Sunday 8 February 2015

Saving Erica Pre-Release Blitz @JacquiAviet


Saving Erica
by J.A. Melville
Cover:

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Synopsis:

Erica Rothman looked to have it all. Beauty, a successful modelling career, overseas travel, money and a handsome boyfriend or did she? Looks can be deceiving.

After fleeing the UK and her violent, abusive boyfriend she gave up modelling and came home to Australia to lick her wounds after Liam had attempted to kill them both in a car accident during a fit of jealous rage.
She wanted to keep what had happened to her a secret from her family until her brother Nathan accidentally learns the truth.

When he takes her to see the project he and his business partner and friend have bought to make money on, it seemed innocent enough until she meets his friend.

Zane Harrison is gorgeous, sexy and everything a woman could ever want in a man. He was probably used to having women fall at his feet. That’s exactly what Erica did when she met him; she literally fainted at the man’s feet.

The attraction is there and he could be the perfect man for her but is it too risky to get involved with him? Can she escape the horrors of her past? Will she ever be able to overcome just what it is about him that affects her so much?



WARNING: THIS BOOK IS INTENDED FOR THOSE 18 YEARS AND OVER. IT CONTAINS CONSENSUAL SEX SCENES, DESCRIPTIONS OF ABUSE AND ONE NON CONSENSUAL SEX SCENE. HOWEVER THIS IS NOT DARK EROTICA AND I DO BELIEVE IN HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

This book is a sequel to Taming Eric but set 15 years later. It is a standalone novel and it is not necessary to read Taming Eric first.

Excerpt:

Erica let herself into her parents’ home, the home she’d lived in from birth and listened for a moment to the laughter and voices coming from the dining room. It was Christmas Eve and she was late for the family dinner. Not that her family knew that since she hadn’t been able to guarantee she’d make it home for Christmas anyway.

It was just lucky that filming had finished early and she’d been able to get a seat on the first flight out of London. Someone had cancelled making a seat available and although she’d been stuck with an economy seat and jammed in between a quite large woman and a man who had spent most of the flight trying to chat her up, it had been worth it to get home that little bit quicker. She knew she could have called Daddy and he would have sent the company jet but she wanted to surprise her family when they really weren’t expecting her.

She stopped for a moment to check her appearance in the mirror over the hall stand and noticed the dark circles under her blue eyes, a blue that vivid they appeared almost purple under some lighting. Her auburn hair hung down one shoulder in a plait that finished just below her full breasts and she ran her hands down over her dress trying to smooth out the creases after being crammed in a plane for so many hours.

Slowly she moved towards the dining room, smiling as the voices grew louder the closer she got. Nathan was telling them something about his and his girlfriend Taylah’s last holiday together. Apparently she had managed to lock herself out of their room while only wearing a towel and Erica grinned to herself when everyone burst out laughing.

She made it to the dining room doorway and got her first look at her family in three months. Alice was there as were Beverly, Tom and Maggie but her eyes shifted past them to the tall figure of her Father standing by the window. Even in his early 50’s he was still a very attractive man and to her he was her hero. She loved her Father, she always had. He had been her protector, her savior and the person who could never say no to her.

Nathan was seated at the table, the light shining on his strawberry blonde hair with Taylah by his side; her dark almost exotic looks a complete contrast to him.

Brooklyn and Charlotte occupied another couple of chairs at the table and Erica noticed Brooklyn had somehow talked her parents in to letting her get a nose piercing if the diamond glinting in it was any indication. At 15 they were looking so much more mature than she remembered but the phones in their hands as they texted or were on Facebook proved that they still had some maturing to do yet.

Her Mother was seated up the other end of the table, looking her usual unruffled self, her auburn hair the exact same color as Erica’s twisted into some elaborate knot at her nape.

Erica smiled at the sight of them all together, all the people she loved most in her life. Suddenly her Mother looked up and saw her standing there and a wide smile transformed her face at the sight of her eldest daughter.

