BLOG TOUR: Holly Hearts Hollywood by Kenley Conrad- REVIEW & GIVEAWAY

Author: Kenley Conrad
Release Date: 09/23/14
Publisher:Swoon Romance
Source: ARC from the author
Blurb Description: Seventeen-year-old Holly Hart wants to be a star. She moves to Los Angeles from the small town of Cedar Junction, only to hear she’s too fat and ugly to be a famous singer.

But when Shell Shocked Records looks past Holly’s plus-size and less-than-graceful-personality to offer her a recording contract, Holly cannot believe her good fortune. On closer inspection, however, the record execs want Holly to do all the singing, and a thinner and more beautiful girl, Lacey, would lip-sync and get all the credit. Holly goes for it because after all, she wanted to sing.

Contractually bound to secrecy, Holly is more than happy to sit backstage while Lacey shimmies in the limelight and basks in the fame. Before she knows it, Holly is friends with Serena, the pop-star daughter of a music-mogul, flirting with an intern, and developing a strange half-friendship with Lacey.

When Grayson Frost, the biggest country star in America, and coincidentally, a former school bully begins dating Lacey, Holly hopes that he won’t recognize or torment her.

Through a series of embarrassing and weird events, Holly gets to know Grayson and learns that he is much nicer and more mature than he was four years ago. Holly is horrified when she starts falling for him. When Grayson admits he fell for Lacey's voice, what is a girl to do when she can’t legally tell the truth at the moment when the truth matters the most?

Add to Goodreads *** Buy Links: *** AmazonKobo Books

About the Author
I'm the author of the upcoming YA series Holly Hearts Hollywood, coming September 2014 by Swoon Romance. I'm a twenty-something cat lady who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. When I'm not working my office day job or writing books, you can find me either singing and dancing or binge-watching TV shows on Netflix.

Author Links:

**GIVEAWAY**

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 **MY REVIEW**
After the blurb, I knew I just HAD to read this book. An insecure, shy, overweight girl offered a record deal only for her voice but not her face, in one if the most cut throat cities and industries in the world? YES, please!

Short and Sweet, before I move onto my usual rambling, Holly Hearts Hollywood was EXACTLY my kind of book! It even had an obsessed journal writer (holly) just like the Princess Diaries! It had romance, first crushes, flirting 101, paparazzi, friendship, Hollywood bitches and PARTIES!

Grayson, HOLY GOD, Grayson! Her now mature ex- tormenter, the Hollywood golden boy, country singer, teenage heart throb and dating the face to her voice? Oh, and did I mention that he is HOT?! OH, and also, VERY very sweet?! Why don’t guys like this exist in the real world?

Lacey, Amanda, Meredith and Serena- Holly’s besties! Each with their own problems, their own characters and their own quirks! All of them, I can’t wait to read more about!
Fine. I have decided to keep quiet now. And to let you do the reading!

P.S. That ending. When is book two releasing?O.o

My Verdict:


GO. FOR. IT!

Feature and Follow Friday (#2)

Hey Guys! I'm back again with my second feature & follow Friday. This is weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View & Alison Alison Can Read!All the rules can be found on either website!


This week's question: Book character(s) you'd like to see with their own Twitter page - Suggested byA Great Read
Characters with Twitter pages?
 

1. Well, for starters, I would love to have Mia Thermopolis. You know who she is, right? Yeah, I read her story years ago, but her tweets would be brilliant hyperventilating- and I would love to read them!
2. The Darkling- He would probably be too busy, and something as menial as Twitter couldn't bother the great Alexsander- but, an insight into his mind- come on!

3. Tristan from Danielle Jensen's Stolen Songbird

4. Even though he already has a HILARIOUS one, Severus Snape- who is pretty much the best Harry Potter character (or one of- I can never decide)

5. Hannibal Lector- must I really explain this one?!

6. Okay, I'm going to shut up now, but one last one- and this is three in one- the dead sisters from my favorite books!- May from Love Letters to the Dead, June (!) from Saving June and Bailey from The Sky is Everywhere!

Who are your favorite characters- that you think simply NEED  a twitter page? Link up your posts below and I will DEFINITELY stop by and follwo your blog:)

Oh, I prefer a BLOGLOVIN follow:)


BLOG TOUR: Wonderfully Wicked by C. J. Burright- INTERVIEW, REVIEW & GIVEAWAY

Author: C.J.Burright
Publishing Date: May 13th 2014
Publisher: Swoon Romance
Blurb Description: He haunts her dreams and embodies her nightmares…
A dreamcaster with the ability to channel creatures from her nightmares, headstrong and cynical Kalila Montgomery longs for a peaceful, picket-fence life…until the man literally of her dreams kidnaps her.  Survival quickly becomes her number one goal, yet a growing attraction to the man featured in her nightmares is impossible to ignore. While she fears he will kill her, other, more terrifying enemies surround her, and Kalila succumbs to his scheme to escape.
She may be his one hope for freedom…
A deadly combination of power, cunning, and cold-hearted charm, Lydon v’al Endrian fears nothing.  Feels nothing.  Chained to a brotherhood of men with the supernatural ability to invade dreams, he hunts dreamcasters to be harvested for their dreams and killed.  His target:  Kalila Montgomery.  But Kalila awakens an undeniable dark desire and a longing for a freedom long-lost.  To gain everything he craves, Lydon must seduce Kalila before his plot is discovered…a hopeless challenge which, if failed, will earn him a death-sentence.
Caught up in a dangerous world of secrets and obsession, doubt and betrayal, Kalila and Lydon face the nightmare of their lives, where love will either deliver them—or destroy them both
About Wonderfully Wicked:
Goodreads | Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble


About C.J. Burright:





C. J. Burright was born and raised in Oregon and loved it so much she never left. While she has worked for years in a law office, she chooses to avoid writing legal thrillers and instead leans toward urban fantasy, paranormal romance, or—since all things medieval and magic fascinate her—fantasy romance. A member of Romance Writers of America and Secretary for the Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal special interest chapter, C. J. also has her 4th Dan Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and believes stories should always include a gratuitous fight scene. In what spare time she has, she enjoys working out, reading, gardening, and rooting on the Seattle Mariners with a nice glass of wine. She shares a house with her husband, daughter, and a devoted herd of cats.
**GIVEAWAY**

**INTERVIEW**
Thank you so much for having me on A Thousand Words, A Million Books! I’m so thrilled to be here!

1. How does it feel to actually have your own book out there for the world to read?

Freakin’ amazing! And a little scary too. It’s impossible - for me, anyway - to write without including bits and pieces of my heart, so putting your story out there for the entire world to judge feels like standing on the edge of a cliff and looking down. Sweaty palms, pulse rocking a bass beat…which isn’t as bad as finding out your conservative dad is reading your story, steamy parts and all. Yikes! Might be time to jump off that cliff.

2. Tell us a little bit about your inspiration of Wonderfully Wicked.

I never know how or when inspiration is going to strike - I just go with the flow! I got a brain-flash of this woman waiting for her coffee and the threatening man in line behind her. He was stalking her, and I wanted to know why. I knew he was something more than just a man, and the wheels started spinning from there. I love the paranormal - mystical beasties and magic and those bump-in-the-night things, so writing in that genre is a no-brainer, but I wanted a story starring a different sort of creature than what’s already out there. Since dreams have always fascinated me, that’s the route I took, and voila! Dreamcasters and the V’alkara were born. Plus, I knew both characters were broken in different ways, and I couldn’t wait to see their emotional journey together and that HEA moment when they finally believe they are truly loved. Romance. Gotta love it.

3. Do you follow a specific writing schedule?

I work full-time, so I squeeze writing in whenever I can - lunch hours, evenings, weekends, vacations...my social life seriously suffers. Luckily, I lean toward the antisocial introvert wedge on the pie chart, so I get by.

4. Please give us an acronym for Wonderfully Wicked 

This was a lot harder than I expected it to be! But kind of fun too. J

Wild- Ominous- Nostalgic - Dark- Entertaining- Rowdy- Fresh- Unusual- Luscious- Lusty
YEAH!

Whirlwind- Intense- Captivating- Kick-ass - Engaging- Dreamy

5. What is your opinion on negative reviews?


The negative reviews that are just mean-hearted should be ignored, unless there’s some constructive criticism among the chaff. Honestly, even a bad review can be written in a way that doesn’t tear an author down. Not everyone is going to enjoy the same thing, and you can’t please everyone, so you have to learn to shrug it off. I admit, though, I’ve read some bad reviews that were so hilarious I actually wanted to read the book just to get in on the fun.   

**MY REVIEW**

*I received a copy from the author via Kismet Book Tours*

To start off, I must say I was VERY skeptical about this book. Don't get me wrong, I was SUPER excited when I signed up- and then some un-nameable terrible fantasy books came my way- and hence the skepticism.

And, well, Wonderfully Wicked brought out why I love reading books again- it was, put as simply as possible- MIND BLOWING! ( please excuse me excessive use of the upper case- it sorts of becomes a compulsion when I'm this excited about something!)

Who doesn't fear spiders (except, of course, for you few brave souls out there) or death and who hasn't woken up from a nightmare- thanking your lucky stars that what happened wasn't happening in reality? Well, Kalila doesn't have that luxury. 

Slave to her own nightmares, where she dreams (shall we say all the 'wrong' things) about a man she knows will kill her, and trapped in a world she can never escape from- especially in the moments she is supposed to rest in peace. 

I realize that I make it sound like she's in a coma or something, but she's not- so you get the picture, right?
 Until, the very man who is supposed to kill her, doesn't, but flips her world around anyway- taking her away from everything she knew into a, very different one.

Wonderfully Wicked was WONDERFULLY all feels! There are just so many things I could gush about- the deadly, heart- heating chemistry between Kalila and Lydon, how the author managed to make them stay true to form, and not become lovesick bunnies along the way.. and much more- but I can conclude by saying- you just HAVE to read it!
My Verdict:

I solemnly swear I will never think of nightmares as the same again- Highly, highly, highly, HIGHLY recommended!

BLOG TOUR: Stone Of Thieves by Diane J Reed- Review & Giveaway

Author: Diane J. Reed 
Release Date: 05/08/14
Blurb DescriptionThe Stone of Thieves . . . for centuries its magnetic draw has twisted the hearts of ambitious men and women with the promise of power, passion, and intrigue until it fell into the hands of unlikely thieves Robin and her boyfriend Creek. But can they steal their destiny away from the curse that pursues this magnificent ruby heart? 

As the stone begins to spread its sorcery, Robin races to find her long-lost mother in Italy in the hopes of discovering the truth about her unique gypsy heritage and the ruby heart that is rumored to steal souls. Yet when the desire for this stone by powerful members of her family threatens their very lives, Creek decides to take matters into his own hands to protect Robin, his greatest treasure of all . . .
Stone of Thieves is a sensual, stand-alone new adult novel and the sequel to Robin in the Hood in the Robbin’ Hearts Series. Due to mature themes, readership is advised for ages 17+.

Add to Goodreads *** Buy Links: *** AmazonBarnes & Noble


Book One: Author: Diane J. Reed 
Release Date: 10/01/12
Blurb Description: “Is it any wonder I became a bank robber?” But she never dreamed she’d fall in love…

Wealthy high school student Robin McArthur thinks she has it all figured out when it comes to bilking her wealthy dad for guilt money as a substitute for his genuine affection. Until one day he suffers a stroke, and she learns the brutal truth:
They’re broke.

Her stepmom has skipped the country. And everyone from bankers to bookies has lined up in her dad's hospital room to collect on the millions he's racked up in debt.

Panicked and desperate, Robin figures she has two choices. Either surrender to the pestering caseworker and live in a skanky foster home, or take a chance and sneak her dad out of the hospital to make a run for it. Little does she know that stealing a car and hitting the road means that before the day is through, she will rob her first bank.

Now an outlaw, Robin finds a backwoods trailer park to hide her dad from authorities. There, she encounters Creek, a local bad boy who also commits crimes to provide for their motley neighbors. Realizing she could use Creek’s help, Robin proposes an ingenious plan—they should team up to rob banks together. But when their partnership leads to a romance that turns Robin’s world upside down, she soon begins to discover that people are more precious than pocketbooks, and real love means opening your heart to the kinds of treasures money can’t buy…

Add to Goodreads *** Buy Links: *** AmazonBarnes & Noble

About the Author
Diane J. Reed has a Ph.D. in English and a lifelong passion for books—both popular, forgotten & literary—as long as they touch her soul & make her want to tuck them under her pillow at night to remember them in her dreams. She writes novels that are infused with enchantment, where characters dare to break through boundaries and believe in true love. She also has a soft spot for artisans & outlaws of the heart, those who burn brightly to live each day as a gift—because it is! She loves to hear from readers, so feel free to visit Diane J. Reed's website at www.banditsranch.com or message her here to share the whispers of your spirit. 

Author Links:


**GIVEAWAY**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**MY REVIEW**
From a rich girl in a snobby boarding school to a trailer park bank robber to someone with a mission, Robin McArthur/ Robin McCracken/ Rubina De Bargona has seen it all- at the age of just eighteen.

After accepting who she really is, and that her whole life was a fabrication of a dream meant to dissolve at some point or the other, Robin and her soul mate, Creek set off to Venice to find her long lost mother.

I read both books in the series together and so fast, that I barely had any time to breathe. Diane J Reed has this… superpower, let’s call it, to put things together SO fast that you’ve barely overcome the previous revelation when the next fun is hitting you in the face. I LOVED both books and will definitely be looking out for book three!

That being said, I must also do this. A few days after, you know, as I sat down to think about the story in general- I can only say that I wished it would have been a tad slower. I would have LOVED to see how Robin’s and Creek’s relationship evolved slowly, not how they rob a bank and then, after hating each other- or hate-lusting- suddenly start heavy duty making out.

That was book one, but, book two was SO different. There were no banks, but asylums, no hounds but guns and of course, gypsy queens and rubies, but the writing makes you take it all in stride!
Honestly, if someone asked me to describe this book, I have nothing but one word- explosive!

My Verdict:


Highly recommended- just walk in with an open mind!

BLOG TOUR: One Two Three.. by Elodie Nowodazkij- EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY

Author: Elodie Nowodazkij
Publication date: June 26th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Blurb Description: When seventeen-year-old Natalya’s dreams of being a ballerina are killed in a car accident along with her father, she must choose: shut down—like her mother—or open up to love.

Last year, Natalya was attending the School of Performing Arts in New York City. Last year, she was well on her way to becoming a professional ballerina. Last year, her father was still alive.

But a car crash changed all that—and Natalya can’t stop blaming herself. Now, she goes to a regular high school in New Jersey; lives with her onetime prima ballerina, now alcoholic mother; and has no hope of a dance career.

At her new school, however, sexy soccer player Antonio sees a brighter future for Natalya, or at least a more pleasant present, and his patient charms eventually draw her out of her shell.

But when upsetting secrets come to light and Tonio’s own problems draw her in, Natalya shuts down again, this time turning to alcohol herself.

Can Natalya learn to trust Antonio before she loses him—and destroys herself?


***  Goodreads *** Purchase:***  Amazon *** B&N *** IBooks *** Kobo 

----


AUTHOR BIO
Elodie Nowodazkij was raised in a tiny village in France, where she could always be found a book in hand. At nineteen, she moved to the US, where she learned she'd never lose her French accent. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Modern Language & Linguistics, and later earned master's degrees in German Cultural Studies and European Studies. Unbeknownst to her professors, she sometimes drafted stories in class. Now she lives in Germany with her husband and their cat (who doesn't seem to realize he's not human), and uses her commuting time to write the stories swirling in her head. She's also a serial smiley user.

Author links: ***  Website *** Twitter ***  Facebook 
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**GIVEAWAY**


a Rafflecopter giveaway



READ ON FOR AN EXCERPT:



Stacking The Shelves (#2)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly blog meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that is all about showcasing books that have been added to your shelves, both physical and virtual.

First of All, welcome to my SECOND Stacking the Shelves. As promised during the first, there are LOADS of books to show-off for last Tuesday (9/9) was my birthday- and, my friends, knowing what a book nerd I am, gifted me loads.

Also, my parents got me an entire bookcase! (So, you see, since the books are new to my shelves, I'm going to be talking about them as well!!)

Well, here we go:

For Review:

1. Eren by Simon.P.Clark

2. Zac & Mia by A.J.Betts

*Books courtesy of The Guardian Children's Books

3. Robin in the Hood (#1) by Diane.J.Reed



4. Stone of Thieves (#2) by Diane.J.Reed

*SIGNED Books courtesy of the author via YA Bound Book Tours


5. Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading

*Book Courtesy of the author's publicist- Kelsey!

For my Birthday:

1. Willow by Julia Hoban

2. The Fiction Class by Susan Breen

3. If I Stay by Gayle Forman


4. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

5. Rain by Kate Le Vann

6. Breathe my Name by R.A.Nelson

7. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

8. The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown

9. Eeny Meeny by M.J.Aldridge

E-Books for review:

1. A Safe Space by E.M.Tippets

2. The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma

3. Private Internship by Kisty Clare

4. Arcana by Jessica Leake

5. The Unhappening of Genesis Lee by Shallee McArthur

AAND, Finally, my BOOKSHELF: