{Blog Tour+Giveaway+Excerpt} One Song Away: Molli Moran

Series: None

Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Fiction,
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: December 1, 2014
Page Count: 200

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Synopsis: She needs a fill-in boyfriend. He needs a favor. It’s the perfect, no-strings arrangement until they both realize it’s too real…

Sophie-Claire Wright’s life is like a bad country song on repeat. She keeps running into her cheating ex, her songwriting career isn’t taking off, and her roommate just kicked her out of their apartment. With nothing to lose, she decides to do the one thing she said she’d never do: she moves back home. She left her small Southern town with big dreams, but now she’s going home with empty pockets.

Life moves at a slower pace in Sophie’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it hometown, but her well-meaning, matchmaking mama doesn’t have a slow gear. Sophie invents a boyfriend to hold off her mother’s efforts, but she’s out of luck when her mom wants to meet him. Sophie panics until she runs into Jake Cooper. Her high school crush is back in town, too, and when he asks her for a favor, she agrees—on one condition. He says he’ll be her fill-in boyfriend, so it should be simple: introduce him to her family and then “break up” with him after a few weeks.

Sophie is sure she’ll be able to resist Jake this time and that their fake relationship will keep them both away from wagging tongues. Sure, she was in love with him years ago, but that was then. This is now, no matter how great he looks, or how she feels around him. But she didn’t bargain for moments that feel all too genuine. Dates that don’t seem fake. Kisses that leave her shaken and wanting more. And she didn’t count on old feelings resurfacing and complicating their arrangement—which is starting to feel less like acting and more like the real deal.

Soon, Sophie can’t tell which kisses are real or fake, but she knows she’s in deep…and she thinks Jake is, too. When she gets a chance to go back to Nashville and chase her dreams again, she has a choice to make: stay or go? Continue hoping that the life she wants is one song away, or write her own?

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Molli is a Southern writer who doesn’t consider her day complete if she hasn’t written. She loves coffee and talking fast, things she attributes to being raised by Gilmore Girls. She’s a romantic at heart, and brings that to her books. When not reading or blogging, she can be found obsessing over Doctor Who, cuddling her various pets, or spending time with friends, family, or her girlfriend.

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Excerpt

“I think we should kiss.”

I look up so fast that I’m fairly sure I have whiplash. He gives me an innocent look and I glare at him. “What?” I take my hair out of the ponytail and the freed strands float to my shoulders. “Did you say we should kiss?”

Jake nods, but for some reason, he seems fixated on my hair. My eyes stray to his lips, and I frown. I can’t say I haven’t thought about it. Couples are affectionate and steal kisses. If we don’t hold hands or give each other a quick kiss, we won’t sell this couple thing. And I’ll be on a blind date with Mr. Double Major in Accounting and Boring faster than I can blink.

“O-okay.”

“Okay?” Jake shoots me an unreadable look.

“I said okay, didn’t I?” I stand, hands on my hips. “You’re not making this very romantic at all. You’re a horrible fake boyfriend.” I try to sound teasing, but there’s something in my voice I can’t define. I’m curious and I’m afraid. What if I kiss Jake and I don’t like it? What if we don’t have any chemistry?

What if we do?

There’s a reckless smile tugging at his mouth. “That so?” He takes three steps and he’s in front of me. When I breathe in, I smell his cologne. I’m stretched taut enough to snap in two when I face him.

“Yeah.” I smirk at him, moving closer. “That’s so.” I imitate his drawl. “In fact, you’re—”

Jake covers my mouth with his, and my words go as transparent as smoke. One of his arms is around my waist, and he’s cupping my cheek with the other. His fingers press against my skin, and before I can remind myself this is a bad, bad idea, I step into him and open my mouth. It’s not even worth trying to pretend I’m not just as into this kiss as he is. Not when his hand presses into the small of my back, urging me even closer. Not when his lips move against mine as though he’s the only one who’s ever kissed me.

Since I’m already melded against Jake’s chest, I go all in. I wrap my arms around his neck at the same time I touch my tongue to his, and he makes a very male, very appreciative noise. When he eases one thigh between my legs, I let him tangle us together, because I’ve waited too long for this to do anything else.

I’ve kissed more guys than I can count, but the way Jake kisses me is confident, his hand never leaving my face. It’s a complete turn-on. His mouth is hard and then soft on mine, changing by the second, and I can only go with him and try to hold my own. He bites my upper lip gently and I moan into his mouth. When he turns me, I bump into a chair. It scrapes across the floor, and like dreamers jerking awake, we separate.

His eyes are wide, and in the dim lights left on, the gold and brown in those eyes are battling for dominance. I press a hand to my chest, even though I can already tell my heart is thrumming. I’m out of breath, and I have no idea what to say. I just kissed Coop. And it was…

“That was intense.” His voice breaks slightly on the last syllable. He’s quiet for a few seconds, but then he shakes his head, his face animated. “We’re definitely going to pull off this couple thing.”

Fuck. My. Life. He thought it was all an act? The kiss felt damn real to me. It was intense, like he said. It was hot…and it was all pretend for him. Clearly, I got way too lost in the moment. I’m going to have to find some way of keeping that from happening again.

I nod, quickly gathering my things. “For sure.” I laugh, but it’s an octave higher than normal, and sounds like a needle screeching on a record, to me at least. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Jake.”

Then I run away before he can notice how rattled I am.

So much for keeping my heart out of it.

{Book Blitz+Interview+Giveaway+Playlist+Excerpt} More Than Exes: Elizabeth Briggs

Series: Chasing the Dream 0.5
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult
Publication date: October 28th 2014
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Nobles

Synopsis: Keyboardist Kyle Cross may look like a bad boy with his tattoos and piercings, but he’s really the good guy who’s always stuck fixing his band’s problems and never gets the girl. His band is competing in a college Battle of the Bands, but when their bassist doesn’t show, Kyle must track her down with the help of the person he least expects: his ex-girlfriend Alexis Monroe.

Kyle hasn’t seen Alexis since she dumped him in high school, and she’s dropped her preppy image for fiery red hair and a bold new attitude to match. With only hours before his band goes on stage, Kyle has to be a little bad if he wants to win both the Battle and the girl he’s never gotten over. But when their old problems resurface, the good guy might just get his heart broken all over again.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Website | Facebook | Twitter
Elizabeth Briggs is a full-time geek who writes books for teens and adults. She plays the guitar, mentors at-risk teens, and volunteers with a dog rescue group. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and a pack of small, fluffy dogs.

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Interview with Elizabeth Briggs

Where did you get the idea for More Than Exes?

In More Than Music, which is about Kyle’s friend, Maddie, and his brother, Jared, there’s a part where Maddie thinks about how it must be difficult to be Jared’s brother sometimes. That made me wonder about how Kyle sees his brother, and I quickly jotted down what would become the first chapter of More Than Exes. Right then I knew I had to tell Kyle’s story, too. I also had many fans of More Than Music tell me they loved Kyle and wanted a book about him, so that sealed the deal!

Do you need to read More Than Music to read More Than Exes?

No, definitely not. More Than Exes is a novella set about a month before More Than Music and can be read as a standalone. There’s nothing in it that would be confusing if you haven’t read More Than Music – but if you have, it will also shed light on a few things in that book. You can read them in any order, even though More Than Exes is a prequel.

What is your favorite thing about More Than Exes?

There are so many things I love about this book – the fact that it takes place over a few hours, the sarcastic humor in it, and the love story of two high school sweethearts getting back together… but my absolute favorite part is the close sibling relationship between Kyle and Jared. I loved showing Jared from Kyle’s point of view – Kyle views his brother very differently from how Maddie does in More Than Music, but still loves him and would do anything for him.

What was the hardest part about writing More Than Exes?

More Than Exes is the first book I’ve ever written from a guy’s point of view, and that was a lot of fun but also challenging at times. I had to make sure that Kyle would be sympathetic to romance readers but also feel like a realistic 21 year old male. I don’t think there are many romances told from only a male perspective, but I hope people will give this one a chance!

If you weren’t a writer, what would you do?

A rock star, of course! I play the guitar, though I don’t have time to practice as much as I’d like. I’ve always wanted to be in a famous rock band, but now I just write about them instead.

What’s next in the Chasing the Dream series?

I’m currently working on More Than Comics, a novella about the drummer of the band, Hector, set at Comic-Con about a week after More Than Music ends. After that, I’ll be writing books about Maddie’s best friends, Julie and Carla, who both go on their own reality TV shows!

EXCERPT

Alexis stood alone in front of the bar, watching the band on stage. Her leather jacket had been left in her car, and in her tight jeans and tiny, V-necked top, she radiated a cool, sexy confidence I found irresistible. She’d had that same confidence when we were younger, too, but now it had an edge, like she wasn’t afraid to be herself. It made me want her even more.

I moved behind her, fitting myself against her back, and whispered her name in her ear. I didn’t need to say anything else. She turned her head and met my eyes with a look of desire that matched my own. Her hand reached up to circle my neck, drawing my head down to hers, and I gave in to her siren call.

Our lips touched for the first time in three years. It was everything I remembered and more. Like waking from a long coma. A bright sunrise over a dark sky. The first hint of spring after a long winter. I was truly living again, in the way I normally only felt when I was on stage.

The kiss started slow, an awakening, an exploration, a forgiveness of our past mistakes. I teased at her mouth with my own, opening her wider, wanting more, wanting everything. Her lips were amazingly soft and sweet, like candy I’d tasted long ago and had finally rediscovered. I wrapped my arms around her hips, holding her flush against me. She groaned and dug her fingers into the back of my hair, pulling me even closer.

She turned in my arms to face me. “I guess this means you’re giving me a second chance.”

“I guess it does.” I lowered my lips to hers again.

Our bodies fit together perfectly, like when we’d hugged except this time we didn’t hold back. I slid my hands down to cup her butt, pressing her against the front of my jeans. Our kiss deepened, mouths hungry for each other, bodies desperate to be together again. We couldn’t get close enough, couldn’t get enough of each other. She clung to me like I was her savior, and I kissed her harder, flicking my tongue across hers, nibbling at her lower lip. Her fingers gripped the top of my jeans and tugged on them, like she wanted them gone. If she kept this up, I would rip her clothes off and take her right there on the bar counter.

This was all moving so fast, but I didn’t care. This was exactly the kind of thing my brother did, and after being apart from Alexis for so long, I didn’t want to go slow.

“Let’s go to my car,” she said, breathless. “The backseat…”

“My thoughts exactly.”

We broke apart, and the rest of the club came into focus again. The crowd pressing around us in the dark. The clink of bottles behind the bar. The music blasting from the speakers. The lights illuminating the band on stage. I checked the time. About an hour before our set. No one would miss me if I slipped out for a few minutes.

I took Alexis’s hand, the action so familiar I could almost believe we’d never broken up. She gave me a knowing smile and let me lead her through the club, weaving between other couples and head-banging fans. I couldn’t get us out of there fast enough. My brain had shut off and my body had taken over, with only lust and primal urges controlling me now.

This might only last one night. I didn’t care. I’d take one night with Alexis. As long as I reminded myself it was just sex and nothing more, I’d be fine. If Jared could do it, so could I.

{Blog Tour+Giveaway+Excerpt+Review} More Than Music: Elizabeth Briggs

Rating: 6.75/10
Series: Chasing the Dream #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Fiction
Publication Date: June 17, 2014
Publisher: Elizabeth Briggs Books
Page Count: 311
Source: Oops I Read a Book Again
Format: eARC

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Smashwords ~ The Book Depository

Synopsis: Music major Maddie Taylor just finished her junior year of college and has a summer internship lined up with the LA Philharmonic, yet every night she practices guitar and secretly dreams of a louder life. But geeky girls like her don't get to be rock stars. That is, until tattooed singer Jared Cross catches her playing guitar and invites her to join his band on The Sound, a reality TV show competition.

Once on the show, Maddie discovers there’s more to Jared than his flirty smile and bad boy reputation – and that he’s just as big a geek as she is. With each performance their attraction becomes impossible to ignore, but when the show pressures them to stay single they’re forced to keep their relationship secret.

As the competition heats up, Jared will do whatever it takes for his band to win, and Maddie must decide if following her dream is worth losing her heart.

About the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Tumblr ~ Instagram ~ Pinterest

Elizabeth Briggs is a Young Adult and New Adult author who lives in Los Angeles with her British husband and a bunch of fluffy white rescue dogs. She's a guitar-playing geek who loves books, rock music, and video games, goes to Comic Con every year, and is still hoping to be a Jedi when she grows up.

