Year: 2020

Camp NaNoWriMo | Update

DeAnne2 Comments

Well here we are almost at the end of July, which means almost the end of Camp NaNoWriMo and sadly I again didn’t do as well as I’d hoped.

Let’s be real, anyone who isn’t suffering from some shift in their mental health, concentration, etc during this global pandemic is extremely lucky. I’ve had a hard time concentrating on anything, in a lot of instances I’ve been able to push through, but writing has been hard.

I’ve been doing more reading and editing of my work than writing, but at least I was able to write a few thousand words. It’s better than nothing but I wish I could have gotten into the groove more.

How did everyone else do? Happy writing!

Harlequin Christmas in July Sale | $1.99 Holiday ebooks

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Harlequin is having another great sale right now and I just had to tell you all about it! Until the 28th they have 130 Christmas themed ebooks available for only $1.99, which is a savings of 40-70% off.

These prices are available on both their site and through Barnes and Noble Nook, make sure to check out the links below!

Harlequin.com | Barnes and Noble NOOK

Make sure to pick up the titles that sound good to you before the sale ends! Happy reading!

Review | Moonstruck Vol. 2 – Some Enchanted Evening

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Werewolf barista Julie and her supernatural friends try to unwind at a party, but a conniving fraternity of fairy bros has other plans for our heroes. With one of their friends trapped in the frat house and the winter solstice (a notable night of magical mischief) looming ever-closer, it’s up to the amorous werewolves and gregarious centaur to save the day.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I was hoping to love this volume as much as I loved the first volume, but couldn’t quite get there. The constant fighting between Julie and Selena. I did appreciate that Selena got called out on her behavior, but there was just a little too much. I still loved the characters (let’s be honest, Chet is the most precious being) and the art style, but overall the story just didn’t gel for me.

Obviously Julie and Selena have a lot of things to work out, but some of the constant misunderstandings and arguments just really dampened the story for me. The fairies and their storylines were cool, but felt a little disjointed and incomplete.

I’m still interested to see what comes next, but a little worried that I won’t like it if it continues in the same vein.

Happy reading!

Giveaway Reminder | 200 Follower Giveaway

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Hey everyone! Just wanted to post a quick reminder that if you haven’t already entered my giveaway to win a book of your choice from Book Depository (as long as BD ships to you) up to $15.00 – time is running out!

The rafflecopter link for the blog portion of the giveaway is below, but don’t forget that you can also enter a second giveaway on my twitter! You can enter the twitter giveaway by retweeting the giveaway tweet AND following me on twitter (if you already follow that counts of course).

Click Here to Enter!

You can enter both giveaways, but there will be two separate winners. Both giveaways will end on 7/26 and I will contact the winners at that point.

I’m super excited to be able to do this for my followers and thank each and every one of you for taking the time to like and read my content!

Happy reading!

Blitz | Inherent Fate by Alicia Anthony

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Inherent Fate
Alicia Anthony
(Blood Secrets, #3)
Publication date: July 21st 2020
Genres: Psychological, Suspense

A discarded asset stripped of her identity…

An emotionally scarred ex-agent…

An innocent life hanging in the balance…

Who would you trust if the world was out to get you?

Losing Liv Sullivan in a Bureau operation gone bad turned ex-agent Ridge McCaffrey into a broken man. So when fate reunites him with the woman he thought was dead, he’ll risk anything to make her part of his life again.

Liv Sullivan returned to the States with two goals: end the FBI’s corrupt GenLink psychic intelligence program and reclaim the life it stole from her. But when the case against GenLink exposes a threat against Ridge’s son, the cost becomes too great. Refusing to destroy more lives, she leaves Ridge, and the chance to reclaim her identity, behind.

But as a new generation of GenLink closes in, once-trusted allies become enemies, and long-buried secrets threaten.

Can Liv and Ridge end GenLink before echoes of the past destroy their future?

Inherent Fate is the compelling third installment in the Blood Secrets psychological suspense series. For fast-paced, emotionally intense story lines that keep you up past your bedtime, and intricate plots laced with romance, this award-winning series is for you.

Book 3 of 3. Series is best enjoyed in sequence.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

The unmistakable thunk of a body. The involuntary exhale of someone having the wind knocked out of them–female, if Ridge had to guess–was audible even from the window side of his hotel room.

“Christ, Evan, watch yourself.” Tony’s voice, loud and unmistakable, filtered from under the doorway as Ridge moved toward the door. “She’s not the enemy.”

Tightness gripped Ridge’s chest and he pushed the desk chair out of his way, toppling it to the floor as he brushed past.

“This was your choice, Olivia.” The words stopped him cold–the chill of the metal door handle colliding with the heat of his fingers sent a spiral of anxiety up his spine.

“You knew there’d be consequences. You can’t change your mind now. It’s too late.”

Ridge pushed the balloon of air from his lungs and rested his forehead against the faux wood veneer above the peephole. He forced reason to join the ranks of uncontrollable hope that swelled in his chest.

“No one ever said this would be easy,” Michelle continued. Only she and Tony were visible from Ridge’s fishbowl view.

“Let. Me. Go.” That voice, those words punctuated by restorative breath, stole every fiber of logic from Ridge’s body. He swung the door open and stepped into the hall.

His breath caught as he met her gaze. Real. Tangible. Here. A thump of blood rushed against his eardrums, silenced by the breath of her name sliding across his lips. “Liv.”

Author Bio:

Alicia Anthony’s first novels were illegible scribbles on the back of her truck driver father’s logbook trip tickets. Having graduated from scribbles to laptop, she now pens novels of psychological suspense in the quiet of the wee morning hours. A full-time elementary school Literacy Specialist, Alicia hopes to pass on her passion for books and writing to the students she teaches.

A two time Golden Heart® finalist and Silver Quill Award winner, Alicia finds her inspiration in exploring the dark, dusty corners of the human experience. Alicia is a graduate of Spalding University’s School of Creative & Professional Writing (MFA), Ashland University (M.Ed.) and THE Ohio State University (BA). Go Bucks! She lives in rural south-central Ohio with her amazingly patient and supportive husband, incredibly understanding teenage daughter, two dogs, three horses, a plethora of both visiting and resident barn cats, and some feral raccoons who have worn out their welcome.

When she’s not writing or teaching, Alicia loves to travel and experience new places. Connect with her on Facebook or Instagram @AliciaAnthonyBooks. She’d love to hear from you!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram


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Harlequin Christmas In July Watch Party

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I have something exciting to talk about today. Tomorrow, July 23rd, Harlequin is hosting a free Facebook Live movie watch party, featuring the book-to-movie adaptation A Very Country Christmas. The movie is based on the Harlequin Special Edition novel His Country Cinderella by Karen Rose Smith.

DATE: Thursday, July 23, 2020
START-TIME: 5:00 p.m. PST / 7:00 p.m. CST / 8:00 p.m. EST

Make sure to RSVP at HarlequinWatchParty.com to receive viewing details, a calendar reminder and a watch-party guide complete with snack, drink and décor ideas! To get the free watch party guide complete with snack, drink and Christmas décor ideas, click “Find Tickets” at HarlequinWatchParty.com to register for your free Eventbrite ticket.

Want to know more about the book? Read on:

Hold on to your Stetsons! A reliable source tells me that Zane Gunther is hiding out in Thunder Canyon. Now the tweets and texts are flying about the music legend and a certain single mom who’s having trouble making ends meet Zane came to the Montana mountain town to escape the paparazzi and a tragedy he can’t forget. But keeping a low profile seems next to impossible, especially once he falls hard for local girl Jeannette Williams. Is this cowboy looking to make a home in Thunder Canyon? Stay tuned, loyal readers, to see if Zane is getting ready to propose to the widowed waitress who’s already gaga over him by crooning a love song straight from his heart.

Purchase links | Amazon | Apple | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Harlequin.com

Award-winning author Karen Rose Smith lives in Pennsylvania and has sold over 80 novels since 1991. Her romances have made both the USA TODAY list and the Amazon Contemporary Romance Bestseller list. Believing in the power of love, she envisions herself writing relationship novels and mysteries for a long time to come! Readers can e-mail Karen at http://www.karenrosesmith.com or follow her on Twitter @karenrosesmith and on Facebook.

Happy watching and reading!

Cover Reveal | Talk Derby To Me by R.H. Tucker

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Talk Derby to Me
R.H. Tucker
Publication date: August 2020
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

As the editor-in-chief of his high school newspaper, Evan Maldonado is right on track for college next year and pursuing his dream of being a journalist. To put the finishing touch on his college applications, he’s taking an intern position with a well-known newspaper where he’ll receive a letter of recommendation from the editor. There’s just one little problem. The business intern spot he was expecting to get is taken. The only other position they have available is covering the local roller derby league.

Mari Valdez isn’t worried about getting into college. All she’s concerned with is getting through the repulsive world of high school. Sure, she has her best friend, but she still has to put up with teasing because of her multi-colored hair or bruises. The bruises are from roller derby, by the way, the only thing that Mari looks forward to. It’s been her safe haven since her world imploded.

In order to get more information on the derby league, Evan follows Mari to her practices and games. To call their friendship rocky would be an understatement, but the more Evan and Mari are together, the more they seem to connect. When Mari’s personal life boils over, she finds herself confiding in Evan. And just when everything seems to be coming together for the two, a horrible mistake may separate them for good.

Talk Derby to Me is a stand-alone, YA romance novel.

Add to Goodreads


Author Bio:

RH Tucker writes cute & edgy YA romance. He also lives in Southern California, consumes too much caffeine, eats too much pizza, and firmly believes Rocky Road is the best flavor of ice cream.

You can sign up for my newsletter for previews, excerpts, and short stories at:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter


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Blog Tour | The Lost City by Amanda Hocking | Review

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Amanda Hocking, the New York Times bestselling author of The Kanin Chronicles, returns to the magical world of the Trylle Trilogy with The Lost City, the first novel in The Omte Origins—and the final story arc in her beloved series.

The storm and the orphan

Twenty years ago, a woman sought safety from the spinning ice and darkness that descended upon a small village. She was given shelter for the night by the local innkeepers but in the morning, she disappeared—leaving behind an infant. Now nineteen, Ulla Tulin is ready to find who abandoned her as a baby or why.

The institution and the quest

Ulla knows the answers to her identity and heritage may be found at the Mimirin where scholars dedicate themselves to chronicling troll history. Granted an internship translating old documents, Ulla starts researching her own family lineage with help from her handsome and charming colleague Pan Soriano.

The runaway and the mystery

But then Ulla meets Eliana, a young girl who no memory of who she is but who possesses otherworldly abilities. When Eliana is pursued and captured by bounty hunters, Ulla and Pan find themselves wrapped up in a dangerous game where folklore and myth become very real and very deadly—but one that could lead Ulla to the answers she’s been looking for.

Buy Links | Macmillan | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

I’ve never read any of Amanda Hocking’s previous works, but I have heard of them, so when I got the chance to give this one a read I was really excited. While I know this is in the same world as some of her other books, this book definitely gave enough world building that I feel you don’t have to read the other books first. I’m sure if you read the other books first you will benefit from them, but I feel you don’t have to.

The pacing of the story was pretty good, though there were sections that certainly slowed a bit because of the info dumps that occasionally happened, but other than that it was really well paced and enjoyable. I really liked the characters as we got to know them and felt that they were well rounded. I’m definitely excited to see where this story goes.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

AMANDA HOCKING is the author of over twenty young adult novels, including the New York Times bestselling Trylle Trilogy and Kanin Chronicles. Her love of pop culture and all things paranormal influence her writing. She spends her time in Minnesota, taking care of her menagerie of pets and working on her next book.

Happy reading!

Review | My Riot by Rick Spears and Emmett Helen

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Set in the early ’90s, My Riot is about a trio of teen girls team up to form a rock band and shake off society’s expectations of what it means to be a young woman coming of age in the modern world.

1991—Val, a teenager from a conservative family, has grown up dreaming of becoming a ballerina, but recently something has changed. She’s begun feeling pressure to conform to a specific idea of beauty, body type, and a personality that just doesn’t fit.

Val meets Kat, a smart, witty girl that doesn’t take any crap off anyone. Kat introduces Val to punk rock. Along with Rudie, another new friend, the three form an all-girl punk band they ironically name The Proper Ladies.

Soon Val and her friends find themselves caught up in a movement with other girls also starting bands—also finding their voice. Collectively, these “riot grrrls” discover that their songs ring out loud and powerful, and for Val, there’s no going back.

I didn’t know what to expect going into this one, and if I had to use one word to sum it up I would say it was very raw. It really tackles a lot of things mirrored in today’s society and does not shy away from it. We follow Val who isn’t quite sure what she wants in life, she just knows that something is missing and she transforms as she goes on her journey to find out who she really wants to be. It’s something everyone goes through, but in their own way and it was great to see her victories, missteps and heartbreaks along the way.

I really enjoyed the reading experience of this one, especially watching Val grow and define herself, while battling her own internal demons. The art style perfectly fit the feel of the story and changed to fit the mood perfectly.

Happy reading!

GIVEAWAY! | 200 Follower Giveaway

DeAnne4 Comments

Hey everyone! I’m super excited because I’ve recently reached over 200 followers on the blog and for someone who is very introverted and didn’t know if people would like to read her thoughts on books – I feel blessed. I know it’s been a rough few months and many of us are feeling it, so to say thank you for visiting my little home on the internet I am excited to announce I will be holding a giveaway here on the blog (and a second one on Twitter, but we’ll talk about that a little later).

So here are the details, one person will win a book of their choice up to $15 from Book Depository. This is available internationally as long as book depository ships to you. For the blog giveaway there are a number of ways to enter, for which I’ve set up a rafflecopter.

Click Here to Enter!

Now for the twitter part – I’m holding a second giveaway (for the same prize) on twitter! You can enter both giveaways, but there will be two separate winners. You can enter the twitter giveaway by retweeting the giveaway tweet AND following me on twitter (if you already follow that counts of course).

Both giveaways will end on 7/26 and I will contact the winners at that point.

Thanks so much and happy reading!