Monday, July 31, 2017

Kissing Max Holden Blog Tour: Excerpt and Giveaway


Kissing Max Holden
Katy Upperman

Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: August 1st 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Kissing Max Holden was a terrible idea…
After his father has a life-altering stroke, Max Holden isn’t himself. As his long-time friend, Jillian Eldridge only wants to help him, but she doesn’t know how. When Max climbs through her window one night, Jill knows that she shouldn’t let him kiss her. But she can’t resist, and when they’re caught in the act by her dad, Jill swears it’ll never happen again. Because kissing Max Holden is a terrible idea.
With a new baby sibling on the way, her parents fighting all the time, and her dream of culinary school up in the air, Jill starts spending more and more time with Max. And even though her father disapproves and Max still has a girlfriend, not kissing Max is easier said than done. Will Jill follow her heart and allow their friendship to blossom into something more, or will she listen to her head and stop kissing Max Holden once and for all?

 Excerpt 

Max gives Meredith a dubious look, then shovels an entire brownie into his mouth. He chews discerningly, then asks me, “Did you make these?”

“Obviously.” As if my stepmother is capable of such delicacies. “Kyle helped.”

“They’re incredible.” He grabs another before she pulls the plate out from under him. I roll my eyes at her back.

“The secret is to add a little coffee to the batter,” I tell him. “And for the chocolate chunks, I buy the best bars I can find. Belgian, usually. And cocoa powder—the darker the better. It makes the brownies much richer.” I’m rambling, I realize, about baked goods. I snap my mouth shut.

Max licks a bit of chocolate from his finger. Drunk Jillian has the almost overwhelming urge to point out that if he’s trying to be provocative, he’s succeeding.

“Oh, go on,” he teases. “I could listen to you talk desserts all night.”

Meredith glances at us, amused, and says, “Basement cleanup is going to take awhile. I’d better go supervise.” She totters down the stairs and starts giving instructions to Dad, Marcy, and Ivy, who was surely coerced into helping by her mother.

Max looks my way. “Well?”

We can’t hang out in the open. I wouldn’t mind disappearing behind the closed door of my bedroom, but Dad’s voice echoes in my head: I don’t want him in your room—not tonight, not ever. While I don’t care much about pleasing my father tonight, I don’t want him to slaughter Max.

An idea strikes, and I smile at my brilliance. “Come on.”

In an attempt to lead him down the hall, I stagger and shoulder the wall. He catches my hand and pulls me to a stop. Laughing, he says, “Who put that there?”

“Right? Stupid wall.”

He tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. “You really committed to getting crazy.”

“Thanks mostly to your mixology.”

“Yeah, well, it was cool having you as my partner in crime.” He glances at the ceiling and his face changes. He takes a slight step to the right, eyes alight. He gives a nod, indicating I should shift too. I do, confused but intrigued. He looks up again, meaningfully. I follow his gaze.

A sprig of green with waxy white berries, attached to the archway with a festive red bow.

“You know what this means?” Max asks slyly.

I give a laugh that comes out sounding more like a bark. “Mistletoe is a parasitic shrub,” I say, because that’s a fact he needs to know right now. “It’s also poisonous—eating it can make you really sick.”

“I’m not offering you a taste, Jillian.” And then, incredibly, “You don’t want to kiss me?"






Author Bio:
Katy Upperman is a graduate of Washington State University, a former elementary school teacher, and an insatiable reader. When not writing for young adults, Katy can be found whipping up batches of chocolate chip cookies, or exploring the country with her husband and daughter. Kissing Max Holden is her debut novel.

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Friday, July 28, 2017

August TBR



I've been trying not to post as many TBR lists as possible the past couple of years. I've always had a hard time sticking to them, mainly because I never know what I'm going to be in the mood to read. This month though, I'm going to try really hard to stick to this one. Two of the books are from my Sittin On The Shelf posts and if I don't finish them this month I have to unhaul them...OMG did I really just say that? Anyway, below is the books I plan to read this month. 






 For Review: 



Dating the It Guy by Krysten Lindsay Hager 
Winner by Belle Brooks 


Sittin On The Shelf Books: 



What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen 
 Brightest Kind of Darkness by P.T. Michelle


Other Books I Plan to Read




Courted by Jennifer Chance 
Drawing the Line by Kimberly Kincaid 
The Simplicity of Cider by Amy E. Reichert





I'm hoping to get through all of these! Especially the Sittin on the Shelf ones, I don't like to unhaul books! Anyway, what are you reading plans for August? 






Book Blogger Hop #23




Book Blogger Hop is another post I'm going to be trying out and this one has a topic each week, which is something I've been trying to bring to the blog.  I'm really excited about this one because I have a hard time coming up with something fresh to talk about and I'm hoping this helps.


If you would be interested in doing your own post, please CLICK HERE to learn more about this great hop! 





This Weeks Topic: 
 
 Do you read tie-in novels to movies or television series? If so, which ones? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)


I have a few tie in novels to movies, but I haven't really read them. Not sure why I really keep them, but I always end up loving the covers.



What about you, do you read tie in novels? If so, tell me which ones you've enjoyed in the comments below. 


Thursday, July 27, 2017

Book Blitz: The Howl Series

The Howl Series
by Emma Nichols
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Raising the Phoenix
Book #1
Blurb:
The Alpha is the leader of the pack, a revered position, one that can't be inherited, only earned. For ten years my father groomed me to take over in the event something happened to him. I guess I never expected it to happen so soon. I thought I'd have more time. I thought I'd at least graduate from college first. Instead, life threw the Phoenix Pack a curveball. My father was murdered, and my mother died with him. Suddenly, I'm responsible for my twin sisters, and everyone else. I'm forced to make some tough decisions. And if everyone in the pack has their way, one of those decisions will involve finding my mate. They should've given me an easier task, like brokering world peace or curing cancer. After all, what male would ever volunteer for this, having a mate who's also his Alpha, leaving his pack to join hers, and giving up everything he has ever known?




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Cursing the Moon
Book #2

Blurb:
Savannah Silver has met her mate.

Her wolf has chosen, but the Alpha who can silence others with a look and command her pack with a word has been refused. While she waits for him to come to his senses, Savvy works to find her parents’ killers, rebuild the homestead and ensure Shelby’s future.

Quinn Holderman has met his match.

Being part wolf and part husky has always been a disadvantage. Becoming a rogue was his only hope for happiness. Then Quinn met Savvy. In his mind, his reasons for denying her made perfect sense. In reality, he has suffered every second they are apart.

He needed more time. She needed her mate. Together, they’re cursing the moon.

Available on Amazon!
99 Pennies!
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Healing the Heart
Book #3

Blurb:
Sometimes love isn’t enough. Sometimes love can’t conquer all. Sometimes healing a heart takes time.

Quinn doesn’t have time. Instead, what he has is a looming deadline. The mating must take place by the full moon or not at all. He thought he had made up his mind. He thought he could live with his decision. Then Savvy disappeared.

Savvy is an all or nothing kind of girl. She needs a strong mate, a decisive mate, a loving and supportive mate. Unfortunately, Quinn refused to be that mate. Losing him was breaking her heart. Staying busy was her only coping mechanism. Ignoring her needs and focusing on the pack helped her find everything she ever needed.

Sometimes the threat of losing everything can change minds and hearts. Sometimes the promise of a better future and a determined mate can heal a heart in record time.

Available on Amazon!
99 Pennies!

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What made her decide to be a romance author?
Simple.
How else was she going to parlay her two favorite past times into a career?
Emma is single and loving it. Like her first character, Alysin, Sin for short, she doesn't believe in settling or in settling down. She loves to indulge in her passions whenever the mood strikes and enjoys keeping all of life's cliche moments spicy.
Known for her sense of humor, Emma surrounds herself with friends whose antics often become the source of book fodder. Her ideal situation would be to explore the Caribbean while writing. She pursues that dream daily.
Visit her website for updates: http://emmanicholsromance.com
Or better still, join her newsletter and never miss a release, sale, or giveaway: http://eepurl.com/0SiQn

Social Media:

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Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Book Blitz: Elemental Lies


Elemental Lies
Elle Middaugh
(The Essential Elements, #2)
Publication date: July 24th 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Valerie Moore is an Elemental, a person who commands one of the classical elements of wind, water, fire, or earth. She’s special, though. She controls two—fire and water—though sometimes it seems like they control her.
After the accidental exposure of Elementals to humanity, Valerie finds herself—and all of her kind—struggling to attain equality. Three different groups fight to secure leadership, and with all of their hidden agendas, she doesn’t know which side to choose. The balance between peaceful cohabitation and all-out war is precarious, at best.
When a chance meeting brings Val and earth Elemental Cade Landston back together, everything changes. She realizes what she knew in the beginning—that he’s the one she wants. Her desire to win him over draws her closer to him, and his vengeful mission to hunt down her murderous grandfather brings them both closer to trouble.
From mysterious doppelgangers to reckless rescue missions, scapegoat bombings, and evolving Elemental powers, Valerie strains to keep up.
All she knows is she must stop her grandfather at all costs. To do so, she has to figure out the truth, but how can she do so when almost everyone she knows has been telling lies?
Sequel to:
EXCERPT:
“What are you thinking?” Dad asked, knocking me back to the present.
My head shook subconsciously. “Nothing, really. Just trying to figure out all this change, trying to make sense of it, somehow.”
“It’s not easy,” he agreed. “And it’s only gonna get harder.”
I stared at him with wide doe eyes, silently pleading for some sort of direction.
“What should I do?” I asked. “Should I live my life as best I can and try to ignore the evil going on all around me? Or should I make it my life’s work to try to change that evil into good? Is it even worth it to try?”
Dad blew out a deep breath and pushed the rest of his stromboli aside. His fingers laced atop the table.
“I can’t tell you what to do, sweetheart, but I’ll tell you what I think. Should you live your life to the fullest? Absolutely, no contest. Should you ignore the evil around you? No, I wouldn’t ignore it. Given what you are, there’s a good chance it’ll come looking for you regardless.”
He licked his lips and paused before continuing. I stayed silent.
“Striving to make the world a better place…it’s a noble endeavor, but a very difficult one. Is it worth it to try? I think if your heart’s in it, if it’s something you feel strongly about and it’s something honorable and good, then it’s always worth it to try. I can’t guarantee you’ll succeed, and many times it might feel like all you’re doing is trudging uphill through two feet of shit and a thunderstorm. It might even be like that for the rest of your life, but if you care, truly and passionately, then no matter what happens in the end, you’ll be glad you did it.”
The sound of a pin dropping would have seemed as loud as shattering glass. There were no words in my head or my mouth, just a vast emptiness as I tried to absorb and process what he’d just said.
Unfortunately, there was no time.




Author Bio:
Elle Middaugh lives in the Allegheny Mountains outside of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, with her wonderful husband and three beautiful children. Most of her time is spent raising kids, writing stories, playing video games, reading, and attempting to keep a clean house.
She’s a proud Navy wife, a frazzle-brained mother, a fan of health and fitness, a lover of hot tea and iced tea, and a believer in happily ever afters.

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