The Muses' Circle: May 2014

Saturday, May 31, 2014

RELEASE BLITZ Carnal Desire (Severed MC, #2) by: K.T. Fisher & Ava Manello + Giveaway

Continuing Angel and Eve's story from Severed Angel.

Eve returns home unaware danger is hot on her heels. Will Satan get the revenge he seeks? Will Angel save the woman he loves? Or will Ink get the woman he deserves?

The nail biting conclusion to the story that crosses two continents...

Book Two in a two part story.

*** CONTAINS ADULT THEMES AND MATERIAL - OVER 18's ONLY ***

Eve

The long flight home would have been a hell of a lot worse if it hadn't been for the woman sitting by my side. She'd initially taken one look at my tear stained face as I sat down beside her and left me alone. However, once we'd been in the air for a couple of hours, she decided I'd wallowed in my own misery long enough.

"I don't want to interfere honey, but are you okay?" She has such a concerned look on her face that I can't be rude and not answer her. Besides, I feel like I do need to talk to someone. The silence of holding it all in is driving me crazy, and I know my mum won't want to hear about it when I get home. I don't even think she'll notice that I'm sad.

"Not really, it's been a rough few weeks." She gives me a sad smile, and I laugh brokenly at the insanity of recent events. "I almost got killed, met the man of my dreams, and now I'm going home without him." Saying the words aloud releases a fresh bout of tears. I wipe at them and try to calm myself, but images of Gabe when I last saw him make me sad.

One hand reaches over to pat my back gently, while the other offers me a tissue which I gladly accept. I'm feeling a tiny bit better already. "Well, we've a long flight ahead of us, why don't you tell me all about it? A problem shared is a problem halved." She smiles over at me. "My name's Elle, and I'm pleased to meet you."

I turn to look at this kind stranger. She's beautiful, looks a little older than me with long blonde tresses falling past her shoulders. If it hadn't been for the ripped jeans and band t-shirt I'd have sworn she was a model. Hell maybe she is, she certainly looks the part. She also has one of those personalities that you seem to warm to, instantly. My gut tells me I can trust this woman, and this time I'm going to listen to it.

She spends the next couple of hours listening to my story after I introduce myself. Her face goes through a whole host of emotions, laughter, sadness and downright shock to horror. I guess looking back, it's the kind of thing you see in the movies or read about in books. It just wasn't supposed to happen in real life, but it did. I'm glad she doesn't seem critical of the MC way of life either. I think I would have been if our roles were reversed. Instead, she just seems concerned for me.

"Do you love Gabe?" She queries. I take a deep breath before answering her.

"When I left I thought I did, but was scared that it was just lust for him. By the time I got to the airport I knew it was true, I do love him." I hunt through my bag for my phone, it's in flight mode so I flick through some of the pictures I took during my time in Australia. I want to remember my time there. I find a picture of me and Teresa with Pres and Gabe standing behind us and show Elle. Her eyes widen as she takes in the sexy men in the picture and I nod my head. I totally understand her reaction. All that hotness in tattoos and leather is eye wideningly orgasmic.

I've just put my phone away when Elle takes my hand in hers, gently patting it. "It's not too late, Eve. Go home, give your daughter the biggest and longest hug, then find a way to talk to your man and see if there's anything there on his side."

She's right, I need to talk to Gabe to find out how he really feels. If this is all one sided then I need to buck up my ideas and stop pining, and if it isn't , I need to work out what to do about it.

"Thanks Elle, I feel better for talking it through with you." Whilst I still haven't resolved my situation, at least now I have a better idea of what to do when I get home.

I realize I've been monopolizing the conversation for the last few hours and feel slightly guilty. "Enough about my troubles, why don't you tell me all about you?" I'm not just being polite, I really do want to get to know Elle better.

Elle shares that she's a freelance writer. Her current assignment is for an online travel magazine who are doing a feature on European holidays for singles. She's coming to the UK for a couple of weeks and staying in London, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh.

"I don't believe it! I live in York. Can we meet up and I'll show you the sights." I beg. It would be great to show my new friend around, and selfishly I hope it will make my return a little less lonely. Whilst I'm happy to be seeing Elizabeth again, there's only so much two year old chatter you can stand before needing adult company. For some reason I felt an instant connection with Elle.

"That would be great." Elle beams at me. Her beautiful smile lights up her whole face. "We'll sort the dates out before we land, but for now tell me more about this Ink character, he sounds yummy." I have to laugh at her choice of words, I'm not sure yummy is a word I'd use to describe Ink. It's the sort of word you use to talk about a fit mother in the nursery playground, not a hunk of tattooed hotness in an MC club.

I tell her about his very short, dark hair, his muscled, tattooed arms, the hint of tattoos on his back and chest I'd caught glimpses of, but mostly about his character. Ink was my friend from the beginning, he was there for me when others turned their backs. Just thinking about Ink brings a smile to my face. Even though we went through an awkward stage when I found out his true feelings for me, I was glad we cleared it up before I left.

"Holy hell," Elle swoons, "you've got to set me up with an introduction when I fly home." It will be good to have an opportunity to chat to Ink again, so I assure Elle I'll do my best for her. Besides, Elle's a freaking goddess, I'm sure Ink will be grateful for the introduction.

The rest of the flight passes with mindless chatter. We find we have a lot of things in common, from favourite authors to music. By the end of the flight it feels like we've known each other forever. It's the kind of closeness I used to have with Teresa and I miss that in my life.

Title: Carnal Desire (Severed MC, #2)

Author(s): K.T. Fisher, Ava Manello

Genre: Erotic Biker Romance

Organized by: Kinky Book Klub

Published by: KBK Publishing

Release Date: 31st May 2014

Buy Links

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Amazon (AU) | B&N | KOBO

Where it all started...

Title: Severed Angel (Severed MC, #1)

Author(s): K.T. Fisher, Ava Manello

Genre: Erotic Biker Romance

Organized by: Kinky Book Klub

Published by: KBK Publishing

Release Date: 31st March 2014

Buy Links

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Amazon (AU) | B&N | KOBO

Coming this summer...

K.T. Fisher

I love reading, it's my favorite hobby. I've always had ideas for my own books packed into my head so I thought I would write them out for people to enjoy.

Connect with K.T.

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Ava Manello

Passionate reader, blogger, publisher, and author. I love nothing more then helping other Indie authors publish their books be that reviewing, beta reading, formatting or proofreading,

I love erotic suspense that's well written and engages the reader, and I love promoting the heck out of it over on my book blog.

I'm married, a mother, but most of all I'm me!

Connect with Ava

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Win one of two $10 Amazon gift cards in this easy entry giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

good luck,mia

Friday, May 30, 2014

RELEASE DAY BLITZ Undaunted (No Rival, #2) by: Charity Parkerson!

synopsis

Book 2 in the No Rival series

What happens in the fight club stays in the fight club.

Brothers, Rhys and Knox, have been in love with the same woman for years. While Rhys has been open about his feelings toward Mandy, he’s kept her firmly locked in the friend zone. That is, until a night filled with too much alcohol explodes into passion.

Unfortunately, while Rhys doesn’t remember a minute of it, Mandy remembers every detail all too well. As secrets and betrayals begin to unravel their friendship, Knox seizes his chance to—finally—claim Mandy as his own.

With two sexy fighters squaring off to win her heart, Mandy must decide which to choose—the charming reprobate who’s been the center of her desire, yet always wrecks her life, or the merciless bad boy who wants to give her the world.

Inside Scoop: This sexy tale includes male/male encounters that may have you wishing for two sexy fighters of your own.

A Romantica® contemporary erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

teasers...excerpt

“Just tell us what you need and we’re your men.”

Ryan’s teasing, upbeat personality kept her smiling and she immediately felt at ease. “Get naked and act natural,” she said, somehow managing to keep a straight face.

Max groaned. “Great. Now there’s two of them. Don’t give him permission, Mandy. We’ll never get his clothes back on.”

“Fine,” she huffed, breaking out her best pout. “You will have to take your shirts off, though.” Max flashed a flirtatious glance her way that left her blushing as he stripped his shirt off. Oddly, she knew he didn’t mean it. Some people were overtly more sexual than others were. It was more of a vibe he owned. It was as if he couldn’t help himself. Of course, the knowledge did nothing to stop her face from burning every time he turned it in her direction. The third time blood flooded her cheeks, she felt Knox’s heat pressing into her back. Her heart slammed against her chest at the contact. He was everywhere. Overwhelming. Unmovable.

“He’s not for you.” His breath fanned across her neck as the whispered warning rang in her ears. The bite in his tone rolled over her skin. As he strode away, she watched the smooth movement of his body. Untamed. The word floated through her mind and she couldn’t let it go. He was a predator. Each time he was near, a shot of adrenaline pumped through her veins when she survived the encounter. One day, she wouldn’t.

After a few posed shots, Mandy focused on the action. “I’d love to get as many pictures as I can, if you want to take turns sparring. I’m not picky. However the three of you choose to pair up is fine with me.”

Knox gave her a sharp nod, and Ryan came over to stand at her side on the edge of the mat. Squaring off, Max and Knox circled one another. Staring down at the digital screen, Mandy zoomed in on Knox and her chest tightened even as she continued snapping pictures.

“Better Max than me,” Ryan said startling her with his tight tone.

Keeping her focus on her task, Mandy tried to keep the curiosity from showing in her voice. “Scared of getting your ass handed to you, huh?” she teased.

“An ass-kicking I can handle. I have no desire to die. Underground fighters train to compete with only one rule in mind. To the death. I mean, judging by Knox’s lifestyle, the money is good, but it takes a certain mentality to go into every match to kill or be killed.”

Mandy could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Her gaze slid over his body with a new eye as she searched for any truth to Ryan’s claim. The light glimmered off the silver rings in his nipples. Sleek muscles flexed and rolled as he poised for any opening. There wasn’t a hint of emotion on his face when he found one and took Max down to the mat. All the deep scars and bruises covering his body made themselves known in light of the new insight. Appearing content with a simple submission, Knox helped an unscathed Max to his feet.

“Oh, good. He didn’t kill him. I am a bit attached to him, after all.”

Knox looked in their direction at Ryan’s words. Raw sensuality dripped from his pores. His eyes darkened with lust. Electricity charged the air between them. Excitement pounded through Mandy. Her nipples ached and a tingle began at the base of her spine.

Ryan cleared his throat. “Whoa,” he muttered under his breath. “He’s going to do such naughty things to you and I want details,” he sang as he walked away heading in Max’s direction.

book info & buy links

Title: Undaunted (No Rival, #2)

Author: Charity Parkerson

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

Organized by: The Muses Circle

Release Date: 30th May 2014

Buy Links

Ellora's Cave | Amazon | B&N

where it all started...

Book 1 in the No Rival series

Aubree is infatuated with two men, Max and Ryan. The two former Marines have been her close friends ever since she made her first misguided attempt at joining their kickboxing classes. When the pair invites her to join them at a weekend party thrown by Drew, a famous MMA champion, she has no idea what they have in mind. After spending one hot ménage night with the pair, Aubree learns the men’s intentions are not all about her. Feeling betrayed, Aubree turns to Drew who is also tugging at her heart. She must choose between the two men who have been the center of her fantasies, and the one man who could make all her dreams come true.

Inside Scoop: This sexy tale includes a ménage and male/male encounters that may leave you wishing for an alpha male fighter of your own.

A Romantica contemporary erotic romance from Ellora's Cave Publishing

Unsurpassed Buy Links

Amazon | Ellora's Cave

about the author

Charity Parkerson is an award winning and multi-published author with Ellora's Cave Publishing. Born with no filter from her brain to her mouth, she decided to take this odd quirk and insert it in her characters.

*2013 Readers' Favorite Award Winner

*2013 Reviewers' Choice Award Winner

*ARRA Finalist for Favorite Paranormal Romance

*Five-time winner of The Mistress of the Darkpath

*Named one of the top 10 best books by an Indie author in 2011- Paranormal Reads Reviews

*Best Paranormal Romance of 2012- Paranormal Reads Reviews

Stalk Charity

best wishes,mia

Thursday, May 29, 2014

REVIEW & AUTHOR INTERVIEW Dead Man's Drive by: Michael Panush + Giveaway!

Title: Dead Man's Drive (Rot Rods, #1)
Author: Michael Panush
ASIN: B00IJH8ZEO
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban-fantasy/paranormal
Length: 242 pgs
Binding: E-book, Paperback
Published: 20 February 2014; Curiosity Quills Press
Buy: Amazon, Amazon UK, B&N, KOBO

Synopsis:

La Cruz looks like an average Southern California small town, but it has some dark secrets – and it has its guardians. They are the supernaturally adept drivers of Donovan Motors, including zombie greaser Roscoe. With the help of former Okie bank robber Wooster Stokes, Zoot Suiter and part time shaman Angel Rey, college girl and burgeoning sorceress Betty Bright, the drivers stand between La Cruz and chaos with only their wits and some fast hot rods to help them hold back the darkness. But an onslaught of demonic attacks heralds a new danger. Reed Strickland, a ruthless tycoon with unholy assistance, seems intent on making La Cruz his. Only Roscoe and the drivers can stop him.

