Thursday, June 25, 2015

Stop! by Alison G. Bailey Release Week: Review, Excerpt, and Giveaways


Synopsis

Every life has a different path full of sharp turns, smooth curves, and steep drop offs.

Hollis Murphy has a plan—college, career, boyfriend, love, marriage, family. A predictable, normal life. She’s on track until an outside force causes her to crash and burn. They call it an accident, because that’s the only word they know to explain what happens to her. It helps everyone move on with their lives, except for Hollis. She holds on to the belief that she’s been targeted for a reason. 

Risher Stevenson is intelligent, caring, sweet, and the hottest boy Hollis has ever laid eyes on. He fits perfectly into her original plan for a normal life. Everyone loves him.

Benton Daniels is intelligent, caring, sweet, and the bravest boy Hollis has ever met. He doesn’t fit into her life but gives it purpose and makes it extraordinary. Everyone hates him.

One is bullied. One is tormented. All are judged. How will it STOP? 


Release Date: 6/25/15
Review
5 out of 5 Stars
First off let me start with showing my appreciation and admiration to the author, Alison G. Bailey. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors and I so glad that she interacts with her readers. That is a thing I absolutely adore about her. I fell in love with her book Present Perfect as soon as I read the first paragraphs. With this book she has climbed so much higher in my admiration because this book was so good and it covers a lot of topics that many people find hard to accept. I love that she is so open to many things and I was so happy with STOP! even though it hurt me heart and soul.

Let me start with how this book is not something you would expect. I didn't expect what was coming. I knew I couldn't because you never know with her books but I knew it would be amazing. I love it and the words will stay with me forever. This book starts of difficult but by the end it soon becomes tragic and heartbreaking. It had me crying so much. It still makes me incredibly sad as I am writing this review. It sent me through so much emotions that they all started blending together in the end. Just be prepared to feel anger, despair, rage, loneliness, love, and passion. The words and emotions just leak off the pages. They possessed me. 

This is the kind of book that stays with you. Stop! is a book that is unforgettable and makes you feel the emotions along with the characters. This is one of the hardest books I have ever had to review because it is hard to describe my feelings. They are all over the place. My heart burst with all the emotions it bled. It was too much. Not just that, but I also can't share too much because of spoilers. So, I will not talk much about the content of the book because it will ruin the significance of it but I will talk about the characters some. 

Hollis is the main character and at the beginning we don't fully understand what happened to her. She had everything and she had a good path towards life but we all know that plans don't really exist. Things can change in an instant and this is what happened to her in an accident. Her whole life changed and it was truly sad but I am glad she was strong enough to go to college and try. That took a lot of courage and I am glad she did it. She was able to grow because of this and the friendships she made helped her and changed her. I am happy for two people in her life. Benton and Risher. I don't know which one impacted me the most but I know that Hollis wouldn't be her without them both.

I will start off with Risher because it is hard for me to talk about Benton without becoming a mess. So Risher is the guy everyone wants and for some great reason he wants Hollis and I couldn't be more excited at the prospect of this. Risher stole my heart since their rump bump encounter. It was one of my favorite scenes because this is where they first met. He was all too kind and amazing with her and I loved him. The sense of humor in this book is amazing and I am glad that these funny scenes were a part of it. I especially loved the one about their dinner! #StillLaughing Oh and I absolutely loved the use of hashtags in this book. They fit right in.

Moving on to Benton. He was so strong and I loved him the most. He had a quick temper and had a lot of problems in his life. I knew since the beginning something was was wrong. I felt it and I knew something was coming but I did not know what. Benton was someone that was bullied and Hollis understood the feeling so they connected right away. He is being tormented and it is just horrible. I will now share the reason why he is being bullied because it is such a big part of the book and I will not give spoilers.

