Thursday, 9 July 2015

**Blog Tour** Fighting Shadows by Aly Martinez





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Flint’s highly anticipated emotional story  is FINALLY here!  
NOW AVAILABLE
**Each book in the series can be read as a standalone**
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I come from a family of fighters. I always thought I’d follow in their shadows, becoming unstoppable in the ring. That changed the day I saved the life of a woman I loved, but could never have.
My brother hailed me as a hero, and my reward was a wheelchair.
Paralyzed, my life became an inescapable nightmare.
Until I met her.
Ash Mabie had a heart-stopping smile and a laugh that numbed the rage and resentment brewing inside of me. She showed me that even the darkest night still had stars, and it didn’t matter one bit that you had to lie in the weeds to see them.
I was a jaded asshole who fell for a girl with a knack for running away. I couldn’t even walk but I would have spent a lifetime chasing her.
Now, I’m on the ropes during the toughest battles of my life.
Fighting the shadows of our past.
Fighting to reclaim my future.
Fighting for her.
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Excerpt #1
Chapter One
Flint
I remembered it all.
I heard the gun.
I felt the bullet.
I saw her fall.
In less than a second, my life as I knew it was over.
But, unquestionably, I would do it all over again.
For her.
“Flint!” Eliza cried from underneath me.
It wasn’t the way I had dreamed of at least a million times over the years. Her voice hadn’t broken in ecstasy. She hadn’t called my name as I’d been claiming her as my own, nor was it followed by confessions of love and declarations of forever. Instead, there was a sharp ringing in my ears and a tsunami of tears welling in her deep-blue eyes.
My heart was already pounding, but the earth-shattering pain on her face spiked my pulse even higher. I knew I had been hit, but that wasn’t what scared me.
“Are you hurt?” I rushed out.
“I’m fine,” she choked around a sob. As much as I hated to see her cry, the weight of my world disappeared with only two words.
“Are you sure?” I studied her, but she was focused on something else completely.
Peering over my shoulder, she lifted her hand off my back. Blood dripped from her fingertips to the floor.
“Oh God!” she exploded, scrambling from under me.
“I’m okay,” I tried to reassure her, but as I attempted to push up off the floor, I knew my words were in vain. I was nowhere near fine. “I’m…” I started, but the thought was stolen from my tongue. Pain overtook me, causing me to collapse face first to the ground where Eliza had just been lying.
I desperately tried to keep myself from passing out, but it was a battle I was quickly losing.
“Flint. Stay with me. Just hang on, please,” she said calmly, kneeling beside me. But as soon as she sat up, her true emotions were revealed. “Help him!” she cried. “Please, God, someone help him!”
My mind was drifting, rendering me unable to focus, but even amongst the chaos of Eliza pleading for help and security rushing into the room, I somehow homed in on the announcer’s voice on the television blaring in the background.
“I really expected more from Till Page in the ring tonight,” he said.
It was then that I was reminded of a pain far worse than any bullet could inflict.
Till.
Her husband.
The father of her unborn child.
My brother.
He deserved her, but damn it, so did I.
My eyes never left hers as her screams drifted into silence.
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Wendy's 5 star review

Aly Martinez is fast becoming a legend of gritty reads that also weave in a serious issue.

With the “On the Ropes” series we get the grit, but we also get something that teaches us about life and what it can throw at us.

If you, like me read and loved Fighting Silence then I can safely say you are going to fan girl her ass over Fighting Shadows.

Till was the man in Fighting Silence, he was the brother who stepped up for his family and Flint, Quarry and Eliza were his home. Flint was the little brother that we saw growing up and we didn’t get to see the man he was going to become.  But now we get his story and he is a man. A man with difficulties to overcome, but you are rooting for him from the beginning of his story.

Fighting Shadows begins in the aftermath of Till’s story, and Flint has both physical and metal demons that could destroy him and his story is not an easy ride. But then we wouldn’t want that would we? We are so bad, because we want it to be hard, we want t to hurt, because that way we live the story, we learn from the story and we remember the story for a long time to come.  And that is the sign of a great story.  Aly achieved all those things with a cherry on top.

