I'm joining the 2015 TBR Pile Challenge!!

One of my goals for 2015 is to read more books that are already on my shelves, so it would make sense to join a challenge that would encourage me to do so. Adam at RoofBeamReader.com is hosting The Official 2015 TBR Pile Challenge. This challenge is in its 6th year, but this is the first year I am joining. If you are interested in joining, you can find all of the details HERE.

For this challenge, I have selected books that I "just had to have" and some review books that I haven't read yet and need to write reviews. While I have some older books that would certainly satisfy the requirement that the book has been on my shelf for more than a year, most of these books were published in 2011 to 2013 (and they have been on my shelf for at least a year).

Here are the books I plan to read and review:

1. Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala
2. The Kid Table by Andrea Seigel
3. The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner
4. Dear Dylan by Siobhan Curham
5. Stargazing from Nowhere by Isabel Thomas
6. Falling for You by Lisa Schroeder
7. And by the Way . . . by Denise Deegan
8. Playing Along by Rory Samantha Green
9. Psych Major Syndrome by Alicia Thompson
10. Accomplice by Eireann Corrigan
11. Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky
12. The Lighter Side of Life and Death by C.K. Kelly Martin

Alternatives:
1. The List by Siobhan Vivian
2.Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'd Like from Santa

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists. I am too so that is why I am participating this week.

Top Ten Books I'd Like from Santa

 

My Santas (secret and known) have treated me well this year. If I happen to receive any more books, these books top my wishlist!

1. I Want It That Way by Ann Aguirre

2. The Sound of Letting Go by Stasia Ward Kehoe

3. Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty by Christine Heppermann

4. Killer Instinct by S.E. Green

5. Words and Their Meanings by Kate Bassett

6. Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

7. Until It Hurts to Stop by Jennifer Hubbard

8. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

9. Random by Tom Leveen

10. How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran

Midwinter's Eve Giveaway Hop

Thanks for joining me for my blog for the Midwinter's Eve Giveaway Hop. For this giveaway, I am sharing books by authors that I adore. The winner will get their choice of book from those pictured below.

 Prize

Choice of ONE BOOK listed below

Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein, This Side of Salvation by Jeri Smith-Ready, Foreign Exchange by Denise Jaden, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky, OR The Real Prom Queens of Westfield High by Laurie Boyle Crompton

Giveaway Details
Must be 16 years or Older to enter
U.S. addresses only
To enter, fill out Rafflecopter below
Giveaway ends December 31, 2014 

If I cannot verify an entry, that entry will not count.

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 Thank you to Bookhounds and I am a Reader, Not a Writer for hosting.

Check out these other giveaways!!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

 

THE GAME OF LOVE AND DEATH
by Martha Brockenbrough
Publication Date: April 28, 2015
Published by Arthur A. Levine Books
Pages: 352
Add to Goodreads








(from Goodreads)
Antony and Cleopatra. Helen of Troy and Paris. Romeo and Juliet. And now . . . Henry and Flora.

For centuries Love and Death have chosen their players. They have set the rules, rolled the dice, and kept close, ready to influence, angling for supremacy. And Death has always won. Always.

Could there ever be one time, one place, one pair whose love would truly tip the balance?

Meet Flora Saudade, an African-American girl who dreams of becoming the next Amelia Earhart by day and sings in the smoky jazz clubs of Seattle by night. Meet Henry Bishop, born a few blocks and a million worlds away, a white boy with his future assured — a wealthy adoptive family in the midst of the Great Depression, a college scholarship, and all the opportunities in the world seemingly available to him.

The players have been chosen. The dice have been rolled. But when human beings make moves of their own, what happens next is anyone’s guess.

Achingly romantic and brilliantly imagined, The Game of Love and Death is a love story you will never forget.

Why I'm Waiting

• The characters are compared to the great tragic lovers Romeo and Juliet, Helen of Troy and Paris
• Love isn't left to chance
• Characters from different backgrounds 
• It just sounds amazing!  

Cover Reveal: BLURRED LINES by Jen McLaughlin

Today I am revealing the cover for BLURRED LINES by Jen McLaughlin. This is the highly-anticipated adult standalone novel that is part of the New York Times Bestselling OUT OF LINE series. 

The book will be released on January 26, 2015.

BOOK BLURB:

Once burned... Finding my fiancée naked on my couch might’ve been a good thing, if her ex-boyfriend hadn’t been with her. For the past eight years I’ve been a witness to the power of true love, but after getting burned I’d decided there wasn’t any hope for me finding it for myself. Until I met Noelle Brandt in a hotel bar. Maybe it wasn’t the most romantic meeting, but the moment I met her I knew I had to have her. The more I learn about her, the more I know I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her. Twice shy... I’d already found the love of my life, but I’d lost that love forever. And I’d been lost ever since. But one night a wounded man makes all of that go away. He makes me laugh, live, and feel alive. When he tells me he has no intention of letting me go, I finally begin to believe in the power of true love again. That is, until I find out who he really is…and by then, it’s far too late to correct the mistakes we’ve already made. By the time we both know the truth, the lines have already been blurred beyond recognition.

CLICK HERE TO ADD BLURRED LINES TO GOODREADS

AND FRACTURED LINES, book #4 in the OUT OF LINES series has a new cover!

Purchase FRACTURED LINES Now

Amazon Link: http://amzn.to/1r4c81A

Kobo Link: http://bit.ly/1CB7bB4

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1p9JoAn

AUTHOR INFORMATION

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  

Review: A League of Her Own by Karen Rock

A LEAGUE OF HER OWN

by Karen Rock

Publication Date: December 1, 2014

Published by Harlequin

Pages: 312

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Add to Goodreads

Purchase Amazon / B&N 

from Goodreads

He was attractive, talented…and way off limits.

Heather Gadway may have been a world-class college pitcher and a top university coach, but she's a rank amateur when it comes to managing the Falcons, her father's struggling minor league team. And when it comes to managing her aggravating attraction to Garrett Wolf, their talented new pitcher. It's going to be difficult enough to make it as the first female manager in the league and prove to her overly critical father she's worthy. No distractions. No missteps. And certainly no romances with players. Everything stands between them—including their troubled pasts—even as Heather's world falls apart and Garrett's the one who's there to catch her…

My Thoughts

The title A League of Her Own immediately makes me think of the movie A League of Our Own about the all-female baseball league and the important role of women played in sport of baseball. While Heather, the main character of A League of Her Own no longer plays ball, she, like the women in the movie (and in history) is trying to make her way in a predominately male-run industry. 

I enjoyed reading about Heather and Garrett. In many ways Heather is someone to be admired. Her strength of character shines through in decisions that she makes. She wants what is best for the team and strives to make the players better. Garrett has a lot going for him too. He is trying to recover from a rocky past and makes an effort to be better. They are on parallel paths to prove they were good enough and deserved their successes. They showed doubts and struggles that I related to and that made me want to read more about them.

There is an undeniable attraction between Heather and Garrett. There is a level of admiration of their athletic capabilities (well there is after Heather has to show Garrett what's up), but they both are hesitant to act on their attraction. Heather's role as manager and Garrett's past make the both keep their guard up. Through her writing, Rock creates just enough tension to make me wonder: Are they ever going to figure a way to make this work?

As in Rock's previous books, I like that the story is set in a small town. In A League of Her Own, we read about the struggles of a town that relies on industry in order for the community to not just thrive but to simply survive. Without a major money maker, the town will cease to exist. Heather understands the importance of the baseball team and the impact its success and the influence it has on the community. 

Rock is an author whose stories I really enjoy. They are human, relatable, and a new go-to when I want to read a sweet romance. I look forward to the stories Karen Rock gives her readers next.

Disclaimer:  I requested this e-ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any way other than the e-ARC provided. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Author Interview and Giveaway: Karen Rock - A LEAGUE OF HER OWN

Today I am hosting Karen Rock on the blog in celebration of her latest  book, A League of Her Own, published by Harlequin Heartwarming. I've read A League of Her Own and am looking forward to sharing my thoughts. You can check out my review later this week.

For my stop on the ALoHO tour, I've asked Karen to share her thoughts on reading and writing.

Welcome Karen!!

Have you always been a writer? Did you keep a journal or write stories when you were younger? 

I kept a journal since I was around nine until into my late twenties! Journals are such great places to express yourself and try out ideas without any fear that people will judge you or think you’re crazy… I always loved telling stories. Even before I could read or write, I used to make up stories and make my younger sister act out the parts with me as we recorded them into a tape recorder (anyone remember that technology?!). I would give ANYTHING to have those tapes. I would laugh hysterically and feel so lucky that the love I always had for creating stories has finally come true.

How long do you think about a story or characters until you finally decide what you want to write about it/them? 

Ideas come to me fairly quickly. The characters… that takes a lot more time and thought. They have to be the kinds of people that I can relate to, who have flaws and imperfections- fears and insecurities- like the rest of us. I’m not a big fan of the perfect vampire, Viking, pirate, sheik, millionaire, (not to say there’s anything wrong with those men… I just can’t feel close to them). I want characters that have something to learn and overcome in the book. People who deserve love but have too much against them, at first, to see how that is possible. So… finding the right man, the right woman and seeing if they would make a couple with strong chemistry definitely is something that I takes lots of care to create. Once I do, however, I usually fall madly in love with my hero! Occupational hazard, I guess J

What is the best piece of writing advice you've received? 

Stephen King said in his memoir, write the first draft of your novel for yourself, as if no one else will read it. That way, you’ll feel free and willing to take chances you wouldn’t take if you thought anyone would actually read this draft. I love that advice because I would inhibit myself if I obsessed over questions like what will this person think… or am I going  too far? Stuff like that. The parts of my stories I love the most are when I “write out of the margins” and do things that are unexpected. I need that freedom to have the emotional depth, the plot twists that come out of left field, and the quirky elements that make a story mine.

What one piece of advice you would give to aspiring writers? 

I would encourage them to write what they know and enjoy reading yourself. What speaks to them. If you love imagining worlds… write fantasy. If you adore supernatural creatures… write paranormal. Most of all, don’t follow trends- follow what you love. You’ll never get frustrated with your career if you are always immersed in stories you love to tell.

Tell me five random things about yourself.

1. Both of my arms are double jointed and were an awesome gross-out move to get rid of annoying guys in clubs J 
2.  I’m obsessed with Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and at Easter, I get at least two of those huge (I’m talking foot long) Jumbo Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs and will eat at least half of one or even all of one while reading. I really need to enter a food-eating contest, don’t you think?
3. I’m addicted to Reality TV… even The People’s Couch where I watch other people watching TV… so pathetic… but I just can’t stop. 
4. I once saved a blue jay by ordering a cat to drop it. Poor bird. Actually I’ve saved a few birds from my neighbors cats… they are incredible hunters, but they’re still more afraid of crazy me, lol.
5. I’m a terrible singer… like my husband turns up the radio when I open my mouth to sing along to anything… but for some strange reason I can sing Stevie Nick’s LANDSLIDE perfectly and trot it out at karaoke sometimes though I can never- ever- do an encore!

A League of Her Own

By Karen Rock

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age category: Adult

Published: December 1, 2014

Blurb:
He was attractive, talented…and way off limits.

Heather Gadway may have been a world-class college pitcher and a top university coach, but she's a rank amateur when it comes to managing the Falcons, her father's struggling minor league team. And when it comes to managing her aggravating attraction to Garrett Wolf, their talented new pitcher. It's going to be difficult enough to make it as the first female manager in the league and prove to her overly critical father she's worthy. No distractions. No missteps. And certainly no romances with players. Everything stands between them—including their troubled pasts—even as Heather's world falls apart and Garrett's the one who's there to catch her…

You can find A League of Her Own on Goodreads.

