Beach Reads In August Giveaway Hop! (CLOSED)

(CLOSED)

This Giveaway Hop is Hosted by Stuck In Books

Hey guys! 
 I hope you're having a great weekend!  I will be spending it in the great outdoors!  I absolutely LOVE camping and this is the first time we have gone as a family. I'm so excited!

So, on to what you're really here for! The giveaway!
Here's what's up for grabs:

PRIZES

or

One winner will receive their choice of either a paperback copy of Paper Towns by John Green or a $10 Amazon.com gift card.

RULES

Ends August 15th, 2015 (EST)

Only one winner.

You must complete the mandatory task.

No cheating.

I check entries for validity.

If you are able to receive books/gift cards from Amazon.com or The Book Depository (for INT) you are eligible to enter this giveaway.

GOOD LUCK!

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Review: The Deepest Cut by J.A. Templeton

Cover Source: GoodReads.com

Title: The Deepest Cut
Series: MacKinnon Curse #1
Author: J.A. Templeton
Version Reviewed: Finished, eBook.
Website: www.jatempleton.com
*I purchased this book myself.*

GoodReads Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Riley Williams has been able to see ghosts since the car crash that took her mother’s life and shattered her family. Guilt-ridden over the belief that she’s somehow responsible for her mom’s death, Riley is desperate to see her mother’s elusive spirit to gain her forgiveness.

When her father moves the family to Scotland so they can all start over, Riley believes her life couldn’t get worse––that is until the ghost of nineteen-year-old Ian MacKinnon catches her purposely cutting herself. An uneasy truce quickly turns into friendship, and soon Riley’s falling hard for Ian.

Riley believes her gift could help Ian end the curse that has kept him tied to the land for centuries, but that would mean letting him go forever and she’s not sure she is strong enough to do that. As if her life wasn’t complicated enough, the spirit of the woman who killed Ian returns and she’ll stop at nothing to keep Riley from helping Ian find eternal peace.

Review:
This book immediately caught my attention because it was a paranormal read and it had a main character that had a problem that I dealt with when I was younger.

As soon as I began reading, I was drawn into the story.  I didn't want to put the book down... and I rarely did.

I finished the book pretty quickly and was very pleased with it. It held my attention, had a great story, interesting characters and, although there were a few punctuation mistakes here and there, was very well written. (*Note: I wrote this review in 2012. If any changes have been made to the book since then, I am unaware.) At times, I couldn't help but compare it to Anna Dressed In Blood.

If you love stories that involve ghosts then I'm sure you will love The Deepest Cut. I cannot wait to read the next book and see where the story goes.

Rating:4 Stars.
Character: Riley & Ian.

Review: Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

Cover Source: GoodReads.com

Title: Going Too Far
Author: Jennifer Echols
Version Reviewed: Finished, Paperback.
Website: www.jennifer-echols.com
*I purchased this book myself.*

GoodReads Summary:

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far...and almost doesn't make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge -- and over....

Review:
I had seen this book reviewed on other blogs in the past and saw that it pretty much always got a good rating. I added it to my list of contemporary romances to read and was happy when I found a copy at Half-Price Books.

As soon as I began reading Going Too Far, I was hooked. I almost read the book entirely in one sitting, only stopping to make dinner and to watch one of my weekly shows.

This book got me good. It was dramatic and sexy and the characters were real and believable. It was easy to relate to them and they were very well written.

I'm really happy that I own this book because I definitely plan to read it again in the future. If you like young adult contemporary, I highly recommend reading Going Too Far.

Rating: 4 Stars.
Character: Meg & John.

Haunted Halloween: Scary Fiction!

If you would like to contribute a story for the event, please leave a comment on this post with your email address. I will contact you shortly with more details!

Thanks!

Review: life.love.beauty by Keegan Allen

Cover Source: GoodReads.com

Title: life.love.beauty

Author: Keegan Allen

Version Reviewed: Finished, Hardback

Website: www.keeganallenbook.com

*I purchased this book myself.*

GoodReads Summary:

"This book takes you on a photographic voyage through my life so far." -Keegan Allen

Keegan Allen is currently known to fans of the ABC Family hit television series, Pretty Little Liars. He has also appeared in numerous independent films and made his New York Stage debut in the acclaimed MCC production of Small Engine Repair.
Keegan was given his first camera at age nine, and began a lifelong study and pursuit of photography. life.love.beauty is a selection of photographs taken since his childhood. It's a photo journey through the life of an intensely creative soul whose expression finds various forms: in acting, in poems and stories, lyrics and music, but above all in photography. This book's content resonates in the commonality we all share on our own journeys while unveiling an inside look into a world that very few experience.
Organized into three broad groups-life, love, and beauty-the book ranges over the public and private side of Keegan Allen and his world. A child of Hollywood, whose father was also an actor and his mother a painter, Keegan roams freely through that realm, photographing his fellow actors on set, behind the scenes; and recording the amazed, gleeful, sometimes weeping fans that flock to his television and career related events.
Allen also has an eye for the anonymous and the unexpected: the woman gazing dreamily from the balcony of a run-down hotel; the rifle-toting dog walker who seems to have emerged from the 19th century; the performers and denizens of Venice Beach and also the streets of New York, some of them chasing the dream of fame, others having long-since abandoned it; the little boy amid in the crowd in an enormous airport; portraits of lovers kissing on subways, in parks, and on the streets. Traveling from California to New York to Paris and back, as well as through the American west, he finds beauty in both urban and rural places: from large-scale landscapes to glimpses of light transforming what it touches.
Keegan's poems, stories, captions and musings, song lyrics, and journal pages complement the photographs on this journey. He provides an account of growing up just off the Sunset Strip, coming into his own as an actor/artist, dealing with public recognition while maintaining a very private life, falling in and out of love, and acknowledging the influence of his family, friends, fans, and loved ones.
life.love.beauty is an unusually intimate and revealing book: a delight for anyone who values photography, and a gift for the many fans who already follow Keegan's career.
Keegan's real passion comes through in both his photographs and candid story telling in this unique photo-journal.

Review:
I can't even begin to explain how much I love this book. It was one of those books that I couldn't even order online. I had to physically purchase it. Every time I went to a store that sold books, I searched it out. But I could never find it. And then I finally got a chance to go to B&N and there it was. Sitting front row in perfect view as I walked in. Keegan Allen is amazingly talented and I really hope he puts together another of these books in the future. Its absolutely beautiful and I couldn't get enough.

I am a lover of photography. Ever since I discovered how to use a camera, I've been taking photos.  I remember having backpacks full of rolls of film that needed to be developed. Looking at photos satisfies that hunger in me just as much as taking them and Keegan Allen is a very talented photographer. His photos are beautiful, sometimes odd, and one hundred percent unique.

The photographs in this book aren't just there for viewing pleasure.  Like all good photos do, they also told a story. They told the story of Keegan's life.  Starting way back to the very first photo he ever took, his childhood, young love, the loss of his father and all the way up to his days on Pretty Little Liars and all of the good things that come with fame.  He easily captured the simple life but also shared with us some of the parts of Hollywood that most of us will never get to experience.

I found myself drawn to this book in a special kind of way.  I haven't had a book grab me and hold on quite like this one in years.  This is one that will forever be on my bookshelf, one that I will come back to many times throughout my life. 

I definitely recommend life.love.beauty and I will purchase any book that Keegan Allen comes out with in the future.

Rating: 5 Stars

Also, can I just say how awesome it is that Keegan liked my photo on Instagram??  Fangirling a little bit!

I wish I could get this book signed SO bad!

Book Haul: Anniversary Edition

So yesterday was my husband and I's fifth wedding anniversary.  Being the amazingly awesome man that he is, he took off from work early and showed up with a hardback copy of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone (I let someone borrow the one that went with my trunk years ago and they never returned it), a card (he doesn't do cards) and a giftcard for Barnes & Noble.

So, of course, the gift card that he got me was burning a hole in my pocket and I had to spend it immediately.  Here's what I got!

Looking For Alaska by John Green

I Hate My Selfie by Shane Dawson

Grey by E.L. James

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Dracula by Bram Stoker

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Looking For Alaska by John Green

Cover Source: GoodReads.com

Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.  After. Nothing is ever the same.

Cover Source: GoodReads.com

I Hate My Selfie by Shane Dawson

The book that more than 12 million YouTube subscribers have been waiting for! Shane Dawson’s memoir features twenty original essays—uncensored yet surprisingly sweet.
From his first vlog back in 2008 to his full-length film directorial debut Not Cool, Shane Dawson has been an open book when it comes to documenting his life. But behind the music video spoofs, TMI love life details, and outrageous commentary on everything the celebrity and Internet world has the nerve to dish out is a guy who grew up in a financially challenged but loving home in Long Beach, California, and who suffered all the teasing and social limitations that arise when you’re a morbidly obese kid with a pretty face, your mom is your best friend, and you can't get a date to save your life.
In I Hate Myselfie, Shane steps away from his larger-than-life Internet persona and takes us deep into the experiences of an eccentric and introverted kid, who by observing the strange world around him developed a talent that would inspire millions of fans. Intelligent, hilarious, heartbreaking, and raw, I Hate Myselfie is a collection of eighteen personal essays about how messy life can get when you’re growing up and how rewarding it can feel when the clean-up is (pretty much) done.

Cover Source: GoodReads.com

Grey by E.L. James

Christian Grey exercises control in all things; his world is neat, disciplined, and utterly empty—until the day that Anastasia Steele falls into his office, in a tangle of shapely limbs and tumbling brown hair. He tries to forget her, but instead is swept up in a storm of emotion he cannot comprehend and cannot resist. Unlike any woman he has known before, shy, unworldly Ana seems to see right through him—past the business prodigy and the penthouse lifestyle to Christian’s cold, wounded heart.
Will being with Ana dispel the horrors of his childhood that haunt Christian every night? Or will his dark sexual desires, his compulsion to control, and the self-loathing that fills his soul drive this girl away and destroy the fragile hope she offers him?

.

Cover Source: GoodReads.com

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

"It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open...""
What you create can destroy you.
One freezing morning, a lone man wandering across the arctic ice caps is rescued from starvation by a ship's captain. That man is Victor Frankenstein and his story is one of ambition, murder and revenge. As a young scientist he pushed moral boundaries in order to cross the final scientific frontier and create life. But his unnatural creation is a monster stitched together from grave-robbed body parts who has no place in the world, and his life can only lead to tragedy. Written when she was only nineteen, Shelley's gothic tale is one of the greatest horror stories ever written."

Cover Source: GoodReads.com

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Since it was first published in 1897, this infamous Gothic horror novel, which brought its author international acclaim, has spawned a global following, inspiring hundreds of films and setting the seaside town of Whitby in North Yorkshire on the map forever. A sickly child, Bram Stoker (1847 1912) developed a fascination with the supernatural during his enforced confinement. He went on to become actor Henry Irving's business manager at the Lyceum Theatre in London, yet continued to pursue his literary interests. His iconic villain takes his name from Vlad the Impaler (1431 76), also known as Vlad Dracula, whereas the vampire's appearance and powerful personality is modelled on Irving. Famous for its epistolary form, Dracula went through eleven editions during Stoker's lifetime. Succeeding generations continue to be enthralled and thrilled anew by the tale's dark terror and deeply unsettling undercurrents.

Cover Source: GoodReads.com

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.
Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.
Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.
Everything is going to change.
Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.
Remember. Survive. Run.

So there it is! My book haul from my 5th wedding anniversary! Stay tuned because I'll be giving away one of these books in the coming weeks!

Have you read any of these books?  Which one was your favorite?

Review: Recalled by Cambria Hebert

Cover Source: GoodReads.com

Title: Recalled
Author: Cambria Hebert
Series: Death Escorts #1
Version Reviewed: Finished, eBook.
Website: www.cambriahebert.com
*I borrowed this book through Kindle Unlimited.*


GoodReads Summary:
Love or Death? A simple question really. The choice seems obvious. But. What if you never knew love, what if your life was spent just trying to survive? What if you knew your fate before you were fully grown?

And then you died.
And you were given another chance. A better chance.
This new life depended upon one thing: your job. And so you agreed. You thought it would be simple. You thought it would be cut and dry.
It never is.
And now you are left holding the fate of someone else in the palm of your hand and you have to make the ultimate choice.
Love or Death?

Review:
Cambria Hebert became an auto-buy author for me a little over two years ago. I discovered her Take It Off series right before my daughter was born and she saved me from many insomnia laden nights.

Even now, her books still draw me in and I can't get enough of her writing.

Cambria's first series was a paranormal one but since I started out with the Take It Off series, this was the first non-contemporary book that I had read from her. I have to say that she rocks both genres amazingly.

I was extremely hopeful for Recalled because of my love for Cambria and also because the synopsis just sounded amazing.  I was not shocked to learn that it perfectly lived up to my expectations. The characters were really great and easy to like. They were well written and very well developed. The story itself was something I had never read before and I loved the newness of it. The whole idea of Death Escorts was really cool and very interesting.

Cambria definitely did not disappoint with this one and, after I get through some scheduled review books, I plan on going straight to Charmed.

Rating: 4 Stars.
Character: Dex.

And The Winner Is...

*This giveaway is not sponsored by S.L. Jennings. Prizes will be supplied by Rainy Days and Pajamas.*

The winner of the No Strings Attached Giveaway Hop is Vivian Vereeke. The winner has been notified and has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Review: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Cover Source: GoodReads.com

Title: The Lovely Bones
Series: 
Author: Alice Sebold
Version Reviewed: Finished, Paperback.
Website: www.alicesebold.com
*I borrowed this book from a friend.*

GoodReads Summary:

The Lovely Bones is the story of a family devastated by a gruesome murder -- a murder recounted by the teenage victim. Upsetting, you say? Remarkably, first-time novelist Alice Sebold takes this difficult material and delivers a compelling and accomplished exploration of a fractured family's need for peace and closure.
The details of the crime are laid out in the first few pages: from her vantage point in heaven, Susie Salmon describes how she was confronted by the murderer one December afternoon on her way home from school. Lured into an underground hiding place, she was raped and killed. But what the reader knows, her family does not. Anxiously, we keep vigil with Susie, aching for her grieving family, desperate for the killer to be found and punished.
Sebold creates a heaven that's calm and comforting, a place whose residents can have whatever they enjoyed when they were alive -- and then some. But Susie isn't ready to release her hold on life just yet, and she intensely watches her family and friends as they struggle to cope with a reality in which she is no longer a part. To her great credit, Sebold has shaped one of the most loving and sympathetic fathers in contemporary literature.

Review:
I saw this movie after it came out DVD and my husband told me that I was never allowed to pick out our movies again.  I knew immediately that I had to read the book.  It was so odd and different that it had to be read.

I was told that the book was a lot different compared to watching the movie but, from what I remember, it didn't seem to be that much different.

As soon as I read the first page, I was pulled into the book.  The book was pretty good but, in all honesty, I have differing thoughts about it. I really enjoyed it but, at times, I really felt like the story was drawn out and jumped around too much.

It took me quite a while to read The Lovely Bones but, afterwards, I knew that every single thing that I read meant something.

Overall, although I liked the book, I wasn't crazy about it.  I can't say that I would ever read it again in the future.

Rating: 3 Stars.
Characters: Jack, Buckley, Susie.

Giveaway & Promo: Everville: The Fall of Brackenbone by Roy Huff (Win $200!) (CLOSED)

*CLOSED*

Cover Source: GoodReads.com

Title: Everville: The Fall of Brackenbone
Author: Roy Huff
Series: Everville #4
Published: May 2015
Website: www.owensage.com

GoodReads Summary:

Two very different worlds, Easton Falls University and the magical realm of Everville are in dire need of a hero. Owen Sage embarks on an epic journey of monumental proportions to save these worlds all while fighting to keep the world within himself intact. This quest is not for the faint of heart nor is it for the weak of mind—only the bravest will succeed. Discovering the well-kept secret of The Fourth Pillar of Truth is only part of the feat. Owen will have to outwit the ever-powerful villain Governor Jahal and overcome countless other challenges along the way. Amongst all of the dragons, giants and grand chaos, will Owen's acquired skills and wisdom be enough to save both worlds or will peril be the ultimate fate of all?

 GoodReads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books In The Series

The First Pillar

Amazon | GoodReads | Barnes & Noble

The City of Worms

Amazon | GoodReads 

The Rise of Mallory

Amazon | GoodReads | Barnes & Noble

About The Author

Roy Huff is a research scientist, author, and teacher who overcame the hardship of a family plagued by severe poverty and mental illness. After graduating high school as Valedictorian a year early, he moved to Hawaii at the age of seventeen with only $100 in his pocket to start a new life.

He has since earned five degrees in four different disciplines spanning liberal arts, history, education, and geoscience. He has worked on projects such as forecasting volcanic emissions from the Kilauea Volcano and training on geostationary satellites for NASA's GOES-R Proving Ground. He has co-authored upcoming peer-reviewed research in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS), but his foray into creative writing did not occur until the age of thirty-four when he began writing a creative paper for an English class while working concurrently on his fourth and fifth degrees. That paper later became the first chapter of his first book, which grew to be an Amazon number-one international epic-fantasy bestseller. Subsequent books in the Everville series have also gone on to become bestsellers and continue to win awards for both cover art design and content.

It was the success of his Everville series that garnered the attention and management of the "Literary Lion", Peter Miller, who has represented such greats as National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize nominee, Ann Pearlman, the niece of renowned Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Alveda King, and collaborated with iconic film stars such as two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks.

Roy Huff remains an optimist. He enjoyed weathering the eye of Hurricane Hugo at the age of twelve, skydiving, and marathon running but still dreams of climbing Mt. Everest, circumnavigating the globe, traveling into space, and discovering the secrets of the universe. His interests are eclectic and range from the arts, extreme sports, economics, hard science, movies, traveling, and the outdoors. Roy Huff remains committed to promoting education, applied science, individuality, and creativity. He grew up on the East Coast, but has lived in Hawaii for more than half his life where he currently resides and creates new worlds with the stroke of his pen.

Stay tuned to Roy Huff's upcoming releases and promotions on his home page
at http://www.owensage.com and on Twitter @evervillefans

GIVEAWAYS

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Blitz: #Poser by Cambria Hebert

Title: #Poser

Series: Hashtag Series #5

Author: Cambria Hebert

Release Date: August 18, 2015

Posers gonna pose

I am a man who had nothing, but found everything.

I’ll never go back to nothing ever again.

I vowed to protect her, and that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. 

The pictures I stumbled upon haunt me still, the secret I shoulder is heavy.

They say secrets put distance between two people, but the truth is far more destructive than keeping it will ever be. 

I won’t ever tell. She can’t ever know.

When I look in the mirror my reflection is of who I’m afraid I’ll become and not the man I am. 

It makes me feel like a poser, no better than all the others pretending to be exactly who they aren’t.

How does a man keep it together when everything is unraveling right here in his hands?

I didn’t start any of this.

I never asked for it.

But it came knocking at my door. 

When secrets and threats knock, I don’t hide.

I open the door. 

Because the best way to take down a poser is to be one.

Review: The Indie Author Guide: A Self Publisher's Toolbox

Cover Source: GoodReads.com

Title: The Indie Author Guide: A Self Publisher's Toolbox
Author: Heather Hildenbrand
Version Reviewed: Finished, eBook
Website: www.heatherhildenbrand.com
*I purchased this book myself.*

GoodReads Summary:

Whether you’re an aspiring author or have been published for a year, this guide is full of information, links, and support sites that can help increase sales and streamline your business as a self-published author. This guide is not like other self-help books on publishing. It includes very specific how-to instructions along with a timeline so you also know when to implement each item. If you’re looking for vague instructions or easy banter, this guide is NOT for you. If you need a little sarcastic humor and someone in your ear telling you to get off your butt and make your dream happen, this IS the guide for you!
What’s inside:
–An extensive list of links to editors, cover artists, formatters, and bloggers is included.
–Marketing, blog tours, release day blitzes
–Formatting, cover art and artists for hire, editors, what to ask when hiring out
–Garnering reviews, how and where to meet bloggers
–Where to find review groups, beta readers, critique partners
–Branding, blogging, and social media
–Time management, daily goals, sales strategies, what works, what doesn’t.
All of this and more is included in this hold-your-hand-style guide.

Review:
I bought this book as I was busy writing my first novel, In Her Waking Hours. It caught my eye a while before and when I decided that I wanted to go the self-publishing route, I knew that I had to have it.

I have to say that for a new comer to the self-publishing scene, this book is absolutely amazing.  There are so many books out there that read like a text book, so intent on cramming your head full of information in the most boring way possible. This book, however, was not like that at all. It kept you interested and have information that is extremely beneficial to your success as a self published author.

Since I started out as a book blogger and have been doing it for three to four years before I decided to self publish, I already knew a lot of the ins and outs of quite a bit of it. Even with that knowledge already, this book helped me out a lot.

I highly recommend this book to those that are looking into self-publishing of those that are looking for a way to increase sales and readership. Not only does Hildenbrand provide you with writing advice but also business tips, her personal experiences on numerous topics and direct links to bloggers, designers, formatters, editors and many other resources that you may need to get your book out there.

Rating: 4 Stars.

