Hexed Hearts: Excerpt and super giveaway

Book & Author Details:

Hexed Hearts by Becca Vincenza 

Publication date: April 2015

Genres: New Adult, Paranormal

Synopsis:

Colette had known all her life that she was half human and half werewolf. She had no expectations of a life filled with love and adventure.

Everything changed on her 21st birthday. A curse casted by witches centuries ago set things in motion, things she could have never imagined. A past that Colette has no clue about has come back to steal her away.

When Hunter, her destined but very unexpected mate, arrives, she is at a complete loss. She must learn to forget an old love and how to make room for a new love.

The curse is being recast and Colette must stop it in order to save the wolves, all the while finding who she really is.

EXCERPT:

“That is what you are going to wear?” I asked eyeing Griffin’s light blue t-shirt and dark washed jeans. He looked down at himself then looked at me.

“Why? What’s wrong with it?” he asked.

I narrowed my eyes. I crossed my arms and pressed my lips together. My nose scrunched a little. I looked down. I thought I was the epitome of a stealth mission we were going on. There was a lot of digging in my drawers and closet, but I finally found my black yoga pants and long sleeve shirt. Sure, the shirt was just a pinch too small. It rode up sometimes and the sleeves stopped just before my wrist. Unfortunately, it also stretched over my chest snugly. I saw Griffin take a couple peeks. Sometimes even he was a pig. I was seconds from slapping him. I grabbed the combat boots that I had owned for years and slipped them on.

“You don’t understand covert mission do you?” I muttered as I pulled on my last boot. I looked over at Griffin and he held in his laughter.

“Ass.”

“I heard that.”

“You were meant to,” I said with a smug smile.

Griffin clapped his hands together and I looked over at him. He had a huge smile on his face, the smile I had seen many times in our youth. I was glad for Griff, Liam and Nick. They knew how my childhood wasn’t a happy one so they made sure our childhood was full of adventures. Many of those adventures were not sanctioned by Keith, Isaac, or Rose. Most of the time, they were our secret, though as I got older I began to doubt Isaac hadn’t noticed our antics.

Griffin had the same look on his face as he used to when we would sneak out as children. I held in my own laugh now. It was nice to see the Griffin that I had grown up with, the one that kept me sane for years.

“Alright sir, let’s do this.”

Most of the bedrooms were on the second story of the house. Griffin could make the jump easily enough. I had more strength than a human but I didn’t trust myself not to break or at the very least strain something. I waited for him to go first and Griffin stood outside my window.

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!” Griffin yell-whispered up to me. I rolled my eyes as I climbed out my window. I was going backwards and I could feel his eyes on my backside. I turned and stuck my tongue out at him.

“Why my prince I didn’t realize you were such a gracious ass.”

“Well when I see one, I see one.”

AUTHOR BIO:

Becca Vincenza lives in wonderful Michigan. She has a love for Skittles, rainbows, Star Wars, and reading about hot men. When she's not wearing her author hat, she's working to pay off her student loans for her recently acquired English degree. 

She recently released the first book in her Rebirth Series and is set to release the second book before the beginning of summer.

You can find Becca around the internet at these sites:

Facebook

Goodreads

Website

Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)

• $50 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This much is true: Top 10 list and giveaway!

This Much is True by Katherine Owen 

(Truth in Lies #1) 

Publication date: August 11th 2013

Genres: Contemporary, New Adult

Synopsis:

Both on the verge of fame. A ballerina who lies. A baseball player who believes her. Well, the truth changes everything.

Tally Landon is just trying to survive the death of her twin sister, graduate from high school, and escape her tragic story by pursuing her ballet career in New York. She doesn’t count on Lincoln Presley, Stanford’s baseball wonder, to affect her at all. Adding him to a long list of one-night stands is the plan. Lying to him about her age and name is her standard method of operandi. She doesn’t count on being found out, on seeing him again, or falling in love.

Lincoln Presley’s life is all mapped out for him. There is only baseball. With Major League Baseball circling their favorite prospect with a lucrative offer, he cannot afford to mess up. And, he doesn’t; until he meets up with the girl he saved in that burning wreckage on the 101 on Valentine’s Day months before. By the time he learns her real name and of all the lies she’s told, he’s in far too deep to ever really let her go.

Fate has a different set of plans, but when fame and lies tear them apart, one truth remains.

PURCHASE:

PURCHASE BOOK 2: 

Top 10 Angsty Love Stories


Thanks so much for having me on your blog and featuring This Much Is True. Here is my top ten list of angsty love stories, as in, filled with angst, not whining…besides mine.



The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

 (She broke all the rules in writing this love story. She’s an inspiration to me as a writer for technique and owning the story however it needs to be told.)



Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 

(My current writerly crush. A love story? Yes, pretty much the worst kind, due to hyper reality)



April & Oliver by Tess Callahan 

(An early inspiration for me as a writer. This story stays with me. Whenever I feel I’m writing too much angst I remember the story of April & Oliver. Loved it!)



Falling Under by Danielle Younge-Ullman

 (This inspired me to try my hand at a broken character. Loved this story. Loved it!)



The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson 

(The sole guy on the list. This story still haunts me. Loved it!)



The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

 (Memorable writing. Some of the best lines I have ever read in my life are in this book.)



The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons 

(Whenever I think I write long, I think of The Bronze Horseman and the follow-up books of Simons’. Incredible journey. Loved it!)


Reason To Breathe by Rebecca Donovan

 (Angsty, yet believable storyline and a sympathetic heroine.)

Unteachable by Leah Raeder

 (Her descriptions of time and place are poetic. Raeder is a masterful storyteller.)



The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher

 (She takes risks with her writing and I love and admire that.) I read this book after I wrote This Much Is True based upon a couple bloggers’ reviews of This Much Is True that compared my writing style and the angsty characters to Fisher’s book, The Opportunist.

AUTHOR BIO:

Katherine Owen writes contemporary edgy fiction, which translates to: she writes love stories that are contemporary in setting and both edgy and dark. Some readers term her books emotional roller coasters. With her writing, Owen admits she has a fondness for angst, likes to play with a little drama, and essentially toys around with the unintentional complications of love. She contends this began early on when she won a poetry contest at the age of fourteen and appears to be without end. Owen has an avid love of coffee, books, and writing, but not necessarily in that order. She writes both Contemporary Romance and New Adult fiction which includes her bestselling TRUTH IN LIES Series (a series despite despising 'series') beginning with This Much Is True and her latest release, The Truth About Air & Water. The TRUTH IN LIES series is fan-driven. So. There will be a third book about Linc and Tally released in 2015 titled Tell Me Something True. 

About Owen's fiction...This is NOT the light trope stuff. She travels a unique, writerly path and enjoys writing dark and angsty (a "non-word" she is fond of) emotional love stories. She often warns readers to be prepared with: time, tissues, wine, Advil or your drug of choice. And, as her most favored character, Lincoln Presley, would say, "do what you must, Princess."

Author Links:

Goodreads  

Twitter  

Facebook  

Website

Tour-wide giveaway (US & Canada)

• 1x signed print copies of both This Much Is True and The Truth About Air & Water 
• 3x signed copies of This Much Is True

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Preservation (Preservation #1)

Preservation (Preservation #1) 

by Rachael Wade

SYNOPSIS:

Fear is sabotage’s sweetest weapon.

Kate has no time for meaningless romantic charades, and definitely no time for hot college professors who are full of themselves and smitten with her. Constantly battling eviction notices, tuition she can’t afford, and a sick, dependent mother, the last thing she needs is to be distracted with someone else’s complicated baggage. 

When she stumbles into Ryan Campbell’s creative writing class, he is only “Mr. Campbell” to her, until Ryan finds himself captivated by her writing and she is forced to face their mutual attraction. His cocky know-it-all syndrome is enough to send her running in the other direction, and his posse of female admirers and playboy reputation are enough to squander any odds in her favor. 

But underneath Ryan’s abrasive facade is something to behold, and she can’t stay away for long. Ryan and Kate must decide who they’re willing to become and fight against their former selves if they want to make things work. That’s if academia, vicious vixens, old skeletons, and their own mastery at self-destruction don’t pummel their efforts first. 

MY THOUGHTS:

4 stars

The first half is worth 5 stars for me, but the second part is 3 stars. Hence: 4 stars. 

How many times do we say: “I don’t want to be in a relationship” or “I don’t have time to get involved with anyone right now” ? but those statements die in our mouth because when the person is right, we suddenly want to be in a relationship and we suddenly think we have time for it (even if actually we don’t have time at all)

Well, for these two, that is what happens. He is a player, he has his reasons, yes, but he still is and she is so self-absorbed with her mom’s sickness, work and studies that she is not planning on falling for anyone. And on top of all, both had been hurt, so they fear commitment. They fear the consequences of letting someone in. And then, they meet. 

I loved the cover of this book and that was what at first piqued my interest. But for some reason, I was drawn to this story from page one. I like the writing, the short chapters and the characters. Well Kate lost judgment somewhere after 50% of the book but besides that, I liked her. 

If anything, Carter is a bit possessive at the beginning but then he grows to be one of my favorite characters with the amazing advices that are always perfect and in sync with Kate’s needs. 

And Ryan? He likes The XX, that’s all I need to know! And with his perfect abs and toned body… swoon! (I believe a long time ago I mentioned that every sexy guy on earth in mind looks like Ryan Guzman or Channing Tatum but this Ryan feels like Ryan Guzman :D) Honestly though, he had a few possessive/crazy attitudes that bothered me but I can live with that. 

