Falling for Autumn Paperback and eBook Giveaway

Falling for Autumn will be released soon and I'm so excited to share it. It's a New Adult novel with plenty of angst and heartache. But there's also a lot of healing and love thrown into the mix. There are some super intense scenes and although I loved writing it I am looking forward to writing Declan's spinoff book for the Second Sight series. It takes an emotional toll on me to write books like Falling for Autumn and it's the reason I enjoy mixing things up. As promised, here's the international giveaway for Falling for Autumn as well as a teaser.

Blurb:

Autumn Dorey had no problem leaving her hometown of Newpine and the friends there who’d betrayed her. Everyone thought they knew what happened the spring night Autumn’s world fell apart. Vicious rumors about the incident circulated, and she had to be homeschooled the last year of high school to escape her tormentors. All she wants now is to get away from it all and start over at Cook University. She leaves everything but the memory behind—something she swore she’d never forget—and sets off to rebuild what was broken.

Blake Preston is precisely the type of guy Autumn wants to avoid. He’s gorgeous, arrogant and the college’s beloved football star. As much as she believes he’s someone she should steer clear of, avoiding him proves to be impossible. He shows up everywhere around campus, offering her a no-strings attached friendship.

Autumn can’t deny Blake stirs up emotions she thought fled years ago. But things he’s been hiding begin to emerge and collide with her past, leaving her heart ravaged in their wake.

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Review: Above by Isla Morley

Goodreads Summary:

I am a secret no one is able to tell.

Blythe Hallowell is sixteen when she is abducted by a survivalist and locked away in an aban­doned missile silo in Eudora, Kansas. At first, she focuses frantically on finding a way out, until the harrowing truth of her new existence settles in—the crushing loneliness, the terrifying madness of a captor who believes he is saving her from the end of the world, and the persistent temptation to give up. But nothing prepares Blythe for the burden of raising a child in confinement. Determined to give the boy everything she has lost, she pushes aside the truth about a world he may never see for a myth that just might give meaning to their lives below ground. Years later, their lives are ambushed by an event at once promis­ing and devastating. As Blythe’s dream of going home hangs in the balance, she faces the ultimate choice—between survival and freedom.

Publication Date: March 4, 2014

This is a very rare case when I felt like I was reading two totally different books. The first half was engaging and suspenseful and I felt a strong connection to the main character.  But then the second half was weaker, boring and I didn’t like some of the underlying messages of the final act.

Blythe became a likable narrator as the story progressed. Blythe was a fighter and I liked how she never gave up hope for escape. She was a bit old-fashioned for her age and at times she came across as closer to 12 than 16. As time passes and she becomes a mother figure to Charlie and later a real mom to Adam, she became more relatable.

Dobbs was scary without being an overly violent individual. His crazy rants and raves created a terrific underlying tension. He was a well-developed villain and I squirmed each time he appeared on the pages.

The pacing was uneven and I felt some parts were quickly glossed over while others dragged on. The timeframe was also a little hard to follow at times, but that could’ve been the author’s intention.

The first half was really good and then bam a twist I saw coming a mile away came and I was left feeling irritated by the novel. It just made me lose interest in Blythe and Adam’s journey and I found it difficult to finish. SPOILER ALERT I also was seriously bothered by the idea Dobbs, a middle-aged man who repeatedly rapes a teen girl, could be redeemed. END OF SPOILER

Above falls in the middle for me, but it’s worth a read based on the superb first half of the novel.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

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

Review: Sing Sweet Nightingale by Erica Cameron

Goodreads Summary:

Mariella Teagen hasn't spoken a word in four years.

She pledged her voice to Orane, the man she loves—someone she only sees in her dreams. Each night, she escapes to Paradise, the world Orane created for her, and she sings for him. Mariella never believed she could stay in Paradise longer than a night, but two weeks before her eighteenth birthday, Orane hints that she may be able to stay forever.

Hudson Vincent made a pledge to never fight again.

Calease, the creature who created his dream world, swore that giving up violence would protect Hudson. But when his vow caused the death of his little brother, Hudson turned his grief on Calease and destroyed the dream world. The battle left him with new abilities and disturbing visions of a silent girl in grave danger—Mariella.

Now, Hudson is fighting to save Mariella's life while she fights to give it away. And he must find a way to show her Orane’s true intentions before she is lost to Paradise forever.

Publication Date: March 4, 2014

I loved Sing Sweet Nightingale and I can’t find one single critical thing to say about it. It was that good! I loved the characters, the imagery and the world building. I can’t wait for the series to continue and I hope to read more about Mari and Hudson.

Sing Sweet Nightingale hooked me from the beginning. The first chapter is set in Trenton (a very exciting detail for a Jersey girl who lives next to Trenton). Hudson captured my heart from the very first page and my heart broke for him when he lost his brother. He heads off on a revenge quest and it brings him into Mari’s life.

Mari was hard to get a read on at first and you could see how much Orane had entranced her to believe whatever he said. I enjoyed the scenes with Orane and Mari in the Dreamworld and loved the descriptive writing. It was fun to imagine being inside a world where anything is possible.

The romance was understated in Sing Sweet Nightingale, but I was still pleased with it. I found Hudson and Mari so likable and I loved their chemistry. The duo shared some really sweet moments especially when Hudson tries to protect Mari without freaking her out.

The pacing was excellent and I was anxious to see how everything would be resolved. There was such a strong sense of foreboding as I read and I couldn’t figure out how Hudson would be able to save Mari. The climax was exciting and I was glad the book concluded where it did.

It is a young adult novel, but definitely had crossover appeal. The novel is going on my favorites shelf and I can’t praise it enough.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

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

Release Day Blitz: Twelve Steps by Veronica Bartles

Twelve Steps

by Veronica Bartles

Release Date: 03/25/14

Book Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Andi is tired of being a second-class sibling to perfect sister Laina. There in Laina's shadow, Andi's only noticeable feature is her pretty awesome hair. And even that is eclipsed by Laina's perfect everything else.

When Andi’s crush asks her to fix him up with Laina, Andi decides enough is enough and devises a twelve-step program to wrangle the spotlight away from Laina. After all, great hair must count for something.

Step 1: Admit she’s powerless to change her perfect sister, and accept that her life really, really sucks. OK, maybe that's two steps in one.

Step 4: Make a list of her good qualities besides great hair. There have got to be at least three good qualities, right?

Step 7: Demand attention for more than just her shortcomings, and break out of her shell. Easier said that done, but worth the effort in the long-run. 

When a stolen kiss from her crush ends in disaster, Andi finds that her prince isn’t as charming as she'd hoped, and realizes she may need a new program--perhaps with less steps!

As cracks in Laina’s flawless façade begin to show, the sisters work together to find a spotlight big enough for both to shine.

About the Author

As the second of eight children and the mother of four, Veronica Bartles is no stranger to the ups and downs of sibling relationships. (She was sandwiched between the gorgeous-and-insanely-popular older sister and the too-adorable-for-words younger sister.) She uses this insight to write stories about siblings who mostly love each other, even while they’re driving one another crazy.   When she isn’t writing or getting lost in the pages of her newest favorite book, Veronica enjoys knitting fabulous bags and jewelry out of recycled plastic bags and old VHS tapes, sky diving (though she hasn’t actually tried that yet), and inventing the world’s most delectable cookie recipes.  TWELVE STEPS is Veronica Bartles's first novel.

Author Links:

  



***GIVEAWAY***

1 ebook of Twelve Steps & $10 Amazon gift card (INT)

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Book Blitz Organized by:

Book Spotlight: The Devil's Temptation by Toni De Palma

The Devil’s Temptation by Toni De Palma

Published by: Crescent Moon Press

Release Date: March 14, 2014

Fighting the Devil brought Cooper and Grace together. But without a little evil to spice things up, the everyday life of a normal teenager is pretty dull. A summer job crewing on a billionaire’s yacht in sunny Italy might be just the ticket to rekindle passion. While the setting is perfect, the winding, sinister back streets of Naples are also the perfect playground for a scorned Lucifer to wreak havoc. And if evil doesn’t rip them apart, the sultry billionaire’s daughter and the sexy First Officer might be what it takes to finally destroy Cooper and Grace’s love forever.

About the Author:

Toni De Palma was born in Brooklyn, New York. As a child she spent many summers in Ischia, the Italian island where her father was brought up. Her first middle grade novel, Under the Banyan Tree, was published in 2007 and selected as a Kirkus New Voices Pick and a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. Her second middle grade novel, Jeremy Owl, was published in 2010. Her third book, The Devil’s Triangle, A YA paranormal is getting rave reviews. Toni holds her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College and she is a recipient of a New Jersey Arts Fellowship. She currently resides in New Jersey.

Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Devils-Temptation-Toni-DePalma-ebook/dp/B00IX7LEVG/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-2-fkmr0&qid=1395065937

Links:

http://www.tonidepalma.com/

https://www.facebook.com/WriterToniDePalma

https://www.facebook.com/TheDevilSeries

https://twitter.com/ToniDePalma1

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20581502-the-devil-s-temptation

Stacking the Shelves #83

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:

Dark Metropolis by Jaclyn Dolamore

Relentless by Anna Wells

The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon

Deliver Me by Kate Jarvik Birch

Played by Liz Fichera

Carina Press New Adult Blitz and Giveaway

New Adult Releases:

Stephanie Tyler:

-          Latest release – Redemption: A Defiance Novel (book 2 in trilogy - Nov 2013)

Danube Adele:

-          Latest release – Quicksilver Dreams (book 1 in Dreamwalkers series - Jan 2014)

Kristine Wyllys:

-          Latest release – Wild Ones (book 1 in The Lane series – Jan 2014)

Stina Lindenblatt:

-          Latest release – Tell Me When (book 1 in new series - Jan 2014)

10 Things Every Aspiring Writer Would Know by Stina Lindenblatt

1. Rejections aren’t the end of the world, even if they feel that way at the time. They’re like a dare. A dare from the agent or editor to challenge yourself to be a better writer and storyteller.  

2. Rejections don’t mean your story sucks. It might just mean it’s not the right story for that agent or editor. Even Stephen King and J.K. Rowling received rejections. Hard to believe, huh?

3. Social networking isn’t a waste of time. It’s fun. It’s a chance to meet new friends who will later be your biggest supporters. Did I mention it’s fun?

4. Remember the saying about putting all your eggs in one basket? Well, it applies to EVERYTHING in publishing. Don’t put all your hopes on landing your dream agent (query others who are looking for your genre). Don’t focus on only one social networking platform (on the other hand, you don’t want to dilute your efforts by being on ALL of them. That’s too exhausting). Don’t…well see #5 for this don’t.

5. It’s so easy to fall in love with your first story and not move on. You keep polishing it, even after you’ve started querying. An agent sends you a form rejection with nothing more than ‘not for me’ as the reason for the rejection, and you tweak the manuscript some more. It’s time to move on. Your first baby is out there, flapping its wings, hoping to catch the wind for a safe landing. Great. Now get to work on your next novel. If you plan to self publish, your next project can be a sequel. If you plan to go the traditional route, start a project that has nothing to do with the first book. There’s no guarantee your first book will be published, and you’re only wasting time working on a sequel if it doesn’t sell.

6. It’s rare that a writer will land a publishing contract with her first manuscript. For me, it was my fifth. I didn’t finish editing all of them. Some I realized wouldn’t stand a chance in the competitive market, and I shelved them. I considered each book practice for the next one. And with each book, I strived to do better than the last. That attitude shouldn’t change once you’re published.

7. Enjoy each stage of the process. Focus on the journey and not on the destination. And while you’re at it, figure out what success means to you, but pick something obtainable. Everyone wants to be a New York Times and USA Today bestseller, but not everyone will be one. If that’s what you’re striving for, and only focus on that, you’ll miss out on what writing all is about—touching the hearts of your readers and writing the stories that are important to you.

8. Read. Read. Read. Don’t just read in your genre. You might get a brilliant, fresh idea from reading a different genre. And don’t forget to read lots of crafts books on different aspects of writing. All of this will help you grow as a writer.

9. Do. Not. Plagiarize. Chances are great you will be caught, especially if you plagiarize from bestselling authors. Their fans will recognize the prose and will call you out on it, which I can guarantee will go viral. It won’t sell books; it will kill your writing career.

10. Live your life. Spend time with your friends and family. Have fun! Because one day you will land a publishing contract and with that comes DEADLINES. Yes, these are the dreaded dates that tend to be scheduled for when you’re away on vacation (been there) or when your kids are off from school (been there, too).

Is there anything you wish you had known when you first started writing with the goal of publication?

GIVEAWAY

Blitz-wide giveaway

Prizes - Open INT - 2 winners will win this prize pack:

-Ecopy  - Stephanie Tyler - Redemption: A Defiance Novel (book 2 in trilogy)

-Ecopy  - Danube Adele - Quicksilver Dreams (book 1 in Dreamwalkers series)

-Ecopy  - Kristine Wyllys  - Wild Ones (book 1 in The Lane series)

-Ecopy  - Stina Lindenblatt  -  Tell Me When (book 1 in new series)

-One $25 Amazon gift card

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