Let's Get 2016 Over With Giveaway!

Okay, 2016 has been an interesting year.  We've lost so many big names this year, Gene Wilder, David Bowie, and Prince just to name a few.  I'm so glad that I got the chance to see Prince in concert once in my lifetime.  There has been such craziness with politics, I won't go into specifics, as that is part of the problem, but it's been so crazy that family members have been split because of this.

I've had some good things happen, I got to go to the NOLA Storycon and meet some of my favorite authors, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Samantha Young, and Jay Crownover were my very very favorites.  I won NaNoWriMo for the 2nd time by writing my full 50,000 words.  I've had a few publishers start sending me things without me having to reach out to them first.  So I feel like my blog might finally be getting where I want it to be.  I've been reading a ton of books this year.  I bumped my goal on Goodreads up over 50 books for the year compared to last year.  I got a new tattoo. I got picked to be a volunteer at Apollycon 2017!  So hopefully next year I can add that to a good thing, especially since I cannot wait to meet Anna Todd, the books that I am in love with and got a tattoo for.  Not to mention Kylie Scott is going to be there, and I am so in love with her books!

One thing that I totally need to work on is all the books I have that I don't know when I'm going to get to.  I've been taking a lot of them to my school library.  I figure that way they'll get the chance for other people, my students, to read them, and when I have time or am in the mood for one of them, I'll still know where they are to check out and read.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of books I have that are ARCs or else my library already has, or maybe they're not in good enough condition that I can put them in my library.  And this is where I'm setting up a giveaway.  Below are the books that I'm looking to get rid of through a giveaway, or there a few newer ARCs I might be willing to trade for other ARCs if you want them.

So, if you see any ARCs you'd like to trade for, you can always let me know in the comments.  Otherwise, what I plan to do is pick two winners every week for the rest of December, and I am going to fill a box with 4 or 5 books from the pictures above.  Newer, older, ARCs, finished, etc.  They will most likely be surprise boxes. But we'll see how I feel when I draw the winners, I may let them come pick what four books they want!  Or at least pick one or two to go with two that I pick.

And in each box, I will include some swag and book samplers I have.  Here are pictures of the swag I have.  I would be willing to trade any of it for ARCs I'm looking for as well!

 You can see some temporary tattoos in the picture on the left.  Along with some post cards, an Epic Reads book of new titles, and a little blank book for Wayfarer. 

I have one last item.  A year ago my sister asked me if I wanted to buy a coloring book that a friend of hers had created.  It's very neat, but it's not really my style of coloring book, but it is so darn neat!  However, it cost me $20, again, not an amount I would normally spend on a coloring book.  But, if you're interested, I'll sell it to your for $10, or else, one lucky winner the last week of December will get it in their box of books!  Here is a picture of the coloring book:

So, I'm starting to think about new goals and challenges for my blog next year, as well as reflecting on how 2016 went.  One thing I haven't had time for is as many posts with GIFs as I enjoy.  So enjoy this one, and then go enter the contest in the Rafflecopter below it!

 

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Book Blitz and Giveaway: Alterations by Stephanie Scott

Book Blitz and Giveaway: The Clothing Mogul (The Trillionaire Boys' Club) by Aubrey Parker

Book info:
Title:  The Clothing Mogul
Author:  Aubrey Parker
Series:  The Trillionaire Boys' Club
Publication date: December 6th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance

“You have to fall in love,” Alyssa suggests. And then, because she’s my publicist, she adds the key word: “Publicly.”
My name is Ashton Moran, and I’m CEO of the $2.2 billion Hurricane Apparel company. You’d think that’d be enough, but it’s not. Not for Alyssa. She says my public image sucks. She says my being a womanizer is hurting Hurricane’s brand.
So she found this girl, Jenna, who I’m supposed to pretend I’m in love with for the press. I’m not supposed to sleep with any other women for as long as this farce goes on. Only with Jenna — if she’s into it, which she will be.
I understand what Alyssa is trying to do by making Hurricane more “family friendly,” but … Me? In love? With only one woman?
There’s no way this is going to work.
The Clothing Mogul is part of the Trillionaire Boys’ Club series by Aubrey Parker. Each book tells the story of one of the Club’s powerful members … and you’re going to want to collect them all.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

     “Ashton? What’s wrong?”

     “Nothing’s wrong.” He slides closer. “Not anymore.”

     I turn to look at him. “What’s gotten into you?”

     “Nothing’s gotten into me.”

