Just Remember to Breathe

 Just Remember to Breathe

by

Charles Sheehan-Miles

Blurb:

Alex Thompson's life is following the script. A pre-law student at Columbia University, she's focused on her grades, her life and her future. The last thing she needs is to reconnect with the boy who broke her heart.

Dylan Paris comes home from Afghanistan severely injured and knows that the one thing he cannot do is drag Alex into the mess he's made of his life.

When Dylan and Alex are assigned to the same work study program and are forced to work side by side, they have to make new ground rules to keep from killing each other.

The only problem is, they keep breaking the rules.

The first rule is to never, ever talk about how they fell in love.

When I first read the blurb for Just Remember to Breathe, I knew that it had to be the book I had been waiting for.
 
Just Remember to Breathe was different, and in very many ways. The most profound way being that every so often I would have to remind myself that this wasn't my story written by someone who knew it.

This was fiction, and it was amazing.

The story grabs hold of you and does not let you go. I cried, I laughed, and I cried a little more.

When I turned to the last page, I was astounded. It was over. I wanted more, so much more. I had become completely invested in the world that Charles created, and I wanted...needed to know how the story would continue. Mostly, I wanted to hug Alex and Dylan. Watching, or reading as it were, the struggles of a wounded warrior and the woman who loved him was difficult. Here's why...

I understand this book.

I know this book.

I have lived this book.

Having said that, I must tell you that Just Remember to Breathe is, hands down, my FAVORITE book of 2012. This book is too good to pass up, and I beg of you, please read it. You may find yourself somewhere inside its pages too.

Don't forget to grab your copy by following one of the links below.

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

Elizabeth Marx Dual Cover Reveal

Well, I'm doing it again everyone!!! I have another cover reveal for you guys. However, this time I've got two covers! 

The beautiful, and wonderfully talented Elizabeth Marx has stopped by my lovely blog to give us all a sneak peek at the covers for her upcoming books, Descent of Blood and Ascent of Blood. She's also been gracious enough to give us the blurbs for both books, and I have to tell y'all that I am super excited to read these books. Before I show you guys the covers though, I'd love to tell you a little about Elizabeth.

 Windy city writer, Elizabeth Marx, brings cosmopolitan flair to her fiction, which is a blend of romance and fast-paced Chicago living with a sprinkle of magical realism. In her past incarnation, she was an interior designer--not decorator--which basically means she has a piece of paper to prove that she knows how to match and measure things and can miraculously make mundane pieces of furniture appear to be masterpieces. Elizabeth says that being an interior designer is one part shrink, one part marriage counselor,  and one part artist, skills eerily similar to those employed in writing. Elizabeth grew up in Illinois and has also lived in Texas and Florida. Is she's not pounding her head against the wall trying to get the words just right, you can find her at a softball field out in the boonies or sitting in the bleachers by a basketball court. Elizabeth resides with her husband, girls, and two cats who've spelled everyone into believing they're really dogs. Elizabeth has traveled extensively, but still says there's no place like Chi-Town.

You can find Elizabeth at the following links:

Elizabeth's Website 

Elizabeth's Facebook 

Elizabeth's Twitter 

Elizabeth's Email 

Elizabeth's Blog 

Now, I know what you're all thinking. Why can't we get on with the reveals, right??? Well, I am happy to inform you that the time has come!!! So what do you say we get started, huh? First up is Descent of Blood. 

 

Blurb:

When times are darkest, some vampires desire more than blood …
England, 1465. Mortal men clash in the War of the Roses for the English crown, while vampire warriors’ move undetected among their ranks, savoring the flow of blood that battlefields provide.

Vampire prince, Severian Pearce, fears the revelation of the immortal clans to humankind should King Henry fall from power. While in pursuit of Henry’s enemies, Severian comes to the aid of Meridian Neville, a human woman he craves—and not for the scent of her blood … Meridian is torn between honoring her father’s dying wish and her unexplainable yearning for Lord Severian. But as Severian and Meridian work together to protect a relic hunted by mortals and immortals alike, the red veil descends over them. This all-consuming attraction can drive immortals to the brink of madness. Will the existence of this powerful bond between a human and a vampire be enough to unite the immortal clans or is the red veil a scourge set on destroying any chance they might have of happiness?

When all hope is lost, one vampire will fight unto death for his forbidden love.
 

I know y'all want this book now. I know I do. So, what do you guys say we dive right in to the cover and blurb for Ascent of Blood?

 

Blurb:

Sometimes, love is conceived in the mind of a man long before it is ever realized.

1990, Cardiff, Wales.  Vampire prince, Sebastian Pearce, has waited six-hundred years for the right human mate. His own beloved mother was a mortal capable of carrying immortal offspring. While vampires no longer require live donors for sustenance, Mother Nature has played a cruel trick on them … making breeders a rare commodity. As numbers in his Imperial House dwindle, Sebastian’s virgin bride eludes him, until he happens upon a young woman searching for information about a sacred vampire text, the Book of Descent. Sebastian’s desire for her is more potent than anything he’s felt for another woman, but Everleigh Marbut isn’t innocent. She’s an American with a mind of her own, and worst of all, she’s already carrying an immortal being. Sebastian and Everleigh are so intent on fighting their attraction to each other and the influence of the red veil that they don’t realize they’re being pulled into a battle pitting medieval myth against the power of modern science to recreate life.

Please allow me to say that I am completely interested in reading these books. I absolutely cannot wait for the release! They're going to be wonderful. Thank you all for stopping by to check out the cover reveal, and an even bigger thank you to Elizabeth for allowing me to do this cover reveal for her. It's been great!!! Don't forget to head over to Amazon and check out other books by Elizabeth! You'll find the link below.

Amazon

 

 

Ten Tiny Breaths Cover Reveal

Okay guys and girls! I've got another cover reveal for y'all! My beautiful friend, the ever amazing and uber talented, K.A. Tucker is gearing up to release a new book called Ten Tiny Breaths. I can assure you that I am so stoked about this book, I'm not going to delay the reveal any longer. 

Here it is, in all it's glory!

Isn't it just spectacular?!

And now for the blurb that goes along with this absolutely stunning cover...

Blurb:

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgivable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

Do you guys see what I mean? This book is going to be noteworthy, and I can't wait to get my hands on it!

Make sure you guys grab K.A.'s Casual Enchantment series if you haven't already. It's a wonderful series, and I will be posting a review on all three of the book in the coming weeks. Make sure you check back for that! 

Be sure you follow the links below to learn more about K.A., Ten Tiny Breaths, and the Casual Enchantment series.

K.A.'s Facebook

K.A.'s Twitter

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Grab My Hand (Indie Authors & Bloggers Against Bullying)

My friends (Kismet & Kindred) over at Sparring Stepsisters recently started an anti-bullying campaign to let everyone know that they too are against bullying in any way, shape, or form. Kismet asked me if I would like to be a part of this campaign and of course, I jumped at the opportunity. I couldn't be any more against bullying if I tried. It's disgusting and ignorant and cruel. No one is perfect, and I'm of the firm belief that those who bully others are cowards or are trying to compensate for the lack of something be it love, understanding, guidance, what have you.

That being said, please allow me to share with you a story. One that will probably have a profound effect on you, but every single word of it is absolute truth.

I myself was never subjected to bullying. People pretty much knew to leave me alone and stay out of my way. It didn't stop people from trying, but I'm not one to be easily intimidated, and I will fight back when push comes to shove. However, I knew several people who were subjected to bullying, whether at the hands of their peers or even their own parents. My best friend Danny was one of those people.

Danny was a shining star, and he always will be. To me at least. When Danny and I met, it was pretty much cosmic. There was an instant bond between us that even to this day I could never be able to explain in detail. It was just there. He had the world at his feet. He could have been anyone, gone anywhere, done anything. He was in a band, he had stellar grades, he was going places. He knew it, I knew it, his band mates and all of our other friends knew it, but... Danny never got the chance. 

You see, Danny's father was a drunk and a bastard and a BULLY! No matter how well Danny did, his father always found a way to bring him down. It didn't matter. In his eyes, Danny was worthless and would never amount to anything. His father didn't know the Danny I knew, and I was ALWAYS there to pick Danny up after his father knocked him down. ALWAYS. It didn't matter what I was doing, who I was with, or even where I was. If Danny called, I ran and I ran fast. I watched him battle through depression and illness and cutting and suicide attempts. You name it, I got him through it, or at the very least I tried to. We'd talk it out or I'd take him to a therapist or he'd play while I sang. Music was his outlet, and on more than a few occasions, Danny would tell me that I was his life. "Love eternal," he would say. You know how some people say Cake or Pie to one another? I would say blue butterflies, and Danny would say love eternal. It was our thing.

Now, you may be wondering why I continuously refer to Danny in the past tense, or maybe some of you have already figured it out, but I'm going to tell you anyway.

Danny committed suicide. His father came home drunk and called him names and punched him repeatedly. Danny couldn't take it anymore so he found his way out, and I will forever be haunted by the guilt I feel over his death even though I know it wasn't my fault. Even though I know that even if I had just sat outside with him for 10-15 minutes and done what I could to talk him down, he still may have done it. If not that night, then another. Even though I know the real reasons behind his doing it, I will forever feel guilty for turning my back on him all because I wanted to spend time with the guy I had been seeing. I was selfish, but so was Danny. 

The pain is always there. Sometimes I wonder where Danny would be today had I just sat out there with him and listened like he'd asked me to. I wonder if he'd be recording music for some big label and touring the world sharing his gift and his genius with all the people in it, but I know it will never happen. The world lost a diamond, and I lost my star.

So this post is for Danny and for all of the others out there who have been or are being bullied. THIS ISN'T ALL THERE IS! THIS IS NOT THE END! Please, please, I am begging you... GET HELP! Find a therapist, take a self defense class, talk to a teacher or an adult period. STAND UP AND FIGHT BACK!!! There are people out there who can and WILL help you! There are people out there who will love you no matter what. THIS IS NOT THE END!!!

In the words of my everlasting star...

Blue butterflies and love eternal!

The Perfect Game

The Perfect Game

by J. Sterling

 

Blurb:

He's a game she never intended to play.
And she's the game changer he never knew he needed.

The Perfect Game tells the story of college juniors, Cassie Andrews & Jack Carter. When Cassie meets rising baseball hopeful Jack, she is determined to steer clear of him and his typical cocky attitude. But Jack has other things on his mind... like getting Cassie to give him the time of day.

They're both damaged, filled with mistrust and guarded before they find one another (and themselves) in this emotional journey about love and forgiveness. Strap yourselves for a ride that will not only break your heart, but put it back together.

Sometimes life gets ugly before it gets beautiful...  

I went into this book knowing full well it would impact me. J and I had talked about it and so I was prepared. At least I thought I was. I have to admit to those of you who are reading this though, that I have never...I repeat NEVER...been more unprepared in my life! This book brought me to my knees. I'd like to tell you that it brought me down figuratively, but that would be an out and out lie. This absolutely spectacular book brought me down literally as much as figuratively. I can assure you that this will be a book that I will return to over and over again.

When The Perfect Game starts, we're introduced to Cassie, a beautiful headstrong girl, who is determined to make her own way in the world, secure her dream job, and live a happy life doing what she loves. Taking pictures and sharing her craft with the world. The last thing she wants is to tie herself to someone whom she can't trust or give her heart over willingly to allow someone to break it and then hand the shards back to her. It's just too bad that a chance encounter on the way into a frat party changes all of that, and that encounter comes in the form of Jack Carter, the star pitcher of the university baseball team, MLB hopeful, and the world's biggest play boy. Much as she tries to heed her best friend Melissa's warnings to not get involved with the likes of Jack Carter, Cassie can't shake him, and he's not going away until she agrees to do something for him. One date. Just one. If she doesn't like it by the time it's over, he'll walk away and she'll never have to worry about him again. If only it were that easy. Thus begins a journey into the unknown... For the both of them. 

I have always liked the saying, "Trust is like a sandcastle. Build it without water, and its nothing but a mound of tiny grains that mean nothing and can be easily washed away in the rising tide or blown away on the breeze. Build it with water, far enough from the shore and reinforce it, and it will harden and stand even as the tide rises around it and the wind whips fiercely." Don't ask me who said it, I couldn't tell you, but the fact is that throughout this book, I wanted to crawl into the pages and give both of them, especially Cassie, that little morsel. I think they'd have both fared well knowing it. However, trust is a finicky thing, and when you've never been able to depend on someone in your life, it's pretty hard to build to begin with.

I loved Cassie. To death. I felt her pain, and more times than not, I wanted to take it from her, but most often I wanted to castrate Jack. I'm not even kidding. I literally felt a sort of bond with Cassie, a sisterhood if you will. And like Cassie, I loved Jack fiercely and I caught myself a few times praying for the release of the pain for the both of them.  As I said earlier, while I thought I had been prepared I most definitely was not, and while I didn't cry, it didn't stop me from wanting to. I honestly think that had I been listening to the right playlist while reading this book, I'd have certainly been in tears on several occasions. This book is powerful, beautifully written, and incredibly put together...beginning to end. If I'm being truthful, I found myself dreading the end, because I knew the second my Kindle said I was at 82% that it wasn't going to be enough once I finally hit 100%. It wasn't, it isn't, and I fear that it never will be. 

My favorite part of this book is hands down the quarters. It's sweet, beautiful, and spectacularly original. If you'd like to know what I'm talking about, read this book. You'll understand.  

So... It is with great pride, and huge amounts of pleasure that I recommend that you read The Perfect Game. Well done, J. Very well done! I <3 you more now than I did when I finished reading Chance Encounters. Tell Jackson that he's still my number 1! *grins*

Amazon

Barnes & Noble 

Smashwords 

The Modified Review Blitz

I am so incredibly honored to host my first ever Review Blitz on this blog. You guys can't imagine how happy this makes me. I am also equally honored to have that Review Blitz be for The Modified, a new novel by the superb mother & son author duo, C.A. Kunz.

When I was asked to be a part of the Blitz, I eagerly jumped at the opportunity because Carol and Adam have come to mean a great deal to me. So, it was with great pride, and pleasure, that I accepted the offer.

If you would, please allow me to tell you a bit about Adam & Carol.

Carol and Adam Kunz make up the mother and son author duo, C.A. Kunz. They thoroughly enjoy writing about things that go bump in the night and action-packed dystopian romances while drinking massive amounts of English breakfast tea and Starbucks coffee. The author pair currently reside fourty-five minutes away from each other in the sunny state of Florida. If you would like to find out more about this duo, The Modified, or The Childe, please visit the following links:

C.A. Kunz's Blog
C.A. Kunz's Facebook
C.A. Kunz's Twitter

And now for my review of The Modified. Please hang around after, because there will be a giveaway! Yes, yes. You read that correctly... GIVEAWAY!!!! At this time, I would break out into a spastic happy dance, but I don't know that you guys want that visual, so I'll let you do your own happy dance while you're reading my review. *grins*

 What would you sacrifice to save the one’s you love? To save the one who holds your heart? To save the world?

Kenley Grayson is all too familiar with these questions.

After Earth is thrust into its first intergalactic war with an unknown race called the Bringers, our military forces begin to suffer heavy losses. Desperate for a solution, the Allied Federation issues a worldwide draft for every able seventeen year old to enlist. As Kenley turns seventeen, she finds herself thrown into the very war that took her older brother’s life.

This year’s draft is a little different than in the past though. A new program, known as the Magnus Project, has been introduced, and only the best and brightest qualify. Kenley is amongst a select few whom are chosen to join this elite group of soldiers, and as a part of this project, undergoes a modification procedure that leaves her and her peers endowed with powers beyond their wildest dreams.

As Earth continues in its struggle against the Bringers, Kenley is transported to a high-tech training facility, the Magnus Academy, to prepare for the major battle that lies ahead. It’s here that she meets the California heartthrob, and son of a legendary war hero, Landon Shaw. As unexpected feelings toward Landon begin to develop, Kenley wonders if this is the right time or place for romance to bloom, especially when those feelings start to interfere with her training.

With the weight of the world on her shoulders, Kenley is constantly reminded of how important she and the rest of the Magnus cadets are to the fate of humanity. She is one of the Modified, Earth’s last line of defense against utter destruction.

