Blog Tour~ Excerpt & Giveaway: One Wild Night by Magan Vernon

One Wild Night Can Change Everything

Valerie Wilder doesn’t do serious relationships. She also doesn’t usually wake up in Vegas next to a male stripper…

A male stripper who happens to be her new husband.

A quickie divorce seems like the answer, but the Nevada legal system doesn’t think so.  When her new husband suggests flying back to Chicago with Valerie she accepts, wondering if one night in Vegas could turn into something much more.

If my pounding headache wasn’t enough to wake me, then the shifting on the other side of my bed was.
 
Shit. 
How much did I have to drink? 
I hadn’t hooked up with a random since college and now I could feel whoever it was moving. I guess that’s what happens when your work sends you to a conference in Vegas and your co-workers convince you to go to a strip club.

I wondered if that’s where I picked him up. If it was, I hoped he was at least hot because I didn’t remember a damn thing from the night before.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and turned toward the other side of my bed.
 
Damn. For being a Vegas hook-up he was about a hundred shades of sexy.

The random was on his back with his arms propped up behind his head. They weren’t veined and overly muscular like the guys in magazines, but lean and cut like a guy who knew his way around a gym and probably a woman’s body. God I hoped those arms were all over me.
 
My eyes trailed down from his arms to the hoops in his nipples. I always thought pierced nipples were meant for drunk college girls, but this guy with his toned pecs had me rethinking it.

He moaned, turning to his side before he opened his eyes—a gorgeous set of green ones that could have lit up the whole freaking Vegas strip. Blond spiky hair and green eyes, it was a freaking wet dream.

“Mornin’, Valerie,” he said, taking in a deep breath and stretching out his arms. An accent. The guy had a southern accent. I was about to turn into a panting teenage girl right there.

Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. When not writing she spends her time fighting over fake boyfriends via social media. You can find her online at www.maganvernon.com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day Launch~ Review, Excerpt and Giveaway: Storm Warning by E. Lee and C. Quinn

Storm Warning

(Broken Heartland # 1)

By: E. Lee and C. Quinn

Pub. Date: December 12, 2013

Publisher: Self

Pages: 214

Source: eARC for Blog Tour

Sometimes you can’t see the storm coming until it’s too late...

Severe Storm Warning Tip #1:
Be alert to changing weather conditions. Look for approaching storms.

Severe Storm Warning Tip #2:
If you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, be prepared to take shelter immediately.

Severe Storm Warning Tip #3:
They may strike quickly, with little or no warning.

Situated just outside of Oklahoma City, Calumet County is divided into two drastically different communities: Hope’s Grove and Summit Bluffs. One is the small backward town where dirt roads lead the way to field parties and railroad tracks. And the other, a sprawling suburb where paved drives lead to the landscaped lawns of the wealthy and over privileged.

For five teenagers smack in the middle of Tornado Alley, summer is heating up fast. The winds of change are blurring the invisible line that divides the rich and the rural.

One has a secret.
One has a crush.
One has been lying.
One will get caught.
And one might not make it out alive.

They’re from two different worlds…but one summer is about to change everything.

I received this galley in exchange for an honest review.

Storm Warning is set in two different towns in Oklahoma. One town is a rich, suburban neighborhood; the other is a poorer, farming town. The teens from either town don’t usually interact with each other, but for one summer, the lives of fives teens will be entwined and changed forever.

Kyle, Cameron, Ella Jane, Cooper, and Hayden are five teenagers all going through personal issues. These issues vary from problems with parents/family to economic issues. There issues were so realistic though. I really felt a connection to each one of them. Even though it’s been 8 years since I have been a teenager, I could still feel everything that they were feeling.

I thought the plot was very interesting and I liked how they used a real storm, as well as a metaphorical storm. These kids were dealing with a lot, and eventually everything was going to come to a head.

My only issue was the cliffhanger. I don’t think anyone is a real fan of cliffhangers. But some cliffhangers work. They excite you for the next book. Then there are others that are just there to guarantee you read the next book in the series. I feel like this cliffhanger was one of the latter. I don’t think it served a real purpose, and I think the ending could have been handled differently

I am a fan of both of these authors, and I am excited to read the second book in the series, Path of Destruction. 

Hope’s Grove was small. Everyone knew about her parents, and she was already dreading facing them since the news of her dad’s affair had hit. But facing them without her brother and her best friend would be her worst nightmare.

After the girls had said their goodbyes and she’d watched her friend’s taillights fade down the drive, Ella Jane scuffed her boots along the winding dirt road that led her home.

She was about halfway there, watching the sun sink low in the evening sky, when the unmistakable rumble of a pickup truck came barreling down the road behind her. She stepped aside to let it pass without looking back. But it didn’t pass. It slowed practically to a stop right next her.

She turned, wondering what the heck the driver’s deal was. There was more than enough room for him to go around. But the smiling face beneath the backwards trucker hat sent the words on the tip of her tongue swirling away with the dust the truck had riled up.

She bit her lip and grinned. Warm brown eyes gleamed in her direction. “Hey there, Ellie May. Need a ride?”

She rolled her eyes. Why Brantley Cooper couldn’t call her by her actual name was beyond her. But as long as he was talking to her, she really didn’t care much what he called her. He can call me ‘flower’ if he wants to.

He was a year older than her and a year younger than her older brother, Kyle. Smack in the middle of their ages and grades in school and usually smack in the middle of their arguments. Coop kept the peace. Balanced them out perfectly.

The three of them had met at the same time as kids but Coop and Kyle had become like brothers instantly. She’d always tagged along wherever they went. Kyle had whined about it when they were younger but Coop always made her feel welcome. He held doors open for her so she didn’t get left behind, made sure to invite her despite her brother’s protests, and lately he’d even stopped by and hung out even when Kyle wasn’t home. And this year, she’d be a junior and Coop would be a senior. With her big brother away at college, she couldn’t help but fantasize about what might happen if she and Coop spent time together alone.

“Hey, Coop. Lynlee just left so I was just…” She glanced toward home. Kyle wasn’t back from football camp yet, and her mom was baking herself to death, trying to keep her mind off of everything.

“Yeah, I heard the Wicked Witch was moving west. You up for some fishing? I have to drop my bike off at the house but we could swing by the lake after.”

She should get home. She knew she should. Should order a pizza and convince her mom to take it easy for a night.

Except…it was Coop. And in all her sixteen years, he was the one boy she’d never been able to say no to.

“Yeah. Yeah I’m up for it.”

Whether you believe in destiny, divine intervention, or just plain ol' dumb luck, several things happened in 2013 that caused E. Lee and C. Quinn's paths to cross. It may have been that the stars aligned perfectly, or the fact anytime Luke Bryan was mentioned on a social media site both of them were tagged, or maybe it was just that their small town roots and country girl attitudes were magnetically drawn together—calling out to one another, “Y'all should write a book!” Despite geography keeping them apart—Lee in Illinois and Quinn in Alabama—they did. Thanks to three-hour phone calls, ridiculous amounts of online chats, and umpteen Google Docs—Storm Warning is the first book in their edgy new Young Adult series,  Broken Heartland.

http://www.readbrokenheartland.com/

https://www.facebook.com/BrokenHeartlandSeries

www.twitter.com/BH_Series

www.pinterest.com/BrokenHeartland

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18484563-storm-warning?from_search=true

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: One Wild Night by Megan Vernon

One Wild Night

(Forever Wild # 1)

By: Magan Vernon

Pub. Date: December 5, 2013

Publisher: Self

Pages: 50

Source: eARC for Blog Tour

One Wild Night- EPISODE 1 in the first season of the Forever Wild Serial. (This is a six part series with one book releasing every 3 weeks)

One Wild Night Can Change Everything

Valerie Wilder doesn’t do serious relationships. She also doesn’t usually wake up in Vegas next to a male stripper…

A male stripper who happens to be her new husband.

A quickie divorce seems like the answer, but the Nevada legal system doesn’t think so. When her new husband suggests flying back to Chicago with Valerie she accepts, wondering if one night in Vegas could turn into something much more.

 I received this galley in exchange for an honest review.

I was super excited for One Wild Night. I thought it was going to be a fun, quick story. Unfortunately, it ended up being really stupid.  I didn't feel a connection to the two main characters, and I felt that the whole plot/premise was a little ridiculous.

Through her PR job, Valerie was in Las Vegas, judging the “Hot Abs Contest” at a male strip club. After helping to choose Wes as the winner, the two of them start talking at the after party.

What I thought would happen: The two of them get completely drunk and get married. What actually happened: Valerie was a little tipsy, Wes was sober, and the two of them got married. WHAT? How does that even happen? After that, I couldn't take the rest of this novella seriously.

The characters also angered me. Valerie was just an idiot. Every time I thought Val was going to surprise me and do something smart, she ended up doing the exact opposite of what a smart person would do. Wes had some moments that I enjoyed, but at only 50 pages, I couldn't form any real, concrete opinions.

I haven’t decided if I want to continue reading these novellas. On one hand, I am not sure if I want to waste my time; on the other hand, I don’t want to judge a book completely from the first 50 pages, especially because I feel this book can have potential.

Release Day Launch, Review & Giveaway: Sneaking Candy by Lisa Burstein

Sneaking Candy

By: Lisa Burstein

Pub. Date: December 9, 2013

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Source: eARC from Blog Tour

All I ever wanted was to make a name for myself as Candice Salinas, creative writing grad student at the University of Miami. Of course, secretly I already have made a name for myself: as Candy Sloane, self-published erotic romance writer. Though thrilled that my books are selling and I have actual fans, if anyone at UM found out, I could lose my scholarship…and the respect of my faculty advisor, grade-A-asshole Professor Dylan.

Enter James Walker, super-hot local barista and—surprise!—my student. Even though I know a relationship is totally off-limits, I can’t stop myself from sneaking around with James, taking a few cues from my own erotic writing…if you catch my drift. Candy’s showing her stripes for the first time in my real life, and I’ve never had so much fun. But when the sugar high fades, can my secrets stay under wraps?

I received this galley in exchange for an honest review.

Sneaking Candy is a delicious, fun, sweet story that was very different from other New Adult books out there. Candice takes her studies as a grad student very seriously. She wants to impress her boss, and she wants her students to learn from her. She is also a little shy and not very experienced. Her alter ego is Candy, a self published erotic romance author with a huge fan following. While being Candy helps her pay the bills, she never wants the two worlds to meet, afraid that if they do she will never be able to become a “real” author.

James Walker is the local barista, and the boy Candice has a crush on. It also turns out that James is Candice’s student, making their relationship a complete no-no. But Candice can’t seem to shake James, and even though they promise to just be friends, she definitely starts to feel something for him.

I absolutely loved the connection between Candice and James. They were so sweet together. I felt a connection to both of them as well. Candice was very realistic and flawed and easily relatable. James is a very talented writer, and I liked that he never threw his talent up to Candice, or anyone else for that matter. I thought he was going to be conceited and act like he’s better then everyone else, but he was the complete opposite of that.

Sneaking Candy was a wonderful story and a highly recommend it! 

About the Author:

Lisa Burstein is a tea seller by day and a writer by night. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from the Inland Northwest Center for Writers at Eastern Washington University. She is the author of the YA Novels: Pretty Amy and Dear Cassie and the NA Novella: The Next Forever. Sneaking Candy is her first full-length new adult novel.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

KOBO

Links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Author Goodreads

SNEAKING CANDY Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: Review and Excerpt: The Time-Traveling Fashionista and Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile by Bianca Turestsky

The Time-Traveling Fashionista and Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile

(The Time-Traveling Fashionista # 3)

By: Bianca Turestsky

Pub. Date: December 3, 2013

Publisher: Poppy

Pages: 256

Source: Netgalley & Lucinda Literary-Blog Tour

Walk, talk, and dress like an Egyptian.

When Louise Lambert tries on a lavender Grecian gown during a visit to the mysterious Traveling Fashionista Vintage Sale, she feels a familiar tug and falls back in time, arriving at the dusty base of an enormous pyramid. She has landed in ancient Egypt...or has she?

It turns out that Louise is on the legendary Old Hollywood film set of Cleopatra, but her time there is short-lived. Rummaging through the wardrobe tent, Louise gets her hands on a pearl necklace that dates back to 51 BC, and she suddenly finds herself whisked away once more, this time to the ancient city of Alexandria, Egypt. Gold and jewels shimmer in the Egyptian sunlight, but poisonous snakes and dangerous enemies also roam the palace halls. Louise quickly learns that life as a handmaiden to Queen Cleopatra is much more treacherous--and fashionable--than she ever could have imagined.

I received this galley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Lucinda Literary.

A few years ago, I read Bianca Turestsky first Time-Traveling Fashionista book, On Board the Titanic and instantly fell in love with this story. It is about a 12 year old girl named Louise who can travel to different places in history through fashion. She has already been on the Titanic and Marie Antoinette's Palace. In this installment, Louise finds herself being a servant to the famous Cleopatra in Ancient Egypt.

Louise not only gets to meet Cleopatra, she also meets Cleopatra's 10 year old brother and husband, the King of Egypt, as well as her sister. We get to see what life was like for these people thousands of years ago. Egypt was such a rich and beautiful time (especially in terms of clothing and architecture) and I felt like I got to experience Ancient Egypt first hand right along with Louise. Louise, being a huge fan of vintage clothing loves all of the items that Cleopatra gets to wear. Everything was described so perfectly! What is so great about these books is that beautiful illustrations are also included. I was so disappointed they weren't in the eARC, but I can't wait to get my hands on a finished copy so I can see them!

What I love about these stories is that they make history fun! As a World History teacher, I eat these kinds of stories right up. There are fun, quick and very easy to understand, making it a perfect book for someone who loves history as much as I do, or for someone who might find history boring. The series is geared towards middle graders, but I feel people of all ages can enjoy them! One of the last chapters in the book has Louise researching things about Cleopatra, and I loved that these facts were incorporated into the story.

There is just one minor thing that I have to mention, and it probably only bothered me because I am a history teacher. When Louise gets to experience the town of Alexandria, she mentions that she sees a huge statue of Poseidon, God of the Sea and realizes that she is seeing one of the Natural Wonders of the Ancient World. While there might have been a Poseidon statue there since it was the time of Ptolemy, and they were Greek, it is not a Natural Wonder. Maybe this was just a mistake in the ARC, and has since been fixed in the finished copy.

I absolutely loved this story and I highly recommend it. I am so excited to see where Louise's next adventure will take her!

Hi, I’m Louise Lambert and I’m a Traveling Fashionista. If people actually told the truth about themselves, it could be a really scary game. My name is Louise and I’m on the swim team and I like vintage fashion, she rehearsed in her head. That was easier; that made sense. Even if at Fairview Junior High, vintage clothing was still considered a little weird, particularly to Billy, whose fashion sense didn't extend beyond the same baggy jeans and dirt brown or navy pullover sweater he wore practically every day.

“Why don’t we start in the back of the class,” Miss Jones said, putting back on her oversize glasses, which made her look like a giant bug.

“I’m Billy Robertson. I love history and I was Miss Morris’s favorite student.” Everyone giggled. Judging by the amount of time he spent in the principal’s office, Billy wasn't any teacher’s favorite student.

When it finally came around to her turn, Louise lost her nerve. “My name is Louise Lambert and I’m on the swim team,” she said quickly, her cheeks burning hot. It was true she was a good swimmer, but that wasn't really the defining thing about her. Louise looked down at a pencil sketch of a Grecian-style dress she had absentmindedly drawn on a blank page in her notebook. Why was she unable to admit that she liked vintage clothing? She couldn't be the only one who was afraid of being a little different, afraid of Billy making one of his trademark mean comments from the back of the room. But it felt that way. Moments like that made her realize her self-confidence was hanging on by a thread. (pgs 21-22) 

Bianca Turetsky is the author of the stylish Time-Traveling Fashionista series, which has been translated into nine languages. After graduating from Tufts University, Bianca began working for artist/filmmaker Julian Schnabel. She managed his studio for the past 11 years and was his assistant on the Academy Award-nominated film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. She lives in a cozy studio apartment in Brooklyn, New York, that houses her very extensive and much-loved vintage collection. The third book in the series, The Time-Traveling Fashionista and Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile will be released December 3, 2013.

 Check out The Time-Traveling Fashionista website!

Buy The Time-Traveling Fashionista on Amazon!

Release Day Launch, Review & Giveaway: Before We by Courtney Cole

Before We Fall

(Beautifully Broken # 3)

By: Courtney Cole

Pub. Date: December 3, 2013

Publisher: Forever

Pages: 336

Source: Netgalley

Sometimes, one dark moment is all it takes to turn your world black...

For 24-year old Dominic Kinkaide, that moment took place on the night of his high school graduation. One dark incident changed him forever. He's a hardened actor now, famous in the eyes of the world, but tortured in his own. He doesn't care about much of anything, except for losing himself in the roles that he plays.

23-year old Jacey Vincent doesn't realize how much her father's indifference has affected her. She is proof that sometimes it isn't one specific moment that wrecks a person, but rather it's an absence of moments. She's like a bird with a broken wing-strong yet fragile, as she tries to float through life, finding acceptance in the arms of random guys, one after the other... to fill the void that her father left in her.

Until she meets Dominic.

After jaded Dominic and strong-willed Jacey are thrown together, his secret and her issues create a dark and damaged energy that will soon turn their attraction to each other into an explosive storm.

Even though when the clouds have cleared and the dust has settled, both of them are almost obliterated... they've learned a priceless lesson.

Sometimes, before we fall... we fly.

I received this galley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Forever Pub. 

I have been a huge fan of Courtney Cole and her beautifully broken series ever since I read the first book, If You Stay. Her characters are wonderfully written, and her stories are just so captivating. When I received a review copy of Before We Fall I was beyond excited, and I started reading it right away.

Dominic Kinkaide is a world famous actor. He is gorgeous and everyone wants something from him. He is also an extremely private person who holds in a lot of pain and guilt from his past. Not letting anybody in can get lonely, and Dom deals with that loneliness and pain by participating in as many sexual acts as possible. Pain and sex is the only way he can feel something. When waitress Jacey Vincent walks into Dom’s life, everything will change for both of them. Jacey is also someone who is dealing with guilt, and she can’t seem to get her life together. She always chooses the wrong guy and makes the wrong decisions. The two of them were perfect for each other! They were both stubborn and headstrong, and both were so broken, I thought it would never get better for either of them. I loved watching them break down each other’s walls, especially Dom’s walls. Boy, did that boy break my heart.

Dom and Jacey had an extremely hot chemistry and I loved every single moment of it. The two characters were saw raw, and the pain they were dealing with felt so horrible at times, I had to stop reading and take a moment to process everything. It's things like this, that make a good book, great, in my opinion. 

The Beautifully Broken series is one of my favorite series and I highly recommend it. Cole is such an amazing and talented author. Her writing is beyond words. I will be a faithful fan of hers for years to come.  

Excerpt and Teasers

Are you feeling warm yet?”

I watch his lips as he speaks the words, husky and low.   His lips are full, yet manly and suddenly I ache to lean over and press mine to his, to touch them in any way that I can. 

But I don’t. 

Because I’m not a girl who gets used.  Not anymore. 

 “No, not at all.”

But Dominic takes that as a challenge.  He’s not used to hearing the word no and he’s not about to start now.  I see that in his dark eyes a scant moment before he dips his head and consumes my mouth.

I say consume, instead of kiss, because that’s what he does.

He consumes me.

His lips are fiery and hot and he kisses me with a fierceness that touches a secret part of me; moist, hot, firm, sexy.  I want to inhale him, to suck him down.  I vaguely feel his hands on my back, his warmth emanating through my clothes, his hardness pushing into my softness.

I’m breathless when he pulls away. 

“What about now?”

For the life of me, I’m afraid to answer that.  Instead, I pull away, just a bit, just enough that there is some space between us, but I can still absorb his warmth.   As my teeth chatter, both from the cold and from the suddden absence of his lips, I answer.

“I’m good.”

He laughs, a husky, low, naughty sound. 

“Oh, I’m sure of that.”

And just like that, I’m drawn back in… in toward his sexy smile, his arrogant gaze and his knowing smirk.  He’s bad for me.  Very bad for me.   I’ve got to remember that. 

He will decimate you, I tell myself.

But my problem is, every time I look into his dark eyes and see the mysterious things that lurk there, I forget that.   I forget everything that is supposed to matter.

About the Author:

 

Courtney Cole is a novelist who would eat mythology for breakfast if she could. She has a degree in Business, but has since discovered that corporate America is not nearly as fun to live in as fictional worlds. She loves chocolate and roller coasters and hates waiting and rude people.

Courtney lives in quiet suburbia, close to Lake Michigan, with her real-life Prince Charming, her ornery kids (there is a small chance that they get their orneriness from their mother) and a small domestic zoo.

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Links:

Website:  http://www.courtneycoleauthor.com/

Blog:  http://courtneycolewrites.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Court_Writes

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/courtneycolewrites

Author Goodreads:   http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3112212.Courtney_Cole

BEFORE WE FALL Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18081633-before-we-fall?ac=1

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Courtney-Cole/e/B004Y4Z8ZU/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1375577792&sr=8-2-ent

Grand Central: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/publishers/grand-central-publishing/

Grand Central Twitter: http://twitter.com/grandcentralpub

Grand Central Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrandCentralPub

Trailers: Book Trailer 1 | Book Trailer 2

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Review: Another Little Piece of My Heart by Tracey Martin

Another Little Piece of My Heart

By: Tracey Martin

Pub. Date: December 1, 2013

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 304

Source: Netgalley

What if your devastating break-up became this summer’s hit single? In this rock-and-roll retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, music can either bring you together or tear you apart.

At her dying mother’s request, Claire dumps Jared, the only boy she’s ever loved. Left with a broken family and a broken heart, Claire is furious when she discovers that her biggest regret became Jared’s big break. While Jared is catapulted into rock-star status, another piece of Claire’s heart crumbles every time his song plays on the radio.

The summer after her senior year, it’s been months since the big break-up, and Claire is just trying to keep her head down and make it through a tense trip to the beach with her family. But when Jared shows up, and old feelings reignite, can Claire and Jared let go of the past? Or will they be stuck singing the same old refrain?

I received this galley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Teen.

Another Little Piece of My Heart was exactly the kind of book that I needed! I thought it was going to be a heavy read, but it was a light hearted, fun, and easy to get through read. I absolutely loved the characters and the premise just sounded so original and fun! Lately, I haven't been a huge fan of contemporaries, but this book made me enjoy them again!

Claire used to be a rich girl. Now she is on her way with her dad and sister to spend the summer with her Aunt. Claire wasn't one to ever listen to her parents or do what they wanted. She was in love with Jared, the boy with long hair and a beat up truck from the wrong side of the tracks. But Claire's mothers dying wish is for her to dump Jared, because he isn't good enough for her. Wanting to make her mom happy, she dumps him, the boy she is madly in love with. After the break up, Jared moved to NYC and got discovered. Now his entire album is filled with songs about his horrible ex girlfriend who dumped him!

Right away, I hated Jared. I thought he was a jerk! But the more I got to know him, the more I realized he was just a hurt kid who never meant to cause anyone pain, especially Claire. I really liked Claire too. You can't judge a girl who wanted to make her dying mother happy. I loved the connection between the two. It was sweet and realistic. Their feelings for each other and what happened between them felt so real and raw to me.

Any book that has references to how awesome The Beatles are is a win for me, and Another Little Piece of My Heart was no exception! I highly recommend it!