Title: Upside Down (Off the Map #1)
Author: Lia Riley
Publisher: Grand Central/Forever Trade Paperback, 384 Pages (May 12th, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK, Amazon Australia, Kobo

Check out my review for: Upside Down (Off the Map #1)

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: Book #1 in the OFF THE MAP series
New Adult Contemporary Romance

If You Never Get Lost, You’ll Never Be Found

Twenty-one-year-old Natalia Stolfi is saying good-bye to the past-and turning her life upside down with a trip to the land down under. For the next six months, she'll act like a carefree exchange student, not a girl sinking under the weight of painful memories. Everything is going according to plan until she meets a brooding surfer with hypnotic green eyes and the troubling ability to see straight through her act.

Bran Lockhart is having the worst year on record. After the girl of his dreams turned into a nightmare, he moved back home to Melbourne to piece his life together. Yet no amount of disappointment could blind him to the pretty California girl who gets past all his defenses. He's never wanted anyone the way he wants Talia. But when Bran gets a stark reminder of why he stopped believing in love, he and Talia must decide if what they have is once in a lifetime . . . or if they were meant to live a world apart.

Excerpt:

        “A few meters more, you’re almost there.”
        It’s like we’re at the end of some old-school adventure tale, one where the heroes are stoic even as the blizzard rages, avalanches fall, and death hovers like a benevolent ghost.
        Well, Bran is the hero.
        I’m like one of the minor sidekicks who goes down during some important turning point. My death might even inspire the hero on his journey or teach him a valuable lesson. But at this point in the flick, the minor sidekick should be well and truly dead. Not white-knuckling a column of dolerite rock, thighs gripping the stone like it’s the world’s best lover.
        “That’s it, Talia,” Bran’s voice is encouraging. “You’re holding tight, that’s great. Now, I’m going to need you to release your left hand and reach up a few inches to grab the next hold.”
        I grit my teeth. The way he talks, you’d think I’m scaling Everest. Or at least Kilimanjaro. Instead—
        “’Scuse, us, we’ll be by in a tic. That’s the way, Andy, right around the lady.”
        I’m the lady. Andy is a kid who doesn’t look a day over seven who scrambles past me in a flurry of Spider-Man shoes and gap-toothed smiles. His parents bring up the rear, smiling up at their wild monkey child with obvious pride.
        And they aren’t the first group to pass me.
        Five Swedish women, a couple, and a guy who looked to be in his mid-seventies have also shot past me during the course of the last quarter hour.
        The top is so close I can taste it. Bran is being nothing but encouraging, but below me is a twenty-foot drop. Not enough to kill me, unless I fall with some sort of suicidal intent, but enough to make me feel incredibly uneasy about the boulder field.
        Bran eases toward me. “Talia, take my hand.”
        “Can’t let go.”
        “Talia.”
        “No.” This is it; this is the reason. Bran isn’t going to admit it here, while I’m bordering on a panic attack on a trail being conquered by elementary school children and senior citizens, but there’s no doubt this is A REASON to lose interest in me. I’m giving him a big capital-lettered reason, but I can’t stop. I physically can’t let go.
        “Talia. Take a deep breath.”
        “Breath taken.”
        “Another.”
        “Okay.”
        “Give me your hand, no bullshit. I want your fingers in mine. You’ll be safe. I’m going to keep you safe. I need you to trust me.”
        Somehow I do it. I give him my fingers. He assists me up. We’re doing this together. My head clears the boulder and I can see the steel marker that identifies the summit ahead. Holy shit, he’s right. I’m going to reach the top.
        A few more steps, easy now, and we’re there. The kid in the Spider-Man shoes munches a Vegemite sandwich. I want to scoop him up in a smooshy squeeze. Except his parents would likely object, so I switch gears to give Bran a long and passionate kiss.
        “I knew you’d get here,” he says.
        “I didn’t.”
        He turns me to see the view, his hands tight around my waist. “Your place is here, Captain, in the sun,” he whispers in my ear. “Don’t ever forget that.”

About the Author: 

Lia Riley writes offbeat New Adult Romance. After studying at the University of Montana-Missoula, she scoured the world armed only with a backpack, overconfidence and a terrible sense of direction. She counts shooting vodka with aUkranian mechanic in Antarctica, sipping yerba mate with gauchos in Chile and swilling XXXX with stationhands in Outback Australia among her accomplishments. When not torturing heroes (because c'mon, who doesn't love a good tortured hero?), Lia herds unruly chickens, camps, beach combs, daydreams about as-of-yet unwritten books, wades through a mile-high TBR pile and schemes yet another trip. She and her family live in Northern California.

Find Lia Online:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

GIVEAWAY!!!

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To help celebrate the PAPERBACK Release for author Chelsea Fine's - Best Kind of Broken - I'm helping to take part in a "Flashback Tour"! Take a peek at my review that was originally part of the tour when the eBook was released. I LOVE this book and author and you should without a doubt grab a copy and give it a read!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway below where Chelsea is offering up one heck of a great prize! Goodluck!

Title: Best Kind of Broken (Finding Fate #1)

Author: Chelsea Fine

Publisher: Forever, 336 Pages (March 4th, 2014)

From: the Author/Publisher

Format: eARC

Add to: Goodreads

Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: SOMETIMES MOVING ON MEANS MOVING IN

Pixie Marshall wishes every day she could turn back time and fix the past. But she can't. And the damage is done. She's hoping that a summer of free room and board working with her aunt at the Willow Inn will help her forget. Except there's a problem: the resident handyman is none other than Levi Andrews. The handsome quarterback was once her friend-and maybe more--until everything changed in a life-shattering instant. She was hoping to avoid him, possibly forever. Now he's right down the hall and stirring up feelings Pixie thought she'd long buried . . .

Levi can't believe he's living with the one person who holds all his painful memories. More than anything he wants to make things right, but a simple "sorry" won't suffice--not when the tragedy that scarred them was his fault. Levi knows Pixie's better off without him, but every part of him screams to touch her, protect her, wrap her in his arms, and kiss away the pain. Yet even though she's so close, Pixie's heart seems more unreachable than ever. Seeing those stunning green eyes again has made one thing perfectly clear--he can't live without her.

Review: 4 Stars - Best Kind of Broken, is the latest release from author Chelsea Fine. In this title, Chelsea takes readers on an emotional journey between two characters that are… broken.

 Pixie and Levi haven’t talked in awhile so when they run into each other at the last place they expect to see each other it’s an all out war. A war over shared space and hot water is just the start. The issues for these two unfold throughout the book. They grew up together and when a shared event from their past tears them apart it creates a very strained and awkward reunion to say the least.

The tension between Pixie and Levi is hot, hotter and downright blazing! And it’s not just in sexual tension either. With emotions running between these two while trying to fight them off it was bound to create some amazing and heartbreaking moments.

The story is heartbreaking and the characters extremely likeable which allows readers to become quickly absorbed in the book and before you know it you’ve devoured the entire book in one sitting! Also I should mention that this one will have readers running through a full range of emotions right along with the characters. One minute I was frustrated at how stubborn they were and then the next I wanted to hug them both. It without a doubt has its fair share of ups and downs, which only added to how wonderful this title is.

That’s one thing that I’ve always loved about Chelsea’s writing, story and characters. She writes emotion well which in turn makes it easy to get emotionally attached to her characters. I’ve loved her books in the past and I was excited to see her take on the “New Adult” category, and I think she did an excellent job with her first title in the Finding Fate series.

In the end this one is another winner from Chelsea. She has quickly and quite easily become one of my favorite authors who I’m always begging for more from. She knows this and puts up with it well. I highly recommend this title, heck ANY of her titles to fans who love great characters you’ll love, a well written story you’ll find yourself lost in. “New Adult” and contemporary fans don’t pass this one up! I’m sure it’ll be a hit to everyone who reads. Enjoy!

  

"By turns humorous and heartbreaking, Best Kind Of Broken has become one of my favorites!" --- CORA CARMACK, New York Times bestselling author of Losing It.

"You'll fall for Pixie and Levi, just like I did!" --- JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT (J. Lynn), #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wait For You

"Tangled with friendship, history and heartbreak--not to mention a huge dose of humor--Chelsea Fine's New Adult novel is not to be missed! Beyond an incredibly HOT read, Pixie and Levi's longing for each other will have you rooting for them till the very end." --- JAY CROWNOVER, New York Times bestselling author of Rule

"This book destroyed me. Tore me into little tiny pieces. But somehow with lots of laughs and some very steamy times, Chelsea put me back together again! Chelsea Fine's style is witty, visceral and fresh. All I wanted to do was crawl inside this book and live with the characters. And now all I want is MORE." --- CHELSEA M. CAMERON, New York Times bestselling author of My Favorite Mistake

"Sandwiched between laugh out loud moments and some serious heat, Best Kind of Broken is an unforgettable story of loss and forgiveness that will leave your heart aching." --- LISA DESROCHERS, USA Today bestselling author of A Little Too Far

ABOUT CHELSEA FINE:

Chelsea lives in Phoenix, Arizona where she spends most of her time writing stories, painting murals, and avoiding housework at all costs. She’s ridiculously bad at doing dishes and claims to be allergic to laundry. Her obsessions include: superheroes, coffee, sleeping-in, and crazy socks. She lives with her husband and two children, who graciously tolerate her inability to resist teenage drama on TV and her complete lack of skill in the kitchen. 

Find  Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | YouTube | Instagram

GIVEAWAY!!!

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Title: Breaking Nova (Nova, #1)
Author: Jessica Sorensen
Publisher: Paperback release - Forever, 224 Pages (October 7th, 2104)
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult
Add to: Goodreads
Order online here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: Nova Reed used to have dreams-of becoming a famous drummer, of marrying her true love. But all of that was taken away in an instant. Now she's getting by as best she can, though sometimes that means doing things the old Nova would never do. Things that are slowly eating away at her spirit. Every day blends into the next ... until she meets Quinton Carter. His intense, honey brown eyes instantly draw her in, and he looks just about as broken as she feels inside.

Quinton once got a second chance at life — too bad he doesn't want it. The tattoos on his chest are a constant reminder of what he's done, what he's lost. He's sworn to never allow happiness into his life ... but then beautiful, sweet Nova makes him smile. He knows he's too damaged to get close to her, yet she's the only one who can make him feel alive again. Quinton will have to decide: does he deserve to start over? Or should he pay for his past forever?

Excerpt:

I sit there for a while, drinking in her words. I get caught up in it all—in her—and suddenly I’m pressing my lips against hers. I’ve done this a lot before, as a way to distract myself from my life. But this isn’t the same. This means something, but I’m still trying to figure out what and if I want it or even deserve to get it.

At first she stiffens, but then she hooks her arms around the back of my neck and inches closer, opening her mouth to me as she spreads her legs open and my hands travel higher toward the bottom of her shorts. She tastes like beer and smells like pot. Tristan’s gone but he could come back at any moment. I should stop this. I should care enough to stop Tristan from seeing this, but my will to care about doing the right thing at this moment has died. My thoughts are blurred by the lingering high and the scent and feel of Nova. All I seem to care about is caressing her tongue with mine and feeling her skin because it’s soft and soothing and in another life I’d touch it all the time.

I’m about to pull away, because emotions are prickling inside me, when she swings her leg over me so she’s straddling my lap, then she grips the sides of my neck and pulls me closer. She kisses me fiercely, to the point where it feels like my lips are going to bruise, then she’s crushing her chest against mine as she gently rocks her hips. I dig my fingers into her waist, bringing her even closer, before I push her back, breaking the connection of our lips.

She’s panting, wild-eyed, her hair falling out of the braid. She glances to the side at Tristan’s empty chair and then looks back at me.

“We should stop,” I say, but it sounds like a lame attempt, my voice drifting off at the end.

“W-why?” She stutters a protest and I have to admit that it’s nice there are no tears in her eyes. “I don’t want to.”

I brush her hair back from her eyes and let my fingers linger on the bruise on her cheek. “You don’t even know me, Nova. I’m no good for you… you deserve so much better.” Please run away. Because I can’t seem to do it myself.

Her jaw tenses, like I struck a nerve. “I think I should get to decide that.”

“Whether I’m good enough for you?” I ask.

“Yeah, which I can only decide if I get to know you,” she says.

I motion my hand in front of myself, pressing the point. “This is pretty much it. What you see is what you get.”

“That’s never the case,” she disagrees, flattening her palms onto my bare chest right over the scar and my body goes rigid. “In fact, most of the time people hide who they really are.” Her throat bobs up and down as she swallows hard. “Most of the time you think you know someone, but you really have no clue.”

Author Bio:

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jessica Sorensen, lives in the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.

Find Jessica Online:

Website/Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY!!!

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Title: Find You in the Dark (Find You in the Dark #1)
Author: A. Meredith Walters 
Publisher: PAPERBACK Release - Gallery Books, 368 Pages (June 17th, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: Maggie Young had the market on normal. Normal friends, normal parents, normal grades.. normal life. Until him. 

Clayton Reed was running from his past and an army of personal demons that threatened to take him down. He never thought he had a chance at happiness. Until her.

Maggie thought their love could overcome anything. Clay thought she was all he needed to fix his messy life. That together, they could face the world. But the darkness is always waiting.

Sometimes the greatest obstacle to true love is within yourself.

About the Author:

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary and Paranormal romance including The Find You in the Dark and Bad Rep series as well as the upcoming stand alone romance, Reclaiming the Sand, and a dark new adult series for Gallery Books.

A. Meredith spent ten years as a counselor for at risk teens and children. First working at a Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault program and then later a program for children with severe emotional and mental health issues. Her former clients and their stories continue to influence every aspect of her writing.

When not writing (or being tortured with all manner of beauty products at the hand of her very imaginative and extremely girly daughter), she is eating chocolate, watching reality television that could rot your brain and reading a smutty novel or two.

A. Meredith is represented by Michelle Johnson with the Inklings Literary Agency.

Find A. Meredith Online:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Meredith-Walters/311504738868378

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/AMeredithWalters

Title: The Bet (The Bet #1)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Publisher: Paperback Release - Forever, 288 Pages (April 29th, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK, iTunes

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: "I have a proposition for you." Kacey should have run the minute those words left Seattle millionaire Jake Titus's mouth. It's been years since Kacey's seen her childhood friend Jake, but the minute Jake mentions his ill grandmother, Kacey is ready to do anything for the sweet old woman. And if that means pretending they're engaged for her sake—so be it.

But Kacey wasn't counting on Jake's older brother Travis still being there. She calls him "Satan" for a reason: she's never forgotten the way he teased and taunted her. Yet when they meet again, Travis's gorgeous smile is a direct hit to her heart . . . and Kacey's more confused than ever. As the days pass, only one thing starts to become alarmingly clear-she never should have accepted Jake's deal . . .

Excerpt:

        “Kace!” Travis strolled into the room, absolutely shirtless and wearing nothing but pajama pants. Was her tongue hanging out of her mouth? Oh God, she was beginning to sweat. Geez, at least turn the air on in this place.
        Averting her eyes, she managed an awkward laugh. “What’s up?”
        “Movie night.” He threw a pillow at her and went to the DVDs.
        “Um, is it naked movie night? I’m not sure I got that memo.”
        She looked him up and down when he turned around.
        “I’m sorry. Does my masculinity frighten your prudish nature?”
        She snorted. “Please. I just don’t want to get last night’s skank on me. I hear diseases travel through too much skin contact.”
        He rolled his eyes. “I’ll put on a shirt if you take off yours.”
        How tempting that was . . . “Take off my shirt? So you can finally see my boobs? Oh gosh, Travis. Let me think. Give you the fantasy you’ve been dreaming of for years or keep my pride? Yeah, I think I’ll keep my pride.”
        He shrugged. “Suit yourself, but it really isn’t a slumber party if you’re not naked.”
        “What the hell kind of slumber parties were you subjected to as a child?” Kacey asked.
        Travis grinned shamelessly. “Only the good ones. Now seriously, go change into sweats. I’ll wait.”
        “Fine.” She hopped off, her heart beating erratically out of her chest. This witty banter had to stop. For crying out loud, they were adults! Not teenagers! She grabbed some short Victoria’s Secret shorts and a black tank and put on her slippers to make it look less . . . seductive. Not that she was seducing him. Her stupid skin betrayed her in the mirror as it turned a very nice crimson color.
        She really needed to start dating more.
        Taking the stairs two at a time, she went back down to the living room and saw Travis opening a bottle of wine; thankfully he had put a shirt on. She wasn’t sure she could handle any more of his glistening muscles that evening. “Thought you could use this, even though it’s not good for the baby.” He winked.
        “I would drink that whole bottle if I knew it wouldn’t get me completely drunk. I miss wine.”
        “Um, you haven’t had it for one night, and you miss it?”
        “Clearly, you underestimate my relationship with wine and what I do on the weekends when I’m by myself reading.”
        “You wild thing, you.” Travis nudged her and filled her glass to the brim. He should be sainted, immediately.
        Their fingers brushed slightly as he handed the wine over. His eyes flickered to her shorts, and he cleared his throat. “Those are nice.”
        “Thanks.” She inwardly smiled.
        “Are they shorts or underwear?”
        Was he being serious? “Shorts, you ass. Now, what movie are we watching?”
        “Guess.”
        “Not in the mood, not near enough wine in my system for me to embark on such a strenuous activity.”
        “Ah, pregnancy brain, it does it to ya; it really does.” Travis got up and turned off the lights, then pressed Play. “I thought you might want to watch a horror movie.”
        “Horror movie?”
        A cartoon popped up on the screen. Kacey blinked as the music came on, then nearly fell out of her seat. “Oh my gosh, we can’t watch this, Travis. I can’t watch this. It’s been forever and . . .”
        “Conquer your fears, Kace.”
        Kacey scooted a little closer to him, just in case some of the cartoons did in fact decide to pop out and devour her.
        He pressed Pause and laughed. “Kace, really? I thought you’d be over this fear by now.”
        “It’s not a fear.” Kacey drank her wine faster. “It’s a scary movie!”
        “It’s Alice in Wonderland.”
        Kacey shook her head a few times and drank some more wine.
        “Damn that Cheshire cat.”
        Travis held up his wine. “To conquering old fears?”
        Something shifted between them then. His eyes, though it was dark, seemed to be hiding something, as if he were talking about more than her stupid phobia. She leaned in, now completely relaxed from downing half her wine already, and whispered, “To conquering old fears.”

About the Author:

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at www.rachelvandykenauthor.com.

Find Rachel Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY!!!

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Title: Precious Blood (The Blessed, #1)
Author: Tonya Hurley
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 432 Pages (Paperback release - June 25th, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order the Paperback here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: From the author of the New York Times bestselling ghostgirl series, the start to a captivating and haunting teen trilogy about three girls who become entangled with an enigmatic boy—a boy who believes he is a saint.What if martyrs and saints lived among us? And what if you were told you were one of them?

Meet Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy. Three lost girls, each searching for something. But what they find is Beyond Belief. The story begins in PRECIOUS BLOOD and continues in PASSIONARIES, available 1/7/14.

Today I'm excited to welcome Tonya Hurley to help celebrate the paperback release of Precious Blood! Tonya, I know I'd love to know.....

What would you do if someone told you that you were a saint?  Would you believe them?

In my novel, PRECIOUS BLOOD this is the fantastical and life-changing proposition posed by the mysterious Sebastian, to Cecilia, Lucy and Agnes, three Brooklyn teenagers who are the heroines of the story.  Of the three, runaway rocker Cecilia, would seem the hardest to convince.  She believes in one thing, and one thing only, her music.

Photo Credit: Natalie
Shau

SAINT CECILIA

Cecilia Trent is based on Saint Cecilia, a third century virgin-martyr revered as the patron saint of music.  The legends say she was a Roman noblewoman by birth who converted her husband to Christianity and was executed for trying to convert others.  Struck three times in the neck with a sword, she did not die but rather sang praises to God for three days until she finally expired from her wounds.  St. Cecilia is often pictured with a cello, harp or piano, as a visualization of the music she is said to have heard coming from the angels on the day of her wedding.   Many famous musicians have used her as a muse for their works over the years.

Today the Saints and Sinner tour also stops by Bewitched Bookworms to introduce the other Cecilia!

Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur

About the Author

Tonya Hurley is the New York Times best-selling author of the highly acclaimed “ghostgirl“ book series; creator, writer and producer of animated and live action hit television series; writer and director of independent films; writer and director of commercials for Playstation, Gameboy and Warner Home Video; and creator of groundbreaking videogames. Her new young adult trilogy, THE BLESSED, begins with Precious Blood.

Find Tonya and The Blessed Online:

Learn more at - http://theblessed.com

Like The Blessed on - Facebook

Follow The Blessed and Tonya Hurley on Twitter and join the conversation using #PreciousBlood

Follow The Blessed on - Pinterest

Praise for Precious Blood:

“Our new favorite dark, sexy rock-n-roll thriller.” (SugarScape.com)

“Intriguing premise, fiery dialogue, and digs about celebrity-obsessed culture that moves at the speed of Twitter…” (Publishers Weekly)

"...Hurley brings her deadpan wit and blackest humor to the first tale in this trilogy about spirituality, sacrifice and supernatural romance." (MTV Hollywood Crush)

GIVEAWAY!!!

One (1) winner receives:

· Earbuds (courtesy of Cecilia, Patron Saint of Music)

· Sunglasses (courtesy of Lucy, Patron Saint of Sight)

· Essie Chastity Nail Polish (courtesy of Agnes, Patron Saint of Chastity)

· Copy of Precious Blood

· AND a Cecilia t-shirt

Giveaway open to U.S. addresses only.
Must be 13 years old to enter.
Giveaway ends: July 5th, 2013 (12:00AM EST)



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Check out the rest of the tour!

Monday, June 17: Meet Agnes the girl at Confessions of a Bookaholic and Agnes the Saint at Candace’s Book Blog.

Tuesday, June 18: Meet Cecilia the girl at Bewitched Bookworms and Cecilia the Saint at A Life Bound by Books.

Wednesday, June 19: Meet Lucy the girl at The Reading Date and Lucy the Saint at All Things Urban Fantasy.

Thursday, June 20: Meet Sebastian the boy at Vampire Book Club and Sebastian the Saint at The Book Cellar.

Friday, June 21: In Bed With Books has a Q&A with Tonya.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book or any of the items, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for sharing this post and or giveaway. Both prizing & samples courtesy of Simon & Schuster.