Carrie Elks's Blog, page 25

Cover Reveal – At Any Turn by Brenna Aubrey

I’m so excited to be able to reveal the cover for Brenna Aubrey’s new book, At Any Turn. I truly adored the first in the series, At Any Price, and I’m counting the days until the release date. So, without further ado, I bring you …

So You Want to Be a Hero?
Millionaire CEO Adam Drake overcame a tortured past to take control of his life and build his own gaming empire. The final piece falls into place with his newfound love for brilliant geek girl blogger, Mia Strong. Now Adam is at the top of his game.
Your Princess Is in Another Castle.
Until Mia suddenly breaks things off, leaving Adam in the dark. He senses she needs his help but that she’s too stubborn or scared to ask. The more he tries to take control, the further she shies away. This is one problem he can’t solve by writing a check or a few clever lines of code.
He will have to dig deep and put himself at risk…or else risk losing her forever.
This New Adult contemporary romance is intended for readers over the age of 18 due to adult language, sexual content and adult situations.

 

Brenna Aubrey is an author of New Adult contemporary romance stories that center on geek culture. Her debut novel, At Any Price, released December, 2013.
She has always sought comfort in good books and the long, involved stories she weaves in her head. Brenna is a city girl with a nature-lover’s heart. She therefore finds herself out in green open spaces any chance she can get. A mommy to two little kids and teacher to many more older kids, she juggles schedules to find time to pursue her love of storycrafting.
She currently resides on the west coast with her husband, two children, two adorable golden retriever pups, two birds and some fish.
Brenna’s short story “The Love Letter” was the Grand Prize winner of the Jane Austen Made Me Do It Short Story Contest. As such, it was included in the anthology of the same name (Ballantine, 2011)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

   

Romance Weekly #LoveChatWrite – 25th March

Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn’t you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all….. About our writing of course! Every week we’ll answer questions and after you’ve enjoyed the blog on this site we’ll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.

This weeks questions are brought to you by Nina Mason

1.  How does your writing impact your inner life?

I’m so glad nobody can see inside my head! I’m constantly thinking things through, wondering about characters, picturing scenes, imagining the emotions they are all going through. I get inspiration at the strangest of times; maybe driving on the motorway or watching my kids learn to swim. Unfortunately, this can also mean I’m not as responsive as I should be, and when asked a question it can take me up to a minute to reply. My husband says I’m ‘buffering’ which is a great word for it. I’ll answer eventually, but don’t hold your breath!

2.  How do you hope your books affect your readers?

I hope that I send them on a journey that’s worth going on. My stories tend to be emotional, occasionally a little angsty, and I want them to feel all those emotions right along with the characters. When somebody tells me that my stories made them cry, I count that as a good day’s work. This is probably because I LOVE stories that make me cry. I like being a weepy mess, barely able to breathe as I stand right next to a character, feeling their emotions. So that’s what I try and write. Whether I’m successful or not is a different matter!

3.  Has anyone ever told you your book changed their life? If so, how?

Not yet, but maybe one day! I have had messages from readers telling me that they really enjoyed the story, and that it kept them up all night, which is definitely what I’m aiming for when I’m writing. If I can keep you awake and turning the pages, then I’m a happy writer.

 Thanks to Nina for setting some thought-provoking questions! And now to read more Romance Weekly Blog Hop go to http://lesliehachtelwriter.wordpress.... and read Leslie Hachtel’s answers!

 

Blog Stop – Desire by B.L. Wilde

Title – Desire

Series – The Seductors Series

Author – B.L. Wilde

Genre – Erotica Romance

Publication Date – 6th December 2013

Length (Pages/# Words) – 62K

Publisher – Author

Cover Artist – Jo Matthews

Jade has worked as a Seductor in a secret organization for five years now. Her main job? To earn the trust of her targets and secure the object or information her company was hired to steal—by any means necessary. She’s damn good at it, too.
With five years left on her contract, she is handed an assignment that turns her world upside down.
Oliver Kirkham is the attractive, young CEO of Kirkham Industries, a weapons manufacturing company, and is currently in possession of some very important blueprints—blueprints that could change the way war, as we know it, works. He’s extremely focused and doesn’t have time to date, at least until he comes to the rescue of a shy but very alluring Jade Gibbs.
What happens when one night of passion turns into more? Will Jade allow her feelings for Oliver to get in the way of her mission? Or will she do what she was hired to do and secure the steal?

AMAZON KINDLE | AMAZON PAPERBACK | BARNES & NOBLES NOOK | SMASHWORDS | GOODREADS

Mmm…I was having the most wonderful dream—one that seemed so real. I could feel myself squirming in my sleep from the vividness of soft lips making their way down my ribs. It wasn’t until I felt my legs being moved apart that I realized where I was. Oh, my! Oliver was clearly a man of his word.

I opened my eyes the moment I felt his fingers slip into my yearning body.

“Morning, Jade,” he smirked as he hovered over me.

“You weren’t joking last night about picking up where we left off in the morning, were you?” I giggled. He answered me with a soft kiss, which I returned as he set a slow pace with his fingers.

I’d never really been one for morning sex, because well…truthfully, it wasn’t very often that I stayed the entire night. I had to admit, though, that I was looking forward to a few more mornings like this with Oliver.

“I never joke about this.” Oliver’s voice a few moments later was like a trigger that set my orgasm into motion. Before I knew what happening, I was falling hard and fast. “I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of watching you come undone, Jade,” he smiled once I’d regained myself. As my eyes wandered down his exquisite body, I noticed that he’d already put a condom on.

“We’ve only known each other for two days. I can’t believe how well you know my body already.”

“I’ve never felt this connection with anyone before.” Oliver shifted above me and we both groaned as his length pushed against my heated center. “It’s going to be hard for me to leave you today. I’m already used to having you around.”

“I hope we can meet again soon,” I panted, feeling Oliver slowly push deep inside me.

“As soon as I’m free, I’ll fly out to you. It will be easier for me to come to you first, ” he strained. It only took a second to let go, and when I did, I became a slave to his touches.

“You’re eating breakfast?” he questioned over the table a few hours later. I could now happily admit that I loved morning sex! It was clearly the best way to start any day.

“Well, it is the most important meal of the day,” I grinned, taking a bite of my toast. “Not to mention, I think I need the energy after my early morning wake-up call.”

“I’m impressed,” Oliver chuckled, continuing to read his newspaper.

“Are you nervous about your meeting this morning?” I asked, pouring myself some more coffee.

“No. I’m used to these kinds of meetings.” He didn’t even look up from the article in front of him as he spoke.

“Have you met many world leaders in the past?”

“I’ve met most of them, actually.” His tone was a little arrogant as he looked up to smirk at me. Oh, Oliver… You have no idea, but I already know every little detail about you.

“You’ve met most of them?” I gawked with my mouth hanging open. Yeah, I had the act down to a fine art. “Jesus, Oliver, if these are the people you socialize with, what the hell are you doing with me?”

“It’s my job, Jade. I don’t choose to socialize with them. Trust me, I’d much rather spend the rest of the day with you.” He had a gleam in his eyes as he spoke, and I only needed one guess as to what was crossing his mind at that moment. I decided to play with him a bit.

“Is everything about sex with you?” I asked innocently, running my hands through my hair and tilting my head slightly to expose more of my neck to him. I was wearing one of his shirts, and only a few buttons were buttoned.

“What do you mean by that?” By his tone, I thought I might have offended him.

“I was just wondering if that’s what this is.” I started fidgeting with my napkin, intently focused on the task instead of on Oliver. Innocent girls avoided eye contact when it was a conversation that mattered to them, and I needed to know how far I’d gotten with him this weekend. I only had six months to secure the blueprints, and that wasn’t very long if I didn’t get to see him every week.