But Strickland's allies stir painful memories in Roscoe - and even an undead gearhead is no match for his own past. Roscoe will need to overcome his memories, stand with his friends and keep his motor as the battle for La Cruz begins in a tale of white hot vehicular action, arcane Noir, and Hollywood horror that reveals the rotten heart of California's Golden Age.

My Rating:

Dead Man's Drive by Michael Panush is perhaps one of the most originally entertaining novels I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Set in La Cruz, California in the 1950's, it was a time of hot rods, zoot suits, cool music, zombies, demons, werewolves, yetis---yes, you read that right! The book definitely has a magical realism feel-- the author pays such close attention to details-- the clothing, cars, even the language of the characters read authentic. And at the heart of the story is Roscoe, a zombie driver and mechanic at Donovan Motors. But that's more of a disguise, for his real job, along with his team of eccentric misfits, is to protect and defend the town of La Cruz from evil entities and things that go bump in the night.

There is so much to love about Dead Man's Drive, but the lively, colorful characters were what drove this story. There's Angel, Roscoe's loyal Mexican best friend. Wooster, the gruff ex-bank robber who has one explosive secret. Betty Bright who serves as a kind of mother figure to the rough bunch. Let's not forget Basil Barrow, the undertaker at the local cemetery that helps the drivers at Donovan Motors dispose of bodies. With any novel, you always have your favorite character. In this case, I absolutely loved the Deadbeat, a DJ that uses his radio show as a way to inform Roscoe and the others of any suspicious occult activities.

The Deadbeat's voice oozed back across the airwaves."Evening, cool kids and ghoul kids. That was Zap Telford and the Boo Babies with a real hot number called My Phantom Girl. Now here's your La Cruz news update." He cleared his throat. "Dig it--there's a new power coming to our little town and his name is Strickland.'"

I also found Eldgridge Swann, the Negro crime lord who controlled Butcher's row, very interesting. There have been a few reviewers that complained at the author's use of the word "negro" when describing Eldgridge Swann. I find that annoying because in the 50's that is EXACTLY what they called African Americans. I'm half black and didn't find it the least bit offensive. I think people need to stop being so sensitive and focus on the literature, the setting, etc. I appreciate that Panush stayed true to the time period in which he was writing about.

Michael Panush is not only great with creating charismatic characters that seem to come off the pages, but it is quite clear he knows how to write. His use of figurative language really helped create images in my mind as I read along. Here are a few of my favorites:

"He remembered speed, the sensation of zooming down an open highway with an engine roaring and the wind battering your face like the flailing strikes of a boxer about to be defeated."

"He kept it hot, boiling enough so that the steam billowed out of the pot like an impatient ghost."

"His tie was loud, with geometric designs, and he had a fat, golden ring."

Dead Man's Drive is also filled with humor which was a pleasant surprise. It's been a long time since I've read a novel that has made me laugh out loud. There are two scenes that I thought were hilarious. The first one is when Roscoe cuts off his ear and throws it at a table full of villains, hoping it will help him "hear" their conversation:

"I thought hearing comes from those holes on the side of your head--not the ear itself." [Angel says]

"It's called magic." Roscoe wiggled the severed ear in Angel's direction. "It doesn't have to make sense."

Then he tossed the ear across the bar. It was a light, underhanded throw. The ear landed under the table where Torrance and Mr. Roach were talking. Nobody noticed. Roscoe sat back up, covered the ear remaining on his head and did his best to listen.

You know it's the 50's when the boys are fighting in suits:

"You okay?" Roscoe called to him.

"Yeah." Angel glanced down at his zoot suit, now splotched with black marks from dead gore. "Ah, no," he muttered. "Got my threads dirty. Brains-- they never come out in the wash. He grabbed one of his pistols and started shooting again.

The most unique aspect of this novel is Panush's ability to weave in other historical milestones, such as Hitler and the Crusades. I'm not going to get into detail here to stay away from spoilers, but I was blown away that the author was able to add in all of these elements without making it feel too busy or confusing.

