GirlsHeart Books

Click to Subscribe Blog Tour: Review

2013-05-22T03:00:00.000-04:00

Click to Subscribe

By L.M. Augustine

Published May 9th, 2013

1,135,789. That’s how many subscribers sixteen-year-old West Ryder has on his web vlog series. But he only has eyes for one of them.

As one of the internet’s most prestigious video bloggers, West talks about high school relationships under the name “Sam Green.” As far as he knows, no one from school, not even his best friend, Cat, has seen his videos. But the highlight of the whole thing is Harper Knight, who comments every day at exactly 2:02 in the afternoon. He doesn’t know anything about her aside from the occasional deep philosophical messaging on why pizza tastes so delicious, but as stupid as it sounds, he might be falling for her. So when they finally agree to meet in real life, West’s hope for romance seems more and more in reach. But that all changes as soon as he arrives at their meeting spot and sees Cat walking toward him, wearing the same “I <3 Sam Green” T-shirt Harper promised she'd have on.

To his alarm, West realizes he is falling in love with the best friend who has always been a sister to him.

When I first read the summary to Click to Subscribe, I was instantly intrigued. I've always been a fan of books with relationships that started anonymous, books where the boy loves his best friend, etc. and jumped at the chance to read it. And while yes, it's not my normal level of drama and angst, I am glad to say my expectations were met.

Surprisingly enough the book did not go exactly as I thought it would-- And when it comes to romance, I can pretty much tell you what will happen on every page just from reading the first chapter. So when this one took a few unexpected turns, I have to say I was thrilled.

If you're looking for a quick, lighthearted/not-boring-at-all book, this is definitely for you :)

My Rating:

And now, because we LOVE you guys, here's a giveaway!

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L.M. Augustine is a YA romance author who is obsessed with writing about dorky teenagers, love, and happy endings. He currently lives in New England, where he spends far too much time reading books and screaming at his computer, and he believes that the solution to the world’s problems can be found in chocolate cake. Click To Subscribe is his first novel, but it won’t be his last.

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Blog

*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

TTC & B2B Blog Tours: Shattered Illusions Blog Tour: Spotlight, Excerpt & Giveaway

2013-05-22T02:30:00.000-04:00

When Sam, the unassuming, salt-of-the-earth proprietor of a local cafe is shot dead on the street, four strangers become the unwitting witnesses to a seemingly inscrutable crime. As the investigation progresses, this quartet of accidental onlookers find themselves not only haunted by the homicide, but pursued by their own pasts.

The deeper into the death they delve, the further into their own personal histories they plummet, as each is forced to face the fact that the loss of Sam is far from their most devastating. As the case continues, inner anguish reaches crescendo points for Danny, Ella, Marco, and Sarah as the answers they want continue to elude them, and the evidence they want to escape refuses to retreat...

Shattered Illusions/ Goodreads

And now, an excerpt from Shattered Illusions:

I DON’T KNOW WHERE I am—somewhere between heaven and hell, a place of utter terror and endless confusion. This place, only brought to life in my most horrifying nightmares, is suddenly within my reach, the place that I had feared to find, in which all would be complete, in which I would die. The darkness of the situation has enveloped my being. Am I still living? Yes. Am I going to die at any given moment? Definitely. By whose hands? My own, or those of the shadows lurking in my midst? There is no sky, there is no earth, just a deep, black pit, never-ending in its power. The night has come to ransack my soul.By now, I have learned that insanity is the only way to bear it. How else? Death is not an easy thing to accept, because in truth, it is an insane occurrence, at least to those creatures that are allowed to live. I am broken, unearthed, defeated. There is no time, no space; I have no past, present, or future. I am now nothing more than an illusion of what once was and will never be again.

And now, because we love you all, here's a giveaway!

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Leigh Hershkovich's writing career began almost at infancy. Born and raised in The City By The Bay, Leigh was never seen without a pen and paper by her side, and was never without a story to share. With her vivid imagination and sharp writing tactics, Leigh has taken the world by storm twice over. Now, with her debut novel Shattered Illusions, readers will get a first time glimpse into her first full fiction attempt.

An avid reader, accomplished pianist, passionate scholar of language and the arts, Leigh currently resides in New York with her imagination.

*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Xpresso Tours: Runes by Ednah Walters

2013-05-21T04:00:00.000-04:00

Runes

By Ednah Walters

Publication date: May 20th 2013

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Seventeen-year-old Raine Cooper has enough on her plate dealing with her father’s disappearance, her mother’s erratic behavior and the possibility of her boyfriend relocating. The last thing she needs is Torin St. James—a mysterious new neighbor with a wicked smile and uncanny way of reading her.

Raine is drawn to Torin’s dark sexiness against her better judgment, until he saves her life with weird marks and she realizes he is different. But by healing her, Torin changes something inside Raine. Now she can’t stop thinking about him. Half the time, she’s not sure whether to fall into his arms or run.

Scared, she sets out to find out what Torin is. But the closer she gets to the truth the more she uncovers something sinister about Torin. What Torin is goes back to an ancient mythology and Raine is somehow part of it. Not only is she and her friends in danger, she must choose a side, but the wrong choice will cost Raine her life.

And now, because we love you all, here's a giveaway!

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EDNAH WALTERS grew up reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and dreaming of one day writing her own stories. She is a stay-at-home mother of five humans and two American short-hair cats (one of which has ADHD) and a husband. When she is not writing, she’s at the gym doing Zumba or doing things with her family, reading, traveling or online chatting with fans.

Ednah is the author of The Guardian Legacy series, a YA fantasy series about children of the fallen angels, who fight demons and protect mankind. AWAKENED, the prequel was released by Pill Hill Press in September 2010 with rave reviews. BETRAYED, book one in the series was released by her new publisher Spencer Hill Press in June 2012 and HUNTED, the third installment, will be released April 2013. She’s working on the next book in the series, FORGOTTEN.

Ednah also writes New Adult paranormal romance. RUNES is the first book in her new series. She is presently working on book 2, IMMORTALS.

Under the pseudonym E. B. Walters, Ednah writes contemporary romance. SLOW BURN, the first contemporary romance with suspense, was released in April 2011. It is the first book in the Fitzgerald family series. Since then she has published four more books in this series. She's presently working on book six. You can visit her online at www.ednahwalters.com or www.ebwalters.com.

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*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Cover Reveal: Smash Into You by Shelly Crane

2013-05-21T03:00:00.000-04:00

Title: Smash Into You

Author: Shelly Crane

Expected release date: Summer 2013

Genre: Contemporary

Age Group: Young Adult

Cover Designed by: Okay Creations

Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

Jude has spent the whole twenty three years of his life running. From what, he wasn't quite sure. His mother tried to keep him safe; a low profile, a constant move on the horizon, a week's pay always stashed away. She tried to instill in him that he was special somehow, though would never elaborate. He never felt different. He was so completely normal and vanilla that he wondered if it had all been in her head. But then she was murdered and all he saw was a running silhouette of a man as his mother said three final words to him. Three words that changed his whole being. Never stop running… Now he's semi-settled into a big town. The college is huge and easy to blend into. It's been three months since he had to move because 'Biloxi', as he calls the man who killed his mother, found him once more. Then Marley, an eighteen year old girl who is as infuriating as she is blissfully ignorant of her gorgeousness, smashes into his car with hers. Then smashes into his life as he realizes that whatever it is he has that Biloxi wants, she has it, too. And now, they're after them both.

Shelly is a New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author from a small town in Georgia and loves everything about the south. She is wife to a fantastical husband and stay at home mom to two boisterous and mischievous boys who keep her on her toes. They currently reside in everywhere USA as they happily travel all over with her husband's job. She loves to spend time with her family, binge on candy corn, go out to eat at new restaurants, buy paperbacks at little bookstores, site see in the new areas they travel to, listen to music everywhere and also LOVES to read. Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn't go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born.

Shelly Crane | Facebook | Twitter

*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Review: Day After by Emi Gayle- Interview + Giveaway

2013-05-20T03:09:00.000-04:00

Day After

The 19th Year Book 2

By Emi Gayle

Release Date: May 6, 2013

Demon crypts. Vampire lairs. Glowing angels. Sexy sirens. The stuff of fiction.

Or so Winn Thomas always thought.

Since being accepted into the fold of the supernatural, he knows better. None of what he imagined is true, but everything he feared is, and binding himself to his Changeling girlfriend until her nineteenth birthday will give him an education far beyond what he’d get at his human high school.

Luckily, Winn’s not giving up, he won’t back down, and he definitely isn’t going to run away with his tail between his legs. After all, only werewolves have tails. Right?

In this, the second of the 19th Year trilogy, Winn’s facing the challenge of one lifetime. If he doesn’t learn the truth about mythological creatures, his girlfriend Mac Thorne won’t either. That means, in six months, when she chooses her final form, she won’t know what to pick.

Winn, though, has his own ideas about Mac’s final selection—plans she knows nothing of.

He intends to have her pick human.

Whether she can or not.

*throws everything I can possibly pick up around the building until I pass out from exhaustion*

You're all in a group of evil, aren't you? Run by the devil. All you authors that leave us poor, innocent readers with CLIFFHANGERS for a year... It's cruel you know. All of you. *glare*

Now that I have yelled at the authors, hello, fellow readers, how are you today? I would like to tell you all of this book here, Day After, the second book of Emi Gayle's The 19th Year Series. This story is awesome. As I'm sure you can tell from my little tyrant and from the summary (who doesn't want to read that, honestly?).

Unfortunately for you all, seeing how this is book 2, I can't really go all fangirly crazy, as I don't want to give anything away. Because Gayle is very good at keeping her readers on their toes and holding their breath and screaming in public, if I were to say, "This happens in the end" you would all hate me and you know it, right? Right. *sigh* Now I get to stew in a corner all alone...

Anyhow. THIS BOOK IS AWESOME. AWE. SOME. That is all. :P

My Rating:

And now, my interview with Emi Gayle herself! <3

*Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Well ... here’s my bio and it’s all true!

Emi Gayle just wants to be young again. She lives vicariously through her youthful characters, while simultaneously acting as chief-Mom to her teenaged son and searching for a way to keep her two daughters from ever reaching the dreaded teen years.

Ironically, those years were some of Emi's favorite times. She met the man of her dreams at 14, was engaged to him at 19, married him at 20 and she's still in love with him to this day. She'll never forget what it was like to fall in love at such a young age — emotions she wants everyone to feel.

*What inspired you to write The 19th Year?

The entire trilogy just came to me one day. I was sitting there and I thought, “what if, at 18 years old (19 really) a girl had to pick what she’d be for the rest of her life. Literally. The rest. End of story, no take backs, no changies. One job. Forever. And of course, I had to make it paranormal because in real life, we aren’t stuck like that!

*Do you have a character you like writing more so than others? If so, why?

I LOVE writing Suze. He’s my comedic break, so when I’m being all serious and Mac and Winn are stressing me out, I write Suze.

*If you could spend one day with any literary character ever written, who would you choose and why?

I want to meet Ethan Holloway from the Holloway Pack stories by J.A. Belfield. I’ll let you figure out why. His story is coming up in Caged!

*Do you listen to music while you work, or do you prefer to write in silence?

I work wherever and with whatever’s around me. I can write much faster in silence, but I can write with the tv blaring, kids fighting, etc.

*Mel and I have a weakness for good quality cheesecake- Is there a desert you just can't say no to?

Molten Lava fudge cake from Chilis. O.M.G.

*What's next for you?

Well, I’ve finised the first book in a series that’s dystopian, set in 2132 and totally different than my normal paranormal because it’s contemprary and it’s for the New Adult market vs. the YA as the character is 18, but in 2132, 18 year old become adults.

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http://www.emigayle.com

*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Xpresso Book Blitz: The Girl Guide by Christine Fonseca + Giveaway

2013-05-19T03:03:00.002-04:00

The Girl Guide

By Christine Fonseca

Published: May 1st, 2013 by Prufrock Press

Finding your unique voice in a noisy world can be hard—very hard. But not if you have a great guide! The Girl Guide: Finding Your Place in a Mixed-Up World is a must-read for girls in grades 6–8 as they enter the tumultuous world of adolescence. Packed with fun worksheets and quizzes, as well as stories from older girls and women, The Girl Guide covers everything a teenage girl needs to know on the journey toward her own identity. Proven strategies for dealing with stress management, confronting relational aggression, being safe online, navigating the changing mother-daughter relationship, and more make this the ultimate guide for any girl to get through the teen years and discover her unique point of view in the world.

"The Girl Guide is a game-changer and should be in every girl's backpack." ~ Ali Cross, author of the Desolation series

"The perfect remedy for a world obsessed with airbrushed perfection. A must read for every girl who has ever wondered what it means to be strong. Girls who can find beauty and strength within should be--and can be--the new normal, and The Girls' Guide is there to show the way." ~ Danyelle Leafty, author of The Fairy Godmother Dilemma series

"It's easy to understand, professional and relevant without being preachy, and really delves into the situations and emotions that girls out there are experiencing...I highly recommend this book."
~ Michelle McLean, author of Homework Helpers: Essays and Term Papers (Career Press 2011) and To Trust a Thief (Entangled Scandalous 2013)

"It's like an older sister and a mom rolled into one helpful book, all with the intent of helping me discover the best "me" there is. Definitely something I'd recommend to girls who are feeling lost...or just overwhelmed" ~ Shayna, High School Junior

"The Girl Guide is an easy-to-read, profound book that allows teenagers to understand it's the world that is different, not the teenager. I'm picky about the type of books that I introduce to my kids and I must say, this is one of the superior ones." ~ A Reader's Refuge

"For those parents, librarians, teachers and counselors who have teens that are struggling to find their own identity, or even that enjoy getting to know themselves better. Definitely a delicious pick!!" ~ Novel Nutritious

And now, because we love you guys, here's a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Critically acclaimed nonfiction and YA author Christine Fonseca believes that writing is a great way to explore humanity. Using her training and expertise as an educational psychologist, Ms. Fonseca is dedicated to helping children of all ages find their voice in the world. Her titles include Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students and 101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids and delve into the often misunderstood world of giftedness and emotional intensity. May, 2013 will bring the release of the much awaited The Girl Guide: Finding Your Place in a Mixed-Up World, a book for girls in grades 6-9 that focuses on developing strong resiliency skills. In addition to her nonfiction titles, Ms. Fonseca is the author of several YA novels including Lacrimosa (the Requiem Series) and the critically acclaimed YA thriller, Transcend. When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she can be sipping too many skinny vanilla lattes at her favorite coffee house or playing around on Facebook and Twitter. For more information about Christine Fonseca or her books, visit her website – http://christinefonseca.com

*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Girls Heart Books Tours- Cover Reveal: Take Care, Sara by Lindy Zart

2013-05-18T03:00:00.000-04:00

Book Info-

Title- Take Care, Sara

By- Lindy Zart

Expected Publication Date- June 6th, 2013

Genre-Women’s Contemporary Fiction/Romance

Blurb-

You breathe in, you breathe out, and everything you know is gone.

Sara Walker knows firsthand what it feels like to have your reality ripped away, scrambled, and shoved back at you in an undone puzzle where pieces are missing and nothing fits. She's lost so much and is struggling to live and to find the strength to forgive herself for being human. With the help of Lincoln, her husband's brother, Sara realizes it's not about finding who she used to be, but about finding who she is now.

You breathe in, you breathe out, and everything you know isn't gone, but reborn.

Cover Designed by: www.edencranedesign.com

About the Author-

Lindy Zart has been writing since she was a child. Luckily for readers, her writing has improved since then. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, two sons, and one cat. Lindy loves hearing from people who enjoy her work.

Links-

Twitter- https://twitter.com/lindyzart

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/lindyzart

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/lindyzart

Amazon Author Page- http://www.amazon.com/author/lindyzart

Blog- http://lindyzartauthor.blogspot.com

Smashwords Author Page-https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/lindyzart

*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Ignite by Erica Crouch Cover Reveal & Giveaway

2013-05-17T04:11:00.003-04:00

Ignite

By Erica Crouch

Publication date: June 11th 2013

Genre: YA Paranormal fantasy

Penemuel (Pen) fell from grace over a millennium ago, yet there are still times she questions her decision to follow her twin brother, Azael, to Hell. Now that the archangel Michael has returned, threatening Lucifer’s vie for the throne, she begins questioning everything she has always believed.

As Hell prepares for war - spreading a demonic virus and pilfering innocent souls to build an army - the lines separating the worlds blur. Fates erase and the future is left unwritten. Azael is determined that he and his sister will continue to serve as demons together, but for the first time in her life, Pen is not ruled by destiny. She has the freedom of choice.

With choice comes sacrifice, and Pen must decide which side she’s willing to risk everything fighting for: the light, or the dark

And because we love you guys, here's a giveaway!

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Erica Crouch is a twenty-year-old living on the outskirts of Baltimore, Maryland. She is pursuing a degree in English and Creative Writing with a specialization in Fiction at Southern New Hampshire University. Currently, she works for a small press in editorial services. She spends what spare time she has reading an overwhelming stack of books, watching an obscene amount of Netflix and procrastinating.

Ignite is her debut novel and she is currently writing it’s sequel along with other future projects.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Cover Reveal: All In by Marta Brown

2013-05-16T03:00:00.000-04:00

All In

By Marta Brown

Publication Date: May 28th, 2013

On the picturesque island of Martha's Vineyard, there are two kinds of residents. Locals and Stays.

Local boy, Lane McCarthy, plans on spending his summer working at the country club to save money for college in the fall, while summer stay, Ashley Whitmore, and her elite group of friends are only there to play.

As the summer heat goes up on the island, so does the ante, when both Lane and Ashley must decide what they’re willing to wager in order to follow their dreams… and their hearts.

With stakes as high as the surf, and hopes as high as the midday sun, will they risk everything and go all in?

And LOOKIE! A giveaway! :)

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Marta Brown grew up in the Pacific Northwest and was a teenager when Doc Martens, Pearl Jam and flannel were the norm and Dylan loved Kelly forever (Beverly Hills, 90210 shout out).

She still lives just outside Seattle, now with her husband and cat, and loves the rain.

When she’s not writing about cute boys, first kisses and the magic and wonder of being seventeen, she’s watching The CW. And she sleeps in. Late.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter

*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Girls Heart Books Blog Tours: Falling by Lisa Rigsbee- Top Tens & Excerpt

2013-05-15T03:00:00.001-04:00

Falling

By Lisa Rigsbee

Published March 17th, 2013

After seventeen year-old Sophie’s mom dies in a tragic accident, she is so engulfed with guilt and sadness, she feels like she could literally, simply lie down and die. But a few months later, on the night she and her friends experiment with a Ouija board, things begin to change in unimaginable ways. Sophie begins to hear, and then see, Nick, a boy who has been dead for two years. This story tells of their blossoming friendship, young love, and how, through Nick, Sophie learns to live again. But even in the spirit world, happiness can’t last forever. There is a dark side to this otherworldly friendship. Not all spirits are good. Sophie’s dreams become haunting, scary nightmares. And soon these nightmares become reality, and lead Nick and Sophie into a battle against this evil spirit. They must fight for her life, but even if they can figure out how to fight a ghost, Sophie isn’t sure she wants to. If she dies, she could be with Nick forever.

FALLING grips emotions and keeps the reader turning pages late into the night.

Goodreads

Amazon

And now, Lisa Rigsbee's Top Ten Book Crushes!

(in no particular order)

Alcide from Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood

Eric from Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood

Jasper from Twilight

Edward from Twilight (but not Robert Pattinson)

Charlie from Twilight

Jon Snow from Game of Thrones

Gale from Hunger Games

Joe Morelli from Stephanie Plum

Sirius Black from Harry Potter, and Harry of course. And honestly, Sirius is probably only because Gary Oldman played him in the movies.

Ned Nickerson from Nancy Drew (childhood crush, but still a fond place in my heart)

Lestat from Ann Rice

Okay, I know I cheated and put 11, or 12. But really, who has just 10? I could barely narrow it down to just these. I only have 1 real life crush. I love fictional characters much more.

Lookie! And an excerpt! Is this a fun post or what?

He reached around me, hugging me close. I wasn’t expecting it, so it threw me off balance, and we fell onto the bed, which set us both to laughing. This was going to be fun. I was worrying for nothing. I climbed under the covers and felt Nick slide in beside me. I would never cease to be amazed at how real he felt. It felt like a regular person was lying right beside me. In fact, it felt like a real hand slipping under my shirt right then.

“Nick!”

“What? My hand is cold. I’m just trying to warm it up.”

“You’re warm all right.”

He kept his hand there, along my side at my waist. I felt him pull me closer.

“Your skin is so soft. I won’t ever let you go,” he whispered, his lips pressing into my ear.I melted in his arms. I belonged to him.

Lisa lives near the beach with her daughter and four dogs. She spends every spare moment at the beach, either reading, or surfing, or just sitting and watching the water. That's also where she does most of her writing, in a notebook, with a pencil. Lisa is a school teacher, and a yoga teacher. She is passionate about dog rescue. As busy as she stays, she is most happy sitting on her sofa, cuddling with her pups.

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*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Cover Reveal: Barbie World by Heidi Acosta

2013-05-15T03:00:00.000-04:00

Barbie World

Barbie Girl Series #2

Publication Date: May 2013

“One Night is all it took to change everything between Barbie and me. One night to potentially lose the girl of my dreams forever. How do I prove to her that she can trust me? That all I want to do is protect her carefully guarded heart. I need to prove to her that I want to be a part of her world. But How? ”

Dylan lost Barbie once before, now he is determined more than ever to win her heart and trust back. Easier said than done, especially with the new hot guy in town who is in a rock band and is the complete opposite of Dylan.

Barbie has been hurt beyond repair or so she thinks. It would be easier for heart to decide if she didn’t have to protect her little brother. And if Dylan would just put on a shirt! Dylan is not making this easy on her. It helps to have the distraction of the new guy in town cute bad boy Kai. But even though her heart is damaged it still knows what it wants.

When Barbie learns she has a family and with the help of Roxie and Kai, oh and Third and Dylan. They embark on a journey to help bring Barbie closer to a past she never knew existed.

Heidi Acosta brings you the heart felt story of friendship, love and heartbreak in the second book in of the Baby doll series Barbie World.

Find it on Goodreads

Heidi Acosta was born on Long Island, New York. Moving around a lot when she was younger, she has lived in New York, Arizona, New York (again), Washington, Georgia, and Florida, in that order. Each place offered her something special, but she will always consider New York her home.

Heidi started writing as soon as she could spell. When she was three, Heidi’s mother gave her a copy of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House in the Big Woods; thus beginning her lifelong love affair with literature.

Writing soon also became a form of therapy for Heidi, when she realized that no matter what was happening in her life, she could find emotional escape while writing. Some of her earliest stories featured her as a princess who explored new worlds with her horse Buttercup. If it sounds romantic, it wasn’t, there was no prince charming in those fairy lands (boys where yucky).

Heidi now resides in Florida with her husband, very active daughter, one hyper Chihuahua, two sweet cats, and one very fat moody cat.

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*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Teaser Tuesday: Raksha by Frankie Rose

2013-05-14T02:39:00.001-04:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Anyone can participate! All you have to do is:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser this week is from:

“It seems everyone is on edge and filled with energy, and I spend my time continually looking over my shoulder, black-masked faces always standing in my peripherals. There's never anyone there when I look, of course.”

Find Raksha on Goodreads!

*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Xpresso Blog Tours: Requiem for Blood by Alexandra Hope: Excerpt

2013-05-13T04:00:00.001-04:00

Requiem for Blood

By Alexandra Hope

Published: February 7th, 2013

Marrying East Asian mythology with Western folklore, this novel has a surprising twist for fans of the paranormal genre!

Seventeen year old Olivia Cohen has also had an appetite for blood and an aversion to the sun as a human and when she is killed by a mysterious young woman, she finds her appetite has heightened and her skin is now burned by the sun. Living her life in a colony with other people who live a "vampire-like" lifestyle, she has grown up hunting humans and believing there is a blood so powerful it will turn them from vampire-like into true vampires. On one of Olivia's final nights as a human she meets eighteen year old Troy Evans and is immediately drawn to the unique scent of hisblood. Now as an actual vampire, she must learn how to suppress her need to hunt and kill for his sake and decide if his unique blood is worth saving from those who seek it.

16+ for dark themes.

Amazon

Goodreads

And now, an excerpt from Requiem for Blood:

“I know hiding is prey mentality but come on,” Felicity whined, feigning disappointment.

“I'm not hiding,” said Olivia as she stepped from behind the tree and showed herself. Felicity threw two shuriken as soon as she revealed herself, their sharpened blades just missing Olivia's arm and embedding themselves into a tree. A blur before her eyes, Olivia was gone and replaced by leaves and dirt stirring in the air.

“What the hell....” her voice trailed. She tucked her head into her shoulder and put her arm up to shield her eyes from the dirt.

When the dirt and leaves had settled she turned and saw Olivia had ran off. She took a machete to a tree, only managing a dent to its massive bark. “This is hardly fair Olivia,” she yelled.

She pulled out a third weapon from her jacket pocket before whispering, “It's a good thing that I don't fight fair.”

Felicity shrugged the jacket off, tossing it to the ground and walked through the forest, alert. At every slight movement she threw shuriken and always just missed Olivia who scrambled behind trees and further into the forest. Olivia thought of the many times she was forced to play predator in these woods and how her heart raced with each close call. She imagined if her heart could beat at that moment it would pump itself right out of her chest. When she had gotten far enough away from Felicity she lay quietly onto her back, her arms sprawled out to the side. A branch rattled above her, leaves falling down and as she looked up a bird spread it's red wings and flew into the night sky.

Relieved, she closed her eyes and buried her head back into the damp ground. It was no more than a few seconds before they shot back open. Felicity's machete was coming down quickly but as she looked on, it felt like it was barely moving toward her. The blade was closer than it seemed when Olivia tried to roll to the side. Her shirt, soaked and dingy, was caught under Felicity's foot, forcing her to squirm out of it or fall prey to the blade. She was out of the shirt and back on her feet before Felicity could see anything. Though the night was cold and she was now only in a camisole, she felt no different as she sped through the forest. Her movements were fast and fluid like globs of light streaming passed Felicity forcing her to throw three more throwing stars with poor precision. She took a right to avoid the attack and grabbed onto a large tree.

Olivia was only a third of the way up the tree when she felt Felicity tug her leg. She kicked her leg back, striking Felicity at the jaw. Stumbling back, she spat red and her blue eyes had turned a piercing cold. Olivia was sitting on a branch when Felicity stuck her third weapon, a sai, into the trunk and used it to scale the tree, pulling it in and out as she went up. Olivia leaned backwards and her legs wrapped over the branch before she could plummet to her un-death. After hanging backwards and awaiting Felicity, she lifted her legs from the branch and fell gracelessly onto the ground. The landing was anything but soft, her body cut up and blood seeping out as she sprinted away. Within seconds the wounds closed up leaving only a dull pain as a reminder that she had been cut. Felicity slid down the tree and took in the scent of Olivia's blood, a smile creeping on her face. She followed Olivia’s scent but stopped when her foot came over something buried under the leaves. She picked up the hook sword and added it to her collection of unauthorized weapons then continued after her scent. When she heard rustling to her left, she stopped and pointed the hook sword in that direction with her last shuriken in her other hand. Olivia had been deliberately rustling leaves under her feet to beckon Felicity toward her, kunai in hand.

The final shuriken struck Olivia's arm and she cried out.

“First strike's mine,” Felicity declared as she appeared in front of her. Though Olivia had expected her to attack, even with her vampire senses, she couldn't detect the direction it was coming from. Olivia held tightly to her injured arm, the wound unable to regenerate as the weapon remained lodged in her. Felicity's eyes had warmed up unexpectedly when she saw Olivia clawing at her arm.

“Stop moving, I'll get it out,” she said. She fell beside Olivia and put her hand to her arm but was caught by Olivia. With the shuriken still stuck in her arm, she grabbed Felicity's wrist and held it tightly.

“I've finally gotten your last throwing star.”

“You wanted it to get lodged in your arm?” she sat back, bewildered.

“Surprised?” asked Olivia, her voice getting smaller but a faint smile on her face.

“At your stupidity? Yes.”

Olivia's grip was tighter on Felicity's arm, so much that she could feel the bones grinding beneath the skin. She winced at the pain, but tears did not well in her eyes. “Are you enacting your revenge? Quite the sore loser you've become,” Felicity commented through gritted teeth.

Olivia pulled out the kunai from her pocket.

“I never wanted to do this,” Olivia admitted.

“Do what?”

The kunai struck Felicity's jaw and blood spurted from the cut. She took her free hand to her face but still did not cry. Her eyes were bold. “You wanna kill me? Go on, do it. It's natural order....considering how many I've killed.”

“I would never kill you,” she confessed. “But I couldn't...”

The scent of Felicity's blood had stopped Olivia in her verbal tracks. Felicity smiled, a rather sweet smile.

“You smell it too? Something—”

“Shut up,” her voice was more pained than annoyed as she screamed at Felicity and then her eyes went dark.

Olivia pulled her head from Felicity's neck, her body languid and covered in blood.

No, she thought as she sank into the trunk of the tree.

“Olivia?”

Felicity's voice was a murmur as her name choked out of her month. She coughed. “You're a vampire...but how?”

She looked down at a bloody Felicity, her eyelids hanging over her blue eyes and threatening to close.

“I wish you didn't...”

“Didn't what?” she asked through coughs, her eyes studying Olivia's.

“I wish you didn't know that I was a vampire.”

Felicity's eyes shot open, her imposing blues bright on her face but without their usual iciness.

“I wish you would just forget...” Olivia's voice was almost a whisper as she stared at her.

“Forget what?” Felicity asked, her eyes blinking rapidly. She put her hand to her jaw then to her neck, pulling back a crimson stained palm. “What happened?”

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Alexandra Hope was born in New York, raised in Atlanta and has lived in Germany for the past three years. She writes pretty much whatever she feels like and for her debut novel she chose ninja-like vampires. She's a (Linguistic) Anthropology major, language lover, vocalist in a Japanese band and part-time bad fanfic writer.

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*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Cover Reveal: One More Day

2013-05-13T04:00:00.000-04:00

One More Day

By L.S. Murphy, Erika Beebe, Kimberly Kay, J. Keller Ford, Marissa Halvorson, Danielle E. Shipley and Anna Simpson

Expected Publication Date: December 2nd, 2013 by J. Taylor Publishing

What if today never ends?

What if everything about life--everything anyone ever hoped to be, to do, to experience--never happens?

Whether sitting in a chair, driving down the road, in surgery, jumping off a cliff or flying ... that's where you'd be ... forever.

Unless...

In One More Day, Erika Beebe, Marissa Halvorson, Kimberly Kay, J. Keller Ford, Danielle E. Shiply and Anna Simpson join L.S. Murphy to give us their twists, surprising us with answers to two big questions, all from perspective of characters under the age of eighteen.

How do we restart time?

How do we make everything go back to normal?

The answers, in whatever the world--human, alien, medieval, fantasy or fairytale--could, maybe, happen today.

Right now.

What would you do if this happened ... to you?

*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Cover Reveal: God's Warriors by L.P. Hidalgo

2013-05-12T03:00:00.000-04:00

God’s Warriors

Children of God’s Book # 1

By- L.P. Hidalgo

Expected Publication Date-September 18th, 2013

Blurb-

Jae Salvador is a college student dealing with the death of her older brother, Jason. But, her life changes when he comes back to deliver a cryptic message: the war of Heaven and Hell is upon us. It is up to Jae and her brother, Joel, to find God's warriors and along the way; they discover that their family is unlike most others. They are descendants of Son's of God who were put on earth in preparation for the war. However, Jae wields more power than anyone could imagine. She alone will decide the outcome of the war by convincing the Catalyst to choose Heaven over Hell.

Will she succeed in her quest for salvation or will she unleash Hell on Earth?

Links-

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17854439-god-s-warriors

Facebook Cover Reveal Event- https://www.facebook.com/events/339893152780176/

About the Author-

L. P. Hidalgo is the author of the “The Children of God’s” series, the captivating story of the war between Heaven and Hell with the heroine, Jae Salvador and her brother Joel, lead a quest in search of God’s Warriors, which is set to debut on September 18th, 2013.

L.P. Hidalgo on her off time is a freelance graphic designer, mother of two children, and devoted partner to her fiancé. From an early age she began writing, which throughout adulthood turned into passion. The artistic writer was encouraged by family and friends to write her compelling stories.

Links-

Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7065693.L_P_Hidalgo

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-LP-Hidalgo/459149144143735?notif_t=page_new_likes

*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

AToMR Tours: Review of Mirror of Shadows by T. Lynne Tolles

2013-05-10T04:00:00.000-04:00

Mirror of Shadows

By T. Lynne Tolles

Published: September 15th, 2012

Ella McKaye returns home for her grandmother's funeral to find she's inherited a ton of money and a run down mansion she never knew existed, called Grey Manor. Her greedy mother is appalled when the will stipulates specifically that Ella can't give her any of the inheritance. She quickly throws Ella out of her home forcing her to take up immediate residence in the spooky old mansion.

Within minutes of entering her new home she has a strange interaction with a creepy old mirror in the main hallway and the ghostly inhabitants of the past get more and more agitated the longer Ella's there. Nearly fatal back to back accidents make Ella start to wonder if she's angered some ghost of if there is something more sinister at work.

Will Ella unravel the deadly mystery before she becomes a ghost herself? Or will fate take another one of the Grey ancestors to the grave.

T. Lynne Tolles Website

Lana's Review:

When I first began to read Mirror of Shadows, I instantly knew I was going to like it. While Tolles has said she started writing to inspire her daughter, you can tell she was having fun writing this one. The emotions fly off the page, the attention to detail is insane. Ella is actually very easy to relate to, and the plot is thick and twisted (my kind of book, everyone.)

My only qualm with this one is, for one, sometimes the reactions seemed a little unrealistic... I like more shock, more angst in my books. And at the end, I almost feel as though Tolles got bored and just wanted it to be over... It went from being nice and leisurely-suspenseful to a bit scattered and jumbled... Though, it does not take away from the book at all. :)

Very good. If you like ghost stories with a hint of romance and lots of drama, I'd definitely give this one a go!

My Rating:

T. Lynne Tolles is a lifelong avid reader of all things paranormal and now is a writer of new adult paranormal romances for readers 15 to 115. She grew up in the sunny California San Francisco bay area. She's the mother of two, wife to one and pet mom to three cats and Newfoundland dog.

Blood of a Werewolf is the first of five books in a series called, the Blood Series. Other titles include Somber Island and Mirror of Shadows - both unrelated to the series.

*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Xpresso Blog Tours: Book Blitz: Shucked by Megg Jensen

2013-05-09T03:00:00.001-04:00

Shucked

By Megg Jensen

Publication Date: April 14th, 2013

Suburgatory meets Indiana Jones...on a farm.

Fifteen-year-old Tabitha has had the kind of life that would impress the greatest adventurers. She's escaped a croc attack in the Amazon, walked the length of the Great Wall of China, and earned a black belt in Taekwondo in Korea. She owes her worldly experience to her mother's career in archaeology, but when her mother takes on a dangerous new assignment, Tabitha is devastated to learn she can't tag along.

Instead, she's forced to live on a midwestern farm with her grandparents where she'll have to attend a full year of public school. It's Tabitha's greatest nightmare, because despite all her adventures, she has no practical experience with the one thing that frightens her the most - other teenagers.

Her math teacher is her mom's old high school boyfriend, she can't tell the friendly girls from the mean ones, and she develops a major crush on a boy she knows she can't trust. And just when she thinks she'll never get the hang of this normal teenager thing, an attack brings the danger of her previous life right up to her midwestern porch. Who could have ever guessed getting totally shucked would bring her face-to-face with her most exciting adventure yet?

You can purchase Shucked:

And now, an excerpt from Shucked!

And now I had to face math too? I prayed for a tornado or anything to whisk me away from this school. Instead, a boy stood in the doorway, blocking my entry to the classroom.

His back to me, all I could see was his stringy blond hair. I had the strangest urge to run my fingers through it - fingers covered with shampoo, that is. I shuddered at the grossness of it. What? Did he just get off the tractor before heading into school?

“Excuse me.” I nudged him with my knee as I ducked under the outstretched arm of the boy next to him. The other boy moved, maybe about a centimeter, as he turned his head to look down at me. Then I was struck.

Oh, Aphrodite, his eyes alone forced my stomach to plummet down to my toes. Gorgeous, dark brown Asian eyes. Who was this boy and what planet did he come from? He looked unlike every other midwestern homegrown pod person in this high school. My jaw dropped. My brain scrambled.

“Annyong hashimnikka.” I wanted to hit myself on the head with a blunt object. Stupid, stupid, stupid, speaking Korean instead of English.

“Huh?” he asked, a smile spread across his face. Dimples, there were dimples. “Did you just tell me good afternoon in Korean?”

I nodded.

“That’s cool.” He reached down and put his arm around my shoulder. “How’d you know I’m Korean?”

“I lived there for a year,” I stammered, struck by his eyes.

“My parents taught me a little here and there when I was growing up. Too bad there isn’t an opportunity for me to learn more with the Korean adoption groups in Chicago. There isn’t enough free time on the farm for that.”

My knees quivered as he led me over to an empty desk. What was wrong with me? Did my exile to cheerleading turn me into a weak-kneed teenage girl? I dropped my math book on the desk and gazed up at him.

“Long day?” he asked. “You look a little glassy eyed.”

Buddha give me strength. It was obvious. He knew.

“Leave her alone, Alex.” Becky elbowed her way between us. His arm slipped off my shoulders, leaving my skin hot and tingly. I wasn’t feeling well all of a sudden.

Maybe my vomiting fears were about to come true.

Alex turned around and skulked to the back row. He struck up a conversation with a geek next to him. A girl geek. Jealousy gnawed at my gut. I might need to kill Becky for sending him away.

“Sorry about Alex,” Becky said, rolling her eyes. “He’s such a player.”

“You think he’s a player?” I asked. “Really?”

“He’s dated almost every girl in school.” Becky drew quotes in the air when she said dated.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, eyeing him again. He leaned over closer to the geeky girl and twirled a bit of her hair around his index finger. She giggled. I reached to my belt for a sword before I realized I wasn’t in taekwondo and that I wasn’t allowed to hurt unarmed geeks.

“He’s a serial dater. He’s different. He’s hot. He knows it. Everyone has fallen for him at one time or another. Anyway, Alex is trouble. Stay away from him.”

Add Shucked to your Goodreads To-Read list!

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I've been a freelance parenting journalist since 2003 and began writing YA novels in 2009. I co-run DarkSide Publishing, am a member of SCBWI, and I blog about writing while juggling freelancing, volunteering, and family life. I live in the Chicago suburbs with my husband, two kids, and our miniature schnauzer, Ace.

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*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Nevermore PR Solstice Blog Tour: Guest Post

2013-05-09T03:00:00.000-04:00

Solstice: A Vampire Tale

Solstice Chronicles #1

By Bryan W. Dull

Published: January 18th, 2013

In Gavin Moxley's world, there is no thin line between right and wrong. In a person crusade to help sever a line of disease carried by a clan of vampires; Gavin has no choice but to be ruthless. The Vampires are purposely infecting the human population...waiting for humans to actively pass it on to each other. Gavin takes no chances and executes them one by one. Not strong or powerful, finding humans before they turn into full vampires is ideal and Gavin's best bet.

Yes, this is Gavin's life...

...And nothing ever changes it until a young half breed vampire with special abilities, Solstice, attaches and makes herself a fixture in his life when she asks for his help and protection and when a reluctant Gavin agrees he joins a dangerous game of cat and mouse. There is no safe place and the pair are constantly watching their backs. Torn between his hate and his love for Solstice Gavin is thrown into a moral dilemma that only he can figure out but two things are clear...

His faith and Humanity are being tested and the past is not always forgotten.

And now, a guest post from the author himself, Bryan W. Dull!

There is a difference between my characters and I. I am not Gavin Moxley. I am not any of the characters in my stories and having said that I should point out that I create fiction not reality. I will not lie and say nobody and personal situations do not inspire me to write the stories that I do. The fact is that I am under the impression that after my first book, “Solstice”, people seem to put off by me as a person, especially family. I am not sure if it’s because of the content, the nature, or just the dialogue in the book but I find it frustrating that after the book had come out my contact with friends and family has declined drastically. Some people tell me that it is just jealousy and perhaps that they don’t agree with or understand why I am not living the usual lifestyle that most want in life. That may be true, but I am not vain enough to say that.

I was told at one point before I started the book that writing was a waste of time and that there was no money in it. That person is no longer on my radar anymore because I chose to surround myself with people that support me and what I am trying to do with my life. People may not like what I do and that’s okay because if you are writing and you are not pissing someone off then you probably aren’t doing something right. I am not going to apologize for doing what I and others think I am great at.

In the long run, it may turn out to be nothing. At least I put my name out there into the world and my work will always be around for others to enjoy in my lifetime, and maybe my child’s lifetime as well and while people choose to stick with what is considered “normal”, I am not that person and if you are so against writing, books, or the arts in general, I at least had the guts to try to make a name for myself in some way…so my question for those who oppose the idea of what I do is… “What the hell have you done lately that is so great?”

Bryan W. Dull, April 28, 2013

Bryan W. Dull has told and written stories most of his life; "Solstice" is his first published work. Dull has a unique perspective on life that puts his writings in a class by themselves. Other works he has created have been praised but never published. He currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio with his family. Dull has lived in Indiana, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina; which is where Solstice takes place.

*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Girls Heart Books Blitz: Few Are Angels by Inger Iversen

2013-05-08T03:02:00.000-04:00

Few Are Angels

By Inger Iversen

Published: May 28th, 2012

After a fatal hit and run accident, Ella Monroe fears that she’s lost more than her beloved parents. Horrifying visions of a past life and a disturbing voice in her head have psychiatric professionals convinced that she’s lost her sanity as well. But when Kale--a dark and handsome stranger with a mysterious past--reveals the true meaning of her visions and the tremendous power she wields through them, Ella must come to terms with the devastating truths of her own past, while eluding an ancient Dark Prince who seeks to control not only her future, but all of mankind’s, by means of abilities that Ella is only beginning to understand.

Enter the shrouded world of an age old battle between an ancient race known as the Immortals and their bitter enemy Laurent, the so-called Dark Prince, who commands an army of half-breed vampires known as Chorý. Both sides have been desperately searching for the prophesied emergence of the Arc, a clairvoyant with unparalleled power to recall the past and a soothsayer with clear vision into the future.

The Council of Immortals has sworn to protect the Arc, whom they have identified as young Ella Monroe, a college freshman from Virginia living quietly and unaware of her powers or her past. But a renegade Chorý has other plans for the protection of a girl he has loved through the ages. Can Kale convince Ella of who she is, what she is destined to become, and what he once meant to her? Is he truly the best protector to shield the world from the devastating misuse of her powers that Laurent is bent on controlling? Or will the forbidden love they share and Kale’s cursed condition as a retched and hated Chorý be used against them both?

This paranormal romance told from the heroine’s perspective builds in intensity and intrigue to a finale you won’t see coming. Heart pounding action mixed with heartwarming friendships and heartbreaking romance will leave you breathless and begging for more.

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Inger Iversen lives in Virginia Beach with her tree-hugging boyfriend Joshua and her overweight lap cat Max. When not reading or writing she spends her time watching reruns of True Blood or killing zombies in Call Of Duty.

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*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Sizzling PR: Little Stalker by Erica Pike Book Blitz: Excerpt

2013-05-08T03:00:00.000-04:00

Little Stalker

College Fun & Gays #4

By Erica Pike

Published: November 30th, 2012

College student Coby is being stalked by a young guy and has no idea why, until someone suggests that the stalker may have a crush on him. The idea both excites and terrifies Coby, who is so deep in the closet he can barely think the word "gay" without freaking out.

And now, an excerpt from Little Stalker:

PLEASE BE WARNED OF ADULT CONTENT BELOW.

He flinches from my touch and backs into the wall, but I follow and thread my fingers through that kitten-soft hair, pushing it aside to see the fading bruise.

Who would do that to him?

As Grayson looks down with flushed skin, his cheek brushes the inside of my palm. He jerks to a stop and holds his breath, just as I hold mine.

Without thinking about it, I lay my palm further against his skin, taking in the warm, soft feel of it. It’s like touching a girl...but still different. His skin is smooth, but there’s a thin line along his jaw that feels rougher, like a hint of stubble.

“Have you ever kissed a guy?” I ask in a low voice, shocking both him and myself with my words. But instead of trying to reel them back, I gaze down at his lowered face. Ray’s words this morning flash through my mind. ‘Just because you’d fuck him it wouldn't mean anything.’ I've been half horny all morning...

He sucks in his lower lip and licks the upper one with the tip of his tongue. It makes my whole groin twitch. The heat in my crotch is almost painful and the rest of my body feels numb.

“Yeah,” he whispers, still looking down.

“What’s it like?” I ask, my voice low and a little thicker than usual. “Is it different from kissing a girl?” It feels like there’s a vibrating rock in the pit of my stomach and its sending shocks to my rapidly beating heart. My fingers on his face tremble, and I’m breaking out in a sweat.

His gaze rises to meet mine, wide and pretty – eyes much too large for his small face. He licks his lips again, cocking his head to the side.

“I've never kissed a girl,” he says in a low voice, chest heaving rapidly, red lips half parted.

God...

Before I can even think to stop myself, I’m lowering my head, my trembling lips touching his very, very lightly. It’s not enough to determine if it’s different, but it feels soft and wet, and oh, he smells so good. His hair is a little damp after the rain, but his own natural smell... I touch my lips to his again, a little firmer this time, lingering, savoring the wet, ticklish feel that sends all sorts of sparks through my body. My head feels so light it’s like I’m not even in my own body anymore. Yeah, it definitely feels different from kissing a girl; it feels unreal.

We kiss more, each touch experimental, hesitant. My fingers barely touch his face and he trembles less than an inch from my arm.

When I pull back, I gaze in Grayson’s dazed eyes. They mirror my own hazy brain. The warmth from his body is like a magnet, trying to pull mine closer, and I gently position my hands on his hips. I lick my lips and step closer.

He meets me halfway when I bend down to kiss him again, sliding his arms up my torso to rest on my pectorals. He moans once, his mouth opens for my tongue, and my knees go weak with all the fireworks shooting from limb to limb. God, he feels so good. His tongue is thin, nimble, and so hot against mine it burns. He grabs my shoulder when it feels like he’s about to fall, and his other hand clasps the shirt on my back for support. I grab him, holding on tightly as I kiss him with tongue twisting, teeth clashing intensity, grazing his lips with my teeth and sucking on them. I hear myself moan into his mouth and him echoing with added whimpers and sighs. He feels so good.

I break away to rest my forehead against his, just to catch my breath a little.

I haven't been writing since I was in diapers, nor have I been an avid reader since I learned my ABC's. I have, however, always been a daydreamer spinning tales after tales. After having exhausted every possible scenario of man-woman love, I started weaving stories of men who love men. I know! So much hotter. This time I wrote it all down.

I live in Iceland with my adorable little twin boys, and I'm happy with what I have. I often say that my real name sounds like Klingon to foreigners so I don’t even bother revealing it.
I've been writing for several years, or ever since reading became an obsession.

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*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Raksha Blog Tour: Review of Raksha by Frankie Rose

2013-05-07T03:30:00.000-04:00

Raksha

By Frankie Rose

Published: March 1st, 2013

She has no name.

She has her knives; her training; her halo.

The first and second give her the tools and the skill to defeat the opponents she is pitched against each month. The third frees her from pain and fear. From any kind of emotion at all. Everything is as it should be. Everything is as it should be, until...

FearPainAngerHappinessDesireGuilt

Love.

When a newly-named Kit escapes the Sanctuary after killing her best friend, the last thing she needs is another knife in her hand. Or Ryka, the damaged, beautiful blonde boy, who she refuses to let save her. Still learning how to process the onslaught of her new feelings, the sights and sounds of Freetown are overwhelming and strange. There are a hundred differences between her old home and her new one, but one thing remains starkly similar: the matches. Yet where the blood of the Sanctuary landed only on the colosseum floor, Kit will quickly learn that a river of red runs through Freetown's very streets.

Freed from the oppression of a society who stole her right to feel, the true horror of her old life leaves Kit wondering if she really has been freed at all. Would she be better off without the crippling horror of all the blood on her hands, or is the love of one boy worth living through all the pain?

Raksha is the call of the dead. The rumbling chant for fresh blood from the other side, the demand for sacrifice. The colosseum is behind Kit. The fighting pits await.

You have been called to the fights.

She's done it again! Frankie Rose has managed to cram enough emotion into a single novel to leave her readers emotionally exhausted for the rest of their lives, and yet, all I want is more. The fact I keep dragging myself out of this dark hole called a "book hangover" for more attacks on my feels should tell you ALL Rose is a fantastic author.

Raksha is... *deep breath* Raksha is everything I want from a book. There's a strong heroin, a hot guy, angst and drama and constant action... The minute you read the first paragraph, there is no turning back-- The horrific and perfect story has you in its grasp and you will NOT be escaping any time soon.

And what I LOVE about this book, is while they both have incredibly hot male leads and fierce, strong female leads, this book is nothing like her previous series (and while I LOVE Sovereign Hope, I hate when two totally different novels ring the same bell...).

I found, while I've never been in Kit's predicament (which, uh, I think is a good thing), I found it extremely easy to step into her shoes. Her emotions came straight off the page and into my chest and I swear, I do not remember the last time this kind of book has had this effect on me...

I cannot even tell you how much I love this book. Rose just gets better and better as she goes, and if you will all excuse me, I am going to go sit in a dark corner and let my feels reassemble themselves while I anxiously await book two.

My Rating:

Frankie Rose was born in the United Kingdom, but now lives with her husband in sunny Australia.

She officially makes things up for a living, and when she's not doing that, she is generally making paper birds out of receipts and old lists or taking photographs that make her smile.

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*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Girls Heart Books Blog Tours: Beyond the Sun by Sandra Bischoff: Review & Giveaway

2013-05-06T03:36:00.001-04:00

Beyond The Sun

The Dark Order of the Dragon Series

By Sandra Bischoff

Published: April 1st, 2013 by Bayou Brew Publishing

Fifteen years ago Jared Bonatelli had it all. The youngest son of one of the founding families in the Conservatorship of The Dark Order he lived a life you only thought existed in novels and nightmares. He had just graduated from Oxford University and became engaged to his childhood sweetheart when he lost it all in one violent act. The very next day he found himself shipped off to New Orleans with only the money in his pocket and whatever he could fit in one suitcase. Since that night he has suffered reliving his fiance's murder repeatedly in his dreams. It isn't until he finds himself summoned back to New York for an emergency meeting of the Conservatorship that the comfortable world he lives in begins to crumble around him.

Alexandra Toscano has been searching for the one assignment that could catapult her journalistic career. When her editor Gene O'Hanlon drops a manila folder in her lap, Alex is immediately skeptical. At first glance the information seems like a publicity piece that is till she comes across an article he wrote some fifteen years ago about Vampires murdering a young woman in Central Park. She is ready to laugh it off as a work of fiction until he points out he was an eyewitness to the whole thing. But that wasn't all. The girl's boyfriend was a member of a prominent Italian family who vanished the very next day.

Now as Alex begins to dig deeper into Jared's life she begins to question her own past. Could the answer she seeks be found in the glowing eyes of the one person she is sworn to expose? Or will they both find themselves torn apart by a world Beyond the Sun?

....I feel like I just got punched in the face....

I can't even say why, otherwise when you get to the end of this book, YOU won't get punched in the face, and it's one of those awesome I-Just-Got-Punched-In-The-Face moments where you're just sitting here and you know everything that's happening and you're gonna eat a bagel now-- BANG!

I mean... I just... DANG!

Okay... Breathe, Lana, you have a review to write...

*ahem*

Beyond the Sun is the first in The Dark Order of the Dragon's series by Sandra Bischoff. The story is about Jared and Alex, essentially, both of which are the most awesome characters ever and they have so much chemistry I just--

God, I just can't be professional right now...

Let me give you the short version of this review, because I'm kind of reeling here, and I don't know what to say besides you all HAVE TO GET THIS BOOK. I am not kidding, I am not fluffing, I am not exaggerating at all. This book has intense amounts of "NOW KISS" moments, suspense, drama, and twists. I LOVE it. You have to get it...

Seriously.

The links are down there. Just keep scrolling. GET. IT. Please.

My Rating:

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Or, you can enter this awesome giveaway. ;)

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Sandi Bischoff lives in the historic town of Cornwall, NY with her husband, son and a menagerie of Dragons all of whom have their own distinct personalities. She is a Pharmacist by profession but finally found her true calling in a simple twist of fate. A friend approached her to write for a character in a forum on a popular networking website and over the next five years her passion had found its niche. She then went on to compose a few poems and short stories which she would post on her homepage at the same networking site. Recently one of those poems was chosen to be published in a compilation called Collected Whispers.

Her first manuscript entitled Beyond the Sun was another short story gone wild. It has recently been picked up by Bayou Brew Publishing and was released on April 1st.

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*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Cover Reveal: Resisting Fate by Heather Van Fleet

2013-05-06T03:01:00.002-04:00

Resisting Fate

Predetermined Series #1

By Heather Van Fleet

Published: June 14th, 2013 by Sunshine Press

Seventeen-year-old Emmy O'Connell is the epitome of a hot mess.

Her boyfriend's been shipped out of town to some boarding school four states away. Her step douche is constantly drunk and badgering her. And there's her good-ole-mom... The lady is nothing more than a miserable shell of a woman. She's turned off all her feelings and her ability to be a good mother as well, leaving poor Emmy and her four-year-old brother Jamie to suffer. Life couldn't get much worse, right?

Enter the elusive, cocky, and oh-so-broody Jack Hartman...

The jerk cousin of her boyfriend becomes Emmy's worst nightmare...times ten. He's cruel. He's insensitive. But he also has this strange ability over her -- he makes her weak in the knees with a single touch of his hand. But no matter how miserable or amazing Jack makes her feel, Emmy can't seem to deny him, especially when he takes on the role of her protector --her pseudo-knight in a black leather coat. A knight who also just happens to ride on his black Harley, instead of a white horse...

And to make a bad situation worse...

Werewolves and teens shouldn't mix! But what can Emmy do when she finds herself thrown head first into the center of it all? Can she handle the supernatural mess her life rapidly becomes or will she fight against the inevitable fate her heart desires?

Heather Van Fleet currently reside in northern Illinois, with her three little ladies, and fabulous hubby, and high school sweetheart, Chris. She’s a stay at home mom by day, and an avid and completely obsessive writer and reader by night.

She’s always had a soft spot in her heart for books, and has been creating her own little stories since the age of seven. But she never really had the confidence or the time to actually sit down and really do something about it until her youngest daughter Isabella was born just two years ago. Bella, as well as her older sisters Kelsey and Emma, are and always will be her greatest inspirations.

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*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Cover Reveal: Falling by Lisa Rigsbee

2013-05-06T03:00:00.001-04:00

Falling

By Lisa Rigsbee

Published: March 17th, 2013

After seventeen year-old Sophie's mom dies in a tragic accident, she is so engulfed with guilt and sadness, she feels like she could literally, simply lie down and die. But a few months later, on the night she and her friends experiment with a Ouija board, things begin to change in unimaginable ways. Sophie begins to hear, and then see, Nick, a boy who has been dead for two years. This story tells of their blossoming friendship, young love, and how, through Nick, Sophie learns to live again. But even in the spirit world, happiness can't last forever. There is a dark side to this otherworldly friendship. Not all spirits are good. Sophie's dreams become haunting, scary nightmares. And soon these nightmares become reality, and lead Nick and Sophie into a battle against this evil spirit. They must fight for her life, but even if they can figure out how to fight a ghost, Sophie isn't sure she wants to. If she dies, she could be with Nick forever.

FALLING grips emotions and keeps the reader turning pages late into the night.

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Lisa lives near the beach with her daughter and four dogs. She spends every spare moment at the beach, either reading, or surfing, or just sitting and watching the water. That’s also where she does most of her writing, in a notebook, with a pencil. Lisa is a school teacher, and a yoga teacher. She is passionate about dog rescue. As busy as she stays, she is most happy sitting on her sofa, cuddling with her pups.

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*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

RBTL Presents: Submission Therapy by Katie Salidas and Willsin Rowe

2013-05-06T03:00:00.000-04:00

Please be aware the following post spotlights a BDSM EROTICA. If you are sensitive to this subject or under 18, I suggest you move along or proceed with caution.

Submission Therapy

The Consummate Therapy Series #1

By Katie Salidas & Willsin Rowe

Published: October 31st, 2012

Billionaire CEO of Blakely Incorporated, Natasha runs her empire with an eagle eye for every detail. She's an obsessive, compulsive, micromanaging hard-ass, consumed by the need to consumed by the need to control every aspect of her life and her business.

But underneath that seemingly strong facade, Natasha is a swirling mess of anger, anxiety and sexual addiction. Only her therapist, Dr. Benson, knows how close she is to burning out...or exploding. He insists on a radical form of treatment - Submission Therapy - knowing that it's her only hope.

Skeptical but intrigued, Natasha agrees to attend the first session. What she finds there in an erotically-charged environment that will forgive none of her habitual bad behavior. And a steely-eyed man who seems to read her every desire - even the ones she won't admit to herself.

Will Natasha learn what it means to submit? Or will she allow her brittle pride to rob her of what she truly need?

WARNING: This title contains graphic language, sexual situations, bondage, discipline, toys, and plenty of billionaire shenanigans.

And now, our interview with Katie Salidas and Willsin Rowe!

*Can you tell us a bit about yourselves?

Katie: You don’t want to hear the boring stuff about little old me. I’d hate to spoil the mystique of being an erotica writer with the hum drum of normal life. You know, things like being a mother of 2 with another on the way. Girl Scout troop leader. Hopeful soccer mom, that kind of stuff. I’m sure you want the nitty gritty stuff, like how happy my hubby is… *nudge nudge wink wink. * Aside from the racy stories, I am pretty much your normal, everyday mom type person. And I love it. Writing erotica is just the icing on the cake.

Willsin: I’m a father of two, husband of one (heh). Like most writers, I’ve always been a writer, even before I knew it was something you could do! I live in sub-tropical Brisbane, capital city of Queensland (Australia). Outside of writing, I’m also an in-demand cover artist, and I play bass in a swampy blues/folk/rock band.

*What inspired you to write Submission Therapy?

Katie: There was this character. She was the biggest hard ass imaginable. Stressed out from micromanaging everything and everyone around her. She was so tightly wound she could snap at any minute. And she needed a story. I remember running the idea past Willsin way before we decided to go with it. And even then, he said it sounded great. What this woman needed was to learn how to let go. And what is the most extreme version of letting go? Submission. The story really just had to be written after that.

Willsin: The story definitely hatched in Katie’s dirty mind! We’d already put out a couple of titles that were in the cute office romance style of erotica. When Katie mentioned the idea for Submission Therapy my interest was immediately piqued. Then when she sent me the little rough draft for the first scene (which ended up being about the third scene in the final product), I was very keen to run with it. I felt it covered a side of the Billionaire BDSM genre that had been largely (maybe completely) ignored.

*What made you decide to work together in writing Submission Therapy?

Katie: Willsin and I have worked together for years. We started as bloggers, then critiquing partners, and then we moved to partnering up and co-authoring. Our personalities really match, I think. Willsin may disagree, but I think we make a good Yin-Yang partnership. Where I am weak as a writer, he is strong. Where I run out of ideas, he suddenly has one. And vice versa.

Willsin: That’s certainly how it works. In part it’s the male/female pairing, which gives us ready access to both points of view. And it’s also the fact that we’re in different countries, and the “outside the box” thinking that comes with that. We never assume that any word, phrase, or experience is globally constant, for instance. It makes our minds that little bit more flexible and open.

*Did you each have a separate character to write, or did you share?

Katie: We don’t pick a character and then put them together. We talk about the scene and come up with the who, what, when, and where. Then, one person generally takes the reins. From there it is a ping pong game. When I finish my portion of a scene then I pass it off to Willsin. He takes over and runs with it for as long as he can, then passes it back to me. We continue this way until the end of the story. After that, each of us take turns looking at the work as a whole and making individual tweaks and additions. It’s a constant back and forth between us.

Willsin: Yeah, I don’t think a “separate characters” approach would ever work for us. We combine plotting and pantsing most of the time, by having a good skeleton in place, but letting the flesh fill in organically. It makes writing even more fun and exciting, I find. It’s always a buzz to get the manuscript back and see where Katie’s taken it.

*What are the pros and cons of writing with another author?

Katie: Every writer has their own style and their own vision. You have to work with a partner who really “gets” your vision for the story, or who shares the same vision for it. Otherwise you will butt heads. That’s really the key. It can go really well when you mesh, or very badly if you don’t.

Willsin: The pros are many! If you personally feel drained or uninspired, you know your partner will step in and drive for you. You have built-in beta-reading for every little section you write. And a whole lot more. As to the cons...hmm...the cons... Actually, I can’t think of any! There have been little occasions where I’ve put something in a story and Katie has said “not comfortable with that”...but in every case she’s had good reason, and also been right!

*If you could spend one day with any literary character ever written, who would you choose and why?

Katie: I’d love to meet the Brat Prince himself, Lestat. Need I say more? Ladies, you know… =p

Willsin: I have a soft spot for one of Katie’s “Immortalis” characters, Fallon. (Well, my spot isn’t all that soft, really!) But I’m not sure I could take down her mate, Aiden, given that he’s a werewolf! So, as bizarre as it might seem, I’d love to meet Death. The Terry Pratchett version from the Discworld novels.

*Mel and I have a weakness for good quality cheesecake- Is there a dessert the two of you just can't say no to?

Katie: I’m a pregnant woman. There is no dessert I can turn down at this point in time. Ha!

Willsin: Don’t make me narrow it down to just one! What are ya tryin’ ta do to me? But if I did have to choose a single dessert, I’d probably opt for the custard pie that my wife and I make. She does the pastry and I make the custard. Hmm...that sounds a little dirtier than I meant it to. Or maybe that’s just my erotica-writer brain looking for trouble!

*What's next for you both?

Katie: We’re working on a paranormal erotica at the moment. But, until it has been more developed, I cannot say. *Bites and Kisses.*

Willsin: Plus we’re both working on solo stories and will be calling upon each other for beta-reading. I’m also in the middle of creating about 20 covers for various writers!

*Thanks so much for joining us on Girls *Heart* Books!

Katie: Thanks so much for having us here today! *Hugs*

Willsin: It was lovely to be joined! Wait...that’s not quite what I meant...

Aren't they a trip. I already love them. Hehe :)

And now, because we love you all, here's a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Katie Salidas is a Super Woman! Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women, She can get the munchkin off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons. She can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime… And, She still finds the time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). She can do all of this and still have time to write.
And if you can believe all of those lies, there is some beautiful swamp land in Florida for sale…
Katie Salidas resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mother, wife, and author, she does try to do it all, often causing sleep deprivation and many nights passed out at the computer. Writing books is her passion, and she hopes that her passion will bring you hours of entertainment.

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I fall in love with a scent, a playful expression or an act of casual intimacy more easily than with physical beauty. When confronted by any combination of those I am a lost cause.
I have done many things over and over. I have done even more things only once. I have half-done more things than I care to admit.
I don't yet know if I can ski, speak Italian or keep calm in a life-threatening situation, but I have my suspicions.
I play bass in a swampy blues band. I love to sing and don't let my voice get in the way.
I am intelligent but not sensible. I am polite but inappropriate. I am passionate but fearful. I am honest but reticent. I am neither stylish enough nor scruffy enough to be cool.

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*We receive NO payment of any kind for our reviews-we review books we've bought, or books that are provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

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RBTL Presents: Submission Therapy by Katie Salidas and Willsin Rowe

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