Hey everyone! Welcome to the last day in a week long event - Heartbreakers Blog Tour!

Over the last week I've be one of SEVEN blogs featuring a bunch of amazing authors and their characters throughout.

Today is the last day of the Heartbreakers Blog Tour! I have FOUR amazing authors today -

Eileen Cook, Brenda Hiatt, Jenny Kaczorowski & Jen McConnel!!!

Please be sure to come back and check out each day during the week for more chances to WIN!


Title: Year of Mistaken Discoveries
Author: Eileen Cook
Publisher: Simon Pulse, 272 Pages (February 25th 2014)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Friendship is a bond stronger than secrets in this novel from the author of The Almost Truth and Unraveling Isobel.

As first graders, Avery and Nora bonded over a special trait they shared they were both adopted.

Years later, Avery is smart, popular, and on the cheerleading squad, while Nora spends her time on the fringes of school society, wearing black, reading esoteric poetry, and listening to obscure music. They never interact...until the night Nora approaches Avery at a party, saying its urgent. She tells Avery that she thought she found her birth mom but it turned out to be a cruel lie. Avery feels for Nora, but returns to her friends at the party.

Then Avery learns that Nora overdosed on pills. Left to cope with Nora's loss and questioning her own actions, Avery decides to honor her friend by launching a search for her own birth mother. Aided by Brody, a friend of Nora's who is also looking for a way to respect Nora's legacy, Avery embarks on an emotional quest. But what shes really seeking might go far deeper than just genetics.

About the Author:

Eileen Cook spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer.

You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.

Find Eileen Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Interview -

So many of your titles include Love and Romance. If you could choose two characters from one of your previous titles and set them up on a date – could even be a blind date between characters from two different books, who would you set up and what type of date would they go on?

I have a hard time setting up characters from different books for some reason. I think because I picture them so perfectly with whom they meet in their own book.  In my last book, THE ALMOST TRUTH, the main character, Sadie, is a teen-age con artist who fights feelings that she has for her best friend Brendan. She worries that falling for him means staying in their small town and never escaping; by the end of the book she realizes it isn’t true.   I would love to see Brendan and Sadie have a chance to have a really swanky date, walking through museums in New York City and then going to a small café where they could talk for hours while watching people wander by outside and then maybe go ice skating at Rockefeller Plaza.

What can you tell us about your next title – The Year of Mistaken Discoveries?

I am really excited for this book to hit the shelves. It deals with coping with how friendships change and what do you do when that happens, and also a big interest of mine- how do you figure out who you are separate from who everyone expects and wants you to be?

Here’s the back of the book summary:

Friendship is a bond stronger than secrets in this novel from the author of The Almost Truth and Unraveling Isobel.

As first graders, Avery and Nora bonded over a special trait they shared—they were both adopted.

Years later, Avery is smart, popular, and on the cheerleading squad, while Nora spends her time on the fringes of school society, wearing black, reading esoteric poetry, and listening to obscure music. They never interact...until the night Nora approaches Avery at a party, saying it’s urgent. She tells Avery that she thought she found her birth mom—but it turned out to be a cruel lie. Avery feels for Nora, but returns to her friends at the party.

Then Avery learns that Nora overdosed on pills. Left to cope with Nora’s loss and questioning her own actions, Avery decides to honor her friend by launching a search for her own birth mother. Aided by Brody, a friend of Nora’s who is also looking for a way to respect Nora’s legacy, Avery embarks on an emotional quest. But what she’s really seeking might go far deeper than just genetics…

Title: Starstruck (Starstruck #1)
Author: Brenda Hiatt
Publisher: 328 Pages (August 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Nerdy astronomy geek Marsha, M to her few friends, has never been anybody special. Orphaned as an infant and reluctantly raised by an overly-strict “aunt,” she’s not even sure who she is. M’s dream of someday escaping tiny Jewel, Indiana and making her mark in the world seems impossibly distant until hot new quarterback Rigel inexplicably befriends her. As Rigel turns his back on fawning cheerleaders to spend time with M, strange things start to happen: her acne clears up, her eyesight improves to the point she can ditch her thick glasses, and when they touch, sparks fly—literally! When M digs for a reason, she discovers deep secrets that will change her formerly humdrum life forever . . . and expose her to perils she never dreamed of. Yes, the middle of nowhere just got a lot more interesting!

About the Author:

New York Times bestselling author Brenda Hiatt has published 18 novels to date, her first 15 with Harlequin and HarperCollins. Her novels include six traditional Regency romances, one time travel romance and eight historical romances, most set in Regency England, as well as one humorous mystery and a new young adult series. She has indie published her backlist and is currently writing more books in her young adult SF romance STARSTRUCK series. In addition to writing, Brenda is passionate about embracing life to the fullest, to include scuba diving (she has over 60 dives to her credit), Taekwondo (where she recently achieved her 2nd degree black belt), hiking, traveling, and pursuing new experiences and skills. She is an active member of Romance Writers of America, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and Novelists, Inc, an international organization of multipublished novelists, where she served as President in 2006. For the past dozen years, Brenda has also collected data on writers' earnings, which she shares at her website. http://brendahiatt.com.

