November 16, 2015

✦❉ ❥Blog Tour & Review ✦❉ ❥Untamed, Thoughtful #5 by S.C. Stephens

UNTAMED by S.C. Stephens 
November 3, 2015
Forever Trade Paperback
Thoughtful #5





The spotlight doesn’t only shine. Sometimes, it burns.

Being the bad-boy bassist for the world’s hottest band has earned Griffin Hancock some perks: a big house, a fast car, and most importantly his incredible wife Anna. The one thing it hasn’t brought him is the spotlight. Anna tells him to be patient, that his talent will win out. But Griffin is through waiting for permission to shine.

Without warning, Griffin makes a shocking decision and takes the gamble of a lifetime. Suddenly he’s caught up in a new level of lights, cameras, and chaos—one that pushes his relationship with Anna to its limits. Anna has always found his unpredictable behavior sexy, but lately he’s seen an ache in her eyes, and it has his soul in knots. Just as the recognition Griffin seeks is finally within reach, the thing he loves most in life could be slipping through his fingers…
 
 


Griffin. You always have been, and you always will be.”

Pushing him back a step, I snapped, “It’s a little late for the pep talk, bro. If you think I’m so valuable, you could have stood up for me in there.” I lifted my arms for emphasis. “It gave me the warm and fuzzies how you let him walk all over me.”

Kellan sighed. “It’s complicated, Griff. Matt’s a genius on guitar…he’s…it’s his instrument, the one he’s born to play. But us saying that isn’t an insult to you. You’re amazing on bass, gifted even. It’s just…we each have our part, you know? And we have to do them the best we can.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “For the sake of the band, I’m asking you to let this go and just…forget about lead. Please?”
I could only stare at him. I felt numb inside. Was this what giving up your dream felt like? For as long as I could remember, I’d wanted all eyes on me—I’d wanted to be the center of attention. Matt had never wanted that. But he was given the instrument that shone while I was given the one that everyone forgot about. My part was designed to blend, designed to go unnoticed. It was everything I wasn’t, and I was sick of being stuck with it. I wanted more, but they wouldn’t give me more.
Without answering him, I turned and walked away, toward the house. What could I say to that anyway? Matt had just permanently rejected my chances at ever being lead guitar. Forgetting was the only thing left that I could do. Forget, or stew, and right now, I wanted to stew.
When I got back to the living room, Jenny and Rachel were there working. “Need something, Griffin?” Jenny asked, her pale eyes practically sparkling with happiness.
Ignoring both her good mood and her question, I called out for Anna. “She’s upstairs with Kiera,” Rachel quietly replied.
Harrumphing some sort of thank-you, I began plodding my way to the stairs. Fucking stairs. I stomped up them, cursing my bandmates with each step. I imagined that the carpet treads under my feet were their squishy faces. I felt a little better by the time I reached the top. “Yo, Anna! Where are you?”
Both Anna and Kiera instantly appeared in a bedroom door frame. Simultaneously, they both put fingers to their lips. “Shhhhhhh,” they both scolded.
I was tired of being reprimanded today, so I didn’t lower my voice any. “Wake up Gibson. We’re leaving.”
Anna instantly edged around Kiera to step into the hallway. “What’s wrong?” she asked me, while Kiera stepped out of the room behind her. The two sisters were pretty similar, but Anna definitely had a lot more curves than her slimmer and straighter sister. Generally I appreciated those curves, but at the moment, I just wanted to shove them into the car and get out of here.
“There’s no point being here right now, so we’re leaving. Actually, there’s no point in ever coming back here, so we’re leaving.” I opened the door closest to me, hoping I’d find my sleeping daughter behind it. Nope. Empty.
I moved to try another door, but Anna stepped in front of me. “Let’s go outside, get some fresh air.”
Dramatically tossing my hands in the air, I gave up. “Fine.” What did it matter, since nothing was working for me today anyway?
I headed back to those goddamn stairs while Anna told Kiera she’d be right back. Not waiting for my very pregnant wife, I sped down the steps and out the door. The fresh air on my face helped calm me down a little, but I was still riled up. I paced the front porch while I waited for Anna. Those sanctimonious assholes.
“Griff?” A soft touch on my shoulder spooked me, and I jumped. Turning, I saw Anna behind me, her green eyes worried. “What’s going on?” She indicated the front step, and I grudgingly sat down.
Once I was seated, my mood dropped. I’d started the day so positively, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that this tour was going to be the one. But not anymore. It was going to be the same old crap. Dropping my head, I slumped over. Anna sat beside me, and her fingers lightly caressed my back in a soothing pattern. It helped my residual anger, but not my rising disappointment.
“One song. I asked for one fucking song…and they wouldn’t even give that to me…” I studied my fingers in my lap while my dreams dissolved in my hands. “Matt just told me that he’s not ever going to give me a chance to play lead, and the rest of the guys agreed with him. I’m done…forever stuck on bass…forever in the shadows. I just wanted one song, one moment in the spotlight.” With a sigh, I looked up at her. “Four minutes? Is that so much?”
Anna’s eyes were heavy with sympathy. Reaching up, she threaded her fingers through my hair. “No…that’s not much at all.”
I nodded and dropped my vision to my lap again. “Yeah, I didn’t think so either. But they can’t even give that to me.” The anger resurfaced, wrapping disappointment around it like a blanket. “Between me and you, babe, sometimes…I really don’t like those guys.”
Anna kissed the back of my neck and wrapped an arm around my shoulder in sympathy. “I’m sorry, Griffin.”
Closing my eyes, I let her comfort wash over me. At least there was one person on earth who gave a shit about me.
 
 

Oh, Griffin.  Very over the top Griffin.  We first met in Thoughtless, and I didn’t like him at the beginning.  As we progressed through Effortless, and Reckless my opinion started to change.  Well, in Untamed, we get pure, unadulterated egotistical Griffin.  And thus started my love/hate relationship with him, again.

All throughout Untamed, I was conflicted.  I couldn’t figure out what was holding me back from loving his character completely, and then it finally clicked.  I loved Kellan Kyle so much.  It’s not an easy task that SC Stephens undertook writing this book, I’m sure, knowing how we all fell in love with the D. Bags front man.  It was hard for me to see things through Griffin’s eyes until I let Kellan and Kiera’s story go.  When I did, this story became more enjoyable to me.

Griffin feels like he is overlooked, never gets the chance to show how great he is in the spotlight, and has a huge chip on his shoulder where the band is concerned.  The band sees things rather differently.  To them, they see Griffin as a slacker, he doesn’t pay attention to a word they say, and is always messing around.  So.  Griffin goes in search of greener pastures.
Anna.  She sticks by her man, but just as it seems that Griffin is getting everything he thinks he needs, the one thing that he actually does need is in danger of slipping away.  Anna and Griffin’s relationship is unique, it always has been, but with Griffin acting the way he has been, it’s plain to see that he needs to open his eyes to see what he has in front of him.  And he needs to do it before it’s too late.  Otherwise the life he knew could be gone forever.


The writing is fabulous, as always.   Even though, I still never connected with Griffin in this story, I still enjoyed  it.  I loved visiting all of my favorite characters once again; even if it was through Griffin. <3  



 
 
S.C. Stephens is a #1 bestselling author who spends her every free moment creating stories that are packed with emotion and heavy on romance. In addition to writing, she enjoys spending lazy afternoons in the sun reading, listening to music, watching movies, and spending time with her friends and family. She and her two children reside in the Pacific Northwest. 

Social Media Links:
 

★*★Release Day Blitz★*★ My Soul To Keep by Kennedy Ryan



release day banner copy 

 It seems the things worth keeping are often the hardest to hold...
KAI
I had two things in life that mattered. My mother and my music. Mama was taken from me too soon, and now music is all I have left. It’s the thing that’s pushed me right out of backwoods Georgia into Los Angeles, where the line between fantasy and reality shimmers and blurs. I’m finally making my way, making my mark. I can’t afford to fall for one of music's brightest stars. Not now. Music is all I have left, and I’m holding on tight with both hands. I won’t let go, not even for Rhyson Gray.
RHYSON
I had one thing in my life that mattered – music. The only constant, it’s taken me to heights most people only dream about; a gift dropped in my lap at birth. I thought it was enough. I thought it was everything until I met Kai. Now she’s all I think about, like a song I can't get out of my head. If I have to chase her, if I have to give up everything - I will. And once she's mine, I won't let go.
    

