Monday, December 16, 2013

MUST READS: THE MASSEUSE and THE DRAGON [G.O.N.Y. - Double Dragon Book Series #1 & #2] By Violette Dubrinsky

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Looking for a well-written, must-read series, filled with romance, drama, several intense story-lines and an explosive interracial relationship dynamic?

Well, head on over to Amazon and download the 'G.O.N.Y. - DOUBLE DRAGON' series, by awesome author Violette Dubrinsky.

You will not be disappointed.

Ramsey and Jez's story, has so many interesting and unexpected twists and turns, you will not be able to put the books down, once you start.

Violette Dubrinsky weaves a breathtaking tale of revenge, deceit, love, passion, family rifts and redemption. 

Below, check out additional deets, about the two books in the series.



THE MASSEUSE Synopsis - Via Amazon:


When Jezebel Carter agreed to a spa session to appease her sickly sister, she expects one thing and one thing only: to leave tension-free. It’s a spa, after all. Instead, she leaves with memories of a gorgeous man with talented fingers, who probably doesn't work at the spa and is a possible pervert.

Ramsey Stone is no pervert. He's a licensed masseuse, and he wants more than one session with Jezebel. For a man who prides himself on his control, even he admits he's smitten with the beautiful, but headstrong financial executive. He's determined to have her, and before long,

Ramsey succeeds on his personal quest to make Jezebel his. There's just one problem: Ramsey harbors a secret that could tear Jezebel from his arms and upturn their lives.


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THE DRAGON Synopsis - Via Amazon:


Never tickle a sleeping dragon…

Past events have changed Ramsey Stone. In place of the warm, loving masseuse now stands a ruthless man with one pressing goal: revenge. No matter the cost, Ramsey will have his vengeance.

Jezebel Carter has come to the realization that the man she knew and loved doesn’t exist. Heartbroken and angry, Jezebel is forced to give up everything she holds dear because of Ramsey Stone, and even that may not be enough.

As Ramsey pursues his vengeance, Jezebel becomes a target. Can Ramsey put his quest for vengeance on hold long enough to realize that Jezebel needs him?

Book of the Month: [December 2013] - HALF of a YELLOW SUN By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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Chimanmanda Ngozi Adichie, is a popular, bestselling author. Her novels are riveting stories, full of richly developed characters, that will pull you in and transform your notion of family dynamics, tragic events, struggles, life-changing circumstances, redemption and triumph.

To date, I've only read Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novel, 'Purple Hibiscus'. It's a story that will stay with you, well after you've read it. Be sure to check that out as well.

I look forward to delving into 'Half of a Yellow Sun'.  As always...

Happy Reading!



Synopsis:

 Via Amazon:
With effortless grace, celebrated author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie illuminates a seminal moment in modern African history: Biafra's impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic in southeastern Nigeria during the late 1960s. We experience this tumultuous decade alongside five unforgettable characters: Ugwu, a thirteen-year-old houseboy who works for Odenigbo, a university professor full of revolutionary zeal; Olanna, the professor’s beautiful young mistress who has abandoned her life in Lagos for a dusty town and her lover’s charm; and Richard, a shy young Englishman infatuated with Olanna’s willful twin sister Kainene. Half of a Yellow Sun is a tremendously evocative novel of the promise, hope, and disappointment of the Biafran war.


Via The New Yorker:
Based loosely on political events in nineteen-sixties Nigeria, this novel focusses on two wealthy Igbo sisters, Olanna and Kainene, who drift apart as the newly independent nation struggles to remain unified. Olanna falls for an imperious academic whose political convictions mask his personal weaknesses; meanwhile, Kainene becomes involved with a shy, studious British expat. After a series of massacres targeting the Igbo people, the carefully genteel world of the two couples disintegrates. Adichie indicts the outside world for its indifference and probes the arrogance and ignorance that perpetuated the conflict. Yet this is no polemic. The characters and landscape are vividly painted, and details are often used to heartbreaking effect: soldiers, waiting to be armed, clutch sticks carved into the shape of rifles; an Igbo mother, in flight from a massacre, carries her daughter's severed head, the hair lovingly braided. Copyright © 2006 Click here to subscribe to The New Yorker

Thursday, December 5, 2013

New Reads: THE TRAINING By Tara Sue Me [The Submissive Trilogy #3]

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The third and final novel in the popular 'Submissive Trilogy' by Tara Sue Me, titled 'The Training', is now available.

Book three was published October 2013.

Continue the blazing and complicated romance between Nathaniel West and Abigail King.

Be sure to pick up book one, [The Submissive] and book two, [The Dominant] in the series, if you haven't done so. Quite interesting and explosive reads.


 Synopsis:

 Via Amazon.Com:
Now, in the enticing conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Tara Sue Me’s Submissive Trilogy, the submissive and her dominant explore just how long they can make the pleasure last…

It started with a hidden desire. Millionaire CEO Nathaniel West has always played by his own strict set of rules, ones he expects everyone to follow—especially the women he’s dominated in his bedroom.

But his newest lover is breaking down all his boundaries and rewriting his rule book. Abby King never imagined that she would capture the heart of Nathaniel West, one of New York City’s most eligible bachelors—and its most desirable dominant.

What began as a weekend arrangement of pleasure has become a passionate romance with a man who knows every inch of her body and her soul – yet remains an enigmatic lover.

Though he is tender and caring, his painful past remains a wall between them. Abby knows the only way to truly earn his trust is to submit to him fully and let go of all of her lingering inhibitions.

Because to lead Nathaniel on a path to greater intimacy, she must first let him deeper into her world than anyone has ever gone before…

Friday, November 8, 2013

BOOK OF THE MONTH: [November 2013] - VERY BAD THINGS (Briarcrest Academy Series #1) By Lisa Madden-Mills

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This month's book pick, 'Very Bad Things' by Lisa Madden-Mills, is a novel I've anticipated reading for some time. Since it's debut in September, it has garnered quite the buzz amongst readers in numerous book clubs and from book bloggers.

This new series has become an instant hit. I'm definitely interested in delving into this story and discovering if it's worth the hype.

So pick up a copy or download 'Very Bad Things' (The Briarcrest Academy Series #1) by Lisa Madden-Mills, ASAP.

Even better... for a LIMITED TIME, this title is on sale on kindle for only ninety-nine cents. Based on the popularity of this book, that's one hell of a deal.

As always... Happy reading!




Synopsis Via Amazon:
Born into a life of privilege and secrets, Nora Blakely has everything any nineteen-year-old girl could desire. She's an accomplished pianist, a Texas beauty queen, and on her way to Princeton after high school. She's perfect. Or is she?

Leaving behind her million-dollar mansion and Jimmy Choos, she changes the course of her life, becoming a girl hell-bent on pushing the limits with alcohol, drugs, and meaningless sex. Then through a chance encounter, she meets her soulmate. But he doesn't want her.

When it comes to girls, twenty-five-year-old Leo Tate has one rule: never fall in love. His gym and his brother are all he cares about...until he meets Nora. He resists the pull of their attraction, hung up on their six year age difference. As they struggle to stay away from each other, secrets will be revealed, tempers will flare, and hearts will be broken.

Welcome to Briarcrest Academy...where sometimes, the best things in life are Very Bad Things.

"Very Bad Things is beautiful and heartbreaking...an epic love story." --The Lovely Books

*Recommended for 17 and older. Contains adult themes and explicit content.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

MUST READS: TOMMY GABRINI 2: A Place In His Heart By Mallory Monroe + Romancing Sal Gabrini

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Mallory Monroe's MOB BOSS series which centers around Reno Gabrini & Trina's drama filled, passionate love story, is so popular that a spin-off series launched.

Reno's cousin/best friend Tommy Gabrini's spin-off story, ROMANCING TOMMY GABRINI, now has a sequel titled 'Tommy Gabrini 2: A Place In His Heart'... and folks, it is a MUST READ!

In 'TOMMY GABRINI 2: A Place In His Heart', the claws are out and Tommy's former "friends with benefits" aren't too happy about his new found relationship status with Grace. The drama implodes to an all-time high.

Tommy and Grace's love is tested by outside forces, and an explosive secret rocks their solid foundation. 

Additional deets below.



'Tommy Gabrini 2: A Place In His Heart' - Synopsis:

Tommy Gabrini never dreamed he’d fall in love when Grace McKinsey entered his life. She wasn’t sophisticated enough, his friends declared, or beautiful enough. But Tommy fell hard for the very woman they all dismissed. He even took the step of his life and asked her to be his wife.

His brother Sal warned him that hell was about to go in session when Tommy’s numerous “lady friends” found out about his new lady love. Tommy laughed it off at the time, insisting that his ladies were far too sophisticated to play those kinds of games. But he would soon find out that his brother wasn’t far from the truth.

Yet even then, Tommy could handle that truth. He loved Grace and he didn’t hesitate to make that clear. But when they stopped targeting Tommy, and started setting their sights on Grace, everything changed. Grace worked hard to be her own woman, even as Tommy’s generosity set her up as the CEO of her own company, and she knew not to take the bait of females who wanted Tommy for themselves. But as she battled from within to maintain control of her own company, and battled from without to maintain Tommy by her side, she soon realized that being Tommy Gabrini’s fiancĂ©e didn’t come without a price.

A price, she would soon discover, that might be too high to pay. From national bestselling author Mallory Monroe comes a gripping interracial romance where two people discover that love can take strange and unexpected turns, and if they aren't careful, other people’s hate can sneak in and overrule their love.



Be sure to read 'Romancing Tommy Gabrini' before you delve into the sequel. I would also suggest you read 'Romancing Sal Gabrini' before you read 'Tommy Gabrini 2'.

Sal Gabrini is Tommy's younger brother and while Sal is a little rough around the edges, he's just as sexy, protective and alpha as Reno and Tommy.

 Another must read!




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'Romancing Tommy Gabrini' - Synopsis:
A romantic affair was the last thing Tommy Gabrini was looking for when he attended a dinner party at a friend’s house. He had broken up with his longtime girlfriend five months earlier and was contented to play the field for the rest of his life. But when a gorgeous, sleek, African queen in red walked across his path, he knew something dramatic was about to happen.

Grace McKinsey knew Tommy Gabrini to be a rich, drop dead gorgeous playboy, but what she quickly realized was that he was also attracted to her. On the night of her thirtieth birthday, their passion for each other spills over into passionate love making that they both assumed would be a one-night stand.

But circumstances intervene and soon Tommy and Grace realize that they can’t live without each other, and don’t want anybody else. They have to give love a chance. In a thrilling interracial romance, Mallory Monroe takes her readers on a sensual journey of love, lust and unrequited revenge, where Tommy and his lady love cleave to each other, as outside forces conspire to tear them apart.




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 'Romancing Sal Gabrini' - Synopsis:

Gemma Jones once thought Sal Gabrini could be a keeper. He was, in truth, the man of her dreams. But after she didn’t hear from him when he had promised to stay in touch, she wasn’t thinking about him either.

Even when she travels to his turf, to Seattle, to attend a stuffy lawyer’s convention, she’s bound and determined not to give Sal a second thought. The fact that she had refused his sexual advances probably had everything to do with why he didn’t follow up with her, and she understands that. But that understanding only makes her all the more determined to keep him at arm’s length. She might have been known for her slamming body, but that didn’t mean she wants the man of her dreams to only want her for that body.

But the convention turns out to be so boring that Trina, her friend and business partner, encourages her to give the man a call. If nothing else he can show her the town and ramp down the boredom, her friend insists. So against her better judgment, Gemma phones him. When he doesn’t return her voice mail message later that night, she wants to kick herself for even bothering.

Hunky businessman Sal Gabrini arrives back in town after a trip to Jersey. When he sees where the gorgeously exotic Gemma Jones has left him a message, he realizes how much he actually misses her. He shows up at her hotel, catching her off guard, and that one proactive move takes the pair of would-be lovers on the most tumultuous, yet sexually and emotionally gratifying rollercoaster ride of their lives.

Sal has to decide if he is willing to risk it all for the love of a good woman, and Gemma has to decide if a player like Sal Gabrini can ever truly change and become the man she will need him to be. Their tempers flare, their personalities clash, but their love for each other becomes the cornerstone that could actually make their relationship work.

In the first book by bestselling author Mallory Monroe that focuses on Tommy’s younger brother Sal, ROMANCING SAL GABRINI is an interracial romance that takes the readers on a compelling journey of love, sex, and tears.

Movie Trailer: 'Belle' [Gugu Mbatha Raw, Tom Wilkinson] In Theaters 5.2.14

Movie Trailer: 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of the Smaug' in Theaters 12.13.13


Book of the Month: [October 2013] - DOCTOR SLEEP By Stephen King

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Sorry... I'm so late updating the October 2013 'Book of the Month' pick.


In DOCTOR SLEEP, King centers the story around 'Dan Torrance', and puts forth an interesting tale for the now grown Torrance.


Synopsis: Via Amazon:
Stephen King returns to the character and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.

On highways across America, a tribe of people called the True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky twelve-year-old Abra Stone learns, the True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the steam that children with the shining produce when they are slowly tortured to death. Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel, where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence.

Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant shining power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor Sleep.”

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of devoted readers of The Shining and satisfy anyone new to this icon in the King canon.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Due to Major Backlash, A NC School System Lifts Book Ban on 'Invisible Man' by Ralph Ellison

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 Via Reuters:
A North Carolina school board lifted on Wednesday its ban of Ralph Ellison's classic novel "Invisible Man" from school libraries after being ridiculed by residents and undercut by a giveaway of the book at a local bookstore.

The widely publicized ban by the Randolph County Board of Education in central North Carolina came after a high school junior's mother complained that the sexual content in the book chosen for a summer reading program was "not so innocent" and "too much for teenagers."

Five of the board's seven elected officials agreed on September 16 to bar the novel, with one member saying he "didn't find any literary value" in Ellison's account of African-American alienation in the United States in the early 20th century.

But after a fierce backlash by hundreds of citizens, the board held a special meeting on Wednesday and voted 6-1 to put the book back on school library shelves. "I felt like I came to a conclusion too quickly," board member Matthew Lambeth said of his earlier vote to bar the book.

In an interview, Lambeth said he has read the book twice and enjoyed it. He changed his vote, he said, after being convinced by local educators that the novel's educational value outweighed his concerns about the appropriateness of certain sexual themes for teenagers. Ellison achieved worldwide fame and critical success with "Invisible Man," which won the National Book Award for fiction in 1953 and was named by the Library of Congress as one of the "Books That Shaped America." Ellison died in 1994.

"Invisible Man" is commonly included in the curriculum of U.S. high school and college literature classes. Word of the ban, which spread quickly thanks to national news coverage and social media, inspired one former resident to ask the book's publisher to donate free copies to area high-school students.

Vintage Books agreed, and a giveaway of "Invisible Man" began on Wednesday at a local Books-A-Million store, said Evan Smith Rakoff, a New York-based writer and Web editor who grew up in Randolph County. "I think banning any book is abhorrent, but banning a book that's so undeniably great is incredibly upsetting," Rakoff said.

(Reporting by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Cynthia Johnston, Leslie Adler and Eric Beech)



Side Note: Such good news in knowing that the Randolph County school board lifted the ban. Congrats to the folks who made the noise, that was heard loud and clear. Big ups to them!

Oh and btw... 'Invisible Man' is definitely a hard read. It has violence, sex and the subject of race, brutally in your face, wrapped in a story that leaves the reader thinking of the book well after the initial read.

While some may be "uncomfortable" with the subject matter, you must look deeper and not base an entire literary journey that is 'Invisible Man' as trash. It's insulting!

I firmly believe that no book should ever be banned. The control some want, over an artist's creativity is appalling. There are a plethora of books that are banned for one reason or another, and that is quite shameful.

FREE ALL books!

Friday, September 20, 2013

New Releases - BAD HABITS By Sienna Mynx

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Sienna Mynx has released her new anticipated full-length novel BAD HABITS! Be sure to purchase your copy today. I can't wait to read it!


Synopsis:

 Via Amazon:

Simone Livingston wants desperately to start again. She and her husband Keith have both agreed that their marriage is worth saving. Despite the deep betrayal and lies she's suffered thanks to his infidelity.

Their arrival in a small town run by the wealthy conniving Hollingsworths tests her faith in her husband and the sacred vows of her marriage. And when Keith's dastardly deeds unveil who he truly is Simone's bad habits of forgiving and forgetting despite her suffering brings about unbelievable consequences.

The one man she shouldn’t trust throws a lifeline to her, and soon it's a race against time to fight for her future, escape the present that threatens to destroy her, and save everyone she loves. Kim Jensen is a widower. The death of her firefighter, beautiful husband, while pregnant with their twins devastated her. Two years later she has found a way to cope.

A dark secret that she keeps from the nurses and hospital she works for. That is until she meets the dashingly handsome Dr. Mathew Donnelly. Immediately he steps into her life to become the hero she never asked for. But will her bad habits put their careers and new found love in jeopardy, or teach her the most valuable lesson in second chances?

Both sisters struggle to survive pain, betrayal, love lost and the prospect of new love gained. Bad Habits is not your typical love story. It’s an exploration in the human spirit. Through suffering we achieve triumph, through grief we learn the healing power of letting go, and through change of spirit we become the women we are destined to be.

A graphic, explicit tale that explores the avoided topics in romance, infidelity, drug addiction, self-loathing, and ultimately forgiveness with a touch of love.

BOOK OF THE MONTH: [September 2013] - 'No Regrets' By Sienna Mynx - [Tale of Three Hearts Series #3]

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A MUST READ! Download it today: http://tinyurl.com/n7qu5mn 



Synopsis:
Daisy Johnson Keane has a lot to be thankful for. However, happiness has always come at a price. In the past Daisy chose to gamble with love for what she believed her heart desired. It proved to be a costly mistake.

But Daisy has changed and so has the man she now calls husband. Aiden Keane, a powerful casino mogul and master manipulator who has been tamed by love. Or has he?

Aiden Keane has a secret. The man he despises believes himself to be the father of Aiden’s child. To reveal the truth would expose a web of lies and take him and his new bride down a dark path that could ultimately cost him everyone he cherishes. His wife Daisy pleads for patience and compromise. She wants to be done with the past and the animosity between her ex-lover and her husband. It will not be.

What is a man to do when his heart tells him to have faith in her but his pride demands a under handed dealing of justice? If you’re Aiden Keane you strike first. Do what is necessary for control, and vengeance over your future and past. You let it ride. At any cost.

No Regrets is the final story in The Tale of Three Hearts Trilogy. The final exploration of the dark side of love that will leave you, the reader, breathless from page one to the ending consequences. The lives of Daisy, Aiden and Pete are now forever changed. Who will be the victor? Only true love, forgiveness and repentance will decide.



Movie Trailer: 'Great Expectations'


Movie Trailer: '12 Years a Slave' - Based on Solomon Northup's 1853 Autobiography




'12 Years a Slave' hits theaters October 18th 2013.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

BOOK OF THE MONTH: [August 2013] - DIVERGENT By Veronica Roth

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The uber successful young adult book series DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth has been catapulted into an international sensation. The popular book series is now a motion picture, set to release in 2014. I'm excited to delve into this series and find out what all the fuss is about.

So, the book of the month choice for this month [August] is DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth. Also be sure to grab the second book in the series, INSURGENT and pre-order the third installment titled ALLEGIANT, due on bookshelves October 22, 2013.




 Synopsis:
In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent).

On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences.

As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the YA scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Quick Reads: MARCO'S REDEMPTION By Lynda Chance

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 Synopsis:
From the author of USA Today's bestselling, Sarah's Surrender

Marco's Redemption

Alpha, Alpha-male!

Marco Donati is rich, ruthless--and more often than not--indiscriminate. Interested only in satisfying his sexual needs casually and frequently, he has no intention of changing a thing about his life.

Natalie Lambert is alone, broke, and new to the city when a chance encounter leaves her under the power and control of Marco Donati. As the story unfolds, tensions mount and trust is tested between two people who can't manage to stay away from each other.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

BOOK OF THE MONTH: [July 2013] - REVENGE WEARS PRADA: The Devil Returns By Lauren Weisberger

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Synopsis:
The sequel you’ve been waiting for: the follow-up to the sensational #1 bestseller The Devil Wears Prada.

Eight years have passed since Andrea “Andy” Sachs quit the job “a million girls would die for” working for Miranda Priestly at Runway Magazine—a dream that turned out to be a nightmare.

Now Andy’s on the top of the world: she’s writing and reporting to her heart’s content; running The Plunge, her wildly successful high fashion bridal magazine with Miranda’s other ex-assistant, Emily; and most importantly, getting married to the scion of a storied media family and the love of her life. But the night before her wedding, Andy can’t sleep. As happy as she is—as happy as she should be—she’s still haunted by the specter of her former boss. Maybe it’s survivor syndrome? Or maybe it’s justifiable, self-inflicted, paranoia.

From the start, Andy and Emily have felt entitled to use their rolodex of contacts—Miranda’s contacts—from Runway as they make their way in the magazine world. As The Plunge succeeds, Andy and Emily realize they’ll soon come face to face with their former tormenter at industry functions, award ceremonies, and even weddings.

Still, Andy can hardly anticipate the horrifying reality that’s approaching—a reversal so profound that she will be squarely in Miranda’s crosshairs once more.

Karma’s a bitch. And Andy’s efforts to build a bright new life have led her directly to the one she fled—and into the path of the Devil herself.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

BOOK NEWS: Author Sienna Mynx Announces A Third Upcoming Book In Aiden & Daisy's Story!

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Folks hold on to your seats. Sienna Mynx recently announced on her official website (TheDivasPen.Com) that a third installment in Aiden & Daisy's story would be released soon. 

The third novel in the series titled "No Regrets: Aiden & Daisy - The Final Chapter" will continue the complicated, beautiful, intense, tumultuous, passionate, loving and fiery relationship between Aiden and Daisy from the "A Tale Of Three Hearts" Series.

This series as well as Sienna's "The Battaglia Mafia" Series are two of my faves.

Check out the previous MUST READ titles in the series if you haven't read them as of yet. The author also announced a new book titled "Bad Habits" that will also be released this year.

Book one in Aiden & Daisy's story from the (Tale Of Three Hearts Series) was the January 2013 book of the month pick, again if you haven't read the series.. catch up by reading book one and two.



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Synopsis:

Meet Aiden Keane: rich, sexy, and bored. He owns Vegas and every lost soul looking to make it rich. No bets are placed at the infamous Shamrock Hotel from which Aiden Keane doesn't collect.

But with all that he's acquired, he's squandered even more. Arrogance and curiosity draw Aiden to a young couple down on their luck.

One look at Daisy Johnson and a plan forms. A young woman, whose simple, small-town upbringing makes her crave the glamorous life, seems the perfect prey for Aiden's wanderlust.

He approaches her and her boyfriend with the promise to make her dreams come true. But does he? A deal is made. One sex-filled night on his terms with Daisy Johnson will bring about a bounty of a million dollars, free and clear. The stakes? Her dignity, and her young lover's pride. Can the love of money and a young woman's greed destroy the bonds of 'true love'? Aiden thinks so. It's a wager he's sure to win--until he, too, learns a valuable lesson: play with the wrong woman's heart and you may lose your own.




*Also read book #2 in Aiden's, Daisy's and Pete's story... DAISY'S CHOICE

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Synopsis:

In the game of hearts there can be more than one loser... Take Daisy Johnson, for starters.

She came from nothing but now she has it all: a thriving business, a beautiful daughter, and the financial security that makes her the master of her own destiny. Yet the memories of two very different loves cast a shadow of doubt and fear that keeps her trapped in self-imposed isolation.

Aiden Keane remains haunted by the games he played with one woman's heart. Now she's gone, and his obsessive nature has fueled a five-year mission to find her. Her rejection and disappearance has left him wondering if he'll ever see her again. But what Aiden wants, he wants, and he will risk it all to find and claim her once more.

Pete Doyle wants a fresh start. He's sure as hell earned it. It's taken him five years to get over his first love and the role he played in destroying it. Now he has a new girlfriend and a business opportunity of his own. Pete wants closure, or maybe something more. Until he understands which of the two is most important, his life continues in limbo.

Tragedy hits the small town of Hollow Creek, and the paths of all three players collide in the most unexpected of ways. Daisy had her reasons to remain hidden from both of the men in her past. When all her secrets are uncovered, Daisy is faced with one question: does she have any choices left?

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Book Of The Month: [June 2013] - THE CARTEL 4: Diamonds are Forever By Ashley & JaQuavis

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The explosive CARTEL series by Ashley & JaQuavis was hella crazy with just the trilogy. Surprisingly a fourth installment was released late last year.

Never got around to reading the fourth novel in the series and decided it was the perfect book of the month choice for June.

Be sure to pick up and/or download the previous three titles in THE CARTEL series to read if you aren't familiar with the series.


 Synopsis:

If you thought you’d read the final chapter of the Cartel saga, you ain’t seen nothing yet!

Ashley & JaQuavis return to the mean streets of Miami in the thrilling, chilling, blood-spilling The Cartel 4: Diamonds Are Forever. Young Carter has just finished off his brother, Mecca Diamond.

But that won’t bring back Miamor, the woman Carter loved, the woman with Diamond blood on her hands, the woman Mecca killed.

Grief-stricken and disgusted, Carter turns his back on the streets and leaves his empire in the hands of the merciless Zyir. Now, Zyir runs the game in Miami, but he knows he can never stop watching his back.

After barely surviving an attempt on her life, Breeze Diamond rules by Zyir’s side—and she may want the throne to herself. Even if she doesn’t, there are plenty of young thugs out there who wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet in Zyir’s coldly calculating brain.

And Carter’s retirement may prove short-lived, as two figures from his past come back—apparently from the dead—to reignite his rage and his passion.

First there’s Miamor, who appears like a vengeful ghost at his door late one rainy night. And then there’s Monroe “Money” Diamond, who wants his city back!

ICYMI: New Releases: ENTWINED WITH YOU By Sylvia Day [Crossfire Series #3]


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Gideon & Eva's story continues!

The third installment in the crazy popular CROSSFIRE SERIES, 'Entwined With You' released on June 4th, 2013.

Be sure to grab a copy at your local bookstore or download it today.
The worldwide phenomenon continues as Eva and Gideon face the demons of their pasts, and accept the consequences of their obsessive desires...

From the moment I first met Gideon Cross, I recognized something in him that I needed. Something I couldn't resist. I saw the dangerous and damaged soul inside--so much like my own. I was drawn to it.

I needed him as surely as I needed my heart to beat. No one knows how much he risked for me. How much I'd been threatened, or just how dark and desperate the shadow of our pasts would become.

Entwined by our secrets, we tried to defy the odds. We made our own rules and surrendered completely to the exquisite power of possession...

Lil Wayne & Birdman's Daughters Talk Growing Up In Spotlight & Their New Fiction Book 'Paparazzi Princesses'

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Monday, May 13, 2013

Congrats! Giveaway Winner Announced!

Congrats! User 'Diva Reader' is the winner of Books, Novels and More's first giveaway. Congrats. You have (10) days to claim your prize. Just send an email to BooksNovelsandMore@gmail.com.

Please include the following:

 -User name

 -In subject area, type 'blog winner'

You will then receive an amazon kindle gift card via email. Use instantly.

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway.

As always, Happy Reading!

Monday, May 6, 2013

Book Of The Month: [May 2013] - ALEX CROSS, RUN By James Patterson

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Synopsis:



DON'T LOOK, ALEX CROSS

Top plastic surgeon Elijah Creem is renowned for his skills in the operating room, and for his wild, no-expense-spared "industry parties," bringing in underage exotic dancers and models for nights of drugs, champagne, and uninhibited sex. That is, until Detective Alex Cross busts one of Creem's lavish soirees and ruins his fun.

Now Creem is willing to do anything to avoid going to jail.

DON'T THINK, ALEX CROSS

But Alex doesn't have time to dwell on that case. A beautiful woman has been found murdered in her car, a lock of her hair viciously ripped off. Then a second woman is found hanging from a sixth-floor window with a brutal scar slashed across her stomach. When a third mutilated body is discovered, rumors of three serial killers on the loose send Washington D.C. into an all-out frenzy.

JUST RUN

Alex is under so much pressure to solve these three grim cases that he hasn't noticed that someone else investigating him-someone so obsessed and so twisted that they'll do anything-ANYTHING- to get the vengeance they require. Alex Cross, Run is James Patterson's most unrelenting story yet-a white-hot, sensational thrill ride with the most extreme and gripping characters Patterson has ever brought to life.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Friday, April 26, 2013

[Closed] FREEBIE: $25 KINDLE GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY - ENTER NOW THRU 5.10.13

5.10.13: The first Books, Novels and More blog's giveaway officially ended at 2PM EST today. Thank you to everyone who participated. The winner will be announced on this blog on Monday. Be sure to be on the lookout for upcoming giveaways.


Today at 5PM EST, the first BOOKS, NOVELS AND MORE blog giveaway officially began.

Enter for your chance to win a $25 Kindle gift card!

The winner will receive their gift card via email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends.

The winner will be able to use their Kindle gift card instantly after receiving it via email.

How to enter the giveaway?

1) Be a follower on this blog. (Just click the 'join this site' button to the right of the page)

2) You must comment on this post. This is how the winner will be chosen.

Just type: GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY

**This giveaway will end on Friday May 10th at 2PM EST**

**A winner will be chosen 'old school' style by writing each name on a strip of paper, folding them, tossing the names around in a bowl.... and randomly choosing a winner.**

**The winner will be announced via this blog, the winner will have ten days to claim the prize. Once the winner is announced, the winner will email Books, Novels & More, confirming their Username on this blog, the winner will then receive an email from Books, Novels and More that includes their gift card**

**The winner will be chosen within 48 hours after the giveaway has closed.**

All participants of the giveaways must be:

1) A follower/member of this blog. It's easy to join, just click the 'join this site' button to the right of the page.

2) Have a valid email address

3) One giveaway entry per person

[You may participate in all giveaways on this blog, just submit one entry per giveaway]

*Those are actually good odds at the moment. This is a fairly new blog, so there aren't any members at the moment. If there are only 2 or 6 members at the time of the giveaway, the chances of winning are highly favorable. LOL - If there is only one person at the time of the giveaway, and they submit an entry, they win. Boom!


As always... Happy Reading!

UPDATE: IF YOU MAKE A COMMENT ON THIS POST TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY BUT YOU DON'T TYPE 'GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY' ANYWHERE IN YOUR COMMENT, YOU HAVE NOT ENTERED THE GIVEAWAY. PLEASE MAKE ANY CHANGES TO YOUR ENTRY BEFORE THE GIVEAWAY DEADLINE ARRIVES OR YOUR ENTRY WILL BE INVALID. THANKS YOU.

Quick Reads: 'Captured By The Bodyguard' By Dez Burke

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Link: http://tinyurl.com/blmmhyh

Synopsis:


[Via Amazon]
 #1 BESTSELLER THIS WEEK IN AFRICAN AMERICAN ROMANCE AND URBAN FICTION! 

HOT STEAMY ROMANCE WITH A SEXY BODYGUARD 


Cane Hutchinson took one look at heiress Alexandra Duke and knew she'd be big trouble. He was an ex-Marine whose expertise as a bodyguard had him working with high-risk clients all over the world.

Babysitting a billionaire's princess was the last thing he wanted to be doing...

The last thing Alexandra wanted-or needed, was a bodyguard. But her father had worries for her safety after winning an important contract against an unscrupulous business rival.

Being stuck with Cane 24/7 was bad enough; now she had to contend with an uncontrollable attraction for her handsome and virile bodyguard who looked like he belonged on the cover of GQ magazine. She was used to keeping people at a distance because of the fortune her father represented-but for how long could she keep her rising feelings for Cane at bay?

A Kindle Daily Deal: DATING THE DEVIL By Lia Romeo

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Grab this deal quick.

The original price for 'Dating The Devil' is $11.99. Get it today for only $1.99.

Link: http://tinyurl.com/dyrdqeh





Synopsis:
Lucy O’Neill is a plain-Jane New York PR assistant with a tiny apartment, a dead-end job, and a pair of annoyingly perfect roommates. Nothing exciting ever happens to her, until one night at a neighborhood pub . . .

Lewis Mephisto is tall, handsome, and hot. Very hot. He meets her gaze through the crowd, a wicked grin on his lips, an irresistible invitation in his eyes.

He’s Mr. Right Times Ten. Sophisticated, wealthy, sexy, and completely devoted to her, body and soul. So what’s her problem? Can’t she handle dating the Devil?

Lewis looks at me hard for a moment in the darkness, then nods. “So you’ve figured the whole thing out,” he says ruefully. “You’re—” “Yeah,” he says. “Say it,” I say in a trembling voice. “I want you to say it.” He reaches over and switches his bedside lamp on, and suddenly the room is flooded with warm light. Then he looks back at me and shrugs. “I’m Satan,” he says.

He looks so boyishly vulnerable, sitting there shirtless amidst the rumpled sheets, one sock on and one off, blinking sleep out of his blue eyes, that I want to laugh. Of course, I also want to cry. I can feel the tears welling up in the corners of my eyes, but I manage to keep my voice steady. “And you’ve been—all this time, you’ve been—trying to steal my soul?”

“Not steal it, exactly,” he says. “Just . . . lead you into temptation.”

Thursday, April 11, 2013

LA SPOSA By Sienna Mynx [The Battaglia Mafia Series #3] Is Available On Amazon!!!!!!

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Lawd yes! The wait is over. The third installment in the uber popular BATTAGLIA MAFIA SERIES by Sienna Mynx is available. Book three in the series is titled LA SPOSA.

Order today on Amazon.

Amazon Link: http://tinyurl.com/cjf576f

If you have not read this blazing series, be sure to also purchase book #1[Destino] and #2 [Ti Amo] in the series. You will not be disappointed.

Yes I'm a huge fan, so of course I would say it wouldn't disappoint. But trust... it will not disappoint. I've read the first two books, but haven't read the third yet... but I know it will be off the chain! About to purchase it right now... y'all do the same!

Synopsis - Via Amazon:


You are cordially invited to the wedding of Don Giovanni Battaglia and Mira Ellison....

The year is 1991. Two years after discovering love and losing it Mira Ellison has finally accepted her destiny. She will become Donna Mirabella Battaglia, the wife of one of the most notorious crime bosses in Southern Italy. And she plans to have it all, her man, her children, and the fashion dynasty she left behind.

But with privilege comes ties to bloodlines that will threaten to destroy her love and family from the inside. Nothing, especially happiness, is ever promised to the Battaglias.

Don Giovanni knows this best. On the eve of a new beginning he learns a dark secret regarding Mira’s past that could destroy everything they hold sacred. He is forced to decide, for love and marriage—how far should a man go to protect his bride.

Coming Soon: 'JOYLAND' And 'DOCTOR SLEEP' By Stephen King

As a huge fan of Stephen King's work, I'm thrilled that he continues to release a steady stream of work that never disappoints.

However this year will bring forth something that King fans have long awaited for, a story in some way shape or form that would be a sequel to the horror book classic THE SHINING.

In DOCTOR SLEEP, King centers the story around 'Dan Torrance' and puts forth an interesting tale for the now grown Torrance.

King will also release a new novel in the HARD CASE CRIME SERIES titled JOYLAND.

JOYLAND will be released in paperback only during it's initial release. The e-book format will become available at a later date.

I can quite understand King's decision not to release JOYLAND in e-book format initially, there is just no comparing reading an actual BOOK. Even better when it's a good read.

While e-books are convenient, digital book shopping just doesn't compete with browsing a local bookstore or library for your next great book or turning pages, anticipating the next chapter and when you've finished, adding it to your collection housed on various bookshelves.

Even the smell of the pages when you crack open a new book is exhilarating.

That's why even to this day, there is major debate about e-books versus traditional books. It's a topic that will never end.


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JOYLAND [Hard Case Crime Series] Releases 6.4.13


 Synopsis:
A STUNNING NEW NOVEL FROM ONE OF THE BEST-SELLING AUTHORS OF ALL TIME!

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever.

"I love crime, I love mysteries, and I love ghosts. That combo made Hard Case Crime the perfect venue for this book, which is one of my favorites.

I also loved the paperbacks I grew up with as a kid, and for that reason, we’re going to hold off on e-publishing this one for the time being.

Joyland will be coming out in paperback, and folks who want to read it will have to buy the actual book."
– Stephen King



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 DOCTOR SLEEP Releases 9.24.13


 Synopsis:
Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of The Shining) and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.

On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky twelve-year-old Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the “steam” that children with the “shining” produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence.

Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant “shining” power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor Sleep.”

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival.

This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of devoted readers of The Shining and satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.

Friday, April 5, 2013

BOOK OF THE MONTH [April 2013] - BARED TO YOU By Sylvia Day [Crossfire Series Book #1]

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Synopsis:



Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness… He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot.

I was drawn to him as I’d never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily… Gideon knew.

He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other’s most private wounds…and desires. The bonds of his love transformed me, even as i prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart...





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Synopsis:



The hotly anticipated second book of the Crossfire Trilogy continues the sensual saga of Eva and Gideon that began in Bared to You…the New York Times bestselling novel of “EROTIC ROMANCE THAT SHOULD NOT BE MISSED” (Romance Novel News).

Gideon Cross. As beautiful and flawless on the outside as he was damaged and tormented on the inside. He was a bright, scorching flame that singed me with the darkest of pleasures. I couldn't stay away. I didn't want to.

He was my addiction... my every desire... mine. My past was as violent as his, and I was just as broken. We’d never work. It was too hard, too painful... except when it was perfect. Those moments when the driving hunger and desperate love were the most exquisite insanity.

We were bound by our need. And our passion would take us beyond our limits to the sweetest, sharpest edge of obsession..



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ENTWINED WITH YOU By Sylvia Day - Crossfire Series, Book #3 is available for pre-order, will release 6.4.13


This extremely popular series has been on my goodreads 'to read' list for a minute. I was looking forward to finally delving into the series to see what the fuss was about.

So it was a must to choose the Crossfire series as this month's book of the month choices.

Currently half way through BARED TO YOU, and I have to say it doesn't disappoint... too much. I do feel the story is a bit rushed and the character development could be a bit more descriptive, but seeing as though the story continues in additional novels, I'm sure additional details will follow.

The chemistry between Gideon and Eva is felt, yet there seems to be a slight discord with the flow of their relationship so far in BARED TO YOU.

With that being said, that is one aspect that keeps you turning the page to see what will become of Gideon and Eva. What secrets are they hiding and will it destroy their relationship?

BARED TO YOU will hold your attention and I'm sure as the end comes to light... you will eagerly start reading REFLECTED IN YOU, book two in the series.... at least I know I will.


Happy Reading!

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

NOVEL Reads: PEARL By Tabitha King

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I recall reading this book years ago, perhaps in the early 2000's. I remember stumbling across it at a local library. I'm shocked that I hadn't given a referral on this title prior to now.

The only reason this particular novel came to mind today, is because I read an article about Tabitha King and her husband, famed horror author Stephen King donating millions to a library. I instantly remembered Tabitha's novel PEARL, and recalled how that at the time that I read it, I was pleasantly surprised that she wrote the main character as a woman of color who became involved in interracial relationships. That was rare to find in a novel, even back then (the 2000's).

Though I didn't read PEARL until the early 2000's, the actual publication date of the novel was 1989.

However besides the interracial factor, the novel PEARL in itself was a great read. The dynamic of the characters interactions, mingled with their flaws set the course of heartbreak, betrayal, love and redemption.

I definitely will read this novel again and add it to my collection.

Unfortunately it is not available on kindle. PEARL is available in new and used book editions


 As always... Happy Reading!



Synopsis:
Pearl Dickerson arrives in tiny Nodd's Ridge, Maine, to claim an inheritance and lead a quiet life. But soon, exotic Pearl threatens the fabric of everyday life in Nodd's Ridge . . . as she becomes involved with two attractive, very different men, whose seething rivalry explodes into violence.

This gripping, finely crafted novel illuminates the depths and desires of an independent woman and exposes dark truths about life in a small town


Publisher's Weekly Description:
When the admirable heroine of the title, a 35-year-old black woman, arrives in Nodd's Ridge, Maine, to live in the farmhouse bequeathed her by an unknown uncle, local residents gossip a little behind her back, but otherwise do not respond to her color.

Having abandoned her career as librarian, Pearl Dickenson takes over the local diner, and with her deep, throaty laugh and indomitable spirit (not to mention her fried chicken), wins the hearts of both Reuben Styles, who runs the local garage, and David Christopher, the town's resident poet.

As summer progresses, Pearl is happy to find her life weaving seamlessly into the daily fabric of Nodd's Ridge, but the dilemma caused by her liaisons with both Reuben and David takes its toll. As Pearl helps Reuben cope with his wild teenaged daughter, David's past, which includes witnessing the shooting death of his young sister, makes him increasingly unstable.

Occasionally slipping into melodrama, King (author of Small World and The Trap and wife of novelist Stephen) resolves her story happily for nearly all of the small-town characters she brings vividly to life. Pearl's quiet wisdom and prodigious energy make her slightly more mythic than human, but she remains an unforgettable character. Literary Guild alternate. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Book Series Update: LA SPOSA By Sienna Mynx Will Be Book #3 In The Battaglia Mafia Series

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The much anticipated new installment in the Battaglia Mafia series by Sienna Mynx is on the horizon, but with a little twist.

Author Sienna Mynx announced on her website that the third installment in the popular Battaglia Mafia series would not be LA FAMIGLIA as first thought.

LA SPOSA will be book three in the series, which will then lead up to LA FAMIGLIA.

The riveting story of Giovanni and Mira continues in LA SPOSA.

Can't wait for the release!

 Release date TBA.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Sequels: REVENGE WEARS PRADA: THE DEVIL RETURNS By Lauren Weisberger Releases 6.4.13

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One of the most anticipated book sequels will arrive this summer.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA author Lauren Weisberger, will be releasing the sequel REVENGE WEARS PRADA: The Devil Returns June 4th.

This is double good news. Surely this will lead to a film sequel as well.

Pre-order today!

Link: http://tinyurl.com/aj6gt9e


Synopsis:
The sequel you’ve been waiting for: the follow-up to the sensational #1 bestseller The Devil Wears Prada.

Eight years have passed since Andrea “Andy” Sachs quit the job “a million girls would die for” working for Miranda Priestly at Runway Magazine—a dream that turned out to be a nightmare.

Now Andy’s on the top of the world: she’s writing and reporting to her heart’s content; running The Plunge, her wildly successful high fashion bridal magazine with Miranda’s other ex-assistant, Emily; and most importantly, getting married to the scion of a storied media family and the love of her life. But the night before her wedding, Andy can’t sleep. As happy as she is—as happy as she should be—she’s still haunted by the specter of her former boss. Maybe it’s survivor syndrome? Or maybe it’s justifiable, self-inflicted, paranoia.

From the start, Andy and Emily have felt entitled to use their rolodex of contacts—Miranda’s contacts—from Runway as they make their way in the magazine world. As The Plunge succeeds, Andy and Emily realize they’ll soon come face to face with their former tormenter at industry functions, award ceremonies, and even weddings.

Still, Andy can hardly anticipate the horrifying reality that’s approaching—a reversal so profound that she will be squarely in Miranda’s crosshairs once more.

Karma’s a bitch. And Andy’s efforts to build a bright new life have led her directly to the one she fled—and into the path of the Devil herself.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Fab Reads: THE YOUNG AND THE RUTHLESS By Victoria Rowell

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Victoria Rowell is back with another page turner!  Pick up or download THE YOUNG AND THE RUTHLESS today!

Link: http://tinyurl.com/dynhmxr



 Synopsis:
New York Times bestselling author and beloved actress Victoria Rowell delivers another hilarious and shocking send-up of the soap opera world, featuring Calysta Jeffries, the unstoppable diva of daytime drama.

As we learned from Victoria Rowell’s smash hit Secrets of a Soap Opera Diva, no one gets in the way of leading lady Calysta Jeffries.

Now, after a brief stint in drug rehab, Calysta is back on the set and ready for action as she resumes her role as the star of The Rich and the Ruthless. But not everyone in the cast and crew is happy to have the diva back.

As soon as she wraps her first return episode, some of her fellow colleagues and cast members are conspiring, once again, to sabotage her career. She’s already survived amnesia, an alien abduction, and death three times over—but all that and a real-life alcohol abuse problem couldn’t keep Calysta down.

So her enemies come up with the nastiest plan ever devised. They invite Calysta’s beautiful daughter Ivy to audition for The Rich and the Ruthless and offer her a role alongside her very competitive mother, turning Calysta’s whole world upside down.

Ripped from the headlines of TMZ and packed with behind-the-scenes secrets, Victoria Rowell’s latest soap opera drama crackles with salacious details and over-the-top, hot and heavy hijinks.

You won’t be able to put it down.

*If you didn't read Victoria's successful novel, SECRETS OF A SOAP OPERA DIVA, (BNAM's book of the month pick for September 2010), be sure to purchase that as well and read it before you read THE YOUNG AND THE RUTHLESS.

Book Of The Month: August 2011 - December 2009 - Book Listing

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Book Of The Month: (August 2011) "The GQ Candidate" By Keli Goff

Synopsis:

After a sex scandal brings down a local politician, Luke Cooper finds himself catapulted into the Michigan Governor's mansion, making him one of the few black and—by virtue of adoption—Jewish elected officials to hold such an office. His national celebrity is increased when he heroically saves the life of an avowed racist, and his good looks and charm earn him the nickname "The GQ Candidate." One day Luke stuns his inner circle by informing them that he has decided to run for president. His friends offer to help but a fundraiser, hosted by one, and a major scandal involving another, become the subject of negative gossip that threatens the campaign. Meanwhile, Luke's wife is ambivalent about her husband's political aspirations, and grows wary of life in the spotlight especially after a surprise from their past inconveniently reappears during his historic run. The GQ Candidate gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at what happens in the lives of candidates, and the people closest to them, when the cameras aren't rolling. In addition to the story of the campaign, the novel also follows the lives of Luke's tight knit circle of friends and reveals how his amazing race changes their lives forever.


Book Of The Month: (June / July 2011) "Satan's Sisters" By Star Jones

Synopsis:

Set in the bright lights of daytime television, SATAN'S SISTERS is the story of The Lunch Club--a long-running, popular ladies' talk show in which alliances are forged, careers are made, and bridges are burned. The show's famous red couch is ruled by its esteemed matriarch, Maxine Robinson, the first African-American to become a network news anchor, who maintains a hidden safe of diaries chronicling others' indiscretions for posterity--and leverage as needed. But even all-knowing Maxine is caught off-guard when now superstar former co-host Heather Hope makes a ratings-gold guest appearance only to announce a bombshell: the imminent inside scoop straight from the mouth of another ousted member of The Lunch Club's inner sanctum. Self-described "southern belle" Melissa "Missy" Adams has written an explosive tell-all exposing all the Lunch ladies' secrets and she's going to reveal it on Heather's show; but the story is bigger than just the two of them. Delving into the murky waters of each of the current five co-hosts' life--and the loved ones, lovers, and support team surrounding them, SATAN'S SISTERS dishes the dirt while serving up laughs, suspense, solidarity, and heartbreak. The Lunch Club's beleaguered publicist is assigned to track down the embargoed manuscript and assess the potential damage to everyone's livelihood...but time is running out and there's now a new mole spilling details of the show's private panic mode. Looks like Maxine is going to have to take things into her own hands...but can even she escape becoming collateral damage?


Book Of The Month: (March / April / May 2011) "The Choir Director" By Carl Weber

Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author Carl Weber takes readers back to church, where preaching isn't always enough, nothing goes better with the Word than a song--and it's time for some hard-earned lessons in love, brotherhood, and betrayal. Bishop T.K. Wilson has done all he can to make First Jamaica Ministries a success. But with his last choir director getting caught in a scandal, attendance and cash flow are down. To fill the pews and collection plates, Bishop is counting on a new choir director, the charismatic Aaron Mackie, to revive the church. Aaron Mackie had been waiting his entire life for the opportunity to prove that he has what it takes to be a big-time choir director like Kirk Franklin. But while Aaron is more than up to the challenge, his ways around women, both past and present, could cost him more than his job. Simone Wilcox is just one of the women who's caught Aaron's attention. She's smart, beautiful and sexy, along with being a highly respected church trustee. She's got her eye on the new choir director with the intention of having a lot more on him and she doesn't plan on letting anyone get in her way. First Lady Monique Wilson is far from being the typical first lady. She does and says what she wants, and doesn't subscribe to church politics. Despite her shortcomings and a past rumored to include a long list of men, she's willing to do just about anything to protect the Bishop. The members of First Jamaica Ministries are also keeping the Bishop busy with choir in-fighting, romantic jealousies, and personal vendettas. You'd think the Bishop was being tested enough, but a final piece of the puzzle has yet to be revealed: Someone has been robbing the church blind. Someone whose connection to the Bishop is far too close for comfort. . . .

Book Of The Month: (January/Feb 2011) "The Company We Keep" By Mary Monroe

Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe's extraordinary novel celebrates life, love, and the power of sisterhood—proving that friends, like fine wine, only get better with age. . . Gorgeous, successful executive Teri Stewart spends her days working for L.A.'s hottest record company—and her nights all alone. Her best friend Nicole is determined to find Teri a man, but she hasn't had much luck...because Teri wants more than Mr. Maybe. She's holding out for Mr. Right and won't settle for anything less. Just when Teri is ready to give up, a man from her past returns to reignite their romance. With his sultry smile and easy-going charm, radio DJ Harrison Starr is one-of-a kind—and Teri can't deny she's fallen hard for him again. With her life finally falling into place, Teri thinks her dreams might come true after all. But Harrison may have a secret that could change everything. . .

Book Of The Month: (November/December 2010) "Use Me Or Lose Me" By Maryann Reid


Synopsis:

Publishers Weekly This sassy sophomore effort brings back Farah Washington, an aggressive, charismatic character last seen climbing the corporate ladder in Reid's spicy debut, Sex and the Single Sister. Not much has changed for Farah, 27, single, and a recent Emmy award winner who's now an anchorwoman for Channel 7 Primetime News. With her amorous aspirations on the back burner, she is focused on stealing the coveted hosting position on Rise and Shine, the station's morning show. Standing in her way is the only other black woman at the company, vice-president Joan Meyers, who thinks Farah's ambition could make her a liability. Enter rich, chiseled, Harvard-educated attorney Lenox Whitworth, who sweeps Farah off her feet and puts in a good word with Meyers, who just happens to be his aunt. His ulterior motive is to have Farah interview a falsely imprisoned man, thus exposing a duplicitous scheme hatched by a conniving politician. When Farah's segment airs to much fanfare, her star rises just as Lenox's diligent work at Life House, a nonprofit agency for children, is threatened by a friend's embezzlement. The couple's relationship falters, Farah gains weight and she bites her tongue for her career's sake while Lenox two-times her with French stripper Maritza. The narrative boils over when Farah, Rise and Shine's brand-new hostess, makes a shocking announcement at her launch party, which leads to more skirmishing and a mushy conclusion. Reid's writing may be slapdash and her moralistic message drowned beneath a tidal wave of sex and convoluted melodrama, but she delivers a quick, adrenaline-packed fix.

Book Of The Month: (October 2010) "Darius Jones" By Mary B. Morrison

Synopsis:

Darius Jones New York Times bestselling author Mary B. Morrison brings readers back into the world of basketball star Darius Jones. He has it all. But when a tragic accident turns his world upside down, he’ll have to fight to get back on top of his game. Darius may soon become the league’s most valuable player, he’s crazy in love with his wife, Fancy, and his relationship with his parents has never been better. Then a drunk driver slams into his car, leaving Fancy in a coma with a slim chance of surviving. Right away, Ashlee Anderson, the mother of his son, files for custody, claiming his demanding schedule and emotional tragedy make him unfit. Now a heartbroken Darius struggles to balance keeping his head in the game, sitting by his wife’s side and winning back his son. But when a stalker groupie convinces him to escape his sorrows for just one night, he doesn’t realize his sexiest fan has more in store for her obsession, and that she’ll do whatever it takes to ensure Darius becomes her man—and that Fancy leaves the hospital in a coffin.... With his life quickly unraveling, Darius must put everything on the line to right all the wrongs and prevent one moment of weakness from becoming a lifetime of pain.


Book Of The Month: (September 2010) "Secrets Of A Soap Opera Diva" By Victoria Rowell

Synopsis:

Secrets of a Soap Opera Diva Soap opera fans know her as Drucilla of The Young and the Restless fame, so it’s no wonder Victoria Rowell’s first dishy novel is culled from her own experiences. But where does the real world end and Victoria’s vivid imagination begin? You’ll be guessing to the very end! Known and loved for her longtime role as Ruby Stargazer on TV’s The Rich and the Ruthless, Calysta Jeffries is the hottest black actress in the soap opera world. But after fifteen years, three returns from the dead, two failed pregnancies, one alien abduction, and overcoming retrograde amnesia, Calysta still hasn’t managed to snag the biggest award in daytime drama: the Sudsy. She’s sure this is her year. So imagine her surprise—and outrage—when the Sudsy slips from her grasp again, right into the clutches of her most heated rival onscreen and off…Emmy Abernathy. For the fourth time! Now Calysta’s had as much as she’s going to take. So when reporter Mitch Morelli asks her for a quote after the award show and her true feelings for her costar slip out, that’s just the beginning as she goes on a rampage with her own brand of hardcore drama. And everyone’s about to learn a harsh lesson—never cross a daytime diva!



Book Of The Month: (August 2010) "Ruby" By V.C. Andrews

Synopsis:

In the heart of the bayou, Ruby Landry lives a simple, happy life. But innocence can't last forever... The only family Ruby Landry has ever known are her loving guardian, Grandmère Catherine, a Cajun spiritual healer, and her drunken, outcast Grandpèrb Jack. Although thinking about her dead mother and mysterious father sometimes makes her feel as mournful as the wind sighing through the Spanish moss, Ruby is grateful for all she has. Her life is filled with hope and promise...especially when her attraction for handsome Paul Tate blossoms into a mysterious, wonderful love. But Paul's wealthy parents forbid him to associate with a poor Landry, and Grandmère urges her to follow her dream of becoming a great painter, foreseeing a time when Ruby will be surrounded with riches in the dazzling city of New Orleans! Yet she cannot know how close that uncertain future looms.... In a faded photograph, Ruby glimpses for the first time the image of her father — and learns of a shameful deception and a shocking scheme of blackmail that now must come to light. Stunned by these revelations, she is devastated when Grandmère dies, leaving her to seek out her father in his vast New Orleans mansion. There, in a house of lies, madness, and cruel torment, Ruby clings to her memories of Paul to keep her heart alive. For only their love can save her now....

Book Of The Month: (June / July 2010) "Murder In The Hamptons" By Danita Carter

Synopsis:

Murder in the Hamptons intersects the worlds of music, money, and murder. A clash between the classes is played out in the Hamptons, when a rapper moves into an elite community with his unruly crew. The residents of Coco Beach, a private enclave tucked away in the Hamptons, are a hoity-toity bunch. Black society snobs with roots in Sag Harbor that run generations deep. So imagine how incensed the locals become when their tranquil summer getaway is infringed upon by TuSmArt, a rapper with money, but without the necessary pedigree to fit into this upper-crust community. When a body is found floating face down at TuSmArt’s yacht party, the police waste no time swarming in to find the killer. The snooty locals rejoice, automatically assuming that now the police will rid the area of the unwanted inhabitants. However, their victory song is cut short when one of the most prominent residents of Coco Beach is implicated in the murder.

Book Of The Month: (May 2010) "Message From A Mistress" By Niobia Bryant

Synopsis:

Niobia Bryant-the red-hot author of Show and Tell-delivers a sexy, unforgettable novel about love, infidelity, and the importance of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer... Through good times and bad, longtime friends Jaime, Renee, Aria, and Jessa have shared just about everything. But all hell breaks loose when Jessa texts them a shocking revelation: she's been sharing her bed-with one of their husbands. To make matters worse, she refuses to name which husband she's been cheating with. And all three wives believe they have reason to worry... Jaime wonders if her own past infidelity drove her man into Jessa's waiting arms... Renee thinks her busy career opened the door for Jessa to step in and fulfill her wifely duties...and Aria fears her competitive relationship with Jessa pushed her so-called friend to claim the ultimate prize in revenge. The betrayed trio vow to stick together. But before the identity of Jessa's lover is revealed, each woman's deepest secrets will be exposed for all to see-and they'll need each other more than ever.

Book Of The Month: (April 2010) "Diary Of A Mad First Lady" By DiShan Washington

Synopsis:

As First Lady of Pastor Darvin Johnson’s hugely successful Mount Zion Baptist Church, Michelle’s got her finger on the pulse of their community, and she’s got everything—and everyone—under control. Until Daphne Carlton joins the congregation. Daphne’s got her own agenda. Determined to clinch Darvin for herself, she begins to weave a twisted web of lies to push Michelle right out of the picture. But Michelle doesn’t like to be pushed. She’s been worried about her marriage lately and she’s not about to lose her man to some voluptuous vixen. A battle soon brews between the First Lady and the hoochie... But how far is Michelle willing to go, in order to remove the woman who threatens to destroy everything she’s worked so hard to achieve?

Book Of The Month: (March 2010) "Twisted" By Tracy Brown

Synopsis:

Celeste Styles is starting over. After losing her cherished salon in a suspicious fire, she has finally left her adulterous relationship and her drama-filled life in Brooklyn for the peace and tranquility of Atlanta, Georgia. But when Rah-Lo heads down south after deciding to leave his wife Asia, Celeste is floored and isn't quite sure if she wants to rekindle their affair. Meanwhile, Asia is hell bent on revenge. Vowing not to let Celeste get away with her man that easily, she, too, heads to Atlanta. But just on her heels is Ishmael Wright, ready to save the day and to warn his best friend Rah-Lo about his vengeful wife. Though Ishmael also has something else up his sleeve. Secret betrayals are exposed, bitter rivalries explode, love is lost and found. Life will never be the same on the streets of "Hotlanta" in Tracy Brown's epic new urban drama.

Book Of The Month: (February 2010) "Big Girls Do Cry" By Carl Weber

Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author Carl Weber cranks up the heat in this explosive follow-up to Something on the Side—a novel of friendship, family ties, and the bonds—and betrayals—of love… Isis and her sister, Egypt, two of the original curvaceous members of the Big Girls Book Club—have hightailed it out of New York and settled in Richmond, Virginia, where they've started a new chapter of the BGBC. The same rules apply here: You must be at least a bodacious size 14 to join. Living in the plush suburbs, Isis has it all—almost. The thirty-seven-year-old plus-size beauty is happily married to Rashid, and they're living in the lap of luxury. There's just one thing missing. They want to start a family. Enter Egypt, who's moved into her sister's McMansion with dreams of starting over. There's just one hitch: before her sister married Rashid, he was Egypt's man for ten years. Egypt thought she was over him, but the close quarters are giving both her and her sister doubts. She's ready to pack her bags until Isis and Rashid ask her for a serious favor. Egypt knows she shouldn't get involved, but she can't say no to her sister—even if the price might be way too high for them all. Egypt isn't the only one with drama. Rumor has it that Loraine—Isis's brilliant boss and one of BGBC's newest members—is in the running to be her sorority's next national president. But Loraine has more than one secret that will ruin her if they ever see the light of day. Thank goodness only one other person knows them—BGBC's first male member, Jerome—and what he knows just might destroy him. As friendships and family and past and present collide, these book lovers are about to learn that drama can follow you wherever you go—and that big girls do cry…

Book Of The Month: (January 2010) "I, Alex Cross" By James Patterson

Synopsis:

You can't run Detective Alex Cross is pulled out of a family celebration and given the awful news that a beloved relative has been found brutally murdered. Alex vows to hunt down the killer, and soon learns that she was mixed up in one of Washington's wildest scenes. And she was not this killer's only victim. You can't hide The hunt for her murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. Alex and Bree are soon facing down some very important, very protected, very dangerous people in levels of society where only one thing is certain--they will do anything to keep their secrets safe. Alex Cross is your only hope to stay alive As Alex closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable--a revelation that could rock the entire world. With the unstoppable action, unforeseeable twists, and edge-of-your-seat suspense that only a James Patterson thriller delivers, I, Alex Cross is the master of suspense at his sharpest and best.

Book Of The Month: (December 2009) "Going Rogue: An American Life" By Sarah Palin

A Word From "Books, Novels & More":

Sarah Palin is clueless about many things, including the assumption that she actually believes she is qualified to be Vice President...much less the President of The US! Ridiculous! However, take a interesting read with the new novel..oops I mean biography "Going Rogue"...


Synopsis:

One year ago, Sarah Palin burst onto the national political stage like a comet. Yet even now, few Americans know who this remarkable woman really is. On September 3, 2008 Alaska Governor Sarah Palin gave a speech at the Republican National Convention that electrified the nation and instantly made her one of the most recognizable women in the world. As chief executive of America's largest state, she had built a record as a reformer who cast aside politics-as-usual and pushed through changes other politicians only talked about: Energy independence. Ethics reform. And the biggest private sector infrastructure project in U.S. history. While revitalizing public school funding and ensuring the state met its responsibilities to seniors and Alaska Native populations, Palin also beat the political "good ol' boys club" at their own game and brought Big Oil to heel. Like her GOP running mate, John McCain, Palin wasn't a packaged and over-produced "candidate." She was a Main Street American woman: a working mom, wife of a blue collar union man, and mother of five children, the eldest of whom was serving his country in a yearlong deployment in Iraq and the youngest, an infant with special needs. Palin's hometown story touched a populist nerve, rallying hundreds of thousands of ordinary Americans to the GOP ticket. But as the campaign unfolded, Palin became a lightning rod for both praise and criticism. Supporters called her "refreshing," "honest," a kitchen-table public servant they felt would fight for their interests. Opponents derided her as a wide-eyed Pollyanna unprepared for national leadership. But none of them knew the real Sarah Palin. In this eagerly anticipated memoir, Palin paints an intimate portrait of growing up in the wilds of Alaska; meeting her lifelong love; her decision to enter politics; the importance of faith and family; and the unique joys and trials of life as a high-profile working mother. She also opens up for the first time about the 2008 presidential race, providing a rare, mom's-eye view of high-stakes national politics - from patriots dedicated to "Country First" to slick politicos bent on winning at any cost. Going Rogue traces one ordinary citizen's extraordinary journey, and imparts Palin's vision of a way forward for America and her unfailing hope in the greatest nation on earth. The New York Times - Michiko Kakutani

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

ICYMI: Book Trailer: TEN By Gretchen McNeil [Horror/Suspense]

Originally chosen as the book of the month for October/November 2012, TEN by Gretchen McNeil is a tense thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Somewhat predictable, yet entertaining.

Worth a ICYMI moment. [In Case You Missed It]



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Book Trailer:


 



SYNOPSIS:
Shhhh! Don't spread the word!

Three-day weekend. House party. White Rock House on Henry Island.

You do not want to miss it.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—three days on Henry Island at an exclusive house party.

Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their own reasons for wanting to be there, which involve their school's most eligible bachelor, T. J. Fletcher, and look forward to three glorious days of boys, bonding, and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly, people are dying, and with a storm raging outside, the teens are cut off from the rest of the world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn't scheduled to return for three days.

As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?