Book Blast: Change of Heart

Persevere.

That's how I've gotten through nineteen years of life. It's what I do every single day—no matter how badly the odds are stacked against me.

Persevere, and survive.

Those are my two guiding words. I never knew either of my parents. I have no family and no home. The only person I could ever rely on was myself. In this cruel world, that's about as much as I could ask for.

Love? Hah. Don't talk to me about love. I stopped believing in it the day my first boyfriend ripped out my heart three years ago.

That's why love is the last thing on my mind when I leave a packed college bar with a captivating stranger. Yet everything changes when I'm awakened in the middle of the night by a pounding at the door. Suddenly, an arrangement meant for just one night threatens to become something much deeper.

All expectations are thrown to the wind as I'm tangled in a dangerous world unlike anything I can believe. The man I met has secrets swirling around him like a dark cape. I'm about to become his biggest one...

Together, we stumble toward the elevator. Rich breaks away for a second to hit the button. The light doesn’t come on.

“Damn,” he growls, “it’s busted again.”

I’m one step ahead of him. I’d spotted the stairs when we entered. I grab his hand and pull him after me with no hesitation. I start up the cement stairwell, determined to get to his room as fast as possible.

“Penny, wait.”

I look back, confused. “What?”

A devilish smile plays on his lips. “Only this.” Without warning his hands wrap around my waist, and I’m being lifted up as easily as if I were a doll. He turns to the side and presses my body against the wall, suspending me between him and the concrete.

His mouth crashes down on mine again. I curl my legs around his torso, locking my ankles together, and kiss him back with the passion reserved for a lover after ten long years apart. I didn’t think it was possible, but I’m getting even more turned on. Rich’s hands move down to grasp the outside of my thighs, and I moan into his kiss as the muscles of my core clench in sinful fashion. I want him so badly. If we don’t get somewhere private soon, I won’t be wholly opposed to jumping him in public.

I gasp as he steps away, freeing me from the wall. I start to fall, but one of his hands darts down to catch me just beneath the knees. The other one cradles my shoulders. Before I know it, I’m slung across his arms like a bride on her wedding night.

“I’ve always wanted to carry a girl up these stairs,” Rich admits.

I laugh, and wrap my arm around his neck. “Oh, you are just the best type of romantic.”

Four flights of stairs later, Rich pushes open the fire door to a dimly-lit hallway. He carries me down the hall and stops in front of an entrance on the right. He sets me down, then fishes around in his jeans for the key. When the door creaks open, he sweeps a hand out in front of him. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

I walk in, curious about his apartment. I tend to side with the camp of people who believe that a person’s living arrangements can reveal a lot about his personality. But, I don’t find much to work with here.

The apartment is sparse and dark. Pale moonlight filters in through the balcony window, shining down on the only piece of furniture present: a queen size mattress lying on the floor of the living room. The red brick walls are totally empty—no girly posters or other things I might expect in a bachelor’s apartment. There are no lamps, no chairs, no couches.

After a moment, I notice a second piece of furniture: a small, old-school CRT TV camped in one corner of the studio apartment.

Rich switches on the light. “So?” he asks, “what do you think?”

I walk past the entrance. There’s one hall leading away from the room. It is filled with brown cardboard boxes. Lots and lots of boxes. “Did you just move in or something?”

Rich laughs behind me. “Yeah, something like that. You want a drink?”

“A drink?” I say. “No, I—”

The words catch in my throat as he grabs my hips and spins me around. I had no idea he’d come so close. He’d moved from the door to me without making a sound. His fingers lock together against my lower back, and he tugs me into him, pressing my belly to his waist. I feel his growing erection right away, and a diabolical excitement builds inside me.

Nothing happens.

For a long moment, Richard just holds me like that, staring into my eyes as I’m left dangling off his arms. His irises are the color of sea mist. I’m hypnotized by the deep intensity I see brewing just beneath the surface. I have no doubt that that type of intensity is mirrored in my eyes.

Then, moving slowly, as if restraining himself, Richard lowers his mouth to cover mine. This time, his kiss is sweet and gentle. Subtle and caring. He explores my upper lip first, then traces the line going to the corner of my mouth. His lips form a perfect mold over mine.

I was wrong before. This is the kiss reserved for a lover you haven’t seen in ten years.

Purchased your copy today

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I'm Scarlett Edwards. I'm a full-time student (2nd year, undergrad) and part-time writer. I hope to switch those around soon!

I'm kind of old fashioned. I write all my stories using paper and ink. At the end of the day, I transcribe them on my laptop. It takes a bit longer, but writing in a notebook really focuses my thoughts.

I love vintage photography. I have an old-school film camera that was my mom's from before I was born. I use it to take pictures almost every day. Yours to Savor is the first full book I worked on. It went through six drafts, and took me ten months to complete. In the two months since getting it done, I finished two drafts of brand new stories. I'm getting faster!

I love hearing from my readers. I love getting feedback about my books. I'm just getting started, and plan on doing this writing gig for a long, long time. I take inspiration from all the indie romance authors. Addison Moore, Samantha Young, Colleen Hoover, Jessica Sorensen, and everyone else…. you girls rock!

Website † Facebook † GoodReads

I love hearing from readers! If you read my book and want to share your thoughts, good or bad, email me! Scarlett@ScarlettEdwards.com. I'll be sure to reply!!

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Blog Tour: Girls Love Travis Walker - Review/Excerpt

Girls Love Travis Walker
By Ann Pfeffer
Release Date: March 15, 2013

Description:
To nineteen-year-old high school dropout Travis Walker, women are like snowflakes--
each one different, but beautiful in her own way.

He can charm any girl he meets, and yet down deep he fears he'll always be a loser like
his jailbird father. As the landlady threatens to evict him and his sick mother, Travis
takes a job he hates and spends his evenings picking up girls at a nearby night spot.
When he enlists in a teen program at the local fire station, he finds out he’s amazing at
it. Then he meets the smoking hot Kat Summers, enlists Kat’s friend Zoey to help him
woo her, and falls in love for the first time ever.

But he keeps the details of his life secret. His girl will never love him back if she knows
the truth about him….

Review:

This book was so much more than I thought it would be, and it was pleasantly surprising, an absolute joy to read.  This is the second book I've read by this author and I'm not disappointed by her at all.  Really enjoyed reading this book and it pulled at my heart strings on many different levels.

We meet Travis as the ever loving player that everyone knows him to be, he will go to Chicks one day and hook up with somebody and just move on to the next one the next day.  But no one really knew what was going on with Travis behind the scenes, the one who went home at night to a deep sadness for his mother and a feeling of failure on his own part.  No one sees the turmoil with having to drop out of school just so he can support his mom and himself and the struggle he faces daily with trying not to become homeless. 

One day he just happens upon an accident, does the right thing by calling 911 and is absolutely fascinated with the firefighters that come and rescue a motorcyclist that fell off a cliff.  That one moment changed his life forever, he knew he wanted to become a firefighter, and he knew he would be good at it.  It turned out well when he had a chance at trying out and working with firefighters but there were always things holding him back, such as responsibilities, the absolute need to work and support his mother.  These were secrets he didn’t tell anyone, even someone he met and finally believed he cared for. 

Things had changed for Travis dramatically after this accident he witnessed.  Throughout the book your heart goes out to him and all the trouble he goes through, it’s as if he just can’t catch a lucky break at all.  If it wasn’t one thing it was another and he was constantly worried that his secrets would be found out.  It was a rather endearing story about growing up and realizing that you can be exactly what you want to be and you can definitely be better than you parents were, are or every thought of becoming.  Even with his relationship with Zoey growing more each day he still finds it hard to admit the secrets he holds back from her. 

This book really goes to show you that if you put the effort in things can happen for you and even if you are down in the dumps, literal or not, there are always people out there who are willing to help.  You just have to learn to trust them.  I really loved this cover; even though it seems a little cocky you can see a little bit of that lost person in that picture.  I will say that the title really doesn’t do this book justice because it’s so much more than him being an attractive guy that girls levitate to, so much more. 

Excerpt:

Only fifteen minutes since I’d entered the halls of Perdido High School and already the beady eye of authority was upon me. I hadn’t even done anything wrong.

Yet.

“Travis!” Ms. Valenzuela called out to me from the door of the guidance office. Although she was getting old, maybe into her early forties, she hadn’t let herself go. She had great legs, which were hidden today by her lime green pants.

“Yo.” I loped over and unleashed a grin that combined sincere remorse for my failings with my irresistible charm.

She pursed her lips. “Don’t start with me, Travis.”  

