Book Blitz- Jess, Rising by D.M. Guay

Jess, Rising (Guardians of Salt Creek #1)

by D.M. Guay

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

Release Date: October 1st 2017

Summary from Goodreads:

Magic. Loves. Lies. Betrayal — High school is murder. 

Seventeen-year-old Jess Flowers got more than she bargained for when she moved to Salt Creek, a podunk nowhere town with a dangerous secret. In Salt Creek, people aren't what they seem, and it's contagious. Jess is changing into something dark, something powerful, something more than human. 

Will it be enough? A super-charged killer is closing in. She sees him in visions, slaughtering the helpless with fire and lightning, and she's next on the kill list. Gorgeous outcast Billy Combs is the only one willing to help her, but his troubled past may be darker than he's let on.

Can she tame the mysterious powers surging within her and identify the killer before it's her turn to die? Murder, lies, betrayal and supernatural powers collide in this dark YA love story for fans of Beautiful Creatures, Twilight, and Vampire Diaries. 

Winner, 2016 Romance Writers of America Joyce Henderson Contest for Young Adult romance. (Under its working title, Girl with the Sun on her Heart.)

Jess, Rising: Guardians of Salt Creek Book One will be on sale for 99 cents during the blitz, from Nov.13 to Nov. 18. Buy on Amazon

Book Two in the series, Jess, Resurrected, launches this week as well, at 99 cents during the blitz.

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Excerpt: 

Billy stood stone still, hair disheveled, head down. I stumbled toward him until we were face to face. He didn't look at me. He didn't speak. I touched his arm. His skin burned, like he had lava for blood.

            “Are you afraid?”

            “No.”

            “Do you think I'm a monster?”

            “No.”  

            “Could you ever love someone who's like... this?”

            “I already do.”

            He finally looked me in the eyes. He pressed hard against me. A tingle of electricity ran up my spine. He kissed me, long and deep, and the sky cracked and popped as arcs of white lightning rained down around us.

About the Author:

D.M. Guay writes about the intersection of real life with the supernatural. By day, she's an award-winning journalist living in Ohio, a hobby urban farmer, a painter, and a retired roller derby player. Her favorite things—besides books—are Jeni’s ice cream, tiki bars, liquid eyeliner, the 1968 Camaro, the Mighty Boosh, 24-hour horror movie festivals, art by Picasso and Niagara Detroit, rock concerts, and most of all, people who make art, despite adversity, no matter what life throws at them.

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Blog Tour- An Ex for Christmas by Lauren Layne

An Ex for Christmas

Love Unexpectedly

By: Lauren Layne

Releasing November 7, 2017
Loveswept

Blurb

She’s making a list—and checking it twice. But is there a nice guy among all her naughty exes? The New York Times bestselling author of Blurred Lines returns with a charming friends-to-lovers rom-com.

When a psychic tells spunky, superstitious Kelly Byrne that she’s already met her true love, she becomes obsessed with the idea of tracking him down before Christmas. Kelly immediately writes up an “Ex List” and starts contacting old boyfriends to figure out which one is the one. When her college sweetheart rolls into town, Kelly convinces herself that they’re meant to be. The trouble is, sparks are flying with someone she’s never given a chance: her best friend, Mark.

Mark Blakely has watched the guys on Kelly’s list break her heart, and he’s not looking forward to watching them do it all over again. Mark’s always been there for her, but the timing’s never worked out for their relationship to be something more. Now, just as Mark is ready to move on, the sexual tension between them is suddenly off the charts. With Christmas morning around the corner, he just hopes Kelly will wake up and realize that everything she wants has been right in front of her all along.

Goodreads

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | GPlay | iBooks | Kobo

Review-

An Ex for Christmas by Lauren Layne is a stand alone holiday novel. I usually very much enjoy Lauren Layne books. They are quick reads filled with witty banter and sweet romance. I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of holiday romances. Like, there's nothing wrong with them. I'm just not super into them. Or maybe the fact is that I haven't read that many of them to have a definite opinion on them. But I did enjoy An Ex for Christmas.

This is the story of Kelly. Our heroine is a bit of the superstitious sort and when a psychic tells her that she has already met the love of her life, Kelly assumes that it's one of her exes. And so begins her quest to locate The One right before Christmas. I liked Kelly. She was a sweet and quirky heroine with exactly the right amount of cuteness. Yes, she was a bit superstitious at times but she genuinely wanted to find her one true love. 

On her mission to find the right guy the one person Kelly has with her all along is Mark, her best friend. Problem is, suddenly Kelly is feeling the sparks with Mark but she doesn't want to lose her best friend. I liked Mark. He was a stand up guy who truly cared about Kelly. Mark actually wants more with Kelly but the timing was never right. Now he has a chance and he's not going to let go of it.

Mark and Kelly made for a cute pair. They had been best friends all their lives and they basically knew every nuance of each other's personality. Yes, they've both been with numerous other people through the course of years but the on stable pillar in their life has always been the friendship. I loved how Kelly and Mark were always there for each other.

Lauren Layne truly sets the holiday mood with An Ex for Christmas. Kelly loves Christmas and it shows- whether it's from her decorating skills or from the Christmas music she plays all the time. It was really quite adorable to see the cheerful and bubbly Kelly with stoic Mark. If you are a fan of cozy holiday romances I'd recommend An Ex for Christmas.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Author Info:

Lauren Layne is the New York Times bestselling author of romantic comedies. She lives in New York City with her husband.

A former e-commerce and web marketing manager from Seattle, Lauren relocated to New York City in 2011 to pursue a full-time writing career. She signed with her agent in 2012, and her first book was published in summer of 2013. Since then, she's written over two dozen books, hitting the USA TODAY, New York Times, iBooks, and Amazon bestseller lists.

Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

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Release Week Blitz- Twisted Truths by Rebecca Zanetti

TWISTED TRUTHS by Rebecca Zanetti

Part of the BLOOD BROTHERS series.

November 14, 2017 | Trade paperback: $14.99 | eBook: $5.99 | ISBN:978145559431

"TOP PICK! 4 1/2 stars! Zanetti proves that when it

comes to RS, she is in a class by herself!" ―RT Book Reviews

Summary-

You can't escape the past . . .

Noni is desperate. Her infant niece has been kidnapped, and the only person who can save her is a private detective with too many secrets to count--and more enemies than he can name. A man who walked away from Noni without any warning a year ago, a man who broke her heart. But with Talia's life on the line, Noni needs his help now more than ever--and this time, she won't take no for an answer . . .

The moment Denver Jones sees Noni, the memories come rushing back. The fire in her eyes. The determination in her voice. The danger of having her in his life. Denver had to push her away once, but now with vicious criminals threatening Noni and her niece, he'll do whatever it takes to protect them. But enemies from his past are circling, and they'll use anything--and anyone--to get to Denver.

With twists and turns that will blow you away, TWISTED TRUTHS is sexy, action-packed suspense at its very best from New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti.

Release date: November 14th, 2017

Published by: Forever

Page numbers: 432

Review-

Twisted Truths by Rebecca Zanetti is the third book in her Blood Brothers series. Though the books can be read as stand alones I would definitely recommend reading them in order as they face their biggest enemy in this final book. The story would be richer and we get to see the depth of the bonds these brothers share. I am a Rebecca Zanetti fan and I loved seeing how she tied all the threads together in Twisted Truths.

This is the story of Denver. Denver Jones is the quiet brother. No one knows what goes on in his mind most times but he is definitely one of the most lethal soldiers. Denver left Noni for her own good but he hasn't been able to forget her. When Noni is in danger he will do anything to protect her- even risk his own life. I loved Denver. He was so protective of his family. He always tries to do the right thing even if it means sacrificing his own happiness.

Then we have Noni. Noni was such a sweetheart. She was heart broken when Denver left her without a word and she has tried to pull the pieces together. When Noni's infant niece is kidnapped she knows the only person who can help get her back is Denver. She is ready to do anything to get her niece back safely even if it means being in close quarters with Denver again.

Rebecca Zanetti writes an excellent second chance romance. Denver and Noni have so many unresolved feelings for each other. There is a strong connection between them and the sparks are on fire. There is just enough angst threaded through to make us understand the emotions Noni was going through and while Denver may come off as stoic at times, he is anything but where Noni is concerned.

Like her previous books Twisted Truths is filled with twists and turns. We get to see a lot of action and there are definitely some surprises in store for everyone. The danger is real and Dr. Madison is after her boys. If you enjoy action packed romantic suspense books I'd highly recommend the Sins Brothers and the Blood Brothers series by Rebecca Zanetti. I am looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

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The Series

Series Page on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2dcQsPD

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca Zanetti is the author of over twenty-five romantic suspense, dark paranormal, and contemporary romances, and her books have appeared multiple times on the New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestseller lists. She has received a Publisher's Weekly Starred Review for Wicked Edge, Romantic Times Reviewer Choice Nominations for Forgotten Sins and Sweet Revenge, and RT Top Picks for several of her novels.  She lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with her own alpha hero, two kids, a couple of dogs, a crazy cat...and a huge extended family.  She believes strongly in luck, karma, and working her butt off...and she thinks one of the best things about being an author, unlike the lawyer she used to be, is that she can let the crazy out. Find Rebecca at: www.rebeccazanetti.com

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Review- Twisted Truths by Rebecca Zanetti

Summary-

You can't escape the past . . .

Noni is desperate. Her infant niece has been kidnapped, and the only person who can save her is a private detective with too many secrets to count--and more enemies than he can name. A man who walked away from Noni without any warning a year ago, a man who broke her heart. But with Talia's life on the line, Noni needs his help now more than ever--and this time, she won't take no for an answer . . .

The moment Denver Jones sees Noni, the memories come rushing back. The fire in her eyes. The determination in her voice. The danger of having her in his life. Denver had to push her away once, but now with vicious criminals threatening Noni and her niece, he'll do whatever it takes to protect them. But enemies from his past are circling, and they'll use anything--and anyone--to get to Denver.

With twists and turns that will blow you away, TWISTED TRUTHS is sexy, action-packed suspense at its very best from New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti.

Release date: November 14th, 2017

Published by: Forever

Page numbers: 432

Review-

Twisted Truths by Rebecca Zanetti is the third book in her Blood Brothers series. Though the books can be read as stand alones I would definitely recommend reading them in order as they face their biggest enemy in this final book. The story would be richer and we get to see the depth of the bonds these brothers share. I am a Rebecca Zanetti fan and I loved seeing how she tied all the threads together in Twisted Truths.

This is the story of Denver. Denver Jones is the quiet brother. No one knows what goes on in his mind most times but he is definitely one of the most lethal soldiers. Denver left Noni for her own good but he hasn't been able to forget her. When Noni is in danger he will do anything to protect her- even risk his own life. I loved Denver. He was so protective of his family. He always tries to do the right thing even if it means sacrificing his own happiness.

Then we have Noni. Noni was such a sweetheart. She was heart broken when Denver left her without a word and she has tried to pull the pieces together. When Noni's infant niece is kidnapped she knows the only person who can help get her back is Denver. She is ready to do anything to get her niece back safely even if it means being in close quarters with Denver again.

Rebecca Zanetti writes an excellent second chance romance. Denver and Noni have so many unresolved feelings for each other. There is a strong connection between them and the sparks are on fire. There is just enough angst threaded through to make us understand the emotions Noni was going through and while Denver may come off as stoic at times, he is anything but where Noni is concerned.

Like her previous books Twisted Truths is filled with twists and turns. We get to see a lot of action and there are definitely some surprises in store for everyone. The danger is real and Dr. Madison is after her boys. If you enjoy action packed romantic suspense books I'd highly recommend the Sins Brothers and the Blood Brothers series by Rebecca Zanetti. I am looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Review- Holiday Wishes by Jill Shalvis

Summary-

It’s Christmastime again in Heartbreaker Bay!

When Sean O’Riley shows up at the Hartford Bed & Breakfast for his older brother’s bachelor weekend, he’s just hoping to make it through the weekend. What he’s not expecting is to come face to face with the woman he lost his virginity to a decade ago—a woman he’s never really forgotten.

The last time Lotti Hartford saw Sean, she told him she loved him while he said nothing. Now, ten years later, she’s just looking for a good time. For once, she wants to be the wild and free one, and Sean – the good time guy – is the perfect candidate.

But as the weekend continues, Sean realizes that after a lifetime of being the hook-up king, he’s ready to find happily-ever-after, and he wants it with Lotti. But will she open her heart to him again? As Christmas sweeps through the little B&B, he can only hope love and magic are in the air.

Release date: November 7th, 2017

Published by: Avon Impulse

Page numbers: 128

Review-

Holiday Wishes by Jill Shalvis a holiday novella set in her Heartbreaker Bay series. I am huge Jill Shalvis fan and I have thoroughly enjoyed all the previous books in her Heartbreaker Bay series so I was really excited to see that we finally get to see Sean's story. I don't think it is necessary to read all of the Heartbreaker Bay books before diving into the novella but it definitely makes it more enjoyable if you have. 

Sean is Finn's younger brother whom we'd met in the first Heartbreaker Bay book, Sweet Little Lies. He used to reckless, out to only have a good time. But Sean has come a long way. He's grown up now and ready to take responsibility. One of which is being the best man for his brother's Finn's wedding. When Sean and his friends go to Hartford Bed & Breakfast for his older brother's bachelor weekend he doesn't expect to run into Lotti.

I adored Sean O'Riley. You can see that he's come a long way from where he was before. He was a stand up guy who took care of his friends and family. Lotti and Sean were actually together once back in high school. But Sean broke her heart and Lotti has a hard time letting anyone in emotionally. I found Lotti to be a sweet heroine. Her hesitations were valid but she was determined to make the best of the situation.

I loved the romance between Sean and Lotti. They had amazing chemistry and clearly they shared a connection. I also LOVED seeing all the previous couples. Elle and Archer remain my favourites and this short novella just makes me want to go back and reread all of the books again. If you enjoy Jill Shalvis books I'd say go for Holiday Wishes.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the publishers via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Review- An Awfully BIG Adventure by Aniesha Brahma

An Awfully BIG Adventure on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

Seventeen-year-old Yoshita Ray has stopped believing in happily ever after and fairy tales ever since her mother abandoned her. But now that her father’s married again, Yoshita’s world is turned upside down by her new stepbrother, the ten-year-old true believer, Tanay Mukherjee. 

On his tenth birthday, Tanay makes a wish which whisks them away to a magical land where all the fairy tale characters are real! While Yoshita wants to do nothing but leave this place behind, her stepbrother wants to stay. 

Will the rather unfortunately timed adventure tear the stepsiblings apart or will it play a hand in bringing them closer together? 

Join them on An Awfully BIG Adventure to find out! 

Release date: October 23rd 2017

Page numbers: 89

REVIEW: 

When my friend Aniesha Brahma contacted me about reading and reviewing An Awfully Big Adventure, I was quite excited not only to read the book because I have loved everything I've previously read by Aniesha, but also because the whole idea of putting the proceeds of the book straight into her venture, BUZZ Magazine (for which even I have contributed articles), was so cool. Being a fan of both Aniesha and BUZZ, I couldn't say no to this novella about magic and fairy tales.

An Awfully Big Adventure is the story of siblings Yoshita and Tanay, who grew up reading fairy tales. While Yoshita stopped believing in happily ever afters, Tanay is still a preteen and gets excited at the mere mention of anything resembling an adventure. On Tanay's twelfth birthday, the two have no idea what's in store for them when Yoshita's glass of juice spills on the carpet in their living room. From there begins a lovely journey of fairy tales and magic; basically, everything that Yoshita refuses to believe in and Tanay would give anything to be in.

As usual, both Aniesha's writing and storytelling was very well done. I'm not a believer in happily ever afters, but I do believe in magic and this book took me back to my childhood filled with adventurous and extraordinary stories of ordinary people. While this story is written for children, I don't see why an adult wouldn't have fun reading it because it does its work as a story: it provides and escape from reality and takes the reader on a fun filled journey.

An Awfully Big Adventure is a short and sweet story that's bound to leave the reader feeling content.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Aniesha Brahma in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Buy the book: AMAZON (Guys, please help the lovely BUZZ Magazine!)

Book Blitz- Eight Days on Planet Earth by Cat Jordan

Eight Days on Planet Earth
by Cat Jordan
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Release date: November 7th 2017
HarperTeen

Summary from Goodreads:
A heart-wrenching romance full of twists that are sure to bring tears to readers’ eyes, from Cat Jordan, author of The Leaving Season.

How long does it take to travel twenty light years to Earth?

How long does it take to fall in love?

To the universe, eight days is a mere blip, but to Matty Jones, it may be just enough time to change his life.

On the hot summer day Matty’s dad leaves for good, a strange girl suddenly appears in the empty field next to the Jones farm—the very field in rural Pennsylvania where a spaceship supposedly landed fifty years ago. She is uniquely beautiful, sweet, and smart, and she tells Matty she’s waiting for herspaceship to pick her up and return her to her home planet. Of course she is.

Matty has heard a million impossible UFO stories for each of his seventeen years: the conspiracy theories, the wild rumors, the crazy belief in life beyond the stars. When he was a kid, he and his dad searched the skies and studied the constellations. But all of that is behind him. Dad’s gone—but now there’s Priya. She must be crazy…right?

As Matty unravels the mystery of the girl in the field, he realizes there is far more to her than he first imagined. And if he can learn to believe in what he can’t see: the universe, aliens…love…then maybe the impossible is possible, after all.

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Indie Bound | Harper Collins  

Author Guest Post:

The 5 Things I Ask Myself Before Starting a Writing Project

1. What’s the opening scene?

In my earliest novels, I would start things off with a bang, often in the middle of action or even dialogue. It can be disorienting to a reader to not know what is going on or who is speaking. Some stories need this but most stories prefer a clever/beautiful/interesting opening line. I want to draw the reader into my world and I don’t want them to start off confused (unless that’s my goal!).

Now when I begin a project, I try to place myself in the new world as if I were my reader. What do I want to see? Is that interesting? Is that character compelling? Is the voice something I want to hear for three hundred pages?

2. What is the ending?

Again, as a newbie writer, I would imagine my books with a bang of an ending too. With all of these “bangs,” you’d think I was writing thrillers! However, what I discovered – both as a reader and a writer – was that I needed to know what happens after the climax of the story. Back in high school, I learned this was a “denouement” but I didn’t know how to apply it until I became a novelist.

It isn’t enough to simply end a story. I need to imagine how all the storylines connect, or don’t connect; how characters continue with their lives. Even if I don’t write it all out for the reader, I need to know what those things are.

3. Where does the story take place?

For me, place is a character. Specificity of location is critical. I might plan to fictionalize a town, as I did with Eight Days on Planet Earth, but I need to know what the exact place is that I’m fictionalizing. If I use an actual city, as I did with The Leaving Season, I need to research as much as possible if I don’t know it personally. I need to have a visual image of what the houses look like and the trees and roads. How close is the next town? Is there a body of water? And since this is a work of fiction, what isn’t there that I can fictionalize?

4. What’s the title?

I have been known to change a title ten or more times before, during and after the process of writing. However, I absolutely must have a decent working title before I even start. The title – a good one – will define the story quickly, giving it a theme without me having to force one on it. It will also stick in my head so I can be thinking and working when I’m not actually in front of a computer writing it.

5. Is it a book?

This is the most difficult question to answer. Sometimes you have an idea that seems like it’s really cool and fun or eerie or important but it’s just a character or a situation or maybe it’s just a scene or two. A book, especially a YA novel, is over 60K words! Your story idea must be sustained over the course of a lot of pages.

Also, if I haven’t written something in a while or if I’ve started and abandoned ideas for various reasons, I might be anxious to get going on a new book. No matter how excited I am to start, though, I have to live with it for a while. This is actually something I learned from Stephen King’s On Writing.

Only write the story when you can’t let it go, when you can’t stop thinking about the characters, when you can’t get the narrative voice out of your head.

Only write the story when you can’t not write it.

About the Author

When I was a teenager, the very first book I ever tried to write was pretentious and stilted and set in a future where there was no paper. Obviously, I fancied myself another Ray Bradbury (who I was thrilled to meet not once but twice!). The book had an awesome title and no plot but I had the most fun creating the characters and the world they lived in. That to me is the most enjoyable part of writing a novel: envisioning a world and populating it with all kinds of people and dogs. Gotta have a dog.

The worlds I create now as an adult are based on my travels from coast to coast in the US, to Europe and Mexico and Canada, and on the people I have met and loved and admired and feared. And dogs.

Currently I live in Los Angeles. With my dog.

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