[Stacking the Shelves] (3)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews featuring the books we got this week, and I also mention blog news/happenings of the past week.

Yayyy Thanksgiving week!!! First of all: HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!! I hope everyone had an amazing time with their families and enjoy some good food. I was so full yesterday, I barely woke up lol But me and my mom did go shopping and I got to pick some awesome books. They were only $1 each so I really really scored. I wish I had more time to go through the shelves but there were people everywhere so it was kind of hard to find something. Anyways, I'm looking forward to reading everyone's posts and seeing what everyone scored!!

Bought:

Black House by Stephen King

Lisey's Story by Stephen King

Such a Pretty Face by Cathy Lamb

Swallowing Darkness by Laurell K. Hamilton

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Received for Review:

Doing Harm by Kelly Parsons
Drawn by Cecilia Gray

Studio C - Seasons 1 & 2

HUGE thanks to St. Martin's Press, Cecilia Gray, and Kathy from I Am Reader for these review copies!

What's on your list today? Leave the link below so I can stop by and check it out!! Have a good weekend! xoxo

[Book Blast + $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway] The Watcher by Lisa Voisin

The Watcher

by Lisa Voisin 

Millennia ago, he fell from heaven for her.

Can he face her without falling again?

Fascinated with ancient civilizations, seventeen-year-old Mia Crawford dreams of becoming an archaeologist. She also dreams of wings—soft and silent like snow—and somebody trying to steal them.

When a horrible creature appears out of thin air and attacks her, she knows Michael Fontaine is involved, though he claims to know nothing about it. Secretive and aloof, Michael evokes feelings in Mia that she doesn’t understand. Images of another time and place haunt her. She recognizes them—but not from any textbook.

In search of the truth, Mia discovers a past life of forbidden love, jealousy and revenge that tore an angel from Heaven and sent her to an early grave. Now that her soul has returned, does she have a chance at loving that angel again? Or will an age-old nemesis destroy them both?

Ancient history is only the beginning.

From November 28th to December 1st The Watcher is on sale for just $1.99!

Download your copy today!!

 Praise for The Watcher 

“Voisin’s THE WATCHER blends paranormal mystery and romance into a book that is sure to keep readers turning the pages late into the night.”

– Eileen Cook, author of THE ALMOST TRUTH

“Perfect for fans of angels and demons, Lisa Voisin has created an uplifting tale of redemption, love, and spirituality that gives hope. Never preachy, THE WATCHER is the perfect answer to critics who claim Young Adult literature is too dark.”

– Stephanie Lawton, author of WANT and SHRAPNEL

“The Watcher is stunning! A paranormal romance that you won’t want to put down. Voisin will enthrall you until the very last page.”

– Stephanie Keyes, author, THE STAR CHILD series

“Grips the reader, pulls them in and leaves them cheering for good!”

– InD’tale Magazine

“The Watcher is my favorite angel fiction tale yet.”

– Katrina @Kindred Dreamheart

“This book is phenomenal! I was hooked in right away and didn’t want to stop.”

– Michelle @Michelle’s Paranormal Vault

  Book Trailer

[Book Review + HUGE Giveaway] Just Breathe by Rachel Brookes

Just Breathe
Rachel Brookes

For Savannah Rae, living life without her parents was unimaginable. But being blamed for her first love’s suicide? That destroyed every part of who she was. 

Gone were the days of innocence, happiness, and dreams. Now her days simply meant attempting to survive. In her mind, her only means for that was replacing her grief with men, booze and the fast life. And for five years, it worked.

When an opportunity to leave the nightmares of her past in Australia opens up, she takes it. Los Angeles beckons - with hopes of late nights, new beginnings, and the promise of a string of endless men to distract her, she can’t wait to dive in.

One thing she didn’t count on was meeting her match.

In the eyes of outsiders, Tate Connors has it all; the ultimate LA bachelor who is content with his lifestyle of wild nights, women and one night stands. He's Mr. Unpredictable with looks that could destroy any woman with one glance.

The craziness of Los Angeles throws them into the chaotic path of each other. Savannah becomes the perfect game, and Tate becomes the ultimate prey. Lines are crossed, emotions are smashed, and the idea of who they truly are begins to be tangled.

However, one thing will become clear.

They are more alike than either one could ever have imagined.

*Copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. See future reviews for Breathless Blog Tour coming up in December 2013.*

”Life is going to be tough, my beautiful girl. Life will throw you curveballs. Life may try and destroy you, but what matters most is that life will also be beautiful, astonishing, overwhelming, and adventurous. It’s yours to live.”

Savannah Rae… The person character with witty humor, don’t –give-a-fk attitude and super sexy body. After losing her parents at early age and getting blamed for her boyfriend’s suicide, she has been damaged. The only thing that could dull the pain would be non-stop partying, drinking, and having sex with random guys. 

Moving to Los Angeles was supposed to be the change that she needed where nobody knows her or her past. But when she meets Tate, she knows that she’s in trouble. In every prospect, he is exactly like her – attractive, flirty, and beautifully broken. 

…………………………………………………………………

This was definitely an awesome read! I loved Savannah and her Australian accent! I could tell from writing by the way she said “arsehole” instead of asshole and “thongs” instead of flip flops. She was fun, broken, and I loved her in every sense. Tate was also something else. They could not have been more perfect for each other. What really made me love this character is that Rachel Brookes captured him as having flaws in the way which made it almost embarrassing but adorable as hell. Alpha male scared of heights? Yes please! That is definitely new for me. 

Now.. the reason for my 4-star rating… I was almost going to mark this book as my All-Time-Favorites but the last 50 pages just really bugged me. They were beautifully written with interesting story ending but the way it made me feel is that the ending was just dragging on. Reading about them telling each other “I love you” over and over and talking about how perfect they are gets tiring. Overall I loved that book and personally think that it doesn’t deserve anything less than 4 stars. I am definitely looking forward to reading more of author’s works.

 Don't miss out on my review & giveaway of Breathless on December 5th! Also, don't forget to enter HUGE giveaway iincluding awesome swag packs, eBooks and gift cards! Click on the link below for more info!

[Book Blitz Guest Post] Stim by Kevin Berry

Stim

by Kevin Berry
Release Date: October 16th, 2013

Summary from Goodreads:

Robert is different. He has Asperger's Syndrome. He experiences the world differently to 99% of the population. 

Follow his entertaining and highly empathetic story as he struggles to realise and accept who he really is, try to understand other people—which he cannot—and find a girlfriend. Especially find a girlfriend—he's decided it's his special project for the year. 

Accompanied on this transformative journey by his quirky flatmates, Chloe (who also has Asperger's, amongst other things), Stef (who hasn't, but doesn't mind) and their oddly-named kitten, Robert endures a myriad of awkward moments in his quest to meet a nice, normal girl...and not even a major earthquake will stop him.

This absorbing and humorous story is starkly told from Robert's point of view, through the kaleidoscope of autistic experience.

Guest Post: Writing in Christchurch, New Zealand

I live in Christchurch, New Zealand, a city devastated by major earthquakes in September 2010 and February 2011. The earthquakes have had a huge impact on everyone living here. We all know people whose houses were badly damaged or who lost someone. And for some of the writers here, the angst from the earthquakes comes out in our writing. In my case, in a whole chapter in Stim, when the 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck in the early hours of the morning.

There's about 400,000 people here, a small city by international standards, but big enough for there to be plenty of writers. We get together in groups for things like NaNoWrMo write-ins, SpecFicNZ lunches and Christchurch Writers' Guild catchups, and many of us are good friends as well as writing colleagues. It's great to be able to have other writers to talk to; for instance, if you say you were kept up half the night by voices in your head that didn't go away until you'd written down what they said, it's nice to have friends that understand you're a writer and not just simply crazy. And we have lots of skills between us, like editing, design, proofreading, marketing and formatting, so those of us who want to self-publish can swap skills with someone else. Or just swap ideas and get feedback on our writing.

About the Author

Kevin Berry is an indie author. His particular niche is writing Aspie New Adult contemporary novels set in an earthquake zone. The first of these is STIM, published in October 2013.

His first novels, co-written with Diane Berry, are Dragons Away!, Growing Disenchantments and Fountain of Forever (humorous fantasy). These are available as paperbacks and ebooks at Amazon and elsewhere.

Author Links:

 Website |  Twitter | Goodreads

[Waiting on Wednesday] (15)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, which spotlights upcoming books that we eagerly anticipate and cannot wait to get here!

"Since you've been Gone" - Morgan Matson

Expected Publication: May 6th, 2014

The Pre-Sloane Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell.But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just... disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-selected-definitely-bizarre-tasks that Emily would never try... unless they could lead back to her best friend. Apple Picking at Night? Ok, easy enough.Dance until Dawn? Sure. Why not? Kiss a Stranger? Wait... what?

Getting through Sloane’s list would mean a lot of firsts. But Emily has this whole unexpected summer ahead of her, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected) to check things off. Who knows what she’ll find?

Go Skinny Dipping? Um...

WHY AM I WAITING ON IT?

Simon & Schuster Publishing is on of the best publishing companies that release books that are so awesome to us. I've been looking through their catalogs online and saw this beauty. I love how fun this cover looks and definitely think that this is something I would need to get my hands on for next summer. Even summary from Goodreads sounds fun and corky. Weeeeeeeeeeee!!!

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING ON THIS WEEK?

[Book Review] Sia by Josh Grayson

SIA
Josh Grayson

When seventeen-year-old Sia wakes up on a park bench, she has no idea who or where she is. Yet after a week of being homeless, she’s reunited with her family. At school, she’s powerful and popular. At home, she’s wealthy beyond her dreams. But she quickly realizes her perfect life is a lie. Her family is falling apart and her friends are snobby, cruel and plastic. Worse yet, she discovers she was the cruelest one. Mortified by her past, she embarks on a journey of redemption and falls for Kyle, the “geek” she once tormented. Yet all the time she wonders if, when her memories return, she’ll become the bully she was before…and if she’ll lose Kyle.

*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

When Sia woke up in the park, she had no idea who she was. Looking on her iPod, she found out her name. And she started walking. After almost being kidnapped, she decides to sleep under the bridge because she cannot continue anymore and that is where Carol finds her. Carol is an older woman who has been homeless for a long time and she helps Sia throughout the week and shows her how to survive on the streets. 

One day when someone recognizes her, she learns who she really is. Sia Holloway – daughter of a famous movie producer. She has everything that she could possibly hope for – fancy clothes, makeup, house, friends, and boyfriend. But she doesn’t feel right. 

When she finds out who rude she really was and how broken her family is, she wants to change for the better. Finding the right path and proving herself to others is what might really be hard at the end. 

I really enjoyed this one. The story was sweet and Sia was an amazing person. Without remembering who she was, she really tried to understand the people around her and try to help everyone. This was truly an inspirational read that made me hope for the best. 

I did think that the build up to the conflict was a little too long and all through the book I felt like something horrible was going to happen. But when the conflict did come along later on in the book, I was disappointed. It’s not that it was horrible, my expectations were set too high. 
However, the writing was beautiful and I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys YA/NA/Contemporary reads. 

About the Author

Josh Grayson was born in Mexico, raised in Massachusetts, and now lives in Martinsville, Virginia. It was his move to the South that stirred his imagination and gave him the courage to start writing. During his free time, Josh enjoys reading, jogging, swimming, and watching YouTube videos.


Josh currently works as a medical driver, shuttling people all over Virginia and North Carolina. He has also worked as a machinist, film sales rep, administrative assistant, and telemarketer (he apologizes if he called you).


Sia is his debut YA novel.

***Author Links***

   

[Release Day Blast + HUGE GIVEAWAY] Breathless by Rachel Brookes

Breathless 
Rachel Brookes

One look from Savannah Rae was all it took for Tate Connors to fall.

From the first moment he laid eyes on her, his world was irrevocably shaken. He’s willing to accept that his life will never be the same again, but when she has to leave for New York the distance becomes more than either of them expected.

Tate is left alone with not only an empty bed but also a thousand thoughts running through his head. Insecurities soar as he wonders if he could ever really be the kind of man Savannah deserves.

When the demons of his past continue to threaten the future he so desperately craves, Tate knows he has to make the ultimate choice. Risk destroying his relationship and his family with one life changing decision, or gamble on fate and hope the past stays exactly that…the past.

FOLLOW UP TO -

Just Breathe (Breathe #1) by Rachel Brookes

 Review of Just Breathe is coming up this week on Spiced Latte Reads!! Watch out for amazing quotes, opinion, and sexy pictures. Breathless review coming up in December. DON'T MISS OUT!!

Rachel Brookes is from a coastal town on the east coast of Australia where beaches, kangaroos and surfers roam free. She writes angsty love stories with a pinch of craziness, a dash of drama, a cup of romance and a spoonful of sexiness… oh and the main ingredient hot guys.
Rachel sometimes forgets to eat, sometimes forgets to sleep and sometimes can't remember the last time she cleaned her apartment but that's because she is in a long term relationship with her laptop and is constantly writing.
When she does step away from her laptop she can be found taking too many photos, making scrumptious cocktails, laughing at Adam Sandler movies and spending her time with her amazing family and friends.
With her first novel, Just Breathe, was released in July 2013, her dream of releasing a book became reality. With another three books already taking up her mind, she cannot wait to start this crazy ride.

 Website/Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

-$25 Amazon Gift Card

-Swag pack from Rachel Brookes

-eBook copy of Escaping Me by Elizabeth Lee

-eBook copy of Keep Me Still by Caisey Quinn

-eBook copy of The Broken by Ker Dukey

-eBook copy of Tears of Tess by Pepper Winters

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