Quotes (#113)

Morning Swooners,
There is so much going on in the next couple of weeks that I'm panicking just a little. OK, so maybe I am panicking a lot! There is a lot of change that is going to happen in a couple of weeks, and I don't do well with change. For now I'll focus on the quotes.

“It's not denial. I'm just selective about the reality I accept.”
~Bill Watterson

“Reality continues to ruin my life.”
~ Bill Watterson, The Complete Calvin and Hobbes

“You know what's weird? Day by day, nothing seems to change, but pretty soon...everything's different.”
~Bill Watterson

“There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want.”
~Bill Watterson

“We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that we don't take time to enjoy where we are.”
~Bill Watterson

“God put me on earth to accomplish certain things. Right now, I’m so far behind, I’ll never die.”
~Bill Watterson

“They say the secret of success is being at the right place at the right time, but since you never know when the right time is going to be, I figure the trick is to find the right place and just hang around.”
~Bill Watterson
I hope this week will be a great one!

Blog Tour Stop: Review + Excerpt: Dream of You by Jennifer L. Armentrout


Dream of You 
(Wait for You #4.5)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: June 23, 2015
Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts, Inc.
Source: InkSlinger Blogger PR
Review by: Nahomi
  
Abby Erickson isn't looking for a one-night stand, a relationship, or anything that involves any one-on-one time, but when she witnesses a shocking crime, she's thrust into the hands of the sexiest man she's ever seen - Colton Anders. His job is to protect her, but with every look, every touch, and every simmering kiss, she's in danger of not only losing her life but her heart also.

4.5 stars out of 5 stars

Dream Of You is fast paced, witty, and has the perfect amount of romance sprinkled in; I was hooked from page one. The story thrusts you right into the action making you heart race, and BAM just when you think that things are calming down Colton gets thrown in the mix (which made my heart race for a totally different reason)! Between the romance, the mystery,and the high action scenes I just couldn't read this story fast enough.

Abby is such a great character! It is refreshing to read a story about a strong woman, who is has been through tough times and has survived. I love that Abby is voluptuous, loves to read and is a total nerd when it comes to talking about books and authors she loves. Colton is just the epitome of  a super HOTT detective, who pays attention to detail, is sweet and thoughtful all at the same time. Abby and Colton have this amazing chemistry which makes their sexy scenes oh so steamy.

Dream of You is such a great story! JLA does a fantastic job of drawing readers in with her witty dialogue, great characters and explosive plot.






EXCERPT:
Detective Hart asked a few more questions. Did I notice if they had gotten in a car? No. Was a name even spoken? Not that I recalled. Did they say anything to the man they shot? I wasn’t sure. Eventually, he got up and left the room to retrieve some photos they wanted me to look at.

I was alone with Colton.

Any other time I probably would’ve been beside myself with nervousness, but at this point, I barely registered his presence. All I wanted to do was go home and forget this night.

“Abby?”

My gaze slowly lifted at the sound of my name. His voice was deep and gruff—a morning voice.

He leaned toward me, placing his arms on the table. Short dark hairs dusted powerful forearms. The few times I’d seen him over the years, I hadn’t been in close proximity to him, but now I could see the tiny differences between the Colton I’d admired from afar in high school and the one sitting in front of me, some ten years later. Fine lines had formed around the corners of his eyes. His jaw seemed harder, and the five-o’clock shadow was something new.

Something sexy.

I really needed to stop thinking in general.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Abby?” he asked, and real concern filled his voice.

I shook my head slowly as a shiver raced down my spine. “Yes. No? I’m sorry. I’m so tired.”

“I can imagine.” He glanced at the door as he moved his shoulders, as if working out a kink. “We’ll get you home soon.”

Slouching in the metal chair, I sighed. “Is this…the start of your shift or…?”

Colton’s cobalt gaze tracked back to me. “I usually get off around eight, but we work in cycles for homicide calls. It was our weekend.”

“Sorry,” I whispered, and then frowned. “I don’t even know why I apologized. It’s got to be hard working those kinds of hours, having to be on call.”

“I imagine it is for some, especially those with a family.” One side of his lips quirked up, and despite the dire situation, my stomach dipped a bit. He lifted his left hand. “Obviously, I’m not married. I wouldn’t know.”

   

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

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

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

Author links: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

  InkSlinger PR Blogger Banner - New

Favorite Friday (#41) - Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Books and Swoons where we spotlight some of our Favorite Reads. Everyone is welcome to join. Just enter your information on the linky or leave us a comment!

This week pick is: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.


ONLY A TRUE BEST FRIEND CAN PROTECT YOU FROM YOUR IMMORTAL ENEMIES...

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest vampires - the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them.

After two years of freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, a school for vampire royalty and their guardians-to-be, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. But inside the iron gates, life is even more fraught with danger... and the Strigoi are always close by.

Rose and Lissa must navigate their dangerous world, confront the temptations of forbidden love, and never once let their guard down, lest the evil undead make Lissa one of them forever...

We are totally obsessed with this book and series right now. Vampire Academy is full of action, mystery and forbidden love. It is a must read!

About the author:


Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Before becoming a writer, she considered a few different career paths. She has a bachelor's degree in liberal arts, an MA in Comparative Religion, and a Master in Teaching degree for secondary education. In the end, she decided writing was the way for her but believes all of her education prepared her for it.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always had a particular fascination with mythology and folklore. When not writing, she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. Lots of dresses. She is a self-professed coffee addict, fights a constant (and losing) battle with procrastination, and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

Her adult series include The Georgina Kincaid Series, which tells the humorous and heart-breaking story of a reluctant succubus who can't touch the man she loves without dire side effects. On top of that, she must deal with Hell's middle management team and the many supernatural threats that come her way. Richelle's Dark Swan Series follows Eugenie Markham, a free-lance shaman who battles ghosts and fey that sneak into our world from the Otherworld. When an alarming prophecy suddenly makes her every Otherworldly creature's object of desire, Eugenie must dodge their advances while also fighting a dark power rising within her. Richelle's third adult series, The Age of X, takes place in a futuristic world where religion has been banned--but in which the supernatural is finding a way to come back.

Richelle's internationally acclaimed YA series, Vampire Academy, is published by Razorbill Books (Penguin). This New York Times and USA Today bestselling series has won honors from the American Library Association, made into a movie, and been translated into 30 languages. It follows the war between two races of vampires, living and undead. Rose Hathaway, a 17-year old half-vampire, is training to be a bodyguard for the living vampires and finds her life complicated by the dangers that involves, as well as an illicit romance with one of her teachers. Vampire Academy was followed by a bestselling spin-off series, Bloodlines, which follows both old and new characters from the VA world.
Author's links: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

I hope you can join us in sharing and talking about some of your favorite reads. Book talk always make me happy. 

What are one of your favorite reads?

Waiting on Wednesday (#115)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Morning swooners!

This week pre-publication "can't wait to read" selection is:

Expected Release Date: August 25, 2015
Links: Amazon / BAM! / Goodreads
Synopsis:
To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy: the cocky, popular, way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god who led Lawton High to the state championships. But while West may be Big Man on Campus on the outside, on the inside he’s battling the grief that comes with watching his father slowly die of cancer.

Two years ago, Maggie Carleton’s life fell apart when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn’t spoken since. Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn’t draw Maggie back out. So she stayed quiet, keeping her sorrow and her fractured heart hidden away.

As West’s pain becomes too much to handle, he knows he needs to talk to someone about his father—so in the dark shadows of a post-game party, he opens up to the one girl who he knows won’t tell anyone else.

West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or at least a flood of emotions he couldn’t control. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own—or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn’t ever let her go…
First of all I really like the cover of this book, and secondly the synopsis has me totally intrigued. I can't wait to read this!

What are you "Waiting on?"

Quotes (#112)

Morning Swooners,
I am so freaking excited that I am doing quotes today from San Francisco!!! It's been a wonderful weekend, but we are ready to go home. We will have a recap of our time at ALAAC2015 soon. Wishing you a great week.

“Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.”
~Robert Louis Stevenson

“If there's a single lesson that life teaches us, it's that wishing doesn't make it so.”
~Lev Grossman, The Magicians

“If you were music, I would listen to you ceaselessly, and my low spirits would brighten up.”
~Anna_Akhmatova, The Complete Poems of Anna Akhmatova

“People change and forget to tell each other.”
~Lillian Hellman

“It is best to act with confidence, no matter how little right you have to it.”
~Lillian Hellman

“There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. By being happy we sow anonymous benefits upon the world.”
~Robert Louis Stevenson

“Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”
~Robert Louis Stevenson

Waiting on Wednesday (#114)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Morning swooners!

This week pre-publication "can't wait to read" selection is:

Expected Release Date: July 7, 2015
Synopsis:
This thriller YA is Scandal meets Veronica Mars.

Sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick has spent her entire life on her grandfather's ranch. But when her estranged sister Ivy uproots her to D.C., Tess is thrown into a world that revolves around politics and power. She also starts at Hardwicke Academy, the D.C. school for the children of the rich and powerful, where she unwittingly becomes a fixer for the high school set, fixing teens’ problems the way her sister fixes their parents’ problems.

And when a conspiracy surfaces that involves the family member of one of Tess's classmates, love triangles and unbelievable family secrets come to light and life gets even more interesting—and complicated—for Tess.

Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and Heist Society, readers will be clamoring for this compelling teen drama with a political twist.
I've been anxiously anticipating this book since it been announced and I can't wait until it is released.

What are you "Waiting on?"

Blog Tour Stop: Review + Giveaway: No More Confessions by Louise Rozett


No More Confessions
(Confessions #3)
Author: Louise Rozett
Release Date: January 25, 2015
Publisher: Louise Rozett
Source: YA Bound Book Tours
Review by: Jenn
For Rose Zarelli, freshman year was about controlling her rage. Sophomore year was about finding her voice. With all that behind her, junior year should be a breeze, right? Nope. When a horrific video surfaces, Rose needs the one person she wants to be done with, the person who has broken her heart twice—Jamie Forta. But as the intensity between them heats up, Rose realizes she isn’t the only one who needs help. The thing is, Jamie doesn’t see it that way—and that could cost them both everything.
***
ROSE ZARELLI is done confessing because ​confessions are for people who have done something wrong. ​And I haven't done anything wrong. Here, I'll prove it to you.
1) After my mother got that call, I “borrowed” her car. (Because you can’t steal your mother’s car, can you?) I don’t really remember driving downtown, but I do remember...
2) …getting past the bouncer at Dizzy’s (I mean, it’s his job to spot a fake ID, so that’s on him)…
​3) …and then later, telling my mother the truth about the bar but lying about how I got in. (A truth totally cancels out a lie, right?)
After all, what’s a little duplicity when finding Jamie Forta is the only thing that’s going to keep you from losing what’s left of your mind?
See? Junior year is off to a great start.

4 stars out of 5 stars

I've been a fan of this series ever since the first book, Confessions of an Angry Girl, came out. So I was over the moon when the third book was announced. No More Confessions followed the story a few months after where the second book left us and just like the previous books, we are left wondering what is happening and why is Jaime Forta not talking to us, meaning Rose of course.

No More Confessions is a bit different from the previous books. It is interesting in seeing Rose during her Junior year compared to her Freshman year because you can see how much growth she has gone through. It is especially obvious in her relationship with her mother and with Jaime. The Rose in this book is stronger in the sense that she knows what she wants and is willing to go for it. However, when it comes to Jaime Forta, her weakness, she allows for him to derail her from her thoughts and plans. The good thing about that situation is that Jaime Forta is really good guy and even though he is a man with a few words, we know he cares about Rose and she is also his weakness. In No More Confessions, he lets Rose set the pace and goes along with her ideas even if he doesn't believe in himself.

All the previous books deals with hard topic, such as Rose's father death in Iraq, teenage bullying and drinking, this book is just the same. However, this time, it feels all the more real. When we meet Rose in the first book, she is dealing with the repercussions of her father's death but we don't see it in initial stages, This time around, we're seeing trouble right from the beginning and it definitely and eye opener for Rose. Unlike the Rose in the previous books, she is unwilling to step in for fear of overstepping her bounds and for fear that it may be true. For me, it felt like it was really different Rose because the Rose I had met in book one would have stepped in, especially because it is someone she loves. I can't blame her though because at the end of the day there wasn't much she could have done to stop Jaime.

The ending left me feeling hopeful and I can hope that maybe we'll get another book or maybe a short story on what happens in the future. Rose did so much growing up throughout the series and she is one of my favorite female characters. If you haven't already read this series, I truly recommend that you do. Give the first book a try and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Tour Schedule Link:

Giveaway:
About the author: 
Louise Rozett is an author, a playwright, and a recovering performer. She made her YA debut with Confessions of an Angry Girl, followed by Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend, both published by HarlequinTEEN. The next book in the series, No More Confessions, is due out January 2015. She lives with her 120-pound Bernese Mountain dog Lester (named after Lester Freamon from THE WIRE, of course) in sunny Los Angeles, and pines for New York City.
Author Links: Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Website

Blog Tour Organized by: YA Bound Book Tours
YA Bound Book Tours

Release Day Launch: Dream Of You by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Dream of You - RDL Banner  

We are so excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for Jennifer L. Armentrout's DREAM OF YOU!! DREAM OF YOU is a Contemporary Romance novella in Jennifer’s Wait For You Series! This is a 1001 Dark Nights novella so it is exclusively available as Amazon Kindle and Paperback. Grab your copy of this sexy novella today!!

  Dream of You - cover

Amazon US Kindle ** Amazon Paperback ** Amazon UK Kindle

EXCERPT:
Detective Hart asked a few more questions. Did I notice if they had gotten in a car? No. Was a name even spoken? Not that I recalled. Did they say anything to the man they shot? I wasn’t sure. Eventually, he got up and left the room to retrieve some photos they wanted me to look at.

I was alone with Colton.

Any other time I probably would’ve been beside myself with nervousness, but at this point, I barely registered his presence. All I wanted to do was go home and forget this night.

“Abby?”

My gaze slowly lifted at the sound of my name. His voice was deep and gruff—a morning voice.

He leaned toward me, placing his arms on the table. Short dark hairs dusted powerful forearms. The few times I’d seen him over the years, I hadn’t been in close proximity to him, but now I could see the tiny differences between the Colton I’d admired from afar in high school and the one sitting in front of me, some ten years later. Fine lines had formed around the corners of his eyes. His jaw seemed harder, and the five-o’clock shadow was something new.

Something sexy.

I really needed to stop thinking in general.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Abby?” he asked, and real concern filled his voice.

I shook my head slowly as a shiver raced down my spine. “Yes. No? I’m sorry. I’m so tired.”

“I can imagine.” He glanced at the door as he moved his shoulders, as if working out a kink. “We’ll get you home soon.”

Slouching in the metal chair, I sighed. “Is this…the start of your shift or…?”

Colton’s cobalt gaze tracked back to me. “I usually get off around eight, but we work in cycles for homicide calls. It was our weekend.”

“Sorry,” I whispered, and then frowned. “I don’t even know why I apologized. It’s got to be hard working those kinds of hours, having to be on call.”

“I imagine it is for some, especially those with a family.” One side of his lips quirked up, and despite the dire situation, my stomach dipped a bit. He lifted his left hand. “Obviously, I’m not married. I wouldn’t know.”

Dream of You - Teaser   
 DREAM OF YOU Synopsis: 
 Abby Erickson isn't looking for a one-night stand, a relationship, or anything that involves any one-on-one time, but when she witnesses a shocking crime, she's thrust into the hands of the sexiest man she's ever seen - Colton Anders. His job is to protect her, but with every look, every touch, and every simmering kiss, she's in danger of not only losing her life but her heart also.   

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

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

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

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Novella Goodreads ** Author Goodreads

  InkSlinger PR Blogger Banner - New

Quotes (#111)


Morning Swooners,
Jenn and I are super excited because at the end of the week we are going to ALA(American Library Association) annual conference in San Francisco!!! *Eek* We have so much stuff to do this week that it's not even funny. Either way the reading doesn't stop. Jenn turned me on to Vampire Academy and todays quotes will be dedicated to our new obsession.


“If I let myself love you, I won't throw myself in front of her. I'll throw myself in front of you.”
~Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy

“Do you think I'm pretty? I think you're beautiful. Beautiful? You are so beautiful, it hurts sometimes.”
~Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy

“The answer came to me before I'd even finished asking myself the question. I couldn't be Mason's girlfriend because when I imagined someone holding me and whispering dirty things in my ear, he had a Russian accent.”
~Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy

“And sometimes, if I was really, really lucky, he’d smile at me. A real smile, too—not the dry one that accompanied the sarcasm we tossed around so often. I didn’t want to admit it to anyone—not to Lissa, not even to myself—but some days, I lived for those smiles.”
~Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy

“Hey Rose, welcome back. You still breaking hearts?" "Are you volunteering?" His grin widened." Let's hang out sometime and find out. If you ever get parole.”
~Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy

“You know what I like about you, Mase? You think just like I do.” “Frightening concept...”
~Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy

Favorite Friday (#40) - Sweet Girl by Rachel Hollis

Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Books and Swoons where we spotlight some of our Favorite Reads. Everyone is welcome to join. Just enter your information on the linky or leave us a comment!

This week pick is: Sweet Girl by Rachel Hollis.


Max Jennings is in a bad mood. It’s not anything you did; it’s just that secrets from her past make it her natural state of being. But she’s not going to talk about it or share her feelings, so don’t bother asking.

Max’s bad mood means that very few people actually truly understand her or know that her secret dream is to be a pastry chef. When a rare opportunity to work for world-famous Avis Phillips presents itself, Max jumps at the chance. Avis and her staff aren’t stingy with the tough love, so Max spends every spare minute practicing her craft. As she bakes brownies and custards, cookies and galettes, she builds an unlikely friendship with a man she once loathed and finds herself falling into something she’s spent the last six years avoiding. Will she let her painful past stand in the way, or will she muster the strength to forgive herself and realize her full potential?
I am totally in love with Party Girl, so naturally I moved on the its companion Sweet Girl and now I am obsessed! I love the relationship between Max and Taylor. Max's story is inspirational. It's just a great read all around.
About the author:


Rachel Hollis founded the LA-based event planning firm Chic Events at only 21. Six years later Inc. Magazine named her one of the Top 30 Entrepreneurs Under 30. She went on to turn Chic into the extremely popular lifestyle website The Chic where readers log in daily for the tips and tricks she acquired after years of planning fancy parties for celebrities!

She has designed and produced fabulous events for many of Hollywood's elite including Bradley Cooper, Al Gore, Rashida Jones, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ivanka Trump, Jamie King, Sara Rue and Cuba Gooding Jr… just a name a few.

Rachel grew up in a big loud Okie family. Daddy was a Pentecostal minister and Mama was the church pianist… and PS, she knows the words to all the old-timey hymns in case you want to break into three-part harmony later.

She moved to Los Angeles to go to college and promptly met a boy named David who was as handsome as he was funny. First she made that boy her best friend, and then she made him my husband. 10 years later they have three equally handsome/hilarious little boys named Jackson, Sawyer, and Ford. They live in LA where they spend their time doing super cool/sexy things like going to soccer practice and hitting up any restaurant where kids eat free with the purchase of an adult entrée.
Author's links: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

I hope you can join us in sharing and talking about some of your favorite reads. Book talk always make me happy. 

What are one of your favorite reads?


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...