Cover Reveal: Hollywood Demon by Jenny Schwartz

Hollywood Demon
Jenny Schwartz
(The Collegium, #6)
Publication date: August 27th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Feel the Earth move!

A camera can’t steal your soul—but a demon can! Mark Yarren suspects a demon has found a way around the spell his great-grandfather cast to prevent demons sucking souls through the camera’s lens. Digital photography dangerously omits the silver wash that was photography’s century-old defence against Hell.

Mark is Hollywood royalty, descended from the early Hollywood stars: the studio bosses and directors, the producers and actresses. Now he lives alone in his palatial Beverly Hills estate.

Well, not quite alone.

Clancy Ramirez is back! She’s tried life in New York, in Iceland, and in Hawaii, but she missed California. She missed the grumbling roar of the San Andreas Fault with its leagues-deep molten geology. Clancy is a geomage and she can make the earth shake—or grow still. But California isn’t her territory. She has no place intruding or tapping its energy.

But a demon shackled for a century is breaking free, and Collegium rules, old heartaches and strained family loyalties will break, too.

The Big One is coming.

Goodreads / Amazon

Author Bio:

Jenny's current obsession is the Collegium series. Shifters and dragons, magic and chaos, Jenny's never quite sure where her writing day is going to take her, but she knows it'll be a thrill-ride!

With a writing record that includes steampunk, sweet romance, coastal romance, mysteries and science fiction, it's obvious Jenny writes almost as widely as she reads - almost! Like all authors, she started as an avid reader. The one thing she insists on is a happy ending.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Review: Until Now by Laura Ward

Until Now (Not Yet #2) by Laura Ward

Release Date: May 23, 2016

Genres: New Adult, Romance

Pages:209

Source: E-Book, ARC

Goodreads Description:

Focus.
Dean Goldsmith is Indiana University’s star quarterback, and his dreams are about to come true. His undefeated season means he has a legitimate shot at the NFL. If he stays focused. Football comes first.

College senior, Grace Yeates, is determined to defy the odds. She is months away from graduating with a business degree, something no one thought she would be able to pull off. All she has to do is focus on her number one priority. Family comes first.

Distraction.
Dean has no time for distractions, but when a gorgeous, snarky, redheaded waitress refuses to tell him her name, he can’t seem to focus on anything else.

Grace knows she can’t let herself get caught up in a guy, particularly a man-whore like Dean, no matter how charming or sexy. She has two hearts to look out for now and no room for a Dean-sized distraction.

Complications.
Everyone in Dean’s life agrees that Grace is the kind of complication his career doesn’t need. Grace knows that Dean is the kind of risk her heart shouldn’t want. 

But what if the last person you think you need, the one you shouldn’t want, becomes the one you can’t live without? Can their biggest distraction actually be the focus they were missing all along?
 

Notes about the book:

This books is not meant for anyone under 18 as it does contain mild sex scenes.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Book Quote:

"I listened tonight to your pain, and your struggle, and your love. And what I needed to do was to take care of you and you alone. Nothing for me. Just for you. 'Cause, Red? Nobody's done that for you in your whole life."
"Until now. Until me. I'm going to keep on taking care of you because nobody has ever deserved it more than you."

My Review

This was my introduction to Laura Ward's books. I did not read the first book in this series and did not have any problems following the story.

I love books with strong female lead characters and Grace is no exception. She's been dealt a hard hand in life and is doing her best to give her son the best life she can give him. She accepts help only from those people whom she knows well and can trust. She does not know Dean. She only knows of his reputation that precedes him and it's not a good reputation. Therefore, she does all she can to dissuade him from pursuing his interest in her.

Dean is the star quarterback for Indiana University and is headed to the NFL. Because of this he is used to getting what he wants including girls. He is drawn to Grace from the first moment he lays eyes on her. That makes him determined to continue after her until he learns her name. In his efforts to learn her name, he learns much more about her and learns how strong a woman she is. Somewhere along the way he begins to care about her and has to find a way for her to put her trust in him.

