{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

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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
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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.

{Giveaway+Interview} Lies We Tell Ourselves: Robin Talley

Rating: 92%
Series: None
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ+, Young Adult, Fiction,
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Publication Date: September 30, 2014
Page Count: 368
Format: Physical ARC
Source: HarlequinTeen via My Heart Hearts Books

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Goodreads Synopsis: In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights will be changed forever.

Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is put into remedial classes, spit on and tormented daily.

Linda Hairston is the daughter of one of the town’s most vocal opponents of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the races should be kept “separate but equal.”

Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truths about race, power and how they really feel about one another.

Boldly realistic and emotionally compelling, Lies We Tell Ourselves is a brave and stunning novel about finding truth amid the lies, and finding your voice even when others are determined to silence it.

Disclaimer: I received this book from HarlequinTeen via My Heart Hearts Books in exchange for an honest review.

*My guest post on My Heart Hearts Books hasn't been published yet, but when it is, the image above will have a link leading to the review*

GIVEAWAY

(10/22-11/5)

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Interview With Robin Talley

1. The LGBTQ genre has had quite a breakout in 2014 in terms of how many books have been released dealing with these issues and how they are becoming more widely accepted. Each author has their own story of why they write LGBTQ fiction, maybe a family member, close, friend, or even themselves has fallen in the LGBTQ spectrum. Why did you start writing in this genre and when did you become interested in it?

In every book or short story I’ve written so far, my protagonists have always been LGBTQ. Partly that stems from my own life experience, since I’m gay, but it also stems from what I see as a need for greater representation for LGBTQ characters in fiction, especially young adult fiction. Malinda Lo’s statistics show that despite recent gains, this representation is still far below where it should be in YA. 

Also, for the most part, my brain tends to generate stories that focus on LGBTQ characters. So it all works out nicely!

2. Because some people aren’t always accepting of LGBTQ people and many books in this genre have been banned, was there ever a time when you were scared to put Lies We Tell Ourselves out in the world because of this added factor of stress? Instead of just being afraid if people would like/not like your book, was there ever a fear that you would be ostracized because of it or that your book would even be banned in some conservative communities?

This actually hasn’t been something I’ve worried about. Which is good, because there are plenty of other things for a debut author to stress over! :)

3. What inspired you to write this story and come up with such an outrageous premise for this time period? An African American and white person talking to each other civilly, let alone falling in love, let alone the situation being between a GIRL and ANOTHER girl. Did you ever think of your readers would find this unrealistic, or did it just add to the story?

From the moment I first started thinking about the story for Lies We Tell Ourselves, I knew I wanted to explore the question of not just how someone would deal with living through a horrible period in history, but also how it would feel to be living with that and to be dealing with something a slice of the population has always dealt with for all of history, too: having a sexual orientation that doesn’t match the majority’s. 

For millennia, people have been forming across traditional societal lines ― race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, background, etc. Sometimes those connections are friendships, sometimes they’re romantic, sometimes they’re something else entirely. 

So I don’t think it’s outrageous for two people like Sarah and Linda to form a connection in 1959, despite the boundaries that separate them. Nor do I think it’s unrealistic that they’re both interested in girls. I think there’s a tendency to view the idea of “LGBTQ issues” as a new thing, because only in the past couple of decades have openly queer people have been discussed much in mainstream media. But there have been queer people for as long as there have been, well, people. There were just as many queer people in 1959 as there are in 2014. There just weren’t as many openly queer people.

4. While writing Lies We Tell Ourselves, was there ever a time that you felt a scene was hard to write because of the amount of torment you had to put your characters through, because of research that needed to be done surrounding the circumstances, or to get into an individual character’s head?

All of the above! Lies We Tell Ourselves was by far the most difficult story I’ve ever written for all of those reasons and more. The most challenging part of the writing process was getting into Linda’s head. Linda has held a set of beliefs for her entire life that is abhorrent and that also completely defies logic, so it took a huge amount of intellectual twisting and reaching to try to understand where she was coming from well enough to write from her point of view. 

5. I know that I greatly appreciated the fact that Lies We Tell Ourselves was written in two points of view and then the added third at the end. What was your reasoning for this? Why not write the story from just one point of view? And what made you decide to divide the points of views into parts versus every other chapter?

I tried writing Lies We Tell Ourselves in many different ways. I wrote a draft just from Sarah’s point of view, and I wrote the beginning of a draft in alternating chapters. Neither of those worked at all. With just Sarah’s point of view, there wasn’t enough forward momentum to drive the story and provoke Sarah to change. Alternating chapters caused the opposite problem ― it broke up the momentum of the first day of school that makes up most of the first part of the novel, where the story really belongs to Sarah alone. So I tried splitting the difference with an alternating act structure instead. 

