Wednesday 11 June 2014

Cover Reveal: Finding Dandelion by Lex Martin

Finding Dandelion Official Cover

TITLE: FINDING DANDELION (a stand-alone novel in the DEAREST series)
AUTHOR: Lex Martin
RELEASE DATE: July 11, 2014
GENRE: NA contemporary romance
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SYNOPSIS
When soccer all-star Jax Avery collides with Dani Hart on his twenty-first birthday, their connection is instantaneous and explosive. For the first time in years, Jax isn’t interested in his usual hit-it and quit-it approach. But Dani knows better. Allowing herself a night to be carefree and feel the intensity of their attraction won’t change anything when it comes to dealing with a player. So when Jax doesn’t recognize Dani the next time he sees her, it shouldn’t be a total shock. The fact that he’s her new roommate's brother? That’s a shock. Dani doesn’t regret that night with Jax, just the need to lie about it. Since her roommate has made it clear what she thinks about her brother’s “type” of girl, the last thing Dani wants is to admit what happened. Jax knows he’s walking a fine line on the soccer team. One more misstep and he’s off the roster, his plans to go pro be damned. Except he can’t seem to care. About anything… except for the one girl who keeps invading his dreams. Despite Jax’s fuzzy memory of his hot hookup with his sister’s friend, he can’t stay away from her, even if that means breaking his own rules. But there are bigger forces at work–realities that can end Dani’s college career and lies that can tear them apart. Jax realizes what he’s losing if Dani walks away, but will he sacrifice his future to be with her? And will she let him if he does? FINDING DANDELION, the second book in the Dearest series, is a stand-alone novel. This New Adult romance is recommended for readers 18+ due to mature content.

EXCERPT

Reid and Ashley disappear as I get lost in his kiss. We stand there while bodies crash around us to the music, and I’m caught against him like a wave breaking on the beach. I don’t know what possessed me to kiss this guy out of the blue and pretend that we were somehow together. Right now, I’m blaming the three apple martinis. I just couldn’t stand one more interaction with Reid where I stammered like some kind of loser. Am I imagining it or did I just tell off my ex? It’s hard to think clearly when I’m pressed up against this beautiful creature. I trail my hands up along his tall frame, dipping the tips of my fingers against the hard ridges and planes of his chest. He looks good in clothes, but the thought of what he looks like without anything on does delicious things to my body. I try to burn the sensation of what he feels like into my memory. When we finally pull back for air, we stop to look at each other. And then we laugh. “Holy shit.” I put my hand to my mouth, for the first time embarrassed that I’ve been trying to swallow him whole for the last five minutes. “Hi.” He grins back. “Hi.” I don’t hear him so much as read his lips, which I can appreciate now that my mouth isn’t sealed against them. His head slants as though he’s pondering some deep thought, like maybe how he spent the last few minutes locking tongues with a crazy girl who doesn’t even know him. And then my world slows down as I realize who he is. Holy shit. It’s the sexy guy from the pizza place. Jax.  
Dearest Clementine (Dearest, #1)
ON SALE for 99¢ for a limited time
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AUTHOR BIO
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Lex Martin writes new adult novels, the sexy kind with lotsa angst, a whole lotta kissing, and the hot happily ever afters. When she's not writing, she lives a parallel life as an English teacher. She loves printing black and white photos, listening to music on vinyl, and getting lost in a great book. Bitten by wanderlust, this native Texan has lived all over the country but currently resides in the City of Angels with her husband and twin daughters.  
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GIVEAWAY!
One $25 Amazon GIFT CARD & 3 e-book copies of FINDING DANDELION
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Review stop: Inflame by Tessa Teevan

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Inflame (Explosive #3) by Tessa Teevan
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Synopsis
Easy going soldier Kale Montgomery, a self-proclaimed ladies man, has no plans of settling down, especially not with his best friend- the sexy, sassy schoolteacher Lucy Dawson. Their relationship, though unconventional, is mutually beneficial, and they wouldn't have it any other way. Friends with benefits? Casual lovers? Whatever you want to call it, they’re having fun, in and out of bed, and to them, that’s all that matters. At least that’s what they think, but how long can you spend in someone's bed before you find they're also infiltrating your heart? As their casual fling with no strings attached progresses, it's not long before they realize they're both in way over their heads. One fateful night changes their lives forever in ways they could never have imagined, giving them the push to finally admit that maybe, just maybe they want more than they’ve let on. Their mutual attraction rapidly intensifies as it shifts from burning lust to unrelenting want, need, and possibly even love. Suddenly the idea of settling down doesn't seem so bad. In fact, it sounds pretty damn perfect. Just when things seem to be falling into place, past pain and renewed insecurities rise to the surface and threaten to smother the flames of their passionate relationship, reminding them both why they’ve always kept the idea of love at arm's length. Will Kale and Lucy realize that what they've been waiting for is each other, or will the blazing whirlwind of their feelings burn out too quickly, causing it to all go up in smoke?    


My thoughts:

As you all know by now, I'm a huge fun of friends to lovers stories, and this is no exception (though this is more a Friends with benefit story) I adored this story all the same.
Meet Kale, confident, hot, caring. He also has secrets, something that almost destroyed him ten years ago. But with the help of his family (I'd totally sign up to be adopted in his family) and his friend, Xavier, he pulled through.
Meet Lucy. Sassy, confident, beautiful. The first ten years of her life weren't easy, but she didn't let that define who she was.  She's my kind of heroine. :) She is also the girl who sweeps- or rather knock Kale on off his feet. So when these two meet, it's all fire and stars.
Then add a cast of well-rounded side characters and you have an unputdownable story. The author weaves in a story filled with laughter, some really emotional moments, and finally at the end, I was cheering for our favourite couple. If you haven't read this book, grab a copy. I highly recommend this one!

5 We are in this together stars!!

Excerpt

She looks me over, and I love the fact that she’s checking me out. I don’t know why I’m so drawn to her, but I am, and I want to get to know her better, at least where the bedroom’s concerned. Eventually, she extends her hand, and I give a firm handshake, the kind she wanted when we first met. “Please, Kale, call me Lucy.” Shaking her hand, I say it out loud. “Lucy. I like it.” “That’s fortunate since I’m stuck with it. Okay, Montgomery. As much as I love flirting with a hot ass soldier in the parking lot of an elementary school, I’ve got to get going. Maybe I’ll see you around?” She starts to walk away, but I grab her hand, reeling her back in. I’m not ready for her to go, yet I don’t want to seem like some crazy stalker guy. “Can I see you again? You know, outside of an elementary school?” I ask, my eyes bearing down into hers, begging for her to say yes. She hesitates, and I’m afraid she’s about to say no when she finally responds. “I don’t date. I’m not looking for anything serious, so if that’s what you’re looking for, I’m the wrong girl.” My cock practically sings at her words. A no strings attached relationship with a hot teacher right before I deploy? I couldn’t have asked for better luck. “I don’t do relationships, either, Lucy. I just want to get to know you and to have some fun. No feelings, no strings, no nothing,” I tell her, and watch as a look of relief washes over her. She starts digging in her purse and I watch as she scribbles something on a piece of paper before hanging it to me. “Number’s right there. Call me when you’re feeling adventurous,” she says. Before I can say anything, she spins around and swiftly walks away, leaving me to wonder just how adventurous she can be.
Purchase the Series
Tessa Books
Inflame (Explosive, #3)
Amazon: US | UK | CA | AU // Barnes & Noble
 
Ignite (Explosive #1)
Incinerate (Explosive #2)
   
About the Author
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I'm a twenty six year old book junkie who is also obsessed with sports. Bengals, Buckeyes, Reds are my teams! I work for the government during the day, hang out with Air National Guard on the weekends, and have been married to my own book boyfriend for over seven years. We currently live right outside of Dayton, OH with our two cats. If I’m not writing or looking through tons of photos of hot men, all in the name of research, then you can probably find me curled up with my Kindle, ignoring the rest of the world. I love my sports almost as much as I love my books. My other obsessions include red wine, hot men, country music, and all things Grace Potter.  
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Cover Reveal: A Safe Space by E.M Tippetts

 We are thrilled to share this gorgeous cover and excerpt for A Safe Space by E.M. Tippetts!  Let us know what you think and don't forget to add it to your TBR!

Title: A Safe Space
Author: E.M. Tippetts
Age Group: NA
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Designer: Okay Creations, Sarah Hansen
Release date: July 2014
Goodreads



Everyone needs a safe space.

For Lizzie Warner, that space has always been in front of the camera on her hit show, or on stage to a sold out concert arena. Since before she can remember, she’s been a star, but that may be about to change.

She’s nineteen. Her show has been cancelled and now she’s going to play the lead in a new prime time drama series, but is the world ready to take her seriously, or will she be typecast as the cute tween queen forever?
Her network has decided to be aggressive and has invested millions of dollars in an ad campaign for her show, money she’s not sure she can earn back. Her co-star can’t stand her, and the writing for the show turns out to be poor at best. The only reason Lizzie didn’t walk away from the job offer to begin with is because she’s broke, the victim of a decade of bad money management.

Then there’s Devon, the personal trainer at her gym. Arrogant and abrasive, he’s the last guy she should ever find attractive, but she has a hopeless crush on him anyway, and he doesn’t seem entirely disinterested either. In fact, sometimes he’s downright sweet to her. If only he weren’t an untamable bad boy who uses and dumps women like they’re nothing. Though Lizzie’s friends warn her to stay away, he’s the only person who can create what she needs: a safe space. But is there any way she can break him of his years' long habit of being a user?


Excerpt
Clues

As Devon swaggers through the gym, there’s a sweep of female heads turning, like the wake behind a boat in water. He ignores them, though, and comes straight to me.

My mind races, desperate to have a witty response ready for whatever obnoxious, arrogant crack he’s about to make. I avert my eyes from his toned body, flawless complexion, and those piercing hazel eyes. (I never thought of hazel as a piercing color before I met this guy.)

I stand in my designer blouse, jeans, and boots by the exit with my roommate, Kyra, who digs in her purse for her keys, oblivious to his approach. When she looks up, her mouth turns down in a scowl. “Don’t, Devon,” she says.

“Don’t what?” His eyes are wide with innocence and his mouth is curled into its usual smirk.

I draw myself up to my full height, unsure whether I should look right at him defiantly or look away, as if he’s beneath my notice. If this were scene, I think, and he were the male romantic lead… wait, do I want to think of him as the romantic lead? Does that give too much of my hand away? Suffice it to say I’m not navigating this situation with the kind of cool, collected air I aspire to.

“Have a good day, Veronica,” he says to me.

“That,” says Kyra. “Stop calling her that. Lizzie is what we call an actress. The stuff you see her do on television isn’t real. Let me know if I’m throwing too many concepts at you too fast.”

He directs his attention to her.

Now, I think, here’s my chance. I should mock him for watching children’s television (that’s where I played the “Veronica” he’s referring to), or double down on Kyra’s insult about not understanding that I’m an actress. Anything to puncture his ego.

I’ve acted on a show watched by millions of people around the world, sang whole concerts to sold out arena venues, and in front of this one guy, I choke. I cannot string together a coherent insult. My only saving grace is that he isn’t looking at me and doesn’t see my blank and no doubt embarrassed expression.

“Hey, so you said you wanted to know a good app for a pedometer,” he says to Kyra, whipping out his phone and showing her the screen.

The moment for trading insults has passed and I just stand, feeling like a third wheel while my roommate talks to her personal trainer, her silky black ponytail bobbing as he shows her some options.

“All right, bandwrecker?” he jibes.

There, another opportunity. He just insulted Kyra. I should say… something.

“That should be fine, man-whore,” she replies. “Let’s go Lizzie. Hey, you gonna wish Lizzie good luck for her first day on the set of her new show?”

“I’m still not over All About Veronica being cancelled. This is a painful moment for me,” he replies.

“Why do you watch Nickelodeon?” I blurt out.

“It’s quality programming,” he says without missing a beat. “And as your roommate here will tell you, it’s at my intellectual level.” He holds his hand horizontal to the floor, at about waist height. Then with a wink he turns away. “Ladies,” he says to a couple of women ogling him on the gym floor. “May I help you with anything?”

They both giggle and it’s clear they have him pegged for the superficial, commitment adverse player that he is. It’s also clear that he doesn’t mind. His confidence doesn’t diminish, not even a little bit, that’s how sure he is that he can have his way with any girl he wants. From what I’ve seen, he’s right.

Kyra shoots him a withering look behind his back. But that fades as soon as she turns to me. “You ready?”

I shake my head.

“You’ll kill it,” she says, leaning on the door that opens to the parking garage. “You can do this.”

I follow her out and do my best to act confident. A glance over my shoulder reveals that Devon’s paused to watch us leave. I look away fast. He’s a jerk, I tell myself. He’s a user. It doesn’t matter that he’s gorgeous; I work in Hollywood. Gorgeous is normal.

It’s as if there’s always a spotlight on Devon, though. No matter where he is in the room, I can sense him out of the corner of my eye.

Kyra holds out her hand, and we fist bump before we part ways, her to her red Jeep Liberty that she calls “Libby,” and me to the car that waits at the curb. I greet the driver as I climb in the back.

He turns to hand me the half-caff soy latte I requested he pick up on the way, and then we’re off.
I shut my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. I can do this. I can do this. The set is a safe space. A safe space. This is the mantra that has worked for me for over a decade. Don’t get me wrong, acting classes and coaching help a lot too, but this was the secret my mother unlocked for me at the very beginning of it all. People respect the set and the stage. There are social rules that prevent them from mocking or laughing. The more relaxed and expressive you can be, the more people respect what you do, provided you’re inside that safe space.





Author bio:

Emily Mah Tippetts writes science fiction as Emily Mah and sweet romance as E.M. Tippetts. A lifelong New Mexican, she lives with her family in Santa Fe, though she's been known to spend years at a time in the UK, her second home. Aside from being a writer, she's been a lawyer and jeweler, and is currently a stay at home mother, polymer clay artist, book designer/formatter, and owner of E.M. Tippetts Book Designs.

Links:
Mailing list: eepurl.com/vS_wz
Website: www.emtippetts.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/emtippetts
Twitter: twitter.com/emtippetts (@EMTippetts)