Sunday, April 17, 2016

Cover Reveal - In Black & White by Catherine Lavender,

 


In Black & White by Catherine Lavender comes out this spring and I want to read it because of the mixed main character. You don't see many minority main characters to start with and it will be enjoyable to read about a character I can identify with in that way.

Synopsis:
Micah Winters always knew that she was different. It was the pigment of her skin and the texture of her hair that revealed that she was a woman from biracial parents. For five decades, Micah’s African American mother has remained silent about Micah’s estranged father (Sidney Irving). It is not until after Sidney Irving’s death that Micah learns that she is the daughter of the legendary novelist and screenwriter. Now with her mother’s memory fading away from Alzheimer’s disease, Micah can only rely on a novel that was written from her father years ago to understand her parents past during the time of segregation in the United States. Micah’s once simple life is not so simple anymore as she tries to make sense of an unfamiliar world as she inherits her father’s wealth and private past. With an abandoned heart, Micah must forgive the past in order to discover who she really is.

Author Bio:
Catherine Lavender is from Baltimore, Maryland but now resides in Tampa, Florida with her miniature schnauzer name Ripken. She is an animal activist, as well as a supporter of the organization First Book which helps supply literature for underprivileged children. In her spare time, Catherine enjoys reading classic literature and playing the acoustic guitar.

Saturday, April 16, 2016

The Car Accident & Also Life

As you all have probably noticed, I haven't had any original content in this past month. Several things have gone awry and/or unexpected life events have frustrated and preoccupied me.

Aside from nearly constant health issues, I had a major car accident at the end of March. Some asshat ran a red light and T-boned my car on the driver's side less than a block away from my home. A hole was punched clean-through the driver's door and the airbags deployed. The impact caved in the driver's door too so I had to climb over the passenger seat to get out.

The guy (aka asshat) had a Jeep and it only received a broken headlight. I call this guy as asshat not because he made a mistake/wasn't paying attention. No, he's an ass because he didn't seem to care at all. Even though he hit me (and clearly totaled my car), he didn't try to help me out of the wreck once we came to a stop. Nor did he ask if I was okay or apologize. Instead, he stayed on his phone and stuck around just long enough for the police to show and swap info before running off to wherever he was going in such a hurry. 
Luckily (and thanks to the safety features on my car), I only bruised my shoulder. Still, these last three weeks have been almost nonstop with doctor's appointments, phone calls to both (mine and his) insurance companies, inquiries to the police department, filling out legal paperwork, evaluating and pricing the worth of my vehicle, phone calls to more doctors, filling out release forms, shopping for a new vehicle, cleaning out my old car, financing a new vehicle, switching rental cars, and trying to make up the hours I missed at work among many other things.

I'm exhausted.

All I've been able to do is keep up with the obligatory blog tours I had scheduled. I'm hoping to get back into the loop soon.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Cover Reveal: A Reason to Stay

I'm pretty excited about this book because it doesn't seem to be the typical romance. This time it's the girl that can't commit. Also, my BF has the same name as the male lead!

Synopsis:
Elise Newton has it all—a dream job, a house that’s all hers, and a boyfriend who’s a cardiologist. Darren has been carrying an engagement ring in his pocket for two months, waiting for the perfect time to ask her to be his wife. He has no idea Elise has been waiting for the perfect time as well—to break up.

You see, Elise has a fatal flaw. She cannot commit to love.

An early-morning call from her sister gives Elise hope. She’s needed back home in Kentucky, to care for their mother who’s recovering from surgery. It’s the break Elise has been searching for, a reprieve from the strain of ducking Darren’s declarations of love.

But along with Kentucky comes seeing Ben—her first love, the one who came closest to being her happily ever after. Now a single dad, Ben has moved on with his life. But has his love for her moved on as well?

When Elise discovers a long-hidden truth about her family—and the reason why she can’t commit—she must decide which man will give her a reason to stay.


A Reason to Stay by Julieann Dove comes out on June 1st so check it out the upcoming reviews on Goodreads.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Julieann Dove lives in Virginia, yet longs to live everywhere else. It doesn’t come as a surprise that along with her gypsy soul, comes an active imagination. That’s why she loves to write and invent worlds and people, so that she can formulate their happily ever after. Hobbies include cooking new recipes, sewing, and spending time with her cute boyfriend/husband and five fabulous children. Vacations happen in Nantucket or the Carolina beaches—anywhere there is inspiration for her next book. One day she hopes to travel to Italy, drive one of those little cars around the countryside, and speak the language fluently!

Thursday, April 7, 2016

The Dragon Scale Lute giveaway



The Dragon Scale Lute by JC Kang has just come out and it's making the blog tour circuit. For excerpts, reviews, and guest posts by the author, check out the tour page powered by CBB Book Promotions.

There's also a raffle/giveaway to go with it ending on April 20th so get your name in soon.

One (1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card (INTERNATIONAL)
One (1) winner will receive a paperback copy of The Dragon Scale Lute (US)


About the Book: 
Kaiya’s voice could charm a dragon. Had she lived when the power of music could still summon typhoons and rout armies, perhaps Cathay’s imperial court would see the awkward, gangly princess as more than a singing fool. With alliances to build and ambitious lords to placate, they care more about her marriage prospects than her unique abilities. Only the handsome Prince Hardeep, a foreign martial mystic, recognizes her potential. 

Convinced Kaiya will rediscover the legendary but perilous art of invoking magic through music, he suggests her voice, not her marriage, might better serve the realm. When members of the emperor’s elite spy clan-- Kaiya’s childhood friend and his half-elf sidekick (or maybe he’s her sidekick?)-- discover mere discontent boiling over into full-scale rebellion, Kaiya must choose. Obediently wedding the depraved ringleader means giving up her music. Confronting him with the growing power of her voice could kill her.

Buy it today via Amazon for only 99 cents.