Monday, January 6, 2014

2 Cover Reveals & Giveaway: Guns & Bomb by J.A. Huss

GUNS: The Spencer Book
(Rook and Ronin Spinoff)
Full-length Book
by J.A. Huss
To be Publsihed: March 31, 2014

Description

The Team is growing. It’s no longer just Ford, Spencer, and Ronin and the three new additions have Spencer Shrike off his booze, off his bikes, and paranoid to the extreme. Every Team member has a job, and every job is important—but only Spencer’s job keeps everyone alive.

Veronica Vaughn has put up with Spencer Shrike’s shit for years and where has it gotten her? A big fat nowhere. No ring, no house, no kids, and no promises. In fact, Spencer is worse than ever—completely distant and moody—and his fascination with weapons has turned into an obsession.

Now there’s another man in town with his eye on her. And she’s ready to jump ship. The last thing on Spencer’s mind is a relationship, and Veronica Vaughn has had enough.

But what if Spencer has a reason to keep Veronica at arm’s length? What if her life depends on his painful indifference? And what if… a very dangerous man with a very real vendetta sees through his ruse with killer clarity?

GUNS brings the entire Rook and Ronin series full circle. Every con, every lie, and every skeleton in the closet is back for one final shot at vengeance and the only thing standing in the way… is Spencer Shrike.


Add Guns to your TBR Pile--->Goodreads 

 

 

 

 

BOMB: A Day in the Life of Spencer Shrike
(Rook and Ronin Spinoff)
Novella
by J.A. Huss
To be Publsihed: February 17, 2014

Description

Spencer Shrike is a plotter. Known for his ingenious, albeit illegal, plans that keeps the Team running efficiently and out of jail, he carries this same love of order into his personal life. He’s kept his long-time main squeeze on the sidelines for years as he builds the Shrike Bikes empire.

Veronica Vaughn is an explosion ready to happen. Ronnie lives in the here and now. She lives for today. She knows what she wants, and she wants it now. And right now Ron the Bomb Vaughn wants Spencer shrike to leave her the hell alone. She’s done playing his game. She’s done waiting around. She’s moving forward with her own plots, plans, and dreams and she’s moving forward tonight. Ron the Bomb is finally—finally—gonna get some satisfaction.

Too bad Spencer Shrike is standing in her way.

Add Bomb by J.A. Huss to your TBR Pile---->Goodreads 

 

 

 

AUTHOR BIO:
J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

Giveaway:

Blog Tour (Review) & Giveaway: Branded by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki

Welcome to my stop in the Branded by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki Blog Tour, hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. Don't forget to follow the rest of the blog tour for more reviews, author interviews, excerpts, and more.

 

Branded (Sinners #1) 

by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki 

Release Date: 06/28/13 

252 pages 

Summary from Goodreads: 

Fifty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He created the Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few years. At best. Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home. 

Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain. 

Now every day is a fight for survival. But I won’t die. I won’t let them win. 

The Hole can’t keep me. The Hole can’t break me. I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter. My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story. 




 Add Branded by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki to your TBR Pile---->Goodreads

Purchase Branded by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki:

Amazon  ~  B&N 

 

 

My Thoughts:

Branded by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki is the second Dysopian book I have ever read and I LOVED IT! I will be honest and say that I thought it was going to be like all other Dystopian books I've heard about with all the different districts and what not, but Branded is a whole different story :).

Lexi has been accused of committing one of the seven deadly sins-Lust-and she has no way to prove her innocence. She believes that being taken to the Hole where all the sinners are taken is better than staying home where she has been tortured physically and damaged mentally. I never imagined all the hell Lexi went through before being taken to the Hole. We don't get to know about this part of her life until further on in the story, and this just broke my heart for Lexi. I loved Lexi's character from the beginning of the story because she is a fighter. I love strong heroine characters that fight for their survival. Once she arrives at the hole she has to kick her survival instincts, because her blue brand (Lust) makes her stand-out from all the crowd.

Cole is given the task to be Lexi's guard once she arrives at the hole. He is way different from the other guards, because he actual makes it his mission to protect Lexi and make sure that she doesn't get killed. At the beginning of the story Cole is distant and cold towards Lexi, but once she starts getting under his skin he starts to question the system of the Hole. Before Lexi arrived he started having doubts about the system, but once she arrives he is determined that the sinners should not be treated so horribly. Cole had me swooning from the very start, because of his passion and determination of protecting Lexi.

A relationship between a sinner and a guard is FORBIDDEN. So just imagine all the danger and the consequences Lexi and Cole have to face once they start to show interest in one another and can't hide it from everyone around them. At the beginning Cole views Lexi any other sinner that he is assigned to protect, and Lexi views Cole as a cold-hearted guard. They are always together and since they spend so much time together Cole sees that Lexi is different from the other sinners. He sees how kind and humane she is towards a girl, and he starts falling for her. Lexi doesn't want to admit that she is falling for Cole, but she is unable to oversee that he is different from the other guards. Cole can be kind, humane, and he has saved Lexi's life more than once. Lexi and Cole need to stay away from each other because they know the punishment of developing a relationship is slow and tortures death for both of them. But they also have the option to fight for their love and for the chance to be able to live outside the Hole.

Branded is a Dystopian story and I need to mention the world inside the Hole. The only other Dystopian book I have read is the Hunger Games and I was not interested in even reading the second book. I was sucked into the world of Branded from the very first page. There is a lot of violence and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED the concept of the seven deadly sins being thought of crimes and people who are accused of them being branded and taken into the Hole. This is a unique concept and interpretation of the seven deadly sins, because I have not heard of it being done in any other Dystopian book.

Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki have brought a unique concept in the Dysoptian genre with Branded. The moment I started reading Branded I was sucked into this world, and I couldn't put this book down. I was surprised more than once with the revelations of each character and I was even more surprised with the revelation of the identity of the commander. I found myself cringing at some of the graphic violence because it was that easy to visualize it. I felt that I was inside the story with Lexi and Cole in the Hole. I can't wait to read the second book in this series! Branded by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki is by far my favorite Dystopian read and has sit the standards for any other Dystopian book I read in the future. 


Final Verdict: 5 Stars 

 

 

 

About the Authors

Abi and Missy met in the summer of 1999 at college orientation and have been best friends ever since. After college, they added jobs, husbands and kids to their lives, but they still found time for their friendship. Instead of hanging out on weekends, they went to dinner once a month and reviewed books. What started out as an enjoyable hobby has now become an incredible adventure.


Find Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki:

 Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Tumblr  ~  Pinterest  ~  Goodreads

 


***GIVEAWAY*** 

20 ebooks of Branded (mobi) Open Internationally 

5 signed print copies and picture of Cole (US only)

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 Blog Tour Hosted by:
YA Bound Book Tours
 

Blog Tour (Review) & Giveaway: Stir Me Up by Sabrina Elkins

Welcome to my stop in the Stir Me Up by Sabrina Elkins Blog Tour, hosted by YA Bound Book Tours!

 

Stir Me Up
by Sabrina Elkins
Release Date: 10/01/13
Harlequin Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Cami Broussard has her future all figured out. She'll finish her senior year of high school, then go to work full-time as an apprentice chef in her father's French restaurant, alongside her boyfriend, Luke. But then twenty-year-old ex-Marine Julian Wyatt comes to live with Cami's family while recovering from serious injuries. And suddenly Cami finds herself questioning everything she thought she wanted.

Julian's all attitude, challenges and intense green-brown eyes. But beneath that abrasive exterior is a man who just might be as lost as Cami's starting to feel. And Cami can't stop thinking about him. Talking to him. Wanting to kiss him. He's got her seriously stirred up. Her senior year has just gotten a lot more complicated….




Add Stir Me Up by Sabrina Elkins to your TBR Pile----> Goodreads

 

Purchase Stir Me Up by Sabrina Elkins:

Amazon  ~  B&N  ~   Kobo  ~  BAM  ~  iTunes  ~  Zola

 

 

My Thoughts:

I don't know what I was expecting when I started reading Stir Me Up by Sabrina Elkins. I think I thought I was going to read one of those stories that have my emotions all over the place. But it wasn't one of those stories.

Stir Me Up is told from Cami's POV. She is a senior in high school, works full-time at her father's restaurant, and is dealing with the dilemma of going to college to study- that is what her father wants- or pursuing to become a chef like her father. I just felt that Cami got on my nerves more than once, because she was just a little too naive for my liking in the story. But yet again I kind of liked her character because she felt realistic. The situations she encounters in the story are what any seventeen/eighteen year old would experience and they would react to them in the some what the same manner. I did feel sorry for Cami's character because of the pressure her father puts on her when it comes to becoming a chef. At the beginning of the story I didn't much like Cami's character, but as the story progresses I end up liking her. By the end of the story she seems to mature in her way of thinking and she finally stands up for what she wants in life.

When we first meet Julian he is at the hospital recovering from his wounds, and let me just say he freaked me out a little.  At the beginning of the story Julian is a big jerk and is closed off to Cami. But this is understandable because he was wounded in the war and he has come back with severe injuries that have an emotional and physical affect on him. I would like to say that I would have loved reading from Julina's POV in Stir Me Up. Why? Because I feel like I would have understand his character much better and I would have had a deeper connection with his character. I would have loved to had that inside glimpse into his thoughts. I loved Julian's character right from the beginning, because I just love the broken characters.

Cami and Julian's relationship starts off with them fighting all the time. These two can not be in the same room without bantering their head off with each other. Cami is always throwing stuff at Julian and he is always embarrassing her or making her feel uncomfortable. But once Cami takes a real good look at Julian, she sees that he is just struggling to get back to a normal life routine. Cami makes up her mind that she is going to start being nice to Julian and get close to him, even when he tries to be rude to her to push her away. I just loved the way Cami and Julian's relationship develops in the story. Cami and Julian support each other and they bring out the best in each other.

Stir Me Up by Sabrina Elkins is a fast-paced sweet romance read. There was potential for Stir Me Up to be a great read, but I just wasn't sucked into the story as I wanted or expected to be. The ending is a HEA in a way, but in my personal opinion it is kind of open for there to be a second book. 

Final Verdict: 3.5 Stars

 

About the Author

I am a former journalist who worked for the Los Angeles Daily Newsand other newspapers in the greater Los Angeles area. Prior to this I worked in advertising, writing ad copy for corporate travel accounts and major motion pictures. My first job out of college was as an administrative assistant to an executive chef and a food & beverage director at a Four Seasons hotel. I also spent some time working as a prep cook for Spago in Beverly Hills.

I received my Master's degree in Journalism from the University of Southern California. While in graduate school, I had the privilege of studying fiction writing under renowned author Hubert Selby, Jr., and comedy writing under famed comedian Shelley Berman. I am a past participant of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Summer Writing Workshop.

Raised in the woods of Vermont, I now live in the greater Los Angeles area with my husband and three children. STIR ME UP is my first novel.I am a former journalist who worked for the Los Angeles Daily Newsand other newspapers in the greater Los Angeles area. Prior to this I worked in advertising, writing ad copy for corporate travel accounts and major motion pictures. My first job out of college was as an administrative assistant to an executive chef and a food & beverage director at a Four Seasons hotel. I also spent some time working as a prep cook for Spago in Beverly Hills.

I received my Master's degree in Journalism from the University of Southern California. While in graduate school, I had the privilege of studying fiction writing under renowned author Hubert Selby, Jr., and comedy writing under famed comedian Shelley Berman. I am a past participant of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Summer Writing Workshop.

Raised in the woods of Vermont, I now live in the greater Los Angeles area with my husband and three children. STIR ME UP is my first novel.



Find Sabrina  Elkins:

Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Goodreads 

 

***GIVEAWAY*** 

WIN 1 OF 3 STIR ME UP FUN FOODIE GIFT PACKS! COOKBOOKS-CHOCOLATES-MAGNETS


Cami’s Cookbook Pack Le Petit Paris: French Finger Food by Nathalie Benezet 500 Soups by Susannah Blake Godiva chocolate bar Stir Me Up magnet 

Julian’s Late-Night Pack George Noory’s Late-Night Snacks by George Noory Dinner and a Movie by Katherine Bebo Godiva chocolate bar Stir Me Up magnet 

Sweet Desserts Pack Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor Cutie Pies by Dani Cone Godiva chocolate bar Stir Me Up magnet 

RULES AND RESTRICTIONS: Contest is void where prohibited. Entrants must be 18 or else have parent or guardian’s permission to enter. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner’s name will be selected. Winning entries will be verified for authenticity. 



  Blog Tour Hosted by:
YA Bound Book Tours
YA Bound Book Tours

Book Blitz: Consumed by Emily Snow

bookblitz_Consumed

  ConsumedBookCover6x9-2 (3)  
Synopsis

Now that Lucas is back in her life, Sienna is sure the drama between them is over. But then he comes to her with a new offer: his band, Your Toxic Sequel, is going on tour and he wants her with him—working in wardrobe and as his girl. Life on the road is a complete 180 from everything Sienna has ever known. Not only does she have to deal with Lucas’s band members, but she’s also forced to be around Cilla, the lead singer of Wicked Lambs. Still, despite horny band mates and a gorgeous rock goddess determined to sink her talons into Lucas, Sienna stays by his side. Then the letters start to come—harassing messages from Lucas’s ex-wife, Sam. At first, Sienna brushes them off, keeping Lucas in the dark because Sam is bad for his music. But after Sam’s contact turns personal and violent, Sienna has no other choice but to confront Lucas. If she’s ever going to understand the twisted pull Sam has on him, she has to know his secret. But when he finally reveals it, will they be able to survive the consequences? Or will it tear them apart, consuming them? 


Excerpt 
“Nice move, Mr. Wolfe,” I mutter under my breath. Tapping my foot rapidly against the floor, I wait for my suitcase to come around on the carousel. Once I locate it, I lug everything to a row of chairs nearby. It’s too hot for me to wait outside for some driver to arrive. No sooner than my butt makes contact with the hard seat do I hear snippets of a conversation between two women who are walking in the direction of the taxi exit. “ . . . I have all of their CDs. I could spot him from a mile away. It was definitely him, and you—you are stifling me!” What the hell? I twist around in time to witness the shorter woman with the black, asymmetrical bob narrow her chocolate brown eyes at the tall, leggy blonde. “And just last night you just said they’re on tour. So which is it, Kate? He’s on tour, or he’s bullshitting around this place?” “Or maybe,” Kate hisses, “Lucas is catching a flight because of his tour.” Lucas is already here? I clamber to my feet, allowing the argument between Kate and her friend to fade into the background as I scan as far as my eyes can see for Lucas. There are couples reuniting all around me, and what appears to be an entire busload of people holding up signs that say “Welcome Home, Gloria,” but no sign of him. I’m about to grab my stuff and go look, but then I see him. Heading directly toward me. His stride a little faster than it normally is, his soft grin entirely too confident, his hazel eyes cocky and yet so full of need. God, that man and those eyes. He’s wearing destroyed jeans and an olive green tee shirt that show off the green flecks in his eyes. His muscular arms hang relaxed by his side, but when he comes close enough for me to breathe in the clean, airy scent of his cologne, I notice that he’s worrying something between the thumb and forefinger of his right hand. I squint down at it as the toes of his Converse brush up against my ballet flats. “Well fuck, Sienna. Looks like you’re more interested in my hands than my face.” But he opens his palm, holding it six inches from my face. My throat constricts when I realize what he’s holding. It’s a guitar pick. Holy hell. “You’re grinding your teeth.” The volume of his voice is barely above a whisper and yet so powerful. “The things I want to do to you for that.” 



AboutTheAuthor 
Emily Snow is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the erotic romance series Devoured, which includes Devoured, All Over You, and Consumed, as well as the new adult novel Tidal. She loves books, sexy bad boys, and really loud rock music, so naturally, she writes stories about all three.
  Series Reading Order Book .5 - All Over You 
 All Over You
Amazon † B&N † iTunes † Kobo
 
Book 1 - Devoured
  Devoured
Amazon † B&N † iTunes † Kobo
 
Book 1.5 - Absorbed 
 absorbed
Amazon † B&N † Kobo
 
Book 2 - Consumed
consumed
 
Spin Off - Savor You (Kylie Wolfe's Story) 
 SavorYou-2 (1)
Amazon † B&N † Smashwords † Kobo

Saturday, January 4, 2014

VIP by Monica Robinson News!

Monica Robinson announced that VIP is going to be a trilogy! I haven't had the chance to read VIP yet, but I've heard that this book will leave you wanting to read more. 


Title: VIP

Author: Monica Robinson

Series: VIP #1

Publication Date: December 8, 2013

Genre: Dark Erotic Contemporary Romance


Synopsis:

32 year old Sebastian Vanwell, was a very successful yacht broker, who always loved the design and architecture of a luxurious boat. His only addiction was being on the water. He loved it, he thrived on it, and he needed it in his life. After a very stable, loving child hood with only a few bumps, Sebastian married the love of his life. The one person that he knew would always be there. Julia was his rock, and he loved her more than life itself. Sebastian kept his addiction to the water under control, wanting to keep his time with his wife and son his number one obsession, that was until he saw her. This new addiction haunted him, the one compulsion that he couldn't control no matter how hard he tried.

Ysabelle Telle hit him hard, knocking the wind from his lungs. Coming from worlds apart, beautiful, dark complexion Ysabelle Telle didn't have the rich, protected background that Sebastian Vanwell had. Ysabelle lived a life of hell, in poverty, growing up with a drug addict mother that never cared, and horrific living conditions. Ysabelle lived for one person and one person only; herself. She was pure perfection, her beauty along with a flawless body had men lined up, driveling over her insuring her success as a VIP.

There are too many words that describe the effects when two diverse worlds like theirs collide. They both have too much to lose to get caught in the forceful pull, which could destroy them both.

Warning sex/drugs/language. Mature readers only.



Add VIP Trilogy by Monica Robinson to your TBR Pile:

VIP #1 

 

VIP #2 

 

VIP #3

 

 VIP (Trailer 1)

 

Purchase VIP by Monica Robinson:

Amazon  ~  B&N  ~   Smashwords

 



About the Author:

M. Robinson loves to read. She favors anything that has angst, romance, triangles, cheating, love, and of course sex! She has been reading since the Babysitters Club and R.L. Stein.

She was born in New Jersey but was raised in Tampa Fl. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D in psychology, with two years left.

She is married to an amazing man who she loves to pieces. They have two German Shepherd mixes and a Tabby cat.

Her debut novel VIP will be released in December 2013. Add it to your TBR list!!


Find Monica Robinson:

Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Goodreads 

 

Join the VIP  Facebook Group HERE

 

Friday, January 3, 2014

Release Blitz (Teaser) & Giveaway: Raw by Belle Aurora

Raw Blitz

Title: Raw

 

Author: Belle Aurora

 

Genre: New Adult Dark Romance

 

Release Date: January 3, 2014

 

Hosted by: Love Between the Sheets Promotions

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Synopsis

*Author Note: This is not a love story. This is a story of love gone wrong.* Growing up the way I did, you’d think I’d be more screwed up than what I actually am. Soon as I turned sixteen, I left that bump in the road I called home and took my chances on the street. Best decision I ever made. Now, at the age of twenty six, I’m educated, employed and damn good at my job. My friends have become my family. Like me, they know what it’s like to grow up unloved. But the saying is true. The world makes way for those who know where they are going. That’s me. I know where I’m going and I’ll get there eventually. On my own terms and at my own pace. But then there’s him. I feel his eyes on me. I see him hiding in plain sight. He watches me. He makes me feel. It’s unconventional. But it’s real. I’m sure you’re wondering how a person falls in love with their stalker. So am I. This isn’t a story. This is my life.
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Buy the Book

 
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Mini Teaser

Staring down at my chest, she takes a step closer to me and whispers miserably, “I’m here to let Brad fuck me.” My cheek ticks and head implodes. She steps closer to me to add, “He’s going to fuck me. Fuck me til I forget you. Til I forget I ever met you. He’s helping me drown you out and I like when I’m not thinkin’ about you.” She looks into my eyes and repeats on a whisper, “You’re poison.”  
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About the Author

author pic Belle Aurora is twenty six years old and was born in the land down under. At an early age she fell in love with reading. Boredom one summer had her scouring the bookshelves at home. She stumbled across Sandra Brown’s Breath of Scandal and fell in love with romance. Having been brought up in a loud and boisterous family of Croatian descent, she developed a natural love for dramatics and humor. Only some years ago had she discovered a new love. Humorous romance novels. Kristen Ashley and R.L. Mathewson had opened a brand new world where she could lose herself yet feel safe and at home in their stories. Belle has been known to become a screeching banshee while anxiously awaiting their newest titles. Belle never thought she would write. It had never interested her until recently. Friend-Zoned began to form and in February this year Belle typed the words Chapter One. And she fell in love. With words. With writing. With a creative imagination she never knew she harbored.

Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

You can find teasers of Belle's books here - https://www.goodreads.com/story/list/18164357

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Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Book Trailer Reveal & Giveaway: Take Two by Laurelin Paige



Today I'm going to reveal the book trailer of Take Two by Lauren Paige, hosted by InkSllinger PR. I'm pretty excited for the release of this book :D!


Title: Take Two

Author: Laurelin Paige

Expected Publication Date: February 4, 2014

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

 

Synopsis: 

He’s ready for his close up, but she’s the one calling the shots.

On the night of her graduation from film school, straight-laced Maddie Bauers fell completely out of character for an oh-my-god make-out session with a perfect stranger. Complete with the big O.

Seven years later, that romantic interlude is still fresh in her mind. That stranger is now a rich and famous actor. And she’s one very distracted camera assistant working on his latest production. She might consider another tryst…if he even remembers her.

Micah Preston does indeed remember Maddie. Too bad he’s sworn off Hollywood relationships. He allows himself as much sex as he likes—and oh, he does like—but anything more is asking for trouble. For the woman, not for him. Yet knowing Maddie could want more than a movie-set fling doesn’t stop him from pursuing her like a moth drawn to hot stage lights.

But as the shoot nears its end, it’s decision time. Is it time to call, “Cut!” on their affair, or is there enough material for a sequel?

Warning: Contains a dreamy movie star hero, a focus-pulling heroine, off-the-charts instant chemistry, steamy sex in near-public locations, and a new use for lip gloss.


 Add Take Two by Laurelin Paige to your TBR Pile----->Goodreads

 

Pre-Order Take Two by Laurelin Paige on AMAZON

 


About the Author:

Laurelin Paige is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Fixed Trilogy. She's a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there's kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn't seem to complain, however. When she isn't reading or writing sexy stories, she's probably singing, watching Mad Men and the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Adam Levine.


Giveaway: