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DANIELLE LANZAROTTA: New Adult Author Promo

Arianna always felt like she didn’t belong in the world where she was born. Ever since she was little, she used to hide behind the rocks in the sea, and watch the human family who spent their summers on that island. Over the years, there was nothing she wished more than to be like them, especially so she could get close to Blake, the human boy who she saw turn into a troubled teenager and then, an unhappy man. Once her dad grew tired of her dreams and hopes for a reality that is not her own, Arianna is thrown into an arranged marriage, and her only way out of it is to make a deal with the power-hungry man who will give her everything that she has ever dreamed of. Dreams that turn into nightmares as she watches Blake’s world fall apart, because of her and Blake’s inability to control their desires for one another. (Due to sexual content and language, this book is recommended for 17+

Daniele Lanzarotta is the author of YA and NA paranormal/fantasy novels, including the Imprinted Souls Series, Academy of the Fallen, and Mermaid’s Curse.

She has a bachelor’s in business and finance and a MBA. With only a few semesters left in school, Daniele started writing as a hobby, but it didn’t take long for her to be consumed by her stories. That is her passion, and she now has several projects under way.

She enjoys reading and writing young adult novels with just about any sort of paranormal or supernatural bent…vampires… ghosts… She also enjoys watching hockey, playing rock band, guitar hero and spending time with the family.

To enter the giveaway, go to each blog and enter the corresponding code into the Rafflecopter!

This is Blog #18 and the code is DANIELEJENNIFER

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#IWSG : Favorite Personal Experience In Your Writing

Time for the Insecure Writers Support Group, started by Alex Cavanaugh.


How’s it going, writers? I’m happy with the new job I started in August, and looking forward to the holidays. Since I work for a university now, I actually get Veteran’s Day off work, yahoo!

Do you enjoy using personal experiences in your writing? I do. For example, I like to write therapy scenes incorporating my experiences as a psychologist.

I’m blessed with some hilarious friends and I like to “borrow” their dialogue now and then. When my swimming buddy Joe met my plus-sized cat, he said “That’s not a cat…that’s a cow.” Guess what one of my characters will say about his brother’s fat cat?

I’m currently writing my fifth novel, a New Adult volleyball romance titled Blocked. Although swimming was my main sport in college, I also played volleyball, and it’s a blast writing about this fun sport. My teammates and I engaged in fierce euchre tournaments, and not surprisingly this card game is making its way into the story.

What is one of your favorite personal experiences that you’ve incorporated into your writing?


If you’re feeling insecure, here’s a funny scene from the movie Young Adult to make you feel better about yourself as a writer:

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Featured NA Author: STEPHANIE LAWTON

Julianne counts the days until she can pack her bags and leave her old-money, tradition-bound Southern town where appearance is everything and secrecy is a way of life. A piano virtuoso, she dreams of attending a prestigious music school in Boston. Failure is not an option, so she enlists the help of New England Conservatory graduate Isaac Laroche to help her.

She can’t understand why he suddenly gave up Boston’s music scene to return to the South. He doesn’t know her life depends on escaping it. Julianne must face down madness from without, just as it threatens from within. Isaac must resist an inappropriate attraction, but an indiscretion at a Mardi Gras ball-the pinnacle event for Mobile’s elite-forces their present wants and needs to collide with sins of the past.

Will Julianne accept the help she’s offered and get everything she ever wanted, or will she self-destruct and take Isaac down with her?

Always a misfit, Stephanie Lawton writes twisted romance that tugs the heart strings then punches you in the gut.
She has a tendency to psychoanalyze people, which comes in handy when creating character profiles. She has a fascination with teacher-student relationships, bullies, psychics, doomsday preppers and larger-than-life characters.

Making readers squirm is her greatest pleasure.

Proceed with caution.

To enter the giveaway, please go to each blog and enter the corresponding code into the Rafflecopter.

