Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Guest Post by Margo Bond Collins - Top Five Ways to Tell if Your Fiancé Would Rather Be a Bloodsucking Fiend



Title: Legally Undead

Author: Margo Bond Collins

Release date: May 2tth, 2014

Genre: Paranormal


Book Description:
A reluctant vampire hunter, stalking New York City as only a scorned bride can.

Elle Dupree has her life all figured out: first a wedding, then her Ph.D., then swank faculty parties where she’ll serve wine and cheese and introduce people to her husband the lawyer.
But those plans disintegrate when she walks in on a vampire sucking the blood from her fiancé, Greg. Horrified, she screams and runs—not away from the vampire, but toward it, brandishing a wooden letter opener.
As she slams the improvised stake into the vampire’s heart, a team of black-clad men bursts into the apartment. Turning to face them, Elle realizes Greg’s body is gone—and her perfect life falls apart

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18366353-legally-undead?ac=1

Guest Post
Top Five Ways to Tell if Your Fiancé Would Rather Be a Bloodsucking Fiend

A guest post by Margo Bond Collins, author of Legally Undead


In Legally Undead, history graduate student Elle Dupree is cheerfully planning her wedding to her fiancé Greg, but those plans are trashed when she comes home to find him being turned into a vampire—and she quickly discovers that vampirism is a choice Greg made. So in addition to having to deal with the fact that vampires are real, she’s left with some pretty difficult realizations—not least of which is the knowledge that her fiancé would rather be a vampire than marry her, and she never saw it coming. So for today’s guest post, I’m sharing Elle’s list of warning signs that your beloved might considering joining the ranks of the undead:

1. You find blood on his collar. Forget worrying about lipstick on the collar—blood is the real giveaway here. He might try to tell you that he cut himself shaving. Don’t buy it. Blood on the collar is a clear sign that your boyfriend is letting creatures of the night snack on him when you’re not around.

2. He’s recently accepted a position at a prestigious New York law firm. While this is not enough in itself to suggest a liaison with the evil undead, when combined with other elements on this list, it might suggest a tendency to prefer the company of bloodsucking fiends.

3. He often works late. Again, by itself this is not incriminatory. But we all know that vampires need darkness, and what better excuse for meeting up with these demons than “I have to work late”?

4. He suddenly develops a preference for wearing only black, white, and red. These kinds of sartorial changes might initially seem to be connected to that new job—a new dark suit, white shirt, and blood-red tie? Those could simply be a sign of his desire to succeed. But they could also indicate a deeper desire to imitate the fashion choices of creepy B-movie vampires everywhere.

5. You come home to find a creature of the night draining him. Like Elle, you might initially be inclined to jump in and stake the vampire, thereby saving your one and only. But it might be worthwhile to hang back for a moment and watch. Does your dearly beloved seem to be enjoying the process? Is he fighting back? If not, you may have walked in on a voluntary turning.


Remember, if you think your beau might prefer the tortures of the damned to pledging his life to yours, there’s help available . . . but if you can’t find that help quickly enough, you can always do what Elle did, and pick up a stake to track his ass down.



About the Author:
 Margo Bond Collins is the author of Legally Undead, first in an urban fantasy series coming in 2014 from World Weaver Press (http://worldweaverpress.com/), Waking Up Dead, first in a paranormal mystery series from Solstice Publishing (http://www.solsticepublishing.com/), and Fairy, Texas, a YA paranormal romance series (also from Solstice). She lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, several spoiled cats, and a ridiculous turtle. She teaches college English online. She loves paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters.

Official Website: www.MargoBondCollins.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins

Tour Giveaway:
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Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Review - Time for Tenderness by Brynette L. Turner

Title: Time for Tenderness by Brynette L. Turner
Publisher:
Publication Date: July 9th, 2014
Paperback/Hardcover: 
Genre: Contemporary
Find it at: Goodreads /


Summary:  
Valerie loves Tony; but she has spent the past three years pretending otherwise because she had serious doubts that their love could survive all of her flaws and fears. Regardless, Tony knows Val is the only woman who could ever make him happy. When she agrees to marry him, she believes they can build a life for their young daughter that is better than how Val was raised and more realistic than what Tony has always expected. She trusts him to accept her and to always be her partner.
Unfortunately, the drama and destructiveness from her past inserts itself into their world in a way that Tony can't accept. No matter how hard she tries, Valerie can't shake the fear that maybe love does not conquer all; and the couple must discover whether they are really able to survive through anything.

Review:   
I have received this book as part of a blog tour in exchange of an honest review.
I enjoyed this book and thought it deals with an interesting and important theme.
The characters in Time for Tenderness are very well-written and came across as realistic. Val has a few issues and insecurities but she still manages to be strong and determined when she needs to.
Tony is great as well. He’s patient and loving and great for Val.
Plotwise, Time for Tenderness develops nicely and, as I said, deals with interesting topics as Val’s attempts to overcome her past and reconnect with her family. I think the author did a great job with these characters and story.
The book is well written and interesting and I think fans of contemporary fiction will definitely be able to enjoy this book.

Rating:   Worth Your Time (4 Stars)

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Book Excerpt - Sifting Through Mud by Demetria Foster Gray



Title: Sifting Through Mud

Author: Demetria Foster Gray

Release date: August 14th, 2014

Genre: Contemporary



Book Description:
The death of Nyla's husband comes as a shock to everyone except Nyla. What’s shocking to Nyla is her inability to grieve his death like a typical loving wife should grieve. But Nyla isn't a typical loving wife. She's a woman in desperate need to breathe. The oxygen in her life has long gone, and the astonishing thing she feels from her husband's death is relief, not grief.
Even more astonishing is the rare and unexpected friendship which develops between Nyla and her dead husband's mistress. However, Nyla isn’t aware her new best friend is a former mistress. And as their friendship deepens into an unshakable bond, Nyla is forced to face secrets her husband took with him to his grave. This means she has to sift through mud to unravel the truth. A truth that’s better off dead.
Yet through it all, the one thing which makes Nyla violently breathless, is the exact same thing that causes her to finally breathe.


Book Excerpt

Nathan is in the family room watching sports on TV. My handbag and car keys are on the foyer table next to the flower arrangement I sent myself yesterday for our twentieth wedding anniversary. I grab my keys, my handbag, and open the front door. I pause in the doorway to look back over my shoulder, at the life I lived here. Then silently, almost invisibly, I walk out the door.
         I have no idea where I’m going. All I feel is the overwhelming burden of where I’ve been. The toll and heaviness of an undesired life. For now, a hotel will have to do. One where no one can find me, and has big, fluffy pillows to hold my tears and muffle my screams. Tomorrow, when Nathan’s at work, I’ll go back for a few personal things. All I have now are the clothes on my back—clothes which are hanging wearily from my marriage-torn body.
         The truth of the matter is, I’m a murderer. I’ve killed the one person who could’ve saved me—myself. I’ve traveled down this lifeless road for far too long, and now I’m stuck in blandness. I miss the flavor of life. The pleasure and joy of actually feeling feelings, instead of faking feelings. Faking joy, faking happiness. I’m living life without the spice of life and it’s taking its toll on me.
         But thank God the dead has now risen, and it’s time for me to take back my life. To absolve my death. Which is precisely what I did over dinner this evening while Nathan was eating in front of the TV, and I was dining alone at the kitchen table. I asked myself two questions: (1) How much longer can I play a role that’s no longer suited for me?, and (2) How much longer can I hold my breath when all I want to do is breathe? The answers to those questions are what caused me to rise from the table, grab my handbag, and walk out the door.
         The thing is, I don’t know how to love my husband anymore. Or if I ever loved him at all. It seems I did. I must have. But I just don’t know anymore. It’s exhausting spinning your wheels in a marriage that doesn’t seem to move. Not forward, not backwards, just stalled. Stagnant. A lot of bitterness accompanies stagnation. A lot of anger. A lot of slicing each other apart, and chewing each other up. It’s treacherous. It’s sad. It’s time to move on.
         After driving for a half hour to the next town, I find a nice hotel with clean, spacious rooms, a deep Jacuzzi tub, fresh linens, and a complimentary hot breakfast in the morning. Nathan will be calling me when it becomes the middle of the night and I haven’t returned home. He’ll wonder where I am with a slight bit of concern. Or perhaps he’ll sleep like a log through the night and never give my absence a second thought. Either way, I’ve turned off my cell phone. His concern or lack of concern is no longer an issue for me.


About the Author:
 Demetria Foster Gray is a novelist, freelance writer, and communications consultant. She earned a degree in Marketing Communications and spent the bulk of her career writing for the corporate world. Creating fictional characters and building stories has always been her first love. A native of the Chicago, IL area, Demetria now lives in North Carolina with her husband and two children. Sifting Through Mud is her debut novel. Visit Demetria at www.demetriafostergray.com

Author Links:


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Schedule: http://irresistiblereadstour.wordpress.com/2014/07/26/tour-sifting-through-mud-by-demetria-foster-gray/