Showing posts with label blog hop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog hop. Show all posts

Friday, September 19, 2014

Feature Friday Author Monica Goulet

Author Spotlight- Monica Goulet




Blurb-

SHORT BLURB
After a series of break-ins at Kelsey’s new house, she discovers the culprit is Jay, the boy who used to live there. But Jay isn’t the delinquent Kelsey expects, and when he asks for her help to carry out a dangerous plan to save someone close to him, Kelsey is torn between her growing loyalty to Jay and throwing away the new future she worked so hard to build.

BACK COVER COPY
16-year-old Kelsey thinks her new house far away from Tulsa is the perfect place to escape her past—until she meets Jay, the boy who used to live there.
After a series of mysterious break-ins at the house, Kelsey discovers the culprit is Jay, but before she can confront him, Jay inadvertently sets in motion a series of events that leave Kelsey and her family devastated and wind Jay up in juvie.
Desperate to fix things, Kelsey confronts him only to discover Jay’s not the delinquent she expects, but a boy with a past more messed up than hers. Against her better judgment, the two of them form an unlikely friendship she keeps secret from everyone.
Then Jay asks for a favor she didn’t see coming – one that leaves Kelsey torn between her growing loyalty to Jay and throwing away the new future she worked so hard to build.

Excerpt-

CHAPTER ONE

For the first time in almost a year, I feel safe. My sandals slap against the uneven sidewalk, and I wave back at the old man driving by in a green pick-up truck. His toothless grin should scare the crap out of me, but something about this place makes it okay. I’ll even forgive its lack of a real downtown. I went in search of one of those quaint main streets with specialty coffee shops and expensive clothing stores, and all I found were a bunch of empty buildings for lease and a no-name pizza place. So much for small town charm.
I turn the corner to my house and skid to a halt. The edge of my sandal catches in a crack, and I lurch forward, scraping my palms against the cement. There’s a leg dangling out my bedroom window as if it’s not attached to a body. It reminds me of a cricket I caught when I was eight. I’d accidentally ripped its leg off trying to make it dance. I shudder and pick myself up, my palms burning.
I glance at the driveway. Mom and Dad’s cars aren’t there.
The person in the window struggles to squeeze his way out. Blue jeans and a ratty running shoe. Painter, maybe? Repair person? But there’s no work van in sight.
The rest of the body lowers from the window. I suck in a breath and duck behind a parked car just as he jumps.
 Five, four, three, two, one. I pop my head up just enough to see over the hood.
He’s crouched on the ground, so I creep up a little higher and let out a breath. He’s tying his shoe? What kind of thief would stop to tie his shoe, let alone come out empty handed?
Anger rises in my chest and I clench my fists. What does this guy think he’s doing? I pop up from behind the car without thinking. “You could have used the door, you know!”
My mouth snaps shut as soon as the words are out. What am I doing? For all I know this guy could have a gun or something. I almost duck behind the car again when he looks up, but he turns away again just as quickly as if I never said a thing. He just finishes tying his shoe and shakes his head to get the hair out of his eyes.
I finally catch a glimpse of his face. He’s young – my age maybe. Too young to be someone my parents hired. He heads toward the street, and I glance up at the open window again.
Something doesn’t seem right.
“Hey!” I yell. “Wait!” Against my better judgment, I start after him, but he still doesn’t turn around. My hand closes around the cell phone in my pocket. The police. I should call the police. I fumble with my phone, and it clatters onto the sidewalk.
The guy looks back.


Author Bio-

Monica Goulet writes and lives in Oshawa, Ontario with her husband. She graduated from Brock University with a Bachelor’s degree in English and Professional Writing. In her other life, she’s an instructional designer and a mother-to-be who likes ice cream, running, and losing herself in a good story.


Buy links-

Social Media links-
Twitter: @MonicaGoulet

Thank you, Monica!

If you'd like to be a guest on Feature Friday please email me at susansoaresbooks@gmail.com. I'd appreciate a blog post for a blog post.
Happy Friday!


Monday, September 15, 2014

I'm on Blog Tour all week long!

Hi all!

I wanted to let you all know something super exciting. I'm doing a blog tour all this week!
Please stop by all the blogs each day and check out my interviews, Q&A's, information, and enter to win the giveaway! I'll be stopping by each blog 2x a day so feel free to ask any questions and I'll respond later that day. :)
Thanks so much!

Thanks! Please share this post!


Friday, August 22, 2014

Feature Friday- Author Spotlight- Mary Cope!

Today's spotlight is on author Mary Cope!



Blurb:

Transformation, empowerment, love and music come together in the book, Beautiful One. 
Elizabeth Ryan is a beautiful, shy, naĂŻve high school senior. Having never dated she meets the boy of her dreams, Aidan Mitchell. Despite his history of womanizing Liz is drawn to him. Soon Liz becomes the envy of all the girls on campus, when they become a couple and her dream boyfriend sweeps her off her feet and into the dating world that is all too new and strange for her. When other guys start to take notice of Liz, Aidan is troubled with fits of jealousy.
Elizabeth then meets the ruggedly handsome, Spencer Hayes and they quickly bond over their passion for music. Liz begins to struggle with the feelings that spark between them. 
In the end Elizabeth finds herself torn between helping Aidan overcome his jealousy and anger and giving into what her heart truly wants. 

Bio:
Mary Cope is a freelance writer of romance. Her book, Beautiful One, is the first in a planned trilogy. She is currently writing, Beautiful Mess and Beautiful Life will follow.  
Mary enjoys spending time with her family, baking gourmet cookies, listening to music and taking long walks with her yellow Labrador, Maggie.

Website:

Twitter:

Facebook:

Goodreads: 

Buy Links:

Amazon:

Barnes & Nobel:


Smashwords:

Kobo:


Excerpt from Beautiful One

Chapter One

    The faint sounds of a guitar drifted through the walls of my bathroom as I savored the last of the hot water before it became lukewarm. Stepping away from the spray, I turned the shower knob and watched the droplets trickle down the drain. Inhaling a deep breath my mind focused on one thing. Aidan Mitchell. 
    Hearing Mason’s band practicing meant he would be here. I was ninety-nine percent sure Aidan wouldn’t blow off their practice. He knew how serious my brother was about the band, but he also had been avoiding me for days. 
    The past week had been awful. I was determined to talk to him. All I wanted was a few answers. My emotions had run the gamut from confusion, frustration, regret, and sadness… sadness consumed me most of all, at night usually, and I was exhausted from it. But at this moment all I felt was anger. Anger was good. It was certainly better than pain. 
    As I rushed down the hallway, the floorboards creaked beneath my feet and the walls began to vibrate with the beat of Derek pounding on the drums. When I entered my room the music was deafening, but today I didn’t mind. I untwisted the blue-and-white-polka-dot towel from my head and tossed it to the floor. 
    The deep conditioner I used helped my fingers glide through my long damp curls. If I was going to confront Aidan, I wanted to look my best. No Frizzy Lizzie for me. That nickname, coupled with my big butt, had tormented me, growing up in a beach town surrounded by beautiful people. I had longed to look like a typical California girl: tall, blond, perfect. But, with dark hair and bordering on five feet three inches, that was never going to be me. 
    After I blow-dried and flat-ironed my hair, I took off my purple robe and draped it over my desk chair. I slipped on a pair of jeans… yes, slipped them on. I didn’t have to tug, pull, or jiggle my butt to get in my pants anymore. When I easily pushed the button through the top of my jeans, it still made me smile. I couldn’t even count how many times I had to lie on my bed and suck in my stomach so I could zip up a pair of pants. Every time I slipped them on, I never took it for granted. I had worked my butt off… literally. I put on my bra and a green sweater before I pulled on my boots. 
    I rushed downstairs to the door that led to the garage. Thinking about confronting Aidan and having to stare into those piercing blue eyes started to intimidate me. But this was my chance. I knew he was a few feet behind the door, and I needed to deal with him. Before I completely lost my nerve, I inhaled a deep breath and exhaled then pushed open the door. 
    The stream of sunlight coming in through the open garage door blinded me for a moment. With squinted eyes, I made a beeline to the old brown sofa in the corner. My heart was beating so fast it almost seemed in tempo with Derek pounding the drums. I scooted over our yellow Labrador, Maggie, and wedged myself between her and the arm of the couch. Finally, I looked up to focus my attention on Aidan. 
    He didn’t show. 
    I sunk my head back into the cushions, exhaling a deep, long sigh, trying to rid the tension from my body. The guys were practicing their newest song. Indie-Alternative was their style, and they called themselves Random Plan. I glanced at Mason and could tell he was angry. I mouthed the word “Aidan?” 
Mason just shook his head. 
    “Derek!” The tone in my brother’s voice made me sit up straight. “Derek!” Mason snapped again. 
    Finally Derek stopped and silenced his cymbals. 
    “What?” He lifted the front of his black t-shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead, exposing his six-pack. His brown eyes bored into Mason’s. “Hey! Just ‘cuz you’re ticked off at the pretty boy, don’t take it out on me.” 
    Derek reached back and grabbed a water from an old bookcase that held a few water bottles, electrical cords, an old CD player, and a collection of CDs. “Hey, Kyle, ya want one?” 
    Kyle nodded and Derek tossed one across the garage to where he stood behind the keyboard. 
    “Mason?” 
    “Yeah, I’ll take one… Sorry, Derek.” 
    Derek gave Mason a head nod and tossed him a bottle. He took a sip while Derek chugged his down. 
    “Okay, start again.” Mason commanded. 
    Derek picked up his sticks and began tapping. 
    I leaned my head back, closed my eyes and listened to the music. Funny, I’d come into the garage so fearless it almost made me laugh. Who would have thought the once-overweight Elizabeth Ryan would stand up to the likes of Aidan Mitchell? I smiled to myself, allowing my mind to drift back to the time when I’d found it hard to even look at him.


Thank you to Mary for being part of our feature this week!
If you're a YA author and would like to be featured on the blog please contact me! susansoaresbooks@gmail.com
I'd appreciate a blog post for a blog post. Thank you for reading. 

Friday, August 15, 2014

Feature Friday! Author Brenda Maxfield

Author Spotlight-   Brenda Maxfield



Blurb-
Cornered (Ocean Mist Book Two):

Seventeen-year-old Courtney Phillips is striving to earn an internship to escape from her unhappy home. But when her mother becomes ill, Courtney is stuck caring for her rebellious sister, Tiffany, and her little brother—until Tiffany runs off to live with their dead-beat dad.

Track star Keegan Hank’s current girlfriend is cheating on him, but having fallen for him herself, Courtney is afraid to tell her best friend the truth. When Keegan discovers that Courtney withheld the facts about his girlfriend, he rejects her apologies.

Courtney finally lands an interview for her dream internship, but mysterious calls from Tiffany spell trouble. Courtney must now find a way to win Keegan’s love and rescue her sister without jeopardizing her own future.


Excerpt-
The phone rang in Mrs. Johnson’s calculus class, and I sank into my chair with dread. She scuffled to answer it, clucked a few times into the receiver, and pressed it to her chest. Peering at us over her glasses, she zoned in on me.
“Courtney, please report to the office.”
A few of the kids snickered, probably with relief. I stood to leave and glanced over at Keegan.
He brushed a few strands of hair away from his deep brown eyes and offered me his sympathy face. I grimaced, shrugged, and pushed through the door into the empty hallway. My flats clacked out my progress with a hollow echo.
The secretary, Mrs. Pellan, waited for me in the office, perched behind the counter like a judgmental owl. “Courtney Phillips, this is getting to be a habit.”
“My mom again?” I asked, already knowing her answer.
“Yes, and we simply can’t have you interrupted at all hours with these calls. Mr. Anderson is not a happy camper, young lady.”
I sighed and held out my hand for the phone.
“Court? Are you there?” Mom’s whiny voice trembled through the line.
“I’m here, Mom. What’d she do this time?”
“The middle school just called, and Tiffy didn’t show up for school again. You know I count on you to get the kids off in the morning.” She paused for a huge gasping breath. “Didn’t you take her to school? She didn’t walk, did she? You and I both know…”
I held the phone away from my ear, letting her ramble into the air. Nosy Mrs. Pellan left her chair and inched closer, her eyebrows raised in a thin V across her forehead. I knew from experience Mrs. Pellan loved any hint of gossip. I pressed the phone back to my ear.
“…since she can’t do it alone.” Mom had finished her tirade.
“Yes, Mother,” I said.
“So you’ll do it then?”
“Give me a replay.”
Mom’s voice quacked an octave higher. “Courtney Phillips, have you listened to one word I’ve said? Now get over there to the middle school and find your sister.”
I handed the phone to Mrs. Pellan. “I have to go. Mom will explain. I’ll sign out, but I’m not sure I’ll be back.”
I scribbled my name and the time on the clipboard lying on the counter. I dashed out before Mrs. Pellan could return to lecture mode.
It wasn’t my fault.
But then it never was.


Author Bio-
My passion is writing! What could be more delicious than inventing new characters and seeing where they take you?
I'm a teacher so I spend most of my waking hours with young people. I love chatting with them and hearing their views on love and life. My students are magical, and I am honored to be part of their lives.
I've lived in Honduras, Grand Cayman, and Costa Rica. Presently, I live in Indiana with my husband, Paul. We have two grown children and three precious grandchildren, special delivery from Africa.
When not teaching, I love to hole up in our lake cabin and write -- often with a batch of popcorn nearby. (Oh, and did I mention dark chocolate?)
I enjoy getting to know my readers, so feel free to write me at: contact@brendamaxfield.com. Join my Newsletter Gang and get the latest news, contests, releases: http://mad.ly/signups/85744/join.  Visit me to learn about all my books and some smart and sassy, clean teen reads: www.brendamaxfield.com  Happy Reading!


Buy links-
     Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/kdlxjya
     Barnes and Noble:  http://tinyurl.com/lfvnbzt


Social Media links-

Amazon author Page: http://tinyurl.com/psj82bj

 If you're a YA author and like to be featured on Feature Friday and can provide a blog post for a blog post, please contact me at susansoaresbooks@gmail.com

Friday, August 8, 2014

Feature Friday! Author Ariella Moon

Todays Feature Friday is on YA author Ariella Moon


Blurb-
A dragon wants to be her new BFF.
There is something her boyfriend isn’t telling her.
And no one will explain the hissing spell book.

Second worst Christmas EVER!

High school sophomore Ainslie Avalon-Bennett works hard to hide her Crazy Girl past. But as long as her best friend’s disappearance remains unsolved, she can’t shake the depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder that once landed her in a mental ward. Then she meets Thor Grael, a teen dragon shaman who spikes her pulse and calms her OCD.  But will Ainslie lose him once he discovers her past? Or will Thor’s deadly secret be their undoing?


Excerpt-
"Jett's a jerk!" I mumbled as soon as I was out of earshot of Spiral Journeys. The light breeze and traffic sounds barely registered in my brain. I glanced back twice; unable to shake the feeling someone or something was following me. Although the only footfalls I heard were the slap of my own flip-flops, I was surprised to find the sidewalk empty. I stalked past the consignment store and the gas station with its petrol fumes. By the time I'd reached the artists' collective I felt an inner glow and a definite nudge between my shoulder blades.
The dragon. Good. Maybe it will teach me how to breathe fire.
It shadowed me, silently nudging, teasing to life a pair of heavy, invisible wings. My face warmed. I radiated. All my anger and frustration dissolved into the white light. I rolled my shoulders, delighting in the novel tug of muscles, the heft of massive wings.
I sensed the dragon peering over my head as we traipsed the last few steps to Coyote Crossroads' orchid door. A fit-looking middle-aged couple emerged as I reached for the driftwood handle. They both did a double take when they saw me. The wife pressed her palms together in prayer position. The husband removed his outback hat and pressed it to his heart, bowing his head as he held the door open for me. I nodded and glided past them.
My body elongated, and I swore I grew six inches. Inside the cafe, there was no line. Another miracle. I paused beneath the fernpainted ceiling fan and scanned the wall menu. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but a weird craving fueled my search.
The dragon exerted pressure between my shoulder blades, prompting me. "A Scorpion's Nest smoothie."
Morningstar leaned over the high counter and gave me a onceover. "You feeling okay?"
I licked my lips. "Absolutely." I had never tasted an orange juice, vanilla ice cream, and peanut butter combo, but I slapped the countertop and said, "I'm fine. Hit me."
Morningstar tilted her head to one side and studied

Author Bio-
Ariella Moon is the author of the Teen Wytche Saga, a sweet Young Adult paranormal series. Ariella writes about magic, friendship, high school, secrets, and love in Spell Check, Spell Struck, and Spell Fire from Astraea Press.
Ariella spent her childhood searching for a magical wardrobe that would transport her to Narnia. Extreme math anxiety, and taller students who mistook her for a leaning post, marred her youth. Despite these horrors, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at Davis. Ariella is a Reiki Master, author, and shaman. She lives a nearly normal life with her extraordinary daughter, two shamelessly spoiled dogs, and an enormous dragon.


Buy links-


Social Media links-
Connect with Ariella Moon


If you're a YA author and would like to be part of Feature Friday please email at susansoaresbooks@gmail.com for more information! I'd appreciate a blog post for a blog post. Thanks for reading! Comment, subscribe, share! 




Friday, August 1, 2014

Feature Friday! Krysten Lindsay Hager





True Colors by Krysten Lindsay Hager
Tagline: A little competition can really bring out people’s true colors.
Back Cover Blurb: Every day I walked down the sidewalk to school and wished I were one of the interesting popular girls who ran up with exciting news. Just once I’d like to be one of those girls instead of the being the one who didn’t get invited to things because people “forgot” about me.
Landry gets pushed into trying out for the American IngĂ©nue reality show modeling competition with her two best friends. She doesn’t think she stands a chance, but she advances to the next level in the competition and her friends ignore her when they get cut. 
Enter the gorgeous Devon, who also makes the first cut and includes Landry in her clique. Devon becomes the perfect best friend, but can their friendship survive the competition?
Landry hopes her big break could come at any moment, but soon sees there’s much more to modeling than getting your hair done and looking pretty. She begins missing out on being with new friends like Ashanti, a girl who truly has Landry’s back. Landry also has the chance to have a boyfriend when she meets a boy named Vladi from another school.
Part of Landry wants to be famous (and have her hair look good for once), but part of her just wants to be accepted. She learns about friendships, being true to yourself, and that a good hair conditioner doesn’t hurt.
Excerpt:
The competition was for girls between the ages of thirteen and seventeen, but it felt like Ericka, Tori, and I were the youngest ones there. I only saw a couple of girls from school, and the lineup looked more like something you’d see on a music video set. All the girls were gorgeous, and they had these curvy womanly bodies. I looked like a skinny little kid next to them. The first girl walked out, and I heard the judges say she “owned the runway,” and, “walked like a gazelle.” I was starting to feel ill. I wasn’t sure which way it was going to come, but I knew I had to find a bathroom — fast. I started to get out of line when Ericka grabbed my wrist.
“It’s almost time,” she said. A tiny bit of spit flew out of her mouth and hit my cheek.
I wasn’t sure why she was so intent on me going through with it, but she had a death grip on my arm, so I didn’t have much of a choice. Her number was called and she walked out to the stage. One of the other girls said she walked like a kid with sand bucket stilts on her feet, but she came back with a smirk on her face like she knew she’d get chosen.
“They said they had never seen such long legs,” she said.
Tori was next.
“She walks like a gorilla at feeding time,” said the girl behind me. I went next, and I tried to focus on not tripping over my feet. My mom’s pumps had a rubber sole on the bottom, which probably wasn’t the brightest idea seeing as my shoes were making squeaking noises as I walked. I was so nervous I couldn’t stop smiling as I walked. I looked like the plastic clown who blows up balloons with its mouth at the Pizza Palace. When I got to the end of the runway, I tried to cross my feet to turn like the other girls had, but I over rotated and ended up doing a full spin which made my kilt fan out and gave the mall walkers a view of my blue underpants. I tried to act like it was intentional and did an extra turn. One of the judges put her hand up to stop me, and I held my breath as she started to speak.
Author bio: Krysten Lindsay Hager is an author and book addict who has never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She’s worked as a journalist and also writes middle grade, YA, humor essays, and adult fiction. TRUE COLORS is her bestselling debut novel from Astraea Press. She is originally from Michigan and has lived in South Dakota, Portugal, and currently resides in Southern Ohio where you can find her reading and writing. She received her master’s in American Culture from the University of Michigan-Flint.
Buy Links:
Connect with Krysten:


If you're a YA author and would like to be featured on my blog please contact me at susansoaresbooks@gmail.com. If you could do a blog post for a blog post that would be ideal. Thanks for reading!