Book: The Violet Widow? Series: The Shattered Heart Series? #1 Author: K E Osborn @KEOsbornAuthor

Book: The Violet Widow?
Series: The Shattered Heart Series? #1
Author: K E Osborn
Genre: Contemporary
Hosted by:Francessca’s Romance Reviews



Synopsis:

What would you do if the life you lived, the life you loved, was ripped from you tragically? How could life possibly go on? The only way to function and to continue living is to become someone else. Someone completely different to who you were.

When life breaks you the only thing you can do is fight back. But at what cost? If you become someone else, the polar opposite to everything you stand for, does becoming The Violet Widow make anything better? Or will it make everything a hundred times worse?

Finding love is something The Violet Widow never thought possible, but when an unknown man shows up on the five-year anniversary of her life changing, how can she resist the handsome stranger?

Her walls are up. She is guarded.

So how can one possibly love again after losing so much?

The answer is simple - choose to live!

What path will she take? The path to fade into the darkness, or the path to live?

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Excerpt

The bartender brings me another Cosmo and I pay him with a fifty. He brings my change back and I leave it on the bar. I’ll just have to get it out for my next few drinks again anyway. I start to sip on my cocktail as Danny’s face flashes through my mind. I wince, sigh and close my eyes tight to try to rid myself of the image. The music in here is nice, soothing, gentle, soft music, not too loud, and nothing like the stupid music they play in bars these days. That’s why I like it here. It’s a place to come and unwind from the stressors of life. And people tend to leave you alone as they’re all too busy drowning in their own sorrows. I lean my head up against the bar on my forearms and just breathe. It’s getting late and I should probably head home, but I’ll have one more drink before I catch a cab.
“Looks like you’ve had a rough day,” a man says making me look up.
He is ruggedly handsome, wearing dark jeans, a black shirt, and a leather jacket. He looks a lot like a bad boy and maybe that’s what I need right now. I cock my head to the side and raise an eyebrow as I look at him. His face is half in the shadows so I can’t see his eyes.
“More like a rough five years,” I reply and he nods his head and half-laughs.
“Well, in that case, can I buy you another drink?” he asks leaning in a little closer to me. I can smell his aftershave, and it instantly makes me want him closer. It’s strange, I work with men all day and smell their aftershave, but never has it had this effect on me. I look up at him and he leans in closer out of the shadows and I look into his eyes. Mine open wide as I gaze at the beauty of them. I shake my head slightly while I stare into his gorgeous mesmerizing eyes focusing on the differing colours.
“See something you like?” he asks cockily with a smirk.
I huff, cross my legs and fold my arms over my chest.
“Someone has tickets on himself. No, I was looking at your eyes. I’ve never seen anything like them before, it’s fascinating. Are they contact lenses?” I ask as he pulls up a stool beside me and chuckles.
“The ladies always love my eyes. No, it’s not contacts, just something I’ve had since birth, it’s rare but not impossible. One green eye and one blue isn’t really that weird now is it?” he asks with a smile that lights up the dimly lit room.
I shift in my seat. He really is ridiculously good looking. It’s unnerving.
“Dunno, to me it kind of makes you a bit of a freak,” I reply and he smiles and nods.
“Yeah, I guess it does, but we all have a little freak in us somewhere?” he states and I raise my eyebrows at him.
“Ain’t that the truth,” I declare and take a sip of my Cosmo.



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About the Author



Australian author K E Osborn was born and raised in Adelaide, South Australia. Having worked in the optical industry for some time, K E Osborn decided it was time to leave the optical world behind and start on something new. With a background in graphic design and a flair for all things creative, she tried her hand at writing.
K E Osborn hid the fact that she was writing from her family, as she believed her first story was simply something she had to get on paper first and then judge if it was good enough for others to read. It wasn’t until her mother found a printed version of the manuscript that her secret came out. She was a writer, and she loved it. Writing gives her life purpose. It makes her feel, laugh, cry, and get completely enveloped with the characters and their story lines. She feels at home when writing.

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Book Blitz for Lex's Melody @givemebooksblog @ImLeighStone

Title: Lex's Melody

Series: Belfast Bound #1

Author: Leigh Stone

 Release Date: November 1, 2014

Synopsis

Lex's Melody is set in the Northern Ireland city of Belfast, and is the first in the ‘Belfast Bound’ series, following the stories of 5 friends and their adventures in love, romance, and BDSM.

Alex Matthews is a tall, handsome dominant. He exists on the thrill that having a woman submit to him creates. He doesn't date, he doesn't commit. He works hard as an architect by day, and demands control over his submissives in his downtime. Melody Anderson is a 26 year college student who is about to change all that.

When her best friend Jonny suggests that she try a dating website, Mel has no idea where it will lead. Alex finds her profile compelling, and on their first meeting in the oldest bar in Belfast makes the suggestion that she should submit to him. Enthralled by where this could lead, Mel agrees, and the pair find themselves bound together in submission and dominance.

Alex soon finds that with Mel, his previous vice of submission only, isn't enough, and he yearns to make their relationship more, but a dark shadow from Alex's past looms menacingly on the horizon.

Will Alex overcome his fears from the past and find a future with Mel, or will it all end in tragedy?

Contains graphic sexual scenes including those with BDSM overtones. Also contains graphic language, and therefore is not suitable for under 18's.

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Author Bio

I'm Leigh Stone, I live in Northern Ireland, just outside the capital city of Belfast, in a house I share with my teenage daughter, and our personal zoo (1 cat, 2 kittens, and 4 rabbits!).

I'm first and foremost a reader, and a fast reader at that, often devouring books in a single sitting over a period of hours. I have always had aspirations to write and become a published author, but as a teenager I was encouraged to look for a different profession, as being an author "wouldn't pay the bills."

It was that reading that lead a friend of mine to suggest that I had read so many of those books that I could probably write my own! It seemed like a good idea, and I thought that I would give it a try :) a few months later Lex's Melody was well underway, and the rest as they say is history!

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Sale Blitz for A Life Less Broken by Margaret McHeyzer @givemebooksblog @MargaretMAuthor

Title: A Life Less Broken

Author: Margaret McHeyzer

 Release Date: May 8, 2014

Synopsis

On a day like any other, Allyn Sommers went off to work, not knowing that her life was about to be irrevocably and horrifically altered.

Three years later, Allyn is still a prisoner in her own home held captive by harrowing fear. Broken and damaged, Allyn seeks help from someone that fate brought her.

Dr. Dominic Shriver is a psychiatrist who’s drawn to difficult cases. He must push past his own personal battles to help Allyn fight her monsters and nightmares.

Is Dr. Shriver the answer to her healing?

Can Allyn overcome the broken?

Contains distressing content. Only suitable for 18+. Standalone.

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ONLY 99c

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Review by Nadia Chief Obsessive Pimpette

4 of 5 stars

~*~ Obsessed by books arc given in exchange for an honest review ~*~

"I'm tortured by the memories that have plagued my soul every minute of every day for the last three years. The gray clouds suck me in, the blackness in my soul keeps me there and darkness surrounds me. My world will never be right again. I merely exist..."

Until Allyn switches on her tv and watches a remarkable tale of three survivors and the Doctor that helped them to feel empowered. Dominic Shriver is a well respected therapist that has the drive to help people find their way out of the darkness. Connecting from the very first instant Allyn trusts him and he with every moment is more more caught in her spell.

Allyn is broken, damaged and scarred but hiding underneath the battered exterior is a survivor, a tower of strength. Locked away in her safe refuge she has turned her home into her beige prison, too terrified to let the world that hides monsters in. Having lived in purgatory for the three years since the horrific attack that she miraculously suffered against all odds Dominic stirs something in her. He makes her strive to embrace more than her own four walls and do more than merely exist.

This is a story of despair, misery, terror and absolute darkness. Of monsters that hide in plain sight and can not be trusted as the prey on unknowing and innocent. It is not a story of unicorns and rainbows but of learning to dance in the rain. We read as Allyn battles her ghosts and with the support of Dominic begin to accept her past and move forward.

At times the content is heart wrenching but at no point are the details scandalized for a reaction, the subject matter is treated with respect and Allyns inner strength and beauty prevails throughout. Her battle almost seems impossible at times and the mirror is particularly amazingly well written and hauntingly beautiful. Yes falling in love with an older man and your Doctor is a little taboo but again this isn't the main focus of the story and as he never accepts payment isnit really an issue? He is her key to opening the door, allowing colour back into her life and for learning how to fly...

Four emotionally scarred yet perfect stars. 

*****************************************************************************

Review by Leigh Awesome Author Obsessive Pimpette

5 of 5 stars

When I read the first few pages of this book, I didn’t know if I was going to like it, but as I progressed into the story I couldn’t help but love it more and more.

Allyn is a typical young woman, until the day that changed her life, and more importantly her perception of the world and her place in it forever. Allyn is abducted, she’s tortured, assaulted violently, and she’s raped repeatedly. She’s left bruised, bloody, broken, and dumped where she’s expected to die. But in what becomes the main theme of the book, Allyn survives, her spirit strives to cling on to life, even when she has physically and mentally given up on everything.

In a chance occurrence, she happens to watch TV at just the right time to see Dr Dominic Shriver and 3 abuse victims that he was able to help. Allyn’s instincts tell her to contact this man seeking his help, and a tale of healing and romance begins.

I found both the characters believable, and engaging. Allyn, while scarred both inside and out, is a strong, brave woman ready to reach out and grab life before it escapes from her completely. Dominic is a man with his own hurt to heal, who very quickly finds Allyn’s strength and hidden vitality and fight attractive. The more I read, the more both characters began to bloom, and the more I wanted to see them getting their happy ever after.

The author uses great imagery to emphasise the darkness that has enshrouded Allyn, to the light and colourful life that the main character strives to grab hold of. The dark menacing clouds that Allyn associates with that day when her life was changed forever, the sense of “a storm brewing”, that it marked out several important changes that where taking place within her. The turbulence within her portrayed in the storms in the sky outside. The dark clouds vs her dark self imprisoned existence. This is later contrasted with the blue jay, the bird that sits on her window sill, and leads her to question her lack of colour, freedom and trust.

All in all, this was a very enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to anyone

Author Bio

**Bound by custom or unique by choice.**

There's something about the written word that's pure magic.

Possibly it's the fact that there are 26 letters in the English alphabet, and they can create something so beautiful or so empowering that they're able to change our lives.

How important is it that we break suit and stretch our minds?

I like to think of myself as 'unique'. My stories aren't for everyone, and sometimes I may push what you believe to be 'normal'.

Normal is subjective.

I prefer to be known as a person who's never been 'bound by custom' but is 'unique by choice'.

Until next time

Mxx

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EXCERPT REVEAL: Sloth by Ella James @author_ellaj

Excerpt #1

He looks down at me, and his face is so stern, so solemn…so hungry that I almost flee right then.

Instead, I ride it out. I tell myself I can handle whatever happens, and I stand my ground as he turns the knob and pushes it open.

His eyes cling to my face as he waves me inside first.

I step inside expecting something grand. Elaborate. Even magical. And that’s exactly what I find.

The wall in front of me is nothing but a sheet of glass, giving me a stunning view of the tops of pines, and the river rushing over rocks below them. Above the treetops, the pale sky stretches on and on, marred only by another crow or hawk or raven.

I could get lost in that view, but I don’t let myself. I roll my gaze around the room, taking in its deep plum walls, high ceilings. There’s even a fancy indention at the center of the ceiling, something that looks right out of a home and garden magazine. And to my left is the bed. A huge, imposing, mahogany canopy with a pale green duvet and curtains that drop down around it.

