Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Choices Cover Reveal!

Choices is a Mature Young Adult contemporary romance, appropriate for audiences 17+. To be released Summer 2013.


Choices


Fate brought her here, but will her choices destroy her dreams?

Quincy Priest made all the right choices in her small town, black-and-white life. But being perfect is tiring. So. Very. Tiring.

Wanting desperately to step out of her sister's shadow, Quincy jumps at the opportunity to attend college with her best friend. The quiet bookworm with family secrets comes out of her shell. But... when Quincy meets not one, but two perfect guys, she has to make a choice. In doing so, she might forfeit the relationship she secretly longed to find.

Declan. Sweet, handsome, and perfect. He makes her feel cherished for the first time in her life.

Brody. Sexy, hot, and irresistible. He could tear down her carefully built walls.

Before she can become the woman she wants to be, Quincy will make mistakes. And suffer one unimaginable loss.

 

The cover was designed by Storm Designs (Sarie Storm), and she also lives here in Nashville, TN.


Teaser: 

  “I could stay here forever if you always looked at me just like that.” I don’t understand what he means, but I can’t take my eyes off him. “Everything.” His voice deepens while he looks into my eyes. “I like everything about you, Quince. I like the way those little wisps of hair frame your face. I love your eyes, so deep I get lost i...n them. Those lips I can’t resist. But I like you, Quince. The first time I saw you, I was drawn to you. I knew right then that you would turn my world upside down. It scared the hell out of me, but I knew I’d follow you anywhere.” He just made me feel beautiful, really beautiful, for the first time in my life.
There are no words for that. Instead, I wrap my arms around his neck and roughly kiss him. I twist my fingers in his hair and wonder why I haven’t done that before. Besides his eyes, his hair is the sexiest thing about him. But it’s what he hides on the inside that I so desperately want to see.


About The Author:

  Sydney Lane lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and children. Growing up in Smalltown, USA, Sydney dreamed of being a writer. After spending an outrageous amount of money to go to college, Sydney finally decided to follow her heart. With her babies in bed and husband neglected, she worked by the light of her laptop and wrote Choices. Sydney is very active in charity work for anti-bullying and depression awareness groups.




Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Review: Shut Out


Shut Out
Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is my third Kody Keplinger book, and actually the one I thought I would enjoy the most when I first read the blurbs on all of them. Surprisingly I thought it was the weakest of the three she has written so far. That being said I still give it 5 stars because it was still excellent.

As with all her books the scenario is believable, the characters complex and well drawn, and she writes broken people really, really well. This is a little lighter fair than her other two but she still managed to make some really good statements about female empowerment and societies absurd sexual double-standard.

I suppose if I had not been such a fan of the old Greek play-writes I'd not have figured out where it was going as fast as I did, still a great read.

The biggest thing I hated though was as I was finishing I suddenly realized I had now read all her books and will have to wait to get another one. Makes me want to go buy the author a lot of coffee to spur her to write faster. LOL



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Review: Nowhere But Home


Nowhere But Home
Nowhere But Home by Liza Palmer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Several of my friends on Goodreads added this to their TBR's the other day and I read the blurb and thought it sounded worth the read. Boy was I right. I simply loved this book. As someone who made his living as a chef, and who had bounced around a bit with a broken heart when I was younger, the author gets everything right. The feel of working with the food, the feelings of worthlessness, and the hardening of the heart, trying to feel nothing to keep the pain away. Everything was on the mark. You really care about the main character, and she and all the others in this book are well drawn, complex, and believable.

I had trouble putting this book down, and was sad when I finished, though I loved the ending. I am going to get this authors entire catalog now because this was really flawless.



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Thursday, April 18, 2013

Review: Unmaking Hunter Kennedy


Unmaking Hunter Kennedy
Unmaking Hunter Kennedy by Anne Eliot

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This book surprised me. I had loved Anne Eliot's ALMOST, and thought this look a lot less substantial when I read the blurb for it. I was feeling like something a little lighter, so I thought I'd read this. HA! There was so much more to this book than I thought at first blush. Ms Eliot writes broken people beautifully, and realistically. The main two protagonists both come across as very real, but both have serious issues to work out for themselves. You feel yourself really pulling for them.

There is so much I want to say, but my no spoilers rule applies, read this book. Lastly, Vere has entered my list of book girlfriends I will never forget.

PS Anne Eliot is now on my must buy list. She puts out a book and I will buy it not knowing anything else about it. Both her books have been impossible to put down, and remain in your soul.



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Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Review: A Midsummer's Nightmare


A Midsummer's Nightmare
A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This book really surprised me. I loved this author's book, THE DUFF, so I wanted to check something else out, grabbed this and thought it was even better than THE DUFF. As a child of divorce parts of this rang so true I had to go get a new box of kleenex. The pain, the feelings of abandonment and irrelvence when the new families form.

The main character was so sad, and so believable and followed so similar a course to the one I did. Truly an amazing and insightful book. I'm getting the rest of Ms. Keplinger's catalog.

This young writer is going to be a star.



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Monday, April 15, 2013

Review: Speak


Speak
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



A powerful book that parents and teenagers should read. As should our educators. Compelling, realisitc, and amazing. so much I'd like to talk about, but it would ruin things.

If someone you love or a friend suddenly has a major change in behaviour, listen to them!



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Friday, April 12, 2013

Review: Nothing Special


Nothing Special
Nothing Special by Geoff Herbach

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



A worthy successor to STUPID FAST indeed. Both very different and similar, I know that is odd. A lot of this book takes place more or less in the MC's head as he writes an endless letter to his girlfriend. You really get to know the complexities of his life in a way you did not in the first book. For any of us who have come from a family that had some problems, this book feels so real. I loved it. Going to look for more works by this author having very much enjoyed the first two.



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Thursday, April 11, 2013

Review: What I've Done


What I've Done
What I've Done by Jen Naumann

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



This was a gripping hard to put down read until about 60% of the way through when it went completely off the rails into the abyss of paranormal nonsense. Honestly had I known this was a paranormal book I would not have bothered with it, noting in the blurb made me think so.

It was not even that well done, the whole Dark vs Light angel thing was never explained in any way, we are told repeatedly that being a dark angel didn't mean you were evil, but of course the dark angel was evil, and when the evil was exposed the explanation was it was because he was a dark angel, even though we had repeatedly been told that didn't matter. What a waste.

Such a great set-up, and such a compelling story to start with, to see it wasted and ruined was sad to me. It gets an extra star for the great set-up to save it from my 1 star drek shelf.



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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson


Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Okay, so I have come to think that John Green is an amazing writer. This is my 4th book of his and all are on my favorites shelf. The Fault In Our Stars is my favorite, followed closely by Looking for Alaska, then this one, then an Abundance of Katherines. However the difference between #1 and #4 is slight. All are filled with interesting, believable,and quirky characters. Filled with real situations as well. Any of these books could be true, and all of them give ALL your emotions a real workout, which is the mark of great fiction in my eyes.

Grab any of his books, have a good time, then move on to another!




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Sunday, April 7, 2013

Review: Something Like Normal


Something Like Normal
Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is a superb book. It could have been taken from today's headlines. It could be the story of your son, brother, or uncle. Real, heartfelt, sad, and yet somehow triumphant. Travis and Harper will have you pulling for them strongly. So much I want to say but cannot without giving away important things better left for the reader to discover for themselves. Go get this book!



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Friday, April 5, 2013

Review: Almost


Almost
Almost by Anne Eliot

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



An amazing book. Heartfelt, so plausible it is scary to those of us with daughters, well written, and unforgettable. Every character in this book is fully realized and as real as the kids you grew up with. I recommended it to my teen daughter and wife even before I finished it. so much I would like to talk about but it would give things away. Suffice it to say you need to read this book.



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Review: Sing You Home


Sing You Home
Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This was a pretty good book. Taunt action, believable characters, and a story-line right out of today's news. Right up to the end. It lost a star for it's "magic wand" ending. All of a sudden *POOF* people's fundamental characters change and they ride off into the sunset on unicorns. . . .Kind of ruined the book.



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Review: Flat-Out Matt


Flat-Out Matt
Flat-Out Matt by Jessica Park

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I loved this book. If you have not read [b:Flat-Out Love|11096647|Flat-Out Love|Jessica Park|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1361307724s/11096647.jpg|16018629] first, do not read this, you will be confused. As a companion book this just rocks. A few surprises and some pivotal moments from Matt's point of view. I read it, then read Flat Out Love and it together again. Loved the experience. Jessica Park is on my must buy at once list.



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Review: Waiting for You


Waiting for You
Waiting for You by Shey Stahl

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This book started out great, best valedictorian speech ever and slam bang action for the first few pages. I was really pulling for this book, but it just got tedious and long. I just never was able to buy into the characters motivation, or their actions. I've been on the run as a love struck teen, about the age of these kids, and we didn't stay at nice hotels on the trip. Their entire affair seemed to be based on a crush when they were 3. They neither trusted, nor seemed to like each other very far. I guess after all the people I know raving about this book I expected something more than a pretty standard off the rack YA novel.



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Monday, April 1, 2013

LOSING CONNOR Cover Reveal!


Losing Connor Cover Reveal!!

  When Cassie finds herself pregnant at 17 she has a choice to make, ruin her own life or the lives of those she loves. Years later, when her past and present collide will she have the strength to lose everything again? Follow Cassie on a roller-coaster ride through her past and present and into her future as she battles regret and heartbreak.





Author Bio: Amanda Alberson was born in Baytown Texas and grew up in a small town outside of Houston. She has written stories and poems her whole life, and read every book she could get her hands on. She is in the process of relocating to Richardson TX, with her wonderful husband and two beautiful children. 'Losing Connor' is her first published work, but don't worry there are more to come.





Twitter: https://twitter.com/albersona  (@albersona)


And Here Is The Wonderful New Cover!


  This wonderful new cover was designed by Regina Wamba of:  Mae I Design and Photography.