Blog Tour: Solstice, by Brian W. Dull

Title: Solstice

Author: Bryan W. Dull

Published: January 18^th, 2013 – Crushing Hearts & Black Butterfly

Word Count: Approx. 51,000

Genre: Horror, Suspense, Supernatural

Synopsis:

In Gavin Moxley's world, there is no thin line between right and wrong. In a personal crusade to help sever a line of disease carried by a clan of vampires; Gavin has no choice to be ruthless. The Vampires are purposely infecting the human population…waiting for humans to actively pass it on to each other. Gavin takes no chances and executes them one by one. Not strong or powerful, finding humans before they turn into full vampires is ideal and Gavin’s best bet.

Yes, this is Gavin’s life…

…And nothing ever changes it until a young half breed vampire with special abilities, Solstice, attaches and makes herself a fixture in his life when she asks for his help and protection and when a reluctant Gavin agrees he joins a dangerous game of cat and mouse. There is no safe place and the pair are constantly watching their backs. Torn between his hate and his love for Solstice Gavin is thrown into a moral dilemma that only he can figure out but two things are clear…

His faith and Humanity are being tested and the past is not always forgotten.

Amazon / Goodreads

Excerpt:

“You are going to be part of a very special science project,” he hissed. The woman continued to fondle for her little bat. “I don’t want you to think it was anything personal, but I need your child,” he continued. She quietly yelped at the thought of what this monster wanted with an unborn child. She wanted to say something. She wanted to plead with him and ask him to leave her alone, but she couldn’t…his teeth were already in her neck. She felt the quick but seductive bite but still managed to pull out her bat and with all of her might she struck the bat upon his head and broke it in half. This got his attention, enough to get him away from her neck.

She knew what kind a creature this man was. After all the stories and all the tainted beliefs, she finally realized that her parents were wrong and there was such a thing as monsters. All of the monsters she thought that were under her bed and hiding in her closet when she was younger was just a dream in comparison to what she is witnessing now. However, she couldn’t think about that, she had seen enough movies and read enough books to know what this mysterious, sickly man in black was…A vampire.

She turned around in her seat with blood trickling down her body and started to stab the monster in the chest with the broken bat. Trying to reach any heart she could find in the evil being. He was laughing at her, telling her that it tickled and how she was wasting her time. He was pushing her harder, and when she couldn’t stab harder she grabbed her side in pain. The vampire in black composed himself and asked, “When exactly did I lose your trust?” He was mocking her and laughing at his own wit. She writhed in pain. He opened the car door on the other side of her and floated slowly out of it. She reached for him, hoping that there was a glimmer of good in him and that he would help her. His eyes turned kind for a minute.

“I am sorry,” he said to her, “I can’t help you now.” Then in a comedic gesture he continued, “But I can help you help yourself!” He reached into her bag, grabbed her cell phone, and placed it inside her hand. “He guided her pointer finger to the “9” on her phone and then to the “1” and pressed it twice. His cold finger was over hers like a person would help a blind person. “There,” he exclaimed,” you should get some help soon, but it may take a while for them to find you.” Our lady in distress thought to herself, “Why?” The creature in black looked down his long nose at her and said, “That’s easy, you can’t talk to tell them where you are.” He was right; the punctures in her neck were so bad that she could not form any words.

“Relax,” he continued, “you’ll survive this.” He was right, in a way.

About the Author:

Currently living in Cincinnati, OH with his wife and daughter, Bryan W. Dull goes leaps and bounds to get away from the norm and be his own person; with himself and his writing. Since middle school he has always known what he was good at; entertaining and telling stories. He has been consistently writing and coming up with plots for the last twenty years, but just recently decided to share one with the world. His first novel, “Solstice” is a vampire book inspired by his daughter and noir literature. Born in Anderson, IN, Bryan has also lived in Ohio, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina (where “Solstice” is based).

Being a lover of all things art and pop culture “nerdism”; his interests lie in film, television, comics, games, anime, and books. For a short while, Bryan dabbled in voice acting work only to shift his focus to his family and writing. His favorite authors include; Chuck Palahniuk, Robert Kirkman, Clive Barker, Ernest Cline, and Neil Gaiman.

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Giveaway Details:

There is a tour wide giveaway (International). Prizes include:

·       eBook copy of Solstice

·       $10 Electronic Amazon Gift Card

·       Signed Solstice Bookmark and Trading Card

·       Signed Crushing Hearts & Black Butterfly Publishing Bookmark

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Feature of CM Stunich!

**Not appropriate for people under 18. Lots of hot sex!!!**

Tasting Never Synopsis:

"Never Ross wants to be loved.
It's that simple, but it's not that easy."

Never is a girl with a broken soul who doesn't date nice guys and can't seem to go to bed at night without crying herself to sleep. She doesn't need any complications in her life, especially not when they're attached to a man that could be her emotional twin.

Ty McCabe can't stand Never the first time he meets her. He's aware that the feeling's mutual and the two don't think they'll ever see each other again, but when fate takes a hand and puts them both in the wrong place at the wrong time, Ty and Never form a tentative friendship that opens the door on their dark sides and shows them what it's like to live in the light.

"Sometimes, the only way to go forward, is to take a few, careful steps back."

TASTING NEVER EXCERPT:

Ty's hot mouth is on my neck, and I find myself taking short, sharp, little breaths as I press my shaking hands to his chest. If I sleep with him again, I'll be making the biggest mistake of my life. He's the first real friend I've ever had, and I don't want to cheapen the feelings that are simmering between us. We made that mistake once before, and we survived. We've been through a lot since then, and I know that if I lose him now, I will never be whole again. Ty is my other half, lover or no, and just being around him is enough for me.
“Ty,” I say, trying my best to sound stern. Instead, my voice comes out like a butterfly, flutters against Ty's hair and swirls it gently against my lips. I moan and find that my fingers are now curled in the fabric of his T-shirt.
“Never,” he says back to me, the word like fire against my skin. In those two syllables, I hear how he feels about me. He thinks he's in love. Ty McCabe thinks he's in love with me. He doesn't say it aloud, but I can tell. Sex isn't the best way for me to show my feelings; I've abused it for far too long that it has somehow lost some of its meaning. I try to tell Ty this, but I can't speak with his lips on my throat and his hand sliding across the nape of my neck.
I run my own hands down his chest and put them beneath his shirt, on the hard plane of his belly. His muscles contract as I press my fingers into them, touching, feeling, absorbing the man, the complication, that is Ty McCabe. All the while, my mind is racing in circles trying to talk me out of this.
“Kiss me,” Ty says and it's not a question, it's a request, albeit a gentle one. His voice is softer than I've ever heard it. His words are naked, stripped of all the bullshit that's happened to him, all of the horrible things that mirror my own life. Ty and I are like twins, like two halves of the same whole. They say that opposites attract, but Ty and I are very much the same and the attraction between us burns brighter than the sun. “Kiss me,” he says again and I do.

Amazon-Kindle / Goodreads

Finding Never Synopsis:

Finding Never, a New Adult Novel Recommended for Ages 18 and Up
Never say Never Trilogy: Book Two. Book One, Tasting Never, is available now!

"Tell me, Never, do you still love him?"

Never Ross and Ty McCabe have come a long way – but they can't stop now. Their pasts are still there, ready to sweep over and consume them if they don't confront them. A visit to Never's family seems like the first logical step, but will it make things better or worse? And what about Noah Scott? Ty is Never's tortured other half, but can he also be the healing balm that she so desperately needs? With McCabe's past still a virtual unknown, Never is going to have to make more than one decision capable of breaking both their hearts.

"Ty has changed; I have changed, and things are not always what they seem."

FINDING NEVER EXCERPT:

“Before you say whatever it is that you're going to say, can I show you something?” he asks as the fog of his breath tangles and dances with mine in the crisp winter air.
“Ty, you don't – ”
He cuts me off.
“Please.” He says the word like it's a question, but it's not. He's not asking my permission. Ty is telling me that he's going to show me whether I like it or not, so I better be ready for it. “I need to show you how much you rock my f*cking world.” And then Ty is kissing me hot and hungry, down my neck and back up again. He's biting my lip and making me bleed, brushing his lips across the beating pulse in my neck, the one that throbs like crazy when he's around.
“Ty, stop,” I say because we're on a playground for God's sake, but he doesn't. He doesn't stop. He adjusts my wrists so that he's holding them with one hand, and although I probably could fight him if I wanted to, I don't. I don't want him to stop, not now, not ever.

Amazon- Kindle / Goodreads 

About the Author:

C.M. Stunich was raised under a cover of fog in the area known simply as Eureka, CA. A mysterious place, this strange, arboreal land nursed Caitlin's (yes, that's her name!) desire to write strange fiction novels about wicked monsters, magical trains, and Nemean Lions (Google it!). She currently enjoys drag queens, having too many cats, and tribal bellydance.

Always a fan of the indie scene and 'sticking it to the man,' Ms. Stunich decided to take the road less traveled and forgo the traditional publishing route. You can be assured though that she received several rejections as to ensure her proper place in the world of writers before taking up a friend's offer to start a publishing company. Sarian Royal was born, and Ms. Stunich's books slowly transformed from mere baking chocolate to full blown tortes with hand sculpted fondant flowers.

C.M. is a writer obsessed with delivering the very best and scours her mind on a regular basis to select the most unusual stories for the outside world.

Ms. Stunich can be reached via e-mail or by post and loves to hear from her readers. Ms. Stunich also wrote this biography and has no idea why she decided to refer to herself in the third person.

Come visit me at www.cmstunich.com !

Happy reading and carpe diem!

Official Web Page / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon / B&N

Cover Reveal for Phoenix Shadow (Maggie Henning and The Realm Book 3) by Lisa Morgan

We are over-the-moon excited here at R&M to be sharing in the excitement of Lisa Morgan’s cover reveal for her next novel in the Maggie Henning and The Realm series!  We have been anxiously waiting to find out when this book is being released and are stoked that it will be soon!  Woohoo! :-) BTW, may we say, this cover is drool worthy, so ladies be prepared!  LOL!

PHOENIX SHADOW (Maggie Henning & The Realm: book three)
MARCH 28th, 2013

Maggie Henning accomplished what she set out to do. She’s returned Michel from Shadow, but at a cost she couldn’t have foreseen. This isn’t the Michel she’d cared for. He’s different…changed. That Realm Prince who’d given his life to save hers has been replaced by a cold and unfeeling one whom she’s been forced to pledge herself to. Maggie vows to marry Michel so that she may rescue her father from the prison he’s so long been captive in.

Her heart belongs to Luc. Taken from her by a cruel twist of fate, they’re now left with only fleeting dreams that never leave them enough time together. And it’s to Luc, paid as a father’s tribute, which the Angels have given a sacred task- The Angel Knight, willing to risk all he is to protect that which he loves most.

Time is a fickle mistress- We spend the past looking forward to it, the present rushing through it, and the future wishing for more. Curses revealed and secrets uncovered, but it’s a love that only Destiny herself could have predicted that can save them all now.

***cover art by AIRICKA'S MYSTICAL CREATIONS***

Airicka's Mystical Creations 

TEASER TRAILER FOR Phoenix Shadow!

Stalker Links for Lisa Morgan: 

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Inhale, Exhale, by Sarah M. Ross

Inhale, Exhale, by Sarah M. Ross

Blurb:

Jillian had a plan: celebrate the end of her first year of college with an amazing summer full of beaches, barbeques, and bonfires. When her mom insists she needs a summer job, and her boyfriend spends more time with his band than with her, Jillian’s plans go down the drain.

Grant had a plan: finish his Masters, get a great job at Google, and get the hell out of Georgia. He might be giving up some of the fun of his youth, but he knows his all work and no play method would be worth it when his dreams came true.

But things never go according to plan.

When temptation brings them together and tragedy tears them apart, Jillian and Grant will be forced to choose: fight for their dreams, or fight for each other.

Buy Links:

Echo of an Earth Angel

Amazon / B&N / Smashwords

Awaken

Amazon / B&N / Smashwords

Avenge

Amazon / B&N / Smashwords

Atone

Amazon / B&N / Smashwords

Stalker Links:

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Email: Sarah@SarahMRoss.com

Enter the Giveaway Below!!

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Review of The Impostor, by Tiffany Carmouche

Blurb of The Impostor:

“Alaska? Who goes to Alaska?” Escaping an abusive ex boyfriend,  Nicole, a struggling young single-mother, convinces her best friend to travel to a place she knows little about, in search of better life.

Nicole is scared of getting hurt again, but Dylan’s chiseled body and chocolate brown eyes captivate her. And soon she finds herself in the arms of the sexy lead singer.

In Alaska, she discovers the power of friendship

and true love and begins to let down her guard.

But is her security a facade?

Soon Nicole’s innocent beauty taunts a sinister man,

and she is caught in a web of deception and danger.

She realizes someone she trusts has been stalking her.

Petrified, she wonders, how can she escape?   Miles of wilderness surround her.

She hears something. Someone is there.

Should she cry for help or stay silent?

Will she be saved or will she be hunted?

Review:

The Impostor is a debut novel, you say? I can’t tell!  This book was fast paced and intriguing, sucking me in from the moment that I began reading it.  If every author’s debut novel was this amazing, there would be millions of best sellers.  That’s how impressed I was with this book.

The characters were amazing and fleshed out, avoiding the cliché moments that most characters seem to find themselves in these days.  And can I just say, Dylan is WOAH!  He’s my new book boyfriend.  Don’t get any ideas.

There’s suspense, romance, mystery...this book has it all.  No matter what genre you normally read, you will definitely enjoy this book.  I have been in a book funk lately, unable to really find a book that could make me forget where I am, but this book did that for me.  It took me less than a day to read it.  Don’t judge. I read quick. Okay? Lol

But truly, this is an amazing book.  I was quite impressed.  I have also been told that the next book in this series comes out in what?...a day? YES! I’ll be grabbing my copy as soon as it becomes available.  Now that you’re done reading my review, go grab your own copy! I would share...but I’m going to read it again.  I need more Dylan in my life. 

Amazon / B&N 

About the Author:

When Tiffany Carmouché is not writing romance novels, you can find her sculpting, traveling, teaching, singing, dancing, escaping in music or enjoying her family.

From skydiving in Alaska to scuba diving in Hawaii, Carmouché has traveled the world seeking adventures. These include riding camels in Africa, swimming under the stars in Puerto Rico, dancing salsa in Ecuador, and walking the cobblestone roads of Assisi, Italy. She has also found fulfillment working with the disabled and orphans in Argentina and Mexico. Her most cherished moments, however, have been watching her two beautiful daughters grow and strive to accomplish their own dreams.

Despite all of these amazing experiences, she has survived many struggles. There was a time she felt defeated, but now she is recommitted to savoring experiences both in the novels she writes and in the life she lives each day. Her secret hope is that anyone who is struggling will realize there is a light at the end of the tunnel and no matter how hard the fight, no matter how many times they have been knocked down, it is always worth staggering up to their feet and learning to breathe again.

Amazon Author Page / Facebook / TiffanyCarmouche.com

Review of Valley of Dust, by Karoleen Brucks

Review of Valley of Dust

Book Blurb:

Even as a little girl, Selene had always been adventurous, climbing trees and finding new adventures in every nook and cranny. She was never accepted by either gender—all children thought she was too outspoken and strange. Little did she know how different she truly was until an encounter with a mysterious stranger changes her life forever. Readers can witness the intriguing events unfold in Valley of Dust, a novel by Karoleen Vry Brucks.

From the moment that Lucian saw Selene, he knew she was special and that she was his destiny. He sent his brother, Anton, out to watch over her and protect her while she was still unaware of her true nature. Lucian, however, didn’t foresee that Anton and Selene would be mutually attracted to each other. Will Selene come between the two brothers? How will she handle the truth about what she is and the power that courses through her veins? Readers can unravel the exciting answers as they explore the Valley of Dust.

Amazon / Xlibris / B&N

Review:

I honestly don’t know where to start with this book.  When I first read the premise of the book, I was very excited about it.  Girl gets attacked, saved by mysterious man, meets mysterious man’s brother (who loves her from afar) and finds out she isn’t who she thought she was.  Great premise, but the execution was lacking for me.  The dialogue seemed rough and every time Lucian is mentioned in the book, his backstory is mentioned as well.  Repeatedly.  It made me feel like the author didn’t think the reader would be able to keep up with what was going on.  So, unfortunately I can’t say that this is one of my fave books.  It had a good premise, but fell short for me.  I would have to say to give it a try.  You might find that it’s one of your faves.  I would never say otherwise. I hope you find this to be a great read for you!

About the Author:

French-American author Karoleen Vry Brucks lives with her husband and 3-year-old daughter in North Carolina. She enjoys writing, painting, cooking different cuisines and loves animals. She loves North Carolina because one can get the beach and mountains with very little distance in between the two.

Amazon Author Page / Goodreads / Website / Facebook 

Elfin Blog Tour

Elfin Description:

Before tonight Cassie Tate’s biggest concerns were whether she could pass Algebra and how she was going to keep Elora, her best friend, from dressing her in a skimpy fairy costume for Halloween. Her feet were firmly planted in suburban reality and she had no reason to believe her life would be anything but that of a typical teenager. That is until tonight, when Cassie saw something that no human was ever supposed to see; in the blink of an eye she was thrown into the world of the Light and Dark Elves. 
He comes from a realm where light and dark have fought for millennia. He is of a race known to humans only in myths and legends. The darkness that lives inside him is a part of both who and what he is and it makes him the most gifted spy and assassin in the history of his time. His life is not his own; he lives in the service of the Dark Elf King. He slays who he must, has mercy on no one, is relentless in his hunt, and never tires of seeing his prey fall. He is Triktapic, assassin, spy, most feared of the Dark Elves. 
Now, in the midst of his King’s complicated plans to expand the Dark Elves’ holdings into the mortal realm, for the first time, Trik finds his loyalties divided. For no Elf, Dark or Light, can turn away from their Chosen. 
Unbeknownst to the mortal realm, the battle between Light and Dark is being brought to their doorstep. The only one who can keep it at bay holds darkness in his heart like a lover, and the one who can sway that heart must decide if she can look beyond his black past, beyond his evil nature and see the man he is destined to be. 
The questions must be asked, does love really cover a multitude of sins? Can true love actually conquer all or will his darkness consume those around him until all that stands is an assassin with the blood of the mortal realm on his hands?

Review:

Elfin by Quinn Loftis was a wonderful read.  I really liked the characters of Cassie, Elora, and Trik especially.  Elora reminds of a friend of mine, loyal to a fault but snarky as all get out.  Cassie is pure and sweet, but even she is pulled towards darkness.  And Trik *sigh*, well he is a dark elf assassin, but he is not all that he appears.

From the beginning of the book, I was drawn into the world of elves, humans, and magic.  I have read quite a few paranormal novels but this one was highly entertaining in a variety of ways.  I laughed, I swooned, I cried, and even worried.  But all comes out in the end, or does it?  The book ends with a wonderful cliff-hanger that leaves you wanting more.  I know that when the next book is released, I will be getting myself a copy, because Elfin really did catch my attention and imagination.

Check it out, and be swept away!  Make sure you enter the giveaway below!

Author Interview:

Q)  What inspired you to write your first book?

A) The love of the YA paranormal genre. I really enjoy reading it and decided writing it would be even more fun.

Q)  Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

A)  Ideas just roll around inside my scary head. Information, lots of research on the internet when it’s needed.

Q)  What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating any of your books?

A)  It’s a lot harder than it would seem to write a series. Keeping all the facts straight and not missing any details can be extremely challenging.

Author Bio:

“I am a 31 year old wife, mother, nurse and author, not always in that order. I live in Arkansas with my husband, my 4 year old son, and our 7 month old Doberman Pinscher. I hope to be able to write full time one day, but right now feel very blessed to be able to self publish my books.”

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