Shallow Blog Tour!! A Review of Shallow by Georgia Cates

Genre: Young Adult (Contemporary Romance/Mature Situations)
Published: September 21, 2012
Publisher: Self

The Blurb:
Payton Archer's best friend, Claire, strives to be perfect in every way. Payton doesn't and this is her story.

Nick Hawke likes his car fast and his girls even faster. He blows through females quicker than his muscle car races down the "The Strip" in Collinsville and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Determined to avoid the devastation he has watched his father endure in the aftermath of his mother leaving, he believes there is no room in his life or his heart for a relationship lasting more than one night. He seeks happiness in things that won’t let him down...fast cars, adrenaline and one night stands. To his absolute dismay, all of that changes when he unexpectedly runs into an old friend and is introduced to Payton Archer, the first girl he ever wanted for more than one night. There’s only one catch...she is completely immune to him and his smooth talking ways.

Payton Archer is looking for what Claire has with Jessie, but she has given up on finding it...at least until she leaves for college in the Fall because she is certain that is where she will find the perfect guy to fit into her perfect world. She plans on Summer being nothing but three uneventful months of fun, but it turns out to be anything but ordinary when Payton is introduced to Nick Hawke, one of Jessie’s old Collinsville friends. She is shocked by her immediate and intense attraction for “Hawke” because nothing about him is what Payton is looking for. Sure, he’s hot and sexy but he comes from Collinsville and that is definitely not on her list of prerequisites. Everything about him makes Payton’s heart speed because he is exciting and dangerous, but his fast car and the dangerous chances he takes aren't what scares Payton the most...it’s the way Nick Hawke makes her feel every time he looks at her. Can Payton find that moment of total fearlessness and make the decision to leave the safe, shallow end of love to risk going under completely?

 

My Review:

Shallow is the second book in the Going Under Series by Georgia Cates. In Going Under we met Claire and got to see how her relationship with Jessie came about. Now, in Shallow we get to know Clare's best friend, Payton, better. Payton is a sarcastic little spitfire. She doesn't take crap from anybody, and she's certainly not going to take it from Nick Hawke no matter how hot he is or makes her feel. All the bantering and sarcasm made Shallow a lot of fun to read. I already fell in love with Claire and Jessie, so having them as supporting characters was a nice change because you get glimpses of how their relationship progresses as well.We need to keep our eye out for this author. I'm excited to dive into her other books! Haven't read this series yet? Check out my review of Going Under!

To learn more about Georgia Cates and her books, visit her blog.You can also find her on Twitter.

I received the ARC of Shallow by Georgia Cates from the author for review. The opinions are my own.
 
The Giveaways!
Please fill out the Rafflecopter forms below to enter the giveaways. Good luck! US ONLY Giveaway:a Rafflecopter giveaway

International Giveaway:  

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Don't forget to check out the other stops along the Going Under Tour!

Cover Reveal!! Reaction by Jessica Roberts!

I'm super excited to share the cover of Reaction by Jessica Roberts with you!! Reaction is the sequel to Reflection, which I couldn't put down. Check out my review of Reflection! If you've read Reflection already, you can read the blurb to Reaction on Goodreads. If you haven't read Reflection yet, I suggest you do so before reading the Reflection blurb as it gives major spoilers. Reaction is set to be released November 5, 2012. 
 

About the Author:
JESSICA ROBERTS grew up in the San Francisco, California Bay Area where she spent most of her time playing sports alongside her six siblings. She was crowned Miss Teen California her senior year of high school, and went on to Brigham Young University where she graduated in Human Development. Her love of family, church, writing, athletics, and singing and dancing keeps her life busy and fulfilled. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and three children.

To read more about Jessica Roberts and her books, visit her website. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

You can purchase Reflection through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords!

Colors Like Memories Tour: An Interview With Meradeth Houston & Giveaway!

How long have you been writing?
A very long time. Since I was about eleven, when I started writing in a battered old notebook. I won't say how long ago that was ;)

What inspired you to write your first book?
Reading a Madeline L'Engle book (Many Waters) and really liking one of the concepts in it (though, for the life of me, I don't remember what that was), and thinking "Hey, I could write a story about that myself!"

Which of your characters do you relate to most and why?
From Colors Like Memories, probably Marcy. Not that I've ever been in her situation and lost someone that close to me, but her drive for perfect grades, to keep it together in public while in private she's really lost--I totally get that feeling.

What is a secret about you that nobody else knows?
But then it wouldn't be a secret! Okay, here's something harmless enough: I hate eating my veggies. In all honesty, I really don't eat many at all. And lettuce? Grossest stuff ever!

If you could hop into the life of any book character for a day, who would it be, and why?
I can say this much right off: not Katniss, I don't care how adorable Peeta is. No thanks! But, I would probably have to say Hermione from Harry Potter. I'd love to go to Hogwarts for a day (and possibly try out a broomstick!).

What book have you read too many times to count?
I've read A Wrinkle In Time so many times that I had large parts of it memorized. I adore that book.

What is the best piece of writing advice you ever received?
"Just get it on paper!" I'm seriously guilty of getting too hung up on how lousy the last page I wrote was, and can't move forward. I have to remember to just get a draft done, then worry about how miserable it is.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
That I would totally move into one of them, given half a chance. But maybe that wasn't all that surprising...

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Lots! I'm not someone who sits still easily. I am a professor by day and that's what takes up most of my time. I love my job though so I can't complain.

Are any of the things in your books based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
A very large portion is all made up (hey, I'm not really a Sary, as much as I would love to be able to fly), but little details here or there come from real life (the Christmas lights on Marcy's house in the first chapter? Totally had ours up year round as a kid--stuff like that).

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
Probably the first chapter, as it just all came together way too simply, like I was just the scribe in a story that was already ready to go. I love it when things go like that in my writing!

Thank you Meradeth, for joining us today!!
Thanks so much for such a fun interview!

Check back at this blog in the coming weeks for a review of Colors Like Memories!

About the Author:
Meradeth’s never been a big fan of talking about herself, but if you really want to know, here are some random tidbits about her:

She’s a Northern California girl. This generally means she talks too fast and use "like" a lot. When she’s not writing, she’s sequencing dead people’s DNA. For fun!

She’s been writing since she was 11 years old. It's her hobby, her passion, and she’s so happy to get to share her work!

If she could have a super-power, it would totally be flying. Which is a little strange, because she’s terrified of heights.

A Short Excerpt of Colors Like Memories

I greeted his tombstone the way I always did—with a swift kick. The release of frustration was more than worth the sharp pain in my toes. The polished marble tilted to the left because of all my visits; a crooked tooth in the rows of pearly white graves.

I folded my legs under me, shuddering as the chill of the damp grass seeped through my clothes. “I keep hoping one of these days you’ll be here waiting for me.” The words were tradition. Some small part of me still clung to the hope I’d come over the hill to find him leaning over his grave, wearing a sly smile. He died so very long ago, but I couldn’t stop wishing.

Leaning forward, I rested my forehead against my knees and closed my eyes, longing for a few minutes of rest. A few minutes to pretend it was someone else buried beneath me. I tried to explain this to him, but tonight I didn’t have the will to pretend it was more than starlight that listened.

It took a long time to notice, building imperceptibly until I finally looked over my shoulder. Someone was there, watching me. It hadn’t been a sound that alerted me so much as the feel of their gaze, heavy in the darkness. After so many nights spent here, I could tell the difference.

For just a second, I thought I saw Frederick’s tall form step from the shadows. My heart stopped, and I started to scramble to my feet before the breeze scattered my wishful thinking. Scanning the rest of the cemetery, it was clear no one else was around. The sprinklers were hissing their rhythmic beat in the next section over, and it was better to leave before they started watering the grass over his grave. It had to be just my imagination—no one was watching me. It was for the better. If anyone saw me here, there would be problems I couldn’t face.

I kissed my fingertips and touched the top of the smooth white stone, anxious now to leave, alert to any movement in the cemetery. “I’ll be seeing you,” I whispered, wishing it were true. I wound through the sea of identical marble markers, making for the swell of ground at the far end of the cemetery where it was easiest to catch an updraft.

The small knoll overlooked the freeway, which was a little too close for comfort, but at this hour there were no headlights streaking past. I stretched out my wings, their emerald color turned inky black in the moonlight. Each feather ached to catch a hint of breeze. Leaping from the ground, I thrust down hard and was airborne. I circled up, straining, until I reached an altitude where no one would see me from below.

Tilting my wings to swing north, my thoughts wandered to my destination. A silent prayer to whoever might be listening filled my heart, hoping the lonely girl I was supposed to be guarding was safe in her bed. Visiting Frederick—Derek as I’d always called him—was the only thing that kept me sane some nights, but it did nothing to dispel the churning worry over Marcy. In the year since I was assigned to her, it had become obvious she deserved a Sary better suited to helping her. Instead, she was stuck with me, and somehow I was supposed to find a way to ensure she didn’t commit suicide.

Saving Marcy was my reward, and my price, for dying before I was born, before taking one miserable breath of life. I still wondered if my choice to join the Sary was worth it.

To learn more about Meradeth Houston and her books, visit her website & blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

The Giveaway!
Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Good luck!
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Buy Colors Like Memories by Meradeth Houston at:

Rogue's Pawn Tour! An interview with Jeffe Kennedy Plus an Excerpt!

I'm super excited about this tour! If you read my review of Rogue's Pawn, then you know it makes my day to have Jeffe Kennedy on the blog today!

How long have you been writing?
Since about 1996. I came to writing later in life, after I discovered a career in science wasn’t for me. But I started out as an essayist and writer of narrative nonfiction, so I’ve only been publishing fiction in the last 3-4 years.

What inspired you to write your first book?
A dream. A lot of my stories come from dreams and Rogue’s Pawn was particularly that way. It was the first novel I wrote. I woke up on a rainy Saturday morning with the story in my head and sat and wrote on it for half the day.

When you first started writing Rogue's Pawn, did you plan for it to be a series?
I did—just because that initial idea for the story was so big. I wouldn’t have planned it that way, but I knew from the beginning that it would take a while to tell all of Gwynn’s journey.

What can you tell us about the sequel?
Oooh. I’m in the thick of writing it and it hasn’t been an easy book. Rogue and Gwynn take a lot of good steps to understand each other and then things happen. Gwynn ends up with a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. Starling is really growing as a person and confronting the reality of being a half-breed. Darling discovers his battle name at last!

Which of your characters do you relate to most and why?
Definitely Gwynn. As much as I try to cultivate her to be her own person – and she has grown – she is still, in many ways, my avatar. She’s my most difficult character to write for that very reason.

What is a secret about you that nobody else knows?
Nobody at all? Hmm. That’s a hard one. I’m kind of an open book. There are many things only my man or my mother knows. Or my cats—they see a lot that should never be mentioned.

What book have you read too many times to count?
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey. The binding has come apart.

What is the best piece of writing advice you ever received?
To write every day, at the same time every day. I spent a lot of years resisting this advice. When I finally followed it, I became a writer.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
That I’m not the storyteller – that the story comes from outside of me. It’s a huge act of faith for me to sit down at the keyboard and trust that the story will come to me. Scary, too!

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I love to read – whenever I can. It’s even better if I can sit in the sun while reading. I also love to garden and take long walks.

Are any of the things in your books based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
The beginning of Rogue’s Pawn is based on real life. I was a PhD student in Neuroscience at the University of Wyoming for many years and I dated THAT guy. *shudders* I’ve also stayed at the inn at Devils Tower and Frank is the real owner, who talks just like that. After that point, well…. ;-)

If you could hop into the life of any fictional character, who would it be and why?
Phedre no Delaunay, because I want to know what it would be like to be her!

An Excerpt from Rogue's Pawn

“Enough,” a male voice said.

As if I’d ceased to exist, Tinker Bell blinked her eyes and regained her lovely self, face smoothing, shining once again in sunny elegance. Reboot and resume program. She gracefully stood and glided to the tray, set the bowl precisely in the center, lifted the tray and left the room without hesitation.

Booted footsteps crossed the room toward me. Act II, scene ii. Exit Nasty Tinker Bell, Enter God-Only-Knows-What-Now. My face was sticky with whatever the brothy stuff had been, my hair wet and fouled. I stank. I hurt. I was chained to a bed in a place so completely unknown I couldn’t begin to understand it. I tried to squeeze my legs closer together, but the chains seemed at the limit of their reach. The energy of my brief triumph evaporated, allowing tears to well up again.

Oh, please, please, please, do not cry. The threatening sting worsened. I closed my eyes and one tear leaked out. He stopped next to me, surveying me.

“You’re certainly a mess.” His wry voice was rich and smooth.

My eyes snapped open to glare at him through the blur. Fifty different smart remarks flew across my tongue, most along the lines that any failures of appearance on my part could be laid on the doorstep of someone besides myself. But even the buzz of the first word on my vocal chords brought searing agony. Relieved to have a legitimate reason for the tears, I almost welcomed the searing sensation.

“No, don’t try to talk—no one needs to hear what you have to say, anyway. Not that we can help it, since you think so loudly. And you have a decision to make. We have a quandary.” He began pacing, boots echoing against stone. “No one can heal you while you’re bound in silver and we can’t release you from the silver until you have yourself under control. Which will take a considerably long time—perhaps years of training—if you’re even able to accomplish it at all.”

I thought of the birds crashing in increasing cacophony with a small shudder.

“Exactly,” he confirmed. “And yes,” he said from the window behind my head where he seemed to be gazing out, “I can hear most of your thoughts—another reason to save trying to speak aloud.”

My stomach congealed in panic. Had he heard my secret thoughts? Don’t think of them, bury them deep, deep. Think of other things…like what? Think of home, think of Isabel. Isabel, my cat—Clive hated her. What would happen to her now? How could I not have thought of her until this moment? Abandoned, wondering why I never came home for her… And my mother—she’d be frantic. How long had I been gone? They could be all dead and buried, lost to me forever. The anguish racked me.

“Shh.” The man sat on the side of my bed now, heavier than Nasty Tinker Bell. He brushed the hair back from my forehead, then placed his long fingers over my brow and, with his thumbs, rhythmically smoothed along my cheekbones, wiping away the tears that now flowed freely.

I stifled a sob. I had cried more in the past day than I had in years. The sweeping along my cheekbones soothed me, melting warmth through my skull. The rhythm became part of my breathing. Deep breaths. Smooth, easy. The awful tightness in my chest gave a little sigh and released.

“Let’s try again, shall we?” The man pulled his hands away. I could hear him brush them against his thighs. Soup, tears and blood. Yuck.

My eyes cleared enough for me to see him. Ebony-blue climbed over half his face. The winding pattern of angular spirals and toothy spikes swirled out of his black hair on the left side of his face, placing sharp fingers along his cheekbone, jaw and brow. For a moment, the tattoo-like pattern dominated everything about him. Ferocious and alien.

Once I adjusted, I could see past the lines. His face echoed Tinker Bell’s golden coloring. He could be her fraternal twin, with those same arched cheekbones. But where she was golden dawn, he was darkest night. Midnight-blue eyes, that deep blue just before all light was gone from the sky, when the stars have emerged, but you could see the black shadows of trees against the night. He shared Tinker Bell’s rose-petal mouth, but with a curious edge to it. I suppose a man’s mouth shouldn’t remind one of a flower, and there was nothing feminine about this man. Where she wore the pink sugar roses of debutantes and bridal showers, his lips made me think of the blooms of late summer, the sharp-ruffled dianthus, edges darkening to blood in the heat. His bone structure was broader than hers but still seemed somehow differently proportioned, his arms hanging a bit too long from shoulders not quite balanced to his height. Inky hair pulled back from his face fell in a tail down his back. One strand had escaped to fall over his shoulder and I could see a blue shimmer in its silk sheen.

He arched his left eyebrow, blueness in the elegant arch, repeating the deep shades of the fanged lines around it.

“Shall we?” he repeated. 

I stared at him. What was the question?

Don't forget to check out my review of Rogue's Pawn!

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

Going Under Tour & Giveaway! A Review of Going Under by Georgia Cates

Genre: Young Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Published: March 1, 2012
Publisher: Self

The Blurb:

Jessie Boone is a self proclaimed bad boy and doesn’t march to the beat of anyone’s drum, but his own. Growing up in less than desirable circumstances has made him no stranger to the hard knock life and his determination to leave it behind is fierce. When he finds himself transferred to East Franklin High School, he sees his opportunity to use his athletic ability to snag a college football scholarship, but Forbes Henderson, the player Jessie means to replace isn’t giving up his spot willingly. In fact, Forbes is willing to go to extreme measures to retain his place as first string quarterback. When Forbes’ malicious plan to injure his replacement fails, Jessie is furious and determined to show him he messed with the wrong person; not only is he going to take the position of first string quarterback, he’s going to take his girl, too.

Claire Deveraux is perfection at it’s best. She is beautiful, intelligent and unaware she just became Jessie Boone’s conquest as revenge against her boyfriend, Forbes Henderson. Like her flawless performance as the perfect daughter and student, Claire’s production of being the perfect girlfriend has everyone fooled, except Jessie Boone, and she fears this tattooed bad boy will see her secret desire to explore his crude threats and promises to rock her perfect world. If she decides to give in to one uninhibited moment with Jessie, will she learn too late that it was all an act of vengeance or will Jessie learn the taste of first love is sweeter than that of revenge?

My Review:

Going Under by Georgia Cates is definitely Young Adult Chic Lit, which I happen to love so, I loved this story. I always enjoy sarcastic bantering between the love interest, and this book provided that without going overboard. Jessie is the cool, secretive bad boy. Claire is the popular cheerleader. Jessie and Claire's characters grew into their own and matured as the plot progressed.Their relationship definitely didn't have an easy start, nor did it remain easy. Georgia Cates knows how to get her readers involved in the lives of her characters, and it was easy to lose yourself while reading. Going Under was entertaining and fun, with some suspense thrown in the mix. Chic Lit and Young Adult fans alike will enjoy this book.

To learn more about Georgia Cates and her books, visit her blog.You can also find her on Twitter.

I received Going Under by Georgia Cates from the author for review. The opinions are my own.

The Giveaways!  

US Only: (2) Signed print copies of GOING UNDER (2) GOING UNDER T-Shirts

 a Rafflecopter giveaway  

International: (5) eBook copies of GOING UNDER and SHALLOW

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to check out the other stops along the Going Under Tour!

The Reluctant Bachelorette Book Blast!!

The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson

Unknowingly cast as the bachelorette for her town’s charity event, Taycee Emerson wants out. Especially when she discovers her old teenage crush, Luke Carney, is one of the bachelors and it's up to the viewers--not her--to decide which bachelors stay or go.

Coerced into participating, Taycee does what any self-preserving girl would do. She launches a subtle attack on Luke’s good name with the hope of getting him voted off the show. Unfortunately, Luke's an eye-for-an-eye kind of guy, and when he discovers what she's up to, it means revenge.

But when their pranks go south, will they screw up any chance they have at a future together, or will they be able to forgive and forget and prove that love really does conquer all?

Check out my reviews of  more books by Rachael Anderson!! 

About the Author:
Rachael Anderson is the author of four contemporary romances: Divinely Designed, Luck of the Draw, Minor Adjustments, and The Reluctant Bachelorette. She's the mother of four, can't sing, doesn't dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.




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

Join us on October 27, 2012 for our stop along the:
The Reluctant Bachelorette Blog Tour - October 2012

The Giveaway!!
$50 Amazon Gift Code compliments of Author Rachael Renee Anderson
Ends 10/31/12

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Cover Reveal!! Lauren by Julia Crane!

Title: Lauren –this is a spin off from Keegan’s Chronicles

Age Group/Genre: Young Adult/ Fantasy

Expected Release: October  2012

Cover Design: MooneyDesigns

Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

The Blurb:

A girl with a second chance. A boy with a terrible secret. When the truth is revealed, Lauren's world comes crashing down.

For once, seventeen year old Lauren's life is going right. She's attending the college of her dreams, has what appears to be the perfect boyfriend, and is surrounded by her childhood friends.

But her boyfriend, Tristan, grows more possessive by the day, and his temper is getting harder to keep in check. When Lauren realizes Tristan is using her for her power, she has to make a choice: Tristan or her world.

About the Author

Julia crane is the author of the Coexist: Keegan’s Chronicles. She has a bachelors degree in criminal justice. Julia has believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Growing up her mother greatly encouraged reading and using your imagination. Although she’s spent most of her life on the US east coast, she currently lives in Dubai with her husband and three children.

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

Book Review: Savor by Megan Duncan

Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)
Published: September 28, 2011
Publisher: Self

The Blurb:
When Claire Miller turned eighteen all she wanted to do was celebrate her birthday, but after a night on the town with her best friend she awakes to a visitor she never expected. The rulers of her region, a vampire royal family, have chosen her to be turned as their new heir and vampire princess. Claire quickly discovers the royal family is not what they seem and that she has secrets in her past, she never knew existed.

My Review:
Savor is the first book in the Warm Delicacy Series by Megan Duncan. This book was completely engrossing. Sure, it started off a little slow as you are getting introduced to Claire and her world, but when it gets going, it really goes! The vampires are royalty. The ceremonies and traditions of the vampire royalty were different, and I found them interesting. I enjoyed all the characters tremendously. Claire's new friend, Robin, is a hoot. When it comes to love interests for Claire, I completely fell for Dmitry. Then Arrick enters the scene and ...swoon!! I couldn't tell you which one I like best. They both are completely different and completely wonderful. There were twists and turns and the ending was completely unexpected! Just when you think there couldn't possibly be anything new added to the world of vampire books, here comes Savor by Megan Duncan to prove me wrong. 

To learn more about Megan Duncan and her books, visit her blog. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Check out my review of Indulge, book 2 in the Warm Delicacy Series!

I won Savor by Megan Duncan from the author through a giveaway on her blog. The opinions are my own. 

 

Promotional Event!! Of Blood and Bone by Courtney Cole

Genre: Adult Fiction (Contemporary/Dark Romance )

Guest Blog Post for Courtney Cole

 * * *

Courtney Cole as You’ve Never Seen Her

So, you may know that my Twitter handle is @CourtwritesYA.  The YA, of course, stands for Young Adult.  I’ve written ten books and all of them are YA and NA.  EXCEPT for my newest release, Of Blood and Bone.

What the heck?  Courtney Cole wrote adult fiction??  This seems to be a common question that I’m hearing this past week or two.   And the answer is…. Heck yeah, I did.   Of Blood and Bone contains a LOT of adult content…racy sex, seduction, violence.  There’s even some blood.   You know, the good stuff.  And it is not PG-13 in any way, shape or form. 

Why did I do this?   Well.  Simply put… I wanted to. 

One day, a couple of years ago, I was watching Dexter (the Showtime series about a serial killer) and for some reason, a storyline popped into my head about a woman who fell in love with a serial killer.  The more I thought about it, the more I tweaked it.  It would be a dark romance, not a thriller.  The MC wouldn’t be a serial killer, but he would be someone with dark issues.  He would be good on the inside, but he would be ‘damaged’ and he would hate himself because of this’affliction.’ I eventually decided that he would have some sort of a Dr.Jekyll/Mr.Hyde complex.  The story kept evolving. 

And eventuallyOf Blood and Bone was born.  But I didn’t write it right away.  I put it off because it is so not something a YA writer should write. To do it up the right way, it should contain everything that YA shouldn’t.

But with the release of so much darker stuff this year, I decided that now was the time.  And so I wrote it.  And I love it.  In my opinion, it’s the best thing I’ve done so far.  The two things that I hear the most about it are:  “Wow!  I’ve never seen Courtney Cole like that!”  and “It was amazing-- I thought about that book for days after I read it.”  Both things make me smile…because you truly haven’t seen Courtney Cole quite like this.

Here’s the blurb:

Love is dangerous…

“I’m a monster, Eva. There is no saving a monster. But I love that you want to try.”
My heart constricts at the expression on his face. He has no hope for himself, so I have to hope for him.
“You’re not a monster,” I argue softly. “You’re a man, Luca. A man like any other, you’re made of blood and bone.”

As a little boy, Luca Minaldi was told he was a monster.
As an adult, he knows it is true.

He lives in Malta, a fairytale-like place filled with sunshine and sea, beauty and secrets. And Luca’s darkest of secrets is the best kept of them all.

Eva Talbot is spending the summer in Malta to finish up her doctoral dissertation. When she meets Luca, a mysterious and handsome shipping tycoon, there is an instant attraction, a disturbing and beautiful energy that she has never felt before. But she senses the darkness that lives within him.

Eva is hired to care for his mother, who suffers from dementia, but it is Luca who Eva will eventually risk everything to save. Her life becomes a swirling chaos of darkness and romance, of secrets and mystery. And the question that emerges will become the most important answer of all.

Can she save Luca from the darkness that plagues him without losing herself?

The answer is a matter of life or death.

And a short excerpt (from Eva’s point of view):

“Evangeline,” he says softly, his dark eyes glued to mine. “I’m so sorry about the other night.  I wish I could remember.  I wish I could take it back.”
“I don’t,” I tell him honestly.  “I really don’t.”
He gazes out the window for a scant moment more, seemingly deep in thought, before he crosses the room to me.  He kneels in front of me and looks into my eyes.  In this moment, he is as vulnerable as I’ve ever seen him, as I’ve ever seen anyone. He’s completely open to me, hiding nothing.
I want so desperately to kiss him.
“I can’t,” I tell his dark eyes, praying that I don’t fall into them.  “I want to kiss you right now.  But I can’t. You’re my patient.  There are ethics…”
Luca shakes his head, his hands on my knees and his gaze upon mine.  “You aren’t my doctor, Evangeline.  You’re my friend.  I’m simply talking to a friend who wants to help me tonight.  You’re not licensed to practice medicine in Malta, remember?  So where does that leave your ethics?”
He smiles wolfishly and waits without moving.  He’s offering himself to me.  I know that.  And it is against his better judgment. He has told me that, as well.  Yet here he is, on his knees in front of me.
I suck in a breath and inhale the air that is so charged with everything that Luca is.
Whatever that is.
It is dangerous on many levels.  I know that.
I reach out unsure fingers and trace the top of his shoulders, moving over the contours.  They are so broad, yet so slender at once.  He’s perfectly built.  Strong, lithe and powerful.  I drop my head.  I know that I don’t want to resist him anymore.  For the first time in my life, I’m going to do something that my heart wants to do, not what my head tells me to do.
I grip him tighter with my fingers and pull him to me.  He folds in between my knees, pressing me to his chest.  I can hear his heart thumping rhythmically against mine as my fingers linger on his warm back.
He dips his head and presses his forehead to mine, staring into my eyes.  His are a smoldering and stormy black.
“I’m afraid to get close to you,” he tells me.  “I’m afraid for you.”
“I’m not,” I whisper.  “I’m not afraid of you.  Kiss me, Luca.”
Even I can hear the thick desire in my voice and Luca hears it too.
He groans and covers my mouth with his own, muffling the sound with my lips.  He is pressed so close that he seems to absorb me.  Every plane of his body is against every plane of mine.  I don’t know where he stops and where I start, but it doesn’t matter.  All that matters is him and me and this.

* * *

That scene continues on to become quite steamy.  Seriously, I had a fan on my desk for writing moments like those.  Haha.  I’m just kidding.  Or am I? 

Of Blood and Bone is the first book in new trilogy, The Minaldi Legacy.  It is available here on Amazon and here on Barnes and Noble.com

Check it out and see why people are saying, “Holy moly!  I’ve never seen Courtney Cole like that!!” 

I really hope that when you do, you’ll like what you see. 

The Giveaway:
(3) Swag Packs that includes a $10 Amazon gift card, a t-shirt, as well as misc. Courtney Cole swag. Open to US/Canada. Each blog use the Rafflecopter code below only. Giveaway ends 10/6/2012. a Rafflecopter giveaway

To read more about Courtney Cole, visit her website. You can also find her on Twitter.

Release Day Blitz!! Derailed by Alyssa Rose Ivy!

Today's the day! Derailed is here, and we've got your chance to win a print or ecopy!

The Blurb:

When you're lost, sometimes the only place you can go is home.
Broken over the death of her fiancé, Molly leaves law school to return to her childhood home in North Carolina. Expecting to lay low until she can figure out what else to do with her life, she finds herself in the arms of her high school sweetheart, the boy who represents everything from the past she tried to leave behind.

Looking for an escape, she instead finds a way back to the girl she almost forgot existed and a future she never dreamed possible.

Alyssa Rose Ivy is also the author of Beckoning Light and Perilous Light of The Afterglow Trilogy. To read more about the author, visit Alyssa Rose Ivy's Blog. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

The Giveaway!
Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below to win one print copy (U.S.) or 2 e-books internationally.
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Concilium Book Blast!

About Author Michelle Pickett:

Michelle has been an avid reader since a young child.  She began writing for personal enjoyment in college, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in accounting.  Deciding sitting in a cubical all day was her form of cruel and unusual punishment, she decided to do what she really wanted to—share her passion for reading and writing with others.

She wrote her debut novel Concilium in 2010.  It was released July of 2012 by MuseItUp Publishing.  The sequel, Concilium: The Departure will also be published by MuseItUp Publishing with scheduled release date of November 2012.

Her Debut young adult novel, PODs, will be published by Spencer Hill Press and is scheduled for release in paperback June 4th, 2013.  Milayna, a young adult paranormal romance, will be released through Spencer Hill Press March 2014.

Michelle was born and raised in Michigan.  She now resides in a small community outside Houston, Texas with her incredibly supportive husband, four wonderful children, a 125-pound lap dog, a very grumpy cockatiel and a cat that thinks it's queen.

Michelle writes adult and young adult Sci/Fi and urban fantasy romance.

Links and Contact Information:

Website: http://www.michelle-pickett.com/

Email: Michelle@Michelle-Pickett.com

Blog:  www.Michelle-Pickett.com/blog

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/michellepickettauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/michelle_kp 

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/michelle-pickett

PODs: http://www.site.spencerhillpress.com/PODs.html

Concilium by Michelle Pickett

A tale of deadly creatures and forbidden romance...

Leslee hit a strange animal with her car. Now she’s marked for death.

It was a simple car accident – the animal didn’t even die – but it drew the attention of the Cruor Imbibo. Driven by their insatiable need to feed, the secret society of Imbibo has devoured the dregs of civilization for centuries. Afraid Leslee will expose them, and put an end to their meal ticket, the Imbibo want her dead.

The Concilium is Leslee's only protection. Guardian of the ancient secret and the protector of humans, the Concilium fights to control the Imbibo and end their feeding frenzy. Miller works for the Concilium. Keeping Leslee alive is his next assignment.

Now Leslee is on the run, and the only thing between her flesh and the snapping jaws of the Imbibo is Miller. He and Leslee quickly form a bond, but will falling in love make Miller’s job more difficult? Because if he fails, Leslee will be next on the Imbibo menu.

The Cruor Imbibo are coming, and they're coming for Leslee.

Buy Links:   

MuseItUpPublishing * Amazon * Bookstrand * Omnilit * Smashwords * Kindlegraph

Book Blast Giveaway:
$50 Amazon Gift Code
Ends 10/2/12
Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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