Bookish Treasures is currently closed for review requests and is not doing any new posts at this time.

Stacking the Shelves / Showcase Sunday #8

31 Mar 2013
Showcase Sunday is hosted by Vicky @Books, Biscuits, and Tea and Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and they both give bloggers the opportunity to share the books they have received in the past week.

It has been three weeks since i last did one of these posts so because of that i am not sharing my thoughts on all the books as this post would be much too long.

For review

Million Dollar Gift by Ian Somers - Paperback - Thank you to O'Brien press
The Hidden Gift by Ian Somers - Paperback - Thank you to O'Brien press
The Only Exception by Magan Vernon - Thank you to Magan
Deadly Kisses by Kerri Quevas - For a blog tour
The Love Game by Emma - For a blog tour
Residue by Laury Faulter - For a blog tour

And as a little thank you from the publishers for taking part in a blog event for this book -

Losing It by Cora Carmack - Paperback - Thank you to ebury publishing

Netgalley

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Icons by Margaret Stohl
Pretty Dark Nothing by Heather Reid
Fall Guy by Liz Reinhardt
Pas De Death by Amanda Brice

Amazon freebies

Eternal Island by K.S Haigwood and Ella Medler
The Frozen Moon by J.D Swinn
Breathless/Deathless two book set by Scott Prussing
Goddess Legacy by M.W Muse
Deadly Deception by Andrea Johnson Beck
Dragon Wraiths by Amanda Martin
Lie To Me by Angela Fristoe
Unexpected by Faith Sullivan

Purchased

Sever by Lauren DeStefano - Paperback
Prodigy by Marie Lu - Paperback
Light by Michael Grant - Paperback
Consequences by Aleatha Romig
Truth by Aleatha Romig
If You Stay by Courtney Cole
Fast Trapped by Tracy Rozzlynn
Wait For You by J. Lynn
The Siren Breeders by Marata Eros books 1 - 8

Gifted

By My Side by Stephanie Witter - Thank you to Stephanie

Won

Mercenary by Catherine Banks
Song of the Moon by Catherine Banks

So what do you think of these books? Are there any you have read or want to read? Feel free to link to your own Stacking the Shelves posts in the comments.

Can only certain people write reviews?

29 Mar 2013
So recently for the first time ever someone left a negative comment on my blog. It wasn't in response to anything i posted and was simply left on my about me page rather than a post. It wasn't particularly nasty but it did upset me slightly and i found it uncalled for so i deleted it. I soon came to regret it as there was some things i would have liked to respond to and other parts would make interesting topics for a discussion post.

So i decided that i would write a post covering some of the things the comment brought up. Some of the opinions are similar to things we have seen in the past when literature reviewers for big magazines have had a go at bloggers. The writer of the comment is fully entitled to their own opinion and won't be the only person out there who thinks this. This is what it is in the exact wording.

"For someone with so little time, are you actually reviewing the books objectively? Does not sound like it. As a New Adult fan, you are probably biased in your other reviews. You are only 19 and wet behind the ears. Do you write and have ever been published? I think not, so I guess you're an expert. (sarcasm) If I were you I'd get more experience before you can actually review honestly and objectively or better yet have a good swim in the Thames."
 
So statement number 1 "For someone with so little time, are you actually reviewing the books objectively? Does not sound like it.". This i can only assume refers to the fact that i am currently not accepting review requests due to having a very large review pile and also i have University exams at the moment. Yes i am busier than usual. Because of that i have recently only been writing one review a week; that gives me more than enough time to objectively review the book. It isn't like i am churning out 20 reviews a week.


Statement number 2 "As a New Adult fan, you are probably biased in your other reviews." Yes i am a fan of New Adult books. I am also a huge fan of YA, dystopian novels, fantasy and paranormal romance amongst others. It is possible to be a fan of more than one type of book and i generally only review books that fall into categories and genres that i greatly enjoy. Also i kind of want to mention that despite running the New Adult book club and having recently reviewed lots of New Adult contemporary romances all of my top 10 favourite books are in fact fantasy. My number one favourite author is Brandon Sanderson and my all time favourite books are his Mistborn trilogy. Just because i love New Adult books does not in anyway mean i hate every other type of book.

Statement number 3 "You are only 19 and wet behind the ears." I am 19, but as mentioned earlier i review lots of New Adult books and these are aimed at my age. Surely the opinion of the target audience should count? Yes i may not have the worldly experience of someone in their 40's but New Adult books are aimed mainly at readers between 18 and 25 and surely the opinions of the intended readers of the book should count more than anyone else. In the same way i think that despite having a wide appeal, reviews by 13 - 18 year olds are the ones that should count the most when it comes to Young Adult books.

