Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Books That NEED More Attention Giveaway Hop






Welcome to the Books that Need More Attention Giveaway Hop hosted by StuckInBooks!

Denise Jaden writes books that I love and she also helps writers do what they love, write. I want more people to know about her and her books so I am giving away ONE of her books featured below.





Your Choice of ONE Book by Denise Jaden
(links to Goodreads)

Foreign Exchange (e-book only)

 Giveaway Details
Must be 16 years or Older to enter
U.S. addresses only
To enter, fill out Rafflecopter below
Giveaway ends October 14, 2014


Fractured Lines by Jen McLaughlin: Excerpt and Giveaway

FL Amazon 

Fractured Lines by Jen McLaughlin will be releasing October 14th, but first I have some exclusive content to share. Each week, FINNClub team members will be sharing special details from the book, and series, in order to share our excitement for the new novel.

Today I have an excerpt from FRACTURED LINES! 

Watch out, it's spicy!

FL_2weeks

EXCERPT:

I lowered my face even more. “I need you so damn bad. Let me kiss you. Let me make it better. I know how to make it all better.”

I brushed my lips across hers gently, testing her reaction. She kissed me back. So soft I barely felt it, and yet I somehow felt it down to my soul.

With a small groan, I closed my mouth over hers, crushing her against my chest and holding her so tightly I might have broken a rib. Man, I’d been waiting for this moment. For her to stop shutting me out. For her to want me as much as I needed her.

And now it was happening.

I slanted my mouth over hers, taking full control of the kiss. Backing her up against the wall, my tongue glided inside her mouth at the same time I slipped my leg in between hers. She gasped and opened her mouth wider, granting me full access.

Without hesitation, I took it, and then I took some more. Like the greedy asshole I really was. Part of me knew I should stop kissing her until I was better, but the other part of me wanted her too damn badly to give a shit about anything else. When I closed my hands around her hips, my fingers digging into the soft sides of her ass, she broke off the kiss and took a shaky breath.

I latched onto her neck, biting with just enough pressure to sting. It had been too long since I’d had her. Too long since I’d held her. Too long for everything. My injured leg protested against the weight I put on it, but I ignored the cry of protest it gave. Any pain I had to suffer was worth it, as long as Carrie was in my arms again, making those small sounds that drove me fucking insane.

  OOL_SeriesBanner  

BOOK BLURB: The lines we once crossed so easily have widened and torn us apart… Once upon a time I thought Finn and I would live happily ever after, but real life doesn't always have a happy ending. He's testing my trust, and I'm losing faith in the man I thought I'd spend the rest of my life with, and there’s nothing I do can stop it. He’s the one I trusted to keep me safe, but now he’s the source of my greatest pain… Forgiveness is fragile, and some fractures never fully heal... One mistake—a slip in a moment of weakness—might cost me everything I've worked so hard for. The thing about trust is that it's a lot easier to lose than it is to build. Just as I'm about to give up and surrender to the demons from my past, an unexpected threat reminds me what I'm best at: protecting the woman I love. Whether or not she wants me, I will fight for Carrie and our daughter, and I will keep them safe—no matter the cost. Even if I have to put my life and my heart on the line.

  FL_PreOrder

PRE-ORDER SALE
FRACTURED LINES is now up for pre-order on Amazon! If you purchase the book before its release day it will be just .99 cents! This is for pre-orders only! 
Grab it while it's on sale.  

Amazon Pre-order Link: http://amzn.to/1r4c81A  
Kobo Pre-order Link: http://bit.ly/1CB7bB4  
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
JenM   Jen McLaughlin is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy New Adult books. Under her pen name Diane Alberts, she is a multi-published, bestselling author of Contemporary Romance with Entangled Publishing. Her first release as Jen McLaughlin, Out of Line, released September 6 2013, and hit the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal lists. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and a cat. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

Website: http://dianealberts.com/ 

  Blogger Button

Friday, September 26, 2014

Review: AGAIN by Lisa Burstein





AGAIN
by Lisa Burstein
Publication Date: September 22, 2014
Age Group: NA/Adult
Pages: 252
Source: Wordsmith Publicity/Purchased
Purchase Amazon /B&N / iTunes / Kobo







from Goodreads

 How far would you go for a second chance?

Eleven years after flunking out of college, Kate has finally hit rock-bottom. Losing her job and boyfriend in one drunken night, she’s determined to fix her life by going back to the moment when she let partying and sex take over and do things right. At twenty-nine, she heads back to freshman year of college, with a catch.

Pretending she's nineteen with a new roommate and full class schedule is easy. When she meets her shy, sexy and seven-years-younger RA Carter, following her self-imposed sobriety and celibacy rules is proving to be anything but.

A senior enduring years of regret, Carter is more than ready to graduate. He’s anxious to move on from the party his freshman year where he witnessed his frat brothers about to commit a sexual assault. Instead of doing the right thing and stepping in, he looked the other way and left. His guilt has made for a lonely four years.

When he meets the new freshman on his floor, spunky and confident Kate, he wonders if his time as an outcast has finally come to an end.

Kate and Carter’s growing friendship and undeniable attraction make it harder to hide the demons from their respective pasts. But when their secrets are finally revealed, will their chance at starting over together still be there?


My Thoughts

When I first read the synopsis of Again, I was excited that it was a story about second chances (those are some of my favorites) and I wanted to see how Kate was going to pull off the charade of being a nineteen year old college freshman when she was twenty-nine. Just throw on some tights and boots and she will fit right in! Aside from her young appearance, she doesn't act like a twenty-nine year old would (or should?), and there were many times that I forgot she was supposed to be twenty-nine, so she convinced me!

What I love so much about Again are the characters. Each one is unique and interesting in their own way. While the main story is about Kate and Carter, their friends and roommates, Dawn, Tristan, and Veronica, have their own stories and we get to know them on more that just a surface level. Given that Again is not a long novel (only 252 pages), to be able to have such well developed supporting characters is a testament to the author's writing.

Another thing I love about Again is how the characters are realistically vulnerable. They make decisions that aren't always for the best. Kate and Carter are not just flawed, they are real. They have hang-ups, doubts, and moments (or years) of self-loathing, but they also have moments of self-awareness and are forgiving of themselves and others. More than anything though, Kate and Carter, through all their ups and downs, let readers understand and accept that we are all just works in progress. 

Again addresses a topic that I've yet to encounter in many books and that is the passive bystander. Carter is witness to the moments leading up to an assault and instead of trying to stop it from happening, he walks away. I wouldn't go as far as saying that this is an "issue book" but it does open up the lines for a much needed dialogue.*


Whether readers are just now discovering Lisa Burstein through her self-published debut or they are devoted fans who seek out her books (like I do), Again will leave them begging for more. I loved it so much, it's a book I want all of my friends to read. I've already purchased and gifted copies to five of them (and convinced a few others to read it too)!



*The day after I finished Again, the university where I am employed sent out a notice for "Bystander Intervention Training." I don't think this is a coincidence, but an acknowledgment that the time has come for us to accept the responsibility for the safety of others.


Disclaimer:  I received this e-ARC from Wordsmith Publicity in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any way other than the e-ARC provided. I have also purchased a final copy of this title for my personal library. Thoughts and opinions are my own.


About Lisa Burstein
 
Lisa Burstein is the author of the Young Adult Novels: Pretty Amy and Dear Cassie, and the New Adult Novels & Novellas: Sneaking Candy, The Next Forever & The Possibility of Us. She is also a contributor to the essay collection, Break These Rules: 35 Young Adult Authors On Speaking Up, Standing Out, and Being Yourself. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her very patient husband, a neurotic dog and two cats. Again is her self-publishing debut.


Thursday, September 25, 2014

Spotlight and Giveaway: A Trick of the Light by Lois Metzger

NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK!!

A TRICK OF THE LIGHT
by Lois Metzger


Published by Balzer + Bray 
Published: June 18, 2013
208 pages 


(from Goodreads)
Telling a story of a rarely recognized segment of eating disorder sufferers—young men—A Trick of the Light by Lois Metzger is a book for fans of the complex characters and emotional truths in Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls and Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why.

Mike Welles had everything under control. But that was before. Now things are rough at home, and they're getting confusing at school. He's losing his sense of direction, and he feels like he's a mess. Then there's a voice in his head. A friend, who's trying to help him get control again. More than that—the voice can guide him to become faster and stronger than he was before, to rid his life of everything that's holding him back. To figure out who he is again. If only Mike will listen.



A Trick of the Light made the ALA's Best Fiction for Young Adults and Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year lists and is now available in paperback. Included in this version is an additional section titled "10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Eating Disorders." 
 
Thanks to the author I have a copy to offer my blog readers. For a chance to win, please enter using the Rafflecopter below. US addresses only. Must be 13 or older to enter.


Author Bio
Lois Metzger,
 author of A Trick of the Light, was born in Queens and has always written for young adults. She is the author of three previous novels and two nonfiction books about the Holocaust, and she has edited five anthologies. Her short stories have appeared in collections all over the world. Her writing has also appeared in The New Yorker, The Nation, and Harper's Bazaar. She lives in Greenwich Village with her husband and son.
For more information please visit http://www.loismetzger.com, and follow the author on Facebook
 
 

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

It's Release Week!!! AGAIN by Lisa Burstein




AGAIN is Lisa Burstein's Self-Published Debut!!

 

Age Group: NA/Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: 9/22/14




How far would you go for a second chance?

 Eleven years after flunking out of college, Kate has finally hit rock-bottom. Losing her job and boyfriend in one drunken night, she’s determined to fix her life by going back to the moment when she let partying and sex take over and do things right. At twenty-nine, she heads back to freshman year of college, with a catch.

 Pretending she's nineteen with a new roommate and full class schedule is easy. When she meets her shy, sexy and seven-years-younger RA Carter, following her self-imposed sobriety and celibacy rules is proving to be anything but.

 A senior enduring years of regret, Carter is more than ready to graduate. He’s anxious to move on from the party his freshman year where he witnessed his frat brothers about to commit a sexual assault. Instead of doing the right thing and stepping in, he looked the other way and left. His guilt has made for a lonely four years.

 When he meets the new freshman on his floor, spunky and confident Kate, he wonders if his time as an outcast has finally come to an end.

 Kate and Carter’s growing friendship and undeniable attraction make it harder to hide the demons from their respective pasts. But when their secrets are finally revealed, will their chance at starting over together still be there?
Purchase Links
Amazon  |  BN  |  iTunes  |  Kobo

For a limited time only, Again will be available for $0.99
(Regular price $3.99)
 



Giveaway
About Lisa Burstein
Lisa Burstein is the author of the Young Adult Novels: Pretty Amy and Dear Cassie, and the New Adult Novels & Novellas: Sneaking Candy, The Next Forever & The Possibility of Us. She is also a contributor to the essay collection, Break These Rules: 35 Young Adult Authors On Speaking Up, Standing Out, and Being Yourself. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her very patient husband, a neurotic dog and two cats. Again is her self-publishing debut.



Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Celebrating Celeste Fest - Flat-Out Celeste by Jessica Park


As part of Celeste Fest, I, along with the help of my friend Holly and my husband, have recreated some memorable and favorite moments in Flat-Out Celeste. Enjoy!!

Celeste the yogini
"Did you just curtsy at someone?"
Celeste, the application coach: "We must fight the system and chase the dream."

"You ready for your first sushi?"
"Our elevator has arrived."
"That is the power of Celeste."
Magic Happening

THE BOOK THAT INSPIRED IT ALL

 FLAT-OUT CELESTE
Author: Jessica Park
Release date: May 22, 2014
Amazon | B&N 

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Whether you were charmed by Celeste in Flat-Out Love or are meeting her for the first time, this book is a joyous celebration of differences, about battling private wars that rage in our heads and in our hearts, and—very much so— this is a story about first love.. 

For high-school senior Celeste Watkins, every day is a brutal test of bravery. And Celeste is scared. Alienated because she’s too smart, her speech too affected, her social skills too far outside the norm, she seems to have no choice but to retreat into isolation. 

But college could set her free, right? If she can make it through this grueling senior year, then maybe. If she can just find that one person to throw her a lifeline, then maybe, just maybe.
Justin Milano, a college sophomore with his own set of quirks, could be that person to pull her from a world of solitude. To rescue her—that is, if she’ll let him. 

Together, they may work. Together, they may save each other. And together they may also save another couple—two people Celeste knows are absolutely, positively flat-out in love.
About the Author:

Jessica is the author of LEFT DROWNING, the New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE (and the companion piece FLAT-OUT MATT), and RELATIVELY FAMOUS. She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is able to focus on other things, she writes.
Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicapark and Twitter @JessicaPark24

Fractured Lines by Jen McLaughlin - taking New Adult characters into Adult

FL Amazon

Fractured Lines by Jen McLaughlin will be releasing October 14th, but first we have some exclusive content to share. Each week, FINNClub team members will be sharing special details from the book, and series, in order to share their excitement for the new novel.

Today we have an author guest post from Jen McLaughlin explaining why she chose to continue the series by bringing in an adult title.

  FL_BonusTeaser1

Finn and Carrie—adult style

When I decided to write another Finn and Carrie book, I knew where I had to pick up the story. At the end of OUT OF MIND, we fast forward seven years. So if I wanted to give the readers what they wanted—which was more Finn and Carrie—that’s where I had to pick up.

To take a NA book and turn it into an adult book is (to my knowledge, anyway) not something that’s been done before. It’s a bit daunting of a prospect, but I knew that it was something I wanted to try anyway! And I have to say, it’s been so much fun to take these NA characters, make them grow up…and put them through hell all over again, so to speak, lol.

I’m hoping that by taking these younger characters and turning them into something new and fun, in a way, it can let people who haven’t experienced these characters as NA characters to enjoy them as adults. And on the flip side, it will let the readers who came along on their earlier journey experience a new side of Finn and Carrie…their mature/adult sides.

What do you think of this concept? Would you like to see other NA characters turned into adult books?

  OOL_SeriesBanner  
BOOK BLURB: The lines we once crossed so easily have widened and torn us apart… Once upon a time I thought Finn and I would live happily ever after, but real life doesn't always have a happy ending. He's testing my trust, and I'm losing faith in the man I thought I'd spend the rest of my life with, and there’s nothing I do can stop it. He’s the one I trusted to keep me safe, but now he’s the source of my greatest pain… Forgiveness is fragile, and some fractures never fully heal... One mistake—a slip in a moment of weakness—might cost me everything I've worked so hard for. The thing about trust is that it's a lot easier to lose than it is to build. Just as I'm about to give up and surrender to the demons from my past, an unexpected threat reminds me what I'm best at: protecting the woman I love. Whether or not she wants me, I will fight for Carrie and our daughter, and I will keep them safe—no matter the cost. Even if I have to put my life and my heart on the line.

  FL_PreOrder

PRE-ORDER SALE
FRACTURED LINES is now up for pre-order on amazon! If you purchase the book before its release day it will be just .99 cents! This is for pre-orders only! Grab it while it's on sale.  

Amazon Pre-order Link: http://amzn.to/1r4c81A   

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
JenM Jen McLaughlin is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy New Adult books. Under her pen name Diane Alberts, she is a multi-published, bestselling author of Contemporary Romance with Entangled Publishing. Her first release as Jen McLaughlin, Out of Line, released September 6 2013, and hit the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal lists. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and a cat. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

Website: http://dianealberts.com/
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/DianeAlberts6
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DianeAlberts
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6921962.Jen_McLaughlin  

Monday, September 22, 2014

Take Me On by Katie McGarry: Excerpt and Giveaway



Take Me On  
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Harlequin Teen

Summary from Goodreads:
Acclaimed author Katie McGarry returns with the knockout new story of two high school seniors who are about to learn what winning really means.

Champion kickboxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help.

West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her-fighting for her-is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change Haley's future.

Hayley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for.

Bonus novella included: Crossing the Line.

EXCERPT

      With each halfhearted throw, I step in, and in smooth, rhythmic movements, Haley 

continues to counter, keeping a safe distance between us. She stays close enough to block 

me, close enough to go on the offensive if she chooses, but far enough away I can’t touch and 

that’s what I want...I crave to touch Haley.

     Without warning, I slide into her and back her into the cage. Haley’s breath leaves her 

body in a rush and those dark eyes focus on me. Her hands rest on my chest and her fingers 

flutter, as if not sure whether to push or to explore. With my gloves against the fence on 

either side of her head, I lean into her and draw my nose up her jawline to her ear. Her body 

is warm and firm and she smells so damn good.

     “We shouldn’t do this,” she whispers, yet her hands wander to my back and trace my 

spine. “I won’t date another fighter.”

     “Then walk away.” I trail a line of kisses along her collarbone, up her throat, then pause,

staring straight into her eyes, giving her the chance to end this now. “I won’t lie. I want this,

Haley. I want you.”
 



Available from:
 photo 9F3EE1AE-B1F5-45EB-87E4-5D28630C7FC5-7157-000003FF9121E113.jpg  photo 6682AA0B-74D4-4387-95A5-8FF5F06129C8-7157-000003FF90EF4A11.jpg  photo kobobuyicon_zpsb933c957.png  photo C5192E77-11AB-4F0C-A100-1152CA3C5DBB-7157-000003FF90C02846.jpg  photo A2DA65FC-B90B-467F-AF60-4D7E604A5611-7157-000003FF907102DD.jpg  photo bookdepositorybutton_zps03c7c0bd.jpg

Books in the series:
(covers linked to Goodreads)
 photo pushingthelimits_zps8c06f01f.jpg  photo dareyouto_zps7e2247a9.jpg  photo crashintoyou_zpsba4a938d.jpg  photo takemeon_zps1c41c15a.jpg  photo BreakingtheRules_zps17a89236.jpg


About the Author
KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.

 
Author Links:
 photo iconwebsite-32x32_zps1f477f69.png  photo icongoodreads32_zps60f83491.png  photo icontwitter-32x32_zpsae13e2b2.png  photo iconfacebook-32x32_zps64a79d4a.png

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