Giveaway + Excerpt: To Know Me by Marcy Blesy [Book Blitz]

Welcome to the blitz of To Know Me! Read on for an awesome excerpt!

To Know Me by Marcy Blesy

Published by the Author

Genre: YA

BOOK LINKS: GOODREADS | AMAZON

Book Description:

To know me is to die…

Seventeen-year-old Mae is convinced that the consequences of her poor decisions have caused the untimely deaths of her dad, sister Laura, and grandma who all die within a year, no matter how ludicrous her thoughts seem to those she loves. The solution? Run away so no one else she cares for gets hurt (even if she has to keep a GPS tracker on her phone at all times).

Desperate to earn her diploma and salvage something of her life, she transfers schools when people get too close. After switching to Woodson Prep with only two months to go until graduation, Mae keeps her goals in sight. But when she meets Ty, the “perfect boy” with his own secrets and a relentless interest in Mae, she must decide if she can stop running from the past and still protect those she loves.

EXCERPT:

“Is this for me?” I ask as Ty stands in the center of the clearing with a yellow rose in one hand.

“No. It’s for that grandma who’ll be passing this area in about ten minutes. I’m just practicing my delivery.” He’s so cute when he’s being sarcastic. I take the rose. In an instant I am shocked back to the day of Laura’s funeral. Everyone in her sixth grade glass brought roses to the cemetery to lay upon her grave, yellow ones, her favorite color. “Why aren’t you smiling?” Ty asks. “Did I do something wrong?”

“N…no.”

“Your hand is shaking,” he says coming over to my side. “Sit down.” He points to the picnic table. “Mae, if you don’t tell me anything I won’t ever be able to help you. I want to help you. I know what it’s like to need help. There’s a lot you don’t know about me, too. And I’m willing to tell you. It’s weird because I hardly know anything about you, but I feel like we’re a lot alike.”

“We’re nothing alike,” I say. I want to tell him. But if I do? Then what? He won’t understand. No one does.

“Is yellow not a good color for brunettes?” he jokes. I can’t help but smile. He takes the rose, breaks off the stem, and tucks it behind my ear. He leans in to smell the rose and kisses my cheek. Only the crunching of sticks from the older couple on the path stops him from reaching my lips.

GIVEAWAY:

2 ebook copies of To Know Me (mobi) US

a Rafflecoptor Giveaway

About Author:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter

I am a former elementary school teacher and currently run an elementary library which is the perfect job for my interests.

In October 2010 I  had an essay published in Chicken Soup for the Soul:  Devotional Stories For Mothers.   Another essay will be published in November 2013 in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just Us Girls.

In 2012 my debut picture book was released by Bronze Man Books. Am I Like My Daddy? follows the journey of a child who seeks to learn if she is anything like the dad who died when she was young.

My middle grade novel, Confessions of a Corn Kid, as well a YA short story trilogy, The Lexie and Rhett Chronicles, and To Know Me, were released direct to kindle in 2013.

I am a great eavesdropper and person profiler which proves a fabulous advantage for a writer. As my favorite shirt says, Be careful or you’ll end up in my novel.

 

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Book Blitz organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

Review + Giveaway: Not Pretty Enough by Jaimie Admans

Welcome to my stop on the Not Pretty Enough tour! I got my dates all mixed up but Dianne sorted it all out for me 🙂 Click HERE to see thetour schedule and to see what other bloggers thought of title.

Title: Not Pretty Enough

Author: Jaimie Admans

Date of Publication: August 1, 2013

Genre: Contemporary YA

My Rating: 4.0/5.0

Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Book Description:

“New Year’s Resolutions:

1. Lloyd Layton will know I exist. He once said three whole words to me, so this is obviously progress. If I don’t get a proper conversation out of him soon, then I’ll take my top off and streak through the cafeteria, because nobody could fail to notice these boobs.

2. I will not get expelled for streaking through the cafeteria.”

Those are the words that begin her mission.

Chessie is fourteen, not pretty enough, and very much in love. Lloyd Layton is hot, popular, and unaware of Chessie’s existence.

Her goal is clear: to get Lloyd to love her as much as she loves him, and she has exactly one year to do it.

As Chessie’s obsession with Lloyd reaches boiling point and she starts to spin a web of lies that spiral out of control, Lloyd turns out to be not quite the prince she thought he was. Can Chessie avoid the gathering storm before things go too far?

MY REVIEW:

When I started this book, I was actually reading a completely different book to this. But I clicked on this on my kindle and the next thing I knew, I was already half way through!

I laughed so much in this book! It was seriously hilarious! I was LOL’ing so hard, it was unreal. The only other books that I have read that make me laugh out loud, are written by Sue Limb. I’m sure most have read the Zoe and Chloe books, the Charming but Insane, Girl 15 books… and Not Pretty Enough reminded me of them.

Chessie is absolutely bonkers mad! I loved it! So many mental things happened to her! At one point she even dyes her hair with food colouring…I mean….who on earth DOESN’T want to read about THAT? That’s not even the worst, cringe-worthy thing that happens to the poor girl!

I’ve mentioned that I KEEP reading mind numbing NA romances, but Not Pretty Enough was great because the main character Chessie, is fourteen and in school! Not UNI! SCHOOL! Yay! So refreshing to read something different for once!

I also liked that there was a moral to the story. Basically, you ARE pretty enough. But I don’t want to give too much away 😛

The one thing that I didn’t like was the swearing. There was a LOT of it for the main character to be fourteen. It just didn’t feel right. It might have been okay in a different sort of novel, but in my opinion, there was too much in Not Pretty Enough.

Overall, Not Pretty Enough is a hilarious read that will make you laugh out loud and, in some parts, cringe! There’s a good moral at the end of the story which we see so little in novels today. So yes, I would defiantly recommend!

GIVEAWAY:

$40 Amazon GC + swag

a RAFFLECOPTOR GIVEAWAY

EXCERPT:

There’s a common misconception that everyone wants big boobs. Let me tell you something: they don’t. If they’re fourteen and have a chest bigger than most of their school, including the teachers, they don’t. I’m a DD cup. People pay thousands of pounds to have their boobs enlarged to be smaller than mine. I can’t remember the last time I passed for a half fare on the bus. Or the last time a bus driver asked my face and not my chest for the fare. Everyone notices boobs when you’re my age. In fact, the only human in the world who doesn’t notice them is the one person I would quite like to notice them.

Lloyd Layton.

I’d quite like him to notice my personality too, but at this point just noticing my mere existence will do. If I have to use my boobs to lure him in, then so be it. The thing is, Lloyd Layton is hot, popular, and really, really tall. Taller than everyone else in our year. Taller than the teachers. Occasionally taller than the doorways. He knows what it’s like to be picked on for a physical attribute you can’t control. He’s different too. He knows what it’s like to be an outsider. Okay, when it comes to Lloyd Layton, he’s not really an outsider, because he’s absolutely gorgeous and loads of people like him, and I doubt anyone would dare to pick on him for anything because he could knock them flying with one swoop of his gigantic hands. But still. He’s taller than everyone and I have bigger boobs than everyone. We’re clearly a match made in heaven. It’s just a shame that he can’t see it yet.

But I’m sure he will one day soon.

I’m actually moving closer to that goal because he said one sentence to me back in December.

One sentence. Three small words. Not the three words I would like to hear him say, but I’ll take what I can get.

It was the last lesson of the last day of term before the Christmas holidays. Double technology. Not usually something to get excited about, but we came to the conclusion that the Christmas spirit had gone to Mr Vale’s head because he let us watch a movie in class instead of doing any work.

The Princess Bride.

We were allowed to pull chairs in around the TV and sit and watch a movie for two hours. Guess who pulled his chair in not that far away from mine?

Lloyd Layton.

I don’t know what happened next. I can’t explain it. It was like having an out of body experience. I’ll never understand how I had the courage to do it, but halfway through the film, I leaned over and said, “This is a good movie.” To Lloyd Layton. Better than that, he actually replied. He said, “Yes, it is.”

Three whole words.

It got even better than that again because after it was over and we were putting the chairs up on the desks, he smiled at me. A real smile. And it wasn’t at the person behind me because I was next to a wall. He smiled at me.

 About Author:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter

Jaimie is a 28-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening, drinking tea and watching horror movies. She hates spiders and cheese & onion crisps. She has been writing for years but has never before plucked up the courage to tell people. Afterlife Academy is her third novel and she hopes you enjoy it. There are plenty more on the way!

This tour was put together by Dianne! And she’s lovely, so go check her out!

Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway& Excerpt: American Girl on Saturn by Nikki Godwin [Book Blitz]

American Girl On Saturn

by Nikki Godwin

Release Date: 08/24/13

Summary from Goodreads:

The summer
after graduation is supposed to be that first real taste of freedom – but not
for eighteen-year-old Chloe Branson. Just as that breeze of freedom is making
its way into her galaxy, her secret-service-agent dad drops a meteor-sized bomb
of bad news on her and her sisters. An attempt has been made on the lives of
Canadian boyband, Spaceships Around Saturn, during their USA tour, and the guys
have to go into hiding ASAP. The only problem? In the midst of the crisis and
media frenzy, their dad volunteered to hide the guys…in their house.Six-year-old Emery is as ecstatic as any self-proclaimed Saturnite would be,
but Chloe and her seventeen-year-old sister Aralie watch their summer plans
crash and burn like a falling star. The SAS guys aren’t happy with the situation,
either. Bad boy Jules picks fights with Aralie about everything from his
Twitter followers to his laundry, and heart-throb Benji can’t escape Emery’s
fangirlisms for more than three minutes.But after the super-cute Milo kisses Chloe during a game of hide-and-seek, she
finally understands what Emery means when she talks about SAS being “out
of this world.” If this is what Saturn feels like, Chloe doesn’t want to
come back to Earth.

EXCERPT:

He reaches toward the tray and grabs the lone Oreo. “Okay, this is my last one for the night,” he says. “Half it with me?”

Seriously? If I wasn’t the envy of every Saturnite in the world just by sitting across the table from him, I’m definitely the envy of them now because the Milo Grayson wants to half his precious Oreo with me. And the thing that sucks the most is that no one knows about it to be jealous of me!

He holds the cookie up and waits for a response.

“Yeah, we can half it,” I say.

I reach across the table for it, but he jerks his arm back. The sleeve of his T-shirt hugs his bicep tightly, and oh how I wish to be that fabric.

“Not so fast,” he says. “Let’s make it interesting.”

Could this be any more interesting? Hello – you’re gorgeous and famous and sharing cookies with me! Any more ‘interest’ and I might burst like a firework.

“If you get the side with the cream, I’ll give you my honest male opinion about your checkout line drama today,” he says. “But if I get the cream side, you have to tell me, honestly, who you think the best looking guy is in Spaceships Around Saturn.”

Oh God. He’s for real. Does he know? He totally knows. He knows I’m lusting for him from behind this glass of milk and tattoo magazine. He knows that his eyes make me melt and that I clearly watch him on Twitter because I know all about amazzzzzing. Now he wants to make me ‘fess up.

“Deal.” I say it before I can chicken out.

I can always lie and say Benji’s name. He’s the fan favorite anyway. Benji Baccarini is Spaceships Around Saturn for so many girls.

He leans forward, positions himself over the table, and holds up that fated Oreo. I push my glass of milk aside because the last thing I want is to knock it over with my quivering nerves. Then I lean toward him, grip the cookie with my fingers, and inhale every scent of his body wash that I can while I twist my half of the Oreo away from his half.

 

About the Author

Nikki Godwin is a Young Adult author from the southern USA.
She is a city girl who can’t live without Mountain Dew, black eyeliner,
Hawthorne Heights, and candles from Bath & Body Works. When not writing,
she’s not-so-secretly internet-stalking her favorite bands. She is slightly
obsessed with rock stars and surfers. She no longer hides her love for One
Direction.

***Author Links***

   

***GIVEAWAY***

1 signed paperback +
swag (US only)

3 e-book copies (INTL)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz
Organized by:

Giveaway: Forces of Nature by Elizabeth Sharp

Welcome to my stop on the Forces of Nature tour, organised by MPTB Tours! Don’t forget to  enter the giveaway below!

GOODREADS | AMAZON

Average, plain-bodied Amelia Hoffman has resigned herself to a life of mediocrity, unable to escape the shadows cast by her all-too-perfect siblings. Worse, her feelings for her brother’s best friend are getting stronger.

Everything changes after the brutal murder of her close friend.Suddenly, Amelia’s life is transformed and she is thrust into a wondrous and frightening new world of myths and legends. As she explores this new world hidden within the layers of her own, secrets are revealed. When her body miraculously changes overnight,  Amelia is forced to hide in her home for her own protection. But as danger circles closer, Amelia has to figure out who is committing the ruthless homicides.

Otherwise, she could be next. 

GOODREADS | AMAZON

Nothing seems right in Amelia’s new life. On the run with new names, her family has finally settled into a lavish life in North Carolina. Her relationship with Nate is strained almost to its breaking point, and she has no friends. As Nate pulls further away, a handsome stranger sweeps into her life.

 Then evil comes for her again.

 After her brother is kidnapped, they discover someone is draining demons for a deadly new drug that turns its users into mindless zombies. The drug ravages up and down the east coast, and all humanity is in danger. To make matters worse, an old enemy is back for revenge. With the help of her family and friends, Amelia must deal with her past.

 Or they won’t have a future.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

No matter how she tries to deny it, Amelia Hoffman has a destiny. An evil plot threatens to destroy humanity and the future lies in her hands. To make things even more difficult, she is distracted by college, family squabbles and trying to decide between two men she loves.

But destiny won’t be ignored for long.

 When an explosion tears through the Library that houses the entire history of the Otherworld, Amelia is thrust into action. She has to fight through the tension tearing the Otherworld apart to rally an army. As the danger grows, Amelia must rise to fulfill the prophecy.

Or the whole world could fall.

GIVEAWAY:

Awesome Prizes to be won!

a Rafflecoptor Giveaway

About Author:

Elizabeth has a near crippling Facebook addiction, dwarfed only by her need for Dr. Pepper. A self-proclaimed techno geek, she loves cell phones, computers, tablets and all things technological. The internet has to be the greatest invention since the wheel, in her opinion. She lives in a quiet subdivision with her husband, one-year-old son, three cats, and far too many electronics. It’s quite possible she has some raccoon in her DNA, because she loves glitter and anything that sparkles. She enjoys making jewelry and costumes. Halloween is her favorite holiday since it’s the one day of the year that you can be whatever you want. But her first love will always be writing. Otherwise, hearing voices in her head would make her feel schizophrenic.

 Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

 

Interview & Giveaway: Steel Lily by Megan Curd [Book Tour]

Welcome to my stop on the Steel Lily tour! Don’t forget to scroll down and check out my interview with Megan and enter to the giveaway!

Steel Lily by Megan Curd

Book Links: Goodreads

Genre: Dystopian

Publish Date: 20th August 2013

Book Description:

AVERY PIKE is a commodity. No, more than a commodity. Her existence is guarded at all costs.

She’s a water Elementalist, the strongest of her dwindling kind. She creates steam to provide energy to fuel Dome Four: the only thing standing between humanity and an earth ravaged by World War III. No steam, no Dome. No Dome, no life.

Or so she thinks.

That is, until a mysterious man offers her a way out of having to donate steam. A way to escape the corrupt government of Dome Four. While the offer seems too good to be true, Avery is intrigued.

But when she arrives to her new home, she realizes the grass isn’t any less dead on this side of the fence. Instead, the lies are just hidden better.

…Which means digging deeper.

When Avery enlists the help of her friends to uncover the truth, she learns that while some secrets are better left concealed, humankind was never meant to live in a cage. And when you can control the most sought after resource, you can learn to control anything…including the fate of your world. me immunity to the Polatzi as long as I didn’t do anything stupid.

Author Interview 🙂

Writing Questions

What inspired Steel Lily? Honestly, Steel Lily was a concept at first - something that had come from me reading a LOT of Cassandra Clare over the holidays 2 years ago. I loved Clare's clear world building and the steampunk ideas she worked in. It made me wonder what it would be like to mash up the dystopian and steampunk themes, and Steel Lily is what came of it.

How often do you write? I try to write daily, but if not daily, every other day. My husband is really good about letting me sneak off with my imaginary friends when he gets home from work! :)

How long did it take to write Steel Lily? Approximately three months for the first draft, but I wasn't writing every day at that point. From first draft to super-polished pretty, it was closer to about eight months.

Have you always enjoyed writing? I have since high school, but I was never serious about it until a friend of mine encouraged me to try to write in college. It took hold of me at that point, and I loved the creation process. When I first published Bridger and realized people enjoyed the story, I about died. Since then my love for writing has continued to grow and there's no sign of it diminishing. :) 

Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what? YES!!! I can't write without music. Right now I'm listening to a lot of Imagine Dragons, Muse, Lindsey Stirling, and Ellie Goulding. However, usually I'm more of a Mumford & Sons, Bon Iver, The Civil Wars, The Black Keys, and Bob Marley kind of girl. Each book kind of dictates the mood, though, so I am constantly making new stations on Pandora!

What kind of books do you like to read? Has this effected the type of books you like to write? I love to read YA! I think as a writer, you have to know your genre, so I love to read books out in the categories I write. Like I said before, I'm a huge fan of Cassandra Clare, but I love J.K. Rowling, Suzanne Collins, Veronica Roth, Angeline Kace, and Heather Hildenbrand. Outside my genre I read a lot of Ted Dekker, Dan Brown, and Denise Grover Swank. You can't go wrong with any of those authors.

Fun Questions!

If Steel Lily was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters? Ha! How cool would that be? I don't have an exact match for Avery, but I think it'd be someone like Chloë Grace Moretz.

 

I think it would be VERY hard to cast Jaxon, but I would go with someone like Corbin Bleu for him…but obviously with dreadlocks. :)

If you could meet any author, dead or alive, who would it be and why? I would give anything to meet J.K. Rowling. The woman is a mastermind. I would love to see her notes on all her characters, see her maps for Hogwarts and see her process to writing. I'd probably just pass out if I saw her, though. I would totally go fangirl and lose my ability to think in straight lines. :)

Favourite type of fizzy drink? (Or any drink if you don’t drink fizzy things.) Fizzy drink would be Coca-Cola, but honestly I prefer Starbucks. I'm a coffee-aholic!

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors out there? NEVER give up. Write what you enjoy - not what is selling at the current moment. Write for you, and write often. Hone your craft by seeking out those who have been in the industry longer, and utilize the advice they give you. Take constructive criticism to heart and grow through it. Attend conferences and meet people in the industry. This is such an exciting time to be a writer - take advantage of it! :)

Would you like to say anything to your readers? That I love and appreciate each and every one of you. Seriously, you guys are the reason I write! I read and do my very best to respond to every email, tweet, or FB post you guys write, and it will ALWAYS be me. I love chatting with you guys and hearing your thoughts, so please feel free to contact me any time! :)

And lastly, do you have any other exciting projects coming up? (That you can tell us about :P  ) I am hoping to have Steel Lily's sequel, IRON PENDULUM, out by Christmas at the latest! Keep your fingers crossed, but that's the plan at the moment. :) Look for the third book not far behind that, and maybe a novella tossed in there as well. It all depends on what the writing mojo allows, haha! :)

GIVEAWAY:

1 Grand Prize!

Runner Up Prizes!

(See rafflecoptor for details.)

A RAFFLECOPTOR GIVEAWAY

About Author:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

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

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

Megan currently resides in Stanton, Kentucky with her husband, son, and Great Dane named Dozer.

Giveaway & Excerpt: Camp Boyfriend by J.K. Rock [Book Blitz]

Camp Boyfriend (Camp Boyfriend #1)

by J.K. Rock

Release Date: 07/02/13

From Spencer Hill Press

Summary from Goodreads:

The summer
of her dreams is about to get a reality check.They said it couldn’t be done, but geeky sophomore Lauren Carlson transformed
herself into a popular girl after moving to a new school halfway across the
country. Amazing what losing her braces and going out for cheerleading will do.
Only trouble is, the popular crowd is wearing on Lauren’s nerves and she can’t
wait to return to summer camp where she’s valued for her brain instead of her
handsprings. She misses her old friends and most of all, her long time
camp-only boyfriend, Seth. This year she intends to upgrade their relationship
to year-round status once she’s broken up with her new, jock boyfriend, Matt.
He doesn’t even begin to know the real her, a girl fascinated by the night sky
who dreams of discovering new planets and galaxies.But Matt isn’t giving her up without a fight. As he makes his case to stay
together, Lauren begins to realize his feelings run deeper than she ever would
have guessed. What if the guy she thought she was meant to be with forever
isn’t really The One? Returning to Camp Juniper Point was supposed to ground
her uprooted life, but she’s more adrift than ever. Everything feels different
and soon Lauren’s friends are turning on her and both guys question what she
really wants. As summer tensions escalate, Lauren wonders if she’s changed more
than she thought. Will her first big discovery be herself?

Available from:

   

“Fun, romantic and giddy, Camp Boyfriend brings
real romance to summer camp with grace, humor and passion.” –
Carrie Jones, New York Times Best-selling Author of the NEED
series

EXCERPT:

“If you don’t play football, what will you do this fall?” Thunder rolled through the camp, sending the last of the families scurrying indoors, leaving Matt and I alone in the narrow, shadowed space.

Matt cupped the back of my head and he lowered his nose until it touched mine. “This,” he whispered, then captured my lips in a kiss more electrifying than the war nature waged outside. His mouth was gentle at first, but the pressure grew more insistent until we both gasped for breath. My head whirled and I thought I’d black out until he lowered me to the bench.

The warmth of his bare chest seeped into my soaked tank, the drumming of his heart faster than the clattering rain. His lips left mine and travelled along my jaw to my earlobe. I shuddered when he lightly nibbled, the shock of pleasure intense.

My hands slid along his back, the muscles bunching beneath my touch. I traced the ridge of muscle above his hip and felt him tremble, his breath growing ragged. But when his fingers tugged up the hem of my shirt I was the one who sounded winded. His palms skimmed upward against my ribcage until they cupped my flesh, driving me crazy. Only another kiss kept me from making a noise. The storm was loud, but I didn’t want to risk alerting others that we were behind the water curtain flowing in front of the dugout.

“Matt,” I gasped, loving the feel of his hands on me, the pressure of his hips against mine. I was as hot as a stoked furnace, heat sizzling everywhere at once. My fingers buried themselves in the thick hair at the nape of his neck and I pressed my lips to his, wanting more of him.

He pulled me up and onto his lap. My hair dripped down my back as my head lolled, his mouth leaving a trail of fire along my neck before dipping lower to my clavicle and lower still. I kissed his brow, his temple, and his square jaw while his mouth explored. I wanted it to go on and on, but suddenly he pulled back, his chest rising and falling like one of those old-time bellows I’d seen on a school field trip.

His face was fierce, intense, every handsome feature sharpened. His hungry eyes were backlit with fire as they roamed over me. Why had he stopped?

“Lauren,” he said when it seemed he’d finally caught his breath. I’d never seen him this winded, not even after the endless sprints of football practice. “If we go any farther I won’t be able to stop.” His eyes searched mine, willing me to understand what he was saying.

“Oh.” My cheeks went up in flames and scrambled off his lap. Thank god the heavy waterfall had obscured us from view. I repositioned my bra and tugged down my tank top. I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache coming on.

“Hey.” Matt lifted my chin until I was forced to meet his warm blue-green eyes, the color as inviting as a Caribbean vacation brochure. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You’re my girlfriend. I love you.”

My heart seized. He’d dropped the L-bomb. We’d skirted around the word for months, saying things like, “I love that about you” or just a casual “Love ya” that sounded like friends. But this. It was huge. What to say? The obvious answer was no answer, but a fierce need to return the words clawed to the surface and fought its way out.

“I love you too.”

He crushed me against his chest, his hands twining in my frizzing waves.  I did love him, I marveled. His warmth. His sense of humor. His strength of purpose and conviction. But was I in love with him? That was the bigger question. One I had no clue how to answer.

About the Authors:

J. K. Rock is the writing partnership of sisters-in-law
Joanne & Karen Rock. Separately, they write adult romance. Together, they
dream up Young Adult books like CAMP BOYFRIEND, the first in a three-book
series. The summer camp stories continue with CAMP PAYBACK (4/14)
and CAMP FORGET-ME-NOT (8/14), plus bonus free novellas in between
stories. Visit http://campboyfriend.net to
learn more about the series and the free prequel novella, CAMP KISS,
which you can download here.

***Author Links***

Author
Website / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads / Karen’s Twitter / Joanne’s Twitter / Facebook

***GIVEAWAY***

Grand prize – Signed copies Amanda Ink’s SUN, Jennifer
Armentrout writing as J. Lynn’s FRIGID and JK Rock’s CAMP BOYFRIEND. Also
included, advance sneak peek copy Laurie Halse Anderson’s THE IMPOSSIBLE KNIFE
OF MEMORY and Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian’s FIRE WITH FIRE, plus an “I
❤ my Camp Boyfriend” tee shirt, friendship
bracelets,  ‘I ❤ Camp’ temporary tattoos, and a
bookmark with the download code for CAMP KISS.

Three other winners will receive $10 Amazon gift cards

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Hosted by:

Excerpt & Giveaway: You Are Mine by Janeal Falor [Book Blitz]

Welcome to my post on the You Are Mine blitz! I hadn’t hosted a blitz for a while and I really, REALLY liked the sound of this book so I thought I may as well promote it in SOME way! Below you’ll find an excerpt & a giveaway! Hope you enter!

You Are Mine by Janeal Falor

Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Kobo

(Currently on sale for $0.99!)

Publish Date: 6th May 2013

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy

Blitz Hosted by: YA Bound

Book Description:

Serena knows a few simple things. She will always be owned by a warlock. She will never have freedom. She will always do what her warlock wishes, regardless of how inane, frivolous, or cruel it is. And if she doesn’t follow the rules, she will be tarnished. Spelled to be bald, inked, and barren for the rest of her life—worth less than the shadow she casts.

Then her ownership is won by a barbarian from another country. With the uncertainty that comes from belonging to a new warlock, Serena questions if being tarnished is really worse than being owned by a barbarian, and tempts fate by breaking the rules. When he looks the other way instead of punishing her, she discovers a new world. The more she ventures into the forbidden, the more she learns of love and a freedom just out of reach. Serena longs for both. But in a society where women are only ever property, hoping for more could be deadly.

Advanced Praise:

“I was blown away by the beautiful writing, haunting themes, and chilling visuals.” ~Becca at Nawanda Files

 

“There were times when I had to fight back my tears and the emotion that this book drew from me made me feel so connected to what was going on as if I was actually there. You Are Mine should be on everyones to-read list and I cannot wait to see what Janeal Falor comes up with next.” ~Danielle at Coffee and Characters

 

 

Excerpt #2:

“May I kiss you now?”

 

No. Kisses leave me feeling sick. “I suppose it would be for the best.”

 

He leans closer. I want to pull away. Thomas’s kisses were callous. Painful even. The thought of more of that makes me feel queasy. But giving my permission somehow makes it harder to pull away.

 

His hand reaches up and brushes my face. Flecks of gold are mixed with the green of his eyes. Suddenly, he scoops me into his arms and plops me on his lap. I yelp.

“Sorry, I guess I should have warned you first.”

 

After straightening my skirt with quivering fingers, I hold myself stiff. His nose nuzzles against the side of my neck. Warm lips brush my jaw and sweep along my cheek until they reach the corner of my mouth. My breath comes in shallow gasps. He smells lightly of citrus.

 

I don’t move. His fingers tangle in my hair. His lips hover over mine. A nervous flutter grows in my chest. The creak of the door opening spurs him into action.

 

His lips touch mine. Flowing and sunny. They grow firmer. It feels so much better than I thought it could. His fingers run through my hair, the tendrils falling out of their confinement. Heat grows between us. He pulls me closer to him. Not only do I manage to refrain from fighting him, but I want to draw even closer.

GIVEAWAY:

One signed paperback (INT)

Five ebook copies to win (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Author:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Janeal Falor lives in Utah where she’s finally managed to live in the same house for more than five years without moving. In her spare time she reads books like they’re nuts covered in caramel and chocolate, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and enjoys the outdoors. Her husband and three children try to keep up with her overactive imagination. Usually they settle for having dinner on the table, even if she’s still going on about the voices in her head.

Review + Excerpt: Paradox by Robyn M. Pierce [Book Tour]

Welcome to my review and excerpt on the Paradox tour! Hosted by Girls Heart Book Tours!

Paradox by Robyn M. Pierce

Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon Kindle | Amazon Paperback | Smashwords

Publish Date: July 9th 2013

Genre: New Adult Romance

My Rating: 3.5/5.0

Book Description:

(Paradox is a complete novella at 30,759 words. NEW ADULT ROMANCE.)

They knew from the beginning it was wrong.

Everything in her life pointed her away from him.
Everything beckoned him toward her.

When Rachel met Taylor, their connection was immediate and undeniable. With so many things in common, these friends found themselves falling inevitably and too fast to stop. There was but one thing that was between them:
Rachel had a boyfriend.

A year after parting ways, Taylor’s and Rachel’s individual lives have thrust them back toward one another, and the resulting fireworks will leave more than one person burned.

MY REVIEW:

The premise of Paradox is, although similar to a lot of NA novels out there, very intriguing to a reader like me. Who doesn’t love a short and sweet romance?

I’ll be honest here, Paradox isn’t sweet. Two people fall in love, deny it and then don’t see each other for a very long time. That is not sweet. But it is a good story!

Rachel and Taylor have been communicating online for a while, and finally decide to meet. Taylor admits that he has feelings for Rachel, but she has a boyfriend and so he doesn’t pursue her outright. Of course, if you love someone back, love will find a way. (Trust me, I’m an expert in luuurve! NOT!  I just read a love of YA/NA romances!)

Rachel’s boyfriend Joshua, gives her a really hard time about Taylor, basically he’s just really jealous and want Rachel to be HIS and HIS ALONE. Which is fine, because cheating is heartbreaking. But he didn’t give Rachel a chance, and is really mean and then he wasn’t worth the trouble in the end.

What I didn’t get, is when Rachel and Taylor decided to NOT get together, even though they obviously wanted to and could at this point. I think it was something about not being good enough, or something. Weak excuse! They were humping in Taylor’s kitchen! Get together and make some babies!

Overall, I took away one star because I didn’t understand the reason why Taylor and Rachel couldn’t get together. More clarity please! But I really did enjoy the novel and thought Rachel and Taylor had a great spark, would have loved it if the book was a bit longer! But, that’s just personal!

 EXCERPT:

Turning on my heel, I went back to my laptop and plugged my earbuds in. I ignored his attempts to rekindle the conversation as I turned the volume up.

Facebook dinged at me as soon as I pulled the page up. It was Taylor.

T: Hey.

R: Hi.

Ugh, I thought. Two words exchanged and my mood is instantly better. I grew concerned that

Josh might be right in being worried about Taylor.

T: How are you, pretty lady?

R: Sigh. Just got into an argument with Josh.

I probably shouldn’t have told him, but if talking was going to make me feel better, why not?

T: Oh? What about?

I hesitated before typing

R: …You.

It took him a moment to respond, during which time I glanced at Josh. He was playing his

game and bobbing his head to music that played from his headset. So you turned music up, too…

We’re so similar, I thought.

A ding brought my attention back to my computer screen.

T: Really? May I ask the topic? More specifically than just arguing about me, I mean.

I could imagine his boyish grin and chuckled. I typed slowly, trying to figure out what to say.

R: He thinks you are only having me meet your friends so you can show off what it

yours. That all guys do it because he does it. I think he’s ridiculous.

Taylor was quiet for another few minutes.

T: Is he really such a caveman that he has to mark you as his?

Before I could reply, he continued.

T: Or does he have reason to believe you need to be marked?

My heart raced at the thought. Was there a reason for Josh to feel as though he had to claim

me as his? The only other interested person was Taylor, and I had no intention of going down

that path.

So why did my stomach do flips at the idea?

R: Not that I know of.

I wasn’t lying. There was no reason to lie to Taylor, and I honestly didn’t think there was

anything for Josh to worry about.

T: Good. I would hate for your nature to be compromised over me.

In my head, he sounded teasing. I smiled.

R: Like you could ever do something that would ruin my nature. You definitely aren’t

someone that could make me a worse person than I already am.

T: Oh? I could never influence you, huh? (P.S. You aren’t a bad person, even though

you seem to think you are.)

R: You know me well enough to say that?

T: I think I know you better than anyone else, if I’m being honest.

My heart skipped and I chewed on my lower lip in thought.

R: What makes you think that?

T: When you’re with me, you’re light as a feather. Every photo you have has a weight

added on your shoulders. You hardly smile, and when you do, you look like you’re

forcing it. When you’re with me, you breathe. You smile and laugh and you don’t seem to

worry about anything.

R: So you see all that, huh?

T: Not just that. I see your heart when I look into your eyes, and as beautiful as your

eyes are, your heart is even lovelier. Your soul is painted red – your favorite color, I’ll

assume – and you are full to the brim with passion for life.

R: Stop it, lol… You’re just guessing. Flattery gets you nowhere.

T: Think what you want, Madame. It doesn’t change the fact that it’s what I see when

I look at you.

About Author:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Robyn Pierce is an up-and-coming writer from Las Vegas, where the night is never-ending. She dabbles in PhotoShop, photography, modeling, and enjoys editing the work of others. She is currently working on a book series and can’t wait for the world to read the stories.

Review + Giveaway: Touching Melody by RaShelle Workman [Book Tour]

Welcome to my stop on the Touching Melody tour! Click HERE to view the tour schedule and see what other bloggers thought of this title! Don’t forget to enter the giveaway down below!

Touching Melody by RaShelle Workman

Series: Forever First #1 

Publication Date:  June 2013 

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Tour Hosted by: Xpresso Book Tours

My Rating: 4.0/5.0

Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Book Description:

Maddie Martin’s first weekend at college is nothing like she’s used to. It’s wild, like the wilderness on which the University of Bellam Springs sits. Roped into going to a frat party, she literally runs into Kyle Hadley. The boy she’s loved since she was nine. The boy she promised all of her firsts to. But that was before his father killed her parents. 

Determined to stay away from him, she throws herself into her music. Practicing piano eases her heavy heart, calms the sadness, and pushes away images of Kyle’s face. 

Until it doesn’t. 

Her music professor asks her to play a duet for their annual Graduation Gala. Doing so means she’ll be assured another full ride scholarship. It’s an opportunity she can’t pass up. 

But Kyle is the other half of the duet. And that means hours and hours of practicing. 

Days and months of seclusion – just the two of them. And it’s more than just music. It’s passion like Maddie never believed was possible. 

The inevitable happens. She falls in love with him all over again. 

But, will loving him be enough to erase all the hate in her heart for his father? Can she look at him, and not see the evil in his family tree?

And maybe it’s all a set up. Maybe Kyle is only pretending to care so he can finish what his father started, and kill her too.

MY REVIEW:

I read this too early! I thought the tour started in June not July! So I’m currently writing this review in June but YOU are reading it in July. Wow. I am genius. Moving on…

Describe This Book in One Word: Thrilling.

I wouldn’t class this as a thriller, as such, but there is an element of action and suspense throughout the book. Obviously, Maddie’s parents have been killed by her best friend’s father, and Maddie saw the bodies when she was just a teenager.

Plus, there where secret agents in this novel! I can’t really say much more because I’ll give the ending away, but there was some spy, action stuff going on towards the end.

The premise of the novel is intriguing, it’s what made me sign up to review this book in the first place. Throughout the book, I got the feeling that Maddie isn’t exactly SANE, but that it’s alright. Maybe I was reading too much into it, but it would make sense if she was a little insane.

Maddie is a very individual character. She has been homeschooled her entire life, (Like ME! Yes…I’m proud.) She doesn’t really know that much about boys other than what her Aunt and Uncle have told her.

Basically, don’t hold a boy’s hand because you could get PREGNANT!

Maddie has a little quirk that I thought was a nice touch. Whenever she meets new people, notices them in the street, whatever, the first thing she looks at is their shoes. And she can tell what type of person they are, or what image they are trying to put out.

This quirk sort of disappeared by the end of the novel but it was nice while it was there!

Kyle. Kinky Kyle! Ha! He seemed like quite a nice guy. I’m not really sure, I didn’t really connect with him that much. To be honest, he wasn’t that prominent in Touching Melody other than in Maddies thoughts.

Maddie had promised Kyle all of her firsts when she was 11. Even her first kiss which I thought was a little strange, considering how young they were.  I have a brother whose 11 and he has NO romantic interest in girls.

Another nice touch was the Chapter titles! You don’t get many chapter titles in YA! But once again, by the middle of the book, it looked like the author just picked out a random phrase and stuck in at the beginning of the page.

If there was a second book, I don’t think I’d read it. Touching Melody was enough for me!

GIVEAWAY:

75$ Amazon GC (INTL)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Author:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

RaShelle Workman is the bestselling author of the Dead Roses series (“Sleeping Roses” is being translated into Turkish, and will be available in print wherever Turkish books are sold in 2014), the Immortal Essence series, and the Blood and Snow series. She’s sold over two hundred thousand copies of her novels worldwide in the past year, including Japan, Canada, and Europe. You can find RaShelle all over the web, but the best place to start is on her blog: www.rashelleworkman.com.

Excerpt + Giveaway: Catching Liam by Sophia Bleu [Book Tour]

Welcome to my stop on the Catching Liam tour! No review today, but there is a giveaway and excerpt down below! Click HERE to see what other bloggers thought of this title!

Catching Liam by Sophia Bleu

Publication date:  Summer 2013 

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Tour Hosted by: Xpresso Book Tours

Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Book Description:

Twenty-one year-old Jillian Nichols only has one rule when it comes to boys: catch and release. Boy-catching isn’t just a game for Jillian and her friends, it’s a lifestyle. After all, boys might be good for a dance or a drink and certainly a little under-cover action of the scandalous variety, but expect much else and you’re bound for heart ache.

So when her best friends and fellow boy catchers start dropping like flies junior year, Jillian is determined to keep boys in her bedroom and out of her heart. Until she meets Liam McAvoy, the kind of guy that sticks around to make waffles and who can’t—or perhaps won’t—take a hint. 

Study abroad student Liam doesn’t want to be another notch on Jillian’s bedpost. Actually he has much more interesting ideas for Jillian and her bedposts, but his student visa’s set expiration date means he can’t promise her forever. That doesn’t mean he’s going to walk away from the challenge of discovering why Jillian is hell-bent at keeping people at a distance. 

Before long, neither is sure who is catching who—or if they’re playing for keeps. Jillian knows one thing though: falling in love will not only break the only rule of boy-catching, it could also break her heart.

GIVEAWAY:

a Kilt Checker tote bag filled with Catching Liam swag and a $25 amazon gift card.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

About Author:

 

Website / Facebook / Twitter

 

Sophia Bleu is a secret identity where I can write about fantasies and falling in love and all the smexiness in between.  In real life, I’m likely catching a plane, chasing kids, or making out with the love of my life—all 6 ft 3 inches of hotness that he is.  Life is pretty good.

 

EXCERPT #2 from Catching Liam.

“I left the bar because that was totally unfair,” I said. “That guy was about three drinks shy of becoming a date rapist, but they kicked you out.”

    “See?” he said, his lips curving up. “You defended my honor.”

    “And you defended mine. That makes us even.”

    “I would rather be in your debt,” Liam admitted.

    I started to protest when the tell-tale first drop of a Pacific Northwest storm splatted on my forehead. This was why I always had a plan for getting home from the bar. It was way too inconvenient to carry a slicker and wellies with me everywhere, and now I was trapped in the start of an epic thunderstorm.

    Liam quickened his pace, waving for me to run with him. I bounded a few steps before my ankle twisted under me.

    “Shit!” I yelped as I got my balance back.

    “You okay?” he asked, wrapping an arm around me like he was going to help me stagger home.

    “I’m fine, but there’s no way I can run in these.”

    The rain picked up in intensity, pelting us with fat, cold drops. A splinter of lightening cut across the sky. It was going to be one of those rare storms that was more intense than long-lasting. I shook the rain off my face and wiped it from my eyelashes, opening my eyes to see Liam squatting in front of me.

    “What are you doing?” I called over a blast of thunder.

    “Jump on,” he said.

    “You can’t be serious.”

    “I generally don’t joke around when I’m in the middle of drowning. Let me carry you.”

    I took a deep breath and hoisted myself onto his back. His hands found my knees and locked onto them. I couldn’t resist the urge to bury my face into the back of his neck. I told myself it was to avoid being assaulted by more water, but that didn’t explain why I enjoyed his soap-clean scent and the hint of cologne I found there.

    “Now I’m in your debt,” I told him as he began jogging toward my apartment complex.

    “I’ll think of a way for you to pay me back.”

    “So is that really why you wear kilts?” I asked him. My mind was already concocting a variety of ways to repay him for what seemed like a feat of god-like proportions.

    “Pants are a modern oppression on men,” he said. “I would wear a kilt every day.”

    I’d seen Liam’s calves before and couldn’t help but think if anyone could rock a kilt, he could.

    He managed to get us into the complex’s stairwell within five minutes, and despite running the whole way with me on his back, he wasn’t even winded. His stamina was certainly impressive. I wondered briefly if I should test it further. Once we were out of the rain, I shimmied off his back and glanced at my locked apartment door.

    “It’s late,” I said, feeling awkward suddenly. I was used to bringing guys home, but not many had carried me there.

    “I should get going while I’m still wet,” he said as he twisted his t-shirt, wringing out some of the rain.

    “No way. I’m in your debt, remember?” I said. “This storm won’t last long, and I have a dryer.”

    My hands shook a little as I unlocked my door and flipped on the light switch. I made a beeline for the cabinet and grabbed for my pill bottle. I had it down before he’d managed to tug his soaked shoes off.

    “What’s that?” he called.

    I stuffed the bottle back behind the plates and grabbed my Chiclets box, popping a few in my mouth. “The greatest gum on Earth.”

    “And you’re not going to offer me any?”

    “My bad.” I offered him the box and watched as he poured a few into his hands.

    “Amazing,” he said as he chewed.

    “I know.”

    “No, it’s amazing that it’s just like chewing little rubber balls.”

    I smacked him on the shoulder. “I want my Chiclets back.”

    Before I could even consider what I’d said, his mouth was on mine. I opened my mouth, allowing his tongue to glide across my tongue. Our skin was slick with rain, and I could make out the contours of his muscles as I slid my fingers over his clinging t-shirt. His hands seized my ass, pulling me up and around him as he pressed me against the door to my apartment. Every movement, every slight change in his body mirrored mine in natural, graceful precision. His lips traced secrets down my neck coming to rest at the top of my breasts.

    “We should get out of these wet clothes,” I breathed into his ear.