Cover Reveal - THE AFFILIATE by K.A. Linde

Today we’re revealing the cover of Kyla Linde’s The Affiliate! I am so excited about this fantastic YA fantasy!!  

Title: The Affiliate (Ascension, 1) 
Author: K. A. Linde 
Release Day: September 15^th 
Genre: YA Fantasy 

 

About The Affiliate: On the day of her Presenting, in front of the entire Byern Court, seventeen-year-old Cyrene Strohm's lifelong plans come to fruition when she's chosen as an Affiliate to the Queen. Or so she thinks. When Cyrene receives a mysterious letter and an unreadable book, she finds nothing is as it seems. Thrust into a world of dangerous political intrigue and deadly magic, Cyrene's position only grows more treacherous when she finds herself drawn to the one man she can never have... King Edric himself. Cyrene must decide if love is truly worth the price of freedom. Find out in this first book in USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde’s new Ascension series. 

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Exclusive Excerpt: 

 “Do you enjoy the view?” King Edric asked. 

 “The rains have made the gardens bloom, and it warms my heart to see it so.” 

“It is good to know that the gardener approves of the work.” 

Cyrene laughed lightly. “I have not gardened in a month’s time. I fear I can no longer call myself a gardener.” 

She remembered when she had told the king of her interest in gardening at the last feast day almost a week ago. After that dance, Queen Kaliana added a list of plants to her assignment, forcing her to reread every page she had already dredged through for information. It had wasted two entire days. 

“Perhaps I could change that,” he offered. 

He directed her down the staircase and into the courtyard below lit solely by the setting sun in the distance. 

Her stomach churned at the thought of him offering assistance to any of her needs. It was like what she had read in her children’s books of the tales of Leifs, and how one request would be necessitated by a much larger sacrifice. Her biggest sacrifice at the present moment was time. She wanted nothing more than to finish her work on agriculture and prove that she could get moved somewhere that involved traveling…and adventure. 

“On the contrary, My King, I am fully enthralled in my Affiliate duties, and believe that gardening would only distract me from my work.” 

“You cannot spare one afternoon to spend in my gardens?” His blue-gray eyes searched her face. “If you have half the green thumb you suggest, then it would be delightful to have you on the grounds.” 

She swallowed. “I really have much work to accomplish before we go on Processional.” 

“I could speak to the Queen and request it be lessened,” he whispered into the evening air. 

“No!” It was the first time he had ever admitted to discussing her with the Queen. Hearing him admit it aloud made her voice come out strangled. 

Cyrene missed her footing on the pebble path and stumbled forward a pace. Edric steadied her. He turned his body to face her in the middle of the garden, and her breath caught at the sight of him in the setting sun. 

“You do not wish me to speak to the Queen?” 

“I spoke out of turn. Please forgive me.” 

“I cannot forgive that which I do not understand. Did the Queen somehow offend you?” 

Cyrene shook her head. “I fear that the Queen does not…like me.” 

Edric laughed softly, taking one of her hands in his own. “Oh Cyrene, I believe that the Queen likes no one but herself.” 

Cyrene found that she, too, could laugh at his comment. 

“Now, tell me what the Queen has done to make you believe that she dislikes you.” 

“It’s nothing, my King.” She turned her face away from his. She couldn’t possibly tell him the real reason. 

“Enough to infuriate you, which is enough for me.” 

When she looked back up into his blue-gray eyes she felt that same magnetic pull between them. Somehow she had not realized how close they were standing. His hand felt warm against her bare skin. His body only a few inches away from her. His breath hot on her face. Her heart contracted in her chest, and she forced herself to respond.

“She speaks of…of your interference, as if…as if you…” 

Time stretched between them, and she thought for a split second he might move even closer to her. She was rooted in place, captivated by his gaze. 

“Yes?” His other hand drifted to her waist, and she was suddenly on fire. 

Their breath mingled together as she murmured, “As if you favor me.” 

“And do you think that?” 

“I…” 

“Yes?” he asked, stepping closer. 

“I think you have your queen,” she breathed.  

About K. A. Linde: 

USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde is the author of The Affiliate, the first book in the Ascension Series. As a military brat, she traveled the world with her family, imaginary friends, and ever-increasing supply of books. She has spent much of her life dreaming up new worlds and characters and forcing them into uncomfortable, usually life-threatening scenarios. After graduating from the University of Georgia with a masters degree in political science, she began spending every waking hour putting those characters onto paper.

When not writing, she spends her time dancing, collecting paperbacks in the hopes of filling a Beauty and the Beast style library one day, traveling to visit her friends who live all over the country, and still reading anything she can get her hands on. She currently resides in North Carolina with her husband and two puppies, Lucy and Riker, where she is hard at work on her next novel. 

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Enter KA’s fantastic giveaway!! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day EVERY LAST BREATH by Jennifer L. Armentrout - EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY

The Epic Finale in Jennifer L. Armentrout’s

Dark Elements Series...

Who Will She Choose?

 

Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.

Don't miss the conclusion to this stunning Young Adult Paranormal series filled with danger and romance published by HarlequinTEEN.

Grab your copy today!

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** IndieBound ** Kobo ** BAM

 

 
EVERY LAST BREATH Synopsis: 

Some loves will last ‘til your dying breath...  

Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust. 

Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction. 

Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell…

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** IndieBound ** Kobo ** BAM

 

“Armentrout is a major talent…I just can’t stop reading!”

--New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter

“Armentrout works her magic with swoon-worthy guys and a twist you never see coming.”

--#1 New York Times bestselling author Abbi Glines on White Hot Kiss

 

And don’t miss the first titles in the Dark Elements Series!

BITTER SWEET LOVE

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WHITE HOT KISS

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STONE COLD TOUCH

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About Jennifer L. Armentrout: # 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. 

 Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. 

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Novel Goodreads ** Author Goodreads

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Roth cleared his throat. “Shortie, look…look at your hand.”

Look at my hand? Why in the world would he be asking me to do that in the midst of all the cray?

“Do it,” he said quietly and too gently.

The dread exploded in my gut like buckshot, and my gaze dropped to my left hand. I expected to see the weird marbling of black and gray, a mixture of the demon and Warden that existed inside of me and a combination I’d become almost familiar with by now. My nails had lengthened and sharpened, and I could tell they were hard enough to cut through steel, as hard as my skin, but my skin…it was still pink. Really pink.

“What the…?” My gaze traveled to my other hand. It was the same. Just pink. My wings twitched, reminding me that I had shifted.

Zayne swallowed. “Your…your wings…”

“What about my wings?” I almost screeched, reaching be‑ hind me. “Are they broken? Did they not come out—” The tips of my fingers came into contact with something as soft as silk. My hand jerked back. “What…”

Stacey’s watery eyes had doubled in size. “Um, Layla, there’s a mirror above the fireplace. I think you need to look in it.”

I met Roth’s gaze for a second before I spun around and all but ran to the fireplace I was sure Stacey’s mom had never used. Clutching the white mantel, I stared at my reflection.

I looked normal, like I did before I shifted…like I was going to class or something. My eyes were the palest shade of gray, a watered-down blue. My hair was so blond it was almost white, and a mess of waves that went in every direction like usual. I looked like a colorless china doll, which was nothing new, except for the two fangs jutting out of my mouth. I wouldn’t show them off at school, but that wasn’t what caught my attention and held it.

It was my wings.

They were large, not as massive as Zayne’s or Roth’s, and normally they were almost leathery in texture, but now they were black…black and feathered. Like legit feathered. That soft, silky thing I’d felt? It had been tiny feathers.

Feathers.

“Oh my God,” I whispered at my reflection. “I have feathers.”

“Those are definitely feathered wings,” Roth commented.

I whipped around, knocking over a lamp with my feathered right wing. “I have feathers on my wings!”

Roth cocked his head to the side. “Yeah, you do.”

He was absolutely no help, so I turned to Zayne. “Why do I have feathers on my wings?”

Zayne shook his head slowly. “I don’t know, Layla. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“Liar,” hissed Roth, shooting him a dark look. “You’ve seen that before. So have I.”

Stacking the Shelves (77)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  It is a list of what books you have received over the previous week, either for review, from the library, from the bookstore, or from trades.

Purchased

PERFECT TIMING by Laura Spinella

THE BURNING SKY by Sherry Thomas

STARGLASS by Phoebe North

FALL FROM INDIA PLACE by Samantha Young

BLACK CITY by Elizabeth Richards

FORGET ABOUT IT by Caprice Crane

For Review

BETTER WHEN HE'S BRAVE by Jay Crownover

Flashback Friday - SCARLET by A.C. Gaughen

Flashback Friday is a meme hosted by our friends at Fiction Fare and Swoony Boys Podcast.  The Objective - Pick a book... any book that meets the following criteria:  

1.  Must have been published at least 2 years ago or 

2.  Preferably is still in print or available to read

Title: Scarlet

Author: A.C. Gaughen

Publisher: Walker Children's

Publication Date: 2/14/2012

Will Scarlet is good at two things: stealing from the rich and keeping secrets - skills that are in high demand in Robin Hood's band of thieves, who protect the people of Nottingham from the evil sheriff. Scarlet's biggest secret of all is one only Robin and his men know...that she is posing as a thief; that the slip of a boy who is fast with sharp knives is really a girl.

The terrible events in her past that led Scarlet to hide her real identity are in danger of being exposed when the thief taker Lord Gisbourne arrives in town to rid Nottingham of the Hood and his men once and for all. As Gisbourne closes in a put innocent lives at risk, Scarlet must decide how much the people of Nottingham mean to her, especially John Little, a flirtatious fellow outlaw, and Robin, whose quick smiles have the rare power to unsettle her. There is real honor among these thieves and so much more - making this a fight worth dying for.

I am shamelessly addicted to staying up far too late (it feels like stealing time), diet coke (it burns so good), Scotland (stupid country stole my heart and won't give it back. Interpol has been ineffective for prosecution) and thieves (so I guess I'm not that mad at Scotland). 

Want to know more? Just ask!

Lightning Crashes - Stephanie's review of WHAT YOU LEFT BEHIND by Jessica Verdi

Title: What You Left Behind
Author: Jessica Verdi
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Publication Date: August 4, 2015

It’s all Ryden’s fault. If he hadn’t gotten Meg pregnant, she would have never stopped her chemo treatments and would still be alive. Instead, he’s failing fatherhood one dirty diaper at a time. And it’s not like he’s had time to grieve while struggling to care for their infant daughter, start his senior year, and earn the soccer scholarship he needs to go to college.

The one person who makes Ryden feel like his old self is Joni. She’s fun and energetic—and doesn’t know he has a baby. But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to keep his two worlds separate. Finding one of Meg’s journals only stirs up old emotions, and Ryden’s convinced Meg left other notebooks for him to find, some message to help his new life make sense. But how is he going to have a future if he can’t let go of the past?

Jessica Verdi lives in Brooklyn, NY, and received her MFA in Writing for Children from The New School. She loves seltzer, Tabasco sauce, TV, vegetarian soup, flip-flops, and her dog. Visit her at jessicaverdi.com and follow her on Twitter @jessverdi.

Ryden Brooks is a popular, good-looking high school super star on the path to earning a full scholarship to UCLA and a professional soccer career. The only thing stopping him is his seven month old daughter and the fact that her mother Meg is dead, because Ryden killed her.

Meg had cancer. But Ryden feels responsible for her untimely death because when she became unexpectedly pregnant at seventeen, she couldn't continue with chemo treatments and she subsequently died giving birth.

Ryden is a complete mess. He is broke, confused, desperate and utterly clueless as to how to be a good father. Thank goodness he has the best mother in the world, who not only takes care of his daughter, Hope, but tries to steer him on the right path to being a good father while balancing high school, a part time job, athletic aspirations and a social life. Meg's sister Mabel, sneaks visits, and Meg's best friend, Alan, babysits in a pinch, but all of Ryden’s friends are busy being teenagers. Aside from Mabel, Meg's family wants nothing to do with Ryden or Hope, so he's on his own to figure it all out. And failing.

Through a clue in the journals Meg deliberately left behind, Ryden learns the truth about Meg's intentions, which weren't as pure as Ryden once thought.

Then there's Joni, the girl Ryden meets at Whole Foods where they both work. He just wants his life with Meg and Hope to be separate from his life with Joni, so he omits the fact that he has a kid and a dead girlfriend. It’s not his first mistake or his last. But once he realizes Joni brings back the life and magic to his world, their relationship moves forward in a very sweet way. (I need to add that Joni is a fabulously written character, and every time there was a scene with her and Ryden, I was sad when it ended. She was just so much fun- a metaphorical and literal bright spot in the book, for the reader and for Ryden.)

Ryden is not only selfish, but he's frustrated and resentful of Hope, as well as Meg for getting pregnant to leave behind a legacy without any thought as to what single fatherhood would do to Ryden. But as irritated as I got with Ryden for the parenting fails, I understood them and forgave him at the same time.

I found the Storyline to be remarkably realistic, and rather heartbreaking.  There are moments of tears and genuine sadness for Ryden (and Hope,) for the life and the love he lost. I loved Joni and the spark she brought to the pages.

That being said, my one complaint is that I would have liked to seen a few intimate reactions between Ryden and his daughter, Hope. It was very mechanical and forced, and although the author was trying to portray him as not having a clue, I felt the natural instinctive warmth and emotional bond a father has with a child was definitely missing even toward the end when the baby began to frustrate him less.

However, the ending made up for that. I loved the little twist, and the sweetness that brought the make the story come full circle.

Ryden's story is emotionally heart wrenching, realistic, and well done.

4.5 stars

Live - Lightning Crashes

Cover Reveal - TOGETHER WE FALL by Chelsea M. Cameron

Today we are revealing the cover for the upcoming book TOGETHER WE HEAL by Chelsea M. Cameron. This is the 4th book in the Fall and Rise series. This book will be released in August. Check out the blurb, and links to the other books in the series, below.

 

BOOK BLURB:

Trish Grant is not a romantic. Okay, so she may read her share of romance novels, but that doesn’t mean she thinks that some fellow with a six pack is going to ride up on a horse and sweep her (literally) off her feet. Romance like that just isn’t for her. It belongs on the page.

Max Jackson noticed Trish at his cousin’s funeral, of all places. She was hard to miss with her citrus-colored hair, violet contacts and fiery attitude.

Trish was just as captivated by Max. He makes her laugh, which is rare, and it doesn’t hurt that he rocks blue hair and the most killer smirk that drives her crazy. Max is there for her during a rough time and even if she wanted to, she can’t shake him.

There are things about Trish that Max doesn’t know, and she’s not going to tell him. She hasn’t told anyone and doesn’t plan on it, thank you very much. But when Trish’s life is ripped apart by a dark piece of her past, will she let Max in? Or will she give up her potential fairytale to protect her already-scarred heart from further damage?

ADD TOGETHER WE HEAL TO GOODREADS

PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES:

DEEPER WE FALL (book #1)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

FASTER WE BURN (book #2)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

SLOWLY WE TRUST (book #3)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Chelsea M. Cameron is a New York Times/USA Today Best Selling author from Maine. Lover of things random and ridiculous, Jane Austen/Charlotte and Emily Bronte Fangirl, red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, vegetarian, former cheerleader and world's worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, singing in the car, tweeting (this one time, she was tweeted by Neil Gaiman) and playing fetch with her cat, Sassenach. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is.

AUTHOR LINKS: 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 

Release Day - THE SINGLE GAME by Amanda Black

We all remember high school. It's angsty and hormonal. That mixed with the pressure of typical teenage party games—Spin the Bottle, Truth or Dare, 7 Minutes in Heaven—equals super awkward social situations.

Erotic romance author Amanda Black is bringing us back to that wonderful time with her newest, stand-alone installment in The Apartment Novels saga: THE SINGLE GAME, an erotic, new adult story formerly of Twilight fanfiction fame.

Eden is a confident high school senior at a new school, and she wants a boyfriend. Jilted by her cheating ex, she’s looking for an "eager virgin, ready for training." Her two best friends are all too willing to help. They bring her to a senior class rager, convinced that all Eden needs to find her match is—you guessed it—the Single Game.

Logan doesn’t usually participate in the Single Game, but he’s been crushing on Eden since she moved into town. This time, he’s in. Thanks to meddling friends, Eden and Logan are matched up and draw the most well-known dare: spend ten minutes together in a dark closet.

And…well, you can guess what happens from there ;)

So grab a copy of The Single Game today and take a walk down memory lane!

P.S. Want to win a print copy of the story that started it all? If you order The Single Game, you can enter to win The Apartment:The Complete Affair bind-up! So do yourself a favor and enter below!

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Teaser Blitz - KING OF HEARTS by L.H. Cosway

Title: King of Hearts
Author: L.H. Cosway
Expected Publication Date: 7/16/2015

Synopsis:
Welcome to the City, London’s most prestigious square mile, where finance reigns and Oliver King is a rising prince. 

I used to rule the world.

There might be wolves on Wall Street, but there were crocodiles in Canary Wharf. Some of us craved money. Some of us craved power.

I liked money, and power had its advantages, but what I really wanted was to excel, to surpass the men who came before me. I never cared much for love and romance until I met Alexis.

I could feel it the very moment she walked into the interview, with her outspoken charm and vivacious personality. She cast all the others in shadow, made me laugh when life held no humour. Our friendship should have remained professional, but it wasn’t long before the lines started to blur.

You know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men? Well, I never foresaw where my plans would lead, and only in my darkest hour did I finally see the light…

You can have all the money and prestige in the world and still be the poorest man alive. And love, well, I hate to use a tired old cliché, but love can be the thing that truly sets you free.

L.H. Cosway’s next standalone romance, King of Hearts will be released July 16, 2015. 

L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.

She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LHCosway
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LHCosway
Mailing List: http://www.lhcoswayauthor.com/p/maili...
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Website: www.lhcoswayauthor.com