Hi YA Bookcasers!
Today is going to be a short but sweet post. I’m curious – what book are you reading now, and would you recommend it (why or why not)? Here are my current reads: Continue reading What are you reading?
Category Archives: Book reviews
My favorite book covers…
Hi Ya Bookcasers! I hope that May is treating you well! Today, I want to share with you my favorite five book covers! These are from no particular years; they’re just the ones I like. What are your favorites? Continue reading My favorite book covers…
3 reasons you should read these books…
Hi YABookcasers!
First of all, if you’ve not been to my site before, you might have received a popup asking if you’d like to join my newsletter. I hope you do, as there will be lots of goodies and a secret members only forum! If you didn’t receive the popup because you’ve been before, pop me a message and I’ll fix you up.
Okay, with that said, today I’ve picked out three books and given you 3 reasons why I think you should read each… Continue reading 3 reasons you should read these books…
My top 3 creepy stories!
Hi YA Bookcasers!
Halloween might be over, and we might be stuffed full of candy, but that doesn’t mean that ghost stories, the supernatural, and the unexplained disappear into the background. On the contrary. It’s hard to let go of those lingering goosebumps. So, I’ve rounded up a my top three creepy stories that will have you tingling with fear way after the holiday season has rounded up its last devil and angel… Continue reading My top 3 creepy stories!
Book review – I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson
Hey YABookcasers!
Audio version:
Nice to have you back! This week, I wanted to stop for a moment and give you some feedback I have on the buzz book I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson. Continue reading Book review – I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson
Book Review (with audio) – How to Hang a Witch
Hello my wonderful YA Bookcasers!
I’ve made an upgrade to our posts: audio versions of the posts! Click on the link to hear if that’s your preference:
Recently, I finished a book called How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather, and I must say, it inspired me to start off my first book review post on our new website! This is a *spoiler free* review.
Here’s the blurb: Continue reading Book Review (with audio) – How to Hang a Witch
Chase a new book with CHASING CRAZY!
So it’s the second blog post of the year and I thrilled to say that it couldn’t start better! I’ve been lucky enough to snag author Kelly Siskind with her new novel CHASING CRAZY (now that is a great title if ever I’ve heard one!).
So first things first, let’s take a little peek at that cover of hers…
Cute, isn’t it? And you can just tell their might be a hint of romance in those pages, so if you like a bit of love, then this is definitely worth a read.
So what’s it about? Well, I’m glad you asked!
Blurb
Dear Mom & Dad, I dropped out of school. I’m going backpacking. Sorry. Love you both.
At nineteen, Nina has endured two lifetimes’ worth of humiliation. Tired of waiting for it to get better, she decides to get going-across the globe to New Zealand. There she soon faces what she most fears: a super sexy guy ready to be Nina’s next mistake.
Once Sam’s life was all about having fun. That was before the accident. Now his friends have bailed and his world is broken. But when a gorgeous girl on his flight looks at him with passion instead of pity, Sam feels his old self coming back to life.
Now traveling together, Nina and Sam know this isn’t just a fling. They’re falling fast, hard, and deep. More than anything, Sam wants Nina to forget her fears. But to help her do that he must reveal his own painful secret-and risk Nina never seeing him the same way again.
*swoon* Isn’t that just a great conflict brewing? And that quote? Oh my, the gorgeous words! This will prove to be an exciting, dramatic and dreamy book, and I for one am lining up at the gates to read it.
Wanna see a little taster of what’s in store?
Excerpt One:
Another big, sweaty guy squeezes from the door and returns to his seat at the rear of the cabin. With my eyes on the prize, I pick up the pace. My steps get longer. Quicker.
I don’t break eye contact with that door. I don’t look down. If I had looked down, I might have seen the large black boot sticking out in the aisle. If I had looked down, I might have stepped over it. But I didn’t.
In one glorious move, my sandaled toe smacks into the black boot…and I tumble.
Hard. Fast. Face first. The corner of the book in my hand slams into my full bladder, and my vision from earlier comes to life. Every. Horrifying. Detail. Like a pathetic five year-old child, I wet myself. I manage to stop the Niagara Falls portion of the flow, but I pee
myself nonetheless. Frickin’ perfect.
Lying with my face smashed against the rough airplane carpet, I squeeze my eyes, willing this to be a horrible nightmare, when two hands grip my shoulders. They pick me up effortlessly and place me on my feet. Mortified is not a strong enough word to describe my current state of being. My underwear is sodden, the front of my skirt is damp, and there’s a pretzel bit stuck to my eyebrow. Still, that doesn’t hold a candle to the level of horror I experience when I turn to find Hot Guy in front of my face.
His eyebrows pull together. “You okay?”
An animal sound explodes through my lips, something between a caw and a yelp, as I spin away and dash for the still- green vacant sign. I slam the door and fight with the stupid bar thingy to get it locked, then I whirl around looking for those god-awful paper toilet covers. The bathroom reeks of some sort of foul I can’t describe. The guy before unleashed a whole lot of awful in here. I dance from foot to foot, knees knocking, as I get the cover down. Underwear off, skirt up, and the stream flows before my butt hits the seat.
It keeps flowing. And flowing. And flowing.
I stretch the neck of my fitted white T-shirt and stick my nose inside while the marathon continues. I pick the pretzel bit off my eyebrow and fling it on the floor. There must be something seriously wrong with me. Here I am, trying to start fresh. New me, new life. And I can’t make it a minute without creating havoc. Maybe it’s all the pot my folks smoke. No matter how many times they’ve denied it, I bet Mom smoked boatloads while pregnant with me. Boat. Loads.
When the trickle ends, I stand and stamp my foot on the flush button then step back to avoid being sucked into the atmosphere. Although, nose-diving to earth might be preferable to facing Hot Guy Who Saw Me Pee when I leave the bathroom. I could lock myself in this tin can until we land. Unfortunately, it smells like a Taco Bell meal gone wrong.
With no other option, I prepare to exit the lavatory. I remove my underwear and cram it into the trash. Barely. I dampen some paper towels and blot the front of my skirt. Luckily, the blue and purple floral pattern is busy enough to hide the wet splotch stretched across the fabric. I shove two wads of paper under my armpits to soak up my stress sweat. After shaking out my red hair and retying it into a ponytail, I wash my hands a third time. Finally, I shove the latch to vacant and push the door.
I almost yank it shut.
Hot Guy Who Saw Me Pee is leaning against the side of a seat with his arms crossed. His are eyes locked on the bathroom door…and me. Double shoot.
Pretty tasty, right? Actually, if you hang around a few more minutes, I’m going to whet your appetite just a little bit more. But first, let’s see what praise has come in early for CHASING CRAZY…
CHASING CRAZY by Kelly Siskind (February 2, 2016; Forever Yours E-Book)
“With an endearingly awkward female protagonist, a swoon-worthy male love interest, and Siskind’s superb storytelling, this is one of the best New Adult contemporary romances I’ve read to date.” — USA Today bestselling author K.A. Tucker
WOW! And the below quote shows just why it’s so awesome…
This has definitely got me wanting more…how about you? If you like the sound of CHASING CRAZY then you can pick it up in any of these places:
Buy the book!
And keep an eye out for Kelly’s Over The Top series, coming in Spring 2016! Fans of Alice Clayton and Emma Chase will love this fun, contemporary romance series set in
Vancouver, Canada.
I’m pretty sure I can hear you all asking “what about that extra preview you told us about?” Don’t worry, I’m not holding out. So here it is:
Excerpt Two:
He straightens and shoves his hands into his pockets. I try to hurry past him, but he steps in my way. Taller than me by a head, he dips down toward my ear. “You should watch where you’re going when you’re running inside an airplane, Ginger.”
What the…? Ginger? Is Hot Guy making fun of my hair? To my face?
With my nails biting into my palm, my whisper-yell explodes before I can stop it. “I should watch where I’m going? Maybe you shouldn’t sprawl across the entire aisle, Mister…Man.”
Wow. I just said that. I called Hot Guy Mister Man. I can’t even get angry right.
Mister Man, Hot Guy…whatever, he looks more amused, a suggestive smile on his lips. He leans closer, his brown curls flopping on his forehead. “I was joking, all right? I’m sorry about the tripping thing. Seriously. You sure you’re okay?”
Before I can answer, a girl pokes her head around his shoulder. “Excuse me. Mind if I get by?” She nods toward the bathroom.
Hot Guy slides his arm around my waist and draws me against his chest to let the girl pass. I suck a sharp breath. Hot Guy definitelyworks out. The hard contours of his pecs are unmistakable through his cotton shirt, the sharp ridges of his muscles firmly against my body. His palm flattens on my lower back, and he pulls me tighter. Oh God.
My fingers itch to touch him. Every chiseled inch. If he didn’t see me wet myself, this would be way better than picturing warm suds dripping down his body. In a shower. My hands trailing between his legs.
Then I flash to the last time I was this close to a guy. Hypnosis couldn’t repress that memory deep enough. Better for me and everyone involved if I stick with fantasies. Placing my hand on his chest, I push back from Hot Guy, a little disappointed to lose the contact.
Two long fingers find my chin and lift my gaze. “Look, Ginger, I’ll let you by when you tell me you’re okay. So are you hurt, or are you cool to make it back to your seat?”
There’s a scar on his chin, long and jagged. I blink to stop staring. “First, don’t call me Ginger. And second, yes. I’m fine. No thanks to your boot. Can I go back to my seat now?” I fiddle with my skirt, sure everyone nearby knows I’m flying commando.
Hot Guy studies me a beat, then raises his hands. “Watch your step on the way back.” But he barely moves, so I’m forced to rub against him (pantyless) to get by.
Holy heck, that chest.
Two steps away, I see my book still on the floor from my fall.
The rest happens in slow motion, an instant replay of pure awful.
I bend down to grab my book, and the airplane jiggles as though it’s bouncing from cloud to cloud. The floor tilts back. I reach to grab the nearest armrest, but a man’s arm is planted there ‘resting.’ Next best option: launch myself forward to grab the back of the man’s chair. This super- smooth move occurs as the plane rights itself. The laws of gravity kick in, and I pitch forward. I don’t do this elegantly. No points for good form. I land on my elbows, and my skirt flies up to my hips.
Yes. My skirt. The skirt that covered my pantyless behind is hitched around my waist. OhGodOhGodOhGod. I flip on my back and tug the flimsy cotton down to my knees. I do it just in time to see Hot Guy close his mouth. His eyes darken ten shades before he slips into the bathroom I recently exited, where he’ll for sure assume it was I who dropped the atomic stink bomb.
Reminder to self: always pee before boarding an airplane.
So who is the talented author behind this wonderful book?
About the author:
A small-town girl at heart, Kelly moved from the city to open a cheese shop with her husband in Northern Ontario. When she’s not neck deep in cheese or out hiking, you can find her, notepad in hand, scribbling down one of the many plot bunnies bouncing around in her head. She laughs at her own jokes and has been known to eat her feelings-Gummy Bears heal all. She’s also an incurable romantic, devouring romance novels into the wee hours of the morning.
Connect with the author!
FLIRTING WITH FAME cover reveal!!!
FLIRTING WITH FAME Cover Reveal and Giveaway!
FLIRTING WITH FAME releases on February 29, 2016 from Pocketstar/Simon & Schuster.
Description (from Goodreads):
Elise Jameson is the secret author behind the bestselling, cult hit Viking Moon series. But when a stranger poses as Elise, the painfully shy, deaf nineteen-year-old starts to see how much she’s missing. Can she really hide in the shadows forever? This clever, coming-of-age debut is for anyone who has ever felt unsure in their own skin.
After a freak childhood accident leaves her deaf and physically scarred, nineteen-year-old Elise Jameson retreats into a world of vibrant characters she creates on her laptop. She is shocked when her coping mechanism turns into a career as a phenomenal bestselling novelist. Fans are obsessed with Elise’s Viking Moon series and its author—a striking girl with zero resemblance to Elise who appears on the back covers. Elise sent the randomly Googled photo to her editor following a minor panic attack. Now, horrified to learn she is expected on set of the television pilot based on her novels, Elise tracks down her anonymous stand-in. To Elise’s surprise, Veronica Wilde has been taking credit for Viking Moon for years. She eagerly agrees to keep up the charade if Elise will pose as her assistant.
It’s hard for Elise to watch a stranger take credit for her work and get all the perks she desires, including admiration from the show’s heartthrob star. Edged onto the sidelines of her own life, Elise reconsiders her choice to stay anonymous. Is she ready to come to terms with her true identity—and with the long-buried secrets that could cost her her career, her fans, and the few precious friendships she’s made?
Teaser:
If the Queen of England booked a gig at Fernbrooke’s only theater to do a lyrical jazz routine with a unicorn, I might’ve had an easier time finding parking than I did that night.
I dashed down Main Street, stumbling over my own feet as I texted Jin that I’d be there soon. Conveniently, I left out the part where I’d sat in the driveway for twenty minutes, covered in sweat, visualizing either a mob scene or an empty building. Neither possibility stopped the hum vibrating through my skin or made it easier to start the car. That took a few deep breaths, and the knowledge that if I backed out, Jin would show up and drag me there anyway.
The screen lit up with Jin’s reply—mostly expletives in all caps—and I glanced at the time.
Eleven fifty-five.
Crap. I had five minutes.
Picking up speed, I shoved my phone into my jeans. Perspiration beaded along my neck and snaked down my back as I pressed against the thick August air. I swerved around the crumbling town library, then skidded to a halt.
Hundreds of people lined the wall of the mini mall. They wound in front of the darkened stores and around another corner. The start of the line wasn’t in sight. My fingers instinctively traced the scar that ran from my temple to my jaw as I surveyed the crowd. Many sported horned hats or fur stoles. A boy wielding a foamy mug of beer saw me and grinned.
Yeah, there was no freaking way I was doing this.
***
Author Bio:
Samantha has wanted to be an author since she picked up her first book and realized authors get to create new worlds with just a pen and paper (or laptop, if you will). She loves to write about romance because, as someone who married her high school sweetheart, she absolutely believes in true love. She also loves making people laugh and feels love and laughter go hand in hand. If she can make someone both swoon and giggle with her words, she considers that a success. When not writing or at her day job, Samantha can be found either singing and dancing on stage in local musicals, or at home watching geeky television shows with her husband and their pet rabbit.
Samantha is represented by Kathleen Rushall from Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.
FLIRTING WITH FAME is her debut novel.
Links:
Website: http://www.samanthajoyce.com
Twitter: @Samjoycebooks
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13979798
Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25531669-flirting-with-fame
Publisher Buy Links: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Flirting-with-Fame/Samantha-Joyce/9781501126833
The Giveaway!
I’m giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card!
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Cover Reveal – CHASING CRAZY!!!
We’re so thrilled to reveal the cover of debut author Kelly Siskind’s CHASING CRAZY, which releases January 12th from Forever Yours! We absolutely can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on this new adult contemporary romance. Check out the beautiful cover below, read a sneak peek, and enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card!
About CHASING CRAZY “With an endearingly awkward female protagonist, a swoon-worthy male love interest, and Siskind’s superb storytelling, this is one of the best New Adult contemporary romances I’ve read to date.” — USA Today bestselling author K.A. Tucker Dear Mom & Dad, I dropped out of school. I’m going backpacking. Sorry. Love you both. At nineteen, Nina has endured two lifetime’s worth of humiliation. Tired of waiting for it to get better, she decides to get going-across the globe to New Zealand. There she soon faces what she most fears: a super sexy guy ready to be Nina’s next mistake. Once Sam’s life was all about having fun. That was before the accident. Now his friends have bailed and his world is broken. But when a gorgeous girl on his flight looks at him with passion instead of pity, Sam feels his old self coming back to life. Now traveling together, Nina and Sam know this isn’t just a fling. They’re falling fast, hard, and deep. More than anything, Sam wants Nina to forget her fears. But to help her do that he must reveal his own painful secret-and risk Nina never seeing him the same way again.
CHASING CRAZY releases January 12, 2016 – add it to your Goodreads list here!
Preorder CHASING CRAZY now: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Excerpt
Frickin’ Hot Guy and his stupid hike. He thought his limp would slow us down, but I’m the one huffing and puffing, trying to figure out how I ended up on Mount Everest while in New Zealand. I chance a glance up, using the moment to inhale a mouthful of air. Sam leans over the edge, hands on his knees, grinning down at me. If there was ever a reason to summit a mountain, that face is it. Sam, who I’m falling for. Sam, with that jaw. Sam, who I’ll be sleeping with. In a tent. Alone. Another five agonizing steps later, he’s got me by the shoulders, helping me up. In the blink of an eye, he has my straps undone and is easing the bazillion-pound weight from my back. The air still feels sharp in my lungs, like it could slice through me. “Keep moving around,” he says. “Come on, let’s walk it off.” He grabs my hand and leads me over the rocky ground, the two of us walking in wide circles. After a few laps, the air is less daggerlike and my breathing slows. I blink at my surroundings. So focused on my aches and pains, I didn’t stop to soak in the landscape, if that’s what you’d call it. This is probably what the moon looks like. A few hikers passed us on the climb, but we’re alone in this crater, surrounded by jagged outcrops of brownish-black rocks and yellow tufts of grass, low mountains on all sides. It’s majestic and eerie and otherworldly, and I’m here because of Sam. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” he asks. He’s still holding my hand as the silence engulfs us, my heart pounding in my ears. The air is cold and damp. It alleviates the heat from that insane climb but doesn’t do much to quell the warmth between Sam’s hand and mine. Still, I don’t let go. And he doesn’t let go. I could stand here forever. “Yeah, beautiful,” I finally say, no longer referring to the scenery. Giveaway Want to win a $20 Amazon giftcard from Kelly Siskind? You can enter to win on the Rafflecopter below! a Rafflecopter giveaway//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
About Kelly Siskind
A small-town girl at heart, Kelly moved from the city to open a cheese shop with her husband in Northern Ontario. When she’s not neck deep in cheese or out hiking, you can find her, notepad in hand, scribbling down one of the many plot bunnies bouncing around in her head. She laughs at her own jokes and has been known to eat her feelings—Gummy Bears heal all. She’s also an incurable romantic, devouring romance novels into the wee hours of the morning. She is represented by Stacey Donaghy of the Donaghy Literary Group. 2015 Golden Heart® Finalist Connect with Kelly SiskindWebsite | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest
Touching Fate by Brenda Drake!
Listen up people!!!!!
The lady herself – the one who provides the writing community with so much support and love – Miss Brenda Drake has a gorgeous cover reveal for her fabulous book, Touching Fate. It would be a CRIME not to pre-order this when you can.
Check it out!!!!
Touching Fate
by Brenda Drake
Release Date: 10/13/15
Entangled Teen: Crave
Summary from Goodreads:
Aster Layne believes in physics, not psychics. A tarot card reading on the Ocean City Boardwalk should have been a ridiculous, just-for-fun thing. It wasn’t. Aster discovers she has a veryunscientific gift—with a simple touch of the cards, she can change a person’s fate.
Reese Van Buren is cursed. Like the kind of old-school, centuries-old curse that runs in royal families. Every firstborn son is doomed to die on his eighteenth birthday—and Reese’s is coming up fast. Bummer. He tries to distract himself from his inevitable death…only to find the one person who can save him.
Aster doesn’t know that the hot Dutch guy she’s just met needs her help–or that he’s about to die.
But worst of all…she doesn’t know that her new gift comes with dark, dark consequences that can harm everyone she loves.
About the Author
Brenda Drake, the youngest of three children, grew up an Air Force brat and the continual new kid at schooluntil her family settled in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Brenda’s fondest memories growing up is of hereccentric, Irish grandmother’s animated tales, which gave her a strong love for storytelling. So it was onlyfitting that she would choose to write young adult and middle grade novels with a bend toward thefantastical. When Brenda’s not writing or doing the social media thing, she’s haunting libraries, bookstores,and coffee shops or reading someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment).
Author Links:
Cover Reveal Organized by:
