Review: The Ultimate Merger (Hot Latin Men)

This was a short story but very good. I stumbled across it in the free reads section on Amazon, and the title along with the "hot Latin looking guy" on the cover caught my attention ...again for the 4th time. So, passing by it at other times, I decided to take a stab at it. It's a free read, so what did I have to lose?

The story actually was pretty good! For a short story, the author packed a lot of information in it, giving a great feel of both of the main characters. Because it is short I don't want to give the story away. If you are looking for a great, short, and hot read, don't bypass this one. Here is the synopsis:

Two workaholics slow down long enough to find love when they least expect it.

Renaldo da Silva is on the verge of entering the U.S. market with the purchase of a hotel in downtown Chicago. After working hard for several days straight, he heads to a local bar and sees a woman who instantly makes him reconsider how to spend his evening.

When another one of her male counterparts unfairly becomes the lead on a project, Sabrina Porter leaves work intent on drowning her sorrows in wine and loud music at a local bar. Instead, she meets a sexy Brazilian who’s intent on showing her a different way to unwind.

The Ultimate Merger is a short story. It's the prequel to Second Chances, Book 4 of the Hot Latin Men series.

Check this author out! I think you'll like it!

My vote: 4 1/2 Stars The Ultimate Merger (Hot Latin Men) by Delaney Diamond

Dark Whispers (Visions of Murder) Is Now Available on Amazon!

Hi All,

Since I have so many projects going at once, I wanted to share one that I have been working on in increments. So I decided to create Dark Whispers - Visions of Murder - A Mya Jackson Series, which I initially was doing as a full book, now as a short story series!

Meet Mya Jackson, an inquisitive reporter that loves unsolved mysteries....that is until she finds herself right smack in the middle of a case she didn't see coming. Mya also has the gift of visions...a gift she never understood nor fully developed. Unlocking the clues that she sees in dreams and real life is what she needs to do in order to stay alive and catch the killer as the killings start to get closer to home.

It is available on Amazon right now for only .99, but will be free starting tomorrow for just a few days. If you are interested in grabbing a copy of the 1st installment of this short story series, stop by Amazon and pick up your copy!

http://amzn.to/12JzU5w

Here is a quick synopsis:
Dark Whispers (Visions of Murder)
A Mya Jackson Investigative Series

Since her childhood, Mya Jackson had been sheltered from her gift of visions that she'd acquired since birth. Not fully aware of how deeply ingrained her gift was, is what led her to the profession of being a reporter. Mya just followed her own lead. Always looking for the next great story, Mya keeps a file of unsolved mysteries on hand. Her knowing things was unexplainable to her, but there was always more to the story that met the eye.

Quinten Steele, a Chicago cop with a secret past of his own, beats the mean streets on a regular basis and is on the trail of a killer that has committed a long string of murders that somehow are connected to him in one way or another.

Mya moonlighting as an investigator of mysterious deaths and multiple murders stumbles into her biggest mystery yet. Her next case is just around the corner when she finds out that her best friend, Candace, host of the nightly radio show, Dark Whispers, is brutally murdered. Teaming up with her ex, Quinten Steele, together they set out to find out who the killer is and who the next target is as it gets closer and closer to home.

You may recognize the cover from my previous blog tour from some time ago... I hope you pickup a copy and like it too! And if you are feeling up to it, leave me a review.

Let's make this fun! If you leave me a review on any of my books that you may have read,  tweet about my promo, follow me on this blog, follow me on twitter, or like my fan page on Facebook, you will be entered into a drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card. Each option below tells the # of entries you get for each action.

Just click on the link to download from Amazon!

http://amzn.to/12JzU5w

Happy Reading! Enter below to be entered to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Free Promo on Kindle for In Between Lies

If you haven't yet grabbed your copy, here is your chance to get it now for FREE! Click HERE!

If you get the book, I'd much appreciate a review as well! I love the feedback (good or ...)... thanks!

Been a Long Time

Wow! I have to say that it has been a long while since I have posted or even visited my own page! I have finally finished school and now ready to pick this blog back up. So glad that you stayed and hung in there with me...much appreciated!

I look forward to getting back into the swing of things here and meeting more great people along the way!

Winners of the Pre-Party Celebration!...

First I want to thank you all for participating in the blog hop and especially thank Reading Romances for hosting it, allowing me to meet new people and gain new followers! By the way the party doesn't stop here...hop back over to Reading Romances for more fun!

Anywho, time to announce the winners!!

Entry # 59Ashley E! and Entry #322 Krysta Banco! 

I am sending the both of you an email...please respond with the needed info to claim your prizes!

It's a Celebration! Pre-Party Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Drinking and Winning Giveaway Hop aka The Blogiversary Pre-Party! This hop is hosted by Reading Romances Book Reviews.

   

The Pre- Party Giveaway Hop is being hosted by Reading Romances as a preparation for their blogiversary party on March 29!

First and foremost, dont forget to grab your drink! My suggestion....Apple Martini's are the best. Smooth and sweet with just enough kick to help you enjoy and get your read on!

What you can win here: 1 signed hard-copy each of In Between Lies and Intimate Illusions  (US) and 1 of each as an ebook (Int'l). Each winner will also receive a $5.00 Amazon Gift Card!

Number of winners: 2

Open to: US  only for hard copies, International for ebooks only

How to enter: Simply use the Rafflecopter below. Please be sure to leave your email address and name!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hop and enter the other giveaways!

How to Support Your Favorite Indie Authors

How to Support Your Favorite Indie Authors

This is a post that I thought I would share with you. It comes from the indie author of THE FOREVER GIRL, Rebecca Hamilton. BTW, I am reading this book.. and it is an interesting read. Check out the post and feel free to either post a comment here or on her blog.

The Forever Girl
by Rebecca Hamilton

Sophia Parsons’ family has skeletons, but they aren’t in their graves...

Solving the mystery of an ancestor’s hanging might silence the clashing whispers in Sophia's mind, but the cult in her town and the supernaturals who secretly reside there are determined to silence her first.

As Sophia unknowingly crosses the line into an elemental world full of vampire-like creatures, shapeshifters, and supernatural grim reapers, she meets Charles, a man who becomes both lover and ally.

But can she trust him?

It’s not until someone nearly kills Sophia that she realizes the only way to unveil the source of her family's curse: abandon her faith or abandon her humanity. If she wants to survive, she must accept who she is, perform dark magic, and fight to the death for her freedom.
(This was taken directly from her page)

Spicy Addictions!

Hi all,

I changed the blog name from A Novel Life... Shawna Hill's Blog, to Spicy Addictions! This will reflect some changes that I will be making to this blog. In the coming weeks, days, months, I will be adding shorts to this site and adding more reviews (now that I have my trusty Nook) that I have been dying to tell you about.

Its all about the spice! Whether it be erotic, sweet, sensual, etc. I will be dropping it here...by me and maybe a few other authors that I find are interested in sharing their hot stories as well.

My Upcoming Guest Post/Interview

Come join me on my fellow author's blog, Scandalous Secrets, this coming Sunday, March 18th and check out my interview/guest post! It's been a while since I have been a guest on any sites, so I am excited and thankful that she asked me to post! Go to Secret Lounge ~ Author Interviews





 Also if you have read either of my books, you know they are full of scandal, so I think they fit perfectly on her site! My characters are not finished just yet, I am still at work creating havoc with them and working on some new stories/characters as well. I hope to release them on the world very soon because keeping them pent up is a struggle! They are dying to escape and tell their stories and compel you with their lies, sex, and scandal....

More books I've Discovered

I ventured into Barnes and Noble today and was over excited about the number of books that I was grabbing left and right. Yes, I know I have a Nook, but the physical book is intoxicating too! Oh, and i did fail to mention that despite what some people think, book covers do have a way of selling the book! I love these covers. It's simple, but makes a point.

    

One series that I'm most interested is the Witch and Wizard series by James Patterson.. they are YA and look to be pretty awesome. I love the paranormal element....always had a fascination with witches and the craft.. never practiced nor learned anything of the sort, but always drawn to it for some reason.

I do have an affinity for crystals and stones (could it be tied to the witchery?? LOL.. not sure).. but as we all know crystals and stones are supposed to or rumored to have mystical powers....ran a whole city (Atlantis). Now I know that Atlantis is not supposed to be real, but people have been looking for ruins for ever with no results, but the belief is still strong and still there.

Ok, I have gotten off my subject, which was um.... Barnes and Noble and the series... I wanted to purchase the first installment, Witch and Wizard and found that it was back ordered. Seems its very popular... so I will download it. The second one in the series is The Gift... looks just as promising. I'm interested in where these novels go and cant wait to read them. I will give you my thoughts later. :)

Look What the Nook Drug In :)

I went out and brought me the Nook Simple Touch about a week before Christmas for both me and my daughter. I thought it would be a good way to reel my daughter in and get her hooked on reading as much as I was when I was her age. She is starting to really enjoy being swept away in books...and I love that! So purchasing the nook seemed like a great idea.

I loved the simple touch. And it's just .... simple. Black and white, no color and only wifi to download books, newspapers, and magazine. No frills, but serves its purpose. Now, what I really wanted was the color nook, which is about $100 more. Besides the color, it does much more. It's almost like a mini tablet. Surf the net, watch Netflix, hulu, music, books, books, and more books... I just couldn't seem to justify spending the extra $100 since I have Internet at home, on my cell, Xbox, and have access to it all already. So, I didn't get it.

What I didn't count on was getting one as a gift for Xmas! I was SO excited! I love it! So, now I have two of them and went Netflix, Hulu, and book crazy! I have to say life with my Nook will never be the same....it will be better. It's my brand new toy that I just love to death! My daughter was a little salty because she still has the black and white, but oh well... when she gets a color one (and I probably will get her one so she can enjoy its awesomeness too!)...she will appreciate it, but she needs to read a few 100 books first so I can feel she got its worth!

Some of the books that I have read (downloaded so far) are pretty good....

I'm reading a book by Patrice Michelle... A Taste for Passion (Kendrian Vampires)... so far its pretty good..

 I also read Mandy Roth's Winter Solstice.. I absolutely loved that one! Only problem I had was that it was too short! I wanted more. I recommend this one and her others...

Moonlight Becomes You, by Linda Winstead Jones.... so far I like this one too...its just a novelette.

And I downloaded a whole lot more, including some for my daughter and my son...Anyway, I thought I would share that with you. So... what are you guys reading?

New Year, Outlook and Goals

2011 flew by really quickly for me and I'm sure a lot of you. I am always one to look to the future, but the future quickly becomes the present and very quickly.. the past. There were a lot of things that I had in mind that I wanted to accomplish, but I didn't reach my goal as I wanted :(    But don't count me out just yet. I have some great things in the making, revised some of my plans and goals to make them more attainable and will reach them very soon! I'm excited to see what 2012 brings my way!

One of my biggest goals is to complete one of my new books that I am writing under a pen name...more to come on that one later! All I can say right now is that it is a paranormal novella series that I have been wanting to write for quite some time.

I have to use a pen name since its nothing like my current books and I don't want readers to be confused or upset with the new books that have paranormal themes, especially when they are not into paranormal. I am not releasing them until I have at least two of them done and plan to release them two at a time. My initial release time frame is this early Spring, but want to get them out much sooner if I can. Wish me luck!

As promised, but much later than I anticipated, The Ladies Club is still a work in progress and almost ready for the initial editing stage.

I know that I haven't been here in a while... but I plan to be more active again...starting today! I appreciate you tagging along and hanging with me all the while...  :)

What's New?

Wow! I cant believe that I have not posted in over a month! Time has really flown by. Most of my days are just quick blurs as I have been so busy writing, working and  pulling together the Intimate Betrayals web series. This is my first time doing something like this and thus far it has been an awesome experience!


Here is the cast that has really supported my vision! They are 100% in tuned with me and want to see Intimate Betrayals succeed as much as I do. We actually begin our first day of shooting tomorrow! Im so excited and nervous at the same time!

Thought I would share the pics here with you.

I found this while digging thru some of my writings

There was a time a while (actually many years ago) back that I used to write poetry just to either pass time away or rid myself of boredom. One titled Durable Serenity  is one that I came across the other day.. so I thought I'd post it here... and maybe I will post one of my buried poems every other week... Actually, this particular one was inspired by  the pic listed here... (and this pic has been an inspiration to a lot of my thoughts or writings, which is why you see it so much on my site...

Durable Serenity

His mind a steel trap,

His body to match

A force to behold,

Liquid bronze to mold

Calm strength underneath,

A soft pliable sheath

But a kind heart & soft expressions,

Leave the biggest Impressions

Intimate Betrayals Web Series... coming Fall 2011

Good Evening,

I thought I would share one of my latest creations that I'm so excited to bring to life! This is something that has been tossed around between me and my partners in crime for a while... Even before the books were created, the dream of creating a production was in the back corners of our minds. It's funny, I never had the intention of writing this series as I have stated many times, but it seemed to take on a life of its own...and here we are now.

I am still working on The Ladies Club with Dark Whispers a far second work in progress...as writing is my first passion. Since the books have been received well, this was the next logical step for us to try to conquer. I love a challenge and this will be one that I welcome, full heartedly!

We predict and forsee shooting to begin this September and have high hopes to have it out by mid October. Wish me luck!

So if this series is something that you are interested in seeing, please stay tuned!

Fire Sale!

Good Morning!
 I am sure that you have heard the term fire sale before right? Well what I am doing is similar to it, but not exactly it.  LOL! I want to break my own record in ebook sales and sale 200 copies of both of my ebooks, In Between Lies and Intimate Illusions each for .99 in the next 24 hours... starting now. Will I reach 200 copies? Who knows, but I would love to try or at least get as close as I can while at the same time give readers an enjoyable read!


If you haven't already grabbed your copies, now is the chance to do so and please spread the word! If you are interested, email me @ shawnarhill@gmail.com for the coupon codes!

Lazy Sunday and my Sunday Read

Today has been a very very lazy day for me. I didn't get out of bed until 1pm...and I loved every moment of sleeping in. Since my kids are old enough (well my daughter is anyway) to fix their own food to eat, there was no rush to jump out of bed for anything. So I took full advantage of it.

So while on my way back home from vacationing in the Bahamas, we were on a long lay over in Chicago @ O'Hare Airport. We decided to stop in at the bookstore and grab some reads. I am kind of spoiled with buying ebooks, but the sight of all the books lined up brought back my fiendish need to BUY, BUY, BUY. So I did. There was a sale on mystery books.. buy one get the other either half off or free,  I cant remember. I purchased a book by an author that is unknown to me but the blurb on his book sounded very interesting.

The book is called Caught, by Harlan Corben. Have you heard of this guy before? Here is a blurb from his site and some words from the author himself:

Available Now in US & UK

From the #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense comes a fast-paced, emotion-packed novel about guilt, grief, and our capacity to forgive.

17 year-old Haley McWaid is a good girl, the pride of her suburban New Jersey family, captain of the lacrosse team, headed off to college next year with all the hopes and dreams her doting parents can pin on her. Which is why, when her mother wakes one morning to find that Haley never came home the night before, and three months quickly pass without word from the girl, the community assumes the worst.

Wendy Tynes is a reporter on a mission, to identify and bring down sexual predators via elaborate—and nationally televised—sting operations. Working with local police on her news program Caught in the Act, Wendy and her team have publicly shamed dozens of men by the time she encounters her latest target. Dan Mercer is a social worker known as a friend to troubled teens, but his story soon becomes more complicated than Wendy could have imagined.

In a novel that challenges as much as it thrills, filled with the astonishing tension and unseen suburban machinations that have become Coben’s trademark, Caught tells the story of a missing girl, the community stunned by her loss, the predator who may have taken her, and the reporter who suddenly realizes she can’t trust her own instincts about this case—or the motives of the people around her.

I know that most of you are romance readers, but this book so far is very good!

My Bonding Vacation

So, I just returned home from an awesome vacation with my sister and her husband, my brother in law, and one of my best friends. We had a great time, created some cool life long lasting happy memories, and also created stronger lifetime bonds! Believe it or not, this is my first time vacationing with my sister and her husband, despite the many many years that she'd poked and prodded me to go with them to their vacation places. I just never seemed to have the time. After all the fun we had, it now will become a priority to get the family together on a yearly basis for some great times!

To get a better understanding, me and my sister were not raised together and had lost contact for about 20 years (not by our choice), and just over the last 10 years or so, we've been getting to re-know each other again, so this was a long time in the making and long overdue. Bringing her family and mine together is a must...and we have managed to do a pretty good job melding back into one happy family..her children, husband, my kids, our brother (was raised with me), and my significant other....good times! Almost seems like we were never apart.

So anyway, we started out flying out of Columbus to Ft. Lauderdale. We both were kind of nervous and she refused to sit by the window.. so I was the big sister and took the heat LOL! I sat by the window.. and I enjoyed the view...

View of the hills, leaving Ohio 

skyview above Ohio

landing in Ft. Lauderdale

After we landed we all headed to the hotel for the night, filled with excitement that was sure to come the next day. Heading to Palm Beach was cool.. of course we got lost a couple of times LOL! But we got there in time to port and board the ship...

The Celebration

  Then off to cruise on the Celebration... destination... Freeport, Bahamas!

beautiful home, beachfront property, Palm Beach

great view of Palm Beach

setting sail...leaving Palm Beach

While cruising, I'm sure you know that the food is limitless...so you know we sampled everything! Drank like fish, gambled in the casino, danced, viewed a male review WOOT WOOT! No, they were just alright...we have seen better, but it was great entertainment anyway. We even drank enough to gather courage to participate in karaoke LOL!! it was fun but we sounded absolutely terrible!! LOL!! But hey, we will never see those people again so who cared, right! Besides they sounded just as terrible. My brother in law did a great job singing The Commodores hit, Brick House...had the audience participating...but he is already an entertainer so it was no sweat off his nose seeing as though he has his own band. Me and my sister, Michelle, completely different story. I think we gulped down at least 3 double shots mixed in our drinks..you know to loosen up. I have no problem reading from my book or doing open mic poetry...singing.. i needed drinks LOL!

To make a longer sharing story even longer, we finally hit the shores of Freeport...let the shopping begin! The island was beautiful! The beach was breath taking and the resort was gorgeous!

Mechelle, Michelle, and me

me and my buddy, Mechelle @ Agave Restaurant

Agave Restaurant on the Island

my best friend, Mechelle and my sister, Michelle

beautiful resort

the resort

on the beach

looking up at a palm tree

I love palm trees..If I could have one here I would

Anyway this trip was awesome and a great bonding experience... and I am already looking to book another one for next year.

Not Enough Hours in the Day!

I know it has been a minute since I posted on my blog. I have been busy working and .... life. But I shouldn't let that get in my way of writing and sharing. I love to share my experiences and hear about your as well. Speaking of sharing, I have been researching and reviewing a lot of webisodes on the Internet lately and have come across some really great ones that I feel are worth mentioning.


Ok, so one that I have found is called Celeste Bright, which is written by Sonya Steele. It's an awesome drama/suspense. I cannot wait for the next episodes to come out.. Check it out.



There are 10 episodes and she actually has each episode deconstructed on her site. You can read and see the episodes on her page here. I absolutely love this!

Another one for you 24 or Keifer Sutherland fans! I ran across one by him called The Confession. In one word, AWESOME! For some reason, the first chapter is not on youtube, but you can view all of them on FB here. I was able to get the trailer however.

If you are looking for some comedy.. I found it... Hilarious!! It's by Issa Rae...called The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl. According to the site, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl follows the title character and friends as she navigates through life, love and awkward situations. This one here is episode 5 but i believe there is 6 now... funny stuff (depending on your sense of humor)

New Project!

Intimate Betrayals Web Series Now that my interesting blog tour has ended, I have had time to dedicate towards the next book in my Intimate Betrayals series! The Ladies Club is currently in process with the hopes of finishing it really really soon; then off for the editing process!



Also, I wanted to tell you some other great news! If you remember, I was asking your input on the interest in a web series...well, that is a project that I have been working on too! I am currently in the works of bringing Intimate Betrayals web series to life! I am very excited! Right now I am trying to raise funds to help me cover the costs of production, equipment (both sound and cameras), lighting, etc.... I just recently launched a project on kickstarter.com If you are interested in helping me out, I'd appreciate it! Of course, there are things in it for you as well!

My Kickstarter Project!