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Sunday 31 May 2015

Back Stage (Power Station #3) by T Gephart - ARC Review


 
 
 
Released: 8th June 2015.

Blurb:

Rock Star? Angie Morelli was not one. Growing up next to Power Station’s drummer didn’t guarantee a taste of the limelight, unless you count catcalls at low paying gigs in seedy bars and second-rate venues. She was okay with that; working her ass off at her dad’s mechanic shop during the day meant she could live her dream at night. She didn’t need Power Station waltzing back into her life, Jason Irwin had done enough damage the first time. Could she let go of her hurt for a chance of hitting the big time?

A one-night stand right before Jason Irwin left for his big break was no big deal. Except it wasn’t just any girl— it was Angie, Troy’s hot but young and inexperienced neighbor. It should never have happened, so best he pretend like it didn’t. Ten years later he remembered exactly why he went down that road. She was even hotter and she was also pissed as hell. Sounded like the perfect combination to invite on their world tour.

The road was not the place for history. It was bound to get ugly.

Book Three of the Power Station Series



 
 
 

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: May 2015.
 


 With each title in the Power Station series I seem to fall more and more in love with these characters. This band of brothers has had me giggling, swooning and fanning myself more often than I can count. While Back Stage was still just as funny and steamy as the previous books in the series, I felt there was more depth, a little more darkness, I finally had the opportunity to crawl inside Jason's head and now I never want to let go.

Jason Irwin is one sexy dude, he's got the tall dark and brooding thing down pat, he gets his fair share of the ladies throwing themselves at him on tour, he definitely has no shortage of offers, but he flies under the radar, he is discreet in his extra curricular activities and as a result never seems to attract as much attention as Dan or Troy have in the past.

Years before Power Station hit it big and became the world wide rock stars they are today, Troy Harris lived next door to a much younger Angie Morelli, her world revolved around cars and music, a tomboy at heart, boys didn't even cross her mind until Jason came to stay with Troy. What followed was a summer of hanging out and an unforgettable night that changed everything for Angie, when morning came and Jason disappeared, Angie was left twisting between heartbreak and anger, years later with no closure, the scars of that night are still very much present.

Angie was feisty as hell, a heroine with a back bone, strong, independent, she's the kind of female lead I've come to expect from Gephart. Her heroines balancing the sometimes hard line of being independent and sassy, sexy and strong, confident and at times vulnerable, her female leads always have something that make them inherently relatable, easy to connect with and someone I am instantly invested in.

Jason was a dark horse, he was sexy as sin, but you always had a sense something was lurking beneath the surface, something that made him the way he was, simultaneously drawing you in and warning something big was coming. The camaraderie present between band members provided so much of the humour, to write a dual POV story is one thing, but to capture the kind of relationship these band mates have and to have it jump off the page kept me laughing from start to finish.

For me this was definitely a darker story than it's predecessors, while still having that balance of heart, heat and humour that I've come to expect from Gephart's work, my only criticism about Back Stage is that I'm sad to be coming to the end of the Power Station series, being able to revisit them regularly has been something I truly adored, and I'm not sure I'm ready to say good bye yet.




Purchase Links:


Amazon US - http://amzn.com/B00Y700R9I
Amazon UK- http://amzn.to/1F9Rwby
Amazon Aust- http://bit.ly/1GxvB2F
iBooks- http://bit.ly/1vva0V7
Kobo- http://bit.ly/19ZN9ak
B&N - http://bit.ly/1zxSKuu
Goodreads - http://bit.ly/1DE6ZjW


EXCERPT
“Hey what about Angie Morelli?” Troy rubbed his hand through his mohawk, the mess of crap he called hair.
Angie Morelli.
Yep, just saying her name was enough to send a chill up my spine. It had been ten years, and still not long enough. Her long, black hair and dark-brown eyes, something that had taken a while to wipe from my mind. That body. Yeah, I still remembered every curve. So freaking sweet, too. Unfortunately it wasn’t only her attributes that I remembered, one of my biggest asshole moments was also front and center getting the trip down memory lane. So you would have to understand why I didn’t immediately start doing backflips and welcoming her. The idea was to avoid the drama, not to give it top freaking billing.
“Dude, no. No fucking way,” Dan chimed in, his words echoing exactly what was rattling around in my head.
Thank you, douchebag. An Angie reunion was bad news. There had to be someone else. Hey, was Charlie Manson out of prison yet? I mean if we were thinking up bad ideas to take on tour, we might as well put them all on the table.
“She’s still playing?” James tipped his head toward Troy, taking way more interest in the topic than I would have liked. The itch to shut the conversation down danced with the need to keep my mouth shut. Delicate act. Wasn’t sure which one was going to win. Honestly, it was going to be trouble either way.
“Sure is. Lexi is trying to sign her band, Black Addiction; saw them last week at a club in Brooklyn. She said they packed the house.” Troy threw some more weight behind the cause. The conversation continued around me, even as the mother of all headaches took up residence in my frontal lobe.
“I saw her stuff on You Tube, they’re tight.” Alex nodded, the bastard not having any idea on what he was signing us up for, and I wasn’t going to be neon-signing it for him either.
“C’mon! Angie?” Dan rolled his eyes, throwing his hands up in disgust. “Troy, did you snort some of Wade’s nose candy before he left? She doesn’t have the chops for a stadium. Besides, she hates us.”
Had to admit, this was one time where I was happy for Dan to be running his mouth. Giving him a round of applause would have been too conspicuous, so I kept it on the down low, but I was a hundred percent behind his stance. The fact it wasn’t me who was leading the anti-Angie movement was a fucking bonus.
“No, she hates you.” Troy smirked. The Dan v Angie battles common knowledge.
“No, she fucking hates Jase, too.”
The motherfucker had to go there. He couldn’t have left it with his own reasons for not wanting her around. He had to go ahead and drag me into it.
“Hate is a pretty strong word, let’s go with a strong dislike.” I eased back into the chair knowing well enough that it wasn’t going to be the last on the topic I was going to have to volunteer. Fucking Dan.
“Dan I understand, but why you, Jase?” Troy’s raised eyebrow proving he had no idea what had happened between me and his sexy, barely legal neighbor before we’d hit the big time.
At least Dan had managed to keep a lid on it for longer than I’d ever imagined; I’d always had my suspicions that he’d spilled one time or another, but seems to be those concerns were unfounded. Who knew he had it in him. In the end, the violence was still happening. I’d just make sure I didn’t punch him above the neck, keep the SOB pretty for the fans.
“Long story.” Well at least it wasn’t a total lie. “Let’s just say I’m not her favorite person and move on, shall we.” The less I said about the subject the better. Besides, it was fucking years ago. Why the hell were we dredging it all up now?
“I heard she has a voodoo doll of you.” Dan stretched out his arms, anchoring them behind his head, his grin splitting off the side of his face. “Tell me, asswipe, do you feel any stabbing pain in your cock?”

 
ALSO AVAILABLE
#1 High Strung (on sale for 99c for limited time)
 



High Strung #1 Review: 💄💄💄💄💄
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1074897661

 
#2 Crash Ride



 
Crash Ride #2 Review: 💄💄💄💄💄
http://glasspaperinkbookblog.blogspot.com/2015/02/crash-ride-power-station-2-by-t-gephart.html

About T Gephart:




T Gephart is an indie author from Melbourne, Australia.

T's approach to life has been somewhat unconventional. Rather than going to University, she jumped on a plane to Los Angeles, USA in search of adventure. While this first trip left her somewhat underwhelmed and largely depleted of funds it fueled her appetite for travel and life experience.

With a rather eclectic resume, which reads more like the fiction she writes than an actual employment history, T struggled to find her niche in the world.

While on a subsequent trip the United States in 1999, T met and married her husband. Their whirlwind courtship and interesting impromptu convenience store wedding set the tone for their life together, which is anything but ordinary. They have lived in Louisiana, Guam and Australia and have travelled extensively throughout the US. T has two beautiful young children and one four legged child, Woodley the wonder dog.

An avid reader, T became increasingly frustrated by the lack of strong female characters in the books she was reading. She wanted to read about a woman she could identify with, someone strong, independent and confident who didn't lack femininity. Out of this need, she decided to pen her first book, A Twist of Fate. She enjoyed the process so much that when it was over she couldn't let it go.

T loves to travel, laugh and surround herself with colourful characters. This inevitably spills into her writing and makes for an interesting journey - she is well and truly enjoying the ride!

Based on her life experiences, T has plenty of material for her books and has a wealth of ideas to keep you all enthralled.

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Porter (Dick Dynasty #1) by David Michael - ARC Review


 Released: 11th June 2015.

Blurb:


Cameras don’t catch all of the action…
Porter Hale is a sex god—The Prince of Porn with dreams of grandeur.

When he meets Holly Nash, the biggest casting director in Hollywood, the doors to his future are thrown open.

Just one problem: She loathes porn.

Porter is walking into Holly’s world and the price of admission is higher than either of them could have guessed.

As sparks fly and passions blaze into something wild, they are forced to accept that someone will have to sacrifice their dreams or risk their lover’s heart.

When dreams collide, the aftermath can be messy.



Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: May 2015.

3.5 LIPSTICKS


David Michael's work has been catching my eye for a while now, I'm traditionally not a paranormal reader, so while he has been on my radar, I'm yet to pick up one of his titles, when Porter hit my kindle I was intrigued, a male porn star, who wouldn't be right??? Porter was an easy read, light, funny, a tongue in cheek look at the porn industry and three of it's biggest stars. The Hale brothers - Porter, Parker and Preston are a legacy, three sons of a well known porn star, these boys have capitalised on their family name and are carving out a pretty spectacular living, the Princes of Porn as they're known seem to have a pretty fantastic life, each with their own niche market in the industry.

Porter Hale is self assured, with the porn industry begging for a piece of him, men want to be him, women want to do him, but he dreams for more than just a life or fast women and sex, when he meets Holly Nash, the biggest casting director in Hollywood he may just have a chance at more than just skin flicks for the rest of his career. Sounds easy.... it would be if only Holly didn't despise porn, it's seedy underbelly and the media nightmare it creates.

After a landslide of women throwing themselves at Porter both on screen and off he might of finally met a woman who won't get down on her knees for him. There is no doubt of the physical chemistry that flows between Holly and Porter but he's going to have to prove that he's more than just the stereotype in order to have a chance with her.

While their connection is very much the main storyline here, Michael also focuses on the relationship between Parker, and Porter and Preston and the defined roles they play in each others lives. This story focuses on more than just sex, Michael's writing drew me into their world, intriguing me as to everything that had transpired before the porn world came calling, the dynamic these brothers share captivated me, and left me wanting more.

Porter was a strong book for me, I was devouring the words, laughing and swooning at all the appropriate times until I wasn't, I generally try to steer clear of spoilery reviews, so I'm going to try and give you an idea to what made me pause, because up until this point Porter was a 4 star read for me, but when **SPOILER** occurred I felt lost... I backtracked, had I missed a chapter... were there hints I didn't pick up on... was there something there that I hadn't read properly?? As I re read I couldn't find anything, and as a result I was left confused, it felt rushed, and almost as if this particular plot twist was thrown in for the sake of angst, which I didn't feel like the story needed,
it felt like a black moment, with no lead up, and no reason behind it as far as I could see other than possible shock value, it resulted in making the ending feel forced to me.

I am intrigued to see where David Michael takes the next book in this series, I have no doubt the Hale brothers will be back and hope to see more of Porter and Holly in the process. Porter was an enjoyable read, I was easily sucked in to the world the author created, but ultimately the aforementioned scene left me feeling more confused than anything else.

 
 
 



Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.com/B00YDVCK50
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00YDVCK50
Amazon AUS: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00YDVCK50

About David Michael:

 
 
David Michael, author of The United Series, is a self-proclaimed crazy cat lady, a hater of snow, a lover of Star Trek and has an addiction to coffee that is excessive even for an author.

He lives in Salt Lake City where he is currently majoring in Psychology, working a "big boy" job, and writing full time. He shares a living space with his best friend, idolizes his mother, and has a strange knack for making friends with people on the other side of the planet instead of his own back yard.

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Friday 29 May 2015

Shy Kinda Love by Deanna Eshler - Review

 
 

Blurb:




When I was eleven, my best friend died in a car accident. When I was twelve, my mom walked out, leaving only a note to say goodbye. When I was eighteen, I was forced into witness protection.

My new name is Shyanne Adams. To protect myself, and painless existence, I do not live. I do not laugh. I do not love. For the last three years, the only meaningful thing I’ve done is care for the horse I rescued.

But now, at the age of twenty-one, the one person from both my past and present is pushing me to start living. Before I know it, I’m moving in with new friends who make me laugh. And next door is Kade Cross, the guy who wants me to love.

Kade knows that I will complicate his life, but he welcomes the challenge. He sees that I’m broken, but he doesn’t try to fix me. When he knows I’m trying to push him away, he braces for the impact.

What Kade doesn’t know is that I could have to relocate at any time. So I have to decide: is experiencing love for a short time worth the pain of losing it?
This New Adult Romance is an emotional journey through pain and healing as Shyanne decides to start living again, but never forgetting she could lose this life… just like her last one.
 


Kristine's Review:


Reviewed: May 2015.
 
 


Nicole lived through a hell you wouldn't wish upon your worst enemy, betrayed by the one man that should of always protected her, her father, when the nightmare she is living comes to a heinous end she is finally provided with a chance at a new life. In witness protection she can become someone else, with a clean slate and a new name, the girl that once was Nicole is now Shyanne, and with the support of her childhood protector Ryder she is given a new chance to become the girl she could of been before life destroyed her.

Years after relocating, Shyanne is still living a life of quiet solitude, she's lost in the grief of her past, struggling to just get through her days while caring for the horses that have to mean everything to her, the more Ryder pushes her to find herself outside of her pain and grief and to live the life of a normal 21 year old. With new friends, a new apartment and the new next door neighbour Kade.

Shy Kinda Love has this beautiful quality to it that draws you in, Shy with her beautiful fragility to her, but it's her vulnerability that sets her apart, it's her strength, her ability to weather even the darkest storms that makes her so easy to love, I fell in love with her flaws and her pain and her self doubt, with her selflessness and her need to safe guard her heart from future pain. Despite my absolute adoration for Shy, and my intrigue in Kade and his ability to see deeper into her than most, I found myself waning in my connection to the story. I went through stages where I was so utterly invested where I couldn't put the book down or walk away and then moments where I felt almost lost as I tried to regain that sense of connection.

Ultimately I really enjoyed Shy Kinda Love, I loved the growth the reader is able to witness as Nicole changes to Shyanne and eventually finds that there's more to her life than just pain, and hurt and betrayal. I'm intrigued to see if Eshler has more planned for Shy and Kade and for the rest of the characters we get to meet here.

 
 

Purchase Links:

 
 
 

About Deanna Eshler:

 




I'm a Licensed Clinical Counselor, with a masters degree, but I choose not use my degree. In 2013 I quit my job, working with foster kids and families, to stay at home with my 2 kids. That decision is one of my better ones to date.

In addition to my education in counseling, I am certified through EAGALA to provide Equestrian Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP). That training, and subsequent work using horses to help kids heal, is partially where my inspiration for Shy's story began. Watching children, and families, gain insight into their own behaviors through the horses has been an amazing process. I should mention that I'm not currently using this certification either. I like to gather information, training, titles, but I'm not big on utilizing my new skills.

I started reading, for fun, around 2007. I thank Harry Potter for showing me that escaping in a book is the best therapy. Since that time, I have read more than 500 books. This is one thing I have stayed committed to. I prefer audio books, since I can fold clothes and read at the same time, but I usually have a kindle book I'm reading simultaneously.

I decided to write my own novel when I realized there are not enough books in the New Adult genre. This is my favorite genre, thanks to Colleen Hoover and Jamie McGuire. Once I started writing Shy's story, I couldn't have stopped if I wanted to. Sometimes she would wake me in the middle of the night to tell me what the next chapter was about. Writing her story, as well as her horse's-Walker, was an emotional adventure. I hope you enjoy reading her story, as much as I enjoyed writing it.

 
 
 

 




Revue by KM Golland - ARC Review

 
 

Blurb:

 
He was on a collision course.
… I had paved my way
He answered to no one.
… I respected authority
He wanted me.
… I despised him
He didn’t take no for an answer.
... NO!

