Friday, April 30, 2021

Book Blast: Reel to Reel



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Isla Grey will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Lights, Camera, Action! From the very beginning, the world of cinema has captivated us. We have found ourselves laughing at our favorite comedies, crying when love finally comes to fruition, being beamed to other worlds or battling in the midst of action sequences. While movies might be the perfect entertainment, most have slight imperfections, mistakes, which go unseen, until they’re released and caught by the movie audience. These mistakes don’t detract from the film, and finding them are just as fun as watching the movie. For the past several years, Isla Grey has written a “Movie Mistakes” column for Bellaonline. “Reel to Reel” is a collection of some of those columns, spotlighting the fun goofs found in some of our favorite movies. Can you spot them? Grab the popcorn, sit back, and happy movie watching!

Read an Excerpt

The Notebook

There’s no question--Noah and Allie are in love. Set in two different time periods, the beginning of the pair’s relationship is shown via a notebook an older Noah reads to Allie who is suffering the effects of dementia. Can true love ever be forgotten? Here are a few movie mistakes to look for while watching “The Notebook”.

Near the beginning of the movie, the younger Allie and Noah are at a carnival. After their first encounter, Allie and another man get on the Ferris wheel. The man is holding cotton candy in his right hand. This is noticeable throughout the scene. After Noah has climbed aboard and gets Allie to go out with him, the cotton candy the man was holding is now gone.

After Noah and Allie have watched the movie in the theater, they decide to go for a walk. When they get to the traffic light, Noah tells her how he used to lie in the road and demonstrates for her. At first, Noah is closer to the center of the lane to his left. (This is noticeable in the overhead view.) During the close-up, Noah is now closer to the double lines that run down the middle of the road. This happens again when Allie joins him. At first, they are closer to the center of the lane to their left, but the next view shows them near the double lines.

About the Author
Isla Grey is from Central Virginia and at an early age developed a love of movies. She shared many Sunday afternoons watching old favorites with her grandmother that included everything from “Gone with the Wind” and “Rio Bravo” to “Titanic” and “The Mummy”. (Her grandmother may or may not have made fun of her when she covered her eyes during “Anaconda”.)

Working as Bellaonline’s Movie Mistakes editor since 2012 has given Isla the opportunity to indulge in two of her passions—movies and writing.

When Isla isn’t writing or watching movies, most of her time is spent with her ever active daughter and her band of cats. She also enjoys good music, reading biographies and ghost stories and taking quiet strolls.

Website: http://www.islagrey.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorIslaGrey/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IslaGrey1

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0918MM97L

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Release Blitz: Off to the Races

I’m the new racehorse trainer at Gold Rush Ranch and I’ve got three months to turn a problem stallion into a winner. Working with horses is easy, but contending with Vaughn Harding, my moody new boss, is a whole other story. He can’t decide if he hates me or wants me—not that it matters, I swore off men like him years ago. Readers who enjoy Melanie Harlow and Kelly Elliott will love this slow burn, enemies to lovers, contemporary romance.

Blurb

He can’t decide if he hates me or wants me.

Vaughn Harding is my new boss. Getting close to him would be career suicide for a female racehorse trainer, and plain old gossip fuel in this small town. I get a kick out of our verbal sparring, but I swore off his type years ago.

And I’ve got plans.

I’m the new trainer at Gold Rush Ranch and I’ve just been handed a problem horse that I promised to make a winner. I want to put down roots, and I’m not about to let a man distract me. No matter how electric it feels when we lock eyes, or how my body ignites when we touch.

Vaughn’s a vivid reminder of every guy I grew up around. Handsome, rich, entitled--a total media darling. But there’s a sadness in him that I can’t seem to turn my back on. A sensitive side hidden beneath brooding good looks.

The last thing I need is a broken man to put back together, and the last thing he needs is more scandal.

Teasing him for kicks is one thing, but handing over my heart?

I should have known better.

Add to Goodreads Here! 

Buy Now or Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Excerpt 

Copyright 2021 @ Elise Silver

Walking in to see and hear Billie sobbing into the horse’s shoulder had been an absolute gut-punch. Hank had told me she wasn’t in good shape. But he failed to mention the part where she was absolutely falling apart. Seeing someone as strong as Billie break down and cry her apology to a horse, for something I am ultimately responsible for, almost brought me to my fucking knees.

The guilt. The ache in my chest at the raw pain in her voice. I’d known she was more sensitive than she let on. But this. This scene could crack my chest right open and leave my heart beating right at her feet. 

Yeah, this hurts.

She hiccups in my arms, head nestled towards my shoulder, arms resting low around my ribs. And I’m holding her as firmly as I can without hurting her, trying to absorb all her anguish. Letting it seep into me. I’m the one who deserves the blame. Her sobs slow as I run one palm over her messy chestnut hair. I glance behind her at DD. He looks tired, closing his eyes and dozing now. Like he was just waiting for someone else to get here and take care of her. 

Buy Now or Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited! 

About the Elsie Silver 

Canadian author who loves book boyfriends and the sassy heroines who bring them to their knees. Connoisseur of charged looks and lingering touches. Fan of witty banter. Horse girl through and through. Fully convinced that it’s always wine o’clock somewhere.

Follow: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads | Newsletter | Amazon| Website

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

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Pinterest https://www.pinterest.ca/authorelsiesilver/

Goodreads → https://bit.ly/3cyFAe4

Newsletter →https://bit.ly/3qc2Emn

Amazon  → https://amzn.to/3u5SOERWebsite →  https://www.elsiesilver.com

VBT: The Misadventures of a (Wannabe) Slutty Bartender


 The Misadventures of a (Wannabe) Slutty Bartender

by WS Carmichael

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE:  Romance/Romantic Comedy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Ava Moreland has it all planned out. In two months, she will marry her fiancé, Tim. She’ll continue working at Vegas’s famous Cosmopolitan bar while he runs his father’s accounting firm. Soon they’ll start a family and she’ll have the white picket life she’s always dreamed of.
Or not.


When her fairytale engagement implodes in a devastating display, Ava embarks on a quest to reclaim her identity and feminine prowess – by sleeping her way through Las Vegas. With her best friend, Jarrod, acting as wingman her plan is foolproof.
Or not.

Nothing goes as planned with hilariously disastrous results. Her sexual misadventures will keep you in stitches as Ava searches for herself in Sin City, finding herself and her happily ever after in the unlikeliest of places.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Excerpt:

The problem with a dramatic exit is what comes next. They never show you that part in the movies. You never see the tough heroine stumbling down a hotel hallway, her feet tired from traveling all day, alone and confused in a strange city, holding back tears as the realization her life has been flipped upside down settles in.

No. They never show you that part. They fade to black and pick up two years down the line when she’s found her happily ever after.

Where the hell is that fade to black button? Because this is the part I want to skip. I want to skip the binge eating and the ugly crying. I want to skip the ‘why me’ phase. I want to skip the explanations to my friends when they ask what happened. I want to skip all of it.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~



AUTHOR Bio :

WS Carmichael is attempting to write the world into romantic bliss one novel at a time. Based in upstate NY, she travels as often as her hectic schedule will allow. When she isn’t busy writing, she’s a mother, nurse and avid sportswoman.

WS Carmichael fell in love with romance at an early age when she would sneak Harlequins from her mother. A voracious reader, she eventually made the jump to writing.

Writing is her passion and she’s always jotting down new storyline and character ideas. Often, her characters take on a life of their own and don’t always cooperate with her plan for them. Creating well developed, strong alpha male characters that don’t fit into the typical romance hero mold makes her novels exciting and relatable. A woman who believes whole heartedly in happily ever after, she gives her heroes the heroine they deserve.

You can check out her blog and find out more on her website:



Website 

Interview

* Did you use any of your own experience as inspiration?

I did. Ava and Adam have been close friends for years with a simmering chemistry neither one of them was free to act upon. Although they shared a close friendship, they never openly acknowledged the mutual attraction they felt. My best friend and partner in life and I were in a similar situation. We were friends for years and the chemistry was undeniable, but neither of us was in a position to explore the possibility of a relationship. The timing was never quite right – until it was, of course.

* On average, how long does the writing process take?

My last two novels each took over a year to complete, but I’ve also written one in less than six months. Ultimately, it boils down to how insane the rest of my life is going. Writing is what I love to do, but I’m not yet in a position to devote myself to it full time. Hopefully, that will be changing soon.

*  When did you realize you wanted a career in writing?

I’ve loved writing since I was a child, but I never had the courage to write a novel until I was almost forty. It was scary to pour so much of myself into a book for others to read. It’s like walking around naked. I did it, though and I’m hooked.

* If you weren't an author, what other career paths would you have taken?

In addition to being an author, I also work full time as a Registered Nurse. As I said, I’ve loved the idea of writing since I was a child, but I was afraid to try it until later in life. I chose the safe career path, which wasn’t a mistake because it gave me the stability I needed to try something crazy like writing a book.

* Out of the characters that you created, who is your favorite?

That’s a tough question! Ask me to pick which of my children is my favorite, why don’t you? Just kidding. I have two favorites, actually. Matt Montgomery, from Never Say Never Again, is everything a man should be. He’s tough, sexy, tattooed, considerate and he loves his woman fiercely. His toughness is balanced by his ability to laugh at himself and act like a complete goofball when the situation warrants it.

My second favorite is Jarrod Jeffries. In The Misadventures of a (Wannabe) Slutty Bartender, he is Ava’s out and proud, unwaveringly supportive best friend. He’s an all around awesome guy anyone would be lucky to know.

* What advice would you give to someone looking to be a writer?

Just write! The hardest part is getting started. Nothing is ever set in stone. You can always go back and edit or rewrite, but you have to write something first. It can be scary letting others read your work because there is a part of you in everything you write, in every character you create, but that’s part of what makes writing thrilling. Start small if a whole novel is intimidating. Write short stories or poems. Anything. Just write.

*How long after you finish a book do you start another one?

I’m usually planning my next one before I’m halfway through writing a novel. I force myself to finish the one I’m working on before I start the next, though. If I didn’t I’d never get anything done.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giveaway

WS Carmichael will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

.rafflecopter

Blog Tour: The Restless Cowboy


Title: The Restless Cowboy (Granite Junction Book 2) 

Author: Megan Ryder 

Genre: Small Town Western Romance 

Release Date: April 27, 2021 

Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC. 


Free—from family, duty, and responsibility. 

Cam Miller has spent most of his life bound by choices others made for him. He did what had to be done to provide for his little sister, and he doesn’t regret that. But now, with her off to college, he can finally put ranching behind him and pursue the life he’s always dreamed of... far from Granite Junction. But after one night of passion comes back to haunt him, he fears his hard-won freedom is only temporary . . . 

Independent—from family, relationships, and matters of the heart.

Molly Brennan was living her best life as a rodeo trick rider until a failed marriage forced her from the arena. Now she’s perfectly fine running her own hair salon and raising her daughter solo. She doesn’t need a man, but what could it hurt to indulge in a little no-strings fun with a sexy cowboy? 

When Molly realizes she’s pregnant, she pulls herself up by her bootstraps. She's handled things this far on her own and she can do it again, although she’s finding it isn’t so easy to let Cam go. But Cam’s not the kind of man who shirks responsibility. Finding himself torn between a woman who feels like home and his need to break free, where will Cam’s heart lead him?

AMAZON | APPLE BOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

Tweet: Check Out the #BlogTour The Restless Cowboy By @MeganRyder1 HERE>> https://ctt.ec/0fQ2v+ ‎Purchase https://bit.ly/3grWgX4 Today on your favourite Platform #BAPpr #CowboyRomance

She nipped the tip of his thumb that was still idly stroking her lower lip, then she soothed it with a gentle kiss. “Neither of us were ready for anything before now. Heck, we’re not ready for anything now either but here we are.”

“Here we are,” he echoed.

She cupped his cheek with one hand and leaned in, lightly brushing his lips with hers, the pain in his soul crying out to hers for comfort, for soothing, and the woman inside of her responded the best way she knew how. He remained still under her kiss, passive, almost frozen in place as if unsure how to respond. She understood his reaction, as torn as she was by their situation, circumstances that had occurred beyond their expectations, that had somehow brought these two lonely souls together. Maybe they could help each other heal in the dark moments of the night.

She stroked his lips with her tongue, a little bolder, and he groaned. “Molly, you don’t know what you’re doing to me.”

She gave a husky, low laugh and let her hand settle on the tense muscles of his abdomen. The hard ridges of his muscles jumped under her fingers and she gently caressed him. “Are you distracted yet?”

“From what?”

“Mission accomplished,” she murmured against his lips.

Ever since Megan Ryder discovered Jude Deveraux and Judith McNaught while sneaking around the “forbidden” romance section of the library one day after school, she has been voraciously devouring romance novels of all types. Now a romance author in her own right, Megan pens sexy contemporary novels all about family and hot lovin’ with the boy next door. She lives in Connecticut, spending her days as a technical writer and her spare time divided between her addiction to knitting and reading.

AMAZON | APPLE BOOKS | NOOK | KOBO |


My Review

First of all, I felt that this was a fast read. This book took me less than two days to read. That always earns a star (or in my rating, a smile).

I love the dialogue. There are many lines that I would highlight on the ebook version. 

Both the main characters seem to have trust issues. Depending on the reader's favorite troupes, that can be a plus or minus. For me, it helps to hold my attention. 

Rating: 😀😀😀😀😀



* I voluntarily requested to read and review this book.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

WWBC #17 : Favorite Outdoor/Nature Activities

 


Hello all. 

 I was a little late to post this week's blogging challenge. 

So my favorite outdoor/nature activities include Volleyball. Growing my family and I would play Volleyball on the Fourth of July. 

On the occasion that I would travel up north for the weekend, I would spend a few hours on a pantoon boat with other relatives. 

So once more, this post didn't turn out how I would have liked, but there you have it.

See you all next week.

*** The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews .

Monday, April 26, 2021

Cover Reveal: The Single Dad's Romance Series

Seven single dads, all from different walks of life and doing the best they can to raise their children - are ready to make you fall in love. 

From the celebrity dad just trying to protect the ones he loves from the spotlight...to the silver fox who's out to prove it's never too late to have a family of your own - this single dads collection guarantees to bring you a whole lot of love and of course, the happily ever after you've come to love from our amazing authors. 

Look no further, your next book boyfriend is here!

This Series Includes: 

Savannah's Salvation featuring Michael Asara, the irresistible French movie star Dad will be a billionaire blackmail romance you won't want to miss! 

Savannah’s Salvation releases on May 31st.

Pre-order on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3dAH6gp 

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3w08NWY

Then I Saw You featuring Marshall Knight, the Unsuspecting Dad will be an Off Limits/Surprise Baby romance you won't want to miss!

Then I Saw You releases on June 7th.

Pre-order on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3atn4SZ

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3vYVSo1 

His Moonflower featuring Adam, the Silver Fox Dad will be an age-gap romance you won't want to miss!

His Moonflower releases on June 14th.

Pre-order on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Qwzh28

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3tUrdXo 

There's More To It featuring Sebastian Keller, the adoptive dad will be a fake relationship romance you won't want to miss!

There’s More To It releases on June 21st.

Pre-order on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3gwCCsM

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3ffC7Ty 

Flag on the Play featuring Carson Ward, the Doorstop Dad, will be a best friend's sibling romance you won't want to miss!

Flag on the Play releases on June 28th.

Pre-order on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3v81KKr

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3sqcwKm 

Whiskey and Sunset Nights featuring Grayson, the fiercely protective Dad will be a widower second chance romance you won't want to miss!

Whiskey and Sunset Nights releases on July 5th.

Pre-order on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3dDhj75

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3tVZ4PK 

Minor Trouble featuring Seth Hudson, will be a redeemed hero romance you won't want to miss!

Minor Trouble releases on July 12th. 

Pre-order on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3n8dp9y 

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/39xyftt 

Giveaway

To celebrate the cover reveals of these seven sexy single dads, Single Dads Romance is giving away a $30 Amazon eGift card to one lucky winner. Contest ends 5/1/2021.

http://bit.ly/dadreveal

Want to keep up with all the Single Dad’s Series News? LIKE The Indie Pen PR on Facebook!  

https://www.facebook.com/IndiePenPR

Friday, April 23, 2021

Cover Reveal : Takeover

Join us for the cover reveal of Takeover by Evelyn Sola. Fans who enjoy diverse contemporary romances will sink their teeth into this single dad, enemies to lovers, billionaire romance. Keep scrolling for more details about this sexy cover.

Title: Takover

Author: Evelyn Sola

Release Date: 5/21/2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Page Count: 400 pages 

Trope: Single Dad, Enemies to Lovers, Billionaire Romance

TARA

I was supposed to be in charge. That was always my intention. 

Until that slick corporate raider, Ethan Bradford, clicked his fancy pen and poof! 

Just like that, I was under him, instead of on top.

Rich and powerful men–especially arrogant, handsome ones–are all the same.

I know exactly how to handle him, but when my father pulls rank and orders me to play nice, my plans of putting him in his place vanish.

