{March 12, 2014} {99 Cent Sale} Evermore by Amy Miles (Arotas #4)

Amy Miles’ final installment in the Arotas Series has just released, and it’s on sale for 99 cents!!! Scoop it up stat!

I pledge my heart, my life, my soul to you on this day and all the days to come. My life, bonded to yours, if you will have me. ~ Gabriel, Redemption

With a single vow and a swift blow, everything Roseline Enescue held dear is stripped away. The battle is over, but the victory is far from sweet. Laying Gabriel to rest in the Enescue family mausoleum beside her beloved friend and former lover, Fane is the hardest thing she has ever had to do. With an eternity of loneliness stretching out before her, Roseline withdraws into herself, shutting everyone out. Even Elias, Gabriel’s guardian angel leaves her to mourn by herself, but his sudden return brings about a series of thrilling and terrifying events, the likes of which will forever change the course of her life.

Follow Roseline and Gabriel as they are reunited after death, enjoy Sadie and Nicolae’s fiery romance, experience William’s growing feelings of uselessness and discover what happens when there is no one left to control the forces of darkness.

With a single vow everything changed. A prophecy yet to be fulfilled. A new legacy to last the ages.

EVERMORE, an Arotas novella. The final installment.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble | iBooks

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Haven’t read books 1-3? No worries, right now the box set of all three is on sale for just 99 cents as well!

That’s right–THREE BOOKS, 700+ page, for JUST 99 little cents. Scoop it up stat–this AMAZING sale won’t last long!!!

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Smashwords

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About the Author:

Amy Miles is a wife and mother before anything else. Reading is her passion, writing is her obsession. When she’s not writing, Amy can be found traveling, cuddled up with a good book or beating her husband at Scrabble. She’s a carbaholic and is hopelessly addicted to Dr. Pepper.

Amy is Amazon’s contemporary fantasy Best Selling Author of Forbidden, Reckoning, and Redemption. She’s also the author of dystopian romance, Defiance Rising and NA contemporary romance, Captivate.

Connect with Amy Miles:

Newsletter sign up: http://bit.ly/1jkG1Hn

Email: Amy@AmyMilesBooks.com

Twitter: @AmyMilesBooks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AmyMiles.Author

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/amy-miles/30/506/856

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Amy-Miles/e/B005G37E9Q/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6779847-amy-miles

{March 12, 2014} {Blog Tour: ARC Review and Giveaway} Deviation by Heather Hildenbrand (Clone Chronicles #2)

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From Goodreads: Protect. Obey. Sacrifice.

These words are the mantra of my existence. I’m not sure if it’s TitusRogen inspiring my desire to go against what I am or my own DNA deviating. All I can think is how Titus will look when he meets his end. It trumps even my wish for freedom. In this moment, I want nothing more than to watch the life bleed from Titus’s body. And I want it at my own hands.

Titus. The Creator.

I stare at my palms. Strength aside, I wonder if I’m capable of taking a life. A human life; one with a soul. And I wonder if that isn’t easier than taking the life of an Imitation. At least humans have souls that live on. What do I have after this? Where will I go? Back into a syringe? Will Titus recycle me? Or will I be lost forever down a lab drain?

We don’t deserve that.

We don’t deserve him.

Deserving and receiving are so very different here. And I am beginning to understand, to beat someone in this world, I‘ll have to play in it.

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Hildenbrand’s second novel in the Clone Chronicles is indeed just as riveting as the first, Imitation, bringing readers deeper into the world of Ven and Linc as they attempt to thwart and, ultimately survive, the antics of Titus Rogen, the city’s most affluent and dangerous tycoon.

For those new to this amazing series, the “imitations” in Hildenbrand’s series are created in a factory, much like those seen in movies such as The Island. However, instead of serving a sole purpose of harvesting should their authentics (the real human out in the world) hurt themselves, imitations are meant for a greater, more devious purpose, one neither the imitations themselves, nor the general populace, knows anything about—and it isn’t until the end of this second installment that readers learn of Titus’ real agenda for their creation.

Titus is the epitome of evil, and his treatment of Ven and all those around him makes me ill. Yet, Ven doesn’t give up in the face of adversity. Instead, she struggles to fight back, knowing that stepping out of line could result in not only her own death, but also the death of those she holds most dear, such as Linc, Obadiah, and all her fellow imitations. Ven is an extremely strong character, one I deeply admire, even if I do sometimes yell at her through the pages. She is an imitation, after all; she hasn’t grown up in the real world, and she isn’t always able to understand the events that are happening around her until it’s too late, so it’s understandable that she sometimes makes… bad decisions. However, she is determined to do what is right, regardless of her own safety, and I adore that about her.

On top of great characterization, Deviation also has just the right amount of steamy romance and action to create the perfect blend. With Ven and Linc having to pretend they aren’t in love and that they know nothing of the whereabouts of the hidden imitations, tiptoeing around Titus and his vast security forces, there is more than enough tension within the pages as the story unfolds.

And as I mentioned before, with this second installments unfolding, it becomes apparent to readers just why Titus created such a vast array of imitations in the first place—keeping their creation secret—and it’s even more sinister that I ever expected. With a shocking conclusion that will have all readers on the edge of their seat in anticipation of the third novel, I highly recommend everyone read this series. Five stars.

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

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Enter to win a CUSTOM Deviation necklace!!

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{March 11, 2014} {Review} The Living by Matt de la Pena

From Goodreads: Shy took the summer job to make some money. In a few months on a luxury cruise liner, he’ll rake in the tips and be able to help his mom and sister out with the bills. And how bad can it be? Bikinis, free food, maybe even a girl or two—every cruise has different passengers, after all.

But everything changes when the Big One hits. Shy’s only weeks out at sea when an earthquake more massive than ever before recorded hits California, and his life is forever changed.

The earthquake is only the first disaster. Suddenly it’s a fight to survive for those left living.

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This was an interesting premise, but its execution wasn’t my favorite. It follows Shy as he works on a boat, hungers after a co-worker who is engaged to be married in a few months, and tries to deal with the death of his grandmother to a deadly new strain of virus while also coping with the suicide of a guest aboard the ship. Truth be told, I never did get to the point where I connected with Shy (or any of the self absorbed characters, for that matter); his antics didn’t impress me, and his near obsession with his co-worker rubbed me the wrong way. Add in the extreme foreshadowing that begins almost from the very first page, and I ended up knowing the ending before I was even a quarter of the way through, which is unfortunate.

I really liked the idea behind the novel, but it was just too obvious for me, and there wasn’t much that actually surprised me as I read. It was also a bit too long–as if everything was dragged out and I think it could have definitely been shortened, or at least had a conclusion. de la Pena only goes part of the way through the story, ending on a big finale that solidified what I already knew, and didn’t have any closure whatsoever. I felt that the beginning and middle dragged on for much too long, and then the end was a quick succession of unbelievable stunts and antics that honestly didn’t do anything for me as a reader. Two stars.

I received a free copy of this novel at a signing during NCTE 2013.

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble

{March 10, 2014} {Review} Lost Girl by Dax Varley (An Oracles Novelette)

From Goodreads: Juniper Lynch has a flair for all things psychic – a gift she inherited from her dearly departed granny.

When her best friend, Gena needs help finding her missing retainer, Juniper is quick to try scrying, aka crystal-gazing. With no crystal ball handy, she goes the easy route and gazes into a glass of water. But the image that appears is not what she expected. The shriveled face of a missing girl floats to the surface. Juniper is seized by a mystical connection and the countdown clock begins.

Can she find the lost girl before they both wither away?

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As the first in the series, this story almost feels a bit too perfect. Everything clicks into to place so easily, and the characters are too sweet or perfect for them to seem valid and real at this point. There really weren’t any problems or issues to contend with within the story itself—the girls don’t know whether they believe Juniper’s vision or not—so though Juniper and her friends are looking for the girl who seems to be in immense danger, there isn’t much standing in their way besides their own disbelief in the fact that they might be able to find her.

This was good story, though short, about 60 pages, so readers don’t really get much connection time with the characters. Though as the first in a series of novellettes yet to come, I assume that we’ll be seeing these girls again and probably learning more about them. Thus, there’s hope for more of a connection, and I’m looking forward to the next novellette as this was well written and did spark my interest. After since we’re just now getting to know the heroines, I’m assuming that the next installment will hopefully be a little more climactic. Regardless, if you’re looking for something light to read, I suggest picking this up. Three stars.

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

Kindle | Barnes and Noble

{March 10, 2014} {Giveaway Party} St. Patty’s Day Pinning Party–With 45 YA and NA Authors

Join your favorite YA and NA authors as we celebrate being Irish for a day and play on Pinterest. There will be over 45 e-book giveaways!

You can join the Facebook party HERE!You won’t want to miss it!

Participating Authors:

Lila Felix A. W. Exley Melissa Pearl

Jessica Gibson Cindy M. Hogan Sarah Ashley Jones

Marie Landry Rachel Morgan Jennifer Snyder

Stacey Marie Brown Jessica Therrien D.L. Raver

Stacey Wallace Benefiel Marilyn Almodóvar Angee Taylor

A.O. Peart Devyn Dawson Rick Chiantaretto

Raine Thomas L.P. Dover Tamara Hart Heiner

Leigh T Moore Meradeth Houston Amber Argyle

Tawdra Kandle Carlyle Labuschagne Lisa Collicutt

Christy Dorrity Stephanie Fowers Kristina Renee

Faith McKay Charlotte Abel Jamie Ayres

A.M. Hargrove Charli Webb Amy Harmon

Alyssa Rose Ivy Kristie Cook Lani Woodland

T.M. Franklin Laura Howard Sharron Riddle

Eliza Tilton S. M. Boyce Bethany Lopez

Dawn Leigh L.A. Casey Emma Adams

Amber Garr Liz Long

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{March 9, 2014} {ARC Review} Don’t Even Think About It by Sarah Mylnowski

From Goodreads: We weren’t always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn’t expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.

Since we’ve kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what’s coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same.

So stop obsessing about your ex. We’re always listening.

Contemporary teen fiction with romance, secrets, scandals, and ESP from the author of Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn’t Have).

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This was a cute telepathy story–just think, if your entire homeroom class could communicate with one another without words, how would that change you as a person and your outlook on life? I can tell you that as a teacher, that would be my worst nightmare come true—however, I’d also probably never know about it, since they would never admit it… If only vaccines could grant us “superpowers” though…

I really liked getting into the brains of all the students in homeroom 10B. They were funny, and while I felt bad for some of them as they found out truths they never wanted to know, I also feel like this is spot on in terms of what would happen to a group of friends if they could hear everything their friends were thinking, all the time. It’s told in a sort of collective manner, with “we” being used constantly throughout, and while it focuses on the past: a “this happened but we all know now…” type of deal, it was a refreshing style and I enjoyed being in all their heads. Incredibly insightful and humorous at times, Mlynowski presents a sweet story that many will enjoy, especially those who enjoy the paranormal. Four stars.

Random House Children’s and Delacorte Press have been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on March 11, 2014, in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble

{March 8, 2014} {Giveaway} Enter to Win Multiple Awesome Book Giveaways!

Guess what?! Today I have FOUR separate giveaways for you!!! You can win an ebook of Whispers and Wishes by Hollie Westring, a paperback of Easy by Tammara Webber, a signed paperback of The Darkest Joy by Marata Eros, or a signed paperback set of The Dowser Series by Meghan Ciana Doidge!!!

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Win a paperback of Easy by Tammara Webber!

Synopsis:

Rescued by a stranger.
Haunted by a secret
Sometimes, love isn’t easy…

He watched her, but never knew her. Until thanks to a chance encounter, he became her savior…

The attraction between them was undeniable. Yet the past he’d worked so hard to overcome, and the future she’d put so much faith in, threatened to tear them apart.

Only together could they fight the pain and guilt, face the truth—and find the unexpected power of love.

A groundbreaking novel in the New Adult genre, Easy faces one girl’s struggle to regain the trust she’s lost, find the inner strength to fight back against an attacker, and accept the peace she finds in the arms of a secretive boy.

To enter this giveaway, you must:

-Be 13 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)

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

Click this Rafflecopter Link to Enter!

This giveaway is open to USA and Canadian entrants only and will end at 12:01am EST on April 8th. The winner will receive email notification! Please read my giveaway policy and leave me a comment!

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Win a signed paperback of The Darkest Joy by Marata Eros

Synopsis:

A sexy and poignant new adult novel from New York Times bestseller Marata Eros, about two lost souls who find each other in the wake of tragedy, only to learn that love may not be enough to heal the wounds of a dark and tortured past…

Twenty year-old Brooke Starr has escaped the aftermath of a brutal tragedy by abandoning her music studies and moving north to take a summer position as a part-time deck hand on a deep-sea fishing boat. When her survivor’s guilt becomes unbearable, Brooke realizes there’s only one thing she can do to finally erase the pain.

Deep sea fisherman, Chance Taylor, has just wrapped his guitar set at the local saloon when he sees the silhouette of a young woman in repose, the full moon highlighting her shadow as she plummets from a pier too high for diving… into water too cold to survive. Without thinking, he plunges in after her, saving Brooke from drowning.

As Chance works to save her from her own emotional fragility, Brooke finally begins to learn how to save herself. But when their chemistry begins to consume them, Brooke withdraws. She’s determined to be the master of her own destiny… until the past catches up with her in a cataclysmic plan so dark, so final… it threatens their love and their very lives.

To enter this giveaway, you must:

-Be 13 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)

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

Click this Rafflecopter Link to Enter!

This giveaway is open to USA and Canadian entrants only and will end at 12:01am EST on April 8th. The winner will receive email notification! Please read my giveaway policy and leave me a comment!

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Win a signed paperback set of The Dowser Series by Meghan Ciana Doidge

Cupcakes Synopsis:

If you’d asked me a week ago, I would have told you that the best cupcakes were dark chocolate with chocolate cream cheese icing, that dancing in a crowd of magic wielders — the Adept — was better than sex, and that my life was peaceful and uneventful. Just the way I liked it.

That’s what twenty-three years in the magical backwater of Vancouver will get you — a completely skewed sense of reality. Because when the dead werewolves started showing up, it all unraveled … except for the cupcake part. That’s a universal truth.

Trinkets Synopsis:

Three months ago, I lost my foster sister, Sienna, to the darkness. As in blood magic and chaos and general mayhem. No one saw it until it was too late, but I should have. Now, I have a wounded heart and soul that I can’t even reveal to anyone around me, because I’m supposed to hate Sienna with the fiery passion of the justified. And I do. I just wish I didn’t feel so lost without her, so unsure of the path I thought I had carved for myself, and so outclassed by the powerful Adepts constantly by my side these days. I’m not even sure if they’re with me for my own protection or because my shiny new powers are rare and valuable. Assuming I ever figure out who or what I am, and how my magic actually works.

Even chocolate can’t save the day every time … just most of the time. At least I’ve got that going for me.

To enter this giveaway, you must:

-Be 13 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)

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

Click this Rafflecopter Link to Enter!

This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY and ends on April 8th. The winner will receive email notification! Please read my giveaway policy and leave me a comment!

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Win an ebook of Whispers and Wishes by Hollie Westring! This is a flash giveaway and ends tomorrow, March 9 at 9pm!

Synopsis:

Eliza Monroe has been traveling the United States for three years, immersing herself in the towns she visits as she searches for the mother she’s never known. She hopes returning to her grandmother’s inn in Sage Springs, Mo., will provide the break she needs to evaluate her lonely life.

What Eliza isn’t expecting is to have two men enter the picture, not making her decision to stay or leave any easier. One has been her foundation, while the other is as comfortable as she is hopping from city to city. Throw in a kooky grandmother, a cheerful best friend, a sarcastic guest, a town where residents and spirits interact like neighbors, and Eliza has little time to contemplate her future.

Friendships grow, webs are spun and lies are revealed before Eliza comes to terms with what she wants in life and learns what’s really important.

To enter this giveaway, you must:

-Be 13 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)

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

Click this Rafflecopter Link to Enter!

This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY to Kindle users and will end at 9pm EST on March 9th. The winner will receive email notification! Please read my giveaway policy and leave me a comment!

AND–Hollie Westring has a $25 Amazon Giftcard Giveaway running on her Facebook page!! Once Whispers and Wishes hits 25 Amazon reviews, she’ll pick a winner using a randomizer! So, leave an honest review on Amazon in order to be eligible. Then, leave the link to your review on Author Hollie Westring‘s page for entry!!

Just want to buy the book so you can enter to win that giftcard? Go ahead; it’s only $2.99! Grab it on Amazon.

GOOD LUCK!

{March 8, 2014} The 99 Cent Club–Feature 87–Ten Books for Ten Bucks

Every Saturday I run a feature for the 99 Cent Club, and below are the eBook picks for this week that caught my eye and are currently ONLY 99 Cents on Amazon, with many on Barnes and Noble as well. I don’t know if these are permanent prices, so please don’t shoot the messenger, and double check pricing before pressing the buy button. Enjoy! (If you could help give these authors some love by spreading the word, that would be epic.)

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Black Hill Farm by Tim O’Rourke

When sixteen year-old Ben McCloud moves to Black Hill Farm, he soon falls in love with the mysterious and seductive Andrea Black. Finding themselves alone on this remote farm and desperate to stay together, Ben’s and Andrea’s world spirals out of control. As they fight for survival, every step they take leads them into an ever darker world of forbidden love and despair. A dark romance with a deadly twist.

This is a new adult novel recommended for 16+ years.

Find it on Amazon.

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Donna of the Dead by Alison Kemper

Donna Pierce might hear voices, but that doesn’t mean she’s crazy. Probably.The voices do serve their purpose, though—whenever Donna hears them, she knows she’s in danger. So when they start yelling at the top of their proverbial lungs, it’s no surprise she and her best friend, Deke, end up narrowly escaping a zombie horde. Alone without their families, they take refuge at their high school with the super-helpful nerds, the bossy class president, and—best of all?—Liam, hottie extraordinaire and Donna’s long-time crush. When Liam is around, it’s easy to forget about the moaning zombies, her dad’s plight to reach them, and how weird Deke is suddenly acting toward her.But as the teens’ numbers dwindle and their escape plans fall apart, Donna has to listen to the secrets those voices in her head have been hiding. It seems not all the zombies are shuffling idiots, and the half-undead aren’t really down with kids like Donna…

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Knight Assassin by Rima Jean

Seventeen-year-old Zayn has special powers she cannot control—powers that others fear and covet. Powers that cause the Templar Knights to burn Zayn’s mother at the stake for witchcraft. When a mysterious stranger tempts Zayn to become the first female member of the heretical Assassins, the chance to seek her revenge lures her in. She trains to harness her supernatural strength and agility, and then enters the King of Jerusalem’s court in disguise with the assignment to assassinate Guy de Molay, her mother’s condemner. But once there, she discovers Earic Goodwin, the childhood friend who still holds her heart, among the knights—and his ocean-blue eyes don’t miss a thing. Will vengeance be worth the life of the one love she has left?

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Leif by Abbi Glines

“She was mine. I owned her soul…until Death stole her heart.”

LEIF is a novella from the Existence series. It is glimpses into Leif’s point-of-view during both Existence and Predestined.

* Also, each digital copy of LEIF has a free download for Dank Walker (AKA Death) newest song – Closer.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Runes by Ednah Walters

Seventeen-year-old Raine Cooper has enough on her plate dealing with her father’s disappearance, her mother’s erratic behavior and the possibility of her boyfriend relocating. The last thing she needs is Torin St. James—a mysterious new neighbor with a wicked smile and uncanny way of reading her.

Raine is drawn to Torin’s dark sexiness against her better judgment, until he saves her life with weird marks and she realizes he is different. But by healing her, Torin changes something inside Raine. Now she can’t stop thinking about him. Half the time, she’s not sure whether to fall into his arms or run.

Scared, she sets out to find out what Torin is. But the closer she gets to the truth the more she uncovers something sinister about Torin. What Torin is goes back to an ancient mythology and Raine is somehow part of it. Not only are she and her friends in danger, she must choose a side, but the wrong choice will cost Raine her life.

Find it on Amazon.

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Swift by Heather London

A girl totally unaware of her destiny.

Two men who will stop at nothing to take her power.

One family who will do whatever it takes to protect her.

After graduating from high school, Meredith is ready to leave the place that has been a constant reminder of what happened to her as a child. She was just eight years old when her family died in a mysterious car accident, taking the secret of her destiny with them. It’s not until a new family moves to town that she realizes leaving may not be as easy as she once thought.

Meredith feels an instant connection towards the Harpers, especially the good-looking, mysterious Blake and his overly friendly sister, Abby. After a series of bizarre events that happen too often to be coincidence, Meredith begins to realize that she is at the center of something larger than herself—possibly the same thing that killed her parents and twin sister many years ago. Nightmarish visions and resurfacing memories push Meredith closer to Blake, leading her to discover her destiny and other buried secrets.

As Meredith tries to understand her new world, she will be put to the ultimate test, and her strength and courage will be challenged more than she ever imagined.

Find it on Amazon.

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Killing Sarai by J.A. Redmerski

From the author of the New York Times, USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling novel, THE EDGE OF NEVER, comes a story of passion and survival…

Sarai was only fourteen when her mother uprooted her to live in Mexico with a notorious drug lord. Over time she forgot what it was like to live a normal life, but she never let go of her hope to escape the compound where she has been held for the past nine years.

Victor is a cold-blooded assassin who, like Sarai, has known only death and violence since he was a young boy. When Victor arrives at the compound to collect details and payment for a hit, Sarai sees him as her only opportunity for escape. But things don’t go as planned and instead of finding transport back to Tucson, she finds herself free from one dangerous man and caught in the clutches of another.

While on the run, Victor strays from his primal nature as he succumbs to his conscience and resolves to help Sarai. As they grow closer, he finds himself willing to risk everything to keep her alive; even his relationship with his devoted brother and liaison, Niklas, who now like everyone else wants Sarai dead.

As Victor and Sarai slowly build a trust, the differences between them seem to lessen, and an unlikely attraction intensifies. But Victor’s brutal skills and experience may not be enough in the end to save her, as the power she unknowingly holds over him may ultimately be what gets her killed.

This is their story…

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Cornerstone by Misty Provencher

Nalena Maxwell has been branded ‘The Waste’ at her new school, due to her mom’s obsessive paper hoarding. Nalena desperately wants something to change in her life, but when she receives a sign (and it’s the wrong dang one) inviting her into a mysterious, ancient community, too much changes. What she knew of her family, what she thought of her life and what she believed about her future, is no longer applicable. Seventeen years worth of family skeletons come crashing into Nalena’s life and it is the boy…the one that smiles at her like he wants to hear everything she’ll ever say…that already knows her powerful secrets. But it is only Nalena that can choose between protecting the life that is already crumbling beneath her feet and the one that might sacrifice everything she could ever have.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Cascade: A Novel by Lisa T. Bergren

Mom touched my underdress—a gown made six hundred years before—and her eyes widened as she rubbed the raw silk between thumb and forefinger. She turned and touched Lia’s gown. “Where did you get these clothes?”

Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead.

But Marcello patiently awaits, and Gabi must decide if she’s willing to leave her family behind for good in order to give her heart to him forever.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Anomaly by K.C. King

“I was transfixed as I watched him; his skin was simply luminous in the sunlight, yet not a bead of sweat sheened his face. I could have remained entranced by him for hours, for in this state he was simply magnificent, almost – supernatural.

The spontaneous thought raised goose bumps on my arms as I saw him – I recognised him – for the first time. It wasn’t that there was something unusual about Sebastian, it was that he was entirely unusual. He was beyond human.”

22-year-old Bree Spencer hates prejudice of all kinds – especially the blatant elitism she is subjected to as a resident staffer at her aunt’s exclusive estate, Blackall Manor. So when Bree nearly winds up as road-kill on account of the wealthy Sebastian Templeton, she struggles to reconcile her inexplicable attraction to him. On the surface Sebastian epitomises all that Bree usually despises, yet her draw to him is irrefutable.

Events become decidedly more unusual upon Sebastian’s arrival as a guest at Blackall Manor. Despite her reservations, Bree finds Sebastian intriguing; but his insistence to get to know her triggers a raft of niggling suspicions – heightened by a series of strange dreams and phenomena – until eventually, she learns the truth.

Sebastian is a guardian, a powerful descendant of a sacred ethereal line; and Bree’s uncanny gift has prompted him to find her. But while an anomaly inspired their connection, an ancient prophecy and ethereal lore forbid it. And with Sebastian’s purist brother determined to honour both at any cost, an epic battle with unthinkable stakes could be Bree’s only chance at survival.

Find it on Amazon.

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If you could help give these authors some love by spreading the word, that would be epic.

For more information about books on sale throughout the week, as well as giveaway updates, be sure to like A Book Vacation’s Facebook Page.

{March 7, 2014} {Review} The Kiera Hudson Prequels by Tim O’Rourke (Kiera Hudson Prequels #1)

From Goodreads: When 19-year-old police recruit Kiera Hudson joins training college, her curiosity and desire to solve mysteries soon has her investigating a series of creepy and disturbing crimes.

With the help of her friend and colleague, Tom, Kiera is soon caught up in a dark world of strange and inexplicable mysteries, each with a deadly twist.

Three novella length mysteries in one book, set before ‘Kiera Hudson Series One and Two’.

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From Tim O’Rourke comes a brand new series featuring the talented police recruit Kiera Hudson before she ever made it to the Ragged Cove. Follow Kiera as she attends the police academy and uncovers conspiracies of murder and mayhem in this new prequel series; if you’ve ever wondered about Kiera’s life prior to the Ragged Cove and the Vampyrus, then this prequel is definitely a must for you!

I love the entire Kiera Hudson series, both series one and two, so it’s no surprise that this new prequel series was an awesome and fun read for me. It’s also the perfect starting point for any readers out there who have not yet broached the Kiera Hudson novels. If you’ve never picked up an O’Rourke novel, then I highly suggest you start here. O’Rourke is a master storyteller and I can’t wait for more.

In fact, O’Rourke is such a huge crossover fan, weaving together multiple series, and readers should note that the male lead in these prequels, Tom Henson, will be making an appearance in O’Rourke’s new book, Flashes, which comes out later this year. Just one more crossover for readers that ties all O’Rourke’s novels together, and I love it!!

Honestly, this was a great read, and I really liked getting to know Tom, though I will say that Kiera is still my favorite, for the time being. Pick up your copy of this awesome prequel today! Five stars.

I purchased this novel from Amazon:

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble

Check out O’Rourke’s other novels (they are indeed all amazing):

Kiera Hudson Series 1

Vampire Shift (#1)

Vampire Wake (#2)

Vampire Hunt (#3)

Vampire Breed (#4)

Wolf House (#4.5)

Vampire Hollows (#5)

Kiera Hudson Series 2

Dead Flesh (#1)

Dead Night: Potter’s Secrets (#1.5)

Dead Angels (#2)

Dead Statues (#3)

Dead Seth (#4)

Dead Wolf (#5)

Dead Water (#6)

Dead Push (#7)

Dead Lost (#8)

Dead End (#9)–Coming Soon

Kiera Hudson Series 3

Lethal Infected (1)–Coming Soon

Jack Seth Novellas

Hollow Pit (#1)

Vampire Shift Graphic Novels

Vampire Shift Volume 1

Black Hill Farm Series

Black Hill Farm (#1)

Black Hill Farm Andy’s Diary (#2)

Return to Black Hill Farm (#3)–Coming Soon

Doorways Series

Doorways (#1)

The League of Doorways (#2)

The Queen of the Doorways (#3)–Coming Soon

Samantha Carter Series

Vampire Seeker (#1)

(Formerly known as Cowgirls and Vampires)

The Moon Trilogy

Moonlight (#1)

Moonbeam (#2)

Moonshine (3)–Coming Soon

Sidney Hart Series

Witch (#1)

Yellow (#2)

Raven (#3)–Coming Soon

Unscathed Series(?)

Unscathed

Stilts Series

Stilts (#1)

Eat Me Series

Eat Me (#1)–Coming Soon

Pick Series

Pick (#1)–Coming Soon

Flashes Series

Flashes (#1)–Coming 2013

{March 6, 2014} {ARC Review} Liv, Forever by Amy Talkington

From Goodreads: When Liv Bloom lands an art scholarship at Wickham Hall, it’s her ticket out of the foster system. Liv isn’t sure what to make of the school’s weird traditions and rituals, but she couldn’t be happier—especially when Malcolm Astor, fellow artist and scion of one of the school’s original families, starts falling for her. Fellow scholarship kid Gabe Nichols warns her not to get involved with a “Wicky,” but things are finally going Liv’s way, and all she wants to do is enjoy it.

But Liv’s bliss is cut short when she is viciously murdered. In death, she discovers that she’s the latest victim of a dark conspiracy that spans 150 years and many, many lives. Gabe, cursed with the ability to see their ghosts, turns out to be Liv’s only link to the world of the living.

Liv must rely on Gabe’s help to prove to Malcolm that she’s still present… lingering with the other spirits. Together, Liv, Gabe, and Malcolm fight to expose the terrible truth that haunts the halls of Wickham before more lives are lost.

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This a very well written story that, unfortunately, starts out just like all the other boarding school novels I’ve read lately. A scholarship student goes to a boarding school, isn’t liked by many, falls in love with the school hottie, and… is killed… finds out there is some bad mojo with the secret society within the school… realizes there are ghosts around… and basically fits the mold for the “boarding school” YA novel. It reminds me a little of a mash up of Poor Little Dead Girls, And We Stay, and Deceived. Now don’t get me wrong, those are all good books, but I really wanted something different with this one, and even though these books are all different, there’s enough similarities that it just didn’t pique my interest all that much in the beginning.

Now, Liv, Forever focuses on Liv’s death, whereas the other novels I’ve read focus more so on attempted murders, so that was a nice change, especially as Liv’s ghost comes back to haunt Gabe as they try to figure out what happened. And, while the first half of the novel fits the mold for this type of novel nicely, the last half of the book is where is begins to branch out and become a different story, which in turn caught my interest. If you’ve never read a novel that takes place in a boarding school before, then I’d definitely recommend this as a good starting point. I enjoyed the aspects of the ghosts, and I liked Liv, Gabe, and Malcolm as characters. I also especially enjoyed the stories of each ghost’s death, told in first person, as if readers are drawn into the story to put the pieces together. However, I felt the beginning dragged on a bit and it just seemed too much like déjà vu for me as a reader, especially with the similarities to novels that have come before it, so even though I enjoyed some aspects, it doesn’t stand out in my mind, personally, all that much. Three stars.

Soho Teen has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Edelweiss, prior to its release on March 11, 2014, in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble

{March 6, 2014} {Cover Reveal} Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout (The Dark Elements #2)

It’s Time!! The STONE COLD TOUCH cover is here!

We cannot wait to share the cover for Jennifer L. Armentrout’s STONE COLD TOUCH with you all! STONE COLD TOUCH is a young adult paranormal romance by Jennifer L. Armentrout and is the second full-length novel in The Dark Elements Series being published by Harlequin Teen. You’ll want to add this to your TBR pile ASAP. Check out this amazing cover!

Isn’t it awesome?! You can Pre-order it right now!

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STONE COLD TOUCH Synopsis:

Every touch has its price

Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…

“Constantly entertaining…the narrative sizzles with as much tension as romance.”

—Kirkus Reviews on White Hot Kiss

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And…Don’t forget to check out the first book in The Dark Elements Series,

WHITE HOT KISS!

WHITE HOT KISS Synopsis:

One kiss could be the last.

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she’s anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she’s crushed on since forever.

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she’s not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn’t an issue, considering Roth has no soul.

But when Layla discovers she’s the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

Amazon Barnes and Noble BAM iBooks IndieBound Kobo Walmart

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About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

The Dark Elements Series Website

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Jennifer L. Armentrout Goodreads

STONE COLD TOUCH Goodreads

WHITE HOT KISS Goodreads

{March 5, 2014} {Review} What Would Satan Do? by Anthony Miller

From Goodreads: Disgusted with God’s plan for Judgment Day, Satan has quit his job and left Hell in favor of a quiet retirement in Washington, D.C. But life on Earth is tricky for an ex-angel with a short fuse and no impulse control. When a parking attendant mysteriously bursts into flames and a fat lady ends up in low-Earth orbit, Satan finds that he suddenly has a lot of friends at the FBI. Worse, there are signs that the governor of Texas has somehow gone ahead and started up the end of the world without him. The Prince of Darkness heads for the Lone Star State, where he tangles with a megalomaniacal televangelist, joins the Militant Arm of the American Geriatrics Association, and wields the Flaming Stick of Divine Justice at a Jesus impersonator called Festus. Through it all, one thing is clear: Someone has to put a stop to Judgment Day. Now, having spent millennia trying to wreck the place, the Devil may be the world’s only hope.

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This novel started out quite interesting, but it somewhat lost its luster along the way. Satan has defected to the human world in order to stop the end of times from coming, but in reality, they are coming just the same. The book opens with Satan on his way to the lecture hall where he teaches students, and he’s thinking extremely hard about stepping on frogs–one of the plagues on the earth that he refuses to note is a plague because, let’s face it, if he’s not there to bring about the end of the world, it can’t happen, right? Wrong. An unlikely foe is at foot, and the end times are coming quite quickly.

I was drawn into the story in the beginning of the novel as it’s very different. I’ve grown up with the Bible so I know the stories, and here Miller kind of turns everything on its head. To be honest, I haven’t ever read a novel like it, and that’s what drew me to it in the first place. However, it was extremely long and I found myself soon losing interest. There were a lot of characters that I had a hard time keeping track of, and some of the scenarios were just lost on me. I do think that the novel is well written, though. It employs one of my favorite writing styles, following different characters around and giving information from their points-of-view, but I just found that I wasn’t really interested in the stories that surrounded the other characters aside from Satan. Two and a half stars.

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

Amazon | Kindle

{March 4, 2014} {Review} Fistful of Reefer by David Mark Brown (Lost DMB Files #17)

From Goodreads: Fistful of Reefer delivers a surge equivalent to a cocktail of 1 part serotonin, 2 parts adrenaline, with a dash of grenadine served over ice. This double-fisted, dieselpunk weird-Western resides between No Country for Old Men and The Three Amigos.

In 1918, when Chancho Villarreal and his friends inadvertently create the legend of El Chupacabra, they draw the attention of Texas Ranger J.T. McCutchen to their goat ranch and marijuana farm north of Del Rio, Texas. What follows is an action-packed ride across the wilds of a Texas haunted by rumors of Chupacabras behind every bush.

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This is definitely an action intense novel; there are few moments of downtime before the characters are tearing off on their next adventure, and thus, it’s a fairly riveting read, especially for those looking for a fast-paced story to pass the time. The characters are all interesting, sort of strange in some aspects, but they definitely keep the reader’s attention as the plot unfolds, what with the legend of Chupacabra as a means to protect their marijuana farm… but that’s just the beginning. The novel follows our three heroes as they travel across Texas in this unorthodox yet alluring western, running from the law. With gun fights, flood waters, and horse chases abounding, it’s definitely a non-stop action adventure, and I especially enjoyed the role reversal Brown employs in his novel.

J.T. McCutchen, the Ranger and antagonist of this novel, is definitely one to dislike, and Brown does a great job making him “hateable.” It’s a strange plot twist, actually, in that the good guy is actually bad, and the bad guys are actually good—one doesn’t usually go into a story about growing marijuana and expect the growers to come out as the good guys, but Brown twists his story in such a way that this is exactly what happens. And, I was very interested to note that this really isn’t a novel about smoking illegal marijuana, but instead focuses more so on the planting and harvesting of such a crop. While this novel is not one that I personally would say is true-to-life, especially with its aspects of dieselpunk—a genre I was unfamiliar with prior to reading this novel—it was a fun ride, though there was so much going on I sometimes found myself lost within it all. But that’s okay, because overall, this was a very interesting and fun read. Three and a half stars.

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

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble

{March 4, 2014} {Release Day Launch Giveaway and Excerpt} Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine (Finding Fates #1)

Today is release day for Chelsea Fine’s Best Kind of Broken, the first book in Fine’s New Adult contemporary romance series, Finding Fates. It’s available NOW, so after reading the hot teasers below and entering the giveaway, be sure to go out and grab your copy!!

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Synopsis:

SOMETIMES MOVING ON MEANS MOVING IN

Pixie Marshall wishes every day she could turn back time and fix the past. But she can’t. And the damage is done. She’s hoping that a summer of free room and board working with her aunt at the Willow Inn will help her forget. Except there’s a problem: the resident handyman is none other than Levi Andrews. The handsome quarterback was once her friend-and maybe more–until everything changed in a life-shattering instant. She was hoping to avoid him, possibly forever. Now he’s right down the hall and stirring up feelings Pixie thought she’d long buried . . .

Levi can’t believe he’s living with the one person who holds all his painful memories. More than anything he wants to make things right, but a simple “sorry” won’t suffice–not when the tragedy that scarred them was his fault. Levi knows Pixie’s better off without him, but every part of him screams to touch her, protect her, wrap her in his arms, and kiss away the pain. Yet even though she’s so close, Pixie’s heart seems more unreachable than ever. Seeing those stunning green eyes again has made one thing perfectly clear–he can’t live without her.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

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**See what others are saying about Broken Kind of Broken:**

“By turns humorous and heartbreaking, Best Kind Of Broken has become one of my favorites!” — CORA CARMACK, New York Times bestselling author of Losing It.

“You’ll fall for Pixie and Levi, just like I did!” — JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT (J. Lynn), #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wait For You

“Tangled with friendship, history and heartbreak–not to mention a huge dose of humor–Chelsea Fine’s New Adult novel is not to be missed! Beyond an incredibly HOT read, Pixie and Levi’s longing for each other will have you rooting for them till the very end.” — JAY CROWNOVER, New York Times bestselling author of Rule

“This book destroyed me. Tore me into little tiny pieces. But somehow with lots of laughs and some very steamy times, Chelsea put me back together again! Chelsea Fine’s style is witty, visceral and fresh. All I wanted to do was crawl inside this book and live with the characters. And now all I want is MORE.” — CHELSEA M. CAMERON, New York Times bestselling author of My Favorite Mistake

“Sandwiched between laugh out loud moments and some serious heat, Best Kind of Broken is an unforgettable story of loss and forgiveness that will leave your heart aching.” — LISA DESROCHERS, USA Today bestselling author of A Little Too Far

“Best Kind of Broken… is a masterpiece full of raw emotion, snarky retorts, and steamy tension that will leave readers in love with both Pixie and Levi, and wanting much more.” — A BOOK VACATION REVIEWS

EXCERPT:

Levi is so distracting. His arms are all raised, and his shoulders are all broad, and he’s fixing crap, and it’s just…it’s just…annoying.

With a huff and a puff and some choice words in my head, I grab my sliced bell peppers and force my feet to the stove. I throw the vegetables into a frying pan, grab a wooden spoon, and ignore Levi’s close proximity.

My body hums.

I ignore that too.

I steal a glance in his direction and watch as the corded muscles in his forearm flex as he unscrews something on the fire alarm box. Why does he have so many muscles in his forearm? That can’t be healthy.

I drop my eyes to the frying pan and focus on bell peppers, because bell peppers are interesting and they don’t have backs the size of Alaska or copious amounts of forearm muscles.

The forearm muscles that I’m not thinking about lightly brush my shoulder and the humming inside my body knots together and zips around like a bumblebee on crack.

I casually turn down the heat on the stove, like that’s the reason I’m suddenly a human vibrator, and go back to stirring. Levi goes back to screwing.

Bell peppers.

I’m thinking about bell peppers.

He brushes against me again, except this time his forearm grazes my breast and my body immediately goes wild like I’m some love-starved teenager and the humming dives low in my belly and the stove gets hotter and my breaths get shallow and suddenly bell peppers are the sexiest vegetable on earth.

From the corner of my eye, I catch his Adam’s apple bobbing with a nervous swallow, which can only mean one thing. The boob brush was an accident.

Well crap.

If he had been trying to cop a feel with his Hulkish forearm, I could have responded with some kind of snarky “you’re a pervert” comment. But it wasn’t on purpose and somehow that makes it sexier and now the cracked-out bumblebee is buzzing in my nether regions and my hands are starting to tingle and why the HELL is this stove so hot?

I turn the burner down another notch and take a slow, deep breath. I have a boyfriend. A great boyfriend. So this sexual frustration I feel around Levi is nothing to get my bee-loving panties in a bunch about. I just need to calm down.

Levi lowers his arm for a moment, his eyes still on the alarm, and stretches his neck.

Ah, the neck stretch. The universal sign of stress. Well at least I’m not alone in my frustration. My hot, distracting, pants-are-so-inconvenient frustration.

Wait, what?

Who said anything about pants? I am NOT thinking about pants—or lack thereof. Damn you, bell peppers!

I toss the wooden spoon to the side and move back to the counter where the threat of being turned on by a handyman or, you know, a sautéed vegetable is much less severe.

I bite back a groan. What was I thinking, living under the same roof as Levi? There’s no way I’ll survive the summer.

Hell, I can barely survive breakfast.

BUY it for less than $5!

Amazon

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Read my 5 Star Review

AND you can PRE-ORDER books two and three now, too!!

Perfect Kind of Trouble: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

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.

Website:www.chelseafinebooks.com

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ChelseaFineBooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChelseaFine

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ChelseaFineBooks

Instagram: http://instagram.com/chelseafinebooks

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{March 3, 2014} {ARC Review} Dangerous by Shannon Hale

From Goodreads: Maisie Danger Brown just wanted to get away from home for a bit, see something new. She never intended to fall in love. And she never imagined stumbling into a frightening plot that kills her friends and just might kill her, too. A plot that is already changing life on Earth as we know it. There’s no going back. She is the only thing standing between danger and annihilation.

From NY Times bestselling author Shannon Hale comes a novel that asks, How far would you go to save the ones you love? And how far would you go to save everyone else?

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This is a very fast read, but the plot itself moves much too quickly, in my opinion. We meet the main character, Maisie, and almost immediately, she’s whisked off to astronaut camp, meets a boy, they make out, he dumps her, they get injected with alien DNA on “accident”… and on and on it goes, with little to no character or plot building to ease the reader through it all. And because of this, I personally found all five main characters to be bratty and stuck up; I didn’t care for any of them because I never had time to get to know them—the novel moved so quickly that we were off on the next adventure/mishap before I had time to wrap my head around the last. And since there was no real time to make any connections with the “fireteam,” as they so aptly name themselves, it was doubly hard for me to get into the novel. So while the premise was interesting enough, as were the effects the alien substances had on the five, it just moved too quickly to be enjoyable or hold my interest.

Truthfully, I didn’t find much of the novel plausible, and with so much happening and the characters constantly speaking in a “scientific manner,” I had a hard time following some of their conversations–like those about the changes their bodies were going through, or how Maisie was able to take apart and rebuild things so easily.

Now, the novel did get a little better as it unfolded, but even so, it was still choppy in its execution and just didn’t hold my interest due to its lack of plot development. Unfortunately, this novel just wasn’t for me. Two stars.

Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release tomorrow, March 4, 2014, in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble

{March 2, 2014} {ARC Review} Donna of the Dead by Alison Kemper

From Goodreads: Donna Pierce might hear voices, but that doesn’t mean she’s crazy. Probably.

The voices do serve their purpose, though—whenever Donna hears them, she knows she’s in danger. So when they start yelling at the top of their proverbial lungs, it’s no surprise she and her best friend, Deke, end up narrowly escaping a zombie horde. Alone without their families, they take refuge at their high school with the super-helpful nerds, the bossy class president, and—best of all?—Liam, hottie extraordinaire and Donna’s long-time crush. When Liam is around, it’s easy to forget about the moaning zombies, her dad’s plight to reach them, and how weird Deke is suddenly acting toward her.

But as the teens’ numbers dwindle and their escape plans fall apart, Donna has to listen to the secrets those voices in her head have been hiding. It seems not all the zombies are shuffling idiots, and the half-undead aren’t really down with kids like Donna…

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Donna of the Dead is a fast-paced, humorous, and intricate zombie novel for lovers of all things zombie. I love that Donna hears voices, and while they aren’t always specific about what she needs to do, they are definitely the voice of reason, and I just love her inner-monologue. Donna states at one point, “Hollow-eyed zombies trail behind me like I’m the pied piper of the undead,” a statement and situation that made me snicker as I imagined it, as did much of Kemper’s entire novel as she sets the stage for zombie world domination.

Beginning on a cruise ship, a setting that is sure to capture readers’ attention, as it did mine—can you imagine a zombie outbreak on a ship? Oh my—Kemper moves her stage to an abandoned high school and its band of misfits as they attempt to ward off the strange zombie horde… and try to figure out just what, exactly, they really are. I have to admit that I was not anticipating the reveal that Kemper unleashes on readers, but that’s part of it’s allure—I was always guessing what would happen next because this novel really isn’t your typical zombie apocalypse. It’s a fun ride that begins much like many stories that come before it, but ends on a completely different note—and I highly suggest you pick it up if you’re in the mood for something entertaining and different. Four stars.

In exchange for an honest review, Entangled Publishing has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on March 4.

Kindle | Nook

Pre-Order today! You don’t want to miss this one!!

{March 2, 2014} {ARC Review} Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine (Finding Fates #1)

From Goodreads: Pixie and Levi haven’t spoken in nearly a year when they find themselves working―and living―at the same inn in the middle of nowhere. Once upon a time, they were childhood friends. But that was before everything went to hell. And now things are… awkward.

All they want to do is avoid each other, and their past, for as long as possible. But now that they’re forced to share a bathroom, and therefore a shower, keeping their distance from one another becomes less difficult than keeping their hands off each other. Welcome to the hallway of awkward tension and sexual frustration, folks. Get comfy. It’s going to be a long summer.

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Chelsea Fine has written many amazing YA novels, and I’ve read and loved Every. Single. One. Now, Fine is stepping into the world of New Adult with her debut novel and upcoming release, Best Kind of Broken, that’s about to his shelves, and of course, it is just as amazing as her YA work, if not better. Having read this amazing novel in one sitting, I can’t help but state that it is a masterpiece full of raw emotion, snarky retorts, and steamy tension that will leave readers in love with both Pixie and Levi, and wanting much more.

Readers instantly fall in love with Pixie’s spunk from the get go; her fiery attitude and indignation at having to live and work at the inn with dreamy Levi instantly brought a smile to my face, and the tension between the two is definitely palpable. Levi and Pixie are two amazing characters, full of gumption, yet bogged down with feelings of guilt. Each is struggling to come back from a heartbreaking experience that has sent them on a downward spiral, unable to find peace or joy in the simple things of life and leaving them incapable of civilly interacting with one another. For much of the first half of the novel, the reader is kept in the dark concerning the rift that now plagues Levi and Pixie as they attempt to live and skirt around one another, though it becomes apparent early on that they used to be the best of friends. As the novel unfolds, though, readers slowly begin to piece together the circumstances of their relations, both past and present, and it is indeed one of heartbreak, yet it’s so beautifully crafted. I absolutely adored the first person narration that altered between both Levi and Pixie, giving me a window to their souls as the truth comes out.

This is ultimately a story of healing–from the ashes of their past comes a new dawn, and as Pixie and Levi continuously fight, if only to push the sadness from their minds, Chelsea brings this intense, sassy, and emotional novel to the perfect, albeit emotional, end. Reader beware, however, that Best Kind of Broken does leave readers emotionally raw, and a box of tissues is definitely a recommendation, especially as the conclusion comes in sight.

I highly recommend this beautiful novel for mature 18+ readers due to two graphic sexual scenes. Five stars.

In exchange for an honest review, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on March 4, 2014.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Pre-order this gem NOW for less than $5!!!

AND you can PRE-ORDER books two and three now, too!!

Perfect Kind of Trouble: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Right Kind of Wrong: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

{March 1, 2014} The 99 Cent Club–Feature 86–Ten Books for Ten Bucks

Every Saturday I run a feature for the 99 Cent Club, and below are the eBook picks for this week that caught my eye and are currently ONLY 99 Cents on Amazon, with a few on Barnes and Noble. I don’t know if these are permanent prices, so please don’t shoot the messenger, and double check pricing before pressing the buy button. Enjoy! (If you could help give these authors some love by spreading the word, that would be epic.)

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Fragile Creatures by Kristina Circelli

Seventeen-year-old Evangeline Frost had a great life, until the car accident that killed her father and turned her mother into a bitter alcoholic. Unable to bear the guilt, Evangeline attempts to take her own life, saved only by the memory of her beloved father.

Left with no other options, Evangeline is enrolled in a program for troubled teens at Kindred Hides Wildlife Preserve. There she meets Caster, a keeper as annoying as he is caring; Jett and Lettie, who treat her more like a daughter than troubled teen; and Ruke, a prized giraffe in mourning for his lost mate.

Immersed in the preserve with her new friends, Evangeline finally begins to heal. But the haunting memories of the accident and her mother’s unforgiving words threaten to destroy her progress. Only her new friends and their unconditional support, along with her own special connection with Ruke, can save her.

Evangeline must learn that there is redemption for her father’s death, and that the bonds between human, animal, and life are not as fragile as she once thought.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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The Arotas Trilogy Box Set by Amy Miles (3 full novels, 700+ pages)

Follow Roseline in this 3 book box set as she battles against the bonds of a forbidden love in Forbidden, experience her journey to save her soul mate in Reckoning and battle to protect humanity in Redemption. Forbidden:
Roseline Enescue didn’t ask to become an immortal, to have all of the guests at her wedding slaughtered, or be forced into marriage with a man whose lust for blood would one day ignite the vampire legend.

Willing to risk everything for a chance at a normal life, Roseline escapes to America, but her transition into the human world isn’t easy. Mortal men flock after her while cutthroat girls plot her demise. Yet she remains relatively unfazed until she meets Gabriel Marston. As their lives entwine, Roseline realizes he is more than he seems. His ability to grind concrete into dust pales in comparison to the glowing cross tattoo that mysteriously appears on his forearms.

Despite the forbidden bond between them, Roseline can’t help wondering what Gabriel is. He’s not human. He’s not immortal. So just what is he?

Reckoning:
Gabriel is gone.

Roseline is left with questions that refuse answers and only the memory of a man she vows to hunt and kill, but to do so, she must call a truce with her sworn enemy.

Together, Roseline and Nicolae track Fane to the underbelly of London, in search of Gabriel’s kidnappers, but when Malachi- an Immortal with mystifying origin- presents himself as their guide, Roseline discovers she is not the only one looking for Gabriel.

Buried within the secret chambers of the infamous Hellfire Club, Roseline discovers a grim truth: Gabriel isn’t just a pawn being used by the Arotas prophecy, and those who seek to control its power. He is Arotas.

Everything Roseline has ever known about her brethren is about to change. Emotions flare, friendships sever and the newly formed bonds between enemies are tested as she delves into realms hardly conceived. They are trapped in the midst of a battle that has been waging since the beginning of time.

The prophecy binds them all together. But will they break before the end?

Redemption:
Roseline Enescue has always been a warrior, the fiercest of her kind, but when she is stripped of her strength and left teetering on the edge of insanity, she is forced to rely on the one person she trusts the least.

As Fane and Nicolae fight to save Sadie’s life, they find themselves pulled into a tremulous truce between hunter and immortal when a string of gruesome murders break out.

The lines have been drawn and the battle preparations have begun, but only Gabriel can save them all…if he can survive the final two tasks.

The first battle may be over, but the war has only just begun. Redemption is coming…

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Shadows by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane.

Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable.

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in.

Captivated. Lured. Loved.

Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence…and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.

Find it on Amazon.

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Unscathed by Tim O’Rourke and J.C. Pinard

Mina Porter’s mother sent her away because of a terrible secret. When Mina meets tattooed bad boy Jax McElvoy, she’s immediately drawn to him, but not for the reasons he might think.

Jax falls for Mina too, but quickly figures out she’s hiding something. He’s determined to break down her walls and find out her secret. But Jax soon realizes he should have just let hidden secrets stay buried, because this one will cost him his dearly.

Unscathed is a contemporary romance with a deadly twist by bestselling author Tim O’Rourke and author C.J. Pinard.

Find it on Amazon.

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First Rapture by Alexandra Ivy

FROM NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER the first book in a new erotic series.

FIRST RAPTURE by Alexandra Ivy

Madison Philips has only one reason to return to Las Vegas: Luc Angeli. The tall, dark bad boy took her virginity on her eighteenth birthday and then walked away, now she’s back, and ready for revenge.

Luc Angeli spent his youth trying to earn the approval of his philandering father. Now he’s his own man, but there’s still something missing from his life. He doesn’t know what it is until he catches sight of Madison across a balcony. Suddenly he knows this woman is what he’s been searching for, and this time he’s not walking away.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Fall: A Seaside Novel by Rachael Van Dyken

If you look up British in the dictionary…A-list celebrity Jamie Jaymeson’s name would be next to it. Along with charming, witty, man-whore, and a lot of other adjectives that he wouldn’t appreciate being attached to his name. He has everything in the world going for him. Until fate decides his number’s finally up.

Caught in a compromising position that really wasn’t his fault to begin with (really it wasn’t)—Jaymeson’s been told by his agent to lay low in the one town he swore he’d never return to—the seventh circle of hell, known by its residents as Seaside, Oregon. Two months? He can do anything for two months. Especially if it means getting a part in the new book-to-movie series that has girls all over the world swooning. Play nice? Keep it in his pants? Please. He played an alien once—he was going to totally rock it.

Until a certain someone who he may or may not have publicly humiliated—rejected, then humiliated again, suddenly pops up next door.
Self control has a way of flying out the window when the one girl you can’t have—is suddenly dangled right in front of you.
But Priscilla isn’t just off limits—she’s a pastor’s daughter and barely legal to boot. So Jaymeson does the one thing he swore he’d never do—he tries to be friends. With a woman.

Only, it’s exactly what he needs.
Until suddenly, he craves more.
He wants to date her.
She wants to date someone else.
He wants to kiss her.
She asks him to give her lessons for her new boyfriend.

When opposites attract, sometimes the only option you have is to leap—and trust the fact that when you fall—that special someone falls too.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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With You by Nashoda Rose

Sculpt is an illegal fighter.

He’s also the lead singer of a local rock band.

No one knows his real name.

And from the moment I met him, he made me forget mine.

In order to convince Sculpt to give me self-defense lessons, I had to follow his one rule—no complaining or he’d walk. I didn’t think it would be a problem. I could handle a few bruises. What I hadn’t anticipated was landing on my back with Sculpt on top of me and my entire body burning up for him.

I tried to ignore it.

I failed of course. And having a hot, tattooed badass on top of me week after week, acting completely immune to what he was doing to my body—it was frustrating as hell, so I broke his rule—I complained.

Then he kissed me.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Unwanted Stars by Melissa Brown

It’s funny how the tiniest of things can change your life… an invitation, a simple kiss goodnight, a matchbook…

Auden Kelly is in need of a change.

She’s trading in her nine-to-five sales job for the adventure of a lifetime: a one year contract with a European tour company.

For one full year, Auden will get paid to see the world. What could be better? Her brother gives her a journal, instructing her to document all of her adventures as she travels from country to country. And that’s exactly what she does.

When a mysterious stranger enters her life, however, everything changes: her expectations, her priorities and her view of the world. And nothing for Auden will ever be the same.

Find it on Amazon.

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The Two Worlds by Alisha Howard

“My name is Kathleena Ann McLaughlin, and I am one half of the Akearman Star legend. I am an Awakener, and a supposed savior of my new planet.”

When Kay falls asleep and wakes up on the magical planet Turgor, the last thing she expects is to be thrown into an ongoing war. She learns a few more surprises, too: she’s a powerful being called an Awakener and the only hope against fighting an ancient evil race. Now she must team up with her sister, friends and a sulky Death Walker in order to fulfill her destiny before it’s too late.

Find it on Amazon.

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First by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Levi POV Novella

Levi’s got it all. He’s a paranormal prince with more money and power than he knows what to do with, but something is missing—a mate. He only has until college graduation to find her.

Allie’s perfect but she wants nothing to do with him. When attraction becomes something more, will he take a chance and show her who he really is or will he lose everything?

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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If you could help give these authors some love by spreading the word, that would be epic.

For more information about books on sale throughout the week, as well as giveaway updates, be sure to like A Book Vacation’s Facebook Page.

{March 1, 2014} {Giveaway} Released Released Giveaway Goodness #34–March

It’s that time again! For no other reason than that I like giveaways… we’re onto the THIRTY-FOURTH Recently Released Giveaway Goodness Giveaway run by yours truly!

Many of these novels have recently released. I’ve included my reviews below to help you pick the novel you’d like to win!

Interested? Of course you are! I’m offering ONE lucky winner one of these novels:

This is an INTERNATIONAL giveaway from the book depository, but you need to make sure they send to your country before entering–check here.

Buzz by Anders de la Motte
Enders by Lissa Price
Silent Echo by J.R. Rain
Secret by Brigid Kemmererer
Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott
These Broken Stars by Amie Kauffman and Meagan Spooner
Fugitive by Greg Rosenblaum
The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

To enter you must:

-Be 13 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)

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

Click here to go to the Rafflecopter entry form!

This contest is open internationally and will end at 12:01am EST on April 1st. The winner will be announced April 1st, and will receive email notification! Please read my giveaway policy and leave me a comment!

______________________________________________________________________

And, check out the other giveaways running on the blog:

My Recently Released Giveaway Goodness #33–February–has just concluded, and I’m excited to say that the winner has been chosen via Rafflecopter.

And the winner is…

Kathlyn Lau

Book of Choice:

Waterfell by Amalie Howard

A tweet has already gone out to the winner, and an email will go out later this evening! If I don’t hear from the winner within 48 hours, I will select a new winner using Rafflecopter.

Thanks to everyone who participated, and congratulations to the winner… but don’t despair if you didn’t win this round!

Amy Miles’ final installment in the Arotas Series has just released, and it’s on sale for 99 cents!!! Scoop it up stat!

I pledge my heart, my life, my soul to you on this day and all the days to come. My life, bonded to yours, if you will have me. ~ Gabriel, Redemption

Follow Roseline and Gabriel as they are reunited after death, enjoy Sadie and Nicolae’s fiery romance, experience William’s growing feelings of uselessness and discover what happens when there is no one left to control the forces of darkness.

With a single vow everything changed. A prophecy yet to be fulfilled. A new legacy to last the ages.

EVERMORE, an Arotas novella. The final installment.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble | iBooks

Haven’t read books 1-3? No worries, right now the box set of all three is on sale for just 99 cents as well!

That’s right–THREE BOOKS, 700+ page, for JUST 99 little cents. Scoop it up stat–this AMAZING sale won’t last long!!!

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Smashwords

About the Author:

Amy Miles is a wife and mother before anything else. Reading is her passion, writing is her obsession. When she’s not writing, Amy can be found traveling, cuddled up with a good book or beating her husband at Scrabble. She’s a carbaholic and is hopelessly addicted to Dr. Pepper.

Amy is Amazon’s contemporary fantasy Best Selling Author of Forbidden, Reckoning, and Redemption. She’s also the author of dystopian romance, Defiance Rising and NA contemporary romance, Captivate.

Connect with Amy Miles:

Newsletter sign up: http://bit.ly/1jkG1Hn

Email: Amy@AmyMilesBooks.com

Twitter: @AmyMilesBooks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AmyMiles.Author

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/amy-miles/30/506/856

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Amy-Miles/e/B005G37E9Q/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6779847-amy-miles

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Enter to win a CUSTOM Deviation necklace!!

Rafflecopter Link

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Guess what?! Today I have FOUR separate giveaways for you!!! You can win an ebook of Whispers and Wishes by Hollie Westring, a paperback of Easy by Tammara Webber, a signed paperback of The Darkest Joy by Marata Eros, or a signed paperback set of The Dowser Series by Meghan Ciana Doidge!!!

Win a paperback of Easy by Tammara Webber!

Synopsis:

Rescued by a stranger. Haunted by a secret Sometimes, love isn’t easy…

He watched her, but never knew her. Until thanks to a chance encounter, he became her savior…

The attraction between them was undeniable. Yet the past he’d worked so hard to overcome, and the future she’d put so much faith in, threatened to tear them apart.

Only together could they fight the pain and guilt, face the truth—and find the unexpected power of love.

A groundbreaking novel in the New Adult genre, Easy faces one girl’s struggle to regain the trust she’s lost, find the inner strength to fight back against an attacker, and accept the peace she finds in the arms of a secretive boy.

To enter this giveaway, you must:

-Be 13 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)

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

Click this Rafflecopter Link to Enter!

This giveaway is open to USA and Canadian entrants only and will end at 12:01am EST on April 8th. The winner will receive email notification! Please read my giveaway policy and leave me a comment!

Win a signed paperback of The Darkest Joy by Marata Eros

Synopsis:

A sexy and poignant new adult novel from New York Times bestseller Marata Eros, about two lost souls who find each other in the wake of tragedy, only to learn that love may not be enough to heal the wounds of a dark and tortured past…

To enter this giveaway, you must:

-Be 13 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)

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

Click this Rafflecopter Link to Enter!

This giveaway is open to USA and Canadian entrants only and will end at 12:01am EST on April 8th. The winner will receive email notification! Please read my giveaway policy and leave me a comment!

Win a signed paperback set of The Dowser Series by Meghan Ciana Doidge

Cupcakes Synopsis:

If you’d asked me a week ago, I would have told you that the best cupcakes were dark chocolate with chocolate cream cheese icing, that dancing in a crowd of magic wielders — the Adept — was better than sex, and that my life was peaceful and uneventful. Just the way I liked it.

That’s what twenty-three years in the magical backwater of Vancouver will get you — a completely skewed sense of reality. Because when the dead werewolves started showing up, it all unraveled … except for the cupcake part. That’s a universal truth.

Trinkets Synopsis:

Even chocolate can’t save the day every time … just most of the time. At least I’ve got that going for me.

To enter this giveaway, you must:

-Be 13 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)

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

Click this Rafflecopter Link to Enter!

This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY and ends on April 8th. The winner will receive email notification! Please read my giveaway policy and leave me a comment!

Win an ebook of Whispers and Wishes by Hollie Westring! This is a flash giveaway and ends tomorrow, March 9 at 9pm!

Synopsis:

Eliza Monroe has been traveling the United States for three years, immersing herself in the towns she visits as she searches for the mother she’s never known. She hopes returning to her grandmother’s inn in Sage Springs, Mo., will provide the break she needs to evaluate her lonely life.

Friendships grow, webs are spun and lies are revealed before Eliza comes to terms with what she wants in life and learns what’s really important.

To enter this giveaway, you must:

-Be 13 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)

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

Click this Rafflecopter Link to Enter!

This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY to Kindle users and will end at 9pm EST on March 9th. The winner will receive email notification! Please read my giveaway policy and leave me a comment!

Just want to buy the book so you can enter to win that giftcard? Go ahead; it’s only $2.99! Grab it on Amazon.

GOOD LUCK!

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Black Hill Farm by Tim O’Rourke

Find it on Amazon.

Donna of the Dead by Alison Kemper

Rescued by a stranger.
Haunted by a secret
Sometimes, love isn’t easy…

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