Sticks (Black Addiction #2) by T Gephart - ARC Review

Blurb:

Kenzie Clark had made plenty of mistakes. Who cared? Life was all about the journey, and if you couldn’t enjoy the ride then what was the point. The tough-talking guitarist from Brooklyn, NY worked hard so she could play even harder. But some mistakes weren’t so easy to walk away from. Joey Shaw, drummer for Black Addiction, was exactly that kind of a mistake.


How could one night of fun turn into a life long commitment? That’s exactly what Joey was asking himself when Kenzie showed up a few weeks later—the soon-to-be baby bump with his name written all over it. He could barely tie his shoes; how in the hell was he going to raise a kid?


With neither of them ready to become parents, it was always going to be a difficult, but there was no way either of them were walking away. Come hell or high water, they were having this baby—together.


Hopefully they would both be still standing by the birth.

Find on Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1SGSUO9
Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/1VufZS4
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1oRpzUQ
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1RTITfB
Amazon AU: bit.ly/214rBC5
iBooks: http://apple.co/1PtH9df
B&N: http://bit.ly/1Qn1X31
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1nt2aIJ

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: February 2016.

I'm a huge fan of T Gephart's work, her Power Station series got me hooked for more fun, sexy, romps through the lives of rock stars, there's something super exciting about living vicariously through a rocker's life, there's more to life than just guitars and girls, the stage and sexy times....okay there's that too, but behind the sexy scenes and the stage is witty banter, snappy one liners, characters who you wished were friends, even with the continuation of the Black Addiction series, there's a thread running through from the original Lexi series that has a sense of coming home, of revisiting old friends and meeting new ones.

Joey Shaw has long been the larrikin of the group, the man with the sticks who keeps the beat on stage and keeps beds warm off, very rarely serious, Joey is the man you contact when you want a fun night out, not who you contact when your would is tilted on it's axis. Joey might seem like a party guy, but the more you see of him, the more there is than meets the eye.

"Like if I was going to accidentally get someone pregnant, I'm glad it was you."

Kenzie Clark has led a pretty interesting life, as guitarist for her Beauty Queens from Mars she knows the in and outs of the struggling music scene, always one show away from hitting the big time, she's found what she loves in music, and has her sights set on following that dream until it becomes a reality, amassing a following and having steady gigs to bring in cash flow, things seem to be running smoothly. Until two little lines appear on a pregnancy test, that one night weeks ago with friend and fellow rocker Shaw has just come back to bite her in the arse, screaming fans are about to be swapped for a screaming baby.

"Well then, put your money where your mouth is. A little healthy competition should make it interesting."

There was so much that was fun here, Joey and Kenzie's connection was clear from the beginning, part friendship, part professional admiration, everything from their early interactions felt real, I understood implicitly how these two fell into bed, and how they could continue on with their lives afterwards, but what I truly loved was the commitment from them to stick whatever this was out for the long haul, their automatic and unwavering decision that raise their child together, so often we see denials or the blame game play out in unexpected pregnancies in books, but I adored Joey's automatic decision to step up to the plate, it was instantly endearing and hinted to there being so much more to Joey that I had previously expected.

 I loved that Kenzie's pregnancy felt factual, that everything wasn't sunshine and rainbows, there was more to her character than the obligatory glowing mumma statements. I loved that the banter between these two never slowed, the chemistry always simmering below the surface, ready to ignite, I loved that I felt all of her indecision, all of her moments of confusion, all of her joy, Kenzie with her kicking arse and taking names attitude was tested by mood swings, hormones, a growing body and her growing attraction to the father of her child, I loved hearing her voice throughout as she figured out everything, sorted out her feelings about her baby, about Joey, about her work, her passion, her life, she had that fierceness that demanded your attention, that demanded you cheer for her.

"It's not the sex I wanted, it was you."

Sticks was a fun, light, sexy romp, filled with humour and heart, I couldn't put it down, while there's a level of make believe here dealing with famous rockers, nothing ever felt overdone or unrealistic, Gephart has me swooning at Joey's sweet words and gestures, the barter between he and Kenzie had me giggling and smiling like a goon, and the fast paced ride ensured I devoured very word, with enough drama and angst to keep me glued to the pages, Sticks was the perfect way to spend my night with old friends and new acquaintances, imagining the world Gephart created and wishing desperately to be part of it.

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.
Connect with T Gephart on Facebook

Revelry (A Taint Novel) by Carmen Jenner - Release Day Blitz & Review

REVIEW BLITZ

Title: Revelry

Series: Taint #1

Author: Carmen Jenner

Genre: Erotic Romance

Release Date: May 25, 2015

BLURB:

Cooper Ryan is living the dream. Between the parties with rock royalty, booze, groupies and performing to crowds of thousands with his band Taint, life seems pretty sweet. There’s just one thing missing: the feisty little red-head that took his baby and ran off with his heart. Throwing himself into music is the only thing keeping him sane.

Until a run-in with a nonplussed, package-wielding PA throws everything off balance.

Ali Jones is having a craptastic life. Her grandmother died, leaving her homeless, penniless, and alone, and her boyfriend left her for a tramp who takes her clothes off for money. That’s why when she lands her dream job at a record company it seems like it’s too good to be true.

Because it is.

Slapped with an ultimatum, Ali must decide if facing the horror of the unemployment line is a fate worse than going on the road with four rowdy rockers hell-bent on making her life misery.

He’s adored by millions.

She’s not even loved by her cat.

Can they ignore their hatred long enough to survive the tour from hell? Or will their chemistry force everything to come crashing down around them?




GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21847016-revelry

 

 

PRE-ORDER LINKS (pre-order price 99c)

US: http://amzn.to/1FHlFBh

UK: http://amzn.to/1Gw12Lb

AU: http://bit.ly/1yb9vRf

iBOOKS: http://apple.co/1IPQoMM

B&N: http://bit.ly/1NYkXBq

KOBO: http://bit.ly/1yhX0DQ

 

 

EXCERPT:

My vision is partly obstructed by Ali, but the sight of her head bobbing as she takes him in her mouth is all I need to know what’s going on. Levi meets my gaze across the limo. There’s gloating there—that much is obvious—but there’s also understanding. When you spend as much time together as we do, you come to know your bandmates pretty well. For all his talk, he’s not as big of a douche as he claims to be. He may not ever sleep with the same woman more than once—with the exception of Ali, I guess—but I know he’s not immune to the loneliness our lifestyle creates. It’s strange how you can be adored by millions and yet completely alone all at the same time.

He slides his hand into her hair and closes his eyes, throwing his head back against the seat.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck,” he whispers, and then he gathers her hair to the side and shifts her body so that my view is completely unobstructed. I watch as she works her hands up his shaft in time with her mouth. He doesn’t attempt to fuck the back of her throat and make her choke on it, the way we both had that first night we fucked her. Instead, his touch is gentle. Reverent.

It makes me crazy, and hot as fucking hell. I shift uncomfortably, adjusting my cock within my jeans. I don’t make a move towards them, though I want to. I want to bury myself inside her and mark her as mine, but at this point the lines are so fucking blurred it doesn’t matter whom she belongs to. Him. Me. The both of us, or neither one.

I lean forward, taking a glass from the shelf and a crystal decanter filled with amber liquor, and I pour myself a drink, and then I slide back into the leather to watch.

“Play with yourself, Red,” he whispers.

“No.”

“Do it,” I say, and she turns around to glare at me. I can’t tell if she’s disappointed I’m not joining in, or if she forgot I was even here.

“I don’t want—”

“Why are you suddenly so embarrassed?” I say sharply, swigging back more of the scotch than I should.

“I’m not embarrassed. I’d actually rather that you joined in.”

“I’m watching,” I say, eyeing her coolly over my glass. She scowls at me a moment and then she kneels up, steadying herself with one hand on Levi’s thigh. She wriggles her skirt up over her hips and bends over. Everything is on display as she takes him in her mouth again. I close my eyes, not wanting to watch her on her knees in front of him, her head bent low, her full fuck-me lips wrapped around Levi’s cock. I feel as if I’m on a ride that’s spinning out of control and I can’t find a way off. I can’t make it stop. And I so badly want it to stop.

 

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: May 2015.

I make it a point not to make assumptions about books before diving into them, I tried and failed hopelessly with Revelry however, from reading and re reading the Sugartown series more times than I can count over the last two years I'd built up an image of Cooper in my head, when Ms Jenner started alluding to his novel over a year ago and I read the blurb I was instantly smitten. I never disliked Cooper, he was never a bad guy as such, in another place and another time he could of been perfect with Holly, but unfortunately in Enjoy Your Stay (SUGARTOWN #2) he just wasn't Jackson, he was never really even competition, you know that old adage that the heart wants what the heart wants... well that rings true for me when I think of Holly and Cooper, and sadly Holly's heart always laid with Jackson.

For new readers to Carmen Jenner you're probably wondering what I'm talking about, have no fear though, Revelry is a stand alone, it forms the first book in the new Taint series, a rough and tumble look at a band of Aussie rockers as they take on the world wide music scene.

From reading the blurb all those months ago, Cooper wasn't the only one I had pigeon holed a certain way, I had even envisioned Ali, our new heroine in such as way that the more I read the more I had to reconcile the way I imagined her with the way Ms Jenner wrote her, and there lies the authors talent for taking something you think you know and flipping it upside down, leaving you standing there, staring at you kindle, mind blown, completely flabbergasted.

When a series of events find Ali using Levi to make her feel not so alone, he realises there's more to his connection to her then just the physical. The further down the rabbit hole this sexual awakening takes Cooper, Ali and Levi the more apparent it becomes that the tenuous line they are all walking will become blurred, feelings will be hurt and this house of cards they've built will come crashing down. The sexual chemistry blooming between these three is omnipotent, it's raw and the more I read the more it seeped through the pages lighting my blood on fire. I felt every reverent touch, every dirty, naughty word, every caress across my skin. I wanted these three to find their own kind of happy, but the more these three connected on a physical level the more I could feel the distance growing on an emotional one. The precarious balance they had built was slowly crumbling and the world that had brought them more pleasure then they had ever known would soon become collateral damage.

Revelry is a departure from Jenner's other works, she had said before I began beta reading this book that it would be different, I was expecting the sizzling heat I'd come to expect from her while being lighter, less gut wrenching emotion while still maintain her trademark wit and homor, I was right and yet so completely wrong, because despite having a decidedly lighter feel, Revelry still captured my heart and took me on a journey in such a way that I was both lost and found in her words, in the world she created.

Carmen Jenner likes to push the envelope, with a history of dark and brooding bikers, cutters, fiery redheads and smooth talking country boys, I've gotten used to being challenged when I pick up one of her books, but I found myself wildly blushing in parts of Revelry in ways I wasn't expecting. Ali has had a year from hell, losing her grandmother, to finding her boyfriend in bed with their skanky stripper roommate, to her apartment to being left with nothing but her older than Jesus car and ornery cat and the clothes on her back things can't get much worse... Until a chance run in with Cooper Ryan and the members of Taint sets her life on a course she could of never anticipated.

Ali isn't the only one who's had a rough year, Cooper found out the woman he loved was carrying his child and despite having the financial trappings to buy Holly a new life away from Sugartown he wasn't enough, and it's left him drowning himself in fast women and alcohol, leaving him a shadow of the man he once was. He doesn't want to look at another the woman the way he once did Holly but when a snarky red head falls at his feet and he feels more spark towards a woman than he has since the day Holly walked out of his life he sets a plan in motion to have Ali on his tour bus and hopefully in his bed. You know the saying... what happens on tour stays on tour... With four Aussie rockers, a tour across America, cramped living conditions, the kind of magnetic chemistry that could cause your panties to self combust and an urban legend about a 12in .... monster.... things are about to get real for Taint.

What I was expecting with Revelry was to lose myself for a couple of hours, and I did no question, what I wasn't prepared for was the sheer beauty of being transported to a tour bus, and living this journey with Ali and Cooper, Levi and Ash, Zed and Deb like a fly on the wall to every crazy part of their adventure. I wanted to be caught up in the adrenaline of this fast paced story but once again Jenner shows why I'm in awe of her talent for drawing me in and holding my by the collar demanding my attention for every second of this sexy, scintillating, scorching journey about opening yourself up to opportunities, to living your life on your own terms, and never letting others dictate what you want or desire.

 

 

 

 

 

I have had the pleasure of getting to know Carmen Jenner over the past year, about eight months ago she asked me if I would be interested in beta reading Greetings From Sugartown for her, as you can imagine, beta reading for an author you respect and admire is a heady thing, it's fraught with so many questions before you even turn the first page, is the friendship you developed strong enough to withstand honest feedback about their current work in progress, what happens if you don't love it, what happens if you do and they assume it's due to your friendship?? I'm glad to say four books later this professional side of our relationship has only been strengthened.

 

Last week Carmen graciously agreed to answer a few questions for me, during the hectic lead up to release day and taking some well deserved time off, enjoy...

 

 Hi Carmen,  know the week before release is always crazy so thanks for taking time out to answer a few questions for me, 

1. You’ve had a lot of a careers over the years, from make up artist to singer – what made you venture in writing?

I've been writing on and off since I was a kid. In high school I used to write erotic short stories for my friends, as well as poetry. As an adult I turned to songwriting. I used to keep these big A4 workbooks that were full of every random, rambling thought I had while riding on public transport. After I had my daughter seven years ago I was really isolated and struggling with the "stay home mum" thing. I would devour books and talk my non-husband's ear off when he came home. I remember reading twilight and being devastated when the series ended, but I was sad because I'd also wanted more. I'd wanted a darker Twilight. I'd wanted a gritter version, with blood and guts and an even more broken Edward. My partner suggested I write my own, so I did. It was terrible, but it was the spark I needed to reignite my passion for the written word.

 Writing erotica in high school!! WOW!!

2. What’s your favourite thing to write? What kind of scene can you lose yourself in?
Anything gritty. If you've read my books you'll know that I love me some angst. I love twisted and tortured characters, I love blood and guts and violence, I love writing no holds barred sex scenes, and I adore writing scenes that rip your heart right out of your chest, throw it on the ground, stomp it into an unrecognizable pulp and then hand it back to you. Oddly enough, I'm also a big fan of slapstick humour and witty banter. I guess I like writing it all. Jeez, Carmen, pick a favourite already. ;)

3. You’ve written about blood thirsty bikers, feisty redheads, cutters, sexy country boys, firemen and foul mouthed rockers, what’s next for Carmen Jenner?

Well there's definitely more blood thirsty bikers and foul mouthed rockers on the way. I have another four books in the Savage Saints MC series planned and three more books planned for my new rock star series, Taint. I'd like to shake things up little before that's all done though. I have a YA Paranormal Romance series that I'd begun way before Sugartown, that I'd like to get back to working on someday soon, and we may see a little erotica action in the not too distant future too.

4. You’ve amassed quite a few signings under your belt in the last 2 years, what draws you to events like these?

I just love to get out and meet the readers. There's nothing quite like knowing that your words connect with someone on some level, even if it's just from an entertainment perspective. Getting to meet the people who read my books face to face is a crazy mad rush. Plus the exotic locales are always fun. I'm headed to Hawaii later this year and then Melbourne, Birmingham and Dublin in 2016. Hopefully I can squeeze in a few more Aussie signings in that time too.

5. Co written books have become all the rage, is it something you would consider, and who would be your ultimate writing partner?

Yeah they're crazy big and great if you find an author whose writing style matches your own the end result can be amazing. My ultimate writing partner would probably be Anne Rice, though I'd likely just be sitting beside her gawking in awe and too afraid to type anything because I'm afraid it might pale in comparison. Realistically though, I'd have to have a writing partner who wasn't afraid of pushing the envelope and someone who shared my whacked-out sense of humour.

6. Before becoming an author you were a singer in a band… soooo give me the good stuff… how much of revelry was art imitating life ;)

Um ... no comment? :P I've been in a lot of duos over the years, but nothing quite compared to the dynamic we had in Blow. When you're the only girl in a band of five boys things are bound to get ... interesting. The characters in REVELRY are very different from my old band mates, but there's a lot of their personality traits in my Taint boys. Sadly, there were no circle jerks in our history though given time I guess anything might have been possible.

7. So lets get to the most important question…. Fave lipstick colour?

Don't make me choose! *stamps foot* Okay, It's a tie between Damn Glamorous and Flat Out Fabulous, both by MAC. I'm usually happy with any blue-based red by MAC though. I have about one hundred of them.

8. You’re stranded on an island… what 3 items are in your bag?

A picture of my kids, red lipstick, because ... duh! I never leave home without it, and my James Deen vibrating dildo, because ... well, it's pretty self explanatory, but also that thing is weighty. If thrown correctly, you could totally knock someone out with that shit. If some random creepy bug-eyed dude showed up out of nowhere like on Lost, I'd want something ridiculously weighty to throw at him.

9. You thanked the King of Porn himself James Deen in your acknowledgments in Revelry… we both share a fascination his…body of work shall we say…you see him walking down the street…what do you say to him??

​Sign my dildo? No, just kidding, ​I'd more than likely fan girl his arse and kiss him for the hours of inspiration he gives me for my sex scenes. Then I'd likely back away slowly because I'm completely socially awkward. Yeah, you can't tell from this interview, but I'm a complete freak.





ABOUT CARMEN JENNER:

 

 

Carmen Jenner is a thirty-something, USA TODAY and international bestselling author of the Sugartown, Savage Saints, and Taint series.

Her dark romance, KICK (Savage Saints MC #1), won Best Dark Romance Read in the Reader’s Choice Awards at RWDU 2015.

A tattoo enthusiast, hardcore MAC addict and zombie fangirl, Carmen lives on the sunny north coast of New South Wales, Australia, where she spends her time indoors wrangling her two wildling children, a dog named Pikelet, and her very own man-child.

A romantic at heart, Carmen strives to give her characters the HEA they deserve, but not before ruining their lives completely first … because what’s a happily ever after without a little torture?

 

AUTHOR LINKS

Website:  http://www.carmenjenner.com/

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carmen-Jenner/274005066033305

Tsu:  https://www.tsu.co/CarmenJenner

Twitter:   https://twitter.com/CarmenJAuthor

Goodreads:   https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6547659.Carmen_Jenner

GIVEAWAY

There is a giveaway for a signed paperback of Revelry, mug & knickers

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