I was startled—then delighted—by the unabashed affection that comes from innocent hearts. There I stood, surprised by love.

This experience made me think a little more about love and all its different forms and manifestations. It occurred to me that most of our cultural explorations and celebrations of love are about receiving love. Perhaps we are all a little surprised when someone loves us.

But as I started remembering other times when love surprised me, I realized they came from the other side of the equation: times when I gave love. The giving of love is something we don’t talk about as much, at least directly. I wonder if we should celebrate it more, because it’s so fundamental to what so many adults do as they interact with children. It happens so often that I’m not sure we even notice.

The first time I was truly surprised by unselfish, unconditional love was when I became a father. Holding that tiny baby filled me with a rush of joyful obligation and the most unselfish affection I had ever felt. Until then, most of my energies had been spent on getting other people to love me.

This was different. Unlike other previous relationships, that child could do nothing for me. In fact, I was now required to do everything for him. He demanded more from me than anyone ever had: time and attention, money, and quite literally everything my wife and I could give—including the sleep I needed to function. In the struggle to provide these things, we became more tired, more stressed, much poorer, and far busier. In every way we were less free than we’d ever been. And yet, we loved our child with an intensity and purity neither of us had experienced before.

I don’t consider myself to be a selfless person. In fact, to be honest, I’m pretty selfish. But somehow, parenting has allowed me to transcend my self-concern. There I was, surprised by my ability to love someone else.

That’s not to say it was easy. Loving a child doesn’t fix sleep deprivation or change diapers, nor does it do homework, provide meals or any of the other hundreds of jobs a parent does. But we do it. Over and over.

It seems to me that’s a miracle. Like my experience on the playground, perhaps we should take a moment to acknowledge, celebrate, and savor it.

The second time unconditional love caught me off guard was when I started teaching. I expected to enjoy my students and certainly hoped they’d like me; I did not expect to love them. But I did. And I still do, perhaps more each year. At first it felt funny to use the word “love” in this context. But there’s no other word for it, although I searched for years to find one.

Part of my surprise was situational, since being a teacher is obviously not the same as being a parent. The bonds and boundaries, the roles and responsibilities are very different.

But part of the surprise was how much I, a fundamentally selfish being, was again able to thrive in a profoundly asymmetrical relationship. I was tasked with the welfare of small humans, all of whom were vulnerable and deserved my best efforts. I was to look after them, not vice versa. And once again, despite this imbalance—or because of it—I found myself loving without expecting anything in return.

I don’t want to make it sound easy because it wasn’t. Teachers, like parents, are never really “done.” I’ve had rough times in both roles. There is always more patience to attain, more content to master, and a better way to handle a situation. One is always learning to discipline and motivate more effectively, and there is always new information and research about the right and wrong way to do things. And, of course, one never has a shortage of critics. All of that can be exhausting, draining, and so very difficult.

Still, I have come to believe in both the miracle and the value of giving selfless love. It came full circle recently when one of my children needed some financial help. The need was legitimate, but it drew on money for which I had other cherished plans. And yet I found myself truly wanting to help my child.

I think of my pre-child, pre-teaching soul as an empty field. Something about all those years of giving with no expectation of return was like digging in that field. It was work—often difficult and even painful. But all that digging broke the dry ground, took out the rocks, and unearthed much richer soil. Where nothing grew before, an amazing garden now blooms.

I have become better. Despite very real flaws and failings as a human, a parent, and a teacher, I know I can love without expectation of return. There is something comforting and ennobling in that, something to which I can cling when confronted by my weaknesses.

In many ways as a parent—and teacher—I have less of some things. I have less, but I’ve become more.

Once again, I’m surprised by love.