I shouldn’t have come. All the things I felt and fought, the things I suspected he felt too, he just spewed all over me. And as much as I want to be, I’m not sure I’m ready. I’ll never forget seeing my Mama in bed for days after Daddy left. And even though she got up, I suspect a part of her never left that bed, but just stayed there, waiting. We had to leave the house where she grew up and where I spent my first years, because Daddy left us with nowhere to go. Mama learned to stand on her two feet, and I’ve done the same. I just didn’t count on Rhyson sweeping me off of them. “We’re obviously on different pages about this.” I pull my hands free and turn to leave, but he steps in front of me, blocking my grand exit. “Let’s talk later.” “Enough talking.” The heat of his body grabs me before his hands do. He traps my chin between two fingers, taking my mouth in a paradox of rough and tender. I want to move. To slide away from his body pressing me into the pool table. But I can’t. Not with his hand caressing my back. Not with his tongue in my mouth. Not with his erection pressing into my stomach. I can’t. I won’t. I have been denying myself this, and I’m so damn hungry. My mouth opens under his, ravenous and wet and hot. His groan vibrates against my lips. “Yes. Good God, yes, Pep.” His words slip down my throat. I strain up on tiptoes, clawing my fingers into his dark hair, forcing him closer. He lifts me onto the pool table, planting himself between my knees. His fingers skim my bare thigh, working up my leg until he reaches a damp patch of silk. He pushes my panties aside, rubbing his hand into the wet flesh there before sliding one long finger and then another inside of me. I rock into these fingers which have awed millions with their skill. They own me. I’m the instrument in his hands. He’s playing me. Plucking at me. Strumming me. He tugs at the wide neck of my sweater until it falls away from my shoulder, slipping his hand in and cupping my naked breast. He brushes his fingers over my nipple, and I lose my mind and every inhibition. My head flops back and I stretch my legs wider, offering him anything he wants. “Are you kidding me?” His question burns the vulnerable curve of my neck as he drags his lips to my shoulder. “You come here wearing no bra and think I won’t…” He abandons the words, his dark, untidy head disappearing under my sweater, and before I have time to regain even millimeters of sanity, my nipple is in his mouth and he’s suckling me. Not gentle. Not soft. My breasts are so small, he almost eats me whole. Every draw, every suck, every bite sends a power surge to my core until my knees hold his hips in a desperate grip, and my nails rake across the flat surface of the pool table behind me. His mouth at my breast. His fingers inside me. His clean scent surrounding me. I have nowhere to hide anymore. I am exposed. I want to spread myself wide open for him. That voice that has been telling me I can’t rely on him. I can’t trust him. I can’t need him—that voice is stunned into silence by his thorough possession of my body, by the inferno between my legs, blazing a hole right through my soul and scorching my heart.



There is just something so special to me when a story I read has music and dance infused in its plot that just clings to my soul. Everything about My Soul to Keep spoke to me. It felt like every time I turned the page there was another sentence that had me reminiscing about my own upbringing. They say that when you read and love a story you forget about the time spent on the words and you are completely attached to it. So true with my time spent in Kennedy Ryan’s first self-published story and I can say that while reading I connected right away and I want to read it again!

I loved Rhyson and Kai’s story. It’s not your traditional friends to lover’s story. My Soul to Keep is about a young, talented woman who has a crap deal given to her and she has no other choice but to rise above it and make the most of what gifts were ingrained on her soul. Made to be responsible and independent of herself Kai moves from the small town in Georgia to the land of dreams in California in determination to make it as a singer and dancer. There she meets Rhyson. The most popular musician at the time. A musical prodigy. Rhyson grew up the privileged kid who just happened to make beautiful music with the keys, an extension of himself. Aloof and unforgettably desirable, Rhyson makes it his business to not be attached to any girl and only puts his trust in the very few people in his circle closest to him. Having had a raw deal handed to him as well, he overcomes and makes himself a brand in the entertainment world. But as Rhyson and Kai meet both their world turns on its axes and Kai immediately friend zones Rhyson in fear that she will be knocked off her own path. The chemistry between these two is written so well it feels palpable. The secrets that come to life are real issues that threaten their world and right as the story comes to a head we are thrown for another loop.

