Addicted After All Blog Tour: The Addicted Characters Encounter an Alien Invasion!!!

As you might know, I'm a HUGE fan of Krista and Becca Ritchie's Addicted series, and I'm so excited today to be able share this awesome guest post that I have for the Addicted After All blog tour!!! :D Check it out below, and make sure you enter the fantastic giveaway that the Krista and Becca Ritchie are having for the release of Addicted After All! :D

ADDICTED AFTER ALL TOUR

THE ADDICTED CHARACTERS ENCOUNTER AN ALIEN INVASION

Throughout these tours, The Addicted Characters have been stranded on an island and have had to deal with zombies. So it’s only fitting that their next task is to encounter some aliens. These aren’t the friendliest aliens but they’re not The 5th Wave kinda aliens ready to destroy every human in their wake either. They want to co-exist with the humans, but of course, war will be had. Who will survive? Who will the Aliens want to join them? It’s time to find out.

LILY CALLOWAY

When word spread that aliens have arrived on Earth, she’d be immediately excited and the next second she would be terrified. Unless they are Roswell aliens, she’d want nothing to do with them. When the war starts, she would leave with Lo and find a bunker to hide out in. They wouldn’t “off” themselves like they would with the zombies – because there is greater chance for a peaceful existence with the aliens.

LOREN HALE

Like we said above, he’d go find a bunker with Lily. Or maybe even a secluded house. They’d hide out and stay connected with their family to learn of updates on the alien force—all while wishing their superpowers would kick in.

DAISY CALLOWAY

Daisy would be the first person to sign up for the Anti-Alien Army. Ready to fight against the Aliens and protect the country. She’d want to have some adventure and the Army would be traveling all over. It also helps that Ryke would be there too.

RYKE MEADOWS

He would be torn about leaving his brother behind or following Daisy, but ultimately (like Daisy) he wouldn’t be able to stay in one place for so long. He’d have to travel and fight for his beliefs. And he’d want to be by Daisy’s side—to keep her out of trouble and protect her from aliens (and humans).

CONNOR COBALT

The aliens would seek him out. They’d want to discuss alien-human affairs to try and start building bridges. If that didn’t work, they’d try to abduct him to keep him as one of their own.

ROSE CALLOWAY

She would go to school to learn the new Alien Language and then help Connor with intergalactic affairs. If the aliens tried to abduct her husband while in her presence—she’d kill them all.

The End.

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Title: Addicted After All
Authors: Krista & Becca Ritchie
Series: Addicted #3
Pub Date: October 31st, 2014

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18308270-addicted-after-all
Amazon: Purchase links not available until October 31st

SUMMARY
Two addicts. One epic love story. 

Prepare for the worst. 

That’s what Lily and Lo try to do when Jonathan Hale schedules an “important” meeting. The problem: after being swept into the public eye and battling their addictions, they’re not sure what the worst is anymore. 

In a sea of many changes—including Ryke & Daisy living with them—Lily realizes that the best part of her fluctuating hormones might just be the worst. 

Her sex drive is out of control. 

Loren knows that she’s insatiable, but he’s not giving up on her. She’s too much a part of him. And as he carries more and more responsibility, some of the people that he loves doubt his resolve. 

In the conclusion to their love story, Lily & Lo stand side-by-side to fight, one last time, for their happily ever after.



**AUTHORS' NOTE**
Due to the 2-year gap between Addicted for Now (Addicted #2) and Addicted After All (Addicted #3), you must read Thrive (Addicted #2.5) or the Calloway Sisters spin-off series before reading Addicted After All.

AUTHOR BIOS

Krista & Becca Ritchie are identical twins. They write New Adult books that make you cringe, gasp, and go ooh-la-la. (If you do that sort of thing.) They are currently working on the spin-offs and final books in the Addicted series. Connect with them on twitter and their website: kbritchie.com

AUTHOR LINKS: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Pinterest

GIVEAWAY

*Kindle Paperwhite

*3 Signed Paperbacks of ADDICTED AFTER ALL

Both giveaways are open internationally!

TO ENTER FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can follow the rest of the tour schedule, here:  

kbritchie.com/2/post/2014/10/addicted-after-all-tour-schedule.html

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Are you excited for Addicted After All to come out? :D

And did you enjoy Krista and Becca Ritchie's guest post?

Waiting on Wednesday(31): Quarterback Draw by Jaci Burton!! #SportsRomance #JaciBurton #PlayByPlay

 

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It gives us the chance to fangirl over all of the books that we can't wait to read!

QUARTBACK DRAW (Play by Play #9) 

by JACI BURTON

Hitting the shelves on February 3, 2015 from Berkeley Trade

Playing For Keeps

Grant Cassidy knows how to be a football star—flash that dazzling smile, throw the winning pass, get the girl. But while the hot quarterback loves the game and the lifestyle, no woman has come close to catching his heart. Then he matches wits with a smart, gorgeous model, and Grant finds himself wanting more than a fling.

Supermodel Katrina Koslova might live in a world of glitz and camera flashes, but she works hard to provide for the family that relies on her. She doesn’t have time for fun—much less a boyfriend—but Grant seems determined to be the exception to Katrina’s rule.

Their explosive chemistry is undeniable, but Katrina’s afraid to let go and rely on anyone but herself. Grant intends to ease her fears and prove he’s a man of style and substance

MY THOUGHTS

I'm a HUGE fan of Jaci Burton's Play by Play series, and I'm super excited for Quarterback Draw! :D I'm pretty much always ridiculously excited for any books in this series though...I honestly just can't get enough! haha 

Anyone else super excited for Quarterback Draw?

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Tea Tuesdays! (15): Today's Tea is...TOASTED ALMOND! @SteepedTeaInc #SteepedTea #LooseLeafLovin #LovinMySteeped

I'm totally obsessed with tea, so every Tuesday, I'm sharing one of my favourites...and maybe sometimes something just totally awesome and tea-related.

Recently my biggest tea obsession has been loose tea! If you're new to loose tea, check out my first Tea Tuesday post and see how easy it is to brew! You can also click my "Tea Tuesdays!" button above to see my previous tea posts! :D

Recently, I took the plunge and decided to take my passion for tea to a whole new level...and I signed up to be an independent Steeped Tea consultant (My Steeped Tea Website | My Steeped Tea Facebook page)! This might be dangerous...that much tea so easily at my fingertips! haha I have found some amazing new teas though! 

Today's tea is Steeped Tea's TOASTED ALMOND!

TOASTED ALMOND is a super scrumptious black that has bits of almonds in it...it's so tasty! :D I never used to really enjoy the taste of nuts (other than flavours peanuts :P) before I started drinking more tea, and now I love nutty teas! :D

In the catalogue, Steeped Tea has this to say about TOASTED ALMOND, "You'll go nuts for the intense aroma of almonds in this black tea!"

I definitely agree...it's so intense, and yummy, yummy, yummy! :D

TOASTED ALMOND kind of reminds me of DAVIDsTEA's Forever Nuts (featured on my second Tea Tuesdays! post, here!), but it's not fruity. TOASTED ALMOND is a bit richer, and its a darker blend. :D  It also has caffeine which is nice on mornings when I'm a bit tired, and it also has all natural flavours, while Forever Nuts does have some artificial ones. I kind of always ignored the whole artificial flavour aspect in teas before, but with Steeped Tea, I've been more conscious, and they've impressed me, too. :D

What do you think?
Are you a fan of black teas? What about teas with nuts in them?
And what's your take on artificial vs. natural flavours in your teas? Does that impact whether you buy or drink a product?

And what's your favourite tea right now? :)

Cover Catch-Up (17): Breathtaking Covers!!! :D

In "Cover Catch-Up" I share some covers that have either been recently revealed, or that I've just found and really wanted to share. 

This week I've got three covers for you! Two are contemporaries, and the final one (and my favourite!) is for a sequel in an amazing fantasy trilogy!!! :D

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Okay, here's the first cover! It's for Kasie West's THE FILL-IN BOYFRIEND! :)

 

I just love how adorable this cover is! I love the colours, and the picture itself! It just looks so fun and fresh, and that really appeals to me for a contemporary read. :D

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The second cover today is for Colleen Hoover's CONFESS! :D

 

Again, I LOVE the colour! I also love the overlaying images in this over. With the canvas-like material on top, and the photo underneath, it's extremely interesting and intriguing! It's also fairly simple, but extremely eye-catching! :D This cover just really blows me away, and I can't wait to read Confess! :D

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And my final cover for today is for THE WINNER'S CURSE, book 2 in Marie Rutkoski's The Winner's Trilogy!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS COVER!!! So much love for this cover! I love the colour, the way the girl is posed, and how the sword fits right into the text! I also love that it matches PERFECTLY with the cover for The Winner's Curse! The fact that I absolutely cannot wait for The Winner's Crime could also be a reason why I love this cover! ;) haha

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What do you think?
Do you love these covers as much as I do?

Release Day: GAME ON by Collette West!!! #GameOn #ColletteWest #JillysGirls

Game On
by Collette West
Publication Date: October 17, 2014   

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Sports

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks | Smashwords

Synopsis

Pitching phenom Bruce "Jilly" Gillette has a hard time talking to women. His hulking presence of tattoos and muscles is what makes him an intimidating closer on the mound, yet off the field, he's painfully shy, uncomfortable in his own skin. Desperate to revamp his loner image, the New York Kings hold a dream date contest, granting the lucky winner a night on the town with their surly reliever, doing whatever it takes to force Jilly out of his comfort zone. Hailey Halpert enters the contest on a whim, looking for answers as to why her high school relationship with Jilly hit the skids. Now she’s a popular romance author writing under a pen name, and her reappearance in Jilly's life is no accident. It turns out that her novels are all about the sexy players on the Kings, and Jilly has no clue that he's about to become her new leading man.

About Collette West

Collette West grew up as somewhat of a jock-nerd hybrid. Entering the world three weeks premature, her dad nearly missed her birth because he had seats behind the dugout for a sold- out, highly-anticipated match-up between two of baseball's biggest rivals. Not to be outdone, her book-loving mom taught her how to read by the time she was three. A love of the game coupled with an appreciation for the written word were instilled in Collette's impressionable brain from a young age. No wonder her characters believe in the philosophy: sports + romance = a little slice of heaven. Splitting her time between the Pocono Mountains and Manhattan, Collette indulges her inner fangirl by going to as many games as she can from hockey to baseball and downloading every sports romance novel in existence onto her iPad. When she's not clicking away on her laptop, she enjoys walking her dog in Central Park, satisfying her caffeine craving at the Starbucks on Broadway and keeping an eye out for Mr. Right. But above all, she loves dishing with her readers. Email her at collette_west@yahoo.com. She is the author of NIGHT GAMES and GAME CHANGER.

Author Links: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm so ridiculously excited for GAME ON's release today! I was lucky enough to get to beta read it, and I loved it! Now I can't wait to reread it, and I'm so excited to see what Collette has added in!!! :D

I'm also one of #JillysGirls! Check out Collette's collage of Jilly fans (I'm in the bottom right corner of the collage! ;D)

Who else is super excited for Game On?

Blog Tour Review: Even in Paradise by Chelsey Philpot!! #BlogTour #BookReview

Source: Received an ARC from the publisher to participate in the blog tour and give an honest review.
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: Already Released!
Number of Pages: 368 (Hardcover)

Purchase Links: Chapters/Indigo | River Run Bookstore (has signed copies!)

Book Description:

When Julia Buchanan enrolls at St. Anne’s at the beginning of junior year, Charlotte Ryder already knows all about the former senator’s daughter. Most people do... or think they do.

Charlotte certainly never expects she’ll be Julia’s friend. But almost immediately, she is drawn into the larger than-life-new girl’s world—a world of midnight rendezvous, dazzling parties, palatial vacation homes, and fizzy champagne cocktails. And then Charlotte meets, and begins falling for, Julia’s handsome older brother, Sebastian.

But behind her self-assured smiles and toasts to the future, Charlotte soon realizes that Julia is still suffering from a tragedy. A tragedy that the Buchanan family has kept hidden … until now.

Author Bio

Chelsey Philpot grew up on a farm in New Hampshire and now works as an editor and journalist. She's written for the New York Times, Boston Globe, Slate, and numerous other publications. Like her main character, Charlotte, Chelsey attended boarding school in New England. You can visit her online at www.chelseyphilpot.com or on Twitter @ChelseyPhilpot.

