Monday, May 23, 2016

Weightless by Kandi Steiner - Cover Reveal + Excerpt

Title: Weightless
Author: Kandi Steiner
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: June 16, 2016
Add to Goodreads
I remember the lights.
I remember I wanted to photograph them, the way the red and blue splashed across his cold, emotionless face. But I knew even if my feet could move from the place where they had cemented themselves to the ground and I could run for my camera, I wouldn’t be able to capture that moment.
I had trusted him, I had loved him, and even though my body had changed that summer, he’d made sure to help me hold onto who I was inside, regardless of how the exterior altered.
But then everything changed.
He stole my innocence. He scarred my heart. He took everything I thought I knew about my life and fast-pitched it out the window, shattering the glass that held my world together in the process.
I remember the lights.
The passionate, desperate, hot strikes of red. The harsh, cruel, icy bolts of blue.
They symbolized everything I endured that summer.
And everything I would never face again.
Rhodes ran a hand through his still-damp hair as he watched me look around. “You want something to drink?”
My eyes found his but dropped a little to note the way his shirt was still sticking to his abdomen. “Just water is fine.”
He nodded, stepping into the kitchen long enough to grab a glass and fill it with ice and water from the fridge. Setting it down on the counter in front of me, he lifted a thumb and pointed to the room down the hall behind him. “I just need to shower real quick. You can too, if you want.”
I swallowed hard, my eyes practically bulging from my head. And for the first time — Rhodes laughed.
Well, he chuckled.
“I meant when I’m done, Natalie.”
“I know,” I said quickly. I totally didn’t know. “I will. When you’re done. I have extra clothes.” Why did I say that?
He quirked a brow. “Guess I won’t be seeing you naked tonight, then.” I thought he was joking, but couldn’t be sure because he left it at that without so much as another smile before turning and disappearing down the hall.
I quickly guzzled down the glass of water he’d given me and refilled it. I needed to cool down. Way down.
Kandi Steiner is a Creative Writing and Advertising/Public Relations graduate from the University of Central Florida living in Tampa with her husband. Kandi works full time as a social media specialist, but also works part time as a Zumba fitness instructor and blackjack dealer. 

Kandi started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her "freedom of press." She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic (like most girls brought up on Disney movies).

When Kandi isn't working or writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys beach days, movie marathons, live music, craft beer and sweet wine - not necessarily in that order. 

