Author Interview - Nicole Williams

Sadly my Nicole Williams month didn't go to plan as I still had a few posts left to schedule and my little boy arrived 10 days early.

One of the posts I still had left to schedule was my interview with Nicole Williams. Sorry it has taken so long to get up. 

When writing a series like Crash do you have their journey throughout the whole series planned or do you tend to see where things go?
I do a little bit of both. I definitely have the story arch planned out and how my characters are going to change throughout the book, but I like to keep my individual scenes open. I find some of the best stuff comes when I'm letting the words flow unplanned. I like to let my characters do something crazy and take the story off course for a while . . . just so long as they make their way back eventually.

When it comes to creating a bad boy what personality traits do you think are important and how do you go about creating a bad boy which your readers can't help but fall in love with?
Bad boy characters go against the social norm flow. They flip their proverbial finger at what's socially acceptable and blaze their own trail. They're mysterious, brooding, and often times explosive. I think the key to making a bad boy character redeemable just enough so the reader can't help but fall in love with him is giving the reader peeks into his soul every now and again. What are his weaknesses? Why is he the way he is? What memories is he repressing? What are his virtues? I'm a sucker for a reluctant hero, and I love a bad boy who fits into this category.

Do you have a favorite over all character from any of your books?
Trying to pick a favorite character is like a parent trying to pick a favorite child—next to impossible. I love them all for different reasons, but here are a few of my "favs": Jude from the CRASH series, Jesse and Rowen from the LOST & FOUND series, and William from the EDEN TRILOGY.

You have written a few different genre books, what genre books are your favorite to write?
Again, this is a hard one to say because my favorite is whatever frame of mind I'm in at the moment. I tend to go back and forth between sweeter, softer stories, to then more angsty, steamy stories. For example, I just finished a sweeter series of books, and my next project is a sexy adult read. I love the ability to write whatever I'm feeling like at the time. Best. Job. Ever.

What part of a book do you find the hardest to write? Beginning, Middle or End?
The beginning. I know there's three hundred pages to follow and the first few pages seem like such a hurdle sometimes. My first book I ever wrote, I think I scrapped and redid the beginning five times. The beginning sets the tone of the story and it needs to be solid enough to pull the reader in because it doesn't matter if the middle and ending are earth-shattering, no one's going to read it if I can't nail the beginning.

Describe the Crash series in 3 words?
Dramatic, sexy, sweet.

Thank you very much Nicole for answering my questions. 

Find Nicole

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*Review* Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Series : No

Released : 28th January 2014

Publisher: Harlequin Teen (USA)

Format : Paperback

Source : Kismet Book Touring (Thank you) 

Buy : Amazon (UK/USA)/Book Depository

Overall rating

 .................................... The Blurb  ....................................

Life. Death. And...Love?
Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.
But Emma can't tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.
Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn't have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.
Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?

 .................................... My Thoughts   ....................................

In Short
- Heartbeat is a book with conflicting emotions.
- Although I disliked the main character is still really enjoyed the book.
- The storyline is a touching and emotional one. 

In Long

Heartbeat is a unique book which took me by surprise in a few ways. There are so many conflicting emotions and actions to deal with these emotions. It's quite a full on read in those ways.

Heartbeat has to be the first book I have read where although I disliked the main character I still really enjoyed the book. Well, I don't know if dislike is the right word, it's hard to express my feelings for Emma in even a few words. She's a character who is struggling with the loss of her mother so therefore I definitely gave her the benefit of the doubt for most part of the book. However at some points I found myself falling out with her and feeling very negative towards her. I found her actions very much focused on what she believed and felt instead of opening her mind to her step dad's thoughts. I think this is one of the main reason I became to enjoy Heartbeat, although it isn't gripping in a thriller sense it's engrossing as Elizabeth makes Emma's actions so unpredictable you want to see how she's going to act next.

The storyline itself is a touching one. I put myself in Emma's position a few times and this is the times I felt I understood her actions more. Her grief was overwhelming and definitely had a big influence on her actions throughout the read.

Final Thoughts

Heartbeat is a touching read which will leave you with conflicting feelings as well as holding your loved ones that bit closer.

Find Elizabeth

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Blog Tour - Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott + Giveaway

I am so excited to tell all my readers about Heartbeat, I am going to start this next.

I have only read As I Wake by Elizabeth which I really enjoyed so I know I am in for a treat with Heartbeat, keep an eye out for my review, coming soon. 

In the meantime here is some info on Heartbeat

Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with. But Emma can’t tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.

Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn’t have interested Old Emma. But New Emma—the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia—New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge. Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death—and maybe, for love?

Find Elizabeth 

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Blog Tour - Winter's Sweet Kiss

Favorite Five Book Characters

Michelle Ziegler:
Anne (of Green Gables),

Elizabeth Bennett,

Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing),

Zara White,

Andromeda Miller.

I've no idea what this list says about me.

Terri Rochenski:

Elizabeth Bennett,

Drizzt Do’Urden,

Mitch Rapp,

any of L’Amour’s Sacketts, & Ethan Holloway.

Shaya Roy:

Harry Potter. I don't care if he's a Gary Stu or whatever. I still love him to pieces. In fact, all these five places would've been filled with HP characters but I decided to be more diverse ;) 

Sherlock Holmes. This man is a true genius, and without possessing any otherworldly powers. Having Robert Downey Jr. and Benedict Cumberbatch play him in the film and TV versions doesn't help either.

Scarlett O'Hara. I never could decide whether I hated her or liked her. 

Bridget Jones. A "v.g." rendition of the real woman, what with her wonderfully real weight worries and boy troubles. She always makes me laugh. 

Emma in 'Emma' by Jane Austen. She's beautiful, arrogant and thinks she knows best. She should've been the shrewish other woman in a romance but Austen manages to make her the heroine - and a very likeable one at that.

Annabelle Blume:
Dorian Gray (Not that Grey, the OTHER Gray)

Scarlett O'Hara

Nora Sutherland (Original Sinner Series)

Rebecca Bloomwood (Shopoholic Series)

Katniss Everdeen 

Lily Carlyle:

Stephanie Plum (Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich)—I love her attitude and pluckiness. Also, I’m jealous of the fact that despite all the junk food she eats, she still has two hot guys chasing after her. I think that’s the joy of fiction.

Grandma Mazur (Stephanie Plum novels)—She reminds me a lot of my own Hungarian grandmother, although much raunchier than Grandma ever was (or allowed me to see!).

Kinsey Millhone (Kinsey Millhone Mystery)—Can you tell I love mysteries? Attitude, again.

V. I. Warshawski—Again with the attitude. I can relate to her ethnic heritage and sense of justice that doesn’t always follow the law.

Hannah Tupper, the so-called witch in The Witch of Blackbird Pond—I admire her strong sense of right and wrong, which again, doesn’t necessarily follow the law or the whims of the time. “But remember, thee has never escaped at all if love is not there.”

 Buy Winter's Sweet Kiss

Roane Publishing

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Out of Control Blog Tour

Out of Control

*Mature Content Warning** Recommended for ages 17+ due to language and sexual content.
Gia's fantasy about having a wild sexual encounter with a man who craves her has been fulfilled. Now she must face her own demons if she wants to hold onto him...
Gia begins to open up to Ethan about her troubled past and failed marriage. As a result she is finding out how fulfilling slow and easy can be. However, just as she's beginning to feel comfortable enough to share some of her secrets, something unexpected happens, her past begins to resurface. A past with a dark road, one with secrets so disturbing she'd rather be alone than have to face them again.
Ethan finally got to meet the woman he'd been fantasizing about for the last ten years and gave her the most carnal sexual experience she'd ever had...