Statement number 4 "Do you write and have ever been published? I think not, so I guess you're an expert. (sarcasm) If I were you I'd get more experience before you can actually review honestly and objectively or better yet have a good swim in the Thames." So just because i am not a published author i am not allowed to say if i think a book is good or not? Books are for anyone and everyone. Most readers probably are not authors themselves; you don't have to write to enjoy reading. I will put my hands up and admit that i probably couldn't write a book myself and nor do i know everything there is to know about literature. However that doesn't mean i can't enjoy a book and tell people why i liked it. When i read reviews i want to know what people like me thought about a book as that allows me to predict the most accurately if i too will like the book. Most readers are not authors so surely the opinion of another non author will be the most useful.

I have never ever claimed to be an expert. Do i try to know everything there is to know about book? Yes. Do i know everything? No of course i don't. I have a relatively small book blog and i do this entirely for fun. My 100+ followers is nothing compared to bloggers who have many thousands, in fact most bloggers i know have followers than me but that doesn't mean i am not entitled to my own opinion. I love to discuss books and share my thoughts and my blog is a place to do that. No one has to listen to everything i say and take it for gospel. In fact i would recommend against that. If you think a book sounds amazing then buy it even if i gave it 1 star. I have read amazing books that people who's opinions i really respect gave very negative reviews to. What one person may love another may hate. This is just my place to share my opinions. If we have a similar taste in books then stick around and my reviews may help you discover a new favourite. If you don't then you don't need to listen to anything i have to say; I respect that people have different opinions and everyone likes different things.

My reviews are always my honest opinions just like they are with the majority of bloggers. I also let nothing affect those opinions; not where i got the book from, its genre or even how well i know the author. I have given complete strangers books 5 stars whilst giving those by authors i would possibly consider friends only 3. I think i always review honestly and objectively. Just because someone thinks differently about a book does not mean they are lying or biased or are clueless. It just means that they like different things.

I doubt the person who wrote this original comment is reading this. They obviously think my opinions are worthless and they said that i should just jump into a river so i highly doubt they are following my posts and reviews. If by some chance they are then i respect your opinions even if mine are somewhat different. It also seems like i have offended you in some way in which case i am sorry even though i cannot think of anything i might have done.

To everyone else reading, do you think people who are just readers and not authors can write a review? Do you agree that surely the best person to ask if a book is enjoyable to read is another readers? If you agree with this commenter then please explain why, i am interested to hear more reasoning behind this kind of opinion. Also can everyone please by nice and civil in the comments. Both to me and each other. Also don't worry, i don't plan to write a big post every time someone says something negative :P This just brought up a few things i wanted to talk about.

Release day - By My Side by Stephanie Witter

Today is an exciting day as it is the release of By My Side by Stephanie Witter. Stephanie is like me one of the moderators of the New Adult book club. I haven't yet had the pleasure of reading By My Side but i have been beta reading one of Stephanie's other books and she is an incredible author. By My Side is a YA contemporary and it is her debut novel.

By My Side by Stephanie Witter 


By My Side

Synopsis

Lily Saunders sees her family falling apart. Her father is deserting her, and her mother is drinking more and more. Even sarcasm can't help Lily. When she thinks her best friend, Andy Green, will help her, she discovers how his blinding jealousy will mess everything up.

And then Gabe Green comes back home. She thinks it'll be like always between them—sarcasms and curses thrown at each other—but she's mistaken. He's different, and understands right away the problems she's trying to keep for herself.

But even if he's there for her, making her fall hard, they both know it'll end soon. Because at their age, you can't expect forever. Right?


Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Smashwords


About the Author


Stephanie's Bio

Twenty-something writing contemporary young-adult and new-adult novels.

I'm French and I live in Rouen where I drink too much coffee and tea.
I started taking english classes when I was barely four and I never really stopped since then.

When I'm writing I'm always listening to music - rock, pop rock, punk, hard rock, alternative rock, etc - because it helps me to focus on my story and forget the world outside.

I'm often writing in libraries because at home there's always something else I want to do or twitter calling my name. Yes, twitter is another addiction for me. The first one is books of course.

My biggest dream right now would be to be a full time writer. I know, I'm not the only one. I put all my hopes in Patch Up, the last new-adult novel I wrote. Cross your fingers with me!

But right now, you can add the first novel I ever wrote entitled By My Side.

Thank you and if you want to contact me, feel free! I love to talk about books.


Twitter | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday - The Elite

27 Mar 2013
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it allows readers to share the books that they are most looking forwards to reading.

This week the book i have chosen to feature is The Elite by Kiera Cass.


 
The Elite



Title: The Elite

Author: Kiere Cass

Series: The Selection #2

Expected Publication: April 23rd

Publisher: Harper Collins Childrens books (UK), HarperTeen (US)

Links: Goodreads, Amazon UK, Amazon







Synopsis - from goodreads

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

My thoughts

I really enjoyed The Selection - much more than i expected actually - and i can't wait to find out what happens next with America. I have heard some great things about The elite and i can't wait to read it myself.

So are you looking forwards to this book? Have you read the first book and if so did you like it? What books are you looking forwards to this week? Feel free to link to your own WoW posts in the comments :)

Two awesome covers - Stealing Harper and This Girl

26 Mar 2013
Today has been a great day in terms of cover reveals for NA books. Two have been revealed that i am very excited for as the authors are just incredible. Interestingly both of these books are retellings of previous books from a different point of view. I have only read one book like this before (Walking disaster) and i loved it so hopefully i will with these two aswell. Here are the two book covers with a little information about the books.

Stealing Harper by Molly McAdams


Stealing Harper


This book is the story in Taking Chances told from Travis' point of view. Taking Chances was incredible and is one of the best books i have ever read. I will be posting a review very soon that explains exactly why i thought it was amazing so keep your eyes open for that.

I can tell that Stealing Harper is going to be heartbreaking and i don't think my heart has yet recovered from Taking Chances but i can't not read this book. I would read anything this author writes regardless of genre, length etc. She is just amazing.

This book will be released on June 4th (shortly before my birthday so i will buy it for myself as a present :P)





This Girl by Colleen Hoover


This Girl

This Girl is Slammed told from Will's point of view. I loved Slammed and i think it is a great YA/NA book. I also loved Hopeless by this author and i have Point of Retreat waiting on my kindle for me to find the time to read it.

Colleen Hoover is another author who i would read anything they wrote, even a shopping list :P

I really like this cover. What i love the most is how well it fits with the covers for the first two books about these characters and we also finally have Layken and Will on the cover.

This book releases on April 30th (i think).




I couldn't hold in my excitement for both these books after seeing the covers so i had to share it with you all. Anyone else crazy with anticipation for either of these?

Review of Make Believe

25 Mar 2013

Synopsis - From Goodreads

Sacrificial Oath by Terri Rochenski - An impetuous act unwittingly makes Alesuela the fulfillment of the Sovereign's Blood Oath to their Goddess. In five days, she'll be forced to make the greatest choice of her life: become the virginal sacrifice already promised, or force the man she loves most to die in her place. With an impossible choice in front of her, she searches for ways to undo the oath, and in her quest, finds not everything in her life is as she expects.

The Amulet of Ormisez by J. Keller Ford - There is only one way to save Elton Fletcher's brother from an insanity-ridden death. After years away from home, fighting for his people, Elton returns to discover his only sibling, Cayden, possessed by greed and malice, and responsible for malicious, unthinkable deeds. Cayden, though, isn't the only one afflicted by the Amulet of Ormisez, and Elton finds himself in yet another battle, where the price of failure could be his own life.

Birthright by Lynda R. Young - Christa can mask the pain and hide the scars, but running from a birthright is impossible. She's tried to escape her grief by fleeing to a small town in Florida. Much to her frustration, the locals think they recognize her even though she's never been there before. To make things worse, a man named Jack spouts outrageous theories about her. Both spur Christa to bolt, to start fresh yet again, but there's something about Jack that intrigues her enough to stay. The only problem? Someone else wants her to leave, and they won't stop until she's dead.

Petrified by Kelly Said - A mysterious storm has replaced summer with winter, devastating crops and smothering Castle lands in snow. Prince Sterling August stands alone as a leader, lost in personal grief as well as a desire to help his people but with an inability to do either. The answers he needs await him, but without Lochlyn, a woman who's just as isolated as Sterling, he'll never see what stands before him, cloaked in illusion.

Last Winter Red by Jennifer M. Eaton - Emily is a Red, a woman whose sole purpose in life is to produce offspring. When her husband dies and leaves her childless, she risks her life and forsakes the safety of Terra-a disease-free city born after the nuclear holocaust. Beyond its boundaries, she knows, survives a man with whom she can be properly paired. The Outside, though, holds secrets the government struggles to keep, and what Emily discovers on her quest for a mate will change her life forever.

Escort to Insanity by J.A. Belfield - From a charity auction, to a stroll in the park, to the craziest night of her life. Nicole Harrington can't help but wonder how a simple event went so drastically wrong. Of course, the male escort she booked is wholly to blame. Not only charming b

ut shrewdly intelligent, Benjamin Gold drags Nicole into a platoon of unimaginable problems-ones from which she'll have to find the courage just to survive.

Review

Make believe is a collection of 6 fantasy and paranormal short stories. The content and feel of the stories are varied; from Terry Rochenski’s tale of a girl forced to sacrifice herself to a goddess to save her father, to Jennifer M Eaton’s interesting fantasy dystopian crossover about two civilisations that both believe the other to be diseased.

Sacrificial Oath by Terri Rochenski – I thought this was a beautiful, well written story. Showing a girl whose mistake means she must be sacrificed to a goddess live her final days this is a tale about love and someone willing to give up their own life for someone else.

The Amulet of Ormisez by J. Keller Ford - This story had a nice idea but it felt very rushed, nothing seemed to be explained particularly well and the ending in particular felt very hurried. I think this probably would have worked much better as a longer novel.

Birthright by Lynda R. Young - Birthright was an interesting tale but I didn’t find it to be particularly memorable and it was overshadowed by all the other excellent stories in this anthology.

Petrified by Kelly Said – I thought Petrified was a lovely little fantasy story. It has a fairy tale quality to it that made it unique and I loved the concept about Wiccae and I think this world would make a great basis for a longer book.

Last Winter Red by Jennifer M. Eaton – This was probably my favourite story; it is just so intriguing. The idea behind it is brilliant and Jennifer is clearly a brilliant writer. She perfectly portrayed someone who is learning that their entire life has been a lie and leaving behind everything they have ever known.

Escort to Insanity by J.A. Belfield – J.A.Belfield is an excellent writer whose books are always amazing so I had high expectations for Escort to Insanity and it did not disappoint. It was funny, tense and action packed all at the same time. Definitely a story to read.

Whilst I prefer reading longer books, short stories in an anthology like this give you an opportunity to sample the writing style of several authors and you might just find some that you love. My two favourite stories in this anthology were Last Winter Red by Jennifer M Eaton and Escort to Insanity by J A Belfield. Whilst I have read and enjoyed many of Belfield’s books already, I have not read anything of Eaton’s but after how good her short story was I definitely intend to read other books she writes in the future.




Picture perfect book blitz with a giveaway

22 Mar 2013


Picture Perfect by Camille Dixon


Picture Perfect

Synopsis
 
On the outside, Devin Thompson looks like he has it all - charm, good looks, and a scholarship every art major at Sanhope would kill for. But on the inside, he’s dying. His family is falling apart, his grades are dropping, and his girlfriend just dumped him for his hockey team rival, who also happens to be his younger brother. Not to mention he hasn’t been able to snap a decent picture for his senior portfolio in weeks. But when a sultry redhead with fire burning in her eyes struts across his path, he thinks he may have finally found his muse…

Angela “Angel” Davis learned early on that life never offers any hand-outs. And she’s getting burned out. Between juggling her nights as an exotic dancer at a men’s private club and struggling to keep up with her elementary education courses during the day, she barely has time to think of the future. Not that she wants to. The future implies planning, and Angel is no stranger to broken dreams. Then she meets Devin, a man who’s so wrong for her, yet she can’t seem to stay away from.

When Devin offers to take her on as his private model, Angel finds the cash hard to refuse. Each has something the other desperately needs, and neither one is willing to walk away. As their professional relationship spirals out of control into something more, they learn sometimes the wrong person can be the only right person, and that life - and people - are rarely picture perfect.

About the Author


Author Bio
 
I'm a Southern girl who's spent the last few years freezing my toosh off up north. Except for the snow, things are pretty good. I love sunshine, sweet tea, and romances that touch my heart. A lifelong romantic, I found my own prince charming at an online dating site. Six months later, he asked me to marry him. Picture Perfect is my debut novel.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Giveaway


I am doing a giveaway for one ecopy of Picture Perfect. The usual giveaway rules apply, please check my giveaway page for more details as well as other great giveaways :)


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New Adult book club 1000 member giveaway!

21 Mar 2013
As many of you probably know i run the New Adult book club on goodreads. Recently we passed over 1000 members and in celebration me and the the other two moderators Ava and Stephanie decided to have a huge giveaway. There are lots of great books to be won and there will be a total of 27 winners!

The New Adult book club has been around for 3 1/2 months now and i am loving every second of running it (other than that unpleasant group member). I love all the discussion threads and some of the group members have become some of my favourite people to talk to on twitter. My co-moderators are awesome - Ava's blog rocks and Stephanie is going to become a bestselling author one day soon, keep an eye out for her soon released YA novel By My Side. Also got to give a shout out to Emma who agreed to be a moderator when i first started the group so i wouldn't have to be alone :P

Here's hoping the New Adult book club continues to grow with lots of amazing active members :)

There are three different giveaways to enter and here are the prizes which are all international. The only compulsory entry is to be a member of the New Adult book club. If you aren't already you can join here.

Moderator Giveaway

Me, Stephanie and Ava are each giving away a New Adult book of your choice. This will most likely be from the book depository as they ship world wide. If i can work out how to gift ebooks from the UK then you may also be able to have the alternative of having a few ebooks instead.

Ebook and Gift Certificate Giveaway

Quite a few of the amazing authors in the NA book club have donated copies of their books for this giveaway. One winner will recieve ALL the following books.

UK e-arc of Wait For You by J.Lynn
Crushed by Dawn Rae Miller
Someone Else's Fairytale by Emily Mah Tippetts
Stitch by Samantha Durante
Life On The Edge
Catching On Fire by Sue Knott
XII Genesis by Brian Palmer and Jason Rowe
Little White Lies by Erin Lawless
Between Friends by Amanda Cowen
Water by Terra Harmony
Air by Terra Harmony
Fire by Terra Harmony
One Week Girlfriend by Monica Murphy
Freshman Forty by Christine Duval
Choice of 1 book by PS Love or TJ Lorin

Runner ups will also win some of these books and there is also a $20 amazon Gift Card to win.

Paperbacks and Swag Giveaway

A few authors have donated paperback copies of their amazing books as well as some swag. One winner will recieve.

Crushed by Dawn Rae Miller - Paperback
Water by Terra Harmony - Paperback
Someone Else's Fairytale by Emily Mah Tippetts - Paperback
Game. Set. Match. by Jennifer Lacopelli - Super Awesome Swag

One runner up will also recieve a copy of Someone Else's Fairytale and Game. Set. Match. swag and eight additional people will also win the swag.

Enter the Giveaways!

The giveaways are all international including the paperbacks. Entries will be checked so please don't say you have done something if you haven't as your entries will be disqualified. Winners will be contacted by email and will have 72 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. Good luck all :)


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Waiting On Wednesday - Walking Disaster

20 Mar 2013
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it allows readers to share the books that they are most looking forwards to reading.

This week the book i have chosen to feature is Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire.

Walking Disaster



Title: Walking Disaster

Author: Jamie McGuire

Series: The follow up to the amazing Beautiful Disaster!

Expected Publication: April 2nd

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK, Atria (US)

Links: goodreads, Amazon UK, Amazon





Synopsis

How much is too much to love?

Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.

In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. Just when he thought he was invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.

Every story has two sides. In Jamie McGuire's New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster Abby had her say. Now it's time to see the story through Travis's eyes.


My Thoughts

I am so excited for this book! I know not everyone loved Beautiful Disaster but i am a huge fan! It was probably my favourite book that i read in 2011 and i have been wanting more ever since. Walking Disaster will be the first book i have ever read that is a previous book from a different perspective so i am not fully sure what to expect. I just can't wait to see into Travis's head and see his perspective on things.

The second this book becomes available i will buy it and start reading it. I can't wait :)

**Update** This post is scheduled to go up tomorrow and i have just discovered i have been approved to read it from netgalley! I am probably at the time you are reading this, curled up getting my Travis fix :P

So are you looking forwards to this book? I know several of you weren't the biggest fans of Beautiful Disaster. What books are you looking forwards to this week? Feel free to link to your WoW posts in the comments :)

Deadly Deception promo blitz

19 Mar 2013

Deadly deception is currently free on Amazon and Amazon UK. Get it whilst you can this won't last long!

Deadly Deception


Deadly Deception

Synopsis

Dr. Anne Jamison, brilliant neuropsychiatrist , living the concrete jungle life in Minneapolis with her fiancé, prominent attorney, Adam Whitney. The mysterious death of Carter Leeds, her former boyfriend, haunts her to this day. After three years of unanswered questions, a secretive note finds its way to Anne, revealing the possibility that Carter may in fact be alive, and that her very own fiancé may have had a hand in his attempted demise.

Who really is Adam Whitney? Can Anne trust the man she pledged forever with? As deadly secrets begin to unravel, so does her trust. A dark, twisted game of cat and mouse ensues, who will run out of lives and who will walk away, to only be deceived, once again.



Excerpt Chapter 1

Anne stretched her neck muscles as they tightened at just the thought of Victoria. Her attempts to shake the green-eyed monster were ineffective, so she turned her attention to the mystery envelope waving its secretive arms, enticing her to open it. She picked it up and walked over to her mission-style desk to locate an envelope opener. Anne took the silver blade and ran it through the glued seal. The contents trickled out and onto her desk. Colored photographs fanned out in front of her and a white note with red hue writing stared at her.

For My Anneliese

“No!”

She gasped, feeling her hands begin to numb. Her veins were flooded with fresh fretful blood that burned her chest and pulsated into her ears as the thumping of her heart pounded deep within her. The one person in the entire universe who ever called her by her given birth name was Carter. The room was losing all focus and was quickly becoming dim. But then Carter’s face became clearer, like a luminous apparition pulling her subconscious in deeper.

Buy the book


http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Deadly-Deception/book-kVkWxlOHeUKT2moArHIkSA/page1.html?s=jWNSjpkeJEarCSK_AQjylg&r=1


About the Author


Andrea Beck

I think I came out of the womb writing. I published my first poem when I was in elementary school and my first short story was not too far after that. When I had my son, I wrote for various publications about his birth, what we went through as a family and when he was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum I shared his story with others who were going through the same scary process as we had.


Before my thirtieth birthday, I vowed to write and complete a full length book, which I did. I finished two weeks before my birthday. After a couple of frustrating contract negotiations, I decided to take a time out. Earlier this year, I made the decision to get my baby (Deadly Deception) published. With another frustrating contract deal down the drain, I decided that self-publication was my destiny.
Between homeschool awesomeness, domestic goddess duties, city upheaval, extra-curricular craziness, it has been a challenge to tidy the book up and slap a red bow on it. With the help of some amazing editors it's ready with a red bow on top.



Giveaway


The giveaway consists of a signed paperback of Deadly Deception open only for the US and a ebook for international entrants.

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Why the world needs New Adult - guest post by author Matthew Turner

18 Mar 2013
Today i am taking part in a campaign to further spread the word of New Adult books, show that it can be a broad genre and to also show that male authors can write NA too. This week long campaign is being run by debut author Matthew Turner whose NA novel Beyond Parallel is currently free. I will introduce you to Beyond Parallel then let Matthew tell you why he thinks the world needs New Adult books.

Beyond Parallel



Synopsis

One boy. One girl. One insignificant moment that changes their lives forever.

Bella and Clark are two young twenty-somethings, finding themselves in a chaotic and crazy world. One craves love; the other avoids it. Will they find one another, or will a single what-if moment send them down different paths?

In the same mould as Sliding Doors, Uncertainty, and Smoking/No-Smoking, Beyond Parallel flips between two parallel tales. One follows Bella and Clark as a couple, the other as if they never meet.

Friendships, careers, dreams, fantasies...their lives are no different to yours or mine.

Follow their journey over a fast paced, mazy two-years. Highflying careers, book tours, teaching teenagers, hipster warehouses, coffee shop hangouts, a despicable salesman...they're all confronted.

It's incredible how a small, everyday decision can affect how you look, where you live, the people you love, and who you become. We could all live a billion lives, but we’re only given one. Is it all a game of chance, or are Bella and Clark meant to be?

Guest post by Matthew Turner


This week I've embarked on a campaign going by the name: A New Adult Man

 
Part of this is to celebrate my debut novel, Beyond Parallel being FREE all week (between 18/03/2013 - 22/03/2013), the other is to spread the New Adult word and show that it isn't all steamy, erotic sex scenes.
My name is Matthew Turner and I'm a New Adult Man who's excited about what this new genre holds. At present it seems to be getting pigeon holed in a very particular way, but that doesn't mean this will remain the case - after all, Leonardo DiCaprio began life as a pre-teen idol, whereas these days he's one of the world's most talented actors.
You may not know about New Adult (there's a great description HERE) or you may have heard about it being smut for teenagers or erotic young adult. It's true, some New Adult Books fit into this view, but many don't, and if there's one thing I hope you leave here with it's the willingness to go and form your own opinion.

Why The World Needs New Adult
As I wrote  Beyond Parallel I struggled with where it fit into the world. It isn't quite Young Adult, but it is Coming-of-Age and focusses on people who have just left college. They're not teenagers, but they're far from grown up, therefore when I found the New Adult genre I did a little dance.
These are some reasons I think you should dance, too:

We Grow Up Fast But Take An Age To Grow Up
These days teenagers are growing up fast - knowing more about the world at thirteen than my parents did at thirty. However, with the economy being what it is and the ever changing views toward marriage, mortgages and careers, it's taking a very long time for us to grow up.
Where my parents left home and were married by twenty-three years old, my generation still live at home at thirty with marriage reserved for later. As such the modern day reader is changing. He or she doesn't necessary look for a young adult book that focusses on teenage angst, but they are looking for stories that they can relate to - aka, stories about careers, university, and commitment.

New Adult focusses on characters between 18-25 years-of-age, and although this group draws comparisons to teenagers, they far from fit in to it. Readers don't always fit this age range, either, rather they're individuals living a young life. They like to travel, are still figuring life out, and are searching for answers each day.
New Adult books are for these lost and lovely folk

Harry Potter, The Hungers Games & Twilight

In the last decade reading has become cool again. When I was thirteen years old there wasn't a book or author that grabbed the attention of EVERYONE, but then JK Rowling came along and what followed was an entire generation living to read.
Series like Harry Potter and Twilight have changed the act of reading. They're fast paced and focus on characters the same age as those who are reading them, which is fine, but once these readers grow up they expect books to grow up, too.
This is why New Adult is relevant at the moment, and I suspect for a long time to come. If executed properly it can help edge people away from Young Adult and into Adult Life, but it's important not to rush people and force them into aspects they're not ready for. New Adult might not have all the answers, but it certainly holds some.

Attention Is Falling
I love literary books that take a while to get going and word things in a very particular way, but the more TV and Hollywood takes hold of our brains and mashes it up, the more we require fast-flowing activities that impact us in an instant.
Writers like Colleen Hoover and Tammara Webber are great at achieving this, and overall the New Adult Genre is full of authors crafting fast, free-flowing narratives that are hard to put down. It's not to say that other styles are doomed, but with attention spans across the globe falling, New Adult has an opportunity to fill a void.

Time To Form Your Own Opinion

At the moment New Adult is geared toward female writers, female readers, and those who focus on romance and the slightly steamy side of life. What I hope the New Adult Man Campaign achieves is to help you see that there's so much more.
When I read Hopeless by Colleen Hoover I didn't see romance, rather a story about young people going through young life (relationships, of course, being part of this). If New Adult is going to develop into a genuine genre for years to come it needs to bring in new styles of writing, and yes, more male authors :)
Please JOIN THIS JOURNEY and share the campaign this week. Above all else, go and search for some New Adult books, have a  read, and form your own opinion. You may find outlets like ABC News are rather wrong in their initial conclusions.
Thanks for reading and have a most wonderful day
Matthew Turner - author of Beyond Parallel

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Matthew Turner is a Male New Adult Writer who's debut novel, BEYOND PARALLEL is FREE all week (18/03/2013 - 22/03/2013). 
The New Adult Man Campaign is geared toward exposing this great new genre and showing that men can play a part too. JOIN THE FACEBOOK EVENT and help spread the word, discovering some great New Adult reads along the way. 

Also as a little side note how lovely is the promotional button/badge for this campaign? Matthew created it himself, it seems he is multi-talented - author, skilled marketer and a good designer. I think he is definately an author with the potential to do very well. The reason i mention this is that Matthew had a little play around and created a button for supporters of New Adult books and the New Adult book club. This is what he has come up with at the moment. Do you like it?

I would love for all bloggers and authors that support NA to be able to have a button that we all share and could put in our blog side bars to show how much we love this still growing catagory.

The Undesirable blog tour - review

15 Mar 2013

Synopsis

What if everything you knew turned out to be a lie?

Charlotte Walker knows how to live under the rule of The Party. She has managed for 18 years. She helps out her drunken mother and keeps life going at a familiar, steady pace. She doesn’t ask questions, even though she has many of them in her heart.

Fostino Sanchez knows how to live under the rule of The Party, too. For 19 years, he’s worked to be the perfect Party member. He knows what must be done to keep Maxwell Cooper in power, and how find the The Undesirables that threaten to take away everything that matters.

As the months go by, what matters most to Fostino is Charlotte Walker.

While their love blooms, danger comes to Charlotte and Fostino’s small hometown of Harrison Corners, OH. Threats they never knew existed could take away all that they care about. And just when these two teens think they know what will come next, Charlotte learns the truth about a secret she has long suspected.

What Charlotte finds out changes everything.

EVERYTHING.

THE UNDESIRABLE is Charlotte Walker’s story, from her point of view. It is a thrilling, suspenseful tale of love, curiosity, adversity, and maturity against the backdrop of a futuristic war.

Should Charlotte trust Fostino with what she knows? Can she trust anyone? Will she find it in herself to rise up against terrible odds? What if the ultimate Undesirable is her?

Review

The Undesirable is a very interesting book. I loved the world it was set in; a war-torn, dictator-run America. This is the first book in an intended series and you can tell as a lot of time is spent on world building and getting to know the characters and their situation. The pace of the book is fairly slow but there is an underlying tension that keeps you on tenterhooks throughout.
The romance is lovely with both characters willing to risk everything and turn their backs on all they know just to be with the other forever. I love how much they go through just to try and help one another.
This book is quite dark; the feel of Harrison Corners is like that of a war camp. The regime is strict and anyone who disobeys in anyway is killed as are those who are too old or unskilled to be useful. The story isn’t overly gory but nor is it for the faint hearted.
The book starts at the mid-point before going back to the beginning. I really enjoyed how that was done as it changed the entire tone of the book; rather than finding out what happens it was all about discovering WHY things happened. In my opinion this is what made the book stand out.
This Undesirable is not perfect as a few things were slightly confusing at times but it is worth reading and I think the series holds great potential. I am certainly looking forwards to reading the next book.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, this has not affected my opinion in any way*


Giveaway


Enter the tour wide giveaway for a chance to win one of 5 copies of The Undesirable. Good luck!

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Strength blog tour

14 Mar 2013
Today i am taking part in the blog tour for Strength by Carrie Butler. Strength i a great NA paranormal romance novel that i gave 4.5 stars to last month. Check out my review here.

Strength by Carrie Butler


Strength

Synopsis - from goodreads

When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, her rumor-laced notions are shattered. Handsome, considerate, and seemingly sane, Wallace Blake doesn’t look like he spends his nights alone, screaming and banging on the walls of his dorm room. Hell, he doesn’t look like he spends his nights alone, period.

Too curious for her own good, Rena vows to uncover the truth behind Wallace’s madman reputation--and how two seconds of contact had left her with bruises. Of course, there are a few setbacks along the way: guilt, admiration, feelings of the warm and fuzzy variety…

Not to mention the unwanted attention of Wallace's powerful, supernaturally-gifted family.

They’re a bloodline divided by opposing ideals, two soon-to-be warring factions that live in secret among us. When Rena ends up caught in their crossfire, Wallace has no choice but to save her by using his powers. Now they’re really in trouble. With war on the horizon and Rena’s life in the balance, he needs to put some distance between them. But Rena won’t let go. If fighting is what it takes to prove her own strength and keep Wallace in her life, then that’s what she’ll do--even if it means risking a whole lot more than her heart.

(Upper YA/New Adult)


Strength Playlist


Thank you so much for having me over, Laura! :)

I don't know about you, but I need music while I'm working. It doesn't matter if the song has lyrics or not. If I'm in the zone, everything fades into the background except for the feeling it gives me. That's why I built a playlist for Strength—songs to fit every scene and sentiment. I'd play it while I was writing, and after a while, I realized it was conditioning me. Whenever that music came on, I found myself immersed in Rena and Wallace's world. Ready to go.


Strength by User_0307 on Grooveshark

So, I thought it would be fun to share a few of those songs with you today—starting with what I consider to be Rena & Wallace's love song. It's a little sad, but the lyrics about bruises always get me. "All I know" by Five for Fighting (Cover)


Then we have the song I played when... certain things were revealed on the steps of a certain building. *grins* Vague enough? "Human" by Civil Twilight


Though we don't see things through Wallace's POV in the first book, I did have a few songs set aside for his confliction... "Sometimes" by Skillet


And finally, we have a song for some of the later happenings. "Misconstruction" by Apocalyptica

 
What about you guys? Do you associate certain songs with books or characters? Let us know in the comments! :)
 

About the Author

 
 
Carrie daydreamed her way through college—until they thrust a marketing degree into her hands, slapped a summa cum laude seal on the corner, and booted her out into a less-than-stellar job market. Instead of panicking at the prospect of unemployment, she used her Midwestern logic to steer into the skid and point her life in the direction she really wanted to go: writing out those daydreams.
WEBSITE  |  BLOG  |  PUBLISHER  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK  |  GOODREADS  |  GOOGLE+  |  LINKEDIN
 

Giveaway

 
There is a tour wide giveaway for all these lovely prizes including a signed paperback of Strength.


 
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Waiting on Wednesday - Apollyon

13 Mar 2013
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it allows readers to share the books that they are most looking forwards to reading.

This week the book i have chosen to feature is Apollyon by Jennifer L Armentrout.

Apollyon



Title: Apollyon

Author: Jennifer L Armentrout

Series: Covenant #4

Expected publication: 9th April 2013

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Links: Goodreads, Amazon, Amazon UK







Synopsis

Fate isn’t something to mess with… and now, neither is Alex.

Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.

The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.

Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself.


My Thoughts

I am a HUGE fan of this series and the author. Anyone who has read the previous books will understand why i am desperate to read this book - the huge cliffhanger ending of Deity! Even the novella Elixir has a big cliffhanger. Whilst waiting for this book i have slowly felt my sanity dwindling so i  am very happy that there is now only a month to wait. I still wish upon the stars that miraculously a copy will fall into my hands that i can read now, but at least i know that in 4 weeks time i will have read this book :) Hopefully the ending will be a slightly more bearable cliffhanger :P

Super special teaser tuesday! With a giveaway!

12 Mar 2013

Super Special Teaser Tuesday!


So some of you may have already heard about this incredible, sweet and funny New Adult book that has been hugely successful. If not then let me fill you in - Losing It was self-published at the end of 2012 and within a week was a bestseller with lots of publisher interest. Now only a few months later Losing It has been traditionally published in paperback in the US and soon also the UK.

In celebration of the upcoming UK paperback release (28th March) several bloggers are doing something inspired by the Teaser Tuesday meme ran by Should Be Reading and are sharing some of our favourite quotes from the book. I also have a paperback of the UK edition to giveaway.

Check out the UK cover (has the sexiest guy out of all the covers :P) and the synopsis.

Losing It by Cora Carmack



Synopsis
Virginity.
Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible-- a one-night stand.
But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves her potential sexual partner alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half-a-brain would ever believe. 
And as if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognises her new theatre professor. She'd left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier....
 

My Favourite Quotes


Bliss is one of the most awkward people you will ever have the pleasure of reading about which leads to some very funny moments in the book such as ...

"Yes, I can't do this... right now. Because... i have a cat. Yes, i have a cat that i need to, um, get? Take care of! I have to take care of my cat! So... I can't do this." I gestured between us hoping to God that i didn't sound as crazy to him as i sounded to myself. Improbable.

I don't even have a cat!


and ...

 That was it. I was going to have to get a cat.


There is more to the book than just humour, there is also an incredibly sweet romance which leads to some equaly sweet and romantic quotes ...

It was the sun, and it held me in its arms, called me by name, touched me from forehead to toes. I fell asleep cardeled in the sky in the arms of a star.


This amazing book is available now as an ebook and the paperback will be released on March 28th. Enter below for a chance to win the UK edition paperback.

Giveaway

 
This giveaway is UK, the Commonwealth (except Canada), and Europe only - sorry to anyone not included but it is the publishers who are providing and sending the book not me, however i do have some great international giveaways coming up. Please follow my giveaway rules - you can check them on the giveaway page. I will email the winner and they will have 48 hours to respond before i choose a new winner.

 
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