It's always been hard for me to sink into a futuristic/dystopian style book, but they made it sooo easy. The style is flawless. I actually caught myself on a couple of occasions while reading the book, staring at my hands and asking myself, "Why can't you do that?!" Obviously, it's because I myself am not modified, but a girl can dream, right? Or in this case, read.  It's an absolutely amazing story.

Upon reading the first sentence of the book, I was immediately drawn to Kenley and could only imagine that she and I would be great friends, provided I were still a teenager and we lived in the same time period. Kenley is just my kind of girl. You see, Kenley and her friends (old and new) have been tasked with saving mankind and the world. However, there is only one way to do that and it means altering not only who they are, but their biology as well. They are called the Modified, and they are pretty badass. But, it's hard to focus on saving the world when you're falling in love at the exact same time. Enter Landon Shaw. Landon is a pretty boy. He's hot, sweet, intense, and although he comes off as filled with confidence, the only thing he's truly confident about is his ability to fight in this war and the fact that he wants Kenley for himself.

 I was also incredibly impressed with not only the character development and relationships between all of the characters, as well as the plot, flow, pit falls and resolution. I, personally, don't think it could have gotten any better. No wait, I take that back. It could only get better if I had my own Galileo. I have to admit that I'm a bit jealous that Kenley has one and I don't. It's just too bad that there wasn't a Galileo bracelet tucked into the back of my Kindle case. Ah well, ya win some, ya lose some. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you one of my favorite lines from the book.

"It isn't a line, Kenley. From the first time I saw you in the crowded tram station, I knew I wanted to meet you. I felt this connection that made me want to push my way through the mass of bodies just to talk to you. I know you probably think I'm crazy or something. And I am crazy...for you."

Okay, now I need a moment. *SWOON* Fabulous, right?! If you said yes, then I can only hope that that means you're going to run off to Amazon or Barnes & Noble or even Smashwords to grab your own copy of this truly outstanding book! I know that I loved it, and it's pretty safe to say that I am impatiently looking forward to the next book in this series! Color my hooked!!!

And now for that giveaway that I promised you would be coming!! All you have to do is complete the rafflecopter, and you will be entered to win one of the following:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, happy reading, and thank you all so much for stopping by! I do hope you'll come back in the future!!! And please don't forget to grab your copy of the book! Just follow the links below!

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

Miss Me Not Cover Reveal

So my beautiful friend, Tiffany King, is working on a new book (to be released later on this year) and she asked me if I would like to participate in the cover/blurb reveal. Naturally, I said MOST DEFINITELY!!! Who wouldn't want to participate in a cover reveal for one of the most awesome authors they know?!

Now, I have to tell you that I personally am looking forward to this book. In fact, I'm sitting on pins and needles waiting to get my hands on it, because, well, I'll just show you why. How's that for a deal?? So, without further ado...

I give you...

MISS ME NOT by Tiffany King!!!!

Beautiful, right?!

Blurb:

They had a pact.
Leave the world behind much as they had lived it.
No one would miss them. No harm, no foul.

Their personal demons would be left behind once and for all.
It was the only thing they could count on.
It was all she had.

Madison Hanson has spent the last four years being a "shadow." Her parents ignore her. The students at her school stopped talking to her years ago, and the majority of her teachers forget she's even there. In her desperate yearning to leave her invisible life behind, Madison makes a pact with her only friend, James Garrison, to end their lives as inconspicuously as they live them. No fuss, no muss. No one would miss her and she would miss no one. Their plan is set, and it's all she can count on. That is, until fellow student, Mitch Peterson, beats them to the punch. Everything Madison believed in is shaken to the core when she watches the aftermath of Mitch's death unfold. By taking his own life, Mitch unwittingly saves hers. What a selfish prick.

She is now left with the daunting task of living. Trying to bury her demons once and for all, and finally trusting someone with her fragile existence.

Living is hell.
Death would have been so much easier.

I truly hope that now you understand just why I am eagerly anticipating the release of this book. I am so much more than excited for it. It is going to be just as amazing as all her other books!

Make sure you check out Tiffany on Facebook, follow her on Twitter, and don't forget to purchase your copy of her other absolutely amazing books! You can find the links below.

Facebook

Twitter

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords