Book Spotlight: The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan

TITLE: The Hook Up
SERIES: Game On, #1
AUTHOR: Kristen Callihan
GENRE: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Sports
RELEASE DATE: 8th September 2014
BUY LINK: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords
BOOK BLURB:

The rules: no kissing on the mouth, no staying the night, no telling anyone, and above all… No falling in love

Anna Jones just wants to finish college and figure out her life. Falling for star quarterback Drew Baylor is certainly not on her to do list. Confident and charming, he lives in the limelight and is way too gorgeous for his own good. If only she could ignore his heated stares and stop thinking about doing hot and dirty things with him. Easy right?

Too bad he’s committed to making her break every rule…

Football has been good to Drew. It’s given him recognition, two National Championships, and the Heisman. But what he really craves is sexy yet prickly Anna Jones. Her cutting humor and blatant disregard for his fame turns him on like nothing else. But there’s one problem: she's shut him down. Completely.

That is until a chance encounter leads to the hottest sex of their lives, along with the possibility of something great. Unfortunately, Anna wants it to remain a hook up. Now it’s up to Drew to tempt her with more: more sex, more satisfaction, more time with him. Until she’s truly hooked. It's a good thing Drew knows all about winning.

All’s fair in love and football…Game on

EXCERPT

My mother once told me that the most important moment in my life wouldn’t be when I won the National Championship or even the Super Bowl. It would be when I fell in love.

Life, she insisted, is how you live it and who you live it with, not what you do to make a living. Given that she told me this when I was sixteen, I basically rolled my eyes and worked on practicing my pass fakes.

But my mother was insistent.

“You’ll see, Drew. One day, love will creep up and smack you upside the head. Then you’ll understand.”

My mom, it turns out, was wrong in one regard. Love, when it came for me, did not creep. No, it walked up to me, bold as you please, you know, just in case I wasn’t paying attention. It did, however, slap me upside my head.

And while I’d be happy to tell my mom that she was right about that, she’s dead. A fact that hurts even more now that I’ve been struck down. More like shot down. Cut off at the knees. Totally fucked. Whatever you want to call this disaster. Because the object of my affection hates me.

I am man enough to acknowledge that the cluster fuck that is my current love life is entirely my fault. I wasn’t prepared for Anna Jones.

I still cringe at the memory of when I first laid eyes on her at the beginning of the semester. Being late for class, I’d rushed to a seat in the back row, and was trying to remain unnoticed. I can’t go anywhere on campus without getting attention. And though it sounds like an awesome thing, it gets tiring. 

When the roll call reached the back row, a soft voice, rich and thick as maple syrup, slid over me.

“Anna Jones.”

Just her name. That was all she’d said. It was like a hot finger stroking down my spine. My head snapped up. And there she was, so fucking pretty that I couldn’t think straight. I might as well have been sacked. 

Breathless, my head ringing, I could only gape. I’m not going to say it was love at first sight. No, it was more like oh, hell-yes-please, I’ll have that. With a helping of right-the-fuck-now on the side.

Thinking maybe I was overtired and simply overreacting to something that wasn’t really there, I stared at Anna Jones and tried to make sense of my extreme reaction.

As if feeling my gaze, she’d turned, and fucking hell… Her eyes were wide, almost cat-like, with the corners tilting up just a bit. At first, those eyes appeared brown, but they were really bottle green. And so clear. And annoyed. She glared at me. I didn’t care. One word was playing a loop in my head: mine.

I don’t remember the rest of the class. I watched Anna Jones like a condemned man getting his last view of the setting sun. While she tried to ignore me. Admirably.

The second class ended I shot up, and so did she. We nearly collided in the middle of the aisle. And then it all fell to shit.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

Kristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she’d rather do. She is a three-time RITA nominee, and winner of two RT Reviewer’s Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine’s Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher’s Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Embrace Special News!!!

Embrace said there was some exciting news to share and we can finally share that The Next Forever by Lisa Burstein is free for one week only! Be sure to pick up your copy and get ready to fall in love with Lisa Burstein's writing.

 

Pick up your copy:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes

Once you finish The Next Forever be sure to keep an eye out for Lisa's upcoming release, The Possibility of Us, available July 1 for just $.99.

 

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Book Trailer: Tease by Sophie Jordan

TITLE: Tease SERIES: The Ivy Chronicles, #2 AUTHOR: Sophie Jordan GENRE: New Adult, Contemporary RELEASE DATE: 27th May 2014 BUY LINK: Amazon | B&N BLURB:

What happens when a girl who always calls the shots meets a guy who's too wild for even her?
A born flirt and good-time party girl, Emerson has never had a problem finding a willing guy. She's always chosen her hookups carefully, and she's never broken her three cardinal rules:
Never let them see the real you. Never fall in love. Always leave them begging for more.
Then Shaw comes along. A hottie from the wrong side of the tracks, he's immune to her flirtatious banter and come-hither smile. After rescuing her from a disastrous night at a biker bar, he doesn't even try to take her to bed—he calls her a tease and sends her home instead. Unable to resist a challenge, or forget the sexy, dark-eyed, bad-boy biker, she vows to bring him to his knees.
But instead of making Shaw beg, Emerson finds herself craving him. For the first time in her life, she's throwing out her rule book. Suddenly, she's the one panting for a guy she can't control—a guy who won't settle for anything less than the real Emerson and who forces her to do things she's never imagined, including facing a past she thought she'd buried.
A guy who just might leave her wanting more. . . .

Blog Tour: The Prophecy of Arcadia by M.H. Soars [Excerpt]

TITLE: The Prophecy of Arcadia
SERIES: Arcadian Wars, #1
AUTHOR: M.H. Soars
GENRE: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Science Fiction
RELEASE DATE: 17th January 2014
BUY LINK: Amazon
BOOK BLURB:

Being a teenager is tough, especially when you have to pretend to be something you’re not, and you’re in love with someone you shouldn’t. 115 years ago, a small planet called Arcadia was invaded by a vicious alien race and nearly destroyed. Cut off from their resources, the Arcadians turned to Earth for help. A group of Arcadian explorers discovered a Prophecy that claimed their salvation lay in the hands of two children from Earth. To ensure their safety, the Arcadian Council sent their most gifted youngsters to Earth to act as protectors. Samantha is one of them.

To succeed in her mission she must learn to control her Arcadian powers and keep her true identity from her best friend, and the girl she swore to protect, Alexia. But Samantha will soon realize that nothing is as it seems. Someone is trying to prevent the Prophecy from taking place and the prophecy boy hasn't been found yet. There is also a new drug circulating at school that is turning students into freakishly strong menaces.

To make matters worse, distractions keep getting in her way. Such as her love/hate relationship with her “cousin” Matthew. Or her confused feelings toward popular and mysterious Julian. She wants nothing more than to be free to live her life. But the survival of Arcadia depends on her and her friends. Free will is not an option.

EXCERPT

Initial weirdness aside, the ride to the camp was pleasant enough. And despite the fact that Julian was a freaking legacy at his school, I discovered that he was charming without an ounce of snobbery. He told me stories about LJM Prep that had me laughing out loud, and also made me realize that private schools weren’t so different from public schools after all. Yeah, the majority of the student body was beyond wealthy, and they would never have to do a car wash to collect money for a field trip, but the drama was still the same. We also talked about Ethan and his accident, and I could see that Julian truly cared about him.

“So, Alexia, I feel like we have a special bond now, being partners in crime and all,” he suddenly said. He didn’t look at me, but I saw the corner of his mouth twitch.

“Is that so?” I squinted my eyes.

“Yep. So let’s play a game.”

“What kind of game?” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“I’ll tell you something that I’ve never told anyone before, and you’ll do same.”

I laughed at that. Right. Like I was going to tell him my deepest secrets.

“Don’t laugh. I’m serious,” he continued.

“Okay, buddy. You go first then,” I was pretty sure he was going to come up with an unbelievable story and swear it was the truth, Sean style. 

“No, no, ladies first,” he replied.

I was going to open my mouth to protest, but he turned to look at me, his clear blue eyes more intense than usual. I found myself agreeing to it.

