Friday, August 31, 2018

Blog Tour Excerpt: Butterfly Blood (Metamorphosis #2) by Rebecca L. Carpenter @Carpenterwrites @lakewaterpress


Book info:
Title:   Butterfly Blood (Metamorphosis #2) 
Author: 
Rebecca L. Carpenter
Genre: YA Sci-fi
Release Date: August 2018
Publisher:  Lakewater Press

Summary:


A sixteen-year-old girl who cheated death continues her fight for survival as she goes up against real-life monsters, desperate for her unique blood, while risking everything to reunite with the love of her life, who is battling his own soul-sucking demons.


Buy on Amazon (ON SALE for $0.99 from August 27th – 31st)
 
Excerpt:
Darkness consumes him.
Choking.
Suffocating.
His lungs burn as if they’ve been lit on fire.
He reaches out for something.
Anything.
But nothing is familiar.
The smells.
The sounds.
The voices.
And he can’t feel anything.
Except numbness.
Someone speaks.
But it’s a foreign language.
Foreign and muffled.
Light enters his brain, blinding and as painful as staring into the sun.
The brightness grows, with it the sharpness of a thousand needles.
He wants to scream.
He opens his mouth to scream.
But only a weak cry slips over his parched lips.
So dry.
So dry.
The light retracts.
Darkness slithers toward him, coiling up his leg …
Moving ever so slowly until it reaches his mouth and slips inside.
And all he wants to do is drink it up.
So thirsty.
So thirsty.




BUTTERFLY BONES AMAZON US (FREE from August 27-31)
BUTTERFLY BONES Barnes and Noble


About the Author
Rebecca Carpenter is a native of western Colorado. She is married with two grown children and has been blessed with four amazing grandchildren. She owns and directs a large childcare center where she shares her love for books. In her spare time, she freelances as a copy editor, helping others attain their writing dreams. She finds solace and clarity while spending time with her husband exploring the beautiful mountains of Colorado.

Author Links:







Blog Tour Organized by:

Release Day Blitz with Review: The Perfect Duet by Meghan Quinn

     

The Left Side Of Perfect – Release Day – August 30

For better or for worse,'til death do us part . . .

The better captured me; she's who stole my heart.

And made me realize I couldn’t live without this woman.

The worse of her took my breath away--kicked me when I was down and twisted me into a million knots.

 When I first met her, I thought she was someone I would never see again.

The second time I ran into her, it was a random coincidence.

The third?

I didn’t know it at the time, but she was the girl I was going to marry.

 But life isn’t always perfect. You have to take the better and the worse--even if it means giving her up, having her slip between your fingers, and letting her walk away.

 I’m getting married.

This is forever, 'til death do us part.

       

The Right Side Of Forever – Release Day August 31

In sickness and in health, to love and to cherish . . .

It sounds so simple, to love someone unconditionally.

To give them your heart.

So why is she slowly eating away at my soul with every unanswered phone call, every unread text, and every door left unopened?

 She said yes, and yet, in order for her to be with me . . . I need to let her go.

  AMAZON   


My Reviews:
TitlesThe Left Side of Perfect and The Right Side of Forever
Author:  Meghan Quinn
SeriesThe Perfect Duet  companion to The Blue Line Duet
Genre:  Adult contemporary romance/military
Release Date:  August 30th and 31st, 2018
Source:  E-galleys received from InkSlinger PR which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  5 stars for both


Quinn blew me away again with the emotions.  Wow, this is going to be a hard review to write once again with no spoilers.  Let's just say that it is a different kind of story.  You think that what will happen for Colby and Ryan might not be happening.  And the way the blurbs above are written, they are very vague for what or who is going to get together, and who will be left broken-hearted, or maybe not broken-hearted.  While this one again made me cry like the first two, in the end, I feel like everyone was able to come out on the happy side.  I see that one more connection should have been  made.  And maybe there will be a third duet for that specific guy and girl.  But who knows.  

We really get to see Colby break out of his quiet, stoic, one-word answer kind of guy so much in this one.  I loved the relationship between Colby and Ryan, even just as best friends.  Having already been introduced to the hellish childhood that Colby endured, in this story we got to see just what Ryan was up against.  And even if I didn't have the same kind of issues with my family and home life, I totally got the way she felt about herself, and that is what hit me so hard and probably made me cry the most, when she was going through those things.  One thing I really loved about the story is that the author made Ryan realize that until she could love herself, or at least like herself a little, she couldn't really be the person that someone else loved, it wasn't fair to that person.  So she worked on it.  But her working on it didn't take forever, it was really a work in progress, and she knew when it was time to move towards her HEA with who she wanted and knew was her guy.

The tattoos were a neat idea as well.  Plus, the whole titles philosophy, that Ryan is striving to be on the "left side of perfect", that's a great thing to think about and strive towards as a person, something I need to think about myself.  Just as with the first duet, you will not be disappointed with this one.  Highly recommended!

 
                  

About the Author:
Born in New York and raised in Southern California, Meghan has grown into a sassy, peanut butter eating, blonde haired swearing, animal hoarding lady. She is known to bust out and dance if “It’s Raining Men” starts beating through the air and heaven forbid you get a margarita in her, protect your legs because they may be humped.

Once she started commuting for an hour and twenty minutes every day to work for three years, she began to have conversations play in her head, real life, deep male voices and dainty lady coos kind of conversations. Perturbed and confused, she decided to either see a therapist about the hot and steamy voices running through her head or start writing them down. She decided to go with the cheaper option and started writing… enter her first novel, Caught Looking.

Now you can find the spicy, most definitely on the border of lunacy, kind of crazy lady residing in Colorado with the love of her life and her five, furry four legged children, hiking a trail or hiding behind shelves at grocery stores, wondering what kind of lube the nervous stranger will bring home to his wife. Oh and she loves a good boob squeeze!

Facebook | Follow on Goodreads | Website | Amazon Author Page | Instagram | Follow on BookBub      

Cover Reveal: Malice by Pintip Dunn

Thursday, August 30, 2018

Excerpt Reveal: Dirty Headlines by L.J. Shen

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Dirty Headlines, an all-new sexy, enemies-to-lovers romance from USA Today bestselling author L.J. Shen is coming September 7th and we have the first sneak peek!

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Célian Laurent.
Manhattan royalty.
Notorious playboy.
Heir to a media empire.
…And my new boss.

I could have impressed him, if not for last month’s unforgettable one-night stand.

I left it with more than orgasms and a pleasant memory—namely, his wallet.

Now he’s staring me down like I’m the dirt under his Italian loafers, and I’m supposed to take it.

But the thing about being Judith “Jude” Humphry is I have nothing to lose.

Brooklyn girl.

Infamously quirky.

Heir to a stack of medical bills and a tattered couch.

When he looks at me from across the room, I see the glint in his eyes, and that makes us rivals.

He knows it.

So do I.

Every day in the newsroom is a battle.

Every night in his bed, war.

But it’s my heart at stake, and I fear I’ll be raising the white flag.

Add to GoodReads: https://bit.ly/2GuCKIB
 
Excerpt:
 
He had an American accent. Not French. American. Smooth. Familiar. Ordinary. He fired out sentences at the speed of light. I heard him, but I couldn’t listen. Shock gripped my body as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. My dirty one-night stand was my boss. My lying, American boss. And now I had to deal with that—hopefully for a very long time, because I desperately needed this job.

Someone snapped their fingers, and my gaze shot from Célian’s face to Grayson.

His forehead had crumpled into a frown. “You look like you’re trying hard not to cry or having a really intense orgasm. I’m hoping for you that it’s the latter and some kind of a weird-slash-awesome condition. You okay?”

I nodded, scraping up a smile. “Sorry. Zero orgasms happening under this dress. I just zoned out for a second.” Lies. I was about to orgasm just remembering how good Célian had felt parting my thighs with his big, callused hands and dipping his tongue into my slit.

Then words stopped streaming down on everyone’s heads like a scalding shower, and I realized that indeed there was something worse than hearing Célian speak in his perfect American English. And that was not hearing him speak at all. Because now the icicles were pointed at me like a cocked gun.

I glanced up to meet his gaze. He stared at me for exactly one second before his focus snapped to Grayson. “Am I understood, Gregory?” he asked.

Gregory?

“Crystal clear, sir,” Grayson bowed, his voice trembling at the edges.

Célian jerked his chin toward me. “Your cover girl material is going downhill.”

God. Damn. Bastard.

He recognized me, and I knew it. His eyes had kindled, melting the ice and growing darker the minute our gazes mingled. He remembered, and maybe it killed him that I was here in the same way it buried me.

I want my iPod back, my gaze told him. I had over three thousand songs on that thing, and they were all too good to be wasted on that jerk.

“Jude Humphry. Junior reporter. It’s her first day,” Grayson highlighted, almost pleadingly. He shifted in my direction, as if he might need to physically protect me from the sharp-tongued, suited monster.

I suppressed a smile when I realized I’d told Célian my last name was Spears. Well, he certainly wasn’t a Timberlake. He was a Laurent. An American monarch through and through. A billionaire, a powerful force, and judging by our one and only encounter—a raging playboy.

This man was inside you, I internally shrieked. And not just once. His cock was buried so deep in you, you screamed. You can still taste the salty, earthy flavor of his cum.You know he has a freckle on his lower back. You know what sound he makes when he empties inside a woman.

I internally thanked my mind for ruining my panties in public, and nodded. “Pleasure to meet you, sir.” I offered him my hand, my face flushing with embarrassment at my choice of words.

Everyone was looking at us, and there were at least fifty people in the room. Célian—if that was even his name—ignored my outreached hand. Instead, he turned his face to the man beside him. “Mathias, any other words of wisdom?”

Mathias? Wasn’t that his father? Just how cold was the man with the icy blue eyes?

“I think you touched everything,” said the big boss—and he did have a heavy French accent, so at least the lie had a seed. Mathias stared at me placidly, like he could read the secret his son and I shared on my face.

Célian spun toward me, uncuffing his cufflinks and rolling his sleeves up his veiny forearms. “Accounting can go back to their unfortunate line of work. Couture is excused from this meeting—though not forgiven for their horrid blog. Miss Humphry?” He snapped his fingers impatiently.

He was already waltzing down the narrow hallway, knowing I’d chase him like a puppy, and no doubt taking pleasure in that fact.

“I have a bone to pick with you.”

Bone, boner—same difference, right?

I shot Grayson a please-save-my-butt look. His eyes said, I would but I still have a life to live.

I followed Célian down the hall, my Chucks slapping the floor in a hurry. He sliced through the throng of accountants, then stopped at a corner office, opened the door, barked “Out!” to the man inside, and tilted his head for me to go in. I did. He closed the door, and it was just the two of us.

Two feet of empty space between us.
 
About LJ Shen:
L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.

Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets people's’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.

She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.
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Connect with L.J. Shen:

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Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Blog Tour Review with Giveaway: Kiss Me In Paris by Catherine Rider

Book info:
TitleKiss Me In Paris
Author:  Catherine  Rider
Series:  Companion book to Kiss Me In New York
Genre:  YA contemporary romance
Release Date:  September 4th, 2018
Publisher:  Kids Can Press
Source:  ARC received from publisher which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  4 stars

Synopsis:

Serena has just flown all the way to Paris for a special pre-Christmas weekend with her sister, Lara. They plan to retrace the steps of their parents' long-ago honeymoon in Paris, and create a scrapbook for their bereaved mother to remember it by. 

It's supposed to be serious sister bonding...until Lara takes off with her boyfriend instead.

Jean-Luc is Serena's Plan B, a friend of a friend of Lara's, who has some space in a place where Serena can stay. Just like his latest relationship, his photography final has been an epic fail. He has one night to retake all his pictures if he is to stay in school. 

Jean-Luc can't stand Serena's loud voice or her bright orange sneakers.

Serena can't stand his haughty manners or the way his camera is always in her face.

Together, though, they set out into a cold night that will warm their hearts, creating unforgettable photos and fresh romantic sparks in the City of Lights.


My Review:
So, I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Kiss Me In New York.  This one was almost as good.  I liked it enough that I could barely put it down, just had a few times that the main character would make me mad.  But in the end, I got her, right about the same time she kind of figured some stuff out for herself as well.    

Just like with the first book I was immediately sucked in and was turning pages as fast as I could read the words on them so I could find out what was going to happen.  Right along with Serena I was a bit grumpy with Jean-Luc, who really seemed a bit grumpy himself, as well as really trying to sway her to what he wanted to do, instead of letting her follow her own planned out adventure.  

I did really feel for Serena as each of her family members cancelled on this trip she had planned for them to do together.  But as the day went on, and she got to thinking about it, I also understood how it would be hard for her mother to do this same trip.   All the things that she realized on her trip, about making her own memories, not just following another person's, that made so much sense, and really made me think about some things in my own life.  I love that both Jean-Luc and Serena basically got the exact same pep talk from two completely unrelated different people, right at the time they needed it.

I enjoyed Jean-Luc's discovery of what he should be taking photos of.  That was also a really neat aspect to the story.  I felt for Serena when the kiss disaster boy just happened to show up in Paris as well.  And I cringed right along with her when he went through all his reasoning of why they were perfect for each other.     


About the Author:

Two writers sharing a pseudonym. "Kiss me in Paris" (@KCPLoft, Sept 2018).

Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway:

  • 3 winners will win a finished copy of KISS ME IN PARIS, US Only.
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:
Week One:
8/27/2018- YA Book NerdExcerpt
8/28/2018- Sophie Reads YAReview
8/29/2018- Lisa Loves LiteratureReview
8/30/2018- Confessions of a YA ReaderExcerpt
8/31/2018- Moonlight RendezvousReview

Week Two:
9/3/2018- Belle's Book BlogReview
9/4/2018- The Heart of a Book BloggerReview
9/5/2018- Sincerely Karen JoReview
9/6/2018- Eli to the nthExcerpt
9/7/2018- Here's to Happy EndingsReview
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Blog Tour Excerpt with Giveaway: Boy in a Band by Lisa Loomis

Book info:

Title: BOY IN A BAND

Author: Lisa Loomis

Pub. Date: July 2018

Publisher: Lisa Loomis Books

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 458
Find it: GoodreadsAmazonTBD   
Synopsis:

Living on a quiet dead-end street Morgan Mallory is like any other thirteen-year-old girl growing up in a progressive time full of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. That is until one rainy night in a dark California neighborhood the lives of two young teens will be altered forever. 

Morgan tagging along with her mother for a day is pressured to make one last stop at a friend’s house. Annoyed to be there in the first place Morgan is mortified when her mother’s friend, Ann, insists she met her son who is playing guitar in his room.

As Mathew O’Conner yanks open the door Morgan is completely taken aback by the blond haired, blue eyed, young man in front of her. When Ann leaves Morgan nervously standing in the hall alone Mathew invites Morgan in where he further mesmerizes her with the sound of his guitar. Completely and utterly unnerved by his stunning good looks and talent Morgan feels something she has never felt.

Is this her first innocent crush or something much bigger? 

One thing is certain, this moment will send Morgan on an emotional journey she could have never anticipated.


BOY IN A BAND will be ON SALE  for .99 August 29th-31st!

Excerpt:

I looked up in his direction, squinting into the sun. His blond hair, tossed by the breeze, caught the sunlight. His muscular bare chest was golden brown from time spent at the beach. When I caught his eye, he smiled at me and motioned for me to catch up. I sped up my pace walking along the ocean’s edge to where he stood, eager to be with him, to touch him. As I got closer, I stared at his face, so familiar to me, yet still able to make me catch my breath. Had it ever not? I couldn’t remember. He reached his hand out, and when I took it, he laced his fingers in mine. I could feel the excitement well up in the pit of my stomach. We walked along the ocean, just close enough that the water played around our feet and ankles, at times sucking our feet into the sand. The sun was low in the sky, reflecting off the water.
“I love the colors. How it plays off the water,” I said.
“I know you do. You always have,” he answered.
“What does that mean?” I teased.
I pulled his hand up between my breasts and wrapped both my hands around it, holding tightly. A sudden stab of fear made my heart constrict. My thinking seemed a little thick though and I was unable to determine the cause.
“Nothing really, I just know,” he replied with a grin.
       I smiled, the fear vanishing. We walked in silence for a long ways. He intermittently squeezed my fingers as he held my hand, a gentle reassuring gesture. We understood now how to be with each other without the need for so many words. He stopped and pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around my body. His skin was warm from the sun, and I breathed in the smell of him. Oh god, how I loved that smell.

About the Author:

Lisa Loomis was born in Oakland California and raised in San Jose until she was a sophomore in high school. Her father then took a job in the San Diego area where he moved the family to Escondido, California (or hickville as she called it). She finished high school at San Pasqual High then went to junior college at Palomar JC, ultimately graduating from San Diego State University with a BS in Finance.

Lisa started a career in mortgage banking in San Diego, California, briefly shifted to a corporate job as a territory sales representative, and then back to mortgage banking in 1996 when the family moved from the San Diego area to Park City, Utah. The move to Park City was prompted by a desire for a lifestyle change. Both she and her husband Dennis wanted to raise their two children in a smaller town environment that was still close to a large city.

In Park City, Lisa not only ran a mortgage branch but simultaneously helped Dennis run a successful construction company, Loomis Construction. Working full time, running a construction company in off hours, and raising two children was never easy but Lisa seemed to handle it all pretty well until the financial meltdown of 2008. That is when the wheels came off…completely.

Finding both her career in mortgage banking and the family business almost vanish overnight Lisa went back to a passion she’s always had, writing. It took Lisa almost four years to write “Boy In A Band”, stopping and starting, telling herself she couldn’t write a book. Once it was written Lisa foolishly thought the hard part was finished. In the last ten years, Lisa has continued to help her husband with their construction business as well as spends time writing.

Lisa’s currently lives and writes in Park City, Utah. She has been married for twenty-nine years and enjoys spending time with their grown children who live in Salt Lake City. You can find her self-published books on Amazon.


Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | BookBub | Amazon |  Goodreads
 
Giveaway:

  • 3 winners will win a paperback of BOY IN A BAND, US Only.
  • 2 winners will receive an eBook of BOY IN A BAND, International.
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:
Week One:
8/27/2018- sleep vs readReview
8/27/2018- BookHounds YAInterview

8/28/2018- A Gingerly ReviewReview
8/28/2018- Smada's Book SmackExcerpt

8/29/2018- Here's to Happy EndingsReview
8/29/2018- Lisa Loves LiteratureExcerpt

8/30/2018- Patriotic BookaholicReview
8/30/2018- Book BriefsInterview

8/31/2018- ParajunkeeExcerpt
8/31/2018- Two Chicks on BooksGuest Post

Week Two:
9/3/2018- Malanie Loves FictionReview
9/3/2018- Jaime's WorldExcerpt

9/4/2018- Sweet ThingsExcerpt

9/5/2018- Discerning Couch PotatoReview

9/6/2018- Twirling Book PrincessExcerpt

9/7/2018- Two Points of InterestReview
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