Cover Reveal: As Darkness Gathers

PRESENTS. . .

A Cover Reveal

for

As Darkness Gathers

by Emma Elliot

Release Date: September 9, 2014

Published by The Writers Coffee Shop

When their plane goes down in the Canadian wilderness, Finch Rhodes’ and Clay Gandy’s lives become entwined. Together they face the unforgiving elements of unfamiliar terrain in winter, wild animals, raging rivers, and their own growing weakness from hunger, shock, and exposure. With their lives at stake as well as the lives of those depending on them to find help, Finch and Clay are forced to rely on one another, and they forge a bond that lasts even after they are rescued. Finch’s struggles to adjust to normal life upon returning home are hindered by her broken engagement, her friend’s disapproval of her friendship with Clay, her parents’ marital issues, and her brother’s uncharacteristic belligerence and suspicious request. And by the seemingly harmless mishaps that soon escalate into brutal attacks. After she is injured, Finch once again comes to rely on Clay. But as the connection between them deepens, the threat against her grows. With her life in jeopardy and danger blurring the lines between friend and foe, Finch must decide if those she loves are the ones she can trust, or if the greatest peril lurks closer to home than she could have ever imagined.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” I said, “the captain has advised me we’ll be making a precautionary landing.” The elderly woman started sobbing. The front of the plane yawed back and forth, the movement sharp, bouncing, and disorienting. When I glanced out the window, we were just breaking through the cloud cover, and the forested ground was rushing closer. I pointed out the exits and the escape path lighting, and then explained the brace position of crossing their arms, placing them on the seatback in front of them, and resting their foreheads on their wrists. “I’ll help you if you need me to,” said the man in 1A. I swallowed and felt the hot press of tears. “If I’m unable to, make sure it’s safe to open the door, and then get everyone out and away.” “I’ll do it. And I won’t leave you behind.” The plane groaned, the yawing becoming violent. We swayed back and forth so forcefully that I had to hold on to my shoulder harness to avoid being pitched sideways. The father and son yelled apologies and I love yous at one another. The elderly woman continued weeping. A businessman recited a Hail Mary. My lips trembled and I pressed them tightly together. “What’s your name?” I asked 1A. With a rumble, the landing gear extended. His eyes were blue, I realized. “Clay. Clay Gandy.” Clay in 1A. I almost laughed at the rhyme, but then the captain shouted, “Brace, brace, brace!” I repeated the command over and over until my voice was hoarse. I wanted to close my eyes but found I couldn’t. The plane jarred with the sound of snapping, the movement so wrenching it felt as if someone were trying to yank my bones from within my skin. We whipped to one side so quickly my neck cracked and my vision swam. Dark shadows rushed by the windows, and the splintering sound escalated. We hit the ground with such force the oxygen masks fell from the panels above the seats and the overhead bins burst open and spilled luggage into the aisle. Both passengers and metal screamed. There was a horrific grinding as the plane shuddered and bucked. Then the world exploded.

Emma Elliot first developed a love of suspense when she was six years old. She was hiding from her cousins and sister in a closet in her grandmother's house when she discovered a passageway, though not so secret, linking to another closet. She stumbled upon a stack of worn Bobbsey Twins mysteries in that seeming labyrinth, and she spent much of her childhood there, by choice, reading mystery novels by flashlight. Her love of reading and writing grew simultaneously. Soon she was creating her own variations of the stories she read and penning her own tales. Through bouts of working as a tutor, an editor, an apple- and peach-picker, a waitress, a dog walker, a nanny, a retail associate, and a reservationist at a ski resort, writing has remained her passion. She currently lives on the eastern seaboard and considers herself a wandering homebody. She travels often for work, which provides fodder for the imagination and plentiful hours to write her next novel while sitting in airports.  

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Review: Autumn Getaway

 

Title: Autumn Getaway (Seaons of Love, #1)
Author: Jennifer Gracen
Publication Date: March 27, 2014
Source: Booktrope Publishing
Summary (from Goodreads): Author Jennifer Gracen brings together a colorful cast of friends and family in Book One of the Seasons of Love series, AUTUMN GETAWAY. Newly divorced mom Lydia is just getting back on her feet. Her college roommate’s wedding promises a much-needed getaway weekend with old friends, at a beautiful manor in Connecticut. When she meets Sam, a handsome friend of the groom, she's nearly overwhelmed by a confusing mix of hope and trepidation. Their instant connection feels intensely real, to both of them, but the ink is barely dry on her divorce decree. It takes all her nerve, and more than a little prodding from her girlfriends, to convince Lydia to give her heart - and Sam - a chance. But when the magical weekend comes to a close, Sam must return to Chicago, while Lydia heads back to her complicated life and young son in New York. Can their newfound connection survive the trials of physical distance and years of emotional baggage?

Autumn Getaway is really a very sweet story about coping with loss, moving forward and finding love again.

I’ve always loved weddings. They’re just so full of love and promises of happily ever after—every girl’s dream, right? Just watching two people stand in front of their family and friends committing themselves to one another…well it’s a beautiful thing—made even better if the happy couple is gracious enough to host an open bar. Plus, scoping out the groomsmen and hot single men is definitely fun too.

I think anyone who has been through a divorce, or even a really horrible break up, because let’s face it, just because there might not have been an exchange of vows or rings doesn’t mean the relationship wasn’t any less real, can identify with Lydia’s character.

It’s scary to put yourself back out there after something has fallen apart—whether the breakup was your idea or not. Being able to put trust into another person again isn’t an easy thing to do, especially when you have other people to consider like Lydia did with her son.

The author just made this character so relatable, from her feelings of apprehension towards men, to the problems she had with her ex-husband, and even the issues she had with her son. I love that this was more of a “mature” audience book. And by that I mean it was about a character in her late 30’s who was starting over, not some 20-something. So many books that I’ve read are about the 20-somethings, it’s as if once we reach 30 and are single any potential of finding love and happiness has gone out the window—even in books!

The only thing that I had an issue with was the repetitiveness of Lydia’s divorce. Everyone that was close to Sam (the hero) had an issue with this and the same things were being said over and over again. And c’mon, it’s a freaking divorce, people! Half of marriages end in them. If everyone stopped dating divorced people, well there would soon be a lot of lonely beds out there. It just sort of irritated me how Sam’s family made it seem so much bigger than it actually was, like it was murder rather than the end of a marriage.

But that’s really the only problem I had. And I loved, absolutely loved, Lydia’s close group of friends. Especially Donna. She reminded me so much of my own friends with her opinions and no bullshit attitude and dirty comments. She was awesome. And drunk Kathryn? Adorable!

If you’re looking for a sweet read pick yourself up a copy of Autumn Getaway. 

                                         

Cover Reveal: Crossing The Line

**This cover reveal was supposed to be posted on Monday. My apologies to the author and TWCS for only posting it now; I've been extremely sick.***

Crossing The Line (Daniels Brothers #3)

Summary

Detective Paul Daniels has spent four and a half years mourning the loss of his wife. He’s been doing his best to raise their daughter, Chloe, with the help of his in-laws. When they inform him right before Thanksgiving that they’re going to be moving over two hours away, Paul finds himself without anyone to watch Chloe—especially when he’s called out to a crime scene in the middle of the night. Little does he know that meeting his baby brother’s girlfriend and her sister, Megan, will change everything.

Megan Carson has taken a few wrong turns in her life, but she’s doing her best to get back on track. When she meets Chloe, the little girl swiftly worms her way into Megan’s heart. The opportunity to help Paul out and watch his daughter appears to be a blessing in disguise. She quickly volunteers to be Chloe’s live-in nanny.

Everything is working well until the three of them head back to Ohio for Chris and Elizabeth’s wedding. Paul has a little too much to drink during the reception, and he and Megan end up sharing a heated kiss. When he wakes up the next day, he has a pounding headache but remembers nothing.

Megan, however, isn’t willing to forget. Over the past few months since she’s been playing nanny, her feelings for Paul have changed. He is everything she never knew she wanted, and now that she knows there might be something there, she’s going after what she wants—Paul.

Sherri spent most of her childhood detesting English class. It was one of her least favorite subjects because she never seemed to fit into the standard mold. She wasn't good at spelling, or following grammar rules, and outlines made her head spin. For that reason, Sherri never imagined becoming an author.

At the age of thirty, all of that changed. After getting frustrated with the direction a television show was taking two of its characters, Sherri decided to try her hand at writing an alternate ending, and give the characters their happily ever after. By the time the story finished, it was one of the top ten read stories on the site, and her readers were encouraging her to write more.

Seven years later, Sherri is the author of seven full-length novels, and one short story. Writing has become a creative outlet for Sherri that allows her to explore a wide range of emotions, while having fun taking her characters through all the twists and turns she can create. She is most well known for her Finding Anna Series about a young woman rescued from being a sex slave by a wealthy Dominant. Sherri’s eighth novel, Crossing The Line, is scheduled to release September 2014.

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Cover Reveal: The Land of the Shadow

PRESENTS. . .

Cover Reveal

for

The Land of the Shadow

by Lissa Bryan

Release Date: August 21, 2014

Published by The Writers Coffee Shop

In the highly anticipated stand-alone sequel to The End of All Things, Lissa Bryan returns readers to a world devastated by disease, and the breakdown of modern society.

Two years after a horrific virus swept the globe, decimating the world’s population, Carly Daniels and her husband, Justin, have made a safe home in the isolated southern town of Colby. Protected by fences and a vigilant population, the residents there had somehow managed to keep the Infection out. Until the sight of Carly and Justin’s healthy baby girl convinced them it was safe to allow Outsiders in. Now, in the wake of fresh losses, the small band of survivors struggles to rebuild a community. With only nineteenth-century technology to aid them, they must learn skills long forgotten to provide for their basic needs. Each day brings new challenges, and every choice they make affects their long-term survival. While Carly and Justin adjust to a growing family, and to their roles as community leaders, they must rely on one another for strength and support when they face difficult questions. Carly has to decide how to move forward in a world where equality, justice, and freedom from tyranny are no longer guaranteed. And when new threats emerge, she has to decide what she is willing to do—and how far she’s willing to go—to protect what she has worked so hard to build. When the end has come and gone, it’s a journey down a long and broken road through The Land of the Shadow.

Justin was in the barn when he heard Carly scream, and the sound of it almost stopped his heart. It was a sound of sheer terror, a sound that could only mean . . . He didn’t finish the thought. His brain clicked into action mode, based on training and instinct, pushing his own fear aside. Justin jumped to snatch the pump-action shotgun mounted on pegs above the door and ran harder than he’d ever run in his life, pumping the weapon to chamber a round. He prayed as he ran. He didn’t know to whom he was praying, nor for what, but he prayed just the same. Rounding the corner of the house, he saw Kaden and Carly running toward a goddamn big alligator in the front yard. Sam darted around its sides, snapping. Justin caught up to Kaden just as the beast decided that Carly’s direction was a better avenue of escape than the path blocked by the snarling wolf and the two running men. It charged right at her, its mouth wide, tail thrashing in its wake. Carly jumped for the porch, clutching at the post, her foot braced on the rail. Kaden charged up the steps and swept Dagny up into his arms, flinging open the screen door to scramble inside the house. Dagny yelled something that sounded like, “No, kay!” as the keys tumbled from her hand to clatter on the floorboards. Justin heard her wail as the screen door slammed behind Kaden. But she was safe, and that was what mattered at the moment. Carly still clung to the porch rail, her eyes wide. Safe, too, Justin noted, as his mind switched over to seek-and-destroy mode. The alligator kept running across the lawn and straight into the cornfield, surprisingly fast for such a large, awkward creature. “Not the corn!” Justin swung wide to try to drive the reptile toward the road instead, but the alligator saw safety and concealment in the thick patch of tall green stalks. It charged into the patch, clearing a three-foot-wide path of broken stalks with every swipe of its thrashing tail. A flash of movement from the left caught Justin’s eye, and Pearl jumped in front of the alligator with a shout, waving her arms to prevent it from charging deeper into the field. The gator hissed at her and brandished its gaping maw, but began to back away. More people from the town, who had been drawn by Carly’s scream, ran across the lawn toward the corn patch. The confused alligator found himself surrounded, and he turned, crushing more stalks. Justin swore. He caught Pearl’s eye and didn’t even need to tell her what he needed. She shouted and feigned a lunge to get the gator’s attention, and it swung around to hiss at her. He darted to the gator’s side and aimed the shotgun at the back of its head. “Clear!” “No, Justin!” Carly shouted. “Don’t!” Justin groaned. His wife, the animal lover. Was she going to say something like, He can’t help he’s an alligator, and insist Justin transport the thing back to the swamp? He was already picturing wrapping the beast’s jaws with duct tape or something to avoid losing a goddamn hand in the process when she reached his side. Instead, she pulled out the .45 she wore at her hip and blasted the gator three times in the head. It slumped to the ground, dead as Caesar. “I didn’t want you to use the shotgun and tear up the hide,” Carly said. God, he loved her. He felt a grin stretch his cheeks. She turned toward the house but called over her shoulder to the staring townspeople as she ran to check on her baby. “We have meat.”

    Lissa Bryan is an astronaut, renowned Kabuki actress, Olympic pole vault gold medalist, Iron Chef champion, and scientist who recently discovered the cure for athlete's foot...though only in her head. Real life isn't so interesting, which is why she spends most of her time writing. She is the author of three other novels, Ghostwriter, The End of All Things, and Under These Restless Skies.    

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Cover Reveal - Misdeeds

Misdeeds is the follow up to Misunderstood. Misunderstood is the beginning of Johnnie and Kendall's rocky road to their HEA. Misdeeds continues their rocky road to the HEA they deserve. You can read Misunderstood as a stand alone then Misdeeds, but you don't want to miss out on the rest of this great series. If you haven't tried the Death Dwellers MC series, please check it out book 1 is Misled.

Misdeeds Blurb John “Johnnie” Donovan is determined to make his relationship work with Kendall Miller, the attorney he met during his cousin’s birthday party. Before he can move on with his future, however, he still has loose ends to tie up from the past in the person of a rival MC’s president who is also Kendall’s ex-boyfriend. As Johnnie tries to balance his club life and personal life, another tragedy forces him to make a choice between the two. Will Johnnie be able to live with the choices he makes? Kendall Miller is trying to pick up the pieces of her life in the wake of her ex-boyfriend’s assault. She’s ready to move on with her life and the man of her dreams, the sexy VP of the Death Dwellers MC. She demands his complete attention and isn’t willing to share her man with all the baggage of the MC. She doesn’t want to be an afterthought to him nor does she want to live her life in the midst of the clubhouse, especially with the competition taking place between Kendall and the club president’s wife. Then, catastrophe strikes and Kendall’s life is once again altered. Can she and Johnnie have a future together or has their love been doomed from the beginning?

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Cover Reveal: Anniversary Killer

PRESENTS. . .

Cover Reveal

for

Anniversary Killer

by Alexandra Allred

Release Date: August 14, 2014

Published by The Writers Coffee Shop

Summary:

Allie is back! When a kidnapping, house fire, and murder occur around the corner from Allie Lindell’s house, it’s too much for her to resist. Despite promises to stay away from murder and mayhem, a missing Irish setter named Chester puts Allie on the hunt. Almost a year to the day, Mickey Callahan’s business partner was found dead from a single gunshot wound to the head and nothing but questions surround his murder. Now, Mickey is convinced that the same people are out to get him. After a sloppy kidnapping attempt, no one takes him seriously until the body count starts to grow. The Allie Lindell saga returns with the third book in the series and more drama than ever as Allie continues the struggle to hold on to herself without giving up on her partner and love, maintaining a relationship with her police officer sister and best friend, and keeping up with her caper-loving neighbor who insists on going along on every stakeout.

 

About the Author:

  Alexandra Allred is a former national and professional athlete turned adventure writer turned humorist and novelist. She’s often been called the next Erma Bombeck with a grudge. Her annual Christmas letters, which have frequently made the news, could make the Grinch weep with joy. For a taste of holiday glee, see http://www.allredgreetings.blogspot.com Allred is a writer of fiction and nonfiction alike, but is most proud of the Allie Lindell series. Several close friends from her sports background and personal life have been the source of inspiration for the books. And just like Allie Lindell, Allred grew up with a father who taught her the love of reading a good obituary column. Allred writes for Waxahachie Daily Light newspaper, continues to testify in Washington D.C. on behalf of children with asthma and our need for clean air, and she’s never too far from her gym in Midlothian, Texas. You can always drop her a note at www.alexandratheauthor.com.

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Cover Reveal: Behind the Scandal

PRESENTS. . .

Cover Reveal

for

Behind the Scandal

by

M.A. Stacie

Release Date: July 31, 2014

Published by The Writers Coffee Shop

Summary:

Sent to the family ranch to overcome his addiction, Taylor Reese is angry and hurt. Feeling rejected by his father and brother, Taylor throws himself into ranch life to help him forget. He struggles with his addiction, though he refuses help. But it isn’t long before it hits him hard how much his life has spiraled out of control. He begins to question every aspect of his life, and the confusion leaves him floundering and looking for something, or someone, to cling to. Libby Karlin is cautious, wary of Taylor’s presence. His brutal honesty and lack of respect claw at her composure. Her dark past makes her reluctant to let anyone near her family, but when Taylor strikes up a friendship with her son, Libby finds herself drawn to the sadness within him. His experiences are no secret to her. She sees where his world turned upside down and offers him a helping hand. But her own secrets stay buried, locked away until a knock on her door has her gasping for breath. Libby’s fear paralyzes her as she comes face to face with her demons and, determined to stay strong, she battles for a way out. Could dealing with their pasts really give them a future?

Excerpt:

Taylor thought for a moment, intrigued that she never quite made eye contact with him. She looked everywhere but right at him. “I think we should leave that discussion for another time. I was about to say . . . I should apologize for the way I shouted at your kid.”

“You should or you will?”

He rolled his eyes. “Look, if you don’t want the apology, then fine. I gave it to you anyway.” He weaved around her, heading for the door.

“You didn’t,” she said, her voice low. He spun around, the movement causing his hair to flop into his eyes. He blinked. “Excuse me?”

She shifted from one foot to the other, staring over his shoulder. “You never really said sorry. You said you should apologize, but you didn’t say the words.”

He gawked at her, certain he had said it. Hadn’t he? He battled for what to say next, and Libby crossed her arms. The woman might be uncomfortable looking him in the eye, but she did a good impression of acting like he didn’t intimidate her. He was rather impressed.

“I would remember it—if you did say you were sorry. You don’t seem like the kind of person who says it often, so I’d commit it to memory.”

“Sassy,” he said, his brain trying to think of a wittier retort. “And there’s no need to remember me. I’m right here, every wonderful inch.” He wiggled his brows and grinned.

Libby sagged, her eyes rolling upward. “Forget the apology. It wouldn’t be sincere. I doubt you can even feel such a thing.”
“And how do you know that?” he asked. 

“Because there is no room for anything but your damn ego,” she said, her vibrant eyes finally meeting his.

 

His gut tightened, and this time it wasn’t due to the lack of drugs. The sensation came from something else entirely.
Pushing it aside, he snorted. “You don’t even know me. You’ve been in my presence for what? Ten minutes max?”

 

“Ten minutes was all it took for me to work out how self-absorbed you are.” She threw her arms out, palms up. “Why am I even wasting my time on you?”

 

“I don’t know, Blue. I think it’s because you simply can’t help yourself.”

 

Libby thrust out her chin. She moved toward him, determination shining in her eyes. Her red hair framed her intense expression, one that could kill if he looked too long. Medusa. She was Medusa and he was about to be turned to stone.
Her finger prodded his chest, punctuating each word as she spoke. “Do. Not. Push. Me. My name is Libby.”

 

“That’s some temper you have . . . Blue.”

 

Her banshee’s wail was so high pitched it could crack glass, and all he could do was laugh. He’d gotten right under her skin. Maybe his time here wouldn’t be as boring as he’d first thought. A little light sparring would relieve the monotony. That’s if he got out of this one with his balls intact, because Libby looked set to tear them off.

 

“I know what you’re doing, and you won’t get to me. I love Josh. He is the reason I’m backing away now, so go and thank your uncle.”

 

He smiled. “You wouldn’t even leave a scratch, pussycat.”

     

 

About the Author:

  M. A. Stacie is never without a book or her eReader. A voracious reader, with a love of sexy, yet angst ridden novels, she adores getting lost in new worlds. Her need to write did not grip her until after her second son was born, when her previous rambles became fully fledged stories. She describes herself as one huge contradiction, and though not the most conventional of hobbies, she counts getting new tattoos as one of hers. Running keeps her sane, along with knitting and listening to loud music.

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