When freelance photographer, Corinne Lee, is required to visually document the nationwide tour of Wild Nights Male Revue, she finds herself in a world of near-naked, testosterone-fuelled men on stage—not her photographic muse of choice. She also finds herself in the arms of Josh, the revue’s star performer.

Josh Adams thrives on the limelight, the stage and, most of all, the attention of women who endlessly throw themselves at him. He dances sex, speaks sex, breathes sex … is sex! Josh lives for sex, but never with the same woman.

When both opinionated and headstrong characters are closely thrust together in a lust-ridden and sexually-charged environment, which of the two will break first?
Will Josh realise that Corinne could be the exception to his ‘no strings’ rule? Or will Corinne let go of the fantasy of finding Mr One and Only?
 
 
 

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: May 2015.
 
Rating: 3.5 LIPSTICKS
 
 


I became a fan of KM Golland over a year ago when I picked up her debut Temptation, I was quickly drawn into the world she created, one of millionaire hotelier's and regular housewives. The burgeoning relationship between Bryce and Alexis gripped me immediately, I was invested and desperate for more of them, when Golland added Attraction and we FINALLY got the story of two of my favourite side characters of all time Carly and Derek...I swooned, I laughed, I cried, once again I was swept away by Golland's personal brand of romance.

Revue was definitely an anticipated read for me, the concept of a book following a male revue troop was exciting, it was sure to generate heat, and I was intrigued. I've seen enough wild boys afloat over the years to hazard a guess at what goes on behind the scenes and boy did Ms Golland give the reader an eye full, sexed up performers, horny women, buffed bodies slicked in oil... the story playing through my mind like a vivid movie reel, images flickering behind my eyes as I read.

I wanted to adore Revue, I wanted to be swept away by Corinne and Josh, their chemistry was tangible, the intense connection these two shared, obvious, but as much as I felt the physical attraction between them, I wasn't truly invested in them enough to see them sort out their issues, I never quite believed their desperate need for one another outside of their sexual infatuation. I was intrigued by them, their chemistry undeniable, but I never truly felt there was anything more between them than sexual want and desire. As much as I had hoped that Corinne and Josh would draw me in and make me feel something for them as a couple, I was never truly invested enough to be desperate for them to find their own happily ever after.

I'm interested to see if there's more to this series, if the other members of Wild Nights will get their own stories, I would love to see more of Corinne and Josh in future books, to see if my connection to them grows. Revue is a sexy, funny look behind the scenes of the elusive male revue shows, while it definitely had KM's stamp over parts, it felt like a step away from her previous work, a little more edgy and a lot lighter than her Temptation series, as always I'm intrigued to see what Ms Golland does next.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 Purchase Links:

 

About KM Golland:

 


 



 “I'm an author. I am married. I am a mother of two adorable little people. I'm a bookworm, craftworm, movieworm, and sportsworm. I'm also a self-confessed shop-aholic, tea-aholic, car-aholic, and choc-aholic.”

Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, K.M. Golland studied law and worked as a conveyancer before putting her career on hold to raise her children. She then traded her legal work for her love of writing and found her dream career.

Website


Wednesday 20 May 2015

Revved by Samantha Towle - Review

 

 

Blurb:

Race car mechanic Andressa "Andi" Amaro has one rule—no dating drivers. With a good reason behind the rule, she has no plans on breaking it.

Carrick Ryan is the bad boy of Formula One. With a face and body that melts panties on sight, and an Irish lilt that leaves women on their knees, begging for more. He races hard and parties harder. The youngest driver to ever sign with F1, he’s still at the top of his game five years later, breaking hearts on and off the tracks.

When Andi is offered her dream job working in the glamorous world of F1, she leaves her home in Brazil, positive she can handle working for Carrick. But she’s not prepared for the off-the-chart sparks that fly the moment they meet.

Now, Andi has a crush on the one man she can’t have, and her resolve is about to be put to the test, because Carrick has decided he wants Andi, and he plans on testing her to the very limit…

 
 

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: May 2015.
 
 


Samantha Towle certainly wasn’t new to me, her stories of Jake and Tru instantly owned my heart and I often revisit the boys from The Mighty Storm when I need to remind myself why I love to read. I thought I had read every kind of hero there was but it seemed as far as the crazy world of race car drivers went I had read only one before, I was mildly worried because he rocked my world, so much so that he left an indelible mark of my soul, one I may never fully recover from, I shouldn’t have doubted Ms Towle’s ability to hold my captive to her words, within the opening pages of the prologue I was hooked, Andi immediately sunk her nails into my collar, shook me up and demanded my attention. I can be fickle creature when reading, a strong hero will command my attention, he can make me swoon and sway but if you truly want to capture my heart, if you want me to connect to a story on a deeper level, one that isn’t broken by the hundreds of books that follow after it, by time or distance the heroine must intrigue me, she needs to be strong and yet vulnerable, she needs to demand my attention even in her quiet moments, the heroine’s who move me the most, who take a little piece of my heart, whose stories seem to seep through the page and into my skin are the ones who stay with me long after I turn the last page. With Andi I immediately felt that tingle of recognition, that hint that something great was coming, that she would be the kind of heroine I’m in awe of and Revved would be the kind of story I couldn’t put down.



Andi Amaro had lead a life few would know of, daughter to world renown deceased race car driver William Wolfe, and model Katia Amaro - Andi has known a life of both wealth and freedom but also crippling loss, her dream career is to be surrounded by cars similar to her father, but behind the scenes as a mechanic, working of the speed machines her father spent his life racing. When she is offered a position as mechanic for the Carrick Ryan undisputed rock star of the F1 world, her dream job is finally in her reach. Carrick is smoking hot, can charm the panties off ladies with just a smile and is said to be the playboy of the racing circuit, but Andi isn’t here for sex or love, she’s been presented with an opportunity that she refuses to take for granted, she is determined to stick to her one rule: no dating drivers.

When Carrick and Andi collide both feel something they have never experienced before, more than lustful chemistry, more than friendship, they both have an innate need to know one another better, as their time together increases and the bond between them grows, Andi's simple rule of staying away from romantic entanglements with drivers gets harder to stick to, the chemistry, the connection between these two is tangible, it jumps off the page, the more I read the more I felt this kinship to these two incredible characters. Carrick's filthy innuendo's and flagrant plays to get Andi in his bed, and her ability to shut him down instantly with a quick witted barb had me simultaneously fanning my face and laughing my arse off, Revved constantly had me in a state of eagerness, desperately wanting more of not only Carrick and Andi but all of the supporting cast Towle seamlessly created. I loved every second of this story, from the sneaky glances, to the adrenaline fuelled races, to the tender moments of intimacy to the smoking hot sex, Towle once again reminds me of why I adore reading, of slipping into a world so far removed from my own, living vicariously through her characters and escaping from reality relishing every word she writes.



Purchase Links:

Amazon AUS: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00V3AAWJA
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00V3AAWJA
Amazon US: http://amzn.com/B00V3AAWJA

 
 

About Samantha Towle:

New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of the STORM SERIES, TROUBLE and REVVED.
 

Tuesday 19 May 2015

SHUTTERGIRL by CD Reiss - NEW RELEASE & REVIEW



Are you ready for a different kind of love story?

Meet Michael & Laine in this Hollywood themed second chance romance by CD Reiss!



NOW AVAILABLE!



Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1RXBv1n

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1FlYvSs

Barnes & Noble - http://bit.ly/1d3hzub

iBooks - http://apple.co/1KS8bUC

Kobo - http://bit.ly/1bBO020





ShutterGirl Book Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u2QJM0key0&feature=youtu.be



SHUTTERGIRL FINAL.jpg



Blurb




ONE movie star on the cusp of greatness

ONE broken girl who touched him

TEN years to forget her

A MILLION stories in Hollywood





I am not hurt.

I don’t need a second chance with him, or a life I thought I had.

While he was out forgetting me to become a movie star, I was building a career out of nothing. A career as a paparazzi, but a career. For a foster kid who bounced around every home in Los Angeles, that wasn’t easy.

This camera is all I have.

He’s nothing to me. Every time I take his picture and sell it, I remind myself that I did it all without him or his approval, his cinnamon smell or his clear green eyes. He lights up the screen like a celestial body, but he’s nothing but a paycheck to me.

He can throw my camera off a balcony, and nothing has to change. We can stay king and queen of the same city, and different worlds.

Except this is Hollywood, and here, anything can happen.

shuttergirl teaser tour.jpg
 



Excerpt 





I stroked his hair, waist deep in peace, all worry gone for the moment, and floating in no more than an ocean of gratitude. I must have been more vulnerable than I realized, or he’d reopened some wound with his kindness, because though my sweet reverie stayed, as the minutes passed, a layer of need fitted itself on top of it.

I needed to tell him, if not the details, the outlines of who I was.

“I want you to know,” I whispered, starting somewhere small, then everything I didn’t want to say spilled out. “I have stuff. I’ve never been to jail, but you know, it’s stuff, and it’s ugly, and it scares me. Because, I mean, you’re so perfect, and I’m… I’m just a mess. I’m not whole. I’m a bunch of pieces of a person I cobbled together.” My eyes got wet when I thought of the comparisons between us and that picture in my silverware drawer. “So if you have to move on when you realize that, I’ll understand. You have an image, and if anyone understands protecting a career, it’s me. I mean, I’ll be mad, don’t get that wrong, but also.” I swallowed and blinked, shifting my head so he wouldn’t feel the tear on his forehead. “I won’t blame you.”

I waited for an answer. Anything. A change in position or a word on any subject. The weather. Sports. Something. But all he did was breathe.

I smiled so wide, tears fell into my mouth. He was sleeping.



 Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: May 2015.




I've had CD Reiss's Songs series sitting on my kindle for sometime now but haven't had a moment to dive in as yet, so although the author is not new to me, Shuttergirl is her first book I've actually dived into, from the opening pages I was intrigued, Laine is this kick arse heroine who I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into, she's fierce and feisty, but there is this sense of vulnerability that lies beneath the surface, the more I read, the more layers slowly fell away, I was awed by her, desperate to learn more.

Laine is a card carrying member of the paparazzi, she's built a reputation for herself as being quick off the mark, lethal in her speed to capture the money shot as it were, she's respected by her peers and has built a loyal base of people behind the scenes who tip her off to the comings and goings of the Hollywood elite. She is everything her persona Shuttergirl suggests. She's built a life of the constant outsider, she's the girl behind the camera lens, she doesn't come from money, nor has she had a life filled with rainbows and cupcakes. Her drive and sheer determination to reach the top of her game has seen her succeed.

Michael is Hollywood royalty, his is the actor that guarantees movies get made, he's steady, sure, he's friendly to the media, loved by the paparazzi, studio exec's fawn over him and he seemingly has the world at his feet. Years before he took the acting world by storm when he was just a high schooler destined for greatness he was mesmerised by the girl with the troubled past who sat in the stands and studied while he practiced his tennis swing. The girl with the troubled eyes, who hid behind a front she created. She's still hiding years later, this time behind a camera on the other side of the rope at the elite clubs he now attends.

Years have passed, and the memories of the connection Michael and Laine forged on the stands of the tennis court but after a run in at an exclusive night club, the chemistry that once burned bright threatens to destroy them both.

CD Reiss has a way with words that pulls you in, Shuttergirl was part romance, part journey of self discovery, part quest for forgiveness and part suspense, every time I thought I had these two characters figured out I was again thrown for a loop. Shuttergirl at times heartbreaking, was a ride into the seedy side of movie making and social media, with flash backs to past that would of destroyed a lesser heroine, I was filled with awe as I watched Laine rise from the ashes of her past like the phoenix she is.

There was beautiful fragility in both Laine and Michael as they fought for a life outside of what their pasts dictated and the expectations placed on them. Despite coming from two very different worlds both were unknowingly searching for acceptance from the very thing that means the most, themselves.

Some books transport you to another time and place and allow you to live vicariously for a few hours, some fill you with joy and allow you laugh and will away any troubles that surround you, some make you think, and question your preconceived beliefs, Shuttergirl did all of these in equal measure, but most importantly it held me captive from the first page until the last line, it didn't promise me happily ever afters and white picket fences, it grabbed me by the collar and demanded my attention, it told me the story of a hero who has always played it safe and done exactly what was expected of him, and the heroine, because that's exactly what she is, who has lived a life full of ups and downs, of experiences who have shaped the person she has become, a life she doesn't apologise for nor ask for sympathy. Reiss wrote a story that intrigued and captivated me, it made me FEEL every possible range of emotions and left me wondering why I'd left it so long to finally dive into one of her books.




 
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CD Reiss
cd reiss new bio.jpg


CD Reiss is a USA Today and Amazon bestseller. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn’t pick up, she’s at the well, hauling buckets.
Born in New York City, she moved to Hollywood, California to get her master’s degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere, but it did embed TV story structure in her head well enough for her to take a big risk on a TV series structured erotic series called Songs of Submission. It’s about a kinky billionaire hung up on his ex-wife, an ingenue singer with a wisecracking mouth; art, music and sin in the city of Los Angeles.
Critics have dubbed the books “poetic,” “literary,” and “hauntingly atmospheric,” which is flattering enough for her to put it in a bio, but embarrassing enough for her not to tell her husband, or he might think she’s some sort of braggart who’s too good to give the toilets a once-over every couple of weeks or chop a cord of wood.
If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine.


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GIVEAWAY & NOTE FROM AUTHOR

I am so happy with the response to Shuttergirl, and I cannot wait to send Michael and Laine out into the world, because who doesn’t swoon over a second chance at love?
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  • It’s a new genre for me, and I’m exploding with excitement, so I’ve dropped some fantastic reasons for readers to get the book right away.
  •  
  • TREAT YOURSELF LIKE A MOVIE STAR!
  • $500 Spa Gift Card
  •  
  • If you could get an hour, or ten away from the daily grind of paparazzi and interviews (or the job and kids), what would you do?
  •  
  • Get a foot rub/slash/pedicure? A massage? Maybe something called a Sleep Treatment that right now sounds better than sex?
  •  
  • Maybe you’d bring a friend or two, or maybe you’d just get a manipedi when you wanted one. Because the life of a megastar ain’t for the weak-willed or lazy, and running from paparazzi can really wear down a girl’s nails.
  •  
  • Woodhouse Spas are no joke. They’re all over the country and they’re….sigh. Fabulous. But if you don’t live near one, we can do Burke Williams, Halcyon Days or Red Door.
  •  
  • HOW TO ENTER
  • Take the fun SHUTTERGIRL READER QUIZ!
  • The link to the quiz is in the back of the book, and yes, that’s the ONLY place to find it! There are bonus questions relating to Jonathan and Antonio for extra prizes. You have until June 3rd to enter! That gives you a solid two weeks to read the book and get your chance at a $500 movie star spa treatment!
 
 
 
 
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Monday 18 May 2015

The Allure of Julian Lefray by RS Grey - COVER REVEAL


Title: The Allure of Julian Lefray

Author: R.S. Grey

Release Date: June 29, 2015

 

 

Synopsis:

 

From: JosephineKeller@LLDesigns.com

To: LilyNBlack@gmail.com

Subject: Justin Timberlake Nudes!

 

Lily, you predictable perv. I knew you’d open this email faster if I tempted you with a glimpse of JT's “PP”. Well, put your pants back on and grab some bubbly because I have much better news to share.

 

I GOT A JOB!

 

As of tomorrow, I’ll be the new executive assistant at Lorena Lefray Designs. I am SO excited, but there’s one itty bitty problem: I won’t be Lorena’s assistant. I’ll be working for her older brother, Julian.

 

I know what you're thinking- "But Jo, what’s the problem?"

 

Google him. Now. He’s the man in the fitted navy suit whose face reminds you that there’s hope yet for this cruel, ugly world. Keep scrolling…Do you see those dimples? Yup. That’s the Julian Lefray I will be reporting to tomorrow morning.

 

Lord, help us all.

 

XO,

Jo

 

 

Author Info:

 

I am a lover of books, chocolate, reality TV, black labs, and cold weather. Seriously, if I had it my way, I would be curled up on the couch with all of those things... everyday.

I live in Texas where I spend my free time writing and reading. My favorite authors include Mindy Kaling & Jonathan Safran Foer. I'm a comedy geek and love all things "funny". Women like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling are definitely the biggest inspirations for my writing, though I think my work tends to skew a bit smuttier than theirs.


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