 Ash comes along and makes it her mission to drag Flint’s self pitying ass out of that misery that he sees his life has become.  She does it with the kind of sass and wit, that Aly is renowned for.

Aly also complete crushes your soul and the tears and snot flowed freely, making me a miserable, snotty blogger mess.  But I loved it, us bloggers are weird like that.

The Epilogue pieced me ever so slightly back together, just enough to message Aly how much I loved the book, and that I am just going to tell you all to “Buy the freakin book, its awesome”

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Haven’t read this series yet?  Meet Flint Quarry, Till & Eliza
in Fighting Silence

Aly Martinez
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Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in South Carolina, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.
After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. Five books later, she shows no signs of slowing. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.
GIVEAWAY
$50 Gift Card
Signed Set of Paperbacks (Fighting Silence & Shadows)




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Tuesday, 7 July 2015

**Blog Tour** The Only One for Her by Carlie Sexton


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When is a heart too broken to fix?
Just days before his wedding, handsome, successful entrepreneur, Trace Michaels, finds out his love wasn’t enough. With a broken heart, Trace lands in Maui, hoping to find solace in the beautiful island.
What he finds is beauty, but in the form of an alluring, grieving woman. One he feels an instant and inescapable attraction to.
Young widow, Lindy Bernard, had her heart broken when her husband died. In Maui to reluctantly close a chapter in her life, she suddenly finds herself in the arms of a drop-dead, gorgeous Adonis. After his relentless pursuit, Lindy and Trace begin to find healing...only to have that endangered by a secret threatening to tear them apart.
All is not what it seems in Trace’s company, and it seems one woman has set out to ruin him. Can he juggle the odious plots against him while chasing the woman of his heart? Will she wait or are some hearts too broken to be fixed?



Deciding to get some fresh air, I headed toward the path along the ocean. The pain in my head had subsided and the ocean gave me an escape from the craziness I was going through. I wasn’t sure if it was the hypnotic motion of the waves or the calming sound they made crashing against the rocks. Maybe it was something else, but the ocean had a way of clearing my head.
I couldn’t help but notice a beautiful woman with long, golden hair sitting on the rocks, gazing into the horizon. On a rock next to her sat an urn. My heart sank in my chest. She was so young and I wondered who she’d lost. Suddenly, I didn’t feel so bad about my own life. Someone she loved was gone forever and she was here alone to say goodbye. Her trembling lip told me how sad and broken she must feel. I couldn’t imagine doing something like this alone. Didn’t she have any family? Or friends?
The need to hear what she was saying drew me to her, so I edged closer, but she didn’t see me in her peripheral vision. At least she didn’t look over in my direction. Why would she? She was lost in her own thoughts…grief. Tears streamed down her angelic face. I wanted to wipe them away and comfort her, but I kept myself at bay.
“How do I say goodbye to you, Dane? You’re the only one who has loved me, taken care of me, protected me. When you died, part of me died too. Part of my soul went with you and I don’t know if I’ll ever get it back. I love you so much and I always will.”
Her words were gut-wrenching and I assumed she was talking about a man she had been in love with. I wanted a woman to love me like that. I thought I had found it with Angelina, but she’d never seemed as sincere as this woman before me. An overwhelming force took over and my heart began racing. I wanted to sit next to her, wrap my arms around her, and tell her everything was going to be okay. She wasn’t alone.
Her shoulders slightly shook as more tears raced down her cheeks. She continued pouring her heart out. “This just isn’t fair. You were too young to die. We had so much life to live together. So many things to do. Some days, I don’t know how I live without you. It wasn’t supposed to be this way.” Then she bowed her head. I found myself bowing so I could pray silently for her.
“Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you so much for the gift of my husband Dane. You brought him into my life at just the right moment and used him to bless me more than I ever thought possible. I’m grateful that You love me so much to have given me such an amazing man. I commit Dane to You, knowing he is with You in Heaven. Please help me to move on in my life and have a life that You deem worthy. I love you, Lord, and want to honor You all the days of my life. Amen.”
Listening to her words made me choke up. I’d gone to church with my family when I was a kid. But now I basically went at Christmas and Easter for my mom. Her prayer was so heartfelt, so honest. Was this beauty for real? Not only did she look like an angel, she had a genuine heart filled with love. She was a rare find. Other than my mom and sisters, I couldn’t remember ever knowing someone like her, a woman with such great faith.
She stood up with the urn in her trembling hands, removed the cover, moved to the edge of the rocks, and began tossing her husband’s ashes into the ocean. The wind had picked up and I could see her struggling with the metal container. Her next movement was about to become her undoing as her foot slipped and I began watching in slow motion as her body was falling. Reacting quickly, I rushed to her, grabbing her hand, causing the urn to fall into the ocean. Instantly, she was in my arms, as I pulled her into my body to help ground her feet. Her crystal blue eyes met mine and we just took each other in for a moment.
I couldn’t break away from the gaze of her eyes and I wanted nothing more than to crush my mouth to hers, kissing her like she deserved. A long, slow, wet kiss that would make her melt into me. Her juicy lips were beckoning me to them. Knowing that acting on impulse would probably get me slapped, I opted to use my mouth for talking instead.
“Are you okay?”
“I think so. How did you catch me? I thought I was falling in for sure.”
“I was nearby and saw you lose your footing. I guess I have fast reflexes.”
She looked around at the rocks below and the ocean lapping at them. “It’s gone,” she said, her voice cracking.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I couldn’t grab both you and the urn.”
Looking back up at me she said, “Maybe it’s all for the best. Obviously, I wasn’t meant to keep it.” I could see the sadness well up in her baby blues.
I tucked some strands of hair behind her ear. “You’re really brave. Letting go is very hard to do.”
She smiled slightly and tilted her head. Searching my eyes, she just kept staring at me. Lost. She was lost and I wanted to save her.
“Thank you for catching me,” she said, her eyes still piercing mine. I couldn’t stop looking at her beautiful face.
“I’m just glad I got to you in time. The water is looking pretty rough right now.”
My arms were still around her and then it dawned on me that her arms were around my body too. Keeping her in my arms was all I wanted to do. This felt right…natural. How was this possible?
“Looks like you saved me. How am I ever going to repay you?”
“Have dinner with me tonight and we’ll consider it payment in full.”
She looked down for a brief moment, clearly contemplating my invitation. Maybe I was being too forward, but I didn’t care. How else was I going to see her again?
“Okay,” she said hesitantly. “My name is Lindy Bernard, by the way.”
“I’m Trace. Trace Michaels. I’ll make reservations for us at The Sea House.”
“Sounds perfect. How about seven?”
“Seven works.”
“Okay, well, I’ll see you then. Thanks again for catching me,” she said letting go of my arms.
Feeling the heat of her body leaving mine, I instantly wanted her close to me again. Sadly, I had to let go of her now. “Glad I could be of service. I’ll be waiting for you at seven.”
We each smiled and Lindy began making her way back to the path. I watched her walk away and said my own prayer to God that she would show up at the restaurant. It surprised me how much I wanted her to show. My heart was still hurt about losing my fiancée, but strangely, Lindy’s gentleness felt like…a balm. I needed her to have dinner with me. Her absence had

already gripped my heart and I didn’t want to wait hours to see her again. But I had no choice.




 



T Bird's 5 Bare Naked Stars Review*****

I found this book to be one of the very few that captures my heart from the first few pages.  The author did such a wonderful job at having me invest a part of my heart in the main characters with a very few words.  She starts this story with raw emotions of death and betrayal and she never gives you a single moment that you want or can put the book down till you finished.  I felt a book hangover when I was done because her character development is so rare and brilliant. 

Trace had known the emotions of being cheated on, so the second time around it was even more damaging.  Days before his wedding he finds his bride and best friend has been betraying him.  Instead of raging out of the pain and emotion, he counted to ten and formed a plan.  After the truth was exposed he took the trip to Maui to get his mind clear, try to heal his heart and figure out what he is going to do with his future alone.  I was so drawn in to his story by his personality and history  I knew I was going to love this guy within a few pages. 

