My Favorite Reads Giveaway Hop

June 1st - 6th

 

Giving Away: 

An E-Book Copy of

Unbound (The Forbidden Bond Series)

by Cat Miller

Product Description

Betrayal, passion, family secrets, murder, and vampires... 

What else would one expect during their freshman year of college?

After her birth, Danielle Vaughn, and her mother were ushered out of town in a surreptitious attempt to save her life; vampire prejudice can be deadly.

Like any normal nineteen year old, her biggest worry in life was blending in and working hard to keep her grades up. Her departure from a small town in search of a higher education causes a domino effect; she quickly finds herself maneuvering through a maze of enemies and lovers who are all hell bent on capturing her at any cost.

Danielle’s life is turned upside down by the return of her father and the society of vampires that shattered her human mother’s life. She must find a way to survive in the new world she is thrust into by a power hungry rogue on the hunt for gifted vampire youth. The hierarchy of the vampire nation is rocked by the existence of a 

demi-vamp who has challenged 

their narrow-minded views of the human race.

Warning: Adult Content

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Review: The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher

I am currently in emotional OVERLOAD from reading this story!!!!  I don’t even know where to start...  this story made me angry, sad and happy over and over again but mostly angry.  I couldn’t keep track of how many times that I wanted to slap the shit out of, Olivia, the main female character!!!   The story is about a guy and girl (Caleb and Olivia) who meet and date in college for about a year but then separate and don’t see each other until 4 years later when they run into one another in a music store.  Olivia is the quiet type and he is a popular jock.  She has no intentions of ever dating him but he tries everything he can to get to know her better.    I know!! I know!! You are thinking that this sounds like the beginning of most love stories but I promise you it’s not.  There is no happily ever after here!!

 These two have a crazy relationship.  After weeks of trying to get Olivia to date him, Caleb gives up and moves on but guess who gets jealous?!?!   Yep!! You guessed right!   At this point in the story, I knew I did not like Olivia and that feeling never went away.  The girl can’t figure out what she wants and then when she thinks she knows, she LIES to get it! 

What makes this story even more interesting is that Caleb has amnesia from a car accident and when he sees Olivia in the music store he doesn’t know her.  So, now what do you think this evil girl does??  She pretends to not know him in the hopes that she can win him back again.  This sets in motion many more lies that again made me IRATE!!  But, Olivia has no idea what she is up against.  Caleb’s current girlfriend, Leah, will also do whatever she needs to do to keep her man.   Leah and Olivia battle it out for Caleb’s love and my opinion is that neither one were worthy of it!  I know it sounds like I didn’t like this story but the truth is I LOVED this story for all its drama.  I would hate Olivia one minute and then the next I was smiling at how caring and patient Caleb was.  In my opinion, Caleb should have dumped them both on their asses and found a new woman!!  I may have shouted that at my kindle once or twice but he never did listen to me. Hehe!! 

There is so much more to this story and I could go on and on but if I do I might ruin it for you, so go buy it and let me know if you dislike Olivia as much as I do.  

--A review by Jennifer

Check out the emotion inspiring author, Tarryn Fisher on FACEBOOK, like her FAN PAGE and find all the nitty gritty on her WEB PAGE

You Might Also Like:

Easy by Tammara Webber

Yesterday morning, I saw a couple of my favorite authors posting that 'Easy' by Tammara Webber was now available. Having LOVED her previous work, I hit 'buy now' immediately and dove in! Last evening, I turned the last page on this award-worthy novel and found myself almost speechless. In all honesty, it would have likely taken me maybe half a day to complete, but I'm a busy mom... stealing moments with the pages here and there I wrapped it up in one day.    

The story is inspirational! Touching heavily on some very serious issues like rape, self-defense, suicide, murder, and forgiveness... I really and truly felt moved! This is all second to the love and romance, which is um, hot! While I personally wanted to reach in and SHAKE the bats out of the main character, 'Jackie' ... I could also see why she made many of the choices she made.       Let me explain...

Public service announcement to any woman who doesn't report a rape or near rape. A message to any woman who has ever wandered into the night alone, who ever thought 'It'd never happen to me' or 'He's too nice of a guy to hurt me'.... Please, I BEG you to pick up this story and let the author explain to you (so much better than I ever could) WHY you're mistaken.

