Thursday 30 April 2015

Blog Tour: Character Bio + #Giveaway: Buddy Carruthers, Wide Receiver by Jean C. Joachim

 
 


Buddy Carruthers, Wide Receiver
First & Ten #2
By- Jean C. Joachim
Genre- Sports Romance

Known for his record-breaking stats and womanizing ways, wide receiver, Buddy Carruthers, would give it all up for one chance to win the only woman he ever wanted, Emmy Meacham. Hard-won games, and traveling half the season kept Buddy from pursuing his secret passion. Even if he managed to corner her for a moment, would she still care? 

Now a rock star known as Emerald, Emmy lived her life on the road with no time for love. In her dreams, she longed to turn back the clock and spend another night with Buddy. But lies and deceit had kept them apart for five years. Would a chance meeting wash away those years or cause old wounds to resurface? Could two lives traveling in opposite directions make room for love or would they continue to spin, out of sync, and always alone?

   


Book Blitz: Author Interview, #Giveaway + More: Nearly Almost Somebody by Caroline Batten






Nearly Almost Somebody 
by Caroline Batten

Publication date: March 26th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
 



She’s nearly perfect – He’s almost the one

When Patrick’s caught in flagrante with a local beauty queen, his father delivers an ultimatum: one more newspaper scandal and Patrick will be out on his ear. Desperate not to lose his job at the family veterinary practice,
Patrick needs to avoid trouble – and girls like Libby.

The Broken Ballerina’s a headline waiting to happen, but mourning her short-lived career as a dancer, Libby casts a Wiccan spell to summon a new love: Good-looking, honest, non-brown eyes, English, good with animals… in a nutshell, she summons Patrick.

But fighting Libby’s love spell will be the least of Patrick’s problems when an old lady dies from a ketamine overdose – ketamine stole from his surgery.

Witchcraft, Scandal, Murder...

Will anyone find their perfect Somebody?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25231571-nearly-almost-somebody?ac=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00V99HAKY/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_ca-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=330641
 

 
 

Nearly Almost Somebody: Track List

© Caroline Batten 2015


1.       Take Me to Church – Hozier


 

2.       Chandelier – Sia


 

3.       Whispers In the Dark – Mumford & Sons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNaM-N1NdGo

 

4.       Dog Days Are Over – Florence & the Machine


 

5.       Lover’s Eyes - Mumford & Sons

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWNq89joPrI  

 

6.       You And I – Lady Gaga
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9YMU0WeBwU

 

7.       Say Something – A Great Big World / Christina Aguilera


 

8.       Read All About It – Emeli Sandé


 

9.       I Will Wait – Mumford & Sons


 

10.    Budapest – George Ezra


 





14 Things I’ve discovered on the road to becoming a self-published author

© Caroline Batten 2015

 

I’ve been writing since I first read a Sweet Valley High book and thought I could do better myself. Of course I couldn’t at the time, I was nine but over the years the years, I’ve also learned a few things.

Please note, these are my experiences and may not be typical – in fact, they may be as far from typical as appears feasible whilst still sitting somewhere within the realm of possible...

1.       If you look at self-publishing as a hobby, it’s cheaper than horse-riding, diamond mining or going to the movies once a month.

2.       A brilliant book does not mean you’ll bag an agent/six-figure publishing deal. A brilliant book, kick-ass cover, slick editing, and selling a hundred thousand Kindle editions might.

3.       Submitting to agents is a form of self-flagellation. Horsehair shirts cost less and are emotionally less devastating. (Plus you can write about the experience later, publish that book on Kindle, give it BDSM tags and sell more copies than you would the dystopian YA thriller you were originally touting to agents.)

4.       Having a blog is great - random strangers DO read your witterings. Some of them even buy your book.

5.       Signing up for authonomy.com does not guarantee you’ll be noticed by an agent the next day. It’s a website where you can learn key marketing skills such as, I’ll read your book if you read mine. Promise this one million times and you might hit the Editors Desk - this never leads to publication. Ever.

6.       Signing up for animoto.com does mean you can make your very own book trailer.

7.       Getting your first book professionally edited is a really good idea even if you’re not looking to self-publish. An editor will focus your style on the market/genre you’re really writing for, point out where your writing skills need work and you could end up with a manuscript an agent does want to read.

8.       Grammar and punctuation are not dark arts – they’re a skill every author can and ought to learn;

9.       Signing up for youwriteon.com does not guarantee you’ll be noticed by an agent the next day. It’s a website where you’ll receive reviews such as , ‘I hate chick lit and this shoe-based romance...’ and ‘I normally prefer steampunk erotica so this western romance...’

10.    Some people do make it big - with very little effort it can seem.

11.    Some people plug away for years and make pocket money.

12.    That book you finished - it isn’t finished. Typing ‘The End’ simply means the editing can start.

13.    Right now, on Amazon you can buy a book called Mail Order Tiger Bride Wars – it does what it says on the tin. That BBW shape-shifter piece of romance is currently ranked higher than #FORFEIT. Yet that doesn’t sting nearly as much an agent rejection letter because....

14.    Three million reads on wattpad.com say people really like my books.

 

And that’ll do, pig.  





 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 
Caroline lives in the Lake District with her husband, small child and two Kune Kune pigs.

She daydreams of one day owning a pair of Louboutin's and having somewhere fabulous to wear them. Until then, she'll be found plodding up a mountain in her trusty hiking boots.

#forfeit is Caroline's debut novel. Her follow up, Nearly Almost Somebody is also available from Amazon.

Author Links:
https://twitter.com/daisy_fitz



Caroline Batten - The Interview

 

Caroline is the author of #Forfeit and Nearly Almost Somebody, contemporary romances she likes to call “Chick Lit with Edge” – forget shoe-shopping and cupcakes, expect binge drinking, eating disorders and Class A drug-taking.

 

#Forfeit is the sordid tale of five friends who play a game of increasingly dangerous dares. Nearly Almost Somebody is filled with Wiccan love spells, murder and local scandal. Where do you get your inspiration from?

Anywhere I can. Music, films, the Antiques Roadshow.

 

Really?

Totes. It’s where I saw the antique forfeit ball that Daisy rolls in the book.

 

Tell us your usual writing routine.

I work full-time, we have a 6 year-old daughter and we’re renovating an old farmhouse - writing routine, you say? Lol. There isn’t one. When I’m in the zone, I’ll write whenever and wherever I can, but when I’m not... life does get in the way.   

 

Life? How much time do you spend procrastinating on Facebook?

Yeah. That.

 

Do you have a favourite snack when you are in your writing zone?

Does Prosecco with a sliced strawberry in count as a snack?

 

What was the first book you remember reading and enjoying?

Without a doubt, Jill’s Gymkhana by Ruby Ferguson.

 

Did you have a favourite literary hero/heroine as a child?

That would be the Jill with the gymkhana. The girl was a superstar. Practical, witty, sharp, utterly dismissive of all things soppy - including her own mother’s nauseating Enid Blyton style books. She dreamed of becoming the first female MFH and so introduced me at the tender age of nine to equality and sex discrimination. And she beats the rich girl in the gymkhana. Hurrah.  

 

What's the wine in that glass?

Er... Prosecco. Obvs. 

 

Have you ever given up on a manuscript because it just wasn't working?

No. A few times people told me to put Forfeit in a drawer and move on, but I couldn’t. I loved Daisy and Xander too much to give up on them and the story.

 

Do your sex scenes make you horny?

*Blushes* A wise friend once told me to write books that I wanted to read because chances are someone else would want to read them too. Another wise friend, Kitty French told me to write sex scenes as though no one would ever read them. Put the two together...

 

Zoe’s a bit of a loose-moralled minx–

She’s great, right? I loved writing her scenes.

 

Will we see more of her in your next book?

You’re not the first person to ask that.

 

And?

No. Sorry.

 

What can your readers look forward to?

Afterglow should be out later this year. It’s about backpackers getting up to no good in Bondi Beach.

 

You said, ‘should be.’ Does that mean you’re not in the zone yet?

*Is watching cat videos on Facebook* Sorry, what?

 

You went to a Book Signing earlier this year. Are you planning any more?

Yes. Dublin and Birmingham this July, then Aberdeen in August. Oh, and Dublin again in 2016.

 

Is there any of that Prosecco left?

Yes. But I’m not sharing. :p

 

Any advice for aspiring authors?

Drink less.



Blitz-wide giveaway (US/CAN)
  • A signed paperback of Nearly Almost Somebody + swag



a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
 
 
http://www.xpressobooktours.com/

Release Day Launch: Excerpt + #Giveaway: Savor by Alyssa Rose Ivy #TheEmpireChronicles

Savor RDL Banner  

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Release Day Launch for Alyssa Rose Ivy's SAVOR!

 

SAVOR is a New Adult Paranormal Romance and the fourth book in The Empire Chronicles Series. Grab your copy today!

 
  Savor - Cover

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** GooglePlay ** Kobo

   
Jared is Vera's perfect man—until he opens his mouth. An incredible body and set of wings can only go so far when everything he says seems designed to make her mad. Still, she can't deny her intense attraction or the fact that he is the closest thing she has to a friend.
 
Jared doesn't go for bear shifters, especially ones that are related to his ex, but he can't resist Vera's charm or the way she understands him better than anyone else.
 
As suspicions build and loyalties are tested, Vera and Jared realize that they may not be able to trust anyone but each other. 
 
 
EXCERPT
 
 
“I’m glad you don’t want me dead.” He smirked. Even his smirk was sexy.
“I’d be on my own if you were.” I put my hands behind my head.
“And you don’t like being alone?” He studied me in the darkness. Sometimes I wished neither of us had night vision. It left you so naked, never having an opportunity to hide.
“I do most of the time.”
“But not always?” His eyes raked over my body. The fact that he could make such a platonic conversation feel sexual gave me even more reason to resist him.
“Why does it matter?” Often the best way to avoid a question is to ask your own.
“It matters because I asked it.” And there went his mouth again.
My annoyance gave me back my will power. “Put a shirt on.”
“Why?” He grinned. “Am I distracting you?”
“No, but we should go. The sun will be up soon enough.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t go with you.” He sat up, swinging his legs off the side of the bed.
“No way.” I moved to standing. “You’re not backing out.”
“Why do you care?” He stood with his back to me. “You can do this alone.”
“Of course I can.”
He turned to me. “Then why does it matter if I go my own way?” He pulled on his t-shirt, and a little part of me missed the view.
“Because we agreed to help each other out. I stick to my promises.” That was one of my good traits. The not so good traits weren’t worth reflecting on.
“Maybe I don’t.”
“You do.” I put a hand on my hip. I didn’t have time for Jared’s games.
“How do you know?”
“I just do.”
“You’re infuriating.”
I groaned. “And what are you?”
“Charming.”
If I’d had liquid in my mouth I would have spit it out. “Not exactly the word I’d use to describe you.”
“Says the girl begging me to stay with her.”
“I never begged.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Would you beg?” His grin was his undoing.
“Is that how you like it, Jared? With your women begging?”
“I wasn’t talking about how I like my women.”
“Are you sure about that?” I grabbed my backpack and headed into the cabin’s small bathroom.
“Where are you going?”
I paused with my hand on the door. “To shower.”
 
 
  Savor - Teaser  
 

Soar-Alyssa Rose Ivy

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alyssa Rose Ivy- Author Photo
Alyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.    
 

Twitter ** Author Goodreads ** Pinterest ** Website ** SAVOR Goodreads ** Facebook

 
 
 
 
 
 

Release Day Launch: Fall For Me by JC Emery #JANDM4EVER



 



Melanie Kincaid is a trust-fund baby with a knack for sassy comebacks and unnecessarily complicating her privileged life. So, of course she would have to fall in love with a man she can't have.

Jameson Hayes is a NYC firefighter for Manhattan’s oldest ladder company with big shoes to fill and a city to protect. He’s strong, sexy, and not looking for the complications Melanie brings. But he can't stay away from her either. The attraction between them is immediate and the pull between them is crazy powerful. But she's only home for the summer and long-distance relationships never work.



Unfortunately, Melanie’s beauty and smart mouth are a lethal combination and Jameson isn't the only Hayes who's interested. As if his brother isn't enough to compete with, now the city's most famous arsonist wants to claim her as his next prize. Jameson can't stand to watch Melanie get hurt and she can't seem to keep herself out of trouble.

Fall for Me is the first Ladder Company novel, a stand-alone companion series about New York's most elite firefighting family with hot alpha heroes, snarky heroines, and an arsonist hell-bent on destruction.
















“Mom!” I move through the foyer and into the open great room— a large, open living/kitchen combo— where I leave my suitcase and kick off my flats before I hit the carpet. What the hell is she doing with gas? That stuff is toxic.

“Well?” Mom says, appearing at the edge of the hall on the other side of the kitchen. She has a hand towel around her neck and one of her many yoga-specific exercise outfits on. This one is a light blue and she’s barefoot. Monica Kincaid is dedicated to many things in life— her husband Christian, her daughters (the youngest, especially), and her charity projects— but yoga is the one out of all of it that I don’t understand. It puts her at peace, she says.

“Well?” I ask and drape the dress bag over the island counter top in the kitchen and move around to prop myself up on one of the bar stools. God, that gasoline smell is driving me mad.

“Are we planning a spring wedding yet or what?” Mom says with a grin. Her nose wrinkles, catching the scent of the gasoline, I’m sure. “Janet and I have been taking bets.”

“God, Mom,” I say and place my head in my hands.

“No really,” she says, “Tell me.”

“Nothing happened,” I say. Verbalizing it is even more disappointing than it probably should be. Apparently, Mom and Dad were also in on Jameson and Royal’s surprise trip. It took all of an hour after they landed for Janet Hayes to text me telling me she wishes she could have been there. It was sweet, but then she suggested she needed to leave me alone so I could spend as much time as possible with Jameson. And that we shouldn’t be disturbed. While the level of investment our mothers have in our has-yet-to-happen relationship is borderline creepy, the support is pretty awesome. It’s a rarity to find a woman as kind and loving as Janet Hayes is. Even if she doesn’t really know appropriate boundaries and likes to talk about when her sons were starting puberty… in all the gory details. I know more about Jameson’s solo activities when he was a kid more than I care to.

“You must be joking,” she says and heads to the fridge where she pulls out a single-serve cup of yogurt. “That man flew down to that god-awful place—,”








As a child, JC was fascinated by things that went bump in the night. As they say, some things never change. Now, as an adult, she divides her time between the sexy law men, mythical creatures, and kick-ass heroines that live inside her head and pursuing her bachelor's degree in English. JC is a San Francisco Bay Area native, but has also called both Texas and Louisiana home. These days she rocks her flip flops year round in Northern California and can't imagine a climate more beautiful.

JC writes adult, new adult, and young adult fiction. She dabbles in many different genres including science fiction, horror, chick lit, and murder mysteries, yet she is most enthralled by supernatural stories-- and everything has at least a splash of romance.









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