Young Adult Giveaway Hop

Young Adult Giveaway Hop

August 8th to 14th

co-hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Reading Teen

Sweet Evil (The Sweet Trilogy #1) by Wendy Higgins

Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns? 

*** If you haven't had the chance to read this book yet, you are missing out because it's so incredibly awesome!! There will be ONE winner who will receive  one paperback copy of Sweet Evil as well as a bookplate and bookmark signed by the author Wendy Higgins!! Good luck everyone!! Don't forget to check out all the other stops on the hop for more awesome prizes***

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BLOG TOUR: Promises (The Syrenka Series #1) by Amber Garr

Sometimes following your heart can end up destroying the ones you love.

When seventeen-year-old Eviana Dumahl is faced with the responsibility of an arranged marriage and clan leadership, she is forced to choose between the life required of a mermaid and one of a teenage girl simply infatuated with the wrong guy. Kain, her devoted fiancé would make a wonderful husband except that she’s been in love with Brendan, a shape-shifting selkie, ever since they were kids. Choosing to abandon her family, her clan, and her life with Kain will have dire consequences far beyond anything she could have imagined.

A war is brewing amongst the clans and Eviana unwittingly becomes a pawn in the intricate schemes of a twisted mastermind. With Brendan’s life on the line, she has no choice but to involve those who she once considered friends. Amidst encountering senseless tragedies and immense loss, Eviana discovers that she is more valuable as a clan leader than anyone ever suspected. Her survival is not only dependent upon the loyalty of her friends, but also on her acceptance of a life that she had so adamantly tried to escape.Promises is the first book of The Syrenka Series trilogy following Eviana and her friends through the perils of growing up in a discrete world that inherently threatens human society.

About the author:
Amber Garr spends her days conducting scientific experiments and wondering if her next door neighbor is secretly a vampire. Born in Pennsylvania, she lives in Florida with her husband and their furry kids. Her childhood imaginary friend was a witch, Halloween is sacred, and she is certain that she has a supernatural sense of smell. She writes both adult and young adult urban fantasies and when not obsessing over the unknown, she can be found dancing, reading, or enjoying a good movie.

Find the Author: Website l Blog l Facebook

Find Promises: Goodreads l Amazon l Smashwords l Barnes & Noble


The Syrenka Series In Six Words

1.      Choice – Eviana is faced with a lot of decisions in the series, and she doesn’t always make the right one.  The choice to listen to her parents and follow their plan proves to be one of the hardest for her, and even though she went one direction in Promises, she finds herself coming full circle by the end of Arise.

2.      Secrecy – In this series, merfolk and the other water creatures like selkies and sprites live in secret amongst the humans. However, there are some who want to change the way they interact with the world and Eviana finds herself trapped in the middle of the battle.

3.      Friendship – The relationships between Eviana and her friends are the ones that help get her through everything.  Some of these evolve slowly, others develop into something much deeper.  But through it all, each relationship is important to her and helps guide her into becoming the clan leader she was meant to be.

4.      Love – Love for family, each other, and the secret they protect is central to the story in each book.  Eviana learns how love can mean different things and the extent some will go to prove how much it means to them.

5.      Water – A mermaid series wouldn’t make sense without a water component.  Although my mermaids spend equal time on land passing as humans, catering to their other half is essential to their survival.  Additionally, water sprites and selkies are an important part to their world, and Eviana discovers this as the series progresses.

6.      Loyalty – In war, someone’s true intentions may not ever be known.  Unfortunately, as the title Betrayal might imply, Eviana is surrounded by people she can’t always trust.  Even up until the final battle, she finds that those closest to her often have ulterior motives.

You can check out the other tour stops HERE

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REVIEW: Life of the Party by Christine Anderson

Seventeen-year-old Mackenzie Taylor can't wait to be free; free from high school, the shadow of her perfect older sister, and her disapproving parents. The rebellious party girl has a perfect accomplice in best friend Riley, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks who scores them drugs, booze and under-age entry into the only club in town. But then everything changes. A traumatized Riley suddenly decides to give up the party life, and a wide-eyed Mackenzie meets Grey Lewis, a broodingly talented, gorgeous older man she falls instantly in love with. Though Riley warns her to stay away, the aspiring rock star's body and ample drug supply are too tempting for her to resist. Previously inseparable, Riley and Mackenzie go their separate ways.

When summer hits, Mackenzie has new friends, a new apartment and new drugs to mask the pain of Riley's absence. And of course, she has Grey. But despite the fierce, consuming passion they share, the mysterious bad-boy always leaves her guessing. Is Grey really a good guy? Or was Riley right about him all along? Mackenzie's in too deep to care. Unable to curb her mounting addictions, before long the lust-for-life teen totally loses control. She forgets Riley, forgets life, forgets everything but Grey and their next hit. 

But luckily for Mackenzie...Riley has never forgotten about her.

REVIEW:

Have you ever read a book that made you feel like you had a knot in your stomach? Have you ever read a book that each time you put it down you had to take some time to ease the ache and tension out of your shoulders? Have you ever read a book, barely able to see the words through your tears? That is exactly how I was with Life of the Party. Be warned, this is not a quick, light and fluffy read. This is intense and gripping and hard hitting and powerful and heartbreaking and real!!!

Mackenzie Taylor is 17 years old. She spends most of her free time with her best friend Riley chasing artificial happiness via the use of drugs. After a night of partying where Riley has an incredibly bad experience, he decides that his life needs to change and gives up the partying that him and Mackenzie have been indulging. That is also the night that Mackenzie meets Grey Lewis and falls head over heels in love. Rock star Grey, lives the partying life that Mackenzie craves. The endless supply of alcohol and drugs. But the partying becomes harder as do the drugs and Mackenzie grabs it with both hands. And in the process she tries to fill the void of no longer having the constant presence of Riley.

Christine Anderson writes so well. So amazingly well. These days drugs are so easily and readily available in our society, and the author shows us how easy it is to fall into the depths of addiction whilst trying to numb whatever it is that pains you. I rode so many emotions while I read this book. The mothering instinct had me wanting to protect and do everything I could to help Mackenzie & Grey. Then there was another part that as they sank deeper into their addictions, I just wanted to shake some much needed sense into them. Christine Anderson has written these characters with deep flaws, but they are characters that you love and root for and are so invested in what happens to them.

This book is so incredibly good and I know it will stay with me for a long, long time. 

A Huge Intense, Gripping, Amazing 5/5 Stars!!

Find Life of the Party: Goodreads l Amazon l Smashwords l Barnes & Noble

EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: The Wild Ones by M. Leighton

Please note, this is a NEW ADULT novel.

The Wild Ones

Passion as hot as midnight in the South and love as wild as the horses they tame.

Camille “Cami” Hines is the darling daughter of the South’s champion thoroughbred breeder, Jack Hines.  She has a pedigree that rivals some of her father’s best horses.  Other than feeling a little suffocated at times, Cami thought she was pretty happy with her boyfriend, her life and her future. 

But that was before she met Patrick Henley.

“Trick” blurs the lines between what Cami wants and what is expected of her.  He’s considered the “help,” which is forbidden fruit as far as her father is concerned, not to mention that Trick would be fired if he ever laid a hand on her.  And Trick needs his job.  Desperately.  His family depends on him.

The heart wants what the heart wants, though, and Trick and Cami are drawn to each other despite the obstacles.  At least the ones they know of.

When Trick stumbles upon a note from his father, it triggers a series of revelations that could ruin what he and Cami have worked so hard to overcome.  It turns out there’s more to Trick’s presence at the ranch than either of them knew, secrets that could tear them apart.

Find The Wild Ones: Goodreads l Amazon

EXCERPT:

From the corner of my eye, I see Cami fidget.  At first, it appears to be a nervous thing.  But when I glance at her, she looks at me and smiles. It’s a bright smile.  Bright and …excited, which makes me think it’s not all bad nerves.  In fact, it makes me twitch a little in my jeans, which is never a good thing when I’m getting ready to strip down in front of mixed company.

Without even pausing, Jenna pulls her shirt over her head then reaches for Rusty’s.  While they’re all wrapped up in removing each other’s clothes, I turn more toward Cami. 

“Are you sure you’re up for this?”

She takes a deep breath and grins at me.  “Yep.  You?”

I nod.  “Yep.”

She puts one small hand on my arm and looks me in the eye.  “It’ll be fine, you know.  Drogheda would never tell on me, so you don’t need to worry, okay?”

She’s worrying about me worrying?  Now I feel bad for telling her how important this job is.

“I’m not worried,” I assure her.  “I trust you.”

Her smile is sweet and pleased and it makes me want to kiss her.  Hell, everything she does makes me want to kiss her.

“Good.  You should.” 

As if she’s making her point, Cami takes a few steps back and pulls her shirt over her head.  She does it quickly and then holds it in front of her and waits.  That’s my cue to shed a piece of clothing, too. 

In the brightness of the full moon, I can see her eyes twinkling devilishly.  She’s so coy.  So damned adorably coy.

God, it would be so much fun to have her all to myself for one night.  Just one night.  Maybe that would be enough to get her out of my system.

“All right then, Mr. Rock Hard Abs, show me what you got,” she demands teasingly.

She doesn’t have to ask me twice!  Grabbing a handful of shirt behind my neck, I pull it over my head.  But I throw mine on one of the white lounge chairs, sort of like upping the ante a little.  Her eyes flicker down my chest and stomach.  My muscles tighten.  I see her gaze drop lower then hurry back to my face. She’s curious.  She wants to look, she wants to see what’s under my jeans, but she’s trying not to show it.  I bite back a groan.

What I wouldn’t give to carry her off to someplace more private…

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Books I've Read This Week

Ta Ta For Now by Bethany Lopez

Melissa begins her freshman year with one goal in mind, getting Brian Jackson to be her boyfriend. She will soon learn that things don't necessarily turn out the way you plan them, the value of true friendship, and the importance of family.

xoxoxo by Bethany Lopez

Melissa has learned a lot since her freshman year began, but it isn’t over yet! Her world is about to change again with the birth of her new sibling, and she has to figure out how she will adjust to being the eldest of five kids. She, Jess, and Jimmy are inseparable, and she is having a fantastic time although she can’t help but miss Brian as she tries to learn how to deal with his relationship with Layla. Everything seems to be happening at once and that is when she is introduced to Ben Campbell, a senior at Dearborn High, who becomes an interesting distraction as he helps her deal with the new developments in her life.

Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Gifted (Gifted, #1) By Jenny Phillips

Plagued by recurring dreams of a faceless, yet strangely familiar man, and struggling to adapt to unique powers, Morgan Cauldwell moves halfway across the country to Manchester Academy. Once at MAC, Morgan meets the mysterious Chase Thomas. He knows more about Morgan than she knows about herself, and through him, Morgan learns she is Gifted. With the help of Chase and the Gifted Council, Morgan begins to learn how to control and develop the powers that have kept her isolated her whole life.

While the mysteries of her dream man begin to unfold, Morgan’s powers quickly surpass even the Council’s expectations. But how much power should one person be allowed to possess…and at what price? Morgan finds herself face to face with her worst nightmares, where nothing is as it seems and not all Gifted are content with the powers they’ve been given.

You can check out my review of Gifted HERE

**** What books have you been reading this week? ****

REVIEW: Gifted (Gifted, #1) by Jenny Phillips

Plagued by recurring dreams of a faceless, yet strangely familiar man, and struggling to adapt to unique powers, Morgan Cauldwell moves halfway across the country to Manchester Academy. Once at MAC, Morgan meets the mysterious Chase Thomas. He knows more about Morgan than she knows about herself, and through him, Morgan learns she is Gifted. With the help of Chase and the Gifted Council, Morgan begins to learn how to control and develop the powers that have kept her isolated her whole life.

While the mysteries of her dream man begin to unfold, Morgan’s powers quickly surpass even the Council’s expectations. But how much power should one person be allowed to possess…and at what price? Morgan finds herself face to face with her worst nightmares, where nothing is as it seems and not all Gifted are content with the powers they’ve been given.

REVIEW: Gifted was a really enjoyable read! I admit to it taking me a little while to get into it, but once I did, I couldn't put it down.

Morgan is definitely not like any other girls her age. Strange things happen to her and around her. Things that she can't explain or control. Things that she keeps hidden from everyone else. And then there are the recurring dreams of a man who's face she cannot see. After the death of her grandmother she is drawn to travel across the country to attend Manchester Academy. It's there that friendships are formed and she catches the eye of fellow MAC attendees Nolan and Chase... Yes, there is a bit of a love triangle but really for me there is never really any competition. I know who I would choose straight up!! However it's through Chase that Morgan learns about her gifts. And through the Gifted Council she learns to harness and control those powers. 

Jenny Phillips has created a book filled with action and suspense. She has created characters that you cant help but to become invested in. And through her words you can't help but feel a whole range of emotions as you get taken along by her storytelling... And that ending!! I can't wait to see where the author will take us in the next book as Morgan continues her journey.

A definite 4/5 Stars!!

Find Gifted on: Goodreads l Amazon l Barnes & Noble

DANTE WALKER has a website!!

Is anyone else as excited as I am for Victoria Scott's The Collector? I can't wait to become more familiar with Dante. Well guess what? He has his own website!! But for now, you need a password to have access. And lucky for you, I have that password!! Read on for all the info!!

He makes good girls...bad. 

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence has made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple, weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal opportunity collector and doesn’t want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within 10 days.

Dante doesn’t know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky, Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect—he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector, and uncover emotions deeply buried

Expected publication: March 2013

Check out Dantes website http://www.dantewalker.com/

Password: Charlie

Add The Collector To Goodreads