Monday, June 25, 2012

{Teaser Tuesday} Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Synopsis:


What happens when you fall in love with the perfect guy... twice... in one day?

Brenna Blixen spent her freshman year homeschooling in Denmark; now that she’s back in the States, she’s determined to make her sophomore year unforgettable. And by unforgettable, she imagined awesome classes, fun friendships, and maybe a little romance.

What she got was a whole lot of romance, and all at once.

The same day that dark, brooding Saxon Maclean charmed her with his killer good looks and whip-smart wit, Jake Kelly stole her breath away with his heart-wrenching smile and intelligent, thoughtful focus.

But Saxon is a proud player who makes it clear that he doesn’t know why he can’t get Brenna off of his mind and out of his system, and Jake’s sweet and humble attitude hides a secret past life that might be more darker and more complex than Brenna’s willing to handle.

Complicating the matter is the fact that Saxon and Jake were once best friends and are now arch-enemies... and the more Brenna finds out about their connection to each other, the more intrigued and worried she becomes.

Between keeping the peace with her lovingly over-protective parents, designing t-shirts for her high school’s rising punk band, keeping up her grades in both academic and technical high school, and running the track like a maniac, Brenna has enough to worry about with out juggling two guys who make her heart thud and drive her crazy all at once.

She has to make a choice. But how can she when giving her heart to one of them might mean breaking the other’s?

My Teaser:

Saxon winked at me and pulled his chair over so our shoulders bumped. He wore cologne. I had smelled guys' cologne a million times before, but whatever he wore made me want to bury my head in his chest and take long, deep breaths until my lungs couldn't take it anymore.

Friday, June 22, 2012

{Review} Rapture by Lauren Kate

Title: Rapture
Series: Fallen #4
Author: Lauren Kate
Publisher: Random House, Imprint: Delacorte Press
Release Date: June 12, 2012


Blurb:

The sky is dark with wings . . . .

Like sand in an hourglass, time is running out for Luce and Daniel. To stop Lucifer from erasing the past they must find the place where the angels fell to earth. Dark forces are after them, and Daniel doesn’t know if he can do this—live only to lose Luce again and again.

Yet together they will face an epic battle that will end with lifeless bodies . . . and angel dust. Great sacrifices are made. Hearts are destroyed. And suddenly Luce knows what must happen.

For she was meant to be with someone other than Daniel. The curse they’ve borne has always and only been about her—and the love she cast aside. The choice she makes now will be the only one that truly matters.

In the fight for Luce, who will win?

The astonishing conclusion to the FALLEN series. Heaven can’t wait any longer.


Oh my! What a perfectly flawed ending to one of modern days greatest love stories. Daniel's and Luce's story, start to finish, is what romance is all about. It's not perfect or easy. No immediate unyielding trust without questions. Not all pretty rainbows and unicorns. Falling in love is about learning and growing--into yourself and each other--and becoming secure enough to hand someone the power to squish your heart until it stops beating but trust them to love you forever. True love.


The gif above is a graphic that I came across earlier today and couldn't believe how perfect it was for this particular story, because it's absolutely true. The Fallen Series, to me, has always been about making choice between Heaven and Hell and Love. I'm not going to go into all the reasons I love the whole series today, because on Sunday, I will be starting a new feature here at Better Read Than Dead called Series Sundays. I had started so many different series before I started blogging, I thought this might be a neat way to do a review of a complete series as opposed to trying to review all the books and get caught up! I hope you will enjoy the new feature, but for today, lets talk about Rapture.

Rapture is the fourth and finale book in The Fallen Series...as I may have mentioned before. When we left Luce and Daniel in Passion, they had just finished hopping through announcers and The Fall had started. Lucifer's final plan to separate Luce and Daniel. Rapture picks up exactly where Passion left off. Admittedly, there were things I'd already figured out, but I think Ms. Kate knew this and, therefore, threw in some mind-blowing twists.

The thing I love about picking up one of Lauren's books is falling in love with her writing all over again. Her prose is all-encompassing, her descriptions simple but lovely. Her sentence structure flows with the book. Shorter, tighter sentences build tension. Longer, complex sentences in larger paragraphs slow the tension but build Lauren's world, filled with Angels and Demons.

I'm really going to try to keep this spoiler free because I want everyone to fall in love with Rapture the same way I did, but here's a short summary.

