Thursday, January 10, 2013

GIVEAWAY + New Release: Reaper's Novice by Cecilia Roberts

I am happy to present to you a new release in the Young Adult genre! This is actually written by a client turned good friend of mine, Cecilia Robert. I've read her romances and they were short, sweet and oh so good! And finally, she's written a full length novel, that I seriously need to pick up and read. Man, it's so hard for me to read now-a-days. Anyways, I hope you take a minute to read through the wonderful synopsis and teaser. Perhaps, it might interest you enough to buy you a copy.

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17- year- old Ana Maria Tei’s life has always been perfect: loving parents, good grades, and a future so bright it outshone the sun. But now words like “separation” and “divorce” are sending her world plummeting to hell. Determined to keep her family intact, Ana plans a family-bonding trip from Vienna to Tuscany. Except fate has other plans. Ana’s parents and siblings are killed in a car accident on their way to pick Ana up from school.

Enter Grim, aka Ernest. He promises to relinquish the four souls if Ana agrees to trade her soul for theirs and serve a lifetime as his novice. In order for Ana to graduate from her Reaper’s Novice station to a Soul Collector graduate, Grim puts her to test. To her horror, she finds out becoming a Reaper’s Novice didn’t happen by chance. It was preordained, and she is forced to make a choice: save her family’s souls or come to terms with who she really is and complete the task set for her.



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As soon as my bedroom door closes, Rolf swings me around and backs me up against the door, his entire length to mine. He slides his arm around my waist, pulling me closer. He leans down, pressing his lips on my forehead. “Your dad doesn’t trust me.”

I slide my hands up his firm chest and slip them around his neck, tangling my fingers with the silky-soft hair curling on his collar. “I don’t think my dad trusts any boy in my room.”

He chuckles, his warm breath caressing the shell of my ear. “Good thing he doesn’t.” His voice is hoarse, tossing away any decent thoughts from my mind. “I’ve missed you.” My knees barely hold me up as his lips trail my jaw, in a slow torturous pace. His arms tighten around me, melding us together. Hiking to my toes, I push my body forward until all that surrounds me is his light sandalwood aftershave.

“Missed you—” His mouth covers mine, cutting me off. Every sound inside the flat fades. Everything in me veers forward, focusing on him, on his lips on mine, not caring that my parents could walk in on us, or my siblings down the hallway could barge in. His hands travel down the hem of my t-shirt, and under it, wrap around my waist and soon his fingertips whisper into my skin. And I’m burning. They hike farther up. Every nerve in my body narrows to his fingers. I’m sure if he stops, my body will shatter into millions of worthless pieces. And when they do move up to trace the outer line of my lace bra, my body trembles with the promise of combusting. A whimper bubbles up my throat, and I push myself further into him. If only I could get under his skin, then we could be one. He groans low as he pushes me against the door seeming as desperate as I am. I tighten my hold on him at the same time fumble awkwardly with his shirt searching for the path to his skin. As soon as my fingers touch his skin, his whole body trembles.

He lifts his mouth from mine, then buries his face in the crook of my neck, breathing hard. I clutch him closer, tighter, my breath mirroring his.

“Kissing you has got to be the most pleasurable thing in the world, Ana.” His voice is still rough, his breath deliciously warm on the nape of my neck. I couldn’t agree more. I mean about kissing him.



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Cecilia Robert lives in Vienna with her two children, has an incurable obsession with books, TV and medieval architecture. When not working in her full time job, catching up with her two children, writing or reading, she can be found, knitting or crocheting, taking photos of old buildings.

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Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Bout of Books 6.0: Update (Monday)



Bout of Books Read-a-Thon


Bout of Books Blurb:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 7th and runs through Sunday, January 13th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 6.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. -From the Bout of Books 6.0 team

 Anyways, before the read-a-thon begins we need to set a few goals for our selves. My goals are as follows: 

THE GOALS

 
  1. To read all of the books above
  2. To make new friends
  3. To catch the TweetChat
  4. To comment on at least 2 blogs a day

THE UPDATES


Monday


Number of pages I've read: 136 pages
Number of books I've read: 0
Total number of books I've read: 0
Reviews: 0
Blogs I commented on: 2
Challenges completed: 1
- Scientific Discovery
Joined the Tweetchat: Yep!   

After a long day working on some book covers and other designs for some bookish friends. I managed to sneak in 136 pages of DUFF by Kody Keplinger - which is so much fun and incredibly page turning! But sadly I couldn't finish the book on the same night itself. I had to get up early the next morning. =.= I also commented on 2 blogs, joined the ever so fun challenge and finally! I managed to hang out with other BoutofBook-er's on tweetchat. *does a happy dance* It was fun and I can't wait to do it again in the week.

Tuesday

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 Wednesday 

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Thursday

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Friday
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Saturday
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Sunday
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Book Feature: Fire on the Island by J.K. Hogan



Hi all! I was originally scheduled for a guestpost but because of the new years and all - things got busy for everyone and the guestpost didn't come. So instead! Here's a little book feature for Fire on the Island. I actually love the book cover though the choice of font threw off the cover a bit. The book sounds good! I'll surely give this book a try. What about you guys? 


Fire on the Island ~ J.K. Hogan

“She who wields the mark is the barrier between man and monster.


She is the daughter of gods, the mother of man, protector of all.


Vigilati Usque Ad Mortem”


All Isla Macallen wanted was a simple existence on her little Scottish island, free from her mother's insanity and the prying eyes of neighbors. What she got was embroiled in a war for the souls of mankind. A war of good versus evil, of witches versus demons, and Isla learns that she alone can end it.

Dr. Jeremiah Rousseau was a self-proclaimed nomad, traveling the world researching paranormal phenomena. He doesn't expect his research to lead him to Scotland, and to the woman who will turn his world upside down.

Together with a facetious shapeshifting animal spirit guide, Jeremiah and Isla discover that she is part of an ancient bloodline bred to protect the gateways between the human world and the spirit world, to keep evil demons from destroying them. They must find the key to defeating Alastore, the demon king, and closing the gate before Samhain, when the veil between the worlds is lifted. As the war for their souls wages around them, Isla and Jeremiah will risk it all for love—a love neither had ever thought possible.




J.K. Hogan has been telling stories for as long as she can remember, beginning with writing cast lists and storylines for her toys growing up. When she finally decided to put pen to paper, magic happened. She is greatly inspired by all kinds of music and often creates a “soundtrack” for her stories as she writes them.

J.K. resides in North Carolina, where she was born and raised. A true southern girl at heart, she lives on a farm with her husband and their three horses, one miniature donkey, one cat, and two champion agility dogs.

In addition to writing, she enjoys training and competing in dog sports, spending time with her large southern family, camping, boating and, of course, reading! For more information, please visit www.jkhogan.com.