At the beginning of the book, Dean is a real douche and not very likable. But he has a strong family behind him and we see right away his protectiveness over his family. To start with girls are just a passing amusement. But as he gets closer to Grace, she becomes the only girl for him and his attitude about girls takes a complete turn-around. It's what made me love him. I love the protectiveness he shows for Grace and his family.

The book also comes with the cutest little boy! I love how he names all the appliances in the apartment. He's also a clever little boy. When scolded by his mother for not wearing pants to the dinner table, he tells her that he is wearing pants - they are just invisible. Plus his name is Finn. How adorable is that?!?

Shortly after reading this book, the first book in the series was free on Amazon. I snatched it up while I could and plan to catch-up on the series. I look forward to the next books in the series!

Check out Laura's website  at http://www.laurawardauthor.com/.

Goodreads/Amazon

Cover Reveal: 99 Days by AnnaLisa Grant

Title: 99 Days

Author: AnnaLisa Grant

Genre: Adult Suspense 

Release Date: August 2nd, 2016

ABOUT THE BOOK

Day 1: Caroline Patterson is kidnapped.
Days 2 – 98: Caroline endures unimaginable horrors.
Day 99: Caroline escapes. 
May God help them all…

PRE-ORDER THE BOOK

Amazon: http://amzn.to/29NdoDo
B&N: http://bit.ly/29ByUye
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/29zt4KF

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Facebook ~ Website ~ TWITTER ~ INSTAGRAM ~ PINTEREST

AnnaLisa is the youngest of four children and the only daughter, born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. After graduating high school, she moved to Charlotte, NC with her parents. This turned out to be a blessing since it was just a few short years later that she met her husband in the Film Actor’s Studio of Charlotte. As she studied acting at the Studio, AnnaLisa was in several films and made-for-TV movies, as well as performed in local theater in both dramatic and musical roles. At one time, it was AnnaLisa’s dream to be a professional singer.

AnnaLisa completed her undergraduate degree in Human Services at Wingate University and her Master’s degree in Counseling from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. During her thirteen years in the Human Services field, AnnaLisa worked with children in group homes and foster care, and spent two years in private practice counseling individuals, families, and couples.

When her father was in a near fatal car accident in 2010, AnnaLisa’s best coping skill turned out to be writing. Five months after the accident, when all the what ifs would not go away, AnnaLisa started writing Layla Weston’s story in The Lake. She had no idea what she was going to do with the story. In fact, she wrote sixty-four pages before she told her husband what she was doing. By then it was clear that Layla had a long story to tell and there were multiple books on the horizon.

In 2013, after all three YA novels in The Lake Trilogy were written and she had let them sit long enough, AnnaLisa took matters into her own hands and self-published the titles within just a few months of each other. Received well by readers young and not-so-young alike, The Lake Trilogy has enjoyed breakout success, selling close to half-million copies the first year.

AnnaLisa’s publicist is Rick Miles of Red Coat PR, and she is represented by Italia Gandolfo of GH Literary. AnnaLisa has been married to her super awesome husband Donavan since 2001 and lives in Matthews, NC with their two ridiculously beautiful children.

Presented by:

Review: Books, Blogs & Reality by Ryan Ringbloom

Books, Blogs, & Reality by Ryan Ringbloom

Release Date: October 24, 2014

Genres: New Adult, Romance

Pages:202

Source: Amazon Freebie

Goodreads Description:

Life can suck…

When reality becomes overwhelming, seeking comfort in fictional fantasies keeps hope alive. And while this escape may be a little delusional, it’s also therapeutic.

Sharing secrets is daunting, but virtual friends don’t often judge and they are always ready to share a glass of wine…or three…while typing out life’s latest endeavors.