I can’t wait for what’s next with these two. I was so excited to be able to read early and I couldn’t be happier with the words and how this story came to unfold. I loved everything about these characters even the ones I wanted to kick, I realized they were written perfectly. The only thing I would change about My Soul to Keep would be to make it longer, maybe stretch it out to a weekly episode for a couple years, just a thought LOL! Seriously though, this story should be read by everyone who loves a little romance in their lives.





   LIVE_nov 15-17  
     

 


I just can't write about myself in third person for one more bio! I'm a wife, a mom, a writer, an advocate for families living with autism. That's me in a nutshell. Crack the nut, and you'll find a Southern girl gone Southern California who loves pizza and Diet Coke, and wishes she got to watch a lot more television. You can usually catch me up too late, on social media too much, or FINALLY putting a dent in my ever-growing To Be Read list!
    

Facebook / Amazon/ Twitter/ Newsletter / Goodreads / Instagram

cropped-SSFprLogo3.png


✦ ❥ ✦Cover Reveal✦ ❥ ✦Special Edition of "Make Me Believe" (Believe #1) by Karen Ferry

KAREN-FERRY-AUTHOR-BANNER MAKE ME BELIEVE AMAZON KINDLE EBOOK COVER
Title: ”Make Me Believe”
Author: Karen Ferry
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: 1st December, 2015
Cover Design: Louisa Maggio of LM Creations
Sometimes, a chance meeting is just the push you need in order to break free from the darkness within…
My name is Emma, I’m 23, and I’ve never been kissed. I’m no virgin…But kissing is too intimate, too intense, and I don’t want that – not ever. I like sex, though, and most of my hook-ups don’t seem to mind the no-kissing part.
But then I meet Daniel, who’s such a geek, and definitely not the kind of guy I’d normally take an interest to. He’s the shy, quiet type, but with such a charming smile, and he makes my heart race – something I’ve never experienced before.
Daniel has his own issues to work through, and I know my hardened heart shouldn’t melt when he looks at me. I really shouldn’t be falling for him, either, but somehow, he manages to tear down my walls, and I’m scared…because once he learns my secrets, he’ll want nothing to do with me.
All I know is that Daniel makes me feel things that I have never felt before – but do I dare let down my walls and confide in him?
Will I let him be my first kiss?
This is my story, and I’ll reveal everything in my own sweet time…
Just don’t expect all the hearts-and-flowers stuff.
Life is messy, and mine is no different…
INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS
THIS SPECIAL EDITION INCLUDES FOUR BRAND NEW NEVER-SEEN-BEFORE SCENES THAT TAKE PLACE BEFORE THE EPILOGUE OF THE ORIGINAL STORY.
***Due to possible ‘triggers’ and adult situations (yes, there is lots of sex in this book) it is not recommended to persons under the age of 18.
MMB SE Teaser 1
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR ABOUT THE SPECIAL EDITION:
Hello, everyone!
You are probably all wondering what is going on, aren't you?
Well...I never planned on continuing Emma & Daniel's story, but after having received numerous emails and messages from readers, all asking me for more, my brain began turning its wheels again. And once I started writing, I realised that I was nowhere near finished with these beloved characters of mine.
The Special Edition includes FOUR brand new bonus scenes that all take place before the epilogue of the original story. You will see Emma and Daniel at various stages of their lives, and you will, naturally, also find that they have grown up a lot. The scenes span five years since they met for the first time, and I have absolutely LOVED being back inside their heads! In some way, I am getting closure, or am now fully able to let them go - something that I just haven't had the heart to do since I published "Make Me Believe".
This edition will be published on 1st December, so you will not have to wait long. I am beyond excited to hear what you think of it, and I hope you will take time to either comment below or email me once you have had a chance to read them. And want to know the best part? If you have already bought "Make Me Believe", Amazon will email you once this new edition is live, saying that you merely have to update your Kindle, and voila! It will be waiting for you there - no additional charges for you. Pretty awesome, yes? ;-)
It will also be available in print from this day.
But for now: I hope you love the new cover as much as I do!
Much love,
Karen Ferry
xxx
MMB SE Teaser 2
Author Pic
Karen Ferry is a thirty-something writer, wife to a quiet, laidback man, and mother to a gorgeous, stubborn, redheaded girl who keeps her parents on their toes.
Karen tends to have a short fuse if she does not get a proper caffeine fix first thing in the mornings, but she is, in fact, a gentle person deep down.
Karen loves Italian food and wine, travelling, and spending time with her family. When she is not writing, she reads – her favourite genres are New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Erotica and Romantic Suspense. She can never get enough of romance. Or of too many book boyfriends, either.
Even though Karen is Danish, she has always felt more at ease writing stories in English, and she has not read a book in her native tongue in over ten years.
She can be very outspoken and a complete fan girl of other authors online but will, in fact, be very shy once she meets you in person.
 ❥  Instagram: @authorkarenferry ❥  Pinterest
Teaser 3 SE MMB
MAKE ME BELIEVE SPECIAL EDITION FOR SHARING

♦♢♦♢Blog Tour & Review♦♢♦♢ Addiction, Seven Deadly Sins By Shantel Tessier

Title: Addiction 
Series: Seven Deadly Sins
Author: Shantel Tessier
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: November 17, 2015 Cover Design: Perfect Pear Creative Photographer: Dave Kelly Artistics  Cover Models: Lance Jones & Jami Watts
I’m a sinner with no regrets. I’m a man with no shame. 
I’m a lover with no soul. 
What am I? 
You’re a loner with no friends. 
You’re a beggar with no place to go. 
You’re a face with no name. 
Who are you? 
It doesn’t really matter what I am or who you are. Everyone has sin in common. But I pride myself on doing it better. Through the eyes of another, I am envied. If they only knew the wrath I have endured. Greed can be a motherfucker, but it is what makes us strive to be better. Lust can make you burn, but without it you would freeze to death. Some of us are a glutton for punishment and want to feel the pain that reminds us we’re still alive rather than overcome by sloth. 
The lure of these seven deadly sins is like an addiction. And I intend to indulge in each of these unforgivable sins.
  


  
Addiction:
Everyone has one and everyone has been touched by one. Depending on when it shows itself, is when you’ll know what kind of beast you’re dealing with.

Seven Deadly Sins:
A club that serves as the backdrop to this story. A place where whomever enters the doors, is who they seem.

When I first started reading Addiction I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. I had a fear that I was going to be immersed into a story that was all sex and no plot. By the time I got to the middle of this book, I was hooked. At the final page, my mind was blown and my first thought that came on the aftermath was, ‘Holy Manolos!! When the hek is book two coming?! I NEED MORE!’  Addiction is the first book I have read from Shantel Tessier, and she is now on my top shelf of authors to read! I am definitely going back and reading her library!!

I loved the different viewpoints in Addiction and how the story flowed from each person. By writing this way, Shantel Tessier made this story really come alive and forge deeper into the plot. There wasn’t that constant overlapping and retelling of the same point that you get with most books that are written with different points of view. While I was reading I felt like I was cocooned in a world of suspense of a seedy nature truly making me believe that I was following these characters down one path when really I was being drugged into a whole different direction. I love being surprised and I will honestly say that it did take me a few moments in time reading to figure out all the links in this story. Addiction is written well with just the right balance of sex and crime giving me that feeling that I could be watching the story unfold on the big screen as well as in the page. The main characters: Case, Taylor, and Blane, are the perfectly balance of good versus evil in a world where your desires and cravings could prove to be killer!
Case- Hot, Sexy, matter-of-fact, Dominant
Taylor- Naïve but smart, loyal, closet submissive, grows to be strong
Blane- Responsible, family first, whatever it takes, desperate

If you’re looking for a good sexy suspense that is surprisingly full of twists and turns, Addiction is that book for you. You won’t be disappointed!
**I was given an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review**




I cross my arms over my chest, getting more comfortable. “Come in,” I call out.
The door opens, and she comes walking in as if she owns the place. Shoulders pulled back and chin up. She is dressed much differently than she was last night, but it doesn’t change the fact she’s beautiful. She’s pulled her long, dark hair up into a messy ponytail with loose pieces framing her flawless face. She has an oversized white t-shirt on that hangs off one shoulder. The color of her bra strap gets my attention. Black—my favorite color. She’s wearing a pair of black yoga pants that hugs her thin legs. Even though they cover more of her legs than her shorts did from last night, they seem more sexual. More intimate in a way that makes me want to peel them off her slowly.
“I need to have a word with you …” I arch a brow at her hard tone even though it did sound cute “… sir,” she adds a little softer, and I hide my smile. So she doesn’t have as much backbone as she wants me to think she has. 
“I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced,” I say as I stand. I reach out my right hand toward her. “My name is …”
She holds up her hand stopping me. “I know who you are.” She cocks a dark eyebrow. “A word?” She’s all business. 
I smirk as I sit back down. “Of course. And please, call me Case.” I gesture to the chair that sits across my desk. 
“I’ll stand. This won’t take long.” She takes in a deep breath, and I allow myself a quick look at her large chest hidden behind that t-shirt. I can’t touch her, but I sure as hell can enjoy the view.
“What can I do for you?” I ask with amusement. I can think of several things I could do for her, all of which would require her being naked and bent over my desk. I rub my hands on my thighs as I feel my cock start to harden at the thought of her, open-mouthed, moaning in pleasure. 
“My brother told me that he owes you.” She gets right to the point.
My face hardens at that statement. My amusement is replaced with anger. What else did he tell her? “I don’t see where what business I have with your brother is any of yours,” I say flatly.
She crosses her arms over her chest and lets out a huff. The motion blows the dark strands around her face. “That is where you are wrong. I don’t know what he owes you, but I’m willing to pay it.”
I refrain from chuckling at that. I lean forward and place my forearms on my desk. She quickly scans the tattoos on my arms and then looks back at me. “Taylor…”
“Call me Miss Williams,” she informs me lifting her chin. 
“Miss Williams, I assure you that you cannot pay what he owes me.”
I watch as her tough act starts to unravel. “I don’t have a lot of money, that’s true. But maybe I can make payments,” she offers, her voice sounding more desperate than demanding.
I shake my head. “This isn’t about money.” 
She stomps her foot, and I chuckle. Her beautiful blue eyes narrow on me as she uncrosses her arms and points an angry finger at me. “Name your price!” she demands. “Everyone has a price.”
If she only knew how right she is, but I say, “There is no price.”
She throws her arms out to her side. “I came here …” She pauses as she looks around the room as if it can give her some sort of an answer. Then she mutters a curse in frustration. When she looks back up at me, she looks desperate. Her eyes have softened, making them look lighter than they are. Her lips part as she breathes in a sigh, and her shoulders slump in defeat. And I hate that I like the way it looks. That it makes me feel like she needs me. That I hold all the answers. Too bad she’s not gonna get them.
“Pulled in from page one and I'm still addicted to this book even after finishing it. The twists and turns Shantel takes you on will have your head spinning and your heart pounding.” ~Judy Miracle
“If you’re looking for a new Addiction then this is the book for you!! Shantel will have you Addicted by the first chapter. I couldn’t put it down.” ~Kelly Tucker
“Addiction is a great story with lots twists and turns that will be sure to keep you on your toes.” ~Rachael Duncan (Author)
Shantel is a Texas born girl who now lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma with her high school sweetheart, who is a wonderful, supportive husband and their four year old little princess. She loves to spend time cuddled up on the couch with a good book She has published five books in the Undescribable series and 2 books in the DASH series. She considers herself extremely lucky to get to be a stay at home wife and mother. Going to concerts and the movies are just a few of her favorite things to do. She hates coffee, but loves wine. She and her husband are both huge football fans, college and NFL. And she has to feed her high heel addiction by shopping for shoes weekly.  Although she has a passion to write, her family is most important to her. She loves spending evenings at home with her husband and daughter, along with their two cats and dog.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
HOSTED BY: