Beat the Heat Readathon - Kickoff and Goals!

Welcome to the kick off for the Beat the Heat Readathon that's being hosted by the wonderful ladies at Auntie Spinelli Reads and Phantasmic Reads! I'm joining in at the last minute because I seriously need to get some review books read and what is more fun that a readathon?

There's still plenty of time to sign up - so what are you waiting for? Here are the official rules for the readathon, taken from the hosts themselves:

• The Beat the Heat Readathon runs from July 29th through August 11th. What does this readathon entail, you ask? Well, read as much or as little as you want – the main point is to READ! You set your own goal, and for two weeks you read as many books as you can/want to reach your goal!
• There will be mini-challenges throughout the Readathon for participants, along with a grand prize giveaway at the end!
• Sign up at Auntie Spinelli Reads or Phantasmic Reads. You may join whenever you like, but to be eligible for our grand prize giveaway, you must sign up by August 5th.
• To join, all you have to do is make a sign-up post – even if it’s just a “Let’s do this!” thing – and add your post URL to the linky below! You can put your goals and progress (will be required for the final giveaway) in your sign-up post, or you can make it separate. Totally up to you! Feel free to copy and paste this handy little list for your post. We don’t mind.
• In order to enter for the grand prize, you must have a post to keep track of your progress so we can see that you participated.

Normally I have a list or picture showing what books I hope to read during the readathon, so here's a small taste of what I hope to read:

  

 

 

Are you participating in this readathon? Leave me a link to your goals post and good luck!

Burning Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Burning Official Blog Tour, being hosted by Book Nerd Tours! To check out the rest of the tour, click on the banner above. Today I have my review of the book and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of the post to enter the awesome tour wide giveaway!

Burning

Author: Elana K. Arnold

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Release Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Description:

Ben: Having just graduated from high school, Ben is set to leave Gypsum, Nevada. It's good timing since the gypsum mine that is the lifeblood of the area is closing, shutting the whole town down with it. Ben is lucky: he's headed to San Diego, where he's got a track scholarship at the University of California. But his best friends, Pete and Hog Boy, don't have college to look forward to, so to make them happy, Ben goes with them to check out the hot chick parked on the side of Highway 447. 

Lala: She and her Gypsy family earn money by telling fortunes. Some customers choose Tarot cards; others have their palms read. The thousands of people attending the nearby Burning Man festival spend lots of cash--especially as Lala gives uncanny readings. But lately Lala's been questioning whether there might be more to life than her upcoming arranged marriage. And the day she reads Ben's cards is the day that everything changes for her. . . and for him. 

Burning is a beautifully written young adult novel full of romance. It follows teenage gypsy Lala and her family as they earn money by telling fortunes alongside the road. Lala brings in lots of customers with her accurate readings, but lately she's been questioning her lifestyle and if it's really what she wants out of life. The book also follows Ben, who has just graduated high school and is looking forward to escaping his small hometown for college in San Diego. His future is filled with hope and he intends to get away from the town that's falling down around itself. Before leaving for college, Ben decides to hang out with his best friends and goes to visit the gypsies nearby. When Lala ends up reading Ben's cards, Ben's life - and hers - will never be the same again.

This was a wonderful YA contemporary novel that revolves around love, hope, romance, and and self discovery. I thought that the characters were unique and very realistic - which made me immediately like them. The characters of Ben and Lala are so different from each other - it's as plain as day that they are opposites - but together they seem to complete each other; to fill a space in the other that neither even knew existed. The setting was perfect for the novel - the desert provided the perfect sense of isolation yet community that the characters needed. The writing was mesmerizing and I couldn't put the book down - which is saying something since I don't normally go for YA contemporary fiction. I was immediately drawn into the author's lyrical prose and the vivid details and descriptions. The story's pace was well done and the plot seemed to flow naturally. This is a perfect summer read for fans of YA contemporary fiction! It's definitely not a book you should miss out on!

ELANA K. ARNOLD completed her M.A. in Creative Writing/Fiction at the University of California, Davis. She grew up in Southern California, where she was lucky enough to have her own horse–a gorgeous mare named Rainbow–and a family who let her read as many books as she wanted. She lives in Long Beach, California, with her husband, two children, and a menagerie of animals. She is represented by Rubin Pfeffer of the East/West Literary Agency. Sacred is her debut novel. 

Website
  

 You can purchase BURNING at the following Retailers:
    

 

  

3 Winners will receive a Copy of Burning by D.J. Elana K. Arnold.
1 Winner will receive a Surprise ART Poster and Bookmark by James Vallesteros.
5 Winners will receive a Surprise ART Bookmark by James Vallesteros.
 

Must be 13+ to Enter
International Giveaway

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Book Blitz & Giveaway: Now or Never by A.J. Bennett

 

Now or Never 
Author: A.J. Bennett
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Release Date: June 19, 2013

Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Description:
Twenty-one year old Grayson Alexander finally breaks away from an abusive relationship and finds herself free for the first time in three years.

Determined to enjoy her new-found freedom, Grayson is intent on sticking with ‘no strings attached’ relationships—one-night stands, and steamy sex.

But she didn’t plan on Derrick.

Her attraction to the sexy man in uniform quickly turns into an unhealthy relationship. They both try to resist the pull, but neither can stay away.

When tragedy strikes, Grayson realizes it’s now or never—walk away or make it work. 

Why was she acting like an idiot? He was just a guy; he probably didn’t even give her another thought after their brief eye gaze exchange.
Once she got her drink, she made her way to the cream and sugar stand to grab a napkin and hightail it out of there. Grayson turned to leave and slammed into a solid wall of muscle.
Shit.
Coffee spilled on her hand and down the front of his black T-shirt. As she held the remains of her coffee out of harms way, her chest pressed firmly against his. Horrified, she lifted her gaze.
He cupped her elbows with both hands and steadied her, his startling green eyes ringed with gold swept over her. Then he reached around her, grabbed a napkin, and wiped the hot coffee off her hand. She caught herself giving him the once over while she had his gaze elsewhere; he was so hot, his dark red hair was so fitting to his rugged facial features.
“You alright?”
Grayson mumbled something that didn’t sound like English. Her breath caught at her throat as she took in his powerful frame: his legs were slightly parted and his faded jeans clung to his muscular thighs. His T-shirt was stretched over his broad shoulders.
He smiled instantly softening his hard face. “Why don’t you come and sit down with me?”
“Um, what?”
He tilted his head towards his seat, “The cafe is full. You can share my table.”
Good grief.
All she did was make eye contact with the guy, and now he thought that gave him the right to invite her to sit down? She’d clearly been in a relationship way too long, because she had no idea how to react to his question. A part of her was curious about this man who made her heart rate speed up with just a glance, but a much bigger part of her wanted to turn and run. She just got out of one
relationship; she wasn’t about to start another the moment she drove into town. Besides, she’d always heard two redheads were a disaster waiting to happen.
No thanks, she thought, I have had enough disaster in my life for at least five more years.
Although, her mother claims she’s only half redhead, the other half light blonde. So maybe it would only be half a disaster?
Snap out of it Grayson, she thought, trying to get her shit together and not look like a blabbering idiot.
“I can’t. I have to meet my family. But thanks for the offer.” Grayson tried to step by him, but he widened his stance and blocked her.
“Can I at least give you my number?”
Oh my God, Grayson thought, this guy was persistent. He was hot as hell, but come on.
“Do you hit on every girl who walks through the door?” Grayson asked with a little attitude in her voice; she couldn’t let another man gain the upper hand on her so fast.
He laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and she wondered how old he was. “Not all of them.”

A.J. Bennett lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and bulldog. She’s addicted to coffee, popcorn and books. Becoming an author has been a lifelong dream, and she’s extremely excited about her debut novel Now or Never.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Giveaway: (1) ebook copy of Now or Never - Open Internationally!

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Book Blitz & Giveaway: Repossession by Rachael Wade

Repossession (The Keepers Trilogy #1)
Author: Rachael Wade
Genre: New Adult Science Fiction/Romance
Release Date: June 21, 2013

Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble 

Description:

Skylla only knows that she has been kidnapped and held prisoner by the foreign invaders and their human allies. And that the world is ending. Or so the humans think. The invaders have made it clear that their arrival is one of hostile intent, and as their takeover spreads, so does the panic across the globe. No one knows how to defeat them, or if it’s even sane to try.

Jet, Skylla’s human captor, is up for the challenge, though. A traitor in Skylla’s eyes, he is working with them. But Jet has his own agenda; one that doesn’t include babysitting Skylla or helping the enemies. And as the human race struggles to keep the invaders from achieving their goal, Jet and Skylla’s paths collide to reveal the truth behind Skylla’s abduction.

The invaders are headed for the water. Jet is headed for the water. But that’s the last place Skylla wants to be. That’s where the future of humanity lies, and where the bridge to their yesterdays was burned. On a mission to take back what is rightfully theirs, Earth’s population is determined to make sure this isn’t the end. But some endings were never theirs to begin with.  

The quiet drone of a train’s chugging grew louder as it approached but was still eerily muted, a graceful ghost passing in the night. Minimal light shone from the front car as Jet stepped forward to align himself with its path.
“How do we know where it stops?” I asked, positioning myself next to him.
“We don’t.”
“So …”
“So we have to make a run for it.”
“You mean jump?”
“Yup.”
“As in … jump onto a moving train.”
“Yup.”
“This is crazy.”
“A dangerously disturbing level of crazy. No worries, baby.” He patted my shoulder with a smartass grin. “It’s just your area of expertise.” I narrowed my eyes at him, storing that one away for a future retaliation jab of my own.
Adrenaline spiked as the train grew closer, every nerve ending a live wire to the heart pounding violently in my chest. Jet grabbed my hand, glancing at my gun. “I’ll go first. Once I get a good grip, I’ll haul you up. Whatever you do, don’t stop running. And don’t let go.”
“I should go first,” I raised my voice to speak over the rumbling of the track. “You’re hurt. You’re going to need upper body strength.”
“I’m fine. Don’t fight me on this.”
Blood pounded hot in my ears, my heart rate jumping and hair blowing wildly around my cheeks as the train began to whizz by. The rush in my veins propelled me forward the moment I
spotted an opportunity, and I launched into a controlled sprint. Springing upward, I lunged forward and latched on to the side of the car, the metal handle slipping beneath my sweaty grip. I shrieked and latched on harder, hearing Jet’s voice thunder behind me. The train’s vibrations rattled against my chest, sending my senses on high alert.
Clenching the handle until my knuckles hurt, I bit down on my lip to ease the tension and yanked hard to the right, feeling a heavy latch click and shift beneath my fingers. The door slid open and I hauled myself up and inside, grabbing onto the side of the frame to steady myself before flipping around to reach for Jet. He was running full speed after me, his arms pumping tight and sharp at his sides as he tore forward.
“Come on!” I yelled, extending one arm. It only took him a few seconds to catch up, his agile form sending his body off the ground and up onto the car before I could blink. With a loud shout, he clamped onto my arm, his other hand flying over his chest to cradle his gun. I was thrown onto my back with a thud before I knew what hit me, his body covering mine with a crash that left me seeing stars.
“Fucking crazy woman!” he shouted over the rail’s relentless roar, louder now that we were level with it. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” His heat pressed into me, his arms caging me in as he stared down into my eyes, his nose aligned with mine.
“Fulfilling my sole purpose to drive you mad, it seems.” I couldn’t help it. The rush sent me sky-high and an explosive laugh escaped my lungs. I shook beneath him, my breath heaving against his chest.
“Damn it, Skylla!” He dropped his head as he gasped for air. “Seriously!” he added for effect, but there was nothing serious in his voice now. He was laughing too, just as deep, just as euphorically as I was, and I decided right then that the sound of Jet’s laugh was almost as sexy as
his full lips and ripped body.
“Wanna go again?”
“You’re reckless. I can’t even look at you.”
“You’re crushing me.”
His head lifted, those blue eyes settling on me as his laughter slowed. “You deserve it.”
My hand shifted and found his injured hip; my fingers brushed the bandage through his shirt. He flinched. “And you need to admit when you need help.”
Pushing himself up, he rolled off me and sat back on his heels, wincing and gripping his side, his lips pulling back and teeth visibly grinding with the motion. I sat up and scooted forward, mindful of the gaping railcar door. I reached up and slid it shut, slamming it with a loud grunt until I felt it lock into place. The loud rumble of the wheels hitting the track was muted now, but the rattling hum still thumped away from outside, filling the dimly lit car with a shaky buzz.
“I’m fine,” he said.
“Fine. Play it your way. I’m going to see if I can find you some medicine.”
I helped push him backward to prop him against the wall, peeling his backpack from his shoulders first. “Try and rest, I’ll see what I can find out.”
“I’m not letting you wander around these cars alone. Not fuckin’ happening.”
“If you don’t rest and get medicine for that wound soon, I’ll be stuck wandering everywhere alone. That ointment won’t cut it. You’re going to need antibiotics. It’s starting to get infected.”
His gaze snapped up to mine and held my stare. “Finger on the trigger.”
“Fire on your mark.” I smirked.

Rachael Wade is the Amazon bestselling author of The Preservation Series, The Resistance Trilogy, and the upcoming sci-fi series, The Keepers Trilogy. When she’s not writing, she’s busy learning French, watching too many movies, and learning how to protect animals and the environment. Visit her at www.RachaelWade.com and www.LightsOnOutreach.com, or come chat with her on Twitter via @RachaelWade.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Twitter

 Giveaway: (1) ebook copy of Repossession - Open Internationally!

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Release Day Blitz & Giveaway: Play Me by Diane Alberts

Play Me (Take a Chance #3)
Author: Diane Alberts
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 29, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble 

Description:

Even the best-laid plans can go awry.

Single-mom Kiersten Worth knows a bottle of champagne and night of hot, no-strings-attached sex is the perfect solution to her jilted bride blues…and Garrett Kelly, long-time friend and her teenaged son’s sexy basketball coach, is just the stud for the job.

Garrett wants more from the elusive temptress than a casual affair, but he never expects it to come in the form of an unexpected pregnancy. When he proposes an unorthodox solution—move in and raise their baby together—Kiersten has to decide whether to let down her guard and open her heart to the man who secretly loved her for years, or risk losing his tender embrace for good. 

Three months, two weeks, one day, and nineteen hours.
That’s how long it had been since Garrett walked away from Kiersten. She barely even spoke to him anymore, other than a soft hello as they passed on the court after practices. It was probably better that way. Anything more than a brief encounter hurt too much. He’d spent most of his life pretending not to care about her. Pretending he was fine without her. But now that he’d had one night in her arms, he knew he wasn’t.
And he wanted her more than he could ever possibly describe.
Oh well. Tough shit. He wasn’t going to get her on his terms. And he wouldn’t accept hers.
He needed a drink. Or three.
He unlocked the door to his apartment and froze. Pots clanged in the kitchen. Dropping his gym bag to the carpet, he walked around the corner. Only his buddy Mike had a copy of his key, and that was just in case of an emergency or if he somehow lost his own set. But why would Mike let himself in and then cook? To the best of his knowledge, Mike didn’t even know how to cook.
“Mike?” he called out.
“Uh, no,” Kiersten replied. “It’s me.”
He tensed and walked slowly into his kitchen, his heart beating rapidly in his ears. “How did you get in here?”
She flushed. “I asked Mike for the key. Told him I needed something for Chris to practice at home.” She waved a hand. “He didn’t question me, thank God. My story was weak.”
He studied her. “Why are you here? You could have just knocked.”
“I was worried you wouldn’t let me in,” she said softly, averting her eyes. “So I took matters into my own hands.”
“And the dinner?”
“A way to try to make up for what I did. It’s pathetic and not big enough, I know, but I had to do something.”
He raised his brows. “You could give me space, like I asked. Why cook for me? What do you want?”
She looked at him. “I thought you might like to eat some food. Last time I checked, you were human.”
“It’s been over three months since we talked or hung out.” He crossed his arms over his chest, not sure what her sudden reemergence in his life meant. What game did she play? “And last time I checked, we weren’t really on speaking terms. Yet here you are. Cooking me dinner.”
“Yep.” She set down the spoon she was stirring the sauce with, shoulders tight as she leaned on the counter. “Pretty much.”
He looked away from her and swallowed hard. Did she realize how much it hurt him just to see her face or to hear her voice? Probably not, since he’d been the only idiot who had wanted more. Every woman paled in comparison to her. No matter how hard he tried to move on, to be attracted to another woman, there was only one person on his mind. Kiersten. But if she was here…
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Have you changed your mind about us?”
She paled and he cursed himself for jumping to foolish, optimistic conclusions. “I—no, not yet. But—”
“Then you need to leave,” he said. He raised his head and met her eyes, unwilling to back down. “I haven’t changed my mind, either. I need space.”
“It’s been three months. Isn’t that enough space?”
“No.” He drew in a ragged breath. “It’s not. Now please leave.”
She bit her lip. “No.”
“Yes.” He stalked toward her, picked her up, tossed her over his shoulder, and headed for the door. He tired not to remember that the last time he’d carried her like this, they’d been going up to her bedroom. “If you won’t walk out on your own, then I’ll carry you out.”
She punched his back and squirmed. “Let me down. We need to talk.”
“The time for talking is over. I need distance right now. Eventually we can be friends again. But for now?” He opened the door, set her in the hallway, and closed the door in her face. “Please go home.”
He turned away and stomped into the kitchen. Damn it, he wasn’t doing this anymore. He may have played the part of the lovesick friend for months—hell, years—now, but he was done with being a benchwarmer she pulled out when it suited her mood.
From now on, it needed to be a starting position for him…or nothing at all.
Shutting off the stove, he picked up the pot and peeked inside. She’d made his favorite meal. Cheese ravioli. Vodka sauce bubbled away in a different pot and he could smell the garlic bread in the oven.
“Listen, Garrett, we need to talk,” Kiersten said.
Garrett jumped and faced her with a glare. “What are you doing in here—again?”
“I have a key.” She waved a gold key under his nose, her nose tilted up in the air stubbornly. “And I know how to open a door on my own. I’ve been doing it since I was three.”
“Congratulations.” He snatched the key out of her hand and reached for her, determined to put her right back where he had left her. “But you need to go. I’m serious.”
She jumped out of his reach and sprinted behind the relative safety of his favorite chair. “Not until you listen to me. Sit down and shut up for a second, will you?”
He pursued her, ready to stick her back out in the hallway, sans key this time. “All I asked for was a break. Can’t you respect that?”
He bolted around the chair, reaching for her arm. Her eyes widened and she darted to the side when he feinted left and ran right, hoping to fool her into his arms. “I can’t leave until we talk,” she replied.
“Why not?” he asked in exasperation, holding his hands up. “What could possibly be so damn important?”
She blinked at him, wringing her hands. “I’m pregnant.”
 

Diane Alberts has always been a dreamer with a vivid imagination, but it wasn't until 2011 that she put her pen where her brain was, and became a published author. Since receiving her first contract offer, she has yet to stop writing. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, a cat, and a Senegal parrot. In the rare moments when she's not writing, she can usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another.

She is a multi-published, bestselling author with Entangled Publishing, Swoon Romance, and Decadent Publishing. ON ONE CONDITION hit #18 on the Barnes and Noble Bestseller List, and TRY ME hit #76 on Amazon. CAPTIVATED BY YOU hit #31 on the Barnes and Noble
bestseller list. Her goal is to write so many fantastic books that even a non-romance book fan will know her name. She also writes New Adult books under the name Jen McLaughlin. Diane is represented by Louise Fury from the L. Perkins Agency.

Author Links:
Website: http://dianealberts.com/
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/DianeAlberts6
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DianeAlberts
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5081315.Diane_Alberts

 Giveaway: The author is generously offering (1) lucky winner a $10 Amazon or B&N Gift Card!

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