30 June 2018

Am Reading - Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

I LOVE this book and thought I'd take the chance for a reread...

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda - Creekwood #1 
by Becky Albertalli 







What they say: Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.


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29 June 2018

Why Not Me - New Release

Today Ashley Erin is stopping by to share her contemporary romance, WHY NOT ME. 

Check out this fantastic new release and grab your copy today!



Title: Why Not Me
Author: Ashley Erin
Genre: Contemporary Romance


He didn’t choose me, and now he wants his second chance.

Allie Vincent has a good life. All of her boxes are checked off.

Sweet boyfriend? Check.

Awesome job? Check.

Great friends? Check.

Life is going according to plan. That is until the man who broke her heart seven years ago comes crashing back into her life.

Suddenly those checked boxes no longer seem important.

Her once neat life is now in turmoil as she’s caught between a past love and a current one.

A choice between two men.

One is her best friend and partner for the past six years.

The other makes her heart race, but he left her shattered.

One is safe, secure.

The other is a risk she doesn’t know if she’s willing to take . . . again.


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Excerpt:

Allie
Waking up after an awful night’s sleep, I drag myself out of bed toward the bathroom. Glancing behind me to a sleeping Brendan, his curly hair sticking out all over the place makes me smile. The hole in my heart that was reopened yesterday afternoon has a Band-Aid over it. The safe comfort of Brendan’s arms preventing me from leaping into a black hole of memories.
The same arms that put me back together, protecting the cracks from breaking even further all those years ago, held me together once again last night. It kept that question that taunted me for years, why not me,from resurfacing.
Brushing my teeth, I avoid looking in the mirror. I’m mad at myself. I’m angry that I’m so weak a person that someone from my past still has so much power over my emotions. That he still holds a large piece of my heart, even after he stomped on it. That even now, I’m still wondering why not me,even though I shouldn’t be.
After seven years, I should be able to look at him and be angry that he ended things over the phone, or better yet, not feel anything at all.
I should be able to look at the man who has loved me for six years and realize I have what I need. Yet, I can’t shut off the way he still permeates my thoughts on a regular basis. I’ve tried. I’ve tried every single day since that night.
Yanking a brush through my hair, I relish in the pain I deserve as it rips through the tangles.
He chose someone else. Someone he said I didn’t need to worry about. He picked her, not me. Brendan picked me. He loves me, every part of me. With him, I’ll never need to wonder or doubt his feelings. He is safe, he loves me, he makes me laugh, and we have a wonderful life together.
“Good morning.” Brendan walks into the bathroom, stretching his arms above his head before wrapping them around me. Looking up, I’m surprised to see he looks sad. His voice is muffled as he speaks into my hair. “You didn’t sleep well last night.”
Closing my eyes, I breathe in his comforting scent. “I had a nasty headache from the accident. I’m going to see a physical therapist this morning.”
Angling my head when he leans down to kiss my neck, I smile into the mirror as our eyes meet and ignore the wrenching guilt about not telling him the full story behind the accident.
“Do you want me to come with you?” He turns me to face him, lifting me onto the counter so he can step between my legs.
Panic fills me at the idea of Brendan seeing me near Landon. He knows me too well, he’ll know something’s up. Clasping his shoulders, I lean forward to kiss his cheek. “Nah, enjoy your morning. I don’t know how long I’ll be.”
He smiles as he kisses me once more before turning to switch on the shower, the warm steam doing nothing for the chills running through my body.
I finish getting ready for the day, tying my hair into a messy bun before throwing on sweats and a hoodie. It’s tempting to dress up, but I won’t give in. I shouldn’t need to impress him.
Maybe there’s a silver lining to this weird and uncomfortable situation. This will give me an opportunity to finally have closure on the Landon issue. That’s what I’ve needed all these years. A chance for the door that was left slightly ajar in my mind to finally shut. Not that I would ask him why he picked her instead of me, but an opening to say a real goodbye, not a heartless sever over the phone.
Two hours later I’m parked outside of Landon’s clinic, Freedom Physical Therapy, trying to find the strength I need to go in, get evaluated by Landon, and get out unscathed and hopefully ready to finally let go.
Slinging my purse over my shoulder, I take a few calming breaths before leaving my car and entering the building. No one is at the front desk, in fact the entire open space is empty. This is my opportunity to leave, to walk out and not look back. I start to turn, but before I can take a step Landon comes out of an office I didn’t notice in my cursory glance.
“Allie, I’m glad you made it.” His eyes scan over me, a trail of heat following the path of his gaze. He steps in close, pressing his thumb into the tender skin around the large bruise on my forehead. Before I can think about what I’m doing, I’m leaning into his touch, my eyes drifting shut.
There is something unique about the way his hand feels on my skin. The connection is powerful, the draw instant, and I find myself falling into another memory.
Landon is kissing my neck, specifically the spot that instantly makes me moan in need. The palms of his hands rub my back, before pressing into my lower back to pull me into his arms. It’s a stolen moment, one we shouldn’t be taking, but all common sense and morality flies out the window when we’re together.
“Allie . . .” His words are tortured. He needs this as much as I do, but his guilt is starting to eat at him. He needs to make a choice.
With a sharp breath, I jump back as I think about the consequences of what’s happening. He probably hasn’t thought about me since that night, or if he has they’ve been fleeting thoughts that don’t matter. He let go of us. Unlike me, I’ve never quite let go. Tears fill my eyes as pain shoots through my neck, but the pain in my heart is even worse.
“Oh—sh**—ow.” The words are a low groan, the pain in them a mixture of physical and emotional.
“I hit you pretty hard yesterday. Hang your coat over there and then sit on that exam table over there.” The gravelly tone of his voice reminds me of every time we were together. It’s the first indication that he might be as impacted by my presence as I am his.
I hang my coat, the burn of his eyes as they track me feels familiar. When I turn around, I let myself meet his gaze straight on. He’s intent, his blue eyes darkening as we stare at each other. I examine every feature, every twitch. And I see it. He feels everything I feel.

Author Spotlight:

Ashley Erin lives in Alberta, Canada where winter and summer compete to take over. She wears flip flops as soon as it’s above freezing, because her hatred of socks outweighs her dislike of snow. Her boyfriend stays with her despite a penchant for adopting rescued cats and dogs without permission. Their two dogs and four cats are spoiled rotten. When Ashley isn’t writing, she is reading or working with horses.

Ashley is a self-published author of contemporary and new adult romance. Follow her on Facebook to keep up with her current and upcoming releases.


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28 June 2018

Cardboard Castles - Book Blitz


Cardboard Castles
by K.L. Young




Genre: YA Fantasy
Release date: May 17th 2018
Graye Castle Press



When seventeen-year-old Josilyn begins to see the fantastical world of her father's imagination, she can't help but wonder if he isn't insane at after all, or that she might be.

Living in a crumbling cardboard castle under the park bridge and struggling to care for her mentally ill father, Josilyn's life has been anything but regal since her mother's death. But when a former friend discovers Josilyn's secret and leads Child Protective Services directly to her, her father's visions of grand feathered dragons and treacherous dark knights become the least of Josilyn's problems.

Now separated from her father and terrified for his safety, Josilyn sees his imaginary world, forcing her to consider the possibility that someone may be desperate to see her father dead--and her in chains.

In a stunning twist of reality, survival may not be a matter of sanity, but who to trust, and who to kill.




ON SALE for only $2.99 (FREE on Kindle Unlimited) through July!


Buy links:


**A portion of all sales from the book are being donated to Chattanooga's Community Kitchen, which serves the author’s city homeless population.** 

Download the first five chapters of Cardboard Castles for free HERE!


Advance Praise:


     CARDBOARD CASTLES is by turns introspective, heart-wrenching, brilliant, and daring. Young’s prose seized me like a dragon’s talons, never letting go…” –Keith Willis, author of the Knights of Kilbourne series


     CARDBOARD CASTLES is by turns introspective, heart-wrenching, brilliant, and daring. The world-building is outstandingly well done, and Young’s talent shows here especially. While both worlds Jos inhabits are intricate and complex, Young brings them each to vivid, sometimes painful reality. I’ll be honest—this is not a book for the faint of heart. Ms. Young explores some dark themes here—homelessness, mental illness, betrayal. And yet despite this, there is humor and hope and love abounding in Josilyn’s story.” –Keith Willis, author of the Knights of Kilbourne series






Author Spotlight:



K.L. Young's fascination with all things fantastical comes out in her writing, whether it’s dragons, vampires, or ghosts – if it has wings, fangs, or goes bump in the night, she’s writing about it.

She lives in beautiful Chattanooga, Tennessee with her husband, Tim, who’s responsible for making her believe all her writing dreams will come true. Together they have two daughters, Savannah and Tabitha, who both enjoy art and writing as well. By day, she teaches eighth grade in a suburban middle school where she shares her love of writing and dreaming “big dreams” with her students.







Excerpt:



Every molecule of oxygen evaporates from the room. My mouth collapses in on itself, unable to form words to admit what she already knows. How could I be so stupid? The syllables claw at my throat, desperate for release, but years of practice clamp my mouth shut.
Livi reaches out to touch my hand, but I recoil and grip the arms of the chair tighter. My fingertips are numb. The room’s unbearably hot and my heart beats way too fast. I consider throwing up again, but this time it’s not because I want to.
“It’s okay. No one’s going to hurt you.”
I glance up at the abominable officer, and I’m not so sure about that. What I wouldn’t give for him to be my father, here to take me away from this mess. He turns his head and rolls his shoulders back, his face contorting into a mask of contempt. The air in the room thickens and I squint my eyes shut. My face goes completely numb, like someone has punched me with a fistful of Novocain. 
“Can you hear me?” Livi asks.
I slide from the chair to the floor, pulling my knees to my chest. I blink again, and my back isn’t against the chair but an enormous boulder, cold and covered with dew. I arch my spine, fitting the curve of it against the stone, trying to ease the prickling sensation that makes me want to rip the clothes from my body.
Livi’s voice pulls me back again, but her sentences are broken. Maybe it’s because she’s so far away – still in the conference room, but I’m here. Wherever here is. A hyacinth-scented breeze tickles my cheek as I let my hands trail through the grass so that it sticks up through my fingers. I turn my face into the breeze to find a young girl, maybe twelve or thirteen, racing toward me from about thirty yards away. The girl screams, her fear raking against me.
“Princess!” she wails. Not once, but three times. She hikes up her long skirts, her hair tumbling free from the top of her head and spilling around her shoulders. Her arms pump at her sides as she digs harder into the run.
This can’t be real.        
Livi’s voice cuts through the distance again. She says things like “panic attack” and “shock.” The truth of it punches me in the gut and leaves me desperate to find my way back to her voice.
The girl looms over me. Her face fades in and out of focus, as if she’s made of oil on water.
“Princess. Please don’t leave us again. Knights march toward the castle. We are in danger. Your father—you must remain with us.” Her fingers dig into my shoulders, yanking me toward her. Another breath, and the grass slips from between my fingers; the edge of a chair pressing into the back of my head replaces the coolness of the stone.
I blink again, swallowing back my own puke, and the conference room snaps into focus. They’re both hovering over me, concern on Livi’s face and confusion on the officer’s. They lean back so I can sit up.
Nurse Anne hurries back into the room, pushing through the space they’ve made, and presses a cold towel to my head. “It’s okay, deep breaths."
The kindness in her voice overwhelms me so much I start to cry, no matter how hard I try not to. At first, my tears are hardly noticeable, but soon they turn into horrible, choking sobs. My heart stutters at an alarming pace and sweat coats my palms, making my grip on the chair's legs slick. I uncurl my fingers and press my hands into the carpet, pushing the tips of my fingers into individual loops in the pile.
The reality of what’s happening slams into me. My pulse quickens and the tingling sensation spreads from my face and down my arms into the tips of my fingers. Blackness closes in from the edges of my vision, creating an elongated tunnel of the central part of the room. Livi hovers over me, her face distorted by the shift in my vision.
I grapple for the seat, anything to ground me in reality. Father’s face flickers in my mind. I’m unable to even consider what might be happening to him at this same moment, not to mention the only plausible explanation for me believing, for even a second, I was sitting in a field of some sort with my back against an imaginary stone. And the girl, so lifelike.
I am my father’s daughter. And I am terrified of that fact. 



Giveaway: 






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27 June 2018

Whatcha Reading Wednesday - The Unbinding of Mary Reade

Ooh...

The Unbinding of Mary Reade
by Miriam McNamara





What they say: A clever, romantic novel based on the true story of a girl who disguised herself as a boy to sail with the infamous pirates Anne Bonny and Calico Jack—and fell in love with Anne Bonny.

There’s no place for a girl in Mary’s world. Not in the home of her mum, desperately drunk and poor. Not in the household of her wealthy granny, where no girl can be named an heir. And certainly not in the arms of Nat, her childhood love who never knew her for who she was. As a sailor aboard a Caribbean merchant ship, Mary’s livelihood—and her safety—depends on her ability to disguise her gender.

At least, that’s what she thinks is true. But then pirates attack the ship, and in the midst of the gang of cutthroats, Mary spots something she never could have imagined: a girl pirate.

The sight of a girl standing unafraid upon the deck, gun and sword in hand, changes everything. In a split-second decision, Mary turns her gun on her own captain, earning herself the chance to join the account and become a pirate alongside Calico Jack and Anne Bonny.

For the first time, Mary has a shot at freedom. But imagining living as her true self is easier, it seems, than actually doing it. And when Mary finds herself falling for the captain’s mistress, she risks everything—her childhood love, her place among the crew, and even her life.

Breathlessly romantic and brilliantly subversive, The Unbinding of Mary Reade is sure to sweep readers off their feet and make their hearts soar.
 

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26 June 2018

Nightmare of the Clans Book Blitz


Nightmare of the Clans (Chausiku #1)
by Pamela E. Cash




Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Release Date: November 2012


There are six secret clans across the world–Africa (Sakombi clan), Europe (Spencer clan), Asia (Qiáo clan), South America (Amaru clan), North America (Natosapi clan) and Australia (Gale clan). Each clan possesses supernatural powers. On her 16th birthday Chassie inherits powerful abilities and discovers she's a descendant of the Sakombi clan. She’s also in extreme danger.

John is ready to teach her how to fight but there isn’t much time. She must deal with her harsh new reality fast if she wants to stay alive…because her mother’s killer is looking for her.


Buy: 

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * iTunes * Kobo


Other Books in the Series:

Dark Soul of the Clans (Chausiku #2)
by Pamela E. Cash


Release Date: June 2018

Chassie has discovered the six powerful clans across the world and inherited her supernatural abilities. She fought and won a major battle but her intuition tells her that the war isn’t over. The clans have a secret…and Rasul has a secret weapon.




The Blood of the Clans (Chausiku #3)
by Pamela E. Cash



Release Date: June 2018

The Amaru clan has attacked the Qiao clan...the Sakombi clan has a traitor in its midst... and Rasul is more evil than ever. Is it all about Chausiku or is there a new threat?



The Deadly Twelve (Chausiku #4)
by Pamela E. Cash



Release Date: June 2018

The Chausiku Saga continues...

The Natosapi clan has arrived and to Chassie's horror she now knows why they are so feared.

The real battle has begun.




EXCERPT FROM CHAUSIKU
NIGHTMARE OF THE CLANS
BOOK ONE
As the driver steered the car through the airport traffic, Adamma closed her eyes and concentrated on Rasul.  It only took a moment for her to locate his mind and send her thoughts into his head.
Rasul, I know you can hear me.  Meet me at George’s house.  Let’s talk.
Surprised by the sudden voice in his head, Rasul dropped his fork.  It landed with a clang on his dinner plate.  He jerked his head up and tilted it to the side as if he could hear the voice better that way.  Then he engaged his abilities and tried to detect Adamma’s location.  Nothing happened.  His eyes squinted in an attempt to concentrate harder and increase the intensity of his ability.  He had the power to sense when other clans were using their abilities and to pinpoint their location.  Still...nothing happened.
Strange, he thought.  I can hear her but I can’t sense her or locate her.  Somehow, she is able to block my abilities while controlling her contact with me…I wonder if she knows I can’t sense her.
Yes…I know, said the voice in his head.
He raised his eyebrows then lowered them.  He might as well give up trying to locate her and talk instead.  Hello, Adamma, he communicated, you are much stronger than you were the last time I saw you.
Again…I know.
So, you have been training...and now you’re even stronger than your mother.  She can’t block me from sensing her.  But I’m surprised you are contacting me.  Have you finally realized I’m right?
Like I said, Rasul, let’s talk. Will you meet me?
Where?
At George’s house.
With Elizabeth and the whole Spencer clan there too.  Now why would I walk into a trap?   I’m insulted you think I’m that stupid.
Of course I know how brilliant you are, she retorted sarcastically.
The mockery dripping from every word wasn’t lost on him. But he was too curious to refuse to meet her.  Besides, he doubted Adamma would flat out try to kill him.  It wasn’t in her nature…and he couldn’t help the hope that flickered inside of him.
I can be there tomorrow.
Fine…I’ll see you then.
She abruptly cut her connection to Rasul, opened her eyes, and tilted her head to look out of the window.  London hadn’t looked so beautiful to her since the day she arrived to attend the university.  And she had never felt so calm.
Thirty minutes later, her taxi drove up in front of George’s house.  She paid the driver, refused his help with her luggage then walked through the front yard to the door.  George already knew she was there because Malika had contacted his mother telepathically.  She could hear all of them constantly calling out her name in her mind…telling her to wait until they got there before she contacted Rasul.  She ignored them.
When she reached the front door, she stared at the doorknob.  Her green eyes sparkled as she concentrated on moving the lock with her telekinetic ability.  The lock clicked and the bolt slid back.  She turned her head slightly and glanced down the street to make sure no one was watching her.  Then the door flew open and she walked inside.  Her luggage lifted from the ground and floated in behind her.  She settled in for the night.
Early the next morning, she cooked a light breakfast and then did her training exercises.  By the time she finished, her clothes were soaked with sweat from working out her body and her abilities.  She showered, got dressed then headed for the living room.
A moment later, she stood in the middle of the living room, raising her arms on each side.  Gold flecks shimmered within her green eyes as she engaged her powers.  The windows in every room slammed shut and the blinds closed.  The double bolts on every door locked.  The furniture sailed across the living room and settled against the wall.  The knives flew out of the kitchen drawers, into the pantry and its door locked.  When she was done, her eyes stopped glimmering and she scanned the living room with a satisfied expression on her face.  She tilted her head towards the cushioned chair against the wall and it soared across the room then stopped beside her, facing the front door.
Slowly she sat down in the chair, leaned back and waited...

Author Spotlight:

Pamela E. Cash is a lawyer living in Chicago. She loves all types of science fiction but as a child she became hooked on the Marvel comic books she swiped from her brother’s room. Her favorite character has always been and will always be Thor! Her daughter shares her enthusiasm for supernatural characters and is her inspiration for the Chausiku Series. 



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