Monday, September 30, 2013

Xpresso Presents A Cover Reveal For Lost Without You by Liz Hannah


Lost Without You 
by Liz Hannah
Expected Publication: December 30 2013
Cover Design: CoverIt! Designs

Summary from Goodreads:

Grace Young thought she was a survivor - until the day her twin brother died, leaving her parents heartbroken and their relationship with Grace fractured beyond repair. Now all Grace wants is a chance to experience something of a normal life, before it's all too late. 

Going to college hundreds of miles from home seems like the right way to embrace her new found freedom, especially after years of homeschooling, but while Grace takes to her classes naturally, it's the other side of college that she's unprepared for.

The parties. The friendships. The boys. Especially one Dean Michaels, the Haven University's star soccer player. Fate throws the pair together, and their friendship starts to turn into something more. But can Grace keep the secrets of her past hidden without hurting those she's come to count on the most?

*New Adult Contemporary Romance, recommended for readers 17+ for mature situations*


Author Bio:

 Liz Hannah is a New Adult author that calls both Scotland and Australia home. Currently studying her Bachelor of Arts at university, when she’s not busy reading or writing, Liz can be found procrastinating from her studies indulging in her Pinterest habit or watching too many TV shows. Lost Without You is her debut New Adult novel. 


Giveaway – Win 2 New Adult Paperbacks
a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Wilson Mooney Series By Gretchen De La O


 
Book Description:

Beyond Eighteen Max Goldstein has been confronted by death, betrayal, and unwanted expectations. He must work to find the delicate balance of a love that has been tested and a family that has been broken. Returning to the warmth of Wilson’s arms, he finds the only place he can be truly healed. Unfortunately, teetering on the edge of losing everything he’s ever wanted, Max must make decisions that pull at his sense of responsibility and push at his desire to protect the life he’s found with Wilson. 

When Wilson Mooney is thrust into adulthood, she never expects her childhood demons to come knocking. Struggling to balance the delicate nature of her relationship with Max and the burning sting of betrayal; Wilson realizes she must dig deep within her soul to find forgiveness. Will she allow circumstances out of her control to shape her future? Or will she find the strength and maturity to go beyond eighteen and have the life she desires with the man she loves? Will Wilson and Max ever get to have their happily ever after? 

RELEASING October 2, 2013
Add it to your TBR on Goodreads

 
Book Description:

Chained by unfortunate timing and restricted by society’s expectations, every choice Wilson and Max make becomes pivotal to their future together. Eager to take their relationship to the next level, Wilson returns to Aspen with Max to celebrate her eighteenth birthday. When an uncontrollable situation leads to a split-second decision, both will be tested like never before.

 Butterflies will soar, hearts will clash, and Wilson’s relationship with Max will spin into a silken cocoon with choices that seem too impossible to overcome. Could it be…uncovering the deep ache that lays dormant in their hearts will become the real threat to their forbidden love? Or will the pressures of keeping their relationship a secret be too much to bear? 

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble 

 
Book Description:

Abandoned by her mother at the vulnerable age of eight; only to be shipped off to a boarding school in Northern California by her grandparents, Wilson Mooney, is one girl who knows what it’s like to have to grow up way too fast. Now, a month away from turning eighteen and orphaned by the death of her grandparents; she knows exactly what she wants. All it takes is a spontaneous ski trip with her narcissistic roommate to Colorado to make it a reality. 

When "he" happens to show up at a party in Aspen, Wilson becomes tangled in the powerful emotions of first love, sexual inexperience, and society’s principles. She lives a whirlwind weekend filled with newly discovered boundaries, calloused aches for a family she never had, and all the pressures of keeping their weekend together a secret. 

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

  
About the Author:

By day Gretchen teaches computers, by night she dawns the cloak of motherhood, wifehood, and authorship. She is making her way through self-publishing and is truly learning to let go with every curve and bump in the creative process. She enjoys writing about first loves and first times, in the first person. She is a firm believer that anything is possible if you set your mind to it; and what you expect out of life, always finds a way of showing up. Gretchen happily lives in Northern California with her amazing husband, their three terrific boys, her talented mother, one goofy black lab, one crazy kitty, and eight happy chickens. Even though it sounds like it, she doesn't live on a farm.

Look What Releases Tomorrow In Too Deep (The Lover’s Duet) By Selene Chardou

 

Book: In Too Deep (The Lover’s Duet)
 Author: Selene Chardou 
Genre: Romantic Suspense/New Adult
 Release Date: October 1, 2013 


In too fast… Trista Lennon-Carter received a phone call that will change her tranquil life with her husband, rock star Linx Carter, in the blink of an eye. All she knows is her brother, Trey, is either dead or being held against his will in Northern Ireland and despite him being the Demon’s Bastards’ Sergeant-at-Arms, he needs her help. In too far… To save Trey, Trista will have to take Linx back to the very place she grew up and the same place she’s wanted to escape from her entire life.

 She will also have to involve the very MC clubs she has no wish to deal with ever again. When it is a life or death situation, she would do anything to save the only family she has left. In too deep… The club life has become ingrained in Trista like a tattoo and to save her brother, she will be forced to become the person she most feared was a part of her all along: a vengeful, fearless murderer who will stop at nothing to save Trey. 

With her life and that of her husband’s at stake, will she survive the nightmare their world has become, or will it drag them back into the criminal cesspool she has finally managed to escape? The stunning conclusion to The Lovers Duet, Trista and Linx’s journey will be one of strife, hardship and beyond the boundaries of anything they have ever had to face before. Will they be able to endure or will the past and their current present tear them apart forever? 

 

Selene Chardou is a world traveler and the alter-ego of Elle Chardou. Ms. Chardou’s writing is all about hot romance and exciting times with the wild, damaged, out of control and/or the rich and famous set in the New Adult realm. She is currently working on In Too Deep, the conclusion to The Lovers Duet, and The Will To Love, book two in the Scarlet Fever Series, which chronicles the relationship of Will, the bassist of Scarlet Fever and Laurel, Syd’s BFF who fell head over heels for the hot rocker. Ms. Chardou has lived abroad in Stockholm (Sweden), Manchester (England), Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. 





Book Enthusiast Promotions

Hopeless For You by Hayden Hill Is Out! Go Out And Get It!

BLURB:

Ash Jensen, a squeaky-clean sophomore at the University of Tennessee, has a trail of baggage a mile long. She swore she'd never love again but when she finds herself interned to a yummy Canadian conservation officer that promise is tested big-time. Kade Gyllenhahl sports wild tattoos, a rebellious attitude and a fohawk to die for. He's definitely the wrong man for her and she knows it.

Kade doesn't have time for a girl like her. She's a pretentious, unreadable princess who lives her life by her parents' rules. Besides, he'll lose his job if he sleeps with Ash. Now if only he could get his mind off her.

When the two of them end up alone and isolated on a routine field trip into the woods, things get a little complicated...


EXCERPT:

"You like vodka?" Kade said.

"What?" I glanced at him uncertainly. "That's kind of an odd question. From way out in left field."

"You're half Russian." He was staring at me intensely. "You must like vodka."

"Oh, no." I returned his gaze with equal intensity. Had he felt that tingle when our hands touched, too? Our conversation was all innocent on the outside but I could sense the sexual tension seething on the inside. Neither of us broke eye contact. He wasn't sitting all that far from me. It wouldn't take much to close the gap and wrap my lips around his. "I had vodka once when I was in tenth grade. Almost threw up. Scotch is more my thing."

"Scotch? That's a man's drink."

I shrugged, but didn't break eye contact. "Not really."

"Any preferred brands?" His voice sounded deeper, more sexual. I was starting to lose myself in those eyes.

"I don't know." My voice sounded strange, too. A little breathy. "All kinds of brands. I don't like Jack Daniels, though."

"That's not even scotch. That's whiskey."

"Same thing."

Kade stood up now and edged a little closer. His eyes never left mine. "How can you not like Jack Daniels? That's, like, a Tennessee institution. They make it there, don't they?"

"They do." My heart was beating fast. "But Collier and McKeel is more my thing."

"How do you know so much about all these drinks, anyway?" he said in that deep, slow voice. "The legal age is twenty-one in Tennessee."

I knew my eyes were broadcasting sheer want. He felt it. I'm sure he did, because his eyes fed that want right back at me. "I'm a delinquent."

"You are." He took another step closer. I could hear his breathing now. Deeper. Faster. "Collier and McKeel... remind me to let you try Seagram's 83 sometime. Canadians make the best whiskey. Perfect for a delinquent like you."

"I'm actually more of a wine person. At least I used to be." We were so close now, barely a hand-span away. Those green eyes never left mine, and consumed me.

"Wine? I can see that. I'd peg you as a fan of white. You speak Sauvignon Blanc?" The way he said those French words sounded so sexy.

"I speak champagne," I said huskily. "Dom Perignon makes the most amazing Cristal. White Gold is--" I choked off the words, feeling suddenly like I was drowning, and I turned away from Kade. I couldn't hold back the sudden tears.

After all this time, something so simple as the name of a drink still affected me. I almost hoped Kade would wrap his arms around me and carry me away from the horrors of the past and save me from the guilt, but when I looked at him I saw he'd retreated to the shade again. He was sitting on the log with his arms crossed, facing away from me, staring at the river.

ABOUT HAYDEN HILL:

Hayden Hill is the author of HOPELESS FOR YOU, an upcoming New Adult contemporary romance.

When not writing, Hayden enjoys photography and travel. Hayden is known to have a weakness for a certain white chocolate cheesecake...

Author Links:
Goodreads: Hayden Hill
Facebook: Hayden Hill Books
Twitter: @HaydenHillBooks

YA Bound Presents Angus Macbain and the Island of Sleeping Kings by Angela Townsend Book Blitz


Angus MacBain
By Angela Townsend
Release Date: 09/27/13

Book Summary:

Angus MacBain is unaware that his ancestral roots hail from an ancient sect of Scottish kings. When his dying grandfather gives him a dragon pendant, thirteen-year-old Angus learns of a legacy that will take him across an ocean to the island of Iona and thrust him into a heritage he did not know he had. 

He soon discovers that his mother, whom he had believed dead, is really a seal fairy, in hiding from a dangerous enemy. To save her, Angus must undergo a perilous journey of destiny and power to battle an evil Dacian knight and those who serve him. With only his family shield and the advice of a wizened vampire hunter to protect him, Angus must navigate dangerous terrain and dark enemies, in a land where the past and the present mingle, and sleeping kings wake.


Available from:

About the Author:

Angela Townsend was born in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Missoula, Montana. As a child, Angela grew up listening to stories told by her grandparents, ancient tales and legends of faraway places. Influenced by her Irish and Scottish heritage, Angela became an avid research historian, specializing in Celtic mythology. Her gift for storytelling finally led her to a full time career in historical research and writing. A writer in local community circulations, Angela is also a published genealogical and historical resource writer who has taught numerous research seminars. Currently, Angela divides her time between writing, playing Celtic music on her fiddle, and Irish dancing. She resides on a ranch, in rural Northwestern Montana, with her two children Levi and Grant.

***Author Links***

GIVEAWAY:
One Angus MacBain necklace plus swag shown below (INT)


Book Blitz organized by:

Xpresso Presents Forever Innocent by Deanna Roy Blog Tour Stop


Forever Innocent by Deanna Roy
Publication date: October 1st 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

“Our baby died on prom night, and nothing was ever the same again.”

Corabelle doesn’t feel like any of the other college girls. On what should have been one of the happiest nights of her life, she and her boyfriend Gavin watched a nurse disconnect the ventilator from their seven-day-old baby. During the funeral two days later, Gavin walked out and never returned.

Since then, her life has been a spiral of disasters. The only thing that has helped is her ability to black out whenever the pain gets too hard to bear, a habit that has become an addiction.

When Gavin shows up in her astronomy class four years later, he is hell-bent on getting her back, insisting she forgive him. Corabelle knows she can’t resist the touch that fills the empty ache that has haunted her since he left. But if he learns what she has done, if he follows the trail back through her past, her secrets will destroy their love completely. And once again, she’ll lose the only person who always believed she was innocent.

Goodreads:

My Review

5 of 5 Forever Innocent

Forever Innocent was such a heart wrenching story that I laughed and then I cried through most of the book.The crying was in a good way because this story was so much that I just couldn't put it down. I needed to know what happened and the ending I really loved because I did not get the answers that I wanted the story ended right where it should have and I am thankful for that because a rushed ending would have sucked real bad.

Corabelle and Gavin are in love. They have everything and Cora is carrying Gavin's baby. The birth of their son Finn was the greatest gift the two of them could ask for plus their going to college together and they are going to make it work. Then tragedy hits Cora and Gavin because the baby dies. When Finn dies their world comes crashing down and Cora and Gavin retreat into themselves. Tow days after they bury Finn Gavin takes off. He tells no one where he is going and just ups and leaves Cora to deal with the death of their baby and the loss of Gavin as well.

Cora goes into the darkest of dark places and to erase and ease the pain she is feeling everyday from the loss of Gavin and their baby Finn she blacks out. No it is not the smartest thing but it is the best thing for her to do. As life goes on for Cora she has college and her friends and she does try and make it work but she still feels the pain over losing Finn and then Gavin. Then the unexpected happens and that is her senior year of college Gavin comes into her life.

Gavin is attending the same college as Cora and when he sees her everything he felt before comes back and then some and Gavin is determined to get Cora back. Gavin knows he hurt her and he is sorry but he could not deal with the grief of losing their son. But Gavin is determined to get Cora back but there are secrets that keep him wondering if he should try and get back with Cora because they could destroy their relationship before it gets off the ground. Can Cora forgive him when she has secrets as well? Will they be able to get past the bad things and start something new together?

Purchase: 
Amazon:

B&N:

AUTHOR BIO:

Deanna Roy is a sucker for romance and drama and dumps hefty amounts of both in her novels. She is also a powerful advocate for baby loss moms and has founded multiple support groups for women, from teens on up, who endure this impossible heartache. Her other novels include Baby Dust and Stella & Dane: A Honky Tonk Romance.

Author links:
Website:

Goodreads:

Facebook:

Twitter: 

Giveaway:
Grand prize giveaway
Prizes (open internationally):
a $50 gift card to any store and a lovely butterfly necklace with a USB loaded with Forever Innocent.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Xpresso Presents Choosing You By Allie Everhart Book Blitz


Choosing You by Allie Everhart
(The Jade Series #1)
Publication date: September 23rd, 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

When Jade is given a scholarship to an elite private college in Connecticut, she sees it as a chance to finally escape her painful past and get a fresh start. She’s determined to succeed and that means keeping her focus on school and not guys. But her plan falls apart her first day on campus when Garret, a rich prep school boy with swimmer abs and a perfect smile, offers to help her move in.

Jade tries to push him away, but she can’t deny her attraction to him and Garret won’t let her. Things quickly heat up between them, but then come to a sudden halt when reality hits and Jade realizes that a relationship with Garret may never be possible. He comes from a world of wealth where there are rules, including rules about who he can date. And not following those rules has consequences.

As the two of them try to overcome the obstacles working to keep them apart, Jade is confronted with another challenge. On her 19th birthday, she receives a letter that her now deceased mother wrote years ago. In it are revelations that explain her traumatic childhood but also make her question the past she’s been running from.

Goodreads:

Purchase:
On Sale For .99
Amazon:

Excerpt:

He puts his phone away. “Can I come in? I’m kind of a target out here in the hall.”

“A target for what?” I ask, moving aside to let him in.

“Girls fondling me.” A smirk crosses his face as he waits for my reaction.

“Please tell me you’re kidding. Because if you’re not, then I need to start upping the insults again to bring you back down to earth.”

He’s trying hard to keep a straight face. “You saw Ava just now. Girls just can’t help themselves. What can I say?”

I shake my head and start rummaging through my drawer for a shirt. “I can help myself. I’m completely immune to whatever you think you’ve got going on over there.” 

“Yeah, I know,” he mumbles. “You need some help?”

“Why? You think I can’t dress myself?”

He stands next to me, staring down at the open drawer. “Everything in here is black.”

“Yeah.” I close the drawer and open the one beneath it. “And everything in here is white.”

“Where are your other shirts?”

“That’s it. Well, I have a few in the closet.”

He walks over to look. “You only wear black or white?”

“Uh, yeah. Are you just getting that? You’ve seen me how many times and you’ve never noticed that?”

“Huh. I guess not.”

“It’s just easier that way. Black and white go with everything.” I take a black t-shirt from the drawer.

“You should wear purple sometime.”

I almost choke laughing. “Purple? Are you joking?”

“What’s wrong with purple?”

“I’ve never worn anything purple in my life. I’ve never even considered it. It’s one of those weird colors that old ladies wear.”

“Lots of people wear purple. And with your green eyes, you would look great in purple.”

“I hate my green eyes. The last thing I want to do is draw attention to them.”

He comes closer and lifts my chin up with his hand. “How could you hate your eyes? They’re the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. Why do you think I’m always staring at them?”

“Yeah, that’s hilarious.” I push him back. “Now get out of here so I can change. Wait in the hall. I’ll be like two seconds.”

“Jade, you know I’m not safe out there.” He says it as if he’s really in danger. “Did you see all those girls running around in towels and robes?”

I roll my eyes. “I swear. The insults are coming, my friend. So tell your ego to get ready.”

He stands there.

“You’re really not leaving? Fine. Then turn around.”

I change into my jeans and black shirt. “Okay, I’m done.” 

He inspects me. “Yeah. You definitely need some color. The black and white thing is getting old.”

“Well, I’m not planning on buying new clothes so you’ll have to get over it.” I search through my desk drawer for money. “How much are movie tickets? I haven’t been to a movie in years, so I have no clue. Six bucks? Seven?”

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s go.”

“Garret, you’re not paying.”

“You just saved me from being man-handled by Ava. That’s at least worth the price of a movie ticket. Maybe even some popcorn, too.”

Author Interview:

Why did you write Choosing You?

About a year ago I started reading some New Adult books and I liked them so much I couldn’t stop! At the time I wasn’t even considering writing my own New Adult book because I was still writing my Young Adult series, The Samantha Project, (written under a different name). That series has some romance in it and I found that I really liked writing those scenes. I liked all the emotion that came through when the main character was dealing with her conflicted feelings over the two guys in the book. So when I finished that series, just for fun, I wrote an emotion-packed scene in which a girl in college is struggling to deal with issues in her relationship with a guy as well as issues from her past. After writing that scene, I instantly connected with Jade, the main character. The story took off from there and that scene ended up being the opening scene in Choosing You. 

What else can you tell us about Choosing You that’s not in the description/blurb?

Jade and Garret take time to get to know each other in this book. There’s no insta-love. In a lot of the books I read, the guy and girl meet and are in love the next day. I didn't want that for these characters. I wanted the relationship to build over time. Jade and Garret are definitely attracted to each other from the very beginning but they’re not in love right away. They’re friends first and Jade has to learn to trust Garret before she’ll move the relationship forward. This is more like real life, but it also creates tension and anticipation for the reader which is good because it keeps the story moving forward.

Another thing to mention is that I really wanted this book/series to have a strong female as the main character. Jade is tough and resilient. She lived through a difficult childhood and came out ahead. But sometimes her tough exterior is used to hide the emotions that she needs to deal with, and that’s where Garret comes in. He’s the only person who’s able to get her to deal with things and express the emotions she tries so hard to hide.

Why did you decide to include a mystery in the book? Why not just straight romance?

I wanted to make the story run deeper than just the romance. My YA series has lots of twists and turns, suspense, conspiracies, secrets, etc. I like all that stuff. I find it fun to read about. The Jade Series doesn’t have all of that, but it has some of it. There’s a mystery that runs through the whole series that involves both Jade and Garret. And as with my other series, there are some unexpected twists and suspenseful moments.

AUTHOR BIO:

Allie Everhart writes about dating, love, and romance. She’s also a freelance writer for magazines and websites. Before freelancing, she was a book editor for a publishing company where she worked on several NYT bestselling nonfiction books. She loves to read as much as she loves to write. And when she’s not reading or writing, she’s outside running, which is when she gets her best book ideas.

Author links:
Goodreads:

Twitter:

GIVEAWAYS:
Prize (open internationally):
A 15$ Amazon Gift Card

Inkslinger Presents A Cover Reveal Fpr Far Too Tempting By Lauren Blakely


ABOUT FAR TOO TEMPTING:

Jane Black has written the break-up album of the century, earning her a Grammy, a huge legion of new fans, and the pressure to repeat her success. Sure, the heartbreak from her husband’s unconventional abandonment might have been her inspiration, but it hasn’t done her any favors in the dating department. So when Matthew Harrigan, the toughest music journalist out there, asks for an interview, Jane agrees—as long as her personal life is completely off-limits. 

British, gorgeous, and way too tempting, Matthew’s the first guy Jane’s been attracted to since her husband. As she spends more time with him and their relationship heats up, though, so does her writer’s block. How can the queen of the break-up pen the perfect follow-up when she’s seriously in love?

ABOUT LAUREN BLAKELY:

Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor, and her books have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. Like the heroine in FAR TOO TEMPTING, she thinks life should be filled with family, laughter, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs. Her novels include Caught Up In Us, Pretending He’s Mine, Playing With Her Heart, and Trophy Husband. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney.

Pre-Order Links:
AMAZON: 

BARNES AND NOBLE:

Links:
Website:

Blog:

Facebook:

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Lauren Blakely Goodreads: 

Entangled Publishing: 

Xpresso Presents Leap Of Faith By Jamie Blair Book Blitz


Leap of Faith by Jamie Blair
Published by: Simon & Schuster BfYR
Publication date: September 3rd 2013
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Can true love be built on lies? A teen on the run seeks relief and redemption in this gripping, romantic read.

Leah Kurtz has finally found a place to call home, a town where she and baby Addy can live in peace, far from the drug-infested place she grew up. Chris is one of the best parts of her new life, the only person who’s ever made her feel safe. And now that she’s found him, there’s no way she can tell the truth:

Her real name is Faith, not Leah. She’s seventeen, not nineteen. And the baby isn’t hers—Faith kidnapped her.

Faith’s history catches up with her when a cop starts asking questions and Chris’s aunt spots her picture in the newspaper. She knows it’s time to run again, but if Faith leaves, she’ll lose Chris. If Chris is in love with a lie, though, did Faith ever really have him in the first place?

Goodreads:

Purchase:
Amazon:

B&N: 


Excerpt:

After a few minutes of Chris flipping through the channels with the remote while we eat, I have to break the silence again. “How was work? Where do you work, anyway?”

“I have a glamorous job roofing houses for RJ Roofing.” He leans back and rubs his stomach. “I’ve been there a couple of years. It’s not bad. They’re good people to work for.”

“That sounds horrible to me.” 

He lifts one eyebrow.

“I’m terrified of heights. I couldn’t ever go up on a roof. Plus it has to be about a hundred and fifty degrees up there.”

He chuckles. “It is. And you come home covered in tar and dirt. But the pay’s good.”

“How long have you played the guitar?” I look down at my hands. 

I can’t stop asking questions. 

I hate that he won’t ask me his own questions even if I won’t answer them anyway. 

He stretches both arms over his head and yawns. “About five years.” 

I nod and tuck my hair back again.

“Here.” He reaches into his pocket and shoots me with a rubber band. “For your hair. It’s not going to stay behind your ears.” His smile’s easy. 

Tonight, his eyes match his dark blue shirt. I like his chin length hair down. It makes the angles of his face softer. Faint stubble has grown on his chin. No wonder I’m obsessed with him. He’s hot.

My eyes make their way back to his, and I can tell he knows what I’m thinking. I shift to peer at the TV, feeling my pulse race. I ball my hair on top of my head and wrap the rubber band around it.

“Faith,” he mumbles. 

I jerk around. “What did you say?”

“The tattoo on the back of your neck, it says hope and faith.”

I reach around with my hand, covering my tattoo. It’s a banner inside angel wings with our names on it. Hope and Faith. My sister and I got them last summer. It took me forever and five days to talk her into it. She got hers as a tramp stamp, thinking she could hide it. More people have seen hers than mine since her track pants sit low on her hips.

“Yeah.” I swallow my fight or flight instinct. “Do you have any tattoos?”

In one swift movement, he whips off his t-shirt. There, in the middle of his tan chest, beside a smear of paint, is a cross with two dates inscribed on it. One across, one down. Its intricate design has my fingers itching to touch. Instead, I crawl on my knees around the table to get a closer look.

Justified Kidnapping?

Is kidnapping ever justified?

In Leap Of Faith, the main character, Faith, kidnaps her newborn sister, Addy, in order to give her a better life. Faith’s mother is a drug addict. Faith has grown up in a neglectful and mentally abusive home, often with no food to eat. In her mind, there is no way she can let this baby grow up the same way she has. 

I was approached by a woman who had a very similar situation in her family, so the question I never expected to be asked and never even considered when writing Leap Of Faith was asked: Is it ever okay to kidnap a child from an abusive or neglectful parent?

Approaching the topic from a fictional standpoint as I had, I felt that Faith was justified in her actions, but it was illegal, so I can’t in good conscious say it’s a measure that should be taken in a real-life situation. On the other hand, a child should never be left with an abusive or neglectful caregiver. There are steps to take, authorities to involve—it might take a while and be frustrating to wait for a resolution, but kidnapping can’t actually be an option, can it? 

Is there ever a time when it’s justified? When a child you love is in danger? What are your thoughts? 

AUTHOR BIO:

Jamie Blair spent most of her teen years choreographing moves for her dance team routines, kissing boys on the couch after her mom went to bed, and pondering the mood enhancement qualities of Lemon Heads when consumed with Diet Coke. Writing under Kelli Maine, she’s the USA Today bestselling author of Taken. Leap of Faith is her debut New Adult novel.

Author links:
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Giveaway:
Prizes (open US only):
10 winners:
5 prize packages of a signed hardback, a t-shirt and a guitar pick, 
5 e-books with an autographed Leap of Faith notecard, a guitar pick and stickers

YA Bound Presents A Book Blitz For To Know Me by Marcy Blesy


To Know Me

Summary from Goodreads:

To know me is to die...

Seventeen-year-old Mae is convinced that the consequences of her poor decisions have caused the untimely deaths of her dad, sister Laura, and grandma who all die within a year, no matter how ludicrous her thoughts seem to those she loves. The solution? Run away so no one else she cares for gets hurt (even if she has to keep a GPS tracker on her phone at all times).

Desperate to earn her diploma and salvage something of her life, she transfers schools when people get too close. After switching to Woodson Prep with only two months to go until graduation, Mae keeps her goals in sight. But when she meets Ty, the "perfect boy" with his own secrets and a relentless interest in Mae, she must decide if she can stop running from the past and still protect those she loves.

Goodreads:

Buy Link:

Excerpt:

To know me is to die. I mean, to really know me, like when you know I can run for hours without so much as a water break, or that cinnamon sugar doughnuts are my weakness, or that my dad gave me a whole different name. But I don’t let people get that close. I’ve learned the hard way. Too many people die in my life. Grandma said I was only unlucky.

“It’s not your fault all those people you love die. It’s just bad luck that you’ve had to deal with grief so young. Not fair at all,” she’d said. That was right before she died on my seventeenth birthday and right after my sister Laura, my dad, and my dog Petie.

I direct Mom Number 4 toward the front door of the high school. I always get a new mom when I transfer schools. I have yet to find a school that allows a seventeen-year-old to register herself. I wanted to graduate in Ohio, but too many people started asking questions. They weren’t important questions. Just stuff like, “How come I can’t ever come over to your house?” or “Why won’t you ever talk about yourself?” or when I do, “That’s not what you told so-and-so.” I had to leave. To let people into my life isn’t an option anymore. But, there’re no worries anyone will start to ask questions here. It’s already March. That diploma is as good as mine. Then I can enroll in online college and try to salvage something of my pathetic life.

Excerpt:

“This seat taken?” I look up and into the wide smile of the Pacific Ocean. It’s Ty.

“Are you always happy?” I can’t help but ask.

“Wow, that’s a great greeting. No, I’m not actually. I’m just trying very hard. I’ve been assigned to show you around, and you keep blowing me off.”

“Consider your assignment complete. I can find my way around.”

“Have you considered that perhaps you’d fit in here a bit better if you let people talk to you? And that if you did, you weren’t such a bitch.” Oh, good, I’ve achieved bitch status, and it’s only day two. Perfect. Now everyone will leave me alone.

“Just go,” I say. The last thing I need is to get close to a boy and not just for his safety.

Excerpt:

“Is this for me?” I ask as Ty stands in the center of the clearing with a yellow rose in one hand.

“No. It’s for that grandma who’ll be passing this area in about ten minutes. I’m just practicing my delivery.” He’s so cute when he’s being sarcastic. I take the rose. In an instant I am shocked back to the day of Laura’s funeral. Everyone in her sixth grade glass brought roses to the cemetery to lay upon her grave, yellow ones, her favorite color. “Why aren’t you smiling?” Ty asks. “Did I do something wrong?”

“N…no.”

“Your hand is shaking,” he says coming over to my side. “Sit down.” He points to the picnic table. “Mae, if you don’t tell me anything I won’t ever be able to help you. I want to help you. I know what it’s like to need help. There’s a lot you don’t know about me, too. And I’m willing to tell you. It’s weird because I hardly know anything about you, but I feel like we’re a lot alike.”

“We’re nothing alike,” I say. I want to tell him. But if I do? Then what? He won’t understand. No one does.

“Is yellow not a good color for brunettes?” he jokes. I can’t help but smile. He takes the rose, breaks off the stem, and tucks it behind my ear. He leans in to smell the rose and kisses my cheek. Only the crunching of sticks from the older couple on the path stops him from reaching my lips.

About the Author:

I am a former elementary school teacher and currently run an elementary library which is the perfect job for my interests.

In October 2010 I had an essay published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Devotional Stories For Mothers. Another essay will be published in November 2013 in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just Us Girls.

In 2012 my debut picture book was released by Bronze Man Books. Am I Like My Daddy? follows the journey of a child who seeks to learn if she is anything like the dad who died when she was young.

My middle grade novel, Confessions of a Corn Kid, as well a YA short story trilogy, The Lexie and Rhett Chronicles, and To Know Me, were released direct to kindle in 2013.

I am a great eavesdropper and person profiler which proves a fabulous advantage for a writer. As my favorite shirt says, Be careful or you’ll end up in my novel.


GIVEAWAY:
2 e-book copies of To Know Me (mobi) (US)
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