The Tara West Giveaway!!

This week's author giveaway is all about Tara West. This remarkable author has written a variety of YA paranormal and fantasy books and has just branched into New Adult fiction as well, releasing her Something More Series.

Tara West writes books about dragons, witches, and handsome heroes while eating chocolate, lots and lots of chocolate. She's willing to share her dragons, witches and heroes. Keep your hands off her chocolate.

Tara West's young adult and new adult romances have been Kindle bestsellers. A former high school English teacher, Tara is now a full-time writer and graphic artist. She enjoys spending time with her family, interacting with her fans, and fishing the Texas coast.

Hang out with her on her Facebook fan page at: https://www.facebook.com/tarawestauthor
Keep up with her latest news at: http://tarawestauthor.wordpress.com/
Or check out her website: www.tarawest.com
She loves to hear from her readers at: tara@tarawest.com

You can check out her work on her AMAZON PAGE.

She has very generously agreed to donate to this week's Weekly Winner giveaway with a stack of awesome swag put together by Dazzling Creations!!

If you'd like to win this cool stuff, please enter the giveaway below.

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And the winner of the Anna Cruise giveaway is...

Megan Stietz!!

Congratulations, Megan. I've sent you an email with further details.

This week features the lovely Tara West. She is giving away some awesome swag for the Weekly Winner giveaway. Yay! Thanks for your generosity, Tara :)

On Thursday I am sharing my Top 5 High School Movies. Can't wait to find out what yours are too!!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone!

March Awesomeness Award

It's time to celebrate people's brilliance today and I'd like to take a moment to hand out an awesomeness award. 

Today's accolade goes to my Indie Inked girls. Having a group of fellow writers around you, supporting you, listening to you, giving you advice and cheering you on is the best thing ever. I honestly don't think I'd be where I am in my career now if it wasn't for these lovely ladies.

So...Indie Inked...THANK YOU!!! 

I love you guys so much. Thank you for making this journey even better than I could have imagined. 

Do you have anyone you'd like to thank? I encourage you to take a few minutes out of your day to email, text, message or call them to tell them how awesome they are and how much they mean to you.

PS - if you'd like to see just how amazing these authors are, you can check out the two Indie Inked Samplers for FREE!!

GET INKED CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE SAMPLER

GET INKED FANTASY SAMPLER

Anywhere But Here by Anna Cruise GIVEAWAY

Anna Cruise is one of my favorite authors so whenever she has a new release, I snaffle it up and devour it. With books like Anywhere But Here, that's really not a hard thing to do.

*****
Jacie Winslow is in the last place she wants to be.

Home.

Forced to leave school when she discovers her tuition money has mysteriously disappeared, Jacie returns to the barren wasteland of Silver Valley. Suddenly, she's back in her own version of hell, living with her irresponsible mother—and her mother's newest derelict boyfriend.

Stuck working a dead-end job in the local coffee shop as she tries to figure out a way back to college, Jacie meets Cade, a stranger who claims to just be passing through town. Jacie can't help but wonder if there's more to his story and, as she gets to know him better, finds him to be the lone bright spot in Silver Valley.

But bright spots are fleeting in this desolate desert town. Especially when Jacie discovers the truth about what happened to the money she'd painstakingly saved—and what she'll need to do to get it back.*****

I really enjoyed this gritty story. The characters were real, vulnerable and had a tenderness to them that I fell in love with. The small town feel of the book had me seeing it as a movie in my head. I could picture it all so clearly and felt like I was wandering the streets with Jacie as she tried to find a place to call home. She was an easy character to empathize with. She has a quiet strength about her that shines through as she encounters one blow after another.

Cade was a calm contrast to Jacie and the perfect partner in my mind. I loved how steady he was. He became Jacie's rock throughout the story. I loved every scene they were in together.

If you're looking for an easy read filled with a combination of angst and romance, then this is the perfect book for you.

AMAZON LINK

If you'd like to check out more of Anna's awesome work, you can visit her AMAZON PAGE or her FACEBOOK PAGE.

To help celebrate Anna's awesomeness, the Weekly Winner Giveaway is all about her. Entry details below.

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COVER REVEAL: I Know Lucy by Melissa Pearl

Releases on April 20, 2014

Add to your Want To Read List on Goodreads

Genre: YA Romantic Suspense

Lucy Tate is on the run. After witnessing the brutal murder of her parents, she's spent five years in hiding -- taking on different personas and faking her way through life. The authorities can't be trusted, so she remains in the shadows, always one beat ahead of the man who is forever hunting her. That is, until she meets Zach Schultz, a senior at Monte Vista High and the one guy she can’t bear to leave. Suddenly her natural instincts to lie, steal, and run are overshadowed by something else...the desire to stay. It’s her one shot at a normal life.

Curious by nature, Zach is immediately drawn to the new girl at school. How can a person look both confident and vulnerable all in the same moment? Determined to learn more about her, he tries to get close, but is thrown into a world of lies and confusion. The only thing that becomes apparent is that discovering the truth may get him killed.

ZACH...

"This is different, you guys." I shook my head. "I mean yes, she is gorgeous. And yes, I'm attracted to her, but it's not just her looks. There's something about her. She's intriguing. It's like she's not all she appears to be or something."

"You can tell that after two minutes of interacting with her? Give me a break." Elliot balled up his napkin and threw it on the table.

"I know I don't know her at all yet, but I can tell there's something more there." I rubbed my bottom lip.

"She looks normal to me." AJ shrugged.

"I think she's pretty. She looks sweet, but..." Liesl turned to spy her quickly. "AJ's right. She looks like any other transfer student. What makes her so different?"

"It's something about her eyes. There's a story in them. I can't even explain why I think that. I just feel like she's got a lot of layers and I want to peel back every single one of them."

"I bet you do." Elliot raised his eyebrows.

"Not like that." I threw him a droll look. "I just want to solve the mystery that is Danielle Harrison."

"Dude, there is no mystery." Elliot slapped his hand lightly on the table.

"Yes there is. I can feel it."

"Careful, Zachy, your Nancy Drew is showing." Jaeda's green eyes were large and round as she gave me a playful look.

"I don't care." I shrugged, confident in the truth that I really didn't. "That girl over there has secrets and I'm gonna figure out what they are."

Giveaway

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Author Bio

Melissa Pearl was born in Auckland, New Zealand, but has spent much of her life abroad, living in countries such as Jordan, Cyprus and Pakistan... not to mention a nine month road trip around North America with her husband. "Best. Year. Ever!!" She now lives in China with her husband and two sons. She is a trained elementary teacher, but writing is her passion. Since becoming a full time mother she has had the opportunity to pursue this dream and her debut novel hit the internet in November 2011. Since then she has continued to produce a steady stream of books. Recently she signed with Evatopia Press and her first Evatopia book is coming out in February 2014 - True Colors, The Masks Series #1. She is very excited to be trying out new things this year while continuing to publish under her own name as well. She has six books planned for 2014 and is excited about writing each and every one of them.

"I am passionate about writing. It stirs a fire in my soul that I never knew I had. I want to be the best writer I can possibly be and transport my readers into another world where they can laugh, cry and fall in love."

http://www.melissapearlauthor.com

Social Links:

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/melissapearlauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelissaPearlG

Blogs: http://melissapearl.blogspot.com/ and http://yalicious.blogspot.com/

Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/melissapearl

Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5314516.Melissa_Pearl

Smashwords Author Page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/melissapearl

Newsletter subscription:  http://eepurl.com/p3g8v

Website: http://www.melissapearlauthor.com

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/melissapearlg/

Other Titles by Melissa Pearl:

The Time Spirit Trilogy

Golden Blood - Black Blood - Pure Blood

The Betwixt Series

Betwixt - Before - Beyond

The Mica & Lexy Series

Forbidden Territory

Forbidden Waters (due for release: 2014)

The Masks Series

True Colors

Book 2 (due for release: 2014)

Book 3 (due for release: 2014)

Book 4 (due for release: 2015)

The Fugitive Series

I Know Lucy (Releasing: April 20th, 2014)

Set Me Free (Releasing: May 18th, 2014)

The Song Bird Series

Fever (Releasing: June 15th, 2014)

NEW RELEASE: Retribution by T. G. Ayer + a giveaway

Congratulations T.G. Ayer for the release of
RETRIBUTION!

RETRIBUTION
Chronicles of the Irin, Book #1
Publisher: Infinite Ink Books

Her name is Evangeline and she is Nephilim.

Evie belongs to the Brotherhood Irin and together with all the other Nephilim of the world she is protector to humanity, protector against evil. But evil has found its way into the Brotherhood. Someone has murdered her guardian and Marcellus, the New Master makes demands of the warriors that go against all they stand for. Demands Evie just can’t carry out.

Evie uncovers Marcellus’ plan to collect a set of special seals, but when a high-level demon reveals the truth behind the Seals of Hades, Evie know there is no way she can allow the Master of the Irin to get his hands on them. But will keeping the Seals from Marcellus cause her to sacrifice more that she should? Will vengeance for her guardian’s death be enough or will she need more to satisfy her Immortal soul?

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   "What exactly are you doing here?" Julian turned to Evie, an edge to his voice.
   She backed away and ended up against the wall, again.
   "Ask yourself that."
   "What's that suppose to mean?" He took another step closer leaving not an inch of space between them.
   Evie’s breath came in short bursts. Her hands went to his chest and she felt the steady strong beat of his heart. She wanted to push him off but more than anything she wanted him closer. Her body hummed with awareness but she forced herself to concentrate on answering him. "Just that is was you who got me down here in the first place. If you're trying to kill me, I'm sure there are better ways than sending me to be chimera-chow."
   "I didn't ask you to come here." Julian was frowning. The beating beneath her fingers sped up.
   "Flavia said you did. Covering your tracks now, are you?"
   She raised an eyebrow, trying not to think about the heat that simmered between them. From Julian’s rapid breath it was clear he wasn’t immune. "Don't be silly. This reeks of Persephone." When he spoke his lips were so close she just had to lift her head a fraction of an inch for them to touch hers. The heated brush of his breath called to her.
   Instead, she remained motionless while trying to force her heart to return to a more decent rate. "I thought so too."
   "Then why did you accuse me?" Julian's glared at her, although she was sure she saw amusement in his eyes. Evie lifted her chin, even though the action brought her mouth way too close to his. "How was I to know you wouldn't defend her and think I'm making all of this up? And how am I to be sure it wasn't really you in the first place?"
   Evie's eyes narrowed as she met his eyes. He stared back at her, blinking so slowly, so lazily that she wondered how it was possible when his heart raced wildly beneath her fingers. 

I have been a writer from the time I was old enough to recognise that reading was a doorway into my imagination. Poetry was my first foray into the art of the written word. Books were my best friends, my escape, my haven. I am essentially a recluse but this part of my personality is impossible to practise given I have two teenage daughters, who are actually my friends, my tea-makers, my confidantes... I am blessed with a husband who has left me for golf. It's a fair trade as I have left him for writing. We are both passionate supporters of each others loves - it works wonderfully...

My heart is currently broken in two. One half resides in South Africa where my old roots still remain, and my heart still longs for the endless beaches and the smell of moist soil after a summer downpour. My love for Ma Afrika will never fade. The other half of me has been transplanted to the Land of the Long White Cloud. The land of the Taniwha, beautiful Maraes, and volcanoes. The land of green, pure beauty that truly inspires. And because I am so torn between these two lands - I shall forever remain crosseyed.

I love talking to my readers so email me if you have any questions or even if you just want to chat...
Email: tgayer@xtra.co.nz or tgayerauthor@gmail.com

Keep up to date with news, release dates and giveaways by subscribing to the newsletter HERE

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GOODREADS

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And the winners for the Riley Graham Giveaway are...

Kat Rellim!!

Tiffany Saylor!!

Congratulations, ladies. Riley will be emailing you this week to organize your prizes for you :)

This week, Monday starts us off with a cool giveaway from T. G. Ayer. She's celebrating the release of her new book - Retribution. Can't wait to show you guys...the cover is amazing!!!

On Thursday is the I Know Lucy Cover Reveal. Eeepppp!! Can't wait!!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone!

Discussion Time: Do you prefer reading a book blind?

The majority of my reading is now done on my Kindle. I love my Kindle. I love the easy access, the lightness of it, the way it is stuffed full of so many books. I'm never without a book and that is such a cool feeling.

The only thing I don't like about reading off my kindle is that it's not as easy to flip to the cover or read the book description. When I read a paperback, I'll often pause to re-look at the cover or I'll flick to the back to re-read the description. I like knowing where a book is going.

But now... I don't really do that anymore. In fact, I'm actually getting into the habit of reading a book blind - meaning I'll launch into a book without knowing anything about it.

I bought a book the other day, because I liked the cover and it was written by someone in my writing group. I knew it was set around the water, because it's called Head Above Water, but that's all I knew. I've started reading it (am really enjoying it too) and it's kinda cool not knowing anything about the story. It's a total blank page for me. I can't make any of my own predictions, because I have no idea where the story is going. The further I get into the book, I'm sure I'll be able to get a better idea. It's just fun starting out knowing nothing.

So how about you?
Do you like knowing where a book is headed or do you prefer to go in blind?
I used to like to know, but I'm learning to love the mystery of the unknown as well.

So - if you've never tried it before, I dare you to give it a go. A risk free way of doing this is to head to the FREE listings on Amazon. Scroll through and pic a cover that intrigues you. Download the book and start reading. You'll know within the first 5 chapters whether it's a good read or not. If it's not, you've wasted less than an hour of your time...or you might be pleasantly surprised :)

Author Interview: Meet Riley Graham! Plus a giveaway!

It's so cool to meet new authors and I have recently enjoyed getting to know Riley Graham, author of Accidents and Incidents. I thought you might like to get to know her a little better too, plus enter her giveaway :D

Sometimes finding love means taking the scenic route …

Living with her faultfinding mother has taught Leslie not to ask for much. Just watch your step, stay on the sidelines, and take what you can get. But she wants a mom who thanks her for cleaning the kitchen instead of yelling at her for missing a spot, and a boyfriend who does more than score her a seat at the popular table—someone who actually notices her sitting there.

So when Cain, the school heartbreaker, turns his Carolina blue eyes her way, Leslie can’t help but be tempted, even if he’s her boyfriend’s best friend. Things get even more complicated when Leslie strikes up unlikely friendships with Meredith, Cain’s girlfriend, and Dennis, a boy addicted to cigarettes and solitude. Despite his tough exterior, Dennis seems to understand Leslie in a way that no one ever has, and to need her as much as she needs him.

For the first time in her life, Leslie feels like she could belong. She’s just not sure where. 

You can find this book on Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / IBooks

Your book sounds awesome! Welcome to YAlicious, Riley!

1. What was the first story you ever wrote (and be honest here - the FIRST one).
The first thing I remember writing was actually a five and a half page poem called "My True Love." I was a freshman in high school writing about a boy I "went with" for about a week, and yes, the writing was as melodramatic and as bad as the title. I distinctly remember comparing my life to a flower and the object of my affection to the sun at some point.

2. What book are you currently reading?
And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard. I loved her debut novel, Paper Covers Rock, and this one has me captivated as well. Both books feature protagonists trying to come to terms with their role in a recent tragic event, and that makes for really good reading.

3. What's your favorite movie set in a high school?
It's a toss-up between The Breakfast Club and Clueless.

4. Who’s your go-to author - so you always buy their books because you trust them and know it’ll be a good read?
Sophie Kinsella. I love how her characters find themselves in the most awkward situations and often dig themselves in deeper before finding their way out. I wish I had her gift for humor!

5. What’s your favorite TV show at the moment?
Downton Abbey. I only recently started the series but watched the entire thing in about a month.

6. Which actor did you have a crush on when you were a teen?
John Stamos. I had a folder dedicated specifically to teen magazine pin-ups of him, and a very good friend who traded me all her John Stamos pictures for my David Hasselhoff ones.

7. Who’s your ultimate book boyfriend?
Sirius Black from the Harry Potter series. Actually, I don't think he'd make a very good boyfriend, but I still have a massive crush on him.

8. Tell us about a favorite character you’ve written and why you like them so much.
I'm just starting my fiction career so my list of characters is pretty small so far, but I do have a soft spot for the protagonist of my current WIP. He's a teen evangelist struggling with his sexual and spiritual identity, and even though his story is very different from mine, I feel close to him because I understand what it feels like to hide part of yourself from the people you love out of fear that they'll reject you.

9. What is your favorite stage of the writing process?
That moment when I'm writing a scene, things start to click, and I can see and hear everything happening as if it were unfolding before me. It doesn't happen as often or as easily as I'd like, but when it does, it feels like magic.

10. If you could celebrate your birthday anyway you wanted to, what would you do?
Go on a nice vacation with my husband and my pets

YAY! Thanks for your awesome answers and your honesty. I love the sound of your poem :D

I love Sophie Kinsella as well. She's so funny. Her Shopoholic series was the best. 

If you'd like to find out more about Riley, you can check out her social links below:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rileygrahamauthor

Twitter: @RileyGrahamYA

Mailing List: http://bit.ly/1b0zOgg

And if you'd like a chance to win an ebook, plus some Riley Graham bookmarks, please enter the giveaway! There will be two winners this week!!

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And the winners for the Heidi McLaughlin Giveaway are....

True Blood Diaries!!

Erika Kneeland Gutermuth!!

Megan Stietz!!

Congratulations, people! I've just sent you an email so I can arrange for you to get your gift :)

This week I have some cool stuff planned with a visit from YA author, Riley Graham. She's answered some fun interview questions and is also going to giving away some swag to go with her ebooks.

On Thursday it's discussion time where I will highlight the book I'm currently reading - Head Above Water by Amber Garza :)

COVER LOVE: March Edition

I love cover art. Nothing thrills me more than seeing an amazing cover that takes my breath away. I have been seeing them pop up all over the place recently. So many good covers. So many books I want to read :)

To try and help me narrow it down for this post, I have decided to choose covers featured on the Goodreads Listopia List - Best Covers of 2014. There are only 38 books so far and I hope people will keep adding the beautiful covers they come across throughout the year.

Here are my favorites off the list so far. (And just as a side note - Kate Strawbridge, the designer for my book True Colors, is currently holding the top 2 spots!!!)

So - in no particular order, because I love them all....

RETRIBUTION by T.G. AYER

Aren't those eyes just so amazing!!

CRASH INTO YOU by KATIE McGARRY

There is something so sweet and sexy about this image.

PANIC by LAUREN OLIVER

I'm curious. Covers like this always intrigue me.

NEARLY GONE by ELLE COSIMANO

Another image that makes me curious. This one is quite stunning.

Have you seen any stunning covers lately? 

Find them on Goodreads and add them to this list...or mention them in the comments section below.

Thanks for stopping by :D

Author Highlight: Heidi McLaughlin....plus her Beaumont Series Giveaway!

It's always a pleasure to read a series you really enjoy. Heidi McLaughlin provided this for me in her Beaumont Series. To me, the books just got better and better. I loved being able to stay in Beaumont and get to know the other band members better. Heidi McLaughlin is the master of balancing her tough rockstar characters with tender moments of sweetness that melt the heart, which is why I wanted to highlight her work today.

MY FOREVER GIRL

MY UNEXPECTED FOREVER

FINDING MY FOREVER

There is also a novella that follows a character from Book 1 - My Everything - but I haven't read that one. I was more interested in following what the band was up to :)

The next book being released soon is a prequel to this series called, Finding My Way. It will be really interesting to read Liam's journey and the cover really says it all.

If you'd like to find out more about this best selling author, you can check out her website: http://heidimclaughlin.com/

And if you'd like a chance to win a copy of one of these books, then you can enter the giveaway below. Because these are stand alone novels and don't have to be read in order (although I did and really enjoyed the progression), I'm going to be selecting 3 winners this week :D

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And the winner of the David Meredith Giveaway is...

Kim Gardner Holliday!!

Congratulations, Kim! I've just sent you an email so I can arrange for you to get your gift :)

This week is going to be super fun, because it's all about cover art, which I just absolutely adore!!!
On Monday, I will be highlighting Heidi McLaughlin's awesome Beaumont Series. There will also be a giveaway, plus you'll get to see the new cover for her upcoming release, Finding My Way. Sweet!

Thursday will be my Cover Love post where I will highlight my favorite covers of the year so far. Fun!

I hope you're all set for an awesome week :D