4/20/16

Release Blitz: He Loves Me Not by Tierney Flower

 
Title: He Loves Me Not (Lifestyles of the Rich and (In)Famous #2)
Author: Tierney Fowler
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date: April 20, 2016
Find on Goodreads
 
 
 
In the game of love, everyone roots for the underdog. You know, that girl-next- door type who wears glasses and has a shy smile and who falls for the most popular boy in school…she’s the hero of every story. And when the shy girl takes off her glasses and the quarterback kisses her and the crowd roars and the movie fades to black, people sit back and are satisfied. 

But what about the cheerleader? The one he dumps at the fifty-yard line and the one who runs off the field humiliated and sobbing? What about her feelings? What about her? 

He Loves Me Not tells the story of what happens after the cheerleader is denied her fairy tale ending. Maggie's life was perfect--she had perfect friends, perfect parents, and a perfect boyfriend. But when she's abruptly dumped in front of the entire county by that perfect boyfriend, her life falls apart. With her clique, her friends, and her social standing obliterated, Maggie is resigned to a lonely, humiliating senior year of high school. 

...at least until she meets AJ Abbott, a musician who breaks every rule her mother ever taught her. He has no college degree. He wants to be a rockstar. He wears entirely too much black and leather. 

But despite their differences, Maggie is slowly drawn into AJ's rock and roll lifestyle, and she'll be forced to choose which is more important--clinging to her nonexistent popularity or learning that maybe there's more to her than her beauty queen tiaras and cheerleader pom- poms.
 
 
 
 
Looking back, Bobby hadn’t acted that different that day, or even that week. The first weird thing had happened at lunch a few weeks later. Maggie and her friends had been all sitting at their usual table with Tommy, Abby and Artie Souter—identical twins who looked like matching blond supermodels—Caroline, who was her best friend in the world, and a few other assorted football players and cheerleaders.
 
Maggie snapped her can of Diet Coke open, watching Bobby shovel tacos down his throat with envy. She was monitoring her calorie intake like a chicken hawk observing a pen full of hens. Not only was this new cheerleading uniform making her incredibly aware of her figure, but her homecoming dress had accidentally been ordered in a size zero—where Maggie normally wore a two—and there wasn’t enough time to buy a new dress that half the school hadn’t already rejected in their own shopping trips.
 
To distract herself from the gnawing pain in her stomach, Maggie took another bite of her dressing free salad and chewed slowly, pretending it was pizza. God, she loved pizza so much. It’d been years since she’d had it.
 
“Bobby, what was with that weird girl talking to you after Chem yesterday?” Caroline asked, her Boston accent softened after spending her entire high school career down in South Carolina. Maggie and Caroline had met in gymnastics class in middle school, and they’d bonded over their love of country music, cheerleading, and carb-free diets.
 
“Her name’s Chloe, and she’s actually really nice,” Bobby replied evenly.
 
Maggie remembered Chloe from one of her English classes. The girl never spoke to anyone other than the teacher, and once she had read a poem that had lots of references to the dark wings of ravens. It was all very strange. And she wore way too much black. Okay, and the real kicker was that Chloe had laughed at her a few weeks ago when Maggie had written an essay about how the proudest moment of her life was winning Miss Dixie Bell last year.
 
“I just don’t understand people like her,” Maggie started to say, flattening her hand on her stomach as it growled loudly. Hopefully no one had heard. “Like, it’s just so selfish to be so grumpy all the time. Everyone hurts. Everyone has bad things happen to them. Maybe people should just focus on the wonderful things in their lives and stop dwelling on the negativity.”
 
“Here, here, Maggie May!” Tommy raised his can of Coke over his head. The entire table laughed.
 
Giggling, Maggie continued. She was on a roll. “And, I mean, really, bless her heart, but how is that much black flattering on anyone’s complexion? Maybe we can give her a makeover!” Maggie loved makeovers. They were the best. Maybe they could take her shopping and help her do her makeup and—
 
Just then, Maggie heard a sharp intake of breath behind her. When she turned, she saw a girl with pale skin and long dark hair standing behind them. It was Chloe. Why did she look so upset? Maybe she didn’t hear the “bless her heart” part. Everyone knew that saying “bless her heart” balanced out anything negative that followed because it originated in a good place. Her momma always said that people needed a good dose of the truth, but they needed to know it came from the heart.
 
“I just—I just wanted—here. Here’s your half of the outline.” Chloe’s sharp voice matched her movements as she shoved a piece of paper into Bobby’s hand and then turned to rush back inside the school. Maggie had examined her closely in those ten seconds, trying to make sense of a girl who seemed to think black eye shadow was appropriate for the entire eyelid. The only spot anyone needed black eye shadow was in the outer crease of their eyelid and even then, it should be blended to near oblivion.  Her momma considered black eye shadow appropriate only for strippers and rock star groupies.
 
The table fell silent for a minute. Maggie’s mouth curved into a nervous smile. Bobby’s green eyes cut in her direction. “Really, Maggie? That was mean of you.”
 
Maggie had never heard Bobby use that tone with her, and she wasn’t sure how to respond. Her chest tightened. “I wasn’t trying to be mean. I was just talking in general…like, how Momma always says that you should look your best so others are happy to…” She trailed off, shrinking under the disappointment in Bobby’s eyes.
 
She didn’t want Chloe to think she was being mean for no reason. Maybe Maggie needed to go chase her down and explain. “You know what? I’ll just go apologize—” Maggie stood up to follow her, but Bobby interrupted again.
 
Instead of the sharp tone he’d just used, now he sounded tired. “Don’t worry about it. Let me go talk to her.” He smiled, but it was a weird smile. Like it didn’t reach all the way up to his eyes.
 
Maggie tried to smile back, but she couldn’t get her lips to lift. “Are you sure? I can just go and—”
 
“It’s fine, Maggie. I’ll be back in a few.” Bobby stood up to walk away, and then he stopped and came back to squeeze her shoulder. Normally he’d say goodbye with at least a little kiss, but his grip on her shoulder was more how he interacted with the football team. Maggie didn’t like the feelings it brought, so she focused on his beautiful eyes, chiseled features, and sweet smile, and she thought he had the kind of face a girl could look at the rest of her life and be happy.
 
That was the day she began to lose him.
 
 
 
Lifestyles of the Rich and (In)Famous – Released Aug 19, 2014
 
Nicole "Nyx" Green, notorious for her red lipstick and over-the-top personality, has just snagged the man of her dreams–the brooding Crashbang bassist AJ Abbott. Well, he was the man of her dreams. Now that they’re together, Nyx is realizing that he’s way too obsessed with his music to even think about having a girlfriend.

AJ’s obsession pays off when the band meets with record executives in New York City, and Nyx meets her half-brother Jeremy. Reuniting with long lost family is complicated enough (especially a long lost family who are tabloid staples), but Nyx never expected to meet Tristan.

See, Jeremy happens to be best friends with the gorgeous, arrogant Tristan Halifax, an A-Lister with a penchant for beautiful women. Nyx and Tristan might experience love at first sight, but rock star ex- boyfriends are hard to forget—especially when they keep writing chart topping love songs dedicated to her red lipstick.

Overnight, Nyx becomes America’s Sweetheart—scandalizing parties, frolicking with Manhattan’s Golden Boys, and being hounded by photographers. Sure, it’s fun, but then the press starts turning nasty—jeopardizing her relationship with Tristan, ruining her reputation, and discovering her old skeletons. Plus, there’s AJ, who’s suddenly morphed into a great guy, and now is fighting to reignite their high school romance.

Celebrities are supposed to have it all, right? Money. Looks. Love. But suddenly, a downward spiral doesn’t seem all that unrealistic, and Nyx will have to decide what’s more important–her new infamous lifestyle or her familiar small-town roots.
 
 
 
 
The long lost Wakefield twin. Blair's head minion. The BSC party planner. The original Pink Ranger. Stephanie Tanner's BFF.

In addition to crafting young adult and new adult novels, Tierney Fowler works as an IT consultant by day and a style blogger by night. She resides in Northern Virginia near four shopping malls, counts leopard as her favorite color, and once shot a reality TV show pilot...that never went anywhere.
 
 
 

4/18/16

Book Tour: Marry Poppins by Beth Ciotta


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MARRY POPPINS
Impossible Dream #3
Beth Ciotta
Released February 27th, 2016
BC Ink



When fate bobbles your dream, sometimes you have to make your own magic…

Award-winning author Beth Ciotta presents Marry Poppins, the third book in the contemporary fairy tale series—Impossible Dream—celebrating hope, love, and the magic of the human spirit!

She wants a family. He needs a wife. A marriage-of-convenience solves a myriad of problems for unlucky Georgie Poppins and down-on-his-luck Bryce Morgan. Falling in love wasn’t part of the bargain so no one is more surprised than Georgie and Bryce when sexual sparks ignite a full-blown romance. Unfortunately, as love swells, trouble mounts, including a glitch at Impossible Dream.com—an Internet company designed to match people with their most avid desire. Maybe Georgie and Bryce weren’t meant to be after all.

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Beth Ciotta is an award-winning author who specializes in quirky romantic adventures. Dubbed “fun and sexy” by Publishers Weekly, her work includes contemporary, historical, and paranormal romantic fiction. Beth lives in New Jersey with her husband, two zany dogs, and a crazy cat.

A retired professional performer, Beth now pours her artistic passion into her writing. To learn more about her colorful life, visit her website at www.bethciotta.com



Looking for more Impossible Dream Romances?

4/15/16

Cover Reveal: Confessions of a Jewish Skeptic by Sarahbeth Caplin

 
Title: Confessions of a Jewish Skeptic
Author: Sarahbeth Caplin
Genre: Spiritual Memoir
Release Date: May 20, 2016
 
 
 
For the first time since converting to Christianity several years ago, I was forced to reconsider what Judaism meant to me after my failed attempt at seminary, and after my father died on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. This is not a story about finding God, but about what happens when doubt threatens to break the faith of your own choosing - and how one seeker chooses to confront questions that don't have easy answers, if any answers at all.
 
I feel safer by living on the fringes of faith, where grace and humility are clearer to me than ever before. For now, this is the safest place to be. It's messy, it's sloppy, it's anything but organized. But I'm learning to make it a home.
 
 
 
If I look back on my life from a psychologist’s perspective, it makes sense why Christianity appealed to me so much. The person with OCD likes everything neatly arranged and in impeccable order (at least this person does). From the outside looking in, Christianity seemed to fit this bill with its clear definitions of right and wrong, moral and immoral, holy and unholy.
 
It’s not so much that I agreed with everything most denominations have in common, so much as I admired the organization of doctrines. Judaism by comparison (Reform Judaism, obviously) allowed far too much room for making up my own mind about things, and that, to me, was its fatal flaw.
 
Well, the joke is on me now, isn’t it? I had no idea that churches have split, and continue to split, over doctrinal disagreements. The black and white ideas I thought were so clear are actually anything but, depending on the subject. Needless to say, this is all very frustrating for someone who thought she was signing up for a religion of easy answers.
 
The most adamant teaching from my college ministry was the necessity of having an answer for what we believe and why, per the instructions of 1 Peter 3:15: “Always have an answer ready for the hope you have in Christ.” Because we never knew when a crazed gunman might come to campus and attempt to make us martyrs, like what supposedly happened at Columbine (what do you expect from a group that calls itself Campus Crusade, after all?).
 
Except no one got martyred while I was in college. Instead, students claimed to be asked from time to time, “Why are you always so happy? What’s your secret?” And that would be the platform for witnessing.
 
Well, few people would ever look at me and think, “Gosh, isn’t she happy!” so I don’t think that tactic works for me. I can’t remember a time I’ve ever had anyone randomly come up to me and ask about my “secret” for which Jesus would be the answer. Actually, the only people who have ever gotten in my face to ask about my beliefs were street preachers, the angry kind who just want an excuse to tell me why I’m wrong and that I’m going to hell. And then a radical thought occurred to me…
 
This pressure I feel to have answers, to know exactly which box represents my beliefs so I can put a check mark next to it, now mostly comes from me. Reality doesn’t actually work that way. I don’t owe anyone an explanation of my faith journey and the shaky place I find myself now. That story is much better explained with a friend over coffee, in which the goal is to share our struggles and understand each other, because that’s how relationships work. And I think this is why I’m able to have friendships with people who aren’t Christian, because admitting “I don’t know” comes much easier to me than “This is why I’m right.”
 
Still, the Bible itself continues to be a source of pressure for me. It claims you’re either “on fire” for God or “lukewarm” and will be spit right out. You’re either for Jesus, or against him. You’re a True Christian, or you’re lost. For all the narratives and parables about men and women who emulated the paradox of faith and doubt, there’s plenty more that keeps me up at night, praying for grace and humility for all the things I could be wrong about.
 
I’ve met Christians who are absolutely confident that hell is not a literal place; that Jesus is one of many paths to God. My own belief insecurities are too great for me to condemn anyone who strays from Orthodox teachings. More than that, deep down I hope those beliefs are right, even if I never confess them with confidence. Perhaps it would be easier to reject the things I don’t like, but I feel safer by living on the fringes, where grace and humility are clearer to me than ever before. For now, this is the safest place for me to be. It’s messy, it’s sloppy, it’s anything but organized, and drives my OCD crazy. But I’m learning to make it a home.
 
 
 
 
Sarahbeth Caplin is an author, blogger, editor, and freelancer with a degree in English Literature from Kent State University and is working on an MA in creative writing at Colorado State. Her memoir Confessions of a Prodigal Daughter ranked #1 in Amazon's top 100 bestselling books on personal growth in the summer of 2015, and her novel A Stunning Accusation ranked #6 in New Adult fiction that fall. Her essays have appeared in xoJane, Feminine Collective, and the Stigma Fighters Anthology (available from Booktrope). She lives in northern Colorado with her husband and kittens. Follow her blog at www.sbethcaplin.com.
 
 
 

JR Ward's BLOOD VOW cover revealed on Entertainment Weekly

Head on over to Entertainment Weekly's website to see the cover for JR Ward's second Black Dagger Legacy book, BLOOD VOW.  Here's the book blurb, also from EW.com:

Trainees at the Black Dagger Brotherhood’s training center continue to prepare for the war against the Lessening Society, but fighting is the last thing on Axe’s mind. Still plagued with the guilt of his father’s death, the brooding loner finds himself battling an unlikely attraction to Peyton’s enticing, aristocratic cousin, Elise. Elise feels it, too – especially when the two are thrown together in unusual circumstances, and she must decide whether she can trust Axe as she uncovers the mystery surrounding her sister’s death.
Meanwhile, Mary and Rhage are fostering Bitty, a young pretrans orphan, and hope to adopt her… until the appearance of a young male claiming to be Bitty’s blooded uncle threatens to tear the new family apart.

The book will be released on December 6, 2016.

4/14/16

Book Tour & Giveaway: Calling It by Jen Doyle


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CALLING IT
Jen Doyle
Releasing April 11th, 2016
Carina Press


Baseball player Nathan Hawkins needs to get away from Chicago. After a near career-ending car accident and with paparazzi surrounding his penthouse, Nate can only think of one place to go: home. But when he finds his old apartment occupied by a half-naked woman wielding a baseball bat, he's not sure what to think...except that maybe his luck has finally changed for the better.

Librarian Dorie Donelli never thought she'd get to meet her fantasy man in person—much less while she’s wearing her bathrobe. To her surprise, her nearly naked run-in with Nate leads to more unclothed encounters. But Dorie is sure their fling is only temporary. As long as she remembers he’ll be gone once his life gets back on track, she won’t get hurt. In the meantime, she throws herself into enjoying their three weeks together before he has to report for spring training and go back to his old life.

For Nate, being with Dorie is the only time in months that he finds himself smiling. Laughing. And he has no intention of letting that go. He might even be falling in love…if only Dorie will let him say the words. What they have isn’t just a dream, but the start of a dream come true.

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A big believer in happily ever afters, Jen Doyle decided it was high time she started creating some. Jen is a member of the Romance Writers of America, as well as a member of the New England, New Jersey Romance Writers and Music City Romance Writer chapters of RWA. She is represented by Sarah E. Younger of the Nancy Yost Literary Agency. She has an M.S. in Library and Information Science and, in addition to her work as a librarian, has worked as a conference and events planner as well as a Communications and Enrollment administrator in both preschool and higher education environments (although some might say that there is very little difference between the two; Jen has no comment regarding whether she is one of the “some”).

CALLING IT is her first book, the first of two which will be published by Carina Press in 2016. It was the winner of The Beacon, the Finish the Damn Book, and the Melody of Love 2014 contests in the Contemporary Romance category, and was also the Contemporary Romance winner as well as the Grand Prize Winner of the 2014 Gateway to the Best contest.


4/13/16

Book Tour & Giveaway: Off the Hook by Laura Drewry


Enter to Win a $25.00 eGift Card to Choice Book Seller


OFF THE HOOK
Fishing for Trouble #1
Laura Drewry
Releasing April 12, 2016
Loveswept


Welcome to The Buoys, a West Coast haven where love comes in with the tide. Perfect for readers of Jill Shalvis and Susan Mallery, the Fishing for Trouble series features three unforgettable brothers—each of whom is a great catch.

Major league pitcher Liam O’Donnell knows his best days are probably behind him, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to retire and become a fishing guide. Still, after all the time he’s spent chasing his dreams, he owes it to his brothers to pull his weight around the lodge. The Buoys is their father’s legacy, and they can’t let some developer take it from them. The one snag Liam isn’t counting on is a blast from the past: his ex-wife.

The moment Kate Hadley steps out of the seaplane, she knows this assignment is going to be trickier than she thought. She has to persuade the owners to sell—and one of them is Liam O’Donnell. Ten years ago, she made the biggest mistake of her life when she married Liam during a fling in Vegas. Now he’s her only lifeline in the middle of nowhere. Kate’s trying to keep things cool, but Liam just reminds her of the scorching few nights they spent together—and tempts her to make new memories that are just as steamy as the old.

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USA Today Bestselling author, Laura Drewry had been scribbling things for years before she decided to seriously sit down and write. After spending eight years in the Canadian north, Laura now lives back home in southwestern British Columbia with her husband, three sons, a turtle named Sheldon, and an extremely energetic German shepherd. She loves old tattered books, good movies, country music, and the New York Yankees.



4/6/16

In My Mailbox: April 2016

Another month, another book delivery from Amazon...  This month the smile box brought me the following books.

Cuff Me (New York's Finest #3) by Lauren Layne
Because of Miss Bridgerton (Rokesbys #1) by Julia Quinn
A Billionaire After Dark (Billionaires #2) by Katie Lane
A Better Man (Sunshine Creek Vineyard #1) by Candis Terry
Six Degrees of Scandal (Scandalous #4) by Caroline Linden
Nobody but You (Cedar Ridge #3) by Jill Shalvis
More Than a Feeling (Heart of the Rockies #3) by Sara Richardson
The Cracked Spine (A Scottish Bookshop Mystery #1) by Paige Shelton
Darkness by Karen Robards
Crime and Poetry (A Magical Bookshop Mystery #1) by Amanda Flower
Breaking for Bodies (A Cycle Path Mystery #2) by Duffy Brown
Killer Takeout (A Key West Food Critic Mystery #6) by Lucy Burdette
An Unhappy Medium (A Family Fortune Mystery #4) by Dawn Eastman
One Hot Summer (One and Only Texas #1) by Melissa Cutler
Rest in Peach (A Georgia Peach Mystery #2) by Susan Furlong
Moss Hysteria (A Flower Shop Mystery #18) by Kate Collins

4/5/16

Release Blast: The Wedding Date by Kelly Eadon


Don't Miss this Brand New Release!


THE WEDDING DATE
Kelly Eadon
Releasing April 5th, 2016
Forever


A LITTLE FAKE RELATIONSHIP NEVER HURT ANYONE . . .

Kate Massie has big dreams-they just haven't worked out. Yet. In the meantime, she spends her days clerking for a judge and her nights fantasizing about her tall, dark, and sexy gym crush. So when she runs into him one night, she's shocked to realize he was her shy, nerdy junior-prom date. But that isn't where the surprises end . . .


James Abell needs a date to his sister's wedding. So when Kate agrees, he's relieved . . . until one little lie turns their wedding date into a full-blown fake relationship. Only it doesn't feel fake-not the toe-curling kisses and definitely not the electricity. Neither of them is looking for something real . . . but they just might fall for their own little white lie.

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Kelly Eadon is a romance writer living in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and a house full of rescue animals, aka "the kraken". She swears like a sailor and says whatever pops into her head. In order to counteract her big mouth, she wears high heels whenever possible. In her spare time she spins, kick boxes and attempts to renovate her farmhouse. She hates sanding drywall, loves to cook, drinks lots of wine, gets scary competitive at trivia, and enjoys time spent exploring with her rescued beagle mixes.