[Release Day] Tur and Elsker by ST Bende #Giveaway #Ull

Title: Tur

Series: The Elsker Saga #0.5

Author: S.T. Bende

Genre/Age Range: Paranormal, Romance, New Adult

Release Date: May 29, 2014

Goodreads Link: http://tinyurl.com/kmnttof

Inga Andersson is the envy of every girl in Asgard. On the surface she has it all -- great friends, a job as Odin’s personal fight choreographer, and a happy ever after with her realm’s hottest assassin. But when evil invades Asgard, her perfect world comes crashing down. Someone is planning to kill off the gods, and Inga’s best friend Ull is first on their list. With the Norse apocalypse a nanosecond away, Inga has to decide how she’ll spend her final moments of freedom. Because from the moment this battle begins, Inga’s happily ever after will be nothing more than a memory. 

Some things are worth fighting for.


Title: Elsker
Series: The Elsker Saga #1
Author: S.T. Bende
Genre/Age Range: Paranormal, Romance, New Adult
Release Date: May 29, 2014
Goodreads Link: http://tinyurl.com/lo4y6oz

You don’t win the heart of an immortal assassin without making a few enemies along the way. 

Kristia Tostenson prefers Earl Grey to Grey Goose and book clubs to nightclubs, but when she transfers from her one-stoplight town to Cardiff University in Wales she falls in love with Ull Myhr. Her new boyfriend isn’t exactly what she was expecting. He’s an honest to goodness Norse God - an immortal assassin fated to die at Ragnarok, the battle destined to destroy Asgard and Earth. Kristia’s crazy visions are the only thing that can save their realms. Her orderly life just got very messy. 

Links: Website + Facebook + Twitter + Goodreads

Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, ST Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of the musical Cats. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired the ELSKER series. She hopes her characters make you smile and that one day pastries will be considered a health food.

You can follow ST Bende on Twitter @stbende, or send an e-mail to stbende@gmail.com.

WHAT REVIEWERS ARE SAYING: 

The Amazon bestselling New Adult Paranormal Romance series inspired by Norse mythology and featured in USA Today.

"The characters will leave an imprint on your heart and mind for a long time to come." -Lisa (Bound by Books)

"Bende takes classic bits of Norse mythology and throws in original elements to create her own tasty Nordic blend... I'll definitely be checking out the sequel!" -Bookalicious Reviews

"One of my favorite books of the year." -White Zin Bookends

"Action packed with a heart pounding romance!" -Curse of the Bibliophile

"This book was nearly impossible to put down and I'm dying for the sequel!" -Brittany and Bianca Blab Books (now BiblioBelles)

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Authors Share Their Lucky Nights @KristinaKnight @Henningland @JoAnnAinsworth @STBende

To celebrate the release of my anthology ONE LUCKY NIGHT, I've invited several author friends to share about when they've experienced luck in their life. I hope you enjoy! 

KRISTINA KNIGHT

I am a firm believer that we make our own luck. And by 'making luck' I mean we create goals and work toward those goals to the best of our abilities. But there is still luck involved in that: I can sweat blood over a manuscript but if it hits an editor's desk right after she contracts a similar book…no joy. And I can make sure my self-published titles are edited and formatted as well as possible but if a reader doesn't connect with the characters…sadness.

So while I'm working to the best of my abilities, I'm also looking for those windows of opportunity – or luck.

Sometimes luck comes in dreams. This is going to sound a little bit woo-woo. But this is why I believe in working hard, making your own 'luck' and getting lucky:

Several years ago my husband and I were living in Nebraska – he worked at a local radio station, I worked at a local TV station. He called me one morning and told me he'd had a dream. In his dream, we played a KENO ticket and hit 8 out of 8 numbers (KENO is a lottery game). He said it was crazy but he really thought we should go buy a ticket and play the game that day. I said he was going to think I was crazy but I'd had a dream the night before – about our very conversation.

See? Woo-woo. I played the ticket for $20.

That night we went back to the restaurant where we bought the ticket. And we didn't hit 8 out of 8 numbers.

We hit 7 out of 8.

8 out of 8 would have won us $1000.

By hitting 7 out of 8 we turned our $20 into $475!

$475 isn't the same as winning a Mega Millions or anything…but for us, it was totally cool! 

Find more by visiting http://www.kristinaknightauthor.com

ST BENDE

My Lucky "Mistake"

My publishing journey hasn't exactly been the most straightforward, but I wouldn't change a thing about it. This sometimes farcically bumpy road was one the luckiest ones I've ever stumbled upon. Because along the way, I met this amazing community of readers and writers, who I rely on for pretty-much everything. They are my sounding board, my advice-givers, my beta-readers, and my cheerleaders on the inevitable dark days. I adore y'all, and I'm so grateful I lucked into this little corner of the writing world. Skal!!

http://stbende.blogspot.com

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21874581-elsker

JOANNE AINSWORTH

God was on my side when I left the beauty shop to find my passenger front tire low on air. I took it to Big O to have air added and the technician found a big nail in the tire that needed care right away. I signed in and arranged for the repair and an alignment/balancing before taking myself to lunch at a new Lithuanian restaurant. After a delicious and drawn-out meal of goulash and cabbage salad with Lazy chocolate cake for dessert, I walked back to Big O to be shown a tire with not only a nail but a torn section on the tire (which had been hidden by the metal rim). 

I'd planned a trip to Napa which included a half hour of tight curves. If the tear hadn't been discovered, the tire could have blown on one of those curves.

This got me thinking of other times when Life brought the right person or the right information into my life to prevent disaster. I said a prayerful "thank you" right then and there for those "taps on the shoulder" which keep me out of trouble.

For more, visit:  http://www.joannsmithainsworth.com.

GINA HENNING

My Lucky Night

One of my most memorable lucky nights was the first evening of my honeymoon in Costa Rica. Now hold on, I’m not sharing that kind of story. No, this is about getting lucky with my husband in a different way. We were staying at a resort with a casino on site but our luck wasn't about money. It was about something much different. As soon as we arrived and made our way over the marble floors of this gorgeous hotel, we noticed something a little strange. We were the only ones at the reservation desk. We were the only guests in the lobby and finally the only people in the pool! The resort was empty, other than the hotel staff. Of course, I thought it was a bit odd, but then I ordered a margarita from the swim up bar and realized that it was pretty freaking awesome to have the whole place to ourselves. Part of the reason the hotel was vacant was due to timing, as we were married over Labor Day weekend, which just happens to be during off-season. However, nothing could have been more on, and I consider it to be one of the luckiest nights of my life.

Find more about Gina at  http://www.ginahenning.com/blog

You can find ONE LUCKY NIGHT at all retailers. Here's a sample of what people are saying: 

http://goo.gl/XwrMlf

[RELEASE DAY] One Lucky Night #giveaway

Happy book birthday to One Lucky Night!

One night can change everything…

The crew at Boston’s Brazen Head Pub hasn’t been very lucky in love. Can a mysterious visitor inspire them to look past old hurts and misconceptions and give romance a chance? One Lucky Night is a collection of five sexy interwoven novelettes by Aria Kane, Grace Teague, Ana Blaze, Constance Phillips, and Melinda Dozier.

Lucky Break by Aria Kane
Four years ago, chef Derek Chase walked out of Andrea Rivera’s life after a tragedy neither of them were prepared to deal with. When she’s called to the Brazen Head to repair a dishwasher, old sparks ignite buried feelings.

Lucky Star by Grace Teague
When her life is threatened by a mugger, Charlotte Price realizes she's in love with her best friend, Tommy Leung. The Brazen Head seems like the perfect neutral place to confess her feelings, but nothing goes according to plan.

A New Tune by Ana Blaze
When it comes to dating, Holly Hall has one unbreakable rule: no musicians. Not even gorgeous ones. Especially not gorgeous ones. Dating them only leads to heartbreak. So why did she let singer-songwriter Cian O’Neill kiss her? And why is she thinking about doing it again?

Lexi’s Chance by Constance Phillips
As a bartender, Sean Whelan meets all kinds of women every night, but none turn his head the way that Lexi has. She’s been playing cat and mouse with him for weeks. Tonight, Sean’s determined to get Lexi to quit teasing and take a real chance on him.

Drink or Dare by Melinda Dozier
A bachelorette party Drink or Dare game pairs paramedic students, Rachel Robertson and Killian Whelan, in a flirting match. Soon, the dares threaten to turn their academic rivalry into something much more.

Goodreads | Amazon | iTunes | Other retailers
Check out the book trailer!

About the Authors

Aria Kane is a recovering mechanical engineer and romance writer. As a military brat, she grew up all over the country, but now lives in sunny Florida with a 60 lb mutt who thinks he's a chihuahua.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads
Grace Teague lives in Pittsburgh with her spouse, children and a cat named Mr. Sushi.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Ana Blaze lives near Washington DC with her charming husband and three cats who firmly believe they are royalty. Ana is a member of Romance Writers of America.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | Tumblr

Constance Phillips lives in Ohio with her husband, two ready-to-leave-the-nest children, and four canine kids. Her perfect fantasy vacation would involve hunting Dracula across Europe with her daughter, who also digs that kind of stuff.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | Tumblr

Melinda Dozier teaches English to middle schoolers by day and writes at night. She lives in Guatemala, Central America with her college sweetheart and three sons.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads


Giveaway

The authors are giving away two Amazon Giftcards!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Our Release Day Blitz has a swarm of AMAZING bloggers helping us out. Check it out at their blogs here:

Wednesday May 7	Release Day Blitz
	Susan Bishop Crispell	http:// susanbishopcrispell.wordpress.com
	Princess of the Light	princessofthelight.wordpress.com
	What I'm Reading	http://sillymelody.blogspot.com
	Little Read RIding Hood	http://littlereadridinghood.com
	Kristina Knight	http://www.kristiknight.blogspot.com
	Rage, Sex & Teddy Bears	http://ragesexandteddybears.blogspot.com/
	Robyn Neeley	www.robynneeley.com
	Katie L Thompson	katielthompson.blogspot.co.uk
	The Keeper Shelf	http://www.thekeepershelf.net
	VincentMorrone.com	vincentmorrone.com
	JM's Meanderings	http://blog.jmbray.com
	Book Freak	http://reviewsofabookmaniac.blogspot.com
	Renee Entress's Blog	http://reneeentress.blogspot.com/
	Caribbean Accent Book Reviews	www.caribbeanaccentbookreviews.com
	Throne of Books	http://throneofbooks.tumblr.com
	The Phantom Paragrapher	www.thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.com
	Stephanie Wardrop, YA AUthor	stephaniewardrop.com
	Diane’s Book Blog	http://dianelynchbookreviews.blogspot.com/
	Oh, The Things I've Learned	http://anjeasandro.blogspot.com/
	Miriam Smith	http://mirriamsmyth.wordpress.com
	Fiction Dreams	http://www.fictiondreams.com
	deal sharing aunt	www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com
	Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews	http://devilishlydeliciousbookreviews.wordpress.com/
	Short and Sassy Book Blurbs	http://shortandsassybookblurbs.blogspot.com/
	Fiona's book reviews	Http://nannyfi71.wordpress.com
	My Favorite Things	http://heffroberts.blogspot.com
	Writing from Corsets to Bustiers	www.christina-mcknight.blogspot.com
	Pages of Comfort	http://pagesofcomfort.blogspot.com
	Doing Some Reading	http://doingsomereading.wordpress.com
	MI Bookshelf	http://mibookshelf.blogspot.com/
	The Wormhole	http://wormyhole.blogspot..com
	My Reading Room	http://myreadingroom-crystal.blogspot.com
	BooksMoviesFandoms	BooksMoviesFandoms.wordpress.com
	Sharon's Book Nook!	http://www.sharonsbooknook.com
	Paperbacks & Pastries	www.paperbacksandpastries.blogspot.ca
	Angel Lawson	http://www.angellawson.com/
	Perusing Princesses	http://www.PerusingPrincesses.com
	At the Corner of First and Romance	http://onceuponahappywriter.blogspot.com
	Dames Unrestrained	http://damesunrestrained.blogspot.com
	Read Between The Lines	www.rbtlreviews.com
	Lusty Penguin Reviews	http://lustypenguin.com/
	You Gotta Read Reviews	http://yougottaread.com
	Bookie Nookie Reviews	http://bookienookiereviews.blogspot.com

What an Author Thinks on Release Eve! #OneLuckyNight

So, tomorrow is my newest RELEASE DAY for ONE LUCKY NIGHT, a group contemporary romance! 

Have you ever wondered what an author does on the night before release? I'm going to describe it in gifs, because what better way to understand the emotions and feelings than seeing it right before your eyes.

It all started one night way back in 2013 when Ana Blaze wrote me to ask me to join forces with a group of ladies to help write a novella about the Whelan family in Boston. Having worked with a few of the authors before, I immediately said yes! It really is fun!

YES, Yes, yes! 

After a few months of planning, researching and much discussion, we finally wrote our stories.

WORK, Work, work!

Our stories were finally finished, so we had to read each other's work, change any inconsistencies and revise. Sometimes this was a challenge, but other times it was super easy ... we'd even finish each other's sentences.

Now we're on RELEASE EVE ... our hearts are beating, our skin is prickling, our heads are buzzing with excitement!

What does an author do on their release eve? Well, here's what I do:

Run around in circles of excitement, forgetting about everything else I should be doing.

Telling everyone I meet that I have a release tomorrow. In the grocery store, at the gas station, walking down the hall at work. 

It's release eve! It's release eve!

And all the people around me, my kids, husband and friends are like, "Yeah we know."

And they don't get it. They need to be excited too. This is HUGE! 

Of course, I do have those friends and family who get it... and THANK YOU!

So, instead, I take a deep breath and pretend I'm not going to explode out of my skin. 

I hold it in until midnight. Yep! I stay up until midnight, because like a maniac, I've been checking and checking Amazon, and blogger links and anything and everything that has to do with my book. 

And some bloggers have the book up! 

Others have reviews up...We're told not to pay attention to them. Not to read them, but we all know we do it anyway!

I read a great review!

Maybe I'll read a not-so-great review...

But in the end, I fall asleep knowing that I have another book out, that I'm a multi-published author, that I followed my dream.

Not many people can say that they've written a book. I can. :)

So, to my writing partners, I say this!

I give ya'll a HIGH FIVE!

WE DID IT!

And I salute you all! Thank you for this opportunity to work with you again. Now, let's ROCK this release! 

And because it wouldn't be a blog post without a handsome hottie...

ONE LUCKY NIGHT

by Aria Kane, Grace Teague, Ana Blaze, Constance Phillips and Me

Join our Facebook party tomorrow night for fun, teasers, sneak peeks, guest authors and giveaways!

[Book Tour] Wingmen Warriors by Catherine Mann #giveaway

Today is my blog tour stop during the Wingmen Warriors blog tour by Catherine Mann. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs the whole month May on weekdays only, you can view the whole tour schedule here.

So far the Wingmen series contains 14 books, view all books in the series here.

Grayson’s Surrender (Wingman Warriors #1) and Taking Cover (Wingman Warriors #2)
by Catherine Mann
Genre: Contemporary Military Romance
Age category: Adult

Blurb:
See how it all started with the first two books in Catherine Mann’s RITA Award winning “Wingmen Warriors” series!

***This 2-in-1 is available in print only. If you wish to order the books digitally, they must be ordered individually.***

GRAYSON’S SURRENDER: Flight Surgeon Grayson Clark and NGO worker Lori Rutledge shared a passionate summer full of promise and ultimately heartbreak. After his turbulent childhood, Grayson knows well he’s ill-equipped to offer Lori the security she craves. But Grayson can’t escape Lori’s allure when they’re paired on a military rescue operation to an overseas orphanage. When one heart-tugging orphan charms her way into Lori’s life and Grayson’s heart, Lori and Grayson discover a new understanding of family – and a free-falling surrender to love.

TAKING COVER: Battle lines are drawn when Flight Surgeon Kathleen O’Connell temporarily grounds Captain Tanner Bennett from flying combat. No way does Tanner plan to watch his crew from the sidelines. Not that he has a choice, thanks to by-the-rules Kathleen and his ground duty assignment to investigate a crash. When Kathleen is teamed with him in the investigation, they’re both diving for cover as they battle an attraction ready to detonate!

You can find the 2-in-1 book Grayson's Surrender and Taking Cover on Goodreads

You can buy this 2-in-1 book Grayson’s Surrender and Taking Cover here:
- Amazon
- B&N

You can also buy them separately. Grayson’s Surrender:
- Amazon
- B&N
- Kobo
- Harlequin

Taking Cover:
- Amazon
- B&N
- Kobo
- Harlequin

TAKING COVER is a RITA Award winning novel.

Here are some review quotes:

This is Grade ‘A’ writing at it’s finest.” –Escape to Romance

“Catherine Mann is a shining star with her Wingman Warriors … right up there with Suzanne Brockmann and Lindsay McKenna!” –Reader To Reader Reviews

“Catherine Mann is a major talent…Don’t miss out on her first books and the start of a series that will have romance readers enthuse over a bright new star. ” –A Romance Review

“Catherine Mann’s first novel in the “Wingmen Warriors” is a must-read … written with sophistication, vitality and depth.” –The Best Reviews

“Catherine Mann has masterfully created very real characters and placed them in a deeply emotional conflict in GRAYSON’S SURRENDER, a warm story about the birth of a family.” –Romantic Times 4 stars

“Hot damn! The Air Force is flying into town on the wings of Catherine Mann’s fabulous new series, Wingmen Warriors… Get ready to lose your hearts to these men who pack a powerful punch to your emotions.” –Reader To Reader Reviews

“A powerfully told tale that all readers will treasure, GRAYSON’S SURRENDER comes very highly recommended.” –Word Weaving

The launch of the Wingmen Warriors series, GRAYSON’S SURRENDER starts off with rip-roaring vivacity and ends with an entirely satisfying conclusion, complete with emotionally touching pages in between. –Romance Reviews Today

“Catherine Mann’s impeccable knack for creating explosive situations, passionate encounters and combining them in the fascinating military world make her an author that you will not want to miss!” –The Romance Reader’s Connection

“Grab it up as fast as you can because it’s a keeper.” –Escape to Romance Reviews

“A dangerous mission and a passionate romance! TAKING COVER is a worthy addition to Ms. Mann’s series and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.” –The Word on Romance

“For an exciting book with true-to-life characterization, TAKING COVER is an experience not to be missed!” –Romance Reviews Today


About the Author:
USA Today bestseller Catherine Mann and RITA Award winner, Catherine writes contemporary romance for Berkley, Harlequin, and Sourcebooks, With over two million books in print in more than twenty countries, she has also celebrated five RITA finals, three Maggie Award of Excellence finals and a Bookseller’s Best win. A former theater school director and university instructor, she holds a Master’s degree in Theater from UNC-Greensboro and a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts: Theater (with minors in both English and Education) from the College of Charleston. Catherine and her flyboy husband live on the Florida coast where they brought up their 4 children – and still have 5 four-legged, furry “children” (aka pets). Catherine is an active volunteer with her local Humane Society, serving on their Board of Directors and fostering puppies and special needs dogs (she stopped counting at a hundred). She recently checked off a major item on her “bucket list” by completing the hands-on training for the Florida State Animal Rescue Coalition. Catherine enjoys hearing from her readers and can be found online daily. To receive an autographed bookmark, send a SASE to: P.O. Box 6065, Navarre, FL 32566

You can find and contact Catherine here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Pinteres
- Blog
- Newsletter

GIVEAWAY! 

At each blog stop, Catherine will give away one paperback copy of the winner's choice. Comment below for a chance to win!  (US & Canada only please)