Blog Tour: Disclosure of the Heart by Mary Whitney

 

Thanks to Literati Author Services for hosting this tour.

Disclosure of the Heart

Beside Your Heart 2

Author: Mary Whitney 
Pages: 206 pgs
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: November 5th 2013
Review Source: Publisher

Sixteen years is a long time to wait for your true love to reappear, and, anyway, Nicki Johnson couldn’t wait for the impossible to happen. Hard life lessons have taught her that fairy tales are children’s stories, and fate is cruel. Burying her hopes, she’s spent the last sixteen years focused and driven toward her career, and it’s landed her with a job at the White House with a gem of a boyfriend. But when her high school love, Adam Kincaid, walks into the White House as a BBC reporter, Nicki’s world is thrown into turmoil as she relives their past. Adam has come back for her, but has he arrived too late?

The first book in this series was all about how our main characters, Nicki Johnson and Adam Kincaid, first met. Which just so happened to be in high school, not long after Nicki's sister died in an accident. We get to watch the ups and downs of falling in love at seventeen and the reality of separation when Adam has to return to England at the end of their school year.

In this second book, these two characters are reunited after sixteen years. Mary didn't a wonderful job of showing the dynamics change in their relationship from high school to how they were as adults. The stress of jobs,  their friends and significant others, even the bonus of technological advances all play a roll.

This also helped to show, at least in my opinion, the strength of their love and connection. Nicki and Adam seemed to have just the right moments together, with such ease and witty banter, they just worked. Bring in anyone and you could tell right off the bat that things just weren't the same.

My heart goes out to these two characters with all they have been through and I definitely want them to have their happily ever after. It looks like things might be headed in that direction, but with one more book to tie everything together, there's bound to be more drama and hurdles for these two lovebirds to conquer.

*GIVEAWAY TIME*

Kindle (US Only) signed paperbacks, ebooks, and gift cards.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Even before she graduated from law school, Mary Whitney knew she wasn’t cut out to be a real lawyer. Drawn to politics, she’s spent her career as an organizer, lobbyist, and nonprofit executive. Nothing piques her interest more than a good political scandal or romance, and when she stumbled upon writing, she put the two together. A born Midwesterner, naturalized Texan, and transient resident of Washington, D.C., Mary now lives in Northern California with her two daughters and real lawyer husband.

Connect:  Blog |Twitter | Facebook |Amazon Author Page | Pinterest | Goodreads

Give the Gift of Cinder!

For our first big book event my sister and I went Teen Book Con, which is a local event hosted by our favorite bookshop (Blue Willow). That was how we first got to meet Marissa Meyer and get our hands on a copy of Cinder.

The copy was actually supposed to be for me, but at one point my sister decided that she wanted to check it out. And like many close sisters we share our books and such, so I of course let her borrow it. Her enthusiasm over Cinder only made me even more excited to read it, and thus our obsession with the Lunar Chronicles began!

Here is the link to my review of Cinder.

Are you dying to read Cress?
Do you love The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer?
Do you know someone who hasn’t read The Lunar Chronicles yet?

If you’ve said YES to all these questions, here’s what you do:

1.       Loan a friend a copy of Cinder.
2.       Write a blog post explaining why you gave that friend a copy of Cinder.
3.       Have your friend review Cinder on his/her blog OR on your blog.
4.       Share the review online using the #GiftOfCinder hashtag!
5.       Leave us the links for your blog post, review of Cinder, and social share on this post below!

We’ll pick twenty winners to receive an advanced copy of the upcoming Cress, the third installment in The Lunar Chronicles.

And mark your calendars… #CyborgMonday is coming on December 2, 2013.

Waiting on Wednesday: Rebel Springs

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, which spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

(Coming December 2013)

Love, power, and magic collide with war in the second book of the Falling Kingdoms series

Auranos has fallen and the three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now united as one country called Mytica. But still, magic beckons, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the world...

When the evil King Gaius announces that a road is to be built into the Forbidden Mountains, formally linking all of Mytica together, he sets off a chain of events that will forever change the face of this land, forcing Cleo the dethroned princess, Magnus the reluctant heir, Lucia the haunted sorceress, and Jonas the desperate rebel to take steps they never could have imagined.

 

I absolutely loved the first book in this series. Morgan created fascinating characters and really managed to pull readers into the world she created. I've been anxiously awaiting this sequel. And not only is the book bound to be wonderful, but isn't this next cover gorgeous! It sets the tone nicely, just like the one for Falling Kingdoms.

What are you waiting on? 

Blog Tour: Leave the Lights On by Karen Stivali + Giveaway

 

Thanks to Literati Author Services for hosting this tour.

Leave the Lights On

Author: Karen Stivali
Pages: 238 pgs
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: November 5th 2013
Review Source: Author

 "When love throws you a curve, swing for the fences. "

Parker Wood's dreams of becoming a professional baseball player are shattered when he's injured in a devastating car crash. After two years in hospitals and physical rehab facilities, he's ready to move back to his childhood home and take over the family landscaping company. The house and business are his, now that his father has passed.

Sophie Vaughn has suffered through a hellishly public divorce from a husband who couldn't manage to stay faithful for two months of marriage. Determined not to let her personal drama impact her successful wedding and party planning business, she buys her parents' old house, hoping the comfort of familiar surroundings will help her heal.

When Parker and Sophie discover they're neighbors once again, it's as if time has stood still. Their friendship is quickly rekindled, along with the decade-long crush neither of them ever admitted having. Then the heat between them exposes a long-held secret that threatens to tear them apart...unless they can detach from their painful pasts and move forward-together.

Warning: Contains sultry summer nights, steamy pool-side encounters, and you'll never look at a jar of peanut butter the same way again.

This was a fun, light read that I really enjoyed getting to delve into.

Parker and Sophie were two people dealing with difficult pasts and trying to move forward with their lives. It was fun, and sweet, seeing them reconnect and find comfort in one another. The things they'd been through should have left them bitter, but Karen did a wonderful job of showing the connection and love both Parker and Sophie had with each other. 

Karen also kept the angst at bay, which I was grateful for. Sure there were moments where it seemed as though heart ache was about to fall with ex's, friends, and parents threatening their happiness, but in the end her characters seemed to find a way to move beyond it. Sometimes an ooohy-gooey romance is just what the doctor ordered and that's exactly what this is.

The romance and sweetness for Parker were just right, leaving me sad to see it end. I wanted to continue with more of the story (*hint hint*), but was happy that both Sophie and Parker had a beautiful ending, and in some ways a beautiful beginning.

If your looking for a story to make you sigh with contentment, and giggle at the feels, then this is definitely the book for you.

*GIVEAWAY TIME*

Tour-Wide Giveaway  (Open Internationally)

• $25 Gift Card (Choice of Amazon or Barnes & Noble)
• Choice of ebook from author’s backlist

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies and fictional British men. When she’s not writing, she can be found cooking extravagant meals and serving them to family and friends, who never seem to mind the excessive quantities she tends to prepare. She attributes her ability to multitask to the fact that she rarely sleeps, which gives her more hours every day. Prior to deciding to write full time Karen worked as a hand drawn animator, a clinical therapist, and held various food-related jobs ranging from waitress to specialty cake maker. Planning elaborate parties and fundraisers takes up what’s left of her time and sanity.

Karen has always been fascinated by the way people relate to one another so she favors books and movies that feature richly detailed characters and their relationships. In her own writing she likes to explore the dynamics between characters and has a tendency to craft romantic tales filled with sarcasm and sexy details. Although she writes in three genres (erotic romance, contemporary romance and women’s fiction) all of her stories are love stories with happily ever after endings.

Karen has published several erotic romance novels with Ellora’s Cave including two award winning stories: Always You (published September 2011, First Place Winner of the RWA Passionate Plume Award – 2012)and Marry Me (published June 2012, First Place Winner in the NEC-RWA Bean Pot Reader’s Choice Award – 2013).

Connect with the Author:  Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

Release Day Event: Chosen by Paulina Ulrich

Description: Nothing can stand in the way of outspoken, rule-breaker-extraordinaire, Kaddy Richston…except destiny. Born with wildly colored hair and piercing gray eyes Kaddy knew she was different, but she set her sights on her ambitious dreams of being in a rock band and leaving her small town behind along with the painful memories of her past.

But destiny has other plans for her.

When the calm, cool, and always collected Cole Huntington enters her life he takes a strange interest in her, his striking blue eyes never wandering far from her every move. Despite her efforts to push him away, he plans on unraveling every single one of Kaddy’s dark secrets even though he has some of his own.

Despising each other from the start, Kaddy is determined to undermine whatever intentions he has until she learns of a destiny she never asked for. The fate of the world lies in her hands as she learns how different she really is. The only person she can turn to for answers is the last person she’d want help from: Cole Huntington who seems to dislike her rule-breaking as much as she dislikes his rule-following.

Sometimes destiny sucks.

An excerpt:
 

“Kaddy, wait.” I heard Mike trailing me as I turned out of the Wheel Barrel.

            I pressed a hand to my temple and sighed. “Yeah?”

            “You okay? I know you didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.” Mike scratched the back of his head and looked down at me, worried. “Maybe some lunch will help.”

            “What I need is sleep, and what needs to happen is for me to stop having these stupid night terrors.” I leaned back against the hot brick building for a moment.

            “You can’t help it. It’s not your fault.” Mike leaned on his shoulder next to me, his hands deep in his apron pockets.

            “I know, but I hate it. Why can’t they stop?” I smacked my hand to my forehead and sighed. Against my palm, my skin felt too warm. Was I getting sick? Great. It was the last thing I needed. “Do I feel warm to you?” I dropped my hand and looked over at Mike, giving him permission to touch me with a simple confirmation from my eyes.

            Slowly raising his arm, the back of his hand pressed against my cheek. “Damn, Kaddy. You’re burning up! Do you feel all right?”

            I shrugged. I did feel all right, just a little warm. “I feel fine. I need some sleep. Promise to plan on going to bed early tonight?” I doubted he would keep this promise. He and I always stayed up late writing music.

            Mike got a playful glint in his eye. “You know I’m a night owl. No promises there.”

            I sighed and rolled my eyes. “We both are.”

            Mike still had his hand pressed against my cheek until it shifted up to tug his gray beanie down on my forehead. “Maybe it’s just my awesome hat that’s making you overheat. Who wears a beanie in August?” he joked and I playfully scowled at him as I readjusted the knitted beanie.

            “Oh, I’m sure that’s it,” I laughed and gave him a gentle punch on the arm.

            “Whoa.” He took a step back. “You been working out or something? That hurt.” Mike held his upper arm like I had socked it with everything I had. I stood there waiting with my “really?” look and raised my eyebrows in anticipation for his mischievous face to appear. If Mike was anything, he was a jokester. Just like I expected, a few seconds later, he cracked a smile on his lips and started laughing.

            “You always think your little jokes are hilarious!” Even when I rolled my eyes, I couldn’t stop his infectious laughter from causing me to laugh.

            “Kadster, we know I tell the best jokes. I eat sarcasm for breakfast every day.” He winked and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I didn’t shy from his touch.

            “So do I, but no one but you finds anything I say funny.” I looked up at him as he walked me to the corner of the block, the direction of home. Only Mike called me the Kadster. Actually, he had a lot of nicknames for me and I didn’t mind it. He was one of the few I would let getaway with calling me things other than my name.

            “It’s because everyone is just jealous of the awesome friendship we’ve had since we were eight. Haters gonna hate.” He shrugged and his other hand pretended to dust off his shoulder. Mike was the only friend I counted on for anything. Long ago, we made a pact, and so far, he’s kept every word he promised to keep.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Paulina Ulrich  Bio:

I love to write because if I didn’t then I wouldn’t be telling stories, I wouldn’t have gotten a degree in creative writing, and my insanely fluffy cat wouldn’t be “assisting” my writing by laying on the keyboard. I am the author of the Flightless Bird series (Flightless Bird, Broken Wings, Fair Feathered, & Timeless Sky) and the Fighting Fate series (Chosen). I was raised to big dream or don’t dream at all and my highly active imagination has been the cause behind many of my stories. I write because life wouldn't be as fun without the occasional break or two from reality. With my cat and a glass of iced tea nearby you can find me weaving stories and when I’m not writing, I’m out buying way too many cute shoes.

Links:

Blog: http://www.paulinaulrich.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/paulinaulrich

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorpaulinaulrich

Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5142171.Paulina_Ulrich

Chosen  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17288041-chosen

Fighting Fate by Linda Kage

 

Thanks to AToMR for hosting this tour. Go HERE for the rest of the schedule. 

Fighting Fate

Granton University 1

Author: Linda Kage
Pages: 286 pgs
Genre: NA, Romance, Contemporary
Release Date: July 16th 2013
Review Source: Publisher

 *New Adult Romance*
**Minor explicit scenes and language**

Forgiving your brother's murderer may be noble, but falling in love with him borders on betrayal.

When Paige Zukowski enrolls at Granton University in honor of her dead brother, she has no idea fate will land her on the same campus with the very guy who killed him. But Logan Xander isn't quite the murderer she's always believed him to be.

A day hasn't passed since the tragedy that Logan doesn't wish he could go back and undo everything. It doesn't take Paige long to realize he's suffered as much as she has. Forgiving him for ruining her life might not be so impossible after all. But when she actually starts to like him and realizes he likes her in return, their true anguish begins.

Like most of the more contemporary stories I've been reading lately, I really didn't know what to expect with this one. The description, while setting the stage, really doesn't give this novel, or the author, justice. I am so glad that I gave this one a chance.

Linda dealt with some pretty tough issues in her debut novel. I enjoyed the fact that none of it was glossed over or pushed aside as though it didn't matter. In fact, nearly the entire time I read this I was either crying or tearing up. It was almost impossible to clearly read some of this pages, but I managed to make it through. It was worth it.

Paige and Logan were the main characters, and we got to hear from both of them in alternating points of view. Linda did a beautiful job of showing their struggles and how hard they worked to get past what had happened to them.. I loved their journey's, being able to watch them grow throughout and hated that it had to come to an end.

I can't even imagine what will be in store for us in book 2, but I can say that I'm looking forward to finding out.