Thursday, September 25, 2014

Cover Reveal - Silent Night by Kristen Strassel



Cover Reveal -  Silent Night by Kristen Strassel



Expected Release Date – November 2014






This Christmas isn’t about celebration for eighteen-year-old Kyndra, it’s about survival. Grieving the loss of her grandmother and struggling with the indifference of her family, Kyndra now splits her time between her dead-end mall job, her junkie ex-boyfriend’s bed, and the streets. Longing to be close to her grandmother one more time, she wanders into Christmas Eve mass and prays she’ll find the place she belongs. Home.

Aidan isn’t ready to let go of the past either, even though he’s had nearly three hundred years to do it. He chronicles the search for the reincarnation of his beloved wife as the vampire romance author Allison Duprois. Aidan knows the wife he mourns is out there, but fears writing their story is as close as he will get to her.

At Christmas Eve mass, he finally finds her. Alone, with no place to go.

Aidan brings Kyndra into his home, and gives her the safety, comfort and love she longs for. Though he gives her second chances she never thought she’d have, Kyndra still can’t get over Aidan’s mysterious past. Not to mention that he claims that he’s a vampire. Life alone on the streets is dangerous enough without handing her trust and love to the wrong person. Can Aidan break through the walls around Kyndra’s hardened heart to convince her that she belongs with him, forever?

*This is a companion novel to the Night Moves Series.





EXCERPT

Mulicolored shadows fell on the snow at the intersection. It didn't look like streetlights. Curious, I picked up my pace and headed towards the soft blue and orange glow. All my muscles relaxed when I realized what I was looking at. Stained glass.

Families began to file into the large church for Midnight Mass. A tall, proud stone building welcomed all without judgement. Even me. Memere had gone to church religiously. That had been one of our jokes. But once I was old enough to have a say, she couldn't talk me into going with her anymore.

I headed in, curious to see if there really was a God. Maybe Memere was right all along. This was how we'd spend Christmas Eve together this year.

I smiled to no one as I sunk into a pew in the back row and shrugged out of my layers of outerwear. Thankfully, my all black work uniform looked dressy enough to fit in. I picked up the hymn book and flipped through, finding peace seeing the familiar songs. For the first time in five months, I felt like I wasn’t alone.

"I was hoping I'd see you here." A man who I didn't know sat next to me. He brought the cold in with him. He smiled at me, one of those smiles that was warm and genuine and reserved for people you knew. I smiled back at him, puzzled. Something about him was familiar, but I didn't know what.

"I don't think I know you. Do I?" I stumbled over my words. This didn't look like someone who would be friends with me. Maybe he was a teacher, or a doctor? "I'm kind of embarrassed if I do."

The man looked as surprised as I did. And a little disapointed. "I'm sorry. Maybe I thought you were someone else? I'm Aidan." He held out his hand to me, and I excepted his firm, sure handshake.

"I'm Kyndra." I searched his face, his person, trying to place him. Dark hair flopped down on his forehead, almost obscuring his equally dark eyes. He had high cheekbones, the beginnings of five o’clock shadow and full lips. Stop looking at his lips, Kyndra. You're in a church, I reminded myself. Lust was probably covered in the Ten Commandments and off limits in this building. I forced my eyes down. He wore a gray suit for the occasion, his light blue tie looked icy against his tawny skin. I always appreciated when people dressed up for special days. Had I planned to come here and had access to my dressy clothes, I would have dressed up tonight. Too many people in this building couldn’t be bothered with anything better than jeans and sweatshirts. I brought my eyes back up to his. He had watched me look him over, and from the crinkles in the corners of his eyes, he was amused.

"I know," he said quietly. He didn't break his gaze. I should have been creeped out, but honestly, I think I would have been disappointed if he‘d said or done anything else.

I didn't know how to react, so I looked down to the hymn book in my lap, scrambling to find the page with tonight's mass program on it. What the hell was going on in this church?

"Have you been here for Midnight Mass before? It's a beautiful service," Aidan continued, either oblivious to or feeding off of my awkwardness.

"No. I used to go to church with my grandmother, but it's been a while." I stole a quick glance up at him again. Had I waited on him at work? That wouldn't make this any less weird. I worked at a lingerie store. Either he was shopping for someone else, or for himself. That happened more than you’d expect. And with the people you least expected. Either way, I shouldn't get involved. He looked at least fifteen years older than me and more than a couple of tax brackets richer.

But he probably had a nice, warm house to go to after the service. Maybe a condo in a triple decker. Or a high rise apartment. Single families were few and far between in Boston. If he had one, he had a family. I fought disappointment at that thought.
Kyndra, you will not follow some strange man home on Christmas. No matter how much you think you know each other. No matter how good looking and put together he is. That's how you wind up in pieces in a cardbox in some random lot. That’s how you became the lead off story on the nightly news.
"My grandmother brought me to church when we were kids, too. I miss that. I can't find services in French around here."

"You're from France?" Oh, this guy was just too much.

"No. Quebec." He said with a chuckle. Okay, that was better. There was nothing sexy about Quebec. "But I try to stay true to my nature."

"And what is that?" I was intrigued. He seemed sincere, but I was beginning to think he was just a complusive, lying weirdo alone at church on Christmas Eve. "And where is your family tonight?"

"I like to take care of people." He said without any pretense. I wanted to roll my eyes so badly, but still, he seemed to mean it. And I could use some of that. Stop thinking like that, I yelled at myself silently. You're just going to get yourself in trouble.

Maybe that's what I want, my inner dialogue continued defiantly.

"My family is scattered throughout the country," Aidan continued. "What about yours? You're not all alone on Christmas, are you?" The service was about to start and the pews began to fill. I had to slide in, so close our legs touched.

I panicked, not knowing how to answer the question. He'd know if I lied to him. He knew too much. And I didn't know why.

"It's not so bad." I didn't look at him, or the book. I stared blankly ahead, watching families file into their seats. The blur had to be unshed tears.

"No one should be alone on Christmas." Aidan squeezed my hand, but neither of us had a chance to say more before the service began.

About the Author:


Kristen shares a birthday with Steven Tyler and Diana Ross. She spends each day striving to be half as fabulous as they are. She’s worn many hats, none as flattering as her cowboy hat: banker, retail manager, fledgling web designer, world’s worst cocktail waitress, panty slinger, now makeup artist and author. She loves sunshine, live music, the middle of nowhere, and finding new things to put in her house. 


Cover Reveal- Inspire by Cora Carmack



Cover Reveal-  Inspire by Cora Carmack

Expected Release Date - December 15, 2014

 


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.  

Add to Goodreads


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


Thursday, May 29, 2014

Eleanor & Park - MOVIE NEWS!!!!

I know, I know I'm obsessing over this book.  Well I have amazing news.   Our story was optioned and will soon begin casting, who do you think should play Park and Eleanor....


More of the movie news here http://www.mtv.com/news/1725386/eleanor-and-park-rainbow-rowell-movie/

I love fan Art!!!



Book Review - Eleanor & Park by Raimbow Rowell




Book Blurb

Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.
Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.
Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.
Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

My thoughts

WOW! This book was everything I was looking for.  It gave me butterflies, my heart was fluttering  and at times it made my heart ached really bad/  So many emotions came to life while I read this story.  

In this book, it's 1986 and Eleanor's life isn't simple. Being the oldest of five children she is forced to grow up too fast.  Her current situation is undesirable.   Having an asswipe of a father has made her life a living hell.  Her mother has a blindfold for this abusive person and does not want to face reality.  Her family moves to a new house with her stepfather in which she is forced to share a room with all her siblings making adolescence ten times worse.
On her first day of school, she meets Park a half Korean kid with green eyes that without a choice shares his bus seat with her. Sharing this seat is the trigger for our story.  As the days goes by our two main characters begin a journey into their own world in which they realize they are very much into each other.

My Thoughts…

This is a truly beautiful love story of self discovery and pure love. I fell head over heels for Park.  He was such a good boy with a massive heart he deserved Eleanor and much more.  I was rooting for him from the very first time.
One of my favorite scenes is when Park sets his forehead against hers. She didn’t know what to do with her eyes or her hands. “Nothing before you counts,” he said. “And I can’t even imagine an after.”
Sadly, as Park and Eleanor learn the hard way, sometimes not all first loves are

THis is one of the best f an arts i have found (I LUVS IT!)

 About the  Author…

Rainbow Rowell writes books. Sometimes she writes about adults (ATTACHMENTS and LANDLINE). Sometimes she writes about teenagers (ELEANOR & PARK and FANGIRL). But she always writes about people who talk a lot. And people who feel like they're screwing up. And people who fall in love.

When she's not writing, Rainbow is reading comic books, planning Disney World trips and arguing about things that don't really matter in the big scheme of things.

She lives in Nebraska with her husband and two sons.

