[Blog Tour] Spotlight, Guest Post, and Giveaway - Real by Katy Evans

Book #1 of The Real, Raw & Ripped Series

266 pages

Published April 8th 2013 

Mature New Adult/Adult Contemporary Romance - recommended for ages 18 and up.

A fallen boxer.

A woman with a broken dream.

A competition…

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting…

Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life.

He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . .

But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.

I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.

If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?

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Katy Evans grew up with book-boyfriends until she found a real sexy boyfriend to love, married him, and now they are hard at work on their own happily ever after. Katy loves her family and friends, and she also loves reading, walking, baking, and being consumed by her characters until she reaches "The End." Which, is hopefully, only the beginning...

To find more about her, look her up on her website, Twitter, or Facebook, she'd also love to hear from you!

Where to find Katy:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog  | Goodreads

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Katy Evans:

1. Is a health nut! Loves healthy living and going out in the sun.
2. Will take dark chocolate any day over milk!
3. Has been married for seventeen years to a man who still gives her little butterflies.
4. Loves puppies with a passion.
5. Wanted to have a zoo when she grew up.
6. Always blames her mistakes on her “period”!
7. She boxes once a week, and she sprints occasionally too.
8. Reads only during the days when she’s not writing.
9. Loves when it rains softly, but not when there’s lightning.
10. Was compared to “Taz the Tasmanian Devil” in her high school yearbook because, apparently, her buddies thought her just a little bit restless?

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Check out more reviews, guest post and giveaway on the REAL blog tour.

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[Blog Tour] Spotlight, Guest Post, & Giveaway: Lichgates by S.M. Boyce

Tour Schedule

Lichgates
Kara Magari is about to discover a beautiful world full of terrifying things--Ourea.

Kara, a college student still reeling from her mother's recent death, has no idea the hidden world of Ourea even exists until a freak storm traps her in a sunken library. With no way out, she opens an ancient book of magic called the Grimoire and unwittingly becomes its master, which means Kara now wields the cursed book's untamed power. Discovered by Ourea's royalty, she becomes an unwilling pawn in a generations-old conflict--a war intensified by her arrival. In this world of chilling creatures and betrayal, Kara shouldn't trust anyone... but she's being hunted and can't survive on her own. She drops her guard when Braeden, a native soldier with a dark secret, vows to keep her safe. And though she doesn't know it, her growing attraction to him may just be her undoing.

For twelve years, Braeden Drakonin has lived a lie. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. Though he begins to care for this human girl, there is something he wants more. He wants the Grimoire.

Welcome to Ourea, where only the cunning survive.

Lichgates is FREE

Download your copy now!

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Praise for Lichgates:

Wow, the world building on this one was breathtaking. The world of Ourea is just full of so many things. Surprises are around every corner.
~Alexia P.

From the first few pages into this story, it was obvious that Boyce has a way with words.
~Author Becca Campbell

Author S.M. Boyce
International Amazon Bestseller. Fantasy Author. Twitter addict. Book Blogger. Geek. Sarcastic. Gooey. Odd. Author of the action-packed Grimoire Saga.

S.M. Boyce is a novelist who loves ghosts, magic, and spooky things. She prefers loose-leaf tea, reads far too many books, and is always cold. She’s married to her soul mate and couldn’t be happier. Her B.A. in Creative Writing qualifies her to serve you french fries.

Boyce likes to update her blog a few times each week so that you have something to wake you up in the morning.

Where to find Boyce:

Blog | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Pinterest | Youtube | Goodreads Page | Amazon Page

Hey there, beautiful people! I’m S. M. Boyce (call me Boyce)—fantasy author of the young adult Grimoire Saga. I’ve been invited over to chat about what advice I would share with my teenage self. A lot of this advice comes from lessons learned the hard way.

Which lessons have you also learned,  and what advice do you have to share? Let’s compare notes in the comments.

#5—Life is Fun

In high school and even college, I always took everything so seriously. There was a blueprint for everything, and even my planner was color-coordinated. I was methodical. Analytical. I liked structure. In my mind, I wasn’t worth the food I ate if I wasn’t a 4.0 student, part of a dozen clubs, and working two part-time jobs to boot.

Nowadays, I flit between watching cartoons and writing epic fantasy novels with complex creatures and magic. My, how times change.

Bottom line: enjoy your time on this Earth. It could end any day. While that thought is a bit terrifying, it’s also liberating. Now that I understand a little more about life, I’ve let myself truly have fun with it.

#4—Popular is Over-Rated

In our society, popularity is definitely something we encounter forever, for the rest of our lives. I don’t deny that. But trying to be popular doesn’t matter as much as I used to think. All that really matters is finding friends who respect you for who you are. If you balance those friendships with hobbies and passions that fulfill you, that’s all you really need.

#3—Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Think long-term. Yes, it sucks that person X said that mean thing about you, but she won’t matter in the long run.

Most of the time, moments of intense anger or hurt just aren’t as significant when I reflect on them. I rarely said something I didn’t mean, so I’m glad I didn’t have a problem with lashing out. However, I do wish I’d taken a more relaxed approach to those incidents and tried to learn from them right off the bat, rather than let my emotions overpower reason.

#2—Love hurts… and it’s awesome, too

Like pretty much everyone, I’ve been burned by past relationships. That’s good.

The subtle emotional abuse I endured taught me how to stand up for myself. The slacker boyfriends taught me what I wanted in a partner. All these painful moments taught me what I needed out of a relationship.

So however much I wish I’d never even met a few boyfriends, I’m stronger for having had them in my life. Would I invite them over for dinner? Not a snowball’s chance in hell. But forgiveness or no, I do appreciate having learned those lessons. They led me to the man of my dreams—who I have since married.

#1—Success is Subjective

This has two parts: (1) everyone’s idea is success is different; and (2) success is not having a life others envy. If you try to build a life purely to make others jealous, you will spend most of your time envious of those above you.

Define success for yourself. What are your longterm goals? Short term? What makes you happy? What do you want out of life? Moping over what you don’t have or comparing your life to others is just a waste of time. No one else is you. No one else has your blend of experience, beliefs, passions, and personality.

You have to figure out what you want for yourself, and you have to do what it takes to get there. Don’t get lost in the weeds, trying to sort through what others expect of you. Success  is achieving what makes you most happy in life. Just try not to break any laws along the way, all right?

What about you, readers? 

What advice would you share with your teenage self?

Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 4/25/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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[Blog Tour] Spotlight, Guest Post & Giveaway - Knights of the Darkness Chronicles by D.N. Simmons

Original, sexy and gritty, the Knights of the Darkness Chronicles will suck you in and take you for a ride you won't forget!

Desires Unleashed
Knights of the Darkness Chronicles Book One
D.N. Simmons
Publisher: Rushmore Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-0615678641
ASIN: B004DCB6P4
Pages: 294
Wordcount: 121436
Genre: Urban-Fantasy/Dark Urban Fantasy w/Paranormal Romance elements.

Content warning: Multicultural and mixed genre such as gay/bisexual/straight pairings/sex scenes.Graphic language and violence. Strong sexual themes.

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/Mu3yBn5HoNM

Desires Unleashed is the first novel in the riveting, highly-addictive and sexually charged Knights of the Darkness Chronicles. Experience the heart-pounding thrill of the chase in this electrifying page-turner as you uncover the mystery behind the series of gruesome killings that have been terrorizing the citizens of Chicago.

When a grisly decapitated corpse pops up on a Chicago Street, drained of blood, the highly-trained, government-funded special police force assigned two of their best detectives to the case. S.U.I.T. Detectives Warren Davis and Matthew Eric delve deep into their investigation to discover just who or what is leaving mutilated bodies in public places. They soon realize that the killer or killers is one step ahead of them and if they are going to stop the menace before another innocent human is viciously attack, they are going to need help.

Natasha Hemingway liked her life just the way it was... normal and supernatural free. The vampires and shape-shifters were just where she wanted them to be--far away from her. All was going well until an unfortunate accident landed her in the hospital. It was then that she discovered she had an ability that could help her save countless lives.

All of a sudden, she finds herself thrust into the dangerous and alluring world of the supernatural and into the arms of two very sexy and deadly vampires.

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The Guilty Innocent
Knights of the Darkness Chronicles Book Two
D.N. Simmons
Genre: Urban-fantasy
Subgenres: Horror, Paranormal Romance, GLBT, Multicultural, Mystery/Thriller.
Publisher: Rushmore Publishing
ISBN: 978-0615688381
ASIN: B004EPYUTY
Number of pages: 271
Word Count: 106415

The Guilty Innocent is the second novel in the edgy, action-packed, sexually-charged, Knights of the Darkness Chronicles.

In this installment, Darian, the gorgeous, charismatic and charming master vampire of Chicago is framed for a crime he didn't commit, but why? His lover, Xavier, Natasha and a few others must travel halfway across the world to find out who and why before time runs out and all hell breaks loose!

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> From the Author Muse:
Hello, my name is Nicole and unfortunately, D.N. Simmons can’t make it today. She’s tied up…. literally tied up. I wanted to take this opportunity to finally reap the recognition owed to me. Now, D.N.’s been on many interviews, blabbing about how great her series is, how ‘highly entertaining’ and whatnot… and it is, don’t get me wrong. The series is amazing and any urban-fantasy fan would be surely missing out by NOT reading it. But I digress, D.N.’s been patting herself on the back for coming up with the series, and truth be told, it’s me who she should be giving recognition to. Me! I’m her Muse, dammit and I deserve respect! Whenever an interviewer asks her ‘What was your inspiration for the series’, she mentions everything and everyone but ME! Oh, she’s loved vampires and shape-shifters since childhood. Or how about this one; she’s read so many great Urban-fantasy and Paranormal Romance books out there, but they were just missing that spark that ignited her. Well, I’m here to tell you, I’m that ‘spark’.

If it weren’t for me whispering in her ear, giving her ideas on how to make the perfect Urban-fantasy series, SHE’D still be talking about writing one instead of actually doing it! But here I sit, thankless on many interviews. I’m the one who inspired her to create characters so real, they damn near literally step off of the pages and into your lives. They seduce you, humor you, love you as you love them and some, well they’ll terrify you. She didn’t come up with them on her own… that was all me. Oh and did I mention that it was Yours Truly who gave Miss Little It’s All About Me the idea to do away with the usual formula for writing UF/PNR and create a series about characters and not just one main character or couple? Do you know how fun it is to read about the exciting things going on in this series from multiple character point of views? Just ask all the fans of the series, and they’ll tell you, ‘it’s freaking awesome!’.

You know what, I’m sorry. I’ve been stealing her Author Guest Spots ranting and raving and going on and on about how the Knights of the Darkness Chronicles wouldn’t be the series it is today without me. Truth is, D.N. and I, we need each other. These ideas were just floating around in my head with no means to put them to paper. D.N. is my vessel and I’m her inspiration. It’s just… well… a Muse wants to get a little attention every once in a while, ya know? It was nice being here and I’m going to release D.N. now. Have a great day everyone.

D. N. Simmons lives in Chicago IL., with a rambunctious German Shepherd that's too big for his own good and mischievous kitten that she affectionately calls "Itty-bitty". Her hobbies include rollerblading, billiards, bowling, reading, watching television and going to the movies.

She has been nominated at Love Romances and More, winning honorable mention for best paranormal book of 2006. She has won "Author of the Month" at Warrior of Words. She was voted "New Voice of Today" at Romance Reviews and "Rising Star" at Love Romance and More.

To learn more, and have the opportunity to speak with the author personally, please visit the official website and forum at www.dnsimmons.com D.N. is always interesting in meeting new and wonderful people.

Where to find D.N.:

Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | YouTube

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[Blog Tour] Spotlight, Guest Post, & Giveaway - The Darkening by Caris Roane

The Darkening by Caris Roane
A novella of the Guardians of Ascension
49,800 words plus Ascension Terminology

A tortured warrior and a peace-loving counselor battle to protect Second Earth against a powerful dark force…

He thwarted connection of any kind…
Fearing that his newly emerged grayle power will kill innocent ascenders, Samuel Daman struggles to keep his distance from beautiful Vela Stillwell. But the breh-hedden has struck and her light floral scent tears at his restraint. When the enemy draws them both into the darkening, a place of secret travel for Third ascenders, will Samuel learn to control his power, or will he destroy what he desires most?

She hid from grief…
Vela Stillwell wanted a new life, away from Militia Headquarters, away from the reminder of all she’d lost when her husband died five years earlier. Seeking a more reclusive occupation, she finishes her last day of work only to have Samuel Daman and the infamous breh-hedden sweep through her life. Though trying to disconnect from her new emerging power and from Samuel, the call of the darkening pulls Vela into an adventure that both terrifies her, yet reveals the truth about her deepest desires. Will she succumb to the breh-hedden, or will her fears prevent her from living life to the fullest?

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Caris Roane has published nine paranormal novels and novellas and writing as Valerie King, fifty Regency works.  In 2005, Romantic Times gave her a Career Achievement award in Regency Romance.  As Caris Roane, she currently writes paranormal romance for St. Martin’s Press and also self-publishes the continuing stories for her Guardians of Ascension series as well as stories set in other worlds. 

Where to find Caris:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Hi, all!  Thank you soooo much to Phantasmic Reads for having me here today!

I’ve been a writer for most of my adult life, beginning in my mid-twenties, which for some authors means that I lost a couple of decades!  I envy those writers who knew from an early age that they’d be giving their hearts and souls to the written word.  But the writing bug eventually found me, bit down hard, and I’ve been happily concocting stories ever since!

Many people ask me how it was I could go from writing Regency Romance to Paranormal Romance but for me the transition was really simple!  What both genres have in common is world-building.  I might put my winged warrior vampires in black leather kilts and matching weapons harnesses in order to do battle against the enemy, but in like fashion, I’ll put my hunky Regency hero in buckskin breeches, a waistcoat and top boots before he sets out to engage the heroine in a war of words.  Yep, world-building!

My latest paranormal offering, THE DARKENING, follows Militia Warrior, Samuel, as he tries desperately to hold back his dark power, an intense, preternatural power that emerged in his life after a decade of torture.  When he escaped from that prison, a year prior to events in THE DARKENING, his dark power killed a number of innocent people and he’s lived with the guilt ever since.  What he fears most is that one day his dark power will rise and hurt, perhaps even kill, those he cares about the most.  

The following excerpt comes from the first chapter of  THE DARKENING.  Samuel has had to answer to the leaders in his world – Thorne, Endelle, and Jean-Pierre – having failed to tell them about his emerging dark power.  He’s already explained about why he held back, but Endelle, especially, needs him to get with the program!

From Chapter One

Thorne rubbed a hand over his brow. “Okay, that’s a reasonable answer. But, shit, we need you.”

“I know that,” he said quietly.

“When did this power emerge?” Endelle asked.

His gaze shifted away from her, away from all of them. He didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to remember. He took a deep breath. “While I was hanging from ropes in that prison cell in Honduras Two. That’s one reason I’ve never trusted this power. It’s dark, it came from my hatred of my torturers.”

Endelle shook her head a couple of times. “Listen up, warrior.” She angled her thumb toward Jean-Pierre. “You need to put yourself in JP’s hands, and start trusting some of the What-Bees, that maybe they’d be able to handle this dark-ass power of yours and help you gain control of the rest of it.”

He opened his mouth to argue with her, but she shushed him. “Ch-ch-ch! Not a word, asshole. You’ve been holding out and we’re all pissed as hell. We’ve got a full-blown war on our hands and the Borderlands have expanded with activity every goddamn night. So, this isn’t a discussion. You will work with Jean-Pierre and you will like it. Do we understand each other?”

He nodded. “Yes, Madame Endelle.”

“Good. Now someone tell him about Duncan. I’m outta here.” She lifted her arm, and much to everyone’s dismay she folded straight out of room, which set the alarms shrieking. Luken already had his phone to his ear and a few seconds later, the alarms shut down. No one folded in or out of Militia HQ, without express permission, except by way of the multiple landing platforms.

Once his ears stopped ringing, he focused his attention on Luken. “What about Duncan?” The warrior was one of Samuel’s few good friends and had helped him to escape his captivity a year ago.

Luken met his gaze squarely. “Duncan’s missing. We don’t know where he is, or what happened to him. He disappeared while battling at the New River Borderland two nights ago. There’d been so many teams folding in and out of the space that it took almost twenty-four hours before we concluded he’s now MIA.”

* * *   * * *   * * *

I hope you enjoyed this excerpt from THE DARKENING.  To learn more about Warrior Samuel go to:  http://www.carisroane.com/the-darkening/

We have TWO giveaways for you today! First is an ebook copy of The Darkening. For the second one, one lucky winner will receive:

• A $10 e-Card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble
• a signed copy of ASCENSION
• an e-copy of THE DARKENING
• Caris Roane sticky notes, note cards, notepad, versatile calendar, RTC cards!!!
  
  

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