Monday, July 29, 2013

Cover Reveal- Nyrae Dawn

It's our pleasure to present Nyrae Dawn and Entangled Teen reveal for the cover of Searching for Beautiful, which releases on March 4, 2014. Also enter below for a paperback of the book or an eBook!

On to the reveal!



Blurb

Before, Brynn had a group of best friends, a loving boyfriend, a growing talent for pottery. She had a life. And after…she had none.

When Brynn lost the boyfriend who never loved her, the friends who feel she betrayed their trust, and the new life just beginning to grow inside her, she believes her future is as empty as her body. But then Christian, the boy next door, starts coming around. Playing his guitar and pushing her to create art once more. She meets some new friends at the local community center, plus even gets her dad to look her in the eye again…sort of.

But can Brynn open up her heart to truly find her life’s own beauty, when living for the after means letting go of the before?

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Excerpt

Christian looks at me. I wait for a smart-aleck reply or a smile but get neither. Just his blue eyes sucking me in like a whirlpool. “That’s what I thought you would say. So you just have to keep fighting for it. Keep fighting to get it back.”

My eyes won’t leave his and his won’t leave mine. And he’s cute. God, he’s so cute, I just want to focus on his cuteness. I want that to be all that matters. When his hand comes up and cups my cheek, I gasp. He brushes his thumb under my eye and licks his lips and I’m frozen and on fire and close to having a heart attack and anxious all at the same time.

Slowly, he leans forward and I know he’s giving me time. And my heart is leaping and I want to feel his lips. This is Christian. The boy who asked me to dance. The boy I ran to my mom about and told her that I loved. And now he’s my friend. The first person who has made me feel normal since everything happened.

But I’m so scared. Scared of messing it up. Scared he’ll decide he doesn’t want me. Scared of losing him. Of getting hurt.

He gets closer and I smell his sweet, sugary scent. See his mouth and wet lips and that hair I want to touch.

See the one person besides Emery who I have. The one person I can’t lose. “Wait,” I say and Christian stops moving. He’s still close. So very, very close that his lips are only an inch away from mine. “I’m scared,” I admit.

“I won’t hurt you.”

And I swear a part of me believes him. Maybe all of me. But how do I know if that’s the right decision or not?

He runs his hand down my face and touches my hair. Love that he’s not nervous to do it the way I am with him and I watch his fingers, brown against my red hair.

“Go out with me, Bryntastic. Let’s go do something this weekend. Don’t keep running. I won’t even try to kiss you again unless you tell me to. Or I’ll wait for you to do it. Just let go. Live.”

His words are what I want. I want them so badly and they sound so perfect that it’s hard not to just scream, “Yes!” right now. “Why?” I ask him. “Why are you so nice to me?”

I love his strength. Love that he doesn’t even hesitates before saying, “Because you were my first crush. Because I used to watch you conqueror anything and used to listen to you laugh with your friends. You were happy and I loved your smile. Because I had to work up the courage to ask you to dance and I did, and then I left and the one thing I missed was that smile. I watched my sister lose hers and watched my family fall apart and when I came back here? I wanted to see your smile again. Because you’re beautiful when you smile and you’ve lost it now. I want you to conquer this because what the hell is the purpose in it all if the first girl I ever danced with loses her smile?”

I don’t realize I’m crying until Christian wipes my tears. “You think I’m beautiful?” 


About Nyrae Dawn



Writing has always been Nyrae Dawn’s passion. There have been times in her life where she wasn’t able to chase that dream the way she desired, but she always found her way back to telling stories.

One of her loves has always been writing about teens. There’s something so fresh and fun about the age that she loves exploring. Her husband says it’s because she doesn’t want to grow up. She doesn’t think that’s such a bad thing and luckily for her, he doesn’t either.

Nyrae gravitates toward character-driven stories. She loves going on emotional journeys with characters whether it be reading or writing. And yes, she’s a total romantic at heart and proud.

Nyrae resides in sunny Southern California with her husband (who still makes her swoon) and her two awesome kids.

When she’s not with her family, you can be pretty sure you’ll find her with a book in her hand or her laptop and an open document in front of her.

She writes for Entangled Publishing, Grand Central Publishing and is self-published.

Nyrae is represented by Jane Dystel of Dystel and Goderich Literary Management.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Sunday, July 28, 2013

IVY LEAGUE BLOG TOUR - Author Interview, Character Interview and Review!



I am so excited that this day is here! As you know we had a week of Christopher Waltz a while back.  Well now he is doing a tour for Ivy League! So I hope you stay with me because I have a lot for you! You see Christopher Waltz is ONE of my many favorite people! I hope you want to pick up your copy of Ivy League after the tour is over! 




“Within a few months, everything changed for me, and as anyone could probably guess already, not for the better. Life, itself, began to fall apart...

But I guess that’s what happens when you become a teenage drug-dealer.”

Jamie Brewer has just gotten the one piece of mail he’s been waiting for his whole life: his college acceptance letter. But when a series of unfortunate events makes paying tuition to one of the most prestigious universities in the country practically impossible, Jamie makes a decision that will not only provide him with the cash he needs, but may also get him killed in the process…

Selling drugs starts out well for Jamie, but things quickly begin to spiral out of control: his best friend and girlfriend are weary of his career choice, a local police officer is determined to catch him in the act, and worst, his partner in crime, Gabe, may be more dangerous than anyone ever imagined.

What begins as fun and games is about to become much more serious, causing Jamie to question just how far he will go and who’s lives he will risk in order to become Ivy League.








Christina's interview with Christopher Waltz: 


Every writer I've come across, and befriended, has been in the process of writing their first book or about to release a book. When I (Christina)  first met Chris Waltz, through a friend, I found out that he had a book out. And what a better way to know more about your new friend than to read their book and interview them right?
So, I'm excited to bring you a little more about Mr. Christopher Waltz.
 
*Laughs* Hey Toph, thanks for taking time to let me interview you.
Are you ready?



I was born ready. (I hope everyone out there reads that in a very serious, action-movieway.)
 


What was your inspiration to becoming a writer?

I’ve been writing since I was a little kid. I remember being in the second grade and writing a sequel to my then-favorite movie, Jumanji. I wrote it in a wide-ruled notebook and used half of each page for illustrations. I gave it to my teacher,Mrs. Fields, to read and she returned it with a note attached that said “I can’t wait to buy your books in a book store one day!” I knew then I would continue writing the rest of my life.  

Do you haveanything you  "must have" forwriting?  Like coffee, candy, music?
I usually have a glass of Mountain Dew with me while I’m writing, but I’m trying to break that habit. Sometimes I pretend to be a health nut and Mountain Dew does not fit into that category, unfortunately. I definitely cannot write while listening to music because I get distracted too easily. Usually when I write, it’s just me and a quiet room.  


What inspired you to write Ivy 
League? And how long did the process take from when you first started?
I had a very good friend who I tell everyone is my brother. A few years ago, he got into some shady habits (much like Jamie in Ivy League) and the two of us lost touch until very recently. He cleaned up his life, something I’m so proud of him for, but I would be lying if I said he wasn’t an inspiration formy novel. I took one thing about him and exaggerated it into this novel about a teenager who sells drugs to pay for college. I was initially very worried he’d be mad at me for using a darker period of his life for inspiration, but when I told him, he thought it was awesome!

 Who was your favorite character to write? And were any of your characters modeled after any friends in your life?
I want really badly to tell you the main character, Jamie, was my favorite to write, but he wasn’t. In the story, Jamie meets another high school student, Gabe, who he assumes is from the wrong side of the tracks because people in their school have stereotyped him as this “bad guy.” Gabe was my favorite to write because he is very, very different from me.He has this attitude and whit about him I wish I could incorporate into my daily life; he is completely unfiltered and generally just doesn’t give a shit what anyone thinks about him, and I loved writing him.
I use a lot of my friend’s names in Ivy League, but I wouldn’t say any of the characters are actually based on them. A lot of the people in the story are just generally bad. I took my friend’s names and turned them into horrible people, which was a lot of fun.

