#GiveAway - To Catch a Rake by Sally Orr - The Rake’s Handbook

To Catch a Rake 

The Rake’s Handbook, Book 3

by Sally Orr

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About the Book:

No Good Rake Goes Unpunished

When George Drexel used his vast experience with women to write and publish The Rake’s Handbook: Including Field Guide, little did he realize the havoc it would cause. Now years later, the rumor of a second edition has London’s naughtiest widows pounding on his door, begging to be included. But George has given up his roguish ways and wants nothing more than to be left alone with his architectural pursuits…until beautiful Meta Russell tempts him from his work and leaves him contemplating an altogether different sort of plan.

The handbook may be years out of print, but it still has the power to ruin lives. Desperate to save her sister—whose inclusion has left her jilted—Meta tracks down the rake responsible, only to find a man who steals her breath and leaves her reeling.  Banding together to put things to rights, George and Meta find themselves drawn inexorably together…but can Meta truly trust her heart to a man who wrote the book on being a rake?

ISBN: 9781492630036

Release date: February 2, 2016

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Buy the Book:

Amazon | B&N | Apple | kobo | BAM | !ndigo | Indie Bound  

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 About the Author:

Sally Orr worked for 30 years in academic research, when one day a friend challenged her to write a novel. Since she is a hopeless Anglophile, her books are by default Regency romances. She lives with her husband surrounded by books, modernist mid-century dishes, and English cars in San Diego, California.

Connect with Sally Orr:

Website: http://www.sallyorr.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SallyOrrWriter

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OrrSally

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5268402.Sally_Orr

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Message from Sally Orr

Dear Readers,

I’m deeply grateful that you have stopped by today.

If you have never read my books before, you are probably wondering what type of stories I write. Basically, you’ll discover a light-hearted story about two people falling in love. Expect some wit, a good laugh, and a joy-filled journey on the path to romance. So if you are in the mood to escape to the past and read about two people overcoming obstacles to find true love, then you have the right book in your hand.

The heroine of TO CATCH A RAKE, Meta, is a young widow who is a caregiver for her family. From her elderly father who suffers from dementia, to a young boy in need of discipline, she sacrifices her own needs for those of her family. She believes that if she ever falls in love again, she could never abandon her family, even for the man of her dreams.

Now we come to the importance of the hero—the man who will always be my favorite character. What is more exciting than a strong, masculine hero recognizing, and ultimately giving in to his passion for the heroine? I expect most of us would love to be in the heroine’s pointy-toed shoes.

Also you may discover that some of my heroes have non-typical occupations other than aristocrat. Personally, I don’t prefer heroes that are gentlemen who inherited their titles. Historically, the first person to hold the title was a man of accomplishment—a man that served his monarch well and was aptly rewarded. For me, later holders of the title are not usually as heroic as the gentlemen who combined intelligence, drive, and creativity and achieved groundbreaking discoveries. For example, the men who invented the first electric motor, or a machine that turned water power into electricity, or built an iron bridge, ship, or building that still functions in our modern world.

The hero of TO CATCH A RAKE, George, is a gentleman who spent his youth in the reckless manner of a young man about town—gaming, wenching, and sports. He used his vast expertise with women to pen the Field Guide section of the Rake’s Handbook. Now in his thirties, he finds himself jaded and pained to discover that London considers him merely a rake who wrote a vulgar book. He yearns to escape this nonsense and find an occupation that will define his life—be a man everyone will speak of differently—a man of accomplishment. He becomes an engineer working on the most famous structure of the Regency-era—the Thames Tunnel. This tunnel was the first tunnel under a navigable river. When it opened, it was considered the eighth wonder of the world, so the hero’s story intertwines with one of the greatest achievements of the era.

So I hope you take a few hours, sit back, and enjoy a little bit of history mixed with a tender love story.

Thank you and happy reading!

Sally Orr

Exclusive Snippet from TO CATCH A RAKE

She stood fixed and held out her hand in an obvious motion for him to go first, denying him a chance view of her backside. “After you, sir.”

He chuckled. “Very well.” He presented his arm.

She placed her hand on his broad arm and, without meaning to; she caught a glimpse of his backside—a very attractive one indeed.

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Jump Cut by Libby Hellmann ~ Special Offer

SPECIAL OFFER:

 If you pre-order Jump Cut for 99¢ (the Kobo price WILL go down before you are charged)  and send your proof of purchase to pre-order@libbyhellmann.com, Libby will send you the 1st, award-winning Ellie Foreman novel, An Eye For Murder, absolutely FREE! All she asks in return is that you share a few pre-written tweets and FB posts which she will send you in a week or so. But act NOW — this offer ends soon.  

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#SpotLight - SAGE’S EYES By V.C. Andrews®

Out In with the old and in with the new…

SAGE’S EYES

By V.C. Andrews®

My parents watch me obsessively for signs of evil. They don’t let me out, they keep me away from other people. And I’m beginning to think maybe they’re right to.

Sixteen-year-old Sage is a lonely child, dreaming of hemlock and mysterious ancestors she knows nothing about. Her adoptive parents keep a close eye on her, studying her for warning signs of…something. But Sage has to admit that even she can’t make sense of the strange things she sees and hears. She possesses knowledge that other teenagers don’t, that neither her parents nor teachers—no adult—possibly could.

So when Sage finally makes a friend who understands her alarming gifts, he becomes her confidant, a precarious link to the truth about who she really is. For Sage and the alluring new boy at school share many things in common. Perhaps, they’ll learn, far too many things.

Pocket Books

January 26, 2016

ISBN 9781451650914

$7.99

“This book combines psychological and paranormal twists, which will be enjoyed by new and old fans alike.” —RT Book Reviews

“This is a quick and engrossing read. It seems like every character has dark secrets waiting to be revealed. The reader is left guessing throughout the majority of the book as to the truth behind Sage’s mysterious past and strange visions…This book combines psychological and paranormal twists, which will be enjoyed by new and old fans alike.” —RT Book Reviews

Psychologically gripping and emotionally edgy, SAGE’S EYES—the new novel from bestselling author V.C. Andrews®—has a “taboo story line and brooding atmosphere” (Book Nutter) that will keep readers enthralled from the start.

V.C. Andrews^® has been a bestselling phenomenon since the publication of her classic Flowers in the Attic. That blockbuster novel began her renowned Dollanganger family saga, which includes Petals on the Wind,If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday, and Garden of Shadows. Since then, readers have been captivated by more than seventy novels in V.C. Andrews’s bestselling series. V.C. Andrews’s novels have sold more than 106 million copies.

V.C. Andrews Twitter:   https://twitter.com/VC_Andrews

V.C. Andrews FB:  https://www.facebook.com/OfficialVCAndrews

#GiveAway - Escape from the Past: The Duke's Wrath by Annette Oppenlander

Escape from the Past: The Duke's Wrath

by Annette Oppenlander

Annette Oppenlander will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner during the tour. Please use the RaffleCopter below to enter. Remember you may increase your chances of winning by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here. 

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Interview:

Crystal: Today I have the pleasure of hosting Annette Oppenlander. Welcome Annette! I'm so happy to have you here today. Would you share a little bit about yourself with us today?

Annette: Hi, I’m excited to be here. A bit of background, I grew up in Germany and moved to the U.S. in 1987 where I met my husband. We’ve been married 28 years and have fraternal twins (24) and a son (27). Of course, I must mention my old mutt, Mocha, who insisted on being roommates in my home office. 

Crystal: Do you have a favorite scene you would like to share with us?

Annette: From chapter two…

I heard more rustling. Louder now. Not from the men, but from the woods behind me. My knees buckled and I was vaguely aware of the thudding sound I’d made. I had to figure out what had just happened, retrace my steps. Where was my room? My mind churned as I scanned the ground for some sign of home, something familiar. 
Out of the corner of my eye I saw the bearded thug turn his head. Ducking behind a hazelnut bush, I squinted through the leaves. The thug had raised his sword and stepped toward my hiding place. 
I crouched lower, my ears filled with the pounding of my own heartbeat. Rough laughter came from the other two riders. Despite my panic I caught a glimpse of them poking their swords at the injured man’s shoulder. I smelled their stench—and the wounded man’s fear. 
The bearded thug continued in my direction. Sunlight bounced off the edge of his blade. He took another step, scanning, listening. I forced my shaking body to be absolutely still. This had to be some kind of challenge in the game. 
The man kept coming. Twenty feet. Everything about him looked menacing: his eyes the color of mud, his razor-sharp sword wide as a hand. Fifteen feet. I held my breath. 
A scream rang out. 
“Have mercy, My Lords,” the bleeding man cried. He was kneeling now, waiving his good arm in a pleading gesture. “I beg you,” he wailed. 
I lowered my gaze. Somewhere I’d read that the white of a man’s eyes could give you away. Keeping my lids half-closed, I peeked through the leaves once more. The thug was ten feet away. Close up he looked worse, a brute with arms the size of my thighs, his chest covered in leather and wide as a barrel. Despite his size he had the soundless walk of a stalking animal. I watched with paralyzed fascination. Any second I’d be discovered, but all I managed was to shove my hands into my jeans pockets to keep them from trembling. It’s a computer game, my brain screamed. It’s real, my gut argued.

Crystal: Where did you come up with the idea for “Escape from the Past: The Duke’s Wrath?”

Annette: In 2012 I visited the ruins of Castle Hanstein in Thuringia, Germany. It’s an amazing place high up on a mountaintop with breathtaking views of the valleys. As I walked through the old torn buildings the voices in my head began to chatter. I know how that sounds, but it was this conviction that I had to write about the castle. Inside one of the rooms I read about a famous knight who’d lived there in the late Middle Ages and feuded with a duke over a beautiful woman. At the time I was often annoyed by my boys who are avid gamers and don’t mind spending all night in front of their computers. Somehow putting a gamer into the story made sense.

Crystal: What are you currently working on?

Annette: I envision being a lifelong author. I love the process of writing, editing and researching. I love looking for new ideas and creating exciting stories. Book two in the trilogy, “Escape from the Past: The Kid” will be released in February 2016 and I just completed the third and last book. My next project will be about two teens surviving WW2 in Germany. It’s sort of a love story against the odds and based on true events/characters. I’m also still working on a story about a farm boy and his slave friend who are torn apart by the American Civil War. 

Crystal: Do you have any special routine that you follow when you are writing? 

Annette: I am very lucky that I don’t have to go to a job, so I sit in my home office with the door closed because I find noise of any kind distracting. I typically write in the morning, especially when I’m working on a first draft. This first creation is always the hardest, taking the most brainpower. Sometimes I only write a page, sometimes ten. I struggle most with first chapters because so much is set up in it. I’ve learned to just ‘slop’ it down initially without the editor sitting on my shoulder whispering criticism.

In the afternoons I edit and market. 

Crystal: Did you have to do a lot of research for this book or any other? If so do you have a fascinating fact that you have learned you would like to share with us?

Annette: Writing historical fiction requires a fair amount of research. I was lucky to find a collection of stories assembled by a Hanstein descendant. This book also contained a family tree and original entries from city annals. I also put much time into learning about the medieval way of life and the starkly contrasting experiences of peasants and lords.

One of the things I found fascinating is the use of spices in medieval dishes. To impress their guests, Lords imported expensive spices from the orient, including saffron, pepper and nutmeg. Cooks used them in such quantity that our present day tongues would be unable to tolerate the flavors. Many dishes were colored, meats mashed and shaped into sculptures, so no guest could tell what they were.  

Crystal:  Who are some of your favorite authors that you like to read?

Annette: James Alexander Thom is my favorite historical fiction author. J.R.R. Tolkien is, of course, the master of storytelling. I’ve read the “Lord of the Rings” five or six times and still marvel at his craft. You’re hooked from page one. I love Stephen King’s “On Writing” because it’s not just dry instruction. King teaches you more of a feel for what works and tells it how it is. I think over the years many writers have inspired my writing. They all melded into my subconscious and out of it I pull my own stories.

Crystal: Is there a genre you haven't written that you would like to try?

Annette: I may try my hands at ‘early reader’ children’s books and maybe one day a thriller. Right now I have two novels waiting to be written/finished and a couple more ideas. Whether I go through with a different genre may depend on how well these novels do and what new ideas spring up in the meantime. 

Thank you very much for hosting me!


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BLURB:

When fifteen-year old nerd and gamer Max Anderson thinks he’s sneaking a preview of an unpublished video game, he doesn’t realize that 1) He’s been secretly chosen as a beta, an experimental test player. 2) He’s playing the ultimate history game, transporting him into the actual past: anywhere and anytime. And 3) Survival is optional: To return home he must decipher the game’s rules and complete its missions—if he lives long enough. To fail means to stay in the past—forever.

Now Max is trapped in medieval Germany, unprepared and clueless. It is 1471 and he quickly learns that being an outcast may cost him his head. Especially after rescuing a beautiful peasant girl from a deadly infection and thus provoking sinister wannabe duke Ott. Overnight he is dragged into a hornet’s nest of feuding lords who will stop at nothing to bring down the conjuring stranger in their midst.

GENRE: YA historical/sci-fi


Buy Links:
Amazon  | B&N | IndieBound 

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EXCERPT:

“Mutter, I brought someone.” Bero slumped on the bench, scanning the table. I stood unmoving. Two tallow lamps flickered in earthen pots, barely making a dent into the gloom. The thick mixture of smoke, dust and body odor was worse. Disgusted, I rubbed my nose. It didn’t do any good. 

The left side of the ceiling hung so low that I easily touched it with my hand. The other half was hidden by dense smoke. A scrawny fire smoldered in a stone hearth along the back wall. In front of it stood a woman of indefinable age, stirring a cast-iron pot. 

“You’re late,” she said without turning. “Next time we eat without you.” 

“I told you she’s mad,” said the girl who’d been shelling beans earlier. 

“Hush, Adela,” the mother shot back. I looked back and forth between them, struggling to follow the weird speech while identifying the smell emanating from the pot. Nothing came to mind. Despite the terrible stench in the house, my stomach gurgled in anticipation. 

“Nay, I was late because of this lad,” Bero said. “He needs shelter for tonight.” 

At last, the mother turned around. Even in the gloom I could tell that she was shocked, maybe scared, her eyes blackish pools in the haggard face. She carefully placed the ladle on a stone plate and stepped closer—her eyes now squinting, scrutinizing. I wanted to bolt. A disgusting odor enveloped me. While Bero smelled of earth and pigs, the woman reeked of sweat and something sour. I tried breathing shallow breaths, thinking I should just leave and sleep outside. But then I thought of the rustling in the woods, the evil riders wielding their swords— worse, how clueless I felt. 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Annette Oppenlander writes historical fiction for young adults. When she isn’t in front of her computer, she loves indulging her dog, Mocha, and traveling around the U.S. and Europe to discover amazing histories.
“Nearly every place holds some kind of secret, something that makes history come alive. When we scrutinize people and places closely, history is no longer a number, it turns into a story.”

Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.annetteoppenlander.com 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annetteoppenlanderauthor/ 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25322486-escape-from-the-past?from_search=true&search_version=service 
Twitter: @aoppenlander
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HN8EjprQZLU 


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#GiveAway - Unconventional By Avery Aster - The Manhattanites

 Unconventional 
The Manhattanites Book 4

By Avery Aster 

Fans of Nicole Edwards, Shayla Black, Lexi Blake, and Lora Leigh will enjoy this stand-alone, cliffhanger free, m/m/f contemporary erotic romance novel that features an HEA for all three protagonists.

From New York Times Bestselling Author of The Manhattanites comes a ménage love story posing the question; can two men share the same woman forever?

They are the best of friends and the greatest of lovers. Two men and one woman, searching for fortune and fame, bound together by an eroticism their money and power can’t buy them. Luigi, the romantic alpha hunk. Rocco, the exotic bisexual. Jemma, the insatiable beauty who possesses them both.

From their first rendezvous in Milan, the three set out on a wicked course, jet-setting from the kinky underground sex clubs of Berlin, to the lavish palaces of Moscow, to New York’s high society in pursuit of pleasure. They have only each other to care for. That is…until a baby comes along and changes their destiny. But which of them is the father? And will they continue their poly relationship or give in to convention?

Genre: Erotic Romance 

Release Date: January 26, 2016 

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

Book Links:

Amazon | Amazon UK| B&N | Goodreads

In bed, Luigi was usually the verbal one. Rocco always had something in his mouth—either our lover’s cock was down his throat or he was sucking the cream from my clit—so he never seemed to say much. Luigi did all the talking for him.

Funny, right?

Especially considering outside of the bedroom Luigi was normally quiet, almost conservative in how he spoke. But in bed, he came alive.

Total freaky-deaky.

As I walked over to them, Rocco’s expressive, lust-filled eyes gazed up at me. Ravenous. Lips wide, going down, slowly tugging at the shaft as he came up, followed by a lick on the tip. He kept sucking our lover’s dick as I approached.

Luigi’s left arm was slung over Rocco’s head while his right hand massaged the back of his neck.

He always liked it when we put a concerted effort on his dick.

What man didn’t?

Those two could go at it for hours, milking each other. As if watching two unicorns playing in the wild, it was the most amazing thing to witness.

“Come here,” Luigi instructed.

I stepped closer. With a wicked grin, his face came into focus.

Already on his knees, Rocco squatted beside me and stroked my leg. His very touch sent a prickle of excitement up my thigh.

“Take off her panties, bello.”

Before Rocco could pull them down, I looped my thumb and pointer finger under the thin elastic waistband. Arching my back, I held on to his shoulder to balance myself and started to remove the flesh-toned fabric.

“No.” He snapped his fingers. “Rocco will undress you.”

“And what are you going to do?” I asked playfully.

“I’ll watch.”

Grinning back at him, I put my hands behind my back as Rocco’s palm continued to caress my legs.

“Sorprendente. So amazing.” Slowly, Rocco pulled the panties to my ankles. He lifted one of my legs up over his shoulder then carefully, utterly focused and with intention, he butterfly-kissed the inner part of my thigh then licked at my pussy.

“Bello—”

“Let me do as I please,” he grunted between my legs, dragging his wet tongue over my hot flesh.

His kisses tickled me.

His licks excited me.

New York Times bestselling author Avery Aster pens The Manhattanites, a contemporary erotic romance series of full-length, stand-alone novels, and the naughty new adult prequel companion series The Undergrad Years.

As a resident of New York City and a graduate from New York University, Avery gives readers an inside look at the city’s glitzy nightlife, socialite sexcapades and tall tales of the über-rich and ultra-famous.

The Manhattanites is for fans who miss TV shows like Sex & The City or watch Girls (HBO), Revenge (ABC), and The Bold & the Beautiful (CBS). Avery’s characters are over the top. They have cray-cray fun, speak their minds and always get what they want.

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#GiveAway - Cowboy, Mine by Kathleen Ball, Krista Ames, Cheryl Gorman, Melissa Keir, Lyssa Layne, D’Ann Lindun

Cowboy, Mine

6 Cowboy stories by 6 best-selling and award-winning authors….

Kathleen Ball, Krista Ames, Cheryl Gorman,

Melissa Keir, Lyssa Layne, and D’Ann Lindun

Tour wide Giveaway US & INTL: Kindle Fire, filled with books from our Authors. 

Disclaimer: If the winner is INTL, the kindle $ equivalent will be provided via an Amazon Gift Card. Winner must return contact within 24 hours or a new winner will be drawn.

Please use the RaffleCopter below to enter. 

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Amazon Buy Link

He'll Leave You Breathless...

Texas Haven By Kathleen Ball
Can love shine through the clouds of treachery and misunderstanding?

Advertising for a wife seems like the answer to all of Burke Dawson's problems. He wants a wife and kids without emotional attachments, but he has no idea how much havoc one woman can cause. 
Annie Douglas has her heart set on her hunky cowboy's love and she isn't about to stop until she gets it.

Take Me Home, Cowboy by Krista Ames

When tragedy strikes, will building tension and pride destroy a growing attraction or show them the way home?

Ally Kincaid returns to Rock Creek, Wyoming, to see her father after a two year absence. Anticipating a quiet family reunion, she finds herself butting heads with Matt Gentry—her father’s foreman—instead. The man’s arrogance and sexy drawl push all her buttons, making her wonder what he’s hiding beneath his cowboy swagger. 

When tragedy strikes, will building tension and pride destroy their growing attraction or show them the way home?

Honeymoon Ranch by Cheryl Gorman

Can two reluctant partners ride off into their own blissful sunset on Honeymoon Ranch? 

When wedding planner, Summer Conroy, discovers she has inherited half of Silver Creek Ranch, she is stunned to learn the other half is owned by sexy cowboy, Bryce Jericho. Her idea of turning the ranch into an exclusive wedding and honeymoon destination is met with a wall of resistance from Bryce who doesn’t want his ranch ruined with a bunch of wedding nonsense. He is determined to conceal his vulnerable heart that beats in fear of being betrayed again. 

Will this woman with dreams of happily-ever-after in her eyes transform his fear into love everlasting?

Chalkboard Romance by Melissa Keir

Will a One Night Stand prove to be their disaster or their salvation?

Lauren Walsh, a divorcee and elementary teacher, wants to feel sexy again after her ex tosses her aside for a younger woman. Her best friend encourages her to sign up for The Playhouse--a renowned dating agency. Forced to stay away from his young son, Mac Thomas lost the ability to trust. After the death of his wife, he returned to care for his son but his sister wants more for him. She sets him up with The Playhouse. 

Passion ignites but Mac’s a parent of one of Lauren’s students. A teacher and a parent dating could cost Lauren her job and her chance at happiness. Will Mac be able to convince the school and Lauren, that love is the most important thing?

Until You Fall in Love by Lyssa Layne

Can a longtime friendship suddenly blossom into love?

Single mom Jordan Glastetter doesn't know how she'd survive without her best friend, Abram Tomko. He's the father her son never knew and he's the rock she's always leaned on. 

When Abram's father suffers a heart attack, it's Abram's turn to depend on Jordan, finally seeing her as the woman she's become and not the little girl he grew up with. 

Will they risk their friendship for a chance at love?

The Cowboy’s Baby by D’Ann Lindun

Amazon Buy Link

Cat wanted to keep her baby: Tanner insisted she give it up...can they find common ground seventeen years later?
Cat O’Brien left her heart in Granite, Colorado, seventeen years ago—her first love, Tanner Burke, and the baby girl she gave birth to at sixteen. Suddenly, both Tanner’s high school sweetheart and the teenage daughter they gave up for adoption are back in his life. 
Cat is adamant their daughter keep her baby; Tanner isn’t as sure. Just like seventeen years before, he and Cat are butting heads over the fate of an unborn child.

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-939590-99-2

Amazon Buy Link


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