6. Lies We Tell Ourselves seems like the type of story that you would need to know from beginning to end, and because NaNoWriMo fever is in the air, I am dying to know this. Are you a pantser or a plotter?  

I’m a plotter, but I didn’t actually know the story of Lies We Tell Ourselves from beginning to end when I first started writing it. That’s usually how it goes for me when I’m working on a new project. I always make an outline before I start writing, but usually the outline either doesn’t have an ending at all or I realize halfway through the draft that the ending I’d originally envisioned won’t work at all. So although I depend on my outlining process to get me from point A to point B, I usually have to rework my original conception to figure out how I’m eventually getting to point Z. 

{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

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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+Review} The Silver Sickle: Ellie Ann

Rating: 6/10
Series: None
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Stonehouse Ink
Publication Date: July 2013
Page Count: 289
Source: Xpresso Book Tours
Format: eBook

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Synopsis: The end of humanity will come through the Silver Sickle . . .

Farissa lives every moment with reckless abandon, for it may be her last. Any day now, the alien goddesses will harvest her and take her to the mysterious Silver Sickle, never to return. She’s accepted that. What she can’t accept is this new idea of freedom Zel has planted in her head. She’d give almost anything to be with Zel, but how can she run from her destiny if it means putting the whole kingdom in danger?

Everyone in the desert kingdom believes the goddesses are immortal, but Zel has invented a way to kill them. Now all he has to do is convince Farissa to run away with him and plant a seed of hope in her heart that she’s not destined to die. Little does he know that one seed of hope could change the course of the future.

About the Author: Goodreads ~ Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Ellie Ann is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of science fiction, comics, and thrillers.

I was born in the jungles of Thailand, was raised in a small farming village in Iowa, lived in the middle of a Texan desert, and now abide in the Ozarks.
I like writing fairy tales, tall tales, thrillers, science fiction, and am seriously interested in transmedia storytelling.

I’m a creative editor for Stonehouse Ink. I’m a producer of interactive books at Noble Beast.

Come say hi! I don’t bite. Unless I’ve been turned into a zombie.

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Disclaimer: I received this book from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. 

While I was quite confused in the beginning of The Silver Sickle, I am so glad that I stuck with the book because of it's unique Sci-Fi feel, multiple points of view, and all the unique beings present in the novel. 

Sci-Fi Feel: when people ask me what my favorite genre to read is, I usually respond Science Fiction - because I know it's an umbrella term for Post-Apocalyptic stories and Dystopian novels. Yet, now when I think ant it, there are so few genuine Science Fiction novels I have read. The Silver Sickle is one of them, and it makes me want to read more like it. The best part about it, is that there was a unique premise and plot. I cannot tell you how many times I have come across a novel -that I will label as "Sci-fi"- and then wanted to slap the characters silly because of their cliche lines and actions, as well as the plot because it was like "Been there. Done that" *Hair Flip* The Silver Sickle was so refreshing because I haven't ever read anything like it. Sure, there have been aliens and a protagonist wanting to get away from them, but I simply adored the way Ellie Ann put her own spin into it. 

Multiple Points of View: I had so many issues with this in the beginning. Usually I enjoy them because of the inside looks I get into characters heads, but with so many to keep track of.... it can definitely get confusing. I tend to feel like my connections with them aren't very strong, and I don't get to see them progress and grow. I felt all of these emotions until about 25% because, by then, I had gone through several "cycles" so to speak of each character narrating the story. And when I finished The Silver Sickle, I loved the way it was told, and couldn't have imagined it any other way. 

Unique Beings: This is an aspect that only comes into play with those science fiction novels I was talking ant. The weird, wonderful, crazy, and insane are all in this book. The Cogsmen were so unique - beings that's brains were made from synthetic DNA. They're supposed to be emotionless machines, which kind of reminds me of the movie iRobot. But then they go all A-Wall and start rebelling, and acting totally unlike hat their purpose was for. The aliens were also an interesting aspect of the novel, being around 7 feet tall, with long appendages, antennae, and more. On that note, did I mention the insanely cool sickles that enhanced the battle sequences?

I'm not going to go into detail about the other elements I enjoyed, but I would like potential readers to know that the Silver Sickle is unlike anything else I have ever read with spectacular worldbuilding, with an odd steampunk feel thrown into the mix, and the best part of all was the ending. Without spoiling anything, I wid like to point out how refreshing it was. For once, it didn't feel like there needed to be a sequel. I was of course, like to dive further into this rich world Ellie Ann had created (maybe with a spinoff novel) but everything was wrapped into a lovely package. 

{Blog Tour+Giveaway+Review} Caught in the Crossfire: Juliann Rich

Rating: 7/10
Series: None
Genre: LGBTQ+, Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary Romance,
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Publication Date: June 16, 2014
Page Count: 192
Source: Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours
Format: eBook

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N

Synopsis: Two boys at Bible camp; one forbidden love.

That is the dilemma sixteen-year-old Jonathan Cooper faces when he goes away to Spirit Lake Bible Camp, an oasis for teen believers situated along Minnesota’s rugged north shore. He is expecting a summer of mosquito bites, bonfires with s’mores, and photography classes with Simon, his favorite counselor, who always helps Jonathan see his life in perfect focus.

What he isn’t expecting is Ian McGuire, a new camper who openly argues against phrases like pray the gay away. Ian is certain of many things, including what could happen between them if only Jonathan could surrender to his feelings. Jonathan, however, tosses in a storm of indecision between his belief in God and his inability to stay away from Ian. When a real storm hits and Ian is lost in it, Jonathan is forced to make a public decision that changes his life.
About the Author: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Blog
Minnesota writer Juliann Rich spent her childhood in search of the perfect climbing tree. The taller the better! A branch thirty feet off the ground was a good perch for a young girl to find herself. Seeking truth in nature and finding a unique point of view remain crucial elements in her life as well as her writing.

Juliann is a PFLAG mom who can be found walking Pride parades with her son. CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE is her debut novel and will be available on June 16th, 2014. The sequel, SEARCHING FOR GRACE, hits the shelves September 2014. Juliann lives with her husband and their two dogs, Mr. Sherlock Holmes and Ms. Bella Moriarty, in the beautiful Minnesota River Valley.

Juliann recently won the 2014 Emerging Writer Award at The Saints & Sinners Literary Festival in New Orleans.


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Disclaimer: I received this book from Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

My Initial Thoughts: I originally signed up for this blog tour because I saw the "LGBT Fiction" label on the genre section. At that time (and this time as well), I had eagerly signed up for any blog tours with that LGBT label because it was a newer genre of fiction I hadn't been interested in before. Now, after finishing this novel, I realize that it is not fair to stick just that LGBT Fiction label on Caught in the Crossfire because it is so much more than just that.

One of the most relatable aspects of the novel was the "Summer Camp" one because let's face it - I am a teenager that loves to go to summer camp and have had the odd fantasy of everybody singing when at summer camp since Camp Rock premiered on Disney Channel. However, one of the aspects of Caught in the Crossfire that I was most apprehensive about was the "Bible Camp" one. I don't want to be offensive, but in my personal experience, some religions can be a little too pushy and having a summer camp connected with a religion would just be another chance to infuse the youth of that camp with more information about whatever higher power that religion believed in. Anyway, all I knew then was - If this novel was written well, it would be one heck of a story.

What I would like to report back to you is that I am extremely glad that I read this novel, and those aspects that had enticed me into reading it and the aspect that made me apprehensive only increased my enjoyment. Caught in the Crossfire is really short, less than 200 pages, but the story that you get out of what can be considered such a short novel, is rich, stimulating, and at times even thought-provoking. 

I do not mean to be prejudice, or whatever label you can stick on a person that judges a religion is, but I do know that the stereotype for a uber Christian faith is the fact that they are openly against homosexual people because God intended for it to be "Adam and Eve" not "Adam and Steve." As it happens with most stories of forbidden love - one of the people in that relationship is extremely outspoken and in Caught in the Crossfire's case, that outspoken person is Ian. As usual, the person -Jonathan- on the other end of that relationship has been taught a certain thing their whole life and then that person goes through some realization that it is okay to be different. 

In order to realize that it is okay to be different, Jonathan has to make a lot of mistakes in order to learn. One of his mistakes is his reluctance to give into emotions (and just go with the flow) pertaining to Ian. After one of these mistakes Jonathan makes, he starts thinking, and even talks to one of his good friends who is outside of camp (a long story) about what God wants and what exactly it means to be a "Good Christian." Are gay people bad? But how could they be bad if God lovingly created them? All of those usual questions and more are mulled over by him. This is where the whole "Bible Camp" aspect really comes into play, and there are scenes where being gay is openly discussed and those are what really provide the ideas to be mulled over.

I will admit something - I loved Caught in the Crossfire. Yet, in the end, I did not love it because of that "LGBT Fiction" label. I loved it because of the culmination of all the elements that are present in a good story. A gay person does not love another gay person because that other person is gay. He/She loves that other person because of their personality, their intellect, their humor and everything else that made them.... them. Just like how I loved this novel because of the genre, the characters, the chain of events, the writing style and more.