Nov 9, 2015

The Secrets We Kept by Lily Velez ~ Blitz and Giveaway




The Secrets We Kept
by Lily Velez
Publication date: November 8th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

One year. That’s how long it’s been since childhood sweethearts Sully Graham and Cadence Gilbertson broke up, since one adoption and one out-of-state move turned their worlds upside down.

Suddenly, Cadence is back in New York City, but something’s different about her. The light in her eyes, the music in her laughter, the warmth in her smile—all of those things have entirely vanished. In their place stand the makings of a girl Sully can’t even begin to recognize, much less understand.

Still, despite the collective history of heartbreak between them, he’s convinced he can win her trust again, and he’s committed to proving the invincibility of their love no matter what it takes.

But Cadence is quietly harboring secrets of her own. Dark secrets. Ugly secrets. Secrets that could break a person. And though broken herself and unbearably lonely, she’s determined to protect Sully from her terrible, biting truths. Even if it means locking him out of her life forever.

The only problem is it seems her heart hasn’t quite received the memo. One glimpse of him is all it takes for her to trip into familiar (and, she’ll admit, addictive) feelings that threaten to all but consume her. Now her biggest fear is that her secrets will begin to slowly unravel one by one…long before Sully’s resolve ever does.

The Secrets We Kept is a moving story about first love, friendship, and forgiveness, and the enduring bonds that forever connect us and give us our strength.


Excerpt from The Secrets We Kept
Sully still remembered the first time that he saw Cadence. It was a sweltering summer that year. Push-cart ice cream vendors roamed the neighborhood blocks like soldiers on patrol, circling playgrounds and community swimming pools. It was common to see people pop open fire hydrants like champagne bottles, children dancing in the shoots of water as miniature rainbows reflected off the asphalt.

Sully and his brother, twelve and ten years old at the time, were living with the Petersons back then along with a tribe of foster siblings. Ol’ Man Peterson was a Vietnam vet with PTSD and a short-fuse temper that exploded so quickly, it was like his personality had a gas leak. Usually, maintaining a thirty-foot distance from the man at all times was insurance against his drunken rampages. His military pedigree had bred in him a no-nonsense adherence to hard work and, where appropriate, hard discipline—both of which were far less easy to escape.

The hard work in particular manifested in the Peterson prison as an endless checklist of chores (otherwise known as “slave labor” in the Spencer Graham lexicon), the completion or lack thereof of which determined whether or not you ate dinner that night. Additionally, each child had to fulfill their assigned task in accordance with certain standards, and as Ol’ Man Peterson was an uncompromising perfectionist, one chore could go through three to five rounds before the man extended a grunt of approval.

The afternoon Cadence arrived, Sully and Spencer were attached to yard work. While the Peterson walk-up sat only a few yards from the curb, which meant there barely existed a lawn between the chain-link fence and the front door, Ol’ Man Peterson preferred his grass cut to an exact height. It was taking painstaking precision to perfect his science.

Spencer lay on his stomach with a see-through ruler to measure the blades of grass. “I think you cut this side of the walkway too short.”

Sully rested a broom atop his shoulders, arms draping over it like a scarecrow. “It’s way too hot to even care, dude.”

“I care because I want to see the new Adam Sandler, movie and I’m not about to get grounded for another weekend.”

“How many times have I been grounded because of you?”

Spencer stood. “Whatever. I’m taking over sweeping duty.” He stretched out a hand to receive the broom, but Sully’s gaze had already shifted to a royal blue SUV parking alongside the curb. A woman emerged from the driver’s side. She came around to open the backseat door closest to the Peterson home. Two ballet flats appeared from under the door, reaching for the street. When the woman closed the door, a girl who looked to be Sully’s age or slightly younger stood with her, hands bracketed to the straps of her backpack and her bottom lip caught softly under her front teeth.

Spencer snapped in Sully’s face. “Hellooo? Earth to Sully.” Sully nodded toward the two, and when Spencer turned and saw them, he said, “Uh oh. Another casualty.”

The woman, clearly the girl’s caseworker, greeted the boys with a cheery “working hard?” before continuing up the walkway with her charge. Sully waited for the girl to look his way, and when she finally did, he offered her a soft, barely-there smile by way of hello. Part greeting, part commiseration. She instantly looked away.

They discovered her name only because she was sharing a bunk-bed with their friend Novah.