     But it’s too much. Too weird. I sit up straighter. I watch his dark eyes in the sparse light filtering up from the street. “Don’t you want to …?”

     “What?”

     “Don’t you want to have sex?” For a second I’m embarrassed — ridiculous, given the things we’ve done.
    
     “Very much.”

     “Well?”

     “I just wanted to take a moment.”

     “Why?”

     “To do without. As if you’ve denied me.”

      “I’m not denying you.” The words stir something. My hair against my shoulder, bare but for the straps of my nightshirt, is like the brush of my lover’s fingers. I forget why I was put off by the idea that he’d come here and simply expect to fuck me.

     This change is even stranger than the one at dinner. Stranger than the one I saw when he spoke to my father, deferring to the older man’s authority like a proper suitor. His lack of action is making me more aroused, not less. I want to be the aggressor. I want to take him all without asking.

     “I know,” he says. “But you could.”

     “Anyone can. What’s so special about denial?”

     “You don’t know, Jenna. You can’t know what it’s like to be me. Everything is so hard at first, but at a certain point everything gets too easy. You’re the only person who challenges me, who pushes back, who made me work to have you.”

     “I’m yours.” I lick my lips, finding control harder to summon. “You don’t have to work to have me anymore. We have a deal.”

     “Don’t mention it. Don’t talk about our deal.”

     “Why not?” I don’t understand. I’m uneasy, nervous.

     “Because I’m sorry we made it. Too many lies to keep track of.”

     “You mean the lies about us being together?”

     “I mean the lies about how we’re not.”

     I look down at him. He can’t mean what he seems to. His hand is at my breast. He’s stroking it idly, almost as if he doesn’t realize what it does to me. “What are you saying?”

     “I don’t really know who I am anymore, Jenna. I thought I did, but tonight I found I was wrong. The old me would have been different. He would have lapped it all up. But I didn’t want to. It just made me angry. All I could think about, the entire time, was coming here.”

     To my house? It’s so ridiculous.

     “You’re Ashton Moran.” It’s such an empty thing to say, but some of the disorientation and confusion leave his expression. I don’t know if it’s what he honestly needs to hear, or if it’s more that he needs me, of all people, to say it.

     “Am I? We’ve lied so much, I’m not sure. There’s the old story of Ashton Moran, and now there’s this new one. I’ve been in the new story for months now, but tonight I re-entered the old one. I didn’t feel comfortable in it, like I don’t know or like the old Ashton anymore. But that’s the problem, isn’t it? Because if I don’t like the old Ashton, it means I like being the new one instead. But the new one is a lie. The new Ashton doesn’t exist.”

     “How can you say that?”

     “Because it’s all bullshit. Everything we’ve said in those interviews … bullshit.”

     I look down. I don’t know what to say.

     “Tell me it wasn’t all bullshit, Jenna.”

     “I … I don’t know.”

     “All I know is that tonight, I didn’t feel like myself. I didn’t like me or who I’d become. I only like myself these days when I’m here, in the belly of the lie.”

     He raises my shirt and bares my breasts. He kisses them sweetly, one by one. His hand his on my leg, moving slowly, warming me.

     Then his hand goes to the center of my chest. To my heart. It’s ironic — he made his billions manufacturing clothing that monitors vital signs, relaying them to an app. But right now the great clothing titan is feeling my vitals using only the biometric device of flesh and bone offered by God. A connection born not of Bluetooth, but skin to skin.

     He comes to my lips and kisses them.

     “Don’t deny me now.”

Author Bio:

I love to write stories with characters that feel real enough to friend on Facebook, or slap across the face. I write to make you feel, think, and burn with the thrill that can only come from getting lost in the pages. I love to write unforgettable characters who wrestle with life's largest problems. My books may always end with a Happily Ever After, but there will always be drama on the way there.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Review: Backstage Pass: The Complete Series #1-5 by Ophelia London, Lisa Burstein, Rebekah L. Purdy, Suze Winegardner, and Erin Butler

Book info:
Title:  Backstage Pass Collection:  Aimee and the Heartthrob, Mia and the Bad Boy, Daisy and the Front Man, Anya and the Shy Guy, and Abby and the Cute One
Author:  Ophelia London, Lisa Burstein, Rebekah L. Purdy, Suze Winegardner, and Erin Butler
Series:  Backstage Pass series #1-5
Genre:  YA contemporary romance, rock star
Published:  December 5th, 2016
Source:  Netgalley from Entangled Teen Publishing
My rating:  5 stars

Thanks to Entangled Teen Publishing for allowing me to read this complete collection.  I have read a lot of adult contemporary rockstar romance stories before.  This is my first time with teen versions.  And as they are about a boy band, well, that made it perfect!  I am a huge New Kids on the Block fan.  I've never missed a single one of their concerts in my town.  In fact, a couple weeks ago I had to buy tickets to their next concert this coming summer of 2017!  So the whole boy band aspect was a blast for me!  All of the stories in this were really good, although the last one was not my favorite.  What is perfect about having them all collected together is that it is about a boy band, and so after every story, or during each story, you want to know what will happen for the other guys in the band.  Below I will give a quick synopsis of my thoughts on each story within the collection.  

Aimee and the Heartthrob by Ophelia London: 

Aimee's story is connected with the British guy in the band, Miles.  The five guys in the band, Seasons to Juliet, or S2J for short, were all chosen on a reality tv show.  Miles was friends with Aimee's brother when they were younger.  She'd always had a crush on him, and he'd always been nice to her.  But once he went away, her brother told her that Miles had never liked her, in fact he'd made fun of her having a crush on him.  So when she ends up having to tag along with her brother on tour with the band for two weeks while her parents are out of town and her best friend is sick, so she can't stay with her, she is prepared for being miserable and feeling humiliated.  Miles is the "heartthrob" of the band.  You know, the British accent does it.  Plus he's very flirty.  And when he first sees Aimee, not realizing who she is, he is very attracted to her.  Then, he finds out who she is, and she doesn't want to talk to him.  But when it seems like what her brother told her may not be the truth, and maybe Miles really is interested in her, she can't keep up her anger with him.  

This was probably one of my favorites of the  collection.  I loved the reference to Prince in the beginning.  Then, when I was almost done with this one, there was a part that I was almost in tears about!  The emotions in this one were high!  Of course at the end when the author said that NKOTB was inspiration, I knew I wanted to hang out with her!

Mia and the Bad Boy by Lisa Burstein:

Mia is on the tour to be Ryder's tutor, because he never finished high school.  Ryder is the bad boy of the group.  Part of his bad boy issue is that he feels like he is selling out making the type of music that S2J makes.  He wants to do his own type.  Plus, he's kind of a jerk to Mia.  But he doesn't want anyone to know that he has a tutor, and so Mia must pretend to be his girlfriend.  Which means she has to share his hotel room at times.  Mia's mother is very protective, and if she knew that was going on, she would pull Mia back home.  The only thing her mother wants is for her to do really well in school and go to college like they've planned.  This may not be exactly what Mia wants though.  Mia is a very good singer, as well as writing songs.  Ryder discovers that in getting to know her, and the two of them do spark a connection with all the time spent in the tutoring sessions and pretending to be dating.  But there are more secrets than just not passing a test that Ryder doesn't want out, and when they do get out, he knows he only told Mia, so how else did the press find out?

 I love that the author dedicated this one to Donnie Wahlberg!  At one point he was one of my favorites of NKOTB.  But then I decided Jordan Knight was my favorite.  However, lately, after watching the reality tv show Wahlburgers, I'm kinda into Donnie again.  Mia's story and Aimee's story were definitely favorites of mine in this collection!

Daisy and the Front Man by Rebekah L. Purdy:

Daisy's story starts out with what has to be one of the most humiliating things that could happen to a girl in high school.  She had won a contest to have Trevin Jacobs take her to her Homecoming dance. But when he doesn't show up, in front of the whole town and all the local news stations, she vows to never want to be his fan again.  Then, well, her mom is going out of the country with her new boyfriend, and so Daisy ends up going to spend the time with her dad, who hasn't been around for most of her life since he came back from the war.  Her dad just happens to be a bodyguard for S2J When Trevin doesn't even recognize Daisy, she's even more upset.  But knows that she is going to do her best to get revenge.   Ryder, the bad boy from before, still pretty much the same, bets Trevin he can't get this girl to fall in love with him, especially when everyone sees how much she seems to hate him.  Not knowing about the bet, Daisy decides making him fall in love with  her and then ditching him might be another good way to get revenge.  When it all comes down to the end, both of their lies will clash, and it will all blow up in their faces.  One of the band members does figure out who Daisy is, but she begs him to keep it quiet, because she wants Trevin to remember on his own. 

The problems trying to get together around Daisy's dad made for some funny parts, and overall, I really liked the story and the characters here.   I had one or two issues with this. Some things that I feel like could have been done a little different, but overall, it was still very good!  I also like that Trevin was from a town in Kansas!  

Anya and the Shy Guy Suze Winegardner:

Anya is homeless, and she has been since her mother just up and left her alone in their house one day. She's lived on the streets for a while, and knows the way that life is.  When she writes some very well-praised articles on the homeless and homeless shelters, she is given the chance to report on one of the band members, turns out it will be the shy guy.  Will is not who she wanted to interview.  He's definitely attractive, they all are, but she wants to talk to all of them, and she's hoping to get some kind of scoop for the magazine so that she can make a really big paycheck.  When she meets Will, he doesn't seem like the shy guy he's been made out to be. But she kind of connects with him anyway, even though she knows that nothing can happen from that, since she can't tell him where she's from, or how old she actually is.  Will is not really who he says he is thought.  Will is actually Matt, Will's twin brother.  He's filling in for his brother who is in rehab after an accident that led to taking pain pills soon led to addiction for him.  Only their horrible manager LJ threatened to ruin his mother if they took time away from the band for rehab, so this was the only way they could think to do it.  So now that Matt is falling for Anya, he doesn't know what in the world he can do that she won't end up hating him when she finds out he isn't really who he says he is.  Of course in the end something blows up to ruin things, this time it is the fault of one of the opening acts for the band, a horrible girl who is jealous of the girls, and vindictive as well.  

This was one of my three favorites of the story for sure.  I didn't see the homeless aspect coming in, but I really liked how it changed the way the story went, and I felt like it was a fresh twist on the rock star story.  

Abby and the Cute One by Erin Butler:

The final story is about the youngest band member, who is now also the only single one left, Nathan.  their manager, LJ, is very insistent that he must remain single, although they want him to seem accessible to the fans, so they have him going on fake dates.  One night after a fake date that Nathan can barely stand to get through, he convinces the bodyguard he's with, Beau, Daisy's dad, to let him go for a walk down by the river.  There he meets one of the girls who is going to try out to be the opening act to replace the girls from before.  Her name is Abby, she is young like Nathan, and when he hears her singing, he realizes he's seen her videos on YouTube, and he has been very impressed.  They have a connection that first night.  They even kiss.  But soon Nathan realizes that if she gets the gig, they won't be able to continue where they seem to want to go, because LJ won't let any of them date any of the opening acts, not to mention he wants Nathan to follow his fake dating/relationship plan with an actress he'd been on dates with.  Nathan and Abby have a lot of problems staying apart, and when word seems to get out about the two of them, LJ threatens to fire Abby and even possibly fire Nathan.  Abby does great after she gets her feet under her as an opening act, and she doesn't know if she'll be able to have her cake and eat it too, have her chance at singing stardom, and the boy she is falling in love with.

This one was okay.  Still a good story, but a little boring for me.  And I don't understand why Nathan didn't come to the same conclusion as everyone at the end did, the conclusion that saved the whole story.  But that's okay, it overall still worked.  

If you like rock star romances, ya contemporary romance, boy bands, etc., you definitely need to give this collection a try!

 

Book Blitz and Giveaway: The Illusion of Ecstasy by Nicole Loufas

Book info:
Title: Illusion of Ecstasy
Author:  Nicole Loufas
Series:  2nd Dose in the Thizz Series
Publication date: December 1st, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult

When Dani discovered the cash hidden in her attic, she had no idea the problems it would bring. With the help of the Marino’s, Dani is able to launder her father’s dirty money, but their help comes with a price. Her relationship with Matt.
Not wanting to hurt Dani’s future or freedom, Matt removes himself from the equation to keep everyone safe. But when it’s time to go home, he has to decide which is more important – watching his little sister grow up or returning to the girl of his dreams.
Nick is determined to make good on all the bad he’s caused, and has finally accepted his role as a Marino. Fate doesn’t make it easy for him. Especially, when he returns from Europe to find Dani is falling apart. With Matt out of the picture, Nick contemplates a future with the only girl he’s ever loved.
In the conclusion to Thizz, A Love Story, follow Dani, Matt, and Nick on a soul-searching journey into adulthood. The Illusion of Ecstasy explores the emotional tribulations they encounter without the help of thizz. How to deal with real emotion becomes the biggest obstacle of all on their road to maturity.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Nick and I circle each other for a few minutes. I wait for him to make the first move. He always makes the first move. To my surprise, he just keeps circling and smiling. Finally, I go for it. I lunge, and he falls against the padded headboard. Wood cracks. I keep wailing on him with the pillow. Nick grabs me around my knees and takes me down. He tries to pin me using a move I taught him. He has no chance. I arch my back and twist my body. Before Nick can take his next breath, I’ve got him flipped over. We’re both breathing heavy. I hold Nick by the neck, not too hard. I don’t want to hurt him. Not really. I’m lying on my back, my arm wrapped around his neck as he’s lying beside me, sort of in front of me. I feel his hand tap out at the same time the screen on the front door squeaks open and then slams shut.
Nick starts to laugh when Dani appears in the doorway.
She takes in the room. The comforter on the floor, the sheets askew. Nick in my arms. She’s trying really hard to keep a straight face. “Am I interrupting something?”
“Just working out some aggression,” Nick jokes and breaks free.
I want to ask what she’s doing here, but I suspect Nick had everything to do with it. The phone call, changing the sheets, it makes sense now. That thoughtful motherfucker.
“I can come back later,” she teases and breaks into a huge grin. Her face lights up. She only beams like this when she’s high. There is only one person who could’ve given her pills.
Nick jumps off the bed and wraps Dani in his arms. He pulls back and kisses her on the forehead. Her eyes flutter closed, and all I can think is—karma is a bitch.

Author Bio:

Nicole was born and raised in California. She claims to be a San Francisco native, however she's lived in both Northern and Southern California. She credits her creativity to the fact that she attended 12 schools between kindergarten and her senior year in high school. Her nomadic childhood allowed her to reinvent herself often. Some might say she was a liar. While others see the stories she told as a coping mechanism. Twelve schools, in six cities, in twelve years - give her a break. Today she channels her storytelling ability into writing novels. Long story short - kids that lie become writers.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

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Promo Post: YA Booktube Awards 2016

Today I'm here to help promote the Booktube awards for Elizabeth at The Owlery.  She announced the awards in a blog post back in October.  Here is what the post was about:

I am so happy to finally announce this project which has been 5 months in the making!

From October 15th to December 31 we will be voting for our favorite YA books of 2016. The judges listed below will then read and judge the top 3 books from each category and in a live show we will discuss and vote for our favorites! The dates for the live shows are to be determined!

I am so incredibly grateful to all the amazing booktubers who agreed to be a apart of this! Please make sure you click on their faces below and subscribe! For day to day updates check out our Twitter and Goodreads!

The Top 3 Books Will Be Announced on January 2nd on my channel! The top 3 books will be discussed during live shows and a winner will be chosen in each genre! Check out this video for all the dates!

To read the entire post, you can go HERE. 

There are also 10 giveaways that you can enter to win many different prizes.  The place to do that is HERE. 

And last, but not least, how do you vote?  Where do you vote? When can you vote?  Starting October 15th voting was opened, and it will stay open until December 31st.  To vote, pick your favorite YA books of 2016 that fit the different categories I've listed below:

• Contemporary Romance
• Thriller/Mystery
• Debut Author
• LGBTQIA+
• Retellings
• Fantasy
• Graphic Work
• Science Fiction/Dystopian

Once you know your choices, title and author, go to the voting site HERE.  And don't forget to go back and enter the giveaways after you're done! 

Review: Road-Tripped (Ad Agency #1) by Nicole Archer

Book info:
Title:  Road-Tripped
Author:  Nicole Archer
Series:  Ad Agency #1
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  August 1st, 2016
Source:  E-book gifted from author for fair review
My rating:  5 stars

I am so grateful to this author for sending me a copy of her book to read.  When I picked this one to start reading I had no idea just how funny it was going to be.  The humor in it reminds me a lot of the books in the Hudson Valley series by Alice Clayton.  Both books have things that happen that are just so realistic!  Things that are real and very embarrassing.  However, Road-Tripped takes the embarrassing moments and pushes them one step further, not in an unrealistic way, but in a way that you know someone out there has had a similar experience, and it is almost so horrible that it is unbelievable.  And while I have never had these specific mortifying experiences, I have had some that have been pretty comparable when I think about the empathy created for the characters as I read about what was happening to them.  

The characters themselves were also very believable.  And the misunderstandings and preconceptions each of them had about each other that led to many of the humorous moments I hinted at above were again very realistic. They're the kinds of things I know that I have probably thought about people from what I've heard or seen of them before I ever get a chance to meet them and get to know them.  Okay, let me give you a little run-down of the story itself, then I'll gush over it a little more.

There are two main characters and we get the story from both of their viewpoints.  Callie is working a new job for a friend, who helped her out when her life kind of went down the toilet.  Only she isn't really as grateful for it as you'd think.  She can't stand most of the people she works with, especially given the way the office is run.  And from people like my sister who actually work in a place where they do things like game tables and parties, I know that the environment is realistic.  Callie is grumpy, likes to swear, and cannot stand the guy that she thinks is nothing but the office manwhore, the guy that all the women want so sleep with, including the woman who is kind of her worst enemy in the office.

The other main character is Walker, said "manwhore" according to Callie.  Sure, he's friendly, and very attractive, and all that, but he's also very unhappy in his job as art director.  He loves photography, and really wants to do something more like that.  He has been assigned to drive across country in an RV that is one of their current client's product.  At first he is going to get to go with a friend of his in the office. But she drops out at the last minute, and their boss chooses Callie, the one woman who seems to be completely immune to his charms, as well as seems to hate him, to be the replacement.

As you can guess, the road trip is full of many fun experiences. They stop at a lot of famous landmarks, as well as dropping in on family and friends along the way.  The end up camping at a nudist colony by accident.  They get caught in a hurricane.  And Callie might get a little high with Walker's grandmother, when they stop by for a visit.  Both of them will learn that the other is not quite who they think they are from their first impressions.  Both of them will have to work on the attraction between them, they may even give into it, and of course that will create its own issues for the trip.  As well as many, many hilarious moments and some very sexy ones as well!

This was one of those books that I had to be careful about reading in public, because it literally made me laugh out loud.  Not just a quiet chuckle, or a giggle, but gut-busting, can't hold it in guffaws at times!  And you know what was bad?  I was reading it on my laptop, at work sometimes, and oh my gosh was it so hard to hold that in!  So hard that I couldn't.  I got some strange looks the days I read it at work, I work in a high school library, so yeah.  

The cussing, while quite prevalent throughout the whole book, was also part of the hilariousness of the book.  It was so over the top at times, but that just made it all the more hilarious.  Have I used the word hilarious enough in this review?  Walker wasn't much of a cusser, and so several times he would almost say shit, but he'd stop himself, and change it to poo, so it was like he said sh..poo.  And Callie called him on it every time, asking him if he said shampoo.  She got a kick out of it, and so did I as I read it.  

And I have to pull out the one thing that was so funny, although I'm sure is probably considered kind of offensive, but it is funny because it's true, because I've actually seen something exactly like it at a Chinese restaurant.  On the menu, for drinks, it said:   "Classic Cock, Cock Zero, Diet Cock, Cherry Cock."  I've seen that before.  And it makes me laugh like a middle schooler every single time!

If you aren't offended by a lot of swear words, or sexy scenes, or hilarious naked embarrassing scenes, then this is the next book you need to read.  You can get the e-book on Amazon for only $2.99 HERE.  If I could order the paperback through the Barnes and Noble store where I work, I would own a physical copy of the book.  Instead I will just stick with my Kindle copy, which as I went back to try to find some of the exact things I wanted to talk about, I found myself re-reading so many parts that I loved. 

 

Promo Post and Giveaway: Falling for the Girl Next Door by Tera Lynn Childs

Book info:

Title: Falling for the Girl Next Door  

Author: Tera Lynn Childs  
Series:  Creative Hearts #5; Sloane and Tru #2
Published by: Entangled Teen  
Release Day: November 14, 2016  
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Sloane Whitaker never expected to like living in Texas, but after a few months in the Lone Star State, she has to admit she likes the food, the school, and the boy next door. What she doesn’t like is the fact that half her family is still back in New York. Convincing her dad to relocate to Texas requires making their upcoming visit as perfect as possible. The perfect dinner, the perfect daughter…with the perfect boyfriend. But when her not-so-perfect boyfriend Tru Dorsey is suddenly not-so-available, Sloane has to find another dad-impressing guy to show off at dinner. Tru himself suggests enlisting the help of a fake boyfriend, but the reality of another guy with Sloane on his arm might be more than Tru can manage. Add in a mysterious blackmailer and a divided family, and Sloane and Tru’s relationship might not be able to handle the heat.  

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains a bad boy next door, the good girl who snags his heart, and one epically disastrous ruse-gone-wrong. Join the fun at your own risk.  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32491408-falling-for-the-girl-next-door  
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Falling-Girl-Next-Creative-HeArts-ebook/dp/B01MCXPL5A  
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/falling-for-the-girl-next-door-tera-lynn-childs/1124827503?ean=9781633757677
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/falling-for-the-girl-next-door/id1169608412  
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/falling-for-the-girl-next-door  
Amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Falling-Girl-Next-Creative-HeArts-ebook/dp/B01MCXPL5A  
Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Falling-Girl-Next-Creative-HeArts-ebook/dp/B01MCXPL5A 
Entangled Publishing: http://entangledpublishing.com/falling-for-the-girl-next-door/

     

About the Author:  

Tera Lynn Childs is the RITA-award-winning young adult author of the mythology-based Oh. My. Gods. series, the Forgive My Fins mermaid romance series, the kick-butt monster-hunting Sweet Venom trilogy, and the Darkly Fae series. She also writes the City Chicks sweet chick lit romance series and is co-writing the Hero Agenda series with Tracy Deebs. Tera lives nowhere in particular and spends her time writing wherever she can find a comfy chair and a steady stream of caffeinated beverages. 

Author Website: http://www.teralynnchilds.com  

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/teralynnchilds  

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teralynnchilds 

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teralynnchilds/ 

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1051591.Tera_Lynn_Childs

   

Read below for an excerpt from the book:

By lunchtime, the morning clouds had cleared, and the bright blue of a clear sky and soft winter sunlight practically begged Tru to film something.

     He pulled his smartphone out of his pocket and opened the camera app. If he had his choice of gear, this wasn’t even in the top ten. He had three quality cameras at home and there were at least a dozen in the Cinematography classroom in Building F. Hell, he even had a decent handheld in his backpack.

     But what the smartphone gave up in quality, it more than made up for in portability and the ability to take candid footage.     

      Sloane didn’t even notice when he started filming.

     Her friend Jenna glanced at the camera and then back down at her carefully arranged lunch.

     Tru loved capturing these secret moments. Not just with Sloane, although he probably loved those the most, but in everyday life in general. Those instances that happened over and over again, most of the time without anyone taking any more notice than they do of a gentle breeze.

     To capture those moments, to document them for eternity—or at least as long as the technology would allow—made him feel like he was contributing to something greater than himself.

     Like he was turning life into art.

     And the intersection of life and art described his relationship with Sloane perfectly. She came into his life at a low point, at a moment when the prospect of spending another year in the uncertain torment of life under his father’s roof was becoming unbearable. She moved in next door and provided a light at the end of the tunnel. If he could just keep walking toward her, just keep her light in sight, then maybe—just maybe—he could make it out alive.

     He knew he was being a bit melodramatic. His life wasn’t actually on the line. The situation with his father never escalated to a dangerous level. But escape was almost always on Tru’s mind. Sometimes he felt like he might go insane under the constant scrutiny and attempted control.

     Ever since Sloane and her mom moved in next door, he’d been thinking about escape less and less.

     She gave him a reason to stay.

      “Hey!”

     A grape popped him in the forehead as Sloane finally realized he was filming her.

     “What?” he asked with a grin, shaking off his dark thoughts.

     “We talked about this,” she said. “No filming me without warning.”

     “No, you talked about it.” He kept filming. “I never agreed to anything.”

     She reached for the phone, but he pulled it out of reach, careful to keep her in the frame.

     “This is why I can’t bring you home to meet Mom,” she teased.

     He knew she meant it as a joke—he’d met her mom dozens of times. They were neighbors, after all. But there was an edge of truth beneath the sarcasm. An edge just big enough to sharpen his own humor.

      “But does it explain why I can’t bring you home to meet the ‘rents?” he tossed back.

     He regretted the words as soon as he said them. He couldn’t be prouder of Sloane or of being her boyfriend. To even suggest she wasn’t good enough for his family was ridiculous. Especially when the opposite was actually true. He wasn’t good enough for hers.

 

The Giveaway:

•  Paperback copies of Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru + Falling for the Girl Next Door (Open Internationally) 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Promo Post and Author Interview: Touched by Elisa S. Amore

Book info:

Title:  Touched: The Caress of Fate

Author:   Elisa S. Amore

Genre:  YA Gothic Romance

#1 Amazon Bestseller for more than six months, surpassing The Hunger Games, The Hobbit, and Divergent.

More than 10,000 downloads in the first week.

Sales topped 50,000 copies in the first month.

One of the most read books on Amazon in the last two months.

