ARC Review:The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever by Jeff Strand

THE GREATEST ZOMBIE MOVIE EVER
Cover Reveal and Sneak Peek

The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever

Author: Jeff Strand

Release Date: March 1, 2016

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

About THE GREATEST ZOMBIE MOVIE EVER:

After producing three horror movies that went mostly ignored on YouTube, Justin and his filmmaking buddies decide it’s time they create something noteworthy, something epic. They’re going to film the Greatest Zombie Movie Ever. They may not have money or a script, but they have passion. And, after a rash text message, they also have the beautiful Alicia Howtz—Justin’s crush—as the lead.

With only one month to complete their movie, a script that can’t possibly get worse, and the hopes and dreams of Alicia on the line, Justin is feeling the pressure. Add to that a cast of uncooperative extras and incompetent production assistants, and Justin must face the sad, sad truth. He may actually be producing The Worst Zombie Movie Ever…

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What I thought about The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever

I'm always on the lookout for YA I'd like to read with my kiddo, and zombies are really popular these days, so I thought I'd give this a try.

It's the story of 3 young filmmakers attempting to create their masterpiece movie. Justin has some big ideas, a modest budget and help from his friends.  I liked the camaraderie between the three friends, and even though they seemed younger than high school age at times, it still worked for me.

The pace was a bit slow in some parts, but there's some nice humor in this which makes it a fun read. If you know a young filmmaker or horror movie enthusiast, this might be a good book to share with them.  

About Jeff Strand:

Jeff Strand has written more than twenty books, and is a four-time nominee (and four-time non-winner) of the Bram Stoker Award. Two of his young adult novels, A Bad Day For Voodoo and I Have A Bad Feeling About This, were Junior Library Guild picks. Publishers Weekly called his work “wickedly funny.” He lives in Tampa, Florida. 

Website

 
@JeffStrand

Excerpt from The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever:

The vampire, whose fangs were too big for his mouth, turned to the camera and hissed.
"Don't look at the camera," said Justin Hollow, the director.
"I keep poking my lip on these things," said Harold, spitting the plastic fangs out onto the ground. He hadn't been a very frightening example of the undead before, and he was even less scary with no fangs and a thick line of drool running down his chin.
"Cut!" shouted Justin, loud enough to be sure that the command was heard by his production crew of two. "C'mon, Harold. Stay in character. We're three hours behind schedule."
"I don't care. I hate this. You promised that I'd get all the girls I wanted. So where are all of the girls I want?"
Justin let out his thirty-ninth exasperated sigh of the night. "The movie has to come out first."
"It's not even a real movie."
Justin bristled. It was a full body bristle, head to toe, which he hadn't even realized was physically possible. Bobby, who handled sound recording, and Gabe, who handled everything else, both stepped back a couple of feet. Neither of them truly believed that they were about to witness a murder, but they wanted to get out of the splash zone, just in case.
Had this been one of Justin's movies, he would have very slowly lowered his camera, stared directly into Harold's eyes with a steel gaze, and then after an extremely dramatic pause asked "What...did...you...just...say?"
His actual response, delivered in a squeakier voice than he would have allowed from his actors, was: "Huh?"
"I said it's not a real movie." Harold started to wipe the fake blood off his mouth. It didn't come off, and probably wouldn't for several days. Justin had planned to feel guilty about this later, but now he wouldn't bother. "Nobody's ever going to see it. You probably won't even finish it."
"I finished my last three movies!" Justin insisted. "I got hundreds of hits on YouTube!"
That statement was technically accurate, though it was the lowest possible number of hits you could get and still use "hundred" in its plural form. The only comment anybody posted about his latest film had been "This twelve year-old filmmaker sort of shows promise," which really frustrated Justin since he was fifteen.
Harold shrugged. "This is a waste of time. I've got better things to do on a Friday night."
"Nobody ever said this was going to be easy," said Justin, who had indeed said that it was going to be easy when luring Harold into the role. "You can quit now, but what are you going to think about your decision ten years from now?"
"I'm going to think, wow, it sure is nice to be such a well-paid dentist."
Harold walked off the set. It wasn't an actual set, but rather a small park near Justin's home, where they were filming without a permit. Justin knew he should shout something after his ex-actor. Something vicious. Something devastating. He thought about shouting "You'll never work in this town again!" but, no, it had to be something that Harold would consider a bad thing.
"Fine!" Justin shouted. "But when we record the audio commentary track for the Blu-Ray, I'm going to talk about how you abandoned us, and how much happier everybody was with the new actor who took your role, and how we all agreed that he should have been cast in the first place, and how he had so many girlfriends that he couldn't even keep track of them, and how they all found out about each other and had a great big awesome catfight in his front yard! And I'll pronounce your name wrong!"
Harold continued walking, apparently not heartbroken.

Cover Reveal & Signed Paperback Giveaway! Rookie Move (Brooklyn Bruisers #1) by Sarina Bowen

Wow!  I'm in lust already! 
Great cover and I can't wait for this series.
Here's more about Rookie Move by Sarina Bowen.

COMING SEPTEMBER 6th: A sexy new hockey series from Sarina Bowen.

In high school they were the perfect couple—until the day Georgia left Leo in the cold...

Hockey player Leo Trevi has spent the last six years trying to do two things: get over the girl who broke his heart, and succeed in the NHL. But on the first day he’s called up to the newly franchised Brooklyn Bruisers, Leo gets checked on both sides, first by the team’s coach—who has a long simmering grudge, and then by the Bruisers’ sexy, icy publicist—his former girlfriend Georgia Worthington.

Saying goodbye to Leo was one of the hardest things Georgia ever had to do—and saying hello again isn’t much easier. Georgia is determined to keep their relationship strictly professional, but when a press conference microphone catches Leo declaring his feelings for her, things get really personal, really fast...

"Romantic and hilarious, Rookie Move will hook you from page one. Nobody does hockey like Sarina Bowen." --Elle Kennedy, New York Times bestselling author of the Off Campus series.

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SIGNED PAPERBACK GIVEAWAY

Signed paperback (reader's choice) and the right to name a teammate in Brooklyn Bruisers #2.

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Cover Reveal:Touch the Sky by Christina Lee & Nyrae Dawn

Lucas Barnett and Gabriel Stewart didn’t have it easy as kids. They were only trying to deal with bad situations at home when they became lifelines for each other. Their pipe dream was to someday meet in LA, where Lucas would design skyscrapers, and Gabriel would learn to fly. But then Gabriel disappeared without so much as a goodbye, and Lucas got himself in trouble with the law.

Five years later, both men are at a loss when they run into each other at a Hollywood bar. Lucas is still angry, but it’s not as if Gabriel could control how his mind and body had betrayed him. Being found on the ledge of that bridge had changed everything.

The attraction is immediate, but it’s more than their inability to keep their hands off each other. Neither man expects the fierce connection pulling them together. Unfortunately, ignoring their problems doesn’t make them disappear. Gabriel’s internal struggles are serious…dangerous. And no matter how much Lucas wants it to be true, saving Gabriel won’t make up for not being able to save his mom. If they don’t find the strength to face their own demons before the darkness takes hold, they risk more than just losing each other forever.

RELEASE DATE: March 28th, 2016

Other retail links will be available the week before release.

Author Bios:

Nyrae Dawn

Nyrae Dawn can almost always be found with a book in her hand or an open document on her laptop. She couldn’t live without books—reading or writing them. Oh, and chocolate. She’s slightly addicted.

She gravitates toward character-driven stories. Whether reading or writing, she loves emotional journeys. It’s icing on the cake when she really feels something, but is able to laugh too. She’s a proud romantic, who has a soft spot for flawed characters, who make mistakes, but also have big hearts.

Whether she’s writing young adult, new adult, or adult you can always count on a healthy dose of romance from her books. She likes to tackle tough subjects, and believes everyone needs to see themselves in the stories they read.

Nyrae is living her very own happily ever after in California with her gorgeous husband (who still makes her swoon) and her two incredibly awesome kids.

http://www.nyraedawn.net/p/home.html

Christina Lee

Once upon a time, I lived in New York City and was a wardrobe stylist. I spent my days shopping for photo shoots, getting into cabs, eating amazing food, and drinking coffee at my favorite hangouts.

Now I live in the Midwest with my husband and son—my two favorite guys. I've been a clinical social worker and a special education teacher. But it wasn't until I wrote a weekly column for the local newspaper that I realized I could turn the fairytales inside my head into the reality of writing fiction.

I write Adult, New Adult, and M/M Contemporary Romance. I'm addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything. I believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.

Find me on my Facebook Author Page
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChristinaLee

Find me on Twitter
http://twitter.com/Christina_Lee04

Review:Fully Ignited by Shannon Stacey

When Jamie Rutherford takes a temporary assignment as lieutenant of Boston Fire’s Engine 59, she doesn’t anticipate any problems. She’s been in the fire service for a long time and, even though she’s fairly new to Boston, she knows how to make any firehouse her home. What she’s not prepared for is her reaction to firefighter Scott Kincaid.

Scott is looking for a wife. It’s been a fun ride as a single guy, but he’s tired of being the third wheel, and nearly losing his brother-in-law finally made him realize just how much he wants a family of his own. When the new guy at the firehouse turns out to be a capable, confident and very attractive woman, his plan is completely derailed.

Hooking up with a fellow firefighter has never been part of Jamie’s plan, but she’s tempted by Scott—even though getting involved with him could tarnish the reputation she’s worked so hard for. And Scott can’t stop thinking about Jamie, despite the fact that she’s his superior and not sticking around. Chemistry can crush the best-laid plans, though, and while Jamie and Scott might not be each other’s future…there’s no resisting the right now.

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What I thought about Fully Ignited

Shannon Stacey does a great job of turning the familiar forbidden love trope on its head with Fully Ignited. Scott Kincaid incredibly attracted to his female boss and the feeling is mutual.  Both have a lot at stake -- Jamie's worked hard to get to her position, but she can't resist the attraction she feels for Scott.  Scott tries to resist too, and all he needs is the green light from Jamie and they are heating up the sheets.

Of course, they have to keep it secret from their co-workers, or at least try to. I love the brotherhood of the firefighters and how they looked out for each other both during work and outside of work. Fully Ignited left me feeling good, and that's what I'm used to from Shannon Stacey.

This book really clicked for me, and I'm looking forward to more and different titles from this author.

About the Author

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Shannon Stacey lives with her husband and two sons in New England, where her two favorite activities are writing stories of happily ever after and riding her four-wheeler. From May to November, the Stacey family spends their weekends on their ATVs, making loads of muddy laundry to keep Shannon busy when she’s not at her computer. She prefers writing to laundry, however, and considers herself lucky she got to be an author when she grew up.

You can contact Shannon through her website, where she maintains an almost daily blog, or visit her on Twitter, her Facebook page, or email her at shannon@shannonstacey.com.

Release Day Review & Giveaway:Beyond Ruin by Kit Rocha

The sectors will never be the same...

Adrian Maddox fled his royal life—and tragic past—in Sector One, choosing instead to join up with the O’Kanes. For years, he’s lived by one rule: love fast, love hard, and always be willing to walk away. He’s managed to guard his heart, keep it whole and untouched—until now.

They couldn’t be more different—Dylan, the brilliant, burned-out doctor from Eden who drowns his pain with drugs and self-destruction. Scarlet, the sensuous, sexy rocker from Three, a woman unafraid to embrace the world. And Jade, the whore turned spy from Sector Two, who battled addiction and came out stronger than anyone he’s ever met.

Separately, they make Mad long to open his heart, to tumble head-first into a sea of possibilities and wild love. Together, they make him burn, inside and out, with lust and unbearable, unimaginable pleasure.

Then one fateful moment shakes their world to its foundations—and leaves the sectors on the verge of all-out war with Eden. It’s the biggest fight the O’Kanes have ever faced, and Mad and his lovers are at the dead center of it. They could end up with everything they never knew they wanted—or lose it all. Including their lives. 

Buy Links

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http://kitrocha.com/book/beyond-ruin/  

What I thought about Beyond Ruin

Kit Rocha is back with the seventh installment in the Beyond series with a tale of love and war between the sectors. This book was real surprise for me. I was getting worried that the series was leveling out, and I'm jumping up and down now because, wow! Beyond Ruin was just incredible.

There were so many things I liked about this book.  Let me start with the writing.  I don't think I've ever highlighted so many passages as I did when reading this.  There were some very strong statements being made here, and there were places that the language touched my heart and head.  This quote was one of my favorites, and it was hard to pick only one to include here.

Power had its own silent language, one that screamed. It combined tiny, effortless shows of arrogance with bigger, louder displays -- of wealth, of violence.

I wasn't sure how I was going to like the romantic connections in this installment because I wasn't really invested in any of the characters from the previous books, except for maybe Dylan (Doc).  But again.. I was drawn into the lives of Maddox, Dylan, Jade and Scarlett in a way that surprised me. I adored this exploration of lust and love, and readers be prepared for some filthy scenes from these characters. I adored the fact that I saw them as a unit, all 4 complementing each other, when it would have been so easy to see them as two couples getting together.  But it had to be the four of them, and of course, the ride through their love story wasn't easy, but it was beautiful. 

The beginnings of war between the sectors and Eden provide a tension-filled backdrop for this story, and Kit Rocha did a fabulous job of setting things up in this book.  Within the first few chapters, everything in this world changes, and I didn't see it coming, which made for a wonderful reading experience. I probably liked this part of the book the best, the escalating tensions, the threats of war between Eden and the sectors had me biting my nails.

There was just so much for me to like with Beyond Ruin. It's a game changer for this series, that's for sure, and like the characters in this series, I'm left wondering who will survive the upcoming war?  

I love this series. 

Giveaway

I have a Beyond Series Bundle (Volume One) which includes three books in the series to gift away. 

To enter, send an email to redhotbluereads at gmail dot com by February 25, 2016 and let me know you want it!  I'll let randomizer pick a winner! 

 

BEYOND SHAME (87,000 words, 354 pages)

All Noelle Cunningham has ever wanted is a life beyond the walls of Eden, where only the righteous are allowed to remain. But ruins lie outside the City, remnants of a society destroyed by solar storms.

Those ruins house the corrupt and the criminal--men like Jasper McCray, bootlegger and cage fighter. He'll defend the O'Kane gang with his life, but no fight prepared him for the exiled City girl who falls at his feet.

Her innocence is undeniable, and so is their attraction. But if she wants to belong to Jas, she'll have to open herself to a world where passion is power, and freedom is found in submission.

BEYOND CONTROL (100,000 words, 398 pages)

Alexa Parrino escaped a life of servitude to become one of the most influential people in Sector Four, where the O'Kanes rule with a hedonistic but iron fist. There's nothing she wouldn't do for the gang--and for its leader. But she bows to no one, not even Dallas O'Kane.

Dallas fought to carve order out of the chaos of the sectors. Danger threatens his people, but his liquor business is flourishing, and new opportunities fuel his ambition. Lex could help him expand his empire--and no one says no to the king of Sector Four.

Falling into bed is easy, but their sexual games are anything but casual. Attraction quickly turns to obsession, and their careful dance of heady dominance and sweet submission uncovers a need so deep, so strong, it could crush them both.

BEYOND PAIN (89,000 words, 350 pages)

Live fast, die young--anything else is a fantasy for Six. She's endured the worst the sectors had to throw at her, but falling in with Dallas O'Kane's Sector Four gang lands her in a whole new world of danger. They're completely open about everything, including their sexuality--but she hasn't survived this long by making herself vulnerable. Especially not to men as dominant as Brendan Donnelly.

Bren is a killer, trained in Eden and thrown to the sectors. His one outlet is pain, in the cage and in the bedroom, and emotion is a luxury he can't afford--until he meets Six. Protecting her soothes him, but it isn't enough. Her hunger for touch sparks a journey of erotic discovery where anything goes--voyeurism, flogging, rough sex. He has only one rule: he won't share her.

In Bren's arms, Six is finally free to let go. But his obsession with the man who made him a monster could destroy the fragile connection they've forged, and cost him the one thing that makes him feel human--her love.

Kit Rocha 

Kit Rocha is the pseudonym for co-writing team Donna Herren and Bree Bridges. After penning dozens of paranormal novels, novellas and stories as Moira Rogers, they branched out into gritty, sexy dystopian romance.

The series has appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists, and was honored with a 2013 RT Reviewer’s Choice award. Find out more at kitrocha.com, or sign up to be notified of their next release at bit.ly/kit-rocha-updates

Website (Kit Rocha): http://www.kitrocha.com
Website (Moira Rogers): http://www.moirarogers.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheBrokenCircle
Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group/TheBrokenCircle

Twitter (Announcements): http://twitter.com/kitrocha
Twitter (Bree): http://twitter.com/mostlybree
Twitter (Donna): http://twitter.com/donnajherren