23 jun 2014

Book Blitz ~ A French Princess in Versailles (The French Girl #3) by Anna Adams


A French Princess in Versailles (The French Girl series, #3)
Series: The French Girl #3
Release date: June 30th 2014

Synopsis via Goodreads:
Determined to escape her failed pop career and focus on her classical training, Maude Laurent moves back to France and enrolls at the prestigious National Academy of Arts. 

Between balls, charity events, concerts, and navigating in the French elite, Maude has to prove she’s cut out to become a professional opera singer in a world where pop music is regarded with disdain. 

Though she fights it, her past catches up with her when she meets an English teacher who forces her to see a world beyond the safety of the Academy and takes her down an unusual musical journey where the risk is great and the reward uncertain. And when a chain of events bring her and Matt back in the same town, Maude will learn that music can bring people closer or tear them apart forever.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in France, raised partly in the United States and in France, Anna Adams grew up loving stories in French and English. 

Anna currently lives in Paris where she studies at la Sorbonne as a Law Student. 

She's the author of the French Girl series for which she is writing the the third installment. 

When she isn't writing, Anna likes to travel in Europe and dreams of going to Asia and Africa.



Excerpt
Prologue 

“I’ve decided to move back to France.” 
When she spoke the fatal words, silence filled the room, and Maude enjoyed the savory sense 
of satisfaction to its fullest. Her glass was half raised and half full with clear, icy, mineral 
water, transparent and brilliant as the truth. 
The glass slipped from her fingers, and as easily as crystal explodes in a million pieces, the 
shocked silence shattered and the reporters craved for every detail of the decision, details 
Maude refused to give. 
She grabbed a tissue and rubbed her dark pencil skirt furiously. She’d worn that precise skirt 
because she associated it with seriousness. Solemnity was required of her in the midst of a 
scandal. Her natural dark hair tied into a tight bun, very little makeup on her smooth chocolate 
skin. Just enough foundation to hide that she’d barely slept a wink the night before. 
She’d weighed the pros and the cons. But it all came down to one thing: her love for music. 
Her passion for classical music had helped her years ago when she lived in a basement in the 
north of France. In those days, she’d dreamed of becoming a concert pianist or an opera 
singer. 
Dreams, like nature, change over time. When she’d been discovered by James Baldwin almost two years ago and whisked off to New York, she’d fallen in love with pop music and her 
ambitions grew as did her love for music. 
She wanted to show the world that classical and pop could make a wonderful combination. 
This ambition had given birth to her first self-titled album. Success, praise, fame. All had 
ensued with impeccable timing.  How had her dreams turned into frightful nightmares? She’d lied, unwillingly to be sure, but the consequences had been disastrous. She’d lost her way. 
She thought about this as her uncle led her out of the crowded room, the sound of her heels 
muffled by the wool carpeting. His grip tightened around her elbow. Security guards 
surrounded her every side, but as they rushed outside to the dark sedan waiting for her, a 
crowd had gathered. Maude’s tenacious bodyguards contained a vocal, vociferating mob with 
difficulty. They held cardboard signs instead of pitchforks, yet their intentions weren’t so 
different from that of angry villagers in medieval times. The focus of public outrage may 
differ through time, but its force rarely alters. 
“Liar!” 
“Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? Faking a relationship just to sell more albums?” 
She might’ve argued she wasn’t the first to do so and probably wouldn’t be the last. Did it 
matter? She’d been caught, no one else had, and that remained the only difference. 
The origin of the leak remained a mystery although she had a pretty strong hunch it was 
Lindsey Linton, the blonde beauty who saw in Maude an unprecedented rival. 
“Duck!” yelled James. Too late, much too late. 
Splat! 
A ripe tomato landed in her dark mane and oozed down her neck, leaving a reddish trail of 
slime. Maude continued to advance to the car, swallowing repeatedly to push down her 
disgust. Her heart stopped when she noticed a girl, not much older than twelve, clutching her 
music album. Tears were streaming down her face as she squeezed the album against her 
chest, biting her lip with an unsettling fierceness. 
Incomprehension, disappointment, accusation. Her eyes were the accumulation of all the 
feelings Maude’s scandal had unleashed. The little girl’s expressive distress tormented Maude more than any of the cardboards or edibles thrown at her. She faltered at the car’s door, one foot inside, one foot out, prompting a bodyguard to push her head inside, entangling her hair with the tomato further. His grip hurt, and she caught one last glimpse of the girl before he slammed the door in her face. A rotten banana hit the window. 
It was high time to go, and Maude was keener than ever to escape public fury. 
While the pop world no longer wanted her, the classical world greeted her with open arms. 
After her performance in Aida a couple of days ago, in which she’d played the devious 
Egyptian princess intent on thwarting the purest love of all time, her talent had been 
recognized by the National Academy of Arts, the most prestigious French music school based 
in the Parisian area. 
They wanted her. 
No paparazzi, no scandal, just music. Going back to her classical roots. So what if her dream 
of bringing classical to the pop world was to be ignored henceforth? 
The pop world didn’t want her. And as much as it hurt, as much as the crashing sales hurt and 
the dreadful names she was being called pained her (“a conniving little Frenchie”), she 
needed to step away from it all. To go back to a peaceful existence in France where no one 
had really heard of Maude Laurent anyway. Forget launching her international career. 
She would live in blissful anonymity. 
That was Maude’s plan. And she honestly hoped everything would go smoothly. 


GIVEAWAY!


a Rafflecopter giveaway





Liss

7 dic 2013

I'm joining End of the Year 2013 Readathon #ReadingCram

Hey guys! Guess what? I'M ALIVE.

I've been so busy this past days, life has been really crazy and I haven't had much time to blog something!  But I found this challenge and I'm dying to do it! I'm way behind on my 2013 Reading's Challenge on Goodreads and I really don't want to fail. That's why, even though I have to work until December 21st but I'll try really hard to finish it :) And what better way than joining a Read-A-Thon??


That's why I decided to join #ReadingCram hosted by Juliababyjen's Reading Room and Danasquare
It will run from Dec. 9th-22nd
My goal is to read at least 9 books. I'm so excited to join this and hope I'll be able to conquer my to-read list of books.

2 nov 2013

Blog Tour: Impossibly Love by Shane Morgan - Blitz and Excerpt

Release date: October 23, 2013
Series: Impossibly #1
Publisher: TSW Books

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
All Moya Douglas wants to do is study hard, maintain her scholarship, and make her mother proud while attending college. She doesn't have time for a boyfriend or going on dates arranged by her best friend. Moya doesn't believe in love. And she has no intention of ever finding it. 

Branden McCarthy is determined to change her views.
A selfless romantic who's had his heart broken in the past, Branden is fascinated with Moya's personality and hopes to develop something real with her—a connection so strong it'll open her heart. But just when things start to work between the two, Branden’s secret threatens to get in the way.

Will Moya finally do the impossible and give love a chance with Branden, or will fear keep them apart?
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18308788-impossibly-love
 

AUTHOR INFO:
Shane Morgan is a lover of "interesting" books. Her imagination is always running wild so it's best to collect and organize them into separate stories. 

Shane's love for writing started the moment she picked up a Nancy Drew book. At a young age, she began writing short stories, delving into a variety of genres: from comedy and drama, to horror and contemporary romance. Shane's quite intrigued by the otherworldly or things otherwise deemed "impossible." Well, in her opinion, people never really grow up, do they? 

 
 
Check out the book Trailer


Here's a teaser for you. An excerpt from the book. Really captivating..

The first kiss – Branden’s POV



Moya’s eyes widened when I spun her around to face me. It was obvious what I was about to do and I knew very well she wouldn’t let it happen without a fight. Her attempts at being freed were futile as my hold increased the more she squirmed in my arms.

      “Let go!” she demanded.

      I blew hard, eager to drown myself in the sweetness of her lips. Dismissing her protest—and the little voice at the back of my head telling me not to—I shoved my mouth to hers and kissed her hungrily.

      Moya lifted her hands to my chest and pushed tentatively, and just as fast they began to lower. I knew she couldn’t resist the deep passion evoking between us. Finally, she yielded, and I wrapped my arms even tighter around her as Moya parted her lips and allowed me to enter.

      We groaned as our tongues collided, touching each other wildly as if the kiss was not only our first but our last. Moya placed her hands on my lower back, touching me sensually with her fingertips as she worked her way up my spine. She caressed the back of my neck, and then combed her fingers seductively through my hair.                                                                                                                              

      By the time the kiss ended, we were both panting, trying to breathe steadily.

      Moya wobbled as she backed away. “I have to get to class,” she whispered shakily as if under a trance.

      I released her with regret and watched as Moya turned and started up the path, staggering along the way.

      Afterwards, I dragged my thumb lightly along my lips, eyes fastened on Moya as she walked away. I could still feel the heat of her skin on mine, giving light to a fire of pleasure that threatened to make my hands shake in memory of her taste.

      Motivated by the promise of her presence, I walked up the path as well, following behind the girl I was indisputably falling hard for and fast.


GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
 
 
Liss

22 oct 2013

Blog Tour: The Holdout by Laurel Osterkamp. Blurb & Excerpt

https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=d1a821b332&view=att&th=1419ff639dbd1309&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P_3tqMJzSDjS4Mzs5xn8SgP&sadet=1382064877022&sads=QIWFXldqoksl_AkjBrQt4B4ZcwY


https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=d1a821b332&view=att&th=1419ff639dbd1309&attid=0.2&disp=inline&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P_3tqMJzSDjS4Mzs5xn8SgP&sadet=1382064897157&sads=pSSde3vJGjl9uAA2iQ5JkdfEE38Release date: September 12th 2013
Publisher: PMI Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:
Robin wanted to win The Holdout, a cutthroat reality TV show, so she gave it her all, challenge after challenge. Then she fell for Grant, with his irresistible eyes and heartbreaking life story.

But Grant was only using Robin as they competed for a million dollars. Once home, Robin wants to hide from the humiliation as episodes of The Holdout are aired, and she worries her family was right all along; she’s not a survivor.

Yet she could surprise everyone, and have the last laugh.

Besides, Robin now has jury duty. And as she forges ahead, confronting her demons about bravery, justice, and romance, Robin will come to decide which is more important: the courage to stand alone, or the strength to love again.
 
 
https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=d1a821b332&view=att&th=1419ff639dbd1309&attid=0.3&disp=inline&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P_3tqMJzSDjS4Mzs5xn8SgP&sadet=1382064903653&sads=x5yFSKUwdiKuCQ7z64xk2dFNsn8 
About the Author
Laurel Osterkamp’s award winning novels have been hailed as funny, intelligent, snarky and poignant. She is the author of four novels and two novellas, including the November Surprise series, which, like The Holdout, features the Bricker family. Laurel was recently on a federal jury, and she loves watching Survivor.


Rafflecopter Giveaway Code:


http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/642629121/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

16 abr 2013

Book Blast ~ Helga: Out of the Hedgelands by Rick Johnson

Helga: Out of the Hedgelands


Twelve-year-old Helga has more danger in her life than most beasts her age—Wrackshee slavers after her, a vicious attack by bandits that nearly kills her, a race against dragons pursuing her, and leading a daring rebellion to save her life and rescue friends and family from the insidious WooZan. And that is just the beginning. But what do you expect when you are a young beast who just can’t see the stupid rules of the world making any sense? Helga can’t accept things as they are and ends up taking on not just one, but two all-powerful, supreme tyrants in two different realms.

Helga never intended to lead a revolution. It just sort of happened because she wouldn’t go along with the “rules of normal” that keep tyrants in power and entire societies enslaved. Beginning on a dangerous quest to solve some mysteries in her own past, Helga leads her quirky comrades on a journey that will not only forever change them, but upset ancient civilizations.

As an author, I’m drawn to eccentric, unexpected characters: those who surprise because they hear a distant galaxy, see a different music, create their own fragrance rather than get hooked on a soundtrack; the child who has her own ideas about how the emperor is dressed; the lunatics and rebels who tell stories on the boundaries. Helga’s unusual story will take readers to worlds they never imagined—definitely a whole new ride.

Time and again, the unconventional heroine and her eccentric comrades overcome ominous tyrants and black-hearted slavers, not by battling to the last beast standing, but by being the first beast to think differently.

Helga: Out of Hedgelands is divided into three books which introduce the epic saga of the Wood Cow clan and their role in overturning centuries of slavery and tyranny. This story will continue in additional volumes of the Wood Cow Chronicles now in development. Over the series of current and future volumes, the entire history of the Wood Cow clan, the fall of Maev Astuté, and the coming of Lord Farseeker to the Outer Rings, will be told.

Book Trailer



Author Rick Johnson
I am a native of the Great Plains, having grown up on a farm in the Platte River Valley of western Nebraska. I love the wild beauty of the Plains and nearby Rocky Mountains--the too hot, too cold, too empty, too full of life extremes. Typically, the awesomely diverse and the awesomely stark are much the same, even as they are different. Although I have lived in Michigan, North Carolina, and British Columbia, the western plains, mountains, and desert are in my heart.

As my day job, for over thirty years I have been a faculty member and administrator in higher education. Teaching broadly in the liberal arts, including creative writing, my professional publications include educational materials, poems, and 28 stories for young readers. During my spare hours, I have also collected and carefully studied the records of former times upon which the Wood Cow Chronicles are based. It is my privilege to bring this astonishing saga to light.
The Wood Cow Chronicles have been researched and written with the irreplaceable assistance of Barbara, my beloved wife of more than thirty-five years, and our children. Indeed, the essential research into the history of the Wood Cows has been conducted during the odd hours of family reading and storytelling "around the campfire" as we say--even when there is no campfire! This research continues and grows richer as our family expands across generations and continents.



 Book Blast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 5/1/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


11 abr 2013

Blog Tour: Terra by Gretchen Powell: Excerpt.


Hello! Today we have a very special Tour about Terra by Gretchen Powell. And I have the best day! Because is the author's birthday party *Throws confetti* YAY! JOIN HERE!




On Tour with Prism Book Tours... 

gretchen-001Hello there! My name is Gretchen Powell. I am 24 years old, half-Chinese, and the owner of two adorable miniature schnauzers. I am an occasional drinker of classy wines, and I wrote a book.
By day, I work for a government contractor in our nation’s capital.
By night, I binge on episodes of Doctor Who and sleep fitfully.


Sometime in the mid-afternoon, I write another blog called Honey, I Shrunk the Gretchen! about weight loss, food, fitness, and my life.
Some of my favorite things include polka dots, Harry Potter, pretty much any TV show that airs on Thursday nights (yep, I'm talking Vampire Diaries #notashamed), and playing the ukulele.



by Gretchen Powell
Paperback, 286 pages
Published December 12th 2012 by Hopewell Media

Premise:

A broken and desolate Earth. A young girl struggling to survive. A lost boy with a powerful secret.

A discovery that will change everything.

In the distant wake of a plague that has decimated the Earth's population, humanity is split in two: The rich and powerful live in skycities that float overhead, while those who remain on the ground have gathered in settlements strewn across a dying planet. Eighteen-year-old Terra Rhodon is a terrestrial--a denizen of the barren groundworld--who makes her living as a scav. Long abandoned by her father, her caregivers gone, Terra supports herself and her younger brother, Mica, by scouring the earth for discarded scraps and metals to recycle for profit. One day, while on a routine scavenging run, she discovers something that shocks her home settlement of Genesis X-16. When the value of her discovery is revealed, Terra's world is turned upside down.

Terra suddenly finds herself asking questions no one will answer. Her search for the truth leads her to Adam--a beguiling skydweller unlike any she has ever met. But Adam has secrets and a quest of his own, and with him by her side, the world Terra thought she knew begins to unravel. Soon her discoveries unearth a terrifying conspiracy that has the potential to shatter everything--a revelation that will test the bonds of loyalty, family, and love.


Excerpt:
I force myself to take a breath. Food, supplies, new clothes, and a transport vehicle? I’m getting ahead of myself. 3,000 credits may seem like an insane amount now, but spread between both Mica and me, it won’t last forever. Steel only lasts as long as you can go without spending it. What happens when we start to run out? And am I supposed to just sit around and do nothing until then?
My relationship with the other scavs has always been tenuous at best. I can only imagine the endless stream of remarks I’ll have to endure if I try to return to the fields:
“Spent your fortune already, have you?”
“What, you need more steel to spruce up your wardrobe?”
“Here she is, fellas, ready to show us up again. You just can’t leave any for the rest of us, can you?”
No, the other scavs definitely won’t tolerate me after this, not when their own credit accounts have always been so much emptier. And a job in town is pretty much out of the question for me; I have neither the skill set nor the desire to work down at the docks or in the recycling center. And I suspect that my sunny disposition is not quite what they’re looking for to mind a shop.



In Terra's world, resources are scarce and many people make their living as "scavs," hunting for scraps to turn in on Collection Day in exchange for credits. For this tour, YOU are a scav, and there are scraps all over the blogosphere for you to find! On each participating blog, there will be one of 9 possible questions. Answer the question to receive a keyword that will get you an extra entry in the awesome giveaway!


Terra Collection #7:

You were born and bred in Genesis X-16. What’s your job?

Giveaway April 1 - 26

One lucky scav will win a Terra prize pack! Get a signed copy of Terra, along with three exclusive (and gorgeous!) bookmarks, as well as a delicate silver watch--just like Terra's!--all packed up inside a scav bag of your very own! US only.




An additional five (FIVE!) winners will get a digital copy of Terra in the format of their choice. International.

Open only to those who can legally enter. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced on Rafflecopter and Grand Finale posts as well as emailed and the winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry and Prism Book Tours and sponsored by Gretchen Powell. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.






Terra on Tour!!




April 2013

Check out the Reviews of Terra!! And become a "scav" and track down all the answers to the Collections questions hidden in the excerpts. :-)  Plus, celebrate Gretchen's birthday by bringing something fun to the party!!

1 - April Fool's Day LAUNCH!
 - fuonlyknew Excerpt 2
 - Pause Time - Review
3 - Jessie's Book Place Excerpt 3
 - The Reading Diaries - Excerpt 4
4 - Mel's Shelves - Review
5 - Lovin' Los Libros - Review
7 - Christy's Cozy Corner - Review
 - Total Book Geek - Excerpt 5
8 - The Quiet Concert - Review
9 - LDS & Lovin' It - Review
10 - Jessabella Reads - Excerpt 6
11 - Gretchen's Birthday Party!!
 - Passion &; Life - Excerpt 7

14 - Living a Goddess Life - Review
15 - Marked by Books - Excerpt 8
16 - Blood, Sweat and Books - Review
 - My Seryniti - Review
17 - Bookworm Lisa - Review
 - Mortality Bites - Excerpt 9
18 - Getting Your Read On - Review
 -The Broke Book Bank Interview 10

19 - Grand Finale Blast!!