Cover Reveal: Sempre Redemption by J.M. Darhower

If you're like us and have been waiting FOR-EV-ER for this book, the wait is almost over!! 

Release date: December 23rd, 2013


Synopsis:

In this thrilling and sexy follow-up to Sempre, two young lovers struggle to keep their relationship intact after they become deeply enmeshed in the dangerous mafia-run crime ring they once tried to overthrow.

Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco have been through a lot. Haven was taken in by Carmine’s father, and with his family’s help, she escaped a gruesome fate. However, saving Haven from the dark intentions of a mafia family cost Carmine a steep price: he was forced to swear loyalty to them.

Now, still passionately in love, Carmine and Haven must face the fall-out of Carmine’s forced service, as Haven discovers terrifying secrets about the family that enslaved both her and her mother—and why she matters so much in this intricate web of lies.


About the Author:

JM Darhower is the author of countless stories and poems, most of which only she has ever read. She lives in a tiny town in rural North Carolina, where she churns out more words than will ever see the light of day. She has a deep passion for politics and speaking out against human trafficking, and when she isn't writing (or fangirling about books) she's usually ranting about those things.

Chronic crimper with a vulgar mouth, she admits to having a Twitter addiction. You can usually always find her there.


Author's links:
J.M. Darhower 
Twitter 
Facebook 



Pre-order links:
Amazon 
 Barnes & Noble

If you've been looking for the first book, Sempre:Forever and have not had the opportunity to read it, and unable to find it, the book will be re-releasing on 11/25 from Simon & Schuster.

Extinguish by J.M. Darhower

One… 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)

"Small Press Treasures" Blog Hop

    Over the course of the past year, the ladies here at S,E,R’s have had the pleasure of reading some really awesome books by some super fabulous authors. And to our surprise,a lot of these books came from Small press and independent authors.Well it comes as no surprise to us now that an incredible book can be found beyond the major publishers.So  for the next week we are very excited to put the spotlight on these authors who have commanded our attention, made us take notice, and turned us into a bunch of squealing  fan girls awaiting their next book! (These authors are mentioned in no particular order)

The path that was laid out before us started with a Sassy, snarky empath named Piper Anast. Rachel Firasek took us on her journey with Piper and her unique crime fighting skills along with the sexy Slade, and left us clamoring for the next book.  Firasek also introduced us to her creative Curse of the Phoenix series and gave us a  new world, and characters to love. 

    As our journey into the unknown continued we discovered  Mrs. E.L. James who brought us the lusty, naughty love story between Ana Steele, Christian Grey and his “fifty shades of fucked up“.  Fifty ruled our thoughts to the point it was hard to wrap our minds around the next books on our TBR.

    Mrs. Carolyn Crane….. How fantastic is this author who took us into an awesome Urban Fantasy world and gave us a unique story with Justine Jones a hypochondriac who learns to use her hypochondria to work for her instead of against her, with the help of the sexy Packard.  Crane gives us a colorful cast of characters to love, and the wait for Head Rush was exhausting, but well worth it!

    Along the way, we happened to come across a  book by Debra Anastasia called Poughkeepsie.WOW!! We could go on for days about this fabulous lady who tells us a heartwarming story of love,courage, heartbreak,loyalty,and self discovery where a young lady falls in love with a homeless man. Mrs. Anastasia’s story is full of some of the funniest most amazing characters, it has left us in dire need of the next story, as well as made our top favorite shelf! She also tells us a story in Crushed Seraphim where good and evil collide and find a love worth sacrificing for, and the devil has never been so sexy!!

    J.M. Darhower….. “Sempre”!  This book was an amazing, crazy terrific ride! Darhower took a cause she believes in and centered her story around it, incorporated the Italian Mafia,and the outcome was  SIMPLY FANTASTIC! With a cast of characters that will steal your heart and leave you wanting more, Darhower landed on the top shelf too! 

   J.A. Saare swept us off to New York with the awesome, outspoken necromancer Rhiannon Murphy, and the super sexy vampire Disco in her PNR novel, Dead Undead and Somewhere in Between.  After leaving us out on that cliff, we were chomping at the bit for the next book. Saare delivered a wild crazy ride with The Renfield Syndrome that did not disappoint!  After throwing us 100 years in to the future and  hanging us out on that cliff again, we are super excited that the next book will be coming soon. 

    Diving into the world of BDSM Novels,  we found Kallypso Masters new “Rescue Me” series, to be all kinds of toe curling yummy. Love her writing style, which is simply beautiful, and thus makes her one of our most anticipated authors.We love Kally, and can’t wait for the upcoming releases!

    To our Surprise, author C.J. Roberts took us to a dark place in Captive in the Dark, her debut full length novel where Livvy is abducted to be used as a pawn in Gabe’s quest for vengeance.  Roberts is an author to watch,  this lady can seriously write! Her sequel Seduced in the Dark, lands on our most anticipated list for 2012.

    Laura Hunsaker took us on a time travel adventure with super sexy highlander in Highland Destiny. This was a fast paced, hard to put down novel.  If you enjoy time travel, and historical fiction, you’ll enjoy this one!

    Some of our other favorite authors who have brought Greek mythology to the table, and a little PNR is Laura Kaye,her new series Hearts of the Anemoi introduced us to a new series featuring a different tale of Greek Mythology, and Owen Winters will certainly make you lick your lips, and ask for more.Another great author that brings the Greek mythology to the table is Lisa Beth Darling, and her “Of War” series. Darling’s stories are dark, mysterious, and challenging. She will keep you turning the pages, and the stories will stay with you for quite some time. Next, Rosalie Lario, her stories are full of twists and turns, and lots of demonic fun!

   

We have a few authors,that we've mentioned above,who have generously donated to our hop.(So we will be giving away more then one prize)

1. Laura Hunsaker, has donated,one ebook copy of any format for her novel "Highland Destiny" for more information about Laura,  Click Here

2. Rachel Firasek,has donated  one signed copy of her novel "Piper's Fury" for more information about Rachel, Click Here

3. Laura Kaye,has donated two ebook  copies of her novel  "North Of Need" For more information about Laura, Click Here  

4. Kallypso Masters,has donated E-copies of the first three books in her "Rescue Me" series, Readers who already have the three books will be added to a list to receive the next two romances  in the series--Nobody's Perfect (May) and Nobody's Dream (August).




 One handmade evil stick with a purple heart. (This is a BDSM toy favored by sadists like Master Damian and used on very naughty l'il subs--or masochists just needing to feel the bite and wear the mark for a few days). The stick was handmade by Toymaker, one of Kallypso's most helpful Dom resources for Nobody's Hero and Nobody's Perfect.



A promo card with the first two book covers (in shiny cardstock for those who want to lick)
Open Internationally. For more information on Kally Click Here

5. Carolyn Crane,has donated one print signed copy of her Novel "Head Rush" Open Internationally.To learn more about Carolyn and her series Click Here

6. Debra Anastasia,has donated one ebook each,of her novels " Poughkeepsie,Crushed Seraphim" 

Two crystal bracelets, Two temporary tattoos and a bookmark!

 For more details on Debra and her novels,Click Here

7. J.M Darhower,has donated one ebook of her novel "Sempre" (forever) in format of winners choice,epub,mobi,pdf. To learn more about the author Click Here

8. C.J Roberts,has donated two ebooks (in kindle format only) of her novel "Captive In The Dark" To learn more about the author Click Here

9. JA Saare,has donated one copy of her novel "Dead Undead or Somewhere In Between" To learn more about the author Click Here

  Thanks to these fabulous Authors who've helped and made this  Hop a great success,we couldn't have done it without you ladies! And many thanks for donating to our Blog for our followers and new followers to have a chance to experience the stories we loved and adored.


Please Fill Out Rafflecopter to enter to win,we will have 11 winners that will be picked by Rafflecopter. Good Luck!

Sempre by J.M. Darhower - Review

This is a story about sacrifice... death... love... freedom. This is a story about forever. Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco had vastly different childhoods. Haven, a second-generation slave, grew up isolated in the middle of the desert, her days full of hard work and terrifying abuse. Carmine, born into a wealthy Mafia family, lived a life of privilege, never having to answer for anything he did. Both now seventeen, a twist of fate causes their worlds to collide, making them question everything they ever believed. Entangled in a web of secrets and lies, they learn that while different on the surface, they have more in common than anyone would think. In a world full of chaos, where money and power rule, Haven and Carmine yearn to break free, but a string of events that started before either were born threatens to destroy them instead. Murder and betrayal are a way of life, and nothing comes without a price-- especially not freedom. How much will they have to sacrifice? Can they escape their pasts? And, most of all, what does it mean to be free? Not everything is as it seems, and no one can possibly come out unscathed, but maybe, just maybe, it’ll be worth it in the end.

 Rhonda's Review:

OUTSTANDING!!
Sempre absolutely stole my heart, and there is no chance of getting it back.

J.M. Darhower took a cause she strongly believes in and centered her story around it.  The outcome  was beautiful, this is a story I look forward to reading time and time again.  The only thing I could have asked for was…. more.  Darhower did a fantastic job telling her story, and bringing her characters to life.  I have always loved movies that involved the Italian Mafia like Goodfellas, A Bronx Tale, Donnie Brasco, and of course the all time classic The Godfather.  This book certainly tips its hat, and I loved every bit of it!  There was so much plot to this story, and twists at every turn, there is action, suspense, romance, betrayal, heartbreak, redemption, and self discovery. 

Haven Antonelli was born into the world of human trafficking / slavery.  She has grown up on a ranch in the desert, never having any exposure to the outside world.  Her world consisted of daily chores, and cruelty.  One day, a turn of events finds Haven being taken away from the only place she has ever known, and sets in motion some major changes for her, along with falling in love for the first time.  There are times when Haven seems really young, and other times she seems more mature.  I think this is consistent to her background.  My heart broke for her many times over, but I loved watching the self discovery and seeing her grow into herself.

Carmine DeMarco is the spoiled, self centered, foul mouthed, self destructive, womanizing son of a mobster.  Carmine has lived a life of privilege, having more than he could ask for and taking these things for granted.  He is the high school football star quarterback, has girls throwing themselves at him constantly, and finds himself in trouble on a regular basis.  In spite of all this, he also has his own baggage stemming from childhood, which contributes to his behavior, drinking and drug use. Carmine doesn’t believe in love, girls are only good for one thing.  That is until he wakes up one morning to find a strange girl in his family’s  home.  As he gets to know Haven and sees the world through her inexperienced eyes, he finds himself viewing his own life differently, and falls completely head over heels for her.  Carmine finally finds purpose to his life, and a new direction.  I loved Carmine so much, just adored him. *sigh*

Dr. Vincent DeMarco is tied to the mob, and fighting his internal battles on a daily basis, while trying to keep his son from entering the life he lives as part of the Mafia.  He went as far as to move his sons away from Chicago to distance them from his way of life.  He travels back and forth a lot so he is absent from his home and sons quite often.  After his wife was murdered years earlier, it has been difficult for Vincent to pick up the pieces of his fractured life and find peace and forgiveness  within himself.  On a chance night he saves a girl from her detrimental fate.  Saving this girl causes him a great deal of turmoil in his quest for the redemption and peace he so desperately seeks.

I loved the amazing cast of characters from the primary to the secondary, that’s why I can’t let this review slip by without mentioning Corrado.  For all his faults, he seemed to be the glue that held things together for Vincent and Carmine.  He had his moments with Haven too. Corrado’s wife Celia provided some motherly moments for Haven and Carmine when needed. I thought she was fantastic! And Dominic DeMarco, Carmine's older brother who is such a sweetheart!! I loved the bantering between he and Carmine.  He has a level head, and is supportive of his family, and offers encouragement to Haven at times when she needs it.

Again, I love, love, loved this book!! From beginning to end there was never a time when I wanted the story to move on.  Darhower poured so much love and emotion in to this novel, I laughed, I cried, and she got my adrenaline going.  There are some loose ends left, but I read that this story will continue with another book, I sure hope so because I want to see how this story continues, because my mind hasn't stop working scenarios.  I can’t wait for more SEMPRE!!!

Thank you to J.M Darhower for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing story! 

5 AMAZING STARS!!!