Monday, May 20, 2013

Down London Road by Samantha Young : Interview, Review, Highlight, and UK Cover


Eeep!!  I am so excited to have Samantha Young as my special guest today!!!  She was awesome and took time out of her crazy schedule to be interviewed for my blog.  I also have a highlight and review of Down London Road.  

Oh and look what I found!  The UK cover.  Love it!!!


My Interview with Samantha Young

Thank you so much for being on my blog today.  I have to tell you I am super excited to be meeting you this summer at UtopYa.  I have been a fan of your YA Paranormals since someone told me I “had” to read Slumber and now am an uber fan of your adult  books.

The last time you were on my blog I had two YA Paranormal authors who I loved both releasing their first adult novels.  The reception blew me away.  It was one of my biggest blog days and both of you ended up on the NYT bestseller list for your books.  I had already read On Dublin Street, so I knew people were going to devour it.  Would you mind talking a little bit about how you made the transition from YA to an adult writer.  

I’d always wanted to branch out into the adult fiction genre and when I got the inspiration for On Dublin Street I knew it was the perfect opportunity to do so. It was definitely a brave new world, and that’s always a little scary, but it was also exciting to be able to push through the limitations you have as a young adult author regarding plot, prose and dialogue. I loved that my characters had the freedom to say exactly what was on their mind and stay true to themselves without having to constrain their boundaries with thought to their audience.

Ok, so not only did you hit the NYT list for the first book in this amazing series, but you scored a really amazing publishing deal.  From the sidelines it seemed like this amazing and almost dream like ride.  Would you be so kind as to tell us about this journey?

It was definitely a very surreal ride! I was very nervous when I published ODS because I didn’t know how readers would respond to my “adult” voice so to watch it climb the chart so quickly was mindboggling. By the time it hit the top 20 I’d been contacted by publishers and agents and realized that I needed help handling it all. I signed with my wonderful agent Lauren Abramo of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management, and as she worked her magic on ODS topped the charts, I signed with NAL, and then one of my biggest dreams came true - the NYT list. This was all within six weeks and those six weeks flew by!

None of this actually sank in until a good few months after it. I think I wandered around in a little fog for quite a while.

I remember reading somewhere (and feel free to correct me if I am wrong) that you went to Scotland as a student which is similar to Jocelyn in book one of this series.  Are there any similar connections between your life experiences and the character’s experiences in Down London Road?  If so, would you be willing to share what those are?

I’m from Scotland, born and raised, and I studied at Edinburgh University, lived in the city and worked there. I know Edinburgh pretty well and have a great affection for it so I love that it’s the setting for this series. As for experiences similar to the characters in Down London Road… I’ve been where both Jo and Cam are at one point, both struggling financially, finding myself unemployed, and working jobs that had nothing to do with my degree or my goals. It was a really difficult time so I understand the problems these characters face and so do many people. A lot of readers will find Jo and Cam relatable, so I felt it’s important to show that there is light at the end of the tunnel—or in Jo’s case a really sexy brooding alpha male :p

I know you are a huge music lover.  Are there any songs that you listened to while writing Down London Road or any that make you immediately think of this book?

Yes, here are a list of the songs I played on repeat while writing DLR:
  Deadlines and Commitments - The Killers
  Try - P!nk
  Be Still - The Killers
  Stay - Rihanna
  Locked out of Heaven - Bruno Mars
  Here with Me - The Killers
  The Power of Love - Gabrielle Aplin
  Flesh and Bone - The Killers 

This is totally not related to your book, but I know you are a huge Rachel Vincent fan, as am I.  She is on my "I will buy her book on release date because I can not wait" list.  You are also :).  Who are some of your other favorites?

Oooh so many! I love Richelle Mead, Chloe Neill, Darynda Jones, Colleen Hoover, Tracey Garvis Graves, Laini Taylor, Patrick Ness, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Cassandra Clare, Tiffany Snow, Stephanie Perkins, Suzanne Collins, Veronica Roth, Stacia Kane and many more…

Thanks again for taking time out of your crazy busy schedule to stop by today.  I have one last question for today.  I was wondering if you could tell us what else we have to look forward to in this series and what new upcoming projects you are working on that you might be willing to share?

All I can tell you at the moment is that I’m working on book three in the On Dublin Street, as well as a new series in a different genre ;)





Johanna Walker is used to taking charge. But she’s about to meet someone who will make her lose control....

It has always been up to Johanna to care for her family, particularly her younger brother, Cole. With an absent father and a useless mother, she’s been making decisions based on what’s best for Cole for as long as she can remember. She even determines what men to date by how much they can provide for her brother and her, not on whatever sparks may—or may not—fly.

But with Cameron MacCabe, the attraction is undeniable. The sexy new bartender at work gives her butterflies every time she looks at him. And for once, Jo is tempted to put her needs first. Cam is just as obsessed with getting to know Jo, but her walls are too solid to let him get close enough to even try.

Then Cam moves into the flat below Jo’s, and their blistering connection becomes impossible to ignore. Especially since Cam is determined to uncover all of Jo’s secrets …even if it means taking apart her defenses piece by piece.

My Thoughts:
Oh Jo, carrying the burdens of the world on her shoulder and completely misunderstood by those around her.  I admit it, when I first "met" Jo in this book I thought she was pretty much a gold digger and shallow.  It did not take long before I learned of her inner strength and the burdens she was carrying.  Then I "met" Cam and I liked him even less than I liked Jo.  He was rude and well, basically a class A jerk.  It blows my mind how the author can suck me in from the very first chapter when I did not even really like the characters yet.  I read this book straight through the night.  Yes, the morning was rough, but I could not help myself.  It was just so addicting and as the book progressed I found myself not only liking the characters, but caring for them and feeling like I "knew" them and they were not just characters in a book.

The chemistry between Jo and Cam was obvious from their first meeting and there were definitely some very hot scenes between the two.  Their connection grew to be so much more than that.  This was a love story, a friendship story, a story of self discover, and the story of what can happen when you decide to finally let someone truly in.  Do not fear if you have not read On Dublin Street. While there are some cross over characters, this is a complete story in and of itself and you would not feel like you were missing key pieces of information.  That being said, On Dublin Street is so worth the read, so check it out.  



Purchase Links

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Image of Samantha Young

New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young is a 27 year old book addict who graduated from the University of Edinburgh.  She lives in Scotland.  Visit her online at:

Elysian by Addison Moore : Exclusive Scene and "Win it before you can buy it"!!!!

Addison Moore writes on of my all time favorite series, Celestra.  I am an Uber fan.  Not only have I read the entire series multiple times, but I also stalk her FB page on Tuesdays so I can read her teasers.  If you have not read this series, the first book, Ethereal, is free so it would be a great time to try it.
Ethereal (Celestra Series Book 1) Tremble (Celestra Series Book 2)Burn (Celestra Series Book 3)Wicked (Celestra Series Book 4)
I am having very mixed emotions as the series is coming to a conclusion.  I can not wait to read the last book and have so many conjectures as to what is going to happen that I could fill a notebook.  On the other hand, I am sad to see it over.  While I know that Fox has optioned it and there will is an NA series in the works, I still love my Skyla/Gage/Logan triangle.  Yes, I left Marshall out.  It was on purpose because he is all mine and Skyla can not have him.  Just sayin' ;) .  

 Vex (Celestra Series Book 5)   Expel (Celestra Series Book 6)Toxic Part One (Celestra Series Book 7)Toxic Part Two (Celestra Series Book 7.5)
Ok, I should probably get to the point.  Addison is made of AMAZING and I asked her if she could give us an exclusive sneak and hold a "win it before you can buy it" for the last book in her series.  Not only did she say, "Yes", but she gave me a whole scene to share with you!  So check out this sneaky and be sure to enter to win one of two e-copies of Elysian before you can buy it.  Winner can choose any book in the series if they are not up to the final book yet. Prizes will be delivered on release day, which looks like it will be soon.  I.  Can.  Not.  Wait.


Here is the exclusive scene... eeeep!!!! :

(Skyla, Chloe, and Logan in the Tenebrous Woods)
A deep blue mist seeps in and out of the oily haze emerges Wesley, the boy who resembles Gage closer than a mirror reflection, except for the eyes. Wesley’s eyes are the color of ocean fungus, and Gage mimics a clear L.A. sky.
Chloe staggers forward in full stalker mode. “Who in the hell is this?”
“Wesley Paxton.” Ingram is quick to fill her in on the details.
“What’s the matter, Chloe?” I sneer. “A carbon copy of the boy you love just step out of a demon-inspired night?” I love teasing Chloe with yet another boy she can’t have. “Too bad he’ll reject you just like Gage. He’s got his heart wrapped around a girl back home. She’s beautiful, and sweet, basically everything you’re not.” I pump a quick smile before Ingram shoots me a wild look.
“Elysian,” he says it bored, “do present the offering to the Junior Council. We all have better places to be.”
“Damn straight,” I whisper.
“What’s that?” Ingram barks. The last time I pissed him off he instructed Wesley to drain me.
“I said, please Master, take me quickly.” I give a sarcastic curtsy into Logan. It was made clear in the beginning that I’m to ixnay the use of proper monikers and address Logan as “Master” each and every time.
“Better.” Ingram motions me toward Wes, and I head over willingly.
“Hi,” he says it quiet, with a touch of shyness. His lids are hooded, and for a fleeting moment I really do believe it’s Gage.
“Why do you do this?” I don’t hesitate getting into the ready position. “I mean, you don’t really strike me as the pure evil type.”
Wes pumps a dry laugh, but his dimples don’t quite pronounce themselves as they would on Gage. Wes and Gage are polar opposites. Gage would never steal the lifeblood from someone who was held prisoner. Hell, he won’t take it from me half the time I offer when he really, really needs it.
“Who’s this?” He whispers as Chloe walks mechanically forward, her hair wild and disheveled from the fall, her hands held out as if she needed to touch him even at a distance.
I roll my eyes at the sight. “Would you cut the bride of Frankenstein routine?” I snipe at Chloe. “Like I said, Wes isn’t interested. Get it through your fractured skull, he’s devoted to someone who’s not Chloe Bishop. Kind of funny, isn’t it? It looks like Gage will reject you in all his incarnations.”
“This isn’t Gage,” her voice quivers. Her fingers tremble as she taps alongside his face. “He can never be Gage.”
“Ms. Bishop, is there a problem?” Ingram asks as though he’s genuinely concerned. He seems to like her well enough. Maybe he can have her? Now there’s a match made in hell if I’ve ever seen one, and I mean that in a good way.
“No.” She backs away like escaping from a gunman. “No problem, please continue with the show. I’m dying to watch from a spectator’s point of view.”
A spectator’s point of view? As if she ever played the part of victim. I wonder when her ugly mug haunted these woods last?
Wes presses out an apologetic smile before pulling me in by the waist like I were his girlfriend. He smooths his lips over my neck prepping me for the puncture. His hot tongue runs a heated line over a small area, and a perverted part of me pretends he’s Gage—that it’s simply Gage loving me and not some strange boy from a place I’ve never heard of.
Wes bites down and draws the first hard pull of blood. A surge of adrenaline courses through my veins, and my eyes spring open surprised at the fresh bite of pain.
Laken filters through Wesley’s mind. Her long, golden hair swings from side to side as she runs into the arms of another boy. I recognize him from the war. Cooper Flanders.
I hope Cooper gets the girl, I say as Wes continues to maul my neckline. I bet Cooper wouldn’t hesitate to save her from a monster like you. In fact, I bet he’s planning on doing just that.
Wes pulls back and examines me, rife with anger. A seam of sanguine liquid lines his lips, and my stomach turns at the sight.
“Don’t you ever have anything nice to say?” He wipes his mouth with the back of his sleeve.
Chloe whoops out a laugh.
“Sounds as if you know Skyla pretty well,” she quips.
I pump a depleted smile at him. “I do have nice things to say, Wes, just not to people like you. Not when you’re hell bent on hurting me, on hurting others.” I shake my head. “Listen, if you really want to get the girl, stop acting like you’re untouchable. Everyone pays for their sins eventually. Laken will know all about this one day, and she won’t be pleased.”
For a second I’m hopeful that I’ve made Wes sick from the sight of me, which was my wicked plan. I’m in no position to be taken and drained when the only person I can depend on to rescue me is Chloe.
I reach forward and take up his hand. Look, I didn’t mean to piss you off, I say. I’m just trying to get home tonight in one piece. I can’t afford to wake up alone and dying in the arms of my enemy. Honestly, I don’t think there’s a worse way to go.
“How about watching someone else steal your girlfriend?” Wes is good and pissed. I’ve bruised his ego, and he’s got a look in his eye that says I’ll have to pay. “That’s a pretty crappy way to go, Skyla.” He sighs and glances over his shoulder at Chloe. “She won’t let you die. I can see it in her eyes.”
“Her eyes lie.”


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Addison Moore is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who writes contemporary and paranormal romance. Previously she worked as a therapist on a locked psychiatric unit for nearly a decade. She resides on the West Coast with her husband, four wonderful children and two dogs where she eats too much chocolate and stays up way too late. When she's not writing, she's reading. Addison's Celestra Series has been optioned for film by 20th Century Fox.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Banished from Grace by Aria Williams : Cover Reveal

Nardia is a very special nurse, one with a unique gift. With the touch of her bare hands, she can heal any physical ailment. With the help of her angel guide, Benilde, Nardia has healed her way through countless centuries.
Life should be easy for this attractive (not to mention, immortal) woman, but throw in two handsome men, a coffee addiction and memory loss that dates back to the medieval ages, and you’ve got a life that’s more than complicated.
When she meets AJ at her favorite coffee shop, she can’t help but feel an immediate attraction to him. At the same time, she knows there’s more to his story than what he’s letting on. And then there’s the handsome Doctor Regan, who she feels a connection with, but is she trying to make it more than is really there in order to spare her the heartbreak of being with AJ?
Only adding to her problems is the new resident, Dr. Jeffries, who seems out to get her from day one, and a murder case she can’t help solve without revealing her own secrets.
Can Nardia uncover the secrets of her own past while still moving forward and saving those in need of her help in the present?


Author links:



Cover Reveal: Take Care, Sara by Lindy Zart






Book Info-

Title- Take Care, Sara
By- Lindy Zart
Expected Publication Date- June 6th, 2013
Genre-Women’s Contemporary Fiction/Romance

Blurb-

You breathe in, you breathe out, and everything you know is gone.

Sara Walker knows firsthand what it feels like to have your reality ripped away, scrambled, and shoved back at you in an undone puzzle where pieces are missing and nothing fits. She's lost so much and is struggling to live and to find the strength to forgive herself for being human. With the help of Lincoln, her husband's brother, Sara realizes it's not about finding who she used to be, but about finding who she is now.
You breathe in, you breathe out, and everything you know isn't gone, but reborn.

Cover Designed by: www.edencranedesign.com





About the Author-
Lindy Zart has been writing since she was a child. Luckily for readers, her writing has improved since then. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, two sons, and one cat. Lindy loves hearing from people who enjoy her work.

Links-

Spring's Surprise by Cynthia Gail : Book Blast, Giveaway, and a FREE book!!!


Spring's Surprise

Sara Michaels is single again. And she’s celebrating her thirtieth birthday with a complete spa makeover and a day of boutique shopping with her two best friends. After a ten-month battle for freedom, a long weekend in Nashville, Tennessee is just what she needs to erase the memories of a broken heart.   Jack Tanner is the soon-to-be new partner at Chester & Dorsey Development Firm. Jack’s love life has been on the back burner for years as he’s built a successful career. But the moment he meets Sara, he takes a hard look at his life and his priorities. Sara steps out of her comfort zone and spends an unforgettable weekend with Jack. She’s never felt so carefree. Until she realizes too late that three days can change everything On Sale May 15, 2013 Read an Excerpt           Amazon Winter's Magic Owner of La Bella Vita, a five-star day spa nestled in the affluent suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee, Beth Sergeant knows her elite clientele first hand. She attended their private schools. She was even engaged, although briefly, to one of their most recognized bachelors. But she never fit in to their social-elite world. After losing his parents to a car accident at a young age, Nick Chester was raised by his grandfather, the wealthiest man in Nashville. When he chooses to socialize, he has a never-ending list of exclusive events and beautiful women vying for his attention. Yet he never lets himself forget that everyone has an agenda. Beth can’t resist Nick’s charm and accepts an invitation to dinner, despite her deep-seated insecurities. She proves she’s nothing like other women he’s dated and learns to trust him in return. But just as the last of their resistance crumbles and true love is within reach, challenges from Nick’s past threaten to destroy everything and force Beth to reveal her most guarded secret. Available Now Through: Amazon Barnes & Noble Soul Mate Publishing

Follow Cynthia Gail on her Blog / Facebook / Twitter

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Friday, May 17, 2013

Blog Tour: Magic's Daughter and Dancing in the Flame by Ann Gimpel (Spotlight)





About Magic’s Daughter



Destined to be surrounded by magic yet have none of her own, Cassie walks a thin line between love and danger. Her mother is dying and her boyfriend has turned into something which terrifies her. By the time she wakes up to the danger she’s in, it’s nearly too late.


Cassie’s friend Jeremy warns her about her scumbag boyfriend, but she’s not listening. Deeply disturbing events unfold. Her life hangs in the balance. With few choices left, she and Jeremy join forces to battle the darkness threatening them. Meanwhile, Cassie warms to Jeremy in ways she never could have anticipated. Love was there all along if she’d just opened her eyes and looked.



Purchase your copy of Magic’s Daughter atAMAZON

About Dancing in the Flame


Life in a were bordello is all Keira has ever known. Because of her mixed blood, none of the magicians’ guilds want her, or protested when the Weres bound her as an indentured hooker. Mired in the hopelessness of her dreams, Keira longs for more.


Barrett, one of the Daoine Sidhe, runs a magician supply shop in what’s left of Seattle. No one is more surprised than he when the Sidhe leader commands him to extricate Keira from the weres.


Magic and intrigue throw Keira and Barrett into one another’s arms. Convinced they have a job to do, they struggle against the heat of the passion between them. Until it gets way too hot to handle.


Purchase your copy of Dancing in the Flame atAMAZON

About the Author


Ann Gimpel is a clinical psychologist, with a Jungian bent.  Avocations include mountaineering, skiing, wilderness photography and, of course, writing.  A lifelong aficionado of the unusual, she began writing speculative fiction a few years ago. Since then her short fiction has appeared in a number of webzines and anthologies. Several paranormal romance novellas are available in e-format. Three novels, Psyche’s Prophecy, Psyche’s Search, and Psyche's Promise are small press publications available in e-format and paperback. Look for two more urban fantasy novels coming this summer and fall: Fortune’s Scion and Earth’s Requiem.



A husband, grown children, grandchildren and three wolf hybrids round out her family.

Her latest books are Magic’s Daughter & Dancing in the Flame.

Visit her website at www.anngimpel.com

Connect with Ann:

Cover Reveal: Promise Me This by Sarah Ashley Jones


Promise Me This by Sarah Ashley Jones
Cover Design by Okay Creations.
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 17, 2013

Welcome to the South - where the tea is sweet and the accents are sweeter. This Southern way of life is all Charlie has ever known. It’s not until she loses the only person who pushed her to break free of the Southern Belle mold that she starts living the life she needs and not the life her parents forced on her.

Jhett has lived on the edge for as long as he could remember - constantly teetering back and forth between being a rock star and living a normal life. His rebellious and sometimes arrogant attitude is known to get him into trouble, especially with the girls who hang on his every move.

Charlie never thought that a trip to pack up her brother’s apartment would leave her feeling even more unsettled about the grainy details of her brother’s death. Her quest for information leads her straight to his old hangout and into arms of Jhett, who suspiciously knows more about her situation than he ever should.

Only a few questions remain - Can you trust someone based on their word alone? And if you make a promise, how far will you go to keep it?


About The Author

Sarah Ashley Jones was raised in San Diego, California, but currently wrangles her husband and four dogs in Clarksville, Tennessee. When she's not writing she works in a pottery studio and comes home covered in paint on a daily basis. She has a slightly unhealthy obsession with cupcakes and chapstick. She is an eternal optimist and can often be found dancing and singing to music at any given time. It's rare to see her not smiling or laughing, but if you do, just bring her a cupcake and it will cheer her up.

Promise Me This is her first novel and is a story that weaseled its way into her heart and wouldn't leave her alone until she typed it up on the computer. She already is hard at work on ideas for her next book and hopes that the
characters never stop coming to her. Her huge imagination was always in overdrive as a child and now she is beyond excited to put it to good use as an adult. She plans to write as long as she has stories that need to be told.

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