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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Book Blitz! All In by Marta Brown





Genre: Young Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: May 28, 2013
Publisher: Self

The Blurb:
On the picturesque island of Martha's Vineyard, there are two kinds of residents. Locals and Stays.

Local boy, Lane McCarthy, plans on spending his summer working at the country club to save money for college in the fall, while summer stay, Ashley Whitmore, and her elite group of friends are only there to play.

As the summer heat goes up on the island, so does the ante, when both Lane and Ashley must decide what they’re willing to wager in order to follow their dreams… and their hearts.

With stakes as high as the surf, and hopes as high as the midday sun, will they risk everything and go all in?


The Excerpt:
Ashley
“Good afternoon and welcome to the Field House Grille. May I start you two off with drinks or an appetizer today?” The waiter’s voice startles me out of my conspiracy theories, and I resume perusing my menu.
“Yes, I’ll have a long island ice tea and a white wine spritzer for the lady.” Gregory orders with confidence. He’s only a year shy of the legal drinking age so he may pass as old enough to get served, but it’s obvious I’m not old enough to drink yet. “And then we’ll have an order of the calamari to start and for our entrees she’ll have the sea bass, and I’ll have the filet.” He shuts his menu and hands it back to the waiter with bravado.
“I’ll actually have a bottle of San Pellegrino please,” I say, staring at my menu, trying to avoid the embarrassment of being carded and then denied, or worse, my parents finding out I tried to order an alcoholic drink, at the club no less. “And what salad would you recommend?” I start to ask, but the words get caught in my throat when I finally look up and see the waiter.
Whoa.
He. Is. Gorgeous.
“Well…our house mixed salad is very popular. It’s locally grown organic and is fresh picked daily. It comes with a light raspberry vinaigrette dressing that can be tossed on or left on the side,” he says, holding my gaze.
“Oh. Yes. That sounds… yummy.” The words come out all breathy, and I’m immediately humiliated at the way I must have sounded.
Yummy. Breathy. Seriously, Ashley?
“Then on the side, miss?” the waiter asks, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“Yes, thank you,” I say, feeling my face flush with warmth.
Apparently Gregory Chase isn’t the only boy in town who can make a girl blush, and by the daggers Gregory’s shooting the poor guy with his eyes, he knows it too.
Gregory clears his throat and pulls the attention of the waiter back on him. “Fine. We’ll have one house salad with dressing on the side and an order of calamari to start.” Then with a dismissive flick of his hand, “Now, go fetch our drinks.”
Go fetch our drinks? Is he serious? How can he think it’s okay to speak to someone that way? But before I can say anything the cute waiter lets out an amused laugh that surprises me.
“I’m sorry sir, but I’m gonna have to see an ID first.” The waiter looks not at all sorry to ask, which makes me have to hide a smile.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Gregory starts. “I left it in the men’s locker room,” he explains, but his confidence is shaken. No one ever challenges Gregory.
“I’m sorry sir, but without a valid ID I’m not gonna be able to serve you, but I’ll be happy to wait here while you go and get it.” The waiter gives Greg a fake smile and then me a real one. He clearly is enjoying himself.
It’s evident Greg’s not going to get his way, so he finally concedes, but without an ounce of grace. “How about you take your eyes off my date, and go do your job.” He levels the waiter with his eyes. “And just bring me a damn coke while you’re at it.”
“Will do, sir,” the waiter says with artificial politeness, giving Gregory an almost imperceptible bow before turning around and leaving.
This time, I’m the one who gets caught watching one of the waitstaff walk away.

Lane
“Dude, I just busted some richie-rich for trying to order drinks underage, and he had the nerve to yell at me for looking at his date. Too bad for him, she was looking right back,” I say with a cocky laugh before giving Mario a high five. “Man, it’s the jerks like that, that always get everything in life—the money, the power, the girl. Probably has some big fat trust fund to pay for college too.”
“Sorry, man, but try not to let him get under your skin, amigo.”
I know Mario’s right, I should just let it go, but I’m sick and tired of Stays treating us locals like we’re nothing. And who the hell tells someone to ‘go fetch’? What am I? A dog? What an ass.
I drum my fingers against the metal counter at the pass until Mario rings the service bell with a grin and hands me their starters.
“Here, orders up and good luck.”
I give him a nod then try to shove my jealousy and anger down when I enter the dining room again, but I feel it hovering right on the surface. I take a deep breath before setting the calamari in the center of the table and the salad in front of the girl.
“Is there anything else I can get you right now?” I ask, and it’s hard to keep my eyes off of her long dark hair, her light green eyes and her legs that go on for miles. Maybe that douche had a point.
“No, I’m fine. Thank you,” she says politely, and I wonder why she’s on a date with such an ass-hat. Either way, girls like her don’t date boys like me. Unless they’re trying to piss off their parents, which is fine by me, but she doesn’t look like the rebellious type.
I turn to face him, lifting my eyebrows. “And you?” I ask because it’s my job.
“Yes, there is something you can do for me, how about you explain why my silverware is off of the floor.” He holds up his dinner fork, but I don’t understand what he’s talking about. Off the floor?
“Excuse me?” I reach for the fork to examine it. I personally set this table less than an hour ago, and the silverware hadn’t touched the ground. Why would it? But right before I’m able to take the fork from him for a closer look he opens his thumb and pointer finger letting the fork fall to the hardwood floor with a loud ping that echoes through the dining room.
“See.” He looks me right in the eyes, a smirk plastered across his smug face, challenging me.
You have got to be kidding me. This guy picked the wrong day.
I calmly pick the fork up off the ground, bring it to my mouth and spit on the tongs before lifting my apron and polishing it until it’s dry and shining. So much for not letting him get under my skin.
“My apologies, sir.” I place the fork back on the table in front of him like I’d accidentally brought out the wrong appetizer instead of spitting all over the dude’s silverware. “If there’s anything else I can do for you please let me know, otherwise your entrees will be out shortly.”
I watch his eyes go wide with shock before walking away looking cool, calm, and collected, even though on the inside I’m totally freaking out. This is not going to end well.
author
About the Author:
Marta Brown grew up in the Pacific Northwest and was a teenager when Doc Martens, Pearl Jam and flannel were the norm and Dylan loved Kelly forever (Beverly Hills, 90210 shout out).

She still lives just outside Seattle, now with her husband and cat, and loves the rain.

When she’s not writing about cute boys, first kisses and the magic and wonder of being seventeen, she’s watching The CW. And she sleeps in. Late.

To learn more about Marta Brown and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Tumblr, and Twitter.

The Giveaway!
Enter for a chance to win one signed copy of All In (open US only) and 10 e-books copies of All In (open internationally)
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal! I Am Forever by Wynne Channing





Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)
Expected Publishing Date: Winter 2013
Publisher: Jet & Jack Press

The Blurb:
Introducing I Am Forever, the highly-anticipated sequel to Wynne Channing's best-selling debut novel What Kills Me. Check out the teaser synopsis for the second book in the series which is due out in Winter 2013:
The prophecy said a girl would kill them all. Against an army of vampires, Axelia fought back and survived. Once fated as the destroyer of the vampire race, she is now welcomed into the immortal empire and revered as a god. But she is not safe. The empire is rife with danger and deceit — and Axelia and her companion, Lucas, are caught in the middle of a bloody war. With everyone's lives at stake, Axelia must battle to protect those she loves. Sign up to be notified of it's release and for early excerpts, here!
About the Author
Wynne Channing is an award-winning national newspaper reporter and young adult novelist. She loves telling stories and as a journalist, she has interviewed everyone from Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Jackman to the president of the Maldives and Duchess Sarah Ferguson. The closest she has come to interviewing a vampire is sitting down with True Blood's Alexander Skarsgard (he didn’t bite). She briefly considered calling her debut novel "Well" so then everyone would say: "Well written by Wynne Channing." Check out my interview with Wynne Channing!

To learn more about Wynne Channing and her books, visit her website, blog, and Goodread's page. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Buy What Kills Me
Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo

What Kills Me is 99 Cents on Amazon!!!

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Get Caught in UNDERTOW and #WIN! Plus Check Out My Undertow Review!




Genre: New Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Publication Date: July 18, 2013
Publisher: Self

The Blurb:
"An incredibly powerful sequel to Dragonfly. I found myself riveted to the last page by the dept of feeling, loss, tragedy, and love in this gorgeously woven story. This is a definite must-read." --Jolene Perry, author of Out of Play

Falling in love will pull you under...

Bill Kyser has a plan to take the sandy farms of his hometown and turn them into a world-class tourist destination--and become a billionaire in the process.
Alexandra "Lexy" LaSalle has a plan to change her life by becoming a world-famous artist.
Meg Weaver has a plan to hold onto Bill no matter what she has to do.

Three friends, three dreams.
One fatal decision will change all their lives forever.

In Dragonfly, Bill Kyser gave Anna the three journals that held the story behind the powerful developer's seclusion and the damaged lives of his family members.

Anna hoped to find a way for Julian to know the truth, but as she digs deeper into the tragic events of the past, she realizes silence could be the only option.

Now she's in an alliance with the man she formerly feared. And if Julian finds out what she knows, she could lose for good the boy she's starting to love.


My Review:
Undertow is the second book in the Dragonfly Series by Leigh T. Moore. You definitely need to read Dragonfly before reading Undertow. There is so much story in the details of this series that you'll really need to start from the beginning to get the full picture. Check out my review of Dragonfly.  I was worried when I found out this was going to be more about the parents and less about Anna and Julian, but it only opened up this world further to me. We don't get to see too much of Julian and Anna in this book (I missed them), but we need this tragic background information to go forward. Anna learns so much sensitive, new information from the journals Bill gave her... Whew! I definitely wouldn't want to be in her shoes. Things are about to get very tough for her in the coming books. In Undertow, you're given  the point of views of Meg, Bill, and Alex through their journals from just before Bill and Meg's wedding forward. This is all about their background story and why they behave the way they do in the present. I love that you basically have two plot lines going on within this series, which is no easy feat to pull off without confusing the reader, but Leigh T. Moore does it flawlessly!

Undertow by Leigh T. Moore was provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.

Early Readers are saying...

"An incredibly powerful sequel to Dragonfly. I found myself riveted to the last page by the depth of feeling, loss, tragedy, and love in this gorgeously woven story. A definite must-read." --Jolene Perry, author of Out of Play

"As far as a second book for a series goes, Undertow knocked it out of the park." --Jessica, Bend in the Binding reviews

"My God I am so emotional! I have to give a huge KUDOS to Leigh because she knows how to write a story like no one's business!" --Tee, Diary of a Book Addict reviews

"Undertow pulled me under and left me gasping for air and wanting so much more. I couldn’t stop thinking about these characters, and now I’ll never be able to get a shirtless Bill Kyser out of my head." --Magan Vernon, bestselling author of The Only Exception

"Amazing! The characters are lovely, but they're also flawed--that sort of 'realness' and honesty breathes life into them and is truly refreshing to come across as a reader. A fantastic story with a unique execution." ---Kristin, Goodreads reviewer

Teasers: I love the teasers for this book, so if you haven't seen them yet. Here they are! (click to see full size)






Check out my reviews of other books by this fantastic author!


authorAbout the Author:
I'm the hat lady--wife, mom, reader, writer, caffeine addict, chocoholic, southern expat, and beach bum.

To learn more about  Leigh Talbert Moore check out my interview with her. You can also visit her at her BlogFacebook and Twitter.

Check out my reviews of DragonflyThe Truth About FakingThe Truth About Letting Go, and  Rogue, book one in a new series by Leigh Talbert Moore!


The Giveaway!
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Monday, July 29, 2013

Book Blitz & Giveaway!! Now or Never by A.J. Bennett




Genre: New Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published:  June 19, 2013
Publisher: Self

The Blurb:
Twenty-one year old Grayson Alexander finally breaks away from an abusive relationship and finds herself free for the first time in three years.

Determined to enjoy her new-found freedom, Grayson is intent on sticking with ‘no strings attached’ relationships—one-night stands, and steamy sex.

But she didn’t plan on Derrick.

Her attraction to the sexy man in uniform quickly turns into an unhealthy relationship. They both try to resist the pull, but neither can stay away.

When tragedy strikes, Grayson realizes it’s now or never—walk away or make it work.

The Excerpt:
Why was she acting like an idiot? He was just a guy; he probably didn’t even give her another
thought after their brief eye gaze exchange.
     Once she got her drink, she made her way to the cream and sugar stand to grab a napkin and hightail it out of there. Grayson turned to leave and slammed into a solid wall of muscle.
     Shit.
     Coffee spilled on her hand and down the front of his black T-shirt. As she held the remains of her coffee out of harms way, her chest pressed firmly against his. Horrified, she lifted her gaze.
      He cupped her elbows with both hands and steadied her, his startling green eyes ringed with gold swept over her. Then he reached around her, grabbed a napkin, and wiped the hot coffee off her hand. She caught herself giving him the once over while she had his gaze elsewhere; he was so hot, his dark red hair was so fitting to his rugged facial features. 
     “You alright?”
     Grayson mumbled something that didn’t sound like English. Her breath caught at her throat as she took in his powerful frame: his legs were slightly parted and his faded jeans clung to his muscular thighs. His T-shirt was stretched over his broad shoulders. 
     He smiled instantly softening his hard face. “Why don’t you come and sit down with me?”
     “Um, what?”
     He tilted his head towards his seat, “The cafe is full. You can share my table.”
     Good grief. 
     All she did was make eye contact with the guy, and now he thought that gave him the right to invite her to sit down? She’d clearly been in a relationship way too long, because she had no idea how to react to his question. A part of her was curious about this man who made her heart rate speed up with just a glance, but a much bigger part of her wanted to turn and run. She just got out of one relationship; she wasn’t about to start another the moment she drove into town. Besides, she’d always heard two redheads were a disaster waiting to happen. 
     No thanks, she thought, I have had enough disaster in my life for at least five more years. 
     Although, her mother claims she’s only half redhead, the other half light blonde. So maybe it would only be half a disaster? 
     Snap out of it Grayson, she thought, trying to get her shit together and not look like a blabbering idiot.
     “I can’t. I have to meet my family. But thanks for the offer.” Grayson tried to step by him, but he widened his stance and blocked her. 
     “Can I at least give you my number?”
     Oh my God, Grayson thought, this guy was persistent. He was hot as hell, but come on. 
     “Do you hit on every girl who walks through the door?” Grayson asked with a little attitude in her voice; she couldn’t let another man gain the upper hand on her so fast.
     He laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and she wondered how old he was. “Not all of them.”

An Interview with A.J. Bennett 

Coffee or tea? 
I have to choose one? I love coffee in the morning and tea anytime during the day. 

 Morning or Night person?
Night owl. I do most of my writing at night. I also love to stay up late reading a good book. 

Favorite season?
Fall. I love sweaters. 

One thing you can’t live without?
My macbook air. It’s my lifeline. 

Favorite dessert? 
Ugh, this is a tough one. Cheesecake? Brownies? Cookies? Depends on the day I guess. 

Do you ever write in your PJ’s?
All the time. I love christmas pajama’s for some reason. It’s the middle of July and tonight I’m wearing snowman pajama’s. 

Do you believe in soul mates?
Yes! I believe there is someone out there for everyone. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes longer than we’d like to find them. 

Do you believe in magic?
Of course! Life is magic. 

Favorite bumper sticker?
I saw one the other day that made me laugh. It was 0.0 instead of the marathon distances. 

Love at first sight?
That’s a tough one. I do think there is an instant attraction but that’s more about sexual chemistry. The love part comes later. 

author
About the Author:
A.J. Bennett lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and bulldog. She’s addicted to coffee, popcorn and books. Becoming an author has been a lifelong dream, and she’s extremely excited about her debut novel Now or Never.



To learn more about A.J. Bennett and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

The Giveaway!!
One lucky winner will win  (1) ebook copy of Now or Never. Open internationally. Please fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter.
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Trailer Reveal, Excerpt, & Giveaway: Soul Taken by Katlyn Duncan






Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal/Fantasy Romance)
Date Published: June 4, 2013
Publisher: Carina UK

The Blurb:
Maggie is a Soul Collector. It’s her job to transport souls from the Living Realm to the After – but during a mission to find a stolen soul, she ends up stuck in a teen mean girl’s body.

Trapped, Maggie’s soul is catapulted into Ally’s life – and the human world she hasn’t experienced for one hundred years. But, as a descendant of the most powerful beings in the After, Maggie must rescue Ally before the girl’s soul dies…

To survive, Maggie must uncover devastating secrets – because with one soul taken by a terrifying enemy, Maggie’s could be next!

The Excerpt:
A suffocating heat pressed all points of my soul. Even though I hadn’t breathed in a hundred years, I felt the need to inhale, yet I couldn’t. A fire burned in my chest. 
I attempted to open my eyes, to move one finger, a toe maybe, but the pressure immobilized my body. The burning sensation tore through me over and over until I had just about given up the fight.
But, just as quickly as the pressure came, it lifted, bringing a seemingly endless barrage of images. I was experiencing someone else’s memories, as if I took a back seat in her mind and watched her life flash before our eyes. I caught her image in a mirror, a small golden-haired girl. 
Ally? 
I tried to slow the images or possibly make sense of them but, just as I grabbed a hold on one of them, it slipped through my fingers and moved onto the next. I followed this girl through all the moments of her life as her memories flashed before my eyes. 
Darker emotions overlapped the girl’s happy memories. I saw a young red-haired girl in an old-fashioned dress; her demure eyes looked back at me. Jealousy flared through me. My heart squeezed, watching this girl who was not part of Ally’s memories. A rush of energy pumped through my body; the power touched every fiber of my soul. Then the vision dissolved and I was forced back to experiencing Ally. 
Was I dreaming? 
Souls didn’t dream. I told myself firmly. 
The visions started to slow and I was able to focus on one. 
I had to tell them, even though Dad said I couldn’t. But in a week I wouldn’t be the same girl. Or would I? I still wasn’t clear on everything. Becoming a Guard: it was my life’s mission, he had said. A life that was no longer my own. Would it be easier to let this life slip away? I would regret each day if I didn’t. Maybe I would start with Seth. Sweet Seth. He’d be crushed, but someone would take my place. Dad had said something about people—humans— was I not human? Humans were drawn to those like me. Maybe Seth only liked me because I was different, unexplainably different. 
I ripped the paper off the coffee sleeve. It was now or never.


The Book Trailer:


author
About the Author:
Katlyn Duncan was born and raised in a small town in western Massachusetts. Her overactive imagination involved invisible friends, wanting to be a Disney Princess and making up her own stories. Her bibliophile mom always encouraged her love of reading and that stayed with her since. Even though she works full time in the medical field Katlyn has always made time for books, whether she is reading or writing them.
Katlyn now lives in southern Connecticut with her husband and adorable Wheaten Terrier and she is thrilled to finally share her stories with the world.



To learn more about Katlyn Duncan and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

The Giveaway!!
The giveaway is for one Kindle eBook copy of SOUL TAKEN to anyone who can accept Kindle eBook gifts from the Amazon US store. It is a blast-wide giveaway via shared Rafflecopter. There will be ONE winner.

The only mandatory entry is to leave a comment. Extra entry opportunities to follow the author on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway, which can be done daily.
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Sunday, July 28, 2013

Guest Post: How Book Covers Are Created by Levi Stack





How Book Covers Are Created by Levi Stack
While skimming over book covers on shelves or scrolling through them online, have you ever wondered how these works of art are created? How illustrators collaborate authors? How artists reinvent the heart and life of a story – only in a different medium? I’m writing to give you an inside look at that unique process. I was lucky enough to work side-by-side with my illustrator, Owen William Weber, so you’ll get to see firsthand what went into the artwork of my award-winning novel, The Silent Deal.

Here’s a summary to give you a feel for the story:

When Viktor and Romulus, two peasant boys in the Russian Empire, dig too deep into their town’s strange past, they awaken the wrath of a mysterious overlord. On a quest for answers (and survival), the blood brothers navigate gambling parlors, Gyspy camps, and dark forests full of wild animals and men alike. But can they escape the deathly experiments their foe is creating in Staryi Castle?

So you get the idea – this is an Old World story, stuffed with thieves and beggars all the way to the fortune-tellers and fire-jugglers of the Romani Gypsies. This is important to recognize because it’s essential to match the time period of the story to the appearance of the cover. If I had written a flashy modern story, I might have a pop art style cover, but because I wrote historical fiction, I wanted an older medium, and an oil painting seemed like the perfect choice.

This is where Owen William Weber came in. He’s an excellent painter, and after viewing his gallery, I immediately wanted him to do the cover art. Because the book deals so much with gambling, I requested the book’s cover resemble a king of spades playing card, with Viktor and Romulus, the two main characters, displayed as the king figures. Owen read my descriptions of the characters, and came back with several potential designs.


We agreed the fourth design was the most balanced, so Owen did a more detailed sketch, including attributes of both the characters. Romulus keeps a wolf as a pet, and carries blades throughout the story. Viktor is the son of a miner, and has to dig for buried items in certain scenes, hence the shovel. Both boys experiment with explosive weapons, as their enemy has banned firearms in their town.


I loved the sketch, but we both agreed that because Viktor and Romulus are serfs, their clothing needed to be rougher and less detailed. They also needed to look a bit younger. Owen carried out one more sketch, and this time it was perfect, save for the fact that we favored Romulus’ face from the first sketch.


The last step was for Owen to actually complete the oil painting. We agreed that rich reds and greens would give the book an older feel, so he handled the color scheme, and finished the work. After the typography was carried out, the cover art was finalized.



I hope you enjoyed this inside look at how a book cover is created! If you want to read The Silent Deal, it’s available on Amazon. Or if you want to learn more about me, check out my website, www.levistack.com. Happy reading!

author
About the Author:
Levi Stack is a debut author who left the University of San Diego to pursue his dream of writing. He is now working to complete The Card Game series, a story set in the Russian Empire that reflects his fondness of plot twists, unlikely heroes, and complex villains.

His first young adult novel, The Silent Deal, won ‘Outstanding Fiction’ at the Southern California Writers Conference. The Magic Trick is in the works.

To learn more about Levi Stack and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, & Facebook.

 

Cover Reveal for The Wind Whisperer!




Genre: Young Adult
Date Published: October 2013
Publisher: Sweet River Romance
Cover Design by: Janice Duke

The Blurb:
At fifteen, Anaii is the most important member of her tribe—and the most mysterious. Ever since Anaii can remember, the spirits of the wind have whispered of fertile hunting grounds and imminent enemy attacks. But when her people are ambushed by a brother clan without any apparent cause, the spirits remain eerily silent.

As the village prepares to retaliate, Anaii is pressured by her best friend, Elan, to marry him. It’s an old plea—Elan has spent a lifetime loving her, but Anaii only sees a childhood playmate out of an imposing warrior. Stifled by Elan’s insistence, Anaii escapes into the forest where she meets Jayttin, the beautiful son of the enemy chief.

Enamored by Jayttin’s carefree spirit and hope for peace, she repeatedly sneaks away to be with him, but when her deception is discovered, Elan is devastated. Pledging his lifelong affection, Elan gives her a passionate kiss, and Anaii begins to see her friend in a new light.

While Anaii is tormented over which man she must choose, the wind whispers of a new threat that could destroy both tribes. Only a union will afford a chance at survival, but the reality of that union is based on one thing—which man Anaii chooses to die.


About the author:
Krista has been writing since she was nine-years-old when she scribbled out her first adolescent work entitled Merish, the completely illogical but heartfelt story of a girl who was part mermaid, part fish. As a young mother, Krista added to her repertoire some middle grade readers and picture books she’s wary of mentioning.

In 2004, Krista began an intensive four year period working part-time as a critical care nurse while homeschooling her four children. During this hectic time, courses of writing were taught and learned, and rules of syntax were scolded to memory. Ironically this period of study equipped Krista with the tools she needed to enter the next phase of her writing experience. Now equipped with the mysteries of the comma, Krista was ready to tackle a much bigger project—a full fledged novel.

After the kids were enrolled in public school in 2009, it occurred to Krista that there is an insatiable audience of women and girls who want to read books filled with stories about true love. Convinced that there was an unfulfilled audience waiting for what Krista loves to write—romance, she sat down in the family’s dungeon, a.k.a. the basement, and began to furiously type. In no time, her first novel was drying on crisp white paper.

Krista currently resides in Midlothian, Virginia with her husband, four daughters, and an eccentric cat with an attachment to the family’s socks. She continues to write obsessively every chance she can get.

Check out my interview with Krista Holle and a review of The Lure of Shapinsay!

To learn more about Krista Holle and her books, visit her website & blog.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.
 

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Blog Tour and Giveaway!! The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard




The Forgotten Ones (The Daanan Trilogy #1) by Laura Howard
Genre: New Adult (Paranormal/Fantasy Romance)
Date Published: April 28, 2013
Publisher: Self

Allison O'Malley just graduated from college. Her life's plan is to get a job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She doesn't have room for friends or even Ethan, who clearly wants more.

When Allison's long-lost father shows up, he claims he can bring her mother back from the dark place her mind has sent her. He reveals legends of a race of people long forgotten, the Tuatha de Danaan, along with the truth about why he abandoned her mother.


The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard is the first book in The Daanan Trilogy. This is one of those stories that keeps your attention because it keeps building on itself. You find out a tid bit of something and you think you have the whole picture, and then another little tid bit gets added, and it builds more of a picture and so on. I really liked that. Allison and Ethan are adorable when Allison allows them to be. I really don't understand why she keeps rejecting him. They've clearly had crushes on each other for a long time. I would like to see more of them together in the upcoming books. I love his personality and how he acts around Allison. You almost get two books in one with this story. The first half is spent in the modern world, while the second half is in another world. You are introduced to many new characters very quickly in the second half with some crazy Irish names, and I had a hard time keeping the details of who was who straight in my head. I love Irish names, don't get me wrong, but they take some time to comprehend sometimes. At least for me anyway. I thoroughly enjoyed The Forgotten Ones though, and I'm really looking forward to what comes next. I'm glad that I got the opportunity to read this one!

The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard was provided to me by the Reading Away The Days Blog Tours for review. The opinions are my own.

author
Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.


To learn more about Laura Howard and her books, visit her blog.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

The Giveaway!
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Friday, July 26, 2013

The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard Spotlight!




Genre: New Adult (Paranormal/Fantasy Romance)
Date Published: April 28, 2013
Publisher: Self

The Blurb:
Allison O'Malley just graduated from college. Her life's plan is to get a job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She doesn't have room for friends or even Ethan, who clearly wants more.

When Allison's long-lost father shows up, he claims he can bring her mother back from the dark place her mind has sent her. He reveals legends of a race of people long forgotten, the Tuatha de Danaan, along with the truth about why he abandoned her mother.

REVIEW COMING VERY SOON!

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About the Author:
Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.



To learn more about Laura Howard and her books, visit her blog.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.
 

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Book Review: Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl




Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)
Date Published:  October 12, 2010 
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

The Blurb:
Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

My Review:
Beautiful Darkness is the second book in The Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Check out my review of book one, Beautiful Creatures! Through this book you'll meet some new characters and find out new things about some of the old characters. That part was pretty fun. I enjoyed Liv's character quite a bit. I would love for her to date Ethan instead of Lena to be quite honest. Lena was exceptionally broody through this book. I completely understand why, but it just wasn't too much fun to read. There seemed to be a lot of down time in this story, so I had a very hard time staying focused. It took me a long time to finish reading this book, and I read several others in the mean time. I really wanted to enjoy it. Especially if they keep making movies for this series. I always like to read the book before I see the movie, but they are just too darn long to not completely enjoy. The ending makes me want to know what happens next, and there were a few interesting twists thrown in. I'm not sure if it was quite enough to make me read the next book. Maybe. All in all, I guess this series is just not for me.

The Book Trailer:

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About the Authors:
Kami Garcia is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly & international bestselling co-author of the Beautiful Creatures Novels (Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos & Beautiful Redemption). Beautiful Creatures has been published in 48 countries and translated in 37 languages. The Beautiful Creatures movie releases in theaters on February 13, 2013 from Warner Brothers & Alcon Entertainment, directed by Academy Award nominee Richard LaGravenese, and starring: Viola Davis, Jeremy Irons, Emma Thompson, Emmy Rossum, Alice Englert, and Alden Ehrenrich.
Kami is also the author of Unbreakable, the first book her solo series, THE LEGION (coming Fall 2013), which is currently being developed as a major motion picture.

Kami grew up outside of Washington DC, wore lots of black, and spent hours writing poetry in spiral notebooks. As a girl with Southern roots, she has always been fascinated by the paranormal and believes in lots of things “normal” people don’t. She’s very superstitious and would never sleep in a room with the number “13″ on the door. When she is not writing, Kami can usually be found watching disaster movies, listening to Soundgarden, or drinking Diet Coke.

Kami has an MA in education, and taught in the Washington DC area until she moved to Los Angeles, where she was a teacher & Reading Specialist for 14 years. In addition to teaching, Kami was a professional artist and led fantasy book groups for children and teens. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, daughter, and their dogs Spike and Oz (named after characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

To learn more about Kami Garcia and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

authorMargaret Stohl is the author of ICONS, the first book in the Icons Series, forthcoming from Little, Brown in Spring 2013 – as well as the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Los Angeles Times, Indie-Bound and Internationally Bestselling co-author of the Beautiful Creatures Novels (with Kami Garcia.) Including BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (2009), BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS (2010), and BEAUTIFUL CHAOS (2011), BEAUTIFUL REDEMPTION (2012)– along with DREAM DARK, a Beautiful Creatures story available exclusively online (August, 2011) – the Beautiful Creatures Novels have been translated into 28 languages and 37 countries. The Beautiful Creatures movie based on the books comes out February 14, 2013 from Alcon and Warner Bros. It stars Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Viola Davis, Emma Thompson, Jeremy Irons, Thomas Mann and Zoey Deuthc with the Academy Award nominated writer/director Richard LaGravenese.

Beautiful Creatures was an ALA William C. Morris YA Debut Award finalist in 2010, as well as a SCIBA award finalist, a NYPL Book for the Teen Age, and a YALSA Teen Top Ten Pick. Beautiful Creatures was named the #1 Teen Pick from Amazon in 2009, and the #5 Editors Pick, Overall.

A longtime veteran of the videogame industry, Margaret’s work includes – to name a few – SPIDERMAN, FANTASTIC FOUR, DUNE 2000, THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE LEGEND OF JACK SPARROW, DEFENDER, THE SOPRANOS, SLAVE ZERO, APOCALYPSE, ZORK NEMESIS, ZORK GRAND INQUISITOR, SPYCRAFT, COMMAND & CONQUER: RED ALERT RETALIATION, and COMMAND & CONQUER: TIBERIAN SUN.

After working with Activision (now Activision/Blizzard) and Westwood Studios (now EA), Margaret became a co-founder of 7 Studios with her husband, Lewis Peterson. She has previously been nominated for “Most Innovative Game Design” at the Game Developers Conference.

Margaret has participated in the Nashville Screenwriters Conference, the Tribu dei Lettori in Rome, and the BAU Institute/Otranto Residency, as well as the LA Times Festival of Books, Romantic Times, and the Texas Book Festival. She was the Director of Programming for the 2011 YA Capitol Bookfest in Charleston, SC, and a founding member of the Smart Chicks tour.

Margaret has been featured in Amherst Reads, and is a contributor to the Los Angeles Review of Books. She has been a member of the WGA West and PEN West. Margaret’s original screenplays have been optioned by Clasky-Csupo and Nickelodeon Movies for feature film.

A graduate of Amherst College, where she won the Knox Prize for English Literature, Margaret earned a MA in English from Stanford University, and completed classwork for a PhD in American Studies from Yale University. Margaret was a teaching assistant in Romantic Poetry at Stanford, and in Film Studies at Yale. She attended the Creative Writing Program of the University of East Anglia, Norwich, where she was mentored by the Scottish poet George MacBeth.

Margaret loves traveling the world with her daughters, who are epee fencers, and living in Santa Monica with her husband, also a writer, and two bad beagles.

To learn more about Margaret Stohl and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Twitter.

 

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Cover Reveal: Beyond Control by Karice Bolton




Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal/Fantasy Romance)
Expected Publishing Date: August 2013
Cover Design by: PhatPuppy Art

The Blurb:
Gabby’s overcome more than most can even begin to imagine, and she’s barely out of college. With a visible scar that reminds her and the world that she beat the odds, it’s impossible for her to put everything behind her, no matter how hard she tries.

As she begins working at her family’s company, she buries herself in the safety of the corporate world. No extra time, no life, no relationships. It’s safe to say she might be a little demanding and overly ambitious. She’s got everything under control, just how she likes it. After all, life is short.

Jason’s been trying to piece his life together after a personal tragedy, only it’s not working. He’s thrown himself into his work, but he’s only becoming angrier. He’ll never forgive himself and doesn’t expect anyone else to either.

When the back of his vehicle is clipped by an obnoxious limo driver he can’t wait to let the driver have it until he hears Gabby’s voice coming from inside the sedan. There’s something soothing about it, something familiar.

The moment she sees him, she knows her life will never be the same. But she doesn’t know why. He’s everything she said she never wanted. He’s cocky, arrogant, and infuriating. With his dazzling amber eyes, dark hair and chiseled features she can hardly remember where she’s going, let alone where she’s been and maybe that’s a good thing. She begins to let him show her what life could be, if she really lived it.

Neither want their past to define their future, but sometimes destiny has something else in store. It’s only as their love grows and secrets are revealed that they realize a devastating connection from their past might actually tear them apart.

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About the Author:
Karice Bolton is a paranormal romance/urban fantasy author living in the Pacific Northwest. All three books in The Watchers Trilogy are available now, Awakening, Legions, and Cataclysm. Lonely Souls, which is the first book in her new series Witch Avenue, was released in June 2012!

To learn more about Karice Bolton and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.