Reading update

Hi all!

I hope you all had a great weekend! I sure did, I did lots of reading, outside in the sun! Loved it, we had some great weather this week! But know it is raining yet again. Anyway I am half way through two great books! Below the two books I am currently reading.

Books: Dark Duet ~ Kasonndra Leigh ~ promo

Title: The Dark Duet
Author: KaSonndra Leigh
Serie): A Musical Interlude #3
Publication date: June 24th 2014
Publisher: Self published
Language: English only
Genres: Contemporary, Adult, Romance
Other books in this series: see below

About Dark Duet

Family. What does that word mean?
Kindness. Generosity... Love? None of that applies to mine. 
I think we should try vicious, corrupt... Deadly. I am not an innocent.
I do not believe in fate. Revenge should have its moment to shine. I’ve been a slave to circumstance... A child of the shadows. Now, I embrace the gloom and thrive inside it.
Revenge. Love. Vengeance. Salvation. The battle inside me rages on. At least it does until one day when... I find her. I do not understand. I cannot allow myself to believe that... There is light inside the darkness. ~Nikolai Belikov

 ** This novel contains mature content. It is intended for an audience at 18+ years of age.**

So here is the beautiful cover in the third installment, Dark Duet, of the Musical Interlude series:

About Prelude (The Musical Interlude #1) 

After finishing design school six months ago, Erin Angelo left her tragic past behind in the States and started a new life in Milan, Italy. Burying the grief, silencing her demons, and living a life without any real attachments has worked well for her so far. But when Erin secures her first real job as a budding clothing designer, her controlled world is shaken to its core by the mysteriously sexy director of the local symphony.

Alek Dostov is a man who knows what he wants and how to get it. He’s successful, hot, the son of a millionaire, and women all over the world flock to see one of his performances. For Alek, Erin represents the ultimate challenge: sexy, smart, and unaffected by his charms…or so she thinks. Just like Erin, Alek avoids attachments that leave him emotionally vulnerable. But unlike Erin, his pursuit of all things pleasurable is ruthless.

Knowing how wary they both are concerning any kind of committed relationship, Alek finds a way to pursue Erin, satisfying the intense attraction between them without sacrificing the freedom they both enjoy. Sometimes the deepest passion brings out the darkest emotions. And Erin finds herself completely unprepared for the forbidden world of the young maestro and his truths and even his secrets, as she struggles to deal with her own.

Music, passion, betrayal and forbidden love spun together in one of the most romantic cities in the world.

Read my review here.

About An Aria In Venice (The Musical Interlude #1.5) 

New Adult Contemporary Romance
(Standalone)
Release Date: April 22nd, 2014

His goal…One night with the ballerina.
Her goal…To beat the player at his game.
The outcome...Something completely unexpected.

Adriana Dostov pegged Luca Martuccio from day one: gorgeous, talented, arrogant, a man who has had difficulty committing to one woman in the past. He is known in fashion circles as the player with a scandalous history. So when the girls in her ballet troupe suggest she gives up her virginity to him, she doesn't say no. But she’s not sure that a ‘yes’ is the right answer either. Yet, she can’t stop herself from making the offer... a one night stand in Venice.

Luca wanted feisty little Adriana the moment they first met - and he fully intends to have her, hence why he's agreed to accept her proposal. In the end, he'll get what he wants. No commitment. All sex.

But, as Luca discovers, there's more to the ballerina with the overbearing mother - and he can't help but care about the frightened girl behind those sad eyes.

Adriana discovers Luca isn't just walking sex on a stick - he has a wildly passionate side, a lost soul who has suffered just as much grief as her. And it could be, they're exactly what the other one needs. 

The Crescendo (The Musical Interlude, #2) 

He taught her how to walk outside the line. She taught him how to leave the past behind. In the end, fate brought them both together.

Six months ago, Erin Angelo was hired by Alek Dostov, the charismatic Maestro who hired her design firm, the same man who healed the wounds of her tragic past.

In the highly anticipated, reader requested sequel to THE PRELUDE, Alek and Erin are preparing to embrace their new life and love for music while nurturing Erin’s blossoming singing career.

But when a mysterious figure from Erin’s past walks back into her life, Alek and Erin’s belief that their love will conquer everything is put to the test. As Alek continues to struggle with the ghosts of his past and recent family troubles, Erin finds a way to reconnect with her fiancée. The couple set out on a tour of Italy, taking Alek’s music group to the next level.

But Alek’s mother, Katerina, has other plans in mind. She orders the tour manager to go along with them. Now, they will face new challenges while dealing with the pressures of their careers.

Buy the books on Amazon

Books: Rocked ~ Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliott ~ promo

Title: Rocked
Authors: Cari Quinn and Taryn Elliott
Serie(s): Lost in Oblivion #1
Publication date: April 9th 2014
Publisher: 

Synopsis ~ Samenvatting: 

Love definitely wasn’t on the setlist.

Opening for their idols on their first tour, Oblivion is living the dream. Mostly. Frustrated at being shoved out of his mediator role by their new manager, Deacon McCoy loses himself in brutal workouts. He only comes up for air long enough to refuel—and to tease the deliciously cute chef who makes him crave a lot more than what she’s offering on her serving plate.

As the child of roadie parents, Harper Pruitt has heard every pickup line twice. To her, musicians are one step above the scraps on her cutting board. All she wants is to get enough experience to run her own catering company, but Deacon and his bottomless stomach are too tempting to resist. He’s far from the typical rock star and before long, she finds herself experimenting with him, inside and out of the kitchen.

Apron – and panties – optional. When Harper sees that Deacon’s dream band with his best friends may be turning into a nightmare, she can’t walk away. Deacon’s so much more than just a peacemaker and the man behind the bass. But she has her own dreams to chase…even if she’s starting to think what she’s building with him might be the biggest one of all. You met Deacon McCoy in SEDUCED, now you can watch just how far a big man can fall.

About the authors

TARYN ELLIOTT comes from the great state of New York—upstate, thank you very much. She’s usually busy making up stories with her best friend until the wee hours of the morning, or fangirling over her favorite TV show. She falls in love with each and every one of her leading men as she writes their book, and there’s always a soundtrack to match. She loves talking to readers, so if you’d like to reach her, please visit her website: tarynelliott.com and sign up for her newsletter, or drop her a line at: taryn@tarynelliott.com.

USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR CARI QUINN saves the world one Photoshop file at a time in her job as a graphic designer. At night, she writes sexy romance, drinks a lot of coffee and plays her music way too loud. When she’s not scribbling furiously, she’s watching men’s college basketball, reading excellent books and causing trouble. Sometimes simultaneously. Visit Cari at www.cariquinn.com to sign up for her brand new newsletter, or drop her a line at:cariquinnauthor@gmail.com.

If you enjoy a little colorful fun please join our Facebook reader group, The Word Wenches.

Guestpost

Our Process How the heck do you co-write? Oh, this question makes me squirm. I’m sure some authors have a better answer—at least a more cohesive one. Because Cari and I hash out an idea over the phone usually. For HOURS. We totally get lost in an idea. Then, because we’re both of the seat-of-our-pants mentality, we take off and running inside the story and sometimes…okay, most of the time…we go off plot.

But that works for us! We’re best friends in and out of the realm of writing. We trust each other to be able to adjust and rework an idea to suit. Does Cari want to use a sledgehammer to my skull sometimes? Suuuure. But the joy of being writers that aren’t a slave to the original plot is that we sometimes find something even more exciting on a re-visit to the storyline.

We also check in with each other all the time. And more trust comes into play because when we have those a-ha moments, the other half gets even more excited about a project. Sometimes after a beating must occur. I kid…sort of. ;) All in all, Cari Quinn and I just love to jump in the sandbox that is our series of characters and play with them. All sorts of hilarious things happen. Especially to Simon Kagan from Oblivion. His story is going to be a hoot to write! So, to end this…our process is simply to trust in the story and my partner. I know Cari won’t steer me wrong and vice versa.

If you’d like to hear more about the guys from our Lost in Oblivion series, or learn about the spin off series for supporting characters coming this summer…heh. Then visit our websites and sign up for our newsletter. All sorts of fun happens in the newsletter.

Also, the WORD WENCHES on Facebook is a blast. It’s a reader group that Cari and I have cultivated. Actually more like the Wenches took on a life of their own. And man do we have fun in there. Thanks so much for having us and giving the Big Guy—aka Deacon McCoy—a chance. ROCKED was a labor of love and I think it comes through in our very first road trip with the boys of Oblivion.

My question to leave you…do you like spin-off stories? Or better yet, do you like series at all?

Books: One Broke Girl ~ Rhonda Helms ~ promo

Title: One Broke Girl
Author: Rhonda Helms
Series: Edgewood Falls #1
Publication date: April 7th 2014
Publisher: Self published.
Number of pages: 117 p.
Language: English only
Age category: New Adult

Synopsis:

Anna Parker’s life disintegrates with one phone call. Her dad’s selling their ritzy New York City condo because her Wall Street banker mom emptied their bank account and ran off with another man.

Which means Anna has to drop out of her elite college and move with Dad back to their small Ohio hometown. Anna’s determined to reclaim her life ASAP, so she’ll use the next few months to save money, help Dad get back on his feet, and find and confront her mom.

But Anna doesn’t anticipate things going so wrong. The only job she can get is working as a lunch lady in an elementary school. Their money-pit duplex is falling apart around their feet. And her dad is depressed without her mom, who’s proving hard to find.

One bright spot in the chaos is Gavin Metcalf, a kindergarten teacher she dated when they were young teens. With his easy wit and sexy smiles, he makes her forget her stresses—and the fact that her boyfriend Steven back in New York doesn’t know the truth yet about her dire circumstances. When past and present collide, Anna has to decide where her future lies…

About the author

Rhonda Helms started writing several years ago. She has a Master's degree in English and a Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing. She also edits for Carina Press (an imprint of Harlequin Publishing) and freelance edits. When she isn't writing, she likes to do amateur photography, dig her toes into the sand, read for hours at a time, and eat scads of cheese. WAY too much cheese. Rhonda lives in Northeast Ohio with her family.

Mini Interview with Rhonda Helms 

 Q: How did you come up with the idea for ONE BROKE GIRL? 
 A: I brainstormed the story in an online writing group, first looking for embarrassing/crazy/weird jobs to help me develop ideas. All I knew at that point was I wanted a heroine working a job she never thought she’d do. When someone mentioned “lunch lady,” the story started writing itself. I realized it was going to be a riches-to-rags story with potential for laughs and heartfelt moments.

Q: Who are your favorite New Adult authors? 
A: Oh man, I go through big reading spells where I devour a ton of New Adult because I can’t quit it. I love the intimacy and immediacy of the narrative. Some of my fav authors are Erin McCarthy, Lexi Ryan, Caisey Quinn, Tammara Webber, Sophie Jordan, Marilyn Brant, Samantha Young, Colleen Hoover… I could go on and on, lol.

Q: What’s your writing routine like? 
A: I’m an editor by day, so I typically write in the afternoons or early evenings after my work is done. I write 5-10 pages a day, 5 days a week when I’m in drafting mode. Because I plot out scene by scene beforehand, I can sit down and bang out the story pretty quickly.

Q: What’s next in the Edgewood Falls series? 
A: Book 2 is Natalie’s story, coming out in June. I’m working on it now, yay. Book 3 will be Bianca’s story, coming out in August. And if readers love these books as much as I do, I’ll probably write more in the series. I’m loving these so much.

Q: What’s one random/weird fact about you? 
A: Oh man, I have tons of quirks. Lol. Probably one of the biggest things is I carry at least 2-3 different lip balms on me at all times…in case I have a dry lip emergency or something, I guess. Hah. I can’t quit my lip balm.

Books: All My Restless Life To Live ~ Dee DeTarsio ~ promo

Title: All My Restless Life to Live
Author: Dee DeTarsio 
Publication date: April 29th 2013
Genres: Adult, Romance

About All My Restless Life To Live

Life is a soap opera, especially for Elle Miller, who is a TV producer. (Ellen dropped the “n” in her name in hopes of finding a better ending for herself.) When her laptop crashes, she borrows her dead dad’s computer and gets way more than she bargained for.

As Elle tries to save her career with a storyline featuring a trip through Atlantis, she takes a trip to the Emmys, and finds herself in the middle of a romance between a real doctor and a hunk who just plays one on TV. Friends, family, and clues from “the other side” all help Elle figure out the difference between living the good life . . . and living a good life.

Add on Goodreads ~ Buy At Barnes & Noble ~ Buy at Amazon

About Dee DeTarsio

Dee DeTarsio is a graduate of The Ohio State University and lives in southern California with her family. She did not teach herself to read at an early age or write stories by the time she was in kindergarten. She was still wetting the bed and playing in the can cupboard.

Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Guest post by Dee DeTarsio

Why Guys Should Read Chick Lit 

What most guys don’t know, is that women’s fiction has a lot on offer. I don’t think I’m being presumptuous about the reading habits of XYs. My husband (who has earned his title of “beditor”) wouldn’t be caught dead reading *girl* stuff, unless I convince him otherwise.

His biggest complaint is that “women sure do think a lot.” That’s right, we do. Live and learn, hombres. What can guys learn from chick lit? Lots of cool stuff. Like women think it’s sexier for guys to fill up our cars with gas, than to play bongos on our ass. (See what we did there, it’s sing-songy and rhymes so guys can easily remember it.)

It’s not like men are from Jupiter, that’s why they’re stupider . . . (though if the planet fits!) This is just an open invitation to those he-men of the universe to take a ride on the chick slide. (That sounds dirty but maybe it will help attract their attention.) There are so many smart, fun women writers, it would be great if guys would read it and weep. For extra relationship-bonus points, they can share their feelings in a bedtime book report! And they all lived happily ever after . . .

Books: Crazy For Cowboy ~ Roxy Boroughs

Title: Crazy for Cowboy
Author: Roxy Boroughs
Kind of story: Standalone
Published: 14th, April, 2012
Publisher: Baucis & Philemon
Number of pages: 198 P.
Age category: Adult
Language: English

About Crazy for Cowboy

She’s through with cowboys. But this one’s the ‘reel’ deal. Equine veterinarian, Emily Grant, has had her share of cowboys, and they always break her heart. After vowing to give them up forever, Brandon Hollister strides into her life. He’s a different kind of cowboy, one that works on the silver screen. But is he just playing the part when it comes to love? Or can this handsome hunk get past a case of mistaken identity to become the man to win Emily’s heart.

Add on Goodreads ~ Buy at Amazon

Review

This is one of those feel good books, like I have feel good movies, which I usually attend to if I am in THAT mood. This time I thought the hell, I am not going to watch the Holiday or A Cinderella story for a millionth time, I am going to read a chicklit! 

And I can surely say I don't regret it one bit! This book was funny, great and very easy to relate to. I loved that it is set in Calgary, a city I have been to, and I know the surrounding farm areas as well. The main character is a veterinarian, a strong woman, with a broken heart. Not wanting an other cowboy to break her heart, she closes herself of from men. But this one just keeps coming, and he is so different from all the cowboys she has dated.  

This makes it such an entertaining light read. Which I enjoyed immensely. The only thing that I do question, is that some elements seem to be what I imagine Texas to be, for example the accent. I haven't heard anything like that in and around Calgary. But since the author is Canadian and lives in Calgary, she probably knows a lot more about it then me.

Rating

Fun, light read, recommended to all how love a good chicklit/romance book!

Favourite quote: 

" He was as out of place as John Wayne at an Andrea Bocelli concert." 

Books: He's Come Undone ~ Theresa Weir

Title: He’s Come Undone by
Author: Theresa Weir
Publication date March 1st 2014
Publisher:  Belfry Press
Number of pages: 214 p.
Kind of story: Standalone
Language: English only
Age category: New adult

About He's Come Undone 

Penniless and behind on rent, college student and once famous child actress Ellie Barlow takes on the role of a lifetime when she’s hired by a group of young women to break the heart of the campus player who cruelly dumped them.

Transformed from slob slacker to jaw-dropping beauty, Ellie is dressed, styled, bleached and waxed, her chunky glasses exchanged for violet contacts. Along with physical prepping, she’s coached on Julian’s obsessions, which include long-distance running, Doctor Who, and J.D. Salinger.

In no time, Julian is in pursuit of his custom-made next victim, but when Ellie goes off script and begins to fall for her target, the newest broken heart in this risky game could be her own.

About Theresa Weir

Theresa Weir (a.k.a. Anne Frasier) is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-four books and numerous short stories that have spanned the genres of suspense, mystery, thriller, romantic suspense, paranormal, fantasy, and memoir.

During her award-winning career, she's written for Penguin Putnam, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins Publishers, Bantam Books/Random House, Silhouette Books, Grand Central Publishing/Hachette, and Amazon's Thomas & Mercer. Her titles have been printed in both hardcover and paperback and translated into twenty languages.

Excerpt:

Ellie I thought about taking a shower, knowing I should take a shower, but I felt this weird reluctance to wash Julian off my skin. And let's face it. I was still high from our hours together while at the same time trying not to think about never seeing him again. I didn't want to dwell on that.
The intercom buzzed. I pushed the Talk button. "Yeah?"

"It's me."

Me. Me, being him. Me, being Julian.

My heart began to pound, my mouth went dry, and my brain misfired. I took a few steps away, then I stopped and went back to the intercom on the wall. "Come on up." I pushed the button that unlocked the entry.

Seconds later I heard footsteps pounding up the metal stairs, then a weird rap on the door, more like someone had kicked it rather than knocked.

I opened it to see Julian standing there with a carryout bag between his teeth, and two coffees, one in each hand. Stepping inside, he passed one of the coffees to me, then pulled the bag from his mouth and dropped it on the counter. "Breakfast," he explained.

This was not supposed to happen.

Well, in the original version, in the revenge girls' version, this was exactly what was supposed to happen. But in my version…no.

"I don't know how you like your coffee. I have a latte and straight black."

"Latte," I said in a baffled voice.

I wasn't prepared for this. Morning after the hot sex thing. I wasn't prepared to face him. I wasn't sure I'd ever be prepared to face him after the stuff we'd done. Maybe Carmen was onto something when she said one-night stand sex was the best kind. Maybe that's why I'd been so uninhibited.

What was he doing here?

I sipped the latte, but I wasn't sure my stomach could handle anything else. I was so nervous, and I'd hardly slept—a bad combination.

"I didn't think you'd come back," I found myself saying.

His eyes were a little bloodshot, and his hair was a mess, and he needed to shave. His lips…his lips were red, and I wondered if they were as sensitive as mine were this morning. After all the kissing…

"Why'd you think that?" he asked, putting his coffee aside, removing his jacket and tossing it on a chair.

I shook my head, my heart still pounding. I've always laughed at the ways people described sex and attraction. It always seemed so corny and melodramatic. And then there was the whole physical response. The body that responded without engaging the brain.

I was experiencing that now. And it was kind of funny, but not funny. I actually felt hot all over, and especially hot and even swollen between my legs. Like if a female could have an erection then I was having one.

We were both thinking about sex—that was obvious.

"I have roommates," I said.
"Are any of them here?"
"No. But they could come home any time."
"So we should go someplace private."
"Yeah. We should."

I put my hand in his and led him to the bedroom, to the rumpled sheets spilling to the floor, a space that still smelled like warm bodies. As soon as the door clicked shut, we reached for each other, now, in the bright light of day. I tugged my T-shirt over my head, and before he could help me I stripped down to nothing, kicking my yoga pants and panties aside. Still dressed, he pushed me back on the bed, his breathing uneven.

"God, you're so beautiful," he whispered in an awe-filled voice that made me even hotter.

Books: The Princess Problem ~ Diane Darcy

Title: The Princess Problem ~ A Fairy Tale Romance
Author:  Diane Darcy
Published: 16th, May, 2013
Publisher: Self published
Kind of story: Standalone, Novella
Number of pages: 121 p.
Age category: Adult
Language: English only

About The Princess Problem

In real life, she’s given up on the fairytale ending...

After having her heart broken twice, Alicia Dayne has sworn off men, decided to concentrate on her career, and is delighted to win a lucrative contract to make a commercial for Highborn Mattresses.

She could make the most awesome fairytale commercial ever, except for Jonas Highborn, who isn’t exactly thrilled with her Princess and the Pea ideas, and really doesn’t want a prince in tights representing his company.

Though he’s trying to keep his grieving mother happy by letting her have charge of the commercial shoot, and though Alicia’s trying to keep in mind that this annoying guy is her boss for the moment, they can’t seem to keep from clashing.

My review

First of all, I have been having trouble getting those reviews written, I don't know why, since I have actually been taking notes for awhile. Which by the way is new for me, I never use to take notes in the past, but then again I didn't read as much as I do know. Another one of my problems is that I keep forgetting the characters names, not so convenient  if you are trying to write a review! Anyways let's try this again. 

I read this book on a relaxed saturday afternoon. I didn't know what I wanted to read, just found Vrolijk Hart, which I finished in about an hour, and I was craving for more shorter reads and came across this fun little novella.  And this was just the kind of story I needed at that moment. A fairy tale, well a modern fairy tale. Thinking about it, it kind of reminds me of A Cinderella story, you know the one with Hillary Duff and Chad Michael Murray, well minus the high school drama.

This is definitely not a high school story, although there are no sex scenes in this book. Yes I am just calling it as it is, it is true though, this is a clean romance story. The main character Alicia just landed her first big project, designing a promotion champagne for Highborn Mattresses. Which is cool, I like the fact that she's a hard working starter, which I can relate to easily because I am just started my first job. Even though Mrs. Highborn was just looking for a date for her son, the business was still a major player in this story. It was not just a background detail, which made the story realistic.

And of course there was the romance, the emotions growing on both sides. Alicia not being aware that he was flirting with her, which was hilarious. Also the bantering between Alicia and Jonas gave for a lot of hilarious moment throughout the book. 

My rating

All in all I must say that I have enjoyed this story very much even though it might have been a little bit cliche, at the moment it made my day! Therefore I rate this novella 4 snowflakes!  

Buy your copy here: 

Books: Chasing Wishes ~ Nadia Simonenko ~ promo

Title: Chasing Wishes
Author: Nadia Simonenko
Publication date: Winter 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult

About Chasing Wishes

 “I wish I didn’t have to go home. I wish I was someone else — someone with a future…”

For sixteen-year-old Nina Torres, it feels as if life is nothing but a dead end. Despised by her rich classmates and afraid that she’ll become just like her drug-addicted mother, Nina’s future seems to get dimmer every day.

There is one bright spot in her life though…

Sitting beside her one night, the only person in the world who cares about her makes a promise. No matter what happens — no matter how much Isaac’s wealthy family disapproves — he and his girlfriend Nina will be together forever.

Fate plays a cruel trick on Nina, though, and a visit from Child Protective Services the next morning turns Nina Torres into Irene Hartley, a woman with a future but who will never see her beloved Isaac again.

Nine years later, a blind and incredibly handsome young entrepreneur hires Irene to be his personal assistant. Terrence Radcliffe reminds her so much of Isaac that she can hardly believe her eyes, and she’s falling for him fast. Irene knows that fairy tales don’t come true, but she allows herself one last wish. She wishes that she could finally say goodbye to Isaac and let herself take a chance on Terrence.

What she doesn’t know is that Terrence is also searching for someone: a shooting star who streaked through his life nine years ago, and he won’t give up until he finds her…

Chasing Wishes is a powerful contemporary tale of lost love and wishes come true, recommended for ages 17+ due to adult content.

About Nadia Simonenko

Nadia Simonenko is a scientist and author currently living in Pennsylvania with her husband, two cats and a dog. When she isn’t writing, she develops new drug compounds and dreams about someday painting her office to look like a forest.


Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

Excerpt of Chasing Wishes

I'm sixteen and Isaac is seventeen…

I have a test in the morning tomorrow and I can’t study for it. No matter how hard I stare at the pages of my English textbook, I still can’t concentrate. My headphones don’t help because I have nothing to plug them into—they’re just a poor excuse for earplugs now that my cassette player is gone.
Nobody’s used a cassette player in over a decade, so I don’t know why Mom thought she’d get anything for it.
Even if I had earplugs, they wouldn’t help tonight. They’d block out the sounds of my mother on the living room couch with whatever ‘boyfriend’ she’s brought home this time, but I’d still know it was happening. I’d still hear the sounds in my mind—the moans, the creaking of the sofa, the sounds that no sixteen-year-old girl ever wants to hear her mother making.
I’d still know she's in the next room fucking someone who won't even remember her name in the morning.

Whoever he is—it's almost never the same man twice—she has to please him if she wants to get her next fix, and she always wants her next fix. I haven’t exactly asked any of them, but I somehow doubt the other girls at school worry about stepping on needles when they walk to the bathroom at night.

My stomach grumbles loudly, reminding me of the other reason I can’t study. My high school gives me free breakfast in the mornings, but that was it for me today. Mom took my last paycheck from the diner to pay the electricity bill, so I haven’t been able to afford lunch this week. They pay me again in three days, though. I can survive on breakfasts until then if I have to.

Mom cries out in the next room—an empty imitation of pleasure and happiness—and I feel my desk shake as the back of the sofa slams against the wall.

"She’s just doing what she has to," I whisper to myself as I close my textbook. I have to rationalize her actions to myself before I get angry, before I do something stupid like stomping in there and yelling at them to be quiet.
That would just draw her customer’s attention to me, and that’s the last thing I want. Instead, I bite my tongue and head for the window.

With quick yank on the handle and a hard shove, the window creaks open on its rusty hinges and I wriggle through it and out onto the fire escape. The rich girls at school all think that I’m trailer trash from "the Hill" in New Haven, but Mom and I actually rent the third floor of a house near the train tracks. Not a damned one of them would dare set foot in my neighborhood; they’d be too afraid that someone might see them. It’d be a stain on their pristine reputations to be suspected of maybe, just maybe, hanging out with one of us filthy poors.

Fuck all of them. Fuck every last one of them and their fake, perfect smiles and full stomachs.
I close the window behind me and climb up the fire escape to the roof. The street is empty tonight as I lie back against the gray shingles and stare up at the sky. The sky’s tinted red by the bright lights of downtown like a never-ending sunset. The late September breeze feels wonderful… I could stay up here all night.

"It’s a shame you live downtown, Nina," calls out Isaac from further up the roof behind me. "Tonight’s the peak of this week’s meteor shower and the lights are drowning it out."

I smile as he shuffles carefully down the steep roof and then plops down beside me. I should have known he’d be here. He lives more than ten miles away, but somehow he's always here when I need him.
"Yeah… not a chance," I say. "With all the streetlights, you can’t even see the stars, let alone a meteor shower."

I sigh and shake my head, and Isaac squeezes my hand comfortingly. His touch is warm and caring, and it almost makes me forget where I am. The first time he touched me last year, I nearly had a heart attack. He’s almost a year older than me and, well… I thought he was like the others—like Mom’s countless boyfriends. He isn’t. He’s the only boy at school who talks to me, the only anyone who I can call a friend, and he doesn’t care what it does to his reputation with the other rich kids.

He looks over at me and smiles, and his green eyes glitter in the dim light as if they’re holding in the punch line to a joke that I’ve been dying to hear. I feel comfortable holding Isaac’s hand now. I feel safe with him.

"If we can’t see them in the city, what if we go out into the country?" he asks after a long silence. "What if I drove us back to my mom’s house and we watched the meteor shower out there?"

I look over at him in surprise. Who is he kidding? It isn’t fair of him to ask me something like that. He already knows the answer because I’ve been to his house once before.

I’d never seen a house as magnificent as his until he invited me to his birthday party last year. He lives with his mother in an enormous, beautiful mansion built out in the woods overlooking Glen Lake, about five miles north of the city. It felt like something out of a fairy tale.

A fairy tale with an unhappy ending, though… his mother threw me out the second she saw me. She told me never to come back and yelled at Isaac after the party for inviting "the wrong kind of girl."

I’ve never felt so worthless in my entire life as when she dragged me to the door in front of everyone and pushed me out onto the porch. The other guests pretended not to watch, but I still heard the snickering.
It wasn’t Isaac’s fault but I still hated him for weeks after that all the same.
"I’m serious," he insists, rolling on his side and looking me straight in the eyes. "We’ll go straight up onto the roof like we do here. Just you, me, and two mugs of cocoa. It’ll be great."
Mom screams like a whore downstairs, and I turn away from Isaac as my face flushes with humiliation. I hate where I live. I hate who I am, where I come from and—most of all—that I’ll never, ever get away from here.
"Come on. I don’t care what my mother thinks. She doesn’t have to know," he urges, placing the palm of his hand softly against my back as I roll and face away from him. I stiffen at his touch but force myself to relax. He doesn’t understand the problem—maybe even can’t understand it. How could he? He gets to be my Isaac all the time, but I only get to be his Nina when nobody else is around.
"Promise she won’t throw me out again?" I ask, looking back over my shoulder at him.
"I promise," he answers with a smile that makes my heart skip a beat.
We carefully climb down from the roof, sneak down the fire escape, and then run together to his car parked down the block. His car is a sleek black Mercedes sedan, and when he holds the door open for me, I’m surprised that it doesn’t have the usual new car scent I’ve grown so accustomed to smelling. Instead, his car smells like pepperoni pizza.

"Oh yeah," he says with a wink, "I forgot to tell you about that part. I didn’t see you in the lunch line today so I thought you might like some dinner."

I want to slap him, hug him and cry into his shoulder at the same time. I’m starving but I feel terrible that he brought me food. I don’t want him to feel sorry for me and I never want to be a burden to him. I’d do anything to not take a slice of pizza, to pretend I’m full and happy even though I’m skin and bones, but… but it’s pizza! I haven’t eaten since breakfast and I’m salivating just from the tantalizing aroma.

"It’s okay, Nina. I’m hungry too, so dig in before I eat it all," he tells me as if reading my mind, and then he gets into the driver’s seat. His car is so quiet and smooth that I can barely tell it’s moving. My stomach grumbles loudly, antagonized by the irresistible smell wafting up from the back seat, and I finally give in and pull a slice out of the box.

"You know," I babble in between wonderful, gooey bites, "I’m eating pizza in a car worth more than everything my family owns added together and you don’t care at all. What if I spill grease on it? Shouldn’t you be flipping out on me?"

"It’s just a car, Nina," he answers with a shrug as he gets onto the highway and leaves the run-down houses of the Hill behind us. The bright lights of New Haven fade into the distance and then disappear completely as trees spring up around us.

"But it’s your car," I protest, but he only shakes his head and laughs.
"A drop or two of pizza grease isn’t going to make it catch fire or anything. Relax, Neenie… oh, and grab me a slice while you’re at it, okay?"
We stuff our faces with melted, cheesy deliciousness for the entire ride, and by the time we arrive at his house fifteen minutes later, my hunger is finally sated and my dull, throbbing headache from low blood sugar is receding. Isaac has no idea what a lifesaver he is to me.
He holds the passenger door open for me with a smile and then we sneak together through the darkness toward his house. Strategically placed spotlights light up the mansion’s granite façade and illuminate the ivy trellises affixed to the conservatory exterior, shining so brightly that the house is probably visible from across the lake.
That’s probably the point, I think as I follow Isaac around back and into the garden. It’s not about making the house pretty; it’s his mother showing off how wealthy she is.

"Shh," he whispers in the dark, ducking out of sight beneath a window and pulling me down beside him. "Mom’s still awake."

I hear footsteps inside the house and the creaking of wooden floorboards as I huddle in the grass beside Isaac. We’re sitting so close to each other as we hide from view that I can feel his breath on my cheek. His body presses against mine from shoulder to hip, and it’s doing something strange to my brain. It’s… it’s thrilling. I feel as if I’m in a spy movie or something, but I’m in it with Isaac and that makes it even better.
As his mother’s footsteps disappear off to the other end of the house, Isaac pulls away from me and the spell is broken. He’s just Isaac again and I’m just Nina. My skin feels cold now that he’s not touching me.
"This way," he whispers, waving for me to follow him. Before I know what’s happening, I’m climbing behind him up the ivy. The vines are so old that they’re as thick as tree branches, but I’m still scared as I climb higher and higher up the wall. My heart pounds in my chest as I reach the third story windows, and I gasp in terror as a vine breaks free from the wall and shifts beneath my foot.

I won’t look down, I tell myself. I just won’t look down and I’ll be okay. I’ll stay right here and wait until I’m calm and then I’ll keep climbing. Just don’t look down!
I look down and start to panic. "Give me your hand," Isaac whispers from above me. He’s already up on the roof, looking nervously down at me.
"I’m okay," I tell him, but my trembling voice gives me away. I’m scared as hell and I’m getting dizzy from vertigo.
"Nina, give me your hand," he repeats, and this time he’s not asking. His tone tells me that I’m giving him my hand and that’s that—it’s not open to debate.
I nod weakly, wipe my sweating palm on my T-shirt, and reach up toward him as I cling to the side of the house. He grabs my hand tightly, braces himself against the rain gutter with both feet, and pulls me up onto the roof beside him as if I weigh little more than feather.
"Are you okay?" he asks.
I nod back and he leaps to his feet again, grabs me by the hand and drags me reluctantly behind him higher and higher up the roof. The wind is stronger than I expected up here; one false step and we’re both just obituaries in the morning paper.
"Come on, Neenie. We’re almost there!"

Step by step, foot by foot, we finally make it to the ridge of the roof and sit together with our backs against the chimney. The warm bricks are the perfect complement to the chilly autumn breeze coming off the lake. I lean back against the chimney and my brain starts to feel fuzzy as Isaac’s arm touches mine again.
"Well shit," he suddenly swears, and then he starts to laugh. "You’re going to hate me, Nina."
"What’s wrong?" I ask, rolling my eyes at him in the dark. Me, hate him? Yeah right.
"The cocoa’s in the kitchen," he whispers embarrassedly. "I’ll go back down and…"
"Are you crazy?" I interrupt him. "No way! You’re not making that climb again in the dark."
"You sure?" he asks, and I shake my head.
"Seriously, Isaac. I’m okay. How would you climb up the ivy with mugs, anyway?"
He sighs in relief and suddenly, I understand something new and amazing about him—something I’d never realized about him before. He’d promised me cocoa, and if I still wanted it, he was going to get it even if it meant climbing back down the ivy—even if it meant stupidly risking his life over something as little and pointless as a cup of cocoa.

I… I’m not that special. He shouldn’t do that for me.
…but it makes me so happy that he would.
"Look, Neenie!" he calls out, pointing up at the clear, starry sky above us. "I knew we could see the meteor shower from out here."
He’s right—the stars are bright and beautiful above us, and the tall trees block the pink glow of New Haven from sight. I curl up against the chimney and enjoy the warmth of the bricks—and the warmth of his body pressed softly against mine—as we stare up at the sky together.

There are no car horns out here, no people shouting, no strange men in the living room with my mother… why can’t I have this instead? I don’t want the house or that ridiculous conservatory—I just want the feeling that I’m safe, the feeling that things can work out and that there'll be a happy ending someday.

I don’t want to be Nina Torres anymore. I don’t want to grow up to be like my mother.
A shooting star flashes through the sky above us and Isaac excitedly points up at it.
"There it is, the first one of the night! Make a wish," he says, but I’m way ahead of him. I’ve been making my wish for years.
I wish that I didn’t have to be scared of Mom’s customers touching me or of stepping on her needles in the dark at night. I wish that the rest of the students at school didn’t hate me—that I didn’t get knots in my stomach on the school bus every morning.

I wish I didn’t have to go home after this. I wish I could stay here with Isaac forever.
Isaac stares silently up at the sky for a long time before looking back down at me, and for a moment, he almost looks scared.
"I wished for…" he starts, but I cut him off before he can finish.
"Don’t tell me your wish or it won’t come true!"

He inches closer and smiles awkwardly before saying anything. Suddenly I realize just how quickly my heart is racing. Why does being around him do this to me? I… no, I can’t let myself think like that. I can’t let myself think about things that can never happen between us.

"It can’t come true unless I tell you," he whispers, and before I can say anything else, he kisses me.
My arms somehow find their way around him as we snuggle up together against the warmth of the chimney, and all my fears fall away. God, this is wonderful! I’ve never felt like this before, and as Isaac presses his lips to mine again, I feel a tear trickle down my cheek. Another one follows it—then another—and soon he’s holding me close as I cry in his arms. Maybe it’s not so wonderful after all. Why am I crying?

"I wished I had the guts to tell you how much I love you," he whispers in my ear.
All I can do is cling to him, kissing him over and over as tears stream down my face. I can’t make heads or tails of my feelings right now. Am I miserable or overjoyed? Both? What the hell is going on inside my head?

I love him. I can never, ever have him, but I love him to death.

"I don’t give a shit what my mother thinks or what your mom’s like, Nina," he whispers, squeezing me so tightly that I feel as if I’m going to pop. "No matter what happens—no matter where life takes us—I’m going to find you. We’ll be together and I don’t care what anyone else says."
Maybe life has something to offer after all. Maybe I’m not really doomed to end up like Mom—a drug addict, a prostitute who steals from her own fucking daughter.
Deep down inside, though, I don’t really believe it.
I wish that I could believe him, but I just don't anymore. I wish I could believe in a happily ever after, but I’d only be setting myself up for disappointment. His mother would never accept me; I’d be nothing to her but her son’s bad decision.

Tonight, though, being with Isaac is everything I could possibly want. I lay in his arms on the roof all night long as we watch the stars fall down around us.

I wish I didn’t have to go home. I wish that I was someone else—someone with a future.
Wishes only come true when you’ve made the wrong wish.
I don’t know it yet, but tomorrow morning, Child Protective Services is finally going to pay my mother a visit.
I’m going into foster care far, far away, and I’m never going to see Isaac again.

Buy it on Amazon

Books: In The Heart Of Yesterday ~ J.M. Walker

Title: In the Heart Of Yesterday
Author: J.M. Walker
Series: A Heart Story #1
Publishing date: 1st, October 2013
Publisher: Freedom Rains Press
Number of pages: 56 p.
Kind of story: Short story
Age category: Young Adult, New adult
Other stories in this series:
- In The Heart Of Now #2
- In The Heart Of Tomorrow #3
- In The Heart Of  Us #4
- Now also available in 1 book

***Note from the author: Due to the mature content and subject of abuse, this book is not intended for younger audiences***

About In The Heart Of Yesterday

Jesse Dawson is a typical seventeen year old girl. She goes to school, gets good grades, and like any other kid, just wants to fit in, blend in and survive high school.
She doesn’t talk about all the crap she has to deal with. Her mom in the hospital and a step-dad from hell.

Rave Black sweeps into her life in the middle of the school year. He’s a dark loner. The quiet kid, and fascinates Jesse. She should stay away from him, but a budding friendship slips into a bond neither of them can deny.

Rumors spread even as they share their secrets with each other.
Can Rave help Jesse learn to open up and trust, or will his personal demons consume them both?

My Review

This was a cute short story, with a lot of emotion!
I loved Rave and Jesse together. And I wanted to kick Jesse's stepfathers ass for making Jesse feel so horrible all the time. And the way he treats Jesse, just horrible!

Oh and then there is Rave oh he is so cute! This short story touched me deeply and I even cried at some point. If you want to read a great short YA story then you should really read this! The characters are really great characters, can't wait to read the next it is great!

Buy the books on Amazon

Books: Trust me? ~ The Trust me #1 ~ K.E. Osborn ~ promo

This book is for mature audiences 18+ It contains explicit language and sexual content.

Title: Trust Me?
Author: K.E. Osborn
Series: Trust me? Trilogy
Publisher: Self published
Publishing date: 7th September 2013

About Trust Me

Jenifer Taylor is content with her life, dull and boring as it is. Being absent from the dating scene means she doesn’t have to deal with the major trust issues she has with men that stem from a controlling and aggressive ex-boyfriend and an absentee father. She’s happy being alone, sharing her life with her friends and family.

When Jeni starts a typical day in the big city of Mornington Vale, California, it turns from bad to worse when she’s involved in a chain collision on her way to work.

Her world changes forever that day because she meets Aiden O’Connell, the billionaire son of Alistair O’Connell, who owns Mornington Vale’s largest financial corporation. Aiden is an up-and-coming young businessman who's ready to take on the vice presidency of his father’s company. He is the good son, and it’s imperative to Alistair that Aiden succeed and follow in his footsteps. Life for Aiden involves working hard and not much else.

After the accident, however, Aiden’s world changes as well. He finds Jeni irresistible and instantly pursues her. With some coaxing, she eventually agrees to a date, and the attraction is mutual.

Jeni finds love quickly with Aiden, but trusting him is another issue. When to trust is tested in many different ways but comes to a head when Aiden is investigated for a serious crime. As her trust issues spark, she is forced to go through a journey of self-discovery.

She must decide once and for all whether she trusts the man she loves when she’s asked the ultimate question: “Do you trust me?”

This is book one in a series of three. Book two "Love Me?" is coming November 18^th 2013.

Books: Alive ~ Megan D. Martin ~ promo



Today I am part of the alive book blitz! Enjoy reading it! It seems to be a really interesting book!

Title: Alive
Author: Megan D. Martin
Series: Crave #1
Publication date: November 22nd, 2013
Publisher: Self-published
Genres: New Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance

About Alive

Flesh-eating zombies, dirty sex, and a shattered past…
What’s more dangerous—the man who broke her heart or those trying to eat it?

Fighting to survive, Eve finds herself alone in the world after the Crave—the only parallel of her former life. On the hunt for her sister, she runs into Gage—the first and only boy to have her heart and break it.

It’s been four years and he isn’t a boy anymore, nor is he the same person he used to be. Against her better judgment, Eve agrees to stay; with him when he divulges information on a safe haven near the small town they grew up in—but that doesn’t mean she has to like it…

Returning home elicits a myriad of emotions that both Eve and Gage thought they had buried. The past and present collide and they are forced to the face bitter deceits that ruined them in the before and threaten to destroy them now…

Buy/Find the book here

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Smashwords

About Megan D Martin

Megan D. Martin is a multi-published author, mother, student and editor. In her spare time she enjoys decorating her house with strange things that do not match, playing her old school Nintendo Entertainment System, and buying fish for her many fish tanks.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Excerpt from Alive

He jerked her body forward as she struggled against his iron grip. He didn’t stop until he had her back pressed against the decaying wall of the old wooden building with her backpack scrunched painfully in between.

 “I know what you need, Eve. You need me.” White-hot heat stabbed through her body like a knife. She fought the urge to rub against him. No, don’t let him control your body like this! “You can deny it all you want. You can escape and head to Eden on your merry way. I know you know where it is. I know you don’t need some fucking tour guide.” His words were vicious, his gray eyes brighter than moments before.

“Then why won’t you let me go? Huh?” She choked the words out, hoping he didn’t notice how he affected her.

 “You don’t know what’s out there.”

Books: Beneath The Surface ~ Reluctance Series #1 ~ M.A. Stacie

Title: Beneath The Surface
Author: M.A. Stacie
Series: Reluctance book #1
Publishing date: 28th, August, 2013
Publisher: The Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing
Language: English only
Number of pages: 327 p.
Age category: Volwassenen
Other books in this series:
Behind The Scandal (Reluctance book #2)

Received an advance reading copy from: Netgalley, thanks to TWCS Publishing house, this in no way influences my honest opinion.

About Beneath The Surface

Kyran Reese is a man in control. Driven when it comes to work, focused when it comes to play. From his office to the chalk circle of the bare-knuckle boxing ring, his only thought is to win.

That thirst heightens when Dale Porter enters his life. His brother’s assistant should be off limits, but her witty comments and sarcastic comebacks have him desperate to get her between the sheets.

When Dale agrees to Kyran’s relationship stipulation of no labels she’s sucked into a whirlwind of lust, money, and underground boxing. Dale fights her growing affection, trying to hide it when the world around them spirals out of control. All too soon she realizes she can’t hide her true feelings any longer.

Has Kyran finally met his match? Could playing to win mean playing for keeps?

My review

I read this a little while ago and this story is sticking to me like glue. I find myself frequently think back to this story, especially the wickedly good ending. This is one of the best endings I have every read, it was simply perfect!

Another well done thing about this book is the cover, it is simple but fits the characters of the books perfectly, the sleeves are almost like I imagine them to be and my god who doesn't want to see a hot male body on the cover?  Also I love the jeans he is wearing, anyone know where I can get a man wearing those jeans?  The colouring and letters are also very pretty, it was the cover that sparked my interest in this book. I am so glad that I have read this because it was fabulous!

I have starting reading more romance, which left me to conclude that they always seem so alike. This also being romance surprised me pleasantly. Does it have insta-love? Yes. Enough sex? Yes. Is it only about sex and romance? Definitely NO!

I was a bit afraid that this would turn out a standard assistant-falls-for-hot-CEO story, which is was, but this had depth, great side characters that stirred up the story. Especially Kyran's brother Taylor, the mess-up, who turns out to have an addiction. How things work and are solved in the Reese family was an interesting take on. The business like attitude, and the inside view on the company is something I would have like to read more about.

My Rating

This was funny, witty, emotional, dynamic read. A great plot, relatable characters, a bit of sports attitude made this completely awesome! Therefore of course I can only give it 5 skaters!

Music

I found a song for the three main characters of this book, Kyran, his brother Taylor and Dale. They are not specifically for the whole book but they fit the characters in certain stages of the book.

Mika ~ Blame it on the girls

Taylor's song, as if it was written especially for him.

Mika ~ Pick up of the floor

Dale song (maybe a little of Kyran too)

Prodigy ~ Firestarter

Kyran's fighting music :)

Buy on Amazon

Books: Dear Adam ~ Ava Zavora ~ promo

Title: Dear Adam

Author: Ava Zavora
Publication: September 16th, 2013 (First published August 31st, 2013)
Category: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance

About Dear Adam

“You’re the more real to me than any man I’ve ever known …”

To book blogger Eden, Adam is the embodiment of every literary fantasy she’s ever had. Intelligent, wickedly funny, sexy, and attentive – he and his fascinating life seem right out of a novel. Their whirlwind relationship is so intense and all consuming that soon she can’t imagine being with anyone else.

But there’s one little thing that’s keeping Adam and Eden from their happily ever after.

 

 About Ava Zavora

In her childhood, Ava Zavora  used to ride water buffaloes and wade in swamps. When she discovered books, she would go adventuring with Anne of Green Gables, the Pevensies, Bilbo Baggins, or Alanna of Trebond. She incurred her mother's displeasure for reading too many romance novels, so she learned to hide them and read underneath covers with a flashlight late at night. Now, she travels and write dark fairy tales and romantic novels about adventurous women. And she still stays up too late reading, even though she doesn't get in trouble for it anymore.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Pinterest | Goodreads

Inspiration behind Dear Adam Movies and novels with a series of letters or emails

In Dear Adam, book blogger Eden enters a passionate online relationship with a mysterious Englishman named Adam. Although they eventually talk over the phone, their communication begins with tweets, then progresses to e-mails, chats, and texts, the modern reincarnations of the old-fashioned love letter. Because they communicate this way, Dear Adam can be characterized as an epistolary novel (one written in the form of a series of letters).

Two of my favorite movies of all time are epistolary, involving real letters or e-mails. Who hasn't seen You've Got Mail, where two rival bookstore owners unknowingly send each other flirtatious e-mails under the Internet monikers of NY152 and shopgirl?

Very different in tone but using the same device in a fantasy framework, Alex and Kate exchange letters and fall in love in The Lake House. Easy right? Wrong. She's writing from 2006, he's writing from 2004. Confession: I burst into tears at the same scene, every time I watch this movie. You know that scene - the one where she's on her knees with one hand on the mailbox post ... just watch it with a box of tissues.

An oldie but goodie is Roxanne, starring Steve Martin as a modern day Cyrano de Bergerac. Beautiful Roxanne receives letters so passionate and persuasive that she falls in love with (and takes to bed) its writer, Chris. Only Chris didn't actually pen the letters ...

I have to mention this one, because I know this is probably the number one most romantic scene of all time for many, many women. Ryan Gosling. 365 letters. 'Nuff said. 

 

Which are your favorite movies or novels featuring letters/e-mails?