***Blitz*** Lighter by Gia Riley (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Lighter by Gia Riley 

Publication date: February 16th 2015

Genres: New Adult, Romance

Synopsis

What do you do when you can't save the one you love? 

Sophie can’t survive without control. Growing up with an alcoholic father, she craves the discipline of gymnastics. Feeling lost on a brand new college campus, she lets loose for the first time in her life. But with freedom comes consequences. Is one night everything she hopes? Or will she become her own worst nightmare?

Kipton's one year away from graduation. He's never thought beyond a one night stand until meeting his sister’s new roommate. Finally setting his sights on the girl he can't resist, he's more determined than ever when she won't give in to his persuasions. He's always gotten the girl, and he's not about to give up without a fight.

Will Sophie be able to salvage her dreams and wage a war against her own vices? Can she finally let love in? Or will history repeat itself causing her to self-destruct?

Lighter isn't your typical college romance. Darkness suffocates, dreams are dashed, and battles are lost. Love takes on a whole new meaning.

Goodreads: 

Excerpt - Prologue

Two Years Ago

“Sophie, wait! I’m sorry. I’m just worried about you,” Megan yells from the double doors leading from the locker room into the hallway.

She saw the bruises on my body.

I knew better than to change in front of everyone after gym class, yet I did it anyway because I was running late to meet my boyfriend. Blaine doesn’t like it when I keep him waiting. Tossing my book bag over my shoulder, I round the corner and smack right into him – and he doesn’t look happy.

“What did you say to her?” He questions with a deadly stare.

“Nothing. I didn’t say a word.” I didn’t but I still avert my eyes, choosing to stare at the tile on the floor instead of him. Without warning, he grabs my arm and pulls me into the bathroom. It’s empty.

“Please, Blaine.” I’m begging him to stop. He hears me, but he doesn’t listen.

“I told you what I would do, didn’t I?”

I swallow, my hands shaking. “Yes.”

He pins my arms against the wall, hovering over me. “And yet you still couldn’t keep your damn mouth shut.”

I try to yank my arms from his grasp, but his grip is too tight. His fingertips dig painfully into my arms, his nails breaking through the skin. “I swear I didn’t tell her anything.”

He inches closer to my face, the warmth of his breath hits my cheek. “Don’t fucking lie to me, Sophie. What happened the last time you lied to me?”

“I’m not lying. Please, Blaine. I wouldn’t.”

“What happened, Sophie?”

He’s going to make me say it – as if I’d ever need a reminder. It’s impossible to forget. “You had to teach me a lesson.”

“But you never learn. No matter how hard I try to protect you.”

“I’m sorry,” I plead. Regardless of the fact that I’m innocent, he morphs my apology into an admission of guilt.

“Damn right you are,” he spits through gritted teeth. His calmness now completely gone and replaced with anger. “Don’t you ever lie to me again, you hear me?”

“Yes,” I whisper.

He grabs my chin, roughly scraping his calloused thumb over my lips. His dilated pupils pierce straight through me sending chills down my spine. “Tell me you love me.” My words get lodged in my throat and I make the mistake of pausing a second too long. “Say it!” he warns as his fist pounds against the wall next to my head.

“I love you, Blaine.” And maybe there was a time I actually did. He wasn’t always like this, but neither was I. If I could go back in time, I’d tell him no. I’d push him away from me and keep my distance. But I’m just like my mother - unable to get away and desperate enough to stay. “Please let go of me. You’re hurting me.”

Finally he releases me, replacing his harsh words with sweet promises – his rough touches with gentle caresses. With a flip of a switch, he’s back to the Blaine I fell for, masking any signs of the evil he’s become.

“You make me so crazy, Sophie.” He runs his fingers through my long blond hair, leaving a trail of light kisses on my neck. “I only get mad because I love you so much.”

“I know.” Painfully well. My scattered bruises a daily reminder of his temper.

His hand falls from my hair as he latches onto my hip, pulling me flush against his body. “Baby, I need you. You’re everything to me.”

Everything I don’t want to be. Not anymore.

Beneath the surface, I’m scarred and broken; a much darker version of the girl I once was. There was a time I believed I was worthy of true love. But now, living in a hell littered with reminders of broken promises, I know what we have is anything but love.

It’s in this moment that I know I’m not strong enough to fight another day unless I get away from him. But I don’t know how. I need a plan – something to get me away from this town and its memories.

Closing my eyes, I say a silent prayer that my luck will change – that someone will save me from the hell my life has become.

Purchase

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AUTHOR BIO

Gia is a lover of all things romance and a firm believer that everyone deserves a happily ever after. She resides in the small but mighty state of Delaware with her husband and son. Mother and wife by day, writer by night - she's a girl with a dream to write.

When she's not busy writing, she can be found roaming the isles of Kirkland's or up to her elbows in Play-doh.

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." ~Maya Angelou

Author links

http://giariley.weebly.com/

https://twitter.com/AuthorGiaRiley

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Gia-Riley/645866645481614

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8182514.Gia_Riley

Giveaway

Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)

• A signed copy of Lighter by Gia Riley 
• 2x $5 Amazon giftcards

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

***BLITZ*** Beautiful Dangerous by Penny Dee

 

RELEASE DAY BLITZ

Title: Beautiful Dangerous

Author: Penny Dee

Synopsis

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Get over my break-up by having a one-night stand with a rock 'n' roll hottie and move on with my life. Going on tour as official photographer to the world’s number one band was not part of the plan. 

Have you ever dreamed of being plucked out of the crowd by one of the hottest rock stars in the world?

I didn't even know who Ozstryker were when my reckless sister Beth dragged me along to their concert. I went solely to keep her out of trouble, not for me to get tangled up with the famous guitarist renowned for his magnificent shirtless torso and talented fast hands. 

I had no intention of becoming a groupie, let alone anything else. But when Jax Ozstryker invited me on a date, I decided it was time for a little fun. Not that the night ended how I had planned – or how he planned, for that matter – I got a job and he didn't get laid.

Now I’m on tour with the biggest band in the world with my crazy, unpredictable sister for company and a beautiful dangerous attraction for my new boss. I never dreamed life could be so crazy. Or complicated.

But this is life on the road – where nothing makes sense and everything is possible.

 

About the Author

I have written stories for as long as I can remember. I wrote my first book when I was five years old. It was called, The Goodies, and it was a short story about driving to the shops to get some milk. Needless to say, it was a very short book and hardly the page turner. It was also illustrated in orange felt tip pen because it was the only felt tip pen left in the pencil case that wasn’t dried up and useless.

My first attempt at writing romance was in high school when my athletic ambitions were replaced with Sunday sessions in my bestfriends bedroom, smoking cigarettes and writing smut about the hot guy at school. They were dreadfully crude stories. Lots of awkward fumblings in the dark or a series of awful first kisses. They were also very straight forward. Very straight to the point. Because I didn’t have a clue about what I was talking about. And I used terrible words such as “shaft”, “her moist warmth” and “velvet cavern”…yeah, they were awesome.

In following years I wisely gave up the cigarettes, became Mum to the “best kid in the world” and married a vastly understanding and supportive soul who tolerated the complete absence of my inner domestic goddess. Through a lot of trial and error, I think I may have started to write stories other people would want to read … without an orange felt tip pen in sight…

 

Where You Can Find Penny

Penny's Website Facebook Goodreads

      

Blog Tour - Thoughtful by S.C. Stephens - Review by Kimmy

Hello all,

Welcome to todays stop in the blog tour.

Thoughtful

by S. C. STEPHENS

Published 24th February 2015

Available as a paperback and eBook 

*** Disclaimer ***
I received a free copy through (add info here) in exchange for an honest review.

Rating:

‘From page one, this book is impossible to put down’

ABBI GLINES, New York Times bestselling author on THOUGHTLESS 

‘Wildly addictive, beautifully written, and uniquely captivating’

TRACEY GARVIS-GRAVES, New York Times bestselling author on THOUGHTLESS

Synopsis:

It's time for Kellan Kyle, the rockstar who captured our hearts in Thoughtless, to tell his side of the story. 

The only place Kellan has ever felt at home is on stage. Gripping his guitar in a darkened bar, he can forget his painful past. These days his life revolves around his music and his band mates, and that's the way he likes it. And then one woman changes everything . . . 

Kiera is the kind of girl Kellan has no business wanting - she's smart, sweet, and dating his best friend. Certain he could never be worthy of her love, he hides his growing attraction . . . until Kiera's own tormented heart hints that his feelings might not be one-sided. Now, no matter the consequences, Kellan is sure of one thing: he won't let Kiera go without a fight. 

‘What happens when you find your soul mate at the worst possible time, in the least expected place? What if being with that person means doing the most wrong thing you've ever done? [It] leaves you thinking about these questions, the characters and their choices for days if not weeks after reading.’ 

TAMMARA WEBBER, New York Times bestselling author on THOUGHTLESS 

About the Author:

S.C. Stephens is a New York Times #1 bestselling author who spends her every free moment creating stories that are packed with emotion and heavy on romance. In addition to writing, she enjoys spending lazy afternoons in the sun reading, listening to music, watching movies, and spending time with her friends and family. She lives in Washington State with her two children. Follow her on Twitter @SC_Stephens_

Review

I was approached by the lovely Clara from Little, Brown Book Group to see if I was interested in reading and reviewing this book.  This series is new to me, I haven't read any of the other books, however reading the synopsis etc it appeared that this book could be read as a standalone.  My intrigue was instantly piqued.  To read a book from a males point of view seemed exciting so I couldn't turn down the opportunity.

This book was awesome.  The author instantly had us falling for Kellan Kyle.  Each page was filled with so much emotion, passion and frustration.  It often killed me as much as it did for Kellan throughout the story.  I had no problem connecting with any of the characters.  The stories progression flowed well and with each page I wanted more.  I even found myself wanting to hear the music that the D-Bags were playing, I'm a huge rock music fan and the music from this book sounds like its right up my street.  I need a D-Bags album now!

As much as this book worked as a standalone, I do feel that I will have to read the rest.  I think it would work best as a companion to the other books, as I found myself at times wanting to know what was going on in Keira's head also.

Old fans will love being able to get deeper into Kellan's head and without a doubt he will have many more new fans, I am most certainly one of the new fans.

I highly recommend you get this book, whether you are familiar with this series or new to it, you will not be disappointed!

Useful Links

 Goodreads | Author | Amazon UK | Amazon US

Continue on the blog tour

***Blog Tour*** The Intergalactic Adventures of Queen Bea by Jeanne Gransee Barker

Welcome to my tour stop for The Intergalactic Adventures of Queen Bea by Jeanne Gransee Barker. This is a young adult sci-fi. The tour runs February 16-27 with reviews, author interviews, guest posts and excerpts. Check out the tour page for more information.

About the Book:

Everything she’d ever known was a lie. Now Bea must find the courage to trust her own voice to save not only herself — but an entire planet.

At almost 15, late-bloomer Bea Parker has just discovered that her aunt, uncle and cousins—the only family she’s ever known—aren’t actually related to her and don’t know anything about her birth parents. Then a strange, high-tech device shows up in her room in the middle of the night with a note promising answers about her shadowed past. This alien technology takes her on a journey that forces her to leave behind Earth, and everything she knows, to meet her destiny.

Goodreads

On sale for only .99 cents on Amazon for a limited time! 

About the Author:

I discovered science fiction when I was four. My father loved Star Trek, the original series. Every Friday night he’d make a big deal of getting the house quiet so he could hear the TV. The importance of it drew me in. And then I was hooked on other worlds, molecules being scrambled and reformed, and meeting totally logical aliens. As I grew older and continued to watch, I loved the idea that a story could explore our contemporary dilemmas couched in two-tone faces or hidden with green skin. Science fiction was the “gateway genre” that led me to fantasy and paranormal fiction.