Find Brenda Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Interview -

Could you ask M and Rigel both separately, kind of “Newlywed” Style what they think the other would say would be the perfect Valentine’s date would be?

What fun! Sure, I’ll ask them. M, what do you think Rigel’s idea of a perfect Valentine’s date might be?

M: If it weren’t February, he’d probably say a private hour or three in our secret clearing in the cornfield near the school! But since sitting in a snow-covered field of stubble wouldn’t be very romantic, maybe a night on the town in Kokomo or even Indianapolis? He should be getting his driver’s license soon…

How about you, Rigel? What would M think is the perfect date?

Rigel: M sure does like the hot chocolate at Dream Cream, our favorite place to hang out here in Jewel—publicly and in winter, anyway! So maybe an afternoon at a cozy table in the corner there. But knowing her, she might say something about a cornfield, even if it is twelve degrees and snowing right now!

Since Starstruck is the first in a series by the same name, could you tell us if the series will continue with the same characters or will future titles be about different characters within the same world?

M and Rigel are still the main characters in Starcrossed, which just released a couple of weeks ago, but I also introduce a couple of new characters who become increasingly important as the series continues. These new characters will end up testing M and Rigel as a couple and individually. It’s a good thing their bond is so strong!

Title: The Art of Falling
Author: Jenny Kaczorowski
Publisher: Bloomsbury Spark, (December 19th 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK

Synopsis: For seventeen-year-old Bria Hale, image is everything. She’s a militant vegan with purple hair, Doc Martens and a permanent scowl. Kissing captain of the football team Ben Harris? Definitely not part of that image.

Now with each secret kiss, she’s falling deeper for the boy every girl at Oceanside High is crushing on. Throw in a few forbidden bacon cheeseburgers and she’s facing one major identity crisis.

Ignoring Ben should be easy, but when a flashy display of artistic spirit lands her in close quarters after hours with the boy she’s too cool to like, she can’t keep pretending those kisses meant nothing. With her reputation and her heart on a collision course, Bria must either be true to herself or to the persona she’s spent all of high school creating.

About the Author:

Raised in Avon, Ohio, the duct tape capital of the world, Jenny began her writing career as a featured columnist for her hometown newspaper. After earning a degree in photojournalism from Kent State University, she vowed to never spend another winter in Ohio and moved to Los Angeles, where there is far too much sunshine.

Amid working as a grant writer for Sound Art, a non-profit that teaches music in inner-city neighborhoods, and raising two kids, Jenny decided to do something with all the snippets of stories she wrote during microeconomics and began writing for young adults. She likes her heroines smart and quirky, her heroes nice, and her kisses sweet. Her debut, THE ART OF FALLING, is coming from Bloomsbury Spark in Winter 2013.

Apart from writing, Jenny is still an avid photographer, loves music despite no discernable musical talent and reads the dictionary for fun. She lives near Los Angeles with her husband, son and daughter. The four of them are always looking for their adventure.

Find Jenny Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Interview -

So, could you fill us in on what Bria and Ben will be doing this Valentine’s Day? 

Ben and Bria are hopeless romantics, so they have plans to relieve their first date at the Santa Monica Pier. Dinner at The Albright, a ride on the Farris wheel at sunset, and funnel cake for dessert.

Could you ask Bria and Ben each if they could describe the other in 3 words?

Bria: Steady, strong, and patient.
Ben: Only three? Bria is smart, beautiful and bold.

Title: The Secret of Isobel Key
Author: Jen McConnel
Publisher: Bloomsbury Spark, (December 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK

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

Synopsis: Lou is in the middle of a quarter-life crisis. Fresh out of college, she’s unemployed and unsure of herself. But when she gets the chance to escape to Scotland with her best friend, it could be the answer to her quest for self-discovery. The trip is not at all what she expected, especially when her tour guide turns out to be the dreamy historian Brian, and together they embark on a hunt for information about Isobel Key, a woman accused of witchcraft in the seventeenth century.

They set out to learn the truth of the condemned witch, but Lou isn’t prepared for the knowledge that awaits her. She must face her own demons if she has any hope of righting the wrongs of the past.

Flashing between seventeenth century Scotland and a contemporary romance, THE SECRET OF ISOBEL KEY is a mystery that will please readers of all ages.

About the Author:

Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. Since then, her words have appeared in a variety of magazines and journals, including Sagewoman, PanGaia, and The Storyteller (where she won the people’s choice 3rd place award for her poem, “Luna”).

She is also a former reviewer for Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA), and a proud member of SCBWI, NCWN, and SCWW.

A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. When she isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches writing composition at a community college. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time.

Follow Jen on Twitter @Jen_McConnel, and visit www.jenmcconnel.com to learn more.

Find Jen Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Interview -

Could you ask Lou and Brian both separately, kind of “Newlywed” Style what they think the other would say would be the perfect Valentine’s date would be?

Gladly! :)

Brian: I’d like to spend St. Valentine’s with someone special, curled up in front of a fire. Now, my flat’s too small for a fireplace, but that doesn’t stop a fellow from dreaming, right?

Lou: I’ve never really been big on Valentine’s day. I guess I’d like to do something quiet, like a nice dinner in. It would be good to just be with somebody I care about, you know?

What are three things you can share with us about Isobel Key?

Hmm. Three things? I’ll share three about the character herself, if that’s okay!

1. Isobel is no stranger to heartbreak.
2. She’s also no stranger to betrayal.
3. At the core, she’s a woman who longs to be needed.

Check out all the tour info and links HERE!

PLUS don't forget to check out the awesome trailer for the Heartbreakers Blog Tour and the Authors!

GIVEAWAY!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to check back all week long for more awesome interviews and chances to WIN BIG!!!

Hey everyone! Welcome to the fifth day in a week long event - Heartbreakers Blog Tour!

Over the next week I'll be one of SEVEN blogs featuring a bunch of amazing authors and their characters throughout.

Today, day #5 I have -

Sara Hantz & Tina Bustamante!!!

Please be sure to come back and check out each day during the week for more chances to WIN!

Title: In the Blood
Author: Sara Hantz
Publisher: Entangled: Teen, 154 Pages (November 5th 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK

Synopsis: For seventeen years Jed Franklin’s life was normal. Then his father was charged with the abuse and murder of four young boys and normal became a nightmare.

His mom’s practically a walking zombie, he’s lost most of his friends, and the press camps out on his lawn. The only things that keep him sane are his little sis; his best friend and dream girl, Summer; and the alcohol he stashes in his room. But after Jed wakes up from a total blackout to discover a local kid has gone missing—a kid he was last seen talking to—he’s forced to face his greatest fear: that he could somehow be responsible.

In a life that’s spiraled out of control, Jed must decide if he chooses his own destiny with Summer by his side or if the violent urges that plagued his father are truly in the blood…

About the Author:

I was born in Northampton, England, the eldest of 4 children (I have 3 younger brothers), and I took my eldest child responsibilities very seriously. When I said jump, they asked how high. They’re all a lot taller than me now, so I’ve had to change tactics for getting my own way.

School and I weren’t a match made in heaven. I was bored a lot of the time, and it seemed much more fun to dream up ways of disrupting lessons than to actually pay attention. Which could explain why I was always in trouble! But I redeemed myself later, when at twenty-one I went back to full-time study. Except, I got carried away and became a bit of a qualification tart. I even worked in education for a number of years – lecturing.

But all the time I was never content. I knew there was something missing, just didn’t know what. Until I discovered writing.

I wasn’t one of those people who wrote from being a small child. I did read though. I’ve always been an avid reader. And it took me a few years of thinking about writing before I actually started. But now, I wouldn’t do anything else, and I never get bored!
I moved to New Zealand (a beautiful country) from the UK twelve years ago, with my husband and two children. After working at a university for three years I left to work in our motel and devote more time to my writing. I wish I’d done it sooner! Two years ago we moved to the Sunshine Coast in Australia. Another perfect place to write.

In my spare time I love going to the movies, watching TV, walking on the beach, and playing with our gorgeous Labrador.

And, that’s about it. If I think of anything else to tell you I’ll add it later. And if you want to know anything just let me know!

Find Sara Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Interview -

Can you tell us a bit about In the Blood and what you hope readers take away after reading?

In the Blood is about Jed Franklin, whose life for seventeen years was normal. Then his father was charged with the abuse and murder of four young boys and normal became a nightmare. Now, his mom’s practically a walking zombie, he’s lost most of his friends, and the press camps out on his lawn. The only things that keep him sane are his little sis; his best friend and dream girl, Summer; and the alcohol he stashes in his room. But after Jed wakes up from a total blackout to discover a local kid has gone missing—a kid he was last seen talking to—he’s forced to face his greatest fear: that he could somehow be responsible. In a life that’s spiraled out of control, Jed must decide if he chooses his own destiny with Summer by his side or if the violent urges that plagued his father are truly in the blood…

I hope readers might get a different perspective on how the families of murderers are affected by the situation.

In a perfect world for Jed, what would his dream Valentine’s date be with Summer?

They would drive into the hills and picnic in the moonlight under the stars. They would stay there for hours, sometimes talking about their futures, sometimes making out and sometimes sitting in silence enjoying each others company.

Title: As Waters Gone By
Author: Tina Bustamante
Publisher: Leap Books, 236 Pages (October 17th 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Secrets in the Light... When Ellie moves in with her aunt on Orcas Island after her mother's death, she doesn't expect to have one of the most incredible summers of her life. She doesn't expect to restore a mysterious lighthouse that holds an important key to her past, or to rehabilitate a crazy dog, or to see a strange man who may or may not be a ghost. And the last thing she expects is to meet Will Larson, who flips her summer upside down. But, when Will's past and her own collide, will their relationship survive the secrets they both conceal, or will these unshared secrets tear them apart? Can Ellie gain the courage to uncover the truth of who she really is and finally find a place where she belongs, or will she choose to remain an outsider?

About the Author:

I’m a writer, a passionate reader, wife, mom, friend, and traveler. I’m native Northwest – third generation actually. But, for the first time in thirteen years I no longer live in Seattle. We are in the process of settling in Chile.

After high school, I joined a literature ship called the MV Logos II and lived there for two and a half years, went to over thirty countries, met wonderful friends from all over the world, and eventually got engaged to a man from Chile. We married and settled down in Bothell, Washington. I studied at Northwest University.

After my daughter, Emma, was born I began to feel a gentle nudge to write. I did … and discovered the bumpy, rough road that writer’s have truthfully titled The Writing Journey. It is indeed a journey and one fraught with rejection! I thought because I love to read the craft would come easily to me. Easy or not, I’ve discovered that all things worth doing take time and perseverance.

Currently, I speak when invited, and write fiction during the day. I’m married to Rodrigo Bustamante and we have two lovely children named Emma and Lucas.

Find Tina Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Interview -

Can you tell us a bit about As Waters Gone By and what you hope readers take away after reading?

I hope readers find hope in that story. In particular, that there isn't one right way to grieve and that our stories matter, telling our stories matter. Even the parts we regret.

Can you describe the main characters from this title in 3-5 words?

Ellie is resilient, kind, and dares to hope.

Will is impulsive, angry, and sensitive.

Check out all the tour info and links HERE!

PLUS don't forget to check out the awesome trailer for the Heartbreakers Blog Tour and the Authors!

GIVEAWAY!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to check back all week long for more awesome interviews and chances to WIN BIG!!!

Hey everyone! Welcome to the forth day in a week long event - Heartbreakers Blog Tour!

Over the next week I'll be one of SEVEN blogs featuring a bunch of amazing authors and their characters throughout.

Today, day #4 I have -

Jeri Smith-Ready & Erin Johnson!!!

Please be sure to come back and check out each day during the week for more chances to WIN!




Title: This Side of Salvation
Author: Jeri Smith-Ready
Publisher: Simon Pulse, 384 Pages (April 1st, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Everyone mourns differently. When his older brother was killed, David got angry. As in, fist-meets-someone-else’s-face furious. But his parents? They got religious. David’s still figuring out his relationship with a higher power, but there’s one thing he does know for sure: The closer he gets to new-girl Bailey, the better, brighter, happier, more he feels.

Then his parents start cutting all their worldly ties in to prepare for the Rush, the divine moment when the faithful will be whisked off to Heaven…and they want David to do the same. David’s torn. There’s a big difference between living in the moment and giving up his best friend, varsity baseball, and Bailey—especially Bailey—in hope of salvation.

But when he comes home late from prom, and late for the Rush, to find that his parents have vanished, David is in more trouble than he ever could have imagined...

About the Author:

Award-winning author Jeri Smith-Ready has been writing fiction since the night she had her first double espresso. She holds a master's degree in environmental policy and lives in Maryland with her husband, cat, and the world's goofiest greyhound.

Find Jeri Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Interview -

Can you tell us a bit about This Side of Salvation and what you hope readers take away after reading?

Thanks, Lisa, for hosting me on your blog! It’s a pleasure to be here as part of the Heartbreakers Tour.

This Side of Salvation is about a sixteen-year-old boy whose parents disappear the night they believe the Rapture is going to happen. It’s part mystery, part good old-fashioned realistic character-based YA novel. The book opens with the parents’ disappearance and David and his sister’s search for them. But then we dive in and out of the family’s past to see how they got to be so unraveled, why his parents would feel at home in a cult that looks forward to end of the world.

See, four years before TSOS opens, the oldest sibling, John, died in Afghanistan, in a way that scarred David deeply. But the book’s not all grief and angst: David meets a girl named Bailey who makes him feel more alive than ever. He’s also got his best friend, Kane, his baseball teammates (David’s a rising star pitcher)—and last but not least, his faith.

While TSOS deals directly with issues of personal faith, it’s not a religious book per se. It certainly has no pro- or anti-religion agenda—rather than preaching a viewpoint, I just wanted to tell one boy’s story. In the same way that religion affects different characters in different ways, each reader I think will take away something different from this book. If nothing else, it will make them think and hopefully start a few conversations.

It’s hard to write about religion without sounding preachy, sentimental, or mockingly irreverent, but I tried to approach the story every day with love and compassion for all the characters, and to see them as fully fleshed people, not just mouthpieces for a particular idea. I’ve already received positive reviews from both atheists and devout Christians, so I’m hopeful that I’ve hit the right spot!

Can you describe the main characters from this title in 3-5 words?

David: Giving. Loving. Believing. Strong. Lost.
Bailey: Smart. Driven. Idiosyncratic. Unself-conscious. Spectacular. (Heh, I can’t help but see her through David’s eyes.)

Title: Grace and the Guiltless - (Wanted, Book One)
Author: Laurie J. Edwards writing as Erin Johnson
Publisher: (2014)
No Goodreads link at the time of posting
Pre-order here: Amazon, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: A YA fiction series set in the Wild West: WANTED (w/a Erin Johnson)

After her family is slaughtered by outlaws, sixteen-year-old Grace Milton goes on a vendetta to capture the gang who did it. But once she meets a rugged range rider, she’s torn between revenge and love.

About the Author:

A former teacher and librarian, Laurie J. Edwards is a freelance author and illustrator. In addition to more than 2100 magazine and educational articles in print, her most recent books include the 5-vol. UXL Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes (Gale, 2012), Pirates through the Ages (Cengage, 2011), and Rihanna (People in the News) (Lucent, 2009) as well as stories in two anthologies, Summer Lovin’ and A Community of Writers. Laurie is also writing a YA historical fiction series and is working on several books on cyberstalking and cyberbullying. She also juggles a freelance editing career and writes adult novels under a pseudonym.

Find Erin/Laurie Online:

Website | Twitter

Interview -

Can you tell us a bit about your Grace and the Guiltless: Wanted Book 1 and what you hope readers take away after reading?

Early in the story, Grace faces tragic circumstances and struggles to survive. She vows never to love again because it’s so painful. Of course, her vow is soon challenged when she meets the love of her life.

I hope readers can see that no matter how dreadful or painful their circumstances, by facing every day with courage, they will triumph in the end.

Can you describe the main characters from this title in 3-5 words?

courageous, survivor, tender, strong, self-sufficient

Check out all the tour info and links HERE!

PLUS don't forget to check out the awesome trailer for the Heartbreakers Blog Tour and the Authors!

GIVEAWAY!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to check back all week long for more awesome interviews and chances to WIN BIG!!!

Hey everyone! Welcome to the third day in a week long event - Heartbreakers Blog Tour!

Over the next week I'll be one of SEVEN blogs featuring a bunch of amazing authors and their characters throughout.

Today, day #3 I have -

Judith Tewes & D.G. Driver!!!

Please be sure to come back and check out each day during the week for more chances to WIN!



Title: My Soon To Be Sex Life
Author: Judith Tewes
Publisher: Bloomsbury Spark YA (2014)
No Goodreads link at the time of posting
No preorder links at the time of posting

Synopsis: Charlie is down to her absolute. Total. Last. Resort. Despite a thoroughly comprehensive list of potential cherry poppers, er…suitors, and careful plotting, Charlie is three weeks into her devirginzation campaign, still untouched, and getting desperate. In the movie of her life, this aspiring screenwriter is giving herself a PG, for please, get some. Her project goes into freeze frame when her mom checks herself into rehab and packs Charlie off to live with her estranged, or just plain strange, grandfather, Monty. How is she supposed to get a date when she has to go pick up his Depends?

Enter Eric, a hot rehab grad on the road to redemption, and the only one who can make Charlie rethink her strategy. The more she gets to know him, the more convinced she becomes that is the one, and not just another to add to the list of people who will abandon her. In this hilarious and heartbreaking story of one girl’s detoured road to womanhood, Charlie’s list develops a life of its own – right when she realizes there’s so much more to lose.

About the Author: 

Judith Tewes resides in small town northern Alberta, where she: writes, sings, plays bass guitar in an all-woman band, walks her three crazy labs, and suspects she's living the life of a superhero's alias*.

*This may be due to the fact that she also writes young adult paranormal fiction under the pen name, Judith Graves, as well as screenplays for film and television. Repped by Anna Archer of Lucas Talent. 

Find Judith Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Interview -

What can you tell us about your up and coming title from Bloomsbury?

Here’s the official blurb for MY SOON TO BE SEX LIFE:

Charlie is down to her absolute. Total. Last. Resort.

Despite a thoroughly comprehensive list of potential cherry poppers, er…suitors, and careful plotting, Charlie is three weeks into her devirginzation campaign, still untouched, and getting desperate. In the movie of her life, this aspiring screenwriter is giving herself a PG, for please, get some.

Her project goes into freeze frame when her mom checks herself into rehab and packs Charlie off to live with her estranged, or just plain strange, grandfather, Monty. How is she supposed to get a date when she has to go pick up his Depends?

Enter Eric, a hot rehab grad on the road to redemption, and the only one who can make Charlie rethink her strategy. The more she gets to know him, the more convinced she becomes that is the one, and not just another to add to the list of people who will abandon her.

In this hilarious and heartbreaking story of one girl’s detoured road to womanhood, Charlie’s list develops a life of its own – right when she realizes there’s so much more to lose.

If you could celebrate Valentine’s day with any fictional character who would it be and why and what would you do on the day?

Since I adore chocolate and one of my favourite “sweet” novels is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I’d love to spend Valentine’s Day at the factory with Willy Wonka, inventing (and eating!) all sorts of heart-shaped, fantastical goodies.

Thanks so much for hosting us!

Title: Cry of the Sea
Author: D.G. Driver
Publisher: Fire & Ice Young Adults Novels (February, 2014)
No Goodreads link by the time of posting
No preorder links at the time of posting

Synopsis: Juniper Sawfeather is choosing which college to attend after graduation from West Olympia High School next year.  She wants to go to San Diego to be far away from her environmental activist parents.  They expect her to think the way they do, but having to be constantly fighting causes makes it difficult to be an average 17 year old high school student.  Why do her parents have to be so "out there?"

Everything changes when she and her father rush to the beach after a reported oil spill.  As they document the damage, June discovers three humans washed up on the beach, struggling to breathe through the oil coating their skin.  At first she thinks they must be surfers, but as she gets closer, she realizes these aren't human at all.

They're mermaids!

Now begins a complex story of intrigue, conspiracy and manipulation as June, her parents, a marine biologist and his handsome young intern, her best friend, the popular clique at school and the oil company fight over the fate of the mermaids.

About the Author:

I always liked writing, but what I really wanted to be was a performer.  I grew up in Southern California and got my degree in Drama.  I wrote a lot, but it was just a hobby.  Well, a really time-consuming hobby.  While in college, thanks to a summer of ghost-hunting with a group of friends after graduating from high school, I spent every Winter Break, Spring Break and Summer writing a horror novel on a lap top my dad would bring home from work.  Technically, this was my first YA novel, as all the main characters were teenagers.  Alas, it pretty much stinks, so I never did anything with it.  Plus, as you recall, I wanted to be an actress/singer, so I was doing back to  back shows all through this time and never really put much thought into how to fix the darn thing up and get it published.  It's still in a box.  Maybe someday I'll come back to it.

I've written a number of novels as I slowly learned that I actually liked writing more than acting.  In 1995 I had my first story published in Catalyst Magazine, and then I was all about moving my career in that direction.  I did act professionally for a long time, and now I do community theatre in Nashville with my family for fun.  I joined SCBWI a while back, and it is because of a couple workshops I took with them that I decided to rewrite my fledgling mermaid catastrophe of a novel into something that a publisher decided to put into print.  I'm a big fan of looking back into that box of good but poorly written ideas and trying again.  I'm doing that now with another book about a young surfer who encounters a dragon hidden in a cave at the beach with the best waves.

Find D.G. Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Interview -

What can you tell us about Cry of the Sea?

Cry of the Sea is about Juniper Sawfeather, the daughter of environmental activists that are pushing their careers on her.  When she is helping her father at an oil spill, she discovers three mermaids washed ashore.  Do these mermaids get up, start talking to her and take her on adventures?  No.  It’s not that kind of story.  It’s about Juniper and her attempts to figure out how to save them.  She meets a handsome college intern named Carter who tries to help her, but things keep going wrong.  Thanks to her meddling best friend, a video of the mermaids gets leaked on the internet and people come flocking to the beach to go mermaid spotting.  Her parents are being difficult because they want to use the mermaids for their causes.  The scientist at the marine rescue center wants to use the discovery of mermaids to become famous.  Then the mermaids disappear.  The oil company may have had something to do with it.  Now, along with Carter and the unlikely group of popular kids from her high school, she’s going to try to find the mermaids and rescue them.

If you could celebrate Valentine’s day with any fictional character who would it be and why and what would you do on the day?

Willie Wonka (the Gene Wilder version).  I think it would be fun to spend the day making and eating Valentine’s candy in his wacky factory.

Check out all the tour info and links HERE!

PLUS don't forget to check out the awesome trailer for the Heartbreakers Blog Tour and the Authors!

GIVEAWAY!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to check back all week long for more awesome interviews and chances to WIN BIG!!!

Hey everyone! Welcome to the second day in a week long event - Heartbreakers Blog Tour!

Over the next week I'll be one of SEVEN blogs featuring a bunch of amazing authors and their characters throughout.

Today, day #2 I have -

Janet Gurtler & Christine Duval!!!

Please be sure to come back and check out each day during the week for more chances to WIN!



Title: 16 Things I Thought Were True
Author: Janet Gurtler
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, 304 Pages (March 4th 2014)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Heart attacks happen to other people #thingsIthoughtweretrue

When Morgan's mom gets sick, it's hard not to panic. Without her mother, she would have no one—until she finds out the dad who walked out on her as a baby isn't as far away as she thought...

Adam is a stuck-up, uptight jerk #thingsIthoughtweretrue

Now that they have a summer job together, Morgan's getting to know the real Adam, and he's actually pretty sweet...in a nerdy-hot kind of way. He even offers to go with her to find her dad. Road trip, anyone?

5000 Twitter followers are all the friends I need #thingsIthoughtweretrue

With Adam in the back seat, a hyper chatterbox named Amy behind the wheel, and plenty of Cheetos to fuel their trip, Morgan feels ready for anything. She's not expecting a flat tire, a missed ferry, a fake girlfriend...and that these two people she barely knew before the summer started will become the people she can't imagine living without.

About the Author:

Janet lives near the Canadian Rockies with her husband and son and a little dog named Bruce. She does not live in an Igloo or play hockey, but she does love maple syrup and says “eh” a lot.

Find Janet Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Interview -

Let’s play two Lies and one truth - #thingsIthoughtweretrue style. While growing up, or even yesterday what are TWO lies and one truth and see if we can figure out the truth.

I recently applied to be the editor of a lifestyles magazine in the town I live in.
I love red licorice. When I was younger, I was a competitive swimmer.

I’m looking forward to “meeting” your character Adam. What would be his ideal Valentine’s Day date?

Adam is a cute nerdy boy. He’s the kind of guy who would really pay attention to a girl and do something really unique that appeals to what she really likes. He notices details. I think for Valentine’s Day he would do take a girl on a gorgeous scenic hike, and bring along a delicious picnic lunch, (which includes chocolate). This would involve a deeply satisfying conversation and lots of kissing. Plus he’d give his date a really gushy card with something touching and personal written inside, along with a charm bracelet with a girl’s favorite activity as a charm. In Morgan’s case, he’d give her a charm of an iPhone. :)

Title: Positively Mine (Freshman Forty #1)
Author: Christine Duval
Publisher: Bloomsbury Spark (December 19th 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK

Synopsis: It is four weeks into her freshman year of college, and Laurel’s first test was unexpected. Discovering she’s pregnant isn’t exactly what she had planned for her first semester, and while she intends to tell her emotionally-distant father, being away at school makes it all too easy to hide.

An imperfect heroine plagued by bad choices and isolated during what should be the best time of her life, readers are sure to identify with Laurel as she confronts teen pregnancy, in secret.

About the Author:

Christine Duval is an author and freelance writer who lives in New Jersey with her guitar-playing husband and two children. She is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, New Jersey's Women Who Write, and the Authors Guild. When not creating fictional characters, she writes for an upscale real estate company and has overseen online content and social media for several well-known magazines.

Find Christine Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Interview -

If you could sit down and have a before and after discussion with your character Laurel, what would words of advice would you say to her before she found out she was pregnant and what would you tell her after she found out?

This is a good one. Well, I would tell her to get herself some birth control before doing what she did! But since she did it anyway, and ends up pregnant, I would tell her exactly what every other person told her throughout the story: tell her father; tell the baby’s father; stop hiding. There were several points when I was writing Laurel’s story when I wanted to reach into my computer and slap some sense into her.

And what do you hope readers take away from Laurels story?

I never set out to write a pregnancy story but more a coming of age story with a main character who just happens to be pregnant. In many ways, Laurel could have been hiding anything but the pregnancy just worked so perfectly with a typical college calendar. Is it a cautionary tale about teen pregnancy? Some reviewers have made that statement but if it comes across that way, it wasn’t intentional. My goal when creating this was to write a good story with characters who are real and flawed and who make mistakes but are still likeable. It’s a book about growing up, forgiveness, moving on. I hope people walk away feeling good, connected to the characters, and the story.

Check out all the tour info and links HERE!

PLUS don't forget to check out the awesome trailer for the Heartbreakers Blog Tour and the Authors!

GIVEAWAY!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to check back all week long for more awesome interviews and chances to WIN BIG!!!

Hey everyone! Welcome to the first day in a week long event - Heartbreakers Blog Tour!

Over the next week I'll be one of SEVEN blogs featuring a bunch of amazing authors and their characters throughout.

Today, day #1 I have -

Denise Jaden & B.A. Binns!!!

Please be sure to come back and check out each day during the week for more chances to WIN!

Title: Never Enough
Author: Denise Jaden
Publisher: Simon Pulse, 400 Pages (July 10th, 2012)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: From the author of Losing Faith, a novel about two sisters and the eating disorder that threatens to destroy their family.

Loann’s always wanted to be popular and pretty like her sister, Claire. So when Claire’s ex-boyfriend starts flirting with her, Loann is willing to do whatever it takes to feel special… even if that means betraying her sister.

But as Loann slips inside Claire’s world, she discovers that everything is not as it seems. Claire’s quest for perfection is all-consuming, and comes at a dangerous price. As Claire increasingly withdraws from friends and family, Loann struggles to understand her and make amends. Can she heal their relationship —and her sister—before it’s too late?

About the Author:

Denise Jaden enjoys writing craft books for writers and fiction for young adults.

Her first novel for teens, LOSING FAITH, was released from Simon Pulse, fall 2010. The first draft was written in 21 days during NaNoWriMo. NEVER ENOUGH, her second novel, was released July 10, 2012. A companion group of stories--NEVER ENOUGH STORIES is available for free at Smashwords.com. WRITING WITH A HEAVY HEART: Using Grief and Loss to Stretch Your Fiction is her latest release in 2012. FAST FICTION will be out from New World Library in 2014.

Denise lives just outside Vancouver, Canada with her husband and son.

Note: Denise does not usually check her message box on GoodReads. A better way to get a hold of her is through the contact page of her website at http://www.denisejaden.com

Find Denise Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Interview -

Can you tell us what you’re currently working on and when it’ll be released?

I’m working on a lot of promotional stuff for my new non-fiction book for writers. It’s called FAST FICTION and will be out February 18th (next week! Eeee!) Aside from that, I have a fairly new YA novel I’m working on about a group of teens caught in an avalanche. I don’t have a release date on that one yet.

If you could celebrate Valentine’s day with any fictional character who would it be and why and what would you do on the day?

I would spend it with either Etienne St. Clair from Stephanie Perkins’s ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS or with Willem DeRuiter from Gayle Forman’s JUST ONE YEAR. With either of them, I think I could guarantee we would go somewhere completely unexpected in Europe, and it would probably involve some sort of tasty food I’ve never tried before.

Title: Minority Of One (Farrington Tales #3)
Author: B.A. Binns
Publisher: AllTheColorsOfLove, 224 Pages (March 27th, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads
Order B.A.'s books online here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: The brick walls of Farrington High School in Chicago feel like a prison to Sheila and a sanctuary to Neill when they end up in the same class, one taught by Sheila’s mother.

Being black, teenaged, and gay leaves Neill a virtual outcast. His life is controlled by a man who acts more like a parent than a big brother. Neill has many enemies, but he is unprepared for the level of animosity Sheila exhibits when they meet.

Sheila is a former poor little rich girl, now just poor, and facing an unknown future with a mother she barely knows. She gave up hope of a loving family after her father’s suicide. She recognizes Neill as the brother her mother’s former lover and is appalled to find her mother trying to throw her and Neill together.

Invisible ties bind Neill and Sheila together, ropes that tighten when Neill's brother is arrested for the murder of Sheila's mother. These two outliers have to work together to uncover the truth and make futures of their own while they uncover the past they share.

About the Author:

B. A. Binns is the eldest of five children and grew up in Chicago, Il. She now resides in a Chicago suburb where she works with the youth group at her church and volunteers at the local library and senior center where she assist users with computer problems. She finds writing an exercise in self discipline, and the perfect follow-up to her life as an adoptive parent and a cancer survivor. She is a member of both RWA (Romance Writers of America) and SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Wrtiters and Illustraters).

After graduating Hyde Park High School, she obtained degrees in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Michigan State University, and in Computer Science from Roosevelt University, and DePaul University. At least the research side of being an author comes naturally. Her writing skills were honed at Chicago State University and Harper College.

She writes to attract and inspire both male and female readers with stories of “real boys growing into real men…and the people who love them.” Her debut Young Adult novel, PULL, tells the story of one young man’s journey from guilt and the fear that biology forces him to repeat his father’s violence, to the realization that his future is in his own hands.

In addition to PULL, she has had numerous short stories published and is currently working on a sequel.

Find B.A. Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Interview -

Can you tell us a bit about Minority of One and what you hope readers take away after reading?

Minority of One asks the question – What happens if you are the only one of your kind? This question speaks to so much teen angst that finding an answer is part of the rite of passage into adulthood. There are two main characters, former poor-little-rich-girl (now just poor) Sheila, and Neill a gay black teen. Each feels alone, unique, isolated. When Sheila arrives at her new home in Chicago’s inner city she is prepared to hate Neill on sight. She knows that her mother is having an affair with his older, married brother. Neill has grown used to spending his days surrounded by haters, but he has no idea why the new girl in school looks at him with blood in her eyes.  Neill is dealing with a breakup from his boyfriend, and Sheila finds herself drawn to the school’s player (seriously, the guy takes so many dates to the school dance he can’t remember all their names.) In spite of a rough start, Neill and Sheila find themselves drawn together as each works to help the other get what they want.

Then Sheila’s mother is found dead and Neill’s brother is arrested for the murder. Then the only question is: can they work together and find the real killer of end up bitter enemies?

I wrote Minority of One to be a story about finding yourself and becoming stronger than you ever thought you could be.  I want people to take away the idea that we are all a little messed up by our families of origin, but that we can find connections to people in surprising ways.

Can you describe the main characters from this title in 3-5 words?

Neill – STRONG enough to come out as gay in eighth grade, SMART enough to fulfill his family’s dreams and become a doctor and SENSATIVE enough to never want to disappoint them by revealing how much he hates the very idea of medical school. Add in that he is a LOYAL friend and LONELY after being dumped by his boyfriend, Carl.

Sheila – SHY after being spending years in boarding school, she feels totally LOST in the presence of hunky Julian Morales. She is DETERMINED to honor the memory of her father whether he deserves it or not, SHAKY about being a minority (one of only 8% of white students in her new school). Most of all, she is ANGRY at the mother who sent her to boarding school and betrayed her father.

This is not a story about how the beautiful girl (oh, I forgot BEAUTIFUL for Sheila) helps the gay boy learn he really likes girls.  Both Neill and Sheila have their own parallel romances (don’t forget about Carl and Julian).

Check out all the tour info and links HERE!

PLUS don't forget to check out the awesome trailer for the Heartbreakers Blog Tour and the Authors!

GIVEAWAY!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to check back all week long for more awesome interviews and chances to WIN BIG!!!