Blog Tour: Pistol Fanny's Hank & Delilah by Annie Rose Welch

Title: Pistol Fanny’s, Hank & Delilah

Author: Annie Rose Welch
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Blitz Host: DRC Promotions

Synopsis:

Never fall in love with a bank robber.
Especially if she’s the one who robbed your bank, took you hostage, and dumped you unconscious at the local convenience store. And definitely not if you are the assistant district attorney of Tupelo, Mississippi.
This is the advice Hank Huckleberry Rivers would have given himself, back when he was a man who vowed to always walk on the right side of the law. The same law that had seemed sacrosanct ever since the day he and his friends watched as two men were murdered right below their tree house.
Falling in love with a dangerous criminal can have life-altering consequences, though. And when the past and the present meet head-on, Hank finds himself in more trouble than he ever bargained for. He must run to save his life, daring to find answers to the questions threatening his safety and his heart, as the killer below the tree house comes after Hank—and his pistol-wielding bank robber.
It’s a simple case of love in the first degree.

Buy The Book:

About The Author:

Born and raised in New Orleans, Annie has a habit of shortening her words and telling long stories. She speaks with a southern flair and cooks with it too. At the tender age of twenty- one, she hitched up her wagons (took her first plane ride) and moved out west to the big shake (California). Her writing career began one sleepless night when she imagined a gorgeous woman and a man with maniacal hair floating above her like lightening bugs falling from the sky. Curious about them, their story, and why they were floating around in her head, she sat down and penned (typed) her first novel, Marigny Street. A dream come true for her, she hasn't stopped writing since. She loves a damn good love story, always has, no matter what the genre. She is particularly moved by imperfect love that in its own unique way is perfect, the notion of love at first sight, soul mates, and things that are generally out of the norm.
When she's not writing she enjoys dabbling in photography and finding new, inspirational music to add to her collection. She currently (still) resides in the big shake (although her southern roots are calling her home) with her husband, daughter, and their two peculiar dogs, Boudreaux and Tabasco (who, call her crazy, bark with an accent).
For lagniappe (a little extra), a virtual cup of café au lait and beignets, please visit Annie's website: www.annierosewelch.com

She can also be found on Facebook & Twitter.

Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Amazon 

No Strings Attached Giveaway Hop (INT) (CLOSED)

Thanks to Mary from BookHounds for hosting this Giveaway Hop!

Hi guys!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

It's been a super long time since I've participated in a blog hop so I decided to jump back into it! Since this hop is titled "No Strings Attached", I decided to give away one of my favorite sexy romance books.  I read this one a little while ago and couldn't put it down!

PRIZE

*This giveaway is not sponsored by S.L. Jenner. Prizes will be supplied by Rainy Days and Pajamas.*

One winner will receive and eBook copy of Taint by S.L. Jennings. 

(I will be gifting this eBook through Amazon.com)

RULES

Ends July 22nd, 2015 (EST)

Only one winner.

You must complete the one mandatory task.

No Cheating.

If you are able to receive gifted Kindle eBooks through Amazon.com, then you are eligible to enter this giveaway.

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Review: Little Black Book by Tabatha Vargo & Melissa Andrea

Cover Source: GoodReads.com

Title: Little Black Book
Author: Tabatha Vargo, Melissa Andrea
Series: Little Black Book #1
Version Reviewed: Finished, eBook.
Website: www.tabathavargo.blogpost.com \ www.melissaandrea.com
*This book was purchased by me.*

GoodReads Summary:

My name’s Sebastian Black, and I want to buy you. I could have any woman I want, but I choose you.
NO RELATIONSHIP, JUST SEX.

Here’s my offer…
I’ll put your name in my LITTLE BLACK BOOK, and when I want you, I’ll call you. When I call, you’re going to come, in more ways than one. It will be mutually pleasurable for both of us.

There are only two rules:
DON'T EVER DENY ME.
DON'T FALL IN LOVE.

If you do either, I’ll remove you from my book and payment stops.

Do we have an understanding?

Review:
I first heard of this book as I was looking for interior designers and formatters for my own book. I was looking through the Gathering Leaves portfolio when the design of this book caught my eye. I couldn't stop myself from learning more about it and when I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read it.

I dug into it as fast as I could and I was instantly hooked. I could not stop reading and I finished the book in two days.

I really enjoyed the characters and the story. It drew me in and held me. I never wanted to stop reading. It was a little cliche and easy to figure out but, still, I had to know what would happen next.

Little Black Book was sexy, suspenseful and deliciously yummy. This is a great read for fans of Fifty Shades of Grey. In fact, it's fifty times better. Who needs Christian Grey when you can have Sebastian Black?

Rating: 4 Stars.
Character: Sebastian & Rosslyn.

And The Winner Is....

*This giveaway is not sponsored by Cambria Hebert. Prizes will be supplied by Rainy Days and Pajamas.*

The winner of the Cambria Hebert giveaway is Michelle Morrison Monroe.  The winner has been notified and has 48 hours to respond with their choice of eBook.  If no response is received, a new winner will be chosen. 

Review: Taint by S.L. Jennings

Cover Source: GoodReads.com

Title: Taint
Series: Sexual Education #1
Author: S.L. Jennings
Version Reviewed: Finished, eBook.
Website: www.sljennings.com
*This book was purchased by me.*

GoodReads Summary:
This no-holds barred, sexy New York Times bestseller pushes the envelope like no other novel has as it spins the titillating, enticing tale of one man who teaches women everything they need to know to make their partners happy in the bedroom…while making their own wildest fantasies come true.

Right now, you're probably asking yourself two things: Who am I? And,what the hell are you doing here? Let's start with the most obvious question, shall we?
You're here, ladies, because you can't f*ck.
Oh, stop it. Don't cringe. No one under the age of 80 clutches their pearls. You might as well get used to it, because for the next six weeks, you're going to hear that word a lot. And you're going to say it a lot. Go ahead, try it out on your tongue. F*ck. F***ck. Ok, good. Now where were we? If you enrolled yourself in this program then you are wholly aware that you're a lousy lay. Good for you. Admitting it is half the battle. For those of you that have been sent here by your husband or significant other, dry your tears and get over it. You've been given a gift, ladies. The gift of mind-blowing, wall-climbing, multiple-orgasm-inducing sex. You have the opportunity to f*ck like a porn star. And I guarantee, you will when I'm done with you.
And who am I? Well, for the next six weeks, I will be your lover, your teacher, your best friend, and your worst enemy. Your every-f*cking-thing. I'm the one who is going to save your relationship and your sex life.
I am Justice Drake.
And I turn housewives into whores. Now...who's first?

Review:
I admit that I was first attracted to this book because of the cover. Good lord, that man is delicious. Those eyes! That scruff! So, the cover attracted me but the synopsis completely sucked me in. How could I not read a book with a synopsis like that? My husband, who usually picks on me for always reading sexy books, even showed interest in Taint because of the synopsis.

Once I started reading, I was instantly hooked.  It was just as good as I knew it would be. I did feel like Justice fell for Ally a little too quickly and it felt a little rushed. This was literally the only problem I had with the book and, after reading the whole thing, it made a little more sense.

The characters in Taint were heartbreakingly beautiful. They were easy to understand and super easy to fall in love with. The story itself... oh my. This story was absolutely delicious. It was sexy and daring and full of heat. It was hard not to get turned on by the things that were happening to the characters and the things that they were doing.

The book also had a darkly tender side to it as well. Multiple times I found myself almost in tears by Justice. Usually, it's the female characters that tug at my heartstrings but not this time. I really liked Justice.  This is the first time in a long time that I've read a sexy book about a powerful man that didn't completely dominate the girl and act like a douche/stalker. Justice was sexy without all that and I found him extremely refreshing. In a world of Christian Grey-like characters, he was something new. Something fresh and better.

Overall, Taint is amazing. Everything about it was amazing and I would gladly read it again in the future. If you enjoy sexy stories that also break your heart, I definitely recommend this one.

Rating: 5 Stars.
Character: Justice

Giveaway: Cambria Hebert Giveaway! [CLOSED]

*This giveaway is not sponsored by Cambria Hebert. Prizes will be supplied by Rainy Days and Pajamas.*

Hi guys!

If you haven't noticed, this past week has been filled with nothing but Cambria Hebert books. Cambria is an amazing author and one of the nicest humans beings ever. Because I love her writing so much, I decided to do a giveaway!

PRIZE

One winner will receive a Cambria Hebert eBook of their choice.

(I will be gifting the eBook through Amazon).

Click the links below for a full list of books by this author.

Amazon | GoodReads

RULES

Ends July 13th, 2015 (EST)

Only one winner.

You must complete the mandatory tasks.

Each task thereafter will earn you extra points.

No cheating.

If you are able to receive gifted Kindle eBooks through Amazon.com, then you are eligible to enter this giveaway.

GOOD LUCK!

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