Catching Summer
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks / GooglePlay EXCERPT: Once out the door, I breathed a sigh of relief and slowed my pace. “Come on, Summer, stop acting like an idiot.” “Talking to yourself now?” Evan teased from behind. I stopped mid-step and closed my eyes. “Do you enjoy provoking me?” When he circled around me, I opened my eyes. “Not really, but I do love seeing you blush. I didn’t realize I had that effect on you.” “You seriously are full of yourself, aren’t you?” How could I be so stupid? There was no way in hell I could hide my face now. I didn’t want him to know how flustered he made me. Chuckling, he shook his head and kept his gray eyes solely on mine. “I’m really not. I was just hoping to hear your laugh again. I guess I didn’t get enough of it yesterday.” “So, this is you flirting with me? What do you expect to gain from that?” He took a step closer and smiled. “For starters, I was hoping to persuade you to come to my party after the game Saturday night.” My heart thumped wildly in my chest. I could feel the sweat pouring down my back. “Like what? A date?” “Only if you want it to be. I just figured I’d save you the trouble of having to ward off my teammates. I can name three of the guys who are interested in you. My threats to stop their advances can only go so far.” “What if I didn’t want to go to your party? I can easily just tell them I’m not interested.” He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. “You could, but that doesn’t mean shit to these guys. They’ll keep hounding you until you give in. They love the chase.” “Just like you,” I retorted with a smile. “What can I say? I’m relentless when I want something.” I sucked in a breath and bit my lip. Did he really want me like that? The thought made everything inside of me tighten. It was too dangerous to think of him like that. “So are you trying to save me from your friends or are you really wanting me to join you? I know how you guys work, and I don’t want to be a part of some game you’re playing to get girls.” His grin faded, gaze hard. “I don’t play games, Summer. I may have in the past, but I would never do that to you. Have I ever given you the impression that you can’t trust me?” Sighing, I shook my head. I felt like such an idiot. “No, and I’m sorry for being presumptuous. It’s just . . .” I paused and bit down on the side of my cheek. “It’s just what?” he asked in all seriousness. “It’s just this is all new to me. All I’ve ever known is Austin. Being around you makes me nervous. I’m not like the girls you’ve brought into the restaurant. If it’s sex you want, you can forget it. I’m not one of your groupies.” For a second there, I thought he was at a loss for words, but then he belted out in laughter. Ouch, that hurt. “I’m glad I could amuse you.” When he straightened up, he took off his hat and ran his hands through his hair. And again, my heart sped up at the sight. Shit. “Damn, you are a fiery one. And just so we’re clear, I’m not trying to fuck you or trying to put another notch in my belt. Believe it or not, I’m actually interested in something else.” “What is that, exactly?” “I don’t know, but I’m hoping you can help me figure it out.” Grabbing my hand, he pulled me toward his truck. “Let’s go.”
GIVEAWAY!
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by Heidi Acosta Genre; YA Dark Fantasy Release Date: April 1st 2016 Summary from Goodreads: Nothing ever happens in the small town of Copake Falls,and no one knows that better than sixteen-year-old Eden Day. Her life is a mundane carousal, rotating between caring for her alien obsessed aunt and dealing with her freak status at school. Until two brothers move into town and turn her life completely upside down. Golden boy, Cardelian Foster is the talk of the town, and it seems his sights set on Eden. However, she finds herself drawn to the dark and elusive Jaxson instead. Caught between her fear of what he might be and her attraction to him, Eden makes it her mission to find out exactly who or what Jaxson Foster is. Eden begins to dig for the truth, but the deeper she looks, the more her life seems to be in danger. Everyone around her thinks sheâs going crazy, and Eden begins to agree until she finds herself pulled into Faeylonâa world that nightmares are made of. Caught in the center of a dark game, Eden realizes there can only be one winner, and she is the prize.
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About the Author
Heidi Acosta was born on Long Island, New York. Moving around a lot when she was younger, she has lived in New York, Arizona, New York (again), Washington, Georgia, and Florida, in that order. Each place offered her something special, but she will always consider New York her home.
Heidi started writing as soon as she could spell. When she was three, Heidiâs mother gave her a copy of Laura Ingalls Wilderâs Little House in the Big Woods; thus beginning her lifelong love affair with literature. Writing soon also became a form of therapy for Heidi, when she realized that no matter what was happening in her life, she could find emotional escape while writing. Some of her earliest stories featured her as a princess who explored new worlds with her horse Buttercup. If it sounds romantic, it wasnât, there was no prince charming in those fairy lands (boys where yucky). Heidi now resides in Florida with her husband, very active daughter, one hyper Chihuahua, two sweet cats, and one very fat moody cat. Barbie Girl is the first Novel of Heidiâs new, four-book, Baby Doll Series: Barbie Girl, Barbie World, Doll Face, and Southern Sugar.
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Surviving High School
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble Read the Prologue: To my lovely and beautiful readers. Before I tell you the story of how I vowed to survive high school, I’d like to talk about something near and dear to my heart. See, every human being (and most animals, I find) have their own unique essence, an essence comprised of deeply rooted qualities that make them who they are. Ancient Greek philosophers would refer to this as the “soul”—but I am not an ancient Greek philosopher, I am a teenage girl, and so I will call itcall it Lele-ness, you would call it Sara-ness or Jason-ness, or whatever your name might be. My point is: I believe that YOU-ness is something very special, no matter who you are, and it ought to be celebrated. So I shall now tell you how I came to be truly Lele, a person I love for better or for worse. Of course, part of your essence comes into this world with you at birth, but it’s really what happens next that starts to shape you into you. I was born in Caracas, a major city in Venezuela, but quickly moved to the countryside where I—get this—lived in a barn. I mean, can you even? Picture this: baby Lele running barefoot through cornfields miles and miles away from civilization. I didn’t have dogs or cats as pets, instead I had baby tigers and monkeys as close friends. My whole childhood I knew nothing of shopping malls or (gasp!) the internet. For entertainment I had only nature—bird-watching and berry picking and, best of all, stargazing. For as long as I can remember, language has been a struggle for me. Words didn’t come to me as a child, so I used my body to communicate. It felt so much more natural to express my- self that way. I felt comfortable drawing out my thoughts and feelings, instead of verbalizing them, so I’d often draw out storyboards—sometimes eight pages long—to explain to my parents or teachers what it was that I wanted. Everyone has their strengths and their weaknesses: for me, artwork and movement were strengths, while speaking to others using words was a weakness. Now take all of that and add immigrating to the United States, and you have a potential disaster on your hands. I knew nothing about American culture, and my differences paralyzed me with anxiety. For comfort and peace of mind, I turned to entertainment. I found I was embraced by my peers for being physically dramatic and, well, funny. I found that I knew how to make people laugh, and so I held on to that as a life raft in the sea of the most confusing and alienating time in my life. I believe it was my wild upbringing plus my verbal disadvantages that led me to be the performer and one-of-a-kind weirdo with a heart of gold that I am today. It’s not always easy being Lele, but every morning when I wake up I say, “Bring it on,” and that attitude is what has taken me on this incredible journey. I encourage you to think about the life events and circumstances that have made you truly YOU, and to celebrate every single part of yourself—the strong, the weak, the good, the bad, and the ugly— because each part contributes to making you special and AMAZING. Trust me. So that is the story of how I developed my Lele essence. What follows is the story of how I survived my first year at Miami High and how I got to share my message with almost ten million followers. I hope you enjoy it! XO Lele
GIVEAWAY! Race Girl
-- EXCERPT: Tully scanned the shadows as she reached the shimmering water. He didn’t turn up . . . She thought with a stab of panic. He’s playing me! I’m an idiot!! She’d spun around, ready to bolt back to the house, when a rustling in the tall, dead grass around the jetty made her heart stop. Bear bounded out, barking and grinning like mad. OMG! ‘Holy--sit!’ Tully grabbed the front of Brandon’s T-shirt and pulled him down next to her. Bear leapt up, licking his face. ‘Whoa, whoa!’ He chuckled, leaning down to help Tully contain Bear in her lap. ‘I was hoping for that kind of reception from her—’ he nodded down at Tully. ‘God, shush!’ Tully pushed her face against Bear’s smooth head, her eyes drifting across the sparkling dam to the violet outline of the mountains, and up into the silver diamonds – bright and full across the sky. Tully took a long breath to calm her thumping heart, when suddenly her whole body was swirling like wonderland – her mind lost, struggling to comprehend what that rich-wonderful-earthy-soapy-manly-scent could possibly be. Oh, she realised, opening her mouth so she could block off her nostrils. Him; of course he’s got the best cologne . . . Just get down to business . . . ‘So,’ Tully said, clutching to Bear’s smooth body. ‘Brandon, did you know your dad’s trying to buy our farm out from under us?’
GIVEAWAY! -- Steamsworn
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble EXCERPT: “Whoa,” she said, jumping away from the burst of heat and flame. “That went up a little faster than I expected.” She reached the edge of the rack with her toe and forced it beneath the boiler. Another rumble and crack echoed from the corridor behind them. Jacob turned around in time to see Drakkar come running back into the station, his cloak rising in the breeze behind him. “Scythe Beetles!” Jacob swung the air cannon off his back and racked the slide. “Jacob, Alice!” Samuel’s voice rang with authority. “Fall back with Smith. If you need to use the cannon, use it at the last second. You don’t want to injure a Scythe Beetle. You want to kill it.” Drakkar’s arm snapped out to the side, and his sword unfolded with a rapid series of clicks. There was a calamity behind the Cave Guardian, and it grew louder with every second. Jacob and Alice scrambled off the railcar. Jacob paused and then ran to the pump to turn it off. The last thing they needed was wet fuel bars. Alice made it to Smith ten steps before Jacob did. Samuel and Drakkar set up a loose line between the railcar and a steeper section of the shattered wall. Smith spoke into his transmitter. “Mary! Get the chaingun down here now!” Her static-laced reply came back in an incoherent burst. “Chaingun! Now!” Mary cursed and began shouting orders before she stopped transmitting. Drakkar had the best view of the corridor, and everyone tensed when he said, “Here they come.” The iron gate in the stone hall collapsed at the first impact. The metal rattled and screeched as it was twisted and trampled. The creatures were not very fast, but once they were moving, nothing seemed to stop them. They ran on three-toed claws, the spikes on their legs tearing through stone and rending metal as they crashed onto the platform. Jacob watched in awe and horror as the front most beetle paused, and its back split open. A pair of leathery wings extended from beneath the carapace and gleamed in the rising moonlight.
GIVEAWAY! Forbidden Heat
EXCERPT: Feeling dizzy, I back away from the table with heavy limbs. The girls I met don’t notice my departure but Justin Kirby does. He’s right next to me with his hand on my lower back. “I need to sit down,” I say. “Okay sweetheart,” he says. He steers me away, past an empty chair. “Wait,” I say, but he leads me to the basement stairs and we start to go up. I’m having trouble managing them. I mumble something as we wind through the crowd on the main floor, bumping against a shoulder here and an elbow there. The music is pounding. I feel it in my body, but it sounds muffled, along with all the other sounds in the room. He steers me up another flight of stairs. He has to put his arm around me to keep me from tripping on the steps. What’s the matter with me? There’s a long, dark hallway at the top, with several rooms breaking off on either side. Justin Kirby is practically dragging me along. When he opens a door, I see a bed in the room and know I’m in trouble. I’m almost too out of it to panic properly. All of a sudden, he half lets go of me, half shoves me into the doorjamb. I hit my forehead on the wood, trying to hang on to something. There’s screaming and yelling—I’m hearing his voice, I think, and someone else’s, a woman’s voice—but it’s all confusion to me and now all I can do is think about the fact that I’m falling and can’t stop.
GIVEAWAY! This is my stop during the book blitz for Saven: Deception (The Saven Series #1) by Siobhan Davis. This book blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 30 March till 5 April, you can view the complete blitz schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours. Saven: Deception is now free on all book selling sites, so make sure to grab your copy! And there's a tour wide giveaway! Saven: Deception (The Saven Series #1) By Siobhan Davis Genre: Science Fiction Romance Age category: Young Adult Release Date: December 15, 2015 Blurb: You can find Saven: Deception on Goodreads You can grab your free copy of Saven Deception here: - Amazon USA - Amazon UK - Amazon Canada - Amazon Australia - B&N - Kobo - iTunes About the Author: Siobhan Davis writes young adult science fiction fantasy romance books, and she is the author of the Amazon bestselling True Calling series. The first book in her new Saven series was released in December 2015. A self-professed teenager forever–at least when it comes to books, music, and films, Siobhan is totally addicted to teen fiction and superhero/blockbuster movies. She loves baking, shoes, bags, makeup, anti-wrinkle cream, anything pink, Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, and Robert Pattinson (definitely Team Edward). Before pursuing a full-time writing career, Siobhan forged a successful corporate career in Human Resources over the last twenty years. She resides in the Garden County of Ireland with her husband and two sons. You can find and contact Siobhan here: - Website - Blog - Google + - Goodreads - Amazon - Newsletter Sample chapters, quotes, reviews and book excerpts are all available to download from the authors website There is a tour wide giveaway for the book blitz of Saven: Deception. Open International. Below are the prizes you can win: - a kindle e-reader - The Complete Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout - Signed paperbacks of Saven Deception and Saven Disclosure by Siobhan Davis For a chance to win enter the rafflecopter giveaway below: a Rafflecopter giveaway Life in the Lucky Zone
EXCERPT: People filled the baggage claim area, grabbing their items from the carousel, their conversations muffled by all the noise. I stepped out of the way of a man heading for the exit and scanned people’s faces. Where was Adam? Were his parents already here to take him home? That might make things awkward. I edged through the crowd and finally saw him. Relief ran through me, but immediately drained away at the sight of the people with him. Dressed in a T-shirt and hoodie,Adam was placing a huge duffle bag on the floor beside an elderly couple and a teenage girl. A gorgeous teenage girl with dark hair. I didn’t know who she was, but I hated everything about her. From her long, curling hair to the tight shirt that showed off all her curves. Even the tiny belly curve. Should I go over there? I kind of had to if I wanted to talk to him. But something held me back. Some sense that prickled up my neck. I shouldn’t meet those people. At least, not right now. Then the problem took care of itself. Adam straightened and looked across the room. Our gazes met. Locked. But I couldn’t read what might be in his. It was too far away. He tilted his head down toward the others, said something, and then started working his way through the crowd. I knew the people he was with must be watching, but I only had eyes for Adam. He did not look happy. Crap. I hadn’t planned on a fight. Surely that wasn’t what he had in mind. My pulse sped up, and I squeezed my fingers around the strap of my shoulder bag. And then he was standing in front of me, his hands hanging loosely at his sides, a vertical line between his eyebrows. “Hey,” he said, with no kiss or hug. “What’re you doing here? I told you I had a ride.” I made myself smile. “I wanted to surprise you.” He ran a hand through his hair. It had gotten long; a couple of strands curled toward the snake tat on his neck. “How’re you doing?” he asked, sounding like he really didn’t care. I could barely choke out the word. “Fine.” Touch me. Tell me everything’s okay. Someone jostled him, and he stepped closer. “Look, you know things have been weird between us. I should’ve talked to you about this before I left, but I didn’t know how. Stuff has … changed.”
GIVEAWAY! The One Who Got Away
EXCERPT: Even from behind, he was something to behold. He had on a black leather jacket with a charcoal gray hoodie. On anyone else, it would have looked juvenile, hipster even. Like someone emulating ‘rugged’ based on what they saw in a magazine or on some TV show. This guy was all man, all testosterone with his broad shoulders and jeans that gripped an ass that I was dying to grip. Realizing that I was staring at some stranger’s behind, my eyes shot up to tamer territory, but his dark wavy hair was even more dangerous. It was just long enough that he could do that man-bun thing that was all the rage. But nothing about this man was forced. He didn’t follow trends; he made his own. His dark locks were wild and free. I hadn’t even seen his face, but I knew he was trouble. With a capital T. Which meant I was in trouble, because if I wasn’t sure I was gonna take the job before, well, I was positive now. “Oh! Mr. Carraway, I didn’t know you were on site today.” I gasped. No. NO. The allure, that instant draw…I should have known. It had only happened once before when I was partnered with the hottest guy at Rhoades High in Advanced Chem. He turned from the espresso machine and I stopped breathing. Lincoln Carraway smiled at me like a wolf about to rip out the throat of its prey. “Welcome to Make a Change, Catherine.”
GIVEAWAY! --
Title: Echoes of the Past
Series: Fermosa Bay Series #1
By: Iris Blobel
Publication Date: February 16, 2016
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Amazon US - http://amzn.to/1UMSPd9
Amazon UK - http://goo.gl/K4SMKZ
Connor leaned against the window frame with his arms crossed as he watched the waves crashing against the rocks. In front of him, as wide as the horizon, was the ocean. With the clouds drifting in from the sea, the sky had turned grey and dark, and he knew there’d be even more rain coming later in the day. He would’ve enjoyed the scene if it hadn’t reminded him of his changing life. He’d been back in Fermosa Bay for two days already, but the memories of the first seven years of his life he’d spent in this small Australian coastal town were tucked away in the back of his mind. Seemingly inaccessible. Nowadays, his life was in London and had been for the last twenty-three years. He took a couple of deep breaths as he looked towards the harbour in the distance, and the small town in the alcove with the hilly forest in the background where he’d spend the first seven years of his life. It was truly one very picturesque little place. A noise from the other end of the house hauled him back from his thoughts, and he stepped away from the window. Over the last few weeks, since he’d decided to accept Jack’s invitation to Australia, he’d had visions of what he’d find here. His mother hadn’t told him much about the time she’d lived here, except about Jack owning a pub. Connor had been furious for her lack of memory, but in the end admitted to himself it’d probably not been a time she’d like to remember. So he was surprised to find out that Jack lived in this massive house just outside Fermosa Bay, on the top of the cliffs, with a view over the ocean. The house had five rooms and a small study at the back. The lounge room, with a high pitched ceiling, had wood fire heating and a big window front. Connor had loved the house the instant he’d stepped into it. When he entered the hall, he saw his father and said, “Good morning, Jack.” The old man sighed sadly. “You still can’t bring it over your heart to call me Dad?” Connor’s gaze wandered from his father to all the many framed photos along the wall. Jack was in many of the photos, but most them had people in them he didn’t know, except the biggest one, which showed Connor as a child in Jack’s arms. A wave of sadness shook him. No, it wasn’t in him to call him Dad. Or to even think of him as his dad. After a moment’s silence, he turned to his father and shook his head. “Sorry.” Jack coughed, and Connor quickly rushed to his side, holding him upright. “Another bad day?” Connor asked. “Son, there will be no more good days. One day is like the other, until it will be the last.” The words struck Connor deep enough to feel some emotions for his father. He knew time was running out, but hearing it made it sound final. “There’s a front coming, but I think you’d be able to sit outside for a little while. At least until the nurse comes.” Jack simply nodded. Connor helped his father out onto the deck where the old man sat down on his swing seat. “Thanks, Son.” Without a reply, Connor stepped away and watched the sea again. “I couldn’t keep you away from the water when you were a child,” Jack said. “What do you mean?” Connor asked. Jack didn’t answer, so he turned around to look at his father. The old man stared into the distance, a withdrawn expression on his face. “You were constantly in the water. Whatever opportunity you had, you grabbed your little board and spent most of the day there.” “So what happened?” His father shrugged. “You left with your mother.” Sitting down on the chair next to Jack, Connor let out a long breath. “Something must’ve happened. I never go near water, let alone go in it.” Still gazing into the distance, Jack said, “I still have the blue board. Ethan’s little son sometimes uses it nowadays.” Not sure where the conversation was heading, Connor just went along. “Who’s Ethan?” he asked. The reaction from his father wasn’t what he expected. With his shoulders sagged, Jack closed his eyes. He looked so old and frail. From what Connor saw in all the photos around the house, cancer had taken a lot of life out of his father, leaving behind a haggard body with no energy left. Initially, he’d been taken aback by their similarities in looks, with their dark brown eyes and dark blond hair, including the stubborn curl above the ears, but after all, Jack was his father.
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