Guest Post with Author Dianne Duvall and Giveaway

Dianne Duvall is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Immortal Guardians series and The Gifted Ones series. Reviewers have called Dianne's books "fast-paced and humorous" (Publishers Weekly), "utterly addictive" (RT Book Reviews), "extraordinary" (Long and Short Reviews), and"wonderfully imaginative" (The Romance Reviews). Her books have twice been nominated for RT Reviewers' Choice Awards and are routinely deemed Top Picks by RT Book Reviews, The Romance Reviews,and/or Night Owl Reviews. 

Dianne loves all things creative. When she isn't writing, Dianne is active in the independent film industry and has even appeared on-screen, crawling out of a moonlit grave and wielding a machete like some of the vampires she creates in her books.

For the latest news on upcoming releases, contests, and more, please visit DianneDuvall.com. You can also find Dianne online. 

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Guest Post with Author Dianne Duvall and Giveaway

Dianne Duvall is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Immortal Guardians series and The Gifted Ones series. Reviewers have called Dianne's books "fast-paced and humorous" (Publishers Weekly), "utterly addictive" (RT Book Reviews), "extraordinary" (Long and Short Reviews), and"wonderfully imaginative" (The Romance Reviews). Her books have twice been nominated for RT Reviewers' Choice Awards and are routinely deemed Top Picks by RT Book Reviews, The Romance Reviews,and/or Night Owl Reviews.

Dianne loves all things creative. When she isn't writing, Dianne is active in the independent film industry and has even appeared on-screen, crawling out of a moonlit grave and wielding a machete like some of the vampires she creates in her books.

For the latest news on upcoming releases, contests, and more, please visit DianneDuvall.com.

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Feature and Giveaway: Shadows Strike by Dianne Duvall

The Immortal Guardians protect the innocent in secret. Sometimes the secret gets out...

U.S. law enforcement agent Heather Lane can read minds. But not the future. The dream of battle and blood that recurs every night must be a fluke, some obscure terror from her own mind. What its significance might be, she can’t guess: an attack from seven psychotic vampires at once, only separated from nightmare by an eighth very different immortal. A handsome, brave man fighting at her side, a man she misses when she wakes.

Then the dream comes true. Heather is flung into a war between predators and protectors of humanity, the man from her dreams beside her again. Except now that she’s awake, she isn’t sure she can trust Ethan, or the shadow organization he represents. The U.S. military doesn’t trust either of them. But against an onslaught of evil like the one that’s coming, it will take everything they have just to survive...

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes | Kobo |

Guest Post with Author Dianne Duvall and Giveaway

Meet Dianne Duvall, author of Night Unbound.

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Dianne Duvall earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of St. Thomas, where she studied fiction writing, playwriting, and poetry writing. Darkness Dawns, the first book in her Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series, was nominated for the RT Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance by RT Book Reviews and for Best Paranormal Romance - Vampire by The Romance Reviews. It was also deemed a Top Pick by The Romance Reviews and a Best Book by Long and Short Reviews. Night Reigns, the second book in the series, was nominated for Best Best Book of 2011 - Paranormal Romance by The Romance Reviews and declared an “utterly addictive” Top Pick by RT Book Reviews. Phantom Shadows, the third book in the series, has been declared a Top Pick by both The Romance Reviews and Night Owl Reviews. Her Immortal Guardians novella In Still Darkness was released in the Predatory anthology on May 7, 2013, and has received many fabulous reviews. Darkness Rises, the fourth book in the series, hit the USA Today Bestseller list, has been nominated for the RT Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance by RT Book Reviews and was deemed a Night Owl Reviews Top Pick.

Dianne has also completed two not-yet-published paranormal romance novels that are prequels to Darkness Dawns. A Sorceress of His Own is a medieval romance with paranormal elements that won awards in the Lone Star, Where the Magic Begins, Southern Heat, Picture This, Book of Your Heart and Suzannah national writing competitions. Rendezvous With Yesterday is a time travel romance and won second place in the Picture This writing contest.

In addition to writing romance, Dianne has completed a one-act play (comedy) and teamed up with an award-wining screenwriter to write a spec script for a new situation comedy. Several of her poems have also been published in anthologies.

When she isn’t writing, Dianne is very active in the independent film industry and once even appeared on screen as a machete-weilding maniac not unlike the vampires she so loves to create in her novels.

Find Dianne at:

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Feature and Giveaway: Kade's Turn by Tiffany Snow

It only takes a second, a fraction of a second, to forever change your life. That moment hap-pened to me years ago. I did something you can’t take back, and I’d do it again. It’s a secret I’ll take to my grave—which is probably sooner rather than later—and that’s okay. I live with my choices.

Three things I’ve learned—bad things happen to good people, life isn’t fair, and the bad guy doesn’t get the girl. And I’m most definitely the bad guy.

I’ve always made my own decisions. I’ve never apologized for them, and I never will. Regret is an emotion I’ve never had to face.

Until now. Until her.

She once told me that what I did, killing people for a living, wasn’t good for my soul. I told her I was beyond saving. The truth is that I’m not worth saving. Not anymore.

But when I look in her eyes, I wish I was the man she deserves, the man she loves.

My brother.

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle |

ARC Review: Jack by Juliana Stone

Jack is the second book in Juliana Stone's the Family Simon series. Each book in this series can easily be read as a standalone, and I hadn't read the first book when I read Jack. I had no problems getting into Jack or understanding anything. I really liked the Simons in this book though, and I will definitely be going back and reading the first book as I await the next in the series. Jack was different that what I had recently read, and I really enjoyed the story a lot.

The last thing Jack Simon needs while campaigning to become a Senator is to be around his famous singer ex-girlfriend. When she shows up at his fundraiser he is shocked and angry. Although the pull between them is still there, Jack is determined to stay away from her. But when he decides to go on vacation to clear his head, he finds out that his meddling sister has set him up yet again. His ex Donovan is also staying at the same beach house in Belize courtesy of his sister Grace. Jack and Donovan end up falling into familiar patterns of arguing and before long they are giving into the passion between them. But when Donovan runs leaving only a note like the last time they were together, Jack is not willing to let her end things so easily again. When Jack shows up and surprises Donovan, he strong arms her into going to his family's home away from the prying public. Can Jack and Donovan have a second chance together? Or will secrets from their past and new obstacles in their present keep them from having a future together?

I had my moments with Jack. I understood where he was coming from with his anger towards Donovan. He had been kept in the dark and didn't have a clue what all had happened. Donovan had never opened up to him and had ran. But I also thought at times that he was a bit harsh and rude to her, especially when she was laying her heart out on the line for him. But I liked that he was finally able to admit his feelings had never gone away no matter how hard he had tried to bury them, and I loved that he was still protective of her. You could tell that he was putting up a front and trying to convince himself as much as anyone else. Donovan had been put in a bad position by several people, and honestly I can understand why she made the choices that she did. She might not have done what was best for everyone, but she did what she thought was right. She had never quit loving Jack though, and I hated that she felt like she didn't deserve him. It was good to see her decide to go after what she wanted with him and to stop settling because of what others thought and said. I thought that Jack and Donovan had really great chemistry, and their bickering was just proof of their passion and feelings.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I thought that there was chemistry and attraction between Jack and Donovan, but the heat level on this one was pretty minor. Even thought the sex is implied, most of the physical action is behind closed doors. While I normally like more steam than that, this book was really good and I didn't end up missing it too much. I thought that Jack and Donovan's second chance at love was interesting, and I couldn't wait for everything to be out in the open so that they could finally move forward. I really loved the secondary characters in this story, and I can't wait to read more in this series and get to know them all better. I am super curious about Jack's cousin Maverick, and I really liked his friendship with Donovan. I can't wait to see what Juliana Stone has in store for him and the rest of the Simons. I definitely recommend this series if you are a fan of Contemporary romance stories, especially if you like reading books in a series with interconnected characters. I look forward to reading more from Juliana Stone and can't wait for Maverick.

**ARC Provided by Author's Taproom**

Purchase: | Amazon |

Feature and Giveaway: Up to the Challenge by Terri Osburn

Opposites attract in a sexy tale of unexpected love

When the Dempsey patriarch suffers a heart attack, Lucas Dempsey steps up to keep the doors of the family restaurant open. The proverbial prodigal son returns home to Anchor Island—putting family first and his quest to make partner at his high-powered law firm on hold. Sporting a bruised ego after losing his fiancée to his older brother, Lucas would rather walk on glass than spend six weeks within spitting distance of the happy couple. But family duty calls. And that duty includes working side-by-side with a tantalizing spitfire intent on driving him mad.

Tough-as-nails boat mechanic Sid Navarro is happy to trade her tools for an apron to help the Dempseys in their time of need. That is, until she realizes she’ll be working alongside Lucas, the man she’s loved from afar since she first laid eyes on him in high school. Lucas could charm the paint off a schooner, but Sid knows she doesn’t fit his girl-next-door type. To show her true feelings would mean certain heartbreak, but the temptation of Lucas in her bed might be more than she can resist.

After a rocky start punctuated by verbal barbs and exasperating arguments, things heat up between them—big-time—but their steamy affair turns more than casual in a matter of weeks. Sid’s life has become the dream she’s always wanted, and Lucas has fallen hard for the last woman he ever expected to love.

But this affair has an end-date, as Lucas must return to his life and career in the big city, a place where Sid would never fit in. When the end comes earlier than expected, walking away turns out to be a challenge neither of them wants to win.
Up to the Challenge is a sexy, fast-paced, romantic story of family, island life, and finding love in unexpected places.

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Weekly Winners

Below is a list of all of the winners from the past week.

Laura
Book of Choice from Jennifer Labelle

Erin
Laura
Jasmyn
Not Until You Dare by Roni Loren

Ada
Tall, Dark and Vampire by Sara Humphreys

Marcy
Inspire by Heather Buchine

Melanie
Kissing My Old Life Au Revoir by Eliza Watson

Betty
The Bridegroom Wore Plaid + Once Upon a Tartan by Grace Burrowes

Olga
No Turning Back + Turn On a Dime by Tiffany Snow

All winners have been notified via email. Thank you to everyone that stopped by and entered. =)

Interview with Author Tiffany Snow and Giveaway

Welcome author Tiffany Snow to RFTC. Tiffany is here promoting her newest release, Turn On a Dime and has stopped by to answer some questions. Please give her a warm welcome.

Tiffany is an IT Manager by day and an author at night and any other time she can find to write. Two daughters, a husband and a dog that’s only still alive after chewing so much furniture because he’s so cute keep her very busy.

Tiffany graduated from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 1995 with degrees in History and Social Studies Education and married in December of 1997. While wanting to go to law school, the expense was just too great so she decided to go into the IT field. A self-taught network specialist, she was very fortunate to have been mentored by another amazing woman in the IT field and achieved her Microsoft Certified System Engineer certification in 1999. Tiffany worked as a Technical Instructor for a while before staying home for a year with her newborn daughter. Tiffany went back to work in 2001 as an IT Consultant and stayed at the same business for ten years before recently leaving for an IT Manager position.

Reading and entertaining are two of her favorite hobbies and Tiffany reads all different types of books – History, Science-Fiction, Political Thrillers and Romance are her favorite genres. Murder-mystery dinners are one of her favorite parties to throw where she can polish her skills in the kitchen while having fun with friends.

Tiffany and her family make their home in Kansas City, Missouri, not far from where she was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri.

Places to find Tiffany:

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Feature and Giveaway: Seductive Shadows by Marni Mann

Charlie is a passionate, sensually-inspired art student, desperately seeking an escape from the abusive past that haunts her and a tragic accident that emptied her heart. Scarred and unable to love, her yearning for physical pleasure leads her into a tantalizing, dangerous world of power and seduction. The anonymity of the deal offers security; the money brings financial freedom and the madam is the mother figure she longs for.

But the thrill of the mansion and its arousing dominance quickly fades when she meets renowned-yet-mysterious Cameron Hardy, whose intense baby blue eyes send a nervous flutter through her core. Cameron is sexy, and not in a subtle way. He stimulates Charlie’s art, her intellect and her desires. Just as he begins to break through her emotional boundaries, she discovers a devastating connection between her past and her scandalous work at the mansion, shattering everything she thought to be true.

Purchase: | Amazon | Kobo |

Feature and Giveaway: Secret Maneuvers by Jessie Lane

Some mistakes from the past haunt us forever... unless fate steps in with a second chance.

One 'dear John' letter haunts Bobby Baker's every living moment. It’s the letter he stupidly wrote to his high school sweetheart, Belle, right after he left to join the Army. The letter that he told her that he wasn't so sure if they were ready for forever yet. But before he can let her know that the letter, and his second thoughts, are nothing but a mistake, she up and disappears from the small Georgia town they were both raised in.

Fifteen years later, Belle unknowingly walks back into Bobby's life when her job as an ATF Agent forces her to work with a group of men secretly headed by the CIA to help her track down whoever is involved in funneling black market weapons to a drug cartel in Mexico.

Bobby will use this mission to try and soothe Belle's hurt feelings while proving to her that their love is still meant for forever. He'll use every dirty trick he's learned since he joined the Army to maneuver her back into his life for the long haul. But Belle's not making it easy as she keeps him at arm's length in the hopes that mistakes of her own never come to light.

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | All Romance |

ARC Review: Straddling The Edge by Julie Prestsater

In STRADDLING THE EDGE, book #3 of the Against the Wall series, Julie Prestsater has the formidable task of turning much-reviled, man-stealing/homewrecking ‘ho Summer McGallian into someone likeable and that readers feel deserves a HEA. I must admit that, despite the effort Ms. Prestsater put into making Summer unlikeable in the previous two books—‘stealing’ (and then putting up with) Shelly’s ex-fiancé Chase, strutting around the halls of Carver High looking like she just stepped off the cover of Vogue, and being particularly snooty to Melissa (who’s generally crass as hell, but hilarious)—I actually liked her and was looking forward to her story. I knew there was a reason for the clothes and the attitude and the presumed man-stealing, and in STRADDLING THE EDGE, we get to learn about all of her insecurities and how she’s been repeatedly made to feel like she needs to change and be someone else in order to be accepted.

After the realisation that Chase is an absolute wanker (which everyone else has known for ages) and the arrival of the summer holidays, we get to witness Summer take off the glamour-girl holier-than-thou façade and become her romance-reading, baseball-loving, beer-drinking, dressed-down true self. She’s really just a regular gal with body image insecurities who’s had bad experiences with men and finds herself with no true friends and the victim of several (untrue) rumours. I liked her before, and while I felt that the transition from her school persona to her real self happened instantaneously (it was seriously like “school’s over; time to stop being the (presumed) byatch!”), I really admired the courage it took to go to Shelly and Melissa—who’d done nothing but disparage her—to apologise and explain the truth behind how she and Chase got together. Watching Summer become part of the Shelly & Melissa comedy show is great fun and will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy because it personifies the “don’t judge a book by its cover” adage. With people.

I know I’ve said that Matt and Tyler are essentially perfect, but Dean Michaels would wipe the floor with both of them. The man is way too perfect for real life, but I’d absolutely make him my book boyfriend. From the moment he randomly meets Summer at her favourite bar (despite both of them teaching at Carver High), he’s protective of her without being overbearing, sees the real her, and knows just how to treat her to help her overcome her insecurities. He truly listens, plans all sorts of amazing surprises for her, apologises when he makes a snap error in judgement, AND is super hot and an amazing lover. Where do I sign up for a Dean of my own?? Their love story was a bit too sweet for my tastes—I was seriously tempted to check for cavities after reading—and decidedly devoid of drama, but it works beautifully if you like your romances of the adorably cute variety. The best part of Dean & Summer’s blossoming relationship: the meet-the-parents scenes. Both sets of parents are so hilariously inappropriate and adept at embarrassing their adult children that I seriously want to be like them when I grow up. Excellent comic relief to temper some of the sweetness.

As with the previous two books, the narrative is from the point of view of the heroine with chapters from Shelly’s and Melissa’s POVs sprinkled in, so we get to keep up with the happenings in the other couples’ lives and the burgeoning friendship between all of them. The writing has the same polish and mixture of heat and humour as BETWEEN THE SHEETS, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments but without the immaturity of AGAINST THE WALL. With the short length, the transition from strangers to forever after happens very quickly, but it works well enough for these two characters and makes it easy to read in one sitting.

Overall, STRADDLING THE EDGE is great addition to the Against the Wall series; nothing mindblowing, but another humorous, adorable, drama-free journey to a HEA. Definitely worth a read if you’ve enjoyed the other books in the series (especially if you found yourself disliking Summer), and if you like your romances super sweet. Ms. Prestsater’s next challenge is turning Chase from complete knob to hero in her next novel, and I’m intrigued to see how she manages that.

**ARC provided by Author's Taproom**


Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble |

 

Review: Between The Sheets by Julie Prestsater

I only really started BETWEEN THE SHEETS, book #2 in Julie Prestsater’s Against the Wall series, because I’m a series completionist and I hate not knowing how things end. I’d been only lukewarm about AGAINST THE WALL but had been thoroughly entertained by Melissa, so I was intrigued to read her story. BETWEEN THE SHEETS picks up right where AGAINST THE WALL left off, so this is definitely a series where reading the books in order is highly recommended, especially since so much of the groundwork for the characters is laid in book #1.

I was expecting some more of the same irreverent, foul-mouthed, feels-kind-of-like-high-school-fanfiction lighthearted fun of book #1, but BETWEEN THE SHEETS reads like a completely different book written by an adult for adults. It’s less of a The Hangover-esque romp and more of a straight-up contemporary romance of the I’ve-secretly-been-in-love-with-you-half-my-life persuasion, and it’s astonishing just how much more polished Ms. Prestsater’s writing has become in the intervening time between books whilst retaining that characteristic realness and humour that made it appealing in the first place. Heroine Melissa and BFF Shelly actually behave like adults rather than immature teenagers (though they still have the occasional hilarious gangsta moment that will have you laughing out loud), and the sisterhood between them feels much more heartwarming and real when I’m not tempted to call for an adult to chaperone the two of them or put them in a time-out. This newfound maturity doesn’t detract from what made Melissa such a great character in AGAINST THE WALL that she stole the show: she’s still hilarious and kicks ass, but we get to see a softer, more vulnerable side that adds emotional depth. Like previous hero Matt, Tyler is almost too perfect, but he does put his foot in it enough times in his relationship with Melissa to make him relatable and make you root for the two of them and their inevitable HEA (and wish they would just TALK to each other instead of making incorrect assumptions). Though that bit at the end? Sweet, but way too public for my tastes.

The narrative is again in the first person from Melissa’s point of view, though with the added twist that some chapters are told from Shelly’s perspective. While perhaps a bit odd initially, it really works because we not only get a glimpse of what life is like after the HEA for Shelly and Matt, but we get insight into Tyler’s view of his relationship with Melissa and the issues surrounding it, and what it’s like for Shelly to be caught in the middle having to play best friend and little sister when both parties are keeping secrets. Not to mention the fact that there are definitely things about your siblings’ sex lives that you don’t want to know! The sex is much more frequent and steamier than in AGAINST THE WALL, though not particularly explicit, and is essentially the only time(s) Tyler & Melissa communicate openly. The action takes place mostly away from school, so there’s more of a focus on the dynamics of Tyler & Melissa’s relationship and the issue of distance than on the Carver High community, though Ms. Prestsater does include enough of home-wrecker Summer to set up the next book in the series.

Overall, I enjoyed BETWEEN THE SHEETS more than AGAINST THE WALL. It’s equally laugh-out-loud funny and cute with just the right amount of drama to make it interesting, though much more polished. The shorter length also works in its favour: short enough to be read in one sitting but long enough to provide a complete story without dragging. A fun, sweet addition to the series, and definitely recommended if you enjoyed book #1.

**Copy provided by Author's Taproom**


Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble |

Review: Against the Wall by Julie Prestsater

I have to admit that I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I started reading this book. I’d heard some really good things and some less-than-stellar things about Julie Prestsater’s indie Against the Wall series, and having read book #1—AGAINST THE WALL—I can understand why it’s polarizing. I’m still not really sure how I feel about the book/series myself.

The narrative is in the first person, which—with a few exceptions—is generally a sure-fire way to turn me off a book. But the style works for the story, since we are meant to experience everything through the eyes of heroine Shelly Gelson, and getting her take on everything is hilarious. Shelly is a thirtysomething English teacher at Carver High, recently dumped by her fiancé/lover of 10+ years and fellow teacher for another colleague, and still pining for him despite the fact that he is an absolute wanker. Matt Fuller (aka ‘Matty’ to Shelly, which drove me nuts—it makes him sound like a four-year-old!) is the way-too-perfect man and friend who’s been in love with Shelly for years and is so convinced that it’s now their turn for a HEA that he sends Shelly out on dates with other men during their ‘non-relationship’ to cement her feelings for him. The man is so ridiculously laid back about everything that I was sorely tempted to check him for a pulse several times. Then there’s fellow English teacher and BFF Melissa Cruz with the cheating soon-to-be-ex-husband, the hots for Shelly’s brother (the tale of book #2), and the conviction that Shelly needs a man—specifically, the uber-hotness that is Matt—to get over her ex.

The three of them together are hilarious, and the banter and teasing between all of them and the countless pop culture references and nods to the profession of teaching are fun and show the author knows what it’s like to teach high school and how high schoolers behave. But for three thirtysomething adults and professionals, the way they behave inside and outside of school is incredibly immature—I seriously felt like they should have been in high school rather than teaching it. The Against the Wall series is an adult crossover/spinoff with the YA Double Threat series Ms. Prestsater writes (which I have not read), and AGAINST THE WALL definitely read like it was written for (sometimes even by) high schoolers, but with sex and a lot of cussing. Reading about the happenings at Carver High felt kind of like watching reality television: nothing of import really happens, but it’s a fun ride and you find yourself wanting to know what’s next. Therein lies the appeal: it’s essentially a sort-of-R-rated romantic comedy in print—irreverent, immature, lighthearted, and relatable. The characters feel like real people, if sometimes too one-dimensional, and I’d kill for a Matt of my own and Mel as my trash-talking BFF. There’s the friends-to-lovers trope, the in-love-with-my-younger-sibling’s-friend trope, and the other-woman-who’s-(probably)-not-really-a-home-wrecker trope. And who doesn’t want to revisit high school without having to actually relive it and see the other (teacher) side? Instant guilty pleasure!

AGAINST THE WALL is a quick, laugh-out-loud funny, and cute read—not stellar in my opinion, but not bad (though I did find the attitude turnabout from hatred to friendship with the ex and his new squeeze Summer to be completely unbelievable). Being a notorious series reader with an overwhelming need to see how things end, I will be checking out the other books in the series for Mel’s and Summer’s stories—but they probably won’t be at the top of my TBR queue.

**Copy provided by Author's Taproom**


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