Blog tour: Before He was Famous by Becky Wicks+Giveaway

Before He was Famous

by Becky Wicks

Release Date: May 29th, 2014

Blurb:

Falling in love with your best friend isn’t always a great idea, especially when he’s Noah Lockton - the sexiest, most famous new talent on the planet. When 21-year-old small-town photographer Chloe Campbell is offered the chance of a lifetime – to join her celebrity childhood friend Noah on tour as an exclusive blogger for a New York magazine – she’s certain both have put what happened four years ago behind them. But his eyes still burn; his voice is still a jackhammer to her heartstrings; all his songs are about her. Is it possible that that night still haunts them both?

The music industry is a machine, spinning hype and rumors as much as his records. It’s not just Noah’s girlfriends who’ve got it in for Chloe (there’s no stopping the Twitter-obsessed, cat-loving pop-star Courtney Lentini for starters). Pretty soon, the jealousy and media frenzy surrounding these so-called-friends takes a life-changing turn and it seems making love means making enemies at every turn. When tragedy threatens to pull the final curtain on their relationship, both Chloe and Noah must make a choice. As much as this world leaves them starstruck, is living their dream really worth living without each other?

A story of lifelong friendships, love and hope, set in a world of celebrity, fame and social media gone very, very wrong.

I see the scar on his right shoulder from where he fell off Jack's homemade sled one winter and tumbled roly-poly style right into a rock. It's a thin, shiny white line. I resist the urge to touch it. He's undoing me, again, lying here beside me in a literal bed we made ages ago but have since refused to lie in. How does he do this?

'I guess she knows it, even if you don't,' he whispers.

'I do,' I say, and inside I'm screaming. We're not doing this; we're not. This is dangerous. 

But he climbed in next to me and now it's the strongest, aching urge to keep him here, to have him holding me again and to never let me go. The guilt surges through me, along with the fear. 'So, she broke up with you?' I manage.

'I guess so,' he replies, scanning my cuts with his eyes.

'She really liked you, Noah,'

'Yeah, well, maybe I'm just an asshole.'

I realize my hand is still in his hair and I retract it quickly. He grabs it, holds it against him. You're not an asshole I'm thinking, but for some reason I can't say it. It would be like admitting something else; like the fact that he's an asshole to every girl who likes him, but never to me. And then I'd have to really think about why that is and that's not something I'll ever be comfortable with at all, even though his eyes are like maps and his words are like anchors and his songs are like personal messages and I love all that.

  

About the Author 

Becky Wicks is a HarperCollins author going indie! Itchy feet has led her to live and work all over the world since leaving England at age 21, including NYC, Sydney, Bali, South America and Dubai. Right now she’s scribbling the second book in the HotFlush series in Vietnam.

Becky has also written three funny travel books about her time in Dubai, Bali and South America (HarperCollins). Her first book, Burqalicious - The Dubai Diaries, her second book, Balilicious - The Bali Diaries and her third, Latinalicious -The South America Diaries are out now as ebooks.

Becky has also written a comedy romance with author Sarah Alderson under the name Lola Salt, called The Extraordinary Life of Lara Craft (not Croft) which should raise a giggle or two... think Bridget Jones if Jackie Collins had written it!

Follow her on twitter at bex_wicks and her blog www.beckywicks.com

Follow her on these sites
   

3 winners of Ebook versions of Before He Was Famous + Before He Was Gone

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Review: Puddle Jumping by Amber L. Johnson

Puddle Jumping

by Amber L. Johnson

Publisher: Self-pub

Release Date: July 1st 2014
Purchase: Amazon 

Blurb:

When it comes to love there’s no such thing as conventional.

Everyone thinks Colton Neely is special.

Lilly Evans just thinks he’s fascinating.

Once friends when they were younger, their bond is cut short due to her accident prone nature and they go their separate ways. Years later, they meet again and Lilly learns that there is something special about the boy she once knew, but she has no idea what it all means. And she’s not sure if she’s ready to find out.

When he walks through the corridor of her school the first day of her senior year, she knows that it’s time to get to know the real Colton Neely. The more she learns, the deeper she falls.

Their friendship grows into love, even as Colton does not express it in words. But one decision threatens to break down the world that Lilly has tried so hard to integrate into and she must figure out if the relationship can survive if they are apart.

Can I be won over in only a little over a hundred pages? The answer is yes, yes I can, and I just have been. This novella has something I was unaware I needed, and it pleases me to no end to have discovered this little gem among self-published books. Why? Because Puddle Jumping set my heart on fire the moment I read the prologue and it consumed me until the very last page. The rush and the giddy excitement, however, lasted beyond that. Yes, it's mostly a love story. It's also unarguably the best $0.99 I've ever spent.

"I don’t believe there’s such a thing as conventional love. Love is bending. Love is breaking. Love is constantly learning about the other person until you go crazy because it will never be perfect, but there’s no fault in trying."

This is an account of how two people who can't be more opposite found each other and fell in love. It completely centers around them; from their fleeting relationship in childhood to the time their paths crossed again as teenagers. The entirety of the story and the secondary characters are purely built around the lives of our main characters, Lilly and Colton.

There have been a lot of words to describe me over the years: precocious, hard-headed . . . indestructible.

Lilly, our narrator, is exactly those words and more. She's also constantly understanding and accepting. And more importantly, she sees Colton for what he is beneath the label he's known by most people; that he's special in every sense of the word. 

Colton is a fascinating character. He's different but he's far from being just all that. He's also a virtuoso in the arts and I admire that he tries so hard to be an even better person, and to be what he believes is worthy of Lilly's love. These two are beautiful apart, but together? they're all fireworks. Their relationship is straightforward, no one plays mind games and not once did it become suffocating.

Because this is a story with only a hundred and twenty-five pages to set itself up, there's also less chance for development in secondary characters and more room for quibbles. Besides Colton's mom, the other characters surrounding them lack growth and are essentially two-dimensional. That said, it's easily overlooked because again - this is only a hundred pages and it all boils down to how much I enjoyed everything about this. 

Amber Johnson created such a romantic, squeal-inducing and moving story that touches on the importance of compassion and having an open mind. She weaved a tale that veers away from any stereotype and depicts the challenges and tribulations of being with someone special.

I can't recommend this enough for people who enjoy a sweet romance and are in need of a lighthearted yet eye-opening and unforgettable read.

4 and a half feathers. An amazing read!

  

About the Author 

Amber is a full time mom, full time wife, is employed full time, and writes when she can. She believes in Happily Ever Afters that occur every day - despite the obstacles that real life serves up on a regular basis. Or perhaps they're sweeter simply because of them. She always has 2 rubber bands on her wrist, a song in her head, and too much creamer in her coffee cup that reads 'Cocoa' - because she's a rebel. If she's not at her desk, with her boys, or behind the computer, she's supporting live music with her arms raised above her head and eyes closed, waiting for the drop.

Follow her on these sites

    

Blog Tour: Goddess Born by Kari Edgren (with Excerpt and Giveaway)

Excerpt

Nathan leaned closer and I fought the urge to step back. “You are playing a dangerous game, Selah. Deny God’s will, and I shall request an official inquiry into that incident with Oliver Trumble. From what I heard the boy was near dead when you reached him.”

“Don’t be absurd,” I snapped. “He fell out of an apple tree and hit his head on a rock. Being knocked unconscious is a far cry from near dead.”

Nathan narrowed his eyes. “His older sister has a different story. She used the word miracle to describe what you did.”

“You are quite mistaken, Mr. Crowley. I can no more bring back the dead than you can.” I lifted my chin and forced a curt, derisive laugh. “Phoebe Trumble will say anything to get attention. I did nothing other than wait for Oliver to wake up before ministering to his scrapes and bruises.”

Nathan didn’t respond at once, and I thought the conversation over when he grabbed my arm, pulling me to him. “Be my wife, Selah Kilbrid, or I’ll have you charged for a witch.”

I tried to wrestle free, but he held tight. “Find one person who will stand against my father. Go ahead and cry witch. No one will believe you.”

“You foolish girl. Once your father dies, there is no one left to protect you. Even if you don’t hang, the wheat would rot in the fields from want of men willing to work for a suspected witch. Brighmor would be bankrupt within a year, two at most. Do you think your cousin would be so eager to honor your engagement under these altered circumstances?”

The initial shaking had spread far beyond my voice until I trembled from head to toe with suppressed fury. “Is this how you go about doing God’s work? By threatening to slander my name to force me into marriage?” Fight as I might, his grip remained steadfast on my arm. “Let me go!” Stomping down on his shiny black shoe, I dug my heel into the top of his foot. He grunted in pain, and I stumbled back a step, surprised by the sudden freedom.

