Magan Vernon's Blog, page 27

Fall Promo for Dawn Pendleton!

     Dawn Pendleton is a new adult author currently residing in New England with her husband and their pup, though she has immediate plans to move to Georgia and promptly become a Southern Belle. When she isn't staring at a blank page, willing the words to jump from her head to the screen, she's usually playing on her iPhone, reading a book, or taking pictures with her fancy camera (which she has no idea how to use).
    Her newest release, the first novella in the Best Friends Forever Series, was an idea that occurred to her back in February, when she first started writing. She wasn't at a place where she could write them, though, so she started her Broken Series, instead. Through this past Summer, the BFF series emerged in her head, taking more space until she finally had to let them out. Liar, Liar, the first episode in the series, released this past Tuesday and is free on all retailers except Amazon.


Liar, Liar




    Hazel is a freshman at Coastal Carolina and looking forward to making new friends. When she meets Roman, she’s head over heels for him. There’s one problem, though: he’s still hung up on Hazel’s roommate, Cheyanne. But Cheyanne has a secret, one that has the potential to ruin her life in college. When Hazel learns the secret, she’s determined to use it against Cheyanne to win over Roman. She never imagines her plan could backfire, leaving her as a pariah among her new circle of friends.

    The BFF series follows the lives of new adults, Hazel, Miranda, Cheyanne, Destiny, Audric, Nolan, Andre, and Roman. Follow their stories as the first season of novellas are released once a week from September to March.







To enter the Rafllecopter, go to each of the following blogs and enter the corresponding code on the rafflecopter.

This is Blog #15 and the code is DAWNMAGAN


Blog #1: www.dawnpendleton.comBlog #2: www.selenalaurence.com
Blog #3: www.StephanieLawton.com
Blog #4: www.lisasanchezromanceauthor.com
Blog #5: www.katerothwrites.blogspot.com
Blog #6: http://jadenwilkes.blogspot.ca/
Blog #7: www.angellawson.com
Blog #8: www.karen-annestewart.com
Blog #9: http://naughtylittlekisses.blogspot.com
Blog #10: http://authoryolandaallen.blogspot.com/
Blog #11: http://dawnaraver.com/
Blog #12: http://tawdrakandle.com
Blog #13: http://midtown-underground.com
Blog #14: http://tyffanickemp.com
Blog #15: Www.maganvernon.com
Blog #16: http://pk-Hrezo.blogspot.com
Blog #17: http://beccaoffthetop.blogspot.com/
Blog #18: http://jenniferlanebooks.blogspot.com
Blog #19: http://ellacolblog.wordpress.com/
Blog #20: www.jcemery.com


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Teaser Contest!

Have you seen all of those picture teasers all of Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook?

Ones like this...





I love them. Do you love them?

GOOD.

Then I have a contest for you. Starting Now and going through the next week, create one of these teasers and post to pinterest or on my facebook or Twitter page to be entered to win an eARC of The Only One.

**Make sure to tag me on any of these posts, so I can find it! If you don't want to put it on social media, you can email me at authormagan@gmail.com with the teaser and I'll post it for you!**

What would you make a picture of? I've already posted the first 30 pages of the book (links below to the excerpts) so choose any of your favorite passages and have fun with it!

By the end of next week (9/27) I will chose two (possibly more) winners to get an eARC of the entire book!

What are you waiting for? Make some John Boy hotness

Excerpt 1

Excerpt 2

Excerpt 3

Excerpt 4

Excerpt 5

Excerpt 6

Last Five Page teaser for The Only One

He leaned against the back wall of the couch before he peeled off his shirt, leaving only his bronzed chest for me to stare at. On his right pec was a Celtic cross that looked like it was carved out of a tree, complete with gnarled roots at the bottom. He ran his fingers along the circle where a few leaves branched out from the cross. “This is to show that I’m firmly rooted in my family’s heritage.” Slowly he slid closer, turning toward me so that I had a full view of his broad chest and the second tattoo on his left pec of a tribal bull. “What is this one for?” I whispered, staring at the dozens of lines that made the running bull. He took my hand in his and brought my fingers up to the tail of the bull. My fingertips lingered over the details. I thought it would feel different than regular skin. If anything it was a little smoother, but I didn’t know if that was the tattoo or just how John’s body felt under my fingertips. “It was my nickname when I played hockey in high school. The guys used to say I was like a bull in a china shop, but I took more out of it than that.” He moved my fingers down from the bull’s snout to its tail. “Bulls are misunderstood creatures. Everyone thinks they’re just these big things that are out to attack everyone they meet. I think they’re just provoked and have to do something to defend themselves.” “And you think you’re like the bull?” I moved my head up and saw that John wasn’t looking down at the tattoo; his eyes were directly focused on me. “Yeah, I know it’s cheesy and not something guys usually say, but definitely. Everyone thinks I’m just some big guy that wants to either fuck or fight. Maybe I don’t want that.” “Then what do you want?” He leaned in even closer so his face was barely an inch from mine. The flicker of vulnerability I saw was gone and replaced by a very sexy smile. “Right now, I want to see if you have any tattoos hidden under that sweater.” I tried to control my breathing. I knew I shouldn’t have been so nervous. That I could have held my ground, but the nearness of him and the whole admitting that he felt vulnerable had me wanting him even closer. “No tattoos, but I do have a piercing.” “Really?” He raised his eyebrows. I leaned back on the chair and lifted up my shirt slowly, making sure to suck in my stomach. I did work out regularly, but I definitely didn’t have the body John did and wasn’t as comfortable as him to show all of it. He bent forward, his fingers grazing the tiny silver bar that pierced my belly button. “Nice.” He inched closer until his face was right at my stomach. His lips left feather light kisses on each side of the bar before his tongue darted forward and circled my belly ring. I gasped at the feeling of his warm tongue against my cold stomach. He put his tongue back in his mouth and looked up at me with a huge grin on his face. “Very nice.” “I thought you wanted to hear more about the Mennonites.” He put his hands on either side of my waist. “You’re the one that started this, Red. If you don’t want to finish it, we can study. But it’s going to be damn hard if I have to stare at your hot little body in those tights all night.” He put the ball in my court. I could have gone back to working on my paper. I should have gone back to working on my paper, but instead I let another part of me win over. I put my hands on either side of his face and then crushed my lips to his. At first he didn’t kiss back, but when he did, it came in full force, pulling me off the chair. I pushed him forward, knocking him into the couch while I straddled my legs against his waist. His fingertips roamed my lower back, pushing my sweater up so that every touch grazed my bare skin. His tongue circled mine and then he sucked it gently just like he did to my belly ring only a few seconds before. The guy definitely knew what he was doing and I definitely wasn’t as experienced as I thought I was. My hands fumbled for where to go. I didn’t know if I should try and go for his pants or if he wanted me to touch his arms. Instead they just awkwardly flailed from his biceps to the couch behind us and back. Finally John moved his hands and took mine, placing them above his head. Since I was so much shorter than him, I was in an awkward position and my arms actually felt like they were being stretched out. I broke the kiss, fearing that if I didn’t my arms would break off. John arched an eyebrow as I sat up and pulled my arms down, trying to resist shaking them out. “Sorry I suck at this.” I blew out a deep breath of air. He slowly sat up, his body still underneath mine. “Red, trust me, you definitely don’t suck at this. And while that was pretty awesome, I’m not just here to judge you on your making out skills.” “Then why did you come over?” He sighed. “Despite what it looks like and what you think of me, I actually did come over here to study with you.” “I don’t think anything of you.” “Please, I’m not stupid. The checking out my tattoos, showing me your belly ring, and even that sexy outfit. It all added up to us being on the couch.” I dropped my jaw, my mouth gaping open. “I did not plan to have you come over so we could fool around. How could you think that of me?” Okay, maybe I did expect if he came over there would be some kissing, but it’s not like I always studied with guys just to make out. There were plenty of guys I studied with in my major. Okay, maybe only a few. But John didn’t need to know that. He placed his hands on the small of my back. “It’s cool that you can’t resist me. In fact it’s pretty fucking awesome, but I don’t just want to get in your pants all the time.” “Then what do you want?” I tilted my head. He shrugged. “I don’t know. I honestly don’t. When I saw you in class the other day I just thought ‘I need to talk to her. I need to spend more time with her.’” “And why is that?” I pressed. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know the answer, but my curiosity won out. “As much as I’d like to carry you over to that nice bed over there or press you against that lovely book shelf, I know that Monica and Trey would have my balls if I did anything to hurt you.” “Maybe Monica and Trey don’t know me as well as they think. Maybe I did just invite you over here for sex.” He pressed a very chaste kiss on my jawline. “A girl that recognizes my Deathly Hallows tattoo isn’t the type of girl that humps and dumps.” He glanced over at the clock that hung above my TV. “And I should probably get going if we’re going to keep it that way.” “What?” I couldn’t keep the shock out of my voice. John grabbed his shirt from the floor and I slowly slid off of him while he pulled it back over his head. “As much as I’d love to stay and see where this would go, I think it’d be better if I left.” I was flabbergasted. I couldn’t even think of what to say. I didn’t expect him to really stay and help me study, but I didn’t think he would just up and leave either. He stood, pulling the last inch of his shirt down. “You’d better get to work on that paper.” He leaned over and placed a quick kiss on my cheek. “I’ll see you in class tomorrow.” With that he took the few steps to my front door and left. Leaving me there with my mouth gaping open wondering what the hell just happened.


I can't believe how amazing you all are! All these adds on GoodReads is just flooring me!

We hit 800 adds SO quick.  I'm going to have to stop it here, but stay tuned tomorrow for a contest announcement that will involve all of these teasers!

Add it to GoodReads !

Five more pages of The Only One

Chapter 3 “You seem so tense. Maybe I need to come by your place and give you a massage or something.” He squeezed my side. If he thought I was tense before, he probably thought I had gone rigor. My body seized under his touch and it became hard to breathe. “Um, no, that’s okay.” We were almost in front of Brown Hall and I had to get away before I did or said something stupid and made a fool of myself. “I better get to class. Don’t want to be late.” I wiggled out of his grasp and power walked like an old lady toward Brown. “See you around, Red!” I heard him yell behind me, but all I could do was wave because if I turned around and saw him smiling, there was no way I was ever going to actually make it to class. On the one hand, he seemed like a big player. No guy just makes out with a girl in the middle of a fraternity party if he wasn’t. But on the other hand, there was something different about him that was becoming highly addictive and hard to stay away from. Maybe the guy wasn’t a player and maybe I’d get a chance to find out. But that would have to wait until after class.   Chapter 4 The next few days were filled with the normal routine of work and classes. It made me acutely aware of what little of a life I actually had. My dad bailing on us put a lot of financial stress on my mom before I went to college. I had to rely on student loans and a lot of hours at the coffee shop just to get by. I couldn’t blow all that by going out every night. That would be why I was currently sitting alone in my apartment while everyone else was probably out. The Halloween party at the Alpha Mu house was a fluke. No matter how much I tried to concentrate, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander to images of John. Not just how good he looked in a loincloth, but the way he looked at me. Like there wasn’t anyone else around. Hell, he ditched two blonde girls to talk to me. No. I shook my head, even though no one could see me. I’d been staring at my open Word document, typing my paper for American Religious History. It was very dry material and I constantly had to take breaks to check my Facebook or watch a Youtube video just to stay awake. After an additional half an hour of reading another boring article, I decided I deserved another Facebook break. Usually not much had changed on my newsfeed except for some more memes or people with bad grammar from high school posting about something stupid. But this time I did have something new. One friend request. I clicked on it and there was a picture of a guy in a loincloth. John “John Boy” Walden wants to be your friend. I couldn’t help it. I giggled and quickly pressed accept. No sooner had I pressed the button when a message popped up. Hey, Red, thought we should become official friends. I gasped unconsciously. It was as if he was waiting for me to come on. I wondered what he was doing at this exact moment, but it would have been really creepy to ask, so instead I just went for normal conversation. Good Call. Whatcha doing? What was I doing? Did he just ask that? Was he going to ask me to do something? How should I respond to that? “Pull yourself together, Melanie,” I chastised myself. “You don’t need to be that crazy girl who fawns over what a guy’s thinking. You also shouldn’t be the crazy girl that talks to herself.” Nothing much. I’m just working on my history paper, you? Seriously? It’s Thursday night and I’d expect a fine ass girl like you to already be pre-gaming. I always found it nuts to drink on a week night. I had classes the next day and I wouldn’t miss those. I cared more about what my teachers thought of me than the other students a lot of the time. The people having parties weren’t giving me a grade. It’s not really my thing. What if you came over here and hung out with me then? We could make it your thing. I had to seriously think about that one. On the one hand, I wouldn’t mind seeing him outside of the classroom. On the other, I didn’t want to be just another notch in his bedpost. That’s all I figured he wanted anyway. He just seemed to really be going out of his way to get it. Was he actually into me? No, it’s fine. We can’t all be overachievers like you and I really need to get this paper done. Want some company? Was he really asking what I thought he was? I could swing by if you need someone to show you how a history paper is done. I knew how to write a paper; I was an English major for God’s sake. I had just been procrastinating on it. I didn’t really need his help. Which was why my reply shocked even me. If you want to come over and hang out and talk about the Mennonites, I guess that’s fine. Was the paper just innuendo for sex? I wasn’t good at these types of things. It took me a long time before I even fully understood the context of the donut shirt. Cool. I can be over there in a bit. Where do you live? I quickly typed in my address. What the hell was I doing? I wasn’t the type of girl that just had guys over to my apartment. My apartment! I sprang from my chair and surveyed the room. Sure, it may have only been about 450 sq feet, but that didn’t stop me from constantly making a mess of it. Directly across from my desk and couch was my kitchen, or more like the wall that my sink, fridge, and stove were on. There were a few dirty dishes in the sink that I hadn’t gotten to. Crap. I didn’t have time to wash them and I didn’t want to do a half-hearted scrub so I just opened my freezer and tossed the plastic bowls in. I would just have to worry about them later. I then slid across the hardwood floor to my bedroom. Okay, not much of a bedroom, but I had a cubed, open book shelf from Ikea that I displayed all my books on and it at least blocked my bed from the rest of the room. Quickly, I made my bed and stacked my pillows on it. Another quick swoop of the room and I found a pile of dirty clothes. I didn’t technically have a closet, but a wall across from my bed had a curtain rod dangling across it. Nowhere to hide my clothes. Why did I care so much? John’s room looked like a tornado went through it. But I did care. No guy had ever come to my apartment, even just to do homework. I surveyed the room one last time. There was only so much I could do with the place, but at least it looked presentable. When I turned away from the front door to the bathroom opposite it, I caught my reflection in the mirror and gasped. I may have cleaned up my apartment, but maybe I should have checked out myself. After working all day I had bad hat hair, so I quickly just pulled it into a bun on top of my head. It was at least a little better, but that didn’t hide the dark circles under my eyes. I rushed in and found my makeup bag on the sink and searched through it until I found concealer to try and cover up as much as I could. “Okay, not half bad.” Before I could make another move, a knock came at my door. Shit, was it that time already? I stuffed my makeup back in the bag and tossed it in the bathtub, pulling the shower curtain shut so he wouldn’t see that mess, either. I stared at myself in the mirror one last time. “You can do this, Melanie. It’s just studying.” I turned around, closing the bathroom door behind me, and then finally opened the front door. John stood with one arm leaning against the doorframe, making his t-shirt slightly rise up so I could see a hint of his stomach and even the waistband of his underwear. I tried not to stare and looked up to his smiling face, but it wasn’t my face he was looking at. “Nice tights, Red.” He nodded. In all my rush I completely forgot to change clothes. I swallowed hard, looking down at my red and white snowflake leggings and the giant gray hoodie I was lounging in. I could have at least changed my clothes instead of worrying so much about the alignment of my bookshelf. “Uh, thanks.” He pushed off the doorframe and practically strutted into the room, his eyes trailing around with amusement. “Nice place you got here. No roommate?” I shut the door, shaking my head. “No, it’s just me.” I didn’t want to deal with roommates. I had a crazy one my freshman year in the dorms who always brought random guys over and I’d find dirty boxers on our floor. “Nice.” He set his nylon computer bag on the coffee table and plopped down on the couch. I picked up most of my furniture on sale or through Craigslist ads. The couch was one that some guy was selling after his wife left him. I still didn’t completely trust it and had shampooed it three times. It had started off beige, but by the third cleaning it almost looked off-white. I leaned against my fridge, unsure of where else to go. I could have either sat next to him on the couch or on my bed, but I didn’t want things to lead to the bedroom. “Do you want something to drink?” He shook his head. “No, I’m good. You could just stop standing there staring at me like I’m going to rob the place.” “I-I-I didn’t say I thought you were going to do that.” A large grin spread across his face. “I’m just shitting you, Red.” “I totally knew that.” I blinked. “But seriously, you don’t need to just stand and stare. I’ve been waiting this whole walk over for you to regale me with these stories of Mennonites.” Right. My paper. That’s why he was over. I took the few steps over to my desk, which was smooshed between my bookcase and the couch. At least my desk chair gave me somewhere else to sit. “If you really want to hear all the exciting details, I’m sure I can share them.” I sat down at my chair and was eye level with his bicep. That’s when I really noticed the detail of his tattoo. I may have been sitting next to him all week, but he usually wore long sleeves and I was too busy trying to avert my eyes from other things the night of the Halloween party. “Is that what I think it is?” I leaned in closer, making out the triangle shape with a circle in the middle and a line running through that. On each slope of the triangle a few words were scrolled out. “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,” I whispered it until I finally realized what it was and had to hold back my squeal. “Oh my god! It’s Deathly Hallows! You didn’t tell me you were a Harry Potter fan.” He laughed, a sound that came from low in his stomach. I met his eyes, which sparkled a mesmerizing blue even in the dim light of my apartment. “I guess it just never came up. I was always a fan of the books when they came out and it just seemed like a good piece of ink to get.” I wanted to reach out and trace the lines of the tattoo. I couldn’t believe I never noticed it before and now I wanted more. “What about your other ones?” He smirked. “You noticed those?” “You were sort of in a loincloth the other night. They were kind of hard to miss.” He turned at his waist, pulling up his shirt sleeve slightly on the other bicep. I half expected it to be the Hogwarts crest, but it was definitely more detailed than that. A lion’s head sat at the top of a teal crest with two shaking hands at the top and a buccaneer ship below that. A white ribbon molded around the bottom of the crest with the words Alpha Mu across it. “For your fraternity?” He nodded, his eyes meeting mine as I looked up from the intricate detail that circled each bit of the lion’s mane. “Do you want to see the others?” I spoke before I even thought about what I was saying. “Yes.”


I can't believe how amazing you all are! All these adds on GoodReads is just flooring me!

I'm going to do this one more time. Once I hit 800 adds on GoodReads I'll post another five pages. Then you will have 30 pages all together!

What happens if we get over 800? Then I think it might be time to start giving up some eARCs

Not sure if you want to add this book because it may be a sequel? This isn't a sequel. It's a companion to The Only Exception. There are some of the same characters, but you don't need to read The Only Exception to read this book.

Add it to GoodReads !

Fall Promo spotlight: Dawna Raver

Dawna Raver is an author of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Color Wielders, book one of the Heirs of the Magykal Realm series, is her debut novel. When she's not spending tim ein her fantasy world, Dawn loves football, reading, and pretending she's a top chef in the kitchen. Oh, and fawning over her dogs and husband, sometimes in that order.
    Behind the Faerying Mysts, hidden from Mortal eyes, is a land where gods and creatures of myth and legend dwell. And in the Mortal Realm, their Princess is hidden away.    
    Quinn Sinclair lives an ordinary life with her less-than-loving mother in Conifer, Colorado, clueless of her true nature. On the night of her bithday, a staggering betrayal sends her life spinning out-of-control. As she struggles to pick up the pieces, a vision of a man with haunting tourmaline-blue eyes begs her for help, and she is transported into a Magykal battle-forever changing her life. 

    Arik Morgaine - Demigod bad boy and outcast of the Magykal Realm - tried to avoid contact with Princess Quinn for eighteen years, not wanting to make good on an old threat. But the fates have other plans. Arik can no longer deny his growing desire for Quinn, or the need to protect her from those wanting to control her burgeoning powers.

    Can the two of them come together and save the Magykal Realm from being destroyed by the Darkest of Magyks?     To enter the rafflecopter giveaway, go to each blog and enter the special code from each blog into the correct blog space on the Rafflecopter. This is Blog #16 and the code is DAWNAMAGANBlog #1: www.dawnpendleton.comBlog #2: www.selenalaurence.comBlog #3: www.StephanieLawton.comBlog #4: www.lisasanchezromanceauthor.comBlog #5www.katerothwrites.blogspot.comBlog #6: http://jadenwilkes.blogspot.ca/Blog #7: www.angellawson.comBlog #8: www.karen-annestewart.comBlog #9: http://sophielira.wordpress.com/Blog #10: http://naughtylittlekisses.blogspot.comBlog #11: http://authoryolandaallen.blogspot.com/Blog #12: http://dawnaraver.com/Blog #13: http://tawdrakandle.comBlog #14: http://midtown-underground.comBlog #15: http://tyffanickemp.comBlog #16: Www.maganvernon.comBlog #17: http://pk-Hrezo.blogspot.comBlog #18: http://beccaoffthetop.blogspot.com/Blog #19: http://jenniferlanebooks.blogspot.comBlog #20: http://ellacolblog.wordpress.com/Blog #21: www.jcemery.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal for Break You by Jennifer Snyder

Today I’m taking part in the cover reveal for Jennifer Snyder’s novel Break You. Break You is a New Adult Contemporary Romance.

Ready for the cover? Here it is…

Isn’t it a beauty? The cover was created by Once Upon A Time Covers and features the photography of K. Keeton.
Releasing November 8, 2013
Blaire Hayes enjoys a quiet life, spending her days as a CNA at the local nursing home and nights studying for exams. She prefers things to be as uncomplicated as possible—but when her friends drag her to a party and she bumps into her high school crush, the path of Blaire’s life veers in an entirely different direction than what she had planned for herself.

 Jason Bryant created a nice life away from his hometown, putting distance between himself and the suffocating sadness of his father’s death. But when he finds out his grandfather’s health is deteriorating, he decides he must return home. Partying was not on his agenda while in town, but it’s how he bumps into Blaire Hayes—the girl he’d always thought of in high school as an unobtainable pass.

 Together the two learn there are moments in life that hold within them all the power to break you...



 Jennifer Snyder lives in North Carolina were she spends most of her time writing New Adult and Young Adult Fiction, reading, and struggling to stay on top of housework. She is a tea lover with an obsession for Post-it notes and smooth writing pens. Jennifer lives with her husband and two children, who endure listening to songs that spur inspiration on repeat and tolerate her love for all paranormal, teenage-targeted TV shows.Find her here: BLOG, TWITTER,FACEBOOK

Five more pages of The Only One

Chapter 3 Midterms were approaching, which meant a lot more homework and a lot more people showing up for classes. On Mondays I worked in the morning and then headed to American Religious History. It was across the quad from the student center where Brewster’s was located, in the Art building that looked like a giant juicer. It was a decent sized lecture hall, shaped in a half-circle with five rows of desks descending to a lower level where the professor’s podium was located. There was a giant screen behind that where he put up all the lecture slides. I slumped down in an open desk near the back and searched through my bag for a notebook. Most everyone on campus just carried their laptops or iPads so they could play games while the professor lectured, but I still preferred the old pen and paper way. There was something about the feeling of putting pen to paper that I found invigorating. It was probably why I was an English major. I loved writing long hand. I had old journals full of half ass story ideas and notes from classes sitting in boxes back at my mom’s house. Digging through my bag, I finally found a pen, but just as I grabbed it and put it on my desk it promptly rolled onto the floor. “Shit,” I mumbled. I scrambled out of my desk when the pen stopped at a pair of Pumas. “Sorry!” I yelped and reached for the pen. “No prob, Red.” Slowly, I grabbed my pen and when I stood up I met the endless blue pools of John Boy’s eyes. I’d never noticed him in my class before, but then again usually I was busy staring down at my notebook trying to take down notes. “Hey, John.” I tried to regain my composure and sat in my seat. He took the one next to me, a small smile on his face. He pulled a slim Macbook out of his bag and sat it on the desk in front of him. Out of all my classes, why did he have to be in the one I looked like crap for? There he was, looking gorgeous in a gray knit sweater and faded jeans that fit every bit of his form perfectly. The guy had to be literally all muscle. And I had seen a lot of him when he was wearing just the loincloth. I found myself thinking about what was under his clothes and my face heated up from the thought. “So you’re going to call me John now?” He arched an eyebrow and tilted his head down, which just brought out the slight dimple on his chin. God he was too damn attractive. “Um, well that’s your name, isn’t it?” “Yeah, but most people call me John Boy.” “And why is that?” I tapped my pen on my notebook, trying to figure out something to do with my hands. He let out a single laugh. “Just a nickname my pledge brothers gave me freshman year. When your name is John Walden, and it sounds similar enough to Walton, it just sort of happens.” “As in John Boy from the Waltons? The TV show?” I didn’t think anyone under the age of seventy actually knew about that show. I only knew because my grandma was obsessed with it. “It’s basic pop culture. I know you probably think we’re a bunch of dumb jocks who run around with paddles, but we at least know about the Walton mountain.” I swallowed, trying to figure out the right words so I wouldn’t make a fool of myself, again. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed.” He nudged my arm with his. “I’m just shitting you. Don’t take life so seriously. You could really stand to loosen up.” “Sorry. I’m not brave enough to walk around a party in a loincloth.” He leaned in closer, his breath warm on my ear. “Yeah, but I wouldn’t mind it if you did. Or just my bedroom” Every hair stood on end and my body heated up like I took a hair dryer to my skin. The guy certainly knew the right spot to hit. He was definitely trouble. But maybe a good kind of trouble. “So, um, I’ve never seen you in this class before.” I tried to regain my composure and sat up straighter. “Been here all year, but usually I sit in the back. I couldn’t help but notice this head of gorgeous curly hair that’s always near the front taking notes.” His fingers coiled around a strand of my hair that had fallen out of my ponytail and he pushed it behind my ear. “I’m just usually too late to get the seat next to you.” “Oh, um, heh...” I couldn’t think of anything to say and just felt like a blubbering idiot. Thank God I was saved by Professor Marks stumbling into class with two of his grad students behind him. He dusted off his sweater vest and raked his fingers through his mop of gray hair. Our professor may have been one of the goofiest guys, but I liked him. He sounded like Woody Allen when he talked and made the Mennonite migration actually interesting. “Sorry fellow historians, I know I’m late again and you are all just dying to get on to the next American religious movement.” He stepped up to his desk and logged onto the computer, his desktop background popping up on the giant screen behind him. “Have you started your paper yet?” John whispered. “Yeah, I’ve done a little bit of research. What about you?” I kept my eyes on the professor as he pulled up the power point presentation for fear if I moved I would just end up staring at John. Or end up with my lips on his. Which wouldn’t have been so bad if we weren’t in class. “Finished it up the other night. Nothing better than Mormon culture in Missouri.” I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. His voice didn’t raise with sarcasm, it just kept the same even tone. “Overachiever,” I whispered. “I like to get things done.” I tried to focus on the professor but I couldn’t help paying attention to every move that John made. It was probably a good thing I didn’t know he was in this class before or I would have never been able to concentrate. Every time his fingers touched the keyboard I found myself watching how his hands moved and thinking about how those same hands were on my hips just a few nights before and what other parts of him were pressed against me. I was expecting him to be one of the guys that would just play games or check his Facebook, but he really was paying attention. Maybe he wasn’t the dumb jock I pegged him as. By the time class was over I had barely taken any notes and was hoping there wasn’t something big I missed. I gathered up my stuff and put it in my bag, ready to walk out of class, but then John put his hand on my lower back. I glanced up to meet his pearly white smile. How was I supposed to stay away from the guy that made me melt just from a little smile? “Where you headed, Red?” “I have World Literature over in Brown, you?” He kept his hand on my lower back as we headed down the row and out of the classroom. My whole body was acutely aware of his fingers and I had a feeling every other girl was aware of it as well. A few whispers came from some of the girls that we passed walking through the class and out the doors into the November air. I didn’t even want to guess what they were saying, but from the glimpses of snarled upper lips I didn’t think it was anything good. “I’ve got Algorithms and Data structure over in Ike.” “Say what?” I looked up at him. He tilted his head back, laughing softly. “It’s a computer class. I’m a computer science major.” “Seriously?” I widened my eyes. He had to be messing with me. A guy with a body like his had to be some sort of kinesiology major or something. I’d seen a lot of the computer science majors and they were the type of guys that lived for online gaming, not fine specimens like John Walden. “Man, you don’t give me any credit. Yeah, I’m really a computer science major. Does that surprise you?” “Honestly, yeah. I didn’t think that was your type of thing.” “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me.” He leaned down, pressing his lips to my ear. “And a lot I’d love to show you.” His tongue grazed the very edge of my jaw line, sending a shiver of pleasure all the way down to my toes. “John Boy!” John snapped his head up and I gasped when I saw two buxom blondes in Kappa Beta shirts sauntering in his direction. Just what I wanted to see. Ugh. I had nothing against sorority girls. In fact, Monica was a Kappa Beta at her old school and my sister was a Sigma. But there was just something about the way these two girls puffed their chests out and smiled at John that made my blood boil. “Hey Layla, Hey Lex.” He nodded in their direction and still kept his hand on my back. Good. Showed them that I wasn’t just another random girl. Even though I wasn’t exactly sure what I was. “Do you all know Melanie? She’s Trey’s girlfriend’s friend.” The curlier of the blondes slowly moved her gaze in my direction, blinking hard. “Oh, yeah. You work at Brewster’s, right?” “Yeah. Yeah I do.” I nodded, unsure what I was supposed to say. She turned her attention back to John and scooted closer to him, running her manicured fingers down his arm like I wasn’t even there. “So, did you and Gabe talk about the mixer for Friday night? We’d love to do an exchange with our Alpha boys.” I felt like that was my cue to leave and I slowly tried to slip away, but then John’s hand slinked around my waist, pulling me against him. Even while his eyes were on the girl, I felt that his attention was focused on me. “Yeah. I’ll have Gabe text you or something.” He squeezed my side. “See you, Layla.” He turned me in the other direction and started walking away from the two blondes, who had to be gaping at me. “Trying to get away from me, Red?” “I just need to get to class and you were talking...” He laughed, a low sound that came from deep in his stomach. “You need to chillax a little.” “What?” I raised an eyebrow. The leaves were changing colors and starting to fall off the trees, blanketing the ground in a crunchy array of reds and oranges. If I was by myself I may have gone out of my way to find a particularly crunchy one to step on. But I couldn’t embarrass myself like that in public and especially not in front of John.


I can't believe how amazing you all are! All these adds on GoodReads is just flooring me!

 How about once we hit 700 adds I'll do another 5 pages?

Not sure if you want to add this book because it may be a sequel? This isn't a sequel. It's a companion to The Only Exception. There are some of the same characters, but you don't need to read The Only Exception to read this book.

Add it to GoodReads !

Cover Reveal for Second Chance Summer by Emma Hart

 
 
 Title: Second Chance Summer (Chance Series, #1)
Release Date: Monday, September 23rd
Cover Design by Emma Hart
Publisher: Self-Published 
 
From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Love Game and Playing for Keeps is a story of hope and the beauty of getting a second chance at the kind of love that comes once in a lifetime…
 
 
“You don’t get a love like ours and get to leave it behind.”
 
Kia James was never meant to return to her hometown of Harlan Grove, Alabama… But she has.
And Reese Pembleton was definitely not supposed to still be in love with her the way she is him… But he is.
 
Last summer was the summer to end all summers. It was the summer they both fell in too deep to get out, and try as she might, Kia can’t deny that whatever was there between them a year ago is still there. If she’s honest with herself, there’s so much more there than there ever was, but the way her dad walked out six years ago has shattered her belief of that fairytale love every girl craves.
 
Reese isn’t giving up so easily. His biggest mistake was not chasing after Kia the way he wanted to when she upped and left him without a word. Despite what she says, he knows her better than anyone, and he knows she still wants him the way he wants her. And this time, nothing will stop him from getting – and keeping – his girl.
 
But nothing is that easy. When Kia’s dad arrives back in town, family secrets come tumbling out she never realized existed. Everything her mom has ever told her about the reason he left is a lie – but how can she trust the man who, by his own admission, didn’t fight for her as hard as he could have?
 
With her past and present wants and needs colliding, Kia is thrown into the turmoil of the biggest decisions of her life. And she realizes, sometimes a second chance is all you need.
 
 
Excerpt:
 
Reese puts his arms out at the end of the truck. “Come on.”
“I can climb down from a truck.”
“I know that,” he replies and shakes his arms once. “But I’m just helping you. You know, being friendly.”
I raise my eyebrows, letting him grip my waist anyway. I put my hands on his shoulders, and he lifts me down, lowering me slowly to the ground. His eyes are on mine, watching me intently, and a small smile plays on his lips. I lick my bottom lip without thinking, and his eyes flicker down. I swallow against the thumping of my heart and force my breath out slowly, resisting the urge to let my body take control.
Reese’s hazel eyes are darker as they meet mine again, and I let my hands slide slowly down his chest. His fingers flex against my waist, like he’s fighting with himself whether to let me go or not.
I breathe a little faster against my will and I see his chest heave once. My fingers graze his stomach and I step back, loosening his hold on me. His hands brush my hips as he drops them from my waist, and I have to stop myself from wrapping my arms around my waist to make up for the loss of him.
“There’s nothin’ friendly about that, baby,” he says in a low voice. “Nothin’ at all.”
I let out a shaky breath. “We’re never gonna be able to be friends, are we?” I whisper sadly. “We’ll never be able to get past whatever it is between us, will we?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t wanna get past it, Kia. Not at all.”
“I can’t have everything. I can’t. It’s always gonna be all or nothing for us, Reese. There’s no in between, there never will be.”
“I’m not asking you fall back into my arms and let me sweep you off your feet,” he whispers, moving some hair from my face gently. “No matter how much I want to, I’m not asking that. I’m just askin’ you to let whatever will happen, happen. I don’t get what good it is with you fightin’ yourself every time.”
“What’s meant to be will be, right?” I shake my head a little in disbelief. “It doesn’t-”
“Work like that?” He raises his eyebrows, his thumb trailing down my cheek and neck. “How do you know if you keep fighting it?”   Note from the author:  SECOND CHANCE SUMMER is book 1 of the Chance series, and there is NO cliffhanger. There are loose ends that need tying up in both the second book and companion novels – to be announced – but I have tried my best to resolve the main story line in this book.   
   a Rafflecopter giveaway


By day, New York Times and USA Todaybestselling New Adult author Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to a terrible two year old and growing bump, due September 2013. By night, she drops the cape, pours a glass of juice and writes books.
Emma is working on Top Secret projects she will share with her followers and fans at every available opportunity. Naturally, all Top Secret projects involve a dashingly hot guy who likes to fShe likes to be busy - unless busy involves doing the dishes, but that seems to be when all the ideas come to life.
 
Find Emma online at:
Blog: http://www.emmahartbooks.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EmmaHartBooks
Twitter: @EmmaHartAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6451162.Emma_Hart

500 adds? ANOTHER FIVE PAGES

Chapter 2 I should have kept a closer eye on the time because only four hours after I left the party I had to be at work. I groaned when I heard the ringing of my alarm clock and begged for it to be the wrong time. No such luck. My curtains were closed, but I could still make out the slight morning light. At least I was a student manager in a coffee shop, so I could just caffeinate myself up and get a nap in at noon. I swung my legs over the bed and sat up, stretching my arms over my head. The top I was wearing fell down to my legs and that’s when I remembered that I fell asleep wearing John Boy’s shirt. It even still smelled like him. Yes, he might have been sweaty that night, but his cologne was amazing. It wasn’t overpowering like the expensive stuff Trey wore, but a light scent, like fresh cotton. That was the moment I realized I was sniffing his shirt and felt like an idiot. I tore off the shirt and walked the few feet through my tiny living room to my bathroom, throwing it in the hamper. Better to wash the shirt and give it back to him right away. Monica would probably be asking for it soon anyway. By the way she was acting I could tell she didn’t think too highly of the guy, even though I was pretty sure he was Trey’s fraternity big brother. There were still remnants of the red drink that had dried into a sticky goo on my stomach and I needed a long scrub. I showered, brushed my teeth, brushed my hair, put on some makeup, and went back out into the living room. I couldn’t have shared my box of a studio apartment with a roommate. It only took about ten steps to get from the bathroom to my closet and I didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing me naked. But it wouldn’t hurt to have someone in my apartment. Someone who looked very good in just a loincloth. I shook the thoughts out of my head as I slipped my regulation uniform red polo over my head. I couldn’t keep thinking about John Boy. He wasn’t the type of guy that dated girls like me. He was the guy that wanted one thing. Not that it would have been a bad thing, either. My high school boyfriend and I tried to work it out our freshman year of college, but I preferred to stay faithful and he preferred to screw other girls. I’d been single since I caught him cheating when I went to visit him at his school. I’d met a string of guys in some of my journalism classes, but nothing did it for me like John Boy did on the dance floor. Maybe all I needed was to just screw him and get it over with. That wasn’t my usual M.O., but maybe it was time for something new. No, no, no. Monica would kill me. Or maybe she wouldn’t have to know. *** Brewster’s Beans was located on the first floor of the student center. It was decorated in red and black to match the school colors. Hardly anyone came in on Sunday mornings so I always found myself rearranging coffee bags and counting the floor tiles. I was the only person working until ten when Monica came in, so I brought some homework to work on after I started all the drip coffees. I was just finishing a chapter of my history textbook when I heard footsteps on the floor near me. Quickly, I shoved my book underneath the counter and looked up to meet a lazy grin and bright blue eyes. John Boy. He was wearing a blue t-shirt with red AM letters across his very broad chest. His biceps were busting out of his shirt and I couldn’t help letting my gaze trail to the tattoos on them. I really wanted to get a better look, but wasn’t sure how exactly to ask a guy to take his shirt off in a public place. Though this was the guy who wore a loincloth to a party, so he probably would have been up for it. “I thought I remembered you worked here with the Lib.” He sauntered closer, leaning against the pastry case. “Yeah...yeah I do.” My cheeks grew hot. I probably looked like crap from my lack of sleep and the fact that I ran out of foundation. And even with little sleep the Greek God was standing in front of me looking—and smelling—fresher than ever. “Well that’s good, because I was really craving a donut.” He leaned in closer. “Maybe you can help me out with one?” “I, uh, yeah, I can totally get you a donut.” I wasn’t sure if he was talking about the donuts in the pastry case or making a reference to his ‘smile like a donut’ shirt. Either way, I thought I’d play along. “Or I can get you one.” His fingers trailed the bare skin on my arm, leaving goose bumps in their wake. “Am I interrupting something?” I gasped and jumped back when I heard Monica’s voice behind me. “Hey Mon,” I said and looked back at her. Her eyes were locked on John Boy, her eyebrows slightly raised. “Good morning, Lib, pleasure seeing you here.” “I wasn’t expecting to see you here. Are you meeting Trey?” John Boy shook his head with a small smile on his face. “No, just thought I’d see if I could get a donut.” “I hope you’re talking about the kind in the pastry case,” Monica said. He shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe not.” He shot a wink in my direction. “I guess I’ll just take a rain check on that donut, Red.” With that, he pushed off the counter and walked out the side door. Monica followed him with her eyes until he was out of sight. Monica blinked, looking at me like I had something weird on my face. “Um, what was that about?” I shrugged. “I don’t know. He just came in all flirty. He’d never actually done that before the party. I wonder if he even knew I existed.” Monica smiled, adjusting her baseball cap with ‘Student Dining Services’ embroidered across it. “Maybe that Hermione costume really does have some magic on it.” “You leave my costume out of this.” Monica didn’t understand my Harry Potter obsession. Okay, maybe not an obsession. It was something I tried to hide from the other English majors, but really there was nothing better than a good book with action and magic. “Wasn’t there some guy in one of your Lit classes you were interested in, anyway?” She asked, quickly changing the subject off John Boy and my costume. “You mean Walt?” “Yeah. Was he the one that was really into Kerouak and smoked those black cigarettes?” Walt Hines was the epitome of an English major. He always carried around a worn out copy of Slaughterhouse-Five and wore hipster glasses with his girl jeans. I thought he was the type of guy I wanted to be with, until I actually hung out with him. He spent the night scrutinizing every book I’d ever read and told me Harry Potter wasn’t real literature. Once a guy slams down the Weasleys, it’s over. “That would be Walt, but nothing ever happened there and nothing is happening with John Boy. He just came in to say hi.” Monica leaned on the counter. “John Boy never just says ‘hi’ to girls unless it’s followed by ‘wanna screw?’” I said a silent prayer of thanks when a group of students came in and lined up for coffee. That got Monica to stop talking John Boy and get back to work, but that didn’t mean it got me to stop thinking about him or his biceps.


Did I ever tell you that I love all of you?

 How about once we hit 600 adds I'll do another 5 pages? Want more John Boy? Because let me tell ya, this boy in his loincloth just get better

Add it to GoodReads !

Next five pages of The Only One

No, no I couldn’t think of him that way. He was the type of guy I needed to avoid. The guy who just wanted me for one thing. The guy I would end up falling hard for and he would just drop me like I was nothing. I had too much of that. I grabbed my sweater and opened the door. Monica was pressed against the wall with her legs wrapped around Trey’s middle. Her fingers were laced through his hair and his hands disappeared somewhere underneath her dress. I was definitely interrupting a heated moment, but I didn’t want to keep staring at their tonsil hockey either, so I cleared my throat. “Um, do we need to go or do you two need to use the bathroom?” A sound like a suction cup peeling off a window came from their mouths as Monica dropped her legs, prying herself away from Trey. He faced away from me, adjusting his boxers. “Sorry about that, Mel. You were taking awhile...and...yeah...” She bit down on her bottom lip and her cheeks flushed. “It’s cool.” I shrugged. “We can go if you all are ready.” Monica hadn’t wanted to go to the party at all, but Trey insisted that she should face her fears and have some fun. That was how I got roped into it. Because dragging her best friend to a party to use when she needed an out to leave seemed like the best option to her. It’s not like I had anything better to do anyway. A sticky shirt and people watching were better than sitting home alone in my apartment and Facebook stalking. “No, no it’s fine!” Monica shook her head and tugged on my arm. “Let’s go dance and get rid of this awkwardness!” *** Monica led me back down to the basement with Trey following close behind. He couldn’t even look at me. It was actually the first time I’d caught them making out. They hadn’t been together that long, but whenever they were in public it was like Trey had to keep up some sort of persona and kept everything to just hand holding. There were a few times I’d seen him kiss her forehead, but that was it. And I had just caught them practically going at it in the stairwell. Once we got down to the basement, some mash up of late 90’s music was playing. Monica pulled me through the crowd until she found a spot the three of us could stand. She faced me and tilted her head back, moving her body to the music. Trey slunk in behind her with his hands on her hips, and moved his body in sync with hers. Once again I was the third wheel in the Monica and Trey wagon, which was why I’d been in the corner in the first place. I was ready to go hit the bar for another drink when a pair of hands slid onto my hips. I froze. I’d never had anyone come up behind me and do that. I trusted Monica to watch out for me and not let some guy take advantage of me, but at the same time I was intrigued about who the hands belonged to. I glanced back and locked eyes with John Boy; his very gaze making me tremble. “I was right about how good that shirt would look on you.” His lips were hot on my ear and linked a direct line to my panties. “It’s, um, a little big, don’t you think?” I managed to squeak out as he rocked my hips back against him. “Don’t you like things big?” I swallowed. My stomach felt like it had dropped to my knees. I tried to regain my thoughts when he laughed against my neck. “I’m just giving you shit, Red, don’t take it too seriously. Just dance with me.” He turned me around so I was facing him. I had to practically stand on my tiptoes while he crouched down so my face wasn’t in his chest. That still didn’t stop me from staring at his chiseled form and also made me acutely aware how subpar my body was compared to his. I tried to suck in my stomach as he pulled me closer, pressing against me. He mouthed the words to the music and I couldn’t help but giggle. “Are you a Backstreet Boys fan?” I had to practically yell over the music and the people making grunting noises around us. Whatever they were doing I didn’t want to know. His laugh tickled my lips and even in the dark basement I could see his blue eyes sparkling. “My older sister was really into them so we always had this on in my mom’s minivan on the way to school.” “Rocking out in a minivan, I didn’t take you to be that type of guy.” “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Red, and a lot I’d be willing to show you.” Before I could respond his hands slid behind my head and he tilted my chin up, putting his mouth to mine. I parted my lips slightly and his tongue slipped in and out teasingly, twirling with mine. He didn’t taste like alcohol, like I would have expected. His kisses were sweet like strawberry bubblegum and I wanted to taste him over and over. His hands slid down to my lower back, his tongue continuing to explore my mouth. His teeth nipped at my bottom lip and I felt a low moan gather in my throat. I craved more of him, sliding my fingers into his hair and pulling him closer, trying to deepen our kiss, but he didn’t budge. He broke the kiss, placing a peck on my forehead before leaning down so his lips were on my ear. “Not here, Red, but if you want to go up to my room to continue this, I’d be happy to accommodate you.” Did I want to? He was a damn good kisser, probably the best I’d ever had. And his body looked like something Photo-shopped out of 300. But I didn’t think I wanted to just be another notch on his bedpost. Luckily Monica came to my rescue as usual. Her hand was on my shoulder and she turned me around. She stood there with her eyebrows furrowed and Trey was right at her back with his arms around her waist. “Hey, are you ready to go, Mel?” “Now? But it’s so early.” And I wanted to keep dancing with John Boy, no matter how stupid his nickname was and even if I didn’t go back up to his bedroom, I could still deal with just making out and whatever else we were doing. “Early?” Her eyes bugged out. “It’s 2 am?” “Seriously?” When did I lose track of time? I swore we had just left my apartment. John Boy’s arm slinked around my waist. “You two can go have your fun and I can bring Red home later.” “Uh, no, I don’t think so.” Monica yanked me forward until John Boy let go of me. “I’m fine, really, my apartment isn’t that far.” “Which is why me and Trey can walk you.” John Boy leaned in over my shoulder. “I can walk her home when she needs it.” “Watch it, loin cloth, I’m not afraid to spork your eyes out.” “Hey, let’s be reasonable here,” Trey spoke up. “I’m sure Melanie would be perfectly fine with having John Boy take her home.” Monica whipped her head in Trey’s direction. “Are you serious right now? I am NOT just leaving my friend at a party.” “She’ll be fine. He’s not going to do anything to her.” Before Monica and Trey could continue their argument I groaned and yelled over them. “I’m right here, you don’t need to talk about me like I’m not.” They both snapped their attention to me. “Sorry, Mel,” Monica grumbled. I sighed. “And I’m ready to go.” I glanced over my shoulder at John Boy. “I guess I’ll see you around.” He grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips, grazing my knuckles. “I wish you’d stay, Red, but I understand if you have to leave.” Locking my eyes with his, I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to trace the lines of his tattoos and get tangled in his sheets. But that wasn’t what a girl like me did. That’s why I didn’t have a boyfriend. I didn’t just jump in bed with random guys, no matter how hot they were. “I do, though.” I peeled my hand away. “Goodbye, John.”


So...anyone else excited to read more John Boy? Obviously you were because you made it up to 400 adds in less than 24 hours! You got these next five pages, and I'm willing to do it again. Make it to 500 adds on GoodReads and I'll post the next five pages. And let me tell you...things just get hotter.

Add it to GoodReads !