Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Excerpt+ Giveaway: Sweet Thing by Renee Carlino


Title: Sweet Thing
Author: Renee Carlino
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Event organized by: AToMR Tours
Links to the book:

Sweet Thing will also be on sale for $2.99 from July 24th to August 2nd


Book Description:

A USA TODAY bestseller, Sweet Thing tells the story of Mia Kelly, a twenty-five-year-old walking Gap ad who thinks she has life figured out when her father’s sudden death uproots her from slow-paced Ann Arbor to New York City’s bustling East Village. There she discovers her father’s spirit for life and the legacy he left behind with the help of an old cafĂ©, a few eccentric friends, and one charming musician.

Will Ryan is good-looking, poetic, spontaneous, and on the brink of fame when he meets Mia, his new landlord, muse, and personal heartbreaker.

A story of self-discovery and friendship, Sweet Thing shines light on the power of loving and letting go.

********
What reviewers are saying about Sweet Thing. . .

Maryse's Book Blog - "It gave me every emotion and in just the right amount. My perfect read. . . 5 stars PLUS!!!!"

Jelena's Book Blog - "Her writing style is so fresh, the tone, the dialogue, the plot, the characters.... everything... just everything was marvelous she is definitely an author to watch out for."

A Love Affair With Books - "If you are looking for a new author, a new read or might want a bit of a cry, I highly recommend SWEET THING"

Book Addicts - "This book made me FEEL; it made me yearn for a happily ever after."

The SUBCLUB Books - "I was hooked and hanging on every word from the Prologue all the way to the Epilogue, I had a hard time steering my eyes away from the story it had a fierce grasp on me and I happily obliged to ride the journey alongside the characters."

Shh Moms Reading - "This is 5 HUGE stars ~ a soul searing beautifully written book that now owns a piece of my heart."

About the Author
Renee’s first friends were the imaginary kind and even though her characters haven’t gone away, thankfully the delusions have. She admits she’s a wildly hopeless romantic and she blames 80’s movies staring Molly Ringwald for that. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog June. When she’s not at the beach with her boys or working on the next book, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate.

Author social media links:
Twitter: @renayz
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6994731.Renee_Carlino


EXCERPT 3: from Hopes and Dreams

Once I was admitted at the hospital, they gave me some pain meds and took X rays. I had a hairline fracture on the top of my foot and other than the missing toenail, that was it. It still hurt like hell. While I was waiting to get my crutches and temporary cast, I told Jenny she could go. I knew she had to go coach a tiny-tot soccer team and it was getting late. She argued with me for twenty minutes and then I said, “It’s not like you’re gonna drive the fucking cab, Jenny! I’m fine, they’re giving me Vicodin.” I convinced her to go, but not before she talked to two doctors and a nurse, verifying that I would be okay to ride home by myself.
On the way to my apartment, I asked the driver to stop at a market so I could get dinner, which consisted of wine and chocolate. When we pulled up to my building, the cabbie got out and helped me onto the curb. I stuffed my prescription, along with the wine and chocolate, into my purse and wrapped my bag around my wrist. I hobbled into the stairwell. Once inside, I looked up and saw Will sitting on the landing outside of our door. He had his legs out in front of him with his elbows resting on his propped-up knees. His head hung down with his hands tangled in his tousled hair. A fragment of light streamed over his winged forearm. He looked like a fallen angel waiting to be let back into heaven. I made my way to the bottom of the stairs. When I hoisted one of my crutches onto the first step, Will’s head jerked up. He got up and bolted down, arriving at my side in two seconds. Appraising me, he asked, “Why didn’t you call me?” He grabbed my crutches and purse and tossed them aside.
I didn’t answer him.
When he reached his arm behind my legs to scoop me up, I protested. “No, Will, just help me get up the stairs.”
“You’re a hundred fucking pounds, I can carry you,” he said and then bent down and put me over his shoulder. He smacked my ass gently as he climbed the stairs with relative ease. “You’re a stubborn woman.” Will was surprisingly strong for a thin guy and I figured it must have been from lugging the band stuff around for years. He set me down on the counter and went to retrieve my things.
When he returned, he stood between my legs at the counter with his eyes narrowed.
“How’d you know?” I said.


“Martha called me. You should have called me,” he said, looking discouraged. “What did she say?” I said, attempting to dodge the scrutiny.
“She just said you broke your foot and then she mumbled some crap about a breathing rose.”
I laughed. “That was a one-liner on friendship.”


“I guess. When I called the hospital, you were gone already. By the way, where the hell was Banker Bob?”
“Working.”


He squinted and shook his head. “Of course.” He looked repulsed but didn’t say anything more about it. I should have told Will that I hadn’t seen Robert in weeks, but I didn’t.
He reached down and grabbed my leg, holding it up to look at my foot, which was encased in plaster. A shudder ran through me and I realized it had been a few hours since my last pain pill. As if he could read my mind, he reached over and opened my purse, taking the paper bag out from inside.
“Wine, chocolate, and Vicodin? Really, Mia? I don’t think this is a good idea.” He was so serious it was touching, but I was really okay and I wanted him to relax.
“I’ll just have one glass, but I need a pill stat, my foot is killing me.” He got me a glass of water and handed me the meds and then he poured us both a glass of wine. “I want to get into the bath, but I can’t get my foot wet. Can you help me?” I could feel heat creeping over my cheeks. Will’s eyebrows arched and then he shot me a sexy smile. “No funny business!”
“Who, me?” he said as scooped me up. Once inside the bathroom, he set me down on the closed toilet and drew a bath. I reached over and dumped about a gallon of body wash in to make bubbles.
“Let me get undressed and I’ll call you when I’m done so you can help me in there, okay?”
“Sure,” he said and then walked out. The combination of the wine and pain meds was kicking in. Will was being perfect and respectful, but I wasn’t going to parade around naked with my foot in a cast. I wrapped a towel around myself and called him back in.
“Okay, I’ll lift you over and just leave your foot out until I can get something underneath it.” Once I was standing with one foot in the bath, he positioned towels on the side of the tub. “Mia, you’re going to have to let me see you so I can help you lie back, or
are you going to take a bath with that towel wrapped around yourself?” he said with a smirk.
“No, I can do it myself. Just turn around for a sec.” He shook his head and sighed. I tossed the towel and then slowly sat down, holding my broken foot out of the water. I thought it must have been some kind of amazing Olympic feat considering how much work it was to sit while suspending one leg in the air. Once I was in, I rested my head back on a towel and sank into the water, positioning my cast on another rolled-up towel propped on the side of the tub. The water felt heavenly and I luxuriated in the bubbles. “I’m in.”
When he turned around I watched him drink me in slowly. Although the bubbles mostly covered me, I realized my position was insanely erotic with my legs open that way, lying back. The warm water consumed me and I know I must have been glassy-eyed from the meds. I studied his beautiful face as he stood there paralyzed; he was listening to God.
“Will?”


“Yeah?” he whispered.


“Do you want to get your guitar and play me something?’


“Sure… okay.” He turned on his heel and walked out. When he came back he had our wine glasses and his acoustic guitar. He never met my gaze; he just seemed undaunted. He handed me the glass and I took sip and set it on the side of the tub. As soon as he hopped up on the counter, he started strumming away. He played a long intro and then began singing the words to Van Morrison’s “Sweet Thing.” I watched him intently. He closed his eyes and let each word linger in the exquisite tone of his voice.
His face was so determined and his hands were so precise. I was feeling woozy and aroused. I made sure Will’s eyes were closed and then I closed mine and let my hand travel down my body as the sound of Will’s voice resonated everywhere in me. I moved in and around myself, imagining Will’s perfect hands on me as he sang the words:




And you shall take me strongly in your arms again And I will not remember that I even felt the pain
And we shall walk and talk in gardens all misty and wet with rain And I will never, never, never grow so old again
Oh sweet thing, sweet thing oh, my, my, my, my, sweet thing

Event Giveaway: 
The author is offering (5) Signed Paperback Copies of Sweet Thing and Swag – US/Canada. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

or click here 

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Sit Down And Write: A guest post by Heather Frost plus Guardians Giveaway

Guest Post by Heather Frost—“Sit Down and Write!”

Aspiring authors have many great questions, though sometimes I feel like I have a hard time giving solid answers, since writing is such a personal thing. I’m often asked how I write; where I go, what I listen to, how I get myself to sit down and actually focus on writing. Since everyone is different, I’m not sure if my process will help at all, but I figure it can’t hurt to share some tips about how I go about writing.
If there is a step one in this process of mine, it’s find a time to write. I have to schedule the important things in, or they just don’t happen. So find a time that works for you, and then follow through. The most consistent you can be, the better. If you’ve got a flexible schedule, awesome. If you’ve got three small kids to take care of, you must already know some of the basics when it comes to juggling. Strive to give yourself at least one uninterrupted hour, though I try to give myself a minimum of two.
Here’s the blunt truth: writers are dreamers. And while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, daydreaming tendencies can be distracting when you’ve finally scheduled a bit of time to sit down and write. So once you’ve given yourself that time, don’t let anything else—thoughts of dinner, cleaning, homework, whatever—keep you from using that time to write. Take yourself away from the distractions as much as possible by finding a place you won’t be easily interrupted. For me, that might be under a shady tree at a quiet park, or—more often—my desk at home.
Now, here are the rules once you’ve settled in: Don’t check your email, phone, Facebook, Twitter, or whatever else might distract during your scheduled writing time. When you get pulled out of the zone for even two minutes, it could end up costing you twenty to get back in. Of course emergencies pop up, but don’t let a Facebook post about your friend’s cat keep you from writing the most comic piece of dialogue ever.
I can’t write when it’s quiet. Maybe it’s because I grew up in a large family, but I need sound in the background, or I can’t focus. If this is the case with you, I recommend listening to soundtracks, because movie scores tend to have a lot of great emotion. My favorites: Hans Zimmer, John Williams, Harry Gregson-Williams, James Horner, and James Newton Howard to name a few. I’m also fan of Enya, classical (Tchaikovsky!), and I’ve created playlists that are tailored to certain books, characters, or types of scenes. I try to avoid music that could become distracting, whether through the lyrics or bass lines.
Finally, you need to write. Computer keyboard, pen and paper—it doesn’t matter. One paragraph or five pages, it doesn’t matter. The goal is to finish that story so you have a rough draft to polish up and eventually send out into the world. It literally happens one word, one letter, at a time. It can be tricky when you first start; trying to find a time and a place, shutting out the world’s distractions so you can focus on your own imagination—But, really, if you don’t, who will?

Tour Schedule

Title: Guardians

Author: Heather Frost
Publisher: Sweetwater Press, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published: July 2013
ISBN: 1462110355
FTC FYI: I received an eCopy via the author in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Book Description:

Kate Bennett has escaped captivity, but she has not escaped the hunt. The Demon Lord has one million dollars on Kate’s head, and every bounty hunter around is just waiting for the chance to break through her guardian force. Kate’s only shot at staying alive and protecting her loved ones is to lead the seers on a mission to the past and kill the Demon Lord before he comes to power.

But Patrick, Kate’s immortal guardian and the love of her life, knows what happens when she travels back in time: he has seen her die in his arms. With Patrick keeping a protective watch over her, Kate knows she can never lead her mission, but she cannot wait around to be captured by demons again, either.

This final installment of the Seers trilogy brings Kate Bennett’s tale to a surprising and exciting conclusion filled with love and heartache, danger and triumph, loss and redemption.


About the Author:

Heather Frost was born in Sandy, Utah, and raised in a small Northern Utah town. She is the second oldest of ten children, and she has always been an avid reader and writer. She’s a graduate of Snow College, and, more recently, Utah State University. She enjoys playing the flute, listening to all types of music, and watching a wide variety of movies. Ever since she wrote her first short story—at the age of four—she has dreamed of one day becoming an author. Guardians is her third published novel; her second book, Demons, was a Whitney Award Finalist.


Giveaway:

Heather Frost is offering one copy of Guardians. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

or 
click here 

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Bookshelf Confessions on top 1% of reviewers on Goodreads!

Thought, I'd share... Goodreads had emailed me of this great news.. Being on the top 1% of reviewers in Goodreads wouldn't have been possible without YOU, readers of Bookshelf Confessions thank you for liking my book reviews and for all your comments. Thanks :D goodreads header
On behalf of the Goodreads team, I want to say thank you. You’re in the top 1% of reviewers on Goodreads! Your many thoughtful book reviews help make us a vibrant place for book lovers.
And our community has been growing! We now number more than 20 million members on Goodreads.
Every day readers from all over the world are connecting over a love of books. And our 25 million reviews – including yours – are a big part of that conversation.
Thank you for your support of Goodreads, and keep reading! I’m looking forward to seeing what you think of your next book!
--Otis
Share the news with your friends that you're in the top 1% of Goodreads reviewers!
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Cover Unveiled+ Giveaway: A Wicked Kind of Dark by Jonathan K. Benton

Author Jonathan K. Benton

Jonathan Benton always wanted to write books, having won first place in a short story competition when he was ten. Inspired by writes such as Ray Bradbury and Stephen King, Jonathan first discovered the crossover genre of literary/fantasy while reading Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes.
Jonathan grew up in New Zealand, dreaming of travelling to London and finally making the pilgrimage in his mid-twenties. Returning from England, he settled in Australia, the country he now calls home, and decided to take his writing seriously.









A Wicked Kind of Dark

Robert Duncan no longer believes in magic. A mysterious call about a blood moon, however, leads him back to the magical world of his childhood and to Luthien, the beautiful girl with flame-coloured hair, who he loved and lost.

As Robert unravels the secrets of his childhood, darkness enters his life and an ancient evil awakens. To have any chance of defeating the dark forces that would destroy two worlds, Robert must find Luthien before the rise of the blood moon. He must, once more, believe in magic …

A Wicked Kind of Dark mixes vast and spectacular fantasy landscapes with gritty urban reality. A must-read for people of all ages who believe in the power of imagination, and the importance of never losing touch with your inner child.



Giveaway Details
$10 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Open Internationally
Ends 8/15/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

*An additional $10 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash is available to anyone who shares this giveaway on their blog.  See link in the rafflecopter form.


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Lazy Days of Summer Spontaneous Giveaway Hop


I Am A Reader Not A Writer and Colorimetry, had a wonderful idea for blogs to put up a spontaneous giveaway. And I guess, I should join in the fun too :D

Some good books under $5








 




  1.  


Join the fun and win, just click the rafflecopter
INT
ends Aug 5

or if doesn't load, click here 

more giveaways here 

Cover Unveiled: Beyond Control by Karice Bolton


*Cover by PhatPuppy Art ( http://phatpuppyart.com/ )*

Book Details:

Beyond Control by Karice Bolton
Expected Pub: August 2013

Gabby’s overcome more than most can even begin to imagine, and she’s barely out of college. With a visible scar that reminds her and the world that she beat the odds, it’s impossible for her to put everything behind her, no matter how hard she tries.
 
As she begins working at her family’s company, she buries herself in the safety of the corporate world. No extra time, no life, no relationships. It’s safe to say she might be a little demanding and overly ambitious. She’s got everything under control, just how she likes it. After all, life is short.
 
Jason’s been trying to piece his life together after a personal tragedy, only it’s not working. He’s thrown himself into his work, but he’s only becoming angrier. He’ll never forgive himself and doesn’t expect anyone else to either.
 
When the back of his vehicle is clipped by an obnoxious limo driver he can’t wait to let the driver have it until he hears Gabby’s voice coming from inside the sedan. There’s something soothing about it, something familiar.
 
The moment she sees him, she knows her life will never be the same. But she doesn’t know why. He’s everything she said she never wanted. He’s cocky, arrogant, and infuriating. With his dazzling amber eyes, dark hair and chiseled features she can hardly remember where she’s going, let alone where she’s been and maybe that’s a good thing. She begins to let him show her what life could be, if she really lived it.
 
Neither want their past to define their future, but sometimes destiny has something else in store. It’s only as their love grows and secrets are revealed that they realize a devastating connection from their past might actually tear them apart.

Goodreads Link:

Author Bio:

Karice Bolton is a paranormal romance/urban fantasy author living in the Pacific Northwest. All three books in The Watchers Trilogy are available now, Awakening, Legions, and Cataclysm. Lonely Souls, which is the first book in her new series Witch Avenue, was released in June 2012!

Author Links:

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Win and Read: The Hero's Lot by Patrick W. Carr

 
The Hero's Lot 

Riveting Sequel from Christian Fantasy's Most Talented New Voice. When Sarin Valon, the corrupt secondus of the conclave, flees Erinon and the kingdom, Errol Stone believes his troubles have at last ended. But other forces bent on the destruction of the kingdom remain and conspire to accuse Errol and his friends of a conspiracy to usurp the throne. In a bid to keep the three of them from the axe, Archbenefice Canon sends Martin and Luis to Errol's home village, Callowford, to discover what makes him so important to the kingdom. But Errol is also accused of consorting with spirits. Convicted, his punishment is a journey to the enemy kingdom of Merakh, where he must find Sarin Valon, and kill him. To enforce their sentence, Errol is placed under a compulsion, and he is driven to accomplish his task or die resisting.


  Hero's Lot is the Sequel to A Cast of Stones
A Cast of Stones 
An Epic Medieval Saga Fantasy Readers Will Love. In the backwater village of Callowford, Errol Stone's search for a drink is interrupted by a church messenger who arrives with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Desperate for coin, Errol volunteers to deliver them but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travelers, Errol soon learns he's joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom. Protected for millennia by the heirs of the first king, the kingdom's dynasty is near an end and a new king must be selected. As tension and danger mount, Errol must leave behind his drunkenness and grief, learn to fight, and come to know his God in order to survive a journey to discover his destiny.
 
Author Patrick W. Carr

Patrick Carr was born on an Air Force base in West Germany at the height of the cold war. He has been told this was not his fault. As an Air Force brat, he experienced a change in locale every three years until his father retired to Tennessee. Patrick saw more of the world on his own through a varied and somewhat eclectic education and work history. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1984 and has worked as a draftsman at a nuclear plant, did design work for the Air Force, worked for a printing company, and consulted as an engineer. Patrick’s day gig for the last five years has been teaching high school math in Nashville, TN. He currently makes his home in Nashville with his wonderfully patient wife, Mary, and four sons he thinks are amazing: Patrick, Connor, Daniel, and Ethan. Sometime in the future he would like to be a jazz pianist. Patrick thinks writing about himself in the third person is kind of weird.
     
Book Blast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 8/11/13
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, July 22, 2013

Deadly Gamble by Shirley Kennedy - On sale for 2 days only!



Deadly Gamble by Shirley Kennedy
When attractive Kristi Andrews is hired as Assistant Marketing Director at the Parthenon hotel/casino in Las Vegas, she’s focused on succeeding at her new job. But from the very first day, strange events occur: a deadly escalator accident—the strange death of a candle shop owner—a psychic’s warning that the Parthenon is doomed AND IT’S ALL KRISTI’S FAULT.

Shocked and baffled, Kristi must determine if she could be responsible for the mysterious, evil presence that seems to haunt the hotel. She’s aided by a man she’s just met—famous western historical author, Mike Garvey. Attracted to Kristi, Mike goes one hundred fifty years back in time to draw upon his knowledge of old Las Vegas and the Santa Fe Trail. They are the key to a puzzling mystery which Kristi must solve if she wants to save not only the Parthenon but the entire Las Vegas Strip from total disaster.

$1.99 - Only For Next Two Days! 

Grab Your Copy Now!
What is so special about Deadly Gamble?
Author Shirley Kennedy reveals it!

I love the kind of story where seemingly unrelated threads all come together in the end to solve the mystery. That’s what happens in Deadly Gamble. Of course, I couldn’t  entirely ignore my fondness for writing historicals.  A vital part of the plot involves a pack train that traveled the Santa Fe Trail through Las Vegas 150 years ago.


Copyright © 2013 Inkspell Publishing LLC, All rights reserved.

Interview + Giveaway: The Mine by John A Heldt


Title: THE MINE
Author: John A. Heldt
Genres: Romance-Time Travel, Historical Fiction.
 
 AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Tell us about your book.
The Mine
My debut novel, The Mine, has something for everyone: humor, history, adventure, romance, science fiction, and serious themes

It is the story of Joel Smith, a handsome, charismatic, cavalier college senior who road trips to Yellowstone in May 2000, enters an abandoned mine on a lark, and emerges from that mine in May 1941. With little but his wits to guide his way, he returns to his hometown of Seattle and starts a new life within a tight circle of friends that includes his progressive 21-year-old grandmother and a beautiful, recently-engaged honors student named Grace Vandenberg. Joel possesses encyclopedic knowledge of the past and struggles with how to apply it. He knows Pearl Harbor will affect his friends in tragic, irrevocable ways. But he knows he is an interloper in another time and vows to limit his impact on the fate of others, a goal that becomes problematic when he falls in love with Grace. The Mine is a book that entertains, but it is also one that prompts readers to think and ask the big questions.

If you would become one of the characters of your book, who would it be?

Joel. He has the most fun.

What are one or two words that describe your book?

Romantic, poignant.

One sentence: Why we should read your book?

It will leave you with a smile on your face.

Music or Book? Why?

Music. Music is the currency of humanity. It cuts across every line.

Love or Life? Why?

Love. There is no substitute.

Reality or Fantasy? Why?

Reality. Fact is much more compelling than fiction. Well, most of the time ;-)


If I can’t sleep, I would . . . make some very strong coffee.

The craziest thing I did . . . was participate in a drag race in high school. I was a passenger in a car traveling 135 miles per hour. The experience was the inspiration for a scene in my second novel, The Journey.

The Journey
My greatest dream is . . . retiring to a house on a lake in the next five years.

The place I’d like to go someday is . . . Australia.

One thing people don’t know about me is . . . that I triple majored in college.

I wish I had written . . . Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth.
The Pillars of the Earth  (The Pillars of the Earth, #1)
Where could readers go to know more about you and your books?

They can go to my blog at: http://johnheldt.blogspot.com

Is there anything else you'd like to say?

I published The Journey, the second book in the Northwest Passage time travel series, on November 3. I published The Show, the third book and the sequel to The Mine, on February 16.


THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE SERIES


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John A. Heldt is a reference librarian who lives and works in Montana. The former award-winning sportswriter and newspaper editor has loved reading and writing since writing book reports on baseball heroes in grade school. A graduate of both the University of Oregon and University of Iowa, he is an avid fisherman, sports fan, home brewer, and reader of thrillers and historical fiction. Heldt is the author of THE MINE, THE JOURNEY, and THE SHOW, the first three novels of his Northwest Passage time-travel series.






GIVEAWAY
Win a Kindle copy of THE MINE
ends: August 5
open to all

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