AUDIO BOOK TOUR: Asher Black by Parker S. Huntington

Author: Parker S. Huntington

Narrators: Lacy Laurel

Length: 8 hours and 32 minutes

Publisher: PSH Publishing House

Released: Oct. 31, 2017

Genre: Romance

He was supposed to kill me. I had done the unthinkable. I called the cops on him, on his family, but he let me live. We became friends, and then... we fell in love.

Lucy Ives is a foster kid, running from her turbulent past. On her first night in New York City, she accidentally calls the cops on the mafia. When their fixer comes to kill her, he spares her life in exchange for a favor--be his fake fiance or die.

Parker S. Huntington is from Orange County, California, USA. She has a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of California, Riverside and is currently pursuing a Master's in Liberal Arts in Literature and Creative Writing from Harvard University. She has two puppies, Bauer and Chloe, and lives with her boyfriend of four years--a real life alpha male, book-boyfriend-worthy hunk of a man. She is currently working on Book 3 of the Five Syndicates Series.

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Lacy lives the life of a full time wife, mother and household manager. Needing a temporary escape from time to time Lacy returned back to her first love - reading! After devouring everything she could get her hands on she thought, -what if she could mix her love of performance and literature in a professional capacity? Once getting involved in the world of book narration she quickly became hooked and when not with her family you can find her in her studio working hard to grow in her own storytelling abilities.

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Oh man, this audio book just oozes with sexual tension! How in the world did we make it through over half the book with a few kisses here and there? That goes to show you how perfectly of a romance this book truly was! You don’t need sex to make a romance… you need ROMANCE!! Asher Black was a book that was full of sweet words and longing.

I was genuinely surprised, and secretly thrilled, at some of the main character, Lucy’s, references to romance books. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud to hear all about the alpha males she has read about and how they compared to her “real life alpha male” or as we know him, Asher Black. While this book has some deep and deadly topics, there was this lighter side to it that really made it fun to listen too.

So on one side we have this sexy possibly mob fixer, who nearly an entire town is scared of, and he’s the CEO of a major fortune 500-type company and is raking it in! Then we have Lucy… Lucy, the orphan who has went from home to home and never seeing what real love is like. All her belongings fit in a duffel bag. Her last two years were spent traveling the world while volunteering. They really seem too different to work. But, work it did!

Parker S. Huntington is definitely an up-and-coming new author I’m going to be watching! I cannot believe this is her first novel! It was written perfectly! She was able to combine humor with the deepness… it’s seriously a real gift! Now, I wouldn’t say this book is believable or even relatable but it IS fantastic for a book to take you away! Mafia romances are some of my favorites and throw some suspense in and I’m sold! This book had it all!!

Now, the narration… Lacy Laurel… goodness could this woman have a sexier voice? I mean, really, it isn’t fair! You’d think it would be a bit strange having her do a male’s voice but it isn’t. She’s able to pull of changing her voice over. Now, I prefer males to do males but there wasn’t a male POV in this book. It was just Lucy’s POV with some males comments tossed in. So that worked. I do think if we had dual POV I wouldn’t be as in love with the performance of one sex doing both voices but who knows since it wasn’t the case here!

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Lacy Laurel. 

The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Q&A with Author Parker S. Huntington

• How did you select your narrator?
  • Lacy and I connected through the Audio Loves group on Facebook. I posted in there, asking for narrator recommendations, since I was going through the process of putting an audition script up on ACX. She messaged me, and when I got her audition, I just knew she needed to be Lucy.
• Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
  • This is going to sound ridiculous, but Lucy is me—from our majors to our schooling to our geographic history to the mental rambling. I think that’s why I was able to write Asher Black so quickly.
• How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
  • I’m working on my Master’s in Literature and Creative Writing right now, so I write a lot. I’m talking twenty-five thousand words a week. Minimum. But… what I write is often what I don’t want to write, which is actually how I avoid burn-out. After writing what I have to write for school, writing novels is a relief—an exercise that I thoroughly enjoy.
• Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
  • Lucy is a mental rambler. Seriously. She goes on and on about the most ridiculous things, from social commentary to her self-named “Horny Lucy”… And Lacy is able to bring her character to life, narrating the mental rambles with such skill, it feels like her voice is the voice in my head. Did I mention how blessed I am to have Lacy as the narrator.
• What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
  • A while back, I encountered someone who wanted to read Asher Black, but she couldn’t due to her eyesight. I got to thinking: what can I do to make my book more accessible? This is where audiobooks come into play. It’s not about cheating or being inferior/superior. The reality is that, in today’s world, accessibility matters. People may choose to listen to audiobooks for so many reasons—it’s convenient, they commute, they have vision impairment, or they just plain like it. At the end of the day, who are we to judge other people’s choices? So long as we continue to make books accessible in every format, we’ll continue to promote reading… and isn’t that a great goal?
• How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
  • I slept. A LOT. I wrote Asher Black in less than two weeks, which meant a lot of sleepless nights. By the time I was done, I was too exhausted to celebrate. It’s far from glamourous, I know, but hey—#authorproblems.
• In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series?
  • For a standalone novel, you can be done with characters after writing, and you don’t have to worry about losing readers with each subsequent release. But as a writer (and reader), you get more time to delve into a world, and that’s an awesome experience for anyone.
• Have any of your characters ever appeared in your dreams?
  • My God, Asher is the man of my dreams. Does that count?
• What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
  • I still consider myself an aspiring author, but I’d say to just do it. I spent a lot of time floundering and second guessing myself, wondering if I should take the risk (and it is a risk). But ultimately, I’ve been happier since deciding to do it. On a second note, writing is a business, and the best advice anyone could ever give, beyond craft advice, is to treat your writing like it’s a business. You have marketing, social media management, graphic design, customer service, business, writing, etc. to handle. It’ll be a lot to take care of, but if you’re on top of it, it’ll feel so rewarding.
• What’s next for you?
  
  • I published the second book in the series in July, and I’m currently working on Bastiano Romano, book three in The Five Syndicates series. Once I’m done, I’ll work on the Turner Triplets trilogy!

Asher Black Giveaway: $40 Amazon Gift Card

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RELEASE BLITZ: Snatch by Marie James

Cover Design: Essen~tial Designs

Release Date: July 13, 2017

Synopsis

I’ve been Jaxon Donovan since the day I was born, obviously. My road name, Snatch, came years later due to my ability to literally snatch up any woman I set my sights on. I’ve always been a connoisseur of the opposite sex. Tall, short, thin, thick and juicy, my tastes knew no limitations.

I didn’t think there was a limitation to my sexuality, and I found out just how true that actually was the night my best friend took it upon himself to take me in his mouth. Sure, there’d been close calls before, the slip of a hand or misplaced lips. With our propensity to share women, it’s bound to happen. That fateful night, I was met with pure intention and an experience I never want to forget.

How do you explain to your friends, your brother’s in arms, that your extremely active sexuality has led you to your best friend’s door step? How do you admit, after twenty-six years of heterosexuality, that you’re into something else?

I’ll soon find out that what happens in the dark will always come to light.

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Signed Paperbacks of the Cerberus Series

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About the Author

Marie James: I'm a full-time, working mother of two boys and wife of 13 years. I've spent almost my entire lifetime living in central Texas, with only short stays in South Carolina, Alabama, and Florida. I've always wanted to write novels and just recently had the gumption to sit down and start one. My passions include reading everything under the sun and plotting out new books to write in the future.

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 I have never read an M/M book before… I had no real interest. It didn’t turn me off or anything but I wasn’t sure how I would or could really relate to that situation. I’m pretty ashamed of myself. I read Snatch and my heart ached with the thought that two people who obviously care for each other are too scared to share/show their feelings in public… like I can do with my husband. While this book is pure fantasy it really shows you what it must be like to have feelings or an interest in the same sex.

I’m not really surprised with how much I loved this book, after all, Marie James wrote it. However, since it’s my first M/M book I was surprised with how hot I thought it was. James can tell a story so perfectly… I could see this relationship. I could see if happening to my friends, my family. There was just so much in this story and my words will in no way, whatsoever, do this beautiful book justice. I want to pull out my favorite quote out of this book… heck, it made me cry and highlight it AND note it in my Kindle notes as “the BEST passage EVER” and I still stick by that:

“If you don’t want people to stereotype you for who you love and the man you want to be in a relationship with, you have to stop stereotyping yourself. Men love just as fiercely, just as passionately as women. Somedays I wonder if they don’t love harder than we do.”

I wish I could really explain how truly amazing this book really was. The relationship, the romance, the comedy (man, these guys are a HOOT), the camaraderie between all of them, the suspense… oh and OH!!! OMG, this just popped into my head but if you’ve been reading these books then you WILL HAVE to read this… just for the scoop on Snapper. That’s all I’m gonna say on her… I think we all know how we love to hate her. This is one book you won’t want to miss!!

I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I will leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... my opinions.

Catching Carly by Emma Hart

 

 

 

My name is Carly Porter... 

And I’m really good at bad decisions.

How do I know this, exactly? Well, not including the time I accidentally bleached my eyebrows or sprained my ankle changing a lightbulb...

I had sex with my best friend’s brother.

Zeke Elliott has been a thorn in my side for eleven years. A very sexy, very tempting, very freaking annoying one. With big…hands.

And now my clitoris has a crush on the guy.
Seriously. I can’t look at him without my vagina performing accidental kegels. Which would be fine, but he’s Cain’s brother. I hate him. He’s off limits, right?

Right.

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 “Don’t blame me,” he says. “You’re easy to rile. You rise to the bait every time…Like a pretty little piranha.”

“Did you just—” I spin, the wet cloth in my hand, and stare at him.

He’s holding my cake. And he’s bitten into it. The frosting is on his nose.

I respond the only possible way. I throw the cloth I’m holding at his face. It’s a damn good shot, because it opens up mid-air and covers half his face, leaving one of his eyes uncovered.

Brooke coughs and looks away.

“Thanks.” Zeke wipes his face off with the cloth and chucks it back to me. “I needed that. The damn frosting gets everywhere.”

“My frosting,” I shoot at him, turning the tap back on. “My cupcake, my frosting, your karma.”

“You two are exhausting.” Brooke sighs, joining me at the sink. “You either need to be separated on a permanent basis, like three-year-olds, or just have sex.”

My stomach loop-the-loops. “Unless he comes with batteries, I’m not interested.”

“I don’t need batteries,” Zeke offers, his sexy grin now an even sexier smirk. “It’s pretty easy to keep going when you’re being prayed to mid-fuck.”

“Why? Because you’re a god?” Brooke asks dryly. “How original of you. That’s never been used by a guy in the history of ever.”

Well. In all fairness, I might have begged to a deity once or twice when we…Never mind.

Not thinking about that.

“Can we not talk about sex?” I look around the room.

“Why?” Cain grins. “Aren’t you getting any?”

I look him dead in the eye and say, “I don’t need any.”

Zeke snorts. “People always need sex, Carly.”

I turn my attention to him and raise my eyebrow. “No. People need oxygen and water and food. You don’t even need sex to make babies now. Your point is moot.”

 

By day, New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Adult author Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to two beautiful little monsters. By night, she drops the cape, pours a glass of whatever she fancies—usually wine—and writes books.

Emma is working on Top Secret projects she will share with her followers and fans at every available opportunity. Naturally, all Top Secret projects involve a dashingly hot guy who likes to forget to wear a shirt, a sprinkling (or several) of hold-onto-your-panties hot scenes, and a whole lotta love.

She likes to be busy—unless busy involves doing the dishes, but that seems to be when all the ideas come to life.

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I am just seriously running out of way to tell people how utterly hilarious Emma Hart’s books are! I don’t know where she comes up with this stuff but I hope it never ends!! I fell for Carly hard in Being Brooke. I mean, these girls… the things they say and do… they are just side-splitting funny!

Carly was just so determined to have what Brooke and Cain have. Even with this being an amazing RomCom… there were some things that rung true. It was really fun to see everyone trying to figure out how to live with their new normal. Carly feels like a total 3rd wheel and I can see that. Everything has changed for this trio of besties!

I knew Zeke and Carly were going to be a hot mess! I was so not disappointed in them! Carly is fierce in what she wants and isn’t willing to settle for anything less than perfection! Zeke was fantastic! He was so cocky and arrogant but he had this vulnerable side to him that made him irresistible! The fear of commitment was strong with him and that’s pretty understandable. Carly’s the first to make him question his fear.

The banter between Carly and Zeke was amazing… there was so many quotes that I could place in here now but I don’t want you to read snippets… read this book! There was just so much quit wit and questionably funny antics. The friendships and heart in Barley Cross is unlike any other town. All I need now is Brooke and Carly to have babies… I just can’t even imagine how funny that book would be!

I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I will leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... my opinions.

 

Pretty Wicked by Kelly Charron

Pretty Wicked
Kelly Charron
Publication date: September 30th 2016
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult

The daughter of a local police detective, fifteen-year-old Ryann has spent most of her life studying how to pull off the most gruesome murders her small Colorado town has ever seen.
But killing is only part of it. Ryann enjoys being the reason the cops are frenzied. The one who makes the neighbors lock their doors and windows on a hot summer’s day. The one everyone fears but no one suspects.
Carving out her own murderous legacy proves harder than she predicted. Mistakes start adding up. And with the police getting closer, and her own father becoming suspicious, Ryann has to prove once and for all that she’s smarter than anyone else—or she’ll pay the ultimate price.
Written in a mature YA voice. Some graphic content.

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—

READ CHAPTER 1:

Some people are called to certain things in their life. That’s what hunting is for me. An urge. A desire. The closest thing I have to a calling.

My name is Ryann Wilkanson. I’m fifteen years old.
And I’m a killer.
It was hard to pick my first. Call me sentimental, but it had to be just right.
I knew what I wanted. What I needed. Someone worth the risk, the challenge. Somebody who deserved it. Now, I’m not talking about the horrible, abusive assholes you see on TV. I wanted someone who I thought deserved it…
And to be honest, that could’ve been just about anybody.
Some people might think it’s odd to contemplate killing someone, but it was the most natural thing in the world to me. I didn’t dare talk about it—I somehow knew that much—but my thoughts raced with vivid, red-tinted images.
While my fantasies were fun, I had to wait. I still lacked the skill and organization to actually go through with it.
And, as I matured, I realized part of me was still hesitant. A piece of the puzzle was missing. It was as though I was waiting for permission. Something to give me the final push into action.
Funnily enough, I got that that clarity six years ago, when I was nine. My dad thought he was simply giving me a ride to school, but he initiated the defining moment of my life.
I remember it like it was yesterday. He’d just come off nights and wasn’t in the best of moods when my mom asked him to drive me and Bri. I’d raced to the car first, winning shotgun, leaving Brianna to storm behind me. She was a sore loser, and it only made my grin bigger.
We were just a few blocks from the house when Dad started with one of his commentaries on all that was wrong with society.
“Jesus. People like that make me sick.”
We had stopped at a red light, and I spotted a guy standing on the corner with a sign that read Please Help.
At first I felt kind of bad for him, and I didn’t understand why Dad was upset. “At least he’s not dealing drugs,” I suggested.
“Brilliant observation. Maybe we could put that on a T-shirt for him,” Bri said. My father laughed and my stomach dropped. She never wasted an opportunity to make me look stupid.
Dad grunted. “Don’t be naïve, Ry. He’s probably scraping enough together to get his fix. People like that are after one thing—and it’s not a job.” He rolled his eyes, disgusted. Not a minute later, while we were still waiting at the light, a kid in a fancy sports car passed us. “See, look at that. Punk probably had it handed to him from Mommy and Daddy. He’s what—seventeen? Probably hasn’t worked a day in his whole goddamn life. Entitled brat. This is the problem with the world. You got two lazy bums on opposite ends of the spectrum, and neither are worth their salt.”
My father didn’t have a whole lot of empathy for anybody, and he certainly didn’t entertain excuses. I had to be the best if I wanted him to love me. “People need to either lead, follow—”
“Or get out of the way,” I finished. He patted me on the head. I knew this rant well and kind of understood my father’s reasoning. The homeless guy couldn’t even be bothered to walk up and down the rows of stopped cars to beg. He just stood there with an empty cup. He really was a waste.
I fought the urge to point out to my dad that I was nothing like those people—and never would be—but I knew he wouldn’t care. He loved me, but nothing I did seemed to impress him, especially since my older sister Brianna, the golden child, had perfected every- thing before I even had a chance to try.
I had to do something really big to make an impression.
I had to be a leader.
In the car, all those years ago, I realized that my desires could turn into something much more. Those entitled, useless people my dad despised were taking our hard-earned money, space, and air. And I was someone with deadly urges who wasn’t afraid to do something about it. Not everyone could say that.
But unfortunately, I would have to wait. I was much too young to execute my plans in the way I wanted.
My thoughts, however, were uninhibited, and I became enamored with the power and control that selecting the right kill could bring. The foreplay was intoxicating. I daydreamed about the countless ways I could do it. About all the places I could sneak up and strike. About the legacy I would leave behind.
For years I researched and studied serial killers— or as I liked to call them, The Greats. Most of The Greats hadn’t started until well into their adulthood. Call me an overachiever, but I wanted more kills in less time. I had all the qualities required: above-average intelligence, inside information (Dad was a cop), and a sweet cherub face.
But I also had something more. Tenacity. I knew what I wanted, and come hell or high water, I was going to get it. By fifteen, the thirst inside me could finally be quenched.
Cue my first planned victim—a snotty little brat who lived only a few streets away from me. Olivia McMann. Ugh. She was exhausting. Spoiled. Whiny. Brianna used to babysit her. I’d be dragged along because my parents usually worked overtime at their respective jobs. I was twelve and old enough to stay home alone, but they insisted. Like I had nothing better to do.
Brianna would be online with her friends or texting her boyfriend, and she’d stick Livy with me. Olivia wouldn’t leave me alone. One night she pestered me for hours on end until I lost it on her. Then she got the quivering lip and teary eyes and went crying to Bri.
Bri’s voice ripped across the room. “Ryann, what did you do now?”
“Nothing! Why do you always assume it was me? Maybe Livy is being a little crybaby over absolutely nothing,” I said, arms crossed tightly across my chest.
The brat came running up behind me. “You’re mean, Ryann. I hate you!”
I swept my hair into a ponytail and turned my back to her.
Death glare in full force, Brianna dug into me. “Why are you being such a pest? Leave Olivia alone already. Go find something to do, and don’t think for one second I’m giving you any of the money.”
She proceeded to get Olivia some licorice. A reward for her evilness. Maybe they were in on it together and shared private laughs while discussing different ways to torture me.
Brianna was seventeen at the time, and she hated me. No matter how hard I tried, she always dismissed me like I was an annoying pain in her ass.

“Not everything is my fault, you know,” I said, determined to stand my ground.
“Well, she’s not the one in my face right now. Go play with her for an hour until her bedtime, and maybe I won’t tell Mom.” Smiling smugly, Bri tilted her head. I wanted to punch her. As soon as we were out of her sight, Olivia stuck her tongue out at me and danced around, joyous in her victory.
“See, I told you I’d get you in trouble. I always get my way. You have to do what I say.” She laughed.
I promised myself I’d never forget.
Back then, I’d imagined choking her or holding one of her mom’s embroidered pillows over her face until her squirming stopped. I knew her parents were well-off. Only the best for their princess. Olivia was the type of kid who tantrumed, tattled, and fake-cried to get what she wanted, no matter the cost to anyone who got in her way.
Olivia was going to turn into the same kind of spoiled, manipulative bitch I’d seen time and again at school.
I knew how to deal with someone like her. After all, I had killed. Once.

Author Bio:
Kelly Charron is the author of YA and adult horror, psychological thrillers and urban fantasy novels. All with gritty, murderous inclinations and some moderate amounts of humor. She spends far too much time consuming true crime television (and chocolate) while trying to decide if yes, it was the husband, with the wrench, in the library. She lives with her husband and cat, Moo Moo, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

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MY REVIEW

Pretty Wicked is pretty friggin awesome!! This book...well I just could not read it fast enough! I’ve been stuck in the thickets of romance books so it was so incredibly nice to read a “killer” book!!

This book was so completely different than other thrillers. In this book, there was no question of who our murderer is. We were in her mind, which brought this book to a whole new level of outstanding!!! I was a Psych major in college and I don’t know how many times we discussed nature vs nurture, which is exactly what Charron threw in our face with this book...I mean, the cover says… “Some Killers are Made. Some Killers are Born.”

Now this is a young adult book...I do kind of question that placement. I know the girl is only 15 but this content is...well, it’s pretty dark. I had no problem with it, I find serial killer thrillers to be some of my absolute favorite!! This book completely sucked you in, there was no stopping for air.

You can’t help but root for Ryann. She has this deep desire to do her best, and even though it’s murder, you still want her to succeed. Maybe it’s because you are so impressed with her crazy, twisted mind that you just can’t help it...I’m sure we could dive into that psychology. Plus the fact that she was up against her dad...well, who doesn’t want to best their parents?

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks so much for allowing me to read this book! It was perfection!