The Perfect Recipe for Love and Friendship {+ Giveaway}

I’m delighted to be a part of the Release Week Blitz fun for author Shirley Jump’s THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP.

This delightful book is the first installment in her new O’Bannon Sisters series. Check out the post below and enter to win one of 15 print copies of THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP being given away during this blitz. You can also find out the protagonist’s favorite recipes below.

◊ Title: THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP

◊ Author: Shirley Jump

◊ Series: O’Bannon Sisters, #1

◊ On Sale: July 11, 2017

◊ Publisher: Forever

◊ Trade Paperback: $14.99 USD

◊ eBook: $6.99 USD

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The first book in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump's new series featuring the O'Bannon sisters.

Bridget O'Bannon is ready for a do-over. After years of pretending she had a happy marriage and denying that she missed the friends and family she'd left behind, she's headed home to restart her life.

          But working alongside her family every day at their bakery isn't as easy as whipping up her favorite chocolate peanut butter cake. Her mother won't give her a moment's peace, and her sister Abby is keeping secrets of her own. And there doesn't seem to be enough frosting in the world to smooth over the cracks forming between them.

          Bridget can see the recipe for a happy life—including the possibility of a new romance—written out before her, but first she and her family will need to lay bare their secrets and rediscover the most elusive ingredients of all: forgiveness, laughter, and love.

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Top 5 List

Now here are the top 5 favorite recipes of Bridget O'Bannon, the protagonist, and why she likes them so.

◊ Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie

◊ White Cake with Buttercream Frosting

◊ Candy bars

◊ Double Chocolate Brownies

◊ Cupcakes

And why—because those are my favorites, LOL, and if I’m going to write about them, then I’m going to write about ones I love! Plus, Bridget loves the cakes and things that she and her sisters create at the bakery.

Author Shirley Jump Credit Studio 33 Photography

When she's not writing books, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump competes in triathlons, mostly because all that training lets her justify mid-day naps and a second slice of chocolate cake. She's published more than 60 books in 24 languages, although she's too geographically challenged to find any of those countries on a map.

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This giveaway is for one of 15 print copies of THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP. To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope the new design (with no wine glass) is a bit better on the eyes. 😊 Do you have a favorite recipe you like to enjoy while reading?

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Primrose Lane {+ Giveaway}

It’s a delight to be a part of author Debbie Mason’s Teaser Blitz for her new recent, PRIMROSE LANE, the third installment in her Harmony Harbor series.

As part of the blitz activities, Debbie is sharing an excerpt from her new book. In addition, you can win one of five (5) print ARCs of PRIMROSE LANE. Please see the end of the post for more giveaway details.

◊ Title: PRIMROSE LANE   

◊ Author: Debbie Mason

◊ Series: Harmony Harbor, #3

◊ On Sale: June 27, 2017

◊ Publisher: Forever

◊ Mass Market: $7.99 USD

◊ eBook: $5.99 USD

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Olivia Davenport has finally gotten her life back together. She's left her painful past behind, started over in a new town, and become Harmony Harbor's most sought-after event planner. But her past catches up to her when Olivia learns that she's now guardian of her ex's young daughter. With her world spinning, Olivia must reconcile her old life with her new one. And she doesn't have time for her new next-door neighbor, no matter how handsome he is.

          Olivia may act like she's got everything under control, but Dr. Finn Gallagher knows a person in over her head when he sees one. He'd really like to be the shoulder she leans on, but Olivia makes it clear she doesn't want his help. Since he's returned to town, his waiting room has been full of single women feigning illness. Yet the one woman he's interested in is avoiding him. But with a little help from some matchmaking widows and a precocious little girl, Finn might just win Olivia over.

BONUS: Includes a complete novel from BookShots Flames, THE MCCULLAGH INN IN MAINE by Jen McLaughlin!

PREORDER THE BOOK HERE:

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THE HARMONY HARBOR SERIES

MISTLETOE COTTAGE, #1

CHRISTMAS WITH AN ANGEL, #1.5

STARLIGHT BRIDGE, #2

PRIMROSE LANE, #3

Series Page on Goodreads

Here’s an excerpt from the book for your reading pleasure:

Dr. Finn Gallagher found himself at the clinic on Primrose Lane, wondering what the hell he’d gotten himself into.

In the seven and half hours he’d been there, he’d seen forty-five patients. Only five of whom actually had something physically wrong with them. All five were female and under the age of sixteen. As far as he could tell, not one of them was interested in marrying him.

The other forty had nothing wrong with them. And, as far as he could tell, were very interested in marrying him. If they weren’t, their grandmothers and mothers were. Interested in him marrying their daughters and granddaughters, that is.

At the beginning of the day, it was kind of amusing, even a little flattering. But by 10:45 it had gotten old and annoying. It didn’t help that he kept thinking of the patients he saw while working with Doctors Without Borders. Those people needed him, desperately. They weren’t fake coughing or complaining about phantom chest pains. They were sick and hungry, wounded and scared. They weren’t spoiled and whiny and ungrateful.

He winced at his unflattering characterizations and intolerance. While there was some truth to his observations, the throbbing ache in his leg injury was making him grumpy. Knowing his father had been right and Finn wasn’t ready to go back to the Congo wasn’t doing much to improve his mood.

Sherry, Doc Bishop’s nurse and a woman Finn had dated in high school, opened the door to the closet-sized office. “Pain hasn’t let up, has it?” she asked with a compassionate smile.

“I’m good. Just had to return a couple of phone calls.” He set down the cold cup of coffee he hadn’t had a chance to drink, removed the ice pack from his knee, and surreptitiously hid it behind the welcome-to-the-clinic plant from the staff, which Finn now mentally referred to as the matchmaking clinic from hell. He pushed to his feet with a closed-mouth smile that hopefully hid his clenched his teeth from Sherry’s observant gaze.

“Really? I rescheduled Molly, Sally, and Karen’s physicals to tomorrow, but if you’re okay to see—”

“No, tomorrow’s good. On second thought, why don’t you schedule them with Doc Bishop? They’ve been going to him for twenty years. I’m sure they’d be more comfortable—”

“They would be or you would?” she said with a laugh, and then proceeded to share way too much information about all three women before adding, “Dr. Bishop won’t be in tomorrow. Mrs. Fitzgerald invited him to make up a foursome, remember?”

Finn rubbed his jaw. “I’m not sure that’s something you should share—”

She made a ha-snort sound and then cuffed him on the shoulder. “Not that kind of foursome, silly. They’re playing golf.” She ha-snorted again. “It’s no wonder that’s where your mind went after the offers you’ve had today. Kerry will get a good laugh over that one.”

If Sherry had her master’s in gossip, Kerry, the receptionist, had her PhD. Finn figured he’d provided them with enough to talk about for a month at least. He lifted his chin in the direction of the examination rooms. There were five. “Who’s next?”

“I cleared out the waiting room of all but legit complaints, so you only have four. Patient number one won’t take long. She just needs her script renewed.” She handed him a file.

He looked at the name and handed it back. “Might be better if Doc Bishop sees Ms. Templeton.”

“He left early. Mrs. DiRossi invited him for dinner, and I think he wanted to get spiffed up.” Sherry frowned and looked from Finn to examination room number one. “Is there a reason you don’t want to see Dana?”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author Debbie Mason Credit Debbie Mazzura

Debbie Mason is the USA Today bestselling author of the Christmas, Colorado series. Her books have been praised for their "likable characters, clever dialogue, and juicy plots" (RT Book Reviews). 

When she isn't writing or reading, Debbie enjoys spending time with her very own real-life hero, their four wonderful children, two adorable grandbabies, and a yappy Yorkie named Bella.

For more on Debbie and her writing, visit the following sites and connect with her:

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GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

This giveaway is for one of five (5) print ARCs of PRIMROSE LANE by Debbie Mason. To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few moments to load so please be patient.

Thanks for stopping by today. Would you be able to care for an ex’s child if something happened to them?

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Love Unleashed

It’s a pleasure to be a part of the Release Blitz for LOVE UNLEASHED by Diane Kelly. 

◊ LOVE UNLEASHED

◊ by Diane Kelly

◊ SMP Swerve

◊ Publication Date: June 6, 2017

◊ eBook ISBN: 9781250140463; Price: $2.99

Bestselling author Diane Kelly brings the heat to her popular Paw Enforcement series when sparks fly between a teacher and a firefighter in Love Unleashed.

          Between wrangling her rambunctious kindergarten class and trying to catch an elusive Dalmatian pup who’s been hanging around the playground, teacher Jessica Bellingham can hardly seem to catch her breath. And when hot, hunky fireman Louie DeLuca arrives to teach the children about fire safety, she just might need mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Who’d have thought a yellow slicker could be so sexy?

          Things heat up quickly, igniting a passion the two would gladly allow to consume them. But will their romance become a four-alarm blaze, or will a dark secret from Jesse’s past threaten to cool things off for good? And what will become of the playful puppy who seems to stay just out of reach?

Here’s an excerpt for your reading pleasure.

There was a knock at my door followed by a yip-yip-yip! Looked like Louie had brought Stinker with him. I was glad. The precious little pup would add some levity to the situation.

I walked to the door, took a deep breath, and opened it. Louie stood there looking as hot and handsome as ever, though his brown eyes were steely. I bit my lip and those eyes went to my mouth, softening slightly.

Stinker jumped up on my leg. Yip!

I bent down to pet her. “Hi, girl!”

She wagged her tail, her entire body wriggling with enthusiasm.

I stood and backed up to let them in.

Louie took a few steps into my place and stopped, his meaty arms crossed over his chest.

“Come sit down.” I reached out, put a hand on his forearm, and led him to the couch.

Once he’d taken a seat on one end, I took a seat on the other, turning to face him. Hot tears welled up in my eyes again and I wiped them away. I’d probably smeared my mascara all over the place. But if Louie was going to be turned off by smudged makeup, what did any of this matter?

I took a deep breath. I wasn’t sure what to say, where to begin. But as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

“I need to show you something,” I said.

He cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“This.”

I reached down, starting at the top button of my dress, slowly undoing each of them. Louie watched me with a face that was equal parts confusion and arousal.

When I was unbuttoned to my waist, I eased the dress off my shoulders, letting it fall. Other than the parts covered by my bra, my chest and stomach were exposed. As much as I wanted to look away so that I wouldn’t see the disgust in his gaze, I forced myself to keep my eyes on Louie.

But there was no disgust. Instead, Louie’s concerned gaze traveled down from my face, taking in the scarred flesh between and under my breasts. He reached out on apparent instinct and I flinched. He noticed and pulled his hand back. I felt exposed and vulnerable as I waited for him to say something.

His brow furrowed as his gaze returned to my face. “Is that why you didn’t want me to touch you? Because of your burn scars?”

I nodded, biting my lip to keep from crying again. When I regained some control, I said, “Ugly, aren’t they?” I finagled my dress back into place. “They’re the reason I arranged the fire-safety assembly for the students.” I told him the whole story then, how I’d lit the lavender candle despite being warned many times not to.

He stared into my eyes so deep I felt it in my soul. “I hate that you went through this,” he said softly, reaching out to take both of my hands in his. “But how can I think anything is ugly when it led me to you?”

DIANE KELLY is a former state assistant attorney general and tax advisor who spent much of her career fighting, or inadvertently working for, white-collar criminals. She is also a proud graduate of the Mansfield, Texas Citizens Police Academy.

The first book in Diane's IRS Special Agent Tara Holloway series, Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure, received a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award. Book #2, Death, Taxes, and a Skinny No-Whip Latte, won a Reviewers Choice award. Diane has combined her fascination with law enforcement and her love of animals in her K-9 cop Paw Enforcement series.

For more on the author and her writing, visit her website and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

LOVE UNLEASHED is available at the following sites: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, and Google Play.

Thanks for stopping by today. Do you like stories that involve pets as semi-main characters?

Butterfly in Amber {+ Giveaway}

Butterfly in Amber
Camilla Monk
(Spotless #4)
Publication date: May 12th 2017
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Romance

He’s waiting for you…

Under a blanket of snow, surrounded by dark woods and a frozen sea, lies an ogre’s castle. There lives a little princess, trapped in the maze of her own mind.

On a battlefield where the past meets the present stand a fairy godmother and a pirate, an old ice cream man and a knight in shining clean armor…

The clock is ticking fast, and to pierce the ogre’s secrets and defeat him, Island Chaptal will have to fight to remember…and stay alive.

Can the Lions and the Roomba cats be stopped before it’s too late?

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—

EXCERPT:

I didn’t mean to, but I just dropped my glass again. It still happens—less than it used to. From time to time, my hands will shake uncontrollably, and whatever I’m holding will go crash, splatter, scatter on the floor, for Stiles to pick and clean up, as always.

“I’m sorry,” I say, without looking at him.
As he carefully mops the purple mess of broken glass and grape juice on the tiling, he smiles that sweet, empty smile he always gives me. Faded, like his baby blue eyes. “It’s all right; we’re good. That marble has seen worse.”
I mumble another apology, gazing past him and through the bay window, at the ghostly silhouettes of the snow-covered pines surrounding the castle. You can’t see the Baltic Sea, but it’s there, beyond the trees, encircling the island. My father sent me here to rest because he says it’s quiet; it’ll help me find myself again. “An island for Island,” he said, and it made him chuckle. When I’m depressed though, which is more often than I like to admit, I just think my world has shrunk to a mile-long rock.
“Island, are you still with me?”
I look up at Stiles and nod automatically, but in truth, for a second I didn’t recognize him. I mean, I did, but it’s his voice or, rather, his accent. He told me once he was born in a place called Denton, in Georgia, where time trickled slowly and people squeezed their pennies so hard the eagle screamed. He said he spent sixteen years there, hunting quail, skipping church, and waiting for something to happen—according to him, the rest of the town is probably still waiting. All he kept from his hometown is a soft drawl that will occasionally weigh on his vowels. There’s nothing wrong with that, but every time he opens his mouth, it’s like my brain is expecting something more, someone else, until the feeling is gone, and I remember that it’s just Stiles.
I don’t know; it’s just one of the many things that are wrong with me. I guess I’m still pretty messed up since my accident. I feel slow, confused most of the time. Everybody tells me it’s normal, that eight months is not much to recover from the kind of trauma I went through, that maybe it’ll take years. I hope not. I turned twenty-six in September, and I’d rather not stay a convalescent child for the rest of my life.
Once he’s done wiping the last pinkish smear, Stiles wastes no time crossing the kitchen and opening the fridge to grab the bottle of juice again. He reminds me of a big robot: The man is cut like a Terminator, and he never gives up, never gets distracted. I drop the glass where he put my meds? He’ll fetch another one. I never tried, but I’m pretty sure that if I dropped it ten times, he’d fix it all over again ten times too. Always the same gray dress pants, white shirt, and black tie every day, always the same blond crew cut I suspect never grows. I could complain he also looks forty every day, but that’d be unfair: it’s not like I’ve known him for so long.
My heart skips a beat at the distressing thought. I have. I’ve known him almost all my life, since the day my father hired him to take care of me. Bodyguard, nanny, nurse . . . friend, maybe?
How could I know? I don’t remember any of that.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Camilla Monk is a French native who grew up in a Franco-American family. After finishing her studies, she taught English and French in Tokyo before returning to France to work in advertising. Today, she builds rickety websites for financial companies and lives in Montreal, where she keeps a close watch on the squirrels and complains on a daily basis about the egregious number of Tim Hortons.

Her writing credits include the English resumes and cover letters of a great many French friends, and some essays as well. She’s also the critically acclaimed author of a few passive-aggressive notes pasted in her building’s elevator.

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Finding You {+ Giveaway}

It’s a delight to be participating in the Release Day Blitz for author Jo Watson’s FINDING YOU (even if I am a couple of days late).

As part of the blitz, you can find out the top five things you should do when in Greece, read an excerpt from the book, and enter to win your own copy of this tantalizing story.

◊ Title: Finding You 

◊ Author: Jo Watson

◊ On Sale: May 2, 2017

◊ Series: Destination Love #3

◊ Publisher: Forever

◊ Format: Trade Paperback

◊ Price: $14.99 USD

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Being adopted never made Jane Smith feel unloved, just unlike the rest of her family. As her twenty-fifth birthday approaches, she is struck by an overwhelming longing to finally find her place in the world. So, in a very un-Jane-like move, she books a last-minute ticket to Greece to find her birth father and the real Jane. All she knows about him is that he was a tour guide named Dimitri. Armed with this knowledge and several surprise boxes of condoms from her mom (not embarrassing at all), Jane takes off.

          Within minutes of landing she makes two important discoveries. First, everyone in Greece is named Dimitri, and second, fate might be playing a sick joke on her when a sexy tour guide called Dimitri comes to fetch her from the airport. After failing to find concrete information about her father, Dimitri offers to help Jane with her search – if she’ll go on an adventure with him. Stable Jane would never risk a steamy vacation romance, but real Jane might finally be ready to listen to her heart. Will Jane find her biological father, or will she end up finding something else entirely?

FINDING YOU is available at the following sites:

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo

Top 5 things you should do when in Greece

1.      I think you should probably drink a lot of wine and eat lots of wildly fattening foods and not give a crap if you put on 10 pounds!

2.     If you can, you should probably have a hot fling with a ridiculously good-looking Greek man. I have it on good authority that they are excellent lovers (said a friend once with a massive smile across her blushing face) I myself have not partaken, my husband might see that as an issue! But if you do… let me know!

3.     I think you should go island hoping. Greece is an explosion of islands, each one of them totally unique with lots of things to see. I think there are two types of holidays you can have in Greece, 1.) Pull up a deck chair and lie on the beach all day, or 2.) Go on an adventure! There is so much to see and do there!

4.    Greece boasts some of the most stunning and unique beaches in the world; from powdery white, to volcanic black and even to red beaches. I think incorporating as much beach-hoping as possible into your Greek adventure is a great idea!  You don’t get to see red beaches everyday.

5.     Smash plates! Why not? When in Greece…

Now for your reading pleasure here is an excerpt from FINDING YOU.

He stepped toward me. My heart stopped pumping. He leaned in close and pulled my hand from behind my back and placed his card in the center of my palm. My nerve endings prickled and the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

“Just in case.” He repeated the words and they sounded so loaded.

In case what? In case I decided to lose all common sense, judgment, control, my mind (although that was already up for debate) and call you for a midnight beach romp. I’ll be sure to bring my watch so I can take note of how long it takes you to make me start screaming your name in wild ecstasy…Oh God, that sounded good!

I took a large step back. He took a large step forward. Back. Forward. Then he leaned in again. Holy Crap! He was coming in for that double-cheek kiss again and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to remain cool and calm and controlled this time.  Only he didn’t. He did something far, far more odd and unsettling. He pulled my sunglasses off, placed them in the same hand as the card and then closed my fingers around them. He squeezed my hand closed while looking into my eyes in a way that rattled me to my very core.

My head started spinning and suddenly I felt a tad unsteady. I hoped to hell that I wasn’t about to be knocked off my feet by my raging hormones and fall into his arms. He gave my hand one last squeeze, and then… he was gone!

What the hell did that mean? You can’t just take off a person’s glasses, put them in their hands, stare into their eyes meaningfully and then mysteriously walk away without saying a word. What the hell was he playing at?

And why was it so hard to keep myself from falling for it?

Author Jo Watson

Jo Watson is an award-winning writer of romantic comedies. Burning Moon won a Watty Award in 2014. Jo is an Adidas addict and a Depeche Mode devotee.

For more on Jo, visit:

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GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

This blitz-wide giveaway is for 10 copies of FINDING YOU! To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few minutes to load so please be patient.

Thanks for stopping by today. Have you ever been to Greece? If so, what did you do? If not, what would you like to do while there?

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Autumn’s Dance {+ Giveaway}

It’s a pleasure to be a part of the AUTUMN’S DANCE by Sarah Gai Blitz with Xpresso Book Tours.

As part of the blitz-wide activities, Sarah is giving away a $20 Amazon Gift Card. Please see the end of the post for more details on the giveaway.

◊ Autumn’s Dance
◊ by Sarah Gai
◊ Publication date: February 14, 2017
◊ Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

“A story that captures your heart and continues you thinking about it long after you fall asleep.”

          Autumn Nash lives a nomadic existence with her harvest-travelling father, except every summer when they return to one place like clockwork…Ligonier, PA. But this season, Autumn meets a young man who changes her world and makes her long for more.

          Eric Foster has been sent to stay the summer in Ligonier with his grandfather in hopes of altering his path as his life spirals downward. His direction changes the moment he sees Autumn; he knows his very reason for breathing is solely to be with her.

          When Autumn is ripped away from Ligonier, she leaves Eric confused and devastated that their time is over. Both teens struggle through the years gone by without the other. Will Autumn ever see the boy who changed her life again? Will Eric wait for her? Will Autumn ever make it back to Ligonier? And what will happen when buried secrets surface?

Discover a love that takes you back to what it’s all about—the confusing, yet simplistic, beginnings of falling in love and watch it evolve into something that takes your breath away.

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Request a review copy here!

Author Sarah Gai

So this is me in short. I'm plus size and completely adorable (or so my husband tells me) A momma of three princes who light my world. I drink way too much coffee, chocolate is a staple. I love to write after midnight and my love for short stories will never fade. With such a limited amount of time to enjoy quiet writing, I have mastered the skills of fitting a lot into a small amount of pages. Humour keeps me smiling and well.. if you've read my books you'll know that I put a lot of myself into the characters.

And to answer your questions. My best friends and I forgot the part about growing up and love every minute of it. Aside from writing I also run a publication IndieLove Magazine, promoting Indie Awesomes from a range of fields and professions. Check it out at www.indielovemagazine.com

In 2017 I will be saying goodbye to Chick lit for a while and heading into Contemporary Romance. I hate to be put in a box! Join my street team at www.sarahgai.com and come have some fun!

Love to all xo.

Wanting to write for all the women out there who want a good short read about strong friendships, romance and body positive, love the skin you're in kind of fiction. Check out http://Facebook.com/sarahgaiauthor or www.sarahgai.com

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

The blitz-wide giveaway is for a $20 Amazon Gift Card. To enter just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient.

Thanks for stopping by today during Sarah’s blitz. Did you as a youngster or do you now go to the same place every summer?

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Revelations {+ Giveaway}

It’s a pleasure to be participating in the REVELATIONS by T. Marie Alexander blitz with Xpresso Book Tours.

As part of the blitz, the author is sharing an excerpt from her book and you can enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card. Please see the end of the post for more giveaway details.

Revelations
T. Marie Alexander
Publication date: January 27th, 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Have you ever craved something so badly that all reason was just an excuse getting in your way?

Have you needed something so desperately that you didn’t care how you got it or who you hurt in the process?

I have—and not that long ago.

Acceptance.

Acceptance… from family and friends…

Acceptance of the person I am inside and not outright rejection.

It didn’t come easily for me, and now I believe the world needs to know just how ruthless life can be. How that overwhelming yearning for acceptance can mold you into someone you don’t recognize when you look in the mirror. I’m through hiding behind one façade after another—it’s time for the world to meet the real me.

~Antoinette Justice

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—

I turn the music off, turn to face him, and ask, “What is it?”

“I don’t know watcha talkin’ ’bout,” is all he says. Now, I could leave it alone and let him talk to me when he wants, but there’s no fun in that.

“Come on, Brad. Spit it out.”

He doesn’t spit it out, just keeps driving us wherever we’re going. When we leave town, I give up on talking to him. He’s impossible when he gets like this. It almost makes me wish I hadn’t started talking to him. Okay, so that’s a pretty terrible lie. My life got immensely better once I allowed Brad to take over, but when he gets like this, it is frustrating. I know what he’s upset about. Just want the thunder to be over so we can get back to the sunshine and rainbows.

After two hours of driving in silence, we finally make a stop at a funky looking shop with a day glow sign that reads, “I tell your past, present, future.” I glance over to Brad, a little worried. He brought me to a freakin’ fortuneteller. I hope he knows they are a bunch of con artists.

“I use ta come here for advice.” He finally says something to me. It’s not what I want to hear. This is ridiculous. But I don’t tell him that. “I think ya need some advice ’bout life.”

“Not from a con artist.”

“She’s not a con artist. Madame Mercy is different. She sees into ya soul. And she doesn’t charge.”

Ha!

Madame Mercy? There’s no way I will ever talk to someone named Madame Mercy. She sounds like the Wicked Witch of the West. And a fortuneteller who doesn’t charge has to be up to something. She’s probably worse than the ones that do. Either way, there is no way I’m stepping foot into this overly hippied out acid house. I sit back in the seat, which I swear has other life forms growing on it, and cross my arms. If he wants me to go inside that whacko’s shop, he’s gonna have to drag me inside, kicking and screaming. I’m not goin’.

“Take me home,” I demand.

“No, Anna. Ya goin’. I’m tired of watchin’ ya destroy ya life. You’re better than dat.”

“This isn’t ’bout life. This is about Kaz and everyone else.”

“If by everyone else, you mean Nick.”

My face heats up at the mention of Nick. I shouldn’t be attracted to a married man. I know the consequences of wanting a married man. Besides the obvious, he’s a teacher and I’m only fifteen, being attracted to him will only derail my progress with Kaz. What I don’t understand is why Brad cares so much. He’s been getting on to me nonstop about older guys.

Women are allowed to be attracted to older guys. Where is it written that is some taboo thing? I know I can’t do anything, not that I want to. I’m not ready for that. But there is nothing wrong with being friends. I want friends. I need friends. And they give me that.

“There’s something ’bout ya that makes a good guy give into temptation.”

Author T. Marie Alexander

T. Marie Alexander lives in Arkansas. She can be found sitting at a computer on any given day, usually writing or looking up something to do with fashion. When she is not doing either of those things, she’s reading on her Kindle or binge watching Roswell on Netflix time and time again.

She shares her apartment with her husband and some annoying ghost that like to take her belongings. Her dream of becoming an author started around the age of seven when she would glue small pages together and write about her favorite thing at the time, boy band crushes. T. Marie writes Young Adult Science Fiction and Paranormal Fiction.

For more on the author and her writing, visit her website and connect with her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

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