Elizabeth currently works with WriteGirl to mentor at-risk or pregnant teen girls in writing, to help them get through high school and into college. She also volunteers with Bichon FurKids to help rescued dogs find a new, loving home. She previously worked as an intern for literary agent Jill Corcoran of Jill Corcoran Literary Agency, an intern for Entangled Publishing, and an editor for Curiosity Quills Press.

Elizabeth is represented by Kate Schafer Testerman of KT Literary and is a member of SCBWI and RWA.

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Excerpt:

Jared’s guitar was beautiful, with a smooth white faceplate, gleaming struts, and a shiny fingerboard. My fingers itched to touch the silvery strings, to form a chord and let it ring out through the amp, to hear what it sounded like without all the other instruments accompanying it. And if I was honest, I wanted to close my eyes and pretend I was on stage, playing for a crowd, hearing them scream for me. The longing I felt every time I went to a concert stirred up in me again. It wouldn’t hurt if I played one chord, right? That was it. One chord, and I’d put it back. No one would ever know.

Before I could stop myself, I picked up the guitar and threw the strap over my head. It settled against my shoulder, and with one hand on the fret board and the other on the strings, I was home. I closed my eyes, picturing Jared when he was on stage and how his talented fingers had moved across the guitar. I imagined him singing my favorite song of theirs, “Behind the Mask,” and the words and notes melted together in my head. I strummed the guitar, the sound ringing from the amp, the vibrations traveling up the ground and into my feet. God, I loved this guitar. It sounded just as good as my own, if not better.

Now that I had the guitar in my hands, the compulsion to play was irresistible. What was one more chord, right? I was alone and the room was soundproof. The door had locked behind me. Kyle was dealing with Becca, and he’d given me permission to come in here anyway.

I knew it was a bad idea. I knew I should put the guitar down and walk out of the room. But I started strumming anyway.

I was hesitant at first, but once I started, I couldn’t stop. My hands found the chords automatically, and the words flowed out of me with the music. Exhilaration swept through me with each note, and I closed my eyes and let the song take me away. Soon I was belting out the words, shredding the guitar like I was on stage playing for a massive crowd. I’d never do this in front of anyone else, but here, alone with this guitar, I could pretend. I could let myself go.

And then I opened my eyes and wanted to die.

Jared stood in front of me, his eyes wide and mouth open slightly. He must have come in while I was playing. How much did he hear? Or worse, see?

My fingers slipped off the strings with a screech, and I nearly dropped the guitar. Thank god for the strap. “I’m so sorry. Kyle gave me the key and I was just—”

There was no way to explain what was going on, so I shut up. I’d been singing his lyrics, playing the song he’d written. Not to mention, I’d been using his guitar. That was like wearing someone else’s underwear. You didn’t just play another person’s guitar without their permission.

I yanked the guitar off and tried to put it back, but knocked the stand over instead. Hands shaking, it took me two tries to right it again, all while Jared stood there, gaping at me. Why didn’t he say anything? Was he so angry he couldn’t speak? I set the guitar down carefully, then backed away like it was on fire—and ran straight into the drum set. Cymbals crashed as I fell against it, knocking the equipment all over the floor. Great, now he must think I’m a stalker and a complete klutz. I jumped up too fast, and my legs were so unsteady I started to topple over toward the table. Jared caught me before we had another disaster, his hands gripping my arms to balance me.

“You okay?” he asked, his blue eyes holding mine and making my heart pound even faster. If I stared into those eyes too long, I’d fall into them completely.

 

Disclaimer: I received this book from Oops I Read a Book Again in exchange for an honest review

Pro ~ Romance: I have to admit something, there is insta-love in this novel, and not only is insta-love, it is obvious insta-love. The synopsis clearly states that Maddie and Jared are the two protagonists that fall in love over the course of the story, and I also have to say that the plot is driven by romance. You're probably sitting there wondering why on earth romance is in the "Pro"section if I'm busy saying there is insta-love that drives the plot. The answer to your wonderings (totally not a word) is, "The insta-love actually works." I adored Maddie and Jared as a couple, and was routing for them the entire time. Despite screaming fangirls and sneaky producers, their ship did not sink.

Con ~ Maddie: While I liked who Maddie was as a person, I disliked some of her decisions and judgements. For example, when she was asked to join Villain Complex, I didn't feel that she pondered the decision long enough. Sure, she had doubts and was apprehensive about the situation, but I felt that she agreed to fast because of her attraction to Jared. Then, when she joined the show, she had to give up her internship at the LA Philharmonic which she had been so excited and went through such an intense elimination process in order to join. Even though she had her loyalty to Kyle, Jared, and the commitment she made to the band, it still seemed so sporadic and hasty how she just dropped everything for the show. Nearing the end of the book, Maddie makes a particularly crazy decision which effects not only her, but a lot of people around her, and doesn't help her reputation. She has regrets of course, but things just seemed so hasty.

Pro ~ Vivid Descriptions: Something I read in an interview in June was that Elizabeth Briggs could not include song lyrics, so she learned how to play all the songs she featured in More Than Music in order to describe playing the songs as well as possible. She did a superb job with this, and a good example of this is found in the excerpt I posted (why else would I have posted that specific one?). Brigg's vivid descriptions also helped a lot in the romance department.... if you know what I mean. Certain scenes between Maddie and Jared were extremely intense and not advisable for younger readers.

Con ~ Lack of Information on Supporting Characters: The reason Maddie was invited into the band in the first place, and how she even met Jared in the first place was because of Kyle. Kyle is one her friends from college and the real instigator of the entire story. Yet, after the first six or seven chapters, it's almost as if he disappears and only shows up when he's needed to be the "bad guy" of the situation, and of course to play in the band. Luckily, Elizabeth Briggs is scheduled to release two novellas, one that will focus on Kyle and another that will focus the other band member - Hector.

Pro ~ Music: What drew me into More Than Music was the fact that the characters had to go through a reality television competition that was based off of The Voice. You may not know this about me, but I am a very avid fan of The Voice, I love watching the four coaches every Monday and Tuesday nights and all the amazing performances. In terms of how The Sound worked, it is almost identical to The Voice in terms of rules and regulations, but instead of just one or two people performing, there are whole bands. 

Con ~ Predictability: The plot, characters, and even some dialogue in More Than Music was predictable. I don't want to spoil anything for you, but the end was very predictable, as well as the chain of events going on for the duration of the story. You kind of knew what would happen because it had to happen in order for the story to continue.

Pro ~ Pacing: The last thing I loved about More Than Music was how quickly the story went by. I literally started the book on a whim.... you know, as much of a whim as you can read a book that has a to be read by date, directly after I finished Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang. I would totally recommend this novel to other people, which is saying a lot because you would expect the book hangover to be really bad after Falling Into Place and that nothing could compare, but this one did. As I was saying, I picked this book up around 11 at night, and finished it around 2. I just kept reading, and everything was so fast paced, I hadn't noticed the time.

Conclusion: More Than Music is a fast-paced read full of romance, vivid descriptions, and of course... music.

{Blog Tour+Giveaway} Hive Queen Saga (#1 & 2): Janine A. Southard

Series: Hive Queen Saga #1 & 2

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction 

Publisher #1: Self Published

Publisher #2: Martian Cantina

Publication Date #1: March 13, 2013

Publication Date #2: April 29, 2014

Page Count #1: 250

Page Count #2: 306  

Book One: Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Nobles

Book Two: Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Nobles

Book One Synopsis: **WINNER 2013 IPPY AWARD -- Silver Medal for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror E-Book**

On a world where high school test scores determine your future, six students rebel. They’ll outrun society as fast as their questionably obtained spaceship will take them.

Rhiannon doesn’t technically cheat the Test. She’s smarter than the computers that administer it, and she uses that to her advantage. She emerges from Test Day with the most prestigious future career possible: Hive Queen.

Gwyn & Victor are madly in love, but their Test results will tear them apart. Good thing Rhiannon is Gwyn’s best friend. Rhiannon can fix this. Queens can do anything.

Gavin is the wild card. Raised off-planet, he can’t wait to leave again... and he’s heard of an empty ship in orbit. The Ceridwen’s Cauldron.

Both Luciano and Alan fit in the system. They don’t need to leave. Only their devotion to Rhiannon spurs them to join the Cauldron’s crew.

Spaceships. Blackmail. Anywhere but here.

Book Two Synopsis: Queen Rhiannon and her Hive have found safety on John Wayne Station, but with no way to pay their docking fees or Victor’s medical bills, their debts are racking up quickly. Thankfully, Gavin gets a job with American Space Ranger M3L-15-A, who’s hot on the trail of dangerous criminals.

The teens move in with their Ranger benefactor, but when they revisit their ship to pick up personal belongings, they realize their Alcubierre tensor jet has been stolen!

If Rhiannon and her Hivemates ever hope to leave, they must find and steal back what’s theirs. But far from home and among strangers, who can they trust? Will they be stuck on John Wayne for the rest of their lives?

About the Author: Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Website
Janine A. Southard writes and edits speculative fiction in between working on videogame projects. She’s attended more than the average number of universities, which she claims is a FEATURE. (“Oxford educated, but Californian at heart.”) She’s also lived and traveled in Europe, the United States, and Japan. Currently, she lives in Seattle with a husband (and a cat) and sings with a Celtic band.




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Excerpt

Steal back their ship’s engine... or be stuck on this foreign station forever!

Keeping her tone hushed in case a local wandered too close, Rhiannon outlined her plan. “We have seven days till we take back what is ours,” she said. 

There was a small cheer. This, this was what she was made for. She could strategize; she could organize; she could direct her people along the optimal paths.

“Gavin.” Her voice was sure, commanding, and he straightened to a near-military posture. “You’ll have the theatre’s production vehicle, so I’ll need you to be the getaway driver.”

He coughed. “Ah, but, the sheep?”

“You’ll bring the lorry to me after you drop off the sheep, so be sure to pick them up early and to take Gwyn with you. She’ll keep the lambs quiet.”

Next. “Alan.” 

He acknowledged her with a mumbled my lady, overbright excitement turning his hazel eyes almost entirely green. 

“You’ll go along with Gavin and Gwyn to make sure we get all the parts. If the jet’s been dismantled or damaged, determine what to take and what to leave behind. Put the jet in the truck as soon as you have it.”

Trust. “Luciano.” He fixed her with grave, dark eyes. She, the center of his attention. “You’ll keep in touch with everyone. I trust you to be my eyes and ears.”

Luciano went to his knees before her, pressing his forehead to the back of her hand. “I am honored, my lady.”

Soon all four Devoted were on the floor, each bending one knee. “My lady,” they said in eerie unison. 

{Blog Tour+Giveaway+Excerpt} Plus One: Elizabeth Fama

Genre: Young Adult, Science  Fiction, Romance, Thriller,
Publication Date: April 8, 2014
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (BYR)
Page Count: 373

Goodreads ~ The Book Despository ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Nobles 

Synopsis: Divided by day and night and on the run from authorities, star-crossed young lovers unearth a sinister conspiracy in this compelling romantic thriller.

Seventeen-year-old Soleil Le Coeur is a Smudge—a night dweller prohibited by law from going out during the day. When she fakes an injury in order to get access to and kidnap her newborn niece—a day dweller, or Ray—she sets in motion a fast-paced adventure that will bring her into conflict with the powerful lawmakers who order her world, and draw her together with the boy she was destined to fall in love with, but who is also a Ray.

Set in a vivid alternate reality and peopled with complex, deeply human characters on both sides of the day-night divide, Plus One is a brilliantly imagined drama of individual liberty and civil rights, and a fast-paced romantic adventure story.

Follow the rest of the tour!

About the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Tumblr

Elizabeth Fama is the author of Plus One (FSG, 2014), Monstrous Beauty (FSG, 2012), a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection and Odyssey Award honor winner, and Overboard (Cricket Books, 2002), an ALA Best Books for Young Adults. She is represented by Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger, Inc.

