THE CADET OF TILDOR BLOG TOUR ~ CHARACTER RUNDOWN AND GIVEAWAY

Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on The Cadet of Tildor Blog Tour. This fantasy, written by Alex Lidell, released yesterday, and I was so excited to be asked to take part in the tour hosted by AToMR Tours! You can find the entire tour schedule here. My stop includes a character rundown and the tour giveaway.


Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Dial Books
Publication Date: 1/10/13

Tamora Pierce meets George R. R. Martin in this smart, political, medieval fantasy-thriller.

There is a new king on the throne of Tildor. Currents of political unrest sweep the country as two warring crime families seek power, angling to exploit the young Crown's inexperience. At the Academy of Tildor, the training ground for elite soldiers, Cadet Renee de Winter struggles to keep up with her male peers. But when her mentor, a notorious commander recalled from active duty to teach at the Academy, is kidnapped to fight in illegal gladiator games, Renee and her best friend Alec find themselves thrust into a world rife with crime, sorting through a maze of political intrigue, and struggling to resolve what they want, what is legal, and what is right.

 

Character Rundown

 

Name: Sasha

Age: 17

Physical description: Tall good looking golden haired girl, usually to be found in the vicinity of books.

Quote that really fits this character’s personality: 

Sasha would look for hidden meaning if the kitchens served pudding in place of custard. 

 

Good quality: knowledgeable, well read and thoughtful

Vice: sheltered from harsh realities

 

 

Purchase The Cadet of Tildor at:

Amazon

 

Giveaway

(courtesy of Alex Lidell)

$20 Amazon Gift Card, PLUS a copy of THE CADET OF TILDOR with swag – US

$20 Book Depository Gift Card – International

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Alex Lidell is a YA fantasy writer and author of ABNA Finalist THE CADET OF TILDOR (Penguin, 2013). 

Although English is Alex’s primary language, it wasn’t her first.  Coming from Russia, Alex learned english in elementary school and fell in love with reading when the school librarian put Tamora Pierce’s ALANNA into her hands.  Years later, in college, it was another book that re-united Alex with russian, which she had shunned in adolescence. The Three Musketeers.*  Alex thanks both books, and the writers who created them.

Beyond writing, Alex is also a photographer, a horseback rider, and a paramedic.  The latter two go hand in hand more often than one would like.  She is trying to self-teach herself and her horse to sword-fight.

Alex would love to see THE CADET OF TILDOR in the classroom and is working on developing teacher guides for the novel.  She enjoys “e-meeting” both students and educators.

 

Connect with Alex at:

Twitter  |  Facebook  |  GoodReads  |  Shelfari  |   Library Thing

{REVIEW} UP TO ME (THE BAD BOYS SERIES #2) by M. LEIGHTON

Series: The Bad Boy Series #2
Publisher: M. Leighton Books
Publication Date: 1/6/13
Format: eARC
Source: Received from author for review.

Happily ever after doesn’t come easy.  But for love, it’s always worth the fight.

 

Olivia finds bliss unlike any she’s ever known in Cash’s arms.  He sets her skin on fire and melts her heart right inside her chest.  Unfortunately, their happily ever after is short-lived when a shadow from Cash’s past threatens to turn their world upside down.

   Dangerous people from his father’s world have discovered that Cash holds information that could put them away for a very long time.  And they’re willing to do anything—and hurt anybody—to get it back.  Giving it up means Cash must choose between the life of his father and the life of Olivia.

Having nearly overcome her wariness of bad boys, Olivia’s trust is shaken when this new threat arises.  Now she finds that Cash is not only a danger to her heart, but his family has associations that are a danger to her life as well.  She soon discovers that there are some situations in life where trust is a girl’s only option.  And this is one of them.  If she’s to live, she must trust Cash with her life.  But to Olivia, that’s much, much easier than letting go and trusting him with her heart.

 

 

** This review does not contain spoilers for Up to Me.**

 

 

Oh my gosh! It is going to be a tough, tough job to review Up to Me without giving spoilers! Hmmm... what can I say about Up to Me? It's scorching hot; this is Cash we're dealing with here. It's suspenseful, going in a direction I honestly never imagined when I began this series. And it is shocking. SHOCKING, I say! Yeah, I better stop right there because I seriously want to just shout it out. But I won't. You're welcome.

Okay, I really enjoyed Down to You, it was funny, sexy, and surprising. I didn't love every decisioin the characters made, but that's life. People don't make smart or logical choices at least half of the time. I also felt that Olivia was a little too accepting of Cash and his misleading lifestyle. Because of this, I was a bit scared to start Up to Me. Would all the lies be glossed over? Would Cash and Olivia be blissfully in love without a care about the past?

I am happy to say that Leighton handled the newly formed relationship between Cash and Olivia very well. Olivia is with Cash, and she does believe in him, but there are doubts. And questions. And even if I personally would push an issue like that with my guy, until we both went crazy, Olivia chooses to trust Cash, what she feels, what she sees in his eyes, and let her heart take the lead. I think she's made a great decision. ;-) And to that, I'll add: Really, there are no guarantees in love.

Besides the relationship between Cash and Olivia, we also have an insanely intense plot in Up to Me. Bad things happen. Shady people from Cash's past, not of his own doing, come back to take away what's his. There is a lot of maneuvering and manipulating to get through this doozy with everyone safe and sound. An upside to this scenario is Gavin, an old friend and ally of Cash's. He is so sexy and great with a funny line to ease the tension. I WANT MORE GAVIN. And like I mentioned at the beginning of my review, the shocker. I want to talk about this sooooo badly. *slams head on desk repeatedly*

Michelle Leighton delivered a real treat with Up to Me. Fans of Down to You are going to love it.



Favorite Quote:

  I run my fingers through my hair again. My hard-on isn't a problem anymore; the sound of Marissa's voice took care of that. In fact, it almost gave me a damned vagina.


  "It's me," he says softly. "Stop listening to everything else. Remember the way you feel when I'm kissing you and touching you. Don't think with your head. You know me. And when my lips are on yours, you trust me." As if to make his point, he dips his head and brushes his mouth over mine. Sparks fly between us. As always. "You trust me, when my hands are on your skin." He runs his palms down my arms and then over my waist where he pushes them up under the edge of my shirt. Chills break out down my back. "You trust me when you turn your mind off, when you just feel."


  "You're crazy, you know that, right?"
  "Of course. Was it supposed to be a secret?"
  "No, I think that ship has sailed."
  I turn my head slightly and bite his flat male nipple.
  "Ouch! Keep doing that and you'll get the best damn spanking you've ever had."
  "I've never been spanked befor, so the bar is set very low."


  No one says anything for a few minutes, not until Gavin breaks the tense silence. "Damn, that woman is one mighty bitch. I think my balls just now dropped back down." 

 

The Bad Boys Series

(click on cover to read my review)

 

 

You can purchase Up to Me at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble


About the author:
I was born and raised in the United States, and I’ve lived in several of the fabulous fifty. Though I currently live in the deep South, I spent much of my childhood up North and hope to return there one day. A few other things about me: I believe that sometimes you have to look really, REALLY hard to find the good in people, but it's there. I believe that I'm shrinking (I swear five years ago I was two inches taller). I believe my husband is quite possibly one of the most amazing men in the entire world (I can't be sure because I haven't met all of them). I believe coffee and chocolate, when combined, could be the basis for world peace. I believe that Jesus rocks and communism doesn’t. I believe that white makes me look fat and black collects lint. I believe summer's too hot, winter's too cold and fall was made for football. I like dogs better than cats and the first movie in a trilogy is invariably the best. But most of all, I believe that love conquers all.

Connect with author M. Leighton at:
her website | Twitter | GoodReads page | Facebook

THE EDGE OF NEVER BLOG TOUR ~ REVIEW and GIVEAWAY

 

 

I am so excited to be hosting The Edge of Never Blog Tour today! The tour is being hosted by AToMR Tours; be sure to check out the tour homepage for the complete schedule. My stop includes a review of The Edge of Never and the tour giveaway.  

 

 

 

Series: Stand alone
Genre: Contemporary New Adult
Publisher: J.A. Redmerski
Publication Date: 11/15/12

Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart.

Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward, Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. But after an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she’s ever known, far behind.

With a purse, a cell phone and a small bag with a few necessities, Camryn, with absolutely no direction or purpose boards a Greyhound bus alone and sets out to find herself. What she finds is a guy named Andrew Parrish, someone not so very different from her and who harbors his own dark secrets. But Camryn swore never to let down her walls again. And she vowed never to fall in love.

But with Andrew, Camryn finds herself doing a lot of things she never thought she’d do. He shows her what it’s really like to live out-of-the-box and to give in to her deepest, darkest desires. On their sporadic road-trip he becomes the center of her exciting and daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But will Andrew’s dark secret push them inseparably together, or tear them completely apart?


Due to sexual content and language, this book is recommended for 17+ – Adult Contemporary Women’s – New Adult Fiction

 

Finding love and learning to live on the road to nowhere.

 

"This is your life, Camryn Bennett. This is your life."
 

Camryn Bennett is stuck. A twenty-year-old girl with an old, old soul, Camryn struggles to fight the drowning feeling that threatens to pull her under. A girl who has experienced tragedy and disappointment, she wants out. Out of the routine that she fears will take over her life. Out of the eyes of the friends and family who watch her. Out of the normal. Camryn doesn't have the answers, not even close. She only knows, she can't be here.

"I'm not sure what it is that I want, but I feel it deep in the pit of my stomach. It's there sitting dormant. I'll know it when it see it."  ~Andrew
 

On the seats of a bus, Camryn Bennett meets Andrew Parrish, and her life is changed. At first standoff-ish, Camryn slowly begins to trust Andrew. And though he's gorgeous, and she can't help but be attracted to him, that's not what truly pulls Andrew and Cam together. There's more at play on their journey, it's a connection that goes deep. A meeting of kindred spirits. Two souls that are lost, but just might be able to reach their destination together.

I love "road trip" books. I love them even more when the characters are in search of more than an endpoint. When the journey means more than a destination. Andrew and Camryn were destined to find one another, each needed one another more than they could ever imagine. Andrew teaches Cam to let go, not worry what others think of her, to be happy, to live.

"Never hold back, Camryn Bennett; be sure to do what you want in life, say what you feel and never be afraid to be yourself. Fuck what everybody else thinks. You're living for you, not them."

 

 

What Camryn gives Andrew isn't quite as obvious, initially. But as time goes by, and Cam becomes more entrenched in his heart and mind, Andrew learns what it means to finally experience unconditional love. To be able to love someone with his whole heart. To have someone who wants to experience life and love the same way he does. His soulmate. 

I won't lie, The Edge of Never is heavy. Camryn and Andrew have issues that will test their relationship. There are circumstances that may force them apart for good. The test each other, push one another to go farther, love harder, dig deeper. The way love should be when the two are in it, together. I guess what I'm saying is, have some tissues handy, this is a tumultuous ride.


The Edge of Never is much like life, and love: It's hard. It's messy. It's not always easy. But if you can make it through to the other side, it is always worth it.



Favorite Quotes:

  And when you're thinking more about the positive aspects of a bus ride, instead of the negative, it's easy to forget that there's anything negative about it at all. There is a guy sitting next to me with beautiful green eyes and a beautiful sculpted face and a beautiful way of thinking. There's no such thing as a bad bus ride when you're in the company of something beautiful.
  I shouldn't be here...


  "Andrew?"
  "Yeah?"
  We keep our eyes on the sky.
  "I wanted to say thank you."
  "For what?"
  She answers after a pause: "For everything: for making me shove your clothes into that bag instead of folding them and for turning the music down in the car so it wouldn't wake me up and for singing about raisins." Her head falls to the side and so does mine. She looks me in the eyes and says, "And for making me feel alive."


 "I will do anything for you, Camryn Bennett. I don't care what it is, I don't care...anything you ever ask me to do and I would do it. No exceptions."


  "Jesus, Cam, you really hit the jackpot with this one." She sits across from me sipping her iced latte. "Guys that perfect are rare."
  "Well, he's not perfect," I say, sloshing my straw around in my cup. "He's got a dirty mouth, he's stubborn, he forces me to do shit I don't want to do and he always gets his way."
  Natalie grins and sucks on her straw.
  Then she points at me briefly. "See, like I said: perfect."


You can purchase The Edge of Never at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

GIVEAWAY

(1) Signed paperback copy of THE EDGE OF NEVER, (1) Kindle or Nook copy, (1) sterling silver custom book pendant necklace $200 value. Open to United States and Canada only.

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

About the author:

Author of THE DARKWOODS TRILOGY and DIRTY EDEN, mother, werewolf & zombie fanatic, book addict and a happy hermit obsessed with the Universe. Oh, and AMC’s “The Walking Dead”.

Addictions: Starbucks every morning, trolling Barnes & Noble’s shelves once a week, detesting winter, shopping flea markets and preparing for the collapse of society as we know it. Do I own a tin foil hat? Maybe. :-)

I was born in Arkansas and have lived here most of my life, except the couple of times when I lived in Pennsylvania. I started my first novel at the age of thirteen and have been writing something ever since. Generally, I love characters in life and on paper. I pay attention to people, especially those whose personalities make them different from the rest of us: the drug addict roaming the Laundromat that talks to himself, the young, inattentive mother in the park with the meanest kid on the playground – (the entire cast of ‘Swamp People’) – characters fascinate me and I hope that it shows in my literary work.

J.A. Redmerski | Twitter | Facebook | GoodReads |  Pinterest

 

 

{GUEST POST} WHY I WRITE ROMANCE by BELLA ANDRE

Please enjoy this guest post by Bella Andre, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of the contemporary romance series, The Sullivans. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including special romantic swag baskets for each book, an iPad Mini, Kindle Fire, Nook Color, and Kobo eReader, and Amazon and iTunes gift cards!  

Why I Love Family-Based Romance Series

A guest post by Bella Andre

  I love reading romance (I read one book a day when I can!), and one of my favorite tropes is the family-based series. I absolutely love Julia Quinn's historical romance Bridgerton series and have loved taking that idea of the big family into present day with my Sullivan contemporary romance series. What I love when I read - and what I want my readers to get from The Sullivans - is to feel like they're a part of the family, and to know each of the characters so well that they can begin to know anticipate what the will start saying and doing at family gatherings. I love it when I'm reading a big family scene and I know, "Oh, this character is going to react like this" or "This character will hate this!" I love it even more when the characters surprise me and I learn new things about them. One of the advantages of writing a series about a large family is that even as the hero and heroine are having conflict with each other, we can see them being loving towards their families, so we know the depth of love they're capable of. There are plenty of big family scenes in my Sullivan books for you to get to know each character, what they're like, and how they feel one another. Just like a real family, every Sullivan has a special relationship with each of the others. Smith and Sophie are extra close, as are Marcus and Lori. Ryan and Zach are so close in age that they spent a lot of time together as kids and have a special bond as adults.

The Sullivans are on tour with Novel Publicity. Follow along for your chance to win amazing prizes. We've got special romantic swag baskets for each book, an iPad Mini, Kindle Fire, Nook Color, and Kobo eReader, and Amazon and iTunes gift cards. WOW! You'll also get introduced to this amazing contemporary romance series via excerpts as well as interviews with and guest posts from New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Bella Andre. You'll definitely want to learn more about the family that has captured the world's heart. All the info you need to join the fun and enter to win amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment--easy to enter; easy to win! To Win the Prizes:

1. Purchase any of the Sullivan ebooks by Bella Andre for just $4.99 (optional)
2. Enter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity (go here)
3. Visit today’s featured social media event (that's where the HUGE prizes are)

About The Sullivans: In this sexy, emotional and funny contemporary romance series, each member of the Sullivan family will eventually find true love...usually where he or she least expects it. Get the eBooks via Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, the iBookStore, or the Kobo Store. Audiobooks are also available for the first five in the series (with more coming soon). Plus, keep an eye out for paperback editions coming from Harlequin Romance starting Summer 2013.

 

 

About the Author: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Bella Andre has always been a writer. Songs came first, and then non-fiction books, but as soon as she started writing her first romance novel, she knew she'd found her perfect career. Known for "sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance" (Publishers Weekly) about sizzling alpha heroes and the strong women they'll love forever, nearly all of her novels have appeared on Top 10 lists at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple and Kobo. Her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine "Red Hot Reads" twice and have been translated into nine languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post has called her "One of the top digital writers in America" and she has been featured by NPR, USA Today, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. She has given the keynote speech at Book Expo America on her self-publishing success and has sold more than one million books. If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100 year old log cabin in the Adirondacks.

• Sign up for Bella's newsletter at www.eepurl.com/eXj22
• Visit Bella's website at www.BellaAndre.com
• Follow Bella on twitter at www.twitter.com/bellaandre
• Join Bella on Faceboook at www.facebook.com/bellaandrefans

BAD BOY REHAB HOP

 

 

Welcome to the Bad Boy Rehab Hop! The hop is being hosted by  I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and The Book Hookup. This hop is a celebration of, you guessed it, book bad boys. You can find the entire list of participating blogs here.


My Giveaway:




I'm giving away a paperback copy of The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines!! BUT WAIT. I'm going to be meeting Abbi mid-February, and if you're willing to wait, I'll get your copy personalized.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

SPECIAL FEATURE: AN UNCOMMON EDUCATION by ELIZABETH PERCER

Today, in celebration of the paperback release of An Uncommon Education: A Novel, I have a book spotlight and interview with author Elizabeth Percer.

Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Publication Date: 1/8/13

For fans of "Prep," "Dead Poets Society," and "Special Topics in Calamity Physics "comes an elegant and remarkably insightful coming-of-age debut, in which a young woman's serendipitous discovery of her college's underground Shakespeare Society leads to an unforgettable series of transformations. When Naomi finds herself among "the Shakes" at Wellesley, she finally lets herself embrace the passionate inner self she's always kept locked away. But when a sudden scandal unfolds, she will be forced to learn the limits of the relationships that have sustained her. An intimate and enthralling narrative, Elizabeth Percer's debut novel "An Uncommon Education "marks the emergence of a stunning new literary talent.

 

 Interview with Elizabeth Percer

 

What was your inspiration for An Uncommon Education?

 

EP: I'm not sure work is inspired by "something." I think I just find an idea for a novel that I find inspiring, and I follow it, making sure to choose the adventure that most excites and challenges me along the way. I set out to write about women and education, but didn't pin myself down too much. I find that good work is frequently the result of allowing for plenty of surprise and discovery.

Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?

EP: Yes. I need about 15-30 minutes to transition between my "mom-of-three-kids" alter ego -- and all the juiciness and hyper-vigilance and hopeless striving for perfection that comes along with her -- and my "writing" self, who needs to let go and play. This is always hugely challenging for me, so the transition time usually involves distracting myself from myself, trying to ignore my plentiful neuroses long enough to let my creative self get a word in edgewise. Coffee helps, as do medicinal M&Ms.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

 

EP: See: three kids, above. I can honestly say that I absolute love being their mom, despite the fact that it so frequently threatens my sanity. Also, I love running. Well, what I do is more aptly called "meditative jogging," but I love it all the same. I love to sing and eat, too -- though not at the same time.

What books have most influenced your life?

 

EP: I cannot possibly list them all here -- though I'm sure you know that. Any book that fueled my love of reading, that made me ache with envy over the beauty of prose and insight, that inspired me or comforted me or made me laugh -- that would be an influential book. Thanks to my reading parents and family and education, I have been lucky enough to be surrounded in a virtual storm of them since the moment I began to read -- actually, probably well before then. It helps that I'm kind of a book slut and will read anything from trashy romance to Chaucer in Middle English. I'm not saying I understand Chaucer in Middle English, but it sure is a blast to read him -- especially out loud. If I were a drinking kind of gal, I think it would be even more fun.

Who would you consider your favorite author and why?

EP: I think it's important for avid readers -- and good writers are always avid readers -- to insist on NOT having a favorite author. It's too easy to get stuck, too easy to end up idolizing rather than relating, too easy to miss new gifts in new authors because you've got this impossible-to-emulate standard hovering between you and them. So, I don't have one! I could probably write out a list that you and your readers would not be the least interested in examining, but that list would probably change depending on the day/week/hour. It's sort of like asking what my favorite food is: it depends on what I'm hungriest for at that particular moment. (This very minutes, for example, I'm feeling so sad that Bill Watterson ended Calvin and Hobbes. That just sucks. I could really use me some new Calvin and Hobbes right about now. But the new Bouchon Bakery cookbook is eyeing me from the table, and that's looking really good, too.)

Thanks to Elizabeth for taking the time to answer my questions. I'll be reviewing An Uncommon Education soon. Stay tuned...

