A LEAGUE OF HER OWN by Karen Rock: Book Tour – Review, Excerpt plus GIVEAWAY

This is my stop during the blog tour for A League of Her Own by Karen Rock. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 1 till 14 December, you can view the complete tour schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours.

A League of Her Own

By Karen Rock

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age category: Adult

Release Date: 1 December, 2014

Blurb:

He was attractive, talented…and way off limits.

Heather Gadway may have been a world-class college pitcher and a top university coach, but she's a rank amateur when it comes to managing the Falcons, her father's struggling minor league team. And when it comes to managing her aggravating attraction to Garrett Wolf, their talented new pitcher. It's going to be difficult enough to make it as the first female manager in the league and prove to her overly critical father she's worthy. No distractions. No missteps. And certainly no romances with players. Everything stands between them—including their troubled pasts—even as Heather's world falls apart and Garrett's the one who's there to catch her…

Excerpt

“Are you ready?” She dropped a bag by the backstop, pulled out a blue visor and adjusted it over her head. When she swept off her glasses and peered up at him, his stomach jittered and his breath hitched. He reined in his slipping control and forced an easy smile.

“Sure. Would you like to pitch first?” He wanted her to say yes. Going last meant he could guarantee his score only topped hers slightly, just enough to make Holly Springs dust in his tire treads and Heather a dream that’d never materialize.

She angled her head so that her long ponytail slid over her tanned shoulders. The smile she gave him was as sweet as freshly squeezed lemonade, minus the sugar. “I’d like to observe you first, if you’d don’t mind.”

“Observe me?” The question leaped out of him in surprise.

She finished a gulp of her sports drink and lowered it, looking him dead in the eye. “So I can finish taking notes on you.”

He nearly swallowed the sunflower shell he’d just popped in his mouth. Her ego must be out of control if she thought he’d lose. He flexed his fingers and nodded curtly. “It’s your prerogative.”

Dean’s red hair appeared in the dugout, and he jogged around the fence, pulling on his catcher’s mask. “Sorry I’m late!” He dropped two bags of balls beside home plate and squatted behind it. “Who’s pitching first?”

“Looks like me.” Garrett sauntered toward the red clay mound, ignoring his jeering teammates.

“Whatever you do, don’t pretend you’re in a game or you’ll definitely lose,” heckled Hopson, whose comment earned a round of chuckles from the team.

“Go get ’em, wild thing,” put in Waitman, who did an impromptu dance Garrett caught out of the corner of his eye. The rest of the crowd joined in, laughing.

“Ignore them, Wolf.” Dean punched his mitt, his nearly colorless eyes squinting against the sun.

Garrett shrugged. “Who? I don’t hear anything but some whining gnats.” This was actually going to be fun. Pitching contests meant no batters. Nothing but mitt. And his throws would strike it every single time.

“Ohhhhhhhhhhh! That hurt,” guffawed another player, and some made boo-hoo sounds.

“Knock it off, Falcons,” snapped Heather, and the rowdy bunch subsided. Even Garrett gaped at her, surprised. Her voice might be low, but it demanded attention.

“Sorry, Skipper,” murmured the new shortstop. A few kissy noises erupted, then stopped when she turned her head and stared hard into the dugout.

“Thank you, Valdez. As for the rest of you, stay and act like the professionals you are, or leave before I ask you to. All right?” She leaned her defined arms on the padded top of the dugout fence, her shapely ankles crossed. But her casual pose didn’t fool him. She was deliberately acting like this to make him believe her victory was a foregone conclusion. It was the oldest trick in the book. She’d need to do a lot better than that if she hoped to best him.

“Ready whenever you are,” she said, her voice flippant, her lips turned up in a ready-for-anything smile.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

My Review

My very first of Karen Rock and I enjoyed reading it. Always love reading about sport romance though I'm not a big fan of sports. For some people, maybe the details about baseball was a bit too much. Since I knew nothing about baseball, I learned a bit about one thing or two and I liked it.

And what I loved even more was Heather, the female character who bravely taking the chance and managed to show to those all those male in the baseball team that she has something, that she's worth it. Though there were parts when I thought she should be this and that towards her father and Garrett, parts where I want to shake her hard, it was pretty understandable. I could imagine that I might be doing the same thing if I were in her shoes. Nevertheless, I really think that she's tough, smart and cool.

