Illusion of Ecstasy by Nicole Loufas Blog Tour + Giveaway

When Dani discovered the cash hidden in her attic, she had no idea the problems it would bring. With the help of the Marino’s, Dani is able to launder her father’s dirty money, but their help comes with a price. Her relationship with Matt.

Not wanting to hurt Dani’s future or freedom, Matt removes himself from the equation to keep everyone safe. But when it’s time to go home, he has to decide which is more important – watching his little sister grow up or returning to the girl of his dreams. 

Nick is determined to make good on all the bad he’s caused, and has finally accepted his role as a Marino. Fate doesn’t make it easy for him. Especially, when he returns from Europe to find Dani is falling apart. With Matt out of the picture, Nick contemplates a future with the only girl he’s ever loved.

In the conclusion to Thizz, A Love Story, follow Dani, Matt, and Nick on a soul-searching journey into adulthood. The Illusion of Ecstasy explores the emotional tribulations they encounter without the help of thizz. How to deal with real emotion becomes the biggest obstacle of all on their road to maturity.

Amazon ~ FREE on Kindle Unlimited

ONE:

Nick and I circle each other for a few minutes. I wait for him to make the first move. He always makes the first move. To my surprise, he just keeps circling and smiling. Finally, I go for it. I lunge, and he falls against the padded headboard. Wood cracks. I keep wailing on him with the pillow. Nick grabs me around my knees and takes me down. He tries to pin me using a move I taught him. He has no chance. I arch my back and twist my body. Before Nick can take his next breath, I’ve got him flipped over. We’re both breathing heavy. I hold Nick by the neck, not too hard. I don’t want to hurt him. Not really. I’m lying on my back, my arm wrapped around his neck as he’s lying beside me, sort of in front of me. I feel his hand tap out at the same time the screen on the front door squeaks open and then slams shut.

Nick starts to laugh when Dani appears in the doorway.

She takes in the room. The comforter on the floor, the sheets askew. Nick in my arms. She’s trying really hard to keep a straight face. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Just working out some aggression,” Nick jokes and breaks free.

I want to ask what she’s doing here, but I suspect Nick had everything to do with it. The phone call, changing the sheets, it makes sense now. That thoughtful motherfucker.

“I can come back later,” she teases and breaks into a huge grin. Her face lights up. She only beams like this when she’s high. There is only one person who could’ve given her pills.

Nick jumps off the bed and wraps Dani in his arms. He pulls back and kisses her on the forehead. Her eyes flutter closed, and all I can think is—karma is a bitch.

TWO:

I lock the gate and pause for a second to prepare myself for whatever is about to happen. The realization that I’m going to spend the night alone with Matt slaps me across the face.

I go back upstairs and find Matt standing in front of the living room window. He turns at the sound of my footsteps on the hardwood floor. The expression on his face makes me nervous. I turn from the hallway into the kitchen to avoid the intense look in his eyes.  

“There’s no food here, but we can raid my mom’s wine rack downstairs. I just need to go to my apartment and grab my toothbrush,” I ramble. Because rambling feels safe. “We can stop at Golden Boy and get a pizza on our way back.” I open the refrigerator hoping to find a bottle of courage sitting on the top shelf.

“Are you hungry?” he asks.

“Uh, not really.” I close the door and we lock eyes.

He looks sexy as hell leaning against the doorframe. Pizza and my toothbrush are the last things on my mind as he steps towards me.

“Me either,” he says.

He reaches for my hand and pulls me into his arms. I try not to think about what this means or what will happen tomorrow.

He leans in and kisses me. Even though our lips touched in the past; the emotions I’m feeling right now weren’t fueling that moment. This kiss wasn’t instigated by a dare. We have no audience. Nothing holding us back. I relax into Matt’s arms and let this thing between us finally take over.

Nicole was born and raised in California. She claims to be a San Francisco native, however she’s lived in both Northern and Southern California. She credits her creativity to the fact that she attended 12 schools between kindergarten and her senior year in high school. Her nomadic childhood allowed her to reinvent herself often. Some might say she was a liar. While others see the stories she told as a coping mechanism. Twelve schools, in six cities, in twelve years – give her a break. Today she channels her storytelling ability into writing novels. Long story short – kids that lie become writers.

Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Webpage

Instagram: @nicoleloufas ~ Goodreads

Thizz, A Love Story

Amazon ~ FREE on Kindle Unlimited

The Lunam Ceremony

Amazon ~ FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Illusion of Ecstasy Blog Tour 

We All Fall Down by Karen Cimms Blog Tour + Giveaway

Being married to a rock star isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Kate and Billy McDonald have defied the odds. For twenty-four years they have loved each other fiercely, and it hasn’t always been easy.

On the road more than he’s home, bouncing from band to band, and fighting for a foothold in the music industry against the machinations of his former agent, Billy has struggled to make a name for himself. Frustrated and angry, he turns to drugs and alcohol to cope. Combined with the guilt of secrets he’s kept from Kate and a temper that flares like the strike of a match, he’s a ticking time bomb.

Amazed at how far they’ve come from their rough beginnings, Kate cherishes her life. Sure, there are things she’d change, like having Billy home more, having a better relationship with her daughter, and being able to do something really worthwhile. When a startling betrayal follows on the heels of an unbearable loss, Kate’s world spirals out of control, leaving her staggering and wondering if it’s even possible to pick up the pieces.

What happens when love implodes? Can we rise from the ashes, or will we all fall down?

We All Fall Down is the second book in the Of Love and Madness trilogy. A love story that unfolds over twenty-five years, it’s the tale of two damaged people trying to make their way in the world without destroying themselves or each other in the process.

Amazon ~ Kobo ~ B&N

ONE

Billy cursed under his breath.

“What’s wrong?” his agent, C.J., asked. “I thought this is what you wanted.”

“It is,” he whispered into the phone. “It’s just . . . the timing isn’t good. Katie’s—”

“Look, Billy, it’s only three weeks, but it’s a big three weeks. The new songs are great, but we gotta road test them. You keep this up and I can guarantee you a record deal, but I have to get you out there. People need to hear you. There was a lot of buzz after that performance in Miami this summer, and to tell the truth, the arrest and all the rest of it didn’t hurt that angry rock star image, either. There’s no bad publicity, not for someone like you, but fans have short memories.”

“I know,” he agreed, “and God knows I need the money—”

“Look, it’s just three weeks. She can’t be without you for three freaking weeks?”

Could she? She was getting worse, there was no doubt about it. But if she started seeing the doctor, and if he could talk her into staying with Rhiannon . . .

“I don’t know. I guess. I’ll figure something out.”

C.J. was all business. “Okay, then. I’ll have a car pick you up first thing Monday to bring you straight to the airport. I’ll meet you there, and we’ll sign the contracts. Just leave everything to me.”

“Fine.”

“And Billy? I had to pull a lot of strings to get you on this leg of the tour. This is the perfect audience for you. Don’t screw this up. You’re not a cat. You don’t have nine lives, and even if you did, you’ve about run out.”

“Yeah, I get it. I’ll see you Monday.”

“That’s what I want to hear.”

TWO

A door clanged open. Tom stood and walked toward the hallway, then nodded in her direction. She tucked her clutch under her arm and followed.

Billy’s back was to her as she came around the corner. Snug black jeans hugged his long legs. A long-sleeved black shirt with the tails out and the cuffs turned up showed off the tattoos covering his forearms. His hair was messy and loose, hanging well past his shoulders. He and Tommy were speaking, and when Tommy glanced in her direction, Billy turned slowly, then snapped back to Tommy when he realized who was standing behind him.

“What the fuck is she doing here?” he practically growled. “I didn’t tell you to call her.”

“He didn’t call me,” she answered, hurt as well as angry. “And is that all you have to say?”

The man standing before her was a far cry from the one she’d kissed goodbye over two months ago. His neatly trimmed goatee had grown out into a scraggly beard. He needed a shower badly, and although it was the middle of the night, he wore sunglasses. A long, thin cut above his eyebrow was held together with several Steri-Strips. Another near the bridge of his nose had begun to swell. An angry red mark blossomed on his cheek, and there were hints that his eye would soon be black and blue.

“If I wanted you here, I would’ve called you. You shouldn’t be here.” He scowled at Tommy as if he were the reason behind all of them being there.

Kate slipped off the sergeant’s jacket. “Neither should you.” She tapped on the thick glass to get the desk officer’s attention, then waited by the inner door until she came around to retrieve the jacket.

Billy watched as she walked back, his mouth curling into that trademark smile, the one that still caused her to melt like a teenager.

Not this time. This time, she was pissed.

“Well, I see you came dressed to impress.” His grin grew, and the cut on his bottom lip split open, blood welling in the spot. A memory flashed before her of a night long ago when she hadn’t been nearly as angry as she was now, yet she had punched him in the stomach.

Tempting.

Karen Cimms is a writer, editor, and music lover. She was born and raised in New Jersey and still thinks of the Garden State as home. She began her career at an early age rewriting the endings to her favorite books. It was a mostly unsuccessful endeavor, but she likes to think she invented fanfiction.

Karen is a lifelong Jersey corn enthusiast, and is obsessed with (in no particular order) books, shoes, dishes, and Brad Pitt. In her spare time she likes to quilt, decorate, and entertain. Just kidding–she has no spare time.

Although she loves pigeons, she is terrified of pet birds, scary movies and Mr. Peanut.

Karen is married to her favorite lead guitar player. Her children enjoy tormenting her with countless mean-spirited pranks because they love her, or so they say. She currently lives in Northeast Pennsylvania, although her heart is usually in Maine.

Facebook ~ Website ~ Instagram ~ Pinterest

Twitter: @KCimms

At This Moment (Of Love and Madness: Volume One)

Amazon ~ FREE in Kindle Unlimited

We All Fall Down Blog Tour

We All Fall Down by Karen Cimms Release Blitz + Giveaway

Being married to a rock star isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Kate and Billy McDonald have defied the odds. For twenty-four years they have loved each other fiercely, and it hasn’t always been easy.

On the road more than he’s home, bouncing from band to band, and fighting for a foothold in the music industry against the machinations of his former agent, Billy has struggled to make a name for himself. Frustrated and angry, he turns to drugs and alcohol to cope. Combined with the guilt of secrets he’s kept from Kate and a temper that flares like the strike of a match, he’s a ticking time bomb.

Amazed at how far they’ve come from their rough beginnings, Kate cherishes her life. Sure, there are things she’d change, like having Billy home more, having a better relationship with her daughter, and being able to do something really worthwhile. When a startling betrayal follows on the heels of an unbearable loss, Kate’s world spirals out of control, leaving her staggering and wondering if it’s even possible to pick up the pieces.

What happens when love implodes? Can we rise from the ashes, or will we all fall down?

We All Fall Down is the second book in the Of Love and Madness trilogy. A love story that unfolds over twenty-five years, it’s the tale of two damaged people trying to make their way in the world without destroying themselves or each other in the process.

Amazon ~ Kobo

ONE

Billy cursed under his breath.

“What’s wrong?” his agent, C.J., asked. “I thought this is what you wanted.”

“It is,” he whispered into the phone. “It’s just . . . the timing isn’t good. Katie’s—”

“Look, Billy, it’s only three weeks, but it’s a big three weeks. The new songs are great, but we gotta road test them. You keep this up and I can guarantee you a record deal, but I have to get you out there. People need to hear you. There was a lot of buzz after that performance in Miami this summer, and to tell the truth, the arrest and all the rest of it didn’t hurt that angry rock star image, either. There’s no bad publicity, not for someone like you, but fans have short memories.”

“I know,” he agreed, “and God knows I need the money—”

“Look, it’s just three weeks. She can’t be without you for three freaking weeks?”

Could she? She was getting worse, there was no doubt about it. But if she started seeing the doctor, and if he could talk her into staying with Rhiannon . . .

“I don’t know. I guess. I’ll figure something out.”

C.J. was all business. “Okay, then. I’ll have a car pick you up first thing Monday to bring you straight to the airport. I’ll meet you there, and we’ll sign the contracts. Just leave everything to me.”

“Fine.”

“And Billy? I had to pull a lot of strings to get you on this leg of the tour. This is the perfect audience for you. Don’t screw this up. You’re not a cat. You don’t have nine lives, and even if you did, you’ve about run out.”

“Yeah, I get it. I’ll see you Monday.”

“That’s what I want to hear.”

TWO

A door clanged open. Tom stood and walked toward the hallway, then nodded in her direction. She tucked her clutch under her arm and followed.

Billy’s back was to her as she came around the corner. Snug black jeans hugged his long legs. A long-sleeved black shirt with the tails out and the cuffs turned up showed off the tattoos covering his forearms. His hair was messy and loose, hanging well past his shoulders. He and Tommy were speaking, and when Tommy glanced in her direction, Billy turned slowly, then snapped back to Tommy when he realized who was standing behind him.

“What the fuck is she doing here?” he practically growled. “I didn’t tell you to call her.”

“He didn’t call me,” she answered, hurt as well as angry. “And is that all you have to say?”

The man standing before her was a far cry from the one she’d kissed goodbye over two months ago. His neatly trimmed goatee had grown out into a scraggly beard. He needed a shower badly, and although it was the middle of the night, he wore sunglasses. A long, thin cut above his eyebrow was held together with several Steri-Strips. Another near the bridge of his nose had begun to swell. An angry red mark blossomed on his cheek, and there were hints that his eye would soon be black and blue.

“If I wanted you here, I would’ve called you. You shouldn’t be here.” He scowled at Tommy as if he were the reason behind all of them being there.

Kate slipped off the sergeant’s jacket. “Neither should you.” She tapped on the thick glass to get the desk officer’s attention, then waited by the inner door until she came around to retrieve the jacket.

Billy watched as she walked back, his mouth curling into that trademark smile, the one that still caused her to melt like a teenager.

Not this time. This time, she was pissed.

“Well, I see you came dressed to impress.” His grin grew, and the cut on his bottom lip split open, blood welling in the spot. A memory flashed before her of a night long ago when she hadn’t been nearly as angry as she was now, yet she had punched him in the stomach.

Tempting.

Karen Cimms is a writer, editor, and music lover. She was born and raised in New Jersey and still thinks of the Garden State as home. She began her career at an early age rewriting the endings to her favorite books. It was a mostly unsuccessful endeavor, but she likes to think she invented fanfiction.

Karen is a lifelong Jersey corn enthusiast, and is obsessed with (in no particular order) books, shoes, dishes, and Brad Pitt. In her spare time she likes to quilt, decorate, and entertain. Just kidding–she has no spare time.

Although she loves pigeons, she is terrified of pet birds, scary movies and Mr. Peanut.

Karen is married to her favorite lead guitar player. Her children enjoy tormenting her with countless mean-spirited pranks because they love her, or so they say. She currently lives in Northeast Pennsylvania, although her heart is usually in Maine.

Facebook ~ Website ~ Instagram ~ Pinterest

Twitter: @KCimms

At This Moment (Of Love and Madness: Volume One)

Amazon ~ FREE in Kindle Unlimited

We All Fall Down Release Blitz