Ethan reveals his secret to Gia about watching her go in and out of 'The Lock' every summer for the last ten years. He also comes clean about who he is. Now if she'd only do the same and be honest with him about who she truly is. He wants something more; he wants to build something real together. Gia surprises him by showing him how passionate fast and hard can be, but just as things are going as he'd hoped, Ethan realizes it may not be that simple. Gia needs to face her past...

Will Gia shut him out completely? Or will she finally let him see the real her?

Gia and Ethan’s Playlist

Poison – Talk Dirty To Me

Tesla – What You Give

Pat Benatar – All Fired Up

Whitesnake – Slow An’ Easy

Def Leppard – Lets Get Rocked

AC/DC – You Shook Me All Night Long

Mötley Crüe – Kickstart My Heart

Trixter – Only Young Once

Ratt – Round And Round

Find Desiree Wilder 
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Buy Out of Control
Amazon (UK/USA)

Blog Tour - The Tearings by V.C. Repetto

From the moment the black vans appear to take the sick away, Maya knows there is something wrong. She seems to be the only one to question the sudden disappearances at school and the masks everyone is forced to wear to keep from catching the new disease spreading through the entire United States. Even when word of the new “healing centers” reaches the public, no one dares to ask what is happening.
But when Maya catches the disease, the one they call The Tearings, and is taken to one of these centers along with her mother, the truth becomes all too clear. She is separated from her family and forced to work, becoming one of the more fortunate ones who is not sent to the testing wings. Bullied by the guards to the point of death, she meets David Summers, the enigmatic young Captain who appears to loathe his position of power in the camp and who seems as drawn to Maya as she is to him.
When Maya suddenly becomes the disease’s only survivor, she must put her trust on David to find a way to escape the camp and get the truth, and the cure coursing through her veins, out to the world.

Find V.C.

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Buy The Tearings

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*Review* Crash Into You By Katie McGarry

Crash Into You - Katie McGarry

Series : #3 Pushing The Limits

Released : 13th December 2013

Publisher: Mira Ink 

Format : Paperback

Source : Publisher (Thank you) 

Buy : Amazon (UK/USA)/Book Depository

Overall rating

 .................................... The Blurb  ....................................

The girl with straight A's, designer clothes, and the perfect life - that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list.

One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker - a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks - no matter how angelic she might look. But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

 .................................... Bernie's Thoughts   ....................................

In Long

When I was choosing which book to read next I knew I really needed a book which could grab my attention. Having a new born baby means it’s hard to find time to read therefore I needed a book which I knew I would want to find time for. Having cried at Pushing the Limits and fell for the characters in Dare You To I knew Katie wouldn't let me down.

Reading the blurb of Crash Into You it sounds like quite a typical read, a good girl with a secret rebel side and a bad boy with a secret soft side. Don’t be fooled. I have quickly learnt that Katie McGarry doesn't do a ‘typical read’ and instead does heart wrenching and emotive.

Getting to know Isaiah for me was completely engrossing; I have never known a character like him before and I totally fell for him (so yummy!). He has such a bad boy image but when you take away the layers you see this caring and sweet boy who just wants to do good. Although I almost envied Rachel because Isaiah really liked her I could see why he did and I really felt sorry for her. Both their life’s are challenging but for totally different reasons,  I found it very touching how instead of letting their huge differences get in the way it brought them closer and it was fascinating to see how their relationship developed.

Final Thoughts

Crash Into You has a spark, a spark I find very rarely in books. I have to admit I can’t put my finger on what it is or how Katie does it but she has now managed to write another book which I couldn't put down.

Find Katie

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Buy Crash Into You
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Victoria Danann Blog Tour : Giveaway

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Rules :

We must insist on one purchase per entry, but unlimited entries are allowed so please consider giving everyone you know the entire Black Swan saga for less than a dollar!

This giveaway is sponsored by Victoria Danann and her team. If you have any questions please ask and I will response as well as I can. 

Cover Crazy #113

Cover Crazy is a meme I enjoy taking part in as a book lover because for me, although they say don't judge a book by it's cover, covers have a big influence over whether I pick a book up or not! 

The Winner's Curse - Marie Rutkoski
I love the image in this cover but I really don't think the writing over the picture works. I have only seen this sort of thing work for one cover. I just think the cover is very pretty and the writing is overbearing and takes too much away from the picture. 

Guest Post + Giveaway - Victoria Danann

Thank you Victoria for this awesome post. I appreciate indie authors so much and this guest post is really interesting to me and definitely agree that authors are now needed to interact with their readers. 

The State of Indie Publishing

by Victoria Danann

Last month I was the featured author at the first ever Indie Romance Convention where I was privileged to give the keynote speech on opening night and moderate a panel discussion for authors on Indie marketing.
The Indie Rom con is a convention with separate events (workshops, panels) for authors and readers. I didn’t attend any of the reader events because the con organizer had me busy working with other authors. During those exchanges I was able to discern a lot about the current state of affairs.
First, as I’m sure you’re aware, Independent Publishing includes a variety of approaches to book distribution such as self-publishing, small press, and independent imprint digital. I don’t usually cite my own case because it’s unique. When I began publishing my works of fiction, I did so under 7th House Publishing, which is a small press and was owned by me at the time. For about fifteen years its focus had been strictly calendars, planners, New Age niche books, and sidelines.
As a person who began as owner/operator of a small publishing company, I was fortunate to have many of the skills necessary to running an Indie fiction business before I began writing the fiction I would sell. For the vast majority of Indie authors, that equation is the other way around.
In other words I was familiar with marketing principles, time management, and had acquired useful tech skills so that I can manage my own website, do my own graphics (including covers), and format my books for publication in various e-versions.
Not every Indie author has or is going to want to acquire that specific skill set, but that’s okay. There are people who can be hired to perform those tasks. What every Indie author does need to understand is that an independent writing career is not only a business, it’s an entrepreneurial business. It’s a leap for risk takers and scramblers.
If the voice in your head says, “But I just want to write,” Indie publishing is not for you. Sadly, there may not be any place for you because, while traditional publishing may survive in some form, the days of authors contributing nothing more than manuscripts are over. Even big names are now expected to spend time on social media and engage readers, contribute earnings to various promotions, and participate in marketing activities where their predecessors were simply left alone.
For a time traditional publishing tried to deny that the gate was open for good. For four hundred years nothing much changed in the world of publishing, but the Kindle created a revolution that upended the stranglehold the New York gatekeepers had over which things did or did not get published. Don’t get me wrong. I understand investing. The people who are putting up the money get to say how it’s used, where, when, and why. I have no problem with that. It’s only right.
On the other hand, there’s something truly noble about having a global forum that allows anyone with something to say to put it out there and let the reading public – rather than book investors – decide what they want to read.
As to the fate of traditional publishing, let me paraphrase Mark Coker of Smashwords. “They’re like the Titanic. They know they’re going to sink, but they’re too big to turn. All they can do is brace and wait for impact. “
Meanwhile, a lot of authors like myself are benefitting from a readership with whom contact would have been possible. My books would never have been published – too different, too much of a risk. So I owe Amazon a lot. If they dropped the props that are holding traditional publishing up, so that we were on a level playing field with those authors, I would owe them even more. (Are you listening, Amazon? We, Indies, are your future.)
Next year the Indie Rom Con will be held in Nashville next year, September 11-14 with outstanding small events for both authors and readers. http://indieromancecon.com/

Find Victoria

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Giveaway
Signed Copy of My Familiar Stranger & Keychain 

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Cover Crazy #111

Cover Crazy is a meme I enjoy taking part in as a book lover because for me, although they say don't judge a book by it's cover, covers have a big influence over whether I pick a book up or not! 

Second Rate Chances - Holly Stephens 
I don't love this cover but it would make me pick the book up as I have enjoyed a lot of books with covers like this. I like that you can tell this book is a romantic read.