“Jade, I really have no idea. All I know is that I am deeply attracted to you. Isn’t that enough for now?” I looked up into his burning, dark eyes. Christ, a woman could drown in pure desire from those scorching orbs.

“I’m sorry. I’ll stop with the heavy,” I conceded, looking at my watch. “What time are you leaving?”

“In about ten minutes.” He sighed deeply, raking his eyes over me. “I don’t even have time to take you again.”

I choked a little on my coffee, nearly spitting it across the table. “Wasn’t the five times earlier enough?” Oh, this guy had stamina; I had to give him that. Oliver would be like my dream man if I actually had the option to date. Why did he have to be my target? Why couldn’t I have met him after my contract ended?

“No,” he smoldered, getting up from his chair. He cannot be serious!

“You’re meeting the Prime Minister, remember?” I pointed out as he pulled me out of my chair and to my feet. “I’m pretty sure he’s not the kind of guy who likes tardiness.”

“I’ll be counting each day until I can see you again,” Oliver said with a sigh as he ran his nose down my neck. I couldn’t help but arch up toward him as his hand gripped my ass firmly. “Oh, the things I’m going to do to you when that happens, Jade. Maybe it’s a good thing we’ll be apart for a few weeks.”

“You mean there’s more?”

I groaned as his left hand moved to palm my breasts over his shirt.

“I haven’t even started with you yet, Beautiful,” he murmured huskily before his lips crashed against mine.

I was breathless when we finally broke apart. “You’ll call me as soon as you arrive home, won’t you?” I pleaded, running my hands over the back collar of his shirt.

“Yes,” Oliver smiled, caressing my face softly. “Okay, now I really need to leave.” He seemed honestly troubled by that, as if he didn’t want to go. Wow, I never thought it would be this easy. Then again, I did still have the task of finding out which property stored his secure hard drive. That wasn’t going to be easy.

“Enjoy your meeting,” I grinned, “and tell the Prime Minister I said ‘Hi.’” Oliver chuckled as he kissed me softly, his hands lingering on my face before he pulled away.

“I’m really glad I met you, Jade Gibbs. I will see you very soon.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” I blushed, watching his eyes roam over me one last time before he turned to leave.

“You’re welcome to get ready here. Just let reception know once you’ve checked out,” he called over his shoulder, picking up his briefcase. His luggage had already been taken down earlier when the breakfast cart had been delivered.

“Okay, thank you,” I replied, smiling weakly.

“I’ll call you every day if you want me to.” Oliver appeared to be stalling, and I was pretty sure I knew why. Jade, you have well and truly hooked him.

“Only if you have the time,” I answered, playing with my hands.

“I’ll make the time.” His voice was firm as he took one last look at me and then finally left.

Wow, this mission was going effortlessly so far.

 

AUTHOR BIO

B.L. Wilde is a British author obsessed with many things, including heated love stories. Fully supported by her husband, she can often be found at her desk working on her next project.

Her journey into the world of erotica began when she started writing online stories over three years ago, and she hasn’t looked back since.

AMAZON | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

 

PRIZES

1 signed paperback of Desire (US Only)

3 ebook copies of Desire (International)
CLICK HERE TO ENTER

This Tour Organized By:

Romance Weekly #LoveChatWrite – 18th March

Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn’t you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all….. About our writing of course! Every week we’ll answer questions and after you’ve enjoyed the blog on this site we’ll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.

This weeks questions are brought to you by Ronnie Allen

1.  Who is your favorite author other than yourself in your genre and why?

There are so many authors that I adore, it is extremely difficult to narrow it down to one. But if I really had to choose then my favourite author would be Cara McKenna.  She writes smart erotica—sexy stories with depth. A little dark, a little funny, always emotional. She also writes red-hot romance under the name Meg Maguire. Her wonderful publishers are Ellora’s Cave, Harlequin Blaze, Loose-Id, Penguin / Intermix, Samhain, and Signet Eclipse. She loves writing sexy, character-driven stories about strong-willed men and women who keep each other on their toes, and bring one another to their knees.

2.  What is your favorite book by them and why?

My very favourite story by Cara is Willing Victim.

It was the first book of hers that I read, and it is close to my heart. It was one of the first dark erotic romance books that I ever read, and I loved the way she crafted the story. The hero and heroine are ordinary, working class folks, but you find yourself drawn to them, wanting to know more, and ultimately rooting for their relationship. Reading this book taught me that when crafting a fine story, characterization is king.

3.  What about their style inspires your writing?

One of my favourite blogs to follow is Wonkomance. Cara is one of the contributors to this fantastic writing blog, and I love reading her tips for crafting an interesting and engaging story. For example, in this post, CREATING DYNAMIC HEROES, she writes about the 28/40 method; how to balance the traits of a hero so that he is interesting enough to have a journey you want to follow. Posts like these always make me want to write better stories, which can only be a good thing!

 I hope you enjoyed reading these questions; I had a lot of fun writing the answers. Thanks to Ronnie for setting them! And now to read more Romance Weekly Blog Hop go to http://www.brendamargriet.com/blog.html and read Brenda Margriet’s answers!

 

Book Review – Cursed be the Wicked by J.R. Richardson

Cooper Shaw lives his life under a pen name and enjoys the anonymity it provides during his journeys across the globe as a seasoned writer for a travel magazine. When his job lands him in his hometown of Salem, Massachusetts to cover the famous Festival of the Dead, he soon realizes that he can’t stay invisible forever as he faces ghosts from a past he’s been trying to forget ever since he left.

The city holds nothing but bad memories for Coop until he meets a quirky young woman with an old soul and curious insights by the name of Finnley Pierce. While she acts as his tour guide through a town he thought he knew, Finn helps him unearth the truth of his childhood and might even begin to open up his heart.

By unraveling the mystery of his father’s murder, Coop may finally accept who he is, where he came from, and perhaps even realize what he wants for his future.

When I was a child I loved reading stories about journeys. In Lord of the Rings I was Frodo’s constant companion, and I clung onto Lucy Penvensie’s coat tails when she made her epic journey through Narnia in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Luckily for me, some things never change, and when I picked up Cursed be the Wicked by J. R. Richardson, I was delighted that it took me on such an enjoyable and exciting ride.

Ostensibly a paranormal romance, Cursed is the story of Cooper Shaw, a travel writer who floats from assignment to assignment. He seems to live an easy, yet solitary life, but all isn’t as it seems. In the first part of the story we learn that Coop escaped from his childhood home in Salem, Massachusetts under a dark cloud of suspicion. Let down by both his parents, he walked away and never looked back, severing any ties he might have had. When circumstances compel him to return to Salem, his plan is to stay for as short a time as possible, finishing up his article and cleaning up a personal issue at the same time.

But then he meets Finn. A quirky receptionist in the B&B he is staying in, she soon turns out to be more than she appears, and before he knows it, Coop has a companion to help him through his painful days in his childhood town. What follows is a journey into his past, where he has to reconcile his memories with the truth he’s now being told.

To classify this book as a simple love story would be doing it a disservice. In fact, it’s a tale of personal growth, of confronting demons, both perceived and real. It is a story of redemption and love. The characters are so beautifully drawn that by the end of the book I not only felt like I knew them, but wanted to stay with them, even as the story drew to an end. In addition to this, the story line was well plotted and gripping enough to keep me reading on my sofa on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Needless to say, I finished the book in less than a day.

Cursed be the Wicked deserves five beautifully written, well-plotted stars.

Romance Weekly #LOVECHATWRITE – 11th March

Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn’t you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all….. About our writing of course! Every week we’ll answer questions and after you’ve enjoyed the blog on this site we’ll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.

This weeks questions are brought to you by J.J. Devine.