Brooke believes obstacles only add to romance, not detract. Rachael longs for a more intense relationship, or so she thinks. Lizzie misses the excitement in her life, but sometimes new situations find you when you’re not even looking. And Jess believes a tiger can change his stripes. It can’t.

Bound by a shared passion for blogging about happily ever afters, these four young women use keyboard therapy to work through their expectations, anxieties, and inadequacies, all with the hopes of achieving the perfection found in romance novels.

Completely blinded by what they think life should be, they navigate their unique paths in search of what they envision is right. But when reality taunts them with persistent curve balls, will they be strong enough to choose wisely? Or will their happy endings escape them?

Notes about the book:

There is graphic sex scenes in this book including some BDSM.

Book Quote:

In books it only takes a few pages to fix the difficulties in a relationship. But real life is a whole other ball game. What happens between the pages? After the pages end?

My Review

I picked up this book thinking it would be a light and fun read. I should have realized from reading one other book by Ms. Ringbloom that there would be a hidden message within the pages of the book. The message for this book being that we can dream about finding the actions found in books in our real lives, we have to realize that books are fictional and don't always transfer well to real life. Each girl in the book tried to take their life in the direction of books that they'd read and found that it didn't work out well.

I loved the relationship all four of these girls had with each other. I would love to find an online relationship with women my age like these girls have. My favorite story line was that of Lizzie. It was such a sweet story. Once it started to really take off, I could not put the book down. I had to keep reading well into the night to come to the end of her story. I was sad that in the end Jess didn't find herself a guy. But the book has to have  touch of reality.

This author is definitely becoming a must read author for me.

Check out Ms. Ringbloom's website at http://www.ryanringbloom.com/ or her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fast-Series/205973969576654.

Goodreads/Amazon

Cover Reveal: Defending Jagger by Amanda Mackey

Defending Jagger
Amanda Mackey
(Search & Seek, #1)
Published by: Limitless Publishing
Publication date: July 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Jagger Reed has a secret that could destroy lives…

And one life that could be destroyed is his disabled brother’s. Jagger is in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, and believes it’s a small price to pay to protect his family.

Rosalind McAllister is the newest creative writing teacher at Arizona State Prison…

Rose is determined to prove herself to her criminal students and not let them break her—like they did the last teacher. But when she meets Jagger Reed, she immediately knows the line between student and teacher could be easily blurred. Tall, intimidating, and way too handsome to be incarcerated, she vows to keep him at a distance.

A creative writing assignment turns into the discovery of Jagger’s innocence…

When Rose reads Jagger’s creative writing piece, she’s both astounded and impressed. His written words call to her, providing a window into his private world. But as the assignment continues, she discovers facts about Jagger’s conviction that change everything.

Determined to piece together clues that leap out from the pages, she finds much more than an articulate prisoner.

How can she save a man who doesn’t want to be saved? And can she stop her heart from getting involved while…
Defending Jagger?

Add to Goodreads

**Designed by Deranged Doctor Design**

Author Bio:

Amanda Mackey was born in New Zealand and moved to Australia when she was 12 years old with her family, where she has lived ever since. She has loved books since an early age and is an avid reader. This has helped lay the foundation for her writing. She's published 7 novels to date with plenty more on the way. An author with Limitless Publishing, she loves to spend time with family when she's not writing or reading.
Amanda hopes to make writing her full time career and travel in the near future.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Review: Driving Me Mad by Lindsay Paige

Driving Me Mad (Sanity #1) by Lindsay Paige

Release Date: July 6, 2016

Genres: New Adult, Romance

Source: E-Book, ARC

Goodreads Description:

He was my therapist.

She was my client.

He’s the person I lean on and turn to.

She’s the person who brings me relief when there seems to be none.

He makes me smile and laugh when anxiety and depression consume me.

She helps me breathe when depression is choking me.

I don't know how to live without him.

I don't know how to be honest with her.

Are we driving each other mad?

Notes about the book:

If you are easily disturbed by books dealing with anxiety and depression, this is not the book for you. This book goes into great details about the lives of two people dealing with anxiety and depression.

Sex is mentioned, but it it not graphic.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Quote:

"You could take a kiss," he tells me.
"Yeah, but I want you to give it to me." It hits me then just how much I want him to give me. I want him to give me peace, comfort, his time, friendship, and something more than friendship. I don't want to take it. It's so much sweeter when he wants to give it to me. I take enough from him during my moments of panic and depression.

My Review

Lindsay really knows how to tell a heart-wrenching story!

I have to admit that after reading the synopsis for this one, I wasn't too sure about it. While I read a wide range of things, I do have some prudish tendencies. I was bothered by the fact that the story involved a therapist/patient relationship. But without going into details I will just say that I was ok with the details of this relationship. I also have to admit that I was wavering on my issues with it just with the mention of the therapist's name - Trace Lexington. I don't know what it is, but it just said "hot guy" to me.

Then we get to see Brittany and Trace's relationship progress from friendship to something more. It was sweet to watch/read. I loved how just talking to Trace could calm Brittany. I have several favorite scenes that I really want to tell you all about, but I don't want to give away any part of this book.

Lindsay does an excellent job of taking the reader into the lives of Brittany and Trace as they suffer through the very worst of times. I have to admit that I often found myself agreeing with Brittany and Trace about whether their relationship was good for them. They are both suffering so much. But they are the only people in their lives who truly understands what the other is going through. She took us into the minds of both Brittany and Trace and gave me insight into how they could see suicide as a way out.

Be prepared to read book two (anxiously awaiting it here) because you will not get all the answers here in this book.

Check out Lindsay's website to keep up to date on all her projects at http://authorlindsaypaige.blogspot.com/.

Goodreads/Amazon/B&N

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? July 4, 2016

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by The Book Date is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It's a great post to organise yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. 

So, it's been just under a month since I did one of these posts. So there will be A LOT of books in the finished reading category. I'm finally done with my list of ARCs. To start I was really happy to be done. But here lately I've had a really hard time deciding what book to read next. There are so many I want to read that I just can't decide.

Finished Reading

 

 

You can find my review for Shift here and Caged here. I will have reviews up soon for some of the others, but not all.  (Sorry, for the placement of some of these covers, but it just did not want to work with me today.)

Currently Reading

This is a physical book I won a while back and I think it might be a nice change from all the romance I've been reading lately.

What Will I Read Next?

I've had such a hard time deciding what to read lately that I have no clue what I'll read next. But here are some covers or books that stand out to me.

 

HOPE YOU HAVE A HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!

WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Cover Reveal: Extracted by Sherry D. Ficklin & Tyler Jolley

Extracted
Sherry D. Ficklin & Tyler Jolley
(The Lost Imperials #1)
Publication date: September 8th 2016
Genres: Steampunk, Young Adult

Two opposing factions of time travelers vie for control of the future in this thrilling steampunk series opener dubbed “Interesting” and “Unexpected” by Kirkus Reviews.

Lex and Ember—two time travelers with no memories of their lives before being recruited into the time war—are torn between the factions. When Lex accepts a mission that lands him deep within the heart of the Telsa Institute, he meets Ember, and the past that was stolen from them comes flooding back. Now armed with the truth of who they were, Lex and Ember must work together to save the future before the battle for time destroys them once again.

Website / Goodreads / Amazon

Author Bio:

Sherry D. Ficklin is a full time writer from Colorado where she lives with her husband, four kids, two dogs, and a fluctuating number of chickens and house guests. A former military brat, she loves to travel and meet new people. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she’s on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs.

Author links:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

--

Tyler H. Jolley is a sci-fi/fantasy author and full-time orthodontist, periodontist (see: Overachiever). He divides his spare time between writing, reading, mountain biking, and camping with his family.

Author links:
Website / Facebook / Twitter