A Life Through Books

Monday, October 13, 2014

Book Cover PROMO

Cover Reveal: Unstrung by @KendraHighley

Cover Reveal: Unstrung by @KendraHighley
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Cover Reveal - Unstrung by Kendra C. Highley
Young Adult Sci Fi/Dystopian
Date Published: October 17, 2014

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Book One: Unstrung Series

Lexa Pate, seventeen-year-old thief extraordinaire, has burned a bridge or two in her life. You don't make a career out of stealing other people's property without making enemies.

When a risky job goes from bad to worse, Lexa and her adopted family find themselves on Precipice Corporation's hit list because they've accidentally stolen the wrong thing--plans for a new model of genetically-engineered super humans. Now every bounty hunter, cop on the take, and snitch in the city is after them.

Lexa's world crumbles around her as she fights to keep her family safe even as someone strolls out of her forgotten past. Quinn claims to know who Lexa really is, but can she trust a stranger she met while robbing his boss?

More importantly, does she really want to know what Quinn has to tell her?

Based on the fairy tale Pinocchio, UNSTRUNG takes you into a near future world where the lines between fake and real are blurred, all that's pristine isn't always innocent, and being a criminal isn't always wrong.









About the Author



Kendra C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She also serves as staff to four self-important cats. This, according to the cats, is her most crucial job. She believes chocolate is a basic human right, running a 10k is harder than it sounds, and that everyone should learn to drive a stick shift. She loves monsters, vacations, baking and listening to bad electronica. If she's not writing, she's reading. If she's not writing or reading, she's likely a little cranky.




Buy Links





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Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Blog Tour Book Review

Blog Tour: Written In Blood by Elaina Lee #review #giveaway

Blog Tour: Written In Blood by Elaina Lee #review #giveaway
7:51 AM1 Comments


Romantic Suspense
Date Published: Jan 1, 2011 (Re-published June 2014)
 Written in Blood: A dark and sensual, award winning, romantic suspense.

Lyndi Crisdean is assigned one of the hardest cases in her career as a defense attorney. A serial murder case. Investigating is Alek Trevian, the lead investigator for the district attorney, and a handsome and supremely dangerous man. Lyndi finds herself in over her head when she chooses desire for Alek over common sense. If they're caught, Lyndi will lose everything she's worked for. Circumstances beyond her control pull her toward Alek, for he turns out to be the only one who can help when threats start to mount against her.

Lyndi may be the key Alek needs to bring down a murderous cult running loose in his city. When her beach house is broken into and a man begins to tail Lyndi, Alek can't help but reason Lyndi may be next on the cult's hitlist. The question is, will he discover the identity of the cult, keep her safe, and still win the case against the serial killer she's defending, all while losing a battle against the strong, untamable desire she alone ignites within him?


Review

This is a novel with so many layers and moving parts. Elaina Lee has done a great job of creating both characters and a plot that are exciting and multi-dimensional. There are so many twists and surprises along the way. It does a great job of keeping the reader on their toes. I am genuinely anticipating the next in the series. 


I'm Elaina Lee, romance writer. Since given an assignment in the 6th grade to write a fantasy story, I knew writing was a passion I'd never be able to do without.  From that moment on my imagination took flight.  Over the years I've written everything from the Dark Ages to Science Fiction, all with romantic elements, of course ;-).
As a mother of two boys, a kindergartner and high schooler, life is never boring in my house!  When I'm not keeping a little one out of trouble, or trying to keep my sanity as a boy migrates into a man, I write.  I'm very fortunate to have met my remarkable husband who has supported and encouraged my dreams of being an author since the day we met. 
Thanks for taking the time to learn about me!   
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Thursday, October 2, 2014

Blog Tour Book Review

Blog Tour: Coming Down by @carrieelks #review

Blog Tour: Coming Down by @carrieelks #review
8:09 AM1 Comments


Women's Fiction / Contemporary Romance
Date Published: September 24, 2014
   
Twenty-eight-year-old Beth Lawrence finally has her life back on track. A job she loves, a wealthy husband and a beautiful home are a far cry from the tragedy that struck when she was nineteen. But now that her past seems firmly behind her, an old flame walks back into her life. Bringing back painful memories of a time she's worked hard to forget, reviving a passion she tried to bury years before.
Niall Joseph is an up-and-coming artist, recently returned from success in America. Volunteering to teach in an inner-city drug clinic, the last person he expects to see is the girl who broke his heart nine years earlier. Working closely together allows their old wounds to heal, forging a deeper connection between them. One that slowly starts to burn.
As she becomes tangled up with a neglected child and her drug-addict mother, Beth finds herself drawn to Niall. But neither of them can anticipate how hard it is to tread the thin line between friendship and desire. 


My Review

This is a good example of a novel dealing with personal issues without going overboard if that makes sense. Often times it feels like everything bad that can happen to a character does and I liked the fact that Beth had to deal with unfortunate circumstances and trials and tribulations but nothing felt like it happened just for the sake of making the story more interesting.

 Wonderful writing style. The characters really grab the reader and the relationships are believable and beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. 





Carrie Elks lives near London, England and writes contemporary romance with a dash of intrigue. At the age of twenty-one she left college with a political science degree, a healthy overdraft and a soon-to-be husband. She loves to travel and meet new people, and has lived in the USA and Switzerland as well as the UK. An avid social networker, she tries to limit her Facebook and Twitter time to stolen moments between writing chapters. When she isn’t reading or writing, she can usually be found baking, drinking wine or working out how to combine the two.

Twitter: @carrieelks
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Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Contemporary Romance Giveaway

PROMO Blitz: Hometown Heroes Anthology #giveaway

PROMO Blitz: Hometown Heroes Anthology #giveaway
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Hometown Heroes - Hotter Ever After
Contemporary Romance
Date Published: 9/30/14

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Available for a limited time at a discount of $1.99. All proceeds from this bundle benefit the Pets for Vets charity. The Pets for Vets program is dedicated to providing a second chance for shelter pets by rescuing, training and pairing them with America’s veterans who can benefit from a companion animal.

They’re all hometown heroes, guys from small towns who’ve made a name for themselves, big or small, who’ve withstood the odds and risen to the challenge, who are heroes in their own right.

Presenting a contemporary romance bundle of 16 novels with happily ever after endings, including previously published readers' favorites and brand-new material by USA Today Bestselling Authors: Melissa Schroeder, Lucy Monroe, and Nancy Warren
NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Sabrina York. Along with bestselling and award-winning authors Allie K. Adams, Destiny Blaine, Cathryn Cade, Jami Davenport, Kate Davies, Taryn Elliott &Cari Quinn, Rachel Grant, Sandy James, Adrianne Lee, Hildie McQueen, Katy Regnery, Sandy Sullivan.

Hometown Heroes Charity Bundle Facebook
Pets for Vets Facebook
Pets for Vets Website


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A LITTLE HARMLESS SEX (Harmless, Book 1) by USA Today bestselling author Melissa Schroeder--When Anna falls for her best friend Max, it might be true love, or the biggest mistake of her life.

CHANGE THE GAME by USA Today bestselling author Lucy Monroe--Alex is looking for revenge.  Isabel is looking for a relationship without those pesky things called emotions.  Neither will get what they're looking for, but a whole lot more!

WILD RIDE (Changing Gears, Book 1) by USA Today bestselling author Nancy Warren--Trouble is piling up in the small town of Swiftcurrent, Oregon with hints of a treasure missing since WWII, a motorcycle riding bad boy history prof, a sexy librarian and a murder. It all adds up to a very Wild Ride.

HEARTBREAK ON A STICK by USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Sabrina York--When the man who broke her heart ten years ago suddenly returns to town—a hot shot movie star—Gina Fox is determined to avoid him. But for some reason, Jason Sherwood is pursuing her again. It is all she can do to resist his seductive wiles. But she must. Sexy Jason always has been heartbreak on a stick.

