Saturday, 28 February 2015

THE DEADWOOD HUNTER SERIES COVER REVEAL

Deadwood Hunter Cover Reveal
With the release for the last of the Trilogy of the series Rachel has revamped the first two books and then ordered 3 new covers for the series.
Lexia_FINAL-ebooksm
synopsis

Drawn into a world she thought impossible, Lexia’s innocent night of partying leaves her dazed, confused and asking questions she’s not sure she wishes to know the answers to. Attacked by vampires, Lexia’s ability to defend herself triggers events she can't escape. Before long, she struggles to keep up a façade around her friends and family.
Then, there is Lincoln. Finding herself irresistibly drawn to him, Lexia senses he desires something more dangerous than a simple romance. Lincoln has secrets and what she learns changes her life forever.
A story of love, loss, and, betrayal, Lexia and Lincoln’s lives will never be the same again.
book links

Goodreads

 BUY LINKS - Amazon US - UK - AU - CA

Barnes & Noble - Kobo - iBooks

Whispers of Darkness-ebooksm
synopsis
All Lexia ever wanted was to graduate from high school and leave Deadwood.
Now she would give anything to have her quiet life back
Her Father was murdered and her best friend, Alice kidnapped. With the help of Lincoln, the Panther Shifter she has fallen in Love with; they rescue Alice. But rescuing her wasn't as easy as first thought and Lexia and Lincoln barely make it out alive.
Lexia met her Mother, the Mother she thought had left her as a baby. But Secrets unravel and Lexia learns who she really is.
Her Mother created her and she was created for one purpose only...
Darkness.
Follow Lexia as she runs from her Mother and the fate she set for her.
Can Lexia fight the Darkness within her?
Can she have the 'happily ever after'" she wants?
Only one thing is certain, sacrifices will be made and lives will be lost.
book links

Goodreads

 BUY LINKS - Amazon US - UK - AU - CA

Barnes & Noble - Kobo - iBooks

Halocaust_FINAL_ebooksm
synopsis
She's been named Lexia, 'man's defender', by the one who raised her and died for her, the man she called her father.
She's been named Maura, 'for darkness', by the woman who created her, a mother who sees her as a weapon, and tool for power.
She has battled for her freedom, for the revenge of her father’s death, and then given it all up to save the man she loves.
She's given up her soul, her humanity, and now, there is only one question left. Can she create her own destiny or is she bound to follow the fate set for her before she was born?
Maura?
Lexia?
Only one thing is certain; war is coming.
book links

Goodreads

Pre Order Links - Amazon US - UK - AU - CA

excerpt
"Interesting,” Lexia murmured as the pack of wolves surrounded her, each snarling and snapping their teeth, just waiting to rip her to shreds. The dark grey wolf directly in front of her shifted. “What about this situation is interesting, hunter?” “That a pack of alpha wolves would band together. I presumed you were a normal pack.” She smiled as his face turned to shock. “Yes, I can tell you are all alphas. Just like I’ve known you’ve been living around our base for the past week.” “Then why would you walk to your death? Is that what you want, hunter?” Lexia feigned a laughed, both bored and amused. She needed to wear her mask here. Bringing shifters into the play could work either in Lexia’s favor or against. “I’m not afraid of death, but I did not come here seeking it. I came to make you a deal.” “We do not make deals with hunters,” he growled, his jaw clenching. “Yes, I thought you might say that but I think you should listen to what I have to say before we fight. It has been a while since I’ve had a worthwhile opponent, but I really would rather work with you than waste your lives.” Lexia suppressed the repulsive shiver threating to travel down her spine; her words were so like Maura, she felt her stir within. The awakening darkness hoped to take hold again. He smiled at her and Lexia sighed. Do I really have to do this? Why can’t things be easy for once? As the wolf behind her crept closer, she kept her eyes focused on the two black wolves at her front. “It really is impressive you’ve banded together to take down the hunters. My mother is quite pissed off with you.” The wolf was a few yards away from her back. “No families to protect, no weaker pack members to be held as threats. Ten strong, top of the pack wolves ready and willing to die for their cause.” She moved, whipping around in a blur, her leg curling into the air, kicking out into the wolf’s side. He flew across the ground as the other two leapt. Twisting toward the floor, Lexia missed the first wolf as it sailed over her head and met the third full on. They crashed to the floor, soil flying up into the air. Lexia didn’t try to get away. Instead, she ignored the sharp teeth that ripped her flesh. Wrapping her arms around the wolf, she squeezed, hearing one, two, three ribs crack. The wolf whimpered, his grip on her flesh loosening until he was pinned beneath her, a knife to his throat. The urge to release the wolf and run coursed through her. She looked into the wolf’s eyes seeing the monster she’d become, the monster her mother had made. Only the need to see her mother’s demise kept her together. “Impressive. You’re strong, but you all still have your humanity. I may not have your mate, child, brother, or friend held at knifepoint, but you still care. You’d all feel something if I sliced my knife into his throat. Someone once told me your humanity was your strength. Maybe it is. If I killed this wolf now, you’d all fight with a strength powered by loss, revenge, and maybe I wouldn’t get out of it. First though, will you listen to me? Just hear me out, and then by all means, try to kill me.” Lexia stood up, backing away from the wolf at her feet, palms up and looking at the man who remained in his human form. “Who are you?” he asked. “I’m Maura, or maybe you’ve heard of me by the name Lexia?” Her choice to use Maura purely so Lincoln wouldn’t find out she was back. She might be Lexia again, but never could she be his Lexia, his Wildcat. By the widening of his eyes and sharp intake of breath, he knew. “You’re Lincoln Turner’s mate.” “No, I’m not. I’ll never be her again. I am a hunter and I’ll die a hunter. First though, I plan to kill my mother and destroy her plans.” Lexia was surprised by the calm, level tone she upheld. Just the mention of Lincoln’s name caused her insides to lurch. “You’d kill your own mother?” he asked surprised. “Do not mistake me for someone who cares. I feel nothing for her. I feel nothing.” The lie rolled easily off her tongue. It was days like today, when she so easily slipped on Maura’s mask, that she wondered who she truly was. She wanted with all of her soul to be Lexia, but the name didn’t quite fit anymore. She’d spilt too much blood, and Maura; Maura represented the darkest of her days, a darkness she never wanted to visit again. “But why would you want the hunters dead in the first place?” “My reasons are none of your concern. Will you help me or not?” “Why not just kill her yourself?” he asked, standing firm. “Oh, don’t worry. I plan to kill her, but she is not the only problem. There is more than one head to this monster and not all are so easily within my reach. It appears some of the humans are behind this program.” Lexia wasn’t sure of everyone who needed to be eliminated. All she knew was it would be an impossible task to take on alone. “Human?” he whispered, looking horrified. “Yes, shifter, monsters come in all shapes and forms.” “How do I know you’re telling me the truth?” “You don’t, but I’m hoping one of you is called Adam?” Lexia silently pleaded with the universe for her hunch to be right. A white wolf fidgeted to her right. “I’m also guessing what brought the ten of you together was your hatred for the hunters. You’ve chosen to fight instead of hiding, which means you’ve either a death wish, or have nothing left to live for, other than revenge, and the grief of those you’ve lost.” Still the wolves seemed unaffected by her words. Lexia decided to put her cards on the table. Turning, she looked at the white wolf she hoped was the Adam who belonged to the shifter woman locked in her room. “Adam, Sahara is still alive.” He shifted, anger and desperation evident on every line on his face. Stepping forward, his body language screamed of aggression. “Where is she? How do I know you are telling the truth?” His words were savage, etched with the growl of his wolf. Lexia held her hand toward him. “Here. I rubbed my hand through her hair before I left.” The other shifter stepped out, his arm blocking Adam’s path. “Adam! She could just be tricking you. You’ve seen how fast she moves. Her knife could be in your chest in seconds.” Lexia pulled her sword from its sheath and her knife from the holder on her thigh. Throwing them to the ground, she inhaled deeply, hoping she’d not just made a grave mistake. “I mean you no harm.” She offered her hand again. Adam walked slowly forward, his grey eyes never leaving hers. Slowly, he took her hand and brought it to his nose. The second he caught the scent of his mate, his whole body relaxed and he clung onto Lexia’s hand breathing deeper. “Sahara,” he whispered. Lexia felt the pain in his words as if they were her own. For a second, she imagined it was Lincoln in front of her. For a second, she longed to be with her mate again. “She’s alive, Adam, and I’m willing to get her out in exchange for your pack’s help,” she said dully. Her words no longer sounded like Maura’s. Just being around shifters brought her so much pain, so much longing. “Anything,” he whispered, releasing her hand. Emotion filled eyes. “Now wait, Adam, you can’t decide for us all. She might never follow through, and Sahara could be dead,” the shifter ground out through clenched teeth while the rest of the wolves grew visibly restless. “Grey, if there was a chance your mate was alive, you’d have us all walk to our deaths for her,” Adam stated. “Just so you know, I don’t have long. Leaving the compound isn’t the easiest of tasks, and Sahara doesn’t have long either. The reason my mother is capturing shifters is because she’s experimenting on them. I broke Sahara out earlier, but her disappearance has been noticed.” They all growled in unison, closing in. Lexia held her ground when her every instinct said run. “Kill me now and there is no one to help her. My mother will stop at nothing to get what she wants.” She took a small step toward Grey, grounding out, “Will you help me?” “Why not ask your panther to help you?” he spat. Lexia paused, as she silently struggled with an explanation that wouldn’t give too much away. Lincoln would do anything for her but she knew they could never be together again. She’d done too much to deserve that happy ending. “I do not want him involved,” she snapped. “So you still do care?” Grey stated smugly. Yes, so so much. Though Lexia would never admit that. “You are all the same, grasping at any sign of hope, of emotion. If Lincoln were involved, he’d be too busy trying to save me, but I was lost a long time ago. I may not come out of this alive, and I don’t care, but he does. That will jeopardize the mission and he’d end up dead. I joined my mother so he could live. I gave up my life, my humanity for him. It would all be pointless if he died.” Grey smiled and Lexia wasn’t sure why; wasn’t sure what secret she’d given away. Do you see through the mask I cling to so precariously? “We’ll help you once we’ve received Sahara.” “Good. Sahara will arrive after dark today. She’ll be hidden inside a truck on a supply run. Do not show yourself until you are sure it’s her. She will be with a hunter. Harm him and our deal is off. Sahara must be taken far away from here. Lucy Hunter can never know I helped you, not yet anyway.” Lexia turned, walking away with an emotion she’d not felt in a long time swirling within her. Hope. “Lexia, how will we get the information from you?” Looking back as she walked, Lexia called, “I’ll find you.” Her pace quickened, ready to run. “Oh, and, Grey, tell no one of this meeting. Not even Linc.”     © Rachel M Raithby 2015
teasers