“Cadence Livingston,” she told them. “She’s been in the system for a few years. She doesn’t talk much. Or at all. Those are the only things I was able to get from her. She’s probably halfway to being a mute.”

“I wish Spencer was a mute,” Sully muttered.

“Ha ha,” Spencer said. “You’re so funny. Absolutely hilarious. How did I get so lucky to have a brother like you?” Then he excused himself to see about fixing the eyesore Sully had made of the front lawn and left Sully fixated on the enigma of the quiet and elusive Cadence Livingston.

About the Author

Lily Velez has been writing stories since she was six years old. Not much has changed since then. She still prefers the written word and her overactive imagination over the ‘real world’ (though to be fair, her stories no longer feature talking dinosaurs). A graduate of Rollins College and a Florida native, when she’s not reading or writing, she spends most of her days wrangling up her pit bulls Noah and Luna, planning exciting travel adventures, and nursing her addiction to cheese. All this when she isn’t participating in the extreme sport known as napping. You can learn more about Lily and her books at www.lilyvelezbooks.com.
Lily’s debut novel, The Secrets We Kept, comes out November 8, 2015.


XBT250

Nov 7, 2015

Sarcastic Song Shuffle ~ November 2015


We listen to music all the time in our house so we thought it would be fun to share some of the music we love with you in a blog post every month.  Get ready, because everyone is grabbing their iPods and then...
WE ARE GOING TO HIT SHUFFLE!

Coconut
Female ~ Age: 10
Favorite music groups/artists:  One Direction, Justin Bieber, 
Cody Simpson, Austin Mahone

Coconut's Playlist

  1. Do I Have To Say The Words? ~ Bryan Adams
  2. Live While We'er Young ~ One Direction 
  3. Be The One ~ Cody Simpson 
  4. Blown Away ~ Carrie Underwood
  5. Domino ~Jessie J
  6. Brave Honest Beautiful ~ Fifth Harmony feat. Megan Trainer 
  7. Scream ~ Usher
  8. Somebody To Love ~ Justin Bieber 
  9. Something Big ~ Shawn Mendes 
  10. Down To Earth ~ Justin Bieber

Toucan
Female ~ Age: 14
Favorite Music Groups/Artists :  One Direction, 5 Seconds of Summer, Shawn Mendes, Jack and Jack
Likes to listen to Top 40 Radio Hits.

Toucan's Playlist
  1. Call Me Maybe ~ Carly Rae Jepsen
  2. What Makes You Good Girls ~ 5 Seconds of Summer vs One Direction
  3. Show You ~ Shawn Mendes
  4. Loved You First ~ One Direction
  5. One of Those Nights ~ Shawn Mendes
  6. Pills N Potions ~ Nicki Minaj
  7. Live While We're Young ~ One Direction
  8. California Gurls ~ Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg
  9. Choose Your Battles ~ Katy Perry
  10. Stitches ~ Shawn Mendes


Flamingo
Female ~ Age: Adult

Favorite Music Group: Bon Jovi
She will pretty much listen to and enjoy anything.

Flamingo's Playlist
  1. Break Your Heart Right Back ~ Ariana Grande feat Childish Gambino
  2. Cali Girls ~ R5
  3. Does He Know? ~ One Direction
  4. Piano ~ Ariana Grande
  5. Back It Up ~ Prince Royce feat. Pitbull
  6. Hands On Me ~ Ariana Grande feat. A$AP Ferg
  7. Heavy Metal ~ James Durbin
  8. She's Not Afraid ~ One Direction
  9. Heartache On the Big Screen ~ 5 Seconds of Summer
  10. What Do You Mean? ~ Justin Beiber
Banana
Male ~ Age:18 

Likes to listen to pretty much any kind of music.  
Doesn't have a favorite Artist.

Banana's Playlist
  1. Up All Night ~ One Direction
  2. Bulletproof vs. Release Me ~ Pitch Perfect Soundtrack
  3. A Little Less Conversation ~ Elvis Vs JXL
  4. Take a Picture ~ Carly Rae Jepsen
  5. Whataya Want From Me ~ Adam Lambert
  6. Wide Awake ~ Katy Perry
  7. Some Hearts ~ Carrie Underwood
  8. Blame It On The Love Of Rock & Roll ~ Bon Jovi
  9. My Kind ~ Hilary Duff
  10. Finale B ~ RENT Soundtrack


Do you want to join us in the Sarcastic Song Shuffle?  We love finding new music and would love to know what you are listening to as well.  Grab the Sarcastic Song Shuffle sticker at the top of this post and join the linky so we can see what you are listening to as well.  We will be doing this on the FIRST SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH so put it on your schedule now and join us in the Sarcastic Song Shuffle!  
(If you would like a monthly reminder email about the Sarcastic Song Shuffle, contact me at sarcasticpalmtrees@gmail.com)


Nov 6, 2015

In My Head by Alicia Rades ~ Blitz and Giveaway





In My Head
by Alicia Rades
Release Date: September 27th 2015

Please note: This is a standalone short story of 17,000 words.

Mila Brooks is your seemingly average 16-year-old aside from the fact that she doesn’t have any friends. Her father’s position as chief technology manager at the biggest tech firm in the world, Mahone Inc., has alienated her from her peers. As a beta tester for the latest implant, a computer chip that connects you to The Internet of Things, Mila is sure everyone hates her because of her upgrade. When Mila hears Parker’s voice in her head, everything changes. 




IN MY HEAD IS FREE ON AMAZON!


In My Head Excerpt

I regain consciousness just in time to panic. I can’t see anything, and suddenly every nerve in my body goes into overdrive. My body shakes as I reach out for my father.
“Dad!” I cry. I know he’s there somewhere. My arms flail as I try to find something to ground me to reality.
A moment later, I feel hands clamp around my wrists. “It’s okay,” I hear my father’s voice say.
“Dad!” I say breathlessly. I blink a few times until the room comes back into focus. The glowing computers outline my father’s silhouette.
“Mila,” my father says as he pulls me close to his belly. He seems so tall because he’s standing and I’m still half sitting, half lying on the table. “Mila, you’re fine. What’s all the fuss about? You’ve done this a million times.”
He’s right. I should be fine. This is the twelfth upgrade I’ve had in the past ten years. Never before had I woken with such an odd sensation. What if this time is different?


About the Author


By day, Alicia Rades is a freelance writer, blogger, and editor. When inspiration strikes, she is also an author. Alicia has been captivated by the YA paranormal and supernatural genre since reading The Seer series by Linda Joy Singleton when she was 12 years old, and most of her stories are born out of the love for the genre. In college, Alicia majored in professional writing. Alicia lives in Wisconsin with her husband and too many fish to count.

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Nov 4, 2015

Breakout by Aven Ellis ~ Release Day

Happy Release Day to Aven Ellis and Breakout!

This book was so much fun to read!  I am so excited it is out in the world today and congratulate Aven on her New Release.  Watch for my review of Breakout coming soon!

Breakout

While Texas is known for loving football, Lexi Stewart has always been drawn to the ice. Hockey is her passion, and she wants nothing more than to pursue a career in video editing for the home network of the Dallas Demons hockey team.

Lexi has an editing job for a corporate account, but it’s not fulfilling. Nor is her dating life, despite having the so-called help of The One Online Dating Service. Lexi knows there has to be more for her—on both fronts. She’s ready to take the next step, but it doesn't seem like it’s going to happen anytime soon.

Until a flying puck changes everything.

Niko Xenakis is the new Dallas Demons TV producer, and he’s looking to make his mark in his new role and hopefully work his way back to his hometown of Baltimore. But once he meets Lexi, he might just change his mind on what he wants for his future...

But the road to love is never easy, complicated by the fact that they both carry emotional baggage from the past in their hearts. Can these two “breakout”of the past to find love in the present? 

Add Breakout to Goodreads

Get your copy Amazon 




Nov 3, 2015

Teaser Tuesday ~ Comeback by Catherine Gayle


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
  • Anyone is able to play along, just do the following :)
  • Grab your current read 
  • Open to a random page 
  • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page 
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!) 
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!



Comeback (Portland Storm, #6)
Nicklas Ericsson is an addict. He’s also a star goaltender with the NHL’s Portland Storm, or he was until his addiction changed everything. Now he’s throwing himself into doing all the necessary things to pave his path to a comeback, both in his personal life and on the ice. Nicky’s run out of options, and now his sister and her children are in Portland. They need help he has no clue how to provide, though, and figuring it out might derail all the progress he’s made.

For a few years now, Jessica Lynch has been running the Portland office for the Light the Lamp Foundation. Between her work and several people from her past, she knows more than she’d like about addicts. One lesson she’s learned is that even when addicts try to turn their lives around, more often than not, they fail. That’s why she takes a hands off approach, keeping her heart well away from the addicts she works with, like Nicky Ericsson.

Nicky’s recovery efforts put him directly in Jessica’s path, and she can’t ignore his very real need for help. Where Nicky is concerned, she can’t separate her emotions. His niece and nephews further complicate her efforts to guard her heart. The attraction between Nicky and Jessica is instant and mutual, but she’s misplaced her trust too many times before. Can he prove that he won't fall back into old habits in time to complete the perfect comeback?

My Teaser

Now that I'd made it clear to him, not to mention to myself, that I wasn't able to keep my heart closed to him, the entire barrier I'd built for myself seemed to have just been smashed. The pieces of it lay crumbled beneath our feet before washing away with the rain, and now I felt as vulnerable as I had when I was a little girl coming to terms with the fact that my father wasn't exactly a safe person in my life.





Nov 2, 2015

All The Way to Heaven by Becky Doughty - Blitz and Giveaway





All the Way to Heaven
(The Fallout Series #1)
by Becky Doughty
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: November 2nd 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Anica Tomlin, business major, has just learned that the man she’s been planning her future around, her Global Finance professor, already has a beautiful wife and family. Ani cashes in her graduation gift to herself a little early—a trip to Tuscany—but from the moment she boards the wrong train in Pisa, her plans for solitude and self-indulgence begin to unravel around her.

When a bicycle accident thrusts Ani into the skilled hands of the dashing Dr. Cosimo Lazzaro, she reluctantly accepts his invitation to recover in his family’s country villa, perched on a hilltop surrounded by the Lazzaro olive groves. But it’s been a black year for olive growers all over Italy, and generations of tradition are being put to the test like never before.

Ani is swept up in the drama of life in Tuscany, the convergence of old and new, and the passions that drive people to pursue the desires of their hearts. Just as Ani begins to get her feet under her again, an unexpected turn of events leaves her doubting the very existence of happily-ever-after, unless she can learn to trust the desires of her own heart.

Although All the Way to Heaven is a stand-alone novel, it is the first book in The Fallout Series, a collection of sweet contemporary romances that follow characters featured in the first book.


EXCERPT from All The Way to Heaven
Seven AM in Lucca, and the quaint medieval town was teeming with life, fueled by a caffeine-and-Mediterranean-air-induced high. Bicycle bells jingle-jangled, and boisterous greetings volleyed from one side of the narrow streets to the other. School children laughed and called out to comrades as they scurried off to class.

“Why is everyone so happy?” I pulled a lumpy pillow over my head, but I could find no entry back into the anesthetizing arms of sleep.


My first morning in this enchanted place, and I felt more like a forgotten princess in a tower than a girl on a much-anticipated trip to Italy.


I hadn’t expected to fall asleep right away, but after a hot shower and a bowl of the packaged soup my mom had slipped into my luggage before they drove me to the airport, fatigue settled its heavy cloak around my shoulders. Crawling between the crisp sheets that smelled of bleach and lavender, I was disquieted by the unfamiliar stillness of a town that collectively slept at night. My world was round-the-clock, where the freeway slowed, but never stopped, businesses stayed open twenty-four hours a day, and people lived in shifts, as though afraid the earth might cease turning on its axis the moment no one was looking. But sleep, I did, like a stone, in spite of the tears that made it impossible to breathe through my nose.


Morning, however, had arrived with a vengeance, the stillness before dawn exploding into a cacophony of sound as unfamiliar to me as last night’s stillness. Cobbled streets bordered by tall, ancient stone buildings made shouts and laughter echo and reverberate, each sound amplified. Everything felt so close, but no one here seemed to mind. Like an orchestra tuning its instruments before a performance, each noise outside the window was finding its perfect pitch in the symphony entitled, “A Day in the Life of Lucca.”



About the Author
Becky Doughty is the author of the best-selling Elderberry Croft series, The Gustafson Girls series, Waters Fall, and more. She’s also the voice behind BraveHeart Audiobooks. She writes Women’s Fiction with strong elements of romance, as well as Young Adult and New Adult Fiction. Becky’s favorite people are edge-dwellers, those who live on that fine line where hope and despair meet, where love is the only answer and grace becomes truly amazing. Becky is married to her champion of more than 25 years. They have three children, two of whom are grown and starting families of their own, and they all live within a few miles of each other in Southern California. They share their lives with too many animals, a large vegetable garden, and a strange underground concrete room they’re certain was built for dark and sinister purposes….