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Excerpt:

Stardust

One night when I was still a freshman I came to class and there was a new drawing on the desk: an exquisitely rendered human heart. It was not the kind of heart that little kids draw and cut out to make valentines, with two plump cheeks at the top and a pointy V at the bottom. It was an anatomically perfect sketch, tipped slightly as real hearts are, showing the aorta, the pulmonary artery and veins, and the vena cava—although I wouldn’t have remembered the location of any of those if they hadn’t been carefully labeled. My desk partner had drawn the heart as if it had been sliced almost all the way in two by a sharp knife, which was no small feat since the drawing was three-dimensional and looked like real muscle tissue. Below it was a poem. But it wasn’t one I would have ridiculed, or forced Poppu to dissect to expose its pretentiousness. It was raw, an open wound, and it brought tears to my eyes.

I am empty

I am released from a ship

In space

I am unmoored

Vast nothingness

Aching for what was lost

Wanting what will never be

And suddenly

The after-moment of now versus then

The paradigm shift

The world in too sharp relief

The past and future overlap

In front of my eyes

Death and life

Love and its mysterious absence

A knowledge

I am not a player

I am a spectator

I read it again and again until I had it by heart. I heard nothing my teacher said the entire period, not a word. I had no com-fort to offer my friend, even though it’s what I most wanted to do, and in that way I felt an impotence that matched the tone of the poem itself.

A worry forced its way into my mind. Was it a girl he was talking about? Wasn’t that a broken heart he had drawn? Had he fallen in love with someone? Wanting what was lost. Love and its mysterious absence.

I felt socked in the chest, and I didn’t know why. He was the equivalent of a pen pal, after all; a confidant at most. Nothing had changed: if our paths crossed in the hall I still wouldn’t recognize him. If he saw me, I would seem a stranger. He wouldn’t wrap his arms around me, his beloved friend.

The bell rang, and every other student got up to leave, scraping chairs, laughing, stuffing books in backpacks, drop-ping papers. My time to help him was up, and I felt a rising panic that I would fail him.

I was no poet, I had no right to even try. But I hastily added these four lines, and I left the room without allowing myself to reconsider.

Powerless

But for the stardust

Unknowing

I trail through her heart

{Blog Tour+Giveaway+Excerpt} The Uni Files Series: Anna Bloom

Series: The Uni Files #1
Publication Date: September 25, 2013
Genre: New Adult, Romance
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing
Page Count: 393
Goodreads~Amazon

Synopsis:

For Lilah McCannon, life has taken a bit of a wrong turn. Engaged to a guy she is not in love with and stuck in a job with her tyrannical father as her boss, life has definitely not turned out the way she expected.

At twenty-five years old, Lilah knows that she has a simple choice: live the life she has created or change it.

Enrolling on a course at the local University, Lilah sets out with some clear rules to ensure her success at being a grown-up. No alcohol, no cigarettes, no boys, and no going home.  But the last thing she anticipates is meeting Ben Chambers, the lead singer of a local band. With Ben, it’s instant, it’s hot, and it’s deep, but when Ben is offered the opportunity of a lifetime and it looks like his future lies on a different path to hers, Lilah has some heart-rending decisions to make.

With the academic year slipping by too quickly, Lilah faces a barrage of new challenges. Will she ever make it up the library stairs without having a heart attack? Can she handle a day on campus without drinking vodka? Will she ever manage to read a history book without falling asleep? Most of all, will she be able to make the ultimate sacrifice and learn The Art of Letting Go?

Series: The Uni Files #2
Publication Date: April 9, 2014
Genre: New Adult, Romance
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing
Page Count: 450
Goodreads

Synopsis:

Lilah and Ben. They are meant to be a thing.

Well they were. The best thing ever. That was until Lilah decided to teach herself a lesson, and let go of Ben as she learnt The Art of Letting Go.

Now it’s a new academic year, and Lilah has it all to play for and it all too lose as she battles scary lecturers, evil PR girls and her own inability to make the right decision at the right time.

Life has moved on for Lilah and her friends, and life off campus is more complicated than any of them would have guessed.  As the reality of being second year students sets in and the study starts to build up, cracks begin to appear in the very fabric of their friendships. There is a chance that none of them are going to complete Year Two in one piece.

Facing down her worst enemy: herself. Lilah has to try and change her own past mistakes when she realises that the only way she is going to get the future she wants is if she manages to learn The Art of Keeping Faith in herself.

The Art of Keeping Faith is the second year in The Uni File Series and continues Lilah McCannon’s diary as she searches for love, tries to find and earn trust, and ultimately discovers who she is really meant to be.

Sometimes the only way to meet your future is to face your past.

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Anna Bloom is a contemporary romance writer who writes about life as it happens. Combining a busy schedule of looking after two small children whilst working in a local school and completing The Uni Files series. Anna’s main aim in life is to create the perfect book which makes a reader laugh and cry at the same time, hopefully causing a convulsive (impossible to ignore) donkey noise. It’s a work in progress!  Anna also spends a lot of time imagining kissing hot guys – all in the name of her art.



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 The Fez Club

I am a bit tipsy. Oh okay I am very tipsy. Again. 

My excuse is that the drinks are cheap: a pound a shot! 

My kind of bar.

An hour after arriving Ben has disappeared off somewhere with his band mates and Meredith and Tristan are in a booth, whispering. When Tristan turns up I glare at him. How bloody annoying can he be? Surely he must have something better to do.

This leaves me putting it about the dance floor with some strange guy who keeps trying to ruin my solo dance by gyrating in behind me, placing his hands on my hips and attempting to pull me back into his groin. 

Yuck! 

I am ducking away, when I see Ben over on the other side of the dance floor. He is surrounded by girls, who all appear to be in a state of undress. He gives me a wink when I catch his eye. I want to pull a finger at him for standing there surrounded by skinny, nearly naked teenage girls, but I manage to maintain some restraint.

I move myself away from the greaseball with the wandering hands and circle myself further into the dance floor blocking the view of Ben and his hoard of fans. 

The next thing I feel are some hands circling around my waist again. I turn around fast, ready to punch the guy with sticky fingers. Instead, I find Ben right there, standing as close as he can. My mouth flaps open like a fish, not that I would have anything to say even if he could hear me over the pounding music. 

He keeps himself close as he starts to dance with me. It is absolutely electric! My entire body feels like it is going to combust. As a general rule the sight of men dancing always makes me laugh. I can’t help it. There is always a serious amount of "dad-dancing" no matter how hard they try.

But Ben does not have this problem. He fits around me like a jigsaw piece, mouth close to my ear. For a split second I think he is talking to me but then with a shock I realise he is kissing along my jaw and ear lobe. My knees started to shake a little, which is a trifle embarrassing. Laughing against my ear he tightens his arms around me and pulls me away and into a dark corner booth.

The Booth of Truth

Ben slides into the booth, pulling me in beside him, his arm still tight around my waist.

There are a million questions chasing around in my mind but I don’t ask any of them. I just kiss him instead. Fervently. And then I kiss him some more. 

I am on fire, literally, as he trails his lips along my naked shoulder his hands brazenly sliding around my back, his fingertips grazing under the hem of my top as he pulls me in.

I should stop, but I don’t. I can’t. I just move closer and closer to him. 

Hot. Hot. Hot.

How hot can one boy be? It’s wrong on so many levels but right in the moment I don’t care. I don’t care about anything I just allow myself to slide deeper under and melt into him.

And then… I give myself a mental bitch-slap and pull away, but not out of arm’s length.

“I can’t do this,” I confess with a sigh that may be a little breathless.

“Why?” 

The question sounds less concerned or frustrated than I am expecting. 

“Because I just can’t. It’s complicated.” 

His lips do not stop their path up my shoulder and neck. 

“Complicated,” he mummers. “It sounds serious.” 

“I am with someone else.” 

There it is: the big fuck-off bombshell in the proceedings.

He pulls back and looks at me. I cannot read his normally bright eyes. It’s too dark, and his eyelashes obscure any reflection. 

I am about to apologise or something, I feel I should, when to my complete and utter surprise, he leans back in and kisses me again firmly, lips opening my own. He is pretty hard to resist, so I don’t bother. 

Some point later he whispers against my ear, breathing warm air along my throat.

“I am going to set myself the challenge to make you mine.” 

I throw my head back and laugh in response.

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. I like this. It’s something I think I can get used to.” 

His lips are still trailing their maddening pattern. 

“You sound very confident, Mr Chambers.”

“I am.” 

I slide out of the booth and grab his hand to pull him back onto the dance floor where we melt into the crowd, our bodies still pressed together tight, which is where we stay until two this morning, when the bouncers finally empty us off the dance floor.