You can buy A League of Her Own here:

- Amazon (Kindle)

- Barnes & Noble

- Kobo

- eHarlequin

About the Author:
Karen Rock is an award-winning YA and adult contemporary romance author. She holds a master’s degree in English and worked as an ELA instructor before becoming a full-time writer. Currently she writes for Harlequin Heartwarming and her first novel for the line, WISH ME TOMORROW, has won the 2014 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the 2014 Golden Quill Contest and a finalist in the Published Maggie Awards. The first novel in her co-authored YA series, CAMP BOYFRIEND, has been a finalist in the Booksellers Best and Golden Leaf awards.



You can find and connect with Karen here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Tumblr
- Quarterly Newsletter

There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of A League of Her Own.

 These are the prizes you can win:

- a 100$ Amazon gift card (INT)

- a set of signed paperback of Wish Me Tomorrow, His Hometown Girl, Someone Like You and A League of Her Own (US only)

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:

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This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from December 1st through 14th, you can view the complete tour schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours.

Holiday Readathon Mini Challenge

 

Welcome to my Holiday Readathon Mini Challenge!!!

"Share the Perfect Book"

 

I love to give books as gifts, whether it is for a birthday, a holiday, or just a special surprise. Tell me the book that you would like to give to a friend or family member, what the book means to you, and why you think it would make the perfect gift.

Prize: 

ONE Book valued up to $15.00 from Amazon, B&N, or The Book Depository

Giveaway Details

To Enter:

You must be a participant of the 5th Annual Holiday Readathon hosted by WhoRuBlog.
Sign up here!

Fill out the Rafflecopter and Share your "perfect book" in the comments below.

Must be 13 years or older to participate.

Open to U.S and International addresses (wherever The Book Depository ships)

Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

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COMPULSION by Martina Boone: Teaser and Giveaway

Compulsion (The Heirs of Watson Island #1)

by Martina Boone 

Release Date: 10/28/14

ISBN: 1481411225

Simon Pulse, Simon Teen

448 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse.

All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lives with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead--a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.

TEASER

 

“Feuds are always personal. That’s what makes it hard to break the cycle. Everyone lives locked inside their own anger until someone is finally brave enough to step outside themselves to see the view from the other side. It’s why I

need to get away from this place.”

“But you’re not stepping out for a different view.”Barrie tipped her face up to the stars so she wouldn’t have to look at him. “You’re stepping out to run away.”

He was silent, and she was suddenly afraid. Afraid that she had said too much, presumed too much, hoped too much. She rolled her capris as high as they would go, then ran toward the water. She didn’t look back until she was knee deep, which was as far as she dared. He was right behind her, his face gleaming in the kind of light that turned beautiful boys into gods. He caught her, and held her, his skin so warm and alive, she couldn’t help but melt.

“Why did you run?” he asked.

“To see if you’d come after me.”

“It scares me how willing I am to run after you. We’re both

doing too much running.”

“So kiss me again.”

Her hands crept around his neck, tangling in his hair to keep him closer, even though she knew that beautiful boys with expiration dates couldn’t be held, only borrowed for a time.

Buy Links:
   

Compulsion is available anywhere books are sold. Signed copies are available from One More Page Books. You can also order with the special “I have a Compulsion for reading” bookplate from Eight Cousins.

About the Author

Martina Boone was born in Prague and spoke several languages before learning English. She fell in love with words and never stopped delighting in them.

She’s the founder of AdventuresInYAPublishing.com, a Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers site, and YASeriesInsiders.com, a site devoted to encouraging literacy and all this YA Series.

From her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, children, and Auggie the wonder dog, she enjoys writing contemporary fantasy set in the kinds of magical places she’d love to visit. When she isn’t writing, she’s addicted to travel, horses, skiing, chocolate flavored tea, and anything with Nutella on it.

Author Links:

Website | Blog | Tumblr | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter

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