Adventures Abroad by: Jen McConnel

It’s release day for Jen McConnel’s Adventures Abroad series! Jen is sharing an exclusive excerpt about this fantastic travel romance series!

Blogs Taking Part in the Release Day Launch

Blog Name

Best Book Boyfriends

#TheBookNerdLife

Books Can Take You There

Jax's Book Magic

Comfort Books

Jackie's Book World

Momma's Secret Book Obsession

Hot Guys in Books

those naughty girls book club

Textteaser

The Phantom Paragrapher

promoting authors with read along with sue

DANIELRIDING.com

Roxy's Reviews

She Reads New Adult

Southern Yankee Book Reviews

Obsessed With Myshelf

2 Greek Girls Reading

The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan club

Dreams Come True Through Reading

Breaking Hearts

Evermore Books

Southern Belle Book Blog

Untamed Bibliophiles

Love Us Some Books

Avid Reader Musings

Dayreader Reviews

My midnight fantasies

Love, Laughter and Happily Ever Afters

Lady Amber's Reviews

What Is That Book About

Romance Obsessed Book Blog

Becky on Books

The Dark Realm

Got Nikki?

Travels n Reads

Southern Vixens Book Obsessions

Romance Rewind

Smut Book Junkie Reviews

This Wacky momma Reads

MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It

Books Need TLC

Mikky's World of Books

Renee Entress's Blog

Friends Till The End Book Blog

Books, Books The Magical Fruit

Typical Distractions

undercover book reviews

A Dream Within A Dream

grownupfangirl

Love Affair With Fiction

Archaeolibrarian - I dig good books!

Lola's Reviews

An Aussie Girls WILD Book Addiction!

books eater

Summers Book Blog

One Book Boyfriend At A Time

Nerdy Book Freak

Nerdy Book Freak

Reading Bliss

Library of a Book Witch

About the Books:

Four countries. Three girls. Three loves. One adventure abroad they'll never forget.

What Happens in London

 

Sarah landed in London, just hoping to leave her home behind and escape her family. But she didn't plan on falling headfirst into Carson's arms. Get ready for a summer of self-discovery and romance in the first of the New Adult novella series, Adventures Abroad! Praise for What Happens in London: "Travel through London with Sarah, you'll squee, laugh and swoon at her adventures, I know I did!"- Lisa Burstein, author of Sneaking Candy

Bloomsbury | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

What Happens in Paris

Camie can't figure out what she wants, from college or life…until she meets Hunter. But will the magic of a romantic night in Paris last till the morning? Fall in love with the second novella in the New Adult series, Adventures Abroad!

Bloomsbury | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

What Happens in Berlin

Interrupting a summer of fun, Joelle takes a detour to Berlin for her older brother's wedding. Spending time with her family is enough to make anyone go a little crazy. She's ready to lose it...until she meets Vi, a girl ready to turn her world upside down. Follow her journey in the third installment of the New Adult series, Adventures Abroad!

Bloomsbury | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

What Happens Abroad

After a summer of fun, Camie, Joelle, and Sarah are ready to reunite in Italy for one last adventure, but heartbreak waits in the shadows of the cobblestone streets. Can Florence cast its spell and turn lost love into a final fling? Catch up with the girls in this final installment of the New Adult series about love, escape, and true friendship.

Bloomsbury | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

Exclusive Excerpt:

“Good morning, sleeping beauty!” A familiar voice cut across the street, and I winced. Carson sauntered over to me, holding a brown paper bag in one hand and a Styrofoam cup in the other.

I blinked at him, confused. “What are you doing here?”

“You mentioned where you were staying last night.”

I frowned, trying to remember. “I did?”

He slapped his hand to his chest as if I’d wounded him. “That’s the kind of welcome I get? A few dances and the lady doesn’t even remember me!”

I giggled, but pain shot through my head, and I winced.

Carson handed me the cup and the bag. “I thought you might need some hangover first-aid. You do like coffee, right?”

I nodded, taking the cup. “Actually, I like tea better, but coffee’s okay.”

Carson laughed. “Here I was trying to please your American sensibilities.” He shook his head ruefully. “If you want tea, we’ll find tea for you. That’s one thing we never run short of in London.”

I chuckled, taking a cautious sip. It was warm, but not too hot, and I took another swallow of the coffee. “What’s in the bag?”

“Hangover cure. I told you.”

I peeked inside. “A croissant?”

“Not just any croissant. It’s a chocolate croissant; you’ll love it.”

I took a tentative bite of the flaky pastry, and then I grinned up at Carson. “Oh my God. This is so good.”

He laughed. “I thought you’d like it. At least I was right about half the breakfast.”

“The coffee’s good, too.” I took another sip to prove my point.

“That’s good.” He draped an arm over my shoulder and pulled me close. We started to walk, and I hurried to finish the food. Taking the aspirin out of my bag, I popped a pill in my mouth and washed it down with coffee. Carson grinned at me. “Feeling better?”

I nodded, surprised that my head had calmed down. “Yeah. I thought it was a migraine.”

“Just a hangover. We drank a lot last night.”

I flushed, remembering the feeling of his hands running all over me on the dance floor. “It was fun.”

“It was more than fun.” His eyes sparkled, and his fingers began tracing lazy circles on my shoulder.

I shivered in delight. “So,” I said, trying to keep the quiver out of my voice, “what did you want to do today?”

His eyes danced wickedly. “Well”—he lowered his face to mine—“there are a few things I’ve had in mind,” he whispered, close enough that I could feel the vibration of his words against my skin. Hangover forgotten, I shut my eyes and parted my lips. After a moment, I felt him exhale against my mouth, and then his lips were pressed to mine.

The kiss was sweet and deep, and my body felt electric. God, so this is what I’d been missing all those years? I pressed my lips to his hungrily, but then he pulled back gently and smiled.

Jen McConnel Bio:

A Michigander by birth, Jen McConnel now makes her home in the beautiful state of North Carolina. She writes NA, including the recently released Adventures Abroad series (Bloomsbury Spark), the award winning YA novel Beautiful Curse, and various other works. When she isn’t writing, she can be found on her yoga mat or wandering off on another adventure. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time. Visit www.JenMcConnel.com to learn more!

| Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Facebook | Blog | Website |

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Girl, Cora, is ALL over it with this one!!!

HERE’S THE SCOOP!

Fans of Cora Carmack’s Rusk University, we have a SUPER exciting announcement:

ALL CLOSED OFF, Book 4 in the Rusk University Series, is coming!!!

Check out this message from Cora!

*WARNING: This letter contains spoilers for All Broke Down. If you haven't yet read that book, read at your own peril. SECOND WARNING: this letter talks about fictional characters as if they are real people. Sorry I'm not sorry. THIRD WARNING: The letter below broaches a serious topic that could be a trigger for some people*

Hello beloved readers!

The first person who read one of my Rusk University books was my older sister. I gave her All Lined Up when I finished, and her first question was "Are Ryan and Stella going to be together?"

At the time, I told her no. I had plans for both of them that included their own storylines. I thought they were too much alike. They'd make great friends. They might even hook-up, but in the end... I couldn't envision anything serious for them. So I actually rewrote some of their scenes trying to make that aspect of their connection more obvious. And still, when All Lined Up released, amidst the chatter about sweet Carson and sassy Dallas, I had people asking if Stella and Ryan were next. I denied it again (and again and again).

But sometimes in writing, the stars align and a character will become bigger and more real than you could have possibly imagined. It's a wonderful experience, but in Stella's case it was also incredibly heartbreaking. While I was writing All Broke Down, the news was inundated with information about the Steubenville rape trial and other tragedies and injustices like it. Tragedies where women have been violated first by an attacker, then by judgmental and hateful people, and finally by a justice system that repeatedly fails survivors of sexual assault. Having grown up in Texas, where too often football stars are treated like gods and can get away with just about anything, it hit particularly close to home. And since All Broke Down featured a passionate activist heroine, I felt compelled to reference this chronic dark underbelly of elite sports.

I can remember vividly sitting on my couch, brainstorming how I would incorporate such an event into the book. I had thought the assault would happen to an unknown character, and maybe I would focus on the way it divided the team and the school and the town. But like I said... Sometimes a character will become bigger and more human than I anticipated. And it sounds crazy, but in my mind, I felt Stella push her way forward and say, "Mine. This is my story." I immediately began to cry. Sob, really. Because I loved her as a character. She was hilarious and strong and didn't take crap from anyone. She was everything I always hope to be. And I didn't want her to go through that. Even as I cried, my brain began to tell me that it made sense. Stella was vibrant and enjoyed a wild party. She was not afraid of her sexuality, and she had no problem with casual sex. She was the kind of girl that probably had a reputation. The kind of girl who could be heinously and violently taken advantage of, and people would STILL blame her. Because she was in the wrong place, wearing the wrong clothes, behaving in the wrong way. But just because it COULD happen to her, didn't mean I wanted it to. But once again, Stella was there in my head saying, "Someone needs to tell this story. And I'm strong enough to do it. Let me." And when Stella chose her story, she also chose the man I'd been adamant wasn't right for her. Because as it turns out... Those two characters who I thought were too alike aren't so alike anymore. And Stella needs Ryan to help her hold on to that vibrant and strong girl she was before.

So I let go of all the plans I had for her, and allowed her to tell me her story, which is about more than just sexual assault. It's about the aftermath. Depression. Shame. Guilt. Anger. Injustice. Victim-blaming. Slut-shaming. It's about the way that kind of event can change everything-- how you relate to people, how you think, how you dream, how you love. It's about the way the rest of the world moves on to the next big tragedy, and you're still left holding the broken pieces of who you used to be, with no idea how to put them together again or even if you want to. It will be the most difficult story I ever tell. And the most important. Because it’s a story that belongs not just to Stella, but to millions of people around the world. It’s a story that belongs to a new person every 107 seconds*. And that’s just in the United States. Think about that for a moment. 107 seconds. Stella’s story won’t be any easier to read than it will be to write. But I hope you’ll help me drag this story into the light.

So now I’ll step off my soapbox and just tell you about the book…



ALL CLOSED OFF:

Stella Santos is fine.

Maybe something terrible happened to her that she can’t even remember. And maybe it drives her crazy when her friends treat her like she’s on the verge of breaking because of it. Maybe it feels even worse when they do what she asks and pretend that it never happened at all. And maybe she’s been getting harassing emails and messages for months from people who don’t even know her, but hate her all the same.

But none of that matters because she’s just fine.

For Ryan Blake, Stella was always that girl. Vibrant and hilarious and beautiful. He wanted her as his best friend. His more than friends. His everything and anything that she would give him. Which these days is a whole lot of nothing. She gets angry when he’s there. Angry when he’s not there. Angry when he tries to talk and when he doesn’t.

When Stella devises an unconventional art project for one of her classes all about exploring intimacy—between both friends and strangers—Ryan finds himself stepping in as guinea pig after one of her subjects bails. What was supposed to be an objective and artistic look at emotion and secrets and sex suddenly becomes much more personal. When he hits it off with another girl from the project, Stella will have to decide if she’s willing to do more than make art about intimacy. To keep him, she’ll have to open up and let herself be the one thing she swore she’d never be again.

Vulnerable.

*****

ALL CLOSED OFF will be releasing sometime in early 2016. I don't have a date yet for several reasons. The first and most important, is that I want to do this story justice. And as such, I have no intentions of rushing the process. Secondly, I'll be returning to indie publishing for the remainder of the Rusk series. As you can probably tell, this story means a great deal to me. And by having the ultimate control over everything from timing to editing to price, I'll be able to ensure that I'm able to create exactly the story I envision. Unfortunately, that means you won't be seeing the paperback of ALL CLOSED OFF on the shelves in most stores. Nor is it currently available for pre-order. But I hope you'll add the book on goodreads, follow me on social media, and/or join my newsletter. I promise to shout it all over the place when I have a set release date or pre-order links.

Thank you for listening as I told you the evolution of Stella's story. When it's finished, I hope you will feel as passionately about it as I do.

All my best,

Cora Carmack



*Statistic from RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network)

And an opportunity to add your voice to Stella’s…

Stella’s experience is only one story of many. She was with someone she trusted when it happened, and the only memories she has are pieced together from her own blurred recollections and the things people have told her. Not everyone’s experience with sexual assault is the same. Each person reacts, copes, and overcomes differently. And while this book is about one specific character’s journey, I would like to tell as many sides of this story as possible. As Stella grapples with her thoughts and emotions she’ll be searching for advice, for comfort, for a place where people understand her and can identify with what she’s experiencing. There will be room for truth within the fiction, and if you’d like that truth to be yours, this is your chance.

If you have a story like Stella’s, and you want your voice to be heard….

If there’s something you wish more people understood about what you’ve gone through….

If there’s something you’d like to tell people struggling with a story like yours…

I’d like to give you the opportunity to add your voice to Stella’s. Use the hashtag #WhenItHappened and let your voice be heard on your own by posting on your own social media, or if you’d rather I share your words fill out this google document and tell me your story. You can fill out this form anonymously or not. I’d like to begin this discussion now because April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. But my hope is to include as many stories as possible within the book itself.

So many have stories of #WhenItHappened. Your voice and your story deserve to be heard. I’m listening.

#WhenItHappened Google Form: http://goo.gl/forms/4VRjWgZYSW

ABOUT Cora Carmack:

Cora Carmack is a twenty-something New York Times bestselling author who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She now splits her time between Austin, TX and New York City and spends her days writing, traveling, and spending way too much time on the internet. In her books, you can expect to find humor, heart, and a whole lot of awkward. Because let’s face it . . . awkward people need love, too.

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook **Newsletter **Author Goodreads

Dalton,

I loved you once. A love I thought irrevocable. A love I mistakenly believed could transcend both time and circumstance. Under the influence of my dimwitted, naïve, traitorous heart, I became intoxicated with what I now know was simply a figment of my self-indulgent imagination. So drunk
on the feeling, I couldn’t see what was right in front of my face. So foolishly enamored, I blindly followed my heart into the depths of an emotion that would ravage me. 

Years later, I know now what I wish I knew then. I am
stronger. Smarter. Tougher. I will not allow myself to be broken again. 

I loved you.

I raged for you.

I wept for you.

And now, I’m letting you go.

Author’s Note:  Under
the Influence is the journey of two childhood friends that spans the course of five pivotal years in their lives. It is a story about their discovery of true friendship as it blossoms into first love, their experience of crucial sacrifice and ultimate betrayal, and their endurance of agonizing heartbreak on the way to finding lasting redemption.

ADD TO GOODREADS

None of them truly know me.

Because the truth is, there’s nothing more frightening in my world than those who know you—who really know you. The ones who know your deepest, darkest secrets. The ones who know what you’re going to do before you do it. The ones who know not only what buttons to push when they seek your attention, but also the ones that can be used to completely incapacitate you.

They can be your strength.

But they can also be your weakness. 

And just as a chameleon changes color to blend for protection, I’ve learned to evolve into the person I need to be in order to survive the situation at hand, all while keeping people at arm’s length.

Yet sometimes I can’t help but wonder what my true colors would have been had I not been subjected to this life. I question what it would be like to just let someone in, to tell them all of your unforgivable truths and discover they still love you in return.

I find myself utterly fascinated, awe-struck even, that there are people actually capable of truly loving someone without wondering when and how they will be betrayed. However, the knowledge of their existence also saddens me because the cold reality is I will never know that type of love. I will never know the freedom to just be with someone, without pretense or fabrication, without the endless lies and untruths.

Maybe that’s why I keep holding onto Spencer when I know I shouldn’t. When all my instincts scream for me to let her go, to cut those ties and just let her be.

I can’t.

I’m too selfish.

Make sure to sign-up HERE for L. B Simmons newsletter for exclusive teasers. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

L.B. Simmons is a graduate of Texas A&M University and
holds a degree in Biomedical Science.
She has been a practicing Chemist for the last 11 years.  She lives with her husband and three
daughters in Texas and writes every chance she gets.

FACEBOOK   TWITTER  TSU   WEBSITE   GOODREADS   AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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.

BUY NOW

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

GOOGLE EBOOKSTORE  .  IndieBound

UK LINKS

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

eBooks by Sainsbury

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.

FACEBOOK . TWITTER .  GOODREADS .  AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE