Friday, April 14, 2017

Excerpt and Book Trailer of Dating the It Guy by Krysten Lindsay Hager (with Giveaway!)

Title: Dating the It Guy
Author: Krysten Lindsay Hager
Release Date: March 21, 2017
Genre: YA, Contemp Romance
Emme is a sophomore in high school who starts dating, Brenden Agretti, the popular senior who happens to be a senator's son and well-known for his good looks. Emme feels out of her comfort zone in Brendon's world and it doesn't help that his picture perfect ex, Lauren, seems determined to get back into his life, along with every other girl who wants to be the future Mrs. Agretti. Emme is already conflicted due to the fact her last boyfriend cheated on her and her whole world is off kilter with her family issues. Life suddenly seems easier keeping Brendon away and relying on her crystals and horoscopes to guide her. Emme soon starts to realize she needs to focus less on the stars and more on her senses. Can Emme get over her insecurities and make her relationship work? Life sure is complicated when you're dating the it guy. 
Excerpt:(Scrollbox) 
"By the way, did you hear Lauren got into Senator Agretti's old school?"

"Seriously? I wonder if she applied there because Brendon did," I said.

Margaux snorted. "Duh, of course. Seriously, she might as well just pee on him to mark her territory."

"Margaux, shut up," Kylie said.

Whatever. Anyway, the important thing is if Brendon knew she was applying there, " Margaux said. "Em, do you think he knew?"

I hoped Lauren was just trying to follow Brendon, but what if they had planned this whole thing while they were dating? What if he convinced her to apply there so they could go to college together, wear matching American flag sweaters with big scarves while drinking hot chocolate, and jump into leaf piles just like a preppy clothing catalog. At least now I didn't have to worry about them reciting poetry to one another in South Bend, but still, what if they had made plans to go to school together?

"Don't worry about it," Kylie said. "She was probably trying to follow him--like she always does. She's so pathetic."

Kylie was trying to make me feel better, but Lauren was far from pathetic. After all, she was pretty much the "Most Likely to Succeed" poster girl. While she was out overachieving and saving the world without messing up her perfect, bouncy hair, I was trying to get through each day. I tried to push away the image of Lauren and Brendon holding hands and drinking hot chocolate under a stadium blanket. 
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About the Author:
Besides mining her teen years and humiliating moments for her novels, Krysten is also a book addict who has never met a bookstore she didn't like. Krysten writes about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, frenemies, crushes, fame, first loves, and values. She is the author of True Colors, Best Friends...Forever?, Next Door to a Star, Landry in Like, and Competing with the Star (The Star Series: Book 2). Her debut novel, True Colors, won the Readers Favorite award for best preteen book. Krysten's work has been featured in USA Today, The Flint Journal, the Grand Haven Tribune, the Beavercreek Current, the Bellbrook Times and on Living Dayton.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Interview with Kelly Oram, author of Happily Ever After (Cinder & Ella #2) - plus Giveaway!

Title: Happily Ever After
Series: Cinder & Ella, #2
Author: Kelly Oram
Publisher: Bluefields Publishing
Release Date: April 11, 2017
Genres: YAContemp, Romance

The end of one story is often the beginning of another. Hollywood heartthrob Brian Oliver and his Cinderella princess Ellamara Rodriguez have finally found love outside the digital world. But leaving their anonymity behind creates a whole new set of obstacles for the nation's new favorite sweethearts. With the stress of Brian's fame and the pressures of a new relationship weighing down on them, the It Couple quickly begins to wonder if they can hold on to their newfound joy, or if maybe happily ever after is only a fairy tale after all. 

Hi Kelly! Thank you for taking the time to talk with us! Let’s start with a little bit about yourself.
I love to read and I'm a ginger. I wrote my first novel at age fifteen–a fan fiction about my favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which my family and friends still tease me. I’m obsessed with reading, talk way too much, and like to eat frosting by the spoonful. I live outside of Phoenix, Arizona with my husband, four children, and my cat, Mr. Darcy. And we named his litter box Pemberly because it’s where he makes ten thousand (poops) a year! 

