{Book Blitz + Giveaway} It’s Always Complicated by Julia Kent

It’s Always Complicated
Julia Kent
Publication date: April 27th 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary

Take two men, one woman, three children. Stir in one best friend and her fiancé doctor. Whisk one best friend’s niece, her two rock star boyfriends, and add a grizzled old octogenarian diner owner with a naughty mouth and her eighty-something boyfriend who loves every minute of her.
Put them all in a campground in northern Maine where the owners’ daughter has two special men of her own. Bake for 400 pages.
It’s Always Complicated is the sprawling saga of how Laura, Mike and Dylan (Her Billionaires) and Josie and Alex (It’s Complicated) have the wedding of a lifetime at Escape Shores Campground (the Obedient series) while Darla, Trevor and Joe (the Random series) make an appearance with a cast of characters that includes cameos from the Warlock Waitress and maybe…just maybe…Mavis the Chicken.
This book combines three of Julia Kent’s series in a madcap spectacle that yields one universal truth: love is a journey and not a destination, but people will drive you crazy along the way.
Enjoy the ride.
—
Read the series in order:
Her Billionaires (New York Times bestseller)
It’s Complicated
Completely Complicated
It’s Always Complicated

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~EXCERPT~

A small crowd of men wearing gun holsters ran past Josie and Alex, followed by three uniformed TSA agents.

“I wonder what that’s about?” Alex marveled, his eyes tracking the fracas. He and Josie had come to the Portland, Maine airport to pick up her mother, Marlene, and Aunt Cathy, Uncle Mike and her new Uncle Calvin. All the Ohio relatives were here for her and Alex’s wedding.
A cold wave of dread washed over her. They were running toward the baggage claim for the airline her entire family was on.
“I’ll bet it’s my mother,” she groaned, leaning against him for support. His strong arm wrapped around her shoulders and gave her the comfort she needed. Too bad he couldn’t give her a second backbone made of steel.
If he could, she knew, he would. The thought made her smile.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” he said, giving her a squeeze. She looked up at him. Way up, given the enormous height difference between the two of them. His warm, brown eyes met hers and for an instant, she wondered if he might be right. That eternally positive outlook he had was a bit infectious.
Maybe she needed to stop assuming the worst of every situation.
A rotund security guard huffed and puffed, running past them, holding what looked like a spare uniform. He was talking into a walkie-talkie.
“Naked?” Huff huff. “She’s naked? What size?” Huff huff.
Alex’s kind eyes filled with alarm. It was both charming and horrifying. Josie couldn’t quite decide which impression she enjoyed more. There was a kind of schadenfreude in realizing she was right. His idealism was sweet, but sometimes she needed him to be more of a realist.
And Marlene served up an entire buffet of realism.
“Mile High Club again?” the guard asked, pausing to catch his breath. Josie watched him with a morbid fascination.
“You don’t really think it’s your mom in there, Josie,” Alex said. He caressed her shoulder absent-mindedly, watching the guard. “I mean—”
“Two men in one bathroom with a naked woman?” the guard barked into his walkie-talkie, eyebrows hitting the brim of his hat.
Josie snorted, the sense of dread spreading.
“How could it be anyone else?”
“That sounds more like something Darla would do,” Alex said. “You sure she’s still in Boston and not on this flight?”
Just as Josie was about to reply, the commotion got louder.
“MARLENE!” Josie heard the sense of outrage in her Aunt Cathy’s voice. The airport was small, but not that small. Cathy’s voice could carry. “WHAT IN THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOUR CLOTHES?”

~Author Bio~ 

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge, and new adult books that push contemporary boundaries. From billionaires to BBWs to rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every book she writes, but unlike Trevor from Random Acts of Crazy, she has never kissed a chicken. 

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{Blog Tour + Giveaway} No One Dies in the Garden of Syn (The Garden of Syn #1) by Michael Seidelman

No One Dies in the Garden of Syn (The Garden of Syn #1) by Michael Seidelman

Publication Date: April 26, 2016

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

~Summary~

Synthia (Syn) Wade is a teenage girl who struggles with cystic fibrosis, an incurable life-threatening disease. One day she is pushed into a pond by an unseen figure and wakes up in a new world – a mysterious garden where illness and death don’t exist.

Welcomed by the garden’s residents and now free of her symptoms, Syn decides to stay. But, before long, she realizes that this apparent utopia holds many dangers and dark secrets. 

Surrounding the garden is a fog that Syn is warned never to enter. She encounters bizarre creatures that defy reason. And always lurking in the shadows is a masked woman - a woman who may have a connection to the disappearance of Syn’s parents many years ago. A woman whom no one will speak of, but whom everyone fears.

While No One Dies in the Garden of Syn, Syn will soon discover that some fates are worse than death.

Buy Links:

Amazon US│Amazon CA│Amazon UK

~Excerpt~

Stumbling, I grab the flashlight, accidently flicking it on, and run as fast as my feet will carry me. The beam lands on two creatures squatting to the left of me. If the light wasn’t shining on them, I would say they were large dogs. Alas, these creatures are covered with shiny green scales, similar to the patch of skin on Flint’s back. They have a head that resembles a dog except for their snouts, which extend like a crocodile’s. Long, heavy tongues are hanging out of their panting mouths. Long tails vibrate and crackle like a rattlesnake’s. They growl at me, baring razer-like teeth. Drool rains from their mouths.

The whispers promptly return. Louder and louder. Run! Run away! Hurry! I do just that, with the terrifying beasts right on my tail.

~About the Author~

My name is Michael Seidelman.  I was born in Vancouver, BC Canada where I continue to reside. When I was growing up, my passions were reading, watching movies, nature and creative writing. Not much has changed since then. In high school when I had an opportunity to write short stories in class, I relished reading them out loud to my classmates who would gasp at the unexpected twists and applaud when I was done. I took several creative writing classes and have continued writing over the years while working in Interactive Marketing.

About two years ago, I decided to take some time off to focus on my writing and work on a Young Adult trilogy. The first book in The Garden of Syn series – No One Dies in the Garden of Syn – will be released on April 26^th. Meanwhile, I am working hard on the second and third books in the series.

Getting up every morning and sitting down to create new characters and bring new worlds to life is the most fulfilling job I have ever had. Beyond the trilogy, I have many ideas plotted out and I look forward to sharing them all with the world!

Author Links:

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~Giveaway~

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Book Review: House of Whispers: (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #5) by J.L. Bryan

House of Whispers: (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #5) by J.L. Bryan

Publication Date: August 31st, 2015

Genre: Adult Paranormal Mystery

Pages: 214

Format: Paperback

Source: Author

Read: April 3rd to 10th, 2016

Rating: 4/5

~Summary~

The luxurious Lathrop Grand Hotel is a Savannah institution that has entertained guests for more than a century and a half, offering some of the finest accommodations in the city. Famously haunted, the hotel draws tourists from around the world eager to encounter its numerous ghosts. The hotel is also known for being honeycombed with hidden doors and secret passages, enabling staff to appear and disappear quickly as they attend to the hotel's guests. Now some of the spirits in the Lathrop Grand have turned violent, even murderous. Ellie and Stacey must determine which ghost has become dangerous and remove it from the hotel before it can claim any more lives. They soon learn the hotel has secrets even darker than the notorious string of nineteenth-century murders that made it famous, and the powerful entities inhabiting it don't intend to leave without a fight.

~My Thoughts~

I originally started reading this back in the fall last year but sadly had to put it down because it reminded me to much of Ghouls just Haunt to Have Fun, which I finished right before I picked this one up. Though House of Whispers has no murders around every corner and the ghost mysteries are completely different, with both stories taking place in a haunted hotel I just felt the two weren't mixing well in my mind and I just kept thinking about GjHtHF the whole time, so I had to put it down for a while.

I finally picked it back up this year when J.L Bryan sent me an ARC of the next book in this series as I really want to continue following the stories of these amazing characters he has created! House of Whispers was a little slow going for me in the beginning because once again my mind was going back to GjHtHF. But as time went by I started to get into the story. However, whenever I had to set it down once I picked it up again it was slow to get back into it. I don't know why.

But I enjoyed this, though I wish we get more of there lives mixed into the story. In the third one, The Crawling Darkness, I really thought Ellie was making progress and she was opening up more. I thought it would continue throughout the series but I don't know, I feel like she's closing up again. 

Overall for some reason I just couldn't connect to this story as much. I loved the ghost story and the creepy, graphic details of the ghost that roamed the halls! When the ghost were active I was glued to my seat and I loved how the story lead to them running into the paranormal group that's trying to buy out Ellie's boss, that was definitely an amazing twist to the story! But I'm hoping for more growth to Ellie so I can connect better and to feel she get's a happy ending when this series finally comes to the end. I know there's going to be a total of 8 books, I don't know if J.L Bryan is going to write more, but with only three more books to go I want more out of Ellie's character then just going on one ghost adventure after another ghost adventure, even though I love her ghost hunting!  

*Was given a copy from the author in exchange for my honest review*

Sweet Reading Everybody!

{Book Blitz + Giveaway} Bravo: Apocalypse Mission (Bravo Saga, #1) by Summer Lane

Bravo: Apocalypse Mission
Summer Lane
(Bravo Saga, #1)
Publication date: April 22nd 2016
Genres: Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult

Civilization, collapsed. Society, gone.
The apocalypse rules all, and mankind struggles for survival.
But there was a dog, and his name was Bravo.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
First, there was the training.
Bravo, a strong and loyal German Shepherd, is born and raised to be a bomb detection dog in the Marines by his handler, Nathan Ingalls. Together, they prepare to become fighters.
After the training, there was the desert.
Deployed to Afghanistan, the brutality of desert warfare shows no mercy to neither man nor dog.
And then, there was the Collapse.
When the apocalypse strikes, Bravo is cruelly torn from his handler in the dying days of society. Bravo fights for survival in the city, longing to be reunited with his handler, his friend.
His journey will take him into the most dangerous parts of the city and country, into the heart of the apocalypse. He will meet new friends, and he will fight for them.
Bravo will not stop until he finds his partner.
This is the story of a dog. This is the story of a hero.
This is the story of Bravo, the bomb dog, and his apocalypse mission.

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~GUEST POST~

Think Like A Dog
By Summer Lane

The most interesting part of writing Bravo: Apocalypse Mission was being able to look at the apocalypse through the eyes of a dog. What does he see? What does he care about? How does he survive, and more importantly, how does he deal with loss?

I’ve always loved dogs, so it was a great treat to be able to write this story. I had the idea a little over a year ago. Bravo himself was inspired by an offhand comment from a child who had read my books and exclaimed, “You should write about a dog in the apocalypse!” From that comment, I immediately pictured Bravo in my head. And thus he was born! First as a sidekick in The Zero Trilogy, and now as the star of his very own story. I had always wanted to write a story about a dog, and this was my chance.

I think the most challenging thing about getting into the head of a dog is realizing that 1) dogs don’t necessarily have a reason for everything they do. They simply do it because they are creatures of instinct. And 2) a dog can be just as emotional as people when it comes to losing a friend or handler. I had to find a balance between instinct and emotion when it came to writing Bravo’s adventure, and I think I was able to locate the sweet spot and make it work!

~Author Bio~ 

Who is Summer Lane?
Summer Lane is the #1 bestselling author of 12 thrilling books, including the phenomenal bestselling Collapse Series, Zero Trilogy and Collapse: The Illustrated Guide. Her newest series, The Bravo Saga, is releasing April 22nd, 2016, and is hotly anticipated in the reading community.
Bravo: Apocalypse Mission is the first installment of the Bravo Saga. It follows the story of a military working dog named Bravo who is separated from his beloved handler when the apocalypse strikes. It is a poignant and thrilling tale of love, loyalty and survival.
Summer also owns WB Publishing and Writing Belle, an online magazine where she has interviewed and worked with countless authors from around the globe. 

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{Book Blitz + Giveaway} Broken Fate by Jennifer Derrick

Broken Fate
Jennifer Derrick
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: April 18th 2016
Genres: Mythology, Romance, Young Adult

Zeus gave her one simple job: Kill every human. Atropos—daughter of Zeus and the third goddess of Fate from Greek mythology —spends her eternal life snipping human lifelines when their mortal lives are over. As if being a killer doesn’t make life miserable enough, she and her Fate-wielding sisters must live amongst the humans on Earth thanks to a long-running feud between their mother and Zeus. Living on Earth means they must mingle with the mortals, attend the local high school, and attempt to fit in—or at least not stand out too much.
Killing and mingling don’t mix, which is why Atropos’ number-one rule is to avoid all relationships with the humans. Caring for the people she has to kill is a fast track to insanity. However, when Alex Morgan walks into her first-period English class, she knows she’s in for trouble. He’s the worst kind of human for her to like—one with a rapidly approaching expiration date. And he makes Atropos want to break all the rules.

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~EXCERPT~

I turn off my desk lamp and computer, starting to get up, but then sit back down. My curiosity about Alex has been building all day. I’ve tried to tamp it down, to forget him, but I can’t. Even Chloe’s chatter couldn’t take him out of my thoughts. I boot the computer back up and give in to temptation.

I search for Alex’s record in our database. What I’m doing isn’t forbidden, but I rarely bother to check on the humans once I assign their manner of death. I forget them until I see them again on their date of death. However, tonight, I want to see what kind of fate Lacey devised for him and refresh my memory about how and when he’ll die.

I find his file but just as I’m about to double click and open it, I pull back. Do I really want to know what Lacey has planned for him? He’s already faced grief and loss. What if his fate gets worse than that? Do I want that knowledge?

I think for a few moments and decide it doesn’t really matter either way. He and I aren’t going to become friends. I enjoyed our afternoon together, but that has to be the end of it. If his fate is bad, I can live with it. He is, after all, just another human. Easy come, easy go.

I double click on the file. His entire past and future lies before me. I scroll down to the end of the document, looking for the relevant part, the date of death. I don’t have to scroll far.

May fifteenth of this year.

I read the page again. The date doesn’t change. May fifteenth is a little less than two months from now. I quickly scroll back up, looking for the details on how he will die. I’m furious when I find them.

~Author Bio~

Jennifer is a freelance writer and novelist. As a freelancer, she writes everything from technical manuals to articles on personal finance and European-style board games. Her interest in storytelling began when she was six and her parents gave her a typewriter for Christmas and agreed to pay her $.01 per page for any stories she churned out. Such a loose payment system naturally led to a lot of story padding. Broken Fate, her first novel, earned her $2.80 from her parents.
Jennifer lives in North Carolina and, when not writing, can often be found reading, trawling the shelves at the library, playing board games, watching sports, camping, running marathons, and playing with her dog. You can visit her at her official website:www.JenniferDerrick.com. 

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{Cover Reveal} Summer of Irreverence - The Rock Star by Cathrine Goldstein

Summer of Irreverence - The Rock Star by Cathrine Goldstein
Genre: Adult Romance
The Wild Rose Press

~Summary~

Straight-laced, veterinary surgeon, Summer Wynters is ready to break the rules. And who better to break them with than the most irreverent of all men, mega rock star Malcolm Angel? With one last summer free from work obligations, Summer moves to New York City, and at the coaxing of her friend, pretends to be a model so she can spend one wild night with Malcolm. 

Rock star, Malcolm Angel, tortured by a dark past, may be the poet laureate of romance, but he, like science-minded Summer, has never believed in romantic love. How could he? With his history, he doesn’t deserve to be loved.

When Summer’s honesty, kindness, and exuberance for life changes his perspective, the two discover they are in deeper than either dreamed possible. But when Malcolm discovers Summer’s been perpetuating a lie, will he forgive her? Even if forgiveness is possible, can a man immune to love teach someone else to believe in it?

~Excerpt~

“How did you go through life with that name…?” Malcolm’s eyes flashed with happiness. “I mean, if I wrote it, people would crucify me. What were your parents thinking?”

Summer froze. Suddenly the walls began closing in on her.

“I mean, do they love you at all?” Malcolm chuckled.

Summer’s feet refused to move, and her arms lay limp at her side.

“Summer?” Malcolm’s smile faded. “Sum?”

The sound of her nickname spoken by Malcolm did her in. She desperately fought the mounting tears.

Malcolm stared at her. “It’s not your name you’re upset about, is it?”

Summer clenched her jaw and shook her head.

“I’m sorry.” His voice was low and modulated.

She nodded, looking at Malcolm, and wanting, for the first time ever, to have someone make it all okay. To have him make it all okay.

Malcolm grew quiet. They stood there for whole minutes.

“I’m sorry if I touched on a sore subject. Really.”

Summer stared at him—this man who had everything except the answer she needed. How could he be so closed off? How could he care so little about the pain of another living creature?

He stepped forward then, as if reading her mind. He took her hand gently, and leaned over, speaking quietly into her ear. “It’s not that I don’t care.”

Those few words found a place deep in Summer’s soul.

Malcolm stood up tall, and Summer’s eyes followed him. He reached out and stroked her cheek as he spoke. “But I’ve got nothing more to give than today.”

~About the Author~

I am a bestselling author, and a NYC girl at heart. I write “gritty romance,” in the genres of YA, NA; women’s fiction; and romance. I’m also the author of The Letting and The Coupling, books 1 and 2 of The Letting series. I began my career as an award-winning playwright, and I am a proud member of RWA, PAN. I have my BA in English and my MA in Theatre.

I am a fan of Luna Bars, decaf coffee, yoga, Hemingway, and Bukowski—and the loves of my life are my husband and my two young girls.

To find out more about me; Summer of Irreverence, the first book in The New York Artists Series—standalone novels about strong, artistic men, and the smart, unexpected women they fall for; The Letting series; and what’s coming soon, please visit: www.CathrineGoldstein.com

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Book Review: Cast in Hellfire (Mage Craft #2) by S.M. Reine

Cast in Hellfire (Mage Craft #2) by S.M. Reine

Publication Date: April 3rd, 2016

Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy

Pages: 241

Format: Kindle

Source: Author

Read: April 14th to 18th, 2016

Rating: 4/5

~Summary~

Marion Garin is the teenage daughter of Metaraon, the former Voice of God. Now she's also the steward of the Winter Court, which has been in anarchy since a revolution five years earlier. 

Problem: Marion still doesn't remember anything that happened before two weeks ago. 

Seth Wilder has a lead on her memories. Whoever stole them and sold Marion's essence to a demon lord in Sheol. Marion wants to help steal them back, even though that means abandoning the Winter Court to war. And Seth can't seem to tell Marion no. 

He wants Marion nearby. Very nearby. Possibly in his teeth. See, Seth has this little problem where he's developing a killing urge, and it seems to be centered primarily on the half-angel girl who adores him. It conflicts with everything Seth believes himself to be: a moral man, a doctor who heals instead of hurts. Yet he's obsessed with Marion. She wants her memories, and he wants her to have them as much as he wants her blood. 

They'll work together to make Marion whole, come hell or high water. Even if it means war. Even if it means Seth might hurt Marion. And damned be the consequences...

~My Thoughts~

Ooh, that prince sure knows how to get under my skin! He's manipulative, sex craze, and pushy and I'm surprised I caught myself saying poor Marion when I wasn't her biggest fan in Cast in Angelfire haha. In this one I'm warming up to her, just only when she's around Seth I can stand her. But when she's with Konig I just can't put up with them....Ooh, that prince!

But I'm getting ahead of myself haha. I really enjoyed this one more than the first one and I think that's cause Marion is changing a bit, though how it ended we'll see where things lead to. 

Cast in Hellfire starts where Cast in Angelfire left off and Seth (who's finally excepting his real name) is rescuing Charity from the preternatural detention center. There he realizes something is truly off with him and now he needs to find out what he's become. Of course to do that he needs Marion as much as she needs him.

I honestly enjoyed going along on this adventure with them. So much gory action! This horror lover was sitting on the edge of her seat! Seriously, I forgot how gory Mrs. Reine's stories can get and I absolutely loved it! If you're not a fan of heavily detailed gore then this story might not be for you haha.

So much is happening, so much is revealed, and I do enjoy the multiple points of view but I hate when the views change when one ends in tension and I just HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! Overall this is a great page turner, with twist and turns and constant action that it'll be hard to put down! I cannot wait to get my hands on the next one, not after finding out what Seth is! Oh boy, the next one is going to be quite interesting!

*Was given a copy from the author in exchange for my honest review*

Sweet Readings Everyone!