Book Blast & Giveaway with Author Taylor Dean

BOOKBLAST!!

The Tour of Lancaster House & The Middle Aisle has come to an end. In celebration of this unique tour of the Lancaster Mansion, we are giving away 10 eCopies of both books!! & sharing highlights from the Tour. Yep!! Catch the entire tour right here...

On tour with Prism Book Tours...

Fundimental Review of Lancaster House & The Middle Aisle

2/11 – Unputdownable Books – Guest Post Paranormal 

What inspired me to write a paranormal romance?

2/12 – I AmA Reader, Not a Writer – Guest Post Inspiration

The American Idol performance that inspired Lancaster House

2/13 - Fundinmental Guest Post by Taylor Dean

Lancaster House contains many secret passageways and hidden rooms.

-          Letters to the Cosmos – Review of Lancaster House

thought-provoking romantic read that isn't afraid to confront darkness

2/14 – Oh,The Books You’ll Read – Review of The Middle Aisle

I didn't think that this book would be as good as the first one but I was wrong.  Taylor Dean is a literary genius.

-          Proud Book Nerd – Excerpt

 Luminous, bright green eyes were trained directly on her. 

2/15 – LDS& Lovin’ It – Review of Lancaster House

I wanted to actually leap into the book and visit the place, old and damaged or not.  I loved the idea of secret hiding places and staircases that go nowhere

2/17 - PhantasmicReads - Guest Post Inspiration for the Lancaster House

The Hayes Mansion . . . is it haunted?

-          Lavender & Camomile Press Highlight

-     Colorimetry - Guest Post the Mansion

The mansion that served as inspiration for writing Lancaster House

2/18 – TheReading Diaries – Excerpt

Reviews: Lancaster House & The Middle Aisle

2/19 -  Living a Goddess Life – Review Lancaster House

the imaginative Lancaster House within the novel really captured my attention.

-          Beck Valley Books – Guest Post by Taylor Dean

I Scared Myself!

2/20 – Living the Goddess Life –  Recipe from Lancaster House

2/21 – Passionand Life – Guest Post Excerpt

The doorway was gone.The room had been re-sealed and the wall, painted. There was no evidence it had ever been opened.

-          Books Mystify –  Review of Lancaster House & The Middle Aisle

2/22 – Christy’s Cozy Corner – Review of Lancaster House

 Her story becomes even more alive in this follow-up to Lancaster House. It is a story woven with great detail and raw emotion.

2/24 – Christy’sCozy Corner – Review of The Middle Aisle

I give it 5 stars! 

  - A Buckeye Girl Reads - Guest Post 1920's Slang

Dewdropper: young man who sleeps all day and doesn’t have a job

2/25 – Livinga Goddess Life – Review of The Middle Aisle

The Middle Aisle... toyed with the question of Zoe's sanity, which I found to be the most compelling part of the books.

-          Icultgen – Guest Post Excerpt

“Excuse me, I need to iron my shoelaces. Can you help me?”

2/26 - FUONLYKNEW - Guest Post the Doctor

 "I consulted my psychology-degreed daughter as I wrote Doctor Channing."

2/26 – Who’sThanny?  – Review of Lancaster House in Portuguese

A sequência de Lancaster House, The Middle Aisle, já está disponível. Aguardem pra saber mais sobre essa história!

-          Letters to the Cosmos – Review of The Middle Aisle

Dean adds some great storytelling to mix, turning the concept of an unreliable narrator so completely on its head that the reader is never quite sure what is real, what isn't, and how it will all end.

2/27 – Livinga Goddess Life – Recipe from The Middle Aisle

2/28 – ABuckeye Girl Reads – Review Lancaster House & The Middle Aisle

 This series just has a way of pulling you in and not wanting to come up for air.

  - Who's Thanny?  Review of The Middle Aisle

(...) But I'll never admit That he's here. Never again. I need him. I want him. I do not care if he's not real. I wish I'd never known the truth. The truth sucks. Delusions are fantastic. The world would be a happier place if everyone was allowed to Live Out Their fantasies, live in a dream world where everything is butterflies and roses. (...)