Regarding Ryan and Kate’s relationship, I understood their attraction, damn even I was attracted to him after a few pages but I didn’t get the “you are too good for me” thing after seeing each other a few times and spending a few minutes together in total… 

Now let’s move to the second half:

- Here it seemed like the author just decided to throw events randomly. I won’t spoil anything. 

- Also… There was a plot hole? I mean, how did Ryan and Carter got a hold of Kate when the gala event took place. I mean, yes, they knew she was at the hotel but how did they figured out exactly where she was and that she was in danger for that matter? As I said, I don’t want to make a spoiler so I’m not getting into details regarding that. 

- St Lucia is a magical place, even though not necessary for the plot. IMHO.

About the end and epilogue:

- Then end is adequate, nonetheless predictable. 

- The epilogue is cute and it’s a ‘happily ever after’. 

Overall a good and entertaining read but I would have liked the second part to be a bit different

Blitz and giveaway: At any moment by Brenna Aubrey

At Any Moment by Brenna Aubrey

(Gaming the System #3)

Publication date: October 31st 2014

Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

It’s Dangerous to Go Alone!

Mia Strong never expected to be deciding the rest of her life at age twenty-two. Is she willing to become a human lab rat? Does she need to write a will? Does she ever want a family–and if so, with whom? She can’t dodge the tough questions–not if she plans to live to see twenty-three. With her life hanging in the balance, Mia wants nothing more than to rely on Adam Drake, but he’s hurt her before.

You Must Gather Your Party Before Venturing Forth…

Adam Drake knows that he’s made mistakes, but when he discovers what Mia’s facing, he realizes how much those mistakes could cost him. Now he has to choose between being the man who can save Mia’s life or the man she can love. No matter how much it tears him apart, Adam knows he has to put Mia first…even if it means he’s out of the picture entirely.

Will their love survive this epic battle or is it game over?

This novel is the third and final book in Adam and Mia’s trilogy, but they will be featured in future Gaming the System novels.

AUTHOR BIO:

Brenna Aubrey is an author of New Adult contemporary romance stories that center on geek culture. Her debut novel, At Any Price, released December, 2013.

She has always sought comfort in good books and the long, involved stories she weaves in her head. Brenna is a city girl with a nature-lover’s heart. She therefore finds herself out in green open spaces any chance she can get. A mommy to two little kids and teacher to many more older kids, she juggles schedules to find time to pursue her love of storycrafting.

She currently resides on the west coast with her husband, two children, two adorable golden retriever pups, two birds and some fish.

Brenna’s short story “The Love Letter” was the Grand Prize winner of the Jane Austen Made Me Do It Short Story Contest. As such, it was included in the anthology of the same name (Ballantine, 2011)

Author links:

http://brennaaubrey.net/

https://www.facebook.com/BrennaAubreyAuthor

https://twitter.com/BrennaAubrey

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5824327.Brenna_Aubrey

GIVEAWAY

Blitz-wide giveaway 

3 different winners

• 1 compass locket on a chain (US only)
• Signed copies of all 3 books in the series (US only)
• $15 Apple iBooks or Amazon Kindle gift card (International only)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Part Time Princess: Guest Post and Giveaway

Part-time Princess by Pamela DuMond 

(Ladies in Waiting #1) 

Publication date: Spring 2014

Genres: Comedy, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

Two Princes are in love with her. Too bad she’s an imposter…

Hold tight to your tiara, grab your scepter and be prepared for the New Adult hilarious, modern-day romantic-comedy ride of your life!

Rated PG-13 and mildly R for:

Sexual innuendo.

Hot Guys.

Hot Guys who are Princes.

Flirting.

Romance.

The occasional naughty word.

The occasional naughty royal fantasy.

The occasional naughty deed.

Romance.

Castles.

Ladies-in-Waiting.

Parties!

Cocktails.

A puppy.

Gowns.

Intrigue.

Chocolate.

Champagne.

A Royal Wedding!

Comedy.

Sexiness.

More Romance.

And—a Happily-Ever-After Ending (Just not the way you expected it!)

Lucy Trabbicio’s a down-on-her-luck, young, American, former biker-bar cocktail waitress desperate to find a job. Lady Elizabeth Billingsley hires Lucy to travel to Fredonia, the tiny jewel of a country in the Alps, for ten days ‘tops’ to impersonate her.

Say what? How the heck is that going to happen?

In the mother of all makeovers, Elizabeth’s people teach Lucy how to dress, walk, talk, eat, be coiffed and even get naked like a European Lady.

The goal?

To keep Crown Prince Cristoph Timmel interested in Elizabeth until she finishes her unexpected, pressing personal business in the States.

But fate intervenes… Lucy meets and is wildly attracted to sexy, bad-boy Nick on the oh-so-long flights to Fredonia. Unfortunately for Lucy—Nick and Elizabeth have a hot sexual history, which Nick wants to immediately resume.

Prince Cristoph proposes marriage. What’s an imposter girl to do? Elizabeth insists that she’ll make it back home in time for the wedding. Lucy accepts Cristoph’s proposal and is on the fast track to becoming a Princess but continues to fall for the wrong Prince of Fredonia—Nick. When another tiny glitch arises—someone’s trying to kill her.

The only folks helping Lucy are her wild, party hard, take-no-prisoners Ladies-in-Waiting.

When the real Lady Elizabeth decides she’s not marrying Cristoph and never returning to Fredonia, Lucy’s faced with an uncomfortable decision—continue her deception, marry the prince she’s not in love with and live a dream life albeit without Nick, her dream guy? Or tell the truth and return to poverty and oblivion?

A modern day sexy fairy tale with romance, twists and turns, LOL moments, a few tears and an empowering ending.

Purchase:

Kobo

Pros and Cons of being a Princess

by

Pamela DuMond

Oh gosh there are so many pros and cons of being a Princess.

Pros:

• Someone will help you with your hair and makeup.
• You’ll probably score a tiara and some royal bling.
• You probably won’t have to drive your own car in rotten traffic.
• You probably won’t have to take your car to the carwash, a smog check, or even an oil change.
• No need to flip off someone who cuts you off in traffic.
• Someone will coach you on how to take a decent picture.
• You’ll be drinking some primo bubbly and booze.
• You most likely have a private screening room for to watch movies and TV shows before they are released to the public.
• Most of your food will be top notch.
• Charities! You can make appearances to support approved charities and make a difference in someone’s life as well as the world.
• You get to have Ladies-in-Waiting!
• Hopefully you fall in love with a handsome prince.

Cons:

• Bye-bye privacy.
• Paparazzi – Blech.
• Wardrobe malfunctions: how many times has Duchess Kate had photos taken of her behind when her skirt flew up during a windy day?
• Stuffy, boring state dinners.
• You’ll have to be more conscious about censoring words before they trip out of your mouth.
• God forbid you trip and fall in public. It will most likely be captured for the world to see.
• Gossip sites will constantly speculate that you are sporting a baby bump when you simply ate too much pizza.
• One of your ‘fake friends’ will upload a photo of you doing something stupid on Instagram.
• Chances are you’ll become more conscious of things like pimples and gaining weight.
• Your ‘handlers’ will most likely insist you walk in high heels and perhaps wear odd hats.
• If you’re born into a royal family you’re going to have to worry about who wants to date you and why.
• If you marry into a royal family you’re going to have to hope your husband’s not cheating with his former (cough) girlfriend behind your back or even a pretty maid.
• Groveling. You’ll have to grovel and suck up to the King and Queen.
• You’ll have to attend a fair share of incredibly boring royal functions.
• People will complain about everything you do or don’t do.
• Until you pop out a royal heir, the press will constantly speculate about when you will pop out a royal heir.
• Possible assassination attempts.

Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog -- I know that Book! I hope you enjoy Part-time Princess (Ladies-in-Waiting) – a NA romantic comedy.

Amazon Link

Nook Link

Kobo Link

AUTHOR BIO

Pamela DuMond is the author who discovered Erin Brockovich’s life story, thought it would make a great movie and pitched it to ‘Hollywood’.

She writes romantic comedic mysteries, romantic YA time travel and New Adult romance.

Her book The Story of You and Me was a Quarterfinalist in the Amazon Breakout Novel Award (ABNA) 2014 in Romance.

Cupcakes, Pies, and Hot Guys was a Quarterfinalist in ABNA 2013 in Mystery .

She’s addicted to TV shows — The Voice and Reign. The movies Love Actually and The Bourne trilogy (with Matt Damon — not that other actor guy,) make her cry ever time she watches them. (Like — a thousand.)

When she’s not writing Pamela’s also a chiropractor and cat wrangler. She loves reading, the beach, working out, movies, TV, animals, her family and friends. She lives in Venice, California with her fur-babies.

She likes her coffee strong, her cabernet hearty, her chocolate dark, her foods non-GMO and she lives for a good giggle.

Author links:

http://www.pameladumond.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4430293.Pamela_DuMond

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pamela-DuMond-Books/694104930620682

https://twitter.com/Pamela_DuMond

Giveaway:

Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)

20$ Amazon Gift Card
3x eBook copy of Part-Time Princess
2x eBook copy of The Messenge
2x eBook copy of The Story of You and Me

a Rafflecopter giveaway