Cover Reveal for You Before Anyone Else by Julie Cross & Mark Perini

Alrighty, so you guys know how much I adored Julie’s work in general and especially her collaboration with Mark last year. I’m overjoyed to be able to show you the cover for their next novel, You Before Anyone Else which I cannot wait to read. Without anymore ado, here it is!

TITLE: You Before Anyone Else
AUTHOR: Julie Cross & Mark Perini
PUBLICATION DATE: August 1, 2016
PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Fire
PAGES: 384 pages
PREORDER LINKS: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

DESCRIPTION

Model Finley needs someone to help her shed her “good girl” persona, so she’ll try Eddie on for size.

New York City model Finley is fed up with hearing the same feedback at castings: she needs to take some serious action to wipe the “good girl” stamp from her resume if she wants to launch to stardom.

Enter Eddie Wells. He’s shallow, predictable…and just as lost as Finley feels. Deep down, Finley is drawn to Eddie’s bravado, his intensity. Except Eddie is hiding something. A big something. And when it surfaces, both loving and leaving Finley will become so much harder.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Julie Cross is the international bestselling author of the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy. Julie lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. Her knowledge of the modeling and fashion world comes from viewings of the movies The Devil Wears Prada, and Zoolander, and her unwavering devotion to the first three seasons of Ugly Betty. On a recent trip to NYC, she also took the time to walk past both the Gucci and Prada stores, spending at least 15 seconds viewing items through the windows.

Contact Links: Website | Twitter | GoodReads | Facebook

Mark Perini is a New York City-based author debuting his first YA novel, Halfway Perfect. Additionally, Mark is a featured author in the NA anthology, Fifty First Times.

Mark began his career as an international fashion model ten years ago, while simultaneously obtaining a business degree from Seton Hall University. He has a passion for traveling the world, and he’s made a blood pact with friends to see all seven wonders of the ancient world before he’s thirty. Four down, three to go.

Contact Links: Website | Twitter | GoodReads | Facebook

Blitz for Starflight by Melissa Landers

Alrighty peoples, today we want to celebrate the release of Starflight by Melissa Landers. First things first, I have a message from Melissa herself below and I’ll put the information about the book below that, k?

Message from Melissa Landers:

Hey there, booklovers!

I’m author Melissa Landers, and I’m thrilled to announce the release of STARFLIGHT, the first in a brand new sci-fi series from Disney-Hyperion. I originally pitched this story to my editor as “Overboard” (one of my favorite romantic comedies) meets “Firefly” (an amazing show that was tragically cancelled after one season). STARFLIGHT follows the misadventures of Solara Brooks, a penniless felon who indentures herself to her high school nemesis, Doran Spaulding, in exchange for passage to a new world. But when Doran’s memory is temporarily erased, Solara convinces him their roles are reversed—that she’s the master and he’s the servant—and leads him onto a renegade spaceship, where intergalactic shenanigans ensue. STARFLIGHT is very different in tone from the Alienated trilogy, but the story is still filled with all the things I love: humor, heart, and adventure.

What do reviewers have to say?

“Get ready for blast-off! Action-packed and utterly addictive, nobody writes like Melissa Landers. A smart, satisfying romance set in a vividly detailed world, Starflight was just plain fun!” –New York Times bestselling author Amie Kaufman

“Teens will be bracing themselves during the swashbuckling action scenes. A great choice for fans of raw sci-fi action, reminiscent of the lawlessness presented in the television series Firefly.” –School Library Journal

“A lively tale of romance, space pirates, conspiracy, and made (as opposed to genetic) families.” –Booklist

If you like your sci-fi adventure served with a side of romance, I hope you’ll pick up a copy of STARFLIGHT today. It’s now available in stores and online.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1RUTRl2
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1MKVTwt
Book Depository (free international shipping): http://bit.ly/1OoN2WD
Indie Bound: http://bit.ly/1IIMPx7

To celebrate my book birthday, I’m offering one lucky winner a STARFLIGHT swag pack, complete with custom nail wraps, bookmarks, and a mini poster! The giveaway is open internationally. Due to sweepstakes laws, entrants must be 18 years or older to participate.

Best of luck, and happy reading!

