Cover Reveal: Forever Marked - Lady J.

Title:  Forever Marked

Author: Lady J

Synopsis:  
If you were a marked woman, how far would you run?

At only 23 years old, Ellora's life is turned upside down. She captures the unwanted attention of a dangerously ruthless man, who'll stop at nothing until he possesses her. Haunted by nightmares of the brutal attack she survived, Ellora flees the country desperate to hide. But, the longer she runs the deeper his obsession grows.

Behr is a hard working bachelor who's life is stuck on repeat. Every single day is filled with the same people, and the same routine. That is, until a beautiful stranger stumbles into the local pub and into his heart. Even though he's immediately drawn to her raven black hair and deep green eyes... he knows she's hiding a secret. One he's determined to uncover.


Can Ellora stay safe in this small harbor town?

Or

Has the twisted game of cat and mouse, just begun?

Excerpt:

Ellora raced down the hallway as fast as her legs could carry her. Dread gripped her when she

heard his heavy footsteps pounding on the hardwood floors behind her. His powerful presence echoed around the eerily empty house. It didn't matter how fast she ran, he was always right on her heels. Ellora quaked violently when she made it to the stairs. If she couldn't make it out of there, she'd never survive. Reaching out, Ellora gripped the railing with both hands and used the leverage to fly down the steps. She skipped so many at a time, it felt like flying. He thundered down the steps, after her. The smell of his rancid panting, snaked its way over her shoulder. The stench stung her nose. Ellora risked looking back. His large black eyes, vicious with a murderous rage she didn’t understand, were only a few feet behind her. He was close enough to grab her. Oh. My God, this is it. He reached out... and she lunged, taking a giant leap before she got to the last three steps. She successfully made it over the carpeted runner at the bottom. Her ankles stung as she landed hard, on her bare feet. Easily ignoring the pain, Ellora sprinted to the front door. She heard him land on the runner and crashed to the floor, as it slipped out from under him. Shaking, she fumbled with clumsy fingers, trying to unlock the deadbolt and door knob lock.

After several slips from her bloodied hands, she finally heaved open the door. She skidded on her own blood, which was trickling down her legs and pooling onto the floor. The cool air rushed in, sobering her. Chills raised goosebumps on her skin as she dashed out the door. Ellora looked back to make sure he wasn’t behind her. This action caused her to lose her balance, tripping down the driveway and crashing right into the car. She remembered leaving her it unlocked, so she wrenched it open and jumped inside. She immediately locked the doors in record speed. It took only a moment for her to get a grip on her debilitating panic. She frantically searched her pockets for the car keys. First the front, then the back. Ellora froze. A devastating hopelessness made her stomach drop when she realized that she left the keys in the house. She hung her head in defeat… BANG! BANG! BANG! The sudden violent pounding sent Ellora shooting out of her seat, frightened to death as he pulverized the glass window with his fists. He stopped his onslaught abruptly and pressed his face against the window. His disturbing eyes and malicious sneer held her captive. He lifted his hand presenting a set of keys and shook them. ‘NO!’

Author Bio:  I grew up in Upstate NY, but my heart belongs in Arizona. If given the chance, I'd gladly trade in frost burn, for sun burn!  I speak in movie quotes ALL the time. Seriously, it might be considered a sickness by now ;) I absolutely love the sound of others laughing. So I'll try to get you to do just that!

I love coffee, peanut butter cups, and OF COURSE reading.  I grew up causing all kinds of trouble with my twin sister/partner in crime.  My wild over-exaggerated story telling grew, along with my love for reading. With the support of my hubby and the encouragement of my womb mate, I put pen to paper, and let my imagination take over.

I am an author currently working on the release of my debut novel. Forever Marked is a romantic suspense, and the first book in a series. I enjoy reading all genres. Paranormal, thriller, romantic suspense, dystopian.... You name it!

Lady J on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authorLadyJ?fref=ts
Forever Marked on Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25863185-forever-marked?from_search=true&search_version=service_impr

Cover Reveal: The Secret of the Strange Waters - Kelly Hall

The Secret of Strange Waters

The Light Keeper Series # 2

By- Kelly Hall

Genre- YA Paranormal

Unfortunately for Lily Jordan, being a Light Keeper doesn't come with an instruction manual, but neither does being sixteen. While learning to use her powers, she’s confronted with unforeseen obstacles and forced to break her own rules in order to save her circle of friends.

With her mom’s wedding on the horizon, will misinterpreted visions create new enemies who could threaten Lily’s exposure? Will death and heartache ruin the big day? For Lily, the answers only lead to impossible decisions. Does she embrace her powers or abandon them for false normalcy?

Kelly Hall’s second book, The Secret of Strange Waters, proves paranormal powers aren’t always a blessing.

About the Author-

Kelly Hall was born and raised in Southeast Texas, and lives in a small town just a stone’s throw from the ghost road where her Light Keeper series is based. When she’s not busy writing or spending time with her husband and two sons, this self-proclaimed creative junkie dabbles in many different forms of art, including cake decorating and mixed media. Learn more about Kelly at authorkellyhall.com .

Links-

Website: http://authorkellyhall.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkellyhall

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorkellyhall

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authorkellyhall/

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Book Review: Song of David - Amy Harmon

Title: Song of David

Author: Amy Harmon
Genre: Adult Romance Fiction - Age-wise this seems like it would be New Adult, but this does NOT fall easily into that category. It especially does not fall into what most people expect out of a New Adult Book.

Synopsis (from Goodreads): This is David 'Tag' Taggert's book, a supporting character introduced in The Law of Moses. This is a stand-alone story, but it is highly recommended that The Law of Moses be read first to avoid spoilers.

She said I was like a song. Her favorite song. A song isn’t something you can see. It’s something you feel, something you move to, something that disappears after the last note is played.

I won my first fight when I was eleven years old, and I’ve been throwing punches ever since. Fighting is the purest, truest, most elemental thing there is. Some people describe heaven as a sea of unending white. Where choirs sing and loved ones await. But for me, heaven was something else. It sounded like the bell at the beginning of a round, it tasted like adrenaline, it burned like sweat in my eyes and fire in my belly. It looked like the blur of screaming crowds and an opponent who wanted my blood.

For me, heaven was the octagon.

Until I met Millie, and heaven became something different. I became something different. I knew I loved her when I watched her stand perfectly still in the middle of a crowded room, people swarming, buzzing, slipping around her, her straight dancer’s posture unyielding, her chin high, her hands loose at her sides. No one seemed to see her at all, except for the few who squeezed past her, tossing exasperated looks at her unsmiling face. When they realized she wasn’t normal, they hurried away. Why was it that no one saw her, yet she was the first thing I saw?

If heaven was the octagon, then she was my angel at the center of it all, the girl with the power to take me down and lift me up again. The girl I wanted to fight for, the girl I wanted to claim. The girl who taught me that sometimes the biggest heroes go unsung and the most important battles are the ones we don’t think we can win.

My Review:
Amy Harmon makes it difficult to write a normal review, because I’m afraid if I share any littlest detail from the book I’m bound to give something away. The teasers that were put out for the book were intimate scenes, and yet were probably the safest words to put out to the world in order to entice without giving things away. I had this same trouble with Law of Moses, and I wasn’t 100 percent happy with my review because I still felt like I was leaking information from seams I’d prefer to keep shut so that the reader can find out the information themselves. I’m just like that – I hate spoilers, and I hate to spoil, too.

I will say that Song of David is another emotional roller coaster brought to you by Ms Amy Harmon; this seems to be her forte. While the overall feel of the book was bittersweet, woven in the details of Tag and Millie’s story is joy, love, laughter, fun, happiness, frustration, confusion, and anger fueled by love. Every single emotion is out there for you to latch on to and experience yourself within the pages of this book as you fall into this dance with Tag and Millie.

What I Loved: David (Tag) and Amelie (Millie). I loved their story front, center and end. I loved Millie’s brother, Henry, and his way of communication – sometimes he was the most profound character in the chapter. I loved still “seeing” Moses and Georgia and their baby! I love how Amy chose to tell this story (yet another secret that you must find out on your own). I loved that Tag is both the nice guy, and the bad guy; and yet he’s the perfect guy!

Not So Much: I’m not big on ambiguous – I’ll say that and leave it alone.

Rated: PG-13 - some cussing, and this book has sensuality, and a black out scene.
Rating: 5 Stars – Stellar writing, Awesome story.

Cover Reveal: Curse of the Sphinx - Raye Wagner

Curse of the Sphinx 

by Raye Wagner

Coming August 11th, 2015

How long can a monster stay hidden in plain sight?

Seventeen-year-old Hope Nicholas has spent her entire life on the run. With her mom, she’s traveled from town to town and school to school, barely staying long enough to meet anyone, let alone make friends. Sometimes, it feels like no one even knows she exists—and she’ll have to keep it that way.

It’s safer.

When her mother is brutally ripped away from her, Hope’s life shatters. Is Apollo’s curse finally being fulfilled? Is Hope, too, being hunted? Orphaned and alone, Hope flees again, but this time, there’s no one to teach her who to trust—or how to love.

Set in a universe where mythology is alive and well in the modern world, Curse of the Sphinx irresistibly blends action, suspense and romance. Curse of the Sphinx is the first book in the young-adult Sphinx saga.

You may also like Origin of the Sphinx

Only 99¢ on Amazon

Facebook | Website | Amazon

Raye Wagner grew up in the suburbs of Seattle, the second of eight children, and learned to escape chaos through the pages of fiction. As a youth, she read the likes of David Eddings, Leon Uris, and Jane Austen. Inspired by a fictional character, Raye pursued a career in nursing, and thought to help the world one patient at a time. 
One summer afternoon, a plot dropped into her head, and she started writing. 
Raye enjoys baking, Tae Kwon Do, puzzles, and the sound of waves lapping at the sand. She lives with her husband and three children in Middle Tennessee.

Origin of the Sphinx is her first publication, and the beginning of the Sphinx series. 

Weekly Workout - Week of June 29th

I know I haven't been giving "weekly" updates, but that is because working out is moving along as working out typically will.  I'm on a schedule and I lift on that schedule, and sometimes I make my lifts, and sometimes I don't.  This last week was a little different though.  First off, I have started adding some different things to my workout in the last couple of weeks.  I've been attending a Yoga class that is provided by my workplace on Tuesdays.  This isn't a stretch and relax type yoga, it is full-on as advanced as you're able to make it (modify where necessary) kind of Yoga, with lots of core focus.  I love it!  

I've also started attending my husband's Weight Lifting class on Mondays, and while I like working out with a group, it's a bit different.  They tend to work up to their 1-rep max and then do back-off sets for sake of time.  This is all fine and good, but I have a hard time working up to my 1 rep max.  You can see below in my workout summary, on both my squats and benchpress I failed the lift.  Both of those lifts should have been completely doable because of what I'm doing for 5 reps on my normal days.  I think I may just have a mental block more than anything, and I need to over come the "I can'ts" to be able to do this.  And I need to do it BEFORE I actually enter any kind of Powerlifting Competition of course.

I have also been working on doing a Hook Grip while deadlifting - I practice this only one time a week, and still use the straps on my 2nd deadlift day.  When Justin first started doing this, he complained about it hurting some.  Thankfully he's a great teacher, because he worked out all the issues, passed those tips on to me, and unless I don't have the grip tight enough I don't experience the pain he did.

I was so bummed by Monday's workout that when I got to Thursday I blew the entire thing out of the water, and felt really, really good about it.  I was able to easily add volume to my workout, and should be able to add some weight this week.

I did not work out on Saturday this week, but that is because on Friday my husband and I went to a "First Fridays" which is a monthly community event, and there we hung out with his Strongman friends and the gym that he works out with at Christ Strength Gym.  There we did the Sigmarsson Deadlift, and a Truck Pull.  I did pretty well (and was fairly sore for a few days).  The truck pull was EXCRUCIATINGLY slow - but I can officially say I pulled a truck! :)

Here I am pulling a Truck

And a short video of the deadlift