Cover Reveal: DRAWN TO YOU by @AngiNicole722!! #NA #romance

Blurb:

Shy Ellie Baylor goes away to college in an attempt to escape her overbearing and zealously religious parents. In between dodging their daily phone call and lugging her oversized art portfolio across campus, she manages to be happy, mostly by avoiding any kind of social interaction. Then she meets River Daniels, the hot guy she's secretly been ogling in her art classes.

River is understanding and sexy, and their connection quickly grows.  However, a lifetime of listening to her parents has left Ellie uncertain not only about herself, but her relationship with River. Their blatant disapproval of River and her choices leave Ellie with the hardest choice she's ever faced- her parents' approval or the love of her life. 

But can Ellie lose either and still learn to live?

DRAWN TO YOU comes out August 19th anywhere and everywhere ebooks are sold!

Author bio:

 

Angi Black is a dancer, a singer, a pirate, a poet. One of those is a lie. She writes New Adult and Adult and owns her own editing business, Wise Owl Words. She also teaches dance and theater all while baking treats and greening up the world around her. She loves music and donuts. She's Team Damon and her muse is Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Gene Kelley. Whedonite. Coffee. Ambassador of Awesome. Bourbon. Beatles. Zeppelin. Mraz. Queen of useless trivial knowledge. Betty White is her spirit animal. Her patronus is a chorus of back-up dancers singing Don't Rain on my Parade. Angi blogs at The Writer Diaries, All The Write Notes, and Indie Ignites. She even has a fancy website.

 

Stalk Angi here: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Tour stop for A Long Time Coming by @HLVanFleet! Love this series! #spotlight #NA #romance

Blurb:

Abigail Orson has a problem. A love problem to be precise; and she has absolutely no idea how to go about fixing it.

For years now, she has been chasing her best friend’s brother—demanding things from him that he’s never wanted to give. For one? A real relationship that surpasses well beyond that dreaded ‘just friends’ zone. You see, David Anderson is her idea of perfection to a T. The one and only guy who has ever had the ability to make her heart beat faster; make her toes curl with the simple blink of his long, girly lashes. But David is also a recovering amputee, and the only thing he really wants from Abigail is to be left alone. Abigail is a fighter though, and losing the one guy who has ruined her for every other is no longer an option. 

A guy with one leg who has lost his motivation to live—to love—to actually be a man. David believes he’s a waste of space. If only the beautiful girl of his unattainable dreams would get that through her perfect, blonde, stubborn head! He’s not the right guy for Abigail. He’ll never be worthy of what she deserves. However, staying away is almost impossible, especially when he’s just as in love with her as she is with him. But Abigail has a life ahead of her, one that’s definitely livable without a nineteen–year–old gimp like him holding her down. What makes her want to stick around is beyond questionable to David’s mind.

Choices will be made. Lines will be drawn. And together, they will face challenges that nobody saw coming. David and Abigail may have had almost fourteen years to fall in love, but the thing is, timing and love have never exactly worked in their favor. 

It has been years in the making, and definitely A Long Time Coming for David and Abigail. Let’s hope they don’t screw it up before they actually have the chance to get it right…




Get it here: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

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Book Trailer:

Author Interview: @heatherlpowell's debut release titled When It's Least Expected!! #YA #Contemp

Hello my darlings! Today I am so excited to interview a dear friend and lovely author Heather Van Fleet!!

Title: When It’s Least Expected
Author: Heather Van Fleet
Publisher: No Boundaries Press
Series: The Perfect Timing series
Release date: 23 April 2013
Genre: MATURE YA contemporary
Pages: 220
Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook 

Karen: Welcome, Heather! Happy Release Week!!! It’s such a pleasure to have you here! Please, sit, stay awhile. I’ve already made a trip to Starbucks. *hands you white chocolate mocha*

Heather: Yum… thanks! It’s been way too long since I’ve had one of these! *Takes a big gulping drink and then nibbles on a cheese Danish*

Karen: Ooo, you brought Danishes!! *attacks pastry then wipes away crumbs* Okay, let the fun begin! Can you tell my readers what’s the weirdest thing you like to eat?

Heather: Well, let’s see… I really love hummus and I love to dip pretzels in sour cream. That’s about as crazy as I get :)

Karen: Ewww, sour cream! :P Hummus and pretzels sound delish though! Food is getting me distracted... Tell us about your novel, When It’s Least Expected, what’s it about? I love the cover by the way!

Heather: Thanks, the looks on their faces is Harley (my heroine) and Mason (my hero) all the way!

Well, let’s see, When It’s Least Expected, or WILE for short, is my baby. The very first book I ever wrote. It’s about two high school seniors who meet, fight, and kiss (a lot) all while learning how to get beyond their tragic pasts and fall in love. Mason is new to town, and Harley wants nothing to do with him. It sounds like a typical YA I know, but it’s really not. I like to push the boundaries with my high school characters and in my own Heather-way, that’s what I did with WILE.

Karen: Lots of kissing AND boundary pushing... Sold! What was your favorite part/scene to write in When It’s Least Expected? And why?

Heather: My FAVORITE scene was a funeral scene believe it or not. It’s a turning point for Mason, and also the part where I (as the author) truly fell in love with him.

Karen: I love that moment when we fall for our own heroes! So tell me more, how long did it take for When It’s Least Expected to be published (from offer to release date)? Tell us a little about the process.

Heather: WILE has been through the wringer and back, let me tell you. I was offered a contract a while back through a great publisher, but they closed a few months before my release date. To say I was sad would have been an understatement… But I got back on my horse and queried away. Unfortunately, I got a LOT of rejections. But then I came across No Boundaries Press and they took it on, seeing potential, and offered me up a contract a few months later. Then I realized how bad this book was. I mean, it was terrible! Too much telling, not enough showing, way to long for a YA, and written in third person present tense. Ugh. I was ashamed that I even sent it out. So I took it back from the publisher, spent two LONG months fixing it, prettying it up, and sending it to a few betas for advice. That has been my best decision ever because now I can comfortably say that I am proud of my baby.

Karen: Wow! Sounds like a lot of TLC has gone into WILE :) Will there be a sequel to When It’s Least Expected?

Heather: There will be! But it’s David’s (Harley’s twin brother) and Abigail’s (Harley’s best friend) story. The sequel is entitled A Long Time Coming, and I hope to have it ready for submission to my publisher within the next few months.

Karen: That's so exciting! Great title! (So, erm... Random question alert!!) Be honest, what’s the longest you’ve gone without washing your hair?

Heather: Oh Lord, I can go a week, sometimes more without washing it. I guess I just have that kind of hair :)

Karen: *am so jealous* I can only go a day! :P So, is there an author that you’d like to stalk, uh, meet?

Heather: Um, how many more days until the RT Book Convention? *counts fingers* LOL I can’t wait to meet you of course!! :) I’d also love to meet Kelly Gendron and Jamie McGuire. Both of those ladies write killer books!!

Karen: *hugs* Yayay! The RT Convention is next week! I can't wait to meet you too! We have so much to talk about! :D Maybe you'll even give me the inside scoop on A Long Time Coming! Oh right, back to the questions... Who controls your characters? You or them?

Heather: I’d like to say it’s me, but they are currently beating me in the head as I write this! They do of course, all the way. I can plot and plot and plot, but once I get going they tell me what to do, what to write, unless of course they get too carried away. A lot of times I have to remind them that my books are for YOUNG ADULTS, not grown thirty-year-old women.

Karen: True! ;) I totally understand how that goes! It's like they have a mind of their own or something :P So when would you say they are the most persistent?

Heather: At night, when I’m trying to sleep, when I’m in the shower, and when I am folding laundry :) No, seriously, they speak to me alllll day. Sometimes I have to remind them that I have a life outside of theirs. Then they get mad, and it’s not pretty.

Karen: LOL ;) Once you get all the voices semi under control, where do you write? (office, coffee shop, middle of the woods, etc.)

Heather: I am a Starbucks writer all the way. If I was an academy award winner then I’d be thanking them. Thanking them for not kicking me out when I run a little past closing time, thanking them for always knowing my drink without even asking. A lot of the time I try to write in bed too, but then I get sleepy and end up pulling one of these moves (sleeppppppppppppppp) on my computer.

Karen: Love it! Definitely a BIG caffeinated thank you to Starbucks! I hear ya on the sleep thing...if I try to write in bed, it's over ;) Speaking of writing...how long does it normally take you to write a book?

Heather: Anymore it takes me a good four to six months to complete a novel. It used to be shorter, but I’ve got three daughters, a publicist job, and I help to run the websites Sizzling Hot Books and sizzlinghotyabooks.net so my time isn’t as free as it once was.

Karen: Totally there with ya! Too many things trying to keep us away from our fictional hotties :P What do you do in your down-time…if there is such a thing?

Heather: All my down-time is spent with my girls, my hubby, or with my nose in my Kindle.

Karen: Sounds like an excellent way to spend free-time to me! :) Before we go, you must face the rapid fire round. Dun, dun, dun…

Coffee or tea? Coffee, all the way.
Chocolate: dark or milk? Milk
Flats or heels? Flats
Yes or no? No, because I don’t say it enough
Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars, definitely
Ice: crushed or cubed? Crushed
Italian or French (food, not men)? Really, no men? Because I’d take both if that was the case :) Anyways, Italian of course. I am a pasta obsessed freak
Panster or plotter? Panster
Paper or plastic? Paper
Vampires or werewolves? Werewolves
Pencil or pen? Pen
Firemen or cops? Firemen, sigh…
Kindle or Nook? Kindle
Sunshine or Rain? Sunshine for sure!

Karen: Thank you so much for stopping by, Heather! Feel free to visit any time!

Heather: Thanks Karen for having me! You are the absolute best!!!

TEENY TINY TEASING excerpt for When It’s Least Expected:

“Don’t…” he whispered almost aggressively, “…think, Harley. Just feel,” he pulled her so close, that nothing but their clothes separated their skin. When in the hell did this happen? And why in the hell did she like it? She should be embarrassed … no, scratch that. She should be mortified that she was practically pressed underneath him, but as her breathing turned rapid and she got sucked deeper into that come hither smile of his, she had no choice but to drop every single inhibition she had. She was in way too deep to dig her way out. 

Guest post with @JLoweryauthor and her release Murphy's Law!! #ContemporaryRom #Sexy #Giveaway

Hello, my darlings!

Special guest post today by author Jennifer Lowery!! But first, let's learn about Jennifer...

Author Bio:

Jennifer Lowery grew up reading romance novels in the back of her math book and on the bus to school, and never wanted to be anything but a writer. Her summers were spent sitting at the kitchen table with her sisters spinning tales of romance and intrigue and always with a tall glass of ice tea at their side.

Today, Jennifer is living that dream and she couldn’t be happier to share her passion with her readers. She loves everything there is about romance. Her stories feature alpha heroes who meet their match with strong, independent heroines. She believes that happily ever after is only the beginning of her stories. And the road to that happy ending is paved with action, adventure, and romance. As her characters find out when they face danger, overcome fears, and are forced to look deep within themselves to discover love.

Jennifer lives in Michigan with her husband and two children. When she isn’t writing she enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

Stalk Jennifer:

Author Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Romance Recipes


Hi Karen and all you fabulous readers out there *waves* Thank you so much for having me today! My contemporary romance, Murphy’s Law, released this month so I’m very excited to be here! Thank you so much for sharing it with me!!

In honor of my release I am giving away a $5.00 Amazon gift card to one lucky commenter so please leave me a comment with your EMAIL to be entered to win!!

This book is very special to me. Not only because it is the story of my heart, but because I signed the contract with Lyrical Press on my birthday! Yep! It was the best birthday ever!

Murphy’s Law was the third manuscript I ever finished. I wrote it never expecting it to see the light of day. I knew I was lacking GMCs in my characters in my writing and I wanted to learn so I set my mind to character building and learning the craft. I bought Debra Dixon’s Goal, Motivation, Conflict and it changed my life! And my writing! Murphy’s Law was my attempt to build deeper characters. Hence, my practice run and the reason it was never to be read by anyone but myself, lol.

But, something happened as I began writing Murphy and Sara. I fell in love with them from page one and just couldn’t stop writing! They haunted my dreams. I couldn’t stop thinking about them. Couldn’t stop writing. I finished the first draft in only a couple months (80k). The more I wrote the more I fell in love with them. The more I learned.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I messed up. Big time, lol. This manuscript went through six edits before I signed a contract. Ah, the life of a pantser, but I love it. Completely. I don’t want you to believe that I just read a book, sat down and wrote a book that sold. Absolutely not!! Blood, sweat and tears went into this book and I don’t regret one single moment of that journey. Murphy and Sara were so worth it. I hope when you read their story that you think so too!

I was lucky enough to final in the Golden Heart with this manuscript back in 2006 and final in another local RWA chapter contest with it. But that was before the edits that finally got it contracted almost eight years after I wrote it.

So my advice, don’t ever give up on the story of your heart or any of those stories you have hidden under your bed or in a drawer!! It just may be the story you sign a contract for on your birthday. So don’t give up! Follow your dreams!

Thank you for having me today!! I just want to send out a big THANK YOU to all my readers out there! Without you I wouldn’t be here. My wish is to one day meet each and every one of you so I can personally thank you for your generosity and support!

All my best,
Jennifer

Murphy’s Law

Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

Tag: Nowhere to go. No place to hide.

Home is the last place Jon Murphy can go. After being held captive in Tazbekistan, he returns to the States only to find he can’t face his mom and sisters with what he did while he was a prisoner, so he retreats to the mountains.

Widow Sara Sheldon has made a lifetime of mistakes and is now running scared from her husband’s powerful family, who are determined to take her daughter away from her. When her little girl goes missing in the Rockies, Sara enlists the only help she can find: a gruff recluse with tracking skills to admire and a body to covet.

A storm strands Sara and her daughter at Murphy’s cabin, leaving her no choice but to hope her in-laws don’t catch up while she plans where to run next. Murphy resents the invasion of his privacy, but can’t seem to keep his mind--or his hands--off Sara. How can she stand to look at him, with all his scars? He’s not nearly as honorable as she might think…only enough to make sure she’s safe, and then he’ll go back to being alone, the way he should be.

CONTENT WARNING: Sexual content

A Lyrical Press Contemporary Romance

Find Murphy’s Law:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

Guest Post: Author Laura Oliva on Living For Research! #writetip #AllThatGlitters

Today's guest post by Author Laura Oliva!!
 Living For Research

“Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.” -Henry David Thoreau 

****

A while back on my blog, I wrote a post on "writing what you know." I touched on the concept of taking your everyday experiences and using them as a jumping-off point for your imagination.

Writing that post got me thinking. As writers, we often spend a good portion of our lives in front of a computer (or notepad, or typewriter if you're really old-school). We create entire worlds in our heads, occasionally at the expense of living in this one. This is just par for the course.

Sometimes, though, it is beneficial--no, necessary--to carve out some time away from the keyboard. Not just for the mundane aspects of living--grocery shopping, laundry, eating--but for some actual, bona fide adventure. We're writers, after all! If you choose to follow the adage "write what you know," then how are we supposed to write about a world we never see or experience?

I've long embraced the probability that I have gypsy blood in my veins. I love to travel, especially to places I've never been before. I love trying new things, and meeting new people. I love getting lost. It always surprises me how many people never take the time to explore the world beyond their own little cocoon.

In the name of public service, I've taken it upon myself to help out. Below is a short list of ways to inject some adventure into your life. So get your butt out of that office chair (it doesn't have any lumbar support, anyway). Don't bring a notebook. I know that sounds sacrilegious, but the idea is to be in the moment, not in your own head.

Trust me.

1) Go someplace near where you live where you've never gone before. I started doing this recently, and was amazed how many towns I've never visited, restaurants I've never tried, roads I've never taken. If you're at a loss, get your hands on a tourist guide to your area (hotels usually have them free in the lobby). Make a day out of it. Take good mental notes. Meet new people. Above all, enjoy yourself. Research can be fun, too.

2) Try a food you wouldn't normally eat. Last week, I tried beef tongue for the first time, in authentic-style Mexican tacos with fresh onion, cilantro, and salsa verde. It was incredible. This one throws a lot of people, especially Americans. Even those of us who don't consider ourselves picky eaters, are, by the rest of the world's standards. Our food literacy is pitiful. Our tolerance of different textures is nonexistent. Our willingness to branch out and try different--really different--things is abysmal. Change this! Challenge yourself! Who knows, you might find you actually enjoy, say, tongue tacos...

3) Talk to someone you wouldn't normally talk to. Whether it's the grocery clerk, the police officer at the lunch counter next to you, or the homeless person on the street corner, everyone has a story and a unique take on life. If you never talk to them, how will you know what it is? And you want to know. At least, you should. As writers, it's our job to translate people--their beliefs, their fears, their hopes--for others. And it's our duty to portray them for how they actually are, not just how we assume they are. Muster your courage, swallow any prejudgments, and introduce yourself. Ask a question. Ask another question. Then sit back and listen. You'll be amazed at people's differences. You'll be even more amazed at our similarities.

4) Find a piece of nature, no matter how small or how big, and soak it in. I'm lucky enough to live near several national parks, and within driving distance of the beach. But when I was younger, I didn't know about any of those things. I knew about the big open spaces in my neighborhood, the feral apricot trees down the street, the creek that ran, mysterious and otherworldly, a few blocks from my house. I spent lots of summers down there, picking blackberries, ogling tadpoles, getting dirty. I still do those things. You can, too. You don't need a bunch of fancy equipment or anyone's permission. Even in the city, wild things are all around you. Train yourself to find them. They're definitely worth searching for.

5) Take a back road. Street signs and freeways are all well and good, but nothing beats a one-lane dirt road winding through the middle of nowhere. I've found some of the best places to eat, met some of the nicest people, seen some of the most beautiful sights, when exploring off the beaten path. Don't let the people who have gone before you dictate where you go. Whether by car or by foot, blaze your own trails. Find your own adventures.

6) Get lost. In an age of smartphones and GPS, getting lost has become an art form. Hone your skill. Sometimes the best places are the places you never would have reached had you known where you were going. Turn off the phone. Leave the map in the glove box. Do what humans have been doing for time immemorial: go to the point where your knowledge ends. Then go a little farther.

Now before you start telling me about how you don't have the money or the time to be going on long vacations, let me be clear: exploration doesn't require a lot of money. It doesn't require a plane ticket, or even a car (although a car does help, I won't lie). And you don't need to quit your job to travel the world (if you do, send pictures).

All you need is an afternoon, a little imagination, some inner drive, and an inextinguishable spirit of curiosity.

Which, let's be honest, as writers we all have in abundance.

Author Laura Oliva

*Loved that post by Laura! Now, check out her latest release!!*

 

All That Glitters 
~ ~ ~ ~
Cover love!

Buy it here: 
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Stalk Laura here:
Twitter 
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Cover Reveal for When It's Least Expected by Heather Van Fleet!!! #MatureYA #Contemporary

Today I have a very special guest author for you, my lovelies!!!

My dear friend (and very first reviewer) author Heather Van Fleet!!! *throws confetti* Happy Cover Reveal Day, chickadee!! ♥ The blurb for When It's Least Expected sounds so intriguing and I canNOT wait for it's to release!!!

Deets...
Title: When It's Least Expected
Release Day: 23 April 2013
Genre: Contemporary Mature YA 

And now for the BIG reveal...are you ready?? 

Here we go! Keep scrolling...

Can you guys guess what the hero likes to do?? ;)

  

Okay, I'll stop teasing you now!

THE COVER!!!

Those smiles!!! Sooo adorable!!! And the name of this series is sooo catchy!! Perfect Timing!

*****
Check out the blurb for When It's Least Expected!

Moving on after a tragedy can be impossible – especially when you’ve been dealing with several of those said tragedies for over two years. But it’s her senior year, and Harley Anderson is more than ready to do just that, even though the skeletons in her closet can’t exactly be hidden.
Enter Mason Daniel – the egotistical, sexy, surfer stud from California. A boy with his own hidden demons and an even more secret agenda.
Mason isn’t right for Harley – he knows this better than anyone. He’s the epitome of a runner – a guy who takes what he can get, only to split a short while later. But he can’t deny the emotions that Harley brings out of him, so he’s going to break his rules for once.
He should have known what it would lead to…
Two kindred souls – both lost and then found – will they fail once again in their search for contentment and happiness, or will they finally find love true, love when it’s least expected? 

Stalk Heather here!
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