Pages

Friday, October 30, 2015

THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS on TUMBLR and an Awesome Giveaway!


10:00 a.m.
The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m.
The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03
The auditorium doors won't open.

10:05
Someone starts shooting.

Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.
 


THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS
by Marieke Nijkamp
Published by Sourcebooks Fire
Available January 5, 2016

What People are Saying:

“[A] compelling story of terror, betrayal, and heroism…This brutal, emotionally charged novel will grip readers and leave them brokenhearted.”—Kirkus

“THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is simultaneously heart pounding and heart wrenching. Every words hits frighteningly close to home and is tragically too familiar. This book will leave you asking questions that we as a society should have answered a long time ago.”—Julie Murphy, author of DUMPLIN’

“As long as there are Newtowns and Columbines there will be a desperate need for gripping, well-written, and poignant novels like this one… Hopefully a book like THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS will make the problem more real to a generation that still has the time, energy, and willpower to do something about it."—Todd Strasser, author of GIVE A BOY A GUN and FALLOUT

“Stunning, diverse, and unforgettable, THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a book everyone should read to better understand each other and the world around us.”—Robin Talley, author of LIES WE TELL OURSELVES




Sourcebooks Fire has launched a THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS Tumblr site! To celebrate, they're giving away advance copies of the book, along with chalkboards + chalk. After reading the book, readers are invited to use the chalkboards to express how it made them feel, snap a photo and share on Tumblr, or any of their social networks (tagging with #thisiswhereitends #sourcebooksfire).
Follow on Tumblr

Enter to win an ARC of THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS
(includes Rafflecopter)


The giveaway ends next Wednesday, November 4


Thursday, October 29, 2015

Cover Reveal and Excerpt: THIRD BASE by Heidi McLaughlin

I'm really excited to share the cover of THIRD BASE from the new series, THE BOYS OF SUMMER, by Heidi McLaughlin. 


THIRD BASE will be available on November 4th and you can add it to your TBR now! 


Check it out, read an excerpt and enter for a chance to win a Kindle Fire. 


third base amazon
Synopsis
Ethan Davenport is already Boston’s most eligible bachelor, in his second season with the Boston Renegades and has eyes for the girl behind the visitors’ dugout who has been staring at him for a year.

That girl is Daisy Robinson, a journalism student at the University of Boston, a die-hard Renegades fan and determined to give Ethan a run for his money. He knows in order to have a chance with her, he needs to change his ways but he may just need her to wait until the off-season.

But with new found love comes challenges and Ethan and Daisy have to deal with his crazy schedule, school finals and his presence on her campus for some much needed media training. For Ethan nothing can come between him and Daisy, until a secret that she’s been keeping threatens to destroy them both.

Release Date: November 4th

add-to-goodreads-button

Cover by: Sarah Hansen at Okay Creations
Photography: Eric Battershell
Cover Model: Blake Farley
Excerpt

“Someone’s dogging ya,” Kidd says as he nods behind me. I can hear my name being called, but I don’t want to look because he’s likely up to something. The fact that my name is being called means nothing, since the kids are always trying to get us to sign things, give them a bat during the game or even look at them. It was a thrill when it happened to me so I know what it’s like to get attention from your favorite player, let alone any player.
“Just a fan, I’m assuming,” I say, shrugging him off and focusing on Mackenzie’s at bat.
He shakes his head and starts laughing. “A super fan,” he says, nodding behind me again. “You might want to turn around.”
“You might want to pay attention to the game. Mackenzie could hit a foul ball and smack you in the tallywacker.”
“Jesus Davenport, just turn the hell around.”
I roll my eyes and finally give in, but only halfheartedly. I look over my left shoulder and see no one calling me and over my right to find the same thing.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Kidd swings the bat a few times before he stops because Mackenzie has a hit and is now on first base. “Turn all the way around, Davenport. Stop being a bitch.”
I do as he says and I’m met with a pair of green eyes that I have burnt into my memory. She’s sitting behind our dugout in the center seat. She stands and points to her shirt. The front of it says, “I’m sorry”. I can’t help the stupid ass grin that is plastered all over my face.
I lean forward, resting my hands on the edge of the dugout. “Are you busy after the game?”
“No,” Daisy says with a smile.
“You are now,” I say, not caring that I’m probably jumping the gun and assuming she wants to see me. It’s not a guess; I know she does. “Stay right there and I’ll come get you when the game is over.”
Before I know it, we’re on the Jumbo Tron with hearts all around our picture. She covers her face and I turn back to the game, only to turn around and wave my hat at the section she’s in. They roar with cheers and start chanting my name.
We win, nine to one. I had a few more base hits and some RBI’s to add to our run count. Every Renegade player had at least one base hit. It’s odd when that happens, but we take it and run with it when it does. As soon as I enter the clubhouse the reporters are there. They call my name and instead of going to them, they come over to me and shove their microphones into my face as soon as I sit down.
“Ethan, you made a pretty big display of affection today during the game. Do you care to tell us about your girlfriend?”
“Yeah, sure,” I say, running my hand through my hair. “I’ve been in love with her for as long as I can remember. She means everything to me.” Suddenly their microphones are even more in my face.
“What’s her name?”
“Baseball!”
I wish I had a camera at this exact moment so I can capture their expressions as they all deadpan at my answer. They’re stupid if they think I’m going to say anything about Daisy. We have a long road ahead of us and the last thing we need is the media hounding us. I do enough stupid shit that brings us plenty of attention. We don’t need any more.
The reporters don’t like me much after that answer, not that I can blame them. Kidd punches me in the shoulder and winks at me.

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00074]


Heidi is having a giveaway on her Facebook page for a chance to win a Kindle Fire - stop by her page to comment and enter! Good luck!

AboutTheAuthor
Heidi Bio Pic
Heidi is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author.

Originally from Portland, Oregon and raised in the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is an over-hyper Beagle/Jack Russell, Buttercup, and their newest addition of a Highland Westie/Mini Schnauzer, JiLL.

During the day Heidi is behind a desk talking about Land Use. At night, she's writing one of the many stories planned for release or sitting courtside during either daughter's basketball games.





Other Books by Heidi McLaughlin

Forever My Girl - The Beaumont Series #1

My Unexpected Forever - The Beaumont Series #2

Finding My Forever - The Beaumont Series #3

Finding My Way - The Beaumont Series #4

My Everything - A Beaumont Series Novella

12 Days of Forever - A Beaumont Series Novella

Lost in Us - A Lost in You Novella

The Archer Brothers
Here with Me

Choose Me

The Reeducation of Savannah McGuire

Monday, October 26, 2015

It's Release Day: HE LOVE ME HEALTHY, HE LOVES ME NOT by Renee Dyer





Title: He Loves Me Healthy, He Loves Me Not

Author: Renee Dyer



Release Date: October 26







~ ~ ~ ~ Synopsis ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Chiari.

It’s a strange little word about to change Nick and Brenna St. James’ world forever. 



Brenna was raised to believe love conquers all. Losing piece after piece of herself causes her to waver in her beliefs. Insecurities abound and she can’t stop wondering if Nick can love the person she is now. Is it fair to ask him to?



Nick wants a do over. To go back to a time before Brenna was sick, before everything changed. But genies don’t exist, life doesn’t grant wishes, and time machines haven’t been invented. All he can do is follow his heart...and his heart wants Brenna.

Together, they have to face a battle they never imagined.

When fighting is all you have left…

When love can't heal everything…

When life rests in the balance of the unknown...

When their vows, “…in sickness and in health”, are put to the test…

Will Nick and Brenna be able to fight through the odds stacked against them, or will everything come crumbling down?



Add to GOODREADS

Watch on YOUTUBE

~ ~ ~ ~ Buy Now ~ ~ ~ ~





~ ~ ~ ~ Teasers ~ ~ ~ ~








~ ~ ~ ~ Author Bio ~ ~ ~ ~


 From a young age Renee Dyer had a love of writing, starting with a doodle pad at age four that soon turned into journals and later computer documents.  Poetry became short stories and short stories became a novel.  Although she's surrounded by males all day having three sons, a husband and a hyperactive chocolate lab, she still finds time to be all woman when she escapes into the fantasy of reading and writing romance.  That is, until she needs male perspective and garners eye rolling from her husband.  She's a true New Englander.  You'll find her screaming profanity at her TV while the Pats play and cuddling under blankets during the cold seasons (which is most of them) reading a good book.  To her snow is not a reason to shut things down, only a reason to slow down and admire the beauty.  Ask her questions and she'll answer them.  She's an open book, pun fully intended.



~ ~ ~ ~ Author Contact Links ~ ~ ~ ~ 


TWITTER  or @ReneeDyerAuthor




~ ~ ~ ~ Hosted By ~ ~ ~ ~ 




Thursday, October 22, 2015

Guest Post - Nicola Mar author of SANTA;

Today on the blog I'm hosting Nicola Mar, author of Santa; 


About Santa;

Spanning the course of several weeks, Santa; details the physical and emotional deterioration of June, a victim of severe bullying after she survives an attack by her classmates. With no one and nothing to trust but faith, she struggles with the idea that the human spirit may not exist.

Welcome Nicola!

When I happened to land on the Dr. Phil show while flipping through the TV channels two years ago, I saw a story that captured my interest in a way that not only brought tears to my eyes, but reminded me of memories I had suppressed for years. The guest on the show was a mother who was talking about the suicide of her teenage daughter. Her daughter was assaulted, bullied in school, and cyber bullied online to the point where she felt like she had no other option but to commit suicide. 

The story touched me deeply and my heart went out to the family. I remembered that as a little girl, as young as four years old, I was severely bullied in school. I don’t remember a lot from those young years, but I remember the incidents when I was bullied vividly. I came home from school crying every day. I was tormented in class by a young girl who called me names and stole from my cubby. The feelings that were brought back from watching the show were actually ones that never left me.

However, there was no Internet back in those days. Even as a teenager, the Internet was just starting to become popular when I was 16. So, there wasn’t the danger of cyber bullying that we have today. Bullying back in my day was cruel and hurtful, but today it is deadly. Immediately after I watched the segment on the Dr. Phil show, I went online and started to research the statistics on teenage bullying.

The numbers I found were shocking. Approximately 2 million adolescents attempt suicide every year. According to the Center for Disease Control, suicide is the third leading cause of death in young people between the ages of 10 and 24, resulting in approximately 4,600 deaths annually. There’s also a very strong link between bullying and suicide, with victims of bullying accounting for as much as half of suicide deaths.

I knew something needed to be done. How could I help? I thought. I decided to write Santa; to create awareness to this epidemic of bullying that is affecting our country. Our eyes and ears are not opened enough. There is currently no federal anti-bullying law, which allows bullies to continually torture and harass their victims, thinking there are no consequences to their actions.

My novel tells the story of June, a teenager who becomes so isolated and broken because she is constantly tortured and cyber bullied that she feels like she cannot escape the pain. Her hopelessness leads her to conclude that the only way out is suicide. This is the story that so many teenagers can relate to today but are afraid to admit. I want the book to show these victims that nothing they have done is their fault. Bullying happens to everybody. Do not be embarrassed or ashamed to speak up. The only way we can eradicate this disease is to share our stories and empower each other. Know that your life has meaning and purpose. Have the courage to speak up, to tell your family, teachers, or friends what is happening to you. Ask them for help. Do not fall into the trap that so many bullies rely on—making you feel powerless, helpless, and alone. There are people everywhere that want to help you; you just need to let them know what is happening.


Watch the book trailer



Author Bio:
Nicola Mar is an author and poet who grew up on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten, where she wrote her first short story at age seven. At eighteen, Nicola moved to the U.S. to continue her education, graduating from Rollins College with a bachelor's degree in anthropology and a specialty in creative writing. After spending many years in the fashion industry, Nicola chose to pursue her writing full-time. Her first novel, A Red Tale, was published in March 2014. In 2015, she published her second novel, Santa;. She currently lives in New York City with her two dogs. Learn more about Nicola at www.nicolamar.com



Find Nicola Online



* Ten percent of the sales of this book will be donated to Project Semicolon, an organization providing love and support to those who are struggling with depression, self-injury, and suicide. Visit them online at www.projectsemicolon.org.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday: THE WAY I USED TO BE by Amber Smith

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 WAY I USED TO BE
by Amber Smith
Publication Date March 22, 2016
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books
384 Pages

Synopsis

In the tradition of Speak, this extraordinary debut novel shares the unforgettable story of a young woman as she struggles to find strength in the aftermath of an assault.

Eden was always good at being good. Starting high school didn’t change who she was. But the night her brother’s best friend rapes her, Eden’s world capsizes.

What was once simple, is now complex. What Eden once loved—who she once loved—she now hates. What she thought she knew to be true, is now lies. Nothing makes sense anymore, and she knows she’s supposed to tell someone what happened but she can’t. So she buries it instead. And she buries the way she used to be.

Told in four parts—freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year—this provocative debut reveals the deep cuts of trauma. But it also demonstrates one young woman’s strength as she navigates the disappointment and unbearable pains of adolescence, of first love and first heartbreak, of friendships broken and rebuilt, and while learning to embrace a power of survival she never knew she had hidden within her heart.
 


What are you waiting for this week?