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Book Blitz and Giveaway: Welcome To Your Life

Welcome to Your Life
Katrina Marie
Publication date: August 3rd 2017
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Tonya discovers she’s pregnant a month after breaking up with her high school boyfriend, Jake. She can’t decide whether to tell Jake she’s pregnant when he sees her at the mall with a maternity bag.

Tonya struggles to adjust to working, attending the local community college, and pushing off Jake’s advances to get back together. When she’s paired with the good looking guy from her Art class, Reaf, she has to battle the confusing emotions swirling through her brain and heart.

Can she find love, herself, and become the parent she hopes to be while dealing with pregnancy hormones and drama?

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” I say under my breath. There’s no way this can be happening. I had my whole future ahead of me. What am I supposed to do now? My parents are going to kill me, and I can’t rely on my ex-boyfriend, Jake. He’s likely to run away, scared shitless.

Goodbye scholarships. I’m only eighteen, and this isn’t how I envisioned my life turning out. I wipe the tears from my cheeks. When did I start crying? I grab the little stick that has now determined my future, wrap it in toilet paper, and hurl it in the trash.

Gathering all the strength I can muster, I walk out of the bathroom, gathering the words to tell my parents that they will soon be grandparents. This isn’t going to go well at all.

I’m completely overcome with the many emotions swirling through my brain. Fear, sadness, confusion. I can’t settle on just one. I feel each one with every fiber of my being.

My parents are on the patio drinking in the summer night, waiting on the first fireworks to sail into the air as we celebrate our freedom. I definitely don’t feel free right now. I feel trapped, and can’t breathe. The heat isn’t helping, either. They look at me as I step on the patio, and instantly know that something is wrong.

“What happened? Are you okay?” My mom asks.

I can only shake my head, look at the ground, and try to keep the moisture behind my eyes. Dad has a look on his face… A mixture of worry and anger.

“Please, don’t tell me what I think you are about to tell me,” he says. Barely containing the worry that wants to claw its way out.

The tears that I had strangled only moments ago burst free.

“Damn it, Tonya. What the hell are you going to do now?”

I could handle Mom’s wrath, but hearing the disappointment in Dad’s outburst rips me wide open.

I’ve always been Daddy’s little girl, his pride and joy. But the moment the words “I’m pregnant” slip through my lips, I know he’s never going to look at me the same again.

Author Bio:

Katrina Marie lives in the Dallas area with her husband, two children, and fur baby. She is a lover of all things geeky and Gryffindor for life. This is her debut novel and she hopes you enjoy reading it as much as she enjoyed writing it.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Hedy’s Journey

Title: Hedy’s Journey: The True Story of a Hungarian Girl Fleeing the Holocaust
Author: Michelle Bisson
Genre: Children’s
Publisher: Capstone Books
Release Date: August 1, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Hedy was a Jewish girl living in Hungary in 1941. Her family was scared of the Nazi’s because her cousin was sent to a concentration camp. Her parents decided to take them to the United States. Hedy’s parents and brother made their way to Lisbon to get a ship to New York. Hedy had to wait for another train because there wasn’t enough room for her. Eventually they all made it onto the ship and began their long journey from Lisbon to New York City.

I really liked the illustrations in this book. The muted colours, in greys and browns, reflects the sad tone of the story.

This is a great story for young readers. I remember reading Hannah’s Suitcase when I was in elementary school, which taught me about the Holocaust. The World Wars aren’t taught very much to young kids these days, so this book would give them an idea of what happened then. Hedy’s family was one of the lucky ones, so the story is not as devastating as some stories set during that time.

Book Blitz and Giveaway: Single Dad on Top

Single Dad on Top
J.J. Knight
Publication date: August 3rd 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

A new single dad romantic comedy from the author of the USA Today bestselling single dad series Fight for Her

I’m always on top.

My penthouse.

My corporate office above Manhattan.

And, of course, the women in my life.

Actually, I might choose any position.

But make no mistake. I choose. I control.

My life is mine.

Which is why I’m not sure what the hell is going on when I open my front door and there’s a baby stroller sitting in my private hall.

The note on the infant simply says, “Do the DNA. She’s yours.”

Well, damn.

_____

Full length (395 print pages, 72,000 words) standalone HEA.

Contains all the crazy elements of a billionaire alpha male meets virgin next door for a fake marriage leading to a love affair — all while laughing over his inability to understand baby basics!)

Goodreads / Amazon

99¢ this week only!

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EXCERPT:

The dream is luscious.

I’m curled up on a soft green lawn. A breeze bends the stalks of a row of tulips. They look like they are leaning in to tell me a secret.

Then I see two shoes. Bright polished men’s dress shoes. A perfectly creased cuff lands at precisely the right position. There is no break in the crisply pressed fold. My eyes travel up it, past his knees, to the fly.

There’s a bulge there. He’s gotten aroused looking at me. Heat courses through my body and I skip ahead to his face.

But he’s already bending down, coming for me.

And his lips land on mine.

I fall into the kiss. It’s warm and soft and exactly what I’ve wanted. It tastes faintly of brandy. Smells engulf me. Expensive cologne. A hint of shampoo, something woodsy.

Then the grass is gone. I’m in a black void, spinning. I bring my arms up around the neck of this man in his suit, but I’m surprised to touch skin instead. He’s naked now, the suit peeled away just for me.

I hold on to his strong shoulders. The kiss gets deeper, richer, and the sensation of falling is more intense. His tongue enters my mouth and I open for him greedily. It makes sense, the slide into the emptiness and how he fills me.

Then I really am flying, moving through the air, and a bit of scruffy facial hair scrapes against my cheek.

I’m not in a void. I’m being carried.

But one part of the dream was right.

I am definitely being kissed.

I pull back. Oh my God. It’s Dell.

He looks down at me with a sly smile. “It works on babysitters as well as poisoned princesses,” he says.

Author Bio:

JJ Knight is the author of the USA Today bestselling series Fight for Her, as well as Uncaged Love, Revenge, and Blue Shoes. She likes her heroes alpha, her heroines bold, and her stories to captivate.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook

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Girl In Snow

Title: Girl In Snow
Author: Danya Kukafka
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: August 1, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Lucinda Hayes was found one morning lying on the carousel in the elementary school playground in the snow. Cameron had watched her for a long time. He would sneak out of his house at night and watch her through her bedroom windows. He would draw portraits of her. Jade and Lucinda babysat for the same family. Jade worked for them first, but once they met Lucinda, they preferred to have her work for them. Russ is a police officer. He was friends with Lee, Cameron’s father, who was accused of beating a woman and left town after he was found not guilty. Russ’s brother-in-law is the janitor at the elementary school who found Lucinda’s body. Over the three days following her death, these people work to figure out what happened to her.

The story is told in chapters alternating between the perspectives of Cameron, Jade, and Russ. One of the first things I noticed about this book is how the three different narratives are so unique. Cameron’s narrative is told in third person. Cameron has some problems and keeps to himself a lot, so I can see why he wouldn’t tell his own story. Jade and Russ tell their stories in the first person perspective, but Russ’s parts don’t use quotation marks around the spoken words. This makes it seem more like it’s being filtered through his thoughts.

I enjoyed this story. It moved along at a steady pace. It was kind of emotional at times, because a lot of the characters had personal struggles. But overall it is a good story.

Poe: Stories and Poems

Title: Poe: Stories and Poems
Author: Gareth Hinds
Genre: Graphic Novel
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Release Date: August 1, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

This collection of Edgar Allan Poe stories and poems begins with The Masque of The Red Death. In this story, Prince Prospero has a party in his castle, so his friends can escape the red death that is happening in the city. He has 7 different rooms, each decorated in a different colour. But when the clock strikes 12, an unusual guest makes his way through each of the rooms to the Prince. This is a very illustrative tale, because of the colours in each room. I loved the way that the colours even reflected on the people in the images.

The Tell-Tale Heart is one of my favourite Poe stories! A man doesn’t like his boss’s glass eye. He steals the glass eye and kills his boss. He chops up the body and hides it in the floor boards. When the police come to investigate the screams that were heard by neighbours, the man feels so guilty he ends up confessing to the whole thing. The images in this story were quite dark at times, but it was a good representation of the tale.

The final poem in the collection is “The Raven,” Poe’s most famous work. I loved the illustrations for this poem. They really highlighted the raven, sitting on top of the door. It’s interesting that the narrator in this poem was illustrated as Poe himself. I love this poem and the graphics that went along with it were amazing.

This is a great graphic novel. I really liked that there was a legend with the themes of Poe’s works, such as The themes of each story or poem were listed at its beginning. This makes the collection a great pick for young readers or people who are just being introduced to Poe’s stories and poems.

My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast

Title: My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast
Author: Jerry Mahoney
Genre: Middle Grade
Publisher: Stone Arch Books
Release Date: August 1, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

It’s Halloween and Maddie wants to dress up as Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Her stepbrother, Holden, decides he will be the Beast. But when his costume is too gruesome, their parents make him change into a suit and call himself a lawyer instead. Once they return from the Halloween party, Holden notices that their Beauty and the Beast story on his iPad has changed. The Beast still looks like a beast at the end, instead of the handsome prince that he is supposed to change into. They both enter the story, Maddie as Belle and Holden as a lawyer, to try to save the fairytale.

This is a good story. Holden often points out the negative parts of the story, such as Belle having Stockholm syndrome and the Beast’s vanity. This shows young readers that you have to read everything critically, even beloved fairytales.

This story is a cute adventure for middle grade readers.

See What I Have Done

Title: See What I Have Done
Author: Sarah Schmidt
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Grove Atlantic
Release Date: August 1, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

On August 4, 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered in their home. Andrew’s daughter Lizzie and their maid Bridget were both home at the time but neither heard anything happen. They called Lizzie’s sister, Emma, home from the friend’s house she was visiting. Their maternal uncle, John, was visiting at the time. John was planning to send a man to see Andrew Borden, and tell him to treat Lizzie and Emma better. This story follows the events that took place on August 3 and 4, as well as Lizzie’s Borden’s trial.

I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Lizzie Borden. This book is a great portrayal of the events.

I really liked the way that John was also planning to send a man to talk some sense into Andrew. It throws suspicion off of Lizzie for a while. I was really beginning to wonder if this man did it instead.

There were a lot of metaphors in the story that referred to butchering or chopping. This was a subtle way to incorporate the theme of the ax murders.

This was a great, thrilling story.

Jane Eyre (Manga Classics)

Title: Jane Eyre (Manga Classics)
Author: Charlotte Bronte, Stacy King
Genre: Graphic Novel, Manga
Publisher: UDON Entertainment
Release Date: November 15, 2016
Rating: ★★★★★

Jane Eyre was orphaned at a young age. She was sent to live with her aunt and cousins, but they never treated her well. After an incident with her cousin, Jane’s aunt, Mrs. Reed, send Jane to a school. The conditions weren’t good at the school, with the girls being underfed and underclothed. Eventually the school got better, and Jane taught there for a few years when she finished her own schooling. Then, she put out an ad to be a governess. Mrs. Fairfax asked Jane to come to teach Adele, Mr. Rochester’s charge. Soon after Jane arrives, strange things happen. She thinks the house is haunted.

Jane Eyre is one of my favourite books. It has just enough mystery in it to make it suspenseful.

This graphic novel is great! It tells the story very well.

I liked the way that Jane looked very evil as a child. She had dark hair and eyes, and she was always yelling at people. It made her very spooky and set the tone for what will happen later in the story.

Each of the characters looked very distinct, so I could distinguish between them. Sometimes, if the characters are drawn in the same style, they can blend together and become confused. But the characters all had a separate style of clothes and looks in this story.

This is my favourite book in the Manga Classics series!

Crimes Against A Book Club

Title: Crimes Against A Book Club
Author: Kathy Cooperman
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Release Date: May 1, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

Annie has just joined a prestigious book club in La Jolla, an expensive area of San Diego. But she doesn’t fit in. She has a PhD in Chemistry, while all the other women stay at home all day. Annie’s world comes crashing down when her son is diagnosed with Autism. The doctors recommend that he gets lots of therapy, which would cost $84,000 per year. Though they have a lot of money, Annie’s family can’t afford that price tag. Annie’s best friend Sarah also has some financial problems. She abruptly quit her job as an associate at a law firm. She has been trying to have a baby for years and she has gone through IVF treatment twice but nothing has worked. She wants to try it one more time, but she doesn’t have the money now that she’s unemployed. Annie comes up with an idea to get them both the money they need. They will sell a homemade face cream to the rich women in La Jolla, under the guise of a celebrity doctor. Annie mixes up a special cream to sell for $2,000 a jar. But they both run into trouble when Annie’s secret ingredient is discovered.

This was a really funny book. The premise of selling the face cream was so absurd. But I could see this happening in real life. When a celebrity’s face is associated with a product, it can sell for way more than its worth.

Though the book club isn’t as prominent in the story as I thought it would be, there was a book theme running through the story. Each chapter focused on one character, and it opened with a paragraph about a book they read. It set the stage for what was going to happen to them in that chapter.

There were so many other women in the story that Sarah’s and Annie’s stories got lost in the mix. Though they were still the main characters, some chapters went into detailed subplots about minor characters. I don’t think there needed to be quite as much detail about the women who bought the cream from Sarah.

I recommend this book for some good laughs!

Joyride Vol. 1

Title: Joyride Vol. 1
Author: Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly
Genre: Graphic Novel
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Release Date: September 27, 2016
Rating: ★★★

The people of Earth can no longer see the stars. Uma Akkolyte wants to escape into space to finally see the stars. Along with her friend Dewydd, they sneak onto a ship and travel into space. When they try to escape the ship, they are followed by a woman, Catrin. She follows them so far that she ends up leaving with them. Then, they proceed to explore other planets and pick up some friends along the way.

This was a good story. There was a lot of action, and the graphics were good.

I was a little lost sometimes when they brought up new terms. There were new planets and creatures. Also, sometimes they used the word “space” in place of swear words, but it took a while for me to figure that out.

This was a pretty good graphic novel with an interesting plot.