Lori L. Clark's Blog, page 204

Cover Reveal: Unafraid

Unafraid by Melody Grace: "The first time I saw her, I knew this girl was wilder than any stallion I’d ever trained. She was headstrong, wounded, passionate and free. And I had to have her…”

Brittany Ray doesn't care about her bad reputation. Growing up in a sleepy beach town with a junkie mom and a runaway dad, Brit’s learned the hard way that the people you love will only let you down. It’s no use hoping for love or happiness. Some dreams aren't meant for girls like her.

Hunter Covington is one of those dreams.

Gorgeous, charming Hunter is damn near perfect—and it’s killing him. Son of Charleston royalty, he’s been trapped in a gilded cage since the day he was born. Now he’s breaking free. He’s quit law school to restore his grandpa’s old horse ranch, trying to soothe the demons in his soul. But Beachwood Bay is full of old ghosts, like the mysterious girl who spent an unforgettable night with him—and then slipped away before dawn. Brit.

Everything about her screams danger, but Hunter doesn't care: he’s never felt a connection so deep. And try as she may, Brit can’t resist the desire consuming her —or the safety she finds in Hunter’s arms.

A reckless passion. An undeniable bond. Scarred by their pasts, Brit and Hunter fight to heal old wounds. But will dark secrets tear apart their new beginning? And when love is the biggest risk of all, can they find the courage to face the future unafraid?"
UNAFRAID is a New Adult Contemporary Romance novel and is the 2nd book in the Beachwood Bay Series. It is due to be released on August 27, 2013.





ABOUT MELODY GRACE:

Melody Grace is the USA Today bestselling author of UNBROKEN and UNTOUCHED. A small-town girl turned SoCal beach-lover, she spent years with her nose in a book before deciding it was time to write them for herself. She loves bad boys, good books, and pistachio-flavored ice-cream.


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Cover Reveal: Good Intentions

Title: Good Intentions (Welcome to Paradise, #2)
Author: S. L. Scott
Expected release date: September 9, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Cover designed by: Okay Creations



Two words sum up my summer in paradise—Evan Ashford.

I have a life back home I must return to, though my heart battles this reality. What started as a carefree summer fling has become so much more. Evan has become so much more. He’s become everything. Cupping his face, I stare into his deep blue eyes, wanting to lose myself once more... needing to know he feels this too.

Although our connection won’t stop the summer’s end from rushing toward us or silence the demons Evan battles, I have faith our love can overcome the obstacles that will undoubtedly arise from us choosing to be together. I still worry… Will our good intentions be good enough? But I’m all in, willing to take the risk, knowing he can destroy my heart if I’m wrong.

Like a riptide, I was forever changed by one woman—Mallory Wray.

Our eyes meet and we spend a moment looking into the others’, reading the fear and the love that mingles within. I move slowly down and kiss her forehead, her nose, her eyelids, her cheeks, and her chin before I kiss her lips again—soft and gentle, not rushed, but sensual. She smiles and I die inside knowing that I won’t get to see her face every day. I’ve been spoiled by this sweet angel giving me all her days and nights. I possessively take hold of her wrists and like so many times before, the air stills as our connection intensifies. I can’t help myself when it comes to her.


I kiss her.

Rain pours down harder and I wrap my arms around her, engulfing her body, her love, her soul.





About the Author

S.L. Scott has a degree in Journalism and is the author of Amazon bestseller, A Prior Engagement, her debut novel, Naturally, Charlie, and several novellas, including Amazon best seller, Sleeping with Mr. Sexy, and Morning Glory—all currently available on Amazon. Pursuing her passion for telling stories, she spends her days escaping into her characters, letting them lead her on their adventures. She is a Contributor to Huffington Post as well as writes for her own blog along with several other popular sites.

Travelling, music festivals, and surfing are a few of her hobbies she loves, but she doesn’t get to enjoy on a regular basis. She has an obsession with movies, a varied taste in books, and collects Fitz & Floyd teapots. With a memory full of useless trivia facts, and a Keurig addiction, she loves a fun night in with her family as much as a loud night out with her friends.

Scott lives in the lively city of Austin with her husband, two young sons, and two Papillons, enjoying life in the beautiful hill country of Texas.


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Interview: Arianna, Editor

SRNA: Welcome Arianna! Thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions for our readers! Given the popularity of self-published, and indie writers, the need for affordable editing is exceeding the demand, I would imagine.

AK: Thank you so much for having me!

SRNA: Tell us how you decided to start doing editing work?

AK: I went to school for English literature and am not able to find a job as an editor so I decided to create my own business to help Indie authors. My friend is an Indie author and she was the one who encouraged me to pursue this route.

SRNA: Is there a particular genre you prefer to edit? Or any that you'd rather not edit?

AK: Honestly, I feel that I am stronger with contemporary romance/new adult/young adult. Those genres are an interest of mine and I want to give my clients what they deserve.

SRNA: Explain your typical editing process from start to finish.

AK: I read the MS from beginning to end just to get a feel for the book. I get a feel then go back and read through chapter by chapter. I have seen what my friend has gone through so I know that editing and ensuring proper grammar etc. is extremely important.

SRNA: What is the normal turnaround time for editing an average sized manuscript?

AK: Typically a week but it depends on my schedule as well.

SRNA: What types of editing do you do?

AK: Ultimately anything. Checking for spelling, grammar, punctuation, flow and comprehension. I believe that an editor needs to be honest and constructive.

SRNA: Do you have a waiting list at this time?

AK: I have a few clients in the works but nothing too crazy.

SRNA: Who are some authors you admire?

AK: Oh goodness there’s so many! To name a few: Dawn Martens, Kendall Ryan, Sandi Lynn, AL Jackson, S.Moose, L.Chapman, Carey Heywood, Jessica Sorenson, Michelle Valentine, Kristen Ashley, Abbi Glines, Nickie Seidler, Glenna Maynard, Colleen Hoover and A.Meredith Walters.

SRNA: Is it hard for you to turn off your inner editor while reading for pleasure?

AK: Very! You can never turn off the editor in you!

SRNA: How can people get in touch with you?

AK: My email address is Arianna.editor@gmail.com and here is my facebook link:
https://www.facebook.com/Arianna.Editor

SRNA: Last but not least, and because I like to ask all my guests, what's your sign? :) 

AK: I am an Aquarius!

Book Blitz: Gargoyle Addiction

Gargoyle Addiction by Livia Olteano: "Summonari don’t trust. Under their command, they summon any number of creatures from the Otherworlds—but never trust them outside of the summoning.

Gargoyles don’t love. Fierce descendants of dragons, they function on power and fear—never love.

Karla isn't the happily-ever-after type of girl. No territory-hungry guy is going to stick flags all over her unclaimed grounds.
Kann's world is death and betrayal. As Dar Primus of Haus Varis, he’s expected to follow tradition but he’s not your regular gargoyle. In fact, he’s anything but.

One fateful Friday night, Otherworlds collide. Stuck together in one world or another, Karla and Kann face everything from Awakenings and turbulent love to Festnavals and bloodthirsty scorned suitors.
If there’s one thing they can’t escape, it’s the addiction to each other. And they've got it bad."
Gargoyle Addiction by Livia Olteano
Series: Otherworlds Summons #1
Publication date: July 2013
Genre: NA Paranormal Romance










OmniLit

(Code for 60% off on Smashwords: WE22D)


AUTHOR BIO


Livia lives in Europe where she listens to obscene amounts of music and devours every reading material in sight. When she’s not doing either of the two, she fiddles with anything remotely customizable within reach.


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GIVEAWAY
Grand Prize Giveaway
Prize listed on the Rafflecopter - open internationally.

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Amazon Top 20 New Adult Bookstore July 14, 2013

Amazon Top 10 New Adult Books, July 14, 2013

1. Shine Not Burn by Elle Casey: "IT HAPPENED IN VEGAS. I can't be held responsible. Things that happen there are supposed to stay there, right? Right? Yeeeah. Not so much. Andie's just days away from tying the knot, but there's just ooooone little glitch. Apparently, she's already married. Or someone with her name is married to a guy out in Oregon of all places, and the courthouse won't issue her a marriage license until it's all cleared up."


2. Conquer Your Love by J.C. Reed: "Brooke Stewart, a Realtor in New York, finds forgetting is hard, but forgiving is harder. When the man she trusted, betrayed her, the only way to forget is to move on. Brooke is determined to start a new life, until she meets him again: the green-eyed, sexy as sin, six foot two sex god. The man who played dirty. The man who played her. Sexy, handsome, and arrogant Jett Mayfield knows he has made mistakes."


3. The Arrangement 8 by H.M. Ward: "Nothing ever goes the way it should. Marty is barely a friend any more, and the roommate from hell is doing Naked Guy on my couch again. It's bad enough that it feels like my life is coming apart at the seams. There's one man that has held it together for the past few weeks, but things change. All it takes is a few words and everything shatters."


4. Bully (Fall Away) by Penelope Douglas: "My name is Tate. He doesn't call me that, though. He would never refer to me so informally, if he referred to me at all. No, he'll barely even speak to me. But he still won't leave me alone. We were best friends once. Then he turned on me and made it his mission to ruin my life. I've been humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got more sadistic as time wore on, and I made myself sick trying to stay out of his way. I even went to France for a year, just to avoid him.


5. Him by Carey Heywood: "Sarah Miller hasn't been home in seven years. She thought she could stay away forever. If it wasn't for her big brother's wedding, that is. Part of her even feels silly for staying away this long. It's not like anyone even knew what happened. Well, except for him. That guy. The one she compared all others to. The one who set the bar so high no other guy after him could even compete. All she needs to do is make it through the next week without running into him."


6. Damaged 2 by H.M. Ward: "Home isn't supposed to be dangerous, but for Sidney it is. Returning home means that she has to face her past. It's not just the man who hurt Sidney that makes it horrible, but the family that didn't believe her. They were dead to her, but now that her mom is really dying things seem different. It's a chance to set things right. What Sidney doesn't realize is that she's dragging Peter into a collision course with his past."


7. The Last Boyfriend (Forever Love) by J.S. Cooper: "Lucky Morgan has had her share of heartbreak. She is devastated when her boyfriend dumps her after sleeping with him and she vows to herself that she won't be used again. She decides that the next guy she dates and sleeps with, will be her one true love. Zane Beaumont is the mysterious and snooty guy that comes into her diner every Friday night with a different girl. He's the type of guy she's learned to avoid: carefree, fast, handsome, rich, and sarcastic."


8. Out Of Breath (The Breathing Series, #3) by Rebecca Donovan: "My insides still burned. I considered what I could do to push the torment back into the dark and return to my numb state. I couldn't do it on my own. I needed help. I was desperate." Emma Thomas is hiding. From everything and everyone... including herself. But she can't hide forever. Her past will find her, and her secrets won't remain quiet---not if she wants to be forgiven. Emma learns that honesty can hurt worse than betrayal, and the truth may cost her the only love she's ever known."


9. Falling Into You by Jasinda Wilder: "I wasn't always in love with Colton Calloway; I was in love with his younger brother, Kyle, first. Kyle was my first one true love, my first in every way. Then, one stormy August night, he died, and the person I was died with him. Colton didn't teach me how to live. He didn't heal the pain. He didn't make it okay. He taught me how to hurt, how to not be okay, and, eventually, how to let go."


10. Reason To Breathe (The Breathing Series, #1) by Rebecca Donovan: "'No one tried to get involved with me, and I kept to myself. This was the place where everything was supposed to be safe and easy. How could Evan Mathews unravel my constant universe in just one day?" In the affluent town of Weslyn, Connecticut, where most people worry about what to be seen in and who to be seen with, Emma Thomas would rather not be seen at all."

What Do You Want?

What would you like to see more of here on the She Reads New Adult blog?

Interviews? Book Reviews? Contests? Giveaways? Cover reveals?

Is there a book you'd like us to review? An author you'd like for us to interview? 

Leave a comment and let us know!

We aim to please!

Interview: Stephanie Higgins Designs

Interview: Stephanie Higgins (Cover/website design)

Some of you may already know Stephanie from her book blog: Romance Addict Book Blog. Stephanie is wanting to build her design portfolio, and is offering some really amazing deals for a limited time to kick-start her business. Now is your chance to get your dream book cover or website designed for a low introductory price. It's a win-win situation!

Thank you so much Stephanie for taking the time to answer a few questions for our readers!

SRNA: How did you decide to get started designing book covers?

SH: Well, after my son was born I started my book blog, Romance Addict Book Blog. After starting my blog, I noticed a lot of indie authors were doing their own covers to save money. While I’m always one to advocate saving money, they really need a cover that looks professional to draw the readers in. Editing photos is probably one of my favorite things to do in regards to multimedia. I love taking a photograph and turning it into something new.

I have a degree in Multimedia, and I just finished my second degree in Web Design so I now want to start my own side business helping authors with book covers and websites.

SRNA: In addition to book cover designs, what other services do you provide?

SH: Mainly website design. I’m always open to being asked to do graphic work on other things as well though.

SRNA: Tell our readers a little bit about how you work when doing book covers. Do you read the book? Do you base the cover on the information the author provides you alone?

SH: I am open to reading any book I do the cover for! However, because I review for my book blog, I have a HUGE TBR list. It’s kind of scary and a bit overwhelming to look at actually.

As far as designing the book covers, the author pretty much tells me what they want and I work from there. The easiest thing is for the author to find a stock image they want to use for their cover, send me the image and then I’ll edit the image and design the typography. I’m open to them describing what they want and searching myself for a stock image, but a lot of authors like to have that control.

SRNA: What about web design? Do you have a favored platform to work with? Like Word Press or Blogger?

SH: Well, when I started my blog, for some strange reason I decided to use blogger. Why? I can’t tell you because I wish I hadn't  My blog will be switching over soon because WordPress offers a lot more functionality and is compatible with a lot of the editing software programs out there.

SRNA: Do you use any special software programs in your designing work?

SH: Mostly all the Adobe programs. My classes were pretty much centered around Adobe. There are a few other photo editing software programs out there that are pretty good, but I think my heart will always belong to Adobe.

SRNA: Where can people see some of your designs?

SH: At the moment – nowhere. :( I just graduated and ever since my children were born I've kind of been out of the working field. I've done a few graphics for blog tours and such, but not enough to put a portfolio together yet.

I'm actually offering authors a bit of a deal, since I need help building my portfolio. For a limited time I'm going to offer to do book covers starting out at $45, and web site designs starting out at $100. There will also be no deposit required since I do not have any work to show at the moment, so if you don’t like it, you don’t pay for it. Just email me at romance.addict@att.net with the subject “Portfolio help”!

SRNA: Tell us a little bit about yourself!


SH: Well, as I already mentioned I have a degree in Multimedia as well as Web Design. I have two children, my daughter is turning 4 and my son is turning 2. Before my children were born I worked for a television station as a production assistant. I did everything from helping maintain the website, running camera for our lives shows, editing video of for other shows and even helped with dvd duplication. Before I got married I worked for a poster company that sold the labor law posters every business in America has to have posted somewhere where their employees can see them. I helped run their website and helped with the design for some of the posters. After my daughter was born I decided to stay home and be a mommy, but now I need to have a creative outlet. I think helping authors and having my own side business while my kids are still young really feels right. I love running my book blog and promoting the authors, but I really feel like offering my services to do book covers and web design for them as well would be an amazing experience.

SRNA: Last, but not least, and because I like asking everyone… What's your sign? :)

SH: My zodiac sign? I’m a Sagittarius. :)

Email Stephanie with the subject: Portfolio Help: romance.addict@att.net


My social media links for my blog are:
https://www.facebook.com/RomanceAddicthttps://twitter.com/RomanceAddict13
and my personal FB: https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.higgins.1800

Book Review: Unbreak Me

Unbreak Me by Lexi Ryan: New Adult contemporary romance. Due to sexual content and heavy subject matter, this book is intended for mature readers.

“If you’re broken, I’ll fix you…”

I’m only twenty-one and already damaged goods. A slut. A failure. A disappointment to my picture-perfect family as long as I can remember. I called off my wedding to William Bailey, the only man who thought I was worth fixing. A year later, he’s marrying my sister. Unless I ask him not to…

“If you shatter, I’ll find you…”

But now there’s Asher Logan, a broken man who sees the fractures in my façade and doesn’t want to fix me at all. Asher wants me to stop hiding, to stop pretending. Asher wants to break down my walls. But that means letting him see my ugly secrets and forgiving him for his.

With my past weighing down on me, do I want the man who holds me together or the man who gives me permission to break?
File Size: 374 KB
Print Length: 235 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0985872586
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Ever After, LLC (May 23, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00CZF87AS
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray: Enabled
Lending: Enabled

My thoughts: Just when you think you have it all figured out, you don't. I enjoyed this book and found it to be a quick read. Mostly because I didn't want to put it down! The story wasn't cookie-cutter New Adult. There were some twists and turns that kept it interesting. I couldn't make up my mind who I wanted Maggie to wind up with. The book is told from three alternating points of view. I don't know how the author managed to pull it off so convincingly, but she did. There were some things that I wish the author would have elaborated on a bit more. But it was more for my curiosity and not really paramount to the storyline. The portrayal of small town life was done quite accurately. The "everybody knows your name" and your nickname and nearly everything about you, scenario was very true to life. I would have liked to have read a bit more about Asher's story and Will's story. But again, that's just me. It's a worthwhile read!

Cover Reveal: Kinetic

Kinetic by SK Anthony: "Being strong is one thing. Being an unlimited source of power is quite another.

Genetically altered by the Organization, Annie Fox takes down criminals CIA-style with her luminary strength. With nothing to mend but her broken heart, she is relentlessly pursued by her boss Derek Lake. Just when Annie is about to give him a chance, her ex-husband unexpectedly comes out of hiding.

A wanted man, Nick Logan is a cold-hearted murderer who is considered enemy number one, and orders are clear: kill on contact. He is more powerful than ever and threatens the lives of those she holds most dear. His plan? Get his hands on Annie and use her Kinetic energy to destroy them all. When Annie finds herself with an opportunity to end him, she pauses, horrified by the scars covering the face she once loved. A split second that will cost her everything…"
Kinetic by S.K. Anthony
Series: The Luminaries, #1
Publication date: September 2013
Genre: New Adult Urban Fantasy






AUTHOR BIO
S. K. Anthony is a writer, a reader and a make-stuff-up-er who lives in New York with her husband and toddler twins. She is a wine connoisseur, which just really means she knows she loves it, and a caffeine addict. When she isn't busy with her family she finds herself being transported into the world of imagination. Well, either that or running away from spiders…she is convinced they are out to get her!


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