Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Where Sea Meets Sky By: Karina Halle

WHERE
SEA MEETS SKY

BY: KARINA HALLE

A new adult novel that perfectly captures the existential angst of your early twenties with raw wit, fresh insight, and true feeling from a critically adored USA TODAY bestselling author.


Joshua Miles has spent his early twenties spinning his wheels. Working dead-end jobs and living at home has left him exhausted and uninspired, with little energy to pursue his passion for graphic art.

Until he meets Gemma Henare, a vivacious out-of-towner
from New Zealand.

What begins as a one-night stand soon becomes a turning point for Josh. He can’t get Gemma out of his head, even after she has left for home, and finds himself throwing caution to the wind for the first time in his life.

It’s not long before Josh is headed to New Zealand with only a backpack, some cash, and Gemma’s name to go on. But when he finally tracks her down, he finds his adventure is only just beginning. Equally infatuated, Gemma leads him on a whirlwind tour across the beautiful country, opening Josh up to life, lust, love, and all the messy heartache in between. Because, when love drags you somewhere, it might never let go—even when you know you have to say goodbye.

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AMAZON  .  BARNES & NOBLE  .  iBOOKS  .  BLIO  .  BOOKS-A-MILLION



UK LINKS
 Waterstones  . Foyles  . Amazon  .  Google Play  .  Kobo  .  Nook  . iTunes


AUS/NZ LINKS
iBookstore   .   Amazon   .  Bookworld


EXCERPT


“Gemma,” I whisper softly. Before I know what I’m doing, I’m raising her palm to my lips and kissing along her scar. She smells so good, feels even better.

She lets me do it for a moment then she awkwardly clears her throat.

Don’t make me let go, I think. Please don’t make me let go.

The rustle in the bushes is back again. Gemma jerks her hand away, as if we’re about to be caught by Nick the Peeping Tom, as if we’re doing something wrong.

Are we doing something wrong?

Suddenly the air around us fills with squeals, and the rustling increases. The nearest bush to us at the base of the yard, near the fence, starts to move back and forth.


I stand up out of my chair to get a better look and see what looks to be little creatures waddling out of the bushes and heading for the side of the house. Once they hit a patch of light coming from the house, I can see what they are.

Little blue penguins.

“What the fuck?” I say softly, feeling like my mind has just imploded. “What the hell are those?”

“Little blue penguins,” she says proudly.

I turn to her in disbelief. “Are you serious?” I thought I was making that up. In my head.

She nods. “Yup. Little blue penguins.”

And she’s right. They’re about a foot high, miniature versions of the ones I’ve seen on TV, and they’re entirely blue in color. I thought it was just the darkness playing tricks on me but no, once they hit the light, you can see the color on their oily feathers.

“I don’t get it,” I say, watching as the last of their group quickly scampers out of sight. That might have been the cutest and weirdest thing I have ever seen.
“You never head of them?” she asks. “They probably have a burrow under the house. It’s actually quite common for beach houses.”

“Look, I wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t do a whole lot of research about the country.”

“I can see that,” she says. “Well, how about that, then.”

“How about that,” I say, sitting back down. The penguins’ magical appearance has somehow taken Gemma’s heartbreaking story to another place, and she’s quick to jump on the transition. She tells me all about the interesting birdlife in New Zealand, from yellow-eyed penguins on the Otago Peninsula down south, to the Kea—cheeky green parrots that live in the snow-covered Alps. She’s animated as she tells me all she knows, and I absorb it like a sponge.

I drink my beer and she goes back to drinking hers, and before Nick, Amber, and the Irish show up all sloshed, she’s painted a beautiful picture of what’s to come. I can only hope I’ll continue to be part of the picture.

Don’t miss Karina’s next book, RACING THE SUN, on sale July 28th!






About the Author:

With her USA Today Bestselling The Artists Trilogy published by Grand Central Publishing, numerous foreign publication deals, and self-publishing success with her Experiment in Terror series, Vancouver-born Karina Halle is a true example of the term "Hybrid Author." Though her books showcase her love of all things dark, sexy and edgy, she's a closet romantic at heart and strives to give her characters a HEA...whenever possible.Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiancé and rescue pup.

Friday, March 27, 2015

The Hazards of Sleeping with a Friend By: Alyss Rose Ivy



Summary:

Warning: Sleeping with a friend might change your life forever.

Sleeping with Kyle was never in the plans. Pretending to be his girlfriend was one thing, but letting our relationship become anything but platonic was another. The problem with mixing friendship with sex is that inevitably feelings get involved, and when that happens there's no turning back.

When Kyle's life fell apart around him, I needed to help, but doing that meant opening myself up to the most terrifying thing in the world—falling in love.
 




About the Author:

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a bestselling New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and humor. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After surviving law school and earning her masters in library science, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Excerpt:

The Hazards of Sleeping with a Friend
Alyssa Rose Ivy


“You already know I’m screwed up. That secret got out of the bag when I invited you here.” There was something freeing about that. I didn’t have to pretend to be put together for her anymore. Like it or hate it, she now had a hint at how messed up my life was.
“Not any more screwed up than me.” She smiled slightly.
“I guess we’re a lot alike then.”
“I guess so.” She gazed out at a spot somewhere in the distance.
“What are you looking at?”
“Nothing. Just looking.” A tear slid down her face.
Without thinking I wiped away the tear.
She turned to me with her wide brown eyes, and I didn’t think. I leaned in and brushed my lips against hers.
Her lips were soft and welcoming, and a single touch wasn’t enough. I started to move my lips against hers, and she responded, giving me all the encouragement I needed to deepen the kiss. She eagerly welcomed me into her mouth, letting me explore every corner as her hands twisted in my hair. I wrapped my arms around her, needing her closer than she could ever be.
I couldn’t get enough of her taste, half sweet and half a minty flavor lingering from her toothpaste. Her body felt so warm pressed against mine.
Finally we broke the kiss.
She stumbled back out of my arms. “Wow.”
“My thoughts exactly.” I was probably grinning like an idiot. 
“I can’t believe we did that.”
“I can. I’ve wanted to for a long time.” It was even better than I expected. She was so responsive, and there was none of the usual first kiss awkwardness that could sometimes ruin the moment.
“So have I.”
“There’s only one problem though.” I looked right into her eyes.
“And what problem is that?” She raked her teeth over her bottom lip.
“I want to do it again.”
“Then do it.” She started into my eyes intently.
“Ok then.” I leaned in. She didn’t need to tell me twice. 
.......................................................................................................................................................
I can't wait to read "The Hazards of Sleeping with a Friend" and tell you all about it! I've read authors who have written the whole friends with benefits turns into romance, but Alyssa's Hazards series caught my attention. It's innocent, but quickly turns into a stomach flipping, anxiety inducing romance. Stay tuned for my review!



Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Gentle Chains: A New Kind of Syfy & Fantasy




GENTLE CHAINS 

by Nazarea Andrews

March 2015


When slavers steal Juhan and his twin sister Chosi from their home planet of psychics, their only comfort is in the fact that they’re together. When they are separated at auction, Juhan swears to find his sister, no matter the cost.

Juhan is bought by the spoiled daughter of a political scion. Caught in her glittering world of intrigue and politics, Juhan is startled to find Sadi playing a long game to change intergalactic politics and Juhan is merely a pawn in her game. But as his vow and Sadi's lies takes them across galaxies, he begins to wonder if his young owner is more than an arrogant rich girl. And he has to consider the cost of his promise—especially when people they both care for begin to die.

A galaxy away, Chosi is sold into blood sport. With her psychic ability, she earns a precarious position of value within the gladiator school, training the draken—wild creatures of smoke and fire—for the arena. In the midst of that hell, she forges a friendship with the slave Jemes and the draken she cares for. But when her defiance comes with devastating results, Chosi contemplates suicide as an escape from her chains. Yet, she can't forget the brother who promised to find her, and even as she welcomes the risk of death, she clings to that promise.

Spun across space and exotic worlds, Juhan and Chosi try to find each other, and home in a stunning story about the lengths love will take you.





GENTLE CHAINS by Nazarea Andrews

  

The Story I Wanted To Read


They--I don't know who they is, but THEY--say write what you know. but they got it wrong. What I know is everyday small town America. It's babies and softball practice and excel spreadsheets and late late nights. And while there is nothing wrong with what I know--in fact, I rather like it, it's certainly not where this book came from.
They also say write what you want to read. And that? That I did do. I remember--vividly--the day I started writing Gentle Chains. I wanted a scifi because I'd been watching my husband play a video game but I wanted, at the heart of this epic story, something simple. The love of siblings. The length you would go for them.
It was midafternoon, I was sitting on the porch of a house I no longer live in listening to my daughters (I only had two then) play with our dog while I looked for this book. And when I couldn't find anything like that--I started writing.
I love all of my books. From college professors and their TAs, to boys who never grew up chasing the girl who got away to the zombie apocalypse and every dark twisted tale in between. I love them all. But I have never written a book that was more "what I wanted to read" than the story of Juhan and Chosi and every bit of hell and happiness they went through. I won't lie. It's incredibly special to me because of that. And I hope that you love it as much as I do.
Starry skies, friends.


About the Author

Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog.

You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Booktropolous.