Spotlight; Love, Alchemy by Eden Ashley + giveaway

 Love, Alchemy

by Eden Ashley
Genre: New Adult Romance/Fantasy
July 1, 2016
ASIN: B01ENMA95G
Number of pages: 300
Word Count: 60,000
Cover Artist: Laura Gordon
Daveigh Little is preparing for college, planning to leave behind the tiny hick town she’s spent her entire life in once and for all. But plagued by a trouble at home and school, Daveigh makes a series of bad choices that land her in hot water with a local kingpin. Suddenly, people around her are dying and Daveigh finds herself on the run.

And then there’s Ethan. Fresh out of the academy, Ethan Remington represents the authority Daveigh has come to despise, but she is inexplicably drawn to the handsome rookie of few words. From the first moment she laid eyes on him, Daveigh knew Ethan was different. She just didn’t realize how different. Reasons of his own have led Ethan into the tangle strands of danger with the town of Harpey…but those reasons aren’t nearly as mysterious as Ethan’s origins or the irresistible passion between them.

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Excerpt: Remington

The rusted chains squeaked in rhythm with the swing’s low arc. Somewhere in the distance, a raven cawed. Leaves fluttered about in a crisp breeze, adding soft whispers to the existing melody. Davey sat and let momentum propel her higher, trying to quell the thunder inside her mind as she thought of how things used to be.

Palmer hadn’t taken her home. Davey would never allow that. Instead, he dropped her off at the old, abandoned home of a dead woman who everyone in town used to love. A trail in the backyard twisted through the woods for about a mile and then ended in Resting Pines, a trailer park containing over a dozen single-wide mobile homes all in desperate need of repair. Every day, just as dark started to fall, Davey abandoned her thoughts and the swing set to take the path to trailer number six.

“Hello.”

She hadn’t heard anyone walk up, so when the male voice called out the low greeting, Davey was startled. She turned around, saw the navy blue uniform, and almost bolted. Her eyes narrowed in recognition, but she didn’t relax. “No one’s breaking the law around here,” she said. “You can go away.”

The cop kept walking toward her. His mirrored aviators hung from his shirt pocket, so this time, Davey could see his eyes. They were a deep grey and reminded her of a sky considering a heavy rain. He was fairly tall. It was easy to see that his uniform hid a well-muscled body, one that probably looked damn hot naked. Had Remington not represented the type of authority Davey loathed, she might have considered him good-looking.

Losing interest, she turned in the swing. The cop was unwelcome, so Davey intended to ignore him. If he didn’t take the hint and go, she would. It was getting close to dark anyway.

Again, his voice broke through her thoughts. “What is a creeper?”

Davey started to spin around until she realized Remington was already in front of her. “Dude, what’s your problem?”

“As of right now, all systems are functioning normally.”

“You sound like a freaking robot.”

Laughing easily, Remington crouched down. It put him below eye-level, since she was still sitting in the swing. “Sorry.” He ran a hand through a high-fade of thick, dark brown hair. “I’m straight out of officer training. Before that it was military school. I may seem a bit stiff at times.”

Davey nodded slowly. “You’re a rookie.”

“Yes.”

“Great.” She pasted an unfriendly smile onto her face. “That’s exactly what this town needs.”

“I sense you are being sarcastic.”

“Wow. You’re probably going to make detective soon.”

For a moment, his brow creased in confusion. Then Remington looked away. Davey regretted making fun of him. He really didn’t seem like a bad guy. “Look,” she said, “it’s nothing personal. Today has just been kind of tough. That’s all.”

“Today has been rough for me as well. The department likes to have fun with the new kids.”

Glancing at the sky, Davey stood up. It was time to go. Officer Remington got to his feet as well. His grey eyes held her in place. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

She studied him for a long time. “A creeper is someone who does weird stuff like watch people sleep or bring up crazy stuff normal people wouldn’t talk about.”

He grinned. “Or stares at someone for extended periods of time?”

Maybe Remington wasn’t so clueless. Davey resisted the smile tugging at her mouth. “Yeah,” she replied shortly and started walking toward the trail.

“What’s your name?” he called.

Davey turned but kept walking backward. “If I meet you again, I’ll tell you.”

She had no idea she would see Officer Remington again before the night ended.

About the Author:
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Realist, cynic, and hopeless romantic all rolled into one, Eden lives in a small, sunny town in SC where thunderstorms inspire her best ideas. When not daydreaming about her next novel, Eden can be found curled up with a musty old paperback and a cup of coffee...or mired deeply in her next plot to take over the world. She enjoys reading or watching anything with supernatural elements, so writing paranormal and fantasy romance is a natural fit.

Tour giveaway

One $25 Starbucks Gift Card (Because what goes better with books than coffee?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Keepers & Killers by Donna Augustine + int giveaway (ends 9/3)

Keepers and Killers (Alchemy, #2)
by Donna Augustine
The story of Jo and Cormac continues on in this fast paced drama.

It's very hard to work with someone who tried to murder me. But when the mysterious senator reappears on the scene, I'm desperate enough to take whatever help I can get, even if it is from Cormac. Dealing with him is nothing compared to losing a few hundred lives and that's the best case scenario. Worst case? I lose them all.

(right now there is an international giveaway going on for signed copies of book 1 and 2 here)

I reviewed book #1 The Killers recently (here) and was blown away by the story and characters, especially the lead protagonist Jo Davids. I think I said it pushed all my UF buttons. Well, book #2 pushed all my buttons and rang my bell! I adore Jo’s character and the fact that she has stuck to her convictions and not jumped into the bed of the man who had her shot... yet. I can’t wait for her to finally forgive and fu… er, I mean forget because the slow simmering sexual tension between these two is killing me. Cormac is a quiet and powerful alpha male who doesn't need to prove himself. Everyone just knows. Jo and Cormac remind me a little of Kate and Curran’s dynamic. If you love the Kate Daniels series then The Alchemy series is for you.

Since this is written in the first POV of Jo we are slowly learning about the hidden alternate universe and magic right along with her. The story unravels at a perfect pace and there is all kinds of suspense building as the characters head towards a surprising end, and Jo discovers her connection to magic is more than anyone could have guessed. Augustine’s prose is clean and tight making for a quick read. Thank goodness it does end because I would still be immersed in Jo’s life right now with no intention of stopping. Yeah, I’m a fan <G> and you will be too once you get a taste of Jo’s wit and Cormac’s… mojo. I talk about the romance a lot, but this story is definitely UF, which means I am more hung up on the topic than Jo and Cormac are.

The ending isn’t a cliff hanger, but the world has been broken; all the rules have changed, and so will the relationships between Jo, her new friends, and Cormac. Please let that woman get laid, she deserves it!

Quote-a-licious-ness: why I love Jo

Not that he came off as ill mannered, but there was something just beneath the surface that picked at my senses in the most disconcerting way and whispered of baser origins.“Aren’t all of you people really old? That’s what Tracker told me. So, are you like chivalrous type old? Or are you club a girl over the head old?” I watched his stone expression, which didn’t crack a bit.
“Because between the shooting and now the hitting, I’m starting to harbor some suspicions about what era you people really come from. Chemists, my ass.”

Then he turned toward me. “You. Don’t leave this casino.” I watched him walk from the garage.I've never been good at following directions. All you have to do it look at my Ikea bureau with the crooked drawers to figure that one out.

The guy had shot me, then flirted with my best friend, then stole my trailer and the funniest thing was I couldn't decide which of those was the worse deed.”

“Cell service came back after we’d gotten about five miles away from the space hole. ‘Space hole’ wasn’t the most creative name for it, but it was better than goddamn mother f***ing thing that popped a hole in my world. Even shortening that into an acronym would still have been a tongue twister, so space hole would have to do.”

“See? He does make a pretty good case sometimes, even for being an idiot,” Dodd said softly to me.
“Whatever. He’s still a dick,” I whispered back.
“A dick with really good hearing.” Rogo said from across the length of the table.
I didn't apologize. He was a dick.

5 “trailer living” Sheep

Sharon Stogner

Where to find the Author:

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Alpha Male Diner: Immortal Alchemist by Donna Augustine + International giveaway

PNR author Donna Augustine stopped by the diner to whip up a dish of Cormac, the sexy alpha male Alchemist from her Alchemy series. I read book #1 The Keepers and absolutely loved it and Cormac (review here). Book #2 Keepers and Killers is out now and I can't wait to have some more. Come on in and have a taste!

Cormac (Immortal Alchemist)

recipe by Donna Augustine

Keepers & Killers (Alchemy #2)

*Two hundred and forty lbs of tan muscle
*Midnight black hair
*Pale ice blue eyes
*A heaping dose of arrogance
*Bone deep loyalty and cutthroat ruthlessness in equal measures

Serve with extreme caution. This is a hard dish to master and can turn deadly at any given moment. Best if handled with care and only in the right hands.

Taste Test

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Taking a shower before we leave."
"Sleep for a while."
"I'll sleep in the truck on the way."
I watched as he shut the door to my room and slowly closed the distance to where I stood. He didn't say anything but he didn't need to. He didn't rush at me, but purposely took his time, and I realized he was making me silently acknowledge that I wanted him when I didn't move, just waited.
One arm curved around my back as his other cupped my neck, and his lips slowly sucked my lower one before he completely covered mine. And I wanted him, right then and there.
Then he pulled back.
"What are you doing?" I asked as he walked toward the door.
"Giving you time."
"Why?"
"Because there is no turning back, so you better be sure."
Then it hit me. "Because of the contract."
He paused by the door, his eyes intent, and he shook his head. "No, because of who I am. Once I get what I want, I don't let it go."

Keepers and Killers (Alchemy, #2)by Donna Augustine
The Alchemy Series, Book #2: 

The story of Jo and Cormac continues on in this fast paced drama.

It's very hard to work with someone who tried to murder me. But when the mysterious senator reappears on the scene, I'm desperate enough to take whatever help I can get, even if it is from Cormac. Dealing with him is nothing compared to losing a few hundred lives and that's the best case scenario. Worst case? I lose them all.

Where to find the Author:

Website
Facebook 
Twitter 

GIVEAWAY

one winner will get a signed copy of Book #1 AND Book #2!

International!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: The Keepers by Donna Augustine

The Keepers (Alchemy #1)
By: Donna Augustine 

Two days ago, Jo Davids was a waitress by night and a college kid by day, with the unnerving problem of things floating around her. 

One day ago, Jo's sexy boss, Cormac, noticed her for all the wrong reasons when she witnessed a man transform into a monster in the basement of his casino.

Today, Cormac ordered her shot. If he's real lucky, she won't die. Because if she does, all hope is lost.

**disclaimer**

Author Donna Augustine has a paid Ad for this book in the left side bar. She gave me a copy for an honest review. Under most circumstances I wouldn't post my review on the site so no one could question my motivations, but this is a damn good book and deserves recognition.

I tried to read an earlier story by this author and had to stop after four chapters because it just didn't grab me and the writing was rough around the edges, so I put off reading this one. Now I wish I hadn't. In a genre full of vampires and shifters Donna has written an urban fantasy with a bit of a different flavor. I was hooked instantly and emotionally invested before I knew what hit me. There were things I didn't see coming and the world building used a clever twist of science. You know how they say write the book you want to read? Well, I don’t have to because Donna Augustine did it for me! Readers have certain buttons they hope get pushed while reading a story and this one hit every single one of mine.

I absolutely loved the heroine Jo Davids. She is the typical snarky protagonist with a tortured past found in urban fantasy. What makes her different is the character stays true throughout the whole story. The sexy alpha Cormac doesn't break down her walls and have her jumping in his bed, much to his dismay. Her reactions to what happens around her make sense and feel realistic. And even though Jo is attracted to Cormac it doesn't dominate her every thought which I like because sometimes I want to smack a heroine and say “get a life girlfriend! Or at least a hobby.” <G> You can feel the sexual tension between them as it simmers under the surface, waiting to explode. I think that is sexier than them jumping into bed without a thought to the consequences and lamenting about for the rest of the book.

This is first person POV so you have to love being in the protagonist’s head, which I did. The writing was a little rough in the beginning, but at some point early on it either smoothed out or I was so immersed in Jo’s head I didn't notice. The seriousness and tension at the end of Chapter 4 had me OMGing! Then the beginning of the next chapter had me laughing. It is one of the best chapter segues I've read.

Reviews are subjective. What works for me might not work for you, but I enjoyed the hell out of this story and can’t wait for the next one. Even with a few writing issues I still have to give this 5 Sheep.

Some of my favorite quotes:

“… and he was incredibly handsome in a deeply sexual way. He was nicely over six feet, with broad shoulders encased in a white tuxedo shirt that hung slightly open. But it was the power that seeped from him, not his size that made him alarming to even my senses, not that I’d ever show it, but I felt it in spades. It rolled off him in wave after wave until it practically smothered all my other senses.”

“I guess today I’d see how special I really was. Was I X-men special, or just a little different?”

“I followed him because, as I might have mentioned before, I don’t like desperate people. They tend to do desperate things. Desperate people should be placated until you can get as far away from them as humanly possible, because desperate people had a bad tendency of blowing up and taking you with them.”

“That’s when my shopping spree turned ugly, or awesome, depending on your viewpoint.”

5 "X-Men special" Sheep

 

Sharon Stogner (edit by Kakpar)