I led the way to her office and took my usual chair while she sat at the desk across from me. “New picture,” I said, nodding to the updated photo of her two daughters. “Kelsi and … Julianne, right?”

She struggled to keep back a smile. “Yes, Travis. Those are their names.”

“Fifth and seventh grade, right?”

“Yes, Travis.” Now she was smiling for sure.

Maybe it was my blue-green eyes, or maybe my granite abs, but I could always get women to smile at me.

Ms. Valenzuela opened my folder. “Six more absences since your last visit to my office. Plus numerous missed homework assignments. You’re this close to suspension.” She held up her thumb and index finger a millimeter apart.

“I have to work, Ms. Val,” I said. “Gotta get ahead, you know.” I had a promising position as a bus boy at Jake’s Burgers.

“How many hours are you working these days?”

“As many as I can get, whenever I can get ‘em.”

“You can’t cut back?” She knew she couldn’t push me that hard. My family’s sudden move to Los Angeles in November of my junior year, coupled with my erratic attendance at Perdido High, had screwed up my graduation credits. With all my former classmates in college, I was starting my senior year, again, at age nineteen.

“I can’t get weekend shifts at Jake’s,” I told Ms.Val.

She didn’t like me working there, but she should just be glad I wasn’t following in the path of my father, who knocked over a convenience mart a year ago and ended up in prison for armed robbery. Mom had gone to visit him, but I refused. He could rot there for all I cared.

“You’ve got one school year left to graduate. I want to see you get that high school diploma, Travis. Or a GED at least.” Between her fingers, she rolled a pen. It was the cheap kind the school district bought that wrote for about five minutes before it crapped out on you.

“Yeah, well, we’re about to get evicted,” I said, “so that’s kind of rearranged my priorities.”

 

About the Author:

Anne Pfeffer is the author of Any Other Night and The Wedding Cake Girl.  She lives in Los Angeles, CA.

Contact:

Website

Twitter @AnnePfeffer1

Review: Click to Subscribe

Click to Subscribe
By: L.M. Augustine
Release Date: May 9, 2013

Description:
1,135,789. That’s how many subscribers sixteen-year-old West Ryder has on his web vlog series. But he only has eyes for one of them.

As one of the internet’s most prestigious video bloggers, West talks about high school relationships under the name “Sam Green.” As far as he knows, no one from school, not even his best friend, Cat, has seen his videos. But the highlight of the whole thing is Harper Knight, who comments every day at exactly 2:02 in the afternoon. He doesn’t know anything about her aside from the occasional deep philosophical messaging on why pizza tastes so delicious, but as stupid as it sounds, he might be falling for her. So when they finally agree to meet in real life, West’s hope for romance seems more and more in reach. But that all changes as soon as he arrives at their meeting spot and sees Cat walking toward him, wearing the same “I < 3 Sam Green" t-shirt Harper promised she'd have on.. 

To his alarm, West realizes he is falling in love with the best friend who has always been a sister to him.

Review

This was definitely an interesting book; I checked out the description and knew this sounded like it could be a good and promising book.  It wasn't too bad. The main characters were incredibly likeable but I will admit I wanted to smack West upside the head a couple times because he could be so dense sometimes. I mean really dense, all I have to say is ugh boys!

It's very obvious from the beginning what a close relationship both West and Cat have with one another so why he goes searching for other friendships outside of their relationship is beside me.  But he does, and he finds that with Harper an online person who he has grown to adore over time.  Then it comes time for them to finally meet, and yes it's his best friend who walks in when the whole time he was expecting Harper.  This throws him for a complete loop and he doesn't know how to react accordingly.

This is where the awkwardness in their relationship becomes more prominent.  This is also where things start getting interesting for me because their awkwardness brings out feelings in West he didn't know he had or wanted to have, especially not after his mother died, he never wanted to love again.  We go through the voyage of their up and down relationship and throughout the whole thing I have to say for a girl who has fallen for her best friend and time and time again he rejects her Cat seriously holds her own.  I’m sure it’s because it’s so obvious how he feels to everyone except himself, like I said, Boys!

Once that turn was made and feelings were being bought out into the open the book really opened up for me and I started to enjoy it more and more.  Overall this was a cute and really great story of realization, and learning to deal with problems and depression.  It’s good to know that sometimes things do get better in the end and it’s ok to open up and love someone.  That’s really what I took from this story and I would definitely recommend it.  

I have to say that I really love the cover how they are back to back as if they can't see one another (like on a computer) and the title is super cute.  This book brings teen angst and awkwardness to a whole new level in my eyes.  It’s a very cute and endearing love blooming. 

Teaser Tuesday: Click to Subscribe

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: •Grab your current read •Open to a random page •Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page •BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) •Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser for the week:

My eyelids start to feel heavy again, and I realize once again that I need to sleep. But a much larger part of me wants to keep talking to Cat, because sitting here, alone in the darkness and hearing her voice, I feel like I’m walking on air. I need Cat like I need to breathe, and that is that.

Click to Subscribe
By L. M. Augustine
(Kindle Locations 1308-1310).

Review: The Avery Shaw Experiment

The Avery Shaw Experiment
By: Kelly Oram
Release Date: May 4, 2013

Description:
When Avery Shaw’s heart is shattered by her life-long best friend, she chooses to deal with it the only way she knows how—scientifically.

The state science fair is coming up and Avery decides to use her broken heart as the topic of her experiment. She’s going to find the cure. By forcing herself to experience the seven stages of grief through a series of social tests, she believes she will be able to get over Aiden Kennedy and make herself ready to love again. But she can’t do this experiment alone, and her partner (ex partner!) is the one who broke her heart.

Avery finds the solution to her troubles in the form of Aiden’s older brother Grayson. The gorgeous womanizer is about to be kicked off the school basketball team for failing physics. He’s in need of a good tutor and some serious extra credit. But when Avery recruits the lovable Grayson to be her “objective outside observer,” she gets a whole lot more than she bargained for, because Grayson has a theory of his own: Avery doesn’t need to grieve. She needs to live. And if there’s one thing Grayson Kennedy is good at, it’s living life to the fullest.

Review:
I can without a doubt see this book as being an amazing movie, even the cover could be a great movie poster.  That’s how much I loved the book and would love to see it come to life.  The author captivated me the moment I started reading the book. The writing style the content the characters, all of it was very much an addiction that I needed to feed and devour.  This book made me laugh and aw and just get all giddy so many times over, really a great fabulous fun read.  This is really a great book to read on vacation or just in general really.

We meet Avery who is absolutely in love with her best friend Aiden.  Their parents were pregnant at the same time and met at a yoga class ever since then they have all been inseparable.  They were even born on the same day, their friendship was a different kind of friendship, but Avery just knew Aiden just needed time to realize how much he was in love with her too.  Or at least that’s what she felt until one day he asked her to give him some space, this is when the experiment was born and the kindle was lit between Avery and Aiden’s brother Grayson.  Which let me just say Grayson sounds super delicious.

He never noticed Avery before but something happened when her heart broke and she accidentally runs into him, he’s never been one to settle down but there is something about her, it hit him hard.  Grayson is the popular jock in school and Avery is the geeky science girl.  They couldn’t be any more different but they were absolutely perfect for each other.  It’s as if they fit together like Ying and Yang.  So the experiment was for Avery to go through the different stages of losing someone. such as denial, grief, guilt and acceptance.  I’m sure I’m forgetting one in there somewhere.  So this is their experiment and Grayson is to be the outside bystander who observes and helps her through the different stages to cure her heartbreak.

Of course something happens along the way where even if they call it an experiment there is an attraction there and their relationship really does blossom.  It was entertaining to watch Avery go through the different stages and at some points very sad to watch Grayson have to deal with them when he has so obviously fallen for her.  Again I can’t say this enough that this book needs to become a movie, that’s how good it is.  You should definitely pick this up because the book will definitely make you smile, definitely (it’s the word of the day).  I loved all the characters but I have to give a special shout out to Avery’s nerd friend Molly, because she is just too funny, Owen better watch out!

The cover is too cute and adorable and I know the first time I saw just the cover that I wanted to read this book and I’m so happy I picked it up.  Now I need to go find another book by this author because she is too good.  I hope there is more to come in the future. 

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I don't usually put stars on here but maybe I will have to start ... my rating for this book is ...

Overexposed Release Day Blitz

Overexposed by Adrianne James

Young Adult

May 24th 2013 by Star Bound Books

In the tiny town of Willowspring, just about nothing ever happens except for layoffs, hockey games, and your average melodramatic teenage angst.

But that was before.

Vi, Ashley, and Macy are just trying to make it through the school year without one more humiliation when they team up for a simple photography assignment: create a story through a series of photographs. Can't be too much trouble, right?

