Release Day Launch: Unbroken (Loveless, Texas #2) by Jay Crownover

 

From New York Times bestselling author Jay Crownover comes UNBROKEN, the prequel novella in her brand new Loveless, Texas series! Check out the amazing excerpt below, and grab your copy today!

 

About UNBROKEN:

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men series comes a captivating novella about a rugged rodeo star who will do anything to protect the people he loves.

When rodeo star Crew Lawton loses everything in a bad bet, he has no choice but to take a new job to pay off his debts – even if it means becoming the face of an expensive male skincare line. Crew is used to getting sweaty and rustling in the dirt, not posing for photo shoots. And he’s certainly not used to being bossed around by a woman who doesn’t even know the difference between bulls and broncs. But Crew owes money to dangerous criminals, and he’ll do anything Della says in order to pay them back and keep them far away from his family in Loveless, Texas…

The launch of her new men’s line for her family’s company means everything to Della Deveaux, and she’s not willing to let some rugged, arrogant cowboy ruin her campaign. Crew Lawton is the last man she would have chosen to represent her chic, sophisticated brand. Unfortunately, her father already invested millions in Crew’s stupidly handsome face. Yet the more time they spend together, Della and Crew realize that opposites do attract. But when the time comes for Crew to face his past mistakes, will he be able to protect his family…and the woman he’s come to love?

 

GRAB YOUR COPY OF UNBROKEN TODAY!

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EXCERPT: 

“This the one, Ms. Priss?” I turned in a circle, hating how restrictive and stiff the refined suit felt. There would be no staying on the horse for eight seconds in something like this. I doubted I could even bend over and pull my boots on in this getup. I failed to see how being dressed like I was going to high tea with the queen was going to convince normal men with a little extra cash to buy the junk in my hair. It felt like overkill, but I would chew my tongue off before telling Della that. I knew how much this campaign meant to her, and I needed her to keep me around so I could get paid. .. and get to kiss her again. 

Della circled around me, eyes scanning from head to toe. A small frown tugged her perfectly arched brows down into a V, and her lush, soft mouth pulled into a pout I was becoming achingly familiar with. She lifted a hand and touched the knot of the silk tie where it rested at the base of my throat. She fingered the delicate material and heaved a sigh. 

“You look perfect, but something is still off.” She met my gaze with a scowl. “Can you try and look a little less like you’re being tortured? That might help the overall image.” 

Her snippy tone and the upturn of her nose made me grin. I rolled my head around, causing my neck to pop and my shoulders to relax. Della’s expression softened when I was no longer standing at attention, but she still let out a dejected-sounding sigh and reached for my tie, releasing me from the expensive noose. 

“You have a body made for designer clothes, but something is lost when you put them on. I feel like we’re trying to wrap the Mona Lisa in silk or something. Frankly, it’s annoying that you make denim and flannel look just as good as Versace and Prada.” Once she had the tie off, she told me to go ahead and get back into my own clothes. I asked her what the plan was for the shoot and a brief flare of panic and doubt lit up her catlike eyes. She forced a smile and told me she would figure it out. 

Since I was totally a fish out of water in this scenario, all I could do was follow orders like a good soldier. I stripped out of the fitted vest and worked on the tiny buttons of the shirt. I was handing them both off to the flirty wardrobe girl who was enjoying the impromptu striptease when Della’s “Wait a second!” had both of us freezing on the spot. 

She was looking at me in the mirror, eyes roving over my half-dressed form. She wandered over to where my jeans and boots were tossed in a haphazard pile on the floor. After a second of rooting around, she came toward me, my black wifebeater in one hand and my boots in the other. 

“Put these on with the pants.” She looked at the wardrobe girl with a lifted brow and had to snap her fingers in the woman’s face to get her attention. “Go find me a pair of suspenders, leather if you have them.” The other woman scurried off to do as she was told and I dropped to the seat to pull on my boots. 

“I keep trying to turn you into something better.” I looked up at Della as she snorted out a laugh. “But from the start, you were perfect the way you are.”  

Be sure to pre-order JUSTIFIED, the first novel in this brand new, sexy series!

About JUSTIFIED:

The New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men series delivers a romance about a rugged Texas sheriff who must protect the woman who was once his sworn enemy...

Case Lawton comes from a family of criminals. So as the sheriff of Loveless, Texas, he's determined to do everything by the book--until he's called to Aspen Barlow's office after a so-called break-in. The last thing he wants to do is help the woman who cost him custody of his son. But Aspen isn't the heartless lawyer Case remembers, and he starts to question his long-held grudge...

Aspen is scared for her life, and Case is her last hope for protection. But to get him on her side, she'll have to reveal the painful truth from all those years ago. Now, as they work together to track down a dangerous criminal, Case and Aspen learn to trust each other. And as the threats escalate, it becomes clear there's a thin line between love and hate... because there's nothing Case wouldn't do to keep her safe.

 

Pre-order your copy of JUSTIFIED today!

 About Jay Crownover:  

Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series, the Saints of Denver series, the Point series, the Breaking Point series, the Getaway series, and the Loveless, Texas series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.    

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Release Launch with Excerpt: Runaround (Getaway Series #4) by Jay Crownover

 

From New York Times bestselling author Jay Crownover comes the next standalone title in her Getaway series, RUNAROUND! Now in Kindle Unlimited, RUNAROUND is now available! And that’s not all! The entire Getaway series is in Kindle Unlimited and ON SALE now! So check out the amazing excerpt below, and grab your copies today!

 

About RUNAROUND:

Can two people perpetually moving in opposite directions ever end up in the same place? Or will love just keep giving them the runaround?

Webb Bryant is intimately acquainted with every type of trouble there is. Trouble is all he’s ever known and the only constant in his life.

Webb’s a man constantly on the move. He’s a drifter. A wanderer. He bolts from one bad choice to the next, never able to put enough distance between himself and the ghosts from his past. He lives hard and fast, until everything comes to a screeching halt the moment he lays eyes on Tennyson McKenna. The stunning woman appeared out of nowhere to save the day, and Webb’s been unable to forget her. The leggy, blonde forest ranger might very well be the one person in the world important enough to finally keep him in one place. Only, Ten isn’t impressed by Webb’s knack for finding trouble. And no matter how hard he tries to shake it, he can’t escape his bad habit of falling into the deep end of questionable decisions. When his newest brush with trouble gets Webb in way over his head, Ten jumps after him into the dangerous waters. It’s possible they’re going to sink so fast they both might drown.

Tennyson McKenna makes it a point to be diligently cautious in all aspects of her life. She learned the hard way that leading with your heart instead of your head gets you nowhere.

Ten’s a woman stuck in a frustrating rut. After a string of failed relationships lands her back home, a pit stop to mend her broken heart becomes a hole she’s lost the will to dig herself out of. Coasting through her days was easy until Webb Bryant crash-landed in her path, complete with bullets, blood, and a grin far too charming for his own good. Webb is anything but safe and predictable. He’s everything Ten swore she would never gamble on again, but it’s impossible to ignore the way trouble follows him around like a shadow. And every single time Ten pushes Webb away, she finds herself chasing after him before he’s gone for good. When Webb’s past finally catches up to him, Ten has to decide if she’s brave enough to put her heart on the line for a man who might be gone tomorrow.

   

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED! GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY!

 

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EXCERPT:  

~TENNYSON~ 

The first time I laid eyes on Webb Bryant he was frighteningly pale from blood loss and nearly delirious from a raging fever. He’d been sporting a hole in his shoulder from a bullet wound and was terrified his brother was dead somewhere in the vast Wyoming wilderness. It was my job to protect and patrol, one I focused on diligently, but Webb was admittedly distracting. I thought he was going to pass out at my feet, a city boy in way over his head. He didn’t. He never wavered or stumbled in the unfamiliar terrain and unknown situation…not once. He’d impressed me with his resilience and his determination to find out what had happened to his older brother. He’d also caught my attention with those burning blue eyes and shock of blond hair, which gave the misleading impression that the man had a single angelic quality about him. Every long, lean line of Webb Bryant oozed playful mischief and bled the promise of wicked things done in the dark…or during the bright light of day. He didn’t seem like the shy type. Even injured and out of his mind with frantic worry for his older sibling, he was the most charming, most flirtatious man I’d ever met. He sent every defense mechanism I had into overdrive, and there wasn’t a second that slid by where I didn’t remind myself he was not my type in the slightest. Besides, once the Warners and I had both the Bryant brothers straightened out, I figured I wouldn’t have to dodge Webb’s advances ever again. He would ramble on to his next adventure and be out of sight and mind. 

