Spotlight and Review for Love on Death Row

Title: Love On Death Row

Author: Melissa Love

Genre: Women's Fiction, Urban 

Synopsis: 

How Far Would You Go To Save Your Marriage? From the outside De’Nesha Cole had the picture perfect life with two beautiful children and a loving husband. But on the outside, Terence was far from perfect. He was violent, controlling and abusive. When her best friends find out what’s been going on behind closed doors, they encourage her to go to the authorities, but she refused. She was determined to make her marriage work no matter at what cost and death was no exception. 

Book links: 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play 

Add to Goodreads

Excerpt: 

“These are for you! He said as he slowly brought his hands around to show me the dozen of red and yellow roses he had gotten for me. He kissed me on the back of my neck. “Well, do you like it?”

I couldn’t believe he was acting so casual after just punching me forty minutes ago. He must be suffering from personality dissociation.

“Of course,” I replied with a fake smile on my bruised face. “Thank you, baby.”

“Can you forgive me for the way I have been acting? I know that’s my child you’re carrying. Is it a boy or a girl?” He asked as he rubs my stomach and kissed me tenderly.

“I don’t know yet, it’s too early to tell, but when I go back next week I can ask the doctor and you can go with me if you want to?”

“Hell, yeah, this is my first child, so I got to be there. I called my parents, and they are so thrilled too.”

The only reason I hugged Terence and forgave him is because of our baby, and I know it sounds stupid, but this is our first child and I refuse to be just another single black woman raising a child alone.



Erotic Excerpt:

The male guards like that and sometimes they ask if they can join in or watch; most of the time, with Strawberry’s permission, we let them join in on our session for a price. I really didn’t want to do that, because I believed in our marriage vows and keeping it just between us. The three guards took me into the craft room and the other two took Strawberry on the other side of the room. They handled me really good! I was licked, sucked and manhandled in the right way. I came so many times that I didn’t know what to do, and I could hear Strawberry moaning just a few feet away.

Author Bio: 

Melissa Love began her love of writing since picking up her first urban fictional book. She wanted to turn her love of reading into writing. In 2001 and 2002 she went the self-publishing route and published 3 books. She knew that self-publishing wasn’t the rout she wanted to take anymore, so she continued on to write more manuscripts until she was able to get signed with a major publishing company. Writing has become a way for her to be creative in telling compelling stories and memorable characters of lies and deceits. She is also a member of the Motown Writer Network and she currently resides in Detroit, Michigan with her two daughters.

Melissa is giving away a book Scented Candle Set. For your chance to win, complete the rafflecopter entries. A winner will be chosen at the end of the blog tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Review of Love on Death Row:

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review. Please be aware that there may be some spoilers in this review.

Yes, I’m going to be honest. I thought this book was gripping, full of non-stop action, and brutally honest, but I didn’t think it was perfect.

De Nesha finds herself in an abusive marriage. In fact, the book starts off with her on death row, about to get the life sentence for murdering her husband. It starts off with a lesbian relationship which totally caught me off guard as, to be honest, I thought the book was an ordinary M/F romance. It turned out nothing like that. What also caught me was the fact that she’d chosen the lesbian relationship because of where she’d come from and what she had left in her last few days of life. That made me curious.

The author’s brutally honest dialogue and language had me hooked from the beginning. She or her characters didn’t mince words for a second. I liked that honesty although I had to admit, the swearing got a bit too much at certain spots in the book.

De Nesha took a downward spiral from enthusiastic wife to secretly abused to violently angry. It was a sad, tragic story—dark, heart-rending and definitely something to stir the emotions. I couldn’t put the book down. In that way, I highly recommend it as a gripping, soul-stirring read. Honest, real, and in no way skirting around painful, tender, raw, hurtful issues. She doesn’t give her character any grace—she presents the protagonist in the most realistic light with her image-maintaining problems in the beginning and her raging jealousy in the end. She’s a realist through and through so that’s why a couple of things bothered me.

My biggest concern was that once Terence, her husband, had abused her almost to the point of death, had a long-standing affair with another woman, and raped her, De Nesha still wishes at some point that they could make right and have a good marriage. I’m sorry! When did she ever have a good marriage? The man abused her emotionally and physically from the start. He degraded her as a person and ground her into nothing. I can’t possibly see why she hoped he would come right at that stage or that they could be reconciled. I also couldn’t understand the deep jealousy she felt towards his second wife when she’d been abused by him for so long. Why wasn’t she glad to be free of him? Yes, the knowledge of the affair must have hurt, but I’d have been so relieved. Finally, to be free of the freak! But I fully understand her jealousy in the woman taking her children! That would have had me thoroughly enraged, and I can sympathise how that drove her to the point of murder. Now all of these unrealistic responses could be the reaction of someone abused. I haven't been in an abusive relationship so I don't know. I just wanted to shake De Nesha so many times to tell her she's going the wrong way. I suppose that's what the author wanted to convey and she did so very effectively.

