Stop Book Piracy.. A Letter to my Readers

Dear Readers,

I am going to age myself a bit with this story, but here goes. I was a freshman in college. I had my first car and had wanted a cd player for my car more than anything. I saved and pinched every penny and finally had enough to buy the one I had been eyeing.  I loved cruising around town listening to my favorite music, and knowing that I worked for this and paid for it with my own money.

During my summer breaks from school I worked two jobs to save money for my next school year. I left work one afternoon to discover that my car had been broken into and my cd player had been ripped out of the dash. To add insult to injury the culprit had also went through my cd collection and taken only the cd's they wanted.. I guess they weren't fans of Mariah Carey or the Backstreet Boys. I will never forget that silent ride home that night and the feeling of having something that I worked so hard for stolen from me.

Last night I read that one my new favorite authors was informed her new book, set for release in February was available on a pirated book site.  The worst part about this story is that this book was only available through publishers and Edelweiss, one of the sites used to distribute ARC's. This was stolen by someone that was trusted to receive this ARC, and then pirated. She is not the first author I have heard this happen to recently. This enrages me! Authors give their all to write these amazing stories for us. I hurt for the feeling of betrayal they must feel when they realize something they put their heart and soul into has been stolen from them.

In a random act of kindness, someone close to me replaced my cd player as a surprise. The replacement cd player had a removable front that allowed me the security of knowing it would be very hard for someone to ever steal from me again. Once a book is stolen there is no replacing the authors loss.

Authors, even best-selling authors are making pennies on every book sale. EACH sale matters to them and if you are a true reader and fan, spend the money. Spending money and buying these books is a way to insure that more books like these will be written.  If there is a book that you want to read and you can't afford it, check out your local library. Most local libraries even have lendable eBooks now! I am writing this blog to encourage others to report book piracy if you see it happening. Send a note to the publisher, find the author's email address or  facebook page and let them know. If people stop looking for FREE books, then the demand for pirated books will disappear.


Support your favorite authors, encourage others to do the same and until next time… Happy Reading!

Love,
Melissa

Love Plus One by Andrea Smith G-Man Series Book #2

Synopsis:
It had been a year ago that 19-year old Lindsey Dennison's life had taken an abrupt turn.

While away at Cornell for her freshman year at college, her parents' marriage had imploded. Lindsey learned the harsh truth about her father, and his involvement in criminal activity that was the focus of a major federal bust. Her father had slipped out of the country with his lover and cohort in crime, Susanne shortly before the FBI arrest warrants could be served. He was now a fugitive from justice, deserting his only child. Lindsey was trying to pick up the pieces of the life she now realized had been a house of secrets and lies for all of those years.

After her mother's marriage to Eric Slater (Slate), one of the special agents of the FBI involved in the federal investigation that occurred in their hometown of Indianapolis, Lindsey decides to start fresh at a new college close tom where her mother, step-father and baby brother Bryce are now living outside of Washington, D.C.

Life is different now for Lindsey, but  it is about to change even more. Her step-father's partner and best friend in the bureau, Trace "Taz" Matthews, is about to rock her world in more ways than one.  Taz is nearly ten years older than Lindsey, but her initial interest in him is physical only. Lindsey has a problem that she is certain Taz can fix- but will he?

Despite their best efforts, Lindsey and Taz are tossed together by fate on more than one occasion, and this G-Man does not appreciate the distraction.

There is a budding romance on the horizon for Lindsey with a wealthy, Ivy-League type guy she meets at school by the name of Kyzer Stanfield. Kyzer's interest in Lindsey does not sit well for Taz. When Lindsey must leave school to return home to help her mother, Taz is relieved that she will be distanced from the pursuit of Kyzer… but not for long.

Things are never quite as they seem. Lindsey will learn a brutal lesson about trust, compassion and strength. Taz will learn lessons about love, intimacy and honor, and that sometimes doing the right thing has consequences.

Warning: Explicit Sex, contains rape scene. 

Review: 
Love Plus one is the second book in author Andrea Smith's G-Man series. This book is tied to Diamond Girl, the first book in this series, but can be read as a stand alone (however, I recommend reading Diamond Girl first because it was AWESOME, Click here to read my review of Diamond Girl). The author does a fantastic job of setting the stage and catching you up on the backstory right away, so even a new reader to this series would not feel left behind.

Lindsey is "innocent" in the natural definition of the word, but the past year has been full of drama that causes her to grow up quickly and lose some of that innocence. Taz is attracted to Lindsey, but the 10 year age difference and the fact that she is his best friend/partner's new stepdaughter forces him to try to fight the attraction. Once Lindsey makes it clear she wants Taz there is no turning back or either of them. Taz decides he needs to be with her to get her out of his system, so he can move on, but the more time he spends with her the more he realizes he may never want to get her out of his system.
these two have intense chemistry and they are super HOT together.

Love Plus One is full of action, drama, love, lust and just the right amount of angst for this reader. I found it to be a little darker than Diamond Girl, but just as intriguing. I love the way the author writes such  unpredictable plot twists. It is refreshing to finish a book that I didn't figure out the ending before the 70% mark. This book leaves a small open ending to set the stage for Night Moves, the next book in this series, but Lindsey and Taz's story is over.. or just beginning, depending on how you look at it :) I am ready for Darcy's story and just purchased Night Moves!

I am giving Love Plus One 4.5 Stars and adding it to my Favorites shelf on Goodreads!

Let's Chat: 
I get a lot of ARC's from authors in exchange for honest reviews, I was not given a copy of any of the books in this series for review. I  purchased this book for my own enjoyment and loved it so much I decided to review it. If you have read or do read this series, I would love to hear your thoughts! Please leave me some comments below :)

Reading Order of G-Man Series:
I currently plan to read and review this entire series, here is the reading order for when you plan to do the same, trust me, after reading Diamond Girl you will want more from this series!

G-Man Series by Andrea Smith

Buy Links:
Love Plus One on Amazon
Love Plus One on BN.com
Diamond Girl on Amazon
Diamond Girl on BN.com

Author Links: 
https://www.facebook.com/AndreaSmithAuthor
https://twitter.com/MaybeBabyAuthor

Until next time, Happy Reading! :)

Diamond Girl by Andrea Smith This is one STEAMY read!

**WARNING THIS BOOK AND REVIEW ARE FOR MATURE AUDIENCES**

Synopsis:
In the fall of 2010, thirty-five year old Samantha Dennison sent her only child off to college and is generally feeling F-R-U-M-P-Y. Her loveless marriage to "the mannequin" has become intolerable; her daughter and best friend have both advised 'Sammie' to get a life of her own. Her husband has his own agenda that does not include her.

Sammie finally heeds their advice and starts with a Kickboxing/Pilates class; ultimately, learning to pole dance. From there, she is well on her way to finally carving out a secret life and identity all of her own. The thrill of the dance and sexuality she discovers within herself is a potent mixture. She gets a part-time job as a dancer in an Indianapolis Gentleman's Club called Jewels. She becomes the dancer known as 'Diamond' and very quickly catches the attention of a 'bad-boy' biker named 'Slate'.

Slate is the ultimate 'alpha' male; however there is a problem: he simply wants it to be about exclusive sex; Sammie wants and needs more from Slate. Sammie is certain that she has embarked on a  dangerous, cougar-type relationship with the twenty-something biker and 'prospect' member of the notorious Outlaw Motorcycle Club. She soon finds out that she is totally out of her league with Slate and the dangerous people he associates with in Indianapolis during the summer of 2012. Something big is brewing in Indy; it ain't about race cars either.

Review: 
On Facebook a couple of bloggers were pushing Diamond Girl by Andrea Smith, to be honest, it didn't sound like my typical read, but with all the awesome comments I had to one-click. It was well worth the purchase, once I started reading I couldn't put this book down! I finished it in one day and am currently devouring the second book in this series.

Lately a lot of books tend to have similar plots. I start reading and get the feeling that I've already read the book before I am 50% in, or I have already figured out the plot twist and know where the book is going, where it will end, or at the very least the height of the cliff it will leave me hanging on until the  next book is released. DIAMOND GIRL is not like any of those books.

I was immediately drawn into Sammie's life. I felt her loneliness at being forced into a loveless marriage with a guy she barely knew at 17, the years of putting her wants and needs aside and being the best mother she could be for her daughter. Now that daughter is in college, her controlling husband is even more absent than before (if possible).. and when she decides to live for herself for once I wanted to rally behind her and give her a big high-five.

This story quickly swirls into an entirely new and unexpected series of events. Sammie gets into the best shape of her life, one thing leads to another and she finds herself living a secret life as Diamond a pole dancer at an exclusive gentleman's club.. where she meets Slate, alpha, biker bad-boy and this story gets pretty STEAMY (like toe curling- have a glass of ice water nearby STEAMY). This sexy high-action plot had me flipping pages quickly to know what was coming next and by the last chapter I knew I wanted to read more by this author. Even if you aren't a fan of biker-bad boys- give this a chance.. trust me on this one and you can thank me later!

Diamond Girl is the first book in author Andrea Smith's G-Men series. This book is a stand-alone book, no cliffhanger here, although it does set up the second book in the series perfectly. I give Diamond Girls 5 stars for being a steamy read that drew me in emotionally and kept me hanging on the edge of my chair until the end.

Add Diamond Girl to your Goodreads Shelf

** I purchased this book for my own enjoyment. This review is,like all my reviews totally unscripted. I loved this book and wanted to share it with my readers and followers. I would LOVE to know what you all thing if you read this book!

Buy Links: (*prices subject to change, are as listed at the time of this posting)
Click here to buy Diamond Girl on Amazon (current price for Kindle book is $3.99)
Click here to buy Diamond Girl on BN.com (current price for Nook book is $3.99)

Reading Order of G-Man Series:
I currently plan to read and review this entire series, here is the reading order for when you plan to do the same, trust me, after reading Diamond Girl you will want more from this series!

G-Man Series by Andrea Smith

Author Links: 
https://www.facebook.com/AndreaSmithAuthor
https://twitter.com/MaybeBabyAuthor

Until next time… Happy Reading!

Blitzing Emily by Julie Brannagh Tour Stop, Review & Giveaway!

All is fair in Love and Football...

Emily Hamilton doesn't trust men. She's much more comfortable playing the romantic lead on stage in front of a packed house than in her own life. So, when NFL star and irresistible ladies' man Brandon McKenna acts as her personal white knight, she has no illusions that he will stick around. However a misunderstanding with the press throws them together in a fake engagement that yields unexpected (and  breathtaking) benefits.

Every time Brandon calls her "Sugar," Emily almost believes Brandon is playing for keeps, not just to score. Can she let down her defenses and get her own Happily Ever After?

Review:

Attention readers there I just found a new voice in sports romance! 

Blitzing Emily is the first book in author Julie Brannagh's  Love and Football series. This story features opera singer Emily Hamilton and Seattle Sharks football player and somewhat scandalous bad-boy Brandon McKenna. Brandon literally sweeps Emily off her feet and their pretend/but- no-so pretend romance, is fun, flirty and kept me reading, because I couldn't wait for the sexual tension to unwind and for these two realize they belong together for real.  Blitzing Emily is a refreshing change from the normal plot, and while there is drama, the drama is subdued, yet entertaining  and the best part about this book for me was I felt happy the entire time I was reading.

Fans of Susan Elizabeth Phillips Chicago Stars series and Rachel Gibson Chinook's hockey series will really enjoy this kick off of this new series by Julie Brannagh. Her sports romance writing style reminds me a lot of these two sports romance icons! Also just to clarify, although this is a fantastic sports romance, you don't have to be a fan of that genre to appreciate this book. Blitzing Emily contains all the heart warming characteristics that any Contemporary Romance fan could really enjoy.

The next book in this series, Rushing Amy, featuring Emily's sister Amy and  Ex-NFL star/turned Sports Commentator, Matt Stephens and is set for release next month. I already have it on pre-order! After reading the teaser at the end of Blitzing Emily, I knew I had to have the second book in this series as well!

Blitzing Emily gets 4 big smiley happy faces from Save Your Money for Books!

Buy Links: 

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore

Enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win! Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Author  Info:
Julie Brannagh has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil. She lives in a small town near Seattle, where she once served as a city council member and owned a yarn shop. She shares her home with a  wonderful husband, two uncivilized Maine Coons and a  rambunctious Chocolate Lab.

Julie hasn't quite achieved the goal of owning a pro football team, so she created a fictional one: The Seattle Sharks. When she's not writing, she's reading, or armchair-quarterbacking her favorite NFL team from the comfort of the family room couch.  Julie is a golden heart finalist and the author of four contemporary sports romances.

Author Links:
www.juliebrannagh.com, Facebook, Twitter @Julieinduvall

Click here to follow this Tasty Book Tour

Love and Other Games Review Tour Stop & Giveaway!

LOVE AND OTHER GAMES is a collection of sexy new adult stories centered around athletes competing in the Winter Games by Ana Blaze, Melinda Dozier, Aria Kane and Kara Leigh Miller.

Worth More Than Gold by Ana Blaze
Amy Pierce, the klutzy sister and manager of America's Skating Sweetheart, is used to being invisible. but when a friend drags her to a party near the Olympic Village, Amy catches the eye of a sexy Norwegian ski jumper. It's a magical night, but an awkward next morning has her running.

Everyone knows Erik Andresen's best shot at an individual medal was back in 2010, before an injury pulled him from competition. He's there for his team but a hot night and a remarkable last training session have him wondering if his gorgeous good-luck charm could give him another chance at the podium.

With a little bit of luck, these two might have a shot at something worth more than gold.

Trouble with Gold by Melinda Dozier
US snowboarder and notorious prankster, Ty (Trouble) Madsen is only getting a taste of his own medicine with his Olympic teammates shackle him to a fence wearing nothing but his boxers.

Reception and protocol volunteer, Nadia Hoffman, gets up close and personal with the sexy snowboarder to rescue him, but she's not the kind of girl who lets her hormones get in her way. A professional performance could help her land her dream job at the Olympic Committee Headquarters, but her new assignment supervising the rambunctious US Snowboarding Team is making that difficult. Can she see bend the snowman in the community center bathroom and into the warm heart of a man everyone calls trouble?

The Girl Behind the Gold by Aria Kane
Greek aerial skier Lia Milonas's parents are about to lose the family farm. Saving it means medaling and landing a huge sponsor. While her no-nonsense attitude has her well on her way to a medal, it hasn't won her a place in fans' hearts.

"Come back with a story that will make the readers cry, or don't come back." This is what Brandon James' boss told him before he left New York to cover the Winter Games for Moment Magazine. With a  wink and a smile, he can charm his way into any invite-only-party, but that career-making story is nowhere to be found- until he meets Lia.

The two strike a deal that should get them both what they want- but neither would have guessed they'd also find what they need.

Ice Gold by Kara Leigh Miller
Colton Campbell thrives on the fast paced, adrenaline rushed lifestyle of being an Olympic hockey player.

Despite Brenna Jessup's abhorrence for the games and the athletes, she's hand-picked as the official photographer for the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team.

When a faux pas by Brenna almost cost Colton his career, she owes him. Too bad for her, Colton doesn't want apologies.- he wants retribution! And he knows just how to get it-- and her in the process.

Review:
If you are looking for a collection of romances to get you in the mood for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games this is the series for you. This collection of delightful short stories will leave you with dreams of sexy athletes and wondering what really is going on behind the scenes at the real games.

I loved each of these stories, they are well written and each author paints a beautiful picture in their specific story within the collection. I liked them so much I found it hard to pick a favorite, however I may or may not have been doodling the name Colton Campbell in my notes for this review.

Grab this collection for only .99 you can't go wrong!

Buy Links:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Add Love and Other Games to your Goodreads shelf!

Use the Rafflecopter below to enter! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Info & Links:

Aria Kane is a recovering mechanical engineer and romance writer. As a military brat, she grew up all over the country, but now lives in sunny Florida with a 60 pound mutt who thinks he's a chihuahua.

Website, Facebook, Twitter @Aria_Kane

Kara Leigh Miller was born and raised in the small town of Mexico, New York. Kara was an only child show as forced to find ways to entertain herself. Playing make believe with her Barbie dolls and stuffed animals was her first real taste of storytelling before she became old enough to develop a love affair with the written word. 

In early 2010, Kara picked up her very first romance novel, and was instantly hooked. She loves to write contemporary romance, new adult and young adult romance. Currently she has several full-length novels in the works, a series of novellas, and a handful of short stories. Kara is an active member of the CNY Creative Writers Café and the CNY Romance Writers.

Today, Kara resides in New Haven, New York with her husband, five kids. and three cats. When she's not reading or writing, she's think thinking about reading and writing. And when she's not doing that she's spending time with her family and friends. 

Recently, Kara has taken on a  position of Managing Editor for the Surge Imprint, Anaiah Press, Llc- a Christian fiction press. She's working exclusively in the young adult and new adult line. 

Website, Facebook

Melinda Dozier lives in Guatemala, Central America, with her husband, three boys and German Shepherd. She enjoys being the queen of her household and dreams of being pampered fully by her boys once they're grown. Learn more about her on her website or Facebook

Ana Blaze lives just outside Washington DC with her very supportive husband and three rather demanding cats. She loves the ocean, Indian food, Ikea and cooking. Ana admits to watching too much television and she swears someday she's going to learn how to play the guitar resting on the bookshelf in her office. Twitter @Ana_Blaze, Facebook, Pinterest

Beck by Harper Sloan Blog Stop, Review & Giveaway!

WARNING- THIS BOOK IS INTENDED FOR MATURE READING!

**Dee**
I've always been good at wearing masks. Not letting anyone see the real me. I'm content being the happy-go-lucky best friend. The strong willed boss. The independent woman who doesn't need a man.

But the truth is I'm just as broken as the rest of you. I'm terrified that all it will take is one person to make all my carefully constructed walls crumble into fine dust. So I guard y heart with everything I have.  Determined to never let anyone get close enough to hurt me again.

All is perfect until HE walks into my life. No.. he doesn't just walk. He struts his good-looking, sex-oozing self right into my space and demands that I see HIM. Making me want what I know I can't have.

So I did the only thing I know how to do.
I run.
But he just won't let me go.

**Beck**
The second I see her, I know she will be mine. I see past the gorgeous smalls and heart-stopping laughter. I see HER. She doesn't want me to know her secrets or the past that haunts her, but I make it my mission to find out.

To make her mine.

She can run all she wants, but it will never be far enough to stop me from coming after her. She's it for me and she knows it. She's just too scared to admit it.


Review: 

Just when I think a series can't get any better, Harper Sloan releases a new book and proves me wrong. This lucky duck was granted access to the ARC of this book for review a week before it was available to the public, and THANK GOD, I am pretty sure I couldn't wait for another whole week before I got my next fix of my Corps Security boys.

If you haven't read the other books in this series, while they don't HAVE to be read in order, I recommend reading them order (Quick links for my review of Axel and Cage).These characters are HOT, SEXY alpha males and you want to spend as much time with them as possible. I love how each book really sticks with the group as a whole, while still telling the story of the featured hero and heroine.

This book starts at Beck and Dee's first meeting when Axel comes to help Izzy, then quickly progresses and moves into its own storyline. It is an emotional, sexy page turner that will keep you guessing and when it ends you will be looking for the release date of the next book (not because there is a crazy cliffhanger, but because you are just going to want more of these boys!) I love the direction this series is taking and can't wait to see what Harper Sloan has up her sleeve for us next.

Fans of this series will love it even more after finishing Beck.. and if you aren't a fan of this series yet, buy it, you can thank me later! I gave Beck- 5 STARS, added it to my FAVORITE shelf on Goodreads.

Buy Links: 
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords

Add Beck to your Goodreads shelf!

Enter for your chance to win! AWESOME PRIZES!!!!

 (I wish I was eligible to win the Origami Owl necklace!)

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a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Author Info:
Harper lives in small town Georgia, just a short drive from her hometown of Peachtree City. She (and her 3 daughters) enjoy ruling the house they dubbed "Estrogen Ocean", much to her husbands chagrin. Harper has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books; you can almost ALWAYS find her with her eReader attached. As an ex-reviewer and blogger, Harper's passion for reading runs deep. It wasn't until 'Axel' decide to take up residence that she realized her true calling.

She started using writing as a way to unwind when the house went to sleep at night; and with a house full of crazy it was the perfect way to just relax. it didn't take long before a head full of very demanding alphas would stop at nothing to have their story told.

Author Links:
Facebook Author Page, Twitter @HarperSloan, Goodreads, Pinterest, Instagram, Email

Until next time! Happy Reading!

COVER REVEAL: Deceiving Lies by Molly McAdams

I am on a roll this week with Molly McAdams books! Above it the cover and pre-order links for the sequel to Forgiving Lies- (Click here to read my review of Forgiving Lies)! 

Love this cover and can't wait for this book! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!