Tamsyn Bester's Blog, page 20
May 30, 2013
*Giveaways & Thank -You's :)*
Hi Brats :)
I wanted to say a *HUGE*, *GIGANTIC* thank you to each & every person who has supported my blog & facebook page :) I love what I do & have had the opportunity to meet some incredible people who have become friends, regardless of the fact that I'm on an entirely different continent to most of them :)
When I started this blog, I wasn't sure where I was going to take it or whether I'd be any good at it, but somewhere along the way I found my passion - books :) With this realisation, my goals and more importantly my *DREAMS*, for TheSecretBookBrat have exploded and the only way I can achieve all that I wish to achieve is with the continued support from my Brats :)
Some day soon, I would like TheSecretBookBrat to be a household name in the Blogosphere, a place where we can share our passion for book boyfriends & happy endings :)
As most of you know, I started working on my debut novel, Beneath Your Beautiful, which has been as terrifying as it is exciting :) I hope that all my Brats will be as supportive of this new adventure as you have been of TheSecretBookBrat :)
I am having a *SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS* giveaway on my *AUTHOR PAGE* that has a *SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS* prize :) It's really easy to enter & will only take a minute of your time :)
I would also like to remind you that at 6pm EST on the 3rd of June, we will be doing the cover reveal for Beneath Your Beautiful - Keep your eyes open for that! :) But in the mean time...
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Disclaimer: The signed paperback of Very Bad Things by Ilsa Madden-Mills is for US residents only! But should an international winner be chosen, you will receive an eBook of Very Bad Things!*
*THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING TheSecretBookBrat & FOR BEING THE BRATIEST BRAT YOU CAN BE <3 LOVE YOU ALL MADLY <3* Tam xxx
I wanted to say a *HUGE*, *GIGANTIC* thank you to each & every person who has supported my blog & facebook page :) I love what I do & have had the opportunity to meet some incredible people who have become friends, regardless of the fact that I'm on an entirely different continent to most of them :)
When I started this blog, I wasn't sure where I was going to take it or whether I'd be any good at it, but somewhere along the way I found my passion - books :) With this realisation, my goals and more importantly my *DREAMS*, for TheSecretBookBrat have exploded and the only way I can achieve all that I wish to achieve is with the continued support from my Brats :)
Some day soon, I would like TheSecretBookBrat to be a household name in the Blogosphere, a place where we can share our passion for book boyfriends & happy endings :)
As most of you know, I started working on my debut novel, Beneath Your Beautiful, which has been as terrifying as it is exciting :) I hope that all my Brats will be as supportive of this new adventure as you have been of TheSecretBookBrat :)
I am having a *SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS* giveaway on my *AUTHOR PAGE* that has a *SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS* prize :) It's really easy to enter & will only take a minute of your time :)
I would also like to remind you that at 6pm EST on the 3rd of June, we will be doing the cover reveal for Beneath Your Beautiful - Keep your eyes open for that! :) But in the mean time...
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Disclaimer: The signed paperback of Very Bad Things by Ilsa Madden-Mills is for US residents only! But should an international winner be chosen, you will receive an eBook of Very Bad Things!*
*THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING TheSecretBookBrat & FOR BEING THE BRATIEST BRAT YOU CAN BE <3 LOVE YOU ALL MADLY <3* Tam xxx
May 29, 2013
*Blog Tour: Girl With Guitar by Caisey Quinn*
Hi Brats :)
As you can see, I've been hard at work updating the blog & making the layout nicer - hope ya'll like it ;)
Back to business as usual - today the blog tour for Caisey Quinns' Girl With Guitar makes a stop at TheSecretBookBrat HQ :)
SYNOPSIS
After Kylie’s dad dies in a freak accident, he leaves her with nothing other than her crazy stepmother, Darla, and the ability to play guitar. When Darla kicks Kylie out and she loses her job all in the same day, she hops a bus to Nashville determined to make her late father’s dreams come true. Waitressing and saving her pennies to record a demo, her big break comes when she’s asked to join a tour going down the tubes with once platinum album-selling country music superstar Trace Corbin. But touring with Trace is hardly a dream come true since he’s pretty much drinking his career down the drain. If Kylie can’t pull Trace out of his rut, he’ll pull her and her dreams down with him.
My ReviewAfter the death of her father, Kylie Ryans moves to Nashville to pursue her dreams of becoming a country singer. She starts off as a waitress and a chance encounter with Country superstar Trace Corbin gives her the opportunity she’s been praying for.
But it’s not all that she imagined it would be. Trace Corbin is busy throwing his career down the toilet and he’s less than welcoming to the little girl his label has thrown on his tour in a last ditch effort to save his career.
Kylie gets under his skin and is the only woman, next to his 2 sisters, that has no problem telling him when he’s being an ass. He hates the way she makes him feel but can’t help being drawn to her nonetheless.
It’s not long before they’re falling for each other but when their stupid decisions get in the way, they only manage to break what they have. Trace realises that he wants to be a better man, because Kylie saw that he could, and Kylie wants to forget she ever met Trace because she can’t handle losing another man she loves.
Girl with Guitar is a bit of cliché, but I my addiction to all things Country kept me reading until the end. Kylie is strong and sweet, but still very naïve, while Trace is arrogant and selfish. Their banter makes for humorous reading but their emotional connection reels you in.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to the sequel, Girl on Tour :) **3.5 stars**
Today, we have the AMAZING Caisey Quinn on the blog!
1. What inspired you to write Girl With Guitar?
Basically I’ve always been a huge country music fan. (Even when I was little and used to ride in my daddy’s truck jamming to Hank Sr. My mama called it knee-slappin’ music! Ha!) At a Luke Bryan concert last summer, a friend of a friend made a few comments about opening for Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert before they were a big deal and before they were officially an item. He talked about their onstage chemistry and thus my story was born!
2. What books have most influenced your life most?
This is such a long list it’s ridiculous. Here’s the short version: Les Mis (Hugo), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Chbosky), and Jennifer Echols’ Going Too Far.
(For the long list, keep an eye out for my guest post on My Top 10 Favorite Books of All Time).
3. What author has influenced you the most?
Ack! Just one? I can’t narrow that to just one. I will say this. I am such a Jennifer Echols fangirl. Y’all don’t even know. I met her at a book signing for her first romantic drama, Going Too Far, and I still have the picture of us up in my office. Her stories are sweet, heart wrenching, and A-freaking-ddicting! And she’s a local author. Meeting her back in like 2007 I think it was, it hit me that hey, a chick in Alabama CAN be an author! At that time I thought they all had to live in New York. Who knew? I could add Abbi Glines to this also, but I have to confess I actually hadn’t read anything by her until one of my CPs suggested it after reading a draft of GwG. But yeah, her too! Rock on Alabama Author Chicks!
4. What book are you reading now?
Oohh some good ones! Open on my Kindle right now are my CP’s newest release Love in Darkness and Abbi Glines’ Twisted Perfection. Writing seriously interferes with my reading time but I can’t pass up a great book!
5. When did your desire to write start?
I pretty much started writing as soon as I could. In ninth grade I had a poem published in a teen magazine and I was addicted to it after that.
6. Do you have any advice for other writers?
Not sure how good it is, but here’s my newbie indie author advice: 1.Finish what you start. Even when you don’t want to. Some days it will be rough, but keep at it! 2.Set goals. Word counts, deadlines, etc. You can’t reach them if you don’t have them. 3. Do not try to do this alone. Get some beta readers, make friends with other authors and ask the ones you work well with to be critique partners. Return favors. ;)
7. What can readers look forward to in the future?
The second installment of the Kylie Ryans series, Girl on Tour, is scheduled for release late summer/early fall of this year.
I also have a novel called Keep Me Still that I plan to release this year as well. (late Oct. early Nov.) It’s a stand-alone at this time but if readers ask for it, I may release the prequel novella titled Let You Go and the companion, Defending the Score/Getting His Due (between titles at the moment). ;)
Currently I’m working on a series of books called The Second Chance novels that I hope to submit to Entangled Publishing by the end of June. Working titles are Last Second Chance, Tempted By Fate, and Betting on Chance. If they pass, I’ll be self-pubbing those as well—probably early 2014.
8. Who or what inspires you?
Everything! It seriously takes a major effort not to grab a pen and jot writing ideas down every second of the day. Music plays a huge role in my writing but I’ve also found inspiration in movies, people I meet, and random observations everywhere I go.
9. If you could be a superhero, what supernatural power would you choose?
The power to heal. I am always fascinated by those characters that put their hands on people and heal them. (Mr. Miyagi in Karate Kid!). I’ve lost a lost of loved ones to illnesses and injuries that involved long-term suffering so this is a power I’d love to have.
That or mind-reading. ;)
10. What is your favorite movie?
Right now it’s a tie between Pitch Perfect and The Breakfast Club. Can.Not.Stop.Watching.
11. What kind of music do you like?
I am what my brother calls an uneducated listener. I like whatever feels good to my ears. And my soul! My brother is “An Actual Musician.” As in, he’s In A Band and studied music at an institution of higher learning. I’m a country girl at heart but I listen to lots of different types of music and also enjoy Adam Lambert, The Civil Wars, The Lumineers, Christina Perri, Rihanna, Third Day, Tenth Avenue North, Red, Flyleaf, Fireflight, and a few others, including some most people have never even heard of. But I blame that on my brother. ;)
12. What advice would you give to someone who wants to publish a book?
DO NOT TRY TO DO THIS ALONE. I know I said that in my advice to writers, but it’s huge when it comes to publishing. Writing you can do alone. Yes. But when you get to the publishing part, whether going the traditional or indie route, you will need people to help you. Seek those people out. You’ll be glad you did.
And also, the market is always changing, so even if you get a million rejections from agents, that doesn’t mean your book won’t do well. Can’t hurt to try!
13. Do you have a message for my blog’s followers?
Thank you so much for your support! People don’t realize how much a kind word, review, email, Tweet, FB message, etc. can mean to an author. Even if you don’t purchase or read my book(s), just dropping me a line to say “cool cover” or something of that nature makes my day/week/month/year/life!!! Big hugs to all of you!
Thanks so much Caisey for joining us today!
Thanks for having me!!
CAISEY QUINN’s TOP 10
Several readers have asked me “what authors have inspired you and/or influenced your writing?” The response to that question is so long, I could write an entire book about that alone. So for the sake of giving a clear-cut, concise answer instead, I made a list. (I used to be a high school English teacher in my former life. I make A LOT of lists). So here are the 10 books that have meant something to me and have probably influenced me more than I even realize. They’re in alphabetical order, not order of significance as they are all equally important to me!
1.Going too Far ~ Jennifer Echols
It’s funny that this one is first alphabetically because I am such a Jennifer Echols fangirl. Y’all don’t even know. I met her at a book signing for her first romantic drama, Going Too Far, and I still have the picture of us up in my office. Her stories are sweet, heart wrenching, and A-freaking-ddicting! And she’s a local author. Meeting her back in like 2007 I think it was, it hit me that hey, a chick in Alabama CAN be an author! At that time I thought they all had to live in New York. Who knew? I could add Abbi Glines to this also, but I have to confess I actually hadn’t read anything by her until one of my CPs suggested it after reading a draft of GwG. But yeah, her too! Rock on Alabama Author Chicks!
2. Her Forbidden Hero ~ Laura Kaye Oh, how I love LK. Her style of writing is one I could drink in forever. The angsty anticipation in this book had me squirming as I read. Her ability to turn high emotional situations on a dime is one I try to emulate but probably don’t do as well. ;)
3. Jane Eyre ~ Emily Bronte
This book was the first one I ever read where a female character turned down a love interest and set off alone to struggle her ass off. It stuck with me to say the least.
4. Leave Me Breathless ~ Cherrie Lynn
Oh, this book. Hang on, I have to go grab something to fan myself with. Whew, okay, I’m back now. Boy did she title this one correctly. I was new to reading adult romance and erotica and such and hadn’t yet learned not to whip out my Kindle and read in public. People in Panera Bread probably thought I was having a stroke. But the hotness, and there’s A LOT of hotness in this one, is well balanced with the loving relationship the characters form. And they need each other on so many levels. I can only hope to achieve that type of balance in my books.
5. Les Miserables ~ Victor Hugo
My students used to groan every time I mentioned this book. But you haven’t heard my spiel so here goes. This is the kind of book that changes you. The kind of book that alters the makeup of your soul. It’s a little thicker when you finish because you left a piece of yourself inside of it.
Saviors don’t always come in perfect form, and you don’t always recognize them when they do. My dad was a man that gave EVERYTHING to people who showed little appreciation in return. Myself included. When he died, I experienced a type of grief I didn’t even know existed. Permanent. Crippling. This book evoked a similar type of pain and loss and raked me raw as Jean Valjean reminded me of my dad in so many ways. Just knowing a book could do this made me want to write. And it intimidated the hell out of me and I almost never wrote again.
6. Rescue Me ~ Rachel Gibson
This was the first book of hers I’d ever read. It was the type of good that as soon as I finished the last page, I opened it back up and started again. It’s a perfect example of two flawed beings finding perfection in the other. It also made me want to buy a horse ranch. So now you all know why I’m really writing, saving my pennies until that day comes. ;)
7. Someone Else’s Fairytale ~ E.M. Tippetts
Mark it, I’m a Jason Vanderholt fangirl and proud of it. If there is one author I am glad to have found via a book review blog I used to have, it’s Emily Tippetts. SEF was so good, I Tweeted her as soon as I heard there was a second one and volunteered to beta read. Mostly because I couldn’t wait for it. That turned into a CP relationship and a long distance friendship that I cherish. When I say she influences me, I mean she scrapped my original ending of GwG and fixed my hot mess of a first draft in too many ways to count. Woman is a fount of knowledge and is generous with what she has learned. I always feel like I got lucky and sat by the smartest kid in class so I could cheat off of her. Without her, there’d be no Girl with Guitarand Caisey Quinn would never have been heard of.
8. The Fault in Our Stars ~ John Green
In my upcoming novel, Keep Me Still, my main character has a serious health condition. Hazel Grace reminded me that death can be dark and ugly and painful, but keeping your sense of humor and allowing yourself to love and be loved will keep you sane in the face of it.
9. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer ~ Michelle Hodkin
Some of y’all saw this one and went Whaaa?? But here’s what I learned from Mara. Your heroine can be foul mouthed and batshit crazy, like downright certifiable, literally, and SOMEONE will still love her. Will still be there to fight for her and pick her up when she falls. That’s what I want for my characters, someone who loves them at their absolute and utter darkest, lowest, most despicable versions of themselves.
10. Try Me ~ Diane Alberts
This was the first eBook I ever bought. And I didn’t even have a Kindle yet. I downloaded the app on my iPhone and read it in bed while my husband snored beside me. My brother-in-law was a Marine that was about to return from deployment and I might’ve had some inappropriate thoughts about him after reading this. ;) Shh. But it actually inspired an adult romance I’ve written and may or may not ever release. Diane is a CP of mine and I’ll have to run it by her first.
There are also authors that deserve honorable mention for books that turned me into a mushy puddle of fangirl. They are, in no particular order, A Walk to Remember, The Lucky One, Save Haven ~ Nicholas Sparks, Protecting What’s His ~ Tessa Bailey, One Week Girlfriend & Second Chance Boyfriend ~ Monica Murphy, The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden ~Jessica Sorenson.
Shameless Self-Promotion: My debut novel, Girl with Guitar, is available now! I am currently working on Girl on Tour, the second book in the Kylie Ryans series. I don’t have an official release date yet, but will post on my site www.caiseyquinnwrites.comas soon as I do! Keep an eye out!
Caisey Quinn is a New Adult author living in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, daughter, and other assorted animals. She wears cowgirl boots most of the time, even to church. Girl with Guitar is her first novel. It’s available now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.
AUTHOR BIOCaisey Quinn lives in a suburb outside of Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, daughter, and other assorted animals. She wears cowgirl boots most of the time, even to church. Girl with Guitar is her first novel. She is currently working on the second book in the Kylie Ryans series, Girl on Tour. She can be found online at www.caiseyquinnwrites.com. SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS Website: www.caiseyquinnwrites.com Facebook Twitter: @CaiseyQuinn GoodReads Pinterest Thank you for stopping by my Brats :)Love you all madly <3 Tamxxx
As you can see, I've been hard at work updating the blog & making the layout nicer - hope ya'll like it ;)
Back to business as usual - today the blog tour for Caisey Quinns' Girl With Guitar makes a stop at TheSecretBookBrat HQ :)
SYNOPSIS
After Kylie’s dad dies in a freak accident, he leaves her with nothing other than her crazy stepmother, Darla, and the ability to play guitar. When Darla kicks Kylie out and she loses her job all in the same day, she hops a bus to Nashville determined to make her late father’s dreams come true. Waitressing and saving her pennies to record a demo, her big break comes when she’s asked to join a tour going down the tubes with once platinum album-selling country music superstar Trace Corbin. But touring with Trace is hardly a dream come true since he’s pretty much drinking his career down the drain. If Kylie can’t pull Trace out of his rut, he’ll pull her and her dreams down with him.
My ReviewAfter the death of her father, Kylie Ryans moves to Nashville to pursue her dreams of becoming a country singer. She starts off as a waitress and a chance encounter with Country superstar Trace Corbin gives her the opportunity she’s been praying for.
But it’s not all that she imagined it would be. Trace Corbin is busy throwing his career down the toilet and he’s less than welcoming to the little girl his label has thrown on his tour in a last ditch effort to save his career.
Kylie gets under his skin and is the only woman, next to his 2 sisters, that has no problem telling him when he’s being an ass. He hates the way she makes him feel but can’t help being drawn to her nonetheless.
It’s not long before they’re falling for each other but when their stupid decisions get in the way, they only manage to break what they have. Trace realises that he wants to be a better man, because Kylie saw that he could, and Kylie wants to forget she ever met Trace because she can’t handle losing another man she loves.
Girl with Guitar is a bit of cliché, but I my addiction to all things Country kept me reading until the end. Kylie is strong and sweet, but still very naïve, while Trace is arrogant and selfish. Their banter makes for humorous reading but their emotional connection reels you in.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to the sequel, Girl on Tour :) **3.5 stars**
Today, we have the AMAZING Caisey Quinn on the blog!
1. What inspired you to write Girl With Guitar?
Basically I’ve always been a huge country music fan. (Even when I was little and used to ride in my daddy’s truck jamming to Hank Sr. My mama called it knee-slappin’ music! Ha!) At a Luke Bryan concert last summer, a friend of a friend made a few comments about opening for Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert before they were a big deal and before they were officially an item. He talked about their onstage chemistry and thus my story was born!
2. What books have most influenced your life most?
This is such a long list it’s ridiculous. Here’s the short version: Les Mis (Hugo), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Chbosky), and Jennifer Echols’ Going Too Far.
(For the long list, keep an eye out for my guest post on My Top 10 Favorite Books of All Time).
3. What author has influenced you the most?
Ack! Just one? I can’t narrow that to just one. I will say this. I am such a Jennifer Echols fangirl. Y’all don’t even know. I met her at a book signing for her first romantic drama, Going Too Far, and I still have the picture of us up in my office. Her stories are sweet, heart wrenching, and A-freaking-ddicting! And she’s a local author. Meeting her back in like 2007 I think it was, it hit me that hey, a chick in Alabama CAN be an author! At that time I thought they all had to live in New York. Who knew? I could add Abbi Glines to this also, but I have to confess I actually hadn’t read anything by her until one of my CPs suggested it after reading a draft of GwG. But yeah, her too! Rock on Alabama Author Chicks!
4. What book are you reading now?
Oohh some good ones! Open on my Kindle right now are my CP’s newest release Love in Darkness and Abbi Glines’ Twisted Perfection. Writing seriously interferes with my reading time but I can’t pass up a great book!
5. When did your desire to write start?
I pretty much started writing as soon as I could. In ninth grade I had a poem published in a teen magazine and I was addicted to it after that.
6. Do you have any advice for other writers?
Not sure how good it is, but here’s my newbie indie author advice: 1.Finish what you start. Even when you don’t want to. Some days it will be rough, but keep at it! 2.Set goals. Word counts, deadlines, etc. You can’t reach them if you don’t have them. 3. Do not try to do this alone. Get some beta readers, make friends with other authors and ask the ones you work well with to be critique partners. Return favors. ;)
7. What can readers look forward to in the future?
The second installment of the Kylie Ryans series, Girl on Tour, is scheduled for release late summer/early fall of this year.
I also have a novel called Keep Me Still that I plan to release this year as well. (late Oct. early Nov.) It’s a stand-alone at this time but if readers ask for it, I may release the prequel novella titled Let You Go and the companion, Defending the Score/Getting His Due (between titles at the moment). ;)
Currently I’m working on a series of books called The Second Chance novels that I hope to submit to Entangled Publishing by the end of June. Working titles are Last Second Chance, Tempted By Fate, and Betting on Chance. If they pass, I’ll be self-pubbing those as well—probably early 2014.
8. Who or what inspires you?
Everything! It seriously takes a major effort not to grab a pen and jot writing ideas down every second of the day. Music plays a huge role in my writing but I’ve also found inspiration in movies, people I meet, and random observations everywhere I go.
9. If you could be a superhero, what supernatural power would you choose?
The power to heal. I am always fascinated by those characters that put their hands on people and heal them. (Mr. Miyagi in Karate Kid!). I’ve lost a lost of loved ones to illnesses and injuries that involved long-term suffering so this is a power I’d love to have.
That or mind-reading. ;)
10. What is your favorite movie?
Right now it’s a tie between Pitch Perfect and The Breakfast Club. Can.Not.Stop.Watching.
11. What kind of music do you like?
I am what my brother calls an uneducated listener. I like whatever feels good to my ears. And my soul! My brother is “An Actual Musician.” As in, he’s In A Band and studied music at an institution of higher learning. I’m a country girl at heart but I listen to lots of different types of music and also enjoy Adam Lambert, The Civil Wars, The Lumineers, Christina Perri, Rihanna, Third Day, Tenth Avenue North, Red, Flyleaf, Fireflight, and a few others, including some most people have never even heard of. But I blame that on my brother. ;)
12. What advice would you give to someone who wants to publish a book?
DO NOT TRY TO DO THIS ALONE. I know I said that in my advice to writers, but it’s huge when it comes to publishing. Writing you can do alone. Yes. But when you get to the publishing part, whether going the traditional or indie route, you will need people to help you. Seek those people out. You’ll be glad you did.
And also, the market is always changing, so even if you get a million rejections from agents, that doesn’t mean your book won’t do well. Can’t hurt to try!
13. Do you have a message for my blog’s followers?
Thank you so much for your support! People don’t realize how much a kind word, review, email, Tweet, FB message, etc. can mean to an author. Even if you don’t purchase or read my book(s), just dropping me a line to say “cool cover” or something of that nature makes my day/week/month/year/life!!! Big hugs to all of you!
Thanks so much Caisey for joining us today!
Thanks for having me!!
CAISEY QUINN’s TOP 10
Several readers have asked me “what authors have inspired you and/or influenced your writing?” The response to that question is so long, I could write an entire book about that alone. So for the sake of giving a clear-cut, concise answer instead, I made a list. (I used to be a high school English teacher in my former life. I make A LOT of lists). So here are the 10 books that have meant something to me and have probably influenced me more than I even realize. They’re in alphabetical order, not order of significance as they are all equally important to me!
1.Going too Far ~ Jennifer Echols
It’s funny that this one is first alphabetically because I am such a Jennifer Echols fangirl. Y’all don’t even know. I met her at a book signing for her first romantic drama, Going Too Far, and I still have the picture of us up in my office. Her stories are sweet, heart wrenching, and A-freaking-ddicting! And she’s a local author. Meeting her back in like 2007 I think it was, it hit me that hey, a chick in Alabama CAN be an author! At that time I thought they all had to live in New York. Who knew? I could add Abbi Glines to this also, but I have to confess I actually hadn’t read anything by her until one of my CPs suggested it after reading a draft of GwG. But yeah, her too! Rock on Alabama Author Chicks!
2. Her Forbidden Hero ~ Laura Kaye Oh, how I love LK. Her style of writing is one I could drink in forever. The angsty anticipation in this book had me squirming as I read. Her ability to turn high emotional situations on a dime is one I try to emulate but probably don’t do as well. ;)
3. Jane Eyre ~ Emily Bronte
This book was the first one I ever read where a female character turned down a love interest and set off alone to struggle her ass off. It stuck with me to say the least.
4. Leave Me Breathless ~ Cherrie Lynn
Oh, this book. Hang on, I have to go grab something to fan myself with. Whew, okay, I’m back now. Boy did she title this one correctly. I was new to reading adult romance and erotica and such and hadn’t yet learned not to whip out my Kindle and read in public. People in Panera Bread probably thought I was having a stroke. But the hotness, and there’s A LOT of hotness in this one, is well balanced with the loving relationship the characters form. And they need each other on so many levels. I can only hope to achieve that type of balance in my books.
5. Les Miserables ~ Victor Hugo
My students used to groan every time I mentioned this book. But you haven’t heard my spiel so here goes. This is the kind of book that changes you. The kind of book that alters the makeup of your soul. It’s a little thicker when you finish because you left a piece of yourself inside of it.
Saviors don’t always come in perfect form, and you don’t always recognize them when they do. My dad was a man that gave EVERYTHING to people who showed little appreciation in return. Myself included. When he died, I experienced a type of grief I didn’t even know existed. Permanent. Crippling. This book evoked a similar type of pain and loss and raked me raw as Jean Valjean reminded me of my dad in so many ways. Just knowing a book could do this made me want to write. And it intimidated the hell out of me and I almost never wrote again.
6. Rescue Me ~ Rachel Gibson
This was the first book of hers I’d ever read. It was the type of good that as soon as I finished the last page, I opened it back up and started again. It’s a perfect example of two flawed beings finding perfection in the other. It also made me want to buy a horse ranch. So now you all know why I’m really writing, saving my pennies until that day comes. ;)
7. Someone Else’s Fairytale ~ E.M. Tippetts
Mark it, I’m a Jason Vanderholt fangirl and proud of it. If there is one author I am glad to have found via a book review blog I used to have, it’s Emily Tippetts. SEF was so good, I Tweeted her as soon as I heard there was a second one and volunteered to beta read. Mostly because I couldn’t wait for it. That turned into a CP relationship and a long distance friendship that I cherish. When I say she influences me, I mean she scrapped my original ending of GwG and fixed my hot mess of a first draft in too many ways to count. Woman is a fount of knowledge and is generous with what she has learned. I always feel like I got lucky and sat by the smartest kid in class so I could cheat off of her. Without her, there’d be no Girl with Guitarand Caisey Quinn would never have been heard of.
8. The Fault in Our Stars ~ John Green
In my upcoming novel, Keep Me Still, my main character has a serious health condition. Hazel Grace reminded me that death can be dark and ugly and painful, but keeping your sense of humor and allowing yourself to love and be loved will keep you sane in the face of it.
9. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer ~ Michelle Hodkin
Some of y’all saw this one and went Whaaa?? But here’s what I learned from Mara. Your heroine can be foul mouthed and batshit crazy, like downright certifiable, literally, and SOMEONE will still love her. Will still be there to fight for her and pick her up when she falls. That’s what I want for my characters, someone who loves them at their absolute and utter darkest, lowest, most despicable versions of themselves.
10. Try Me ~ Diane Alberts
This was the first eBook I ever bought. And I didn’t even have a Kindle yet. I downloaded the app on my iPhone and read it in bed while my husband snored beside me. My brother-in-law was a Marine that was about to return from deployment and I might’ve had some inappropriate thoughts about him after reading this. ;) Shh. But it actually inspired an adult romance I’ve written and may or may not ever release. Diane is a CP of mine and I’ll have to run it by her first.
There are also authors that deserve honorable mention for books that turned me into a mushy puddle of fangirl. They are, in no particular order, A Walk to Remember, The Lucky One, Save Haven ~ Nicholas Sparks, Protecting What’s His ~ Tessa Bailey, One Week Girlfriend & Second Chance Boyfriend ~ Monica Murphy, The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden ~Jessica Sorenson.
Shameless Self-Promotion: My debut novel, Girl with Guitar, is available now! I am currently working on Girl on Tour, the second book in the Kylie Ryans series. I don’t have an official release date yet, but will post on my site www.caiseyquinnwrites.comas soon as I do! Keep an eye out!
Caisey Quinn is a New Adult author living in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, daughter, and other assorted animals. She wears cowgirl boots most of the time, even to church. Girl with Guitar is her first novel. It’s available now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.
AUTHOR BIOCaisey Quinn lives in a suburb outside of Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, daughter, and other assorted animals. She wears cowgirl boots most of the time, even to church. Girl with Guitar is her first novel. She is currently working on the second book in the Kylie Ryans series, Girl on Tour. She can be found online at www.caiseyquinnwrites.com. SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS Website: www.caiseyquinnwrites.com Facebook Twitter: @CaiseyQuinn GoodReads Pinterest Thank you for stopping by my Brats :)Love you all madly <3 Tamxxx
May 28, 2013
**Updates: Cover Reveals for this week :)**
Hi Brats :)
It's been a busy few days in the blogosphere with blog tours, cover reveals and new releases popping up everywhere :) We've also been having loads of drama - but we'll leave that for another day ;)
This posy serves a general update :)
Cover Reveals
Into The Deep by Samantha Young (20 Aug 2013)
Synopsis
Live young. Live hard. Love deep.
Charley Redford was just an ordinary girl until Jake Caplin moved to her small town in Indiana and convinced her she was extraordinary. Almost from day one Jake pulled Charley into the deep and promised he was right there with her. But when a tragic incident darkened Jake’s life he waded out into the shallows and left Charley behind.
Almost four years later Charley thinks she’s moved on. That is until she takes a study year abroad in Edinburgh and bumps into none other than Jake Caplin at a party with his new girlfriend. The bad-boy-turned-good attempts to convince Charley to forgive him, and as her best friend starts spending time with Jake’s, Charley calls a truce, only to find herself tumbling back into a friendship with him.
As they grow closer, the spark between them flares and begins playing havoc with their lives and relationships. When jealousy and longing rear their destructive heads, Charley and Jake struggle to come to grips with what they mean to one another.
And even if they work it out, there is no guarantee Charley will ever trust Jake to lead her back into the deep…
Excerpt
“Forget, Alex.” Lacey turned to me, her eyes bright in the firelight. “I’ve decided Jake Caplin is perfect for you.”
“Ah, the mysterious Jake,” I chuckled.
All summer I’d been treated to excited phone calls from my friends. First they relayed the news that a new family had moved to Lanton. This was news because Mr. Caplin was opening an attorney’s office which had thrown Brackett & Sons, the already existing attorney’s office, into a tizzy. It was also news because the Caplins had two boys – Jacob and Lukas, a junior and a freshman. Both, apparently, seriously cute.
They’d also made quite a name for themselves over the summer. Or at least Jake had. He’d quickly found friends, seeming able to move from group to group according to Lacey. He hung out with the musicians, the nerds and the stoners, but also had a lot of fun with the jocks. And, more importantly Lacey said, he had already slept with a bunch of junior and senior girls. Rumor had it he’d also slept with Stacy Sullivan, the hot nineteen year old waitress that worked at Hub’s, a popular diner on Main Street. Despite Jake being sixteen and it being legal and all, Rose said Stacy was working hard to make sure it remained a rumor. She already had a bit of rep, and wasn’t too keen on folks thinking she was corrupting guys just passed the legal age of consent. Especially because she thought Jake was her age and he hadn’t told her any different.
All this made me question why the hell Lacey would want me to hook up with him.
“Oh my God, he’s here,” Lacey breathed as if Batman had just walked into the party.
I twisted my head to follow her gaze and I found myself staring past the fire and into the dark eyes of Jake Caplin.
I felt his look seize hold of me and I swear to God my breath hitched in my throat.
He was beautiful.
I didn’t know how to describe him any other way. And as he moved through the crowd, eyes on me, my friends whispering in disbelief that he was coming over, I decided then that I didn’t care about rumor. There was something about the way his tall, built body moved – confident and strong but also somehow wild and untamed. I watched his mouth curl up at the corners in a half-smile and I read a million things in his expression. A million stories, a million jokes, a million dreams…
Deep down, I somehow knew that Jake Caplin would never, ever bore me. It sounded crazy, I know it did because we’d never even exchanged a word, but I just knew.
“So, you’re the mysterious girl who’s been gone all summer.” He stopped right in front of me, casual, holding a beer in hand. I tipped my head back to meet his gaze, my body tingling. It suddenly occurred to me that someone as beautiful as Jake must have girls throwing themselves all over him all the time. I read it in his cocky confidence. I read it in the ease with which he spoke to me, a complete stranger, when there were guys I’d known my whole life that stuttered when they tried to flirt with me.
“And you’re the mysterious newbie,” I answered with a shrug.
He smiled at my response and held out a hand. “Jake.”
Reaching out tentatively, I let him take my hand, ignoring the curl of tension in my lower belly as our skin touched. “Charley.”
“I know. You’re famous. Supergirl.” He grinned wickedly and I shot my friends a dirty look. I couldn’t believe they’d told him that story.
No, in fact, I could believe it.
Two years ago I’d gone into town with Lacey and Rose. We were coming out of Hub’s when we heard my sister Andie shouting. It was so unlike her that we stopped to spectate. Andie was a senior at the time and her and her long-term boyfriend Pete had been having problems. That day those problems had escalated so much that my sister – who was the epitome of public decorum – started to shout at him in the town square. He’d shouted back as she walked away, and Andie had stupidly stopped in the middle of the street to turn and shout a response.
I saw Mr. Finnegan’s SUV come roaring around the corner, and I also noted he was too busy fiddling with something on his dashboard to notice my sister. I didn’t even think. I just tore across the street and shoved her out of the way, just in time for Finnegan to realize what was happening and hit the brakes. Unfortunately, he found the brakes too late and he still hit me. The impact wasn’t hard enough to do serious, serious damage, but I ended up with concussion, a few fractured ribs and a broken fibula.
I’d been laid up for a while. Enough time for the town to hail me as a local hero and everyone, including my sister, to affectionately nickname me “Supergirl”.
“I hate living in a small town,” I grumbled, taking another pull of my beer.
Jake laughed, a deep, rich sound that tugged my eyes instantly back to his. My heart started racing hard again as we stared at each other. “Don’t sweat it. If you’re going to adopt a nickname I could think of worse ones, and definitely not a better reason to have one.”
“We’re going to get more beers,” Lacey announced cheerily and not so very subtly grabbed Rose’s hand and dragged her away, giving Jake and I privacy.
I grimaced at how obvious they were. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Jake stepped a little closer. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
I tipped my head and grinned knowingly. “Oh, I’ve heard you’ve met lots of people already.”
His lips twitched. “You shouldn’t listen to gossip.”
“Especially when it’s right?”
He laughed now, shaking his head. “I was just being friendly. Getting to know the new town. It’s not easy moving from Chicago to here.”
“I can imagine.” I frowned and leaned against the post behind me. “Why did you?”
Jake blew a breath out between his lips and shrugged. “My mom and dad are from small towns, they missed it, but my dad was pretty successful in Chicago and my mom liked her life there. However, my kid brother, Lukas, got mugged coming home from school one night when he missed the bus. They pulled a knife on him but didn’t hurt him. Still, it freaked my mom and dad out so much they upped stakes.”
I nodded but said, “You know bad things happen everywhere.”
“You get a lot of muggings in Lanton, do you?”
“Only when things are slow. I like to shake things up a little.”
Jake threw his head back and laughed, his eyes glittering warmly. “Ski-mask and all?”
I shook my head. “Bandit eye strip, a banana and a black trash bag.”
He chuckled. “Let me guess – the banana works three-fold: a “gun”, a snack to keep your mugger energy up, and then the slippery peel is a great tool in your escape.”
I widened my eyes in mock surprise. “Dude, you got this down. Want to be a bandit with me?” I didn’t mean it to sound so flirtatious but it totally did.
Jake’s gaze turned even warmer and he ducked his head a little to murmur, “Definitely.”
Working It by Kendall Ryan (5 Aug 2013)
Synopsis
Straight-laced Emmy Clarke’s assistant job at the modeling agency provides her with one distinct perk – getting to watch pretty mancandy parade around all day. But having to work under the ultra-bitchy Fiona Stone barely makes it worth it. Emmy enjoys looking, but she’s not stupid enough to fall for one of the tempting specimens. Especially not rising star Ben Shaw.
Ben is everything Emmy’s not: well-traveled, highly paid and exquisitely gorgeous. He’s also got more issues than Vogue. Against her better judgment to get involved, Emmy’s southern roots kick in, and whenever he’s on set, she makes sure he’s treated well and looked after. But she refuses to become one of the pathetic groupies lusting after him, and soon Ben’s drawn toward her refreshingly real attitude.
Against the backdrop of fashion shows in NYC, Paris and Milan, their casual flirting turns into more, and they embark on a journey of sexual discovery. But when Ben’s twisted past is uncovered, it threatens both their relationship and careers as the bitter Fiona digs her claws in, unwilling to let her golden boy go without a catfight.
Filled with passion, jealousy and heart-thumping sex, Working It is the tale of falling for a supermodel.
Fading by E.K Blair (21 June 2013)
Synopsis
Can a guilty conscience keep wounds from healing?
Fine arts major, Candace Parker, grew up with a mother who thinks image is everything, and her daughter’s perfection will never be good enough. About to graduate college and pursue her dreams of becoming a professional ballerina, Candace decides it’s time to let go and have a little fun. But fun is short-lived when a brutal attack leaves her completely shattered.
The memories that consume and torment Candace are starting to destroy her when she meets Ryan Campbell, a successful bar owner. He feels instantly connected and tries to show her that hope is worth fighting for. But is Ryan harboring his own demons? As walls slowly begin to chip away, the secrets that are held within start to become painful burdens.
At what point do secrets become lies?
Serendipity by Stacey Bentley (June 2013)
Synopsis
The saying goes that there is a fine line between love and hate… but what happens when the line becomes blurred?
When life hands Phoebe Andrews her dream job, she’s ecstatic. That is, until she realizes that in order to pursue her dream she’ll have to give up her cosmopolitan lifestyle in Chicago and move to Nashville. As if leaving all she knows behind wasn’t enough, a car accident on her first day in town does nothing to convince the city girl that country living is all it’s cracked up to be.
As an only child, Dean Montgomery has obligations—obligations which have left him angry at the world. Just as his monotone life has begun to leave him jaded, he is brought back to earth with a bang… literally.
Fate conspires to bring the city girl and the country boy together, but can Dean stay out of trouble long enough for the pair to test the boundaries of their tempestuous relationship?
Recovery by L.B Simmons (13 June 2013)
Synopsis
I have the perfect life.
I’ve finally found my happy ending.
I fought through the loss of one husband, lucky enough to be given a second chance at a lifetime of happiness. Settling into our new lives, however, may not be as easy as it seems.
What really happens after the fairytale ending? What happens after the prince rescues the princess? After he sweeps her off her feet and carries her off into the sunset? Do they truly live happily ever after?
Well…
This is our story. Excerpt As soon as I turn to lead us towards the lake, I’m suddenly whipped around and my body folds itself into Blake’s as he wraps his arm around my back. Dipping me gently, he brings his face to mine. My eyes once again find his perfect mouth, my lips parting to give him entry. He plunges right through them and when I feel the warmth of his tongue I let out a moan. Holding onto the lapels of his jacket, I pull myself closer to him, raising my body until my chest is flush with his. My tongue enters his mouth on a massive exploring expedition, claiming every single inch as my own. When I hear him groan in response, I figure it’s time to stop because I can feel his excitement, which reminds me that we really need to discuss the mandatory one-hundred foot policy during the nuptials. He brings me back to a standing position and ends the kiss with a light, feathery soft peck to my lips. “Wow,” I sigh, still trying to catch my breath. Blake raises his hand to move one of the curled sections of my hair off of my face. I reach back to make sure my bun in still intact, and find it’s still holding strong. Not that I’m surprised. Harlow put a whole package of bobby pins in the thing. After a few seconds of gathering ourselves, Blake offers his arm, and I loop mine through, hugging his massive shoulder as we walk together. “Last chance to back out,” I say smiling up at him. “Nah,” he simply states. “I’ve been waiting to call you mine my whole life, and tonight I plan on showing you just how mine you are.” The air is sucked out of my lungs as I come to a standstill. He says nothing else, just leans over to give me a sensual kiss on the neck before leaving me on my own to practically orgasm in front of our family and friends. I can hear him laughing as he walks away and a grin breaks across my face. Jerk.
Finding Obscurity by Emma Shade
Synopsis
Lily Canton always knew she was unique.
After she loses everything she has ever cared about ten years ago, Lily decides its time to find answers about her past and why she has special powers. But when you can’t control seeing the future, and you hold enough electricity inside you to black out an entire city block, it doesn’t always make life easy.
She swore she would never care about anyone ever again after that fateful day so long ago. Then she meets sexy club owner, Ashton Ryder. Lily can’t afford to fall for Ashton. Then there is handsome, powerful, Blake Moore, who wants to help her with more than just her powers. She has to learn to trust people and let them into her heart, even as things spiral out of control.
Not only does she learn Ashton has a secret that will make her question everything she ever thought was real, but Lily finds out that her birth parents are anything but ordinary. Just when Lily thinks she has everything figured out, someone is determined to destroy her – because she isn’t supposed to be alive.
It's been a busy few days in the blogosphere with blog tours, cover reveals and new releases popping up everywhere :) We've also been having loads of drama - but we'll leave that for another day ;)
This posy serves a general update :)
Cover Reveals
Into The Deep by Samantha Young (20 Aug 2013)
Synopsis
Live young. Live hard. Love deep.
Charley Redford was just an ordinary girl until Jake Caplin moved to her small town in Indiana and convinced her she was extraordinary. Almost from day one Jake pulled Charley into the deep and promised he was right there with her. But when a tragic incident darkened Jake’s life he waded out into the shallows and left Charley behind.
Almost four years later Charley thinks she’s moved on. That is until she takes a study year abroad in Edinburgh and bumps into none other than Jake Caplin at a party with his new girlfriend. The bad-boy-turned-good attempts to convince Charley to forgive him, and as her best friend starts spending time with Jake’s, Charley calls a truce, only to find herself tumbling back into a friendship with him.
As they grow closer, the spark between them flares and begins playing havoc with their lives and relationships. When jealousy and longing rear their destructive heads, Charley and Jake struggle to come to grips with what they mean to one another.
And even if they work it out, there is no guarantee Charley will ever trust Jake to lead her back into the deep…
Excerpt
“Forget, Alex.” Lacey turned to me, her eyes bright in the firelight. “I’ve decided Jake Caplin is perfect for you.”
“Ah, the mysterious Jake,” I chuckled.
All summer I’d been treated to excited phone calls from my friends. First they relayed the news that a new family had moved to Lanton. This was news because Mr. Caplin was opening an attorney’s office which had thrown Brackett & Sons, the already existing attorney’s office, into a tizzy. It was also news because the Caplins had two boys – Jacob and Lukas, a junior and a freshman. Both, apparently, seriously cute.
They’d also made quite a name for themselves over the summer. Or at least Jake had. He’d quickly found friends, seeming able to move from group to group according to Lacey. He hung out with the musicians, the nerds and the stoners, but also had a lot of fun with the jocks. And, more importantly Lacey said, he had already slept with a bunch of junior and senior girls. Rumor had it he’d also slept with Stacy Sullivan, the hot nineteen year old waitress that worked at Hub’s, a popular diner on Main Street. Despite Jake being sixteen and it being legal and all, Rose said Stacy was working hard to make sure it remained a rumor. She already had a bit of rep, and wasn’t too keen on folks thinking she was corrupting guys just passed the legal age of consent. Especially because she thought Jake was her age and he hadn’t told her any different.
All this made me question why the hell Lacey would want me to hook up with him.
“Oh my God, he’s here,” Lacey breathed as if Batman had just walked into the party.
I twisted my head to follow her gaze and I found myself staring past the fire and into the dark eyes of Jake Caplin.
I felt his look seize hold of me and I swear to God my breath hitched in my throat.
He was beautiful.
I didn’t know how to describe him any other way. And as he moved through the crowd, eyes on me, my friends whispering in disbelief that he was coming over, I decided then that I didn’t care about rumor. There was something about the way his tall, built body moved – confident and strong but also somehow wild and untamed. I watched his mouth curl up at the corners in a half-smile and I read a million things in his expression. A million stories, a million jokes, a million dreams…
Deep down, I somehow knew that Jake Caplin would never, ever bore me. It sounded crazy, I know it did because we’d never even exchanged a word, but I just knew.
“So, you’re the mysterious girl who’s been gone all summer.” He stopped right in front of me, casual, holding a beer in hand. I tipped my head back to meet his gaze, my body tingling. It suddenly occurred to me that someone as beautiful as Jake must have girls throwing themselves all over him all the time. I read it in his cocky confidence. I read it in the ease with which he spoke to me, a complete stranger, when there were guys I’d known my whole life that stuttered when they tried to flirt with me.
“And you’re the mysterious newbie,” I answered with a shrug.
He smiled at my response and held out a hand. “Jake.”
Reaching out tentatively, I let him take my hand, ignoring the curl of tension in my lower belly as our skin touched. “Charley.”
“I know. You’re famous. Supergirl.” He grinned wickedly and I shot my friends a dirty look. I couldn’t believe they’d told him that story.
No, in fact, I could believe it.
Two years ago I’d gone into town with Lacey and Rose. We were coming out of Hub’s when we heard my sister Andie shouting. It was so unlike her that we stopped to spectate. Andie was a senior at the time and her and her long-term boyfriend Pete had been having problems. That day those problems had escalated so much that my sister – who was the epitome of public decorum – started to shout at him in the town square. He’d shouted back as she walked away, and Andie had stupidly stopped in the middle of the street to turn and shout a response.
I saw Mr. Finnegan’s SUV come roaring around the corner, and I also noted he was too busy fiddling with something on his dashboard to notice my sister. I didn’t even think. I just tore across the street and shoved her out of the way, just in time for Finnegan to realize what was happening and hit the brakes. Unfortunately, he found the brakes too late and he still hit me. The impact wasn’t hard enough to do serious, serious damage, but I ended up with concussion, a few fractured ribs and a broken fibula.
I’d been laid up for a while. Enough time for the town to hail me as a local hero and everyone, including my sister, to affectionately nickname me “Supergirl”.
“I hate living in a small town,” I grumbled, taking another pull of my beer.
Jake laughed, a deep, rich sound that tugged my eyes instantly back to his. My heart started racing hard again as we stared at each other. “Don’t sweat it. If you’re going to adopt a nickname I could think of worse ones, and definitely not a better reason to have one.”
“We’re going to get more beers,” Lacey announced cheerily and not so very subtly grabbed Rose’s hand and dragged her away, giving Jake and I privacy.
I grimaced at how obvious they were. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Jake stepped a little closer. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
I tipped my head and grinned knowingly. “Oh, I’ve heard you’ve met lots of people already.”
His lips twitched. “You shouldn’t listen to gossip.”
“Especially when it’s right?”
He laughed now, shaking his head. “I was just being friendly. Getting to know the new town. It’s not easy moving from Chicago to here.”
“I can imagine.” I frowned and leaned against the post behind me. “Why did you?”
Jake blew a breath out between his lips and shrugged. “My mom and dad are from small towns, they missed it, but my dad was pretty successful in Chicago and my mom liked her life there. However, my kid brother, Lukas, got mugged coming home from school one night when he missed the bus. They pulled a knife on him but didn’t hurt him. Still, it freaked my mom and dad out so much they upped stakes.”
I nodded but said, “You know bad things happen everywhere.”
“You get a lot of muggings in Lanton, do you?”
“Only when things are slow. I like to shake things up a little.”
Jake threw his head back and laughed, his eyes glittering warmly. “Ski-mask and all?”
I shook my head. “Bandit eye strip, a banana and a black trash bag.”
He chuckled. “Let me guess – the banana works three-fold: a “gun”, a snack to keep your mugger energy up, and then the slippery peel is a great tool in your escape.”
I widened my eyes in mock surprise. “Dude, you got this down. Want to be a bandit with me?” I didn’t mean it to sound so flirtatious but it totally did.
Jake’s gaze turned even warmer and he ducked his head a little to murmur, “Definitely.”
Working It by Kendall Ryan (5 Aug 2013)
Synopsis
Straight-laced Emmy Clarke’s assistant job at the modeling agency provides her with one distinct perk – getting to watch pretty mancandy parade around all day. But having to work under the ultra-bitchy Fiona Stone barely makes it worth it. Emmy enjoys looking, but she’s not stupid enough to fall for one of the tempting specimens. Especially not rising star Ben Shaw.
Ben is everything Emmy’s not: well-traveled, highly paid and exquisitely gorgeous. He’s also got more issues than Vogue. Against her better judgment to get involved, Emmy’s southern roots kick in, and whenever he’s on set, she makes sure he’s treated well and looked after. But she refuses to become one of the pathetic groupies lusting after him, and soon Ben’s drawn toward her refreshingly real attitude.
Against the backdrop of fashion shows in NYC, Paris and Milan, their casual flirting turns into more, and they embark on a journey of sexual discovery. But when Ben’s twisted past is uncovered, it threatens both their relationship and careers as the bitter Fiona digs her claws in, unwilling to let her golden boy go without a catfight.
Filled with passion, jealousy and heart-thumping sex, Working It is the tale of falling for a supermodel.
Fading by E.K Blair (21 June 2013)
Synopsis
Can a guilty conscience keep wounds from healing?
Fine arts major, Candace Parker, grew up with a mother who thinks image is everything, and her daughter’s perfection will never be good enough. About to graduate college and pursue her dreams of becoming a professional ballerina, Candace decides it’s time to let go and have a little fun. But fun is short-lived when a brutal attack leaves her completely shattered.
The memories that consume and torment Candace are starting to destroy her when she meets Ryan Campbell, a successful bar owner. He feels instantly connected and tries to show her that hope is worth fighting for. But is Ryan harboring his own demons? As walls slowly begin to chip away, the secrets that are held within start to become painful burdens.
At what point do secrets become lies?
Serendipity by Stacey Bentley (June 2013)
Synopsis
The saying goes that there is a fine line between love and hate… but what happens when the line becomes blurred?
When life hands Phoebe Andrews her dream job, she’s ecstatic. That is, until she realizes that in order to pursue her dream she’ll have to give up her cosmopolitan lifestyle in Chicago and move to Nashville. As if leaving all she knows behind wasn’t enough, a car accident on her first day in town does nothing to convince the city girl that country living is all it’s cracked up to be.
As an only child, Dean Montgomery has obligations—obligations which have left him angry at the world. Just as his monotone life has begun to leave him jaded, he is brought back to earth with a bang… literally.
Fate conspires to bring the city girl and the country boy together, but can Dean stay out of trouble long enough for the pair to test the boundaries of their tempestuous relationship?
Recovery by L.B Simmons (13 June 2013)
Synopsis
I have the perfect life.
I’ve finally found my happy ending.
I fought through the loss of one husband, lucky enough to be given a second chance at a lifetime of happiness. Settling into our new lives, however, may not be as easy as it seems.
What really happens after the fairytale ending? What happens after the prince rescues the princess? After he sweeps her off her feet and carries her off into the sunset? Do they truly live happily ever after?
Well…
This is our story. Excerpt As soon as I turn to lead us towards the lake, I’m suddenly whipped around and my body folds itself into Blake’s as he wraps his arm around my back. Dipping me gently, he brings his face to mine. My eyes once again find his perfect mouth, my lips parting to give him entry. He plunges right through them and when I feel the warmth of his tongue I let out a moan. Holding onto the lapels of his jacket, I pull myself closer to him, raising my body until my chest is flush with his. My tongue enters his mouth on a massive exploring expedition, claiming every single inch as my own. When I hear him groan in response, I figure it’s time to stop because I can feel his excitement, which reminds me that we really need to discuss the mandatory one-hundred foot policy during the nuptials. He brings me back to a standing position and ends the kiss with a light, feathery soft peck to my lips. “Wow,” I sigh, still trying to catch my breath. Blake raises his hand to move one of the curled sections of my hair off of my face. I reach back to make sure my bun in still intact, and find it’s still holding strong. Not that I’m surprised. Harlow put a whole package of bobby pins in the thing. After a few seconds of gathering ourselves, Blake offers his arm, and I loop mine through, hugging his massive shoulder as we walk together. “Last chance to back out,” I say smiling up at him. “Nah,” he simply states. “I’ve been waiting to call you mine my whole life, and tonight I plan on showing you just how mine you are.” The air is sucked out of my lungs as I come to a standstill. He says nothing else, just leans over to give me a sensual kiss on the neck before leaving me on my own to practically orgasm in front of our family and friends. I can hear him laughing as he walks away and a grin breaks across my face. Jerk.
Finding Obscurity by Emma Shade
Synopsis
Lily Canton always knew she was unique.
After she loses everything she has ever cared about ten years ago, Lily decides its time to find answers about her past and why she has special powers. But when you can’t control seeing the future, and you hold enough electricity inside you to black out an entire city block, it doesn’t always make life easy.
She swore she would never care about anyone ever again after that fateful day so long ago. Then she meets sexy club owner, Ashton Ryder. Lily can’t afford to fall for Ashton. Then there is handsome, powerful, Blake Moore, who wants to help her with more than just her powers. She has to learn to trust people and let them into her heart, even as things spiral out of control.
Not only does she learn Ashton has a secret that will make her question everything she ever thought was real, but Lily finds out that her birth parents are anything but ordinary. Just when Lily thinks she has everything figured out, someone is determined to destroy her – because she isn’t supposed to be alive.
May 27, 2013
*Blog Tour: Love LOve by Beth Michele*
Hi Brats :)
Things are back in full in full swing here TheSecretBookBrat HQ and I've taken some away from the madness to bring the 'Love Love' blog stop for today :)
About Love Love
Gabrielle Willis is smart. She's funny. And oh yes, she's a bit klutzy.
When Gabrielle left sunny California bound for the energy of Manhattan, she was willingly leaving the life she had known for the new life she would create. But was she really leaving something behind or was she running away?
On the outside, Gabrielle Willis has it all under control. A new life in Manhattan, a great roommate, and a good job. But she is haunted. Haunted by a memory she's tried to forget and by a family who's abandoned her. But what happens when what's on the outside is only an illusion and in perfect contradiction to what's buried deep within?
Enter Dane Rhodes. He's gorgeous, smart, and sexy as hell. Just what Gabby wants, or so she thinks. But when she meets Brad Dixon, the sweet guy with the crooked smile, he begins to make her see that the very thing she is trying to run from is the very thing that just may push her to see the light.
My Review This book was a breath of fresh air. It made me ugly cry and laugh out loud in all the right places. It left me wanting more and it takes a lot for a book to do that.
Gabrielle Willis is trying to get through every day, one breathe at a time. She’s left broken after the love of her life dies in a car accident after their graduation. She moves to Manhattan in an attempt move on and create a new life for herself. Unfortunately, she spends most of her time living in the past until she meets Brad Dixon.
Brad is the kind of guy all mother’s want for their little girls – he’s sweet, and caring and sexy as hell. But he’s also got a broken heart. He owns the coffee shop that Gabrielle visits every morning before work and very soon the two strike up a friendship. He sees the hurt that she tries to hide from everyone else and is immediately drawn to her.
Enter Dane Rhodes – a rich, arrogant client that takes a liking to Gabrielle. Their relationship is purely sexual and Gabrielle sees Dane as an opportunity to feel something after being numb for almost 3 years. However, after every encounter she feels hollow, no matter how many times Dane makes her scream his name. She soon realises that the one person that makes her feel alive again is Brad and it terrifies her because the last time she felt that way about someone he was taken away from her.
Gabrielle and Brad are both endearing characters that show emotional vulnerability and growth throughout the book. They show the ability of people to love unconditionally, move on after a loss and keep living.
(Dane is a shmuck…. That’s all I will say about him!!)
Beth Michele did an amazing job with her debut novel – the story was engaging, the writing flowed effortlessly and the characters are believable.
*Find 'Love Love' on Goodreads*
*Buy On Amazon*
*Buy On Barnes & Noble*
*Buy On Smashwords*
About Beth Michele (pen name for Beth Michele Luciano) Beth Michele is a wife, a mom, an author and a lover of all things chocolate, well, anything sweet really. While stuffing chocolate in her face, she enjoys reading young adult and new adult novels furiously, and spending time with her husband and two adorable children who keep her on her peppermint pink painted toes. Those same children who inspire her to tell silly stories that cause hysterical giggles to tumble from their bellies. Beth loves to laugh and loves to have a good cry, especially after reading a novel that stretches her soul, the ones that make her feel, and linger in the corners of her beating heart. Beth began writing when she was in middle school, penning anything from short stories, to poetry, and then later to write children’s books. Her debut novel, Love Love is due out May 8, 2013. Authors Social Media Links: Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you for stopping by Brats :)
Love you all madly!!
Tam
xxx
Things are back in full in full swing here TheSecretBookBrat HQ and I've taken some away from the madness to bring the 'Love Love' blog stop for today :)
About Love Love
Gabrielle Willis is smart. She's funny. And oh yes, she's a bit klutzy.
When Gabrielle left sunny California bound for the energy of Manhattan, she was willingly leaving the life she had known for the new life she would create. But was she really leaving something behind or was she running away?
On the outside, Gabrielle Willis has it all under control. A new life in Manhattan, a great roommate, and a good job. But she is haunted. Haunted by a memory she's tried to forget and by a family who's abandoned her. But what happens when what's on the outside is only an illusion and in perfect contradiction to what's buried deep within?
Enter Dane Rhodes. He's gorgeous, smart, and sexy as hell. Just what Gabby wants, or so she thinks. But when she meets Brad Dixon, the sweet guy with the crooked smile, he begins to make her see that the very thing she is trying to run from is the very thing that just may push her to see the light.
My Review This book was a breath of fresh air. It made me ugly cry and laugh out loud in all the right places. It left me wanting more and it takes a lot for a book to do that.
Gabrielle Willis is trying to get through every day, one breathe at a time. She’s left broken after the love of her life dies in a car accident after their graduation. She moves to Manhattan in an attempt move on and create a new life for herself. Unfortunately, she spends most of her time living in the past until she meets Brad Dixon.
Brad is the kind of guy all mother’s want for their little girls – he’s sweet, and caring and sexy as hell. But he’s also got a broken heart. He owns the coffee shop that Gabrielle visits every morning before work and very soon the two strike up a friendship. He sees the hurt that she tries to hide from everyone else and is immediately drawn to her. Enter Dane Rhodes – a rich, arrogant client that takes a liking to Gabrielle. Their relationship is purely sexual and Gabrielle sees Dane as an opportunity to feel something after being numb for almost 3 years. However, after every encounter she feels hollow, no matter how many times Dane makes her scream his name. She soon realises that the one person that makes her feel alive again is Brad and it terrifies her because the last time she felt that way about someone he was taken away from her.
Gabrielle and Brad are both endearing characters that show emotional vulnerability and growth throughout the book. They show the ability of people to love unconditionally, move on after a loss and keep living. (Dane is a shmuck…. That’s all I will say about him!!)
Beth Michele did an amazing job with her debut novel – the story was engaging, the writing flowed effortlessly and the characters are believable.
*Find 'Love Love' on Goodreads*
*Buy On Amazon*
*Buy On Barnes & Noble*
*Buy On Smashwords*
About Beth Michele (pen name for Beth Michele Luciano) Beth Michele is a wife, a mom, an author and a lover of all things chocolate, well, anything sweet really. While stuffing chocolate in her face, she enjoys reading young adult and new adult novels furiously, and spending time with her husband and two adorable children who keep her on her peppermint pink painted toes. Those same children who inspire her to tell silly stories that cause hysterical giggles to tumble from their bellies. Beth loves to laugh and loves to have a good cry, especially after reading a novel that stretches her soul, the ones that make her feel, and linger in the corners of her beating heart. Beth began writing when she was in middle school, penning anything from short stories, to poetry, and then later to write children’s books. Her debut novel, Love Love is due out May 8, 2013. Authors Social Media Links: Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you for stopping by Brats :)
Love you all madly!!
Tam
xxx
May 24, 2013
*Blog Tour: This Trust of Mine*
HI Brats :)
Today the blog tour for This Trust of Mine (Raine series #2) By Amanda Bennett makes a stop here at TheSecretBookBrat HQ :)
"Love cannot be defined by age or time, but by the way that person makes you feel. He made me feel completely vulnerable, but vulnerability I have learned is a gift, one that I will gladly accept from Madison Raine."
Kayla
Madison had irrevocably changed me. He opened me up to feel things I had never felt, and he never judged me for my past. In the short amount of time I had known him, I had fallen in love with him and everything he encompassed. He showed me how to live, how to enjoy life, but best of all, he showed me how to love. They say bad things happen to good people, well that saying rang truer to me now than ever before. Madison is gone. He is off at school in Arizona, and I just couldn't bring myself to leave with him. That was my first mistake.
See the thing about trouble is, it will always find you. Trouble found me the night he left, and that night forever changed me. Now I am fighting my way back, alone.
Madison
Leaving Kayla was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do. To say I regret my decision to leave her behind, would be an understatement. My world shifted when I met her and I would forever be changed. Everything felt different now that I was away, everything with her at least. Something was wrong, I could feel it. I needed to go to her to find out what this feeling was, but would she trust me enough to tell me, and could I trust her to forgive me.
"When life, love and heart breaking circumstances stand to pull apart a bond so strong, what do you do without trust?"
My Review This Trust of Mine is the sequel to Amanda Bennett’s This Love of Mine. There were many readers who complained about the pacing of the first book and Amanda listened. To say that I loved This Trust of Mine was an understatement. Kayla and Madison’s story continues a month after his departure for Baseball camp in Arizona – a month after Kayla is forced to deal with something no young girl should ever have to. Madison realises he’s made a giant mistake leaving Kayla behind in Texas and decides it’s to head home, not only for his family, but to also fight for the girl he loves more than life itself. It doesn’t take much for Kayla to jump back into his arms but when it comes to trusting him it takes a little more effort. Her fear of being rejected by Madison after he learns what Wren did to her is overwhelming. Madison fights for Kayla, even after he learns what she endured the night he left and promises to never leave her again – only this time its Kayla’s turn to prove her love for Madison when his entire world falls apart. They’re young, and hopelessly in love, but their relationship is tested from the moment they’ve met. Both Kayla and Madison have grown and Amanda definitely got the pacing right the second time round. Each character has had to face their own challenges and while they’ve managed to get through it alone, they prove how much stronger they are together. Naturally, there’s a cliffhanger, since there’s a third and final book in the Raine series, but it will leave you wanting MORE!! J I can’t wait to see how Kayla and Madison’s crazy love story ends – rumour has it Amanda is pulling out all the stops for their final book ;)
You can buy This Love of Mine (Book 1 in the Raine Series) here : This Love of Mine You can buy This Trust of Mine (Book 2 in the Raine Series) here: This Trust of Mine Playlist When I was Your Man- Bruno MarsBlown Away- Carrie UnderwoodNever Let Me Go- Florence and The MachineYou'll Think of Me- Keith UrbanTonight I wanna Cry- Keith UrbanMust Be Doin Somethin' Right- Billy CurringtonShe Will Be Loved- Maroon 5Sad- Maroon 5Trust Me- The FrayTrust In Me Now- Anthony EvansWhen I look at You- Miley CyrusI Hope You Find It- Miley CyrusLucky Now- Ryan AdamsThat's What You Get- ParamoreGive Your Heart A Break- Demi LovatoDesire- Ryan AdamsWhen It Rains- ParamoreCome Home- Ryan AdamsBound To You- Christina AguileraCan't Shake You- GlorianaSafe and Sound- Taylor SwiftRadioactive- Imagine DragonsSomewhere Only We Know- KeaneParadise - ColdplayPoison and Wine- The Civil WarsYou Don't Know Her Like I do- Brantley GilbertI Don't Do Lonely Well- Jason AldeanFall Into Me- Brantley GilbertThe One That Got Away- Jake OwenLike Jesus Does- Eric ChurchWanted You More- Lady AntebellumAlone With You- Jake OwenLove Your Love The Most- Eric ChurchShe's My Kind of Rain- Time McGrawI knew You Were Trouble- Taylor SwiftHighway Don't Care- Tim McGraw Don't forget about the awesome giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for stopping by Brats :) I know you'll '1 Click' RIGHT now and show some support for Amanda - she's amazing :) Love you all :) Tam xxx
Today the blog tour for This Trust of Mine (Raine series #2) By Amanda Bennett makes a stop here at TheSecretBookBrat HQ :)
"Love cannot be defined by age or time, but by the way that person makes you feel. He made me feel completely vulnerable, but vulnerability I have learned is a gift, one that I will gladly accept from Madison Raine."
Kayla
Madison had irrevocably changed me. He opened me up to feel things I had never felt, and he never judged me for my past. In the short amount of time I had known him, I had fallen in love with him and everything he encompassed. He showed me how to live, how to enjoy life, but best of all, he showed me how to love. They say bad things happen to good people, well that saying rang truer to me now than ever before. Madison is gone. He is off at school in Arizona, and I just couldn't bring myself to leave with him. That was my first mistake.
See the thing about trouble is, it will always find you. Trouble found me the night he left, and that night forever changed me. Now I am fighting my way back, alone.
Madison
Leaving Kayla was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do. To say I regret my decision to leave her behind, would be an understatement. My world shifted when I met her and I would forever be changed. Everything felt different now that I was away, everything with her at least. Something was wrong, I could feel it. I needed to go to her to find out what this feeling was, but would she trust me enough to tell me, and could I trust her to forgive me.
"When life, love and heart breaking circumstances stand to pull apart a bond so strong, what do you do without trust?"
My Review This Trust of Mine is the sequel to Amanda Bennett’s This Love of Mine. There were many readers who complained about the pacing of the first book and Amanda listened. To say that I loved This Trust of Mine was an understatement. Kayla and Madison’s story continues a month after his departure for Baseball camp in Arizona – a month after Kayla is forced to deal with something no young girl should ever have to. Madison realises he’s made a giant mistake leaving Kayla behind in Texas and decides it’s to head home, not only for his family, but to also fight for the girl he loves more than life itself. It doesn’t take much for Kayla to jump back into his arms but when it comes to trusting him it takes a little more effort. Her fear of being rejected by Madison after he learns what Wren did to her is overwhelming. Madison fights for Kayla, even after he learns what she endured the night he left and promises to never leave her again – only this time its Kayla’s turn to prove her love for Madison when his entire world falls apart. They’re young, and hopelessly in love, but their relationship is tested from the moment they’ve met. Both Kayla and Madison have grown and Amanda definitely got the pacing right the second time round. Each character has had to face their own challenges and while they’ve managed to get through it alone, they prove how much stronger they are together. Naturally, there’s a cliffhanger, since there’s a third and final book in the Raine series, but it will leave you wanting MORE!! J I can’t wait to see how Kayla and Madison’s crazy love story ends – rumour has it Amanda is pulling out all the stops for their final book ;)
You can buy This Love of Mine (Book 1 in the Raine Series) here : This Love of Mine You can buy This Trust of Mine (Book 2 in the Raine Series) here: This Trust of Mine Playlist When I was Your Man- Bruno MarsBlown Away- Carrie UnderwoodNever Let Me Go- Florence and The MachineYou'll Think of Me- Keith UrbanTonight I wanna Cry- Keith UrbanMust Be Doin Somethin' Right- Billy CurringtonShe Will Be Loved- Maroon 5Sad- Maroon 5Trust Me- The FrayTrust In Me Now- Anthony EvansWhen I look at You- Miley CyrusI Hope You Find It- Miley CyrusLucky Now- Ryan AdamsThat's What You Get- ParamoreGive Your Heart A Break- Demi LovatoDesire- Ryan AdamsWhen It Rains- ParamoreCome Home- Ryan AdamsBound To You- Christina AguileraCan't Shake You- GlorianaSafe and Sound- Taylor SwiftRadioactive- Imagine DragonsSomewhere Only We Know- KeaneParadise - ColdplayPoison and Wine- The Civil WarsYou Don't Know Her Like I do- Brantley GilbertI Don't Do Lonely Well- Jason AldeanFall Into Me- Brantley GilbertThe One That Got Away- Jake OwenLike Jesus Does- Eric ChurchWanted You More- Lady AntebellumAlone With You- Jake OwenLove Your Love The Most- Eric ChurchShe's My Kind of Rain- Time McGrawI knew You Were Trouble- Taylor SwiftHighway Don't Care- Tim McGraw Don't forget about the awesome giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for stopping by Brats :) I know you'll '1 Click' RIGHT now and show some support for Amanda - she's amazing :) Love you all :) Tam xxx
May 23, 2013
*Cover Reveal & Cover Redesign: Alessandra Thomas*
Hi Brats :)
Hope ya'll have been missing me tonnes - tomorrow is my last exam and after that I'm all yours until the next semester starts :)
Today is a double whammy from author Alessandra Thomas, who is reveal not only the cover for her newest novel, but also the redesigned cover of her smash hit, Picture Perfect :)
ABOUT SUBJECT TO CHANGE:
Joey made her dad a deathbed promise that she would become a doctor, and dedicate herself to fighting the very cancer that took his life. There’s just one problem -three years into her pre-med classes, she's struggling to stay on top of the curve, let alone prove she's dazzling enough to earn a spot in an Ivy League medical school. In a Hail Mary move, she throws a basic Business 101 class into her semester schedule, banking on a perfect score to boost her GPA.That is, until she’s paired for a final project with Hawk, the bartending, motorbike-riding, gorgeously bed-headed loser who falls asleep in class and communicates in one-word sentences.Hawk does whatever he wants, whenever he wants, which sets Joey on edge – in every possible way. As they get to know each other, her urge to scream at him is curbed only by her fantasies of tearing his clothes off. Soon those fantasies become reality, and Joey realizes Hawk makes her feel more fully herself than any of the rich boys her mother and sorority sisters approve of.But the promise to her father hangs over her head, and the harder Joey tries to succeed in her chosen career, the faster everything falls into a hopeless tailspin of bad grades, broken promises and guilt. It doesn't help to have Hawk sitting like a devil on her shoulder, insisting she should be free to live however she wants to live - like he does.The only thing Joey knows is that her neatly organized life is crushing her - and Hawk's bad attitude might be the only thing that can save her.
ABOUT PICTURE PERFECT: Fashion design major Cat Mitchell has a closet full of gorgeous clothes - and not a single thing fits. After two years of runway modeling for easy cash, an accident shattered her lower leg bone and her self-esteem in just one swift fall. Ten months of no exercise, prescription steroids, comfort eating and yoga pants meant returning to campus as a size twelve instead of her former size two. When her gorgeous long-time friend with benefits sees her for the first time after her accident and snubs her in front of all her friends, Cat’s self-image hits rock bottom. Her sorority sisters all insist that she looks gorgeous, but all Cat sees is the roll of her stomach when she sits down, or the dimpling at the back of her thighs that wasn't there last year. Cat’s therapist prescribes something radical to stop the downward spiral - nude modeling for a nearby college's human form drawing classes. When Cat faces her fears and bares it all for the class, she realizes that she's posing naked in front the most gorgeous, buffest guy she's ever seen in her life. He asks her out after the class, and after one steamy night together, Cat's absolutely smitten.Nate’s pretty close to perfect – he takes Cat rock climbing when he discovers that it makes her feel strong and becomes a great chef after he learns that the perfect pesto sauce makes her swoon. Cat starts to feel like her old self again - confident and beautiful - as long as Nate's around. Even when he discourages her from entering the Real Woman Project, a design competition for plus-sized apparel, she reasons that he's just trying to prevent old body image wounds from splitting wide open again. But when Cat goes home with Nate for Thanksgiving, she discovers something shocking from his recent past that proves that he hasn’t always been so encouraging of women of all shapes and sizes. Cat has no idea what to think, but she does know one thing - this might destroy their relationship before it's even had a chance to get off the ground.Before Cat can figure out whether the real Nate is the sensitive, adoring guy she fell in love with, or an undercover asshole, she'll have to finally feel comfortable in her own skin - even if it means leaving him forever.*You can find my review of Picture Perfect here *
ABOUT ALESSANDRA THOMAS: Alessandra Thomas is a New Adult writer who swears she was in her twenties yesterday. Since she's not, she spends her time looking back on her college years fondly, and writing sexy stories about guys and
girls falling in love and really living life for the first time. When she's not writing, you can find her with a spoonful of ice cream in one hand and the newest New Adult release in the other. LINKS:
PICTURE PERFECT Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17286268-picture-perfect
SUBJECT TO CHANGE Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17706061-subject-to-change
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AuthorAless Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/alessandra.thomas.98?ref=ts&fref=ts PICTURE PERFECT Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/picture-perfect-alessandra-thomas/1114886163?ean=2940016360911
PICTURE PERFECT AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Picture-Perfect-ebook/dp/B00BYLQIQE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364230606&sr=8-1&keywords=Picture+Perfect+Alessandra+Thomas
Hope ya'll have been missing me tonnes - tomorrow is my last exam and after that I'm all yours until the next semester starts :)
Today is a double whammy from author Alessandra Thomas, who is reveal not only the cover for her newest novel, but also the redesigned cover of her smash hit, Picture Perfect :)
ABOUT SUBJECT TO CHANGE:
Joey made her dad a deathbed promise that she would become a doctor, and dedicate herself to fighting the very cancer that took his life. There’s just one problem -three years into her pre-med classes, she's struggling to stay on top of the curve, let alone prove she's dazzling enough to earn a spot in an Ivy League medical school. In a Hail Mary move, she throws a basic Business 101 class into her semester schedule, banking on a perfect score to boost her GPA.That is, until she’s paired for a final project with Hawk, the bartending, motorbike-riding, gorgeously bed-headed loser who falls asleep in class and communicates in one-word sentences.Hawk does whatever he wants, whenever he wants, which sets Joey on edge – in every possible way. As they get to know each other, her urge to scream at him is curbed only by her fantasies of tearing his clothes off. Soon those fantasies become reality, and Joey realizes Hawk makes her feel more fully herself than any of the rich boys her mother and sorority sisters approve of.But the promise to her father hangs over her head, and the harder Joey tries to succeed in her chosen career, the faster everything falls into a hopeless tailspin of bad grades, broken promises and guilt. It doesn't help to have Hawk sitting like a devil on her shoulder, insisting she should be free to live however she wants to live - like he does.The only thing Joey knows is that her neatly organized life is crushing her - and Hawk's bad attitude might be the only thing that can save her.
ABOUT PICTURE PERFECT: Fashion design major Cat Mitchell has a closet full of gorgeous clothes - and not a single thing fits. After two years of runway modeling for easy cash, an accident shattered her lower leg bone and her self-esteem in just one swift fall. Ten months of no exercise, prescription steroids, comfort eating and yoga pants meant returning to campus as a size twelve instead of her former size two. When her gorgeous long-time friend with benefits sees her for the first time after her accident and snubs her in front of all her friends, Cat’s self-image hits rock bottom. Her sorority sisters all insist that she looks gorgeous, but all Cat sees is the roll of her stomach when she sits down, or the dimpling at the back of her thighs that wasn't there last year. Cat’s therapist prescribes something radical to stop the downward spiral - nude modeling for a nearby college's human form drawing classes. When Cat faces her fears and bares it all for the class, she realizes that she's posing naked in front the most gorgeous, buffest guy she's ever seen in her life. He asks her out after the class, and after one steamy night together, Cat's absolutely smitten.Nate’s pretty close to perfect – he takes Cat rock climbing when he discovers that it makes her feel strong and becomes a great chef after he learns that the perfect pesto sauce makes her swoon. Cat starts to feel like her old self again - confident and beautiful - as long as Nate's around. Even when he discourages her from entering the Real Woman Project, a design competition for plus-sized apparel, she reasons that he's just trying to prevent old body image wounds from splitting wide open again. But when Cat goes home with Nate for Thanksgiving, she discovers something shocking from his recent past that proves that he hasn’t always been so encouraging of women of all shapes and sizes. Cat has no idea what to think, but she does know one thing - this might destroy their relationship before it's even had a chance to get off the ground.Before Cat can figure out whether the real Nate is the sensitive, adoring guy she fell in love with, or an undercover asshole, she'll have to finally feel comfortable in her own skin - even if it means leaving him forever.*You can find my review of Picture Perfect here *
ABOUT ALESSANDRA THOMAS: Alessandra Thomas is a New Adult writer who swears she was in her twenties yesterday. Since she's not, she spends her time looking back on her college years fondly, and writing sexy stories about guys and
girls falling in love and really living life for the first time. When she's not writing, you can find her with a spoonful of ice cream in one hand and the newest New Adult release in the other. LINKS:
PICTURE PERFECT Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17286268-picture-perfect
SUBJECT TO CHANGE Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17706061-subject-to-change
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AuthorAless Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/alessandra.thomas.98?ref=ts&fref=ts PICTURE PERFECT Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/picture-perfect-alessandra-thomas/1114886163?ean=2940016360911
PICTURE PERFECT AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Picture-Perfect-ebook/dp/B00BYLQIQE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364230606&sr=8-1&keywords=Picture+Perfect+Alessandra+Thomas
May 18, 2013
**Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Love Like Fireworks by Lauren Melinda**
Hi Brats :)
Things are in full swing here at TheSecretBookBrat HQ today with cover reveals, blog tours, reading & even some writing :) **phew** <wipes brow>
As always, bloggers are in the business of promoting our indie authors & I am excited to introduce another one to you today - Lauren Melinda :)
Kendall Hartley first kissed Logan Jordan when she was eighteen. As an up-and-coming player at her father’s tennis academy, his explosive talent on court and sexy blue eyes were like fireworks to her soul. But when their love for each other met its first test, it crashed and burned. Devastated, Kendall fled to college, vowing to forget the boy who once set her heart ablaze.
Four years later, Kendall returns home to find her father’s academy in the process of foreclosure. Unless he can find a way to pay off his debts, he will lose everything he’s worked for. Kendall would do anything to save her father’s dream – even if it means breaking her promise and seeing Logan again. For Logan is now an international tennis icon – and the only person with enough starpower to raise funds for the academy.
But Logan is no longer the boy Kendall fell in love with. He’s hot, he’s arrogant and he’s used to getting what he wants. And when Kendall walks back into his life, it’s clear he wants one thing.
He wants Kendall.
And he’ll do anything to reclaim her. ABOUT LAUREN MELINDA Lauren Melinda lives in sunny California with her boyfriend. She loves romantic plots, scorching sexual tension, gorgeous first kisses and smexy love interests. *Website* *Twitter* *Facebook* *Goodreads* GIVEAWAY To celebrate her cover reveal, Lauren Melinda will be giving away 3 eCopies of LOVE LIKE FIREWORKS.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I've added this to MY TBR list Brats, have you? ;)
More soon :)
Tam
xxx
Things are in full swing here at TheSecretBookBrat HQ today with cover reveals, blog tours, reading & even some writing :) **phew** <wipes brow>
As always, bloggers are in the business of promoting our indie authors & I am excited to introduce another one to you today - Lauren Melinda :)
Kendall Hartley first kissed Logan Jordan when she was eighteen. As an up-and-coming player at her father’s tennis academy, his explosive talent on court and sexy blue eyes were like fireworks to her soul. But when their love for each other met its first test, it crashed and burned. Devastated, Kendall fled to college, vowing to forget the boy who once set her heart ablaze.
Four years later, Kendall returns home to find her father’s academy in the process of foreclosure. Unless he can find a way to pay off his debts, he will lose everything he’s worked for. Kendall would do anything to save her father’s dream – even if it means breaking her promise and seeing Logan again. For Logan is now an international tennis icon – and the only person with enough starpower to raise funds for the academy.
But Logan is no longer the boy Kendall fell in love with. He’s hot, he’s arrogant and he’s used to getting what he wants. And when Kendall walks back into his life, it’s clear he wants one thing.
He wants Kendall.
And he’ll do anything to reclaim her. ABOUT LAUREN MELINDA Lauren Melinda lives in sunny California with her boyfriend. She loves romantic plots, scorching sexual tension, gorgeous first kisses and smexy love interests. *Website* *Twitter* *Facebook* *Goodreads* GIVEAWAY To celebrate her cover reveal, Lauren Melinda will be giving away 3 eCopies of LOVE LIKE FIREWORKS.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I've added this to MY TBR list Brats, have you? ;)
More soon :)
Tam
xxx
May 17, 2013
*Blog Tour: Norma Jean by Amanda Heath*
Hi Brats :) Today, the blog tour for Norma Jean by Amanda Heath makes a stop here at TheSecretBookBrat HQ :) This is one book I could't wait to review & was definitely one of my favourites for 2013 so far!! :)
The night Chance Duncan drunkenly kissed me on his couch, I vowed my
revenge. I finally had something over his head, something that would
bring him to his knees. It only served him right. He bullied me for
years and turned me into this messed up person I am now.
Though I didn’t know at the time he wasn’t that mean little boy
anymore. He was almost a man and easily stole my breath away. I just
wanted to make him fall in love with me, then break his heart into a
million pieces. Just the way mine was. Instead he put the pieces back
together and I started to feel whole again.
Good things never last. He did what I was supposed to do. Broke my
already fragile heart all over again. Betrayed and alone I fled my
home town and started a new life where I wasn’t in the shadow of what
I did.
Now he is back and trying to worm his way into my heart, again. Though
he will never know it will always belong to him. He hurt me and I want
nothing to do with him. Life has other plans. Doesn’t it always?
He doesn’t know though. Doesn’t know what I’m hiding or who I’m hiding
from. I never thought I would see Chance again and I’m afraid that
he’ll get hurt getting mixed up in my mess. Though he is right in the
middle of it, without even knowing it. I have to find a way for us to
get out, before somebody dies.
My name is Norma Jean and this isn’t a fairytale.
*This title is a new adult novel and not for those under 18 for sexual content and subject matter.*
My Review Amanda Heath's writing is like crack to me - I got my first taste with This Beautiful Thing (Which I loved!) and then again with Fire In Her Eyes! I just can't get enough! When I read the synopsis for Norma Jean, it created certain expectations & with that came a fear of disappointment. But, I was so far from disappointed this book, despite some mixed reviews! Norma Jean is your average teenage girl who has the misfortune of being bullied at school because of her outward appearance. What makes it worse is that all the name - calling and teasing is initiated by her high school crush, Chance Duncan. Chance mother fucking Duncan is the most beautiful boy ever. Rich dark auburn hair that hangs down to his chin. Matching eyebrows that arch over the most amazing hazel eyes ever. Caramel hues mixed in with green swirls. If I didn't feel such uncontrollable rage towards the guy I would fall into those eyes. Full masculine lips and sharp nose and cheeks make up the perfect face. What Norma Jean is unaware of is the hurt and anger that Chance has growing inside of him, caused by a cheating father and a mother who is broken. Chance proves to be rather immature at this stage of his life because teasing and tormenting Norma Jean somehow makes him feel a little better about himself. With one kiss everything between them changes... I love how he kisses me like he might die if he didn't. Norma decides it's time to get her own back and when her attempt at payback blows up in her face, she finds herself in quite a predicament. How could I have decided to destroy him? That puts me right up there with his father. He doesn't deserve what I wanted to do to him. "I love you Big Foot," I whisper. He deserves my love, not my revenge. The boy who deserves that doesn't exist anymore. Unfortunately circumstances are not in their favour and when they are forced apart neither of them fully recover. They both simply "exist" and deal with some unimaginable trials until fate brings them back together. Norma Jean has to be one of the strongest female characters to ever come out of Amanda's head and Chance is without a doubt the sexiest! Both characters mature and by the time they see each other again they are no longer the 2 young, childish teenagers they once were. What I enjoyed most about this book was the rollercoaster of emotions that it makes you feel. There are moments when you're flat out yelling "OMFG! ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW??" and "NO NO NO NO NO NO!". You will be angry with these characters one minute and your heart will break for them in the next. Amanda has twists and turns at every corner that you will not expect! Amanda did an amazing job of combining the stories of the supporting characters from both This Beautiful Thing and Fire In Her Eyes, which is no easy task I'm sure. I.FREAKIN.LOVED.EVERY.PAGE. And to top it off, the Happy Ever After is so worth all of it :)
Add NORMA JEAN to your Goodreads TBR List
PURCHASE LINKS : AMAZON KINDLE / AMAZON PAPERBACK / BARNES & NOBLE NOOK / KOBO Author Bio:
Amanda lives in southern Arkansas with her husband and young child.
She enjoys reading, writing, and drinking tons of Dr. Pepper.
You can find her sitting on the couch with either her head in a book or typing on her laptop.Amanda is the author of This Beautiful Thing, Fire In Her Eyes, Angel Cuffs, and Norma Jean. Wrong Kind of Love will be released this June. Author Stalker Links: Facebook / Blog / Twitter / GoodreadsAuthor Page
Blog Tour GiveawayEnter for your chance to win:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
For other tour dates click the photo below:
[image error] Thanks for stopping by Brats :) More Soon :) Tam xxx
The night Chance Duncan drunkenly kissed me on his couch, I vowed myrevenge. I finally had something over his head, something that would
bring him to his knees. It only served him right. He bullied me for
years and turned me into this messed up person I am now.
Though I didn’t know at the time he wasn’t that mean little boy
anymore. He was almost a man and easily stole my breath away. I just
wanted to make him fall in love with me, then break his heart into a
million pieces. Just the way mine was. Instead he put the pieces back
together and I started to feel whole again.
Good things never last. He did what I was supposed to do. Broke my
already fragile heart all over again. Betrayed and alone I fled my
home town and started a new life where I wasn’t in the shadow of what
I did.
Now he is back and trying to worm his way into my heart, again. Though
he will never know it will always belong to him. He hurt me and I want
nothing to do with him. Life has other plans. Doesn’t it always?
He doesn’t know though. Doesn’t know what I’m hiding or who I’m hiding
from. I never thought I would see Chance again and I’m afraid that
he’ll get hurt getting mixed up in my mess. Though he is right in the
middle of it, without even knowing it. I have to find a way for us to
get out, before somebody dies.
My name is Norma Jean and this isn’t a fairytale.
*This title is a new adult novel and not for those under 18 for sexual content and subject matter.*
My Review Amanda Heath's writing is like crack to me - I got my first taste with This Beautiful Thing (Which I loved!) and then again with Fire In Her Eyes! I just can't get enough! When I read the synopsis for Norma Jean, it created certain expectations & with that came a fear of disappointment. But, I was so far from disappointed this book, despite some mixed reviews! Norma Jean is your average teenage girl who has the misfortune of being bullied at school because of her outward appearance. What makes it worse is that all the name - calling and teasing is initiated by her high school crush, Chance Duncan. Chance mother fucking Duncan is the most beautiful boy ever. Rich dark auburn hair that hangs down to his chin. Matching eyebrows that arch over the most amazing hazel eyes ever. Caramel hues mixed in with green swirls. If I didn't feel such uncontrollable rage towards the guy I would fall into those eyes. Full masculine lips and sharp nose and cheeks make up the perfect face. What Norma Jean is unaware of is the hurt and anger that Chance has growing inside of him, caused by a cheating father and a mother who is broken. Chance proves to be rather immature at this stage of his life because teasing and tormenting Norma Jean somehow makes him feel a little better about himself. With one kiss everything between them changes... I love how he kisses me like he might die if he didn't. Norma decides it's time to get her own back and when her attempt at payback blows up in her face, she finds herself in quite a predicament. How could I have decided to destroy him? That puts me right up there with his father. He doesn't deserve what I wanted to do to him. "I love you Big Foot," I whisper. He deserves my love, not my revenge. The boy who deserves that doesn't exist anymore. Unfortunately circumstances are not in their favour and when they are forced apart neither of them fully recover. They both simply "exist" and deal with some unimaginable trials until fate brings them back together. Norma Jean has to be one of the strongest female characters to ever come out of Amanda's head and Chance is without a doubt the sexiest! Both characters mature and by the time they see each other again they are no longer the 2 young, childish teenagers they once were. What I enjoyed most about this book was the rollercoaster of emotions that it makes you feel. There are moments when you're flat out yelling "OMFG! ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW??" and "NO NO NO NO NO NO!". You will be angry with these characters one minute and your heart will break for them in the next. Amanda has twists and turns at every corner that you will not expect! Amanda did an amazing job of combining the stories of the supporting characters from both This Beautiful Thing and Fire In Her Eyes, which is no easy task I'm sure. I.FREAKIN.LOVED.EVERY.PAGE. And to top it off, the Happy Ever After is so worth all of it :)
Add NORMA JEAN to your Goodreads TBR List
PURCHASE LINKS : AMAZON KINDLE / AMAZON PAPERBACK / BARNES & NOBLE NOOK / KOBO Author Bio:
Amanda lives in southern Arkansas with her husband and young child. She enjoys reading, writing, and drinking tons of Dr. Pepper.
You can find her sitting on the couch with either her head in a book or typing on her laptop.Amanda is the author of This Beautiful Thing, Fire In Her Eyes, Angel Cuffs, and Norma Jean. Wrong Kind of Love will be released this June. Author Stalker Links: Facebook / Blog / Twitter / GoodreadsAuthor Page
Blog Tour GiveawayEnter for your chance to win:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
For other tour dates click the photo below:
[image error] Thanks for stopping by Brats :) More Soon :) Tam xxx
May 14, 2013
**Chapter 1: This Trust of Mine by Amanda Bennett**
Hi Brats
We are a week away from the release of This Trust of Mine & I can’t wait to read the next instalment ofMadison & Kayla’s story! Amanda Bennett hasgiven us the whole first chapter, but be warned, this will only make you more impatient to read it ;)
** Expected Publication: May 21st **
Synopsis
"Love cannot be defined by age or time, but by the way that person makes you feel. He made me feel completely vulnerable, but vulnerability I have learned is a gift, one that I will gladly accept from Madison Raine."
Kayla
Madison had irrevocably changed me. He opened me up to feel things I had never felt, and he never judged me for my past. In the short amount of time I had known him, I had fallen in love with him and everything he encompassed. He showed me how to live, how to enjoy life, but best of all, he showed me how to love. They say bad things happen to good people, well that saying rang truer to me now than ever before. Madison is gone. He is off at school in Arizona, and I just couldn't bring myself to leave with him. That was my first mistake.
See the thing about trouble is, it will always find you. Trouble found me the night he left, and that night forever changed me. Now I am fighting my way back, alone.
Madison
Leaving Kayla was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do. To say I regret my decision to leave her behind, would be an understatement. My world shifted when I met her and I would forever be changed. Everything felt different now that I was away, everything with her at least. Something was wrong, I could feel it. I needed to go to her to find out what this feeling was, but would she trust me enough to tell me, and could I trust her to forgive me.
"When life, love and heart breaking circumstances stand to pull apart a bond so strong, what do you do without trust?"
Chapter 1
1 Month Later
Madison "Raine, get your ass out here and warm up, I don't want to have to tell you again."
"Yes, coach." I yelled back as I slipped my cell phone back into my bag. This was the
tenth time I had checked it today, and still nothing from Kayla.
it had now been a month since I had spoken to her last. I called her after the long as hell
twelve and a half hour long drive, but she didn't pick up. After at least twenty more calls
on my behalf, I finally got a phone call back from Cami. She did little to ease my anxiety
by saying that Kayla was sleeping and would call me back sooner rather than later. She
also told me not to worry.
Well it was too late for that. She had seemed so excited for me to call her when I got in,
I guess I just assumed she would pick up the instant she saw my name illuminate the
screen. Apparently not.
I just remember that whole first day of practice was extremely brutal. Not only had I not
worked out at all over the short summer break, but I also couldn't manage to keep my
head on practice. When I got back to the dorms that evening, I took a quick shower and
prayed that the ten minutes I was gone, I hadn't missed her call.
Luck had been on my side that night, because she called the minute I got back to my
dorm. From the moment I answered the phone, I knew something was off with her. She
wasn't my happy, carefree pretty girl anymore. I urged her to tell me what was wrong,
but she just told me she was missing me and to not worry. Unfortunately, when it came
to that girl, all I did was worry. I knew her momma hadn't been back, mainly because I
had my Gran keeping tabs on her, but I would also hope that she would have said
something.
Our conversation that night was short and sweet, with the promise that she would call
me the next night around the same time. That was exactly twenty-nine days, eight hours
and five, now six minutes ago. Believe me it wasn't for a lack of trying. I had picked up
my phone countless amounts of time, but it always went straight to voicemail.
Voicemails I knew she wasn't receiving or at least not listening to, because her
voicemail box had been full for a week now.
I hated the fact that I had let a girl do this to me. I know I was the one who all but broke
it off, but we had promised to at least talk. We only had a few weeks left before school
now, and I was starting to go a little nuts. What if she found someone else, but couldn't
bring herself to tell me? Ugh, this shit was starting to get really ridiculous.After practice came to a close, I gathered my things and high tailed it back to my dorm. I
knew coach was ready to give me a verbal lashing, but I just wasn't in the mood to deal
with his shit today. When I opened my door, I half expected my roommate to be there,
but he had yet to show up.
Oh well!
I threw my gym bag onto my bed in the far corner and quickly grabbed my cell phone
checking it for messages. Still nothing. Damn it, Kayla. If I didn't have practice and if
school wasn't about to start, I would've drove my ass down there, demandin' she talk to
me. I scrolled through my phone for Glenn's number and dialed. After the third ring, I
was about to hang up but then I heard Glenn's voice.
"Hello?" There was a lot of commotion in the background and I wondered where the hell
he was at.
"Hey, what's goin' on?" I shouted.
"Madison, bro, how's it goin' in the big AZ?"
"It's goin'. Hey bro, I need to ask you a question." i didn't want to involve Glenn in my
drama, but from what I had gathered from the last time we talked, he was still talkin' to
Cami.
"Shoot."
"Have you still been talkin' to Cami?" I regretted asking the minute the words left my
mouth.
"On and off, yeah. Why what's up? Is somethin' wrong?" I could still hear an array of
voices in the background and I was starting to get pissed.
"Where the hell are you?"
I heard him shush everyone and it suddenly went very quiet. "We're havin' a little going
away party for everyone headed off to college. We're all down at the swimming hole.
Cami's actually here, do you wanna talk to her?"
A wave of relief washed over my body, but it only lasted for a second because then my
mind went to wondering where Kayla was. "Yeah, put her on please."
The line went silent for a minute and then Cami's small girly voice echoed through the
line.
"Hello?"
"Hey Cami, how are ya?" Ugh, I just wanted to get straight to the point, but I also
needed to handle this conversation with finesse, so I could get as much info out of her
as possible.
"I'm doin' good, Madison. How are you? Sorry, dumb question. I'm guessing you want to
know where Kayla is?"
She didn't sound irritated at all by this, so I went for it. "Yeah, if you don't mind. I've been
tryin' to call her for a month now, and I get nothin' back. Is she okay, Cami?"
She let out a loud sigh before answering me. "She's doing good, Madison. She's just
been busy getting ready to start school and all. She's actually here with me."
My mouth dropped open and my mind ceased to work. I was also having a hard time
breathing. What did she mean she was with her. Kayla could find time to go to the hole
with everyone, in a bikini, but couldn't even pick up a phone to talk to me? What the hell!
"Serious, Cami. Are you serious?"
"Yeah, Madison. I'm serious, she's on the other side of the hole right now swimming with
Dennis.She was at the swimming hole, and she was there with Dennis. I'm surprised smoke
wasn't billowing out of my ears, because I was fuming. I felt like I was about to pass out,
with all this new information. And, I was suddenly beginning to worry that Kayla was
slipping back into her old ways. I could only hope that Cami wouldn't allow that to
happen.
"Madison, you still there?"
"Yeah. Alright well, as long as she is okay then I'm gonna let ya go. Thanks Cami."
Before she could respond, I hung up. I wasn't interested in knowing anything else that
was going on with all of them. Obviously, what I thought we had, was totally different
than what she thought we had.
I chucked my phone across the small room, shattering it against the wall. I threw myself
back onto my bed and covered my eyes with my left arm. How could it have gotten to
this point. Everything seemed fine when I was saying good-bye and leaving. What the
hell had happened between then and now.
I knew it was still early in the night, but I was bushed and had no reason to stay up
anymore. She wasn't going to call, and I sure as hell wasn't going to push her any
further by trying to call her. I was officially done trying to make her want to be with me,or
even talk to me. I shoved off my clothing, keeping only my boxer briefs on, before rolling
over and drifting off to sleep.
*****
She was there standing in front of me. Her beautiful, brown curly hair hung down to the
waistband of her super tight, short white cut offs. My eyes raked down her body, taking
in every single detail of her so I could commit it to memory. Her pale pink shirt clung to
her sweaty body in the mid-day sun and when my face finally met with hers, she was
smiling.
I wanted to reach out and touch her, but I had been having these dreams long enough
to know, that if I tried she would disappear and this time I wanted her to stay. "Why have
you been away from me so long?"
I knew she wouldn't answer, she rarely if ever, did. But, I needed to hear her voice. I
needed to hear her to say something, anything. I was dying not being able to touch her,
feel her or listen to her.
"Say something, Kayla. Please." I stood back staring at her. Her face went from elated
to sullen in less than a second. I wanted to comfort her. Something was wrong and I
could tell she needed me. "Kayla, please tell me what's wrong."
She turned briskly and started walking towards our place. I followed slowly behind her,
but she was gaining distance. The more I tried to catch up, the further she would go.
"Kayla, wait! Come back!"
I stopped mid-stride as she came to a halt and slowly began turning in my direction. Her
face was covered in black, and I could only assume it was from her mascara because
she looked as though she had been crying. Just as she was about to turn away again, I
caught sight of a large bruise over her left eye. I began running faster than I had ever
ran before, but it wasn't enough.
Just as I reached out to grab her, to pull her into me, to comfort her, she was gone.
I shot straight up in bed, drenched in sweat. I checked my phone and it flashed a bright
blue twelve, zero, zero. I wiped my hand down my face and then back through my hair,
trying to catch my breath.The dreams had only gotten worse since the first time. It was about a week after I had
spoken to Kayla, when she started appearing as the star in my nightmares. She was
always wearing the same thing and her face always went from happy to sad.
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts enough to go back to sleep, but nothing
was working. I reached for the bottle of water I had left in my sports bag and the
sleeping pills that my doctor had prescribed to me. I wasn't a fan of taking medication to
sleep, but it was the only thing that seemed to keep her away.
I popped the small white pill and swallowed the remaining contents of the water bottle. I
laid my head back down on my pillow and counted, waiting for sleep to take me under.
If you haven't read the first book in the Raine Series, I strongly suggest you do!! :)
**This Love of Mine**
You can also read what I thought of This Love of Mine *HERE*
Be sure to check out our **Blog Tour Schedule** for This Trust of Mine which will be hosted by TheSecretBookBrat from May 20th to May 27th!
More soon Brats ;)
Tam
xxx
May 13, 2013
*Blog Tour: Inhale, Exhale by Sarah M. Ross*
Hi Brats :)
Since I've been having issues with the blog, I missed out on my post for Sarah M. Ross's 'Inhale, Exhale' Blog Tour yesterday! So I'm making the post today :)
Synopsis:
Jillian had a plan: celebrate the end of her first year of college with an amazing summer full of beaches, barbeques, and bonfires. When her mom insists she needs a summer job, and her boyfriend spends more time with his band than with her, Jillian’s plans go down the drain. Grant had a plan: finish his Masters, get a great job at Google, and get the hell out of Georgia. He might be giving up some of the fun of his youth, but he knows his all work and no play method would be worth it when his dreams come true.
But things never go according to plan.
When temptation brings them together and tragedy tears them apart, Jillian and Grant will be forced to choose: fight for their dreams or fight for each other. My Thoughts
I really enjoyed reading this book because it teaches you that sometimes what we want and what we need are 2 different things. Jillian gets a summer job after college & when she meets Grant, the hot IT guy, their attraction is instant. Unfortunately, Jillian has a boyfriend - a good for nothing wannabe musician with a drug problem she knows nothing about.
Of course, when tragedy strikes, Grant is the one who helps keep Jillian together & eventually they can't ignore their feelings any longer. Grant discovers the truth about Jillian's boyfriend Christian & exposes him, not only for his own selfish reasons but also because he fears for Jillians safety.
Jillian is a strong character who is constantly faced with making tough decisions throughout the story, which is something that makes for a relatable character. Grant is a sexy, intelligent MAN who becomes possessive & protective of Jillian, deciding that he wants to possess her in every way that matters.
Not everything goes according to plan & when Jillian's life hangs in the balance it is Grant who makes the sacrifices necessary to save her.
This book was very well-written & flowed beautifully! The cherry on top of this cake is the Happy Ever After :)
Guest post from Sarah M. Ross
I read between 100 and 150 books per year. And I’ve been reading since I was four. So to limit my favorite books to only five is a very, very difficult task. How do I choose? Favorite books from classical literature? Favorite young adult novels? Favorite contemporary novels that I’ve recently read? So many good books and only five spots?! How’s a girl to choose?
Well I thought about it for a long time, and I’ve narrowed the list to five books I think should be on everyone’s “must read” list. (These are in no particular order)
1) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – This is one of my all-time favorite books. I first read it in high school, and then again in college. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote this Great American Novel in less than 200 pages, but each of them sucks you in to this world of opulence, craziness, and things that are nothing as they appear to be. I love that in the beginning, we see the main character, Nick Carroway, as this powerful, great man. But as the novel goes on, we slowly see cracks in his façade and realize that he’s just as flawed (if not more so) than most of the other people in the book. In the end, it’s a book that made me feel. A lot. And that’s all I could ask of it.
2) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky—I read this book almost ten years ago, and it still sticks out in my mind as one of the best books about the craziness that is surviving your teen years. It deals with everything in the teen spectrum: self-identity, bullying, loss, drugs, sex, fitting in, teen pregnancy, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show! Charlie’s story is relatable. You want to root for him, and at times you hurt for him. It’s an amazing novel, and I hold no bias that it’s set in my hometown of Pittsburgh (okay, maybe a little). But seriously, if you haven’t read this book, you’re really missing out.
3) The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler— Shortly after I began teaching, I found this amazing book by Carolyn Mackler and read it in one sitting. I love that it stared characters who weren’t a perfectly fit and tone teen cheerleader or anything. The main character, Virginia, is a curvy and trying to deal with that as a teen. I think that this novel is very relatable for a lot of teen girls, and uses humor in a very smart way.
4) Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson—I read this book in college while taking a class on contemporary adolescent literature. This is a book that broke my heart and blew my mind. It spoke a lot about the truths that we hide—from our friends, from our parents, and from ourselves. Melinda is broken, and Speak is her journey to heal. It’s a long, hard process and I loved every page of her journey.
5) Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan—This is a new book that I just read last summer, but it quickly became a favorite. This book wrung out every emotion in me—I swooned over Evan, I laughed with her friend Sara, and I wanted to punch Carol in the throat—repeatedly. This book kept me up (crying) all night, and I thanked God for Kindle and instant downloads on my Kindle that I could start book 2 immediately. This is a book I will happily (and sadly) read again and again.
Author Bio:
Sarah Ross started her obsession with reading at an early age, getting in trouble for sneaking BabySitter Club and Nancy Drew books into math class in elementary school. She would read any fiction book she could get her hands on. Sarah knew it was an addiction when instead of grounding her from TV or music, her mom would take away her books as punishment (The Horror!). Her love of all things paranormal was inspired by her good friend Laurie, who convinced Sarah that books with vampires, witches, and all things shifter were amazing. After a little reluctance, she gave it a shot with the Sookie Stackhouse books, realized she was right, and the rest was history.
Sarah grew up in Pittsburgh, graduated from The University of Pittsburgh with a degree in English, and taught 8th graders to love reading as much as she does for several years. She will always be a proud member of the Steelers Nation, but couldn’t take the cold and moved her frozen tush to Florida where she now lives with her family and two cats. You will find Sarah now with her trusty Kindle in hand and toes in the sand!Links:
Website: http://www.sarahmross.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SarahtheAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahtheAuthor
Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5447785.Sarah_M_Ross
Book Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17348805-inhale-exhale?ac=1 a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks again for stopping by Brats :) Sorry about the delay!
Much Love
Tam
Since I've been having issues with the blog, I missed out on my post for Sarah M. Ross's 'Inhale, Exhale' Blog Tour yesterday! So I'm making the post today :)
Synopsis:
Jillian had a plan: celebrate the end of her first year of college with an amazing summer full of beaches, barbeques, and bonfires. When her mom insists she needs a summer job, and her boyfriend spends more time with his band than with her, Jillian’s plans go down the drain. Grant had a plan: finish his Masters, get a great job at Google, and get the hell out of Georgia. He might be giving up some of the fun of his youth, but he knows his all work and no play method would be worth it when his dreams come true.
But things never go according to plan.
When temptation brings them together and tragedy tears them apart, Jillian and Grant will be forced to choose: fight for their dreams or fight for each other. My Thoughts
I really enjoyed reading this book because it teaches you that sometimes what we want and what we need are 2 different things. Jillian gets a summer job after college & when she meets Grant, the hot IT guy, their attraction is instant. Unfortunately, Jillian has a boyfriend - a good for nothing wannabe musician with a drug problem she knows nothing about.
Of course, when tragedy strikes, Grant is the one who helps keep Jillian together & eventually they can't ignore their feelings any longer. Grant discovers the truth about Jillian's boyfriend Christian & exposes him, not only for his own selfish reasons but also because he fears for Jillians safety.
Jillian is a strong character who is constantly faced with making tough decisions throughout the story, which is something that makes for a relatable character. Grant is a sexy, intelligent MAN who becomes possessive & protective of Jillian, deciding that he wants to possess her in every way that matters.
Not everything goes according to plan & when Jillian's life hangs in the balance it is Grant who makes the sacrifices necessary to save her.
This book was very well-written & flowed beautifully! The cherry on top of this cake is the Happy Ever After :)
Guest post from Sarah M. Ross
I read between 100 and 150 books per year. And I’ve been reading since I was four. So to limit my favorite books to only five is a very, very difficult task. How do I choose? Favorite books from classical literature? Favorite young adult novels? Favorite contemporary novels that I’ve recently read? So many good books and only five spots?! How’s a girl to choose?
Well I thought about it for a long time, and I’ve narrowed the list to five books I think should be on everyone’s “must read” list. (These are in no particular order)
1) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – This is one of my all-time favorite books. I first read it in high school, and then again in college. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote this Great American Novel in less than 200 pages, but each of them sucks you in to this world of opulence, craziness, and things that are nothing as they appear to be. I love that in the beginning, we see the main character, Nick Carroway, as this powerful, great man. But as the novel goes on, we slowly see cracks in his façade and realize that he’s just as flawed (if not more so) than most of the other people in the book. In the end, it’s a book that made me feel. A lot. And that’s all I could ask of it.
2) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky—I read this book almost ten years ago, and it still sticks out in my mind as one of the best books about the craziness that is surviving your teen years. It deals with everything in the teen spectrum: self-identity, bullying, loss, drugs, sex, fitting in, teen pregnancy, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show! Charlie’s story is relatable. You want to root for him, and at times you hurt for him. It’s an amazing novel, and I hold no bias that it’s set in my hometown of Pittsburgh (okay, maybe a little). But seriously, if you haven’t read this book, you’re really missing out.
3) The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler— Shortly after I began teaching, I found this amazing book by Carolyn Mackler and read it in one sitting. I love that it stared characters who weren’t a perfectly fit and tone teen cheerleader or anything. The main character, Virginia, is a curvy and trying to deal with that as a teen. I think that this novel is very relatable for a lot of teen girls, and uses humor in a very smart way.
4) Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson—I read this book in college while taking a class on contemporary adolescent literature. This is a book that broke my heart and blew my mind. It spoke a lot about the truths that we hide—from our friends, from our parents, and from ourselves. Melinda is broken, and Speak is her journey to heal. It’s a long, hard process and I loved every page of her journey.
5) Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan—This is a new book that I just read last summer, but it quickly became a favorite. This book wrung out every emotion in me—I swooned over Evan, I laughed with her friend Sara, and I wanted to punch Carol in the throat—repeatedly. This book kept me up (crying) all night, and I thanked God for Kindle and instant downloads on my Kindle that I could start book 2 immediately. This is a book I will happily (and sadly) read again and again.
Author Bio:
Sarah Ross started her obsession with reading at an early age, getting in trouble for sneaking BabySitter Club and Nancy Drew books into math class in elementary school. She would read any fiction book she could get her hands on. Sarah knew it was an addiction when instead of grounding her from TV or music, her mom would take away her books as punishment (The Horror!). Her love of all things paranormal was inspired by her good friend Laurie, who convinced Sarah that books with vampires, witches, and all things shifter were amazing. After a little reluctance, she gave it a shot with the Sookie Stackhouse books, realized she was right, and the rest was history.
Sarah grew up in Pittsburgh, graduated from The University of Pittsburgh with a degree in English, and taught 8th graders to love reading as much as she does for several years. She will always be a proud member of the Steelers Nation, but couldn’t take the cold and moved her frozen tush to Florida where she now lives with her family and two cats. You will find Sarah now with her trusty Kindle in hand and toes in the sand!Links:
Website: http://www.sarahmross.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SarahtheAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahtheAuthor
Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5447785.Sarah_M_Ross
Book Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17348805-inhale-exhale?ac=1 a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks again for stopping by Brats :) Sorry about the delay!
Much Love
Tam
