Monday, March 31, 2014

{Cover Reveal & Giveaway} MY SOON-TO-BE SEX LIFE by Judith Tewes



About MY SOON-TO-BE SEX LIFE:

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.

Add it to your TBR shelf on Goodreads by clicking here!


About the Author:


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



Giveaway:

Giveaway is only open for 48 hours so enter now by clicking on the link below!!!


Friday, March 21, 2014

{Review} TROUBLED DAUGHTERS, TWISTED WIVES Edited by Sarah Weinman

ISBN #: 978-0143122548
Page Count: 384
Copyright: August 27, 2013
Publisher: Penguin Books


Book Summary:
(Taken from back cover)

A salute to the real femmes fatales of the domestic suspense genre - and the deceitful children, deranged husbands, vengeful friends, and murderous wives they unleashed.

Gillian Flynn, Tana French, and Sue Grafton - these women and others like them dominate today's bestseller lists, but where would they be without the pioneering women authors who created the psychological thriller? Sarah Weinman, one of today's preeminent authorities on crime fiction, brings together fourteen chilling stories by women who - from the 1940s through the mid-1970s - took a scalpel to contemporary society and sliced away to reveal its dark essence.

TROUBLED DAUTHERS, TWISTED WIVES includes hair-raising tales by Patricia Highsmith, Shirley Jackson, Vera Caspary, and more, giving readers a glimpse into their most sinister impulses.


Mandy's Review:

First, let me say that I was supposed to give this book away during October last year. The only reason I didn't was because I misplaced it and completely forgot about it. I am so sorry, y'all. So, because I forgot to give it away, I decided to read and review it.

The first thing this book made me realize was how many authors I don't know anything about. I didn't recognize many of the authors in this book, which sort of made me feel inadequate as a book reviewer.

Reading TD,TW was an interesting experience. The more twisted the story, the more I enjoyed it. There were a few, however, where I questioned the validity of it being included in this anthology. For example, "Everybody Needs A Mink" was neither twisted nor troubled. Unless I'm missing something, I don't see how this can be included in the collection. One of my favorites, though, was "Stranger in the Car." Although it was a little long for a short story, the plot was twisted and troubled and well worth the read.

Overall, I'm glad I gave TD,TW a try. It introduced me to some new authors whom I intend to read.


*A physical copy was provided by the publisher for a giveaway I forgot about. =(

Thursday, March 20, 2014

{Cover Reveal} I KNOW LUCY by Melissa Pearl


Releases on April 20, 2014


Genre: YA Romantic Suspense

Lucy Tate is on the run. After witnessing the brutal murder of her parents, she's spent five years in hiding -- taking on different personas and faking her way through life. The authorities can't be trusted, so she remains in the shadows, always one beat ahead of the man who is forever hunting her. That is, until she meets Zach Schultz, a senior at Monte Vista High and the one guy she can’t bear to leave. Suddenly her natural instincts to lie, steal, and run are overshadowed by something else...the desire to stay. It’s her one shot at a normal life.
Curious by nature, Zach is immediately drawn to the new girl at school. How can a person look both confident and vulnerable all in the same moment? Determined to learn more about her, he tries to get close, but is thrown into a world of lies and confusion. The only thing that becomes apparent is that discovering the truth may get him killed.

ZACH...
"This is different, you guys." I shook my head. "I mean yes, she is gorgeous. And yes, I'm attracted to her, but it's not just her looks. There's something about her. She's intriguing. It's like she's not all she appears to be or something."
"You can tell that after two minutes of interacting with her? Give me a break." Elliot balled up his napkin and threw it on the table.
"I know I don't know her at all yet, but I can tell there's something more there." I rubbed my bottom lip.
"She looks normal to me." AJ shrugged.
"I think she's pretty. She looks sweet, but..." Liesl turned to spy her quickly. "AJ's right. She looks like any other transfer student. What makes her so different?"
"It's something about her eyes. There's a story in them. I can't even explain why I think that. I just feel like she's got a lot of layers and I want to peel back every single one of them."
"I bet you do." Elliot raised his eyebrows.
"Not like that." I threw him a droll look. "I just want to solve the mystery that is Danielle Harrison."
"Dude, there is no mystery." Elliot slapped his hand lightly on the table.
"Yes there is. I can feel it."
"Careful, Zachy, your Nancy Drew is showing." Jaeda's green eyes were large and round as she gave me a playful look.
"I don't care." I shrugged, confident in the truth that I really didn't. "That girl over there has secrets and I'm gonna figure out what they are."
Giveaway
Author Bio
Melissa Pearl was born in Auckland, New Zealand, but has spent much of her life abroad, living in countries such as Jordan, Cyprus and Pakistan... not to mention a nine month road trip around North America with her husband. "Best. Year. Ever!!" She now lives in China with her husband and two sons. She is a trained elementary teacher, but writing is her passion. Since becoming a full time mother she has had the opportunity to pursue this dream and her debut novel hit the internet in November 2011. Since then she has continued to produce a steady stream of books. Recently she signed with Evatopia Press and her first Evatopia book is coming out in February 2014 - True Colors, The Masks Series #1. She is very excited to be trying out new things this year while continuing to publish under her own name as well. She has six books planned for 2014 and is excited about writing each and every one of them.
"I am passionate about writing. It stirs a fire in my soul that I never knew I had. I want to be the best writer I can possibly be and transport my readers into another world where they can laugh, cry and fall in love."
http://www.melissapearlauthor.com
Social Links:
Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/melissapearl
Newsletter subscription: ‪ http://eepurl.com/p3g8v

Other Titles by Melissa Pearl:
The Time Spirit Trilogy
Golden Blood - Black Blood - Pure Blood
The Betwixt Series
Betwixt - Before - Beyond
The Mica & Lexy Series
Forbidden Territory
Forbidden Waters (due for release: 2014)
The Masks Series
True Colors
Book 2 (due for release: 2014)
Book 3 (due for release: 2014)
Book 4 (due for release: 2015)
The Fugitive Series
I Know Lucy (Releasing: April 20th, 2014)
Set Me Free (Releasing: May 18th, 2014)
The Song Bird Series
Fever (Releasing: June 15th, 2014)

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

{Review} THE HERO'S COMPANION (Tallent & Lowery: Book Three) by Amy Lignor

ISBN #: 978-0615907161
Page Count: 278
Copyright: October 18, 2013
Publisher: Suspense Publishing


Description:
(Taken from back cover)

Leah Tallent and Gareth Lowery have seen it all. From walking the halls of an eerie house that held clues to one of the biggest puzzles in history; to going up against literal madmen in order to save a relic that could alter the world, the Tallent and Lowery team have had to utilize everything they had to survive.

Now . . . Leah’s father has gone missing. They have only seven days before he will be killed, and the only clue to follow is a picture of one of the most famous icons of all time. Heading to her hometown, Leah begins her search for anything that will point her in the right direction. But all she finds is a mother who has fallen apart, talking about things that Leah doesn’t understand. Discovering a strange map stuck to the bottom of her father’s desk, Leah and Gareth are joined by a young woman who has a secret all her own. Teaming up, the trio must solve this new mystery that will take them from the pinnacle of the Acropolis to the depths of Cleopatra’s caves in order to unmask the man who has a definite score to settle.

This frightening adversary will do his best to capture Leah and take her far away from the protection and love of Gareth. In a location that’s been buried under rock and dirt for centuries the battle will begin, and the team will have to face the one foe that will expose secrets and unleash unheard of power in order to get what he wants. As it was with the mighty Athena, Leah is seen as ‘The Hero’s Companion’—the one woman who will do anything to make sure the right side wins. But without Gareth, her time may just run out.


Charlene's Review:

In Book Three, Leah’s father has been kidnapped and she and Gareth have only 7 days to follow a mysterious map to find the clues to save his life. Once again, in a race against time, spanning continents, Leah and Gareth must face evil, and align themselves with the mythical Athena in order to survive and to keep the powerful secrets away from the enemy.

Ms. Lignor’s masterful blend of history, mystery, romance, and religion continue to hold me captive. Always fast-paced, it is easy to get caught up in this series. As well as using intrigue to keep readers attention, Leah took a personal spotlight in this storyline, as she wrestled with her own personal demons. My imagination was stretched as I witnessed Biblical stories and locations come to life, as well as the historical and mythological side being brought to life with such beauty.. Even when you think you have figured out the ending, Ms. Lignor drops one more thing in to surprise you. This has been, and continues to be, one of my favorite series in this genre. I highly recommend Ms. Lignor’s writings. You will not be disappointed.


*A physical copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

{Book Spotlight} LET'S DANCE by Frances Fyfield

Let's Dance

by Frances Fyfield


on Tour March 3-31, 2013




Book Details:

Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Published by: Witness Impulse
Publication Date: March 4, 2014
Number of Pages: 280
ISBN: 9780062301390

Purchase Links:


Synopsis:

When Isabel Burley returns home to care for her mother who is suffering from Alzheimer's, she finds a bemused, angry old woman, prey to the threats of failing memory, the inability to run her household - and the local villains who are eyeing her isolated home. But as the villains close in, Isabel finds herself struggling with her own emotions. She thinks she has come home to do some good, but is she really looking for the love she lacked as a child? Alienated by her mother's growing eccentricity, the two women become locked in a relationship of love, conflict and simmering violence, with roots that go deep into the past.


Read an excerpt:

He had a torch, ever well-equipped, lay on the ground and pulled himself under the car without a word of protest. She could hear his breathing, a grunt that turned to humming as the light played. The humming stilled her conscience that he should be so willing, but she was still pleased when he emerged, stood and dusted himself off. George never seemed to feel the cold and nothing was ever too much trouble.

“Nothing,” he said. She doubted if he knew anything more about cars than she did, but allowed herself to be reassured.

She moved within three feet of him, never going closer. The sky was clear as water, dark while luminous. They pivoted together, noticed of one accord. A flickering light from the house half a mile away, nothing more than an unnatural glow.

“George,” said Janice, querulously, “what’s that?”

“She’s on fire,” George said, almost admiringly. “That silly old love is on fire.”


Author Bio:

"I grew up in rural Derbyshire, but my adult life has been spent mostly in London, with long intervals in Norfolk and Deal, all inspiring places. I was educated mostly in convent schools; then studied English and went on to qualify as a solicitor, working for what is now the Crown Prosecution Service, thus learning a bit about murder at second hand. Years later, writing became the real vocation, although the law and its ramifications still haunt me and inform many of my novels.

I’m a novelist, short story writer for magazines and radio, sometime Radio 4 contributor, (Front Row, Quote Unquote, Night Waves,) and presenter of Tales from the Stave. When I’m not working (which is as often as possible), I can be found in the nearest junk/charity shop or auction, looking for the kind of paintings which enhance my life. Otherwise, with a bit of luck, I’m relaxing by the sea with a bottle of wine and a friend or two."-Frances Fyfield

Catch Up With the Author:


 



Tour Participants:






Saturday, March 1, 2014

{Blog Tour: Book Spotlight & Giveaway} CHASING PROPHECY by James Moser

Title: Chasing Prophecy
Author: James Moser
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Thriller
Ebook available at: Kindle | Smashwords  





Book Description:

Mo is a shy teen who is just trying to survive high school. He has secretly fallen in love with a girl named Prophecy who lives with a group that some call a commune and others call a cult. When she disappears, Mo must find the courage to face the monster that her family has become. Chasing Prophecy is a contemporary coming of age story that is heartwarming, suspenseful, and beautifully written. This book chronicles the adolescence of one boy who must transform himself to save the girl of his dreams.

Kirkus Reviews:

"A stellar read for teens and adults, full of hilarious growing pains, tenderness and a few surprises. Moser’s debut is an unflinching young-adult novel that sees a group of friends tested by bigotry and the illegal machinations of a religious cult. The author serves up an irresistibly wisecracking narrator in Mo Kirkland. Every page ripples with a controlled cleverness. There’s also a rawness to this tale similar to that which many teens face in the real world. Moser can wax rhapsodic about young love, but he shows that he knows how to raise the tension in the second half of the novel."


Excerpt:

Kazzy looked at me with a blank face. She wasn’t afraid. She looked like she did when we were in Math class, eyebrows up, mouth open a bit, question marks dancing in her eyes.

"How’d it get into the ravioli?" she whispered.

"What do you mean?" I whispered back.

“The ravioli. How’d it get in there?”

I thought: The lids had those pop-tops where you just pop up that little ring and peel back the top.

“Opened them, I guess,” I said.

“Opened them with what?” she whispered back.

I looked up ahead and thought of the sharp crack we’d just heard. A huge weight leaning onto huge paws with thick claws.

I thought, A bear would have just ripped the can open with its teeth and claws. Big paws and claws wouldn’t have the—the whatever--the coordination, I guess you’d say--to pull it off.

Later, we admitted we were doing the same thing standing there on the path—trying to picture a bear holding a can with one giant paw and delicately getting a claw from the other paw underneath to pry up that pop-top ring. That stuff only happens in cartoons with cartoon bears that have fingers.

No real bear could do that.

Nothing that walks on four legs and lives in the woods could do that.

We both jumped at another cracking tree branch. I squinted uphill and saw a dark form, moving slowly, jerkily, as if dragging something heavy. It stopped and turned in the fuzzy shadows. It was still, and I couldn’t make out its face but I felt it looking right at us.

The bear rose up and stepped toward us, a great crunching of pine needles reaching our ears. The sunset cast the last of its rays through the trees and reflected off two softly glowing eyes which stared and blinked and stared again. The bear elevated slightly and then a little more and then it was standing, legs apart. We realized that the crickets, the birds, even the raindrops were frozen on branches. The shadow was standing upright on two legs with its front paws relaxing--then lengthening--then dangling down almost to its knees. Then no longer paws at all but easing and extending more like fingers attached to hands attached to really long--

Our canned food.

Yeah a bear would have—

--would have just.

A bear would have just crushed those cans with its jaws and then slurped out the food. The cans were licked out completely, but they had been opened by.

Opened by.

By hands.

"Shit!" she whispered fiercely.

It moved toward us but we were frozen in the decision between:

1) Running. We had a head start, but if we ran, it might think we were something worth catching.

2) Waiting, holding still, and hoping it kept going up the road.

It’s moving away from us, it’s definitely moving away from us, no, actually, it’s moving toward us, oh man it’s definitely moving toward us

And in the next heartbeat we knew, not guessed, not felt, knew that we were being stalked by a legend--deep in a dimming forest on a road that the rain and sun had filled with traps.

We heard the settling of a great weight leaning forward into dead twigs and pine needles.

Then quiet.

The mountain breathed the scent of sour milk and garbage. The footsteps came not in quick sets of four like it would from a bear, but in sets of two that went crunchCRUNCH. . . crunchCRUNCH.

The first gunshot came from Kaz's mouth, now screaming the word

"SHIT!"

Two glowing dots blinked at us, floating there in the mist. Then they moved a bit upward and our brains were pounded by an explosion of sound.

It wasn’t anything like the rumbly roar of the bears a the zoo during feeding time. It was more like the shriek of tires squealing on wet pavement—mixed with the howl of a wounded cougar.

Kazzy pulled the flare gun from her jeans, napped off the safety, pointed it at the eyes, took a breath, then aimed higher, and pulled the trigger, lighting up the near darkness.

For just a second, the woods were lit in the brightest of daylight, if daylight were colored pink. The trees with moss dangling from their limbs, mushrooms sticking to their bark, a faded blue mile-marker just ahead of us. All these details popped into sharp focus for just an instant.

And we saw a head, shoulders, deep-set eyes that glowed in the flare’s reflection. Dull teeth.

Not hunched over on four legs.

Walking forward on two legs, like a human.



We ran straight

down the mountain

into the fading

sunset why

did the crickets stop

is that wind or breath

on my neck

Crunch-CRUNCH Crunch-CRUNCH

Jesus don't let me fall

before I get

To the edge of

The cliff

Crunch-CRUNCH Crunch-CRUNCH



Jump



Floating

Sunset

rip-cord

harness like

fingernails

on my neck



Pop



My chute opened

And then Pop

Her chute opened

We floated straight into the last rays of the setting sun. I twisted my neck around and saw our shadows pasted onto the stone feathers of Chief’s Head cliff.

Just above our dancing shadows, we stared up into the glowing eyes of Sasquatch.


About the Author:
James Moser has always loved stories in all forms. He is in his fourteenth year of working with high school students. The author’s goal was to write a book that would inspire even his most reluctant readers. Young adults have always inspired him. As such, he wanted to show teenagers transforming themselves to overcome obstacles, which is what he watches them do, every day.

Moser has a B.A. in English and a Master’s degree in Secondary English Education. He lives in Seattle with his beautiful wife and eight year old son. When he’s not reading and writing, or thinking about reading and writing, he’s watching way too much television while snacking on frozen treats from Trader Joe’s. Man, those things are good.


Where to find James Moser:

Facebook

Twitter
Goodreads


If you are using wordpress.com, you can simply drop the html below in a widget in the footer or at the bottom of the sidebar.
Quantcast