Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Release Day, Review & Giveaway:The Resolution of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen

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Happy Release Day to Jessica Sorensen
and her new book

THE RESOLUTION OF CALLIE AND KAYDEN!


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Synopsis
 Things are going good for Callie and Kayden. They’re still dealing with their past and the pain connected to it, but for the most part they’ve moved on. The biggest decision they have at the moment is what they want to do with their lives in the future.

Eventually, though, the past catches up with them and they’re left facing tough choices. But Callie and Kayden learn that as long as they have each other, they can make it through just about anything. And in the end, they discover what they really want out of life.


Excerpt
“She’s just being nice,” Kayden says gazing down at me. His hair is ruffled and his jawline is scruffy and he looks so happy. “And it’s nice… that she wants to be so nice... it could be worse than an overnice mother.”
“Yeah, I know.” I sigh, knowing he’s right, that it could be worse, that I could have a mother like his mother. “I just wish she’d be just a little bit less embarrassing.” I raise my hand and make a pinching gesture with my fingers. “Maybe just a teeny tiny bit.”
“Yeah, I doubt that’s ever going to happen.” Kayden slips his shirt off and chucks it aside. His jeans ride low on his hips, giving me a view of his abs and chest that is crisscrossed with scars. “I did find it funny when she kept cracking jokes all through dinner about how she thinks we’re going to end up getting married.” He kneels down on the mattress, nudging my knees open with his knees until I spread open my legs for him.
“Oh God.” Shaking my head, I cover my face with my hands. “I’m glad you find it funny because I’m sure most guys would be running for their lives.”
The mattresses moves as he leans over me and puts a hand on each side of my head. I crack my fingers apart and look at him. He’s been so much happier since he put the past behind him. He seems to breathe freer, smile more, and it’s probably the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. “Well, just make sure you really want this,” I say as he moves one of my hands away from my eyes.  “Because you still have time to run.”
He shakes his head, his tongue slipping out of his mouth to wet his lips. “No running here,” he whispers in a raspy voice that I know only means one thing—he wants me. “Ever.” He moves my other hand away from my face then pins my arms above my head.
A while ago, the movement would have sent my heart soaring and not in a good way. But now… well, it freaking soars like a bird high up in the sky never wanting to return to land ever. It soars because it’s free. It soars for him.
“You want me,” I tease as he leans down to kiss me.
“You’re right,” he says. “And then I want to give you your present.”
“But you already gave me my present.” I pat my pocket where the tickets to the concert are that he gave me. He said it was for a redo of a night that should have been special, but he couldn’t give it to me then, but he was ready now to give me everything I deserve—his words not mine. My mom practically fainted when he said it. And me, well I think I fell in love with Kayden even more.
“Yeah, but that one was only the first part.” He kisses me, then softly bites my bottom lip before he leans back for air. “There’s more,” he breathes against my lips, coming in for another kiss. “But you have to wait.”
“Until when?” I wonder, my heart skipping a beat as his hands wander for the button of my jeans.
“Until we’re done with this.” He gives me a wicked smile as he flicks my button undone.


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What I thought about The Resolution of Callie and Kayden


The Resolution of Callie and Kayden is heart-warming tale of triumph over adversity and a gut-wrenching look at the scars that adversity has left behind. 

Still recovering from being raped by her brother's friend at age 12, Callie seems much further along in the process of getting better.  She's even optimistic, dreaming of getting out of the dorm and into an apartment with Kayden.  There's talk of future there, and even though she has her moments, she has grown so much, as evidenced by a chance meeting with someone she'd rather forget. I really liked her in The Resolution -- and she really comes through for Kayden. It's not hard to feel the deep love there. 

Kayden is still suffering from the trauma of being beaten regularly by his father, not to mention being stabbed and left for dead. It's clear he's still struggling with it all, and when his brother Dylan calls to say that their parents have been found, Kayden slips back into old habits. Talk about heart-breaking. But Callie lifts him up and brings him back in a lovely scene on Halloween.  It was so great to see a different point of view of this night. I loved having Seth, Luke and Violet as part of this story, even if it was only in the back ground. 
  
In a pivotal moment in the story, Kayden is tested when there's news about his parents and his mother attempts to get in touch with him.  He learns what family is all about and the series concludes with a very nice moment between Callie and Kayden that warmed my heart.  

Lots of great emotion in this story and it carries all the way to the end. Great conclusion to the series. Recommended. 





Giveaway
SERIES READING ORDER
Book 1: The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden
Available from
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes   

Book 2: The Redemption of Callie and Kayden
Available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes   

 Book 3: The Destiny of Violet and Luke  
Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble , and iTunes   

Book 4: The Probability of Violet and Luke  
Available on Amazon, iTunes, B&N, and Smashwords  

 Book 5: The Certainty of Violet and Luke  
Available on Amazon, iTunes, B&N, and Smashwords  

 Book 6: The Resolution of Callie and Kayden  
 Available on Amazon, iTunes, B&N, and Smashwords



The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jessica Sorensen, lives in the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.





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Release Day Launch & Giveaway: As Long As You Love Me by Ann Aguirre

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We are absolutely ecstatic to bring you the Release Day Launch for Ann Aguirre's AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME! AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME is the second novel in Ann's New Adult Contemporary Romance 2B Trilogy Series, published by Harlequin HQN! If you haven't already read I WANT IT THAT WAY buy it NOW. We can't wait for you all to read it so you can dish with us about it!

As Long As You Love Me

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AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME Synopsis:

Most people dream about getting out of Sharon, Nebraska, but after three years away, Lauren Barrett is coming home. There are the justifications she gives to everyone else—missing her family, losing her college scholarship. And then there’s the reason Lauren can’t admit to anyone: Rob Conrad, her best friend’s older brother.

Football prowess and jaw-dropping good looks made Rob a star in high school. Out in the real world, his job and his relationships are going nowhere. He can’t pinpoint exactly what’s missing until Lauren comes back to town, bringing old feelings and new dreams with her. But he’s the guy that women love and leave—not the one who makes them think of forever.

 Though she’s terrified of opening up, Lauren’s ready to take that chance. Because the only thing more important than figuring out where you truly belong is finding the person you were meant to be with.




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EXCERPT:
Mom was asleep, so I checked my email. I had the usual spam, plus notes from all my former roomies, which made me happy. I missed all of them, even Max, though things were unspeakably awkward between us at the end. I opened Nadia’s first:

LB! You know I miss you like crazy, right? Courtney’s in your bed right now, and she has completely alphabetized my books. I’m pretty sure there will be a lending library program implemented the next time I get home from work. So how’s Nebraska? Did you find a job yet? Have you started applying to any schools? I have like ten more questions but you’ll get grumpy if I dump them on you all at once. Hug and kiss my family for me, okay? Write back soon or I’m sending my brother to track you down.

She didn’t mention the hot single dad she’d broken up with right before I left. Mr. Hot Ginger had dumped Nadia for her own good, which would drive her quietly crazy. I’d felt horrible about the timing, but there was little I could do about it. I hadn’t gotten to know him well before I left, but Ty seemed like a good guy. He was only a few years older than us, but already had a four-year-old. That was the crux of the conflict.
Writing back, I didn’t quite nail the tone, talking about Rob too much and inventing interesting anecdotes because there was so little going on. I could’ve mentioned Krista, but Nadia had never been as close to her, and there was some tension by the time she moved. Mostly I didn’t want Nadia to worry; things would be fine once I got a job and had less time to fret about whether I’d made the right decision.

I opened Angus’s email next:

Hey, you. Got your check. It appears not to be rubber, but I said you didn’t have to pay me back. I hate you for leaving. Come back right now. I’ll wait. This is me, waiting. It’s been at least five minutes. You’re shattering my faith in humanity, Lauren. Take responsibility for it! Not sure what you’ve heard from Nadia, but she’s such a hot mess. I can’t believe you abandoned us. All the light has left my life. All of it! Okay, enough drama. I’m working on getting over Josh. Classes suck but I will survive. (You’re singing it now, aren’t you?)

“Damn you, Angus Starr. You know me too well.” I got up on my bed with a hairbrush and sang two verses before reading on.

In all seriousness, there is a Lauren-sized hole in my life. Please don’t lose touch. Write soon. Love and hugs, Angus.

It was simpler writing back to Angus; our friendship was sweet and uncomplicated. Briefly I considered deleting Max’s email without opening it, but that seemed like an asshole move. In the end, I read it, two lines only:

I’m sorry about everything. Take care of yourself.

 Grab the whole series today! a Rafflecopter giveaway 2B Trilogy
Author Photo    About Ann Aguirre: Ann Aguirre is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author and RITA winner with a degree in English Literature; before she began writing full time, she was a clown, a clerk, a voice actress, and a savior of stray kittens, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in sunny Mexico with her husband, children, and various pets. Ann likes books, emo music, action movies, and she writes all kinds of genre fiction for adults and teens, published with Harlequin, Macmillan, and Penguin, among others.      

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Release Blitz & Giveaway:Storm by Carian Cole



Title: Storm

Series: Ashes & Embers, #1

Author: Carian Cole

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Add to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23155346-storm

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Synopsis:

The calm before the storm…

I lived in the quiet stillness.

I felt the wind rustle, warning me, telling me to get out of its path.

But I didn’t.

I never stood a chance.

A series of weather and road mishaps leaves me trapped in the middle of a blizzard with a complete stranger. In the back of a pickup truck. For forty-eight freakin’ hours.

A stranger with long hair, tattoos, and rippling with muscle.

A stranger with an insanely sexy voice and a wicked smile that turned my insides to jelly.

A stranger who held me in his arms, calmed me, and then set a fire in me that I couldn’t put out.

Storm lives up to his name. Beautiful. Dangerously inviting. Tumultuous. Dark. A clash of hot and cold.

He’s used to getting everything he wants.
 

And now he wants me.

Some people chase storms for the beautiful thrill. What happens when the storm chases you?


Buy Links






a Rafflecopter giveaway


That's one hot cover!  I'll be back with a review on Oct 15!


Author Bio:

I have a passion for the bad boys, those covered in tattoos, sexy smirks, ripped jeans, fast cars, motorcycles and of course, the sweet girls that try to tame them and win their hearts. My debut series, Ashes & Embers, follows the lives of rock band members as they find, and sometimes lose, the loves of their lives.

My first novel in the Ashes & Embers series, Storm, will be available in September of 2014.

Born and raised a Jersey girl, I now reside in beautiful New Hampshire with my husband and our multitude of furry pets and spend most of my time writing, reading, and vacuuming.

Author Social links:



Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cariancoleauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8523875.Carian_Cole

Website: http://cariancole.com/

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Review & Giveway: LOVING EDEN by T.A. Foster



BOOK SUMMARY:

Have you ever thought of packing up everything you own and moving halfway across the country?

I’m talking about leaving your entire life behind—friends, family, school—with no turning back. No? Me either, but that was before a week of spring break changed my life forever. Before I did something I never thought I’d do at twenty-two. Before I fell in love with Grey.


Sometimes happily ever after isn’t always what you think it will be. 



Buy Links:

Amazon Link: http://amzn.to/1rn2neO

B&N Link: http://bit.ly/1spvrF2

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1un5YvK

iTunes: http://bit.ly/Ye46rB 


What I thought about Loving Eden



Have you ever gotten to the end of a romance novel and just wished you had a bit more?  I did when I read Kissing Eden, the first book in this series.  It left me wondering if Grey and Eden make it - can they resolve the fact that Eden is in one state and Grey in another? In Loving Eden we get their continuing story and it was great catching up with them.

Eden is the predominant voice in this story and it starts with her traveling back to Texas with her belongings to move in with Grey and help run the hotel. She's both excited and determined to maintain her post-graduation independence. I like how she felt empowered to make the trip herself and she does quite well, even with a few minor mishaps. 


One she's reunited with Gray things get a little interesting. While Eden is sure about her feelings toward him, she isn't always on even ground as they learn to live together. I really liked this post of the story, and it brought back some nice memories for me of when me and hubby were first living together. There's a bit of adjustment there and it's handled very nicely in Loving Eden.

Adding to the mix is the arrival of a surprise relative by the name of Mason Lachlan who lays claim to the Palm Palace. Most of the story centers around Mason's bid for the rundown hotel.  He's a successful entreprenuer and wants to tear it down, much to Grey's dismay. Things are further complicated when Eden's friend Taylor comes to town and hits it off with Mason in a major way, potentially putting a rift in their friendship. 

What I love about this series and T.A. Foster's writing in general is that she gives us a story that has just enough drama to make it interesting and she doesn't drag it out.  Things get resolved in a believable way and Loving Eden concludes with a lovely wedding sequence that had me smiling.  

Even though Loving Eden was a bit on the short side, and I would have loved a bit more, it was a sweet afternoon-sized read and I've really enjoyed this series overall.  I hope we'll get to check in with Grey and Eden in the future. Loving Eden is a very nice first-love story, and I'd recommend this series. 
  

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author


T.A. Foster once spent a month=long spring break on South Padre Island, where she soaked in the Texas sun, beach, and learned what real Texas country music is. Sometimes fiction does spring from reality.
She grew up catching rays and chasing waves along the North Carolina Outer Banks and now resides in the state with her adventurous pilot husband, two children, and two canine kiddos.

T.A. has an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a graduate degree in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M University. When she’s not chasing her two-legged and four-legged children or trying to escape for date night, you can find her reading, writing, or planning her next beach trip.

Author Links:

Blog: http://www.tafosterauthor.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tafosterwriter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TAFosterauthor

Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7164289.T_A_Foster

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Cover Reveal:Inspire by Cora Carmack

Love this cover! 

We are thrilled to bring you the cover for Cora Carmack's INSPIRE!

INSPIRE is a New Adult Paranormal Romance novel and is due to be released on December 15, 2014!

Inspire
 
The cover was designed by VLC Productions.

Add INSPIRE on Goodreads

About INSPIRE:

Kalliope lives with one purpose. To inspire.

As an immortal muse, she doesn’t have any other choice. It’s part of how she was made. Musicians, artists, actors—they use her to advance their art, and she uses them to survive. She moves from one artist to the next, never staying long enough to get attached. But all she wants is a different life— a normal one. She’s spent thousands of years living lie after lie, and now she’s ready for something real.

Sweet, sexy, and steady, Wilder Bell feels more real than anything else in her long existence. And most importantly… he’s not an artist. He doesn’t want her for her ability. But she can’t turn off the way she influences people, not even to save a man she might love. Because in small doses, she can help make something beautiful, but her ability has just as much capacity to destroy as it does to create. The longer she stays, the more obsessed Wilder will become. It’s happened before, and it never turns out well for the mortal.

Her presence may inspire genius. But it breeds madness, too.

Headshot

About Cora Carmack:

Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.


Website | Twitter | Facebook | Author Goodreads
 

Release Day Blitz: Loving Eden by T.A.Foster

 

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Today is the release day for LOVING EDEN by T.A. Foster! Be sure to check out the contest below for a chance to win some fabulous books!

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LOVING EDEN BLURB:

Have you ever thought of packing up everything you own and moving halfway across the country? I’m talking about leaving your entire life behind—friends, family, school—with no turning back. No? Me either, but that was before a week of spring break changed my life forever. Before I did something I never thought I’d do at twenty-two. Before I fell in love with Grey. Sometimes happily ever after isn’t always what you think it will be.


LOVING EDEN BUY LINKS:
 

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1rn2neO
 

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1un5YvK
 

B&N: http://bit.ly/1spvrF2

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Previous book in the series.

KISSING EDEN - AVAILABLE NOW!

KissingEden

 

 

Purchase KISSING EDEN from...

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1hCXkkv

B&N: http://bit.ly/NKhAGi

Smashworks: http://bit.ly/1dcvQB5

iTunes: http://bit.ly/Y9509p









a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
 
TAFosterT.A. Foster met, fell in love with, and married her own Marine fighter pilot. Through deployments, trainings, and sometimes living oceans apart, their own love story continues every day.

She grew up catching rays and waves along the North Carolina Outer Banks and now resides in the state with her husband, two children, and two canine kiddos. 

T.A. has an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a graduate degree in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M University. When she’s not chasing her two-legged and four-legged children or trying to escape for date night, you can find her reading, writing, or planning her next beach trip. 


Author Links: 

Blog: http://www.tafosterauthor.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tafosterwriter 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TAFosterauthor 

Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7164289.T_A_Foster


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Sunday, September 21, 2014

Review:Somewhere Between Water and Sky by Elora Ramirez

 
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Somewhere Between Water and Sky Synopsis: 

I heard it said once that every human is a story with skin. If this is true, paragraphs would be etched in the scars on my wrists. Whole chapters could be written about the way my heart pounds when I startle awake. And every single one of my tears could fill a book. 

But stories, with all their promise, only leave room for disappointment. I don’t have room for that anymore. I left it all—the hope, the love, the promise—back in my old life with the ghosts I’d rather forget: Jude. Emma. Pacey. This is how I dare to move forward and to believe in a new beginning. I let go of the old. I just grab the new and run. I don’t wait around anymore. I can’t. Waiting leaves room for the voices. 

Somewhere between water and sky, I'll find a way to burn these voices to the ground.


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Somewhere Between Water and Sky Goodreads


What I thought about Somewhere Between Water and Sky


At the end of Every Shattered Thing, Stephanie runs away from her home, freeing herself from her abusive father and leaves Kevin behind after she is devastated by his betrayal. Looking for a fresh start where no one knows her, she lands a job at a coffee shop, lives in a hotel, and tries to forget her past while her father’s voice in her head whispers poison to her.

Against her better judgement, she lets her two coworkers, Jessa and Ren a little bit into her life. Stephanie doesn’t trust anyone with good reason, but she eventually gives into Jessa’s determination to be a friend. A day trip to San Diego turns deadly though and Stephanie is convinced that her father has escaped jail and is now stalking her.

Stephanie has to decide whether to run again or take help from her two co-workers, Ren and Jessa. Elora Ramirez does a wonderful job of building the suspense of wondering if Stephanie’s father is nearby, and at one point I even doubted Jessa’s motives. The tension here is so very nicely done.

There’s the very creative use of poetry to convey some of Stephanie’s darker emotions which helped to keep things from getting too grim when they could have easily gone that way. There’s still bad stuff happening, but Ms. Ramirez manages to maintain threads of hopefulness in the story, especially through the friendship of Jessa and Stephanie.

When Kevin appears, Stephanie comes close to running again, unable to forgive him for not telling her about his part in the job. And it’s become clear that Stephanie’s father is nearby, waiting to pounce. Good thing Jude shows up too. It was really wonderful to see the characters from the first book come back to continue to help Stephanie. And she’s going to need it when the trafficking case comes to a devastating conclusion.

It’s taken me some time to write this review, because this book was really rich in emotions and had a solid storyline that was neither unrealistic or sad to wrap things up. Stephanie’s long term issues from her father’s abuse and prostitution has still left her with damaged, but when Somewhere Between Earth and Sky ends, but you just know that her life has gotten better.

If you like a darker story that focuses on emotions rather than acts, I’d recommend this series. While the subject matter is difficult at times, Stephanie’s story is beautifully told, leaving this author and this series is one of my memorable reads this year.

Giveaway


Enter Elora's fantastic giveaway!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
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Elora Ramirez Bio:

Elora Ramirez lives in Austin, Texas with her chef-husband. At the age of four, she taught herself how to read and write, cutting her teeth on books like Dr. Seuss and writing anywhere she could find the space--including her Fisher Price kitchen set, the pages of picture books and Highlights Magazine. 


Since then, she's grown to love the way words feel as they swell within her bones. Writing holy and broken is her calling, and pushing back the darkness and pursuing beauty through story is her purpose. She embraces the power of story and teaches women from all parts of the world how to embrace theirs. She has a knack of calling things out , the truth and the detail, the subversive threads that make a life a story. 

She loves hip-hop, wishes she lived by the beach and cannot write without copious amounts of coffee, chocolate, music, and her husband's lavender liqueur.

Blog Tour Review: Kill Switch (Devil's Night #3) by Penelope Douglas

About Kill Switch One woman’s worst fears come to life in the third novel of the Devil’s Night dark romance series by New Y...