The only issue I had was with the vague zombie mythology. Roscoe is a walking dead, but nothing like what we have been taught to believe. I am absolutely okay if an author wants to switch things up and Roscoe was a breath of fresh air. But it felt like Panush didn't address the why and the how. How did he luck out and not turn into the zombies that were in Strickland/Roach's army? Is there more zombies like Roscoe out there? He can eat anything, so zombies eating raw meat is just a myth in the world of the story? Does he smell? I just wish the author had spent a little more time on this.

Dead Man's Drive is an action packed, thrill ride that keeps you in a constant state of suspense until the very last page. With plenty of humor and a colorful cast of characters, I can totally see this book being turned into a tv series. But don't let the funny parts fool you. Roscoe is quite a complex character, plagued with amnesia and spends the majority of the story struggling to remember his past and the reason for his reanimation. If you are looking for some thrills and chills, I highly recommend this unique zombie tale!

best wishes,mia

Author Interview

1. Dead Man's Drive's has an interesting assemblage of characters, but at the heart is a zombie named Roscoe. What inspired you to write a zombie tale/character?

I've always been interested in zombies and they seem like a pretty good goon to get hurled at the hero en masse. Zombie apocalypse stories are fun and popular, but also a little played out, so I wanted to try something else. Zombie hero stories are a little less popular, but they do exist (Hessius Mann is one I became familiar with after writing Dead Man's Drive), so that seemed like a good way to go. Taking a zombie hero, making him drive hot rods and heals himself with fast food seemed much more unique, so that's the route I ended up taking. A lot of characters in my stories are sort of human, but not quite. They're isolated from the world around them and in a world as obsessed with conformity as the 1950s, that's a big deal. I wanted Roscoe to be isolated by his condition of being a zombie as well as his personality. He's a greaser, with a love of black leather jackets and rock and roll, and that alone makes sets him apart. The zombie stuff is just a bonus.

2. Your novel is set in the 1950's which seems like a daunting task alone, but then you touch upon Hitler and even The Crusades. What kind of research did you do in order to help the reader feel like they were taking a walk in history?

I didn't really need to do too much research, as I already knew a lot about that time and place from reading period fiction. I'm a huge James Ellroy fan, and reading his entire catalogue gives you a good idea about how nasty Golden Age Hollywood was. I try to work as much history into the Rot Rods series as possible (a lot more pops up in the sequels) by making characters distorted versions of historic people. For instance, the villain in Dead Man's Drive, Red Strickland is a mix of Howard Hughes (in that he has a goon doing his dirty work and is weird), and Henry Ford (in that he was best pals to the Nazis). The Nazi stuff also came together pretty easily. Nazis and the occult go together like peanut butter and chocolate, so it was just a small leap. And the Crusades came in when I was looking for an origin to La Cruz. All in all, it felt very organic and natural and I hope the reader feels that way too.

3. I originally thought that Dead Man's Drive was a stand alone novel, but I read somewhere that there was a plan for a series. True? Not true? If the rumor is true, what can we expect in book 2? Will there be a new central character or will Roscoe reprise his role?

The rumors are true! Dead Man's Drive is part one of a four part series. Books two and three are already written (and book two will be out soon) and I'm just about to start part four. They all follow Roscoe but there are major changes to the line-up of his friends. Here's the lowdown – part two is Detour to Apocalypse and is about aliens, the atomic bomb, Area 51, and Las Vegas. Part three is Southern California Gothic and is about a Black Dahlia-esque murder in Hollywood, mad science in Tijuana, and a gang war. Part four is called Ghosts of Camelot, and is about the Kennedy Administration, the Civil Rights movement, Santeria and Voodoo, and more.

About the Author

Twenty-Four years old, Michael Panush has distinguished himself as one of Sacramento’s most promising young writers. Michael has published numerous short stories in a variety of e-zines including: AuroraWolf, Demon Minds, Fantastic Horror, Dark Fire Fiction, Aphelion, Horrorbound, Fantasy Gazetteer, Demonic Tome, Tiny Globule, and Defenestration.

He is the author of Clark Reeper Tales, his first novel. Michael began telling stories when he was only nine years old. He won first place in the Sacramento Storyteller’s Guild “Liar’s Contest” in 2002 and was a finalist in the National Youth Storytelling Olympics in in 2003. In 2005, Michael’s short story entitled, Adventures in Algebra, won first place in the annual MISFITS Writing Contest.

In 2007, Michael was selected as a California Art’s Scholar and attended the Innerspark Summer Writing Program at the CalArts Institute. He graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 2008 and has recently graduated from UC Santa Cruz.

Connect With Michael

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Google+