Old Flame Memories - got any? #Giveaway #Romance #NA

Tour Schedule

Have some old flame memories that stick in your memory like stink on ... well, clow flop? hehehe

Yup. I got me a few.

So for part of Ms. Blume's Old Flame tour, I just had to ask ... Wha are your Top Ten old flame memories?

Here's what she had to say. 

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1.    My first almost kiss in 8th grade. The boy was so cute, he was like a little surfer Ken doll. I was clueless that a boy of such social stature might be interested in me, and he chickened out, so the kiss didn’t happen –– until we were 17.

  

2.    The time, my sophomore year, when I went on a date I didn’t know was a date until my mom said, “Did you kiss him?” I replied, “Why would I do that?” And she said, “That’s typically what happens on dates.” Duh.

3.    My first breakup with my first boyfriend that same year, which I thought was how all breakups would go. We agreed we just weren’t into each other anymore and hugged. The next breakup was a rude awakening. He was a good first boyfriend and breakup. We ended up at the same college, but I was with the boy mentioned in #8.

4.    When I ended up dating a guy for a year about whom I initially remarked, “Well, his sister clearly got all the looks in the family.

5.    The boy who tried to be anything for me. I was oblivious. 

6.    The boy who wanted to save me from myself. He liked The Cure but I was the emo one. Our phone conversations went late every night, but I never realized he might like me more than a friend. We’re still friends.

7.    The other boy who wanted to save me from myself. He liked Nine Inch Nails and, looking back, I’m not sure which of us was the more maladjusted. He brought over that NIN snuff film to watch one night. That didn’t last long. I always wondered what happened to him.

8.    The time I dated the guy I wrote in my diary I hoped would stop calling me. For 3 years. And ended up engaged to him.

9.    When I realized I deserved so much more and broke off the engagement. We made each other miserable, one of us had to do it. So I did.

10. But the best memory I have is of the man that isn’t an old flame, but my forever flame. I can still recall the very first moment I saw him. And even now, when he walks in a room, I my heart leaps into my throat and my fingers tingle just like they did that did that day.

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The Hearts Aflame Files
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Keywords: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Series, Novella
Release Date: January 15, 2014

Hannah Sullivan has spent the past three months stalking her ex-boyfriend, lurking in the bushes and hiding behind fake social media personas, convinced she can eventually rekindle the love they once shared. But when she meets Marc, who is everything James never wanted to be and more, she begins to wonder if she’s got it all wrong. 

Hannah must come to terms with her own demons before she can decipher between her delusional mission and the man of her dreams.

Purchase Links:

Roane Publishing

Amazon

Amazon (UK)

Barnes and Noble
KOBO

All Romance eBooks

Smashwords

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Annabelle is a best-selling Romance and New Adult author, that is, when she's not checking homework or begrudgingly cooking dinner. Wife, mother, and creator of alternate worlds, Annabelle has a penchant for that which is outside the norm.

Her degree in Sociology has given her the ability to construct worlds that exist only in her head and translate them passionately to the page. The time spent studying individuals, interpersonal relationships, and particularly, women, within the constraints of our society led to Annabelle's unabashed ability to talk about sex as it fits into our modern lives.

She's also the author/personality of The Bombshell Mommy at Vitacost.com where she helps modern Bombshells and their families live “green”. 

Annabelle’s Links:

Website    Twitter    Facebook 

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#Review : Frigid by J. Lynn #NA #Contemporary

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Frigid

(Frigid #1)

NA Contemporary

by J. Lynn / Jennifer L. Armentrout

For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love. 

Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have. 

But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.

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My Review:

Who hasn't daydreamed of that snowed-in with a hot guy in the middle of no-where-land??? Oh heck yes.

Ms. Armentrout hit this one outta the ball park, but then again rarely does she NOT get a 5 star rating from me. As usual, there is heartfelt emotion & tension galore, all wrapped up in a juicy story of girl wants boy, boy wants girl, but neither dares admit it.

The setting was perfect, the characters believable, and the addition of a little mystery went a long way in making the external conflict even more palatable.

For any who enjoy the NA genre without all the emotional, edgy crappola that seems to be so popular these days, this is a great read well worth the $!!  For me, I'm really looking forward to seeing what Ms. Lynn comes out with next for the characters in this book.

#Review : Obsession by Jennifer L. Armentrout #PNR #NA

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Obsession

An Arum Novel

NA / Paranormal

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

He’s arrogant, domineering, and... To. Die. For.

Hunter is a ruthless killer. And the Department of Defense has him firmly in their grasp, which usually doesn’t chafe too badly because he gets to kill bad guys. Most of the time he enjoys his job. That is, until he’s saddled with something he’s never had to do before: protect a human from his mortal enemy.

Serena Cross didn’t believe her best friend when she claimed to have seen the son of a powerful senator turn into something... unnatural. Who would? But then she witnesses her friend’s murder at the hands of what can only be an alien, thrusting her into a world that will kill to protect their secret.

Hunter stirs Serena’s temper and her lust despite their differences. Soon he’s doing the unthinkable—breaking the rules he’s lived by, going against the government to keep Serena safe. But are the aliens and the government the biggest threats to Serena’s life… or is it Hunter?

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My Review:

Gotta admit, I was thrilled to find out JLA had written a book about the 'bad guys' from her Lux Series. It's truly enlightening to find out the story behind the evil ones, the aliens bent on stopping our favorite heroines & heros.

This book was excellent. I really don't know what else to say. At first I was skeptical because I hated the Arum so much, but after a few chapters I was rooting for Hunter, the MC. Why? Because although alien, Ms. Armentrout was able to make him seem so humanistic, so real - with problems & emotions everyone can relate to.

It's a universal love story, one that shows attraction and caring rises above all else. Taboo? In their world, absolutely. 

Lastly, I have to mention the heat. JLA sure is good at bringing about sexual tension between two characters. Every interruption was like 'darn it!' for me. LOL. Hunter is hot. 'Evil' alien, but hot all the same.

SO worth the read - even if you haven't read about the Arum's arch rival, the Luxen.

#Review: One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker #NA #Contemporary #Romance

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Ten Tiny Breaths #2

NA / Contemp Romance

by K.A. Tucker

Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents' tragic death and Kacey's self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would...and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she’s going to someday marry. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say ‘no’ to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men’s rowing team. Definitely him. He’s an arrogant ass who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn’t want in a guy. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fits Livie’s criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?

As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.

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My Review:

I was excited to read this book for a few reasons. 

#1 Ten Tiny Breaths was the first NA contemporary book I ever read. Looking back now after having familiarizing myself a bit more with the genre, I realize TTB deserved more than the barely 4* I gave it. I felt it was too over the top - too much emotion - but I hadn't known about the raw, gritty new NA genre craze. Having become a fan of said genre ...

#2 K.A. Tucker is an excellent story teller. She knows how to build a slow arc in a character's life, one you don't even really see until BAM everything falls into place and you're swept away. 

#3 I had no idea of how Livie, the goodie two shoes, could possibly have a story revolve around her life. Couldn't wait to see what Ms. Tucker did with her.

Which leads me into my true review.

Yummies:  Ashton. He is one of the most tormented, yet have-my-sh&%-together character I've ever read about. Although he's a tortured soul with baggage galore AND a man whore, I couldn't help but fall in love. New book boyfriend folks! Yes. He turns out to be THAT incredible.

Livie. It's revealed that she really did need help - therapy from having lost both her parents at an early age. Unlike her crazy sister, though, Livie's growth takes her in the opposite extreme. Turns out #3 from above was delivered & then some!

Supporting cast & the setting was well fleshed out. The college parties, the pals, dorm life ... they were all perfect. My senses lacked for nothing.  Speaking of which, between Ashton's hurt, how well it was portrayed, and Livie's reactions to him ... I balled. 'Course, I AM  prego and prone to doing so, but honest tears, folks. Yup.

Yuckies:  Last night when I finished (long after my family all crashed), I wanted more. I really felt the book was too short. But this morning, I realize Livie & Ashtons story was finished. Nothing more could have been added. 

Guess that's not really a yucky even worth mentioning. Oh well. 

So no. No yuckies.

Recommend: Yes. And for myself, I'm recommending another read of TTB. Now that I am enlightened upon the NA genre, I expect I'll be swept up in Kacey's tale in a whole new way.

#Review : Need by Stephanie Lawton #NA #Contemporary

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Want #2

NA Contemporary

by Stephanie Lawton

Isaac Laroche is cursed. All he wants to do is hide out and feel sorry for himself. Never mind that he got caught sleeping with his seventeen-year-old piano student, or that he abandoned her when the truth was exposed. 

Isaac’s feisty high school sweetheart has different plans. Heather Swann has returned to their hometown of Mobile, Alabama, to regroup after breaking up with her troll of a fiancé. She’s restless and looking for a diversion, but she bites off more than she can chew when she sets her sights on rehabilitating Isaac with her unorthodox sexual, mental, and physical plans. 

The two quickly reconnect, but their happiness is threatened by family secrets, old vendettas and the death of a beloved father-figure. 

Can Heather handle Isaac’s baggage, or will her own come back to haunt them both?

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My Review:

I know some peeps didn't care for Isaac's character in Want, but I was drawn to him - to his emotional turmoil and tortured soul. He's one of those brilliant artists I've never understood but have always been intrigued by.

On to the goodies.

Yummies:  Emotions. This puppy is quite the ride, probably one of the most since Ten Tiny Breaths IMO. Sure, the story line is great, but it's being immersed within Isaac's conscious that propelled this story forward for me.

Characters are fleshed out and come to life on screen (or paper if that's what you've got). Ms. Lawton is a master at showing us the people she's created, not just through description, but thought processes, words, and actions. THIS book is an excellent source for teaching the show vs. tell principal so many argue over.

Setting, like I said in my review of Want, is perfect for this story. You can tell Ms. Lawton is from the south because she has such a grasp on the lifestyle - the mystery of deep secrets the south holds for a yankee like me. It's a great world to lose oneself in.

And the steamy ... Yeah.

I could go on and on, but I'll leave it at that.  ;)

Yuckies:  As if.

Recommend:  Need I even say it? This story will sweep you up in its emotions and leave you breathless with a NEED for more.

Happy Book Birthday : One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker

K.A. Tucker's Ten Tiny Breaths follow up releases today! Unfortunately, life has kept me from getting to my review copy, but SOON!!! HERE is my 4* review of book #1 if you're interested.

But on to the goodies ...

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Ten Tiny Breaths #2

by K.A. Tucker

NA / Romance

Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents' tragic death and Kacey's self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would...and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she’s going to someday marry. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say ‘no’ to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men’s rowing team. Definitely him. He’s an arrogant ass who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn’t want in a guy. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fits Livie’s criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?

As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.

Purchase Links:

Amazon   /  Barnes & Noble  

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In celebration, 3 signed galleys are up for grabs! Enter below & best of luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio:

Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

Links:

Blog: http://www.katucker.blogspot.ca/

Website: http://www.katuckerbooks.com/

Author Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/K.A.Tucker.Author?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kathleenatucker

Novel Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17302495-one-tiny-lie?ac=1

Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4866520.K_A_Tucker

Atria: http://imprints.simonandschuster.biz/atria

#Review : Wait for You by J. Lynn #NA #Romance

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NA  / Romance

by J. Lynn

(aka Jennifer L. Armentrout)

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

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I heard so much hype over this book before I was able to purchase a copy of my own. J. Lynn's latest lived up to my expectations and then some.

Let me start off by saying that I buy every book JLA releases. She's THAT good. She's got a voice and style of her own - snarky and humorous. 

Yummies:

I've read a few NA and every one has been emotional. Dark. Gritty in a raw way that oftentimes leaves a heavy yoke on my mind. While Wait has that underlying secret story so popular in YA & NA novels today, that inner turmoil determined to keep the two MCs apart, JLA infuses the story with humor. Refreshing lightness to perfectly balance the dark backstory.

That is why I couldn't put my kindle down. That is why I stayed up two hours past my bedtime, which as a pregnant woman with two young children isn't the smartest thing to do!

I'm paying for it this morning.

Characters. I'm not even going to bother here. Just read the book and you'll find a new book boyfriend. 

Yuckies:

Honestly, my only complaint is that JLA's voice, while freakin' awesome!!!, tends to make all her books sound similar. The stories are different & the characters in different environments, but HOW they speak and act reminds me of her other MCs. 

This fact doesn't bother me so much that it takes away from the star rating, though. Just hoping to see some growth. New personalities from the muse in her mind.

Recommend:

Heck yes! Definitely the best NA I've read to date. 

#Review : Want by Stephanie Lawton

YA / NA Contemporary

By Stephanie Lawton

Synopsis:

Julianne counts the days until she can pack her bags and leave her old-money, tradition-bound Southern town where appearance is everything and secrecy is a way of life. A piano virtuoso, she dreams of attending a prestigious music school in Boston. Failure is not an option, so she enlists the help of New England Conservatory graduate Isaac Laroche to help her.

She can’t understand why he suddenly gave up Boston’s music scene to return to the South. He doesn’t know her life depends on escaping it. Julianne must face down madness from without, just as it threatens from within. Isaac must resist an inappropriate attraction, but an indiscretion at a Mardi Gras ball-the pinnacle event for Mobile’s elite-forces their present wants and needs to collide with sins of the past.

Will Julianne accept the help she’s offered and get everything she ever wanted, or will she self-destruct and take Isaac down with her.

I'm going to start out by saying I LOVE THIS COVER. So beautiful. 

I’ve read a few disturbing books this year, but none quite like this. The MC in this story of a music genius is only 17. Her level of emotional upheaval is ten times worse than what I’ve seen before with artistic virtuoso MCs. She’s physically, emotionally, & mentally abused by the one who should be nurturing her. Damaged goods to say the least.

Yummies: Getting the facts straight when it comes to the piano - the colors and emotions especially. I really enjoyed how Ms. Lawton used words to explain what is meant for the ears.

Totally believable characters - wounded and reactionary. I’d say the homework was done for this roller coaster ride.

The southern, conservative setting was the perfect place for this story to take place. I grew up in a conservative church and let me tell you ... the portrayal of hypocrisy was SPOT ON. Seriously. So much so that I cringed as memories from my childhood swamped my mind. Well done.

When I saw ‘The End’ I actually said, “Aw! Come on!” While excellent, I wanted more. I wanted that last chapter - the epilogue to give us the HFA you’d never expect this story to have.

Yuckies: This book started a bit slow for me. Could be the present tense. Not sure. I definitely felt a lack of emotional connection with the MC. It’s as if her secretive nature is TOO evident, almost too true, keeping me from empathizing in any way. It wasn’t ‘til a little farther in when the MC starts to let her walls down and tell the reader about who she is & why, that I felt for her. This could have been Ms. Lawton’s intent (which the idea totally rocks if its true) but it honestly didn’t work for me.

Recommend: Yes. While I’m not leaping out of my skin, the emotions of this book wouldn’t let me put it down. 

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker #Giveaway #YA #NA

 I’m thrilled to be part of the release day launch party for Ten Tiny Breaths!

As part of the book blast, K.A. Tucker is offering an ecopy of Ten Tiny Breaths to one lucky commenter. Let me know why you want to read this book & I'll let my 2-yr-old choose the winner. Be sure to leave your email address so the author can contact you with your prize!

You can check out my (short) 4 star rating on Goodreads HERE.

Synopsis:

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

**Warning - This is a Mature YA/New Adult book. Contains sex and violence**

Book Trailer Link  / Goodreads / Novel Facebook Page

Author Bio:

Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures. 

Author Links:

Website  /  Blog  /  Facebook  /  Twitter  /  Goodreads