Media Blitz : Highballs in the Hamptons by Delancey Stewart

Highballs in the Hamptons (Girlfriends of Gotham #2)

by Delancey Stewart 

Release Date: 09/3014

Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:

Natalie Pepper thinks she can just be friends with CJ, the man of her dreams. But after seeing him every day at work – and after he lays it all on the line – it becomes pretty clear that something’s gotta give. She’d admit to herself, and to him, that all she really wants is him…if she wasn’t so afraid of losing the best job she’s ever had (and the life it has made possible).

At least she’s got her friends to distract her. Lulu Rossi is an unorthodox and unpredictable spitfire of a girl who has a habit of saying whatever’s on her mind. And while that attribute entertains friends and intrigues her new boyfriend, Andrew, it might be the one thing that stops their relationship from moving forward. Lulu has unintentionally entered the world of Upper East Side royalty, as her ER doctor boyfriend turns out to be the pedigreed heir to an old money fortune – one that is watched over by his manipulative and exceedingly judgmental mother, Elizabeth “Tippy” Barton.

Natalie’s insane supervisor worsens the situation at work when her own man troubles result in a new “no fraternization” policy, and CJ finally gives up and begins to look for other opportunities. Natalie is forced to decide what is important to her for once and for all. Will it be CJ or her job?

Lulu must prove her worth to Andrew’s family – or make him see that the only person whose opinion really matters is his.

***

Men and Martinis (Girlfriends of Gotham #1)

by Delancey Stewart

Release Date: 12/03/13

Summary from Goodreads:

Candace Kanie wins at every game she plays. From the boardroom to the bar, she’s confident, clever, perhaps just a tad overbearing. It’s not easy for a girl like Candace to admit that love may be the one game she can’t win…at least not until she’s willing to change her strategy. In Men and Martinis, Candace Kanie will learn that sometimes to be at the top of your game, you have to hit rock bottom.

Men and Martinis is the first release in Delancey Stewart’s series “Girlfriends of Gotham” – a voyeuristic voyage through the lives of a group of twenty-something girls who dance, date, and drink their way through Manhattan during the days of the dot com boom. During an era when the up-and-comers in New York were partying like Studio 54 had never died, this group of friends discovers that the city is theirs for the taking; and they find their often-hilarious way through the forces that work to redefine the way they know themselves and each other.

Buy Links for Men and Martinis:

Amazon│Barnes
& Noble│Kobo Books

Book Excerpt




NATALIE –
“You ready?” he asked.
“For lunch?” I winked.
“For whatever,” he said, an earnest smile on his face. CJ and I had a complicated relationship. There was a mutually acknowledged attraction between us, and I’d shared the two very best kisses of my life with him. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t part of my plan to get involved with someone at work—for a whole slew of reasons. So despite our incredible chemistry, we were doing our best to enjoy a friendship instead. But CJ made no secret of his desire for more.
“Let’s start with lunch. I need to get out of here,” I said, grabbing my bag and coat.
“I’ll take whatever I can get.” CJ didn’t move as I approached the door of my office, and I had to squeeze between him and the doorframe. The proximity allowed me to get close enough to smell the minty leathery scent that surrounded him. My nerves always started firing when I got that close to him, and I pushed past him quickly, blushing. He stood still just a beat longer as I waited for him to get going, and I was fairly certain that he had leaned in to smell my hair before finally stepping from the doorway.
We wandered to a Korean barbecue that was on the second floor of a nearby building. I would never have ventured in on my own—the signs were in Korean and the place was clearly a favorite with those who knew what constituted good Korean. Luckily, CJ had done this before.
We were seated in a private booth next to the window overlooking the street below. A small grill was built into the table in front of us, and CJ grinned at me as I looked around with great interest.
“I’m glad you’re not a vegetarian,” he said.
“Nope. Totally carnivorous.” I smiled, part of me embarrassed. When I was with CJ, it seemed like even my most innocuous statements took on an unintended sexual tone. “Why, will this be a meat-heavy meal?” There it was again. I flushed.
CJ was grinning at me again, the full lips pulled wide to reveal the adorable dimples on either side of his jaw. He shook his head slightly, the dark eyes shining. Evidently, I wasn’t the only one getting the innuendos that seemed to keep falling out of my mouth. “Yeah. Fairly meat heavy.”
Our lunch arrived, and it turned out that we would be cooking it ourselves. The grill in the middle was lit for us and each of us had a long fork that we used to put strips of raw meat onto the grill and pull them off. We also had kimchi to compliment the meat. It was a unique experience, and I found CJ smiling at me at several points as I tended to my barbecuing.
“What?” I asked him at one point toward the end of the meal. “Am I that much a novice? Are you laughing at me?”
“No,” he said, his face finally serious. “I just … Natalie. This is hard for me. I want more.”

About the Author

I'm not big on labels, but there are a few that fit me (not necessarily in this order. Or maybe in this order):
- wine drinker (and wine geek)
- mother of small boys
- military spouse
- writer
- chocolate eater

I've written the Wine Country Romance Series, which ties my love of wine to my love of falling in love... and the Girlfriends of Gotham series, which begins publishing with Swoon Romance in December 2013.

I also love short stories, and my themed collection (all set in the same NYC brownstone across the span of a century) published in 2012. 

Author Links:

   



GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

Book Blitz/#Giveaway : Undertow by KR Conway

Undertow (Undertow #1)

by K.R. Conway

Release Date: 10/18/13

Summary from Goodreads:

Luckless Eila is unknowingly the last of her kind: Rare. Gifted. Breakable. Stunning Raef is her kind's historic enemy: Soulless. Lethal. Lost. A legendary death 160 years before would set their lives to collide, forcing a beautiful killer to become a savior, a simple wallflower to become a warrior, and ruthless destiny to become a death sentence.

SUMMARY:
High school senior Eila Walker knows that good luck skips over her like an Easter Bunny on Speed. So when she inherits her grandmother's million-dollar Cape Cod home, she is downright shocked. And yeah, her new town isn't perfect: the cheerleaders are heinous clones, the local undertow can kill ya, and her Great Grams was supposedly fried by lightning in the harbor square. Still, Eila is hopeful her luckless days are in the past . . . until history decides to repeat itself.

A self-proclaimed loner and previous-social reject, Eila thinks she's hit the jackpot when drool-worthy Raef O’Reilly becomes her friendly, yet weirdly protective shadow. But being hauled beneath the waves by an unnatural undertow slams the brakes on bliss – especially when Raef storms to her aid with coal-black eyes and iron-like strength.

Eila, entirely freaked, demands an explanation and Raef comes clean, revealing that neither of them are average humans but rather the genetic remnants of an angelic pissing-match gone wrong. Eila supposedly can channel the power of human souls, while Raef is quite adept at stealing them. Even worse, the legend about her ancestor isn't such a myth, since Eila’s grandmother was one kick-ass warrior until her lightning-like power backfired. A power that is written all over Eila's DNA.

Now sought by Raef’s own family for her destructive ability, Eila must trust him to watch her back. But when a quest for information goes terribly wrong, Eila is suddenly left with only two options: become a weapon for the enemy or follow in her Gram’s fearless footsteps to save those she loves. Unfortunately she needs a willing enemy to ignite her suicidal energy and the only one she trusts has been guarding her butt and scorching her lips.

Available from:

About the Author

I have been a journalist for 15 years and serve on the Board of Directors for the Cape Cod Writers Center. I also drive a 16-ton school bus because I am ENTIRELY NUTS.

In addition to working jobs that should come with a warning label , I hold a BA in Psychos (Forensic Psych), torment the tourists about Jaws, and occasionally jump from the Town Neck bridge in an attempt to reclaim my youth.

I live on Cape Cod with two smallish humans who apparently are my kids, my fishing-obsessed husband, two canines (adept at both flatulence and snoring), and a cage-defiant lovebird that sleeps in a miniature tent. Nope - that's not a type-o. The bird is quite the indoor camper.

Author Links:

   










Eila’s POV:
His mouth tipped up, amused at my pitiful punch, so I went to whack him again, but he snatched my wrist, holding it snuggly in his wide palm. My skin tingled softly where he touched and he tugged me towards him, bringing my face closer to his.
“I just want you safe, E. And I realize now that not hunting enough actually makes me more of a liability. But don’t worry. I’ll hunt more.”
I looked at his storm-blue eyes for a moment, allowing myself to enjoy our close proximity. I could hear the voices of Kian and Ana discussing which movie to watch, but their conversation barely registered in my head. I was as close to Raef as I was the night he first kissed me, and thus my brain wasn’t functioning too well anymore. I swallowed and finally pulled myself out of my momentary stupor.
“We had an agreement that you have not honored. If you really want me safe, you will help me train,” I whispered.
His face tensed and his grip on my wrist tightened. “I know. And I’m sorry I haven’t supported you on that. But I will – I promise. Just let me figure out where we can train and how. We can’t risk attracting any more government goons. And we do it in stages. Basic self-defense first, okay?”
“Ana comes along as well,” I demanded. It wasn’t a question, but a statement of fact.
He gave a quick nod, “The Elmo groupie learns to kick ass too.”
I snorted a laugh, “It’s not Elmo!”
“All furry monsters are the same in my book,” replied Raef, finally releasing my hand.











GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

Book Blitz/#Giveaway : Rush by Eve Silver

Rush (The Game #1)

by Eve Silver

Release Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Harper Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

So what’s the game now? This, or the life I used to know?

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. 


There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

(UK and Australian cover)

Available from (US links):

    

On sale for only $1.99 at the following links only:

Amazon UK│Amazon AU│iTunes UK│iTunes AU│iTunes IE│iTunes NZ

Books in this series:

About the Author
Eve Silver lives with her gamer husband and sons, sometimes in Canada, but often in worlds she dreams up. She loves kayaking and sunshine, dogs and desserts, and books, lots and lots of books. Watch for the first book in Eve’s new teen series, THE GAME: RUSH, coming from Katherine Tegen Books, June 2013. She also writes books for adults.Author Links:

     








Excerpt #2:

“You can lean on me,” Jackson says.
“I—”
“Lean on me.” Not an offer this time, an order.
I scoot over and lean my weight against his arm.
“Not like that.” He shifts both of us around until my back’s against one side of his chest, my head lolling sideways onto his shoulder, our legs stretched out in front of us, side by side. Not perfect on the comfort score, but better than it was a minute ago. He rests his chin lightly on the top of my head and tells me, “Sleep.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll keep watch. I’ve been doing this long enough that I don’t need rest while we’re on a mission.”
“What about Luka and Tyrone?”
“They won’t need to rest, either. You’re still getting used to the jumps. By the next mission or the one after that, you’ll be like us. A robo-soldier.” And there it is again, that thread of humor, like he’s laughing at himself.
“Is that supposed to reassure me? ’Cause I gotta tell ya, thinking about upcoming missions doesn’t exactly thrill me.”
I jump when his hands settle on my shoulders. Then I sigh as he kneads my muscles. Long fingers. Strong hands. Some of my tension slips away.

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

BlogThis!

Book Blitz/Giveaway : Phantom's Dance by Lesa Howard

Phantom's Dance

by Lesa Howard 

Release Date: 03/01/14

Summary from Goodreads:

Christine Dadey’s
family uprooted their lives and moved to Houston for her to attend the
prestigious Rousseau Academy of Dance. Now, two years later, Christine
struggles to compete among the Academy’s finest dancers, her parents are on the
brink of divorce, and she’s told no one about her debilitating performance
anxiety and what she’s willing to do to cope with it.



Erik was a ballet prodigy, a savant, destined to be a star on the world’s
stage, but a suspicious fire left Erik’s face horribly disfigured. Now, a
lonely phantom forced to keep his scars hidden, he spends his nights haunting
the theater halls, mourning all he’s lost. Then, from behind the curtain he
sees the lovely Christine. The moldable, malleable Christine.



Drawn in by Erik’s unwavering confidence, Christine allows herself to believe
Erik’s declarations that he can transform her into the dancer she longs to be.
But Christine’s hope of achieving her dreams may be her undoing when she learns
Erik is not everything he claims. And before long, Erik’s shadowy past
jeopardizes Christine’s unstable present as his obsession with her becomes
hopelessly entangled with his plans for revenge.

Excerpt 1:
“I don’t understand, Mrs. Zaborov. You want us to show football players how to dance?” I asked.
It wasn’t unusual for upper-level dancers to teach or mentor younger students. Sometimes we did private tutoring, but that was with children.
“It is quite simple, my dear Christine. Tomorrow afternoon, the director will bring the football players, and you and Jenna will be here to greet them. Then we will set a time for classes to begin and you will assist.”
Jenna’s mouth moved but no sound came out. I was at a loss as well. But Ms. Zaborov, pleased she’d meted out punishment suiting the offense, gave us a dismissive snap of her head. “Now, I have a class waiting. You will excuse me.” Then she proceeded, dainty and light-footed, out of the room.
In the aftermath, Jenna sputtered, “What the hell just happened?”
“It looks like we’re going to teach football players to dance,” I replied.
“No way. Nuh-uh. Not me. I’m not teaching a bunch of knuckle-dragging no-necks how to plié, much less pas de deux. Think what they’d do to our feet!”
“I’m not sure we have a choice.” We stared at each other a few seconds before bursting into laughter.
“Oh em gee!” Jenna mocked. “We’re going to have jocks in here!”
“I know. Can you imagine?” I glanced at the clock on the wall and dropped the laughter. “We’d better get moving, or we’ll be late to pointe.”
“Right,” Jenna agreed. “Because if we’re late to another class they’re likely to make us teach the chimps at the zoo to pirouette.”

Available from:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

About the Author

I'm not the typical author. I didn't always enjoy reading or writing.
While in school, I found it to be a chore I'd just as soon skip. I would rather
have been daydreaming, my favorite past time. It wasn’t until I grew up and
didn’t have to, that I realized reading was fun. I soon discovered that reading
fueled my daydreaming. So, remembering a short story I'd written in high school,
I began imagining expanding that story into a book. Before long I found I had
loads of ideas for not just the short story but other books and stories as
well. Fast forward a few years, a lot of studying about writing, practicing my
writing, studying some more, taking classes from people who knew what they were
doing, studying and practicing yet more, and ta-dah, author! In the same way I
had learned I loved reading, I learned I loved writing, too. It’s just that
writing is a lot harder than reading.

Author Links:

   

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by: