Category: Blog Tour

Ellie Cahill’s (aka Liz Czukas) Workspace | When Joss Met Matt Blog Tour

Posted February 23, 2015 by Jana in Blog Tour, Giveaway, Guest Post / 1 Comment

Ellie Cahill's (aka Liz Czukas) Workspace | When Joss Met Matt Blog Tour

I’m so happy to be a part of the virtual blog tour for When Joss Met Matt by Ellie Cahill! Today we’re learning a little more about Liz/Ellie through looking at pictures of her various workspaces. I’m going to turn the blog over to her now, but be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to enter the giveaway!

I am deeply jealous of writers who have beautiful offices. A room with a gorgeous view, a clean desk, and a comfy chair would be a dream come true. I also covet treadmill desks, because I know I should really be more active than I am, and I definitely have myself convinced that would be the key to motivation (this is probably a lie).

Instead, what I have is a laptop and a few favorite spots around the house that I like to work. Of all the little corners I carve out for myself in the house, my most frequent “office” has got to be my couch. It’s a nice couch, don’t get me wrong. Plus, it features the fantastic throw blanket my aunt and cousin got me for Christmas.

Ellie1Yes, that IS the cover of my latest YA book in blanket form!

But the problem with any of my workspaces is that they always include my very sweet, but very curious and attention-hungry golden retriever Alex.

Ellie2This is the face of trouble.

So when I sit down to work, I nearly always have “the office pet” right there with me. She is very very helpful. Just ask her.

Ellie3No worries, I wasn’t using my left hand for typing or anything, Al.

So if you’re thinking of getting me a gift, I’ll take a dog-free office, please. Or maybe side-by-side treadmills–one for me, one for Alex.

Now that you know more about the author of When Joss Met Matt, let’s get to know the book itself! Stay tuned for my review, which should be showing up any day now!

When Joss Met Matt by Ellie Cahill
Published by Ballantine Books on February 24, 2015
Genres: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Buy the Book • Add to Goodreads

Ellie Cahill is poised to coin the term “sorbet sex” with her charming twist on the age-old ‘friends-with-benefits’ story.

Dating can be fun, but it can leave a nasty taste in your mouth. For Joss, ever since her longtime boyfriend cheated on her, she doesn’t want her last memory of a guy to be that jerk. Enter her college friend, Matt. They come up with a theory: after a bad break-up, a person needs to cleanse the palate with a little sorbet sex. Lovers for a night, but always back to being friends in the morning. The two can handle it because they have a contract: rules they wrote, rules they follow and rules they can sometimes bend. The arrangement works: everyone needs a little sorbet now and again … until it starts to be the only thing you want. And then Joss breaks the one rule they never wrote down: don’t fall in love.

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If I Lived in a World With Soulprint Technology… | Blog Tour + Giveaway

Posted February 2, 2015 by Jana in Blog Tour, Giveaway / 11 Comments

If I Lived in a World With Soulprint Technology... | Blog Tour + Giveaway

Welcome to the very first stop along the official Soulprint blog tour, hosted by Bloomsbury Publishing! In honor of Soulprint‘s upcoming release tomorrow, I was asked to answer the following question:

soulprintQuestFor those who don’t know, soulprint technology gives the government the ability to trace a person’s soul across their lifetimes and keep track of who they’ve been, just like today’s law enforcement can track your fingerprints and place you at the scene of a crime. Alina has fallen victim to this technology, and is imprisoned on an island for crimes the government tells her she committed in her past life.

So. If I lived in a world with this kind of technology, I would want to be reincarnated as a famous person who gets paid to travel the world, chronicling their adventures and recommending the best hotels, restaurants, and touristy things to do. Basically, I want to be Samantha Brown! She and her film crew are sent all over the world to make travel shows and see the world. Instead of being on TV, though, I would want to write memoirs and travel books. I’d make sure my first few stops included going to Finland and renting a glass igloo to watch the Northern Lights; the Glowworm Caves in Waitomo, New Zealand; and on a tour to Machu Picchu in Peru. I have a whole Pinterest board of places I’ve been to and places I’d love to visit again or for the first time.

What would you like to be reincarnated as? A celebrity? An animal? Let’s discuss in the comments!

 But before you go, here’s some more information on Soulprint by Megan Miranda, followed by a giveaway you won’t want to miss!

Soulprint by Megan Miranda
Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia
Buy the Book • Add to Goodreads

A new literary, sci-fi thriller from acclaimed author Megan Miranda.

With the science of soul-fingerprinting a reality, Alina Chase has spent her entire life imprisoned for the crimes her past-self committed. In an attempt to clear her name, Alina unintentionally trades one prison for another when she escapes, aided by a group of teens whose intentions and motivations are a mystery to her. As she gets to know one of the boys, sparks fly, and Alina believes she may finally be able to trust someone. But when she uncovers clues left behind from her past life that only she can decipher, secrets begin to unravel. Alina must figure out whether she’s more than the soul she inherited, or if she’s fated to repeat the past.

This compelling story will leave readers wondering if this fictional world could become a reality.

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Follow the blog tour!

February 2nd – That Artsy Reader Girl
February 3rd – Nose Graze
February 4th – Effortlessly Reading
February 5th – Andi ABCs
February 6th – What Sarah Read
February 9th – Across the Words
February 10th – Great Imaginations
February 11th – The Eater of Books
February 12th – Step Into Fiction
February 13th – Dana Square

The Ten Things I Love Most About Christmas | Guest Post by Brenda Novak (+ Giveaways)

Posted December 9, 2014 by Jana in Blog Tour, Giveaway, Guest Post / 4 Comments

 

Welcome to my stop along the Harlequin Holiday Reads Blog Tour, hosted by Rockstar Book Tours! I absolutely love Christmas books, and this year’s line of holiday reads are wonderful! I’ve read and enjoyed several of them, including The Heart of Christmas by Brenda Novak, which I get to highlight today! Check out my review here. I loved it, and it definitely got me into the holiday spirit.

It’s my pleasure to have Brenda Novak on the blog today to tell us all about the ten things she loves about Christmas. She also has a fun giveaway for my readers to go along with the Harlequin-sponsored giveaway of all the books on the tour and some other fun goodies. So basically, this post is full of Christmas goodness!

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The Heart of Christmas by Brenda Novak
Published by MIRA Books on October 28, 2014
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Christmas
Pages: 384
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Buy from Amazon • Buy from B&N • Buy from IndieBound • Add to Goodreads

 Eve Harmon has always enjoyed Christmas, but this year it reminds her of everything she doesn’t have. Almost all her friends are married now, and that’s what Eve wants, too. There’s no one in the small town of Whiskey Creek she could even imagine as a husband—until a handsome stranger comes to town.

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The Ten Things I Love Most About Christmas
by Brenda Novak

1. Christmas Memories. They are some of my best. I will never forget the agonizing anticipation of trying to get through Christmas Eve as a young child. I think that’s been the only time in my life when I absolutely couldn’t sleep for the tremendous amount of excitement pouring through me. I’ll never forget my grandparents (one or the other, since they were divorced), coming to spend the night with us. That changed up our sleeping situation, which put us kids in various beds together. We would squirm and talk and anxiously await dawn—and then we’d get up before the sun only to be sent back to bed until the clock struck six.

2. Dickens Village Pieces. No one loves the Victorian era, or Charles Dickens, quite as much as I do. So I started collecting the Dept. 56 Dickens Village pieces early on. After several years, I couldn’t practically store and put out, so I quit adding to the collection. But I still enjoy setting up my village every year. There’s something about imagining that era that really gets my imagination going.

3. The hustle and bustle in the air. I love the frenetic activity. Some people eschew the crowds in the mall and on the streets, but I feed off the excitement. Several years ago, we started a tradition of going out very early on Black Friday to grab all the deals we could, and we’ve had a blast ever since, chasing from store to store with our five children.

4. The food. Need I say more? I think most people will agree with me here. My mother is now in her eighties and can’t cook anymore, but I will always remember her big dinners with great fondness. No one can make stuffing the way she could.

5. The lights. I can’t say that my husband is quite as excited as I am to drive around and see the lights, but I make him take me. There are certain streets not far from where we live that are famous for their displays. I enjoy getting a cup of hot cocoa and cruising around to take in the beauty.

6. The snow. Okay, this might be stretching it a bit, since I live in California. But I love snow in theory. I love the romanticism of a white Christmas, the beauty of it on Christmas cards (although I’m fine to admire it from afar—LOL).

7. The magic. I know a lot of people complain about the commercialism of Christmas. I’m sure they have a point. There is too much of that. But I also see a great deal of magic happening at this time. The gathering of friends and family builds stronger bonds. We remember associates we haven’t spoken to in a long time and take a few minutes to reconnect with a gift, some baked goods or a card. I love that this season causes us to pause and reflect on the things that are most important to us.

8. The gifts. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love the gifts, so I’m going to be honest and include them. LOL

9. The books. There are so many inspiring and uplifting books that come out this time of year. Such stories of sacrifice and forgiveness and community inspire me.

10. The meaning. Peace on earth. Just saying those words makes me feel hope and joy.

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About Brenda Novak:

Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are the proud parents of five children—three girls and two boys. She juggles her writing career with her children’s softball and soccer games, field trips, carpool runs and homework sessions. Readers can find out more about Brenda at her website.

Find Brenda on Facebook and Twitter

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Looking for more holiday-themed reads? Click here to discover.

Harlequin-Holiday-group-image

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Giveaways!

(Each week of the tour holds a separate shared giveaway among that week’s tour stops, so make sure to visit stops each week for more opportunities to win)

The Harlequin Holiday Reads prize-pack includes:
– One mass market paperback of each of: Christmas with the Billionaire by Carole Mortimer, Maisey Yates and Joss Wood; Maybe this Christmas by Sarah Morgan; Snow Angel Cove by RaeAnne Thayne; The Heart of Christmas by Brenda Novak; and The Lodge on Holly Road by Sheila Roberts.
– One copy of Her Holiday Man by Shannon Stacey in the digital format of your choice.
– One package of ornament charms
– One box of Harlequin-themed gift tags

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Apron_Brenda Novak prize

To be entered to win an autographed ‘Just Likes Mom’s’ apron from author Brenda Novak, share in the comment section of this post why you think having traditions is an important part of life.

Monarch by Belle Whittington | Mini Book Review + Giveaway

Posted October 20, 2014 by Jana in Blog Tour, Book Review, Giveaway, Young Adult Fiction / 1 Comment

Monarch by Belle Whittington | Mini Book Review + GiveawayMonarch by Belle Whittington
Series: Cicada #3
Also in this series: Cicada, Firefly
Published by Self on October 1, 2014
Genres: Romance, Science Fiction
Pages: 493
Format: eBook
Source: Author
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

Blair Reynolds was born to rule. Worlds, that is. Destined to reign over an ancient intergalactic race, it may seem her fate is written in the stars. But she’s willing to risk it all for another chance to spend forever with her true love – even if it means traveling through time and space to the other side of the universe.

As far as Ash is concerned, Blair's happily-ever-after involves him, not the mere mortal with whom she seems so infatuated. She was bequeathed to him by her father, and Ash will go to any lengths to keep Blair and her true love apart.

And Ash isn’t the only one.

Deep in the jungles of Brazil, where tribal drums call to Blair and her true love, other forces carry out dangerous secret plans.

However, Blair has secrets of her own … secrets so lethal she dares not even remember them.

Secrets so painful they could ruin everything.

Because some secrets kill.

I really loved Cicada (my review) and Firefly (my review) and was on the blog tours for both of those books, so I was very excited to be given the opportunity to be on the last blog tour for this last book in the trilogy. I’m feeling nostalgic! Monarch is a bit of a hard book to review, just because I feel like the things I loved about this book are the same things I loved about the first two. Plus, I don’t want to give anything away!

Monarch is probably the most exciting book in the trilogy, as things are getting real and intense. Decisions and sacrifices have to be made. Blair is discovering herself more and more (and getting more comfortable with who she is), and learning about how all the various, seemingly unrelated puzzle pieces in her life fit together into one big revelation of a puzzle. I love how Belle pieced all these details together. I had a lot of “ah ha!” moments. I also had a lot of “YES! I KNEW it!” moments. It was exciting to finally be in the know, as the first two books were mysterious and left me with a lot of questions.

In Monarch Blair, Andrew, and Everett leave their home, possibly forever, and travel to Brazil. The tribal drums are calling her, and it’s time for Blair to return to her alien people as their queen. She ditches Andrew and Everett at a bus station, fearing their safety, and takes to the jungles alone. Did she really think they would not search for her, though? Blair soon learns she is being hunted. She is forced to awaken her Royal Guard from a centuries-long slumber, and the fight between sides and loyalties begins. Blair must choose between her true love from her human life, her true love from her alien life, and the man who was promised her hand in marriage by her father. She also has to figure out how to survive it all.

I was so happy to see Andrew again. I love her big brother, and his loyalty to her. I was happy to see swoony Everett again. He’s not as nerdy as he once was! We don’t see as much of them as we do Blair, though. We spend a lot of time with her hiding out in the jungle and remembering things from her former life. She makes a lot of discoveries about herself and who she used to be. She learns more about who Ash really is. This is a very enlightening experience for Blair and the reader, but I found things to move a bit slowly at times. Because she was alone we did not get much dialog for a while, and I missed that interaction. Things did pick up, though, and then it was non-stop action and suspense. I loved watching everything unfold. I LOVE Blair’s Royal Guard. Each member has this incredible loyalty and amazing personality. Xi is my favorite, and I saw his as almost a father figure for Blair.

I’ve always loved Belle’s writing, and I still do. She paints such immaculate pictures with her words, and made the jungle come alive in my mind’s eye. She wrote such detailed descriptions of the Royal Guard and what they look like and their apparel. She brought everyone’s emotions to life and I felt their loyalty and love for one another. I felt the aching love between Blair and Everett as well. Theirs is a very special and unique love story. I have become so invested in all of these characters, even the ones I just met in this book. That’s the sign of a truly wonderful author. I loved how the story wrapped up, and am sad to see it end at the same time. I hope Belle continues to write more!

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IWhiny Whiny Rhino by McBoop | Children’s Book Review

Posted October 9, 2014 by Jana in Blog Tour, Children's Book Review, Inner Child / 1 Comment

whiny whiny rhinoWhiny Whiny Rhino by McBoop
Published by: Blue Blanket Publishing on July 31, 2014
Pages: 32
Source: From publisher
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Can Tiny Tiny Rhino have a fun day? Or will all of his whining get in the way? If you’ve ever been worried to try something new, then Whiny Whiny Rhino is the book for you! From creative team McBoop, comes the story of the whiny rhino with the big head and the even bigger imagination.

Bottom line, this book is so cute. I love the illustrations, and the message is one that even we as adults have to remember: do not be afraid to try something new. We need to stop worrying about everything and just have fun!

Tiny Tiny Rhino worries about everything. He’s scared to do fun or daring things with his brothers, and sits around whining because he can’t do these things. His brothers pestered him, telling him to toughen up and quit hiding inside by himself. Sadly, his brothers really tormented him. I know this is common, but I still felt bad for the little guy! I’m sure children will identify with his worries, not to mention his mean brothers, and will cheer when he is finally able to conquer his fears and make his brothers and friends proud. I love the ending message as well. You don’t have to be big and strong to have fun, you just have to be willing to try something new. The story rhymes, so it can be read out loud is a sing-song fashion.

The illustrations are amazing. Tiny is little blue rhino with a huge head and a tiny body. He has a sweet little personality, and some of the cutest facial expressions. This is one of the most colorful books I have read. Each page bursts with various shades of purple, red, hot pink, turquoise, yellow, and lime green. Young eyes will be stimulated, and the shiny pages will have them reaching out to touch them.

All in all, this is a wonderful book for readers of all ages. It presents important messages about life, and it’s even a little funny at times. The illustrations are the icing on the cake, and I was completely delighted by the entire reading experience. I would definitely recommend this book to shy or timid children who need to learn that breaking out of their shell does not have to be scary.

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