Lisa Marie Pottgen's Blog, page 27
August 22, 2013
Cover Reveal: Love and Other Games by Kara Leigh Miller
Love and Other Games is a collection of four sexy new adult stories centered around athletes competing in the Winter Games by Ana Blaze, Melinda Dozier, Aria Kane, and Kara Leigh Miller. It releases October 1st from Swoon Romance in all major electronic formats.
Worth More Than Gold by Ana Blaze
Amy Pierce, the klutzy sister and manager of America’s Skating Sweetheart, is used to being invisible. But when a friend drags her to a party near the Olympic Village, Amy catches the eye of a sexy Norwegian ski jumper. It’s a magical night, but an awkward next morning has her running.
Everyone knows Erik Andresen’s best shot at an individual medal was back in 2010, before an injury pulled him from the competition. He’s there for his team, but a hot night and a remarkable final training session have him wondering if a gorgeous good-luck charm could give him another chance at the podium. With a little bit of luck, these two might have a shot at something worth more than gold.
Ana Blaze’s: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Trouble With Gold by Melinda Dozier
US snowboarder and notorious prankster, Ty (Trouble) Madsen is only getting a taste of his own medicine when his Olympic teammates shackle him to a fence wearing nothing but his boxers.
Reception and protocol volunteer, Nadia Hoffman, gets up close and personal with the sexy snowboarder to rescue him, but she’s not the kind of girl who lets her hormones get in her way. A professional performance could help her land her dream job at Olympics Committee Headquarters, but her new assignment supervising the rambunctious US Snowboarding Team is making that difficult.
Can she see behind the snowman in the community center bathroom and into the warm heart of the man everyone calls Trouble?
Melinda Dozer’s: Website | Twitter | Facebook
The Girl Behind the Gold by Aria Kane
Greek aerial skier Lia Milonas’s parents are about to lose the family farm. Saving it means medaling and landing a huge sponsor. While her no-nonsense attitude has her well on her way to a medal, it hasn’t won her a place in fans’ hearts.
“Come back with a story that will make readers cry, or don’t come back.” This is what Brandon James’ boss told him before he left New York to cover the Winter Games for Moment Magazine. With a wink and a smile, he can charm his way into any invite-only party, but that career-making story is nowhere to be found – until he meets Lia.
The two strike a deal that should get them both what they want – but neither would have guessed they’d also find what they need.
Aria Kane’s: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Ice Gold by Kara Leigh Miller
Colton Campbell thrives on the fast paced, adrenaline rushed lifestyle of being an Olympic hockey player. Despite Brenna Jessup’s abhorrence for the games and the athletes, she’s hand-picked as the official photographer for the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. When a faux pas by Brenna almost costs Colton his career, she owes him. Too bad for her, Colton doesn’t want apologies — he wants retribution! And he knows just how to get it — and her — in the process.
Kara Leigh Miller’s: Website | Twitter | Facebook
To celebrate the cover reveal, the authors are giving away a $20 gift card to the bookstore of the winner’s choice. Check out the rafflecopter below to enter!
Rafflecopter direct link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/76070721/
© 2013, lisapottgen. All rights reserved.
Cover Reveal: Love and Other Games by Kara Leigh Miller is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
#Boutofbooks 8.0 Challenge: I Spy
Today’s Challenge is I Spy hosted by Paperback Dreamer
The idea is to find the items in book Covers:
The List: With Answers in RED
…snowflakes The Snowflake by Jamie Carie
…flames Flames of Truth by Richard Hein
…a city skyline City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
…the moon New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
…a sword (not Sward…haha, can you tell I wasn’t thinking completely?! SORRY!) The Sword Thief by Peter Lerangis
…a wedding dress Wedding Dress: A Short Story by Nadesda Pascual
…high heels Spying in High Heals
…fog Unwind by Neal Shusterman
…a Christmas tree Charlie Brown Christmas
…sunglasses Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter
…lightening The Lightning Thief
…a tattoo Lover Avenged by J. R. Ward
…combat boots Dancing in Combat Boots
…hand-cuffs Gerald’s Game by Stephen King
…a road Roadwork by STephen King
© 2013, lisapottgen. All rights reserved.
#Boutofbooks 8.0 Challenge: I Spy is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
#Boutofbooks 8.0 Challenge: Book Road Trip Challenge
So today’s challenge is Book Road Trip hosted by In Wonderland.
The idea is to list a book for each of your top 5-10 travel destinations. The book has to be set in that area, if I am understanding right, so here goes nothing!
