Excellent Reads

About the Book EBook: 110 pages Release Date: February 3, 2014 ISBN: 978-1662664719 Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble Lovers undercover… Secret Agent Marissa Jones has a gift. A con artist to the core, after deep hypnosis she can turn into someone else entirely. Marisa’s gift has gotten her into hot water over the years, but now more so than ever. With her smoking hot partner by her side, she needs to convince him that not only is she her true self, but also that she can be trusted—even in spite of her past. …or traitors to the cause? Trevor Harris has his own issues with the mission, he’s got revenge to seek, a cursed painting to secure, and Marissa’s sugary-sweet alter-ego to ignore. But when he releases Marisa from her mental cage and things get a little too hot, he ends up finding out what falling for a con artist really means—bigger trouble than ever before. I've been a fan of Seleste deLaney's work for a while. I read Gaming for Keeps when it came out and was thril...

Today I'm excited to participate in my first blog hop! What's up for grabs? Winner's choice of one of a premade design from Avery's Designs (plus installation*, for those who require it)! What exactly is Avery's Designs? It's a blog design service that I recently launched which focuses on making blog design easy and affordable!  Here are some examples of designs that the winner can choose from:  Don't have a blog/ not in need of a blog design? Have no worries! The prize can be substituted for the winner's choice of a book $10 USD or less from The Book Depository!  To enter, simply follow Avery's Designs in some way: on Facebook , GFC , or Twitter ! Once you've followed, enter into the Rafflecopter below:  a Rafflecopter giveaway *Installation only for Blogger blogs Don't forget to enter all of the other amazing giveaways!

From Goodreads: "She’s his boss. He doesn’t care. This office isn’t big enough for the two of them… When Rory Clarke ends up hiring the guy she spent one steamy night with to be her administrative assistant, she's determined to keep things professional. Lucas Blaine has other plans for her. He wants Rory, and it’s hard to resist his stunning blue eyes, chin dimple and the way he fills out a suit. Everywhere she looks, there he is, giving her a panty-melting smile and pulling her away for the most amazing (and satisfying) sex she’s ever had in her life. What starts off as one sexual encounter turns into multiple trysts in and out of the office and the lines she’d tried to draw so carefully are blurring. But the closer they get, the more Rory realizes that there are things about Lucas she doesn’t know, things he’s hiding from her. She’ll have to decide if she can surrender to her feelings or get out while she still can." GIVEAWAY:  Grand prize winner: Will get to name a cha...

As you may have saw yesterday, Avery's Designs is now on Facebook! So I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to celebrate with a giveaway! Up for grabs is a set of book-themed social media icons! These icons fit seamlessly with any blog design, include a number of different social media networks (more will be added according to demand), and the one time purchase provides the "buyer" with all future designs for free!   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today I am excited to be a part of the "Sidelined" tour as part of Rockstar Book Tours. For those of you who don't know, "Sidelined" is about the struggles that main character Genna Pierce faces after a freak accident ends her high school basketball career and the only thing to ease her pain is Vicodin.  Why Write about Addiction? When I was thinking through Sidelined , I knew I wanted to take an honest look at a phenomenon occurring more and more frequently with teens: prescription drug abuse. Right now, more teens illegally obtain and abuse prescription drugs—painkillers in particular—than marijuana, cocaine and heroin combined. No longer do friends pool their money, drive to the shady side of town and buy illicit substances. Nope, they raid their parents’ drug cabinet. It’s quick, it’s free, and who would miss a few pills? The problem is, Vicodin—along with other scheduled narcotics—is highly addictive. I’ve had a few surgeries and have taken prescription pai...

As some of you may have seen the other day, I recently announced that I have started a blog design service, Avery's Designs. In celebration of its release, I am currently giving away both a both design and installation package! To enter into the giveaway, feel free to head on over to Avery's Designs !

Today I am beyond excited to have Chloe Neill, one of my most favourite authors, stop by the blog for part of the Authors are Rockstars tour. In case you are unfamiliar with Chloe, she is the author of the "Chicagoland Vampires" (adult) and "The Dark Elite" series (YA). Why do I think that Chloe Neill is a Rockstar Author? Let me count the ways: Caroline Evelyn Merit, better known as Merit: Perchance one of the strongest female characters I have ever met. She isn't afraid to get the job done (nor get her hands dirty in the process), she knows how to use a katana like no other, and she's not just another pretty face- she has just as much, if not more, brains than beauty.  Ethan Sullivan: If you have yet to be introduced to Ethan than I truly pity you. Your world is not complete without firsthand knowledge of his bright green eyes, long blond hair, and muscles on his muscles (think Chris Hemsworth. Times a million).  Jeff Christopher: I don't think that th...

Inventor Henrietta Mason is retiring from airships and adventuring to return home to Philadelphia. Determined to erase all trails leading to her late father's duplicity, she dismantles his lab and removes all records of the Badlands gold. While in the city, she can't resist the lure of a charity gala but winds up regretting the whole experience. Well, everything except a heart-racing dance with a certain U.S. Marshal. His career and vengeance on the line, Carson Alexander must prove a connection between Senator Mason and the mafia. He lucked out happening across Mason's strikingly beautiful daughter, only to have her slip through his fingers. On a desperate hunt to track her down, he never expects his search to take him into the brutal Badlands. With a mechanically enhanced enforcer after them, only Carson knows the extent of the danger they face. He'll have to win over Henrietta's trust, and her heart, before it's too late... I was so excited to get my hands ...

Have you heard that Marissa Meyer is coming to Toronto? No? Well, you'd better hurry up and make your plans to see her! As becomes evident from my recent review of "Scarlet ", Marissa has quickly raised the ranks of my all time favouite authors. Oh, and this may have happened: Since I can't decide between the two boys in her Lunar Chronicles series, as I find both to be swoon-worthy in their own right, I'd like to propose the question to Marissa herself to know who she would choose. Marissa, Kai or Wolf?

As many fellow Canadians will know YA authors are very rarely able to visit us, however... That could very well change AND we have the power in our hands to incite that change! Authors Marie Lu, Marissa Meyer, Beth Revis, Megan Shepherd and Victoria Schwab have joined together to bring their readers the YA2U ! What is YA2U? It is a contest of sorts whereby these 5 amazing ladies will visit a city of voter's choice! Now please make note that there are a few qualifications, the main being that the Author Event Prize is only valid in the continental US and major cities in Canada (A major city in Canada is a city that has an international airport within it). As of this past Thursday Toronto, Ontario was in second place! Even if your Canadian city doesn't qualify I highly advise (or more like beg) you to vote for Toronto (perhaps in the second option- as everyone gets 2 choices- you could also include London, Ontario as London is only about an hour and a half from Toronto and I thin...

What if a high-tech computer game was a gateway to the dangerous Realm of Faerie? WHEN A GAME… Feyland is the most immersive computer game ever designed, and Jennet Carter is the first to play the prototype. But she doesn’t suspect the virtual world is close enough to touch — or that she’ll be battling for her life against the Dark Queen of the faeries. TURNS REAL… Tam Linn is the perfect hero — in-game. Too bad the rest of his life is seriously flawed. The last thing he needs is rich-girl Jennet prying into his secrets, insisting he’s the only one who can help her. WINNING IS EVERYTHING… Together, Jennet and Tam enter the Dark Realm of Feyland, only to discover that the entire human world is in danger. Pushed to the limit of their abilities, they must defeat the Dark Queen… before it’s too late. INSIDE THE GAME... Jennet Carter escaped the dark faeries of Feyland once. Now, fey magic is seeping out of the prototype game, beguiling the unwary and threatening everyone she cares about. M...

Today I am excited to have author Julia Crane stop by the blog to share with usher latest release, "Dark Promise"- the first book in her "Between Worlds" series! From Goodreads: "Rylie has it all – great friends, dream boy, loving family. But on the eve of her sixteenth birthday, her perfect little world shatters. A stranger claiming to be her real mother appears with a secret: Rylie is a faery whose powers will be unleashed on her birthday. Captured and forced into a new life, Rylie struggles to keep everything she loves and discovers a terrifying truth: some promises cannot be broken." About the Author:  Julia crane is the author of the Coexist: Keegan’s Chronicles. She has a bachelors degree in criminal justice. Julia has believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Growing up her mother greatly encouraged reading and using your imagination. Although she’s spent most of her life on the US east coast, she curr...

Today I am excited tofor Cameron Jace's to stop by the blog to share an excerpt from his "Snow White Sorrow"- this book legitimately has one of the most gorgeously creepy book covers I have ever seen before!  From Goodreads:  "Sixteen year old Loki Blackstar is no Prince Charming. His mother is a ghost. His only friend is a red Cadillac that talks to him through the radio. He looks like an Angel but acts like jerk. No wonder he has been banned from Heaven, which is the least of his troubles. Loki needs a job to pay for school and support himself. Still, Loki has a rare gift: He is a Dreamhunter. One of the few in the world who can hunt and kill immortal demons in their dreams so they never wake up again. When Loki is sent to kill a sixteen-year-old vampire girl the locals call Snow White Sorrow, he is pulled into a magical but dangerous world. The locals believe the monster to be Snow White. The real Snow White... living in the ruins of an ancient castle in a small ...

Today I am excited to be a part of M.R. Merrick's "Release" blog tour! Matt has been kind enough to stop by and tell us a bit about his writing process.  My Writing Style Everybody has their own style and method to writing, but I’m still trying to nail mine down. I’ve found something different that has worked for each book I’ve written, but doesn’t necessarily apply when I start the next one. With Exiled, I had an idea in my head and I wrote until I’d gotten it out. As the series progressed however, that same method wouldn’t work. I put Chase, Rayna, and company on a big journey in Exiled, and I couldn’t expect myself to flounder through it for the entire series. For Shift I used a full outline. It veered off the path from time to time, but for the most part, it stayed committed to my original ideas. Release is where things really started to change. I had a full outline written for the book, but I struggled a lot while writing it. The outline was there, the story was read...

Today I am ecstatic to be a part of the cover reveal of "Mortality" by Kellie Sheridan- I recently had the pleasure of meeting Kellie at the Ontario Blog Squad Meet-Up. Some of you may know Kellie as Joan of ARCs over at Spencer Hill and Kellie of ReaWrites .  Title:  "Mortality" Series:  "The Hitchhiker Strain" Author: Kellie Sheridan Expected Publication : Spring 2013 Formats: Print, ebook Mortality on Goodreads From Goodreads:  "After surviving a deadly plague outbreak, sixteen-year-old Savannah thought she had lived through the very worst of human history. There was no way to know that the miracle vaccine would put everyone at risk for a fate worse than un-death.  Now, two very different kinds of infected walk the Earth, intent on nothing but feeding and destroying what little remains of civilization. When the inoculated are bitten, infection means watching on in silent horror as self-control disappears and the idea of feasting on loved ones bec...

When news reports start appearing of a zombie outbreak in Ireland, B's racist father thinks it's a joke-- but even if it isn't, he figures, it's ok to lose a few Irish. B doesn't fully buy into Dad's racism, but figures it's easier to go along with it than to risk the fights and abuse that will surely follow sticking up for Muslims, blacks, or immigrants. And when dodging his fists doesn't work, B doesn't hesitate to take the piss out of kids at school with a few slaps or cruel remarks. That is, until zombies attack the school. B is forced on a mad dash through the serpentine corridors of high school, making allegiances with anyone with enough gall to fight off their pursuers. Rules: 1. You must be 13 or older. 2. You must follow my blog. 3. You must have a US address I can ship it to. a Rafflecopter giveaway If you're the winner, please email me your US mailing address. If I don't receive an email by Sunday November 4 11:59pm, I'll choo...

Too many years of killer vamps have triggered the curse of the Blood Kissed. They’ve awakened the bloodline that can alter their world, because her blood has the power to control them all—even make them destroy each other. Jocelyn thought her troubles with vampires were over when she drove a stake through her boyfriend Max’s heart two years ago. Even though she’s engaged to Chad, she’s never really forgotten him. Now Max is back, and Chad is taking her into the heart of the vamp community—and they’re the ones trying to keep her alive. The ones who love her and each seek to claim her for their own. Because once the elders know who she is, they’re all going to want her…or want her dead. I was so excited when Seleste deLaney announced that there was going to be a full length novel in her Blood Kissed series. I really enjoyed "Of Course I Try" and "The Ghost of Vampire Present" so I was thrilled that we'd get more. Jocelyn thinks that Max is dead. Because she killed...

Too many years of killer vamps have triggered the curse of the Blood Kissed. They’ve awakened the bloodline that can alter their world, because her blood has the power to control them all—even make them destroy each other. Jocelyn thought her troubles with vampires were over when she drove a stake through her boyfriend Max’s heart two years ago. Even though she’s engaged to Chad, she’s never really forgotten him. Now Max is back, and Chad is taking her into the heart of the vamp community—and they’re the ones trying to keep her alive. The ones who love her and each seek to claim her for their own. Because once the elders know who she is, they’re all going to want her…or want her dead. The amazing Seleste deLaney recently published Kiss of Death, the first novel in her Blood Kissed series. There are two short stories that come before this one ( Of Course I Try and The Ghost of Vampire Present ), but you won't need to have read them before this. I am giving away one ebook copy. It c...

The winner of the PAYA Giveaway is... Laura F from Scotland! Congrats! Your book will be in the mail soon.

If you follow me on Twitter, then you've probably seen me tweet and re-tweet about the annual PAYA event which comes up in late August. This event is to raise money for libraries in Pennsylvania and donate fantastic YA fiction to libraries. You can read more about it here . Please consider donating books here . This is the third annual PAYA event, and I am thrilled to be attending for the third time. I have a stack of books to bring to be signed and a list of books to buy there. But since a percentage of books sold there will go to the libraries, I'd like to add another book to my list. So I am giving one away! To be specific, one of the six following books! From her birth, Abisina has been outcast--for the color of her eyes and skin, and for her lack of a father. Only her mother's status as the village healer has kept her safe. But when a mythic leader arrives, Abisina's life is ripped apart. She escapes alone to try to find the father and the home she has never known....