Thursday, May 28, 2015

Cover Reveal - The Choice by Allison Kennedy

About the book:

How do you heal from your past when you're still trapped within it?

I lost myself the night of the party. Just like that, my innocence and my sanity were torn away.

I would like to say that time heals all wounds, but it doesn't. And I would like to say that falling in love is what rescued me, but it wasn't. Nobody told me what to expect in the coming days and weeks and months after conceiving a rapist's child. Years later, my wounds are still just as fresh as the night they were made. It would be so easy to disappear and allow the memories to consume me.


But that's the choice, isn't it? To live instead.

**This book contains rape triggers. Discretion is advised.
 
 

About the author:

Allison was born and raised in the mountains of Oregon, birthed of the crisp, clean air and rainy forests. She now resides in Oklahoma City, though she is still thoroughly attached to her home and finds much inspiration for her stories whenever she has a chance to return. As the spouse of a police officer and a full-time photographer, she is on her toes 24/7. Often told that she has her head in the clouds, she couldn’t deny it even if she wanted to. Allison began dreaming up stories long before she was old enough to write them. She enjoys a variety of genres, including YA, romance, historical romance, fantasy, dystopian, and anything else that hooks her interest. She prefers to write books that tell gripping love stories in heart-wrenching, real, inspiring ways. Her stories are deep and raw, taking the reader into a world that is richly intricate. Readers often say that they are swept away and left reeling when they have finished the last page.
Find her online at - http://www.allisonjkennedy.com/

Monday, May 25, 2015

ARC Review: Kissing in America by Margo Rabb

Title: Kissing In America 
Author: Margo Rabb
Publisher: Harper
Release Date: May 26, 2015
Format: ARC
Rating: 3/5 Stars

In the two years since her father died, sixteen-year-old Eva has found comfort in reading romance novels—118 of them, to be exact—to dull the pain of her loss that's still so present. Her romantic fantasies become a reality when she meets Will, who understands Eva's grief. Unfortunately, after Eva falls head over heels for him, he picks up and moves to California without any warning. Not wanting to lose the only person who has been able to pull her out of sadness—and, perhaps, her shot at real love—Eva and her best friend, Annie, concoct a plan to travel to the West Coast to see Will again. As they road trip across America, Eva and Annie confront the complex truth about love.

Kissing In America wasn't a book that I would have immediately picked up right away but since I managed to get an ARC of it, I figured why not give it a try and see what it's all about. Well what it gave me was an adventure across America to chase down love.

The fact the book takes place across country meant that I felt like I was able to go exploring with Eva and Annie and travel places; I've never been to. The romance was just enough to keep me turning the page to see how the journey would end. It did explore a few darker elements with romance and a few other things but that's why I liked. It wasn't glamorizing love; it made it real.

Eva, Annie, and Will were all very believable characters who I found to be just like people that I know. What I can't find completely believable is that they just decide to make the trip across the country for a guy. I might be wrong but if this was to actually happen in real life I would wonder what their parents would actually think.

Overall I gave Kissing in America a 3 out of 5. The characters were likeable, the story was an adventure and the romance was just enough for me.


Saturday, May 23, 2015

ARC Review - Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton

Title: Tiny Pretty Things
Author: Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton
Publisher:Harper Teen
Release Date: May 26, 2015
Format: ARC
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars in this soapy, drama-packed novel featuring diverse characters who will do anything to be the prima at their elite ballet school.

Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

After reading Turning Pointe and Second Position by Katherine Locke and falling for the ballet and the characters and everything from those two books, I was excited to see a YA ballet book. (Katherine's books are NA) So picking up the ARC of Tiny Pretty Things from my bookstore was one of the better decisions I've made recently.

While all the books involve ballet, they are vastly different. Focusing on the book that this review is actually about; TPT had quite a bit going for it, in my mind. A very diverse cast and a plot that had a lot of twists and turn was something that I love finding in books; regardless of the genre. Now this cover alone was enough to catch my attention which is an added bonus to the book, because when a beautiful cover matches the inside, its a win win. Before I ramble anymore, let's get to seeing why I liked this book.

Starting off with the characters, they were all diverse and yet they all had something in common. Ballet in which they all want the same thing, to be the lead in a production. Gigi was probably my favorite because she was the underdog, coming from the West Coast, to the Academy in NY just to dance, she had a lot to live up to. June was an okay character for me and poor Bette trying to out do her sister. I can sympathize with that one.

The plot itself was broken down into two acts the Fall and the Spring. The Fall act was my favorite because it gave way for the entire novel, which kept me up late through the night to finish. The Spring act; though; threw me for some curveballs. I never saw what was coming and the ending of it left me wanting more. I'm so glad that there is a second book because the ending was a bit of a cliff hanger.

Well overall I give TPT a 4 out of 5 and highly recommend it to those who are fans of dance, ballet, drama and just overall drama then this one is for you! 

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Book Blitz - Sky High by C.J. Lake Q&A, Excerpt and Giveaway!



Book & Author Details:
Sky High by C.J. Lake 
(The Attraction #3) 
Publication date: May 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:
**All books in C.J. Lake’s Attraction Series are standalone novels with NO cliffhangers.**

First she stole my parking spot.  Then we became friends.  Then I fell completely, mind-torturingly in love with her.  Oh, wait—I think that happened first.

Sky High by C.J. Lake – coming in May!


Purchase:



AUTHOR BIO:
(No author photo available)
C.J. Lake is a storyteller who is passionate about art, surfing, and skiing/snowboarding. Residing near the coast of Massachusetts, C.J. is currently working on a new book. Readers can get in touch via email ( writercjlake@gmail.com) or follow C.J. on Twitter @brightbluesurf.




Q&A with C.J. Lake

What makes Jamie and Sky such a great couple?
When the story begins, Sky is in a tough transition, finally coming to terms with the fact that her ski career is over after it had only just begun—and that she has to figure out what’s next.  She has become somewhat negative and cynical, but when Jamie comes along with his easygoing, funny personality, he inevitably brings a positive energy to Sky’s life.  

If you had to choose, what is your favorite scene?
Sky and Jamie have a confrontation about their whole “friendship” and what’s really been happening below the surface.  It’s a pretty intense, sexy scene and I love that whole moment between them! 

Do you have a music playlist for this book?
Yes!  My #1 Jamie-Sky inspiration song is “Afterlife” by Ingrid Michaelson—but there are so many fun, romantic songs that remind me of their love!  Like: “Want to Want Me” (Jason Derulo), “Sugar” (Maroon 5), “Boom Clap” (Charli XCX), “Riptide” (Vance Joy), “Classic” (MKTO), “Love Me Like You Do” (Ellie Goulding), and “Unconditional” (Katy Perry).

What are your must-haves while writing?
I’d like to say good lighting and espresso—but truthfully, I’ll write even when I’m out of espresso.  Still…good lighting is a must and I will pretty happily settle for regular coffee.

What else should readers know?
Sky High is the third book in The Attraction Series.  Like the other books in the series, Sky High is a standalone novel—although characters from Constructing Us (Book 1) and A Hot Winter (Book 2) also appear, so readers can see how they’re doing!  I had a lot of fun with this book, because Jamie is one-of-a-kind and I hope I captured that.

What’s next?
Coming up are Parts 2 & 3 of The Allnighter (My New Stepbrother).  I recently released Part 1, which you can check out here: http://amzn.to/1cuDWZc  Mick and Cady would be perfect together…if only the timing and circumstances weren’t so imperfect!  The rest of their sexy and at times funny love story is coming soon…

Also, Let it Burn (Book 4 in the Attraction Series), is coming in 2016!


EXCERPT:

“Why are you so pissed?”
Jamie spared her a cold glance over his shoulder.  For a fleeting moment, she thought he might deny his anger or talk around it, but instead he muttered, “You know why.”
Sucking in a breath, Sky hesitated.  For a long moment, she watched him picking up weights and stacking them (loudly), feeling like she had a wad of cotton in her throat.  She wasn’t sure what to say or how to play this; she only knew that she needed Jamie to be her friend again—and so much more than that—and she wasn’t going to insult his intelligence by playing dumb.
“Look, I didn’t even want to go on that date,” she told him, still talking to his back.  “It was a last-minute favor to Alison—she begged me!”  Wordlessly, Jamie stacked two more weights, then scooped up a dumbbell. 
Frustrated, Sky said, “Look, she begged me as a personal favor to go out with him.”
With his back still to her, he said, “Yeah, did she beg you to bring the guy back home with you, too?” 
Sky winced at that.  “The date didn’t mean anything, Jamie.” 
God, he was being difficult.  Was he going to make her say it first?  Didn’t he know how scary that was? 
Suddenly he whipped his head around, as if a thought had just occurred to him.  “Wait—is he downstairs right now?  Waiting for you?”
“No!” Sky nearly yelped.  “No, he’s not there.  He left.”
“Ah,” Jamie said with a nod.  “So that’s why you’re here.  Let me guess: you want my opinion now.”
“No,” Sky began, shaking her head, “that’s not—”
“Well,” Jamie declared, “my opinion is that this is bullshit.”
Stunned, Sky just blinked at him for a second.  “Exactly which part?” she asked, confused.
“This whole thing with you and me,” he stated bluntly.  “And I’m done with it.”
For a terrifying second, Sky panicked.  How was he “done” with it?  With her?  “What does that mean?” she said, trying to keep her voice from betraying what a hot mess of emotions she was right now.
Jamie started walking toward her, his eyes burning with anger.  “It means: I don’t want to be your friend and I don’t want to hear about these guys anymore.”
“That’s what I’m trying to—”
“What do you even need my input for anyway?” Jamie continued brusquely, and Sky’s breath hitched in her throat.  She’d never seen him this angry (and was it wrong that it was turning her on?)  “You’re a grown woman,” he practically barked at her, stopping his processional about five feet away from her.  “You go be with whoever you want to be with.” 
Nodding, Sky felt her adrenaline rise.  “Fine, I will.  In fact, that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” she promised, walking closer to him.  If he was missing her meaning, he certainly wouldn’t be missing it for long...
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Monday, May 18, 2015

Blog Tour: Excerpt and Giveaway - Bone Deep by Kim O'Brien


Title: Bone Deep
Author: Kim O’Brien
Release Date: May 19, 2015
Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary


Synopsis: When Paige Patterson travels to Arizona to spend the summer with her archeologist father, she expects answers. Why did her parents divorce? Why did her father choose his career over family? She doesn’t expect to be reunited with her best friend Emily Linton, a girl she has always admired and secretly wanted to emulate, or to find herself falling for the project manager’s son, Jalen Yazzi.

But the summer takes a terrible turn when Emily vanishes. As the police struggle for answers, Paige sets out to find the truth.

The search takes Paige from the Cliffside ruins of prehistoric Native Americans to the Navajo Nation to the horrifying possibility that the answer is much closer to home. Emily, it turns out, was not the only one good at hiding things.

Her father has no alibi for the night Emily disappeared. An intern with the motive insists he’s innocent. And Jalen has some secrets of his own.

Old bones might not be the only things buried in the ruins. As Paige digs deeper into Emily’s disappearance, she realizes that uncovering the truth may cost her everything—even her life.
 


Kim’s comment:
Aren’t the relationships between best friends fascinating? In Bone Deep, Paige and Emily grew up together following their fathers around the Southwest. Paige’s father was an archeologist and Emily’s was an anthropologist. Emily was always considered the smarter and prettier of the two girls, but it was Paige’s imagination that proved to be the most powerful bond between them. Both girls got dragged around to the various work sites and had very little supervision. So they made up a game, essentially of dares, which turned out to be a very dangerous one.

Excerpt:

We found the cave by accident, one morning when we were exploring the rock formations rising in Chalupa Canyon in New Mexico. It was well-hidden, the opening so disguised it looked like a shadow between two rocks. I stuck my face into the darkness. I couldn’t see much, but I knew it was a perfect place to play our game.
 Emily grinned. “The best-told stories are the stories told just before dark.”
I hesitated. The last time I had played the game, I’d almost fallen off a very tall rock. For a long time now, I had wished we could stop playing these games. I actually thought what our fathers were doing was a lot more interesting, but I’d always done what Emily wanted me to do. The bottom line: I didn’t want to lose her friendship.
I promised myself this would be the last time. “Okay, but I’ll have to get inside before I’ll know the story.”
To prove I wasn’t afraid, although I was, I went first. What little light there was vanished almost immediately, but I moved slowly, waving my arms around like a blind person, making noise, and taking tiny baby steps. The air grew cooler, smelled musty.
“We’re in a si’papu,” I said, pausing as Emily shuffled up behind me. “And we’re going backward in time, to the world that existed before ours.”
Emily’s hand dropped on my bare shoulder, connecting us, but startling the hell out of me. “Shit,” I said, and she giggled. The noise echoed in a terrible way.
With Emily’s hand on my shoulder, I led us deeper into the cave. It was very dark, but we were used to it. The deeper we went, the more the walls became increasingly narrow. Each bend became harder to squeeze through.
The sounds became magnified, or maybe we were just breathing harder and harder. My heart thumped loud and fast, and my sides scraped against the rock that was pressing now on me from both sides even though I was mainly turned sideways. I told Emily that the cave had a heart and lungs and if we listened closely enough we could hear them. I stopped. We listened.
“Oh, shit,” Emily whispered. “I hear it. I’m totally freaking out.”
“Let’s go back.” I thought about lying, saying that the cave ended. It was too tight for her to pass me. She’d never know. But I didn’t. Instead, I led us deeper, embellishing the story, releasing my fear in the story I told as we inched our way through the darkness.
The bat came out of nowhere. I didn’t even hear it until it was flapping by my head. I ducked to the side, and then it happened. One minute there were walls and floor, and the next they were gone. I had long enough to realize I was in serious trouble, and then the ground flew up at me. I heard something crack, and then Emily’s weight smashed into me.
My leg exploded into a thousand knife-points of pain. It blazed up my body, took my breath, and lit my brain on fire. I had to clamp my teeth together to keep from screaming.
“Emily… Emily…” I croaked out. “Are you okay?”
“I think so,” she said. In the darkness, it seemed like her voice was everywhere—around me, on me, even inside me. She shifted off me. “Are you okay?”
The pain was terrible. I couldn’t keep myself from making a horrible groaning noise. “I…I think my leg is broken. And I’m bleeding.”
Emily sucked in her breath. “Oh, shit,” she said, and for once there was no excitement in her voice, only fear.



Book Links:












Author Bio:

Kim O’Brien grew up in an old Victorian house in Bronxville, NY. Her mother loved telling her bedtime stories, especially ones about the ghost in their attic. Kim not only believed the house was haunted but also fell in love with books and the art of storytelling.

At Emory University in Atlanta, Kim earned a B.A. in psychology. She then attained a M.F.A in writing from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY. She worked for many years as a writer, editor, and speechwriter for IBM before becoming a full time fiction writer. She lives in Texas with her husband, daughters, and four-legged friend Daisy.

Kim is the author of eight inspirational romances and seven non-fiction children’s books. She loves to hear from her readers and can be found at www.kimobrienbooks.com/, Facebook, and Twitter (kimobri).


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