Friday, June 28, 2013

SAE Featured Friday Spotlight and Giveaway with Stephanie Keyes, Hannah R. Goodman and official blogger Pretty in Pink Books and Reviews

How goes it all you book lovers?  Things are very busy in my neck of the woods.  Moving is NEVER fun, but the killer commute and hours in traffic will soon be over!  So today I have author's Stephanie Keyes and Hannah R. Goodman, the featured official blog is yours truly here at Pretty in Pink, and our giveaway is for an e-copy of Shattered Edge  by A.M. Hargrove.  Enjoy!  (And feel free to come help me pack and move!)

The Star Child (Book 1)
The world is about to be cloaked in darkness. Only one can stop the night.

Kellen St. James has spent his entire life being overlooked as an unwanted, ordinary, slightly geeky kid. That is until a beautiful girl, one who has haunted his dreams for the past eleven years of his life, shows up spinning tales of a prophecy. Not just any old
prophecy either, but one in which Kellen plays a key role. Suddenly, Kellen finds himself on the run through a Celtic underworld of faeries and demons, angels and gods, not to mention a really ticked off pack of hellhounds, all in order to save the world from darkness. But will they make it in time?

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Barnes and Noble
Kobo

The Fallen Stars (Book 2)
When all is lost, he will have to make the ultimate decision.


Kellen St. James was just your average seventeen-year-old prodigy, until he eighty-sixed the Lord of Faerie and proposed to the Celtic Goddess, Calienta. But then everything in Kellen’s life gets turned upside-down when he and Cali end up on the run from a seriously irritated group of faeries. The worst part? They have zero idea why they’re being hunted.

Suddenly, Kellen is stuck in the middle of another prophecy that foresees him turning away from Calienta and embracing the dark. He’ll be forced to take sides in a struggle to claim his birthright, while discovering secrets about his father’s past. Meanwhile, his passion for Cali grows stronger, even as the prophecy threatens to tear them apart.

In the end, will Kellen and Cali survive the fates? When the ultimate power is within reach, which side will he choose?

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Barnes and Noble
Kobo

Bio 

Stephanie Keyes has been addicted to Fantasy since she discovered T.H. White as a child and started drumming up incredible journeys in her head. Today, she's still doing the same thing, except now she gets to share those ideas with readers!

When she's not writing, Stephanie is also a graphic designer, international speaker, teacher, musician, avid reader, and Mom to two little boys who constantly keep her on her toes. In addition, she's best friend to her incredible husband of eleven years.

Mrs. Keyes holds an undergraduate degree in Business and Management Information Systems from Robert Morris University and a M.Ed. from Duquesne University. She is a member of the Society For Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), as well as a featured author in the global group of writers, Love a Happy Ending.com.

Keyes is the author of the YA Fantasy series, The Star Child, which currently includes The Star Child (September 2012) and The Fallen Stars (April 2013), and After Faerie (April 2013), all released by Inkspell Publishing. The final installment, The Star Catcher, is tentatively slated for a November 2013 release. Mrs. Keyes is hard at work on a new YA Paranormal Romance.

Links




Sucker Literary – Volume 2 Blurb

When Alex’s bandmates invite a girl to sing lead, a battle of the sexes becomes a battle over something unexpected. . . A girl tells her friend about hooking up with longtime crush Fred, but his kisses are not what makes that night in his car memorable. . . A therapy session with Doug might just make Jason go insane again. . . Wallflower Aubrey hooks up with Gordon after the cast party, which would be fine if he weren’t the most forbidden fruit of them all…Savannah certainly doesn’t sound like a convict’s name, so maybe hanging out with her isn’t all that dangerous. Miki is committed to getting over Dex, yet she can’t get him off her answering machine—or her doorstep. In between puffs of cigarettes and attempts to smear lipstick on her face, Allie’s grandmother dishes out advice that maybe Allie should take. . . And finally, what’s a girl to do with Satan as both her boss and father? Nine short stories pose the questions we obsess over whether we’re growing up or all grown up: Who should I love? Am I doing the right thing? Is there ever an end to heartbreak? In its second volume, SUCKER continues to showcase the very best emerging talent in young adult literature and give (some of) the answers to Life’s Big Questions along the way.

Sucker will reopen the doors for Volume 3 submissions. One day ONLY, August 1, 2013.FOr guideline please go here.

Links


Excerpt
Excerpt from “Miki & Dex” by Hannah R. Goodman, Sucker Literary Volume 2

Beep.
I roll over and look across the room at the source of the beep—the answering machine, which I resurrected from a box of Mom’s old college stuff in the garage; I was desperate after she took away my cell phone, though I knew it was a fitting punishment for being too wrapped up in a boy I shouldn’t talk to so much. Of course, all the machine has done is allow me to replay old messages from him over and over, so the irony is that it’s actually harder to disconnect.
I get up sleepily, hit the play button, and flop back onto the bed.
“Are you even playing these messages? ’Cause I’ve called like, fifteen friggin’ times, Miki.”
I rub my eyes.
“I have something really important to ask you. I know you think I’m bullshit, but I swear to God I’m not, so just call me back, okay?”
The machine clicks off. The phone rings again. I run over and press the volume button, then sit down at the edge of the bed and listen.
“Fine, you don’t want to call me back. Okay, here it is . . . Miki, will you go to Homecoming with me?” My heart stops and a tiny hope bubble floats in my belly, but then: “Okay, I’m totally kidding. Listen. Just pick up the phone. Okay?”
Asshole.
I snatch a pillow and bonk the machine. It clatters to the floor. Good. Now there’s no way to get me. I’ll just disconnect the line, and Dex can’t wake me up in the middle of the night with this bullshit.
Back to bed, except there’s no escape; he’s still going.
“I saw you with that jock dickhead. What the hell’s his name? Jimbo or Jammy—whatever. Listen, you deserve much better than that fucknut—”
I cover my head with my pillow and listen to the muffled rant.
Click.
Silence.
The phone rings again.

Bio
Hannah Goodman, M.Ed, MFA, is a YA author represented by Erzsi Deàk of Hen&ink Literary Studio. Her YA novel, My Sister’s Wedding, won the first place award for The Writer’s Digest International Self-Publishing Contest, 2004, children’s book division. She published the follow-up, My Summer Vacation, in May 2006, which went on to win a bronze IPPY in 2007. The third Maddie book, Fear of Falling was released in the fall of 2009 and was praised by teachers and readers for tackling subjects like homophobia and coming out. She’s published young adult short stories on Amazon’s Shorts, in an anthology entitled Bound Is The Bewitching Lilith, and in the journal Balancing The Tides. She also has written columns for The Jewish Voice & Herald. Her newest endeavor is Sucker Literary, featuring undiscovered and new YA authors.

A former high school English teacher, she now owns her own small company, The Write Touch, offering a variety of tutoring and coaching services for clients of all ages. She assists in the college application process, from SAT prep to writing the college application essay. Additionally, she is a writing coach and consultant to authors and would-be authors. Hannah is a member of AWP and SCBWI as well as a graduate of Pine Manor College's Solstice Program in Creative Writing. She resides in Bristol, RI with her husband, two daughters, and three cats: Lester, Maisey, and Judy.




Hi, my name is Natalie and I am a bookaholic!

I have always been an avid, (ok obsessive) reader.  To be quite honest, I am not sure exactly how I got started doing this, I know it involved facebook, and authors, and books...but I am glad I did!  I have loved the past few months of reading, reviewing, and getting to know several very sweet authors and I look forward to continuing to grow the blog and one day organizing tours myself.


Please overlook the no makeup, seems I have no recent pictures with makeup on.  


Here's me, the SO, and the heathen enjoying the east coast beach life!

I was born and raised in central Alabama and lived there until I was 25.  I started my career in the repossession business when I was 24, and moved to Lexington, KY to manage an office when I was 25.  Spent 4 years there, and SO and I decided a little over a year ago, we both wanted a fresh start somewhere with a beach.  Couldn't afford San Diego yet, so we decided to move to the area known as Hampton Roads in Virginia.  We are west coast dreaming, while east coast living!  

In between working a day job as a skip tracer for a repossession company, working with the SO repossessing cars, and parenting the heathen, I am now writing this blog/facebook page, our other facebook page with stories from the world of repossessions, and throwing around ideas for a book along those lines. 




That's it for this week, come back next week for another giveaway and author spotlight from the Stamford Author Event!


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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Spotlight: Sapphire Universe by Devon Herrera



Synopsis:



Rule #1 Do NOT ignore the signs.
Rule #2 Pay attention.
Rule #3 The less they know about you, the harder it is for them to hurt you.
Rule #4 Comfort is dangerous. It can be taken away.
Rule #5 Need is a handicap. It can cripple you.
Rule #6 He isn’t what he seems. Don’t trust him.

Simple rules made for a simple purpose. Nina Ryan learned early on in life that if you want to avoid being hurt, you need to be proactive. If you pay attention the Universe will always steer you in the right direction. It will help keep you safe. So, she follows the rules, and she is safe. Until Connor Wright barges his way through all her carefully laid defenses and threatens to destroy the comfortable life she has created. Faithfully following her #1 rule, Nina tries to accept that the Universe has pushed Connor and her lives together for a purpose. Determined to make Nina his, Connor chips away at the walls Nina has placed around her heart and her secrets. Is Nina following the signs that will lead her down the right path, or does Connor hold secrets of his own that will ruin Nina for good? Only the Universe knows.

Prologue Excerpt:


I sit with my knees against my chest and my arms wrapped around my legs, hoping that if I make myself small enough I will just disappear altogether. My whole body is shaking and the tears rolling down my cheeks are like acid. I look down at the cotton sheets where the last part of myself I had control over was ripped from me. I can’t think or breathe or feel, my body is no longer my own. The space around me is quiet and still, but I feel as though there is carnage and chaos surrounding it, and eventually, me, closing in will crush me.

All I want to do is call my mom. I want her to tell me that I can get through this. That if I’m strong enough, it won’t matter, that it won’t define me and my life is still my own. I reach over to the drawer of my nightstand and pull on the knob with shaky hands. I fumble with my fingers until I feel paper crinkle beneath them and grip the note containing my mother’s last words. I read it for the millionth time and close my eyes against the unforgiving thoughts that scroll through my mind. Why couldn’t you have just stayed for me? My mother

I look around my room and the scene replays over and over in my mind. The pain. The degradation. Everything is tainted. I look at the note one last time and crumple it in my hands and stand. My legs protest, but I fight through it. My stomach rolls, but I ignore it. Once I’ve regained control over the parts of me that were still reacting in fear, I rip the sheets from my bed and the clothes from my body and shove them in the middle of the mattress. Reaching into my closet I pull clothes that I have never worn from the back and dress again. Still clutching the note in my fist, I grab the pile of filth from my bed and carry it to the kitchen and toss everything in the sink.

My hands finally stop shaking when I extract a match from the box on the window sill. I strike the match and watch the flame turn indigo to orange to gold and let it drop into the remnants of my innocence. The flames spread and grow and the colors dance and twist in a destructive composition, turning the evidence of my disgrace to embers. As the flames start to shrink and slow, tears once again roll down my cheeks and this time they’re cleansing. Inside the fire I find my clarity. This night happened because I didn’t trust what I believed. I was blind to what I saw right in front of me. Though a part of me had always screamed that he couldn’t be trusted I had disregarded the warning signs, too desperate for what he offered to protect myself.
I took a risk and I lost. The final flames flicker and I look down at the ball of paper in my hands, then throw it into the ashes to be burned with the rest of it. I will not make the choices she made. Not while I can start over and learn from her mistakes and mine. This will not be my undoing. I never want to be blindsided again,


to hurt like I’ve hurt again. From now on, I will pay attention to the world around me. I will see the signs and protect myself from the risks. Nothing and no one will ever hurt me again, because I’ll know. I’ll be ready for it.
can’t tell me to be strong when she wasn’t, to get through it when she didn’t. She let one terrible event in her life strip her of her identity. She let it break her. For the first time since I was given this note, I understand why.
 
About the Author:

I am a wife of a U.S Army Soldier and mother of a beautiful little girl. I work for the Wyoming Department of Revenue in Cheyenne Wyoming, and no we don't still ride horses out here. I've been in love with reading since I first discovered the Harry Potter series in 4th grade. I don't just read a good book I devour it. After reading hundreds of novels I finally bit the bullet and sat down to write one of my own. I had an idea in my head and as soon as I started writing, the story seemed to play out right infront of me. Nothing has ever felt so natural. About 10 chapters into it I decided that I was going to take the plunge and get it self published as an Ebook. "Sapphire Universe" is a Contemporary Romance novel for adults, because lets face it, I'm female. Romance is what I like to read so it's what I'm going to write. I'll be posting some teasers and keeping you up to date on my progress as I finish writing and editing. Thank you so much for your support, and I can't wait for you to read "Sapphire Universe."

 Links


Giveaway

**Giveaway is for a kindle e-copy only, please do not enter if you cannot accept kindle files**



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Monday, June 24, 2013

Spotlight: Wandering by Heather Sutherlin


Book Info-
Title- Wandering
Series- Wanderer Series Book # 2
By- Heather Sutherlin
Expected Publication Date- June 25th, 2013 

Blurb-
When you’ve travelled between worlds, there’s nowhere left to go but home.

Rory has never been so cold in her life. But the biting wind only reminds her of another pain that grows more intense with each passing day. Each night Jaron’s beautiful voice sings in her dreams, and each day her footsteps draw her closer to his side. Danger and intrigue at every turn, no distance is too far when you’re returning for true love.

Rin has spent the last five years searching for Rory across two worlds. Now a series of visions have him convinced he’s growing closer to finding her. But when Rory slips through another portal, taking his visions with her, he finds himself back at square one. To find her now he’ll need the help of an old friend and a little otherworldly magic.  This time he intends to bring The Wanderer home for good.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Birthday Blast: First Frost by Liz DeJesus



Book Info-

Title- First Frost
Series-The Frost Series Book # 1 
By-Liz DeJesus
Publication Date- June 22, 2012 
Published By- Musa Publishing 


Blurb

Fairytales aren’t real…yeah…that’s exactly what Bianca thought. She was wrong.

For generations, the Frost family has run the Museum of Magical and Rare Artifacts, handing down guardianship from mother to daughter, always keeping their secrets to “family only.”

Gathered within museum’s walls is a collection dedicated to the Grimm fairy tales and to the rare items the family has acquired: Cinderella’s glass slipper, Snow White’s poisoned
apple, the evil queen’s magic mirror, Sleeping Beauty’s enchanted spinning wheel…

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Frost wants none of it, dreaming instead of a career in art or photography or…well, anything except working in the family’s museum. She knows the items in the glass display cases are fakes because, of course, magic doesn’t really exist.

She’s about to find out how wrong she is.

  First  Frost  Links



Book Info- 

Title-Glass Frost
Series- The Frost Series Book # 2 
By- Liz DeJesus
Expected Publication Date- July 19th, 2013 
Published By- Musa Publishing 

Blurb-

When joined together, Cinderella's slippers grant the wearer her heart's desire. But whose wish will be granted?

When Cinderella’s glass slipper is stolen, Queen Felicia sends her faithful steward Terrance to the real world to retrieve his love and witch-in-training, Bianca Frost. The power of the glass slipper, when paired with its mate, and in the wrong hands, could ruin the peace of Everafter. Bianca must gather every bit of magic she has learned in the past few weeks to find the slipper and protect her new love. Together, Bianca, Ming, Prince Ferdinand, and Terrance venture deep into the heart of Everafter to seek clues as to who has stolen the slipper and why. Along the way, they uncover what happened to the Seven Dwarves after Snow White married the prince, but also learn the awful risk of tampering with black magic and the high price that must be paid for magic, even when used for good.

Bianca and Terrance’s relationship is put to the test. Through the pain of suffering and loss, Bianca must determine if following her gallant boyfriend into his faraway world is in fact her heart's desire



About the Author-

Liz DeJesus was born on the tiny island of Puerto Rico. She is a novelist and a poet. She has been writing for as long as she was capable of holding a pen. She is the author of the novel Nina (Blu Phi'er Publishing, October 2007), The Jackets (Arte Publico Press, March 31st 2011) First Frost (Musa Publishing, June 22nd 2012) and Glass Frost (Musa Publishing, COMING SOON).


She is also a member of The Written Remains Writers Guild.

Liz is currently working on a new novel.

Links

 Website

Friday, June 21, 2013

Stamford Author Event Featured Friday Spotlight and Giveaway with Alice Tribue and Ginny Lurcock

Happy Friday readers!  It's time once again for my SAE Featured Friday author spotlight and giveaway!  This week has FLOWN by for me, feels like I was just doing this for last weeks post! This week I have Alice Tribue and Ginny Lurcock as my featured authors, and I am giving away an e-book copy of The Secret World of Alaina Downs by Rebecca Rynecki and an e-book copy of Edge of Disaster  by A.M. Hargrove.  For those of you who are just joining us, The Stamford Author Event is being held in Stamford, CT on August 10, 2013 and tickets for the event are FREE!!!!  There are over 30 authors scheduled to attend, as well as many bloggers (yours truly will be there), and volunteers.

Author Bio
Alice Montalvo-Tribue lives with her husband and daughter in New Jersey. She has a bachelors degree in communications and is currently working on her masters degree. She spends most of her free time reading, writing, and when the weather permits lounging out on a beach. 

Translation of Love- Synopsis:

Ellie Brooks has spent the past two years of her life building barriers around herself that are guaranteed to keep people out and her demons in. She doesn't want to get close to anyone for fear of being hurt again. When she meets Latin superstar Victor Garza, she is shocked at how quickly he is able to penetrate her armor. She doesn't want to let him in but can't deny the chemistry they have. He has the potential to heal her wounds and open her heart but she isn't sure she can let him. Will love be enough to keep them together or will Ellie's past prove to be too much for the pair to overcome?

2nd Book- Desperation of Love to be released Late August/ Early September.

 Links

Goodreads
Website/Blog
Facebook
Twitter



Author Bio

I am so bad at these, that is causes me physical pain.  No wait, that was a splinter...Never mind.   Ginny Lurcock live in New Hampshire with her husband whom she adores, her daughter, whom she also adores, and their cat.  Who she likes alright.  Oh, and her father, his two cats, her sister and her sister's boyfriend.  When not writing she enjoys playing games (of the board and video variety) or reading to the point of obsession (she's not an addict, she can quit whenever she wants), watching intelligetn television, mindless television, sports, movies, and listening to music.  Basically, she likes all the things.  ALL. THE. THINGS.  And somehow she still manages to find the time to be bored.

Bad Blood Synopsis

High school senior Victoria "Tori" Reeves has it pretty good.  She's rich, she's smart, and she's popular.  What more could a girl ask for?  Sure, she's a little lonely, what with being single and her best friend going off to college and all, but she's got her work at the Spaulding Crisis Center to keep her busy.  When she gets a new boss in the very easy on the eyes form of Isaac Larsen, suddenly her volunteer work feels a lot less like work.  Even if he does seem to cause Tori to break out info spontaneous fits of foot in mouth disease.  Somehow in spite of her blunderitis, Isaac still seems to be interested inher in a more-than-employer or even more-than-friends kind of way.

So really she should have known that things would go sideways.

Trouble comes to Spaulding, and that trouble seems to be centered on Tori and the Crisis Center.  Is she really the focus?  Or does this all have to do with the new mysterious man in her life?  In her efforts to find out, Tori stumbles across some secrets.  Skeletons that might have been better off left in the closet.  As it turns out, Spaulding is a hot spot for bad blood...

She also has written The Monster Within under the name Lola Rayne.

Links


That's it for this weeks SAE Featured Friday, hope you guys enjoyed it!  Next week I will be featuring Hannah Goodman and Stephanie Keyes and the blogger spotlight will be Pretty in Pink.  Ya'll are gonna learn things about me you never wanted to know!! LOL  

For any of you readers who like the repo shows like Lizard Lick and Operation Repo, check out mine and my SO's other new facebook page with REAL repo stories.  This is our first step towards putting a book together about the funny experiences we have had while repoing.  Like the page and it will get you an entry in today's giveaway too!




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Cover Reveal: The Man Without Rules by Tyffani Clark Kemp

Book Info-

Title-The Man Without Rules
Series-Without Rules Series # 1
By- Tyffani Clark Kemp
Genre-Erotica
Expected Publication-Fall 2013


Blurb-

Sebastian Boa is "The Man Without Rules." Rules just don't apply to him. When he meets Mariss Red one night at one of his night clubs, he sets his sights on her and makes a play. But Mariss is married and she has no desire to lose what she loves for a one night stand. The harder Sebastian tries the more Mariss refuses and he realizes that his feelings for her may be deeper than he ever thought possible for a man like him. And he finds himself changing to be worthy of the one woman who has ever told him no.



About the Author-

Tyffani Clark Kemp has been writing since she discovered in the sixth grade that it wasn’t enough just to read about fantastic places, but she could create her own. She weaves small bits of herself into everything she writes whether it be a science fiction piece about aliens or a dramatic romance fraught with conflict and love. She lives in South Carolina with her family and her fluffy shii tzu-mix dog who thinks he’s a Saint Bernard.

 Links

Goodreads
Blog/Website
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Facebook Event


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Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Cover Reveal: The Sidekick Chronicles Volume 2 A Pirates Tale by Stacey Rourke

Before we get to the book info, let me just say if you have not read any of Stacey Rourke's books, you are really missing out!  She is one of my favorite authors I have found this year, and a super nice person to boot!  Her Gryphon series books ROCK!!  She also has a book coming out soon about her journey through infertility and while I am not much of a non-fiction reader, I plan on reading this asap!  Stacey has a great snarky sense of humor that I love and I can't wait to see how she applies it to her real life experiences!

The Sidekick Chronicles Volume II:  A Pirate's Tale
A Gryphon Series Novella by Stacey Rourke

Description

The call of the sea.
The promise of adventure.
For Rowan Wade, the need to return to his swashbuckling ways is enough to betray the only woman he’s cared for in over three hundred years.
With vengeance in his heart, he’s determined to exact his revenge on those that mutinied against his father.
The arrival of an unlikely ally challenges Rowan’s plans. Her goal isn't to stop him, but to lead him on a journey of self-discovery to unravel the mysteries of the twisted path that led him to the Dark Army.
Will it be enough to make the pirate shift course? Or will he be lost forever in a rum-induced haze? Hoist ye colors and prepare to set sail with the Gryphon Series’ favorite pirate!



What people are saying about the series

"The series in a whole is quite amazing. It leaves you breathless with all the cliffhangers, hot sexy men, and the courageous heroine!
Dying for more while agonizing over when the next book come out."
~ M. Abbott

" The Gryphon series Is packed with supernatural creatures, action, romance and comedy. The characters are so awesome, you will want to meet them for real.
These books hooked me and my non reading teenagers and won't let go!"
~H. Alexander'

"Oh My Gryphon! This series is great and I love how Stacey Rourke takes her humor and sassiness and brings it to the next level!"
~M. Williams

"The first that I was actually able to get my teen-aged daughter to read! She then came back begging me to grab her the whole series!
Sure to make you LOL time and time again, so be warned of where you read!"
~ Phenomenal Reviews




Books
All of Stacey's books are currently only .99!!





About The Author

Young Adult and Teen Reader voted Author of the Year 2012.

2012 InD'tale Rone Awards Finalist for Young Adult Teen Romance

Stacey Rourke is the author of the Gryphon Series. She lives in Michigan with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two giant, drooly dogs. Stacey loves to travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction and considers herself blessed to make a career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head. She is currently hard at work on the continuations of this series as well as other literary projects.

Keep up to date with these links






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