Lancaster House & The Middle Aisle, available in print or eCopy from Smashwords or Amazon:

Taylor Dean:

©iStockphoto.com/tinabelle

Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding that she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it's paranormal, contemporary, or suspense-you'll find all sub-genres of romance in her line-up.

Find & Follow:

Website/Blog

Facebook
Twitter

Goodreads
Smashwords

Bookblast Giveaway!!

10 eCopies of Lancaster House & The Middle Aisle for 10 Winners!!!
March 1 - March 7, 2013

Open only to those who can legally enter. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced on Rafflecopter and Grand Finale posts as well as emailed and the winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry and Prism Book Tours and sponsored by Taylor Dean. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Tour-Wide Giveaway Winners on Rafflecopter:

5 WINNERS in USA will receive.... Signed copies of Lancaster House and The Middle Aisle, two Lancaster House bookmarks, two pencils that say, "Believe it, Know it, Accept it," and a cute little tote bag.

5 International Winners will receive... eCopy of Lancaster House & The Middle Aisle

Open only to those who can legally enter. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced on Rafflecopter and Grand Finale posts as well as emailed and the winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry and Prism Book Tours and sponsored by Taylor Dean. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Guardians Inc.: The Cypher by Julian Rosado-Machain: Win 100 Dollars

GUARDIANS INC.: THE CYPHER

A chance reading of a newspaper ad will send 16 year old Thomas Byrne into the world within our world.

Following the ad he will find Guardians Incorporated. A seven thousand year old organization charged with protecting the balance between Magic and technology.

Through their guidance, technology has kept Magic at bay since the Renaissance, but the balance is shifting and soon all those creatures we've driven into myth and legend will come back with a vengeance.

To protect the present, Guardians Incorporated needs to know the future and to unlock the future
they need a Cypher.

Book Trailer

Guardians Inc.: The Cypher is FREE on Kindle, Nook & iBooks

Praise
USA Book News 2012 Finalist -Young Adult Fiction

"Rosado-Machain brings a light, humorous touch to themes of teenage love, loss and betrayal wrapped up in a tasty package of magical coming-of-age."
~Kirkus Reviews

"It's like Julian Rosado-Machain took everything that I love about middle grade children's fiction and slammed it into one awesome, well-paced fantasy"
~Emi London Oktopusink.blogspot.com

"The Cypher hooked me from the beginning. And kept my attention right through to the very end."
- Heidi Roth reviewthebook.com

Get Your Copy for FREE

Amazon * Barnes & Noble 

iTunes

Author Julian Rosado-Machain

Julian has enjoyed pizza in three continents, holds a degree in graphic design, built armored vehicles and computers, handcrafted alebrijes and swears has seen at least one ghost.

He is the Co-owner of Hacienda de Vega Restaurant in San Diego, California and enjoys the sun with his wife, three children and cat.

Website * Facebook

Book Blast Giveaway
$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 3/13/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.



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FREE Book Alert - REINVENTING CLAIRE by Darian Wilk - Win 20 dollars to Amazon

Reinventing Claire by Darian Wilk is FREE this week (2/25 to 3/1) on Amazon. Get your copy and find out how to enter to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card below.

Reinventing Claire by Darian Wilk

August 20, 2012 

People get divorced, but that's what happens to other people. That's what Claire thought anyway, until her husband, Charlie, tells her he wants a divorce.

Claire has no choice but to take on the title of Divorced Woman, and face the question she has no idea how to answer. Who is Claire without Charlie? Her family believes her newly divorced woes can be cured by landing herself a boyfriend. With her dating dunce cap in hand, Claire stumbles her way through the foreign territory of online dating.

A teacher from hell, a softball coach, and a sap later, Claire proclaims herself the dating idiot she thought she was, and fears she's doomed to be a lonely, crazy cat lady. But an accidental run-in with an old acquaintance might change everything. What starts with comparing dating battle wounds over a cup of coffee, quickly turns into something Claire had given up on.

As Claire discovers maybe there is love after Charlie after all, Charlie realizes his mistake. He wants her back, and he'll do anything to prove it to her. Now Claire must choose who deserves her heart, and if she's really willing to give it away again.

About the author:

Darian Wilk was born in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the younger of two children.  While still a toddler her family moved back to their home state of Michigan, where she still lives today. 

After high school Darian tried her hand at college, majoring in Nursing, while she worked as a Physical Therapy Technician.  "I loved my job, but I still couldn't picture doing it forever," she says now.  But before she finished her degree she became pregnant, and focused her attention on the challenges of being a single mother to her daughter.

In 2005, Darian married her best friend, Steve, whom she met and became close friends with several years earlier.  In their second year of marriage, Darian became pregnant with her son.  She worked on and off throughout her twenties as a Home Health Aid to the elderly, but preferred to stay home and raise her babies.

In 2007, her mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and Darian quit working to tend to her mom.  It was in those three years of taking care of her that Darian realized how precious, and short, life really is.  In her moms last year of life, she finally had the courage to pursue what her heart always secretly longed for; becoming a writer.  It was then that she started her debut novel, Love Unfinished, and continues her writing journey today. 

Find out more at DarianWilk.weebly.com. 

Giveaway Details

One winner will receive a $20 Amazon Gift Card.

Giveaway ends at midnight on March 1, 2013 EST.

Open internationally as long as you can use a Amazon.com gift card. 

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The Love Game by Emma Hart - Cover Reveal & Excerpt

The Love Game 
by Emma Hart
Expected publication: March 29, 2013
Genre: New Adult

His challenge? Make her fall in love with him.

Her challenge? Play the player.

Until life changes the rules of the game.

Maddie Stevens hated Braden Carter on sight. Arrogant, egotistical, and the playboy of the University of California, Berkeley, he's everything her brother Pearce has taught her to despise. So why, when the girls challenge her to play the player, doesn't she say no? She doesn't know either.

Braden wanted fiery little Maddie the second he laid eyes on her - and he'd do anything to have her, hence why he's agreed to make her fall in love with him. After all, it's the only way he'll get what he wants. Sex.

But, as Braden discovers, there's more to the girl from Brooklyn than he ever imagined - and he can't help but care about the broken girl behind those pretty green eyes.

Maddie finds Braden isn't just a walking erection - he actually has feelings. He can be sweet, funny and his good looks don't exactly hurt. That means trouble - but when her brother Pearce turns up in Berkeley begging for her help, she realises Braden and Pearce aren't so alike anymore.

And maybe, just maybe, they're exactly what each other needs.

Add on Goodreads.

Excerpt:

He slides one of his arms around me and pulls me to him so my back is flush against his chest, both of our arms wrapping my stomach. “See? I've got you. It's fine, Angel.”

“This is crazy. Never again is Megan organizing a date.”

“Yeah, she got a good one with this.” He laughs again and I shake my head.

“No, no, she didn't. This is terrible.”

“Really? I would have thought that being up against me would be a good thing.”

“Maybe it would be if I could actually focus on the fact I'm pressed against your body.”

“Well, then.” He spins so he's in front of me, skating backwards.

“Braden, you can't see where we're going!”

“That's your job.”

“Oh my god.” I try looking over his shoulder but I can't. He's too tall, dammit. “You're too tall!”

“Then you just have to trust me.” His lips take mine in a searing kiss and I gasp inwardly, grabbing hold of him tightly. His hands find my waist and pull my hips against him, our speed slowing slightly. He goes to deepen the kiss, his tongue tracing between my lips, and I nip his bottom lip before I open to him. My fingers tangle in his hair as our tongues meet, starting an intricate dance of want.

For a second, I forget the game. I forget the fake relationship. I forget the fact I'm on roller-skates and Braden isn't-

“Oomph!” Braden grunts, hitting the floor. I laugh, rolling off him.

“I told you we didn't know where we were going!” I say through my laughter, blades of grass tickling my ears.

“Hey.” He rolls towards me, propping himself up on his elbow. His hair flops down towards my face, casting little shadows over us. “I totally knew where we were going until you distracted me.”

“I distracted you? Oh no, mister. You kissed me, not the other way around.”

“And I didn't hear any complaints about that.”

“Maybe that's because there weren't any.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Then let's try again.”

 

Fallen Ruler by Eleanor T. Beaty - Excerpt & Giveaways

Excerpt:

A lush garden, with ancient ficus trees, surrounded her grandmother’s cottage in the Grove. The tall trees’ cascading aerial roots had terrified Lya when she was small. At night they turned into huge monsters with scary faces. Nee had come up with the perfect solution to make her feel safe; she'd placed three angels with chimes in the garden to guard the house. These angels didn’t have wings or names. They were but blue wooden silhouettes.

Nee’s gates stood open. The mango trees in her garden were loaded; the sweet scent of ripe fruit permeated the driveway. There would be mango bread for tea. Her seventy-year-old grandmother opened the door dressed in an orange Sari. Her shoulder-length gray hair was pulled back in a ponytail, which brought out her almond-shaped brown-green eyes.

“Abhaya.” Nee gave her a tight hug.

Abhaya, Lya’s Indian name meaning “fearless,” had been given to her by a nurse at the Delhi Hospital the day she was born.

Lya kissed her grandmother’s cheek.

Nee looked past her. “And Utpalini, has she escaped?”

Utpalini was Andrea’s Indian name, given to her by Nee. “More like bolted, while I dozed.”

Nee smiled. “Her loss.”

Lya felt bad about her sister’s treatment of Nee. Andrea considered her an embarrassment, an outdated hippie who should be put out of her misery.

The aroma of mango and dough drifted through the house. Nee’s cottage had beautiful art pieces collected during her travels. The Russian icon of a Madonna and Child and the bronze Buddha sitting on his wooden pedestal were Nee’s favorites.

“I set tea in the garden with the angels.”

Lya smiled to herself. As soon as they stepped out, the chimes rang in welcome. Lya bowed and thanked the angels. She still hadn’t figured out how her grandmother rang those chimes on cue. There were no wires. Three places had been set on the old picnic table under the golden raintree’s cascading canopy, now lined with yellow flowers. Lya sat facing the house, knowing her grandmother liked to face the angels.

“How was the trip?”

Lya shrugged. “Ok. I didn’t sleep much. The plane was full.”

Her grandmother poured the tea. “And your father?”

“He caught a flight to headquarters. He’ll be back tonight.” The company’s headquarter was in New York City.

“And your mother?”

Her mother, Carla had stayed behind to pack up the house. Or so she said. “She arrives next week.”

“How is everyone dealing with the move?”

“Well, it varies. Mom’s upset; she didn’t want to leave Brazil. When Dad announced the move, she said she didn’t care where they went, since anywhere with Dad sucked.”

Nee’s eyebrows shot up. “I thought things had calmed down.”

“No. I think it’s gotten worse between them. They weren’t fighting as much because they kept out of each other’s way. Both Dad and Andrea are furious over the move. Dad thought he’d get something like Paris after Bolivia and Brazil, and not another underdeveloped country like India.”

Fallen Ruler 
by Eleanor T. Beaty

For sixteen years, Lya, has lived as a normal human, until her father, Walter, gets involved with the wrong people and puts Lya’s life at risk. During a visit to Miami, Lya’s older sister is kidnapped, and Lya and her father are subsequently taken hostage by Walter’s associates and forced to board a plane to India. When the plane lands in Delhi, Lya is rescued by three monks and taken to a Monastery. There her reality is shattered, when she learns the true identity of her rescuers and, even more surprisingly, herself. Lya is now faced with the toughest decision of her life. Can she live up to her ethereal destiny and save her family?

Purchase Links:

Amazon eBook: http://www.amazon.com/Fallen-Ruler-ebook/dp/B00AJVMW88/

Amazon Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Fallen-Ruler-Middle-English-Edition/dp/0988590107

About the author:

Eleanor T. Beaty is a Young Adult Paranormal author. A worldly person born in beautiful Brazil and spent much of her childhood in several places (Argentina, Switzerland, and the US to name a few). She holds a BA in English Literature and is published in both Brazil and Turkey.

Eleanor loves spirituality and magic - both have allowed her to gain a strong grip on life and enjoy what it has to offer. She believes that everything has a reason and understanding those reasons help us deal with the difficult moments. Eleanor currently enjoys life with her husband in Brazil.

Follow her at EleanorTBeaty.com. a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Seduced Saga by Kimberly Kinrade

“Twilight meets Beautiful Creatures.” Introducing A New Adult Erotic Romance.

What fans and critics are saying about The Seduced Saga:

“Twilight meets Beautiful Creatures” ~ A Simple Mom on Amazon

“Sexy, sweet, suspenseful! The story line is great, the sexy scenes are honest, and the characters are wonderfully conflicted. Kimberly Kinrade knows how to tell a story and weave it together flawlessly.” ~Jennifer Novotny “Irelynkiss”

“An intriguing paranormal twist of a Romeo and Juliette story. I was hooked within the first few pages.” ~ Josette Schaber “Josette Evanlea”

“True love at its finest.” ~Stephanie Mayfield 

About the Seduced Saga:
Rose Wintersong didn’t have an ordinary upbringing. Raised in what most would call a hippy commune, but what is actually a powerful coven of witches, she never questions the life fate chose for her.

Until she meets Derek O’Conner.

Derek challenges everything Rose believes and forces her to see the secrets hidden beneath the whitewashed walls of her idyllic country life.

Rose knows she should walk away, that the sexy martial arts instructor is bad news bred to create discord in her tight community… but the animal magnetism between them is impossible to fight.

Caught between the passion of first love, and the steady beat of the life she’s always known, Rose must choose between the innocence of her youth or the pleasures of womanhood–but lost innocence comes at a price, and Rose harbors a dark secret that could destroy everyone she loves–including Derek.

Buy links:

Seduced by Innocence

For Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Seduced-Innocence-Paranormal-Shifters-ebook/dp/B00B751B6E

Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Seduced-Innocence-Volume-Kimberly-Kinrade/dp/1939559111/

Seduced by Pain

http://www.amazon.com/Seduced-Pain-Paranormal-Shifters-ebook/dp/B00BFFYX98

Look for the third book in the trilogy, Seduced by Power, coming soon!

About the author:

Kimberly Kinrade was born with ink in her veins and magic in her heart. She writes fantasy and paranormal stories for children, YA and adults and still believes in magic worlds. Check out her YA paranormal novels Forbidden Mind and Forbidden Fire and her illustrated children's fantasy chapter books Lexie World, and Bella World, all on Amazon.

She lives with her three little girls who think they're ninja princesses with super powers, her two dogs who think they're humans and her husband, also known as the sexy Russian Prince, who is the love of her life and writing partner.

Find out more at KimberlyKinrade.com.

Veiled Mist by Eleanor T. Beaty - Excerpt & Kindle Paperwhite Giveaway

Excerpt:

The shoe hit the door and chipped off a flake of white paint. Only when the shoe fell to the floor did Hanna realize what she had just done. She looked at her shaking hands as if they belonged to someone else. Then she slumped onto the bed crying.

There was a hole inside her chest. A huge dark hole…a loss, she had lost something. Hanna turned to the doll. She wished she could hug it and make the pain go away. The eighteenth-century doll, with its delicate features, diamond tiara and yellow-laced gown, was all she had left of her mother. That doll gave Hanna great comfort every day. It was her mother Marie watching over her. Marie, a descendant of the French aristocracy, had died in childbirth. On Hanna’s fifth birthday, her grandfather John II had brought the doll and placed it on the mantelpiece. For ten years it hadn’t been moved, so she thought. How could this happen? Now her doll looked like a cheap prop from a B-horror film. Hanna shuddered. Oh, my God, she’d shuddered? Was shuddering contagious?

Maybe Vani was right, but not about the doll. There was something evil going on. Something evil had broken her doll. The shutters banged again, making Hanna jump. She stared at the window and wiped her face. She had locked those shutters before going to bed. She was sure of it. Hanna stood and walked over to the window. She pulled the shutters closed, then changed her mind and threw them open, fastening them to the slip-hooks on the outside wall.

No, the doll wasn’t evil. Hanna twisted around and made her way back to the fireplace. She placed a gentle kiss on the glass case and headed to the bathroom to get ready for school. Her mind stayed with the doll while her green eyes watched her hand comb her blond strands; a robot doing its routine chore. She would get it fixed. Hanna applied black mascara and some gloss to her lips, wondering if the doll’s arms falling off could be an omen.

Omens were an obsession with her grandmother Elizabeth; she saw omens in everything and everywhere. While some on the island called Elizabeth a witch, Hanna thought of her as spiritual, albeit eerie. Vani called her Chupacabra, the mythical goat-bloodsucking demon creature. Last week, when Hanna had told Elizabeth she’d dreamt of a hand stabbing her doll in the back, her grandmother explained it forewarned betrayal. Elizabeth told Hanna to be vigilant. Her grandmother didn’t like the doll. Hanna wondered what she would say about the doll’s fallen arms. As she headed across the bedroom, the shutters banged again. Hanna twirled around wide-eyed. That was not possible. Shutters didn’t get loose from those hooks. Did they? Perhaps the hooks were weak. 

Veiled Mist 

by Eleanor T. Beaty

On the Caribbean island of Maurray, spoiled-rotten, fifteen-year-old Hanna wakes up to a nightmare. She is not the daughter of an aristocrat but the orphan of a Gypsy. She is the descendant to a mystical Gypsy tribe. Their magic is strong and has lasted six hundred years. Ornella, the tribe's guardian, arrives at the island with her mutt, Count Dracula, to guide Hanna. Hanna is told she must embrace her heritage or die at the ripe age of seventeen. But Hanna does the unthinkable, she chooses death. She hates Gypsies and would rather die. What she doesn't know is that her death will destroy the entire tribe. What she also doesn't know is how persuasive Ornella can be. The nightmare begins. 

The Reviews are in! 4.6 out of 5 stars!

"An engrossing and convincing thriller, set in an exotic part of the world, elegantly yet efficiently told. Eleanor Beaty is a writer well worth keeping your eye on" ~ Jon Breakfield, best-selling author of KEY WEST.

“Witches, Gypsies and Evil Wizards, Oh My!” ~ Krystal Willingham, book blogger

“The storyline for this book is delightfully original [and] chock full of intrigue and the paranormal… I enjoyed every minute of the story and think you will, too.” ~ Nancy Medina, book blogger

Purchase Links:

Amazon eBook: http://www.amazon.com/Veiled-Mist-ebook/dp/B008J72TGO/

Amazon Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Veiled-Mist-Eleanor-T-Beaty/dp/0615649483

 

About the author:

Eleanor T. Beaty is a Young Adult Paranormal author. A worldly person born in beautiful Brazil and spent much of her childhood in several places (Argentina, Switzerland, and the US to name a few). She holds a BA in English Literature and is published in both Brazil and Turkey.

Eleanor loves spirituality and magic - both have allowed her to gain a strong grip on life and enjoy what it has to offer. She believes that everything has a reason and understanding those reasons help us deal with the difficult moments. Eleanor currently enjoys life with her husband in Brazil.

Follow her at EleanorTBeaty.com.

Giveaways:

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Bloggers: Sign Up to Participate in a "Free Book Blast" for REINVENTING CLAIRE by Darian Wilk

Sign ups are now open for bloggers who are willing to put up a post for a "Free Book Alert" on February 25. Reinventing Claire by Darian Wilk will be FREE on Amazon from 2/25 to 3/1. 

In exchange for getting the word out, you will receive a spot on the Rafflecopter. There will be a $20 Amazon gift card up for grabs. You must put up the post including the Rafflecopter by noon CST on 2/25. If you cannot commit to this, please do not sign up.

About the book:

Reinventing Claire by Darian Wilk
August 20, 2012

People get divorced, but that's what happens to other people. That's what Claire thought anyway, until her husband, Charlie, tells her he wants a divorce.

Claire has no choice but to take on the title of Divorced Woman, and face the question she has no idea how to answer. Who is Claire without Charlie? Her family believes her newly divorced woes can be cured by landing herself a boyfriend. With her dating dunce cap in hand, Claire stumbles her way through the foreign territory of online dating.

A teacher from hell, a softball coach, and a sap later, Claire proclaims herself the dating idiot she thought she was, and fears she's doomed to be a lonely, crazy cat lady. But an accidental run-in with an old acquaintance might change everything. What starts with comparing dating battle wounds over a cup of coffee, quickly turns into something Claire had given up on.

As Claire discovers maybe there is love after Charlie after all, Charlie realizes his mistake. He wants her back, and he'll do anything to prove it to her. Now Claire must choose who deserves her heart, and if she's really willing to give it away again.

About the author:
I'm a women's fiction author, and my current titles include Love Unfinished and Reinventing Claire. I love the challenge and thrill of putting words onto paper, and forming it into a story. For me, the only thing better than that are my kids.

On the occasions I'm not engulfed in writing you'll find me reading a book, either for fun or for review on my blog, Crazy Lady with a Pen. When I'm not reading, I'm spending time with my friends and family. Life is too short to pass those beautiful little moments life has to offer by, I want to soak up every moment I can.

For more information about me, my books, reviews, or my blog, please visit my website, DarianWilk.weebly.com.  

Teaser Tuesday: The Next Forever by Lisa Burstein

Here is a little peek at a novella I recently read. (Review coming soon.) I really liked this line, so I wanted to share it here for Teaser Tuesday.

"I was pausing him, pausing myself. Trying to keep us in the perfect place we had been in before we got to college.

When he was my hero and I was a girl who needed one."

From The Next Forever by Lisa Burstein. 

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Dear Cassie by Lisa Burstein: Review

Dear Cassie by Lisa Burstein
Expected publication: March 5, 2013
Entangled Teen

What if the last place you should fall in love is the first place that you do?

You’d think getting sent to Turning Pines Wilderness Camp for a month-long rehabilitation “retreat” and being forced to re-live it in this journal would be the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.

You’d be wrong.

There’s the reason I was sent to Turning Pines in the first place: I got arrested. On prom night. With my two best friends, who I haven’t talked to since and probably never will again. And then there’s the real reason I was sent here. The thing I can’t talk about with the guy I can’t even think about.

What if the moment you’ve closed yourself off is the moment you start to break open?

But there’s this guy here. Ben. And the more I swear he won’t—he can’t—the deeper under my skin he’s getting. After the thing that happened, I promised I’d never fall for another boy’s lies.

And yet I can’t help but wonder…what if?

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My Review:
We first met Cassie in Pretty Amy as part of the trio of friends that broke into a guy's house after they were stood up for prom night, stole his pot, and managed to get themselves arrested with it. Cassie was the "tough guy" of the group, never showing emotion and never really letting anyone in. In Dear Cassie, we find out why she is so closed off from relationships and so guarded with her emotions. Besides Cassie's tough childhood and getting arrested with a crap load of pot on prom night, she is also trying to figure out how to deal with a life altering decision she was forced to make after the arrest. Now Cassie is being sent to rehab to try to keep herself out of jail, but she wonders if this will be enough? Will it really help her?
 
I have developed a love/hate relationship with Lisa Burstein. And I use the word "hate" in a very loose sense because I don't really mean hate. This is the third book I've read by this author. (Well, two books and one novella. Review on the novella coming soon.) I must say that I have been pleasantly surprised that I have enjoyed them so much. On the surface, Dear Cassie may look like a typical YA book with a whiny "oh poor me" main character where everything pretty much turns out perfectly even though they complain about their hard life the whole time, but you get so much more than that. Lisa Burstein manages to capture the raw emotions and effectively portray them so that the reader can relate to the character and the situation. Both Pretty Amy and Dear Cassie take real situations and show how hard it can be to deal with the consequences. I enjoy this type of YA/NA book and wish that I had been able to find these when I was that age. Now for the "hate" part. I rarely find myself so drawn into a character's world that I am disappointed at the end of the book. Not disappointed in the story but disappointed that it was over because I was so drawn into Cassie's world that I want to know what happens next. What is Cassie's next step? I am really hoping we find out in a follow up. Is Lila's story up next? I hope so.

A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Read my review of Pretty Amy.

About the author:
Lisa Burstein received her MFA in Fiction from the Inland Northwest Center for Writers at Eastern Washington University. She lives in Portland, OR, with her very patient husband, a neurotic dog and two cats. Dear Cassie is her second novel.

According to her twitter profile: "I write to help girls like me turn into girls not like me."

Find out more at LisaBurstein.com, on Twitter, and Facebook.