Tuesday 29 July 2014

Beautifully Forgotten - New Release




Title: Beautifully Forgotten
Series: Beautifully Damaged #2
Author: L.A. Fiore
 Release Date: July 29, 2014 


SYNOPSIS

Successful restaurateur Lucien Black’s blue-green eyes and unattainable attitude drive women wild. But his abandonment issues and criminal past have left him emotionally closed off. When a familiar face shows up for a job interview at his nightclub, the ache he has tried to forget tears at his heart—it’s the girl who once healed him…and then abandoned him.
Darcy MacBride still remembers Lucien’s delicate touch when they were both wildly in love teenagers. His gorgeous eyes had soothed her hurt after she’d been dumped off at the orphanage where Lucien lived. Darcy felt his jagged edges fit perfectly into her own, and she’d planned to spend the rest of her life with him—until a mysterious man warned her away. Now, fourteen years later, she’s ready to endure the torture of Lucien’s indifference and having him as her boss…just to be near him. But when it seems that they might finally take up where they left off, a devastating secret buried in their past threatens to tear them apart again.

L.A. Fiore’s story of smoldering love recaptures the tormented romance of Beautifully Damaged.



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EXCERPT

Lucien watched as Darcy struggled to get the printer working. Even from his distance he could hear the cursing, which made him smile. It had been a week since their relationship had taken a very pleasant turn. She was still just as feisty as he remembered and it wasn’t hard for him to recall why he had fallen for her in the first place. Their sparring was verbal foreplay and he fucking craved it. His eyes moved over her. Her body was nothing like the one he had known, with curves that his hands itched to touch. Her hair was up, though he preferred it down, and tendrils were falling out of the twist. He remembered vividly the sight of it spread out over his pillow.

He had to admit that she was still just as interesting to him as she had been at fourteen. Despite everything, she was still his Darcy—sweet, witty, and guileless, except at the moment. She looked about ready to torch the printer, so he moved to help her. As he approached, she was actually staring into the paper tray, yelling at the creatures that lived inside it.

He chuckled, which must have taken her by surprise, because she leaped backward and landed on his foot.

“Fuck!” he cursed.

“Sorry.”

He looked down at her strappy sandals with heels high enough to stake a vampire and had a vision of those legs draped over his shoulders. Instantly, he was hard.

“I was going to offer to help you. The printer can be temperamental, but now I’m bleeding out from a stab wound.”

She didn’t miss a beat. “It probably didn’t even break the skin. What is it you guys say? Rub some dirt into it.”

He eyed her shoes. “Those things should be listed as lethal weapons.”

“Hardly. There are far cheaper ways to kill someone.” She bent to stare into the printer again and Lucien took the opportunity to check out the curve of her ass in the little black skirt she wore.

“Stop checking out my ass and help me.”

Not at all repentant for getting caught staring, he replied easily, “It’s a paper jam.”

He thought he was being helpful and when she straightened slowly, he entertained the notion that she was struggling with the need to throw herself into his arms in gratitude.

One look at her face, though, and he knew he wasn’t going to be copping a feel.

“Your powers of deduction are astounding. Seriously, you should give a seminar on mastering the obvious.”

He tried not to laugh, but he lost that battle. And she responded by flaying a layer of skin off him with her sharp tongue.

“I know it’s a paper jam, Sherlock, I just can’t find it.”

“It’s usually in the back,” Lucien said as he reached for the back of the printer, his arm brushing up against her on purpose. Darcy’s inhaled breath in response had his balls tightening. He dislodged the paper and pulled it free.

He turned to her with a smug smile, which she returned with uncanny accuracy before she said, “Thanks. I almost lost my cool.”

“Almost?”

A slight smile touched her lips. “I should go restart my print job.”

“Probably, unless you can get the little men in the printer to do it.”

Brownies.”

“What?”

She laughed. “Not the baked goods, the little mischievous mystical creatures.”

“They live in my printer?”

“Maybe.” She started away, but stopped and turned to him.“Thanks.”

“Have dinner with me tonight.”

She eyed him through her lashes before she said, “You’re on.”

And then she turned and disappeared into her office.





AUTHOR BIO

L.A. Fiore lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with her husband, two children, their dog, two kittens and Willow: their three-legged hamster. Her twin sister lives right down the street and being a seasoned zombie hunter, there is comfort knowing when the zombie apocalypse comes they'll be ready. L.A. loves hearing from readers and can be reached through Facebook at the link below.

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Monday 14 July 2014

Pizzica Pizzica


Pizzica – Italian word meaning to bite, pinch or sting.

I received this beautifully illustrated book from the author – Hayley Egan.  In simple, yet bold colours and pictures, the story enfolds in both English and Italian.  Based on a fable from Italy’s southern region of Apulia, Pizzica Pizzica is a dance ritual providing an antidote to the venom of the Tarantula spider.

What I loved about this story was its connection to my own southern Italian heritage of Calabria.  We know the dance as the Tarantella.  I also loved reading the story in Italian as well as English.  I hope to share the story with my grandson as he gets older.




Hayley Egan is an artist, musician, author and mother of two. She is the author of bilingual children’s book ‘Pizzica Pizzica’, and is currently in the initial stages of her second project.
Her journey with bilingualism commenced in 2003 with travel to Siena, Italy, the beginning of a long and complex relationship with the Italian culture that would involve a degree in Italian studies, raising two bilingual children, and an obsession with food that is probably difficult for some to understand.
In 2008 she moved to Valladolid, Spain where she lived with her partner musician and ethnomusicologist Salvatore Rossano, who founded the international world music/jazz ensemble AzzBand. Both Hayley and Salvatore performed with this group during the 5 years they lived in Spain.
During this time, Hayley also worked as a freelance artist, taught English, studied art history at the University of Salamanca, developed a series of bilingual art workshops for children, and became a mother to Coco, who was born at home in Valladolid.
In 2013 the family moved across the world to Melbourne Australia, where they welcomed Ravi, also born peacefully at home. They now live in a country town outside Melbourne.
Hayley currently dedicates her time to painting, music, picture book making, and her family.

Friday 4 July 2014

A Good Read


4 Stars



An enjoyable read. All tales were interesting and unique with engaging situations and characters. The shorter stories had me wanting more, a testament to the good writing.


Jeanette's 4-stars-plus book montage

An Offer He Can't Refuse
Emily's Affair
Taste
Rough Harbor
The Chosen One
Runaway Heart
Bared to You
Melodies of the Heart
Fifty Shades Freed
Fifty Shades Darker
Fifty Shades of Grey
Anon
Somewhere in Time
House Guest
A Cop, His Wife and Her Best Friend
Hero Of Her Heart
All In Time
Asking for Andre
Almost a Bride
The Fence My Father Built


Jeanette Hornby's favorite books »

Jeanette's bookshelf: diversity

In Love With Death
3 of 5 stars true
I liked the authors take on the Angel of Death and enjoyed learning about the individual characters. The story was interesting and I liked the way the author simplified the subject matter. With a little more editing and polishing, this ...
tagged: from-dec-2011-to-now and diversity
An Offer He Can't Refuse
4 of 5 stars true
A thoroughly enjoyable tale. I liked the characters and the situation they were in. A good read for romance lovers.
tagged: from-dec-2011-to-now, 4-stars, diversity, and favourites
All In Time
4 of 5 stars true
An interesting and enjoyable story. I would have liked the unique events to unravel slower and continue longer, but overall, the tale was quite engrossing. A good read.
tagged: from-dec-2011-to-now, 4-stars, and diversity
Bloodtrail
4 of 5 stars true
An intricately woven vampire tale that keeps you wanting more. The historical and scientific content was unique and engrossing. I particularly liked the way the author separated each character's story in the beginning and then tied the...
tagged: diversity, 4-stars, and from-dec-2011-to-now
House Guest
4 of 5 stars true
A short, creepy and enthralling story. The development of the main character and situation was strangely enjoyable. A good read.
tagged: from-dec-2011-to-now, 4-stars, and diversity

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