Cover Reveal: Running on Empty by L.B. Simmons

Today, Waves of Fiction is excited to join AToMR in hosting a cover reveal for Running on Empty by L.B. Simmons. Enjoy!

Running On Empty by L.B. Simmons

Expected release date January 9, 2013

About the book

I had the perfect life. Beautiful and loving husband. Three gorgeous little girls. Successful career. The only thing missing was the white picket fence. I really wanted that fence.

Three years ago, I lost that life. I lost my husband. And I lost myself. But, eventually, I found my way through the darkness. I’ve made peace with my new life. I have my girls, and that’s all that matters. They are my world. I have no illusions of ever falling in love again or getting whisked away on a white horse. 

But then he came back into my life. On a freakin’ motorcycle. There’s no way I’ll let him turn my life completely upside down. Absolutely no way. 

The question is…

How long can I keep pretending that I’m happy with my life being right-side up?

About the Author

L.B. Simmons is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a degree in Biomedical Science.  She has been a practicing Chemist for the last 11 years.  She lives with her husband and three daughters in Texas.  Although they keep her busy, she writes every chance she gets. 

L.B. Simmons | Twitter | Facebook

Winners!!

We have another round of winners to share this morning!  Here we go!

Candy Cane Kink Giveaway Hop Winner:

Kimberly H

Signed copy of Collateral by Ellen Hopkins:

Mona G.

Signed copy of Troubles and Treats by Tara Sivec:

Mimi L.

All winners have been emailed.  

Thanks everyone for entering!  We still have our 2012 Favorites Giveaway and our Follower Appreciation Celebration Giveaway going on so make sure to stop by and enter!

Review: The Awakening by Mary Abshire

The Awakening by Mary Abshire
Published  January 23, 2012 by Lyrical Press
Purchase: Amazon

About the book
She's the only one of her kind. And she doesn’t even know her name.

Two investigators--one human, one vampire--find a young woman among a mass of dead bodies. She has no memories, and nothing but her clothes, two receipts, and a mysterious dagger carved with the initials ‘SB’.

As she seeks her identity, SB realizes she's unlike any other creature in the world, making her the most valuable person on the planet. And the most wanted.

WARNING: Language, violence, and graphic sex.

My Thoughts:

I knew from the description this was going to be a me book.  Paranormal-check, romance-check, spicy-check what more could a girl ask for?!

The Awakening starts off with a wonderful mystery.  We have "Stephanie" who has no memory of who or what she is. She wakes up at a murder scene and well things don't get much better from there.  She teams up with a hot vampire, his partner, and a very spunky shapeshifter so try and solve the riddle of who she is.  This story has a lot of intrigue and mystery.  I honestly never knew  what was around the corner and I appreciated the way the author went about things.  There were a couple spots where I would have liked a bit of tightening of the story and for me at some points I wanted Stephanie to act more mature.  I really enjoyed the relationship between Stephanie and Boss, it was very electric and just what the story promised.

The Awakening does have a few slow parts, but for the most part I was satisfied.  I am very interested to see where this story will go after the explosive ending.

3.5 Suns

 

ARC provided by the author for an honest review.

Review: From Rags by by Suzanne Wright

From Rags by Suzanne Wright

Published March 4th 2012

There has only been three people in Jaxxon Carter's life who truly mattered to her. Her mum, who committed suicide. Her sister, who she hasn’t seen since her teens. And Connor McKenzie, who disappeared from her life the same day he left their foster home. The hardest part of that was that he never completely left her life because she was forever seeing him on T.V. or in magazines as a Formula One Driver. But Jaxxon refuses to live a ‘woe is me’ life, even in spite of living alone in her one-roomed flat and being expected to survive on a ridiculously low income. Then one night she is offered a modelling job and before she knows it she has been catapulted to the peak of success, gaining fame, fortune and security. Oh and a stalker.

Connor McKenzie is busy trying to shake off his crazy ex-girlfriend – another woman who thought she could get around his no marriage rule – when he sees Jaxxon on the cover of a magazine. Remembering how close they had once been, he’s shocked when she doesn’t respond to his attempts to contact her and then acts indifferently to him when they meet. But Connor can’t let it go. The only reason he had kept his hands off her ten years ago was that she had been younger than him. Now that they’re adults, he isn’t prepared to allow anything – not even Jaxxon – to stop him from having her. 

