Book Blitz: Catch My Breath (Catch My Breath #1)

Catch My Breath (Catch My Breath #1) by Lynn Montagano
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 17, 2014
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

Lia Meyers’ plan for a relaxing Scottish vacation is short-lived when one uncharacteristic moment of clumsiness lands her in the arms of a dangerously attractive Englishman.

The perfect opportunity for a much needed holiday romance? Wrong! Lia’s still reeling from the mother of all bad breakups, and she really doesn’t have the patience for Alastair Holden – despite his effortless charm and cute British accent.

Arrogant and totally inscrutable, he’s exactly the sort of guy she wants to avoid but can’t: the man behind the mystery proves just too tempting to resist.

Drawn to him, Lia is forced to battle with her own insecurities, and the closer they become, the more she recognizes her own weaknesses as she peels away his layers with every night they spend together. Discovering the past Alastair is so desperate to conceal, Lia must decide if they can heal one another together or if their deepest fears will tear them apart.

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No Review is a “Bad” Review

I had a nightmare recently that someone gave my book half a star. Not just one star but HALF a star. *whimper*

As a debut author, reviews are something I try not to dwell on. Do I want reviews? Yes. Lots of them. Good ones. Bad ones. Middle of the road ones. That means people are reading and having some type of reaction to the stories I’ve written. Any review is a form of publicity and as the saying goes “there’s no such thing as bad publicity.”

So what do you do when a review isn’t so glowing and fabulous?

Think of it this way. Anybody who reviews a book has spent time and energy thinking about it. They’re spreading the word. The beauty about a bad review is whatever it was about the story that particular reader didn’t like might be exactly what someone else loves. Seriously. How many times have I gone to see a big, loud special effects laden movie because some critic said it lacked substance? Too many to mention.

Blog Tour: Sister Surrendered

Sister Surrendered by Darla M. Grese
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Memoir
Release Date: April 11, 2014
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

When you’re a twin, loneliness is somewhat unfamiliar because you’ve always had each other. So when a twin passes, the other is left unprepared. Our loyalty was steadfast and our devotion to one another, solid. Our love was unconditional no matter what the circumstances.

I’m so grateful every day for the memories of the joy and laughter that we shared together. I know the bond that Kelli and I shared is impossible for anyone to replace. This memoir has become something so much more than initially intended. It’s become a documented journey barely scratching the surface of the love between two sisters. And surprisingly, it’s also become an outlet for me to speak candidly and honestly about my struggles with the cause of Kelli’s death.

This is a love story turned tragedy. An exposure of one of the greatest healthcare failures killing Veterans and civilians, and a cry for help to remedy the fiasco. I’ve stressed about who I would mention in this book, nervous that I would hurt someone’s feelings by not mentioning their names. But I’ve realized that it’s impossible to do.

Kelli had so many great friends, some I’ve never even met. I need each person to know who has taken the time to reach out to me in whatever capacity that if it weren’t for your heartfelt show of support and love, I don’t know that I would be able to muster the energy to even get up each day. Kelli, we did it.

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Sister Surrendered, my memoir, is a book that I wish didn’t exist. I wish I could replace the word Surrendered with perhaps prospered or flourished. But I cannot.

How did this happen? How did I lose a battle that I fought so hard for? Why did I settle the case? Why did I have to write my memoir that ended in such avoidable tragedy? These are questions I’m left with each and every morning, after nights filled with nightmares, sadness and feeling s of defeat.

Every story should have a great ending right? By the time we finish the last paragraph, we’re leaping to our feet, applauding and celebrating that happy, “feel-good” ending. And dammit I wish by the time you finished my book, you’d be doing the same. But the truth is, you’ll end up angry, sad and maybe even baffled. You’ll be left with questioning a system that’s now currently under fire in most media outlets, the Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

Book Blitz: Alec (Slater Brothers #2)

Alec (Slater Brothers #2) by L.A. Casey
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 17, 2014
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

Keela Daley is the black sheep of her family. She has always come second to her younger cousin Micah. Even in the eyes of her mother, Micah shone bright, and Keela faded to black. Now, in adulthood, Micah is a bride-to-be and the spotlight is solely on her. Keela is a low priority…or so she thinks.

Alec Slater is a bachelor, never one to bed the same woman, or man, twice. He is a free agent who does what he pleases and answers to no one; that is until a fiery Irish redhead with a temper to match her hair colour knocks him on his arse. Literally.

She hates to admit it, but Keela needs a favour from the cocky Slater brother, a huge favour. She needs him to not only escort her to Micah’s wedding, but to also pose as her boyfriend. Alec agrees to help Keela, but has certain conditions for her to abide by. He wants her body and plans to have it before anyone can say I do.

What he doesn’t plan on is losing his heart as well as the possibility of losing his family when someone from his past threatens his future.

Alec owns Keela, and what Alec owns, Alec keeps.

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Excerpt:

I gripped onto my phone and car keys as I closed my bedroom window. I told Storm to stay put, but it feel on deaf ears because he didn't move an inch or even wake up. I ran down my hallway and unlocked the locks and the bolt on my door then flung it open and sprung into the corridor.

I closed my front door, locked it, then ran like a bat out of Hell down the hallway, down four flights of stairs and out into my apartment complex’s car park. I sprinted towards my car and only realized I was in my nightdress when the cool breeze hit me and made me shiver.

"Fuck!" I snapped as I unlocked my car, got into it and started the engine.

I didn't think of changing clothes, just about getting my shoes on and then getting out to my car. I wasn't going back inside to change; I had to get to Aideen and make sure she was okay before changing clothes even became an option. It was okay though; I didn't show off any valuables. The nightdress was just a little short, it was black so I didn’t have to worry that it was see through, at least I got lucky with that. The weather was good tonight as well, it was cool but not windy or raining.

Review: Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5)

 Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5) by Richelle Mead
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Release Date: July 29, 2014
Buy Links:

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Book Description:

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives. In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive.

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.


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Let's talk about how excited I am that Richelle Mead's "Silver Shadows" finally came out! I didn't expect to love Mead's "Bloodlines" series as much as I do, but I've become completely emotionally invested in my little book babies Sydney and Adrian. Thankfully, I had its release day off of work, so I didn't have to waste any time in starting the book I've been waiting months and months for.

I actually had to go to three different stores in order to find "Silver Shadows", but it was worth the drive. Mead's newest installment in the series did not disappoint, and in fact, offered more than I thought it would. Again, the book is told in both Sydney and Adrian's point of views, and alternates by chapter. Sydney is dealing with being trapped in a reeducation facility, while Adrian is left in Palm Springs to deal with her loss and try to figure out how to find her and bring her back home to him.

Since Adrian and Sydney were forced apart at the end of the last book, "The Fiery Heart", I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to enjoy "Silver Shadows" as much as I did with the previous books where they had a lot more interaction. However, I was pleasantly surprised because I was still hooked as the two of them tried to get back to each other.

Blog Tour: The Lover's Secret (No Exceptions #1)

The Lover's Secret (No Exceptions #1) by J.C. Reed
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 5, 2014
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

When a sexy encounter comes like a dream...

Brooke Stewart thinks she's finally safe and can move on from her past. But after one night at the Trio Hotel and meeting the sexy stranger with the green eyes that can steal one's soul, her life is changed forever. Passions run deep. The fun is supposed to be for one night with no strings attached.

Sexy millionaire Jett Mayfield can have any woman he wants, but the night he sees Brooke, he knows what he has to do. Brooke has something Jett desperately wants, something he can't admit to the woman he tries to get to surrender. He has a secret so deep it would upend her life if she found out too soon. He's almost reached his goal, and then she gets a letter she was not meant to read. Suddenly, secrets get a completely new meaning.

When two hearts collide, at least one is bound to shatter.

A man who takes what he wants A woman who's ready to give him one night One bet that turns into a game of seduction But Mr. Sexy drives in the fast lane. And he has a secret that could destroy her

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Excerpt:

Review: Anna (The Starseed Series #1)

Anna (The Starseed Series #1) by Meghan Riley Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Release Date: August 29, 2013
Buy Links:

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Book Description:

To the outside world, Anna appears to be an ordinary high school senior...

Anna has a lot of questions. Should she pursue her desire to leave home for college and live out her dream of becoming a physicist? Or should she stay home and help care for her family, which has struggled ever since her father died in Afghanistan? Is her crush, Steve, really interested in her, or is he only using the highly intelligent Anna to try and boost his grades in school?

These questions, plus the ordinary trials and tribulations of high school, distract Anna from noticing some very... strange things that are beginning to happen to her.

For as long as Anna can remember, she has had a haphazard smattering of freckles on her arm. But these freckles are starting to change, and cause a series of unnerving hallucinations and odd side effects that only Anna seems to notice. When a strange shadow man starts to haunt her nights, she decides to go on a hunt for the truth to discover, once and for all, what is happening to her. The hallucinations continue growing stronger, however, and each new visit by the shadow man appears to become more and more threatening. Eventually, Anna realizes that she can no longer hide from her friends and family what is happening to her.

But as she shares her secret with those closest to her, Anna never imagines that her very life, and the lives of those she loves, will be put in jeopardy.

Who, or what, is Anna?

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"Anna" by Meghan Riley is the first book of her series "The Starseed Series". The story revolves around high school student Anna, who is just starting to realize that her life might not be as ordinary and boring as she's always thought.

The book's description has a lot to do with Anna's strange freckles and the changes that are happening to them and her as a result. On her arm, there are freckles that are in the shape of the constellation, Pleiades, and they're slowly starting to change. However, this is not the only weird thing that is happening, since Anna starts to be visited by a creepy Shadow Man, and she also starts hallucinating.

While the description was mainly based in the paranormal happenings of the book, that story doesn't really kick off until well into the book. The majority of the beginning of "Anna", actually just revolves around her daily high school life and the boy trouble you would expect any young adult book to have. She's always had a huge crush on the cute quarterback, Steve, who is finally starting to notice her, but now there's also a new boy named Jared that she meets in her astronomy club. This love triangle and the question of whether Steve likes her for her, or just because she's offering him help in school is what the beginning of the story is about.