“Erica, darling, you made it.” She stood up with her usual grace. Her Mother’s mention of her name was enough to draw the attention of everyone else and the chatter stopped briefly before everyone started getting to their feet to come and greet her.

Before anyone reached her, she saw her father coming towards her with that long stride of his and he caught her up, swinging her around and around in his arms despite her protests and squeals at him.

He lowered her feet to the floor and pulled her into his arms for a hug, holding her tight and Erica realized at that moment how much her father had missed her. They’d been inseparable until her career had started to take off and now she was often gone for weeks or even several months at a time. Lately it was months and months in between visits back home.

“Daddy.” She said and that was all she could say as the tears started to fall and when she finally pulled back enough to see her father’s face, he had tears rolling down his cheeks too.

“I missed you so much Daddy.”

“Not as much as I’ve missed you sweet pea.” He told her huskily before hugging her tightly to him again.

Erica knew her father hated her job. She’d heard often enough about how he used to only date models years ago before Mum’s time. He’d found them shallow and self-centered so he had found it hard to accept that his own daughter had gone on to become a highly successful model.

He’d never once tried to stop her and had always been supportive and going by the collection of her professional photos hanging around the house, he was proud of her despite her career choice. Technically she hadn’t intended to get into modelling but it had been the fairy tale beginning for her. After being spotted at sixteen and talked into having some studio shots taken the rest as they say was history.

She had become an extremely wealthy woman from modelling but all that money didn’t mean much when her personal life was one huge mess. She had come home not just to see her family but to lick her wounds and recover from the physical and emotional damage done to her by her ex-boyfriend. She didn’t dare tell her father about what Liam had done to her. She just wanted to spend time with her family and try to push the whole horrible nightmare to the back of her mind.

With a huge grin on her face she pulled out of her father’s arms and turned to greet the rest of her family, her arms spread wide. “Well come on then, is Daddy the only one pleased to see me? Where’s my hugs?”

Her Mother stepped forward, a wide smile on her face, her arms outstretched and Erica walked into her embrace, dropping her head on her shoulder as she breathed in her Mother’s familiar vanilla scent. Before she could get too comfortable though, she was pulled into Nathan’s arms and given a hug that tight, she winced. She fought to keep the pain from her expression because her pain was from more than his big bear hug embrace, it was pain from bones that were still healing. She didn’t want anyone to see that though so she struggled to mask her reaction from her family. She didn’t want anyone to know what had happened. She just needed time to get over this with the people she loved most around her. She needed time to forget what Liam had done to her. God, just thinking about him sent a shiver through her and Erica pulled away from her brother and with a false smile on her face she said. “I’m starving. Can your poor old daughter and sister get something to eat before I collapse?”

With bursts of laughter and Nathan teasing her about her not being entitled to anything more than a lettuce leaf given she was some big shot model, her family cleared a spot for her at the table.

Brooklyn and Charlotte dropped kisses on her cheeks when she sat down. Erica took the plate of food from her mother’s hands that seemed to have miraculously filled itself and began to eat. The constant noise and laughter from her family was both comforting and familiar to her. She realized just how much she’d missed it, how much she’d missed them. Being back with them like this would help for a short time at least. She could forget about the past, forget about the pain and try and push the hell Liam had put her through from her mind.

About the Author:
From my teenage years, all I wanted to do was become a writer one day. Even now as an adult woman with a partner and three children who are not so little anymore, I've always lived with my head in the clouds, a dreamer, often amusing myself with my own imagination. It might have taken me awhile to finally live my dream, but I did it. I hope to one day be good enough to stand beside the many talented writers out there who have kept me entertained with their wonderful stories over the years. I live in a sleepy country town in Tasmania, Australia with my partner and three children plus our 4 cats, dog and cattle. I've had to overcome many emotional obstacles along the way to get to this point and attempting to self-publish a book does tend to make a person feel like they've thrown themselves in at the deep end of the pool. Here's hoping some of you actually like what I write and save me from drowning in the deep end as I probably forgot to mention, I can't swim.



Where to find J.A. Melville:
Twitter @JacquiAviet

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Pre-Order Promo - Sidney Halston @SidneyHalston

Sidney Halston
Below the Belt (Worth the Fight #3)
Release Date: February 10th, 2015

Blurb:

Once one of the most sought-after names on the mixed martial arts circuit, Antonio “Scarface” Marino watched his career go down for the count as he chased skirts and made tabloid headlines. Now he’s finally making a comeback, and it’s all thanks to Francesca Silva, a Brazilian bombshell as tough as any of her fighters. But who’s the real Francesca: the trash-talking trainer who rides him hard, or the vulnerable woman who blushes at his touch?

Francesca went to the mat to sign Tony because she believes he still has the potential to bring big success to her gym—if she can keep his head in the cage and out of her personal life. After a short-lived marriage soured her on love, a one-night stand is all she can handle. Now Tony’s kisses are stirring up complicated feelings—especially when he agrees to face her ex in the ring. Francesca’s used to freezing guys out. But Tony’s tempting her to give in to the heat.


Goodreads:

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About Author

USA Today bestselling author, Sidney Halston lives her life with one simple rule: “Just Do It” Nike, and that’s exactly what she did. After working hard as an attorney, Sidney picked up a pen for the first time at thirty years old to begin her dream of writing. Having never written anything other than very exciting legal briefs, she found an outlet for her imaginative romantic side and wrote Seeing Red, among four other novels currently in the works, including the sequel to Seeing Red. That first pen stroke sealed the deal and she fell in love with writing.

Sidney lives in South Florida with her husband and children. She loves her family above all else, and reading follows a close second. When she’s not writing you can find her reading and reading and reading… She’s a reader first and a writer second. 

When she’s not writing or reading her life is complete and utter chaos trying to balance family life with work, and writing (and reading). But she wouldn’t have it any other way.




About the Worth The Fight Series

Against the Cage (Worth the Fight #1)

For Chrissy Martin, returning to her Florida hometown always seems to bring bad luck. The day starts with a breakup text, followed by a jailhouse phone call from her troublemaker brother. Now a routine traffic stop has ended with her accidentally punching an officer . . . in a delicate place. Then Chrissy realizes that the hot cop on the receiving end of her right hook is none other than the man from her teenage fantasies.

Jack Daniels knows how to take a hit. After all, when he’s not chasing reckless drivers, he’s kicking ass in a mixed martial arts ring. So what takes his breath away isn’t the low blow, but the woman who dealt it: a gorgeous knockout with legs Jack wouldn’t mind being pinned under—who just so happens to be his best friend’s nerdy little sister, all grown up. Soon their instant chemistry leads to a sizzling affair, but Jack and Chrissy are fighting an uphill battle if they want to make love last beyond the final bell.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19082071-against-the-cage

Buy Links:

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Against-Cage-Worth-Fight-Novel-ebook/dp/B00H12A1UY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422479849&sr=8-1&keywords=sidney+halston+against+the+cage

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/against-the-cage-sidney-halston/1120679173?ean=9780553390964

iTunes/iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/against-the-cage/id770267777?mt=11&uo=4

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Sidney_Halston_Against_the_Cage?id=YVuVAgAAQBAJ

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/against-the-cage



Full Contact (Worth the Fight #2)

How could she have been so stupid? When Jessica Cross decides to give her violently jealous boyfriend—the otherwise influential and charming Dennis Stavros—a second chance, she very nearly becomes a statistic. After weeks of healing from a broken rib and collapsed lung, and with Dennis behind bars, Jessica finally feels ready to come out of hiding. But will she ever be able to take a chance on love again with someone new?
 
Mixed martial arts fighter Slade Martin knows he has a bad reputation. Hell, he's probably earned it. So it won’t be easy to convince beautiful, vulnerable Jessica that she can trust him—that from the moment she walked into his life, she’s been the only one he’s wanted. Powerful and confident, Slade knows he can honor his vow to protect Jessica body and soul. Winning her heart will be another matter . . . but a woman like Jessica is worth the fight.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22469198-full-contact

Buy Links:







FILTHY RICH Spotlight Tour


Filthy Rich
By Dawn Ryder
Sourcebooks Casablanca
Erotic Romance
February 3, 2015
ISBN: 9781402287152

“Tantalizing” – RT Book Reviews on Out of Bounds

SHE’S FIGHTING FOR CONTROL…
Celeste Connor swore that she’d never be a victim again. After the hell of her abusive ex, the last thing she needs is to be under another man’s thumb. But when she catches the eye of fiercely dominant Nartan Lupan at her best friend’s wedding, Celeste finds herself drawn into a glittering world of wealth and power that has her body aching and her mind reeling.

HE’S FIGHTING TO MAKE HER HIS…
Nartan is a filthy rich businessman who works hard, plays harder, and doesn’t take no for an answer—and he wants Celeste with a hunger he’s never before felt. He’ll do whatever it takes to have her. But Nartan didn’t expect that he’d want still more…

Buy links: Amazon | Apple | B&N | BAM | !ndigo | IndieBound

Dawn Ryder is the erotic romance pen name of a bestselling author of historical romances. She has been publishing her stories for over 8 years to a growing and appreciative audience. She is commercially published in mass market and trade paper, and digi-first published with trade paper releases. She is hugely committed to her career as an author, as well as to other authors and to her readership. She resides in Southern California.

Connect with Dawn Ryder: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Excerpt from FILTHY RICH by Dawn Ryder

A howl woke her.
Celeste sat up and looked around the room.
The sun had finally gone down sometime after ten. Now the stars were brilliant, and a yellow moon was casting an amazing level of light in the nighttime hours.
There was a whimper and then another long howl.
Alaskan wolves.
She could sleep when she got back to Southern California.
She got up and hurried into her jeans. Only the range light was on in the kitchen, but with so much moonlight coming through the windows, it was easy to get to the mudroom and lace up her boots.
She opened the outer door slowly, sliding through to keep from moving it too much. A howl sounded, so much louder now that she was outside. She pressed the door shut and knelt down.
The starlight illuminated the wolves. At least six of them were pawing the ground as they moved along the road that connected the house with the test facility offices. Those offices weren’t even in sight.
But the wolves were.
And so was Nartan.
He was crouched down twenty feet away. Her breath caught as she took in the way he blended with the moment. The wolves made yipping sounds as they came closer, smelling the road and the air as they went.
Nartan lifted his hand and beckoned her toward him. Her steps seemed too noisy, the crunching sounds grating on her ears. A wolf looked toward her and she froze.
Nartan beckoned again, turning to look at her.
The animal was still fifty feet away, but it was looking toward her. She bit her lower lip, afraid of spooking the animal.
Nartan closed in on her, moving right up next to her.
“He can smell you. You’re upwind. Come down here with me. He won’t worry about you then.”
“Oh…”
Nartan clasped her hand and pulled her down to where he’d been. He lifted his head, judging the wind. The wolf let out a yip and joined the rest as they scratched at the dirt and one another. Two of them would circle another, lowering their heads and yipping. The wolf in the center was the one who lifted its head and let out a long howl.
“The alpha…” Nartan whispered.
He had his arm draped around her, his scent filling her senses.
Why did he smell so good?
Not that it really mattered. He was still as pond water but his skin was warm. His attention was on the wolves, but she felt like it was on her as well. He shifted just a bit, and inhaled next to her hair.
Fresh from bed, it was a soft cloud. She reached up, self--conscious about how messy it was. He caught her hand and stopped her as the alpha looked at them. The animal’s eyes were pools of moonlight. Its mouth was open, giving her a glimpse of its long canine teeth. It made a low sound before pushing its front paws out and stretching its neck up and tilting its head until its nose pointed at the moon. A long, mournful cry filled the night.
It felt like she was suspended in time. They might have been anywhere, in any year.
“Lower your head.”
He tucked his chin and cupped her nape.
“To show submission…”
Celeste stiffened. Nartan chuckled in a bare whisper next to her ear. “To the alpha.”
She bent, the wolf watching her before losing interest and moving along with the pack.
Nartan massaged her neck, his fingers working the stiffness from the muscles as she straightened. “Well done.”
It felt like there was innuendo in his comment. But maybe she was just being too sensitive.
To--be--dealt--with list.
She drew in a deep breath and forced herself to relax. The wolves were moving away now, heading toward a forested area. The alpha looked back at them before it disappeared into the timber.
“That was amazing,” she whispered.
Nartan’s hand was under her hair, the touch so intimate that she was loath to pull away. He threaded his fingers through her hair, pulling his hand free as he finger--combed the strands. He watched her as he did it, his eyes reflecting the moonlight just as the alpha’s had.
He was in his element.
Call it cheesy or lame but she couldn’t shake it.
So she rose, backing away from him as he stood. His shirt was open all the way down his front, his jeans sagging low on his waist because he didn’t have a belt on. And his feet were bare.
“Aren’t you cold?”
He slowly smiled and extended his hand. “Judge for yourself.”
She started to reach for him and froze. Indecision held her in its grip as the wind blew her hair around. One of his dark eyebrows rose as she hesitated.
Chicken…
She reached out and touched him. Allowed her fingertips to rest on his forearm for a moment that felt like a mini eternity. It ended when he twisted his arm around and captured her wrist. He stepped up to her, pulling her toward him. She could have broken the hold, if she was able to think.
Which she wasn’t.
Her brain seemed to have shut down. Somehow, she was caught in a storm of sensations, completely unwilling to think about anything. She simply wanted to experience the moment.
Well, it was quite a moment.
Rich with scents and sensations that were intoxicating. His breath teased her ear and then her cheek. A shudder shook her, sending a tiny gasp through her lips. Nartan took advantage of her parted lips, pressing his down on top of them and tasting them slowly.
God, how long had it been since she’d been kissed?
Pleasure flowed through her, gaining strength like a flame catching a wick. Sure, she knew that a candle was for lighting, but until it was lit, the memory of how bright it could shine was dim.
She stepped back. Startled by how much she liked his kiss.
She wanted more.
A hell of a lot more.
But she turned and headed back into the house before she could do anything impulsive.
Moon madness. That was all.
Only she wasn’t really sure if she would ever be sane again.


