In Patti's Imagination

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

RELEASE DAY BLITZ and REVIEW - Nina Levine's ILLUSIVE

BOOK SIX IN THE BESTSELLING STORM MC SERIES by Nina Levine is LIVE!!! Check out this steamy excerpt, pick up your copy and don’t forget to enter the giveaway! Happy Release Day!

Illusive (Storm MC Series) by Nina Levine

SYNOPSIS

He’s been burnt by love.

Griff Hawkins keeps his pain locked away and the ghosts of his past buried even deeper. Three years ago, he chose the Storm MC as his family and accepted the ways of their violent world. These days, he lives his life with one rule – don’t get attached to anyone but his club.

She longs to be loved.

Sophia Barnes aches to know real love, and lives her life with arms wide open, ready to embrace the possibilities that come her way.

When Griff’s past is exposed and his place in the club is jeopardised, he fights for his family the only way he knows how, regardless of the consequences. That is, until he meets the woman who brings him to his knees, giving him something to lose.

Can they teach each other to leave the sins of the past behind or will Griff's demons dictate their future?

BUY IT NOW:

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REVIEW

[Anita]

Amazon/Goodreads rating: 5/5

In Patti's Imagination rating: 10/10

Just the book I needed to lift my mood up. This author always does it. Griff is so damn sexy, Sarah is great. Alpha male and a strong woman. What ever more could I need?

I don't think Ive read a book by Nina Levine that I didn't like. Her books just suck you in and you can't stop thinking about it until you've read every last page, word, letter.

And sex scenes...Holy hell! That was something to dream about. Anyway, great book, fantastic series. Can't wait for the next book!

EXCERPT

His strokes were slow and rhythmic, designed to work a woman to a crazed state. I should know because he was slowly taking me there. He didn’t want me to come yet, but that was getting harder and harder with each new round of pleasure. Each time a wave crashed over me, my muscles threatened to let my body collapse onto the bed. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold myself up. And not to reach out and touch him? That was a whole other level of how-the-fuck-will-I-make-it-through-this?

He pushed another finger inside so I now had two delivering me heaven. I writhed under his touch, my muscles seriously beginning to tire. My eyes squeezed close and my fingers curled into a ball, wanting desperately to cling to something, but unable to latch onto anything the way they were tied. The orgasm that continually tried to shatter me, moved dangerously close until it reached the point where I thought I could no longer fight it.

“Griff, I can’t…I can’t do this anymore.” I panted as my muscles gave way and my body dropped to the bed.

His fingers left me, and in what felt like a split second, he had me flipped onto my stomach, and he’d moved so his knees were on the bed, either side of my legs. One of his hands landed on the bed beside me while he placed the other one on my back.

He growled into my ear, “Do you know what happens when you don’t obey me, Sophia?” My breathing had turned into pants and my muscles were screaming at me, all while my pussy pulsed with need.

“No,” I managed to get out, even though I struggled to form a thought while my mind tried to deal with all my senses at once.

“When you don’t do as I say, I get to punish you, in any way I want.”

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STORM MC READING ORDER

#1 STORM (J & Madison) - OUT NOW - CURRENTLY FREE

#5 SLAY (Blade) - OUT NOW

#5.5 SASSY CHRISTMAS - FREE

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

USA Today Bestselling Author Nina Levine, is an Aussie author who writes stories about alpha men and the strong, independent women they love.

When she isn't creating with words, she loves to create with paint and paper. Often though, she can be found curled up with a good book and some chocolate.

I love to chat with the readers of my book so please visit me or contact me here:

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS | AMAZON | NEWSLETTER

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To celebrate the release of ILLUSIVE, I am giving away a signed copy of ILLUSIVE and a Limited Edition Storm MC Swag Pack.

Open Internationally.

Good Luck xx

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Monday, August 24, 2015

BLOG TOUR and REVIEW - Erin Cristofoli's STARTING OVER

Title: Starting Over

Author: Erin Cristofoli

Genre: Erotic/Contemporary Romance

Release Date: August 21, 2015

"You Can Call me Sir"

Left with no option but to leave the only life she has ever known, Katherine White has packed up and moved almost three thousand kilometres for a chance at a new start, with a new job, in a new city.

When her best friend drags her to a masquerade party on only her second night in town, Kate has a chance encounter with a mysterious masked man that dominates her, pushes her limits and leaves her craving more. He tells her that there is no long-term in their future, but he wants to continue to explore their sexual chemistry. The only trouble is, he wants their identities to remain a mystery.

Benjamin Hyde has been burned by love and has vowed to never let another woman stomp on his heart. His days are filled with successful business ventures and his nights with one night stands at the club.

After reluctantly being dragged to a masquerade party by his best friend, Ben is surprised to find a girl that captivates him and he doesn’t hesitate to take control.

When Ben’s new assistant, Kate arrives on Monday morning, a glimpse of a tattoo on the back of her neck throws a wrench into his perfectly sorted world. Could Kate really be the woman that Ben had hooked up with?

Ben wants to pursue Kate, but she is adamant not to mix business with pleasure.

Normally Ben would agree, except when it comes to Kate.

REVIEW

[Patti]

Amazon/Goodreads rating: 5/5

In Patti's Imagination rating: 9.2/10

I'm thrilled with how this story progressed. Ben and Kate made me want to root for their HEA, and I loved that they both experienced character growth - two of my requirements for a rating over 3 stars. Though I can't imagine personally having a similar experience to Kate (I don't want to spoil the story), I can say that the author weaves a tale that allows me to suspend any disbelief I might have. After all, every person is different. I don't have to see myself in a character to enjoy their story. The big bump for me to a 5-star ( I always round up on Amazon/Goodreads if I liked a book) was that this was a debut novel. It wasn't perfect, but I can see great potential in the author, and I can't wait to read more of her work.

Letting out a yelp, I closed my eyes and tried to prepare myself for the fall, but nothing happened. Instead, I peeked through squinted eyes to find myself plastered to the chest I had run into, feeling a strong arm wrapped around my waist. My hands were splayed across the man’s pec, and I couldn’t help but flex my fingers slightly, feeling the muscle beneath the shirt. Wow.

“Are you all right?” a rich, gravelly voice above me asked. I blinked and realized just how close I was to the perfect stranger, and tried to add some distance, but his hand remained firmly on my hip.

“Yes, thanks to you… just a little unsteady.” I looked up and found myself stunned, looking into the eyes of the man who had been watching me dance.

Erin was born and raised in Ontario, Canada, where she resides with her husband and two kids. She is a stay-at-home mom and has long dreamed of having a published book of her own. Starting Over is her debut romance novel. When she isn’t writing, Erin has a love of most forms of art - painting, photography and crocheting.

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Monday, August 10, 2015

REVIEW - BL Berry's LOVE ABSTRACT

Title: Love Abstract

Series: The Art of Falling Duet

Author: B.L. Berry

Published: May 2015

SYNOPSIS

Things aren't always what they seem.

And in the light, Sleeping Shadows awaken and truths are exposed.

Love...

I love you.

Of all the lies he ever told me, that is my favorite.

Deceit...

Phoenix isn't who he thinks he is.

He is what he hides.

I know that now.

Lies...

His lies became so real he started to believe them,

deceiving even himself.

His silence lies, too.

The truth won't set you free. It will destroy you.

Love is deceptive like that.

BUY LINKS

REVIEW

[Patti]

Amazon/Goodreads rating: 5/5

In Patti's Imagination rating: 10/10

When I finished Love Nouveau, I was in love with Ivy and Phoenix's story. I thought Phoenix was amazing, perfect.

And then I read the epilogue.

I wanted to swat BL. I love her, but I wanted to swat her. I knew that I would feel differently once I'd read the sequel, but in that moment, I was so angry. Well, I'm here to say that, in fact, she turned me around 180 as I knew she would.

At the start of this story, the reader knows things that Ivy does not. Nonetheless, she's not living in blissful ignorance. She's suspicious and worried, as you'd expect from a girl with her history. Yeah, that should tell you a ton in just the first chapter.

I think what I loved most about this story as a whole (the two-book series), it that focused on the imperfections of love. So many love stories get a happily ever after, but it's not always that easy. For Phoenix and Ivy, it was anything but. This story is about how to endure.

We've followed them to New York, where Ivy is working her way through to her dream job the hard way, by being the grunt at a gallery. Her big break comes with a sculptor named Brock. I'll let you meet him - oh, he's a fantastic secondary character, so full of life. In more ways than one, he represents the future and potential of this couple.

And then there's the past. No, all the characters we met in Love Nouveau have gone away. Some are back and for the worst. Others surprise us in amazing ways. Ups and downs and back and forth. Pain. Sorrow. Happiness. Joy. Anger. Resentment. Fear. Love. So much emotion in this story and the reader is right there for all of it.

Take the journey with Ivy and Phoenix. You'll be glad you did. When you're at the darkest moment, know that there is a light at the end. A gorgeous, amazing light that I wish I could have actually seen. Damn, I bet that would have been unforgettable. Read the book. You'll know what I mean.

I had some favorite quotes, but I loved this one at the end, which I think embodies the narrative. "Just because you paint over the canvas doesn't mean the original piece no longer exists. It's still there, you just can't see it."

EXCERPT

Prologue

Phoenix

It all started with a little white lie.

A lie of omission, if you want to be technical.

But somewhere along the way, that little white lie turned into a massive, gaping black hole, mercilessly sucking in every facet of my life bit by fucking bit.

I’ve done everything I can to protect Ivy, to keep her out of my screw up. But one day she’s going to find out. And I know I need to tell her before someone else does. I need her to understand. I need her forgiveness. I need her to hear the sincerity in my words, my apology.

I can only hope that Ivy is open-minded and understanding enough to accept my past transgressions as she’s accepted her own. She has to accept me as I accepted her, fuck ups and all, right?

Ivy knows I’m not myself. I haven’t been myself in what feels like years. She can see the guilt of an unnamed crime written all over my face, but for whatever reason, she chooses not to say anything. Maybe she’s terrified of what the truth will bring?

She should be.

And frankly, so am I.

The demons of my past haunt me every fucking day. I wish things had unfolded differently. I never imagined that one decision could ever bite me in the ass like it has. But I can’t turn back time and rewrite the past without changing the course of my present … my future. The choices I made ultimately led me to her. And she is all that is good in my life …

The one thing going right.

And I won’t give that up without a fight.

The streetlight streaming in through the cracks in the blinds is just enough to illuminate our bedroom. I’ve been awake for hours; my mind racing to all the dark places I hate visiting.

I sit up, careful not to stir Ivy. Her hair cascades across her pillow. She looks so beautiful when she’s asleep. There’s no worry in her face, and she is just at peace with the world. Everything about this woman was created specifically for me. I can watch her for a single moment and easily find one thousand new things I love about her.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve perfected the fine art of quietly escaping our bedroom. I stealthily make my way to the door and slowly turn the handle. I look back over my shoulder and watch her sigh in her sleep. She’s snoring softly, and I just know.

I know that this is it.

She is it.

Most guys would never admit the moment they knew they wanted to marry the love of their life.

Then again, I’m not most guys.

I’m just an asshole. Quite possibly the luckiest asshole in the history of assholes.

And who knows how long my luck will last.

Because today is going to be the day I come clean and tell her what happened.

And this time I mean it.

Add you to your TBR

Love Nouveau on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22912916-love-nouveau

Love Abstract on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25243912-love-abstract

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

B.L. Berry is many things. A New Adult author. A self-proclaimed music whore. A long-course triathlete. A marketing savant. And a full-time working mom. While there are never enough hours in the day, she does the best she can to get things done and hopes for technological advances in human cloning.

When she’s not hiding behind her computer writing, you can find her spending time with her family or catching up on her favorite TV shows. Rumor has it she’ll sleep when she’s dead.

She is Canadian by birth. Mexican by marriage. Chicagoan by heart. Kansan by choice. Jayhawk purely by common sense.

Residing outside of Kansas City, she lives with her husband, two children and black pug. Each day her family thanks the makers of e-Readers, because without which they would be living amongst stacks and stacks of romance novels. Conversely, each day B.L. Berry thanks the makers of e-Readers for hiding her book-hoarding tendencies.

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Saturday, August 8, 2015

BLOG TOUR - Kate Benson's SMOLDER

Book: Smolder

Series: Ignite Series, #2

Author: Kate Benson

Published: July 23, 2015

GOODREADS LINK

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25402107-smolder

BUY LINKS

Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon CA Amazon AU

SYNOPSIS

Two years after a misunderstanding pulls free-spirited Addison Greyson from tenacious Zeke Turner’s life, fate finds a way to give her back.

Not all reunions are simple, though.

Between a sordid arrangement she made to save her father, the secret she vowed to keep and her twisted new reality, Addie returns to Zeke a different girl.

When their attraction to each other proves too much to deny, they reunite in secret, rekindling their long lost love in the shadows. Their feelings ignite into something more and staying apart is no longer an option.

Fighting to stay together when it seems the whole world wants them apart won’t be easy.

They soon realize it never was.

Will giving into the desires that smolder beneath the surface be the one thing that saves them?

Or will they find out the hard way that some things are best kept secret?

Smolder is the second and final anticipated installment in The Ignite Series. It is full-length and multi-POV.

REVIEW

[Patti]

Amazon/Goodreads rating: 5/5

In Patti's Imagination rating: 9.6/10

I reviewed both IGNITE and SMOLDER. I'll post the reviews for each book below and separately on Amazon and Goodreads. First, I'll review the series as a whole.

I hadn't read any of Kate's books before, and by virtue of the fact that I was desperate to read SMOLDER as soon as I finished IGNITE, she hit my automatic 3 stars threshold. Add to that some memorable characters in Addie and Zeke, and we bump to a 4 - in my world, as anyone who follows my reviews will know, characters make or break a story for me. Another half star for a great supporting cast - Brittany wasn't in either story much, but when she was there, I loved her spunk. Chad covered loathsome. Liz rocked as a friend. Addie's dad hit both strong and weak notes. Zeke's mom kicked butt as a single mother (and a surrogate one). All in all, Kate painted her canvas with a group of people I wanted to know (or smack). Anything else in the story could be crap and I'd still have loved it for that reason alone.

It's not crap, though. In fact, I'm now itching to read more of her work because she crafted a world that felt realistic and knowable to me. That's the second most important aspect of a book or series in my opinion - a world doesn't need to be real, but it should at least be somewhere I can envision and/or want to visit. I'm a sucker for world building, and she did that well here.

Lest you think I'm blowing smoke, I'll get to the cons before I talk about that last half point of the rating. If you're anal retentive, there are things in this book which will bother you. It could be tighter in places, including some editing issues, but I don't dock for that unless it hurts my enjoyment of the book. Here, it did not because of the things I mentioned above.

The other issue - and it wasn't for me, but could be for some - is that you realistically cannot read either of these books as a standalone. You will be lost on a lot of SMOLDER if you don't read IGNITE, and if you skip SMOLDER, then IGNITE will feel incomplete. Fortunately for anyone who dislikes cliffhangers or prefers to read such stories continuously, both of these books are available. I think the story could have been crafted in a way that allowed for standalone reading, but it's the prerogative of the author to ignore that model. For someone who doesn't mind a more serial narrative, it wasn't a huge issue.

As for that last half point, I usually rate on here first, then worry about whether or not you'd round up to the next star on Amazon. In this case, I can't give a full 10-start due to the cons I mentioned, but since it was otherwise a 5-star read for me, I didn't dock a full half-point. That lets me round up on the 5-star system, and I firmly believe that, as a story, this series deserves that.

Now, let's get to the two individual books.

IGNITE - 5/5 or 9.6/10

One of my favorite things about this book was that it started when Addie and Zeke were young and followed the entire path of their love story. I'm a huge fan of romantic fiction, and this series falls into that category. Because the two main characters are primarily shown in their immediate post-coming-of-age years, I'd call this New Adult Romantic Fiction. A chunk of the story in IGNITE involves a slow burn between two best friends, but once they ignite the flame between them, it rages. When they're both in college, watch out! If you love a story about first love, then this is for you.

The other piece I adored in this series, and it starts here, is that a little mystery surrounds Addie's dad, there are some unsavory moments and characters thrown in here, and that lends just enough of a Romantic Suspense twist. The ups and downs of Zeke and Addie's story flow throughout the book, but this is basically the piece where a cliffhanger avoider might get annoyed. Personally, I thought the intrigue and it's lack of resolution made a compelling reason to read SMOLDER. Even if I wasn't planning on it for review, I'd have wanted to read SMOLDER after IGNITE was done.

Overall a fantastic read. You may or may not be cursing Kate when a certain couple points happen, but I know I had a hard time putting it down. That says a lot, since I was on my Kindle while camping in the williwacks (only way to charge it was in the car). I can't wait for more of Kate's books.

SMOLDER - 5/5 or 9.6/10

The story picked up right where it left off in IGNITE. That was awesome for me because I was literally reading them back-to-back. If you've read IGNITE (and why wouldn't you?), then you will be glad to know that it's not rehashed and questions are answered. If you loved Addie and Zeke's story of first love in IGNITE, then you'll be happy that SMOLDER is a second-chance romance. Second chance with whom? I don't know. ;) Just kidding. Read the synopsis.

Where IGNITE followed a little more of a Romantic Fiction/New Adult model, SMOLDER is really a Romantic Suspense/New Adult story. I think that was one of my favorite things about this series, that the reader crossed so many genres during the process. There were some great twisty moments, and one at the end had me on the edge of my seat because I had no idea what would happen next.

On top of that, the heat factor in this one is off the charts. Addie and Zeke aren't little kids anymore. So much happens plot-wise here that it's hard to believe it spans primarily around a 6-month time period. Despite a few predictable moments, the overall feel of this was was interesting and new.

At the end, I was sad to see the characters go, but I can see where some secondary characters could get spinoffs. The conclusion was perfect and left me with lots of feels. Now I really need to read some more Kate Benson, please. I'm sure this won't be the last review of her work on this blog.

TEASERS

AUTHOR BIO

I grew up in Texas and moved to Florida when I met the love of my life 14 years ago. I wrote my first poem when I was five and it was about my love affair with pickles. I still love pickles but I like to think my writing has grown since then.

I absolutely adore anything to do with books whether it's writing them or devouring them in one sitting. I live on music, love, and sweet tea. I am known for my silly but blunt personality. I've been lucky enough to find the love of my life, marry him and now we're working on our happily ever after.

He inspires me in everything I do, but especially in telling love stories. I'm an ordinary girl living an extraordinary love and I'm so happy I get to share it with the world through my writing.

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Monday, August 3, 2015

Breastfeeding Blog Hop

I went through pregnancy twice, once planned, once not. I'd say I enjoyed it, but I'll be honest, I'm the average woman. Though many moments were unforgettably wonderful, there were times when it was barely tolerable to have a little parasite on board. Every aspect of each pregnancy, just like the children I've nurtured during the past 8 years, was different. Of course, you expect that to a degree, but in some cases, the disparity was marked.

Take breastfeeding, for example.

Baby #1 arrived a week late, took 48 hours of labor - 24 of which were without meds and in excruciating pain (the first twelve weren't terrible, the last twelve had the benefit of an epidural plus exhaustion that knocked me cold), and found me on bed rest for the last two weeks. Despite all that, after a mere forty-five minutes of pushing, my daughter took her first breath, and within minutes of her birth, she latched onto my breast. Her cord hadn't even been cut. I feel truly blessed that I was able to experience that miracle at least once.

It didn't happen the second time.

When her brother was born, the labor wasn't as long or as painful, but he became stuck as he attempted to make his way into the world. Seventeen hours after labor started, I laid in the OR, the anesthesiologist ramped the dose of my epidural, the nurses strapped my arms to a table and draped warming blankets over my extremities, and my husband updated our friends and family while he waited for the surgery to start. I was lucky to be awake and hear my baby cry. I saw his little face and remarked how much he looked like his sister. But I didn't get to nurse him, to snuggle him, to tell him I was his mommy and whisper words of love in those moments the way I had with his sister. They whisked him away with his father to do all the new baby stuff, while they sterilized me and stitched me together again. He was born at 10:20 pm and it was after midnight before I was able to nurse him, to feel his little fingers curl around mine.

Maybe that's why I let him nurse until he was over two years old.

With both my children, I let them dictate when they were ready to stop nursing. His sister stopped on her own when I became pregnant with him. She was a day shy of 14 months. I cherish every day we had nursing together, even the tough ones. She'd hold my breast with her little hand as she fed and later, once she'd stopped, she would hold my cheek as she fell asleep, needing that closeness we'd shared since the moment she was born. Even now, two days before her eighth birthday, if she can't sleep, she needs me to cuddle her, to rub her back like I did when I nursed her. Our nursing time was more brief, but it was still a bond I would never trade for anything.

It was different with my son. I was a pro by then. I hadn't nursed a baby in eight months, but you don't forget how. My milk came in before we left the hospital. He was a champion sleeper and an excellent feeder. But I suffered post-partum depression with him. Honestly, I credit nursing him with keeping me together and helping me through it all. This post isn't about PPD, but I know breastfeeding helped me through that in ways I can't explain to anyone who hasn't experienced the same thing. There is something about the connection between a mother and child while nursing that binds you to each other. Yes, its biological, but it's also emotional and spiritual. At that time, I needed our bond more than anything else. We made up for that lack of the initial first few minutes through over two years of nursing. For all the differences - more night nursing, a refusal to eat solids before eight months old, being tethered as the 'momma binky' for much longer than expected -I know one thing is the same: nursing cemented the unconditional love between me and each of my children.

I personally believe that breast is best for a variety of reasons - boosting immunity, bonding, reduction in postpartum depression incidents. Nevertheless, I don't judge if someone doesn't choose or can't breastfeed. Like all things related to a woman's body, it's an individual decision I can't make for another. My husband made it possible for me to stay home with my children, so nursing was never difficult for me to accomplish, but I'm also fortunate to live in a state where laws require employers to facilitate breastfeeding for working moms. Rest assured that if you live in Maine, you're protected under the law if you need to pump while at work.

I always advocate for nursing if you can and want to do so. In my local area, there are support groups at all of the hospitals, including The La Leche League and mother/child groups. For low-income families, Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is a great resource and they encourage nursing, as well as offer support. Here are some useful links, though it's by no means exhaustive. Many of them have additional information included.

Breastfeeding Support in Maine

La Leche League

Maine WIC

Mom to Mom of Maine

Maine Medical Center (Portland)

MidCoast Hospital (Brunswick)

Maine General (Augusta/Waterville)

EMMC (Bangor)

CMMC (Lewiston/Auburn)

Breast Intentions - Downeast Maine

Healthy Aroostook Breastfeeding support

Join the hop and visit the other blogs!

Sponsored by the Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County, the blog hop is intended to celebrate breastfeeding, educate and encourage new moms to nurse their babies. Join those of us on the hop as we spread the word during National Breastfeeding Month!

Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County http://healthystartsarasota.org/2015/08/thanks-for-the-mammaries/

Doy Your Best Sanctuary [DYBS] https://doyourbestsanctuary.wordpress.com/2015/07/29/the-support-new-moms-didnt-know-they-needed/

Butterfly Birth http://www.butterflybirth.com/breastfeeding-on-only-one-side/

J. Nichole Parkins http://jnicholeparkins.wordpress.com