I know his type. I’ve been around men like him my entire life, but one chance meeting with him and his son, makes me question everything I thought I knew. 

ETHAN

When it comes to business, I always come out on top. Not even being a single dad can slow me down. I never let a good investment get away, and that includes Taylor Toys. After all, business is business, right?

How was I supposed to know a friendly meeting would set me on fire? Tara Taylor is a spoiled princess, used to getting everything she wants. 

Sure, her good looks and smart mouth turn me on like nothing else. Despite her hostile stares, she triggered feelings I thought were long dead. 

She dares to judge me while she stands there in her designer shoes, looking more beautiful than any marketing exec I’ve ever met. Instead of being grateful that I saved her family’s legacy, she blames me for their failure.

What was meant to be a formality turns into a game of wills. 

I never lose. Except this time, I find myself wanting her more than I want to win. I find myself wanting her to take over.

Pre-Order on Amazon

Add to Goodreads Here!

Vote for Takeover as May’s Most Anticipated Release

About Evelyn Sola

A Boston native, wife, mother, and wine enthusiast. If she’s not writing, thinking about writing, you will find Evelyn with a book in her hands. While a new publisher, she’s been writing for years, and she will continue to write for many years to come.  

Evelyn is obsessed with assertive and confident men who will stop at nothing to get their woman. Her stories are filled with love, passion and humor. 


She currently lives in Chicago, IL with her husband and two daughters.

Follow: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Reader Group | Goodreads | BookBub | Newsletter | Amazon 

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Release Blitz: Wanted Wed or Alive

A runaway groom. A cautious neighbor. Too many sexually fueled run-ins to speak of.

Wanted Wed or Alive, an all-new laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from USA Today bestselling author Willow Aster and Laura Pavlov, is available now!

Mya...
I came to New York for a fresh start.
A new job. A new apartment. A new life.
The last thing I’m looking for is a man.
Been there.
Done that.

Jesse…
I flee for my life when I leave Chicago.
Escaping a lifetime of misery.
But from the moment my eyes land on Mya Whitfield—I’m done for.
And don’t even get me started on watching her play the cello.
I’ve never envied anything the way I envy that enormous piece of wood between her legs.
Move over, cello…
There’s a new man in town.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3rnBda1
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/wedoralive

About Willow
Willow Aster is the author of USA Today bestseller, True Love Story, In the Fields, Maybe Maby, Fade to Red, Lilith (formerly known as Whore), 5,331 Miles, Miles Ahead, The Kingdoms of Sin series, and co-author of The End of Men series with Tarryn Fisher. Willow loves nothing more than writing the day away—anywhere will do. Her husband and two children graciously put up with her endless daydreaming; otherwise, the writing would never get done. She’s also an avid reader, and has been known to walk, cook, and clean with her nose in a book. She’s lived in Texas, Tennessee, Indiana, and California, but Minnesota has captured her now and doesn’t seem to be letting go. Although shy, this lifelong writer and artist is convinced that the best part of this career for her is meeting and connecting with readers, authors, and all of those in this community of lovers of words.

Connect with Willow
Facebook: http://bit.ly/3f4DIeI
Instagram: https://bit.ly/2QtCRdb
Stay up to date with Willow by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/3tMcnSt
Website: http://www.willowaster.com

About Laura
Laura Pavlov writes sweet and sexy contemporary romance that will make you both laugh and cry. She is happily married to her college sweetheart, mom to two awesome almost grown kids, and dog-whisperer to a couple of crazy Yorkies. Laura resides in Las Vegas where she is living her own happily ever after.

Connect with Laura
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3o2YUmQ
Facebook: http://bit.ly/37WeBXl
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rzvuzb
Join her Facebook reader group Pav-Love’s Readers: http://bit.ly/3pA1TUs
Stay up to date with Laura by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/38DZh0E
Website: https://www.laurapavlov.com

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

WWBC #16: Creative Outlets I Enjoy


 Welcome back all. Yay!!! A Weekly Blogging Challenge for a second week in a row. That doesn't happen for me that often. 


Anyway so far I discovered one creative outlet that I like and helps me. That is drawing. I mostly use colored pencils and a sketche book.

Here are a couple of examples:

SP 33

SP 28

I hope you take a look if you have the time and I will be back for a third week (in a row) of the wwbc.


*** The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews .


Friday, April 16, 2021

Book Blast: Tiger Stripes



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Hannah Renae will be awarding a $100 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Four psychiatric wards

Three rehabs

Two jail cells

And a suicide attempt...