This is Blog #18 and the code is STEPHJENNIFER

Blog #2: www.selenalaurence.com
Blog #3: www.StephanieLawton.com
Blog #4: www.lisasanchezromanceauthor.com
Blog #5: www.katerothwrites.blogspot.com
Blog #6: http://jadenwilkes.blogspot.ca/
Blog #7: www.angellawson.com
Blog #8: www.karen-annestewart.com
Blog #9: http://naughtylittlekisses.blogspot.com
Blog #10: http://authoryolandaallen.blogspot.com/
Blog #11: http://dawnaraver.com/
Blog #12: http://tawdrakandle.com
Blog #13: http://midtown-underground.com
Blog #14: http://tyffanickemp.com
Blog #15: www.maganvernon.com
Blog #16: http://pk-Hrezo.blogspot.com
Blog #17: http://beccaoffthetop.blogspot.com/
Blog #18: http://jenniferlanebooks.blogspot.com
Blog #19: http://ellacolblog.wordpress.com/
Blog #20: www.jcemery.com

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Daughter of Isis by Kelsey Ketch: Review

It’s time for the Daughter of Isis Blog Tour, hosted by YA Bound! Check out the full tour schedule HERE.

Daughter of Isis (Descendants of Isis, #1)Daughter of Isis by Kelsey Ketch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Son of Set Is a Son of a B*tch

Kelsey Ketch is one of the sweetest authors around! When I discovered the opportunity to read and review her debut novel, I snatched it. I rarely stray from my preferred genre of contemporary romance, and the fact that I enjoyed this Egyptian YA paranormal romance so much speaks volumes for the entertainment value of this story.

Natara “Nattie” Stone has the unenviable task of starting twelfth grade not only in a new school but in a new country. Her mother died when she was five, and her father moves Nattie from London to the Californian desert following the murder of her beloved Egyptian grandmother.

“Brit-Chick” Nattie encounters some kind friends at her new high school:

”Well, how else do you explain Seth’s weirdness?” Jen snapped. “Every girl drools over that guy, and no mortal human can look that good.”
“I’m mortal,” Kevin pointed out.
Jen’s eyes wandered over him. “Case in point,” Jen concluded. “So, Seth has to be supernatural.”

But the classmate who really stands out in Natti’s mind is the one who has slept with about half the female class: Seth. The other half wishes they were so lucky. He’s definitely a charmer…except to Nattie. She gets an intense headache every time he’s around (LOL) which definitely intrigues stalker Seth.

Nattie is a likable character, earnest and intelligent. I would prefer Natara’s nickname to be Tara or Nata because Nattie seems more reminiscent of a southern maid than a British daughter of Isis. But my favorite character is Seth. His behavior is despicable at first, which is understandable given his slimeball father. Seth is a son of Set—a descendent of an Egyptian god who’s all about lust, destruction, and chaos. (I love the idea of one’s sole purpose in life being to create chaos.) From these evil beginnings, Seth really matures in this story. There’s a reason Nattie’s feelings evolve for him over time.

At first the plot seemed too similar to Twilight, but then it found its own rhythm. The pace continued building to the exciting conclusion, which leaves room for a sequel. One mystery yet to be revealed is why Nattie’s father moved them to this small town in California, with its Egyptian symbols. And what is up with the book her father is writing? How much does he know about her mother’s and grandmother’s death? I’m guessing we’ll learn more in the next book. *claps*

Great job, Kelsey Ketch!

View all my reviews

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J.L. FYNN: New Adult Author Promo

Smooth talking. Ambitious. Loyal.
Twenty-year-old Shay Reilly has proven himself to his Irish-American Gypsy clan on small-scale cons, but now the clan leader has a bigger mission for him: playing the long game.
To rake in the big score he’s after, he needs to con co-ed Spencer into falling in love with him. He knows he should see her as a mere means to an end, but that’s easier said than done when there’s a witty, attractive girl in your arms.
Now the only thing that can keep them apart is the thing that brought the together: Shay’s plans of revenge against someone who wronged his clan and family years before—Spencer’s father.


J.L. Fynn is the public face of a private identity. She enjoys making up stories about iniquitous heroes, providing Delphic answers to unasked questions, and obfuscating the truth just for laughs.  But then, what’s an author but a professional liar? If you send her an email she might let you in on her little secret—assuming she likes your moxie.
To enter the giveaway, go to each blog and enter the corresponding code into the Rafflecopter.
This is Blog #18 and the code is JLJENNIFER

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L.G. CASTILLO: New Adult Author Promo


Decades after being banished from Heaven for saving a life he shouldn’t have, Lash is given a chance to redeem himself. His mission: protect Naomi Duran, a young woman who has lost her faith. The assignment proves to be anything but simple when his superiors, the Archangels, withhold key information about Naomi and refuse to restore Lash’s powers. When an unexpected source reveals centuries-old secrets, his trust is shaken to the core, and he begins to doubt those whom he had once considered to be his greatest allies.