Savage anger burned in Nathan’s eyes, turning his face an ugly shade of red. “I am prepared to do whatever it takes to have you for my wife. This Sunday we will stand and state our intentions to marry. Refuse and I’ll assume it’s because you’re a witch and unable to marry a man called of God.”

Despite my desire to say something more, like blasting him with every curse I had ever heard, my throat grew too tight for words. Silence pursued and he did not attempt to stop me a third time when I pushed by and started again toward home.

    

Goddess Born by Kari Edgren

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date: May 19th 2014

Blurb:

Pennsylvania, 1730

Selah Kilbrid keeps a dangerous secret: she has the power to heal.

A direct descendent of the Celtic goddess Brigid, it's Selah's sacred duty to help those in need. But as the last of the Goddess Born living in the New World, she learned from an early age to keep her supernatural abilities hidden. The Quaker community of Hopewell has always been welcoming, but there's no doubt they would see her hanged if her gift was revealed.

When a prominent minister threatens to try her with witchcraft unless she becomes his wife, Selah has only one hope--that her betrothed, a distant cousin from Ireland, arrives as planned. Marrying Samuel would keep her secret safe, preserve her sacred bloodline, and protect her from being charged as a witch.

But when news of Samuel's death reaches the Colonies, Selah is truly on her own. Terrified, she faces an impossible choice--forfeit her powers and marry the loathsome Nathan? Or find an imposter to pose as her husband and preserve her birthright?

You can purchase Goddess Born at the following Retailers:

 

  

Author Bio

Kari Edgren did not dream of becoming a writer. Instead, she dreamed of everything else and was often made to stay inside during kindergarten recess to practice her letters. Despite doting parents and a decent school system, Ms. Edgren managed to make it through elementary school having completed only one book cover to cover – The Box Car Children, which she read approximately forty-seven times. Things improved during high school, but not until she read Gabrielle Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude in college, did she truly understand the power of a book.

Ms. Edgren aspires to be a Vulcan, a world-acclaimed opera singer, and two inches taller. She resides in the Pacific NW where she spends a great deal of time torturing her husband and children with strange food and random historical facts. Ms. Edgren hasn’t stopped dreaming, but has finally mastered her letters enough to put the stories on paper.

Follow her on these sites: Website || Carina Press || Goodreads

$100 Amazon or B&N GC

Open to Everyone

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Goddess Born by Kari Edgren Release Day Launch + Giveaway!

Title: Goddess Born
Author: Kari Edgrem
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal

Age Group: New Adult

Blurb: Pennsylvania, 1730

Selah Kilbrid keeps a dangerous secret: she has the power to heal.

A direct descendent of the Celtic goddess Brigid, it's Selah's sacred duty to help those in need. But as the last of the Goddess Born living in the New World, she learned from an early age to keep her supernatural abilities hidden. The Quaker community of Hopewell has always been welcoming, but there's no doubt they would see her hanged if her gift was revealed.

When a prominent minister threatens to try her with witchcraft unless she becomes his wife, Selah has only one hope--that her betrothed, a distant cousin from Ireland, arrives as planned. Marrying Samuel would keep her secret safe, preserve her sacred bloodline, and protect her from being charged as a witch.

But when news of Samuel's death reaches the Colonies, Selah is truly on her own. Terrified, she faces an impossible choice--forfeit her powers and marry the loathsome Nathan? Or find an imposter to pose as her husband and preserve her birthright?

You can purchase Goddess Born at the following Retailers:

 

  

Author Bio

Kari Edgren did not dream of becoming a writer. Instead, she dreamed of everything else and was often made to stay inside during kindergarten recess to practice her letters. Despite doting parents and a decent school system, Ms. Edgren managed to make it through elementary school having completed only one book cover to cover – The Box Car Children, which she read approximately forty-seven times. Things improved during high school, but not until she read Gabrielle Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude in college, did she truly understand the power of a book.

Ms. Edgren aspires to be a Vulcan, a world-acclaimed opera singer, and two inches taller. She resides in the Pacific NW where she spends a great deal of time torturing her husband and children with strange food and random historical facts. Ms. Edgren hasn’t stopped dreaming, but has finally mastered her letters enough to put the stories on paper.

Follow her on these sites: Website || Carina Press || Goodreads

Giveaway

$100 Amazon or B&N GC

Open to Everyone

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: Whatever It Takes by Ashley Simone

Whatever it Takes

by Ashley Simone

Release date: May 2014

What would you do if you got a second chance at life?

Nicky is not having a great year. After her mother’s sudden death, she’s forced to deal with the family finances, move away from the small town she grew up in, and drop out of college. Her bank balance dwindles, her landlord evicts her and she’s just about to become homeless…

Could a twist of fate give you everything you ever dreamed of – or make things so much worse?

When Nicky seems to have won a jackpot, her financial woes appear to be over… until her ex-boyfriend, Aiden Weilz walks into the room and claims that her future is dependent on him.

Is he telling the truth, or is this all a ploy to keep her from moving on with her life? How much worse do things have to get before they get better?

Whisper To Me by Christina Lee

WHISPER TO ME, the third novel in the Between Breaths trilogy by Christina Lee is coming soon! Checkout the excerpt below.

Title: Whisper To Me (Betwwen Breaths#3)
Author: Christina Lee
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Group: New Adult

Blurb: A hot and consuming New Adult romance about a wayward musician and the one girl who keeps him grounded…

At college, Rachel has a reputation for being a sarcastic flirt with a thing for star athletes. No one at school knows that she’d had her heart ripped to shreds by her high school sweetheart, who’d driven them both off the side of the road on a borrowed motorcycle, and then abandoned her. No one knows the real Rachel Mattson—except one person…

Ever since he helped nurse his sister’s feisty best friend back to health, pierced bass player Kai Nakos has been head over heels in love. But the supposed bad boy can’t risk letting Rachel know the truth—especially now that the two of them are back in their hometown for the summer, together for the first time since the months following that fateful night. Never mind that Rachel’s ex is back, groveling for her forgiveness.

Shaken by her ex’s return, Rachel finds herself turning to the one guy she knows she can trust. Kai is willing to hide his feelings for her, just to have Rachel touch him again. After all, this is only a temporary fling. Until it becomes something more. But maybe it had been more all along.

You can purchase WHISPER TO ME at the following Retailers:

Excerpt

  I padded to the kitchen and reached for a glass, unsure if Kai was even awake. As I turned the faucet on low, I heard it—the soft hum of his bass. My heart leapt in my chest. I didn’t know what the hell I was so anxious about. But the anticipation of seeing him, just talking to him alone, had revved my pulse to a feverish tempo.

But maybe he didn’t want any company tonight.

I wandered over to his door, unsure of what I’d say or even if I’d knock. Instead, I stood 

motionless, listening to him play. It was a low and drowsy strum, and I swayed against the wall, my senses dulled. During a longer pause, my knuckles tapped once and then twice against the wood.

I heard the sounds of what could have been his returning his heavy bass to its stand and papers rustling, and then the door slowly creaked open. Kai stood in front of me with his hair hanging loose at his shoulders. He had on those obscenely tight gray skinny jeans from earlier and nothing else.

My gaze followed the line of his neck, across his shoulder, to the muscular biceps propping the door open. I spotted the set of free weights resting beneath the stand of his bass. He’d definitely been working out in the three years since I’d last seen him. He wasn’t overly muscular like some athletes I’d been with, just lean and fit.

My gaze tripped over to his sculpted pecs and landed on his nipples. His pierced nipples—that seemed to harden at my perusal.

Fuck, that was hot. Since when did I think silver hoops dangling from a guy’s nipples were sexy? But on Kai, they worked. Like fruit waiting to be plucked, they hung above the trunk of his sculpted abdomen, while a smattering of fine hairs branched from beneath the button of his pants. 

Hot damn.

“What’s up, Rachel?” He swallowed thickly. “Did I wake you?”

“I . . .” I finally met his eyes. “I couldn’t sleep and I heard you were up.”

“Yeah, me neither.” He moved aside to allow me to pass into the room. “I was trying to be quiet.”

“Actually, most of the time your music lulls me to sleep.”

“Yeah?” he said in a low and gruff voice. “Is that why you’re here—so I can put you to 

sleep?”

“No, you ass.” I grinned. “Well, maybe.” 

When his eyes turned dark, I mumbled, “Just kidding.”

Want more? Read this quote teaser OR buy the book now ;)

  

Author Bio

Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives in the Midwest with her husband and son--her two favorite guys. 

She's addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything. She believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job. 

Author of the Between Breaths series from Penguin/InterMix. ALL OF YOU and BEFORE YOU BREAK available now, WHISPER TO ME on May 20th, 2014. 

Also the creator of Tags-n-Stones (dot com) jewelry.

Follow her on these sites: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Goodreads