Review Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Hard As Steel by Laura Kaye

   

We so excited to be able to bring you the Review & Excerpt Tour for Laura Kaye's HARD AS STEEL!! HARD AS STEEL is a Hard Ink/Raven Riders Crossover Series Novella brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights.

 
Hard as Steel by Laura Kaye
(Hard Ink #4.5)
September 22, 2015
128 pages
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance 18+
Contains: profanity, explicit sex

 Amazon eBook ** Amazon Paperback

About HARD AS STEEL: A Hard Ink/Raven Riders Crossover Novella

After identifying her employer's dangerous enemies, Jessica Jakes takes refuge at the compound of the Raven Riders Motorcycle Club. Fellow Hard Ink tattooist and Raven leader Ike Young promises to keep Jess safe for as long as it takes, which would be perfect if his close, personal, round-the-clock protection didn't make it so hard to hide just how much she wants him—and always has.

Ike Young loved and lost a woman in trouble once before. The last thing he needs is alone time with the sexiest and feistiest woman he's ever known, one he's purposely kept at a distance for years. Now, Ike's not sure he can keep his hands or his heart to himself—or that he even wants to anymore. And that means he has to do whatever it takes to hold on to Jess forever.

I loved the Hard Ink series, so I was uber excited that a novella would be coming out, linking Hard Ink with the Ravens MC. And who better to link the two series than Ike himself. Ike and Jessica, Jeremy's two co-workers from Hard Ink, were two characters we knew a little about, but not much, making the information gained about them in this novella even more exciting. While this little story takes place during the Hard Ink series, it's behind-the-scenes enough that it can easily be read as a standalone, but is exciting enough for fans of the series to love as an addition.

Ike and Jessica have a crazy amount of sexual tensionn between the two of them. Having worked together for four years, they certainly have spent enough time with each other to know if there's chemistry or not. But the deeper insights about each of them here reveals why a relationship has never been pursued. But should they pursue it? Even amidst danger, they cannot deny feeling something spark. But there are issues long held, especially by Ike, and walls erected that have to be torn down. Can love win out in the end?

Ike and Jessica's story was just the right amount of depth and heart, friends and lovers. And when I say lovers, I say hot, hot heat. Yowzers. Laura Kaye did not hold back! Plus, we get a peek into more of the Ravens MC, so I'm definitely looking forward to that series.

I’m thrilled to be here celebrating the release of my 21st book, HARD AS STEEL! After a midnight break-in at her apartment, close friends and Hard Ink Tattoo co-workers Ike Young and Jessica Jakes are forced into hiding—and forced to confront the feelings they’ve always denied for one another. I have always adored friends-to-lovers and forced proximity stories, and HARD AS STEEL delivers that and more, including a taste of both my award-winning and best-selling Hard Ink and upcoming Raven Riders series! Check out this excerpt:


“Night,” she said, heading up the steps.

“Night,” he replied, watching her hips sway in a pair of silky black shorts. Combined with the form-fitting black tank top and those perfect-for-grabbing pigtails, she was going to make it damn hard for him to fall asleep tonight.

Damn hard, indeed.

He turned out the light and went horizontal, the soft couch so comfortable against his sore back even though it was a little too short to fit his whole body. He adjusted his erection, willing it to get with the no-sex-with-Jess program. Problem was, in the quiet darkness, Ike could hear her moving around in the loft. Soft footsteps on the wood floor. The shifting of covers. The squeaking of the box spring. And all that did was invite his imagination out to play. Easy since he had so much material to work with after sleeping with Jess wrapped around him the past two nights.

His shoulders and chest knew what the silk of her hair felt like when it skimmed over his skin. His hip knew the heat of her core when she slept with her knee across his thighs. His hands had memorized the curve of her lower back and the shape of her biceps and just how much of her luscious a$$ he could fit in his palms.

Ike knew what her mouth tasted like, how tight her legs could wrap around his waist, and how f-ing beautiful the combination of ink and steel was on her skin.

Jesus, his cock was never going to let him go to sleep at this rate.

And was it f-ing hot in here or what? He tossed the cover off, wishing he had a ceiling fan downstairs, too. Something for the to-do list around this place.

Ike sighed and flung his hand over his head. And wondered why the hell he was torturing himself this way.

He could just go up there and get in the bed—and take what he wanted, and what he knew Jess would be only too happy to give. Neither of them was immune to the mutual attraction that had always been there between them. And her reaction to his kiss the other day made it crystal f-ing clear that she was waiting for him to make his move.

Jess had plenty of one-night stands and casual hook-ups. Ike knew she was perfectly capable of handling that kind of relationship.

Except.

Except Ike wasn’t a clueless idiot, and he wasn’t in the habit of doing things he knew damn right well would hurt someone he cared about. Jess wore her emotions like she wore her ink—out loud and unapologetically. He had a pretty good idea that she was rocking some more-than-friendly and more-than-physical feelings for him. Right now, she thought them unrequited, and that kept a kind of sexually tense equilibrium between them. But if he let himself off the leash—even just once—he’d very likely raise and dash her hopes, give her all kinds of mixed signals, and screw things up royally between them.

He shook his head and heaved a deep breath. If he wasn’t going to go the distance with her, he had no business taking the first step.

End of.

About Laura Kaye: Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.      

Website | Facebook |Twitter | Newsletter SignUp | HARD AS STEEL on Goodreads

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Hard Ink series:

Hard As It Gets #1
My Review

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Hard As You Can #2
My Review

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Hard To Hold On To #2.5
My Review

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Hard To Come By #3
My Review

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Hard To Be Good #3.5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Hard To Let Go #4
My Review

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Hard As Steel #4.5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

 

Sunday Post: Weekly Wrap-Up (9.27)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news, recap the past week on your blog, showcase books, share upcoming news, etc. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme. 

What I Read Last Week:

  
Love Me Later by Libby Rice
Paul Revere and the Minute Men by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Crazy About Cameron by Katy Regnery

My Reviews Last Week:

The Dark Ones by Rachel Van Dyken (my 5 star review)

What I'm Listening To:

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

What I'm Currently Reading:

 
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Soul Choice by Elizabeth Kirke

Stacking The Shelves (128)

Stacking The Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews, is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

For My Kindle:
 
 
I Am Daniel Tahi by Lani Wendt Young
When Water Burns by Lani Wendt Young
The Bone Bearer by Lani Wendt Young
Breathe by CD Reiss

Used Book Score:

All Fall Down by Ally Carter

New Release: Crazy About Cameron by Katy Regnery

Crazy About Cameron By Katy Regnery

(The Winston Brothers #3/Blueberry Lane #9)

September 22, 2015

216 pages

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Contains: strong language, explicit sex

Source: eARC for Honest review

Crazy about Cameron is the third of four books about the Philadelphia-based, wildly-handsome Winslow brothers who are all on the look-out for love.

(Say what? Not so much...Brooks and Pres are OFF. THE. MARKET, and Chris is so distracted with his campaign, he can't see what - or who - is right under his nose.)

With her stiff posture, black-rimmed glasses and chestnut waves in a tight bun, Cameron Winslow’s downstairs neighbor, Margaret Story, has long been the unaware star of his filthiest dirty-librarian fantasies. But with a floundering business eating up all his time, Cam doesn’t have the open road he’d need to date a lady like Margaret.

Margaret, who grew up down the road from Cameron, has always thought of him as a cross between a bully and a tease, as likely to pull her braids as pull her leg. But he’s grown up to be a smokin’ hot businessman, and Margaret can't help daydreaming about what it would feel like to be under, um, with someone like him.

When hot-headed Cameron and buttoned-up Margaret start using the same shady contractor for apartment renovations, Margaret may find herself in some unexpected trouble, which forces long-hidden feelings to come out of hiding...and might just make way for two unlikely fantasies to finally come true.

Return to the world created in the English Brothers books with this fresh foursome of scorching hot Winslow Brothers!

Amazon ~ Goodreads

Award-winning and Amazon bestselling author Katy Regnery started her writing career by enrolling in a short story class in January 2012. One year later, she signed her first contract for a winter romance entitled By Proxy.

Now a hybrid author who publishes both independently and traditionally, Katy claims authorship of the six-book Heart of Montana series, the six-book English Brothers series, and a Kindle Worlds novella entitled Four Weddings and a Fiasco: The Wedding Date. Katy’s short story “The Long Way Home” appears in the first Romance Writers of America anthology, Premiere, and she has published two stand-alone novels, Playing for Love at Deep Haven and the Amazon bestseller The Vixen and the Vet, which is book one in Katy’s a m o d e r n f a i r y t a l e collection. The Vixen and the Vet was nominated for a RITA® Award in 2015.

Katy lives in the relative wilds of northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, where her writing room looks out at the woods, and her husband, two young children, and two dogs create just enough cheerful chaos to remind her that the very best love stories begin at home.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Amazon ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Upcoming (2015) Projects:

Campaigning for Christopher - available 11.17.15

(The Winslow Brothers #4)

Marrying Mr. English- available December 2015

(The English Brothers)

Ginger’s Heart, a modern fairytale (2016)

About The English Brothers series:

*All books in The English Brothers series are approximately 200 pages. The RWA classifies this as "Mid-length Contemporary Romance."

THE ENGLISH BROTHERS

Breaking Up with Barrett, The English Brothers, Book #1
My Review --  Amazon  -- Goodreads

Falling for Fitz, The English Brothers, Book #2
My Review -- Amazon -- Goodreads

Anyone but Alex, The English Brothers, Book #3
My Review  --  Amazon  --  Goodreads

Seduced by Stratton, The English Brothers, Book #4
My Review -- Amazon --  Goodreads

Wild about Weston, The English Brothers, Book #5
My Review -- Amazon --  Goodreads 

Kiss Me Kate, The English Brothers, Book #6
My Review ~ Amazon  ~  Goodreads

About The Winslow Brothers series:

*The Winslow Brothers books are a companion series to the English Brothers books, but all can be read as standalones. All books in The Winslow Brothers series are approximately 200 pages. The RWA classifies this as "Mid-length Contemporary Romance."

THE WINSLOW BROTHERS

Bidding on Brooks, The Winslow Brothers, Book #1
My Review ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads

Proposing to Preston, The Winslow Brothers, Book #2
My Review ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads

Crazy about Cameron, The Winslow Brothers, Book #3
Amazon ~ Goodreads

Campaigning for Christopher, The Winslow Brothers, Book #4
(available 11.13.15)

Review Tour & Excerpt: The Dark Ones by Rachel Van Dyken

The Dark Ones by Rachel Van Dyken

(The Dark Ones Saga #1)

September 20, 2015

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Contains: sex

Source: eARC for Honest review

To touch a Dark One is death.
To talk to an immortal is suicide.
Yet, I've been marked by both.
A Vampire.
And the King of the immortals.
My life is no longer my own.
And now I know the truth, my life was never mine to begin with.
It was theirs.
It's always been theirs.

Oh yeah. Loved it! I've been wanting a new paranormal series to get into. This year I have also discovered Rachel Van Dyken and have been falling in love with her books. So to get 'The Dark Ones' to sink my teeth into (no pun intended) was a real treat. This is the first Dark Ones book, and I hope there are many more, because I loved getting to know these characters and this world.

The World:  It's current time, except humans and immortals live amongst each other. Yet the immortals are far above the humans. As we come to find out, the humans don't know nearly as much about the immortals as they thought they did. And, of course, there is danger lurking in the unknown.

The Story: Genesis has been pulled into the immortal world after being called to face them, and then being marked. But being marked is nothing to be taken lightly, as the immortals have some crazy history, with life-altering consequences affecting humans and immortals alike. The choices that Genesis takes from this point forth will be crucial.

The Characters: Genesis is a great heroine. Watching her transition from the life she led before and how her childhood affected her, to now and how her personality comes out, was engaging and made her an easy character to want to follow along with and root for. Ethan, I also loved. Despite the rough start with him, learning his history and watching his heart, easily won me over. Cassius was such a medley of personality, and I loved that we got to know him slowly but surely. Plus, we have fascinating characters with Mason (loved him), Alex, and Stephanie. Getting bits and pieces of backstory added so much, bringing these characters to life, and allowing me to invest in their outcomes.

The Romance: Now this is where I don't want to give away spoilers. But I will say that I enjoyed the romantic build-up here. Genesis has been marked for mating, but she still has choices to make. And I can honestly say I loved all her choices. I loved the romance between her and the hero. I also loved that she kept him on his toes. But I definitely felt their connection beyond the supernatural factors, and loved where their relationship led them.

The Ending: I loved the final outcome of this story. It had a great climax and fully engaged me. I didn't want to put this book down. Plus, we get a hint as to what is hopefully coming next. But there is resolution to the main story, so no cliffhanger fear here. Can't wait for the next book!

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Smashwords ~ iBooks

I still tasted her blood on my lips, was embarrassed for the first time in a century when Alex glanced up from his spot at the kitchen table to see me licking my lips like I'd just devoured the poor girl.

He shook his head. "Been that long, huh?"

"Alex…" I closed my eyes and prayed for patience. "…remind me why I let you live here?"

"I'm good-looking," he answered simply. "Besides, I'm a hell of a fighter — scrappy, I think is how you define my kind. You need me."

"Stop." I pressed my fingertips to my temples and rubbed. The ache to have her had consumed me so much that I'd run down the stairs moving so fast I'd nearly collided with a wall, and grabbed blood from the fridge.

I didn't need it.

But I craved it.

And if I didn't drink the donated blood, I sure as hell was going to drain her and enjoyed very last drop.

"I wonder…" Alex's voice pierced my thoughts. "What's it like?" He leaned forward. "Having to learn self-control all over again… being as ancient as you are?"

I ignored him.

He kept talking.

"Blood-free for a century and now…" He grinned and licked his lips. "Kind of like falling off the wagon, yeah?"

"You're giving me a headache." I threw the empty bag of blood at his face. He moved to the side and snickered. "And I'm fine. Everything is just—"

Her smell was intoxicating. She was walking down the stairs, so her heart picked up speed, her body giving off a scent of burnt vanilla and oranges with a hint of sugar.

My mouth literally watered.

"Fine?" Alex said in a mocking voice. "Was that what you were going to say? Damn, man show a little decorum, you look… starved."

"I am," I whispered and fought the urge to rock back and forth. That was the problem with mating — with bonding. Nothing tasted like her, nothing ever would, and typically, having her as my mate gave me full access.

But the more I took…

The stronger the bond.

And the more I wanted…

It was a vicious overwhelming cycle. It would lead me to become emotionally invested while she, as a human, could simply pretend.

It wasn't fair.

Immortals, in essence, were cursed with a deep desire to be like a human — to possess them, to bond with them forever — while humans only felt the same draw to us if they actually loved us.

Ridiculous.

"Oh, there you are." Stephanie pushed Genesis forward and pulled out a chair.
Slowly, Genesis took a seat and glared at each one of us. "Where's Mason?"

It shouldn't have pissed me off.

But it had.

"He's none of your concern," I spat.

"Easy!" Alex chuckled. "Rule number one, don't ask your mate where the other dude is. Just… don't."

Genesis blinked at Alex then back at me. "Because you guys have the capacity for jealousy."

Alex whistled while Stephanie laughed.

Immortals were the most jealous beings on the planet. Had her school taught her nothing?

Was I to be her tutor as well?

"So…" Alex trained his eyes on her, putting her at as much ease as he could without stopping her poor heart. "Now that the mating is complete, you get to learn all about us and service your man here." He slapped my back.

Really. Really. Poor choice of words.

Genesis paled.

I rolled my eyes. "He's kidding."

Alex laughed. "I think it needs to be said that having a human at the house has already helped my mood immensely."

"That makes one of you," Genesis said under her breath.

Alex leaned forward and whispered, "Ethan, try not to be so grouchy. Keep the fangs in and all."

I extended them just to prove a point.

Genesis recoiled.

I instantly felt guilty.

Damn it.

"You won't…" I licked my lips. "You won't have to service me, as Alex so delicately put it."

"Is that what mates do?" Genesis asked, her eyes searching mine. "They…" She lifted her hands into the air and dropped them.

"If that's what you think they do, we have a very big problem." Alex mimicked her movements and winked.

She blushed.

I hissed at him and returned my attention to her. "It's like a human relationship, only stronger. You'll attend functions with me, be by my side, at my beck and call for as long as you live."

I didn't want to say until one day she just didn't wake up. It sounded too cruel.

"And when I'm bored out of my mind… I do what?" She crossed her arms. "I mean, what could you possibly need from me?"

"Adorable." Alex sighed happily. "I'm so glad we kept her."

"Alex…" I was two seconds away from slamming him into the nearest wall. "Make yourself useful and find our human a snack."

"I'm not a pet!" Genesis yelled. "And I'm not your human!"

"You are," I yelled right back, "mine!"

"Kids." Stephanie stepped between us.

I didn't even realize I'd gotten out of the chair and was towering over her, fangs out, hands raised. She'd turned me into a monster. And still, my eyes found her erratic pulse. One more taste…

"Ethan—" Stephanie pushed against my chest. I didn't move. "Ethan!"

"Friend…" Mason walked into the room. "Sit your ass down before she hands it to you."

"Like she could!" I roared.

"Like I have!" Stephanie pushed me again. "Don't tempt me… again."

I sat, while Mason made his way over to Genesis and offered an easy smile. The man had nothing to smile about, yet he was smiling — at my mate.

I growled.

Mason gave me the finger and kept his attention trained on Genesis. "How do you feel?"

"Better." She returned his smile and squeezed his outstretched hand. "Thanks for not… killing me when I asked."

"Damn…" Alex said from the kitchen.

"You were in pain." Mason shrugged. "And I'm glad you're alright."

"She's fine. We're fine. Everything's fine," I said through clenched teeth. "Now it's probably time to give her answers before she thinks she can run off and actually survive in the real world without being hunted by a Dark One, or worse, found by Cassius."

"He isn't all bad," Stephanie said defensively.

We all glared at her.

"What?" She lifted her hands into the air. "I'm just saying he's been trying as hard as we have. So what if he's gotten a bit possessive over the last few numbers that have been called."

Alex slammed his fist onto the table. "He stole Ethan's—"

"Enough." I held up my hand. The pain in my chest grew until it was hard to breathe. I knew what would take that pain away.

Genesis.

But I was too angry to ask for it. Too ashamed to fall to my knees in front of a mere mortal and beg for her to end the pain by allowing me one solitary drop of her blood.

As if on cue, another bag of blood hit me in the head.

Alex must have sensed my mood.

I bit into it and looked away from Genesis's horrified expression.

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!
Want to be kept up to date on new releases? Text MAFIA to 66866!
You can connect with her on Facebook www.facebook.com/rachelvandyken  or join her fan group Rachel's New Rockin Readers. Her website is www.rachelvandykenauthor.com .

Links:

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon Author Page ~ Newsletter

Sunday Post: Weekly Wrap-Up (9.20)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news, recap the past week on your blog, showcase books, share upcoming news, etc. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme. 

What I Read Last Week:

 
 
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
The Dark Ones by Rachel Van Dyken
Falling for Max by Shannon Stacey
Hard as Steel by Laura Kaye

My Reviews Last Week:

 
 
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (my 5 star review)
Unwind by Neal Schusterman (my 5 star review)
Treasured by Thursday by Catherine Bybee (my 4.5 star review)
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (my 2 star review)

What I'm Listening To:

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

What I'm Currently Reading:

Love Me Later by Libby Rice