I Love Indie Books Blog Hop

I am very excited to be part of the Indie Books Blog Hop. It's always cool participating in a great giveaway with so many awesome authors :)

I am giving away a DIGITAL COPY of The Elements Trilogy, plus bookmarks.

Entry details are below.

Have fun hopping from one blog to the next and good luck!!

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GIVEAWAY - Annabelle's Story by Leigh Michael

Everyone loves a good giveaway, so I am very pleased to be co-hosting this one for Leigh Michael :)
Three stories in one. It looks like a great read. Have fun entering!

Runs: July 22 - August 12.

Title: Annabelle's Story (Part One, Part Two, and Parting Words)

Includes:

Sprite (Annabelle's Story Part One)

Kin (Annabelle's Story Part Two)

Fate (Annabelle's Story Parting Words)

3 ebook copies to win.

Winners must respond to congratulatory e-mail within 48 hours

Book blurb: 

Featuring Sprite (Annabelle's Story Part One), Kin (Annabelle's Story Part Two), and Fate (Annabelle's Story Parting Words).

Annabelle Walsh thought she had it all. She was the star of her swim team, had a loving family, a great boyfriend, and to top it off, she’d be starting at UCLA in the fall. One day, she’d be referred to as Dr. Annabelle Walsh.

She was living every girl’s dream – until her life was turned upside down. All starting with finding out that she's not just a human, but also a water spirit. Half-human, half-sprite to be exact. Although not just any sprite, Annabelle is prophesied to be the only one who can save both the sprites and mankind.

With a mix of current events, anecdotes from Greek mythology, tidbits of folklore, and Leigh’s own imagination, we join Annabelle in her journey to restore order beneath the sea. Each step of the way her mind, body, and soul are pushed to the limit begging the question, how much can one half-human, half-sprite take?

In Kin (Annabelle's Story Part Two), Annabelle's struggles don't ease one bit. She's continually put to the test, both physically and emotionally. With help from Adrian, Natasha, Clemente, Shamus and some surprise additions, she trudges forward toward retrieving Triton's lost shell and fulfilling the ABA prophecy.

Annabelle’s Story is a two-part tale that chronicles Annabelle’s mission to fulfil her fate. Through first person prose, we’re given an inside look into her fears, her hesitation, her disbelief, her courage, her hopes, and ultimately her dreams.

But what about the other characters that bring Annabelle’s Story to life? Each character whose destiny becomes a reality upon setting eyes on Annabelle? Fate (Annabelle's Story Parting Words) retells this beloved story through the thoughts of Adrian, Aurelia, Blake, and Katherine. These are their parting words.

Author bio: 

Leigh Michael is an author of YA fiction. She's worked within the advertising world for nearly a decade before writing her debut series, Annabelle's Story. Furthermore: An Anthology features Fate (Annabelle's Story Parting Words) and a handful of stories from other YA authors. Proceeds from each sale will be donated to help further more cancer research.

Leigh lives in the NYC area with her husband and goldendoodle.

Please learn more about Leigh and her works at www.LeighMichaelBooks.com.

Social media links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/leighmichaelbooks

Twitter: www.twitter.com/lmichaelbooks

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomleighmichaelbooks

Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/leighmichael

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COVER REVEAL - Unleashed by Melissa Pearl

Yes - I know, two cover reveal posts in one week! Exciting :)

I am very pleased to announce that in less than a month, The Elements Trilogy will be complete. I can't quite believe it. It has been a hard slog this year, but I did it!!

Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way and special mention to Brenda Howson, my lovely graphic designer from Zealous Design. You did a great job with this cover and I love working with you. You have the patience of a saint :)

The prophecy has failed. As Athra lies in the dungeons of Taramon with his defeated army, this is all he can believe. His city has been torn apart. He has failed his people and all that awaits him is an agonising death.

But the light has been found.

Ashan and his dark army proceed in gloating triumph. Safeer heads to Mezrah with Taramon's women and children, while the rest of his men remain in the northern city, forcing their prisoners to tear it down stone by stone.

But two sparks have been ignited.

Kyla and Jethro learn of Taramon's demise and, with the children, formulate a plan to rescue their people and bring an end to the overpowering darkness. It will take all their strength and every ounce of faith they possess...

But a furious light is about to be unleashed.

Add the final book in the trilogy to your reading list.

COVER LOVE - July Edition plus COVER REVEAL for Taming Cross by Ella James

As many of you know, this is my favourite post of the month. I love book covers, there is something so delicious about them and I have some gorgeous ones to share with you today.

First off - here are two by the talented Eden Crane. I love her stuff and am very excited to be working with her for the first time. She did these two covers for Komal Kant - an author I adore. I can't wait for both these books to come out. So excited!!

Add Echoes of Melody to your reading list.

Add Wrong Side of Town to your reading list.

Next up with have a saucy little cover by Lizzy Ford. I think it's the lips that my eyes get drawn to first. They are very luscious and I'm immediately intrigued by who this woman is.

Add Star Kissed to your reading list.

Another cover that caught my eye and took my breath away this week was Exit Stage Left by Patti Larsen. It is SO gorgeous and I cannot tell you how excited I am that Patti has written a contemporary romance. I can't WAIT to read it!!

Add Exit Stage Left to your reading list.

And finally - the big cover reveal. I love doing cover reveals and I'm very excited to be a part of Ella's one. The sequel to Selling Scarlett does not disappoint. Check out - Taming Cross! 

TAMING CROSS by ELLA JAMES

For twenty-three years, Cross Carlson was a playboy. You know the type. Tall, dark, and wealthy. Blue-eyed. Charming. He seemed to have it all so easy. But Cross was harboring a terrible secret - one that helped ruin the life of an innocent girl and almost ended his own.

Finally out of the hospital, Cross is flailing, scarred in both body and mind and stifled by the weight of the secret he still keeps. The only way to absolution lies in a Mexican convent, and going there could cost him everything.

If there's anyone who knows what it's like to screw up big time, it's Meredith Kinsey. Just a few years ago, Merri was an ordinary girl with a job at her college newspaper and white picket fence kind of dreams. Now she's holed up in a Mexican convent, hiding from a drug lord who thinks he owns her.

What happens when the only way out of hell is with the son of the man who put you there? They say love conquers all, but does it really?

Add Taming Cross to your reading list.

GIVEAWAY - Broken Destiny by Carlyle Labuschagne

I am very happy to be co-host of the Broken Destiny Giveaway. I LOVE the cover of this book. It always catches my eye when I see it pop up.

Ava knows much more, and feels much more than she is allowed to. When she starts questioning her origins and the destruction of Earth, things go horribly wrong for her. She is saved by a Minoan boy from an attempted kidnapping on her life – the perpetrators are evil Zulus and their dark ancient magic. Humans and Minoans are forbidden to interact with each other, and as she is taken back to their village she finds out why – they know of her, her kind and her destiny to save a dying race. Ava must rid them from the Council’s ruling and free the galaxy of The Shadow. Her destiny is to rise above the fall, because within her soul is the key to an archaic weapon that has been missing in the mix of a genetic code since the time of the ancients. As the prophecy unfolds she learns of her bloodline – a bloodline that makes her less human than she could ever have imagined. She alone has the power to destroy or save, but the mind-shift is a horrible thing. Ava will become what she hates to save the ones she loves. Beaten, poisoned, possessed and betrayed by her own emotions, she has no choice but to rise above it all… for that is her Destiny. 

Up for grabs today are two e-copies of this book plus two sets of signed bookmarks to each winner.

It's open internationally. Winners must respond to a congratulatory e-mail within 48 hours or new winners will be chosen.

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Carlyle Labuschagne is a South African Debut Author working her way into the hearts of international readers with her First Novel “The Broken Destiny. She is not only an author but works as PR and Marketing Manager by day. She holds a diploma in creative writing through the writing school at Collage SA. Loves to swim, fights for the trees, food lover who is driven by passion. Carlyle writes for IU e-magazine an inspirational non-profit magazine that aims at inspiring the world through words. The drive behind her author career is healing through words. "My goal as an Author is to touch people’s lives and help others love their differences and one another."

Twitter : http://twitter.com/#!/CarlyleL 

Website : http://www.carlylelabuschagne.com/ 

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12537426-the-broken-destiny-1-in-the-broken-series 

Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Carlyle-Labuschagne/189835811074342

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Destiny-Book-One/dp/1612048722/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347131640&sr=1-1&keywords=carlyle+labuschagne

Barnes and Nobles http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-broken-destiny-carlyle-labuschagne/1112448868?ean=9781612048727

Book Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FPWniWsvrk

Blog http://worldsawaybookblog.blogspot.com/

NEW RELEASE and GIVEAWAY - Losing Francesca by J. A. Huss

I am so excited to see that Losing Francesca is now available. I purchased a copy straight away and e-mailed the author to ask if she'd be willing to visit YAlicious with a guest post about the book. She very kindly obliged :)

Welcome to YAlicious, Julie. It's awesome to have you.

Soul Mates

Losing Francesca is not a story I typically write. I’m a science fiction writer first, a smexy new adult romance writer second, and although I do read young adult books, they are almost always paranormal or science fiction.

So why write this story?  Well, it’s a contemporary romance with a twist and I like twists.  It’s a mystery actually – you see, no one knows what happened to Fiona Sullivan twelve years ago when she and her mother went missing in Italy on vacation, but there’s a whole community of people dying to figure this out.

And one of those people who desperately needs to know if Francesca Sabatini is the same little girl who was stolen from his life when he was just seven years old is Brody Mason.

Brody admits he’s been obsessed with Fiona since her disappearance and the day he was told she was never coming back was the last day he really lived his life, because he spent the next several years desperate with longing to see her again.

Why is Brody so interested in the missing Fiona Sullivan?

Fiona Sullivan was his soul mate.  He loved this girl as a child, he loved this girl as they rode the bus together in their early school years, and he’s got it in his head that Francesca is Fiona. They are the same girl.  He feels this to be true even though he has no proof and she denies over and over again that she is not Fiona Sullivan.

It doesn’t matter to Brody, because a soul mate knows.  He just knows.  That’s the major theme running through Losing Francesca.  Normally I like to make statements with my books, at least make people think a little about some issue or another – see it in a different way.  But this book is just about love.  The kind of love that not only comes once in a lifetime, but once in eternity. Soul mates are forever.  There is no limit to that love.

So why is Brody so tortured?

Imagine you and your soul mate were born living next door to each other.  How wonderful to spend your entire life within a few minutes walking distance to your one true love.

Now imagine that your soul mate was taken away.  How empty and desperate would your life become?

Brody Mason fully understands both of those feelings because that’s what happened to him.

Losing Francesca is about a family that was broken apart, a boy who was torn to pieces, and a girl who needs to put herself back together again. It’s a sweet mysterious romance that will take your mind off life, maybe make you cry a bit, and leave you hopeful at the end.

Losing Francesca By J. A. Huss

Published: July 1, 2013

Genre: Mature Young Adult Contemporary Romance

WARNING: This book contains no smut. It’s not smexy or hot. It’s sweet and filled with a longing so deep, your heart will ache and maybe even break. This book is about bare feet on the beach, the sound of crashing waves, first kisses, losing your faith and then, against all odds, finding it again. This book is about bad things that change people’s lives, a father’s love for his daughter, a brother’s love for his sister, a bad boy who finally figures out why he’s so broken, and a girl who grows up.

Francesca Sabatini came to America to take in the sights, celebrate her high school graduation, and have fun wasting time before college starts in the fall.

That’s not what happens.

Fresh off the plane and barely on American soil more than a handful of minutes, Francesca’s face is recognized by TSA scanners to be a match for a child who was kidnapped twelve years ago.

Brody Mason remembers the day Fiona Sullivan went missing during a family vacation in Italy and it’s haunted him his whole life. So when Francesca shows up at the Sullivan farm down the road, he’s compelled to figure out if this girl really is his long lost friend.

But Francesca knows she’s not Fiona Sullivan. She knows exactly who she is. At least she thinks she knows – until Brody Mason relentlessly pursues her and she begins to have feelings for him. Maybe being Fiona isn’t so bad?

Reality becomes blurred, secrets are revealed, and life will never be the same when the final questions are answered: Is she Francesca or Fiona? And where does she really belong?

Losing Francesca is a YA/NA crossover contemporary romance. :)

GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17404206-losing-francesca

KOBO link: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Losing-Francesca/book-m3NVblrIfUy3kAqen3Rm2g/page1.html?s=bvG6Nhh_M0-USe8yiPFc4A&r=3

B&N link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/losing-francesca-j-a-huss/1115844179?ean=2940016771748

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Losing-Francesca-ebook/dp/B00DMVZ4DM/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JA Huss is a SF and new adult romance junkie, has a love-hate relationship with the bad boys, and likes to write new adult books about people with real problems. She lives with her family on a small acreage farm in Colorado and has two donkeys named Paris and Nicole. Before writing fiction, she authored almost two hundred science workbooks and always has at least three works in progress. Losing Francesca is her first young adult romance.

GOODREADS PROFILE: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6446815.J_A_Huss

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJAHuss

WEBSITE: http://jahuss.com/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/JAHusS

BLOG: http://newadultaddiction.blogspot.com/

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COVER REVEAL - Forged by Legacy: Beginnings by Angela Orlowski-Peart

The third book in the Forged series, Forged by Legacy: Beginnings is coming out on July 10, 2013. Look for it on Amazon first, since their publishing machine works the fastest. Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Sony will follow soon too.
Cover design: Jeannie Ruesch  

Genre: Young Adult paranormal.
Synopsis: Forged by Legacy: Beginnings is the second of two prequels to the Forged series. It is a collection of five short stories, each told from a different character's point-of-view. These stories explain some of the behind-the-scenes facts from the Forged series. Do you want to know how the protagonists, Jatred and Jasmira fell in love? And what really happened during the deadly plane crash? How about the reason behind Savannah and Logan's breakup? Or how do the teens shape shift for the first time? Forged by Legacy: Beginnings answers all these questions - and more.    
Angela Orlowski-Peart was born and raised in Poland. She describes herself as European born, American by choice. She was just seven-years-old when she decided to learn English and translate her favorite Polish fairytales. Angela is the author of the Young Adult and New Adult fiction novels, including YA paranormal/urban fantasy series, The Forged. First book in series, Forged by Greed, was published on September 20, 2012. There are two anthologies of short stories, serving as the prequels to the series. First of them, Forged by Magic: Origins was published on May 31st, 2013. The second anthology, Forged by Legacy: Beginnings, will be out on July 10, 2013. Next three full size novels, including Forged by Coalescence, will be released in 2013 and 2014. Angela is passionate about watercolor painting, fashion—especially stilettos, rock climbing, environment, and organic food and gardening. She lives in the Seattle area with her family and a chronically curious cat. Angela can be found on her website, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest. Stay in touch by signing for Angela’s newsletter HERE.

AUTHOR HIGHLIGHT - Sarah Alderson

I discovered this talented lady when a friend of mine gifted me her book, Hunting Lila. It took me a while to get around to reading it, but when I did.... oh my goodness!!!! I devoured it...and then I immediately purchased Losing Lila (2nd book in the series) and promptly devoured that as well.

Sarah Alderson KNOWS how to write. Her Lila books were fast paced, filled with complex characters, and had one of the best romances I've read in a while. Oh yeah, she's also the queen of similes.

It is my absolute pleasure to have her visit YAlicious today and tell us a little more about the Lila series and her own writing.

First off, I just want to say how much I loved these books. The thing that drew me in more than anything was the awesome romance between Alex and Lila. When you created Alex you must have been swooning. What do you love most about him?
Thanks! Yes indeed, Alex was very much my dream man. When I wrote the book I was completely in love with him (still am). He basically was a composite of a few people and had all the qualities I find attractive in a man. I think what I love most about him is that he's just quietly protective. I'm so sick of reading books about alpha guys who are basically a'holes. You know the ones where they're really aggressive and controlling to the point of being psycho stalkers? That's not sexy. Come on girls. I wish people would read more critically as that's just damaging to young girls who grow up then thinking that's what an ideal man should be like. I love Alex's honour and integrity. That's hot.

You have so many fantastic characters in these books. I ended up liking so many of them. They felt like family somehow. Do you have a favourite among them or one that you felt most connected to?
Oh wow. I'm so connected to all the characters in these books. They're very real to me so it's hard to say, especially as I've spent time in most of their heads now for a short story collection coming out in October, so I feel I know them even better. I love Alex and Lila but I suppose my heart really goes out to Demos. I think he's such a noble character and so misunderstood. He's acting from a place of love and deep mourning. But if I was going to be stranded on a desert island with one of them it would be Alex.

It must have been fun coming up with the different powers some of your characters have. If you had a power, what would you want it to be?
I think Jack's which only get's revealed in Losing Lila. I just love it. But being Nate would be cool too - I wouldn't mind being able to project anywhere I wanted. Imagine the things you could learn if you were a fly on the wall. I'd get all my celeb gossip first hand. I'd hang out a lot with Brangelina and the Obamas.

These books are packed full of awesome action. I love that Alex and Lila's brother are military trained. Did you have any challenges with writing these stories, making sure you were getting the finer details right?
That's why I'm grateful to write in the age of Wikipedia! Between that and reading other military websites and visiting Oceanside where the base is, I think I managed to pull it off. Also I watched Top Gun a lot as a kid. Does that count?

Do you have any future stories planned for Lila and Alex...or any of the other characters?
Tormenting Lila just came out. That's a short story ebook that's set 8 weeks after the end of Losing Lila. I also have a short story collection coming out in October which will include Turning Amber and Catching Suki as well as some new ones. Then there's a very R-rated deleted scene from Losing Lila that's being issued as part of an ebook bind up of the two Lila books - out in January. Everyone keeps asking me about a third Lila book and my feeling is that I will start writing it this year. I just want to make sure that the story is the best story I can think of before I commit. I wouldn't want to let anyone down.

Also the film of Hunting Lila is in the early stages of development - but if it gets the green light, which I'm hoping it does (and soon!) then yes, there will most definitely be a third book. 

Top 5
Music Style: Everything. Currently listening to The XX, The Lumineers, John Martyn, Joni Mitchell, The Civil Wars, Bon Iver, Mumford & Sons, Ohio. I guess I like folk and indie.

Movie Genre: Everything! Fave movies of the last six months: Argo, Django Unchained, Searching for Sugarman.

Book Genre: Young adult and literary fiction.

Ice cream flavour: Chocolate.

Place to write: Anywhere - but preferably my studio overlooking the rice paddies in Bali.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions, Sarah. I'm really excited about the latest short story and the collection you have coming out. Fingers crossed for the movie deal too!! How cool would that be!

If you'd like to purchase any of these awesome books, you can visit Sarah's AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE.

You can also connect with Sarah on her WEBSITE, TWITTER, GOODREADS and FACEBOOK.