Release Day Launch: The Fine Art of Pretending by Rachel Harris

Release Day Launch:

A good writer friend of mine Rachel Harris has a fabulous new book releasing today!

THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING Synopsis:

According to the guys at Fairfield Academy, there are two types of girls: the kind you hook up with, and the kind you're friends with. 

Seventeen-year-old Alyssa Reed is the second type. And she hates it. With just one year left to change her rank, she devises a plan to become the first type by homecoming, and she sets her sights on the perfect date—Justin Carter, Fairfield Academy’s biggest hottie and most notorious player.

With 57 days until the dance, Aly launches Operation Sex Appeal and sheds her tomboy image. The only thing left is for Justin actually to notice her. Enter best friend Brandon Taylor, the school’s second biggest hottie, and now Aly’s pretend boyfriend. With his help, elevating from “funny friend” to “tempting vixen” is only a matter of time.

But when everything goes according to plan, the inevitable “break up” leaves their friendship in shambles, and Aly and Brandon with feelings they can’t explain. And the fake couple discovers pretending can sometimes cost you the one thing you never expected to want.

BUY LINKS:

Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Amazon | Amazon UK |  IndieBound

EXCERPT:

An exhale of breath leaves Brandon’s lips, almost like a laugh, and he scoots closer to me on the blanket. I twist my legs under myself, sitting tall as I face him. He cups my chin and tilts it toward him, drowning me in the now dark-green depths of his eyes, the cologne I gave him for his birthday filling my head. It’s woodsy and yummy and I always loved how it smelled on the store testers, but on Brandon, it’s even sexier. My eyes flutter closed, and I inhale again, this time slowly. Goose bumps prickle my arms, and my head gets fuzzy.

Brandon slides his hand down the column of my neck and brings the other up, threading his fingers through the hair at my nape. His breath fans across my cheek, and everything south of my bellybutton squeezes tight. 

When his mouth first meets mine, it’s hesitant, questioning. But as I move my lips with his, he quickly grows bolder, coaxing them apart.

Desire, pure and raw, electrifies my veins as his tongue sweeps my mouth. A whimpering sound springs from my chest, and instinctively, I wrap my arms around his neck, tugging him closer. Needing more. My teeth graze his full bottom lip, and I pull it, sucking on it gently.

He moans and knots his fingers in my hair, and a thrill dances down my back.

Brandon is an amazing kisser, just as I knew he would be. I have no control over my body’s reactions. I lose myself in his lips, his tongue, and his strong arms, forgetting time and space and even my surroundings—until Gabi’s snicker brings reality crashing around us, reminding me we have an audience.

And that I’m kissing Brandon.

We break apart, out of breath, and stare into each other’s eyes.

That was unexpected. 

About Rachel Harris:

Award-winning and Bestselling author Rachel Harris writes humorous love stories about sassy girls next door and the hot guys that make them swoon. Emotion, vibrant settings, and strong relationships are a staple in each of her books...and kissing. Lots of kissing. 

An admitted Diet Mountain Dew addict and homeschool mom, she gets through each day by laughing at herself, hugging her kids, and watching way too much Food Network with her husband. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult romance, and LOVES talking with readers. 

Links:

Website: http://rachelharriswrites.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachelHarrisBks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RachelHarrisAuthor

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5347676.Rachel_Harris?from_search=true

THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17696131-the-fine-art-of-pretending

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Cover Reveal: Inspire by Cora Carmack

We are thrilled to bring you the cover for Cora Carmack's INSPIRE! INSPIRE is a New Adult Paranormal Romance novel and is due to be released on December 15, 2014!

 

The cover was designed by VLC Productions.

Add INSPIRE on Goodreads

About INSPIRE: Kalliope lives with one purpose. To inspire. As an immortal muse, she doesn’t have any other choice. It’s part of how she was made. Musicians, artists, actors—they use her to advance their art, and she uses them to survive. She moves from one artist to the next, never staying long enough to get attached. But all she wants is a different life— a normal one. She’s spent thousands of years living lie after lie, and now she’s ready for something real. Sweet, sexy, and steady, Wilder Bell feels more real than anything else in her long existence. And most importantly… he’s not an artist. He doesn’t want her for her ability. But she can’t turn off the way she influences people, not even to save a man she might love. Because in small doses, she can help make something beautiful, but her ability has just as much capacity to destroy as it does to create. The longer she stays, the more obsessed Wilder will become. It’s happened before, and it never turns out well for the mortal. Her presence may inspire genius. But it breeds madness, too.  


 

About Cora Carmack

Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). 

She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. 

Her first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.  

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Author Goodreads

RELEASE DAY LAUNCH: Stay with Me by J. Lynn

Release Day Launch:

STAY WITH ME by J. Lynn is the next book in her Wait With You saga.

STAY WITH ME Synopsis:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You and Be with Me comes a daring tale that pushes boundaries . . .

At 21, Calla hasn't done a lot of things. She’s never been kissed, never seen the ocean, never gone to an amusement park. But growing up, she witnessed some things no child ever should.   She still carries the physical and emotional scars of living with a strung-out mother, Mona—secrets she keeps from everyone, including her close circle of college friends.

But the safe cocoon Calla has carefully built is shattered when she discovers her mom has stolen her college money and run up a huge credit card debt in her name. Now, Calla has to go back to the small town she thought she’d left behind and clean up her mom’s mess again. Of course, when she arrives at her mother’s bar, Mona is nowhere to be found. Instead, six feet of hotness named Jackson James is pouring drinks and keeping the place humming.

Sexy and intense, Jax is in Calla’s business from the moment they meet, giving her a job and helping her search for Mona. And the way he looks at her makes it clear he wants to get horizontal . . . and maybe something more. Before Calla can let him get close, though, she’s got to deal with the pain of the past—and some very bad guys out to mess her up if she doesn't give them her mom.

STAY WITH ME TRAILER:

http://youtu.be/7S_Pnl4Ii2Q

EXCERPT:

As I lay there, trying to swallow a loud, obnoxious yawn, I remembered something he’d said when we first met, about life being too short. I imagined he had firsthand experience with shortened lives while he was serving. That mentality came from experience. I got that now. Could even understand it, but there was something I didn’t understand. 

“Why?” I asked.

There was a beat. “Why what?”

Jax sounded tired, and I should shut up or point out that I was now tired and could sleep, so he could leave. But I didn’t. “Why are you here? You don’t know me and . . .” I trailed off, because there really wasn’t anything left to say. 

A minute went by, and he hadn’t answered my question, and then I think another minute ticked on, and I was okay with him not answering because maybe he didn’t even know. Or maybe he was just bored and that was why he was here. 

But then he moved. 

Jax pressed against my back, and the next breath I took got stuck in my throat. My eyes shot open. The sheet and blanket were between us, but they felt like nothing. 

“What are you doing?” I asked. 

“Getting comfortable.” He dropped an arm over my waist, and my entire body jerked against his. “It’s time to sleep I think.”

“But—”

“You can’t sleep when you talk,” he remarked.

“You don’t need to be all up on me,” I pointed out.

His answering chuckle stirred the hair along the back of my neck. “Honey, I’m not all up on you.”

I freaking begged to differ on that point. I started to wiggle away, but the arm around my waist tightened, holding me in place. 

“You’re not going anywhere,” he announced casually, as if he wasn’t holding me prisoner in the bed. 

Okay. The whole prisoner thing might be melodramatic, but he wasn’t letting me up. Not when he was getting all kinds of comfy behind me. 

Oh my God, this was spooning. Total spooning. I was spooning with an honorary member of the Hot Guy Brigade. Did I wake up in a parallel universe?

“Sleep,” he demanded, as if the one word carried that much power. “Go to sleep, Calla.” This time his voice was softer, quieter.

“Yeah, it doesn’t work that way, Jax. You have a nice voice, but it doesn’t hold the power to make me sleep on your command.”

He chuckled.

I rolled my eyes, but the most ridiculous thing ever was the fact that after a couple of minutes, my eyes stayed shut. I . . . I actually settled in against him. With his front pressed to my back, his long legs cradling mine, and his arm snug around my waist, I actually did feel safe. More than that, I felt something else—something I hadn’t felt in years. 

I felt cared for . . . cherished. 

Which was the epitome of dumb, because I barely knew him, but feeling that, recognizing what the warm, buzzing feeling was, I fell right asleep.

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Jennifer L. Armentrout/J.Lynn Bio:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Buy Links:

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iTunes ** Kobo ** GooglePlay

Links:

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** J. Lynn Goodreads ** Jennifer L. Armentrout Goodreads

Novel Goodreads

Blog Tour: Claimed by Light by Reese Monroe

I can't express how much I love paranormal romance! The fact that it's popping up in NEW ADULT books makes me very happy. 


Forgiveness softens even the hardest of hearts…

College senior Slade Bennet is so close to his degree he can taste it…until his sister becomes tangled with a coven of demons and he must trade his soul to save her. But first he must kill the assigned target: a sexually charged beauty who ignites his protective instinct.

After the devastating loss of her Companion, the last thing Halena Girard can stomach is the emotional connection to a Mate. She lives for only two things: vanquishing demons, and seeking Artifacts rumored to lead to Lucifer’s downfall. That is, until she’s attacked by a…frat boy? Worse, a newly-demonic frat boy wearing the mark of her Mate.

Halena would rather kill Slade than give him her heart. Unfortunately, the only way Slade can find his sister and Halena the Artifacts is to work together. As they face the darkest of evil, Slade’s ability to crush Halena’s carefully erected walls might prove to be the most lethal battle of all.

BOOK EXCERPT

He finished the rest of his second cup of courage and slid off his stool. As he approached, her laughter filtered through the heavy, alcohol-tainted air. It sounded way better than the foreign music piping into this tiny pub.

He advanced and brushed his hand along the curve of her spine, then curled his fingers around her waist. “What can I get you to drink?”

She glanced over her shoulder, her evergreen gems scrutinizing him. “Brave little American, aren’t you?” Her eyebrow twitched up.

Damn that dress revealed too much of her to resist. “You’re worth the risk.”

“Let me guess, college boy on holiday? Or maybe a dare from your frat brothers.” She glanced around the small bar, then brought the glass to her shiny lips.

“Got the college boy on holiday right.” He inched closer. “What are you drinking?”

Holding up her glass up, she said, “Yanni makes a mean Jack and Coke. Run along, little frat boy.”

“Then I’ll have to try one.” Slade lifted his chin toward Yanni, and the guy nodded, his smirk widening.

Long red hair nestled atop her head exposed her swanlike neck, and the wisps swayed as two men sauntered by. She cast a glance at them, but the jerks stared like ogres.

Slade’s jaw tensed, and he leaned against the bar, inches from her. She was in high demand and appeared to know everyone here. Not good.

“Here you go,” the bartender said, sliding Slade’s drink toward him.

“Aren’t you going to card him, Yanni? He looks a mite…young.” She chuckled before taking a sip of her drink.

“Kid’s got balls approaching you, figured I’d give him one last drink before you chewed him up and spit him out.” Yanni winked at Slade. “On the house, man.”

She laughed and gestured to the stool next to her. “Have a seat…”

Author Bio

Originally from Minnesota, Reese Monroe currently enjoys living in the sunny Arizona desert with her husband of seventeen years and her loveable Shetland Sheep dog, Maddux. Monroe holds a degree in psychology from Southwest Minnesota State University and a master's degree from the University of Iowa. When she’s not busy writing her next trilogy, she can be found pounding the pavement, training for her next endurance event.

Connect with Reese on Twitter (@Rush_Monroe), through Facebook (Facebook.com/LynnRushWrites) or her website ReeseMonroe.net.

I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to give an interview with the author.

Interview Questions

How did you get started writing?

I never grew up wanting to be a writer. I fell into it after reading an awesome story about angels and demons. My own stories started popping into my mind—along with some character voices—and they haven’t stopped since.

How did you come up with your characters?

It varies. Someone I see walking down the street or into a coffee shop can trigger an idea for a character. I can wake up with a thought or phrase on my might and immediately picture the character who says it. The main thing is that I am always open to it. If I have to stop what I’m doing to write an idea down, so be it. I’ve even been known to stop in the middle of a run to type something on my phone.

What inspired you to write the Bound by Hades series?

I can’t identify anything in particular that triggered it, but I have a deep passion for the whole good vs evil and fated love theme. I know fated love isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I just love it. Because even if you’re fated you don’t necessarily have to like it. Fighting it and coming to terms with it is the fun part. So, I thought it was fun to have couples get marked, showing they’re fated, but still show how they fall in love—no matter how much they might resist. I just love love stories! **le sigh**

How difficult was it writing a three book series, but with each book following different characters?

It was super fun. The stories just flowed, really. As I was writing the first book, ideas came into mind about another character I wanted to focus on. Same with the second. It made me want to hurry and get to their book. **LOL**

In the whole series which was your favorite to write?

Oh no. That’s like asking who is the favorite child, right? J I think I have to say Justin’s story might have been my favorite. He was a fun character and so against Mates I was excited to see how we could break through that. What better way than with a demon, right?

Which was the hardest one to write?

The third one was the most difficult because it was the last. Tying up loose ends and having the trilogy end on a good note is challenging…but it was really fun. I couldn’t have done it without the help of my amazing editors at Entangled. They are worth their weight in gold.

How does it feel to complete a whole trilogy?

Bitter sweet. I’ve spent quite some time with these characters. It feels weird that I’m done with them. It’s like a bunch of good friends have moved away.

Any new projects we can expect to see coming out within the next year?

Super Agent, Nicole Resciniti, is shopping a fun contemporary romance around. So you just never know what’ll happen with that. I’ve written another trilogy with a couple spin-off characters from the Bound by Hades trilogy, so we’ll see if that gets picked up. My alter ego, Lynn Rush, will release print versions of the Touch of Frost trilogy end of the year or early 2015. And don’t forget the voices. They’re talking up a storm, so I’ll be writing a few more novels, I‘m sure. J I don’t worry too much about what’s next. I just keep taking the next step on this journey.

Who are your favorite authors?

Rebecca Zanetti, Rebecca Yarros, Jus Accardo, Gena Showalter, Kresley Cole, to name a 

few.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Do not rush into anything. Get hooked up with an established author and heed his/her advice. J Even though you might hear some things you don’t want to. J

Don't miss out on the other books in the series!

He’s waited more than 900 years to love her… 

Being the Gatekeeper to Hades is no small feat, and waiting almost a millennia to meet your mate is damn near impossible. But Theo Bradford’s mark has finally surfaced on his intended. Now all he has to do is find her and convince her to embrace her supernatural heritage. Young genius, Sadie Nowland, has got life figured out. Graduating college at the age of eighteen and accepting a six-figure job is just what she needs to prove she’s made something of herself. But when a strange tattoo mysteriously appears on her shoulder and Theo starts talking about Mates, it catapults her neatly laid out life into chaos. 

Somehow a vicious demon banished to Hades defies Theo’s vanquish and returns, setting his target on Sadie, and she is thrust into the volatile world of Shomrei warriors and a connection to Theo her brain can’t comprehend and her body can’t deny. That primal bond proves more imperative to their survival than either could have ever imagined—and just may be the key to the world’s survival

Book #1 in trilogy: Forged by Fate

Buy Links: Kindle USA | Kindle UK | Kindle CA | B&N | Kobo | iBook

One choice away from eternity… 

For 911 years, Gatekeeper companion Justin Bradford has denied the possibility of being mated to only one woman. He enjoys them all too much to settle down. So when he feels his mate’s Ahavah mark surface, his first instinct is to ignore it. But when he sees the leather-clad beauty in need of his help that’s easier said than done… Yvonne wakes up naked on a cold park bench in a small town with no memory of who—or what—she is. All she knows is the gentle man who woke her was turned to dust when she touched him. 

And now the strange mark that appeared on her shoulder throbs in the presence of the raven-haired man now offering to help her… As Justin and Yvonne navigate the mystery of her past, their bond grows, but the secrets they discover and the sacrifices that must be made could be enough to rip them apart for eternity


Book #2 in trilogy: Marked by Hades

Buy Links: Kindle USA | Kindle UK | Kindle CA | B&N | Kobo | iBook

GIVEAWAY

Rafflecopter Code: Giveaway runs through 9.29.14. Prize is Kindle eReader a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: French Kissed by Chanel Cleeton

BOOK INFORMATION:

French Kissed by Chanel Cleeton

Release Date: December 1, 2014

New Adult Contemporary Romance

International School Book 3

SYNOPSIS:

On the surface Fleur Marceaux has it all—if only the façade matched reality. With one year left at the International School in London, Fleur’s struggling to graduate, her love life is a mess, and she can’t stop thinking about Max, her ex-boyfriend’s best friend. But all of that pales compared to the blackmailer determined to destroy her. 

There’s a social hierarchy at the International School, and Max Tucker is outside the velvet ropes. After watching Fleur break his friend’s heart, Max knows to stay away from trouble—despite the crush he’s had on her since freshman year. But when they’re partnered on a project, Max learns there’s more to Fleur than meets the eye, and she just might be worth the wild ride. 

The more time they spend together, the further Max falls. And when a kiss awakens a passion Fleur never imagined, she’s unable to resist Max, who she thought was wrong for her, but might be the only thing that’s right.

 But will he stand by her when her secrets are revealed? 

Don’t miss the final book in the International School series. This New Adult romance is recommended for readers 17 and up.

Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22858376-french-kissed

Want to see the cover

Book Blitz: Take Me On by Katie McGarry

Take Me On (Pushing the Limits #4)

by Katie McGarry

Release Date: 05/27/14

Harlequin Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Acclaimed author Katie McGarry returns with the knockout new story of two high school seniors who are about to learn what winning really means.

Champion kickboxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help.

West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her-fighting for her-is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change Haley's future.

Hayley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for.

Bonus novella included: Crossing the Line.

Available from:
    

Book Excerpt!

Excerpt from West’s Point of View
(This excerpt, for me, is the heart of the book.)

I’m used to people talking, saying words aloud to prove they know more than me, that they’re better than me. But they’re just words. Syllables strung together between breaths to fill uncomfortable silences.

Meaningless words.

Haley, on the other hand, speaks volumes with a touch. The way her hand clutches mine, it rips out my heart and tosses it onto a platter.

This moment, it’s too raw. It’s too real. And the instinct is to snatch my hand back and slam the door shut on the sharing, but the other part of me—the part that feels as if my remaining sanity is a gift on the verge of being returned—it clings to her.

I knot my fingers with Haley’s and turn my head so I’m focusing out the driver’s side window—away from her. If I look at Haley, I’m terrified of what I might say, what I might feel. And fuck me, I’ve already said too much.

If she understands this, being without a home, will she understand the rejection? Will she understand the devastation that everything you have ever loved doesn’t love you in return? And because I can’t face those fears, I’m unable to face Haley.

She squeezes once and it’s like her voice caresses my mind: I’m here. I get it.

I squeeze back.

Seconds pass into moments. Moments into minutes. No words. No meaningless conversation. No eye contact. Just our hands combined.

My throat swells. Haley’s the only string holding me together.

Books in the series:
(covers linked to Goodreads)

About the Author

KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.

Author Links:
   

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Book Blitz Organized by:

Cover Reveal: Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Get ready for WICKED! A New Adult paranormal romance!

WICKED Pre-Order:

Amazon

WICKED Synopsis:

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans.

Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart.

Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her.

But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.

About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Links:

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Novel Goodreads ** Author Goodreads