Next Year in Havana Release Day Blast & Giveaway

Book Summary

After the death of her beloved grandmother, a Cuban-American woman travels to Havana, where she discovers the roots of her identity--and unearths a family secret hidden since the revolution...

Havana, 1958. The daughter of a sugar baron, nineteen-year-old Elisa Perez is part of Cuba's high society, where she is largely sheltered from the country's growing political unrest--until she embarks on a clandestine affair with a passionate revolutionary...

Miami, 2017. Freelance writer Marisol Ferrera grew up hearing romantic stories of Cuba from her late grandmother Elisa, who was forced to flee with her family during the revolution. Elisa's last wish was for Marisol to scatter her ashes in the country of her birth. 

Arriving in Havana, Marisol comes face-to-face with the contrast of Cuba's tropical, timeless beauty and its perilous political climate. When more family history comes to light and Marisol finds herself attracted to a man with secrets of his own, she'll need the lessons of her grandmother's past to help her understand the true meaning of courage.

Read Bel's 5-star review here!

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Learn more about Next Year in Havana including downloading the book club guide and more at: http://www.chanelcleeton.com/next-year-in-havana/

Add Beatriz Perez’s story WHEN WE LEFT CUBA on Goodreads 

Praise for Next Year in Havana

Chanel Cleeton's Next Year In Havana is a flat-out stunner of a book, at once a dual-timeline mystery, a passionate romance, and paean to the tragedy and beauty of war-torn Cuba. The story of sugar heiress Elisa, watching Cuba fall into revolution as Castro rises, is intertwined with the modern-day tale of Elisa's granddaughter Marisol as she returns to Cuba after Castro's death. Both women fall for fire-brand revolutionaries, but Cuba itself emerges as their true love-interest, threatening to break both women's hearts as Elisa and Marisol each grapple in their own way with what it is to be Cuban, what it is to be an exile, and how to love and live in a homeland riven by revolution. Simply wonderful!

- Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network

Cleeton has penned an atmospheric, politically insightful, and highly hopeful homage to a lost world. Devour NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA and you, too, will smell the perfumed groves, taste the ropa vieja, and feel the sun on your face. Just a wonderful and educational book!

- Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of America's First Daughter

A vivid, transporting novel. Next Year in Havana is about journeys-- into exile, into history, and into questions of home and identity. It's an engrossing read.

 - David Ebershoff, author of The Danish Girl and The 19th Wife

An evocative, passionate story of family loyalty and forbidden love that moves seamlessly between the past and present of Cuba’s turbulent history— how one young woman’s sacrifice becomes the key to her granddaughter’s future—how culture and spirit survive against all odds. Next Year in Havana kept me enthralled and savoring every word.

- Shelley Noble, New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Beach

In Next Year in Havana, Chanel Cleeton's prose is as beautiful as Cuba itself, and the story she weaves--of exile and loss, memory and myth, forbidden love and enduring friendship--is at once sweeping and beautifully intimate. This is a moving, heartfelt, and gorgeously realized story that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

- Jennifer Robson, USA Today bestselling author of Somewhere in France

Author Information

Originally from Florida, Chanel Cleeton grew up on stories of her family's exodus from Cuba following the events of the Cuban Revolution. Her passion for politics and history continued during her years spent studying in England where she earned a bachelor's degree in International Relations from Richmond, The American International University in London and a master's degree in Global Politics from the London School of Economics & Political Science. Chanel also received her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law. She loves to travel and has lived in the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia.

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Giveaway

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Invincible Summer by Seth King Review Tour

We all remember our first love, that one affair that took custody of your heart and never really let it go. Readers around the world were touched by The Summer Remains, a heartbreaking and inspiring novel about one of these romances – but Cooper Nichols, the enigmatic young man at the center of the novel, was largely silent on the matter. Until now.

“I just can’t believe it’s over between you guys,” my best friend said as we walked down the pier. “You two were supposed to last forever.”

I stared out at the blue sea. “Oh, trust me, it’s not over. I am going to see that girl’s face in every crowd I look into, forever. And maybe a few forevers after that…”

And so begins the tale of young writer Cooper Nichols. Left in ruins after a tragic summer romance, Cooper is afraid the sun may have set on him for good – until his mother discovers a copy of Cooper’s journal he kept of that summer. As he reluctantly slips back into his own past in the pages of his notebook, Cooper starts to rethink everything he thought he knew about life, death, and all the love that can bloom in between – and what follows is a thrilling and breathtaking journey back to joy that will sink into you and stay there for the long haul.

Illuminating, romantic and soul-stirring, Invincible Summer is a testament to the miraculous power of love, in all its immortal glory and everlasting majesty. If you have ever found yourself drifting back to a long-lost romance during a quiet moment, prepare to be pulled under all over again.

“That one summer. Everyone’s got one, that fleeting season that rearranged you and imprinted itself onto your soul forever. You were mine. I swear I’ll never forget your hazel eyes. I swear I’ll never forget those few months when the winds roared. I’ll always think of you that way. And if you can, please come back to me. At the end of the day I’m just a boy who wants to get back to his first love, and I miss you. Just find a way back, please. I’ll be waiting.

Until then, I’ve got nothing…”

::: Editorial Review Snippets :::

"Breathtaking. This book will change your life." - Schmexy Girl Book Blog

“Magnificent. Invincible Summer is one of those books that you read and know you are better for it.” - Red Cheeks Reads

"Heart-achingly beautiful...I was speechless...my life ceased to exist while I read this book...enlightening and uplifting...this book is extraordinary." - Relentless Book Chics Rambling and Reviews

:: Purchase Links::

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:: BIBLIOJUNKIES REVIEW::

* * * *

If any of you have read Seth King’s previous two releases, The Summer Remains and Autumn Rising, you know that he’s generous with his words and not shy about feelings. The unlikely love story between Summer and Cooper had me weeping like a baby.  Heads-up before I go on, there is some spoilery, so if you haven’t read either books yet, you may want to do that first.

Invincible Summer picks up with Cooper’s life in tatters after Summer’s unexpected passing. He has descended into depression, having troubling mustering the slightest bit of interest or energy for anything. He questions the meaning of his life, what his purpose is and whether he can or should continue. It’s heartbreaking to love someone so intensely and then suddenly they’re not there. All he feels is devastated and lost. So the first part of the story deals with him struggling to come to terms with his new reality.

King then takes the story in an unexpected direction by returning us to Summer’s POV. I I didn't see it coming and if I thought my heart had been wrung out enough, I was so wrong. Summer’s narrative brings insightful perspective via her wicked wit. Everything is described so incredibly. She's surrounded by beauty but also by melancholy. She knows the despair and desperation that she has left behind, and she refuses to move on until she can help her loved ones find some peace. 

As I was reading this, I realized that this Invincible Summer is an ode to those who are left behind. Losing someone you’ve loved so fiercely can be the most devastating experience. So many of us try to find comfort in believing that our loved ones are in a better place, smiling down on us, perhaps even creating a little bit of magic here and there to let us know that they’re still with us. Some readers may find solace in Invincible Summer but undoubtedly all readers will be caught up in an epic love that we all wish for ourselves. Believe me, I rarely use the word “epic” but in this case it’s true. King’s at times poetic writing had me in tears; thankfully I had the tissues beside me. Invincible Summer is a massive hug to all those loved ones we’ve lost and to all of us who carry their memories. Get swept up and away in Invincible Summer!

~ Bel

 

:: About Seth King ::

 

Seth King is a twenty-six-year-old American author. He enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and spending time with his family.

:: Stalker Links ::

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The Summer Remains Support Group (for those who have already read TSR) 

I Survived The Summer Remains: http://on.fb.me/1EEObjQ

:: Other Books by Seth King ::

Twenty-four-year-old Summer Johnson knows two things. The first is that due to a quickly worsening medical condition, she faces a risky surgery in three months’ time that may or may not end in her death. The second is that she would like to fall in love before then.

As spring sinks into her namesake season on the Florida coastline, Summer plays the odds and downloads a new dating app - and after one intriguing message from a beautiful surfer named Cooper Nichols, it becomes clear that the story of what may be her last few months under the sun is about to be completely revised. All she has to do now is write something worth reading.

Tender, honest, devastating and triumphant, The Summer Remains explores a very human battle being waged in a very digital age: the search for a love that will outlast this temporary borrowing of bones. In an era when many feel compelled to share and re-share anything about everything, prepare to feel a love so special, you will want to hug it close and make it yours forever.

:: Purchase Links ::

Amazon US: Amazon UK

Add it to your TBR

Autumn Mahal and Hank Basara know they should stay away from each other. Both recovering from the loss of a mutual friend, and each bearing scars of their own, they know their love would look like a worn cliché, a trite romance novel for teens, some crappy made-for-TV movie languishing on your great aunt’s DVR. But as summer gives way to September and flirtation leads to something deeper, they learn there are some types of love you cannot run from, no matter how hard you try to flee.

Hilarious, heartbreaking and hopeful, Autumn Rising is a novella about the happiness we ruin for ourselves, the truths we can’t hide with a filter, and that elusive and victorious moment when we let love rush in and carry us to the sky. In a world of constant TMI, prepare to feel a story worth sharing – a story that will stay with you long after the summer fades to autumn.

:::Purchase Links:::

Amazon US: Amazon UK

THE THRILLING, EXPLOSIVE, AND PROVOCATIVE DEBUT FROM NEW ADULT ROMANCE AUTHOR SETH KING

In a stage of life when everything seems daunting, the fight to find love can still be the scariest thing of all – but in college senior Taylor Haney’s case, it may have just become downright deadly.

I’m bad – but I don’t want to be bad anymore.

In fact, leaving my Nashville life behind and swearing off love forever was the only thing keeping me from falling back into my old ways and fucking up again, and I was doing pretty well at pretending to be good – until I met Taylor Haney, that is.

Now I can think of nothing but Taylor. Her shy smile…the way she fidgets with her hands when she gets nervous…the sounds she makes when I tie her to my bedposts and go to town on her…the way I get a glimpse of eternity when I look into her hazel eyes…

And that little lovey feeling is the worst thing of all, because it means I’m breaking all my old rules now – and that means nobody is safe. Especially Taylor.

Because the last girl I fell in love with is currently lying in Brentwood Cemetery.

:: Purchase Links ::

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Add it to your TBR:

How far would you go to save someone you love? And how far would you go to get revenge on a loved one who betrayed you? 

How far would you go to save someone you love? And how far would you go to get revenge on a loved one who betrayed you? 

Ben Bradley is a twenty-year-old student and aspiring MMA fighter with a dead-end day job and a desperate need for cash to help his disabled sister out of a tight spot. Grace Robinson is a lonely forty-something D.C. housewife who spends her time reading about red rooms of pain while her husband busies himself with the office interns. And with the arrival of a controversial new app called Hookd that matches attractive young men with powerful women willing to pay for their companionship, Ben and Grace soon find incredibly appealing – and risky – solutions to their problems. 

With Hookd, Ben can easily make the money to save his beloved sister, while Grace can get back at her cheating husband and spice up her quiet nights with the kind of hot, anonymous sex she only reads about in books. All they have to do now is get over their moral hang-ups and press download… 

And then hope Grace’s vindictive husband, Congressman Richard Robinson, stays in the dark once Mrs. Robinson’s affair explodes into something more passionate and erotic than she could have ever imagined.

:: Purchase Links ::

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Add it to your TBR

New Books & Torture

Everyone knows the feeling.  You are lost in a book.  You come to the end, the climax of the story and then it's over.  Still exhilarated and riding the high of the book, you hop online to see when the next book in the series is going to be released (because pretty much all books are part of a series these days) and you see it, your heart plummets, you are overcome by disappointment.  The book will not be released for a year... 

This draconian practice in the publishing industry is torture, pure torture.  I am not a patient person.  Nope, no one has ever said that patience is one of my virtues.  I love seeing a movie or reading a book as soon as it is released.  When everyone is excited about the release and there is a buzz in the air.  Being a fan of instant gratification, waiting a year for a book is hell for me.  It has gotten to the point that I go against my nature and do not read the books from my favorite series or authors as soon as they are released.  I save them, so that I can read one book and then the next.  I currently have three books in the Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series saved up to read.  Luckily, Explosive Eighteen is releasing early (11/22/11), so we get two Stephanie books this year!  I will have four books saved up for November!

And, because I have the attention span of the average 16 year old, unless it is a book/author I truly love, in the year between books, I often lose interest or move on to other books/things.  My books shelves are full of partial series' of books.  Publishers and authors have apparently taken Psych 101 and combat my attention span by offering "sneak peeks" and "teasers" for the upcoming releases.  For someone like me, this practice is even more tortuous than waiting the year for the next book.  When I start to read a book, I want to keep reading it.  Giving me a few sentences, pages or even a chapter or two is just plain mean. 

Did you all read City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare?  It released April 5, 2011.  I had just finished the other the Mortal Instruments books (an excellent series and BiblioJunkies favorite), so it was natural to move directly to reading COFA.  The ending of this book is probably the best cliff-hanger I have ever read.  I needed to read what happened next.  Of course, I jumped online to Cassandra Clare's website and was horrified to find that City of Lost Souls will not be released until May 2012.  Yep, that's right - more than a year after COFA was released.  I wanted to scream - not exaggerating.  I love your writing Cassie, so please do not take my pain as criticism!  I bring this up because Cassandra Clare is the queen of sneak peeks and teasers.  In fact, she does one per month (for each series, the Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices).  While I appreciate that she wants to keep the buzz around her books given the obscene length of time between COFA and COLS, it is like opening a old wound every month...

I have been fortunate this year in that most books I have come across have the next in the series releasing soon - as in next week or in the next few months.  This makes me very happy.  Which brings me to one of my favorite things - telling people what I am looking forward to reading in the hopes that they will love the books as much as I do. 

Here goes:

July 26 Releases:

I Am Number Four The Lost Files:  Six's Legacy by Pittacus Lore

Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Alex Van Helsing: Voice of the Undead by Jason Henderson

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Tonight, the BiblioJunkies will be heading to Anderson's Bookstore in Naperville, IL to meet Maggie Stiefvater, author of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, Shiver, Linger and Forever.  Check out Nat's reviews from last week. 

~Shel