Friday, August 30, 2013

Celebrating one year book birthday #Giveaway


Prize pack one


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Prize Pack Two 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bonus giveaway 

open to those joining the event on facebook 

More goodies on the event page

 ebooks 


Swag




bookmarks


Best of luck thank you for joining in my celebrations! 







Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Top Ten Reason's Werewolves are better than Vampires

TOP TEN REASON'S
 WEREWOLVES ARE BETTER THAN VAMPIRES
by Devyn Dawson


1.  Werewolves have great abs - Vampires think they're too cool to work out. 

2.  Werewolves will take you to dinner - Vampires think you're dinner.

3.  Werewolves will snuggle with you on a picnic on a bright sunny day - Vampires typically avoid sunlight (unless they have a ring like Damon and Stephen)

4.  Werewolves have big families, so you'll never be lonely.  Vampires tend to be loners.

5.  Werewolves like big fluffy beds - Vampires sleep in a casket.

6.  Werewolves will protect you with their life - Vampires are narcissistic and rarely care if you're okay or not.

7.  Werewolves make better lovers - That sparkly vamp in those movies looked pained when he was being a lover.  

8.  Werewolves look great in jeans!  Vampires tend to overdress and are rarely rocking jeans.

9.  Werewolves have animal magnetism - Vampires compel you to be their friend.

10.  Werewolves know how to party and howl at the moon - Vampires are on the boring side when it comes to parties.

Those are the reasons werewolves are better than vamps.  Be sure to watch for The Great Wolf coming Oct 29, 2013



Book Review by Victoria Simcox

 
 


                                                               Aubrie Dionne
                                       Romantic Science Fiction and Fantasy
                                           Get Swept Away to Other Worlds...
                                                 
                                                           
Two words to describe Playing the Maestro: "Classy and Sophisticated". Not only is this novel a love story, but a love story pertaining to two orchestra musicians: a German maestro named Wolf, and the first flutist in his orchestra, Melody. The fact that this story is wrapped around the symphony lifestyle, made this read even more interesting. I found the characters were very well developed, and I could truly picture the sweet, yet beautiful Melody, and the handsome, GQ style Wolf, in my mind. Their on and off romance kept me intrigued, and it made it hard for me to put the book down. I found the storyline well developed and fast paced, with some great twists and turns. In all, it was very refreshing, and the budding love between Wolf and Melody was a perfect mix of intrigue and romance. I commend the author, because great romance stories need not be overly explicit. Aubrie has created a beautiful, well-crafted love story that will pull at your heartstrings until its very end.

Check out Aubrie's websites @ http://www.authoraubrie.net and  http://www.authoraubrie.net

Friday, August 23, 2013

Dehumanized Tour!

Now for a stop on a tour for one of our own! Here is a shout out to Michael Loring whose posts have made us laugh, dig down and think deeply and in some cases just about fall out of our chairs!
 
Thank you for being awesome Michael!

Ryan Zachery lived his life the way all high school teenagers should -
carefree.
Until he was attacked by an unknown assailer and awoke in the hospital with lycanthropy. Taken by armed guards and dragged away from everything he held dear, Ryan was thrown into a US camp made for those 'suffering' from lycanthropy.


They caged the beast, but now he will show them that he will never be dehumanized.
Check out this Dehumanized preview!


Michael Loring was born in Bristol, Connecticut, but has lived in a variety of places such as Florida and Tennessee. He likes to think of himself as an amateur Lycanthropologist, studying werewolves ever since he was eight years old when he first saw An American Werewolf In London. He spent most of his life switching between home school and public school, always focusing on his passion of writing no matter what. His interest in writing was sparked in the second grade when his teacher encouraged him to write short stories for the class, earning him more than one award at school assemblies for Creative Writing. He currently resides back in his birthplace of Connecticut with a house full of women who like to drive him up the wall until he finishes his chores. Though they seem to avoid him during the night of the full moon for some unexplainable reason...

As a present for stopping by
here is a Dehumanized screen saver:
We hope you have enjoyed this stop on
the Dehumanized tour!


Stop by www.MichaelLoring.com to check out the other tour stops;

New guest posts, interviews, excerpts and more!

Monday, August 19, 2013

10 Things Readers Would Be Surprised to Know about Me...

10 Things Readers would be Surprised to know about Me.

11.)  I love the smell of scotch tape, it reminds me of Christmas

22.)  I married my best friend at 19 after knowing him for 4 months.

33.)  I never finished college

44.)  I was a soccer player in high school and had a scholarship to play in college

55.)  My father was from Puerto Rico, he adopted me when I was 1 year old and as I grew older I would tell people I was half Puerto Rican. It was totally believable with my red hair, fair skin and freckles.

66.)  I have siblings I’ve never met.

77.)  When I was a nurse my favorite thing to do was wound care (loved the gross stuff).

88.)  I’ve never been out of North America

99.)  I’ve never been to Disney World (true story)

110.)   I am a real person, with real problems and I put my pants legs on two at a time (okay not really but I bet you were trying to figure out how I managed that.)


Thursday, August 15, 2013

New Release! Surfacing (Swans Landing #3)

It's been a BUSY summer for me, with two new releases out in two months. My latest YA contemporary romance, The Rules of You and Me, was released in mid-June. Now this week, I've released the last book of my YA paranormal series Swans Landing, which is about a group of mermaid-like beings called finfolk and takes place along the Outer Banks of North Carolina.


Surrendering (Swans Landing #3)

Josh Canavan swam an entire ocean in search of the truth about what happened the night his father died. Now he’s made the journey back in order to save the people and the island he loves.
But when the devastating truth about his father’s death is revealed, can Josh trust who he is long enough to fight the threat that will destroy Swans Landing as he knows it?
Surrendering is the conclusion to the Swans Landing series by Shana Norris.


This book had its moments of being a problem child, but I really enjoyed writing it and bringing all the story lines from the other three books together. (If you’re confused about why this one is #3 when there are three other books before it, it’s because Shifting is a novella rather than a full novel, so I labeled it #2.5.) Finally, Josh finds out what really happened the night his dad died. We learn exactly why Domnall is so interested in Swans Landing. And we learn some other secrets that I hope will surprise you!


Where to Buy:
iTunes is coming soon!
Also, I don’t think I’ve announced this here yet, but Surfacing and Submerging are now available in audiobook format from Audible.com! Check them out here: Surfacing and Submerging.

If you haven't read the Swans Landing series yet, you can find out more information about it on my website!

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Release Date Announcement + Excerpt: MEANT FOR HER by Raine Thomas

Howdy, y'all! Since I allowed the lovely and amazing Devyn Dawson to "hijack" my Writer's Voice posts in July so we could publicize Indie BookFest 2013, I haven't posted here in a while. I've sure missed you!

I thought I'd catch you up on things in my world. I've been participating in conferences and writing like crazy when my full-time wedding planning career permits. UtopYACon and Indie BookFest were both incredible events and I fully intend to participate in both next year. I hope you do, too!

I've also got some exciting news that I'm sharing here before I do anywhere else: my next New Adult Contemporary Romance, Meant for Her, is scheduled for release on October 17th! The photo shoot for the cover is happening this week. I'm so excited to be working with the talented Kelsey Kukal-Keeton and Regina Wamba on this cover. It's going to be epic!!

To celebrate the launch news, I wanted to share an excerpt from Meant for Her. If you'd like to read the first chapter, you can do so on my blog. For now, please enjoy this previously unreleased excerpt from the book. I hope you'll leave a comment with your thoughts!

Excerpt from Meant for Her by Raine Thomas

The sound of a loud engine caught her attention. She looked up as a guy pulled into the parking lot on a motorcycle across the courtyard from her. Judging by the sound, the shiny chrome, and the distinctive lines of the bike, it was a classic Harley-Davidson.

Her camera lifted of its own accord. The guy oozed sex appeal, even from a distance. When she used her zoom and saw the guy more closely, she realized why.

Evan Dorsey.

As she pressed the shutter release multiple times, she considered what this meant. Her aunt had something up her sleeve, she was sure of it. She supposed, since this decision made her particularly happy, she wasn’t going to complain.

Putting her camera back into her bag and hefting the bag onto her shoulder, she left the picnic table and made her way across the grassy courtyard used as a common area by the building’s tenants. She watched Evan pause after he dismounted from his bike to look up at the trio of red brick buildings that comprised the complex.

Did he see it like she did, as buildings with tons of character? Did he look at the large, white wood and brick balconies and think about how they overlooked the park across the street and the city beyond? Did he like how there were only a limited number of units, which helped foster a sense of community among the tenants?

Well, if he didn’t, he would after she gave him the walk-through.

He started in her direction, then abruptly stopped walking when he saw her. She gave him a welcoming smile.

“Hi, Evan,” she said, stopping a couple of feet from him. “It’s so nice to see you again. You look great.”

He looked spectacular, actually. He’d put on some weight since the wedding. His cheeks no longer looked gaunt, and his muscular biceps were nicely displayed by his navy blue T-shirt. As she had noticed when she was with Everly at the stadium, his brown hair had grown. Now a few wavy locks fell into his eyes and brushed his collar in the back. It had lightened a shade or two during the spring. The shadow of stubble lining his powerful jaw made her want to run her fingertips down the side of his face and then kiss his sinful lips.

“Your aunt didn’t mention that you’d be the one meeting me,” he said.

She couldn’t read anything in his tone or expression. His aviator shades hid his eyes from her, too. That made her smile again.

Evan Dorsey was an enigma.

“Yes, well, she’s like that sometimes,” she said. “We love her anyway.”

Linking her arm with his, she started walking toward the gate leading into the correct building. It pleased her that he walked with her rather than pulling away.

“I help manage the properties for my aunt and uncle,” she explained as they stopped at the keypad beside the gate. “One of my duties is showing available apartments to interested future tenants.”

He didn’t respond as she pulled a card out of her bag and scanned it, releasing the gate. When she started to open it, he reached around her and did so before she could.

“Thanks,” she said, smiling and walking past him. “Let’s give you the grand tour. Do you have any pets?”

“Yes.”

He didn’t expound. She didn’t let his silence break her stride. In this line of work, she’d interacted with all kinds of people, including the strong-and-silent type.

“Well, this complex welcomes up to two pets under fifty pounds each, as long as the breeds aren’t on the restricted list.”

“They aren’t,” he said.

Mentally confirming that he wasn’t going to be very chatty, she just nodded. They walked through another small courtyard, which she explained was great for walking dogs if the weather didn’t allow for crossing the street into the park. She mentioned that most of the tenants also had pets and were quite friendly.

She led him through the building’s main lobby, which was quiet since it was in the middle of the week and most people were at work. Evan took off his sunglasses and looked around, glancing at the hardwood floors, the long, marble counter that served as the reception area, and the sitting area complete with comfortable furniture, rich wood accent tables topped with fresh flowers, and a flat panel television hanging on one wall. His gaze stopped on the glass door leading to the building’s gym.

“Each building has its own fully-equipped gym,” she explained, “but there’s only one pool, shared by all three buildings. Since there are only thirty units altogether, it rarely gets crowded.”

He didn’t respond. She saw one of the building’s employees, Oliver Werner, sitting behind the counter and crossed the lobby to greet him. He got to his feet, towering over her by more than a foot.

“Hi, Oliver.”

“Hi there, Ms. Sierra. Nice to see you.”

She winked at him. “This is Evan Dorsey. He’s checking out 4-B.”

“Is that right?” Oliver held out his hand and Evan shook it. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Dorsey. Can’t find a better place to live in this city, I assure you. We’ll take real good care of you here.”

“I like what I see so far,” Evan said.

Sierra wondered if it was a coincidence that his dark blue eyes shifted to her after he said that. In either case, her pulse quickened and a smile blossomed. What harm could there be in fantasizing about a compliment from a hot ballplayer? It was healthy, really.

“Thanks, Oliver. We’ll be down in a bit.”

They headed to the elevator. She punched a code into the keypad to the right of the doors. As they closed, she looked at Evan to explain what she’d done. He was staring at her. She expected him to look away when she caught him.

He didn’t.

“When you’ve signed the lease, you’ll get your own code,” she explained.

When I sign it?”

She smiled up at him. He might not have made up his mind about moving in just yet, but she already knew how this was going to end.

“There are four apartments each on floors two and three,” she continued as though she hadn’t heard him, “and two larger apartments on four. Only the tenants on each floor can access their floor.”

“Unless they give the code out to everyone they know.”

“Sure. We do change the codes regularly to try and prevent issues, and ask tenants to let us know if there’s any reason they need their personal codes changed. As with most secure buildings shared by multiple tenants, nothing is guaranteed.”

The elevator stopped and the doors opened up into a long hallway with hardwood floors and a richly colored carpet runner. Two large windows along the left side of the hall allowed sunlight to flood in. A few framed black and white photographs of some of the more interesting architectural elements of the complex hung along the right wall. The door to 4-B was straight ahead at the end of the hallway. Halfway there, they passed the door to 4-A on the left.

“Who lives in that apartment?” Evan asked.

She paused as she reached the door to 4-B. “Aunt Caroline didn’t tell you?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

She turned and unlocked the door to 4-B. They walked in, neither of them mentioning that she hadn’t answered his question. She started talking as she walked from room to room, figuring he was listening even if he wasn’t following her.

“As you can see, this apartment has lots of character and natural light. It’s over sixteen hundred square feet and has two large bedrooms, two full baths. Separate laundry. The kitchen has been completely updated with granite and stainless steel. Natural hardwood floors throughout. Neutral paint on the walls, but you’re welcome to change it once you move in. There are two real brick walls and exposed ductwork to enhance the loft feel. It’s a very open floorplan with—”

She turned and almost collided with Evan’s chest. Apparently, he had been following her.

“You’re in 4-A, aren’t you?” he asked.

She smiled.

“I’ll take it,” he said.
Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

Monday, August 12, 2013

Cry Me a River Blog Hop!



RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY 
LISTED BELOW EXCERPT

Cry Me a River
by Devyn Dawson
Contemporary Romance


***MATURE CONTENT WARNING**** 
This book is intended for 17+ due to language, sexual situations, and drug references 

Caide thought he had a handle on his life...until he realized he doesn't.

He's 23, a professional chef, has his own TV show, a house at the beach, and a beautiful daughter; who can ask for more? That was his question until his ex-girlfriend (and mother to his child) dies from an accidental overdose. Caide is thrust into the courts and they order him to go to Al Anon meetings and parenting classes.

He has a foul mouth and bad attitude about being forced to go to a support group when he doesn't have a problem. He has a few drinks before he goes to Al Anon and comes face to face with River Murphy, the pretty group leader. She seems all together and doesn't fall for his gritty attitude like other girls do. One night, he finds her after being roofied in a bar, he takes her home to make sure she's okay. The next thing they know, River's life is being turned upside down and she doesn't know why. Caide steps in and the two find themselves in the middle of trying to repair their broken hearts.



Clean version excerpt.

Chapter One

We loved with a love
That was more than love
Edgar Allan Poe

August 7

My mind is wandering as the priest walks up and down the aisle swinging back and forth an elaborate incense burner.  The scent reminds me of the last time I was in church; it had to have been at least three years ago. I don’t go to church because it isn’t my thing to sit next to liars, the same people who I’ve seen in the bars, or wasted at the beach.  Not much gets past people in our little town, Emerald Isle, North Carolina, population 3800.  Most homes along the 14 miles of coastal Emerald Isle, are rental vacation property.  The tenants only rent the beach houses for a week, just long enough to party, make false promises and move on to the next.  Someone coughing brought my thoughts back to the here and now.  Right now, I’m in church with a massive headache and a hard-on.

My damn BLANK doesn’t care where it is, church, school, sitting at Sunday brunch with my mother.  No, my BLANK pretty much has a mind of its own.  I take in a few deep breaths and remind myself why I’m here. 

My daughter is sitting with her grandparents on the front row.  Heather’s dad hates me for things I didn’t do.  Heather’s mom hates me because I walk the earth.  She’d sooner see me six feet under than anywhere near my daughter, Lucy Marie.  I look over to where they are sitting and Lucy’s standing up and pointing to the person in the pew behind her.  Her eyes are bright and her chubby cheeks jiggle when she bounces around.  My heart swells with love every time I look at her.  They don’t realize I’m here; I snuck in at the last minute.

Everyone stands and holds hands as the preacher prays.  The woman on my left has wiped her nose with a tissue for the last forty-five minutes.  That’s all I can think about, her snot rag.  Maybe I am a germ-a-phobe, but is it wrong to not want someone’s nasty germs all over my hand?  I have hand sanitizer in my pocket, which I’ll use as soon as we part ways.  Until I do, I’ll fixate on the fact, I have her snot all over my hand.  I try to focus on the preacher, my brain is telling me to get up and leave before anyone realizes I’m here, but I can’t.  I’m not leaving until I hold Lucy.  I haven’t seen her since the week of the Fourth of July.  Heather brought her over and wanted me to keep her for the night so she could go out and party.  She fell off the radar for five days.  Her parents came over looking for Lucy and acted as though I stole my own daughter.  They berated me because I didn’t call them right away.  At least I called them.  The minute her mom saw a few empty beer cans on my kitchen counter, she flew off the handle and started screaming at me.  Did she bother to remember I’m twenty-three and four beer cans doesn’t make for a drunken stupor.

Everyone stands and pew by pew we line up and walk to the front of the church.  My heart races, every step feels like I am one step closer to God and to reality.  I’ve never taken communion; it always scared me to eat the body of Christ.  When you’re a little kid, your thoughts are literal and I didn’t want to be a cannibal. 

There are two people ahead of me, my palms are sweaty.   I hear people whispering, I’m sure they’re pointing at me and calling me names.  “Caide is a douche”… “Caide is an alcoholic”… “Caide is a sinner”…  They’re probably not dropping the f-bomb in church, since they’re all perfect.

Someone nudges me from behind, “You’re next,” she whispers.

I turn and I swear my heart stops.  The white casket is perfect for Heather.  The lining of the casket is pastel pink satin and her blond hair is curled and cascades down over her breasts.  My heart suddenly starts and is pounding in my ears.  My throat closes up and for the first time since the day Lucy was born, my eyes fill with tears.  Heather is dressed in a pink floral dress with a little white sweater.  Lucy’s teddy bear is tucked up under her hand as well as a picture of the three of us when things were better.

My heart isn’t prepared for the pain, the complete and utter pain.  I’ve never been to a funeral before and now I’m sure I never want to go to one again.  Her face is peaceful, something it hasn’t been in months.  I know they covered her arms to hide her track-marks and the make-up covers the dark circles under her eyes.  We were in-love once upon a time.  She’s the mother of my daughter and she’s dead.  I can’t wrap my brain around it all, how could she do this?  How could she check out like that?  She was supposed to always be in my life, but I wanted her happy and healthy.  I shouldn’t have turned my back on her.  If only I had tried harder, she’d still be here.

Without thinking, I reach over and brush my hand across her cheek.  I almost came apart in front of everyone.  Her skin was so cold and hard, like a cement bench in the dead of winter.  “Oh baby-girl, what happened?  I’m so sorry….I’m so sorry….I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.  Heather baby, you were going to get clean.  What happened?  How did it happen?”  I shake my head back and forth and I know my tears are dripping on her dress.  It was her present from me when she lost her pregnancy weight.  I bought the dress during my lunch break and gave it to her when I got home that night.  She put it on and danced around the house like a little girl in a new dress.  I loved her that night and we made love until we both were exhausted.  Now she’s dead and I’m alive.  I take a letter from my suit pocket and placed it next to her.  “I’ll always love you baby-girl.  Don’t worry about Lucy, I’ll take care of her and she’ll know how much you loved her.  I promise.”

Someone clears their throat behind me and I take that as my time is up.  As I turn around I make eye contact with Heather’s mom.  She motions for me to come over to her.  Lucy sees me and her whole face lights up with excitement.  Her arms reach for me and I see how reluctant her grandma is to hand her over, but she knows Lucy loves me.

“Caide,” She says curtly.

“Darla, I’m sorry for your loss.”  What else could I say?

“I don’t want to discuss our differences today; right now we’re here to honor my daughter.  We’ll meet you in the lobby, please take Lucy with you.”  Her eyes are cold, her hands clenched together.  Darla’s in her early fifties but could pass for forty.  If I didn’t know her personally, I’d think she’s good looking.  Unlike Heather’s blond hair, Darla’s is short and dark auburn.  Darla and her husband, Alan, married right after high-school.  They went to college together and while they were still in school, Alan invested in a small company called Wal-Mart.  They made their money with blood, sweat and tears.  Alan is notorious for telling his rags to riches story to anyone who will listen.  Today, both of them look ten years older than they are. 

And like that, I have my daughter to myself for a few minutes.  She reaches for my face, placing both hands on my cheeks and leans forward, giving me the sloppiest kiss I’ve ever had.  I wrap my arms around her as tight as possible and tell her how much I’ve missed her.  Lucy is an eighteen month old firecracker.  She has deep dimples in her cheeks and bright blue eyes to go along with her dark red ringlets all around her head.  Heather and I thought she’d be bald forever, we actually asked the doctor if something was wrong with her.  He laughed it off and told us she was perfectly normal and right before her birthday, her hair started growing like crazy.  Memories like these make me realize that’s exactly what they’ll be forever and never again will we laugh about our little bald pumpkin. 

Heather and I were together until Lucy was almost six months old.  One day, I came home from work early to find her and the next door neighbor, Joan, snorting cocaine.  Neither of them realized I was there and after they did their line, they started to make out.  I was livid!  Thankfully, Lucy was asleep in her crib.  We fought about her bringing drugs into our house with our daughter in the next room.  She tried to rationalize that making out with another girl isn’t cheating, it’s a freebie.

 It was me who called Heather’s parents and asked if Heather and Lucy could move in with them.  I would have kept Lucy if my schedule wasn’t so unpredictable.  They agreed it would be easier for them to keep an eye on Heather if she were living with them.  We officially broke up about a month later.  She was doing harder drugs and her parents were with Lucy full-time.  I thought Heather would straighten up after she got the partying stage over with…she didn’t.

A heavy-set woman with big hair comes over to me in the lobby, telling me she is Aunt Josephine and she was asked to take Lucy back to the house.  I’ve met her before at a family function or two.  It’s time for Lucy to have a nap anyway.  She shouldn’t go to the graveside any more than I should.  I kissed her goodbye and promised her I’d give her a call tomorrow.  My parents are going to the graveside service; they weren’t able to get coverage at the restaurant to make it here in time.  I’ll text mom and tell her I’m going home, she’ll understand,.



About the Author Devyn Dawson


Devyn Dawson is the author of the best selling series; The Light Tamer Trilogy, The Legacy of Kilkenny Series, and new adult book Sapphire, A Werewolf Love Story. Her career has included working for Fortune 500 companies, grave decorating, and accounting. She enjoys spending her spare time riding on the back of her husband's motorcycle to the beautiful North Carolina beaches, or cuddling her new granddaughters. 

Devyn lives in New Bern, North Carolina (about 2 miles from Nicholas Sparks)with her husband of twenty years, two cats, three dogs, and two cockatiels (3 of her pets are named after vampires, Klaus, Bella, and LeStat).




Goodreads Book Giveaway

Cry Me a River by Devyn Dawson

Cry Me a River

by Devyn Dawson

Giveaway ends October 07, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
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