A bed for sex.

My hunch is confirmed when I notice, amongst the heavy dresser and wide desk, a claw-footed tub in one corner of the bedroom.

I’ve got my mouth half open, trying to decide if I should just be me and blurt out “sex cave,” or continue with my act and feign charm.

I turn around to him, belatedly realizing I should be making sure he doesn’t shut and lock the door. I find his eyes on me, but when my gaze meets his, he breaks away and walks over to the window.

“This used to be my room,” he says without turning around to look at me.

“Until?”

“I gave it up for trainees.”

“That sounds kinky.” It’s unplanned; I just murmur it.

He turns to me, his eyes hardened, his mouth gone sensuously soft. “You think so, Miss Whatley?”

I nod, and he walks over to me.

His hands close around my wrists. He looks into my eyes, like he’s desperate to see what I’m thinking. He brings one of my hands to his mouth. The soft brush of his lips on my palm makes me tingle, but it doesn’t matter. I’m going through with my plan regardless of how attracted I am to him.

“Can you see yourself staying here?” he asks, in that low, deep, sexy voice of his.

“I don’t know.” I try to sound weak; uncertain. “I think I’d miss my friends at the Tri Gam house.”

“I could make you forget about them while you’re here.”

IS KELLAN WALSH PROPOSITIONING ME?

“How could you do that?”

He steps a little closer to me, sending my pulse racing. His wide chest is inches from my breasts. I find myself longing to step forward.

Instead, he does.

My breasts mash against his chest as our hips brush. Half a heartbeat later, I feel his dick pressing against my lower belly.

Oh my God.

His hands come up and frame my face. His eyes, on mine, are hypnotic.

“I’m not going to lie to you. I want your body, Cleopatra. I’d like nothing more than for you to stay here with me. I’ll teach you to deal—teach you how to avoid getting caught, how to maximize your, our earnings—and we can see if this goes anywhere.”

“That’s why you brought me up here?” I whisper.

He nods slowly.

Add to your TBR at: http://bit.ly/1zY4hae

RELEASE DATE: February 25, 2015

I whirl around, because I need to go now. Need to run.

He grabs my arms, snatching me around to face him, holding me in front of him. Holding me still as he tries to tell me things I never want to hear.

"Stop it! Shut up! Shut up, Kellan! Fuck you!" He pulls me closer, and I slap his face.

The sound echoes through the foyer. His smooth, tanned check stains brilliant crimson.

He doesn't move a muscle. Doesn't even blink as I look at him for what I know will be the last time.

I'm sorry. His lips move silently. I don't care. I can't. His secrets ruined my life. He ruined my life!

If I live to be hundred, my heart will never be the same.

Note: Sloth is the first in my new Sinful Secrets series. Each intense, erotic story is inspired by a sin, and centered around a life-altering secret. Each "sin" stands on its own, so they don't have to be read in order. After Sloth, I'm writing Murder. Between these two, I'm releasing a stand alone: a more traditional romance called The Boy Next Door.

About the Author:

Ella James

Ella James is a USA Today bestselling romance author. Her books have appeared on numerous bestseller lists, including the Movers & Shakers list and the Amazon Top 25 overall; two were listed among Amazon's Top 100 Bestselling Young Adult Ebooks in 2012. To find out more about Ella's projects and get dates on upcoming releases, you can stalk her on the following social media sites:

Website | Facebook | Twitter  |  Goodreads

Subscribe to her newsletter HERE

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Blood Music by Jessie Prichard Hunter @JessiePHunter

Title:  Blood Music: A Thriller

Author:   Jessie Prichard Hunter

Genre: Thriller

Publish Date: February 24, 2015

Publisher:  Witness Impulse an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing

ISBN: 0062389289

ASIN: B00MMG19ZU

Pages: 320 pages

List Price: 2.99 USD          

   ~ Synopsis ~ 

 Chilling...A riveting thriller." NEW YORK MAGAZINE New York City is caught in the cold grip of a brutal serial killer who savagely rapes and murders his young, blonde victims. While ravaging them, his mind whirls with symphonic images and raging desires--rarely giving thought to his loving wife and child.

Young, blonde Zelly Wyche has a new baby and a happy life with her dependable electrician husband. She, too, is petrified by the madness and the unthinkable tragedy of the murders. While the serial killers' sole survivor and a victim's brother mount a desperate vigilante hunt for the "Symphony Slasher," a chill runs up Zelly's spine. She is beginning to wonder if the killer could be closer than she thinks. But no. Impossible. She has to be dead wrong....

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About the Author

  Jessie Prichard Hunter is the author of the psychological thriller Blood Music, forthcoming from Witness Impulse. She currently resides in New York's Hudson Valley with her husband and two children.  

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 5 individual promo codes for a free download of the book for an entire tour. Winner must have access to Bluefire Reader and have an Adobe account to receive free download.  

Entry-Form

Living Heartwood Novels by Trisha Wolfe @trishwolfe

Book #3

Releasing: February 18, 2015

Can be read as a stand-alone.

Love means fading out so another shines brighter. 

Right clothes. Right school. Right fiancé. As a Wyndemere, Arian's expected to abide by the rules. The most important: be perfect. But Arian's seemingly flawless life is far from it. An embarrassing expulsion from her parents' alma mater spirals an already unhealthy obsession out of control, exposing a dark truth.

Faced with having to attend a small private college after a stint in rehab, Arian's just ready to coast under the radar and repair some of the wreckage, but her father's looming control is like a vise choking off her air supply.

When a run-in with Braxton's beloved star quarterback, Ryder Nash, puts Arian squarely in the crosshairs of his devoted teammates, the last of her controlled, orderly world unhinges. As the pranks and paybacks escalate, Arian and Ryder's rivalry takes a passionate turn. And once Arian glimpses beneath the all-star-athlete exterior Ryder projects, she realizes he's far more than just a jock.

As their relationship intensifies, outside forces feel the threat. Outrunning their pasts doesn't mean history won't repeat itself, but Ryder can't let that happen. He's just one Championship game away from breaking the mold. Only one moment, one choice, might change everything.

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Review by Wendy Book Obsessed Pimpette

4 of 5 stars

** ARC given on behalf of obsessed by books for an honest review **

Arian is a beautiful bright young lady with the ability to have anything she wants, but what she wants is to be able to live her life the way she wants to not have to live up to her parents standards of how she should live and look. with all the stress from her parents Arian has developed an eating disorder cause she doesn't feel pretty. when a mishap gets Arian expelled from the elite school and her truths are known, she faced with attending a local private college and dealing with her own demons. she meets Ryder the star quarter back of the college, but their meeting wasn't pleasant at first, they started out rivaling each other, but attractions surface and Arian starts seeing Ryder, the true Ryder and just maybe his not so bad. As their relationship starts to grow, Ryders past appears. Can they both handle the stress of the world and family and their relationship survive. Loved this book. I love the whole series. 5 out of 5 stars. 

Book #1

Released: August 2013

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Can be read as a stand - alone.

Pressing the boundaries of both the psyche and the heart, Sam and Holden embark on a dangerous journey that will test the limits of love.

Sam Wintry’s life used to be almost perfect. She was engaged to her childhood best friend and high school sweetheart, Tyler Marks, planning an amazing cross-country honeymoon during her college break. But after a hit-and-run leaves her in ruin, she begins seeing Tyler’s fractured, ghostly presence, and her family believes she’s losing her mind. Not until she completes their journey, stopping along the way to scatter Tyler's remains, will Tyler be able cross over. Only...is Sam ready for him to leave her?

When the black sheep of the Marks' family, Holden Marks, returns to check on Tyler's case, Sam convinces him to give her his brother's ashes. Despite their shaky history, she needs him...plus, he owes it to Sam and his brother. What she doesn’t count on is Holden’s relentlessness to go on the trip. 

On the road, Holden realizes just how unhinged Sam has become. Dealing with her psychosis forces him to confront his dark past, making it harder to keep secrets hidden that should remain buried. Especially from Sam, the only woman he’s ever loved. And as Sam starts to unravel the truth, she begins to question if the brother she's unwillingly falling for again is in an even darker place than her.

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 5 of 5 stars

* * ARC received on behalf of obsessed by books for an honest review * *

this a story of second chances. Sam is living the perfect life, she's engaged to her best friend, doing good in college, plus her and Tyler are getting ready for a road trip. Tyler and Sam have a great love that people dream of, but in just a blink of an eye it can all be gone. when tyler gets killed, Sam swears she can still see him and hear him. people think she's crazy, but she knows different. to honor tyler she decides to go ahead with the road trip and at each check point spread his ashes. all is good until Holden, Tyler's older brother shows back up. now the thing is Sam and Holden have a history together, before tyler. so with old feelings in the mix, Holden feels a need to protect Sam , so to do that he goes on this road trip with her to help honor his brother and to maybe find the person behind his brothers death.
this book kept me on the edge of my sit. you could definitely see how much Holden cares for Sam. Tyler was her true love, but Holden was her first love and maybe her last. what a great book. 5 out of 5.

Book #2

Released: October 2014

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Can be read as a stand-alone.

Sometimes you have to lose your way before finding the right track.

The roar of a bike engine. The vibration between her thighs. The feel of cool darkness kissing her skin as she coasts along twisty back roads at night—Melody Lachlan lives for these things. Ever since Mel and her best friend Darla escaped their small, backwoods town, they’ve traveled the countryside in search of fast rides, tatted bikers, and good times.

A self-proclaimed poet and lover of all things free, Mel views her life as one long bike ride—with pit stops along the way to numb the pain. But she never saw herself as a junkie. Party as hard as you ride. That’s her motto…until a tragic night steals her soul. Then she’s forced to delve below the surface, to where her demons rage.

When she meets recovered drug addict Boone Randall, she’s more likely to deck him than kiss his dimple-adorable face. She doesn’t want his help; doesn’t want to own up to her part in that night. She just wants to do her time and keep her promise to her friend. Yet Boone challenges Mel, and soon she doesn’t mind sharing the road. Only when Boone’s own secret demons threaten their newfound, fragile security, Mel’s course becomes rocky, and she must decide if letting her well-worn track marks fade is worth finding a new path.

Told from Dual point of view from Melody and Boone, this is a New Adult Contemporary Romance intended for readers seventeen years of age and older.

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4 of 5 stars

* * ARC received on behalf of obsessed by books for an honest review * *

this story was a hard emotional read. we get to see a side of addicts life, dealing with grief and guilt.

melody never really consider herself an addict, but when a horrible accident happens while she's high and takes the life of her friend, melody is required to do 20 days of rehab, which she feels she doesn't need but with great counseling and a hot sexy guy who returns every day to tell a story, maybe getting help isn't so bad, but dealing with guilt and accepting fate isn't going to be easy.
Boone is trying to stay sober and he might not be on the straight and morrow just yet he is trying and Melody might be just what he needs. maybe together they can heal and help each other. a great read about grieving and strength. 4 out of 5 stars. 

The Living Heartwood series

The Darkest Part (Book 1) – Amazon / Goodreads

Losing Track (Book 2) – Amazon / Goodreads

Fading Out (Book 3) – Amazon/ Goodreads (Coming 2015)

Bad Road (Book 4) – Goodreads (Coming 2015)

About the Author

From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up fantasy worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her fantasy worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself.

For more information on Trisha Wolfe and her works, please visit:
http://www.trishawolfe.com/.

To be the first to hear about new releases and sale events, sign up for Trisha Wolfe's Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1rXTKI7.

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