Magan Vernon's Blog, page 31

Teaser Tuesday

(Yeah Colton Haynes was a little bit of my visual inspiration for Trey)

Since it's less than a month from the release of The Only Exception and author Emma Hart begged for it, I decided to give you a little teaser for the book.

Just a LITTLE one...OKAY and a gif to go with it.

***

He laughed, softly. His laughter was low and deep and had a playful edge to it, like his voice. There was something about the slight teasing tone to it that made me listen to him. "Then I wouldn't have anything to talk to her about. She would just agree with everything I said. I like talking to a girl who challenges me and just doesn't accept what I say at face value."
I tried not to, but a large smile spread across my face. Even though some of the topics infuriated me, it was the most alive I’d felt in months. Normally when I tried to talk politics with people they just rolled their eyes at me. Trey kept talking and kept challenging me. It was like I’d finally been able to crawl out of the hole I’d been buried in, even if I knew I would probably go back to it.
"I'll think about it."
"Think about it?"
I looked up from the ground and met his eyes. In the light they were even greener than the first time I saw him. They were like two sparkling emeralds, and they hypnotized me to my spot. "I do have a mind of my own to think if I want to see someone again," I stammered, trying to regain control of my words.
"Well, Miss Remy, you're going to see a lot of me whether you like it or not. We're still neighbors."
"You do have a point there, Mr. Chapman."   

eARC contest

Remember when I posted on Twitter that once I hit 500 TBR on GoodReads that I'd do an eARC giveaway?

Yeah...happened again in less than a day and then 600 people added it!

 YESSSSSSSSSSSSS
 Okay, so Matt Bomer was another gift. But now I'm going to do a giveaway for TWO eARCs!  This is international and the winner will get either a mobi (kindle) or epub (Nook and ITunes) eARC.  Just fill out the rafflecopter giveaway before and rejoice in my Magic Mike Gifs.     

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The madness of Mondays

Okay, so my posts have been very sporadiac and I apologize for that. I'm eight months pregnant and trying to finish edits on THE ONLY EXCEPTION so I can get this puppy out into the world.

I have promised that EARCs of The Only Exception will be out by March 18th. That is still set to stay on track, so be looking out for those. Also, if you haven't signed up for it and are interested, Supagurl is doing my blog tour for the month of April.

Sign up Here

I will also be doing a book blitz for the release with Xpresso Tours (Will post when those sign-ups go up). Both will include awesome prizes including gift cards, book marks, and signed books from some awesome authors.

Where else am I? Well, there are two giveaways going on for my Ebooks with #IndiegirlMarch and #Indielicious. You should check them both out.

Other than that, my posting this month and next month will be spotty. With being this pregnant, having a toddler, and working on a book I don't have much free time. I'll try and post as much as I can and keep you updated but if there is radio silence for awhile. I may have died. You should probably check on me.

So what are you up to? Do you have a mad Monday today?

Barnes & Noble's real problem

(Photo from Barnes and Noble website)

My daughter is staying with her grandparents for a week so my husband and I had a date night out. By date night I mean we went to Steak and Shake and then went to Barnes & Noble so he could find a programming book.

Literally, I haven't been inside Barnes & Noble for almost a year. I buy A LOT of Ebooks and my paperback and hardcovers are usually bought online because they're cheaper. BUT there is something to be said for actually going into the store and looking for the book that you want.

But here is the problem with B&N, the books that people actually want to sit and look through instead of just purchasing online are in limited quantities.

Example:  My husband likes buying computer books for programming. These things are giant and like fifty bucks each. The computer books section at our local B&N is only a tiny shelf and he spends hours looking through that shelf and usually has to go home and find something he think might help on Amazon.

WHAT? Yeah, a giant book that he wants to spend a ton of money on and they don't have it available? How does that help B&N?

The same thing is true for niche books like baby journals. When we went to look for a baby journal for this latest daughter, there was only a tiny shelf and guess where it was? ALL THE WAY AT THE BOTTOM! Yeah, my big pregnant butt had to sit on the floor just to look through the selection of five baby journals that they had. And, yes, I wanted to actually get one in person not just look online. Why? I want to preview it, see if it has everything I want and not just a two page sample. That is what a real book store is for.

And that adds into B&N next problem. People go into bookstores because they like looking at books. They like grabbing a cup of coffee and sitting in the cafe and reading a magazine or just perusing the stacks. Borders use to have a huge cafe that I loved to go and sit in, but B&N, not so much. It seems like every B&N I've gone to has downsized there cafe so they have a few tables, but they are always crowded. People get there, stack their books high, and then never leave. I would go and sit on a nice comfy chair to check out the baby journal, but they don't even have any sort of sitting areas. It's like they want you to get out of the store ASAP.

I've read recently that B&N is planning to close 20% of their brick and mortar stores. This saddens me because it is the ONLY bookstore in my town and I don't live in a small town, it's a city, actually. There are two major insurance company headquarters and two colleges. You would think we would have more in the realm of books, but sadly we don't. In the digital age more people are buying things online, but there are those things we want to see in person. We want to feel the book store vibe. We want to sit down with a cup of coffee and go through our giant programming books.

And if B&N wants to survive, instead of all their plans to cut stores and push the Nook on us as soon as we walk through the door, they should really focus on those niche things. The things that actually bring us into Barnes & Noble.

Do you still go to your local Barnes & Noble? Have you noticed the lack of niche books?

New Adult: We aren't YA with a sex drive

(Photo source)


So there was recently a special on Dateline on the New Adult genre. I didn't see the special and I'm glad I didn't because I heard that the term was used over and over again that New Adult is "Sexed up YA" or "YA with erotic tendencies."

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

This is what New Adult authors have to deal with as a stigma, that they write New Adult just so their books can have sex in them.

No. That's not the case.

New Adult is not just "sexed up YA." Actually the best definition of New Adult I've seen is from author Kristan Hoffman on Writer's Digest

I'm not as eloquent as Kristan, but here is my short answer to what I believe New Adult is:

That period of life known as "the college years" and "post grad" in which we are trying to find ourselves and navigate from being under our parent's thumb to being on our own.

Now the long of it and why I write New Adult (hint: not just for the smex)

In 2009, I was graduating college and after finding young adult books I was wondering where the books were for my age group? Answer? There wasn't really any. So I had this idea to use my own experience of almost failing out of college (Libby fails out, I got my grades up and had a professor that believed in me and wrote me a letter to help me stay in school) and applying it to a manuscript.

I wrote what it was like to be that nineteen year old girl. How relationships are never about first kisses anymore. How it's hard to keep up with classes and a social life and to deal with not having your parents or someone to keep you in check when you go too far. This was My Paper Heart and I loved it. Agents loved it when I queried but I was told over and over that a college aged protag would be hard to sell.

And then it's the same familiar story that I shelved the manuscript after my agent shelved me and waited. Fast forward to 2012 and out came books like Beautiful Disaster, Easy, and The Wild Ones. These books exploded onto the book scene, made the NY Times Best Seller list, and were getting six figure print and movie deals. This was when New Adult was shoved into the public's eye like Lindsay Lohan after a weekend bender. And when something is new and gets in the hands of some hungry people, it can get turned into something ugly.

In short, New Adult is not this sexed up genre that Dateline made it out to be. It's about a period of life that yeah is going to be more sexually charged than a fifteen year old's, but it's no sexed up Nancy Drew. If Nancy Drew was twenty in her books, what else would those pearls be used for? Food for thought.

The Truth about Letting Go is here!

A companion to The Truth About Faking  (not a sequel; the books can be read out of order),


The Truth About Letting Go  (link) takes readers back to Shadow Falls, or more specifically Shadow Creek, with Ashley Lockett as she learns about real friendship, love, and letting go.
Get me The Truth About Letting Go (link) by Leigh Talbert Moore


Ashley wants to smash everything in her once-perfect life. Charlotte wants to walk in Ashley's seemingly charmed shoes. Colt wants to turn Smalltown USA on its ear--with Ashley at his side. Jordan wants to follow his heart... but Ashley is the one sacrifice he never expected to make.

Up until now, Ashley Lockett has always followed the rules. She's always done the right thing, played it safe, and then her ideal life is shattered when her dad dies suddenly. Fueled by anger and grief, she vows to do everything opposite of how she lived before. She rejects safety, the rules, faith, and then she meets Jordan. Jordan has big dreams, he's had a crush on Ashley for years, he's a great kisser... but he's also safe. Enter Colt. He is not safe, and he's more than willing to help Ashley fulfill her vow.


Get it today on Amazon * Barnes & Noble * iTunes * Kobo Add it on Goodreads .




Excerpt: I feel Colt laugh, and he looks down into my face. That’s when he seems to realize what I’ve been acutely aware of for the last several minutes—our bodies are pressed together. “It’s awesome, yeah?” he says. “Adrenaline rush.” “Yeah,” I breathe. “I guess.” I’m not sure if he’s going to kiss me until he does. His mouth covers mine, and energy mixes with the alcohol flooding my body. Our tongues slide together, and I grip his shirt so I don’t collapse.  Every single bit of this is wrong, and there’s no way I’m stopping it. It’s back, that good feeling. The sadness has been pushed out again, and in its place is this rush, this rush of adrenaline like Colt said.  He pulls back and smiles at me. “We’re going to start dating. Now. You’re my partner in crime.”





About the Author:
MooreLeigh Talbert Moore is a wife and mom by day, a writer by day, a reader by day, a former journalist and editor, a chocoholic, a caffeine addict, a lover of YA and new adult romance (really any great love story), a beach bum, and occasionally she sleeps. -The Truth About Faking is her debut young adult romance (on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Kobo ) -Rouge is her first New Adult romantic suspense novel (on Amazon ). Leigh loves hearing from readers; stop by and say hello! Blog * Facebook * Amazon Author page * Goodreads * Twitter * Tumblr

His Allure, Her Passion Release Blitz!

His Allure, Her Passion by Juliana Haygert Genre: New Adult Contemporary RomancePublication date: February 2013 by Decadent Publishing

In his father’s eyes, Dylan Deveraux is just a playboy spending the family fortune on prostitutes, alcohol, and fast cars. And it isn't even with the cars his father produces. Because of that, his father forbids his presence at the ball that will mark the launch of the US plant of his company, strategically scheduled on Valentine’s Day.

Hayley Allen is a failing model with the worse luck in the world. She always ends up in the hands of cruel designers and photographers. At least, that’s what she tells herself. Better than admit having a weak nervous system that always reacted during her gigs. Desperate, she would do anything to help her career.

Dylan shows up at her door, wasted as usual. Friends for a long time, Hayley is the only one able to put up with Dylan’s bullshit, and he appreciates that, but not the way her heart wants.

Even though he doesn't believe in Valentine's Day, Dylan has an idea for his father's ball. When he suggests a deal to Hayley, a deal that could finally put her in the spotlight of success and help him impress his father, she doesn't hesitate. Even if it means hurting her heart a little more.
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16440870-his-allure-her-passion

And a little excerpt for your reading pleasure:

On tiptoes, Dylan crossed the short corridor and found Hayley sleeping on the couch. She looked peaceful, but he doubted she was really comfortable there. The pillow was on the floor, the comforter pressed in between her legs and arms, as if she was hugging it, her delicate feet propped on the arm of the couch. Her long amber hair fell around her shoulders, her tank top had ridden up, showing a piece of her soft midriff skin, and her breasts barely fit inside her tight top. Shit. He turned his back to her, ashamed at having stared at her body.But it was such a nice body, how could he resist? He peeked at her over his shoulder. He didn’t understand how she wasn’t a famous model yet. She was so, so beautiful.He smiled, remembering the first time he saw her. They were at a party, and he spent over six hours trying to woo her, but she didn’t fall for his bullshit. No girl had ever resisted him—except Hayley. She was the first and only. And that’s how their friendship was born. Even though his instinct was to try and kiss her and sleep with her each time he saw her, Dylan had found a true friend in her, and for that he put his physical needs aside. She was the only one who understood his problems, his dark moments, who endured him, who saw past the bullshit, and didn’t throw herself at him. More importantly, she didn’t care about his fortune.Hayley stirred, moaned, and opened her eyes. “What are you smiling about?”Was he smiling?  “Nothing.” He sat in an armchair beside the couch. As she sat up, she pulled the comforter up to hide herself. “Hey, hmm, sorry. I didn’t mean to take your bed.”“I know.” She smiled and her green eyes shone.“Was I too much of a jerk?”“The usual.”Their eyes locked and she lost her smile. There was so much he wanted to tell her, so much shit about his life, but he was always afraid he'd push her away if she found out every one of his little messes. Wouldn’t it be better, though? For her? To be away from him and his bad influence? But then who would give him pep talks and receive drunken him with open arms in the wee hours of the night? Who would tell him everything would be okay? Who would give him a hug when he was down because of his brother? He had driven many, many times from Princeton to New York just to have one of those hugs.She was one of those rare jewels and he couldn’t afford to lose her.Feeling like a coward, Dylan averted his gaze.

Purchase: --Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/juliana-haygert--Amazon: http://www.amazon.ca/s?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Juliana%20Haygert&search-alias=digital-text
AUTHOR BIOJuliana HaygertWhile Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.
Author Links: Website: http://www.julianahaygert.com/Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6609948.Juliana_Haygert
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juhaygertTwitter: https://twitter.com/Juliana_Haygert

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Free Feb 19th and 20th

Yeah, I sold my soul to the devil and opted into Kindle select so it's only available on Amazon, but if you have a kindle or the kindle app you can get My Paper Heart free today and tomorrow!

Get it on Amazon

Or Amazon UK

Dragon Empire Blog Tour

Today we're celebrating the release of Heather McCorkle's fantasy novel, The Dragon Empire! For today's stop Heather is answering the following question:

Is this novel the beginning of a new series? And what can we expect next from you?

Heather: In the traditional sense that most people think of, no. But in a way it is. There are several more novels coming that are set in this world and involve these characters. The next novel will be about Torin, one of the people that Grendar meets in The Dragon Empire and it will be a New Adult fantasy novel.

B&N / Amazon / Goodreads
Here is a bit about it:

On Yacrana dragons are the advanced species. But advanced doesn't always mean civilized...

There's trouble in the Dragon Empire, the kind that could start a war between dragons and the races of people. Hidden factions of dragons believe they should rule the lesser races, not simply stand aside and allow them to develop as they will. Having lived so long in peace, the Emperors turn a blind eye, many oblivious that such attitudes even exist.

Despite being only an architect class, emerald dragon, Grendar is willing to risk banishment and death to stop that which his rulers refuse to see. The hope of peace lies not within the scaled breast of a dragon however, but within the hands of a group of people. But if the hidden factions have their way, these people won’t live to fulfill such a destiny. With a reluctant seer at his side, Grendar must leave his precious Empire for the outside world to save those that will one day save his kind.

While The Dragon Empire is for ages young adult and up, it does contain mild violence and some difficult subject matter. 

Indie Kissing

Join the indelibles for an INDIE-kissing blogfest!



The best advice I ever got from an agent (Elana Roth) was that a first kiss can be just as hot as a first time. I've taken that advice for the last three years of writing and applied it to all of my books.

Now the big question, what book should I share a kissing or smexy scene from? Okay...I know the one you want, so am I going to give you the first kiss from The Only Exception? Or do I give you another scene...maybe they can just talk...

FINE FINE FINE!

And here it is for your viewing pleasure (Note:  You may want to stand near a fan because it's a little hot)




"Screw being polite," he mumbled just before he placed both of his hands on the side of my face and crushed his lips against mine. I didn't want to kiss him back. I didn't want to like it so much, but his lips were so soft, and his kiss so longing, that I couldn't help but get lost in it. This was the first kiss I’d had in months and it was well worth the wait.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and he deepened the kiss, his tongue easing its way into my mouth. He tasted even better than he smelled, like sunshine and peppermint. He was so delicious it was intoxicating. His hands slid down my back, resting just above my butt. I ran my fingers through his hair, tugging it lightly. A soft moan escaped his lips onto mine. I tugged his hair again and he slowly inched forward. I pressed my back against the couch, never breaking our kiss. For a guy that didn't believe in contraception laws, he was the most sensual kisser I ever kissed. If he was going to keep kissing me like that, he would probably need to start.
I broke the kiss slightly, nibbling at his lower lip. He moaned with pure ecstasy. Turned out I wasn't that bad either. I licked at the spot my teeth hit and then slid my tongue back into his mouth. He pressed his body against mine, running his hands up and down the curve of my hips.
I was so lost in the moment that when his phone rang from the coffee table I jolted, unhinging the kiss and knocking him off the couch, and onto the floor.


Now continue on with the hotness and check out some other blogs!

Want more of The Only Exception? Add it on GoodReads and get ready for it on April 9th!