I breathed a sigh of relief when he went away. He was too tempting. It was too enticing to give in to every single promise made by his easy smile and glinting eyes. Webb was several years younger than me, a man who was obviously lost and still trying to figure out who he wanted to be when he finally grew up. I was a woman who knew exactly who she was and who she could never be. I was never the type to chase after the bad boys, the wanderers, the reckless. No, I fell for the steadfast, the sturdy, and the solid. I gave my heart to the kind of men who held the world up and buffered everyone around them from the raging storm. 

I handed my heart to the oldest Warner brother, Cyrus, when we were just kids. Coming to terms with the fact the stoic and serious cowboy would never feel about me the way I felt about him had been one of the hardest things I’d ever had to do. We shared similar dreams, knowing our lives were so much bigger than the ranches that had our family’s bloodlines entrenched in the soil. We both wanted more than Wyoming, and for a long time, I honestly believed we were on the road out of our tiny town together. It didn’t happen that way. Sure, we both got out in our own time and in our own way, but we both ended up back where we started. Cy was taking his return home in stride. He was far less resentful about his homecoming than I was. In fact, the wedding Webb was dragged out of two short days ago was Cy’s. 

I thought it was going to be hard, damn near impossible, to watch the man I’d openly loved from afar for most of my life promise his forever to someone else. It wasn’t nearly as bad as I envisioned. Mostly because Cy was stupid happy with his fiery city girl. He’d never been that happy with me, before we left or when we both admitted defeat and came back home. He’d never loved anyone like he loved his Leo, so the sting of watching him put a ring on someone else’s finger was minimal. 

I would gouge my eyes out with a rusty spoon before admitting to anyone, especially myself, that since the start of the wedding most of my attention had been on Webb instead of the happy couple. To my surprise, my heart didn’t feel nearly as trampled as I thought it would. It was too busy stupidly racing over the man I believed I wouldn’t see again and knew I should keep my distance from. 

The blond man with a penchant for trouble hadn’t stayed gone like I predicted. Nope. He’d shown up right when Cy needed help on the ranch and offered to stick around. Webb claimed he wanted to learn a new skill, seemed he’d taken a shine to the rough way of life in the Wyoming backcountry and wanted to play cowboy for a while. Cy couldn’t say no, and as badly as I wanted to, I couldn’t stay away. I was caught in an endless game of cat and mouse, and some days I wasn’t sure if I was the predator or the prey. I tracked Webb out of the corner of my eye for months. I expected him to up his game and try to lure me to bed, knowing the wedding was going to lower my defenses. Never in a million years would I have predicted he was going to be led away from the festivities in handcuffs.   

 

RETREAT, SHELTER, and ESCAPE are now in Kindle Unlimited and ON SALE for a limited time only! Grab your copies today!

 

Getaway Series

Retreat

Shelter

Escape

About Jay Crownover:  

Jay Crownover is the International and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series, The Saints of Denver series, The Point and Breaking Point series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays, as well as live music and terrible TV shows. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road. For more on Jay and her books, visit www.jaycrownover.com.    

Website | Facebook |Twitter | Goodreads

Cover Reveal: Justified (Loveless, Texas Series #1) by Jay Crownover

About JUSTIFIED (Coming 6/25/19):

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men series comes an irresistible and thrilling romance between a rugged Texas sheriff and the woman who was once his sworn enemy…

Case Lawton comes from a family of criminals. So as the sheriff of Loveless, Texas, he’s determined to do everything by the book – until he’s called to Aspen Barlow’s office after a so-called break-in. The last thing he wants to do is help the woman who cost him custody of his son. But Aspen isn’t the heartless lawyer Case remembers, and he starts to question his long-held grudge…

Aspen is scared for her life, and Case is her last hope for protection. But to get him on her side, she’ll have to reveal the painful truth from all those years ago. Now, as they work together to track down a dangerous criminal, Case and Aspen learn to trust each other. And as the threats escalate, it becomes clear there’s a thin line between love and hate… because there’s nothing Case wouldn’t do to keep her safe.

Includes a bonus story: “It’s All About That Cowboy” by Carly Bloom!

PREORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

Amazon: http://bit.ly/JustifiedAMZ

B&N: http://bit.ly/justifiedBN

Apple: http://bit.ly/JustifiedApple

Kobo: http://bit.ly/JustifiedKobo

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/justifiedGR

About the Author:

Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, the Saints of Denver Series, the Point Series, Breaking Point Series, and the Getaway Series. . She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. Justified, the first book in her Loveless, Texas series, will hit shelves on June 25, 2019. For more on Jay and her books, visit www.jaycrownover.com. 

Website: http://www.jaycrownover.com/ 
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJayCrownover?ref=hl 
Twitter:https://www.twitter.com/JayCrownover 
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/Crownover

 

Cover Reveal: Respect (The Breaking Point #3) by Jay Crownover

   

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jay Crownover, comes the next title in her The Breaking Point romantic suspense series, RESPECT. Don’t miss the amazing cover below, and pre-order your copy today!

   

Cover designed By Hang Le

About RESPECT:

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who called a corrupt kingdom home sweet home.

Protected and sheltered from the worst the world had to offer, she fell in love with the crumbling city that burned and blazed around her. Every dirty corner, every scary shadow, found a place within her heart. So did a man who was violent and dangerous, just like the streets she claimed as her own.

He was all business and brutality, except when it came to her. With her, he was calm, caring, and heartbreakingly patient.

He warned her over and over that he wasn't the man for her, but she refused to listen. She never expected either the streets or their enforcer to hurt her, since she'd given her heart so completely to both.

She should have known the streets in the Point were always going to be savage, and so was the man committed to keeping control of them in the hands of criminals and bloody kingpins.

Blindsided by a betrayal which cut so deeply she was sure the wounds would never heal, the princess fled the home she loved and the man who broke her heart. Throwing away her rusted, twisted crown was supposed to help her forget. All it did was make her long for everything she left behind.  She told herself she would never go back, but in this tormented kingdom, family is everything. Eventually, she has no choice but to return.

While she was gone, the people who loved her worked hard to make the city safe, and the man who destroyed her sank deeper into the darkness. Going back shouldn't feel like surrender... but it does. As this pretty princess hovers on the edge of the unknown, the past attacks with a vengeance. It's a good reminder that puppy love eventually grows up and turns into something with sharp teeth and one hell of a bite.

She never asked for the keys to the kingdom. She'd much rather go out and build her own.

   

RESPECT is coming August 7, 2018! Pre-order your copy today!

 

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Add to your Goodreads

   

And don’t miss the first titles in The Breaking Point series, HONOR and DIGNITY! Grab your copy today!

 

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Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

     

About Jay Crownover:  

Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, The Saints of Denver Series, the Point Series, the Breaking Point Series, and the Getaway Series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.      

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Cover Reveal: Recovered by Jay Crownover

   

From New York Times bestselling author Jay Crownover comes RECOVERED, a standalone contemporary romance that will keep you turning the pages long into the night! Check out the amazing cover below, and order your copy today!

   

Cover Design by Hang Le

About RECOVERED (Coming 3/27/18):

It was hate at first sight...  

 

Affton 

I hated Cable James McCaffrey. 

He was entitled, spoiled, a user…and an addict. 

He was out of control and didn’t bother trying to hide it. 

He had everything anyone could want but still seemed miserable and lost. 

Every move he made, every mistake he stumbled his way through, rubbed me the wrong way. However, I couldn’t stop myself from trying to save him from himself when no one else would. In the sweltering heat of the summer, Cable taught me that having it all means nothing if you can’t have the one thing you want more than anything else.  

Cable 

I was obsessed with Affton Reed. 

She was rigid, uptight, and no fun. There was something about her innate goodness that called to me. 

She acted like she was above all the normal faults and failures that clung to the rest of us like the scent of smoke after a fire. 

I was infatuated with her, but that didn’t stop me from acting like she didn’t exist. 

In the scorching heat of summer, Affton taught me that there is always a way back from the brink of despair. She showed me that the trick to having it all was realizing that it was already there, in my hands. All I had to do was hold onto it.  

The road to recovery is full of twists and turns no matter who is in the driver’s seat.

 

       

PREORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

✦Amazon ➜LIVE Release on Amazon! Sign up here to be notified when RECOVERED is LIVE: jaycrownover.com/subscribe

✦Barnes and Noble  

✦iBooks  

✦Kobo

 

✦Goodreads 

About Jay Crownover:  

Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, The Saints of Denver Series, the Point Series, the Breaking Point Series, and the Getaway Series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.          

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

 

   

Release Day Launch with Giveaway: Shelter (Getaway Series #2) by Jay Crownover

   

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Jay Crownover returns with the second standalone title in her Getaway series, SHELTER. Check out the excerpt below and pick up your copy today!

And that’s not all! RETREAT, the first standalone title in the Getaway series, is on sale! You can grab your copy for just $.99 for a limited time only.

   

About SHELTER:

His life is chaos and confusion. It’s a storm of uncertainty and raging emotion.

Sutton Warner is a mess. Everything in his life feels like it’s unraveling.

He’s let a lot of people down lately, including his daughter. Sutton always promised his little girl he would never disappoint her and that he would always be there when she needed him. Until he wasn’t.

The truth is, he’s used to disappointing the women in his life. First was his mother who couldn’t find a reason to stick around when he was growing up. Then there’s his ex. The woman who takes unbridled delight in making his life incredibly complicated. Luckily, his daughter is still young enough to believe her old man is some kind of hero. But, he knows the day is coming when she realizes the truth, that he’s just a man with some serious flaws and a list of ever-growing weaknesses.

Finally, there’s the woman he’s desperately trying to forget with every shot tossed back and each pill popped.

He more than disappointed Emrys…he almost got her killed.

Her love is steady and sure. It’s a shelter shaped by conviction and silent assurance.

Emrys Santos is lost. Everything in her life feels pointless and futile.

She’s been busy running away from her feelings and all the people who love her the most—including her best friend, the one person who knows exactly what she’s been through. They promised to always stick together and to lean on one another. It was a promise Em had to break so she could lick her wounds and figure out her next move. For once, there is no easy way out of the tangled web of emotions she’s caught up in, and right now, she recognizes that all roads lead back to Wyoming…and back to Sutton.

The man she nearly got killed.

Shelter is a standalone novel, the second book in the Getaway series, which features the hardheaded and brokenhearted Warner brothers and the women who dare to love them. These boys are very good at putting the wild in wilderness.

   

SHELTER is now available! Grab your copy today!

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Add to your Goodreads

     

EXCERPT:  

I’d been fooled once by the promise of quiet nights and serene days in the sunshine. I believed the brochure when it said I could leave my worries at home and escape to a simpler, quieter kind of life. I let myself be lured in by the picturesque landscape and stunning mountains. I foolishly fell prey to the temptation of leaving my current set of troubles behind in San Francisco while I hid away in the middle-of-nowhere Wyoming. 

I now knew firsthand the glossy brochure that brought me to Wyoming the first time was nothing more than a bunch of pretty, packaged lies. I knew the bar brawl erupting in front of me was hardly the worst thing that could happen here. In fact, the level of bloodshed and violence was child’s play compared to what I’d witnessed the last time I’d stepped foot in this small, quaint town. Well, I hadn’t really been in Sheridan last time I was here. I’d spent most of my time in the backwoods that surrounded the Warner brothers’ ranch, which was still a good forty-five minutes outside of this tiny town. The ranch was where I was currently trying to get to so I could see my best friend. 

When I left Wyoming, I told myself I would never come back. 

Ever. 

I told myself there was nothing here for me but bad memories and heartache. I was a pro at lying to myself, at telling myself exactly what I needed to hear to justify my actions. I could convince myself of anything, like it was okay that my last boyfriend stole my grandmother’s silver when I kicked him out because he needed it more than I did. I had no problem believing that pulling Leo out of the city was the only way to heal her broken heart even though she didn’t want to go. It was easier to distract her than it was to watch her wallow. I persuaded myself into believing what I needed to heal was space and solitude. I held onto that until time passed and I was still a mess. I was sick of my own company and of hiding from everything I was feeling. I was the one who always went out of my way to fix everyone else around me, it wasn’t exactly a shock to learn I didn’t have the skills to repair myself. I spent my days helping others focus on their goals, on doing better and achieving more, so I didn’t have to think about the lack of any ambition of my own. I turned thirty at the end of the year and I was still trying to figure out what and who I wanted to be when I grew up. I’d been aimless for a long time; the only direction in my life come from the fact I knew all the way down to my bones that I had to go back to Wyoming and face off with Sutton Warner.    

   

   

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And don’t miss the first standalone novel in the Getaway series, RETREAT, on sale for just $.99! Grab your copy today! 

 ✦ RETREAT on Amazon  

✦ RETREAT on Other Retailers

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And preorder you copy of the third standalone novel in the Getaway series, ESCAPE, releasing January 30, 2018!

 ✦ ESCAPE on Amazon  

✦ ESCAPE on Other Retailers 

 ✦ Goodreads

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

           

About Jay Crownover:  

Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, The Saints of Denver Series, the Point Series, the Breaking Point Series, and the Getaway Series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.        

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

 

 

 

       

Armchair BEA Day 3 - Dining With the Authors

Dining With the Authors: Every year at Book Expo, children and adult authors are featured during breakfast. Who would you dream of enjoying a meal with? Would it be breakfast, lunch, dinner, or simply coffee? What would your meal be? What would you discuss? 

I can't remember which year it was, but one of the years that I attended BEA I went to the children's author breakfast.  I paid the extra for the ticket that you got to sit at a table and get some extra books/stuff, etc.  I guess I'd hoped by paying the extra I'd actually get to sit at a table WITH one of the authors, which I did not.  It was totally worth it anyway though.  I think.  The cool authors I got to hear speak were Chris Colfer and Lois Lowry. I got a chance to meet, for a second, Chris Colfer, later on at the publisher's booth with a ticket.  Unfortunately I was unable to make it to Lois Lowry's signing.  

But now, let's think about what author I really want to enjoy a meal with.  I'd like to think that I'd have a blast sitting and talking with Jennifer L. Armentrout. We could discuss Supernatural and all her awesome books. 

 After meeting Anna Todd, I think I'd also love to sit and just talk with her, fangirl about all kinds of things like Harry Potter, and boy bands, and writing, etc.  

Nicole Archer is a newer author that I've loved her books Road-Tripped and Head-Tripped.  I think it would be a blast to hang out with her as well.  

Samantha Young would also be so much fun I think.  

I've met Jay Crownover and she was so much fun in just the short amount of time I got to talk to her, that I think she would be so much fun as well!  

And then, Kylie Scott, I want to talk to her about writing and her rocker book boyfriends that I love so much!

Okay, what meal would I pick?  Hmm, not sure.  I'm not really much of a breakfast person.  Maybe it would be fun to just sit and have drinks and snacks with them?  Maybe play a round of Cards Against Humanity?  

I'd love to discuss all the things we love, like  Supernatural with JLA.  Harry Potter with probably all of them!  Twilight with some of them. And then I'd like to talk about writing with them as well, as I begin to dabble in possible novel writing myself.  And for those that aren't continuing certain stories, I'd like to know where they see the characters going maybe.

So, if you could have a meal with any authors, who would you choose? 

Four Romance Mini-Reviews of Books by Three of My Favorite Authors

As I keep mentioning, over and over, I am way behind on reviews.  So whenever I feel that I can, I am combining multiple reviews into one post, and making each book have just a mini-review.  I really hope to soon get back on track with blogging/reviewing a book basically within a day or two of finishing it.  We'll see how that goes.  The books I'm sharing today are all from some of the authors that I will pretty much read anything that has their name on it.  And you'll get to see my picture with them from Apollycon last month!

Riveted (Saints of Denver #3) by Jay Crownover:

My rating:  4 stars

I love Jay Crownover's tattooed bad boys.  This actually is probably the first of her books, well, other than Leveled, that I didn't listen to on audio.  For some reason my library hasn't ever ordered the audiobook of it.  However, at the end of Charged, book 2 in this series, I'm pretty sure that we got to hear the narrator who would be doing the main character Church's voice in this book.  Now, while the voice totally fits what I would think of for Church, I don't know that I could have listened to a whole audiobook, or half an audiobook - his half of the story, read by that deep voice.  It would be kind of like listening to James Earl Jones or Barry White read a book.  Not sure I'd be able to concentrate on the actual words.  And honestly, I think I would get a little annoyed.  But anyway, ENOUGH about the possible narrator of the audiobook since I actually read this one. 

Honestly I probably didn't love this one as much as the other stories by Crownover because so much of it takes place away from the characters that I've come to know and love as the side characters or main characters in the other books.  While it was exciting to have the characters stop in my hometown of Kansas City on their trip, I did not appreciate or like that the author used my city as a place that a racist incident occurred.  While I'm in no way saying that my city doesn't have any of those kinds of issues, I honestly feel we are not like that.  Those kind of incidents have been in the national news on the other side of our state, the city that we consider a rival in a lot of things, but KC is more of a nice place to live and be.  Honestly, I was happiest to get this story going so that I could see how Wheeler might be able to be Poppy's true love in the final book of the series coming out later this year, Salvaged.  I'm glad to see that the way Wheeler and Dixie's sister's relationship ends is one that I can still like Wheeler for, and not think he should be going back to anyone else.  Now, I'm just ready for June, so that I can read Wheeler and Poppy's story, although I'm not ready to say goodbye to my Marked Men and Saints of Denver family. 

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Everyone else in Dixie Carmichael's life has made falling in love look easy, and now she is ready for her own chance at some of that happily ever after. Which means she’s done pining for the moody, silent former soldier who works with her at the bar that's become her home away from home. Nope. No more chasing the hot as heck thundercloud of a man and no more waiting for Mr. Right to find her; she's going hunting for him...even if she knows her heart is stuck on its stupid infatuation with Dash Churchill.

Denver has always been just a pit stop for Church on his way back to rural Mississippi. It was supposed to be simple, uneventful, but nothing could have prepared him for the bubbly, bouncy redhead with doe eyes and endless curves. Now he knows it's time to get out of Denver, fast. For a man used to living in the shadows, the idea of spending his days in the sun is nothing short of terrifying.

When Dixie and Church find themselves caught up in a homecoming overshadowed with lies and danger, Dixie realizes that while falling in love is easy, loving takes a whole lot more work…especially when Mr. Right thinks he's all wrong for you.

Here I am with Jay Crownover at Apollycon 2017:

Every Little Thing (Hart's Boardwalk #2) by Samantha Young:

My rating:  4.5 stars

 This book was one that when I picked it up, I had so much trouble putting it down.  The characters were good, it is a total enemies to lovers story.  But there was a bit at the end where Bailey was irritating me a little.  In the end I was happy with the way the story worked out.  I don't know that I liked it quite as much as the first book in the series, The One Real Thing, but I still enjoyed it.  I hope for more of these characters, I'm especially eager for hopefully a book for Emery, the shy bookstore owner.  I'd like to know just what is in her background that has made her the way she is, and who will be her HEA.  

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Hartwell, Delaware—the perfect place to get away from it all, and find what you never knew you needed…

Bailey Hartwell has many reasons to feel content—her successful business, a close circle of friends, and her steady boyfriend…even if their romance feels staid after ten years without a serious commitment. The only challenge in her life comes in the form of sexy businessman Vaughn Tremaine. She thinks the ex-New Yorker acts superior and that he considers her a small-town nobody. But when Bailey’s blindsided by a betrayal, she’s shocked to discover Vaughn is actually a decent guy. 

Vaughn admires Bailey’s free spirit, independence, and loyalty. As his passion for her has grown, his antagonism toward her has only worsened. Every little thing Bailey does seduces him. But when Vaughn’s painful emotional past makes him walk away in fear he will hurt her, it opens an old wound in Bailey, and she uncharacteristically retreats.

Once Vaughn begins to realize he’s made the biggest mistake of his life, he has no choice but to fight like he’s never fought before to convince Bailey that the love they’ve found together only comes around once in a lifetime.

Here I am with Samantha Young at Apollycon 2017:

Landon Gibson series by Anna Todd:

Now, I read these on Wattpad, unlike the After series that I only got in on after they were in print.  When I picked these up in print form to read, for some reason I had in my head that we hadn't gotten all the answers on Wattpad, and that may still be true.  Overall I enjoyed spending time with Landon, but I guess maybe I would have liked a little bit more with Tessa in the story.  I know that isn't necessarily quite how Todd writes her stories though.  I really would like to get more of Tessa and Hardin from that time period though.  And maybe that is why these were only okay for me, they weren't anything like the original series that had me reading huge over 500 pages books in hours because I couldn't stop.  I did not get these signed at Apollycon though, because of how big her other books were, and that we were only supposed to have five books per author, I decided to wait. Knowing she will be at Apollycon next year in Washington D.C., and that I am going to be a volunteer again, I'll be sure to get them signed then.  I'll do my picture with this author a little different than the top two.  I'll put my picture with her right below this paragraph, then a bonus picture with her at the end after I talk about the two books individually.

Nothing More (Landon Gibson #1):

My rating:  3.5 stars

I did try listening to this one, but the narrator's voice was just to monotone/boring to keep my attention.  This was not a quick read as I said before, but it did leave off in a way that made me glad the next book was published soon afterwards.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

New York's skyscrapers and hectic pace are a far cry from where Landon Gibson grew up, and the transition to New York University has been jarring. But he's getting the hang of things, found a job that pays (some of) the bills, enjoys school, and only occasionally runs into his ex, Dakota. You know, the one he chose NYU for...before she dumped him. 

Luckily, his best friend, Tessa, shares a (terribly small) Brooklyn apartment with him. And given the ups and downs she's had with her own ex, she's a good listener when he finds himself in something of a love triangle—a love knot? Whatever it is, it's a mess. An exciting mess. Maybe an addicting mess, because beautiful girls. 

Being young and finding your way in the world is hard. Landon's always been a positive person. But such a loud, demanding city so far away from home means you only get by with a little help from your friends. And a good pair of headphones. 

Landon's going to be okay...but the journey sure will be fun to watch.

Nothing Less (Landon Gibson #2):

My rating:  4 stars

Actually my rating would probably be closer to 3.5 than 4 stars again.  But I rounded up.  I liked finally getting the answer to who Landon would end up with, who that mysterious wife of his that was mentioned, but not by name, in the After series.  This one was truly better than the first in this series, but overall, just not as addictive as the original series.  There are so many scenes and things I wish that had been included in these.  You should definitely read these if you love the original series though, and everyone should have adored Landon as Tessa's best friend, so it is nice to see him getting his HEA, even with all that he goes through to get it.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Book 2 of a new series featuring After worldwide fan-favorite Landon Gibson as he leaves Washington to navigate love and life in New York City. At the end of the After Ever Happy, Landon got married—but readers everywhere have been wondering who will get to call the nicest boy in the After series their forever love? Read it and find out!

“I'm so excited for everyone to get to know Landon Gibson. Whether you're just hearing about him or already know him from the After series, I know that readers are going to love his story. He's kind and fiercely loyal, and when he falls in love, he loves hard.” (Anna Todd, New York Times and #1 international bestselling author of the After series)


And the bonus picture that I have to share is my tattoo that kind of matches Anna's tattoo.  What was so cool was that right after I finished the series, I knew that I wanted a tattoo to remember it by, like my other tattoo is for another book series that really was a big part of my life.  When I went onto Twitter and asked other fans as well as tagging the author to see if anyone had the little infinity symbol tattoo, it turned out the author was getting ready to go get the tattoo that week after I asked about it!  It was only a few weeks later that I got my infinity symbol tattoo.  So when I met her at Apollycon, I asked if I could take a picture of our tattoos together, and she said yes, so here is that picture.