Eat Dessert First

Today is the cover reveal for Eat Dessert First by Michelle Paris. Eat Dessert First is a heartwarming story of hope and learning to believe in yourself.

The cover is designed by Apprentice House Press designer Lindsey Bonavita. This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours.

Eat Dessert First By Michelle Paris
Genre: Women's Fiction/ ChickLit
Age category: Adult
Release Date: 7 May, 2024

Blurb: 

Baker Abbey Reilly has heard you have such a pretty face enough to know that it’s code for but an ugly body. At thirty-three, she has been particularly unlucky in love and convinced that no one will ever see beyond her plus-size. So she’s stunned when a handsome regular customer not only shows interest but asks her to dinner.

Let down and devastated when she learns her would-be beau is married, Abbey is resigned to live a lonely existence. Until a sweet encounter with a dreamy guy at a bachelorette party gives her hope that her luck in the romance department has changed. But his horrible ex-fiancee has different plans.

Can this big-hearted baker find the recipe for happiness and romance?

With light humor and loving insight, Michelle Paris weaves a delightful tale of learning to believe in yourself. Juggling elder parent care, tight finances, and deeply ingrained insecurities, Abbey Reilly will charm any reader fond of rooting for an underdog.

Eat Dessert First is a heartwarming story of hope. If you like relatable heroines, chasing a dream, and maintaining hope while searching for happiness, then you’ll adore Michelle Paris’s sweet story of fulfillment.

Excerpt:

Abbey’s finger hovered over the little blue arrow on her phone—the point of no return. She read the text again.
How are you?!?! Been thinking of you. Then hastily added. Happy Valentine’s Day!! And immediately second-guessed the addition.
She had been plotting this day ever since New Year’s Eve, when Charlie broke up with her via text. So, this “make him want you back” text had to be just right.

Charlie was her last (okay, in truth only) long-term boyfriend. At thirty-three, Abbey was a late bloomer when it came to romance. But it had taken almost a decade for her to get up the courage to download a dating app. She set up her profile and loaded carefully cropped pictures only showing from the waist up. Within seconds, she got a match. He was a fitness model with glistening tanned six-pack abs and owned a business in Nigeria. They communicated back and forth for the better part of two weeks only using text because of the difference in time zones. And then, it all quickly fell apart when her fitness model crush asked her to text a photo of a hundred-dollar gift card with the pin numbers scratched off. Hmm. Really? Nudes she had expected and even planned for with dim lighting and a full-length, flesh-toned Spanx bodysuit. But she drew the line at his request for money.

Love and Other Moods

This is my stop during the book blitz for Love and Other Moods by Crystal Z. Lee. Love and Other Moods is a standalone coming-of-age "own voices" story set in contemporary Shanghai, about falling in love, learning to adult and discovering one's place in the world.

This book blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 10 till 23 March. See the tour schedule here.

And don’t miss the tour wide giveaway for a chance to win a Love and Other Moods gift basket at the bottom of this post!

Love and Other Moods By Crystal Z. Lee
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Multicultural Romance, Coming of Age
Age category: New Adult
Release Date: December 10, 2020

Blurb: 

Love and Other Moods is a coming-of-age story set in contemporary China, about falling in love, learning to adult, finding strength, and discovering one’s place in the world.

Naomi Kita-Fan uproots her life from New York to China when her fiancé’s company transfers him to Shanghai. After a disastrous turn of events, Naomi finds herself with no job, no boyfriend, and nowhere to live in a foreign country.

Amidst the backdrop of Shanghai welcoming millions of workers and visitors to the 2010 World Expo, we meet a tapestry of characters through Naomi: Joss Kong, a Shanghai socialite who leads an enviable life, but must harbor the secrets of her husband, Tay Kai Tang. Logan Hayden, a womanizing restaurateur looking for love in all the wrong places. Pan Jinsung and Ouyang Zhangjie, a silver-aged couple struggling with adapting to the ever-changing faces of their city. Dante Ouyang, who had just returned to China after spending years overseas, must choose between being filial and being in love. All their dreams and aspirations interweave within the sprawling web of Shanghai.

This multilayered novel explores a kaleidoscope of shifting relationships—familial friction, amorous entanglements, volatile friendships—in one of the most dynamic metropolises of the twenty-first century.

Love and Other Moods by Crystal Z. Lee

 

Author Interview

Topic: Writing Inspiration

 

Share about the inspiration behind the novel. 

When I lived in Shanghai, it often felt like a city on steroids; there was always something exciting or bizarre going on. It's also one of the most international and fastest-developing metropolises, and every day I was meeting somebody with a unique background and story. I also became obsessed with the city's history, its stunning architecture, and its myriad of delectable cuisine. The city itself and its people provided endless inspiration. 

The story explores the city of Shanghai as well as the different people and relationships Naomi has. Was there anything you pulled from your own life and put into the story?

Yes. This is very much an “own voices” story. After I moved to Shanghai, my grandfather revealed that his father had once lived in Shanghai as well, during the World War Two era. I myself had lived in China for nearly a decade, and had worked on projects for the 2007 Special Olympics in Shanghai, the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

Shanghai is one of the most fascinating cities I’ve ever been to, and I’ve traveled to over thirty countries. There are contrasts abound in every corner—east and west, old versus new, modern meets tradition.

Blog Tour: Fractured

This is my stop during the bookstagram blitz for Fractured by Shay Siegel. Fractured is a raw and relatable coming-of-age tale.

This bookstagram blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. This bookstagram blitz runs from 25 till 31 January. See the tour schedule here.

Don’t miss the tour wide giveaway! One winner will win a gift basket. You can enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post.

Fractured By Shay Siegel
Genre: Contemporary 

Buy Link: Amazon
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: October 27, 2020

Blurb: 

Mason Vance is the guy everybody wants to be, and he knows it. He’s the best high school quarterback in New York, a shoo-in for a football scholarship at any school he chooses, and he’s expected to land in the NFL one day. That is, until a broken wrist leaves him fearing whether he’ll ever play again.

Desperate to save his damaged ego, Mason sets his sights on Lace. No cheerleader or homecoming queen like his usual type, she’s too wrapped in her own misery to fall for his pickup lines. Even though she tries to shut him out, she’s surprised to find he’s there for her when no one else is. Slowly, she lets him into the sad workings of her mind and less-than-perfect life, and Mason finds himself caring about Lace more than he’d ever thought possible. That’s why neither of them sees his huge mistake coming—one that instantly fractures everything between them.

Will Mason confront the ugliest side of himself, and in the process see who he’s capable of becoming, or will he fall back into the life he knew before Lace and his injury.

Links:
- Bookbub
- B&N
- Bookdepository

Excerpt: 

I woke up the next morning—still on a Sharon Martin high—and asked Mom if I had an appointment with the doctor. The pain was in full effect and I came to the conclusion that this cast was designed for ultimate discomfort. The way it took up most of my arm, locking it in a pathetic L-shape. The pressure had my shoulder aching, my elbow cramped, and it had only been a day. Basically, I felt like a little whiny bitch. 

The orthopedist was able to fit me in at 11 a.m. My mom let me skip school for the day to take it easy and see how the appointment would go—I liked this sympathy. My mind wandered to Sharon again on the car ride. The way she massaged my shoulders before she leaned in and kissed me, her cinnamon scented neck, her thick blond hair tickling my chin. All a solid memory to distract from whatever news I’d get from the doctor. I shut my eyes and exhaled.

Death and Decluttering

This is my stop during the blog tour for Death and Decluttering by Nancy McGovern. Death and Decluttering is the first book in the new cozy mystery series Sparks and Joy by author Nancy McGovern.

This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 4 till 24 January. See the tour schedule here.

Death and Decluttering (Sparks and Joy #1)
By Nancy McGovern
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Age category: Adult
Release Date: 23 June, 2020

Blurb: 

Joy Russo loves chaos. From her life as a busy reporter to her brawling, coffee-obsessed Italian family, there’s nothing she loves more than her messy, little life. Then the weird, slightly out-of-this-world Aurora Sparks arrives, whose life seems to revolve around creating order out of chaos.

The two of them have somehow ended up as roommates in the small Upstate New York town of Bent River, and the old adage that says “opposite attract” couldn’t be further from the truth! Sparks fly & tempers flare as each young lady tries to deal with the other’s eccentricities while not compromising their own values. Much easier said than done.

But when a man is found dead and Joy’s father is the prime suspect, the two must put aside their differences if they want to help him. They soon find that Joy’s tough, no-nonsense demeanor and Aurora’s ordered, structured nature perfectly complement each other when it comes to ferreting out clues. And, thankfully so, as the danger threatens to escalate unless they can sort through the facts and solve this mystery in a hurry!

Death & Decluttering is the first cozy mystery adventure in Nancy McGovern’s new series, "Sparks & Joy”!

EXCERPT:

Joy shot up out of bed as she heard the phone ring. The digital alarm clock beside her bed read 3:04am. Ricci House was one of the few houses in Bent River to still have a landline, mainly because her Nonno had insisted on it. He’d liked the fact that it was tied down in one place. A mobile phone was far too easily lost in the mountain of clutter all around the house.

Now, Joy realized with a sigh that the phone was still in her Nonno’s room. The room she’d hardly ever entered after he died. The room she’d thoughtlessly let Aurora settle into earlier that day.

The Road to Hell (Heaven Falls #1)

This is my stop during the blog tour for The Heaven Falls series by Christopher C. Starr. The Heaven Falls series contains 2 books so far: The Road to Hell and Come Hell or High Water. This is an epic fantasy/ religious fiction series.

