Novella Review: The Valentine Challenge by Marisa Cleveland (and Giveaway)

The Valentine Challenge Blog Tour by Marisa Cleveland is being hosted by Entangled Publishing.

Tour Schedule: Feb 26 - March 15

February 26 – Reading Between the Wines
February 27 – Arianne Cruz
February 28 – Sparkles and Lightning
March 01 – My Life With Books
March 04 – Ren’s Rambles
March 05 – My Reading Room

March 06 - Books and Needlepoint
March 07 – Janna Shay
March 08 – Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews
March 11 – Waves of Fiction
March 14 – Stuck in Books
March 15 – Ramblings from this Chick

Title: The Valentine Challenge

Author: Marisa Cleveland

Publisher: Entangled Publishing/Flirt

About the novella: Stacey Bradford believes in love, but when her hot boss, Marshall Royce, decides to close her best friend's flower shop - days before Valentine's Day! - Stacey declares war.

Intrigued by Stacey's devotion to her friend, the hearts and flowers holiday, and belief in true love, Marsh issues a challenge - prove love exists or deliver the closing documents to her friend herself.

Stacey never could resist a challenge, but when Marsh makes Valentine's Day the deadline for their deal, Stacey must decide how far she's willing to go for love. 

My Thoughts: Cute story - quick read.  Stacey overhears the HR director plugging her credentials to Marsh for his assistant position.  He is quick to say he isn't interested - but not for the usual reasons.  He doesn't want another young, pretty assistant.  Seems they tend to make a play for him and he refuses to date coworkers.  Stacey is desperate for the job and is intent on proving him wrong.  

In order to help save her friend's business, Stacey has fallen into an unlikely wager with Marsh.  She must prove true love exists and that he will fall in love.  Marsh is challenged by Stacey because she doesn't back down and doesn't fawn all over him like past assistants.  Even though her friend's business isn't as close to the chopping block that Stacey thinks it is, he decides to go along with the bet as well.  

Cute one for around Valentine's Day.  Could easily be expanded into a book, flesh out the characters some more - have Stacey and Marsh have a few more misunderstandings.  I like the combination of humor and desire - makes your pulse race.

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Cover Reveal: Olivia Twisted by Vivi Barnes (w/Giveaway!)

Take a look at the gorgeous cover of Olivia Twisted by Vivi Barnes.  This book will be released Nov 5, 2013.

Olivia

He tilts my chin up so my eyes meet his, his thumb brushing lightly across my lips. I close my eyes. I know Z is trouble. I know that being with him is going to get me into trouble. I don’t care.

At least at this moment, I don’t care.

Tossed from foster home to foster home, Olivia’s seen a lot in her sixteen years. She’s hardened, sure, though mostly just wants to fly under the radar until graduation. But her natural ability with computers catches the eye of Z, a mysterious guy at her new school. Soon, Z has brought Liv into his team of hacker elite—break into a few bank accounts, and voila, he drives a motorcycle. Follow his lead, and Olivia might even be able to escape from her oppressive foster parents. As Olivia and Z grow closer, though, so does the watchful eye of Bill Sykes, Z’s boss. And he’s got bigger plans for Liv…

Z

I can picture Liv’s face: wide-eyed, trusting. Her smooth lips that taste like strawberry Fanta.

   It was just a kiss. That’s all. She’s just like any other girl.

Except that she’s not.

Thanks to Z, Olivia’s about to get twisted.

Purchase Link:

AMAZON

Add it to your shelf at Goodreads

About the author:
Vivi Barnes was raised on a farm in East Texas where her theater-loving mom and cowboy dad gave her a unique perspective on life. Now living in the magic and sunshine of Orlando, Florida, she divides her time writing, working, goofing off with her husband and three kids, and avoiding dirty dishes.


You can find her at:
Four Chicks and a Muse
Twitter
Facebook
 

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Olivia Twisted
Publisher/Publication Date: Entangled Publishing, Nov 5, 2013
ISBN: 9781622660285
352 pages

The Next Forever by Lisa Burstein (Book Review and Interview)

Title: The Next Forever
Author: Lisa Burstein
Publisher: Ever After/Entangled Publishing

About the book: One night in college can change everything…

Away at college, Amy just wants one night alone without her high school sweetheart, Joe. So when he invites her to go to the library, she heads off on her own instead. How she ended up at a house party with the mysterious bad-boy Trevor is another story…

Joe so isn’t going to the library. He needs space from Amy, too, so he’s decided to rush a fraternity, to get back the swagger he had in high school. But it doesn’t take long for the brothers to invite him to the real rush—where the beer is flowing and one particular girl has set her eyes on Joe.

Over the course of one wild night, both Amy and Joe will have to decide if their futures belong with two new people, or whether the next forever will have their first loves in it.

PURCHASE LINKS:

My thoughts: This is a cute little love story about discovering who you are and learning to make the right decisions for your own reasons.  Amy reminded me a lot of the struggles that my own teenage  girls go through.  Making decisions because it is what people expect of you versus making decisions because it is what you want to do.  Amy had gotten into trouble in high school by doing what her friends expected - and then Joe had saved her.  Joe, the boy who had loved her in silence since she was ten, who had lived across the street from her forever, but who had only recently became so much more.  

Amy has a little bit of a destructive streak and is having a hard time figuring out why.  She begins to learn a little more about herself one night while attending a party with Trevor - a bad boy who lives in her dorm.  She has been watching him since college started, but she is usually shadowed by her boyfriend Joe. Trevor knows just which questions to ask to make her second guess herself.  

Joe, knowing how Amy feels about fraternities, tells her he is going to study at the library - but instead attends a frat party - one that he is considering rushing. He soon finds himself with a half-naked girl, who is one of many girls there, whose soul purpose at the party seems to be for hooking up with the frat boys and their guests. 

Their decisions that night will either make or break their relationship - but you will have to read it to find out!

It was a quick read at only 97 pages - but it is one that I am going to recommend to my daughters - to let them know that the way they are feeling is normal and all a part of growing up!

~I received a complimentary ecopy of The Next Forever from Entangled Publishing in exchange for my unbiased review.~

Read an excerpt from The Next Forever.

Please take a moment to learn a little more about Lisa by reading her interview below: 

1. How do you typically write? Do you plot it all out beforehand or do you just let the story pour out?

I have an idea of what the story will be, but I don't outline. I think it makes my work feel more real and organic to the characters. At least that's what I've heard ;)

2. Is there anything that has surprised you about writing, publishing or touring with your books?

I think how people respond to my writing. It is surprising that people find my work so honest and raw because it really isn't something I try to do, or even think about when I'm writing, but that has been really surprising, that readers feel like my work speaks to them in that way.

3. Was there anything (or anyone) while growing up which helped you decide you wanted to be a writer?

All of my teachers were really supportive of my writing. I think maybe because they could see I loved it so much.

4. If you could meet one person who has died, who would that be?

Jim Morrison

5. What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

I am afraid of needles, like so afraid I fainted each time I got my ears pierced and I've had them pierced 3 times.

6. What do you do in your spare time?

HA! I work full time and write, I don't have much spare time. Usually I'm writing, reading or wishing I could be writing or reading.

7. What time of day do you like to write?

In the afternoon, right after work. I think I've taught my brain to be creative during that time.

8. What themes do you love to read or write about?

Definitely the hard stuff. I like to explore human emotion at it's breaking point. For example in The Next Forever the two main characters at a decision point in their relationship. Stay together, or move on with their lives.

Silly questions –
1. If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

To fly

2. Night owl or early bird?

Early bird

3. Favorite season?

Fall

4. Cat or dog?

Both

5. Guilty pleasure tv show?

Dance Moms

6. Sweet or salty snacks?

Sweet, I love candy!

Lisa Burstein

PRETTY AMY May 2012 Entangled Publishing
THE NEXT FOREVER January 2013 Entangled Publishing
DEAR CASSIE March 2013 Entangled Publishing
www.lisaburstein.com

Frosted by Wendy Sparrow (Giveaway, Book Review and Interview)

Title: Frosted
Author: Wendy Sparrow
Publisher: Entangled Publishing

About the Book: After falling through the ice one cold day, Kate is saved by a mysterious man named Jack and ends up marrying him.  Come to find out, she's committed herself to the king of winter himself.  Now Kate has cold feet about their life together...and cold everything else.

Forced to return to the frozen north for her job, Kate hopes to sneak-in and sneak-out of Colorado before Jack knows she's there.  After all, she's been living in sunny Florida for seven years, and he hasn't managed to come see her. But Jack has one last chance of convincing his runaway bride to come back to him, and he won't give up until he breaks through the ice that' frosted her heart.

My thoughts: This was a great quick read and I could definitely see this developing into a longer book or even a series of books.  Kate had been raised by two parents who didn't realize that their loveless marriage was setting in motion a lifestyle for Kate that would almost cost her her heart.  She had grown up seeing two people trapped in a marriage and eventually not even speaking to one another.  They divorced and went on to remarry, but instead of giving Kate the family that she deserved, she ended up feeling even more of an  outsider and unwanted.  When she marries Jack, she thinks it is only to give her an escape, because she doesn't think he will let her out of his winter wonderland unless she has married him.  She leaves, with no intention of returning.  

Jack finally catches up to her though, but Kate doesn't believe that he really loves her - as he has never said as much.  Even though for seven years they have been meeting in her dreams, they cannot speak there, but can only touch - but his touch in her dreams, while not unpleasant, leaves her cold and unsatisfied.  She knows what being trapped in a marriage is like, and doesn't want that feeling for herself.  But is she left cold because Jack?  Or because she isn't ready to admit what she herself feels?

~I received a complimentary Ecopy of this novella from Entangled Publishing in exchange for my unbiased review.~

About the author:  At home in the Pacific Northwest, Wendy Sparrow writes for both an adult and young adult crowd.  She has two wonderfully quirky kids, a supportive husband, and a perpetually messy house because writing is more fun than cleaning.  She enjoys reading with a flashlight under a blanket—the way all the best books should be read—and believes in the Oxford comma, the pursuit of cupcakes, and that every story deserves a happily ever after.  Most days she can be found on Twitter where she’ll talk to anyone who talks back, and occasionally just to herself.

Wendy can be reached at the following:

 

website:  http://wendysparrow.com/

 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Wendy-Sparrow/471652932872034

 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/WendySparrow

 

Blog:  http://ladybugsroar.blogspot.com/

 

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3346109.Wendy_Sparrow

Wendy was gracious enough to stop by and answer some questions for me today!

1. Do you have a favorite place to write or “must haves” while writing?

My office is a corner of the couch and I usually keep either Sour Patch Kids or Oreos around. Also, I run on Mountain Dew. Which all sounds terribly unhealthy, and, okay, it is, but when I’m in a writing rut, I pull out the brain food, salmon, and go for a walk or run.

2. Do you have much say in the title or covers of your books?

I’ve yet to have any of my titles changed, but I’ve been told that my titles are pretty good. Entangled is awesome about covers. Not only are their covers consistently very striking, but they do ask you for input beforehand on what you’d like and dislike. Still, I did feel very lucky when I saw the cover for Frosted and he looked just like I pictured Jack Frost. I wanted to go high-five everyone.

3. What were your favorite books growing up?

I loved fantasy books—especially fairy-tale-style. I loved Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede and Robert Asprin’s MythAdventures. Then, I skipped right into sweet romances and kept up with the happy-ever-afters.

4. Do you have a favorite quote?

“We’re all mad here.” The Cheshire cat, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

5. What do you come up with first when creating your character- the back story, the plot, the characteristics?

The dialogue. Almost always I have the dialogue running through my head like a film playing in the theater of my brain. I build the plot around the dialogue and the descriptions of the characters around their voices.

6. How does your family feel about having a writer in the family? Do they read your books?

I come from a very conservative family so I expected some surprise and shock, but they’ve always been very supportive. Many of them are beta readers for me. My husband and kids have been telling everyone they know my book is out. Additionally, my father has had a nonfiction book published; my mom has had poems published; and my brother is working on a book…so writing is imprinted in my DNA.

7. What time of day do you like to write?

Night. I’m a night owl. Sometimes I write all night and crawl into bed when my husband’s morning alarm is going off. I also have insomnia which leaves more time for writing.

8. What is the most you have written in one day?

Well, most romance novels run about 50K to 100K words. During November, which is National Novel Writing Month, I’ve written 9K in a day. It was crazy.

9. What themes do you love to read or write about?

I love to read and write about happy endings. I don’t read sad or dramatic. I’m a sucker for a rocky road that ends with the couple getting together. I like humor too. I need a few extra laughs now and then.

Silly questions –
1. If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

You tricked me into thinking about this…forever. Everything I thought of had a dark edge. Seeing through walls—can you imagine how many awful, naked visions that would lead to? Being invisible—if your clothing isn’t invisible, you’re running around naked. Super strength—you’d break a lot of things by accident. But the worst—the worst would be reading people’s thoughts. You’d never be able to be friends with anyone if they found out.

Okay. I thought of one. I’d like to be able to eat as much cheesecake as I wanted without gaining weight and without dealing with lactose intolerance. I cringe to think of what my superhero name would be.

2. Do you have any hidden talents?

I paint. I’ve painted portraits and landscapes. On my personal blog, the header is a painting I did of a ladybug roaring at a caterpillar. It was inspired by an experience with my daughter who made a ladybug puppet roar.

3. Favorite season?

Fall. I love haunted houses, picking pumpkins, crunching through leaves, and the vibrant colors of trees all around.

4. Cat or dog?

I have a giant husky/lab named Nanaimo. He’s an eternal puppy and frustratingly adorable.

5. Guilty pleasure tv show?

Do I have to feel guilty? I love Castle. The writing and dialogue are intelligent. The only thing I regularly question is how on earth can anyone run in high heels like that?

6. If you could travel forward or backward in time, where would you go and why?

Forward. Forward. Forward. I shudder to think of losing modern conveniences. My worst nightmare would be to go without modern plumbing.

Thanks for letting me visit your blog and hang out.


Wendy - you are so welcome!  Come back and hang out again sometime!

Wendy is giving away this beautiful Sworovski Crystal necklace in sterling silver! Isn't it gorgeous!  Enter below!


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Review and Top Ten: Melting the Millionaire's Heart (w/giveaway)

Title: Melting the Millionaire's Heart
Author: Linda Morris
Publisher: Ever After (Entangled Publishing)

About the Book:  Special-needs teacher Kayla Johnston writes off any shot at New Year's Eve romance when she's summoned to a fundraising 
event for her school at the remote estate of a wealthy would-be-donor. But when a massive snowstorm hits and Kayla careens off the road, the sexy stranger who rescues her brings to mind cozy fireplaces and steamy midnight kisses…among other things.

Reclusive entrepreneur Ryan Langford may be missing his own fundraiser, but being marooned in a cabin with Kayla beats ducking a room full of people after his money any day. Too bad she's so irritated with the " gazillionaire" who ruined her New Year's Eve that he feels like he has to lie about his identity. But when the sparks fly and they fall into each other's arms, Ryan knows he's made a big mistake. Will she be able to trust him once the snow melts and the truth comes out?

Purchase Links

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

My thoughts:  For some reason I was irritated when I first started reading this book.  I don't know whether it was that Ryan was lying about who he was - or at the very least omitting information, or that Kayla was being so cavalier about a possible one-night stand.  However, I did warm up to the book, or really novella, as it is only 92 pages long.  

Ryan admits who he is the next morning, and as can be expected, Kayla is furious.  She is fearful that she has blown any chance for her school to receive the funds needed and that if her boss finds out she will be in bigger trouble.  

I read this book in one sitting and found it mildly entertaining.  It was predictable, but sometimes you need to read a book like that - especially if the rest of your world is in the midst of turmoil!

I asked Linda if she would share her Top Ten New Year's Resolutions with us:

Thanks for having me at Books and Needlepoint. One of those things is something that I'm not completely hopeless at.  My hat is off to crafters because I was apparently born without that gene. The only crafts I can do well are the ones you eat! So without further ado, here are my Top 10 New Year's Resolutions:

• Lose weight. I'm not sure you can even compile a list of New Year's Resolutions without including this one. It's in there by default. In any case, I really need to, so that's in my top ten.
• Read more. This one is pure pleasure. Between writing, working full time, and being a mom, my time is at a premium, but I always find time to read. This year, I want to do more.
• Find an agent. This has been a long-term career goal, but this year, I hope I can pull it off.
• Write at least one really good book. Hopefully more, but I'll start with one. 
• Find a publisher home for my latest work-in-progress, a romantic contemporary about a workaholic CEO and an aimless woman who is trying to get her act together.
• Buy a new dining room table to replace the one that my eight-year-old son has destroyed by doing a million science experiments, art projects, and board games on. (Kind of a boring resolution, but hey, you asked!)
• Get on a plane. *Winces* I admit, I am deathly afraid of flying. It's been, um, many years since I've flown anywhere. Ironically, I used to be an airline employee, and ever since I left the industry, I haven't flown. But I I'd like to attend some conferences this year, so I'll have to put on my Big Girl Panties and get over it. I may also need to get some Xanax. It's that bad.
• Make more pies.  I love baking, particularly pie-making, and I want to find more time for it. Luckily, my husband is always a willing test subject. The son is pickier but he's learning to love some pie, so there is hope for him yet. Hmmm, this might conflict with resolution #1. 
• Marry Richard Armitrage. Okay, I have zero chance of pulling this one off, since I'm already happily married and I'll never meet Richard Armitrage. So, scratch that one. I'll just go see "The Hobbit" instead. I hear he plays a dwarf king.
• Be nice to myself, and not get too upset if I can't achieve all these resolutions in 2013. After all, there's always 2014, right?

Thanks Linda for sharing with us!  We share a couple of the same resolutions - Lose weight (I am down 6 lbs!); Read more - this is a resolution ALL the time!  lol; Get on a plane - I also have a fear of flying - this didn't seem to start though until after I had children.  I have flown some places with my husband and this year I have to fly to a seminar without him in August - so we will see how that goes. . .

I am being allowed to give away one ecopy of Melting the Millionaire's Heart to one of my readers.  Please fill out the rafflecopter below to enter!

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Book Review and Interview: Kissing Kendall by Jennifer Shirk

Title: Kissing Kendall
Author: Jennifer Shirk
Publisher: Entangled Publishing (Bliss)

About the Book: Kendall Grisbaum is finally taking charge of her life—pouring her heart into opening a new bakery business and even allowing her best friend Georgie to play matchmaker for her. Trouble is, the one guy she secretly wants is Georgie’s older brother, Brad, who is decidedly off limits.

Brad can’t seem to get his little sister’s best friend out of his mind. He and Kendall used to be close friends, too, and as a local policeman, Brad can’t help but play protector, looking out for Kendall. When he offers to help her renovate her new bakery space on the side, their friendship—and their attraction—flares back to life.

Amid the temptation of doughnut muffins and blueberry cobbler, a new temptation draws them both closer. Can they take a chance on love when it means risking their friendship, even when not doing so risks everything?

My thoughts: This was a fun and quick book to read, and was just what I needed to make me sit for awhile this week.  I was attracted to this book first off because of the title.  My maiden name is Kendall and I always thought it would be neat to have a daughter named Kendall (that didn't happen, but my daughter says if she ever has a boy she is going to name HIM Kendall - Oh well, close enough!)  

I really liked Kendall and while I didn't feel sorry for her (she had lost her husband Jake, a fireman, after just a couple of months of marriage), I did feel sympathy for her.  Even though she hadn't really started living again - after two years - she didn't really hit me as the type that would let you feel sorry for her.  She has some great friends in Georgie and Dee - but especially Georgie.  They want what is best for her and never tire in telling her what they think that is.  

On their urging she makes up her mind to go ahead and open up a bakery - something she has always wanted to do.  This also brings Brad, Georgie's brother, a reason to spend more time with her.  Brad and Kendall had been friends until Kendall married Jake.  What Kendall didn't realize was that Brad had more than just "friend" feelings for Kendall.

I loved the chemistry between Brad and Kendall.  I am not sure why it works for some authors when they write scenes that take chemistry, but it definitely worked here!  You could almost see the sparks sizzling off the page (ok - off the Nook, and No, I hadn't spilled something on it!) I got to the first good part when I was sitting in the dentist chair and had to put it away!  I couldn't wait to get home so I could start reading it again.  

If you need a quick, pick-me-up romance - especially with Valentine's around the corner - pick up Kissing Kendall!

~I received a complimentary ebook of Kissing Kendall from Entangled Publishing in exchange for my honest review.~

Purchase links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Jennifer was nice enough to take some time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for me!  Please welcome her to Books and Needlepoint!

 DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE AUTHOR/BOOK OR ONE YOU ALWAYS RECOMMEND?  

 Hands down my all-time favorite author is Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Her humor is THE best. Plus she has a great way of taking unlikeable characters in the beginning then making you root for them by the end of the book. My favorites are HONEY MOON and NOBODY’S BABY BUT MINE.

Check them out!

DO YOU HAVE MUCH SAY IN THE TITLE OR COVERS OF YOUR BOOKS?

Well, it really depends on the publishing house. But I can say that with Entangled Books, they’re really great at listening to your suggestions. They manage to nail exactly what I’ve wanted both times.

 WHAT IS SOMETHING PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW ABOUT YOU?

Hmm…I don’t know if there is much left to me that I haven’t already purged on my blog. But people may not be aware that I am a HUGE Three Stooges fan.

We just watched the new Three Stooges movie with our son and he loved it.  There might be another Three Stooges fan now! 

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?

First off, what spare time? LOL! But most often than not, I’m either reading or trying out a new recipe. I do love to cook!

HOW DOES YOUR FAMILY FEEL ABOUT HAVING A WRITER IN THE FAMILY? DO THEY READ YOUR BOOKS?

 My in-laws tend to be my BIGGEST fans—especially my father-in-law, who is a big Tom Clancy reader and so not a romance fan. Both of them have read everything I’ve written and don’t hesitate to brag to all their friends. I think that’s both hilarious and sweet. J

NIGHT OWL OR EARLY BIRD? Early! Well, fairly early.

FAVORITE SEASON? Summer hands down. I live in a beach resort. Nuff said.

FAVORITE SPORT? I LOVE baseball—especially going to live games. When I first got married, we lived in the Boston area for five years and made it to Fenway Park dozens of times. I’m still a BIG Red Sox fan.

TALK OR TEXT? Texting all the way! (except to my mom and to my in-laws) J

CAT OR DOG? I’m a huge dog person and am looking to adopt one right now. (Just don’t tell my kiddo that yet)

That's so cool!  I am hoping to add a new puppy to our mix in March!

This was so much fun!  Thanks so much for having me!

I hope you all get to check out my sweet romance KISSING KENDALL and also my upcoming Valentine’s novella A LITTLE BIT CUPID released this month, which is guaranteed to be UBER FUN!

About Jennifer Shirk: : Jennifer Shirk has a bachelor degree in pharmacy--which has in NO WAY at all helped her with her writing career. But she likes to point it out, since it shows romantic-at-hearts come in all shapes, sizes, and mind-numbing educations.

She writes sweet (and sometimes even funny) romances for Samhain Publishing, Avalon Books/Montlake Romance and now Entangled Publishing. She won third place in the RWA 2006 NYC's Kathryn Hayes Love and Laughter Contest with her first book, The Role of a Lifetime.

Lately she's been on a serious exercise kick. But don't hold that against her.

Feel free to follow her on Twitter or become a friend on Facebook.

Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferShirk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorjennifershirk
Website: http://www.jennifershirk.com/
Blog: http://www.jennifershirk.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3112488.Jennifer_Shirk

For all my readers - I will be spotlighting A Little Bit Cupid on Valentine's day and reviewing it in February - so come back and check it out!

Kissing Kendall

Publisher/Publication Date: Bliss, December 2012

ISBN: 978-1-62266-813-7

202 pages

Contemporary Romance

Cover Reveal: Hover by Melissa West - with Giveaway!

Hover (The Taking #2)

by Melissa West

Pre-order Buy links:

Amazon

BN.com- No link yet

Chapters

Book Depository

About the author:  Melissa lives in a tiny suburb of Atlanta, GA with her husband and daughter. She pretends to like yoga, actually likes shoes, and could not live without coffee. Her writing heroes include greats like Jane Austen and Madeleine L'Engle. 

She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and an M.S. in Graphic Communication, both from Clemson University. Yeah, her blood runs orange. 

Melissa’s links:

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads




Entangled Publishing will be hosting an exclusive excerpt and official blurb for all participating bloggers closer to HOVER’s release date on August 6, 2013. Watch Melissa’s blog, http://m-b-west.blogspot.com/, for details on how to participate!


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Cover Reveal: The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

The Summer I Became a Nerd

by Leah Rae Miller

On the outside, seventeen-year-old Madelyne Summers looks like your typical blond cheerleader—perky, popular, and dating the star quarterback. But inside, Maddie spends more time agonizing over what will happen in the next issue of her favorite comic book than planning pep rallies with her squad. That she’s a nerd hiding in a popular girl's body isn’t just unknown, it's anti-known. And she needs to keep it that way.

Summer is the only time Maddie lets her real self out to play, but when she slips up and the adorkable guy behind the local comic shop’s counter uncovers her secret, she’s busted. Before she can shake a pom-pom, Maddie’s whisked into Logan’s world of comic conventions, live-action role-playing, and first-person-shooter video games. And she loves it. But the more she denies who she really is, the deeper her lies become…and the more she risks losing Logan forever.

Links:

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14744489-the-summer-i-became-a-nerd

Twitter - https://twitter.com/LeahR_Miller
Website/Blog - http://leahraemillerblog.blogspot.com/

Leah Rae Miller

 Born and raised in northern Louisiana, Leah Rae Miller still lives there on a windy hill with her husband and kids. She loves comic books, lava lamps, fuzzy socks, and Cherry Coke. She spends most of her days reading things she likes and writing things she hopes other people will like.

Entangled Teen/Entangled Publishing will be hosting a Marked-to-Read contest on Goodreads in the weeks leading up to THE SUMMER I BECAME A NERD's release on May 7, 2013. Watch Leah’s site, http://leahraemillerblog.blogspot.com/, for details on how to submit/enter to win. Spread the word!

COVER REVEAL: Naturals by Tiffany Truitt

Naturals

by Tiffany Truitt

 Tess is finally safe from the reach of the Council, now that she is living in the Middlelands with the rebel Isolationists. With James having returned to Templeton, she easily falls back into her friendship with Henry, though her newfound knowledge of Robert’s chosen one status still stings. Even surrounded by people, Tess has never felt more alone. So she’s thrilled when James returns to the settlement, demanding to see Tess — until she finds out that it’s because her sister, Louisa, has been recruited into Tess’s old position at Templeton, and that the dangerously sadistic chosen one George has taken an interest in her.

NATURALS is the second book in The Lost Souls trilogy, and follows the dystopian hit CHOSEN ONES.

Add Naturals to your Goodreads TBR list today as well as Chosen Ones - Book one in The Lost Souls trilogy!

About Tiffany:  Tiffany Truitt was born in Peoria, Illinois. A self-proclaimed Navy brat, Tiffany spent most of her childhood living in Virginia, but don’t call her a Southerner. She also spent a few years living in Cuba. Since her time on the island of  one McDonald's and Banana Rats (don't ask) she has been obsessed with traveling. Tiffany recently added China to her list of travels (hello inspiration for a new book).

Besides traveling, Tiffany has always been an avid reader. The earliest books she remembers reading belong to The Little House on the Prairie Series. First book she read in one day? Little Woman(5th grade). First author she fell in love with? Jane Austen in middle school. Tiffany spent most of her high school and college career as a literary snob. She refused to read anything considered “low brow” or outside the “classics.”

Tiffany began teaching middle school in 2006. Her students introduced her to the wide, wonderful world of Young Adult literature. Today, Tiffany embraces popular Young Adult literature and uses it in her classroom. She currently teaches the following novels: The Outsiders, Speak, Night, Dystopian Literature Circles: The Hunger Games, The Giver, The Uglies, and Matched.

You can connect with Tiffany on her website - TIffany Truitt: Author Wanabe and twitter.

Pre-order Naturals today!

Naturals
Publisher/Publication Date: Entangled Publishing, Expected Apr 2013
ISBN: 9781620611470
352 pages