Laura Z Reads

FRIDAY READS #1

2015-01-30T15:25:00.001-05:00

Hey Bookworms!

Come check out my newest BookTube video :)

Keep Calm and Read On!
Laura

Book Blogging Confessions + The Little Pink Book Boutique goes to YouTube!

2015-01-28T09:58:00.001-05:00

Hey Bookworms!

I have a confession to make.

Blogging is hard work with a 7 month old.

Like - super hard.

I haven't given my blog the care, time, and attention it deserves since I got pregnant in September 2013, and now with a seven month old, it's even harder to devote those things to the blog. I am not saying goodbye to blogging, but I have made the decision to finally use my YouTube channel (Which you can find HERE) since it is easier for me to record videos and edit and upload them than it is to sit down and write blog posts right now.

So what do I see for the future? Hopefully a good symbiotic relationship between blogging and BookTubing. Books are such a large part of my life that I need to do something with them, and sharing my love of them with others is something that I want to continue. I may look into finding a co-blogger or becoming a co-blogger on another book blogger's blog - if an opportunity arises. But for now please be sure to subscribe to my YouTube page and follow me on my book reading journey there.

Keep Calm and Read On!

Laura

Book Blitz {Shadow Fire by Kimber Leigh Wheaton}

2015-01-05T10:01:00.000-05:00

Shadow Fire (The Light Chronicles #1)

by Kimber Leigh Wheaton

Release Date: 02/24/14

Astraea Press

310 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Ashlyn – a free-spirited teenager whose peaceful life is shattered when the village elders honor her with a perilous quest to recover a stolen relic.

Zane – a jaded mercenary, torn by his undeniable desire for Ashlyn and the dark secret that could make her hate him forever.

Delistaire – a malevolent sorcerer driven by an insatiable lust for power.
All three are bound together by an ancient relic supposedly infused with the power of a Goddess.

Shadow Fire - adventure, passion, secrets, and betrayal

As Ashlyn and Zane race to stay one step ahead of the evil lurking in the shadows, their passions are ignited and their bond strengthens. But will they find the relic before Delistaire? Or has their entire quest been orchestrated from the very beginning by a madman in pursuit of ultimate power?

Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes & Noble

About the Author
Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a bestselling YA/NA author with a soft spot for sweet romance. She is married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three dogs, four cats, and lots of dragons. No, she doesn’t live on a farm, she just loves animals. Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, videogames, superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!) She currently lives in San Antonio, TX but has been somewhat a rolling stone in life, having resided in several different cities and states.

Author Links:

Book Blitz Organized by:

BOOK BLITZ {Where Dead Bodies Lie}

2014-12-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

Where Dead Bodies Lie (The Body Dowser Series, #1)

by Kat Cazanav

Release Date: 12/16/14

Summary from Goodreads:

For as long as I can remember, I have been told to follow three important rules;
Always guard my ability
Never share my secret
And pretend to be normal.

However, those three little rules don’t make my life easier. I still find dead people and deal with strange visions. Not to mention, an attraction to a boy who doesn’t exist. Whenever we cross path’s he mists away like smoke on a mirror. He drives me crazy, that Kaff Cooper.

As a flock of dead crows fall from the blackened sky, Kaff becomes the only one who can see the truth straight to the dark underbelly of who I actually am.

My hands feel the pull to extract the forsaken, the lost, the forgotten. It comes as naturally as breathing and there is no stopping it.

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books

Author Links:
Website│Goodreads│Twitter

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

COVER REVEAL {Greta and the Glass Kingdom}

2014-12-17T16:32:00.001-05:00

Greta and the Goblin King (Mylena Chronicles #1)

by Chloe Jacobs

Release Date: 12/11/12

Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:
While trying to save her brother from a witch’s fire four years ago, Greta was thrown in herself, falling through a portal to Mylena, a dangerous world where humans are the enemy and every ogre, ghoul, and goblin has a dark side that comes out with the eclipse.

To survive, Greta has hidden her humanity and taken the job of bounty hunter—and she’s good at what she does. So good, she’s caught the attention of Mylena’s young goblin king, the darkly enticing Isaac, who invades her dreams and undermines her will to escape.

But Greta’s not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. An ancient evil knows she’s the key to opening the portal, and with the next eclipse mere days away, every bloodthirsty creature in the realm is after her—including Isaac. If Greta fails, she and the lost boys of Mylena will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back...

Greta and the Glass Kingdom (Mylena Chronicles #2)

by Chloe Jacobs

Release Date: February 2015

Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:
The sequel to the Hansel & Gretel retelling Greta and the Goblin King ups the stakes of danger and romance. As conflict surges across Mylena, the tough Greta struggles to save those she loves.

Against all odds, Greta and the Goblin King miraculously survived the battle against the evil Agramon. Greta should be happy to be alive and ready to claim her place in Mylena by Isaac's side. Yet nothing is the way she thought it would be. The battle against Agramon left a dark magick inside Greta that will eventually kill her. Isaac hasn't been the same since he almost went Lost. And there are whispers of a rebellion brewing throughout Mylena...

Determined to save Mylena from a bitter civil war, they travel to the mysterious Glass Kingdom to form an uneasy alliance with the deadly Faerie race. But when an unexpected disaster tears Greta and Isaac apart, she must make the journey on her own. Along the way, she discovers a conspiracy stretching back to events she never thought she would have to revisit, betrayal from allies whose loyalty she never questioned, and an enemy vying to control all of Mylena.

Follow Greta into unexpected romance, explosive secrets, and shocking betrayals that will leave her and all of Mylena forever changed in the stunning second installment of The Mylena Chronicles.

About the Author

Chloe Jacobs is a native of nowhere and everywhere, having jumped around to practically every Province of Canada before finally settling in Ontario where she has now been living for a respectable number of years. Her husband and son are the two best people in the entire world, but they also make her wish she'd at least gotten a female cat. No such luck. And although the day job keeps her busy, she carves out as much time as possible to write. Bringing new characters to life and finding out what makes them tick and how badly she can make them suffer is one of her greatest pleasures, almost better than chocolate and fuzzy pink bunny slippers.

Author Links:

Cover Reveal Organized by:

RELEASE DAY LAUNCH + GIVEAWAY! {Seaside Sunsets by Melissa Foster}

2014-12-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

Today we have the release day launch for Melissa Foster's Seaside Sunsets! i am so excited about this release!! Melissa is sharing an exclusive excerpt with us, as well as a phenomenal giveaway! Make sure to read all about the book and enter her giveaway!!

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An Aussie Girls WILD Book Addiction!

Exclusive Excerpt:

JESSICA AYERS COULD hold a note on her cello for thirty-eight seconds without ever breaking a sweat, but staring at the eBay auction on her iPhone as the last forty seconds ticked away had her hands sweating and her heart racing. She never knew seconds could pass so slowly. She’d been pacing the deck of her rented apartment in the Seaside cottage community in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, for forty-five minutes. This was her first time—and she was certain her last time—using the online auction site. She was the high bidder on a baseball that she was fairly certain was her father’s from when he was a boy.
“Come on. Come on. Come on.” Fifteen seconds. She clenched her eyes shut and squeezed the phone, as if she could will the win. It was only seven thirty in the morning, and already the sun had blazed a path through the trees. She was hot and frustrated, and after fighting with her orchestra manager for two weeks about taking a hiatus, and her mother for even longer about everything under the sun, she was ready to blow. She’d come to the Cape for a respite from playing in the Boston Symphony Orchestra, hoping to figure out if she was living her life to the fullest, or missing out on it altogether. Finding her father’s baseball autographed by Mickey Mantle was her self-imposed distraction to keep her mind off picking up the cello. She’d never imagined she’d find it a week into her vacation.
She opened her eyes and stared at the phone.
Five seconds. Four. Three.
A message flashed on the screen. You have been outbid by another bidder.
“What? No. No, no, no.” She pressed the bid icon, and nothing happened. She pressed it again, and again, her muscles tightening with each attempt. Another message flashed on the screen. Bidding for this item has ended.
No!
She stared at the phone, unable to believe she’d been seconds away from winning what she was sure was her father’s baseball and had lost it. She hated phones. She hated eBay. She hated bidding against nonexistent people in tiny little stupid phones. She hated the whole thing so much she turned and hurled the phone over the deck.
Wow.
That felt really, really good.
“Ouch! What the…” A deep male voice rose up to her.
Jessica crouched and peered between the balusters. Standing on the gravel road just a few feet from her building, in a pair of black running shorts and no shirt, was the nicest butt she’d ever seen, attached to a tanned back that was glistening with sweat and rippled with muscles. Holy moly, they didn’t make orchestra musicians with bodies like that. Not that she’d know, considering that they were always properly covered in black suits and white shirts, but could a body like that even be hidden?
He turned, one hand rubbing his unruly black hair as he looked up at the pitch pine trees.
Yeah, you won’t find the culprit there.
His eyes passed by her deck, and she cringed. At least he hadn’t seen her phone, which she spotted a few feet away, where it must have fallen after conking him on the head. His eyes dropped to the ground…and traveled directly to it.
Jessica ducked lower, watching his brows knit together, giving him a brooding, sexy look.
Please don’t see me. Please don’t see me.
He looked at the cottages to his left, then to the pool off to his right, and just as Jessica sighed with relief, he crossed the road toward the steps to her apartment. His eyes locked on her. He shaded them with his hand and looked down at the phone, then back up at her, and lifted the phone in the air.
“Is this yours?”
She debated staying there, crouched and peering between the railings like a child playing hide-and-seek, hoping he really couldn’t see her.
I’ve been seeked.
Darn it! She rose slowly to her feet. “My what?” She had no idea what she was going to say or do as the words flew from her mouth.
He laughed. God, he had a sexy laugh. “Your phone?”
He stood there looking amused and so damn sexy that Jessica couldn’t take her eyes off of him. “Why would that be mine? I don’t even have a phone.” Great. Now I’m a phone assaulter and a liar. She had no idea that being incredibly attracted to a man could couple with embarrassment and make her spew lies, as if she lied every day.
He looked back down at the phone and scratched his head. She wondered what he was thinking. That it fell from the sky? No one was that stupid, but she couldn’t own up to it now. She was in too deep. As he mounted the stairs, she got a good look at his chest, covered with a light dusting of hair, over muscles that bunched and rippled down his stomach, forming a V between his hips.
He stepped onto the deck and raked his hazel eyes down her body with the kind of smile that should have made her feel at ease and instead made her feel very naked. And hot. Definitely hot. Oh wait, he was hot. She was just bothered. Hot and bothered. Jesus, up close he was even more handsome than she imagined, with at least three days’ scruff peppering his strong chin and eyes that played hues of green and brown like a melody.
“Hi. I’m Jamie Reed.”
“Hi. Jessica…Ayers.”
“How long are you renting?” He used his forearm to wipe his brow. She never knew sweating could look so sexy.
“For the summer.” She shifted her eyes to her phone. “What will you do with that phone?”
He looked down at it. “I guess that depends, doesn’t it?” The side of his mouth quirked up, making his handsome, rugged face look playful and sending her stomach into a tailspin.
Jessica needed and wanted playful in her too prim and proper life, but she needed her phone even more, in case her orchestra manager called.
“Let’s say it was my phone. Let’s say it slipped from my hand and fell over the deck, purely by accident.”
He stepped closer, and suddenly playful turned serious. His eyes went dark and seductive, in a way that bored right through her, both turning her on and calling her on her shit. He placed one big hand on the railing beside her and peered over the side. His brows lifted, and he stepped closer again. She inched backward until her back met the wooden rail. He smelled of power and sweat and something musky that made her insides quiver.
“That’s a hell of an accident.” His voice whispered over her skin.
Jessica could barely breathe, barely think with his eyes looking through her, and his crazy, sexy body so close made her sweat even more. The truth poured out like water from a faucet.
“Okay. I’m sorry. I did throw it, but it’s not my fault. Not really. It’s that stupid eBay site.” Her voice rose, and her frustration bubbled forth. “I don’t know how I could lose an auction in the last ten seconds. My bid held strong for forty-five minutes, and then out of the blue I lost it for five lousy dollars? And it was all because the stupid bid button was broken.” She sank down to a chair. “I’m sorry. I’m just upset.”
“So, let me get this straight. You lost a bid on eBay, so you threw your phone?” He lowered himself to the chair beside her, brow wrinkled in confusion, or maybe amusement. She couldn’t tell which.
“Yeah, I know. I know. I threw my phone. But it must be broken. I hate technology.”
“Technology is awesome. It’s not the phone’s fault you lost your bid. It’s called sniping, and lots of people do it.”
“Sniping?” She sighed. “I’m sorry. I know I sound whiny and bitchy, but I’m really not like this normally.”
He arched a brow and smiled, which made her smile, because of course he didn’t believe her. Who would? He didn’t know she was usually Miss Prim and Proper. He couldn’t know she never used words like stupid or even visited the eBay website until today.
“I swear I’m not. I’m just frustrated. I’ve been trying to find the baseball my father had as a kid. It was signed by Mickey Mantle, and somewhere along the line, his parents lost it. His sister had colored in the autograph with red ink, and I think I finally found it…and then lost it.”
“That’s a bummer. I can see why you’re upset. I’m sorry.”
“How can you be so nice after I beaned you with my phone?”
He shrugged. “I’ve been hit by worse. Here, let me show you some eBay tricks.” He scrolled through her apps, of which she had none other than what came with the phone. He drew his brows together. “Do you want me to download the eBay app?”
“The eBay app? I guess.”
He fiddled with her phone, then moved his chair closer to hers. “When you’re bidding on eBay and other people are bidding at the same time, you need to refresh your screen because bids don’t refresh quickly on all phones.” He continued explaining and showing her how to refresh her screen.
She only half listened. She simply didn’t get technology, and she was used to sitting next to men in suits and tuxedos, not half-naked men with Adonis-like bodies wearing nothing but a pair of shorts with all their masculinity on display. She could barely concentrate.

JAMIE COULD TELL by the look in Jessica’s eyes that she wasn’t paying attention. As the developer of OneClick, the world’s second-largest search engine, rivaling Google, he’d been in his fair share of meetings with foggy-eyed people who zoned out when he started with technical talk. But refreshing a screen was hardly technical, which meant that either beautiful Jessica was really a novice and had lived in a cave for the past ten years or she was playing him like a cheap guitar. She sure as hell didn’t look like she’d been living in a cave. She was about the hottest chick he’d seen in forever, sitting beside him in a canary-yellow bikini like it was the most comfortable thing in the world. Maybe she was a fashion model with handlers that did these kinds of things for her.
Her light brown hair brushed her thighs when she leaned forward, and her bright blue eyes, although looking a little lost at the moment, were strikingly sexy. She had a hot bod, with perfect, perky breasts, a trim waist, curvaceous hips, and legs that went on forever, but that didn’t change the fact that she’d tried to avoid admitting that the phone was hers. The last thing Jamie needed this summer was to be played, even by a beautiful woman like Jessica. This was his first summer off in eight years, and he intended to relax and spend time with his grandmother, Vera, who was in her mid-eighties and wasn’t getting any younger. If the right woman came along, and he had the time and interest, he’d enjoy her company, but he had no patience for games.
“Either your phone is new, or you don’t use many apps.”
“No. To be honest, I don’t even text very often. I’ve been kind of out of the swing of things in that arena for a while. And after this I’m not sure that I really want to dive in.”
He handed her the phone. “You can do this on your computer. Some people find that easier.”
She closed her eyes for a beat and cringed. “I get along with my computer even worse than I get along with my phone.”
He still couldn’t decide if she was playing him or not. She sounded sincere, and the look in her beautiful baby blues was as honest as he’d ever seen. Oh hell, he might as well offer to help.
“Then you’ve met just the right guy. I can give you a crash course in computers and phones.”
“I’ve taken up so much of your time already. I would feel guilty taking up any more on a beautiful day like today. But I really appreciate your offer.”
Are you blowing me off?
Jamie rose to his feet. “Okay, well, if you need any help, I’m in the cottage on the end with the deck out front and back. Stop by anytime.” He hesitated, knowing he should leave but wanting to stay and get to know her a little better. If she was playing him, she would’ve taken him up on his offer for sure.
Jessica rose to her feet, grabbed a towel from the back of her chair, and picked up a tote bag from beneath the table. “I’m heading to the pool, so I’ll walk down with you.”
They walked down to the pool together in silence, giving Jamie a chance to notice how nice she smelled. It took all of his focus not to run his eyes down her backside—he was dying to see her ass, but why rush things and make her uncomfortable? She’d walk into the pool and he’d have his chance.
Jessica dug through her tote bag. She placed a slender hand on her hip and sighed. “I forgot my key. Why do they keep the pool locked, anyway?”
He had no idea why, but she looked so curious that he made up a reason. “To keep the derelicts out.”
“Derelicts? Really? My friend suggested that I rent here. He said there was almost no crime on the Cape.”
Jamie wondered who her friend was. “We had some trouble with teenagers two summers ago, but other than that, your friend was right. There are no derelicts lurking about.”
“Oh, thank goodness. I didn’t think my coworker would lead me astray. I guess I’ll go get my key.”
She turned to leave and—holy hell—her bikini bottom was a thong. A thin piece of floss between two perfect ass cheeks. How had he missed that?
It was all he could do not to drool. “Nice suit,” he mumbled.
She looked over her shoulder. “Thanks! I saw the Thong Thursday flyer and thought, why not? I bought this suit when we were overseas and wore it there once. I brought it with me, but I never would have had the guts to wear it here, until I saw that you guys had an actual day for one.” She waved and disappeared up the steps to her apartment.
Jamie spun around and scanned the bulletin board where the pool rules were posted. A blue flyer had been tacked front and center: JOIN US FOR THONG THURSDAY!
Thank you, Bella.
Jamie jogged up to Bella’s cottage. The screen door was open.
“Bella?” Bella Abbascia owned the cottage across from the apartment Jessica was renting. Bella was the resident prankster. Her favorite person to play tricks on was Theresa Ottoline, the Seaside property manager. Theresa oversaw the homeowner association guidelines for the community—including the pool rules, which included a rule that clearly stated, No thongs on women or Speedos on men.
Her fiancé, Caden Grant, walked out of the bedroom in his police officer uniform. “Hey, Jamie. Come on in.”
Jamie stepped inside. “Hi. I wanted to thank your fiancée for Thong Thursday.”
Caden shook his head. “She did it, huh?”
“Hell, yes, she did it, and…” Jamie looked out the window at the big house where Jessica was renting. The house was owned by Theresa. The apartment Jessica rented had a separate entrance on the second floor.
“Did you see the new tenant? Jessica Ayers?” He whistled. “Hotter than hell.”
“I saw her sitting on her deck the other night when I pulled in, but I haven’t met her. Bella’s over at Amy’s with the girls.”
Evan, Caden’s mini-me teenage son, walked out of his bedroom. Evan was almost seventeen, and this year he’d cropped his chestnut hair short, like his father’s. Over the year he’d grown to six two. His square jaw and cleft chin, also like Caden’s, had lost all but the faintest trace of the boy he’d been two years earlier.
“Dude. You went running without me?” Evan, Caden, and their other buddy, Kurt Remington, whose fiancée, Leanna Bray, owned the cottage behind Bella and Caden, sometimes ran with Jamie in the mornings.
“Sorry, Ev. Vera wanted to get a jump on the day, so I went early.”
“That’s okay.” Evan glanced out the window in the kitchen and looked down by the pool, where Jessica was spreading a towel out on a lounge chair. “I was gonna go for a run, but if it’s Thong Thursday, I think I’ll go for a swim instead, then head over to TGG for the afternoon.” Evan had worked with Jamie for one summer, learning how to program computers, and he’d been working part-time at TGG, The Geeky Guys, ever since.
Jamie set a narrow-eyed stare on Evan.
“What?” Evan laughed.
“Behave,” Jamie said, before walking out the door. Christ, now I’m jealous of a kid? He glanced at the pool, tempted to put on his own suit and head down for a gawk and a swim. Instead, he headed across the gravel road to Amy Maples’s cottage.
“Hi, Jamie. Just in time for coffee.” Amy handed him a mug over the railing of her deck.
“Thanks.”
Jenna Ward, a big-busted brunette, and Bella, a tall, mouthy blonde, followed Amy out of her cottage. They wore sundresses over their bathing suits, their typical Cape attire. The Seaside cottages had been in their families for years, and Jamie had grown up spending summers with the girls and Leanna Bray, who owned the cottage beside Vera’s, and Tony Black, who owned the cottage on the other side of Leanna’s.
“Come on up here, big boy.” Bella waved him onto the deck and pulled out a chair.
“I owe you big-time, Bella.” He sat beside her and set his coffee on the glass table.
“Most people do,” she teased.
“I know I do.” Jenna had recently gotten engaged to Pete Lacroux, a local boat craftsman, who also handled maintenance for Seaside—and had been the object of Jenna’s secret crush for years. Bella and Amy had secretly broken things in Jenna’s cottage for several summers without Jenna knowing, to ensure that she and Pete would have reasons to be thrown together.
“Thong Thursday?” Jamie shook his head. “You are a goddess, Bella.”
She patted her thick blond hair. “Thank you for noticing.”
“Leanna is going to be so mad at you for doing that,” Jenna said. “She doesn’t think our men need to see butt floss on any of us.” Leanna ran a jam-making business out of Kurt’s bay-side property.
Bella swatted the air. “She’s staying at their bay house for a few days. She’ll miss it completely.” The lower Cape was a narrow peninsula that sprawled between Cape Cod Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The cottages were located between the two bodies of water, and both Kurt and Pete owned property on the bay. Caden and Bella had a house on a street around the corner from the bay, and all three couples spent most of their summers at Seaside and the rest of the year at their other homes.
Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats had really taken off in the last two years, and since her business was run from a cottage on their bay property, she was spending more and more time there.
“I’m sure Tony won’t complain,” Amy said with an eye roll that could have rocked the deck. Tony Black was a professional surfer and a motivational speaker, and Amy had been hot for him for about as long as Jenna had been lusting after Pete, but Tony had never made a move toward taking their relationship to the next level. Jamie didn’t get it. He’d seen Tony eyeing Amy, and Tony took care of her like she was his girlfriend. Amy was hot, smart, and obviously interested—Tony was a big, burly guy with a good head on his shoulders. They’d make a great pair.
“Speaking of Tony, I saw him leave early this morning. He’s spending the day at the ocean.” Jamie sipped his coffee.
“Good, then maybe he’ll miss the thong show, too.” Amy leaned over the table and lowered her voice. “Did you guys see the chick renting Theresa’s condo?”
“All I know is that she’s smokin’ hot and she doesn’t talk much.” Jenna was busy resituating the top of her sundress, pulled tightly across her enormous breasts.
“I don’t know what her deal is,” Bella said. “But she was yelling at her phone the other day.”
“You mean yelling on her phone,” Jenna corrected her.
“No, I mean at. She was staring at it, smacking it, and yelling at it.” Bella made a cuckoo motion with her finger beside her head.
Nothing new here from the girls. A little jealousy over the new hot chick. Jamie picked up his coffee mug. “Mind if I bring this back later? I have to get going. I’m running into Hyannis to pick up a few things. You guys need anything?”
The girls shook their heads.
“You’re willingly going to miss Thong Thursday?” Bella put her hand to his forehead. “You must be ill.”
No shit. “One look at my ass in a thong and she’ll be chasing me around the complex. I wouldn’t want to subject you three ladies to that. It could get ugly.” He smiled with the tease.
“Ha! Yeah, right. Like you’d ever wear a thong.” Jenna threw her head back with a loud laugh. “You’re just worried about sporting a woody down by the pool.”
She had him there.
“You’ve got woodies on the brain,” Jamie said. “Are you guys coming to Vera’s concert tonight?” Vera had played the violin professionally when she was younger, and this summer a group of older Wellfleet residents had put together a string quartet and invited Vera to play. They never saw much of a crowd, but it got her out of the house and playing for an audience again, which she enjoyed.
“I wouldn’t miss Vera’s concert,” Amy said.
“Bella and I are going over together because Caden’s taking someone’s shift and Pete’s hanging with his father tonight, working on a boat. I’ll ask Sky if she wants to come, too.” Sky was Pete’s sister. She’d come to the Cape last summer to run their father’s hardware store while he was in rehab, and she’d never gone back to New York other than to pack up her things. Now sober for almost a year, their father helped Pete with his boat-refinishing business.
“Vera will be glad to hear it, and she loves Pete’s sister.” He glanced down at the pool, then headed for his cottage.
“Wanna bet who’s gonna bang the new chick? Tony or Jamie?” Jenna’s voice trailed behind him.
Jamie slowed to hear the answer.
A crack of hand on skin told him that Amy had shut Jenna up with a friendly swat.

Seaside Sunsets Synopsis: Jessica Ayers has lived a sheltered life with little more than cello lessons and practices taking up her day. Now a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, she escapes the prim and proper symphony to vacation in the Seaside community in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, and determine if she is living life to the fullest or missing it altogether. For the first time since developing the second largest search engine in the world, billionaire Jamie Reed is taking the summer off. He plans to work from the Cape and spend time with his elderly grandmother—and falling in love is not in his plans. From the moment Jamie and Jessica meet, the attraction is white-hot. Once-overly-focused Jamie can think of little else than sensual, smart, and alluring Jessica, and Jessica discovers a side of herself she never knew existed. But when Jamie’s business encounters trouble and his attorney and best friend intervenes, he proves that the blond beauty is too distracting for Jamie. To make matters worse, it appears that Jessica might not be who she says she is, turning Jamie’s life—and his heart—upside down. In a world where personal information is always one click away, Jamie must decide if he should trust his heart or watch the woman he loves walk away.

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Melissa Foster Bio: NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance, new adult romance, romantic suspense, thrillers, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Some say her romance novels are lovingly erotic, she deems them simply loving and real. Her books have been recommended by USA Today's book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café. When she's not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa's interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping others see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod. Melissa is available to chat with book clubs and welcomes comments and emails from her readers. Visit Melissa on social media or her personal website.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

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RELEASE DAY LAUNCH {Inspire by Cora Carmack}

2014-12-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

We are so incredibly excited to be able to bring you the Release Day Launch for Cora Carmack's INSPIRE! INSPIRE is a New Adult Paranormal Romance novel and the first book in her new Muse Series!! Holy canoli, y'all. Go out and get this today!

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About INSPIRE: Kalliope lives with one purpose. To inspire. As an immortal muse, she doesn’t have any other choice. It’s part of how she was made. Musicians, artists, actors—they use her to advance their art, and she uses them to survive. She moves from one artist to the next, never staying long enough to get attached. But all she wants is a different life— a normal one. She’s spent thousands of years living lie after lie, and now she’s ready for something real. Sweet, sexy, and steady, Wilder Bell feels more real than anything else in her long existence. And most importantly… he’s not an artist. He doesn’t want her for her ability. But she can’t turn off the way she influences people, not even to save a man she might love. Because in small doses, she can help make something beautiful, but her ability has just as much capacity to destroy as it does to create. The longer she stays, the more obsessed Wilder will become. It’s happened before, and it never turns out well for the mortal. Her presence may inspire genius. But it breeds madness, too. Excerpt: I can feel Wilder’s breath against my lips. More than that, I can see it. The sun has set and the temperature has dropped, and air fogs between us. There’s something about actually seeing it, like our lips are touching, we are touching, despite the distance between. And as we sway from side to side, my heart gradually begins to pick up speed. The strains of guitar music flowing out from the restaurant are nearly indecipherable over the heavy heartbeat in my ears. But Wilder must hear it. His hands are strong on my body, guiding my movements, and I’m practically clay in his palms. We dance, eyes on eyes, lips nearly on lips, and there is lightning beneath my skin each time his body brushes against mine in a new way. His touch is firm, but gentle, never pushing or pressuring, though I can tell from the dark look in his eyes that he’s just as affected as I am. The music shifts, building to a crescendo, and he spins us. My chest pushes tight against his, and I bite back a gasp. I don’t know if it’s the cold or him or some combination of both, but the tips of my breasts are painfully tight. Just the pressure of my bra is enough to rub them raw. I remember the night at his apartment, the way he’d taken his time learning my body. I think of the heat of his mouth on my skin, and the memory alone is enough to make me shiver and clench. He’s back to being business, grown-up Wilder tonight in his button down and glasses. Only now that I know him, it doesn’t seem like such a stark difference. He is neither the straight-laced man nor the tattooed bad boy. Or perhaps he’s both. Regardless of what he’s wearing, Wilder is caring and loyal and strong and so sexy that I’m having trouble remembering why I shouldn’t push him into the backseat of his SUV and crawl on top of him. About Cora Carmack: Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

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2014-12-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

Under My Skin

(The Immortality Strain, #1)

By Shawntelle Madison

Release Date: 12/09/14

Book Summary:

Everyone wants to either be a member of the Guild or work for them. Little does the populace know that the Guild hides sinister secrets...

For Tate Sullivan, life in her small, coastal town is far from glamorous. The affluent lives of the Guild members and their servants isn't something she has ever wanted. But all sixteen year-olds must take a simple test, and Tate's result thrusts her into the Guild's world, one where they hide horrible plans for those they select. Tate must fight the relentless General Dagon for control of her mind, body, and soul to keep the one precious thing she has always taken for granted: herself.

Her only ally is the same handsome boy she is pitted against in General Dagon’s deadly game. Quinn desires nothing more than to end the life of General Dagon who has taken over Tate's mind. While romance blooms between Tate and Quinn, General Dagon plots to eventually take over Tate's body, and love might end before it even begins.

Pre-Order Links:

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About the Author

Shawntelle Madison is a web developer who loves to weave words as well as code. She’d never admit it, but if asked she’d say she covets and collects source code. After losing her first summer job detasseling corn, Shawntelle performed various jobs—from fast-food clerk to grunt programmer to university webmaster. Writing eccentric characters is her most favorite job of them all. On any particular day when she’s not surgically attached to her computer, she can be found watching cheesy horror movies or the latest action-packed anime. She lives in Missouri with her husband and children.

EXCERPT 1

Today would end in failure, but at least it didn’t start out that way.

“Tate, do you think Paul will pass the test today?” my cousin, Zoe, asked me with a grin.

My mom, dad, and younger brother shifted ahead in line. Zoe and I trailed behind, occupying ourselves with conversation. Many families formed a line along the sidewalk. Others would be mulling about in front of similar buildings all over the vast island of Myria. Waiting. Hoping. I didn’t recognize anyone else from my small coastal town. Just face after face of other sixteen-year-olds with their parents. It was almost like registering for classes.

Almost.

Zoe poked me again. “Do you?”

“I doubt it.” He better not pass the test. Paul had asked me out this morning. I couldn’t help smiling, thinking about how he stumbled over his words. In a week, I’d meet him at the pier to eat lunch. That is, if we both failed the test.

Another girl, with light brown skin like my brother and me, leaned toward us with a question. “Ever been to North City before?” she asked.

“This is my first time.” Even though I smiled back at her, my hand went up to my mouth. My fingers brushed against the scar above my lips. A cleft lip scar. The skin was soft, but the lines of the ridge always made me self-conscious.

“I’ve been here before a few years ago.” Her gaze took in my lime-colored long-sleeved shirt and cotton pants. Zoe wore the same. Our clothes didn’t look as fashionable as her crimson jumpsuit, but I was quite comfortable for early spring weather like today.

Dad shuffled forward on his cane. “Keep moving.” He looked over his shoulder in our direction. The faint sounds of him wheezing hit my ears. Like wind blowing through the cracks in the walls of our house, small pockets of breath entered his middle-aged body to satisfy starved tissue.

My thirteen-year-old brother Danny followed Dad, momentarily preoccupied by the passing of a gigantic transport ship. Soon enough, he caught up, but we still had plenty of time. Far ahead, the door into the ten-story building waited.

A drizzle swept in, nice and cool. Mom offered us umbrellas. Even with the light rain, everything in North City buzzed around us—beckoning us to watch the shining cars, street-cleaning bots, and—most fascinating of all—skyscrapers covered with a gleaming sheen of solar plates.

Compared to home, this place was amazing. My family could never afford to vacation here, but I planned to move to some place like this after I graduated from high school and got my business certificate. The whole city felt alive. Even Danny and Zoe could sense it. We all probably looked like tourists.

The closer we came to the door, the more I expected to see others coming out. But those who might’ve failed the test didn’t emerge. Did that mean everyone passed the test?

Mom must’ve sensed my skepticism. “Stop worrying, sweetheart. Not a single Sullivan has passed.” She grinned and ran her fingers through a few strands of my black hair. A spiral curled around her finger. “In a few hours, we’ll be on our way back home.”

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COVER REVEAL + GIVEAWAY {Lucidity by Stephanie Thomas}

2014-12-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Today Stephanie Thomas and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for LUCIDITY, book 2 in the Raven Chronicles Duology releasing in January, 2015! Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to win the first book and the novella!

On to the reveal!

Title: LUCIDITY

Author: Stephanie Thomas

Pub. Date: January, 2015

Find it: Goodreads

Beatrice never thought she'd find herself in the middle of Aura, the city of her sworn enemy, the Dreamcatchers. Nor did she never think she'd abandon everything she'd ever known and everyone she'd ever loved to blindly follow Echo, the Dreamcatcher Prince. Gabe would never forgive her, if he lives, and nor will any of the Seers. Upon arriving, Beatrice is quickly thrown into the Dreamcatcher Queen's self-serving plot to save Aura from a disastrous plague, and Bea's anticipated return to the City is becoming less likely every day she is held captive and subjected to the epidemic. Her Visions are the key to the cure, but when her Seer friends show up in Aura as well, Beatrice must learn to balance her precarious friendship and loyalty to both her people and the promise she made to help Echo's people. As Beatrice navigates these new people and customs, she learns that there are more than just the Seers, Dreamcatchers and Citizens left in the world...and whomever is out there wants to eliminate all of their competition -- including her.

Exclusive Excerpt!

Echo was right. I hadn't seen anything yet. As the limousine cruises up to the gates of Aura, I can't do anything but stare out the window in complete awe. Aura is the complete opposite of The City. I immediately understand where it gets its name from, with its golden-hued buildings and sparkling, translucent glass windows. Everything glitters, even the sand as it whips around the tall walls that protect the city from the dry gusts of wind.

I place my fingers on the limo's window and press my forehead to the glass to get a better look. I can feel Echo's eyes on me as I react probably as a child would at the first sight of something they've never seen before. There are no skyscrapers here, no crowded, jumbled row homes with sooty exteriors. The buildings are no more than two floors high, allowing for a precious view of the almost purple mountains that peek up in the distance.

"Echo...this is beautiful..."

"Thank you. This is the home of the Dreamcatcher. After The City banished us, we had to travel a long way to find a place where we'd be safe from attack. We chose this area because it's so dry, hot and humid, that we don't know who'd willingly want to come out here. Besides us, of course." Echo scoots over on the leather seat to sidle up closer to me. "It is beautiful though, isn't it? This is my first homecoming, to be honest. I've never been out of Aura for this long."

The gates into the city proper click secure when they are fully-opened, and the limo pulls forward once more. As soon as we are moving again, I can see the crowds of people who line the main street, which leads directly to an impressive palace that stands center of Aura, just like our Institution does in the City. The people are all dressed in white, some with different colored trims on their robes. They reach out for the car, calling for Echo, wanting to see their prince.

As we pull around a circle in front of the Palace, the courtyard is also filled with Dreamcatchers, cheering for Echo's arrival. He brushes a hand down his robe, smoothing the wrinkles from the soft fabric. "Are you ready?"

Then, a sudden fear grips me. "Do they know I am with you?"

Echo's gaze meets mine. "No."

I want to slap him, and it takes everything in me not to lose my temper. "What?"

"They don't know you are with me. I did not tell anyone I was bringing you home. It is a part of my strategy."

I lock the limo's doors. We stare at each other for a long while, my chest rising and falling in anger. "How could you put me in this situation, Echo? I am The Keeper. I'm the leader of your enemy. You are putting me in great danger, and you know you are."

Echo, in his ever-calm way, reaches out and helps pull the hood of my robe up over my head. "You will be fine, because you are my guest. And it is a law in Aura that we must treat our guests with utmost respect." He pauses. "Not that we get any guests...ever."

Now, I do smack him. My hand makes contact with his arm, and I scowl. "You better not get me hurt."

"Listen to them. They are too happy to see me. I doubt they'll even take notice of you. No offense." Echo unlocks the doors and slides across the seat to the other side, where he can exit first. "Driver, we are ready."

The chauffeur exits the vehicle and appears again beside Echo's door. As soon as he opens it, the sound of cheering rushes into the car and Echo sucks in a deep breath. He steps out, and when I see his hand lower back into the limo, I reach for it and gently rest my palm against his, using the offered support to help me out of the car.

As my feet touch the floor, my robes fall all around me like darkness covering the day, and I'm free of the limousine. Lifting my chin, my eyes move from the ground to the people, and I swallow as the cheering comes to an abrupt stop when they see my violet irises. Almost all at once, they take a step back, and no one makes a sound.

I tighten my grip around Echo's hand, sure that in the next moment, they are going to rush us and kill me where I stand. Here I am, their sworn enemy, the representation of The Keeper before me who persecuted them, ran them out of The City and killed many of them, including their princess. I stand before them as if none of that had ever happened. I know, if I were in their place, I'd certainly want to see myself dead too.

Muttering very quietly to Echo, I tug on his hand, "Let's go."

About Stephanie

Stephanie Thomas has been writing ever since she could put letters together to form words. When she was a small child, she would present her mother and father with self-made newspapers filled up with make believe stories and pictures. Her love for writing followed her all throughout her schooling, where she entered and won writing contests of all sorts. Stephanie decided to become an English teacher and completed her B.A. at The Pennsylvania State University. While teaching, she later went on to get her Master’s in writing from The Johns Hopkins University. She completed her very first manuscript during her graduate studies, and by the end of the program, she had completed two more. Stephanie is quick to tell anyone that she’s a born and raised Philadelphian, and her heart will always belong there. She moved to Baltimore with her husband, and they’ve been living there for the last five years with their doggie, Sailor.

Website/Blog/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads/The Raven Chronicles Facebook

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive the eBook of LUMINOSITY and the eNovella THE KEEPER. International

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BOOK BLITZ {Inner Fire by RL Stedman}

2014-12-03T10:43:00.002-05:00

Inner Fire

by R.L. Stedman

Release Date: 11/30/14

Summary from Goodreads:

‘‘Maybe it would be better if I started at the beginning.’ Gran watched me carefully. ‘This ability we have; my mother, me. You. We draw heat along our bodies; anger makes us flame.’

When her friend is assaulted, Corrine Peterson can’t help reacting. But she didn’t think and now her hands are burnt, Gran is coming to look after her and, scariest of all, strange men are watching her house. Could they be terrorists? Secret agents?

It seems that Gran’s idea of a solution is to introduce Corrine to Rowan. Okay, sure, maybe eighteen year old Rowan is gorgeous – but he has his own troubles. And right now, Corrine doesn’t need complications in her life.

But in a world of surveillance and secrecy, complexity is inevitable. And as the tension mounts Corrine realizes - maybe Gran can help her, after all.

Excerpt One:

‘Don’t worry, my dear. Everything will be just fine.’ Holding her around the shoulder, Mr Patel slipped off her school bag. Deepti didn’t even try to stop him; she just stood there, letting him move her around. He passed me the bag. Automatically, my hand reached out and I took it.

‘You can leave,’ he told me, staring at Deepti. ‘Deeptiand I have something to discuss now, don’t we dear?’

‘Don’t touch her!’ My voice sounded weak, afraid.

He said nothing, just turned away from me, as though I didn’t exist, as though Deepti was the only thing in the world to him, like she was his own personal private present.

I held her bag to my chest, fighting for breath. This is not happening. This is not happening.

‘Stop it!’ I could feel my anger, almost taste it on my tongue.

Mr Patel looked at me, his face mildly surprised, as though he wasn’t doing anything wrong. ‘But Miss Jalaliand I have an understanding.’ He smiled at me. His skin was olive-gray and his eyes had tiny red veins in them. ‘The last time I caught her lovely hands stealing my stock, I warned her. Didn’t I, Miss Jalali? I told you I would demand payment of you.’

Deepti turned her head away. ‘No! No!’ She struggled against him like a pinned fly. ‘I didn’t. I didn’t. Please let me go!’ She was crying now, really crying.

‘Let her go!’ But my voice sounded small and weak, and he ignored me.

Oh my God. What do I do? Then, quite suddenly, I wasn’t scared – I felt angry. The walls of the grotty shop seemed to pulse in time with my heart. Who the hell did this man think he was? I heard a distant roaring, the sound of fire and heat and red-hot flames.

I shouted, ‘Leave her alone!’

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My name is Rachel Stedman. I’m a physiotherapist (physical therapist) by background, but now I work as a freelance contractor. I live in the wild and windy place of Dunedin, New Zealand, with my husband and two kids.

I write mostly for children and young adults. In 2012 I won the Tessa Duder Award for an unpublished YA work and my first novel, A Necklace of Souls, was published by HarperCollins in 2013 (available in the United Kingdom and on Book Depository from June 2015). This year, A Necklace of Souls was awarded Best First Book at the 2014 New Zealand Post Book Awards and won a Notable Book Award from Storylines. Inner Fire is my second novel.

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COVER REVEAL {The Last Order by Angela M Caldwell}

2014-12-03T10:33:00.000-05:00

The Last Order

by Angela Marie Caldwell

Release Date: 02/03/15

Rocket Circus Press

Summary from Goodreads:
Lana forms a secret order of women knights to fulfill her father’s final request: find the queen who was thought to be dead and return her to the throne.

Lana Crewe is a strong, fiercely driven seventeen year old living in a village ruled by fear. With their king and queen both dead, strife and division have taken hold. Ruthlessly attacked by an Order called Talons, Lana’s father is fatally stabbed. Before he dies, he imparts upon Lana a directive to save the statue of Saint Peter, and tells her that the queen yet lives. Now it is up to Lana to unravel the mystery of Saint Peter and bring an end to all of the war by finding the queen.

A medieval tale of hope and mystery, The Last Order is an action-packed story with one of the strongest female leads since Disney’s “Brave.” Not your average YA novel; The Last Order takes upper teenage angst and spins it on its head. You’ll be gripping this book as hard as it will be gripping you.

About the Author

Angela M Caldwell is an author, photographer, and digital filmmaker. She studied video production and photography at Radford Univeristy then relocated to Los Angeles for an adventure. After seven years of city life, she moved back to Virgina.

Angela loves a good story and she has a broad range of likes when it comes to reading. Give her characters that she can root for and take her on an adventure. Angela’s journey back to the written word is a story of its own with dyslexia keeping her from writing for years.

But, she is a storyteller at heart. Through the years, she enjoyed expressing her stories through a variety of forms: photography, painting, music, film-making, and writing.

She lives with her husband and 4 kids, who are her biggest fans. They have one dog, and two cats. Perhaps one day they will have a farm. And her dream of having a horse will be realized.

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BOOK BLITZ + GIVEAWAY {Life in the No Dating Zone by Patricia B. Tighe}

2014-12-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

Life In The No Dating Zone

by Patricia B. Tighe

Release Date: 12/02/14

Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:

After surviving her parents' relationship drama when her older sister elopes, Claire Gardner vows not to date during high school. Now, three years later, Claire is thrust into new relationship drama--her two best friends have boyfriends. Which means Claire is spending m ore and more time alone. And she's more than a little peeved.

Enter Gray Lang ley. His year-long crush on Claire's friend Lindsey has made him desperate enough to ask Claire for he lp. Hesitant at first, Claire agrees-- anything to get rid of Lindsey's current evil boyfriend. But as Claire and Gray plot together, an attraction develops, and now she must decide if being wit h Gray is worth the pain that will come from confronting her parents with the reasons for her v ow.

Buy Links:

Amazon

About the Author

I'm not the writer who's been writing for as long as she can remember. In fact, I didn't start writing fiction until I was almost thirty. But, I've always been a reader. Which, o f course, is one of the basic requirements for being a writer. I've read everything from horse novels and spy thrillers to historical romance and fantasy sagas—and lots in between. There's something w ondrous about picking up a book and entering a new world with new adventures. And I don't plan on stopping any time soon.

When I'm not reading, I hang out with my husband and two old dogs, plus my grown sons wh enever I get the chance. In the fall I spend way too much time yelling at my TV while w atching football. I'm also addicted to British TV shows. Top Gear, anyone?

Oh, yeah. And I write. Kissing books. Or at least books that include kissing. Hope you enjoy them!

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Book Blitz + Giveaway {Compulsion by Martina Boone}

2014-12-01T09:03:00.003-05:00

Compulsion (The Heirs of Watson Island #1)

by Martina Boone

Release Date: 10/28/14

ISBN: 1481411225

Simon Pulse, Simon Teen

448 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse.
All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lives with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead--a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.

Buy Links:

Compulsion is available anywhere books are sold. Signed copies are available from One More Page Books. You can also order with the special “I have a Compulsion for reading” bookplate from Eight Cousins.

About the Author

Martina Boone was born in Prague and spoke several languages before learning English. She fell in love with words and never stopped delighting in them.

She’s the founder of AdventuresInYAPublishing.com, a Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers site, and YASeriesInsiders.com, a site devoted to encouraging literacy and all this YA Series.

From her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, children, and Auggie the wonder dog, she enjoys writing contemporary fantasy set in the kinds of magical places she’d love to visit. When she isn’t writing, she’s addicted to travel, horses, skiing, chocolate flavored tea, and anything with Nutella on it.

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SALE EVENT + GIVEAWAY {Meritropolis by Joel Ohman}

2014-12-01T08:52:00.001-05:00

In Meritropolis everyone is assigned a numerical Score that decides their worth to society and whether they live or die. After a young boy is killed because of a low Score, his brother plots to take down the System.

Sounds good, right? Well this exciting YA Dystopia is on sale for just 99 cents Thursday, November 27th through Monday, December 1st. You can pick up your copy on Amazon.

To celebrate, we are offering a giveaway for an autographed copy and a $100 Amazon giftcard - hooray!

Check out this interview with Joel Ohman, the author of the book critics are calling, "The Hunger Games meets The Village with a young Jack Reacher as the protagonist." then scroll to the end of this post to learn more about the giveaway. Happy reading, and good luck!

Reader Interview with Joel Ohman

Who or what was your inspiration to write about post-apocalyptic, dystopian sci-fi?

I've read a lot in this genre, so I would say it’s a mix of a lot of different things. I really just wanted to explore this question of, "What gives a person worth?" Is it their usefulness to society? Is it because someone loves them? Is it because of how they look? Is it because of their health or ability? As a Christian, I believe that all people have worth, because they are made in the image of God. I wanted to explore some different takes on this question. I think that the post-apocalyptic/dystopian/sci-fi genre was the best vehicle to tackle some of those deep philosophical questions in a fun and interesting way.

Why do you write? Is it for fun, or because you have something you need to say in your writing?

Some writers are loath to say their writing has a message, because maybe they think doing so diminishes their art (not true, in my opinion), but I think that everyone has a message in their writing, even if they aren't as consciously focused on it—and that's a good thing. My message is in my epigraph: "Because everyone matters - Psalm 139".

Why the title Meritropolis?

I wanted a short one word title that was a clever - or at least semi-clever - play on two different words. I liked, "Meritropolis" because it combines "Merit" and "Metropolis" two words that are great for describing a city where each resident's worth is measured by a score given to them.

In Meritropolis how were the animal combinations decided upon? decided upon? For example, I

chose to write about a bion (bull-lion), as well as many other freaks of nature. So what I want to

know is how did you decided which animals to meld together and why.

I have a big list of animal combinations that I came up with before I began writing the book, and I tried to work

in as many as I could. Sometimes the only criteria was that I liked the way the name sounded. Look for many

more in the following books!

Can you tells us about your characters and who/what inspired them?

I am a big believer in John Truby’s approach to building a “character web”, because this deepens the

relationships between characters and helps to make each of the characters more complex. Absent building a

good character web, it can be all too easy to fall into the not-very-true-to-real-life good-person/bad-person false

dichotomy where your protagonist devolves into this I-can-do-no-wrong character and your antagonist is just

pure evil. I was very much aiming to show the imperfections and brokenness in each of the characters. My

thinking as a Christian influences this to some degree, given that the Bible teaches that we are all essentially the

same; we are all sinners—only God is perfect.

Do you have a favorite genre that you like to read?

I read pretty much everything! Fiction, non-fiction, you name it! I am of the opinion that, as an author, I can

learn something from almost every kind of writing. Sometimes, it most definitely is a matter of learning what

not to do—but, on the whole, I love to read a wide variety of writing styles, genres, etc.

Are there any books that have inspired your own writing?

I read A LOT so there are many different things that have shaped my writing over the years, but I wouldn't say

there was any particular book, or books, that I was consciously looking to for inspiration while

writing Meritropolis. Looking back though I can definitely see different threads of influence in almost

everything I have read over the years that contribute toward making Meritropolis what it is: the strong

protagonist of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series, the philosophical bent of C.S. Lewis’ fiction, the dystopian

setting of Hugh Howey’s WOOL series, and many more.

Are there any authors that have emerged in the last three years that have caught your interest?

Hugh Howey is an author that I really like that has caught my attention lately. I would highly recommend

his WOOL series!

Don’t forget!

Meritropolis is marked down from its regular price of $5.99, but only for a limited time. Feed your Kindle by

picking up a discounted copy for just 99 cents, but make sure you do it before December 2!

Now enter the giveaway
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COVER REVEAL - Atlantis Rising by Gloria Craw

2014-11-24T08:36:00.004-05:00

Atlantis Rising

by Gloria Craw

Release Date: 01/06/15

Entangled Teen

352 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

I am different. I have always been different, but no one can know or my life will be in danger.

So I hide in plain sight, wearing drab clothes and thick glasses and trying to be invisible. I’m so

good at hiding, no one has ever noticed me. Until Ian...the mysterious and oh-so-cute boy I know

I need to avoid.

Now I have been seen. And more terrifying still, I am wanted—by those who would protect me

and those who would destroy everything and everyone I love. But if they’re all terrified about

who I am, wait until they see what I can do...

Add to Goodreads

About the Author

Gloria Craw grew up in the desert southwest, inspired every day by the wide skies and rich

colors around her. After high school, she attended the University of Utah where she majored

and got a degree in anthropology. These days, she lives in the ‘burbs’ just outside of Seattle,

Washington where she is the shepherd of a husband, four daughters and a very hairy dog.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter

Cover Reveal Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

Fall Time | Cozy Time | Book Tag

2014-11-23T13:58:00.000-05:00

Hey Bookworms! So this is a tag that is currently going around YouTube/BookTube that was created by NovelsandNonsense (her channel is HERE). I am going to get myself into Booktubing soon - but for now, I'm going to do the Tags here on the blog! Feel free to do it too, and leave me a comment below so that I can visit your blog and see your answers!

The Questions

Q: Crunching Leaves: The world is full of color - choose a book that has reds, oranges, and yellows on the cover.

A: Oooh, this is an easy one! Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas - the 2nd book in the Throne of Glass series!

Q: Cozy Sweater - It's finally cold enough to don warm cozy clothing: what book gives you the warm fuzzies?

A: This is probably an overused book, but The Fault in our Stars by John Green for sure!

Q: Fall Storm: The wind is howling & the rain is pounding - choose your favorite book OR

genre that you like to read on a stormy day?

A: I guess I'd be more apt to curl up with a dark fantasy - but really, I'd read whatever my Current Read was - I wouldn't go seeking out a new book to start just cuz it's raining!

Q: Cool Crisp Air: What's the coolest character you'd want to trade places with?

A: Hmm... I really like Lola from Lola and the Boy Next Door.

Q: Hot Apple Cider: What under-hyped book do you want to see become the next biggest,

hottest thing?

A: I think the Lux Series by Jennifer L Armentrout. I know that it's definitely more popular than it was... but I still don't think people understand it's awesomeness!

Q: Coat, Scarves, and Mittens - The weather has turned cold & it's time to cover up - What's

the most embarrassing book cover you own that you like to keep hidden in public?

A: Can't say there is one... I'm a reader loud and proud!

Q:Pumpkin Spice: What's your favorite fall time comforts food/foods (or drink)?

A: Anything peppermint! Soy Peppermint Mocha Latte from Starbucks is good in my book!

Q:Warm, Cozy Bonfire: Spread the cozy warmth - Who do you tag?

A: Bloggers: Jessica @ Jessabella Reads and Sara @ Forever17 Books

BookTubers:CourtneyReads & BOOKSonFire

Thanks for playing along :)

Happy Reading!

Laura

2015 Most Anticipated Books {1} A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

2014-11-23T13:40:00.000-05:00

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses | Book #1

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publication Date: May 5th 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children

Edition: Hardcover, 432 pages

Add to Goodreads

WHAT IT'S ABOUT: A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristen Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

MY THOUGHTS: Besides the fact that her series, Throne of Glass, is seriously one of the best things ever written - the premise of this one just sounds too incredible to pass up! It's not only loosely based on Beauty and the Beast - but fairies! Oh, my!

I think it is a unique take on the typical world of Faerie as well. Usually they are lush, beautiful and picturesque, but here the fae are painted in a completely different light. Most who love fairies know there is usually good and bad between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts - but this is between the fae and the humans. I don't know if she will address different courts among the fae, or if there is just one type and they are all bad or what, but I can't freaking wait to find out!

I already feel like I am going to LOVE Tamlin! He seems like he is going to be an awesome character. With how kick-ass Celaena Sardothien (the heroine in the Throne of Glass series) is... I have every confidence that Feyre is going to be just as sweet!

Cover Chat: I think the cover is very simple; which I like. I would be interested in this book just because of the cover. A lot of times I equate simplicity on the cover with complexity inside, and I have a feeling that is exactly what is going to occur with this one. I love the "clothing" and tattoos on the model. The scaly/feathery look plus not being able to see all/most of the cover model leaves an air of mystery to the main character.

Do you plan on adding this one to your TBR 2015 List?

Happy Reading!

Laura

Winter 'TBR' - A Season for Starting Series

2014-11-21T07:42:00.000-05:00

Today I am sharing with everyone my TBR List for Winter 2014-2015. I'm considering winter to be November through March, since that is pretty much what it is for me here in my neck of New York. I rarely ever plan out what books I am going to read, and when I finish one book I tend to just stare at my bookshelf until one jumps out at me. Especially since I'm always worried I'll be set to read a Contemporary next but am really in the mood for a Fantasy. This list will be flexible, since I can read whatever I want whenever I'm in the mood!

I want to know what books you are planning to read this winter, so be sure to leave comments below or links to your Winter TBR Lists!

1. White Hot Kiss

The Dark Elements - #1

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I fell in love with this author when I devoured the Lux series, and pretty much vow to read anything that she writes! What really makes me want to read this one is easy... the main character is half-demon and half-gargoyle! How cool - and unique - is that? I'm really excited to see how she characterizes a gargoyle. Plus - that is one white, hot cover! ADD TO GOODREADS HERE.

2. Dangerous Creatures

Dangerous Creatures - #1

by Margaret Stohl & Kami Garcia

I absolutely LOVED the Beautiful Creatures series. I loved Lena and Ethan's story, and really enjoyed Link's character; plus how could you not want to see if he ever ends up with Ridley? I think Ridley is one of my favorite characters that I've read in awhile; and it's in that love to hate her kind of way. I am so curious to see how this series plays out! ADD TO GOODREADS HERE.

3. The Raven Boys

The Raven Cycle - #1

by Maggie Stiefvater

I am seriously behind the times with this series since book #3 was released in October. I remember back when book #2 was close to being released, Jessica (Jessabella Reads) was really excited to continue the series because book #1 was so good. I find Stiefvater's books to be very hit or miss for me. I liked - but didn't love - Shiver (though I haven't finished the series...) and I was wholly bored with The Scorpio Races (Which I cannot understand how that is going to translate into a movie, but have at it, Hollywood!). I also wasn't a huge fan of Lament, which it's hard for me not to like a book about fairies. But from what I have heard, this book is different and for that I am willing to give it a try! ADD TO GOODREADS HERE.

4. City of Bones

The Mortal Instruments - Book #1

by Cassandra Clare

Go ahead, I'll give you a second to pick your jaw up off the floor at the fact that I've never started this series! Pretty ridiculous, right? I can't tell you why I haven't - I just haven't! Maybe I'm worried I won't like it, or will be disappointed - since EVERYFREAKINGONE seemingly LOVES it! ADD TO GOODREADS HERE.

5. Cinder

The Lunar Chronicles - Book #1

by Marissa Meyer

This is really not my type of book... but... I do enjoy fairy tale retellings here and there. While I have heard this one is loosely based on Cinderella, and involves cyborgs/androids, I'm most interested to read this one because A.) I've never heard anything bad about it and B.) I sat in on a panel at the Rochester Teen Book Festival in 2013 that Marissa Meyer was on and I really liked her! Therefore, i wanted to support her by purchasing and reading/reviewing her book(s). ADD TO GOODREADS HERE.

6. Silver Shadows

Bloodlines - Book #5

by Richelle Mead

So this isn't the first in a series, but it's a must read for me! While I think I like Vampire Academy more, Bloodlines is like a guilty pleasure for me. I get sucked into each book, and love the series even more with each book! Plus, who can deny the amazingness that is Sydney and Adrian??? ADD TO GOODREADS HERE.

7.The Beautiful Ashes

Broken Destiny Series - Book #1

by Jeaniene Frost

I haven't yet had the pleasure to read one of Frost's novels, but I know her adult series are very popular. I have lots of confidence that this is going to be a good one, and can't wait to get into this book! It seems like a unique concept - and is classified as New Adult, which I haven't really read too much of. ADD TO GOODREADS HERE.

8. Heir of Fire

Throne of Glass - Book #3

by Sarah J. Maas

So, another one that isn't book #1 but MUST be read ASAP! If you ask me what my favorite fantasy series is, right now I'm all about Throne of Glass. Seriously - this series is incredible! My husband surprised me over the summer and pre-ordered this one for me. When it showed up in my mailbox in September... I nearly died with happiness!! ADD TO GOODREADS HERE.

9. Book of Life

All Souls Trilogy - #3

by Deborah Harkness

The final book in the All Souls trilogy is also a must for me this winter. I fell in love with Diana and Matthew in book one - A Discovery of Witches - and I'm currently halfway through book two - Shadow of Night. This is a very unique story, and even though it is adult fiction, I can see a lot of paranormal YA readers enjoying this series. ADD TO GOODREADS HERE.

10. Shadow and Bone

The Grisha - Book #1

by Leigh Bardugo

I can give no good reason as to why I've not yet read this book. Considering I am a self-proclaimed YA Fantasy Junkie, this is one I should've already devoured and been moving onto the rest of the series... but sometimes its good to keep a book saved, to wait and enjoy it slowly... that's what I plan to do with this one. I am so excited to read it, I'm so pumped - so it better not disappoint! ADD TO GOODREADS HERE.

Happy Reading!

Laura

What the Future Holds...

2014-05-26T11:32:00.000-04:00

Hola, Bookworms!

Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted!

So I figured I should let everyone know where I've been, and what's going on.

I announced kind of unceremoniously a few months back that I was getting married and having a baby. Well my husband and I tied the knot on March 9th, 2014... and I am currently 36 weeks pregnant with a little baby girl that we are going to name Abigail Grace. We are both so excited and feel completely blessed that our little family will be made whole with the addition of our sweet girl.

So the past few months have been a roller coaster, to say the least! The first trimester and part way into the second was a little rough for this momma-to-be. When the morning sickness and fatigue finally wore off, it was a head first dive into preparing the house for a baby. And now, 4-weeks out from my due date, I've entered that blasted "nesting" phase where I must make lists and occupy all of my time with folding and refolding baby clothes, moving things around in the nursery, and giving my poor husband mile-long to-do lists that he gratefully accepts without a word lol

Therefore, my reading has been more like a lack-of-reading. And baby brain is no joke - I remember very little of what I've read to actually write a review when I sit down to do so (for the few books I did actually finish!). So, I've been pretty much MIA from the book blogosphere, which really bites.

So mainly I wanted to write a post to let you know where I've been, and I want to tell you what the future holds for the blog, but right now I really don't know. I am not going to be giving up blogging, but I know that a baby is going to severely impact my ability to read and finish books, and then have time to post reviews, etc. I also work full-time out of the house, so that will limit my time even further. Hopefully I will have time to get posts up and still be a part of the book blogging world, it's just a matter of how cooperative baby Abby is. If she is like me and will grow to love books when she is older, then she will cooperate. If she is like her daddy and gets bored and can't sit still and only reads when the new issue of Game Informer shows up in the mailbox, well, then my fellow book addicts - I may be screwed.

In closing, I really hope that I can fit blogging into my life post-baby. Whether that means mainly just reviews or quick easy posts - or moving to doing just Goodreads and/or Tumblr reviews and not really using the blog as much - I'm not sure. It's going to be a learning process to see what works and what doesn't. But one thing is for sure - my love of books is as strong as ever, and my desire to share them with the world is too - so this is only See you later.... not good bye!

XoXo,

Laura

REVIEW {35} This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

2014-03-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

THIS LULLABY

SERIES: Stand Alone

AUTHOR: Sarah Dessen

PUBLICATION INFORMATION: March 8th 2004 by Speak
EDITION: Paperback; 345 pages
ACQUISION: Purchased

CATEGORIES: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, 4 Star Rating, Speak, Review, Sarah Dessen

RATING: 4.00/5.00 | GOODREADS RATING: 4.07/5.00

Add to Goodreads

WHAT IT'S ABOUT: She's got it all figured out.

Or does she? When it comes to relationships, Remy's got a whole set of rules.
Never get too serious. Never let him break your heart. And never, ever date a musician.
But then Remy meets Dexter, and the rules don't seem to apply anymore.
Could it be that she's starting to understand what all those love songs are about?

MY THOUGHTS: There is something about a Sarah Dessen novel that just keeps me coming back for more! I don't read very much contemporary romance, but when I do get in the mood for a good love story, I find myself reaching for a Sarah Dessen novel because her characters are so real, so flawed and imperfect, that you can't help but love them!

I instantly loved Remy's character, and was completely smitten with Dexter! I will admit that I was annoyed with how long it took Remy to realize that Dexter is completely amaze-balls, but she did, eventually, and everything was right in the world again!

I could definitely relate to the whole band scene too, and loved how passionate the boys in Truth Squad are about their music - doing whatever was needed to make money to succeed.

Another great element is Remy's group of friends. They really remind me of the girls on the Carrie Diaries. I wish I had a group of friends like these when I was in high school!

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves contemporary romance and just an all around feel good story without a perfect heroine thrown at you. I'm a Dessen fan for life!

SIMILAR READS: Bloom by Elizabeth Scott | When it Happens by Susane Colasanti | Second Helpings (Jessica Darling #2) by Megan McCafferty | The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti | It's Not Summer Without You (Summer #2) by Jenny Han | Going too Far by Jennifer Echols

Happy Reading!

Laura

REVIEW {40} A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller

2014-03-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

A Mad, Wicked Folly

SERIES: Standalone

AUTHOR: Sharon Biggs Waller

PUBLICATION INFORMATION: January 23rd 2014

EDITION: Hardcover, 448 pages

ACQUISITION: Borrowed | Library

CATEGORIES: Young adult, Review, 5 Stars, Historical Fiction, Romance, Art, Feminism, Coming of Age, Cultural

RATING: 5.00/5.00 | GOODREADS RATING: 3.96/5.00

ADD TO GOODREADS

WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Welcome to the world of the fabulously wealthy in London, 1909, where dresses and houses are overwhelmingly opulent, social class means everything, and women are taught to be nothing more than wives and mothers. Into this world comes seventeen-year-old Victoria Darling, who wants only to be an artist - a nearly impossible dream for a girl.

After Vicky poses nude for her illicit art class, she is expelled from her French finishing school. Shamed and scandalized, her parents try to marry her off to the wealthy Edmund Carrick-Humphrey. But Vicky has other things on her mind: her clandestine application to the Royal College of Art, her participation in the suffragette movement; and her growing attraction to a working-class boy who may be her muse - or may be the love of her life. As the world of debutante balls, corsets, and high society obligations closes in around her, Vicky must figure out: just how much is she willing to sacrifice to pursue her dreams?

MY THOUGHTS: Considering historical fiction is one of my top genres to read, and I was an art major in college, I didn't think there could be anything to make me dislike this story - and guess what? I was right, because I adored this book! Like wanted to hug it to my chest and dance around my room with it, loved it!

Let's talk about how amazing Vicky's character is. She is so strong willed and dream driven that nothing - and no one - will stop her from getting what she wants! At the beginning of the book Vicky did what she was passionate about, but was still held back by her station in life, thanks to her wealthy upbringing. Once she's kicked out of her school in France and moves back to London, Vicky finds herself living the life she's always wanted - except she's doing it in secret.

I am not very knowledgeable about the suffragette movement, so that was an aspect of the book that I quite enjoyed. To see how these women fought and endured for their freedom - the freedom we as women still benefit from today - is quite incredible. And to have Vicky become a part of that world makes me see her as an even stronger character than I had already come to see her as.

Another wonderful character is Sophie Cumberbunch, Vicky's lady maid. She is living a similar "Hidden" life like Vicky is forced to - keeping her involvement in the WSPU a secret so that she may gain employment with families such as the Darlings. It is Sophie who really helps Vicky become the person she wants to be. She dresses her in art-centered clothing to bring out Vicky's passion for art. She helps her sneak out to WSPU events and also art events under the guise of charity work. Luckily Sophie gets her happily ever after at the end, because she really deserves it!!

The romance that blossoms between Vicky and Will is so real and believable. It wasn't a passing fancy, no matter how hard Vicky tries to convince herself that she doesn't love him, and can make herself love her fiance, Edmund. It's sad that at this time in history, this is probably how a lot of young women felt.

This book is a wonderful read, and I would recommend it really, to anyone!! The only thing I noticed that kind of upset me, is that it seemed to end a little abruptly. I wasn't ready to end my adventures with Vicky yet! But we get a nice ending with sufficient closure, so there really isn't much for me to complain about there.

Happy Reading!

Laura

REVIEW {37} The Diviners by Libba Bray

2014-03-01T13:39:00.004-05:00

THE DIVINERS

SERIES: The Diviners #1 | OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES: Lair of Dreams #2 (Releases August 5th 2014)

AUTHOR: Libba Bray

PUBLICATION INFORMATION: September 18th 2012 by Little Brown Books for Young Readers

EDITION: Hardcover, 578 pages

ACQUISITION: Own

CATEGORIES: Young adult, Review, 4 Stars, Libba Bray, The Diviners, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Mystery, Horror, Supernatural, Ghosts

RATING: 4.00/5.00 | GOODREADS RATING: 3.98/5.00

ADD TO GOODREADS

WHAT THE COVER SAYS: Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.

MY THOUGHTS: Horror is not a genre that I typically read, and when this book came out, it was the setting - 1920's New York City - that drew me in. Whatever I expected this book to be, it wasn't. Immediately I was absorbed in Evie's story from her small town life in Zenith, Ohio to her adventures in New York City and new friends Mabel, Theta, and Henry, while appeasing her guardian, uncle Will, and his assistant Jericho.

What I didn't expect, were the multiple story lines. We followed Evie as well as Memphis Campbell, and even got other little side stories of the murders. There were tons of characters, but it was pretty easy to keep everyone and everything straight.

I am not the type to really read books that delve into the horror of murders. This book doesn't spare too many gory details.

I enjoyed the writing style, but felt the book was overly long. While it didn't feel like it dragged too bad, I did find myself rushing through pages at some points.

The romance of the book doesn't even occur until the end, and I didn't feel it was very believable. Throughout the whole book Evie didn't have any feelings whatsoever about Jericho, and even wondered what Mabel saw in him. But then suddenly she's daydreaming about his sweaty muscles and kisses on her lips.

Overall, I will definitely be picking up the sequel because I am curious and interested enough and invested in the characters to see where the future takes them.

Happy Reading!

Laura

WHITE HOT KISS by Jennifer L. Armentrout {RELEASE DAY LAUNCH}

2014-02-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

We are beyond excited to participate in the Release Day Launch for Jennifer L. Armentrout's WHITE HOT KISS! WHITE HOT KISS is a young adult paranormal romance being published by Harlequin Teen TODAY!

This is the first full-length novel in The Dark Elements Series and one you'll want to grab as soon as you finish reading this post.

ABOUT WHITE HOT KISS: One kiss could be the last. Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

EXCERPT: “I don’t think of Zayne that way!” She laughed. “What man-parts-loving female in this world doesn’t think of Zayne that way? I can barely keep myself breathing when I see him. All the guys in school have squishy waists. I can tell Zayne doesn’t. He’s the awesome sauce with extra sauce.” That he was and he so didn’t have a squishy waist, but I tuned Stacey out at that point. I really did need to cram for this test and I also didn’t want my fantasies involving Zayne to occupy my mind right now. Especially after I’d woken up this morning, carefully tucked under the covers. The bed had smelled like him: sandalwood and crisp linen. “Oh, sweet baby Jesus in a manger,” Stacey murmured. I clenched my jaw, cupping my hands over my ears. She jabbed me in the side with her elbow. At this rate I’d be covered in bruises before lunchtime. “Our bio class just got a billion times more interesting. And hotter, lots and lots hotter. Holy mother, I want to have his babies. Not now of course, but definitely later. But I’d like to start practicing soon.” The cell wall is a thick and rigid layer covering the plasma something, something plant cells… Stacey stiffened all of a sudden. “Oh my God, he’s coming—” Composed of fat and sugar— Something slender and shiny fell from who knew where, landing in the middle of Sam’s notes. Blinking tightly, it took me a couple of seconds to recognize the faded and half peeled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sticker covering the back of the silver cell phone. My heart slammed against my ribs. Gripping the edges of the notebook, I slowly lifted my gaze. Unnaturally beautiful golden eyes met mine. “You forgot this last night.”

BUY LINKS: Amazon Barnes and Noble Kobo iTunes

Now that you have a taste for this fabulous new series, here are the details for the AMAZING international giveaway!!! Harlequin Teen is giving away a large Harlequin Teen Tote. Tote Includes: • Harlequin TEEN branded tote • The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa (trade) • Pawn by Aimee Carter (hard cover) • Crash Into You by Katie McGarry (hard cover) • Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter (hard cover) • 2 copies of White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout • 1 pair of black harlequin branded socks (they are so comfy!) a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Jennifer L. Armentrout: # 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Links:
Series Website: http://www.thedarkelementsseries.com
Website: http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jlarmentrout
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout
Jennifer L. Armentrout Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4476934.Jennifer_L_Armentrout
WHITE HOT KISS Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17455585-white-hot-kiss?bf=500&from_search=true

Happy Reading!
Laura

REVIEW {39} Elusion by Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam

2014-02-22T19:26:00.002-05:00

ELUSION

SERIES: Elusion | Book #1

AUTHOR(S): Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam

PUBLICATION INFORMATION: March 18th 2014 by Katherine Tegen Books

EDITION: Paperback, 400 pages

ACQUISITION: ARC from publisher

CATEGORIES: Review, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian, Fantasy, Romance, Virtual Thriller, 2 Star Rating, 2014 Release

RATING: 2.00/5.00 | GOODREADS RATING: 3.60/5.00

ADD TO GOODREADS

WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Soon Elusion will change the word and life as we know it.

A new technology called Elusion is sweeping the country. An app, visor, and wristband will virtually transport you to an exotic destination where adventure can be pursued without the complications - or consequences - of real life.

Regan is an Elusion insider. Or at least she used to be. Her father invented the program, and her best friend Patrick, heir to the tech giant Orexis, is about to release it nationwide. But ever since her father's unexpected death, Regan can't bear to Escape, especially since waking up from the dream means crashing back to her grim reality.

Still, when there are rumors of trouble in Elusion - accusations that it's addictive and dangerous - Regan is determined to defend it. But the critics of Elusion come from surprising sources, including Josh, the handsome skeptic with his own personal stakes. As Regan investigates the claims, she discovers a disturbing web of secrets. She will soon have to choose between love and loyalty ... a decision that will affect the lives of millions.

Suspense, thrills, and romance fuel this near-future story about the seductive nature of a perfect virtual world, and how far one girl will go to uncover the truth behind the illusions.

MY THOUGHTS: I went into this book unsure of whether I'd really enjoy it, because virtual thrillers really aren't my cup of tea. Dystopians - yes, computer ruled futures - not so much. But the cover of this book was just too beautiful to ignore, so when I ended up with an ARC, I knew I had to give it a go.

The first thing that I noticed, is that the concept of the story really didn't seem that unique to me. I didn't at any time really find myself wanting to continue reading the book so much as I wanted to finish it so I could get a review up. The writing itself was okay, I don't think it was necessarily spectacular or horrible in any way. I did have issues with the world-building though. It's set in a "Near Future" Detroit, but they are suffering from pollution (and something called Florapetro?) and acid rains which require 02 masks and special umbrellas to be used nearly 24/7. There is mention that the rich usually are above the pollution clouds in their penthouses and offices, so they can go without and even open their windows sometimes. While this leads me to believe there is a caste system of some type, this isn't really explored past explaining vaguely the different Sectors the residents live in, and what they are like now. There also isn't any explanation of why the world is so polluted, so you're left assuming why it happened.

There were only a few instances as well, where we got to experience Elusion with Regan, the main character. Users can go into Escapes (pre-existing destinations such as mountains or Thai beaches. etc) with other people using an invite code, and no one is supposed to be able to be injured in an Escape. Users can experience Escapes in 1-hour increments and they are equipped with wristbands that have an emergency button that yanks them out if trouble occurs. But no trouble should ever occur, right?

The main character Regan lacked in my opinion, the characteristics of a kick-ass heroine. In fact rarely did she manage to do anything on her own, and required damsel-in-distress saving from either her best friend, Patrick, or the new hottie bad-boy, Josh. I really had no connection to Regan whatsoever, and never felt for her. She seemed quite gullible, and didn't seem to have much common sense. She tended to believe what she was told, and acted really offended and surprised when she realized that the bubble she lived in was slowing losing air.

The fact that Patrick was supposed to be Regan's best friend was lost on me. I didn't feel any type of connection between them, and even Patrick's affections towards Regan bordered on creepy-stalkerish. Especially considering he kind of had something going on with one of Regan's classmates, Zoe. I never at any point wanted these two to get together.

Josh's character wasn't one I connected with either. He was fueled by his own personal problems - his missing, possibly Elusion-addicted sister, Nora. When he meets up with Regan, she suddenly finds her world turned upside down - not sure who to trust and believe - but she seems to put all her faith and trust into Josh... even though they barely know each other.

Overall, I just wasn't able to get into any of the characters, and with the lack of world-building I wasn't able to really enjoy this one. I know it's gotten good reviews and ratings on Goodreads, but this one just wasn't for me.

I RECOMMEND THIS TO: Fans of sci-fi, virtual thrillers where society relies heavily on technology and giant corporations willingly risk the health and safety of citizens with little or no remorse, leaving it to a group of teenagers to bring them down.

SIMILAR READS: Starters by Lissa Price | Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

Happy Reading!

Laura

REVIEW {38} SECOND CHANCE SUMMER by Morgan Matson

2014-02-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

Second Chance Summer
SERIES: Stand Alone
AUTHOR: Morgan Matson
PUBLICATION INFORMATION: May 7th 2013 by Simon & Schuster for Young Readers
EDITION: Paperback, 468 pages
ACQUISITION: Own
CATEGORIES: Review, Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Friendship, Family, Death, Loss, Four Star Rating, Morgan Matson, Second Chance Summer
RATING: 4.00/5.00
GOODREADS RATING: 4.13/5.00
ADD TO GOODREADS

WHAT IT'S ABOUT: From the Flying Start author of Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, a powerful novel about hope in the face of heartbreak.

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

MY THOUGHTS: Rarely will I ever pick up a book that deals with the C-word... Cancer. It's a topic way too close to home for me, as I know it is for many people. I like my stories upbeat and happy, but this one just called out to me and I decided to go ahead and read it.

What I liked about the book, is that there was equal parts fluff and heavy stuff. Even though it's technically a beachy summer read, I needed a break from the doldrums of this snowy, cold winter and joined Taylor Edwards and her family on their vacation in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania.

I really liked the growth in Taylor's character throughout the book - even though there were moments where she drove me crazy! She was likeable enough, but she just annoyed me at times. Throughout the beginning of the book, we learn that something happened between Taylor and her first boyfriend, Henry, and best friend, Lucy. I spent all this time thinking, oh man! What could she have done to make them hate her this much? And then when I found out I was like, oh. That's it? So I think that was a little let down.

Another enjoyable aspect of the book is watching the Edwards family come together and change into something they never had been before. They all rally around Mr. Edwards to give him the best last few months of his life, and learn things about each other that they had never known before. Out of grief comes a sense of togetherness.

The friendship between Taylor and Lucy was fun to read about, and once they talk again they are able to pick up right where they'd left off all those years ago. The relationship between Henry and Taylor is sweet and endearing. They truly make a great, cute couple but I definitely think Warren and Wendy getting together is even sweeter!

Overall, if you're looking for a quick, cute summer (or a break from winter) read, I'd recommend this one at will.

Happy Reading!

Laura

Laura Z Reads

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