Shattered by You by Nashoda Rose ~ Review & Giveaway

This has been an incredible journey so far and after reading Overwhelmed by You I was dying to read Haven and Crisis' story. Shattered by You was a beautiful read of a girl trying to find her independence, after being locked away for 12 years.

Title: Shattered by You

Author: Nashoda Rose

Series: Tear Asunder #3

Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance

Published: June 21st 2015

Buy Now - Amazon US | Amazon UK
B&N| iBooks | Kobo

What started out as a deal quickly became a friendship that conquered monsters.

I killed, but I escaped hell.
Emotionless. Disconnected. Cold. A mannequin. It’s what I’d become in order to survive the years held in captivity. I was able to endure the abuse and devastating loss as long as I remained detached.

But he wouldn't let me.
Crisis, the bass guitarist in my brother’s rock band, Tear Asunder. He’s cocky, rude, a total man-whore. But the rock star has far more beneath the surface of his inked skin, and he’s determined to make me laugh again.
He made me a "deal", but really, it was blackmail.
His terms were simple. Until his playful honesty became the building blocks to something unexpected. Something strong enough to pull me from the eye of the storm.

Because even though I escaped years of abuse, it didn’t mean I was free.

For mature audiences only.
Shattered by You is written as a standalone, however, it is recommended you read the Tear Asunder books in order.
*Contains spoilers for "Overwhelmed by You"

I have loved each and every book in the Tear Asunder series, so it would come as no surprise that I loved Shattered by You as well. I knew that Haven’s story would be a difficult one and it was beautiful to see Crisis slowly get under her skin, being there for her and helping her through her dark times.

Crisis and Haven’s relationship really started to develop while the guys were touring. Crisis would text Haven daily, and I loved these moments between them. Haven was relaxed and began to learn about him. When they came home she found it hard to be near him initially, but it soon became easier.

I learned a lot of what happened with Haven in the previous book, but there was still so much I needed to know about her. I had an idea of what was coming and I knew it would break my heart like it did. Even though she endured so much, it was amazing to see Haven grow as a person and try and make the best of her life. She wanted to be independent, do her own thing, but soon realised she didn’t have to do it all alone.

Crisis was just incredible. He supported Haven at every turn and knew that he wanted Haven way before she did. It was good to see him settle down and he watched out for her, even though Ream didn’t want him near her.

I loved seeing all the characters again, and seeing how they are all coping in their relationships. I saw more of Kite too, and I’m excited to see more into his naughty personal life. Haven and Ream’s sibling relationship took time to heal in this book because she didn’t want to upset him by telling him everything. Even though this book dealt with some dark issues, I don’t think it was as dark as the previous two books. It was another fabulous instalment to the series, and I was left happy with how things worked out. If you enjoy a dark read, you need to try this series; it’s intense, emotional and pulls at your heart!

Complimentary copy provided by the Author in exchange for an honest review.

Nashoda Rose is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Toronto with her assortment of pets. She writes contemporary romance with a splash of darkness, or maybe it’s a tidal wave.

  

When she isn't writing, she can be found sitting in a field reading with her dogs at her side while her horses graze nearby. She loves interacting with her readers and chatting about her addiction—books.

STALK HER: Website | Facebook |Twitter | Goodreads | Subscribe

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Other reviews featuring Nashoda Rose
Tear Asunder series

Torn from You #1

Overwhelmed by You #2

read more "Shattered by You by Nashoda Rose ~ Review & Giveaway"

Book Blitz – Angels of the Knights Series by Valerie Zambito

Title – Angels of the Knights - Fallon 

Author – Valerie Zambito
Series – Angels of the Knights #1
Published – June 27^th 2012

Summary from Goodreads

When Fallon Angell died at the age of sixteen, her life changed forever.

The hallowed world of Emperica is everything she had ever hoped for as a mortal—immeasurable beauty, unconditional love and light. But, with affection for humankind still burning within her, she joins the Knight Caste to train as an angel warrior. As a Knight, she will give up her wings and return to the place that killed her to use her unique powers to search out and destroy the evil Kjin that roam the earth. As a Knight, she will stop at nothing to protect the mortals in her care.

The elders warn her that the path she chose will be a solitary one. That she will not have the same bond with humans as she once did. But, as far as she knows, the elders had never met Kade Royce.

When her duties place her in the path of this handsome former cop, emotions buried long ago rise to the surface and she is powerless to ignore the depth of her feelings for this young man. She knows instinctively that she has found what most people search their entire lives for.

Ignoring the risks, she invites him into her world of danger, but soon their
lives collide with explosive consequence. As a result, Fallon realizes with
heartbreaking despair that she can no longer hide from the painful truth. In order for Kade to live, she must destroy him.

 E-book is currently free! Get it now at –

Amazon l Barnes & Noble
Purchases through buy links help support this blog

Angels of the Knights - Blane 

Author – Valerie Zambito
Series – Angels of the Knights #2
Published – May 11^th 2013

Summary from Goodreads

Once the hunter, now the hunted. As the war with the Kjin rages, Blane Romero must lead the Paladin Knights against their mortal enemy while trying to protect the young, Juliet Hunter, who unwittingly finds herself entangled in their sinister schemes. Juliet cares only about shielding her young sisters from harm, but finds herself drawn to the enigmatic man who offers her much more than either he or she was prepared for.

Ostracized by the families they loved, Blane and Juliet find they have more in common than they thought as they battle demons both real and personal to stay together. But, will it be enough when the powerful Cesar Grant decides he wants Juliet for his own?

Book Two in the Angels of the Knights paranormal fantasy series.

Buy Now * – Amazon l Barnes & Noble

Purchases through buy links help support this blog

About the Author

Thank you for visiting my Goodread's profile. I am Valerie Zambito, and I live in upstate New York with my husband and three sons. After having been involved in a busy sales career for fifteen years, a great love of world building, character creation, and all things magic led to the publication of my first adult epic fantasy series, ISLAND SHIFTERS, in October of 2011. Since then, I have added two additional books to this series and wrote the first book in a new teen paranormal series called ANGELS OF THE KNIGHTS.

My reading preference is fantasy as well and I devour in copious amounts. In my opinion, there’s nothing like it! Great fantasy grants us entry into a world
beyond our own that is filled with adventure, mystery and danger. How exciting to enjoy a front row seat to human struggles of epic proportions. Struggles that tug at our heartstrings and elicit real emotion.

I gravitate to fantasy with heroic elements. I like strong, confident men who
never back down from a fight against evil. The kind who will not hesitate to
throw himself between a woman and a fire-breathing dragon. I like strong women, too. The kind who will appreciate the offer, but is more inclined to push the man out of the way and take care of the dragon herself. ;)

Website│Twitter│Facebook│Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

(1) Print or e-book copies of books 1 & 2 in this series plus $25 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

read more "Book Blitz – Angels of the Knights Series by Valerie Zambito"

Review/Interview – Fish Out of Water by Ros Baxter

Today I would like to introduce you to an amazing Australian Author, Ros Baxter!! Her newest book, Fish Out of Water was released last week and I was lucky enough to read it early and interview Ros!! Check it out!!

Title: Fish Out of Water

Author: Ros Baxter

Genre: Fantasy/Mermaid

Publish Date: April 1^st 2013

Book Description

Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum meets Splash in a sexy, smart-talking debut about a mermaid in a desert, a city under water, and the secret that no one is supposed to uncover.

Dirtwater's straight-talking Deputy Sheriff Rania Aqualina has a lot on her plate: a nicotine addiction that's a serious liability for a mermaid, a soldier-of-fortune ex who's hooked on her Mum's brownies, a gorgeous, naked stranger in her shower, and a mysterious dead blonde with a fish tattoo on Main Street.

Heading home to Aegira for a family wedding, Rania has a sinking feeling that's got nothing to do with hydroporting seven miles under the sea and everything to do with the crazy situation. Now, if she can just steal a corpse, get a crazy Aegiran priest off her case, work out who the hell's trying to kill her, and stop sleeping with the fishes, she might be able to unravel the mysteries. And maybe even save her own ass while she's at it.

Fish out of Water is Stephanie Plum meets Splash, and the first book in a trilogy about Aegira, an underwater kingdom based on the historical Norse legend of Aegir.

Buy now * – Amazon US

My Review

Stories based off Norse Legends are always fun and Fish Out of Water was definitely an entertaining read for me. From the initial paragraph in the first chapter I knew I was going to like Rania. Like seriously, who wouldn’t love a Mermaid that loves to drink, smoke and shoot things with a Glock!! So funny!! She is an awesome mermaid; she is witty, down to earth and very passionate. She lives on the main land and her mother is the mayor of the small town they live in. Rania has a few close friends, mostly associated with work, but they are all very loyal to her. Rania takes her work seriously, being the deputy chief in the police force and when she is focused on something she sees it through to the very end. She holds the people that are in her life close to her heart.

After meeting Lunia, Rania’s mother, I understood where Rania got her passion from. Lunia is a wonderful person and removed herself from Aegira to make a better life for herself and for Rania. She is a mother first and that is what is important. She will drop everything to help Rania.

There were a few characters that we met in this story that we haven’t seen the last of and I am looking forward to see what impact that they will have in the next book. Doug and Rania’s father are two in particular I have a feeling that I will see again. They are both very important to Rania, for humans!

Ros has her own way of twisting the Norse Legend to build an intriguing story and I thought that this storyline was great; following with Rania to sort out the facts to the murder mystery in her hands. I loved the chemistry all the characters had and the lengths that they will go to protect on another. There were a few secrets throughout the book that are yet to be revealed, not only from Rania either, so I was left wondering at the end of the book as to what will happen next … and I am keen to find out!!

Thank you to Ros Baxter and Escape Publishing for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Interview

Hi Ros!! Welcome to Nomi’s Paranormal Palace!!

Let’s get down to the serious stuff……

When you started writing Fish Out of Water, did you have a set plan in mind or did it change direction along the way?

The story definitely started with my mermaid cop, Rania.  She came to me very much fully formed.  I could almost hear her first lines in my head:

Mermaids don’t wear nicotine patches.  They don’t drink Southern Comfort from a hip flask, inhale twinkies or watch Dr Phil.  Mermaids don’t pack heat.  And mermaids definitely don’t get their hearts broken by tattooed guys who look like pirates.  In fact, mermaids have always been kinda down on pirates... but that’s another story.  The cardinal rule is this: mermaids don’t live in bone-dry frontier towns. Ever. 

But here’s the thing.  Me, I don’t leave home without my patches, hip flask and Glock.  My last moment of true moderation was back in kindergarten, when I stopped myself from using my awesome strength to rip Jamie Kennedy’s pecker off when he waved it at Julie Casey in the bathroom and made her cry.  And don’t even start me on my penchant for pirates. 

But I am, in fact, a mermaid. So go figure.

But the rest of the story definitely took some twists and turns.  And the logistics – argh!  Choreographing a love scene underwater called on all my creative juices!

Have you based any of your characters off people in your life?

Not directly, but you definitely borrow traits, characteristics and aspects of real people.  Sometimes people you know, more often strangers.  I often say writers are at least three fifths voyeur.

What’s that line?  I like to watch....

Rania is an amazing character; she is able to stay attached to both her human and mermaid sides. Do you think she prefers one over the other?

I think she has always considered herself more land-dweller, and this story is about rediscovering that other part of herself.  She’s shut it away, because of what happened in Aegira thirteen years ago, but she’s coming to realise that one of her jobs is to reconcile the two parts of herself – land and sea.  And that she is going to have to do that if she’s going to “save the world entire”, and her own skin!

There a couple of characters I’d like to see more of, (Doug and Arty in particular) will they have an impact in future books?

I can definitely tell you that Doug and Arty are not done. 

I adored Doug, and had real trouble with him not getting the girl.  But stay tuned, he’ll come into his own in Book Two.  And he might even find a little sparkle of his own...

And Arty has a major role to play as the battle heats up.  But that might have to involve a little jailbreak action (there you go...a little teaser).

Did you have to do a lot of research on small towns in America to base your story off?

I did research this issue, but mostly I constructed a place I thought Lunia (Rania’s mother) would seek out as a refuge.  As someone who grew up in small towns, I know their highs and lows.  I tried to convey a sense of the interconnections between people in these places.  And the way can protect as much as they stifle.

Where did you get the idea of Mermaid travel?

Hmmm...well, mostly I needed a convenient way to move my characters quickly between the two worlds as the action heated up. 

The idea of hydroporting (or song-travelling, as the Aegirans sometimes call it) was closely connected to the idea I wanted to convey of the connections between people – that in essence we are all water.  We can melt down to the very droplets in the air, if activated by the right song. 

Kinda wild, but fun!

Ok, so here are some fun questions...

What do you love most about Australia?

Ha.  I’ve actually thought about this one a bit, having spent several years living overseas.  I love to travel, but there are so many little things I love about home, even leaving aside the biggies: family, friends, freedom.

I’ll narrow it down to three:

1. Sunshine on my arms while I’m driving.

2. The way people say hello to each other on the street.

3. Meat pies with flaky pastry and hot insides.

If you could travel in a time machine into a book, what book would it be and why?

Charlaine Harris’ Sookie stories.  Is it shallow to say because I want one of those men she writes?  And even more shallow to say I don’t mind too much which one??

Do you have any favourite authors that you read today?

I read recently that asking a book lover to choose between their books is like asking a mother to pick between her children, and I think that just about nails it.  I’m an author omnivore.  Winter’s-day-in-bed favourites are Amy Andrews, Nora Roberts, Colleen McCullough, Charlaine Harris, Nikki Gemmell, Stephen King, Marian Keyes...and too many more to name.

But my favourite person who is an author is definitely my sister!

Do you have a favourite book boyfriend?

Oh yeah.  Bill Compton.  Or Eric the Vampire.  Or maybe Alcide.....

If you could travel anywhere in the world with a book, where would you go and what book would you take??

Somewhere quiet.  With a big bed and 24 hour nanny service.  And a kindle fully loaded with my TBR list.

And finally……When will we expect the 2^nd book of the series? And does it have a name yet?

The working title is Grounded.  It’s Lecanora’s story, and I’m finishing it currently, so hopefully we will see it later this year!

Here’s a little taste:

What happens when a mermaid princess hits the big smoke? 

Rania and her long lost BFF Princess Lecanora have one chance to save Aegira. But it means the Princess has to leave the only home she's ever known to go to The Land.

Will she solve the millenia-old mystery and save her home?

Will she learn that even cold-blooded swimmers can find true passion?

Will she find out what's really inside a fillet o' fish?

Thanks for visiting Ros!! And congratulations on the release of Fish Out of Water!!

Thank you so much for having me, I’ve had a blast (especially thinking about those lush Bontemps vampires...)

Me too Ros…… Me too!!

About the Author

Ros Baxter has been writing since she was eight and penned a whimsical series of short stories about a race of tiny people who lived on a rainbow. While they were a hit in the playground, a few things intervened – including a career in social policy and four noisy children.

Ros started writing again in earnest three years ago. In that time, Ros has secured a two-book deal with Harper Collins Australia, published Sister Pact (a romantic comedy co-written with her sister Ali) and Fish Out of Water (Escape Publishing on 1 April), been a contributing author to the e-anthology URL Love, and finaled in the STALI competition.

Ros writes fresh, funny, genre-busting fiction. She digs feisty heroines, good friends, quirky families, heroes to make you sigh and tingle, and a dash of fantasy from time to time.

Ros also runs a successful business consulting to government and the private sector. She teaches professional writing skills and has authored a writing guide, Clarity.

Ros lives in Brisbane, Australia, with her husband Blair, four small but very opinionated children, a neurotic dog and nine billion germs.

You can email Ros at rosbaxterink@gmail.com or find her at www.facebook.com/RosBaxterInk, on twitter @RosBaxter, or www.rosbaxterink.com.

read more "Review/Interview – Fish Out of Water by Ros Baxter"