From Rags is a blend of everything I love: SMOKING HOT sexual tension that comes from an antagonistic relationship, suspense filled mystery, and a romance stemming from a long-time friendship.  To find such an addicting story from a self-published author is gratifying. 

Jaxxon grew up in foster homes when her loser mother overdosed and died when she was eight. She had no one but her older sister Leah and Connor McKenzie, another foster care mate.  Both left her and never came back when they were at legal age. First Connor then Leah.  Left at fourteen, Jaxx learned to build a wall around her heart and never let anyone close.  They can’t hurt you that way, and Jaxx is over being hurt.  She thought she shared a special and close relationship with Connor, and that he’d come back eventually, but the cruel claims by her sister shattered any thoughts in that regard.  She’s since seen Connor splashed across the gossip magazines because he made it big as a race-car driver, and is never without a beautiful woman at his side.

She grew up in a tough world but learned to survive and doesn’t wallow in self-pity.  Jaxx has always been a magnet for attention, beautiful and alluring, she’s used to attracting unwanted attention.  But one night her looks and attitude pay off when she attracts the attention of a modeling agent set to find the right girl to launch his new cosmetics line.  This is when she comes back into Connor’s focus.  Understandably, Jaxx is ticked at Connor.  How dare he think he can just waltz right back into her life after letting all this time pass without contacting her?  I was pretty ticked at him as well, but it’s better to reserve judgment until you’ve heard the whole story.

I just loved Jaxx.  She has a no nonsense view of life and didn’t take crap from anyone, and trust me, she got a lot of loony-tunes! Loved this quote:

And then he made the biggest mistake of his life: he attempted to touch Jaxxon. Having reached her limit with the randy bastard, Jaxxon leant toward him slighty. “Do you see this pole? If you don’t stay out of my face, I’m going to rip you another arse hole with it. Understand?” He gulped and nodded before awkwardly skiing away.

That still brings a smile and a laugh!

The initial hostility and lust between Connor and Jaxx was so much fun, and their relationship was very intense the minute they lay eyes on each other.   Let me tell you, the sparks fly! Massive amounts of sexual tension radiated off the page.  I’ll give you a taste:

 …his lips travelled down to her neck. Connor licked it then bit down hard.  She shuddered.  No, she wasn’t immune to him the way she wished she was, and she hadn’t ceased wanting him. If anything, her attraction to him was even stronger. “See—still my Jaxx.”

Add to this deliciousness was the mystery of Jaxx’s stalker who keeps upping the ante in his/her moves.  Connor is not without baggage and he’s got his own stalker of sorts in the form of an ex-girlfriend who tries her best to sabotage Jaxx and Connor’s relationship.  Fortunately, Jaxx is one smart cookie and this girl has nothing on her!  Her reactions and dealings with this nitwit were very satisfying and brought a smile to my face.  This added excitement and suspense to an already thrilling story and I just lapped it up!

From Rags was a well crafted story that’ll keep you glued to the pages and guessing until the end.  Don’t miss out on this self-published gem!

4.5 Suns



Review: Exquisite by Ella Frank

Exquisite (Exquisite #1) by Ella Frank

Published October 8th 2012 by Ella Frank

About the book:

Her heart was guarded…

Tormented by self-imposed guilt, Dr. Lena O’Donnell has spent the last nine years in survival mode. Struggling through days that seem to blend together and battling her way through each horrifying night, she’s determined that this is what she deserves…

Until he tore down the walls…

Mason Langley’s life is going exactly the way he planned it, until her. A confirmed bachelor and the successful owner of the hottest restaurant to hit Chicago, he never expects to be blindsided by an angry woman in a pair of scrubs. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t seem to shake the doctor, and he finds himself liking the way she makes him feel.

Almost over night Lena finds her world turned upside down by Mason and the sexual desire they discover together. Slowly, she lowers her guard and invites him inside but when tragedy strikes she begins to believe that sometimes it’s better to be alone and safe than to love and lose.

My Thoughts:

This book was not what I was expecting and it completely blew me away. I went into it thinking it was just going to be a spicy, fun read - but what I got was a gut-wrenching, emotional, WONDERFUL story.

There are certain elements I look for in an amazing book and this book had them all. Sizzling hot chemistry and romance. Humor and wit. Awesome dialogue. Strong characters. Wonderful supporting cast. Emotion, angst, and suspense. It was the perfect blend of everything that had me sucked in from the first chapter, devouring it in two days.

Lena is a pediatrician who has lived with the pain of her sisters death for nine years, not allowing herself to find love or get close to anyone. The guilt she feels over the accident has left her emotionally crippled and angry - making herself a rigid bitch everyone steers clear of (except her best friend, Shelly).

Mason is owner and head chef of his own restaurant, Exquisite. With a reputation as a Casanova - he doesn't have any interest in settling down, unless the right woman comes along. His first encounter with Lena leaves him infuriated, but he can't seem to get her out of his mind. Then she walks into his restaurant and he innocently blackmails her into going on a date with him, even though the last thing she wants is to give this guy the time of day.

The banter back and forth between these two as they get to know each other is funny and witty. I absolutely loved the slow build up of their relationship and Mason not giving up so easily. He was drawn to her for a reason and determined to break down her walls. I loved that Lena didn't fight it too much. Normally a girl with the type of issues Lena has fights the relationship and it drags on forever in the book, making me angry. The author dealt with it early so other stories could develop and take a turn in a direction I never expected. She kept me guessing and had me in suspense and I loved that.

Mason was also very close to his family - his sister helping him run his business and his sweet mother who played a very important role in this story. The added bonus of these supporting roles made the story even better.

Mason was the ultimate swoon-worthy guy, with the patience of a SAINT. When Lena was bitchy and rude - he just kept coming back for more. He put up with a lot from her and it was so endearing. Most men would walk away when he pushed forward and ultimately saved her from herself and her grief.

"My dad once told me, the day I meet someone who drives me so crazy I want to strangle her and yet never would because I can't bare her to be gone, that's when I know I've met a woman worth keeping."

"It's time to feel again. Let me save you from yourself. You were drowning when I found you, but I'm not letting you go without a fight."

And Lena had her endearing qualities - fighting for their love and proving to him that she wasn't going away when he went through the toughest time of his life. This story just continued to surprise me as each event unfolded.

Most importantly was the incredibly sexy SIZZLING chemistry and sexual tension between these two.

"WARNING, smoking hot chef. May be detrimental to women's panties."

Some of the best scenes I've ever read. The 'Peaches' scene was HOT. But beneath all of that passion and lust was something deeper and meaningful that unfolded. It was truly a beautiful story of love, loss, and forgiveness. With a VERY happy ever after!

5 Suns

Another book cover was released and I'm not sure which one I like best.  You be the judge!

Cover Reveal: Lennon’s Jinx by Chris Myers

Today, Waves of Fiction is excited to join AToMR in hosting a cover reveal for Lennon's Jinx by Chris Myers. Enjoy!

Lennon’s Jinx by Chris Myers
Expected release date: January 15, 2013

About the book

Sometimes, we don’t get to choose who we fall for.

Lennon spends most of his time raising his little sister Currie while trying to skate through his senior year of high school. He prefers groupies with no-strings attached but finds himself strangely attracted to Jinx, the straight-A student in his choir. Lennon’s curiosity overrules his good sense as he tries to peel away the layers to discover the reason for Jinx’s skittishness.

Jinx conceals the black truth about herself from her friends. She won’t admit to them that she screwed up big time, losing her first love and what she once held most precious.

When Lennon’s band holds auditions to replace their keyboard player, Jinx comes to tryout and almost leaves after seeing Lennon. Despite the fact she despises him, she joins the band to nurture her love of music that will hopefully ease the guilt gnawing away at her.

Like the rest of his band mates, Jinx soon witnesses Lennon battling his infamous father for the custody of Currie. While confronting his pent-up anger at his dad, Lennon exposes vulnerabilities he had no intention of letting any girl ever see, especially Jinx. Their reckless pasts may bring them together or further complicate their already messy lives.

About the AuthorChris Myers suffers from an overactive imagination. In second grade, Sister Bernice produced Chris's first play about pumpkins mauling and eating children. Apparently, the nuns didn’t catch the underlying meaning. This instantly raised Chris to stardom amongst her peers for the several days off from schoolwork while in production. She spent her high school years writing torch songs for fantasy guys then moved onto writing thrillers and young adult. Chris lives in Colorado with her daughter, her better half, and BeBe, a rambunctious Bichon.

Chris literally has very few photos of herself, even though photography put her through college. Here she is with her sisters and daughter. Chris is the one with the vino.

Chris started out as an art major, then moved to bio-chem, hoping to play Victor Frankenstein as a genetic engineer or messing with people's minds as a psychiatrist. Just as she was about to graduate, she decided being broke for another four to ten years wouldn't work out for her adventurous spirt and traveling. She ended up with an electrical engineering degree then a masters. As it turns out, she should've finished her first novel twenty-five years ago and stuck in the make-believe world where she is happiest.
Follow this author
Website  |  Blog  |  Goodreads

Reviews & Giveaway: Waves 2012 Favorites

Wow! Can you believe how quickly 2012 is coming to a close?!? This year has been a fantastic reading adventure for us here at Waves of Fiction, so we wanted to take a moment to share some book highlights. 

Several of us on The Waves Team decided to get together to share our favorite book of 2012. But that’s not all!! One lucky winner will get the chance to win the bundle of books we’ve spotlight here, so take a look and be sure to enter!

On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves

Published June 7th 2012 by Penguin

Arlene's Thoughts:
On the Island is my favorite book choice for 2012. I love love love this book!!

I did not expect to feel this passionate about On the Island going into this read. I was planning to just breeze through a summer-y type book with mild interest. Well, that surely didn’t happen here! On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves was amazing! It’s one of those books that render you useless the entire time you’re lost in the pages. I wanted to give it all of my attention because it definitely captured all of my heart.

This was such a powerful story that was told in multiple perspectives between Anna and T.J. My heart went through a wide range of emotions for these two including hope, despair, happiness and oh so much angst. Beautiful book that I hear is now being optioned for a movie… I’ll be buying a ticket to that show and that’s for sure!

Gabriel’s Inferno by Sylvain Reynard

Published April 4th 2011 by Omnific Publishing 

Brandie's Thoughts:

Gabriel's Inferno far exceeded all of my expectations. I was not expecting to read such a powerful story about love and healing. The buildup of suspense made this book so hard to put down that I devoured it in a few days. It was so beautifully written and the characters so real. I adored Gabriel - flaws and all.

The parts about Dante and Beatrice, although I knew nothing about that story, didn't put me off in any way. It flowed with the story, and I even learned things that I never knew before.

Two broken people destined to save each other - it's the ultimate love story and I absolutely loved it. Fans of Fifty Shades and Bared to You will love this book!

 

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

Published  August 14th 2012 Originally by Samantha Young Now NAL & Penguin

Rachel's Thoughts:

I wasn't surprised at all when this self-published gem was snatched up by a big publishing house!  I was blown away at how much I LOVED this story.  Plenty of spice but a weighty story, as well. Without a doubt, my favorite romance in 2012.

Jocelyn is an emotionally closed off young woman because of the tragic events in her life.  Along comes Braden (and his lovable sister Ellie) and her bounderies are shot to hell!

Braden understands and desires Jocelyn like no other, and he has the patience to wait her fears out.  He pushes his way into her life and gets under her skin. Let me tell you, this story will have you fanning yourself the entire read!

As an extra bonus here is a free short Christmas story featuring Jocelyn and Braden!  Thank you Samantha.

 

Strangers by Barbara Elsborg

Published November 2, 2009 by Ellora's Cave

Crystal's Thoughts

Strangers is that perfect blend between romance and drama.  What is between these pages is exactly what I wanted when I picked up this story.  A troubled actor, a lost soul, and a whole lot of lovin'! 

Charlie and Kate both have their troubles and we see that at their first meeting when they are both trying to commit suicide.  I expected some good drama and my oh my Elsborg delivers.  The steamy scenes are beyond hawt and the relationship that is built between these two lost souls is beautiful.  I can't imagine a better story between these two. 

This book is perfect if you are looking for a deep but fun romance.  Charlie is definitely one of my favorite male characters!

We hope you enjoyed our reviews for our 2012 Favorites!

Waves of Fiction is offering one lucky follower a chance to win the bundle of books we've spotlighted. This giveaway is open internationally to wherever The Book Depository, US Amazon, or US Barnes & Noble ships to. The winner has the option to either order the books from TBD, or choose the eBooks from US Amazon or US Barnes & Noble.

All you have to do is fill out the rafflecopter and share with us your favorite book for 2012. Good luck!

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