You could say Brooke Blaine was a book-a-holic from the time she knew how to read; she used to tell her mother that curling up with one at 4 a.m. before
elementary school was her ‘quiet time.’ Not much has changed except for the espresso I.V. pump she now carries around and the size of her onesie pajamas.
Now that she has written a raunchy story about a sex addict with her best friend that has scarred her conservative southern family for life, she can mark
it off her bucket list. Brooke’s first novel, Flash Point, released in July 2015, and Licked is expected to drop in the fall of 2015, as long as the
chocolate and coffee hold out.
If you’d like to get in touch with her, she’s easy to find - just keep an ear out for the Rick Astley ringtone that’s dominated her cell phone for ten
years.
Ella Frank is a #1 Amazon Bestselling Author. She writes both contemporary and erotic fiction and is best known for her Exquisite Series and Temptation
Series.
The minute she began her love affair with reading she became an avid supporter of the romance genre and has never looked back.
Ella is Australian born and bred but currently resides in Oregon with her husband.
The Witch of Portobello
Paulo Coelho
Harper Collins May 15, 2007
320 Pages
Source: Library
**** Stars GoodreadsAmazon | Barnes & Noble
How do we find the courage to always be true to ourselves—even if we are unsure of whom we are? That is the central question of international bestselling author Paulo Coelho's profound new work, The Witch of Portobello. It is the story of a mysterious woman named Athena, told by the many who knew her well—or hardly at all.
My Review
I read this book in one sitting. That's how captivated I was with the character. When I first started reading, I really and truly thought it was meant to be an autobiography. Only when I got to the end, did I realize that-duh! It was all a part of the storytelling. Nope, I don't feel foolish at all! I very much enjoyed Mr. Coelho's writing. Learning about Athena in past tense, through stories told by the people who knew her; I think that's what kept me engaged in the story. She's like some mythical, mystical creature that aroused so many people to delve into the unknown, unexplored parts of themselves. Never staying too long, only long enough to turn your world upside down and then vanish into the night. While everyone is left wondering if they were trapped in some weird dream.
It's not very often that I read a book that leaves me pondering after I've completed it. I was truly bewitched with the storytelling! And boy did it leave me wondering...was she just some crazy woman? Did she really posses the powers she believed she had? I guess to answer my own question she did believe it. Otherwise she wouldn't have garnered such a following. Aside from the story itself, I could feel the message Mr. Coelho wove into the plot. The messages of 'power of intention' and 'believe and you will achieve' were loud and clear. It was quite empowering given the main character is a woman.
I'm glad I picked this up. A unique story told with an equally unique and talented voice. With substance, depth and a natural enigmatic quality The Witch of Portobello is one all fans of literary fiction will devour.
Avery Dare lives a quiet life in Miami as an online fashion/makeup video blogger. She has good friends, a close, large family and if her love life is lacking, she likes it that way. But when she receives an invitation to one of her ex's concerts along with an invitation to meet him back stage, she decides to take the risk... and comes face to face with the reality of his rock star lifestyle - the press, the crowds, and the half-naked groupies.
At eighteen, Grey Kingston left everything he knew and loved behind to seek fame and fortune as a rock star, and he found it as the lead guitarist and singer for the band, Tangled Royal. Fans adore him, women throw themselves at him, and he can afford everything he couldn't growing up. Yet at the height of his career, he's ready to walk away and return home to a simpler life... and the woman he left behind, if he can convince her to give him another chance.
Except moving on isn't as easy as Grey would like. When Avery is threatened by a stalker, it becomes evident Grey's fans not only don't want him to retire, they don't want Avery in his life either. And Avery isn't sure she wants the pressures that are part of Grey's life... but she doesn't want to lose him again, either. Can their recently renewed love survive the fallout?
More than 20 authors will be sharing their best and worst pick-up lines during this EPIC eReader Giveaway! Win dozens of prizes, including swag packs, print or eBooks, gift cards, tote, posters, themed prizes, etc...and of course, a grand prize of four (4) eReaders!
Today we are featuring some exclusive content for the HOT IN THE HAMPTONS series! This series includes the titles SUMMER DREAMING by Liz Matis, SUMMER TEMPTATION by Wendy S. Marcus, and SUMMER SINS by Jennifer Probst.
The HOT IN THE HAMPTONS series
will be released tomorrow - Tuesday, August 4th.
Read below for an exclusive excerpt from each of the novellas, and enter to win an amazing prize pack during the pre-order giveaway! ———
I’m looking for a hero. Not.
You’d think as a new college grad I’d be looking for the perfect job and the
perfect man. Well, I’m not. Summer is here and instead of plotting my future,
I’m playing in the Hamptons with my two best friends. Sun and sex is all I’m
looking for. Then I meet Sean Dempsey, my fantasy lifeguard in the flesh. But
he is more than just a hot bod with a whistle. And after he makes a daring save,
I’m thinking a hero is exactly what I’ve been looking for all along.
To the rescue… By day I guard the beaches in the Hamptons, by night I’ve had my fair share
of summer flings. Then I meet Kelsey Mitchell, a girl with eyes like the setting
sun and I burn for more. Something I have no right to ask of her…forever.
From my spot in the parking lot, I whistled at the rare beauty. Sleek and sexy, the sunlight shone off her curves. She hummed like a dream. Man, I wanted to take her for a long, fast ride.
Then like something out of a wet dream, she slid out of the dark blue 1968 Mustang Shelby GT.
I was a breast man, pure and simple. As a lifeguard for six years, I’d seen plenty. From small and perky to large and full, I didn’t discriminate. I loved the feel of the soft flesh in my hands and the way they felt pressed against my chest during sex. Loved the gentle moan of a woman responding to my mouth sucking on her nipple.
The blonde, though, had her breasts hiding behind a gold t-shirt. In white lettering the word ‘Angel’ stretched across the front. For my sake, I hoped that wasn’t true.
Because the white micro-mini skirt she wore left her long, shapely legs bare. An image of those legs wrapped around me, pulling me in deeper, revved my engines.
A woman who could handle the piece of American muscle she drove could definitely handle mine.
Man, I wanted to take the blonde for a long, slow ride.
I had to meet the owner of the hot rod and of that smoking bod, but I had no business pursuing a relationship. With the promise to my parents to wait four years fulfilled, at this summer’s end I’d be sweating it out in basic training, then heading off to God only knew. Luckily most rich girls didn’t seem to have a problem with a summer fling with a local who wasn’t husband material. I’d learned that the hard way. Twice. With a car worth about a hundred grand, she had to be loaded. She’d break my heart without a thought. Three times a charm.
Unable to stop myself, I jumped out of my Jeep and followed her into the drugstore. Spotting the flowing mane of hair, I covertly entered the next aisle over and pretended to shop. I’d been with plenty of blondes, but she didn’t seem like the typical stuck up, wealthy Hampton summer resident. I liked that she wasn’t overly made up like all the girls who descended on my hometown each summer. I doubted she thought about makeup before hitting the beach. She was…what was the word? Breezy. Natural. Mine.
She looked up, our gazes meeting over the shelving that separated the aisle. Despite being caught staring, I couldn’t look away. The light brown eyes peeking back at me reminded me of the sun setting over the ocean after a sweltering day.
———
Meet Leigh DeGray...
After graduating college with honors and landing the job of my dreams in New
York City, I’m off to The Hamptons to spend the summer with my two best friends.
My life seems perfect, right? It’s not. The truth is, I have a secret that may make
the future I’d planned so carefully completely fall apart. A hot summer romance is
the absolute last thing I’m looking for... Until I meet a man who tempts me like no
other and shows me a hot summer romance is exactly what I need.
Meet Nick Kenzy...
After two years of working my ass off as a Wall Street analyst, I’m out of a job,
with no warning, no thank you, and no severance. Am I angry? You’re damn right I
am. So when I head to the Hamptons for the weekend to spend time with my
granddad, I plan to regroup and relax before I return to the city to hit the job
search hard. I don’t need any distractions. Then I meet Leigh. Suddenly, a
summer temptation makes me question everything I want for my future...
Being fresh out of college, about to start your dream job, and winding up pregnant isn’t the end of the world, I told myself, again, as I slowed down to avoid rear-ending the car in front of me. I’d survived worse, like losing my mom and older brother in a tragic car accident when I was only twelve years old. Like almost losing Grandpa Carl, who was like a second father to me, after he’d suffered a stroke three months ago and almost losing my dad, the most important person in my world, to a heart attack a few weeks after that.
I could survive being pregnant at the age of twenty-one.
I could raise a child on my own.
If it turned out I was, in fact, pregnant.
Technically, at the moment, I was only late…going on six weeks late, the tardiness of my period unprecedented since my entrance into womanhood. The last few months had been crazy hectic and stressful which surely explained my current…irregularity.
I mean, in addition to dealing with dad’s and grandpa’s health crises, I’d successfully presented final projects and aced final exams to graduate summa cum laude from Penn State. After sending out twenty-nine resumés and attending twenty-seven job interviews in five different states over the past six weeks, I’d landed a coveted position in the NYC office of Hollis and Hamilton, the largest and most prestigious public relations firm in the country. Anyone’s system would be a little messed up after all that.
I glanced in my side mirror, then over my shoulder, before steering into the left lane to pass a truck, wondering how my employer would react to finding out the one new hire they’d allotted themselves, who they’d chosen from hundreds of applicants, was pregnant.
Rather than working long hours and jetting across the country at a moment’s notice, I would soon need time off for doctors’ appointments, maternity leave, and childcare issues. The thought of that conversation sat heavy in my gut – for sure the reason I suddenly felt queasy and in desperate need to escape my car.
———
Summer fun before my wedding...
I have one goal this summer. Hang with my besties for some much needed sun,
sand, and relaxation while I put the final touches on my idyllic wedding. I didn't
count on meeting a smart-mouthed, bad boy biker whose gaze burns hotter than a
beach bonfire. I never planned to lose myself, body and soul, and question my
entire future. Now, I have to make a choice that’s tearing me apart, and could
shatter the lives of the two men I love...
Turns into summer sins....
I have one goal this summer. CHILL. Do nothing. Nada. I need simple before I have
to head into Manhattan to take on a high powered position on Wall Street. I didn't
count on a dark haired, inky- eyed spitfire who'd spin my world upside down, or
make me burn for things I never thought I wanted. I vowed to make her my
summer fling, but had no idea she was claimed by another. And now that she
possessed not only my body but my soul, the stakes are too high for me to lose
her...
I PULLED UP IN MY CHERRY RED CONVERTIBLE, cut the engine, and stared up at my parents’ Hamptons estate where I planned to spend the summer. An odd combination of excitement and unease coursed through me. Probably too much stuff going on at once. After all, not many people graduated from college and got married within a few months. At least, no one that I knew. Worrying I might be making the biggest mistake of my life was normal, right?
I sighed, slid my Tori Burch sunglasses on top of my head, and got out of the car. I hated whining. Drama was okay for a good cause, but endless bitchy whining was completely lame. It wasn’t as if I didn’t love Phillip. He was perfect for me, my best friend, and my parents were banking on bringing our families together to merge a vineyard dynasty. My life kind of reminded me of a late-night soap, a remake on the new Dallas, but with wine instead of oil. The only thing lacking was a hot affair and stinging betrayal.
I grabbed my leopard print luggage, pulled it out of the backseat, then made my way up the patio. My two best girlfriends and co-maids of honor, Kelsey and Leigh, would be spending a few weeks here, and I couldn’t wait. We’d met freshman year at Penn State when we discovered we were all roommates. Packed like sardines into a dorm room meant for two, we’d bonded immediately. They’d become like my sisters, and I hated the idea of us being split up when the summer was over. I pushed the thought out of my mind. No worrying about the future. For now, I had the place to myself to set up, and with my parents and my fiancé, Phillip, in California, I was finally alone. It was a heady feeling I wanted to savor, since it rarely happened. Kind of embarrassing. Twenty-two years old, and I’d never been on my own. Even in college, Phillip and my parents were constantly checking on me, showing up with odd visits, and calling consistently about my family’s business, Drink It In Style Vineyards.
But finally I was here, with no maids, cooks, or guardians checking on my well-being. Just an entire summer ahead with my best friends, sun, sand, and relaxation. Amidst planning my wedding, of course, which was only a mere eight weeks away. There may be endless details to confirm, but I intended to have fun and kick back for the first time in a long while.
