B.K. Rivers's Blog, page 6

Book Blitz: BURNING BRIGHT by Chanda Stafford

Burning Bright
by Chanda Stafford
Release Date: January 25th 2016
Summary from Goodreads:
Three years ago, Samantha Gray killed her parents.
Haunted by their deaths, she hides her scars behind sarcasm and vintage t-shirts, counting the days until she can escape her foster home in Alegria, Arizona. Then she meets Ben, a California boy whose filmmaker parents constructed a big cat sanctuary outside of town. She's hesitant to get close, terrified he'll learn her secret.
When Ben introduces Sam to Solomon, a Bengal tiger on borrowed time whose gruesome history eerily mirrors her own, she must decide whether she’s strong enough to overcome her past and save not only Solomon’s life, but her own. And to do that, she'll need to tell Ben the truth.


BUY LINK  Amazon
About the Author 

Chanda Stafford teaches middle and high school English. She loves traveling and currently lives in Michigan with her husband and a menagerie of rescued dogs and cats.

When she’s not reading or writing, Chanda enjoys old zombie movies, authentic Italian food, and comic books.


Author Links:      

GIVEAWAY:a Rafflecopter giveawayChapter One

“Please listen to me,” my aunt Mary begs, clutching my uncle’s hand. “We love you, we really do, it’s just—” She glances at him for help, her dark brown eyes welling up with tears.

“You can’t handle me, right? I know how it is.” I scowl at her. The scars on my arms itch, but I ignore it to focus on my family’s betrayal. “You can’t even bear to look at me most of the time.” My face burns and moisture pricks my eyes.

My aunt’s shoulders bow and my uncle wraps his arm around her. “That’s not it, at all,” she says. “Please, let me explain.”

“Why? If it weren’t for me, mom and dad would still be alive.” My body thrums with adrenaline and pain and I stand up, unable to sit there any longer. “That’s why you’re kicking me out.”

My uncle raises his palm to stop my angry tirade. “Now Samantha, you know we don’t blame you for that. It was a horrible tragedy, but it wasn’t your fault. We love you very much, but we just can’t tolerate your behavior any longer.”

“So that’s your excuse?” I pace the faded living room, anger propelling me forward. “What exactly am I doing wrong?”

My uncle holds up one finger. “You skip school.” I snap my mouth shut, unable to deny his accusation. I can’t stand being trapped inside those walls with everyone staring at me all the time, the girl who murdered her parents.

Another finger pokes skyward. “You’ve gotten in two fights this year because of your temper.” My fists ball at my sides, proving his words. “You also lied to us about your whereabouts several times since you’ve moved in with us, and we’ve caught you sneaking out to do God knows what. You stole money from your aunt and me.” He takes a deep breath. “And last night we found drugs under your bed.” He sounds weary now, as if this is taking all the fight out of him.

I freeze mid-step. “What are you talking about?” I can’t deny the rest, but it takes a few seconds for me to remember the little sandwich bag tucked under my mattress. He holds up the offending narcotics. “Oh, that.”

My face stings in humiliation and I grab on to any wisps of anger I have left. “I can’t believe you searched my room! And for your information, it’s just a joint. Lexi asked me to hold on to it for her until tomorrow. I wasn’t going to smoke it, I swear.” I cross my arms in front of my chest. “It’s not like it’s cocaine, or meth, or anything.”

Disbelief stretches my uncle’s eyebrows until they disappear into his receding hairline. “It’s still drugs.”

“But it wasn’t mine!”

My aunt stops sniffling and raises her watery gaze to mine. “We wish we could believe you. We really do.”

A sharp knock on the front door ends our standoff. My aunt draws in a shaky breath and glances toward the other end of the house. “I’ll get it,” she says and flees the room, her mincing steps quickly fading down the hall.

I turn the full force of my fury on my uncle. “Do Toby and Delilah know what you’re doing?”

My uncle stares at the faded brown carpet. “Your aunt thought it would be best if they weren’t here for this.”

“She’s right!” I bark out a laugh. “They’re just little kids and they’ve been traumatized enough.”

The front door closes, and two sets of footsteps approach the living room. My body stills, something’s wrong. If it was just the pizza guy, my aunt wouldn’t have invited him in.

My uncle’s lips thinned. “Just remember, you pushed us to this point. We only want to help you. Where you’re going, they have doctors and therapists. We can’t afford all that and we can’t have your negative influence around your brother and sister.”

“Who’s here?” I turn toward the doorway as the footsteps pause, just outside. “What’s going on?” My heart lodges somewhere in my throat.

Aunt Mary hurries in first. She tries to take my hands in hers, but I jerk them away. “Please understand that we only want what’s best for you. We love you and this isn’t good-bye. We can still talk as much as you want. We can call each other on the phone, email, text, anything. And—and they said that we can come visit, maybe even with Toby and Delilah.”

“Where are you sending me?”

Our visitor clears her throat as she crosses the threshold into the room. She’s a middle aged woman with red hair straight out of a bottle and an unfortunate purple pants suit. She nods at my aunt and uncle before sticking her hand out to me. “Hello Samantha, I’m Madeline Monroe, from the Department of Child Safety. I’d like to talk to you.”

Pre-Order Celebration

☆☆☆ $10 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway! ☆☆☆
To celebrate that you can now pre-order RAINING DOWN RULES, I'm giving away at $10 Amazon Gift Card!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jemma Bowers hasn’t kissed anyone in over a thousand days. She knows—she’s counted.

For twenty-year-old Jemma, rules are not meant to be broken…even if she’s the one who created them. Friendships have boundaries, relationships mean trouble, and don’t even get her started on sex. Haunted by the death of her mother and her father’s abandonment, Jemma finds herself hungry for something meaningful and permanent, but is afraid of what may happen if she pursues it.

Jordan Capshaw can’t fight his addiction. Not even if it will cost him his career…

When Jemma finds Jordan drunk and barefoot in the street, she convinces him to get in her car. Aside from the fact he’s the lead singer of her favorite band and pretty much the rock star of her dreams, she quickly realizes his addiction is a monster neither of them can control.

Who knew choosing between a rock star and a fireman could be so difficult?

Emotions run high as Jemma soon finds herself caught between the troubled rock star and her growing affections for Vic Harper, a swoon-worthy firefighter from her past. But when her grandmother passes away, leaving her with no other family, Jemma’s world falls apart.

To save herself from further heartbreak, she risks it all by breaking her own rules, and putting her heart on the line.

After all, the heart just might be the biggest rule breaker of them all.

ON TWITTER: #RDRNovel

Want a sneak peak of RAINING DOWN RULES?

So, guess what?!? RAINING DOWN RULES will be available THIS WEEKEND for pre-orders! GAH! I am so excited that I'm including the first chapter as a sneak peek in my newsletter!

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Book Blitz: ELEMENTALS by Michelle Madow

[image error] [image error] Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows
by Michelle Madow
Release Date: January 26th 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

Filled with magic, thrilling adventure, and sweet romance, Elementals is the first in a new series that fans of Percy Jackson and The Secret Circle will love! 

When Nicole Cassidy moves from sunny Georgia to gloomy New England, the last thing she expects is to learn that her homeroom is a cover for a secret coven of witches. Even more surprisingly … she’s apparently a witch herself. Despite doubts about her newfound abilities, Nicole is welcomed into this ancient circle of witches and is bedazzled by their powers—and, to her dismay, by Blake—the school’s notorious bad-boy.

Girls who get close to Blake wind up hurt. His girlfriend Danielle will do anything to keep them away, even if she must resort to using dark magic. But the chemistry between Blake and Nicole is undeniable, and despite wanting to protect Nicole from Danielle’s wrath, he finds it impossible to keep his distance.

When the Olympian Comet shoots through the sky for the first time in three thousand years, Nicole, Blake, Danielle, and two others in their homeroom are gifted with mysterious powers. But the comet has another effect—it opens the portal to the prison world that has contained the Titans for centuries. After an ancient monster escapes and attacks Nicole and Blake, it’s up to them and the others to follow the clues from a cryptic prophecy so that they can save their town … and possibly the world.
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BUY LINKS: [ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBookstore | Kobo ]
"Elementals is going to blow your mind!" - Crossroad Reviews, ★★★★★
"Five glittery stars for being such a compelling read!" - Andrea Heltsley, Goodreads Reviewer ★★★★★
"A perfect mixture of magic and mythology. An entrancing story of trust, friendship and well naughty boys. WITCHES are not the only thing walking the earth!" - BenjaminOfTomes, BookTuber ★★★★★

EXCERPT
“There’s a reason we’re required to take Greek mythology.” Blake scooted closer to me, as if about to tell me a secret, and I leaned forward in anticipation. “Did you know that we—meaning everyone in our homeroom—are descended from the Greek gods?”

I arched an eyebrow. “Like Zeus and all of them living in a castle on the clouds?” I asked.

“Exactly.” He smirked. “Except that they’re referred to as the Olympians, and they call their ‘castle in the clouds’ Mount Olympus.”

“So you’re saying that we’re gods?”

“We’re not gods.” He smiled and shook his head. “But we have ‘diluted god blood’ in us. It’s what gives us our powers.”

[image error] About the Author Michelle Madow grew up in Baltimore, graduated Rollins College in Orlando, and now lives in Boca Raton, Florida. She wrote her first book in her junior year of college, and has been writing novels since. Some of her favorite things are: reading, pizza, traveling, shopping, time travel, Broadway musicals, and spending time with friends and family. Michelle has toured across America to promote her books and to encourage high school students to embrace reading and writing. Someday, she hopes to travel the world for a year on a cruise ship.
Author Links:      

GIVEAWAY: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Query Quarterly submissions are closed

Thank you for all of the submissions, I am so excited about the response! If you haven't received an email confirmation from me, that means you did not make it into the workshop this quarter. But, the great news is, you can try again next quarter!

Thank you and I can't wait to get started working with the five queries and maybe yous will be next quarter.

Query Quarterly is LIVE in 15 mins

#QueryQtrly will be accepting fiction query submissions in 15 minutes!  Here's a reminder of of how your email should be formatted:

Mail to: queryquarterly @ gmail . com (just remove the spaces)

(in the subject line type: Query Quarterly)

Name: Wendy Writes-A-Lot
Title: Querying Isn't For Babies
Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Begin your query here. Do not send your query as an attachment, include it in the body of the email. Do not double space between lines, keep them just like this: single spaced.

When beginning a new paragraph, please use an additional space. When concluding your query, do include the word count and genre, but it is not necessary to include the personal information for a specific agent you will be querying for this workshop (however, you can if you like, but please leave off names and agencies).

Sound good? Great! Now, get your email and be ready to have some fun!

*** D I S C L A I M E R *** 
I am not a literary agent or a publisher. And by entering this workshop I DO NOT guarantee you a publishing contract or a contract with an agent. The comments and suggestions made are my own opinion and based on my own experiences and the research I've done, will be as relevant to the publishing industry as one author can be. Please be sure to save each of your queries so you may have your originals to revert to if you ever need them. And finally, this is a FREE service offered and with that, the hope is you will jump into the workshop and use the advice given to whatever degree you like. Just remember, there is no guarantee this workshop will get your story published. The goal here is to have your query in tip top shape so you are ready to being submitting your writing to agents and publishers.
Oh! One last thing—If at any time you would like to drop out of the workshop, send a quick email letting me know...don't just leave me hanging.

Query Quarterly First Edition

You guys I'm so excited to have Query Quarterly ready for it's first edition! I have such great plans for this project that I hope you all really like it. So, to begin, here's what's going to go down:
Have a query ready to enter into the workshop. Or if you don't have one, write one today for your novel and edit it today (like five times—seriously).Prepare the email you will send tomorrow (Friday) at 9am PST or PDT whatever we're calling it these days (all entries must be received AT 9am or after. Entries received prior to 9am will be disqualified). SEE FORMATTING HERE email: queryquarterly @ gmail . com (be sure to remove the spaces)If you are lucky to be one of the first 5 queries formatted correctly then you will receive an email shortly after the workshop closes offering congratulations! as well as instructions on how to proceed in the workshop.Once all five queries have been reviewed and comments/suggestions made, you will receive your query back for editing. As easy as it would be for me to go ahead and correct spelling errors, or just re-write your query for you, that's just not going to happen. You'll get the privilege of taking the suggestions and applying them how you like. There will be 2 additional editing rounds and at the end of the 3 rounds, you should have a awesome query!Sound good? Great! Now, polish up those queries, prepare your email and get ready to have some fun!

*** D I S C L A I M E R *** 
I am not a literary agent or a publisher. And by entering this workshop I DO NOT guarantee you a publishing contract or a contract with an agent. The comments and suggestions made are my own opinion and based on my own experiences and the research I've done, will be as relevant to the publishing industry as one author can be. Please be sure to save each of your queries so you may have your originals to revert to if you ever need them. And finally, this is a FREE service offered and with that, the hope is you will jump into the workshop and use the advice given to whatever degree you like. Just remember, there is no guarantee this workshop will get your story published. The goal here is to have your query in tip top shape so you are ready to being submitting your writing to agents and publishers.
Oh! One last thing—If at any time you would like to drop out of the workshop, send a quick email letting me know...don't just leave me hanging.

Cover Reveal: Parasite (The Domino Project #3) by K.T. Hanna

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Parasite (The Domino Project #3) by K.T. Hanna Release Date: February 22nd 2016 Amaranthine Press
Summary from Goodreads:

With the Damascus closing in on the Exiled, Sai and Dom must put their grief and inner demons aside as they rush to free the people of the Protected Conglomerate from the influence of the psionic grid. 
Chipped and placed under house arrest with a guard, Bastian's only hope lies in reaching his core to disrupt Deign's ruthless plan. 
Intent on putting a stop to the Damascus and the GNW's reign, Dom discovers the true extent of the parasite within. Just when Sai thinks the Exiled have a chance, their greatest weapon turns on them.
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Previous books in the series (clink on image for Goodreads link): [image error]   [image error]

[image error] About the Author
KT Hanna has a love for words so extreme, a single word can spark entire worlds.

Born in Australia, she met her husband in a computer game, moved to the U.S.A. and went into culture shock. Bonus? Not as many creatures specifically out to kill you.

When she’s not writing, she freelance edits for Chimera Editing, and chases her daughter, husband, corgi, and cat. No, she doesn’t sleep. She is entirely powered by the number 2, caffeine, and beef jerky.

Note: Still searching for her Tardis Author Links:      

Cover Reveal: The Society by Jodie Andrefski

[image error] The Society by Jodie Andrefski Release Date: May 3rd 2016 Entangled Teen
Summary from Goodreads:
Welcome to Trinity Academy’s best-kept secret. The Society. You’ve been handpicked by the elite of the elite to become a member. But first you’ll have to prove your worth by making it through Hell Week. Do you have what it takes? It’s time to find out. Samantha Evans knows she’d never get an invite to rush the Society—not after her dad went to jail for insider trading. But after years of relentless bullying at the hands of the Society’s queen bee, Jessica, she’s ready to take down Jessica and the Society one peg at a time from the inside out. All it’ll take is a bit of computer hacking, a few fake invitations, some eager rushees…and Sam will get her revenge. Let the games begin.

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Buy Links: Amazon│Barnes & Noble│ iTunes │Kobo│Amazon UK│ Amazon CA │The Book Depository│Books a Million
[image error] About the Author Jodie Andrefski has been passionate about reading ever since she was a little girl, when she used to climb trees to escape with a favorite book. She now lives and writes in a small town in Pennsylvania with her teenage daughter. Though still an avid reader, she now prefers a comfy chair over the crook of a tree. An unapologetic coffee fiend, she's even happier if her java comes with pie. Jodie often draws on her background in education and mental health counseling to bring real world experience to her writing. She is a firm believer in the magic of a first kiss, and insists that you should never, ever give up on your dreams.

Author Links:      

Book Review: Paige in Progress

From author Brighton Walsh comes a fun, flirty, smexy read you'll fall into and remember just how much you liked Tessa, Jason, Winter and Cade.

PAIGE IN PROGRESS (releasing January 19th) is Brighton Walsh's third novel in The Reluctant Hearts Series. Brighton spent nearly a decade as a professional photographer before deciding to take her storytelling in a different direction and reconnect with her first love: writing. When she’s not pounding away at the keyboard, she’s probably either reading or shopping—maybe even both at once. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and two children, and, yes, she considers forty degrees to be hoodie weather. Her home is the setting for frequent dance parties, Lego battles, and more laughter than she thought possible.
She is multi-published with Berkley, St. Martin’s Press, and Carina Press, and is represented by Mandy Hubbard of D4EO Literary Agency.
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Book Blurb:
She wanted a one-night stand...and then he moved in next door.

Paige Bennett is more than content with her life and what she does—and does not—have in it. She’s got a supportive family, a great apartment, and the best friend a girl could ask for; so what if her relationships expire faster than a carton of milk? After a disastrous detour courtesy of poor judgment in the boyfriend department, her plan is back on track and her dream job is finally within her grasp. Nothing can make her lose focus now. Well, nothing except the one-night stand she had with her best friend’s surrogate brother. The one-night stand she can’t stop thinking about.

Adam Reid has always been reliable...the responsible son, the loyal friend, the steady boyfriend. Two years ago, he graduated Magna Cum Laude and is well on his way to making a name for himself at an accounting firm in Denver—a far cry from working as a helper in the Mom and Pop store his parents own in Michigan. But when said store starts failing, he’s the only one who can step in and help. So reliable Adam does what he always does, and he comes to the rescue.

Paige thought Adam was a safe bet because he lives halfway across the country. But then suddenly he’s moving back to their town, and then into her apartment building, and soon he’s worming his way right into her life. If she’s not careful, he might sneak his way into her heart, too...
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Review:
4.5 / 5 stars


Sex: Yes, and it's steamy and hawt and...steamy!

Language: Several F-Bombs, and other mild language.

Violence: Nope.

Drugs/Alcohol: There is casual drinking with friends.

Nudity: It's assumed.

What I Loved: The banter! Good grief, Brighton knocked it out of the park with this. I loved Paige's and Adam's flirty interactions.

Why 4.5 Stars? Language. I've said this before...but are the F Bombs really all that necessary?

What I want more of: Sadly, I'm guessing Brighton's Reluctant Hearts series might be finished since there were not any more characters introduced. BUT! Thankfully, you can go on to read her other novels and be just as satisfied!

Who Would Like This? Fans of Brighton Walsh's Reluctant Hearts Series will be excited to have Paige's story. Since it's a stand-alone, anyone 17 and older will dig her smexy story.

Where Can I Buy PAIGE IN PROGRESS?

AMAZON US ➧ http://tinyurl.com/znz9wxyAMAZON CAN ➧ http://tinyurl.com/h97raehAMAZON UK ➧http://tinyurl.com/j3lm35s
Goodreads ➧ http://tinyurl.com/h2tnmcs
Where can I find Brighton Walsh?

Website: www.BrightonWalsh.com
Twitter: @WriteAsRain_
Facebook: www.facebook.com/brighton.walsh










>>>>SPOILER ZONE—DO NOT read past this if you don't want to know what happens in the book!<<<<




Seriously...stop reading if you haven't read the book!!






Paige and Adam are, in one word - HOT! Nearly ever scene they are together is just full of tension and smexy-ness. I loved the dual points of view and hope Brighton writes another novel like this. When Adam moves next door to Paige you can't help but laugh at all of Paige's blundering about it. She knows there is chemistry, he knows there is chemistry, but Paige is trying all she can to ignore it. Not going to happen with a guy like Adam. He's persistent and sets his sight on what he wants, and that is Paige.

Throughout the book you're just wanting Paige to get over her fears and be like - hey, it's okay. Adam and I can be a thing, because why not? We're good together. But then you're like, but Adam's leaving at the end of summer to go back to Colorado. You know it's coming - the meltdown. And it's sad, pulls at your heart and you just want to yell at Paige or yell at Adam, or maybe both. Everyone can see what they have, but neither one wants to admit it.

In the end, it was just how I would have wanted it to end. These two were made for each other!

>>>>PAIGE IN PROGRESS is yet another steamy, quick paced read from Brighton Walsh you'll want to add to your library!<<<<