Wrong.

The shutterbugs happen upon Willowspring High School's darkest secret. When everything around them starts to crumble after trying to do the right thing, their only hope is to stick together.

When the door opened to the alley behind the rink, I realized two things. One, it was freaking colder outside than it was in the bleachers by the ice, and two, Brianna Jones (A.K.A Bra stuffer) was already out there.

The three of us walked out as if it was perfectly normal to be there but Brianna didn’t even notice us. We walked to the opposite side of the alley and huddled together. We hoped it would look like we were keeping warm, but we were trying to hide both the cameras.

Watching Brianna was rather dull. She was just standing there, talking on her cell phone and it wasn’t even anything remotely interesting. We took pictures anyway, because like Mr. Bennett said, you need the before, during, and after to tell a story with photographs.

“Look! She is checking that car’s doors! That isn’t her car, is it?” The quiet clicking of the shutters on our cameras was almost deafening to me. I swore each click was louder and louder as we watched Brianna try to break into a car.

Finally, the last door she tried, the back passenger side, was open. She slipped in and a second later, the dark car had a red glow inside. She climbed back out, shut the door, and walked over to the wall, smoking a stolen cigarette.

“She just broke into someone’s car for a cigarette? Seriously?” Ashley was just as flabbergasted as the rest of us. Why would anyone risk committing a crime for a smoke? “Oh! She is moving again!”

Click, click, click. I took more and more pictures. I hated that they were all from the same angle, but spys have to do what they have to do to keep from being caught, all the while still getting the images.

Brianna walked back to the car and put the cigarette out on the hood. Lucky for whoever owned it there was a layer of snow to put it out before it could burn the paint. Then she leaned over and used the mirror. She pursed her lips, showed her teeth to check those, then she lifted her head slightly.

“What is she doing?” I whispered.

“I’m not sure.” Macy said breaking away from the group. “I am going over there, different angle.” Before I could stop her, she had gone back across the alley to the other side. She was braver than I was. Ashley watched her closely before turning back to me.

“Let me take some. I promise I won’t hurt Jilly.” I knew I had to hand it over. I promised her she could use it. Even knowing that, it didn’t make it any easier.

“Okay. Here.” I took the strap from around my neck and quickly placed it around hers. The minute the fabric was firmly against her skin, she took off, too. “Ash, what are you doing?” I whisper yelled to her.

She just put a finger over her mouth to shush me and she got even closer to the car than Macy had. I figured that made me look out so I opened my eyes and ears and tried to make sure my best friends didn’t get caught.

I looked over my shoulder to check the door to make sure we were still alone when all of a sudden I heard a scream.

“YOU LITTLE BITCH! GIVE ME THAT CAMERA NOW!” When I turned back to see what was going on (although I was pretty sure that either Macy or Ashley had been caught by Brianna) I saw my girls running towards me, with Brianna not far behind.

“Run!” Ash and Macy yelled through giggles. I turned and headed to the door and held it open for them. As soon as they passed through I closed it and the three of us went straight out the front door and to Macy’s truck.

“What on earth just happened?” I asked when I caught my breath. Ashley handed Jilly back to me and I flipped it on. The minute I pressed the play images button I began to laugh. The first one was of Brianna screaming at the camera. I pressed the next button and then it was a picture of her finger in her mouth. The next one was a picture of her finger in her nose.

I died laughing. Brianna Jones was a booger eater. I bet her boyfriend would love to know that.

“Oh, Ashley, you are amazing!” Then the truck erupted in laughter and because Macy’s dad had given her a twenty to get food at the overly expensive rink, we headed to the diner for some hot cocoa and French fries for half the cost. Who said teenagers were irresponsible with money?

Growing up, Adrianne couldn't get her hands on enough books to satisfy her need for the make believe. If she finished a novel and didn't have a new one ready and waiting for her, she began to create her own tales of magic and wonder. Now, as an adult, books still make up majority of her free time, and now her tales get written down to be shared with the world.

During the day, Adrianne uses her camera to capture life's stories for clients of all ages and at night, after her two children are tucked in bed; she devotes herself to her written work. Adrianne is living the life she always wanted, surrounded by art and beauty, the written word and a loving family.

As a young adult and new adult author, Adrianne James has plans to bring stories of growing characters, a little romance, and perhaps a little magic and mythology down the line for her readers to enjoy.

Website † Facebook † Twitter † GoodReads

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Waiting on Wednesday: Secrets and Lies

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

This week I'm "Waiting on":

Secrets and Lies
by Kody Keplinger
Release Date: June 4, 2013

Description:
As per Kody Keplinger's Blog:
SECRETS AND LIES will feature 2 short stories by me. The first is ABBREVIATIONS AND ALLITERATIONS, which will feature Casey from THE DUFF. The second is PEOPLE WORTH KNOWING which is about Bailey from A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHTMARE.  These aren't like short-short stories, either.  Each is somewhere between 5 and 6 chapters long.
..................
Why I'm waiting for this - because I've been waiting a long time for something by Kody Keplinger, I absolutely love her writing style and her characters.  I can't wait I'm jumping up and down for joy on the inside!

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Covers

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. This feature is great because everyone loves lists, including me.

This week's Top Ten is:

 

Top Ten Favorite Covers of Books I've Read

 

 Some of these books I liked others were just good but either way I love their covers! From the playfulness of  Truth or Dare, Unraveling Isobel and the Boy Recession, the beautifulness of Halo, Hush, Hush and Awake.  Then the romanticism of Meant to Be and Taking Chances.  The wild hair of Such a Rush and the ever pensive Just One Day by Gayle Foreman.  I love these covers and honestly I could go on and on with them because covers are just too pretty sometimes that it makes you want to read the book (even though sometimes covers can be deceiving).  An honorable mention I might add is The Selection by Kiera Cass, it's just something about that ball gown.  How about you what are some of your favorite covers?

 

Cover Reveal: Pinned Up by C. Michelle

PINNED UP by C. Michelle

NA Contemporary Romance

Coming soon!

Readers in search of something fresh in the adult contemporary romance department will celebrate the arrival of C. Michelle’s vibrant debut novel, Pinned Up. Full of snappy dialogue, edgy humor, and a lot of heart, this fun look into the world of a modern-day pin-up model is one interesting journey. Are you ready to embark on a wild ride?
Twenty-five-year-old Nina Moretti lives a double life of sorts. She’s a victim advocate during the day and as a side gig, lives out her 1940s fetish as a pin-up model. This arrangement suits her well, as does never having a steady boyfriend. Trust is an issue that was ruined for Nina at a young age and has yet to be recovered. While she may not “do” serious relationships, she has found fulfillment in her work and hanging out with her best friend, Kade—the greatest sidekick any woman could possibly want. All is well in Nina’s hectic, but satisfying life…
That is, until she meets Josh, a stunningly handsome man who has a notorious reputation as a ladies’ man. Living in San Francisco, California, Nina has met her fair share of eligible bachelors. But there is something different about Josh, something that compels her to try and get to know him better. For his part, Josh has always been reluctant to commit to any woman, largely as a way to spite his well-meaning, but rather overbearing mother. Nina, however, sparks his interest in a way that no other woman has before. What are two people, both scared of commitment, supposed to do?
Readers will feel an array of emotions as Nina and Josh do the unthinkable—embark on a relationship together. As they navigate the pitfalls of romantic entanglement, both come to realize that their pasts are intertwined in ways that they could never imagine. Perhaps they have more in common than just their fear of relationships.

A heartfelt novel depicting modern love with a refreshing twist, Pinned Up is a must-read.

Reveal hosted by...

Cover Reveal: Smash Into You by Shelly Crane

 

Title: Smash Into You

Author: Shelly Crane

Expected release date: Summer 2013

Genre: Contemporary

Age Group: Young Adult

Cover Designed by: Okay Creations

Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

 

 

Jude has spent the whole twenty three years of his life running. From what, he wasn't quite sure. His mother tried to keep him safe; a low profile, a constant move on the horizon, a week's pay always stashed away. She tried to instill in him that he was special somehow, though would never elaborate. He never felt different. He was so completely normal and vanilla that he wondered if it had all been in her head. But then she was murdered and all he saw was a running silhouette of a man as his mother said three final words to him. Three words that changed his whole being. Never stop running… Now he's semi-settled into a big town. The college is huge and easy to blend into. It's been three months since he had to move because 'Biloxi', as he calls the man who killed his mother, found him once more. Then Marley, an eighteen year old girl who is as infuriating as she is blissfully ignorant of her gorgeousness, smashes into his car with hers. Then smashes into his life as he realizes that whatever it is he has that Biloxi wants, she has it, too. And now, they're after them both.  

About the Author

Shelly is a New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author from a small town in Georgia and loves everything about the south. She is wife to a fantastical husband and stay at home mom to two boisterous and mischievous boys who keep her on her toes. They currently reside in everywhere USA as they happily travel all over with her husband's job. She loves to spend time with her family, binge on candy corn, go out to eat at new restaurants, buy paperbacks at little bookstores, site see in the new areas they travel to, listen to music everywhere and also LOVES to read. Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn't go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born.  

Shelly Crane | Facebook | Twitter

 

 

 

 

Release Day Blitz: Tragic by J.A. Huss

TRAGIC: Rook and Ronin, #1
By J. A. Huss
New Adult Contemporary Romance
Published May 15, 2013
Science Future Press

Rook Walsh is TRAGIC

Because life so far – just sucks. Some girls get parents. Rook got the foster care system. Some girls get Prince Charming. Rook got an abusive frog. Some girls get lucky…

Rook got a second chance.

And she took it. Because when fate throws you a bone – you grab it with both hands and run.

Antoine Chaput knows the minute he spies Rook in his photography studio that she’s got The Look. The dark and desperate look he must have to land the exclusive TRAGIC media contract.

Rook is paired up with top model, Ronin, and he’s everything her abusive ex-boyfriend wasn’t. Patient, gentle, happy, attentive, and sexy! He knows exactly what to do to make Rook blush for Antoine’s camera.

Rook’s luck changes in an instant and suddenly she’s the darling of the modeling world. It’s a dream job to go with a dream guy and all she has to do is look pretty and follow directions. But there’s always a price to pay – and Rook is about to get the bill.

New Adult Contemporary Romance *Mature Content* Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations and language usage

**Does contain strong language

I gather up all my clothes and stick them in the stackable washer in the closet just off the bedroom. The breeze caresses my naked limbs and gives me the chills, but I enjoy it. The goose bumps travel up my arms and spread out to my whole body. I shiver for a second and then head to the kitchen.

And stop dead in the living room.

Ronin fucking Flynn is sleeping on the couch.

What is he doing here? My eyes track to the front door and I suppose it's my fault, I left it open. There's nothing but a screen door between this apartment and the terrace. My gaze wanders back to the sleeping man. He's lying on his stomach, his one arm tucked underneath him, the other falling over the edge of the cushion, and he's shirtless.

And then I realize I'm naked.

"Shit!"

He stirs and I make a break for the bedroom. It's one thing to let him see me naked half hidden in darkness and quite another to be fully illuminated by the bright morning sunshine. I wrangle the sheet around my body and then head back to the living room, wistfully looking at the washer that contains every single article of clothing I own.

"Ronin!" I say loudly.

Nothing except a half-muffled snore from him. Lord, this man has the most perfectly chiseled and muscular back I've ever seen. Both hands pull up and go under his face, like he's blocking out the sunlight, and this gives me the perfect opportunity to study his flexing biceps. The muscles are thick and hard-looking near his shoulders. They curve down, dip into a little valley, and then climb once again.

I lean down and smell him.

"Why are you sniffing me?" he asks groggily.

"Uh—" Because you smell delicious, the inner Rook says. But luckily the outer Rook says, "I'm checking to see if you're drunk. Why are you sleeping on my couch?"

He peeks up, opening one eye in my direction, squints, and then croaks out some words. "I love your outfit." He grins, winks, and then drops his head back down into his arms.

"Are you leaving?" I ask, frustrated and confused at the same time. "I mean, why are you here?"

"I told you I'd come back with dinner. But when I got here, the lights were on and you were in bed. I only sat down for a second to think up a rational excuse to wake you up, but I guess I fell asleep." He raises his head again, grins sheepishly, and then rolls over on his back, tucks his hands behind his neck, and flashes his perfect body at me as he closes his eyes, probably confident that I'll be checking him out.

I do check him out. It's quite hard not to notice that he's got the perfect six-pack abs and that absolutely adorable fuzzy happy trail you see on a shirtless designer jeans model. Hmmmm… maybe he is that model? "You have no shirt on."

Yes, after all that gawking, I finally manage the obvious.

He opens the one eye to look at me again. "Neither do you."

Purchase your copyAvailable on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

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