COMIC BOOK REVIEW: "Old Wounds #1"

Title: Old Wounds #1
Writer: Russell Lissau
Artist: John Bivens
Letterer: Josh Southall
Publisher: Pop Goes The Icon
Editor: PJ Perez
Release Date: April 8, 2015

In the first issue of Pop Goes The Icon's newest title, Old Wounds, we meet Michael, a retired vigilante whose ex-wife, also a vigilante, has been killed in an explosion. The cops think he's responsible.
But when he gets together with the third member of their vigilante group, and the man's car is rigged to explode, he knows it's serious abd has to do with old enemies who are still nursing old wounds.

I've been reading this publisher's titles for over two years now, and every new title they release seem to get better and better! As a longtime superhero fan, I love the idea of retired heroes being targeted and (possibly) needing to come out of retirement (think amateur Justice League meets The Umbrella Academy...without the Kryptonians or men with giant monkey bodies).
The writing is simple, the story immediately intriguing. The tale is told half with the words and half with the art. Neither of them outshine the other. The art reminds me of how old manga was drawn and printed (Shonen Jump in the late 90's), very stark and easy to follow. It fit the story more than the bright colors you usually see in superhero comics.
It might be only twenty-six pages, but it tells a huge piece of what should prove to be a wonderful and deep story.

5/5--a very solid start!

[Will update the purchase links ASAP.]

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Pippa Jay

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

I didn't decide exactly - I've always been writing, for as long as I can remember, in the same way that people might doodle or play with their hair. It was only in 2009 that I finally decided maybe I should try and get something published. I've always loved writing stories, but I suddenly felt the urge to share them with the rest of the world.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today?

I loved a lot of what are considered the iconic SF authors like Arthur C Clarke and Isaac Asimov, or fantasy by Terry Brooks and J.R.R. Tolkien. But as a teen I discovered Anne McCaffrey and Ursula Le Guin and devoured their books. Today, I'm a devoted fan of Jaine Fenn and Neal Asher--both SF authors who tend toward lots of spaceships and explosions.

3. What was the inspiration behind your novel Restless In Peaceville?

Warm Bodies, initially. I loved that film, and the book by Isaac Marion. But they got me wondering why so many films depicted zombies as brain-eating, groaning monsters when I'd come across very different zombies in books by Terry Pratchett and Piers Anthony. So I looked into the whole mythology, found out the brain-eating was a Hollywood convention, and decided I wanted to do something different. Then someone on Facebook mentioned Louisiana voodoo and that was kind of it. I made myself a zombie story soundtrack on youtube, did some research and got writing.

4. Will we ever see any of these characters again in the future?

I have a file of notes and a handful of scenes written for a sequel, featuring all three main characters. But other things have taken priority and my publisher has recently changed their submission guidelines too, so I'm not likely to be getting to it any time soon. Not unless I suddenly sell lots of Restless so that my publisher wants a sequel. *a so very unsubtle hint* :P

5. What was it about the afterlife and suicide that brought on this novel?

Oddly enough, I don't personally believe in an afterlife. I've seen death close up, and it convinced me we don't go on to somewhere else. Despite that, I still find the idea fascinating in a morbid kind of way. I've done various depictions of what might come next, from the queue to infinity in Restless In Peaceville to an underground society of demons and the damned in a futuristic angel story. Maybe it's my way of denying it with my mind but secretly hoping there IS something else. As for suicide--one of my classmate's in secondary school walked in front of a train one night. I was quite miserable as a teen and obsessed a lot over killing myself, but his death really shook me out of that. I just realized what a waste it was, and I saw how much it hurt the people left behind. I don't condemn suicide in any way - it's terrible that a person can get that low that they feel there's no alternative, and I wish more could be done to help them. But it got me wondering how it would affect someone if they were forced to stick around afterward their own suicide and have to see the consequences. So that's what happens to Luke.  

6. Were any of the characters' personalities or emotions taken from real life?

Well, Luke being miserable about his life was how I felt as a teen. Also, I have a very strong sense of justice - I hate it when people break the rules, and when they get away with it too - so that was Annabelle's motivation. I suppose some might see her mission more as just revenge rather than justice, but it does define her purpose in the sequel (as far as I've got with it).

