Friday, November 20, 2015

Release of Monster Prick (giggle giggle snort)

Yeah, call me immature but I can't say the name of this book without laughing every.  single. time.  I'm hella excited for the story but the title makes me giggle.  Sorry folks!  The 12-year-old-boy in me shows through again.

What book am I even talking about?  Well, that would be author Kendall Ryan's newest release, and follow up to her hot title Screwed, out today, Monster Prick.  This story sort of picks up where the other left off, except this time it's about Hayden's little sister, Gracie, and his best friend.  I am soo soo soo excited to read this too!


EXCERPT
Hudson

“What if I could help you?”

I have no idea what the hell I was thinking. The words just leaped out of my mouth. Listening to Gracie talk about kicking off her granny panties and popping her cherry with some random Internet dick...I guess it drove me temporarily insane.

But there's no taking back the idea now. Gracie sucks in her breath, blinking wide-eyed. “What do you mean?” she asks.

What do I mean? Here I am, sitting next to the world's most beautiful girl—drowning in her eyes, her scent, the gentle puff of her breath on my mouth that begs me to close the distance. I know what I want, but I also know what will happen if I take it. My best friend will rip off my balls and feed them to me. And I'll probably deserve every second.

But sweet Jesus, I'm pretty sure Gracie wants this, too, and that's enough to blow my better judgment to pieces. All I care about right now is making her feel better. In as many ways as possible. And if her slightly quickened breathing, blown pupils, and flushed cheeks are anything to go by...


As an experiment, I dart out the tip of my tongue to wet my lips. Her darkened eyes drop like a magnet yanked them. Yeah, bingo. Having a little black book as thick as the dictionary has its advantages. I know damn well how to tell when a woman wants me.


Wow, that's hot...and steamy.  Now you should go buy it.  Right.  Now.  Don't wait, don't hesitate.  I have a feeling you won't regret it.  You should also just go get the first one too, Screwed because it rocked as well.



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Author Bio:
A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than 18 titles, Kendall Ryan has sold more than a million ebooks and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. She's a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as enjoying success as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she's appeared at #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller list 23 times.


Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com for the latest book news, and fun extras









Inflict Reveal

Highly popular and published author, Cora Carmack is set to release the second book in her Muse series in January, 2016, titled Inflict.  Though the exact release date hasn't been set, nor is it showing up on Amazon yet, that certainly doesn't take away from my excitement to read it.  




EXCERPT:
Wilder Bell made a dangerous bargain...

For a chance at love, he gave up his life.

History knew Kalliope as an ancient Greek muse, but to Wilder, she was simply the woman he wanted to fall asleep with every night and wake up next to every morning. He made a deal with Hades, but the only thing the Lord of the Underworld deals in is death. Now Wilder is wasting away in a cold and wretched afterlife, waiting for Kalli to come for him. She <em>will</em> come. He has to believe that. Because the alternative is worse than death.

Kalliope lived her entire existence knowing that she was both a blessing and a curse to anyone she encountered. Wilder was no different. She loved him, and she got him killed. Now to get him back, she’ll have to face a scheming god, a perilous task, and death itself. But before it’s done, the Underworld will take more from her than she ever thought possible.


To be made whole, all must first be lost.



If you haven't already read the first book in this series, Inspire, it is currently FREE on Kindle Unlimited through Amazon.  Go get it today to start the journey with Kalliope and Wilder.



Kalliope lives with one purpose.

To inspire.

As an immortal muse, she doesn’t have any other choice. It’s part of how she was made. Musicians, artists, actors—they use her to advance their art, and she uses them to survive. She moves from one artist to the next, never staying long enough to get attached. But all she wants is a different life— a normal one. She’s spent thousands of years living lie after lie, and now she’s ready for something real.

Sweet, sexy, and steady, Wilder Bell feels more real than anything else in her long existence. And most importantly… he’s not an artist. He doesn’t want her for her ability. But she can’t turn off the way she influences people, not even to save a man she might love. Because in small doses, she can help make something beautiful, but her ability has just as much capacity to destroy as it does to create. The longer she stays, the more obsessed Wilder will become. It’s happened before, and it never turns out well for the mortal.

Her presence may inspire genius.

But it breeds madness, too.

Go now...really.  Go do it!

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Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She’s done a multitude of things in her life– boring jobs (like working retail), fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). Raised in a small Texas town, she now lives in New York City and spends her time writing, traveling, and marathoning various television shows on Netflix. In her books, you can expect to find humor, heart, and a whole lot of awkward. Because let’s face it . . . awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.







Monday, November 16, 2015

Ben+Fallon, Forever

WoW.  Seriously, I'm not sure how well this review is going to go because Colleen Hoover just knocked me on my ass with her just-released-a-week-ago book, November 9. What a roller-coaster of emotions this one took me through;  the highs, the lows and so much in between filled the pages of this beautifully written work of art.  

November 9 left this feeling inside of me, something heavy, that makes me think and think and think some more. Maybe Colleen described my feelings best in what is now one of my favorite literary lines, 

"(His) words feel like they penetrate the walls of my chest and all the air is let out of my lungs." 

I felt like her words were elephants sitting on my chest, barely allowing air to eek out of my lungs.  It was...deep and powerful and amazing all at the same time.  I hated it...but I absolutely without a doubt loved it too.  I was so afraid to read this book to begin with.  I felt like the hype was too much and that there was basically no way that it could possibly live up to all that it had been built up to be.  I didn't want to finish it once I started because I didn't want that disappointment that I thought would inevitably be there.  I will admit though, I was wrong.  Completely, totally, and unequivocally wrong and I own it.  It didn't disappoint on any level.  It exceeded my expectations and I hope everyone who loves to read will read this.  I hope anyone who hasn't discovered Colleen Hoover will read this and fall in love with her and her literary geniusness like I did a couple years ago.  I love that she made me fall in love with her again in this book!

So now one to some info about this amazing read.  Basically November 9 is about a girl and and a guy who meet on November 9 and instantly hit it off.  The only problem is that she is moving across the country that night.  They agree, as an experiment to help him with a novel that he's trying to write, to meet every year on the same date but to have no contact in between.  

People are really into 'NO SPOILERS" for this book because they feel it's better to go in completely blind.  With that knowledge, I won't say much more about the plot of the book, except that there are a few plot twists that you probably won't be expecting.  Also, it IS a romance and the characters are flawed (because it wouldn't be good otherwise, right?), and it's heartbreaking and beautiful. Plus, technically speaking, if you don't love it just a little then something is probably wrong with you.  Just saying.

This is definitely one of Hoover's best which is actually saying a lot because everything she writes is excellent.  It's one of my favorites of hers too though it's not as heart breaking as some of her previous titles.  There's a lot of funny parts and wit tangled throughout.

Read this book.  Seriously go buy it today and you won't regret it.  Go to my Facebook page, Nuggets from a Book Nerd,  also to see how you can win a copy of November 9, signed by none other that Miss Colleen Hoover.  :)  

Monday, November 9, 2015

Leveled...the Transition

The YA market is saturated with author after author after author but there's a handful that always stand out for me:  Colleen HooverTarryn FisherMolly McAdamsCora Carmack are just a few.  Actually, there's one other that I'd add to that list and that would be the unique bad ass that is Jay Crownover.  Her books are a little different; they deal with the rougher side of relationships, or maybe the rougher men...you know, those bad boys

With a slew of novels under her belt from her Marked Men series, Crownover is ready to delve into and write about a new group of men and women in Denver, actually The Saints of Denver.  In order to make a smoother transition, she dropped a bomb on her readers and fans with the release of Leveled, a Saints of Denver novella that nobody even knew was happening.  How cool is that? Here us clueless readers were waiting for the release of what we thought was Crownover's first release in her Saints of Denver series, set to come out in early 2016, titled Built, and then BOOM!  The somewhat background character of Orlando Frederick gets his own story in Leveled, a novella that creates a brilliant transition from the men in the tattoo shop to the Saints.

Lando was a small character first introduced in MM as Remy's ex-boyfriend. Remy was the twin brother of Rowdy and brother of Rule.  Lando was still close with the brothers and visited them at least monthly.  In this new story, Lando's own story, we see him moving on with his life, or at least trying to move on.

We also get to know the beautiful Royal Hasting's partner on the police force, Dominic Voss a little better.  It turns out that after being shot and falling off a building that Dom needs rehab.  It just so happens that Lando is just the man to fix him.  The real question is, can Dom help heal Lando?

I love how the author merged these two series' together with this just-barely-a-novella (it was long!).  It was a great way for readers to move from one series of beloved characters to the next and as a fan, I appreciate that.  I also love that she didn't just graze over the fact that Lando and Dom were gay and then just leave it there.  They got their own story, which I think infused more life into their characters and made them real and alive.


On that topic, yes, the characters of Lando and Dom are gay men.  They work, they hang out with their friends, and they have romantic relationships, just like anyone else.  I was curious how Crownover would handle the romantic and intimate scenes between the men. I have to say that I think she did a phenomenal job though.  She did such a fantastic job building up to the intimate scenes that you truly forgot who was who and just realized that you were reading about two people who deeply cared for each other, and THAT is what made the scenes so wonderful.  It was the emotions brought forth, the desire for them to be happy in that moment and in life together.

I'm now more excited than ever for Built to come out after the beginning of the year.  If this new series of Denver men is even half as fun, sexy and exciting as the previous ones that Crownover introduced us to, then we're all in store for some amazingly hot new titles! 




Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Under the Influence

I was given the novel Under the Influence, written by author L.B. Simmons, in return for an honest review after reading it.  Going into this book, I wasn't sure what to expect because this is a new author for me.  I loved the cover design though, and although we've been told repeatedly to never judge a book by it's cover, well...I do.  I actually do it quite frequently, but the great thing about that is that I've found some awesome new-to-me authors that way too.  The cover on this book is beautiful though, if I do say so.

So, before I officially begin this review, here's a little
something:  I give you one of the best parts of the entire book, a gorgeous, moving excerpt from Spencer's point of view.

Daltons voice is thick as he begins to speak. Im sorry, Spence. I know I hurt you—”
I shake my head dismissively. You didnt hurt me. Im just tired. 
The corners of his mouth dip downward and he lifts his hand, placing his palm against my cheek and swiping the moisture with his thumb. My heart would typically melt at the tenderness of the gesture, but now I find it only aggravates me. I narrow my eyes and shove his hand away from my face.
Dont do that. Dont do something you dont mean.
Channeling my sorrow, anger begins to churn as I step away and turn my back on him. My bare feet carry me to the wooden rail that lines my porch and I brace my good hand against it, leaning forward and inhaling deeply.
Dalton growls with frustration. What the fuck? Of course I mean it. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, Spence. Im trying to apologize here.
I laugh humorlessly and turn to face him. For what, exactly? For stalking me on my date tonight? 
His blue eyes now heat with a different emotion as they slice to mine. The date in which you were being manhandled by some fucking loser who asked you out for no other reason than to get back at me? He scoffs openly. You should be thanking me.
I cease the fight to hold back my tears, permitting them to flow freely as I respond. I handled it, did I not? I dont need you to protect me, Dalton. I can take care of myself.
He chuckles, unsmiling, as he removes his cap and throws it to the ground, dragging his fingers through his hair in irritation. My glare hardens as I continue my rant.
And yes, he asked me out to get back at you. Are you apologizing for that? Or are you apologizing for the fact that because of your stupid crusade against me dating anyone EVER, I was so excited to be asked out that I accepted a date with said fucking loser because I wanted to know what it would be like to actually be wanted for once? Not entirely true, but true enough to make my point.
My breaths are heavy and my pulse is thrumming rapidly through my entire body. I angrily wipe away the tears as I inquire, Why is that, Dalton? Why is it that you dont want me, but no one else is allowed to have me? I shake my head in frustration as I stumble on my words. I justI dont understand. My voice trembles and my chin quivers with the admission.
Dalton heavy boots sound as he stalks across the porch. I avert my gaze, but once hes in front of me, he curls his fingers around my chin and pulls my face into his line of sight. His eyes burn into mine as they narrow in earnest. You think I dont want you? Goddamn it, Spencer, he bites, I want you so much I cant fucking breathe when Im not with you. Every single time I force myself to walk away from you, I feel nothing but agony as the anger that simmers here, he breaks to pound his closed fist on his chest, breaks free and chars my insides with each step I take.
His eyes begin to glisten and his jaw tightens as he shakes his head. I cant fucking breathe without you, dont you get it? I want you so much that being without you is absolute torture.
He swallows deeply and moisture seeps from my eyes at the sight of his exposed emotion as he continues. I want you, Spence, but I cant have you. I wont allow it. Youre too good, too pure, too innocent, and just as your presence soothes me, mine will eventually flaw you. Its inevitable, and I care too much for you to let that happen.
I watch a lone tear fall from the corner of his eye before he concludes, But youre right. Even thinking about you with someone else, with someone elses arms around you as you look into their eyes the same way youre looking into mine right now, I just…” He casts his stare downward and shakes his head. I just cant. So I guess Im just a selfish, heartless prick, because where does that leave you?
The tear finally falls free from his chin, and I watch it strike the wood beneath our feet before placing my hands on the side of his face and forcing his eyes to mine. My voice trembles as I speak. I know you like to control things, Dalton. Thats how youve learned to cope and I understand that, but you dont control me. My feelings. My heart. And even though you feel you dont deserve those things, that theyre not yours to have, youre mistaken.
I tighten my grip as he tries to look away and state with emphasis, You ask where that leaves me? Well, it leaves me right in the same place, on this same porch, as I was six years ago when I met you. The day that all of those things you think you cant have I willingly handed over without question.

Releasing my hold, I turn away from him, knowing his refusal will absolutely destroy me as I state into the night air, I have always belonged to you. I will always belong to you.  Regardless of what youve done, what you do, or what you will do, I will forever be yours. And thats my choice to make, whether you choose me or not.



Doesn't that just MOVE something inside of you too?  Wow!  This brilliant novel by L.B. Simmons is seriously flying under the radar...waaaay under it because this should be flying off of store shelves.  It's a timeless, yet modern love story that deals with first love, first heartbreak, hope, and redemption.  The characters Spencer and Dalton are portrayed with such vivid detail and realism that they truly felt real to me.  I couldn't help but to root for their happiness, whether that meant with each other or someone else.  I just wanted them to finally win in life, especially after all of the pain and heart ache they'd already suffered practically their entire lives.  

I can't give enough kudos to how much this story made my heart simply feel.  Throughout the book, the story led me through so many emotions.  I was happy, sad, a little lost, scared, heartbroken, hopeful, and finally happy again.  What an adventurous ride, even though this wasn't really a fast paced book.  I highly recommend this title and really, truly look forward to having the opportunity to sample more of this author's work in the future.  

Sunday, November 1, 2015

National Author's Day!!




Today is National Author's Day and one of my favorite, most unapologetically giving and caring authors shared this on her Facebook page today and I copied it to share.  Not only did I love what it said, but I could relate to it 1000%.


Some people may say reading is a hobby. It’s something you do when you have down time. Something you do when you’re in between life’s obligations. Something you do when you’re bored or need filler. I call those people casual readers. And that’s cool. It’s just not me.
Reading isn’t a hobby for me.
It’s a passion.
It’s my religion.
It’s a way of life.
I AM NOT a casual reader.
Casual readers don’t dream about what they’re reading in hi-def detail.
I do. I screamed in my sleep a few months back as I made my way through the streets of New Orleans with Charlie and Silas. Screamed out loud. It scared my husband. It was awesome!
Casual readers don’t carry their kindle with them everywhere. And I don’t mean throw it in your purse or bag when you leave the house. I mean carry it in your hand around the house because you can’t leave the story you’re immersed in for even one second.
I’ve done laundry with one hand, vacuumed with one hand not knowing if I’m truly cleaning or not because I’m not looking at the carpet, cooked dinner with one hand, and done my hair and/or make-up with one hand (I get really annoyed when it comes to mascara because I have to give that stuff at least one eye’s worth of attention or it all goes to shit, and that slows down my reading a bit).
Casual readers don’t reference their favorite books when it comes to dealing with real life situations and ask what their favorite characters would do.
I do, and the answer is ALWAYS Katniss or Hermoine or Atticus would just go do something kickass. So, there you go. Easy peasy. Kick ass.
Casual readers think about the places they’ll never be able to visit.
I think about all the places I’ve already visited in books instead. Because let’s be honest, Hogwarts castle is way more badass than anything you’re ever going to see with your own eyes.
Casual readers don’t invest themselves so deeply in characters that when they read the final page of a book they feel like they’ve just gained new friends because they know them so well.
If I close my eyes I can see/hear Ridge in my head playing his guitar and it/he is beautiful. I feel bad for the people who’ll never have this privilege.
Casual readers will never know what it's like to be in an MC.
I've lived over 600 pages with Grizz and Kit, I'm practically in the club. I'm just waiting for my patch. wink emoticon
So, to each and every author who’s taken the time and effort to bleed out their passion onto a few hundred pages of paper – I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
You make me think.
You make me feel.
You make me a better person.
Happy National Author's Day! heart emoticon