Review - Angels in Leather by Bella Jewel

Title: Angels in Leather

Author: Bella Jewel

Release Date: February 13, 2014

 

A girl on the run.

Her father gave her one task before he died. To deliver a package.

Now she has the baddest biker in the state after her.

He wants what she's got.

Secrets in both the past and the present threaten to destroy what she is working so hard for.

He threatens to ruin her heart.

Two worlds will collide to make something explosive.

 

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Bella Jewel is always a one-click for me. Simply put, she writes engaging and smoking hot books. I love her. I’d have her babies if I could… just kidding.

I’m sure it has no place in a review, but who am I to color inside the lines. =) There are some less than flattering reviews out there on this book that I want to address.

First, in my humble opinion, you’ll be hard-pressed to find biker books out there that don’t have SOME similarities. There was an OLD country song that had this line in it:

“a friend of mine… wrote that song and he told me it was the perfect country and western song I wrote him back a letter and told him it was NOT the perfect country and western song because he hadn't said anything about Momma, or trains, or trucks, or prison, or gettin' drunk.”

Well, just as David Allen Coe thought a country and western song had to have certain things to be perfect, so do biker books. They have bikes, cussing, criminal activity, sex, rough men, a club house, “old ladies”, conflict, etc… You have to expect them to have something in common or they wouldn’t be biker books they’d be something else entirely. If you’re looking for a book that has NOTHING in common with some of the more popular biker books, you should go look for something in the Regency Romance section. I guarantee those have nothing but the word “the” in common.

Now. Let’s actually talk about THIS book, shall we?

Axel and Meadow’s story is everything I was hoping it would be and did not disappoint. There were parts where I wanted to hate Axel and parts where I wished I was as strong as Meadow/Cricket. (Can I just say how much I love that nickname?) I can’t even begin to imagine myself living her life and not giving up.

A couple times I’m sure I cussed out loud at Axel. The guy just needed to get his shit together. I do love me some Alpha Male, though, so he definitely has a spot in my heart. Add in that he’s broken and doesn’t think he’s good enough for Meadow and I think he’s my new book boyfriend. I’m a sucker for the hard-ass with a heart.

It’s fast paced and a page-turner for sure. I do wish it had been a bit longer so the story didn’t feel quite so fast. Also, I went in to this thinking it was going to be very similar to the MC Sinners series, so my own assumptions left me a little lacking. This book was WAY more raw and rough. 

Did I mention the sex was off-the-charts hot?

The way this author can write a hard edged story that’s full of drama and still has love woven through is enjoyable and amazing to me. If you loved Bella Jewel’s other motorcycle books, you’ll love this one too. Just remember it’s a different series and read it already!

 

~ Review by Jennifer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bella Jewel is an Aussie girl through and through. She spent her life in Western Australia, growing up in many different areas of the state. She now currently lives in Perth with her husband, children and mass amounts of pets. She's crazy, fun, outgoing and friendly. Writing is her passion, she started at the young age of 18 but finally got the courage up to publish, and her first novel Hell's Knights will be released in August 2013.

 

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Release Day Blitz - Angels in Leather by Bella Jewel

Title: Angels in Leather

Author: Bella Jewel

Release Date: February 13, 2014

 

 

A girl on the run.

Her father gave her one task before he died. To deliver a package.

Now she has the baddest biker in the state after her.

He wants what she's got.

Secrets in both the past and the present threaten to destroy what she is working so hard for.

He threatens to ruin her heart.

Two worlds will collide to make something explosive.

 

ADD TO GOODREADS

 

 

 

 

“Fight me, don’t you stop,” Axel breathes into my ear. “I won’t hurt you, Cricket,” he murmurs, running his finger down the side of my face. “But I need you to fight.”

So, that’s what I do.

I start by squirming, trying to twist my body around. He presses his body against mine, and reaches up, tangling his fingers into the fence. He thrusts his hips, ramming both out bodies harder into the wire. I groan, and throw my head back, hitting him in the face. He snarls, and takes my hands, quickly uncuffing me before pulling them harshly behind my back and jerking my body back into his.

I hear the cuffs drop onto the ground.

I guess he’s letting me play this fairly.

“Stop that,” he rasps into my ear. “I’ll make it hurt if you do that again.”

“Maybe I want it to hurt,” I hiss, fisting my hands together and shoving them backwards into his stomach.

He stumbles off me with a grunt, and I spin around, ducking to the left and attempting to run. I don’t get two steps before Axel lashes out, taking my ankle and pulling me so hard I go down into the dirt. My face just misses being smashed into it by mere centimeters. Axel flattens his body over mine, and takes my head in his hands, jerking my head back by my hair and breathing down on me. “You’re being a bad girl,” he husks, running a finger down the side of my face.

“You’re not letting me play fair,” I whisper. “I was cuffed before, it wasn’t a fair chase.”

I feel his weight lift off me, and he jerks me up, pulling me into a standing position.

“Run, then. I’ll give you five seconds, and if I catch you again, Meadow, I’m going to f**k you,” he murmurs, then his eyes grow lusty. “Hard.”
I turn without answering, and I run into the trees at the back of the lot. I hear Axel counting loudly, and my body shivers. I am sweating now, and my breathing is hard and ragged, but the chase is so worth that. I hear Axel take off after me, and I squeal with delight as I weave through the trees. It’s dark, but I can see enough because of the lights surrounding the club house.

“The minute I get hold of you,” Axel yells. “I’m goin’ to rip your panties down and put my d**k so deep inside you, you’re goin’ to scream.”
I shiver, and swallow. I make my way to the fence line again, and I press myself against it for a second, letting my eyes scan the trees. 
“Then I’m goin’ to kiss you so hard your lips will bleed.”

Oh my.

I take off, using the fence line as a guide to get back to the other end of the lot. I can hear Axel to my left, and I know he’s gaining on me, but if I run, it’ll make a lot of noise and he’ll figure out where I am.

“Come out come out wherever you are,” he sings. “You know I’ll make you come so much your legs will give way.”

I feel a smile on my face as I keep moving along the fence, keeping my body plastered against it. I can feel my own arousal dampening my panties, and now I’m eager for him to get his hands on me. I want to know what he’s got to give.

“You can run, Cricket, but you can’t hide.”

 

 

 

 

Bella Jewel is an Aussie girl through and through. She spent her life in Western Australia, growing up in many different areas of the state. She now currently lives in Perth with her husband, children and mass amounts of pets. She's crazy, fun, outgoing and friendly. Writing is her passion, she started at the young age of 18 but finally got the courage up to publish, and her first novel Hell's Knights will be released in August 2013.

 

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Release Day Blitz - The Problem With Crazy by Lauren K McKellar

  

Title: The Problem With Crazy
Author: Lauren K McKellar
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Cover design: Rebecca Berto, of Berto Designs
Release Date:  February 13, 2014
 

 

The problem with crazy is that crazy, by itself, has no context. It can be good crazy, bad crazy . . . or crazy crazy—like it was when my ex-boyfriend sung about me on the radio.

Eighteen-year-old Kate couldn’t be more excited about finishing high school and spending the summer on tour with her boyfriend’s band. Her dad showing up drunk at graduation, however, is not exactly kicking things off on the right foot—and that’s before she finds out about his mystery illness, certain to end in death.

A mystery illness she is likely to inherit.

When your whole life goes from adventure and ecstasy to sad and suicidal, what’s the point? Not knowing who to love, and who to trust . . . where does it end?

The Problem With Crazy is a story about love and life; about overcoming obstacles, choosing to trust, and learning how to make the choices that will change your life forever.

*A portion of sales from this book will be donated to a Huntington’s disease-related charity (details TBC)

 

 

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FIVE FACTS WITH LAUREN K. MCKELLAR

 

Where did you get your inspiration? I was inspired to write this story when I met a friend of mine’s father, who unfortunately, has the disease. I didn’t go through the struggle with him when he got tested, or anything, but meeting someone who suffered from such an obviously horrible illness was really sad.

 

My cousin suffers from a mental illness, and one of the things I dislike most is the special treatment, and the frequent use of the term ‘crazy’. And so, The Problem With Crazy was born.

 

Was writing about such a horrible illness difficult? I think writing about any illness is difficult. When you create fiction about something that not only alters people’s lives, but can kill them, you’re treading on sensitive ground.

That’s why I did a lot of research; I interviewed victims, spoke to state bodies, and observed people who weren’t affected, but who knew people who were. I hope this means I’ve done the subject matter justice.

 

Why New Adult? This illness is all about change in life, and for me, New Adult, or Upper YA, is one of the biggest change periods a person will go through. It’s coming of age, it’s defining life moments, and I couldn’t think of a time when people are more socially aware and conscious, and yet still at a period when life- and person-making choices are made. For me, eighteen years was the ultimate age to set this story with maximum impact.

 

So is the moral to the story to not get Huntington’s disease? No. This disease isn’t contagious. It’s hereditary, which is horrid enough.

However, the moral isn’t to do with this particular illness. It’s twofold; it’s partly to do with the literal use of the term ‘crazy’, and, more importantly, to do with living life to the fullest. To not knowing when or where you could die, but to living life anyway. To trying, and persevering, and working, and laughing, and smiling, and loving, and living—it’s to being. To being as if each day is your last—and in spite of the fact.

 

So, heavy stuff. Let’s talk about romance. Is there some lovin’ in this book? Well, you know what? Love is a central theme, as it is in most of our lives. Loving, however … well, let’s just say, it’s certainly not an erotic romance. Still, I don’t know that I could write and not include love to help bind the elements together.

 

For me, love has always been a part of my life. I’d dream of finding ‘the one’ when I was younger; and now that I’ve finally found him, it’s everything I could have wanted, and more. To write a story and not incorporate a part of that, a fragment of something I probably feel strongest about—I don’t know that I could do it.

 

Finally, the dedication. Tell us about that. Well, I dedicated this book to the person who inspired me to write it. I wanted to raise awareness about something that struck someone so cruelly.

Also, that person is someone’s father. While my father never had Huntington’s, he did pass away from cancer when I was in my late teens, and I feel like the altering of a father figure is something that’s personal. This book is being released on the anniversary of my father’s death; so it’s for dads everywhere. Happy, healthy, loving, paternal, diseased, and healthy. Because who can argue with that?

 

 

 

 

 

I raised my hands to my sides and lifted up my T-shirt, throwing it over my head and letting it land on the floor next to me. Swaying my hips to the side, I threw my hands out in a ta-da movement, like I was the host on a game show.

 

“And the jeans.” Dave nodded and took a few steps back to the bed, sitting down and crossing his arms. His face was blank, and his eyebrows were raised. I’d never seen him look so unimpressed.

 

I flipped the button and undid my fly, slowly pulling my skinny jeans over my thighs, my knees, my calves, and finally my ankles and feet. There was no way to do it and be sexy, so I settled for not falling over. I stepped out of my pants and stood up straight, in only my underwear.

 

Dave checked his cell for messages.

 

I felt sick.

 

 

 

 

Lauren K. McKellar is a writer and editor of fact and fiction. She has worked in publishing for more than eight years, and recently returned to her first love: writing books that make you feel.

Lauren loves to write for the Young and New Adult markets, and blogs with Aussie Owned and Read, as well as vlogging with the YA Rebels.

In her free time, Lauren enjoys long walks on the beach with her two super-cute dogs and her partner-in-crime/fiancé.

 

 

 

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WRITING ABOUT ILLNESS

 

Writing about illness and disease is obviously dancing with danger. After all, when you're talking about a condition that can change, and eventually, strip someone of their life, it's important to treat the topic with sensitivity and do it justice. Stuffing up things like symptoms, treatment and other conditional specifications can not only leave you labeled a liar, but also leave you responsible for potentially causing a sufferer insult and/or injury.

 

The Problem With Crazy deals with Huntington's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that results in a loss of brain function and, approximately 15-20 years after onset, death. And that's putting it in simple terms.

 

When writing about this disease, I wanted to keep as close to the facts as I could. Being a lesser-known condition than, say, cancer, or Parkinson's, it was difficult at first to gather facts.

 

Eventually, I approached a few organisations, state bodies for sufferers of this illness, to fact check and gather information. This was difficult as a writer; asking people to give up their time for something that may never be published is hard, especially when you're asking such personal questions. Still, I was lucky enough to speak with a person at the Huntington's foundation in Victoria, and they helped me a lot.

 

I also learnt a lot from talking with sufferers and relatives of sufferers. They showed me a unique angle to the disease I hadn't at that point considered: a compassion, and positive focus I may not have been aware of otherwise.

 

In the end, I asked another state body to read through the book for any factual errors. At the end of the day, this illness isn't my story to tell--it's theirs, and I don't want to misrepresent it. Still, I do expect there to be an element or two of information that perhaps isn't quite accurate. When it comes down to it, I haven't suffered from this illness, nor has anyone in my family, thank goodness. It is for this reason that I hope you, as a reader, understand that this is a work of fiction, and for more information on this disease

 

 

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Cover Reveal - The Problem With Crazy by Lauren K McKellar

  

Title: The Problem With Crazy
Author: Lauren K McKellar
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Cover Design: Berto Designs
Release Date:  February 13, 2014
 

 

The problem with crazy is that crazy, by itself, has no context. It can be good crazy, bad crazy . . . or crazy crazy—like it was when my ex-boyfriend sung about me on the radio.

Eighteen-year-old Kate couldn’t be more excited about finishing high school and spending the summer on tour with her boyfriend’s band. Her dad showing up drunk at graduation, however, is not exactly kicking things off on the right foot—and that’s before she finds out about his mystery illness, certain to end in death.

A mystery illness she is likely to inherit.

When your whole life goes from adventure and ecstasy to sad and suicidal, what’s the point? Not knowing who to love, and who to trust . . . where does it end?

The Problem With Crazy is a story about love and life; about overcoming obstacles, choosing to trust, and learning how to make the choices that will change your life forever.

*A portion of sales from this book will be donated to a Huntington’s disease-related charity (details TBC)

 

 

ADD TO GOODREADS

 

Join the release day event, complete with prizes, fun, games,

and a partridge in a pear tree on February 13.

 

Sign up today: http://bit.ly/1cSoON4

 

 

 

We rolled onto our sides and Dave’s hands worked their way down the edges of my top and lifted it up. They explored my stomach, tickling their way over my ribs, until they reached my chest, kneading through my bra and cupping them with warmth.

Dave’s earlier boob autographing flashed through my mind. I tried to ignore it, focusing instead on the present.

“Oh, Kate,” Dave groaned in my ear. His hands were trying to get inside my bra now, one fiddling with the clasp, the other trying to access from underneath.

What exactly had he written on her chest, anyway? Do you address the autograph ‘Dear Tits’, or use the girl’s name?

And if I was really happy in our relationship, really ready to have sex with him, why was I thinking about this now?

 

 

 

 

Lauren K. McKellar is a writer and editor of fact and fiction. She has worked in publishing for more than eight years, and recently returned to her first love: writing books that make you feel.

Lauren loves to write for the Young and New Adult markets, and blogs with Aussie Owned and Read, as well as vlogging with the YA Rebels.

In her free time, Lauren enjoys long walks on the beach with her two super-cute dogs and her partner-in-crime/fiancé.

 

 

 

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

 

WEBSITE

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

 

 

 

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