7. What other genres would you like to try your hand at?

Hmm, I've already done several under the speculative fiction umbrella. I'd like to write some really hard SF - so far what I've written is probably more in the sci-fantasy category, along the lines of Star Wars. I'd love to be able to write comedy, but apparently my sense of humour only appeals to me.

8. What would you do if you woke up as a zombie?

Actually, I pretty much feel like one until I've had my first coffee. Lol! I think I'd probably be a lot like Marvin the Paranoid Android, with his completely cynical outlook on the universe. Just mooch around being miserable, and probably enjoying it. 

9. Was there any intended symbolism behind the way the dead were thrust out of the afterlife and why?

I wanted to give the impression that those being thrown out were considered undesirables simply being shown the exit, like one of those celebrity events where if your name isn't on the list, you aren't coming in. Because the Catholic faith is a big part of the story - Luke is an atheist, but even after being murdered Annabelle still has her faith - and suicide is considered the biggest sin you can possibly commit, I wanted to have that feel to the whole experience Luke went through. It's not nice, but it was the wake up call Luke needed to try and put things right. It was also a test for those leaving, to see if they were willing to risk something horrible rather than just hang around where they weren't welcome.

10. Would you like to see Restless In Peaceville as a film or TV show? Who do you want to see play your characters?

Oh, I would love to see it as either! I partially based Luke on a young actor who played a modern day teen werewolf in a BBC series called Wolfblood--Bobby Lockwood--so I'd love to see him play the part since he influenced it. And one of his co-actors was Aimee Kelly, who'd make a pretty good Annabelle. Sean Bean or Sean Pertwee might do for the Peacemaker. It needs to be a kind of Clint Eastwood type of actor.

11. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

I'd like to be making a comfortable living from my books, with a happy fan base and a lengthy backlist. It would be awesome to see something of mine end up on the screen, whether TV or film, but I'm realistic about the odds of that ever happening. I can dream!

12. What would you be doing if you weren't writing?

I'd go back to working in a laboratory. I was an analytical chemist for 12 years before becoming a stay-at-home mum, and I loved the work. I wouldn't necessarily go back to the same job, but give me some test tubes and some chemicals and I'd be a happy little mad scientist...I mean lab technician!

13. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next?

I'm writing two more YA zombie shorts to follow on from the first that I have releasing in April (Zombie Girl: Dead Awakened), editing my debut scifi romance novel Keir for re-release in May and releasing the rest of the series, and I have plans to write a sequel to a superhero novella--When Dark Falls--that was released back in November last year.

14. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with?

I don't know that I'd aspire to collaboration, but if I could have had Anne McCaffrey mentor me, or maybe even just have given me feedback on a story, that would have been awesome.

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

My nickname as a teen was Dormouse. I didn't have my first tattoo until I was 40. My first crush was Luke Skywalker. 

Find Pippa online via:

Website

Adventures in Scifi

Spacefreighters Lounge

Romancing the Genres

SFR Brigade

Twitter

Goodreads

Facebook

Pinterest

Google+

Wattpad

Amazon page

RELEASE DAY BLAST: "Eve Brenner: Zombie Agent" by A. Giacomi

Author: A. Giacomi
Publisher: Permuted Press
Synopsis: The story continues filling in the two year gap that the first book leaves behind. Where did Eve go? What did she do? And what will happen next? You will have to check out this fast paced read with double the action, double the zombies, double the everything!
In book 2 Eve takes on a whole new role, that of a CSIS Agent. Her new job is both thrilling and terrifying. She might get to travel the work and hunt down her kind, but her transformation is making it more and more difficult to feel human. She continues to fight the virus and accept her new surroundings...might there even be hope for a cure?

 

Excerpt:

I wipe the blood from my lips. I attacked as many as I could, but still it isn’t good enough. I am able to save Agent Williams, who I dragged back to the entrance with me. He is still unconscious, which is totally my fault, but at least he is alive. The poor bastard was in shock. Maybe I was wrong about this tough guy.

I sit next to Agent Williams, and as soon as I get comfortable, I hear footsteps. I bolt back onto my feet and snarl. Out of the shadows pops Major Tom! “Oh, thank God! You’re okay! I’m sorry about your men.” I point to the carnage that once resembled human beings. He sighs and has a seat next to our unconscious friend.

Major Tom pulls a flask out of his pocket and starts drinking. “What do you make of all this, Eve? What the hell is going on?”

I think about it for a moment before I answer. “Well, sir, I think they remember being human, because the infected seem to be acting like a cult. They knew to put a sacrifice on the ancient slab, and then they attacked together, as a community. These zombies are a little smarter than most, which makes them more deadly, if you ask me.”

Links for purchase:

Amazon

Kobo

Barnes And Noble

BOOK REVIEW: "Restless In Peaceville" by Pippa Jay

Luke Chester has had enough. He’s the school geek, the girls laugh at him, he’s lost his dead-end job at the pizza place, and in the midst of the world’s messiest divorce his parents don’t even know he exists. An overdose of his mom’s tranquilizers and a stomach full of whiskey should solve all his problems...
But they don’t. Instead, Luke finds himself booted out of the afterlife for not dying a natural death, with nowhere to go but back to his recently vacated corpse and reality. How the hell is he going to pass for one of the living without someone trying to blow his brains out for being one of the undead?
And it just gets worse. He’s got to fight his own desperate craving to consume the living, evade the weird supernatural hunter who’s having a field day with the new undeads rising, and there’s this creepy black shadow following him around. Add to that the distraction of female fellow undead Annabelle burning to avenge her own murder, and clearly there’s no rest for the wicked. Jeez, all he wanted to do was R.I.P.

Zombies. Right after teen dystopian tales, I can't tell you how many zombie stories I've read, especially since The Walking Dead got popular. By rights, zombies are murderous undead who have no coherent thoughts except for "Brains...". Right? Wrong. Not in Restless In Peaceville.
You start the book in the afterlife itself, with Luke being told that, because he committed suicide, he couldn't go to Heaven or Hell. Very Catholic reasoning there. So he gets sent back to his dead body. He's coherent, and very frightened. What makes it worse, there's another newly risen girl, too!
The book escalates from there, taking the reader on an emotional journey, detailing both of the teens' difficult lives. But it's not all feels. There are vampires, witches, revenge plots and hunters...and not the Winchester brothers type!
In 45k words, we're given an undead thrill ride perfect for teens and adults alike. You get a little of everything, even romance, and it all meshes together easily for a quick, fun read you'll want to keep rereading.

5/5--a great story for all ages!

Purchase Restless In Peaceville via:

Official site (has all, international and national, purchase links)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: T.H. Morris

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

I was inspired to write at a very young age, four or five. I grew up on fairy tales, tall tales, and fables. All of those were full of fantastical beings. I couldn’t get enough of those stories. They instilled in me a love of creating worlds and situations within me that has yet to wane. I think the seeds of wanting to write fantasy fiction were planted at that time, but the moment that I knew I just had to be a writer was in the fourth grade. We had to create nine to ten page “books,” bound by yarn and construction paper, and read them to the other fourth grade class. I loved the feeling of reading to other people, and having other people peruse my work. From that moment on, I was bitten by the bug.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger?

What books do you enjoy reading today? The list of authors that inspired me in my youth were  Beverly Cleary, Lynne Reid Banks, R.L. Stine, Judy Blume, Tamora Pierce, J.K. Rowling, and Meg Cabot. Nowadays, I love reading books by Sharon Shinn, Alan J. Garner, Dzintra Sullivan, James Patterson, Patti Roberts, Matthew Arkin, C.N. Crawford…the list goes on and on.

3. What was the inspiration behind your novel The 11th Percent?

The 11th Percent was inspired by an uninterrupted, seven-hour dream I had on February 19th, 2011. I had been thinking about ghost stories (one of my favorite stories during childhood) and was wondering about a story, a ghost story, where the ghosts weren’t haunting people? What if they were a part of the frame work of the whole plot? I was trying to figure out how to make that a reality, but not in the way of Ghost Whisperer or Odd Thomas or anything like that. I wondered at length about it, and that night, my mind answered the questions for me. The 11th Percent was conceived.

4. You say it's the first in a series. How many books do you plan on writing about Jonah?

The 11th Percent will be a series of seven books.

5. Do you, personally, believe in ghosts?

I believe that there are phenomena in this world that can’t sufficiently be explained away by science, logic, and reason. That includes paranormal phenomena. I would never say I’ve seen a slew of spirits or anything, but I believe that they exist in some way, shape or form.