Alaska: The Call of The Wild by Jack London
Alabama: Looking for Alaska by John Green
Indiana: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Maine: Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Washington: Twilight
Georgia: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins.
Japan: Ink by Amanda Sun
Where would your book Road Trip Lead you?
© 2013, lisapottgen. All rights reserved.
#Boutofbooks 8.0 Challenge: Book Road Trip Challenge is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
August 21, 2013
Bout of Books 8.0 Book Spine Poetry #boutofbooks
This next challenge is: Book Spine Poetry @ Such a Novel Idea
Okay, so you guys know what book spine poetry is, right? You take a pile of books, and arrange them in such a manner as to appear poetic and all that snazzy, jazzy stuff? Well, I totally suck at these, and so usually skip them, but I wanted to give it a try, so this is what I came up with. Can you tell I am feeling sappy today?
Let Me Go
Five Summers
A Matter of Days
I’ll Be Seeing you!
So what do you guys think? I am feeling particularly craptastic today, with this sinus infection/head cold thing that is going on. Hope you are feeling better than I am!
© 2013, lisapottgen. All rights reserved.
Bout of Books 8.0 Book Spine Poetry #boutofbooks is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
Bout of Books 8.0 TBR Pile Mini Challenge
Today’s Bout of Books Mini Challenge is:
TBR List Challenge hosted by Musings of a Bookship Girl And the Challenge goes as follows:
~ The Questions ~
1. Which 5 books are at the top of your TBR pile at this moment?
2. If I gave you a wad of cash and sent you into a bookshop right now, which 5 books would you buy to add to the stack?
The Five books at the top of my TBR are as follows:
1. City of Bones (which I am currently Reading)
2. The Raven Boys
3. Lullaby by Amanda Hocking
4. Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor
5. Crewel by Gennifer Albin
If I were set loose in a book store, I would likely immediately acquire the following 5 books:
1. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
2. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
3. Divergent by Veronica Roth
4. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
5. Frostbite by Richelle Mead (I think that is the title of the second Vampire Academy book)
Can you tell I have a thing for series? I know, I am a dork, but I love books in a series.
How would you answer those questions?
© 2013, lisapottgen. All rights reserved.
Bout of Books 8.0 TBR Pile Mini Challenge is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
Litfuse Blog Tour: Winter in Full Bloom by Anita Higman – My Review
Enter Today – 8/12 – 8/29!
Title: Winter in Full Bloom
Author: Anita Higman
Publisher:River North
Publication Date: July 19,2013
Page Count: 304
Where I got it: Litfuse for Blog Tour
Where you can get it: Amazon
How much: List Price 14.99
Format I read it in: Paperback
Challenges: ARC August Challenge, 2013 ARC Reading Challenge
Description/Blurb:
Lily Winter’s wings are folded so tightly around her daughter that when empty nest arrives, she feels she can no longer fly. But Lily’s lonely, widowed life changes in a heartbeat when she goes to visit a woman who is almost a stranger to her-a woman who also happens to be her mother. During their fiery reunion, her mother reveals a dark family secret that she’d been hiding for decades-Lily has an identical twin sister who was put up for adoption when they were just babies.
Without looking back, Lily-with her fear of flying-boards a jumbo jet and embarks on a quest to find her sister which leads half way around the world to Melbourne, Australia. Befriended by imprudent Ausie, he might prove to be the key to finding her sister. But her journey becomes a circle that leads her back home to attempt a family reunion and to find the one dream she no longer imagined possible-the chance to fall in love again.
My Thoughts: ★★★-1/2
I had a really hard time getting into this story. It seemed like it started slow and took a really long time to pick up, but once it did, I was able to really enjoy reading it. With the characters being older than me, it was unusual for me to be so enthralled with the story, as this is usually not my “reading comfort zone” so to speak.
But I could relate to the life events, the family situations that seemed unbearable, the marriage issues that seemed insurmountable and she felt like she would never be able to trust again. Although I am 8 years younger, in a way, I am a combination of Lily and Marcus.
I found it fascinating that the author made the male love interest of sorts a children’s book writer. I did not see that coming at all, and it made things interesting. Books about books always kind of get to me, you know what I mean?
While this was Christian fiction, the God elements were not so in your face that a secular reader would not be able to enjoy it without feeling like they were being preached to. To me, that is critical in Christian fiction and I am glad that it was done so well in this novel.
