When We Met Anthology Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway!

Today’s premiere New Adult authors combine their talents to tell four original stories from inside one house. 

 
When four girls decide to live off campus together as juniors at a college in Michigan, they expect it to be their best year yet. Little do they know, it’s a year that will change the rest of their lives.
 
BEHIND HER EYES by A.L. Jackson 
Unable to live down her ex-boyfriend’s deception, Misha is determined to avoid betrayal. When, the new guy next door, Darryn starts to get under her skin, her defenses start to crumble. But trusting Darryn seems impossible, especially if he’s not sure he can trust himself.
 
SAVING ME by Molly McAdams 
On the outside, Indy is always ready for a party—but inside she’s breaking. Kier makes a weekly routine of saving the girl next door from herself on Saturday nights… but when will she be ready to remember him on Sunday morning?
 
FOULING OUT by Tiffany King 
Working at a sports bar, Courtney has become a pro at sidestepping propositions from arrogant jocks—which makes her a more elusive catch for campus basketball star Dalton than he expected. But when he falls for the saucy waitress, Dalton will have to rethink his game plan to prove he’s not the jerk Courtney expects.
 
BENEATH YOUR LAYERS by Christina Lee 
In order to ace her fashion internship, Chloe must team up with local college dropout and set builder, Blake—much to her chagrin. But after some "hands-on" experience, Chloe will have to ask herself if Blake factors into her carefully laid plans…

GOODREADS:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20893538-when-we-met

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00INIXHME

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-we-met-a-l-jackson/1119367957?ean=9780698175761&itm=1&usri=when+we+met

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/when-we-met/id830191826?mt=11

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/when-we-met-3

Facebook Party: https://www.facebook.com/events/628830807226034/

EXCERPT:

SAVING ME – MOLLY McADAMS

“I’m about to embarrass the hell out of myself, but I don’t care anymore. I feel like when I’m near you, I’m safe, and it makes no sense to me. It is the weirdest feeling to have with someone I only know three things about.”

My eyebrows rose at that and I turned to fully face her. “Three?”

“Yes. Three things. Your name is Kier, you’re extremely quiet, and you are the biggest puzzle I’ve ever tried to figure out.”

“I’m the puzzle?”

“Yes!” she said in exasperation.

That had to have been the most backward statement I’d ever heard. “And why am I a puzzle?”

“Because of what I just told you. I don’t know you, you don’t even talk to anyone, and I feel safe when you’re near me! Why is that? I feel like I’m going crazy because all I’ve been able to think about for these past two weeks is you, and how every time you open your mouth it’s like déjà vu, and I just—I don’t know what’s happening.” Her green eyes were massive and she looked like she was on the edge of losing her shit.

I took a few steps toward her and lowered my voice. “Calm down, Indy. You’re fine.”

“I just don’t understand,” she said loudly, the pitch of her voice rising. “Do you believe in past lives?” she asked suddenly.

I paused, a laugh slipping past my lips. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Past lives? Like that whole stupid YOLO saying is really just bullshit, because we’re about to get another shot down the road?”

I tried to contain my smile, but she was really fucking adorable when she was like this. “What does that have to do with what you’re freaking out over?”

“In stories with soul mates they find each other no matter what in every life. And it’s like they have a weird connection they can’t explain.”

I closed the distance between us and dropped my head so I was looking directly into her eyes. “Are you saying we’re soul mates?”

“No!” she said, horror lacing her voice, her cheeks filling with heat.

“I think you were,” I teased.


“I wasn’t, I was just saying that in stories . . . I don’t know what I’m saying, okay? But I don’t get what’s going on with us!”

“So now there’s an us?”


“Oh my God,” she whispered. “I need to stop talking.”


I laughed and took a step back. “I’m teasing you, Indy. And no, I don’t believe in past lives. I think we have this one, and that’s it.”


She sighed, and her body visibly relaxed. When she spoke again, she sounded exhausted—and in a way, defeated. “I don’t, either, but I can’t figure out how to explain this feeling like I know you.”

I ground my jaw for a few seconds as her green eyes held mine. “Because maybe you do know me. You’re just not ready to remember why.”

A.L. Jackson:

A.L. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Take This Regret and Lost to You, as well as other contemporary romance titles, including Come to Me Quietly, Come to Me Softly, Pulled, When We Collide, and If Forever Comes.

She first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student.  She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.

Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three children. Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves.

To stay up to date with important news on A.L. Jackson, including new releases, sales, and exclusive specials and excerpts, text “jackson” to 96000 to subscribe!

Newsletter http://bit.ly/ALJacksonNewsletter

Website www.aljacksonauthor.com

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TIFFANY KING:

USA Today Bestselling author Tiffany King is a lifelong reading fanatic who is now living her dream as a writer, weaving Young Adult and New Adult romance tales for others to enjoy. She has a loving husband and two wonderful kids. (Five, if you count her three spoiled cats). Her addictions include: Her iPhone and iPad, chocolate, Diet Coke, chocolate, Harry Potter, chocolate, zombies and her favorite TV shows. Want to know what they are? Just ask.

For information on any of Author Tiffany's titles, visit her blog at www.authortiffanyjking.blogspot.com

Where to connect with Author Tiffany

Twitter- @AuthorTiffany

Facebook- AuthorTiffanyKing

Pinterest- Tiffany King

Blog- authortiffanyjking.blogspot.com

Goodreads- Tiffany King

Email- authortiffany@yahoo.com

Molly McAdams:

Molly grew up in California but now lives in the oh-so-amazing state of Texas with her husband and furry four-legged daughters. When she's not diving into the world of her characters, some of her hobbies include hiking, snowboarding, traveling, and long walks on the beach … which roughly translates to being a homebody with her hubby and dishing out movie quotes. She has a weakness for crude-humored movies and fried pickles, and loves curling up in a fluffy comforter during a thunderstorm ... or under one in a bathtub if there are tornados. That way she can pretend they aren't really happening.

Come be my friend!

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CHRISTINA LEE:

Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives in the Midwest with her husband and son--her two favorite guys. 

She's addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything. She believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job. 

Author of the Between Breaths series from Penguin. ALL OF YOU, BEFORE YOU BREAK and WHISPER TO ME available now, PROMISE ME THIS on October 7th, 2014. 

Also Adult contemporary romance TWO OF HEARTS coming from Peguin/NAL on May 5th 2015.

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7060187.Christina_Lee

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Christina_Lee04

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Christina-Lee/e/B00D1W5RSE/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1414001350&sr=8-2-ent

Review:

I always have such a hard time reviewing anthologies.  The stories are short, so there's not as much meat as a full length novel.  And let's face it, it's not like I'm overly verbose in any of my reviews, so anthologies are a real challenge for me.

I liked all of the stories in When We Met.  I found the premise and gimmick of the book to be entertaining.  Four authors, four stories, each about a different roommate.  The only author of the four that I had previously read was A.J. Jackson and if you haven't read her Closer to You series, you are seriously missing out.  I've had Tiffany King and Molly McAdams on my TBR pile since RT, but just haven't gotten there yet.  After When We Met, they've been moved to a more prominent place in the TBR and Christina Lee will soon make the pile too (once my book allowance is renewed  :-( ).

My favorite of the four stories was Saving Me by Molly McAdams.  I loved Kier.  He's hilarious, patient, kind and completely awesome.  Indy is broken, but hilarious and her figuring out what is actually happening in her life is quite enjoyable.  

No matter which story ends up as your favorite, When We Met is the perfect book to cuddle with on a cold fall night!   

~Shel

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The Friendly Skies by Amanda Weaver (Frequent Flyers)

Book Blitz for Frequent Flyers

Featuring "The Friendly Skies"

by

Amanda Weaver

Cassie Sinclair has been there, done that, and has the frequent flyer miles to prove it. She’s far too jaded to fall for the engaging stranger seated next to her on her flight to Mexico, no matter how pretty his face or dreamy his accent. But when the flight’s re-routed and their tightly packed schedules are blown, she decides indulging in one reckless night with Simon couldn’t hurt. They’ll have their fun and fly back to their regularly scheduled lives the next day. But fate (and Simon) might have other plans.

“Cass, let’s just call this what it is.”

She blinked at him, unbearably aware of his hand covering hers. God, could he feel the way her pulse was racing under his fingertips?

“And what’s that?” she asked, her voice thick and quiet with nerves.

“A date.”

“This is a date?”

He shrugged casually, one corner of his mouth curling up in a smile. His fingers slowly slid higher on her arm. “Yes, a date. We might not have set out to go on one today, but that seems to be where we’ve found ourselves. So let’s go with it.”

“On a date.” His smile grew wider and he nodded once. He was positively caressing her arm now.

“A date. Which means I’m buying.”

She didn’t protest when he slid the check out of her reach. After tucking his credit card in the folder, he took her hand again, turning it over and skimming his thumb over her palm. Her breath caught in her throat. Such a tiny, insignificant touch, and yet she felt it in so many places.

“Since we’ve agreed that we’re now on a date, maybe you won’t mind me doing this,” he murmured, lifting her hand and pressing his lips against the pounding pulse in her wrist. 

He looked up at her, his lips still brushing her skin. “Okay?”

She nodded. “Okay,” she whispered.

“And this?” He kissed the center of her palm, slowly, deliberately, and she was fairly certain she felt his tongue flick out to taste her skin.

She pressed her knees together as her nerves and muscles slowly melted. She wanted to climb into his lap, straddle him, push his shoulders back, grab him by that tie…

“That’s okay, too.” Her voice had turned into a rasp.

“You’ve got some chocolate on your finger,” he murmured, his breath washing across her palm. “Right here.”


There was no errant spot of chocolate, but she said nothing as he drew the tip of her index finger into his mouth. She thought she might combust on the spot. It didn’t last long, just a whisper of his slick, warm mouth around her fingertip and then he let her go, sitting back and smiling with an expression that was nothing short of salacious.

“I’ve wanted to do that all day.”

Like many writers, Amanda Weaver spent her childhood telling stories. College steered her in a different direction and into a successful career as a designer. Several years ago, she picked up writing again to blow off some creative steam. One thing led to another, National Novel Writing Month happened, and here we are.

Amanda Weaver grew up in Florida and now lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband, daughter and two crazy cats.

Add Frequent Flyers to Your Goodreads Shelf!

Click the logo to buy your copy from all the major retailers!

Connect with Amanda Weaver

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Pinterest

Join us for the Frequent Flyers Release Day Party on November 1st!

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That's What HE Said Thursday #1

That's What He Said is a weekly meme hosted by the ladies at Chapter Break, where we spotlight a quote from our book crush to the object of his desire. We like to pretend it's us.

What better way to celebrate our book boyfriends?



This week's pick is chosen by Nat and is taken from Outlander. The featured quote is from Jamie to Claire.

Share your book boyfriend's quote with us!

Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross

* * * *

Life loves a good curveball…

Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas's life is completely upended the moment her dad returns to the major leagues as the new pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals. Now she's living in Missouri (too cold), attending an all-girls school (no boys), and navigating the strange world of professional sports. But Annie has dreams of her own—most of which involve placing first at every track meet…and one starring the Royals' super-hot rookie pitcher.

But nineteen-year-old Jason Brody is completely, utterly, and totally off-limits. Besides, her dad would kill them both several times over. Not to mention Brody has something of a past, and his fan club is filled with C-cupped models, not smart-mouthed high school “brats” who can run the pants off every player on the team. Annie has enough on her plate without taking their friendship to the next level. The last thing she should be doing is falling in love.

But baseball isn't just a game. It's life. And sometimes, it can break your heart…

Review:

When Jim Lucas is offered a job as a pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals, his daughter, Annie, makes him take it.  Annie realizes that this is not only an amazing job opportunity for her former MLB pitcher dad but she also thinks it  might be the perfect way to avoid her wandering mother who only shows up time to time to wreak havoc on the Lucas household.  But although there are amazing perks to moving to Kansas City (a new house, an amazing school with the best track team in the state, a caretaker for Grams) there are also some obstacles.  There’s the fact that the team owner is not amused with the team manager’s decision to hire Jim Lucas.  His job is tenuous at best.  The other obstacle?  Jason Brody.  He’s super hot.  He’s not much older than her.  And he’s completely off limits.

The ball club is buzzing with rumors about rookie pitcher, Jason Brody.  He’s a drop out.  He’s an ex-con.  He killed a man.  Just kidding.  Not that last one.  Fortunately, Brody is smart and he keeps his mouth shut as his teammates talk shit about what he may or may not have done in his past.  The only rumor he’s willing to confirm or deny is the fact that he’s an amazing pitcher.  He might be young and new but Jason Brody is determined to show the world that he and his new coach, Jim Lucas, are indispensable. 

Julie Cross does an amazing job of treading that sometimes fine line between Young Adult and New Adult.  Since Brody and Jim are constantly working together, it’s no surprise that Annie and Brody become friends.  Annie is a seventeen year old high school junior.  In a different world, the 1 ½ year age difference between her and Brody would seem rather inconsequential.  But considering he’s a rising MLB star that is constantly in the limelight and she is just a regular kid that still has a year and a half before heading to college, the gap between their ages and their current positions in life seem insurmountable.   Annie feels like a kid next to Brody and the life he is leading.  Brody definitely doesn’t see Annie as a kid, but a relationship between them would cause all sorts of issues.  With Jim Lucas.  With the team owner.  With the media.  Together, Brody and Annie need to figure out if the relationship they both want so much is possible and if the risks are worth it.

I have a confession.  I've been unfaithful to the American League.  I’m a White Sox fan.  So you would think I’d be cheering on the Kansas City Royals during this year's World Series.  But no, I’m a fickle baseball fan.  I have so much shame (not really) in admitting that I think Buster Posey (San Francisco Giants catcher) is cuter than fluffy puppies, prickly hedgehogs and smiling turtles.   And I pretty much would do anything to again see that cuteness rushing the pitcher mound after winning the Series.   And by “anything”, I mean cheering on the Giants. 

But today?  After reading Whatever Life Throws at You?  As I simultaneously write this review and watch the second game of the Giants/Royals series?  Today I’m feeling a little guilty.  You see, I’m also a little in love with Jason Brody.  And although he might be a fictional character, I can’t help but imagine him up there on that pitcher’s mound when the Giants are up to bat.   And if a book can make me consider switching baseball loyalties to support its main characters, then that’s a good book indeed.

If you love romance and baseball do yourself a favor and buy yourself a copy of Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross.  You won’t be disappointed.

Nat

Waiting on Wednesday (124)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.




By Tera Lynn Childs
Publication Date: November 4, 2014

When magic sleeps, everything changes.

For as long as she can remember, Winnie Price has visited another world in her dreams, a magical fae realm caught up in a war of intrigue and sorcery. Where nature is all-powerful and a dark prince will do anything to save his dying clan. She thought this realm was pure imagination, until one midsummer’s eve when the owl who visits her window once a month transforms into a boy before her eyes. And not just any boy, the dark fae prince.

With his clan on the verge of extinction, Cathair O Cuana knows that his secret feelings for the human girl can never be more than fantasy. Caught between duty and emotion, he knows his responsibility to his people comes first. But when the magic sleeps and she sees his true form, the girl he yearns for finally feels within his reach—just as a traitor in the palace pushes the kingdom to the brink of war. Will disaster drive them apart or pull them together?

In a world where dreams, magic, and war collide, a human girl with a special ability and a fae prince with the weight of a kingdom on his shoulders must risk everything for a chance at happily ever after. 

When Magic Sleeps is the first novella in the Darkly Fae fantasy series.



By Jus Accardo
Publication Date: November 11, 2014

The past is Darker than they thought...

Between helping her mother with the Darker Agency and laying the smack down on monster baddies, Jessie Darker puts the “normal” in paranormal. But lately, things have gotten a little crazy...even for a smart-assed half-demon teenage girl.

For starters, Jessie’s been contracted into fifty-five years of annoying servitude. To a demon. Then there’s Lukas Scott, her sexy new boyfriend. Once the former incarnation of Wrath, he’s been going through some...uh, changes. Like residual anger. And trading chaste hangouts for lusty make-out sessions.

But it’s when Lukas and Jessie accidentally release a Very Nasty Demon that things get really bad, setting into motion a chain of death and mayhem that threatens both Earth and the Shadow Realm. Jessie has exactly four days to fix it...before all of Hell breaks loose.

Unleashed by Rachel Lacey Blog Tour

About UNLEASHED

What happens when you find the right one at the wrong time?

Cara Medlen has a serious case of animal attraction. And it's not because of all the foster dogs she's rescued. She's got it bad for her incredibly sexy neighbor. Her one rule: Don't get attached. It's served her well with the dogs she's given to good homes and the children she's nannied. Yet the temptation of Matt's sexy smile might just convince her that some rules are made to be broken. Matt Dumont doesn't need his skills as a private investigator to detect disaster on the horizon. Cara is everything he thought he'd never find-gorgeous, funny, and caring.  But there's no way he can start a relationship just as he's about to move to another state. Talk about bad timing. As their attraction sizzles too hot to deny, they'll have to make a decision: forget the consequences and let loose, or forget each other and let go…

Barnes and Noble    I    Books A Million    I    IndieBound    I    Google Play 

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Excerpt

The temperature had indeed begun to fall as they drove home. Matt was glad for the jacket he kept tucked behind the back seat. He shrugged into it, then walked Cara to her front door.

“Thanks for dinner, and for helping us out. Really, if you get us the evidence to get those dogs seized, I won’t even know how to thank you.” Her warm eyes shone up at him as they stood on her front porch.

Matt gave her a devilish grin. Seriously, did she say these things just to drive him crazy?

Cara licked her lips and took a step back toward her front door.

“No problem.” His gaze slid to her neck, soft skin gleaming white as marble in the silvery light of the moon.

He saw her pulse pounding there. Her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths.

Her eyes met his and held on like a magnet drawing him in.

Matt tried to resist. He really did.

And then her lips parted, and his blood turned to steam, and the only thing he could hear was his own pulse hammering away in his ears.

He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. Cara let out a whimper that caught in his chest and tugged at his restraint. Her lips were soft and warm, tentative as they pressed against his. Her eyes slid shut.

Matt gave her one more gentle kiss. Just a little goodnight kiss, nothing either of them would regret in the morning. He ran his fingers through her curls, and they were as soft as he’d imagined. Softer.

She was kissing him back now, her lips pushing against his, asking for more.

His tongue swept into her mouth. She tasted spicy, like wing sauce and the promise of hot, sweaty sex. The next thing he knew, she was pressed against her front door, Matt’s body crushed against hers. Cara’s arms were around his neck, her tongue tangling with his, her soft moans driving him right out of his mind.

After a minute, she ripped her mouth from his, gasping for breath. “Damn, what did they put in those wings?”

All he could do was smile.

Cara leaned in and brushed her lips against his. Then she winked. “Goodnight, Matt.”

She slipped inside and shut the door in his face.

Matt swore under his breath. He was really starting to develop a love-hate relationship with Cara Medlen’s front door.

***

Oh. My. God.

Cara leaned against the wall, heart flipping in her chest, silly grin on her face. She couldn’t quite believe she’d just been wedged up against her own front door with Matt’s big, hard body pressed against hers while he kissed her like she was a friggin’ Playboy model.

Okay, now she got the fuss about kissing. With other guys, she’d enjoyed it, but it was nothing she couldn’t live without. She was always worried about where she should put her hands and how quickly he was going to start unbuttoning her blouse. 

She’d have unbuttoned her own blouse if Matt had asked. Good lord. His kiss had heated her blood and curled her toes, all those clichés she’d heard but not experienced. Phew.

About Rachel Lacey

Rachel Lacey lives in North Carolina, with her husband, son, and their own rescued pup. She volunteers her spare time with Carolina Boxer Rescue and truly has a passion for helping our furry friends. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America as well as her local Heart of Carolina RWA chapter.

Social Media

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Made for You by Lauren Layne Blog Tour

Our stop on the Made for You Blog Tour has a fantastic excerpt and a giveaway!  Don't forget to enter via the Rafflecopter below before you leave.  Check out this cover - holy scruffy hotness!

About MADE FOR YOU

Three years ago, Brynn Dalton made a rare error in judgment and had a one-night stand with the one man she swore would never get into her designer panties. Will Thatcher was exactly the type of sexy playboy that good girls like Brynn stayed away from. And when Will moved across the country just days after their fling, Brynn vowed to put him behind her, even as the memories haunt her.

Now Will Thatcher is back, and just in time to see Brynn's perfectly structured life begin to crumble. Her job is dull, her social life is tedious, and Brynn's perfect cardiologist boyfriend doesn't seem to be in any hurry to get to Tiffany & Co. More than ever, Brynn needs her childhood nemesis to keep his distance.

But Will isn't content to be Brynn's dirty little secret any longer. This time, he's out to show Brynn Dalton that the imperfect man might just be the best mistake of her life.  

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About Lauren Layne

Lauren Layne writes contemporary romance for Grand Central Publishing (Forever) and Random House(Loveswept).

After dabbling in an e-commerce career in Seattle and Southern California, Lauren moved to New York City where she now writes full time.

Lauren graduated from Santa Clara University with B.S. in Political Science that she has yet to put to good use. She lives with her husband and plus-sized pomeranian in a tiny Manhattan studio. 

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Excerpt:

He.

Was.

Back.

Look away. Look away now from The Enemy.

But she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the tall man with dark blond hair who was ogling a redhead in a killer black dress. His dark jeans and white shirt should have been too casual for the occasion. But nobody would notice that he was underdressed. They’d be too busy basking in his wide smiles and hot gazes.

He was back.

Why was he back?

“Brynn, are you listening?” Sophie asked. “I was just explaining how maybe if you would slip up every now and then you wouldn’t have to hide in the bathroom on your birthday.”

Sophie couldn’t have been more wrong about Brynn not making mistakes.

Because not so long ago, she’d made the most elementary of all mistakes.

And he was staring right at her.

Will knew exactly the moment she’d seen him. He felt it like a shock to the balls, and he wanted a shot of whiskey. Now.

It had taken a full fifty-seven minutes since he’d walked into the room until her ice-blue eyes had locked on him, and that was including the ridiculous amount of time she’d spent in the bathroom.

She made him wait another twenty minutes before seeking him out.

But what was seventy-seven minutes when you’d already waited a lifetime?

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