Hannah was told she would not make it to 25 with the way she was living. She had struggled with mental illness her entire life, but at 22 her demons came to a head at the grips of severe substance abuse, life-changing trauma, and two major deaths in her life.

Hannah's struggles land her places no one ever hopes to grace; jail and psych wards lead her to the brink of death. Running out of options she's left with two choices: live or die. This heart-wrenching memoir combines recovery with bittersweet romance told in a raw presentation that immerses the reader into the author's dark state-of-mind in every page.

Tiger Stripes is going to add a valuable voice to the conversation about women's mental health issues.


Read an Excerpt

THE LETTER H

October 7, 2019

“HENRY! HENRY! HENNN-RYYYY!!!!”

I am screaming at the top of my lungs and can feel my throat tearing, becoming raw. I don’t know how many times I have said his name now, but it is all I know how to do because nothing is making any sense.

I am in a locked room and flashes of images are going through my head, but there is only one thing, one thought that I can focus on, that is pounding through my brain throughout this confusion and that is pouring out of my lungs to the point that my chest feels like it is going to rip.

“HENRY!” I choke on his name and a sob.

He cannot hear me, and he is not coming. He doesn’t know where I am and I don’t know where I am, but I know I am not supposed to be here—and I have to get out.

I beat at the metal door that barricades me from something unknown and choke on words that begin with H.

“HENRY!”

“HELP!”

“HENRY!”

“HELP!”

I repeat these words for what feels like a lifetime, until I forget how to speak and my begging turns to carnal screaming—shrieking.

No one comes. No one answers. I wait for footsteps, for the sound of the door unlocking, but all I can hear is the sound of my frantic breaths and the echoes of a lamentation that is anything but human.

I look down at my body. My feet are bare against the concrete floor; I cannot feel them. The jean shorts I am wearing show off my slender, scratched legs and remind me that I am small and feeble at this moment, but in an act of desperation, I put all of my faith in the power of momentum and I run. I fucking run as fast as I can from the three paces it takes to get from the wall to the ominous looming, locked door and attack it with my entire being, letting out my most vicious battle cry as I fumble towards it.

The door wins.

I try again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

I am degraded to a crumbling, bruised ball of flesh.

I can barely speak, my throat reduced to sandpaper.

Everything hurts and I can taste the bitterness of blood in my mouth. The floor is like ice against my bare legs. Through the tears in my eyes I see the moon shining through a window at the top of the room. It is full and brilliant and illuminates the white of the brick walls that surround me. I realize that there is writing on them. People have been here before me. People will be here after me. Why am I here though? I should not be.

I should be home, where I belong. In bed, with him. Safe. I feel anything but that word in this moment, as terror sweeps through every single one of my nerves.

I whisper in one last futile attempt:

“Henry?”

But there is silence. Horrible, deafening, fatal silence.

And it seems to last forever, until I hear it, or think I do. A click, the door unlocking, and the small room is suddenly filled with light. Fluorescence suffocates me.

When I dare to open my eyes, they do not find Henry. Instead I find a police officer looking back at me. He wears broad, black framed glasses that are too big for his face and he looks eerily familiar. A sudden memory of lying in a hospital bed comes to me but does not fully resonate. His face is forlorn and almost disappointed, as if he expected more out of me.

“I thought you were going to hurt yourself,” he tells me. “Promise you’ll stay calm and you can come out for a bit. We’ve got to get you fingerprinted.”

It’s then that I have the shattering realization that I am drunk and in a holding cell at a police station. The reason why escapes me though, as I try to grab onto flashes of sober memories but drown in my current state-of-mind.

I try to breathe with intent as I remember every single arrest-cliché in the book, and I cling to the fact that I am going to get my phone call. They will probably let me go—they have to. If anything, they will make me stay the night at the most.

I remember the silent promise I had once made myself—that the moment I got a DUI that I would put down the bottle for good. Jail was the worst it could get. It had been my crowning achievement at my last three rehabs that I had never graced the inside of a jail cell and I never planned to.

“Continue down the path you have been,” one of the staff members at my second treatment center had told me after sharing her own story about prison, “and jail is a guarantee.”

And here I am. Her words have come to pass, as promised.

I then remember what else she told me as we talked over a pack of Marlboro Reds on a warm Orange County night.

