Blog Tour: Dirty Sexy Inked by Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde

Authors: Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde
Publsiher: CP Publishing
Date of publication; April 2016

Breaking hearts is what wild and rebellious Mason Kincaid does best. Hit it and quit it is his motto, and with his bad boy reputation and tattoos, he doesn't lack for female companionship. Until one hot night with the one woman he swore he'd never touch becomes an all-consuming addiction he can't kick. Katrina Sands has been his best friend for years, but now that he knows what she feels like, and tastes like, there is no going back to being just friends. Hot, dirty sex has never felt so good...or so right.

I enjoyed Dirty Sexy Saint and was looking forward to Mason and Katrina's story. It definitely didn't disappoint.  I think that friends to lovers stories are in my top five romance themes. They may be a little angsty, bit in the end they feel so natural and make so much sense. In Dirty Sexy Inked, Mason and Katrina have been best friends for years. Katrina has also been in love with Mason just as long.  I was so rooting for Mason to finally open his eyes and see what was right in front of him.  Because, they were that perfect for each other!  I loved the HEA.  This series has been very entertaining so far and I highly recommend it!  I can't wait to read the next book!

Excerpt:

“We’re off to Las Vegas, Kitty-Kat,” Mason Kincaid said as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “Sin City is the perfect place to get down and dirty and have some fun. What kind of trouble do you think we can get into while we’re there?”

Katrina Sands buckled her seat belt and settled more comfortably in the first-class leather seat next to Mason—her best friend since they were fourteen and freshmen in high school. She wasn’t at all surprised that he was already making a mental list of all the wild and reckless adventures that awaited him in a no-holds-barred place like Las Vegas. Mason Kincaid was a rule breaker, a thrill seeker, and a self-indulgent bad boy who was all about pleasure and instant gratification. From everything she’d heard about the city that never slept, he’d be right in his element.

Oh, joy, she thought with a resigned sigh. It wasn’t as though she was a prude. Far from it. She just wasn’t thrilled about watching her best friend’s man-whoring ways in action in Vegas. She spent enough time seeing it up close and personal on a day-to-day basis.

She turned her head and met Mason’s bright blue gaze. “You do realize that this trip isn’t all about you and your dick, right? That we’re heading to Vegas because your brother Clay is marrying Samantha?” she asked, reminding him of that one important detail.

The corners of his mouth curved with an indulgent grin. “Of course I realize my brother is strapping on the old ball and chain tomorrow afternoon. But that doesn’t mean the entire weekend is going to be all wedding, all the time. In fact, tonight Levi and I plan to take Clay out to make sure he spends his last evening as a bachelor in style.”

Which gave Mason the perfect opportunity to carouse for a willing female to take back to his hotel room for the night. It’s what Mason did. For as long as she’d known him, he’d had a hit-it-and-quit-it motto when it came to women, and he always made sure they knew the score up front. He didn’t make promises or do commitment or anything longer than a one-time fling.

And each time Katrina watched it happen, a little bit of hope died inside of her. The hope that one day Mason would see her as more than just a best friend and the woman who managed to keep his personal and professional shit together. But the man was oblivious to her deeper feelings for him, and she wasn’t willing to tell him and risk certain painful rejection. It was much easier, and safer, keeping them both squarely in the friend zone.

She’d known him for twelve years, and had truly come to believe that Mason Kincaid didn’t have the ability to commit to any single woman. And it really wasn’t hard for her to figure out why considering the kind of childhood he’d had—no father figure to speak of and a mother who cared more about her next fix than her own kids. Mason might be a master at giving off a carefree, I-don’t-give-a-crap attitude, but Katrina was one of the few people who knew just how much pain and resentment that laid-back demeanor really masked.

The commercial plane they were taking to Las Vegas finished the boarding process, and one of the cabin crew started closing the overhead luggage bins, while another made an announcement to set all electronic devices to airplane mode. A pretty brunette flight attendant stopped next to Mason’s aisle seat and set her hand on his shoulder.

He glanced up at her, and the woman smiled, her complexion flushing a bit as he turned all that potent male sex appeal her way. Yeah, Mason had that kind of breathtaking effect on women. Between his gorgeous features, that sexy, panty-dropping smile, and his sleeves of bad boy tattoos that wrapped around both muscled arms, he was an irresistible force to the female gender.

And the jerk knew it, too, and didn’t hesitate to use that charm to his advantage.

Buy links:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/1JKGZeN

B&N Nook: http://smarturl.it/InkedNook

Kobo: http://smarturl.it/InkedKobo

iBooks: http://smarturl.it/InkediBks

Google Play: http://smarturl.it/InkedGooglePlay

About the authors:

***About Carly Phillips***

Carly Phillips is the N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of over 50 sexy contemporary romance novels featuring hot men, strong women and the emotionally compelling stories her readers have come to expect and love. Carly is happily married to her college sweetheart, the mother of two nearly adult daughters and three crazy dogs (two wheaten terriers and one mutant Havanese) who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. Carly loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find out more about Carly at www.carlyphillips.com.

Website: http://www.carlyphillips.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10000.Carly_Phillips
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Carly-Phillips/e/B001I9W0MS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarlyPhillipsFanPage
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carlyphillips

***About Erika Wilde***

Erika Wilde is the author of the sexy Marriage Diaries series and The Players Club series. She lives in Oregon with her husband and two daughters, and when she's not writing you can find her exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest. For more information on her upcoming releases, please visit website at www.erikawilde.com.

Website: http://www.erikawilde.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5357264.Erika_Wilde
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Erika-Wilde/e/B00CVE4WSO
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErikaWildeAuthorFanPage
Twitter: https://twitter.com/erikawilde1

The Forgotten Girls by Sara Blaedel

by:  Sara Blaedel
published by:  Grand Central Publishing
publish date:  February 3, 2015

In a forest in Denmark, a ranger discovers the fresh corpse of an unidentified woman. A large scar on one side of her face should make the identification easy, but nobody has reported her missing. After four days, Louise Rick—the new commander of the Missing Persons Department—is still without answers. But when she releases a photo to the media, an older woman phones to say that she recognizes the woman as Lisemette, a child she once cared for in the state mental institution many years ago. Lisemette, like the other children in the institution, was abandoned by her family and branded a "forgotten girl." But Louise soon discovers something more disturbing: Lisemette had a twin, and both girls were issued death certificates over 30 years ago. As the investigation brings Louise closer to her childhood home, she uncovers more crimes that were committed—and hidden—in the forest, and finds a terrible link to her own past that has been carefully concealed.

This is the 7th book in the Louise Rick series.  I haven't read the other books, but I found that it didn't really matter.  I was able to pick up the basic background fairly easily.  

In The Forgotten Girls Louise is fighting for a case that no one believes is there.  When the body of a woman is found in woods, a retired nurse is able to link it to a pair of dead twins.  The woman had been declared dead as a child many years ago while she was in the care of an institute for mentally handicapped children.  Louise wants to find out where this woman has been all these years.  Also, if she's been alive, what about her twin sister?

Despite having never read any of the Louise Rick books, I found that I really liked this book.  It was easy to fall right into the story and the back story of the characters.  It was very well written and full of twists and turns to make it very interesting.  

The Final Seven by Erica Spndler

Author: Erica Spindler
Publisher: Sphere
Date of publication: February 2016

The first Saturday in July. . .
A missing coed . . .
The number seven carved into her door . . .
The countdown has begun.

THE FINAL SEVEN

New Orleans Detective Micki Dee Dare is a seasoned, no-nonsense cop. She doesn't need a partner, especially not Zach “Hollywood” Harris, an irreverent charmer, fresh out of an experimental FBI program. And her assignment — keep him alive while he fights crime using the special skills he brings to the table — is not what she signed up for. But the die has been cast and there's nothing she can do about it.

The Final Seven was a random audio pick from my library.  I had really liked The First Wife, so I was hoping to like this one just as much. The Final Seven is completely different from the The First Wife.  It's the first in a new supernatural mystery series. For the most part, I did enjoy the book.  Micki is a detective  who is assigned a new partner.  Zach is an undercover FBI agent, well kind of, who is assigned to be Micki's partner.  It seems that the government has acknowledged there is a 6th sense and the FBI has been using "sixers" for a while.  Now it's time to infiltrate the local police departments with them.  Micki's job is to keep Zach safe and keep things quiet.

I was completely on board with the plot of this  book.  I really like the premise and characters.  Micki is pretty tough as nails and reminded me a lot of Eve Dallas from the "In Death" series.  I also thought Zach was funny and refreshing.  I liked how he always kept coming out smelling like a rose in any situation. 

The mystery of the missing coeds was going really well...until the last 20% of the book.  I'm not sure I still understand what the Lightkeepers are and what the Dark was trying to do.  The last scene for me was confusing and I'm still not sure what happened.  I did like it enough to go onto the next book, but I am really hoping the author builds the world a little better than she did in this book.

Throwback Thursday Blog Tour: Darkest Night by Gena Showalter

In honor of Gena Showalter's upcoming May 13 release of The Darkest Torment, I am reviewing the first in the Lords of the Underworld series, The Darkest Night as part of the TLC Book tour.  Make sure to check out the amazing giveaway at the end of the post!

Author: Gena Showalter
First published in 2008 by Harlequin

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member -- a man trapped in a hell of his own.

Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments... and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction -- and a soul-shattering test of love...
Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive -- and unimaginably powerful...

The Darkest Night is the first in the Lords of the Underworld series.  I had heard a lot about this series, but for some reason never got around to picking it up.  I'm kicking myself for waiting for so long.  I thought this was a refreshing paranormal story.  I was worried it was going to be a lot like the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and didn't want a repeat of that one. I wanted something different. In ways they are similar, but instead of vampires. we are dealing with demons and gods.  The guardians of the gods opened Pandora's box and released the demons inside.  Each of them now share a body with a particular demon.

Maddox is Violence.  He also has a double cursed because he has to die every night in the same way Pandora did and spend the evening in hell, only to rise again.  Ashlyn has ventured to Budapest in search of "angels" who might be able to help her learn to control her gift.  She can hear voices from the past.  I have to say that I loved these two together.  I liked that there was a reason for them to have an insta-love.  They each calmed the other's troubles.  And let's just mention the sacrifice in the end! It really made me sigh.

I liked the world that this author has built.  There are some great characters, definitely some laughs and really hot love scenes.  Being the first in the series, there was a lot of information to take in, but I am hoping it becomes a little clearer as the book progress.  I already have the next book waiting in the wings!

And don't forget to check out The Darkest Torment coming May 13, 2016! 

Find it at Amazon!

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with her most explosive Lords of the Underworld tale to date, about a fierce warrior on the brink of sanity who will stop at nothing to claim the exquisite human with the power to soothe the beast inside him…

Driven to his death by the demon of Distrust, Baden spent centuries in purgatory. Now he’s back, but at what cost? Bound to the king of the underworld, an even darker force, he’s unable to withstand the touch of another…and he’s quickly devolving into a heartless assassin with an uncontrollable temper. Things only get worse when a mission goes awry and he finds himself saddled with a bride—just not his own.

.

Famed dog trainer Katarina Joelle is forced to marry a monster to protect her loved ones. When she’s taken hostage by the ruthless, beautiful Baden immediately after the ceremony, she’s plunged into a war between two evils—with a protector more dangerous than the monsters he hunts. They are meant to be enemies, but neither can resist the passion burning between them…and all too soon the biggest threat is to her heart.

But as Baden slips deeper into the abyss, she’ll have to teach him to love…or lose him forever.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Stops:

Monday, March 28th: Read Love Blog – Series spotlight

Tuesday, March 29th: Supernatural Snark **The Darkest Craving

Tuesday, March 29th: Booked on a Feeling **The Darkest Night & The Darkest Kiss

Thursday, March 31st: Bewitched Bookworms – spotlight, The Darkest Passion

Friday, April 1st: Reading Reality **The Darkest Touch

Monday, April 4th: Reader Girls **The Darkest Lie

Tuesday, April 5th: Bibliotica **The Darkest Secret

Wednesday, April 6th: Romancing the Book **The Darkest Seduction and The Darkest Craving

Thursday, April 7th: From the TBR Pile **The Darkest Night

Monday, April 11th: Lovely Reads  **The Darkest Whisper

Monday, April 11th: Books that Hook **The Darkest Touch

Tuesday, April 12th: Stranded in Chaos  **The Darkest Night, The Darkest Kiss

Wednesday, April 13th: Romancing the Readers **The Darkest Seduction

Friday, April 15th: Bibliophilia, Please ** The Darkest Night

Monday, April 18th: Stuck in Books – **The Darkest Pleasure

Joint Review: It's All Your Fault by Paul Rudnick

Author: Paul Rudnick
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Date of publication: January 2016

My name is Caitlin and up until forty-eight hours ago I had never:
Tasted alcohol, kissed a boy, sang in public at the top of my lungs, kidnapped anyone or—WHAT? STOLEN A CONVERTIBLE?  Now I’m in jail and I have no idea what I’m going to tell:

The police, my parents, the mayor, all of those camera crews and everyone on Twitter. I have just noticed that:  My nose is pierced and I have—WAIT? IS THAT A TATTOO? I blame one person for this entire insane weekend:  My famous cousin. Who is also my former best friend.  Who I have HATED for the past four years. Who I miss like crazy. NO I DON’T!!!!  IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT, HELLER HARRIGAN!!!!

I wasn't really sure what I was going to get with this book, but I knew I needed a break from all the serious stuff I had been reading.  I figured this would be cutesy little comedy.  It ended up being hilarious.  Caitlin is as straight arrow as you can possibly get and she gets put in charge of her wildly out of control mega superstar cousin Heller Harrigan.  Every thing is going ok until Heller has to meet a Make a Wish kid and she has some crazy plans of her own.  I found myself cracking up with this book.  However, I wouldn't recommend it for the younger readers, it had quite a bit of language in it.

Autumn told me how much she liked this book and how funny it was, so I gave it a try.  I'll admit, it was funny in parts.  But for me, it was all a bit over the top.  Yes, I know it was a parody, but I found I could only take so much.  It was funny that it was so obviously making fun of Hannah Montana, Twilight, and homeschooling.  But, again I found I could only take so much.  I do think that this might work as a parody movie if done correctly.  Christopher Guest are you listening?  I would definitely keep this to the older YA crowd. 

Book Spotlight: Terrible Virtue by Ellen Feldman

Author: Ellen Feldman
Publisher: Harper
Date of publication: March 2016

In the spirit of The Paris Wife and Loving Frank, the provocative and compelling story of one of the most fascinating and influential figures of the twentieth century: Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood—an indomitable woman who, more than any other, and at great personal cost, shaped the sexual landscape we inhabit today.

The daughter of a hard-drinking, smooth-tongued free thinker and a mother worn down by thirteen children, Margaret Sanger vowed her life would be different. Trained as a nurse, she fought for social justice beside labor organizers, anarchists, socialists, and other progressives, eventually channeling her energy to one singular cause: legalizing contraception. It was a battle that would pit her against puritanical, patriarchal lawmakers, send her to prison again and again, force her to flee to England, and ultimately change the lives of women across the country and around the world.

This complex enigmatic revolutionary was at once vain and charismatic, generous and ruthless, sexually impulsive and coolly calculating—a competitive, self-centered woman who championed all women, a conflicted mother who suffered the worst tragedy a parent can experience. From opening the first illegal birth control clinic in America in 1916 through the founding of Planned Parenthood to the arrival of the Pill in the 1960s, Margaret Sanger sacrificed two husbands, three children, and scores of lovers in her fight for sexual equality and freedom.

With cameos by such legendary figures as Emma Goldman, John Reed, Big Bill Haywood, H. G. Wells, and the love of Margaret’s life, Havelock Ellis, this richly imagined portrait of a larger-than-life woman is at once sympathetic to her suffering and unsparing of her faults. Deeply insightful, Terrible Virtue is Margaret Sanger’s story as she herself might have told it.

About Ellen Feldman

Ellen Feldman, a 2009 Guggenheim Fellow, is the author of five previous novels, including Scottsboro, which was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction, andNext to Love. She lives in New York City.

For more information on Ellen and her work, please visit her website, www.ellenfeldman.com.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Tour Stops

Tuesday, March 22nd: Sara’s Organized Chaos

Wednesday, March 23rd: Doing Dewey

Thursday, March 24th: Bibliotica

Friday, March 25th: Books on the Table

Monday, March 28th: A Literary Vacation

Tuesday, March 29th: Lesa’s Book Critiques

Wednesday, March 30th: bookchickdi

Thursday, March 31st: 5 Minutes For Books

Monday, April 4th: The Feminist Texican [Reads]

Tuesday, April 5th: From the TBR Pile

Wednesday, April 6th: Ms. Nose in a Book

Thursday, April 7th: Kritters Ramblings

Monday, April 11th: Puddletown Reviews

Tuesday, April 12th: Reading Reality

Wednesday, April 13th: Broken Teepee

Thursday, April 14th: Time 2 Read

Thursday, April 14th: Literary Feline

Blog Tour: Interview & Review of Getting it Back by Elizabeth Harmon

Please welcome author, Elizabeth Harmon.  She joins us today with an interview as she promotes her latest book, Getting it Back.  Enjoy it after my thoughts on the book.

Publisher: Carina Press
Date of publication: April 2016

An unexpected phone call from the man who broke her heart offers Amy Shepherd an opportunity to return to the work she loves, training elite figure skaters. Except it’s just one figure skater: Him. Can she finally forgive and forget?

Figure skater Mikhail “Misha” Zaikov once had it all: medals, money and the adoration of millions. But a devastating injury put an end to his career and his romance, leaving him with nothing but regret over what could have been. His last chance to re-join the world’s top skaters is now. And there’s only one person who can help him: Her.

On Russia’s unyielding ice, Misha must reclaim what he's lost while facing off against a talented young rival and risking further injury. But Amy soon discovers Misha's much bigger challenges lurk off the ice. And she's determined to keep Misha whole and healthy, even if doing so ends his shot at the gold.

My thoughts:

 I thought Getting it Back was a very sweet second chance at love story. I haven't read the first books in the series, but it stood up very well as a stand alone.   MIsha and Amy were a great couple and deserved to find happiness again.  There is not only a second chance at love in this book, but a second chance for Misha to connect with a long lost parent.  They also have a chance to get back to the careers that they both love.   I don't think you need to be a lover of ice skating to enjoy the story.  Although after reading the book. I did find myself looking up certain things like a jump harness and what a quad looks like in real time.  I do recommend picking this one up. Make sure to check out the excerpt below for a little taste!

Kari& Autumn: What inspired you to become a writer?

Elizabeth: I’ve been an avid reader from a young age. In third grade, I devoured every one of my mom’s old Nancy Drew mysteries. My sixth grade teacher returned a story I’d written for an assignment with a note that said, “I expect to see you published someday.” I can’t tell you how much that meant to me. By junior high, I discovered romance novels and in the ninth grade I wrote a teen romance for a school assignment. I had a blast writing it, it got an A, and from then on, I knew what I wanted to do when I grew up.

Kari& Autumn: Where do you come up with the ideas for your books?

Elizabeth: Lots of things inspire me, but I’d say that the biggest thing is that I write stories I want to read, but can’t find anywhere else. The best way to describe them is romance with a dash of different. For example, I was inspired to write my debut novel Pairing Off, because  I was in the mood to read a sports romance about figure skating, but could only find books that featured figure skating heroines. I wanted to read about male skaters too! Getting It Back, which also features a sexy male skater hero grew out of that story.

Kari& Autumn: What exciting projects are waiting in the wings?

Elizabeth: I’m working on a novella that will introduce a new series, set in a very unusual place! Another Red Hot Russians book is a possibility too.  I also write historical romance and have a series that’s been on the backburner for a while and I’d love to work on again.

Kari& Autumn: Who is your favorite literary character and why?

Elizabeth: Oh my gosh, that’s a hard question! There are a lot them…my childhood idol Nancy Drew for her courage and resourcefulness. Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series for the same reasons.  In Romanceland, I’d have to include Sarah from Lisa Kleypas’ “Dreaming of You,” Winnie from Judith Ivory’s “The Proposition,” Margaret from Courtney Milan’s “Unveiled,” and Phoebe from Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ “It Had To Be You.” None of these heroines are perfect, they all have their challenges, but they grow and change, and end up with dreamy heroes!

Kari& Autumn: Just for fun, if you could be any animal, what would it be and why?

Elizabeth: A cat, because I love cats, but I might also choose to be a bird, because I think flying would be really cool. 

Excerpt:

He was coming through the kitchen, a basket of laundry in his arms, when she came in the back door. “Amy. You are back early. Did you have a nice time with your family?”

She gazed at his beautiful face, high cheekbones, and brilliant blue eyes. His sandy- colored bangs fringed his forehead and gave him boyish charm, but the memory of his body and the way she’d felt in his arms yesterday reminded her that he was very much a man. And though her family might see her as a child, Amy was very much a woman. A woman who was ready to take what she wanted. She took the basket from his hands and set it aside. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her body against him and claimed him in a hungry kiss.

From the way he tensed, she knew she’d surprised him. He wasn’t the only one. Nice girls from small town Wisconsin didn’t return from Sunday brunch with Mom and Dad and push men up against their kitchen counters. Even men as handsome as this long, lean Russian she’d been admiring from a distance for weeks. But now that she’d jumped into the deep end, Amy didn’t want to think.

She wanted only to feel.

She smoothed her hands over the muscular contours of his shoulders and threaded her fingers through his thick, soft hair. The strands were still damp from the shower, and the clean, crisp scent of him spiked her desire. Her belly tightened and a pleasant fullness settled between her legs as she imagined him naked, his skin bare for her to touch and taste as she pleased. The idea drove her to kiss him even harder.

But Misha seemed to want a slower pace. He cupped the back of her head and took his sweet time kissing her. The sensuous movement of his tongue in her mouth sent tingles along her nerves and when he pulled back, a little smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “This I did not expect. Amy the Tiger is full of surprise.”

She looked up into his eyes, which were  soft and blue as a summer sky. “A good surprise, I hope.”

“Da. Very good.” He brushed his thumb across the moist swell of her bottom lip. “Is this what you want?”

It was an understandable question, given her earlier reluctance. And if she were going to Moscow as his athletic trainer, it could only be this once. But she needed to get this out of her system. “Yes, Misha. I want it very much,” She took a step closer and gripped the counter on either side of him, making sure he wasn’t going anywhere. Not that he seemed eager to leave.

“Here?” he asked, a brow cocked with amusement.

Why the hell not? After an infuriating day of family togetherness, hot sex on the kitchen floor sounded like just the ticket. Tired of talking, Amy answered with a bold, passionate kiss.

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About the Author:

Elizabeth Harmon loves to read and write romances with a dash of different. A graduate of the University of Illinois, she has worked in advertising, community journalism and as a freelance magazine writer. She feels incredibly blessed to have a career that allows her to spend her days imagining “what if?” and a loving family that keeps her grounded in the real world.  Her debut novel, Pairing Off is a 2016 RITA Award Finalist.

An adventurous cook, vintage home enthusiast, occasional actress, and entry-level figure skater, Elizabeth makes her home in the Midwest, where life is good, but the sports teams aren’t. She loves to hang out on her front porch, or at her favorite local establishments, enjoy good food and wine, and talk writing with anyone who will listen.

Follow Elizabeth: Website |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Amazon  | Goodreads | BookBub |  BookLikes  | Google+

I Am the Mission by Allen Zadoff

by:  Allen Zadoff
published by:  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
publish date:  June 17, 2014

He was the perfect assassin.  Perfect, that is, until he began to ask questions and challenge his orders. Now The Program is worried that their valuable soldier has become a liability.   And so Boy Nobody is given a new mission. A test of sorts. A chance to prove his loyalty.

His objective: Take out Eugene Moore, the owner of an extremist military training camp for teenagers. It sounds like a simple task, but a previous operative couldn't do it. He lost the mission and is presumed dead. Now Boy Nobody is confident he can finish the job. Quickly.  But when things go awry, Boy Nobody finds himself lost in a mission where nothing is as it seems: not The Program, his allegiances, nor the truth. 

I really enjoyed the first book of this series.  I reviewed Boy Nobody back in 2013.  It tells the story of a orphaned teenaged boy that is recruited by The Program.  He is developed into the perfect assassin.  One that no one would suspect.

In this book he has to infiltrate a military camp for teens after one of The Program's operatives has gone missing.  When he disobeys orders he is cut off from The Program for the first time ever and has no idea what to do.  He calls on an old friend and together they search for clues on how to take down the military camp and find The Program.

I Am the Mission was another really good book in this series.  Looks like the third book in this series I Am the Traitor came out in 2015.  I'm definitely going to have to find that one.  This is such a good story line and I can't wait to see how it plays out.

Spotlight: Excerpt of Hold Your Breath by Katie Ruggle

Author: Katie Ruggle

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Date of publication: April 5, 2016

In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder…

As the captain of Field County’s ice rescue dive team, Callum Cook is driven to perfection. But when he meets new diver Louise “Lou” Sparks, all that hard-won order is obliterated in an instant. Lou is a hurricane. A walking disaster. And with her, he’s never felt more alive…even if keeping her safe may just kill him.

Lou’s new to the Rockies, intent on escaping her controlling ex, and she’s determined to make it on her own terms…no matter how tempting Callum may be. But when a routine training exercise unearths a body, Lou and Callum find themselves thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse with a killer who will stop at nothing to silence Lou—and prove that not even her new Search and Rescue family can keep her safe forever.

Purchase your copy today:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1VuzPij

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1ZjLPDb

iBooks: http://apple.co/1PmevE9

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/1Rw5LwK

Enjoy this excerpt!

She’d been kidding—­well, kind of kidding—­when she’d hollered at him to cook, but there was a definite smell of bacon in the cabin when she emerged from the bathroom twelve minutes later, smug about her speediness. After she threw on some warm and not-­too-­smelly clothes, she followed her nose to the kitchen, where Callum was indeed slaving over a hot stove. Leaning against the wall, she enjoyed the view of him standing at the stove, his sleeves pushed up to reveal his muscled forearms, lining up the strips of bacon into perfect formation.

“You know,” she teased, “you could have your own calendar. You’d only be wearing an apron in this shot. Although that’s kind of asking for spitting bacon-­grease burns, isn’t it?”

He flushed, and she realized she was getting pretty proficient at making him turn red. “Did you want breakfast or not?” he grumbled, forking the bacon onto a paper-­towel-­lined plate.

“Yes.” She reached over to steal a piece, but he smacked her hand before she could reach her prize. “Ow. Did you happen to notice my twelve-­minute prep time?”

“Wait for the eggs. And yes, very impressive.”

“You’re making eggs, too? I might just keep you.”

Although he was trying to hide it, a smile was fighting to break free. “You’re on toast duty.”

Lou glanced at the digital display showing the charge left in her batteries. “If you want me to use the toaster, I’m going to have to turn on the generator. The sun’s not high enough yet to produce much power. That’s what happens when you get up at the crack of dawn.”

He just gave her a look. “We don’t have to have toast.”

“No, it’s okay.” Heading for the front door, she said over her shoulder, “If you made bacon and eggs, the least I can do is make toast.”

Throwing on her boots but skipping the coat, she ran outside to the small shed that housed her generator. She opened the valve that allowed propane to the generator and reached for the start switch. A strange hissing sound and the strong smell of propane made her hesitate. Instead of turning on the generator, she pulled her hand back and closed the valve.

Trotting back to the cabin, she made a face. There always had to be something going wrong. Why couldn’t she just eat bacon with Callum in peace?

Inside, she nudged her temporary chef aside to grab a spray bottle from under the sink.

“What’s up?” he asked, turning off the burner, immediately slipping into calm and competent mode. It was like he could smell the start of a potential crisis.

“Propane leak,” she said, squirting some dish soap into the bottle and filling it the rest of the way with water. She grabbed her coat on the way out this time. Callum followed her silently. As they crossed the yard, the only sound was the crunch of snow beneath their boots. Although she had on her brave face, Lou couldn’t help glancing around at the surrounding trees. Everything was still and quiet, without even a breeze or the chatter of a squirrel. It felt like the forest was holding its breath, watching.

“Leave the door open, would you?” she asked as they both entered the shed. “There’s no other light in here.”

After she opened the valve again, she sprayed the soapy water in a stream where the propane line connected to the generator. When no bubbles formed, she frowned.

“Am I crazy, or do I hear and smell a leak?”

“You’re not crazy.” Taking the bottle from her, Callum began spraying the length of the propane line. At about the midpoint, large bubbles formed, and Lou closed the valve.

“This was cut.” Callum’s voice was grim as he examined the slice in the line.

Leaning her chin on his shoulder so she could see the hole as well, she growled, “That’s it. My tires and front door are one thing, but you don’t mess with someone’s toast!”

“This isn’t funny, Lou.”

“I know.” She sighed, standing. “It’s scary and dangerous and becoming really expensive. Joking in the face of adversity is just what I do.”

There was a loud bang, and everything went dark. With a yelp, Lou grabbed Callum’s arm, needing something to hang on to in the sudden blackness. There was no one in here with them—­she knew that. And yet, she couldn’t help but feel a hot breath against the back of her neck…couldn’t help but imagine hands reaching for her in the dark.

“It’s okay,” she reassured herself more than Callum. “The door just blew shut.”

“There’s no wind.”

“It had to be the wind.” Lou released her death grip on his arm and shuffled in the direction of the door, holding her hands in front of her. “The alternative is too freaking scary.”

“I’ll get it.” Catching her, Callum gently tugged her behind him. She grabbed a fistful of the back of his coat and followed him the few steps to the door. He opened it slowly, peering around outside before stepping forward to allow Lou out of the shed.

Although it was a relief to escape the darkness, standing outside felt almost as nerve-­racking. Her gaze darted around the snow-­covered ground, looking for tracks of some kind or any kind of evidence to prove or disprove that someone had been here…though she wasn’t sure yet which she preferred.

“Do you think he was here last night?” She examined the packed snow around the shed entrance, looking for a boot track matching the ones under her window.

“Could be.” Callum closed the door behind him. “Or he could’ve done this two nights ago, and we just didn’t notice. When was the last time you ran your generator?”

“Three days ago?” She squinted in thought. “Maybe four? I know I didn’t turn it on yesterday, so the propane line could’ve been cut at the same time as the honey thing.”

Cocking his head, he looked at her. “But you don’t think it was.”

With a shrug, she moved around to the other side of the shed, still looking for tracks. “I’m probably being paranoid—­”

He interrupted with a snort. “Are you paranoid if someone’s really after you?”

Her smile was more pained than amused. “Something woke me last night—­or this morning, I guess. It’s just a feeling, but I think he was out there.”

Callum waved her toward the front door. “Let’s eat and then go to the clinic. You can call the sheriff on the way to Connor Springs.”

Climbing the porch steps, she asked, “Shouldn’t we wait for Rob to get here?”

“He knows the way, and you don’t lock your generator shed.” With a disapproving look, he added, “You probably should.”

“It has a lock,” she protested. “I’m just not exactly sure where the key is.”

He grunted, and she resisted the urge to make a face. Callum was the only person she knew who could fit a reprimand into a single wordless noise.

“Eggs,” he said, “and bacon. Can’t waste bacon.”

“Definitely not!” she agreed with appropriately theatrical dismay, and then laughed when he gave her a look. But her laughter died as Callum headed into the house, leaving her alone on the porch. Lou paused, skin prickling, and twisted her head to scan the trees. She couldn’t help but wonder if someone was there even now, watching. Waiting.

Wanting to hurt her.

 

About Katie Ruggle:

When she’s not writing, Katie Ruggle rides horses, shoots guns, and travels to warm places where she can SCUBA dive. Graduating from the Police Academy, Katie received her ice-rescue certification and can attest that the reservoirs in the Colorado mountains really are that cold. While she still misses her off-grid, solar- and wind-powered house in the Rocky Mountains, she now lives in Rochester, Minnesota near her family. 

Katie Ruggle: http://katieruggle.com/

Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace

Author: Kali Wallace
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Date of publication: January 2016

Breezy remembers leaving the party: the warm, wet grass under her feet, her cheek still stinging from a slap to her face. But when she wakes up, scared and pulling dirt from her mouth, a year has passed and she can’t explain how.

Nor can she explain the man lying at her grave, dead from her touch, or why her heartbeat comes and goes. She doesn’t remember who killed her or why. All she knows is that she’s somehow conscious—and not only that, she’s able to sense who around her is hiding a murderous past.

Haunted by happy memories from her life, Breezy sets out to find answers in the gritty, threatening world to which she now belongs—where killers hide in plain sight, and a sinister cult is hunting for strange creatures like her. What she discovers is at once empowering, redemptive, and dangerous.

Shallow Graves ended up being a different book than I was expecting.  I liked the premise and thought it was a good and new take on revenants and monsters.  Breezy wakes up in a shallow grave and immediately kills the man who dug her up.  She finds out she has been dead for a year and can now sense when someone is a murderer. She also has the ability to take their life. As I said, this was a cool premise.  I liked Breezy and I liked that her murder was a mystery throughout the book.  It definitely wasn't anything I was expecting.  

The rest of the story with Mother and the monsters was intriguing.  I liked the world that the author began to create.  However, I am kind of hoping this is the first book in a series.  I felt like in the end I was still left with a lot of unanswered questions that I would hope a next book would answer.  I think Breezy still had a lot of them as well.

I think any YA over 16 would enjoy this book.  It is a good creepy mystery that I do recommend checking out.