Thursday, May 19, 2016

The Color of Us by Laura Ward & Christine Manzari - Cover Reveal + Excerpt

Title: The Color of Us (College Bound #2)
Authors: Laura Ward & Christine Manzari
Release Date: June 20, 2016
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Eighteen year old Alexis Sinclair is lost in the darkness of grief. Since the death of her sister in a car accident, she can’t find the will to get out and enjoy life again. When she’s forced to face her biggest fear and take a summer Driver’s Ed course, she’s surprised to find hope in the most unlikely person.
Liam O’Connell is trouble. He isn’t proud of his dark past, and he knows Alexis is the one girl he has no business pursuing. Doing the right thing has never been easy for him, but this time, it just might be impossible.
The perfect girl and troubled boy are all wrong for each other, but as Liam helps Alexis cope with her grief, they realize nothing has ever felt more right.
That is, until Alexis uncovers a secret about Liam that breaks her heart.
Liam knows he can’t allow the one good thing in his life to walk away without a fight, and he’s determined to convince Alexis they can find their way out of the darkness together.
Can he prove he’s worthy of her, or is some love too tainted to be saved?
He took a deep breath. “Our lives are completely different, Lex.” He raised his hand in a loose fist, running the backs of his fingers along my jaw. My breath caught in my chest as his thumb stroked over my skin in slow, gentle circles. “So different.” He stared into my eyes, and I leaned forward, mirroring his posture. I placed my hand on his jaw. His chin was rough with stubble and tight with worry.
“Help me understand.” My voice was needy, begging, but that’s only because I was desperate to figure him out, to unlock the secrets he kept close. I wanted to know how he could be the sweet, patient boy who taught me to drive and then beat the living hell out of his friend a few days later. It didn’t add up for me.
He reached up to grab my fingers that were still touching his cheek, and he adjusted them so that he was holding my hand. “I didn’t grow up the way you did. The only thing I could ever depend on were my fists. That’s how I protect myself and those I care about. Yeah, Adam’s my boy, but he crossed a line. Said something he shouldn’t. And in my world, when that happens, you teach a lesson. That lesson usually means blood.”
I cringed at his bluntness and then felt guilty about it. He’d said our lives were different, but that didn’t mean mine was better than his. I had no right to look down at him. Too many people already did that. In my world, there were lessons and punishments too. They were more calculated and less physical, but they were no less vicious. Like Melissa’s threat to get her father to have Liam fired from the country club. When I thought about it, I wasn’t sure which lesson was more cruel—fists or social war.
“What did Adam do to make you so mad? Was it because you wanted to hang out with me instead of going to the levees?” God, I hope not. That’d be the overreaction of the century.
Liam shook his head and traced patterns on my jaw with his thumb. “It’s not important, angel. Just know that when you’re with me, you’re safe. No one hurts you. No one touches you.” He leaned forward, letting his lips hover next to mine. “If anyone tries to hurt you, I’ll make them pay. I mean it.”
A chill skittered down my spine. The passion in his words was so strong that the air around us was charged with unspoken promises. Why would Liam feel such a fierce need to protect me? It frightened me that I enjoyed it so much. I swallowed. “Why did you call me angel?”
He tilted his chin up and pressed his lips to my forehead and then trailed kisses down my face, stopping to press his mouth to the corner of mine. He leaned back to let his eyes scan the length of me, head to toe, as he grinned. “It’s hard not to think of you as an angel when you’re dressed all in white and looking so goddamn perfect. You’re so… good.” He shook his head with a sad smile. “I have no right to want you as much as I do.”
His eyes darted to my lips, and then his mouth was on mine again, stealing the words I wanted to say—I’m not perfect… I’m not good… I want you too. He sucked on my lower lip, pulling it into his mouth with such gentleness I thought I might melt into a puddle on his floorboards. How could so much rage be wrapped up in this much tenderness?
My hands snaked around the back of Liam’s neck, and I moved to bring his mouth back to mine, grazing the tip of my tongue against his. I could faintly taste the smoke of his cigarette, but I could also taste the sugar of the funnel cake we’d shared. He was a heady mix of danger and sweetness that was so uniquely Liam it made me crave more. I slid my tongue against his again, and Liam’s groan was the only warning I got before his mouth was devouring mine, demanding kisses from me that I was only too happy to return.
“You even taste good,” Liam murmured against my lips before dropping his face to the curve of my neck where he nibbled along my skin, leaving goose bumps in his wake. “I want to taste every single inch of you. I think I’m addicted.”
His lips pressed against my pulse point, and I was sure he could feel the frantic beating of my heart. My entire body felt like it was vibrating for him. I couldn’t decide what I wanted more—for him to keep whispering his precious thoughts against my neck, or for him to go back to worshipping my lips.
As if he knew my inner turmoil, Liam trailed a slow pathway of kisses up my neck toward my greedy mouth.
“You look like an angel,” he said, whispering a kiss under my ear. His quiet words trickled down my neck in a delicious shiver. “You act like an angel, too good to be true.” He left a kiss on the side of my jaw before turning my face to his, his lips hovering over mine with so much heat I thought he might burn me when he finally kissed me. “You’re my angel, Lex. And I think you just might save me.”
Laura Ward lives in Maryland with her loud and very loving three children and husband. She married her college sweetheart and is endlessly grateful for the support he has given her through all their years together, and especially toward her goal of writing books. When not picking up toy trucks, driving to lacrosse practice, or checking spelling homework, Laura is writing or reading romance novels. Her debut novel, NOT YET, is a Top 100 Amazon Bestseller.
The first thing Christine does when she's getting ready to read a book is to crack the spine in at least five places. She wholeheartedly believes there is no place as comfy as the pages of a well-worn book. She's addicted to buying books, reading books, and writing books. Books, books, books. She also has a weakness for adventure, inappropriate humor, and coke (the caffeinated, bubbly kind). Christine is from Forest Hill, Maryland where she lives with her husband, three kids, and her library of ugly spine books. 

Wasted Words by Staci Hart - Release Blitz + Review




Title: Wasted Words
Author: Staci Hart
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: May 19, 2016



Blurb

Some universal truths refuse to be ignored.

Peanut butter and jelly are a match made in heaven. Spaghetti and meatballs are best friends forever. And guys like Tyler Knight don’t go for girls like Cam Emerson.

She knew from the second she met him that he didn’t belong on her bookshelf, the six-foot-six ex-tight end with a face so all-American, it could have sold apple pie. So she shelved him next to the supermodels and rock stars and took her place on her own shelf — the one with the flannel-clad, pasty-faced comic book nerds. Most of her boyfriends have existed between the pages of books, but rather than worrying over her own lacking love life, she puts all her energy into playing Cupid, using her job at the book bar, Wasted Words, as her stomping ground.

Tyler Knight always looks on the bright side. His career-ending injury turned into a job as a sports agent. A horrible breakup led him to Cam, his quirky, smart roommate who is far more beautiful than she realizes. She’s made it perfectly clear she’s not interested in him — not like that at least — but if she ever changes her mind, he won’t hesitate. Because he doesn’t see the lines she’s drawn between them, as much as she insists that they’re there. Deep down he knows that despite their differences, they’re a match well made.

*A romantic comedy inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma*


ReviewDon't judge a book by its cover?? 

Well go ahead and judge this one, because what you see is what you get.

I'm serious. A man and a woman look deeply into each others eyes; the girl with glasses and the man is all muscles. 
"Despite their differences, they're a match well made."

It's been awhile since I've read a book where the content match the cover. The cover is gorgeous, as are all the teasers made by Staci are too. The actual story is exactly that, a beautiful story featuring a man and woman who are different...yet the same. 

I could go on about Wasted Words and tell you how much I loved the different concepts of culture and different "cliques" in this novel. I could talk to you about how much Cam and I are alike and how, surprisingly, she's given me a new insight into my own love life. I could tell you how I want to go to NY and search forever for a Wasted Words and get matched up with Cam's match-making skills. 

I could tell you how real this story is. 

When you find out that Cam has anxiety, you learn to relate and put yourself in her position with the things she's says (or denies, in this case). Cam is the one woman I read about, despite how smart she is, that doesn't believe two mismatched characters belong together. That opposites don't attract. But when you understand the reality of what it's like to have anxiety, you just want to go up to Cam and hug her. 

I don't have anxiety, so I could never relate to Cam or even Tyler, but the way Staci writes makes me know what it's like and how crazy it may seem to the world, it's a totally real situation. 

This story didn't have you typical girl-thinks-guy-is-cheating-on-her or guy-thinks-woman-is-lying. The real antagonist in the story is Cam's anxiety. Which makes me appreciate this book even more because in reality, the only person that is your enemy is yourself. Just as the only person you can truly trust is yourself. 

I've read Staci's other novels but nothing tops this one. Maybe this book is closer to home since Cam and I are alike, but I truly enjoyed this book. And yet another book to add to my on-going list of PB's (NY 2017, I'm coming for you). 

P.s. I have not forgotten about Tyler. 

Tyler, Tyler, Tyler. 

What a man. What an inspiration to people who's dreams don't come true. A man who suffered an injury that stopped the only thing he once wanted; to go pro. Instead he works as a sports agent, and a really good one, dealing with sponsors for athletes when things go amiss. 
Tyler is no alpha male, or a sensitive guy. Tyler is a man who knows what he wants in life, and if that doesn't go right, he learns to adapt to his situation. 

I don't think I've ever read about a character like Tyler before, which makes it very refreshing, but at the same time, I think I know many Tyler's in real life. 

I think this has officially...in just a few more words...officially been my longest review I've ever made for a novel. If that doesn't say anything...well...the book is on preorder for 99c for a limited time and is free on KU??

And if that doesn't convince you...well here's a quote about sexy kale. 
"Look, I know it's vulgar, me ogling Tyler like hippies ogle kale in Whole Foods. But Tyler was some good looking kale..."


Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK






Author Bio


Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life: a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife, even though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. Her favorite word starts with f and ends with k.

From roots in Houston, to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she's not writing, she's sleeping, cleaning, or designing graphics.



Author Links

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Tuesday, May 17, 2016

A Heart of Time by Shari J. Ryan - Release Blitz + Giveaway

AHeartofTimeEbook
Cover Design: MadHat Books
Release Date: May 18, 2016
 Synopsis
“Time of death...” the doctor said. I won’t forget that moment I looked over at Ellie—the paleness of her once rosy cheeks, the blue hue coating her perfect lips—the woman I had been with since we were five years old. My wife. My best friend...and the mother to our newborn baby girl. You promised me we would be together forever, I wanted to tell her.She gave me her forever, I told myself. Her forever just ended at twenty-five. “You need to say your goodbyes...” the doctor said. How do I say goodbye to the one person in my life I could never say goodbye to? My body is numb, and my heart hurts. Hurts like someone just ripped it out of my chest. Which is ironic ... “We are going to remove her heart now, Hunter. It was her wish to donate,” the doctor said. She never told me this. She never told me another woman would carry on with her beating heart. She never told me this woman knew me but wouldn’t let me know her. She never told me if I should follow her heart, or if I should follow mine. She knew. She could have told me...  

Teaser5
 
   
Giveaway
 
Kindle Fire Tablet, 7" Display, Wi-Fi, 8 GB - w/ Special Offers (Winners Choice of Color)
 
 
      Teaser4      
About the Author
Shari J. Ryan is an Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author, a Barnes & Noble Top 10 Bestselling author, and an iBookstore #1 Bestselling author. She hails from Central Massachusetts where she lives with her husband and two lively little boys. Shari has always had an active imagination and enjoys losing herself in the fictional worlds she creates. When Shari isn’t writing, she can usually be found cleaning toys up off the floor.
 
Connect with Shari
Newsletter Signup: http://sharijryan.com/sign-up/
Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/1VSrO8t
Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/1NzXSLp
Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/1TwFt16
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/21fi4Vg
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At this Moment by Karen Cims - Cover Reveal + Giveaway + Excerpt

Sometimes life gives you what you need, even if you don’t believe you deserve it.

Kate Daniels wants it all—a big, crazy life, lots of kids, and an adoring husband. Someday. For now, she’ll be happy just to survive her first semester of college. Billy McDonald wants it all, too. Since the day he got his first guitar, he’s had one goal—to prove he’s worth something. His dream is so close, he can almost touch it.

Thrown together during a freak snowstorm, Kate and Billy’s lives become permanently entwined. On the outside, they have nothing in common, but scars aren’t always visible and abuse doesn’t always leave a mark. Kate keeps the pain of her past buried, while Billy carries his like a weapon.

In spite of finding love, Billy continues to be haunted by his childhood and tempted by the excesses of the music industry. He struggles to keep his career on track and his inner demons at bay, until one night, he makes a mistake that could cost him everything. Kate may have found her happily ever after, but for Billy, the nightmare has just begun.

Set against a backdrop of heavy metal and emerging grunge, At This Moment is the first book in the Of Love and Madness trilogy. A love story that unfolds over twenty-five years, it’s the tale of two damaged people trying to make their way in the world without destroying themselves or each other in the process.


   Billy didn’t say a word when he picked them up at the subway station, and he did little more than grunt when he dropped Joey off at his station a few blocks later. He remained quiet as they drove through Brooklyn, over the Williamsburg Bridge, and into Lower Manhattan. Kate tried several times to engage him in conversation, but he just stared straight ahead, saying nothing.
   After they pulled into the parking lot behind their apartment, he turned off the van and sat drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. She waited until he got out, then followed, expecting to help carry his bags.
   “I got it,” he snapped.
   “Fine.” It was her turn to get angry. She’d only agreed to do this video because of him.    Plus it was his idea—or Christa’s, the little blond weasel—that no one know they were a couple. It wasn’t her fault she caused a stir. Not totally.
   She bolted ahead, letting the door slam shut as he approached, and stomped up the stairs and down the hall to their apartment. Throwing her bag on the couch, she went into the bathroom to take off her makeup.
   When she came out, Billy was sitting on the bed.
   “You think you’re pretty funny, don’t you?”
   “Me? I think I’m hilarious.”
   As she stormed past him, Billy grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into his lap, locking his arms around her. She sat stiffly, staring straight ahead, her jaw tight, not willing to look at him.
   “I’m sorry,” he said finally, pressing his forehead into her shoulder. “I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at me.”
   “That makes two of us.”
   “I’m an idiot. I shouldn’t have talked you into this, and I shouldn’t have agreed to keep you a secret.”
   “Are you saying that because you didn’t like Bailey hitting on me or the other guys looking at me?”
   “I didn’t like any of it. I also didn’t like you having to walk in without me and leave without me, even with Joey—who hates me, by the way.”
   “He doesn’t hate you.”
   He snorted. “I’ll call Christa tomorrow. Tell her we’re not doing this.”
   “The video?”
   “No. That we have to do. But I’m not making believe we’re not a couple. I don’t see the need for it. I’m not in this for the women. I’m a musician, not a gigolo.”
   “You don’t want to be both?”
   He shook his head.
   “Aww,” she purred. “Too bad.”
   He looked up, surprised. “What does that mean?”
   “You’ll see.”
Karen Cimms is a writer, editor, and music lover. She was born and raised in New Jersey and still thinks of the Garden State as home. She began her career at an early age rewriting the endings to her favorite books. It was a mostly unsuccessful endeavor, but she likes to think she invented fanfiction.

