Lori L. Clark's Blog, page 47

Giveaway & Release Blitz: Between the Notes

Between the Notesby Sharon
Huss Roat Release Date: 06/16/15Harper Teen382 pages
Summary from Goodreads: When Ivy Emerson’s family
loses their house—complete with her beloved piano—the fear of what’s to come
seizes her like a bad case of stage fright. Only this isn’t one of her single,
terrifying performances. It’s her life.

And it isn’t pretty.

Ivy is forced to move with her family out of their affluent neighborhood to
Lakeside, also known as “the wrong side of the tracks.” Hiding the truth from
her friends—and the cute new guy in school, who may have secrets of his
own—seems like a good idea at first. But when a bad boy next door threatens to
ruin everything, Ivy’s carefully crafted lies begin to unravel . . . and there
is no way to stop them.

As things get to the breaking point, Ivy turns to her music, some unlikely new
friends, and the trusting heart of her disabled little brother. She may be
surprised that not everyone is who she thought they were . . . including
herself.

Debut author Sharon Huss Roat crafts a charming and timely story of what
happens when life as you know it flips completely upside down.





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About the Author

Sharon Huss Roat lives in Delaware with her husband and two kids.
When not writing books for young adults, you might find her reading (YA of
course), planting vegetables in her backyard garden, or sewing costumes for a
school musical. BETWEEN THE NOTES is her first novel.


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Cover Reveal: FU Cancer

Title: F U Cancer
Author: Hilaria Alexander
Release Date: Dec 29, 2015
Find on Goodreads




Lucy has always been a good girl. The most hardcore thing she's done in her life was falling for a divorced man ten years her senior.
But he was the love of her life and she married him. When her Peter Pan of a husband decided to divorce her, she thought it was her chance to start anew. That was until she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Besides looking like Britney circa 2007, she is taking it well, real well. You might see her walk around the hospital during chemo sessions with bright colored wigs and outrageous t-shirts that seem to shock the most conservative employees. One of them reads F U CANCER.




I found him leaning against my car in the parking lot.
I got a Sixteen Candles flashback. He looked just as cool as Jake Ryan. The only difference was that he was leaning against my car, not his.
Oh, to be sixteen again. And make the same mistakes over and over. I wanted to get in the car with him and make out until I couldn't feel my lips anymore. I instinctively touched my lips and smiled to myself.
I met his eyes and smiled, but he gave me a serious, dark look.
Uh-oh. This wasn't going to be good. The butterflies in my stomach would be dead and gone pretty soon.
I let out a breath, mentally preparing to his apology.
It was a mistake, we shouldn't have...I shouldn't have started it. Ugh.
He looked nervous, and so was I. This was going to be a mess.
Then, suddenly, I knew how to break the tension.
“If you're hitting me up in this parking lot to score more crack, I'm sorry to say you're on the wrong track,” I told him, smiling, as I approached the car.
“What?” He looked confused as if the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind. Huh.
“Come on, you already went through your whole bag of candy or most of it, and you want to know if I can get you some more.”
“More?”
“Yes, more. You want more Bonkers, right? I should have known better. I'm basically feeding an addict now. Shame on me,” I teased.
“I didn't want to ask for more candy,” he laughed.
“Is this about the other night?” I asked him, unable to hide the frown on my face.
“Yes,” he replied. He just stared at me but added nothing else.
“I know what you're going to say,” I told him. 
“You do?” he asked and gave me a suspicious look.
“Yes. It's okay, really. You don’t have to say anything.”
“What do you think I'm going to say?”
“You’re going to say you think it was a mistake…we shouldn't have done it, yada yada yada,” I said gesturing. He cracked a smile. “You’re going to say it was just a spur of the moment, which it was. It was a great spur of the moment.”
He nodded in agreement.
“It was a great spur of the moment!” He flashed a charming smile.
“It was, wasn’t it?” I leaned against the car next to him, feeling a little more relaxed. He didn’t seem too upset about the kiss, after all. I felt suddenly lighter as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
“Yes, it was a spur of the moment. But it wasn't a mistake,” he said. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans and gave me a look that made my stomach flip, and my heart took off, happily drumming away.
Now I was just dying to hear the rest, but he just kept staring at me. 
“It wasn't?” I asked and he just shook his head slightly, failing to contain a smug smile.
“The reason why I ran out the other night,” he started, “well part of it has to with the fact that I'm a doctor and you're a patient here. I go back and forth thinking is not very professional of me to engage with you–”
I started laughing. I couldn't help it. 
“What?”
“It sounds like you're the teacher and I'm the underage school girl,” I laughed.
He laughed with me, and I loved the way his eyes brightened when he did.
“I don't think we are breaking any rules. Technically. Well, I’m not completely sure, but it wouldn’t seem like it.” I gave him a flirty grin.
He placed an arm on top of the car and he turned around, leaning toward me. He was dangerously close, and I had to remind myself to keep my horny hormones in check.
“Well, when I got home I regretted leaving, but another reason why I did it is because I thought we were rushing it. Actually, let me rephrase that: I was the one rushing things–”
“You left because you thought we were going to fast?”
“Well…yes. I mean I might have gone a little too far that night. It doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy every second of it, but I felt like I was the one pouncing you.”
I burst out laughing because he sounded ridiculous. Did he think I regretted him coming after me in the pool? Quite the contrary. He stopped talking, and I saw his eyes fixated on my mouth. A devilish grin spread across his face. My laughter subsided, and my breath hitched. The way he was looking at me made me feel like I hadn’t felt in a while.
He looked at me as if I was desirable. I hadn’t been desired in a long time. I could have understood if he had been attracted to me under normal circumstances, but I was not the same Lucy anymore. Therefore, I had no idea how could he possibly be attracted to me.
“I like you, Lucy. I want to go out with you. We'd probably better keep it on the down low, but I want to see you. Away from here.” He looked around in the parking lot, but we were alone. He then looked at me as if waiting for an answer, but I was still processing his words.
“What? You’re crazy,” I told him. There was both shock and thrill in the tone of my voice.  I was perplexed and flattered.
“Am I? Why? You’re still single, right?” It sounded like he was mocking me. Ha ha. I frowned and narrowed my eyes at him. I didn’t understand what game he was playing. Was he really asking me out?
This was crazy. Bananas. Completely idiotic.
“Why? For one, I’m sick.”
“I’m around sick people all the time,” he said, the corner of his lips twitching up.
“I’m toxic. Literally.”
“Nahhhh. You’re not that bad. I don’t think your toxicity levels can get in the way of dating.”
I couldn’t believe it. I thought he was just going to apologize for not calling me. I never thought he’d say he wants to see me. Me. Did he have any idea of what he was asking? He needed a good dose of reality.
Time to lay down the ugly truth.
“You want to date me, huh? Some days I can barely hold myself up together. I have no hair left save for my eyebrows and eyelashes and when I look at my reflection, I feel like I’m staring at an alien. I have an ugly looking breast that reminds me every second of my life what’s wrong with me. I’m at the lowest I’ve ever been. And you want to date me?”
My words left him completely unfazed. He still wore a silly smile on his face. I had just given him a half dozen reasons why he should leave me alone and he didn’t seem worried in the slightest.
“Don’t you realize I’m probably the most qualified person? I’m indirectly a pro at all the things you just listed. No one can understand it better than me because I deal with it every day.” The tone of his voice was cheerful, but then a thought clouded his eyes. “Well, I guess the only person who could be more qualified than me would be a cancer patient or a cancer survivor because they would really know what it means to have experienced what you’re going through. But I’m a close second.”
He sounded almost cocky. This was a side of him I had never seen before. I knew I should have been turned off by it, but I instead I was intrigued by this super confident version of Dr. F. I hated to admit it.
“I don’t think–”
“How about Friday?” he asked.
“I can’t.”
“You can’t or you’re making up some kind of excuse in that pretty alien head of yours?”
I broke into a smile. “No, I really have plans. Family dinner.”




Hilaria Alexander was born and raised in the south of Italy, where her family still lives. She attended college in Naples and spent one year in Tokyo, Japan, as part of a student exchange program because she was crazy enough to pick Japanese language as her major. She now lives in Oklahoma City with her husband and kids.
When she isn't at work, she is reading, catching up on her favorite TV shows and coming up with new stories she doesn't have time to write. She loves traveling and is a self-proclaimed concert addict. If you have questions about her, including how an Italian ends up moving to Oklahoma, ask her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. She's the author of Prude and This Love. F U Cancer is her third novel.

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Release Blitz: There We'll Be

There We’ll Be
Alla Kar
(Together, #3)
Published by: Swoon Romance
Publication date: November 27th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Respect your elders.



Stay off Sawyer property.



And don’t even think about that Sawyer girl…
Boone Cross was raised with three simple rules, and falling for Josie Sawyer broke every one of them. That is, until a year ago, when he did the unthinkable and she moved away.
Josie Sawyer never thought she’d be on a plane, flying back to Arkansas for the summer, only a year after her heart was crushed into a thousand pieces by the boy her parents forbade her to love. But her father is dying, and being stubborn isn’t an option.
In a town this small, it’s only a matter of time before she runs into Boone Cross.

A lot’s changed since she last laid eyes on him, but some things have remained exactly the same. Boone’s got designs on her and he won’t give up until he gets what he wants.
But as they give in to the need to be together once more, secrets come to light revealing a history of a hatred between their families that runs so deep that even the strongest love may not be able to survive.

Goodreads / AmazonFind Alla Kar online:

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EXCERPT:JosieSomething tickled my feet, but I was too tired to move. I had stayed up most of the night, crying into my pillow. Once I realized I wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon, I packed my suitcase. I’d only fallen asleep three hours before.
“Josie,” someone whispered.
I knew by the smell of cigarettes and that raspy voice that it was Samantha. Opening one eye, I stretched my arms above my head. Samantha’s face was coated in glitter from brow to chin. Her belly shirt and go-go boots told me she’d just gotten in. Go-go dancing wasn’t her first choice to pay the bills, but neither of us complained when those tips started rolling in.
She threw her purple wig to the floor, revealing a nest of brown curls. “What the—” she said, picking up one of the wads of Kleenex that littered my bed. “Is something wrong with my Sookie?”
I sat up straight, feeling my puffy eyes with the tips of my fingers. “Yes,” I said, looking into her eyes for the first time. Bags hung underneath each painted eye, and her frown told me I looked as bad as I felt. “I’m going home. My mom called.”
Samantha arched a brow. She knew the relationship between my mother and me was rocky.
“My dad is dying,” I choked out.
Samantha’s arms flew around me. “I’m so sorry, Sookie. Are you okay? God, that’s a stupid question. When are you leaving? Do you need me for anything?”
I relaxed into her arms. I couldn’t have asked for a better friend. When I moved from Arkansas to California, I was as lost as a damn goose trying to get around. But then I met Samantha in freshman calculus. She took me under her wing and, three weeks later, rented me the empty bedroom in her apartment. We’d been best friends ever since. “I’m leavin’ at two. I just need a ride to the airport.”
She nodded against the crown of my head. “I can do that. In the meantime, how about some pancakes?”
I pulled away. The thought of eating made my stomach turn but I couldn’t say no to that hopeful face. “Pancakes sound nice.”
Fifteen minutes later, after I called the diner and told them I had to take some time off, we sat at our small kitchen table eating buttery pancakes.
“How long are you going to be gone?” she asked. She’d taken off her makeup and looked like an actual person now. Her high cheekbones and full lips were bare, and she’d never looked prettier. She was one of those girls who didn’t have to try to be gorgeous—she just was.
I shrugged, pushing the pancakes around on my plate. “They said he has a month. So I guess I’ll be gone a month.”
Sam’s frown deepened. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry. So, so sorry. I can’t believe this is happening to you.” She kept her eyes on mine and I could see she wanted to ask something else.
“Go ahead and ask.”
The corner of her lip rose into a small smile. “I know you have to go, of course, but wasn’t there a reason you hadn’t gone back in the first place? I mean, you never really told me why you didn’t want to go home.”
More pain assaulted my chest, and it took everything in me not to burst into tears. I hated feeling so weak and helpless, but the memories were dancing at the corners of my vision, taunting me.
And all because of him. Because I’d fallen in love with a person that unlovable. Heartless. That’s the only reason I could think of why he would leave me. Alone. He’d been my anchor for an entire year. I’d spent a year in the woods, each night letting him hold me in that deserted treehouse of his.
Until one day—he vanished. Not literally, but emotionally. All those memories, stories, kisses—his touch. Those eyes. Everything had vanished from my life without as much as a goodbye. And as many times as I’d lain there, waiting for him to come back, he never did.
“It’s a long boring story, Sam. You don’t want to hear it.”

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Book Review: Hearts of Blue

Happy Release Day to L.H. Conway and her new book HEARTS OF BLUE. Take a sneak peek into the book below and make sure to enter the giveaway. As a special treat, the author is having a poll on her FB page asking readers to pick a scene from the book that they would like to read from the hero's POV. Stop by her page to vote and the scene that gets the most votes by the end of the Release Week Event will be posted on the author's blog at a later date. Vote HERE!
She upholds the law. He breaks it.Two blue hearts, both alike in bravery
In not-so-fair London, where we lay our scene
From gun crime to petty theft
Where family is blood and survival makes hands unclean
In this place, we find two hearts who should be foes
And yet, amidst the turmoil their love still grows
Misadventure abounds and the divide will bring them strife
But with luck, death doesn’t always mean an end to life.Hearts of Blue is a standalone contemporary romance that tells the story of star-crossed lovers Karla Sheehan and Lee Cross, a police constable and the thief who steals her heart.
Lori's thoughts: LH Cosway is on my must read list, one of my go-to authors. I love her books, I love her settings. I've read all of the books in this series, and this one wasn't my favorite, but I still really enjoyed it. The characters were well-developed and entertaining. I could have done without having so much sex in the book, but that's just my opinion. I think a little is fine, but it's not necessary to over do it just because a lot of other authors do. I always look forward to seeing what Ms. Cosway is going to come up with next. 





Lee didn’t answer, and instead he took a step forward, forcing me to back up if I didn’t want us to collide. The problem with this meant my back hit the wall a moment later.

“You’re so pretty, Snap,” he said, voice low, as he dropped his face to my hair and breathed in.

I wasn’t wearing a hat, and my hair was tied up in a bun. My entire body trembled when he wrapped his arms around my waist, inhaled deeply and pulled me into a hug. This was a distraction, I knew it, and yet, I let him distract me. I wanted to be distracted, and I was just glad that the blinds in his office had been pulled.

Standing in his embrace for at least a minute with silence all around us, I was unable to move. I liked having Lee close, loved the feel of him and how he could make feel so…surrounded. Despite all the warning signs, my attraction to him only grew stronger. There was just something about him that called to me.

“Lee.”

His mouth moved against my hair. “What is it, Karla?”

“Why are you hugging me?”

“You looked like you needed to be held.” His response was low, and the affectionate undertone had me swallowing deeply. At long last I summoned the willpower to break the hug. His arms fell away from me easily, my stomach churning with confusion. What the hell was I doing?

I stared at the floor when I spoke. “I have to go.”

Heading for the door, I paused when he said gently, “Hey, I needed it, too.”

L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads L.H. Cosway Hearts of Blue Release Week Giveaway
♥ READ THE BOOKS ♥Six of HeartsAmazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords | iTunesHearts of FireAmazon | Smashwords | B&N | Kobo | iTunesKing of HeartsAmazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | iTunes | SmashwordsHearts of BlueAmazon US | Amazon UK

Release Blitz: The Harder You Fall

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Release Week Blitz for Gena Showalter’s THE HARDER YOU FALL! Being released today, this fantastic contemporary romance in the Original Heartbreakers series is a scorching tale featuring an aloof bad boy and the rowdy Southern belle who rocks his world, published by HarlequinHQN! Order THE HARDER YOU FALL from the links below! And don’t miss the sexy excerpt we have for you below!


Amazon * Kindle * Barnes and Noble * Nook * Book Depository * Powells * iBooks* BAM * Kobo * IndieBound

EXCERPT:

Jessie Kay smiled, but the amusement didn’t last long. “You must hate that I’ve been with them.”

“I hate the thought of you with anyone else and for a while, I thought I’d grow to resent the two for putting their hands on my woman. But now I realize it simply doesn’t matter. They are the past, and I am the present.”

“Your woman,” she whispered, as if she couldn’t believe he’d said the words. “The future.” Gulping, she turned in her seat to fully face him. “How did Monica know you want to pretend I’m a human buffet?”

West gripped the steering wheel more tightly. “I told her.”

A moment passed in silence. A moment he lacked any kind of heartbeat, the stupid organ waiting for a reason to beat.

“I want you, too,” she admitted. “You know I do. But I won’t do anything about it because I expect long-term and you insist on two months.” A heavy pause. “Right?”

His body reacted to her words—I want you, too—growing hot and hungry, his heart now racing as an insatiable need for relief plagued him. “Right.” He couldn’t over look his reasons for keeping this particular schedule. Not even for Jessie Kay. It would be an insult to Jase and Tessa, even Beck. It would be an insult to the pain they’d suffered on his behalf.

“Why?” she asked. “Why do you insist on two months? Tell me. Please.”

“Not yet.” He’d have to tell her sooner or later, he saw that now, but as for tonight, there’d been enough turmoil. “If we can’t be together, you have to help me resist you. Tell me all the horrible things you’d do if we were involved. Cling? Demand to know every detail about my rotten childhood?”

For a long, silent moment, she peered at him with yearning and hope, and it tore him up inside. He didn’t think there could be anything worse—until both emotions were eclipsed by resolve.

“I would cling so hard,” she finally said. “I would ask a million questions about not just your childhood but your day, everyday, and if I thought, even for a second, you’d looked at another woman, I would punish you by refusing to sleep with you. For a week!”

“You mean you would punish yourself. But keep going. This is helping.” Was it though? He wasn’t disturbed by the thought of her questions and her punishment. He was intrigued.

“I would take horrible advantage of you,” she said.

Again, he was intrigued. “Give me an example.”

“Well, for starters, I would expect you to trade cars with me.”

“Why?”

“Because any boyfriend of mine would insist I drive the safer vehicle.”

Guess who would soon be getting a new—safer—car all her own?

But she wasn’t done. “And I hope you like your girlfriends in baggy shirts and sweatpants. The moment I have you nailed down,I’ll stop putting any effort in to my appearance.”

He gave a mock shudder.

“And despite your obvious aversion to gift-giving, I will expect a present for every anniversary. And,West? I believe every week together is a new anniversary.”

The thought utterly terrified him.

The one gift he’d given his mother, she’d pawned. The first gift he’d given to a foster mother hadn’t compared to the gifts she’d received from her own children. She’d proudly displayed theirs, and his—a drawing he’d slaved over—had ended up in the trash with the wrapping paper.

“Your turn to help me.” Jessie Kay waved her hand at him. “Tell me the horrible things you’d do to me.”

He brought her hand to his mouth, and licked between her knuckles. One taste. Just one…“I’d have a schedule drilled into your head by the end of the first day.”

“Nothing new there.”

“If you were a minute late to anything, I would pencil in a lecture and a spanking.”

Her exaggerated gasp caused his lips to twitch at the corners. She placed her free hand over her throat, saying, “You’re such a beast! Yes, I would deserve and welcome the spanking. But the lecture? Cruel and unusual. How long would it last?”

“Hours.”

She tsk-tsked. “I hate to break it to you, sugar bear, but I wouldn’t hear a word. I’d be too busy day dreaming about the joys of single life.”

“Don’t kid yourself, kitten. I’d deliver the lecture naked. You’d only want more of me, not less.”

Goosebumps broke out over her skin. “What else?”

“I would demand to be the center of your world.” He never had before, but with her, he was certain he’d make an exception. “Every minute of every day would be long to me. I would expect you in my bed every night and in my arms every morning. I would have you so often and so hard you wouldn’t be able to breathe without thinking of me.”

Another moment passed in silence. Another moment without a heartbeat.

He reached the house, parked in the driveway.

“Horrible,” she finally said, her voice little more than smoke—smoke that drugged him…lured him deeper into her spell.

He shook as he got out of the car, walked around and opened her door. “I need another reason. Now.”

She stood before him, looking up at him with luminous eyes. “I would demand a hug at least ten times a day.”

He didn’t have to fake a shudder this time. “I hate hugs. I never know how long or tight to hold on.”

“Well, I can fix that in a jiff.” She stepped closer to him, stepped into him, winding her arms around his waist and pressing her cheek against his chest, where his heart drummed a thousand beats a minute. “Hold on until I say stop.”

He obeyed without thought, wrapping his arms around her and clinging.

“Tighter,” she said. “Good. That’s good.” A tension-laden pause. “Miserable yet?”

“Beyond,” he whispered.

“Good. Now run your fingers through my hair.”

It was a dangerous game, the most dangerous one they’d ever played, and it utterly defeated the purpose of what they were trying to do. Still he ran his fingers through the silken strands of her hair, and she sighed with contentment.

“Jessie Kay.” A heated rasp.

She looked up, pressed a gentle kiss into his lips.

The contact, even as brief as it was, obliterated whatever armor he’d had around his mind…his heart? His every hidden desire was suddenly on display, like exposed nerve endings, raw and sensitive.

Suddenly he couldn’t breathe. He lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers, stealing her breath when she opened for him.

Their tongues rolled together, soft and slow, and the incredible taste of her nearly unmanned him: the sugar that was a steady part of her diet laced with a hint of cinnamon. Two flavors he would forever associate with home…home…for the first time in his life, he felt as if he was home.

“Jessie Kay.” As good as the kiss was, it had nothing to do with passion. Not in this stolen moment. Every stroke and thrust somehow deepened the emotion between them. She branded him. She took him to a place where the past no longer existed. There was only here and now, and they were the only two people alive.

“West,” she gasped—then she pushed him away.

They stood at arm’s length, both of them panting.

Goal: Get her back in his arms. Without her, he had no anchor. He was set adrift, the past threatening to intrude.

He reached for her, but she sidestepped him. Can’t let her get away.

He caged her against the car to prevent an escape, and as she trembled, he cursed. He wasn’t this man. Needy and clingy—desperate.

“N-now that we got that out of our systems,” she said, unable to look him in the eye, “the wanting should end.”

“Yes,” he croaked. “The wanting should end.”

Please. Let it end.







THE HARDER YOU FALL Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter comes another scorching Original Heartbreakers tale featuring an aloof bad boy andthe rowdy Southern belle who rocks his world…

Millionaire video-game creator Lincoln West has a dark and tragic past. The sought-after bachelor lives by a rigid schedule and a single rule—one relationship per year, lasting no more than two months. No exceptions. When he gave up the big city for a small town, he hoped to escapethe worst of his memories—until a brash beauty dredges up long-buried emotions.

A reformed party girl, Jessie Kay Dillon is determined to walk the straight and narrow. But her love-hate sizzle with West is just too irresistible. They can't be near each other without tearing off their clothes, but the last thing she needs is to be his next two-month dump. Will she becomethe one exception? Because as any former girl-gone-wild knows: rules are made to be broken.


"Emotional, heart-tugging, kept me turning the pages!" —Carly Phillips, New York Times Bestselling Author
Add it to your Goodreads Now!


And Don’t Miss the First Books in the Original Heartbreakers Series! THE CLOSER YOU COME
THE HOTTER YOU BURN









About Gena Showalter:

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld and Angels of the Dark series, two young adult series--Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles--and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. In addition to being a National Reader's Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine, she's appeared onNightline and been mentioned in Orange is the New Black--if you ask her about it, she'll talk for hours…hours! Her books have been translated in multiple languages.

She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at genashowalter.com or Facebook.com/genashowalterfan


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Giveaway & Series Blast: The Last Orphans

- Book #1 -
The Last Orphans by N.W. HarrisGenre: YA, post-apocalypticSeries: The Last Orphans #1Publication: October 9th, 2014 by Clean Teen Publishing

One horrifying day will change the life of sixteen-year-old Shane Tucker and every other kid in the world.

In a span of mere hours, the entire adult population is decimated, leaving their children behind to fend for themselves and deal with the horrific aftermath of the freak occurrence. As one of the newly made elders in his small town, Shane finds himself taking on the role of caretaker for a large group of juvenile survivors. One who just happens to be Kelly Douglas—an out-of-his-league classmate—who, on any other day, would have never given Shane a second glance.

Together, they begin their quest to find out why all of the adults were slaughtered. What they find is even more horrifying than anything they could have expected—the annihilation of the adults was only the beginning. Shane and his friends are not the unlucky survivors left to inherit this new, messed-up planet. No, they are its next victims. There is an unknown power out there, and it won’t stop until every person in the world is dead.

A spine-tingling adventure that will have you gasping for breath all the way until the last page, The Last Orphans is the first book in an all-new apocalyptic series.

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE!Amazon | B&N | Kobo
You can sign up for the upcoming blog tour for The Last Orphans by clicking the banner below.


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- Book #2 -

The Harvest by N.W. HarrisGenre: YA, post-apocalypticSeries: The Last Orphans #2Publication: April 14th, 2015 by Clean Teen Publishing

In the wake of the apocalypse, nobody is safe.

Shane Tucker and his friends thought they managed to save the world from the destructive machine that killed off most of its adult population. Unfortunately, a war nobody was prepared for has only just begun. Now they find themselves joining ranks with a secret organization that will train them to fight for the right to survive. Taking refuge alongside other teenage survivors in a hidden base set deep within the mountains, they will learn how to repel an imminent attack by an ancient race of aliens.

Determined to safeguard the children under their charge, Shane and his friends compete for the ultimate prize—a suicide mission against the flagship of the alien fleet. While Shane's feelings for Kelly deepen, along with his need to protect her, he finds emotions clouding his judgment. He’ll gladly die for her. But he refuses to die with her. No amount of training can prepare them for what is to come. Everything the brave teenagers have endured thus far will be eclipsed, with the freedom of humanity hanging in the balance.

The Harvest is the heart-pumping sequel to The Last Orphans by N.W. Harris.

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- Book #3 -

Enslaved by N.W. HarrisGenre: YA, post-apocalypticSeries: The Last Orphans #3Publication: Coming December 29th, 2015 by Clean Teen Publishing

If he loses her, he’ll lose his will to fight.

Shane and his friends survive the first major attack against the enemy, destroying the alien ships that came to harvest the children of Earth and turn them all into slaves. However, one ship escaped, and the aliens have captured Kelly. Shane will do whatever it takes to save her, but turning his back on his friends could jeopardize the whole mission.

The enemy invades Kelly’s mind, turning her into a slave soldier. She’ll follow their orders, even if it means murdering her friends, including her little sister and Shane. She is helpless, trapped inside her body while it performs heinous tasks under the direction of her new masters, while her sanity and desire to live fade.

Shane returns home to make a rescue attempt, only to find Kelly commanding an army of human slave soldiers, and she’s determined to make him join her ranks. Will Shane save Kelly before she gets to her sister, or will she help the enemy enslave the rest of humanity?

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Release Day Blast: Belong

Ten years ago I fell in love with a married woman. I walked
away so she could be happy, moving across the country to make sure I put space between us. We severed ties, and I promised myself I wouldn't look back.Since then I committed to someone else, and we have a child
and a life many would wish for. Except, it's never been enough for me. There's always been something missing; something I never wanted to admit.With my own marriage failing, I'm forced to go back to my
hometown to bury the man who raised me. I never expected to see her there, and nothing could prepare me for what would happen the moment my arms wrapped around hers again.
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EXCERPT
"You have every right to assume this can't be anything more than a temporary affair. I don't blame you for being cautious, but there is something I want you to know."

She turned around, finally looking right at me with those hesitant eyes. "What?"

"I still love you." I swallowed the lump in my throat as the words came out, silently praying she wouldn't force me to leave. It wasn't every day that I told someone other than my wife I loved them, but in this instance it was the truest statement I'd ever made. "I feel like I've loved you for a lifetime. It’s true. I have loved my wife, but it’s not the same. It’s always been you, Rach. You’re the only woman I know I’ll never be able to let go of. Staying away was my only option. I did it to protect both of our lives, but there’s nothing standing in the way anymore. Please don't deny us a second chance." I paused one more time. "I need you, just as much as I think you need me."

Her shoulders relaxed, and I watched her purse fall from her grip and hit the concrete ground. She shrugged while staring into my eyes. Her lips were trembling, allowing me to almost sense the connection between us. "I'm not strong enough to be with you again. I can't handle anymore heartache. Being close to you scares me, because I’m tired of the pain and suffering."

I took two steps forward, breaking the distance between us. "I'm not capable of hurting you again, Rach. If you give me this chance I promise I won't let you down. Let me be your friend again, and whatever comes with it will be determined by both of us."










Jennifer Foor is an award winning Contemporary Romance Author. She's best known for the Mitchell Family Series, which includes ten books.She is married with two children and spends most of her time behind a keyboard, writing
stories that come from her heart. WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER GOODREADS AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE NEWSLETTER

Release Launch: Butterfly Dreams

In a powerful romance hailed as “heartbreaking, real, and breathtakingly beautiful” by Stacey Lynn, New York Times bestselling author A. Meredith Walters tells the story of a troubled young woman and the unforgettable guy who teaches her to live—and love—to the fullest.

She’s waiting to die. . . . Corin Thompson is paralyzed by her obsession with mortality. Having lost both of her parents, she is terrified by the idea that she too will die young, and she loses control at any sign of illness. But when Corin connects with someone who has survived a very real brush with death, she begins to see the world in a whole new way.

He’s learning to live. . . . As Corin struggles under the weight of her neuroses, Beckett Kingsley is attempting to rebuild a life that feels all too temporary. With the ever-present threat of heart failure never far from his mind, he just wants to make the most of whatever time he has left. And that means pursuing the girl he never expected to find.

Together, Corin and Beckett finally learn to let go of their fears and take solace in everyday pleasures. Who knows what the future holds? After all, nothing lasts forever—the only promise they have is right now.

Advance praise for Butterfly Dreams

“All the feels: poignant, funny, sad, beautiful, and inspiring! Your own belly butterflies will take flight.”—New York Times bestselling author Katy Evans

“A. Meredith Walters is the author I turn to when I want to get sucked into a beautiful story that packs an emotional punch.”—New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett

“Butterfly Dreams is one of the most poignant books I’ve read all year. It’s heartbreaking, real, and breathtakingly beautiful. A. Meredith Walters weaves a story that draws you in from the very first page and refuses to let you go even once it’s finished.”—Stacey Lynn, author of the Nordic Lords series

“The ending nearly killed me, but I survived. I read this book in one sitting, and what a roller coaster of a story. The author did an amazing job. . . . I found myself unable to put the book down.”—The Book Hookup
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EXCERPTMy doorbell rang.

What?

I looked at the clock and realized it was already 7:30.

So that meant it was Beckett on the other side of the door.

Shit.

I looked down at my half-naked body.

Shit!

And then I started freaking out.

“I’ll be right there!” I yelled.

Should I let him in?

But I was practically naked!

I couldn’t let him see me like this!

Maybe I should own it. Shake my hips and let him get a look at the goods.

Like that would ever happen.

Crap, what was I going to wear?

I grabbed a pair of jeans from my floor and wiggled them on, not really paying attention to which ones they were.

I reached into my closet and pulled the closest shirt off the rack. I tied my hair into a ponytail and slipped on a comfortable pair of ballet flats.

I hoped Beckett hadn’t planned on five-star dining because I was dressed more for a McDonalds milkshake before hanging with the bowling league.

“Sorry,” I said, out of breath, opening the door and letting Beckett inside.

“I was starting to think I needed to break in and make sure you hadn’t gotten stuck in the toilet or something.” Beckett looked damn near perfect in a dark pair of jeans and button-up blue shirt the same color as his eyes.

He had even gotten a haircut. Way to make me feel like a total underachiever in the getting ready department, buddy.

“Looks like you cut yourself,” I said, indicating the piece of toilet paper stuck to his chin.

“Fuck. I forgot about that,” he muttered, pulling it off, looking embarrassed.

“You should have left it there. It’s cute,” I teased, putting on my black wool coat.

“You ready?” he asked.

“As I’ll ever be.” I gave him a wide smile and he laughed.

“I’m not taking you to your death by firing squad. You could act a bit more excited.”

I jumped up and down, clapping my hands together. “OMG, Beck! I can’t wait!” I gasped.

“Is that better?” I asked, closing my apartment door behind me and locking it.

“Much.” Beckett leaned down and I swear he was checking out my ass.

“Excuse me, but what in the hell are you doing?” I demanded.

“Are you aware that the Cheshire cat is on your right butt cheek?”

I craned my body to get a look at what he was talking about. And sure enough, there was a bright purple patch with the damn Cheshire cat on my derriere.

“I must have picked up the wrong jeans,” I groaned. These were my hanging-out-doing-laundry jeans. Not meant to be seen by anyone but myself and the cat.

“I was in a rush. I couldn’t figure out what to wear. It was stressful,” I tried to explain, pulling my coat down over my feline-covered bum.

“The last thing I want is to stress you out, Cor-Cor.”

I smacked his arm. “I thought I warned you about using that damn nickname,” I threatened.

“I show up with toilet paper stuck to my face and you have a cat on your butt. I think we make a pretty awesome pair,” Beckett snickered, unlocking his car.











The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary and Paranormal
romance including The Find You in the Dark and Bad Rep series as well as the
upcoming stand alone romance, Reclaiming the Sand, and a dark new adult series
for Gallery Books. A. Meredith spent ten years as a counselor for at risk teens and children. First
working at a Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault program and then later a program
for children with severe emotional and mental health issues. Her former clients
and their stories continue to influence every aspect of her writing. When not writing (or being tortured with all manner of beauty products at the hand of
her very imaginative and extremely girly daughter), she is eating chocolate,
watching reality television that could rot your brain and reading a smutty
novel or two. A. Meredith is represented by Michelle Johnson with the Inklings Literary Agency. FACEBOOK GOODREADS AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE WEBSITE TWITTER

Giveaway & Cover Reveal: Chasing Crazy

We're so thrilled to reveal the cover of debut author Kelly Siskind's CHASING CRAZY, which releases January 12th from Forever Yours! We absolutely can't wait for everyone to get their hands on this new adult contemporary romance. Check out the beautiful cover below, read a sneak peek, and enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card! About CHASING CRAZY

"With an endearingly awkward female protagonist, a swoon-worthy male love interest, and Siskind's superb storytelling, this is one of the best New Adult contemporary romances I've read to date." -- USA Today bestselling author K.A. Tucker

Dear Mom & Dad, I dropped out of school. I'm going backpacking. Sorry. Love you both.

At nineteen, Nina has endured two lifetime's worth of humiliation. Tired of waiting for it to get better, she decides to get going-across the globe to New Zealand. There she soon faces what she most fears: a super sexy guy ready to be Nina's next mistake.

Once Sam's life was all about having fun. That was before the accident. Now his friends have bailed and his world is broken. But when a gorgeous girl on his flight looks at him with passion instead of pity, Sam feels his old self coming back to life.

Now traveling together, Nina and Sam know this isn't just a fling. They're falling fast, hard, and deep. More than anything, Sam wants Nina to forget her fears. But to help her do that he must reveal his own painful secret-and risk Nina never seeing him the same way again.
CHASING CRAZY releases January 12, 2016 - add it to your Goodreads list here!Preorder CHASING CRAZY now: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo
ExcerptFrickin’ Hot Guy and his stupid hike. He thought his limp would slow us down, but I’m the one huffing and puffing, trying to figure out how I ended up on Mount Everest while in New Zealand. I chance a glance up, using the moment to inhale a mouthful of air. Sam leans over the edge, hands on his knees, grinning down at me. If there was ever a reason to summit a mountain, that face is it.

Sam, who I’m falling for. Sam, with that jaw.

Sam, who I’ll be sleeping with. In a tent. Alone.

Another five agonizing steps later, he’s got me by the shoulders, helping me up. In the blink of an eye, he has my straps undone and is easing the bazillion-pound weight from my back. The air still feels sharp in my lungs, like it could slice through me.

“Keep moving around,” he says. “Come on, let’s walk it off.” He grabs my hand and leads me over the rocky ground, the two of us walking in wide circles.

After a few laps, the air is less daggerlike and my breathing slows. I blink at my surroundings. So focused on my aches and pains, I didn’t stop to soak in the landscape, if that’s what you’d call it. This is probably what the moon looks like. A few hikers passed us on the climb, but we’re alone in this crater, surrounded by jagged outcrops of brownish-black rocks and yellow tufts of grass, low mountains on all sides. It’s majestic and eerie and otherworldly, and I’m here because of Sam.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he asks. He’s still holding my hand as the silence engulfs us, my heart pounding in my ears.

The air is cold and damp. It alleviates the heat from that insane climb but doesn’t do much to quell the warmth between Sam’s hand and mine. Still, I don’t let go. And he doesn’t let go. I could stand here forever.

“Yeah, beautiful,” I finally say, no longer referring to the scenery.

Giveaway

Want to win a $20 Amazon giftcard from Kelly Siskind? You can enter to win on the Rafflecopter below!

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About Kelly SiskindA small-town girl at heart, Kelly moved from the city to open a cheese shop with her husband in Northern Ontario. When she’s not neck deep in cheese or out hiking, you can find her, notepad in hand, scribbling down one of the many plot bunnies bouncing around in her head.

She laughs at her own jokes and has been known to eat her feelings—Gummy Bears heal all. She’s also an incurable romantic, devouring romance novels into the wee hours of the morning.

She is represented by Stacey Donaghy of the Donaghy Literary Group.

2015 Golden Heart® Finalist

Connect with Kelly SiskindWebsite | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

Release Blitz: Hearts of Blue

Happy Release Day to L.H. Conway and her new book HEARTS OF BLUE. Take a sneak peek into the book below and make sure to enter the giveaway. As a special treat, the author is having a poll on her FB page asking readers to pick a scene from the book that they would like to read from the hero's POV. Stop by her page to vote and the scene that gets the most votes by the end of the Release Week Event will be posted on the author's blog at a later date. Vote HERE!
She upholds the law. He breaks it.Two blue hearts, both alike in bravery
In not-so-fair London, where we lay our scene
From gun crime to petty theft
Where family is blood and survival makes hands unclean
In this place, we find two hearts who should be foes
And yet, amidst the turmoil their love still grows
Misadventure abounds and the divide will bring them strife
But with luck, death doesn’t always mean an end to life.Hearts of Blue is a standalone contemporary romance that tells the story of star-crossed lovers Karla Sheehan and Lee Cross, a police constable and the thief who steals her heart.


Lee didn’t answer, and instead he took a step forward, forcing me to back up if I didn’t want us to collide. The problem with this meant my back hit the wall a moment later.

“You’re so pretty, Snap,” he said, voice low, as he dropped his face to my hair and breathed in.

I wasn’t wearing a hat, and my hair was tied up in a bun. My entire body trembled when he wrapped his arms around my waist, inhaled deeply and pulled me into a hug. This was a distraction, I knew it, and yet, I let him distract me. I wanted to be distracted, and I was just glad that the blinds in his office had been pulled.

Standing in his embrace for at least a minute with silence all around us, I was unable to move. I liked having Lee close, loved the feel of him and how he could make feel so…surrounded. Despite all the warning signs, my attraction to him only grew stronger. There was just something about him that called to me.

“Lee.”

His mouth moved against my hair. “What is it, Karla?”

“Why are you hugging me?”

“You looked like you needed to be held.” His response was low, and the affectionate undertone had me swallowing deeply. At long last I summoned the willpower to break the hug. His arms fell away from me easily, my stomach churning with confusion. What the hell was I doing?

I stared at the floor when I spoke. “I have to go.”

Heading for the door, I paused when he said gently, “Hey, I needed it, too.”

L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads L.H. Cosway Hearts of Blue Release Week Giveaway
♥ READ THE BOOKS ♥Six of HeartsAmazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords | iTunesHearts of FireAmazon | Smashwords | B&N | Kobo | iTunesKing of HeartsAmazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | iTunes | SmashwordsHearts of BlueAmazon US | Amazon UK | Smashwords | iTunes | B&N | Kobo