I will not share the rest of this book or it's content because it needs to be read by the reader. The message needs to be read directly and I refuse to spoil it or ruin the powerful message it contains. I didn't even have words to describe it and it took me a while to find the right words. I know I didn't share much but I really can't. When you read the book you will understand. Just be prepared because the emotions are so strong. I read through this book in a few hours. I couldn't put it down. It was intriguing and eventful but the deep sadness kept me from putting the book down. It had so many emotions. The only critical thing that I found was that this book needed more Risher. I absolutely loved him. But even without that I am still extremely happy with this book. I am so glad that I had the chance to read it. Thank you Alison for always writing these amazing books that tear my heart apart but slowly repair it. I mean slowly because it takes me a few days or weeks to process everything that is thrown at me! It is a truly powerful thing.
Excerpt
“Name?” she said, impatiently.
I was so flustered that for a second I’d forgotten who I was. “Hollis Murphy.”
She scribbled something on a spreadsheet and handed me a packet with my name and the number two hundred ten typed out on the front sticker, which I assumed was my room number.
In a flat bored voice, she said, “Everything you need to know is in the packet. Should you have any additional questions or needs after reading the information, please ask your RA. Have a productive semester. Next!” 
Clutching the envelope to my chest, my gaze shifted back down, and I walked quickly out of the office.
As I turned the corner, a loud deep woot! jerked my attention down the hall. I took one step before crashing full force into something solid and warm. Stumbling back, I dropped the envelope. Once my balance returned, my eyes focused on a gray T-shirt with cut off sleeves, stretched across broad shoulders. When I glanced down in search of my envelope, I couldn’t help but spot the narrow hips and round ass covered in black basketball shorts. As I squatted to pick up the envelope, a tanned forearm came into view. My gaze roamed up to find the arm was covered in bulging muscles.
“Oh god, I’m so . . . sor…ry,” I stammered, my cheeks heating with embarrassment.
            “Here ya go,” a deep voice said.
Reaching for the envelope, my gaze inadvertently shot up to the warmest green eyes ever created. His dark brown hair was cut short on the sides, longer on top, and tousled. The perfect amount of scuff peppered his strong jawline, with deep dimples framing a sexy lopsided smile. The air was immediately sucked from my lungs. He wasn’t just hot, he was boy band hot.
            A deep chuckle drifted down before I realized he had stood up and was extending his hand to me.
Oh boy! I get to touch him. 
I slipped my hand into his and felt an immediate jolt of electricity. The muscles in his arm twitched. He felt it too.
“Thank you,” I said, as he helped me up.
            “I’m Risher Stevenson.”
            He was actually introducing himself to me.
            It had become a habit not to look directly at anyone, especially a stranger. I automatically angled my head down and to the left, to hide the messed-up side of my face. But those green eyes locked me in place.  
            “Hollis Murphy.”
            “Nice to meet you Hollis Murphy.”
            “Sorry again about running into you. I need to do a better job at watching where I’m going.”
            The tip of his tongue slipped between his lips before they formed into a slight smirk. Just as he was about to speak, his name came barreling down the hallway.
            “Rish! Get your ass down here. We’ve got a ton of boxes to haul in.” A blond-haired guy was standing at the end of the hall.
            “I gotta go finish helping my friends move in.”
            I nodded.
            Risher took three steps before turning back toward me. “Don’t do too good of a job.”
            My eyebrows squished together in confusion.
            “At watching where you’re going. I hate to think I won’t get rump bumped again.” 
He winked before jogging away. 
            I Sasquatched those shoulders, those hips, and that ass all the way down the hall.

Playlist


Author Bio and Links
Alison was born and raised in Charleston, SC. She attended Winthrop University and graduated with a major in Theater. While at school Alison began writing one-act plays, which she later produced. Her debut novel, Present Perfect, landed on Amazon's Best Seller List and appeared on many "Best Reads of 2013" Book Blogs. The novel won Best Book at the 2014 Indie Romance Convention Awards. Her second novel, Past Imperfect, was published in February of 2014 and appeared on several best books of 2014 lists as well. Presently Perfect, the third and final book in The “Perfect” series was released in Dec 2014 to rave reviews. In March 2015 all the love, swoon, heat, and angst were combined into the Perfect Series Box Set.

Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads


Giveaways
1 ebook copy of STOP!
$50 Amazon Gift Card

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Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Dream of you by Jennifer L. Armentrout Release Day Launch

Dream of You - RDL Banner  

We are so excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for Jennifer L. Armentrout's DREAM OF YOU!! DREAM OF YOU is a Contemporary Romance novella in Jennifer’s Wait For You Series! This is a 1001 Dark Nights novella so it is exclusively available as Amazon Kindle and Paperback. Grab your copy of this sexy novella today!!

  Dream of You - cover

Amazon US Kindle ** Amazon Paperback ** Amazon UK Kindle

EXCERPT: Detective Hart asked a few more questions. Did I notice if they had gotten in a car? No. Was a name even spoken? Not that I recalled. Did they say anything to the man they shot? I wasn’t sure. Eventually, he got up and left the room to retrieve some photos they wanted me to look at. I was alone with Colton. Any other time I probably would’ve been beside myself with nervousness, but at this point, I barely registered his presence. All I wanted to do was go home and forget this night. “Abby?” My gaze slowly lifted at the sound of my name. His voice was deep and gruff—a morning voice. He leaned toward me, placing his arms on the table. Short dark hairs dusted powerful forearms. The few times I’d seen him over the years, I hadn’t been in close proximity to him, but now I could see the tiny differences between the Colton I’d admired from afar in high school and the one sitting in front of me, some ten years later. Fine lines had formed around the corners of his eyes. His jaw seemed harder, and the five-o’clock shadow was something new. Something sexy. I really needed to stop thinking in general. “Are you sure you’re okay, Abby?” he asked, and real concern filled his voice. I shook my head slowly as a shiver raced down my spine. “Yes. No? I’m sorry. I’m so tired.” “I can imagine.” He glanced at the door as he moved his shoulders, as if working out a kink. “We’ll get you home soon.” Slouching in the metal chair, I sighed. “Is this…the start of your shift or…?” Colton’s cobalt gaze tracked back to me. “I usually get off around eight, but we work in cycles for homicide calls. It was our weekend.” “Sorry,” I whispered, and then frowned. “I don’t even know why I apologized. It’s got to be hard working those kinds of hours, having to be on call.” “I imagine it is for some, especially those with a family.” One side of his lips quirked up, and despite the dire situation, my stomach dipped a bit. He lifted his left hand. “Obviously, I’m not married. I wouldn’t know.”
Dream of You - Teaser   
DREAM OF YOU Synopsis: Abby Erickson isn't looking for a one-night stand, a relationship, or anything that involves any one-on-one time, but when she witnesses a shocking crime, she's thrust into the hands of the sexiest man she's ever seen - Colton Anders. His job is to protect her, but with every look, every touch, and every simmering kiss, she's in danger of not only losing her life but her heart also.  

Author PhotoAbout Jennifer L. Armentrout: # 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.  

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Novella Goodreads ** Author Goodreads

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Friday, June 12, 2015

A Little Bit About Me: My Life Update

First of all, I will like to tell you all that I am very sorry I haven't posted as much as I used to. Life has kept me very busy. Now that doesn't mean that I haven't read books, because of course I have. I don't think I can ever stop but I haven't been posting as many reviews as I would like. For that I am sorry. So I would like to share with you my crazy journey these past few months. I will divide it into sections. By the way this is Tanya. Just so you know.

College Life

I thought this was the easiest section to dive into so I am going to cover it first. I am sure many of you can agree that school is crazy! This semester was one of the hardest I have faced yet but I loved it. It showed me that I love stress! Yeah I know that is crazy but it is good for me. It helps me push myself and work harder. Right now I am not under so much stress and I miss it because I feel like I don't have much to do. I need to get used to a stress filled life because I am going to be a journalist so stress come at me, I am ready for you.

Some of the classes I took this semester were quite interesting. Lets see, I took Chicano Studies: Societal Issues, African American Studies: From Hip Hop to Rap, an online magazine class for journalism, Women Studies: Women Who Work in the Sex Industry, and Communication Theory. This was one of the best semesters because I learned so much. My favorite class was the Women studies class. I learned so much and the class was so much fun. It was a lot of reading but these readings were so good and eye-opening. I also loved my online magazine class because I was able to report on many stories and it was fun and it reinforced my love of journalism.

So after this semester I decided to take a Broadcast Journalism course in a Mini-mester. It was just 2 weeks! Yeah, it was crazy. It started right away so I only got a weekend to rest before it began. Now this class was one of the best. I finally was able to learn about broadcasting and how crazy it was. We had a guest speaker from different news stations almost every day. It is one of the best classes I have taken. Ok so I think thats the wrap-up of my college experience.

Blogging

So now that you learned a little bit about my crazy semester you can understand why I didn't have much time for blogging. I had so much work that I would be studying and doing homework until Midnight or later. That left little time for blogging which made me sad. I did continue reading here and there when I had time. I didn't do as much blogging as I would have liked but I did do some. It was just the last month (May) that really killed me. So now that I am on break I am hoping to do more blogging but then in July I am taking a summer class so I don't know how that is going to work out yet.

Currently I am addicted to the Addicted Series and the companion novels by Krista and Becca Ritchie. I am loving these books and I can't stop reading them. I have gone through four of the books already and I just started the 5th one. I am excited about it because it is back to the original characters that the series started with. I am trying to stop and write a review for them but the books keep pulling me in but I promise that I will get to the reviews soon. I am thinking of doing a Week of Addicted for the books. They deserve a whole week to be recognized.

One last thing before I move on to a different section. I am now realizing that I am horrible at keeping track of the books I have read this year. I decided to take part of the Goodreads Reading Challenge and I forget to update it. I have read but I never add the books so just right now I tried to update it and I had like 20 books to add. I think there are more but I just can't remember! That is not good. I hope to be better at it! I hope to write reviews for most of those books so be ready for that!

Oh and shout-out to Jae and Juliana! Thank you girls for everything. Jae thank you so much for being a great book friend to me. She introduced me to the Addicted Series and she doesn't get annoyed with my constant tweets to her with updates and thoughts that I send to her while I'm reading the series. You are awesome and I am glad to havee met you! Now Juliana be patient with me. I loved your book and I am working on the review! I am so happy to have met you. I am glad that you answered my messages as I gave you updates as I read your book. I hope that we keep in touch. Be sure to check out Jae at The Fluttering Book Nest and check out Juliana's book The Way He Looks at Me!

Life in General

So this year has been a tough one because my family had to endure some bad news. My 84 year old grandma, the love of my life, has cancer. This is one of the hardest things I have ever had to endure in my life. This news broke my heart. My grandma has always been healthy. She has never had anything wrong with her. She had no blood pressure, no diabetes, no nothing so this news was completely shocking to us. We just couldn't believe it. I still can't. It is hard for me. I have always seen her healthy and so active and now she isn't the same.

There is no cure for her. No treatment. No nothing. It is too risky to do anything. She is slowly dying and I hate to see it. It is hard for me to even finish writing this without bursting into tears but I can't because she is here with me. That is the hardest part. I feel like I am holding in my emotions. I am almost always with her and I look at her and I become filled with grief and sadness. I don't cry in front of her and I won't. She has always been there for me, cooking me a buffet of food all the time when we (me and my brother, sister, and cousins) visited her as kids. She would take care of us and make us laugh. It is now my turn to be here with her and take care of her. It is hard but I have never been happier in my life to get each day with her.

I am incredibly thankful to Jay McLean because it was like a miracle happened in my life. Just when we heard the news about my grandma I had just finished her book. It helped me so much and I couldn't be more thankful to her. That book was just what I needed. It showed me the value of life and the importance of it. Where The Road Takes Me (WtRTM) has changed my outlook but it also helped me process my life at the exact moment I needed something to help me. I am just so happy to be living each red letter day with my grandma and I look forward to each day and each hour that I have with her. Hence why I wrote this section in red. If you want to understand why you will have to read WtRTM because I will not share the significant meaning of the color.

I have accepted what is to come and I enjoy every time her eyes light up with her laugh. She is a feisty lady and I love it. She reminds me a lot of Aunt Ada from Blindsided by Emma Hart. I love her so much and even though some days are hard I am so overjoyed with each day that is good. So this is what has happened in my life but I am so glad that I have books in my life. They help me escape a little and feel the pain. I need a book that will let me express all the sadness so if anyone knows a book that will make me ugly cry please let me know!

Oh and just as I was wrapping up I hear the door slam. A short story of my grandma goes like this: The door slams. I hear it and I start to rush out the door. It can only be one person. Granny. She can walk on her own. Sometimes she holds our hand but she is still capable of walking without assistance. One day she got a walker. It has been there collecting dust for a few weeks. Today she decides to try it out. So back to the door slam. I rush out the door and there she is walking around using the walker. This makes me laugh because she really doesn't need it but there she is. She decided that it would be fun to use it so she did. She goes back and forth with the walker on our front porch. Funny sight. Just made my day. She does little things like that that make me smile. 
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Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Twisted Bond Blog Tour


Release Day: June 11, 2015

BLURB:

I’m an Italian-Texan woman in a family full of cops. I’m passionate and shoot before I think. You only f*ck with me if you’re stupid.

Photograph cheating spouses. Hand over the evidence. Cash my check.
That was my plan when I returned home to Holly Woods, Texas, and became a private investigator.
Finding the dead body in my dumpster? Yeah… Given the choice, I think I would have opted out of that little discovery, especially since all three of my brothers are cops. And my Italian grandmother is sure the reason I’m single is because of my job.
Of course, my connection to the victim is entirely coincidental. Until I’m hired by her husband to investigate her murder and shoved bang-smack into the path of Detective Drake Nash.
My nemesis, a persistent pain in my ass, and one hell of a sexy son of a bitch.
Shame he still holds a grudge from that time I shot him in the foot twelve years ago, or we could have something. In another life.
So now all I have to do is avoid my nonna’s blind dates, try not to blackmail my brothers into giving me confidential police files, and absolutely do not point my gun at Drake Nash. Or kiss him. Or jump his bones.
All while I hunt down the killer.
Sounds totally simple—until a second body proves that sometimes things that start as coincidences don’t always end up that way…

(Twisted Bond is book one of the Holly Woods Files series and while it does not end in a cliffhanger, it is not a standalone.)


Review:
5 out of 5 stars
I think this quickly became my favorite book by Emma Hart. I read this book so quickly but it captured my heart. It has a mix of everything I love in books which is passion, stubbornness, hot and cocky men, and an equally tough female character. I especially loved that Emma tried something different and it definitely worked. I loved the whole cop thing. It was definitely hot and steamy. Especially the banter between Detective Drake Nash and Noelle Bond. I especially love the names, especially the Bond part because she deserves that. 

Noelle is amazing and she is by far my favorite female character. She's like a cop but she is a private investigator that uncovers cheating spouses or girlfriends. I found that so awesome and I love the whole thing! I liked hearing the stories about how the cheats would be discovered. It was very entertaining and suspenseful. Noelle was funny and she has such a strong character. I love women like that. The passion she has and she can shoot! I thought that was great because she can beat her brothers. 

Now lets move on to the very sexy Detective. Drake Nash. His name is sexy and commanding just like him. He is so annoying at times because he wants to command everything but he does it in a way that makes you want him as much as Noelle does (even though she denies it). He is a great cop but I think Noelle is better and I like that. I am glad Emma made her this way because I love strong women that can handle themselves and others. 

They have known each other a while now but they can't 'stand' each other. That is because their sexual tension and frustration from wanting each other is so powerful. I could feel it through the words. It was amazing to be able to feel that. This tension is even more increased because they are both trying to solve a murder. They get in each others way all the time and I have never wanted to get inside someones head like I do with Drake Nash. I need to know what he is thinking in that head of his.

This book is full of mystery and shocking information just keeps popping up. Just when you think you are getting one step closer BAM something changes course. I loved this so much. The mystery was great and it fulfilled the book in a way I didn't thing possible. Emma did a fantasic job with this book and I highly recommend it. Just be warned that Nonna is crazy and fun at the same time. Be ready for her attitude and her blind dates that she sets up for Noelle. She added great spice to the book. Watch out because this book will have your frustrated and shocked within one quick second!
Author Bio:
By day, New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Adult author Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to two beautiful little monsters. By night, she drops the cape, pours a glass of whatever she fancies - usually wine - and writes books.
Emma is working on Top Secret projects she will share with her followers and fans at every available opportunity. Naturally, all Top Secret projects involve a dashingly hot guy who likes to forget to wear a shirt, a sprinkling (or several) of hold-onto-your-panties hot scenes, and a whole lotta love.
She likes to be busy - unless busy involves doing the dishes, but that seems to be when all the ideas come to life.

LINKS:

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