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Wednesday 29 May 2013

Epilogue by C.J. Roberts (The Dark Duet 2.5) Blog Tour


This weekend kicks off the blog tour for Epilogue The Dark Duet by C.J. Roberts.  
Starting on June 1st thru June 8th,  the blogs listed below will be posting their reviews along with giveaways galore!  There will be signed copies of Epilogue, ebooks, and trilogies to win.  So stop by all of these blogs and check out their reviews, and enter for your chance to win!! 

S,E,R's along with Totally Booked Blog will kick off this tour with the first spoiler free reviews of Epilogue.  S,E,R's will also be giving away a signed copy of Epilogue and a set of the Dark Duet trilogy.
See you Saturday!! 

June 1, 2013


June 2nd

Tuesday 28 May 2013

Extinguish by J.M. Darhower

ExtinguishOne… Two… Three… Four…


I Declare War

Serah always believed the world around her was perfect. As a Power, one of the warrior angels, she has spent her existence defending the innocent from evil. After tragedy strikes, tearing Serah's brother from her life, she's given the task of stopping the approaching apocalypse before it's too late.

Only one thing, though: she has to venture to Hell to do it.


Lucifer—or Luce, as he prefers to be called—has been biding his time in Hell, longing for revenge against those who oh-so-easily cast him into the pit. When the heavenly beauty shows up at his gate, he's just as captivated by her presence as she becomes of him. The attraction between them is palpable, and Serah's willpower slowly slips. How can this charming creature, this scarred Archangel, be the one annihilating the world she so loves?

As the war wages on, the world entwined in chaos, Serah starts questioning everything she ever knew. When the light and dark, hot and cold, finally collide, she has to make a choice—a choice that sets her world on fire, black and white exploding into colorful flames.


Serah has questions. She wants answers.
Luce just wants to play a game.



Rhonda's Review:



Because time passes, and memories fade, but a beating heart never truly forgets anything.  -J.M. Darhower

It's been almost a year and a half since I read a book by J.M. Darhower, and only because there wasn't one to read.  I found out about this book Extinguish that was scheduled to be released by Darhower, and despite my concerns about her journey in to the supernatural, my inner fan girl wouldn't let me resist!  

It only took a few pages for me to settle in to this story, and I quickly found that Darhower has the ability to cross genres effortlessly.  In my experiences as a reader I haven't come across many author's who have the skill set to do that.   The writing  is beautiful, and the story telling is superb!  Darhower gives the reader the perfect amount of detail without being over done, and beautifully written.  

"War is a game of chance. It's all the luck of the draw, no more calculated than the spin of a gun barrel in Russian roulette." -Lucifer

Serah, an angel who has watched over the children has been reassigned to the gates of Hell to demand a cease-fire of Satan (Lucifer).  To stop the apocalypse.
If only it were that simple, the war would have been long over.  Along the way Serah has questions that only Lucifer is willing to answer, but at what price?   Serah must play Lucifer's game to get the answers she craves about her brother Samuel, who has fallen.   Lucifer creates even more questions for Serah and she begins to reflect on her past with her brother Samuel in search for truth to the things Lucifer tells her.  As Serah comes to know Lucifer, she discovers that he may not be the all encompassing evil that she always believed him to be.   But can Serah resist the seductive charms of the Devil himself?   

"I know you feel it, deep inside of you, screaming out to be acknowledged, to be satiated," he continued as if she hadn't spoken. "I can sense it, clawing underneath your skin, begging to be let loose, begging to be invited out to play." - Lucifer

Oh Luce! 

I can certainly understand Serah's struggle in falling for him, because I certainly fell for the Devil!  I really loved the characters in this story.  Serah is feisty and brave.  Archangel Michael became the character I loved hating.  And Luce.... well he's a sly Devil who's heart maybe isn't so black after all. 

"I think you're my apple," she said quietly. " I don't regret tasting you.  I can't.  You're not perfect by any means-there are sweeter out there , and you have a few rotten spots-but I'd never found a juicer apple anywhere in the world."  -Serah

This was a terriffic read! I was quickly captivated,  and it is just what I would expect from Darhower.   Beautiful writing, passionate storytelling, and a love for her characters that shines!  


(Content Advisory:  Language and Sexual Content)





Monday 27 May 2013

Until I Break by M. Leighton


"I’m intrigued. Tempted beyond what I’ve ever been before. To know her, to open her up. To break her."

In love, sometimes what you fear most is exactly what you need.

Laura Drake is an author. She writes bestselling paranormal romances that continue to top the charts. She is sharp. She is confident. She is in control. 

And she doesn’t exist.

Samantha Jansen is the woman behind the wig, the woman most of the world doesn’t know exists. She is shy. She is insecure. She is nothing like her main character or her alter ego. She is scarred—deeply scarred—by a past she can’t let go of and a present she can’t make peace with.

Samantha’s dreams are consumed by one man, the broken hero from her books. Mason Strait is both her wildest fantasy and her most terrifying nightmare. 

When Samantha meets Alec Brand, a corporate consultant, it is as though Mason has come to life. Alec is handsome to a fault, as elegant as he is arrogant, and more intense than any man has a right to be.

Samantha is soon sucked into a world that mirrors the fiction she writes. Just like her main character, Daire Kirby, Samantha finds herself unable to resist the forbidden lure of Alec. And just like Daire, she also finds that she is faced with taking a chance on a man who could either set her free or destroy her.

The scale tilts toward destruction when Samantha finds out that Alec is as much a work of fiction as Mason. And he has scars of his own, scars that could ruin them both.


**This book may be read as a stand-alone, as the story of Alec and Samantha comes to a conclusion in this book**


Holly's Review

I am kind of ashamed to say this is my first M. Leighton book, not that I don't own quite a few I just haven't gotten to one of them until now! Let me just start by saying....Wow! I really enjoyed this book, I will admit though that I am going with 4 stars only because it seemed to take, what felt like forever to me, to actually have something happen! We spent a lot of time with both Sam and Alec going back and forth with Sam is damaged because of her past, which we didn't know anything about and Alec is damaged and believes himself to be a bit of a monster because of his past...that we didn't know anything about!! Uugghh

For me, a chick who likes to know shit, this was extremely frustrating!! But, I will say to you all, hang in there, it's worth the wait!

Samantha Jansen is a shy, insecure woman with a rocking alter ego! Her alter ego is Laura Drake, a chart topping, bestselling author of paranormal romances. The catch is that outside of her sister and her agent, nobody knows that they are the same person. Sam is also living vicariously through her main characters Daire and Mason, well that is until her real life Mason shows up at one of her book signings in the form of the gorgeous Alec Brand...even sounds like a heroes name, right?? 

Well Alec is anything but a hero, in fact is a real enigma for the first half of the book. Oh, and a major dirty talker, which earned him points in my book right away! There is major chemistry between Sam and Alec, even if he spends most of the book denying it - that is so annoying, seriously, give in already, we all know you love her!! Anyway, Sam and Alec navigate their way through each others dark and broken pasts, and not the easy way either but I do promise you that they find their own HEA and it is beautiful! 

So, like I said, I really enjoyed this book and it will absolutely not be my last by this author. The characters are flawed and beautiful and my only complaint is I would have loved to have spent a bit more time with them.

Sam & Alec....

"I don't ever want to be without you again. Air doesn't feel the same. Food doesn't satisfy me. Water doesn't quench my thirst. In my life, for as long as it burns on this earth, there is only you, Samantha. Only you. Forever"

"I'll do anything you ask of me, Alec. Anything. For the rest of my life, you have me. Body, heart and soul."
 


Thursday 23 May 2013

South of Surrender (Hearts of the Anemoi #3) by Laura Kaye


She’s the only one who can see through his golden boy façade to the broken god within…

Chrysander Notos, Supreme God of the South Wind and Summer, is on a mission: save Eurus from his death sentence and prove his troubled brother can be redeemed. But Eurus fights back, triggering vicious summer storms that threaten the mortal realm, dangerously drain Chrys, and earn the ire of the Olympic gods who ordered Eurus dead.

Laney Summerlyn refuses to give up her grandfather’s horse farm, despite her deteriorating vision. More than ever, she needs the organized routine of her life at Summerlyn Stables, until a ferocious storm brings an impossible—and beautiful—creature crashing down from the heavens.

Injured while fighting Eurus, Chrys finds himself at the mercy of a mortal woman whose compassion and acceptance he can’t resist. As they surrender to the passion flaring between them, immortal enemies close in, forcing Chrys to choose between his brother and the only woman who’s ever loved the real him.


Grace's Review

Great gods! 5 Magical, Heartbreaking, Pleasurably Romantic Stars!

If you're a fan of this series like me be ready to surrender your heart to the third installment of the Heart of the Anemoi. South of Surrender is not only magical, but also brings together two beautifully flawed characters who sacrifice everything for each other.

Chrysander Notos is the Supreme God of the South Wind and Summer. He literally stumbles into Laney Summerlyn's life while fighting with his older brother, Eurus. If you've read the previous book, West of Want, then you'll know why Eurus is sort of a wanted...god. Both Chrys and Laney are wonderful, tortured souls. He has major issues with touch. She has lost most of her vision and relies on her sense of touch. I absolutely adored Chrys and Laney, especially since both were written to be self-sacrificing and so well-deserving of each other. I loved how the moments when Laney realizes and accepts that Chrys is “different” seemed gradual and natural and not forced at all. It made me root for them even more! Boy, does it get steamy! Hot, hot, hot!!! Lets just say that Laura Kaye has outdone herself in this area. I'm thinking of a particular scene that I'm sure will be a fan favorite. Oh, yes!

South of Surrender is likely my favorite of the series thus far. Owen, Megan, Boreas, Zephros, and Ella all return and play major roles. A lot more of the plot occurs in the Realm of the Gods. Laura Kaye does a beautiful job creating this fantasy world for her fans. The way she incorporates the natural elements into the mythology is very enchanting. This story does turn darker and becomes highly emotional and heartbreaking as something epic is built-up for the next book. 

So far, I'm really enjoying the incredibly delicious alpha-heroes in this series. If the next book is about the antagonist, Eurus, then he seems to be the most tortured of the Anemoi. What will happen to him? Who will Eurus fall for? If you ask me, he needs whole lot of saving! I can't wait to see what Laura Kaye does with him in East of Ecstasy.

South of Surrender exceeded all my expectations! I cried and fell in love with the characters. I adored every single moment!

*A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *


Wednesday 22 May 2013

Great Exploitations (Mischief in Miami #1) by Nicole Williams

Seduction. Infidelity. Blackmail. Scandal. It can all be bought for the right price and for Sienna Stevens, business is good. 

Because she’s in the business of Great Exploitations. 

She’s an Eve, a member of a secret society of women contracted by the wives of wealthy, powerful men for one reason and one reason only: to seduce their husbands. To ensure their pre-nuptial agreement will be null and void thanks to a little loophole known as the Infidelity Clause. To ensure that those wives don’t find themselves on the other side of a divorce without a penny to their name. 

When it comes to the Eves, Sienna’s one of the best because she follows the number one rule of the Eves to the letter: don’t let it get personal. 

When the job file of her wealthiest client yet falls into her lap, Sienna realizes that this case could be the one that’s impossible to detach herself from. The payout would lead to her independence, but will the cost be too high in the end?



Rhonda's Review! 

 Well here's one I stumbled upon again. Fortunately for me it was wonderful!!  This was a short read, just under 100 pages and I was completely intrigued by the plot.  This is actually my first read by Nicole Williams, and I'm looking forward to more from her, especially the next installment of this series. 

The heroine of this story belongs to an elite, secret  group of women known as the Eves.  These women are untraceable, and deal in one thing only... Bringing down the cheating husbands whose wives signed prenuptial  agreements.  However these women deal with men who are worth 7+ figures.   She as a Eve, has cut off all ties with her past, no boyfriends, or one-night stands.  She lives and breathes her job, and her past has made it easier to do this job.  She fell in love once, and the out come was a lot like these women that hire her.  Now she transforms herself in to whom ever the job requires her to be. 

But the next job may be the most challenging yet!  This could be the ticket to her freedom / retirement.  It could also be the most difficult. 

I'm really looking forward to the next installment to this series.  This was such a breath of fresh air for me.  It is different than anything I've read, and I really liked the heroine, and the ending  left me wanting more.   This is a prequel that actually came before the series,  this is setting up the series.  It's just enough to rope you in.  I sure hope Nicole Williams doesn't keep me waiting too long!!  




Tuesday 21 May 2013

Unbeautifully (Undeniable #2) by Madeline Sheehan


Warning: This is not a story about fate or destiny. This is a story about pain, sorrow, and suffering. This is an impulsive whirlwind romance between two lovers that are not meant to be together. Theirs is not a world with sunshine and roses. Instead, their love blossoms in a secret world full of crime, violence, and death. Their story is about what can be born from nightmares. 

Danielle “Danny” West is the daughter of Deuce West, President of the Hell’s Horsemen Motorcycle Club. A sweet and beautiful girl, she loses her way, searching for things that are always out of her reach. Erik “Ripper” Jacobs is the Sergeant of Arms in the Hell’s Horsemen. Once a man who always had a smile on his face, his life takes a turn for the worst when a tragedy befalls him, leaving him scarred and broken. During a midsummer night, Danny and Ripper’s paths cross, forever changing their lives. Hastily, their lust turns to love until another tragedy forces them apart. On a journey that is marred with ugliness and chaos, Danny and Ripper must discover if their unforeseen connection can find the beauty in their world. 

This is Danny and Ripper’s story. 

Everything has beauty. Even the ugly. Especially the ugly.
Because without ugly, there would be no beauty.


Holly's Review

OH! MY! FUCKING! GOD! I DEVOURED THIS BOOK AND THIS BITCH TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY LOVED IT!!!! I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THIS SERIES! PLEASE MADELINE, WRITE FASTER!!

Review coming as soon as I can get my shit sorted and reel it in!!!


Alright, here goes, even though I really don't know where to start! I am having such book hangover after reading this it's like I wish I could just wipe my memory so I can experience it all over again! That's the very thing I love most about these books and these characters is that when I live in their world for awhile it's ok to love the savage and carnal nature that is their lives!

HOLY FUCK! I just can't even begin to express how much I want to crawl into this world and live. Seriously, I honestly don't think I'd last a minute with the Hell's Horseman, but hey, a girl can dream right??

You know I didn't think there was any way that I could love any of the characters the way I did Duece and Eva but this book not only gave us a lot more Duece and Eva along with Danny and Rippers story but we got a just enough info about some of the other members(with upcoming stories I might add *jumping up and down*)to REALLY leave us hungry for more!! I literally squealed when I read there was going to be 5 books in all!!

Danny and Ripper begin there wonderfully beautiful fucked up story when Ripper picks Danny up from her senior prom and they end up having crazy amazing drunk sex all night! I know right....I'll give you a second to digest that....ok, good? Now things can't just work out cause what kind of shitty story would that be? This book, entire series I imagine, is so drama filled that when you finish each book you are so blissfully exhausted you might need to smoke a cigarette....if you get my drift!! Yeah, shit totally gets real, like a bunch of times!! OMG! I FUCKING LOVE THIS BOOK!! DID I SAY THAT ALREADY!!

Now I could go on and on and review the whole story, but I have read a million AWESOME reviews and really if you don't know what these stories are about or haven't read them then you really need to get your shit together and GET THESE FUCKING BOOKS RIGHT NOW!!! BTW, THIS SERIES MAKES ME CUSS LIKE A BAD ASS BIKER BITCH!! I LOVE IT!!

Here is how I see Danny waiting for Ripper to come and fuck her on his bike! Enjoy Bitches, and remember to REEL IT IN!






Tuesday 14 May 2013

Eyes Wide Open (Blackstone Affair #3) by Raine Miller


The third part in The Blackstone Affair series: A love on the brink of being destroyed. The fight of a lifetime to keep it alive.

Big surprises are on the horizon for Ethan and Brynne as they struggle to adjust to what life has thrown at them. Demons from the past are threatening to destroy the passionate bond they’ve forged despite their vow that nothing will ever keep them apart. A truly devastating loss coupled with the promise of a new hope opens their eyes to what is most important, but is it possible for the lovers to move on from the painful histories that continue to haunt them? A stalker is still lurking in the shadows, plotting evil amidst the distraction of the 2012 Olympic games in London. Brynne and Ethan are on the cusp of losing everything as the stakes rise. Will they yield to circumstances beyond their control or will they give every ounce of fight they have left to save each other and win the ultimate prize of a life together?

Eyes Wide Open is a passion-wrought story that shows us what pure love can achieve when tested and what the heart can accomplish despite danger and adversity.


Ethan and Brynn have had an emotional, sexy, roller coaster of a story! The conclusion of their wild, and did I mention SEXY ride was fantastic!


I really enjoyed this story, all three books, in fact, but this one really sucked me in! I don't know, maybe it was the mood I was in, but Ethan Blackstone rates right up there as one of the yummiest dirty talkers I have had the pleasure of enjoying!

In this final installment all kinds of shit happens!! Between all of the REALLY HOT SEX SCENES, there is seriously never a dull moment, I was a little exhausted at the end and loving it!!

There were a lot of things that I loved about this book - to name a few..

~The story is told from both the hero and heroine POV - I love this!
~Ethan is British...enough said!
~I love all of the British-isms!
~The sex was H.O.T!!
~I love that I laughed out loud one minute and my heart would be breaking in the next!
~Oh, and did I mention DIRTY TALKER?!?!?

Brynn and Ethan both have some serious demons but I was in awe of the love and devotion between these two. It seems as though there is nothing that they cannot overcome, and there is a lot of shit to overcome but Brynn is one tough and damaged chick and Ethan is an amazing broken man and they could not be more perfect for each other, they are exactly what the other needs to heal!!!

"Ethan possessed a skill set that combined hot, bad-boy sex god with mannerly, romantic gentleman; something so rare and captivating, I didn’t have a chance of resisting the pull." 

So, if you are new to this series, or like me you were patiently waiting for this book, I promise you won't be disappointed! It is bloody wonderful!

***This book was an ARC provided to me by Netgalley


Saturday 11 May 2013

Summer in Napa by Marina Adair


Six months ago, New York restaurant owner Alexis “Lexi” Moreau walked in on her husband, Jeff, and their sous chef mixing business with pleasure. Now, Lexi is back in her hometown of St. Helena, California, rebuilding her life and hoping to turn her grandmother’s patisserie into the bistro of her dreams. All she needs is luck, lots of hard work, and a way to avoid the thirty blind dates her matchmaking grandmother arranged. Enter Marco DeLuca — Jeff’s handsome, commitment-phobe best friend who has always had his sights set on Lexi. In high school, Marco convinced himself that Lexi was off-limits. And she still is, especially since Marco’s family’s wine business all depends on a deal with Jeff. But a fake summer romance is the perfect way for Lexi to distract the would-be suitors her grandmother has set up for her. A perfect way for Marco to realize she’s the only one that ever mattered. And a perfect way to fall deliciously in love.


Grace's Review

A perfect pairing just like great food and fine wine!

Marina Adair has done it again with book 2 of the St. Helena Vineyard series! Summer in Napa is as charming, witty, and fun as the first book, only this time Adair sets out to create the perfect romantic pairing with two long-time, good friends. 

Marco DeLuca is the DeLuca brother we get to know all about in this story. Marco has always loved women and living the single life. So when his friend, Lexi Moreau, moves back into town things are shaken up a bit. He's always considered her off-limits, and still does, even after her divorce from his best friend. However, the lines of friendship start to blur as Marco and Lexi embark on a little summer “fauxmance”. 

I adored Lexi! She's back in her hometown of St. Helena to move on with her life and build her dream bistro. It's her time to make a name for herself and shine. There's so much intricate details that go on that involve family, friends, and small-town traditions. One thing is for sure, this story is so delicious, not only in the slow build of the intense romance between Marco and Lexi, which I very much appreciated, but also, Lexi is a chef, and the food she creates just makes my mouth water! Really, try not to read this on an empty stomach.

From the food, beautiful wineries, to the local pride, Marina Adair continues to feature the distinct allure of the Napa Valley region. That is one of my favorite aspects of this series! I have gone on several day trips to Napa to fall in love with its charm. I'm pretty sure that is why I absolutely adore this series so much. I see so much of the Napa charm in this story. Another aspect I love is that Adair has a way of creating secondary characters that are as rich and lively as the main ones and puts them in many engaging situations. If you've read book 1, then you will know exactly what I mean when I say...the grandmothers are back!!!

If you're a fan of friends-to-lovers stories with slow-burning true romance, then you must check out Summer in Napa. I truly enjoy Adair's writing and her sense of humor. She even teases us with possible future couple pairings. I can't wait for the next DeLuca brother to fall in love in the next book, Autumn in the Vineyard!



Friday 10 May 2013

This Girl (Slammed #3) by Colleen Hoover


There are two sides to every love story. Now hear Will’s.

Colleen Hoover’s New York Times bestselling Slammed series has brought countless readers to their knees with a whirlwind of love, passion, and heartache. 

Layken and Will’s love has managed to withstand the toughest of circumstances and the young lovers, now married, are beginning to feel safe and secure in their union. As much as Layken relishes their new life together, she finds herself wanting to know everything there is to know about her husband, even though Will makes it clear he prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong. Still, he can’t resist his wife’s pleas and so he begins to untangle his side of the story, revealing for the first time his most intimate feelings and thoughts, retelling both the good and bad moments, and sharing a few shocking confessions of his own from the time when they first met.

In This Girl, Will tells the story of their complicated relationship from hispoint of view. Their future rests on how well they deal with the past in this final installment of the beloved Slammed series.


Holly's Review

YEP! IT WAS AS AWESOME AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE!! BUTTERFLYING WONDERFUL!! 5+++ STARS!!!!

I totally fell head over heels in love with Will and Layken last year when I read both Slammed and Point of Retreat in less than 24 hours! Yes, these books are THAT GOOD!! In fact I will go so far as to say this is one of my all time favorite series!

What I loved most about This Girl is that it wasn't necessary. What I mean by that is that the story concluded with a wonderful HEA in the previous book! This Girl is just proof that Colleen Hoover loves us and wants us to be insanely happy!!

We find Will and Lake on their honeymoon, thoroughly enjoying themselves, and Lake begins to ask Will questions about his life before they met which leads to him giving his side of when they first met, which leads to her asking him to tell her about certain events that they experienced together. I think this is so beautiful. She wants to relive those beautiful some painful times through his eyes.

I love stories like this because inevitably when reading an emotional story I always wonder "My God, why would he do that?" or "Wow, that must have broken his heart!" or things along those lines. So getting to feel what Will went through was amazing. I loved that this was not just the same story told from another POV but it's own story with the characters reliving it through each other. And just when I thought I couldn't love Will more he would go and say something like this....

This girl completely shatters the window to my soul and crawls inside. 

or

Out of all the reasons I can come up with for her to go, there's only one reason I can come up with for her to stay. I love her. 


If you are a fan of this series, please don't miss out on This Girl!! It is a beautiful way to wrap the series up and again I thank Colleen Hoover for loving us enough to give us more Will and Lake!!

Will and Lake playing on their honeymoon....






Wednesday 8 May 2013

Welcome: Author Frankie Rose!


For those of you that enjoy YA books, and haven't had the pleasure of reading Frankie Rose, please welcome her to our blog again!  Frankie is a real sweetie, down to earth and I just love chatting her up!!

Hi Frankie!!  It's so great to have you back on our blog!
Hey, Rhonda! I just love coming over to visit you! You’re always so welcoming and lovely.

Well Frankie, you have been a busy, busy lady! We are here to celebrate your newest release Raksha,which is the third book you have published in less than a year.  What can reader expect from Raksha?
Raksha is a YA dystopian novel, set in two different places—the Sanctuary and Freetown. Kit, the main protagonist, is a young girl on the run. She has spent her life as a falin, a fighter within the Sanctuary, participating in their monthly matches. She’s never asked questions, never been afraid of the fights, because the majority of people in the Sanctuary wear halos, a collar-like device around their necks that prevents them from feeling. The halos also have a secondary purpose in that they help heal the fighters when they’re wounded in the matches.
Kit is freed from her halo when she has to fight her best friend. She escapes and is found by Ryka, who leads her back to his home in Freetown. The story then follows Kit as she learns to handle feelings she’s never experienced before, as well as her struggle with the town’s priestesses, a group of supposedly holy women who want her dead.

Frankie, what inspired you to write this story??
Well, I wanted to write a novel built around knife fighting.  In my first book, I covered a couple of fights where the protagonist learned to defend herself with blades, and something just stuck with me about the whole thing. I researched; I did a lot of reading about Filipino knife fighting. I thought it would be really fun if I were to create a world where knife fighting was a way of life, an important rite of passage.
I also had a lot of Kit and Ryka’s characters down and desperately needed them to be a part of the story. They’re both a little fractured from what’s happened to them in the past, and I wanted them to be able to learn to lean on each other.
I just started reading this book, and I have to ask... Who is your favorite character, and why?
I’m going to surprise people when I say this probably, but right now my favourite character is James. He doesn’t have a massive role in this book, but he’s incredibly complex and I’ve enjoyed how baffled people have been by him. I’ve been asked, “what’s the deal with James? Is he a good guy or a bad guy?” A few people have tried to guess what’s going to happen with him in the next book, but I’m keeping quiet. I want to surprise everybody. I have a few little tricks up my sleeve where he’s concerned.
Of course I love Ryka and Kit, though. Writing them was really fun, especially as the walls started coming down for Kit and she admitted how she was feeling.

Are any of the characters in this story similar to you or anyone you know?
No, they’re not. When I write something, I want it to be entirely fictional. Things get messy when you start putting little snippets of other people into your work. Perhaps other authors don’t experience this problem, but when I’ve tried to do that in the past, the character somehow always morphs into that person and I can’t separate the two out. That gets annoying.
Will Raksha be part of a series, or a stand alone??
At the moment there are three books planned in the series. I literally just started working on the second book today. I’m really hopeful that I’ll be able to get it out in September/early October, but we’ll just have to see. I have other projects on the go, and sometimes other things take precedence over others.
Moving in a different direction, I learned why you like to write YA from your last visit.  Adult contemporary romance seems to be on the rise, do you have any plans to do any writing in that genre?
I’m about 70% of the way through writing my first NA novel, Icarus Rise, but I have to say I’m doing that in between other things. I’m not rushing it, because I want to stew on that storyline. It’s perhaps a lot darker than some NA novels, but then again I’ve read a few books recently that have been incredibly dark. It’s an interesting genre to write in at the moment and I definitely have a few other stories that would fall in the NA category that I’m going to pursue.

Quickie Questions:
What are you curently reading?
Right now, I’m reading 1Q84 by Huraki Murakami 
What is the next song in rotation on your ipod?
Only You by Ellie Goulding.
What is your favorite TV show?
The Walking Dead tied with Game of Thrones. You can’t make me choose ha ha!
Favorite fictional character (s) (Tv or Book)
Oh, toughie. Um, I think I’d have to say Jon Snow from Game of Thrones and Will Herondale from Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices series.
What do you do for fun?
Write! Ha ha… that’s a lame answer, but it’s true. There’s nothing I’d rather do than write. I’m a big photography nut so I do a lot of that, and I love going to the movies and reading. Also, I go skiing/snowboarding and bush walking, too.

Frankie, Thank you so much for stopping by today, as always it such a pleasure having you! I wish you all the best with Raksha and all your future work. 

Thanks for having me by, Rhonda! I would love to come hang out with you again soon! I have a few new projects I’m working on, so hopefully you’ll be catching a fourth book before July and a fifth in October. 




A HUGE, HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO IS PARTICIPATING IN THIS BLOG TOUR. I AM SO GRATEFUL TO ALL OF YOU, AND I SINCERELY HOPE YOU ENJOY READING RAKSHA. - Frankie Rose


EXCERPT:

I focus on him and clench my dagger in my hand. The sea of voices swells, and I’m certain I can pick out Miranda’s deranged shrieking, yelling over and over again, “End him! End him!”
Falin Asha’s brown eyes fix on me and it looks for a second like he’s crying. That can’t be right, though. I hover just out of his reach, staring at him. “What’s going on?”
He smiles crookedly and brushes his hair back out of his face. “It’s going to be okay, all right? Remember that.”
I’m so thrown by his comment that I am utterly unprepared for what he does next. The knife in his hand snakes out toward me, and I skitter away from him to the left.  He knows how I react, however, and he moves with me, my mirror image. He darts for me and does the unthinkable, something that spells the end to the fight and me along with it: he grabs hold of my striking arm at the wrist. A low gasp runs around the Colosseum, growing in pitch until it’s a rushing echo in my ears. I try and fumble for the Balisong on my belt, hoping I can flick it open and use it, but Falin Asha is there before me. He doesn’t knock my hand away, just holds his over it. He pulls me closer to him and sucks in a deep breath.
“Don’t let them see,” he hisses. With that, I feel a twisting movement between our two bodies, and then his eyes go wide. He looks stunned, the way Elin children do when they fall and they’re unsure whether they’re supposed to cry or not. I look down and see his own knife submerged up to the handle in his stomach. A cracking, bubbling noise comes out of his throat, and he smiles slowly at me. The whole Colosseum has gone deadly silent. I can think nothing other than this: What have you done? What on earth have you gone and done?





SHORT BIO

Frankie Rose is a British expat, who is currently enjoying the perks of living in Australia- her awesome husband, sunshine, and vitamin D. She spends her time creating fictional universes in which the guy sometimes gets the girl, the heroes occasionally die, and the endings aren't always happy. But they usually are.

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Available from 30 April.


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Twitter:      @byfrankierose


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