My Top 12 Favorites of 2012

You know, this year has been one of the best years for books. Why? Because more and more authors are breaking down the barriers and writing about things that need to be talked about. Things that need to be addressed in our homes, among our friends, within our families. It's also because I've read some pretty amazing books this year. Now I know that most blogs do a top ten list, but my blog isn't most blogs. Because of that, I'm going to give you my own Top Twelve of 2012! 

Ready? Then here we go!

Number 1 
Just Remember to Breathe by Charles Sheehan-Miles

This book was fabulous, and you can read my review of it here.

Number 2
The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Again, another absolutely wonderful book. It was perfect. You'll find my review here.

Number 3
The Perfect Game by J. Sterling.

One name... Jack F**king Carter. Enough said. My review is here.

Number 4
Love and Skate by Lila Felix

Okay, now everyone who has read this book knows that it is just hot. End of story. P.S.- my review can be found right here.

Number 5
Miss Me Not by Tiffany King

Honestly, I have no words. Just read my review here. You'll see why.

Number 6
Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

This is one of those books that you'll kick yourself for not having read sooner, and I read it as an ARC! That's just how good it is. Here is my review.

Number 7
Incendiary (Premonition #4) by Amy A. Bartol

As much as I love Reed, I love Xavier just a touch more. YUM! You can buy your copy of these awesomely fantastic books here.

Number 8
Fate Succumbs (Timber Wolves #3) by Tammy Blackwell

This is the final book in the trilogy that started my journey into indie books. I can't say enough about this trilogy! You can get all three of them here.

Number 9
Whisper by Heather Hildenbrand

This book touched my soul. It shows you how grief affects a person on an entirely new level. Plus, it has a SMOKIN' hot Native American. Get it here.


Number 10
Gravity by M. Leighton

This book is simply beautiful! I can't even begin to express how much I loved this book! Grab your own copy here.

Number 11
Chasing Nikki by Lacey Weatherford

This book will haunt me forever. I'm not even close to kidding. It. Is. Perfect! Go get it here.

And last, but certainly not least we have...

Number 12
Darkride by Laura Bradley Rede

This book is AWESOME!!! Wow! If you haven't read it, you really do need to! So good! Here is the place to get your copy!


And there you have it. Adriane's Top 12 of 2012. I hope you'll grab a least one of these books if you don't have them already, and enjoy them for yourself in 2013. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Miss Me Not Review

Miss Me Not

by 

Tiffany King

Madison Hanson's past demons have given her a "shadow" of an existence. Like so many others who feel lost, she believes suicide may be her only way out—then she meets Dean Jackson, a popular boy from school who gives her hope, and shows her the power of love and acceptance.

With Dean's help, Madison discovers a desire to live, and learns to embrace life and all its gifts.

I have to start this review by saying that suicide is never the answer. No matter how lonely you think you are, no matter how screwed up things may be, no matter how miserable you feel, there is ALWAYS someone watching. Someone who cares. Someone who would give anything to make things right for you. Please! Talk to someone. Anyone. Just get help!

I will admit that I am friends with Tiffany. I'll also admit that I have a weakness for her books. However, this one was hard for me to swallow. Mostly because it deals with something so incredibly personal to me that it has taken me more than a month to finish it. 

You see, I lost someone extremely important to me once, and when Tiffany sent me the ARC for Miss Me Not, I didn't realize how close to the anniversary of his death it was. This book broke me apart. That wall that I had built around myself, the one that shielded me from the pain that was Danny's death on the anniversary, was shattered and all of those feelings that I had thought long buried were able to seep into me and take hold.

Needless to say, I put the book down and refused to touch it again. After explaining to Tiffany why, I made a promise to her, and to myself that whenever I felt ready, I would finish the book. And I have done exactly that. I've finished this book. It was hard, and there were plenty of moments when I wanted to wash my hands of it, but being me, I kept pushing through and finally made it to the end. Because of that, I have this to say...

I have nothing to say. I have no words to describe what I'm feeling now that I'm finished. I feel like I've been forgiven without even knowing what I did to deserve the forgiveness. I feel like if Danny were standing in front of me right this instant, he would smile and say, "I forgive you, but you never needed it because you did nothing wrong." 

This book is real, and it is raw, and it is unrelenting in the way it grabs hold of your heart and doesn't let go. This book isn't for everyone and it may even be considered taboo based on the topic of discussion, but it is well worth reading. I give it 5 stars. 5 HUMONGOUS stars!

Great job, Tiffany. I couldn't be more of a fan if I tried. And thank you for giving me this sense of peace. I've needed it for so long now.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Walking Away is LIVE!!!!

So, as all of my loyal followers know, I have released a book!!! What?!?! That's madness, right?!?! Well, madness or not, I have done it. I am now a fancy published author!! YES!!! Hang on while I mark that off my bucket list...

*carefully unrolls the bucket list and scrolls down to number 3*

#3- Publish a book.

DONE!

*sings Celebration by Kool and the Gang while dancing around like a maniac*

I would insert a soundbyte or the video, but I think we all know that song. Anywho! So, Walking Away is now available on Kindle, and will soon be available on Barnes & Noble for Nook and on Kobo for those of you who use that platform. I WOULD upload it to Smashwords, but it has decided to be my arch nemesis, and so Kobo is the best I can do for now.

However, if you don't want to wait for Walking Away to finally show up on Kobo or B&N, you can always download the Kindle app onto you mobile device or computer and purchase Walking Away using this link.

And now I'm going to leave you guys with a giveaway!!! Just fill out the Rafflecopter below and you will be entered to win one of 3, that's right, THREE ecopies of Walking Away! Good luck!

OH! Two more things... 

1)Don't forget to send me a request for an Authorgraph! The widget is in the sidebar over there on the right. 

2) My friend Michelle Nicole created a playlist for Walking Away. Check it out in the sidebar on the right as well.


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Ten Tiny Breaths... An ARC Review and Giveaway

Ten Tiny Breaths

by

K.A. Tucker

K.A. contacted me not too long ago and asked me if I would be interested in doing a cover reveal for her upcoming book Ten Tiny Breaths (you can find it here), and naturally, I jumped on it. Of course I wanted to be a part of the cover reveal. DUH! Who doesn't want to be a part of one of their favorite author's new works in some small way? I know I do!

Well, after the reveal went off without a hitch, K.A. reached out to me once again and asked me the one thing that I had been dying to hear her ask... "Would you like to receive an ARC of Ten Tiny Breaths?"....... Pardon me a moment while I scream my utter delight and utmost fan girl joy....... 

AAAAHHHH!!!!

And we're back... I'm sure you can all guess what my response was, right? I should hope so, because you're all too smart for that! 

Well, I JUST finished the book. Like literally, I just turned the final page and all I can say is W.O.W! This book is absolutely fan-freaking-tastic!!! It's the love story you've been dying to read, but by the time you're halfway through it, you want to scream and throw things and punch someone in the mouth, because all of the tension is eating you alive.

It's so beautifully written that you can't help but feel every single touch, hear every single breath, and live every.single.minute. It sucks you in and it doesn't let you go. I mean it. And I know what you're thinking, "She says that a lot," but it's true! It is so true about Ten Tiny Breaths.

You see, Kacey is messed up. Like really, REALLY messed up. She's lost everything. Well, not everything,everything, but everything that meant the world to her. Everything she thought she'd never lose. And it's all because of a decision that someone else made. A decision that left her broken and alone and scarred beyond just the physical damage. She's compartmentalized her feelings over the trauma that she's suffered, channeled all of her rage into kick-boxing, and shut herself off from almost all human physical contact. Let me tell you, this girl is one step away from owning the crazy train! 

After her sick uncle climbs into bed with her sister, Kacey has had enough. She packs their bags and moves them both to Miami. Once there, she meets a gorgeous guy named Trent who slowly begins to try to put her back together. Only there's just one problem... Trent is hiding something, and it's a complete game changer. This gorgeous hunk of man, isn't who she thinks he is, and falling in love with him will change everything she thought she ever knew. Because when the truth comes out, Kacey learns about forgiveness in a way that not many people ever do. Letting go is hard, but facing your past is even harder. Especially when your sanity is involved.

K.A., I am happy to say, totally delivered! Even as I sit here writing this review, I still feel as though my emotions and my heart have been ripped out of me, tossed to the ground, and mercilessly stomped on... Repeatedly. This story is beyond powerful. It's beyond gut-wrenching. It's beyond phenomenal. I feel comfortable telling y'all that I'm sure this book with haunt me for quite some time. It is definitely in a class of it's own! 

And now I have a giveaway for you... Just fill out the Rafflecopter below and you'll be entered to win one of 3 e-copies of Ten Tiny Breaths!!!

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A Song For Julia Cover Reveal!

Hello readers! I'd like to share with you guys the cover for A Song For Julia, the newest book by a man who's come to mean a whole lot to me, Mr. Charles Sheehan-Miles! A few weeks back, I posted a review that I wrote for his book Just Remember to Breathe (you'll find it here) and gushed about how much I loved the book. Well, I can assure you that this one will be just as good as that one!!

Now, I've already seen the cover, and it is beautiful! I absolutely love it, and it truly encompasses the feel of the book. Here... I'll just let you see for yourselves...

And now for the blurb...

Blurb:

Crank Wilson left his South Boston home at sixteen to start a punk band and burn out his rage at the world. He’s at war with his father, a Boston cop, and doesn’t ever speak to his mother, who left when he was sixteen. The only connection that really matters to him is his younger brother. Watching out for Sean can be a full-time job: at seventeen, with Aspergers, he doesn’t fit anywhere. The only thing Crank wants in life is to be left the hell alone to write his music and drive his band to success. Julia Thompson left a secret behind in Beijing that exploded into scandal in Washington, DC, threatening her father's career and dominating her family's life. Now, in her senior year at Harvard, she's haunted by a voice from her past and refuses to ever lose control of her emotions again: especially when it comes to a guy. When Julia and Crank meet at an anti-war protest in Washington in the fall of 2002, the connection between them is so powerful it threatens to tear apart everything they've ever worked for.

But wait, there's more!!! What? More? Yes, more. There's a GIVEAWAY!!!! 

AAAAHHHH!!!!

You guys are so incredibly lucky! Okay, here are the rules:

In order to be entered, you must comment on this post. Charles will give one lucky commenter a digital copy of the first book Just Remember to Breathe. The winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on 12-7-12.

Good luck!!!

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