Determined to avoid anything that would risk his chances of returning to Heaven, Lash struggles with the greatest obstacle of all–his growing feelings for Naomi. But when her life is threatened by an unknown source, Lash questions the wisdom of the Archangels and his ability to keep her safe. 

Soon, Lash will have to choose where to place his faith–in the home he has fought so hard to regain or in the forbidden love he can’t bear to lose.


L.G. Castillo wrote her first story when she was ten and has been writing ever since. She took a break from writing fiction and poetry to focus on obtaining her Ph.D. in counseling psychology. She is now a licensed psychologist and works as a professor at a Texas university. She has published her psychological research in several professional journals and books. The Broken Angel Trilogy is her first venture into publishing fiction.

To enter the giveaway, go to each of the blogs and enter the corresponding code into the Rafflecopter.

This is Blog #18 and the code is: LGJENNIFER

Blog #2: www.selenalaurence.com
Blog #3: www.StephanieLawton.com
Blog #4: www.lisasanchezromanceauthor.com
Blog #5: www.katerothwrites.blogspot.com
Blog #6: http://jadenwilkes.blogspot.ca/
Blog #7: www.angellawson.com
Blog #8: www.karen-annestewart.com
Blog #9: http://naughtylittlekisses.blogspot.com
Blog #10: http://authoryolandaallen.blogspot.com/
Blog #11: http://dawnaraver.com/
Blog #12: http://tawdrakandle.com
Blog #13: http://midtown-underground.com
Blog #14: http://tyffanickemp.com
Blog #15: www.maganvernon.com
Blog #16: http://pk-Hrezo.blogspot.com
Blog #17: http://beccaoffthetop.blogspot.com/
Blog #18: http://jenniferlanebooks.blogspot.com
Blog #19: http://ellacolblog.wordpress.com/
Blog #20: www.jcemery.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

Thanks to Kathy from I Am a Reader for once again hosting this spooky hop!


I’m a big fan of Halloween. To prove it, check out the carrot costume on my avatar. 😉

I have some treats for you this holiday.

In preparation for December’s New Adult Sleepover Weekend, where I’ll sign copies of my NA swimming romance Streamline, I ordered bookish swim caps:


I can’t wait to give away this swim cap.

But wait, there’s more! I’m also giving away:

* A $10 iTunes gift card

* A Jennifer Lane ebook of your choice (With Good Behavior, Bad Behavior, On Best Behavior, or Streamline)


To enter, simply complete the Rafflecopter form:

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Now hop on over to these spooktacular blogs–each one is offering at least $10!

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Kristie Cook: New Adult Authors Promo

   When Life Falls to Pieces, Answers Lie in the Space Between.

   Leni Drago can’t make a smart decision on her own, according to her mother anyway–the few times she’s tried resulted in disaster. When her uncle sends her on a dance tour in Italy to find her real self, she returns to an empty home and any evidence of his existence wiped out. Then things get even stranger, like the mysterious appearances of Jeric Winters–inked, pierced and a hit-’em-and-quit-’em type. He’s one decision that should be easy for Leni. Or is he?

   Jeric doesn’t do girlfriends. Unless they’re someone else’s. He left the fighting cage and modeling for a reason, and girls who want more than a night of fun are distractions he doesn’t need. Especially when they come with as much baggage as Leni carries. But he can’t shake the gut feeling that he needs to know her. All of her.

   To discover the truth behind their connection and their ties to a journal from 1989, they must face painful secrets from their pasts. And they must do so quickly because their own existences are falling to pieces.

   This first part of The Book of Phoenix takes you on a heart-wrenching ride as you discover the answers that lie in The Space Between.

    Kristie Cook is a lifelong, award-winning writer in various genres, from marketing communications to fantasy fiction. She continues to write the Soul Savers Series, a New Adult paranormal romance / contemporary fantasy, with Promise, Purpose, Devotion, Power, and the latest release, Wrath, book five, available now. She’s also written a companion novella, Genesis: A Soul Savers Novella, which details the compelling history of her Soul Savers mythology. Over 250,000 Soul Savers books have been sold, with Promise peaking at #54 on the Amazon Top 100 Paid list and at #1 in the Amazon Fantasy category.

The Space Between, consistently one of the top rated New Adult books on Amazon, kicks off her second New Adult paranormal series, The Book of Phoenix.

Besides writing, Kristie enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and riding on the back of a motorcycle. She has lived in ten states, but currently calls Southwest Florida home with her husband, three sons, a beagle, and a juggle.

To enter the giveaway, go to each blog and enter the corresponding blog code into the rafflecopter.
This is Blog #18 and the code is KRISTIEJENNIFER

Blog #20: www.jcemery.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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#Review and #Giveaway: Chasing Hope by Kathryn Cushman

Chasing HopeChasing Hope by Kathryn Cushman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Inspiring and Corny

When I saw the blurb for this new release, I loved the NA/YA sports angle and signed up to review it on my blog. This is a poignant story demonstrating the adage “When God closes a door, He opens a window.”

Sabrina is a college senior whose dream to run for Team USA in the Olympics fell short due to an autoimmune illness attacking her body. She is bitter about her loss, and angry with God for crashing her vaunted goal of becoming a missionary who spreads God’s word based on her running success.

Sabrina lives with her grandmother, who seems to disapprove of Sabrina’s revised plan to begin a competitive business internship. But Sabrina doesn’t want to hear it and continues with her busy life of classes and work, despite feeling tired and sick most of the time.

They encounter a family friend whose teenaged grand-daughter Brandy has fallen in with the wrong crowd. Brandy gets arrested for using drugs, and the only way for her to avoid juvenile detention is for Sabrina to coach her as a runner. Sabrina’s not thrilled about working with this sullen, disrespectful teenager, but reluctantly agrees to help out her grandmother and her friend. Coaching Brandy brings on nightmares of races Sabrina no longer can run.

Brandy has natural talent but doesn’t seem to care about using it. Sabrina would give anything to run again. It’s a fiery mix of personalities that keeps the story interesting.

I haven’t read many Christian novels, so if this is your preferred genre then you may love this story. Overall I enjoyed it, but I did have some quibbles. At times I found the characterization cheesy. My biggest struggle was that the characters’ voices didn’t sound authentic for their age. I work with college students, and I can’t imagine them saying something like:

”Bless your heart, I’ll just bet she has.”

“Perhaps it is time for some new ones.”

“Sabrina Rice, would you do me the honor of accompanying me on a date this Saturday evening?”

I also found it difficult to understand why Sabrina felt so ashamed of her illness ending her running career. It was frustrating when she wouldn’t tell a potential boyfriend Koen about her background. I wonder if she felt shame because she believed God caused her illness for some reason. I disagree with that notion — my beliefs align more with the message of When Bad Things Happen to Good People : God can’t stop natural phenomena like gravity or disease, but God can be there for us to heal and recover.

ARCs are not polished copies but the formatting was so jumbled that I had difficulty following who was speaking at times. And for some reason all the “ff”s were deleted, which was off-putting, or o-putting.

I do have a fondness for Brandy’s grandmother, who was there for her no matter what. Despite some aspects I didn’t enjoy, this story did bring tears to my eyes a few times — a sign of a good read, in my opinion.

View all my reviews 
***

This blog tour is hosted by I Am a Reader.

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for a $25 gift card! 

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Cover Reveal: Seamless by R.L. Griffin



Title:
Seamless (By A Thread #3)

Author:
RL Griffin

Release Date
December 10, 2013

Summary:

Professional, successful, survivor Stella has mastered the art of appearances and conquering what life throws at her. Time after time, she chooses to fight even though she’s consistently poised to break. It’s that fight to get her life back, to make things right, to survive that defines who she is. She’s been loved, left, lost, blown up, shot, and exploited. Physically, she’s almost completely put back together. Mentally, Stella’s one step from a vindictive retaliation that may or may not be her best choice. 

In Seamless, Stella has no choice but to step into the ring with someone who she once loved. It’s a dirty fight that will take all she has. Will she do what it takes to win? Will she make it out alive? 

You’ll cheer her on until you realize all is not what it seems. Appearances can be deceiving.


Add Seamless to your Goodreads TBR shelf HERE.

I read the first book in this series–By a Thread–and loved it (see my review HERE). Tension is the second book. Book three looks awesome!

Author R.L. Griffin hosts this generous giveaway:

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