MADRONA SUNSET (Madrona Island) by bestselling author Jami Davenport--Meet a wounded warrior suffering from paralyzing guilt and a woman pining for her dead husband--both damaged souls craving comfort for a moment or a lifetime.

BRACE FOR IMPACT by bestselling author Allie K. Adams--Bush pilot Reid Cavanaugh’s life is turned upside down when he takes a fare that ends up driving his plane into the ground and him into the danger surrounding her. When he discovers that she’s a doctor—the only profession he hates more than lawyers—he knows better than to trust anything that falls from her sexy lips.

HONORABLE SACRIFICE by bestselling author Destiny Blaine--Hired to protect an affluent family with embarrassing secrets, Audra McAllister doesn’t believe in love until she reconnects with a small-town hero willing to risk everything to win Audra’s heart.

SHE'S WORTH IT ALL (Club 3, Book 4) by bestselling author Cathryn Cade--Mase Barnett is a hometown hero with a secret. Natalie Cusco has a broken heart only a strong man can heal. Will this wounded hero risk everything to show her she's worth it all?

DECEIVING DANTE by award-winning author Kate Davies--A stolen car on her front lawn. A sexy cop - looking to arrest her favorite student. A principal ready to fire her. Could Ellie's Monday get any worse?

ROCK, RATTLE AND ROLL (Lost in Oblivion, Book 1.5) by USA Today bestselling author Cari Quinn and bestselling author Taryn Elliott--A beachfront cottage, hours of alone time, and plenty of skin-on-skin action is just what the rock star and his new wife ordered. Until the future comes much quicker than they expected, threatening to crumble not only their perfect honeymoon but also their brand new marriage.

GRAVE DANGER by Golden Heart finalist Rachel Grant--An archaeologist digs up a murder victim in a Northwest archaeological site and must help the hunky local police chief solve the crime before she becomes the next victim.

TURNING THIRTY-TWELVE by award-winning author Sandy James--Jackie Delgado didn't want a new man in her life until a dreaded blind date with police detective Mark Brennan turns out to be more exciting than she'd ever imagined.

HIS ONLY DESIRE by Adrianne Lee-- Nick Rossetti married the wrong twin sister. Will the right one ever forgive him?  Not if her stalker has his way.

EVEN HEROES CRY by Hildie McQueen--War widow Tesha Washington slowly draws Adam Ford out of the shell that used to be a man, and learns there really is such a thing as starting over.

THE VIXEN & THE VET by bestselling author Katy Regnery--In a Beauty & the Beast reboot, an ambitious reporter tracks down a wounded war vet for a scoop and ends up falling in love with him instead.

TROUBLE WITH A COWBOY by Sandy Sullivan--Can some slashed tires and an ornery bull bring two hard-headed people together for some fun in the sun...and a little more?



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Buy Links

Amazon

Smashwords

iBooks

Barnes and Noble


GIVEAWAY

$20 Amazon gift card, and one of Jami Davenport’s ebooks of choice



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Thursday, September 25, 2014

Blog Tour Contemporary

Blog Tour: Backstrokes by @4DylanMadrid #excerpt #giveaway

Blog Tour: Backstrokes by @4DylanMadrid #excerpt #giveaway
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Gay / Contemporary Romance
Date Published: June 15, 2014

After almost being expelled from a prestigious Chicago music conservatory for a prank gone wrong, twenty-two-year-old pianist Crawford Paul returns home to Northern California for what he predicts will be another boring summer. Concerned his scholarship is now at risk, Crawford accepts the only job he can find: accompanying a glamorous seven-year-old named Isabella to a community swimming pool for lessons. There, Crawford is befriended by a nanny named Nina, an aspiring fashion designer who finds it difficult to hide her disdain for children.
When Crawford meets Armando Leon, a lifeguard and Isabella's swimming instructor, he accepts Armando's offer to help him overcome his fear of water by way of private swimming lessons. As friendship turns into a summer affair, their lust for one another turns to love. When Crawford receives a chance of a lifetime audition, he is torn between returning to Chicago or staying in California to start a new life with Armando. As the end of the summer inches closer, Crawford and Armando fear they will be separated forever.


Excerpt
Crawford arrived five minutes past midnight. The temperature had dropped, a slight chill in the night air.
Armando was standing in the center of a circle of light, a white moonlike glow cast from a streetlamp outside of the pool building. He smiled when he saw Crawford and was still
smiling as they met in the ring of light.
“I didn’t think you’d come,” Armando said.
“Then you don’t know me very well,” Crawford told him.
“I’d like the chance to change that.”
“What do you have planned?”
“How daring are you?” Armando asked.
“Be careful,” Crawford said. “The last time I was dared to do something I was almost expelled from school.”
Armando smiled. “Have you always been this rebellious?”
Crawford laughed a little. “I’m actually not,” he said. “Until I spray painted a wall and got caught, I’d never done anything wrong or rebellious in my life.”
“I don’t want to be a bad influence on you.”
Crawford stepped forward. He kissed Armando’s neck and said, “Too late.”
Minutes later, they crawled through a hole in the fence near the pine trees. Except for moonlight and spill-off from streetlamps, the pool area was dark.
This place looks completely different at night. Creepy.
“You look scared,” Armando said.
“You know how I’m afraid of water?” he said. “I have a similar fear of dark places.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”
They stood together on the edge of the pool, staring down at the deep end at their feet. To Crawford’s surprise, Armando started to undress. Within seconds, he’d stripped down to nothing but a pair of boxers.
Crawford kicked off his shoes and peeled off his socks. He wiggled his toes against the cool concrete. He slipped off his jean jacket and then his T-shirt. All that remained were his favorite pair of khaki shorts.
“What are we going to do?” Armando asked.
Crawford was confused by the question. “About what?”he asked.
“Us. The end of summer,” said Armando. “It will be here before we know it. Everything worked out for you. I know you’ll be going back to school soon.”
Crawford nodded. “In five weeks.”
He could hear the hurt in Armando’s words. “That’s all we have left together?”
I’m not sure what he’s asking me. I wish I knew how to answer his question.
“I don’t know,” he said, because it was the truth.
The hope returned to Armando’s voice. “You mean you’ve thought about staying?”
“Yes,” said Crawford, thinking back for a brief moment to the conversation he’d had with his mother days before. “I just don’t know how.”
Armando reached for his hand again and squeezed it tight. “Crawford, I would never ask you to give up your dream for me,” he said. “I know how much you love music.”
Crawford took a breath before he said the words he’d been dying to say for weeks. “But I also know how much…I love you.”
The world stopped for a second. Everything was still. The branches of the trees. The chain link fence. The smooth surface of the dark pool. The air between them.
He saw tears forming in Armando’s eyes. “You just said…wow…,” he stammered. “I love you, too.”
Crawford grinned and let out a loose laugh. “Say it again,” he said.
Armando smiled and asked, “You want me to?”
“Yes, but even louder this time,” he said. “Maybe Shelley’s still in her office and she’ll hear you.”
“I don’t care if the whole world does.”
“You sure about that?”
“More certain than anything in my entire life.” Armando reached for Crawford, pulling him into his arms. Their bodies touched and the sensation of skin on skin felt electric.




Dylan Madrid is the bestselling author of the gay romance and suspense novels Mind Fields, Love in the Shadows, Backstrokes, and Star Dust Lullaby. A California native, Dylan grew up in the Bay Area. He opted to backpack through seven countries before heading to college and spent a year living in Europe, primarily on the Greek island of Ios. When he's not dreaming about living on the Italian Riviera or running away to Belgium, Dylan teaches college courses in writing and the arts.

Twitter: @4DylanMadrid
Instagram: @AuthorDylanMadrid
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Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Blog Tour Book Review

Blog Tour: Eternal Mixture by @shevaundelucia1 #review

Blog Tour: Eternal Mixture by @shevaundelucia1 #review
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Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Date Published: 11/1/2013

If you had the chance to start your life over, would you take it? If you were told you would live for eternity, would you embrace it? If a stranger told you he was your soul mate, would you believe it?

Raina Richmond has played it safe her entire life. She has never broken the rules. That is, until Brent Alexander walked straight into her life, causing havoc. Turning her world upside down.

Brent is the new kid in town. He is every girl’s fantasy: adorable, charming, chiseled, and the typical boy Raina usually steers clear of. But there is just something about him she can’t seem to resist. Safe is no longer an option for her. For him, she breaks all the rules.
What she doesn’t realize is that he holds the key to her past, present, and future. Once he reveals the reasons behind their irrevocable connection, she will unlock the answers to all of her questions, and her life as she knows it will never be the same again.



Review
This is a definite must reads for fans of Young Adult Paranormal novels like Evermore. There is the whole Soul-Mate aspect which yes, some people tend to get frustrated by, but I honestly think it is such an amazingly romantic thought. 

 The one thing that I found lacking in this novel was any real dilemma or climax. The story really seems to focus on Raina and Brent and their romance, which hey, I'm not complaining, I love that in my stories, but I just wanted a little more from the plot. 




Shevaun DeLucia

 Shevaun DeLucia lives in upstate New York with her husband, four children, and two dogs. As a stay-at-home mom while her children were young, she fell in love with reading. She indulged in the small moments that took her away from the reality of her loud, overly rambunctious household, bringing her into a world of fantasy. When reading wasn’t enough to satisfy her, she turned to writing, determined to create the perfect ending of her own.

Twitter: @shevaundelucia1
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Monday, September 22, 2014

Blog Tour Book Review

Blog Tour: The Sanctum: The Boy by @madhuriblaylock #review #giveaway

Blog Tour: The Sanctum: The Boy by @madhuriblaylock #review #giveaway
6:41 AM1 Comments


(The Sanctum Trilogy, Book II)


Paranormal
Date Published: May 15, 2014
   
In THE GIRL, Madhuri Blaylock introduced readers to the world of The Sanctum, one corrupted by greed and savagery and hellbent on achieving a single goal: destroying the prophesied hybrid. When one of its most celebrated warriors questioned his allegiances, age-old secrets were unveiled and violence erupted. The journey becomes more perilous and intense as the trilogy surges forward with THE BOY.

 Can you cross the plains of death, collect every piece of your soul and make it back to the land of the living?

 And if you complete the journey, will your loved ones welcome your return?

 The Ramyan have been answering such questions since the creation of The Sanctum. A mysterious sect of Magicals, haunting the blank spaces of time and memory, they serve no one but themselves and their higher purpose. They exist on a plane removed from earthly matters, shifting easily between the living and the dead, moving in time to the beat of their own drummer.

 At least they did.

 Dev and Wyatt change all of that when the prophesied hybrid lands on the steps of Rinshun Palace, seeking help for the wounded Class A Warrior. That decision alters lives and sets old agendas back on course. But at what cost to Dev and Wyatt? And does that really even matter?



BUY LINK
Review

What a wonderful job by Madhuri Blaylock on building from one book to the other. I really felt like this novel was a step up in so many ways. 

 I loved the evolution of the characters! The relationships all progress as well. 

 This is honestly just a very well thought out Paranormal series in every way and I can't wait to read the last one! 



Madhuri is a Jersey City Heights girl via Snellville, Georgia, who writes paranormal fiction and is slightly infatuated with tattoos, four-inch heels, ice cream, Matt Damon, scotch, Doc Martens, Laini Taylor, photo booths and dancing like a fool.
She's currently working on The Sanctum trilogy and hopes one day soon, everyone is walking around with copies of The Girl and The Boy in their pocket or on their Kindle.
She wants to get a goat and a burro, but since she lives in the city, will settle for some chickens.
To learn more about her, you can follow her blog at madhuriblaylock.wordpress.com, follow her on Twitter at @madhuriblaylock or like her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesanctumtrilogy.

She's totally chatty so drop her a line any time.



Twitter: @madhuriblaylock




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