Jaime hassuch a wide range of friends, that sit with him at the table. From hisfriendship with Airic to his partnership with Gabe, what all do you think they have in common?
That’s a tough question to answer. I think Jamie’s wide variety of friends (especially at his lunch table) shows how forthe past four years of high school, he’s really just been going through the motions. He admits none of these people, aside from Airic, really care about him, but hopefully you notice he doesn’t really care either. I feel his partnership with Gabe really opens him up to who he really is and has been hiding from the rest of the world and his friends for his entire life.
  

When you first hit that publish button and then saw your book for sale, what did that feel like? 
I was completely terrified. All I could think was “I’m not ready! I’m not ready!” but at the same time, I’d been working on Ivy League for two years and was honestly ready for it to be over. I had also been advertising through my Facebook page and Twitter account that it would be available for sale on12/12/12, but Amazon went ahead and released it early, so that was shocking as well. I had to go back and post updates to the release date, something I really wasn’t expecting to need to do.

 
 
If I remember right you said there is a book 2 in the works?  When can we expect that out?
Ideally, I’d say it will be ready December of this year. My goal is to kick it up a notch with the as-of-yet-untitledsequel and have it ready as soon as possible, but at the same time, I don’t want to rush it. Every chapter is planned and I’ve written about fifty pages of the story, but I’m just going to let it run its course naturally. It’s ready when it’s ready. Hopefully the people who read Ivy League (I’m looking at you, Mom) will like it enough that they’ll be okay with waiting for the perfect sequel.
 
 
Is there anything else you are working on that you'd like to share with everyone?*pretends like I don't know*  
I constantly have new ideas popping into my head, and I’d love to work on all of them at the same time, but that’s tough,what with working two jobs, plus writing, plus trying to maintain some form of a social life. However, I came up with the idea of a story called Nineteen, about an eighteen-year-old who is convinced he isn’t going to live to see his nineteenth birthday. The notes are just forming on this one, but it’s going to be about him trying to reconnect with people he’s left behind in his life and doing all the things he wants to do before he dies.
 
 
Okay, shallwe play a game? I'm going to give you a few words and you say what they makeyou think of, or your favorite of each.  

Candy: SourPatch Kids
Music: Chiodos
Friends: Uhhh… is it weird I can’t thinkof anything for this one? Or I have too many thoughts?
Food: Hummus
Vacation: Chicago
Writing: Life
Ice cream:  Vanilla (I’m boring)
 

 
Thank you so much for sitting down and answering my questions! This was fun! Now let's go get a red velvet milk shake shall we?

MILKSHAKE!
Woooo! I’m buying!
And here we are enjoying a post interview Milkshake! Thanks Toph! :)





Now, Here's the interview with Gabe, get to know him a bit more here:








Wow, so I can't believe that we get to interview you Gabe. I'm sort of intimidated. *laughs* I'm Christina by the way, and this is Dani Thanks for taking time to sit with us and answer a few questions. Well, you should feel lucky. I don’t do interviews often and I kind of like to keep a low profile. I’m not sure how I got talked into this actually. I’m thinking there was money involved.

Okay so let's get to a few questions.
What did you think when Jamie approached you with this business idea?




 *laughs* So, you know about that? He’s not the best at keeping secrets. I guess since you know, it won’t kill me to talk about it. My first thought was “who does this kid think he is?” I’d never talked to him before, and here he was, approaching me about selling drugs with him. I had to admit, he had balls for even mentioning it, so I decided to hear him out. 
What was the deciding factor that made you decided to go into a partnership with Jaime?

I like to take chances, and this seemed like the biggest gamble I could take at the time. I had no intentions of it working out or lasting more than a week or two, but I jumped at the opportunity to teach someone what I know. Growing and selling Weed is my thing… so why not pass on my talents?

 You seemed kind of a loaner at school. Did you choose that or did it just happen?

I was never the ‘popular’ guy at school, but I’d never want to be either. Plus, when you’re in the business I’m in, you learn not to keep many close friends. When you’re breaking the law, everyone is an enemy. Life is just easier that way.

 You mentioned to Kip that he and Jaime can go into a family business, Is that how you got started?

Yes. Without giving too much information, my brother taught me everything I know. I don’t know if I’d call it a “family” business; my father is a prosecutor and my mother is a typical trophy wife, and neither of them know anything about my business path.




Knowing now what you know, would you if given the chance, go back and never start?
 I have no regrets in my life.



 You had to know the 'arrangement' was going to end badly right? I mean the deal seemed too good to be true. 
I wouldn’t say it ended badly. It took an unexpected turn and things worked out differently than planned. But was it bad? I don’t think so. Wow… with that answer, I should look into becoming a politician.



What's your ultimate opinion of Jaime? Was he a good business partner in dealing with the contacts?

Jamie is more of a people person than I could ever hope to be. He made friends with the contacts and made them feel like he was really doing them a great service. However, that’s a double-edged sword. You can’t get too close to people you’re selling drugs to. Life doesn’t work that way.

Do you regret involving him in the deal?

Jamie came to me, wanting in. He knew the risks and consequences; we both knew what we were getting ourselves into. I stand by me previous comment of not having any regrets in my life.

What would you have done with your share of all that money? 
Oh, I love investigative reporting. I won’t say now, but Jamie has a big mouth. Maybe you’ll learn one day.  
If you could tell Jaime one thing, something that you keep hidden under the angry charade, what would it be and why? 

What makes you think my anger is a charade? I don’t pretend to be anything I’m not, and anything I’d ever tell Jamie, I’m more than willing to say to his face.

Tell me something about yourself, something that you wouldn't normally want to share. We promise to keep it a secret.  
 Oh, I’m not falling for that. I’m not one to put my guard down like that. I don’t normally keep secrets, but I guess one thing I can tell you is that I love what I do. I wouldn’t want to grow up to be a doctor, a lawyer, or a business executive. That’s not the life for me. I live by the motto of life fast, die young, and I plan to do that until my very last day on Earth.
Gabe, thank you so much for taking time away from your "stuff" to talk with us.
It was my pleasure, or whatever.






Now Christina's Review of Ivy League:


In Ivy League, Christopher Waltz had written, issues that are true to life.  They are issues you and I might not see, because it  does happen. What would you do if you had forgotten to apply for financial aid for college and  your parents were getting a divorce?  Jamie Brewer did Just that.   All it took was someone joking around about selling drugs to pay for college and Jamie ran with it.  He ran right into the toughest guy at school, Gabe.  Jamie’s best friend Airic warned him off of this but Jamie thought he could handle it, and just jump back out.  But can he?  Jamie’s brother Kip, is suspicious, and wants to know more about what his big brother is up to.  Jamie seems to have it all together, until he loses his best friend instead of giving up selling the drugs.  He has to sneak around school, answer Gabe’s texts, avoid other people, and potentially lose all the friends he has.  Through it all he manages to work on a relationship with a girl named Riley.  She knows what he is doing, doesn’t approve but encourages him to end it after graduation.  When a few deals go down and the police are on their trail, will Jamie give up his plans and work with the cops?  During this time Gabe informs him that a major drug lord wants to buy their whole stash, this would set Jamie up for most of college.  Graduation day arrives and it all goes down, what will happen, who will be caught up in all this mess?  Seriously you want to read to find out.

My favorite Character has to be Gabe.  I think under his tough exterior, there is a guy just wanting a friend.  We see glimpses of remorse and a slight tender side sometimes when Jamie is talking to him.  I think Chris Waltz did an amazing job it giving us a full view of all his characters.  Even though Jamie was the main character I felt that Gabe, Airic and Kip all played front and center.  This book read like someone talking to me and in essence that was true because Jamie was telling us his story.  I recommend you read this book. It was so different than most books I have ever read, In the best way possible!
- Christina - 


Thanks for hanging with me... now introducing this amazing author :



Author Bio
Christopher Waltz was born in Indiana in 1987 and promptly began writing once leaving the womb. While this is a complete lie, Christopher did begin writing around age eight at which point he penned and illustrated a sequel to the film "Jumanji."

Since that time, Christopher has continued writing and obtained a degree in secondary education from Indiana University's School of Education. He currently works with a non-profit organization and writes, hoping to one day be a famous and influential author.

He has recently published his first novella, "Come as you are" on the Amazon Kindle Store and lulu.com.






Want to Follow the Tour? Check these other blogs out.

Tour Schedule

July 29
Christina http://crazybookchicks.blogspot.com –Review/Interview
Christopher Chapman http://ethancameron.blogspot.ca –Review

July 30
Rachel http://rachelwalterauthor.blogspot.com –Review/author interview

July 31

August 1

August 2 
Emma Snow www.emzsnow.wordpress.com –Review/Playlist




Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Heather Hildenbrand BUNDLE

Okay so we all know how truly amazing Heather Hildenbrand is right? Well if you don't then your in luck because starting today until Sunday she has this amazing SALE on 3 of her ebooks. Now we crazy book chicks, haven't had the chance to read 2 of the books.... but they are on our list and look amazing. So you should stop what you are doing right now, head over to Amazon and one-click these books. You get a chance to read Imitation, which we both absolutely LOVED, Whisper and Across the Galaxy for only $2.99!!! That's right mega deal right there... 3 books for the price of 1!! Heather Hildenbrand $2.99 Bundle

Imitation:
Everyone is exactly like me. 
There is no one like me. 
The rough fabric of my cotton nightgown chafes so I lie very still. They say my discomfort comes from being built like one accustomed to niceties. How is that fair when I myself have never experienced anything but copies of the real thing? 
My entire life is an imitation. 
I am an Imitation. 
I’ve been here five years. Training. Preparing. Waiting.
And now I have a letter.
My assignment has begun. 
I am a prisoner.
I am not Raven Rogen.
I am here to die.

Whisper:
The Cherokee believe when a person dies, their soul is reborn. Life is repeated. An endless cycle of lessons to be learned, love to be found, destiny to be fulfilled. For the past six months, in every flower, every bird, I’ve imagined my parents, relieved of their human forms.

Now, after five months at the Skye View Wellness Center, it was summer. A time for parties and friends, but that’s the last thing I want to do. So when my best friend Erin convinces me to attend a bonfire at Eagle Point, I can’t handle the crowd full of sympathetic stares or drunken class clowns who would use my tragedy as a way into my heart – or my pants. The solitude of the woods offers an escape, until I stumble upon a boy, unconscious and bleeding, his pockets stuffed not with identification but with poetry illustrating the beauty of dying. I’ve seen enough death. I will not leave this boy’s side.

Even after he wakes, when the only thing he can remember are visions of events that haven’t happened yet…

Across The Galaxy:
Alina Leone is in hiding. 

Her parents are dead, her best friend is a horse, and she can’t return to her home planet of Gliese until the Shadows, the monsters who hunt for her, are found and destroyed. 

But they found her first. The same creatures that murdered her parents and forced her to flee to Earth all of those years ago. And they’ll stop at nothing to destroy the only thing standing in their way for universal domination – Alina.

She must find the strength to defeat them, even if it means choosing between victory and the one she was meant to save…

You should also check out her other bundle... Can anyone say Dirty Blood Series? Dirty Blood Omnibus and get ready for the release of the next book in the Dirty Blood Series!

Then again you can never really go wrong with a Heather Hildenbrand book so pick them all up! We certainly did! And because Heather is Awesome.... there's also a GIVEAWAY!

Monday, July 22, 2013

UTopYa Con 2013 Experience

Every day is a new day and you get to decide how its going to play out. Are you going to be mad, sad, happy, or maybe indifferent? What we all need to realize is that YOU, yes you the one reading this, is the only one who gets to decide what affects you. So if you want to be happy, then be happy. If you want to cry, then cry. But the one thing I learned this weekend, which was an epic learning experience, is that you’re not alone. We may all have different problems, face different obstacles, and live a completely opposite life, but we are all united under one common goal… BOOKS. Whether you are a reader, blogger, writer, or a combination of the three, we all LOVE books.

Books are the beginning entity to tie us all together. They are the ice breakers in this world of crazy. We’ve heard so many stories this past weekend at UTopYA Con that struck chords with us all. Donna being the one that really touched the crowd, it made us all see something within ourselves that we all connected with. At least I know I did. So Donna, even though it may seem like you’re alone, you’re totally not. Like you I was never the type to strike up a conversation with someone I didn’t know. Like Starla Huchton who looked for the few she knew and stuck by them until conversations with others opened her up to the possibility of new friends. I was that way too. I was at an odds this weekend. Torn between wanting to hide away in the hotel room and meeting the people I idolize. But like that little voice in Donna’s head pushing her, mine did too.

Some of you know my story, some of you don’t, some of you may not care and that’s okay too. The point of this lengthy blog post is this… It doesn’t matter where you come from, what things you face, YOU are never alone. Though sometimes it might seem like it, none of us are ever alone.  BOOKS are what brought us together at UTopYA, but our experiences this past weekend is what united us and what will continue to unite us. This whole experience was more than just meeting you’re favorite author/blogger/virtual friend, it was the start to something much more, a community, a FAMILY. I really hope I get to come back to this family next year and hope those of you who haven’t had the chance to experience the love and support will get to go this coming year.


So if I had to sum my experience in one word…. CHANGE… that would be my word, because it doesn’t matter if you were an author, blogger, or avid reader, no one walked away the same. Everyone changed in some shape or form. It made me realize the author's I idolize like Tiffany King, Michelle Leighton, Amy Bartol, Heather Hildenbrand, Misty Provencher, Samantha Young, Chelsea Fine, and many more are just as real as you and me. I got to meet them and that right there was the best thing of all! 
This poster was one of the best things I got! Seriously LOVE it... hate what it cost me to have it sent home. I also was able to get a lot of swag to be given away. I'll post the pics of that at the bottom, but I'm waiting for the Naughty Mafia that's coming here to Vegas in August to see what else I can get my hands on. This way someone can get a lot of awesomeness! 

So keep an eye out on what's coming up in the next month or so! If you haven't picked up your ticket for next year's UtopYA Con you should get on that now!





AWESOMENESS------>
All the swag in the picture is going to be in the giveaway. Some of the bookmarks & post cards are signed.










Monday, July 15, 2013

Cover Reveal- Tiffany King

So we all love Tiffany King right? I mean how could you  not? Well I got the pleasure of meeting her at UTopYA Con and she's as sweet in person as she is online. I'm seriously surprised I didn't faint because I was in awe. Tiffany is definitely one of my favorite authors and someone I idolize. So it with my extreme pleasure to show you the next book in The Daemon Hunter Series. I absolutely loved Jordyn, so if you haven't picked that up you should get on that by clicking Here it is after all only 99 Pennies!!

So without further ado I present you with Tiffany King's cover to Jordyn and the Caverns of Gloom!!!


Lies. 
My so-called family lied.
My friends lied.
The only guy I ever liked lied.
My mentor, the one I was supposed to trust lied.
My entire existence is built on lies and yet now they want my help. Scratch that, now they need my help. I'll play the good soldier, but I am no longer the person I was before. This time it will be on my terms. I will trust no one.
I am a weapon. I am Jordyn.


Absolutely gorgeous and intriguing right? So can't wait to get my hands on this book! Expected release AUGUST 2013!!

USA Today Best Selling author, Tiffany King is the author of the Young Adult titles:The Saving Angels SeriesWishing for Someday SoonForever Changed,Unlikely AlliesMiss Me Not, and Jordyn: A Daemon Hunter Novel book one. She also has a New Adult title called No Attachments.

Writer by day and book fanatic the rest of the time, she is now pursuing her life-long dream of weaving tales for others to enjoy. She has a loving husband and two wonderful kids. (Five, if you count her three spoiled cats). Her addictions include: Her iphone and ipad, chocolate, Diet Coke, chocolate, Harry Potter, chocolate, and her favorite TV shows. Want to know what they are? Just ask.

Where to connect with Tiffany


Twitter@AuthorTiffany
FacebookTiffany King
PinterestTiffany King
GoodreadsTiffany King


"Books provide the ultimate getaway for me. A good story is a vehicle that takes you to another place, another time, or another world. I love reading the words and letting my imagination do the rest. I appreciate and respect every author who has the courage to put your work out there for the world to see."