6. Were any of the characters personalities or emotions taken from real life?

Many characters have aspects of my personality, but there is more of me in Jonah than anyone else. I have put many of my experiences into him. He struggles with self-worth, wonders what mark he is supposed to make on the world, has unresolved feelings concerning bullies and ignorance of his childhood, and he is a good person who simply wants the opportunity to show people that he actually has something to offer. And even though he is already a man in his twenties, he is still growing. That’s what a lot of people in this world do not seem to realize. Yes, coming of age is a very formative time as well as a formative experience. But life and growth don’t END when you reach eighteen. There are still so many things you learn about yourself, learn about your talents, and learn about your mind. And some things you experience can very well make you sit down and say, “Now what?” just like a child would. There is a lot of me in Jonah. I like to say that Jonah is me, just with the volume turned up just a little louder due to the fictional components of the story.

7. What other genres would you like to try your hand at?

Science Fiction, definitely!

8. What would you do if you were in Jonah's position?

If I were in Jonah’s position, I would bend over backwards and do all I could to learn everything possible about my new life. I hate being ignorant of facts and knowledge, and I hate being in situations where it seems like new information to me is obvious and mundane to everyone else. I would learn and learn, and learn some more. I’d also have fun with it. I feel like a normal life is boring; what exactly is “normal” anyway? It isn’t like anyone can give a clear consensus on it. I would enjoy learning the new details of my existence and drink up the fascination of it all.

9. Why make the story about an everyman who discovers the paranormal as opposed to a main character who already believed in ghosts?

It is my belief that to have that aspect of curiosity is always a plus. If my character had already been a believer, the mileage that I could get out of his learning new information would have been sorely limited. In my opinion, it’s always better to have someone who is learning something along the way. Since we, as a people, are always learning something new (and becoming better people because of that), I wanted the characters in my novels to be no different.

10. Would you like to see The 11th Percent as a film? Who do you want to see play your characters?

I would love to see The 11th Percent series as a film collection! As far as who I’d want to play my characters…well, that’s a funny thing, because my wife and I have joked on several occasions about who could do them justice. We said that Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Spiderwick Chronicles) would do Jonah justice, Terrence could be played by Michael B. Jordan, Olivia Munn for Reena, Shane West for Creyton, and Michael Vartan for Jonathan.

11. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

I will swing for the fence. In ten years time, I see myself as successful.  I see myself as a prominent, prolific, and noteworthy author in ten year’s time. But that’s not for arrogance or self-aggrandizement; I would remain just as humble as I am now. I would love to see that my books have prompted people to look at paranormal phenomena in a new way. I would like very much to be a trailblazer and a pioneer for other paranormal authors.

12. What would you be doing if you weren't writing?

I would be doing community outreach of some sort. Or heading a creative writing class.

13. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next?

I am busy putting the finishing touches on The 11th Percent’s sequel, Item & Time! It’s Book 2 in The 11th Percent Series, and will be released May 29th!

14. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with?

I would love to collaborate with Tamora Pierce or Sharon Shinn. They just seem to be very versatile authors with a deep range of talent and imagination. I’d love to do something with them!

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

Hmm. Three things that would surprise people about me…
1) I am an advocate for animal adoption (my favorite animals are cats…they are present in my novels!
2) I used to be a therapist. I hold a Master’s Degree in Social Work on the Health/Mental Health track. I was in that field for several years, but left it because it became all about the bottom dollar, and not aiding people.
3) As a kid, my absolute favorite book series was The Baby-Sitter’s Club. My favorite character? Claudia. Love that girl to this day.
Thank you so much! It was an honor and a pleasure to do this interview!

Find Mr. Morris online via:

Official site (has all other links)

RELEASE DAY BLITZ: "Fly Me To The Moon" by Bev Elle

MY REVIEW: OCD and love aren't things that usually go together (unless you're Sheldon and Amy on The Big Bang Theory), but in Fly Me To The Moon, Bev Elle wrote a charming story about how love really can conquer anything, even a serious mental disorder. Ruth unique and realistic characters and a warm storyline, this is the perfect Valentine's Day read! Don't worry if you're alone: this story will give you the warm fuzzies! 5/5--too sweet for words!div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">

Ticketing agent Jessamy Taylor has been in a dating slump exacerbated by moving her sickly mother into her home. The truth is she's never gotten over the quirky Dr. Griffin Sanderson whose Obsessive Compulsive Disorder drives her crazy, despite his excellent bedside manner.

Fly Me To The Moon is a love song covered by many, the most memorable being Frank Sinatra. Griffin whistles this tune incessantly, but that’s just one of the many odd quirks Jessamy Taylor either loves or hates about him. Since their ill-fated love affair two years prior, she’s found no one to replace the good doctor.

A date with a self-absorbed jerk that goes awry for Jessamy somehow ends with her in Griffin’s arms. Will the changes he’s made be enough this time, or will secrets tear them apart?

Kyla rasped, “I-Is that Griffin petting a dog over there?”

Jessamy shielded her eyes with her hand and peered across the cul-de-sac. If she’d seen it first, she might have choked on her lemonade, too. Griffin Sanderson was petting the Fowlers’ dog.

“Oh my God, he is!”

“Don’t they have like a gazillion germs or something? And what happened to his glasses?”

“Actually, some would argue that dogs are cleaner than humans. And Griffin got contacts.”

“Finally. You know, Jess, he’s looking kind of good, today. You might want to tap that again since he’s had a makeover and all.”

Jessamy waved her off. “I couldn’t possibly.”

“Why not? The guy I see over there looks infinitely tappable.” Kyla set her drink on the table and folded her arms.

Jessamy sipped her lemonade. “He may look tappable today, but you didn’t have to experience what I did with him as his girlfriend for two years. I should’ve called it quits after our Christmas trip to the Poconos, but I had fallen for him, and like so many misinformed women in history before me, I thought I could change him.”

“You’d think you two would’ve been great together, twin OCD and all. And I thought you said the trip to the Poconos was perfect.” Kyla said, air-quoting the word perfect.

“Everything was perfect up until that trip. We had so much in common. We both loved science fiction. We were both G.R.R. Martin geeks who watched the Game of Thrones show together and nitpicked how the show differed from the books. And even though I had the books on my kindle, he gifted me the hardbacks as a three-month anniversary present.” Jessamy smiled at the memory.

“I remember. You two were enough to make regular folks gag.”

“And you and Carter don’t—with your copious PDA?”

Kyla laughed. “But at least we don’t get all aroused over an episode of The Big Bang Theory.”

“Carter likes that show.”

“Not more than he likes me, though.” Kyla actually twirled her hair.

“Is he coming today?”

“Yeah, after he does his Saturday morning nine holes with his boss. Ugh!”

“Good, we’re going to need all the people we can get to eat up all this food.” Jessamy eyed the tables balefully.

“Look!” Kyla said. “Griffin’s holding the Fowlers’ baby. Now doesn’t that make your ovaries want to explode?”

Jessamy turned her head slowly, knowing the sight would slay her. Griffin never held babies. She took it all in as if in slow motion. Mark was holding their toddler in place as Jenny was cleaning up the sticky Popsicle he was covered in, while Griffin was holding the four-month old. He cradled her a bit nervously at first, then he seemed to get his baby-holding legs under him and finally began to smile and talk to her.

Jessamy and Kyla could hear her baby giggle from where they stood. “Aww!” They said in tandem.

Amazon/Kobo/Nook/iTunes

Bev Elle is the author of sweet and spicy, contemporary romance. She's a lover of books - those already written, and those she harbors in her very active imagination. Writing is a passion she's had for many years, but was unable to act upon. Until now. Bev Elle is the mother of three human children and two canines. She is also the lover of one husband. When Bev isn't writing in her spare time after work, she is thinking of doing so.

Website/Facebook/Twitter 

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My Review:
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BOOK REVIEW: "The 11th Percent" by T.H. Morris

Jonah Rowe, a bored accountant and aspiring novelist, is sick and tired of his job as an accountant. He is burnt out from all the office gossip, politics, and double talk, and he longs for his life to matter. Truth be told, Jonah wants anything besides the lame routine of coasting through his workday...only to psych himself up enough to do it all over again the next day. He only wishes that his life had some meaning. 
Amidst the combination of writer's block and society's expectations to have a "real" 9-5 job, Jonah gets his wish. 
His world is turned completely upside down one evening when his vision inexplicably turns blue for several moments. He then receives a warning from a spectral visitor that not only is he in danger, but everything in his life is about to change. 
Overnight, Jonah transforms from an overworked, underpaid accountant to the centerpiece of a spectral battle. Will he rise to the occasion? Can he accept that everything he knows about life and death is completely wrong? And, most importantly, will he be able to comprehend and harness the power of the mysterious 11th Percent? 
Follow Jonah's journey in this new breed of ghost story!

