Lori L. Clark's Blog, page 152
March 19, 2014
Release Blitz & Giveaway: Impossibly Forever
Impossibly Forever: The Complete Impossibly Duology
Includes: Impossibly Love & Impossibly True
by Shane Morgan
Publication date: February 24th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
Discover the love story of Moya and Branden; from the very first kiss, to the moment where forever begins.
Includes the first and final book:
Impossibly Love:
All Moya Douglas wants to do is study hard, maintain her scholarship, and make her mother proud while attending college. She doesn't have time for a boyfriend or going on dates arranged by her best friend. Moya doesn't believe in love. And she has no intention of ever finding it.
Branden McCarthy is determined to change her views.
A selfless romantic who's had his heart broken in the past, Branden is fascinated with Moya's personality and hopes to develop something real with her—a connection so strong it'll open her heart. But just when things start to work between the two, Branden’s secret threatens to get in the way.
Will Moya finally do the impossible and give love a chance with Branden, or will fear keep them apart?
Impossibly True:
Moya is finally listening to her heart.
She’s ready for love and willing to bask in all the joy it brings, but still, she insists on taking things slow. After all, her relationship with Branden isn't the only one that needs a chance.
With his health scare behind him, Branden wants nothing more than to get his life back on track—play hockey again, catch up on school, and get things moving with his girlfriend.
In the middle of strengthening their relationship and sorting out their individual lives, trouble begins to brew, testing the depth of their feelings for each other.
Can Branden and Moya once again overcome their trials and prove that their love is indeed true, or will past ghosts and new temptations drive them apart forever?
AUTHOR BIOSHANE MORGAN is the Amazon Bestselling author of Impossibly Love, and Unresisting. A book fanatic at heart, Shane currently lives in Narragansett, RI. where she spends her days blogging and writing young adult and new adult fiction. Visit her online:shanemorganwrites.com | facebook.com/authorshanemorgan | goodreads.com/shanemorgan | twitter.com/itchingforbooks | www.itchingforbooks.com
Book Review: The Weight of Blood
The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh: For fans of Gillian Flynn and Daniel Woodrell, a dark, gripping debut novel of literary suspense about two mysterious disappearances, a generation apart, and the meaning of family-the sacrifices we make, the secrets we keep, and the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love.
The Dane family's roots tangle deep in the Ozark Mountain town of Henbane, but that doesn't keep sixteen-year-old Lucy Dane from being treated like an outsider. Folks still whisper about her mother, a bewitching young stranger who inspired local myths when she vanished years ago. When one of Lucy's few friends, slow-minded Cheri, is found murdered, Lucy feels haunted by the two lost girls-the mother she never knew and the friend she couldn't protect. Everything changes when Lucy stumbles across Cheri's necklace in an abandoned trailer and finds herself drawn into a search for answers. What Lucy discovers makes it impossible to ignore the suspicion cast on her own kin. More alarming, she suspects Cheri's death could be linked to her mother's disappearance, and the connection between the two puts Lucy at risk of losing everything. In a place where the bonds of blood weigh heavy, Lucy must decide where her allegiances lie.
Lori's thoughts: First of all, being born in Iowa and now living in Missouri, it's kind of nice to read a book that takes place in the Midwest for a change. I read a sample of this book after seeing it in y e-reader newsletter, and I was hooked. I stopped reading the book I had been reading and bought this one to read instead. The writing is superb and it's hard to imagine that it is by a debut author.
The setting and the people are rich and colorful and I found myself totally immersed in every part of the book. So much so that I had a hard time putting it down. The story line was intriguing and I am looking forward to more work by this author in the future. If you like a good mystery with interesting characters and not your typical setting, I highly recommend you get this book and set aside a few hours one rainy afternoon and immerse yourself in the gorgeous writing. You won't regret it!
Trailer Reveal: Fury
We are dying to share the trailer for Fisher Amelie's FURY! FURY is a Mature Young Adult/New Adult contemporary romance novel and is a part of Fisher Amelie’s Seven Deadly Series. Watch the trailer below, then make sure to add it to your TBR pile!!
FURY Synopsis:
This is Ethan Moonsong's book. Synopsis to be revealed at a later date.
Fisher Amelie Bio:Fisher Amelie is the author of The Leaving Series, Callum& Harper and Thomas & January. She began her writing career as a copywriter for an internet marketing company wherein one of their client's said, 'Hey! You're funny. You should write books'. Which in turn she said, 'Hey, get out of here! This is the lady's restroom.' While washing her hands and the embarrassment from her face, she thought they may have had a valid point. So, she took the thousands of hours of writing stories growing up, tucked them into her pocket and began writing and writing and writing.
Links:
Website: http://www.fisheramelie.com/
Blog: http://fisheramelie.com/blog/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FisherAmelie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fisheramelie
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/FisherAmelie?feature=watch
Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4849669.Fisher_Amelie
FURY Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18332364-fury?ac=1
March 18, 2014
Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Out of Mind
BOOK SUMMARY:
Reaching for sunlight...
Finn survived the ambush and came home to me, but in his head, the battle is still raging. He’s falling apart and I’m trying my best to pick up the pieces of him, to find the us we used to be. I love him as much as I ever did, but love isn’t enough to fix this. I thought telling my father about our relationship would be the hardest thing we’d ever have to face. I was wrong.
Lost in shadows...
All I wanted was to be worthy of Carrie. One mission, just one, and I’d be able to give her the future she deserved. Then everything went wrong, leaving me tainted and broken. Carrie wants me to be who I was, but all that’s left is what they made of me. I’m no good for her. No good for anyone like this. I have to figure out how to move forward. Alone.
Sometimes love isn’t enough…
SPECIAL CONTEST:
Jen McLaughlin (aka Diane Alberts) is also offering up a special contest. If OUT OF MIND hits 3,000 adds on Goodreads before it releases, she will post the first 2 chapters from the book!
GOODREADS
The book is set to release on April 29th.
Buy Links:
OUT OF LINE (Book #1)
Amazon
B&N
OUT OF TIME (Book #2)
Amazon
B&N
Author Information:
Jen McLaughlin is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She writes steamy New Adult books for the young and young at heart. Her first release, Out of Line, came out September 2013. She also writes bestselling Contemporary Romance under the pen name Diane Alberts.Since receiving her first contract offer under the pen name Diane Alberts, she has yet to stop writing. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.
Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, a cat, and a Senegal parrot. In the rare moments when she’s not writing, she can usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.
Website
Facebook Fan Page
Goodreads
GIVEAWAY:
Jen McLaughlin is giving away a signed set of OUT OF LINE and OUT OF TIME for one lucky winner! US only!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
March 17, 2014
Book Review: Pulled Beneath
Pulled Beneath (Bar Harbor Series, #1)
by Marni Mann: What happens when you uncover years of secrets and find out everything you thought to be true was a lie?
Drew Stevens finds her world turned upside down when her parents are brutally murdered. Soon after, she learns she inherited a property in Bar Harbor, Maine, from recently deceased grandparents that she believed had died when she was a baby.
Drew travels north to settle her grandparents’ estate, but finds more questions than answers as the truth starts unraveling. What she didn’t expect to find was Saint, whose reputation is as tumultuous as his past. But the very thing that brings them together is the same thing that keeps them emotionally caged.
With Saint's scars so deep and Drew's so fresh, can the pair heal from their painful wounds or will they be pulled beneath the darkness of their pasts?
TeriLyn's thoughts: 5++ Stars
**ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for honest review**
Marni Mann’s stories are unstoppable forces. Pulled Beneath is no exception. The development of alluring characters and the exploration of new feelings in a descriptively serene setting woven together with an undeniably captivating plot creates a new adult story that will hook you from the very first words. There is a beauty inherently ominous about Ms. Mann’s stories; her writing laced with haunting mystery and vulnerability. Caged, trapped, drowning - these words are reflective of the lives of the two main characters and Drew’s story itself. It’s about freedom from those feelings, the life altering journey it takes to purge the turmoil causing them, and ultimately accepting these feelings as an added layer to your soul. The promise of Ms. Mann’s storytelling is her ability to constantly remind us of the light at the end of a dark tunnel. Her stories resonate so much with her readers because there is never a false hope of immediate resolution to the angst that plagues the two main characters as well as the secondary characters in Pulled Beneath. It’s a hope that the light will shine more often than not. Ms. Mann manages to show us the light via a heart breaking journey, true to real life; a testament to the strength and honesty in not only her characters but in her writing.
The road less travelled is often the path to redemption, this being the case of these very unique characters. Drew is a strong heroine; stronger than she even realizes. She’s vulnerable in a lot of ways and I find certain strength in her vulnerability that allows for healing and acceptance. She’s searching for something unknown; that act alone is an admirable one. Drew handles her trip to Maine (the unknown) as a means to an end. But, the plot progressed so eloquently the reader’s awareness is muted and we don’t know if the trip really is an ending or a new beginning. Drew meets an intriguing cast of characters in Maine the most alluring of whom is Saint. Saint in a word is enigmatic; just as captivating as the plot. He’s the promise of freedom. He’s someone the reader craves just as much as Drew craves him. He helps her breathe in such an instinctual way as if he was created just to balance her angst, shocking them both as a kindred spirit. Saint comes with angst of his own though adding to his mystique. The relationship cultivated between Drew and Saint, from the moment she senses him, is completely visceral. We understand the depth of this reaction thanks to the descriptive writing because Drew and Saint actually spend limited time together at first. They don’t mince words; they don’t even need words to ease the tension they each carry. It just happens. The secondary characters are really great too. There’s a level of intimacy revealed adding mystery to each one of them that we’re left needing to know their stories as well.
In the interest of preserving the plot I hope this hasn’t been too vague. My thoughts and feelings could never do a great story such as this justice but I hope I’ve managed to intrigue you. This is an exceptional new adult story that will pull at your heartstrings. There is so much more to this story than the relationship between Drew and Saint. Drew’s self-discovery is a journey all by itself. It’s the journey that’s most important. Pulled Beneath is the promise and the fear of the unknown; a perfect balance between freedom and angst. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Bravo, Marni Mann.
Promo: Clarity
Clarity - PROMO Blitz By Loretta Lost New Adult Contemporary RomanceDate Published: February 23, 2014
Fiercely independent Helen Winters was born completely blind, but she vowed never to let her disability keep her down. She did not expect a traumatic event to devastate her life and force her to drop out of college. Disillusioned by the cruelty of people, Helen retreated from society to live by herself as a reclusive writer in the woods—where no one could ever hurt her again.
When a brilliant young doctor shows up on her doorstep, promising her that his new research can give her the ability to see for the first time, Helen stubbornly refuses. She has learned not to trust anyone, and to rely only on herself. But Dr. Liam Larson will not take no for an answer. He makes it his personal mission to rescue Helen from her loneliness, and bring joy into her world once more—the joy she has denied herself for so long.
When Helen’s demons come racing back into her life, threatening to rip her apart and destroy the strength she has carefully rebuilt, Liam is the only one who might be able to save her.
Can he reach the broken girl in time, helping her to heal and see the world in a different light? Or will Helen’s grief send her spiraling out of control, lost to him forever?
EXCERPT
I look down to hide my embarrassment. I can feel him staring at me, and the tension is beginning to grow thick in our small quarters. He is sitting very close to me, even if we are separated by the back of his seat. When Owen was in the car with us, the atmosphere was light and funny. But now, it’s dark and intense; it’s laced with something I don’t understand and don’t want to discover. I try to think of something to say to take his focus away from me and my life. “It’s just a job,” I say dumbly.
He scoffs. “Just a job? Helen, I work with other doctors every day. We heal people, and it should be glamorous; we should feel like heroes. But in truth, it gets... mechanical. At some point, you start to question how important your work really is. I mean, you can heal a person’s body... but that doesn’t really heal the person. We aren’t just bodies, you know? That’s where your books come into play.” He pauses, and I can feel him giving me an earnest look. “Books are medicine for the soul. They heal the eternal parts of a person.”
“Liam,” I say in surprise.
“You are a doctor of sorts, too,” he tells me, “except for the fact that your work persists. If a person reads a good book—they become permanently changed. They can’t even help it. They can’t unlearn what they’ve learned. It will always be with them. Our bodies all crumble and fade, and we’ll all eventually lose our eyesight near the end, along with many other basic bodily functions. But I like to think that even when we’re gone, the soul retains some of that wisdom—some of that feeling. What I do is simple science, but what you do is... magic.”
“Stop talking,” I whisper. “Seriously, stop talking right now.”
“Why?” he says, somewhat hurt at the interruption.
“Because I’m pretty sure that if you keep talking like this... I’ll have to marry you, or something,” I explain nervously. “So just zip it.”
Loretta Lost knows how dark the world can be, but chooses to believe in happily-ever-afters, despite all evidence to the contrary.
Author Links
Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodreadsBuy Links
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords
Book Blitz & Giveaway: The Right Moves
The Right Moves by Emma Hart
(The Game #3)
Publication date: March 27th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
Her past is wrought with demons.
His past is full of heartbreak.
Yet he’s the one person that can remind her what it means to live.
Abbi Jenkins never thought she would leave the walls of the mental institution that’s housed her for the last year. Now she has, but that doesn’t mean she’s forgotten everything Pearce put her through.
She knows there’s only one way to deal with the depression that claws at her mind each day, and ballet becomes more than a hobby, a dream. Ballet – and Julliard – becomes a reason to live. Something to hold on for.
Blake Smith left London for one reason and one reason only. Running from the heartbreak of his past was never something he wanted to do, but with constant reminders everywhere he turned, it became his only option. When he arrives in New York City, he vows he’ll keep the promise he made to his sister and get into Juilliard.
But he doesn't expect to be paired with Abbi in class, the girl whose eyes show a world of pain he’s seen before. Pain he knows too well. As each hour they spend together pulls them closer, Blake can’t fight his need to save her from herself.
Lines blur as their pasts are wrenched into the open, and they have to ask themselves whether they’re too broken to ever to be fixed, or if they’re the healing the other needs.
Goodreads
Purchase:
--Amazon
--B&N
----
AUTHOR BIO
By day, New York Times and USA Today bestselling 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.
She likes to write about magic, kisses and whatever else she can fit into the story. Sarcastic, witty characters are a must. As are hot guys. Emma is currently working too many books to even count - including Playing for Keeps, the companion book to the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel, The Love Game. She likes to be busy - unless busy involves doing the dishes, but that seems to when all the ideas come to life.
Author Links:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6451162.Emma_Hart
http://www.emmahartbooks.com/?zx=ac223e301f9f7d2e
https://twitter.com/EmmaHartAuthor
GIVEAWAY
Blitz-wide giveaway
Prizes - open INTL
--3x Signed copies of the series (Books 1-2-3)
--10x Signed swag packs
--5x eARC of book 4
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Book Review: Reclaiming the Sand
Reclaiming the Sand by A. Meredith Walters: Bully and victim.
Tormenter and tormented.
Villain and hero.
Ellie McCallum was a bully. No connection to anyone or anything. A sad and lonely existence for a young woman who had come to expect nothing more for herself. Her only happiness coming from making others miserable.
Particularly Freaky Flynn.
Flynn Hendrick lived a life completely disconnected even as he struggled to become something more than that boy with Asperger's. He was taunted and teased, bearing the brunt of systematic and calculated cruelty, ultimately culminating in a catastrophic turn of events that brought Ellie and Flynn’s worlds crashing down.
But then Flynn and Ellie grew up.
And moved on.
Until years later when their paths unexpectedly cross again and the bully and the freak are face to face once more.
When labels come to define you, finding yourself feels impossible. Particularly for two people disconnected from the world who inexplicably find a connection in each other.
And out of the wreckage of their tragic beginnings, an unlikely love story unfolds.
But a painful past doesn't always want to let go. And old wounds are never truly healed…and sometimes the further you try to run from yourself the closer you come to who you really are.
Julie's thoughts: I’m sorry Ellie McCallum. You said I would hate you. I thought I would. Maybe I should have, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. Much like Flynn didn’t.
Reclaiming the Sand is the amazing story of a broken, lonely girl and the broken, lonely boy she loves and hurts over and over. It is the story of growing up unloved, learning to love yourself, learning to love someone else, learning to let someone else love you. All things most of us take for granted. But these things don’t come naturally for everyone. They didn’t come naturally to Ellie or to Flynn. This story is also about forgiveness; forgiving yourself and forgiving others; believing you are worth forgiving, worth loving.
Reclaiming the Sand is not an easy story to read. It is heartbreaking on so many levels. Knowing what Ellie has lived through and watching her destroy relationships before she can be left and destroyed, witnessing the flashbacks of things that Ellie did to Flynn, crushing his heart again and again, seeing the self hate and guilt that Ellie lives with every day, this is a tragic story. It is also a beautiful story of love and acceptance; putting the horrible past in the past and moving forward.
This is the kind of story that makes you want to take care of others, make sure people are treated well. It will make you wish you had taken up for anyone you saw mistreated in the past (or thankful you stood up at the time). It will make you consider the way in which you treat people currently. It is so easy to speak harshly, not considering the affect our words may have on someone else. You never know what someone has gone through that caused him/her to be a certain way or what someone might currently be going through. This story will make you want to be a better person…at least it did for me.
Release Blitz: Fighting to Survive
SYNOPSISShawn
Matthews has been living a double life for almost a year. Now that his secret
is out, life becomes even more difficult. Shawn is learning to balance his
hectic lifestyle and carry on a relationship with the only girl that has ever
made him want one. Will he be able to overcome the many obstacles that stand
between them?Jason
and Nicole have had a hard time adjusting to the bombshell that was dropped on
their relationship. Can they move past it without hurting each other in the
process?Carter
and Madison still have a demon haunting them that won’t stop until they are
ruined. Will they figure out his plans before it’s too late?Fighting To Survive is the final book in the
Guarded Hearts Series. It will test the strength, will and love of all the characters.
This conclusion will have you laughing, crying and screaming for more.
Amazon.com
He spins around, and before I know it, he has backed me against the wall. He slams his hands on either side of my head, trapping my hands with them, and then crushes his mouth to mine. I let out a gasp of surprise and he takes advantage, slipping his tongue into my mouth. His kiss is so frenzied and urgent, so full of need. It’s unlike anything I have ever experienced in my life. I’m not innocent—I've been kissed by plenty of guys—but never like this.He’s taking complete control over me and dominating every sense of my being. He pulls back a little, biting down on my lower lip, causing me to moan with a mix of pleasure and pain. I open my eyes to see him staring at me with such desire that my insides warm. Before I know what’s happening, he releases my hands and speeds out the door.I stand there, pressed against the wall, panting from the most soul shattering and mind-altering kiss I have ever experienced. When I finally catch my breath, I smooth out my hair and clothes, and then make my way back to the crowd. Shawn Matthews is the kind of guy that my dad had warned me to stay away from, but there is no way in hell that’s happening now.
I practically jump out of the car and run to the door when we pull up to the house. Just as I’m about to turn the knob, I feel a set of hands grab my hips and I let out a shriek. I turn my head to the side and Shawn’s face is only an inch from mine. My heartbeat immediately speeds up—having him this close to me with his hands where they are is torture.“What if we give this a try and it doesn't work?” he whispers in my ear, his hot breath giving me goose bumps all over.“What if we give it a try and it does?” His fingers dig into my hipbones in response. I turn to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck.He walks me backward, presses me against the door, and kisses me. His lips are so soft and his tongue immediately finds its way into my mouth. He completely dominates me the same way he had earlier. When he pulls away, I can barely catch my breath.“Okay, let’s give it a try.”When I look into his eyes, he gives me a smile and then walks back to his truck. I stand there like an idiot until he pulls away and turns the corner.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Ashley Piscitelli lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids, and two dogs. On top a writing career, she is a full-time student and a full-time mom. She loves spending time with her kids, although she has to hide the computer from them when she is writing! She loves being active and being outdoors, especially if it involves any kind of shopping. She has always been passionate about writing. She loves to read romance books and feels like being able to lose yourself in a book is one of the more exciting aspects. The books she loves to read and write will be ones
that make you feel for the characters. Ashley believes that you should have an opinion on every character in a book whether you love them, hate them, or think they are up to something. She also believes that the most important critic is your reader, so she loves to hear from the readers. She want her fans to be open & talk to her about what they want for the characters in the story, and what they would like to see happen.
Please visit Ashley’s facebook page at:https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAshleyPiscitelliYou can
also email her thoughts
or questions at:ashleypiscitelliauthor@gmail.comYou can also follow her on twitter at:@AshPiscAuthor
March 16, 2014
Cover Reveal: Lotus Blossom Lane
Lotus Blossom Lane
(Saving Angels Series #3)
Annie Rose Welch
Genre: Romance with a
strong element of paranormal
Synopsis
Life after Yuma was blissful for Layla and Michael. After the turmoil of the old Red Dirt Road, their journey seemed to be moving them in the right direction, leading them to Ireland, Michael’s birthplace, where history runs deep and secrets run even deeper. As the road to happily-ever-after leads them down Lotus Blossom Lane, years of entombed history starts to emerge, changing the course of their lives forever. And the person waiting for them at the end of Lotus Blossom Lane, one of the biggest starts in the world, will bring them to the Crossroads of the Saving Angels Series.
Excerpt
“Can you believe this?” I closed my eyes, and the tiny specks felt like confetti falling delicately on my face.
He turned my face toward his. “Look into my eyes, Mrs. Roberts,” he whispered. “There’s nothing on this earth more gorgeous than you, in this moment. I refuse to take my eyes away from you.” He continued to search my eyes, just as if he was seeing me for the first time. “From this moment on, you’ll never be alone. Never, for as long as we fly together, will I ever let you fall.” He rested his forehead against mine.
“I love you,” I breathed onto his lips as the snow continued to fall around us, turning the earth bright white in the pitch-black darkness.
Author Bio
Born and raised in New Orleans, Annie has a habit of shortening her words and telling long stories. She speaks with a southern flair and cooks with it too. At the tender age of twenty- one, she hitched up her wagons (took her first plane ride) and moved out west to the big shake (California). Her writing career began one sleepless night when she imagined a gorgeous woman and a man with maniacal hair floating above her like lightening bugs falling from the sky. Curious about them, their story, and why they were floating around in her head, she sat down and penned (typed) her first novel, Marigny Street. A dream come true for her, she hasn't stopped writing since. She loves a damn good love story, always has, no matter what the genre. She is particularly moved by imperfect love that in its own unique way is perfect, the notion of love at first sight, soul mates, and things that are generally out of the norm.When she's not writing she enjoys dabbling in photography and finding new, inspirational music to add to her collection. She currently (still) resides in the big shake (although her southern roots are calling her home) with her husband, daughter, and their two peculiar dogs, Boudreaux and Tabasco (who, call her crazy, bark with an accent).
For lagniappe (a little extra), a virtual cup of café au lait and beignets, please visit:
Annie's website
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
