Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Review~Bittersweet by Brooke Moss



From the Author's website


Anna Kirkpatrick isn't looking for love. Being a single mom to Bowan, her eight-year-old autistic son, takes up all of her time...leaving no room for romance. Willing to do anything to help her son come out of his shell, Anna agrees to take Bowan to cooking classes with a world class chef.

 Motorcycle-riding pastry chef Leo Mancini isn't exactly searching for"the one", either. After losing every penny he had, his business, and his girlfriend, he's moved to northern Idaho to sulk, restart his
career, and pay his sister back for a loan that no amount of money
could ever really suffice.

 When Anna and Leo discover that Bowan's fondness for the kitchen
extends beyond his peculiar cookbook collection, Leo quickly becomes the one person who can break through his barriers. But will Leo and Anna's attraction lead to more than just a weekly cooking lesson?


 **Novella available in April of 2012 - Proceeds will support AUTISM SPEAKS! (a charity near & dear to my heart, as a mother of an ASD kid)**

Published April 28th 2012 by Entangled Publishing in a charity anthology entitled Love Knows No Bounds 


My Review


Bittersweet is a captivating short read. I absolutely love the fact that Brooke Moss wrote a short, but meaningful story about a single mom with a special needs child. I have several friends who have children with Autism. These kids are some of the kindest kids I know. Many parents, siblings, and other family members feel ashamed to have lives of their own when the Autistic child requires so much themselves. This is a shame, because every individual needs time for themselves as well. This book is a delightful story of one such lady who must realize that her own happiness will actually further her son's progress.

Buy Now:


About Brooke:


"I write because if I don't...my head will explode, and ruin the drapes." ♥

Brooke Moss is the name, contemporary romance, fantasy YA, and women's fiction are the game. 

Brooke writes complex, character-driven stories about kismet, reunited lovers, first love, and the kind of romance that we should all have the chance at finding. She prefers her stories laced with some humor just for fun, and enough drama to keep her readers flipping the pages, and begging for more!

When Brooke isn't spinning tales, she spends her time drawing/cartooning, reading two books a week (ask her who her faves are), watching movies then comparing them to books, and, of course, wrangling four kids, one hubby she lovingly refers to as her "nerd", and attempting to conquer the Mount Everest of laundry that is the bane of her existence.

Find Brooke:


Monday, May 21, 2012

Cover Reveal *New* My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century

I am very excited to present the new cover reveal for My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris. While I liked the original cover, I can definitely say that the new cover is absolutely breathtaking. It makes me want to drop what I'm doing and start reading what I am sure will be an outstanding novel!


And now, without further delay...








Blurb: On the precipice of her
sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an
extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So
even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace
offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her
curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into
Renaissance
Firenze.


Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband
future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and
protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo.
But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an
unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of
creeptastic
amore.


Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns
into an Italian forever?


Never-Before-Seen Excerpt from MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY:

“I thought I’d teach you a dance from where I come from,” I tell him. “One that’s much easier than that multi-step mess inside.”

I place my left hand on Lorenzo’s shoulder and slip my right one into his. I pause to listen to the music floating over the tinkling voices and bubbling fountain, and begin counting the three-beat tempo. “One, two, three. One, two, three.”

I stand still, only my head moving, slowly nodding with my words so he can hear the rhythm.
When his head begins subtly bobbing with mine, I show him how to add his feet. He takes a tentative step forward with his left while I step back with my right, then we side step, close, and repeat the steps with our other feet, all while I lightly whisper the beat count.

The breeze picks up, blowing my skirt and skimming my veil across the back of my neck. Chills run down my spine, but the warmth coursing through my veins from being in his arms provides a delicious contradiction.

Lorenzo continues nervously darting his eyes to our feet, but he is dancing. As he relaxes into the movement, his shoulders rising and falling with the steps, the confidence he always seems to exude creeps back on his face, and he tightens the hold around me. Our faces are kissably close, our lips a hairs breadth away from touching. I stare into the chocolate depths of his eyes and the rest of the ball fades away. The only music guiding our steps is my light whisper and the erratic rhythm of our breathing. Time slows. Lorenzo grins.

“I think you got it,” I say breathlessly, running my hand along the soft fabric of his shoulder, feeling the rock-hard muscles underneath.

My body curls inward, pressing against his. The proper form for the waltz is a straight spine and shoulders back, but if there was ever a time to break the rules, this is it.



About the author:  Rachel Harris

As a teen, I threw raging parties that shook my parents’ walls and created embarrassing fodder for future YA novels.

As an adult, I read and write obsessively, rehash said embarrassing fodder, and dream up characters who become my imaginary friends.

When I'm not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, you can find me homeschooling my two beautiful princesses, hanging out with my amazing husband, or taking a hot bubble bath…next to a pile of chocolate.


MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY is my first novel. I did have my own fantabulous Sweet Sixteen in high school. Sadly, it wasn’t televised.



I'd like to thank Rachel Harris, YA Bound, and Entangled Publishing for allowing me to be a part of this special reveal :)









YA Bound is also hosting a *Super Sweet* giveaway along with the new reveal! You're all welcome to enter. Rachel's giving away a backpack full of signed swag: bookmarks, bookplates, tattoos, and other fun stuff.



a Rafflecopter giveaway





Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Glamorous Illusions

Watch the trailer here!

From Lisa's website

It’s the summer of 1913 and Cora Kensington’s life on the family farm has taken a dark turn. After enduring crippling personal losses, she struggles to make it through, day to day. But then a stranger comes to call. And in one fateful afternoon, Cora discovers that a terrible secret has been kept from her…a secret that will radically change her future. Cora is invited to take the “Grand Tour” of Europe, a journey intended to finish a person’s eduction, to solidify an understanding of culture, history and personal refinement. As she travels from England to France, with kin she’s never known, Cora encounters the blessings of the family name, as well as the curses. But when an unbidden love begins to form, she realizes the journey is only beginning…

From Goodreads

When Cora Kensington learns she is the illegitimate daughter of a copper king, her life changes forever. Even as she explores Europe with her new family, she discovers that the most valuable journey is within. The first book in the Grand Tour series takes you from the farms of Montana through England and France on an adventure of forgiveness, spiritual awakening, and self-discovery

My Review

5 of 5 stars!

First off, let me say how I love Lisa's books. I was fortunate to stumble on a kindle version of Waterfall last August and found a read a long group for the book. I had never thought about blogging, writing a review, being in a book club, conversing personally with an author or much less, even knew what an ARC was before reading Lisa's work. I flew through her YA series and found myself wanting more. When she announced her adult novel, Glamorous Illusions, I was absolutely thrilled and wanted to share it with everyone. I knew it was going to be as exciting as her previous books I had already read. I was not disappointed.

Glamorous Illusions encapsulated me from the first line. A young girl, in 1913, coming home from College, expecting a warm homecoming at the station, is unpleasantly surprised by her father's ailment. This caused the beginning of life-changing events for young Cora. Once just a farm girl from Montana, who had to work for everything she had, Cora is greeted by a mysterious stranger who could change her life forever. A stranger that has a secret to share and it involves Cora.

Cora was quite content with returning to College before this man abruptly entered her life. Now, to save her father, she must accept this man's generous offer of going on such an excursion she could never dream of attending, The Grand Tour. The Grand Tour involves a group of young adults touring foreign countries, attending balls, historic sites, and other cultural experiences with an experienced tour guide. Cora begins the tour heartbroken for leaving her parents.

On The Grand Tour, Cora must make numerous decisions. Decisions that will determine her now open future. No longer the poor farm girl, she must use this experience and God's guidance to discover who she really is, who she wishes to become, and who she loves.

This book was exceptional, easily transporting the reader into Cora's head and I immediately felt comfortable in 1913. It was as if I were actually Cora, myself. It truly made me stop and think about what decisions I would make if placed in her situation. The book inspired me to take a look at my own life and view the world from an entirely different perspective. How would the world be today if each person first had to work hard for everything they had and then experienced life as one who was just given everything. Or reverse the roles. How would that change us? Thought provoking, wouldn't you say? Which decisions would you make?

Preorder Now!


Amazon
Barnes & Noble



Bergren Challenges Readers to Face Their Own Identity Crisis

(via press release)

New series from Lisa T. Bergren leads readers through a journey of inner discovery


Colorado Springs: Glamorous Illusions (David C Cook/June 1, 2012/ISBN: 978-1-4347-6430-0), the first release in Lisa Bergren’s new Grand Tour series, is a beautiful exploration of the covenant connection between God the Father and His children. Through the story of Cora Kensington, Bergren takes her audience on a European adventure of forgiveness, spiritual awareness, and self-discovery.

A person often identifies themself by their family, profession, or circumstances. However, as Christians, what would happen if we began to better understand our true identity in Christ? It is this spiritual journey that author Bergren guides readers through in Glamorous Illusions.

It was the summer of 1913, and Cora Kensington’s life on the family farm has taken a dark turn. Not only are the crops failing, so is her father’s health. Cora is carrying on, helping her mother run their Montana farm until a stranger comes to call, and everything changes. Cora then learns a secret that will radically change her future: she is the illegitimate daughter of a copper king who has come to claim her.

Cora is invited to take the “Grand Tour” of Europe, a journey intended to finish a person’s education, to solidify an understanding of ancient culture and contemporary refinement. As she travels from England to France with half-siblings she’s never known, Cora encounters the blessings of the Kensington family name, as well as the curses. But when an unbidden love begins to form, she realizes the journey is only beginning.

Faced with the challenge of accepting her father, new family, and the identity that comes with it, Cora also struggles to accept that she is also the daughter of the one true King—a Father who is the only One who can truly heal. “Glamorous Illusions is not only Cora’s journey toward understanding true identity in Christ, but it will help every reader understand it better too,” explains Bergren. “It’s an examination of the bond between the Father and his child.”

Each member of the traveling group expects an outer cultural journey of refinement, but each will also wrestle with their own sins and inner conflicts. Ultimately, they explore what truly informs a person’s sense of identity. Readers will be able to join Cora and the other Kensingtons and Morgans as they continue their Grand Tour, discovering new lands, new cultures, and new aspects of themselves, in the upcoming installments Grave Consequences (Spring 2013) and Glittering Promises (Fall 2013).


About Lisa



Lisa Tawn Bergren is the best-selling, award-winning author of over 35 books, with more than 2 million copies sold. She recently finished a teen series called River of Time (WATERFALL, CASCADE and TORRENT) and soon will release a follow-up e-novella called BOURNE. She's currently writing a New Adult series called The Grand Tour, and the first release is GLAMOROUS ILLUSIONS (June 2012).

Lisa’s time is split between managing home base, writing, consulting and freelance editing (with a little speaking here and there). She’s married to Tim, a liturgical sculptor, graphic designer and musician. They have three kids–Olivia (16), Emma (13) and Jack (9).

All five of the Bergrens make their home in Colorado Springs, Colorado


Goodreads: Goodreads Author
Publisher: David C. Cook

I would like to thank David C. Cook and Netgalley for allowing me to read this advanced reading copy of Glamorous Illusions and thrilled to write a review for such a wonderful novel.