Blog Tour Excerpt - Short Bus Hero by Shannon Gigolo

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Short Bus Hero
Author: Shannon Gigolo
Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Humor
Date Published: December 16, 2014
Publisher: Nightscape Press

Book Description:
Twenty-three year-old Ally Forman, a $350 million dollar lottery winner with Down syndrome, is either cursed or blessed, depending on how you look at things. When professional wrestler Stryker Nash loses his job, Ally, his biggest fan, wants nothing more than to put him back in the ring. And she will spare no expense. Her mother, however, has other plans for Ally’s winnings and her life. SHORT BUS HERO is a darkly humorous look at life with Down syndrome, the rise of a wrestling empire... and angels. Yes, angels.

Buy Links:

Amazon ¦ Nightscape Press

Blog Tour Excerpt - Adventures with Ragweed by Linda Lou Crosby

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Adventures with Ragweed
Author: Linda Lou Crosby
Genre: Humor
Date Published: February 10, 2014

Book Description:
Whimsy - Humorous Tales of Adventure, Friendship and Outdoor Ventures For Young Adult Readers and those young at Heart

Adventures with Ragweed is a collection of humorous short stories filled with adventure and family themes.

Ragweed is a tribute to the whimsical part of each of us. Follow this young teen and her best friend, Marney as they travel to Mexico for a fishing trip, where the family is to shoot a pilot for a television show, instead, find themselves in an unexpected sea storm.

Laugh out loud as Ragweed takes on the tennis elite at the country club or attempts to rearrange their perfectly cut lawns.

Always one to learn new things, this young freckled face gal with the unruly blonde hair, builds a float, rides a horse and grows a garden - always getting into unintentional trouble and conning her friends to partake. Each task done with her own unique vies of the world.

Light Hearted and Funny

These stories are meant to entertain. It's difficult to narrow it down to one specific genre as the book is a collection of short stories suitable for young adults as well as for an older crowd with a sense of humor. Family Relationships, Friendships, Essays and Humor are categories all presented within the pages of this book.

If you like the outdoors you might enjoy reading about Ragweed's horse riding exploits or her compost-creating stunts. She spends a great deal of time playing sports and in the garden. Most of the stories are based on the author's own experiences when she was a young adult but some of us know that inner youth tends to follow us into adulthood - so if you have similar backgrounds, these tales will make you grin.

Beautifully Illustrated

Each story in this humorous collection is beautifully illustrated. The pictures capture the character and facial expressions of the gals in these short stories and in our opinion add to the text. There is also an animated video on the author's page that is worth watching. The artist tried to capture the fun-spirited character of Ragweed and when the pictures were put into film, the story came alive visually. It's like a short cartoon.

Buy Links:

Amazon Kindle ¦ Paperback

Book Blitz & Giveaway - The Story Catcher by Donna L. Martin

We are so excited to share our first picture book release!

The Story Catcher

Author: Donna L. Martin

Imprint: Adventures

Release Date: January 20, 2015

Blog Tour Promo & Giveaway - Ward Against Disaster (Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer #3) by Melanie Card

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Ward Against Disaster

(Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer #3)

by Melanie Card

Release Date: 01/19/14

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Pages: 276

Summary from Goodreads:

Ward de'Ath should be dead by now. Instead, he’s chasing after a soul-eating creature—that he unleashed— and is bent on stopping her before she slaughters more innocents. Fortunately, Celia Carlyle remains by his side, a nobleman's gorgeous and deadly daughter, who is…well, dead.

Celia claims she’ll champion Ward wherever he goes, even when she thinks his quest is hopeless. He can only hope her pledge comes from her heart, and not because she’s bound to him through his magic.

When they enter Dulthyne, they stumble upon a dark power that threatens the entire town. Ward, with his unreliable necromancy, is determined to help but finds himself ensnared in the lure of white-hot magic…blood magic he struggles to resist. But if Celia’s love is a lie, it might just doom his soul to the dark arts forever.

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo│iBooks

Blog Tour Spotlight - The Blood of the Fifth Knight by E.M. Powell

The Blood of the Fifth Knight

Author: E.M. Powell

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Pages: 355

Genre: Historical Mystery/Thriller

Format: Paperback/Kindle/Audiobook

Book Description:

England, 1176. King Henry II has imprisoned his rebellious Queen for her failed attempt to overthrow him. But with her conspirators still at large and a failed assassination attempt on his beautiful mistress, Rosamund Clifford, the King must take action to preserve his reign.

Desperate, Henry turns to the only man he trusts: a man whose skills have saved him once before. Sir Benedict Palmer answers the call, mistakenly believing that his family will remain safe while he attends to his King.

As Palmer races to secure his King’s throne, neither man senses the hand of a brilliant schemer, a mystery figure loyal to Henry's traitorous Queen who will stop at nothing to see the King defeated.

The Blood of the Fifth Knight is an intricate medieval murder mystery and worthy sequel to E.M. Powell's acclaimed historical thriller The Fifth Knight.

Buy Links:

Amazon ¦ Amazon U.K. ¦ B&N

Pre-Order Campaign & Giveaway - The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons

Tour Page

The Glass Arrow

by Kristen Simmons

Synopsis

The Handmaid’s Tale meets Blood Red Road in Glass Arrow, the story of Aya, who lives with a small group of women on the run from the men who hunt them, men who want to auction off breeding rights to the highest bidder.

In a world where females are scarce and are hunted, then bought and sold at market for their breeding rights, 15-year old Aya has learned how to hide. With a ragtag bunch of other women and girls, she has successfully avoided capture and eked out a nomadic but free existence in the mountains. But when Aya’s luck runs out and she’s caught by a group of businessmen on a hunting expedition, fighting to survive takes on a whole new meaning.

Buy Links:

Amazon | Amazon Kindle ¦ B&N | Book Depository

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Love & Other Lies by Madeline Ash

Love & Other Lies

by Madeline Ash

Published by: Destiny Romance

Publication Date: January 20th,  2015

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Small town vet Abby Benson has fled to the country to put her shameful past behind her. She’s just beginning to find her feet again when handsome stranger, Rue Thorn, arrives in town and begins to stir things up. Rue is gorgeous, kind and thoughtful and the two share an instant attraction. But convinced he’ll despise her if he learns about her history, Abby reluctantly keeps him at arms length.

Determined to win Abby over, Rue tries to reshape himself as the sort of guy he thinks she might be interested in. And for a while it seems his act is working. But when he finds out that Abby has been lying to him, it isn’t long before everything start to unravel …

A moving story of trust, forgiveness and the power of love from the author of Uncovered by Love and The Playboy’s Dark Secret.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Blog Tour Spotlight & Giveaway - Unspoken by J.A. Garland

Unspoken

J.A. Garland

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: BURST Books

Date of Publication: January 5, 2014

Word Count: 40,738

Cover Artist: E. Smith

Book Description:

Paranormal Bounty Hunter Myka Quinn left behind her failed attempt at wolf Pack life. Now she is focused on providing for her brother and staying out of werewolf territory.

But when she’s framed for a witch’s murder, she must either accept help from a very unlikely source, or watch the lives of those she loves rip apart.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Blog Tour Spotlight & Giveaway - ITGIRL4LIFE by Tamara Branch

ITGIRL4LIFE

Author: Tamara Branch

Publisher: Heart Project Publishing

Pages: 98

Genre: YA/Self-Esteem

Format: Paperback/Kindle

Book Description:

Writer, artist and speaker, Tamara Branch serves up 40 bite-sized chapters on how to build unshakable self-confidence, honor your life, and shine bright in the world, in ITGIRL4LIFE: How to bring out your special something and so much more. Packed with sage advice, life-changing insights and affirmations to help you soar, ITGIRL4LIFE offers ideas, tools and principles that you can reference and build upon, supporting you in becoming your best. Get ready to fall in love with your own wisdom, beauty and strength.

Buy Links:

Amazon Kindle ¦ Paperback ¦ B&N

Book Blitz & Giveaway - #Hater by Cambria Hebert

#Hater

(Hashtag #2)

by Cambria Hebert

Publication Date: January 12th, 2015

Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

It started with unspoken animosity. The bitter bite of jealousy. And now its full blown hate.

It was during my first football game that I first felt the first chill of hate. I looked it right in the eyes and felt its sticky tentacles reach out for me. I’d never experienced something so cold and empty before.

The effect of that look lingered, like an unspoken promise, long after it was gone.

Becoming a couple – becoming the other half of a campus celebrity wasn’t easy. I let down walls guarding my heart and he looked past my glasses and accident prone tendencies. Romeo and I are an unlikely match, a #nerd and a jock. But we made it.

And we’re happy.

Zach doesn’t want us to be happy. He wants Romeo to pay for getting him kicked out of Omega and for the night he spent in jail. He’s going to use anything and everything he can to get his revenge. Including me.

As the weather on campus grows cold and the days become dark, revenge becomes the center of someone’s life and the happiness Romeo and I worked so hard for is threatened.

I can’t help but worry that our love is going to be overshadowed by hate.

Buy Links:

Amazon ¦ B&N

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Blood, Milk, and Chocolate by Cameron Jace

Blood, Milk, and Chocolate

(The Grimm Diaries #3)

by Cameron Jace

Publication Date: January 19th, 2015

Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

I have been accused of being malicious and evil.

I, the Snow White Queen, have a story to tell.

The true story and what has really happened. How it all happened. Why the Brothers Grimm altered the truth, letting you think it was a fairy tale. When and how the tale took place. And above all, why I did what I did. Why you haven’t been told the truth for centuries. The truth about me and the truth about the not-so-innocent Snow White.

Here is my side of the story. You will never look at Snow White the same way again.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Blast & Giveaway - How I Fall & How I Fly by Anne Elliot

A two-book series by the bestselling author of Almost and Unmaking Hunter Kennedy.

How I Fall

by Anne Eliot

Book Description:

*WHAT IF YOU HAD AN IMPOSSIBLE CRUSH?*
Impossible because she’s Ellen Foster. The beautiful, smart, and possibly fragile photography-girl. You’re Cam Campbell. The guy who plays football 24/7 with no life. But what if during junior year, you decide to finally try for her phone number—until this glitter-crazed new girl ruins your plan. Worse, the girl is Irish, awkward, and insists you and Ellen should become best friends—with her! Only, you don’t want to be friends with a human tornado, and you think Ellen might need to stay a crush. This is because after one interaction you’ve discovered Ellen Foster really is fragile. Your problems and secrets are too big for anyone to understand.

*WHAT IF YOU COULDN’T RESIST?*
But what if the three of you wind up assigned to a group photography project, where rumors are already circling about the new girl being ridiculous? You know she’s nice but very alone, so you convince your crush to help protect the new girl. Suddenly, working on the project makes hanging out, texting, talking—and even high school—seem fun and completely normal when it’s anything but normal.

*WHAT IF YOU KISS?*
What if you kiss Ellen Foster and it’s perfect enough to make you believe in things you shouldn’t. You tell her secrets and share your dreams. You make the kinds of promises and create plans to be together that might be impossible to keep when you’re only sixteen and your parents control your entire future, but... WHAT IF YOU HURT HER?

Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Blitz - Human Perfect by Kayelle Allen

Human Perfect

by Kayelle Allen
Genre: Science Fiction and Fantasy, Space Opera
Rating: PG-13
Publisher: Romance Lives Forever Books
Editor: Jean Paquin
Story length: 16 pages

Book Description:
In the android business, the best of the best are Human Perfect.

In this science fiction short story, for as long as she can remember, Christa has hated androids. The texture of plastiflesh skin and the non-smell of the animate machines jars her senses. Don't even get her started on robots, or worse -- the andys that look human. Her job as a corporate spy for the android maker Innersoul puts her in touch with the creatures every day, but also lets her judge them. When she runs into Humancopy Progress Rep Tom Karellys, she can't believe her luck. Using a cover identity, Christa shares dinner with him, and the two discuss andys. It soon becomes apparent Tom is not what he seems, and Christa must decide whether he's a trustworthy human, or merely... Human Perfect.

Includes a bonus sci fi short story "Upgrade This!" set in the same universe.

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ Amazon UK

Book Of The Week {Wattpad}

And the Book Of The Week Nominations are:

Click on the book covers to sample the works.

The Tragedy of Sunshine (YA Sci-Fi)

Circle of Trust (Romance)

Trying to Forget You (YA Romance)

Blog Tour Spotlight & Giveaway - Hydro (Aurelia Series, #1) by A.C. Waltower

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Hydro (Aurelia Series, #1)
by A.C. Waltower
Release Date: December 2014
Genre: Sci-Fi/Young Adult

Summary from Goodreads:
The year is 2091. 75 years ago, a nuclear war desolated Earth. The top 2% of the world fled to Hydro, a compound on the Moon. The rest of the population were left trying to survive on a barren Earth.

Seventeen-year-old Blake lives on Earth with his dad and little brother. When Blake’s father is given the grave sentence of terminal cancer, Blake decides to save his dad by sneaking onto Hydro and making a deal with Hydro’s council. In exchange for them saving his dad, he will give them the answer to everyone’s problem; the location of a new habitable planet.

The unexpected and unannounced arrival of Blake leaves many citizens with mixed feelings, none more confusing than those of sixteen-year-old Ziva. The more she learns about Blake and where he comes from, the more she learns that not everything she is being told about the situation on Earth in true, including those told by her beloved grandfather. Why has he been lying to her? And more importantly what is he hiding from her?

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble

2015 Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop - Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

2015 Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop
January 16th to 26th

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

Several blogs are taking part, so there's lots of amazing gifts to be won. Check out the rules of the other blogs. I will contact the winner via email within 5 days following the end of the contest. Winner will also be announced on this page.

***Giveaway***

My giveaway is for a $10 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash.

Ends January 26th (midnight GMT).

International.

Contest is void where prohibited. Entrants must be 13 or else have parent or guardian’s permission to enter. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected. The winner will be posted on this page after the winner responds. Winning entries will be verified for authenticity.

a Rafflecopter giveaway