Rafflecopter Giveaway for 3 copies of OUT OF BOUNDS by Dawn Ryder: (Giveaway is open from 1/26/2015 – 2/27/2015) a Rafflecopter giveaway

Can you help us find our next great story

While sharing marketing tips and discussing cover art, independent authors Amanda Aksel and Heather Hildenbrand came to the same conclusion; wouldn’t it be great if there was a publishing house that offered all the resources of traditional publishing, while still allowing the creative freedom of independent publishing? They set out to create their vision, and Elephantine Publishing was born.
 
Elephantine is a collaborative publisher. Their goal is to partner with authors to turn a love of writing into a successful career for years to come. They work side by side with authors through every step of the publishing process to create a unique and professional title to share with the world. Using strategic marketing, Elephantine provides their authors with industry tools and resources to build readership and grow sales.

Elephantine’s aim is simple: To provide access to all stories worth telling, whether or not the words fit into a neatly labeled box. Words that resonate in your bones. Stories you’ll never forget.

How can you get involved in this new publishing movement?

1.    Authors, become a part of the herd!
We’re looking for stories you’ll never forget in the following genres:
Young Adult contemp that deals with hard issues, YA PNR, New Adult contemp/paranormal, & Women’s Fiction


2.    Bloggers, join our Official Elephantine Blogger Team and help share covers and request ARCS/post reviews! Sign up here.

3.    Elephantine is looking for an INTERN!

We are looking for a small team to contribute 2-5 hours per week. In exchange, you’ll:
a)    Learn the publishing industry (whether its marketing or the literary development side) from the inside!
b)    Build your resume so that you can use your time with us as a stepping stone to more opportunities as your expertise increases!
c)    Have the unique opportunity to work one on one with an innovative new business model 

Submit your resume to elephantinepublishing@gmail.com
We look forward to hearing from you!