Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Cover Reveal: Shattered & Shaken by J. Bailes


 Title: Shattered and Shaken
Author: J. Bailes

 Cover designed by MGBookcovers


Synopsis:

Allie Anderson has encountered more heartache than any one person deserves to experience. She's lost her father to cancer, her brother to war, and the love of her life-Wyatt, took her most prized possession and vanished without notice. Wyatt once held Allie's heart in the palm of his hand-he crushed it.
Blake, Allie's best friend turned lover is everything she needs; he'd give her the moon if she asked for it, but there's one problem-he wants Allie entirely. How can Allie give herself to Blake when she's not sure there's a her to give away? Allie's heart is like a puzzle that's unfinished and missing pieces-it's impossible to put together.
After being MIA the last four years, Wyatt returns home. Allie's forced to make a decision on who she wants or who she believes she needs. No matter who she chooses
someone will be devastated.
Allie's life begins to fall into place, her heart begins to heal, and happy is no longer a foreign emotion-until she's betrayed by the two people she trusted most.
Her heart's left shattered into a million pieces, how much pain can one person tolerate? Is her heart permanently damaged? Hearts are like broken glass; you can put it back together again, but it will never be the same.



Add Shattered and Shaken to your TBR list on Goodreads!

Cover Reveal: Tone Deaf by Olivia Rivers


Title: Tone Deaf
Genre: New Adult Romance
Age Group: 16+
Release Date: November 4th, 2013

Synopsis:

His world is music…
…Her world is silent.
Ali Blinde was a prodigy destined to become one of the greatest musicians of the 21st century.
Until the brain tumor struck.
Now seventeen, Ali lives in a soundless world where she gets by with ASL and lip-reading. So when she meets Jace Beckett, she thinks he’s her worst nightmare come true. Jace is the lead singer in the wildly-popular band, Tone Deaf, and he’s exactly the kind of success-story Ali hates and resents. 
Nineteen-year-old Jace has it all: fame, money, and any girl he wants. Every night on tour brings a new performance and a new girl, which is just what he needs to avoid the pain of relationships. 
But when Jace learns Ali is being abused, he reluctantly proposes a solution: Run away with him and his band as they tour the country. With freedom in sight, Ali takes the offer. Immediately, she’s swept into a world filled with wild punk music, wilder musicians, and maybe—just maybe—love. 




Olivia Rivers is the author of six novels, ranging in genres from Epic Fantasy to Contemporary Romance. Along with being a writer, she’s a freelance digital artist, a literary agent assistant, and a high school student.  She’s a nerd at heart, and is a hopeless fan-girl for Doctor Who and Arrested Development. Olivia lives in California with a dog who thinks he’s a cat, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and a kitten who is just generally confused.

Author Links:
Facebook || Goodreads || Blog || Amazon || Twitter






Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Cover Reveal: Fearless by Eve Carter


Fearless by Eve Carter
Series: Jesse, #2
Publication Date: August 28th 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
**cover designed by Primrose Book Design

Synopsis:
I am strong, because I’ve been weak. I’m fearless, because I’ve been afraid. I’m wise, because I’ve been foolish.

Life is looking up for Jesse. With expert help from Chase, his injuries are healing and he makes preparations to enter the Pro motocross circuit again. A decision that could force Niki to make a difficult choice.

Kenny starts chemotherapy treatments but his bar, Rookies, is hurting from the lack of attention and lack of customers. As Jesse and Niki work to find a way to keep the bar from going under, life throws other obstacles in their way. From a manipulative dad and flirtatious step mom, to news from home about Jesse’s mother, that lands them in New York state in search of answers from the past. Dark secrets that were never meant to be revealed.


Add Fearless to your TBR list on Goodreads!


I am a true romantic at heart and with a modern contemporary erotic twist to my romance novels, you had better fasten your seat belt, as the ride is always fun, exciting and fiery.
Living in Southern California, but a mid-westerner at heart, I find plenty of inspiration for my books in my own exciting life. I have always loved the arts and as a young girl, I took dance classes and spent the summers reading books from the local library. Fascinated with the written word and its power to guide the imagination, I started writing short stories and later took Creative Writing classes in college. I graduated from The University of Iowa with a B.A. in Journalism and an M.A. in Higher Education. I also have a Teaching Credential from Chapman University in Southern California.


Author links:



Monday, July 29, 2013

Book Blitz: Now or Never by A.J Bennett

Now or Never  by A.J. Bennett
Publication date: June 19th 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Synopsis:

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.

Add Now or Never to your TBR list on Goodreads
You can purchase Now or Never on Amazon || Barnes & Noble

-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.”


-Author Interview-

1.   Now or Never is your debut novel how long did it take to write?

I worked on Now or Never for several months. It was a slow process. I’ve been intrigued by the New Adult genre. I love that sex is not taboo in the genre. And the age bracket is  great. The college years are about finding yourself and experiencing life without the boundaries of your parents.


2.  What are you currently working on?

I’m almost finished with my second novel. It’s going to be called Unintentional Virgin. It’s been fun to write and can’t wait to release it. After that I’m going to start on a book about Luna the twin sister in Now or Never. Because I’ve had so many request to find out what happens with Grayson and Derrick. I thought that would be a good way to see where they are and also learn more about the free spirt Luna.

3.  Do you have a favorite writing snack?

Popcorn. I LOVE popcorn.

4.  Where do you prefer to write?

I really enjoy writing in cafes. There is something relaxing about that environment. Not to mention it’s a great place to people watch.

5.  Some authors still hand write and then type on the computer. What about you?

Goodness no. My handwriting is terrible and I probably wouldn’t be able to tell half of what I’d written. I’m all about the laptop. I love to move around while I’m writing.

6.  How would you describe your two main characters?

Grayson is a bit lost and confused. She recently got out of a horrible relationship and has never experienced any other men so she goes a little overboard. And she does it for the wrong reasons. She is really drawn to Derrick but not ready to believe he could possible be the one for her.

Derrick is hard to figure out. He had been hurt in the past. The only woman he ever loved cheated on him with a friend  of his. So for the last few years he’s been unwilling and uninterested in settling down. When he meets Grayson he knows he’s going to fall so he keeps her at a distance.

7. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love to read, go hiking and hang out with my husband.

  
8.  Do you have any advice for new writers?

Write everyday was the best piece of advice I’ve received. Even if you don’t feel like it. It’s good to get your brain in the routine. 



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.

Author links:

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Play Me by Diane Alberts

 Play Me by Diane Alberts
Take a Chance,  #3
Entangled Publishing - July 2013

Book Summary:

Even the best-laid plans can go awry.

Single-mom Kiersten Worth knows a bottle of champagne and night of hot, no-strings-attached sex is the perfect solution to her jilted bride blues…and Garrett Kelly, long-time friend and her teenaged son’s sexy basketball coach, is just the stud for the job.

Garrett wants more from the elusive temptress than a casual affair, but he never expects it to come in the form of an unexpected pregnancy. When he proposes an unorthodox solution—move in and raise their baby together—Kiersten has to decide whether to let down her guard and open her heart to the man who secretly loved her for years, or risk losing his tender embrace for good.

You can purchase Play Me on Amazon || Barnes & Noble


Excerpt:
Three months, two weeks, one day, and nineteen hours.
That’s how long it had been since Garrett walked away from Kiersten. She barely even spoke to him anymore, other than a soft hello as they passed on the court after practices. It was probably better that way. Anything more than a brief encounter hurt too much. He’d spent most of his life pretending not to care about her. Pretending he was fine without her. But now that he’d had one night in her arms, he knew he wasn’t.
And he wanted her more than he could ever possibly describe.
Oh well. Tough shit. He wasn’t going to get her on his terms. And he wouldn’t accept hers. 
He needed a drink. Or three.
He unlocked the door to his apartment and froze. Pots clanged in the kitchen. Dropping his gym bag to the carpet, he walked around the corner. Only his buddy Mike had a copy of his key, and that was just in case of an emergency or if he somehow lost his own set. But why would Mike let himself in and then cook? To the best of his knowledge, Mike didn’t even know how to cook.
“Mike?” he called out.
“Uh, no,” Kiersten replied. “It’s me.”
He tensed and walked slowly into his kitchen, his heart beating rapidly in his ears. “How did you get in here?”
She flushed. “I asked Mike for the key. Told him I needed something for Chris to practice at home.” She waved a hand. “He didn’t question me, thank God. My story was weak.”
He studied her. “Why are you here? You could have just knocked.”
“I was worried you wouldn’t let me in,” she said softly, averting her eyes. “So I took matters into my own hands.”
“And the dinner?”
“A way to try to make up for what I did. It’s pathetic and not big enough, I know, but I had to do something.”
He raised his brows. “You could give me space, like I asked. Why cook for me? What do you want?”
She looked at him. “I thought you might like to eat some food. Last time I checked, you were human.”
“It’s been over three months since we talked or hung out.” He crossed his arms over his chest, not sure what her sudden reemergence in his life meant. What game did she play? “And last time I checked, we weren’t really on speaking terms. Yet here you are. Cooking me dinner.”
“Yep.” She set down the spoon she was stirring the sauce with, shoulders tight as she leaned on the counter. “Pretty much.”
He looked away from her and swallowed hard. Did she realize how much it hurt him just to see her face or to hear her voice? Probably not, since he’d been the only idiot who had wanted more. Every woman paled in comparison to her. No matter how hard he tried to move on, to be attracted to another woman, there was only one person on his mind. Kiersten. But if she was here…
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Have you changed your mind about us?”
She paled and he cursed himself for jumping to foolish, optimistic conclusions. “I—no, not yet. But—”
“Then you need to leave,” he said. He raised his head and met her eyes, unwilling to back down. “I haven’t changed my mind, either. I need space.”
“It’s been three months. Isn’t that enough space?”
“No.” He drew in a ragged breath. “It’s not. Now please leave.”
She bit her lip. “No.”
“Yes.” He stalked toward her, picked her up, tossed her over his shoulder, and headed for the door. He tired not to remember that the last time he’d carried her like this, they’d been going up to her bedroom. “If you won’t walk out on your own, then I’ll carry you out.”
She punched his back and squirmed. “Let me down. We need to talk.”
“The time for talking is over. I need distance right now. Eventually we can be friends again. But for now?” He opened the door, set her in the hallway, and closed the door in her face. “Please go home.”
He turned away and stomped into the kitchen. Damn it, he wasn’t doing this anymore. He may have played the part of the lovesick friend for months—hell, years—now, but he was done with being a benchwarmer she pulled out when it suited her mood.
From now on, it needed to be a starting position for him…or nothing at all.
Shutting off the stove, he picked up the pot and peeked inside. She’d made his favorite meal. Cheese ravioli. Vodka sauce bubbled away in a different pot and he could smell the garlic bread in the oven.
“Listen, Garrett, we need to talk,” Kiersten said.
Garrett jumped and faced her with a glare. “What are you doing in here—again?”
“I have a key.” She waved a gold key under his nose, her nose tilted up in the air stubbornly. “And I know how to open a door on my own. I’ve been doing it since I was three.”
“Congratulations.” He snatched the key out of her hand and reached for her, determined to put her right back where he had left her. “But you need to go. I’m serious.”
She jumped out of his reach and sprinted behind the relative safety of his favorite chair. “Not until you listen to me. Sit down and shut up for a second, will you?”
He pursued her, ready to stick her back out in the hallway, sans key this time. “All I asked for was a break. Can’t you respect that?”
He bolted around the chair, reaching for her arm. Her eyes widened and she darted to the side when he feinted left and ran right, hoping to fool her into his arms. “I can’t leave until we talk,” she replied.
“Why not?” he asked in exasperation, holding his hands up. “What could possibly be so damn important?”
 She blinked at him, wringing her hands. “I’m pregnant.”

Giveaway

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Diane Alberts has always been a dreamer with a vivid imagination, but it wasn't until 2011 that she put her pen where her brain was, and became a published author.  Since receiving her first contract offer, she has yet to stop writing. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, a cat, and a Senegal parrot. In the rare moments when she's not writing, she can usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another.
She is a multi-published, bestselling author with Entangled Publishing, Swoon Romance, and Decadent Publishing. ON ONE CONDITION hit #18 on the Barnes and Noble Bestseller List, and TRY ME hit #76 on Amazon. CAPTIVATED BY YOU hit #31 on the Barnes and Noble bestseller list.  Her goal is to write so many fantastic books that even a non-romance book fan will know her name. She also writes New Adult books under the name Jen McLaughlin. Diane is represented by Louise Fury from the L. Perkins Agency.

Author Links: Website || Facebook || Twitter || Goodreads


Saturday, July 27, 2013

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Summer Love by Marysue G. Hobika


Summer Love by Marysue G. Hobika
Series: Senior Year #1
Publication date: June 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary


Synopsis:

Carly and her best friend Becca are ready to drop a nuclear bomb on summer. It’s the last one before reality sets in and they’re off on their own. Carly is ready to break the mold and stop being known as a goody-two-shoes. In order to get the ball rolling, she agrees to a double date with Gavin – her good-looking, yet moody, lab partner.

Gavin doesn’t have summer plans except to work at his two jobs and hang out in his room drawing. He likes to keep to himself, but lets his brother Nate talk him into going on a double date. Carly isn’t like the rest of the girls at school that drive him crazy. She doesn’t ask a lot of questions and seems to know when to give him the space he craves. Gavin always thought that she was beautiful, but he believes that relationships and love are a lost cause.

Will their date prove that summer love is right around the corner or will it be a dead end?

This book is intended for audiences 17+

Excerpt:
The band played and I held my breath, waiting to hear Carly’s voice. I thought maybe she’d lost her nerve. I was ready to rush in and rescue her, even if she didn’t want me to, when, like magic, she began to sing. The notes that came out of her mouth were full and sensuous, changing the band’s sound completely. It was harmonious, free flowing, and full.
I’d heard the band last summer, and even though they were good, something had always been missing. That something was Carly. Her voice fit and molded perfectly with Nate’s, and I felt another tinge of jealousy. Their sound filtered through the cracks and walls of the garage and into the night air. For a second, I forgot how to breathe. I found myself slinking back into the garage as the song came to an end. I felt empty and lost when she hit the last note, and every cell in my body craved more. I’d been wrong. So very wrong.
Everyone in the garage was silent, as if the music had cast a spell on them. All of a sudden, led by Ed, claps and cheers echoed. Carly looked elated until her gaze landed on me. I read in her eyes that she thought I was a jerk for not believing in her, and I couldn’t blame her. I was a jerk.
“Damn!” shouted Ed. “That gave me goose bumps.” He hugged himself, rubbing his hands over his arms.
“I told you Carly could sing,” Becca said, directing her words toward Nate.

Giveaway:

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Book Blitz: Surrender by Rhiannon Paille


Title: Surrender
Series: The Ferryman + The Flame #1
By: Rhiannon Paille
Published: October 2nd, 2012 by Createspace
Genre-New Adult Fantasy/Romance


How far would you go to save everything you ever loved?

Kaliel was warned about her love for the Ferryman. One day he will marry the land and leave Avristar forever. She doesn't listen, and because of what she is-- a Flame-- one of nine apocalyptic weapons, she sparks a war. In a desperate attempt to save her home and her love, Kaliel tries to awaken Avred, not knowing she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Links:



About the Author:

Rhiannon is an up and coming Indie Author that writes Young Adult Fantasy books and some non fiction. She has a PhD in Metaphysical Science and Parapsychology. When she’s not writing books she’s reading minds, singing karaoke, burning dinner and sipping iced cappuccino despite her allergy to coffee. Some day she’d like to own a unicorn—as long as it doesn’t eat her. She's sold over 25,000 copies of her books worldwide.

Links:

Friday, July 26, 2013

Release Blitz: The Swan Bonnet by Katherine L. Holmes


Book Title:  The Swan Bonnet
Author:  Katherine L. Holmes
Release Date:  July 16, 2013
Genre:  YA Historical Fiction
Publisher:  GMTA Publishing, LLC
Presented by:  As You Wish Tours

-BLURB-

Swans are endangered in 1920s Alaska.  Unbeknown to Dawn, her grandfather has shot an old swan out of mercy.  In their coastal Alaskan town, her father buys the swan pelt, preventing her Uncle Alex, a fur trader, from selling it for export. Dawn’s father surprises her part-Aleut mother with a hat she helped to make and also with an idea to catch poachers. Dawn and her mother become involved with the suspicious effects of the swan bonnet besides its haunting effect.  But after they encounter women from a ship and find out about a hunting party, they ride to the inlet. There are townspeople roving the shore too but who is the vigilante and who is the poacher?





EXCERPT:
When Dawn came to keep Glenda company, what she did every summer for a week at a time, Glenda was making Bustle a pet.

“She’s gotten her strength back,” Dawn observed.  Yet she wondered at Glenda for making Bustle a part of her barnyard where chickens, the cow, and Wallop the horse grazed.  

The old swan’s wings were still grand, especially when she swiped at a chicken that interrupted her along the trail of currants that Glenda scattered.  And she was getting used to Dawn’s presence as she sat on the cabin stoop, learning the stitches for fishermen knit sweaters. In a breeze-blown voice, Glenda related memories about Bustle as if the swan could comprehend her.  Of course, Dawn’s father wanted to make a pet of her when he was a boy.  

Young Fen thought Bustle might walk along with him like the dog.  Little did he expect that he would get a feisty punch from a wing.  Bustle and Sir Swan taught him to take his punches and to know when he might get beat.

“There he was, thrown to the ground, and often it was muddy.” Glenda pointed her knitting needle at the shoreline.  “Why, he learned what whitecaps are out there on the cold sea, being around those swans when he wasn’t four feet high.”  

Glenda had collected a number of feathers from Bustle over the summer.  “Never so many from one swan,” she said one night, letting Dawn pick out a feather for a drawing pen. Then Grandpa Fen honed its tip and required her to write to Reynolds at the General Store about the price Glenda wanted for her eggs, butter, and the berries that were ripening on the foothill.  

Dawn's father practiced his letters with a swan plume when he was young.  He could only get to school when Grandpa Fen was fishing, taking the skiff there, or when Glenda drove to town.  In fact, they all practiced in the evening with the schoolbooks.

Dawn would rather draw with the plume than learn Glenda’s knitting stitches. If she drew Bustle, her grandmother was content to tell another story about her.  

“I don’t suppose Alex Tuskoffey told you about Bustle and the grizzly.  The grizzly that gave us the rug inside.”

“Maybe he did.”  Dawn’s uncle was in the north hunting but he usually stayed with them about the time the autumn ships came.



Katherine L. Holmes’ first published book was The House in Windward Leaves, an MG fantasy which  became an E-book Finalist in the 2013 New Generation Indie Book Awards and a Juvenile Fiction Finalist in the National Indie Excellence Book Awards. Also, she won Prize Americana for her short story collection, Curiosity Killed the Sphinx and Other Stories, published by Hollywood Books International.  In April 2013, The Wide Awake Loons was released by Silver Knight Publishing.  The Swan Bonnet, a historical novel, will be published in July, 2013, by GMTA Publishing.  Katherine has worked with used and rare books in the last years.  She lives in Duluth, Minnesota.


AUTHOR LINKS:

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