Off the deep subjects... as I said, I couldn't put the story down! I interrupted my husband's softball game TWICE to update him on the development. He blames me for causing him to strike out. I blame him being a pansy-ass (it's slow pitch softball for crying out loud). 

Jackie is trying to pick up the pieces after a crappy break-up with her long-time boyfriend Kennedy. I hated Kennedy. Think Warner from Legally Blonde. Ya, total tool! Desperately trying to catch up in the classes she missed while hurting, she's assigned a tutor. Never having met him, all of their correspondences are via e-mail. She's falling for him fast! The problem? Well, aside from the obvious, she's also got a thing for the mysterious man who saved her from her would-be attack. Who will she choose? What will she do? Can she get over Kennedy hurting her so? And what about the ass-hat would be rapist? Oh man, I'm ITCHING to explain further, but not being the one to spoil I must stop here :(

Just know, this is a powerful story full of love, lust, HEAT, turmoil, emotional depths rarely seen in YA, drama, laughter (lots of laughter, as the character dialogue is slap yo'mama funny) and every other adjective that describes AWESOME! Ya, let's just go with that - AWESOME!

The only question that begs to be asked now, is WHY are you still reading my 'review'??? You SHOULD be hitting 'buy now' and be reading the story! GO!

Product Description

A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion.

A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal.

Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, stalked by her ex's frat brother, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Her econ professor gives her an email address for Landon, the class tutor, who shows her that she's still the same intelligent girl she's always been. As Jacqueline becomes interested in more from her tutor than a better grade, his teasing responses make the feeling seem mutual. There's just one problem--their only interactions are through email.

Meanwhile, a guy in her econ class proves his worth the first night she meets him. Nothing like her popular ex or her brainy tutor, Lucas sits on the back row, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. At a downtown club, he disappears after several dances that leave her on fire. When he asks if he can sketch her, alone in her room, she agrees--hoping for more.

Then Jacqueline discovers a withheld connection between her supportive tutor and her seductive classmate, her ex comes back into the picture, and her stalker escalates his attention by spreading rumors that they've hooked up. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

(Mature Young Adult/ New Adult)

This author is made of AWESOME! You can find her personally on FACEBOOK , follow her FAN PAGE , stalk her BLOG , and give her a shout out on TWITTER

And be sure to check out her Between the Lines series, that got me hooked from the start!

          

You Might Also Like:

      

Addison Moore Interview/Giveaway WINNERS!

An e-copy of Ethereal, book 1 in The Celestra Series

1. Amber Garcia

2. Jessica Ramirez

3. Brandy Dawn Lee

4. Danielle Smiley

5. Melissa P.

A SIGNED Bookmark

**Gwenrybeck24@hotmail.com

Congrats ladies! I'll be sending out an e-mail in which you'll have 24hours to respond, telling me how you wish to claim your prize (kindle, nook, etc.) Or to provide me with a mailing address for the bookmark.

Thank you to to EVERYONE who participated, to all those who visited the blog, and mostly, to the woman of the hour - Miss Addison Moore! 

Look for more giveaways/interviews in the future!

Coming up :

June 1-6, 2012
My Favorite Reads Giveaway Hop
Prize - An e-copy of Unbound (A Forbidden Bond Novel) by Cat Miller

June 2012
Author Spotlight - Cat Miller
Come enjoy Miss Miller taking OVER BookSnobs for an entire week!
Interviews, Experts, Prizes, and MORE!

Addison Moore Interview/Giveaway

Enter To Win ME!

**The light of my reader delight Miss Addison Moore, author of the wildly popular Celestra Series was gracious enough to open herself up to my prying mind for a little Q&A. After I calmed down from 'psycho-fan-girl' status, I compiled the following list of what I was just dieing to know.. and she did NOT dissapoint! Great thanks goes out to this amazing woman for sharing her thoughts with me, and taking the time to address her fans with humility, gratitude, and most importantly, LOVE! I hope you enjoy reading as much as I have ! If you haven't read The Celestra Series (whaaattt???) Now's your chance to get started! Enter to win the first book Ethereal by commenting on this post. FIVE winners will be chosen at random and announced on Monday, 5/28/2012. If you enter anonymously, be sure to include a contact e-mail. A single comment is all that is required for entry. Of course, If you WANTED to follow the blog/FACEBOOK/TWITTER, or share my page.. that's totally okay too ;)Thank you, and good luck! -- Tyra

**Update - Addison just gave me the go ahead to add a SIGNED bookmark to the pot, so make sure you're leaving a comment, and getting entered to win this awesome prize! 

Addison -Thank you SO much Book snobs for having me! I’m super thrilled to be here! 

All about Addison: The woman, The writer…

1. How did you get started writing? Was it always a dream of yours, or something that you happened upon? 

AM: I’ve always written. I think most writers are born with a pencil in their hand! I can’t relax unless I’m reading a book or working on one. It’s like breathing. I have to do it to survive.

2. Do you need anything special when you write?

AM: I need the strangest item and I’m embarrassed to say, but I need to wear sound protecting earmuffs, the kind they wear on the runway to help land 747’s. I need to block out all the noise that my rambunctious household can generate. I’m pretty sure they can give any 747 engine a run for its money. 

3. When you’re not writing, what do you read for inspiration or just enjoyment? 

AM: I read everything! I read YA, women’s fiction, romantic comedies, bestsellers. To me it’s like doing research and having fun all at the same time!

4. If writing hadn’t panned out for you, what other career path would you have followed? 

AM: I would have still written. I can’t imagine a life without creating stories. Aside from writing I worked as a therapist on a locked psychiatric unit for over seven years. I’d probably be doing that. The only reason I left was the simple fact the unit I worked on closed. 

5. Any advice for an aspiring young writer hoping to tap into the success you’ve found? 

AM: Read everything and write every day. That’s it. It’s so important to keep on trucking even when it doesn’t look too promising. Never give up. Don’t let others kill your dream. And don’t be afraid to dream big. 

6. What does being “Indie” mean to you? 

AM: To me being ‘indie’ simply means bypassing a congested network of red tape to get my story out to readers. Ultimately readers are the gatekeepers and they vote with their dollars what they would and wouldn’t like to buy or read. I love the freedom and the speed in which I can put out novels. I consider ‘indie’ to mean independent. 

7. Self publishing vs. branching out with a large publishing company… pros? Cons? 

AM: I think there’s room for both. I have no qualms with traditional publishing. I think the pros and cons are individual to each writer so it’s something each person needs to take into consideration and weigh for themselves. I’d love to do both, but I would never give up publishing on my own to go exclusively traditional. 

8. When did you first realize that your stories would catch on, and make an impact in the hearts and minds of readers alike? 

AM: It’s every writers dream to have readers. I’m very fortunate to have a group of wonderful readers and I’m humbled by the fact so many of them have stopped in to tell me via facebook, twitter, blogs, email, that they recommend my books to their friends. It’s a gift to have such nice people enjoying your work.

9. What has been the biggest “OMG” moment for you, in your writing career thus far? 

AM: I think when I received the call that 20th Century Fox was interested in optioning my series for film. That was beyond exciting. 

10. Where would you just love to see your work go in the future? 

AM: I would love to see my readership expand and blossom. I really do love my readers like family. The more the merrier, right? 

Life on Paragon…

1. Your world and characters are so unique. HOW did you come up with such an interesting concept?

AM: I have to confess I’m a notorious daydreamer. I have bad case of losing myself in fantasyland whenever the opportunity presents itself, or doesn’t. So in the midst of all this I imagined an island with a fun group of semi-psychotic people and the rest is Celestra history. 

2. Did you have the whole story mapped out in your head when you began writing The Celestra Series? Or do you make it up as you go?

AM: I’ve had the end with me before I ever penned the beginning. I need to know where I’m going with a story. Once a long time ago I tried to ‘pants’ (wing) a story and ended up painting myself in a corner. It was the only story I ever abandoned before I finished. I never forgot that, and now I outline something concrete before I bother putting fingers to keyboard. 

3. Had you anticipated what a raving success your stories would be with readers like myself?

AM: Oh my gosh you are too kind! I’m just thrilled to pieces that nice people like you are reading it. Whenever a reader tells me they are rereading the series I nearly fall out of my chair. I can’t thank readers enough for their kindness. 

4. Um, Fox TV huh?? That’s got to be the coolest thing since sliced bread! How did all that come about exactly? 

AM: I know, right??? I honestly must say that was nothing short of a miracle. It’s been one wild ride from the moment I hit publish with ETHEREAL. It’s just beyond words. I’m really fortunate to have been picked up for film with the intent of turning it into a TV series and if this were as far as it went I would still cherish this entire experience. It’s been a surreal gift.

5. Any ambitions for how Paragon and its residents will play out on the small screen, should it come to pass?

AM: I have no idea what they plan on doing as far as how close to the books they would stick but I for sure would love to read the scripts and see what they came up with. I hope they would stick pretty close to Paragon and it’s foggy environment. I have such a clear picture of how the island looks. As far as the characters I suppose an actor or actress would bring each character to life in their own unique way, and that would be a lot of fun to watch.

6. Who’s your favorite character to write for?

AM: Tad and Marshall, with Chloe bringing up the rear. I love all the dark humor and quirkiness they involve. 

7. Logan, Gage, Marshall Oh, My! If Sklya weren’t in the picture, who would you snag for yourself?

AM: Can I say all three? I love all three for very different reasons. I’ll give you my go-to answer and say Marshall because I want to side-step Logan and Gage (I don’t like playing favorites with those two because I love them so much). 

8. With so many, how do you keep all the characters and their separate storylines straight in your head?

AM: I don’t. I have a storybook with everyone’s info, storyline and intention. My memory’s not perfect by a long shot. 

9. Which of your characters do you think your readers are most opinionated about?

AM: Skyla for sure with Marshall as a close second. I think with Skyla, she’s feisty and prone to gravitate towards disaster which is a writers dream, but some readers find that a difficult combination. Marshall is an acquired taste, but oh what a heavenly taste he is. 

10. Not everyone can have a happily ever after… When the series wraps with the final book, any plans for a spin-off to follow up with our favorite NON-main characters??

AM: Well, I do, but it’s not your typical spin-off. I’m moving Skyla and the remaining characters to another series that picks up pretty much where Celestra leaves off. Celestra is going to end in a place that will hopefully leave readers satisfied in knowing who Skyla ends up with, and, if they’re further interested in her life they can follow the next series as well. I’ll divulge more info before book 8 hits the e-shelves. I’m excited!!!

** All 6 books of The Celestra Series are currently available for purchase on Barnes & Noble and Smashwords, but of course, I personally recommend that you purchase from Amazon by clicking the pic/links below! 

Be sure to follow this wonder of a woman on FACEBOOK, BLOGSPOT, and TWITTER

           

           

Pulled by A. L. Jackson

Thank goodness for this story! I've been in quite the rut lately, not having found anything 'review worthy' in a little while. I found myself kind of depressed and had revisited some of my past favorites to lift my mood. Once again, Amazon came through for me, putting Pulled on my recommendations list. *Thank you Amazon! I've got to admit... The cover is what drew me in first. So classic and beautiful. The title was next.. It suggests something powerful, above control. Add those to the blurb, and I hit "BUY NOW" in a fever, eager to dive in!

**WARNING** While no real info is divulged, this review may be a tad bit spoilerish..... So, where do I begin? What makes this story note-worthy? Well, let's start with EVERYHTING! Hmm... too vague for you? Okay, Okay.. let's just start at the beginning....

The sixth word in the story is 'shit'! Why is that important? Well, I read a lot of YA novels, and as much as I adore them, the truth is... I'm not an adolescent anymore. So, reading a more mature story was really refreshing for me. Pulled revolves around a young woman close to my age. Zombie like, suffering through the day-to-day hell of a loveless marriage. Loveless because when she was still a teenager, her one and only love was ripped away from her. Not only did she lose Daniel at such a tender age, but their unborn child as well. So she's spent the past 9 years living in fear of the abusive bastard Nicholas, whom she married as a way to escape and leave all the pain of her past behind. The catch is, she never left it behind. Scared with the proof that she once bore a child, whom she never got to meet, Melanie could never forget all that she's lost. After all this time, she thought Daniel had moved on, loved another, so she resigned herself to suffer in silence.  Little does she know, Daniel never did move on. His heart still belongs to her and he suffers the loss of their child just as greatly as she.

