Monday, March 31, 2014

I'm Such a Failure

Reading Olympics is a contest in my area where kids read books from a list all through the year.  Then, on the competition day, all of the schools in the county gather at a high school and are asked plot questions about the books.

The competition is very fun because, yes it gets competitive.  It's not a competition against anyone but yourself.  You want to get 50 questions right out of 75 for a blue ribbon.  Though there is another team in the room answering questions with you, it doesn't hurt you if they are answering all of theirs right.  Except, if they answer wrong, you have a chance to answer it and win a point for your team.

Tomorrow is the big day.  The list can be found on my challenges page, and they are books that would actually pique a teen's interest.  But, I'm such a letdown to the team.  I have read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs this year, but I forget most of what happened.  And I read If I Stay by Gale Forman a few years ago.  Does it count that I saw the The Book Thief movie?

Well, here's to hoping that the freshmen read the entire list because I sure won't be a big contributor.  

I don't have much time for reading with all of my homework (Why did I take such a heavy course load my senior year?), and it's really a shame.  We all love the excitement we get if we know all of the answers on Jeopardy.


Cover Reveal: My Soon- to- be- Sex Life by Judith Tewes



Charlie is down to her absolute. Total. Last. Resort.

Despite a thoroughly comprehensive list of potential cherry poppers, er…suitors, and careful plotting, Charlie is three weeks into her devirginzation campaign, still untouched, and getting desperate. In the movie of her life, this aspiring screenwriter is giving herself a PG, for please, get some.

Her project goes into freeze frame when her mom checks herself into rehab and packs Charlie off to live with her estranged, or just plain strange, grandfather, Monty. How is she supposed to get a date when she has to go pick up his Depends? 

Enter Eric, a hot rehab grad on the road to redemption, and the only one who can make Charlie rethink her strategy. The more she gets to know him, the more convinced she becomes that is the one, and not just another to add to the list of people who will abandon her.

In this hilarious and heartbreaking story of one girl’s detoured road to womanhood, Charlie’s list develops a life of its own – right when she realizes there’s so much more to lose.
 ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!!! You've got 48 hours to enter!


a Rafflecopter giveaway




About Judith Tewes: Multi-published, award-winning author, screenwriter, and playwright, Judith Tewes resides in small town Alberta, where she: writes, sings, plays bass guitar in an all-woman band, walks her three crazy labs, and suspects she's living the life of a superhero's alias. A commercial writer writing under several pen names, Judith’s work includes: paranormal, steampunk, and contemporary young adult fiction, as well as thriller, horror, and dramatic comedies for the stage and screen. 


Social Media Links:
FACEBOOK (personal an/or Author page): Personal: https://www.facebook.com/judithteweswritesAuthor

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Cover and Excerpt Reveal: Entice by Rachel Van Dyken







Release Day : May 13, 2014


From #1 New York Times Bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken comes the third book in the bestselling Eagle Elite Series...

“As burns this saint, so burns my soul. I enter alive, and I will have to get out dead.”

Chase Winter let the love of his life slip through his fingers and into the hands of his best friend and mafia boss of the Abandanato family. Now that he's been given a second chance to right a wrong--he refuses to let his own selfishness stand in the way. The only problem? He's not fully in possession of his heart, so when Mil De Lange, the girl who's innocence he stole, and heir to the worst of the worst mafia families in the US, asks him for a favor. He actually says yes, not realizing that that one yes has the power to destroy them all.

Mil's been in love with Chase as long as she can remember, but as the years went by, the love turned to hate, and now that he's agreed to help her, she's wondering if she made a fatal error. Because Chase isn't a teenager anymore. He's a hot blooded male, bent on owning every part of her body and soul, and willing to kill anyone in his path who dares stand in the way.
It's time for secrets to finally be revealed...but make no mistake, it's going to take a lot of bloodshed for those truths to be discovered.

You've never read a New Adult Mafia story like this before...loyalties will be tested, lovers reunited, and friendships obliterated. Welcome to the Family. Blood in--No out.


ADD TO GOODREADS





Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at www.rachelvandykenauthor.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Rachelvandyken












Nixon
I checked the time on my cell and leaned against the wall. The desert heat was not in any way helping my already-tense mood and irritated disposition. A guy walked by, flicking his cigarette into the dirt. Note to self: you know you're tense as hell when you’re halfway tempted to grab said cigarette and suck the nicotine dry from the remains.
And I didn’t even smoke.
Shhhit.
My head hurt, my muscles were sore, and Trace was pissed. I closed my eyes and leaned back against the building.
“Hey there.” A flirty voice interrupted my self-inflicted torture session. I opened one eye, then two. A blond-haired girl in six-inch heels and something I can only assume at one point use to be a shirt, hanging over her shoulder, walked into my personal space. Her shirt-dress thing barely met her thighs.
“Yes?” I kept my sunglasses on. If I took them off and glared, she’d probably run screaming down the street, and I wasn’t into scaring females… at least not in that way. I knew I looked downright pissed as hell.
“Just thought you looked lonely.” She lifted her shoulder and offered a teasing smile. Did that really work on other guys?
“You thought wrong,” I said simply. “I’m holding the wall up like Samson.”
“Samson?” She looked around as if waiting for another man to appear.
“From the Bible,” I clarified.
“The what?”
“Gotta love Vegas,” I muttered under my breath. “Look, I don’t want any.”
“Any what?” She ran a manicured nail down my chest, biting down on her lip at the same time. I could only imagine her point was to get me to stare at her lips, but all I felt was irritation. Damn Chase and Mil. I just wanted to go to bed, but I needed to talk with him before tomorrow.
“Sex.” My voice clipped. “I. Don’t. Want. Any.”
“But” She twirled a piece of blond- hair in her fingers.
“I’m gay.”
“Right.” She snorted.
“I’m into men.”
“Oh really?” She closed the distance between us. Just as I was ready to seriously put my hands on her and push, I felt an arm wrap around my shoulder.
“Hey there, hot stuff.” Tex said in a low voice as his hand grabbed my ass, cupping it with a little too much enthusiasm. “You ready?”
I ground my teeth together and forced a smile. “Yup.”
“Oh…” The girl stepped back. “Um, sorry, you guys, uh, enjoy your night.” She pushed past Tex so fast I was afraid she was going to teeter off her heels and get hit by a taxi.
“Tex.” I seethed.
“Hmm?” He took off his sunglasses and tilted his head as the girl hurried away.
“You can take your hand off my ass now.”
“Why? Afraid you like it too much?”
I pushed against him.
“Just embrace your feelings!” He shouted, earning the attention of a family walking by with their two little kids.
I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and threw him few feet away from me, trying my damnedest not to smile.
“Admit it. You keep me around for comic relief.” Tex nodded with a smirk.
“I admit nothing.” I lost the war against smiling and started laughing. “But I do keep your ass away from Campisi, so remember that next time you start yelling about me being your lover.”
“True.” Tex grinned. “Oh, and P.S., don’t knock it till you try it.”
“P.S.,” I repeated in the same voice. “Still pissed at you for screwing over my sister.”
“Yeah well.” Tex sobered. “It’s for the best.”
“Breaking her heart and bringing in whores is what’s best for her?”
Tex lifted his hands into the air. “Look, I didn’t say my methods were sound or that they were intelligent, just let us deal with it, okay? We’re big kids.”
“Kids.” I snorted. “That about sums it up.”
A town car pulled up next to the curb. Chase got out and then held out his hand to Mil. My eyes narrowed; she looked different. Happier.
Her mom had just died, and she'd survived a bombing.
And she was smiling like the Taliban had just declared world peace.
Chase gripped her so tight that I saw the white of his knuckles.
I tilted my head, still watching them when Tex said. “Dude, you get laid?”
“Tex,” I snapped. “Go get something for their luggage.”
“But
“Go.”
Tex flipped me off, but ended up jogging over to the main entrance while I inspected both Mil and Chase. “I’m not saying this to be an ass
“Here we go.” Mil crossed her arms.
Chase waited.
I licked my lips and tried to appear indifferent. “But if you guys start screwing each other now, I may have to shoot one or both of you. It’s not the time to play house, got it?”
“Play house,” Chase repeated in a deadpan voice as he dipped his free hand into his back pocket, most likely clenching a pair of brass knuckles.
“I know it’s your honeymoon,” I continued. “But this [P1] little scenario you’ve got going on with the whole hot and cold is going to have to wait until everyone’s safe. So Chase, keep it in your pants for once in your life, and Mil, stop trying to seduce the poor kid, alright? It’s like dangling a damn fry in front of a seagull.”
“Who’s a fry?” Tex asked, pulling the luggage cart with him.
“Mil.”
“Are we eating dinner or something? Because I have to admit,” Tex leaned against the cart, “I’m freaking starving.” He eyed Chase and Mil. “Then again, I’m sure you both are too. All those extracurricular really take it out of ya.”
Chase took off his sunglasses, his face twisting in irritation and annoyance, no smile. Nothing. He was pissed.
“Chase,” I said slowly. “You know I’m right. You’re the best I have. I need your focus to be on The Family. Your family. Then you can screw all you want, okay?”
Mil looked like she wanted to punch me in the face. Chase took a step forward, but she stopped him.
“Good talk.” I exhaled. “Chase, I’ll see you down in the bar in a half-hour, okay? We have business to discuss. Mil, you can go find the girls. They’re having dinner out by the pool.”
Nobody moved.
After a few seconds of tense silence where I was pretty sure Chase was trying to convince himself not to strangle me to death, Tex cleared his throat and pointed to the luggage. “You guys need help, then?”
“Yeah,” Chase croaked. “Thanks.”
We loaded them up and sent them on their way.
“Tell me,” Tex asked once we were walking back toward the bar. “Is your only goal to see how far you can push Chase before he kills you in your sleep?”

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Blog Tour: Excerpt of 8 Weeks by Bethany Lopez

8WEEKSblogtour
Title: 8 Weeks
Series: Time For Love #1
Author: Bethany Lopez
Release Date: March 24, 2014
Summary: Is eight weeks enough time to earn back the love of someone you've betrayed...the only one you've ever loved? Shelly has been in love with Cal since they started dating in eleventh grade. Despite everyone saying that the odds were against them, they got married after graduation and built a life together. Now, six years later, she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. Devastated, her first instinct is to call it quits… After a drunken binge at his best friends’ bachelor party, Cal betrays the one person who has always been there for him, his wife, Shelly. Terrified and realizing she might divorce him, Cal must come up with a way to prove to her that his love is true… Cal asks Shelly for eight weeks. Eight weeks to convince her that their marriage is worth the fight. Will Shelly be able to trust him again, or will their marriage end the way many others do when faced with opposition… In divorce? 8 Weeks is book 1 in the Time for Love series, but can be read as a stand alone.

1111111111111

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18665874-8-weeks

EXCERPT: Shelly's POV
He held up his hands as if in surrender and said, “Please … Don’t go. Don’t do this.”
“I didn’t do anything, you did. I can’t stay,” I sobbed. “I can’t stand to look at you.”
I turned my back on the hurt look on his face and slammed the door on my way out.
I got into my little Ford pickup and peeled out in the driveway in my haste to get as far away from Cal as possible. As I drove on autopilot, the enormity of the situation weighed heavily on my mind.
The only man I’d ever loved, who I’d always trusted implicitly, had just made a mockery of everything I’d thought and felt over the last six years of our relationship.
I was in shock.
I’d always believed that Cal and I would be together forever … That we’d have children and grow old together.
That he would never hurt me.
           Well, he hadn’t just hurt me. He’d crushed me. He’d crushed us.
Excerpt 2:   Cal's POV
“I’m sorry, I don’t want to make it harder, and I don’t want to fight with you,” I implored. “But I will fight for you, Shelly. Give me a chance to.”
           She was shaking her head again, and a plan formulated in my mind.
           “Give me eight weeks,” I said desperately.
           “I’m not going to live with you for eight weeks, Cal.”
           “No, I get that,” I responded. “Give me eight Saturdays. Eight dates where it’s just the two of us. Give me time to show you why we're so good together, and that I’m willing to bend and compromise to make our marriage work.”
           Shelly looked at me thoughtfully.
           “Why eight?”
           “One week for each year that we’ve been together.”
Excerpt 3: Cal's POV
“Jesus,” Cal exclaimed, running his hands through his hair in frustration. “I want you to do what you want to do … I always have. If you want to tattoo your entire body, shave your head, and dye yourself blue … go for it. I’m not your ruler, Shelly, and I can’t believe that you’ve ever thought that I would dictate what you could or couldn’t do.”
          “It’s not like that …” I said, trying to explain, but the hurt radiating off of Cal was palpable, and it suddenly didn’t seem like anything I’d say would help.
          “It sure as hell seems like that, doesn’t it. Is that what you think of me, of the last six years of our relationship?” Cal took a step closer to me, his voice low so as not to broadcast our fight to the entire restaurant. “No wonder you’re so quick to give up … I thought we were in a partnership, Shel. I’ve never expected you to ask my permission to do anything. I love you, for who you are, and I want you to do what makes you happy.”
          My heart pounded loudly in my chest, and I felt a mixture of regret and fear running through me.
          “Cal, you’re taking this the wrong way. Yes, I’ve always wanted to do the things I’m doing now, and I didn’t because I didn’t think you’d like it.” His eyes narrowed at that, and I rushed on, hoping to make him understand. “Not because you wanted to dictate what I did or didn’t do, but because you liked me so much the way I was that I didn’t want to change anything. I wanted you to find me attractive …”