The International sensation that everyone is talking about is now available in the U.S. and we would love to have you share it with your readers.

 ~~~~

What are you willing to sacrifice when the only person who can save you is the same one who has to kill you?

A new breed of Angels is here to usher you into their dark world in Elisa S. Amore’s breakout bestseller TOUCHED: The Caress of Fate. “As seductive as Meet Joe Black. As mysterious as City of Angels. As powerful as Twilight,” Amore has written the bestselling angel series that everyone is talking about.

“Elisa S. Amore is one of the few phenomena in Italian self-publishing.” — Vanity Fair Italy

“Girls who dream of love, a new novel just for you has come out in bookshops.” — Marie Claire Italy

When Gemma’s eyes first meet the dark, piercing gaze of Evan James, an ominous shadow creeps into her life, ultimately leading her to face her destiny. She doesn’t realize Evan is one of Death’s soldiers and that Death is summoning her.

Her time is up: Gemma must die . . . and Evan has been sent to kill her. But what if she’s the only one who can truly see him?

An ancient, deadly, inescapable race. No one can see them. They’re shadows of destiny. They’re knights of death. They’re here to claim our lives. Commanded by a mysterious congregation called the Masala, the Angels of Death ensure that each man’s destiny takes its due course on Earth. But what happens when love intervenes? Can an Angel of Death deny his own nature and challenge destiny? Can love rebel against fate?

Against every rule. Against fate itself. Against everything and everyone. A story of forbidden love and star-crossed destinies. Dark. Romantic. Dangerous.

 Author Interview:

1.  What does your writing process look like?  Do you know the whole story when you start?  Or do you just start writing and go with it (seat of the pants writing)?  If you plan it out, how do you do that?  Outline, note cards, post-it notes, etc.?

I usually know how the story starts and how it is supposed to end, but sometimes I don’t know in advance what will happen in the middle. When the idea for Touched first came into my mind, I imagined the main scenes for the whole saga, from Book 1 to Book 4. The rest of it, though, wasn’t planned in advance. Once I start writing, it’s like the characters make their own decisions and lead me to the next planned scene. When I have a new story to write, even when I’m not actually writing, I’m always thinking about the characters. They interact in my mind just as if they were real people and I take notes on their interactions, using whatever writing materials I can find first: tissues, napkins, my phone—even my hands! Whatever happens to be handy. Then, when I sit down to write later, I read through my notes and develop them into more complete scenes.

2.  How do you come up with your ideas for your stories?

Inspiration can hit me at any moment, but I usually get the best ideas while I’m in the car. The story of Evan and Gemma, for example, came into my head suddenly one day while I was driving to work. I had a sort of vision—I saw a boy with eyes of ice staring at me from the side of the road and I immediately knew he would be the protagonist of a new story. I thought, "Who was that guy? And why was he staring at me so intently? What if I were the only one who could see him? And what if he were there for me?" Next, I came up with the most important question of all, the one that gave me all the answers: "What if he were there to take me away?" It was while I was pondering that last question that the idea of the Angel of Death appeared in my mind. I immediately pulled over and started to write it down. I didn’t stop until I’d created the outline for the whole saga. During that time of my life, I waited tables at my parents’ cafeteria. That day I was definitely late for work! When I finally got home, I couldn’t wait to find out how the story would continue. I sat down and wrote for hours.

3.  How long have you been writing?

I’ve always loved stories, whether they’re on the big screen or on paper. At some point I began to be fascinated with the idea of being able to write a story myself. Writing has always played an important role in my life. I was a shy child and had difficulty socializing, so I used to create characters on paper, imagining new worlds where I could take refuge. Even at the age of ten or eleven, I wrote short stories and poems for the school newspaper. Touched is my first full-length novel, the one that made me realize how important writing was to me. When I started writing it, the characters took over and guided me towards their destiny rather than the other way around.

4.  What tips do you have for aspiring writers?

Find your style and don’t emulate others. Keep reading and writing to improve your own voice. And never, ever give up.

5. Favorites:  

Books/authors/genres

Movies/TV Shows

Music

Food/writing snack

Social Media Site

My all-time favorite writer is Shakespeare, but I also love Nicholas Sparks. My favorite genres are romance, fantasy, dystopian, and everything related. I read a lot and am a huge fan of many TV series. My all-time favorite movie is Pearl Harbor. I’ve watched it over and over. Some of my favorite series are The 100, Flash, Arrow, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and many, many others. I love how the characters face new challenges every day and how they never surrender. It’s motivating for me, and each of the characters inspires me. I love Lana Del Rey as well—in fact, the protagonist of Touched always listens to her songs.

 
About the Author:

Website: http://www.touchedsaga.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElisaSAmore

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eli.amore/

Elisa's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eli.amore

TOUCHED Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TouchedSaga?ref=hl