Garrett was pretty okay. I liked the way he interacted with kids in the foster care program, and the way he determined to win Heather's trust. Somehow he made me want to hug him for all the tough times he had all those years.

I loved the way Karen Rock wrote the story and the characters. The romance was sweet, well built with all the ups and downs. I learned about forgiveness (something that was easier said than done), about dealing with your and others' past, about fighting for your dreams and to prove others that you can do it. Definitely a sweet, light and heartwarming story because I felt that way by the time I finished reading it. 

Anyway, I wonder if there would be a story about Dean, Garrett's friend. :D

You can find A League of Her Own on

Goodreads.

You can buy A League of Her Own here:

Amazon (Kindle) * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * eHarlequin

About the Author:

Karen Rock is an award-winning YA and adult contemporary romance author. She holds a master’s degree in English and worked as an ELA instructor before becoming a full-time writer. Currently she writes for Harlequin Heartwarming and her first novel for the line, WISH ME TOMORROW, has won the 2014 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the 2014 Golden Quill Contest and a finalist in the Published Maggie Awards. The first novel in her co-authored YA series, CAMP BOYFRIEND, has been a finalist in the Booksellers Best and Golden Leaf awards.

You can find and connect with Karen here:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads * Tumblr * Quarterly Newsletter

There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of A League of Her Own. These are the prizes you can win:

- a 100$ Amazon gift card (INT)

- a set of signed paperback of Wish Me Tomorrow, His Hometown Girl, Someone Like You and A League of Her Own (US only)

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
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Book Blast: Martian Goods & Other Stories + Giveaway

Martian Goods and Other Stories by Noelle Campbell 

On a barren world where air is priceless andsa women are bought and sold, one man longs for love, but is she worth the price? In this collection of short stories by science fiction author Noelle Campbell, Mars is the new frontier where men stake their claims for a new life. But some commodities are harder to come by than others--including women, who are often willing to sacrifice everything to escape an Earth that is no longer free."

Purchase your copy on

Amazon

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Excerpt

Richard “Rock” Klein Captains Log 14.10.2665 Patraeus Station, Outside Luna Docking Bay 24 

They say space is cold. But it’s not *just* cold. No one has ever really felt how cold it is and lived to tell about it. We know instinctively that anything so vast and so empty must be cold. The irony is that all the things we spend time with while in space also make us feel cold and empty. We travel in cold metallic ships from cold empty space to cold empty space. 

Machines have no disability like perception. Filled with Artificial Intelligence and hundreds of processors heating up their hard drives, they are still only metal and plastic. They don’t care if they sit in space or in a shipyard for twenty years. They do not desire warmth and companionship. They just exist. If you have one of those new bioships it might feel a little more like a horse than a cold lifeless THING, but in the end, it’s still a machine. It gives out as much personality and intelligence as an animal and it only lives to fill its purpose. It knows exactly what it should be and do. 

There is no goal for a spaceship to one day become a station. It is what it is and will never be more. We try to fill the spaces with ego or warm it with personality. Those of us who spend so much time in space hardly know what exaggerated bravado is. We believe the lies we tell ourselves. We believe all the fantasies we create about ourselves and the things… and people, we love – or maybe it’s just ‘want.’ 

I’ve given up trying to tell the difference between love and desire. I just want warmth. We leave a planet’s atmosphere to be greeted by a sheet of black with pinpricks of light. There is so much empty blackness between each point of light, that space seems cold even without feeling the temperature drop. We spend much of our time trying to make it feel warm and filled. The ship is cold and empty this morning and I think of her. Samaya. 

Six months ago she warmed these halls. Maybe it was longer, but I remember it like it was yesterday. No one has ever turned me on, out and completely neutroned me like Sam did. We were good. No. That’s a lie. We were slammin’ fantastic. I know how good it can be between a man and a woman. That’s why I hate her and why I can’t get her out of my mind at the same time. I sit at these docs and the ship is so quiet, all I can think of is the noise that Sam used to make, the scents she used to leave, the warmth, the humanity, as flawed as it was. Every time I have to sit and wait for maintenance, I think of her. You might look at the logs from a year ago and come to the same conclusion I did then: She could be a cold-hearted bitch. Still. . .a cold hearted bitch is better company than an empty starship.

        

Author Noelle Campbell

Noelle Campbell has been involved in science media for more than a decade, covering stories for the entertainment sections of syfy (when it was still scifichannel), space.com, and local media in Houston, Texas—the home of the Space Center. As an advocate for the disabled, Noelle thinks the best way to prepare for the future is to imagine what it will be like and loves to imagine a life on Mars, which she does in her first published collection of short stories, Martian Goods & Other Stories.  

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Book Blast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 11/27/14 

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   

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Review: Chained by Night by Larissa Ione

Title: Chained by Night 

Series: MoonBound Clan Vampire #2

Author: Larissa Ione

Edition: Paperback, 416 pages

ISBN: 1476700184 (ISBN13: 9781476700182)

(Expected) Publication: September 30th 2014 

Publisher: Pocket Books

(GOODREADS):

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Larissa Ione sets the night on fire with a thrilling new novel of irresistible hungers and immortal enemies in a world as sensual and dark as her Demonica series.

THE FUTURE OF HIS TRIBE

Leader of the vampire clan MoonBound, Hunter will do what he must to save his people from extinction; or worse, a torturous eternity as vampire slaves and subjects of human experimentation. To keep his enemies at bay, he has agreed to mate a rival clan leader's daughter in return for peace between the clans and an ally in the looming war with the humans.

THE LOVER OF HIS SOUL

But survival comes at a price. First, Hunter must break an ancient curse by successfully negotiating three deadly tests. Then he must resist the searing passions of the gorgeous vampire warrior he despises but is bound to mate. Will Hunter stay true to his word? Or will he risk everything for the woman he really loves: the vampire seductress's identical twin sister?

MY OPINION:

Let's see... where do I start? I only know that for all I could remember, this could be the only book, that gave me goosebumps when I received it, ever. I was soooo thrilled.

HUNTER:

As you can read from the synopsis, Hunter is a leader vampire clan who has to mate to his rival clan leader's daughter as part of the deal to save his clans member (read book 1, Bound by Night). It's also part of a plan for vampires to join forces against humans. Hunter despises his rival, and the daughter, Rasha, as well, but the clan safety comes first.

On the day of his mate arrival, vampire-hunter humans strikes and captures Aylin, Rasha's identical twin, who comes along with Rasha as a company. First, Hunter mistakenly her as Rasha, but soon finds out about the truth, and it only makes him longing her for more.

AYLIN (and Rasha)

Rasha and Aylin are total opposite. A bit cliche I guess because you can easily hate the other and feel sympathy to another. While Rasha is tough, hard and seductive (and selfish in my opinion), Aylin is a caring and loving second-born daughter with deformed leg who's being treated badly as if she was the lowest creature and held no meaning in her clan. As a vampire, she has to drink from a male and feed a male also. But there are only unwilling male to give her blood and she never feeds any male in her life because people in her clan believe that she's cursed. While Rasha is bound to mate with Hunter, Aylin is going to be mated with another clan leader, only the worse, maybe the worst. But first, she must accompanies her sister and act as a decoy, just in case if something went wrong.

I loved Hunter, I mean, really, who can resist a tall, dark, tough, caring alpha male lore? But as much as I loved Hunter--I really thought I would fall head over heels on him when I finished reading book one, I loved Aylin even more! I really think she shun over him. She's not perfect, but that made her so perfect. She's tough, caring, with an ability which I thought much better and superior to Hunter's. :D There were many parts of her life, including when it came to telling about the clan leader she's planned to mate to, that made me cringed! No wonder she would rather be dead. There were also parts which involving Hunter, the chemistry between them, and the feeling (and the lust) she had for Hunter, that made me feel like shouting to her, "You go, girl!" or "Come one, you obviously CAN live without him!". Hahahaha... 

Reading this book, I was hooked, sucked, and fell deeper. I felt like riding a roller coaster for there were up and down moments. Yes, of course, there were moments that got me a bit disappointed, despising, and eew-ing, parts when  I thought it's not like I expect. Like I wonder why the author chose that way as a mean for Hunter and Aylin to pass the portal. It felt... weird and... cheap. But only for the first time when they had to enter the other world. I didn't feel that way on the second time when they had to go back to their real world, because it's more...accepted, understandable, considering that Hunter's feeling for Aylin grew more and more. But then I realize I really didn't know what I expect. I only knew I just can't put down the book. After going through half book, things were getting more interesting. The pace, the action, the conflict, the adventure, the chemistry, made me feel like I was watching those Hollywood adventure, colossal, action, fairy tale, paranormal, with romance and erotic sparks, all in one. 

I saw more and more stories behind the story. Another conflicts, problems, relationships were about to reveal, and this is why I couldn't wait to read more about the series. More about Myne, more about Rasha, more about the clan (and other clans as well).  I loved that Riker and Nicole showed up quite often in this book. I loved how that Braddon didn't really scare to Hunter though he's a clan leader. Because this way, I can see how the members of the clan see each other to be equal with respect, something that didn't available inside Aylin's clan.

I still think that I don't give the book enough justice for I'm not sure I can express how I feel about this book. This is one of the moment when I dread my ability in written English. -_-

In a very short, I found it to be adventurous, with lots of actions, steamy, and addictive! I really can't wait to read the next book(s)! And I'm not even a paranormal romance fan! XD

This book is part of a must have series. It's a standalone read, but I really suggest you read the first book, Bound by Night, so that you can get a better picture about what was actually going on in that world, especially conflict between humans and vampires, and between clans. When I read this book, I had to check few things from the first book to freshen up my memory a get a better grasp since there's a year time gap between book 1 and book 2. 

BUY IT FROM:

BOOK DEPOSITORY or AMAZON

Rewind To You - Book Blast + Giveaway

Rewind to You 

One last summer before college on beautiful Tybee Island is supposed to help Sienna forget. But how can she? This is where her family spent every summer before everything changed, before the world as she knew it was ripped away. But the past isn’t easily left behind. Especially when Sienna keeps having episodes that take her back to the night she wants to forget. Even when she meets the mysterious Austin Dobbs, the guy with the intense blue eyes, athlete’s body, and weakness for pralines who scooped her out of trouble when she blacked out on River Street. When she’s with Austin, Sienna feels a whole new world opening up to her. Austin has secrets, and she has history. But caught between the past and the future, Sienna can still choose what happens now…

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo

Author Laura Johnston 

Laura Johnston lives in Utah with her husband and two children. Growing up with five siblings, a few horses, peach trees, beehives and gardens, she developed an active imagination and always loved a good story. She fell in love with the young adult genre both through her experience in high school as well as her job later as a high school teacher. Laura enjoys running, playing tennis, sewing, traveling, writing, and above all, spending time with her husband and kids. REWIND TO YOU is her debut novel.

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Excerpt 

I’m increasingly aware of Austin—his shower-fresh scent, every curve of muscle and the rise and fall of his chest with every breath—as he stands behind me and wraps his arms around mine. “I’ll teach you,” he says, his hot breath against my ear seeping in. Whispering a thrill. His hand cups the back of mine. I watch as he positions my pinkie and ring fingers over the threads and slides my thumb down. “Hold the football with your fingertips.” I glance at his face above my shoulder, his blue eyes, strong jaw and his lips. And suddenly, football is the last thing on my mind.

Blog Tour Schedule

Praise for the Book 

“Johnston’s debut spotlights romance and familial relationships, including themes like grief and self-sacrifice. It’s an ideal story for readers looking for a deep-rooted YA love story with the emotional ups and downs and poignancy of a Nicholas Sparks contemporary. There’s also a touch of wit and a sigh-worthy hero – a definite on your TBR list.” – RT Book Reviews   

“This is contemporary YA fiction at its best! –Kay Lynn Mangum, author of The Secret Journal of Brett Colton   

“Rewind to You will steal your hear away.” –Kelly Nelson, author of The Keeper’s Saga

BookBlast Giveaway 

$75 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 10/5/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an iTunes Gift Code or River Street Sweets Gift Card. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 

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e-ARC Review: The Rat by Elise Gravel

The Rat
by Elise Gravel

Hardcover, 32 pages

Published August 5th 2014 by Tundra Books

(first published August 14th 2013)

ISBN 1770496580 (ISBN13: 9781770496583)

edition language : English

One in a series of humorous books about disgusting creatures, The Rat is a look at the black rat. It covers such topics as the rat's long, agile tail (it's good for balancing and picking noses), long teeth (they can chew through anything, including books) and disgusting taste in food (delicious electrical wires in tomato sauce, anyone?). Although silly and off-the-wall, The Rat contains real information that will tie in with curriculum.

(taken from GOODREADS)

What I Think

I loved this book. A LOT!

Let's start with the cover. It has a simple, wonderful illustration and first time I saw it, I was caught. Like, I really really had to get it. And knowing it's promoting real information in humorous way, I requested it right away. And I'm not disappointed. At all.

Presented with cute font (one that looks like children hand-writing, I love those kind of fonts!), every page gave a short factual information about rat. There's also one or two BIG word that worked like a theme/title for the page. Although the illustration had said it itself very clear. It also had a little humor, told by the rat, in every page which I think it's cute because I felt like the rat is either helping or encountering the narrator with their own view/opinion.

I don't like rats in real life. I hate it because, yeah, they're disgusting. But I must say I really love these rat characters in this book. 

I'm sure my nieces and nephews will find this book entertaining. Some information in this book helped me to gain more understanding about rat. Especially about how they manage to skip the trap we set most of time. Or how they manage to get into the house, the kitchen, the cupboard and so on. Of course, an adult is expected to read along with young readers to explain more about this and that. 

As an adult who loves cute books with wonderful designs and illustrations, it's definitely a must have. I can't wait to read the other books in the series and collect them all.

BUY THIS FROM

AMAZON  or 

BOOK DEPOSITORY

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

e-ARC Review : F Is for Feelings by Goldie Millar, Lisa Berger, Hazel Mitchell

F Is for Feelings

by Goldie Millar, Lisa Berger, Hazel Mitchell

Paperback, 40 pages

Free Spirit Publishing

Young children often need help learning and practicing their “feelings words” so they can express themselves well. When children learn from an early age to share their feelings in clear and healthy ways, they are more likely to grow into adults who feel capable of handling life’s challenges. Friendly and positive, this picture book uses an alphabet-book format to share and reinforce emotional language and the ideas that while some feelings are more comfortable than others, all emotions are natural and important. Charming, colorful illustrations accompany the sweet and simple text. A section in the back provides tips and activities for parents and caregivers to reinforce the themes and lessons of the book.

What I think:

I liked this book. A lot. 

At first glance of the cover, well, I didn't really care at all and almost skipped it. But then I think, hey, I could learn something from this, and teach or share something to my nieces and nephews. 

And I'm so glad I decided to read the book.

I didn't think that feelings can be listed in alphabet. I learned psychology and I should've known that there are lots of emotions. But since there are some basic, so sometimes I just paid attention on that. My bad!

Anyway, so I started reading the book, stopped in every alphabet and emotion, trying to understand and to translate it in bahasa. I also imagined it what to explain to my nieces and nephews once I get the chance to read this book with them. Although it might need some effort, the illustration and the example in every alphabet and emotion was very helpful. It helps the reader to differentiate between one emotion to the other.

Yes, this book is great for children. But for a grown up who would deal with kids, this book gives the activity guide for adults so that they can increasing the value of the book for the young readers. For example: how to explore, share and discuss the content of the book, the feeling. We can start from any emotion that interest us most.

There are lots of people out there (kids and adults) who have difficulties in expressing their emotions. Sometimes they put the wrong label for what they actually feel because they don't really understand the feeling and themselves. I do, too, sometimes. So this book would be a great start to understand about feeling better.

I really really think this is a great book and I can't wait to read and share it with my nieces and nephews.

I received the e-ARC via Net Galley. Thank you so much!

Book Review: Hello, Bali by Giselle Shardlow

About the Book

Title: Hello Bali  |  Author: Giselle Shardlow  |  Illustrator:  Emily Gedkyz  |   Publication Date: April 23, 2014  |   Publisher: Kids Yoga Stories  |  Number of pages: 52   |   Recommended age: 2.5 to 6 years

Summary: Energize your body and mind with this yoga island adventure book for young children!

Say good day to the magical island of Bali! Join Anamika, one of the Yoga Kids, as she travels with her family to Bali, Indonesia. Surf like a surfer, dance like a Balinese dancer, and sit like a monkey.

The book includes a list of Kids Yoga Poses, Map of Bali, Basic Indonesian Phrases, and a Parent-Teacher Guide with tips on creating a successful yoga experience. This yoga book for toddlers and preschoolers (ages 2 to 5) is more than a storybook, but it’s also a unique experience for children.

My Opinion:

As an Indonesian who has never been to Bali, a beginner in yoga thing, and an illustrated-children-book lover, I found this book was totally fun and helpful.

The poses were simple and easy to follow, and by giving the illustration and information about the pose, which was based on things Anamika found while she's on the adventure, I can help myself to imagine the actual pose. Those simple poses were helpful and applicable, especially for me who often sit in front of computer all day (and night, too).

When my niece and nephew came over, we read it, practiced the poses together and had fun with it. They laughed when they have to pose just like the mountain, swimmers, animals, etc. So I guess even for older children (they're 9 and 7 years old), this book can give so much fun, too. The English was pretty simple that my niece, who's already learn a bit of English, understood it pretty well. Even my nephew grasped the idea based on the informative and easy to understand illustration, though its style was not pretty special for me.
Also, by following the adventure of Anamika in every page, I can also explain them a little to my niece and nephew about Bali, and what you can find there, so that next time they (we) get a chance to go there, we know what it's going to be like.

I enjoyed the information about basic language in the back of the book. And the Parent-Teacher Guide part, I loved it! It helps me to remember what I should do to help young readers like my niece and nephew to gain more info based on what they're reading. It also help me trigger them with more knowledge.

I have to clarify a bit though, about the English-Indonesian translation in the back of the book. In a digital copy I received (maybe some of you got the same copy), "Welcome" is translated as "Selamat Dating"
The correct one would be: "Welcome" = "Selamat Datang".
I guess you can blame the mistake on the auto-correct mode. :D

For me, it'd be great if there's a simple introduction for kids about what is yoga before the adventure starts. Also, an information about how long you should do the pose? Probably count to 5, or 8, or 10?
Overall, I enjoy this book and got curious about the other series from the author.

***I was given a digital copy for an honest review.

About the Author

Giselle Shardlow draws from her experiences as a teacher, traveler, mother, and yogi to write her yoga-inspired children’s books. This story was inspired by her unforgettable travels to Bali and her desire to share these experiences with her daughter. She lives in Boston with her husband and daughter.

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About the Illustrator

Emily Gedzyk is a world traveler who draws her artistic inspiration from the places she’s visited and the people in her life. She hopes to continue her journeys to new, exciting places and to teach everyone she meets that it’s never too early or too late to go out into the world on their own adventures. Her work can be found in our kids yoga books, Sophia’s Jungle Adventure, Luke’s Beach Day, and The ABC’s of Australian Animals.

$25 Giveaway to celebrate the Brand new covers for Lancaster House and The Middle Aisle

COVER REVEAL!

Brand new covers for Lancaster House and The Middle Aisle!

~A paranormal romance series by Taylor Dean~

I love my OLD covers. (Pictured on the left.) I really do. They're different from the norm and that's why they captured my attention.

For Lancaster House, I liked the idea of a hand reaching out from the grave. It seemed appropriate to the story; Andre reaches out to Zoe from beyond the grave. It was Carrie-like and kind of creepy.
There's just one problem.

This is not a horror novel. Not at all. This is a paranormal romance. People who like horror are drawn to the cover and are sadly disappointed when they realize it's a romance.

People who love paranormal romance are turned off by the cover because it looks too creepy.
In other words, the cover just wasn't working.

I love The Middle Aisle cover because it matched Lancaster House so perfectly. And part of the story takes place in Monterey, California. Monterey is known for its Cypress trees. The tree on the cover of The Middle Aisle reminded me of a Cypress tree and seemed perfect.

But, if the right people aren't reading the first book, no one will ever read the second one no matter what the cover looks like!

Bam! Decision made!

It was time for new covers for Lancaster House and The Middle Aisle! I love the new covers because they speak so perfectly as to what's on the inside.

Without further ado, here they are, the new covers!

Add

Lancaster House

to

GOODREADS

Buy
Lancaster House
on
Amazon

 

 

Add

The Middle Aisle

to

GOODREADS

Buy
The Middle Aisle
on

Amazon

 

Author Taylor Dean

Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of clean romance in her line-up.

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Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 6/8/14

Open Internationally

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A Thousand Perfect Things by Kay Kenyon - Blog Tour

A Thousand Perfect Things

In this epic new work, the award-winning Kenyon, whose work has be compared to Larry Nivens and Stephen R. Donaldson, creates an alternate Earth in the 19th century. This Earth is ruled by two warring factions—scientific Anglica (England) and magical Bharata (India). Tori Harding, a Victorian woman, whose heart aches to claim the legendary powers of the golden lotus, must leave her reasoned world behind and journey to Bharata. In pursuit of the golden lotus, Tori will be forced to brave its magics, intrigues, deadly secrets and haunted places, to claim her destiny and choose between two lovers in two irreconcilable realms. As a great native insurrection sweeps the continent of Bharata—Tori will find the thing she most desires, beautifully flawed and more wonderfully strange than she could have ever dreamed.   

Praise for A Thousand Perfect Things 

"This has become my favorite of all Kay Kenyon's books. The science-driven men of Anglica have constructed a marvel of engineering-a bridge that crosses the ocean-but they don't understand the mystical forces they're facing in the dangerously seductive country of Bharata. As usual, Kenyon offers flawless world-building and a diverse cast of characters driven by conflicting and wholly believable desires. This is a rich, gorgeous, and marvelously detailed tapestry of a book." -- Sharon Shinn, Author of Troubled Waters and Royal Airs 

"Kay Kenyon has once again created a world into which one blissfully disappears, replete with magic and monsters, romance and reigning dynasties, set upon the fragile social scaffolding of mid-nineteenth century England. The story is, literally and figuratively, a bridge between the mystical and the very real, with a young heroine who a delivers a deliciously vicarious ride. Brilliantly told with elegant yet occasionally jarring prose, A Thousand Perfect Things is a masterwork from the mind of one of our best authors of compelling alternate realities." -- Larry Brooks, Author of Story Engineering

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Excerpt from A Thousand Perfect Things 

Tori's stomach clenched as she now saw before her a woman in a green sari facing away. Streaming out from the woman's head, her long hair was writhing in an impossible way, as though alive. The sight both sickened and fascinated her. The woman walked slowly away in a disconcerting gliding motion. Afraid yet intrigued, Tori followed the woman to the garden wall. 

"Come, beti," the woman whispered, though the whisper was in Tori's ear, not fifteen yards away. Tori approached. The woman's long hair was shot with gray, her face deeply lined. They stood regarding one another. Slowly, and to Tori's relief, the long hair came to rest around the woman's shoulders. It seemed to Tori that the frantic hair warned of discontent, and must put Tori on warning that the apparition could do violence. Suddenly, alarming noises issued from behind the zenana wall--squealing almost at the limits of hearing. Filaments of the woman's hair rose again. Tori backed up. "They cannot hurt you, or even see you, beti." The voice was a breath in Tori's ear, but the woman's lips were not moving. 

"Why are you trying to scare me?" she managed to say, her voice gone pinched and high. The squealing behind the door grew louder. At that, the woman slammed a fist against the wooden door, all but shattering Tori's resolve to stay. The noise stopped. 

"They do not wish for me to be long gone." Bits of dust fell off the door. Tori looked down to find that the woman's feet were not actually touching the ground. Merciful God. Tori could not move, nor swallow, nor keep from staring. The whisper again: 

"Jai will be showing you where to go. You should be trusting only him, beti." The squealing resumed, louder now. The woman placed her hand on the latch of the door, and as she did so, her hair swept in that direction. Tori did not want to see what was on the other side of that door. She looked desperately behind herself for her companions, but she was alone. As she turned back to locate the woman in green, all that remained of her was a shred of forest-colored sari sliding through a crack in the door. 

  

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Author Kay Kenyon

Kay Kenyon is the author of eleven science fiction and fantasy novels, including A Thousand Perfect Things. She is the author of the critically acclaimed science fiction quartet, The Entire and The Rose. Bright of the Sky was among PW's top 150 books of 2007. The series has twice been shortlisted for the ALA Reading List awards and three times for the Endeavour Award. Four of her novels have been translated into French, Spanish and Czech. Along with her novels Tropic of Creation and Maximum Ice, two of the works in the quartet received starred reviews from PW.

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Blast Giveaway 

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 3/31/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   a Rafflecopter giveaway