And the winner of the Set Me Free Giveaway is...

Shannon Romein!!

Congratulations, Shannon. I've sent you an email with further details. Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the giveaway and have supported me in the build up to the SET ME FREE release.



I'm very excited to announce that SET ME FREE is NOW LIVE!!!!!
PLUS, I Know Lucy is on sale for 99c!!

You can pick up your copy of SET ME FREE on: 
AMAZON / B&N / iTUNES / SMASHWORDS
And you can enter the giveaway below.

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me throughout this Fugitive Series journey. It's been such a fun ride and I'm so excited for you to read the conclusion of Lucy's story.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And the winner of the I KNOW LUCY Giveaway is....

Crystal Napper!!

Congratulations, Crystal. I've sent you an email with further details. Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the giveaway and have supported me in the build up to the I KNOW LUCY release.

I'm very excited to announce that I KNOW LUCY is NOW LIVE!!!!!
I'm kicking off with a 99c sale and yes, another giveaway. I just can't help myself, can I!

You can pick up your copy on AMAZON.
And you can enter the giveaway below.

Also this week, I will be featuring an interview from a favorite author of mine, Amber Garza. She has just released a new book that I can't WAIT to read!! I'll be telling you all about it and also giving you the chance to win a copy or two.

And then on Thursday I want to award the Monthly Awesomeness Award to some very cool people. I'm looking forward to telling you who.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And the winner of the A. O. Peart giveaway is...

Louisa & Crystal!!

Congratulations, ladies. I've sent both you an email with further details... and thank you once again, A. O. Peart for donating so generously to the giveaway.

This week is the lead up to the release of I Know Lucy, so I'll be making the Weekly Winner giveaway all about the first book in this new YA Romantic Suspense Series.
Yay!! Can't WAIT to share this book with everybody :)

Series Highlight: Bad Boys by A. O. Peart, plus a giveaway!

Today I am featuring the Almost Bad Boys series by the lovely A. O. Peart...a mix of New Adult romance and suspense with a fair whack of humor, these books are the perfect, light read. If you'd like to win an e-book and some swag, please enter the giveaway below.

Would you take another shot at love? Or just settle on a friend with benefits? 

Their heartbreaking past will move you. Their passion will make you blush. Their antics will make you laugh out loud. 

Twenty-five-year-old Natalie Davenport lugs substantial baggage. One boyfriend after the next has been a total disaster, leaving Natalie distrustful toward the male population in general. So when Colin Hampton crosses her path, she’s cautious. Her heart (and some other body parts!) nudges her to go for it, while her head wants her to run for the hills. 

Colin is one of those gorgeous guys who attract women, no matter the age or marital status. With a successful career at a popular Seattle radio station, hard body, and charming personality, he is the complete package. But something dark lurks in the corners of his soul; some murky experience that has changed him—maybe for the better, but maybe for the worse. 

Will he steal her heart and stomp over it like other guys did? 

Will she let him into her heavily fortified world despite herself? 

Or will they settle somewhere in the middle—establishing the emotional boundaries to protect them from falling in love?

AMAZON PURCHASE LINK - only 99c!!

How far would you go to protect the one you love? 

The terrors of Colin’s past are revealed and accepted by Natalie. Her doubts about letting him into her life are finally disbanded and replaced by a sense of security and commitment. But Natalie doesn’t know that Colin’s past hides more dark secrets unknown even to him. 

When a delusional psychopath threatens Colin’s life, things quickly become complicated. Natalie’s stubborn character and desire to kick ass won’t let her step aside and allow the authorities to handle the danger. She gets herself tangled up with street hoodlums, befriends a Russian mobster’s high-maintenance girlfriend, and becomes expert at picking locks and hiding evidence.

AMAZON PURCHASE LINK - only 99c!!

Where would you draw the line between love and trust? 

When Colin’s feisty great grandma Helga mysteriously disappears, Natalie and the gun-toting Svetlana rush to the rescue. With the help of Russian mafia goons and Natalie’s girlfriends, they get more than they bargained for. Natalie invites trouble into her life all over again. She could find herself questioned by the police, or worse, her relationship with Colin could become rickety once more. 

And so the race begins: with grandma Helga on the loose, Colin turns to the police for help, and Natalie is a stiletto heel tip outside of the law. But being in the wrong has never felt so vindicated. 

AMAZON PURCHASE LINK - only 99c!!

*****

A.O. (Angela) Peart is the author of the New Adult and Young Adult fiction novels, including NA/adult crossover contemporary romantic comedy series Almost Bad Boys. She writes in multiple adult, NA, and YA genres, including contemporary, paranormal, urban fantasy, sci-fi, and short stories.

Angela was born and raised in Poland. She now lives in the Seattle area with her family and a chronically curious cat. 
She describes herself as European born, American by choice.

Website/blog: www.angelapeart.com

Newsletter signup: http://eepurl.com/o6syT

Release Day Promo signup: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAngelaOrlowskiPeart/app_100265896690345

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.: com/author/show/6469948.Angela_Orlowski_Peart

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAngelaOrlowskiPeart

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Angela_Peart

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And the winner of the Tara West Giveaway is....

Eileen!!

Congratulations, Eileen. I've sent you an email with further details and thank you once again, Tara West for donating so generously to the giveaway.

This week we're going to be highlighting a new adult series by A.O. Peart, which will of course include our Weekly Winner giveaway. Yay!

On Thursday I am reviewing Endless Love - a gorgeous, romantic movie I had the pleasure of seeing recently.

I hope you are all set to have an awesome week!

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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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!

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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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!

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!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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 :)

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

And the weekly winner of the True Colors Blog Tour is.....

Marcia Woodell!!

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

Due to the massive True Colors Masquerade Ball happening this afternoon...
https://www.facebook.com/events/468910383213992/
I'm going to have a one week break from blogging. Preparation for this party has really knocked the stuffing out of me :) It's going to be an awesome event though and I really hope you can make it!

True Colors is now live on AMAZON and SMASHWORDS if you would like to score yourself a copy. 
It's currently 99c for a limited time :)

Thank you so much to all blog tour participants and all the people who checked out the different posts.
You guys rock!!!

Welcome to the world, True Colors, it's so awesome to have you here!!!

And the Weekly Winner for the Julia Crane Giveaway is...

Kat Rellim!!

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

This week we have the start of the True Colors Blog Tour and Giveaway. Sweet! I'll be posting the schedule so you can follow along, read excerpts and guest posts about the book, plus a review or two.

And because Valentine's Day is this week too, I'll also be doing a Top 5 post on Thursday...Romantic Movies! Le sigh! Can't wait to find out yours too :)

And the Weekly Winner for the Suzy Turner Giveaway is....

Tiffany Saylor!!

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

We have another great week planned, starting with a visit from the talented Julia Crane. We are interviewing her about her IFICS series and her books will be part of the Weekly Winner giveaway.

And on Thursday we'll have a discussion post about what types of things you look for on authors' blogs and websites.

Have a great start to your week everybody :)

Author Guest Post + Giveaway: Suzy Turner

Suzy Turner is such a fantastic author to know. She's energetic, enthusiastic and loves writing as much as I do...and like me, the idea of seeing her books played out on screen is a total thrill.

When she told me last year that she was embarking on an indie film project, I nearly fell off my chair. Yes, the wonderful Suzy Turner is seeing her books made into a short film. It is so freaking exciting and I feel so privileged to be able to watch her journey.

She has very kindly given us some of her precious time to tell us about the project...

A couple of years ago I had the privilege of working on a British movie that was being shot in the Algarve (where I've lived since I was ten). There I met some amazing friends - both experienced and inexperienced in the world of film making. At the time, a few of us said, 'we should make a trailer for your books'. I nodded and agreed - it would be amazing, I thought.

Then life got in the way and we didn't talk about it again until last year when Pedro, a musician and keen amateur film maker, got in touch and suggested we make a short movie instead. Naturally, I jumped at the possibility and we met up and began to discuss things further. 

Gradually our plans developed and soon we had more friends on board, keen to get involved with such a unique project here in southern Portugal. It would be a short movie based on my YA urban fantasy books, The Morgan Sisters. As more and more people came forward offering their time and skills for free, Pedro and I began to realise the enormity of what we were doing, but it didn't matter, we were in it for the long haul!

So we began shooting back in November, on freezing cold dark nights (I stupidly wrote the majority of the script at night in a cemetery!) shivering, drinking lots of hot tea and coffee to keep us warm. But regardless of the conditions, everyone was amazing. We took a long break over Christmas as I was away in England for over three weeks, but we began shooting again last weekend. Unfortunately dire weather conditions have hampered our efforts to film outdoors but we had such a laugh shooting in front of the green screen! I'm keeping quiet about what we were filming though, as that will be a surprise.

We've only filmed about a third of the scenes so far, and we can only shoot on weekends because most of our cast are school-going teenagers so it's going to take a few more months to complete, but it's enormous fun for everyone involved. We're hoping to have a teaser ready in a few weeks, which is very exciting. I can't wait!

More info on www.suzyturner.com

I am so excited about that teaser!

If you'd like to win a copy of the Morgan Sisters books (The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw, The Temporal Stone and Daisy Madigan's Paradise) you can enter the Weekly Winner Giveaway below. And don't forget to check out Suzy Turner's website to see updates on the film.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Highlight & Giveaway: Simone Elkeles

One of my favorite YA authors of all time, the lady who got me totally hooked on YA reading was Simone Elkeles. I started with Perfect Chemistry and quickly fell in love. I have read all her books now. She has a flair to her writing that I just adore. Her characters are easy to fall in love with, her conflicts are real, there's always heightened tension and drama, spiced up with a little humor. They are everything I look for in a book.

I wanted to take a few minutes today to highlight her different series and because it's Monday, I'll be giving away a couple of Simone Elkeles e-books.

The first two books I read and loved were:

Perfect Chemistry

Rules of Attraction

This is an excellent series. I read these books so fast and ended up re-reading them only a month or so after I was done. I just could not get the characters out of my head.

*****

A very light series that was really funny and I definitely enjoyed was the Ruined Series:

Filled with lots of humor and sexy tension between the two main characters, I really got lost in these stories as well.

*****

And then the Paradise 2-book series is well worth a read:

Again, great sexual tension between two characters that were wounded and real. I loved their back stories and the way life had affected them both made their romance so much more powerful.

*****

Her latest book, Wild Cards, was awesome. I really, really loved it and I will be giving away an e-copy of it for the Weekly Winner giveaway this week. I'm also going to throw in an e-copy of Perfect Chemistry :)

So that's a very small tribute to an author who has inspired and entertained me throughout the last few years. 

Thanks for writing such great novels, Simone Elkeles. You are a legend :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And the Weekly Winners of the Patti Larsen Giveaway Are...

Angel Lawson,

Alexandru Rusu

and

Book Chatter Cath!!

Congratulations to the three winners!! Patti Larsen will be getting in touch with you directly to organize the receiving of your gifts.

Next week we have another good line up with a showcase and giveaway for one of my favorite YA authors - Simone Elkeles!!

We also have the first Top 5 for the year.

I hope you're all having a brilliant weekend and I look forward to seeing you again on Monday :)

xx

Author Highlight - PATTI LARSEN

It is my total pleasure to have Patti Larsen visit YAlicious today. When I was first starting out in the indie publishing world, I read a post by her that totally inspired me and I've been watching her progress ever since.

Author of a myriad of books, Patti Larsen is Purely Paranormal and an author who has done all us indie's proud.

Today she is visiting with two Top 5's and thanks to her amazing generosity has also provided the Weekly Winner prize pack for not just one, but THREE people.

Thank you so much for joining us on YAlicious today, Patti. It's awesome to have you :)

About Patti Larsen:

You’re not looking for my polished bio, huh? You sure you want more? The real dirty, down deep, nitty gritty? Fair enough. Here goes: I’m a card-carrying nerd. It’s taken years to admit it. I’m also a hermit in a writing basement who prefers solitude to people (cats always welcome). I’m a writing fiend who hears the voices of teenagers and blushes at the S-E-X parts. I don’t sleep very well. Ever. My mind is too busy. I am a feline loving married woman who could easily end up a crazy cat lady if my husband would let me. I am a paradigm shifter, a believer in self and my own personal power. I see everything in black and white until the gray is explained to me. I am a fiercely loyal friend, a confidant and a Tarot card reader and intuitive. I am a proud geek fangirl, a total dweeb and can’t dance to save my soul. I am terrified of heights and challenge that fear every chance I get. Oh, and I’m the Creator. The Queen of my own Destiny. I love that.

You can find me all over the Internet

www.pattilarsen.com

Five of My Favorite Characters

This was actually very hard and I had to force myself to choose only characters who had their own series.

1. Sydlynn Hayle, hands down. Though she resists her power at first, who wouldn’t want to be a teen witch with tons of power and two hot guys vying for you?

2. Reid from the Hunted series. No matter the circumstances, he never quits, never gives up and looks out for those who need him.

3. Trio (Clone Three), partly because she’s so determined despite how broken she is. Memory lost, she perseveres, even learns to love in a post-apocalyptic world dying around her. Tragic but heroic.

4. Auburdeen Hayle, great-great-great grandmother of Sydlynn Hayle. She’s funny, brave and adventurous. I love how she throws herself into danger without thinking about the consequences.

5. Fresco Conte’s journey always breaks my heart, from a football hero to a drug addict dying on the street, his strength and determination still surprise me.

*****

You can find all of my top five characters in Purely Paranormal, a collection of first books in five series:

http://bit.ly/purelyparanormal

Five things I Love about my Job

1. Working from home, so on icy cold days I can stay inside and be toasty warm (can you tell it’s winter in my part of the world?)

2. Being a creator, exploring worlds and lives I would never have the chance to experience.

3. Meeting amazing readers and other fabulous writers (thanks for having me, Melissa!) and especially finding out authors you admire like your work, too :)

4. Being in control of my own destiny, being my own boss. It’s amazing.

5. Making a living doing what I always wanted. What’s not to love?

I couldn't agree more. I feel lucky every day to be writing :)

Thank you so much for sharing a piece of yourself with us and thank you for your generosity, Patti.

If you'd like to win an e-copy of Purely Paranormal, plus one of Patti's pendant key chains, please enter the giveaway below. Winner will be announced on Sunday.

If you'd like to connect with Patti online, you can find her on:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pattilarsenauthor

Twitter: www.twitter.com/PattiLarsen

Website: www.bit.ly/pattilarsen

And you can sign up for new release updates: www.bit.ly/pattilarsenemail

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And the 1st Weekly Winner of 2014 is....

BOOK CHATTER CATH!!

Yay - I know this lovely lady and she's a peach.

Congratulations, Cath. I will look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway. The next one starts tomorrow, with the prizeS (squee!!) being supplied by our fantastic guest author - Patti Larsen!!

And later this week we have the True Colors Cover Reveal which I'm also uber excited about.

I hope everyone is having a brilliant weekend. I look forward to seeing you all next week :D

xx