Saturday, December 28, 2013

Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire


Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Genre: Coming of Age, New Adult, Romance




INTENSE. DANGEROUS. ADDICTIVE.

Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.







What can I say about Beautiful Disaster (aside from it being a beautiful disaster)? First off, I’d like to point out how much EVERYONE in love with this new formed genre (New Adult), absolutely loved this book. And I should be ashamed that I’m one of them. But I’m not.

Beautiful Disaster began with the main character watching her leading man fighting fist to fist with another man within a ring. I must admit that’s the first time I’ve read a book that opened with two guys beating each other to a pulp on purpose. So, kudos to McGuire for being unique (well to me). Then came the following cliche:

Girl: I’m a tough and smart girl and I don’t fall for players like you.

Boy: I’m so intrigued by your disinterest that I must win you over somehow.

Did I enjoy this cliche? Yes, I did. But then again, I loved about a quarter of the book before I began disliking it. The more I got to know the main characters, the more I hated the book. The story dragged on too long when nothing was really happening. But when something did happen. It gets too overwhelming and rushed that I just wanted to put down the book and not read anymore.

To sum it all up, if I ended the book in between. I would have given the book 5 stars. But then, I had to keep going and ended up disliking the characters so much. But because of how page-turning and beautifully written the book is. I’ll give it a fair 3 stars for being such a beautiful disaster.


3 out of 5 Date Trees


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Friday, December 27, 2013

Excerpt: Hearts On The Line Series by Nadia Lee


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excerpt

The food he’d brought had been perfect, each flavor complementing another. When they were finally done, she reclined on her side, the wind teasing her hair, loose strands swaying. He lay on his back. A dreamy expression entered his eyes as he gazed up at her.

“How come you always put your hair up?”

Self-conscious, Natalie fiddled with her wineglass. “Because I want to look professional.”

“But you look better…well, more approachable…with your hair down.” He reached out and played with her ponytail. “Silky and touchable.” He undid the barrette, and the hair spilled into his hand.

Crushed grass, wild flowers, shampoo, cologne, man.

Time seemed to slow around them. The breeze came over the water, bringing with it a taste of spring on the verge of melting into summer. The leaves above them danced, the shadows trembling over their bodies. His eyes darkened and lightened with each indolent movement of the branches. He raised his torso, his hand still caressing her hair. His lips were mere inches away from hers, but he didn’t close the gap between them.

The warmth of the sun, Alex’s eyes intent on hers, the whisper of the wind, his soft breathing, the staccato beat of her heart.

Natalie leaned forward and covered his mouth with hers.

He remained still, giving her the permission to explore as much or as little as she wished. Her tongue traced his lips, tasted a hint of wine, crisply acidic yet ripe. She probed, laid a gentle hand on his cheek.

The world stopped and tilted, as if time and gravity no longer mattered. Her hands skimmed the muscles of his body, tracing their taut lines through the soft fabric of his shirt. One brushed over a nipple; she felt his heartbeat accelerate. She ran the other down his tight abs; they jumped.

It was pure power, the ability to arouse a man, make him respond to her every little touch. The sexual side of her, denied since the breakup with Marcus, wanted to take advantage of the situation, make him lose control. Her fingers traveled down until they reached his belt buckle. She rested them there, putting just enough weight onto it that he would know where her hand was.

His desire for her was like a physical presence in the air. She wanted—

The sudden shrill ringing of her cell phone jerked her back to reality. She wrenched back from him and, before he could reach for her, fumbled for her purse. It was Louise.

“Ignore it,” Alex said, his voice raspy. He laid a warm hand on her thigh, exerted a gentle pressure toward him.

Tempting, tempting, but if she gave in, Louise would demand to know why Natalie hadn’t answered her call on a day as important as today. She was throwing Brian a birthday party, Natalie was going, and there would be no way to avoid facing her there. “I can’t.” Natalie put the phone to her ear. “Hello, Louise.”

“Can you come early?” she said without preamble. “I need some help with the food.”

“I thought you were going to cater.”

Alex looked up at her, his eyes dark. She glanced away, tucked her hair behind an ear, and drew her legs up, hugging them with her free arm. It felt like he could hear everything from Louise’s end.

“Well, I’m not going to cater everything. What would people think?”

“That you’re too busy to do everything?”

“Never too busy to help your father.”

Natalie’s hand tightened around her cell phone. “I wish you’d called me earlier. I can’t go right now.”

“I see.” Louise’s voice turned icy. “So you’ll be here to eat the food I’ve prepared, flaunt your boyfriend, and pretend you care when you can’t be bothered to do your share.”

Natalie’s head began to throb. “I told you Charlie isn’t my boyfriend.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a slight tension from Alex. She scrunched her eyes shut; why did she have to argue with Louise about Charlie, especially in front of Alex?


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Vengeful in Love Hearts on the Line, Book 1 
Publication Date: December 19, 2013 

Revenge is sweet... Self-made billionaire Alex Damon wants his pound of flesh from the people who ripped his family apart. When he discovers his enemies' daughter is working at his company -- and most likely spying for them -- he decides to start his revenge by seducing her. Natalie Hall is stunned at the personal interest from the CEO of her company. Vulnerable, with an already bruised heart, she wants to avoid any involvement -- but she can't deny the desire he arouses in her. ...but love is sweeter...
What should've been a straightforward eye-for-an-eye starts to unravel as Natalie's unflinching loyalty and kindness begin to thaw Alex's cold intent. But caring for her is unthinkable...since he plans to use everything in his power to ruin her family and everyone else she holds dear.

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Reunited in Love Hearts on the Line, Book 2 
Publication Date: January 9, 2014 

A temporary reunion... Newly jobless and adrift, former investment banker Kerri Wilson travels to Virginia to see her best friend and regroup, only to run into billionaire playboy Ethan Lloyd. It's been years since she's snuck out of his bed after the most amazing sex of her life, and he's so not her type -- she likes them tall, dark and†manageable. But he's too hot to resist, and she succumbs to another sizzling, no-strings-attached (or so she thinks) night.

Unwilling to let her go this time, Ethan makes a simple proposition: a job, a place to stay, and an exclusive affair that will end when either of them finds someone else. But with her dark, painful past catching up to her, Kerri may have to bolt again -- even though her heart is telling her to stay. And Ethan's not giving her up without fighting to make their "temporary" arrangement something far more permanent...

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about author
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Bilingual former management consultant Nadia Lee has lived in four different countries and enjoyed many adventures and excellent food around the globe. In the last eight years, she has kissed stingrays, been bitten by a shark, ridden an elephant and petted tigers. She shares an apartment overlooking a river and palm trees in Japan with her husband and son. When she's not writing, she can be found digging through old Asian historical texts or planning another trip. Website:†http://www.nadialee.net Mailing list:†http://www.nadialee.net Twitter:†http://www.twitter.com/nadialee
giveaway


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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

$40 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

As a thank you to all the bloggers, authors, and fellow readers for their support this year! I'm giving away a $40 GC from Amazon. Enter away below and also check out the original post HERE.




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Sunday, December 22, 2013

Promo: Blood on the Tongue: A Cooper & Fry Mystery (Ben Cooper & Diane Fry #3) by Stephen Booth


 



Blood on the Tongue: A Cooper & Fry Mystery (Ben Cooper & Diane Fry #3)
by Stephen Booth
Genre: Mystery
Publication Date: December 3, 2013
Publisher: Witness Impulse, an Imprint of HarperCollins
Event organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc.


It’s a new year for Ben Cooper and Diane Fry, and that means new mysteries to solve in the icy depths of a bitter winter.
It isn’t the easiest way to commit suicide, but the dead woman seems to have simply curled up in the freezing snow and lay there until her heart stopped. There was no one to observe her death but the foxes and the hares. Yet she is riddled with bruises. Her death is horrifying -- is it also suspicious?
When two more dead bodies are found, Cooper and Fry begin to wonder if these tragedies are connected, and whether they will survive the winter…

Purchase Links: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble


STEPHEN BOOTH is an award winning British crime writer, the creator of two young Derbyshire police detectives, DC Ben Cooper and DS Diane Fry, who have appeared in twelve novels set in England’s beautiful and atmospheric Peak District.

Stephen has been a Gold Dagger finalist, an Anthony Award nominee, twice winner of a Barry Award for Best British Crime Novel, and twice shortlisted for the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year. Ben Cooper was a finalist for the Sherlock Award for the best detective created by a British author, and in 2003 the Crime Writers’ Association presented Stephen with the Dagger in the Library Award for “the author whose books have given readers the most pleasure”.

The Cooper & Fry series is published all around the world, and has been translated into 15 languages.


Connect with the Author: Twitter | Blog | Goodreads


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Friday, December 20, 2013

Cover Reveal: Wolf's Bane by Ash Krafton



Wolf’s Bane (Demimonde #3)
by Ash Krafton


Sometimes, when life gives you lemons, all you can do is try to avoid paper cuts.

Since becoming oracle to the demivampire two years ago, advice columnist Sophie has battled werewolves and survived a vampire attack (or two). However, not only was she powerless to save her lover Marek when he slipped to the brink of evolution, she also witnessed his transformation into a falcon, the symbol of Horus United.

Sophie’s quest to save Marek is further complicated when rock star Dierk Adeluf – who also happens to be the king of the Werekind – invites her backstage after a concert. Just when it seems she will find respite from heartache, Sophie is bitten by a werewolf and Dierk decides she is destined to be his queen.

Sophie is caught between the demivamps she loves and the Were who commands her to love him. Throw in his jealous wanna-be girlfriend—a true bitch if ever there was one—and an ambush by witches, and there you have the big mess that Sophie calls her life. And, hello? Her soul mate is still a bird.

She’s supposed to be the girl with all the answers, but Sophie needs more than a little advice–she needs divine intervention.
Forthcoming Spring 2014 via Pink Narcissus Press




Ash Krafton is a writer of all things spec fic. She believes spectacular endings make the best beginnings… Why not? One billion black holes can’t be wrong. Her first novel BLEEDING HEARTS: Book One of the Demimonde is available through Pink Narcissus Press. The manuscript earned finalist distinction in several Romance Writers of America 2011 competitions and has earned several other awards. The follow-up BLOOD RUSH (Demimonde #2) was published in 2013 and the third installment WOLF’S BANE (Demimonde #3) is expected mid-2014. Her urban fantasy novelette STRANGER AT THE HELL GATE is available through the Black Rose line of The Wild Rose Press. In addition to novel-length fiction, Ash enjoys writing poetry and short fiction, some of which earned awards and distinction in several national competitions. One of her poems was selected as a Pushcart prize nominee. She’s a member of Pennwriters, RWA, Pikes Peak Writers, SFPA, and the Maryland Writers Association. She also contributes to Query Tracker’s blog athttp://querytracker.blogspot.com. Ash resides with her family in a rural town in the heart of the Pennsylvania anthracite coal region. She’ll never leave, either, because coal is just another example of a spectacular ending waiting for a brilliant beginning. (It’s kinda fitting.) And because, like a black hole, once you’re in… …you can never get out.




Wolf’s Bane Cover Reveal Hosts’ list:



Monday, December 16, 2013

Excerpt: The Corvids: Winter Tour by Lisa Ann Brown







Francesca saw the body before she smelt the decay of death.
            She knelt down beside the cold flesh and closed her eyes. Flashing images assaulted her senses immediately. She watched in dull horror as the spectacle of the poor girl’s death played out in glorious color, all of the abysmal details glaringly vivid. Horror closed over Francesca; a great fist of unrelenting enmity clasped her tightly.
            The dead girl was young. Too young to die leaving a life unlived in her wake.
            Hovering above the corpse, Francesca utilized her preternatural vision to discern several small intersecting red and grey lines - denoting possession - and she glanced around immediately to seek out the corresponding Dorojenja wheel of death. Francesca could feel the pull of the wheel’s malicious intent as it greedily trolled energetically for further souls to ensnare.
            Xavier immediately pulled his mount to a stop in front of the gruesome display.
            He jumped from his horse and knelt in the snow beside Francesca and the dead girl. His eyes closed, Xavier efficiently created a sacred circle of Gypsy magic and performed a counter-spell ritual to immobilize the curse, utilizing his athame. Zander quickly joined in with the work.
            The throat of the girl had been slashed viciously. Multiple jagged lines had been cut gleefully across the expanse of her now cold, lifeless skin. Her innocent blood soaked the snow, glistening deep ruby red and dark, inky black.
            A sacrificial victim, the young woman had been dressed in a long, heavy, brown hooded robe and she wore nothing underneath.  The large cowled hood had been thrown back to reveal the torn throat of the victim and the harsh, angry slashes against her pale skin.
            The dead girl did not appear to be much more of an age than Francesca and Francesca keenly felt a terrible sense of loss at her untimely demise. The sorrow permeated the most profound depths of Francesca’s gentle heart.
            To have one’s physical life ended in such a vicious manner! And then to further suffer the cruelty of eternal possession to the forces of darkness and evil was a fate Francesca was certain no one deserved. She despised the forces who had stolen the girl’s life-force. No one deserved to die like this and most certainly not this young, innocent girl.
            Francesca telepathically followed the trail of red and grey lines to the pulsating source. The wheel of death beat out a sharp series of harsh, staccato notes of displeasure, soiling the environment. Peering intently, Francesca determined that the Dorojenja wheel was indeed placed next to the roaring bonfire, and was hexed properly to ensnare the sacrificial victims to its torturous call. The wheel had been coated with invisibility rendering its presence impossible to detect through regular vision.
            Francesca, with her advanced training and preternatural vision could barely see the shield. But she could feel it, and she knew what sordid stains decorated its face.
            The intersecting lines and numbers. The headless dove. The blood. 
            Francesca attempted to block the noise from inside of her head as best as she could. The screams of the possessed filled her with their sobs, their unrelenting terror. The dead girl had joined a large number of souls, many more than Francesca had ever known to have been collected within a Dorojenja wheel of death. She felt the trapped energies pulling at her, desperately seeking a last audience, desperately seeking release from the torment.
            Francesca sent the image of the wheel and its location to Xavier. He frowned as he addressed the group.
            “We shall disperse the Sending & Seeking Spell immediately to source out Arabel’s presence. We’ll soon see if she is being held against her will by these Dorojenja members. Advancing upon their meeting under the cover of our current energy void - assisted by a severe Blocking Spell – we shall disperse in two’s to encircle the members of their party. Once we have ensnared them within our boundaries, Zander will unleash a hostile energy void, regressing the ages of the members to that of toddlers. We shall easily capture their party with an Immobilization Spell. ”
            Xavier released the potion Daphne and Francesca had created.
            The potion filled the air with a colorless, spinning vortex as the herbs swirled and danced excitedly in the frigid air. A line of magic assembled itself into a seeking circle of energy as the herbs took hold of the destination Xavier programmed them with. The herbs would thoroughly track and trace the Dorojenja and search out Arabel’s presence among them, if she was indeed held captive.
            Francesca shivered involuntarily. The screams inside of her head from the dead girl had increased, both in intensity and volume. Inundated with misery, Francesca felt all of the victims – so many other young girls - pressing now, against her very temples, screaming and wailing and screeching. Francesca clasped her small hands to her ears, fighting once more to control the harsh, disturbed track of her inner audio. She sent golden waves of solace toward the ravaged and violated girl.
            The screams continued, moaning from the depths of eternal torture.
Stella butted her head lovingly up against Francesca’s arm, letting her know telepathically that she was going to fly up to the top of the nearby forest branches where she could observe the Dorojenja without being noticed.
            Zander was busy creating the hostile energy void filled with regressive properties while Xavier monitored the Sending and Seeking Spell fragments for clues. Francesca wrapped the psychic edges of the protective energy void Xavier had called into being closer around herself, much as she would enclose herself in a warm blanket. The wrath and pain of the wheel of death became suddenly muted and Francesca felt the energy void extending its reach farther out as the group broke down into pairs.
            Without discussion, Francesca found herself coupled up with Simon.
            Xavier and Zander had moved to the right of the bonfire and Bertrand and Lorenzo were circling around to the left. Which left herself and Simon. Francesca ventured a quick look at the golden curled young man and was comforted at once by the calm assurance she spied within his compassionate hazel eyes.
            Simon took hold of Francesca’s hand briefly. She watched as colors of green and gold encircled her upon the contact. Francesca’s eyes closed of their own volition for a brief moment as the energy created between the two of them warmed her instantly. They moved in unison toward the roaring red flames of the bonfire and the amassed group clustered in celebration of dark lust and black magic. Francesca set her jaw firmly.
            Saul Porchetto would pay for this latest desecration, she vowed to herself.


The Corvids: Winter (The Corvids #2)
by Lisa Ann Brown


Francesca de Lorimar, the beautiful Gypsy necromancer from Ravenswood Glen, is called to investigate a murder at Talus Hall and exorcise the unruly poltergeists which nightly ravage the mansion. During her quest to unravel the truth, Francesca discovers scorching secrets about herself, her parentage, and of power, as she stumbles headlong into first love and battles the ancient evil which stalks The Corvids.

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About The Corvids: Autumn (Book #1)


The Corvids is a four-part paranormal romantic suspense series. Delve into the depths of darkness, magic and love in this murder mystery/coming of age quartet!

Arabel Spade, a young girl living in the strange and mystical land of The Corvids, determines to solve a brutal series of murders using her unique paranormal abilities. Through her perilous journey, Arabel learns about herself, the dark secrets which stain her family history and the passions and rigors of first love.

Lisa Ann Brown


Lisa Ann has been involved with storytelling and entertainment, in one form or another, her entire life. Beginning her creative journey as both a writer and an actor, Lisa Ann spent many years immersing herself in innumerable books, countless theatre productions and earning a degree in Musical Theatre. Shortly after college, she attended the Vancouver Film School to learn the finer points of screenwriting. This study culminated in the writing of a few feature length scripts and an overwhelmingly potent desire to move from Canada to Hollywood. Once ensconced in East Hollywood however, creative inspiration lured Lisa Ann away from screenwriting and returned her to her original writing intentions: to be a novelist. In three months, Lisa Ann had completed her first novel, I Raid, and there has been no cessation of her novel writing ever since. Moving back to Canada, she spent many years working as a talent agent in Vancouver before retiring from the film industry to focus on writing full-time. Lisa Ann derives great personal satisfaction by delivering her characters through the twisting arcs and unexpected tribulations of their imaginary lives. She strives to keep her readers on edge while enjoying the suspense and surprise of their literary journey. She resides in picturesque Vancouver, BC, Canada where she is happily nestled in between the Pacific Ocean and the Coastal Mountain range.







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Blog Hop: Holiday Wishlist (Top 5)



This wonderful Blog Hop is hosted by Gliterary Girl Media check out their post over here.

The holidays are here! And in Bahrain we get our Christmas shopping done REAAAAL late because celebrating it isn't a norm in our culture. But it's 2013 and I know I and my cousins would love to celebrate. So here are a five things I need. Take note, I said NEED not WANT. Hahaha


Oversized Sweaters





Fluffy Socks


$25 Amazon Gift Card (for books I can't get anywhere but Amazon -.-)

Cute Ghost Mouse Pad


New Screen Protector for my iPhone 4



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I know! I know! They're pretty lame. But I need them. Hahaha. Onto my giveaway! 



Don't forget to join the GRAND FINALE giveaway here.

A Book Bag Filled With Swag and Books (Some autographed)
A Gliterary Girl Media Holiday Book Sampler
Your Choice of Two of the Books Within the Sampler
$25 Gift Card
GGM Personalized Notepad

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Now, Hop on the other blogs to join in more of the fun! :)

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