Besides some serious editing issues, this book really was excellently written and hopefully an eye-opener to many young women who would marry someone even though many red flags have gone up warning them that the man could be an abuser. And it’s a warning to those in an abusive marriage to talk about it and get out as soon as you can before your whole psyche has been wrecked. I so wish De Nesha could have gone back in time and changed the way she responded. Life would have been so much better for her. Thank you to the writer for getting me invested in her life so much that I couldn’t put the book down.

Spotlight and Review - Goddess Awakened by Cate Masters

Today, I have a fellow fantasy romance writer, Cate Masters, talking about her book, Goddess Awakened, which is a brand new release, and I had the privilege of reading it before it released.

The Goddess Connection Book 1

Goddess, Awakened

by Cate Masters

Blurb

With a little help from a goddess, battling evil is a piece of cake for Jocelyn Gibson.

A descendant of the goddess Iris, Jocelyn Gibson may have forgotten about the realm of magic, but it hasn’t forgotten her. When Eric Hendricks is targeted by a demon, Joss must step in to battle the evil and save the town’s awkward, but endearing, vet…who also happens to be the man she loves.

Joss’s new inn, a culinary career specializing in cooking with lavender and a new love all make for a fine recipe of disaster. She needs to embrace her inner goddess and harness the powers she never knew she had before it’s too late.

Goddess, Awakened

The Goddess Connection, Book 1

Fantasy/paranormal romance novel

About 89,700 words

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | All Romance eBooks | Kensington

The Goddess Connection Series

Every woman should embrace her inner goddess. What’s your connection?

In each novel of The Goddess Connection series, the heroine is somehow connected to a goddess. Her lifelong quirks will become strengths once she finds her true place in the world, and accepts herself for who she really is.

And in each, the heroine is encouraged to embrace her inner goddess. And the hero treats her like one! As it should be for every woman.

 About the Author

Cate Masters has made beautiful central Pennsylvania her home, but she’ll always be a Jersey girl at heart. When not spending time with her dear hubby, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.

Contact Details

Website: http://catemasters.blogspot.com

Email: cate.masters@gmail.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cate-Masters/89969413736?ref=ts

Twitter:  @CateMasters

Book video

Direct link:  http://youtu.be/_HZ2hb_wcz0

Mini excerpt for GODDESS, AWAKENED

In starting her life over, Joss had expected some resistance, even some trouble, but not this. The bedroom floor boards trembled beneath her golden-slippered feet. Tendrils of an unseen power curled upward from deep within the ground, tingling through her toes. She paused to steady herself, then continued to put the finishing touches on her costume. The tremors grew into rumbles and their hum seeped beneath her skin. When their tiny wisps twined through her mind, she clenched her hands. Enough. Go away.

Thick as starlight on a clear summer’s eve, sweet as the lavender blossoms she had yet to plant, energy whooshed up through the cracks of the worn wood and out into the October night.

She gripped the bureau until it passed, the vibrations rolling over her in lessening waves. Bubbly, effervescent waves. “Third time tonight, Taz.” Each departure took longer, and more of the essence remained.

When the dog whined, she stroked his fur. “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt you.”

Even if tonight the waves were palpable enough to make her hairs stand on end. Oh, no, please.

Nothing could ruin tonight. More than a party, this event would determine her future. And after three years of grief, she’d never allow anything to trap her in its clutches again.

My Review:

I enjoyed reading this fantasy, paranormal romance. The book had many facets and kept me gripped and entertained for hours. Jocelyn is new to town and opens up The Lavender Inn with her friend, Annie, who cooks gourmet. She's bright, kind, and energetic but hides loneliness behind her goddess persona. The setting is dreamy and I'd love to visit it, if it were not for the undercurrents of evil spiritual activity which reach a climax several times in the book. What amazes me is how the author transitions from touching romance to scary paranormal to fantasy and then to an everyday feel like Katie Fforde while she runs her inn. Jocelyn (Joss) is a goddess but denied her powers for years because her previous husband wasn't keen on the whole idea. She has to face up to her powers when the man she loves (although she doesn't know she loves him yet) is endangered by the evil powers in the area.

The book will keep you gripped. It's unique, has much conflict, and the romance keeps you hooked. It's also an escape. I loved the Lavender Inn and Taz (the dog) and have even considered planting lavender after hearing of all the benefits of the plant. Definitely one of those stories that get you pondering and thinking. Deep and sweet yet scary and suspenseful at the same time. You'll enter a fantasy world of a difference to the norm, and I'm pleased that this is the first of a series. I love the message thread throughout the book - that every woman is a goddess and should find a man who makes her feel that way.

Another Cover Reveal for my Fantasy Romance

Squee! It's the month for cover reveals - one of the highlights of being a writer.

Tibbs Designs has once more come up with an amazing cover for my contemporary, fantasy romance. The book belongs to the Ubuntu line - books set in Africa, steeped with the colours and flavours of the continent.

Here it is:

Here's the blurb to give you a taste of my book:

Gelsey is a savannah sprite – a fairy in Africa who works to preserve the earth. She’s a pro at eco-balance, but when the fairy queen gives her a commission to become a human to research their love, she’s miserable. Unfortunately, it's the only means to the promotion of her dreams – a chance to save the African Wild Cat. She becomes a florist and sprinkles her gold dust on Evan, a single man in the human world. Enchanted by the magic, he marries Gelsey immediately. Gelsey is swept into the world of Evan’s love and learns that humanity is quite different to what she'd presumed. She begins to wonder if she’s ready to give up her life with him, but how can she forsake her fairyhood forever to become a human for good? Especially for a relationship she’s sure is merely based on plain old fairy magic?

An excerpt - it hasn't been through the editing mill yet so excuse any rawness:

Gelsey thought her head would spin out of control. The strange warm sensations in her tummy made her loathe to eat although she felt hungry. Was this the human love emotion? Something about the man—the way he spoke to her, the way he looked at her, as if she were so important to him, as if he really cared how she felt, shook her from the inside out. Even her fairy friends hadn’t connected with a spot deep inside of her like him. If only she could tell him of the turmoil in her soul, of the world she had left behind and of how she missed her home and her friends. Maybe he would care. Maybe he would help her and let her leave early. He would tell her all about human love so she didn’t have to be trapped in the human world a whole year.

“Um, tell me about love,” she said once they were seated opposite each other at the fish restaurant called John Dory’s. She could somehow stomach eating seafood but being an earth fairy, couldn’t bear to eat the animals she’d spent so many years helping out. According to Ziana, she would be human and forget most of her life as a fairy. That had prompted a deep fear in her and she’d determined never to forget. Thankfully, somehow she could remember almost everything.

The smell of seafood cramped her already hungry stomach. Why hadn’t she eaten lunch today? Evan had totally sent her whole day in a crazy direction. She’d been quite happy to spend the rest of her year working in the florist, making pretty arrangements, meeting people and asking them questions. She wasn’t ready for this marriage thing and had no idea what it entailed.

Evan opened his mouth and didn’t speak for a moment. “Love?”

“Yes, tell me how it felt when you fell in love. It seems it happens more than once in a man’s life.”

His eyes twinkled a moment. “This is my first time.” He looked right into her, his gaze giving off some magic as though he’d sprinkled fairy dust on her. He’d almost totally bewitched her. She knew if she hadn’t been a fairy, she would be falling into this love thing right now.

“I …”

“Why do you ask?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t expect you to answer like that.”

“You cut to the chase, don’t you?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“You’re a very innocent person. It’s as if you’ve been sheltered from so much.”

“I’ve lived for the earth and the environment. Love hasn’t featured in my life.”

He took hold of her hand and squeezed it. “I’d love to show you what it’s like.”

Book Spotlight with Sara Daniel

Today I have Sara Daniel talking about the very first Beyond Fairy Tales book to be released from Decadent Publishing. Welcome Sara!

Once Upon a Marriage

Retelling The Three Army Surgeons

By Sara Daniel

My favorite school assignment ever was modernizing and retelling a fairy tale (sophomore English – Aced it AND got extra credit – Thanks  Ms. Seckler!), so when Decadent Publishing put out the call for a retelling of a Grimm’s Fairy Tale, my hand immediately shot in the air. I was given The Three Army Surgeons, an obscure, somewhat gruesome story that was definitely not a romance. (Read it here.)

At the beginning of the initial brainstorming, I thought, “You have got to be kidding me. What I have I gotten myself into?” But then I plunged in. Before long, I was giggling as I typed because Once Upon a Marriage was SO MUCH FUN to write. Yep, favorite assignment ever!

Once Upon a Marriage

Time is running out for Armina Keer to have the baby she’s always wanted. Before she can move on with her life, she needs her estranged husband to sign their divorce papers. When she can’t get him to respond, her meddling uncles arrange for a trip to his inn. Despite vowing to guard her broken heart, she has to settle the past before she can have a future.

Ian Keer might not deserve a second chance with his wife, but he’s not going to give up one either, not with the immediate flaming attraction still between them. While her uncles’ antics wreak havoc on life at The Inn, he offers her the ultimate gamble: Spend the night with him, and afterwards he’ll sign the papers if she still wants to leave.

With everything riding on one night together, Ian must convince her that their love is strong enough the second time around, and Armina must decide if love is worth sacrificing her dreams.

Excerpt:

“You hate me,” Ian whispered, feeling more nauseous than if he’d ingested a prosthetic eyeball. How could she not hate him when she believed their personal relationship had meant less to him than an employment issue?

Armina gazed beyond his left shoulder. “I don’t hate you. I’ve never hated you. When we got married, I understood you had a strong work ethic combined with an unusual drive to succeed and a consuming passion for the Inn. I knew I’d come in second to this place.”

He opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but couldn’t. If she’d made him choose, he wouldn’t have picked her.

“I thought I was okay with it,” she continued. “After all, I loved the Inn, too, and wanted you to realize your vision for it. Turns out I wasn’t okay. I didn’t realize how distant second place actually was.” She shrugged her slim shoulders. “Live and learn, right?”

Not right. He wanted to take back the lesson and teach her about real love instead. “You never should have had to settle for second place. With me or with anyone else. No one has the right to ask that of you.”

“Agreed.” Her voice came out stronger, her shoulders squared, and she looked him directly in the eye. “Now you understand why I want a divorce.”

Buy links:

Amazon   Barnes & Noble   All Romance ebooks   Decadent Publishing

Sara Daniel writes what she loves—irresistible romance, from sweet to erotic and everything in between. She lives her own happily-ever-after romance with her hero husband. Connect with her online at:

Subscribe to Sara’s newsletter: http://eepurl.com/rx_AL

Website: http://www.SaraDaniel.com

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/SaraDanielSaraShafer

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SSaraDaniel

Blog: http://saradanielromance.blogspot.com

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/ssaradaniel/

Touched to the Heart Spotlight and Review

Today, I'm talking about a book I've just read and would recommend. If you enjoy warm-hearted and touching and also easy to read, then look no further. Elsa Winckler has written a novel set in South Africa which will take you on a wonderful romance ride.

Blurb of Touched to the Heart:

Discover beautiful South Africa in this sweet, heart-warming Cinderella story about a blogger, a billionaire, and one chance meeting.

When it comes to men, if physiotherapist Caitlin Sutherland didn't have bad luck, she would have no luck at all. To help cope, Caitlin starts blogging in her spare time, about the types of men she meets and the bad dates she goes on.

While on duty during the annual Wines to Whales bicycle race, a gorgeous, sweaty cyclist walks in and sets her hormones dancing. But he is Don Cavallo; one of the four Cavallo brothers — hotel tycoons, famous as much for their business skills as for the number of beauties regularly seen on their arms.

Don Cavallo has his own issues with the other sex. He has yet to find one who is interested in him and not in his money or hotels. But when this sexy physio puts her hands on his back she not only touches his body, but also his heart.

They've both been burned before, but neither of them can stop themselves from playing with fire. 

My review:

I enjoyed this story very much and couldn't put it down. I like a story that's heart-warming, easy to read, not bogged down with unnecessary fluff, and filled with conflict.

Caitlin is a physiotherapist and is very embarrassed by her immediate and intense attraction to cyclist and hotel chain owner, Don, when he comes in for a massage. Her touch on his back stirs longings in him he's unable to quench. And Caitlin is drawn to him too against her better judgement. She's sworn off men and even writes a blog about the bad types she's dated. Hurt from childhood blinds her in many ways.

I loved the intense physical and emotional attraction between the hero and heroine. The romance was touching and sweet yet peppered with a lot of sexiness. The love scenes were hot!

I also enjoyed the large family interplay in the novel which makes you invested in the Sutherland and Cavallo families.

I would recommend this lovely romance that ticks all the right boxes.

I certainly hope the author intends to write the stories of the other Sutherland sisters and their connection to the Cavallo brothers, especially Hannah.

You can buy her book here: Amazon, Escape Publishing.

Launch Party - Win a Nook

Think of The Frog Prince - kissing a frog that becomes a prince. I've written a romance based on the same fairy tale. And what fun it was to write.

Decadent Publishing's Beyond Fairytales line has now launched. All the writers of the fairytale-based romances will take part in a launch party on Facebook. Anyone is welcome to join and discover just what fascinating books will be coming out plus there are great prizes to be won including a Nook. I'll be talking about my erotic, contemporary romance with a paranormal twist.

Her Real-life Hero
by Vicki Ballante

When Joanie buys an antique bureau to inspire her writing, the hero in her book comes to life after she promises him he can live with her. Outraged to be stuck with a man in her home when all she wants is to revel in her new-found freedom, Joanie tries her best to get rid of Theo. The magic of the bureau and Theo have other plans. Joanie resists Theo’s magnetic sex appeal but the more she resists, the more she succumbs.

Join the Facebook launch party here: PARTY!!

Cover Reveal - At Second Glance

I have the cover of my debut erotic romance and it's stunning!! I fell in love with it the minute I saw it.

So, here it is.

Thank you so much, Tibb's Designs. You rock.

If you're interested in what the story is about, here is a blurb:

Four years after her divorce, Merryn is ready to find someone. When she agrees to meet a man she connected with online, she’s horrified he’s her ex-husband, Kirk. Kirk suggests they have some fun together. After all, Merryn wants to experiment and learn. But their sexual incompatibility from their marriage comes back to haunt them. Will Merryn learn to relax and have fun without giving her heart? Kirk takes her on a sexual adventure, but can he earn her trust all over again after all that’s happened between them?

Here's a short excerpt (unedited):

She shrugged, pursing her lips. Those kissable lips, full and soft. He’d almost forgotten how good they tasted. No, he couldn’t let her pull him in. Could he risk that emptiness, the disappointment which had become a daily part of their lives? His heart was being wrung out like a garment of clothing to dry. Pulled and yanked and screwed by memories and the vision that stood before him. He scrunched his eyes closed and gritted his teeth to cut her off for a moment. Unable to resist, he opened his eyes. He saw Merryn but he also saw Hedge. Something in her eyes—a fire, a charge. She’d changed. She was willing to learn, to grow. She was more beautiful than ever. At first, the shock of seeing his ex had made her ugly in his eyes. Now, staring at her, something about the maturity of her face, the sense of internal confidence she never possessed before, drew him, made him curious. A hint of cleavage at the dip of her simple blouse, the firmness of her upper arms, her pulse fluttering in the cream crevice below her neck stirred arousal, plain and simple.

“Don’t go.” He was crazy to even try. But he was hungry for her body, her warmth infusing him, her softness against his skin. “We don’t have to get married again; we can just have some fun. You even said you were ready for some fun.”

She shook her head but said nothing. She rose up to walk away but he touched her hand. Gasping, she pulled back.

“I’m sorry.”

“What?” Was that hope in her eyes? Was she hoping he’d apologize for being an arse in their marriage? Unlikely. He’d tried that tack.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you my name.”

She shrugged. “My decision. You just played along with it.”

“Are you disappointed?”

She nodded.

“I’m not.”

She shook her head again. “No, Kirk.” Tears filled her eyes, making the blue sparkle against the tears, like a crystal-clear pool of sadness.

Why was she so set on pushing him away? He clenched his fists, ready to leave again but then he glanced down at her shape, the vision of Merryn, different yet still the woman he’d been crazy enough to marry.

“I’ve changed,” he said. “I want to make a difference.” All his dreams of romancing Hedge slowly had gone out the window. There was no opportunity for a second chance. Merryn remembered all the mistakes he’d made. But maybe the time apart…

“Please. Give it a chance. I want to show you things.”

“What?” Her lips were a thin line.

“Things. I can’t talk here.”

“I’m not ready. I want a new beginning.” She sat down and he found the seat opposite her, pleased that she wasn’t running away just yet.

“We can forget the past.”

“I can’t.” Her gaze was desperate. All the years of regret came back to him—all those hours pondering where he’d gone wrong. He saw her pain. He’d caused that pain.

He reached across and rested his hand on hers, relishing the softness of her skin. “I’m so sorry.” His voice was a whisper now. “I’m sorry I was such a dog, such a useless prick.”

“Yes, you were.” There wasn’t any sympathy in her gaze, only hardness. She’s Hedge. There’s hope. She’s changed.
“Then give me a chance to prove otherwise.”

At Second Glance will be available from Decadent Publishing shortly.