I began my first novel at age 12. I still have the ring binder with the hand-written pages of OOTG-1 (that stands for Out of the Galaxy)—the story of the first manned expedition to venture forth beyond our galaxy. Alas, after about thirty pages my hand got tired and the crew never left the Milky Way. But that experience sparked a lifelong love of writing which  has continued through my school days to the present.

When I'm not enjoying the alternate universes of my written creations, I live, work, and play  Seattle, Washington.

Excerpt:  Chapter 16: Being the Mouse

Bea had gone back inside and crawled into bed. Every time she started to doze, she imagined she could hear the viewer calling to her. She noticed every twitch of her muscles, felt each ragged breath. Her eyes were hot and dry, her head throbbed, and her limbs were made of lead.

When she finally did drift off to sleep the dream had come, worse than ever. A chill went down her spine as the familiar voices began to speak.

“We

have

found

her.”

One long, cloaked arm reached for her. This time it touched her with a single icy finger. The cold oozed up her arm, cutting through the skin, moving like it was alive. Gasping for breath, she sat up, cold but sweating.

The sun was rising. She could hear the next-door neighbors getting in their car. People just beginning an ordinary Saturday. Then she remembered the scratch on her arm, probably the reason for this version of the nightmare.

The fear from last night’s alien encounter reignited. What if she got some sort of alien infection?

Bea got out of bed on shaky legs and walked to the bathroom. She pulled out the antibacterial liquid, put her arm over the sink, and poured it on the small scratch. She kept squeezing the bottle until it released nothing but air.

“Hey, Howard Hughes.” The sound of Patty’s voice made her jump. “You trying to drown that or what?”

“Oh, I guess I just wasn’t paying attention.” Bea put the empty bottle back in the medicine cabinet.

“I’m pretty sure nobody ever died from a paper cut,” Patty said, making her way past Bea and into the bathroom.

“Ha, yeah.” Bea forced a weak laugh.

“What are you doing up so early on a Saturday anyway?” Patty asked, yawning.

“Oh, I’m going over to Calvin’s. You know, more stuff on the project.”

“Geez, Bea, it’s like your brain has been taken over by science or something,” Patty said.

“That is totally not funny!” Bea snapped.

“Gah, it was just a joke…” Patty looked at Bea. “... or maybe not.” All of Patty’s humor evaporated. She gave Bea a little shove out into the hall and closed the door in Bea’s face.

The whole time she was dressing, Bea was on the verge of hyperventilating. She pulled on the same jeans as yesterday and an old school sweatshirt. She let her sleep-twisted hair fall where it might. She didn’t grab her hat or her gloves. She couldn’t even manage to zip her parka.

The whole way to Calvin’s, she kept pushing up the jacket sleeve to check the scratch. It was redder, wasn’t it? Maybe it was beginning to swell? How would she explain this at the emergency room?

Website | Facebook | Twitter @BarkerJeanne

Giveaway:

Five (5) $10 Amazon gift cards (5 winners)

Open Internationally

Ends March 3, 2015

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Book of Immortals: Disciple by Kassandra Lynn Interview & Review by Kimmy

Hey all,

Hope you are all keeping well!

I wanted to share with you today a book I read just before the end of last year.  I do hope you enjoy:

Book of Immortals: Disciple 

by Kassandra Lynn

*** Disclaimer *** - I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating:

Synopsis

You enjoy stories, but would you want to become part of one?

When Celine dies in a plane crash, instead of going to heaven or hell, she becomes the antagonist in the novel she was reading on the flight.

In her new realm of existence, immortals gather energy from the environment to gain prolonged life, while devils suck the life out of mortals in exchange for power. As the secret offspring of the two opposing races, Celine finds herself having to cover up her devil ancestry while enrolled in an immortal school.

She could live with her role, if only she hadn’t read the book. The end means her death, and this time it’s for good. Celine’s high school crush, Erik, who also journeyed to the new world, encourages her to become a devil in order to change her destiny. It sounds like a simple choice, but that would mean betraying the world she had grown fond of.

As her doomsday draws near, Celine must choose a side or use her insider’s knowledge to overturn the plot—and possibly the whole realm in the process.

Interview

Kimmy: Hi Kassandra.  Thanks for taking the time to join us here at Opinionated Cupcakes.

Kassandra: Thanks for having me!

1. Tell us about your book

Book of Immortals: Disciple is a fantasy about a girl who get trapped within a story she read.

Official blurb:
Following her death in a plane crash, Celine discovers that neither heaven nor hell are options for her. Miraculously, she's transformed into the antagonist of the book she'd read prior to her demise. Now, she must navigate this strange new immortal life, knowing that the antagonist's journey won't end well. Between covering up her devil ancestry in an immortal school and trying to understand her feelings for a senior apprentice, can Celine circumvent her impending doomsday to create a favorable plot twist?

2. What inspired you to write your first book?

I like to make up stories in my head when I lie on my bed at night—it's like telling myself a bedtime story. But thinking about something in my mind can be very disorganized and illusive. I want to put them down in writing to make them more concrete and to share my fantasy with others.

3. What books are you reading now?

I just finished Pinehurst, a YA fantasy I enjoyed. I'm currently reading a super long Chinese historical romance that keeps me way past my bedtime. Of Sea and Stone is on my to-read list for the next week.

4. Do you have anything in specific you want to say to your readers?

I grew up reading stories in both English and Chinese. The structure behind fiction and the roles each characters play had intrigued me since I was a child. Somehow, I like many of the antagonists and minor characters more than most of the protagonists—perhaps because the antagonists are the ones with the more interesting traits and strong personality? In my writing, I want to incorporate some of the things I like about minor characters into my protagonists. My protagonists are not always good in the traditional perspectives—some of them might be downright evil and selfish—but they're the ones I like to read about. I hope you find them interesting too.

5. What are the challenges in bringing it to life?

I find it a little challenging to just sit down and write something every single day. Sometimes I have days that I don't feel creative at all and sometimes I get distracted by many things that come up. The first draft is definitely the hardest, although I have the most fun writing it.

Review

The author approached us towards the end of last year to see if either Rinny or myself would be interested in reading and reviewing her book.  The concept seemed quite unique, like nothing I had read recently or could think of and I loved the cover, so I jumped at the chance to read it.

I loved this book.  Being well and truly hooked from the first few pages, it didn't take me long to devour it.  The storyline was interesting and I found myself easily immersed in Shann's world.  I hung off every word, my need to keep reading, just one more page I kept telling myself multiple times on end.  

It was easy to connect with the main character Shann, the author done a great job of developing the her character and a few of the supporting characters.  I do however feel that some of the characters who perhaps started off strong, seemed to dwindle slightly as the story progressed.  My other downside would be the seclusion that each disciple takes to increase their level.  At the start I didn't mind so much.  However towards the end I felt that it had almost become a time passer.

I would've loved to have seen more focus on the world itself, Aaren, Divinity Sabien and some of the character relationships.  I feel Shann's life was very short lived.  Basically I wanted more Aaren and Shann!

Having said that, the author fitted a lot into one book and although some things could have been improved on, I do feel she did it really well.

I highly recommend this book.  I am super excited for the next book in the series.  This really is a new take on fantasy, so what are you waiting for, go get your copy now!

About the Author

Kassandra Lynn is the author of Book of Immortals series. Her favourite genres are fantasy and romance. She especially enjoys reading and writing about unique concepts, unpredictable plots, and protagonists who aren't the typical protagonists.

Useful Links: 

Goodreads | Website | Amazon Author Page

Buy the book:

Amazon