Lori L. Clark's Blog, page 221

Perception Book Tour & $200 Gift Card Giveaway!

Title: PERCEPTION

Author: Lee Strauss

Release date: September 2012

Age Group: Young Adult

Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian/romance

Event organized by: AToMR Tours

My Review: Just Bookin' Around







Eternal Life is To Die For

Seventeen year old Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP—a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime water-front property along side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans.

Her brother Liam is missing.

Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they've created between those who have and those who don’t. He doesn't like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically.

Zoe’s carefree life takes a traumatic turn. She's in trouble and it turns out that
Noah, the last guy on earth she should trust, is the only one who can help her.

Want to read PERCEPTION? It's FREE on Kobo itunes B&N Smashwords  and on Amazon!

To celebrate, Lee Strauss is giving away a $200.00 Amazon, Nook or iTunes gift card! a Rafflecoptergiveaway


Tour Schedule: AToMR Perception/Volition Tour


About the author

LEE STRAUSS
Lee Strauss writes historical and science fiction/romance for upper YA and adult readers. She also writes light and fun stuff under the name Elle Strauss. To find out more about Lee and her books check out her facebook page. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/elle_strauss To find out about new releases sign up for her newsletter at www.ellestraussbooks.com

Social Media links: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorLeeStrauss#www.ellestraussbooks.com

Book Review: Second Rate Chances & GIVEAWAY!

Book Review: Second Rate Chances by Holly Stephens



Sam wakes up in the hospital expecting to find his girlfriend by his bedside. Instead, he finds a bleached-blond diva, claiming to be his fiancée, hovering over him. When he learns that he's just woken up from a coma and has lost the last three years of his life, any semblance of stability he thought he had falls down around him. All he wants – all he needs – is Lil.

After countless visits with her shrink and too many sleepless nights waiting for the one man she loves to walk back through the door, Lil wants nothing more than to separate herself from the life she used to have. But the moment Sam smiles at her, Lil knows it's going to take more than self-restraint to stay away.

Second-Rate Chances is a contemporary fiction about a young man fighting to regain his memory, and the one thing in his life that felt real. A modern-day Samson and Delilah, it's a look at what it means to love and be loved, and to fight though it seems hopeless.




My take: I really enjoyed reading this book. Although a touch predictable, it was still quite enjoyable. The names were cute. I really liked Lil and admired her spunk. I hate when two people love each other but let pride stand in their way or assume they know what the other person wants and/or needs. This was a quick read and it made me laugh and it made me cry. I look forward to reading more things by Ms. Stephens.



If you've reviewed the book, leave a comment here and I'll post a link to your review!







a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: If You Stay

Book Review: If You Stay (Beautifully Broken) by Courtney Cole


24-year old Pax Tate is an asshole.

Seriously.

He's a tattooed, rock-hard bad-boy with a bad attitude to match.
But he's got his reasons.

His mother died when Pax was seven, leaving a hole in his heart filled with guilt although he doesn't understand why. What he does know is that he and his dad are left alone and with more issues than they can count.

As Pax grew up, he tried to be the kid his father always wanted; the perfect golden boy, but it didn't work. His dad couldn't overcome his grief long enough to notice and Pax couldn't keep up the impossible perfect façade.
So he slipped far, far from it.

Now, he uses drugs and women to cope with the ugliness, the black void that he doesn't want to deal with. If he pretends that the emptiness isn't there, then it isn't, right?
Wrong.

And it's never more apparent than when he meets Mila.

Sweet, beautiful Mila Hill is the fresh air to his hardened frown, the beauty to his ugly heart. He doesn't know how to not hurt her, but he quickly realizes that he'd better figure it out because he needs her to breathe.

When memories of his mother's death resurface from where he's repressed them for so long, Mila is there to catch him when the guilt starts making sense. Mila is the one...the one who can save him from his broken troubled heart; from his issues, from the emptiness.

But only if he can stop being an asshole long enough to allow it.

He knows that. And he's working on it.

