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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Spring Fling Giveaway Hop [INT]!


It's Spring...at least for a couple days. Then it's back down into the low 50's for a week or so. That's after two days of 83. Gotta love Chicago weather!

Thanks to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Eve’s Fan Garden for hosting this hop. Enter via the Rafflecopter below, and then hop on to the next blog! Good luck! <3


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Launch Blitz for No Attachments by Tiffany King - Review and Giveaway


Click the banner to see the full tour schedule. 

I am beyond thrilled to be part of the launch blitz for Tiffany King's first NA contemporary romance, No Attachments. This book will rock your world! 




No Attachments by Tiffany King
NA Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: April 28, 2013

Ashton Garrison walked away from a privileged life in order to hide from the one thing she's not willing to face. She knows she left behind a trail of pain, but in the long run, her betrayal will hurt less than the truth. She now has one goal: Live life to the fullest with no regrets and no attachments. She has high hopes that a move to new surroundings will provide the escape she desires, but what Ashton doesn't count on is how fate always seems to find a way to screw up any good plan. Sometimes, when love comes knocking, the pull is too strong not to answer. Suddenly, what she thought she wanted to escape from is what Ashton now wants more than anything.

Nathan Lockton has one mission: find his target and complete the task he was hired to do—no attachments and no emotion necessary. He's done it over and over again. What he thought was a typical lost-and-found job has turned into a life examining moment as Nathan is forced to deal with something he has always ignored--his feelings. Now faced with a decision, Nathan must choose to either follow his heart or complete the job.

Love can come when you least expect it. The question is: If the odds are stacked against you, how far are you willing to go for the one you love?
** Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations, language and mature subject matter **



Tiffany King is the author of The Saving Angels Series, Wishing for Someday Soon, Forever Changed, Unlikely Allies, Miss Me Not and Jordyn: A Daemon Hunter Novel book one. Writer by day and book fanatic the rest of the time, she is now pursuing her life-long dream of weaving tales for others to enjoy.

She has a loving husband and two wonderful kids. (Five, if you count her three spoiled cats). Her addictions include: Her iphone and ipad, chocolate, Diet Coke, chocolate, Harry Potter, chocolate, and her favorite TV shows. Want to know what they are? Just ask.

Where to find Tiffany:
Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Blog | Pinterest

I was joking around with Tiffany on Twitter while putting this post together, saying that I'm going to make a separate post for my favorite quotes, since I highlighted half the book. Here are a couple fun ones!
The moment I entered the bar, I seemed to ignore every rule I'd ever set. My rules were simple enough that a fucking two-year old could follow them.
"Well, shit," I grumbled when I found myself flat on my back at his feet. Would there be no end to embarrassing myself in front of him?
If I'd had any thoughts that his voice only sounded sinful the night before because of the amount of alcohol I had consumed, I was delusional.
I felt more in control once I had the plan worked out in my head, despite the small voice that told me I was full of shit.
I'll admit that I haven't read a lot of New Adult novels yet. I also need to be honest here - No Attachments  was my first Tiffany King read. It will not, however, be my last. I had already bought a couple of her others, but hadn't gotten to them yet.

When the opportunity to read and review No Attachments  came, I decided to give it a try. I AM NOT SORRY AT ALL.  Yes, that required emphasis. I could write pages and pages about how much I loved this book, but it would take days. So I'm just going to ramble a bit. :) No Attachments  is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a contemporary romance with strong, spunky characters.

Ashton Garrison has moved to Woodfalls, a small town where everybody knows everybody else. In this town, she can start over after leaving her old life behind. Ash has a list of things that she'd like to do someday, and with the new start she decides there's no time like the present.

Nathan Lockton has a job to do. Get in, do the job, get out. Nothing else needs to be done. No emotion, no attachments. It's just another job.

Ashton wants a one night stand with no attachments and no regrets. From the moment she and her friends start talking in the bar, I was hooked. Once Ash approaches Nathan, the fun really begins. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to look at a trunk the same way again. :)

Tiffany King does a wonderful job telling the story from alternating viewpoints. We get the opportunity to see where both Ashton and Nathan are coming from. Ashton is running from something (not telling!) and Nathan has a job to do. 

While the reader is aware of some things almost immediately, there are still others that are expanded on throughout the story. As each chapter flies by, we learn more and more about these wonderful people. I started No Attachments  late evening on a Sunday, and did not stop until I reached the end around 2 AM. I was not going to sleep until I finished this amazing story.

I became so wrapped up with these fascinating characters that I didn't want this story to end. I would go to Woodfalls to hang out with Ashton and the girls, maybe have a double date with Nathan and Ashton. Perhaps my guy could pick up a few pointers. :) And I can totally relate to Ashton's feelings and reactions the morning after the bar - been there, almost did that.

There are so many great scenes in this book, but I don't want to say too much here, so here are a few words for you: snow, picnic, canoe, bar, darts, trunk, kitty...yeah. That's enough of a teaser!

I have to give a shout out to Fran. Every small town I've ever been in has a Fran, and Tiffany King wrote her well. Ashton's best friends are also a lot of fun, as are others in the town. Every single character has a voice of their own, and that's another thing I loved about No Attachments.

But this is truly Ashton and Nathan's story, and it's told to perfection. At times I smiled, laughed, and cheered. At others, I groaned, bitched, and yelled. There were times I sobbed - some happy tears, some sad ones. I highly recommend reading this when you have open time because you won't want to put it down. I also suggest having a box of tissues close by...you're going to need it. 



There is a tour-wide giveaway - make sure you fill out the Rafflecopter for your chance to win!

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Cover Reveal: Skinless by L.M. Davis

Blurb
Looking at Luca, who’s just saved my life, I can’t respond. No explanation I might offer will satisfy after all of the extraordinary things he’s just witnessed. Ankh

All I can say is when the girl I like looks at me with wide, freaked out eyes and then runs away, the only thing that I can do run after her. Even if she didn’t ask me, even if she told me not to, I’m not superman enough to fight the instinct to protect herLuca

AnCaela Murphy's body is a ticking bomb that only her mom can defuse. The problem: her mother is missing and presumed taken by the Skinless, bogeymen from Ankh’s home world who've been hunting her family ever since they fled that world and certain death. With help from Luca, a boy whose touch confuses and who refuses to back down, Ankh races against time to find her mother before the bomb inside of her detonates, taking her life.  Tracking the Skinless across the country, the pair search for her mother and uncover the horrifying truth behind the generation's old war.



Bio:
L.M. Davis loves great storytelling. She needs nothing more than a good book and a comfy chair to be happy. She was born in the south, raised in the north, and has a few degrees under her belt. She doesn't like to admit it, but she may have something of a "shifter" fetish. She still hasn’t gotten her black cat, but she thinks about it every day. Her thoughts go something like this: "I really should get a cat." For now, she contents herself with spoiling the pets of her friends and family.
She is the author of Interlopers: A Shifters Novel, Posers: A Shifters Novel, and Skinless

Monday, April 29, 2013

Cover Reveal: Follow the White Rabbit by Kellie Sheridan

I'm pleased to be part of the cover reveal for Follow the White Rabbit  by Kellie Sheridan!

Expected publication: May 21, 2013
Cover designed by Kellie Sheridan

Follow the White Rabbit by Kellie Sheridan
Series: Beautiful Madness, #1
Publication date: May 21, 2013
Genre: YA Fantasy

For centuries, Wonderland thrived as the domain of beautiful bedlam and unapologetic madness. It was a place like no other. All it took was one girl slipping in through the cracks of the universe to start chaos spiraling toward order. In the 150 years since Alice’s visit, the realm has become tainted—almost normal. Rabbits in waistcoats and playing card minions are little more than creatures of myth, and Wonderland is literally falling to pieces.

For Gwen, Rose, and Lucky, Wonderland is home, and yet they know little of its former glory. When the Alice prophecy resurfaces, they’ll have one chance to use Wonderland’s own legends to bring a little mayhem back into their reality. For she who controls Alice controls the fate of Wonderland.
Kellie Sheridan is a Canadian author and book blogger. When not reading books or writing, she also works with books. She is currently working with two small publishers on the marketing/publicity side of things, and is also Joan of ARCs at Spencer Hill Press. In her spare time Kellie watches way too much television and travels whenever she has the opportunity.

Kellie’s first YA novel, Mortality, was released in March, and she is currently hard at work on future writing projects.

Where to find Kellie:
Website | Goodreads | Twitter

To celebrate the cover reveal, I have an ebook copy of Follow the White Rabbit  to give away. Enter via the Rafflecopter below. Good luck! <3

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Sunday, April 28, 2013

The Sunday Post - 3rd Edition


 The Sunday Post - 3rd Edition 4/28/13 (4/21-4/27/13)
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.
Happy Sunday! Our weather here in Chicago is slowly improving. I guess Mother Nature finally got the memo that it's supposed to be Spring!

My news & updates:

  • Friday evening, I installed Disqus. As of this post, I'm still waiting for the import of previous comments to complete, but I am happy with it so far! 
  • For some reason, I didn't get a lot of reading done this week. I was surprised when I looked and saw I only read two books all week. I did start a third, but I just finished it this morning. :)

What happened last week:

What I read:

What's coming up this week:

  • Top Ten Tuesday & Waiting on Wednesday
  • Reverse Author Interviews with Cinda Williams Chima and Jodi Lynn Anderson
  • Cover Reveal - Follow the White Rabbit by Kellie Sheridan
  • Release Day Review of No Attachments by Tiffany King (While finalizing this post, Tiffany announced that No Attachments is up on Amazon early - go grab it!)
  • Guest post from Katy Evans, author of Real
  • Spring Fling Giveaway Hop
  • Cover Reveal - Endure by M.R. Merrick
  • Feature & Follow Friday
Also this week, I'm excited to be featured as the Blog of the Week over at Mind Reader. Stop by tomorrow and check out my interview - I babbled a lot :)

As usual, there are a few things in the 'possible' section of this week's calendar that may or may not pop up!

New to my Kindle Fire:

From Edelweiss (Thanks to Edelweiss and Avon Red):
Bought:

Around the Blogosphere:

How people found Phantasmic Reads:

Someone made it to Phantasmic Reads by searching for:
cat named burger
I guess I can thank Nicole Taylor for this one! <3

Have a Phantasmic week, everyone!  

Friday, April 26, 2013

A Quick Announcement

Hello my darlings! This is just a quick note to let you all know I've decided to switch to Disqus for comments. I'm tired of fighting with Blogger's system.

HEADS UP: When I tried this a while back, people's icons weren't showing up. They informed me that once Disqus is installed and someone posts a comment, the icons should return. I'm hoping it'll update all the older posts, but we'll see. :)

Please, please, please let me know if you notice anything wrong with the new system. It may take a little time to import old comments, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll work out.

Feel free to leave a comment here, even if it's only a *wave*! Thanks for being patient through this :)

Reverse Author Interview - Jay Kristoff

This is an event the ladies over at Book Munchies came up with. The tables are turned - authors get to interview bloggers for a change!

This feature will be running Tuesdays and Fridays from now until May 7th. Several authors have provided some great questions for us bloggers. You can still join in, so check out the sign-up post HERE!

Today's questions are courtesy of author Jay Kristoff.

How do you hear about the books you want to read? Friends? Blogs? Goodreads? Telepathic powers? Telepathic powers would be nice :) Alas, I find most of my books in more normal ways.

Fellow bloggers are a main place I get recommendations. Every week, my TBR list grows and grows after checking out awesome suggestions from bloggers. I have no willpower! But, I've discovered some really great reads so far, so thanks to all my blogging buddies! <3

How do you acquire most of your books? Amazon? Local store? Library? At gunpoint? Since I bought my Kindle Fire a year & a half ago, just about every book I read comes from Amazon. I do get some from the library (we have an ebook lending program at our library).

There's also booklending.com, which is a fabulous site for books you may not want to own. It can be hit or miss, since some books don't have lending enabled, or people may not have listed them. But it's worth a look.

Do you prefer first person PoV stories (I did this) or third person (she/he did this)? I don't have a preference. Some stories are better told in first person, some in third. As long as the writing is good, I'm not that picky on PoV.

Want to get in on the fun? Sign up HERE! There are a few more interviews  - give it a shot!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Feature and Follow Friday #9



T.G.I.F. That is all I can say :)

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly event/hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. It's a great way to find new blogs and make new friends!

This weeks Question:
Q: Is there a song that reminds you of a book? Or vice versa? What is the song & the book?
I'm not gonna lie here - if I've had it happen, I can't remember it now. Isn't that sad? I'll have to pay more attention to music and books to see if anything clicks!

What about you? What would be your answer to this tough question? Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Cover Reveal: Breaking the Reins by Juliana Haygert

When Juliana mentioned horses a while back on Twitter, I was hoping there would be a cover reveal...and there is! The cover for her newest NA contemporary romance, Breaking the Reins,  is stunning!

 Expected publication: August, 2013
Cover designed by Okay Creations


Breaking the Reins by Juliana Haygert
Publication date:
August 2013
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

Horses, mansions, tea parties, and lies are twenty-year-old Hannah Taylor’s life. To others, her family and her relationship with Eric is perfect. But she knows the truth. She lives it.

After a fire takes her grandma’s life and kills her horse, Hannah’s immaculate life spirals out of control. Her father disapproves of her decision to run her grandma’s ranch instead of focusing solely on learning the family business; Animal Control brings her Argus, a mistreated horse that she can’t turn away even though she’s not ready for another horse; and her boyfriend, Eric Bennett, a world famous polo player, becomes possessive and authoritarian. Despite her best efforts to disguise it, Hannah grows wary of him.

Then, Leonardo Fernandes struts onto the polo scene. A cocky rookie with a messy life of his own, he’s drawn to Hannah and isn’t afraid of showing it, even when Eric makes it clear she is his and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep it that way. Hannah suffers for Eric’s jealousy. The abuse only gets worse when Leo steals the title of best polo player in the world from Eric.

But the title isn’t enough for Leo. He wants Hannah too, and she can’t deny her attraction to him either. Somehow, she must find a way to break free from abusive Eric before he breaks every bone in her body.

Here's a little teaser for your drooling reading pleasure :)
(click to enlarge)

I can't wait to read this one - hurry up, August!!
While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

Where to find Juliana:
Website  |  Goodreads  |  Facebook  |  Twitter 

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Book Blast and Giveaway: Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris



Four months after Ben disappeared through the portal to his home universe, Janelle believes she’ll never see him again. Her world is still devastated, but life is finally starting to resume some kind of normalcy. Until Interverse Agent Taylor Barclay shows up. Somebody from an alternate universe is running a human trafficking ring, kidnapping people and selling them on different Earths—and Ben is the prime suspect. Now his family has been imprisoned and will be executed if Ben doesn’t turn himself over within five days.

And when Janelle learns that someone she cares about—someone from her own world—has become one of the missing, she knows that she has to help Barclay, regardless of the danger. Now Janelle has five days to track down the real culprit. Five days to locate the missing people before they’re lost forever. Five days to reunite with the boy who stole her heart. But as the clues begin to add up, Janelle realizes that she’s in way over her head—and that she may not have known Ben as well as she thought. Can she uncover the truth before everyone she cares about is killed?


Elizabeth Norris briefly taught high school English and history before trading the southern California beaches and sunshine for Manhattan’s recent snowpocalyptic winter.

She harbors dangerous addictions to guacamole, red velvet cupcakes, sushi, and Argo Tea, fortunately not all together.

Her first novel, UNRAVELING (Balzer+Bray, April 2012), is the story of one girl’s fight to save her family, her world, and the one boy she never saw coming.


Where to find Elizabeth:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Goodreads


Winner will receive a Signed Copy of Unbreakable & Swag
(Bookmark, Sticker, Poster & Magnet) by Elizabeth Norris.


2 Winners will receive a Swag (Bookmark, Sticker, Poster & Magnet) by Elizabeth Norris. Good luck!!

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Blast brought to you by:
Book Nerd Tours

Boston Charity Book Giveaway



We are helping to spread the word about this amazing book giveaway that was created to aid the victims and families of the 2013 Boston Marathon Attack. Many best-selling authors have donated books  in response to this cause. The books are grouped into bundle packs and a winner will be selected randomly through Rafflecopter for each bundle. Visit the book giveaway site for more details and how to enter.
If you do not want to enter to win a bundle, please feel free to make a donation using this link. It will take you directly to the organization donation site.
The auction will run from April 21-April 30th.
You can click on each bundle for more info and to enter via Rafflecopter.
I would like to extend a personal thank you to the organizers of this fundraiser, along with every single author who has donated books. The book community is truly a wonderful one. <3

In the Name of Love

SIGNED copies of:
Hopeless by Colleen Hoover
Easy by Tammara Webber
Fallen Too Far & Never Too Far by Abbi Glines
FATE by Elizabeth Reyes
CRUSH by Nicole Williams
Disastrous by EL Montes


Everybody Needs Somebody to Love

SIGNED copies of:
Slammed & Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover
What a Boy Wants, What a Boy Needs and Measuring Up by Nyrae Dawn
Sleep My Child by Eyvonna Rains
ebooks: Shark Bait & The Other Fish in the Sea by Jenn Cooksey


Just the Way You Are
SIGNED copies of:
Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase
Inhale Exhale by Sarah Ross
Destined to Change by Lisa Harley
Music of the Heart by Katie Ashley
Wide Awake by Shelly Crane


I Walk the Line
SIGNED copies of:
The Thoughtless Series by SC Stephens
Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Until I Break by M. Leighton-ARC
Collide by Gail McHugh


Stand By Me

SIGNED copies of:
Love Unscripted & Love Unrehearsed by Tina Reber
Collide by Gail McHugh
Love Em’ or Leave Em’ by Angie Stanton
On The Island byTracey Garvis-Graves


I Wanna Hold Your Hand

SIGNED Copies of:
Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia
Naked, All In by Raine Miller
Collide by Gail McHugh
Signed Wreck Me, ebook Restore Me by JL Mac


Superstition

SIGNED copies of:
Awaken and Avenged by Sarah Ross
Darkride and Crossfire by Laura Bradley Rede


Whole Lotta Love

SIGNED copies of:
Fall Guy & Perfectly Unmatched by Liz Reinhardt
Lengths & Depths by Steph Campbell
Charade & Freeing Carter by Nyrae Dawn
Destined to Change by Lisa Harley
A Prior Engagement by SL Scott


Maybe I'm Amazed

SIGNED copies of:
A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter
Inescapable, Intuition, Indebted and Incendiary by Amy Bartol


Ain't Too Proud to Beg
SIGNED copies of:
The Proposition and The Proposal by Katie Ashley
Chocolate Lovers Series by Tara Sivec
His Perfect Passion and The Undoing of a Libertine by Raine Miller


Sponsors


All the amazing authors who donated their books



Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Showers of Books Giveaway Hop [INT]!


Well, we've definitely had some showers around here lately...but I know some of you have had snow, so I'll just suck it up & deal with the rain!

Thanks to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Books à la Mode for hosting this hop. Enter via the Rafflecopter below, and then hop on to the next blog! Good luck! <3


a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Assassins Hockey Hop and Giveaway!

Welcome to the Assassins Hockey Hop featuring the Assassins Hockey series by Toni Aleo!


In Toni Aleo’s exhilarating debut, the first in a series featuring the hockey hunks of the Nashville Assassins, a reformed bad boy helps a charming, willful woman face off against the demons of her past.

No matter how hard she tries, Eleanor Fisher never thinks she’s good enough, from her job to her weight to her love life. After enduring years of abuse at the hands of an ex-boyfriend, Elli has been drifting through life in a daze. Until, that is, she meets Shea Adler on a promotional shoot for the NHL’s Nashville Assassins. Before Elli knows what’s happening, the gorgeous Shea breaks the ice and shatters her world.

A brilliant athlete inside the rink, Shea Adler is tired of the life he’s living outside of it: the girls, the money, the drinking. But everything changes when he meets Elli. After laying eyes on this feisty, witty, beautiful woman, he feels like he’s just taken the hardest hit of his life. No matter how skeptical she is, Shea knows they are meant to be together—if only he can convince Elli to put her insecurities aside throw her insecurities out the window before she misses out on a shot at love.



Fallon Parker’s dream has always been to turn her family’s wine company into a runaway success and eventually start a cellar of her own. Since graduating from college, she has worked relentlessly to make that dream a reality, especially after taking a chance on love—and losing. By the time Fallon becomes an official sponsor of the Nashville Assassins, she feels like all her hard work is finally paying off. And then the man who broke her heart skates back into her life.

On the ice, Lucas Brooks is the NHL’s leading scorer—at least when he’s not in the box. Off the ice, he’s a mess, with all his anger and misery bottled up inside. He threw away the most important person in his life and has regretted it ever since. But when Lucas returns to Nashville in a trade, he’s determined to convince Fallon that he’s a changed man. The attraction is still there. The tension is electrifying. But the odds are stacked against them—especially after Lucas finds out that Fallon has been keeping a devastating secret.



Definition of an Empty Net: When a team pulls the goalie for an extra attacker, desperately seeking a goal.

Audrey Parker was in a horrible place.
She hated her job, her sister was getting married and moving out, but worst of all, she was in love with a total jerk. No matter what she did, every guy she met hurt her. All she wanted was her happily ever after. Her Prince Charming. Her Lucas Brooks! She didn’t know how to change her life but she knew she needed too.
Feeling like she was about to hit rock bottom, Audrey wakes up next to Tate Odder.

Tate Odder had lost everything.
After being brought up from the Assassins’ farm team, the Florida Rays to the Nashville Assassins, Tate hopes he’ll forget everything he has lost. He doesn’t. Each day gets harder to live in a place he doesn’t know. Even being the first rookie goalie to shut out an opposing team three times during the Lord Stanley Cup Finals, he still felt empty. With the loss of his parents and sister still heavy on his heart, Tate isn’t sure how to live like everything is okay.

But when he wakes up beside Audrey Parker, things start to change. She turns his life upside down with her kooky sense of humor and her bright clothing. She is intelligent and beautiful, and for once, he doesn’t feel empty.

Will Audrey be the person to fill the holes in Tate’s heart, making him whole again?
Or will another player ruin everything, leaving him feeling forever like an empty net?


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