          Cal’s face smoothed out at my words, and when I was finished, he stepped even closer. Close enough that I could smell the mixture of sweat and grease on his body, and see his chocolate eyes darken as he said, “Never doubt how attractive I find you, Shelly. You were hot as hell before, and you’re hot as hell now. There isn’t anything that you could do to your appearance to make me not want you. I want you every minute of every day, Shelly. I promise you that.”

About Bethany:
Award-Winning Author Bethany Lopez began self-publishing in June 2011. Since then she has published various YA and NA books. She is a lover of romance, family, and friends, and enjoys incorporating those things in what she writes. When she isn't reading or writing, she loves spending time with her husband and children, traveling whenever possible.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Exclusive Excerpt: Sweet Ruin by Nazarea Andrews

Read an excerpt down below that you can't find anywhere else!!!!!

It’s good to be on top… Asher Knox has it all. Girls, wealth, a career most would kill for. He’s just landed the biggest job of his career. And he’s miserable.

She’s fighting her way from the bottom… Megan Beauchamp has no illusions about why she was chosen to be Asher’s PA. She’s pretty, and down to earth, and everything the Hollywood star always falls for. Too bad Megan is just paying her dues and has no interest in anything but advancing at her PR firm.

He’ll throw it all away…Luca James knows what he wants. And he’s waited a long time for the window to open—when it does, he’ll walk away from the career he’s built for a chance at something real.

When Megan’s boss threatens to fire her, Luca and Asher convince her to leave town with them. Between bad hotels and pit stop confessionals, the three are drawn closer together. And the lines blur even more in Branton, where Megan is forced to look at everything she left behind. But when the boys want more, Megan will be forced to choose between the men she loves and the life she thought she wanted. And in a town like Branton, the secrets she keeps won’t be hidden for long.

Warning: for mature audiences. Two sexy men + one sassy heroine = hot sex.

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT:

MEGAN

I take a deep breath and open the door to the hotel room. Asher's got the TV on, muted, and he sprawls across the bed. His eyes are closed, his chest rising in a steady rhythm. I pause in the doorway and smile, staring at him. Luca crowds against my back, carrying a few bags with clothes and some toiletries. Most of our purchases are still in the car downstairs.
"That's a damn pretty picture," Luca murmurs near my ear.
"Quit drooling," I tease. "Get packed."
He drops a kiss on the curve of my neck and steps away, pulling out the beat up duffle bag I've seen him carry everywhere since I moved in with him.
I tune him out as I crawl onto the bed, straddling Asher's prone form. I lean down slightly, brushing a butterfly soft kiss over his lips. Ash stirs, a tiny bit, and I apply a hint of pressure against his lips. He groans, a low, deep noise that sets my blood on fire, and his hands come up, clenching on my hips, hard. I will have bruises, tomorrow. As he deepens the kiss, his tongue darting out and delving past my lips, I find I don't care. I don't care about anything but him kissing me.
Silence fills the room, the only sound the brush of cloth and lips and the soft sigh I can't help but release, as his lips leave mine, traveling down, following the slope of my neck until he hits the top of my t-shirt. He growls and jerks at my shirt, his hands sliding under and up. I moan, arching into the caress, and Luca clears his throat.
Blinking slowly, I sit up. I know what I look like, my hair a mess, my lips full and pout, my nipples pressing against the thin shirt material.
"Don't rip her clothes, dude. We need to get out of here today, and I'm not going shopping again."
Despite the bracing words, he's smiling. I stick my tongue out, and go up on my knees, swinging off Asher with a deliberate little wiggle. "He's right, unfortunately. Get dressed, Knox. We need to hit the road."
Asher props himself up on an elbow. "Where are we going?"
I smirk and lean back down to kiss him quickly. "Branton, babe."

Nazarea Andrews Bio:
Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog.

Buy Links:


Links:


Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Book Report/ Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

I was going through the files on my computer when I came across my book report/ review thing of THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS by Rebecca Skloot.  I thought I'd share.  Even if you have no connection to AP biology, my opinion on the book is there.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta LacksThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Current Goodreads Rating: 4.04

HeLa cells are of one of the most important cell lines used in research today.  They have aided in developing the polio vaccine and cancer treatment drugs like Taxol.  HeLa came from the cervical cancer cells of an African American woman named Henrietta Lacks.  She died over 60 years ago, but HeLa cells still live.  While she received her first radium treatment at Johns Hopkins, doctors took a sample of her tumor without her or her family knowing.  After scientists discovered that Lacks' cells replicated and hadn't died, they realized their value to research since they could be tested without harming animals or humans.  A billion dollar industry of producing, selling, and trading the cells soon precipitated.  Meanwhile, the surviving Lackes could not even afford health insurance.  They received none of the profits from their mother's cells, sparking debate about the ethics of using patients' bodily scraps for scientific advancement without consent.  HeLa has played a monumental role for science, but they wreaked havoc on the Lacks' family.  Years later, the family has never sued Johns Hopkins or any other doctors for stealing Lacks’ cells.  Their main focus is trying to make the world aware of the woman behind the famous cells.
               Inserting its DNA into one arm of her eleventh chromosome and turning off her p53 tumor suppressor gene, HPV caused Lacks' cancer.  There was a loss of cell cycle control, and the cancer cells divided rapidly and invaded other tissues.  These cells do not exhibit density-dependent inhibition or anchorage dependence.  She was diagnosed with epidermoid carcinoma of the cervix.  However, she was wrongly diagnosed.  Instead, her cancer's origin was glandular tissue rather than epithelial tissue.  This type of cancer metastasizes much faster than epidermoid carcinoma.  Yet, her syphilis may have also been a factor in the cancer's spreading, for it weakens the immune system.  Regardless of the cause, the cancer metastasized to other parts of Lacks' body, explaining why “her other organs were so covered in small white tumors it looked as if someone had filled her with pearls” at the time of her death (Skloot 118).  Ultimately, the cancer prevented other parts of her body from functioning.  Because tumors blocked her urethra, Lacks died from the buildup of toxins that should have been released through urine.
               Unlike normal somatic cells, Lacks’ cancerous cells were immortal because of her telomeres never shortening.  Normally, telomeres at the end of chromosomes shorten with each cellular division.  After they are almost gone, the cell stops dividing and dies.  Yet, HeLa contains an enzyme called telomerase that rebuilds telomeres, meaning that the cell is given more time before its death.  The presence of telomerase is the reason that HeLa is immortal.  Whenever cultured with other cells, HeLa always outlived them.  Because of their immortality, Lacks’ cells will always be an available resource for research and contribute to new discoveries.   
               Scientists are always careful to prevent cross contamination, but HeLa cells are able to float on dust particles or travel from lab to lab, riding on the scientists’ shoes.  If one HeLa lands in a culture dish, the HeLa cells could take over the entire dish.  Therefore, instead of conducting useful research, scientists may have simply regrown more HeLa.  Years of research and millions of dollars were wasted in addition to finding out that spontaneous transformation didn't exist, but rather cells were invaded by HeLa.  So, a promising possibility for finding a cure for cancer was then extinct, according to Dr. Gartler who came up with the HeLa contamination hypothesis.

3. In 1951, when doctors took a sample from Lacks without her permission, it wasn't illegal.  It still isn't illegal.  When tissues are a part of one's body, they are definitely his or hers.  However, when they are no longer a part of the body, as a removed mole or red blood cells from a blood test, they most likely get stored somewhere for future research.  Without these, testing for possible cures to diseases wouldn't be possible, but people have trouble accepting that their cells are used for purposes to which they are unaware.  They still feel a sense of ownership even though the cells are from parts of their tissues that they voluntarily gave.  Further complications arise when these cells have value like the HeLa cells.  Someone other than the owner of them makes money, and he or she gets nothing.  If people are aware that their cells are valuable, they can paten them, but most people are never told this information.  Evidently, the issues concerning ethics in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks continue to be relevant and will probably pose more issues in the future as researching develops.
               Skloot touches upon all four of the big ideas studied in AP Biology in her book.  First, HeLa cells have evolved while growing in culture like they would in a human body.  Exposure to light, chemicals, and different environments causes the DNA to change which can be passed on to future generations of cells after cell division.  Though once containing the same DNA as Lacks, HeLa has evolved, leading to diverse DNA.  Yet, HeLa is still considered human.  Next, cancer cells can divide infinitely if continually supplied with nutrients.  They need an energy source and building blocks to grow and reproduce.  In search for nutrients and oxygen, the cancer may spread or generate its own blood supply.  Additionally, cells store and transfer DNA.  Specifically, doctors wanted blood samples from her children to compare to HeLa's in order to create a map of Lacks' genes to solve the contamination problem.  Theoretically, one half of her children's DNA would be from her and the other from their father.  Lastly, HeLa has biological systems that interact on a cellular level.  During mitosis, the mitotic spindle cooperates with the chromosomes; motor proteins walk the chromosomes along the microtubules to separate poles during anaphase and eventually form two daughter cells.

View all my reviews

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Exclusive Excerpts: Maggie Elizabeth Harrington by DJ Swykert

Today, I have some exclusive excerpts from DJ Swykert, author of Maggie Elizabeth Harrington.

In this YA historical romance, "wolves, real ones, not werewolves or surrealist ones, but real gray wolves, are what propel the conflict."  Basically, there is no angsty teenage werewolf who hates a sparkly vampire.

Maggie Elizabeth Harrington is a strong, voice driven love story about a young woman and her boyfriend in a remote 1890's northern Michigan mining town trying to save a pack of wolves from a bounty hunter. I see the book as crossing genres between Romance and Literary. The narrator is thirteen and very independent, making her attractive to both YA and historical romance readers, but the book’s multilayered themes concerning social and environmental issues are profound enough to engage literary readers.
The story is a work of fiction set in Central Mine, a once thriving copper mining village on the remote Keweenaw Peninsula in western upper Michigan. Central Mine is now a ghost town. But when Maggie Harrington and Tommie Stetter roamed its nameless streets it was a thriving Cornish mining community, with the Central Mine Methodist Church at the center of its social fabric. Young Maggie is a free spirited young woman whose idealism often brings her into conflict with the strict teachings of Reverend White and her stern father as she looks for answers to feeling unwanted and unloved. 
EXCERPTS: 

"I am terrified for the pups.  I yank at Tommie’s arm and tell him.  “We’ve got to go and find them.  I want to find the pups and take them away before Bernard can kill them.  I don’t want them to die.  I don’t want Bernard shooting them simply because they are wolves, and he can collect a bounty on them.  That is not a reason to kill anything,” I said to Tommie."

"I look at Tommie.  His brown eyes that glisten are wide and open, and I can see he is shaken by what he has seen.  He is wondering about the spirit of the dead she-wolf.  It is bothering him.  I think he got a glimpse of her spirit for a second, and saw it leaving.  He learned something about dying that he didn’t know before.  Something I have learned from watching my father drown my kittens; that all beings have a spirit, even wolves, and they understand as much about dying as we do.  That it is forever, and they are frightened by it."

REVIEW ON AMAZON:
I have to say, this book took me by surprise. Swept me off my feet a little, and then dropped me on my head.

What Swykert really has going for him here is that he nailed a young girl's voice. I've read a lot, and I've never heard a character quite like Maggie. And his beginning? Wow. Intense. Gripped me from the get go, and never let go.

There's some definite repetition throughout the book, but it reads, for the most part, as a little girl who keeps thinking the same things. The events, characterization, and sweet love story, had me. Swykert has a very unique writing style that may be a bit under appreciated. I'm surprised that more people don't know about this book. I loved going back in time to this simple mining town. He's got his historical facts down, he understands the premises of the story and the time, and it adds a lot to the plot.

At the end of the day, as soon as I finished, (and I read as often as I could) I emailed the author and found out there was a sequel, which I started as soon as I got my hands on it. I look forward to more of Swykerts writing.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Blitz: 8 Weeks by Bethany Lopez

8WEEKSblogtour
Title: 8 Weeks
Series: Time For Love #1
Author: Bethany Lopez
Release Date: March 24, 2014
Summary: Is eight weeks enough time to earn back the love of someone you've betrayed...the only one you've ever loved? Shelly has been in love with Cal since they started dating in eleventh grade. Despite everyone saying that the odds were against them, they got married after graduation and built a life together. Now, six years later, she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. Devastated, her first instinct is to call it quits… After a drunken binge at his best friends’ bachelor party, Cal betrays the one person who has always been there for him, his wife, Shelly. Terrified and realizing she might divorce him, Cal must come up with a way to prove to her that his love is true… Cal asks Shelly for eight weeks. Eight weeks to convince her that their marriage is worth the fight. Will Shelly be able to trust him again, or will their marriage end the way many others do when faced with opposition… In divorce? 8 Weeks is book 1 in the Time for Love series, but can be read as a stand alone.

1111111111111

About Bethany:
Award-Winning Author Bethany Lopez began self-publishing in June 2011. Since then she has published various YA and NA books. She is a lover of romance, family, and friends, and enjoys incorporating those things in what she writes. When she isn't reading or writing, she loves spending time with her husband and children, traveling whenever possible.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Cover Reveal: Search by Alyssa Rose Ivy

We are so excited to share the cover for Alyssa Rose Ivy's SEARCH!! SEARCH is a New Adult Paranormal Romance and the second novel in her The Empire Chronicles Series. You'll definitely want to add SEARCH to your TBR pile!! Don't forget to enter below to win a print copy of SOAR, the first book in this amazing series!!
Search
Search (The Empire Chronicles, Book 2) *New Adult Paranormal Romance* Casey isn't human. The revelation should terrify her, but it doesn't. Instead it excites her. Too bad not everyone is as excited as she is. Torn between two lives, the only one she's ever known and her life as a paranormal princess, Casey has to decide whether she can trust the man she loves. Sometimes being a princess isn't all it's cracked up to be. SEARCH Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18808392-search  
Soar-Alyssa Rose Ivy
Soar (The Empire Chronicles, Book 1) In the city that never sleeps the Chronicles continue… Serving coffee is temporary, just like Casey’s year off from school. She’s going to come up with a plan to stay in New York City and go back to college, and that plan does not involve dating a paranormal creature—let alone two. Running the supernatural society of New York is not as fun as it sounds, especially when you still have to answer to your ex-girlfriend’s fiancé. Toby doesn’t mean to bring Casey into the chaos of his life, but he can’t resist the girl who makes him smile when he thought no one else ever could. Jared’s in New York checking out a security risk for his best friend, the king. He plans to return to New Orleans quickly, but not if it means losing his chance with the brunette who pretends she wants nothing to do with him. In over her head with a bunch of winged creatures who most definitely are not angels, Casey has to figure out who to trust with her life and maybe her heart.
  Amazon Barnes & Noble

Alyssa Rose Ivy- Author Photo
ABOUT ALYSSA ROSE IVY: Alyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand. a Rafflecopter giveaway Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlyssaRoseIvy Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5047249.Alyssa_Rose_Ivyhttps://www.facebook.com/AlyssaRoseIvy Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/alyssaroseivy/ Website: http://www.alyssaroseivy.com/ SEARCH Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18808392-search Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlyssaRoseIvy?fref=ts

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Signing: Tiffany Schmidt, A.C. Gaughen, Victoria Schwab

Look at the typewriter purse.  Look at it!

Triple threat!!! Tiffany Schmidt, A.C. Gaughen, and Victoria Schwab came to Haverford's Children's Book World.  Tiffany toured on Bright Before Sunrise, A.C. (I believe she said her name was Ann(e), so I apologize if I'm wrong) on Lady Thief, and Victoria on The Unbound.

The event started off by audience members shouting out random page numbers, and the three read a little excerpt from that page instead of them choosing.

They are all very witty.  I've noticed that most authors are.  A funny person has to be smart, right?

It's funny because Victoria was very bright and cheery, but all of her past works are pretty dark.

For me, the coolest part about this event was that Tiffany recognized me.  As soon as she saw me in the crowd, she waved.  And what a tough cookie she is! She said she lost her voice the last time we met, which was back in February.

Trailer Reveal: FURY by Fisher Amelie

I am dying to share the trailer for Fisher Amelie's FURY! FURY is a Mature Young Adult/New Adult contemporary romance novel and is a part of Fisher Amelie’s Seven Deadly Series. I absolutely adore this series, and I've reviewed Vain and Greed already.

 Watch FURY's trailer below, then make sure to add it to your TBR pile!!  
Fury Teaser1

Fury 
FURY Synopsis: This is Ethan Moonsong's book. Synopsis to be revealed at a later date.  

Fury Teaser2



Author Photo2Fisher Amelie Bio: Fisher Amelie is the author of The Leaving Series, Callum& Harper and Thomas & January. She began her writing career as a copywriter for an internet marketing company wherein one of their client's said, 'Hey! You're funny. You should write books'. Which in turn she said, 'Hey, get out of here! This is the lady's restroom.' While washing her hands and the embarrassment from her face, she thought they may have had a valid point. So, she took the thousands of hours of writing stories growing up, tucked them into her pocket and began writing and writing and writing.

  Cover banner

  Links: Website: http://www.fisheramelie.com/ Blog: http://fisheramelie.com/blog/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/FisherAmelie Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fisheramelie YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/FisherAmelie?feature=watch Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4849669.Fisher_Amelie FURY Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18332364-fury?ac=1

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Cover Reveal (It's beautiful!): Harp's Song by Cassie Shine

I'm thrilled to take part in the reveal for the new cover of HARP'S SONG by Cassie Shine! Check it out, and let me know what you think in the comments. Then be sure to enter the giveaway through the Rafflecopter link below for a chance to win a signed copy of HARP'S SONG, and a $25 Amazon gift card!
HARP'S SONG by Cassie Shine | Publication date: November 5, 2013
In just a few months Harp Evans will be officially coming of age and graduating from high school. She will be free from the mother that never wanted her, the house that never felt like home, and the disappointment of the last seventeen years. What she doesn’t know is that her mother has been holding onto a secret that has the potential to derail her dreams and destroy her already faulty sense of self. A self-proclaimed recluse, Harp spends most of her time practicing the cello, in the hopes of earning a full scholarship that will grant her freedom, but will also send her away from her best friend Connor Williams, who is becoming more than just a friend. As revelations are made, will Harp still feel the same way about leaving everyone that cares about her behind? Or will she continue to pursue the life she’s been dreaming of for as long as she can remember?
Add HARP'S SONG to Goodreads

What do you think of the cover?


About the Author

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Instagram | Goodreads
Cassie Shine released her debut young adult novel, Harp's Song in November 2013, finally finishing the short story she started in her college creative writing class … many, many moons ago. She has always been an avid reader and lover of music (yes, she was in the high school marching band). While she has a weak spot for all things teeny bopper, especially boy bands, she also loves classical, country, rock and well, pretty much everything. After living in St. Louis for more than ten years, she and her husband packed up a U-Haul and headed west. They currently live in Orange County, CA with their furry kids Finnegan and Molly.

Giveaway

Enter to win a signed copy of HARP’S SONG with $30 Amazon gift card! (US/CA only)
Jen Halligan PR