Lindy lost her parents when she was ten.  Going to the foster home was the final soul crushing blow; the only thing that kept her sane was Dane.  He took her in, loved her as a child and became her husband as soon as they legally could.  With the love of her life and a place to call her own, life threw her another horrible blow, Dane died. His request was for his ashes to be spread over Maui and Lindy was determined to carry out his wishes, it was the last act of love she could give him.  She dropped out of college and took a job waiting tables, saving every penny she could while living in a trailer to get the money for the trip.  When she was finally able to do that, she faced the dreaded part of this plan, letting go and saying a final goodbye to Dane.

This is where the author began to weave her magic in the story when Trace and Lindy, two broken spirits, crushed by life and the decisions of others come together and begin to heal.  I won’t go any farther into their story because it is a beautiful thing that needs to be witnessed by the readers.  Drama doesn’t leave Trace alone as his past will come back to force him into decisions regarding his former best friend. The author gives you action and drama as well that had my heart racing and my mind twirling as to what was going on and who was to blame.  Remember I told you, the author never gave you a second to consider putting this book down once you start. 

This book has certainly become one of my top ten so far this year and the main reason for that is the author’s style of writing.  She not only invites the readers into the story, we find we are so immersed in the plot we feel every raw emotion and hope with every fiber in our being for Trace and Lindy because they deserve to be happy.  Yes they are victims of others choices and life, but they never come across as anything other than survivors that the readers will cheer for from the first page.  I will certainly be getting her other books as soon as I get done throwing a fit that it has taken me this long to find her work.  Get this book, curl up in your favorite chair and grab some tissues when you need to soak in an ugly cry story with a beautiful message that will leave you with a belief in second chances and love. 






I have always had a passion for reading my entire life. I love it so that I dedicated my life to educating children. As a teacher, I have had the profound pleasure of teaching children to read and explore their imaginations through a good book. Just recently I decided to write a story that had been on my mind. Now I have several that I want to turn into additional books. Writing has become a passion that I dearly love.
I live with my handsome husband in Southern California. We enjoy the relaxed lifestyle that California provides. We have two beautiful dogs, but on children.




Tour Host OUAA



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**Blog Tour** Deacon (Starkis Family #1) by Cheryl Douglas




Book: Deacon: (Starkis Family #1) 
Author: Cheryl Douglas
Genre: Contemporary Romance









When Deacon Starkis sets his sights on the gorgeous young model gracing the pages of his glossy catalogue, he knows he has to have her. One problem. She’s not available. But that won’t stop Deacon. He’s a man used to getting what he wants and he wants Mia.
Mia is stunned when she receives an email from the elusive billionaire who owns the lingerie company she models for. He tells her he’s intrigued. He’s not the only one. But she knows she’d be a fool to throw away an eight year relationship for a brief affair with the head honcho. He doesn’t do relationships and she doesn’t do casual sex. It seems they’re at an impasse.
Who will come out on top in this battle of wills? The dominant one or the woman intent on teaching him the meaning of submission?












When one door closes, another one opens. I closed the door to my business for the last time in 2011, which left me with a decision. What now? Find another location and move my nutrition business, go to work for someone else, or take a chance on my dream? I chose the latter and I’ve never looked back!
I’ve always loved reading and writing, but it wasn’t until I jumped in with both feet and decided writing would be my career, instead of just a hobby, that my muse woke up from her deep slumber.
It was like someone flipped a switch inside my head and stories just came pouring out. At the end of the day, I would often look at the keyboard and wonder, ‘Who the heck wrote that? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure it wasn’t me!’
I don’t write books. I tell stories, or rather, I allow my characters to tell their stories through me. I’m not a plotter, never have been, never will be. Why? Because I have no idea how the story will evolve and it’s not my place to manipulate it. My job is to get to know these characters, figure out what makes them tick, then follow their journey wherever it takes me.
When I’m not writing, I’m daydreaming. Thankfully, I have an understanding husband and son who know I’ll re-join the land of the living just as soon as my muse decides it’s quitting time. I don’t work for myself. I work for her. She’s the boss. And I’m okay with that.

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