But is that enough to make her stay?
My Take: This book hooked me in with the first few pages and didn't let me go until the end. I laughed, and I cried and I remembered a person in my life who dealt with similar addiction issues. Unlike Pax, my POI was addicted. A full-blown alcoholic who sometimes used other things to numb whatever he was trying not to feel. I worried about Mila and whether or not she'd be in the "game" to try and fix Pax or if their relationship would be a co-dependent type situation. It was, just a teensy bit, but it worked for them both. Mila was gutsy and not afraid to do things that should have terrified her. Through it all, it was her love for Pax and the beautiful person she knew was there, buried beneath all of the chemicals. This book is not for those who are afraid to read about sex, love and drugs. If you've ever loved someone unconditionally, in spite of their problems, read this book.

If you've reviewed the book, leave a comment here and I'll post a link to your review!

Cover Reveal! The Wicked Within

Blurb coming soon!
Release: September 17th 2013!Hardcover, 320 pagesExpected publication: September 17th 2013 by Simon Pulse

Other books in the series...





What do you think of the cover? I love it, and I love how they kept the same theme as the first two. I think this one might be my favorite of them all. Love it!



To celebrate the reveal Kelly is giving away a copy of Darkness Becomes Her and A Beautiful Evil, book one and two in the series. Best part? It's open international!






a Rafflecopter giveaway







Cover Reveal hosted by...

Amazon Self-Published Bestsellers Monday, March 4, 2013

Amazon Self-Published Bestsellers Monday, March 4, 2013
(These are the top PAID SINGLE titles)


1. 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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2. 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."


3. 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."


4. 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."


5. Wait For Me by Elisabeth Naughton: "After a tragic accident left her with no memory, Kate Alexander struggled to fit in with a husband and world that didn't feel right. She’s had no reason to question what friends and family have told her, not until her husband is suddenly killed and she finds a photo of a young girl in his office. A girl who can’t be anyone but a daughter Kate didn't know she had."



6. Play With Me (With Me In Seattle) by Kristen Proby: "Will Montgomery is a successful professional football player and seemingly has it all. He’s not used to being told no, and certainly doesn't take no for an answer. So when he turns his charms on his sister’s sexy rocker-chick friend Meg, he’s not only turned down, but met with open hostility, piquing his curiosity and libido. He’s determined to show her that he’s not the arrogant jock she thinks he is, and to get her into his bed."


7. 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."


8. Shattered Promises (Shattered Promises, #1) by Jessica Sorensen: "For twenty-one year-old Gemma, life has never been normal. She knows nothing about her past and has been haunted by the same monsters in her nightmares for the last few months. Unemotional and numb to life, she feels disconnected from everyone. Until the very first day she cries. After that, nothing in her life is the same. Her emotions slowly surface and she starts experiencing love, happiness, and anger, feelings she never knew existed. But they leave her confused and she doesn't know whether to embrace them or run away from them."


9. Forever Black by Sandi Lynn: "When Ellery moved to New York with her boyfriend, she thought they’d live happily ever after in their small New York apartment. She never thought he’d pack his bags and leave because he "needed space." With her new-found single status and fear of being alone, Ellery buries herself in her artwork and paintings until one night she helps a mysterious intoxicated stranger get home safely. Little did she know the mysterious stranger is none other than CEO and millionaire Connor Black."


10. Hard to Resist by Shanora Williams: "Natalie Carmichael thought that Bryson Daniels would be her world. She planned a bright future with him, cherished four years with him, and couldn't have been any happier, but during graduation night, all of that changes.Natalie walks in on Bryson cheating on her. One month after catching him in the act, she finally decides to make an escape by leaving for Florida."

Monthly Recap: February 2013

Monthly Recap: February 2013
Books Reviewed: February 2013

1. Flat Out Love by Jessica Park
2. Vain by Fisher Amelie
3. Flawed by Kate Avelynn
4. Perception (Perception Series) by Lee Strauss
5. Sketchy (The Bea Catcher Chronicles - Book One) by Olivia Samms
6. Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker
7. We'll Be The Last Ones to Let You Down by Rachael Hanel

Not too bad. I actually read another one, but it's part of a promo tour coming up, so I'll post my review for that later in the week. I also started, but could not finish, Metamorphosis. All of these books were very good. My favorite being Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker. 

January stats:
These posts had the most hits:

1. Book Review: We'll Be The Last Ones to Let You Down 
2. Book Review: Beautiful Creatures
3. Amazon Self-Published Bestsellers, Monday February 25, 2013
4. Book Review: The Lucky One
5. Book Review: The Edge of Never

Consistently, The Lucky One Book Review is on the list month after month. I know that the release of the Beautiful Creatures movie is what has prompted this post's popularity of late.

Book Review: We'll Be The Last Ones to Let You Down

Book Review: We'll Be The Last Ones to Let You Down by Rachael Hanel


Rachael Hanel’s name was inscribed on a gravestone when she was eleven years old. Yet this wasn’t at all unusual in her world: her father was a gravedigger in the small Minnesota town of Waseca, and death was her family’s business. Her parents were forty-two years old and in good health when they erected their gravestone—Rachael’s name was simply a branch on the sprawling family tree etched on the back of the stone. As she puts it: I grew up in cemeteries.

And you don’t grow up in cemeteries—surrounded by headstones and stories, questions, curiosity—without becoming an adept and sensitive observer of death and loss as experienced by the people in this small town. For Rachael Hanel, wandering among tombstones, reading the names, and wondering about the townsfolk and their lives, death was, in many ways, beautiful and mysterious. Death and mourning: these she understood. But when Rachael’s father—Digger O’Dell—passes away suddenly when she is fifteen, she and her family are abruptly and harshly transformed from bystanders to participants. And for the first time, Rachael realizes that death and grief are very different.
My take: I enjoyed reading about all the different stories contained within the pages of this memoir. I don't often read memoirs, at least not the ones of normal, everyday, non-famous midwesterners. I found the stories about all the different cemeteries and the stories behind the tombstones entertaining. When we walk or bike or drive through a cemetery, how often do we stop to consider all the things that go on behind the scenes? Or about the people buried there? I used to enjoy riding my bike through the large cemetery in the town in Iowa I lived in at the time. The different stones, the different names, etc. and wonder, or imagine. And who hasn't heard at least one creepy cemetery story? This book is more than a book about graveyards. It's about family and communities and how we are all intertwined and how death affects us all in different ways. I was especially fascinated by the chapters on how she wanted to communicate with those who had passed on and the Ouija board. I also found interesting her curiosity about death and tragedy. Not a particularly riveting read, but entertaining and well-written just the same.

If you've reviewed the book, leave a comment here and I'll post a link to your review!

Amazon Self-Published Bestsellers Monday, February 25, 2013

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

1. Wait For Me by Elisabeth Naughton: "After a tragic accident left her with no memory, Kate Alexander struggled to fit in with a husband and world that didn't feel right. She’s had no reason to question what friends and family have told her, not until her husband is suddenly killed and she finds a photo of a young girl in his office. A girl who can’t be anyone but a daughter Kate didn't know she had."

2. Hard to Resist by Shanora Williams: "Natalie Carmichael thought that Bryson Daniels would be her world. She planned a bright future with him, cherished four years with him, and couldn't have been any happier, but during graduation night, all of that changes.Natalie walks in on Bryson cheating on her. One month after catching him in the act, she finally decides to make an escape by leaving for Florida."

3. A Terrible Love by Marata Eros: "Jess Mackey is living a meticulously fabricated lie of necessity. She's left the secret tragedy of her past behind along with who she was and is forging ahead with a clean slate. Jess soon discovers that passion can't be left behind; her own and that of the one man that sees who she really is. Whose presence caresses her soul in a way that may breach the peaceful life Jess has made for herself."

4. Forever Black by Sandi Lynn: "When Ellery moved to New York with her boyfriend, she thought they’d live happily ever after in their small New York apartment. She never thought he’d pack his bags and leave because he "needed space." With her new-found single status and fear of being alone, Ellery buries herself in her artwork and paintings until one night she helps a mysterious intoxicated stranger get home safely. Little did she know the mysterious stranger is none other than CEO and millionaire Connor Black."

5. Beauty From Pain (Beauty Series) by Georgia Cates: "They agreed on three months...but their love knew no boundaries. Jack McLachlan is a winemaking magnate and easily one of Australia’s most eligible bachelors. His success and wealth makes him no stranger to the complications of romantic relationships and that’s why he goes to extreme measures to avoid the hassle. He prefers simplicity in the form of a beautiful female companion with no strings attached. He arranges relationships like business deals and they’re always the same. No long term relationships. No real names."

6.  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."

7. Bullet by Jade C. Jamison: "What if you discover the man you want is toxic? She tasted a little bit of heaven with him, and now they've gone through hell and back, but can their relationship take anymore? Valerie Quinn is a naïve college freshman when she meets on-the-rise rock star Ethan Richards. He’s an idealistic, handsome, reckless young man, but he’s captured her heart. She doesn't give up on him and eventually his walls crumble down. By the time Valerie has given herself to him completely, she discovers he’s damaged and may be beyond help. Can she save Ethan and their relationship before he implodes, or will he self-destruct and take her with him?"

8. Waiting for You by Shey Stahl: "Bailey Gray is tired of her perfectly planned life. Everything about her life has been organized and lived out to the expectations set of her parents. She is the class valedictorian, has perfect grades, the perfect friends, a perfect boyfriend, basically perfect life...or so everyone thought. That's when she realizes the path planned isn't always the path chosen. On graduation day she makes a decision. One that changes everything she thought she knew about her intended future. On a whim, she runs away with the town rebel, Dylan Wade, in search of the unknown."

9. True Love Story by Willow Aster: "Sparrow Fisher is transforming. No longer dressed up in antiquated clothes and ideals, she is finally trying on her freedom. Before she moves to New York City, she meets Ian Sterling, a musician Sparrow has dreamed about since she first saw him. The attraction is instant, but their relationship isn't so simple. Over a five year span, Sparrow and Ian run into each other in unusual places. Each time, Sparrow has to decide if she can trust him, if he feels the same for her, and finally, if love is really enough."

10. Grounded (Up In The Air #3) by R.K. Lilley: "Grounded, Book 3 in the Up In The Air Trilogy. James and Bianca’s story draws to a close in the explosive conclusion to the Up In The Air Trilogy. After a short but earnest courtship, Bianca can no longer deny her feelings for James, and though she’s tried her hardest, she can’t help but see that he cares deeply for her, as well. In a completely uncharacteristic move, she has put aside her misgivings and agreed to live with the enigmatic billionaire. Is her leap of faith the beginning of something wonderful, or is it too much, too fast?"

Book Review: Ten Tiny Breaths

Book Review: Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker




Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D. Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair. But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.
My take: Everyone raved about how good this book is and I had to find out for myself. I was not disappointed. I figured out pretty quick what was going on with Trent, but that didn't make me love the book less, it just made me wonder how they were going to work it all out. I love the way the book ended. I loved how it wasn't too sweet and unrealistic. This is the first work I've read by Ms. Tucker and it won't be the last. I am pleased the book was picked up by a publisher! The characters in this book are broken. Almost everyone of them has some sort of story to tell. They are not cookie cutter fake people. They are people you might see sitting next to you at an AA meeting or at a talk about PTSD. Who wouldn't fall in love with a man like Trent? I loved him and Kacey -- in all their flaws. You must read this book! It's a definite MUST READ.

If you've reviewed the book, leave a comment here and I'll post a link to your review!

Ramblings of a Writer

Amazon Self-Published Bestsellers Monday, February 18, 2013

Amazon Self-Published Bestsellers Monday, February 18, 2013
(These are the top PAID SINGLE titles)

1. Wait For Me by Elisabeth Naughton: "After a tragic accident left her with no memory, Kate Alexander struggled to fit in with a husband and world that didn't feel right. She’s had no reason to question what friends and family have told her, not until her husband is suddenly killed and she finds a photo of a young girl in his office. A girl who can’t be anyone but a daughter Kate didn't know she had."

2. Grounded (Up In The Air #3) by R.K. Lilley: "Grounded, Book 3 in the Up In The Air Trilogy. James and Bianca’s story draws to a close in the explosive conclusion to the Up In The Air Trilogy. After a short but earnest courtship, Bianca can no longer deny her feelings for James, and though she’s tried her hardest, she can’t help but see that he cares deeply for her, as well. In a completely uncharacteristic move, she has put aside her misgivings and agreed to live with the enigmatic billionaire. Is her leap of faith the beginning of something wonderful, or is it too much, too fast?"

3.  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."

4.  Beauty From Pain (Beauty Series) by Georgia Cates: "They agreed on three months...but their love knew no boundaries. Jack McLachlan is a winemaking magnate and easily one of Australia’s most eligible bachelors. His success and wealth makes him no stranger to the complications of romantic relationships and that’s why he goes to extreme measures to avoid the hassle. He prefers simplicity in the form of a beautiful female companion with no strings attached. He arranges relationships like business deals and they’re always the same. No long term relationships. No real names."

5. Hard to Resist by Shanora Williams: "Natalie Carmichael thought that Bryson Daniels would be her world. She planned a bright future with him, cherished four years with him, and couldn't have been any happier, but during graduation night, all of that changes.Natalie walks in on Bryson cheating on her. One month after catching him in the act, she finally decides to make an escape by leaving for Florida."

6. Collide (Volume 1) by Gail McHugh: (Collide is book one of a two part series) "A missed first encounter… Colliding with a second chance… On the heels of graduating college and trying to cope with her mother’s death, Emily Cooper moves to New York City for a fresh start. While harboring secrets of his own, Dillon Parker takes care of Emily through her grief. Knowing he can’t live without her by his side, he’s sweet, thoughtful, and everything Emily has ever wanted in a man. Until she meets Gavin Blake—a rich and notorious playboy who is dangerously sexy and charming as hell."

7. Fate Interrupted (Book 1 of 2) by Kaitlyn Cross: "Dean Jacobs is one of Milwaukee’s hottest eligible bachelors and in no mood to settle down, until she comes along. Evy, however, is focused on opening a new dessert bar with her sister but Dean won’t take no for an answer. She finally gives in to the want in her gut and - much to her surprise – discovers he isn't the player she thought he was. Just when things turn into a fairytale sent from above, Dean’s past comes back to haunt him. The only question is: will it make them stronger, or rip them apart?"

8. The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen: "There are those who don’t get luck handed to them on a shiny platter, who end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, who don’t get saved. Luck was not on Callie’s side the day of her twelfth birthday when everything was stolen from her. After it’s all over, she locks up her feelings and vows never to tell anyone what happened. Six years later her painful past consumes her life and most days it’s a struggle just to breathe."

9. In Flight (Up In The Air #1) by R.K. Lilley: "When reserved flight attendant Bianca gets one look at billionaire hotel owner James Cavendish, she loses all of her hard-won composure. For a girl who can easily juggle a tray of champagne flutes at 35,000 feet in three inch heels, she finds herself shockingly weak-kneed from their first encounter. The normally unruffled Bianca can't seem to look away from his electrifying turquoise gaze. They hold a challenge, and a promise, that she finds impossible to resist, and she is a girl who is used to saying no and meaning it."

10. Rule by Jay Crownover: "I loved Rule Archer since the first moment I ever laid eyes on him. He was everything I shouldn't want and the only person I went out of my way to not try and please. He only saw me as a brat, as an entitled, stuck up princess but worse than that all he saw when he looked at me was his deceased twin brother's girl. It broke my heart because as much as I had loved Remy Archer there was never anything romantic between us and no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that loving Rule was a terrible idea, my poor heart just wouldn't listen."