Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Book Blitz ~ Lost Without You by Liz Hannah

 

 

Lost Without You (Haven #1)
by Liz Hannah 
Release Date: 12/30/13

Summary from Goodreads:
Grace Young thought she was a survivor - until the day her twin brother died, leaving her parents heartbroken and their relationship with Grace fractured beyond repair. Now all Grace wants is a chance to experience something of a normal life, before it's all too late.

Going to college hundreds of miles from home seems like the right way to embrace her new found freedom, especially after years of homeschooling, but while Grace takes to her classes naturally, it's the other side of college that she's unprepared for.

The parties. The friendships. The boys. Especially one Dean Michaels, the Haven University's star soccer player. Fate throws the pair together, and their friendship starts to turn into something more. But can Grace keep the secrets of her past hidden without hurting those she's come to count on the most?


Buy Links: 
(not available yet)



Excerpt:
It’s dark when I wake, except for the glow of the television. There’s no sound, but the movie we started watching earlier is playing; again, I presume, because I’m pretty sure that I’ve seen this part before. I can’t remember what it was about, aside from that it was a nineties adaption of Jane Austen’s Emma, the Californian accents all too uncomfortably familiar.

I blink a couple of times, stretching out. My arm collides with something solid, and I freeze, realizing that I’m not alone on the couch. Glancing upwards, I find myself looking into emerald eyes that seem to be illuminated in the soft light.

Oh, that’s right.

I quickly scramble to sit up, only to pause again the next second, my balance wavering. I’m half on Dean’s lap, and his hands shoot out to my waist to steady me before I fall off. A small wave of dizziness flows through me, and though I’m acutely aware of Dean’s fingers pressing into my side, a sweater the only thing between our skin, I’m glad that he has hold of me.

“Hey.” I take a deep breath in before exhaling. The hand I’ve placed on his shoulder burns like fire, and there’s an intensity building that scares me to death, but I can’t quite bring myself to pull away. In fact, instead of moving away from Dean like I should, I’m acutely aware that we’re so close, his breath tickling the loose strands of hair around my face.

“Hi.” His voice is thick from sleep. He tucks one behind my ear, his fingers hovering over the side of my face for a fraction of a second before pulling away. I want to lean in to his touch.
I shift my gaze away from his. This is not me. I’m not the kind of girl who melts when a guy looks at her. Especially one I still don’t know that well.

Lies, a voice hisses inside my head. You do know this boy, better than you think. Better than you want to know.
“You looked so peaceful; I didn’t want to wake you.” I could feel his words rumble in his chest. My lips turn up in a small smile. He was watching me sleep?

A quick look down at his watch told me it was well after midnight. I don’t even want to know how many texts Rosie’s sent to find out where I am. The thought alone sends a blush across my face.
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep. It’s been a long week.”

Dean nodded. “Midterms are an ass.”

I shift slightly, moving my weight into the dip between his legs, alleviating the pressure on his own, but he didn’t seem to mind. Instinctively, as if he thought I was about to run off, his fingers bunched the edges of my sweater together, holding on to me tighter.
I’m not going anywhere.

“What are you doing for Thanksgiving?”

I look down, at his chest. It rises slowly with his heartbeat, calm and even. How can he be so relaxed? I can feel the tension knotting its way through my own body. The v neck of his sweater dips low, small swirls of hair escaping up. I wonder what it would feel like to run my hand across his chest.

I blink. Question. He’d asked a question.

“Uh, nothing, as of yet. Study? Maybe. What about you?”
My voice sounds as if I just swallowed helium. His he as affected by me as I am of him?

I wouldn’t know. I can’t look him directly in the eye, so I concentrate on a spot on the wall, just below his ear. Brown locks curl around the nape of his neck, and it takes all of my self-control to not stretch out and play with them. What was it about the darkness that made us so bold?

“Come home with me. Have Thanksgiving with my family.”

I straighten up. Hands tighten around my waist, preparing for me to bolt. I don’t give in to my instinct to run. With all the heat that was passing between us, what did going home with him mean? 

And why was my brain screaming at me to say yes?

About the Author:
Liz Hannah is a New Adult author that calls both Scotland and Australia home. Currently studying at university, when she’s not busy reading or writing, Liz can be found procrastinating from her studies pinning everything on Pinterest or collecting GIFs from Tumblr. 

Author Links:

***GIVEAWAY***
International giveaway – one winner will win a New Adult prize pack, consisting of Lost Without You swag, two New Adult titles and a dandelion necklace, as featured in Lost Without You.


Book Blitz Organized By:
 

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Interview with Mandi Lynn ~ Author of Essence!

I recently found Mandi Lynn's videos on YouTube and began watching nearly every one of them. Through watching her videos I found out that she had self-published a young adult novel, Essence, while she was still in high school. I knew then that I really wanted to interview her. You all know that I self-published two poetry collections and that I always like to support self-published authors. So, today, here is that interview with Mandi Lynn, teen author of Essence


Amanda Leigh: For those not familiar with your book, where did the idea for Essence come from?
Mandi Lynn: Before I started writing Essence I had gone on vacation in New Hampshire and took a picture of this gorgeous basin/waterfall. A few months later I wanted to write a book and found the photo I had taken and decided to make a story out of the location.

Amanda Leigh: At what point during writing it did you decide that you wanted to have it published?
Mandi Lynn: I think I had always wanted to publish it. At first it was just a private project but by the time I finished the first draft I already had dreams of publishing it.

Amanda Leigh: When you self-publish, you often have to do much of the marketing. Tell us about what it’s like to market your own book. What are some things that you do/did?
Mandi Lynn: Marketing can be a nightmare or it can be really fun. It’s hard for me to market my book to people I’m talking to because I hate feeling like I’m trying to sell myself. But online it’s relatively easy to sell a book. I make my videos on YouTube and make sure everyone who watches knows I wrote a book. From there the book sells itself as long as it gets good reviews.

Amanda Leigh: What is your favorite and least favorite part of marketing your own book?
Mandi Lynn: My favorite part is just saying I wrote a book! I mean, how many teenagers can say that? My least favorite part is how marketing is something you constantly have to do in order to sell books, and I’ll admit I’m not the best at it, but I’m still learning.

Amanda Leigh: What made you decide to self-publish Essence?
Mandi Lynn: I decided to self-publish after writing to so many agents and hearing nothing. I thought my book was good, but no one else was telling me that because it never got the chance. So I took the big leap and made a huge risk by putting my book out there when I didn't even know if other people would like it. In the end it was well worth it.

Amanda Leigh: What has the experience of self-publishing been like?
Mandi Lynn: Self-publishing was never my first idea. For the longest time I wanted to traditionally publish my book but that never happened. As a self-published author I had to do all the work myself and it was a great learning experience, though not ideal. It can be frustrating at times to self-publish, but the rewards outrank everything else.

Amanda Leigh: Have you worked on any other novels? Anything that you can tell us about?
Mandi Lynn: I had been writing another novel but due to the fact that I’m in advanced classes in my senior year of high school and that I have a job, I've been unable to write much of anything this past year. I plan on writing again as soon as possible because it’s a part of me I miss dearly.

Amanda Leigh: How long have you wanted to be an author?
Mandi Lynn: I never planned on being an author. It wasn’t until about my 8th grade year that I even had an interest in reading. After I discovered the magic of books I wanted to write my own story, and here I am today, a published author.

Amanda Leigh: Do you listen to music while you write or as inspiration for writing certain scenes et cetera?
Mandi Lynn: I always listen to music! It’s what helps me get into the zone and zero in on the emotions I want to depict.

Amanda Leigh: What are your future goals as an author?
Mandi Lynn: I don’t know what the future holds for me right now. I was just recently accepted into my first choice college, but I’m not sure if I can see myself in school for another four years. I definitely want to write full time some day, but until then I’m taking things day by day and doing what is best for me.

About the Book:

It starts with a shift in the atmosphere. The forest greets Emma with startling force. At first she can’t move her limbs. Then her vision is rendered useless. The sensation comes more often, and the symptoms become frightening as Emma is left paralyzed to the force that emerges from the forest. Voices come in dream at first, commanding against her will. Something is out there that calls Emma to the forest. It isn’t going to fade until she surrenders.


About the Author:

Mandi Lynn is the young adult author of her debut novel, Essence. Beginning to write the story when she was only thirteen years old, after three and a half years of hard work, Essence was published and in print. To graduate in 2014, meanwhile Mandi goes to a vocational high school where she takes cosmetology alongside writing novels and doing regular schoolwork. Mandi can now be found on YouTube hosting YA Ink—a series of videos about writing and publishing—and sharing her journey as a writer.

Mandi Lynn's Website: http://mandilynn.com/

A big thank you to Mandi Lynn for joining me on the blog! Best of luck to you! I look forward to reading Essence and any future work! Happy 2014! 

Friday, January 3, 2014

Book of the Month! (#4)

Book of the Month is a feature that I started on Girl With a Pen and a Dream where I highlight a different book every month. The last three have all been very serious, dark issue books. This month I think I'm going to do something different. The book of the month is:


Title: Taste the Heat (Love and Games #1)
Author: Rachel Harris
Release Date: July 8th, 2013
Published By: Entangled Bliss
Page Amount: 191 pages, e-book

GoodReads Blurb:
One sexy fire captain. One Cajun chef, One combustible kitchen…

When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home to New Orleans to save her family restaurant, the last person she expected to reconnect with was her brother’s best friend and her childhood crush. As tempting as a sugar-coated beignet, Jason is one dish she doesn't want to taste. Colby is counting down the days till she can leave the place where her distrust of love and commitment originated and go back to Vegas.

Fire captain Jason Landry isn't looking for love, either. He knows he should focus on finding the perfect mother for his daughter, but when he first sees Colby, all grown up and gorgeous, he can’t help but be drawn to her. And when she suggests a no-strings-attached fling, Jason doesn't want to say no.

As their relationship grows more intense, Colby finds that Jason isn't as easy to leave behind as she thought. Could turning up the heat on something real be worth the possibility of getting burned?

My Semi-Quick Review: 
Taste the Heat is getting a lot of page time on my blog lately, huh? The last three Book of the Month posts have all had to do with very serious books and I wanted to switch it up. Besides, you don't want all serous all the time, right?

That being said, the characters in this book do have their own issues. It isn't just a bunch of happy, love-struck people all of the time. And that is what I like in romance, for there to be real issues. This is a feel good read though, most definitely. 

I also loved the characters in this book. They were just so real and lovable. I loved seeing them interact. This was a wonderful read. I would whole-heartedly recommend this to any romance fan or even if you aren't usually a fan of romance I think that this is definitely worth it to read! 

<3 Amanda Leigh 

Thursday, January 2, 2014

2013 Review, Goals for 2014 and My Mantra!

Ever since I read a blog post from Maggie Stiefvater about how she doesn't make New Year's Resolutions, rather New Year's Goals, that is what I do. And now, thanks to that, I accomplish much more than I used to. These were my goals from last year: 

2013 Goals:
1. Read at least 20 books in 2013. 

2. Finish the first draft of My Heart is Yours.

3. Edit My Heart is Yours at least once.

4. Send My Heart is Yours out to beta readers. 

5. Self-publish my 2nd poetry collection. 

6. Make Thousands of Mornings available on Kindle.

This is what I accomplished last year (and I'm pretty proud):


2013 Goals:
1. Read at least 20 books in 2013.

2. Finish the first draft of My Heart is Yours.

3. Edit My Heart is Yours at least once.

4. Send My Heart is Yours out to beta readers.

5. Self-publish my 2nd poetry collection.


6. Make Thousands of Mornings available on Kindle.

Now, let 2014.... begin! (Harry Potter reference/joke). We are on to 2014 and a new year of goal setting and accomplishing! These are my goals for 2014: 

2014 Goals:
1. Read at least 23 books in 2014. 

2. Send My Heart is Yours out to agents and/or publishers.

3. Write the first draft of Beauty of the Dark during April Camp NaNoWriMo.

4. Self-publish secret project. 

5. Make Thousands of Mornings available on Nook.

6. Make Holiday Hospital Stay Poetry Collection 2012 available on Kindle and Nook..

7. Put up YouTube videos at least 2x a month. Post on Girl With a Pen and a Dream 3x a week and The Life of a Chronic Bibliophile 1 - 2x a week. 

8. Organize/clean out everything in my room. 

I started reading Demi Lovato's book, Staying Strong - 365 Days a Year. It's one of those books where you read a page a day for a whole year. It has a quote, a little paragraph and a goal on each page. Yesterday's goal was to come up with your own mantra to say to yourself every day. I though that this was a good idea, so here is mine.

Mantra: I am a survivor. 

That's my 2013 review, 2014 goals and mantra! I hope that you all have a wonderful year and set and achieve some great goals! Happy New Year! :)

<3 Amanda Leigh

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

My Top Ten Books of 2013!

This is one of my favorite posts to do. To pick my Top Ten Books of the Year. Ones that I've read this year, not necessarily ones that came out this year. I'll put the link to each book's GoodReads page below the picture of it. Without further adieu, here they are!


 
1. The Vampire Diaries: The Hunters: Vol. 1: Phantom created by L. J. Smith

 
2. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

 
3. Taste the Heat (Love and Games #1) by Rachel Harris

4. Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

5. Face the Music by Andrea K. Robbins

6. Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg

7. R. O. D. (Read or Die #1) by Hideyuki Kurata, illustrations by Shutaro Yamada

8. The Adventures of Balto: The Untold Story of Alaska's Famous Iditarod Sled Dog by Patricia Chargot
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10447041-adventures-of-balto


9. Transcendence (A Transcend Time Saga Bonus Packet) by Michelle Madow
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17156778-transcendence


10. Last Day of Love: A Teardrop Story (Teardrop #0.5) by Lauren Kate
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18078033-last-day-of-love

Honorable  Mentions:
For the Famished by Daniel Klawitter
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18760940-for-the-famished


Torment (Fallen #2) by Lauren Kate
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7740152-torment



What are your top books from 2013? Let me know in the comments or link me to your posts! Happy New Year! :)

<3 Amanda Leigh

Short Story Review ~ Last Day of Love: A Teardrop Story (Teardrop #0.5) by Lauren Kate


Title: Last Day of Love: A Teardrop Story (Teardrop #0.5)
Author: Lauren Kate
Release Date: December 10th 2013 (first published January 1st 2013)
Published By: Delacorte Press
Page Amount: 50 pages, e-book

GoodReads Blurb:
On Ander's eighteenth birthday, he must give up all that he loves in order to complete the Passage and become a Seedbearer. But can he ever relinquish his love for Eureka?

An exclusive e-book original short story from the dark, romantic world of TEARDROP.

Review: 
(I read this in 2013 but am posting this review in 2014).

I'm a fan of Lauren Kate's Fallen series and I saw that she had a new series out. I wasn't sure that I wanted to rush out and buy the book right away though. So when I saw that there was a prequel I thought "Oh, that's great! I'll read that!" You know, that way I could see if the series was something that I found interesting and wanted to pursue reading. 

I found myself really enjoying this short story. It also has the first two chapters of Teardrop but I only read about the first page or so. This short story is told in first person point of view from Ander's perspective. From what I can tell, Teardrop is in third person point of view and shifts viewpoints. This short story, however, is a glimpse into Ander's mind before Teardrop starts. I enjoyed Ander's voice and the I found the imagery to be very good as well. Also, the emotions that Ander was feeling were so well conveyed. I could really feel them. Ander and the supporting characters were pretty well developed. Which is a difficult feat in a novel length work, let alone a short story. 

You learn a lot of background about Ander and his family. The series could be read without reading this short story, but I think if you can you definitely should. I think that this short story really will add to the series as a whole. Knowing background about Ander and what he has to do will likely make me look at the series in a different way. So, if you are considering reading this series (or you already are) I would say definitely read this short story as well if you can. It will add a different dimension to the series. I give this one 4 stars!

<3 Amanda Leigh

First Book of the Year - 2014!

I've joined Sheila over at Book Journey to do the First Book of the Year post! I had originally said I would be reading something else but I haven't finished these books. Yes, books. I'm reading three at once. I really will try to read one book at a time. After this. Here is the link to the original post where you can link your post if you have one: http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2014/01/01/happy-new-year-1st-book-of-the-year/ And here are my books and I! :)

 

I'm reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6588662-the-help), Fire & Flood (Fire & Flood #1) by Victoria Scott (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16069167-fire-flood), and Staying Strong - 365 Days a Year by Demi Lovato (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18479831-staying-strong---365-days-a-year)! I need to figure out the rest of my reading schedule! 

What is your first book - or books - of the year? :)

<3 Amanda Leigh