“Fine. A secret that nobody knows, hmmm, let me think,” I said jokingly, but then found myself actually contemplating telling Julian something that was true and meaningful. It was like I felt compelled to be honest with him. I could tell him about Thomas, but then again, Sam and Mia knew about it. I also didn’t want him mentioning it to Ethan. Guys gossiped, too. Finally, I confessed something that I hadn’t allowed myself to dwell too much on until that moment.

“Sometimes, I feel like I don’t belong to my family.” 

Julian frowned. “How come?”

I looked out at the window, trying to organize my thoughts. I wanted to explain it in a way that wouldn’t make me sound like an attention seeker. “I don’t know, it’s just a feeling I get sometimes, like I’m a stray they took in, or an alien.” 

At my last comment, Julian started to laugh. “An alien? What made you use that word to describe yourself?”

I smiled wryly at him. “Have you seen the size of my eyes? They’re abnormally large. According to Steven Spielberg, I must be an alien.”

Julian shook his head. “You have beautiful eyes, Alexia. Nothing extra-terrestrial about them.”

I blushed at his comment. 

“I would have said you look more like an anime character come to life.” Julian continued after a brief moment.

“An anime character? Oh that’s great! I look like a cartoon,” I said, exasperated. 

“Yeah, an anime character, all cute with big eyes, that adorable button nose, and curly hair. You’re like, the real live version of Candy Candy.” Julian said trying to suppress a smile.

“Who the hell is Candy Candy? That sounds like a stripper’s name.”

Julian chuckled before he continued. “Google it, you’ll see I’m right.”

I did just that. I didn’t know how Julian had turned my serious confession into an Alexia mock fest. Maybe he hadn’t meant for me to reveal something so depressing and was trying to keep the mood of the trip light. I found the information fast enough and couldn’t help but to gawk at him.

“Julian, Candy Candy is an anime series from the seventies. How in the world do you even know about it?”

“My mother collects anything related to it, not only anime but the mangas too. Candy Candy was my first crush.” 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

M. H. Soars is what we like to call a United Nations child. She was born in the United States but grew up in several different countries which gave her a broader perspective of life. She has always been passionate about books and stories and at a certain point had a comic book series going.
With a background in fashion design she always thought she was going to follow that path. But the characters in her head kept begging to be set free. So she decided to write their stories. A couple of years and a baby later, the first installment of her Arcadian Wars series is finally done.
M. H. Soars currently resides in New Mexico with her husband and baby daughter. She loves to read novels in the YA, PNR, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, and Chick Lit genres. When not devouring said novels, you may find her shopping online (she's an expert), blogging about fashion, or trying to teach her daughter to walk (even though she's too young for that).
If you would like to learn more about M. H. Soars and her projects, follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or visit her blog.

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ARC Review: The Haven by Carol Lynch Williams

TITLE: The Haven
AUTHOR: Carol Lynch Williams
GENRE: Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction
RELEASE DATE: 4th March 2014
RATING: 
BUY LINK: Amazon | B&N | TBD
REVIEW COPY: NetGalley
BOOK BLURB:

For the teens at The Haven, the outside world, just beyond the towering stone wall that surrounds the premises, is a dangerous unknown. It has always been this way, ever since the hospital was established in the year 2020. But The Haven is more than just a hospital; it is their home. It is all they know. Everything is strictly monitored: education, exercise, food, and rest. The rules must be followed to keep the children healthy, to help control the Disease that has cast them as Terminals, the Disease that claims limbs and lungs—and memories. 

But Shiloh is different; she remembers everything. Gideon is different, too. He dreams of a cure, of rebellion against the status quo. What if everything they’ve been told is a lie? What if The Haven is not the safe place it claims to be? And what will happen if Shiloh starts asking dangerous questions?

Thank you for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Book Blitz: My Life From Hell by Tellulah Darling

 The conclusion for The Blooming Goddess Trilogy! It's actually out now. ;) Grab your copies NOW!

TITLE: My Life From Hell
SERIES: The Blooming Goddess Trilogy, #3
AUTHOR: Tellulah Darling
GENRE: Young Adult, Paranormal, Greek Mythology
RELEASE DATE: 20th March, 2014
BUY LINK: Amazon | Kobo
BOOK BLURB:

To say that Sophie Bloom is at the top of her game with one only week until spring equinox and the final showdown with Zeus and Hades would be, well, lying. The Goddess of Spring feels more like the Goddess of Bzz Thanks For Playing than the savior of humanity. And could her relationships be any more messed up?
Good times.
Sophie is convinced that things can’t get any worse than crawling back to her mother Demeter and begging for help. But she’s about to find out how very wrong she is.
It’s a race against time for Sophie to implement the big battle strategy in the YA romantic comedy/Greek mythology finale My Life From Hell. Love meets comedy with a whole lot of sass in book three of this teen fantasy romance series. Save herself; save the world. Humanity may be screwed.

AUTHOR BIO

Tellulah Darling
noun
1) YA romantic comedy author because her first kiss sucked and she's compensating.
2) Alter ego of former screenwriter.
3) Sassy minx.
Writes about: where love meets comedy. Awkwardness ensues.
Tellulah Darling is a firm believer that some of the best stories happen when love meets comedy. Which is why she has so much fun writing young adult romantic comedy novels. Her tales span contemporary, teen fantasy romance, and YA Greek mythology, and range from stand alone books to series. For Tellulah, teen romance is the most passionate, intense, and awkward there is - a comedy goldmine. Plus smart, mouthy, teen girls rock.
Sassy girls. Swoony boys. What could go wrong?

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS | TWITTER

EXCERPT

I fired again and again, staying rooted to the spot, and forcing extra power from deep within the earth. I wiggled my bare feet into the dirt, digging my toes in deeper.

At least it didn’t stay dark. Between fireballs, lightning strikes, my shockwaves and Kai’s black light, it was quite the dazzling illumination.

My eyes closed. I didn’t need to see the Photokia and Pyrosim to know where they were. I could sense them, millions and millions, swarming me. More than I could count. More than I could process.

It was a plague of minions. The world was so thick with them that I was amazed there was still room for air. Their fireballs burned my skin and sparked my hair. Their lightning arced through my body. 

The air was heat and smoke and burning destruction. Every particle glided over my skin in electric vibrations that shocked the tiny hairs on my arms. Black ash rained down, covering me in a blanket of soot. I took it all in and used it. Turned it around and sent it back with every shockwave I fired.

I felt untouchable. Even with all the hits I was taking, my healing abilities kept up pretty well. I had never been more a goddess, more every-inch powerful, than in this moment. I felt Persephone settle into my skin, connect to me in a way that had never happened before. For this moment, at least, we were in perfect synch. We were the vanquishers and our enemies would go down tasting our wrath.

Until I heard the laughter.

GIVEAWAY

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ARC Review: Alpha Goddess [Giveaway]

TITLE: Alpha Goddess
AUTHOR: Amalie Howard
GENRE: Young Adult, Mythology, Paranormal
RELEASE DATE: 4th March 2014
RATING: 
BUY LINK: Amazon | B&N | TBD
REVIEW COPY: NetGalley & JKS Communications (Thanks Sami!)
BOOK BLURB:

In Serjana Caelum’s world, gods exist. So do goddesses. Sera knows this because she is one of them. A secret long concealed by her parents, Sera is Lakshmi reborn, the human avatar of an immortal Indian goddess rumored to control all the planes of existence. Marked by the sigils of both heaven and hell, Sera’s avatar is meant to bring balance to the mortal world, but all she creates is chaos. A chaos that Azrath, the Asura Lord of Death, hopes to use to unleash hell on earth.

Torn between reconciling her past and present, Sera must figure out how to stop Azrath before the Mortal Realm is destroyed. But trust doesn’t come easy in a world fissured by lies and betrayal. Her best friend Kyle is hiding his own dark secrets, and her mysterious new neighbor, Devendra, seems to know a lot more than he’s telling. Struggling between her opposing halves and her attraction to the boys tied to each of them, Sera must become the goddess she was meant to be, or risk failing, which means sacrificing the world she was born to protect.

REVIEW

Thank you for the ARC in exchange of an honest review! 

Hmmm... This is a bit hard to review. Not that it's a bad book or something.