{October 22, 2014} {Blog Tour} A Wedding and a Killing by Lauren Carr (A Mac Faraday Mystery)

From Goodreads: When Mac Faraday decides to do something, there’s no stopping him … even murder!

Not wanting to wait until their big day to start their life of wedded bliss, Mac Faraday and his lady love, Archie Monday, decide to elope to the little church where his ancestors had all married—along the tranquil shore of Deep Creek Lake. However, before they can say, “I do,” the sanctuary erupts into chaos when Gnarly finds a dead body in the church office.

As they dive into the investigation, Mac and his team discover more questions than answers. What kind of person walks into a church and shoots a man for no apparent reason? How do you solve the murder of a man who has no enemies in the world? Which of the seemingly kind-hearted church members is really a cold-blooded killer?

Then, there is the all-important question, how long do Mac Faraday and his lady love have to wait to get married?

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Lauren Carr’s mystery novels are indeed one of my go-tos when I’m looking for a good whodunit. Her characters, especially Mac Faraday and Archie, really make for an amazing read. I love how vivid they are, and I especially love how far they’ve come in this series. The best part is, each one of the novels in the Mac Faraday mysteries is actually a standalone–you don’t have to read the previous novels to understand what’s going on, and I find that absolutely enthralling! Of course, I have read all the previous titles in the series, and I must say that they’re beyond awesome!

Carr’s latest novel, A Wedding and a Killing, finally has our beloved couple about to tie the knot, but of course, nothing goes as planned for Mac Faraday. With two different crimes running the gamut, one years old and one fresh, the characters are whisked off on a sleuthing mission that has me entertained from the get go. With Gnarly’s antics and Mac Faraday’s wit, the novel takes on a life of its own. I will say that I was able to figure out the culprit of each murder mystery fairly early on, but even so, the novel is still a great read, and I loved watching the characters slowly begin to uncover the truth. If you love a good mystery and are looking for a fresh read, definitely give A Wedding and a Killing a chance. Fours stars.

I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

For More Information

A Wedding and a Killing is available at Amazon.

Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

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About the Author

Lauren Carr is the best-selling author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. A Wedding and a Killing is the eighth installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series.

In addition to her series set on Deep Creek Lake, Lauren Carr has also written the Lovers in Crime Mysteries, which features prosecutor Joshua Thornton with homicide detective Cameron Gates, who were introduced in Shades of Murder, the third book in the Mac Faraday Mysteries. They also make an appearance in The Lady Who Cried Murder. Dead on Ice (A Lovers in Crime Mystery) was released September 2012. The second installment, Real Murder was released to rave reviews in June 2014.

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This year, several books, over a variety of genre, written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services, which is currently accepting submissions. Visit Acorn Book Services website for more information.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.

She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

For More Information

Visit Lauren Carr’s website.
Connect with Holly on Facebook and Twitter.
Visit Lauren’s blog.
Is your group looking for a speaker for your next event? Click here.
Contact Lauren.

{September 25, 2014} {Blog Tour: Review, Top Ten, and Giveaway} Neurotica by Eliza Gordon

Review:

From Goodreads: If you find yourself talking to Jayne Dandy, keep the conversation on Star Wars and rubber ducks—best not to mention men, dating, or S-E-X. Because Jayne is fine with the way things are: writer of obituaries and garage sale ads by day, secret scribe of adventures in distant galaxies by night. But her crippling fear of intimacy has made her the butt of jokes since forever, and hiding behind her laptop isn’t going to get her lightsaber lit.

After her therapist recommends that she write erotica as a form of exposure therapy, Jayne joins forces with pen and paper to combat the demons that won’t let her kiss and tell. Unexpectedly downsized at work, she adopts a pseudonym and secretly self-publishes one of her naughty books to make ends meet. When her adorable, long-time friend Luke, co-owner of the popular Portland food truck Luke Piewalker’s, hears she’s been demoted, he insists on hiring her to sling éclairs and turnovers at his side. Her secret must be kept, but sparks ignite between them, sending Jayne and her X-Wing into a tailspin that will either make her face down her neuroses or trigger a meltdown of Death Star proportions.

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This novel is absolutely amazing, giving readers an in-depth look at the indie publishing world through the eyes of Jayne, a young woman who struggles with intimacy. Jayne, better known to her readers as Jaina Jacen, is an intriguing character who innocently enough begins a maelstrom when her erotica books take off in the ebook world–a feat Jayne never imagined, nor wanted. Published under a pseudonym and only in hopes of making ends meet, Jayne’s world is turned upside down when the demand for more, including public appearances and signings, become a reality she cannot ignore. But these books were never supposed to hit it big, and no one is supposed to know her true identity, especially not her family nor Luke, the friend who is really interested in so much more. This conundrum adds much humor to the novel as it takes off, and Gordon’s writing style kept me captivated from the very beginning. Jayne is such a sweet, shy character, and watching her try to dodge all romance, while in the throes of writing and publishing erotica behind closed doors, makes for a great read, perhaps more so because it’s 100% clean.

Though I am indeed a prude and dislike heavy sex in my novels, I have to admit that Gordon MADE me WANT to read Jayne’s fictional books just to know what all the hubbub was about throughout this enticing story. Gordon really does an amazing job keeping readers on edge, snickering, and in love with all the characters as this humorous story unfolds, making it a must read. Especially as Luke is such a great guy. And perhaps my favorite part is that it’s completely clean. While Jayne does write erotica, Gorgon keeps this NA novel PG, which is exactly where it needs to be to get the point across.

If you’re looking for a hilarious, clean, introspective read, then look no further that Neurotica. Five stars.

I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Paperback | Kindle | Nook

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Top Ten Movie Scores for Jayne (aka. Jaina Jacen) While Writing:

One way Jayne Dandy deals with the complexities of Life and Related Topics is through her love of writing. (What a novel idea!) Though she starts out penning stories in the sci-fi/fantasy realm, her therapist encourages her to try a little erotica to help her work through her intimacy issues. Think of it as exposure therapy, as in, write us a story about naked bits and the people attached to them! But when circumstances of the unemployed type dictate that Jayne find a new way to pay the rent, she decides that sending her naughty stories out into the Big Bad World to earn their keep just might work.

Like many writers, Jayne relies on auditory inspiration—music! What would her playlist look like? Well, if Jayne is anything like me (and I dare say she might be, at least atiny bit), she listens to movie scores. Because lyrics, while awesome, make a writer stop and sing and possibly dance. (I’ve been known to dance while writing. Which means no writing gets done. Just a lot of embarrassment, especially if the windows are open and the neighbors can see in.Although last time I put an open guitar case on the lawn and made $4.85. Groove on, baby!)

The following is a list of five fantastic movie scores with romantic overtones that Jayne—or, I mean, Jaina Jacen—might have listened to while breathing life into her erotic novels:

Pride and Prejudice, Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Leap Year, Randy Edelman

Winter’s Tale, Hans Zimmer and Rupert Gregson-Williams

Romeo and Juliet, Abel Korzeniowski

Twilight Saga: New Moon, Alexandre Desplat

And what about when she’s writing her sci-fi stuff? This list could go on and on. Here are Jayne’s ten favorites:

Man of Steel, Hans Zimmer

Guardians of the Galaxy, Tyler Bates

Godzilla, Alexandre Desplat

Inception, Hans Zimmer

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, Jesper Kyd and Lorne Balfe(Never underestimate the awesomeness of video game scores!)

Divergent, Junkie XL

Captain America: Winter Soldier, Henry Jackman

Thor: The Dark World, Brian Tyler

The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, Howard Shore

The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, James Newton Howard

I LOVE movie scores because they are already a story all their own. Often I purchase movie scores without seeing the films they belong to as then the music molds to whatever I have going on in my own head, in my own fantasy worlds—I dare say Miss Jayne thinks along those same lines. There’s nothing like a heart-slamming chase scene or face-melting love scene done in music to really get those creative juices flowing. And when writing her erotica, Jayne Dandy needs all the creative juices she can get.

Happy reading!

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About the Author:

A purveyor of fictions, Eliza Gordon has excellent taste in books, shoes, movies, and friends, and questionable sanity in the realm of love. Best leave that one alone. www.elizagordon.com

Connect:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Giveaway:

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway Here!

{September 25, 2014} {Blog Tour: Review and Exclusive Video} Imitation by Heather Hildenbrand

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From Goodreads:

Everyone is exactly like me. There is no one like me.

Ven wrestles with these contradicting truths every day. A clone of wealthy eighteen-year-old Raven Rogen, Ven knows everything about the girl she was created to serve: the clothes she wears, the boys she loves, the friends she loves to hate. Yet she’s never met the Authentic Raven face-to-face.

Imitations like Ven only get to leave the lab when they’re needed—to replace a dead Authentic, donate an organ, or complete a specific mission. And Raven has never needed Ven . . . until now.

When there is an attack on Raven’s life, Ven is thrust into the real world, posing as Raven to draw out the people who tried to harm her. But as Ven dives deeper into Raven’s world, she begins to question everything she was ever told. She exists for Raven, but is she prepared to sacrifice herself for a girl she’s never met?

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Though the idea of clones is nothing new, Hildenbrand has created a completely unique storyline, giving an old idea new flight. Imitation follows the life, or lack thereof, of Ven, a scientifically engineered “product” created to serve her authentic if the need ever arises. What’s different here, though, is the fact that Ven and her friends know they are not “human.” They’ve been told this from the beginning, when they first awoke as an imitation, and I found this aspect very interesting. Knowing your purpose is to serve another changes things, quite literally. The imitations have also been told they cannot feel emotions like love and sorrow, which further adds to Ven’s belief that she’s not human and, therefore, expendable. As the plot unfolds, throwing Ven into the realm of the living, impersonating her authentic, Raven, in order to draw out a threat against Raven’s life, Ven must make the choice to either fulfill her purpose or to fight back. Either way, especially with the kill switch in her arm and a growing love for bodyguard Linc, the going will not be easy.

I really liked that, unlike every other novel or movie I’ve seen concerning clones, the imitations in Hildenbrand’s novel are not just meant to be harvested for their parts should their authentic die. Instead, these authentics know they’ll serve a purpose on the outside, and they’re trained in combat, are physically fit, and are ready for anything, because their purpose is quite broad—from total assimilation of the authentic’s life, to acting as an expendable decoy, to being used for parts, the options are endless.

I loved Ven’s struggle. As soon as she’s on the outside, her “life” is thrown upside down. The constant fear of death and fulfilling her purpose, along with the close calls, creates much anticipation for the reader. I was extremely worried for Ven, and I couldn’t believe that Raven’s father, Titus, could be so cruel, continually taunting Ven with the threat of the kill switch—either die by his hand, or that of Raven’s attackers. I can’t imagine being in her shoes.

Likewise, there is a mystery afoot. Who is trying to kill Raven in the first place, and why? How is Raven’s father, Titus, in cahoots with the creation of imitations? And, why are more and more imitations suddenly flooding the city? All these questions lead up to some awesome answers, twisting all we thought we knew and presenting a completely different picture, while some of these answers leave us with even more questions… especially as Hildenbrand leaves readers with a pretty big cliffhanger that left me yelling, that’s it?!

This is a great read that I highly recommend. The writing is as beautiful as the cover. Five stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Buy it on Amazon for just $3.99!

Don’t forget to pick up book two in the series, Deviation, as well!

Buy it on Amazon

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About Heather Hildenbrand

Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was homeschooled through high school. (She’s only slightly socially awkward as a result.) Since 2011, she’s published more than eight YA & NA novels including the bestselling Dirty Blood series. She splits her time between coastal Virginia and the island of Guam and loves having a mobile career and outrageous lifestyle of living in two places. Her most frequent hobbies are riding motorcycles and avoiding killer slugs.

Heather is also a publishing and success coach bent on equipping and educating artists who call themselves authors. She loves teaching fellow writers how to create the same freedom-based lifestyle she enjoys. For more information visit www.phoenixauthorink.com and find out how to create your own Outrageous Life.

She is represented by Rebecca Friedman. You can find out more about Heather and her books at www.heatherhildenbrand.com.

Or find her here:

Facebook ~ Facebook Fan Page ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Newsletter

Hello From Guam!!!

{August 29, 2014} {Blog Tour: Review} The Write Stuff by Tiffany King

From Goodreads:

Twenty-two-year-old historical romance writer Nicole Blake, or N.S. Blake to her readers, hasn’t taken an official poll, mind you, but she is convinced she may be the only romance author on the planet who is still a card-carrying member of the virgin club.

Not that she hasn’t tried to end her membership. Life just keeps finding pesky ways to interfere. With no prospects on the horizon, Nicole begins to feel like the closest she will ever get to experiencing a man is within her own stories.

Opportunity presents itself in the form of hot-as-sin-on-a-lollipop-stick bartender/premed student Alec Petropoulos, who agrees to be the cover model for her upcoming book. Sparks fly instantly between them, and Nicole begins to entertain the possibility that she’s finally found the right guy to hand over her tattered V-card. Alec has all the makings for a perfect one-night-stand candidate except, much to Nicole’s surprise, he seems to be the only man in existence not interested in bagging a virgin.

Stuck between a rock and a stubborn male, what’s a virgin to do? Seduce him, of course. How hard could it be? If it works for the characters in her stories, why wouldn’t it work for her?

After all, what happens under the cover…stays under the cover.

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Oh. My. Goodness. If you’re looking for a sexy read full of laughs, then look no further that Tiffany King’s The Write Stuff. This amazing story pulled me in from the get go, and I loved how much I was able to connect with both the characters and the story itself, seeing the ins and outs of self-publishing as N.S. Blake begins to make a name for herself with her intoxicating stories. If you’ve never been to a mass signing or weekend book conference before, then you’re really missing out, and you’ll see just how much when you read Kings novel. I had to laugh out loud at all the antics of the ladies, ogling the male models, lining up for pictures and signatures and insisting that the models take off their shirts for photos–an aspect that has indeed become a “thing” at book conferences and signings. And King captures the chaos and awesomeness that it is as she writes from personal experience from the many signings and conferences she’s attended (and I’m lucky enough to say that I’ve attended two with her, as well!). Everything about the writer/reader world that King incorporates in her novel is 100% true, and having experienced much of it at conferences I’ve attended, I was just tickled pink with how much I could truly visualize as I read. King certainly has a way with words, and I adored her insights into the bookish world, a world we don’t hear much about inside books, which makes it all the more awesome.

And Alec? Mmmmmmmmm. He is definitely hotness on a stick, and I loved how honest and forthright he was. He’s a man who knows what he wants, and he has some shocking but valid reasons for denying N.S. Blake, reasons that made me respect him on a whole nother level as the novel unfolded. Of course, there is definitely a lot of friction between N.S. Blake and Alec, and I loved how their friendship bloomed. Their relationship is extremely realistic, and I enjoyed their antics as the plot thickened.

One of the aspects that I really adore about this novel is that it’s completely unique. While the “virgin trying to de-virginalize herself” seems to be a plot that I’m noticing more often lately, King doesn’t follow the same patter as others, and her novel really stands apart. From the intricacies of the bookish world to the chemistry and maturity of the main characters, King takes readers on a realistic journey of love and heartache, and it’s so very amazing. This is a must read! Five stars!

I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks

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About Tiffany King

USA Today Bestselling author Tiffany King is a lifelong reading fanatic who is now living her dream as a writer, weaving Young Adult and New Adult romance tales for others to enjoy. She has a loving husband and two wonderful kids. (Five, if you count her three spoiled cats). Her addictions include: Her iPhone and iPad, chocolate, Diet Coke, chocolate, Harry Potter, chocolate, zombies and her favorite TV shows. Want to know what they are? Just ask.

For information on any of Author Tiffany’s titles, visit her blog at www.authortiffanyjking.blogspot.com

Where to connect with Author Tiffany

Twitter– @AuthorTiffany

Facebook– AuthorTiffanyKing

Pinterest– Tiffany King

Blog– authortiffanyjking.blogspot.com

Goodreads– Tiffany King

Email– authortiffany@yahoo.com

“Dreams do come true…Dream big.”

{August 27, 2014} {Blog Tour: Excerpt and Review} Iron Pendulum by Megan Curd (Periodic #2)

REVIEW:

From Goodreads: A month ago, Avery thought the world ended outside Dome Four. Thought she was one of the few of her kind. Thought the war that brought the human race to the brink of extinction was over.

But a month can change everything.

After fighting to escape a tyranny she didn’t even know existed, Avery has had to come to grips with all the secrets she’s uncovered. But more secrets continue to come to light, revealing how little of her world she truly knew. When evidence starts to show that Dome Four might be under siege, Avery knows what she must do.

Returning to the dome she longed to escape is a challenge for Avery, but now she knows there’s corruption lurking in the shadows. A massive steam shortage leaves half the dome without power, and people are falling ill. Dying.

And they’re blaming Avery.

A month can change everything. One more month could kill everyone. The clock is ticking.

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This second novel of the Periodic series knocked my socks off—if you’re looking for an awesome steampunk dystopian series, then look no further! Curd has woven a tale so captivating that when all is said and done, you’ll be dying for more. And dying for more is exactly where I am as Curd leaves us with a most amazing cliffhanger that had my mind in a whirl!

Avery and all her beloved companions are back in Iron Pendulum, including swoonworthy Jaxon, best-friend Alice, and tech savvy Sari, a cast of characters I would certainly throw my lot in with if the chance ever came up. From the get go, I was enthralled with this second installment, jumping right back into to fierce world that Curd has created in this dystopian steampunk adventure.

As Avery tempts fate with her presence back in Dome 4, where corruption runs rampant and the tables have drastically turned against Avery and her friends, there were many a time that I just wanted to reach through the pages and punch her adversaries—they are awful, and I just loved to hate them as the story progressed. Erin, another teen able to produce steam, as well as another foe who I shall not name because his/her appearance in the novel had my jaw dropping, are so loathsome that I cannot wait for them to get their comeuppance; Curd has definitely turned this story on its head with betrayals and, like I said before, a cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers.

The world building is absolutely superb, and as evil slowly begins to take over all aspects both inside and outside the Dome, it’s a heart-pounding race against time for not only Avery and her friends, but everyone else, as well.

If you love a good story and you’re looking for a series that is kick-butt and will leaving you breathless, then look no further. Curd’s Periodic series has it all—mystery, elements, zombies, romance, kick butt fight scenes, betrayal, heartache, joy, fear… read it. You won’t be disappointed. Five amazing stars.

I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This title releases tomorrow.

Be sure to pick up book 1, Steel Lily, now!

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

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EXCERPT:

Alice huffed, the sound sending static through the earpieces. The Alliance had provided us the new and improved masks, capable of allowing us to speak without lifting our masks and exposing us to low oxygen levels. It was a great development, one that Sari had worked on for months to perfect. One that was currently annoying me, since all I heard was a flurry of irritation at my momentary attention lapse.

I adjusted the map and clicked on my headlamp, its dull glow illuminating the wrinkled, water-stained blueprints in my hands. I traced the lines of our route. “I think we need to go left.”

“You think?” I heard Jaxon’s voice, not through the muffled sound of the speaker, but loud and clear beside me. His lips grazed the side of my cheek, not exactly kissing me, but dissolving my focus all the same. His musical tone sent shivers down my spine, even when he was being infuriatingly sarcastic.

Jaxon’s ability to breathe in lower-oxygen situations was because of his father, Riggs, who had performed research on Jaxon from a young age. While Riggs had been forced to do it by Xander—the man behind the Resistance, and the one responsible for the fact that we were living in hiding—I still didn’t have much love for Riggs. He’d hurt Jaxon, and that hurt me. It would be a while before I trusted Riggs, no matter what he said or how many times Lexie vouched for him.

Jaxon leaned against the cement wall with his arms crossed, his dreads pulled back in a standard leather tie. His headlamp sat cockeyed, as if in tribute to his off-kilter humor and devil-may-care attitude. I wouldn’t want it any other way, even though I knew he did care, and he wasn’t nearly as unimpressed with the world as he’d like everyone to think. He’d proven that when he’d taken a vial of my blood, allowing himself to be a test subject once more for the sake of learning more about my abilities. We didn’t know how the blood would affect him—would it hurt him? Give him abilities like mine?—but it was a chance he was willing to take.

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GIVEAWAY:

Win a $5 gift card to your choice of Amazon or Barnes & Noble PLUS an ecopy of Steel Lily!!

Click this Rafflecopter Link to ENTER!

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About Megan Curd:

Megan Curd is a graduate of Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota. While having always enjoyed reading any books she could get her hands on, Megan didn’t begin writing until a friend encouraged her to do so while in college.

When not writing, Megan enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Photography, traveling and snowboarding are hobbies she loves, and she doesn’t turn down the opportunity to play xBox with her brother and friends when it presents itself.

Megan currently resides in Ohio with her husband and son, where she is trying to convert them into Buckeye fans.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Author Goodreads | IRON PENDULUM Goodreads

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Make sure you stay tuned to the rest of the tour!

Blog Tour Schedule:

August 26^th

Book Lovin’ Mamas – Excerpt

Fabulous and Fun – Excerpt & Review

Once Upon a Twilight – Excerpt & Review

Coffee Books & Art – Excerpt

August 27^th

The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club – Excerpt & Playlist

A Book Vacation – Excerpt & Review

Becky on Books – Excerpt

Born To Read – Excerpt & Review

August 28^th

Adventures in Writing – Guest Post & Review

In between The Pages – Excerpt & Review

Let Me Be Fictional – Excerpt & Review

Bibliophilia, Please – Excerpt

August 29^th

Roxy’s Reviews – Excerpt & Review

A Dream Within A Dream – Excerpt & Review

Paperback Cowgirl Reviews – Excerpt & Review

SassyCat’s Books Review – Excerpt & Character Playlist

August 30^th

Book Sense – Excerpt & Review

Loves All Things Books – Excerpt & Dream Cast

Girl in the Woods Reviews – Excerpt & Review

The Small Nerd – Excerpt & Review

August 31^st

Ashley’s Paranormal Book Blog – Excerpt & Review

One Guy’s Guide to Good Reads – Excerpt & Review

deal sharing aunt – Excerpt & Interview

Chibi Reader – Excerpt & Review

September 1^st

GenGen’s Book Blog – Excerpt & Review

Resch Reads and Reviews – Excerpt & Review

Shelfspace Needed – Excerpt & Review

This Redhead LOVES Books – Excerpt

September 2^nd

The Revolving Bookcase for Young Readers – Excerpt

Dowie’s Place – Excerpt & Review

Istyria book blog – Excerpt & Review

The Bearded Scribe – Excerpt & Review

September 3^rd

Addicted Readers – Excerpt

Shayna Varadeaux Books & Reviews – Excerpt & Guest Post

K.R. Grace – Excerpt & Review

Mercurial Musings – Excerpt & Review

September 4^th

Avid Reader Musings – Excerpt & Review

Bookinfatuation – Excerpt & Review

Out of Time – Excerpt & Review

Morgan Wylie~Author – Excerpt

September 5^th

Fabulous and Fun – Excerpt & Interview

A Cup of Coffee and a Book – Excerpt & Review

Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt

September 6^th

The Rest Is Still Unwritten – Excerpt & Review

Write Away Bliss – Excerpt & Review

Racing To Read – Excerpt & Review

September 7^th

Such a Novel Idea – Excerpt & Guest Post

The La La Land of Books – Excerpt & Review

paranormal book club ( PBC) – Excerpt & Review

The Book Beacon – Excerpt & Review

September 8^th

Much Loved Books – Excerpt & Review

Life Between the Pages – Excerpt & Review

Reading on the Farm – Excerpt & Review

Shelves of Books/ Reading For Fun – Excerpt & Review

September 9^th

Books for a Delicate Eternity – Excerpt & Review

The Bookie Monster – Guest Post & Review

Dizneeee’s World of Books – Excerpt & Review

{August 14, 2014} {Blog Tour: Review and Excerpt} Whisper by Heather Hildenbrand

Review:

From Goodreads: The Cherokee believe when a person dies, their soul is reborn. Life is repeated. An endless cycle of lessons to be learned, love to be found, destiny to be fulfilled. For the past six months, in every flower, every bird, I’ve imagined my parents, relieved of their human forms.
Now, after five months at the Skye View Wellness Center, it was summer. A time for parties and friends, but that’s the last thing I want to do. So when my best friend Erin convinces me to attend a bonfire at Eagle Point, I can’t handle the crowd full of sympathetic stares or drunken class clowns who would use my tragedy as a way into my heart – or my pants. The solitude of the woods offers an escape, until I stumble upon a boy, unconscious and bleeding, his pockets stuffed not with identification but with poetry illustrating the beauty of dying. I’ve seen enough death. I will not leave this boy’s side.

Even after he wakes, when the only thing he can remember are visions of events that haven’t happened yet…

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When I heard that Heather Hildenbrand was updating and re-releasing her wonderful novel, Whisper, I was beyond excited. I first read this novel back in 2012, and I thoroughly enjoyed it then. And knowing that scenes were going to change, new events would be occurring, and that the relationship between Hildenbrand’s characters would be turned up a notch had me eagerly awaiting this novel for a re-read, and let me just say, it’s perfection.

Whisper is not like any of Hildenbrand’s other novels; it’s completely unique to her writing style yet still innately hers through and through. It’s a captivating read, tackling the very real issue of grief, while putting a supernatural spin on it. While Hildenbrand has written many supernatural novels before, this novel has a more contemporary feel, and it’s attention to the tough topics of death and redemption are hard hitting, but extremely beautiful. Truth be told, not all readers are going to understand Whisper’s feelings or struggle to move on with her life if they haven’t experienced such debilitating grief in their own lives, so it may seem a bit slow to some readers; it’s not an action novel (not until near the end, that is). Yet, while it does start out slow, that’s the nature of this story; it’s not meant to be a fast-paced gripping novel, but rather one of love and grief. Those feelings wouldn’t be portrayed correctly if it moved any faster than it does, and I, personally, enjoyed this slower paced novel, allowing me to connect with the characters in a more real, vivid way than action packed novels tend to do.

Dylan is a most amazing character. He completes Whisper in a way that automatically brings a smile to my face, and I just adore him. Hildenbrand did a phenomenal job fleshing out her characters so well, especially Whisper, making the reader really feel for her, and all the characters, for that matter. Whisper’s grief is palpable and her character drudged up some long buried feelings I had concerning my own grief. Likewise, Taregan caused me to feel immense hatred, and yet, Hildenbrand was able to make me still feel sorry for him in the end; the fact that she actually made me feel for the one character I couldn’t stand is a testament to Hildenbrand’s sheer writing capabilities, and I really enjoyed this story, especially the Cherokee folklore, magic, and overall presence of the novel. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read before.

I loved the changes in the novel as well. Hildenbrand has smoothed over some areas, added some steam, and she’s indeed changed the entire ending to create a more fluid conclusion. And I loved every minute of it. While I didn’t realize it the first time I read the novel a few years back, these updates bring about a real sense of connectivity, and they have strengthened the novel tenfold. If you haven’t read this novel yet, or even if you have, this updated re-release is a must read. Five stars.

I received an ARC of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Paperback | Kindle

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Excerpt:

I still couldn’t believe Dad’s good news. Months and months of research. Unceasing energy and determination. I hadn’t allowed myself the belief that it wouldn’t work. There was too much at stake for the animals. Especially Dolly. And now she was coming home to live with me instead of that nasty excuse for a trainer. I’d won!

I ate standing up. The microwave never cooked evenly so the outside edges were hotter than the middle. I didn’t care. I was starved. I didn’t even bother to chew until the fifth bite.

Footsteps in the hall behind me signaled Tinker must be off the phone. I waited for him to pick up our previous conversation, or tell me about some part of his day that I’d missed while stuck inside the walls of learning. But there was only silence. I turned and found him standing in the kitchen doorway, his hands limp at his sides and the most confused expression I’d ever seen on his face.

“Tinker?”

No answer.

He stared at a spot on the wood-planked wall that bordered the breakfast nook. My eyes followed his and I found a tiny cross-stitched plaque that read “Home Is Where the Heart Is” in blue thread. Grandma had sewn it years before I’d been born.

“Tinker?” I repeated. “Who was on the phone?”

“A friend of mine, lives down by Port Creek.” His voice was distant, hollow.

I hadn’t been worried until the moment our eyes locked. When they did, it felt like a tidal wave rushing up to meet me. Suddenly, I knew that whatever he was about to say would be very, very bad.

“Whisper …”

The doorbell rang, its chime echoing through the otherwise still house. I stared back at Tinker. Something final rested in his eyes. The only time I’d ever seen him look like that …

“I’ll get it,” I said around the lump in my throat.

I tossed the spaghetti aside and went to the door, sliding carefully by Tinker on my way. I didn’t want to touch him. It was something about the energy he gave off, and I knew if I touched him it would infect me. He didn’t move to follow.

I pulled open the door and found a man in a dark uniform staring back at me. The shiny silver buttons on his shirt matched a gleaming badge on his belt loop. His hat was big enough that, had it been yellow, this could’ve been a scene from Curious George Goes to Colorado.

“Ms. Whisper Grant?” he asked. His thin lips arched into a frown when he spoke.

“Yes?” I said. Tinker came up behind me. I felt his hand come down heavily onto my shoulder.

“I’m State Trooper Nelson. This is Hefley.” He gestured to another man off to the side, who I hadn’t even noticed, on the porch but away from the light of the door. His expression matched the first man’s. If they were going for gentle or caring, the twist in their lip ruined it.

Nelson consulted a single sheet of paper attached to the clipboard he held. “Says here your birthday was three weeks ago. You’re eighteen now. Is that correct?” he asked without looking up.

“Correct,” I confirmed. “Can I help you?” I asked. I felt the spray of another approaching wave and braced myself.

“Guess that makes you the official emergency contact.” He sighed like he’d hoped for a different answer. “I’m afraid I have some bad news. There was an accident. On the bridge near Port Creek. A pickup truck went over the embankment. The vehicle was registered to a Shawn and Anna Grant. They are your parents, I believe? A man at the scene said he knew you, gave us your address.”

Tinker’s hand squeezed into my shoulder.

That’s the last thing I remember of that night.

In fact, much of the next few weeks and months that followed is still a blur. Including the night I downed a pill bottle full of Xanax and went to sleep. Even after five months at Skye View, I still can’t remember it all. Over time, it’s become easier to cope with the missing pockets of time. To cope with the numbing sadness, the raging anger, the quiet desperation that came out of that moment of loss. But I’m still not me.

Tinker said I lost myself. He said it’s what animals do when the pain of loss is too much to bear. He said one day, I’ll find myself again. A new me, a version who is able to live despite the loss I’ve suffered. I told him that sounds like something Grandma would say. He said he learned it from her, and he’s learning to find himself again, too.

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About the Author:

Author of Across the Galaxy, Whisper, and the Dirty Blood series. I write, read, and fuss at my kids. Oh, and I do laundry, lots of laundry. I’m pretty good at it, too. Sometimes I even read WHILE doing laundry – and fussing at my kids. I’m a multi-tasker.

For more information on my books, release dates, or just general stalker material, um, I mean FAN material, visit my website. www.heatherhildenbrand.blogspot.com. I love hearing from readers!

Likes and dislikes? I love vintage tees, hate socks with sandals, and if my house was on fire the one thing I’d grab is my Amazon Fire TV! (oh yeah, I’m a fan of puns.)

Website / Facebook / Twitter

{August 8, 2014} {Spotlight} Witch Hunter Olivia by T.A. Kunz

Here’s what New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors are saying about Witch Hunter Olivia by T.A. Kunz:

“Witch hunters and sexy tattoo artists? This New Adult Paranormal is EVERYTHING fans of romance and action are looking for.”

– #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout

“A fun, action-packed, enjoyable read!”

– New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cora Carmack

“The perfect blend of New Adult and Paranormal. It’s absolutely fantastic!”

– New York Times bestselling author Nichole Chase

~ ~ ~

Reviewers are calling Witch Hunter Olivia “amazing, fun, well-written, and entertaining.” You don’t want to miss the hottest New Adult paranormal romance of the summer!

Read my 5 star review!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

In the town of Piedmont Pointe, where paranormal is the norm, a girl can easily get herself in over her head with a single wrong move. Unfortunately for Olivia Adams, she’s about to make several.

Starting over is never easy, but it seemed like the only option to Olivia. The decision to turn her back on the Guild of Witch Hunters, the very group she devoted her entire life to, was one of the hardest things she ever did. It meant leaving her family, her friends, and her old identity behind forever. Coming to terms with what caused her to abandon her duties in the first place was even harder.

While trying to lay low and stay off the Guild’s radar, Olivia finds herself thrust back into her old ways after unknowingly interrupting an assassination hit on a powerful witch. What follows is the last thing she ever thought she’d agree to do–protect the very thing she was groomed to hunt.

To complicate things even further, Olivia begins to develop feelings for a tattoo artist who also happens to be half warlock, and no matter how hard she tries to fight it, she can’t resist her inescapable draw to him. Olivia’s forbidden relationship isn’t her only issue though, because once the mystery behind the assassination attempt starts to unravel, she’s forced to choose sides when the loyalties still tied to her past life are tested again.

So much for the idea of a fresh start.

BUY THE BOOK NOW:

Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon AUS ~ B&N ~ iBooks ~ Kobo

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Author T.A. Kunz has always had a fondness for reading thrilling mysteries and action-packed urban fantasies. So, it was no surprise when T.A. decided to write stories that they’d fall into one of those two genres. T.A. lives in Central Florida with two fur babies and a mechanical engineer who also happens to be quite the culinary badass, which there are no complaints about. Being a self-diagnosed caffeine addict, many joke that T.A.’s addiction to Starbucks coffee will likely be their downfall later in life.

STALK THE AUTHOR:

Website ~ Twitter

{July 25, 2014} {Blog Tour: Excerpt} Between the Layers by SaraJean Panek

Synopsis:

Most fifteen year old girls are trying to figure out who they are; I’m trying to stay alive long enough to figure out what.

I’ve always been on the run. From my guilt about the things I couldn’t change, and from the voice in my head that won’t let me be normal. But yesterday Tommy and I were in a car accident on the way home from school. When I woke up, Tommy was gone, and so was the world I grew up in. Now I’m running less in a metaphorical way, and more in a “pick up the pace if you don’t want to die” way. Why? Because my eyes are blue, and I’m lost in a fantasy world where that means I’m different. It means I might not be human. It means I should already be extinct, and someone called “The Regent” is determined to make me that way.

I need to find the way home, and before I do that, I need to find Tommy. He’s only in this mess because of me. I can’t do it on my own, but it’s hard to know who to trust when everyone keeps trying to kill me.I’ve always been on the run. From my guilt about the things I couldn’t change, and from the voice in my head that won’t let me be normal. But yesterday Tommy and I were in a car accident on the way home from school. When I woke up, Tommy was gone, and so was the world I grew up in. Now I’m running less in a metaphorical way, and more in a “pick up the pace if you don’t want to die” way. Why? Because my eyes are blue, and I’m lost in a fantasy world where that means I’m different. It means I might not be human. It means I should already be extinct, and someone called “The Regent” is determined to make me that way.

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Excerpt:

We came out on the edge of the open-air market behind a stall that sold the carpets. The sky was the dark blue of pre-dawn, a sure sign that the rapid sunrise couldn’t be too far away. I looked all around me at the transformation I had caused. The market was destroyed. A twister could have moved through it. Some stalls, like the carpet one, still stood, but many were toppled over, some in pieces. Debris littered the ground everywhere, shards of broken pottery, pieces of fabric, and food intermingled in the dirt. Deserted as the market was without the protection of the sun, we could have been walking through the ruins of some great disaster. I didn’t know who owned the stalls, whether they sympathized with the Regime or not, but from where I stood it looked like the mob had torn through the market indiscriminately, destroying everything in its path. As we passed close to a collapsed stall, I saw dark splashes of dried blood on its canvas and felt a fresh wave of horror and guilt.

We hadn’t gone far when I saw a pale light move out of the corner of my eye some distance away. I froze and jerked my head, looking for the source. Trage followed my eyes and immediately pulled me close to him, slowly easing back into the relative shelter of one of the stalls that still stood. About twenty yards away, a naked child-sized figure was sifting through the rubble, picking up various objects and inspecting them with its nose and mouth before discarding them again. Its stance was crouched, its movements animalistic. It didn’t have any hair that I noticed, but I couldn’t pick out many details from that distance. The most notable thing about it was that it lit up like a glow stick in my vision, and I knew what it must be before Trage even spoke.

“Toddler,” Trage breathed quietly in my ear. “Best to avoid it, if we can.” I nodded mutely. There was no way I wanted to get anywhere near that thing. Trage slowly led the way out of the stall and along its side, heading toward the cover of buildings not far away. He kept a wary eye on the toddler as we went. The hair on the back of my neck prickled and I looked up, barely managing to contain a shriek of terror. Just above us on the canvas roof of the stall was another toddler, hunched like a gargoyle and sniffing the air frantically. Its eyes were all red, just as the Agents’ in the forest had been, but that was as far as the resemblance stretched. As I thought, it had no hair, and this close I could see that its face barely resembled a human’s. It appeared flattened, as if it had been smashed into a wall, its nostrils turned up and its nose reminiscent of a crushed soda can. Its ears were too long, floppy, and gnarled, and too high on its sickly pale head. It had its lips pulled back from its sharp, pointy teeth and it flicked its tongue out, tasting the air like a serpent. I realized belatedly that Trage must have cloaked us when we spotted the first toddler, but that the illusion would not hide our scent. This toddler would soon find us out.

Trage looked up and tensed as he spotted the creature. He pulled me behind him, placing himself between me and the toddler, drawing out the stake in the same motion. Some sound must have betrayed our movement, because a moment later the thing hissed and jumped off the tent suddenly, landing on the ground just feet in front of us. I bit my lip to keep from crying out, my eyes riveted to the thing, but then I noticed a glow in my peripheral vision. The first toddler had taken notice of the second’s movements, and was coming over to investigate. My heart pounded loudly in my chest, and I silently willed it to be quiet, afraid it would give us away. Trage backed away slowly, silently, pushing me along behind him. The toddler flicked out its tongue again, then fixed its eyes right on us.

Trage reacted instantly, shoving me away from him and rising to meet the toddler as it lunged at us. I stumbled back into the rubble of another stall, instinctively picking up a large splinter of wood from the debris scattered around. I watched the assault with my heart in my throat. I hadn’t seen much of the fight with the Agents in the forest, but I got the distinct feeling that the toddlers were more dangerous, feral and deadly fast.

Trage feinted to the right and the creature moved to match him. When Trage quickly leapt back to the left and made to strike with the stake, the toddler twisted so fast I could barely catch the movement. It scrambled up the side of the stall like some horrifying spider hybrid before launching off of it to collide with Trage full force. I cried out in dismay as the two tumbled down into the dirt, gripping my makeshift stake uselessly in my hands. Adrenaline heightened my senses and the faint sound of rubble shifting to my left alerted me to danger moments before the first toddler lunged for me.

I scrambled out of the way just in time, stumbling painfully over the wreckage of the stall, managing to hang onto my fragment of wood. The toddler slowly circled me like a cat stalking a mouse. I knew better than to take my eyes off of it, but I could hear Trage still struggling with the other one somewhere behind and knew he couldn’t help me. Adrenaline completely overwhelmed me, wiping out my useless fear. My blood pounded through my body, my eyes peeled wide to watch the toddler’s movements. I didn’t think, my body tensing to take action accordingly. The toddler stopped circling, eyeing with the intent to strike. A strange, breathtaking thrill overtook me.

“Go ahead,” I breathed, palming the stake as if I knew what to do with it.

Amazon

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About the Author:

SaraJean Panek has loved books since before she could read. One of her earliest memories is of sitting with one of her two older brothers and following along the page as he read her “Rapunzel.” She’s been telling her own stories nearly as long. “Between the Layers” is SaraJean’s debut novel. She travels at every opportunity, but currently lives in her hometown of Virginia Beach and spends most of her free time writing, the work she loves.

Learn more at http://spanek88.wix.com/sarapanek

Follow on twitter: https://twitter.com/SaraPanek88

Buy the book: Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble

{July 11, 2014} {Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway} Enchanted Hearts by Mindy Ruiz (Game of Hearts #1)

From Goodreads:

Cassandra Vera never ever breaks the rules.

Ever!

She’s also had a nonexistent social life since her best friend moved to Vegas. Armed with a new set of resolutions, the promise of a hot date, and her adoptive parents out of town, Cassandra agrees an overnight road trip to Las Vegas to celebrate her birthday is the perfect way to ring in the New Year. After all, it’s Vegas, the city where secrets are meant to stay hidden. Little does Cassandra know the secrets of her own pastare buried there, as well.

In the shadows of the glitz and gaudy lights of Vegas lies a power struggle centuries old. One wrong step and Cassandra could destroy the delicate web of secrets. Now an enemy she never knew existed is after her and the one boy who may be the missing piece to the puzzle —and her heart— is the one person she can’t afford to trust.

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Mindy Ruiz’s debut novel is a fast paced thriller, full of swoontastic scenes, danger, mischief, and mayhem; all the things a girl like me wants in a novel. Add on a new twist to Greek mythology, a topic I love, and reading Enchanted Hearts was a little bit of heaven. Fun, light, and entertaining, this novel is one you don’t want to miss.

Set in Vegas, I was thrilled to be able to see the sights and hear the sounds in my minds eye as I read, something my unimaginative brain struggles to do on a regular basis, unless I’ve visited the area being discussed, which is generally few and far between. Luckily, my job sent me to Vegas a few years back, and Ruiz’s descriptions fit my memories to a tee, allowing me to almost step right onto the page with the characters—that’s how real it felt to read this novel. This added validity to the story for me, and I truly enjoyed it from start to finish.

The protagonist, Cassandra, is a very interesting character, though I’ll admit that she’s a bit of a jerk on occasion, yet she is intricate and real, an aspect that I really loved about Ruiz’s writing. All her characters are real, even Malory, one who has no saving grace in my opinion; she’s just an awful person, and I really dislike her, wanting Cassandra to turn her back and let her go… but alas, Cass is just a better person than I.

Overall, though, the characters were fun to get to know, and I loved the division of the houses. And while some events are a little unclear for me in terms of happenings and such as their fast pace and quick succession were a little over my head, or maybe I just missed a piece here or there (it happens), Enchanted Hearts really is a great read that I highly recommend, and I’m looking forward to the sequel as I’m sure some of the questions I have will be put to rest there. Four stars.

I received this novel from the blog tour host in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon | Kindle: 99 cents for a limited time | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

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Take the Quiz:

Which Vegas House Suits you? http://www.playbuzz.com/mindyr10/whats-vegas-house-suits-your-luck

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Giveaway: You can win:

Enter using this Rafflecopter Link

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About Mindy Ruiz:

Mindy Ruiz lives in a sleepy Beach Town in Southern California. When she’s not writing, she spends her time chasing after three boys, making flirty eyes at her hunky husband, watching fantasy television shows, cheering for the Dallas Cowboys, and hanging out at the beach with her very large and loud Italian family.

Her career in publishing started in the 4th grade with a story about a magic, museum-hopping, chair. Now, Mindy writes young adult, new adult, and adult paranormal romance. Her books always include tormented heroes, snarky heroines, and lots of swoon-y moments that will put a smile on your face or make your heart race. Mindy is the lover of a good romance, the underdog and John Hugh’s 80′s teen movies.

When her toes aren’t in the sand or her mind isn’t in the clouds, Mindy loves hearing from readers.

Links:

Facebook www.Facebook.com/MindyRuizBooks

Twitter www.Twitter.com/MindyRuiz

Instagram Instagram.com/MindyRuiz

Author Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8282908.Mindy_Ruiz

Pinterest pinterest.com/MindyRuizBooks

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And be sure to check out all the stops on the tour:

Blog Tour Schedule:

July 7^th

Book Briefs – Review

Dark Novella – Excerpt

I’ll Read Till I Drop – Review

Random Redheaded Ramblings – Review

July 8^th

Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Guest Post

Book Lovin’ Mamas – Interview

Deliciously Wicked Books – Review

Between fantasy and reality – Review

A Dream Within A Dream –

July 9^th

Lost in Between the Pages – Dream Cast

LuLo Fangirl – Review

Adventures in Writing – Guest Post

Home of Writing – Review

July 10^th

A Thousand Lives Lived –Review

Chelsea’s Reading Adventures – Review

Typical Distractions – Review

Book Butterfly in Dreamland – Excerpt

July 11^th

SassyCat’s Books Review – Author Interview

This Girl Reads A lot – Review

Surrender to Books – Review

A Book Vacation – Review

Girls With Books – Excerpt

Fabulous and Fun – Interview

July 12^th

Coffee and Characters – Excerpt

Made For You Book Reviews – Review

Booklover Sue – Top 10: Books or authors

The Book Blog at the End of the Universe (formerly Bookmarks, Spoilers and Happily Ever After) – Review

Cherry Mischievous – Promo Post

July 13^th

The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club – Review

RhiReading – Excerpt

Not Everyone’s Mama – Review

Bittersweet Book Love – Review

Bibliophile Mystery – Guest Post

July 14^th

WTF Are You Reading? – Review

Talking Books Blog – Guest Post

Mostly Reviews – Review

Mother/Gamer/Writer – Interview

{July 9, 2014} {Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway} Going Down in Flames by Chris Cannon

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From Goodreads:

If her love life is going down in flames, she might as well spark a revolution.

Finding out on your sixteenth birthday you’re a shape-shifting dragon is tough to swallow. Being hauled off to an elite boarding school is enough to choke on.

Since Bryn is the only crossbreed at the Institute for Excellence, all eyes are on her, but it’s a particular black dragon, Zavien, who catches her attention.

Zavien is tired of the Council’s rules. Segregated clans, being told who to love, and close-minded leaders make freedom of choice almost impossible. The new girl with the striped hair is a breath of fresh air, and with Bryn’s help, they may be able to change the rules.

At the Institute, old grudges, new crushes, and death threats are all part of a normal day for Bryn. She’ll need to learn to control her dragon powers if she wants to make it through her first year at school. But even focusing on staying alive is difficult when you’re falling for someone you can’t have.

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This novel is a ton of fun–Cannon bring the world of dragons to life and I thoroughly enjoyed it; I mean, who doesn’t want to be a dragon? While some of the pacing was a little fast in terms of the characters’ acceptance and abilities, the dragon world is one of intense mystery, and I found myself wishing to be a part of it as the novel unfolded.

Imagine being a teenager and finding out that, well, you’re not human. Nope. You’re actually a dragon, and your parents have been in hiding from the dragon realm, as well as hiding your true identity from you your whole life. You know how teenagers tend to be a little over-dramatic and think the world is constantly crashing down on them? Well, for Bryn, it is. With her 16th birthday comes secrets and rigid, outdated laws that she now must abide by or risk her family’s well-being, but in turn she is also risking her own life as the outcast and utter “abomination” that stems from her own existence.

I have to give Bryn props, because she is a very strong character, and that’s what I like the most about her. In the face of adversity, and there’s a lot of it, she’s strong-willed and doesn’t back down, a trait that makes her even more detrimental than her counterparts in a fight. I really liked this about her, and although I found her to be just a little too accepting of the facts around her, such as the fact that she’s a dragon, I loved her spunk and the fact that she faces her fears and her tormentors head on.

This novel deals with much more than just a dragon story, though. With it’s phenomenal themes concerning bullying, peer-pressure, family values, and doing the right thing even when it’s easier to go with the flow, it stands apart from other novels of its genre. Cannon has done a great job bringing this story to life, and I can’t wait to dive back in to this enticing world once the sequel releases. Four stars.

I received this novel from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Available from:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo Books

Only 99 cents for a VERY limited time! Scoop it up stat!

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About Chris Cannon

I love reading and writing snarky, kick-butt characters who take on the world and win.

My truths: You can never have too many books, shoes, or purses.

Coffee is the Elixir of Life.

There should be a National Nerf Bat Day where you are allowed to whack annoying people upside the head.

Author Links:

http://chriscannonauthor.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/802893.Chris_Cannon

https://twitter.com/ccannonauthor

https://www.facebook.com/chris.cannonwrites

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Giveaway:

Click this RAFFLECOPTER LINK to enter!

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Check out the rest of the stops on the TOUR:

July 9:

A Book Vacation – http://abookvacation.com – Review

A Dream Within A Dream – http://adreamwithindream.blogspot.com – Promo Post

The Book Beacon – http://thebookbeacon.com/ – Review

Jump Into Books – http://jumpintobooks.blogspot.com – Promo Post*

July 10:

Gabic Reads – www.gabicreads.blogspot.com – Review

Rampant Readers – http://rampantreaders.com – Review

Jessabella Reads – http://www.jessabellareads.org – Promo Post

The Book Cookies – http://thebookcookies.blogspot.com – Review

July 11:

Curling Up With A Good Book – http://curling-up-with-a-good-book.blogspot.com/ – Promo Post

The Phantom Paragrapher – www.thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.com – Review

{June 21, 2014} {Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway} Perfect Kind of Trouble by Chelsea Fine (Finding Fates #2)

From Goodreads: Sometimes when perfect falls apart, a little trouble fixes everything . . .

Twenty-one-year-old Kayla Turner has lost everything. After spending most of her life taking care of her ailing mother, she just wants to spot a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. So when her late father-a man she barely knew-leaves her an inheritance, she finally breathes a sigh of relief . . . until she learns the inheritance comes with strings. Strings in the form of handsome playboy Daren Ackwood, her father’s protégé. To see any of her inheritance, she’s forced to team up with him. From his expensive car to those sexy dimples, Kayla’s seen his type before. But Daren isn’t who he seems to be . . .

Struggling to make amends for his family’s mistakes, Daren has a life more Oliver Twist than Richie Rich these days. He’s beyond grateful that James Turner included him in his will, but working with Turner’s princess of a daughter to fulfill his cryptic last wish is making Daren wonder if being broke is really so bad. Still, she’s just as beautiful as she is stubborn, and the more time he spends with Kayla, the less it feels right being without her. Soon Daren and Kayla begin to wonder if maybe the best gift Kayla’s dad could have left them . . . was each other.

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If you’re looking for the perfect summer read, then you’re in luck! Chelsea Fine’s The Perfect Kind of Trouble has just released, and with its sexy bad boy hero, the hilarious undertakings that include handcuffs, and a treasure hunt that truly means finding yourself, it’s a sure winner for readers looking for a light, sweet, romance. I gobbled it up, and I loved every minute of it.

From the characterization of Kayle and Daren (mmm, Daren) to the plotline itself, this novel had me captivated from the very beginning. Fine truly is a master storyteller; I’ve loved every single one of her novels to date, and I am excited about the third installment in the Finding Fates series—a series of stand alones that revolve around the same town, featuring different characters. This light read is 100% fun and a quick read because it’s that enticing. Take a break and read The Perfect Kind of Trouble. You won’t be disappointed. Five stars.

I received this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

iBooks

Kobo

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Excerpt:

“So this is where you work?” She gestures at the closed kitchen door behind me as she approaches.

I step back so she can enter the courtyard then glance over my shoulder. “It’s more like the place where I help out in the kitchen, occasionally,” I say. “I like to cook so sometimes the owner, Jake, let’s me jump on the line.”

She tilts her head. “I wouldn’t have pegged you as the cooking type.”

“No?” I arch a brow. “What type am I?”

“Well the professional lover type, obviously.”

I grin. “That too.”

The teasing in her eyes along with the lightness of her smile does something soft to my insides. This is a different Kayla than the one I was sitting next to at the bar. That girl was stressed and burdened, but this girl… this girl is hopeful and happy.

The only reason I can think of for the change in her tone is the inheritance. Does the idea of getting money please her so much that she’s suddenly this cheerful person? Does it please me that much?

I remember Jake’s comment earlier, about my being happy, and realize with a sinking feeling that yes, the idea of an inheritance has made me happy. Money would alleviate some of my problems and, therefore, it gives me a security in my future that pleases me.

I’m not sure how I feel about money having so much control over my contentment. It makes me sound an awful lot like my dad.

“So what is this place?” she asks, nodding to the courtyard around us.

I look up at the small twinkle lights strung above the area. “Right now it’s just storage space. But Jake wants to make it into a dining patio. You know, so people can rent it out for private parties or whatever.”

“It’s cute.” She walks around, checking out the rose bushes that line the fence and the Tuscany-inspired mural painted against the back wall.

“So where you off to?” I step closer so we’re both beside the painted wall. “Back to your humble abode at the Quickie Stop?”

She scoffs. “Humble indeed. But yeah.”

I glance at the dark parking lot beyond the fence and the even darker streets that lead to the edge of town, and frown. “By yourself?”

She faces me with a cocked eyebrow. “Yeah. I’ve got my own driver’s license and everything.”

I smile at the ground. “Okay, that’s fair.” I glance at the dark streets again. “I’m just a concerned citizen that wanted to make sure you got home safely. That’s all.”

She nods. “How very kind of you, citizen. Would you rather I be going back to the Quickie Stop with someone?”

The idea of Kayla going home with someone—anyone, other than me—rakes down my spine like nails on a chalkboard. I don’t know when I got so possessive of this girl but holy hell. My veins are on fire.

How very unexpected. And somewhat annoying.

I don’t get possessive of women. Ever. Sure, I care about Amber and Pixie but that’s different. I care about them like sisters. I’m protective of them. I couldn’t really give a damn who they, or any other female in this town, go to bed with.

But Kayla?

Hot jealousy darts through my veins.

How very annoyingly unexpected.

I set my shoulders back in a casual manner. “Not particularly,” I say coolly. “I just wasn’t sure if you had a ride or not.”

“Oh.” She runs a finger over her lips. “And what, you were going to offer me a ride?”

I watch the tip of her finger skim over the pink fullness of her bottom lip and my breath hitches. She can’t say things like “give me a ride” and touch her mouth at the same time. That’s just not fair.

“Well I might have offered you a ride,” I say, inwardly cursing as I remember sweet, precious Monique, “except I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to take rides from strangers. And since that’s what you and I are…” I sigh dramatically. “It would have just been a waste of time to ask you.”

She smiles behind her moving fingers and I start to wonder if she’d let me kiss her. My guess is, yes. Maybe.

I want to kiss Kayla. Badly. But the idea of kissing her, of touching her at all, also makes me a little nervous. And I’m never nervous when it comes to women.

Goddammit. Everything about this girl is unexpected.

“You’re so obsessed with us not being strangers,” she says, and her eyes shine. “That can’t be healthy.”

I probably shouldn’t kiss her. We have an inheritance to claim tomorrow. We have shit to follow through with. Kissing her is a bad idea. A very bad idea.

“No. Probably not.” I step closer so we’re only inches apart. “But I can’t seem to let it go.”

She doesn’t move away. She doesn’t break eye contact.

Yes. She’d definitely let me kiss her. I’m sure of it.

My heart pounds and it’s all I can do to keep my nonchalant demeanor in place.

“Is that what we are, Kayla?” I lower my voice with a crooked grin. “Strangers?”

She meets my crooked grin and raises me a tipped chin. Her eyes are steel and sure, not giving anything away, and I suddenly feel unsure.

I lean in.

She doesn’t react. But she also doesn’t back away.

Kissing her is a bad idea.

Her lips part, ever so slightly, a thin seam of wet flesh forming between the soft skin of her pretty lips, and all my reservations vanish.

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And don’t miss Book 1 in the Finding Fate Series…

BEST KIND OF BROKEN! (only 99 cents!)

See my 5 star review here:

And be sure to pre-order Right Kind of Wrong, book three in the amazing finding fates series!

Right Kind of Wrong: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

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ABOUT CHELSEA FINE:

Chelsea lives in Phoenix, Arizona where she spends most of her time writing stories, painting murals, and avoiding housework at all costs. She’s ridiculously bad at doing dishes and claims to be allergic to laundry. Her obsessions include: superheroes, coffee, sleeping-in, and crazy socks. She lives with her husband and two children, who graciously tolerate her inability to resist teenage drama on TV and her complete lack of skill in the kitchen.

LINKS:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

Instagram

Goodreads

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Giveaway!

Win one of 10 digital copies of The Perfect Kind of Trouble.

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway Here!

{June 13, 2014} {Blog Tour} Stone of Thieves by Diane J. Reed

Stone of Thieves: Book 2 Robbin’ Hearts

Author: Diane J Reed

Genre: Magical New Adult Romance

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Blurb:

The Stone of Thieves . . . for centuries its magnetic draw has twisted the hearts of ambitious men and women with the promise of power, passion, and intrigue until it fell into the hands of unlikely thieves Robin and her boyfriend Creek. But can they steal their destiny away from the curse that pursues this magnificent ruby heart? As the stone begins to spread its sorcery, Robin races to find her long-lost mother in Italy in the hopes of discovering the truth about her unique gypsy heritage and the ruby heart that is rumored to steal souls. Yet when the desire for this stone by powerful members of her family threatens their very lives, Creek decides to take matters into his own hands to protect Robin, his greatest treasure of all . . .

Also check out Robin in the Hood: Book 1 in the Robbin’ Hearts Series

Blurb:

Robin McArthur never dreamed her family would go broke—or that she’d start robbing banks to provide for those she loves and wants to protect. Along the way, she falls for Creek, her bad-boy partner in crime who teaches her far more than she ever dreamed about matters of the heart. But can love heal the cracks in Robin’s soul after she learns the truth about her family’s dark secrets? Once Robin becomes an outlaw with Creek, it’s impossible to hide from reality anymore, and their lives transform into a sensual and magical adventure as they uncover the mysteries of what it means to find your true identity—and to fall in love . . .

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About Diane:

Diane J. Reed has a Ph.D. in English and a lifelong passion for books—both popular, forgotten and literary—as long as they touch her soul and make her want to tuck them under her pillow at night to remember them in her dreams. She writes novels that are infused with enchantment, where characters dare to break through boundaries and believe in true love. She also has a soft spot for artisans and outlaws of the heart, those who burn brightly to live each day as a gift—because it is! In addition, Diane J. Reed has conducted 13 interviews with the cast of the hit TV show Once Upon a Time. Feel free to visit Diane J. Reed’s website at http://www.banditsranch.com to share your love of books and the whispers of your spirit.

Author Website: www.banditsranch.com
Author Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BanditsRanch?focus_composer=true
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5430216.Diane_J_Reed
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Diane-J.-Reed/e/B0071FXGOE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1400770049&sr=8-1

{June 6, 2014} {Birthday Bash and Giveaway} Edge of Truth by Natasha Hanova

Edge of Truth (YA Dystopian) is officially 1-year old today!

In celebration, Natasha Hanova is hosting a big giveaway with book contributions from multiple authors. Since June 6, 2013, Edge of Truth has landed a spot on Amazon’s Teen & Young Adult Science Fiction and Dystopian Top 100 List, earned an average review rating of 4+ stars, got a facelift (a.k.a. new cover), and now has bonus content.

Please be sure to enter the Rafflecopter contest for a chance to win chocolate, an Amazon Gift card, or free books.

First, enjoy this short excerpt of Rena’s first in-person encounter with love interest Nevan. She’s out past curfew and on the run from the Overlord’s robotic lawmen. This scene takes place right after she knocks on Nevan’s door seeking refuge:

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Nevan’s dual-colored eyes—one blue, one hazel—captivated Rena. She drowned in them, in his dark eyebrows, his long, wide-based nose, his full lips. Even the faint V-shaped scar on his forehead that first appeared two years ago was too beautiful to look at. Her heart pounded, as if struggling to close the distance between them. She chewed her lip, dreading the usual shock of pain from emotional spikes like this, only it never hit.

When Blaze poked her in the back, she exhaled, but couldn’t force any words out. Warmth rushed through her from being near Nevan, with his slight smile and shoulder length dreads. In spite of the cool night air, her armpits prickled with sweat. Looking at him made her cheeks hurt. She focused on a random spot near his shoulder and struggled to think of something, anything to say. This wasn’t how she pictured their first conversation. But what if it didn’t amount to words? What if he slammed the door on her?

Blaze pushed hard enough to move her two steps forward. The way Nevan focused on her made her knees wobbly. He traced a finger across his forehead and down his temple. She’d never observed him make that gesture before. Was it meant to calm himself? Or did he feel the heat, too? The thought made another burst of warmth blanket her.

“Ummm…uhhhh.” It was all she could force out.

She backed away. Her friend, turned roadblock, caged her in. Down the street, the second set of Synbots reached scanning distance and headed for them. Panic raced through her, spiked her heart with adrenaline, and jump-started her survival instincts. She spun toward Nevan.

“We need a safe place to stay for a few hours. I know you don’t know us, but I’d…we’d be really grateful if you would let us inside.”

He leaned forward, glancing down the sidewalk. The movement stirred the air between them, and his warm citrus scent surrounded Rena. He stepped aside and spoke in a loud, booming voice, most likely for the Syns’ monitoring devices. “Yes, we’ve been waiting for you.”

She blinked twice in disbelief. The Syns marched up the sidewalk. Blaze grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her into the house.

The machines didn’t stop.

Nevan’s dad came to the door. Rena shifted back to make eye contact. Nevan definitely got his height from him. They also shared the same smooth, creamy brown complexion.

His dad studied Rena and Blaze for a second before he flashed his son a ‘what did you do’ look and whispered, “Mr. Elliott won’t like this.” Then he stepped outside, holding the door in place with one hand while shielding the girls from the Syns’ lasers.

“I’m glad you girls finally made it.” He sounded much nicer this time, like he really meant it. “We were starting to worry. Why don’t you kids go with Risa? I’ll take care of this.”

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About the Author

Natasha Hanova is an award-winning author of young adult and adult dark fantasy/paranormal fiction. Edge of Truth (June 2013) is her debut novel. Her short stories appear in multiple anthologies. She loves nibbling Peanut M&Ms while reading paranormal, dark fantasy, and/or dystopian books with heavy doses of romance. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and children. Find her blog at NatashaHanova.com.

Social Media Links

Website * Twitter * Goodreads * Facebook * Pinterest

Edge of Truth Buy Links

Amazon • Smashwords • Barnes & Noble • BooksAMillion

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Giveaways:

Click this Rafflecopter Link to enter!

{May 8, 2014} {Blog Tour: Character Love and Giveaway} Misunderstandings by Tiffany King (A Woodfalls Girls Novel) #TeamBrittni

Misunderstandings by Tiffany King

A Woodfalls Girls Novel

If you’ve read Misunderstandings by the amazing Tiffany King, a phenomenal novel that released this past Tuesday, then you already know that it’s full of amazing characters. And I do mean amazing! While I love the self-assured personality of Melissa, the swoonworthy, brooding personality of Justin, the flamboyant personality of Tressa, and the cool collected personality of Rob, I am indeed #TeamBrittni all the way. Why? Because we are so similar!

Out of all her friends, Brittni is the cautious one. She’s an overanalyzing, skeptical, glass half-empty, suffer in silence, proud young woman. While it’s true she’s made mistakes in her past, as have we all, she’s always been extremely careful with her choices, atoning for her mistakes in silence instead of flaunting apologies or explanations for the world to see. She doesn’t back down or grovel, neither does she call others out on their errors or misconceptions, even though she wants to, and probably should…

Brittni is not as flamboyant of inappropriate as her best friend Tressa (sometimes Tressa really makes me blush); neither is she as assertive as her bestie college friend, Melissa. Instead, Brittni owns an extremely dry sense of humor—which not everyone gets, but those that do find hilarious—and she’s scared to death of elevators and small spaces in general…

“A small crowd of people hurried onto one of the elevators as the doors slid open. I declined to join the overflowing box, waiting instead for the next elevator, which would be less crowded. Being closed in with a group of strangers wouldn’t cut it for me. I couldn’t stand being in confined spaces anyway, but elevators and I had a hate/hate kind of relationship. I hated them, and if the seventh-grade handcrushing incident was any indication, they hated me too.”

And this sounds so much like me it’s uncanny, making my connection with Brittni instantaneous. And while I certainly did judge her as I read—as we all do—she is an incredibly strong, amazing young woman.

Fun fact: Tiffany King is really the one who is scared of elevators, and she’s projected this fear onto Brittni in Misunderstandings. When she was 13, Tiffany’s hand was crushed in an elevator door, breaking all her fingers—and to this day, she still hasn’t forgiven that beast of an elevator.

So–who’s your favorite character? Do you love Brittni as much as I do, or are you a #TeamJustin, #TeamRob, #TeamMelissa, or #TeamTressa kind of person?

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As with all great novels, readers and authors alike always have a dream cast in mind, and Tiffany King and her Wolfpack, a team I am honored to be a part of, created their own epic dream cast:

Dream Cast:

Justin Timberlake as Justin

Allison Williams as Brittni

Michael Trevino as Rob

Kat Dennings as Tressa

and Brittany Snow as Melissa

What do you think?

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Giveaway:

Because this is definitely a novel you NEED to read, I’m giving away a PERSONALIZED SIGNED paperback of this amazing novel–INTERNATIONAL!

Next month, I’ll be meeting up with Tiffany King at UtopYA, an epic annual book conference you all need to attend (if not this year, definitely next year), and I’ll have Tiffany personalize the winner’s copy and then send it out… you don’t want to miss this opportunity! Make sure you enter to win, and tell all your friends.

To enter you must:

-Be 18 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)

-Fill in the mandatory question on rafflecopter (extra entries optional)

Click this Rafflecopter Entry Link to Enter!!!

This contest is open internationally and will end at 12:01am EST on May 30th. The winner will receive email notification! Please read my giveaway policy and leave me a comment!

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About Misunderstandings:

From Goodreads: Just when she thought things were going up…

Two years after a devastating breakup, Brittni Mitchell has moved on from Justin Avery—or so she tells herself. But when she returns to Seattle for her best friend’s engagement party, Brittni finds herself the victim of a disastrously timed elevator breakdown. She’s trapped with the last person she wants to face, and forced to recount the past she desperately wants to forget.

She’s going to have to look back…

When Brittni left her podunk hometown for a big city college experience at the University of Washington, hooking up with a guy like Justin Avery was not part of her plan. Between Justin’s attention-grabbing tattoos, cigarette smoking, and bad boy attitude Brittni quickly chalked him up as “Mr. Wrong.” But his charm was unrelenting, and Brittni’s decision to give Justin a chance quickly turned into the worst choice she ever made.

So that she might be able to move forward.

Now she’s stuck with Justin—literally—and the complicated web of misunderstandings that tied up the truth for two years is about to unravel.

Read my 5 STAR REVIEW HERE!

Available Now:

Penguin.com | Amazon | iBookstore | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Target | Indie Bound | Powell’s

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Check out ALL The Woodfalls Girls Novels (these are stand alones):

No Attachments: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble

Misunderstandings: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble

Contradictions: Amazon | Kindle

And be sure to pick up King’s amazing novella, Cross Country Christmas–also part of the Woodfalls Girls Series

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble

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About Tiffany King

USA Today Bestselling author Tiffany King is a lifelong reading fanatic who is now living her dream as a writer, weaving Young Adult and New Adult romance tales for others to enjoy. She has a loving husband and two wonderful kids. (Five, if you count her three spoiled cats). Her addictions include: Her iphone and ipad, chocolate, Diet Coke, chocolate, Harry Potter, chocolate, zombies and her favorite TV shows. Want to know what they are? Just ask.

Connect with Tiffany

Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Blog

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

{May 7, 2014} {Blog Tour: Interview and ARC Review} Breakable by Tammara Webber (Contours of the Heart #2)

Review:

From Goodreads: He was lost and alone. Then he found her. And the future seemed more fragile than ever.

As a child, Landon Lucas Maxfield believed his life was perfect and looked forward to a future filled with promise — until tragedy tore his family apart and made him doubt everything he ever believed.

All he wanted was to leave the past behind. When he met Jacqueline Wallace, his desire to be everything she needed came so easy…

As easy as it could be for a man who learned that the soul is breakable and that everything you hoped for could be ripped away in a heartbeat.

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This second novel in the Contours of the Heart series, by Tammara Webber, focuses on that of heartthrob Lucas, the young man who stole my heart in Easy, and who continues to draw my love in Breakable. If you’ve read Easy, then you already have the foundation for Breakable, but whether you have that foundation or not, Webber’s latest novel stands all on its own, telling the story from the masculine perspective, which is just as much fun as its predecessor, and all the more captivating as Lucas takes readers on an in-depth journey to his soul.

Webber is a master storyteller, and her characters are implicitly real. It’s as if they walk right off the page and into your life as you read, and I absolutely adore her writing style. The story itself is poignant and raw, and it’s impossible not to feel for Lucas as he works through the loss of his mother and his feelings for Jacqueline. While this novel does follow the storyline of Easy, readers are given an in-depth analysis of Lucas, and the narrative jumps between past and present as the novel unfolds, giving us glimpses into this past experiences in school, with girls, and with his family as he slowly begins on the road to recovery after the night that forever stole his mother from him.

The juxtaposition of past and present is one of my favorite narrative styles, as it that of duel perspectives, and Webber has done a superb job not only bringing to life her characters, but also creating a believable scenario that entices readers to keep turning the pages. I read this beautiful novel in one sitting, and I absolutely adore it–Lucas will melt your heart and stay with you long after the final page!

I highly suggest lovers of NA novels pick up this enticing read as it depicts life on a college campus, the ups and downs it encompasses, and the intensity of finding your soul mate. Five stars.

In exchange for an honest review, I received an ARC of this awesome novel from the publisher.

Amazon | Kindle (only $5.12) | Barnes and Noble

and don’t forget to pick up your copy of Easy today!

Amazon | Kindle (only $5.12) | Barnes and Noble

(Read my 5 star review of Easy HERE)

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Interview with the amazing Tammara Webber:

What was your inspiration for your novels Easy and Breakable?

Though there are some deeply personal issues in these books, the stories aren’t autobiographical. I am an acquaintance rape survivor (friend/classmate), but I never intended to write about that experience. It took me several years to even tell anyone because I was so ashamed of my bad judgment. I thought I should have been more careful, or I should have known that guy was untrustworthy. I finally confessed what happened to a friend, and began the healing process. Years after that, I woke up with Jacqueline’s story in my head, and she insisted on it being told. Lucas’s story stems from a particular fear of mine, based on a news story I heard years ago. When my husband left town on business trips, particularly when my kids were small, I was often so terrified that it was hard to sleep. I took the emotions from those real-life experiences and deep-seated fears and gave them to my characters.

How difficult/easy was it to write Lucas’ point-of-view in Breakable, and what made you decide to tell his story?

It was the most difficult thing I’ve written, from a technical standpoint. I didn’t think I’d ever write Lucas’s story, because he didn’t “talk” to me much when I wrote Easy. I knew the facts before she did, but I saw him through Jacqueline’s eyes – I didn’t always see or completely understand his emotions or reasoning, especially when it wasn’t logical. It was months after publishing Easy before he started speaking to me. Once he did, I had to write it. There would have been no way to integrate the stories. His would have overshadowed hers – and I felt (and probably always will feel) that her story was the most important thing I’ll ever write.

Will there be more to the Contours of the Heart series, or is this a two book series?

I’m finished with Lucas and Jacqueline, but there are possible spinoff stand-alones for other characters in my head. We’ll see what emerges.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

I wrote three shelf novels and notebooks full of poems and short stories before I wrote Between the Lines. Easy was the seventh novel I wrote. You’ve probably heard this before – that often, people thought to be overnight successes are people who’ve been working at their particular craft for a long time. There is absolutely a place for right-place-right-time (which I credit for some of my success) and who-you-know (I didn’t have a single friend who wrote – I had to seek out strangers on the internet to find critique partners and reviewers. As an introvert, that was completely outside my comfort zone!). But working continually to become better at what you do is as important – more important – to a career as an author. If I hadn’t kept working, I might not have had a book ready when the digital book + self-publishing revolution took off. I allowed myself to be knocked off kilter by the craziness that went along with moving from being a wholly self-published to a traditionally-published author, and I know I lost some momentum. For me, that’s water under the bridge. For an aspiring author, it’s a lesson – always be working on the next thing. Seek to become better and better at what you do. Allow projects to come to completion so you can move on to the next thing. I’ve seen many authors get stuck in the writing, revising, querying or marketing (if self-pub) stage – of one book – sometimes for years. Nothing will ever be perfect. Do your best work and move to the next thing. The more you write, the better you’ll write.

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About Tammara Webber:

Tammara Webber is author of the New York Times bestselling New Adult novel Easy, the first novel in her Contours of the Heart series, and the Between the Lines series. She is a hopeful romantic who adores novels with happy endings, because there are enough sad endings in real life. Before writing full-time, she was an undergraduate academic advisor, economics tutor, planetarium office manager, radiology call center rep, and the palest person to ever work at a tanning salon. She married her high school sweetheart, and is a mom to three adult kids and four very immature cats.

Connect with her online at tammarawebber.blogspot.com, twitter.com/tammarawebber, and www.facebook.com/TammaraWebberAuthor.

{May 4, 2014} {Blog Tour: ARC Review, Excerpt, and Giveaway } Royally Lost by Angie Stanton

From Goodreads: Dragged on a family trip to Europe’s ancient cities, Becca wants nothing more than to go home. Trapped with her emotionally distant father, over-eager stepmother, and a brother who only wants to hook up with European hotties, Becca is miserable. That is until she meets Nikolai, a guy as mysterious as he is handsome. And she unknowingly finds herself with a runaway prince.

Nikolai has everything a guy could ask for-he’s crown prince, heir to the throne, and girls adore him. But the one thing he doesn’t have…is freedom. Staging a coup, he flees his kingdom and goes undercover on his own European tour.

When Nikolai and Becca meet, it’s their differences that draw them together. Sparks fly as they share a whirlwind of adventures, all the while dodging his royal guard. But Becca’s family vacation ends in a matter of days. Will Nikolai and Becca be forced to say goodbye forever, will his destiny catch up to him, or will they change history forever?

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Royally Lost is a charming, uplifting read that I enjoyed immensely. Though a few aspects seemed a tad far-fetched, overall the novel is very well written, and I found it impossible not to root for Nick and Becca. Having traveled across Europe during my teenage years, much of Nick and Becca’s experiences resonated with me and helped me connect with them from the get go, which made this novel all the more enjoyable.

I am always looking to connect with the characters in novels that I read, and Stanton does a great job making both Nickolai and Becca’s actions, thoughts, and responses extremely believable. Nickolai is also quite swoonworthy, down-to-earth, and perfect in every way—of course, being a prince doesn’t hurt, either. I just loved him, and how Stanton portrayed him as an entity set on changing tradition and helping his people of his fictional country. His ideas for his country are modern and reflect the needs of the people, which was great to see, even though he bumped heads with the traditional entourage of the kingdom. He is a well-rounded individual, and I loved reading his story.

Though generally against tales of instant love, having my own hidden, whirlwind romance as I traveled Europe makes me love this story all the more. While my romance wasn’t of monarch proportions, it was still very similar to Nick and Becca’s, and this not only allowed me to connect with the characters on a level others might not be able to, but also allowed me to put aside my aversion to instant love having experienced something similar in my teenage days—something I had forgotten about until Stanton brought it back to my foremost thoughts.

This is a great story, and as I said previously, while some events may seem a bit far-fetched in some aspects, I really loved it all the same. Four stars.

I received this novel from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon | Kindle (only $3.79!) | Barnes and Noble

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Excerpt:

Nikolai opened his eyes, chilled, as a cloud blocked out the sun. Next to him, Becca slept, her hand curled in his. She smiled in relaxed slumber.

He gently released her hand and looked around. A couple of people lounged on the distant beach and a lone man sat in the sand with a camera aimed straight at him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

Nikolai turned his back to the beach and nudged her. “Becca!”

“Hmm?” She stirred.

“There’s a guy on the beach and I’m pretty sure he’s taking our picture.”

Her eyes sprang open. “What?” She sat up and spotted the man. “You think he’s paparazzi?”

“It sure isn’t a random tourist aiming a long lens at us. How the hell did he know I was here?” Nikolai slid on his shorts.

“Oh crud.” Becca grabbed her clothes and quickly pulled them on. “You think he’s been taking pictures of us sleeping?”

“That and more. Lord only knows how long he’s been here.” He didn’t notice him when they were in the water, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been lurking in the trees, snapping pictures.

Nikolai stuffed their leftover lunch items into his backpack. How did this camera-wielding jerk find him?

Dressed, with everything packed up, they headed for the motorbike. Their path unfortunately forced them to pass the creep with the camera. Nikolai pulled his baseball cap low and hid behind his sunglasses. He led the way with Becca’s hand firmly in his.

“Prince Nikolai, why did you run from the palace?” The photographer, a short, heavyset man with cameras strapped across his chest moved closer.

Nikolai picked up the pace, but the man stayed with them, walking backward and snapping pictures. This was no official appearance where Nikolai owed the press a friendly smile and kind word.

“Do your parents know where you are?”

He ignored him.

“Your friend is beautiful. Is she the reason you fled? What’s her name?”

Nikolai bristled and fought the urge to shove the man to the ground and bust his camera. He glanced at Becca, her face pink with embarrassment. She didn’t need to be targeted by this oily loser.

“Have you heard that your sister, Princess Alexi, has gone missing?”

Nikolai hesitated for an instant, but then hurried on. The man was lying. He was sure of it, and he wouldn’t let this vile intruder ruin their day.

They reached the bike. He hurried and strapped on the pack and hopped on. Becca climbed up, hugging him from behind. Nikolai liked the feel of her body secure against his. It made him feel better able to protect her.

The photographer kept snapping pictures and wouldn’t back off. “There are rumors that you have renounced the throne,” he baited.

Nikolai stiffened, but didn’t give him the satisfaction of a reaction. He started the engine.

“Where are you going next?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Nikolai grinned, revved the engine, and spun gravel as they raced away.

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About Angie Stanton:

Angie Stanton never planned on writing books; she wanted to be a Rockette. However, growing up in rural Wisconsin, with her brothers’ 4-H pigs as pets, dance didn’t work out. Instead she became an avid daydreamer. After years of perfecting stories in her head, she began to write them down, and the rest is history.

Angie is the author of six books including Royally Lost, Rock and a Hard Place, and Snapshot. She graduated with a Journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin, and is a proud double finalist of the National Readers Choice Awards for Love ’em or Leave ’em.

Website: http://angiestanton.com/
Twitter: @angie_stanton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngieStantonAuthor

Enter Angie’s Giveaway!!

Click the blog tour button above to see all the stops on the tour!

{April 27, 2014} The Martinsburg Chocolate Festival and Book Fair–What You Need to Know and Why You Need to Go in 2015

Early yesterday morning, my friend Sharon and I left for a short road trip into West Virgina solely to experience the awesomeness that is Martinsburg’s Chocolate Festival and Book Fair that ran from 10am-4pm. We wanted to experience the “chocolate walk”; a walk from small business to small business, extending three blocks on Queen’s Street, in which each participating shop provided chocolate tasting (all different sorts), as well as housing an author–allowing store visitors to chat with them, purchase signed books, pick up awesome swag, and even enter raffles for giveaways. All this–and it was only $5 admission (which paid for the chocolate portion–the author portion was free).

Truth be told, I wasn’t sure what to expect upon arrival in Martinsburg. Parking is free on the weekends, and it’s a very cute, classy town full of beautiful shops–but my main concern was this: would there be enough to do from 10am-4pm? With 23 stops on the chocolate walk, including a chocolate factory tour and showing of the classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the answer is, indeed, yes. There’s TONS to do.

We arrived a little after 10:30am and immediately purchased tickets to the chocolate walk tour–a self-paced, do-as-you-like tour of Queen’s Street and its shops. Purchasing our tickets at the 1902 building, we first went inside to see the Cupcake Contest. My oh my, there were a TON of beautiful, delectable cupcakes inside, and I was amazed by the imagination and creativity of the entrants! I was even more amazed by the tastiness of it all… at 11:30am, after the judging was complete, chocolate walkers were invited to participate in a tasting, and boy was that fun! I picked a yellow flower shaped peanut butter concoction to taste, and it was so good! I was highly surprised by what I found on the inside as well–an entire section of peanut butter just for me! YUM! My friend, Sharon, picked a coconut cupcake to taste, and that was amazing, too! Just look at all the creativity and imagination of this edible art:

After taste-testing cupcakes, we decided to begin following the tour guide pamphlet to start meeting authors and eating our fill of chocolate:

One author I especially wanted to see was Michelle Files, stop 21, so that’s where we started–at the All About Fabric store. As a book blogger and UtopYA attendee, I already knew Michelle, and I was excited to see her again (she’s the main reason we made the road trip).

We found Michelle, her mother, and her sister in the cozy All About Fabric store (really cute), and it was so nice to chitchat and catch up with one another. Likewise, I was able to purchase some signed paperbacks of the awesome Soul Survivor as well as two book charms (one book and charm for me and one book and charm for an upcoming giveaway–so stay tuned to the blog), as well as grab some signed bookmarks and, of course, chocolate! The set up was beautiful and inviting, and Michelle also had three ginormous raffles up for grabs, which was awesome! (More about Michelle Files and her book, Soul Survivor, can be found at the end of this blog post.)

From Michelle File’s stop, we made our way down the list, going from store to store, chatting up authors and browsing store merchandise. In Roberts Jewelers, I came across the most magnificent clock, perfect for a book lover like me, and just had to have it–plus the chocolate in the jewelers was absolutely divine.

And on and on we went. For lunch, we stopped into Casa Visone, a quaint little Italian place that I highly recommend, and here we met Lee Adams, a YA, NA, and non-fiction author! While eating the most delicious Fettuccine Delizia–you could just tell everything, noodles included, was made from scratch–I read over the synopsis for Lee’s novels, and ended up purchasing two of them, Strawberry Wine and Unlikely Family for upcoming reviews on the blog. And I’m highly anticipating them! (More about Lee Adams and her books can be found at the end of this blog post.)

After lunch, we went to DeFluri’s Fine Chocolates and participated in the kitchen tour, eating even more chocolate, and buying up some awesome edible tokens to bring home as well… we did have to wear hair nets in the kitchen, which was a little strange, but the smells, sights, and tastes made it all worth it in the end. Check out the candies from DeFluri’s Fine Chocolates as well as from the walking tour itself–deliciousness all around:

We wandered around a few more shops after our kitchen tour, and then went out to dinner with Michelle Files, driving through the beautiful countryside and visiting Shepherd University before our trek back home. And I have to say, yesterday was indeed one of the best days ever. Great friends, great food… yummy chocolate, and awesome books–what more could you want in a festival?

Make sure you plan on coming to the third annual Chocolate Festival and Book Fair next year, 2015, so you can experience all the fun, meet great authors, and eat all the chocolate you could ever want–and if you’re an author close to Martinsburg, make sure you apply to be a part of the chocolate walking tour next year–I’d love to see you there!

My haul from all the shops participating in the Chocolate Festival and Book Fair:

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About Michelle Files

Michelle was born and raised in wild, wonderful West Virginia. While her first passion is numbers, not long into adulthood, Michelle rediscovered her love of books and with it the joy and fulfillment of writing her own stories. She spends her days working as a CPA and her nights weaving tales of love, friendship, and everything in between.

When she’s not working or writing, you’ll find her binge watching her favorite TV shows, reading, tweeting, hanging with her friends and furry children, or spending time with her close knit extended family.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Youtube | Pinterest

Soul Survivor Synopsis:

Hailee Mai Hart is just a simple, normal girl. Or so she thought. When she left her one-horse town for a college education in the big city, she never could’ve imagined what awaited her.

She’s quickly thrown into a world filled with angels, danger, and a curse…her curse. Come to find out, she’s not so simple after all.

She’s actually the last of her kind, and the fate of the world rests on her shoulders. She has one chance to save Earth, and it all comes down to one choice: Light or Darkness.

What is right and what is wrong is all a matter of perspective, which leaves her heart dangerously tangled. No matter which path she takes people will die, and that’s just not an option.

Will she be able to save everyone, or will she be the Soul Survivor?

Soul Survivor is only 99 cents on Kindle right now!

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About Lee Adams

Lilli “Lee” Adams grew up on the outskirts of Baltimore MD. She graduated from Shippensburg University of PA with a B.A. in Communications; Radio/TV/Journalism. Before joining the record industry, Lee spent ten years working in radio as an on-air personality. She has traveled extensively in the U.S. and also abroad to Australia, Italy, France, London, Canada, and the Caribbean islands. Her hobbies include water skiing, scuba diving, boating, reading, music and martial arts. She is an active member of her church and the Walk to Emmaus community.

Donor Girl, written under her given name of Lilli, was inspired after her experience as a living organ donor. In 2006, her sister called to let her know that her husband was on the kidney transplant list, waiting for a kidney. The wait would take 5-7 years and Dave needed it within one year. The family decided to get tested and Lee’s medical tests came back as a match. Lee looked on the internet and in book stores to find books about living organ donors and couldn’t find many. Some members of her medical team and family suggested she write her story.

Lee’s first novel, Strawberry Wine, is the story of five friends who grow up together, come of age together and endure a heartache that threatens to tear them apart and destroy the rest of their lives. It’s a story of friendship, forgiveness, and courage.

Lee has just finished her second novel, Unlikely Family, and it is available on Amazon Kindle for just $3.99. This is the story of four teenagers who find themselves alone and homeless due to no fault of their own. They join together and with the help of two adults, form their own unlikely family and make it through adolescence. They overcome adversity to find friendship, success and love.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Strawberry Wine Synopsis:

Ten years have passed since Taynya Smith’s last summer at Laurel Lake – the summer of Marie. Today Tanya is a confident, successful music promoter – a far cry from the naive seventeen-year-old who showed up at the lake full of rosy notions of first love, lifelong friendships, and evenings spent sipping strawberry wine on the shore. That September changed everything, and as far as Tanya is concerned, there’s no going back. That is, until a mysterious phone call from Marie’s lawyer brings Tanya face to face with the past. Suddenly she finds herself returning to Laurel Lake and to everything she left behind there. Will the dark secret that haunts the lake break her heart all over again? Or will Marie’s legacy be the key that unlocks the future Tanya gave up on ten long years ago?

Strawberry Wine is only $2.99 on Kindle right now!

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Unlikely Family Synopsis:

When Joshua Anthony finds himself homeless at fourteen, he is determined to survive on his own. With the help of motel owner Curt, Josh is doing just that when he encounters three other homeless teens; Charles, Elise and Leah. They decide to band together, pool their resources, and form their very own unlikely family. Along the way, they encounter Liz, a 27 year old woman who is down on her luck and needs a break. Will these teens be just what she needs to get her life back on track?

This is the story of four resilient teenagers, determined to thrive in spite of their circumstances. They encounter many hardships on their road to adulthood, but also learn to love, hope, and find success.

Join this unlikely family on their journey of discovery. Laugh with them, cry with them, fall in love with them as they do with each other.

Unlikely Family is only $3.99 on Kindle right now!

{April 16, 2014} {Blog Tour: 5 Star Review, Interview, and Giveaway} Scare Crow by Julie Hockley (Crow’s Row #2)

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Review:

From Goodreads: Nineteen-year-old Emily Sheppard is losing her sanity.

Ever since her mob king boyfriend, Cameron Hillard, abandoned her for her own good, Emmy has been attempting to move on with her charmed college student life as if nothing happened.

Now rejected from the underworld and left grieving over Cameron’s alleged death, Emmy realizes she belongs nowhere.

Worse yet, she is now keeping a dangerous secret.

After just a short time with Emily, Cameron has lost control over his world.

As he miserably attempts to return to what is left of his life and unravel the mess he has made of the underworld, Emily’s hate turns to desperation. She needs to kill the kingpins responsible for Cameron’s death before they come looking for her.

As Cameron secretly observes Emily, he has no idea of the danger he has placed her in—or that it may already be too late for him to save her.

Scare Crow is a tale of revenge, terror, and love as Emmy and Cameron embark on separate journeys to face enemies, correct past mistakes, and…………..

find their way to their destinies.

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Oh. My. God. While I usually try to maintain a sense of professionalism in my reviews of novels, it is impossible for me to not fangirl a little over this amazing novel by the extremely talented Julie Hockley. I finished this second installment in the Crow’s Row series late in the evening not too long ago, and I have been unable to think of anything else since. My dreams have been permeated with scenes of Cameron, my heart’s desire, as I sleep through the night, and I’m just absolutely in love. In. Love. Not only with Cameron, but with Hockley’s writing style, her characters, the plot, the suspense, the alternating points-of-view, Meatball (at one point I literally yelled out, “Meeeeeeeeeeeeeatbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!” as I was reading). Every. Thing. I’m in love with Every. Last. Thing. About this novel.

I have been diligently waiting for this second installment since 2012, and let me just tell you, it was worth the wait. Hockley’s novel is perfection. Absolute. Perfection.

In this sequel to the amazing Crow’s Row, Hockley continues the tale of Emmy and Cameron, juxtaposing their stories as the novel unfolds. Bereft and out for blood, Emmy has no idea that her beloved still lives. Neither does Cameron realize that Emmy will stop at nothing to bring justice to those who stole her one true love in death. In a harsh reality where neither can fit into the other’s world and survive, this is a tale of love, deceit, revenge, and new beginnings.

Hockley’s story is enticing—I love the bad boy image, and although Cam is as bad as it gets, a mob king who kills mercilessly, he is also truly good at heart. And he’s impossible not to love. His heart bleeds throughout the novel; forced to separate himself from Emmy in order to keep her safe, and intent on bringing justice to the memory of his little brother Rocco, Cameron bares his soul for all to see in this beautiful novel, all the while maneuvering the underworld in a game of cat and mouse as it all comes to a head between the captains of the crime world.

And Emmy, filled with the hatred for those who killed her beau, is also extremely vivid and real. Her cross to bear is even more intricate and dangerous as she learns that even though she was set free from the underworld, she will never truly be safe, a revelation that causes her to rear back and fight with all her might.

A little dash of side romance, unrequited love, truths, lies, misunderstandings and murder all come together to create this riveting love story; you don’t want to miss it. Five amazing stars.

I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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An Interview with Julie Hockley:

If you could devise the perfect dinner date for Cam and Emmy, what would be on the menu/what would they order?

Blood sausage. Blood pudding.

You drop a huge surprise on readers in Scare Crow—what was it like to create such a surprise?

That’s funny because to me, it wasn’t a surprise to me. That was always going to happen. Though I’m happy that readers saw it a surprise!

If you could meet anyone in the entire world, fictional included, who would it be and why?

Rocco. I miss him so much.

What/who was your inspiration for your novels Crow’s Row and Scare Crow?

Crow’s Row is Beauty and the Beast meets the Godfather.

Scare Crow is Pride and Prejudice meets Kill Bill.

Do you have a playlist for either of your novels?

When I’m writing I listen to everything and anything. It’s pretty weird. I’ll be in my car, listening to whatever comes on next and boom! A whole scene comes into play. Then I have to pull over as quickly as possible and type furiously on my phone before I forget it.

While I was writing certain Emmy scenes in Scare Crow and re-editing Crow’s Row, I listened to Skinny Love by Birdie a LOT! That song makes me want to weep every time.

What’s next for Cam and Emmy?

Scare Crow was about them changing. They needed to chance. Emmy especially. She had a lot of growing up to do and a very short time to do it. Next Emmy and Cam will have a lot of explaining to do. Cam especially.

Are any of your characters based on real life people?

No. I’ve never had a picture in my head of who they could be. They exist only in my head. Fans have sent me pictures that are pretty close, but never have I seen Cam and Emmy and the rest of them exact. Of course, there are pieces of my character’s personalities that I have scooped up from other people. Rocco has a lot of my husband’s immature traits. Hands off ladies!

What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Between the publishing of the first edition of Crow’s Row, to writing Scare Crow, to formally editing Scare Crow, to formally editing Crow’s Row, I’ve learned that the more you write, the better you become. I would tell them to read, a lot. Take a critical eye to their favorite novel.

Why do you like that novel? Is it the dialogue? Angst between characters? The way the author describes?

Then I would tell them to forget everything that I just said above and write what you want to write. A fan recently reminded me that, no matter what anyone says about you or your writing, as long as you’re proud of your work, your art, then you can hold your head up high. The rest is just noise.

What is the writing process like for you?

Sometimes difficult. Sometimes excruciating. Often it seems like I can’t find the words to describe what is happening in my head. It’s rather frustrating.

What inspired you to write/become a writer?

I love the feeling of pretending I’m someone else. Don’t get me wrong, I have a beautiful life. Nothing to complain about. So I need to get my drama fix somehow.

What does your writing cave look like?

Ha! My kitchen table. I pick the worse spot in the house. No privacy. Very little quiet. And the weird thing is that I can’t write unless there’s no one around me. My husband will get the evil eye until he is forced to leave the room. I need to pick and stick to a better spot. Unfortunately, my house is pretty small, so maybe I’ll have to go write in the garage or bathroom.

Do you ever get writers block—if so, how do you overcome it?

I get writers block all the time (hello, 3 years to write one book). When it happens, I try not to panic because panic is useless. And then I panic. And then I pretend that I don’t care. That I don’t need to ever write another word. The writer’s block will not get the best of me because I’m breaking up with writing. And then I sit back down and try again, later.

Are you working on any new series at this time?

Series? No! Never again! I’ve always got a few books floating around in my head and notes lying around my house, but I will not write another series. I will keep writing because it haunts me if I don’t, but if I ever publish anything after Crow’s Row is complete, it will be a stand-alone book. Though I need to figure out what a stand-alone book looks like because I thought Crow’s Row was a standalone book.

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Haven’t read book one, Crow’s Row? Scoop it up now for just $2.99! You WON’T be disappointed!!!

Available Now:

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About Julie Hockley:

A former germaphobe and clean-freak turned mother of two, Julie collects enough tears and snot in a month to recreate Slimer Monster from Ghostbusters. Other than playing devoted wife and mama, Julie is the funniest person in the room (according to the 3 year-old and 2 year-old in said room) and can build the most awesome Lego rocket ship you’ve ever set your eyes on (according to her). Oh, and she has a full time career and has also written a bestselling novel. Superhero, or just downright insane?

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{April 2, 2014} {Blog Tour Review} Desolate by Amy Miles (The Immortal Rose #1)

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Desolate From Goodreads: A wedding massacre. An innocence stolen. Mortality stripped away.

In a single night, everyone Roseline Dragomir has ever loved is slaughtered before her eyes. Alone in the world and bound by a solemn marriage vow to a vicious murderer, she must find a strength buried deep within her to keep going or risk completely losing herself.

When a mysterious stranger crosses her path, Roseline will discover that not all immortals are evil. Some even bear emotional scars that run just as deep as her own.

Will she uncover a will not just to survive…but to fight back?

***DESOLATE is the first book of the prequel trilogy to my YA paranormal romance AROTAS trilogy. This book contains elements that may be sensitive for some YA readers. Please download a sample before purchasing this book to ensure it is suitable for your teen***

Desolate is book I of the Immortal Rose trilogy, prequel to the Arotas series.

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This is my first novel by Amy Miles, but it certainly won’t be my last! Desolate, the first in a prequel series to the bestselling Arotas trilogy, is indeed a beautiful novel, and though dealing with difficult topics such as abuse, rape, and attempted suicide, Miles eloquently addresses these issues, breaking Roseline down before building her back up again. I can’t say I didn’t cringe as the story unfolded, but I will say that it is a beautiful portrayal of resilience and self-worth.

As Desolate deals with incredibly sensitive issues, I was thankful that Miles didn’t flaunt the events, or give the gritty details. She glosses over many, instead giving the reader just enough information to make the peril and torture Rose is experiencing obvious for readers, but also leaving much to the imagination. But even so, it is enough to cause my heart to bleed for Rose. Miles has put herself in the shoes of an abuse victim and shown the inner depths of hatred, fear, and loss of innocence.

The characterization of this novel was superb, and though I absolutely hate Rose’s husband, a forced union knit together through sociopathic tendencies on his part, Miles portrays a true sociopath vividly, putting the reader right in the midst of events. And while I truly don’t want to experience anything Rose goes through in this novel, Miles makes it impossible not to feel as the novel unfolds. Rose in my hero.

I will admit that some of the events in the novel proved to be a bit much for me; I can’t fathom anyone reading this novel and walking away unscathed, but Miles has done a superb job expressing Rose’s experiences, and I can’t wait for the next novel in the series, and to read the Arotas trilogy itself, as I know Rose becomes stronger for all her suffering. Four stars.

I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

iBooks | Amazon | Amazon UK

Coming Soon:

Barnes and Noble

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About Amy Miles:

Amy Miles has been a carbaholic since birth and is hopelessly addicted to Frozen Cokes. When she’s not chatting with fans on Facebook she can be found goofing off with family, traveling or stomping her husband at golf. She is an obsessive writer and an avid reader who loves to chat about all things books.

She is the author of the Forbidden, Reckoning, Redemption and Evermore of the Arotas Series. Also Defiance Rising and Relinquish of the Rising Trilogy. She has a stand alone romance, Captivate and has just begun releasing books in her Immortal Rose prequel trilogy.

Want to know what she is currently working on? Check out her website: www.AmyMilesBooks.com
Follow on Twitter: @AmyMilesBooks
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AmyMiles.Author

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And don’t miss out on this deal: Get all three books in the Arotas series for just $4.99

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{March 28, 2014} {Blog Tour: Review and Excerpt} Twelve to Murder by Lauren Carr (Mac Faraday Mysteries #7)

Twelve to Murder Review:

From Goodreads: Two people are brutally murdered in their summer place on Deep Creek Lake. Suspected of the murders, former child star and one-time teenybopper idol Lenny Frost takes innocent bystanders hostage in a local pub and demands that Mac Faraday find the killer. Can Mac save the hostages and himself from the wrath of the enraged has-been by piecing together the clues in less than twelve hours, or will it be a fatal last call at the stroke of midnight?

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If you’ve ever wondered about the has-beens, the child stars that disappear from view, who wake up one morning and realize they’ve passed their prime and they’re not even 20 yet, then this is definitely a story for you. Complete with murder, mayhem, and a mystery that will keep you guessing, Carr once again delivers a punch with her latest Mac Faraday novel, Twelve to Murder.

Like all Carr’s other novels, Twelve to Murder glued me to its pages from the very start, and while this murder mystery looks like it may be a cut and dried whodunit, Carr’s expertise keeps readers guessing as the twists and turns unfold.

Mac Faraday is perhaps my favorite sleuth of all time. He’s rational and extremely good at what he does, and I always get excited when another novel in the series releases. Carr’s novels maintains an air of mystery yet is offset with humor as Farday’s fiancé Archie and his canine “helper” Gnarly come of the scene. The characterization of all the characters, both stationary and new is always superbly done, and Carr’s latest release, Twelve to Murder, is no different. I love her attention to detail and the many “aha” moments as it all unfolds. The fact that each of these novels can stand alone is also a testament to Carr’s sheer writing ability, though you don’t want to miss out on any of Mac Faraday’s awesome mysteries, so make sure you read them all—Twelve to Murder is as good a place to start as any! Four stars!

I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review–scoop it up, it’s only 99 cents on Kindle!!

Amazon | Kindle

Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE

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Book Excerpt:

Stillman Mansion on Deep Creek Lake, Maryland

Sunday: 6:12 am

“Austin is back this year,” Olivia said in rhythm with the pace she had set for her power walk.

Two paces behind his wife, Roland took note of the white stone mansion along the chilly lakeshore. The mansion looked closed up. All was quiet, as it was with many of the estates along the lake in the early spring. With each passing day, the quiet was giving way to the snowbirds came in to roost at their summer homes in the resort town of Spencer, located in the corner of Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland.

As the middle aged athletic couple walked briskly on the running trail along the lake, they noted that that mansion was quiet. The only tell-tale sign of change from its winter hibernation was the yacht on the dock in the back. It had not been there the morning before.

“I wonder if Janice will be throwing her week long Fourth of July bash with all her has-been clients this year?” Roland asked.

“I can tell you right now that I’m not going if that loser Lenny is here.” Feeling her heartbeat slowing down, she picked up her pace.

“Come on,” her husband said with a laugh, “Lenny Frost isn’t that bad. He’s really kind of funny.”

“He’s crude,” she shot over her shoulder at him.

He was going to respond that he felt sorry for the least popular of Janice Stillman’s former celebrity client when a black Porsche almost hit the couple rushing pass them and turning sharply into the driveway of the white mansion.

“Do you two ever take a break?” the young man shouted at them when he threw open the door and climbed out of the sports car.

“Never,” Olivia answered with a frown at Derrick Stillman’s apparent lack of self-discipline displayed in the slight stagger in his pace, and clearly having slept in his clothes, or maybe not slept in them, but clearly having worn them the day before judging by their wrinkled and disheveled appearance.

“Well, you can work-out for me, too.”

“Party last night?” Roland asked.

“Date.” Derrick ran his fingers through his dark curly hair. “I was going to come in yesterday with my folks, but when I met Maddie the other day—“ He let out a cocky laugh. “Well, you know how it is.”

“I can imagine,” Olivia said in a bland tone.

“She’s got a body to die for and she’s crazy about me.” With a swagger in his walk, he made his way to the front door.

“Come along, Roland,” Olivia ordered.

The couple continued on their way. They had only made it to the other end of the property before Derrick’s screams stopped them. The young man was running out the front door and dropped to his knees in the yard when they made it back to the driveway.

Olivia rushed over to the young man, who had his face buried in his hands. “Cliff, what’s wrong?”

Shrieking, the young man pointed to the door.

Roland ran inside.

“What happened, Derrick?” she demanded to know. “What’s going on? What’s in there?”

His face white, Roland came running back outside.

Olivia’s heartbeat was racing. “Roland …”

“They’re dead,” he said in a panicked tone while taking his cell phone out of his pocket. “Both of them. Janice and Austin. I can’t believe this would happen here … in Spencer.”

“Who—“ she asked with tears in her eyes.

“Janice wrote something in her blood—” He stopped to turn his attention to the cell phone. “I’d like to report two murders.”

“Her killer,” Derrick spat out. “I saw it, too. Lenny. Why else would Mom have written out his name in her blood while she was dying? Lenny Frost did it. He killed my parents.”

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About the Author:

Lauren Carr is the best-selling author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. Twelve to Murder is the seventh installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series.

She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Visit her author website at www.mysterylady.net.

Connect & Socialize!

Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads

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Twelve to Murder Tour Page:

http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2014/02/12/pump-up-your-book-presents-twelve-to-murder-virtual-book-publicity-tour/

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A Wedding and a Killing is available at Amazon.

Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

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If you’re looking for a hilarious, clean, introspective read, then look no further that Neurotica. Five stars.

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Top Ten Movie Scores for Jayne (aka. Jaina Jacen) While Writing:

The following is a list of five fantastic movie scores with romantic overtones that Jayne—or, I mean, Jaina Jacen—might have listened to while breathing life into her erotic novels:

Pride and Prejudice, Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Leap Year, Randy Edelman

Winter’s Tale, Hans Zimmer and Rupert Gregson-Williams

Romeo and Juliet, Abel Korzeniowski

Twilight Saga: New Moon, Alexandre Desplat

And what about when she’s writing her sci-fi stuff? This list could go on and on. Here are Jayne’s ten favorites:

Man of Steel, Hans Zimmer

Guardians of the Galaxy, Tyler Bates

Godzilla, Alexandre Desplat

Inception, Hans Zimmer

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, Jesper Kyd and Lorne Balfe(Never underestimate the awesomeness of video game scores!)

Divergent, Junkie XL

Captain America: Winter Soldier, Henry Jackman

Thor: The Dark World, Brian Tyler

The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, Howard Shore

The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, James Newton Howard

Happy reading!

A purveyor of fictions, Eliza Gordon has excellent taste in books, shoes, movies, and friends, and questionable sanity in the realm of love. Best leave that one alone. www.elizagordon.com

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Buy it on Amazon for just $3.99!

Don’t forget to pick up book two in the series, Deviation, as well!

About Heather Hildenbrand

She is represented by Rebecca Friedman. You can find out more about Heather and her books at www.heatherhildenbrand.com.

Or find her here:

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Be sure to pick up book 1, Steel Lily, now!

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Win a $5 gift card to your choice of Amazon or Barnes & Noble PLUS an ecopy of Steel Lily!!

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Here’s what New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors are saying about Witch Hunter Olivia by T.A. Kunz:

Reviewers are calling Witch Hunter Olivia “amazing, fun, well-written, and entertaining.” You don’t want to miss the hottest New Adult paranormal romance of the summer!

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