Review of Lovely, Dark, and Deep By Susannah Sandlin @SusannahSandlin @RoxanneRhoads #bewitchingbooktours #Giveaway

Lovely, Dark, and Deep
The Collectors, Book 1
Susannah Sandlin

Genre: Romantic Thriller

Heat level: moderate; language; violence

Publisher: Montlake Romance

ASIN: B00H27TJ6U

Number of pages: 320
Word Count: 95,000

Get it at Amazon

Book Description:

From award-winning author Susannah Sandlin comes a heart-pounding romantic thriller that pits a quick-witted scientist and a scarred ex-combat diver against a ruthless billionaire treasure hunter with ties to the White House.

When biologist Gillian Campbell makes an offhand comment about a family curse during a TV interview, she has no idea what her words will set in motion. Within days, Gillian finds herself at the mercy of a member of the C7, a secretive international group of power brokers with a dangerous game: competing to find the world's most elusive treasures, no matter the cost, in money or in lives.

To save her family, Gillian teams up with Shane Burke, a former elite diver who's lost his way, navigating the brutal "death coast" of the North Atlantic to find what the collector seeks: the legendary Ruby Cross of the Knights Templars, stolen by Gillian's ancestor and lost at sea four hundred years ago.

Release Info- LOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP is being released in eight multi-chapter weekly episodes through Feb. 18. The current price for the entire eight-episode novel is $1.99 through Feb. 18 and will increase to $3.99 for Kindle afterward. The print and audio editions will be released on May 13, 2014, and will be available at venues other than Amazon.

Excerpt:

He wasn't sure what woke him, but the first thing Shane Burke saw when he cracked open his eyelids was the bottle of Jack Daniel's, tipped over and resting on its side. He could've sworn he finished it off last night but there was at least an inch of rich amber liquid still resting inside.

Good. Now he didn't have to wonder what he'd have for breakfast.

The second thing he saw was a great pair of legs. Well, technically, a great pair of ankles above a pair of leather sandals, and then the legs.

Obviously, he was starting his Saturday morning with hallucinations.

Only one good solution for that. He dangled an arm off the side of his bed and almost had his fingers wrapped around the neck of the bottle when one of the leather sandals kicked his buddy Jack Daniel's under the bed, clipping his hand in the process.

"Ow." Hallucinations didn't take his booze and kick him in the knuckles.

Ignoring the throbbing in his hand and the stabs of hangover agony behind his eyeballs, Shane rolled onto his back and squinted at the rest of his non-hallucination.

Shoulder-length hair that fell in a sheen of dark chestnut brown, fair skin, fierce brown eyes, red lips compressed in a tight line, black skirt and white blouse, big briefcase-style purse. Had he picked her up at Harley's last night? If so, he had to cut back on the sauce.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I forgot your name." Pity, 'cause she was a hot little number, way classier than the regulars at Harley's. It's not like he got laid so often that he could afford to forget it when he did.

"We haven't met." She propped her hands on her hips and muttered something that sounded like, "And you're supposed to help me?"

Help her with what? Wait, maybe she was a charter. Had he chartered The Evangeline out to a tour group or fishing party today? Surely he'd remember if there was money coming in.

Color him officially confused. He struggled to a seated position and gave her another look. "What am I supposed to help you with?"

She crossed her arms and raked a ball-shriveling gaze the length of his body. "I came here to offer you a job, but I don't think you're up to it."

He tugged the sheet up in self-defense. "I'm not at my best. Ever consider making an appointment? Not dropping in at the crack of dawn?" He had no idea what time it was but it couldn't be that late.

"It's past noon. And I didn't figure, given your financial situation, that you'd be so picky about what time of day someone offered you money." She shook her head. "Never mind. This was a mistake."

She banged her head on the low doorway out of the master cabin, which served her right, the sanctimonious shrew.

My Review:

I received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion.

Gillian Campbell is a licensed nuisance-gator trapper not only is she a gator trapper she is the only one in the county and is always on call. Gators don't care if it is a holiday or not to them all days are the same. Gillian goes to the hospital to visit her best friend Viv who is in ICU after running her car into a tree in the rain. When Gillian leaves ICU after visiting with Viv she gets a call from this guy that wants Gillian to find an old ship wreck, a ship wreck that happened around the 1600s. This guy wants Gillian to find a ruby cross that her ancestor lost. Gillian tells him that is just a family legend and she doesn't know any more than that and that she can't help him. This dude tells her that she is going to help him find it for his boss. He blackmails Gillian into helping him by telling her he will kill her family, friends and other people if she doesn't cooperate with him. Gillian begins to wonder if this guy whom she has dubbed "Tex" is the reason Viv is in the hospital.

"Tex" gives Gillian 30 days to find the cross. The ruby cross is said to belong to the Nights Templars. Gillian is sent to see Shane Burke who owns and lives on a boat called The Evangeline. Shane knows how to scuba dive and he also knows how to dive in deep water. Gillian is sent to hire Shane to take her to the ship wreck and find the ruby cross. Gillian tries to warn her family and friends by getting them to leave and go on a long vacation without letting them know that they are in danger. She wants them out of town and out of danger. But what she doesn't know is if the people that want the cross knows info about her family and friends that they shouldn't know then they will have no problem tracking them down. But the thing is they will probably know the minute they leave town and where they are going. So it probably will not matter to these people where they are because they probably have people all over the world or they will have someone follow them to keep tabs on them until Gillian finds the cross for them before they will be safe if they ever are safe again.

Shane wants to help Gillian but he knows she is lying to him and if he can't get the truth out of her he is not going to help her. But Shane is in for a surprise when he runs into the people who are blackmailing Gillian. Shane finds out real quick like that he has no choice but to help Gillian if he wants to live plus he realizes that his life is not the only one in danger but that they have threatened to hurt his friends and family too. Shane starts to care about Gillian and wants to help her and keep her safe too. So Shane and Gillian start working as a team after Shane tries to leave Gillian behind. Shane wants to leave Gillian at home and not take her to the wreck to look for the ruby cross. Gillian figures out what he is up to and turns the tables on him real fast, so fast that his head starts to spin.

Susannah is a wonderful author, I love her work. I got the chance to read all three of her books in The Penton Legacy and loved them so very much that now I want to read all of her work. I have also read a short story that she wrote called Chenoire, I liked it as well. So when I was given the opportunity to read Lovely, Dark, and Deep I jumped at the chance. I am glad that I did as I loved all of the characters especially Gillian and Shane the two main characters. Gillian is one tough lady who doesn't depend on anyone but herself and she knows how to take care of herself but sometimes we get to a point in our lives when we run into a brick wall and need someone to help us knock it down so we can go on with our lives. In ways Gillian and Shane are a lot alike meaning that they will put their own lives in danger if it will save the ones that they love and care about. Neither one of them likes or wants to be told what to do or be controlled but they will allow it to keep their loved ones safe nor will they allow it until they can turn the tables on their blackmailers.

If you have not read any of Susannah's books as of yet then I strongly suggest that you do and Lovely, Dark, and Deep is a good book to start with. But I am giving you fair warning you may not be able to put any of her books down until you have read the last page.

About The Author:

Susannah Sandlin writes paranormal romance and romantic thrillers from Auburn, Alabama, on top of a career in educational publishing that has thus far spanned five states and six universities-including both Alabama and Auburn, which makes her bilingual. She grew up in Winfield, Alabama, but was also a longtime resident of New Orleans, so she has a highly refined sense of the absurd and an ingrained love of SEC football, cheap Mardi Gras trinkets, and fried gator on a stick.

She's the author of the award-winning Penton Legacy paranormal romance series, a spinoff novel, Storm Force, a standalone novelette, Chenoire, and a new romantic thriller series, The Collectors, beginning this month with Lovely, Dark, and Deep. Writing as Suzanne Johnson, she also is the author of the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series. Her Penton novel, Omega, is currently nominated for a 2013 Reviewer's Choice Award in Paranormal Romance from RT Book Reviews magazine.

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Giveaway:

1 $50 Amazon gift card
2 $10 Amazon gift cards
2 Author swag packs (books, swag)

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Week Blitz: My Dog Understands English By Cherise Kelley @RABTBookTours

My Dog Understands English - Week Blitz

By Cherise Kelley

Non-Fiction / Memoir / Dog Stories

Date Published: 11/30/2013

Dogs are smarter than we think.

Has your dog ever surprised you by doing something you said the first time? You are not alone! Here are 50 stories about amazing dogs who understood what their humans said. Some even saved lives in the process!

Chloe the golden Beagle braved a hurricane to obey the new command, "I need Dad, Girl."

Ellie the Coonhound helped her human family escape from an angry bear by obeying the new command, "Get it!"

When her human brother said jokingly, "Maybe Cocoa could dig again and find it," Cocoa did just that!

Our Queensland Heeler mix, Raffle, gave me the idea for this book when he finally but unexpectedly ate some green beans off the kitchen floor after I said, "Oh, so you'll eat grass but you won't eat green beans, eh?"

EXCERPT

By the time my eyes fluttered open, Hurricane Elvis was already underway.

The entire house was shaking by the time I woke up. The wind angrily pounded at the window with such force that I was sure it was going to break. I sat up and tried to flip the light on, but the power was out. Terrified, I climbed off the bed and hid between it and the wall. I was still disoriented from just waking up, but I remember vividly not being able to hear anything except the storm. As I sat there though, I heard a noise from outside the room.

Mustering up the courage to pull myself up on my knees, I opened the door just in time to see the living room window shatter as a tree flew through it.

As I watched the storm raging inside the house, I grew worried for my sisters. I called for them, but they didn't answer. I could feel the panic swelling up inside me, taking over. I looked over my shoulder. My dog Chloe was close behind me, and I told her to stay. Then, I began my journey across the living room. The plan was to crawl underneath the tree. I could reach the bedroom that way. As I crossed the living room, the wind pushed up.

Before I knew it, the entertainment center was on top of me, pinning my legs down.

Try as I might, I couldn't move. I now realized the predicament I was in. Thankfully, Chloe hadn't listened when I gave her the command to stay. As soon as I was trapped, Chloe was on her stomach, crawling to me. I looked at her with tears in my eyes, and with a whimper, she nudged me.

I whispered, too scared to speak in my normal tone. "I need Dad, Girl."

That was all I said. I never expected anything to come of it. After all, I had never taught her a command that was anywhere close to this. I was only telling her because it made me feel more comfortable. I was so scared, and hugging and talking to my animal made me feel better. But before I could pull her into my arms, she pulled herself out of my grip and ran back in the direction we had come from.

I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the cold that pressed against my unprotected body. I was rapidly growing numb. I could hear Chloe barking, but faintly so. I didn't realize what she was doing. My dog was getting my dad's attention. Within seconds, he was alerted to the situation and was fighting the storm to get to me. It didn't take much for him to get the window blocked off and the entertainment center off of me. The rest of the storm was waited out quietly.

That was how Chloe became so much more than just the family pet. She saved my life, and all because she understood English so much more than we expected her to.

Author Links

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Buy Links

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This Blitz is brought to you by Reading Addiction Book Tours

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Book Blitz: The Bloodline War By Tracy Tappan @TracyTappan @GHBTours #AuthorInterview

The Bloodline War

By- Tracy Tappan

Published- December 16th, 2013  

A car accident changes everything for Dr. Toni Parthen. Her computer hacked hospital blood test confirms she's the carrier of a gene that's the key to salvation for a unique race of human beings. Abducted from her hospital room to a secret, underground community, Toni is asked to do the unthinkable: procreate with a man from a race called Varcolac-a species that must consume the blood of other humans to survive. Then bizarre turns dangerous, because a new, mysterious enemy also wants her special DNA, and Toni finds herself in the middle of an all-out war to possess her.  

It's the job of Jacken Brun, leader of the Warrior Class, to keep the captured women safe from a demonic race of humans who rule a neighboring part of their underground world. His challenges multiply when Toni inflames the women into mutiny, and then there's his biggest problem…his growing desire for the infuriating woman herself. Afflicted with a dark genetic makeup, Jacken can never be with a woman. Until Toni uses her scientific ingenuity to find a way for her and Jacken to be together. But then the new enemy faction unearths Toni and drags her to their hidden lair, where they'll inflict an unspeakable cruelty on her to gain access to her valuable genes.

It will take every warrior skill Jacken owns to save the woman he loves, but only if he can find her in time….

 

  

Author Interview

What inspired you to write The Bloodline War?

My husband, actually. My education is in clinical therapy, but my husband is a Navy pilot (recently retired), and we moved every three years - not the best situation for developing a career in counseling. He knew I was a good writer, and seeing that I was kind of in limbo after our third move and our second child, one day he said, "You know, you should write a book?" Famous last words, for sure.

When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Hmm, what would that be? 30? You were probably hoping for a dramatic "in the womb" answer, but LOL, I suppose even though I discovered my calling a bit later, I have to thank Fate for turning the tables and landing me where it did. I love what I do.

What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?

You know, I don't really remember the age, but I do remember that my mom and dad always had their noses buried in books. It was good modeling, because now I'm the same kind of book lover. I'm always reading about 2-3 novels at a time!

What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

I usually voraciously consume whatever genre I happen to be writing in; it keeps my mind on track for the world I'm in. I write paranormal romance, medieval historical, and military suspense, so this keeps my reading choices wide. Thank goodness! There are so many great romances out there.

What is your favorite book?

As classics go, it's "Gone with the Wind."

You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?

On the paranormal romance side of the house, I'm loving Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series these days. This writing team REALLY knows how to world build cleverly, and their hero and heroine (Curran and Kate) engage in some of the all-time best bantering. Of course, then there's the incomparable JR Ward and her Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Talk of alpha males, whew! Recently a reviewer on Goodreads wrote about my hero from THE BLOODLINE WAR, saying, "Jacken can hold his own against the best of the black dagger brotherhood or any of my favorite lords of the underworld!" I just about fell out of my chair. For my hero even to be mentioned in the same sentence as BDB is an amazing honor. No pressure to try and write good stories now, right?

If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go and why?

I'd travel to 13th century England, since this is the time period of my historical romance trilogy, but the trip would probably ruin me. We authors traditionally romanticize medieval life for the sake of our stories. Yet even though there was a certain code of chivalry alive in the Middle Ages, the truth is, it was a dirty, brutal time. Do I really want to witness that firsthand?

When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?

Over time, I've discovered that if a scene is coming hard for me-really hard-then my subconscious is trying to tell me that the scene doesn't belong, or I'm doing something wrong with it. One of the most difficult lessons I've had to learn as an author is to be willing to scrap scenes that aren't working…no matter how much I think they might be "essential."

Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

I cannot live without furry friends!! I have a red-and-white cat who makes his way into my lap much of the day while I'm writing, to stick his butt in my face and make me mis-stroke by rubbing his head on my hand. I adore him despite this…or maybe because of it! I'm truly a dog person, though, especially friends of the Labrador Retriever variety. Currently, I have a pet chocolate Lab and also a yellow Lab that my 16-year-old daughter and I are raising for Guide Dogs for the Blind. He goes back next month for more formal training, and saying goodbye to my sweet boy is going to bring on the waterworks!

What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?

I am a foodie, so anything that is truly good is for me. I lived 3 ½ years in Rome, Italy, while my husband worked in the diplomatic corps, and the Italian motto about food was: if they can't get it fresh, they just don't serve it. I remember the first time I ate a pizza in Rome that had tomato sauce on it made from REAL tomatoes. Oh, Lord….words cannot describe…

Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?

Something that really helps me to get to know my characters is to imagine them in scenes that I'll never write: in childhood, with friends, etc. It's a fun way to discover deeper levels of their personalities, and it's easy to do while jogging or shopping or whatnot. After all, why hang out in reality, if you can transport yourself someplace else really cool?

About the Author-

After earning a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling, Tracy worked in the clinical field before becoming a full-time writer. Marriage to a Naval Aviator for over twenty-five years has provided fodder for her imagination, especially the tours she spent traveling the globe on diplomatic orders in Rome and Madrid. Now settled back in sunny San Diego, she writes gritty romance novels, spanning genres across paranormal, historical, and military suspense. Tracy is also the founder and creator of THE CHARACTER COUCH (www.charactercouch.com), a reader-focused website designed to help fans keep in touch with their favorite fictional characters by providing fun monthly "therapy" sessions for a selected couple. Tracy's a foodie and wine enthusiast, and when she's not writing, she's an avid dancer and tennis player. She has two children and a variety of pets at any one given time.

  

Cover Reveal: Day Human Prince By B. Kristin McMichael @BKMcMichael @NereydaG1003

Day Human Prince (The Day Human Trilogy #1)

by B. Kristin McMichael

Release Date: 03/2014

Summary from Goodreads:

Devin Alexander grew up as the only day human in a world surrounded by night humans who drank blood, sometimes his blood. He spent his life training towards one goal: the protection of one of those blood drinkers, Arianna. But what is he supposed to do when the blue-eyed girl of the legends doesn't need him anymore? What does his life mean then? How is a guy supposed to move on when the girl he has pined over for a decade chooses someone else?

Before he can even start to figure out his new life without Arianna, Devin has to deal with another problem. He needs to take care of some unfinished business with a night human he has known for less than a month, but with whom he is magically bound.

Vanessa McKinny has promised that she knows a way to undo the spell she placed on Devin to save his life. Devin would do anything to break the bond to be free of her, even if it means traveling to the sidhe village, a place inhabited by a race of night humans that has not had a day human visitor in more than a hundred years. If he doesn't plan to get stuck, he must work with Nessa to find a way to break the bond. Only then can Devin have time to get back to finding his new goal in life, unless he discovers that his path lies with the sidhe.

About the Author:

Originally from Wisconsin, B. Kristin currently resides in Ohio with her husband, two small children, and three cats. When not doing the mom thing of chasing kids, baking cookies, and playing outside, she is using her PhD in biology as a scientist. In her free time she is currently hard at work on multiple novels. Every day is a new writing adventure. She is a fan of all YA/NA fantasy and science fiction.

Author Links:

    

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