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beauty girl cry on black background
© Rachel M Raithby 2015

author bio

 
Born and raised in N.E.England before moving to New Zealand in 2008. She now lives in Queensland, Austraila with her Husband, three Children and a Golden Lab. Paranormal Romance Author of The Deadwood Hunter Series and YA Paranormal Author of Winter Wolf. A New Dawn Novel   She hopes you love her characters as much as she does :)

author links

Goodreads Author Page: http://goo.gl/csLV9s
Amazon Author Page: http://goo.gl/C36Xl6

 

Hosted By

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Thursday, 8 January 2015

Saturday, 18 October 2014


COVER REVEAL

Genre:  YA Paranormal

Synopsis

Katalina Winter has been living for eighteen years with a secret, hidden inside of her, a secret not even she knew.

With this secret comes consequences, expectations, one's she's not willing to fulfill; she'll give her heart to whom she wishes, even if he is, a Dark Shadow wolf...

Join Katalina as she navigates her way through this world at war, where the alpha is law, and only the strong survive. You will see the power of true love, and the length's people will go to destroy it. 

**Please note this is a YA Stand alone novel, no cliffhangers**


  Book links: **99CENTS SALE ON NOW**

Pre- Order Amazon CA http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00NTOPXSI


Hey Guys!

I'm completely in love with this cover! And super excited to hear what everyone thinks, I need to thank Mae I Design for her amazing design skills. 
I've been very busy lately, writing and looking after my baby boy, who has just turned 5 months! It felt like he was born 5 mins ago!
I'm very excited to have Winter Wolf out to you on November 29th, which also happens to be my birthday... Just saying! ;)

Then I'll be locking myself away in hopes of having Holocaust ready for Feb 1015, I'm a little sad to see this series end but I have a feeling we'll be back in Lexia and Lincolns world pretty soon!

Anywhoo, take a look at the cover and if you want to one click this baby! It's on sale right now for 99cents! 

I hope you Like Katalina and Bass as much as I do!

Rach x

Author Links

Goodreads Author Page: http://goo.gl/csLV9s
Amazon Author Page:    http://goo.gl/C36Xl6



REVIEW

Would you like to review Winter Wolf? Fill in the below for the chance!
 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1rcYzQl0QpJti8apctvw-muVJTLGU27p63BZDRmnVPYE/viewform

Copies available

5 Reader ARC Copies (First Come First Served)
Unlimited Blogger Copies

Thursday, 20 March 2014

Breaking My Heart Cover Reveal

We are so excited to share this gorgeous Cover for Aleya Michelle's upcoming book

Breaking My Heart

Synopsis

What happens when the one you thought you would spend forever with decides that ‘he still loves you but is not ready to settle down' he tells you 'maybe we will meet again later in life'. Ouch now that hurts. Would you let go? Would you give up? Or would you fight with every ounce of your soul...... Roxy is a fighter, she is strong and independent. Definitely not one to let her guard down, she has been burnt too many times! Her stone walls are unbreakable....... Well at least they were......She thought that the new guy she met, Kade, was cute, sweet, and innocent and would make a good toy to play with. He blushes when she gets near him......... Will Roxy chew him up and spit him out or will he break down her walls and find the map to her heart........

1531565_679050518817814_1841346092_n

LATEST TEASER

Unedited & Subject to change etc.

Fuck you make me hot Roxy. I’ve never been so turned on in my entire existence. Your curvaceous body, lips made for kissing and skin so soft and untouched. I am so greedy when it comes to you, so get used to sex morning, noon and night from here to eternity princess.

Kade – Breaking My Heart

Author Bio

Born and raised in Sydney, NSW I am happily married with 3 gorgeous boys. My first love has always been reading, so the writing side is very natural to me. Favourite books include anything by: Abbi Glines, but Fallen too Far is a favourite, Pulse & Collide by Gail McHugh and The Driven trilogy by K Bromberg. Hobbies of mine are playing netball; shopping and I love my music. I add it into my writing frequently. I am totally enjoying this rollercoaster of being an Indie author and hoping others enjoy my writing as much as I love writing it

UPCOMING EVENTS COVER REVEAL THIS THURSDAY 20TH MARCH @ 10AM Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1412274712354010/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

RELEASE DAY BLITZ – Monday 21st April 2014 Hosted by HEA Bookshelf Link for bloggers sign up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1n_gQxCyYWeZDCRa1FxvJu2QAk8Lmb9KDSPwfHBYrOg0/viewform

Books to follow in this trilogy

Book 2 – ‘Healing My Heart ‘due for release mid 2014 Book 3 – ‘Forever in My Heart’ due for release Oct/Nov 2014.

Facebook Page | Twitter Link: @aleyamichelle | Goodreads

Tuesday, 18 March 2014

The Unfinished Song (Book 1): Initiate by Tara Maya

The Unfinished Song (Book 1): Initiate by Tara Maya



BLURB
DEADLY INITIATION
                           
A DETERMINED GIRL...
Dindi can't do anything right, maybe because she spends more time dancing with pixies than doing her chores. Her clan hopes to marry her off and settle her down, but she dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, one of the powerful warrior-dancers whose secret magics are revealed only to those who pass a mysterious Test during the Initiation ceremony. The problem? No-one in Dindi's clan has ever passed the Test. Her grandmother died trying. But Dindi has a plan.


AN EXILED WARRIOR...
Kavio is the most powerful warrior-dancer in Faearth, but when he is exiled from the tribehold for a crime he didn't commit, he decides to shed his old life. If roving cannibals and hexers don't kill him first, this is his chance to escape the shadow of his father's wars and his mother's curse. But when he rescues a young Initiate girl, he finds himself drawn into as deadly a plot as any he left behind. He must decide whether to walk away or fight for her... assuming she would even accept the help of an exile.


EXCERPT
Blue-skinned rusalki grappled Dindi under the churning surface of the river. She could feel their claws dig into her arms. Their riverweed-like hair entangled her legs when she tried to kick back to the surface. She only managed to gulp a few breaths of air before they pulled her under again.

She hadn't appreciated how fast and deep the river was. On her second gasp for air, she saw that the current was already dragging her out of sight of the screaming girls on the bank. A whirlpool of froth and fae roiled between two large rocks in the middle of the river. The rusalka and her sisters tugged Dindi toward it. Other water fae joined the rusalki. Long snouted pookas, turtle-like kappas and hairy-armed gwyllions all swam around her, leading her to the whirlpool, where even more fae swirled in the whitewater.

"Join our circle, Dindi!" the fae voices gurgled under the water. "Dance with us forever!"

"No!" She kicked and swam and stole another gasp for air before they snagged her again. There were so many of them now, all pulling her down, all singing to the tune of the rushing river. She tried to shout, "Dispel!" but swallowed water instead. Her head hit a rock, disorienting her. She sank, this time sure she wouldn't be coming up again.

"Dispel!" It was a man's voice.

Strong arms encircled her and lifted her until her arms and head broke the surface. Her rescuer swam with her toward the shore. He overpowered the current, he shrugged aside the hands of the water faeries stroking his hair and arms. When he reached the shallows, he scooped Dindi into his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the grassy bank. He set her down gently.

She coughed out some water while he supported her back.

"Better?" he asked.

She nodded. He was young--only a few years older than she. The aura of confidence and competence he radiated made him seem older. Without knowing quite why, she was certain he was a Tavaedi.

"Good." He had a gorgeous smile. A wisp of his dark bangs dangled over one eye. He brushed his dripping hair back over his head.

Dindi's hand touched skin--he was not wearing any shirt. Both of them were sopping wet. On him, that meant trickles of water coursed over a bedrock of muscle. As for her, the thin white wrap clung transparently to her body like a wet leaf. She blushed.

"It might have been easier to swim if you had let go of that," he teased. He touched her hand, which was closed around something. "What were you holding onto so tightly that it mattered more than drowning?"


LINKS
Tara’s blog http://bit.ly/MtlSRJ
Tara’s Twitter http://bit.ly/162sCtE
The Unfinished Song on Facebook http://on.fb.me/1400mMq
Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/13yM5Dr

Initiate is free everywhere except on Barnes and Noble (where it’s $0.99). You can download a free .epub version via Smashwords.

Monday, 10 March 2014

Orange Blossom Cover Reveal

Orange Blossom will be the penultimate title in Sarah Daltry's bestselling New Adult romance series, Flowering. The reading order and information about the other titles follows. orange_blossom