This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 10 till 23 January. See the tour schedule here. And check out the giveaway at the bottom of this post.

The Road to Hell (Heaven Falls #1)
by Christopher C. Starr
Genre: Epic Fantasy/ Religious Fiction
Age category: Adult

Blurb:
My name is Lucifer and I was first…

…and, yes, I am that Lucifer. Fall from Heaven, Prince of Darkness, ruler of Hell, Satan, the Devil, the Adversary, and a thousand other names.

Forget what you think you know. You’ve never heard this story before—not from me. Others have tried. None of them got it right.

See, I don’t want you.
I’ve never wanted you.
I want Him.

Everyone else is just in the way.

Top Ten Ways to Combat Writer’s Block

I used to think writer’s block wasn’t a thing, you know? That it was some excuse writers made so they didn’t or wouldn’t finish the projects in front on them. My experience with writer’s block was that it was a self-inflicted wound: it was usually the product of me not being willing to write the story the way it needed to be written. It was me not willing to be honest about what needed to be said.

I experienced my first real bout of writer’s block about 2 years ago and it genuinely lasted for 2 years. I couldn’t hear anything or see anything. Doubt became my constant companion and, though I’d written 2 books, I didn’t believe I could write the third. Didn’t believe I was talented enough. The truth is I wasn’t being honest with me and with the story. The way I wanted book 3 in my series to “feel” was very different than what the story needed me to do and that impasse froze me.

I’m writing again now and the list below are strategies I used to get through my block.

 

Book Blitz: The Unscripted Life of Lizzy Dillinger

The Unscripted Life of Lizzy Dillinger By Marianne Hansen
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy Link: Amazon
Release Date: April 25, 2018
Summary:

She’s got a movie deal. He’s got the lead role. Can she choose between her family and the star of her fantasies?

Stay-at-home mom Lizzy Dillinger escapes the monotony of her humdrum marriage by writing down her daydreams. When her producer friend contracts her story for a movie and invites her on set, she jumps at the chance to leave the suburbs until the film’s in the can. 

But Lizzy’s big break gets even better when she learns the hunky character who starred in her daydreams will be played by her Hollywood crush, Ben Winters.

On location in Arizona, the desert gets even hotter when Lizzy and Ben strike up a flirtatious friendship. But her hopes of a celebrity fling shatter when a family visit brings her fantasy crashing into reality. Against the dazzling lights and the glamorous movie sets, her cookie-cutter life back home seems painfully bland. Torn between the man of her dreams and the family who helped define her, Lizzy must search her heart to find where her true passion lies.

The Unscripted Life of Lizzy Dillinger is a star-struck women’s fiction novel about once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. If you like authentic characters, silver screen romance, and humorous looks at life’s hard choices, then you’ll love Marianne Hansen’s story of dreaming big and loving wholeheartedly.

Buy The Unscripted Life of Lizzy Dillinger to step into the limelight for a cinematic masterpiece today!

______

Excerpt: 

 “Are you late for something?” I was so focused on Tanya that I hadn’t even noticed that Ben Winters had walked up behind me.

I turned to face him.  My palms started to sweat.  I tried to covertly wipe them on my pants while praying he didn’t shake hands when he met people.  “Not really.  I’m just waiting for Tanya.”

“I think you may be waiting a while.” He gestured to Tanya with his head.  I spun around and saw her walking out the door.

“Tanya,” I called loudly.  “I need to talk to you.”

She held up her hand to me but didn’t glance back.  “I have a few things to take care of.  Catch up later.”

I looked back up at Ben and swallowed hard.  “Guess you’re right.”  I stared into his eyes.  They were a deep chestnut brown.  I forced myself to blink and look away.  His shoulders were at my eye level.  My head would fit perfectly into a shoulder as he rested his chin on my head.  The rest of our body parts would fit together nicely too.  I blinked again.  

Book Blitz: Hex Marks The Spot

Hex Marks The Spot (Drop Dead Witchy #1) By Ani Gonzalez Genre: Urban Fantasy
Buy Link: Amazon
Release Date: October 21, 2018
Summary: 

Going to Hell is easy. Going back home is a different story. They say you can never go back. I wish that was the case. Returning home is complicated when you’re a necromancer and your hometown is the Most Haunted in America. 

It doesn’t help that your pet hellhound chihuahua thinks the place is a dump, and it gets worse when your high school crush is still there and still dead sexy. 

Literally, as he’s now a ghost. Oh, and did I mention that I have to save the world? I tell you, going to Hell is easy.

____

Excerpt:

HOME SWEET Home

But I was staring at a house that looked anything but sweet.

It was a dilapidated Victorian structure with a Second Empire mansard roof, peeling pink paint, and broken stained glass windows. The house had several missing shingles and a lopsided front porch. It was missing a few windows too.  It also had a large square turret, which caused it to resemble the house in Charmed, minus the charm.

My heart sank. Nothing, not even the newly sprung daffodils bobbing in the chilly March breeze, could make this house look good.

If the Halliwell sisters' house had suffered a regretful encounter with Godzilla, it would look like this.  Fortunately, my house didn't have a gate to Hell in the basement. It did, however, have a scary-looking gargoyle statue glaring at me from the second-floor ledge.

"The period detail is amazing, isn't it?" a syrupy voice chirped beside me.

Book Blitz: Teenage Temptation & Personal Honor

Teenage Temptation & Personal Honor by Meena Jelks
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Teen Fiction/ Contemporary
Release Date: May 31, 2016
Buy Link: Amazon
Summary:

Fifteen year old Gaby swore she’d always put books before boys. She could solve an algebraic expression faster than anyone in her class, play Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor with better technique than her music teacher, but couldn’t tell her best friend Anna that she secretly adored her older brother, Josh.

Gaby’s secret feelings tormented her for almost a year. Now that they were all going to be counselors at Camp Sesquahade for the summer, Gaby wondered how long she’d be able to keep her own secret.

Surrounded by temptation, she worries about shattering her good-girl image. Will Gaby get through summer without falling victim to her furtive feelings?
How can she be with Josh while standing firm on her values and morals?

♥ ♥ ♥

My YA novel, Teenage Temptation & Personal Honor, is finally complete at 74,059 words. Fifteen-year-old Gabrielle Perez is a straight A good-girl musical prodigy. Gaby comes from a hard-working, two parent, loving home, lives in an upper-middle class neighborhood in a small town in upstate NY and has lived a pretty sheltered life up until now.

With her junior year ending and summer camp looming around the corner, Gaby isn’t sure how long she can keep her secret from her best friend, Anna. What’s her secret: she is in love with Anna’s older brother Josh. Gaby is forced to deal with her hidden feelings this summer as they all attend Camp Sesquahade as summer counselors.

Book Blitz: Ella's Twisted Senior Year

Ella's Twisted Senior Year By Amy Sparling
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 31, 2016
Purchase Link: Amazon
Summary:

Having spent most of her senior year flying under the radar, the last thing Ella Lockhart expected was to have a tornado rip straight through her house, leaving her homeless. It’s bad enough that the whole school now pities her, but did her parents have to let the neighbors take them in?

Now she's sharing a house with Ethan Poe, her former best friend-turned-enemy. All those feelings she used to have for him are starting to rain down on her again. Too bad he's a jerk and his new girlfriend has territorial issues. Thanks to Mother Nature, Ella's house and her entire life have been turned upside down.

Ethan isn’t quite sure why Ella hates him so much, but he does know she wants nothing to do with him. He’s never quite gotten over the crush he had on her as a kid, and now that she’s living across the hall, it’s hard to stay away. His girlfriend isn’t helping the situation and when she shows her true colors, he doesn’t want to date her anymore. He wants to date someone like Ella. Too bad she hates him.

♥ ♥ ♥

EXCERPT:

I look up and find the source of the stench came from the boy’s locker room. Ugh. I try to hold my breath as they file past, mostly ignoring the coach’s demands to pick a spot on the wall and sit down. 

People shuffle in and around, talking and sharing images of the tornado that have already hit social media. 

I bring my knees up and rest my hands on them, blowing out air to get my hair out of my face. I don’t exactly have a ton of friends at West Canyon High School and the ones I do have aren’t here. 

A black and red Nike shoe steps on my purple chucks. 

“Hey, sorry,” some guy says from way above me. 

I look up and my sarcastic reply lodges in my throat. Ethan Poe stares back at me, his expression probably a mirror of my own. I mean how else do you look at someone who was you best friend until eighth grade and then became your sudden and absolute enemy? 

Of course, I had the stupid crush on him, so maybe he’s not looking the same way that I am. Maybe his surprise is just that, not ten kinds of other emotions all rolled into one. 

Like, we used to be best friends.

And, damn he got hot.

So hot.

Book Blitz: Sonar The Surge (Sonar #3)

Sonar The Surge (Sonar #3) by B. Truly
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Science Fiction, Romance
Release Date: April 23, 2016
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

Converge with Your Destiny

Eclipsed by darkness, the Romelands must face the ultimate quest. If they are forced toward the umbra peak, they will be completely obscured.

Symone struggles with her most challenging battles … the conflict within herself. Losing loved ones steals part of her soul. Despair has created a gaping hole where her heart should be. Symone doesn’t even recognize herself. She has to determine if this is the person she’s turned into, or if it is who she has always been.

Nile is an attractive aristocrat whose charm and arrogance drives Symone insane. Beyond Symone’s control, Nile is spun into her life. But she’s not sure if she can have a relationship with him or where that could lead her. Embracing love could make her whole again, but it may also destroy her. Symone must travel through the opaque light in order to find where her destiny lies.

Symone’s family … Shiray and Syira, continue to fight in the feuds of their galaxy. Together they have to find the balance between compassion and sacrifice. Kadanans are being held captive, and they hold the fate of their world in their hands. They have only begun to understand the consequences of the devastating realities of war.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, is the philosophy the Romelands now abide by. With chaos and turmoil at every corner, they may forget what is worth fighting for. The surge for power has erupted. Only the strongest race will be left standing.

♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

Kadeem spoke up, “Nobody fire. This is Adriel, a friend of my mother’s family.”

Adriel could be trusted, being that she just killed her comrade to protect Conan. I would vouch for her now.

“Kadeem, it’s risky for you to be here,” Adriel told him.

“This is war. You shouldn’t have done that, though. Now you’re at risk,” Kadeem replied. “Go now, before it’s too late. I’ll crash the computer system to the feed on these cameras, so you should be safe.”

“Thank you.” Adriel sighed.

“No, thank you,” I told her.

“I will access the code to the door for you to get in,” Adriel relayed. “It will buy time before someone triggers the alarm.”

Book Blitz: Deception (Saven #1)

Deception (Saven #1) by Siobhan Davis
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction, Romance
Release Date: December 15, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

I’ve fallen hard for an alien, but he’s harboring secrets.
Massive secrets that threaten the very essence of humanity.
How can I give him my heart when his race plans on taking my future?

Sadie Owens has been slowly dying inside. Bit by bit, piece by piece, day by day. Trapped in a life she hates, she relies on only one person—herself.

Despised by her family and betrayed by an unscrupulous government, Sadie dreams of a different life. When she is chosen to participate in the government’s new social experiment, she is ecstatic at the prospect of spending six months in Thalassic City, the shiny new city under the sea.

Immediately drawn to Logan Chandler, Sadie is captivated by the beautiful boy with the ocean-blue eyes. Logan seems to embody everything that has been forbidden, but he isn’t all he appears to be.

Confused over Logan’s true intentions and concerned when best friend Jenna starts transforming in front of her eyes, Sadie partners with newcomer Jarod in a bid to uncover the government’s real agenda. The truth is more shocking than anything she could ever have imagined.

When Sadie finally understands why the Saven walk among us, will it be too late to save her heart and the human race?

♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:
Wide, keen, blue eyes, the color of the ocean, lock on mine, and I forget how to breathe. He’s tall with fair skin and sleek jet-black hair that falls in waves over his forehead into his eyes. His expressive mouth parts gently as he notices me staring, and his lips curve upward.

I know I should look away but I can’t.

It’s as if my eyes are superglued to him.

He is easily the most gorgeous guy I’ve ever seen. Like. Ever. He redefines “hot.” They should just list his name underneath. No further explanation needed. He’s totally all that and more.

Broad shoulders fit snugly under his white shirt, and taut muscles flex in his arm as he grips a tray. He’s not a muscle-bound freak though, thank God. I don’t like that “I have boulders in my biceps” look that a lot of guys seem to favor these days.

Book Blitz: Landry in Like (Landry's True Colors #3)

Landry in Like (Landry's True Colors #3) by Krysten Lindsay Hager
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: January 13, 2016
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

Things seem to be going well in Landry Albright’s world—she’s getting invited to be on local talk shows to talk about her modeling career, her best friends have her back, and her boyfriend Vladi has becoming someone she can truly count on…and then everything changes.

Suddenly it seems like most of the girls in school are into hanging out at a new teen dance club, while Landry just wants to spend her weekends playing video games and baking cupcakes at sleepovers. 

Then, Yasmin McCarty, the most popular girl in school, starts to come between Landry’s friendship with Ashanti. Things take a turn when Yasmin tells Vladi that Landry is interested in another boy. Can Landry get her relationships with Ashanti and Vladi back or will she be left out and left behind?

♥ ♥ ♥
Except:

I gave up on my hair and went to get dressed. I tugged on my khaki pants and navy sweater, which made up my glorious Hillcrest Academy uniform, (it was just my luck my school picked colors which made me look like a dead goldfish), grabbed my bag, and went to join the rest of my class lined up to go to the cafeteria. I was almost fourteen and yet had to walk to the lunchroom in a straight line like Madeline from the storybook. Stupid Hillcrest.

Lunch was my favorite part of the day. For one, it meant the school day was half over. I went through the lunch line and grabbed a ham sandwich, some chips, and a bottle of water and went to join my two best friends, Ericka Maines and Tori Robins. The lunchroom was always extra noisy on Fridays because everybody was talking about their plans for the weekend.

Sometimes Ericka, Tori, and I went to a movie, but we didn’t do much else. Tori and I liked to go shopping, but Ericka’s parents thought hanging out at the mall would “morally corrupt” Ericka, blah, blah, blah. And they about had a stroke when she wanted to get a social media page. So I was surprised when Ericka said we should all go to the mall tomorrow.

Book Blitz: The Mark of Noba (The Sterling Wayfairer Series #1)

The Mark of Noba (The Sterling Wayfairer Series #1) by G.L. Tomas
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: August 25, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

Sterling Wayfairer has one goal for his senior year: make his mark. He’s been slipping into the background his whole high school career—distracted by his mother’s mental health, unsettled by the vivid dreams that haunt him at night, and overshadowed by the athletic accomplishments of his popular best friends. But this year is going to be different. 

He’s going to break a few rules, have some fun, and maybe even work up the nerve to ask his crush out on a date.

But things don’t go exactly as planned. Students are disappearing, Sterling starts losing time, and it all seems to center around Tetra, a girl no one else seems to notice but him. When he finally tracks her down for answers, they aren’t what he expects: He and Tetra hail from a world called Noba, and they’re being hunted by a Naga, a malevolent shapeshifter that’s marked them for destruction.

Tetra and Sterling have distinct abilities that can help them fight back, but their power depends heavily on the strength of their bond, a connection that transcends friendship, transcends romance. Years apart have left their bond weak. Jumpstarting it will require Sterling to open his heart and his mind and put his full trust in the mysterious Tetra.

♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:
I made my way to the top and timed myself at thirty-one seconds. Not better, but not bad for the days I took off. I thought it might help to freestyle a bit, to feel as though I’d worked. I didn’t brag about it, but it was euphoric to swim a fifty-meter lap in less than a minute. Guess that’s what happened when you kept at something. You got better at it. Who knew?

At my tenth lap, my lats started burning from the resistance. What better time than now to take a breather. I was nearing the pool’s edge, about to call it quits, when a vacuum-like pull dragged me back under the water. What the hell was going on?

I swam with war-like effort, but with every stroke I made, I seemed to sink deeper…deeper…

Did I push myself too hard? Maybe, but if I didn’t push hard now, I was going to drown.

Cover Reveal: What You Wish For

Lola Book Tours

What You Wish For by Gina Wynn
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Women's Fiction, Romance
Release Date: September 2015
Book Description:

Maggie’s secrets and lies have always lurked in the shadows of her marriage to childhood best friend, Jake, and the magic of wishes and call of destiny from an alternate world seem to offer her the impossible - a second chance, and a new start.

The husband she gains is a lonely man, married to Maggie’s alter-ego from his world, and he has always struggled to understand his wife. Will has long wished for his marriage to change and rediscovers what was missing when he spends time with Maggie. Although she is drawn to Will in this alternate world, Maggie must decide where her ‘love’ for Jake stops and ‘in love’ begins, and discover what happens when she shares her biggest secret with the stranger who has loved her since they met.

Caught between two men in two different lives, it is essential Maggie learns whether she has the power to call one world ‘home’ without destroying the people she loves.

Never stop wishing.

♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

His mouth twisted into a self-deprecating smile and he brushed his thumb across my cheek. I almost closed my eyes at the calm his touch brought me. I ached to rest my cheek in his palm, to let him soothe me. His hand fell away and I mourned the loss of contact, the loss of part of myself to want and wishes. I felt myself splitting, fracturing, dividing right there, and glanced at Will to see if he noticed.

Book Blitz: Love Defined

Love Defined by Leila Tualla
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Romance
Release Date: August 4, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

In their final summer before graduating college, three childhood friends expect an uncomplicated transition to adulthood…but learn they all still have some growing up to do.

Alex Makapulo is facing a crisis of faith. Raised a Catholic, Alex is considering becoming a member of her best friend Jack Page’s church—against her family’s wishes—but she can’t quite take the final step of baptism. Jack loves Alex and doesn’t understand her hesitation, and Alex wonders if Jack’s love is a blessing or a distraction to test her religious conviction.

Lori Hanson embarks on the trip of a lifetime. For her twenty-second birthday, Lori’s grandfather presents her with a summer vacation in England. While preparing for her adventure, she meets British musician Colin Watson online and quickly falls for him. They plan to hook up when she lands in London, but her grandfather forbids it. Due to complicated family dynamics, Lori must regretfully comply with his wishes, though she vows never to forgive him.

Andy Taylor is looking for love in all the wrong places. When Andy runs into an old crush, she decides she wants a more meaningful relationship with sexy Miles Webber. But when she confides in Alex, her friend warns her Miles only wants her for sex. Andy becomes angry and devises a reckless plan to distract Alex’s attention from her relationship. Things don’t go quite as she expected, though, and Andy is left facing a crushing moral dilemma.

As the summer unfolds, three young women learn love and faith go hand in hand, not everything is black and white, and sometimes in a fast-paced world you have to slow down, breathe a little, and find your own definition of love.

♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

“Do you think no matter what we do, we are still forgiven?” Somewhere between Francesca Battistelli's He Knows My Name and Casting Crown's I Will Praise You In The Storm, Andy finally spoke. “I mean.” Andy stopped.

The last song had reached its thunderous ascent and rolled towards the finish. Alex had barely heard her and for a second, thought that perhaps she had imagined it. Almond shaped brown eyes locked briefly in the mirror with a pair of big blue eyes and Alex waited, expecting Andy to go on. She didn’t. Instead, Andy broke eye contact and turned her head to face the window.

“Yes.” She finally replied. Andy jerked up, and the two caught each other’s gaze again before Alex had to look back at the road again, frowning.

“We can be forgiven as long as we ask for forgiveness, and repent and promise not to do it again.”

Another song began and once again replaced the gap of silence. Alex turned her head this time to see Andy’s eyes closed, headphones on, effectively dismissing her. She sighed out loud and set her sights on the horizon.

Cover Reveal: Kenna's Reverie (Daydreaming #1)

Lola Book Tours Promotional Event

Kenna's Reverie (Daydreaming #1) by Claire Granger
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Release Date: August 1, 2015
Book Description:

Kenna is a pretty typical single mom. She takes her 5 kids to dance, soccer, and scouts. She just happens to make her living as an erotic book blogger. She has accepted the fact that she will probably always be single, until her dream fantasy man is sitting right in front of her.

Jax likes control. He's never considered love or romance as an option, just as a necessary means to win a woman he's interested in. So when he eyes a beautiful woman at a coffee shop and can't stop thinking about her, he wonders what he has to do to possess her.

This is the hilarious story of two people who in a world of dreams are made for each other, but in reality could not be more incompatible. Will they find a way to make the dreams that live in their fantasies real, or are they destined to live without each other?

♥ ♥ ♥
Teaser:

Cover Reveal: Beyond Reach (True Calling #2)

Lola Book Tours

Beyond Reach (True Calling #2) by Siobhan Davis
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction
Release Date: April 30, 2015
Book Description:

Now back on Earth, Ariana is caught in a dangerous crossfire between clandestine rebel organization Clementia and the power-hungry government. Refusing to divulge the location of the secret information entrusted to her by her father, she desperately tries to bargain for her Mom, Lily, and Cal’s rescue. But she’s fighting a losing battle, and the clock is ticking.

Conflicted by evidence of fiancé Cal’s apparent betrayal, she loyally defends him despite her concerns. As she grows closer to ex-boyfriend Zane, her heart is increasingly troubled.

When the stakes are raised, a succession of shocking revelations rocks her world, setting her on a path that will not only change her destiny but the fate of humanity.

Confronted by a memory so abhorrent comes a truth she would do anything to forget. But some things just can’t be undone.

Beyond Reach is the gripping second novel in the True Calling trilogy, continuing the story of Ariana Skyee in the weeks after she arrives back on Earth.

♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

He grips my arm at the elbow and escorts me inside. As we walk up three flights of stairs, his hold never loosens. When we reach the top level, he taps in a code on the wall-mounted keypad, and we step through one set of wide double doors. We walk through two more sets of double doors and come out into a long narrow corridor with windows on one side and a row of separate steel cells on the other.

He unlocks one of the empty cells and guides me inside. I sit down on the end of the cold, hard bench and try to calm the rampant pounding in my chest. I wonder what they have in store for me next. There’s a metallic clunking sound as the door locks, and then I hear the heavy thread of his footsteps as he walks away.

“Hey, doll,” a deep voice says behind me. Every hair on my body rises to attention, and I refuse to turn around. “I don’t bite,” the voice adds, amusement coloring his tone. Running my hands through my hair, I tap my foot nervously on the ground. “That’s a Clementia uniform, right?” That got my attention.

Book Blitz: Bring Me Back (The Evans Trilogy #3)

Bring Me Back (The Evans Trilogy #3) by AUTHOR
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Women's Fiction
Release Date: February 6, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

Andy Evans is on the move. For six long, lonely years, he’s been running from his past, leaving his family and his life as a drug-addicted rock star far behind. His latest move takes him to the sleepy seaside town of Oamaru, New Zealand, to sell cigar-box guitars to tourists. 

The only running he’ll need to do will be training for half-marathon in nearby Dunedin. But when Andy sets eyes on Steampunk HQ, Oamaru's main tourist attraction, he realises his days of running might not be over, especially if a certain Steampunk fan from his past catches up with him.

Annie Martin is on the cusp of great success. Her career as a Steampunk academic is about to take off, as long as she can convince one disagreeable, New Zealand-based Professor to sign up to the anthology she’s putting together. Thankfully, Annie is a master at maintaining her poise and few people, no matter how nasty, can rattle her. Not any more. In fact, it’d been a good six years since anyone had gotten under her skin, after her best friend’s brother had vanished into thin air.

When Annie finds her future career on a collision course with her secret past, Andy Evans is the last person she expects to find tangled up in the mess. With a vengeful drug-dealer or two hot on his heels, and a vindictive academic determined to ruin her credibility, can Annie bring Andy back to his family before it’s too late? Annie and Andy are used to being alone, but if they don’t work together, there’ll be much more at stake than her livelihood and his sobriety.

♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

Annie charged down the park, running parallel to the competitors and dodging the spectators. As the finish line came into view, the crowd thickened. She slowed and pushed her way through, determined this time. When she reached the recovery area, where the runners who’d finished were pacing, an official held up a hand to stop her.

‘Not that way, miss,’ he said. Behind him a temporary fence separated the competitors from the crowd.

Annie followed his direction, scanning for a way to slip past. The second the official was distracted by another punter, she jumped the fence and dashed into the gathering group of runners. She didn’t have much time.

Even in regular clothes she would’ve been conspicuous, but in her Victorian skirts and corset, she stood out like, well, like someone from Victorian England had been dropped at the finish line of a twenty-first-century marathon. Most of the runners were walking in circles, shaking their legs, breathing heavily. Some were lying on their backs, chests rising and falling, eyes closed. One was bent over, hands on his knees, head down. The only runner with a beard.

Book Blitz: Inspired by Night

Inspired by Night by L.E. May
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Romance
Release Date: August 8, 2014
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

A sexy new age romance by debut author L.E.May follows Olivia as she is torn between the between the mysterious, enigmatic stranger she met online, and the charismatic young man right in front of her.

Olivia Jones is a nerd. The computer programmer doesn’t get out much, preferring to spend her time playing video games and watching movies. While she is successful and intelligent, she is also anti-social and sexually naive. Steven Teller has just graduated and landed his dream job working for Olivia. He’s young, handsome, and full of enthusiasm. He’s eager to impress his new boss, but employment isn’t the only thing he wants from Olivia.

An online introduction to Steven’s friend, Chris Knight, leads the two of them to start exchanging flirtatious emails and instant messages and while his attention flatters Olivia, his personal questions both shock and intrigue her. It’s not long before Chris encourages Olivia explore her body and her sexuality under his guidance. All the while, Steven’s feelings for her make themselves known, and Olivia finds herself torn…

♥ ♥ ♥

Excerpt:

‘Hey, Ols, James was just asking how you could’ve forgotten about Christmas?’ I noticed a hint of red flush across James’ cheeks. Dave looked amused.

‘You forgot about Christmas?’ He asked confusion filling his face.

I pursed my lips together while Steven explained.

‘Ols forgot about planning a Christmas do for everyone.’

‘Luckily Steven was on hand to save the day, but apparently not my embarrassment.’ I looked at him pointedly and he stuck his tongue out at me. ‘Well then, Ol, it’s a fair question, how could you have forgotten about Christmas?’ Dave asked.

Promotional Event: Slip (Slip #1)

Slip (Slip #1) by David Estes
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Release Date: December 1, 2014
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

In a tumultuous world of population control, one illegal child has slipped through the cracks. Now, as a teenager, Benson Kelly has escaped certain deaths at the hands of the Department of Population Control, only to find himself the symbol of a rebellion, something he never intended.

While trying to survive one day at a time, Benson seeks to unravel the tangled knot of secrets left behind when his father died, the key to which has something to do with his mother, Janice Kelly, recently escaped from the insane asylum.

As the rebel group known as the Lifers continue to use brute force to send a message to the government, Benson's twin, Harrison Kelly, seeks to exploit a loophole that could be the key to freedom for his brother. All that's required is a simple act of murder.

Meanwhile, Population Control's attack dog, a sadistic cyborg known as The Destroyer, closes in on Benson and his family. His directive: Kill them all.

Faith, family and love will be pushed to the limits in the GRIPping sequel to Slip.

♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

Luce grabs him roughly and shoves him against the wall. “They’ll kill you. They won’t hesitate. I won’t leave a friend.” There are tears in her eyes and his vision blurs as tears flood his own vision. Luce’s grip on him slackens as she seems to realize how close together they are. When Benson blinks the moisture away, he almost gasps. A dark-clothed Hunter strides past directly behind Luce. Crap. “Luce, they’re here,” he whispers.

Her eyes widen and he sees the fear that penetrates her expression. But just as quickly her eyes narrow and he can almost see the wheels turning in her head. Then, before he can so much as take another breath, she flexes her muscles, takes a deep breath, and leans forward and kisses him hard on the lips.

His entire body stiffens, shocked by the strange action taken by Luce when they’re in mortal danger, but then relaxes when he realizes what she’s doing: acting. She’s pretending to kiss him, just an act to fool the Hunters—two lovers in the shadows. Not the most wanted fugitives in the city. And yet, even her fake kissing sends Benson’s heart racing. Automatically, his lips melt into hers, rolling over them like gentle waves. His hand curls around the back of her head.