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TITLE: Starflight
SERIES: Starflight #1
AUTHOR: Melissa Landers
PUBLICATION DATE: February 2, 2016
PUBLISHER: Disney-Hyperion
BUY LINKS: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Indie Bound

DESCRIPTION

Life in the outer realm is a lawless, dirty, hard existence, and Solara Brooks is hungry for it. Just out of the orphanage, she needs a fresh start in a place where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. She’s so desperate to reach the realm that she’s willing to indenture herself to Doran Spaulding, the rich and popular quarterback who made her life miserable all through high school, in exchange for passage aboard the spaceliner Zenith.

When a twist of fate lands them instead on the Banshee, a vessel of dubious repute, Doran learns he’s been framed on Earth for conspiracy. As he pursues a set of mysterious coordinates rumored to hold the key to clearing his name, he and Solara must get past their enmity to work together and evade those out for their arrest. Life on the Banshee may be tumultuous, but as Solara and Doran are forced to question everything they once believed about their world—and each other—the ship becomes home, and the eccentric crew family. But what Solara and Doran discover on the mysterious Planet X has the power to not only alter their lives, but the existence of everyone in the universe…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn’t afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public—just ask her husband and three kids. She lives outside Cincinnati in the small town of Loveland, “Sweetheart of Ohio.” For more information or just to say hello, visit http://www.melissa-landers.com.

Contact Links: Website | Twitter | GoodReads | Facebook | Instagram

Blog Tour for Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer

TITLE: Thicker Than Water
AUTHOR: Brigid Kemmerer
PUBLISHER: Kensington Books
PUBLICATION DATE: December 29, 2015
LENGTH: 322 pages
RATING: 5 bows
BUY LINK: Amazon | Barnes And Noble | Google Play

DESCRIPTION

On his own

Thomas Bellweather hasn’t been in town long. Just long enough for his newlywed mother to be murdered, and for his new stepdad’s cop colleagues to decide Thomas is the primary suspect.

Not that there’s any evidence. But before Thomas got to Garretts Mill there had just been one other murder in twenty years.

The only person who believes him is Charlotte Rooker, little sister to three cops and, with her soft hands and sweet curves, straight-up dangerous to Thomas. Her best friend was the other murder vic. And she’d like a couple answers.

Answers that could get them both killed, and reveal a truth Thomas would die to keep hidden…

GIVEAWAY

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MY REVIEW

I’ve been very excited to read this book since it was announced. I really enjoyed Kemmerer’s Elementals series and I was desperate to see what she could do once we step outside that world. It starts out with a simple enough story. Thomas’s mother is dead. She was murdered and all the evidence points to him. But he didn’t do it. So we are on this ride with him to figure out who did and why. The problem is that no one really believes he is innocent and there are moments you even you, the reader, aren’t completely sure. I mean, all the evidence points to him. All the evidence makes it impossible for it to have been anyone else. But you want to believe Thomas and you do.

You can’t help but sympathize with him. This whole town he lives in just treats him horribly. The local cops are terrorizing him. The only bright spot is Charlotte, but she is the baby sister and daughter to some of said cops and that creates complications. For some reason, she believes his innocence. I will say that aspects of Charlotte’s life abhorred me. She’s the only daughter in a household that produced 4 children and she’s forced into a kind of home-maker role. At any gatherings or events, she is forced to help cook and clean, serve and tend guests as if we still live in the dark ages where only woman could accomplish those things. She has to be ladylike or get an earful from her grandmother. It’s just appalling. What if one of the boys wanted to cook and clean and serve? What if Charlotte hates it? Why must she be forced into that role just because she happens to have a vagina? And that shit still happens. Those gender roles are still alive and well in the US and it’s got me all riled up.

::deep breath:: Okay, back to the actual story! The further in you get, the more you start to question everything. What is going on with Thomas? And the town? Can we trust Thomas’s memories? It gets very intense very quickly. This book brought me (temporarily) out of a reading slump. I couldn’t get into anything, but managed to devour this in two days. Then promptly fell back into a slump because what could possibly top this?

Basically, this is an intense ride that keeps you on your toes. Kemmerer is a fantastic writer and I can’t wait to read anything and everything she decides to write in the future!

****Thank you to Kensington Books & YA Bound Blog Tours for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review****

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brigid Kemmerer was born in Omaha, Nebraska, though her parents quickly moved her all over the United States, from the desert in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the lakeside in Cleveland, Ohio, and several stops in between, eventually settling near Annapolis, Maryland. Brigid started writing in high school, and her first real “novel” was about four vampire brothers causing a ruckus in the suburbs. Those four brothers are the same boys living in the pages of The Elemental Series, so Brigid likes to say she’s had four teenage boys taking up space in her head for the last seventeen years. (Though sometimes that just makes her sound nuts.)

Brigid writes anywhere she can find a place to sit down (and she’s embarrassed to say a great many pages of The Elemental Series were written while sitting on the floor in the basement of a hotel while she was attending a writers’ conference). Most writers enjoy peace and quiet while writing, but Brigid prefers pandemonium. A good thing, considering she has three boys in the house, ranging in age from an infant to a teenager.

While writing STORM, it’s ironic to note that Brigid’s personal life was plagued by water problems: her basement flooded three times, her roof leaked, her kitchen faucet broke, causing the cabinet underneath to be destroyed by water, the wall in her son’s room had to be torn down because water had crept into the wall, and her bedroom wall recently developed a minor leak. Considering SPARK, book 2 in the series, is about the brother who controls fire, Brigid is currently making sure all the smoke detectors in her house have batteries.
Brigid loves hearing from people, and she probably won’t refer to herself in the third person like this if you actually correspond with her. She has a smartphone surgically attached to her person nearby at all times, and email is the best way to reach her. Her email address is brigidmary@gmail.com.

Contact Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Blitz: #<3 (The Hashtag Series #6) by Cambria Hebert

TITLE: #<3
SERIES: The Hashtage Series #6
AUTHOR: Cambria Hebert
PUBLICATION DATE: November 9th 2015
PUBLISHER: Independent
BUY LINKS: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

DESCRIPTION

Lovers Gonna Love…

Family isn’t always defined by blood.

Sometimes family is born of love…

Loyalty…

And choice.

Sometimes the bond that comes from someone having your back through the shittiest of times is stronger than anything you get from genetics.

And sometimes you find that piece of your soul you didn’t even know was missing

I’m a lucky guy like that.

I found a love that will never fade. I found a group of people who aren’t just my friends.

They’ve become my family.

There’s only one place to go from here.

I’m gonna bind myself to Rimmel in every possible way.

I’m gonna bring our family even closer together.

The past has taught me it won’t be easy.

Especially when faced with repercussions from a night that ended in death.

But that’s okay.

Family doesn’t quit each other.

Love like ours never dies.

Happily ever after isn’t just for storybooks.

TEASERS

GIVEAWAY

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cambria Hebert is a bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. She currently resides in North Carolina with her children (human and furry) and her husband, who is a United States Marine.

Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house).

Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are: Text, Torch, Tryst, Masquerade, and Recalled.

Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.

You can find out more about Cambria and her titles by visiting her online.

Contact Links: Website | Twitter | GoodReads | Facebook | Pinterest

Blog Tour for Get Real (Get Real #1) by Tellulah Darling

TITLE: Get Real
SERIES: Get Real #1
AUTHOR: Tellulah Darling
PUBLISHER: Te Da Media
PUBLICATION DATE: September 26th 2015
LENGTH: 358 pages
RATING: 5 bows
BUY LINK: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

DESCRIPTION

Magic and Mayhem in Manhattan

Francesca Bellafiore comes from a nice Jewish family — one that happens to have magical powers. Underneath her good-girl exterior, though, she’s a wannabe badass with dreams of becoming a paranormal detective.

Party boy Rafael Muñoz does everything possible to publicly disappoint his high profile father. Privately, it’s a different story. His carefully crafted bad boy reputation masks the fact he’s a master illusionist, forced into solo covert ops. The role is wearing thin and Rafael longs to be part of a team.

When Francesca and Rafael meet, it’s love at first sight… For about five minutes. Rafael is spectacularly attractive—and, Francesca discovers, fully aware of the fact. Rafael knows from experience that girls like Francesca are more trouble than they’re worth.

So it sucks big time when they’re caught in a web of magic, minions, secrets, and enough sexual tension to power NYC. Their only chance to save the city and survive is to team up, trust each other–and maybe even fall in love.
Provided they don’t kill each other first.

Get Real is a romantic comedy, urban fantasy whirlwind with sass, sex, and swoon.

GIVEAWAY

Enter to win a signed copy of Get Real and a Get Real wristband with a quote from the book
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MY REVIEW

Though they don’t realize it initially, Francesca and Rafa have a great deal in common. They are both being pushed into a role that they don’t want by their family. For both situations, I felt sympathy for the character. Francesca doesn’t want to disapoint her family, but she desperately doesn’t want to be a healer either. That’s not where her heart lies, even though she knows it is what her family wants for her. Right from the beginning, I really liked both characters and I was very interested in how they would react to each other. I liked that there wasn’t instant attraction. Both obviously noticed the others physical attributes, but once they started talking, sparks flew and not necessarily in a good way. They have a little bit of that I hate you until I love you thing going on.

What I loved about this was the interesting new world we get a glimpse of without being overwhelmed with. In many things where we get a magical new world, I feel like we get too much information for my brain to process. That’s why I always shy away from anything labeled fantasy because I get lost in all the details. Darling introduces this world in an easy to digest way that still keeps you wanting more. Even by the end of this, you know there are still things you don’t understand. At the same time, the world doesn’t feel like the main focus. The main thing, at least to me, was the relationship between Francesca and Rafa. It’s that relationship, fraught with tension, that really kept me enthralled.

The mystery was also pretty intense. Where did this girl come from? What is with her powers? What is it she wants? How the hell are Rafa and Francesca supposed to figure it out while also avoiding their parents and not getting themselves killed?

I don’t think I loved this quite as much as I loved Darling’s Blooming Goddess Trilogy. Something about Sophie’s voice and world immediately hooked me whereas this took me a little longer to get into. But this was almost as good! It’s a sexy new adult that doesn’t feature main characters with a tragic backstory. It’s a paranmoral new adult. I know those exist, but I’ve yet to read any of them. If this is what I can expect from them, I’ll add all that I can find to be TBR!

****Thank you to Tellulah Darling & Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review****

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tellulah Darling
noun

Sassy girls. Swoony boys. What could go wrong?

1) YA & New Adult romantic comedy author because her first kiss sucked and she’s compensating.
2) Firm believer that some of the best stories happen when love meets comedy and awkwardness ensues.
3) Sassy minx.

Both a hopeless romantic and total cynic, Tellulah Darling is all about the happily-ever-after, with a huge dose of hilarity along the way. Her romcoms come in a variety of flavours and heat levels.

Contact Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Blog Tour for The Libby Garrett Intervention by Kelly Oram

TITLE: The Libby Garrett Intervention
SERIES: Science Squad
AUTHOR: Kelly Oram
PUBLISHER: Bluefields Publishing
PUBLICATION DATE: October 24, 2015
RATING: 5 bows
BUY LINK: Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Nook

DESCRIPTION

Libby Garrett is addicted to Owen Jackson’s hot lovin’. But the sexy, popular college basketball player doesn’t appreciate all of Libby’s awesomeness. He refuses to be exclusive or even admit to people that they’re dating. The relationship is ruining Libby and she’s the only one who can’t see it.

When Libby’s behavior spirals completely out of control, her best friend Avery Shaw and the rest of the Science Squad stage an intervention hoping to cure Libby of her harmful Owen addiction. They put her through her very own Twelve Step program—Owen’s Anonymous—and recruit the help of a sexy, broody, hard as nails coffee man to be her official sponsor…

Adam Koepp has watched Libby Garrett for years. How could he not notice the sassy girl with the purple skateboard and helmet plastered with cat stickers? But in all the years he’s crushed on her, Libby has failed to take notice of him. Why would she when he was just a nobody high school drop out who served her apple cider several times a week? Especially when she was hooking up with a guy like Owen Jackson—a guy with a college scholarship and more abs than Kyle Hamilton.

Adam finally gets the chance to meet Libby when his co-worker Avery Shaw recruits him to take Libby on the journey of a lifetime. With his ability to play Bad Cop and his experience with the Twelve Step program he’s the perfect candidate to be Libby’s sponsor. But will he be able to keep his personal feelings out of the matter and really help her the way she needs? And will Libby hate him when he forces her to take an honest look at herself?