More at rainbowrowell.com.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Freebie Sunday - Free Ebooks to feed your Ereader

 


On this Freebie Sunday ... I provide a few options to read this week. Just sit down relax in your favorite corner and read away.
Remember these books might not be free tomorrow, so hurry up and download your copy now.  Please read before downloading some of these books are not in the YA Genre.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqcUMfsubF6mjUpfiQjKPh-vLrn-uXsf_p_6WLp055EUJmn-k4kOJl829hGXER0xfNYaTdJvDDUyiqv-JqT3aQJpEKDuzWaPO_rk6Tc9nEROfePC1L-_fDANAFouB5Y4UfUclStsyeEeN/s1600/freebie+sunday.png 


On this Freebie Sunday ... I provide a few options to read this week. Just sit down relax in your favorite corner and read away.
Remember these books might not be free tomorrow, so hurry up and download your copy now.  Please read before downloading some of these books are not in the YA Genre.

Just This Once (Escape to New Zealand)

By: Rosalind James
Escape to New Zealand #1
Everyone needs to be rescued sometimes.


Everyone but Hannah Montgomery, that is. She just needs a vacation. Three weeks in New Zealand to sort out her life, figure out what she wants, seems just right. Oh, and to relax. She should definitely put that on the agenda. She certainly isn't looking for a fling with a professional rugby player, no matter how attractive he is. Hannah doesn't do casual. But maybe just this once. . .

Drew Callahan is happy to help Hannah find all the fun she's been missing. But as much as he's shared with her, he's kept one very big secret. And learning the truth, now that she's back home again, has made Hannah more wary than ever. Drew knows that she's right for him. But how can he convince her to let down her guard enough to explore what they could have together?

Note: This romance, like New Zealand, contains a bit of steam. If that isn't your cuppa, you may want to visit another country . . .  er, book.

Caught Up In Us (Caught Up in Love)

By: Lauren Blakely
A New York Times and USA Today Bestseller!


A second chance at first love...
Five years ago, Kat Harper fell into a dizzying summer romance with her brother's best friend Bryan. It was a mad, crazy love full of kisses all through the night -- but he broke her heart and she had to move on. Five years later, Kat is finishing her graduate degree and building her business as a jewelry designer, when Bryan, head of his own successful company, walks back into her life. Bryan has been assigned to Kat as her new business mentor and the rules are clear. No hanky panky permitted. Kat can handle that because she's totally over him... right? Except, he still makes her laugh, and he remembers all the things she likes. Not to mention that he's even more handsome now than he was then. Then there's the spark between them -- the simply undeniable chemistry, and the tender ways he shows he still cares for her. Can they resist each other the second time around or will first love trump all? 

Recommended for 17+ due to sexual content. That means there are sexy scenes in the story!
Caught Up In Us is the first book in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Caught Up In Love series, that includes Pretending He's Mine, Playing With Her Heart and Trophy Husband. (While each book can be read as a standalone, you'll likely enjoy the other books too.)


If you are interested in this book follow this link:  http://www.amazon.com/Caught-Up-Us-Love-ebook/dp/B00B3EJ6QQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395593257&sr=1-1

Forever & Always (The Ever Trilogy: Book 1)

By: Jasinda Wilder




Ever,

These letters are often all that get me through week to week. Even if it’s just random stuff, nothing important, they’re important to me. Gramps is great, and I love working on the ranch. But…I’m lonely. I feel disconnected, like I’m no one, like I don’t belong anywhere. Like I’m just here until something else happens. I don’t even know what I want with my future. But your letters, they make me feel connected to something, to someone. I had a crush on you, when we first met. I thought you were beautiful. So beautiful. It was hard to think of anything else. Then camp ended and we never got together, and now all I have of you is these letters. S**t. I just told you I have a crush on you. HAD. Had a crush. Not sure what is anymore. A letter-crush? A literary love? That’s stupid. Sorry. I just have this rule with myself that I never throw away what I write and I always send it, so hopefully this doesn’t weird you out too much. I had a dream about you too. Same kind of thing. Us, in the darkness, together. Just us. And it was like you said, a memory turned into a dream, but a memory of something that’s never happened, but in the dream it felt so real, and it was more, I don’t even know, more RIGHT than anything I’ve ever felt, in life or in dreams. I wonder what it means that we both had the same dream about each other. Maybe nothing, maybe everything. You tell me.

Cade
~ ~ ~ ~

Cade,

We’re pen pals. Maybe that’s all we’ll ever be. I don’t know. If we met IRL (in real life, in case you’re not familiar with the term) what would happen? And just FYI, the term you used, a literary love? It was beautiful. So beautiful. That term means something, between us now. We are literary loves. Lovers? I do love you, in some strange way. Knowing about you, in these letters, knowing your hurt and your joys, it means something so important to me, that I just can’t describe. I need your art, and your letters, and your literary love. If we never have anything else between us, I need this. I do. Maybe this letter will only complicate things, but like you I have a rule that I never erase or throw away what I’ve written and I always send it, no matter what I write in the letter.

Your literary love,

Ever