Review: Tabula Rasa by Kristen Lippert-Martin

Goodreads Summary:

The Bourne Identity meets Divergent in this heart-pounding debut.

Sixteen-year-old Sarah has a rare chance at a new life. Or so the doctors tell her. She’s been undergoing a cutting-edge procedure that will render her a tabula rasa—a blank slate. Memory by memory her troubled past is being taken away.

But when her final surgery is interrupted and a team of elite soldiers invades the isolated hospital under cover of a massive blizzard, her fresh start could be her end.

Navigating familiar halls that have become a dangerous maze with the help of a teen computer hacker who's trying to bring the hospital down for his own reasons, Sarah starts to piece together who she is and why someone would want her erased. And she won’t be silenced again.

A high-stakes thriller featuring a non-stop race for survival and a smart heroine who will risk everything, Tabula Rasa is, in short, unforgettable.

Publication Date: September 23, 2014

Tabula Rasa was the type of book that as I kept reading, I imagined what an incredible movie the novel could be made into. I liked all of the elements of the story: the suspense made the book a nail-biter, the romance was sweet and the conclusion tied everything together perfectly. It’s been a while since I’ve read such a gripping YA book.

The author wrote in a way where I could easily picture the unique setting. I loved that the action took place in the middle of a snowstorm at a secluded compound set in the mountainside. The storm felt like another adversary Angel had to face in her quest to have her memories restored.

Angel was a strong female character and I loved everything about her. I admired her toughness and the way she kept fighting in spite of the awful things done to her and her family. I actually thought I had Angel’s family secrets figured out, but I was shocked by several of the reveals. I love authors who keep readers guessing.

Thomas was the perfect ally for Angel. He was smart, funny and he won me over because of how loyal he was after only knowing her for a short period of time. The book isn’t heavy on the romance, but there was just enough to satisfy my need for a love story. The secondary characters were also characterized well and my heart broke for the other patients inside the facility.

The pace was superb and I enjoyed the action-heavy plot. The book isn’t short, but I read it quickly because of how badly I wanted to find out if Angel would make it out of the mountains alive.

The ending was fantastic and I appreciated reading a book that didn’t leave readers with a ton of unanswered questions. For a debut book, Tabula Rasa was well-written with an amazing heroine and an exciting plot.

5/5 Stars

Book Blitz and Giveaway: In the Rearview by Maria Ann Green

Check out Maria Ann Green's In the Rearview promo event hosted by Itching for Books. Continue for an excerpt and enter the giveaway:

Release date: August 19th 2014
Publisher: Astraea Press
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Synopsis via Goodreads:

When Meagan’s secret is found out, and she realizes there is no way to outrun her habit of cutting, she tries to work through it, and her depression, before she cuts too deep, making a mistake that can never be undone.

Meagan's problems aren't like every other adolescent's no matter how much she wishes they could be. Hers are worse. They've pulled her down into the depths of a depression that is anything but normal. She begins her pattern of self-harm as her depression threatens to drown her. She starts with one cut that leads to the next, and the next. After starting, it's apparent that there's no stopping, and Meagan spirals into a dark and cruel world she doesn't understand. Meagan cuts to feel better, but that comfort doesn't last long enough, and soon life is worse than it ever was before.

While learning to quit cutting Meagan faces life-altering obstacles and grows up in the process. IN THE REARVIEW is a story of pain, loss, confusion, and hope told through Meagan’s poems, journal entries, and a splash of narrative.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Maria Green currently lives in Minnesota, despite its bitter winters, with her husband. She graduated with a degree in Psychology and a minor in English. When she isn’t writing, Maria loves to read with a cup of strong coffee or a glass of sweet wine, craft, and spend time with her family. This is her first published novel. 

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

EXCERPT

===============

 Meagan stared down at her desk. Her focus moved beyond the assignment in front of her without actually seeing what she was looking toward. There were lines, spaces of white, and blobs of writing, but nothing seemed important enough to consider closely.  Truthfully she didn’t care. 

 She didn’t feel the need to focus. 

 Her gaze slowly moved up to the front of the classroom, and again she fixated on a point past what was before her. She did not concentrate on the teacher. There was a face, a moving mouth, but she didn’t connect it with the sounds struggling slowly, like sticky sludge past her ears. She didn’t hear the instructions being uttered; each word fell on deaf ears as she mindlessly doodled. 

 Twisting her hair around her finger, she thought about how nice it would be to be at home, in bed, with the curtains closed instead of in this loud and hyper school. It seemed her classmates had recently started caring too much about what was going on around them. There was too much drama, too much noise, too much concern jumping all around her. It was all so taxing. 

 It was such a bother. 

 Meagan, in contrast, was usually in a world of her own. Her head felt fuzzy most of the time, and unless she used a lot of energy, most conversations sounded muffled, like there was cotton in her ears. She didn’t feel the need to engage anymore. Her desire to try so hard just to do what had once come easily had dwindled to nothing. At first she’d tried, but not now. Not anymore. It had become too difficult to care. 

 And that was her biggest problem. Meagan didn’t care much about any of these changes. She was fine walking through school without any effort. Her feet felt a little heavier as each day passed, and her head felt a little more under pressure of a crushing fog that numbed her, but she pushed through it all. She didn’t mind neglecting what used to bring her excitement. In fact, it was just easier not to give a crap. 

 Everything was distinctly lackluster these days.

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Book Blitz and Giveaway: Dead Girl Walking by Ruth Silver

Welcome to Ruth Silver's Dead Girl Walking promo tour hosted by Itching for Books.

Genre: YA Paranormal
Release date: April 25th 2014
Series: Royal Reaper #1

Publisher: Patchwork Press

Purchase: Amazon | B&N



Synopsis via Goodreads:

Princess Ophelia Dacre sneaks out of the castle to visit her boyfriend in secret. A perfect night cut short when she’s brutally murdered.


Ophelia is given the rare chance to become a grim reaper. She must become Leila Bele, cut ties with her old life, and follow the rules of the reapers. Her greatest adventure begins with death.

About the Author

Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of Aberrant. The Young Adult/New Adult Romantic Dystopian Adventure, Aberrant is the first in a trilogy, released April 17th, 2013. Silver first began writing poetry as a teenager and reading heaps of fan fiction in her free time. She attended Northern Illinois University in 2001 and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Communication. While in college she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories. Her love of writing, led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading YA/NA novels and sharing her favorite books with other readers. She also enjoys photography, traveling and of most of all writing.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

GUEST POST

=======================

Casmerelda, The Black Plague, and How a World was Born 

I began with an idea for a story. Isn’t that normally how books are written? I loved the series Dead Like Me on Showtime. It was on from 2003 to 2004. Way too short a lifespan for a fabulous show. So I got to thinking, I haven’t read any books about grim reapers and certainly not any that were geared to a teen audience, quirky, and different. That was the thing about Dead Like Me, it was different. It was humorous, light-hearted, had a love story mixed in, and had characters you were rooting for the entire way through. 

As I was beginning to let my story take shape, I wanted something that went beyond reapers and pushed the boundaries into something fantastical. A mix of paranormal and fantasy. The princess idea was born. 

I didn’t want my main character, Princess Ophelia to solely be a princess from our current land, there had to be more. So, the initial plot took place in the 1400’s, specifically 1346 when the Black Plague spread along the Silk Road. What better way to kill off massive amounts of people than let a virulent disease do it? 

Complication: There were no monarchies (no princesses) where the story was taking place. At least not in that time period. Which obviously made things difficult. Either pull the novel away from historical fantasy or get the facts right. 

I tugged with the idea of how to make it historically accurate, and then decided the language would have to match. I didn’t like the sound of, “You're going to kill my beau.” I preferred it read “boyfriend.” That was just one instance, there were several language issues and I strongly felt the story would be better set in a fantasy world that parallels our history. Casmerelda was born.

EXCERPT

====================

“Listen, kid, I don’t care what you believe in. It’s not for me to say what’s true and untrue, real or unreal. My assignment was you. You get to be one of us, if you want it. Otherwise, you move on, life is over, kaput.” 

Ophelia backed away from the stranger. For the first time, she realized she didn’t feel cold and wasn’t shivering. Is this what being dead was like? “One of you?” 

“A grim reaper.” He held out his hand to properly introduce himself. “Edon Montgomery, head reaper and old soul.”

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Authors Supporting Authors Massive Giveaway Event

Win loads of prizes during this amazing event! I'm giving away copies of Falling for Autumn (Giveaway #2)! Best of luck =)

Giveaway #1:

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Giveaway #2

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Giveaway #3

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Giveaway #4

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Review: Lailah by Nikki Kelly

Goodreads Summary:

The girl knows she’s different. She doesn’t age. She has no family. She has visions of a past life, but no clear clues as to what she is, or where she comes from. But there is a face in her dreams – a light that breaks through the darkness. She knows his name is Gabriel.

On her way home from work, the girl encounters an injured stranger whose name is Jonah. Soon, she will understand that Jonah belongs to a generation of Vampires that serve even darker forces. Jonah and the few like him, are fighting with help from an unlikely ally – a rogue Angel, named Gabriel.

In the crossfire between good and evil, love and hate, and life and death, the girl learns her name: Lailah. But when the lines between black and white begin to blur, where in the spectrum will she find her place? And with whom?

Gabriel and Jonah both want to protect her. But Lailah will have to fight her own battle to find out who she truly is.

Publication Date: October 7, 2014

The thing I enjoyed the most about Lailah was the unique mythology. The story felt familiar, but I liked the new ideas presented about vampires and angels. I also liked the idea of angels trying to help vampires fight against their darker nature.

The characters, including the title character, were likable enough. I enjoy books where the heroine has no clue about who she is and where she has come from. Lailah didn’t whine about her predicament, but instead actively tried to look into her origins.

The two love interests had their moments. I liked angel Gabriel, but Lailah’s relationship with him did feel a little over the top. But for a teen reader who loves an epic romance, the relationship may appeal more. I liked vampire Jonah better, but I have a feeling he’s Jacob from Twilight in the love triangle with little chance of getting the girl.

I liked Lailah, but something kept holding me back from totally loving it. I thought the end came together nicely and I liked the action-heavy plot. I probably would’ve loved it more with less emphasis on the romance.

Overall, Lailah is a fun YA novel with an ending that will leave readers eager to check out the next installment.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Stacking the Shelves #102

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and features books you've added to your shelves, both physical and virtual.

For Review:

All Broke Down by Cora Carmack

Just a Little Crush by Renita Pizzitola

Discovery by Brina Courtney

The Edge of You by Theresa DeLayne

Breathe for Me by Rhonda Helms

Review: Pieces of Olivia by Melissa West

Goodreads Summary:

Olivia Warren used to be a normal girl with a bright future.
But on one fated night, everything changed.

Hiding the scars of her past up her sleeves, Olivia transfers her enrollment from Columbia University to The College of Charleston, determined to pursue her own dreams for the first time in her life.

She intends to allow herself a bit of alone time to heal... that is, until she meets Preston.

Preston is best friends with her roommate, completely hot, and off-limits. But the chemistry between them is instantaneous—and as the pair begins to spend more time with one another, their feelings for each other build into something undeniable, something powerful enough to heal Olivia’s deepest scars.

Olivia tries to put her own past behind her and trust Preston, but she discovers that his past might be more present than she ever bargained for…

Publication Date: July 15, 2014

Pieces of Olivia was an enjoyable New Adult contemporary romance. The love interest Preston was very swoony. I also really liked the secondary characters, especially Olivia’s roommate Kara. Olivia was an okay character for me. I actually loved her in the beginning, but the way she reacted to Preston’s “secret” made me like her a little less. I had guessed what the secret was and I hadn’t really wanted the book to go in that direction because I think it created a lot of unnecessary weirdness. However, I was still hooked on the plot and holding out hope for a happy ending for all characters involved. The pacing was excellent and I never felt like the story dragged. I’d recommend Pieces of Olivia for NA fans who enjoy a love story with plenty of angst.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Book Blitz and Giveaway: The Right Song by Shane Morgan

Check out Shane Morgan's The Right Song promo event, hosted by Itching for Books Blog Tours. Continue below for an excerpt and the international giveaway.

Genre: YA Contemporary

Release date: July 31st

Publisher: TSW Books

Purchase: Amazon | B&N


Synopsis via Goodreads:

Pain never truly goes away, until you find something deeper and meaningful that cures the heart and fills it with love.

That is what Aurora desperately wants to believe. That somehow her music can save her, or even touch the unreachable heart of the guy she has liked for years.

Rora yearns for his attention and wants to experience this so-called love that could possibly end her long suffering and inspire her to chase after her dreams.

In deeply understanding the feelings of others and herself, will Aurora give up on ever finding true happiness, or will an intriguing soul teach her about the greatest song ever written?

 

About the Author

Shane Morgan is a twenty-something bestselling author of Young Adult and New Adult Fiction. She currently resides in the beautiful town of Narragansett, Rhode Island with her amazing partner and best friend. Shane spends her days blogging, reading, and escaping in her stories.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS

EXCERPT

============================

“The First
Performance”

Daegan mouths to me that I’m next. An onset of nervousness
engulfs me. I say a silent prayer that I don’t screw this up and embarrass
myself.

Walking over to the side of the stage, I smile at the singer
as she makes her way off. She doesn’t look too pleased by her performance. She
sounded okay to me.

The MC hops up to the microphone in a jolly manner. He asks
everyone how they’re doing so far and then after a little chit-chat and some
failed jokes, he finally looks at his cue card.

“All right, put your hands together for Aurora Law!”

Huh? He chopped off the rest of my last name.

I swallow the stiffness in my throat, clutch my guitar,
and head up the steps.

Everyone claps as I make my way to centerstage. Daegan’s
right—you can’t really see the faces of the audience with all the light
focusing on the stage.

I glance behind at the band and ask if they know Kelly
Clarkson’s ‘Walk Away’. The drummer is the only one familiar with the song, so
I tell the others to let me lead with my guitar and just fall in with the beat.

It’s an up-tempo song. I figure it’ll give the energetic
crowd something to rock to. Hopefully, I can pull this off.

Edging back to the microphone stand, I inhale a soft breath
and try to spot his face for motivation. I didn’t think I’d be able to make him
out in this dark room, but somehow I do. Daegan’s on his feet behind the
audience. His eyes lock with mine, eagerly waiting for me to deliver something
great.

I don’t want to let him down. I don’t want to disappoint
myself. My chest relaxes. Melodies float around in my head. I hear
the harmonies. I can do this.

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Review: Prototype by M.D. Waters

Goodreads Summary:

The stunning debut that began with Archetype— and has readers buzzing—concludes in Prototype, when a woman’s dual pasts lock onto a collision course, threatening her present and future.

Emma looks forward to the day when she can let go of her past—both of them. After more than a year on the run, with clues to her parents’ whereabouts within her grasp, she may finally find a place to settle down. Start a new life. Maybe even create new memories with a new family.

But the past rises to haunt her and to make sure there’s nowhere on the planet she can hide. Declan Burke wants his wife back, and with a little manipulation and a lot of reward money, he’s got the entire world on his side. Except for the one man she dreads confronting the most: Noah Tucker.

Emma returns to face what she’s done but finds that the past isn’t the problem. It’s the present—and the future it represents. Noah has moved on and another woman is raising their daughter.

In the shocking conclusion to M.D. Waters’s spectacular debut, Emma battles for her life and her freedom, tearing down walls and ripping off masks to reveal the truth. She’s decided to play their game and prove she isn’t the woman they thought she was. Even if it means she winds up dead. Or worse, reborn.

Publication Date: July 24, 2014

Hmm, this is definitely one of those cases when I wish I read two books back to back. I liked Prototype, but I remember LOVING Archetype. I reread my review and I was in awe over how awesome the story was. I did enjoy the sequel, but I found a few parts frustrating. I’d still recommend the series, but I just wasn’t the feel the romance as much in this one.

I was still a huge fan of Emma’s character in Prototype. She’s smart, strong, and I could empathize with her mixed up emotions over the relationships she has with Declan, Adrienne and Noah. The beginning of the book really helped me jump right back into the story. Prototype had a lot more action than the predecessor and I felt the suspense scenes were very well done.

I think my main issue with the novel was the romance. Noah seemed way too wishy-washy for me. I wanted to scream at him about a million times, “Man up already!” I mean I just didn’t get his character in the way I felt I had with Declan. I understood Declan wasn’t a good love match after his atrocious behavior, but there was still a hope either he would change or a third option would pop up. There were also a few major things that happened in the plot that had me saying, “Well, isn’t that convenient?”

These problems are minor though and I think most fans of Archetype will really love Prototype. I’m also glad the story was concluded in two books and not drawn out in a long series.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book for review!

Book Spotlight: What Gifts She Carried by Lindsey R. Loucks

Title – What Gifts She Carried (The Grave Winner #2)

Author – Lindsey R. Loucks

Genre – YA Paranormal/Fantasy Romance

Publisher - Crescent Moon Press

Release Date - August 15, 2014

Blurb:

Leigh Baxton just wants to pick up the pieces of her life—if you could call it that—but someone keeps resurrecting the dead. These new zombies have a knack for spilling Leigh’s precious blood, something she was warned about by a certain pair of undead sorceresses.

Desperate to find out why they’re here so Leigh can put the nightmares behind her, she must learn more about the gifts she carries. With Tram’s training sessions and clues from her mom’s past, Leigh begins to piece together what she’s capable of.

Too bad there isn’t a Cliff’s Notes version to saving the world.

The zombies have teamed up with followers of the darkest sorceress who ever lived, and they’ll play a wicked game until she’s freed from her prison inside the earth. When the battle to the death begins, Leigh must rely on friends, crushes, and even her enemies to win the war, but not the grave.

Excerpt:

                  Jo slammed the door behind me, which made me jump a little, then waved. They backed out and rode off, leaving me all alone. Well, almost all alone.

                  I watched them go for a second, but the shadow above lanced the top of my head like only an angry dad’s stare could.

                  The puddles in the cracked pavement rippled with the moon’s reflection, and I hopped over them on my way up the iron staircase. Time to face the music, or in this case really loud shouting. Every step upward vibrated doom, doom, doom. I gave it the middle finger for the friendly reminder and rounded the corner.

                  As soon as I reached the top step, the shadow unplugged the pen light from his mouth and shined it in my face. I turned my head away from the spots dotting my vision and took my final steps toward him. The green paint on the walls and doors had peeled and crumbled to the walkway like little piles of broken dragon scales. My boots crunched over them. Welcome to Krapper’s finest and friendliest Crumbly Motel.

                  “Why didn’t you call?” Dad asked in a low voice. He sounded as tired as I felt. And way pissed.

                  “I’m sorry.” I blocked the light with my hand and tried to look him in the face. “I lost track of time.”

                  “Were you really working on a school project?”

                  The truth was loony-bin crazy, and I’d already lied before. Might as well play it up. “Yes, I was. And we finished the pirate project. The pirates have sailed on to loot and pillage their hearts out. I’m really sorry I’m late, Dad.”

                  He stood, his book tucked under his elbow, the pen light still aimed at my eyes. “Do you have any idea—”

                  A loud thud came from inside the motel room. Both our heads whipped towards the door.

                  My heartbeat skipped. Too many bizarre things had happened. Too many weird sounds would haunt me forever, and this one didn’t feel right at all. I lunged for the doorknob, but it was locked.

“Darby?” I shouted and pounded on the door.

                  “Leigh, quiet down. I’ve got the key.” Dad pulled the card from his pocket and stuck it in the slot. When the light flashed green, I tore through the door. I had to wait for my eyes to adjust to the dim overhead light before I saw her. Directly across from us. Outside on the balcony. Leaning over the railing so far I could barely see her upper half.

Her purple mermaid nightgown fluttered around her legs. A sudden sharp breeze tossed the hair around her shoulders and unsteadied her grip on the rail for half a second. That half second shot me across the room.

                  Once I reached the balcony door, I grabbed her foot and pulled. “Darby, what are you—?” Something trickled from my nose. I brushed it away, and blood smeared my hand. A pinprick of dread punctured the small amount of hope I clung to. Hope that all the nightmares in my life could be done. That hope left me deflated when Darby turned around.

                  Blood seeped from her nose, too. Her hands were covered with it. Terror blazed bright behind her glasses. “You’re…you’re bleeding.”

                  “You are, too.” The hairs along my arms lifted. Both of us had nose bleeds and both of us were Trammeler sorceressi. One and Two had warned me not to waste my precious blood, but now it flowed down both our fronts for everyone to see. For what? I swallowed. So we could be hunted down? With the balcony and front doors still open, I felt very exposed. “What are you doing out here, Darby?”

Blood settled above the curve of her upper lip. “I—I thought I heard something.”

Dad, hovering in the doorway, raked his hands through his hair. “What on Earth is going on with you girls?” He took Darby by the shoulder and guided her to the bathroom. “Leigh, get the doors and then let’s get you both cleaned up.”

                  I reached for the handle while holding a sleeve up to my nose. As I slid the door closed, a small, bloody handprint smudged the streetlights behind it. Darby’s. She was bleeding more than me.

A slow but steady doom, doom, doom of footsteps echoed up the stairs outside the still open front door. Someone was coming. And with them came the stink of nasty meat floating in a sewer. Even with all the blood gushing a river out my nose, I could still smell it. Death. Coming closer.

What Gifts She Carried Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/What-Gifts-Carried-Gravewinner-Book-ebook/dp/B00MNU5Z28/

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The Grave Winner Links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

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Watch the book trailer on Youtube

Bio:

Lindsey R. Loucks works as a school librarian in rural Kansas. When she's not discussing books with anyone who will listen, she's dreaming up her own stories. Eventually her brain gives out, and she'll play hide and seek with her cat, put herself in a chocolate induced coma, or watch scary movies alone in the dark to reenergize.

She's been with her significant other for almost two decades.

Check out Lindsey’s website.

Follow Lindsey on Facebook.

Follow Lindsey on Twitter.

Stacking the Shelves #101

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and features books you've added to your shelves, both physical and virtual.

For Review:

Keep Me Safe by Maya Banks

My Heart & Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

Burying Water by K.A. Tucker

Make It Right by Megan Erickson

All's Well That Ends Well by C.E. Wilson

Imitation by Heather Hildenbrand

The 100 by Kass Morgan

Book Blitz: Channel 20 Something by Amy Patrick

Book & Author Details:

Channel 20Something by Amy Patrick 

(20Something #1) 

Publication date: August 12th 2014 

Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

From award-winning author and two-time GOLDEN HEART® finalist Amy Patrick comes a New Adult contemporary series about twenty-somethings entering the world of TV broadcasting, where what happens behind the scenes is the real news.


22-year-old Heidi Haynes is almost one year into her “real life”. She has her first reporting job, her first apartment, and a comfortable relationship with her college sweetheart. But for some reason she’s not as eager to talk about walking down the aisle as he is.

Heidi secretly longs for big cities, big-market breaking news, and real independence from her way-too-close-by helicopter parents. Problem is, the last time she left the security of home for new places and new people, things didn’t go so well. Disastrously, in fact, and she came running back to a local college and a “safe” boyfriend.

Aric Serrano is definitely not safe.

He’s six-feet-four-inches of missing-Hemsworth-brother-hotness and plans to stay in small-market-Southern-Hell just long enough to grab a cup of coffee and put together a kick-ass “escape tape”. He’ll serve his one-year contract, then he’s taking off for a higher rung on the TV sports ladder—alone—the way he likes it. Then he meets his new co-anchor.

Heidi would be so much more comfortable if she could simply ignore Aric. He’s just her type—the type she’s so careful to avoid these days. But that becomes impossible when she's forced to work closely with him on the weekend newscast. Now the attraction between them is growing even faster than the ratings, and what happens behind the scenes is the real news.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22430248-channel-20something

Purchase:

Amazon-- http://amzn.to/1snJjgj

NOOK/Barnes and Noble— http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/channel-20-something-amy-patrick/1120060189?ean=2940149624430

Kobo— http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/channel-20-something-a-new-adult-romance

All Romance-- https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-channel20somethinganewadultromance-1588177-149.html

----

AUTHOR BIO

Amy is a two-time Golden Heart finalist (2013 and 2014) who writes Young Adult fiction as Amy DeLuca and New Adult romance as Amy Patrick.  She lives in Rhode Island with her husband and two sons and actually craves the heat and humidity of Mississippi, where she grew up. She's been a professional singer and news anchor and currently narrates audio books as well as working as a station host for a Boston TV station.

Author links: 

http://www.amypatrickbooks.com/

https://twitter.com/amypatrickbooks

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3247178.Amy_Patrick

CHANNEL TWENTY SOMETHING INTERVIEW

1-    Where do your story ideas come from? I work in television, so I get to go and see a lot of interesting places and things and meet a lot of interesting people. Often, that will spark ideas. I also look into my own past relationships and experiences to bring authenticity to the characters I write. For the 20 SOMETHING series, I drew on my career as a news anchor and reporter working in 4 different states over the years to write the stories of my twenty-something TV news newbies. Some of the stories they cover and the newsroom situations they encounter are inspired by my own experiences.

2-    Where do you live, and does that have any impact on what you write, or how you write? I grew up in the Deep South, living at different times in Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas, and growing up mostly in Mississippi. Naturally that gives me a real understanding of Southern people and places. I was able to draw on that for CHANNEL 20 SOMETHING and will again for Books 3, 4, and 5 of the 20 SOMETHING series. Now I live in Rhode Island. I was able to draw on my knowledge of the Ocean State’s most special places and experiences for Book 2 of the 20 SOMETHING series, STILL YOURS, which is Mara’s story. She takes a job in Providence, the last place she ever thought she’d go because it’s too close to home and WAY too close to him, the only guy who’s ever tempted her to let go and truly let someone in.

3-    Favorite thing to do other than write? I’d have to say reading. I also love movies, so basically all my interests seem to revolve around stories, don’t they?

4-    Speaking of movies, have any favorites? Favorite TV shows? I’m a big fan of the Marvel Universe movies. I also love Avatar, When Harry Met Sally, and I’ve seen Bladerunner at least a hundred times. Because I spend so much time writing, I don’t get to watch much TV, but I have been watching Game of Thrones, and I got sucked into Outlander on Starz by their free online premier episode. Now I’m hooked.  *curses Starz marketing team while shaking fist*

5-    What books or authors have inspired you as a writer? I love so many New Adult books and authors, but as far as authors who inspired me to write in the first place, I have to list Lisa Kleypas first. I’ve read all her books, historical and contemporary. My very favorites of hers are Again the Magic and Dreaming of You because of the incredible, sexy, self-made-man heroes and because of all the feels. I tend to write a bit lighter subject matter than Lisa, though, and my inspiration on the romantic comedy side of the genre is Kristan Higgins. My favorite book of hers (so far) is Somebody to Love. Great hero and heroine and perfect, sweet, gradually developing relationship. If I had a dream-review of my writing (and hopefully I’ll get there someday) it would look like this: “If Lisa Kleypas and Kristan Higgins had a baby who grew up to write New Adult romance, it would be Amy Patrick.” I can dream, right?

Thank you so much for inviting me to be here today. It’s been a blast!