Sunday, May 31, 2015

✯Blog tour & Review✯ BURN by Allie Juliette Mousseau



Title: BURN
Series: Brothers of Ink and Steel
Author: Allie Juliette Mousseau
Genre: New Adult/Sports Romance
Release Date: May 26, 2015
Liam Knight, a sexy panty-melting, hard-bodied streetfighter and renowned tattoo artist, is rising up the ranks of the UFC Middleweight Division, but he’s about to get knocked out by his past.

Quinn Kelley is a semester away from becoming a college graduate when her mother’s death sends her spiraling, forcing her to go back to her hometown and a past she can’t outrun.

Nearly a decade ago, Liam and Quinn fell in love while surviving on the city streets together, but they were torn apart by one irreversible night. Now each has moved forward without the other, but like a tattoo on the heart, absolute love creates a lasting burn.

Quinn has kept a tight rein on her emotions, but with the passing of her mother, the foundation she’s built begins to crack. Will seeing Liam again crumble her fortress to the ground, uncovering the flame that still burns? Or will it extinguish the fire forever?

Liam’s tough exterior and resentful demeanor hides more than a wounded heart. He’s tormented by guilt over what happened to Quinn—and the secret he kept, even from her. But revealing his secrets would require unearthing the all-consuming monster he keeps caged in the darkest part of his soul, the one that threatens to devour him.

When they’re given a second chance, will they let go of their fear and pride and let the flame between them become one? 

Or will the heat burn them both?


4.5 Stars!
In BURN, you get the story of Quinn and Liam. Both of them had some messed up years in the past, and were both children of the system. One would hope that the state and system would find a happy ending for children in need of loving parent and a good home…. but BURN shows just how corrupt, and how easily something that is supposed to be for the good, can turn into something bad. They met when they were teens, lived on the street, were bounced around from home to home with no one to really love them or care for them. Thinking of any child being unloved by a parent is absolutely heartbreaking, and the things these two characters went through was awful. Quinn and Liam developed this amazing friendship, which quickly turned into a love to rival all others. These two were made for each other. But when Quinn takes off, it leaves Liam broken and empty. Ten years later they reunite unexpectedly, which leads to high emotions, tears, laughter, but most of all it leads back to the love they have always shared for each other. 

The book was told in both Liam and Quinn's POV's throughout the entire story, but also went back and forth from past to present which was one of my favorite things about this story. You were able to follow both their stories from the beginning and with this it caused you to really feel for them and what they were going through. One thing I did not like was you did not find out the reason for Quinn taking off and Leaving Liam behind until you were through the majority of the book. I am usually one to love suspense, but for me this time it felt a little dragged out and took away from the experience. That was really my main complaint as the writing and story itself was magnificent, as it always is with Allie. The descriptiveness and character buildup was great and I absolutely loved the main characters, as well as the integration of all the others whom you met in book 1. 

The Brothers of Ink and Steel books are definite must reads!



One more hour before Josh shows up.
Maybe he’ll get distracted with Sophie and Charlie—his beautiful new family. Then he can call and apologize for missing it, and I can say, Better luck next time.
Damn I hope that happens.
I shade with snow-white opaque, platinum and charcoal and finish off the edges.
I’m actually thankful to Quinn for walking in on me this morning—I could’ve fucked up my hands bad and would’ve had to cancel this session—and doing this is the best therapy I could give myself.
“I think you’re done, man. Why don’t you go take a look?” I tell him.
He slides off the chair and goes up close to the full mirrored wall. “Holy Fuck! It’s incredible!”
“Happy you like it.” I smile and begin cleaning my area.
“Man, it’s a fucking masterpiece.”
“Thanks.”
“Aren’t you afraid if you continue fighting in the MMA, you could hurt your hand so bad you wouldn’t be able to tat anymore?” he asks.
Wow! That statement hits too close to home.
“I don’t mean nothing by it—you’re a hell of a fighter—could become a world titleholder,” he continues. “But you’ve got an amazing talent right here.”
“Thanks.” It’s just another subject and another question I don’t have an answer for.
After he leaves and my station is all cleaned up, I walk out into the waiting room.
“He was a happy customer,” Adrienne chirps.
Adrienne has been working for me since I opened the place. She and her longtime girlfriend live in the apartment above the shop. They’re great people.
“Josh just called. He’s on his way,” she says.
“Great,” I mutter and then look around at what I’ve built: black walls with red trim and black and red checkered flooring with a Persian area rug welcoming clients to sit on the black leather sofas. My artwork hangs on the walls … they’re good, but these pieces aren’t parts of my soul. Those are colors I’ve only ever let one person see. After her, I pulled the dark shades down over those windows.
“Want to talk about it?” Ade shakes me from my daze.
“No thanks. I definitely do not want to talk about it.”
“Are you going to talk to her about it?”
When I look over at her, she has her arms folded across her chest defiantly. Her spaghetti strapped dress shows off her colorful, flowered arm sleeves.
“You’re going to get on my case too?” I accuse.
“Well, you know there are no secrets here.” When she tilts her head to challenge me, the light reflects off her silver chin post. “I think fate is giving you a lucky draw from the deck, and you need to play your cards right. You’ve been pining after her for as long as I’ve known you.”
“Ade—” I begin.
“I’m not finished speaking. This is do or die, Jack—where you find out if she still has a thing for you or not. Maybe then you can get on or move on.”
“Jesus Christ, I hate all of this free advice!” I sweep my fingers through my hair.
“Free advice just means you have a family that cares about you,” she quips.
At that moment, the buzzer rings, announcing someone has opened the door behind me.
Shit.
“Welcome to The House of Ink and Steel,” Josh announces. 
“Hi there!” Adrienne coos with the biggest smile. “You must be Quinn. I’m so excited to meet you.”
“Thanks.” She sounds unsure and distrustful.
“This is Adrienne, she’s been working here for forever,” Josh says.
“Oh yeah! Since Liam opened the place.”
“It’s impressive, Liam.”
When Quinn says my name, I feel as if I could melt.
“Would you like the tour?” Josh asks her when I don’t answer fast enough.
“I’d love it,” Quinn says. “You know, I’ve watched you on Ink Master.”
She’s still talking to me.
“Really? You watch that show?” I finally turn to face her.
“Well, only when you’ve been a guest judge. Guess I’m partial to your work as an artist.” She bites her lip and her gaze drops to the floor.
It’s her shy look. Her I-want-to-hide look.
“Come on, I’ll show you the alcoves.” Josh takes her arm in his. “Talon and Ryder do quite a lot more work around here than he does.” 
As he leads her through the place Adrienne comes close and whispers in my ear, “It’s going to be alright, Liam. The universe has a way of working things through when it’s the right time.”
“At least one of us believes that.”
“Don’t be so cynical,” she scolds. “You just got handed a second chance.”
Before I can shoot her a dirty look, Josh and Quinn come back through the lobby. “Let’s get some lunch,” Josh says. “I’m famished.”
I give Adrienne a kiss on her cheek. Even though she’s just frustrated the living hell out of me, I know she cares.
We step out into the parking lot.
“I like the family SUV look you’ve got going on here,” I razz Josh, who used to drive a sleek Gillette Vertigo around. He still has it, but now he also owns a souped-up (with all the safety features) Chevy Tahoe. It has a pink flowered car seat in the back, which I’m sitting next to, along with the toys I had to push over to make room for my ass. A purple sippy cup sits in the drink holder next to Josh.
“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” he admits with a shit-eating grin.
“I’d love to meet your family.” Quinn smiles over at him from the passenger seat.
“I can make that happen,” he tells her.
Soon, though, Josh drives the scenic route around Lake Calhoun.
“Look!” He indicates the colorful snow kites gliding over the frozen lake. Before anyone protests, he pulls into the recreation area’s parking lot.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen those,” Quinn says. “It looks like a kaleidoscope.”
“Good thing we’re all dressed warmly. Let’s get a closer look.” Josh turns off the engine. “I could use the fresh air too.”
This is turning into more than lunch. Before I lose my cool, I try to get back into the state of mind I had when I was tatting the guy’s arm.
“Sounds good,” Quinn says, and that solidifies it.
We all walk out to the lake’s edge. There’s so much going on here, even in the middle of February, and it reminds me why I love this city. Vendors are serving hot cocoa and warm, freshly baked pretzels; kids are running around in full snow gear, and of course, there are the snow kites. A snow kite looks a lot like a windsurfer, only it’s built to stand and sail on ice. The colors remind me of a hot air balloon festival, when hundreds take to the skies.
“There must be close to fifty of them,” I say.
“Have you ever tried it?” Quinn asks, and I realize she’s talking directly to me.
“No. I’d fall flat on my ass.” I smile.
“Yeah, and break it, then I’d be the one carrying you home.” Josh laughs.
“Asshole.” I shove him lightly. “You know, Connor’s into it. Has his own kite and everything. He’s good at it.”
 Josh asks Quinn, “So, where are you living these days?”
“Georgia. I’ve been there the past few years.”
“Do you like it?” he prods.
“It’s hot and humid in the summertime, but the winters aren’t so bad.” She shrugs. “I sort of like the storms that blow through.”
She didn’t really answer his question.
“It’s really cool you two became such close friends.” She stares off dreamily at the kites.
“Yeah, I put up with him,” Josh quips and shoves my shoulder. “You two entertain each other for a second, I need to use the loo.”
I’m going to kill the fucker. I have no idea what to say! And obviously neither does she, as we both just stand there, painfully uncomfortable.
“Adrienne seems sweet,” Quinn finally says.
“Yeah, she’s cool.”
“How long have the two of you known each other?”
“Since I opened shop six years ago.” I watch a novice kiter fall on his ass. I know how you feel, buddy, I think.
“Six years is a long time,” she says.
“I guess.” I just shrug my shoulders. I’m now plotting the ways I’m going to kill Josh. “You never did finish telling Josh if you liked living in Georgia.”
“The people are really nice. I love the southern hospitality and big smiles. The people make you feel really welcome.” She continues, “I’ve made some great friends.”
“But?” I say, while I crane my neck towards the bathrooms.
“But …?”
“It’s an easy question, do you like living in Georgia?” It comes out more rough-edged than I intend it to. 
“Yes, I do,” she snaps back at me.
Perfect, I’ve made her angry.
Trying to save this conversation, which is already a train wreck, I try, “I’d miss the winter too much, I think, to live down south.”
“I miss the winter, the smell in the air and the prickly feel of the cold on your face,” she says, then slowly states. “I’ve been thinking for a while now about … maybe … moving back up into this area.”
It’s a big city, but not big enough. “Would your boyfriend go for that?” FUCK! Way to be subtle. And I don’t even want her to answer that! “You know, Josh is taking a long fucking time. I’m going to walk by the bathroom and see what’s taking him so long.”
I walk away fast, hoping she’ll forget that I asked her anything. Now I’m getting pissed off because I’m acting like a fucking teenager!
“Wait, I’ll go with you,” she says, catching up.
Without paying her much mind, I throw open the door of the men’s bathroom and walk inside, calling Josh’s name. When I get no answer, I come back out.
“Did you see him?” I ask.
“No.” She looks at me like I’m nuts. “Maybe he had to go to the car to get something.”
We walk together out into the parking lot, until we’re standing in the empty space Josh’s SUV had been parked in.
“Okay … that’s weird. You know, I’ll just call him.” She fumbles through her coat pockets. “He may have gotten a call from … Sophie … my phone isn’t here. Oh, shit! I just remembered, Josh asked if he could borrow my cell phone when his battery died. He must not have given it back to me.”
“I’ve got mine.” I feel my jacket’s inner lining and find only a piece of paper.
Sorry, Liam. Josh made me do it. Adrienne
I close my eyes as the reality of what Josh just pulled off becomes completely clear.
“That asshole!” I look around the lot, hoping it isn’t what I think.
“What is it?”
“He drove us out here, left us on purpose, and stranded us further by confiscating our fucking phones!” I’m fuming.
How the fuck could he do that to me? What the fuck would make him think this was a good idea?
I hear a soft giggle beside me. I peer over to see Quinn trying to stifle her laughter behind her mitten-covered hand.
“It isn’t funny!” I state. “It’s a five mile hike back to my place.”
That doesn’t stop her. Her response grows from a giggle to an all-out laughing fit.
“He didn’t even fucking feed us!” I growl.
But her eyes still sparkle when she laughs, and it sounds so good and beautiful I can’t help but get sucked into it.
“You think it’s funny?” I reluctantly smile at her.
She nods with tears in her eyes.
I have to hand it to him, this is definitely one way to force us together.


Allie Juliette Mousseau is a USA Today Bestselling author.
She can always be found writing, playing in puddles with her children, hiking with her husband, or adventuring somewhere in the world. Her favorite place to write on warm days is outdoors, but when the weather gets too cold, she'll be inside at her desk inspired by the mountain view from her home office in Montana where she lives with her loving husband, children, and golden retriever. She loves to travel and lived for three years in her RV with her family while visiting the national parks and forests of the U.S. and a couple Canadian provinces. She is excited to add all of Canada and Alaska in the near future!
Sign up for Allie's Newsletter: http://goo.gl/Oyw8G2




HOSTED BY:

✯Blitz ✯Lesbians On the Loose: Crime Writers on the Lam Collection

Lesbians on the loose book blitz

Book Blitz

51pxSz1jhZL

Book Title: Lesbians on the Loose: Crime Writers on the Lam 
Editors: Lori L. Lake and Jessie Chandler 
Genre: Lesbian Mystery Anthology 
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

Goodreads Button with Shadow

Book Blurb

These tales of murder, mayhem, and suspense by some of today's finest crime writers will keep you up way past your bedtime!

The lesbians on the loose in this collection are an entertaining mix of protagonists: cops, amateur sleuths, a PI, a judge, a bounty hunter, and one very insightful dog. There's even an intrepid high schooler and a mystery writer.

Despite greed and grief, rage and revenge, secrets and lies, many of the stories feature humor from a variety of characters trying to find their way in a difficult world--cops who've seen too much, revenge seekers, and women who want justice for themselves and others.

You won't regret going on the lam with these terrific writers: Elizabeth Sims, Carsen Taite, SY Thompson, Andi Marquette, Linda M. Vogt, VK Powell, Kate McLachlan, Lori L. Lake, Lynn Ames, Sandra de Helen, Jen Wright, Sue Hardesty, Jessie Chandler, J.M. Redmann, and Katherine V. Forrest
excerpt

Excerpt from The Falcone Matese by Andi Marquette

“Did you hear? One of Mrs. Falcone’s show dogs is missing.” Fred lowered his voice to sound like he was all conspiratorial or something. “Big city problems come to a small town. Next thing you know, we’ll be the center of a missing dog black market.” He was currently going through a Duran Duran phase, as evidenced by his mass of messy hair streaked with blue, black Simon LeBon pants, as he called them, and modish black boots. He wore a deep red button-down shirt and a black skinny tie. The Union Jack took up the bottom half of the tie. His book bag also had a Union Jack on it, along with several pins of bands he liked.

“That’s majorly bogus. Which dog?” Nattie took her biology book and notebook out of her locker. She feigned only passing interest but she thought immediately of Jo, Mrs. Falcone’s daughter, and one of Nattie’s classmates. And also her current crush. She glanced at the lockers next to her to make sure nobody was listening to their conversation. The locker to her right was open and the inside of the door was plastered with various sheets of paper that said “Seniors Kick Ass” and “Class of ’85” in different colors though this was the juniors’ hall. The locker’s owner had a crush on a senior boy.

“Giorgio. But they call him Gigi. The paper said if you see him running around, try calling him with both names.”

“How did it happen?” Nattie asked.

“Cops said somebody broke in.”

Nattie closed the locker door with her foot. “So the dog was stolen.”

“Way.” He twirled his sunglasses in one hand.

Nattie shoved a pen into her back pocket next to her comb. “Who would steal a dog out of somebody’s house?” And in this town, where everybody knew everybody else?

“Therein lies the mystery.” He leaned in, like he was about to share a major secret. “You should totally take the case. Nattie Brew, Detective at Large.”

She laughed. “Oh, right. Because I didn’t get in enough trouble the last time.”

“Since when has that ever stopped you?”

“Since I was totally grounded for a month.”

“This is different. You probably wouldn’t have to break into anything. Plus,” he added with a smirk, “I’m sure you’ll have Jo Falcone’s undying gratitude.” He pretended to swoon.

Nattie’s cheeks flared with heat. “Shut up.”

“Undying gratitude,” he repeated, grinning.

“Fred—”

“Hey, fag. This hall is now for seniors. Not butt ugly faggy juniors.”

Nattie’s stomach clenched. Josh Jacobs was a major dickweed. And always with a few other dickweeds from the football team. Three, today, and they all guffawed at the insult.

Fred gave him an “oh, please” look. “Really? That’s the best you can do?”

Josh’s fake smile disappeared. “Flamer.” He shoved Fred hard, knocking him into the locker next to Nattie’s.

Several other students stopped to watch.

“Takes one to know one,” Fred said..

The crowd uttered a collective “ohhh” in acknowledgement of a good comeback.

Josh reached for him. “Piece of—”

“Leave him alone,” Nattie said. Her voice didn’t sound as scared as she felt. Her knees were shaking.

Josh turned, puzzled, as if it never occurred to him that anybody would say anything. “What?”

“Leave him alone. Go waste somebody else’s time.” Her heart pounded in her ears and she forced herself not to run down the hall.

He glared, his hands clenched into fists. “You a fag, too?”

“Not likely, since ‘fag’ is an insult most often applied to guys. Or, in England, a term used for cigarettes.”

Several students snickered. Josh shifted his glare to the small crowd. The giggles died immediately.

“Is there a problem here?”

Nattie’s knees almost buckled in relief as Mr. Grafton approached from his classroom down the hall.

“No,” Josh said.

Mr. Grafton looked at Nattie.

“Not anymore,” she said.

Fred shook his head.

“All right,” Mr. Grafton said. “Everybody get to class.”

Josh gave Nattie a final glare before he walked away, his posse of teammates right behind him.

Nattie looked at Fred and they stared for a moment before bursting into nervous laughter.

“Major dickweed.” Fred adjusted his bag and smoothed the front of his shirt.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. You’re so big and strong,” he teased. “Jo will totally appreciate it.”

Nattie rolled her eyes. “Be careful, okay?”

“I’ll just run and find you. Nobody messes with you ’cause of your dad.” He batted his eyes.

“If that’s what it takes.” She gave his arm a gentle squeeze. Nattie rarely talked about her dad at school, but everybody knew he was with the sheriff’s department. She never talked about her mom, either, who had died when she was a toddler.

“Gotta go,” Fred said. “Catch you later.”

She watched him, since Josh was right down the hall leaning against a locker. But he was busy hanging all over—Nattie stared a few more moments—Pam Howard? Pam was back with that jerkoff? Gag. She checked to make sure Fred had gotten past Josh then went to class.

“Hey, Nattie,” Jo said as Nattie approached the door to the biology classroom. She was leaning against the wall, holding her books in front, flat against her waist. She wore her basic Jo uniform, as Nattie categorized it. Loose jeans pegged at the ankles above her black high top Chucks and a light blue T-shirt rolled up at the sleeves. She also wore a men’s black vest over her shirt, which added to her boyish look but in a good way. She’d started streaking her dark hair blonde in the front, which only made her cuter.

“Hi.” Nattie hoped she sounded calm and cool.

“Got a sec?” Jo pushed off the wall.

“Yeah.” Ohmigod.

Jo stepped away from the doorway and the students filing in. She moved closer and lowered her voice. “My mom’s best show dog was stolen.”

“I know. I heard. I’m really sorry.”

“Um. So, do you think you could help find him? I mean, if you want to. I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble or anything.”

Nattie stared at her.

“I mean, after the last time you solved something, I wasn’t sure I should ask, but you’re really good at finding stuff, so—”

“Yes,” she said, and immediately regretted it, but only a little. Her dad didn’t have to know.

Jo grinned. “Really? Awesome. Could you come over after school today?”

“Uh—” Nattie had never been inside Jo’s house and the thought made her nervous, but giddy, too.

“To see where it happened. The scene of the crime.”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Awesome. Meet me after school by the parking lot.”

Nattie followed her in and took a seat on the opposite side of the room. Jo sat nearer the back, and Nattie wished the order was reversed so she could see her during class. She opened her notebook and started listing potential suspects in Giorgio’s dognapping and possible motives. Jo would have some ideas, too. She shoved the other thoughts she had of Jo out of her mind. This was an investigation, after all.

Meet the Editors

LORI L. LAKE's mystery stories have appeared in many anthologies including Women of the Mean Streets: Lesbian Noir; The Silence of the Loons; Fifteen Tales of Murder, Mayhem, and Malice; Once Upon a Crime; and Writes of Spring. She has edited three other anthologies including the Lambda Literary Award Finalist, The Milk of Human Kindness. Her novel-length fiction has received Golden Crown Literary "Goldies," Rainbow Awards, the Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award, and multiple StoneWall Society Awards. Her body of work has also received the prestigious Alice B Medal. Lori lives in Portland, Oregon.

~

JESSIE CHANDLER's short stories have appeared in Why Did Santa Leave a Body; Women in Uniform; and Writes of Spring. Her popular Shay O'Hanlon Caper Series has received many awards including the 2014 USA Book Award for LGBT Fiction, Golden Crown "Goldies," the Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award, and an IPPY for Best LGBT Fiction from the Independent Publisher Book Awards. This is Jessie's first foray into editing an anthology. She lives in a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Social Media

websitewebsitetwitterFacebookFacebookGoodreadsGoodreads

Buy the Book

51pxSz1jhZL

amazon usamazon UKB&Nkobo

BEPRectangle

Saturday, May 30, 2015

✯Author Spotlight w/Review✯ Deeper (The Deeper Chronicles #1) by Allyn Lesley

Synopsis:

Everything Avianna Linton thought she knew was shattered in one traffic stop. With her life turned upside down, she flees to the bright lights of New York City hoping for anonymity and a new life. 

Rising from nothing, Noah Adams holds onto his power and control with a bone-crushing grip. No one dared challenge his authority until her...

Avi’s disdain for Noah is barely contained, and Noah does everything he can to restrain himself—a concept he has little experience with.

There’s more between the two than either of them realize. A force looms near, hovering with deadly precision and motivated solely by revenge.

Avi wonders who her new friends truly are and if she’s already in too deep. Noah, accustomed to getting what he wants, will do whatever it takes to draw Avi in deeper.



 ✯✯4 Deep Stars!!✯✯

Where do I begin with Deeper? This is Allyn Lesley debut book. It is such a great debut book too. It's got romance, suspense and mystery all in one. It's in 3rd person POV which most times I'm not a major fan of. But, in this particular story it worked. Between all the major characters and their stories and everyone connecting one way or another. It worked perfectly.

Avianna Linton AKA Avi is new to New York. She left Florida and has started teaching. Avi has not had the best past and she's trying to move forward in her life. She has given up the partying, the drinking and sex. Avi has done an excellent job to not mess up. Until she becomes friends with another new teacher at her school Sophie. Sophie. That girl either doesn't know the word NO or what it actually means. Whenever she wanted to do something it didn't matter if Avi said NO because she'd drag her there. It was because of Sophie that Avi meets Noah Adams.

Noah Adams is the King of New York. Everybody that's everybody knows of Noah Adams. He is a business man who's become something from nothing. Except it's not all legit. Noah has a lot of illegal stuff in his back pocket. It's who he is. At least what he believes. Harry the closest thing to a father Noah has believes otherwise. Noah hasn't heard from Harry in 2yrs. Harry's a cop and him and Noah don't see eye to eye on some of Noah's business activities. That doesn't stop Noah from doing his thing and from calling Harry even if Harry doesn't speak to him he'll talk to the silent line.

The minute Noah's eyes land of Avi he must have her. Avi wants nothing to do with the cocky, wealthy, demanding Noah. Avi is not afraid to tell Noah where to go. These 2 push each others buttons from the first 2 minutes that they meet. They'd go back & forth constantly. Between pissing each other off to getting themselves turned on. It was almost like a game. Until they finally gave in to temptation.

But, nothing is rainbows and butterflies. See Noah, Avi and Harry are all connected in a way none of them were ready or prepared for. Once Harry calls Noah for help on a case a can or worms are opened. And, not all of them come out the same way they entered. Noah will protect Avi with his life. He doesn't care if she wants his help or not. Avi doesn't trust easily. She wants to trust Noah. But, she's not sure how too.

This was a fast paced book for me. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. I just had to know how the pieces of this twisted puzzle were going to fit and what was it going to look like at the end. Both Noah and Avi had hard lives. Nothing was easy for them. Avi had been lied too multiple times. My heart hurt for both of them. ESP Avi I def cried for her. She was so much stronger then she knew or realized. She was also hard on herself. Noah was never use to saying NO to anybody or anything. Ever!! I had loved seeing him change slowly for Avi. Noah had dealt with so much loss that I broke down for him. These 2 are perfect together. I am really looking forward to the next part of their story. I hope Sophie gets her story tole as well.


About The Author:

 Allyn Lesley writes real stories about real people. 

As a teen, Allyn lost herself in the pages of some of Romance’s heavyweights, trusting that a happy ever after was just around the corner. In Allyn’s own writing journey, as in life, she’s learned that people don’t always experience recovery and restoration after a fall. Her stories speak to the gritty side of life where the right choice isn't always easily identified and happiness not quickly gained.

 WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / GOODREADS / TWITTER 


Interview With Allyn Lesley:

***Note*** I did this interview right before Deeper was released!!


Allyn, thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview with me. Your debut book Deeper comes out soon, and I can't wait to read it!!


Congratulations on publishing your 1st book!!! 


When is it going to be released? 
Yay. Thank you Stefanie. Deeper will be out in January 2015.

Being that you are a brand new author can you tell us a little about yourself? 
Something about myself, you ask? Well, I’m a little be nutty who has a touch of crazy with a whole heap of weird. lol. Nah. I’m just a woman who’s married to the only man for her and we have two ankle biters and live in New Jersey.

When you were a little girl, what did you dream of being when you grew up? Did you always aspire to be a writer?
 When I was a little girl, my dream was to become my mom. I mean what little girl doesn’t have this dream. In another four or so months, that dream will become a reality when I graduate with my Master’s in Special Education and become a teacher like my mother. I’ve not always aspired to become a writer. I loved reading and that love translated, for a brief time, in my teenage years into producing a convoluted tale about death, urban crime, and love which I entered into a contest. Don’t even ask me what happened in the contest lol.

Being that your book isn't out yet, can you tell us about it? What can we expect when reading it?
 It’s a romantic suspense and is set in New York City. The hero, Noah, and the heroine, Avianna, on the surface have nothing in common and come from two different worlds. But that is the beauty of love, it makes crazy look sane and opposites attract. 

How long has it taken you to write Deeper?  Have you written other stories which you did not publish?
 Oh gosh. I don’t even know how long I’ve been writing Deeper. It was conceived when I was on another writing platform for a contest about bad boys. As I was telling a friend of mine about the plot, she commented that this could be “epic”. Of course I rolled my eyes lol. The contest had a maximum word count of 12,000. I knew I could never condense the plot in my head into that amount. And so Deeper was birthed as my debut.

I’ve written quite a few stories not yet published. After Deeper I plan to unleash the others to the reading community lol.

What was your inspiration for writing Deeper?
 I’m fascinated by men who do bad things, unrepentantly, and the women who love them unconditionally. 

If Deeper was made into a movie, who would be your ideal cast?
 Lord. Why did you ask that, Stefanie. Of course, I’d love love my second husband, Robert Pattinson, to play Noah Adams. After all he’s my muse. For Avianna Linton, I see someone like Zoe Saldana but with a lot more meat on her . For more of my muses, check out-> http://www.pinterest.com/allynlesley/deeper/

How did you come up the characters & synopsis? 
I knew what I wanted Noah to be like before I knew who his partner would be. I always get a clearer sense of the male leads foremost and I think it’s because, as my editor tells me, I write men well. The synopsis was a collaboration between myself and my wonderful editor who’s know on social media as Daphne Edits. I love that woman.

Is Deeper standalone book or is it book #1 in a series? If so, what can we expect book #2? 
Well, it seems that Noah and Avi’s story is more detailed than I imagined. As of now, there’ll be two books. Book two can only be described in one word: manipulation. 

Who or what is your main influence(s) in your writing? 
 My main influences are the characters’ voices in my head.

What author’s writing do you particularly admire most, and why?  
To this day, I love Johanna Lindsey. As a youth, I loved reading her historical romances and the tales she weaved about Malory family. 

What is the one book you could read over and over again without ever growing tired of it? 
Seized by Love by Susan Johnson. I just ordered a new paperback because the old one was so tattered.

If you get “writers block”, what do you do to help yourself break free from it? 
I leave the story and come back to it. Most times though, talking to my editor usually helps get me over the writer’s block. 

What has been the most difficult part about becoming an author?
 Ghat damn outline. I did NOT outline book one and I would love love to outline book two lol. 

How do you juggle writing your books & being a mommy and wife everyday?
 It is hard but I am married to a super easy man who doesn’t demand a whole lot. What helps is Google calendar, my calendar on my phone which reminds me of what I need to do, a trusty excel-like document in Gdocs that tells me what I’ve signed up to do … and above all, my friends. When I should be doing a paper but am procrastinating on Facebook, they kick me off. 

What is your favorite and least favorite genre to read? And, why?
 My favorite genre is romantic suspense and for me I like the heroes in this genre to toe the line of good and bad. My least favorite includes horror because I am a wuss-iest of all wusses and YA. However, I am very good friends with an author, Jessica Hood, who is a YA author and her words force me to love her YA stories.

If you could give just ONE piece of advice for aspiring authors, what would it be
 Find you own author voice and stick to that. Don’t write what is trendy or trending. 

I bet you have been working very hard on your next projects.  Can you tell us a little about it, and what we can expect from these upcoming books? How did you come up with the idea for them? 
   Next up is book two of the Deeper Chronicles, you can thank my editor for that lol. After that will most likely be an angst-ridden story tentatively titled Falling about a mechanic and the women who change him. 

It’s been a blast chatting with you Stefanie. If any of your followers want to check out the book, they can go here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22724688-deeper. 



Pick up your copy of Deeper today. And, dive into Avi & Noah story today!!!
AMAZON US / AMAZON UK / GOOGLE PLAY / 

✯Cover reveal✯ That One Night by Josie Wright

Cover Reveal

amazon-goodreads

Book Title: That One Night (That One Series: Book One) 
Author: Josie Wright 
Genre: Contemporary Romance 
Release Date: June 26, 2015 
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

Goodreads Button with Shadow

Book Blurb

All it takes is just one moment to change the course of your life. For me, it was one perfect night.

I have always had a thing for my brother’s best friend, Ben. When I found him on my parents’ couch, drowning his sorrows in a whiskey bottle, my attempts to comfort him quickly turned into a night of raw and intense passion.

My foolish heart hoped he might feel the same way I do.

But Ben wasn’t there to stay and I woke up the next morning alone with a broken heart.

I attempted to forget the guy with a smile to die for and a touch that sets me on fire.

I thought I was over him.

I thought he was gone forever.

Until, eighteen months later Ben returns and learns my secret. Now, he is hell-bent on winning me back.

He plays dirty.

And he won’t stop until he gets what he wants—me.

But he has secrets of his own.

Secrets that could destroy everything we might have and everything we are.

Teasers

JWThatOneNightTeaser6

JWThatOneNightTeaser1

Meet the Author

Josie Wright has always been a bookworm, spending every free moment with her nose buried in a book. While Josie Wright has always been a bookworm, spending every free moment with her nose buried in a book. While others were out partying, she spent her evenings with Heathcliff, Sydney Carton or Snape. Romance, fantasy, thrillers - you name it, she read it.

Thanks to the Kindle, she finally arrived in the 21St century and discovered the Indie literature world. Josie has been lost to it ever since. With her love for the written word and her promiscuous feelings for countless book boyfriends, the next logical step was to start writing. The voices in her head and her imaginary friends wanted out to play and so she wrote her debut novel "That One Night", that's to be released early summer 2015. And the good news is, there are more voices and imaginary friend where Ben and Frankie came from.

Josie is a financial expert by day and a writing junkie by night. The rest of the time she's a bit of a hippie, a bit of a goth and many things in between. Josie loves to spend time with her husband when she can tear herself away from her book boyfriends. She loves video games, movies, good food and even better music. She's addicted to chips, long baths and shoes. Oh, and books of course. Definitely books.