The Fun Stuff: 
- I love to sing and went to college as a voice performance major.
- I once competed in the Miss Michigan Teen USA pageant. (I did not win LOL.)
- I’m a baseball fanatic. (Go D-backs!)
- I broke my head as a kid and had to wear a hockey helmet to school as my cast.
- I own my own 10-sided dice for role-playing that no one but me is allowed to role.
- I’m left handed.
- I am credited as associate producer for the independent film Amber Alert.
- I live for road trips. Best vacation I ever took was a three-week coast-to-coast-and-back drive with my father.
- The Backstreet Boys were my 1D in high school, and I was a total fangirl. I still have a whole collection of fan paraphernalia.
- I took both golf and bowling classes in college to fulfill my PE credits. (I still suck at both.)

Where did you grow up? Tell us a little of your childhood. I grew up with two amazing, loving parents and a bunch of siblings that I only realized were amazing after I grew up and moved away from them. We moved around quite a bit, but I spent the majority of my life in Colorado, Michigan, and California. My childhood was crazy and chaotic at times but fun and full of love. I have no complaints. 

What was it like living in Los Angeles right out of college? LA is crazy, and the film industry is rough. It was overwhelming for my husband and I to go there when we were so young, had never been there, and had no family within hundreds of miles. But it was an adventure. We learned a lot, grew up a lot, and have a lot of great memories of our time there. 

Share with us one thing most people do not know about you? Umm… like I mentioned about in the fun facts, I modeled a little bit as a teenager and once competed in the Miss Michigan Teen USA pageant. Neither modeling, nor the pageant circuit was really my thing and I quit both pretty quickly. But it was an experience I’m glad I had. I got to do something that not many get the chance to do. I also learned that I belong behind the spotlight, not in it. LOL. 

If you could pick one, which one of your books would you make a movie based on? Hmm. I think it would be a toss up between Serial Hottie and Cinder & Ella. Serial Hottie is just fun and I can totally picture it being done similarly to The Burbs, or Suburbia. A fun quirky murder mystery romance. I’d love it. But I’m also a HUGE sucker for anything Cinderella, and it’s always done so well in the movies. Seeing Brian and Ella on the big screen would be so awesome. 

Do your family and friends read your books? Some of them. The ones who enjoy reading do. I never expect people I know to read my work, and I only encourage them if I think they will genuinely enjoy my stories. As a writer, I know not everyone is going to love my work, but my friends and family don’t always believe me when I say it’s okay if they don’t like my books. I’ve had friends read my books because they were curious but who don’t normally read the YA romance genre and then they felt really bad when they didn’t like it. It’s really okay. But it’s also fun when someone I know comes up to me and says, “OMG I finally read one of your books and I loved it!”

If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be? Uh… are there other options? Kidding. Well before this I was a stay home mom and it worked well for me. I’d also love to give musical theater a shot. Broadway would be fun!

What inspired you to write Happily Ever After?
Um…. Actually, that would be a who, not a what. Who inspired me to write this book was my personal assistant Karie. Lol. No really. I get so many requests for a sequel or an epilogue to Cinder & Ella. I never planned to write one, but then Karie somehow talked me into it. She reminded me how much I love Brian and Ella, and got me all pumped up to write them again. You all owe this book to her because I wouldn’t have written it if not for her.

What scene was your favorite to write?
Hmm, Well, without giving away any spoilers, my favorite scenes were all the ones where Ella and Brian got some time to themselves. The two of them have a bit of a chaotic life in the book, and those moments where it slowed down and was just the two of them are my favorite. I think that’s why you really get to see Cinder & Ella shine. When nobody’s watching them, it’s easy to see why they’re so perfect for each other and remember why we love them so much.

Who is your favorite—Brian or Ella? Pshhh. That totally depends on which one of them I’m dealing with and how they are treating me at the time. Kind of like my kids, it’s hard to play favorites, but well-behaved characters are usually higher on my list than the difficult ones.

What’s coming next? What are you working on now?
Well, those are two different answers. Right now, I’m not working on anything. I got very sick back in December, spent a lot of January in the hospital, and I’m still in recovery. That’s why Happily Ever After got delayed from its original Valentine’s Day release date. It’s been a hard few months on me and my family, and I’m not better yet. It’s going to be a long time before I feel like my old self again. Unfortunately, because of that, I’ve decided that I’ll be taking this entire year off from writing, if not more.  There’s going to be a Kelly Oram shortage for a while. 

HOWEVER, I do have some good news. I did have one other manuscript that was finished before I got sick and it’ll be releasing this summer. It’s called The Ghost of You and Me, and it’s a young adult drama romance. In grand Kelly Oram fashion, it’ll make you laugh, cry, and swoon. (Mostly cry this time.) It’s about a girl whose boyfriend died, and he comes back as a ghost a year later to take care of some unfinished business because he can’t find rest in the after life. Only his “unfinished business” seems to be setter his girlfriend up with his old best friend. This one’s a story about overcoming grief, finding redemption for past mistakes, and the healing power of friendship and love. The official release date is June 20, 2017 and it’s up for pre-order already.

Once again, thank you for sitting down with us & good luck with your next novel!


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About the Author:
Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen—a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat, Mr. Darcy.

Don't miss the latest news from Kelly Oram! Sign up for her newsletter to receive e-mail notifications for all of her new releases, events, sales, & giveaways. This is a monthly newsletter often with exclusive giveaways and freebies from some of her favorite authors.

Monday, April 10, 2017

Cover Reveal of Broken Chords by Jessica Bayliss (plus Giveaway!)

Title: Broken Chords
Author: Jessica Bayliss
Release Date: October 2, 2017
Genre: YA Horror (novella)
Publisher: Leap Books

They rip, they tear, they FEED, and you never come back again.

Here's how last year's Gypsy Cob Music Festival should have gone. Lenora "Lenny" Ragno was supposed to rock her duet with her long-time crush, Jeb, during the open-mic competition. Then, swept up in the glow of success, he'd finally kiss her. Instead, Lenny choked on stage and spent the whole year dodging him online. And avoiding playing her fiddle in public. She thought her worst nightmare was behind her, but she was way wrong.

Now, she's back at Gypsy Cob where avoiding a public performance is about as impossible as hiding from Jeb. She thinks facing him will be the scariest part of the festival, but when one of their friends talks everyone into trying astral projection, Lenny catches the eye of a demonic entity that marks her as its own.

Now, whenever it wants, the demon can pluck Lenny from her reality and transport her to a hellish between-world, haunted by its countless, gruesome victims. If she doesn't want to become one of them, she must discover the nature of the demon's hold on her and remove it. But how can she defeat a literal demon when she can't even get over her personal ones?



| Goodreads  |
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About the Author:
Jessica Bayliss is a fiction author who loves all things reading and writing. Her genre-bending fiction holds a little something for everyone. A lover of ghost tales and horror since her days scanning VHS rental shelves--admittedly with eyes half-averted from the gory covers--a touch of the mysterious always finds a home in Jessica's work. Romance with a dash of supernatural. Horror with a bit of humor. You get the gist. Jessica also writes across age groups and is a firm believer in the motto, theres is a new reader born every day, whether young or not-so-young. Because one cannot live on writing alone, Jessica also spends a great deal of time with friends and family. She is a lover of all animals especially one very special Hayanese and one extremely ornery cockatiel. She also loves to eat, cook, and exercise--in that order--and is a firm believer that coffee makes the world a better place.

Jessica also has stories in several of Leap Books anthologies: Beware the Little White Rabbit and Fright Before Christmas.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | 



Friday, April 7, 2017

Summer of Irreverence - The Rock Star by Catherine Goldstein Book Sale Blitz (with Giveaway!)

Title: Summer of Irreverence - The Rock Star
Author: Catherine Goldstein
Release Date: July 6, 2016
Genre: Adult Romance
Straight-laced, veterinary surgeon, Summer Wynters is ready to break the rules. And who better to break them with than the most irreverent of all men, mega rock star Malcolm Angel? With one last summer free from work obligations, Summer moves to New York City, and at the coaxing of her friend, pretends to be a model so she can spend one wild night with Malcolm.

Rock star, Malcolm Angel, tortured by a dark past, may be the poet laureate of romance, but he, like science-minded Summer, has never believed in romantic love. How could he? With his history, he doesn't deserve to be loved.

When Summer's honesty, kindness, and exuberance for life changes his perspective, the two discover they are in deeper than either dreamed possible. But when Malcolm discovers Summer's been perpetuating a lie, will he forgive her? Even if forgiveness is possible, can a man immune to love teach someone else to believe in it?

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | TWRP |
| Kobo | All Romance | The Romance Reviews |

Ebook is on sale for only $0.99 through April 21st!

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About the Author:
I am a bestselling author, and a NYC girl at heart. I write "gritty romance," in the genres of YA, NA; women's fiction; romance. I'm also the author of The Letting and The Coupling, books 1 and 2 of the Letting series. I began my career as an award-winning playwright, and I am a proud member of RWA, PAN. I have my BA in English and my MA in Theatre.

I am a fan of Luna Bars, decaf coffee, yoga, Hemingway, and Bukowski--and the lvoes of my life are my husband and my two young girl.

To find out more about me; Summer of Irreverence, the first book in The New York Artists series--standalone novels about strong, artistic men, and the smart, unexpected women they fall for; The Letting series; and what's coming soon, please visit: www.cathrinegoldstein.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest |


Monday, April 3, 2017

Facebook Launch Party for At First Blush by Beth Ellyn Summer

Title: At First Blush
Author: Beth Ellyn Summer
Release Date: April 4, 2017
Genre: YA Contemporary
Who would have thought that a teenager could have a successful career creating makeup tutorial videos on YouTube? For Lacy Robbins, this dream has been her reality. An up-and-coming YouTuber, she has thousands of fans and can't wait for the day when her subscriber count reaches the one million mark. And when she is offered a high school internship at On Trend Magazine, she figures that this could be the make it or break it moment.

But sometimes your dream job isn't all that it seems. Her editor is only interested in promoting junk products, and her boss in the Hair and Makeup department introduces her to the larger world of makeup artistry, making her wonder if making tutorials online is all she is meant to do. To top it all off, when the magazine's feature subject, musician Tyler Lance, turns his broodingly handsome smile her way, falling for him could mean losing her fans, forcing her to make a decision: her YouTube life or her real life?

Fans of Zoella's GIRL ONLINE will fall right into the world of this YA DEVIL WEARS PRADA and stay hooked from the first blush to the last glossy kiss.

On April 3rd, the Author will be having a FB Book Launch Party from 6-10PM EST! There will be fun, games, and giveaways!

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About the Author:
Beth Ellyn Summer writes contemporary young adult fiction that somehow always includes the following elements: fame, makeup, and television. She graduated from Long Island University with a degree in Print and Electronic Journalism. Interning for Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon was the highlight of her college years. When she's not writing, Beth can be found swatching eyeshadows, solving Wheel of Fortune puzzle, and playing with her adorable cat, Penny Belle. Beth lives on Long Island in a cookie cutter town that, in an ironic twist of fate, doesn't have a single decent bakery.

Sunday, January 8, 2017

"COIN HEIST" Movie Now Available on Netflix!


COIN HEIST, based on the YA novel by Elisa Ludwig, is now available to stream on Netflix
The last place you'd expect to find a team of criminals is at a prestigious Philadelphia prep school. But on a class trip to the U.S. Mint - which prints a million new coins every 30 minute - an overlooked security flaw becomes far too tempting for a small group of students to ignore.

Untied by dire circumstances, these unlikely allies - the nerd, the slacker, the athlete, and the perfect student - band together to attempt the impossible: rob the U.S. Mint. This diverse crew is forced to confront their true beliefs about each other and themselves as they do the wrong thing for the right reasons.

Elisa Ludwig's COIN HEIST is a fun, suspenseful and compelling thriller, told from the revolving perspectives of four teens, each with their own motive for committing a crime that will change all of their lives - if they can pull it off. 

| Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads |

Publisher: Adaptive Books
Publication Date: 11/15/16
Edition Description: Movie Tie-In
Pages: 304

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Get to know the author:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads |

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday (71)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we can not wait to read! This meme is the perfect way to add books to your TBR list. Along with upcoming releases, I sometimes include books that I have not had the chance to read or buy even if they have already come out. 
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Soldier (Talon, #3)
by Julie Kagawa
Release Date: April 26, 2016

From Goodreads:
A fighter dedicated to saving humankind from dragons in strictest secrecy.

That was what Garret Xavier Sebastian thought he was part of as a soldier of the Order of St. George. What he learned from a fiery dragon hatchling twisted all he believed in and set him on a collision course with certain death-but not without a chance to put things right.

Betrayed and on the run again, Ember and rogue dragon Riley discover an unthinkable truth about Talon and St. George. They'll need Garret's skills and insider knowledge of the Order to negotiate an impossible deal-and if they fail, there will be no way to stop all-out war.

Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Amazon |

I have yet to start this series, but I love The Iron Fey series so I am excited about this 3rd installment nonetheless.