Karen is a lifelong Jersey corn enthusiast, and is obsessed with (in no particular order) books, shoes, dishes, and Brad Pitt. In her spare time she likes to quilt, decorate, and entertain. Just kidding–she has no spare time.

Although she loves pigeons, she is terrified of pet birds, scary movies and Mr. Peanut.

Karen is married to her favorite lead guitar player. Her children enjoy tormenting her with countless mean-spirited pranks because they love her, or so they say. She currently lives in Northeast Pennsylvania, although her heart is usually in Maine.

“At This Moment” is her debut novel.

  Facebook ~ Twitter: @KCimms ~ Website 




Good Girl by Lauren Layne - Release Blitz + Review




Title: Good Girl
Series: Love Unexpectedly #2
Author: Lauren Layne
Publisher: Loveswept
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 17, 2016



Blurb

Lauren Layne brings all the unpredictable heat of her USA Today bestseller Blurred Lines to an all-new cast of characters! Country music’s favorite good girl is hiding away from the world—only to find herself bunking with a guy who makes her want to be a little bad.

Jenny Dawson moved to Nashville to write music, not get famous. But when her latest record goes double platinum, Jenny’s suddenly one of the town’s biggest stars—and the center of a tabloid scandal connecting her with a pop star she’s barely even met. With paparazzi tracking her every move, Jenny flees to a remote mansion in Louisiana to write her next album. The only hiccup is the unexpected presence of a brooding young caretaker named Noah, whose foul mouth and snap judgments lead to constant bickering—and serious heat.

Noah really should tell Jenny that he’s Preston Noah Maxwell Walcott, the owner of the estate where the feisty country singer has made her spoiled self at home. But the charade gives Noah a much-needed break from his own troubles, and before long, their verbal sparring is indistinguishable from foreplay. But as sizzling nights give way to quiet pillow talk, Noah begins to realize that Jenny’s almost as complicated as he is. To fit into each other’s lives, they’ll need the courage to face their problems together—before the outside world catches up to them.






Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK

Review

I loved the tale that Lauren unraveled of a country singer and a man who has two sides to him; a CEO named Preston and Noah, who knows his way around building a house. 

When Jenny finds her escape in a mansion in Louisiana to get away from the hateful media, she isn't expecting Noah at all; this rude, arrogant man who doesn't know his place in the mansion and assumes he's just the handyman.

Using that assumption to his advantage, Noah (Preston) can't seem to have the time to correct her either, he's too distracted by her snooty behaviour and her dog. 

Evenally, the two settle their differences and end up getting together in a "I hate you, but I can't help but feel for you" kind of way.

And the sex is off the charts btws.

I loved it...but I felt like there was something missing. Which is why I'm shocked at my rating. I can't put my finger upon it, but it just felt like it was missing something. 

Also Available


AMAZON US / UK




Author Bio


Lauren Layne is the USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen contemporary romance novels. Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. A year after moving from Seattle to NYC to pursue a writing career, she had a fabulous agent and multiple New York publishing deals. Lauren currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and plus-sized Pomeranian. When not writing, you’ll likely find her running (rarely), reading (sometimes), or at happy hour (often).



Author Links