{Book Blitz: Interview + Giveaway} Because of Lucy by Lisa Swallow

 

 

 

Because of Lucy by Lisa Swallow

Publication Date: August 28th 2013

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Pages: 220

Goodreads

 

 

~Summary~

 

*Recommended 17+ due to strong language and sexual content*

Ness’s parents are shocked when she turns down her place at Leeds University and takes on a full-time job in a call center. Determined to begin her adult life the way she wants, Ness moves to Leeds to live with her best friend Abby.

One night she meets Evan, who is everything she hates about guys. He may be hot but he’s also drunken, arrogant, and on top of that, he apparently has sex with girls and forgets about it. But Evan isn’t what he seems and Ness soon discovers they have more in common than she thought.

Evan is struggling to escape from his past too, and when Lucy appears she threatens his new relationship with Ness. Unsure if she can deal with the effect Lucy has on Evan, Ness makes a decision about her future which pulls them apart.

When their new lives don’t go as planned, Ness and Evan are both faced with difficult choices. All because of Lucy…

 

 

Purchase Link:

 

Amazon

 

 

~About The Author~

 

 

Lisa is originally from the UK but now lives in Perth, Western Australia. She splits her time between writing, raising a family and running a business. She even leaves the house occasionally.

Lisa writes romance and is currently working on a series of new adult paranormal romance novels, the first book, Soul Ties, was published in July 2013. She also writes new adult contemporary - Because of Lucy was released August 2013.

Author links:

 

Website: http://lisaswallow.net/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7091632.Lisa_Swallow

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisaswallowbooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisa_swallow_au

 

 

 

~Interview~

 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Where did you grow up?
 

I was born in the UK and I grew up in Europe, travelling around with my military family. Most of the time I lived in the UK and Germany.

 

Where do you live now?
 

Perth, Western Australia.

 

If you could live anywhere, where would you choose?
 

Perth!

 

How long have you been writing?
 

Since I was 8 years old when I had a poem published in the local newspaper. Last year, I decided it was time I tried to find a publisher!

 

Where did you get the inspiration for ‘Because of Lucy’?
 

I love the new adult genre - being able to write about the time of self-discovery that comes  from moving away from family influences and into adulthood. I wanted to show the struggle that people often have at this age when trying to forge an identity outside of the one that they may have unwillingly been molded into.
 

I love hidden secrets in books, but only ones which keep the reader guessing. When I was half way through the first draft, I tested the story on a friend. If she’d guessed who Lucy was before she was revealed, I would have scrapped the book!

 

Do you have any pets?
 

A Weimaraner named Tilly who is not the brightest of dogs. She does a great impression of a Weeping Angel (geek reference!). We also have a cat called Twinkle but, as all cat owners know, we’re her pets.

 

Something about you not many people know?
 

Until I moved to Australia, I had never lived in one house longer than two years or one city longer than three. Eight years later, I don’t want to move again!

 

Who would you cast as actors if a movie was made of your book?

I always find this question tricky because every reader has their own pictures in their heads of who the characters look like. When I started writing Because of Lucy I was watching Supernatural a lot and Evan looked a little like a younger Jared Padalecki in my mind. But not as tall! Ness is more difficult - maybe I don’t pay enough attention to female actresses lol.

If you were a cartoon character who would you be and why?

Lisa Simpson. Because I was a little like her when I was younger (and we share a first name and initials!)

Early bird or night owl?
 

Night owl.

 

What is your next project?

I’m currently finishing the third book in my paranormal romance series, Soul Ties. I have also started writing a second book featuring Ness and Evan. Because of Lucy was going to be a standalone as it has no cliffhanger and a happy ending, but readers have asked to follow more of Ness and Evan’s story. And I’m happy to do that because...more time with Evan!