MY REVIEW

From the moment that I saw the cover and read the description, I have been wanting to read Even in Paradise. The premise of the story intrigued me, and I was excited see how the story fulfilled the pitch of "The Great Gatsy meets Looking for Alaska in this stunning debut novel." And now that I've read it, I have to agree with that very fitting description! It really does! :D

Even in Paradise was beautiful, heart-wrenching, and above all else, it was an extremely enjoyable read! I loved the characters, the story, and how everything within the story was unveiled. It had a slightly mysterious undertone, and there were strong echoes of The Great Gatsy throughout the entire story, which I really enjoyed!

The best part of Even in Paradise had to be the main character Charlotte, or Charlie, herself though. I loved how free of judgment she was, and how she connected to people on such a deep level. I loved her creativity, and the way her character experienced life. She was amazing! I also loved the Buchanans! Julia, Sebastian, Cordelia, Boom, Theresa, Bradley, and nanny Sophie were all wonderful characters, too, and I was ridiculously impressed with how flushed out their characters were. Chelsey Philpot did an amazing job with her characters because they really did come right off of the page! :D Just like, Charlie, I totally fell in love with the Buchanans...and my heart broke for them throughout the story, too!

I also loved that Even in Paradise was about romance and friendship! It was really nice to see a story with such a unique contemporary perspective. After all, you don't often read books where the main character connects with an entire family! :D

Overall, I absolutely loved reading Even in Paradise! I only wish that the ending was a bit more conclusive. The story kind of comes full circle, so the possibilities seem infinite, and I kinda felt like I wasn't sure where Charlie ended up, which is both good and bad. I tend to like my stories tied up a bit tighter, so I wish it wasn't so open, but at the same time, I'm really glad Charlie has so much possibility ahead of her! I'd definitely be open to a short story just to tie it up a bit for me though, but even with the ending being so open, I still loved the story. :D

TOUR SCHEDULE

October 13th: Kathy - A Glass Of Wine - Interview

October 14th: Siobhan - Conversations Of A Reading Addict - Review

October 15th: Emilie - Emilie’s Book World - Guest Post

October 16th: Ambur - Burning Impossibly Bright - Review

October 17th: Lily -  Lily’s Book Blog - Interview/Character Interview

October 20th: Shilpa - SukasaReads - Review

October 21st: Sabrina - Hiver et Café - Top 5 or 10

October 22nd: Ciara - Lost At Midnight Reviews -  Review

October 23rd: Meaghan -  Feeling A Little Bookish - Interview/Character Interview

October 24th: Jess - Read My Breath Away - Review

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What do you think?
Does Even in Paradise sound like a book you'd like to read?

Waiting on Wednesday(30): Suspicion by Alexandra Monir!

 

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It gives us the chance to fangirl over all of the books that we can't wait to read!

SUSPICION 

by Alexandra Monir

Hitting the shelves on December 9, 2014 from Delacorte Press

Mysterious. Magnificent. Creepy. Welcome to Rockford Manor.

"There's something hidden in the Maze." Seventeen-year-old Imogen has never forgotten the last words her father said to her seven years ago, before the blazing fire that consumed him, her mother, and the gardens of her family's English country manor.

Haunted by her parents' deaths, Imogen moves to New York City with her new guardians. But when a letter arrives with the news of her cousin's untimely death, revealing that Imogen is now the only heir left to run the estate, she returns to England and warily accepts her role as duchess.

All is not as it seems at Rockford, and Imogen quickly learns that dark secrets lurk behind the mansion's aristocratic exterior, hinting that the spate of deaths in her family were no accident. And at the center of the mystery is Imogen herself--and Sebastian, the childhood friend she has secretly loved for years. Just what has Imogen walked into?

Combining a fresh twist on the classic REBECCA with a spine-tingling mystery and powerful romance, SUSPICION is an action-packed thrill ride.

MY THOUGHTS

I must admit that at first I just wanted to read Suspicion because of the absolutely breathtaking cover!!! I still love the cover, but the book description has me completely enraptured! This story sounds intense, mysterious, and just AMAZING!!! :D I CANNOT WAIT TO READ IT!!!! :D

Who else can't wait for Suspicion?
What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

CINDER & ELLA Blog Tour: GUEST POST - Brian and Ella stop in and say hi!

Today, I've got an awesome guest post for the CINDER & ELLA Blog Tour! Cinder and Ella have stopped in on my blog to say, hi! Check out what they have to say:

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EllaTheRealHero: Hi everyone! I’m Ella from the entertainment review blog Ellamara’s Words of wisdom, and I’m here with Hollywood Superstar Brian Oliver to introduce our new book Cinder & Ella. I want to start by saying thank you to Ambur for letting us stop by today. It was really sweet of her to let us come.

Cinder458: I don’t know that she let us stop by. I think we sort of hijacked Kelly’s blog post.

EllaTheRealHero: No, Kelly asked us to come and help out. You’d know that if you’d read the blog tour schedule.

Cinder458: Ella, I told you I have an assistant for that kind of stuff. You know, Scotty—quiet, anal-retentive, Boy Scout looking guy, likes to follow me around all the time…? 

ScottMichaels: Actually, you pay me to follow you around.

Cinder457: Hey, hey, Scotty’s here!

EllaTheRealHero: Yeah, he is, so you should watch yourself and be a little nicer to him.

Cinder458: What do you mean? I’m always nice to Scott. I love Scotty. I wouldn’t be able to function without him.

ScottMichaels: That’s very true. Brian is the most disorganized person I’ve ever met.

EllaTheRealHero: You called him anal-retentive.

Cinder458: Well, yeah, but that’s not mean, it’s just what he is. Scott knows I love him. Don’tcha Scotty?

ScottMichaels: I know. Don’t worry, Ella. He’s actually a pretty good boss.

EllaTheRealHero: Yeah, I’m sure he is. He likes to pretend he’s a big tough guy, but he’s actually very thoughtful and sweet.

Cinder458: Plus I don’t make him wear a tie to work unless I have to wear one.

EllaTheRealHero: Now that is love. They should give you a medal or something. World’s Best Boss.

Cinder458: They totally should. And they should give you one while they’re at it. World’s Snarkiest Girlfriend. Why do you always have to bust on me, woman?

EllaTheRealHero: Somebody has to. Why not me?

Cinder458: Because you’re my girlfriend. You’re supposed to be sweet and supportive and stroke my ego when I need it.

EllaTheRealHero: Ha! Okay. If there ever comes a day when your ego needs stroking, I promise I will do that for you.

Cinder458: And what if other things besides my ego ever need stroking?

EllaTheRealHero: BIRAN OLIVER! Stop! Right now! Do not go there! We are supposed to be keeping this press tour teen-friendly and you know it. There’s no way Scott forgot to give you that memo from Kelly about keeping things appropriate.

Cinder458: What memo? I didn’t get any memo about that.

ScottMichaels: I emailed it to you, taped a copy of it to your fridge with certain parts highlighted, and I read it out loud to you twice.

Cinder458: What?

ScottMichaels: Once when Kelly sent it to us, and once half an hour ago before we signed on today.

Cinder458: You both are no fun. Fine. What are we allowed to talk about then?

EllaTheRealHero: Cinder & Ella. You remember that book we’re supposed to be promoting right now? Kelly Oram wrote it?

Cinder458: Oh, hey, yeah, I know her. She’s pretty awesome.

EllaTheRealHero: Of course you know her, she—you know what? Never mind. Cinder & Ella is a great book, you guys. You should really read it.

Cinder458: Definitely read it. It’s epic. You won’t be disappointed. (I’m in it.)

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About the Author 

Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen—a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat named Mr. Darcy.

Author Links: Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

About the CINDER & ELLA!

It’s been almost a year since eighteen-year-old Ella Rodriguez was in a car accident that left her crippled, scarred, and without a mother. After a very difficult recovery, she’s been uprooted across the country and forced into the custody of a father that abandoned her when she was a young child. If Ella wants to escape her father’s home and her awful new stepfamily, she must convince her doctors that she’s capable, both physically and emotionally, of living on her own. The problem is, she’s not ready yet. The only way she can think of to start healing is by reconnecting with the one person left in the world who’s ever meant anything to her—her anonymous Internet best friend, Cinder.
…
Hollywood sensation Brian Oliver has a reputation for being trouble. There’s major buzz around his performance in his upcoming film The Druid Prince, but his management team says he won’t make the transition from teen heartthrob to serious A-list actor unless he can prove he’s left his wild days behind and become a mature adult. In order to douse the flames on Brian’s bad-boy reputation, his management stages a fake engagement for him to his co-star Kaylee. Brian isn’t thrilled with the arrangement—or his fake fiancée—but decides he’ll suffer through it if it means he’ll get an Oscar nomination. Then a surprise email from an old Internet friend changes everything.

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Cinder-Ella-Kelly-Oram-ebook/dp/B00MRLYO7K/ref=la_B003UPV4RA_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408987820&sr=1-9
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22724488-cinder-ella

If you want to follow the rest of the CINDER & ELLA Blog Tour, you can find the schedule (and a giveaway, too!!!), here: http://www.kellyoram.com/2014/10/happy-book-birthday-cinder-ella-blog.html

haha I love that chat with Brian and Ella!!! :D

What did you think?

And are you excited to read Cinder & Ella?

Cover Reveal: FALL WITH ME by Jennifer L. Armentrout

TODAY IS THE DAY!!! :D

Jennifer L. Armentrout's FALL WITH ME cover is here! FALL WITH ME is a New Adult Contemporary Romance, and it's the 4th book in Armentrout's With You Saga! It's being published by Avon Romance, an imprint of HarperCollins.

You can add it to your Goodreads, here:

FALL WITH ME Goodreads

About FALL WITH ME:

Eleven months ago, bartender and weird-shirt-wearing extraordinaire Roxy and Officer Reece Anders had a one night stand. Well, kind of. She’s been in love with him since she was fifteen, and he wishes that night they shared never happened. She’s sworn him off forever, but the past and future collide, forcing her to rely on the one man who broke her heart not once, but twice.

Her best friend since birth has been in a long-term care facility since he became a victim of a hate crime years ago, and the person who put him in there is out of prison and wanting to make amends with him and Roxy. She’s not sure she has room for forgiveness in her and when she begins to receive frightening messages and is on the receiving end of escalating violence, she thinks she knows who is to blame. The man who already destroyed one life already.

But Reece isn’t convinced. The threats are too personal, and even if Roxy doesn’t believe him, he’s not willing to let anyone hurt her. Including himself. He’s already messed up more than once when it comes to Roxy and he’s not going to let history repeat itself.

And here's FALL WITH ME's cover!

ON SALE MARCH 31st!!! 

PRE-ORDER:  Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo

About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Novel Goodreads | Author Goodreads

I'm not really sure what I think about the cover. I love the black and white photo with the splash of purple in the text, but I'm not a big fan of the way the cover models are posed. It looks awkward...I think it's because it looks like her glasses are pushing his face away. It's almost like she's going in for a kiss, but he's not really into it. It also kind of looks like she has pigtails, and combined with the glasses, I'm not really loving the effect. It's a tad too hipster for me. haha :P I still can't wait to read the book, but the cover definitely just looks awkward to me.

What do you think?

Mani Monday (13): Pink + Icey Blue = Frozen?

It's Monday again, so it's time for another Mani Monday!

Today, my manicure is glittery and pink!

The polishes I used for today's mani are Julep's "Neha" -- the pink one, and "Taryn" -- the blue, glittery one. :)

I'm going to keep it nice and simple today and just show off these polishes because I absolutely LOVE them together! I think I'll be coming back to this colour combo again and again! :D

I also have to admit that part of the reason I love this mani so much is that it reminds me of Disney's FROZEN! The pink totally reminds me of Elsa's pink coat and the blue is the PERFECT Elsa colour!!! :D They really should've name it Elsa...I'm just saying. ;) haha

What do you think?

Do you love this colour combo as much as I do?

And am I crazy (please don't answer that honestly :P jk haha), or does it remind you of Frozen, too?

Cover Catch-Up (16): All About the Ritchies!

In "Cover Catch-Up" I share some covers that have either been recently revealed, or that I've just found and really wanted to share. 

This week, I've got two awesome covers that have been out for a bit...but I somehow keep forgetting to share them, so today I'm making sure to share them with you!! Both covers are for Becca and Krista Ritchie's spin-off books from their Addicted Series!

The first is for FUEL THE FIRE, the second spin-off book focusing on Rose and Connor's story!

 

I absolutely LOVE this cover! Gorgeous guy in a suit, bold text, bright green colour, and some words that make me absolutely desperate to know more...what's not to love?! I have to admit that while I love the Addicted series, I find the covers for the main series a bit boring, but the spin-off series on the Calloway Sisters always have covers that blow me away! I love the font that is used on all the colours, and I love that the spin-off covers just represent the characters so well! This cover is clearly Connor...and it represents him so well, just like KISS THE SKY's cover was so clearly Rose...I love it! :D

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The second cover is for LONG WAY DOWN, the second book about Daisy and Ryke!!! :D

Eeek!! Just like the cover for FUEL THE FIRE, I love that this cover so clearly represents Ryke! The climbing, the landscape, the hot and sexy shirtless man, and those tempting words about living in the moment with Ryke...so absolutely PERFECT!! And again, the font is consistent throughout these books and I love that. Even if I weren't already a huge fan of this series, I would love this cover though! It's such a beautiful picture and it's simple in the way that it's showing you exactly what Ryke is all about. ;D

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What do you think?
Do you love these covers, too?

The Fall Blog Tour: Author Interview with Bethany Griffin! #AuthorInterview #Giveaway @_bethanygriffin

I've been eagerly awaiting the release of Bethany Griffin's upcoming book, The Fall, so I jumped at the chance to be a part of its blog tour...and today I get to share my post with you all! I've also shared the tour giveaway with you all...so don't miss it! :D

 I was super lucky and got to interview the lovely author of The Fall, Bethany Griffin! :D I hope you love it! :D I've put my questions in bold, and Bethany's answers are right after them. :D

Without further ado, here's my interview with Bethany Griffin!

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Welcome to Burning Impossibly Bright, Bethany! I’m so glad to have you here, and I’m extremely excited for the release of your newest book, The Fall!

The Fall, and your previous two books, The Masque of the Red Death and The Dance of the Red Death, were inspired by works of Edgar Allan Poe. What is it about Poe’s works that you find inspiring? 
Maybe it’s the time period when I was introduced to Poe- middle school—when I was still quite impressionable. Maybe it’s the atmosphere, the darkness, the hopelessness of Poe’s work? Maybe it’s just that I think Poe can be difficult to get into, and in some ways I’m providing an introduction for teens of a certain age to Poe. Maybe it was just a reason to delve into dark gothic literature. Regardless, I’ve enjoyed every moment of writing these books!


Other than Poe, what influences do you have towards your writing? 
Well, I read a lot of Anne Rice when I was younger, and I think some of her imagery really made an impression on me. I love The Time Traveler’s Wife, and so I’m going to say that maybe the idea for writing The Fall in a non-chronological order was influenced by the brilliance of that book. I was also heavily influenced by my mom’s shelves of gothic writers, Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart, Susan Howatch. I bought a ton of those books at library sales during my college years and still have quite a few of them.


What’s your writing process like? Do you listen to music? And if you do, I’d definitely love to know some of the songs you listened to while writing if you’re up for sharing them! :D
I actually don’t listen to music while I’m writing; in fact I’m very good at tuning music out when I’m thinking, which is why sometimes I get into my car and find my music blasting. When I’m thinking about writing, I often listen to soundtracks, or atmospheric things like Portishead, or The Cure. I have a soft spot for Nine Inch Nails and Tool and the Smashing Pumpkins as well.

My actual process…is that I curl up with either a notebook or my laptop. I get up and walk around a lot. I switch from writing by hand to typing, to walking around to jotting down ideas again. Does that sound crazy? I spend a lot of my writing time stretched out either on the couch in my office or on the chaise lounge on my back deck, typing away. But I always have a notebook and pen at hand, and I’m always ready to take a walk around my neighborhood to either mull over ideas or clear my head.

I tend to move around a good bit, and pace, and sometimes talk to myself during the drafting process. Later when I’m revising I’m much more still, focused, and unmoving.


As an avid reader, I’m always looking for new books to read, so do you have any recommendations?
This is a loaded question for me. I took 2013-2014 off teaching, so I finally finished the 16k pages of the Wheels of Time, re-read Dune, and the Kushiel’s Dart series, and a ton of epic fantasy I hadn’t had time for! I also re-read the first 5 Outlander books and then read numbers 6-8 for the first time. I hope to reread Naomi Novik’s Temeraire books soon. At the same time, I was working on a degree in school library media, and I do love my YA, so I read and loved …Winterkill by Kate Boorman, I re-read the Curse-worker series by Holly Black, just started re-reading the Raven Boys/The Dream Thieves in preparation for the third book in the series, have read everything by Katie McGarry, The Program and The Treatment by Suzanne Young, and just finished Half Bad by Sally Green. Oh, and All of Jessica Spotswood’s books, and The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd. Taking a year off work was great for reading. I also discovered Susannah Kearsley, whose books are something of a throwback to the gothic books I read during my teen years.


With Hallowe’en coming up this month, it’s the perfect time to read those creepy and mysterious books. Do you know of any great Hallowe’en reads?
One of my favorite Halloween reads is Shadowland by Peter Straub. There’s something completely surreal about that book, as well as being ever so creepy, and I love it. The books that scare me the most are those that delve into the darkest parts of human nature. The Road by Cormac McCarthy is probably the darkest book I’ve gotten through, and I still refuse to think about certain parts of that book. Other YA books in the spirit of Halloween that I’ve enjoyed are The Forest of Hands and Teeth books by Carrie Ryan, I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga, and Rick Yancy’s Monstrumologist series. Really, I think any book where I feel the main characters might not make it, are the ones that scare me (Game of Thrones, anyone?) Impending doom to characters scares me, and for that reason I make my creative writing students read the opening of Stephen King’s It. There are several scenes in that book that are too dark to even deal with. One of them deals with cruelty to animals…nope can’t deal with that.


And my last question, what advice do you have for other aspiring authors? 
Write because you love to write and you can’t not write. The publishing part of the process isn’t what makes you happy. Writing books makes writers (at least me) happy. Obviously, we write to put the work into reader’s hands, but…if you can find it in yourself to be fulfilled by the writing and let the publishing part just be a step in the process, then I think you will be much more likely to retain your sanity. Other than that, it’s partly talent, partly timing/luck, partly hard work…and a really good idea doesn’t hurt, either!


Thanks again for stopping by Bethany!!! And The Fall comes out on October 7th….that’s just four days away, so HAPPY EARLY BOOK BIRTHDAY! :D

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About the Book

Title: THE FALL
Author: Bethany Griffin
Pub. Date: October 7, 2014
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 432
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads

Madeline Usher is doomed.

She has spent her life fighting fate, and she thought she was succeeding. Until she woke up in a coffin.

Ushers die young. Ushers are cursed. Ushers can never leave their house, a house that haunts and is haunted, a house that almost seems to have a mind of its own. Madeline’s life—revealed through short bursts of memory—has hinged around her desperate plan to escape, to save herself and her brother. Her only chance lies in destroying the house.

In the end, can Madeline keep her own sanity and bring the house down? The Fall is a literary psychological thriller, reimagining Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Fall of the House of Usher.

About Bethany:

Bethany Griffin is a high school English teacher who prides herself on attracting creative misfits to elective classes like Young Adult Literature, Creative Writing, and Speculative Literature. She is the author of HANDCUFFS, MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, DANCE OF THE RED DEATH, GLITTER AND DOOM, and THE FALL. She lives with her family in Kentucky.

Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

- 1 Grand Prize- A Poe Prize Pack with a Raven Scarf, Necklace, Candle, and a signed hardcover of THE FALL and a signed bookmark! (US Only)

- 3 Signed Hardcovers of THE FALL and signed bookmarks (International)

TO ENTER FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE

Week One:

9/29/2014 - Bookish - Interview

9/30/2014 - A Glass of Wine - Guest Post

10/1/2014 - Stories & Sweeties - Review

10/2/2014 - Novel Novice - Review

10/3/2014 - Burning Impossibly Bright - Interview (YOU ARE HERE! ;D)

Week Two:

10/6/2014 - Fiction Freak - Review

10/7/2014 - Once Upon a Twilight - Guest Post

10/8/2014 - WinterHaven Books - Review

10/9/2014 - Fiktshun - Interview

10/10/2014 - Two Chicks on Books - Guest Post

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What do you think?
Did you enjoy my interview with Bethany Griffin?
Does The Fall sound like something you'd like to read?