Praise for An Uncommon Education

“Enticing and shyly perceptive.”
— New York Times Book Review

“Elizabeth Percer relates the life story of Naomi Feinstein with beautifully scripted, lush prose drawing in the reader and providing an unobstructed view deep into the hearts of her characters. . . . An Uncommon Education is rich in history, steeped in family tradition, and full of emotion-a lesson in practiced elegance.”
— New York Journal of Books

“Think Dead Poet’s Society or The Secret History.”
— New York Post

“A fine novel and a young writer to watch.”
— Hudson Valley News

“[Naomi demonstrates] how to make the kinds of choices that eventually lead to an uncommon but joy-filled life.”
— Oprah.com

“Three-time Pushcart nominee Percer offers an uncommonly good debut that’s finely detailed and emotionally gripping while avoiding every pitfall of the standard coming-of-age tale. Highly recommended.”
— Library Journal (starred review)

“Poet Percer’s fiction debut is an intimate portrait of an intelligent, tender girl with a deep wish to protect those she loves.”
— Publishers Weekly

“Few [coming-of-age novels] have the steel-hard delicacy and exacting revelations of Elizabeth Percer’s first novel. At Wellesley, from which the author, a three-time Pushcart nominee, also graduated, Naomi feels isolated among the college’s smart, polished go-getters until she is introduced to the Shakespeare Society, whose members perform the Bard’s plays and construct passionate, complex, and sometimes exploding relationships. Here Naomi experiences both closeness and betrayal, here she finds her true purpose, and readers live every moment with her.”
— Library Journal

“A moving and bittersweet coming-of-age story about love, loss, friendship, ambition, and the power of memory. This complex and satisfying tale introduces a cast of quirky, hilarious, intellectual young women, struggling to find their place in the world.”
— J. Courtney Sullivan, New York Times bestselling author of Maine and Commencement

“Bonds of love, family and friendship, sometimes damaged or beyond repair, are nevertheless celebrated in an intense debut by a noted poet. . . . [A] thoughtful coming-of-age tale that hovers observantly on the edge of melancholia.”
— Kirkus Reviews

“A wistful debut novel by noted Bay Area poet.”
— San Jose Mercury News

“Percer’s lyrical novel has much to offer.”
— Booklist

“Eloquent, haunting and exquisitely written, Percer’s stunning debut finds surprising beauty in the broken places of our lives. Here, winning can’t mute pain, but love endures despite the odds, and the education of a remarkable young woman is as uncommonly original as this novel itself.”
— Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You

“Haunting and poignant, Elizabeth Percer’s coming-of-age novel portrays a bright young woman confronting her limits as she watches those she loves deal with illness and betrayal. Each turn of this elegiac debut revealed stark truths that left me both moved and astonished.”
— Lauren Belfer, New York Times bestselling author of A Fierce Radiance and City of Light

“It’s impossible not to care about Naomi Feinstein, a smart, sometimes lonely girl searching for her own life and a way to keep the people she loves safe. An Uncommon Education beautifully answers these questions by bringing Naomi to the Bard (the play’s the thing), but also gives the reader something much rarer--a world, and a life, that seem real.”
— Nicole Mones, author of Lost in Translation and The Last Chinese Chef

Purchase An Uncommon Education: A Novel at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository

{COVER REVEAL} CAUGHT UP IN US by LAUREN BLAKELY

Hey, all! I have a really cool cover reveal to share with you today. Caught Up in Us is the upcoming Contemporary Romance debut from Lauren Blakely. The reveal is being hosted by Taryn at  My Secret Romance.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Lauren Blakely
Publication Date: 1/20/13

Five years ago, Kat Harper fell into a dizzying summer romance with her brother’s best friend Bryan. It was a mad, crazy love full of kisses all through the night — but he broke her heart and she had to move on.

Five years later, Kat is finishing her graduate degree and building her business as a jewelry designer, when Bryan, head of his own successful company, walks back into her life. Bryan has been assigned to Kat as her new business mentor and the rules are clear. No hanky panky permitted. That works for both of them. Kat needs to grow her business to help her parents; Bryan needs to run a clean operation after his former business partner’s romantic scandal that rocked his firm.

Kat can handle that because she's totally over him... right? Except, he still makes her laugh. And he remembers all the things she likes. And he's more handsome now than he was then. Then there’s the spark between them — the simply undeniable chemistry.

Can they resist each other? Or are they willing to risk everything for a second chance at first love?

Pretty, yes? I think the story sounds fun and romantic. Be sure to add it to your to-read list.


**Bonus** 10,000 Awesome Points to the first person to comment about the couple on the cover. lol