~Giveaway~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Review: Just for Fins (Fins #3) by Tera Lynn Childs

 

Just for Fins (Fins #3) by Tera Lynn Childs

Publication Date: July 3rd 2012

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 246

Format: Hardcover

Source: Library

Goodreads

 

 

~Summary~

 

When Lily Sanderson decided to remain Crown Princess Waterlily of the mermaid kingdom Thalassinia, she knew she couldn’t just coast along in the current. But since she’s spent the last couple of years on land—with gorgeous human Quince by her side—Lily’s not sure she has the fins to lead a kingdom. Even her maddeningly pretentious cousin Dosinia seems to know more about ruling than she does.

But Lily has to dive in deep to keep her promise to Tellin, her mer bond in name only, whose kingdom is suffering in the changing ocean climate. Lily knows this is a seven seas–sized problem: from sea animals dying to oil spills and threats to humans. They’ll need to create some serious waves to make the mer community aware and get it to join together to make things right. Even if that means facing one of the iciest queens in the mer kingdoms.

Just when Lily thinks her double life on land and sea can’t get any more complicated, an ancient mer law might separate Lily and Quince after all. It feels as if the pair is up against a solid tsunami wave!

In this third installment in the series that began with Forgive My Fins and Fins Are Forever, Lily will have to find a way to balance safety and justice for the mer people as well as for the humans she loves.

 

 

~My Thoughts~

 

Now this is the kind of depth I was looking for in book 2. Just for Fins is still cute and the romance is still swoon worthy however we've also get the seriousness behind Lily's powerful storyline. Though sometimes Lily's whining bugged me but I do understand why, because she gets irritated that the royal rules just won't leave Quince and her alone. And I mean they won't, one of those later chapters was an emotional ride and not just for the characters, but for me too. I was sitting on the edge of my seat going "No! You can't do this to them!"

Yeah, this is the kind of struggle I was hoping for in the second book. There was struggle in the first book with Lily accidentally kissing the wrong guy but then finding out it was for the better. That's what made the first book so amazing and I wished there was more of that depth in the second book. There was some small struggle but nothing like this one or the first book. Just for Fins showed me why I fell for this mermaid tail in the first place.

And not only is there struggle in this sweet romance but there's also major struggle in Lily's underwater world. Because of us humans and the environmental changes, their lives are dying. Some of the kingdoms are being destroyed so the people of those kingdoms look for shelter in other kingdoms. Yet most kingdoms are having their own problems too. On Lily's first duty of princess she finds this out and that it isn't just Tellin’s world that is in trouble.

Lily grows so much in this book and I'm so proud of her haha. I wished there were more books to come! I was really sad that it ended but I'm happy with how it ended. Overall this was the perfect tale to tell for the last book in the series. With struggles of romance, of dying kingdoms, of wanting revenge against us humans, and of Lily turning into the princess her world needs. This final book will have you on your toes. The only thing I didn't really like was the names of the kingdoms and the names of most mermaids. They were hard to pronounce and even harder when I was on a roll, so it slowed down my reading when I didn't want it to. But other than that, I loved this book!

 

4.5 Bats

Will disturb your being

 

 

 

Sweet Readings Everybody!

 

 



{Cover Reveal} Defector (Variants #2) by Susanne Winnacker

 

Defector (Variants #2) by Susanne Winnacker

Publication Date: June 26, 2014

Genre: Young Adult Thriller

Goodreads

 

 

~Summary~

 

None


~Sequel To~



Impostor (Variants #1)
Publication Date: May 28th 2013
Genre: Young Adult Thriller
Goodreads


~Summary~

Can Tessa pose as Madison . . . and stop a killer before it’s too late?

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again.

Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself


~About The Author~

Susanne Winnacker studied law before she became a full-time writer. She lives with her husband, a dog and three bunnies in Germany. She loves coffee (in every shape and form), traveling and animals.
When she isn't writing, you can usually find her in the kitchen, experimenting with new vegan dishes.
Her YA thriller IMPOSTOR will be published on May 28, 2013. It has been optioned for TV by Warner Brothers!

Website: http://www.susannewinnacker.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SusanneWinnackerAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SusanneWrites
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/91168.Susanne_Winnacker

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

{Cover Reveal + Giveaway} Lost Without You by Liz Hannah

 

Lost Without You by Liz Hannah

Publication Date: December 30 2013

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Goodreads

 

 

~Summary~

 

Grace Young thought she was a survivor - until the day her twin brother died, leaving her parents heartbroken and their relationship with Grace fractured beyond repair. Now all Grace wants is a chance to experience something of a normal life, before it's all too late.

Going to college hundreds of miles from home seems like the right way to embrace her new found freedom, especially after years of homeschooling, but while Grace takes to her classes naturally, it's the other side of college that she's unprepared for.

The parties. The friendships. The boys. Especially one Dean Michaels, the Haven University's star soccer player. Fate throws the pair together, and their friendship starts to turn into something more. But can Grace keep the secrets of her past hidden without hurting those she's come to count on the most?

 

 

 

*New Adult Contemporary Romance, recommended for readers 17+ for mature situations*

 

 

 

 

 

~Teaser~

 

 

 

 

~About The Author~

 

 

Author Bio: Liz Hannah is a New Adult author that calls both Scotland and Australia home. Currently studying her Bachelor of Arts at university, when she’s not busy reading or writing, Liz can be found procrastinating from her studies indulging in her Pinterest habit or watching too many TV shows. Lost Without You is her debut New Adult novel.

 

Links: Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

 

~Giveaway~



a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Knockout Challenge Review: You Are Mine (Mine #1) by Janeal Falor

 

You Are Mine (Mine #1) by Janeal Falor

Publication Date: May 6th 2013

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Format: Kindle

Source: Author/Netgalley

Goodreads

 

 

~Summary~

 

Serena knows a few simple things. She will always be owned by a warlock. She will never have freedom. She will always do what her warlock wishes, regardless of how inane, frivolous, or cruel it is. And if she doesn’t follow the rules, she will be tarnished. Spelled to be bald, inked, and barren for the rest of her life—worth less than the shadow she casts.

Then her ownership is won by a barbarian from another country. With the uncertainty that comes from belonging to a new warlock, Serena questions if being tarnished is really worse than being owned by a barbarian, and tempts fate by breaking the rules. When he looks the other way instead of punishing her, she discovers a new world. The more she ventures into the forbidden, the more she learns of love and a freedom just out of reach. Serena longs for both. But in a society where women are only ever property, hoping for more could be deadly.

 

 

~My Thoughts~

*was provided to me by the author for my honest opinion*

I've been excited about this book ever since I revealed the cover and when I saw that Mrs. Falor placed it on Netgalley, I just had to have it! Once I got it, it didn't take me long for me to dive right in. Even with the forewarning of it being a slow paced read.

So, if you want an action packed fast read then this isn't your book. However if you want an amazing world building read, then this book is for you. Though, yes as the story goes farther and farther in you'll eventually want some action but I promise you'll get a boat load of it in the end ;).

I absolutely love this world and how it progressed. This world is utterly disgusting, yet so intriguing. Plus seeing how amazing Serena grows within the pages, it's so captivating. I can't wait for the sequel! The only thing I think I have a problem with is that we don't really know if this is in the future with a past theme or if this is a different universe from ours. Other than that, I quite enjoyed this book.

In this world, guys are in charge and the women are just there to obey their every demand, it's like the Victorian age but a bit more violent as the men in this world are warlocks. The women carry the magic in their blood but only men can us the magic, so in Serena's world having a boy means a better life. But throughout the book Serena learns that other places aren't as harsh as her world is. Like the ones that are supposedly savages, they're actually the good guys. A little cliché there but it’s what this world calls for.

I absolutely love Zane and I wished Serena would have seen him as good guy a lot sooner haha. But of course I understand why it took her forever, and I mean forever. It’s because of the way she was raised. In her world men are never gentle to their women which is why I'm so happy that Zane came into Serena's life.

Overall this is a roller coaster ride and one I can't wait to go on again. The premise will pull you in and the author's storytelling will keep you hooked. The unfolding of everyone’s story within will suck you in, you'll be turning page after page. You might even lose track of time, it's that amazing!

P.S the other problem was that sometimes I got lost on who was talking but again, not many problems for me.

 

Will disturb your being

 

 

 

~About The Author~

Janeal Falor lives in Utah where she’s finally managed to live in the same house for more than five years without moving. In her spare time she reads books like they’re nuts covered in caramel and chocolate, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and enjoys the outdoors. Her husband and three children try to keep up with her overactive imagination. Usually they settle for having dinner on the table, even if she’s still going on about the voices in her head.

 

Author links:

 

Website / Goodreads / Twitter

 

 

 

Sweet Readings Everybody!

 



Sunday Songs (32) Awake All Night & Wake Me Up

 

 

 

I just love how soothing this song is and the words are just so sweet to the ears <3

 

 

"I don’t know if I’ll fall asleep tonight
When you won’t, just won’t get off my mind"

 

 

 

 

Sweet Listening Everybody!

 

Love the song and the message.

Wake Me Up- Avicii

 

And Lyric Video-

 

 

 

Happy Sunday!

 

 

{Book Blitz + Excerpt} Waterborn by Kimberly James

 

 

 

 

Waterborn by Kimberly James

Publication Date: September 6th 2013

Genre: New Adult Fantasy Romance

Pages: 288

Goodreads

 

 

~Summary~

 

“You don’t have to choose. You can be both. The girl with the charm, the girl without. They both suit you.”

Caris Harper lives a charmed life. Literally.

When her dad offers to take her to the Emerald coast of Florida for summer vacation, Caris jumps at the chance. The chance to get answers to questions she’s always been too afraid to ask. The chance to be normal. Isn’t that what her dreams have been telling her, that here in the place of her birth she can be normal? But from the first moment the wind caresses her face and the sun touches her skin, the charm begins to fade, revealing a girl Caris never knew existed, one that is anything but normal. The long-buried Song that awakens is only the beginning of a transformation that will challenge her ideas about loyalty and family.

Noah Jacobs is a waterbreather—a species of human fully adaptable to life in the water. Like his older brother Jamie, Noah wants to prove they can use their abilities and be heroes in service to their country. When a simple mission goes wrong and Jamie goes missing, Noah exiles himself to the Deep in a desperate search. MIA is a classification Noah is not ready to accept. But instinct can’t be ignored. Not when he hears her Song. Caris is not what he expects and Noah is determined to get her out of his head. Instead he finds himself acting as her mentor and the more time they spend together, the more Noah realizes he just wants Caris.

When a startling truth threatens their newly formed trust, Noah straddles the line between love and obsession while Caris struggles to find a balance between the girl she thought she was and the young woman she wants to be.

 

 

Purchase Links:

 

Amazon / Barnes

 

 

~Excerpt~

 

All my life I wanted to be like my mother, hoped I was like her. And now that I knew I was, the knowledge felt like a burden instead of a blessing. A dream turned nightmare.

As I stood on the beach, a few yards away from where the foamy waves rushed over the sand, I wished it weren’t true. Maybe my dad was wrong. Maybe my mother had been wrong.

My hope was dashed as soon as the Song came, easy and instinctive. Echoes built and swirled in my head like the breaking of so many waves. I felt the purpose of this Song in a way I hadn’t felt before. I recognized it for what it was now. What before had come as the result of wayward thought, produced by uncontrolled feelings, now came with a violent edge.

A command.

A part of me prayed he wouldn’t answer, that he wouldn’t succumb to the power even as it seemed to fill me with a sense of vitality.