This follow-up companion novel to The Avery Shaw Experiment can be read as a stand alone. (But where’s the fun in that?) 😉

Playlist

Music says so much about a person. Or, in this case, a book. I generally have a soundtrack or playlist for all of my books that I will listen to over and over again as I work on a project. I need quiet when I’m doing the actual writing part, but I still wear my playlists out all other hours of the day.

It’s usually a combination of things that will draw a certain song to a book playlist—a sound, or a line of lyrics, or it reminds me of a certain scene or character. For my Libby Garrett Intervention soundtrack, it was definitely all about the Character.

Libby Garrett is a one-of-a-kind girl. Her personality is so big, that she tends to be a spotlight hog. It was no different when I put together my playlist for The Libby Garrett Intervention. The songs on this list don’t so much remind me of the book as they just feel like Libby. That said, check it out and give it a listen. I guarantee you will come to understand Libby just a little bit better.

Here they are in my actual playlist order. Drumroll please…

I Wanna Do Something Freaky To You …… Leon Haywood
It’s a Beautiful Day ….. Michael Buble
Lets Get it On ….. Marvin Gaye
Burning Love ….. Elvis Presley
Take Me To Church ….. Hozier
Am I The Same Girl ….. Swing Out Sister & The Fall
Walking On Sunshine ….. Katerina & The Waves
These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ ….. Nancy Sinatra
Barracuda ….. Heart
Dancing Queen ….. ABBA
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) ….. Michael Jackson
Wicked Game ….. Chris Issac
I’m Every Woman ….. Whitney Houston
I Will Survive ….. Gloria Gaynor
Respect ….. Aretha Franklin

GIVEAWAY

Win a copy of the first book in this series, The Avery Shaw Experiment and a $30 Amazon gift card!

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MY REVIEW

I had super high expectations for this novel. I LOVED The Avery Shaw Experiment. Avery’s story was that stay-up-all-night have to finish it while making you fall completely in love with all the characters, even the jackass ones. So when Kelly announced a sequel, I was overjoyed. More of the Science Squad? Bring. It. On. I was excited to see through Libby’s eyes. You see her as a quirky, confident character in Avery, and I wholeheartedly believe we need more of those characters in YA. More girls who are confident, but more than that, more imperfect girls who are confident in their imperfections. Libby is not a traditionally pretty, skinny, popular girl who knows that. She is chubby and smart and a big nerd and yet she loves all of those qualities about herself. I wanted, needed, to see more of that girl.

Then you start The Libby Garrett Intervention and Libby has changed. In the gap between the end of TASE and the beginning of TLGI, Libby’s self-confidence has been worn down. She has started secretly dating a guy who doesn’t appreciate her awesomeness and he’s been chipping away at everything we (and the Science Squad) loved about Libby. She’s no longer cocky and confident and completely dedicated to her friends. Now, she is self-conscious and blows off her friends constantly to see a guy who won’t even acknowledge to mutual friends that he is dating Libby. Because he is not dating Libby. He is using her as a fuck buddy and she just refuses to come to terms with that. When her friends have enough, they stage an intervention and that is when the magic happens. Libby finally starts to see how much she has changed and really work to get back to her former self. I loved every minute of her journey.

Then we have Adam. Adam’s crush on Libby is down-right adorable. He’s nice-guy persona, even more so. His dedication to taking care of his sister? Well, let’s just say I was swooning early on. I loved his willingness to help Avery redeem Libby even though it didn’t really fit into his schedule. I loved his honest evaluation of himself and his sacrificial tendencies when it came to caring for his sister. I loved watching his frustration at Libby with the way she’d let Owen destroy her and continue to do so.

Oram does one better. She doesn’t give me the story I was expecting. Before I read the synopsis, I was fully expecting a story where Libby’s awesomeness wins Owen over. At the end of TASE, Libby flirts with Owen pretty heavily, so I fully expecting a Libby/Owen romance. But that isn’t what Oram delivers. She gives us a much more diverse and interesting tale of a girl trying to find her way back to confidence. A girl struggling with the same issue we all struggle with and come out victorious. What off-kilter high school girl wouldn’t want to have the high school basketball star drooling over her? I’d imagine that is a pretty addicting feeling. Watching Libby overcome that addiction was fascinating.

We also get a leading guy who is completely okay with a girl who isn’t a stick! Libby is overweight, there is no way around that, but Adam thinks she is perfect as is. He accepts her in her current condition, with no stipulation that she should be slimmer or attempt to help her shed a few pounds so she’ll look better. That is also something we need more of in YA. Characters who love and accept others as is. It’s the example we should be setting, not the small-minded idea that everyone has to fit into a particular mold to be successful and happy.

I can’t say that I loved this more than The Avery Shaw Experiment, I think I just loved them in different ways. They are both amazing novels with stories that draw you in. Oram has a talent for writing contemporary YAs that really draw you in until you can’t concentrate on anything until you have completed the story. You love the great characters and hate the jackasses and just want the heroine to succeed in her endeavors. What more can you ask of a story?

****Thank you to Kelly Oram & YA Bound Blog Tours for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review****

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen—a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She’s obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat named Mr. Darcy.

Contact Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Release Day Launch for Velvet Undercover by Teri Brown

Velvet Undercover By Teri Brown
Release Day Celebration October 20th, 2015

TITLE: Velvet Undercover
AUTHOR: Teri Brown
PUBLICATION DATE: October 20, 2015
PUBLISHER: Balzar + Bray
BUY LINKS: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

DESCRIPTION

Perfect for fans of Jennifer Donnelly and Libba Bray comes this page-turning historical spy thriller from Teri Brown, author of the Born of Illusion series.

Samantha Donaldson’s family has always done its duty for the British Crown. In the midst of World War I, seventeen-year-old Sam follows in their footsteps, serving her country from the homefront as a messenger for the intelligence organization MI5. After her father disappears on a diplomatic mission, she continues their studies of languages, mathematics, and complex puzzles, hoping to make him proud.

When Sam is asked to join the famed women’s spy group La Dame Blanche, she’s torn—while this could be an unbelievable adventure, how can she abandon her mother, who has already lost a husband? But when her handlers reveal shocking news, Sam realizes she can’t refuse the exciting and dangerous opportunity.

Her acceptance leads her straight into the heart of enemy territory on a mission to extract the most valuable British spy embedded in Germany, known only as Velvet. Deep undercover in the court of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Sam must navigate the labyrinthine palace and its many glamorous—and secretive—residents to complete her assignment. To make matters worse she must fight a forbidden attraction to the enemy—a dangerously handsome German guard. In a place where personal politics are treacherously entangled in wartime policy, can Sam find Velvet before it’s too late . . . for them both?

A thrilling story of one girl’s journey into a deadly world of spy craft and betrayal—with unforgettable consequences.

PRAISE FOR VELVET UNDERCOVER

“A slow-burning tale of espionage and deceit that explores the complexities and moral uncertainties of war.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“A taut and swiftly paced historical spy mystery, filled with suspense and surprising plot twists…A great fit for fans of Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity.” (School Library Journal)

“Clever, impetuous Samantha Donaldson is a delight to follow through the murky world of the German court in this twisty tale of espionage and forbidden romance.” Katherine Longshore, author of Gilt, Tarnish

“Brown’s latest is a pulse-racing, whip-smart thriller that kept me guessing until the end.”
—Cat Winters, Morris Award Finalist for In the Shadow of Blackbirds

GIVEAWAY

One Grand Prize Winner will get:
– One signed hardback copy of Born of Illusion
– One signed hardback copy of Born of Deception
– One drawstring spygirls bag from the International Spy Museum
– One tablet of spy paper that dissolves when wet
– One password required lock and key journal
– Two black light spy pens
– One pair of brass spyglasses with brass rope chain (Perfect for spying!)
Must be 13 + To Enter | Ships in US Only

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Well behaved women rarely make history. Teri Brown lived that quote way before she ever even heard it. The two things she is most proud of, (besides her children), is that she jumped out of an airplane once and beat the original Legend of Zelda video game. She’s a novel writer, head banger, pet keeper, math hater, cocktail drinker, booty shaker, book reader, city slicker, food fixer, rule breaker, wine sipper and word scribbler. She loves her husband, children, puppies and chocolate.

Contact Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Blitz: #Poser (The Hashtag Series #5) by Cambria Hebert

TITLE: #Poser
SERIES: The Hashtage Series #5
AUTHOR: Cambria Hebert
PUBLICATION DATE: August 18, 2015
PUBLISHER: Independent
BUY LINKS: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

DESCRIPTION

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.

Chapter One Video

TEASERS

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

OTHER STUFF

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cambria Hebert is a bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. She currently resides in North Carolina with her children (human and furry) and her husband, who is a United States Marine.

Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house).

Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are: Text, Torch, Tryst, Masquerade, and Recalled.

Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.

You can find out more about Cambria and her titles by visiting her online.

Contact Links: Website | Twitter | GoodReads | Facebook | Pinterest

Blitz: #Selfie (The Hashtag Series #4) by Cambria Hebert (& Giveaway)

TITLE: #Selfie
SERIES: The Hashtage Series #4
AUTHOR: Cambria Hebert
PUBLICATION DATE: May 18, 2015
PUBLISHER: Independent
BUY LINKS: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

DESCRIPTION

It’s all about the #Selfie.

She was the one girl I never wanted.

Until I had her.

One night.

One mistake.

Something we both wanted to forget.

I got rid of the proof. The one piece of evidence that could remind us both.

At least, I thought I did.

When it shows up on the school Buzzfeed, rumors fly. Friendships are tested and the feels get real.

I don’t do relationships. I don’t open my heart.

Especially for a girl everyone knows I hate.

What happens during spring break, stays in spring break.

Until it follows you home.

EXCERPT

I didn’t think. I just reacted.

I leapt over the railing with ease. The distance down and the uneven sand I would be landing on didn’t even cross my mind.

It didn’t matter.

I landed like a cat, no trouble at all, and the second my feet hit the sand, I moved forward. Ivy was almost beneath the deck, but not quite. Her back was to me and she was sitting up, hunched forward over part of herself.

She was muttering some pretty damn colorful curse words beneath her breath, and my face split into a smile. “Another angry crab attack you?”

She stiffened and looked over her shoulder. Long blond hair cascaded down her back and partially over her shoulder, creating a waterfall around her.

God, she was beautiful.

Wait. No. No, she wasn’t.

I cleared my throat.

“Braeden?” She glanced up, surprised. “Did you jump down here?”

“Well, you screamed like you might be dying,” I quipped.

“Hardly.” She tried to roll her eyes, but it turned into a grimace. “I need a Band-Aid,” she said pathetically.

I bit back a smile and crouched down beside her. “Let me see.”

She leaned back a little so her body wasn’t blocking my view. The movement brought her closer against me, and the scent of cinnamon wrapped around me. My stomach muscles tightened and I jerked slightly. There was no way she could have noticed, but her head tilted back and her eyes found mine.

We stared at each other for the span of a few heartbeats, neither of us moving or saying a word until someone called down from above, wanting to know if we were okay.

I blinked, bringing myself back from the edge—the edge I always seemed perched on around her—and motioned for her to show me what was wrong.

She lifted her foot into her lap, and I looked down.

I heard myself mutter something, but I was back to not thinking again.

She had the cap of a beer bottle sticking out of the bottom of her foot. Blood oozed out around it and dripped into the sand.

I cradled her foot in my hand and gently stroked my thumb along her heel. A shudder moved through her, and I glanced up.

“Hurts, huh?” I murmured.

She blinked. “Uh…” She blinked again. “Yeah.”

Using one hand, I reached around to the base of my neck and pulled my T-shirt up over my head. I didn’t say anything when I reached for her again, and without any warning, I yanked the cap free.

Her breath hissed between her teeth and she smacked my arm.

“Hey!” I snapped.

“That hurt!” she yelled, but it came out more like a whimper.

I tossed the cap over my shoulder and glanced back down. Fresh blood welled. “It’s over now,” I said gently and used my shirt to wrap around her foot.

Once the shirt was in place, I pressed her foot between my hands, applying a little pressure.

Really, I just wasn’t ready to let go.

“Braeden?” Her voice caressed me. Being down here mostly concealed by the deck in the cool sand and low lighting brought back last night. It reminded me of the undeniable electricity between us.

I thought for sure it would be gone.

It was still there.

TEASERS

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OTHER STUFF

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cambria Hebert is a bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. She currently resides in North Carolina with her children (human and furry) and her husband, who is a United States Marine.

Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house).

Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are: Text, Torch, Tryst, Masquerade, and Recalled.

Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.

You can find out more about Cambria and her titles by visiting her online.

Contact Links: Website | Twitter | GoodReads | Facebook | Pinterest

Guest Post from Julie Cross!!!!

You guys, I have something really special for you today! Julie Cross was stopped by for a guest posts on tips for dating a model to promote Halfway Perfect, her newest novel (co-written with male model Mark Perini). Before we get to the goodies, I just wanted to say that you guys definitely want to check this novel out. It’s smart and funny and completely heartwarming. If any of you live in NYC, you should stop by Books Of Wonder bookstore on Friday, May 8, between 6 PM and 8 PM because both Mark and Julie will be there signing copies! If you get to go, I’m incredibly jealous because I live far from NYC and even if I was considering skipping work Friday and making the crazy drive, my husband has to commandeer the car to go in the exact opposite direction to attend his sisters wedding. X_X But I will be there in spirit! Anyway, without further ado, I give you JULIE CROSS!

GUEST POST: THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF DATING A MODEL BY JULIE CROSS

Well, unlike Mark, I’ve never actually dated a model. And I’m not even sure I’ve met one in person (not even Mark), so I can only give this list according to Eve, our heroine, who pursues dating a model, despite telling herself it’s a bad, bad idea.

• Don’t – Show up at his underwear shoot for Calvin Klein, polka dot banana hammocks are not even a little bit sexy
• Do – Make friends with his fake girlfriend, it will make dating life so much easier for both of you
• Don’t – Make him late for a call time. Punctuality failure means “difficult talent” and less work
• Do – Consult him before traveling, it’s likely he’s been where you’re going and can offer great advice
• Don’t – Come at him with a pin or sewing needle, it’s likely he’s developed a phobia and this might cause a panic attack
• Do – prepare yourself for adventure and fun, possibly physical activity (well, not that! Okay maybe that…)
• Don’t – Assume posing for pictures is his thing. It’s work. Ask him what his thing is, what he’s interested in, I guarantee you’ll be surprised
• Do – Invite him to Thanksgiving dinner with your professor. It’s likely he’s far from home and might enjoy company for the holiday
• Don’t – Challenge him to a staring contest. He’s trained at professional expressions and keeping a straight face. You will lose
• Do – Find a private, camera free place to kiss him for the first time (dorm rooms are great) because everyone knows real love happens off camera and away from watchful eyes

ABOUT THE BOOK

TITLE: Halfway Perfect
AUTHOR: Julie Cross & Mark Perini
PUBLICATION DATE: May 5, 2015
PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Fire
PAGES: 384 pages
FORMAT: eARC
SOURCE: publisher via NetGalley
RATING: 5 bows
MY REVIEW: click here

BUY LINKS: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | IndieBound

DESCRIPTION

Bestselling author Julie Cross teams up with Ford model Mark Perini to pen a poignant and gritty YA novel about love and the dark side of modeling and the fashion industry.

Eve’s time as a fashion model nearly destroyed her-now she’s determined to build a career behind the camera lens. But landing a coveted photography internship brings her face to face with her dark past-and her ex.

While Eve is snapping pictures, up-and-coming male model Alex is launching his career-which, for him, involves maintaining a fake relationship with his co-star, Elana.

But Alex is falling for Eve, and Eve won’t let herself get hurt again. If Alex can pull off a fake love with Elana, can he convince Eve to risk a secret affair with him?

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Julie Cross is the international bestselling author of the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy. Julie lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. Her knowledge of the modeling and fashion world comes from viewings of the movies The Devil Wears Prada, and Zoolander, and her unwavering devotion to the first three seasons of Ugly Betty. On a recent trip to NYC, she also took the time to walk past both the Gucci and Prada stores, spending at least 15 seconds viewing items through the windows.

Contact Links: Website | Twitter | GoodReads | Facebook

Mark Perini is a New York City-based author debuting his first YA novel, Halfway Perfect. Additionally, Mark is a featured author in the NA anthology, Fifty First Times.

Mark began his career as an international fashion model ten years ago, while simultaneously obtaining a business degree from Seton Hall University. He has a passion for traveling the world, and he’s made a blood pact with friends to see all seven wonders of the ancient world before he’s thirty. Four down, three to go.

Contact Links: Website | Twitter | GoodReads | Facebook