L.V. Lewis's Blog, page 29
May 18, 2013
Another Deal, Another Day ~ IR/MC Juneteenth Sale!
So, you guys showed up like crazycakes in March for the IR/MC March Madness sale. You, the reader, made it a great success.
Guess what? (If the post’s title wasn’t a spoiler…) I’m participating in another group sale with IR/MC authors.
What is it?
It’s a celebration of Juneteenth.
Why Juneteenth?
The simple fact is there was a time in America’s history where folks would get fined, punished or thrown in jail for teaching people of color to read. More specifically, teaching slaves to read. The general fear was if you taught slaves how to write they might, you know, think about their lot in life. They may not be happy about it. They just might educate themselves. And then the nightmare would begin: they might educate others.
What I do every day as a passion, for a living, was illegal in the United States. Took some time for the word to get out that slavery had been abolished and that was just one step closer to where I’m sitting now. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s cause for a celebration. It’s worthy of taking a moment.
Why a group sale?
Who doesn’t love a sale? Me, along with other IR/MC fabulous authors (Melissa Blue, Bettye Griffin, Holley Trent and Ambrielle Kirk…just to name a few) will discount some of our titles. Like, DISCOUNT. Tell your friends and have their friends tell their friends to get ready for this sale.
When?
June 13th-19th
June 5th I’ll have the full list and details of where you can find these discounts and the authors participating. I’ll post links and use excessive amounts of exclamation points. Stay tuned.
May 15, 2013
The Riverbend Trilogy Blog Tour ~ Andrea Goodson
Thank you for visiting The Riverbend Trilogy’s Blog Tour! Here you will find a sneak peek at a scene from the third book in the series, Waking Tide and learn a bit about the author, Andrea Goodson! Don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the post and see where you can visit Andrea tomorrow!
Excerpt from Waking Tide
The blinding winter sun awoke Lena that morning. The cold winter light let on how frozen the world was outside, but she felt safe and warm in her bed. The lush down comforter wrapped tightly around her shoulders wasn’t the only thing providing that warmth. Will’s strong body lie next to her, though still sleeping, his presence there with her was more powerful than it had ever been. Her mind quickly flooded with all that had happened the previous night and the love she felt for him quickly grew within her. She didn’t regret being with him. She didn’t regret being weak and allowing him to take over both her body and her soul. In fact, she felt a sort of elated giddiness. A spark of light heartedness that had been absent for so long, yet always trying to find its way back to her.
As much as that spark exhilarated her, there was still a small feeling of fear within her.
She felt afraid and she didn’t know why. No matter how perfect it all seemed, no matter how happy she was in this very moment, being cradled inside of Will’s warm embrace, she still felt the fear. It lied low beneath the surface and it was screaming at her as it had so many other times in her life. It just resided there, within her, an unwelcome visitor in her private moment of bliss with Will. Lena despised the fear, she despised it more than she did the feelings of weakness and for the first time in her life she grew so tired of the fear that she suddenly felt strong enough to push it out of her life. Not just in this moment, but in every moment that she would have from this day forward. She was tired of being afraid of love, afraid of pain, afraid of not being in control, and it was finally time for that fear to leave.
Lena had spent many nights in the cold lonesomeness of her apartment in Georgia wishing the fear away. Many times had she asked herself why she must live with such anxiety and panic. She could feel it in every bone of her body almost every minute of every day. It only physically manifested itself as her feeling short of breath. But inside of her, the anxiety had been raging since she lost her father. She had always felt like a victim, like it wasn’t a choice or a decision. But now, lying with her head against Will’s strong shoulder, she felt…powerful. For the first time in years she actually felt as though she was in control instead of always trying to be. She wouldn’t wish the fear away this time. This time, she would demand it. This time, she would force it. It was her life and she knew deep down that she was finally strong enough to do it.
Lena ran her hand up the center of Will’s chest. She could hear him breathing softly as he slept, the soft thud of his heart beat against the side of her cheek. She wasn’t sure why she suddenly felt her strength return. Perhaps it had never left and she just needed to find it again. Lena knew that it wasn’t Will that had brought it out, though if anyone were capable of doing that for another person, it was surely him. No, Lena felt it was there all along and she had just needed to find it again. But as she looked up at the gorgeous man who held her, her strong protector, she had no doubt that opening herself up to the love that she felt for him had freed her in some way. That somehow, Will had made it possible for Lena to let herself out of the cage she had been living in all these years. It was a prison that had been built by the tragedy of first losing her father and then maintained well by Lena herself all of these years. As such, it was a prison only she could free herself from. It wouldn’t be easy, Lena knew that. It wasn’t as if she could just snap her fingers and all of her fears, insecurities, and anxiety would instantly dissipate. But she could try, with Will. With Will by her side, she felt she could do anything.
Suddenly the thought of Gabby crossed her mind, panic entered her being but was quickly relieved when she remembered that she was at her cheer coach’s house. The last thing lena wanted to do was set a bad example for her little sister. Though Gabby was 17 years old and surely not ignorant of such things, evidenced by her late night partying a few weeks ago. Lena still didn’t want to deal with the awkwardness if Gabby had discovered that Will had spent the night in Lena’s room.
Will’s body began to move in the bed next to her, rolling over towards Lena, he tightly wrapped his muscular arm around the front of her chest, holding her close to him. Slowly, he awoke and gently smiled at her. His dark black eyes speaking every word that Lena needed to hear without any sound leaving his lips. She could be with this man, she had been with him, both in mind and spirit, her entire life. And now that she had finally succumbed to her long felt desire to share her body and soul with him, she felt there was no turning back. Everything had been such a whirlwind of pain and grief in her life, she needed this relief. She needed him. And for the first time ever, Lena began to feel that he was safe.
Safe to need.
Will gently caressed her shoulder, still not speaking a word. No Good morning, no cocky comments like Thanks for last night, which was the type of thing Lena could always expect from him. Just silence for what felt like forever, and it was a wonderful forever. One that could go on and on without any boredom or awkwardness whatsoever.
When he did eventually speak, he only said three words. Three words that he had said many times before. Three words that Lena had denied for far too long. Three words that somehow felt different now than they ever had in the past. Three words that made her let the strong walls of resistance and fear that she had built over the past few years instantly come crashing down.
“I love you.” He whispered in her ear, followed by a trailing kiss down the side of her neck.
Lena gazed up at the stark white ceiling above her, her heart and body flooding with a warm rush.
“Will.” She whispered.
He looked up at her from his position against her shoulder.
“I love you too.”
His dark eyes sparkled and a lovingly familiar and overconfident smile spread across his face while he quickly pulled the down comforter over both of their heads.
###
Copyright 2013 Andrea Goodson
Take a look at the NEW Riverbend Trilogy Book Trailer!
Author Bio
Andrea Goodson was born in 1982 and had a love of and fascination with writing since she was very young. Always imagining ways in which the world could be different, she began to write short stories when she was very young. It wasn’t until many years later that she put pen to paper and began to work on what has become her first novel, Riverbend, part one in a trilogy. Upon completion of that work she found that writing was something she felt meant to do and would never be able to give up. Using her own experiences with hardship and tragedy Andrea uses her writing to reach others in an effort to show the world that we need not be victims of circumstance. Her main characters endure many conflicts yet find the courage and strength to better themselves.
Click here to follow Andrea on Facebook and Twitter!
You can view the first book in Andrea’s series, Riverbend, here on Kindle
All books are also available on Amazon as Paperbacks and ebooks on Nook, iBooks, and Smashwords!
For a complete listing of all books and venues, CLICK HERE!
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway! Click the Graphic Below:
Thank you for visiting! You can see Andrea again tomorrow on I Heart Books and see reviews as well as catch an article about Bookish Boyfriends!
http://officialiheartbooks.blogspot.com/
May 11, 2013
Don’t Hate The Player Blog Tour ~ Featuring Katie Ashley!
Title: ”Don’t Hate the Player …Hate the Game”
Author: Katie Ashley
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: April 30, 2013
Event organized by: Literati Literature Lovers
Purchase Links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
BOOK DESCRIPTION
For Noah Sullivan being the best friend to a douchebag and player like Jake Nelson has never been easy. It’s been a rocky road since kindergarten when Jake duct taped Noah to his chair before recess. With just six weeks to high school graduation, Jake accidentally blows his drunken ass up on his grandfather’s tractor, and Noah finds himself immersed not only in a whirlwind of grief, but on a quest to find a mystery girl from Jake’s past.
While cleaning out Jake’s room, Noah and Jake’s dad make a startling discovery. Instead of the obligatory porn collection or pot stash, they find a ring, but not just any ring. Its half a carat of commitment in a platinum setting-proving even man whores have taste. After Jake’s mom pleads with Noah to find the girl who meant so much to Jake, Noah begins a modern day Grail quest to track the girl down.
Since Jake was a notorious player with a legendary collection of trophy panties, Noah finds himself in over his head. There are the usual suspects like Avery, the Ice Princess Jake dated for appearances, or Presley, the school mattress Jake dated for convenience. But the trail begins to point to the most unlikely of suspects: Maddie, the Valedictorian and choir girl who was trying to help the unmotivated jock graduate–the girl who also has surprisingly caught Noah’s eye and meddled with his heart.
Hanging out with Maddie shows Noah a different side of Jake–one that was deeply human and surprisingly douche-free. And the more he tries to solve the mystery of the ring and of Jake, the more Noah starts to discover about himself and of love.
MY REVIEW
Don’t Let The Title Fool You
“Don’t Hate The Player . . . Hate The Game,” is titled after one of the most over-used clichés in recent years. However, the depth of the characters, the plot, and a twist you don’t see coming recues the story from cliché land, and quite handily I might add.
Noah Sullivan has languished in the shadow of his best friend Jake Nelson since kindergarten, when Jake’s first act of friendship was a prank he loves to reiterate to anyone who asks how they met. Jake’s rapid descent into further douchebaggery becomes the stuff of legend. As an athlete and a young man who hit the genetic jackpot in the looks department, Nelson lives what his friends consider a charmed life, replete with a laundry list of girls who are willing to give him whatever he wants. However, life for Jake takes an unexpected turn in his final year. Unbeknownst to his friends, he undergoes a transformation that he keeps hidden from them.
A month and half before graduation from high school, Jake perishes in a freak accident after warning Noah cryptically by phone of his most recent screw up, literally. Jake’s death leaves Noah and his circle of friends reeling from the tragedy and catapults Noah into the role of secret sleuth to locate the girl Jake himself identifies posthumously as the one with whom he shares the Willie Nelson classic love song, “You Were Always On My Mind,” and purchased her a half-carat platinum diamond engagement ring. Mrs. Nelson begs Noah to find the girl who meant so much to Jake. Unable to deny Jake’s mother, Noah interviews the most likely of the girls who could possibly fit the bill, and comes up empty-handed.
In the process of looking for Jake’s secret lady love, Noah encounters Maddie, the Pastor’s daughter, who would’ve been invisible to a guy like Jake, but the Valedictorian and choir maven had been Jake’s tutor the bulk of senior year. Noah is attracted to Maddie from day one, and as he learns things from her about Jake that alter his perception of his friend forever, he begins to fall for this girl that his and Jake’s circle of friends considered a pariah.
Some parallel story lines that make this story so rich and interesting include Noah’s struggle to work through his grandfather’s death and his father’s abandonment. Chief among the conflict is his inability to forgive his father, who was essentially the same kind of player Noah befriended. This YA story is chock full of life lessons and inspiration. As Noah gets closer to solving the mystery of Jake’s intentions concerning the mystery girl, his mission becomes compromised by his feelings for Maddie, and everyone is blindsided by a secret that provides an unexpected twist to the story that is both poignant and a testament to how much Jake had truly changed.
My Blog Giveaway: (1) Ebook of Don’t Hate the Player (all formats available). OPEN INTERNATIONALLY. Click The Image Below To Enter!
About the Author
Katie Ashley is the New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author of The Proposition. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her two very spoiled dogs and one outnumbered cat. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Supernatural, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo.
She spent 11 1/2 years educating the Youth of America aka teaching MS and HS English until she left to write full time in December 2012.
She also writes Young Adult fiction under the name Krista Ashe.
Author Links
Twitter https://mobile.twitter.com/KatieAshleyLuv
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katieashleybooks
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6546441.Katie_Ashley
Website: http://katieashleybooks.blogspot.com/
Grand Prize Tour Giveaway: 5 Winners will be chosen. MUST RESIDE IN THE USA TO BE ELIGIBLE ~ Audio DVD of The Proposition & The Proposal (one winner gets both), Signed Paperback of Music of the Heart, Signed Paperback of The Proposition, Signed Paperback of The Proposal, Swag Pack.
CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO ENTER!!
May 9, 2013
A Love Like This by Kahlen Aymes ~ Cover Reveal and Giveaway!
I’m hosting a cover reveal and giveaway for my friend, Kahlen Aymes, author of “A Love Like This,” the highly anticipated final volume of the Remembrance Trilogy. Her first and second offerings, “The Future of Our Past,” and “Don’t Forget To Remember Me,” enjoyed both popular and critical accalaim on Amazon, Smashwords, and other popular platforms. At the conclusion of the cover reveal, please click and enter the Giveaways. ARCs are available of all three books via the Kindle format and books one and two are available in all other platforms. Two lucky winners will win one of these packages. The giveaway runs from May 10 – 17th!
Synopsis:
Settled in New York City, Ryan and Julia Matthews seek to enjoy their idyllic newlywed life together. Julia’s high-profile job at Vogue and Ryan’s promising career in medicine will surely set them up for everything they could ever want. Their only obstacle seems to be finding enough time to spend together.
When a scuffle at Ryan’s hospital puts his life in danger, a colleague steps in to save him but is critically injured in the process. In a heroic and unwavering effort, Ryan manages to save her life, but her injuries irrevocably change her future forever.
What happens next will push Ryan beyond human endurance, when he is forced to decide how much he will pay for his new friendship and Julia, what she is willing to sacrifice in order to spare herself the unspeakable pain of watching someone else try to replace her in Ryan’s heart.
Join Ryan and Julia in the heart-wrenching conclusion to the unforgettable story of an incredible love… worth every single sacrifice…
For there is nothing more sacred than… A Love Like This…
Available at these retailers:
Also available on sony.com, kobo.com and apple stores.
THE GORGEOUS COVER:
RELEASE DATE: JUNE 24, 2013!!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kahlen Aymes grew up in the Mid-Western United States and was educated at a private university. She is divorced with one daughter, has a B.S.B.A. degree in business/marketing and began writing as a way to network a business venture. Soon, writing turned into her passion and morphed all other career goals.
Kahlen is an award-winning author of sizzling hot, deeply moving contemporary romance. Her stories are filled with intense love, passion, angst and emotion that breathes life into her characters and leaves her readers captivated. She lives near Omaha, Nebraska with her daughter, Olivia and their three dogs. Creative by nature, she enjoys the arts, music and theater… But the love of her life is writing!
She adores hearing from her readers, so don’t be shy.
Represented by Elizabeth Winick-Rubinstein of McIntosh & Otis Literary Agency, the first two books in her series; The Remembrance Trilogy are available now. Come and experience Ryan and Julia’s mad, mad love.
Find Kahlen on Facebook, email to kahlenaymesauthor@gmail.com or follow her twitter accounts; @kahlenaymes & @kahlen_Aymes & blog: http://kahlen-aymes.blogspot.com/
CLICK IMAGE OR LINK BELOW TO ENTER!
May 6, 2013
Essay: What Hollywood Doesn't Get About Jane Eyre
Reblogged from jessicaminiermabe:
Over the years, there have many film versions of Charlotte Brontë’s marvelous novel about an orphaned girl struggling to find happiness in Victorian England’s rigid society. Those of us who love this story have suffered through one inadequate version after another: some get the casting of at least one of the actors right, then fail with the other (usually, one of them is too pretty, and it isn’t always Jane!); some get the casting just right for the leads, but then fail for everyone else (why, oh why, is Blanche Ingram always blond?); some give us wonderful characters, but butcher Charlotte’s language; and finally, not one of them has managed, even the miniseries versions, to understand the need for most of the plot.
I concur with every one of the points enumerated in this essay!
Check Out My Feature on Beyond Black and White’s Weekend Read
I am not a savvy blogger. I couldn’t figure out how to reblog this post, so I created a post. Anyway, now that I have your attention, please give this feature a gander and read the excerpt if you haven’t read the book. And those of you who count yourselves among my Facebook, Twitter and other social media friends and acquaintances, please hit me up with a “share,” a “tweet,” a “like,” or any kind of love you’d care to part with. While you’re at it, show “Beyond Black and White” some love, too, with all the above!
CLICK HERE FOR MY WEEKEND READ FEATURE
Here are all her deets I know about: Beyond Black and White Web Page
Beyond Black and White Facebook Page
May 5, 2013
Check Out My Feature on Beyond Black and White’s Weekend Read
I am not a savvy blogger. I couldn’t figure out how to reblog this post, so I created a post. Anyway, now that I have your attention, please give this feature a gander and read the excerpt if you haven’t read the book. And those of you who count yourselves among my Facebook, Twitter and other social media friends and acquaintances, please hit me up with a “share,” a “tweet,” a “like,” or any kind of love you’d care to part with. While you’re at it, show “Beyond Black and White” some love, too, with all the above!
CLICK HERE FOR MY WEEKEND READ FEATURE
Here are all her deets I know about: Beyond Black and White Web Page
Beyond Black and White Facebook Page
May 4, 2013
Sneak Peek Sunday – “Legacy Of A Dreamer” by Allie Jean
In anticipation
for the release of Book #2 in the Dreamer Series, Allie Jean has released her
book trailer of
Legacy
of a Dreamer
Trailer by Lindsey Gray Productions
Chantal Breelan is a ward of the state, living
under the care of a woman who is cold and heartless. Her past is a mystery, and
her future is even more uncertain. She can’t recall why she had been taken from
her parents and so she’s left with nothing but an empty hole where her
childhood should have been. When she awakens from her nightmares, she’s left
with terrible, violent images, as well as a boy whose face is oddly familiar,
yet can’t be placed.
Scared and alone, Chantal begins to confide in an
imaginary friend – a shadow in the shape of a man who stands in the corner of
her room. She is comforted when she believes he listens to her.
On her
eighteenth birthday, Chantal is forced to leave her foster home. She moves to
New York City, but the start of her new life doesn’t begin as smoothly as she’d
hoped. One night at a subway station, Chantal meets a young boy who runs away
from her, and she’s compelled to follow him down into the tunnels. But this
Rabbit Hole reveals a world where reality is a nightmare.
Mathias is a descendant
of a Fallen Angel and beholden to wage an unfathomable war against an ancient
evil, spawned by greed and spite. A powerful fighter, he and his brethren of
Warriors vow to pay recompense for the sins of their fathers by guarding the
most precious, piercing light against the darkness – the females of their kind.
The Warriors’ pledge is to find and protect the
Oracles, their sisters and kin. Long have they fought, shedding sweat and
blood, hoping that their struggles are not in vain. Yet in his sacrifice and
service he may find life’s ultimate reward – a love to surpass all time.
To contact Allie Jean
Winners of the Brenda Jackson Interview Giveaways!!
Over the past two weeks, I ran my interview with bestselling romance author Brenda Jackson. Just in case you missed this two-part interview, I’m giving you another shot to read both parts here: Brenda Jackson Interview Part 1, Brenda Jackson Interview Part 2. However, I can’t turn back time and allow you to enter the giveaway. 
So, without further ado, I’d like to announce our Brenda Jackson Interview Giveaway Winners. Drumroll, please!
Winner of Brenda Jackson Interview Giveaway Part I:
DEBORAH FORTNER
Winner of Brenda Jackson Interview Giveaway Part II:
REYA GAINES
I’d like to personally thank all the participants in the Giveaway on behalf of myself and the wonderful Ms. Brenda Jackson. If the winners would please message me on my Facebook page or by email at lv.lewis148@gmail.com, we’ll work out how to get your fantastic prizes to you!
How to Know if a Publisher is Reputable - Part 2
Reblogged from The Write Savage:
In Part 1 of “How to Know if a Publisher is Reputable,” I discussed few warning signs to watch for that indicate that a publisher isn’t what they appear to be. Part 1 addressed what to watch for in operations of the publishing house as a business. This next part will address potential problems with marketing and how a publisher positions their catalog of books.
Part two of the stellar series, "How To Know If A Publisher Is Reputable."