As depressing as all that is, I could kind of relate. Much of the story is told in flashback form. A 27yr old woman remembering the love she found as a teenager. You see, I too was also a teenage mother. I could feel Melanie's pain and fear when faced with the obstacles she and Daniel had in front of them. I remember the terror when trying to tell your father that you've gone and gotten yourself knocked up. Lucky for me, my story didn't have such a tragic ending. I don't know if this is an experience that the author A. L. Jackson had first hand, but one thing's for sure - SHE NAILED IT!

A chance reunion between Melanie and Daniel turns everything upside down. Finally, the chance to right all the wrongs of their past, only one thing stands in their way... the abusive Nicholas who want's what he want's, when he wants it. And what he wants? Melanie. Not to have and hold, but just to HAVE! He'll stop at nothing to keep her down. Infidelity is never looked upon lightly but damn, what choice did she ever really have? Almost as though time is repeating itself, Melanie and Daniel find themselves sneaking around once again to be together.. the way they were always meant to be!

This story touched on so many controversial issues. Teen pregnancy, infidelity, domestic abuse. But while all of those NEED to be addressed, what really stands out is LOVE! 'Pulled' is the most accurate a title there ever was! Melanie and Daniel have the kind of love that never dies. We're talking true soul-mate shit right here! Able to feel each others presence, and always gravitating towards what fate demands to be! The plot thickens oh, so much farther than what I've led on.. but I'll leave you to find all those twists, turns and hurdles. A. L. Jackson played this story like a fine-tuned instrument. She brought it in softly, hit each high and low note, held the crescendo, and wrapped it up flawlessly. Nothing is left to be desired by the time you reach the last page. Thank goodness! I simply would not have been able to sleep until I knew how all the ends were tied. She elaborates when essential and knows just how to get to the gist as to not make the read too 'wordy'. This story ripped my heart right out more than once, and convinced me that I should buy stock in Kleenex. It also warmed me from the inside out! The love-scenes were passionate and fulfilling without being so intimate that you felt trashy or strange for being privy to such intimate exchanges. She has one more story available that I'll be starting on tonight! I don't even know what it's about (that's honesty right there) but after being swept away by Pulled, I'd read an instructional manual that had A. L. Jackson's name on it!

An attraction so great it cannot be denied.

A tragedy so great it rips them apart.

A love so strong it refuses to die.

Will the power that Pulled them back together be enough?

Do your heart a solid, and pick up Pulled today!

And check out the amazing woman behind this tale on FACEBOOK ... BLOGSPOT ... TWITTER

And be sure to check out her other available novel 'Take This Regret' ... I know I will!

       

You Might Also Like:

Consume by Shelly Crane

Coming Soon!

May 22, 2012

The sequel, and FINAL novel in the Devour Series by the insanely talented Shelly Crane will be available soon! To celebrate, be sure to pick up the first book in the Series, Devour which is now only  $0.99 in anticipation of this release! So good, you don't want to miss it! Hurry! It won't last long!

Book Description

Clara has it all. A wrestling star boyfriend, popular friends, all the right school activities...pretty much a perfect life...up until her parents died. Now she lives with the Pastor and his family and though they take good care of her, she feels alone. Then her boyfriend, Tate, starts to show signs of trouble when a new guy, Eli, comes to town. Clara is fascinated with him but hides it until something happens. Eli confesses to her that she gives him something he's never had before...something he needs. Everything is about to change for this normal, pretty, popular girl in a supernatural way.

                                          

     

You Might Also Like

  

Enchant Me by Anne Violet

I honestly can't remember how I came across this novel on Amazon, but it was likely through my 'recommendations' page. I've been feeling the need to get back into a paranormal world and of course, I do love me some YA so this seemed the perfect fit. There weren't a lot of ratings to go off of and I kind of love that about a book. I enjoy reading what hasn't been over rated, publicized and read yet. Why? I honestly don't know but it probably has something to do with my ego 

loving to be among the first to say "I Loved It" before everyone else jumps on the wagon. haha.

Enchant me was a quick read and held everything I look for in a good YA paranormal romance! The story started strong and drew me in from the first page! The progression was very natural and unforced. While the events unfolded, the reader is given the needed information at the right time to be able to have a full understanding of what's going on, all without ever really being able to pin down "the plot". I love that about this story! So often I can accurately predict almost exactly how a story will play out by the end of chapter three. Anne Violet kept me guessing! The characters were unique but at the same time, completely reminded me of people I could find myself around in real life.

Alexis is her own person, marches to the beat of her own drum but manages to do it in a way that still allows her to blend seamlessly into society. High school drama has been hard on her, but she pushes through with a resolve to remain true to herself. The very level-headed girl's life is currently in turmoil after a nasty break-up with an even nastier Nicholas. We don't get all the details about this right off the bat and normally, that would have bothered me. However, the author did fill us in on all the 'need to know' at just the right moment, when it was essential to the story line. The mysterious Christan enters play at just the right moment and brings those butterflies to the story that I so look forward to in a YA read!

The romance between Christan and Alexis is sugar sweet, yet has some of those raging hormones begging to be obeyed. They fall fast which usually bothers me in a story but in this case, I could totally see it. Thinking back to being 17 myself, I remember how instantly your entire world can change and how you suddenly revolve around HIM, not the sun. When problems find the two of them, I literally felt punched in the gut! This wasn't a tear jerker for me but when I felt my heart breaking for them, I realized that I too, had fallen in love.

The paranormal aspect to this story came a little suddenly but after that, was really well played out. Many stories depict characters being suddenly thrust into a crazy world of witches, vampires, werewolves or something else otherworldly and just being catapulted into all the frenzy without any prior background in that world. Enchant Me actually had some build up and historical resonance behind all the Druid Magic, so I felt that it really progressed quite naturally. It made the way the characters had to 'switch gears' seem more believable.

When trouble finally came to paradise, I was really relieved to find that it did so in way that wasn't apocalyptic. By this, I mean that these young people didn't go from worrying about prom and grades one minute to saving the world (literally) the next. The "trouble in paradise" as I said is more indicative  of what young people would ACTUALLY be faced with - a psycho ex-boyfriend was a much more believable hurdle to climb than so many other reads offer.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the world Anne Violet has created and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. I see large talent and promise, as this story in particular just flowed in a way that comes from true writing talent! Having a story in your mind isn't always enough for a writer... being able to put it to paper eloquently is (I'm guessing) the larger challenge and I personally believe that this author has got the MAGIC TOUCH!

If you'd like to learn more, please follow Anne Violet on FACEBOOK

This read was a STEAL at only $0.99 and you'd be just crazy not to pick it up!

Product Description

Rumors. Magic. Secrets. Attraction.

While 17 year old Alexis Maher never thought she would live an ordinary life, she wasn't sure she would survive the kind of excitement she had now. After breaking up with her boyfriend of nearly a year he proceeds to spread rumors about her, making her one of the most hated juniors of Crescent Point High. If that wasn't enough, her grandmother dropped a bombshell. Alexis is about to come into her Druid powers, and it isn't going to be a pleasant process either. While most teens would welcome becoming psychic and telekinetic, Alexis isn't one of them.

Just when her life is falling apart she meets Christian Marino, a gorgeous, mysterious senior whom she falls for faster than she would have ever thought possible. But her ex-boyfriend turned stalker takes exception to their rapidly developing relationship, and he's becoming increasingly dangerous. Then it becomes apparent that Christian has secrets of his own.

Somehow she has to safely transition into her powers, uncover Christian's secret and save them both from Nicolas's vengeance.

If you would like to see the book trailer for this story--look up "Enchant Me book trailer" on You Tube. More video diary moments from Alexis will be coming in the future.

From the Author

I am very excitedly writing book two, which will be told from Christian's point of view. He's a much darker person than Alexis, and so book two has a different feel then Enchant Me. I can't wait to see what happens with Alexis and Christian in Ireland.

Thanks again to all my readers.

You Might Also Like: