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Thursday, April 24, 2014

These Gentle Wounds Blog Tour & Review


THESE GENTLE WOUNDS by Helene Dunbar Release Date: May 8, 2014 Paperback, 312 pages Publisher: Flux Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Tough Issues / PTSD
Sometimes I wish I’d lost a leg or something. Everyone can understand that. They never get it when what’s been broken is inside your head. Five years after an unspeakable tragedy that changed him forever, Gordie Allen has made a new home with his half-brother Kevin. Their arrangement works since Kevin is the only person who can protect Gordie at school and keep him focused on getting his life back on track. But just when it seems like things are becoming normal, Gordie’s biological father comes back into the picture, demanding a place in his life. Now there’s nothing to stop Gordie from falling into a tailspin that could cost him everything—including his relationship with Sarah, the first girl he’s trusted with the truth. With his world spinning out of control, the only one who can help Gordie is himself . . . if he can find the strength to confront the past and take back his future.
April 14thDanaSquare  – Review
April 15h The Reader and The Chef – Review
April 16th Angie's Reading Dungeon – Review/Playlist
April 16th Alice Marvels – Review
April 17th Escaping One Book at a Time – Review/Guest Post
April 17th Dizneee's World of Books – Review/Top Ten
April 18h The Happy Booker – Review/Guest Post
April 18thLoving The Language of Literacy  – Review/Playlist
April 18th Our Wolves Den  – Review
April 21st A Bump On A Log – Review
April 22nd  – Review
April 23rdA Diary of A Book Addict   – Review/Top Ten
April 24thBooks & Chocolates  – Review
April 24th What A Nerd Girl Says – Review
April 24th Chelsea's Reading Adventures  – Review
April 25th The-Society.Net  – Review
April 25th Books With Bite – Review
April 25th Curling Up With A Good Book– Review/Character Profile
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Books & Chocolate Book Review

*I was given this ARC in exchange for my honest book review.*
These Gentle Wounds was a soul touching story with real packed emotions.I really didn't know what to expect when i first started reading this book, but i was pleased and being touched very early on of reading. Dealing with issues of mental illness and sickness, i felt so much compassion, and i was educated as well. It really took me back to a time in my life. I was never abused as a child, but as an adult, and I felt a real connection to this book. Dunbar really evoked emotion, and the character Gordie was very memorable. Sarah was somewhat my hero in this book because she was everything Gordie needed in his life, especially after dealing with so much heartbreak so young in his life. I really enjoyed this book, even though at times I dropped a tear or two. Please go out and get this book.
I gave it *****5 chocolate stars.
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Helene Dunbar usually writes features about fiddles and accordions for Irish Music Magazine, but she’s also been known to write about court cases, theater, and Native American Indian tribes.
She's lived in two countries, six states, and is currently holed up in Nashville with her husband, daughter, two cats, and the world’s friendliest golden retriever.
THESE GENTLE WOUNDS is Helene’s debut novel with Flux Books.
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Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Ash To Steele Book Tour & Review


ASH TO STEELE
by KAREN-ANNE STEWART
New Adult Romance
RELEASE DATE: February 13, 2014

Ash_to_Steele_Cover_for_Kindle

SYNOPSIS:

Emma
Who I am and all I believe is marred with just one glance into angry, steel blue eyes. He seems to control my air, my ability to breathe. He makes me crave everything I know is a sin. Pure becomes tainted and lines are blurred. It’s my fault; I’m the one who isn’t strong enough. I’ve been damaged…broken. Breck’s words haunt me…’There’s a consequence for every choice you make.’
Breck
I’ve had so many women I can’t even remember over half of their names, but none of them are mine; I make damn sure of that. I take what I desire and never look back. I don’t need or want anyone, ever…not until I met Emma. Those eyes bore into what’s left of my soul and her touch sears me, weakens me. I want to hate her for that. She is my ruin…my sweetest hell.
Disclaimer: Intended for readers 18+ due to strong language, mature scenes, and some violence.

****Book Links****

AMAZON / GOODREADS

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                                          Books & Chocolate Book Review
First, let me start by saying that I am so disappointed in myself for not having read any books by Stewart. This was a real juicy page turner. These were some real memorable strong characters. Emily being timid, fresh and pure; but passionate, and Breck, was strong, passionate and full of emotion. Stewart really packed a punch with this book, from Breck and Emily's friendship, to the sex appeal that lingered all around Breck. "Whew!"
Listen, i felt like i was a character in this book, lol. All i can say is that you have to go out and get this book. I do not want to give away to much of the juice, but you don't want to miss out on the ending.
I gave this book *****5 chocolate stars!
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EXCERPT #1

His confession knocks the air out of me, just as ruthlessly as if he punched me in the stomach.  I gasp, desperately try to fill my lungs with air, “I am yours. You’ve always had me; even when I hated you, you had me.” 
 All coherent thoughts disintegrate when Breck grabs my shoulders, pulling me against him.  The heat of his body radiates through my skin as his hand runs behind my head, sliding up my neck until his fingers are tangled in my hair, pulling it until my mouth is almost touching his.  The intensity of his gaze weakens me.  Steel blue phases into a stormy gray as his mouth collides with mine. 
 My head spins. My knees go weak as I collapse against him, my body not able to handle the intensity of the sensations exploding inside of me.  Breck’s lips claim mine with such power, for one second, I am afraid.  I know the danger of losing myself in him, but then the fear is gone; there is no one else I would rather lose myself to. 
 His hand fists my hair as his kiss deepens, his tongue pushing, probing, demanding access.  Opening my mouth, I kiss him back.  The feel of his lips conquering me, the taste of his tongue as it slides over mine, colliding, taming, plundering, sends the sweetest shivers down my spine.  His teeth graze my bottom lip, nipping and lavishing as his tongue tastes my lips, then plunges inside again, breaking me to his will.  I need him with such desperation, I cringe at my weakness but allow him to tame me.


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GIVEAWAY
Blitz-wide giveaway

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MEET Karen-Anne Stewart…

Karen-Anne
Karen-Anne Stewart has always adored reading and has now fallen in love with writing. Her written works are The Rain Trilogy: Saving Rain, Healing Rain, and After the Rain, and the newly released stand alone novel, Ash to Steele. Her debut novel, Saving Rain: The First Novel in The Rain Trilogy, was a nominee for the Book Junkie’s Choice Awards and is a nominee for the RONE Awards to be held July 2014. 

When Karen-Anne isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking, and visiting new places. She fuels her addiction of creating new stories by her only other addiction, caffeine, and listening to a myriad of musical genres. Tucked away near the Blue Ridge Mountains, Karen-Anne lives with her husband, daughter, two dogs, and their cat. She plans on writing new adult romance as long as her fingers maintain dexterity. 

Connect with Karen-Anne -Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

The Accidental Socialite Book Tour & Review

                                       The Accidental Socialite Book Tour & Review


The Accidental Socialite
by Stephanie Wahlstrom 
Release Date: 04/15/14
Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:
Quirky and clumsy twenty-two-year-old Paige Crawford arrives in London on a cold Saturday in January. Just when Paige starts to think that moving thousands of miles away from home with no real plan was a bad idea, Jason Frost appears. Confident and classy, Jason is the complete opposite of Paige and just what she needs in her life, or so she thinks. 

But before their romance has time to blossom, Paige trips and falls into the arms of a mysterious man on a drunken night out. She’s snapped by paparazzi, and newspaper headlines the next day suggest that she’s having an affair with a married footballer. 

Paige finds herself instantly elevated to tabloid celebrity status which isn’t exactly a picnic, particularly when trying to juggle her new job at Fashionista magazine, a catalog of dating disasters and a nagging doubt that she maybe she can’t conquer London after all. 

