Friday, June 27, 2014

Agent M4: Riordan by Joni Hahn Series: D.I.R.E. Agency, # 4 Blog Tour

 
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Agent M4: Riordan by Joni Hahn Series: D.I.R.E. Agency, # 4 Publication Date: June 4, 2014 Genre: Sci-fi Romance, Superhero Romance


agentm4Credentials:
• Former D.I.R.E. Enemy Agent
• Mongolian Prison Survivor
Enhancement:
• Magnetism

Sent to a Mongolian prison against his will, former enemy agent Riordan St. James is suddenly back in civilization. With his hands crushed, and littered with scars, he trusts no one. When he accepts D.I.R.E.’s prosthetic hands to operate a future, super power enhancement, Riordan knows their offer comes with a price - he just isn’t sure he wants to pay.

After an affair with a client turns deadly, psychologist and senator’s daughter Natalie Meeks, doesn’t trust her own judgment. When she’s hired to help Riordan adjust to civilization again, she finds herself in familiar, forbidden territory – battling a fiery attraction to her client. 

One heated encounter with the elegant Dr. Meeks convinces Riordan to abide by D.I.R.E.’s bargain. However, when new evidence about his disappearance uncovers shocking secrets, he questions not only his decision, but the people around him – including his sexy-as-hell doctor. 

While their lives become more entangled, yet pulled apart, a madman turns up the heat on his plans for Natalie. And the only person she can trust is the one man that doesn’t trust her…
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If men were like ice cream, Riordan St. James would be rocky road. Tilting her head, Natalie Meeks studied the new D.I.R.E. agent through the one-way glass. He was one major hottie and, like ice cream, the last thing she needed on her hips.But, a girl could dream.Golden, sun-streaked hair lay in sweat-soaked tufts against the wide horizon of his shoulders.  His pale blue eyes were barricaded and hard, a narrow beard lining his tight jaw.  Glistening, tanned skin, mapped with scars, covered a torso of concrete-like muscle, his back a crossroads of whip marks. Hanging on a pull-up bar several yards from the other agents, Riordan appeared to be a loner, on the opposite side of a bridge from human contact and relationships.  His perpetual scowl screamed back off, his tense shoulders poised for attack.  All he needed was a do not enter sign stamped on his forehead to make it official. It must be her lucky day.  She had to figure out how to get past the human obstacle course and get inside. “So, are you ready to meet him, Doctor?” No, she wasn’t ready to meet Riordan St. James.  As a matter of fact, she really wanted to leave.  Once upon a time, she’d considered herself qualified to diagnose and treat people with emotional conditions.  Now, she didn’t trust her own judgment on what deodorant to use. “As I told you on the phone, Mitchell, I really don’t feel skilled–“ “Save it.”  Mitchell sliced a hand through the air, his brows furrowed.  “What happened with Paul Warner was one hundred percent his fault, Natalie.  He knew what he was doing.” That made it even worse.  As his psychologist, she should’ve seen it coming.  She could’ve prevented it. Mitchell Jacobs wouldn’t understand that.  Paul would’ve been just another casualty in his book. In hers, a possible love turned tragic regret. Crossing her arms over her middle, she sighed. “He won’t be pleased to meet me.” Mitchell chuckled with a shake of his head.  “No, he won’t.  I’ll bet a bottle of Glenfiddich 1937 Scotch he’ll be royally pissed.” Oh… yay. Riordan climbed onto a treadmill farther across the room.  He pressed a couple of buttons and started to jog. “So, what do you want from me, Mitchell?  A clinical diagnosis?” “I want you to get him ready for the field.  I think he lacks confidence.  Right now, he thinks he’s ready – I say, he’s not.” Natalie frowned as she played with her pearl earring.  That meant working with him beyond today.  What did she have to do to make Mitchell realize her qualifications disqualified her for the job? Riordan St. James was different from any patient she’d ever counseled.  He had a raw, barbaric edge about him, reminding her of a street fighter.  He played by his own rules, wore attitude like a badge and defense like a shield. She worked with the upper echelon of society.  People that enjoyed telling her their troubles, people that looked for easy prescription drugs and found her unyielding.  Many of her clients worked with her father in the Senate, or lived in upscale San Diego. Her patients liked her.  Listening rather than talking had been a trait from birth, her desire to help others deep and ingrained. Riordan St. James didn’t strike her as a talker or someone that wanted help. He pushed himself harder and faster than any of the other agents in the room.  Sweat ran from his brow, the waistband of his shorts soaked through. “When do you need him?” “Yesterday.”  Mitchell sighed as he turned to face her.  “I took a gamble with St. James, Natalie.  When he came in, he was in bad shape.  Among his injuries, his hands had been broken and crushed.  Deformed, for lack of a better word.” Her gaze shot to the man on the treadmill.  Though several feet away, he appeared exceptionally… fit, his hands normal.  However, the scars littering his body backed up Mitchell’s story. “Using a device similar to a 3D printer, we mapped out the previous bone structure of his hands and created replicas made with neodymium, iron and boron.” Stilling, she held out a hand to halt his speech.  “Wait.  Are you telling me he has magnetic bones in his hands?” Nodding, Mitchell said, “Yes, but the attraction is minor at this point.” Slack-jawed, she could do nothing but stare.  Had she just stepped into Frankenstein’s laboratory?  “Why?  Why not give him normal prosthetics?” Leaning a shoulder against the wall, Mitchell shoved his hands in his pockets.  “Have you heard of Robert Naylor?” The infamous crime boss.  Natalie doubted there were many people that hadn’t heard of him.  “Yes.” “St. James was one of Naylor’s best agents.  The man has talents I can use.  My plan is to give Riordan the ability to attract and repel objects with his magnetic hands.  He has the groundwork now.  Once I know I can depend on him, I’ll install the rest of his system.” Shaking her head, Natalie couldn’t believe what she’d heard.  “You’re going to make him some kind of… superhero?” Mitchell gave a lopsided grin.  “You could call him that.” Logic warred with astonishment in her head.  “That kind of thing is impossible… isn’t it?” His arrogant smirk almost seemed patronizing.  “I assure you, it’s quite possible.  I already have a team of agents with super powers.  My son, Tristan, among them.” What had she gotten herself into?  D.I.R.E. made scientific enhancements to human beings.  Her father had used D.I.R.E. in the past.  Did he know about this? She pointed at Riordan through the glass.  “He agreed to this… enhancement?” Mitchell nodded before glancing at Riordan.  “Make no mistake, Natalie.  He trusts no one.  And, he has good reason for feeling that way, too.  St. James knew if he didn’t take my offer of new hands, he’d live handicapped the rest of his life.  The magnetic bones were a quick, permanent fix - for him and our team.”  His voice lowered.  “He needs to trust again.  He can trust D.I.R.E.” The sun-god dropped to the floor and did push-ups.  This was just so wrong.  Wasn’t it?  Messing with the human body?  Playing God? Then again, the idea of following someone going through the process, and tracking his subsequent work, fascinated her.  It would take her work to a level she’d never imagined. You can’t even diagnose normal humans.  You want to diagnose superheroes? “He’s been working his ass off, trying to get back in shape,” Mitchell said.  “He’s made remarkable progress.  If anything, he’s determined to defeat not only bad guys but his own demons.” Riordan switched to one-handed push-ups without skipping a beat.  He had demons, no question.  They stood on the opposite side of that bridge he’d erected.  She just wasn’t sure if the bridge was intended to keep them at bay or to rush them head on when he felt ready. Then again, she had her own demons to slay.  Helping Mitchell and Riordan St. James would keep them front and center.  What if she failed them both? Mitchell said, “I need good agents, stat.  And, when I get St. James up and running, my gut tells me he’s going to be one bad ass superhero.”
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about author
JoniHahnBy day, Joni Hahn keeps her secret decoder ring hidden while she works as a mild-mannered HR manager and accounting generalist.   She believes the world can never have too many superheroes, and anxiously waits for the call when one will need help saving the world… or getting into his costume.  Joni was born with a hopelessly tender heart and believes there is nothing more exhilarating than falling in love (other than the rear shot of Chris Evans hitting the punching bag in The Avengers – that was pretty darn exhilarating).  A native Texan, she thinks cowboys are the epitome of masculinity, and country music is the other soul music.
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Thursday, June 5, 2014

Daimones Trilogy Blog tour

Daimones Trilogy Blog Tour
Author Massimo Marino
Genre Sci Fi





Dan Amenta wakes up one morning to discover the world has changed...the Apocalypse has arrived. Death, destruction, and disaster are spreading around the globe. Yet Dan and his family remain untouched.
Planet Earth is in the hands of an older power, one Dan never envisioned and dares not disobey. - http://myBook.to/Daimones  









Mankind is undergoing rebirth, the new arrivals closely watched by the Selected: the transgenic beings created by the Moîrai.

From the coldest climes to the deepest ocean floors, a cosmic conspiracy full of betrayal and fear is being hatched with the hope of pushing the world perilously close to the brink of self-destruction. - http://myBook.to/OnceHumans 









In a dark future, a first contact and an alien colonization changes forever the destiny of the race of man. Aliens have regenerated a new, transgenic species of humans called the Selected. 

The last humans--the 'spared ones'--have all died but Hope, the second of Dan Amenta's human daughters, though she's living her last days, too.

Dan has seen Earth become a different world as the new civilization rises.

A new neurological drug, Fusion, is heavily produced on Eridu and has created the path for a rapid evolution of the new humans, richness and good fortune.

Once Hope leaves this life, a moral obligation suddenly is no more. Things can change, and they must. A new order and a new course will put in place the events the Moîrai have sewn and destined to rip apart the foundations of the galaxy.

"Even with the best of intentions, cruelty is just around the corner."





 I'm Italian, and because even in Italy that means everything and nothing at all, I should say, I am Sicilian. I was born in Palermo, and as it happened with countless Sicilians, I left it, back in 1986. I lived more years abroad than in my home country, and I have changed in many and different ways than my old friends there. It is always a pleasure to go back, but it is now 6 long years since my last visit. Saudade? Maybe, a little.

I lived in Switzerland, France, and the United States. I am a scientist as a background, and have spent over 17 years in fundamental research. Most of my writing are then academic stuff, and I always wonder at how much Google is able to find about everyone. I am sure one has to Google oneself so not to forget too much...

I worked for many years at CERN—an international lab for particle physics research near Geneva, Switzerland—then in the US at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Fantastic moments and memories from those years. In 2005 I moved to the private sector, worked with Apple Inc., and then for the World Economic Forum.

I wrote since I was a kid, short stories and novellas, but never had anyone read it. It was a personal thing. Then, work and life took their toll and I stopped. Slightly over a year ago, for various reasons, I started again with some burning inside that needed to come out. On the first weekend I got over 15000 words, then subscribed to critters.org for peer review, lurked a year keeping on writing and getting feedback.

On September 2012 my debut novel, "Daimones", saw the light. It received the 2012 PRG Reviewer's Choice Award in Science Fiction. Last February it was awarded with the Hall of Fame - Best Science Fiction by Quality Reads UK, and received over 64% of the 1600+ readers votes. To the day, Daimones has sold over 4,000 copies. Both novels are available as digital and printed editions.

The sequel, "Once Humans", was published last July and has sold more than 1,000 copies since. I'm writing Vol.3, "The Rise of the Phoenix”. Its Prelude (chapters 1-4) has been published last November and readers can have a taste of what’s coming in the trilogy.

The novels have been optioned by an Independent Audiobook Publisher in the US, Sci-Fi Publishing LCC, and both Daimones and Once Humans are now available as audiobook, too. (From audible.com, Amazon and iTunes).

My Amazon page is: http://www.amazon.com/Massimo-Marino/e/B008O53L5O
my blog: http://massimomarinoauthor.com
@Massim0Marin0




1.) What's the premise or the main idea of your book? (Give us a teaser)
You wake up one day, take your daughter to school on your way to work and realize that the peaceful countryside and neighborhood that morning is that peaceful because everyone is dead. A deadly, silent invasion leaves survivors befuddled, wary, and broken. The story narrates of a first contact and an Apocalypse with roots millions of years old.


2.) Is this a part of a series? If so, how many books are you planning to write?
Indeed, it is a trilogy, the “Daimones Trilogy”. Vol.1 “Daimones” and Vol.2 “Once Humans” have been published and are available at all major retailers in ebook, paperback, and as audiobook, and in all formats for all ereaders.
At Amazon, you can find them here:
http://myBook.to/Daimones
http://myBook.to/OnceHumans

Vol.3 “The Rise of the Phoenix – Prelude” (chapter 1-4) has been published recently and available only at Amazon:
http://myBook.to/PhoenixPrelude

Buyers of Vol.3 Prelude will be entitled to a 50% discount on the full Vol.3 to be published in July 2014.

3.) What's the genre or subgenre of this book?
It’s science fiction written by a scientist. The Daimones Trilogy deals with many themes, from survival and the rebirth of the race of man after an alien apocalypse, to love and romance in a dying world, and the rise of new ethics and morals. It narrates of a first contact and an alien colonization that set the seeds for a galactic upheaval and space wars with aliens.

4.) What inspired you to write this book?
I’ve always written stories. My dad received “Astounding Stories” at home but I wasn’t allowed to read them. The covers though... those were truly astounding for a child so I invented stories. Sci-fi visions have always haunted my dreams and reveries but physics studies and professional demanding tasks put a halt into writing and reveries. In 2011 something happened and started it all over.

5.) Name some authors who have influenced your writing style
I grew up reading sci-fi, so all the big names mostly, from Isaac Asimov to Ray Bradbury, Ursula Le Guin, Frank Herbert, Larry Niven, Robert Heinlein, to name just a few and then other genres too, Tolkien, Stephen King, Tom Clancy and others. Italian authors, too, like Svevo, Calvino, Sciascia, and also Greek mythology authors, the ones I used to hate at school and that are instead fantastic writers and authors. We live with myths daily, even if we do not realize it.

6.) Tell us about an interesting character or group of characters in your novel
Dan Amenta, the main character. He’s a regular guy who finds himself thrown into otherworldly situations. He falls and stumbles, he does silly things and fears the worst but he always gets back to his feet and moves on.
Then the aliens, impenetrable, only logic and little to no feelings (they shut them down in the millennia of their evolution) but they’re complex as well. And more is revealed of their complexity in Vol.2 and Vol.3.

7.) Tell us about the world of your novel. How did you develop this setting?
I took inspiration from what I know, places, laboratories, underground hi-tech facilities, things not everyone can see in real life.

8.) What's the most challenging part of writing this book?
Of writing the trilogy? It’s a complex plot, and it required research, planning, cross-checking facts and possible timelines, discussing with experts in technology and psychology.

9.) If there's any interesting fact about your novel that you'd like to share to the people, please let us know.
It could happen... We are not alone ;)



Monday, June 2, 2014

Blackjack and Moonlight blog tour

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Blackjack & Moonlight by Magdalen Braden Series: The Blackjack Quartet, #3 Publication Date: May 25, 2014 Genre: Contemporary Romance
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Sex v. Love—a battle in the courtroom and the bedroom! Hotshot litigator Elise Carroll doesn’t have time for romance—she wants to make partner at her Philadelphia law firm. Despite her mother’s urging, Elise avoids settling down by keeping her relationships short and sexy. Her idea of a perfect date? Beer and pretzels at a Phillies game. When Jack “Blackjack” McIntyre—Philly’s super-sexy new judge—falls for Elise in court, she’s horrified. He “claims” to be in love with her—but that can’t possibly be true. He doesn’t give up trying to wine and dine her, though, so she devises a new scheme. Like all men, surely he’ll leave after a short and sexy fling. Only problem—Blackjack refuses to sleep with her! They compromise—she’ll go on his romantic dates if he’ll alternate them with her “just sex” dates. Their contract works surprisingly well—until Elise can no longer find the line between love and sex. Can Elise get her life back where she wants it—in a partner’s office? Or will Jack McIntyre use his superpowers to win their contest of wits?
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excerpt
“Hey, it’s my favorite client.” Elise Carroll grinned and dropped her briefcase so she could scoop DeeDee, her secretary’s four-year-old, into her arms. Kim looked up from a file open on her desk, her cheeks striped by dried tears. “Can you play with her for a couple minutes?” Uh-oh. More domestic drama—the last thing Kim needed. “Okay, but I cannot be late for that man.” Elise walked into her office. With the door open, Kim would be able to watch her daughter from across the hall. “What man, Auntie Leese?” DeeDee asked, her corn-silk hair glinting under the office lights. Elise pointed at the magazine on her desk. “Him.” DeeDee reached for Philadelphia Magazine, the cover showing a handsome man in a black robe. The headline read, “Philadelphia’s Newest—and Sexiest—Judge” and beneath that, in smaller letters, “Blackjack McIntyre moves from the US Attorney’s office to his own district court.” “Who’s dat?” DeeDee inspected the photo. Elise laughed. “Just the latest guy to think a black robe makes him right all the time.” She set DeeDee down on the carpeted floor. “You want to color, sweetheart?” “Sure!” Elise pulled some paper out of the recycling bin, and after checking what was printed on it, spread it out on the floor, blank sides up. She found the crayons she kept in her desk for DeeDee’s visits. She checked her watch. “Oh, lord, look at the time. If I don’t leave immediately I’ll be late for him.” She pointed at Blackjack McIntyre, scowling at her from the cover of the magazine. Kim grinned. “I can’t wait to hear all about it. Details, I want all the details. Is he as good-looking as in his press conferences?” “Not you too.” Elise threw the magazine onto Kim’s desk. Jack McIntyre’s blue-black hair and chiseled jaw mocked her from the cover. Superman in a judicial robe. “I don’t plan to be there long enough to look at him. Five minutes, tops. He grants my motion, and I’m out of there.” “Oh, please. You know he’s seriously hunky. And the article says he’s not dating anyone at the moment.” “Well, based on the women he’s been seen with, I’m not his type. Good thing because I have no interest in dating him or anyone else right now. I want to focus on making partner. And you’d better focus on getting your daughter to day care.” Another check of the watch. Shit. There’d better be a cab downstairs or she’d be late. On her way back into her office, Elise looked at the papers on the floor. DeeDee had drawn a figure in black. Either it was the Honorable Jack McIntyre or a vampire bat. Hard to tell.
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about author
MagdalenBraden
After pairing up lawyers romantically in her head for fifteen years, Magdalen Braden traded in her job as an attorney to set her inner matchmaker free. Today she draws on her past adventures in a Philadelphia law office to write her sexy contemporary romance series, The Blackjack Quartet. Blackjack & Moonlight, the third installment in the series, was a finalist in the prestigious Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® contest in 2012. All four books contain love, romance, and a solid dose of legal humor. Magdalen connects with readers at her local satellite of the Lady Jane's Salon® reading series, and with fellow writers at her Romance Writers of America® chapter. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her crossword-loving husband, their Rhody-mix dog, and two omnipresent cats in the Endless Mountains of Northeast Pennsylvania.
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Platinum Pleasures Blog Tour

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Synopsis
One night…one fantasy for hire…one sizzling case of mistaken identity. Ainsley Simmons can hardly believe she’s ordered a fantasy lover online — a man to fulfill her deepest sexual desires for the entire evening. She’s in for a surprise when sexy young Mr. M. shows up at her door in a classic case of mistaken identity. Ainsley has the night of her life being pleasured by the much younger and demanding multi-millionaire — until she discovers he’s not her fantasy lover after all. He’s even better than that…
Meet the Author
Kate 4873 2 head edited copyKATE DEVEAUX is a contemporary, erotic romance writer and die-hard romantic. It was after reading Jane Eyre in high school, that she became hooked on the idea of writing about romance, excitement and drama. Kate has been penning stories, from the sensual to the sinfully sexy, ever since! A former wedding planner, Kate has always been ""in love"" with love! She was inspired to transition from writing racy short stories to full length manuscripts after meeting other authors in the romance world at industry workshops, conferences and events. Now a multi published contemporary romance novelist, Kate is a member of Savvy Author, Romance Writers of America (RWA) as well as their erotic romance chapter, Passionate Ink. Born in London, England, Kate has lived in both the U.K. and the U.S. She and her husband currently reside in Arizona. When she’s not writing or reading, Kate can be found on the tennis court—yes, there’s even ""love"" in that game too! Social Links
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