In The 11th Percent, you'll get a ghost story...just not the one you're expecting. Yes, there are angry spirits, trips to the cemetery and spectral fights, but this isn't a horror novel. Instead, it's eerie, creepy and strangely insightful into the mind of a struggling writer.
That, I think, I'd actually the best part of the novel: Jonah's career and his life in general. For what author has not been stuck in a dead-end job, feeling as though their literary career is over before it begins? Jonah isn't a typical male lead in a ghost story, but he's the typical male. He's average, which makes him all the more relatable to the reader. He could be any of us.
The story seems long, in the beginning, but it quickly picks up the pace. The ghosts aren't all evil, some of them try and help poor, confused Jonah. And they're also not typical, moaning, cold-spot inducing, Supernatural-esque creatures. They're a little frightening, but not over-the-top. I think that the author made a great attempt at making everything about this story unique, and he mostly succeeded.
You don't need excessive violence or gore to make a reader get a chill down their spine!

4/5--well-written and original!

Purchase The 11th Percent on Amazon!

RELEASE DAY BLAST: "Blue Persuasion" by Blakely Bennett (Review & Giveaway)

:::: Blue Persuasion by Blakely Bennett Release Blitz and Giveaway ::::

::::SYNOPSIS::::

Judy, dubbed Blue by her friends, is a voluptuous thirty-one year old woman longing for a love of her own. Even more frustrating than her dissatisfaction with her work and the unwanted attention her body garners is always coming in second with the opposite sex.
Bond, her best friend and lover, helps Blue stay sane and sexually satisfied, but she knows her place.  Their secret relationship leaves Blue hungry to have a man she can call her own.
When she finally succumbs to Cat’s artful needle for her first tattoo, she crosses paths with Tate. The towering, tattooed, motorcycle riding, American Indian fires off all her warnings signs, but she finds herself drawn to him against her own self-preservation.
Thankfully, Blue’s close-knit group of friends help to keep her grounded, as does the women’s group she attends weekly, but she still finds herself wanting and needing more.
Will Blue ever find the love she needs and deserves or will she forever come in second? Read her sexy story of friendship and love to find out.

::::Praise for Blue Persuasion and the Bound by Your Love Series::::

"★★★★★ B-O-O-M! OFF THE CHARTS GOOD!"

- Bookie Nookie on Stuck in Between

"★★★★★ AMAZING, Best Erotica Book Out There!"

- The Paranormal Bookshelf on Bittersweet Deceit

"★★★★★ I loved every part of this book!" 

- Author Groupies on Blue Persuasion

"Everywhere he touched, the heat of his caress lingered. His gaze held me captive, dissolving my will and restraint. With my nipples clasped between his fingers, he pinched and tugged. 'I want to hurt you,' he grunted."

::::ABOUT BLAKELY BENNETT::::

Blakely is married to a wonderful, loving, and supportive husband, who is also a writer, and who helps to keep her grounded. She is a mother, a communitarian, a lover of music (it is always on while she is writing thanks to Pandora), and a good friend. An advocate of love and female empowerment, she is also a facilitator for a women’s group. She loves to walk and hike for exercise, and finds that, since moving to Seattle, Washington, she is now one of those crazy people who walks  in the rain.

Blue Persuasion is her seventh novel and the third in the Bound by Your Love Series (Stuck in Between and Bittersweet Deceit). She is also the author of the dark erotic suspense My Body Trilogy (My Body-His, My Body-His (Marcello) and My Body-Mine) and the co-author of the contemporary romance, The Demarcation of Jack, which she wrote with her husband, Dana Bennett. 

Connect with Blakely Bennett: 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/blakely.bennett

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/pub/blakely-bennett/37/b8a/5a4

Pinterest  http://www.pinterest.com/blakelybennett/

Twitter https://twitter.com/BlakelyBennett

Website http://www.blakelybennett.com/

A Rafflecopter Giveaway:  https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/63473dd512/

Hosted by Social Butterfly PR

:::Purchase Blue Persuasion via:::

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1957RoU 

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1uzUB5h

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1y6JZ8U 

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1AT5ilq 

:::My Review:::

In the third installment of Blakely Bennett's Bound By Your Love series, we get better acquainted with Blue, the sexy redhead with a very damaged past. And we meet Tate, one of the sexiest men I've read about. I definitely have a book crush on him!
This book might have enough sex to make a porn star blush, but it's also got a plot, an actual plot, focusing on the meaning of love and not letting your past define you and rule your life. Everyone has baggage, but that doesn't mean the baggage has to weigh you down.
Blue is one of my favorite romantic female leads, dealing with issues many girls have to and dealing well with it. She's a woman trying to help and better herself and her emotional state. Tate is a mystery, but he's one you want to figure out.
While the book, as I said, has at least one (usually more) sex scene per chapter, it's not just a smut book. It's deep, and it's an excellent read. Ms. Bennett knows how to mix sexual fantasy with harsh reality and add in a dash of psychological mystique.
Let me also add that I love the use of bondage by otherwise "normal" people. They're not deviants, killers or (very) psychologically damaged. They're not abusive like some other erotica novels I could mention. They just like things a little rough, and I love that.
This is one of the most well-written erotica novels I have had the privilege of reviewing and I certainly hope that there's more coming about these characters in the future!

5/5--love it!

BOOK REVIEW: "Adoptive Personality" by Cassandra Scearce

After killing her alcoholic father and discovering the she was adopted, Eve begins to suspect her abuse and molestation at his hands was orchestrated the moment she was given up.
As Eve makes her way through life, she discovers a love and passion for sex. After sex had become an act she could not see herself ever doing again, she has come to realize how addicting it is. Now she can't get enough of it, and she'll use her addiction in order to see her revenge take shape.
Eve hasn't given up on her birth mother or her suspicions that she is to blame for the horrific childhood she suffered. Eve is determined to uncover the truth behind her abuse, no matter how many people she has to kill.

WARNING: Adoptive Personality is not for anyone under the age of eighteen, as it describes serious sexual abuse.

I have a love/hate relationship with books that are so set in harsh reality like this one, because I say that books are supposed to take you from reality, not drag you further in. With Adoptive Personality, you're taken straight into Earth's version of Hell, with a young girl being viciously abused by whom she believes is her father.
Eve is not a sympathetic character, believe it or not. Her life has, naturally, made her hard, but she's not just tough and damaged: she's a killer. She's been truly broken by her ordeals, but somehow I had little sympathy for her.
The story is very dark, very real and shows the birth of a whole new kind of serial killer. Because, make no mistake, Eve is a very cunning serial killer, plotting each one and fooling everyone. It's not as vicious as most of the more popular books about murder, because it's also very emotional, concentrating on why Eve is the way she is.
While this is a very dark book, it's one of the best written ones I've read that deal with this subject matter. For everyone? Definitely not. But I highly recommend it!

4/5--well-written and makes you think!

Purchase Adoptive Personality via:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23128298-adoptive-personality

RELEASE DAY BLAST: "The Ex File (Behind The Blue Line Series)" by Alexis D. Craig

Second Chances Can Be Lethal

Narcotics Officer, Sean O’Leary is bitter after a messy divorce that has reinforced his solitary nature, leaving him only with his dog and a sword collection. He could never imagine that  his former best friend may be the only woman to bring happiness into his lonely life.

Ellie Gardner knows loss; especially after she was banished from her best friend/crush's life by his jealous wife. Although the regret of walking away from the love of her life still stung, a chance encounter with Sean may change everything.

When Ellie and Sean reconnect, they could never expect it'd be in such an explosive way, leaving them both to gain the fulfillment of their 'what if's. 

Finding love is hard enough without the past breathing down their necks, especially when said past has no intention of letting go. When Sean's ex, Pia Mastriani returns, Ellie must face her nemesis' relentless tactics to get Sean back, including eliminating Ellie if necessary.

Sean and Ellie’s relationship is put to the test but will they fare well while they go rummaging through The Ex File?