The Circle Blog Tour: Tens list, excerpt & giveaway

 

Tour Schedule

The Circle Calum Ranson is sure of three things: his cousin Finley is alive, Calum will find him, and no one knows Calum and his family are Sidhe. No one until Laurel shows up at his mother's bookstore wearing a dark clan's mark. When Calum learns the details surrounding the disappearance of Laurel's brother, he suspects the evil Hobayeth clan. Calum and Laurel work together in the Realm of Man and the Otherworld to rescue her brother - revealing a connection between Calum and Laurel that may cost Finley his life. 

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads

Excerpt:
Chapter Five
The Child Eating School ~ p.46 ~

“Did she just say Laurel has a crush on me?” Hagen whispered.

Calum felt that little ball of anger again. He tried to play it off, poking Hagen in the ribs with his elbow. “Don’t worry about it. I doubt Laurel has a crush on you.”
“Why not?” asked a defensive Hagen.

“She doesn’t think about us like that.” But Calum remembered the way she had sat so close to him at the movies that day. Or does she?

“She sure does stare at me a lot,” Hagen said grumpily.

“I don’t know,” said Calum. “Maybe she’s wondering why Tullia dresses you so funny.”

“Or maybe,” suggested Hagen, “she’s trying to figure out why someone as cool as I am hangs out with a dork like you.”

“Nah,” said Calum. “Must be she’s trying to find out where that smell’s coming from.”

“Good one,” said Hagen. They both roared with laughter. Their jokes continued, becoming more and more disgusting, until Tullia called Hagen to go home.

Calum’s anger faded. It was stupid to think Laurel liked either one of them. He decided to put away these thoughts and appreciate Laurel for who she was. A friend who just happened to be a girl. Besides, Calum had other things to worry about.

Ten Things to Know About Being A Sidhe

by Calum Ranson

1. Your entire clan is your family, so you have a HUGE family.

2. You get to travel to other clans' mounds. Each clan has a special talent, and special foods!

3. Other Sidhe can give you their "gifts," or talents so you can have lots of extra powers.

4. You get to go to Sidhe school and learn all about Sidhe history and Sidhe verse. I know, I know. School doesn't sound like it would be fun, but in the Otherworld, it is AWESOME!

5. You can communicate with other Sidhe by sharing thoughts.

6. Sidhe are especially atuned to nature, so we can read things in natural settings, like the way trees move in thebreeze, or how to find fresh water.

7. Duine Daonna (humans) who are mean or bullies can't hurt you. In fact, you can make them forget they even know you!

8. Sidhe have a natural musical ability so you easily learn pretty much any instrument you want to play.

9. Traveling between the realms is super easy. Just walk through the threshold and you're there!

10. And the best thing about being a Sidhe --- You have most of your powers by the time you're eleven. So you can pretty much do whatever you want!

Praise

"The Circle is full of magic and mystery. Readers will be engrossed in faerie realms, charming characters, and a state of wonder and imagination. The Circle is for those who delight in reading fantasy and exploring mystical worlds."

--Kathleen Fox, LibraryGames.com

Author Cindy Cipriano Cindy Cipriano lives in NC with her husband, son, and 27 pets. Okay, more like one cat, three dogs, and many, many fish. Cindy is an award winning science teacher, who this past August celebrated her 12th first day of sixth grade.

Website * Twitter

Tour Giveaway 

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 5/31/13 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friends & Lovers Trilogy: review and tour-wide giveaway

We have romance and more romance today as we are one of today's stops on the Friends & Lovers Trilogy Blog Tour hosted by AToMR. We have reviews of all three and there's a giveaway. Find the complete tour listing here.

Friends & Lovers Trilogy: Make it Last, I Choose You, Trust in Me 

by Bethany Lopez

New Adult Contemporary Romance – novella series 

Event organized by: AToMR Tours

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

Make it Last (Friends & Lovers, Book 1): 

Paperback/eBook, 184 pages

Published November 17th 2012 by CreateSpace (first published November 3rd 2012)

In a small town, it's hard to recover from being dumped by your high school sweetheart. That's just what Briana has to do after Colin leaves her to follow his dreams. She focuses her energy into her friendships and the pursuit of her own goal of becoming a chef. Just when she finally feels like she's on the right path, he comes back to town.

Colin knew breaking up with Briana before leaving for college was the right thing to do. He was determined to leave small-town life behind forever, and that included his high school girlfriend. But when a sports injury puts him on the sidelines, he's forced to return home. Seeing Briana again brings back a lot of memories, and Colin wonders if he made the right decision. It doesn't take long for him to realize he wants her back, and this time, he wants to make it last. 

I Choose You  (Friends & Lovers, Book 1):  

Paperback/eBook, 202 pages

Published December 27th 2012 (first published December 22nd 2012)

Up until now, Nicole's life has been mapped out for her. She'd go to college, marry Jake and become the upstanding minister's wife. When she leaves that life to begin again in a small town in Texas, she finally has the freedom to live as she chooses. There, she meets Kent, a guy whose charm and passion make it hard to stick to her morals.

Dodging his father’s fists and protecting his twin sister made Kent into the man he is today. He learned by watching his mother stay by his father’s side that it’s better to keep relationships simple. Then he meets Nicole. Her sweet smile and genuine response to him land like punches to his resolve. After a lifetime of learning to protect his heart, can he finally let down his guard? 

Trust in Me: 

Paperback/eBook, 215 pages

Published February 28th 2013 (first published February 9th 2013)

Roni’s dreams of becoming a contemporary dancer were smashed under the brutal rage of her ex-husband's fists. Getting divorced and starting over at the age of twenty-two was never her plan, but maybe in Texas, she'll find her path. When the town's local player, Rich, opens a Rec Center, she sees a way to rekindle her dancing dreams...and maybe have a little fun with her sexy new boss.

Rich never expected to fulfill his dreams in the town he planned to leave behind, but that's just what he's doing. His reputation as a noncommittal ladies' man might make it challenging to earn respect in the business world, but he's willing to prove that he's serious. In fact, when it comes to pursuing Roni, he's more than willing. But she's taking a page out of his book, not wanting to risk another relationship. Can he convince her that his playboy days are over and that she can trust him with her heart?

About the Author 

Bethany Lopez

IAN | Webpage | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest 

Bethany Lopez was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Michigan and San Antonio, Texas. She went to High School at Dearborn High, in Dearborn, Michigan, which is where she has set her Young Adult series. She is married and has a blended family with five children. She is currently serving in the United States Air Force as a Recruiter in Los Angeles, California. She has always loved to read and write and has seen her dream realized by independently publishing her novels through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. 

Friends & Lovers Trilogy: Make it Last, I Choose You, Trust in Me is the complete trilogy of this series in one convenient volume. This volume also has special endings for each book which provides the readers with closure for each couple. 

Book one, Make It Last, quickly became my favorite of the trilogy. Why? I believe it's because Briana and Colin had a history. A high school couple with years of dating already provided a foundation for these two. When Colin announces he's breaking it off before he enters college to pursue his dream of being a football player, he leaves Briana to face her last year of high school with a broken heart. A strong and touching scene, their parting begins their story. Fast forward four years and Colin returns home, his dream shattered by injury. I liked how Briana kept telling herself it wouldn't matter if she saw him after all this time, she was stronger/had moved on. Nope. 

The author does a nice job of conveying both characters as they begin to run into each other in town. The tension is like rising dough as we await that 'special' moment/acknowledgment/reunion and Bethany Lopez delivers. Also my favorite scene! There are a few twists thrown in which only strengthen this couple's resolve and endeared Briana to me even more.

In I Choose You, we are privy to Nicole and Jake's relationship. I read this book first earlier (review). 

By the time I got to Trust in Me, I couldn't wait to see what happens with Roni and Rich. Roni has been such a support system for her girlfriends in the other stories and readers are well aware of her simmering attraction to playboy Rich. 

I have to applaud Bethany Lopez for putting the romance back in romantic New Adult for me. As much as I like reading the stories in this field, I've grown tired of some of the formulaic story lines and abusive relationships. I don't care what kind of upbringing any guy has had or how broken he is, that is simply not the excuse to treat any woman with such brutish caveman behavior  Abuse does not equal romance, no matter how hot the guy is. (Rant over.) Ms. Lopez has decent young hot guys who become respectable men (especially Rich). As a player, he never treats Roni with any disrespect or manhandles her. Yes, he views her as a typical guy but we know there's more to his attraction to Roni and he soon learns it as well.

Roni is one of my favorite female characters in this series. She has been married, is now divorced, and carries the memories of her abusive past. I would have liked to have seen more of her struggles and subsequent therapy as she begins to heal on the pages, especially after the thunderstorm scene. I really liked how she celebrated her divorce and that hot scene with Rich. 

Friends become lovers over the courses of these stories and each tale merely cements these characters in reader's minds. I like each girl and guy in this series and that's a telling admission. I don't always like the guys in some romance stories. Romantic yet spicy, moving yet still fun and enjoyable, Friends and Lovers Trilogy is a terrific summer read (and all year long too). The stories may seem light and the characters not as fully realized as in other books, but they do pack a lot of emotional depth in their shorter volumes. Bethany Lopez injects a tremendous amount of heart and spirit into this group. Having the three stories all together only provides the reader with a seamless reading experience. The special endings show us what happens after each original book's ending and gives us insight into each couple's HEA.

Ratings for all each individual story: 3

Rating for the Trilogy: 3.5

1/2

Cover comments:

As a trilogy, the covers work well together. I'm not crazy about the cover for the trilogy. There's nothing special in that photo.  

Book source:

I received promotional copies in return for my honest opinion in my review.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Spotlight: Karen Duvall

About the author: 

Karen Duvall

Website | Other blogs | Twitter | Facebook

Where to start… Bios are always difficult for me. I don't want to say too much and bore people, or not enough, which is almost as boring.

I was born in Hollywood, California. Sound glamorous? Maybe it might have turned out that way if my mother hadn't given me up for adoption. Or that's what I used to fantasize about when I was a child. Nevertheless, I was very fortunate to have had the best adoptive parents in the world. If you're curious to read more about this part of my life story, I wrote about it for my blog (post 1 & post 2). 

I've always been a writer, even before I knew how to make my letters. At the age of three, I used to tell stories to my mom so she could write them down and I could draw the pictures. I still draw pictures, however I've replaced the crayons in favor of computer graphics. I've been a professional graphic artist for over thirty years after graduating from the Art Institute of Colorado in 1978.

Time Changes Everything Blog Tour: excerpt & giveaway

Time Changes Everything by Melinda Dozier 

Contemporary romance*ebook 

Published May 13th 2013 by Entranced Publishing 

Purchase: Entranced Publishing

Book Trailer \ Goodreads

Amanda Larson is dedicated to her job and doesn't want to make time for anything else. Until she runs into Jake Edwards. He used to be the cute boy next door; now he's a sexy, big shot lawyer.

Jake Edwards isn't interested in commitment. He's successful, sexy, and single--and that's how he likes it. When he reconnects with Amanda, Jake realizes he might have to rethink his philosophy on the carefree, bachelor lifestyle.

But, is it too late for them? Or can he convince her that he's ready to give her his heart?

Excerpt:

In high school, Amanda was someone special. Hell, even before then. Their parents were best friends, which had forced Jake and Amanda together. At first, he’d thought it was a hindrance. Later, when she developed longer legs and a bigger bust, he found himself around her more. After discovering her quirkiness, her love of art and her sense of humor, he actually enjoyed being around her. But he never touched her.

He contemplated running his fingers through her hair like he did his first year of college –– the last time they were alone –– the night he left town and never saw her again.

Did she remember the night he left? Of course she did. Seven years ago, he’d ruined their friendship.  He knew Amanda almost as well as he knew himself. Well, he’d known her. Now she was a different woman.

 Jake leaned in closer, running his hand down her arm. “Know what I’m thinking?”

FEATURE FRIDAY #2: Shattered Edge (An Edge Novel #2) by A.M. Hargrove

It's Friday! Today marks the second week of the FEATURE FRIDAY events being held to promote and gear up for the Stamford Author Event this August. For the next twelve Fridays we will be featuring one author and book and holding a week long giveaway. Since we are one of the eight Official Bloggers for the Event, the promoter has arranged for every blogger to participate. We hope you check out the other blogs to see what they're offering and find out about more authors who will be be at the Stamford event. 
Find the complete event listing here.

The second week highlights a New Adult contemporary romance, 

Shattered Edge (An Edge Novel #2) by A.M. Hargrove

An Edge Novel

Their trial relationship was meant to last six months, but things didn’t quite work out the way they planned...

Justin Middleton, who has left a string of broken hearts across the state of South Carolina, has only one thing on his mind, and that’s winning Terri Mitchell’s heart in six months. That’s all the time she’s given him...six short months. If he can’t do it by then, they’ll go their separate ways. 

Terri Mitchell knows she’s lost her mind when she even suggested this harebrained scheme. She finally thinks her heart is on the mend from her past encounter with Justin. However, when he shows up at her house late one night looking deliciously sexy and irresistible, her iron will to fight him vanishes and the words tumble from her lips before she’s barely aware of what she’s done. 

Within weeks, both of them find themselves passionately involved, but when Terri’s brother, Preston, shows up, mysterious things begin to happen, turning their blissful world into something dark and dangerous.

Off Limits Blog Tours: review and tour-wide giveaway

 Off Limits by Sawyer Bennett

New Adult Contemporary Romance 

Release date: April 16, 2013 

Publisher: Big Dog Books, LLC 

Tour organized by: AToMR Tours

Purchase: Amazon 

“There is a vulnerability there, hovering just below the surface. And I want to pick at it until I expose it. Then I want to kiss it." 

Two years ago, Emily Burnham, had an epiphany about the shallowness of her life. And she made it her mission to become a different person…a better woman. Out from under the controlling thumb of her mother, Emily is tasting the real world for the first time. And she likes it. 

Nixon Caldwell has served his time in the Marine Corps, surviving two brutal tours in Afghanistan. He is back home, surrounded by what he likes best…isolation. It's certainly the easiest way to avoid confrontation of the consuming guilt that is weighing him down. 

When an accident brings Emily and Nix together, he soon learns he is not the master of his own fate. Struggling with his own pain, Nix tries to guard himself against Emily’s charms. He wants her in his bed, but he doesn’t want her in his heart. 

Having grabbed life by the horns, Emily wants it all. But is she willing to accept just the small part of himself that Nix is offering? Can she reach the part of his soul that he has deemed to be Off Limits? 

This book is the follow up novel to Off Sides by Sawyer Bennett. It can be read as a stand-alone.

About the Author

Sawyer Bennett

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Sawyer Bennett is the pen name for a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn't have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate. 

Emily is a trust fund baby, daughter of a Congressman and student at Columbia University. For the last two years she has been on a quest to change her spoiled, mean ways by becoming someone new. With a more open mind, Emily has found happiness in her new self. Part of her new life involves reconnecting with her estranged older brother Ryan and his girlfriend, Danny (from the first book in this series, Off Sides). Accepted by both, Emily is thrilled to be part of their small intimate wedding and included later on with their secret. When Emily back out and hits someone and something, she never thought this accident would change her already changed life.

Nixon "Nix" is the loner type, content to be alone, watching life from the sidelines. Scarred mentally and physically from his tours as a Marine, he suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome and a brain injury. When a young woman hits him and his expensive motorcycle, he listens to her explanation of why they can't report it to her insurance company. She also doesn't have the money after being cut off from her family funds. For some reason, Nix agrees to her idea of letting her work off the ten thousand dollar in repairs by working for him in his weilding and metal shop in New Jersey. The more time these two spend in each other's company, their mutual attraction becomes harder to fight. Can an injured man open up his heart and love a feisty young woman hellbent on creating her own identity while establishing her independence from her wealthy family?

With the crop of New Adult contemporary romances I've read this year alone, I haven't read any featuring an ex-Marine with PTSD and a service dog. This establishes Off Limits as offering something different. I did not read Off Sides and I didn't have to, this story stands on its own and only makes me want to read Ryan and Danny's story now. Emily sounds like a spoiled rich girl in the beginning, a fact she readily admits as she shares her previous journey with the reader. She is ready to declare her major as Journalism much to her mother's chagrin (mom wanted pre-law or pre-med to better reflect on family image for her husband's future political campaign for President). Nix begins to better understand what she's been through and what she wants to become. He has his own secrets and scars to deal with but isn't sure he's worthy of someone like Emily. He agrees to her declaration that they make their relationship a sexual one with no strings attached. But his heart isn't agreeing to the plan when he grows accustomed to having Emily around. 

Off Limits is a character study featuring two independent individuals, one experienced and battle-scarred, another needing to stand on her own and think freely. It is also a love story. Both Emily and Nix tell their stories in first person pov. Over time they become likable characters, each with their own baggage, as they continue to change. I did not connect with them. Part of my problem with not 'connecting' to them is the amount of "telling" they provide from Emily's opening chapters to Nixon's background story revealed later on. I would have preferred some of this revealed in scenes or through dialogue, not in paragraph after paragraph.

The author's writing style kept me engaged in the story despite the occasional cliche or moment of not really believing  something said or done. The inclusion of Nixon's Marine background, his scroll tattoo with quotes, his service dog and therapy was intriguing and made this NA stand out from the others. It was refreshing to read about a guy who wasn't the bad boy or treated his girlfriend rudely (like Emily's ex, Todd or the brute she meets in the nightclub). Their attraction happened quickly and in this instance, it worked for me. Emily and Nix were ready for the challenge of a relationship. 

I liked and enjoyed Off Limits. New Adult romance fans will want to add this to their TBR list, it is certainly worth it.

Rating: 3.5

1/2

Cover comment:

This is an okay cover. This couple pose is quickly becoming overdone in the NA/romance genre.

Book source:

I received a promotional copy in exchange for my honest review.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Crossroads Saga Blog Tour: guest post

We are one of today's stops on the Crossroads Saga Blog Tour. The first book, Crossroads, is available for FREE (links below) for readers who enjoy paranormal or fantasy. 

Crossroads (Crossroads Saga #1) by Mary Ting
YA paranormal*Paperback/eBook, 315 pages
Published July 29th 2011 by World Castle (first published April 6th 2011)

FREE! Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Claudia Emerson has a good friend who shares the same first name and last name. That friend unfortunately dies in a tragic accident during homecoming dance. Claudia is distraught at the loss of her friend, but is even more disturbed by her dreams, which seem to take her to another place called Crossroads. Unknown to her, Crossroads is like a second heaven, a place between heaven and earth. It is where the souls of humans in comas or near death experiences may wander. 

There, Claudia meets Michael, a nephilim, a half angel, half human, whom she often meets in her dreams. It turns out that this isn't her first visit to Crossroads, which is an enigma for no human can ever travel there until Claudia. Now the fallen and demons are after her, suspecting she must be special and it is up to Michael and the other nephilims to protect her.
Can Michael fight his growing feelings for Claudia and protect her as a guardian angel should? 

The answer awaits you! Follow the exciting path to Crossroads!

Between (Crossroads Saga #2) by Mary Ting
YA paranormal*Paperback/eBook 329 pages
Published January 12th 2012 by World Castle Publishing (first published January 9th 2012)

As the alkins head back to Crossroads, Claudia leads her normal life; but not for long. Having a special soul, Claudia attracts danger, and she soon finds out who Gamma asked to watch over her. The Twelve, known as Divine Elders on Earth, are very much involved when they find out that Aliah, one of the God's first angels, escaped from the Abyss when the gates were opened by Aden. 

Needing Claudia's soul to escape the only place Aliah can reside-a place between Heaven and Earth-he sends his demons in search of all Claudia Emersons on Earth. Taking her soul will enable him to be released from Between and cross over to Crossroads, which would give him immense power. As more secrets are revealed Claudia learns about the venators-nephilim, demon hunters. Now two opposing forces must work together in order to save Claudia and humanity from the most dangerous angel ever created. But along the way, trust becomes a big issue. Will love be enough to keep Claudia and Michael together? Who will make the ultimate sacrifice? Who will betray them all?

Beyond (Crossroads Saga #3) by Mary Ting
YA paranormal*Paperback/eBook, 328 pages
Published September 12th 2012 by World Castle Publishing

Torn between the past she can't remember and a future she isn't ready for, Claudia feels at a loss. With unanswered questions, she is certain there is more to her past than just being a venator. Finding the missing pieces in her life won't be easy because duty calls. When mysterious dark shadows get released, an apocalypse sets in motion. 

The venators and the alkins must work together once again. Knowing Claudia would be the key to destroying the demons that were released, a familiar stranger appears to protect her. Drawn to the beautiful angel, Claudia finds she must unravel the mysteries of her past in order to help save the world. Who is the angel assisting her and why does she feel a strong connection to him? Time is running out. Will she discover all the secrets before it's too late?

Claudia’s Favorite romantic movies

Gone With the Wind

Romeo and Juliette

Titanic

The Notebook

Pretty Woman

It’s a Wonderful Life

The Princess Bride

Ghost

Sixteen Candles

An Officer and a Gentleman