“Finish the 90 days,” she had said, “Or you will not make it and there will come a day where you will no longer be able to cry out ‘I’m a good person!’. You will lie. You will steal. You will become someone and something else. You will hurt everyone you love. You will lose everything, and just when you think you have lost it all, you will lose something else.”

About the Author:
If there is anything Hannah believes in, it’s hope, but that wasn’t always the case. For a long time, chaos was comfortable for Hannah, but at just 22 she would have to make her hardest decision yet: was life really worth living? Since picking up a pen Hannah has had a love for writing, and as an adult it would become her greatest tool in healing from an almost decade-long battle with severe mental illness and substance abuse. Her first book, Tiger Stripes, is a harrowing, raw telling of her year in and out of hospitals, treatment centers, and jail that finally led her on the road to recovery and freedom.

Hannah was born in Orange County, CA but has lived in the Los Angeles area for several years. She now lives in West L.A. with her boyfriend. When she is not writing she can be found reading, running, cooking, or finding the best vegan eats in L.A.!

Website - http://hannahrenaeauthor.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/byhannahrenae
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hannahrenae/
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/hurnpublications/tiger-stripes/
Book Landing Page - https://hurnpublications.com/tiger-stripes/

Buy Links:

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08WM2S9Y2/ref=as_li_tl
BN - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tiger-stripes-hannah-renae/1138814034?ean=9781736450901
Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/tiger-stripes
Apple Books - https://books.apple.com/us/book/tiger-stripes/id1553383519
TBD - https://www.bookdepository.com/Tiger-Stripes-Hannah-Renae/9781736450901
Indigo - https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/tiger-stripes-a-memoir/9781736450918-item.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, April 8, 2021

Cover Reveal: Off to the Races


Title: Off to the Races

Author: Elsie Silver

Release Date:

Genres: 4/29/2021

Trope: Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn, Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance

He can’t decide if he hates me or wants me.

Vaughn Harding is my new boss. Getting close to him would be career suicide for a female racehorse trainer, and plain old gossip fuel in this small town. I get a kick out of our verbal sparring, but I swore off his type years ago.

And I’ve got plans.

I’m the new trainer at Gold Rush Ranch and I’ve just been handed a problem horse that I promised to make a winner. I want to put down roots, and I’m not about to let a man distract me. No matter how electric it feels when we lock eyes, or how my body ignites when we touch.

Vaughn’s a vivid reminder of every guy I grew up around. Handsome, rich, entitled--a total media darling. But there’s a sadness in him that I can’t seem to turn my back on. A sensitive side hidden beneath brooding good looks.

The last thing I need is a broken man to put back together, and the last thing he needs is more scandal.

Teasing him for kicks is one thing, but handing over my heart?

I should have known better.

Pre-Order on Amazon

Add to Goodreads Here! 


About the Elsie Silver 

Canadian author who loves book boyfriends and the sassy heroines who bring them to their knees. Connoisseur of charged looks and lingering touches. Fan of witty banter. Horse girl through and through. Fully convinced that it’s always wine o’clock somewhere.

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Sunday, April 4, 2021

Sunday Post #68: April 2021 Singleswag



I was going to post an Easter edition.  However, I figured others would to that as well. Instead, I decide to go with the April Singleswag Unboxing. 



I get an item of this brand quite a bit.


Think I got this before


Don't really know what this is for


A little rich, but still good


 I am not sure if the one or both charms are suppose to be a moon.



Always love it when there is a candle included


To all celebrating..... Happy Easter ! 🐇🥚


 Post Rewind


📌 March 3rd: Release Blitz: Second Chance

📌 11th = Blog Tour: To Catch A Dream

📌 25th = Book Blast: Ellerslie

📌26th = Excerpt Tour: She's the One Who Cares Too Much

📌 31st = WWBC #15: TV Shows I Binge Watch(ed)



Head's Up

🔼 No Scheduled Posts


Goodreads

📚 Igniting Ivy (by: Samantha Christy) = moved to "read" shelf

📚 Illuminae (by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff) = added to "want to read" shelf

📚 Sparking Sara (by: Samantha Christy) = moved to "read" shelf



Currently Reading

📖 One Dangerous Desire (by: Christy Carlyle) = page 96



*** If you don't have anything to say about this week's topic, you can comment on any other part of the post or just say "hi".


*** I am always having to edit many of my posts.  If I made any grammar mistakes, I will eventually fix them.

*** The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer