Lori L. Clark's Blog, page 219

Amazon Self-Published Bestsellers Monday, April 1, 2013

Amazon Self-Published Bestsellers Monday, April 1, 2013
(These are the top PAID SINGLE titles)


1. 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." 


2. Music of the Heart by Katie Ashley: "For Abby Renard, the plan was supposed to be simple—join her brothers’ band on the last leg of their summer tour and decide if she’s finally ready for the limelight by becoming its fourth member. Of course, she never imagined stumbling onto the wrong tour bus at Rock Nation would accidentally land her in the bed of Jake Slater, the notorious womanizing lead singer of Runaway Train. When he mistakes her for one of his groupie’s, Abby quickly lets him know she sure as hell isn't in his bed on purpose."


3. Light in the Shadows (Find You in the Dark #2) by A. Meredith Walters: "Maggie never thought she’d see Clay again. So, she attempts to put her life back together after her heart has been shattered to pieces. Moving on and moving forward, just as Clay wanted her to. Clay never stopped thinking of Maggie. Even after ripping their lives apart and leaving her behind to get the help he so desperately needed. He is healing...slowly. But his heart still belongs to the girl who tried to save him."


4. Surrender Your Love by JC Reed: "Meeting Jett was like lightning. Dangerous. Better left untouched. And better forgotten. But lightning always strikes twice. Brooke Stewart, a Realtor in New York, doesn't do relationships. When she’s sent to a remote estate to finalize a real estate deal, she discovers her new boss is no other than the guy she left naked in bed."


5. Death by Chocolate by Sally Berneathy: "Lindsay loves chocolate. It tastes good, it makes her feel good, it never cheats on her like her almost-ex-husband. It's her best friend. But someone wants her dead and uses her weak spot—chocolate—to try to murder her. Lindsay's only secret is the recipe for her chocolate chip cookies, but she is surrounded by neighbors with deadly secrets. Suddenly she finds herself battling poisoned chocolate, a psycho stalker, and a dead man who seems awfully active for a corpse."

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6. Twisted (Torn Series) by KA Robinson: "Chloe and Drake have found their happily ever after... Almost. When Chloe's mother comes back into her life with a bang, it sets off a chain of events no one could have ever expected. Everyone has their demons, and Chloe and Drake's hit them with a vengeance. Sex, drugs, money, a crazy ex, and Rock n Roll.... Can they survive it all? Things are beginning to feel a bit... Twisted."


7. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover: "Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies...That's what Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she's never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past she wishes could just stay buried."


8. Lily's Mistake by Pamela Ann: "Lily Alexander was always in love with Drake Tatum before she even knew what love meant. One fated night during one of their family vacations, Lily gave her virginity to Drake. After that magical night, Drake and Lily avoided each other successfully for eight years. Upon their parent's meddling, the two suddenly had to face each other--working side by side. Sparks fly. Eyes devouring each other. The sudden impact of being in each other's orbit was electrifying."

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9. Torn (Torn Series) by KA Robinson: "Chloe hasn't had the best life. With a mother who is gone more often than not, she has had to raise herself. After graduating high school, she leaves to start a new life away at West Virginia University with her best friends Amber and Logan, determined to leave her demons in the past. On her first day, she meets a stranger who takes her breath away at first sight. Until she met Drake, no one had ever sparked her interest. Now this tattooed and pierced bad boy is all she can think about, no matter how hard she fights it."


10. Find You in the Dark by A. Meredith Walters: "Maggie Young had the market on normal. Normal friends, normal parents, normal grades...normal life. Until him. Clayton Reed was running from his past and an army of personal demons that threatened to take him down. He never thought he had a chance at happiness. Until her. Maggie thought their love could overcome anything. Clay thought she was all he needed to fix his messy life. That together, they could face the world. But the darkness is always waiting. Sometimes the greatest obstacle to true love is within yourself."

Book Review: Wait for You

Book Review: Wait for You by J. Lynn



Some things are worth waiting for...

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago--an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe--please God--make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn't need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she's building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing...

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that's just so... so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet...

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she's has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for...
My take: This book has been extremely popular and not to be outdone, I opted to read it as soon as I could fit it into my busy schedule. I show it previously as being a self-published ebook, but now it looks like it was picked up by a traditional publisher. I'm not surprised, the writing is tight and the voice is incredibly real. I have some complaints, but they are minor. The editing wasn't what I would have expected from such a well-known author. Many times wrong words, extra words, and omitted words caused me to stumble in the book. I know how hard editing is, so I'm not going to drone on about it excessively. I assume it will go through a clean-up. I loved Cam. I loved Avery. The two of them together? The chemistry and banter practically leaped off the pages. He was a patient, patient young man. Maybe one day, we will see a version of this book told from his point of view? Wouldn't that be nice?! There were a few firsts in this book which set it apart from many of the others I've read recently. I don't suppose masturbation is a first for any NA book by any means, it just happens to be a first for me. Talk about making it real! Kudos to you Jennifer. Well done. 

New Adult group at Goodreads!

I am a huge fan of reading and writing New Adult books so I created this New Adult group for like-minded bookaholics to brag about a book they've read and/or written! Won't you join us today?

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Fans Of New Adult

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This is a group for fans of the genre New Adult and all sub genres under the New Adult umbrella. ...

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Share book reviews and ratings with Fans Of New Adult, and even join a book club on Goodreads.

Cover Reveal And Giveaway!

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Of
Silver and Beasts (A Goddess Wars Novel)by Trisha
WolfeRelease
Date: June 1, 2013

Genre: New Adult Dark
Fantasy

Cover Reveal Organized by: YA Bound

Cover
Designed by: Steven
Novak
Summary
from Goodreads:


In the sand-covered
queendom of Cavan, the goddess once
saved a young Kaliope’s life, preventing the mercury her father attempted to
hide in her blood from reaching her heart. Now, a cybernetic clamp filters it,
but the silver streaks swirling faintly beneath her skin are a constant
reminder that she’s different. When nineteen-
year-old Kaliope is chosen as head of the Nactue Guard, she
becomes the sworn protector to her empress.


 In the midst of an invasion on a
neighboring land, Kaliope is placed in charge of guarding Prince Caben, the
last heir to his kingdom. But when they’re attacked by the feared
Otherworlders, Caben and Kaliope are abducted and taken below to a realm where
they must fight for their life in a caged arena. 


Kaliope struggles to protect her princely charge, keeping him and
herself alive
while battling inhumanly opponents, and trying to save the stolen, sacred relic
that will restore her empress’s life force and all of Cavan. And if she can
somehow awaken the goddess within her, she may save what’s most important.


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***Excerpt***

I open my mouth to say something comforting, but I’m unsure of what. In this moment, I’m
reminded that I know little about him. Other than the sarcasm and desire to understand nothing
of my queendom, he hasn’t allowed me past the surface.
But then, I have my own walls, hiding things I’d never want him or any other to know. And I
understand that need to hide them. You can’t trust anyone.
“Caben…” I start, but still can’t find the right words.

He lowers his hand from his face, never taking his eyes off the glinting water top. “You’re
right,” he finally says. “Let’s find the access to Lilly’s section.”
A hollow pang hits my chest, and I’m not sure why. Something in his voice sounds lost, broken.
I imagine the gears around my heart spinning faster, trying to keep up with my racing heart.
When he sidesteps me, I reach out and grab his arm. “Caben, I didn’t mean—”
“It’s fine, Kal,” he snaps. “We have work to do.”
“No, I’ve said something to offend you.” I drop my hand, but keep close to him, not allowing
him to leave my side. Goddess, trying to understand the male brain is harder than anything in
protector training. I’ve heard people say that you have to tip-toe around a woman’s emotions, but
a man’s ego is every bit as fragile, if not more so.
He releases a heavy breath through his nose and walks back to the pool. He sits down along the
edge and rolls up his pants, then slips off his boots. “I honestly don’t think Bax or his goons will
be returning tonight.” He sinks his bare feet into the water and sighs.
Glancing at the back of the cave, I plant my hands on my hips. We don’t have time for
indulgencies, but the prince is still my charge. If it were my empress, I’d give her anything she’d
ask for. Allow her as much time as she needed to collect herself. I have to watch over his mental
state as well as protect him, so I try to push the pending need to find Lilly aside and sit down
next to him.
“Here,” he says, turning his hand out near my crossed feet. “You have to feel this.”
A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. “I can remove my own—”
“Have you never been pampered a day in your life?” he asks, lifting an eyebrow. “I know that
the Nactue are fierce and will put a hurt on any man for touching them. But try to relax.”
“Is that the rumor in Perinya?”
“What?”
I bite my lip, suddenly regretting my blurt. “Nothing. Never mind.”
From the corner of my eye, I see his lips pucker into a pinched smile, as if he’s trying not
to. “Ah,” he says, like he’s made some great universal connection. “Well, there are many
whisperings about the Nactue. Some I dare not repeat for fear I’d leave here missing a limb, but
that’s one, yes.” He takes my booted foot and begins to unlace it. “I’ve heard that the empress’s
protectors are untouchable—forbidden to give themselves to men. And that they’ll snap a man’s
neck just for making an advance.”
My mouth drops open. Appalled, I counter, “That’s not true.”
“All right,” he says, as if he hasn’t just insulted my very existence. “It’s only rumors. Things
men jaw about in pubs. The unattainable woman is a fantasy, Kal. Don’t be offended.”
“Unattainable?” I grit my teeth, trying to maintain my composure. “Tell me, prince. Do men in
your country just go around bedding every woman they can in order to keep them compliant?” I
shake my head. “If their fantasy is a woman that would have nothing to do with them, it seems to
me it’s their way of feeding their egos after being rejected.”
His eyes widen. “No! How does your brain come up with these—” He bites off his words, his
lips thin as he presses them together. “Look, it was a joke.”
I nod, many times. “Another joke. I’m glad that our hard work and sacrifice is amusing to the
men of Perinya.”
Caben lets out another sigh and slowly pulls off my boot. His warm fingers skim my calf as he
inches up my pant leg. “Just stick your foot in,” he says, then adds lower, “while I stick mine in
my mouth.”

Unexpectedly, I laugh. “At least it’s now clean,” I say. “Would you like some help getting it to
your face?”

Author Website
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Cover Reveal: The Last Hour by Charles Sheehan-Miles

Title: The Last HourAuthor: Charles Sheehan-MilesGenre: Contemporary fictionAge Group: AdultCover Designer: Okay CreationsExpected release date: May 15, 2013



Twenty-seven year old Carrie Thompson-Sherman has the life she always wanted: her PhD, a prestigious fellowship, and an amazing husband.

Her life begins to unravel as a jealous colleague puts her fellowship in jeopardy and a haunting secret Ray Sherman carried home from Afghanistan comes to light.

Hounded by a federal investigation and the ensuing media feeding frenzy, Carrie and Ray desperately lean on each other, until a disastrous accident puts both Ray and her sister's lives at risk.

In the last hour, Carrie and Ray will each find themselves faced with a choice.

A choice that will change everything.


About the Author

Charles Sheehan-Miles has been a soldier, computer programmer, short-order cook and non-profit executive. He is the author of several fiction and non-fiction books, including the indie bestsellers Just Remember to Breathe and Republic: A Novel of America's Future.
Charles Sheehan-Miles | Facebook | Twitter

Book Review: The Farm

Book Review: The Farm by Emily McKay



Life was different in the Before: before vampires began devouring humans in a swarm across America; before the surviving young people were rounded up and quarantined. These days, we know what those quarantines are—holding pens where human blood is turned into more food for the undead monsters, known as Ticks. Surrounded by electrical fences, most kids try to survive the Farms by turning on each other…

And when trust is a thing of the past, escape is nearly impossible.

Lily and her twin sister Mel have a plan. Though Mel can barely communicate, her autism helps her notice things no one else notices—like the portion of electrical fence that gets turned off every night. Getting across won’t be easy, but as Lily gathers what they need to escape, a familiar face appears out of nowhere, offering to help…

Carter was a schoolmate of Lily’s in the Before. Managing to evade capture until now, he has valuable knowledge of the outside world. But like everyone on the Farm, Carter has his own agenda, and he knows that behind the Ticks is an even more dangerous threat to the human race...
My Take: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I haven't read a vampire book in forever, but the thing with this particular vampire book is that it isn't really a vampire book. There is one vampire in the book that we get to "meet." Most of the book is about Lily and her autistic sister Mel. They are in a concentration camp-like place where they are supposed to be safe from the creatures that wander at night. They're not really zombies. They're definitely not vampires. They are some horrible experiment gone awry. Lily wants to escape to Canada with her sister. Her main goal is to protect her sister. Carter offers to help her get off the farm. She doesn't completely trust Carter, for several reasons. Very good read. Not a sappy love story interwoven with a good tale but a good tale interwoven with a little kissy face.

Cover Reveal: The Do Over by A.L. Zaun

Title: The Do OverAuthor: A. L. ZaunGenre: Contemporary AdultCover Designer: Wicked by DesignExpected release date: May 20, 2013





Life doesn't look like it's supposed to for Daniela, aka Dani. After a painful break-up with Rick, Dani decides she doesn't want to deal with the hassles of relationship.

After almost two years, Dani's friends stage an intervention, forcing her out of her holding pattern and back into the real world of dating.

Liam, a down to earth firefighter, may be just the person to show her she’s still worth something. Their chemistry is instant and electric. But will Dani be able to trust her patched-up heart with him?

And what will happen when Rick decides he’ll go to any lengths to get her back? 

About the Author

A.L. Zaun graduated from Florida International University with a degree in English Literature a long time ago. A degree she didn’t use at all in her professional endeavors. She loves to read, write and take pictures. She walks around with her camera, and most importantly she has her e-reader available at all times. Healthcare Management by day, Mommy in the evening and most nights, you can find her sitting in front of her laptop with a bottle of Diet Pepsi, bringing the voices in her head to life on the pages of her debut novel, The Do Over.
A.L. Zaun| Facebook

Amazon Self-Published Bestsellers Monday, March 25, 2013

Amazon Self-Published Bestsellers Monday, March 25, 2013
(These are the top PAID SINGLE titles)

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1. Wait for You by J. Lynn: "Some things are worth waiting for… Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace."


2. 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." 


3. Surrender Your Love by JC Reed: "Meeting Jett was like lightning. Dangerous. Better left untouched. And better forgotten. But lightning always strikes twice. Brooke Stewart, a realtor in New York, doesn’t do relationships. When she’s sent to a remote estate to finalize a real estate deal, she discovers her new boss is no other than the guy she left naked in bed."

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4. Twisted (Torn Series) by KA Robinson: "Chloe and Drake have found their happily ever after... Almost. When Chloe's mother comes back into her life with a bang, it sets off a chain of events no one could have ever expected. Everyone has their demons, and Chloe and Drake's hit them with a vengeance. Sex, drugs, money, a crazy ex, and Rock n Roll.... Can they survive it all? Things are beginning to feel a bit... Twisted."


5. Never Too Far (Fallen Too Far) by Abbi Glines: "The story that started with the New York Times Bestseller FALLEN TOO FAR continues... Rush withheld a secret that had destroyed her world. Her entire life had all been a lie. Blaire couldn't stop loving him but she knew she could never forgive him. Now, she was back home and learning to live again. Moving on with life… until something happened to send her world spinning once again."

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6. Torn (Torn Series) by KA Robinson: "Chloe hasn't had the best life. With a mother who is gone more often than not, she has had to raise herself. After graduating high school, she leaves to start a new life away at West Virginia University with her best friends Amber and Logan, determined to leave her demons in the past. On her first day, she meets a stranger who takes her breath away at first sight. Until she met Drake, no one had ever sparked her interest. Now this tattooed and pierced bad boy is all she can think about, no matter how hard she fights it."


7. Battlescars: A Rock & Roll Romance by Sophie Monroe: "Aubrey Thompson is a twenty-three year old flight attendant for her dad’s small commercial fleet. She’s a sarcastic smartass that has no problem telling you where to go. She also despises rock stars…but that’s all part of the story. Her Granny Jean is spy and will have you laughing out loud." 


8. Lily's Mistake by Pamela Ann: "Lily Alexander was always in love with Drake Tatum before she even knew what love meant. One fated night during one of their family vacations, Lily gave her virginity to Drake. After that magical night, Drake and Lily avoided each other successfully for eight years. Upon their parent's meddling, the two suddenly had to face each other--working side by side. Sparks fly. Eyes devouring each other. The sudden impact of being in each other's orbit was electrifying."


9. Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines: "To want what you’re not supposed to have… She is only nineteen. She is his new stepfather’s daughter. She is still naïve and innocent due to spending the last three years taking care of her sick mother. But for twenty-four year old Rush Finlay, she is the only thing that has ever been off limits. His famous father’s guilt money, his mother’s desperation to win his love, and his charm are the three reasons he has never been told no."


10. Fate Interrupted 2 (Book 2 of 2) by Kaitlyn Cross: "Dean Jacobs used to be Milwaukee’s most eligible bachelor until Megan and her bombshell came along. With her father watching his every move, Dean has to figure out a way to return to Evy, his one true love, without anyone else getting hurt. If Evy lets Dean go, will fate bring him back? Is Megan lying about everything? And will Sugars take Brooke and Ben into their twilight years, or crumble into pieces around their feet? Fate Interrupted 2 will answer these questions and more in the heartfelt conclusion to the love story of Evy and Dean."

Trailer Reveal Blast: The Flame in the Mist

There's evil-a coming from up on the hillIf the Mist doesn't get you, the Agromonds will.   —From an old Anglavian rhyme






EXCERPT:
Thunder roared, and lightning speared down. In its brief flashes, Jemma could see more shadows gathering. They looked like pale Mordsprites, small, bedraggled, skeletal. She lengthened her stride, but the ground was slick and she slipped, slamming face down in black mud. Hauling herself to her feet yet again, she came face to face with one of the shadows.
It was not a Mordsprite at all, but the gray silhouette of a child, a sunken-cheeked, hollow-eyed boy of no more than five, his ragged arms reaching out to her through the Mist.
Jemma stood petrified, her heart pounding as he swayed closer, oblivious to the chaos raining down around him. Others closed in behind him, a straggling band of waifs, all moving in the same direction.
Toward her.
PRAISE:
"Fast, creepy fun. A bit of The Addams Family, a bit of dark fantasy, and a boatload of monsters and magic make this read a ghoulish delight." - Stefan Bachmann, author of The Peculiar


About The Flame in the Mist:

The sun never shines in the land of Anglavia. Its people live within a sinister mist created by their rulers, the cruel Agromond family. The Agromonds' control is absolute; no one dares defy them. But things are about to change, for the youngest of them is not like the others...
Fiery-headed Jemma has always felt like the family misfit, and is increasingly disturbed by the dark goings-on at Agromond Castle. The night before her thirteenth birthday, Jemma discovers the terrifying reason why: She is not who she thinks she is, and the Agromonds have a dreadful ritual planned for her birthday—a ritual that could kill her.
But saving her skin is just the first of Jemma's ordeals. Ghosts and outcasts, a pair of crystals, a mysterious book, an ancient Prophecy—all these gradually reveal the truth about her past, and a destiny far greater and more dangerous than any she could imagine.
With her trusted friend, Digby, and her two telepathic golden rats, Noodle and Pie, Jemma faces enemies both human and supernatural. But in the end, she and her untapped powers might be the only hope for a kingdom in peril.
About Kit

Kit Grindstaff was born near London, and grew up in the rolling countryside of England. After a brush with pop stardom (under her maiden name, Hain), she moved to New York and embarked on her successful career as a pop song writer. Kit now lives with her husband in the rolling countryside of Pennsylvania, where she still writes songs as well as children's books. The Flame In The Mist is her first novel. 
Find Kit:




Website Facebook Twitter:@kitgrindstaffGoodreads
Buy Links:
Amazon.com  Amazon.co.uk Books-A-Million Indiebound Barnes & Noble
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Different Roads: Giveaway!

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Goodreads Book Giveaway


Different Roads
by Lori L. Clark

Giveaway ends April 11, 2013.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
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