Cover Reveal – Elena Dillon – Breathe and Shimmer

 

Breathe by Elena Dillon

Book 1 – Breathe Series

Young Adult Romantic Suspense

Jasmine’s life wasn’t normal for a 16 year old girl. It hadn’t been normal since the murder of her older sister, Daisy, two years ago. Her life had been changed forever. The monster that murdered Daisy was never caught. That was the reason her family decided to move away from their hometown in Southern California, to start over. Hopefully in a place where the last name Rourke wouldn’t bring on staring or judgment or morbid curiosity.

In Lafayette, Louisiana things are quite a bit different but in a good way. Good manners, Cajun accents and a whole lot of Southern Hospitality all make her think things are going in the right direction. On top of that the most gorgeous boy she has ever met is interested in her. Her new friends are better than she could have hoped for even if she is worried about what they might think when they find out who she is. Life would be perfect if odd things didn’t keep happening. Creepy phone calls, texts, and flowers in her locker start adding up quickly to something terrifying. Could the Monster have followed them to Lafayette? Was he coming after her this time? Maybe she was just worrying unnecessarily…or not.

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Shimmer by Elena Dillon

Book 2 – Breathe Series

Young Adult Romantic Suspense

Chandler Raines and her “dad” are on the run. Never staying in one place for very long. It’s just not safe. When they arrive in Lafayette, Louisiana, Chandler quickly realizes this is the place she wants to call home. Friends, a cute boy, and competitive cheerleading have her taking dangerous risks to have the life she always wanted. Risks she promised she wouldn’t take. When her lies catch up to her, a decision has to be made. Stay or run? Will the evil that’s chased them for the last four years catch up to them? When Chandler’s past comes screeching into the present she’ll have to sacrifice everything to keep what she loves safe. But will it be enough?

About the Author

I have had a love of books for as long as I can remember. I got in trouble as a kid for staying up too late on school nights, reading. I’m a nerdgirl and proud of it. I’ve been writing my whole life but only recently decided to come out in public with it.

I write Young Adult love stories because as my husband would tell you, I never matured much past fifteen. There is nothing better to me than a good romance with an amazing hero, throw in some creepy suspense and I’m in.

I write from my home office in Southern California with our English Bulldog, Brutus to keep me company. To hear about him, my writing experience and read some outtakes of my stories check out my blog at elenadillon.com.

I love to chat with other readers and writers.

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Cover Reveal – Panic by J A Huss

This cover is absolutely gorgeous – Rook and Ronin together, with Ronin looking ripped as.

I have just read Tragic, which I received as a gift from a friend, and when I first started to read it, I had about three stories I was reading all at the same time, so Tragic was left in the TBR (To be Read) pile.  But something made me return to it recently, and I couldn’t put the story down.  A wonderful story about a woman with a past who accidently ends up in the right place at the right time.  Rook and Ronin have invaded my waking hours ever since, and I have since purchased Manic to read, but keep putting it off, because I don’t want to get too wound up about reading it and having nothing to follow it up with – until now.  Panic is due out soon!

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

And there is a giveaway – check it out at Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal – It Was Me by Anna Cruise

All West Montgomery wanted was a vacation. A week-long stay in Tucson with Abby and her parents, a chance to get away for the week, the opportunity to get to know her family a little better and maybe carve out a little alone time with his girlfriend.

What he doesn’t count on is finding a way to resume his baseball career.

Encouraged by Abby and her father to attend a MLB open tryout, West discovers that he can still play ball—well—and he suddenly becomes the hottest commodity on the field. Overwhelmed with offers and possibilities, West knows that whatever choice he makes will affect more than his baseball career. It will affect his future with Abby.

Professional baseball was always his dream, but Abby was a new dream come true. He doesn’t want to choose between them, but in order to fulfill one of those dreams, West will have to.

Because he knows it’s all on him.

BOOK DETAILS:

Title: It Was Me

Author: Anna Cruise

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance – Note: This book is recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual content and language.

Cover Designer: MaeIDesign

Format: Available in Print and Ebook

Release Date: July 30, 2013

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a Rafflecopter giveaway – 1 paperback and 5 eBooks to give away.  Click to enter.

Bare-Naked Lola – Melissa Bourbon Ramirez

Going undercover is second nature for Private Investigator Lola Cruz, but she’s out of her league when the case of a murdered Royals Courtside Dancer leads her to a local nudist resort. Parading around the sidelines of Sacramento’s professional basketball scene in a barely-there cheerleading outfit is one thing—but parading around in nothing but smile? If she has any chance of hiding this from her traditional family and on-again/off-again boyfriend Jack, she’s going to have a lot more than her duct tape bra and killer dance moves to keep under wraps….

Sadly, I haven’t read the first two of this series – though that doesn’t really matter as Miss Ramirez does a great job of seamlessly introducing any necessary history into the narrative without bogging the story down.

It was a great, light weight read. I powered through it in less than 24 hours and it provided me with a nice little escape and plenty of giggles. Lola Cruz is a character I could easily grow to love: she’s kick ass, loyal to her family and friends, true to her values (once she realizes what they are), and also has a softer side.

There is quite a large cast in the novel, loads of secondary characters, most of whom are a mix of the usual people you’d find in these novels, but each with a unique spin on that archetype. The story line was hilarious, and the situations Lola found herself in had me in stitches.

I’d recommend this book for anyone who likes these kinds of mysteries – so if you are a fan of Stephanie Plum, then you’ll probably enjoy this one. Worth checking out.

The Prince of Soul and the Lighthouse – review

What happens when we die? 

This has been the third question on mankind’s FAQ list since the dawn of time (numbers one and two being: Is this edible? and Excuse me, would you care to breed?). 

I know what happens. Believe me, I’d rather not. But I do. 

There is a lighthouse, and it guides our souls along the narrow path to being reborn as humans. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, as my undead granddad and the Tibetan special mission monk in my kitchen have kindly told me, there’s a problem with the lighthouse. And if the world is to be saved, someone needs to fix it.  Which is where I come in: George Larson, eighteen years old. Who could possibly be better suited to save the world? 

Well, almost anyone. Especially as being a teenage guy is nothing at all about question three but all about questions one and two.  And really, that’s complicated enough as it is.

This is the first release from new publisher on the block Steam Press, by Swedish author, Fredrik Brounéus. Firmly set in the landscape of the South Island of New Zealand, it brings together fantasy elements with science fiction, and perhaps what some might consider horror elements – I mean, it has a zombie, though he only seems to be worried about his next coffee fix. Your brains are safe.

From the get-go, this book was making me smile. The main character, George, is very likable, and Brounéus has nailed the late teen, kiwi male perspective. He made for an amusing protagonist, and one that I could get behind. I wanted him to ‘win’ though I wasn’t sure what that might entail, being that there is a great deal of mystery surrounding what it is he’s meant to be doing.

I was drawn right into that mystery, and had to read on to find out what on earth was going on. Eventually all the clues, hints and suggestions become clear in a grand reveal that blew my mind. LOVE the concepts in this book, though I don’t want to say too much as I don’t want to ruin it for you. If you like your humor mixed with some action, some mysticism, philosophy and science, then I think you might really enjoy this book. I adored the footnotes (a really nice change from reading footnotes in research articles!), the drawings and the easy to engage with style that this book is written in.

If you are keen to check it out, head over to Steam Press and read a sample!

Pure Blood – Melissa Pearl

It is only a matter of time before Gemma’s parents find out she traveled through time to bring Harrison back into existence. The fear of being found out is a heavy weight on her shoulders, but she refuses to give up on everything she’s fought for. Harrison is worth the risk. 

The couple draws closer together as they battle opposing forces from all sides. They stay strong until Gemma’s parents welcome an exchange student into their home. Simeon, a gorgeous Californian, is as smooth as coffee and, supposedly, a fellow time spirit. Gemma’s parents expect her to take him everywhere and, of course, fall in love with him. After all, he is the boy they have chosen for her. 

No longer able to sneak off alone, Gemma must watch every step as she waits for the inevitable nightmare to catch up to her. Her parents ultimate goal is to get that last necklace and open the box hidden in their safe. If they do, Gemma knows her entire world will unravel. 

As the danger mounts, Gemma must decide if she has the courage to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the ones she loves and stop to her parents’ destructive plans.

Pure Blood (Time Spirit Trilogy) is the third and final (for now) book in the series, which finally answers the question that has been threaded throughout books one and two – what are Gemma’s parents up to?

I have to say that I was surprised! I’m not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t this – it’s fabulous when an author can surprise the reader, and I felt like Melissa did. The escalation of violence and erratic behaviour from her parents, and the exchange student they planted into Gemma’s life made things very difficult for her, but those were not the only challenges faced in this book, because Harrison’s mother suddenly goes cold on Gemma, and neither her, or Harrison, can figure out why. The two struggle to figure out who they really are, and what that means for themselves as individuals, as well as a couple.

There were a lot of threads to be tied up in the book, and while some of them were obvious, there were plenty of surprises – not everything is as you might suspect. I don’t really want to say too much, because I would hate to give the ending away, but this is a great finale to the series, and I was really satisfied with how it was wrapped up. Gemma is an amazing girl, and my heart broke for her several times during this book. Still, she stayed true to herself, and pushed on despite the odds. If you’ve read the first two books in this series, then you NEED to read this one. You won’t be disappointed.

I’m looking forward to seeing what Melissa Pearl puts out next, and you can be sure I’ll be grabbing a copy, whatever it turns out to be.

The Prince of Soul and the Lighthouse

I started reading this novel ten days ago, and while it might sound like its taking me awhile to read, it has nothing to do with the quality. I’m enjoying this book immensely, loving the sense of humour of the author and giggling out loud far too often for my husbands liking. He doesn’t read books, you see, and it makes him want to know what’s so amusing 😉

I wrote a post on my other blog with some images from the book, you should totally go and check it out. This is the first paper book I have read in over a year, and it’s been quite an experience for me so far.

For instance, I now know that reading paper books is just as tricky as I suspected it would be with three children. My youngest has taken a great fondness for it, which means that any time I am trying to read and get her to sleep she is very distracted by the book and won’t nap. Also, I can’t leave it lying around as all the kids pick it up and want to look through it – I’ve lost my page several times. I don’t know what it is about print books, but they are far more interested in it than they have ever been in my Kindle.

Which, I guess is a really good thing in some ways – they love books and want to interact with them. They recognize them as something good and worth flicking through, and for that I am pleased. I’m obviously doing an okay job of role modelling, even if I very rarely pick up a print book 😉

Anyway, so far this is a really enjoyable book. It’s a delicious slice of NZ speculative fiction, and I really wish I could get more time to read it! Those pesky kids are making it difficult. That said, it’s a beautiful book and this way I get to savor the experience. This is the first release of NZ’s Steam Press (officially on sale as of March 14th), and from what I’ve seen so far, I will definitely be checking out further releases. The Prince of Soul and the Lighthouse is already getting some excellent feedback, and I’m looking forward to finishing the book and sharing a review with you here. If you are interested in reading a sample, you can find on here (under the author pic, beside the cover image).

In the meantime… I better find a way to sneak a chapter in here and there while the kids aren’t looking 😉

Cover Reveal – Bare Naked Lola

The latest installment in the Lola Cruz mystery novels is coming out in May, 2012, and today we’re participating in Entangled’s cover reveal for it. It looks like a fun read, right?

The series has been likened to Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels, and if that’s anything to go by, this should be a great book to curl up on the couch with. Here is the blurb for Bare Naked Lola:

Going undercover is second nature for Private Investigator Lola Cruz, but she’s out of her league when the case of a murdered Royals Courtside Dancer leads her to a local nudist resort. Parading around the sidelines of Sacramento’s professional basketball scene in a barely-there cheerleading outfit is one thing—but parading around in nothing but smile? If she has any chance of hiding this from her traditional family and on-again/off-again boyfriend Jack, she’s going to have a lot more than her duct tape bra and killer dance moves to keep under wraps….

I don’t know about you, but I’ll be checking it out!

Lois Sachar – Holes

Published by Bloomsbury

ISBN 0 7475 4847 1

 Stanley Yelnats isn’t too surprised to find himself atCampGreenLake, digging holes in the dried up lake bed, day after scorching day.  After all, his family has a history of bad luck.

 The boys at Camp Green Lake must dig one hold each day, five feet deep and five feet across.  But what are they digging for?  Why did Green Lake dry up?  And what do onions and lizards have to do with it all?  The answers lie in Stanley’s own past…

 Man I enjoyed this story.  It flowed quickly, didn’t linger, but had a real kicker at the end.  In fact I read the last part of the book and groaned that I hadn’t seen it earlier!

 Stanley lands up in trouble, and instead of prison he is sent to Camp Green Lake, a facility for boys who are in major trouble. Stanley struggles to fit in initially, but after sticking up for his fellow group, he fast becomes a firm favourite.  But then it goes pear shaped when he strikes a deal with one of his group – he will teach him to read, and Zero will dig part of his hole.  This creates tension which leads to Stanley and Zero running away.

 The flashbacks in history were interesting and tied in with the story so well.  In fact the way the ending comes together makes you aware of what had happened in the book and tidied it up so nicely.

 This was a book that I would highly recommend to adults and young adults alike, as the humour and situations in the book would seem familiar to most.

Rounding out 2011

I hope that everyone has had a very Merry Christmas (did anyone get any new books?? let us know if you did!) and have a lovely New Years Eve planned. I can hardly believe that 2012 is almost upon us.

Last night I managed to finish my 100th book for 2011. It was an unofficial goal (75 was my actual) so it was pretty exciting to reach the higher number. It’s been a really eclectic mix of books, some good, some bad, but in general I feel much richer for the reading.

I still have some reviews to catch up on, but that will have to wait until the New Year. I’ll be reading at a much more sedate pace, with study and work taking up some of my reading for pleasure time. However, I am hoping this means I can get into a better routine of reviewing 😉

It’s a good time to start assessing goals for the new year, and one of the things I would like to do is bring more life to this review blog. I’m hoping that there will be more variety in the posts, but would love to know what you, the reader, would like to see. An official schedule? More blog tours? More interviews? Giveaways? Guest posts from authors? Please do let me know, and then I can work on giving you what you want.

Anyway, that’s it from me for the year – we’re actually on holiday, so I better get back to the family – I’ll see you bright and early in 2012, and I’m looking forward to a fresh year and many wonderful new books!