My only real complaint is that the pacing was a bit slower than I like and it was a little harder to keep focused because of that. But I enjoyed the story and will definitely be reading more by this author in the future.
**DISCLAIMER** In full compliance with FTC Guidelines, I received a copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity as part of a blog tour in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was in no way compensated for this opinion, and the thoughts are my own. Links above will take you to a site where you can PURCHASE a copy. Using those links will take you through an affiliate link and I will receive a small percentage of the purchase cost. You are in no way obligated to use affiliate links and there is no additional cost to do so.
© 2013, lisapottgen. All rights reserved.
Litfuse Blog Tour: Winter in Full Bloom by Anita Higman – My Review is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
August 20, 2013
#Boutofbooks Re-Title It Challenge.
So, today’s challenge for Bout of Books comes from Music Plus Books
The mission, should we choose to accept it, is to come up with how we would retitle the book we are currently reading. Or to redesign the cover, or something like that. So, I am currently reading
I am only about 150 pages in (I Know, I know. The movie starts in less than 12 hours, I need to finish), but I think that I have come up with this so far.
Based on what I have read of this book… The Title could also have been:
Yes, Virginia, They do Exist!!!
What do you guys think? What are you reading and how would you retitle it if you were given the opportunity?
© 2013, lisapottgen. All rights reserved.
#Boutofbooks Re-Title It Challenge. is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
August 19, 2013
Review: The Iron King
Title: The Iron King
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: February 1,2010
Page Count: 368
Where I got it: Library
Where you can get it: Amazon
How much: List Price 9.99
Format I read it in: Ebook
Description/Blurb:
Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.
When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change.
But she could never have guessed the truth – that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I went into this book having already read The Lost Prince. with that in mind, some of the characters were familiar to me, but I don’t feel that it ruined the story for me at all.
I love the world that the author had created. I was completely enthralled with the story and found myself being completely sucked in and unable to walk away.
I felt a strong connection to Meghan. I always felt as a teen that I didn’t fit into the world I lived in and felt almost invisible to those around me. Of course, I didn’t have write the answer that she did.
My favorite scene in the while book was when Meghan finally figured out who Robbie was. I literally nearly sprayed iced tea all over my Kindle I was laughing so hard! I even tweeted that fact at the author.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
**DISCLAIMER** In full compliance with FTC Guidelines, I acquired this book of my own accord. I was in no way compensated for this opinion, and the thoughts are my own. Links above will take you to a site where you can PURCHASE a copy. Using those links will take you through an affiliate link and I will receive a small percentage of the purchase cost. You are in no way obligated to use affiliate links and there is no additional cost to do so.
© 2013, lisapottgen. All rights reserved.
Review: The Iron King is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
Clean Teen Publishing Presents: Wind Warrior
Wind Warrior by Jon Messenger
(NA- Paranormal)
Available Today!
Get it today on Amazon and Barnes and Noble
THE EARTH GIVES WAY TO THE SEA,
THE SEA BOWS BEFORE THE WIND,
THE WIND FEEDS THE FLAME,
THE FLAME BURNS THE WORLD OF MAN DOWN TO THE EARTH.
The sleepy town of White Halls harbors a dangerous secret. On a picturesque street, two houses down from a lovely little park, in a quaint little home with a wraparound porch, lives a family that seems rather normal. Sure, their twenty-year-old son, Xander, still lives at home, but he’s going to college and dating the leader of the schools top sorority. It’s all very… normal. However, when a man is miraculously saved from being hit by a bus, Xander’s life turns in to the living embodiment of the tornadoes he can suddenly create with a flick of his wrist. Whether he wants this gift or not, Xander must learn to use his new ‘super power’ quickly if he wants to survive. For his kind is a dying race, and when this sleepy town has a sudden influx of new, blonde, fire wielders, no one is safe, especially Xander. It doesn’t help that one of these blondes happens to be the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. Xander can’t deny the instant connection he feels to her so, when she tries to kill him, it certainly makes things complicated.
Excerpt from Wind Warrior:
Xander stood in the center of the field. From the periphery, standing well away near the tree line that lined the edge of the field, Sean watched Xander stretch his arms out wide. Xander closed his eyes and tilted his head backward.
“Are you ready for this?” Xander called. “Whatever this is, sure, I’m ready.” Xander heard the musical whisper of the wind as it called to him. Like a snake through the safari, the wind slithered between the tall grasses, causing them to sway and dance in rhythm. The wind kicked up around him, pulling at his clothes and hair. As the wind increased, it buffeted him from side to side, nearly causing him to lose his balance.
The sensation was like magic to Xander. The energy of the wind caressed his skinlike an old lover. It enveloped him where he stood and seemed to pour through his open mouth, filling him with its energy. When he was satisfied with the demonstration, he exhaled, forcing the soothing winds from his lungs.
As quickly as the wind began, it died away, leaving Xander standing alone again in the middle of the field. He lowered his arms and turned excitedly toward Sean.
“Did you see it?” “See what?” Xander gestured behind him, and then turned in a tight circle. “The wind.”
“The wind,” Sean replied flatly.
“Did you see the wind blowing through the field? That was me.”
“You made a breeze? That’s what you’re telling me? That’s what was so important? Xander, I love you like a brother, but I break wind all the time without having to drag you out to a field to see me do it.”
Xander frowned at his friend’s disbelief. “Fine. I was going for a small demonstration but if you want big, we’ll do big.”
Xander returned to the center of the field and held his arms outstretched again. He closed his eyes but quickly opened one to peer at his friend. Sean leaned against the trunk of one of the trees, his arms crossed defensively in front of him. “You’re going to want to back up for this one.”
Sean turned around and looked behind him. “I’m already at the trees. I can’t go much further back.”
“Get… I don’t know. Get behind a tree.”
“You want me to hide behind a tree while you break wind again?”
“Will you just do it?” Xander said, exasperated.
Tossing his hands in the air, Sean walked around to the backside of the tree he had been leaning against. “Is this good enough?”
“Thank you.” Xander assumed his position in the field once again, lifting his arms straight out from his side. “Come on, wind… spirit,” he whispered quietly enough that Sean wouldn’t hear him. “Let’s give him something memorable.”
Instead of slithering through the grass like it did last time, the wind pounced on Xander like a lion. It roared into the field and crashed into Xander. He staggered as the wind took up a dance around him. He quickly opened his eyes as a wall of wind formed around him, swirling like the birth of a tornado. The grass around him stood strangely still but the wind filled the rest of the field. Every exhaled breath came out of Xander’s mouth in a puff of smoke as the temperature plummeted around him.
As the wind swirled faster and faster, he saw cans and bottles emerging from the grass. Like puppets being controlled by a skillful marionette, the debris danced in the wind. It got caught up in the swirling madness and became part of the ever-expanding swirl of air.
Xander’s ears popped as the air pressure increased. He tried to call out for Sean, or even laugh at the excitement of the moment, but the maddening wind stole away his words as soon as they left his mouth. Instead, he tilted his head back and laughed silently into the swirling maelstrom.
The increased air pressure drew the heavier objects out of the tall weeds. A rusted hubcap emerged, followed by a dilapidated car radiator. They joined the rest of the debris in its swirl, spinning in increasingly fast circles as the whipping wind reached near gale- force strength.
The hubcap flew dangerously close to him as it spun past. It was gone from his peripheral vision as quickly as it had appeared. When it reappeared, it was quite a bit further away, nearly to the distant trees. Like a projectile shot out of a cannon, the hubcap slammed into one of the trees, embedding itself deeply into the coarse wood.
Startled, Xander broke his concentration. For a moment, the cans and bottles slowed their spin before hanging in the air. They collapsed onto the ground as the last of the magic dissipated from the air.
“Sean?” Xander called out, suddenly worried for his friend. If the hubcap had enough force to bury itself into the thick wood, he was worried about what any of the other smaller items would have done to his friend. “Sean!”
“That was so freaking cool,” Sean yelled, emerging from behind one of the trees. “That was so freaking cool!”
Xander sighed happily at the sight of his heavyset friend. “See, I told you hiding behind the tree was a good idea.”
“That was so freaking cool!” Sean yelled again as he bounded through the thick grass. He crashed into Xander, enveloping him in a bear hug. “How did you do that?”
About Jon Messenger:
Jon Messenger (Born 1979 in London, England) serves as an United States Army Captain in the Medical Service Corps. Since graduating from the University of Southern California in 2002, writing Science Fiction has remained his passion, a passion that has continued through two deployments to Iraq, a humanitarian relief mission to Haiti, and an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. Jon wrote the “Brink of Distinction” trilogy, of which “Burden of Sisyphus” is the first book, while serving a 16-month deployment in Baghdad, Iraq.
Wind Warrior is Jon Messenger’s break through novel published through Clean Teen Publishing.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonmessengerauthor
Author Website: http://www.jonmessengerauthor.com/
Website: http://www.cleanteenpublishing.com/wind-warrior.html
Twitter: @JonMessenger
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4156441.Jon_Messenger
YouTube: Watch the trailer today! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PbsBD3XeT4
© 2013, lisapottgen. All rights reserved.
Clean Teen Publishing Presents: Wind Warrior is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
August 18, 2013
Rabid Reader Recap (8) 8/11/2013 through 8/18/2013
This post is in something of a similar style to The Sunday Post, hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, as well as Showcase Sunday hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea; and Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.
School started on Wednesday. It has been utter chaos and insanity in my house this week. My children do not like getting up at 6 in the morning and being out the door by 7:30 when they got to sleep in all summer and get up when they felt like it, et cetera. So it has been fun.
And of course, Mom always has all of that paperwork to fill out and send back during the first week of school.
My oldest is in 5th grade and so has to do some getting used to because he has to change classes some this year. He has three teachers, instead of one. And 2 of them are male. This will be a good thing for him. He seems to respond better with male teachers and grasps the discipline of doing what he needs to do a little bit better that way.
It has been hot and nasty and disgusting here all week, having tipped the scales at over 100 with the heat index five of the 7 days. I don’t really do well when it is that hot and humid. It wears me out and I end up tired and completely unable to function about half of the time.
Work has been on the slow side and this does not bode well for the current state of things, but I know that it is going to work out the way it is supposed to and I just need to have a little faith and patience and things will be alright.
So enough babbling for now, and onto the posts!
So, the posts. Here is what we had.
Clean Teen Publishing Presents: Heartkeeper
Review – Pivot Point by Kasie West
Current Challenges Updates: 8/17/2013
Clean Teen Publishing Presents: The ELE Series
Anita Higman’s “Winter in Full Bloom” Kindle Fire Giveaway and Facebook Party! {8/29}
Clean Teen Publishing Presents: Double Star
Clean Teen Publishing Presents: Wonderstruck Anthology
A to Z Book/Reader Survey
Clean Teen Publishing Presents: Concealed in Shadows
Introducing Clean Teen Publishing
Review: Abandon Book 3: Awaken By Meg Cabot
Review: Welcome to Last Chance by Cathleen Armstrong
Wow, It was busy this week around here! Three reviews, a blog tour, a reader survey… I managed to cram a lot of stuff into 7 little days!
Coming up this week:
Review of Winter in Full Bloom by Anita Higman
Bout of Books 8.0! Who else is excited. Hopefully I will get some good reviews laid out and scheduled!
12 more days to enter for a Watersong novel. There will be two winners. Have you gotten your entry in?
Onto the Books.
Okay, do you SEE what this disgusting humidity does to my hair???? I cut it short to limit the amount of insanity I have to deal with because of the humidity, but then, look at all the curling and frizzing and just, insanity I have to put up with! I call shenanigans on the whole mess.
Onto the books and what they were.
Heir to a Dark Inheritance by Maisey Yates – Part of the Tell Harlequin Panel.
A Legacy of Secrets by Carol Marinelli – Part of the Tell Harlequin Panel
What if… By Shirley Maclaine – Atria via Galley Alley Promotion – I also managed to get this one off of Edelweiss, a few weeks back, so there may be a giveaway for this one in the future.
The Elementals by Francesca Lia Block – ARCycling
Double Cross by James Patterson – My husband actually found this on one of his walks. There is a thrift store near me that will throw anything out that they cannot sell or have not sold in a month, and the back cover looks like someone tried to take a bite out of it, but the pages are intact, so it is still very readable.
Relic by Heather Terrell – Thank you to Soho Press, but I Already have this one, so there will probably be a giveaway at some point for the duplicate!
My Promised Land by Ari Shavit – Thank you, Random House. Truthfully, I am not sure where I got this. I am thinking ‘I entered for it on a Shelf Awareness giveaway, but it looks really interesting, so I can’t wait to read it.
Do I have to tell on myself with Netgalley and Edelweiss?!? I don’t think I was very good.
I really just couldn’t help it. These looked AMAZING and I have to read them! Okay, I know. I am a very bad girl and I must somehow be punished. Can I just opt for no desert because going without books is like trying to go without air?
What did you all add to your shelves this week? What amazing posts did you put up? Let me know so I can come and see!
© 2013, lisapottgen. All rights reserved.
Rabid Reader Recap (8) 8/11/2013 through 8/18/2013 is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