When a trip back to Canada for Christmas reminds Paige why she left her old life behind, she returns to London with renewed vigor realizing that while jobs, flats and men may come and go, friends in London are forever.






https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18754768-the-accidental-socialite?ac=1

Buy Links:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Accidental-Socialite-Stephanie-Wahlstrom-ebook/dp/B00ILMFZ2C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397286141&sr=8-1&keywords=the+accidental+socialite
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Books & Chocolates Book Review:

The Accidental Socialite was a fun read. Paige Crawford is tired of her boring life and decided to high tail to London, all the way from Canada. Leaving her old life behind because she so much wanted a change is just what she got. Soon after arriving to London, her clumsy ways lands her into the spotlight of cameras and Paparazzi's. What turns out to be fun and exciting at first becomes more of a problem, since now she has no privacy and every move she makes, its so noted. Paige will find out hos celebrities truly live life being judged by all, hated and humiliated. Wahlstrom created and book packed with humor and very memorable characters. I laughed, i had mouth opening moments and I really enjoyed this book. I was given this book in return for an honest review. I give this ****4 chocolate stars. Great Job!

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About the Author
Growing up in Edmonton, Canada, a significant amount of Stephanie’s time was spent making up and acting out stories. She was studying to be an actress when she realized there weren’t any parts for women being written. So, Stephanie wrote herself a short screenplay just to be in it, and quickly realized that writing was her true passion. She graduated from the University of Alberta with an English and Sociology degree and she also has a Bachelor of Motion Picture Arts from Red Deer College. After a fateful trip to Mexico in 2006, Stephanie decided to move to New York City to work in film development. A year later she went back home to write My Green House, a factual TV series. Stephanie moved to London in 2008 and aside from being obsessed with eggs benedict, fruit roll- ups and travelling, she also works in children’s television. The Accidental Socialite is her first novel.

Author Links:
Stephanie Wahlstrom on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7374749.Stephanie_Wahlstrom
Stephanie Wahlstrom on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bacon_N_Legs
Stephanie Wahlstrom’s blog: http://www.stephaniewahlstrom.com/#!blog/c1gwa
Stephanie Wahlstrom on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorStephanieWahlstrom
Stephanie Wahlstrom’s publisher author page: http://www.myswoonromance.com/#!stephanie-wahlstrom/c5r4

PUBLISHER LINKS
www.myswoonromance.com
@swoonromance
Facebook.com/SwoonRomance

***GIVEAWAY***
1 ebook of The Accidental Socialite & $10 Amazon gift card (INT)


Blog Tour Organized by:
YA Bound Book Tours








Friday, April 4, 2014

The Making Of Nebraska Brown

The Making Of Nebraska Brown

Excerpt:
Tommy sat down beside me. His musky cologne smelled familiar. His espresso-colored brown hair parted over on the left side of his head draped over his ears in dogged springiness. I’d told him I liked it shorter. I knew that, too“Of course. We were supposed to meet there for lunch, like we always do on Tuesdays. What’s going on? Why are you playing games?”

I let my head fall into the cushion. Tears tempted me to cry them. They’d been behaving for hours now. I clamped my lids shut, breathed through my mouth“I’m not playing. I don’t know what happened. I can’t remember why I’m here or who I am. Who you are.”

His hand fell on my knee like winter’s first snow, easy and without a sound. When he spoke, he used that same tone—sweet and calm as dawn“Ana it’s me. Tommy. And you’re you. We’re us Have been for over a year.”

I wound my fingers with his, searched his face for the other half of this“us” he referred to. He pulled me close Caramel wafted at me from inside that bag, slapping me around, calling me silly. Tommy held the small of my back in his palm. His hands were large strong and sure, the kind of hands that had never had a frightened moment in their whole life.

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Author Interview:

1. How did you come up with the title The Making of Nebraska Brown?

1.Typically titles are either the first or last thing I decide. In some cases a title is the catalyst for an entire piece of work, though this is rare.

More often than not I assign a temporary working title to a novel and wait until the first draft is completed before pin down an official name. With this book the title was derived from a line spoken by one of the lead characters.

I like to choose something that is directly relevant, yet not obvious. I am drawn to titles that are different, that you aren’t likely to come across anyplace else.

2. What inspired you to write this book?

2.I wanted to create a story that somehow straddled two separate continents and yet were very much converged. have always had a fascination with Italy and its beautiful countryside and colorful natives. Similarly, I am drawn to Midwestern culture. It seemed natural to me to weave the two together and have one young woman’s life trapped between both. I also adore mysteries, so that aspect of the story was almost a given.

3. How long have you been writing?

3.I’ve been writing ever since I was a young girl. I created notebooks ful of characters, scenes and scripts. I was also the type to keep a journal. always recorded my thoughts, feelings and observations. In addition to that, I was an avid reader. Nose in a book. Lost in the pages. Felt very much like home to me. After my kids were older and not as dependent on me I decided to take some creative writing classes to hone my craft.  It’s safe to say that for me writing has been a lifetime in the making.

4. Was it hard for you to write this book?

4. The duality of the events (past and present) combined with revealing the details in bits and pieces definitely presented a few challenges.

I had to keep a “flow chart” in order to be sure things weren’t divulged out of order. However, I really enjoyed the experience of putting this one together.

5. As a writer, what has been your three main struggles?

5. Time, patience and subjectivity.

6. What are some silly things about you that your readers don't know?

6. I will often text my kids acting as if I’m the dog, using her tiny pretend-doggie voice. For example: “Ate another one of your socks today naughty girl sometimes.

7. How has your support been?

7.I’m most fortunate in that I have many friends who are sharing this journey with me. My family is also incredibly supportive. PLUS I have an amazing editorial team behind me.

8. How do you handle a bad book review?

8.I try to remember that old adage about the peaches. You can be the sweetest, juiciest peach in the entire peach world, and yet there wil always be someone who dislikes peaches Again, it speaks to personal taste and subjectivity.

I try to be mindful of that. When I read a book that don’t dig, I usually say nothing at all. It upsets me greatly when I see authors being trashed to within an inch of their lives just because someone didn’t like their work. Especially when a simple “Not the book for me” wil suffice.

A difference in opinion of what defines good literature shouldn’t equal a free pass to being a review bully I hope to see a time when people will agree or disagree on a book without all the biting negativity.

9. What future projects are you working on?

9.My current work in progress is another New Adult/Upper YA mystery which I’m about a third of the way through with. also have a book due out next year called Sing the Wild Horses which is a dramatic contemporary YA story about family, love, identity and of course a little bit of murder too…

10. Leave our readers with some last words.

10. I’m a quote junkie. I will leave you guys with my favorite one of all time from Maya Angelou. This is the smartest piece of advice I’ve ever heard in a quote. “When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.” Trusted advice for every area of our lives.

If you could meet any author, who would it be?

Hands down - Harper Lee! I would adore having a good long chat with that woman. Have a feeling she still has an amazing story or two inside of her.

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About The Author:  * Louise Caiola--

As a young girl growing up on Long Island, Louise spent most of her allowance on Nancy Drew mysteries. She soon realized that one day, she might have a story of her own to tell. Maybe even more than one story.

Although motherhood took center stage in her ife for many years, Louise went back to college after her children were older to study that which she knew deep down was her true passion creative writing. She soon began to craft a collection of short stories which were published n the inspirational online magazine, FAITH HOPE AND FICTION.

Shortly thereafter, her first novel, Wishless, a contemporary YA, was penned and ultimately released in 2011 .

After having her next novel picked up by Immortal Ink Publishing, Louise was invited to join their publishing team, where she is now working in editing, marketing  and acquisitions A confirmed bibliophile, Louise enjoys reading outdoors on a warm spring day and watching her pup chase leaves on a breeze.