Waiting On Wednesday: The Countdown (Kimberly Derting)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at 

Breaking the Spine

and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hardcover, 384 pages
Expected publication: May 10th 2016 by HarperTeen

She may no longer be human…but she’s their only hope.
In the concluding book in the otherworldly Taking trilogy, Kyra struggles to understand who she is as she races to save the world from complete destruction.

Ever since Kyra was abducted by aliens and then returned to earth, she has known there was something different about her. Now she knows the truth: she is an alien too. Her alien captors replaced all her human DNA with their own—gifting her with supernatural powers like incredible healing, enhanced eyesight, and telekinesis. But when she’s captured by an unexpected enemy, Kyra begins to wonder if her abilities are also a curse. And is she, as her enemies believe, meant to play some key role in helping an impending alien invasion? Is it programmed into her, something inescapable? Or can she fight that destiny?

No matter what the truth is, Kyra is sure of one thing: She just rescued the love of her life, Tyler, and she is not going to stand by and let anyone hurt him or her friends. Whatever it takes, Kyra will do everything in her power to save the world…even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice.

What book are you waiting for?

St Martins Griffin Blog Tour: Invision (Sherrilyn Kenyon)

Hardcover, 368 pages
Expected publication: May 3rd 2016 by St. Martin's Griffin

Think you have a lot of pressure on your shoulders? Nick Gautier was born to bring about the end of the world . . . it's not easy being the heir of a demon overlord.
But Nick is determined to thwart his destiny and get into a good college. To be more than his genetics and prophecy foretell. No one is ever going to tell this stubborn Cajun who and what he really is. Or how to live his life.
Not even the Fates of the Universe. But now that he and his team of ancient gods and demons have claimed the Eye of Ananke and he sees the missteps of the future, he has to battle the demons within that are far deadlier and more treacherous than any he's battled before. All the while his arch nemesis is back and determined to reclaim his place as the harbinger for Armageddon. Even if it means killing Nick and barbecuing everyone he loves to do so.

BOOK TRAILER: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS476zwK0Ag

New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon is a regular in the #1 spot. This extraordinary bestseller continues to top every genre in which she writes. With more than 40 million copies of her books in print in more than one hundred countries, her current series include The Dark-Hunters, The League, and Chronicles of Nick. Her Chronicles of Nick and Dark-Hunter series are soon to be major motion pictures.

AUTHOR BIO: http://us.macmillan.com/author/sherrilynkenyon

AUTHOR WEBSITE: http://www.sherrilynkenyon.com/

AUTHOR WEBSITE #2: http://officialsanctuary.com/

AUTHOR FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSherrilynKenyon

AUTHOR TWITTER: https://twitter.com/kenyonsherrilyn

AUTHOR GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4430.Sherrilyn_Kenyon

Rockstar Book Tours Release Day Blitz, Excerpt, & Giveaway: The Rose & The Dagger (Renee Ahdieh)

I am so excited that THE ROSE & THE DAGGER by Renée Ahdieh releases today and that I get to share the news, along with an awesome giveaway!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Renée Ahdieh, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a paperback of THE WRATH & THE DAWN and a hardcover of THE ROSE & THE DAGGER and an awesome candle from The Melting Library’s Etsy Store, US Only!  So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

 Title: THE ROSE & THE DAGGER

Author: Renée Ahdieh

Release Date: April 26, 2016

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Pages: 432

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, & audiobook

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | iBooks 

The much anticipated sequel to the breathtaking The Wrath and the Dawn, lauded by Publishers Weekly as "a potent page-turner of intrigue and romance."
I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust.
In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.
While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

Praise for The Rose and the Dagger:

“Above all there is the shattering, triumphant catharsis of love… In a story about stories, love is ‘the power to speak without words.’ Thrillingly full of feeling.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Fiery romance, a spirited heroine, shifting loyalties… With more than a few heartrending twists and turns.”—Booklist 

Renée lives in North Carolina (Go Heels!) with her husband Victor and their dog Mushu. Her YA fantasy novel, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN, will be published on May 12th, 2015. In her spare time, she likes to cook, dance salsa, and wreak havoc on the lives of her characters.
She’s also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, as well as an active member of theScience Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America.

Website| Twitter | Facebook| Goodreads | Tumblr  

|Pinterest | Instagram

1 winner will receive a paperback of THE WRATH & THE DAWN, a hardcover of THE ROSE & THE DAGGER, and a His Calipha candle from The Melting Library’s Etsy Store, US Only.

Ends on May 3rd at Midnight EST!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CLP Blog Tours, Review, & Giveaway: Love, Alabama (Susan Sands)

Emma Laroux’s a fallen Southern beauty queen whose past is barely whispered about in her small town. But the secrets and lies surrounding her scandal still haunt her, and something about Matthew Pope may hold the answers...if only she could put her finger on it.

Matthew Pope wonders what awful karmic thing he’s done to land him in Podunk, Alabama. But when he sees Emma Laroux again after all this time, he knows he’s still the only one who holds the key to unlocking the truth of her past…

Will a shared moment in time ten years ago threaten the best thing that’s ever happened to them – each other?

Susan Sands grew up in a tiny Southern town in Northwest Louisiana near the Texas border. She graduated from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, during the filming of Steel Magnolias on her campus. There’s no more Southern, small town claim to fame than that.
Her characters and setting are pulled from those very Southern, small towns and open spaces, where the air is clean and the words are often spoken with more syllables than necessary, y’all.
Her lifelong love of reading and the realization that her children were growing up and would eventually move on spurred her to try her hand at writing. Susan’s two novels, Again, Alabama, and Love, Alabama, are currently available both in digital format and in print from all online retailers.
Susan lives with her dentist husband and three nearly grown children in Johns Creek, GA. She is a member of the Georgia Romance Writers and the Romance Writers of America.

She loves connecting with readers and can be found at all the fun places:

Facebook Author Page * Twitter * Blog

I may be a little bias when reviewing this book. I am a former small town Alabama pageant girl that attended Auburn University. I feel like this book was written just for me, ha!! I absolutely LOVED it! Emma had it all...the beauty, the grace, the perfect boyfriend and the coveted crown of Miss Alabama. Tad, the perfect boyfriend turns out to be anything but! 

 The mystery that surrounds what really happened between Emma and Tad keeps the reader intrigued. And then there's Matthew! Matthew comes to Emma's hometown to help with the production of her sisters cooking show. Emma and Matthew quickly form a friendship that leads to them being more than just friends. I love the chemistry portrayed between these two! Matthew is keeping a secret though. When Emma finds out will she be able to forgive him?! I give this book 5 stars!!! Loved it and can't wait to read other books written by Susan Sands! 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Tour Schedule

April 13 – Change the Word – Q&A

April 14 – Around the World in Books – Excerpt

April 15 – Queen of All She Reads – Excerpt

April 20 – Chick Lit Goddess – Excerpt

April 21 – A Page To Turn – Review

April 22 – Curling Up With a Good Book – Review

April 25 – Jersey Girl Book Reviews – Review, Q&A, & Excerpt

April 25 – Granny Loves to Read – Review

April 26 – Chick Lit Plus – Review

April 27 – Love For Books and Java – Review, Q&A & Excerpt

April 27 – The Phantom Paragrapher – Review

April 27 – Novel Escapes – Q&A

Celebrate National Kids & Pets Day ~ 4/26/16

Celebrate National Kids & Pets Day ~ 4/26/16 

A NEW LEASH ON LIFE by Kara Hamilton (published by Nothing But the Truth; http://nothingbutthetruth.com/) is a wonderful book told from the dog's perspective, with an important message for sharing with young children. We've all heard the sad stories. The once beloved pooch is given away after the birth of a child due to "aggressive" behavior. *A NEW LEASH ON LIFE creatively educates small children about how to behave around dogs, so that, hopefully, more pets can stay with their families.

A NEW LEASH ON LIFE

Written by Kara Hamilton (KaraHamilton.com)

Illustrated by Alexandria Gold

Nothing But the Truth, LLC (NothingButTheTruth.com)

April 26 2016 / Ages 2-6

$24.50-Hardcover / ISBN: 978-0996899925

$11.99-Paperback / ISBN: 978-0996899918

$4.99-eBook / ASIN: B01CVUFAJM

Click here to purchase from Amazon!!

Smokey, the miniature apricot poodle, is blessed. But can it last? With the arrival of a new baby, he struggles to adjust to his new place in the family. After several failed tactics, he ingeniously teaches the baby how to behave around him so they may co-exist peacefully. He realizes that there's enough love for everyone in the family, and also gains a new best friend.
We've all heard the sad stories. The once beloved pooch is given away after the birth of a child due to "aggressive" behavior. A NEW LEASH ON LIFE creatively educates small children about how to behave around dogs, so that, hopefully, more pets can stay with their families.

San Francisco Book Review: ***** “…a fantastic picture book…for teaching children about how to behave around pets. The beautiful illustrations…are very engaging and will easily capture the attention of young audiences. Very well written, great message….Well done!”

A NEW LEASH ON LIFE includes a helpful, illustrated guide at the back with instructions for how a child should approach a dog, what signs to look for that the dog isn’t ready to play, etc. An interview with the Moms of *The Humane Society of the United States provides additional tips for introducing a new family member to a pet, how to teach a child to interact safely with their own or other people’s pets, and more.

*Note: A portion of the profits from this book will be donated to The Humane Society of the United States.

Kara Hamilton is a San Francisco-based actress and model with leading roles in films, commercials and advertising campaigns. She holds a degree in Broadcast Journalism from Florida State University where she regularly wrote for 'The Sunshine Network' (currently Fox Sun Sports) and Florida A&M's newspaper. Before the children, came the dog - a dog she loved dearly and wanted to peacefully coexist with her then-new baby, not be one of the 1.4 million abandoned to shelters each year. Unimpressed with the current choices, she desired a creative and entertaining way to teach her child (as well as others) how to properly behave around dogs. Completely based on Kara's life story, her debut children's book A NEW LEASH ON LIFE was born.

Website * Twitter * Pinterest

A New Leash On Life is a very cute and informative children s' book that teaches children how to be safe around animals. It teaches them how to show kindness and how to introduce themselves to animals in a safe and trusting way. 

I love how it teaches respect from both the child and the animal as they work together to become friends. The book also teaches the children how to recognize when an animal is feeling threatened of becoming aggressive and explains to them what to do in this type of situation. 

The illustrations in the book are drawn in soft colors and really shows the emotions of both the animal and the human. 

One of my favorite parts of the book is the "Question and Answer" at the end of the book that focuses on certain questions that surround how to introduce a pet to a new baby. The question and answer is very informative and will help many families with newborns to be able to show the pets love and introduce them to the new baby with help and guidance. 

I recommend this to anyone who owns a pet and has decided to start a family or they already have children and want to ensure the children are safe and informed about their pets. 

~Published by Nothing But The Truth, LLC~

An independent publishing house specializing in works by diverse female authors

NothingButTheTruth.com

HarperCollins Childrens Book ARC Review: Monster Trucks (Anika Denise)

Hardcover, 32 pages
Expected publication: July 12th 2016 by HarperCollins
Author: Anika Denise
Illustrator: Nate Wragg

Readers will delight in this lively read-aloud story with a clever and surprising twist at the end—perfect for Halloween and year round!
Ready, set, go! The monster truck race is on in this frightfully delightful picture book. On a spooky speedway, Monster Trucks moan! Monster Trucks grumble! Monster Trucks groan!
Join Frankentruck, Zombie Truck, Ghost Truck, and more as they race to the finish line. But one of these trucks isn’t quite who you think.

Amazon *  B & N * Book Depository

Anika Denise is a children’s book author and poet. When not writing stories about piggies and elephants and bears (oh my!) she’s either cooking, baking, reading or attempting to do all three at the same time. Her published picture books include PIGS LOVE POTATOES, BELLA AND STELLA COME HOME, and BAKING DAY AT GRANDMA'S (Philomel).

She has several more coming soon, including a rhyming tale of vroom and doom titled MONSTER TRUCKS, illustrated by Nate Wragg (HarperCollins 2016), STARRING CARMEN, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez (Abrams 2017), and THE BEST PART OF MIDDLE, illustrated by her husband Christopher Denise (Christy Ottaviano Books 2018).

Anika and Chris live in Rhode Island with their three kids, overgrown vegetable gardens, pesky squirrels and a slew of imaginary friends. Visit Anika online at anikadenise.com and on Twitter @AnikaDenise.

http://www.anikadenise.com/ 

Illustrated by Nate Wragg

"Join Frankentruck, Zombie Truck, Ghost Truck, 

and more as they race to the finish line.

But one of these trucks isn't quite who you think.

Who will win the monster truck race?"

Monster Trucks is a cute childrens book about a race that involves "monster" trucks where the trucks are actually different Halloween characters such as a werewolf, Frankenstein, zombie, ghost, and a vampire! Right as the race begins a small blue bus decides to enter the race and compete against the "monsters."

I love how the little blue bus is not scared of these monster trucks at all! She races ahead of all of them and shows that she is brave and determined! The ending of the story has a cute surprise for the reader and the rest of the monster trucks! 

The story is cute and catchy and a perfect read for the Halloween season and shows kids that no matter what size you are, big or small, you can still win the race!! I highly recommend this cute story for parents and kids to enjoy during the spooky (but not scary)  Halloween month!!

Random House Children's Books Review: Moonhorse (Mary Pope Osborne)

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf an imprint of Random House Children's Books

Author: Mary Pope Osborne

Illustrator: S. M. Saelig

In a beautiful new hardcover edition, this luminously illustrated bedtime fantasy opens toe door to the world of dreams in an enchanting way. Out of the night, the winged Moonhorse appears , and a young girl leaves her sleeping father to join him. Together they ride past stars and night shadows, constellations and comets, as they pull the moon across the clear night sky. 

Amazon * B & N  * Book Depository

Mary Pope Osborne has channeled a lifelong love of exploration and travel into one of the most popular children’s book series of the past two decades. With her fantastic Magic Tree House series, Mary Pope Osborne keeps the good times rolling for kids all over the world.

Website 

Moonhorse is a inspiring bedtime story about a young girl who goes on a nighttime adventure with a beautiful white horse while her father sleeps. The girl and the horse fly through the constellations and go on an adventure in the stars. 

I loved how the child and the horse rode through the night sky and identified the stars and constellations. The story helps open a child's imagination and shows the beautiful aspects of the moon, stars, and night. 

"We gallop toward midnight,

the Moonhorse and I, 

pulling the Moon

through the clear silent sky."

Parents will enjoy reading this to their young children as a calming bedtime story to help ease their children into a peaceful slumber. The illustrations in the book are calming and seem painted with soft colors and yet vivid characters. I would recommend this to any parent who has young children who enjoy bedtime stories.

Good Choice Reading Release Blitz & Giveaway: Single (Collette West)

Single by Collette West

Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance

Series: Stockton Beavers #1

Underdog Luke “Single” Singleton is yearning to make a comeback. After getting hit in the neck with a pitch—an injury that nearly cost him his life—he has one last chance to play for his hometown team, the Stockton Beavers. But his mom has Alzheimer’s, and he’s all she has to depend on. How can he pursue his career, much less someone special?
Personal care aide Roberta Bennett is done dating baseball players. Having had her share of heartbreak, she heads to Stockton hoping for a fresh start. But after she finds Luke’s mom outside, lost, and alone, she can’t refuse when he hires her on the spot. Unbeknownst to Luke, Roberta is all too familiar with the violent tendencies of the pitcher who hit him.
Now that they’re living under the same roof, the last thing either of them is looking for is a relationship. But it’s not long before they find themselves drawn to each other. And right when Luke is thinking about finally making a change to his single status, a secret from Roberta’s past emerges with the power to tear them apart.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble  | iTunes | Kobo | Smashwords

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Collette West grew up as somewhat of a jock-nerd hybrid. Entering the world three weeks premature, her dad nearly missed her birth because he had seats behind the dugout for a sold-out, highly-anticipated match-up between two of baseball's biggest rivals. Not to be outdone, her book-loving mom taught her how to read by the time she was three. A love of the game coupled with an appreciation for the written word were instilled in Collette's impressionable brain from a young age. No wonder her characters believe in the philosophy: sports + romance = a little slice of heaven.
Splitting her time between the Pocono Mountains and Manhattan, Collette indulges her inner fangirl by going to as many games as she can from hockey to baseball and downloading every sports romance novel in existence onto her iPad. When she's not clicking away on her laptop, she enjoys walking her dog in Central Park, satisfying her caffeine craving at the Starbucks on Broadway and keeping an eye out for Mr. Right. But above all, she loves dishing with her readers. Email her at collette_west@yahoo.com.
She is the author of NIGHT GAMES, GAME CHANGER and GAME ON.

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But I'm not about to let her blow me off so easily, not when we were finally starting to enjoy ourselves. This time, I pull on the corner of her scarf and end up drawing it down over her shoulder, spinning her around. I have her off-balance, trying to find her footing, when she falls into my arms.

Her eyes never stray from mine when her hand comes to rest on my neck at the exact spot where I got hit. I swallow hard, never believing anything in the world could feel as good as this. If given the choice, I'd go through all the pain and rehab all over again just to have her do what she's doing to me now. She glides her fingers along my jaw and across my goatee before lightly skimming them over my lips, making me shudder with pleasure. I lean in, and she lowers her hand, her eyes burning into me. Intent on capturing her lips with mine, I’m close enough to feel her warm breath on my face when suddenly she pushes me away from her, taking a step back.

Holding a hand to her forehead, she’s unable to look at me. "Sorry… I tripped and—"

"Roberta," I gasp, struggling to catch my breath. "It's okay. I—"

Yet all she says is, "C'mon," before turning and leaving the alcove.

I run a hand across my face, trying to make sense of what just happened. I almost kissed her… And for a split second, I could've sworn by the fire in her eyes that she'd really wanted me to. God, could she possibly have feelings for me? No… That's just crazy. She probably didn't want to hurt my feelings, and to save me the embarrassment, she graciously backed away before anything could happen. Yeah, that sounds more like it. Now we can just pretend like she tripped and I caught her and go on our merry way. My fingers stray to my neck, right where hers were. Because that's what she wants, right?

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