This blog is for those 18 and older.

Monday, August 31, 2020

READER INTERVIEW ~ Denise 😀

Today, I am thrilled to be interviewing Denise Sherman, who currently resides in Oregon.


Lexi: What is your favorite color?
Denise: Purple 💜

Lexi: Do you have any pets?
Denise: 1 dog, 1 cat, 2 Crown Tail Beta, and 11 fish

Lexi: Are you single or in a relationship?
Denise: Married

Lexi: Do you have a preference between e-books or paperbacks? Why?
Denise: I like both because when I go somewhere I can have a full library to choose from.  And with hardback or paperback, I can read it as a back-up choice.


Lexi: How often do you read?
Denise: Daily

Lexi: How many books a month do you read?
Denise: Somewhere between 8 and 10, depending on their length.


Lexi: What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Denise: Eat breakfast.

Lexi: If you could re-do one thing from your past what would it be?
Denise: I would not have jumped off a small embankment and injured my left knee.

Lexi: If you could visit the past or the future, what time period would you go to?
Denise: I would go back in time so that I could see my mom and she had her vision.  I would bring pictures of my kids so she could see how they turned out.  Because in present time, my mom is in heaven.

Lexi: What kind of music do you enjoy?
Denise: I love listening to Pop-Rock, Country, and Classic Rock (Van Halen, ZZ Top, etc.)

Lexi: Do you have a favorite quote or saying?
Denise: Live...Love...Laugh! It has always been a favorite of mine.

Lexi: How many children, grandchildren, great grandchildren all total do you have?
Denise: I have 2 of my own and 2 step-daughters with 4 grandchildren (1 girl and 3 boys).

Lexi: Okay, it's time for the quickies:

High heels or boots?  Boots
Cats or dogs?  Dogs
Hero with long hair or short?  Short
Blonde heroine or brunette?  Blond
Tattoos or no tattoos?  Tattoos
Pajamas or naked?  Pajamas
Gown or sundress?  Sundress
Diamonds or pearls?  Diamonds
Hiking or swimming?  Swimming
Perennials or Annuals?  Perennials
Sweet or Salty?  Sweet

Lexi: Awesome!  Thank you, Denise, for chatting with me.  It was great learning more about you. 😊




Sunday, August 30, 2020

New Release ~ THE BLOOD KING by Abigail Owen








The Blood King
(Inferno Rising #2)
by Abigail Owen







“What could be better than a smoking hot dragon shifter and a kickass phoenix? Throw in complex world building and a sizzling attraction and you have a sizzling dragon ride from beginning to end.  A fun, thrilling romance for anyone who loves paranormal.”  ~NY Times Bestselling Author, Alexandra Ivy







Book Blurb ~ 

Ruthless dragon king Ladon Ormarr must keep his throne—and his people—safe from the cruel High King at all costs. With war on the horizon, he’ll need a miracle to protect his clan. Luckily, the fates have dropped the irresistible Skylar Amon right into his lap.


Or so he thought. Because the last thing this phoenix wants is him.

A phoenix mate is the ticket to securing his throne, but this fiery Amon sister detests Ladon, doesn’t stick to protocols, and regularly offends his warriors and advisers.

Skylar also has no intention of sticking around, nor does she believe in the whole destined-mates thing. But if it means taking out the High King who murdered her parents, she’ll put up with the too-sexy-for-her-sanity Ladon…temporarily.

Their mating bond may make them want to tear off their clothes, but outside the bedroom…well, Ladon is positive the fates hate him. Just as he starts to win over the mercurial phoenix, everything goes to hell when the High King makes his final move. And Ladon will burn down the world to keep the mate he is unwilling to live without.



Book Buy Links  ~





~ Take a peek inside  ~


Skylar remained where she was on the floor, rubbing at her throat and glaring at the others with those bright, watercolor blue eyes. At least her skin had turned less sallow. Seconds ago, her pallor had him…concerned.

Ladon did his best to push adrenaline, along with the burning need to claim her immediately, down deep in his gut, though it tested the limits of his control. He gave the members of his guard—his closest friends—as well as the advisors who made up his Curia Regis, a sharp nod and waited in silence while they filed out.

Brand sat, too, saying nothing, probably sensing the dangerous edge on which Ladon’s emotions balanced.

“Damage my future mate like that again, and I’ll rip your arms out of their sockets.” The warning slid from Ladon. He couldn’t have held it back even if he wanted to. Not that he wanted to.

Still on the floor, Skylar’s back stiffened. “I’m not your future anything, asshole.”

“Not helping,” Kasia said pointedly, adding a glare at him for effect.

Shit. Where’d his control go? He’d just been telling himself to cool it with the claiming language. Ladon clamped down on more words.

Kasia held out her hands and pulled Skylar to her feet, allowing Ladon a view of Skylar’s face. His body tensed in reaction. Now that he had a chance to study her, he couldn’t deny her beauty. Darker and sharper than her sister, those glacial eyes a striking contrast to her midnight hair, her skin a darker shade than Kasia’s paleness, and those lips…

Kasia focused on her sister, her gaze settling. “I love you, but you got this totally wrong.”

Given her attitude so far, Ladon waited for an immediate rejection, but Skylar didn’t speak for a long beat, searching Kasia’s eyes. “My sources informed me that a rogue dragon kidnapped you and dragged you here to mate you to a king. Brand is the rightful King of the Gold Tthrone, right? He killed Uther, and apparently at least some gold dragons now bear Brand’s mark on their hands, which makes him king. A king you’re mated to. Am I wrong?”

Kasia sent a smiling glance at Brand. “You got it mostly right, but what you missed was that I didn’t mate the king I was intended to.”

Skylar turned those ice-blue eyes on Ladon. As realization dawned, her lips quirked. “What happened, big boy? Couldn’t close the deal?”

Ladon held her glance with an unaffected stare, hiding his reaction. Why the hell was her insulting him so amusing? 







 ~ Interested in more dragons?  ~

Crossover Series – Fire’s Edge

Love the kings and clans of the Inferno Rising series? Wonder what’s happening over in the colonies where Enforcers protect and defend dragon shifter’s way of life? Check them out in Abigail’s Fire’s Edge crossover series!







~ Author Bio  ~


Award-winning paranormal romance author, Abigail Owen, grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. She attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.


No matter the genre, she loves to write witty, feisty heroines, sexy heroes who deserve them, and a cast of lovable characters to surround them (and maybe get their own stories). She currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own personal hero, her husband, and their two children, who are growing up way too fast.


~ Find me here  ~



About the book  ~
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, Amara
Author: Abigail Owen
Cover Art: Bree Archer
Page Count: 400
Word Count: 101k
Release Date: 8.25.2020
Steam Rating: Hot

Friday, August 28, 2020

COWBOY, FIREFIGHTER & HERO Sweepstakes by BookSweeps ~ Now LIVE!

 


Happy Friday! Today I have something fun to share with you.  I have teamed up with 50+ fantastic authors to giveaway a huge collection of Hero Romances to 2 lucky winners!

Oh, and did I mention the Grand Prize winner gets a BRAND NEW eReader?

You can win my novel, Cowboy’s Match, plus books from authors like J.H. Croix, Tessa Layne, Regan Black, Sharon Hamilton, Nicole Flockton, and many more.


You can enter the giveaway by clicking on the below link – 

https://www.booksweeps.com/giveaway/august-2020/hero-romance/

*Contest ends on Wednesday, September 2nd.


Good luck to everyone!

~ Lexi 😊




Wednesday, August 26, 2020

When Things Go Wrong

 

  Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well!

            This week, I’m going to talk about dealing with the unexpected. Now, you all know I live in the great state of ArizonaPhoenix, actually. You know it’s hot here in the summer (if you’ve read this blog before, then you know I’ve complained about the heat. Seriously, sometimes, it’s like sticking your head in a blast furnace!). So, knowing this, you probably know how important it is to have an air conditioner in good working order when it’s 115 degrees outside.

            Last Sunday, I was finishing up the dinner dishes when I realized how warm I was (now, this is not unusual….I’m often warmer than others and believe it or not, I can tell the difference in the house when the temperature goes from 77 to 78). So, last Sunday….as I said, I was finishing up the dishes and noticed that I was sweating. I shouldn’t be sweating when the temperature in the house is 77…so I looked at my thermostat and it was flashing (usually doesn’t do this) and the temperature was 84. And then….it died. The entire system just shut down. Not good.

            I called the repair guy (fortunately for me, I just found a new company to do twice-yearly maintenance and I had a contract). Nothing they could do on a Sunday night at that hour, but I would be the first call on Monday morning. By the time Monday morning rolled around, it was 92 degrees in the house (yes, I had all the windows open and all the fans going, but it was still like living in an oven). I learned that I blew a fuse. No big deal. Fuse and connector board replaced, cool air blowing once again. Yay!


            
Not so fast….Wednesday, I noticed again the change in temperature from 77 to 78 then 79 then 80. Not good. Another call. Apparently, when th
e new connector board was installed, it made the thermostat go back to factory settings. Now, I never set all those different options. Never had to….set the thermostat on 77 and don’t touch it. I don’t need it to go up or down if I’m not home (one of the settings is “away” and you can raise the temperature if you’re not going to be home). I don’t change the temperature when I sleep either. Nope, I’m one of those….like I said, I set it and don’t touch it. However, reverted back to factory settings, the temperature was all over the place and I couldn’t make it stay at what I wanted. Got a new thermostat. A simple one without all the bells and whistles. There’s five settings. Cool, Off, Heat, temperature up, temperature down. That’s what I want.

            Thursday, it was nice and cool in the house and things were running fine. Friday afternoon, noticed it was blowing warm air and then, it stopped again. Really?!?!? After the horrible night I spent on Sunday (slept maybe two hours total while roasting in my house), I knew I couldn’t do it again (I was actually physically ill and light-headed from the heat). Didn’t want to do it again. And I worried about the dogs….they were hot, too! Thought about staying with a friend, thought about getting a hotel room, thought about just sitting on the floor and crying (though that’s not my way). So, called repair again. I was really lucky they could make it out that evening and fix the problem (simple fix, thankfully).

            So, now, it’s Sunday and so far, so good, but I gotta tell you, I am so paranoid. I keep checking the thermostat, keeping putting my hand up to the register to make sure it’s still blowing cool air, keep listening for the sound of the air to turn on. But I’ve learned several lessons….one, and the most important, is to have a maintenance agreement on your system. Two, find people you trust who can fix these things when they break. Three, have a back up plan so you don’t have to live in an oven while you’re waiting for things to get fixed and the last thing I learned? It’s okay to cry when things go wrong. It relieves the stress of the situation. And that’s my sad story of the past week. Hope yours was much better!

Remember, spread kindness wherever you go. A smile can go a long way (even with your mask on). Stay safe, stay well.

Monday, August 24, 2020

An enchanting sweet romance and more!

For a limited time, When Rio Surrenders is free! Claim your copy before it goes back to regular price. And scroll down for even more book savings.


Rule #1: Don’t date staff . . . or gym members . . . or my sister’s friends.

 

Rio lives by his rule.

 

When Gina joins his gym and befriends his sister, Rio’s grasp on the rule begins to slip. Smart, sexy, and sweet, Gina turns Rio’s attention quickly. But Rio isn’t about to break his rule. So, he hires her instead.

 

Gina is now in all three no-date categories and completely off limits.

 

He’s safe.

 

However, Gina has a little secret, and it could mean the end to Rio’s business and his heart.

 

Is falling for Gina the best decision Rio makes or the worst? 


Get When Rio Surrenders!



Now for the MORE part. Do you want even more free books? Check out Just for Giggles! It's a humorous cozy mystery giveaway happening until the end of August.



Go get your free books now!


Sunday, August 23, 2020

Pre-Order Now ~ DAMAGED by Riley Edwards







Damaged

(Triple Canopy, Book 1)

by

Riley Edwards





She promised her love would set him free. He promised he’d break her. They were both right.




Blurb ~


Brady Hewitt was all too familiar with the horrors of war. They clung to him, or maybe he clung to them, using the nightmares as an excuse to keep others at bay—especially his boss’s daughter, Hadley Walker. Beautiful, sexy, ambitious, and forbidden. Not just because the former Special Forces soldier respected her father and liked his job. She was too good for him—all sunshine and smiles while he was darkness and filth.

Hadley Walker knew all about love—how it felt, its power, and its ability to heal. Her parents taught her first, then her uncles, cousins, and siblings. Her family taught her something else—never quit, never retreat, and never turn your back on those you love. Hadley’s mission was simple—convince the man she’d fallen in love with to take a chance. But winning the battle wouldn’t be simple. Brady Hewitt was as stubborn as he was traumatized, clutching to his demons and refusing to let them go. Though Hadley’s persistence gave her a tactical advantage—the more she pushed, the more he wanted to believe.

Just as Hadley’s winning the war, with Brady teetering on the edge of all the beauty they could share, disaster strikes. Ugliness wraps itself around Brady’s heart and he shuts down. Leaving Hadley with one last question: who was right—her or Brady?

Does love conquer all, or are there some nightmares that never let go? 



Damaged, releases August 25, 2020



Buy Link ~ Amazon

Available in KU


"Riley Edwards is the queen of suspense! She knows just how to grab a reader and not let go! I recommend every single one of her books!"
~Susan Stoker, NYT Bestselling Author


★★★★★ Review for Damaged ~
 "Wow, wow, wow!! This book is amazing!! Riley always knows how to weave a reader right into the story! Hadley and Brady are quite the pair. Always in love yet never willing to acknowledge it." ML Goodreads ~ 


 ~ About the Author ~

Riley Edwards is a USA Today Bestselling author, wife, and military mom. Riley was born and raised in Los Angeles but now resides on the east coast with her fantastic husband and children.

Riley writes heart-stopping romance with sexy alpha heroes and even stronger heroines. Riley's favorite genres to write are romantic suspense and military romance.

Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter and never miss another release, sale, or exclusive bonus material.   https://www.subscribepage.com/RRsignup



Let's Connect ~






Friday, August 21, 2020

Veronica Reviews ~ THE WIDOW OF ROSE HOUSE by Diana Biller









The Widow of Rose House

by

Diana Biller




★3 Stars
Historical Fiction/Romance





“They were two sides of the same story.  That’s what he’d been waiting for…the other side of his story.  And now he very much thought he might have found her.”


Fleeing her abusive husband, Alva Webster believes she has finally found safety by returning to New York.  Once word of her husband’s death and the scandal attached to their marriage reaches the newspapers and gossip columns, Alva perceivers to hold her head high, and make a life for herself.  Purchasing a mansion in the Hyde Park area, Alva pitches to a publisher on how she could restore and write a book on architecture and design that everyone would benefit from reading.  What she didn’t count on was the house being tainted of tales of ghostly hauntings…and one very handsome and persistent Professor Samuel Moore.

Absent minded Professor Samuel Moore is widely known for his engineering brilliance.  When he hears that the Liefdehuis mansion has been purchased, he makes it his mission to get the owner to grant him permission to attempt to contact the spirits housed within.  But when he discovers that the owner is non-other than the infamous Mrs. Webster, Sam becomes fascinated with her strength and will to rise above scandal to make her own way in the world…and Sam is determined she won’t do it alone. 

While their romance may have started in an unconventional manner, Alva and Sam work together to unlock the ghostly secrets bound to the house.  And little by little, Sam works towards getting Alva to share not only her own secrets, but her heart as well.

Now, rating/reviewing this story is a wee bit difficult for this reader.  While I found the beginning and end quite enjoyable, the middle dragged on too much for me.  Professor Moore’s character was my favorite, and I enjoyed how the author weaved his absent-mindedness into a delightfully charming quirk.  

Diana Biller’s debut novel The Widow of Rose House is perfect for fans of Victorian/Gothic Romance.  Overall, the story was good and well written, and I’d recommend to fans of this genre!

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **



Sharing what I love, Veronica