Excerpt & Giveaway! Beauty from Pain by Georgia Cates

To celebrate Georgia Cates's new release, Beauty from Pain, we bring you an excerpt from the book and a giveaway! I was so intrigued by the summary and excerpt that I bought the book already. (^_-)˅
Good luck, and enjoy the excerpt!

Beauty from Pain
Georgia Cates
Book #1 of Beauty series
Publication: January 31st 2013 by Georgia Cates
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Amazon Goodreads

They agreed on three months...but their love knew no boundaries.

Jack McLachlan is a winemaking magnate and easily one of Australia’s most eligible bachelors. His success and wealth make him no stranger to the complications of romantic relationships and that’s why he goes to extreme measures to avoid the hassle. He prefers simplicity in the form of a beautiful female companion with no strings attached. He arranges relationships like business deals and they’re always the same. No long term relationships. No real names.

It’s his game and his rules. He’s content to play as usual, but when Laurelyn Prescott enters his life, his strategy must change because this player is like none he's ever encountered. His world is turned on its head after he begins a three month affair with the beautiful American musician. Nothing goes according to plan and as he breaks more and more of his own rules for her, she’s exceptionally close to becoming something he never thought possible. His ultimate game changer.

Not recommended for younger readers due to sexual content and language.

V Giveaway! The MacCoinnich Time Travel Trilogy by Catherine Bybee

For our final stop in The MacCoinnich Time Travel Trilogy blog tour, The LUV'NV is giving away ebook copies of all three books! You can read our review of book 1, Binding Vows, here, and check out the excerpts from all three books here. The author, Catherine Bybee, is also giving away a $10 Amazon gift card here.
Good luck, and happy reading!

V Wicked Tease – 01/31

— Regular Teasers —
Submit your teasers for an upcoming chapter. Can be E/B or non-canon!
♥ Chapter 61 of "Monster" by The.Bloody White.Wolf.xoxo **Emmett & OC**
♥ Chapter 11 of "Spinal Cord" by Midnight Ariel **Jasper & Alice**
♥ Chapter 1 of "The Lake House" by quietdrabble **Edward & Bella**

— V Wicked Teasers —
A different kind of pimpage. Give the fandom a taste of your fic in 125 words or less.

Blog Tour {Excerpts & Giveaway}—The MacCoinnich Time Travel Trilogy by Catherine Bybee

Continuing The MacCoinnich Time Travel Trilogy blog tour, organized by Bewitching Book Tours, we have excerpts from all three books. Catherine Bybee is also giving away a $10 Amazon gift card! Click on the bookcovers to see the respective summaries and excerpts, and be sure to scroll to the bottom for the giveaway. Good luck, and happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Mistress by Tiffany Reisz

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine,
spotlighting upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Raina's pick this week:

The Mistress (The Original Sinners #4)
Tiffany Reisz
Expected publication: July 30th 2013 by Mira Books
Genre: Erotica, BDSM, Adult Contemporary Fiction

Goodreads

There's punishment—and then there's vengeance.

Nora Sutherlin is being held, bound and naked. Under different circumstances, she would enjoy the situation immensely, but her captor isn't interested in play. Or pity.

As the reality of her impending peril unfolds, Nora becomes Scheherazade, buying each hour of her life with stories-sensual tales of Søren, Kingsley and Wesley, each of whom has tempted and tested and tortured her in his own way. This, Nora realizes, is her life: nothing so simple, so vanilla, as a mere love triangle for her. It's a knot in a silken cord, a tangled mass of longings of the body and the heart and the mind. And it may unravel at any moment.

But in Nora's world, no one is ever truly powerless—a cadre of her friends, protectors and lovers stands ready to do anything to save her, even when the only certainty seems to be sacrifice and heartbreak...

Not exactly a fan of BDSM novels, I started The Original Sinners series with fear and low expectations. But Tiffany Reisz's writing and storytelling, plus the fact she doesn't have the BDSM included for senseless shock value or to make an easy buck, had me devouring the series. It's erotica with substance and intricate plots, easily one of my favorites of the genre. And I just discovered there's a cover, summary, and an actual publication date for book four! I'm shaking from excitement because book three, The Prince, left the worst cliffie known to the book gods. I'm a little scared, too. Have your read that summary?! Yikes!

The Original Sinners series

Novellas


Find Raina's reviews of The Original Sinners series here.

What book release has you shaking in anticipation?
Let us know in a comment, or link us up to your own WoW post!

Waiting on Wednesday: Fic Edition (3)

Inspired by the weekly book meme Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

Earlier today, we shared the upcoming book releases we're excited about. Now it's the Fic Edition! Instead of fangirling over upcoming book releases, we're screaming for fic updates of our favorite fics!

Share a fic rec by linking us to the fics that own you and that you are eagerly awaiting an update for, whether its last update was earlier today, yesterday, or years ago. Maybe you'll find a new fic to read. Maybe we'll find a fic to feature and review. Either way, share some LUV. Add a link. Click, read, and review. Or discuss the linked fics by leaving a comment. Hopefully, the shoutouts will get the fics more attention and inspire the author to write.

Conditions:
♥ Unless it's a deviant month, non-E/B fics only please.
♥ You may enter up to two fics a week, so choose your favorites.
♥ If a fic is already linked, fangirl or ditto the link entry number in the comments section. You can still enter two links!
♥ You cannot enter the same fic two weeks in a row. Spread the LUV a little broader, okay?
♥ Leave your name with each entry and, if you wish, enter your name here. At the end of the year, prizes will be given to the person with the MOST linky recs and to another with the BEST linky recs, the latter voted by you here, so be sure to fill out the form if you found a good rec from the linky list! Linky entries with no name will be deleted.
♥ This week's linky collection closes next Tuesday 11pm EST or after fifty entries and ... GO!

Enter a link and find the collection after the cut. (Click on "Continue Reading »")

Blog Tour {Review}—Binding Vows by Catherine Bybee

Binding Vows

by Catherine Bybee

Book #1 of MacCoinnich Time Travel series

Amazon B & N Goodreads

Duncan MacCoinnich’s task… Travel to the twenty-first century Renaissance Faire, deflower the Druid virgins, and go home. Only his job is not so easily accomplished with the virgin in question, Tara McAllister. Time is running out. The evil is closing in on them both.

Tara finds Duncan irresistible after what was supposed to be a mock Hand-fasting binds them. When Duncan whisks her to his home in Scotland she could accept that. But, can she forgive him for taking away her modern life when she finds herself in the sixteenth century? And is it love they feel? Or something else?

Book Blast & Guest Post—Leopard Moon by Jeanette Battista

Leopard Moon
Jeanette Battista
Book #1 of Moon series
Publication: March 4th 2012 by Jeanette Battista
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Amazon B & N Goodreads

How do you disappear when you come from a family of predators?

A wereleopard, Kess is forced to flee her home and family in Miami once her brother's obsession with her turns violent. She runs from city to city, trying to stay one step ahead of the investigators her family has dispatched to bring her home. Kess ends up in the mountains of North Carolina and attracts the attention of Cormac, a young man with a secret of his own. As she attempts to live as normal a life as her were-nature allows, her brother Sek continues to hunt for her. He believes she is the key to revitalizing their weakened clan and is driven to extreme measures to ensure their continued existence. As Kess' relationship with Cormac deepens, Sek closes in, threatening Cormac's life and Kess' freedom.

When the moon rises, the hunt is on ...

The Moon series consists of four books—Leopard Moon, Jackal Moon, Hyena Moon, and Hunter Moon—and is a series that author Melissa Marr says "... is filled with action and romance, shape shifters, and strong heroines."

To help spread the word about Jeanette Battista's Leopard Moon, the first book in the Moon series, being free on Amazon until the end of the month, we've invited the author to the blog to share a guest post about her experience writing the book.

Blog Tour {Review & Giveaway}—The End of All Things by Lissa Bryan

The End of All Things
by Lissa Bryan
Publication: January 24th 2013 by The Writer's Coffee Shop
Genre: Post-apocalyptic Romance

Amazon TWCS Goodreads

After a terrible virus ravages the planet, Carly Daniels, one of the few survivors, hides in her apartment in Juneau trying to survive the best she can with only occasional forays to gather food. With her is Sam, a wolf puppy she found starving on the streets. He becomes her companion and a reason to continue when giving up sometimes seems like the more attractive option. Still dazed with shock and grief, she hopes for the world to go back to normal soon.

She is discovered by Justin, an ex-soldier who is intent on making his way to Florida before the winter sets in. Justin coaxes her out of her hiding place and convinces her to join him on his journey, because a warmer climate will be their best chance against the extremes of Mother Nature.

Together, they begin a perilous journey through a nation laid to waste by the disaster. Challenges abound along the way. The weather, injury, and shortage of supplies all help to slow them down. In time, they discover that they aren’t the only survivors. Some are friendly but some have had their minds destroyed by the high fever. Then there are those who simply take what they want, leaving Carly and Justin with no choice but to defend what is theirs.

But their journey is not without joy and love. Together, they face every struggle, including an unplanned pregnancy. Despite the perils of bringing a child into a world of chaos, their baby is a new beginning for themselves and a symbol of hope for the other survivors they find along the way.

This is the story of their journey to find a place to begin a new life, and a home in each other.

Advocated! A Place Where No One Lives and sequel by Habetrot

"A Place Where No One Lives" by Habetrot
Jessica & Rosalie, Fantasy/Parody, AU Pre-Twilight, T, Complete

Summary: Maureen Stanley has just moved to Forks, and is thankful for it...when she doesn't want to throw a knitting needle at her cousin's head. Meet the Mary Sue who knows exactly how contrived everything is-and refuses to buy into the angst.

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Maybe I'm cynical, but at much as I love The Twilight Saga, I also love to pick it apart. Making the occasional jab at a character flaw, *cough* Edward *cough*, or pointing out holes in a story line is great entertainment. After all, in the world of fan fiction, many writers change the character's attributes and personalities (a more-ballsy Bella, or a less-jackassy Edward) whether they realize it or not.

Habetrot is an expection. In A Place Where No One Lives, the main character, Maureen Stanley, routinely points out everyones' flaws in a blunt, matter-of fact fashion. So let this be your warning, if you love Bella and Edward and can't stand to see them get ripped apart, (figuratively of course) this is not the story for you.

I happened upon A Place Where No One Lives as I was searching for a particular genre; a parody. The summary reeled me in immediately. I'm a total sucker for a good original character, and Maureen promised not to disappoint.

Maureen Stanley has just moved to Forks, and is thankful for it. Feeling compassion for human beings can be very painful—especially when human beings go out of their way to damage each other through horrific acts of murder, rape and theft on a small scale…or extortion, slavery and genocide on a grand scale. Being somewhat unhuman herself, Maureen doesn't feel obligated to live in a world like that. So she's moved to Forks, Washington…a place where the only suffering people feel is the kind they inflict on themselves, which they blow out of proportion in order to pretend that their pain is real. It's the perfect place to focus on her personal passions, and let the world go past her. The only problem is actually living, second by second, with people who make their lives into a pointless drama.

The Verve: Stacking the Shelves (2)

The Verve is our Sunday edition of Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews, featuring
the books we bought, borrowed, were gifted and given for review.
We also mention blog news from the past couple weeks
and what you might see in the next two.

Hello, everyone! Can you believe it's almost February already? The time has flown by, hasn't it? It has for us! We've gotten a new staff member: Speklez! She's a devoted non-canon gal, and you might have read her fics The Demon Mate  (Jasper & Bella), Never Saw That Coming  (Peter & Bella), Time Heals All Wounds  (Demetri & Bella)—just to name a few; she has a eleven TwiFics so far, and none are E/B. Please leave her warm welcome. We're thrilled to have her!

We've also been busy reading and setting up books and fics for you to check out. We have a ton of events, recs, and giveaways coming up in the next two months—one of which, we're especially excited for. To celebrate the month that's all about love, we're hosting The LUV'NV's Follower Appreciation Giveaway! We want to show some love to new and old followers for sticking with us through our dead zone, our sudden review belches, and all the changes happening on the site. Prizes are a $50 Visa gift card and a winner's choice of book from The Book Depository ($15 value). Giveaway starts February 14th and ends on March 1st. It's not happening in the next couple weeks, but we're too excited not to share the news. And if you're an "old" follower (one before the giveaway begins), you'll get another entry!

Until then, check out the right column for current giveaways. Here's what you might have missed the past two weeks and what to expect in the next two.

Recently reviewed:

Excerpts:
Fallen by Laury Falter

The deviant month January is almost over, but that doesn't mean we don't accept Deviant guest reviews. Any pairing, any review count. Help us keep The LUV'NV's fan fiction side alive by submitting reviews of your favorite E/B and non-E/B fics. We'll post them during our next deviant month: April.

Recently featured Fan Fics:
Bonne Foi  by Amethyst Jackson | Deviant guest review by Credoroza
Unyielding Devotion  by WhiteWolfLegend | Volturi review by Speklez

ebooks Bought:

Freebies*:

* Price subject to change without notice. Always check and confirm the price before purchasing *

Won:

* A huge thank you to Entangled Teen and Chapter by Chapter for this pretty! *

Received for Review:

* *

Up for Review* and the Reading Queue:

Binding Vows  by Catherine Bybee*
Perception  by Lee Strauss*
Pantomime  by Laura Lam*
Seven Night's in a Rogue's Bed  by Anna Campbell*
Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story  by Ally Carter*
Out of Nowhere  by Maria Padian
The Best of All Possible Worlds  by Karen Lord
Angel Bait  by Tricia Skinner
Scandalous  by H.M. Ward
Pushing Limits  by Katie McGarry
Time's Twisted Arrow  by Rysa Walker

Today's fic review and Advocate:

A Place Where No One Lives and The Spinner In Forks: Twilight by Habetrot
Advocated by Arianna-Janae

Today's book review and blog tour stop:

The End of All Things by Lissa Bryan

Upcoming Blog Tours, Excerpts, and Giveaways:

MacCoinnich Time Travel Trilogy by Catherine Bybee:

Whew! We had a major book haul the past two weeks. Hope you each enjoyed your January, LUVs, and are looking forward to February as much as we are.

Link us to your recent book stack. Share what you've added to your pile, book or fic.
Or let us know if there's anything you'd like to see reviewed soon from our pile.
We'd love to hear from you.