{Cover} The Days Lost @smccrimmon1 @nereydag1003

The Days Lost

by Shannon McCrimmon

Release Date: 12/10/13

Summary from Goodreads:

Part routine, part escape, running is Ellie Morales' way of dealing with the grief of losing her mother. On the heels of her high school graduation, she is spending her summer vacation in Western North Carolina with her dad and brother, Jonah.

Shortly after sunrise each morning, Ellie and her dog, Bosco, set out for a lengthy run on the path that passes by her house and leads deep into the woods of the Blue Ridge Mountains. One fateful morning, Ellie is lead off of the trail and discovers a secret that will change her life, as well as the lives of the family she meets, forever. One member of this mysterious family is Sam Gantry, who seems unlike any guy she's ever known.

This meeting sparks a series of events, causing Ellie to question everything she's ever known and believed. The more she learns about Sam and his family, the more she wants to help him find the missing puzzle pieces.

About the Author
I'm a Florida native who currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina with my husband and toy poodle. When I'm not writing, I can be found drinking Earl Grey tea with honey and cream, singing ineptly and butchering the lyrics to my favorite songs, and asking my friends ridiculous, hypothetical scenario-based questions. 

Author Links:

    

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{Reveal} Star Crossed by @Luna_Lacour @nereydag1003

Star-Crossed

by Luna Lacour

Release Date: January 2014

Summary from Goodreads:

Secrets

Deception

Lies

...Lust.

It started with a game - seduce the new teacher.

Eighteen-year-old Kaitlyn Laurent is living the American Dream. Born into a wealthy, socialite family with more opulent surroundings and material things than any girl could even fathom, Kaitlyn is the fresh, young face amidst a sea of morally-amiss Manhattan Debutantes. She is educated, poised, and on the outside - entirely virtuous. Her life, in short, is perfect.

Or so it would seem.

Inside the walls of her Upper East Side mansion, Kaitlyn is struggling. After her parents' divorce and her father's remarriage to a beautiful but otherwise utterly vapid woman, Kaitlyn quickly finds herself living in a realm of self-created fantasy, completely detached and entirely clashing with her new family – particularly, her classmate-turned-stepbrother, Marius. Arrogant and with a penchant for playing games, he is intrigued and infatuated by Kaitlyn's faux-chaste outer facade that she uses to cover an otherwise calloused heart.

When the two of them enter into into their final semester at Trinity Prep, and the buzz around campus is that a gorgeous new teacher has set foot in the classroom, Marius makes Kaitlyn a bet: seduce the man who is now her Literature teacher.

If she wins, she gets his trust fund. Money that she can use to finally escape a life that she has come to loathe.

If Marius wins...he gets her virginity.

When an initial spark turns into full-blown obsession, and her affections are inevitably returned – Kaitlyn learns that there are no actions without consequence, and some affairs are simply star-crossed.

Check out the Dream Cast for Star-Crossed!

About the Author

I'm a reader, lover of coffee and all things comical, and the author STAR-CROSSED (January 2014).

Author Links:

  

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{Release Day} Ready To Go by @ghostlyburger @swoonromance @nereydag1003

Ready To Go

by Stephanie Mann

Release Date: 11/12/13

Publisher: Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:

Daniel is sick of his wonderfully boring and predictable life. He dutifully gets up every morning, goes to class, goes to work, and it never changes. He does, says and even wears exactly what others expect of him. He's so predictable that he barely notices just how unhappy he truly is.

One afternoon, everything changes when David meets a girl on the run from her own demons. She doesn't need Daniel's help, but he offers and she accepts--setting a course for an adventure neither will soon forget.

Together, on an impromptu road trip, two strangers become friends and a bit more, all while facing money problems, car problems, and tourist traps and the naked truth: they can't run forever.

Will they finally stop running long enough to discover true and lasting love?

About the Author

Stephanie Mann lives in Massachusetts. Besides writing, she spends her free time working with fan conventions. She loves to travel, and has visited many tourist traps along the way.

READY TO GO is Stephanie Mann's first novel.

Author Links:

  

***GIVEAWAY***

1 - $10 Starbucks gift card & ebook of Ready To Go (INT)

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Book Blitz Organized by:

{Review} Dark Canvas

When artist, Kira McGovern mixes paints with the ashes of the dead, she discovers her extraordinary gift, bit it also leads her to some horrifying crimes in this pshchological thriller of a novel.

› Visit Amazon's Jody Summers Page

Biography

Born in New Orleans, JODY SUMMERS' life has been filled with unconventionality. The adopted son of a prominent Texas restaurateur, Jody grew up in New Orleans, Memphis and then Houston, learning the restaurant business while he built a career as a competitive gymnast that propelled him to a scholarship at the University of Kansas.

After college, Jody followed in his father's footsteps owning, at one point, three 24-hour restaurant franchises along with four tanning salons in Tulsa. Finally leaving that business, he turned his entrepreneurial skills to everything from a patent in the Pet Industry to a Single's website.

A restaurateur, a gymnast, a stunt man, an entrepreneur, a pilot, skydiver, scuba diver, and an accomplished martial artist for twenty-five years, Jody Summers has tried it all. Now he brings all those experiences to paper in his first novel, the romantic thriller, DARK CANVAS.

To learn more please visit www.darkcanvas.net

Well this one was ok to say the most.  I wish that the author would have gotten a better editor.  From missing words to a lot of proper names in dialogue this one does a lot of telling instead of showing.  It had a lot of errors and then entire beginning is nothing but narrative which slows down the story and just made me not want to read it at all.  The concept was very interesting but the executions was just not done to its fullest.

"*I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own."

{Author Fest} Christopher Klim @KlimAuthor

Christopher Klim once worked on observation and exploration satellites for the space program. He has also worked as a photojournalist, an assistant to a master chef, and a journalism professor. He is the executive editor of Best New Writing, and the chair of The Eric Hoffer Award for books and prose. He is the author of several books, including the satires Jesus Lives in Trenton and The Winners Circle. His other books include Idiot!, Everything Burns, Write to Publish, and the Firecracker Jones series. True Surrealism gathers his stories into a complete set for the first time. The Book Reporter dubbed Klim "one of the top [novelists] of our day." 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

The stories in Klim's new collection include tales of controlling women and ne'er-do-well men trying, well, to do well if they could; an upscale chef helping to prepare a condemned man's last meal; best friends who find themselves in a middle eastern battlefield; a rocket scientist on the drink who gets lucky; a heartbreaking and haunting tale of a neglected boy and what he learns from his runaway dog; and an abused girl who views a kaleidoscope of past lives. Told with the light, deft touch and well tuned dialogue that Klim's readers will be familiar with from his novels-a variety of characters and situations for every taste. -Thomas E. Kennedy, author of In the Company of Angels

This is a book that you just read and then put away.  Its a book that will make you re read it for all time and ponder and study!  This book of short stories will make you think about the world around you and where you are going.

Interview with the Author

How did you get interested in writing this particular genre?
I've always written strong stories with solid dialogue and literary sensibilities. This often puts me in the genre no-man's-land between commercial and literary. It's OK. My only objective is to hold a mirror to the way we live now.

What kind of research did you do for this book?
Most things in the book--working with a high end chef, designing satellites, fighting personal vices--come from experience. If there is something I don't know, I'll go to a direct source. I ran a six-month letter campaign with Marines in Iraq. I'll spend the day with a blacksmith if I have to. You can't get the setting and tone you need by surfing the Internet.

What’s the best thing about being an author?
The work, the creative process. Also, when you get your two-dimension sketches onto paper just right, the reader will project them in a three-dimensional way, shot through a prism of who he/she is at that time. Sometimes his/her projections are very close to what you intended. Sometimes they are completely different. Both are OK, as long as the reader is passionate about he/she sees.

What are you working on now?
I'm beginning a sequel to my recently completed novel, The Furthest Point from the Sun, which is a fictionalization of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. There are so many things people don't know about what really went on and who is responsible. My agent, Carolyn Jenks, is very excited about the first book.

Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books?
Robert Marius is a favorite. He wrote only four connected novels during his life. He took years with each, and they are wonderful, especially After the War. It was a game-changer for me.

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{Blitz} A French Girl in New York @adamsanna1 @nereydag1003

A French Girl in New York (The French Girl series #1)
by Anna Adams
Release Date: 12/21/12

Summary from Goodreads:
Maude Laurent is a spirited 16 year- old orphan who grew up in a small, provincial town in the North of France with a passion for piano and a beautiful voice. One day in Paris, she is discovered by an American music producer who takes her to New York to live with him and his close-knit family while producing her first album, with help from teen pop star, Matt. Maude will dive into a new fascinating world discovering New York City, music, family, love and the truth about her past.

Available FREE November 4-11!

   

Excerpt:

“Okay, I’m done. Now hurry!” the makeup artist cried out. “You’re up in two minutes.

Don’t you dare mess up your makeup again!”

Maude ran out, keeping her hands away from her recently rouged cheeks, and Matt

hurried behind her.

She stood right behind the curtain and listened to the host’s cheerful voice, announcing

her.

“Now ladies and gentlemen, we have a new artist with us tonight. She’s spent her last

six months in New York working on her first album. Her first single has been released and is

a huge hit . . .”

“Maude,” Matt whispered, tugging her sleeve.

“Yes?” She looked back at him, smiling.

“I just wanted to tell you . . . to let you know that you can always count on me.”

“I know, Matt,” Maude smiled gratefully.

“Her voice will take your breath away, her music is amazing . . . ”

“No, I’m serious. Our friendship has had its ups and downs, but I don’t want it to be that

way anymore.”

Maude nodded.

“I don’t care if you’re with Thomas Bradfield. As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”

Maude paused, puzzled. “What? Thomas Bradfield—”

“Give a round of applause for Maude Laurent!” the host cried.

“That’s your cue! Go!” Matt urged.

Maude reluctantly turned away from Matt and hurried on stage.

The blaring lights blinded her as she entered the stage and faced the cheering crowd.

She had to restrain her impulse to shield her eyes and continued steadily towards the dark

Steinway.

She had played on it earlier but then, she hadn’t felt nervous. Her hands hadn’t been

trembling, and her voice hadn’t been shaky.

Maude sat on the piano stool and looked towards the crowd.

{Review} Reality Boy @AS_King

Reality Boy Gerald Faust knows exactly when he started feeling angry: the day his mother invited a reality television crew into his five-year-old life. Twelve years later, he’s still haunted by his rage-filled youth—which the entire world got to watch from every imaginable angle—and his anger issues have resulted in violent outbursts, zero friends, and clueless adults dumping him in the special education room at school.

Nothing is ever going to change. No one cares that he’s tried to learn to control himself, and the girl he likes has no idea who he really is. Everyone’s just waiting for him to snap…and he’s starting to feel dangerously close to doing just that.

In this fearless portrayal of a boy on the edge, highly acclaimed Printz Honor author A.S. King explores the desperate reality of a former child “star” who finally breaks free of his anger by creating possibilities he never knew he deserved.

@AS_King

› Visit Amazon's A.S. King Page

Biography

A.S. King is the author of the highly acclaimed ASK THE PASSENGERS, 2012 ALA Top Ten Book for Young Adults EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS, and 2011 Michael L. Printz Honor Book PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ. She is also the author of the ALA Best Books for Young Adults DUST OF 100 DOGS and the upcoming REALITY BOY as well as a collection of award-winning short stories for adults, MONICA NEVER SHUTS UP.

After a decade living self-sufficiently and teaching literacy to adults in Ireland, she now lives deep in the Pennsylvania woods with her husband and children. Look for Amy's piece in DEAR BULLY and in upcoming anthologies BREAK THESE RULES, RIPPEROLOGY, and INITIATION. (And brace yourself for 2014's MAX BLACK.) Find more at www.as-king.com. 

Website | Goodreads | Amazon

This story was just amazing and messed up!  I loved the story and read this one in a day!  We all wonder what happens to these kids that grow up in the face of the world and Reality Boy gives a good idea.  It was fast paced and wonderful! 

"*I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own."

{Author Fest} Christina Weigand @CAWeigand

Christina Weigand’s a writer, wife, and mother of three grown children and a grade school daughter. She is also Nana to two grandchildren. She lives with her husband and youngest daughter in Washington State after a lifetime in Pennsylvania. Currently, she’s working on fantasy novels and inspirational writing. Through her writing she strives to share the Word of God and help people young and old to realize the love and mercy He has for everyone.

When she’s not writing she’s active in her local Church as a lector, volunteering at her daughter’s school in the library as well as helping the children develop a love for reading and writing, Bible Study or with the church theater group. Jesus fills her home with love as she shares Him through her writing. 

http://www.weigandchris.com

http://www.facebook.com/caweigand

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4121476.Christina_Weigand

Young Adult Christian Fantasy

The Peace Summit was in shambles, the prince kidnapped.

When the rival king realizes he kidnapped the wrong prince, hostilities escalate. Loyalties to each other and country are tested for the twin princes of Crato, Joachim and Brandan.

Joachim, captive of King Waldrom, faces deception and betrayal as he struggles to find his way home. Brandan, at home with a father focused on rescuing Joachim, wrestles with his own demons as he searches for his place in the world and the favor of his father.

Torn from the safety and peace of their childhood, they are thrust into a world where bonds of family, brotherhood and roles as heirs to Crato are tested. Through war, spiritual journeys, death and marriage, will they choose the path of good or evil? Who can be trusted, as the world they know slips into a whirlpool of chaos?

Interview with Christina Weigand
How did you get interested in writing this particular genre?
I really enjoy reading fantasy, especially swords and sorcerers, although a little sci fi sneaks into my reading pile once in a while. In reading YA fantasy I discovered along with the good stuff there is some not so good stuff out there. When I say not so good I mean that the story is not always presenting the YA reader with good choices or information with which to make the choices. The young people are our future and they need to be presented with a balance. They need to see young people making choices, realize there are alternatives as well as consequences. God and my faith dictated the rest.



What is the hardest part of writing for you?
Killing characters and making sure that I have accounted for every character and their personal outcomes at the end of the book, even secondary ones. I hate when I read a book and a character is mentioned and then forgotten.


 What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Write, read, then do it again. Don't give up, keep writing even after the rejection letters come in.


Who did the art work for your book?
Marion Sipe

 What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Read, spend time with my family, theater, crocheting, lectoring and Bible Study 

{Promo} A Desire So Deadly @suzanne_young

A Desire So Deadly by Suzanne Young The dazzling world of A Need so Beautiful and A Want So Wicked is extended in this digital original 50-page novella by Suzanne Young. Eighteen-year-old Claire Becks leads a charmed life surrounded by her loving family, great friends, and sexy boyfriend, Ezra. Then one day a mysterious stranger walks into her family's bakery. Claire immediately senses something about Harlin—something tortured and dark. Even after he leaves, she can't stop thinking about him, inexplicably feeling like there is unfinished business between them. When Lucy, the new girl in town, starts to draw Claire into her world of darkness, Harlin realizes who Claire really is. But Claire will have to realize it too if she hopes to escape the fate of the Shadows.

› Visit Amazon's Suzanne Young Page

Biography

Originally from New York, Suzanne Young moved to Arizona to pursue her life-long dream of not freezing to death. She is a high school English teacher and a novelist for teens. When she's not writing, Suzanne can be found searching her tragic (and sometimes awkward) memories for inspiration. She is the author of THE PROGRAM, A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL, and A WANT SO WICKED. You can visit her online at www.suzanne-young.blogspot.com.

{Author Fest} Cherie Colyer @CherieCoyler

A little about myself: I write young adult and middle grade novels. I love finding new stories that keep me up late reading. While my favorite genre is fantasy, if the book is beautifully written with characters that come alive I’m all over it.

My debut novel EMBRACE and the sequel HOLD TIGHT are now available from Omnific Publishing.

www.cheriecolyer.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cherie-Colyer-author/250631921629169

@CherieCoyler

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5288487.Cherie_Colyer

How far would you go to save the people you love?

Madison is familiar enough with change, and she hates everything about it. Change took her long-term boyfriend away from her. It caused one of her friends to suddenly hate her. It’s responsible for the death of a local along with a host of other mysterious happenings. But when Madison meets a hot new guy, she thinks her luck is about to improve.

Madison is instantly drawn to the handsome and intriguing Isaac Addington. She quickly realizes he’s a guy harboring a secret, but she’s willing to risk the unknown to be with him.

Her world really spins out of control, however, when her best friend becomes delusional, seeing things that aren’t there and desperately trying to escape their evil. When the doctors can’t find the answers, Madison seeks her own.

Nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover.
Dangerous, intoxicating, and darkly romantic, Embrace is a thriller that will leave you spellbound

Tell me about your book. How did you come up with that (story, angle, idea)?
I had been working on another novel when the idea for Embrace first came to me. I had this image of a girl running through the halls at school. I started to ask myself who is this girl and what is she doing. It didn't take long for Madison to be born and for me to know that she was about to discover there were powers in the world that she'd have to embrace to save her friends.

How did you get interested in writing this particular genre?
The paranormal fascinates me. I've always been big on researching different myths, watching documentaries, and reading books and watching movies on just about anything supernatural.

What’s the best thing about being an author?
It's a toss up between meeting readers and getting to make things up for a living.

What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Keep writing and revise, revise, revise. If you haven’t already, join a critique group. The amount of knowledge I gained and the friendships I developed are invaluable. And lastly, read. Study what it is you like or dislike about a particular book and apply these things to your own writing.

In some cases the covers were changed! And in some cases the Title! Why do the publishers decide to change these things and do you have any say in the matter?
Embrace recently received a new cover, and I did get a say. I wrote Embrace to be a standalone novel, so my publisher and I weren't thinking about a second book or its cover when Embrace’s was designed. When readers kept asking if there’d be a sequel my creative wheels started to turn and I began work on another book, but finding the perfect image for Hold Tight that fit the story and matched Embrace’s cover was difficult. So my wonderful marketing associate and I got to talking about other options. The result was a whole new look for book one.

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