Minutes later, Noah emerged from the surf, surrounded by the foamy break. He radiated power. Somewhere in the fog of my mind, I remembered his strong arms wrapped around me as he wrestled me from the force that held me to the bottom of the ocean. Was it because I knew what he was that I could see him so clearly, or was it that he no longer had to hide that part of himself from me? Did we all wear a charm of some sort? All I knew for sure was that no mere human had eyes like that. No mere human moved with such graceful strength as though he commanded the water itself.

Our eyes locked and held. We circled each other with wary steps. This wasn’t the same boy I’d rescued from a pack of bullies. This boy was wild, defiant and snarling silently, caught in this invisible trap of my Song.

Where did we stand? Yesterday I would have said we were friends. Now I didn’t know. He stopped an arms length away. Was he afraid to come closer? No wonder he had looked at me with such animosity before. He didn’t like it, having to come when I called. But despite that, despite what my dad had told me about my real father hurting my mother, I couldn’t believe that Noah would hurt me. I told him that day he’d rescued me from a pool of horseshoe crabs that he wouldn’t hurt me and I still believed that. Maybe even more now.

“Are you afraid of me now?” I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel a sense of empowerment, a tiny thrill that he was here only because I’d asked him to come with just a thought.

“No.” As if to prove it, he closed the space between us with one long stride, eyes intent, bold as they raked over me. I had discarded my dad’s t-shirt, eager to feel the wind on my skin, the spray from the surf. I wore my bikini top and bottoms, but I might as well have been naked the way Noah looked at me. Noah’s bare chest glistened with moisture and I had the absurd thought to rub up against him, let that moisture soak into my skin. Something must have shone on my face, some yearning I couldn’t name, because he shook his head and tiny drops of water rained down on me. I massaged them into my arms, let them drip down my face, craving more. They sang through my blood and every nerve ending in my body responded. Even my scalp tingled.

His eyes scoured my face, questions swimming in the green depths. But he also looked as if he too had no idea what happened next.

“How long have you known?” I couldn’t quite keep the edge out of my voice. The accusation. I knew this wasn’t his fault. The fault lie with my dad, but still, he had been keeping this from me. He should have told me.

“Since the first day I saw you.”

“The day behind the shops when Jax took your hair?” How had they done it? Cornered and trapped him like that? It didn’t seem possible, even though there had been three of them.

“No.” He averted his eyes. I watched his throat move as he swallowed. “Before that.”

Realization dawned. My first night here, when the water grabbed at me. I remembered the swell I’d felt in my chest, the Song that had burst through my head almost without me knowing.

I called him that first day, and he’d come, not knowing who I was. I didn’t want that kind of power over him. Yet, here he stood.

“Why you? I mean, there are others like you…” I gulped, still barely able to grasp the idea of another species, even with the proof of it standing in front of me. The proof of it humming under my skin. I still felt human enough, but Noah was definitely more. So unquestioningly, obviously more. “Like us. Why you?”

“I don’t know.” He said the words almost like a tired sigh, as though it was an unanswered question he’d asked himself over and over.  

“So, we’re not really friends. It’s just this…” I waved my hand between us, not knowing what to call this connection we shared.

“I can’t speak for you, but I am your friend, Caris. I will always be that.”

My throat tightened and I looked away, not wanting him to see how his words affected me. They soothed the raw edge of my raging emotions. Grounded me to center when everything felt like it was spiraling out of my control. “You must hate me.”

His mouth quirked in a half smile. “No. I don’t hate you.”

 

 

 

~About The Author~

 

 

 

Kimberly is a Crossfit junkie and a connoisseur of french fries.

She likes to make stuff up and write it down. Her stories usually have a contemporary setting with a fantastical twist. Waterborn is her debut novel.

Kimberly lives in Alabama the beautiful with her husband, three dogs, Kevin the cat, and four new adults of her own. A couple of which are off at college.

Author links:

 

Website: http://kimberlyjamesauthor.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7180101.Kimberly_James

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimberlyjamesauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kmbrjames


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