Blog Tour: Gilded Hearts

Title: Gilded Hearts (The Shadow Guild #1)
Author: Christine D'Abo
Publication: January 7, 2014
Genre:  Historical Steampunk Romance

Samuel Hawkins, Sergeant in the King's Sentry, has been called in to investigate a murder case. As he awaits the Archivists to arrive—the team who will use a special device to extract the memories of the dead man to help find clues to his murder—he never expects to come face to face with the woman he'd left behind when he'd fled the Archives five years earlier.

Piper Smith has grown from the girl Samuel remembered into a strong woman and full-fledged archivist. Shadowed by her mentor, Master Ryerson, Piper will be performing her first extraction. When she sees Samuel, she must push aside her childhood crush, else risk her standing within the Guild.

As the two begin working together to find the killer, Samuel and Piper explore their intense attraction to each other. But "Jack the Ripper" proves to be harder to catch than the two originally thought. What's worse, they discover he may very well work for the Archives. Now, Samuel and Piper must battle internal and external threats as they try to foil a plot against the Crown and stop Jack the Ripper from taking his next victim.

EXCERPT

Knowing there was no chance of escaping her fate, Piper stood and followed Jones out the door like the dutiful apprentice she had been until so recently.

Piper let her mind wander to Samuel. After some time to get used to the idea of seeing him again, she wasn’t surprised he’d been assigned to investigate the murder. He’d flown through the ranks from Bow Street runner to constable to sergeant in a matter of a few years. Samuel, with his brilliant mind and easy manner, his ability to know what a person was feeling. It had been like a gift, a sign, to see him at that moment. Without question she knew he would help her.

Samuel and his duty. Samuel, who’d already been at the Archives for years when she had arrived. Who’d been there since his infancy. The same Samuel who’d wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side that first night when she’d cried for her mother. She was stronger now, and yet knowing he would come to help buoyed her resolve.

They could do this. They would discover who the killer was and—

Staggering, she caught herself against the wall as a wave of pain and lust slammed into her. Laughter echoed through her head as her body responded, nipples hardening and desire flaring through her core.

“Piper?” Jones was by her side. He put his hand out, offering support, but didn’t touch.

“Effects from the extraction. I’ll be fine.” Please, let her be fine. Taking Jones by the arm, she took a deep breath. “Let’s get this over with.” They crossed the threshold to the infirmary.

Blog Tour: Big Numbers

 

Welcome to the Official Blog Tour for BIG NUMBERS by Jack Getze!

Laugh at divorced dad Austin Carr, a funny, oversexed scamp who'll do anything to get his kids back. Think Bugs Bunny with guns and a penis.

Divorced dad Austin Carr wakes up every day in a beat-up camper, parked on someone else’s private property. Why? Because his alimony and child support payments were established by New Jersey’s family court system when his income was double, and for the last two years he has failed to earn the legally mandated monthly nut. He’s had his savings drained, his Maxima repossessed, his salary attached, and his visiting rights suspended. He bought the twelve-year-old Chevy pick-up with the rusty camper for $800 last month because another landlord tossed his butt in the street. Will stretching the rules, his own morals, and the boundaries of common sense raise the cash needed to get his kids back? Or will his big mouth and bad behavior set him up for a nasty double-cross? See if Austin can redeem himself and win back his children.

WHERE YOU CAN BUY

PRAISE FOR

• “Darkly comic, with an engaging protagonist.” -- T.J. MacGregor, Edgar Winner, Author of The Tango Key Mysteries 
• “Big Numbers is a gritty, sexy, violent, and funny book.” -- Liz Clifford at Reviewed by Liz
• “Wonderful characters…well-written, entertaining…a good read.” --Connie Anderson for Armchair Interviews 
• “Indiana Jones has his whip and Luke Skywalker has his light saber, but for Austin Carr, his full-boat grin is the weapon of choice.” --Melissa for Lou Reads 
• “Jack Getze started his career as a newspaper reporter. As a result, BIG NUMBERS is lean and mean, with not a word wasted. A truly fun, genuinely funny read.” --Lisa Guidarini for Bluestalking Reader

About The Author

Former Los Angeles Times reporter Jack Getze is Fiction Editor for Anthony-nominated Spinetingler Magazine, one of the internet's oldest websites for noir, crime, and horror short stories. His screwball mysteries, BIG NUMBERS and BIG MONEY, are being reissued in 2013 by Down and Out Books, with the new BIG MOJO set for 2014. His short stories have appeared in Passages, A Twist of Noir, and Beat to a Pulp. Getze is an Active Member of Mystery Writers of America’s New York Chapter.

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Sweet or sour?	Sweet
Warm or Cold Weather?	Warm
Pop or country?	Pop
Hardcover or Paperback?	Hardcover
Coffee or Tea?	Coffee
Halloween or Thanksgiving?	Thanksgiving
Stories that are light and fun or dark and serious?	Fun & light
Chocolate or Vanilla?	Chocolate
Used books or new books?	New Books
TV or movies?	Movies
Drive or Fly?	Fly
Action or Drama?	Action
At Home or Out And About?	Home
Night Owl or Early Bird?	Early Bird
New York or Los Angeles?	Los Angeles  (lo-SANG-lays)

Top Ten Tuesday 12.10.13

This week's topic is:
Top Ten Goals/Resolutions For 2014 

Review: The Christmas Town

Title: The Christmas Town
Author: Elyse Douglas
Publication: 2013
Reviewed by: Stephanie
Rating: 3 stars
Reason for Reviewing: Ebook provided in exchange for an honest review

The Christmas Town, by Elyse Douglas, is a new time travel, mystery, romance novel that was released on October 11, 2013.

Traveling home for Christmas, two young women in their 20s are forced to drive together during a snowstorm, and they get lost. They cross a covered bridge and, suddenly, they enter the past, finding themselves in a small picturesque Vermont town in 1943. They meet two handsome soldiers, who are about to be sent off to war, and they fall in love with them, while also struggling to find a way to return home to their own time.

With the soldiers’ help, on Christmas Eve, the two women finally have one chance to return to their own time, but they are caught between their love for the soldiers, and their desire to return to the present. At the last moment, they must make the difficult decision and, because it is Christmas, a miracle happens.

 

This was such a cute holiday time travel romance. Although it was somewhat predictable, I did however enjoy the glimpse into an American’s life in 1943. The attention to detail from the clothes, to the shops, and even the way these characters thought and spoke really transported me into this time period. I kept thinking how the heck would I have dealt with rations and the love of my life going off to war? Such a tough thing to go through, but at the same time an important milestone for women because with the boys away they were able to step up to the late and do the men’s work. I liked that the author emphasized how important woman were at this time and how the world seemed to have changed because of it. This seemed like the perfect time for two strong willed working women from 2013 to travel back to 1943. Perfect or disastrous, lol.

These two strangers, Jackie and Megan, find themselves needing each other the most when they take a wrong turn into the past. Just imagine you are driving in the rental car with this woman you hardly know and find out you are stuck in the year 1943!! Eeep! I would pinch myself hard and really hope I was dreaming. Seriously, what the heck would you do? I suppose one could try to fit in as much as possible because it’s not like someone would really believe you. What a pickle that would be.

Jackie is a headstrong, sexy, logical woman who is focused on getting the job done. Being this way, she needed to tone it down for this new world she was in since most women didn’t act this way around these parts. Megan is a bubbly actress who loves the challenge of telling a good lie. Together these women are the Yin to the other’s Yang which helps them get out of a few difficult situations. Nothing brings a friendship together than going back in time to a small town where everyone thinks they are strange or mysterious. *wink*

Since this is a Contemporary Romance novel, it must have smoking hot men in it, right? The author gave us two handsome, strong soldiers. Jeff Grant is a black haired blue eyed hunk with a smile that will make you melt. *swoon* Danny Crawford, or Danny Boy, is a redhead, green eyed, broad shouldered stud with a shy side to him. *double swoon* These good ol’ boys were perfect gentlemen, going off to serve their country in a few days, and wanted to spend their limited time with Jackie and Megan. You can imagine how difficult this all can get when the ladies are desperate to find a way back to their own time and how falling in love might change things completely. Yet another pickle they have managed to get themselves in.

This was a fun read with a lot of great imagery about what the 1940’s would have been like and I enjoyed traveling alongside Jackie and Megan. I did find that, at parts, the story felt a bit dull with hardly any romance scenes. I found it a little disappointing being in the Contemporary Romance genre. Jackie and Megan were not my favorite characters, but I did enjoy the supporting characters a bit more like: Jeff, Danny Boy, and Aunt Betty. Perhaps it’s their small town charm that I found heartfelt and most interesting. This was my first time travel read so I’m not sure if this is indeed the genre for me. If you like to read Contemporary Holiday Time Travel books with less romance, but still a cute story with great imagery, then why don’t you give this book a try.

Books Read in 2014

Isalys read:

1. It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn [completed by 1/4/14]
2. Exquisite Betrayal by A.M. Hargrove [completed by 1/6/14]
3. Gilded Hearts by Christine D'Abo [completed by 1/11/14
4. Savor by Kate Evangelista [completed by 1/13/14]
5. Harp's Song by Cassie Shine [completed by 1/14/14]
6. Legend by Marie Lu [completed by 1/15/14]
7. The Forever of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen [completed by 1/19/14]
8. Sapphires Are An Earl's Best Friend by Shana Galen [completed by 1/20/14]
9. Trust In Me by J. Lynn [completed by 1/23/14]
10. Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor [completed by 2/6/14]
11. Chosen by Heather Fleener [completed by 2/10/14]
12. My Favorite Mistake by Chelsea Cameron [completed by 2/12/14]
13. Erased by Jennifer Rush [completed by 2/15/14]
14. Foreplay by Sophie Jordan [completed by 2/17/14]
15. Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson [completed by 2/21/14]
16. Rule by Jay Crownover [completed by 2/23/14]
17. When The Duke Was Wicked by Lorraine Heath [completed by 3/1/14]
18. The Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt [completed by 3/4/14]
19. Belladonna by Fiona Paul [completed by 3/5/14]
20. Out For Blood by Kristen Painter [completed by 3/8/14]
21. Starling by Fiona Paul [completed by 3/12/14]
22. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover [completed by 3/14/14]
23. The Ever After of Ella & Micha by Jessica Sorensen [completed by 3/19/14]  
24. Into The Still Blue by Veronica Rossi [completed by 3/24/14] 
25. On The Way To The Wedding by Julia Quinn [completed by 3/26/14]
26. White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout [completed by 3/30/14] 
27. Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan [completed by 4/2/14] 
28. Prodigy by Marie Lu [completed by 4/10/14] 
29. Twisted by Emma Chase [completed by 4/12/14] 
30. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige [completed by 4/17/14] 
31. The Duke Diaries by Sophia Nash [completed by 4/22/14] 
32. House of The Rising Sun by Kristen Painter [completed by 5/3/14] 
33. Knight of Love by Catherine LaRoche [completed by 5/7/14] 
34. The Darkest Craving by Gena Showalter [completed by 5/16/14] 
35. This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith [completed by 5/19/14] 
36. Spider's Revenge by Jennifer Estep [completed by 5/23/14] 
37. Lick by Kylie Scott [completed by 5/25/14] 
38. Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover [completed by 5/26/14] 
39. Faking It by Cora Carmack [completed by 6/2/14]
40. When A Duke Gives You Diamonds by Shana Galen [completed by 6/4/14]
41. If You Give A Rake A Ruby by Shana Galen [completed by 6/10/14]
42. Love And Let Spy by Shana Galen [completed by 7/5/14]
43. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitpatrick [DNF 7/7/14]
44. Tease by Sophie Jordan [completed by 7/11/14]
45. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon [completed by 7/27/14]
46. Rude Awakenings of A Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler [completed by 7/29/14]
47. Champion by Marie Lu [completed by 7/30/14]
48. The Other Guy's Bride by Connie Brockway [completed by 8/4/14]
49. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell [completed by 8/10/14]
50. One Past Midnight by Jessica Shirvington [completed by 8/13/14]
51. Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett [completed by 8/18/14]
52. Angelfall by Susan Ee [completed by 8/24/14]
53. Isla and The Happily Ever After [completed by 8/29/14]
54. Jet by Jay Crownover [completed by 9/2/14]
55. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas [completed by 9/7/14]
56. Yours Until Dawn by Teresa Madeiros [completed by 9/8/14]
57. Inferno Park by J.L. Bryan [completed by 9/19/14]
58. Rusty Nailed by Alice Clayton [completed by 9/24/14]
59. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell [completed by 9/28/14]
60. The Liberator by Victoria Scott [completed by 10/5/14]
61. Ellie Jordan , Ghost Trapper by J.L. Bryan [completed by 10/5/14]
62. Half Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout [completed by 10/13/14]
63. Through The Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter [completed by 10/16/14]
64. The Name of The Star by Maureen Johnson [completed by 10/31/14]
65. The Way To A Duke's Heart by Caroline Linden [completed by 11/2/14]
66. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins [completed by 11/5/14]
67. Conversion by Katherine Howe [DNF 11/9/14]
68. Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas [completed by 11/13/14]
69. Tamed by Emma Chase [completed by 11/16/14]
70. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater [completed by 11/16/14]
71. The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn [completed by 11/19/14]
72. Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas [completed by 11/24/14]
73. Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger [completed by 11/27/14]
74. Christmas Stories of Charles Dickens [completed by 12/3/14]
75. Christmas Brides Anthology [completed by 12/3/14]
76. The Mischief of The Mistletoe by Lauren Willig [completed by 12/11/14]
77. A Christmas Promise by Mary Balogh [completed by 12/12/14]
78. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens [completed by 12/19/14]
79. His By Christmas by Kaitlin O'Reily [completed by 12/23/14]
80. The Lady Most Willing...A Novel In Three Parts [completed by 12/27/14]
81. Coming Home For Christmas by Jenny Hale [completed by 12/30/14]