Celebrating The Edge of Always by J.A. Redmerski Release with Excerpt & Giveaway!

We have an excerpt and giveaway to celebrate the release of
THE EDGE OF ALWAYS
The highly anticipated release by New York Times Bestselling Author
J.A. Redmerski!

Title: The Edge of Always (The Edge of Never #2)
Author: J.A. Redmerski
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Group: New Adult

Blurb: He was taking the long road. She was taking the road to nowhere. It just so happened that they led to the same place…

When everything falls apart, love remains . . .

THE EDGE OF ALWAYS

Camryn Bennett has never been happier. Five months after meeting on a Greyhound bus, she and her soul mate Andrew Parrish are engaged—and a wedding isn’t the only special event in their future. Nervous but excited, Camryn can’t wait to begin the rest of her life with Andrew – a man she knows in her heart will love her always. They have so much to look forward to—until tragedy blindsides them.

Andrew doesn’t understand how this could happen to them. He’s trying to move on, and thought Camryn was doing the same. But when Andrew discovers Camryn is secretly harboring a mountain of pain and attempting to numb it in damaging ways, there is nothing he won’t do to bring her back to life. Determined to prove that their love can survive anything, Andrew decides to take Camryn on a new journey filled with hope and passion. If only he can convince her to come along for the ride…

You can purchase The Edge of Always at the following Retailers:

Excerpt

After a while of sitting in the room surrounded by everyone at the baby shower, I start to feel overwhelmed, but I’m ready to tone this get-together down and soak in a long, hot bath. 

Two more hours drag by and everyone has left except for Natalie, who finds me soaking in that much-needed bath, surrounded by frothy bubbles. 

“Cam?” I hear Natalie’s voice on the other side of the bathroom door. She knocks softly a few times. 

“Come on in,” I say. 

The door creeps open and Natalie peeks around the side. Wouldn’t be the first time she saw me naked. 

She sits on the closed toilet lid. 

“Well, it’s official,” she says, grinning down at me, “pregnancy does make the boobs bigger.” 

As always, she’s exaggerating. 

I raise my hand from the water and flick droplets at her. 

“Are you feeling all right?” she asks, toning down the jokes. “You look exhausted.” 

“I’m pregnant,” I say flatly. 

“True, but Cam, you look like shit.” 

“Thanks.” I reach back, readjust the clip I put in my hair to keep it from getting wet, then relax my arm along the side of the tub. 

“Well, aren’t you supposed to be glowing? That’s what they say pregnant women do.” 

I shrug and shake my head against the back of the tub. 

I get out of the tub and wrap a towel around my body before hugging Natalie good-bye. 

Then I lie across my bed, remembering how comfortable it was. But I don’t miss this room so much, or feel any sense of longing to get back into my old life. No. The “old life” I still want to avoid, and this is the number one reason I’ve been so divided about whether to come home or not. I’ve missed my mom and Natalie, and I admit that I’ve just missed North Carolina. But I don’t miss it in the way that makes me want to end right back up here doing the same things I was doing before. I ran away from that lifestyle for a reason, and I’m not about to run right back to it. 

I decide to stay here and go to bed early. I feel overly exhausted, as if my body is being drained of energy faster than normal. 

Andrew crawls into the bed with me and lies on his side, his head propped on his knuckles. “I feel like I’m doing something I shouldn’t, being up here in your childhood room with you like this.” He grins. 

I smile slimly and bury my body deeper underneath the blanket. It’s only a little chilly outside, but I’m freezing. I pull the blanket up to my chin, curling my fingers tight around the fuzzy fabric. 

“If my dad was here,” I say, chuckling, “you’d be in Cole’s room.” 

He moves closer to me and drapes his arm over my waist…

Here's the first book in the series:

The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart.

Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward, Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. But after an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown North Carolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she’s ever known, far behind.

With a purse, a cell phone and a small bag with a few necessities, Camryn, with absolutely no direction or purpose boards a Greyhound bus alone and sets out to find herself. What she finds is a guy named Andrew Parrish, someone not so very different from her and who harbors his own dark secrets. But Camryn swore never to let down her walls again. And she vowed never to fall in love.

But with Andrew, Camryn finds herself doing a lot of things she never thought she’d do. He shows her what it’s really like to live out-of-the-box and to give in to her deepest, darkest desires. On their sporadic road-trip he becomes the center of her exciting and daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But will Andrew’s dark secret push them inseparably together, or tear them completely apart?

Due to sexual content and language, this book is recommended for 17+ – Adult Contemporary Women’s – New Adult Fiction 

 

  

Author Bio

J.A. Redmerski, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author lives in North Little Rock, Arkansas with her three children, two cats and a Maltese. She is a lover of television and books that push boundaries and is a huge fan of AMC's The Walking Dead.

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

Giveaway
SIGNED copies of The Edge of Never and The Edge of Always
Open Internationally

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SECOND CHANCE BOYFRIEND Paperback Release Day Launch + Giveaway

Title: Second Chance Boyfriend (Drew+Fable #2)
Author: Monica Murphy
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Group: New Adult

From breakout New Adult author Monica Murphy comes the exhilarating conclusion to Drew and Fable’s story—the star-crossed young romance that began in One Week Girlfriend.

Lost. Everything in my life can be summed up by that one sickening word. My football coach blames me for our season-ending losses. So does the rest of the team. I wasted two whole months drowning in my own despair, like a complete loser. And I lost my girlfriend—Fable Maguire, the only girl who ever mattered—because I was afraid that being with me would only hurt her.

But now I realize that I’m the one who’s truly lost without her. And even though she acts like she’s moved on and everything’s fine, I know she still thinks about me just as much as I think about her. I know her too well. She’s so damn vulnerable, all I want to do is be there to help her . . . to hold her . . . to love her.

I just need her to give me one more chance. We may be lost without each other, but together, we’re destined to find a love that lasts forever.

You can purchase Second Chance Boyfriend at the following Retailers:

EXCERPT

Release Day Launch Excerpt:

“I thought you said you were hungry.” He glances up, his gaze catching mine. “What are you in the mood for?”

You, I want to tell him, but jeez. I had him not even an hour ago. What’s wrong with me? I go without Drew for a couple of months and now I act like I need him every minute of every day.

“I don’t know.” I open the menu to check out my options. I’ve never eaten at this restaurant. It’s close to Drew’s apartment and I’m rarely in this part of town. “What’s good here?”

“Fable.” His deep, quiet voice makes me glance up and I find him watching me, his dark brows drawn, a little frown curving his mouth. “Are you okay?”

He’s got both elbows propped on the table now, his hands clasped together, and I want those hands on me. His black long-sleeve shirt clings to his arms, accentuating his bulging biceps, those broad shoulders, that wide chest. I’ve explored every inch of his body the last few days and it’s still not enough. I can’t believe he’s really mine.

And I can’t believe I’m his.

“I’m not very hungry,” I admit.

His frown deepens. “You’re the one who wanted to come here.”

I shrug, feeling silly, my gaze locked on his hands. They are so big. Long fingers, wide palms, a little rough, a little smooth. I love how they touch me, sometimes gentle, sometimes with force. I like it best when he wraps my hair around his fingers and tugs. Oh God, I really love it when he does that . . .

I want those hands on me. Now. “I guess I’m not as hungry as I thought.” My stomach is fluttering with nerves. I don’t want to eat. I want Drew. I feel sort of crazed with it. Like I need to have him as much as possible before he slips through my fingers and I lose him forever.

But I’m not going to lose him. We’re in this together. I need to remember that—and believe it.

“You’re being weird.” Worry fills his eyes. “Are you mad? Did I do something?”

Just his breathing—that does it for me. “I’m not mad. I’m, um . . .” I let my voice trail off, feeling like an idiot.

“You’re what?”

“I’m looking at your hands,” I admit with a little sigh. Can I admit out loud that I’m horny? That would sound ridiculous.

Those dark brows shoot up practically to his hairline. “Why?”

My cheeks are hot. I squirm in my seat again. “I’m . . . remembering what they did to me earlier.”

The frown is gone, replaced with a wicked smile that sends my body temperature skyrocketing. He leans across the table, his voice so low it vibrates through me and settles between my legs. “Maybe we should go back to my place so I can do that to you all over again.”

Oh my God, that sounds like the best idea ever. “Maybe we should.”

The smile never leaves his face. In fact, it grows bigger. My quiet, hesitant Drew has morphed into some sort of cocky sex god. “You don’t want to order anything?”

I slowly shake my head. “Can’t we just get pizza again? Later?” We had it last night, too. “From somewhere different this time. You know, just to mix it up. Or maybe Chinese? I love Chinese.”

He laughs, the sound husky. “You said you wanted to get out of the house for a while because you worried we were becoming addicted to each other.”

“Is that what I said?” I honestly can’t remember. What’s wrong with being addicted to each other? Aren’t we still in this pretend mode where we’re normal people who like to have sex without hangups or issues? I wonder if Drew has ever had sex like this. Carefree and so . . . normal.

“Yep.” He nods.

“Maybe I like being addicted to you,” I admit softly. We haven’t said we loved each other yet. I can’t work up the nerve. Maybe he can’t either. Silly, considering how consumed with love I am for him. He is just . . . amazing. Sweet. Attentive. Funny. Smart. Sexy.

I understand him. He understands me. We’re perfect for each other.

Maybe we’re too perfect together. Too perfect doesn’t really exist. This could all be a façade. Just like our week together over the Thanksgiving break.

That week felt fake, though. Surreal. There were real, grounding moments, but for the most part, we were caught up in an act. Maybe we’re pretending right now too, but I’m trying to be as real as I can with him. Without the baggage and the heartache and the trouble hanging over us. For at least a little while.

It’ll all come crashing down upon us soon. That’s a reality I don’t want to face quite yet.

He reaches across the table for my hands and takes them in his. “I really like being addicted to you.”

The smile I send his way is so big it hurts my cheeks. We are so in this addiction together.

For once, I know I’m not alone.

“Let’s go home and play true confessions,” I suggest because I’m feeling silly. “Nothing heavy, though. We can keep it light and easy.”

“True confessions? I’m intrigued.”

“You should be,” I say coyly. “It’s going to be a sexual true confessions.”

He stiffens the slightest bit and I squeeze his hands in my grip. We need to be open with each other and while the sexual connection we have is amazing, I know sometimes he holds himself back. I understand why. Sort of.

That’s where we’re complete opposites. I was the type who gave it away just so I could feel something, anything, for a little while. He’d rather box himself up and feel absolutely nothing.

“Fable . . .” His voice trails off and his smile fades. “I don’t know if I’m up to that yet.”

“It won’t be anything crazy, I promise.” I lean over our linked hands and bring them to my mouth, pressing a lingering kiss to his knuckles. “No pressure. Just fun.”

“Just fun?” He brushes his thumb over the top of my hand and my entire body reacts.

“Always fun,” I whisper.

Author Bio

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy is a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite. A wife and mother of three, she writes New Adult and contemporary romance for Bantam and Avon. She is the author of One Week Girlfriend and Second Chance Boyfriend.

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

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Review: Afterparty by Ann Redisch Stampler

Afterparty by Ann Redisch Stampler

Genre: YA Contemporary
Paperback: 384  pages

Release Date: January 7th, 2014
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository 

Emma is tired of being good. Always the dutiful daughter to an overprotective father, she is the antithesis of her mother -- whose name her dad won't even say out loud. That's why meeting Siobhan is the best thing that ever happened to her...and the most dangerous. Because Siobhan is fun and alluring and experienced and lives on the edge. In other words, she's everything Emma is not.

And it may be more than Emma can handle. 

Because as intoxicating as her secret life may be, when Emma begins to make her own decisions, Siobhan starts to unravel. It's more than just Dylan, the boy who comes between them. Their high-stakes pacts are spinning out of control. Elaborate lies become second nature. Loyalties and boundaries are blurred. And it all comes to a head at the infamous Afterparty, where debauchery rages and an intense, inescapable confrontation ends in a plummet from the rooftop... 

This explosive, sexy, and harrowing follow-up to Ann Redisch Stampler's spectacular teen debut, Where It Began, reveals how those who know us best can hurt us most.

Thoughts

First things first, I would like to point out the beautiful cover. I usually remind myself not to judge a book by its cover and it wouldn’t hurt to say that the first thing that caught my attention was it―Well, it’s the first thing that you will notice on a book so it must leave an impression―Look at the colors, the lights, and the silhouette of a girl in a dress carrying her shoes which gave an intriguing and fascinating feeling. It is exactly the kind of cover that best describes the title, Afterparty.

The story is divided into three parts and it was told from Emma’s point of view following her and Siobhan’s life (Emma’s newfound friend) in a private High School in California. Emma describes herself between two personalities, a Goody two shoes Emma and a bad Emma. Ha! It might a tad confusing but when you read the book she’s just as confuse on herself because while trying to be good for herself and for her Dad, whom she is afraid to disappoint, she also feels like a part of her is destined to become somebody like her Mom. Her Mom didn’t appear in the story but it is observable that she has a huge effect on Emma. Well, to give a summary of what her Mom did that made her father quite strict to her was her Mom’s addiction to vices (Drugs, Drinking, et al.) so her father is just trying his best for her not to wind up like her Mom although it would seem that on some level her father had been too strict. I don’t mean to say that he should have let her loose or anything like that but I think that because of it Emma learned to lie and she learned to keep secrets from her father. I don’t support Emma’s character in the book not because I hate her…Well, annoyed perhaps but not hate. I’m annoyed on her bad decisions, Yeah…nobody’s perfect but she keeps on coming back on the same mistakes because when she decides on a thing either she’s drunk or she’s emotionally unstable which ruffle my feathers though one thing I admire about her is her loyalty.

On the other hand we have Siobhan, a total opposite of Emma in all aspects. She’s carefree, wild, and unpredictable but she had become friends with her since the first day. She’s the person who made the prep Afterparty check list for her that contain debauchery that Emma wouldn’t imagine her father would let her do. I can’t say that she’s a completely bad friend because she had shown her good and bad side but there were times that when she fights Emma I don’t feel as if she were a real friend, friends fight but it doesn’t look like they’re fighting as friends. It was like she’s a new person and she’s trying to compete with her.  I hate her lies, her made up stories and the way she interferes on Emma’s life unaware or deliberately messing it up or just trying to fix it. I’m not a fan of Siobhan and she’s the type of person I wouldn’t mess with or have as a friend but beneath it all I know that drinking or doing drugs is just her way of coping up…a terrible and wrong path but who would tell her that when her mother is always away and she’s very secretive. A redeeming quality of her for me is keeping promises however her ability to keep promises may have been over the top that it became a bad thing too and it could’ve lead to death.

As for the romance in the story, if you are expecting a lot of swoon or cheesy scenes then I’m going to warn you that don’t expect too much on that department. There is romance; actually it is one of the problems that surfaced and it wasn’t instalove but ain’t the focus of the story. The book gives emphasis on Siobhan and Emma’s love and hate friendship. However, I assure you that Dylan Kahane is one hot guy that you wouldn’t wanna miss. Regarding its title, Afterparty, it fits the character and atmosphere of the book since it is all where it started and where should definitely end.

Afterparty is the story of two girls that is utterly different, two sides of the same coin, but has formed friendship despite their differences and it is despairing to see their friendship crumble into nothingness because of the string of lies and betrayals. Add to the mix the endless misunderstandings, mistakes, forgiveness, love and hate and you’ll have the type of book that is absolutely enticing and will keep you reading until you’ve read the conclusion. It is not the best read for me because I have my dull moments with this book too but not worst either so I’ll just stick with okay. This may not be the type of book for everyone but if you’re a contemporary reader looking for something fresh and YA (and if you aren’t afraid to hurl your copy across the room because some of the parts are so good therefore you are affected and hurt) then this book is definitely for you!

Afterparty is the first work of Ann Stampler I’ve read and I want to thank her for sending me an Advance Reader Copy of her book in exchange of honest review.

Author Bio

Where it Began marks the YA debut of Ann Redisch Stampler. She is the author of several picture books, including The Rooster Prince of Breslov. Her books have been an Aesop Accolade winner, Sydney Taylor notable books and an honor book, a National Jewish Book Awards finalist and winner, and Bank Street Best Books of the Year. Ann has two adult children and lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband.

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

Release Day Launch: Four Seconds to Lose by K.A. Tucker + INT Giveaway!

Title: Four Seconds to Lose (Ten Tiny Breaths #3)
Author: K.A. Tucker
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Group: New Adult

Blurb: Owning a strip club isn’t the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine year old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict “no sleeping with the staff” rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain’s self-control…and it’s been a long time since any woman has done that.

Twenty-two-year old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it’s too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she’s putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she’s not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn’t really exist—and the girl pretending to be her doesn’t need to complicate her life with romance.

Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she’s involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her.

You can purchase Four Seconds to Lose at the following Retailers:

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Check out the first two books in the series!

Ten Tiny Breaths

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

One Tiny Lie

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents' tragic death and Kacey's self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would...and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she’s going to someday marry. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say ‘no’ to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men’s rowing team. Definitely him. He’s an arrogant ass who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn’t want in a guy. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fits Livie’s criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?

As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.

  

Author Bio

Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

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

Giveaway
SIGNED set of  TEN TINY BREATHS and ONE TINY LIE
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