Title: Orange Blossom

Author: Sarah Daltry

Cover Design: Shoutlines Design

18+ New Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 4, 2014

"I’ve never understood a year. A year was always a measurement of something bad for me. A year in my father’s prison sentence, a year since my mom’s death, a year left of school before I could get far, far away from here. Now, as I look down the end of my college career, with only a little more than a semester to go, a year seems like something magical. It has been a year since Lily chose me, since she sat with me on the old swing set and made a decision that I was worthy of her. And every minute of the entire year has been better than the last." You already know their stories: Lily, the perfect princess, always living someone else's life. And Jack, the broken boy, who had stopped believing in hope. Somehow, though, they found each other and what was one night blossomed into a love story. Now, a year later, Jack and Lily are dreaming of the future. Despite all of his promises to himself that he would never be indebted to anyone, Jack makes a new promise - this time to Lily - that he will be there for her forever. But when life unravels for them, he starts to pull away, and Lily worries he's out of reach for good. When Jack does the unthinkable, Lily is left destroyed. Is it possible to have a happily ever after? Does love ever really save anyone? Listen to the Playlist or watch the Trailer! Series Reading Order: Forget Me Not, Lily of the Valley, and Blue Rose can be read in any order. There is some crossover in scenes between the titles, but each stands alone as one character's story. Star of Bethlehem is a direct continuation from Forget Me Not and Lily of the Valley. Orange Blossom and Ambrosia (releasing June 6, 2014) assume readers have read the other four titles and read as sequels. In essence, the first three are #1, Star of Bethlehem is #1.5, Orange Blossom is #2, and Ambrosia is #3.

FMNTitle: Forget Me Not (Lily’s Story)

Author: Sarah Daltry

Cover: Shoutlines Design

18+ New Adult contemporary romance

This is a coming of age story, but it isn't always sweet and innocent. If dirty talk, bedroom toys, and threesomes offend you... this is not your book. "No one tells you when you start school just how homesick you will be, or how hard it will be to start life over with no direction and no friends or family. No one says that becoming your own person is terrifying." I never wanted anything but Derek, my brother's best friend. When I chose a college, it didn't seem to matter that he would be an hour away. We could survive it. After all, we were in love. But almost immediately, things change between us. I blame myself. Maybe I'm just not sure how to be a girlfriend and independent. Life seems to be getting away from me - and then there's Jack, the guy down the hall. He's rude and vulgar and my parents would be shocked by him, yet every single time I see him, I feel like I'm being pulled toward him. It's physical, sure, but there's something in Jack's eyes - and I want to know him. I know I don't always make the right choices, and I'm the only person at fault when everything falls apart. How do I tell Derek, the guy who was supposed to be everything, that I don't feel like fighting for him anymore? And do I run to Jack, when I know his past is way too much for me to handle when I've just turned 19? Finally, where do I end up in all of this? Can I be more than just someone else's idea of what I should be? Buy it Now! Listen to the Playlist or watch the Trailer!

LotVTitle: Lily of the Valley (Jack’s story)

Author: Sarah Daltry

Cover: Shoutlines Design

18+ New Adult contemporary romance

Jack's story isn't pretty. He's suicidal, depressed, and he uses meaningless sex and alcohol to survive. However, the story is about finding light in the darkness, but sometimes the road there isn't always easy to walk. "No one tells you about pain. They tell you that it hurts, that sometimes it's consuming. What they don't tell you is that it's not the pain that can kill you. It's the uncomfortable numbness that follows, the weakness in your body when you realize your lungs may stop taking in air and you just can't exert enough energy to care. It's the way taste and color and smell fade from the world and all you're left with is a sepia print of misery. That's when the shift starts - the movement from passive to active. I fall asleep, hoping that the morning will bring back the pain. At least the pain is a thing." I'm a plague, a cancer. My mom is dead - and my father is in prison for it. I survived high school because college was my way out. I needed to escape, to get away from my family and the people who tortured me, but it hasn't grown any easier. I don't pretend that I'm a good person. I drink far more than I should, and I use my best friend, Alana, because together, we thrive on destroying each other - as well as the parts of us we hate. I don't believe in love, but sex is fun and it also makes me feel something. The morning I see Lily, the beautiful princess who smells inexplicably like strawberries every time I see her, I realize I'm in trouble. I should hate her. I want to hate her, because the alternative terrifies me. However, as she continues to crash into my life (often literally), I can't avoid feeling something that is the one thing I swore I would never feel. I can't fall in love, because people like me don't live in a world where love saves anyone. She just won't go away, though, and I don't know if I can keep running. The voices and the darkness hover over me and they threaten to bring me back to the safety of my hate, but the stupid scent of strawberries lingers on the horizon, as something like hope. Buy it Now! Listen to the Playlist or watch the Trailer!

BR_frontTitle: Blue Rose (Alana’s story)

Author: Sarah Daltry

Cover Design: Shoutlines Design

Warning: This book deals with topics of abuse and may trigger reactions in people who have experienced those things in their own lives. It remains a story about healing, but it's not always an easy journey. "Four. My life has been shaped by four people. Four men, to be more specific. My father, my stepfather, my best friend, and my boyfriend. The first two shaped it in horrible ways, but what I am, who I am, is all because of four men." Over the last twenty years, I've learned how to keep secrets. It doesn't really matter, since everyone already seems to think they know everything about me. So I hide. I avoid confrontation, I treat Xanax like a magic pill that will make it all go away, and I become everything they think I am. A slut. A whore. Nothing but trash. I can only name two guys who have ever made me feel like I was more than that. Jack is my best friend and I've loved him since I met him. Now, though, he's in love... with someone else, and I guess I need to get over him. Somehow. And then there's Dave. The guy I never gave a chance. The guy I used almost as much as people used me, because I wanted to pretend I was someone worth loving. Two years have passed since we last spoke, but I don't know how to stop thinking about him. My new therapist is making me face my past, and she tells me that life inevitably changes without our permission. I believe it, but I know what I am. I hear what she's saying to me, and I want to try again with Dave, to help Jack find joy, to love myself, and to move on. I just wonder if anyone can do that, really. Buy it Now! Listen to the Playlist or watch the Trailer!

SoBTitle: Star of Bethlehem

Author: Sarah Daltry

Cover: Shoutlines Design

18+ NA contemporary romance

This is a holiday novella-length story that follows Forget Me Not and Lily of the Valley. "With you, Jack, it was the first time I ever felt real. It was the first time anyone looked at me and saw substance. It was the first time I wanted to make someone see me." Jack: New Year's Eve. I've somehow managed to get here, and now I'm wearing a hideous and unreasonably itchy sweater, because I want to impress Lily's family. I want to do anything for this girl who has made me believe in second chances. Lily: The house is beautiful and shining with light, but it feels empty. At least until Jack gets here. I know how desperately he wants this - a family, love, a home. If I can be the person who can give it to him, it's all I need, but I hope I can keep him from seeing how hollow it all really is. Buy it Now! Listen to the Playlist or watch the Trailer! button.2About the Author: Sarah Daltry writes about the regular people who populate our lives. She's written works in various genres - romance, erotica, fantasy, horror. Genre isn't as important as telling a story about people and how their lives unfold. Sarah tends to focus on YA/NA characters but she's been known to shake it up. Most of her stories are about relationships - romantic, familial, friendly - because love and empathy are the foundation of life. It doesn't matter if the story is set in contemporary NY, historical Britain, or a fantasy world in the future - human beings are most interesting in the ways they interact with others. This is the principle behind all of Sarah's stories. Sarah has spent most of her life in school, from her BA and MA in English and writing to teaching both at the high school and college level. She also loves studying art history and really anything because learning is fun. When Sarah isn't writing, she tends to waste a lot of time checking Facebook for pictures of cats, shooting virtual zombies, and simply staring out the window. Sarah has also written Bitter Fruits, an urban fantasy romance, and Backward Compatible, a gamer geek romantic comedy. Author Social Media Links: Website: http://sarahdaltry.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahDaltryAuthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahDaltry Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sarahdaltry/boards/ Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/sarahdaltry

Saturday, 1 February 2014

BLUE ROSE REVIEW AND SPOTLIGHT

Blue Rose By Sarah Daltry



Book Info:
Title: Blue Rose, a Flowering novel
Author: Sarah Daltry
Release Date: 2/1/2014
Publisher: SDE Press
Cover Design: Shoutlines Design





Blurb:

“Four. My life has been shaped by four people. Four men, to be more specific. My father, my stepfather, my best friend, and my boyfriend. The first two shaped it in horrible ways, but what I am, who I am, is all because of four men.” 

Alana Reardon has secrets. Some of them are too dark to tell, but everyone already thinks they know anyhow. At 20, she takes too many pills, hides the parts of her that she hates, and willingly becomes the person that they think she is. A slut. A whore. Trash.

There have only been two guys who ever saw Alana as more: Jack, the guy she can’t get over, and Dave, the one who never got over her.

With the help of therapy, facing her past, and the inevitable ways that life changes without your permission, can Alana learn to stop blaming herself? Can she allow love into her life? Is she ready to move on?

Warning: This book deals with topics of abuse and may trigger reactions in people who have experienced those things in their own lives. 


Excerpt:

Later that day, at lunch, I had just found a seat by the window when he sat across from me. I was used to sitting alone. He didn’t say anything, and he had nothing to eat. He looked up at me, though, after a few minutes, and his eyes did it again. I hated my body, hated the way I looked, hated that somehow I owed my body and my looks to everyone else. But when Jack looked at me, I wanted to let someone touch me. I wanted him to hold me. He felt like safety.
It didn’t even make sense. He was just a broken kid, like me. He always wore the same threadbare hoodie. Most days, it covered his head. He was cute, but awkward. His hair was too long and usually greasy. His Chucks were a little too big, so they looked a little like clown shoes. Yet those gorgeous eyes were all I cared about. I hadn’t considered guys at all. I didn’t find them attractive, and I certainly couldn’t see the appeal of sex or of intimacy. With Jack, though, the thought of him near me didn’t make me nauseous.
“Do you want my orange?” I asked him.
“Are you sure?”
It wasn’t a groundbreaking question. But it was how I knew that what I naturally felt for Jack was right. Because no one had ever asked me that. No one had asked if I minded, if I was sure, if something was okay. They just took things.
“Yeah.”
He took it and I handed him my knife. It was flimsy plastic and wouldn’t even pierce the rind, so I took the orange back and peeled it with my fingernails. Jack just watched me and, when I handed him the orange, now peeled, he smiled. His upper lip curled more than it should have and he looked silly, smiling at an orange. But he drew the same smile from me.
“Thank you,” he said, and he pulled two slices free from the whole and handed them back to me. I didn’t eat them right away. I just watched him eat his part. He was messy and he ended up covering himself in the juices. He unzipped his hoodie after the orange squirted down the front. Underneath, he was wearing a washed out blue T-shirt with a train on it. He looked ten.
“Nice shirt,” I teased.
He looked down. “I live with my grandmother. She has no concept of clothes.”
“It’s cute.”
He smiled again and it was less awkward this time. “Do you live with your grandmother, too?”
I was wearing a huge black sweater over baggy black pants. “No. I just… I don’t like people looking at me.”
“Yeah. I get that.”
He didn’t tell me that I was too pretty to dress the way I did; he didn’t say my body was too good to hide. He just went back to eating his orange, letting the juice spill all over the train shirt. We were fourteen, but I already knew Jack would always be the only thing that mattered in my future.




My Review

5 big stars
I've just finished reading this book after buying it this morning, some books you read and there good and then there are some books that stay with you forever. You finish them and can't quite put into words what they made you feel.
This is one of those books, the way Sarah writes Alana's story is breathtaking; she makes you feel so many emotions at once that you're not sure whether to laugh or cry. At some points you'll want to jump into the book and shake Alana, tell her what a mistake that would be but as Alana says

"Real life doesn’t have a happily ever after and, like I said, this is no fairy tale. But it’s a story and it’s my story..."
Sarah writes stories about real life, she doesn't candy coat them and that's what makes them so good, so real; real life has mistakes you'll regret and happy moments that will get you through the bad.

I would recommend this book and any of Sarah's other books to anyone, she really is a gifted author, I hope she carry's on with Alana's story as I'd love to read more about her and maybe you never know, happily ever after may just be possible after all...