1.  When someone finds out you’re an author, how do you handle the statement, “I have a story you should write.”?

I don’t think anybody has really suggested that to me. I have had conversations with beta readers and friends that help to shape a story in my mind; in fact I sometimes find these conversations invaluable in the story-writing process. But nobody has ever come up to me and told me that have a great story for me to write. If they did … well it would definitely depend on the story. If it fired up my imagination, I’d definitely be all ears. I take inspiration from so many different sources, having somebody mention something that happened to them would be more than welcome!

2. Do you write what you read?

Yes! I love romance novels of all kinds. Historical, contemporary, paranormal, suspense – you name it and I’ve probably read it. What I do try to avoid, however, is reading anything that is too close in composition to any work-in-progress I have. That’s because I find myself unconsciously absorbing the author’s writing style, and that can deviate my story at a point I don’t want it to.

I can’t imagine not reading romantic novels. I currently get through two or three a week (I’m a voracious reader) and when I’m on holiday I can easily get through eight or more. So my request to all you romantic writers out there is please keep up the good work – I can never get enough!

3. People often mistake the lifestyle of a writer as glamorous, give us the scoop, what about your lifestyle would shock your readers?

I have to say I thought it would be glamorous, too. I imagined I would be a modern-day version of Daphne Du Maurier, sweeping in and out of rooms wearing long, swishy skirts, and overlooking a troubled Cornish sea as I typed on a manual typewriter. The rather more mundane reality is that I have to fit writing in between every day life. Somehow I manager to squeeze it between going to work, looking after the children, trying to get to the gym and spending time with friends and family (most of whom don’t know I’m a writer.) So I fit in stolen moments when I can. Tapping on my iPad before I go to sleep, for example, or correcting first drafts while watching swimming lessons. When I get a whole, free day to myself, I don’t find I use my time any better. In fact, I sometimes think my writing is better for being time-limited. It gives me the opportunity to think through the plot, characters and word use while I’m doing other things, rather than rushing on.

 I hope you enjoyed reading these questions–I really enjoyed thinking through the answers. Thanks to J.J. for setting them! And now to read more Romance Weekly Blog Hop go to http://kimhandysides.com/ and read Kim’s answers!

 

Birthday Blitz – Truth in Lies by Jeanne McDonald

In celebration of McKenzie Evans’ birthday: The Truth in Lies is on sale from March 11-13, 2014 for only $0.99 on Amazon

 
Summary

Life is a sequence of choices. Some are deliberate, others are forced upon you. This was a lesson that McKenzie Evans knew all too well. After the miscarriage of her son, she made the hard decision to leave her absentee boyfriend and move in with her former college roommate, Olivia Hamilton. That’s when she was introduced to Andrew Wise, a brilliant attorney, working for his family’s law firm in Sarasota, Florida.To McKenzie, Drew became her salvation. He had a way of understanding her when no one else could. The closer they became, the more McKenzie found herself falling in love with Drew. He was everything she ever dreamed of in a man, and for the first time in her life, she felt truly alive. There was only one problem. Drew was dating Olivia.With the help of fate and circumstance, Drew and McKenzie journey down a path of unrequited love and denied feelings. In the end, they must make a choice between their hearts or their consciences. In this one decision they discover that there’s always a glimmer of truth to a lie, that there’s a fine line between love and friendship, and sometimes you have to risk everything to gain everything.


Enter for your chance to win many great prizes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author 

Jeanne McDonald began telling stories at the ripe young age of five, when her mother considered the truth to be a lie due to her extensive embellishment to the retelling of an event. She wrote her first short story when she was twelve years old, and at the age of sixteen she tried her hand at poetry. She reconnected with her love for writing in 2010 thanks to the encouragement of a dear friend.

Her passions include a “mild” Starbucks addiction, music, reading, movies and romance. When she is not spending time with her family, she can be found writing, chatting with her friends or diligently working toward her bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology.

A proud Texan, she currently resides in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with her family.

Contact Information 
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Email

Book Review and Giveaway – My Mr Manny by Jennifer Garcia

 

Mia Balducci misses her childhood days and yearns for the big, Italian family that she left behind in small town Massachusetts. At the tender age of sixteen, Mia moves with her bachelor father to Los Angeles, but no matter how many years pass, it never becomes home to her. The years spent living with her father aren’t easy, especially since she can’t stop thinking about what she once had. Her enrollment in the University of Southern California promises to bring exciting changes to her life, but Mia winds up with big problems instead. When she runs into an old friend from her old hometown of Winthrop, she gets swept up in nostalgia, and she soon loses herself in a quickly-progressing romance. When the fantasy falls apart, she is left to raise her precious little girl, Lucia, on her own. The demands of Mia’s work schedule and Lucia’s needs increase, and their lives become increasingly hectic. It is soon clear to Mia that she needs help. Luckily, her life-saving cousin saves the day and brings the mother and daughter a male nanny – their new “manny.”

After losing his high-pressure job on Wall Street, Dominic Roberts wants to follow his dreams to have a family. He’s already one fiancée down, and there are no likely prospects for another. In order to find the family he so desperately wants, he finds himself getting into the manny business. Since he is fully qualified to provide child care and is eager to leave New York City behind, his sister-in-law is able to land him a job in California working for his first client – the beautiful and intriguing Mia Balducci.

Will Lucia like the new man in her mother’s life? Will Mia? And will this new trio discover the happily ever after they all so desperately seek?

When I first picked up this book I thought it would be a lightweight, fluffy story about a professional woman and her male au-pair, but nothing could be further from the truth. Although there is lightness in the writing–and the promised HEA–My Mr Manny also explores the pain of a marriage breakup, the fears of moving on, and the fierce attachment that a mother feels toward her child.

The book starts with a scene from Mia’s childhood; a golden time when children could run around the block until nightfall. The scene establishes the importance of her extended family, which is particularly poignant when, at age sixteen, she moves across the country to LA to live with her father. When she reconnects with one of her childhood friends at a college football match, you’d be forgiven to think Mia’s found her HEA. But this is only a small way into the story, and we know from the summary that she has many hurdles to face before she can finally be happy.

As Mia goes through the pain of divorce, we get to feel all her emotions; her fear of the future, hurt for her child and anger at the husband who has rejected them. All this is further confused when she is introduced to her cousin’s brother–a man looking for a change in career–and interviews him for the position of her Manny (a male nanny of course!)

Dominic is hot. We know that from the start because Mia makes herself look a complete fool in front of him. But he’s also kind enough to ignore her fawning, and before long he’s offered the job. What follows is a story of love. Not just between Dominic and Mia, but between her daughter, Lucia, and the two of them as well. Love me, love my child could be Mia’s motto, and it’s clear to see that Dominic does exactly that.

What I loved about the story was the hope that was woven throughout the text. We could have forgiven Mia for feeling angry and bitter after everything she’d faced, after all, who hasn’t wanted to give up when trying to work a full time job and raise a child single-handed? But she doesn’t do that, she strives to give Lucia a happy childhood, and more importantly is willing to accept help where it’s offered. That kind of strength is what attracts Dominic to her, and lights the bright flame that burns between them.

Author Bio:

Jennifer Garcia’s lifelong love for reading and writing was put aside for many years while she made her way in the world and nurtured her young family. Originally from Boston, she currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, two sons, and two dogs. Even though she is older, and life never seems to settle, she’s finding her way while attending college full-time in pursuit of a B.A. in English Literature. She also runs a business, and is still caring for her family. Believing she can do it all, with the help of her family, she worked on her first novel during the late hours of the night while balancing the rest of her life during the day. Her hard work paid off, as her first novel, My Mr. Manny, was released August 2013 and her first novella, In My Mother’s Footsteps, was released July 2013.

Find Jennifer on:

Facebook

Twitter

Tumblr

Pinterest

About.me

Authorsdb

Independent Author Network

Jennifer Garcia is running a Goodreads Book Giveaway from March 2nd to March 8th, 2014.
Enter for a chance to win a signed book, My Mr. Manny

Goodreads Book Giveaway


My Mr. Manny
by Jennifer Garcia

Giveaway ends March 08, 2014.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter to win

For more information please go to Jennifer’s Blog.

Halfway Hidden Free on Smashwords from March 2nd to 8th

 

FREE!!

As part of Smashwords “Read an Ebook Week” Halfway Hidden is free to download at Smashwords from March 2nd to 8th. All you have to do is go here and at checkout remember to enter coupon code RW100. theres a choice of file types; mobi, ePub, PDF or more.

Enjoy!

Book Review – Beatless by Amber L. Johnson

Mallory Durham has been left behind and it is making her feel less like an adult and more like an afterthought. Divorce, sickness, educational aspirations being shattered, and her Aunt Sam moving into her home, have made Mal’s life nearly unrecognizable to her.

When Tucker Scott re-enters her life along with his band, will they offer what she needs to once again find her voice and self confidence or will it strip her of it even more?

Told through the dual voices of Mallory as she navigates her new world, and Aunt Sam’s letters to her niece, Beatless tells the story of two women at very different points in their life, fighting the same battles; proving that no matter what age a person is, there are always lessons to be learned.

There are some writers who are so talented that their stories are effortless to read. Amber L. Johnson is one of those authors. As a writer myself, I know that effortless takes a lot of work, no matter how much of a non-sequitur that might seem. Her words flow gently but they pack a punch, hitting you right in the gut when you expect it least. That’s one of the many things I truly enjoyed about Beatless. It’s a story that is narrated so well that I was almost lulled into a false sense of security, yet before I knew it, I was reading with tears in my eyes and an ache in my heart. And I LOVE that.

First things first – a little about the characters. It’s narrated in first person, past tense, by the heroine, Mal. Left behind at community college while all her friends head away, she’s lost at first, trying to keep her head up when circumstances want to pull her under. Her father has left the family, and her mum is working away and leaves Mal behind in the care of her Aunt Sam. For the first few chapters you feel Mal’s bewilderment as she tries to carve herself out a life from the little that remains. It resonates so well, because I think we can all remember being a teenager, wondering where we fit, whether we’re the only ones feeling that way. Amber captures that mood so vividly it made me have all the feelings!

Under the encouragement of her aunt, Mal gets a job and meets a boy. And what a boy! Tucker is the perfect hero; devoted to his disabled sister, and trying to become the man he wants to be. Like Mal, he dreams of getting away, but he also knows that his family keeps him where he his; he shares the care of his sister with his father, and they both need him.

As Mal and Tucker become friends, confidantes and finally lovers, their story is so poignant it’s almost like you’re spying on something so intimate and raw. Right at the moment when everything feels like it’s finally coming together, something happens that brings their world tumbling around their feet. Oh my, does it hurt.

The story itself is perfect. It’s an emotional journey for Mal, Tucker and Sam, without the plot feeling forced. There are times when they make the wrong choices, treat people the wrong way, but that only serves to make it more real and truthful. Though I can’t give away the ending, it was juicy enough to make my eyes water, and sweet enough to melt my heart.

I’ve no hesitation in labelling this a five star read. So go buy, read, devour and enjoy. Amber has a full schedule of releases ahead and I’m looking forward to every single one of them!

Amber is a full time mom, full time wife, is employed full time, and writes when she can. She believes in Happily Ever Afters that occur every day – despite the obstacles that real life serves up on a regular basis. Or perhaps they’re sweeter

simply because of them. She always has 2 rubber bands on her wrist, a song in her head, and too much creamer in her coffee cup that reads ’Cocoa’ – because she’s a rebel. If she’s not at her desk, with her boys, or behind the computer, she’s supporting live music with her arms raised above her head and eyes closed, waiting for the drop.  

Connect with Amber

Website: amberlynnejohnson.com
Twitter: @WhereIsJakeRyan
Facebook author page: Amber L. Johnson Author

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway