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Interview with Natasha Boyd

30 Jun 2014
So next month I am off to the Romance Author and Reader Event (RARE) in Edinburgh to meet amazing authors such as Abbi Glines, Monica Murphy, Cora Carmack, K.A Tucker and of course Natasha Boyd amongst many more. I'm not the only person excited for the event, all the attending authors are too! Today I am sharing a little pre-event Q&A with Natasha whose books Eversea and Forever, Jack I utterly love.

Eversea by Natasha Boyd



Synopsis

You loved Nicholas Sparks' Noah Calhoun. You lusted after Jamie McGuire's Travis Maddox. You'll be dreaming about Jack Eversea...

An orphaned, small-town, southern girl, held hostage by responsibility and self-doubt.

A Hollywood A-list mega-star, on the run from his latest scandal and with everything to lose.

A chance encounter that leads to an unlikely arrangement and epic love affair that will change them both for ever.

As powerful as the pounding surf, as intoxicating as the sea breeze, this is one love affair you won't be able to forget about...

Don't miss the electrifying sequel, FOREVER, JACK, coming soon...

My review | Amazon | Amazon UK | Goodreads

Q&A with Natasha Boyd


What's your favourite thing about writing romance?

The frailties and the strengths of someone's personality are never more exposed than when they fall in love.  I find it fascinating to watch, to explore and write about.  People need and want romance, I love that I'm able to create something that can give it to them. 
 
Do you consider kilts to be sexy?

Uh, Braveheart, duh ...  Yes, totally ... And seriously? You do wonder about the design. They must have been a horny lot, easy access and all that.  I refuse to entertain any more practical purpose. *sticks fingers in ears* 
 
Are you willing to try haggis?

I didn't hear the question, sorry. 
 
If you had only one day in Edinburgh, how would you spend it?

Ahhh, well. The castle- definitely the castle- then a nice long pub lunch where I can check out the local flavor, and the afternoon at a local scotch distillery.  Oh, and kilt spotting. 

About The Author



Natasha Boyd is a writer with a background in marketing and public relations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and lives in the coastal Carolina Lowcountry, complete with Spanish moss, alligators and mosquitoes the size of tiny birds. She has a husband, two sons and a cat named Tuna. She has written two full-length novels: the award-winning Eversea, and its much anticipated sequel Forever, Jack.

https://www.facebook.com/authornatashaboyd 

http://pinterest.com/ lovefrmlowcntry/
@lovefrmlowcntry
http://www.natashaboyd.com 



Guest Post: How 'The Highwayman' Poem Inspired me to Write GLIMPSE

13 Jun 2014

Synopsis

Liz just wants to be normal. Her life is anything but.

Seven years ago Liz lost her mother and ten years' worth of memories. When she inherits the infamous Highwayman Inn, she hopes the move will be a fresh start. Then she meets Zachary. Zachary who haunts her by night and in dreams; who makes her question everything she is and wants to be; who seems scarcely real - yet makes her feel so alive.

Inspired by Alfred Noyes' classic poem 'The Highwayman', Glimpse is a ghost story, a love story, and a story of a girl fighting for her future by confronting her terrible past.


Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

How "The Highwayman" Poem Inspired Me To Write GLIMPSE

I have a confession: I've never been a big poetry fan. English was my favourite subject at school, and I studied it at university, but novels were always my thing, not poems. Yet there are poems that have stuck with me—like those that tell stories as dark and dramatic as the classic gothic novels I always loved. Poems like Poe's 'Annabel Lee', Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 'Christabel', or Alfred Noyes' 'The Highwayman'.

I don't remember first reading 'The Highwayman'—it feels like I've always known it—but it must have been when I was at school. (Incidentally, I find it very cool that 'The Highwayman' was taught to my eighty-six year old grandmother, and is still taught today—impressive work, Mr Noyes!) I love everything about it—the dashing highwayman, the ill-fated romance, the ghosts. It's the perfect YA paranormal romance, only published in 1906.

So when I decided to write a romantic ghost story of my own, 'The Highwayman' poem instantly came to mind. I wondered, how could I write a story that captured the same passion and darkness as this amazing poem? I could write a retelling, of course. After all, retellings of fairy tales are fairly common in YA, why not do the same with a poem?
That's what I initially set out to do, but I quickly realised that a straightforward retelling was a little unimaginative. So I decided to set my retelling in the present day. Bess would be the daughter of a pub landlord, the highwayman would be the sexy bad boy, and the stable boy Tim could make it a love triangle. (Paranormal romance clichés—tick and tick! Please don't judge me, I know better now!) But it still wasn't imaginative enough, and I knew I'd get bored writing it.

So finally I thought...how about I write a modern setting, in which the inn is now ancient and cob-webbed. How about my main character isn't Bess, but a new character, with her own story and her own mysteries to solve. Bess and the highwayman's love story will have to be important—after all, that's what 'The Highwayman' poem is all about—but it doesn't have to be the sole focus.
So that's what I started writing, and Glimpse was the result—a story that wouldn't exist without Noyes' poem, but is also something fresh.

I'm looking forward to hearing what readers who love 'The Highwayman' think, as well as introducing the poem (which will be printed at the beginning of my book) to those who haven't read it. Whichever camp you fall into, I hope you'll enjoy it! 

Try it for yourself! Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK 

I have a copy of this book myself that I will be reading shortly so keep your eyes out for a review coming soon.

Ebooks, Giveaways and Piracy

12 Jun 2014
So the book and blogging world always seems to be surprisingly full of drama. I say surprisingly because before I saw all the drama for myself I imagined the bookish community to (virtually) be sat around in a big circle contentedly drinking tea, loving books, being respectful of people opinions, never doing anything hurtful and generally just being happy to share their love with other people. I now know that is a very naïve thought.

A large amount of drama tends to stem from plagiarism and piracy; people doing things they shouldn't with things that don't belong to them. Most authors know that piracy is a terribly unpleasant but unfortunately unavoidable part of publishing. Piracy hurts authors and affects their livelihood; imagine how much more it must hurt to find out that an instance of piracy comes from a blogger and "fan".

You may be wondering what I'm talking about in which case jump over to Teresa Mummert's blog where it all started. Basically a thoughtful and concerned reader contacted the above (fantastic :P) author as she had received a book won in a giveaway direct from the blogger rather than through the author or gifted from amazon or similar. This was without the authors knowledge and was therefore piracy.

Piracy
Noun

2 - The unauthorized use or reproduction of another’s work

Unfortunately this one case is not where it ended. After Teresa Mummert posted her story yesterday many more readers realised that books they had won through giveaways may not have been authorized copies. Multiple authors have now reported readers telling them (with proof) about pirated ebooks that they unwittingly received.

As a blogger this saddens me as how are authors and publishers supposed to trust us with arcs and review copies if some people are illegally sharing them. These are by no means the majority of bloggers but the few rotten apples just tar peoples image of the rest of us. All bloggers need to be aware that ebooks are for YOUR EYES ONLY unless stated otherwise though I think most are and those pirating are doing it knowingly and without shame. People  also need to remember that their actions do not affect only themselves.

The one silver lining to this story are the readers who alerted authors to the wrongdoings that were occurring and the outrage by many bloggers that someone had dared to do this. Most people do not tolerate things like this from taking place.

If you are ever suspicious about the legality of a giveaway PLEASE contact the author whose book it is. They will truly appreciate you if it is indeed a case of piracy. We all just need to keep our eyes peeled for things like this occurring. Hopefully know that it is getting around that if you are receiving an e-file from a blogger rather than author it may be pirated it will be harder for people to get away with this in the future.

I could go on about how wrong piracy is and the duty we have as book bloggers for hours (and I fully intended to have a rant when I started writing this post) but once I start I probably won't stop and the truth is this topic makes me sad :(

It would be nice to have one month in the book world without drama you know. Can we do that? How about 1 week? Lets try :P

Review of Between A Rockstar And A Hard Place


Synopsis

Behind the music...

Being best friends with a mega-star has its perks and Nicole Wilde, music journalist, laps them up. But when said friend, Dylan King, gorgeous lead singer of The Burnouts, has zero sense of self-preservation - once a drop of alcohol hits his blood stream ? and an inability to keep 'little Dylan' in his pants, it also comes with responsibilities.

Now, Nicole has to track down Dylan in time to play a charity gig tomorrow. Half a dozen groupies, a haunted hotel, a tattoo parlour, a reality show runner-up and a crazy bed-hopping, sleepless night later - will she find him before the tour bus leaves town? And when she does, is it time to head home? Or to jump on the tour bus and go along for the ride!

Between a Rockstar and a Hard Place is the fun and fabulous prequel to Portia MacIntosh's Starstruck. Look out for it March 2014.


Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

Review

This was a fun novella following a music journalist’s evening trying to track down her reckless friend before he managed to destroy his career.  There were a couple of things that stood out to me, the first being that she undertook this mission by choice.  She isn’t some hapless PR person or some manager whose career is tied up with that of the errant rock star.  She is simply a ridiculously good friend who is willing to go to some serious extremes to protect her friend.  There were some humorous parts and I really enjoyed the fact that she found a fun diversion amidst her selfless efforts but I had a couple of minor issues with the story. 
 
The biggest concern I had was that I didn’t really see how the rock star was deserving of such a friend.  He has a wild night of reckless bed hopping while she jumps through every hoop imaginable to follow his trail.  I found myself quite frustrated a few times as the story progressed as I didn’t really see why he deserved to be bailed out.  The mindless sex and drugs also made me a little uncomfortable but I suppose it fits the stereotypical mold for a reckless rock star.  What I ultimately enjoyed about the story, however, was the humor.  It really was rather comical and quirky.  I enjoyed the pretty boy sidekick she acquires on her journey and it ended up being a fun read overall.

Try it for yourself! Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK
Katie

Waiting On Wednesday - The Uprising

11 Jun 2014
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it allows readers to share the books that they are most looking forwards to reading.

This week the book I have chosen to feature is The Uprising by Adrianne James.



Title: The Uprising

Author: Adrianne James

Series: Mackenzie Duncan #3

Publisher: Self-published

Publication Date: ~Late July

Links: Goodreads

Synopsis

Ever since Mackenzie Duncan watched her skin knit together after being ripped apart by a blood thirsty Werewolf, her life has been anything but normal. After being part of a pack with more secrets than the FBI, Mackenzie left and tried not to look back. Her old pack leader Margaret, a Royal wolf hungry to regain the throne and rule over all the world’s Werewolves, made that impossible. Figuring out who to trust was full of heart break, but moving forward left her with a clear path ahead.

After Mackenzie found out that she, too, is part of the Royal blood line and that she had inadvertently endangered every pack she came into contact with, she feels that it is her duty to help stop Margaret at all costs before any more blood is shed or another life is lost.

Despite traveling the world with Liam, the man she loves, her life is in danger at every turn in her hunt for other Werewolves willing to stand against Margaret. Who better to fight then the blood line that shunned the role of power centuries ago?


Bloody battles surround her at every turn and when Mackenzie thinks all is lost, she has to find a way to embrace her past and accept her future.

My Thoughts

I utterly loved the first two books in this series and though I will be sad to say farewell to all the characters I can't wait to see how everything will conclude. If you haven't tried this series yet I highly recommend reading book 1 The Tempering which is currently free on Amazon.

What book are you excited for this week?

Tag You're It - Get To Know Me

10 Jun 2014
I don't normally take part in viral tagging posts, "awards" and things like that BUT I really like the sound of this one as I thought some of you might like to know me better :)
 
Thank you to Zili In The Sky Book Reviews for the tag.


Tell Us 5 Random Facts About You
 
1. I have hypermobility in my joints to quite an extreme degree. This means I have problems with joint pain and occasionally my joints partially dislocating (ouch) but as an upside I have a really cool (yet mildly gross) party trick of being able to bend my arms pretty far in the wrong direction at my elbows.
 
2. I am currently studying for a Masters degree in Forensic and Investigative Chemistry.
 
3. I have an irrational fear of spiders and a rational fear of murderous psychopaths. Luckily it is only the former I find in my house in a near weakly basis.
 
4. Despite looking as British as possible I am actually about 1/4 a mishmash of various races. My Grandma was from South Africa and my Granddad's family was Egyptian.
 
5. I used to dance a lot as a child and still love to dance when I can and watch as much as possible
 
When Is Your Birthday?
 
June 16th (yes, very soon - I'll be 21 this year :D)
 
What Is Your Favourite Colour?
 
 
 What Is Your Favourite Memory?

Getting my Hogwarts acceptance letter. Oh wait, that never happened (I'm still waiting) ...

Describe A Day In Your Life...

My life massively varies day by day as my University schedule varies wildly, some days I have no lectures, others I have 9 till 5. You can guarantee that in the evening I will be sat reading a book for an hour or two and I am also often found on the computer doing work or blogging (or being distracted by cute pictures of cats).

What Are Your 5 Favourite Songs?

Let It Go - I'm not a Frozen super fan but I am crazy in love with this song.

Angel With A Shotgun (Nightcore remix) - I don't know why I love this song so much but I do.

For Good - Makes me all teary eyed when I hear it :)

Jar Of Hearts - Just a lovely song that makes me want to dance.

Feel The Love - <3

If You Could Eat Only One Thing For The Rest Of Your Life, What Would It Be?

Chicken. It's pretty much all I eat anyway :P

What Is Something You Really Dislike?

Insects. Hate 'em the flying, crawling creepy buggers.

Summer Or Winter?

 Summer, as here in England that means slightly less rain than the rest of the year.

If You Could Live Anywhere In The World, Where Would You Live And Why?

Probably America as then I would be able to attend more signings and bookish events and also not be limited by mail costs to England.

Name 5 Of Your Favourite Films

The Shawshank Redemption - A thought provoking and incredibly moving film.
The Usual Suspects -
Memento - The main character suffers from short term memory loss and cant remember anything for more than a few minutes and has to use notes and other messages to remind himself of what has happened as he tries to hunt down the people who killed his wife. The story is also told BACKWARDS. Enough said really.
Snatch
Airplane - Hilarious slapstick comedy with some truly memorable lines.

If You Won The Lottery What Would You Buy?

I would build a giant "bookstore" that gave kids book for free. I would also have a giant house built and turned into a rescue centre for cats with medical conditions. It's sad how many people want to get rid of cats (or any animals actually) with medical conditions that are relatively easily treatable but need daily medication or treatment that works out costly.

Favourite Day Of The Week?

Monday. It needs love too :P

What 3 Things Would You Take To A Dessert Island?

My kindle (of course) along with a solar powered charger and a device that magically gives me internet access. Sun cream.

Sweet Or Savoury?

HAS to be sweet, unless it is Chicken :P

Early Bird Or Night Owl?

Neither. I both go to bed early AND rise pretty late.

Name 5 Of Your Favourite Books

Only 5?! It's mean to make me choose! Ok here it goes -

The Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson
The Black Magician trilogy by Trudi Canavan
Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Throne of Glass (series so far - books 1 -3) by Sarah J Maas
Chronicles of Ixia by Maria V. Snyder
Also pretty much anything by Molly McAdams, Abbi Glines, Scott Westerfeld and J.A. Redmerski

Favourite Drink

Relentless. I could have several of these energy drinks every day and not get sick of them (in fact I sometimes do :P)

Favourite Animal

Clouded Leopard, they are incredibly beautiful Wild Cats.

Who Do You Tag Next?

 Faye @ A Daydreamer's Thoughts
Kayleigh @ K-Books
Michelle @ Much Loved Books

Ten NA Summer Reads Promo

5 Jun 2014
summertopten
If you love a steamy new adult novel, then check out this list, curated by InkHeart Authors... Betcha can't buy just one! I'm happy to have read several of these books and loved each one.
 
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ABrideForABillionaire_draft

For fans of Cruel Intentions and Dangerous Liaisons…
Matteo Benenati has spent his life wrapped in wealth and privilege. He is shallow, selfish, jaded—and he likes it that way.
When bold American art student Riley Tremaine crashes into his life, her light forces him to examine the dark places inside of his soul, the ones he thought he’d buried with his father. He knows he should let her go… but he’s never claimed to be a good man.
When Matteo is pitted against his unscrupulous stepsister Emilia Guerra in a bid for his late father’s empire, he must decide between honor and vice. In need of a wife—and desperate to possess her—Matteo makes Riley an offer she can’t refuse. She will be his bride—in every meaning of the word—so that he can protect his legacy.
But Matteo soon learns that Emilia’s soul is darker even than his own. And by marrying Riley, he has made her a pawn in a power struggle that could shatter their world.
 
Kindle Nook

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Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee JonesInfinite Possibilities by Lisa Renee Jones

Infinite possibilities….
Infinite passion…..
Infinite danger….
His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn’t trust him. I shouldn’t tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need.
At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loved to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she’s finally dared to believe she is forgotten–even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets down her guard down, the ghosts of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run.
On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take “no” as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?
 
 
Infinite Possibilities Book 2
 
Secrets and lies. They are everywhere: haunting her, tormenting her. In the midst of it all, he’d been her escape, her passion. The only person she’d trusted in six years. And then he’d made her doubt that trust, cutting her deeply. But as she’d once told him, she was damaged, not broken. She is ready to fight and not just for survival. She is fighting for the truth and she won’t stop until she has it, not even for…him.
 

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entice
 
Chase Winter let the love of his life slip through his fingers and into the hands of his best friend and mafia boss of the Abandonato family. Now that he's been given a second chance to right a wrong, he refuses to let his own selfishness stand in the way. The only problem? He's not fully in possession of his heart, so when Mil De Lange — the girl who's innocence he stole and heir to the worst of the worst mafia families in the US — asks him for a favor… he says yes, not realizing that one yes has the power to destroy them all.
Mil's been in love with Chase Winter as long as she can remember, but as the years went by, love turned into hate, and now that he's agreed to help her, she's wondering if she made a fatal error. Because Chase isn't a teenager anymore. He's a hot-blooded male, bent on owning every part of her, body and soul, and he's willing to kill anyone in his path who dares stand in the way. Secrets will finally be revealed... but make no mistake, it's going to take a lot of bloodshed for those truths to be discovered.
You've never read a New Adult Mafia story like this before. Loyalties will be tested, lovers reunited, and friendships obliterated.
Welcome to the Family. Blood in — No out.
 
 
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breathe into me
How did my life get so broken? It's a question Lacey St. James asks herself every day. Stuck raising her little brother in a trailer park while she works a dead end job at a grocery store, she has a stalker ex-boyfriend, a bad reputation, and no way out.
And then she meets Everett, whose presence changes her entire existence.
Everett is an outsider to her small community, in town for the summer housesitting one of the grand mansions off the Mississippi coast. When he saves her in a bar one night, she's grateful but wary of his intentions. Lacey doesn't trust most men in her life, but for reasons Lacey can't understand, Everett is completely captivated by her. He's determined to show her that life can offer more than she'd ever hoped for, if only she believes in herself. As she works with him to free herself, Lacey desperately yearns to trust him, to move on and perhaps start fresh.
But what happens when she finds out that everything he's told her about himself was a lie?
 
 
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hollow
Girl, Interrupted meets Beautiful Disaster in this thrilling and sexy debut novel, in which a college student learns her perfect life is a lie and finds new love where she least expects it—a mental institution.
Freaks, misfits, and psychopaths. Those are the kinds of people found at Newton Heights Psychiatric Hospital, and high-society girl Lucy White’s new home.
Freaks, misfits, and Jayden McCray. Jayden has his own set of rules for life at Newton Heights, and in this enigma, Lucy finds a way to live with the events that left her cheating boyfriend and best friend dead—and Lucy in the middle of the investigation into their demise.
The problem? Jayden makes her want things she’s not supposed to have, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality and making Lucy feel more at home in Newton Heights than she ever did at home. But this isn’t how her life is supposed to be…
 
 
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stupid girl

Only fools fall in love...
After her senior year of high school leaves behind nothing but heartache, Olivia Beaumont is sure of this: She’s no stupid girl. She sets out for Winston College, promising herself that she will remain focused on her first and only love – astronomy. But all it takes is cocky sophomore Brax Jenkins and an accidental collision with a football, to throw her entire year off course.
A quick-tempered Southie who escaped the inner city streets of Boston to pitch for Winston, Brax is known to play way more fields than just the baseball diamond. So, when his name is drawn to take part in his fraternity’s hazing dare, Brax eagerly accepts the mission to take Olivia’s virginity. But he doesn’t plan on falling hard for the sweet and sassy Texas girl who sees right through his bad-boy persona.
As Olivia and Brax battle their feelings for each other, echoes of the past year begin to surface. A boy who once turned Olivia’s whole world upside down reappears, and “harmless” pranks wreak havoc. Pretty soon the aspiring astronomer is on the verge of revealing her most difficult, heartbreaking secret. All the while, Brax must wrestle with the irrevocable dare, and Olivia struggles against all logic as she does the one thing only a stupid girl would do: fall in love.
 
 
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hands on
When Alexis Cassidy, an overweight, self conscious college sophomore, takes an au pair job in Greece, sitting for the daughter of Nikko Georgiou, a gorgeous, billionaire CEO, she knows he’s just the guy to give her the sexual experiences she’s looking for. Too bad he’s her boss, which means he’s hands off. But when she glimpses his hot neighbor through her bedroom window, she can’t help but wonder if he’d be interested in teaching a full figured girl a thing or two between the sheets, at the night club...in the hot tub.
Nikko catches the way his new au pair looks at Dimitri, his business partner/neighbor, and instantly knows what she wants. Since he and Dimitri share everything, professionally and personally, they put together a seductive plan...give Alexis the authentic Greek experience she’s after, all the while showing her that four hands are better than two.
 
 
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fast and mine
Geeky college student Claire Thomas suffers a humiliating rejection from the man of her dreams, and vows to learn the tricks of seduction. Her friends have the perfect tutor—Yardley College’s gorgeous king of one-night-stands, Sawyer Tremaine. Claire makes a wild proposal to Sawyer: she’ll tutor him in exchange for lessons in pleasuring a man. But she doesn’t know he’s more interested in giving her the hottest sensual pleasure imaginable than in teaching her skills.
Sawyer is the hottest and fastest rider on the East Coast illegal street bike racing circuit, but he’s fighting to escape the dangerous world and its high-stakes gambling. His psychotic ‘sponsor’ will go to any lengths to force him to ride. Can Sawyer break free and protect Claire—or will he lose her once she learns the dark secrets of his past?
Book 1, Yardley College Bikers. For readers 18 +. Previously published in the New York Times bestselling Riding Desire Box Set.
 
 
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thethrill
**The first book in the USA Today Bestselling No Regrets series**
A new adult story of Love. Sex. Addiction. Blackmail. And Power... Some say love can be an addiction. Others say it's the thing that makes life worth living. Let me tell you everything I know about love... Love isn't patient, love isn't kind. Love is a game, a chase. A thrill. Love is wild and war-like, and every man and woman must fight for themselves. At least that's how it was for me. A high-priced virgin call girl by the time I started college, I was addicted to love and to sex. Even though I've never had either. I controlled love, played it, and held the world in the palm of my hands. Then I fell down from those highs, and I'm being blackmailed for all my mistakes, forced to keep secrets from everyone, except the only guy I don't regret. Trey. **** With all the other women, I knew what they were. They were temporary. They were pills, they were bottles, they took away all the pain, and numbed the awful memories that wore away at my ragged, wasted heart. Until I met Harley. She's the only girl I ever missed when she walked away. But now she's back in my life, every day, and there are no guarantees for us, especially since I don't know how to tell her my secrets. What happened to my family. All I know is she's the closest I've ever come to something real, and I want to feel every second of it. How can you love with no regrets when regret is all you know?
 
 
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RandomActsOfFantasy_1600x2400
You ever really think that you'll win the lottery? Meet Mr. Right? How about two Mr. Rights?
Somehow the universe is handing me everything I want (except for that lottery part...), and I don't like it. Not one little bit. Because just when you get all your dreams handed to you on a silver platter, that's when an airplane dumps its sewage on your house. Or your mama's diabetes takes a bad turn. Or your mobile phone gets stuck in your hoohaw.
(What? It happens…)
Boring old average me got everything I wanted already, moving from small-town Ohio to big-city Boston to follow my heart. So when the fancy invitation offering me a pile of money to come with the band, Random Acts of Crazy, to perform on an island resort and be their manager arrived, I thought it was a cosmic joke. Enough money to help my mama get what she needed, five days in sunny paradise, and a shot at greatness for the band? Unreal. One big shoe was waiting to drop. On my head.
Just like no one really ever finds a naked man wearing only a guitar standing by the side of the road hitchhiking and ends up falling in love with him and his friend and moving halfway across the country for true love, no one gets an invitation to come to what turns out to be a resort where people make what me and Joe and Trevor do together look like a chaste peck on the cheek. But...
Well.
I guess these things do happen.
To me.

Review of Soundtracks Of A Life

1 Jun 2014

Synopsis

At the tender age of 14, Lorelai, suffers the traumatic loss of both parents in a fatal airplane disaster only to be met four years later with the sudden death of her sister. It is only her love of music which keeps her from being swallowed up by her deep depression.

During her college sophomore year, her life takes a turn for the better when she decides to start a band filled with other extremely talented musicians and rather cute classmates.

Quickly gaining notoriety and building a loyal following, the band is approached by a hot shot manager but being under the wing of the powerful Susan Carmichael comes with a catch - Absolutely no relationships between the band members! Unfortunately, Lorelai is already helplessly in love with a fellow band mate.

Still fighting the demons of her tragic past, these new feelings of love and a sickening fear of possible loss, Lorelai is caught up in a downward spiral that eventually puts her life at great risk and drives a wedge between her and the love of her life.

Now, In order to win him back she must prove that she is fully committed to life.

Become your own fan of Lorelai and the band as you revel in the amazing growth and transformation of these powerful but vulnerable souls in their search for meaning and fulfillment. Experience Lorelai’s personal journey as she battles her own demons, discovers a brand new family through the friends that she finds, and ultimately through love finds a new reason for living.

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

Review

Let me start with the negatives, there are only a few, but they are rather major negative things. I almost gave up on this book early on, completely frustrated by the tense in which the story was written. It just wasn’t clicking for me. Something about how it was written just rubbed me wrong. The grammatical errors also were driving me a little crazy but after a while they stopped bothering me.

I am glad I never gave up on the book. The story was really compelling in the end. Especially when Lori’s demons began to rock the life she had created and finally found herself living.

This rockstar love story wasn’t all about sex and drugs like so many others are. What ultimately drove Lorelai were her inner demons about her family. A person who suffers the kind of loss she does questions life, why everyone she loves dies and her inner turmoil makes sense to the readers. You understand where her dark moments and thoughts come from.
The story really focused on how music helped Lori cope with the tragedies she has faced in her life. Her band is precious to her and their road to fame is fast but well deserved. The story itself is a rollercoaster, there are so many happy moments that are plagued by the bad. There is always a dark hole waiting to take over, and there are times that Lori allowed that to happen.

You can’t help but root for Lori, the band and her relationship with Chris. You just want everything to work out for her after all of the horrible deaths she has witnessed in her life. You want the band to succeed after seeing how much they care for each other.
Although there are things that must be overcome when reading this story, the plot itself makes the story worthwhile. The story is different then many NA books, but it is compelling none the less.
Try it for yourself! Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK
Amanda