Daniel, Luce, Cam (swoon), Roland (Favorite Male Character), Arriane (Favorite Female Character), Gabbe, Molly, and Annabelle are charged with the mission to stop the fall or eternity will be erased, and Luce gone from Daniel forever.

A few quotes from Rapture:

"There you are, you lovebirds, you, doin' that thing that lovebirds do," Arriane sang. (Speaking of Daniel and Luce) Page 22

"There's a reason he was called the Morning Star. Lucifer was beautiful Some say the most beautiful." ... "There is no darkness as dark as a great light corrupted." (Daniel on Lucifer) - Page 54

"I know you don't trust him, but you can. I do. Cam's darkness is legendary, but it is only a sliver of his personality." (Daniel on Cam) - Page 55

I betrayed him. Whoever he was. There was someone before Daniel, and I--


And the last one:

No, that isn't true," Luce said. "I chose love! Just now, you asked whether I knew my soul, and I do. I must stay true to who I am and place love highest of all. (Luce to the Throne)  Page 418

Oh what the hell...one more

"Ah, Daniel, a mere shadow of a true bad boy." He pressed his hand to his heart and raised an eyebrow at her. "Make sure he treats you well. You deserve the best of everything." (Cam to Luce on Daniel.) Page 425

In order to stop the fall, this group of fallen angels must work together and find three artifacts which will, hopefully, lead them to where the first fall happened many millennium ago. Luce, though she has learned much, has one last lesson to learn about her true identity and it's a whopper. As the only innocent of the group, the responsibility to connect the three puzzle pieces lays solely on her. It is officially her time to make her choice, and alone she must make it.

One thing that always bothered me throughout The Fallen Series is that no one would just tell Luce what she needed to know. Not about hers and Daniel's past. Not about Cam. Not about anything. But, with this last installment, I now understand their reasoning. Luce absolutely did have to learn every single thing on her own, with guidance of course, but she had to do the work and initiate the willingness to learn.

Luce is a character who I watched grow over four books from an immature and self-doubting teen into a confident and selfless young lady. And hey...aren't our heroines supposed to grow and change, just as teens grow and change? Undoubtedly. Daniel is so supportive and even when he and Cam were at their worst, they still maintained that brotherly bond, which brought tears to my eyes a couple of times. Cam needs his own story. He really does.

A friend told me she loved Rapture but that the ending was bitter-sweet and those words frightened me. All too often, I am disappointed with the grand finale, but not the case this time. Yes, the ending is most definitely bitter-sweet, you're left with hope for the constitution of love.

If you are a fan of true love and soul mates, I highly recommend The Fallen Series! To both you and old.

So...I mentioned my favorite character (male) was Roland, if you've read the series, tell me who your is and why? My why is because he seems like that guy everyone needs to know. Always pretending to be full of useless information, while really having all of the inside answers. Plus, he's a little bit of a bad-boy, so.


EDIT:
UGH!!! I'd like to apologize to anyone who read this review and realized that I noted the wrong author's name in a couple of places...I've been several days without any sleep, and yes, I mean I've had not even an hours sleep. I proof-read, but totally missed the references to another author who writes about fallen angels. I'M SO SORRY!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

{Guest Post} Horror Defies Me by Pixie Lynn Whitfield

Title: Darkness Comes This Way
Author: Pixie Lynn Whitfield
Publisher: Self
Release Date: May 15, 2012



Blurb:

Zarah Duncan is a Guardian. It’s an elite job that protects humans and the untainted vampires from the real monsters: those lost to the bloodlust. Rogues infest the city. Missing humans, unsolved cases…Zarah knows what the real cause is and she’s been trained since childhood to destroy them.

But she has a haunting past that catches up one day. Zarah was Rogue once, and until her, no one else has ever cured from the poisoned state of mind before. She’s been labeled a miracle, and the mystery only builds. She gets the awful feeling there’s more to it than just a lucky magical come-back. There are deep, dark secrets being kept. Maybe her boss Nathanial knows something? When she gets paired with a partner, Draven Kinsley, it only adds more difficulty. He hates her and swears that with a single look, she’ll poison him. To make matters worse, her Rogue brother has to show up, and he brings with him a shocking announcement. What Zarah learns from him rocks her entire world upside down. She not only begins to question who and what she is anymore, but it can possibly change the Vampire race forever.

The scary part: someone else knows too…and they’ll do anything to get her special blood, spelling disaster for the humans that Guardians have secretly been protecting for decades.

Vampires, fallen angels, war, betrayal, and romance fill this Paranormal/Urban Fantasy debut, the first book to a high-action trilogy

Horror Defines Me 
By Pixie Lynn Whitfield


I wasn’t a normal kid. I’ve probably said this a few times, and it’s true. Sure, I loved cartoons and dolls and my middle grade books when I was younger, but I had a secret passion underneath all of that. I loved the dark things. I loved scary stories and movies that made me jump. I love my brother for telling me about the “Bogey Man”. I loved the quirky and strange. And I loved all things vampires and the supernatural. I liked watching human horror, too. You know, the kind of horror where you just go “damn, humans can be the worst kind of monsters” and forget the mythical ones.

The first time I watched a horror film was probably around the age of seven or eight. It was Nightmare on Elm Street. Hey, if I was going to start, I was going to start big was what I’d figured. It’s still one of my favorite series. I started reading Stephen King and Anne Rice around the age of ten or shortly thereafter. It gave me nightmares. I still hate clowns to this day. Do not put me near a clown. I’m serious.

This is what I love about horror though. The impact it makes. The fear it can strike. My favorite kind of horror would be the more realistic style, though it tends to not affect me as much as it seems to with everyone else around me. Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity are two I can name that scared the pants off everyone I knew, while I sat there completely unfazed (and mostly bored by PA).

As a child, did any of you ever read Goosebumps or any of R.L. Stine’s work? That was perhaps my first “foray” into the young horror genre when I was in elementary school. After devouring those books non-stop for weeks in first and second grade, I wanted more. I craved more of the mystery they gave me, the adrenaline of connecting with a character and feeling their fear during the action. My reading level was advanced, and that’s when a teacher suggested I move up to older books (if my mother didn’t care, and she didn’t) because when I was that age, there weren’t many teen books. Usually it went from middle-school level (ages 8-11) right into adult. Harry Potter did come out when I was around fourteen or so, though, and I believe that’s what sparked the YA genre to finally grow (I read HP when it was out, too, but I didn’t really read much YA until after I was twenty years old). I’ll always attribute the start of my love of horror to R.L. Stine and Stephen King. Others that I admire and adore came later, but they’re still inspiring as well: Richard Matheson, Edgar Allan Poe, and Anne Rice.

As an adult, I don’t watch or read much in the horror genre anymore. It seemed to be something I went through a lot more as a kid and a teen. On occasion, I write horror short stories, but I feel like I’m losing my desire in that area the older I get. I do have a current project in the works that is a stand-alone YA Dystopian Horror, and slowly, but surely, I think I may be finding my place again--at least long enough to write this one novel.

The thing about horror that I’m thankful for though is that it’s taught me a lot as far as world-building and character development, no matter the genre I’m writing in. Paranormal isn’t far off from having some horror elements, and sometimes I have to take what I learned from that. It’s the emotion that really drives me.

Last touches:

Favorite horror(related) movies: Saw, Sleepy Hollow, Nightmare on Elm Street (the original!), I Am Legend, Zombieland, and Resident Evil.

Recommended horror(related) books: Let Me In (Jon Lindqvuist), The Immortal Rules (Julie Kagawa--and I’d count this as a Dystopian Horror I think), It (Stephen King), Bedbugs (Ben H. Winters), and Dead of Night (Jonathan Maberry)

Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Kristin!


***No, thank you Pixie for including me in your book tour. I'll have a review posted soon, I promise. I, however, am knee deep in the writing process at the moment and have been horrible about getting reviews done. I do apologize! Pixie...I absolutely love Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Edgar Allen Poe. They are some amazing horror authors. (I used to read Stephen King when I was 10 or 11, I don't remember exactly, but I share your nightmare horrors.)

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

{Cover Reveal} All the Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen


Blurb:

What if your life wasn’t your own?

Liv comes out of a coma with no memory of her past and two distinct, warring voices inside her head. Nothing, not even her reflection, seems familiar. As she stumbles through her junior year, the voices get louder, insisting she please the popular group while simultaneously despising them. But when Liv starts hanging around with Spencer, whose own mysterious past also has him on the fringe, life feels complete for the first time in, well, as long as she can remember.

Liv knows the details of the car accident that put her in the coma, but as the voices invade her dreams, and her dreams start feeling like memories, she and Spencer seek out answers. Yet the deeper they dig, the less things make sense. Can Liv rebuild the pieces of her broken past, when it means questioning not just who she is, but what she is?


Release Date: December 2012 from Entangled Teen
Pre-order from Amazon or Barnes and Noble!
Add to TBR on Goodreads!


Be sure to connect with Cindi at:
Excerpt:

Olivia reached up, feeling the tender spots on her head. Her fingers brushed across a row of—were those little ridges made of metal?

“Careful. The staples are almost ready to come out, but it’s still going to be sore for a while.”

Staples?! Her stomach rolled. I have staples in my head? She lowered her now-shaking hand. “Can I get a mirror?”

Mom looked at Dad, then back at her. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Not until you’ve healed a little more.”

Mom patted Olivia’s leg. “You just relax. We’ll be back in a few minutes.”

The two of them left the room, but when Mom swung the door closed, it didn’t latch. Olivia could hear their voices in the hall.

“I still think we should…” She couldn’t make out the rest of Dad’s muffled words. “…know if I can do this.”

“…late for that,” Mom said. “We’d lose everything, including…” Her voice faded as they got farther away. "…have to move.”

Olivia could tell the conversation was tense, but the words were impossible to decipher now. Holding a hand in front of her face, she turned it back and forth. A plastic tube ran from her arm to a machine next to her bed. She peeked into her nightgown and stared in horror at the long red stripe running down her chest.

Sick.

You’re alive. You shouldn’t be thinking about looks.

Lowering her hand, she scanned the room. I wonder how my face looks. From the way Dad stared at me, plus the fact Mom won’t let me see a mirror, it must be bad.
Brains are more important than looks.

That’s what ugly people say.

Olivia put her hands on her head and squeezed. “Stop it,” she whispered to her arguing thoughts, hysteria bubbling up and squeezing the air from her lungs. What was happening to her? Why didn’t she recognize her parents or know where she was? Who she was? Tears ran warm trails down her cheeks. “Just make it all stop.”


{Teaser Tuesday} Rapture by Lauren Kate

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

**********************************************************************

Title: Rapture
Series: Fallen #4
Author: Lauren Kate
Publisher: RandomHouse
Release Date: June 12, 2012


Teaser #1: Daniel's eyes were blearier than she was used to, but they still glowed the brightest violet as they gazed at her face, studying her features as if seeing her anew. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

Teaser #2: "There you are, you  lovebirds, you, doin' that thing that lovebireds do," Aririane sang, bobbing her head out from a long bookcase.

The Fallen Series is one of my all time favorites. Such a beautiful love story. I wish my teasers were better but I haven't made it very far into the book, but what I've read is fanfreakingtastic!!!  

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

{Giveaway Hop} Indie Author Hop


I'm a little late getting this posted and I do apologize. Someday I'll catch up on everything and not be eternally behind!

I've recently read a few books by Indie authors that I have fell in love with. At the end of this hop I'll be giving away one of each to 4 separate winners!


Easy by Tamara Webber


Any currently released book of The Dark Betrayal Series


Any currently released book of the Elemental Mysteries Books


Ties to the Blood Moon by Robin Waldrop



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

{Book Blast Giveaway} The Ferryman & The Flame by Riannon Paille



Flame of Surrender (The Ferryman & the Flame Book 1)


Kaliel and Krishani weren't meant to meet or fall in love but they did. Krishani’s dreams of death lead him to a fate he’s terrified of - becoming the next Ferryman. His only refuge is Kaliel, the peculiar girl that swims with merfolk and talks to trees. Kaliel has a secret of her own. She’s the Amethyst Flame, one of nine apocalyptic weapons. The Valtanyana will destroy everything on Avristar to get to her. Kaliel has to choose: face them, hide or unleash the Flame. 

How far would you go to save everything you ever loved?







Book praise:

"Rhiannon Paille is the J.R.R. Tolkien of today's young adult generation. She's a visionary with a phenomenal talent for words, and I just can't tell you how much I love her!" - Bookish Blog

"Rhiannon Paille creates a unique and beautiful world that will draw you in and make you remember what it was like to be young, innocent, and full of wonder." - Cory Putnam Oakes, author of The Veil 

"I totally and completely lost myself in this book." - One a Day YA 




 Countdown Widget:



Team Buttons

 



Rhiannon Paille
I was never a normal girl. My life was an urban fantasy wrapped in a paranormal romance and served with a side of horror. To escape my everyday weirdness I began writing fantasy. I studied at U of Sedona and MIMT, obtaining a PhD in Metaphysical Science and Parapsychology. I'm married to a chef/comic book shop owner and I have a fondness for architecture. I frequent twitter and facebook, but if you really want to get to know me you should visit my site: www.yafantasyauthor.com


Author of The Ferryman and The Flame Series
Flame of Surrender on GoodreadsAmazonSmashwordsB&NIndigoKobo
Flame of Justice release date: October 2012
Flame of the Apocalypse release date: October 2013
Follow Me: TwitterFacebookBlogWebsite

Giveaway Details:
$100 Amazon.com Gift Card
Terms and conditions
Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, June 11, 2012

{Author Interview} Cynthia Cooke Author of Deadly Secrets, Loving Lies

Title: Deadly Secrets, Loving Lies
Author: Cynthia Cooke
Publisher: Entangled Publishing (Dead Sexy Imprint)
Release Date: May 12, 2012

Synopsis:

Family secrets must be kept, and painful wounds must be ignored.


After an all-out assault by a vicious terrorist bent on destroying her entire family, a former government agent must break the strict rules she has always lived by when she emerges from hiding to reluctantly accept the help of her all-too-sexy ex-lover. Running a deadly race against time, they rush to rescue her kidnapped sister, find her missing father, and bring the notorious villain to justice. But nothing ever goes as planned. Bullets fly, danger abounds, and their passion reignites even faster than the lies are flowing. But their stubbornly held secrets just might spell the end of their rekindled love and hopes for the future...as well as their very lives.

Interview with Cynthia Cooke

Kristin:  Tell us a little bit about yourself and where you live?
Cynthia: I’m a mom of three kids. My youngest, boy-girl twins, just graduated from high school! I’m still recovering. I spent most of my life in California but now live In North Carolina. I love the beaches here, and especially love to scuba dive.
~My oldest just graduated and I cried my eyes out the whole ceremony.

Kristin:  What is the name of the book you are currently promoting and would you like to tell us a little about it?
Cynthia: It’s the first book out in Entangled Publishing’s new Dead Sexy Romantic Suspense line. 

It’s an action adventure book a lot like Alias or Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Lot of sexy fun!

Here’s a small excerpt to give you a hint:

Kyle stared in disbelief at the odd, mushroom-shaped structure rising up from the cracked, dry earth of the Nevada desert.

“There she is,” the voice of Johnny Garino, his crew chief and closest friend, buzzed in his earpiece.

Genie stood on the roof of the strange house. Three black SUVs were corralled on the ground far below her. She looked incredible, breathtaking, silhouetted against the brilliant blue sky. Kyle sucked in a breath as she clipped a cable to her belt.

“She’s getting ready to fly!” Johnny called out, his voice rising in pitch.

“Hold on, baby. I’m almost there.” Kyle pushed down on the throttle urging the bird faster, even as he willed Genie to turn and see him, to hold on until he could sweep her away from the danger. And once he did, once he had her safe and secure in his cockpit, then what?

Then he’d try not to kill her himself.

Kristin:  Where did you come up for the idea for your book?
Cynthia: I loved that show Heroes, and I thought it would be really fun to write a book about Government agents that had special ‘abilities’.  It took off from there. I have three really strong women with special talents and the trouble those abilities cause themselves and the men in their lives.

Kristin:  Tell us a little about your main character(s).
Cynthia: Genie, my heroine, is all about family, and when her family is in trouble will sacrifice everything and does to help them. She also has a big secret she’s trying desperately to keep, even when she knows keeping it just might cost her everything she loves.

Kyle is all about the job. He is a really good at what he does, and when his job is to rescue Genie, who 8 months earlier had abandoned him and left his heart broken in a million pieces all over the ground, he pulls up his bootstraps and jumps in, because if nothing else, Kyle is always a good soldier. And luckily, Genie knows that.

Kristin:  Who is your favorite character from your book and why?
Cynthia: That’s a toughie. The all have so many issues. Genie is a triplet and both her sisters have their own secrets and fears that I can’t wait to delve into. And Kyle always wants to do the right thing, but he also wants to help Genie, and sometimes he just can’t have it both ways, and that’s really hard for him.

Kristin:  Do you feel like you put parts of yourself in your characters?
Cynthia: Probably, how can you not? These characters grow from inside us. I’ve never had sisters, but have always wanted one. I loved the idea of always having a best friend out there who is family, who will always be there. But of course, that is my fantasy of what having a sister would be like. Watching my own girls, sometimes I wonder if once they’re out on their own if they’ll ever talk to each other again. Writing the bantering / fight scenes between Genie and her sisters was a kick in the pants. But there was still a lot of love there. They might not be best friends, but they are certainly family. And for them, family always comes first.
~I have a sister and I’m sure my mom thought we’d never talk again once we left the house, but now we’re closer than ever and I’ll fight anyone for her.

Kristin:  Will there be a sequel or do you have another project in the works?
Cynthia: Yes, I will be working on Cat’s book next, which won’t be easy since she is already married with kids. But then, she’s been lying to her husband and keeping a doozy of a secret. This isn’t going to go well once he finds out. And how will his deal with that, considering, he’s been keeping a dark secret himself. And then there is the third sister, Becca. Becca is going to need a lot of work to bring her character around. She is a handful to say the least. A big one.
~I think I like Becca already!

Kristin:  How long did the entire process from writing your current work to getting it published take?
Cynthia: I actually came up with the idea for this book a while ago, but then put it aside as other contracts came in. When I finally had a free moment and heard about Entangled Publishing opening a new Romantic Suspense line, I took out the story idea and started reworking it. All in all, it took about five to six months to get it molded and shine like the story I wanted it to be.

Kristin:  Where do you draw your inspiration from?
 Cynthia: TV, movies, other books, the Internet, my children. A picture. Life. Really everywhere.

Kristin:  Do you have any “rituals” when you write?
Cynthia: Coffee. :D
~A girl’s gotta have her coffee!

Kristin:  If you couldn’t be an author, but anything else…what would you be?
Cynthia: I would love to paint. I don’t paint. I tried once, but I’m too much of a perfectionist, and need a lot more time to work on it than I have. I’d also love to learn how to make jewelry. I like to make things with my hands.

Kristin:  Independently published, commercially published, or self-published?
Cynthia: I’ve been writing for Harlequin for the past nine years. Other than this Dead Sexy book, I should have two werewolf books coming out from Harlequin Nocturne in 2014.

Kristin:  Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring writers?
Cynthia: Write. Read. Learn. Join writing groups. Do not stop learning. Do not give up. Persistence, discipline and faith in yourself is everything.

Kristin:  When did reading and writing become important you?
Cynthia: I’ve always been a huge reader and from that grew my love of writing.

Fun Stuff

Kristin:  The apocalypse is coming…what do you do?
Cynthia: Oh, do you mean Zombie Apocalypse, because I totally LOVE the Walking Dead. :D Though, really I would think taking over an island would be the best thing to do. A tropical one, of course. 
~I’m with you. A tropical island sounds like the safest place when it comes to Zombie, or any other kind of, Apocalypse.

Kristin:  If you were stranded on an island, name the 5 things you could not live without?
Cynthia: Oh, funny considering my last answer. Other than food and water? I suppose I couldn’t have my e-reader or iPhone? Hmm. Insect repellent. Pen and notebook. Sunscreen. Knife.

Kristin:  What 5 things are within your reach right now? No cheating?
Cynthia: Water. TV remote. Sunflower seeds. IPhone. Computer.

Kristin:  Favorite Food?
Cynthia: Tacos

Kristin: Favorite Movie?
Cynthia: Don’t have one. Terrible, I know.

Kristin:  Favorite TV show?
Cynthia: General Hospital, CSI, Criminal Minds, Bones, Vampire Diaries, Medium (when it was on) Fringe, Supernatural – I have lots.
~It appears we could be best friends based solely on television. I haven’t watched General Hospital in some time though. Might need to get on that.

Kristin: Favorite Song?
Cynthia: Bring on the Rain

Kristin:  Favorite singer or band? Right now?
Cynthia: Adele.
~I do love all things Adele! As one of my favorite authors would say…she’s made of awesome sauce.

Kristin:  One food you would never try?
Cynthia: Turtle soup
~Um…ick!

Kristin: Health nut or junk food junkie?  
Cynthia: Junk food junkie though I won’t eat beef. I really wish I could be a vegetarian. I try not to eat a lot of meat.

Kristin: The most exotic food you have ever eaten?
Cynthia: Snails

Kristin:  Day on the beach or snow skiing down a mountain?
Cynthia: Beach. Love the beach. Don’t care if I ever see snow.
~I despise snow.

Kristin:  If you could move anywhere on this Earth, where would it be?
Cynthia: Hawaii so I could dive all the time.

Kristin: Two books you think everyone should read. (Yes, you can and should include yours.)
Cynthia: Mine, of course, and The Sookie Stackhouse series – because I loved it.  Her humor is wonderful.

Kristin:  Places my readers can stalk you?


I'd like to thank Cynthia for stopping by Better Read Than Dead and answering a lot of questions. In case you missed the banner at the top of my blog, be sure you check out Entangled Publishing's new Imprint...Dead Sexy. Entangled has so many great authors and imprints, it's beginning to be hard to keep up with them all but I've yet to read anything from Entangled that I didn't love! Be sure to check out some of titles.


*Review coming later this week! Just from the excerpt I'm wishing I wasn't a day or so behind on my reading. The kids are home for the summer and well...it's insane around here.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

{Review} Easy by Tammara Webber

Title: Easy
Author: Tammara Webber
Self-Published
May 25, 2012



Synopsis:

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she’s single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, stalked by her ex’s frat brother, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Her econ professor gives her an email address for Landon, the class tutor, who shows her that she’s still the same intelligent girl she’s always been. As Jacqueline becomes interested in more from her tutor than a better grade, his teasing responses make the feeling seem mutual. There’s just one problem—their only interactions are through email.

Meanwhile, a guy in her econ class proves his worth the first night she meets him. Nothing like her popular ex or her brainy tutor, Lucas sits on the back row, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. At a downtown club, he disappears after several dances that leave her on fire. When he asks if he can sketch her, alone in her room, she agrees—hoping for more.

Then Jacqueline discovers a withheld connection between her supportive tutor and her seductive classmate, her ex comes back into the picture, and her stalker escalates his attention by spreading rumors that they’ve hooked up. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

Author Recommendation: Mature Young Adults (language, drinking, sexual situations) 


I'm not really sure where I came across Easy by Tammara Webber, but for some reason I went straight to Amazon and bought the Kindle version. One night I decided I needed something different to read. I'd just finished City of Lost Souls, Until I Die and Fifty Shades of Grey so I opted for a self-published book and Tammara Webber did not disappoint. This book is getting 5 stars all across the blogosphere. If you haven't read it or if your looking for something different, I highly recommend Easy!

Easy tells the story of a young woman who followed her high school boyfriend to college and ends up getting her heart torn into to shreds. Little did she know, another hottie had already noticed her, though his interest was unbeknownst to Jacqueline. 

Jackie changed everything for Kennedy: Her name, her major, her ultimate career choice. Kennedy's family expected him to do big things and politics seemed to be where his interests lie. Jackie missed the subtle signs that everything might not be perfect in paradise until Kennedy dumped her, basically admitting to wanting to test the waters and check out the other fish in the sea, so to speak.

After the break up, Jackie decides she no longer wants to go by the cute nickname Kennedy had insisted on calling her and goes back to her given name - Jacqueline. Sadly, things don't go exactly the way Jacqueline hopes they will. After attending a Frat party on Halloween, she's attacked by one of her ex's frat brothers and would have been raped if Lucas hadn't happened to be close by. 

After the attack, Erin, Jacqueline's roommate, decides that Jacqueline needs her very own bad-boy, so together they set up Operation Bad Boy Phase, or OBBP for short. The interaction between Lucas, said bad boy, and Jacqueline left me wanting more, more, more. But the flirtatious and revealing emails between Landon and Jacqueline had me laughing and squirming. 

Now, there's plenty more I can tell you about Easy but I don't want to get all spoilery. Ms. Webber's writing is flawless and her characters are multi-faceted and will draw you into their world from the first page. I love that Tammara tackles not just one, but several controversial and potentially heart-breaking subjects in one book. And she does it so tastefully.

Jacqueline is a strong character who has to make multiple difficult decisions. Lucas is the bad-boy every girl wishes she had. And Landon is Jacqueline's anonymous tutor to whom she spills her heart to via email. Kennedy's a typical boy who only realizes what he had once it's gone. As for Erin, she's the supportive best friend and no-nonsense roommate. She is Jacqueline's rock.

Honestly, I think ALL girls should read Easy. The book addresses the realities of living on a college campus and the complications of such. Not everything's easy, but in certain situations there is a right and wrong answer. Sometimes doing the right thing is met with resistance and leaves the person involved feeling even more vulnerable than he/she did before. Webber's way of addressing these things felt realistic and never forced. 

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

{Giveaway} Four Author's on a Mission

This is a one day only BOOK PUSH for June 6th 2012. Yup, four authors DETERMINED to bring their books to the world AND to see them climb high in Amazon’s Ranks. We have a Zombie-ish apocalypse with a splash of romance, a romantic suspense with a dash of humour, a Thriller with a huge helping of action and a Ya Paranormal with a mystery blended in.

Something for everyone!




And you, my friends, can help. How? Easy peasy. Not only can you help, you can WIN BIG while you’re at it.

Here’s the run down. Purchase any ONE (1) of the books, and send your receipt to us and you’ll be entered in for a grand prize of $50.00 in Amazon Gift Cards! PLUS if you purchase all FOUR (4) books, not only will you have 4 entries, you’ll also be in for an additional SECRET DRAW.

Now, we can’t tell you what the draw is, because that would ruin the whole SECRET thing. But we will give you a hint. IT’S FABULOUS!

Okay, you want another hint? Hmm. How about DOUBLING THE GIFT CARDS?! Oh, right. Secret’s out.

What are you waiting for?

More stuff?

Well, If you insist.

4 randomly drawn entrants will win back their purchases. FREE BOOKS. Crickey!

Send all purchase receipts to shannonjmayer@yahoo.ca 
Winners will be drawn randomly, announced on June 8th at http://shannonmayer.blogspot.com
For additional information regarding this contest contact shannonjmayer@yahoo.ca

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

{Book Tour} A Fall of Water by Elizabeth Hunter

I don't know if I've ever mentioned the vast greatness of this series. When Elizabeth asks me to take part in one of her blog tours, I always say yes. If you haven't read the Elemental Mysteries, I suggest you do so immediately! Be sure you run over to The Grand Prize Page and enter to win your choice of a signed copy of A Fall of Water or a complete set of the Elemental Mysteries E-books! Simple entry...just answer the question on the page!


Title: A Fall of Water
Series: Elemental Mysteries #4
Author: Elizabeth Hunter
Self Published
June 5, 2012


Synopsis:

“No secret stays hidden forever.”

Still grieving from their loss in the far East, Giovanni Vecchio and Beatrice De Novo discover that for them, all roads really do lead to Rome. But nothing is quite as it seems in the Eternal City. Joined by Carwyn and Tenzin, unexpected clashes greet them almost immediately, and rivalries churn beneath the glittering facade of the old Roman court. They quickly realize that allies might be enemies, and ancient rivals could hold the key to a deadly secret.

Giovanni and Beatrice will be forced to call on old alliances, ancient power, and fierce cunning to survive for the eternity they both desire. Sometimes, finding the end means going back to the beginning. Fire, Earth, Wind, and Water finally meet with devastating results in the conclusion of the Elemental Mysteries.



Excerpt
“You move differently here.”

“I what?” Giovanni blinked and looked around as they walked up the Via dei Condotti, past the luxury shops, headed toward the ristorante where Matt had chosen to meet them after their walking tour with Ben.

“You move differently.” She slid an arm around his waist, keeping pace with easy strides.  “I don’t know, you’re more... Italian, I guess.”

“Beatrice, I am a Florentine. I will always be a Florentine.”

“But see,” she poked his side. “Like that. In L.A. you would just say you’re Italian. But here, you’re Florentine.”

“So?” He frowned. “I’m in Rome. There is a difference. Is there something wrong with this?”

“No, it’s cute.”

“Cute?”

“And you walk different, too. You’re not in as much of a hurry here.”

He just grunted at her, no doubt thinking she was imagining it, but she wasn’t.  He looked... lighter, somehow. Comfortable. In California, she often thought Giovanni seemed more British than Italian, but here, he gestured more. His accent was stronger. His shoulders were more expressive, and his eyes more languorous.

“Whatever it is, it’s hot. So go with it.”

“Oh?” He grinned. “Is that so?”

“Yes.”

He leaned down and whispered something very dirty in her ear.  If she could have blushed, she would have. Then he nipped at her ear and murmured, “Does it sound better in Italian?”

“Yes.”

He pinched her waist and kept walking. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

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