Poet Anderson Blog Tour + Giveaway: Interview with Suzanne Young

Today I'm so pleased to have author Suzanne Young stopping by the blog to chat about Poet Anderson...Of Nightmares, a new novel she co-wrote with Tom DeLonge. Suzanne was nice enough to answer a few dream and nightmare-related questions for me, so I hope you guys enjoy the interview. I'm already shuddering in anticipation of the spider question. *dies* Be sure and check the bottom of the post too for all the details on a fabulous giveaway!

If you could take a walk through the Dream World and see into the dreams and nightmares of any fictional character, whose unconscious mind would you most want a peek into?

This is random, but I’m a fan of True Blood and the Sookie Stackhouse series. I would love to wander into Eric Northman’s dreams.

A Night Terror is fear that takes the form of a snarling beast. My personal Night Terror would also likely be crawling with spiders since they have me curling into the fetal position whenever I see one. What additional element might a Night Terror have if it were to reflect one of your personal phobias? 

WHAT DID I JUST READ?? I’m totally freaking over the spider comment. To be honest, I find spider crabs to be the most terrible things on the planet. So my Night Terror would have long, gross legs like that. *shudders*

What piece of advice might a Dream Walker have for me should I ever find myself facing one of the Dream World’s many nightmare-inducing creatures?

Uh, if it’s some spider concoction the Dream Walker would tell you to “RUN FAST!” He might also tell you conquer your fears before they destroy you.

While the Dream World is clearly full of many things dark and scary, what’s one thing about it that makes Jonas grateful he’s a Lucid Dreamer?

I think he’s grateful to feel like he’s in control of his own destiny. After losing his parents and his brother, his life is happening TO him. I think Lucid Dreaming is a way for him to be himself without the trauma of the outside world. He can be stronger than he is in the waking world. I think he finds comfort in that. 

If we were to ask the Jonas at the beginning of Poet Anderson…Of Nightmares his greatest fear, what would he say? The Jonas at the end?

On the car ride to Seattle, I think Jonas would have said that his greatest fear was disappointing Alan. But by the end, I think his fears are bigger than his brother. He’s scared that he won’t be able to save the world. Now he’s afraid of disappointing everyone.

Thanks so much Suzanne!

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POET ANDERSON...OF NIGHTMARES

Poet Anderson…Of Nightmares follows the epic journey of two orphan brothers, Jonas and Alan, who are Lucid Dreamers. After a tragic car accident lands Alan in a coma, Jonas sets out into the Dream World in an attempt to find his brother and wake him up. What he discovers instead is an entire shared consciousness where fear comes to life as a snarling beast called a Night Terror, and a creature named REM is bent on destruction and misery, devouring the souls of the strongest dreamers to get closer to the Waking World. With the help of a Dream Walker—a guardian of the dreamscape, Jonas must face his fears, save his brother, and become who he was always meant to be: Poet Anderson.

Goodreads | To The Stars | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository 

| Indiebound
 Animated Excerpt | Novel Teaser

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SUZANNE YOUNG

Suzanne Young is the New York Times bestselling author of The Program series. Originally from Utica, New York, Suzanne moved to Arizona to pursue her dream of not freezing to death. She is a novelist and an English teacher, but not always in that order. Suzanne is the author of THE PROGRAM, THE TREATMENT, THE REMEDY, and HOTEL RUBY.

Blog | Twitter @suzanne_young | Instagram @authorsuzanneyoung

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TOM DELONGE

Tom DeLonge is an award-winning American musician, producer and director best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for the platinum selling rock bands Blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves. His home is San Diego, where he focuses on creating entertainment properties that bridge music, narrative and film through his multimedia company To The Stars. For the full experience of Tom’s work, visit www.tothestars.media.

Facebook | Twitter @TomDeLonge | Instagram @TomDeLonge

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GIVEAWAY

 

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Dead Lies Blog Tour: Interview + Giveaway

I'm excited today to welcome author Cybele Loening to the blog as part of the promotional tour for her newest mystery, Dead Lies. Cybele was nice enough to answer a few questions about murder mysteries, police investigation, and my personal favorite, villains, so I hope you guys enjoy the interview! Be sure and check the bottom of the post as well for all the details on a fantastic giveaway.

What’s one aspect of working her first homicide case Anna thought she was prepared for but, when she had to face it, found she wasn’t at all ready? 

How attached she would grow to the victims. When you see a dead body, it is just a physical form. You don’t see a personality there. But the moment you start delving into someone’s life, the personality starts being revealed. They become real people. Plus, you have to interact with the victim’s family, and it’s hard to ignore their pain. It moves you, and you get involved. On the up side this can make you more determined to get the bad guy. On the downside, your emotion about it can cloud your judgment.

If lead detective Jerry Kreeger was to teach a class to investigative newbies like Anna, what are a few things we might see on the syllabus he handed out? 

Do not get romantically involved with anyone involved in an active investigation, especially a member of the victim’s family. Not only could this get you fired, you could be putting yourself in danger. They are still suspects until they can be crossed off the list. Also, don’t make assumptions. A killer is more likely to be male than female, but that doesn’t mean a woman didn’t do it. Consider everyone. And someone who appears guilty (like a guy who beat his wife who turned up dead) may actually be innocent of the crime in question, so don’t jump to conclusions. It’s okay to use your instincts, but always be meticulous about looking at the evidence. This is what will tell the tale.

What’s one infamous case, real or fictional, that Anna would have loved to try her hand at solving? 

Jack the Ripper! Anna is fascinated by serial killers, and she wishes she could get into a time machine and solve the case using her knowledge of modern-day investigative techniques. But she has to give credit to crime author Patricia Cornwell, who possibly already solved the case in her book Portrait of a Killer.

One of my favorite parts of any murder mystery is the killer and trying to figure out either the who or why. Who are your top 3 fictional killers/villains? 

Is there anyone better than Hanibal Lecter? He is chillingly serene and cunning, a deadly combination. Michael Connelly’s killer in the The Poet is also incredible. I love the cat-and-mouse relationship between “the poet” and investigator. That is one of the best serial killer books ever and incidentally also stars one of the best detective characters around. I also love Harlan Coben’s “suburban thrillers” (check out Gone for Good, Promise Me) because he’s so good at making killers out of unlikely, even ordinary, people. Murder is sometimes just on the other side of “normal.”

What one word would Jerry use to describe Anna before the events of Dead Lies? Would that word change after everything that happened? 

Brash and humbled.

Thanks so much Cybele!

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DEAD LIES

Former NYPD cop Anna Valentine just landed her first homicide case: the grisly double murder of a wealthy young couple. But it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Recovering from personal tragedies, the young police office just moved with her traumatized child to the suburbs where she hoped to pursue a quiet life and heal. To complicate matters, although she’s sworn off men until she and her son are happy and whole again, Anna feels the pull of attraction to the handsome twin brother of one of the murder victims, a man who has yet to be crossed off the suspect list. Teaming up with lead detective Jerry Kreeger, a 57-year-old veteran cop who’s lonely, broke and close to burnout, Anna chases a crafty killer and ultimately exposes a family’s shocking secrets that will rock a town.

Goodreads • Amazon • B&N

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CYBELE LOENING

Becoming a novelist was a dream come true for Cybele Loening, and one that was many years in the making. Like many aspiring writers and creative types, when she completed her education, she didn’t think she could make a living doing what she loved. So, she took a job that was related to writing but not actually writing: She became an editor. She loved editing but never gave up her dream of writing a novel someday.

It wasn’t until she was in her late thirties that she finally realized “someday” was right now. After many years of working in Corporate America, she was burned out of her job and exhausted by city living. She realized she was giving her best energy to a career and life that no longer fit. So, she took a huge leap of faith and quit her job to write full-time. The book she began writing eventually became Dead Lies.

Quitting her job was a scary step, but it changed her life. Tapping away at her keyboard, she realized she was happier than she had been in a while. She felt creative and energized again and was thrilled to have discovered her passion, her life’s work.

That one brave step into the unknown led to other wonderful changes in her life. For years she had dreamed of living in the country, so she began renting a cottage in Litchfield County, Connecticut, to see how it felt. She never looked back. And it was in this idyllic place that she met her soul mate and now husband, the life and business coach, Brooke Loening. They married a few years later, and together they renovated a home in which they now both live and work.

Spending her days writing and living in a place she loves, she has found bliss she never thought possible.

A spiritual seeker and lover of all of life’s mysteries, Cybele is hard at work on the next book in the Anna Valentine Detective Series and a memoir. She is also a blogger with a global mission: to help women achieve their dreams and live their very best lives.

Dead Lies Website • Facebook • Twitter • Pinterest

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GIVEAWAY

Up for grabs today is 5 audiobook copies of DEAD LIES (through Audible). To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open internationally.

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Havoc Rising Blog Tour: Greek Mythology Trivia + A Giveaway!

Today I'm super excited to be a part of the blog tour for Havoc Rising, the latest release from author Brian S. Leon. Those of you who read this blog with any frequency know I've always been fascinated by Greek mythology and love learning new and fun things, so I asked Mr. Leon to share some interesting trivia tidbits he discovered during his research for Havoc Rising. You never know when you're going to need to blurt out a random fact about Diomedes, Achilles, or Medea at a social gathering (am I right?), so now you'll all be prepared!

GREEK MYTHOLOGY PARTY LINES

• There is a group of people in what is now Iran that trace their ancestral roots back to a race of people called the Medes. The Medes were said to have been historically founded by Medus, the sole surviving son of Medea, the powerful mythical witch and villain of Havoc Rising.
• The greatest wars before Troy were the War of the Epigoni and the Seven Against Thebes before that. Little is known about them because almost everything written about them has been lost. We do know that Diomedes’ father, Tydeus, fought and died in the Seven Against Thebes campaign. And as an early teenager Diomedes and the other sons of the Seven avenged their fathers and won the war they began. Diomedes’ fame as a soldier began there.
• Diomedes is the only mortal Greek hero to ever wound a God in combat. He wounded not just Ares, but also Aphrodite. He even went after Apollo but was blinded. He was helped by Athena who granted him the ability to distinguish Ares on the battlefield and gave him greater strength and agility as well.
• Diomedes is the only mortal every to see Athena in her true form. Even Odysseus, whom she also favored, saw her as a young maid.
• In the Iliad, Homer never says Achilles is immortal, or is anything other than a highly skilled but egotistical warrior. And he is killed by an arrow, likely to his torso. The legends about his immortality gained from being dipped in the River Styx or having Ambrosia burned from his body came about over 800 years after Homer.
• Some of the oldest vampire myths come from Ancient Greece. Lamia and Empusas were both demons that feasted on human blood and predate the traditional Eastern European myths by centuries.
• The titan Prometheus was sentenced to his fate of being chained up and having his liver eaten by a giant eagle every day only to have it regenerate as punishment for tricking Zeus and giving fire to mankind as a tool. Heracles (Hercules) broke the chain, which could only be broken by someone with truly altruistic intentions, and freed him.
• Croesus, the King of Lydia was considered to be the wealthiest king in the world during his reign. When the Persians attacked, he prayed to Apollo for help and the god saved him. The God of the Sun also took the King’s fabled fortune, the Karun Treasure, and set it in perpetual motion so that it could never be found. The treasure is the origin of the phrase “Rich as Croesus.”
• The witch Medea, and one time wife of Jason of Argonaut fame, was also a high priestess for Hecate. She used magic to influence one of the Argonauts to defeat the bronze giant Talos and also helped them beat the dragon toothed warriors called Spartoi when recovering the Golden Fleece by telling Jason how.
• Because Diomedes injures Aphrodite and nearly kills her mortal son Aeneus, she curses him by having his wife turn against him. She convinces her many lovers to attack Diomedes every time he tries to return home, so he never sees his family again. Instead he heads to what is now Italy and disappears from history.
• Achilles had a magical spear called the Pelian Spear that he inherited from his father (Peleus) and a mythical shield and cuirass, both made by Hephaestus. The spear was said to be able to penetrate anything.
• Diomedes was said to have had a magical cuirass made by Hephaestus, the only other Achaean warrior other than Achilles to be so equipped.
• Diomedes’ father, Tydeus, was considered the greatest warrior of his age (pre-Trojan War) and was highly favored by Athena. She was said to have offered him immortality because of his skills and honor but rescinded the offer upon finding him eating the brain of a victim. Tydeus was mortally wounded and Athena chose to let him die. Legend says Athena made the same offer to Diomedes after the Trojan War for the same reasons.
• Strixes are gigantic flesh eating black owl-like creatures that guarded Tartarus. Legend says they were cursed to their form for cannibalism and had talons like steel.
• As a suitor of Helen, like the other Greek kings involved in the Trojan War, Diomedes was honor bound by the Oath of Tynadareus to protect the man chosen by her in the event of any wrong done against him with regard to their marriage.

Thanks so much for sharing Brian!

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HAVOC RISING

Eternal life. Eternal battle.

Steve—Diomedes Tydides to his Trojan War buddies—just had a bad day on his charter fishing boat in San Diego, but when the goddess Athena calls on her faithful warrior for another secret mission, he’s ready. The bomb that exploded inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art isn’t the crime American authorities think it is. Someone also stole the Cup of Jamshid, and Diomedes knows its fortune-telling abilities won’t be used for anything benign.

Though Diomedes recovers the Cup from a determined shaman holed up beneath Central Park, when he finds his allies slain and the Cup taken once more, he knows he’s up against a truly powerful enemy. Over a millennium has passed since Diomedes last contended with Medea of Colchis, deranged wife of Jason the Argonaut, but neither her madness nor her devotion to Hecate, goddess of witchcraft, has waned, and she intends to use the Cup of Jamshid to release across the world a dark brand of chaos unseen in human history.

Immortal since the Trojan War, Diomedes must once again fight for mortals he understands less and less, against a divine evil he may never truly defeat.

Amazon • B&N • iBooks • GooglePlay

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BRIAN S. LEON

Brian S. Leon is truly a jack of all trades and a master of none. He writes just to do something with all the useless degrees and skills he’s accumulated over the years. Most of them have no practical application in civilized society, anyway. His interests include mythology and fishing, in pursuit of which he has explored jungles and museums, oceans and seas all over the world.

His credentials include an undergraduate degree from the University of Miami and a master’s degree from San Diego State University, plus extensive postgraduate work in evolutionary biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he studied animals most people aren’t even aware exist and theories no one really cares about anyway.

Over his varied career, Brian’s articles have been published in academic journals and popular magazines that most normal people would never read. They can be found in The American Society of Primatologists, the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Proceedings of the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the like.

His more mainstream work came as an editor for Marlin and FlyFishing in Salt Waters magazines, where he published articles about fishing and fishing techniques around the world. He won a Charlie Award in 2004 from the Florida Magazine Association for Best Editorial, and several of his photographs have appeared on a number of magazine covers—almost an achievement of note, if they weren’t all fishing magazines.

Always a picky reader, Mr. Leon enjoys stories by classical masters like Homer and Jules Verne as well as modern writers like J.R.R. Tolkien, David Morrell and Jim Butcher. These books, in combination with an inordinate amount of free time, inspired him to come up with tales of his own.
Brian currently resides in San Diego, California.

Website • Facebook • Twitter

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The Secret Sister Blog Tour: Interview + Giveaway

I'm so pleased today to have author Brenda Novak stopping by the blog to answer a few questions about her upcoming release, The Secret Sister. Brenda was a new-to-me author until a couple months ago (FAIL!) when I participated in a tour for This Heart of Mine, the latest in her Whiskey Creek series. I fell madly (madly!!!!!) in love with that book, so I'm super excited to be a part of the promotional tour for The Secret Sister as Brenda now has another adoring fan in me. Welcome to Supernatural Snark Brenda!

To help us get to know Maisey a bit better, let’s take a look at her bookshelves. What are 3 books that sit on her shelf of favorites?

Maisey writes children's book, so she would have a collection of the children's books that've inspired her the most: LOVE YOU FOREVER, THE GIVING TREE, THE POLAR EXPRESS, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR, GOODNIGHT MOON, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, the Harry Potter series and HOLES.

If Maisey could ask you one question about why you wrote her family the way you did, what do you think she would most want to know?

Hmm...this is tough because I didn't write the story; Maisey did. This is all coming from her, so it's her thoughts, her feelings, her perspective. She's the one who struggles with her controlling mother and her substance-abusing brother. She also misses the father that was so nurturing to her growing up and provided her with a firm foundation amidst the confusion and pain.

Let’s say that tomorrow you find a box of photographs that hints at a family secret as Maisey does, which one character (aside from Sherlock Holmes) from a piece of fiction would you most like to recruit to help you unravel the mystery?

If I had a mystery to solve, I think I'll have to go with Thomas Magnum from Magnum P.I. Why? Tom Selleck is still hot. LOL (And Maisey has her own hot guy living next door, so why shouldn't I have one to help me, too?)

If you were to create a time capsule for future generations of your family, what are a few of the items you would include to help them get a feel for who you were?

In a time capsule, I would put pictures of my family. They mean the most to me (I have five kids). I would also put my favorite books--JANE EYRE, PRIDE & PREJUDICE, THE SECRET GARDEN, GONE WITH THE WIND, THE THORNBIRDS, OUTLANDER, EYE OF THE NEEDLE, SHOGUN, FOREVER AMBER, THE ALIENIST, A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE, the early books by Kathleen Woodiwiss, several Susan Elizabeth Phillips titles, several of Sandra Brown's titles and many of the Stephanie Plum series (I would add more but you didn't say how big this time capsule could be--LOL). I would then probably include the awards I'm most proud to have received--like the Silver Bullet Award from the International Thriller's Association, which I was awarded for my efforts to raise money for diabetes research over the years. After that, I'd put in a few things that mean a lot to me because they represent milestones in a career I have thoroughly enjoyed (like the pin I will receive this summer for having written 50 books for Harlequin). And last, but not least, I would include some of my journals to show my thoughts and feelings and what I have learned as I progress through life.

If The Secret Sister was to be made into a movie, how would the tagline on the promotional poster read?

Tagline: Did she once have a sister? Has her mother lied all these years? Why?

Thanks so much for answering my questions Brenda!

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THE SECRET SISTER

After a painful divorce, Maisey Lazarow returns to Fairham, the small island off the North Carolina coast where she grew up. She goes there to heal—and to help her brother, Keith, a deeply troubled man who's asked her to come home. But she refuses to stay in the family house. The last person she wants to see is the wealthy, controlling mother she escaped years ago.

Instead, she finds herself living next door to someone else she'd prefer to avoid—Rafe Romero, the wild, reckless boy to whom she lost her virginity at sixteen. He's back on the island, and to her surprise, he's raising a young daughter alone. Maisey's still attracted to him, but her heart's too broken to risk…

Then something even more disturbing happens. She discovers a box of photographs that evoke distant memories of a little girl, a child Keith remembers, too. Maisey believes the girl must've been their sister, but their mother claims there was no sister.

Maisey's convinced that child existed. So where is she now?

Goodreads • Amazon • B&N

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BRENDA NOVAK

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak has penned over 45 novels. A two-time Rita nominee, she's won The National Reader's Choice, The Bookseller's Best, The Bookbuyer's Best and many other awards. She runs an annual online auction for diabetes research every May at www.brendanovak.com. To date, she’s raised over $2 million. Brenda considers herself lucky to be a mother of five and married to the love of her life.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

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GIVEAWAY

Up for grabs today are 5 copies of The Secret Sister! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US/CA only.

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TOUR SCHEDULE:

July 27

Supernatural Snark – Interview

Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf - Review

July 28

Savings in Seconds – Review

Girl of 1000 Wonders – Review

July 29

Her Book Thoughts – Review

All Romance Reader – Review

July 30

Maine Book Momma – Review

Jael’s Reviews – Review

July 31

The Desert Bibliophile – Review

Melina’s Book Blog – Review

Aug. 3

Maureen’s Books – Review

Rainy Day Ramblings – Review

Aug. 4

Paperrdolls – Review

Remember the Books – Review

Aug. 5

The Avid Book Collector – Review

Candace’s Book Blog – Review

Aug. 6

Actin’ Up With Books – Review

Talk Supe – Review & Guest Post

Aug. 7

Brooke Blogs – Review

Every Free Chance – Review

 

All We Have Is Now Blog Tour + Giveaway

Today I'm thrilled to be a part of the promotional tour for Lisa Schroeder's All We Have Is Now, an upcoming release that sees all of humanity on the edge of extinction as an asteroid speeds toward Earth. Yikes. In that vein, the participating bloggers have been asked to answer the following question:

Make-A-Wish-for-the-Apocalypse- There’s just a little over 24 hours until a meteor is scheduled to hit the US. What do you wish for?

Let me just start out by saying this is a super depressing topic to have to think about. If I only had 24 hours I would probably spend the first five, okay twenty, crying like a little girl. I'm not ashamed to admit it. THERE'S SO MUCH I STILL WANT TO DO, 24 HOURS IS NOT ENOUGH TIME!!!

I would of course pounce on my family and profess my undying love for them, that's a given, so I'm going to focus on a bookish wish. Like the top 3 books I would squeeze to my bosom in a literal death grip wishing and willing them to make it through to the other side with me.

The below are books I've read an embarrassing number of times because they just make me happy for one reason or another. And if I'm facing my imminent demise, then I definitely want to go down with a smile on my face.

HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE by Jeaniene Frost

Confession: I used to buy into the stigma attached to romance novels, believing they were all heavy on the smut and light on the plot and character development. Then I met Cat. And Bones. AND HOW WRONG I WAS EVERYONE! *smacks self upside the head* Though Jeaniene Frost straddles the paranormal romance/urban fantasy line, she knows how to write a swoon-worthy hero, and she wrote such a memorable sex scene in book two of this series that the chapter number containing that scene actually became it's own verb. Everyone wants to be Chapter 32'd by Bones ;-)

I've read this book so many times I had to buy a second physical copy of it because the spine of the first one finally gave out. *pats self on back for being a reading machine*

KISS OF SNOW by Nalini Singh

Oh look, another romance novel ;-) Romance, whether adult or YA, is my favorite thing ever, so when Bones introduced me to the genre I went a little crazy and devoured everything I could get my hands on. Shifter romances quickly became a favorite, and Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series will forever sit atop that list. We first meet Hawke and Sienna in book one (Kiss of Snow is book 10), and while they don't appear in every book in the series, we do get to follow them as their relationship gradually increases in tension over the course of several books. I nearly gave myself an ulcer waiting for this book to come out so I could finally glory in them as an actual couple. Love them.

ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins

This was one of those books I steadfastly avoided for months and months because the hype surrounding it was so huge, and it's always a little depressing when you're the one person who doesn't fall madly in love with a book everyone else seems to cherish. I finally gave in and decided to take my chances, and of course ended up fangirling all over this story and wandering around for days after reading it with a big, dopey grin on my face. It's just so darn cute, and dammit, when I'm facing the end of the world there's nothing I want more than a cute romance to accompany my shuffle off the mortal coil!

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ALL WE HAVE IS NOW

From the author of THE BRIDGE FROM ME TO YOU, a groundbreaking novel about what matters most — when time is running out.

What do you do with your last day on earth?

There are 27 hours and fifteen minutes left until an asteroid strikes North America, and, for Emerson and everyone else who didn’t leave, the world will end. But Emerson’s world already ended when she ran away from home last year. Since then she has lived on the streets, relying on her wits and her friend Vince to help her find places to sleep and food to eat.

The city’s quieter now that most people are gone, and no one seems to know what to do as the end approaches. But then Emerson and Vince meet Carl, who tells them that he has been granting people’s wishes. He gave his car away so a woman could take her son to see the ocean for the first time, and he gives Emerson and Vince all the money he has in his wallet.

Suddenly this last day seems full of possibility. Emerson and Vince can grant a lot of wishes in 27 hours — maybe even their own.

Amazon • B&N • Goodreads

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LISA SCHROEDER

 Lisa Schroeder is the author of over a dozen books for kids and teens, including the YA novels I Heart You, You Haunt Me and The Bridge From Me to You. She loves tea and cookies, flowers, family hikes, books and movies that make her laugh and cry, and sunshine. Living in Oregon, she doesn’t get nearly enough sunshine, but the hikes are amazing. You can visit her online at www.lisaschroederbooks.com on Twitter at @lisa_schroeder.

FROM THE AUTHOR:

How did the idea for ALL WE HAVE IS NOW come about?

When I was in high school, I had a leadership class where we did lots of different activities and exercises. One of the most memorable ones was when we all sat in a circle and our teacher, Mrs. Smith, said something like: “Imagine the world is going to end in 24 hours. I’d like you to share with us how you would spend those last 24 hours.” What made it so memorable was how emotional people got as they spoke of the ones they love the most, or relatives they hadn’t seen in a while and wouldn’t be able to see again. It wasn’t long before almost everyone was crying. It was strange and kind of eerie, but also wonderful, because it was such a great reminder of what matters most. Of course, the class clown, a kid named Eric, gave us all a break from our tears when it was his turn and he said something like, “I’d find a girl and we would have a fun 24 hours, and that’s all I’m gonna say.”

I’ve always been fascinated with meteors and asteroids. The one that happened over Russia in 2013 was slightly terrifying, seeming to come out of nowhere and creating a huge blast in the sky, injuring over 130 people. As I thought about writing a book that dealt with that question of – how would you spend the last 24 hours – this seemed like a unique premise to play with.

Website • Facebook • Twitter

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GIVEAWAY 

Lisa is generously giving away $40 Powells e-gift card (US) OR a signed copy of All We Have Is Now (INT) to the winner of the below Rafflecopter.  Giveaway ends August 5th.

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Review + Giveaway: Brokedown Cowboy

BROKEDOWN COWBOY
Copper Ridge #2
Maisey Yates
Contemporary Romance
368 pages
Harlequin
Available Now
Source: eARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
There are lines best friends shouldn't cross, but in Copper Ridge, Oregon, the temptation might be too much…

If practice makes perfect, Connor Garrett should be world champion of being alone. Since losing his wife he's concentrated exclusively on his family's ranch. Until his dear friend Felicity Foster needs a place to stay and Connor invites her to move in temporarily. That's what friends do—and Liss is his rock. What friends don't do? Suddenly start fantasizing about each other in their underwear. Or out of it…

Since high school, Liss has kept her raging crush in check. Another few weeks should be a breeze. But helping Connor rebuild his life only reinforces how much she longs to be a part of it. One explosive encounter, and she'll discover that getting what you always wanted can feel better than you ever dreamed…

MY THOUGHTS
Brokedown Cowboy is a romance fraught with the kind of tension that can only exist between longtime friends as they navigate the potentially treacherous waters of a shifting relationship, keeping us on edge throughout despite knowing a happily every after is awaiting us at the end. What makes this friends-to-lovers romance so successful is leading lady Liss, a woman who ensures the channels of communication between her and Connor are wide open even as she holds the full depth of her feelings back as a means of self-preservation. Where there could have been miscommunications and unnecessarily hurt feelings we find instead a woman who knows when to push Connor and when to take a step back, and we can't help but want her to have her fairytale ending with every fiber of our being.

Liss is upfront with Connor from the get-go, letting honesty serve as the foundation for their relationship and sparing us all the drama that accompanies silence or misdirection, but while she doesn't allow either of them to get away with hiding, she's unable to keep herself from throwing her heart in Connor's direction and hoping he catches it. She's careful as she can be though, as honest with herself as she is with Connor about what their relationship is and what it isn't, until she reaches the point where her careful honesty turns blunt and she starts fighting for all that she deserves. 

Connor, while not quite as strong a character as Liss, is a thoroughly enjoyable romantic hero, lost and adrift after his wife's death three years prior until Liss steps into his field of vision and blithely rips away his Jack Daniels-soaked blinders. Both Connor and Liss have a well-developed sense of humor that works its way into their everyday banter, able to laugh at the inevitable awkwardness that accompanies the change from friendship to intimacy while keeping intact what made them best friends in the first place.

The only minor drawback is the speed with which the damage caused by Connor's resistance to admit there's anything serious between is repaired, Liss granting forgiveness and exhibiting a willingness to jump back into them as a couple with an ease that's a tiny bit surprising given how careful she'd been all along. That being said though, when the man you've loved for years with no real hope of him ever being yours is standing in front of you professing his love in return, it's hard to do anything other than grab hold of what's being offered and never let go. Overall, Brokedown Cowboy is the perfect combination of sweet and sexy, with just a kiss of heartache to ensure we're emotionally invested in our couple's happiness. Ms. Yates also does a beautiful job of setting up our next romantic pair, and I can't wait to see how things unfold for Connor's younger sister Kate and his womanizing best friend Jack.

Rating: 4/5

Get Brokedown Cowboy:

Amazon • IndieBound • B&N • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • • • 

MAISEY YATES

USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit.

In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book. Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances  set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard. She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads 

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TOUR & GIVEAWAY

Up for grabs today are 5 paperback copies of Part Time Cowboy (book one!). To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US/Canada only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more tour details and the full list of participating blogs, visit CBB Book Promotions.

Review + Giveaway: This Heart of Mine

THIS HEART OF MINE
Whiskey Creek #8
Brenda Novak
Contemporary Romance
400 pages
Harlequin/Mira
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY
As the daughter of a hoarder, Phoenix Fuller had a tough childhood. So when the handsome, popular Riley Stinson became her boyfriend in high school, she finally felt as though she had something to be proud of. Phoenix was desperate not to lose him—especially once she found out she was pregnant. Yes, she might have acted a bit obsessive when he broke up with her. But she did not run down the girl he started dating next!

Unfortunately, there was no way to prove her innocence. Now, after serving her time in prison, Phoenix has been released. All she wants to do is return to Whiskey Creek and get to know her son. But Jacob's father isn't exactly welcoming.

Riley doesn't trust Phoenix, doesn't want her in Jacob's life. He is, however, ready to find someone to love. And he wants a good mother for his son. He has no idea that he's about to find both—if they can forgive the mistakes in their past…

MY THOUGHTS
Despite being a later book in the Whiskey Creek series, This Heart of Mine easily stands on its own, a heroine returning home after a seventeen-year prison sentence instantaneously winning us over with the love she has for the son she was robbed of knowing. We meet Phoenix moments before her first meeting with Jacob, and the abject terror she feels in those opening pages wraps us immediately around her little finger as we long to reach in and lend her a little of our strength. Our emotional connection to Phoenix only deepens as her story unfolds, tears springing to our eyes time and again as she struggles to find her place in a town that doesn't want her and isn't afraid to show it.

After serving seventeen years of a fifteen-year sentence thanks to the cruelty of a fellow inmate, it's easy to expect Phoenix to be one of two things: Bitter and full of resentment for those who refused to believe her side of the story, or self-loathing, her time in prison giving her a clarity as to her own faults that she might not have had otherwise. Remarkably however, we find a woman who is inordinately grateful for the chance to finally meet her son, and who wants nothing more than to build a relationship with him if he and his father will allow it. Her fear that one wrong move on her part will result in Riley forbidding her from spending time with Jacob is so thick we can hardly swallow around the lump that forms in our throats, wanting nothing more than for her have this one tiny piece of happiness.

While Phoneix's story would have been heartbreaking even should she have turned out to be bitter or self-loathing, what's especially moving about her is the fact that she genuinely doesn't expect a single kindness from anyone. She doesn't feel as though she deserves their hatred though–that would lead us to wish she would come to terms with the fact that her cruelest detractor is staring back at her in the mirror–she instead knows she's served her punishment but is also keenly aware that she's been found guilty in the court of public opinion, one whose sentencing is far more brutal. Seeing her fight an uphill battle over and over again is extraordinarily painful at times, forcing us to set the book aside as we practice our deep breathing exercises and wish violence on those who feel she hasn't yet paid in full for her supposed crime.

The only minor complaint, and it's one hugely personal in nature, is the fact that we don't get to see those who were so thoroughly convinced of Phoenix's guilt eat more than the tiniest sliver of humble pie in the end. Riley's mother in particular deserved a much larger piece, but it's hard to get too worked up about it in the midst of our relief that Phoenix is finally going to live the life she should have had seventeen years ago. A beautiful and poignant contemporary romance, This Heart of Mine guarantees a late night of reading as it's nearly impossible to put down.

Rating: 4.5/5

Find This Heart is Mine:

Goodreads • Amazon • IndieBound • B&N

• • • • • • • • • • • • 

BRENDA NOVAK

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak has penned over 45 novels. A two-time Rita nominee, she's won The National Reader's Choice, The Bookseller's Best, The Bookbuyer's Best and many other awards. She runs an annual online auction for diabetes research every May at www.brendanovak.com. To date, she’s raised over $2 million. Brenda considers herself lucky to be a mother of five and married to the love of her life.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • • • • 

TOUR + GIVEAWAY

Thanks to CBB Book Promotions and Mira, there are 5 paperback copies of This Heart of Mine up for grabs on the blog today. To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US/Canada only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to check out the full tour schedule for more reviews, spotlights and chances to win!

The Next Big YA Book Event

Today I'm thrilled to share a really amazing opportunity for aspiring YA writers: The Next Big YA Book event. The Next Big YA Book event is hosted by Hipso Media (and myself) and gives writers and lovers of all things YA a place to submit their manuscripts for a chance to win a publishing contract as well as a number of other fabulous prizes.

I'm extra excited for this event because not only am I co-hosting, but I'll be designing the cover for the winning book, and I simply can't wait to be a part of bringing the winner's story to life!

Hipso Media ran this event last year as well, so I'm going to let them give you all the details and specifics!

CALLING ALL YA AUTHORS!

If you have ever hashtagged #amwriting, #MSWL, or #IWantToBePublishedSoBadlyMyEyeballsMightPop, then pay attention.

From September 17^th through October 1^st, Hipso Media Publishing and Jenny from Supernatural Snark will be hosting the ‘Next Big YA Book Event.’

Why is this good news for #amwriters?

Here’s how the event works. Most publishers work exclusively with agents, which makes it difficult (more like close to impossible) for up-and-coming writers to get their work seen. Well, Hipso Media Publishing will be opening their doors to all YA writers who dream of traditional publication, but can’t seem to catch a break. Writers who have mountainous ideas, along with an actual mountain of rejection letters. Hipso wants to pick one of those writers, and treat them like the literary rock star they are, showering them in every publishing perk someone of their caliber deserves:

• Publishing contract with a generous royalty program
• Custom cover from Seedlings Design Studio
• CBB Book Promotions Blog Tour
• Exclusive front-page podcast on AuthorsOnTourLive, iReadBooksRadio and iHeartRadio (which gets an average of more than 1 million hits a year)
• Novel as an eBook on all major retailers – Kindle, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, around the world
• A featured post on Supernatural Snark
• Awesome book swag, and more…

Once the winning manuscript is picked, Jenny from Supernatural Snark (owner of Seedlings Design Studio) will work with the author to create a custom cover that will be sure to shout, “NEXT BIG YA BOOK”. And then she’ll do a featured post on Supernatural Snark, to make sure the world hears.

No agents, hoops, or hassles. The only criteria are that your YA manuscript be finished, you must believe it’s great, and it must not already be published somewhere else.

Here’s the link to the submissions page and contact info:
http://www.hipsomedia.com/the-next-big-ya-book/

Good luck and happy writing!

If you know anyone who loves YA fiction and dreams of becoming a published author, I hope you'll let them know about The Next Big YA Book event!