Book Release Blitz + Giveaway: Finding Perfect by Kendra C. Highley

I am super excited to be joining Xpresso Book Tours on their book blitz of Finding Perfect by Kendra C. Highley. This is the first title I will have read from Highley, but the cover and the description have my interest peaked!

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: September 14, 2015
Publisher: Entangled Crush
199 Pages 

How far will you go for perfection?

For "Perfect Paige" Westfeld, today is "D" Day. As in, she just got one on her calculus test. With her dreams of Stanford, her reputation, and her parents' expectations at stake, Paige needs to find a way to save face before everything she's worked for goes up in flames.

Ben Franklin (yes, he's related) is from the wrong side of town, with the wrong clothes and the wrong kind of life. He also knows an opportunity when he sees one, and he'll be happy to tutor Paige-if she makes him into the kind of guy her best friend, the hottest girl in school, will date.

It's the perfect arrangement. And Paige is determined not even the inconvenient-and utterly imperfect-attraction simmering between her and Ben will ruin it... 

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The Songs of Finding Perfect

I’m one of those writers who has to have music in order to write. But it’s more than that—I have to have a playlist, specific to each book, complete with songs that the major characters. The playlist for this book was really important: Paige is all about her music, and Ben loves it, too. I needed songs that pointed to who they were, inside and out. So what did I listen to? Here’s fifteen songs from the list:

1. “Demons” by Imagine Dragons

2. “Radioactive” cover (Imagine Dragons) by William Joseph

3.  “Here With Me” by Susie Suh and Robert Koch

4. “A Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay

6. “I Lived” by One Republic

7. “Stolen Dance” by Milky Chance

8. “Love Love Love” by Of Monsters and Men

9. “Wrapped Around Your Finger” by The Police

10. “Every Breaking Wave” by U2

11. “Heartlines” by Florence + Machine

12. “Iridescent” by Linkin Park

13. “Stay” by Rihanna (feat. Mikky Ekko)

14. “Fix You” by Coldplay

15. “With or Without You” by U2

“So why are we doing this again?” he called.

Even though he had no idea what she had in mind for this little stage play, he’d gone along with good humor. Hell, he was even washing her car for real. Which was funny because a clean car was beside the point in this plan.

“Just keep doing what you’re doing and all will become crystal clear.”

He gave her a long, weird look, then shrugged and went back to work. Paige joined him but spent part of her time focused on the street corner. Any minute now…

“Your tires are low,” Ben said, peeking at her around the front bumper. “If you have an air compressor, I could air them up for you.”

She propped her fist on her hip. “Does this look like the kind of house that keeps an air compressor on hand?”

He made a face, then laughed. “No, this looks like the kind of house where they call the dealership for help.”

“Exactly.”

They worked in silence until—there! Paige snapped to get his attention just as Zoey turned onto her street. Ben looked at her, and from the startled expression, she knew she was going to have to coach him through every second of this close encounter.

She gave him a stern look. “Take off your shirt.”

His already flushed face turned a deeper shade of red. “What? No way!”

Zoey had pulled up to the curb, and the BMW idled while she dipped out of view, probably to grab her purse. They only had a few seconds, and desperate times called for desperate measures. Paige stalked over to the hose and, under the guise of washing the suds off her car, “accidentally” sprayed Ben right in the chest.

His eyes popped wide open as he stared down at his soaked shirt. “Why?” he growled under his breath.

“Off,” Paige growled back, then turned to greet Zoey. “Hey! Thanks for letting me borrow your dress for the party next weekend.”

Zoey handed her a dress bag, looking at something beyond Paige’s left shoulder. “Yeah, sure.”

Zoey didn’t say anything else, and Paige hazarded a look behind her. As ordered, Ben had stripped off his shirt and oh…my…God.

Okay, so she had guessed he had nice shoulders under those T-shirts after all the work at the tire store, and she’d definitely copped a feel when they’d cuddled on the back porch, but she couldn’t have known he was that ripped. He was lean—leaner than most of the football players anyway—but he made the most of what he had, from the tight biceps and defined pecs, right down to the hard, flat stomach and the tantalizing trail of light brown hair running from his navel into the waistband of his shorts…which, oh hell, were riding low on his hips.

She didn’t want to blink so she could keep staring. Jesus.

Doing a great job of pretending he didn’t notice them hanging on his every move, he reached across the top of the Mustang to soap up the roof. He was a quick study, for sure, stretching in ways that showed off his arms and shoulders. Then he walked over to the bucket and very deliberately bent down to soak the sponge. She might need to sit down. His back was just as good as his front.

She’d created a monster. A very hot, slightly wet monster.

________________________

 

Big thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for allowing me to participate in this book tour!

 

Cover Reveal: All of You by Christina Lee

Today, I am happy to join in the reveal of the cover for Christina Lee's New Adult novel, All of You! This reveal is hosted by Xpresso Book Tours.

All of You by Christina Lee

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: September 17, 2013
Publisher: Intermix

In this powerfully emotional debut New Adult novel, Avery has just met her hot upstairs neighbor. He's irresistible. Tattooed. And a virgin.

Nursing student Avery Michaels wants nothing to do with dating—she's perfectly happy single. Privy to too many of her mother's bad decisions and even worse taste in boyfriends, all Avery can handle is a string of uncomplicated hookups whenever the mood strikes.

When she meets smoking hot tattoo artist Bennett, she wants him—for just one night. But he won't accept a no-strings-attached arrangement. He lives by a straight-laced code of values based on his own troubled upbringing.

Bennett sees something special in Avery and he wants more from her. Way more. As Avery wrestles with her emotions for Bennett, danger and tragedy force them to open up to each other. And Avery must face the terrifying realization that she wants more from him, too.

So she needs to make a choice—let Bennett go or finally let him in

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This sounds really interesting. It makes me want to give New Adult another chance. The cover sure is nice and steamy. The coloring is also very eye-catching. I'm curious about this book and I know I will be reading it after its release!

What do you think of the cover?

Thanks to Giselle from Xpresso Book Tours for allowing me to participate!

Blog Tour: Interview with Rebecca Berto

Today we are happy to be a part of the Drowing in You Blog Tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. 

Find the other tour stops HERE.

Drowning in You (Finding Forever In Us #1) by Rebecca Berto

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: April 5, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
316 Pages

Secretly crushing

Crushed by a tragedy

Charlee May’s been crushing on Dexter Hollingworth since she was fifteen. Five years later, a horrific skiing disaster at Mason’s Ski Lift Resort leaves her millionaire dad critically injured and her mom dead at the hands of Dexter operating the lifts. Charlee is suddenly the sole caretaker for her little brother while their world falls apart. 

Dexter couldn’t be more different from Charlee. He’s tattooed, avoids exclusive relationships and his Dad has a fair share of illegal dealings. With Dexter’s reputation, almost everyone believes he planned the Mason’s skiing disaster.

And after all these years he’s still crushing on Charlee May, the girl who’s too good for him.

When this cruel twist of fate ties Charlee’s family and Dexter’s reputation together, Charlee and Dexter wonder if their feelings are reciprocated, while Dexter discovers his dad is trying to steal the May’s millionaire fortune. 

But like an addiction, one look, one touch, one taste—they’re hooked no matter the consequences.

Disclaimer: Recommended for mature readers due to sexual content and crude language.

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Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m unlike everyone you know (probably). I’m 22 but haven’t been to a club since maybe January this year? According to my boyfriend, the bins go out for trash pick-up more than I do. I write obsessively and read obsessively. And I love to make fun of my stupidness. See? I’m ultra unique.

What is your favorite (non-spoilery) scene in Drowning in You?

Non-spoilery…hmm…that’s hard. It’s a bit into the story, but in no way spoilery. It’s the first moment my main characters, Charlee and Dexter, connect with the readers and it’s intense without being about sex. Charlee and Dexter are overlooking a reservoir from a lookout and the little details make it so special—skin contact, stolen glances… There’s such an emotional connection and I adore it.

Was it difficult to write a story with such dark themes?

Not really. I actually struggle to write happy, light, fun fiction. I fear it will seem too boring and all giggles and nothing interesting. But making someone feel like their heart has been tugged and torn up? I can describe that with tension.

Did you have to do any research while writing Drowning in You?

I was sneaky this way. I only did minor research for the medical knowledge for one storyline, but my main characters are a swimmer and musician and I’ve been both. I also know what love feels like so in all, my research was minimal, luckily.

What gave you the most trouble while you were writing? What did you find easiest to write?

I somehow write things that make no sense when I read back. I have a tendency to make sure every word of every sentence of every paragraph have impact and sometimes it gets too much.

When I redraft I do lots of deleting.

How long did it take you to write this novel?

I wrote this one end of last year and then came back to it. I remember three quarters in I totally lost direction and put it away for a little bit, but guestimating, I think it took five to six weeks to write.

Where do you find the most inspiration while writing?

After a brainstorming session where I can get my thoughts together. Usually I either read or go for a walk with my doggy before I write. It means I’m full of creativity and inspiration. I fear I’ll write flatly if I wake up and write immediately.

What kind of books do you like to read?

I like reading books with an emotional punch. So I swing from Literary to New Adult because they both offer emotional satisfaction for me in different ways. They’re two of my current favourite genres at the moment.

How do you want your readers to feel when they finish Drowning in You?

Rewarded. I’ll make no secret that I’m an awful author to my readers. My books involve death either as an ongoing theme or a death of a character mid-story, and I tend to have gut-wrenching scenes that hurt like hell, so by the end I like to make it a huge satisfaction.

Drowning in You isn’t an easy ride, but the ending makes it all worth it.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Yes! It’s better to undervote your abilities: “I’m not good enough yet”, “I don’t have a big enough social media following”, “That sentence still looks odd”, etc. Always have higher goals than you think you can reach.

I have more drive when I have a goal. If I think I’m fair good at something, I see no point in trying my best—I’m already there.

Big thanks to Rebecca for joining us today, and to Giselle at Xpresso Book Tours for letting us take part in the tour!

Blog Tour: Excerpt + Giveaway: The Kings of Charleston (The Kings of Charleston #1) by Kat H. Clayton

Today, we are happy to be a part of the The Kings of Charleston Blog Tour

hosted by Xpresso Book Tours.

Find the other tour stops here.

The Kings of Charleston (The Kings of Charleston #1) by Kat H. Clayton

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Publisher: Self-Published
348 Pages

Casper Whitley is forced to move to Charleston, South Carolina where she’ll be the new kid her senior year of high school. Casper’s upset about the move until she meets the Roman family’s gorgeous son, Cal, but there’s a problem. A mystery surrounds him which can be summed up in one word…Kythera. Never heard of it? Neither has Casper until she finds the word tattooed on cars, paintings and all her new friends.

After Casper’s life is threatened, someone is forced to tell the truth about her parents, the Romans and Kythera’s motives for her being in Charleston. Once the truth is revealed, she must decide whether to protect her family and Kythera’s secrets or walk away from everything she has ever known.

VISIT THE AUTHOR:

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Tour-Wide Giveaway Details:

- One winner will receive a signed copy of The Kings of Charleston and a Kindle Paperwhite

- Open to US/CA/UK residents only

- We are not responsible for lost and/or damaged packages

- Ends 04/07/2013

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Excerpt from The Kings of Charleston by Kat H Clayton:

Cal swore under his breath and pulled to the side.

I was a mess. I had never been pulled over, not even as a passenger.

Cal pushed a button and the window slid down slowly with a whoosh. I turned to look at the approaching officer. He had a flashlight in his hand that he swept across the side of the car. Once he reached the front of the car, he paused at the front wheel and stood motionless for several seconds. I leaned over the console to see what the holdup was. The officer’s face had drained of all its color.

“Can I help you, Officer?” Cal said.

I hit Cal on the shoulder and mouthed, What are you doing? He shrugged his shoulders.

“Oh, well, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize who you were,” the officer said with an uneasy laugh. Why would he be sorry for pulling over a seventeen-year-old in a Mercedes?

“No problem, you new to the force?” Cal said in a conversational tone. My mouth dropped open.

“Yes, I am. I didn’t get a good look at your vehicle till now. Hope you have a good night,” he said. The officer walked back to his vehicle and drove off. Cal turned on his blinker and merged back into the flow of traffic.

“What just happened?” I asked. I was shocked and confused by how the officer had treated Cal. You would have thought he was a movie star or a diplomat with immunity to the law.

“Ah, nothing, I just know the police pretty well,” he responded, smiling to himself. There was obviously more to the story and it had to do with whatever the officer had seen on the front wheel of his car. What could he have seen? I was dying to find out.

“You have a lot of run-ins with the law?”

He leaned his head over to me with a playful expression on his face. I felt tiny butterflies develop in the pit of my stomach. “Me? Nah, they have run-ins with me from time to time. I have to straighten them out, you know?”

He turned the blinker on and we entered a residential neighborhood. A few minutes later, we pulled up to a restaurant at the end of a secluded street. Cal pulled the car into a parallel parking space across the street and got out of the car. I began to open my door, but he waved his finger at me. He opened the door for me and gestured for me to take his hand. After a moment’s hesitation, I stepped out of the car, my hand in his strong grip.

Big thanks to Giselle from Xpresso Reads and Kat for allowing to be a part of this tour!

Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway: First Visions (Second Sight #1) by Heather Topham Wood

Today, we are happy to be a part of the First Visions Blog Tour

hosted by Xpresso Book Tours.

Find the other tour stops here.

First Visions (Second Sight #1) by Heather Topham Wood

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: April 27, 2012
Publisher: Self-Published
230 Pages

Two years ago, 21-year-old Kate Edwards became deathly ill and slipped into a coma. While unconscious, she crept into the mind of a missing boy and awoke with the knowledge of his location. Friends and family were skeptical and wary of her new ability to see into the minds of others. Their fears prompted Kate to keep her psychic powers a secret. Feeling alienated, she dropped out of college and spent most of her days holed up at her mother’s home. 

Now another child has been abducted. Police detective Jared Corbett seeks out Kate for her help in solving the case. Reluctantly, Kate agrees and they must work together to bring 8-year-old Cori Preston home to her family. Although attracted to one another, Jared has a girlfriend with ties to the abduction case and Kate is sarcastic and guarded since her coma. With visions she can’t control and an uncontrollable attraction to the detective, she wonders if she can leave the past behind and finally stop hiding from the world. Otherwise, Cori may be lost forever.

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Tour-Wide Giveaway Details:

- One winner will receive a $40 giftcard to Amazon

- We are not responsible for lost and/or damaged packages

- Ends 03/26/2013

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Review:

In First Visions, a young woman named Kate Edwards is hiding her strange ability to see into the minds of other. She tries to keep her visions to herself because after solving the case of a missing child when she woke up from a coma, she was alienated due to the spotlight of the media. When detective Jared Corbett comes her to help solve the case of his girlfriend's missing younger sister, she is reluctant to help. Kate suffered at the hands of the press before, the last thing she wants is to be in that position again. But when she sees the child, she knows she must do something to help and despite her growing attraction to the not-so-single Jared, works to save the life of the young girl.

Kate was an amusing character. She's not afraid to be snarky, and though she's heartbroken over things in her past, she's caring and has a really kind personality. Jared was a bit more difficult. His sense of honor was great, but I was annoyed by how long it took him to realize his feelings for Kate weren't going anywhere. I did not like Jared's girlfriend, Nikki. Her jealousy caused her to be cruel and immature. She needed a serious reality check. Though Kate's mom had the best intentions, both she and Kate's dad made many mistakes that really hurt Kate. It was hard not to feel bad for poor Kate. She didn't deserve the treatment most bestowed upon her.

The plot was not extremely suspenseful, but it did constantly keep you wondering. It moved pretty steadily, though it was short, really made it's mark. There was mystery, romance and a bit of action in this story. First Visions was heartfelt and sweet. New adult novels have not been my favorite, but I must say that this story help me believe there are good stories of that nature. While there is some sexual undertones, it is not the focus of the story. It's not extremely graphic, like a few that I've read. It really felt like it was just a little to much to be a young adult novel, but not quite an adult-oriented story.

This book kept my attention from start to finish. There was just something about it that intrigued me. It's not the best written story, but the concepts behind it were extremely interesting. I applaud Ms. Wood for coming up with such an original start, Katie's powers coming from an illness that caused her to going into a coma. I've only read one other story involving the protagonist being in a coma, and I've found it to be an extremely interesting topic. It would be great to see more stories with that as a major plot point.

A lot of this story was cheesy. It's not always bad to have some "cheese" in a story. This is very much a guilty pleasure book. Though several parts induced painful eye-rolls, others had me making faces of annoyance, First Visions continued to reel me in. It's not the best written book, but it's creative and has characters that the audience can relate to. We might not have abilities like Katie's, but we've all felt jealous, hopeless and scared. The author is very good at expressing the emotions of her characters.

First Visions was extremely enjoyable. I have already purchased book two for my kindle, because I am so curious about how the author will continue the series!

I received an e-copy of this novel for my honest opinion and review from the author.

Blog Tour: Book Review + Giveaway: Strength (Mark of Nexus #1) by Carrie Butler

Today, we are happy to be a part of the Strength Blog Tour

hosted by Xpresso Book Tours.

Find the other tour stops here.

Strength (Mark of Nexus #1) by Carrie Butler

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: March 7, 2013
Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing
389 Pages

When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, her rumor-laced notions are shattered. Handsome, considerate, and seemingly sane, Wallace Blake doesn’t look like he spends his nights alone, screaming and banging on the walls of his dorm room. Hell, he doesn’t look like he spends his nights alone, period.

Too curious for her own good, Rena vows to uncover the truth behind Wallace’s madman reputation--and how two seconds of contact had left her with bruises. Of course, there are a few setbacks along the way: guilt, admiration, feelings of the warm and fuzzy variety…

Not to mention the unwanted attention of Wallace's powerful, supernaturally-gifted family.

They’re a bloodline divided by opposing ideals, two soon-to-be warring factions that live in secret among us. When Rena ends up caught in their crossfire, Wallace has no choice but to save her by using his powers. Now they’re really in trouble. With war on the horizon and Rena’s life in the balance, he needs to put some distance between them. But Rena won’t let go. If fighting is what it takes to prove her own strength and keep Wallace in her life, then that’s what she’ll do--even if it means risking a whole lot more than her heart.

(Upper YA/New Adult)

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Tour-Wide Giveaway Details:

- Five winners will receive an e-copy of Strength by Carrie Butler

- Open Internationally

- We are not responsible for lost and/or damaged packages

- Ends 04/01/2013

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Review:

I must be honest and say that I wasn't sure that I was going to like Strength, but I requested to be a part of the blog tour because it sounded so interesting and I wanted to give new adult another chance to blow me away. I am so glad that I did because Strength was a delightful surprise!

Rena is a college student, who until she runs into outcast Wallace, is pretty normal. Intrigued by his reputation for having psychotic breaks in his dorm room, Rena begins to spend more time with Wallace. Wallace is reluctant to share the truth with a too-curious Rena, but as the two fall for each other, it becomes harder and harder to hide secrets. Soon Rena is swept into the dangerous world of Wallace's supernaturally-powered family and must fight with him to save his family from war.

I loved this book. I loved it. It was extremely entertaining, so much so that I read it in one day. The plot, prose and relationships between the characters were fascinating. I could barely put it down to be productive. There was just something about it that drew me in and locked me there until the very end. Even then, I was sad that this first part of the journey the author provides her audience was completed. And finding out there is no news on book two was heartbreaking because I am not ready to let go of these characters!

Wallace and Rena were a great couple. They are both strong, brave (sometimes irrational) characters. Easily relatable and realistic interactions made for a smooth progression of the story. Rena is one of my favorite female leads for this line alone, "'Feels like I'm going to kick you in the face if you don't stop bugging me about it.'" I talk like that all the time, and this may be the first time I've read of someone using "my threat." Wallace was hot, too. He's a bit of a typical character, minus the sleeping around, but he was sexy and sweet and swoon-worthy times ten. These characters were just awesome. While I cared most about Wallace and Rena, I really liked the way the minor characters were involved. No one felt out of place, or forced. (Though, I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I wanted to punch Cole in the junk several times.)

This was definitely an original tale. From what I've read thus far, new adult novels have not impressed me. Strength helped turn that around though, because while it was directed for an older age group, it was not focused on sex, or outrageous stereotypes. Most of the other new adult novels I've read have been extremely sexual, to the point where I was annoyed rather than intrigued. There are some minor religious themes in this. Normally, I am turned off by stories that really incorporate religion, but I found that in Strength, the story was actually enhanced by it. Though I must be honest and admit, there was one scene where I noted annoyance.

Overall, Strength is a good read for fans of paranormal new adult novels. Fun and sexy, this was an excellent debut. I am eagerly anticipating the sequel! (Also, yay for another story set in Ohio. BAM! Love it.)

Thank you to Giselle from Xpresso Reads and Carrie Butler for letting us be a part of this tour!

I received an e-copy of this novel for my honest opinion and review from the author.

Blog Tour: Excerpt: None of the Regular Rules by Erin Downing

Today, we are happy to be a part of the None of the Regular Rules Blog Tour

hosted by Xpresso Book Tours.

Find the other tour stops here.

None of the Regular Rules by Erin Downing

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: November 20, 2012
Pubisher: Self-Published
260 Pages

Sometimes, a few dares can change lives…

The weekend before the start of senior year, Sophie Erickson and her best friends, Ella and Grace, discover a handwritten list of dares tucked away in the glove compartment of Sophie’s beat-up old Toyota. But this isn’t just any list; it’s a dead girl's bucket list.

Sophie's beloved aunt Suzy died as a teenager in a fatal fall, leaving Sophie with an overly cautious family, a few fading photographs, and a bucket of bolts that barely passes for a car. But now, Sophie has Suzy’s list of the things she wanted to do in her last year of high school. Sophie can't help but wonder: What would happen if she tried to fulfill Suzy’s last wishes, to live out the longed-for life of her aunt, her hero?

As Sophie and her friends attempt to knock off the things on Suzy's list of dares, love blossoms in unexpected places and Sophie begins to feel that her life is finally coming together...when in fact, everything is slowly unraveling around her. When the truth about a long-held family secret threatens to shatter everything she believed to be true, Sophie is forced to question everything she knew about the life and people she believed in, and ultimately herself.

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Excerpt from None of the Regular Rules by Erin Downing:

Suddenly, someone hollered and Johnny Rush came barreling through the crowd of guys. He stopped only long enough to yell, “Clear the decks!” and to check to make sure there was no one under the protruding rock. Then he unceremoniously lobbed himself off the edge minus frills and animal calls and without a puffed-up chest.

My stomach flipped nervously when I realized he was there. He seemed to be everywhere lately. Just when he was supposed to disappear forever, as my brother had done, Johnny was suddenly ever present. I held my breath as his body dropped and twisted before landing with a huge splash in the water below. I continued to hold it as I waited for him to pop back up to the surface, to prove that he had survived. I knew Johnny and Peter and a lot of the other guys in the sporty crowd did this all the time, but I couldn’t prevent myself from worrying. There was a reason I’d never jumped off Hanging Rock. The chance of death, specifically.

Johnny’s head popped up, and I could see his huge, silly grin in the middle of the swimming pond. He looked back up at the guys still standing along the edge and yelled, “Come on down. The water’s perfect.”

One by one, they all jumped as Johnny swam to shore and climbed out. He wrapped a towel around his waist and shook his head to dry his hair, like a dog might do—if a dog were like, I don’t know, a completely sexy, blue-eyed guy. He looked around with the confidence of someone who’d never worried about what anyone else was thinking about him—and eventually, his eyes settled on me. It seemed like his grin got wider when he looked my way. But maybe it was just the light.

I swallowed and tried to smile back. I’d never been totally comfortable around guys, and expected that a simple smile at Johnny would be just as daunting as a smile that was directed at any guy would. But instead, I found myself grinning easily and naturally, with no concern about what I might say to him or any worry about whether or not I’d be interesting enough to hold his attention. I hadn’t been that comfortable around a guy since, well…since my brother. Or Peter and the other boys who had lived in my neighborhood—but that was years ago, before boobs and other complications got in the way.

I didn’t know if my comfort was a good sign, or an absolutely terrible one.

Just as he began to make his way toward me, all confident swagger and wet torso, I realized I’d lost Ella altogether.

“Why does it seem like you’re everywhere lately?” I asked when Johnny was close enough to hear me. I smiled again and tried to keep my eyes off his lean body. His tan had only faded slightly, and droplets of water sat temptingly on skin that looked like it was probably warm, despite the chill of the swimming water. “Aren’t you ever at school?” I asked this teasingly, not expecting the answer I got.

“No, I’m not ever at school,” he said, and let his eyes dance across the rest of the crowd that had gathered at the beach. He smiled at me, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m not going.”

“What happened to Madison?” I asked.

“Nothing happened,” he said. “I already told you—it wasn’t a valid choice.” He sat down on the rocks and toweled off his legs. I noticed that he didn’t wipe off his chest, and I was finding it increasingly more difficult not to stare. 

“Wait…you’re saying that your parents told you Madison wasn’t good enough? So you decided to go nowhere instead?” I couldn’t keep the disbelief out of my voice. It seemed ridiculous. I mean, that’s taking rebellion to a whole new level. At least, for me it would be.

“I guess that’s sort of it, yeah.” He smiled at me. “So I’m one of those guys.”

“One of what guys?”

“One of the losers that sticks around here, waiting for people to come home from college to play with me over winter break and stuff.” He looked down and started to rearrange the rocks between his body and mine. “Admit it, that’s what you’re thinking.”

I stared at him. “Um, it’s not actually. But I am sort of wondering why you didn’t just say you weren’t going to college when we asked you about it last weekend,” I said, trying to think back to our conversation on pizza-and-camping night. “Are you intentionally misleading people?”

He looked at me, and I suddenly saw a little bit of the fear that I thought didn’t exist for people like Johnny Rush. “Yeah, I guess I sort of am.” He shrugged. “Not my good friends, but people like you.”

“People like me?” I wondered.

“Why broadcast my lack of ambition?” he asked, offering no further clarity. “I figure people will eventually realize I haven’t left. Until they do, I’m not going to announce that I’m one of the few sad sacks that didn’t go anywhere.”

“You couldn’t find anywhere else you wanted to go?” I asked, my voice ringing with disbelief. “It just seems so unlikely that your parents would rather you not go to college than go to Madison.”

He shrugged, and I could tell he was done talking about it. “Well, it is what it is. And it looks like I’m here for the long haul.” Johnny looked up at Hanging Rock, but no one was jumping. The sky had started to fade into the deep blue of twilight, and wisps of pink lined the edges of the clouds. “Aren’t you going to jump?” he asked. “I thought that was one of your big life goals. One of your dares, right?”

I’d completely forgotten that we’d talked about some of the dares the night of his party. But he hadn’t. Was that significant, or was he just good at making people feel special? I knew it was the latter. “Yeah, it is one of the things I want to do. Sometime.”

“Sometime?” He gave me a funny look. “There’s no better time than now.” Then he hopped up and reached for my hands. I let him take them, because I wanted to touch him, and he pulled me to my feet. I looked over at Ella, but she was too busy talking to Peter to notice me. Grace was off in her own little world, with Ian and no one else.

I’d always thought it was funny how the rest of the world seemed to drop away when guys entered the picture. It was like all clarity got washed away in a wave of lust or something.

Even though I knew he was an expert flirt, I felt special when Johnny lightly tugged at my left hand with his right and pulled me up the hill. I forgot what we were doing, and focused only on the way his fingers wrapped around mine—his index and middle finger were looped around my pinkie and ring finger. His hands were colder than I would have expected, and I wondered if maybe I’d been wrong about his chest. I almost reached out to touch the skin that wrapped around his shoulder blade and ran down his back to the top of his shorts. But instead of touching, I let my eyes go there—and then immediately regretted it.

My stomach knotted and my heart sped up, and that’s when reality hit. I dropped Johnny’s hand, wondering how I could have let myself get sucked into something so stupid. I wasn’t going to be his girlfriend, and I certainly wasn’t going to let him convince me to jump. “It’s almost dark,” I said, knowing how weak it sounded. “It’s cold.” I stopped walking up the trail, but he didn’t notice right away.

When he finally looked back, I was at least fifteen steps behind him. That distance was enough that I could hold onto my wits and say again, “I can’t jump in the dark.”

“It’s not dark,” he scoffed, then stepped back down the hill. He stopped right in front of me and put his hands on his hips. “You’re just making excuses.”

That was true. “No, I’m not,” I insisted. “I can’t do it today.”

“Then when?” he teased. “I’ll hold your hand. It won’t be scary, I promise.”

Holding your hand, or jumping? I wondered. Both sounded scary. “I don’t know…” I said, my resolve wavering.

“If you really don’t want to do it,” Johnny said, his hand outstretched, urging me up the hill. But his words were calming, absent of any pressure. “I’m not going to make you. It’s your call. Your life.”

There it was. My out. I could just turn around and tromp back down the hill. But then I thought about the list, which was still in my pocket, and how I’d made promises to myself to go for things. To try. To let myself take risks, even if it meant failing. “Okay,” I said finally, grinning. “I’ll try.”

Then I took Johnny’s hand, still outstretched for me, and climbed.

What did you think of the excerpt? Sound like your kind of story?

Thank you to Giselle from Xpresso Reads and Erin Downing for allowing us to be a part of this tour!

Blog Tour: Excerpt: Pieces (The Breakaway #2) by Michelle Davidson Argyle

Today, Edwin and Emily are happy to be a part of the Pieces Blog Tour

hosted by Xpresso Book Tours.

Find the other tour stops here.

Pieces (The Breakaway #2) by Michelle Davidson Argyle

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: February 14, 2013
Publisher: Rhemalda Publishing
284 Pages

Staying in love can mean running away...

Two years after watching her kidnappers go to prison, Naomi Jensen is still in love with one of them. Jesse will be released in a few years, and Naomi knows college is the perfect distraction while she waits. But when her new friend Finn makes her question what is right and what is wrong, she begins to wonder if Jesse is the one for her...until she discovers he's out on parole. Naomi must sort through her confusion to figure out where love and freedom truly lie-in Finn, who has no connections to her past, or Jesse, who has just asked her to run away with him.

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Excerpt from Pieces by Michelle Davidson Argyle:

The next day, after reading books until she thought she would go mad, she walked to the door again. She heard no arguing this time, but when she reached for the handle she broke into a sweat and turned around.

Not today.

This was what had stopped her from trying to escape the house—a deep-seated fear of the unknown, of wondering what might happen if things didn’t go right, a precarious feeling her universe might implode if she couldn’t plan everything down to the last detail and know how it would end. So, instead of trying, she held back. It was what had kept her from leaving Brad before her kidnapping. More than Jesse’s plea, it was what kept her from calling her mother.

She curled into a ball on the bed and cried herself to sleep until Jesse came home and woke her up. He started rubbing her back.

“This is how it’s going to be,” he explained, leaning down to her ear. “I’m sorry, but I have to work if we want to live here. Your money won’t last very long and we’ve spent most of mine now.”

“You want to work,” she said, burying her face in the pillows. “I know you love the job you have. It’s everything you ever wanted.”

“Everything I ever wanted is right here.” He scooped her into his arms and held her close. “You’re scared, I know, but you’ll get used to everything. It’ll get easier. This is a new start, remember?” 

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” she said, feeling like an idiot. “Why can’t I be strong?”

Turning her to look up at him, he lifted a hand and traced her lips with his fingers. “You’re stronger than you think, just not in ways most people expect.”

“What do you mean?”

He continued tracing her lips as a warm smile lit up his face. “Do you think you’d be alive right now if you weren’t strong? Eric would have killed you in the first three weeks if you hadn’t kept your cool like you did.”

“I was too scared to try anything,” she whispered. “I wasn’t being strong.”

He lifted his fingers from her lips as his smile melted into a straight line. “Strength doesn’t always mean fighting back. Sometimes it means enduring to the end—quietly. Not everybody could have handled your situation the way you did. Most would’ve tried to get away because they would’ve been too impatient to evaluate the kinds of people they were dealing with. They would have pissed Eric off so much he would have shot them in the head the first chance he had. You saw past that. I don’t care if you call it cowardice or fear. To me, it was smart and brave.”

Naomi didn’t know how to respond. She hadn’t thought of herself as handling her captivity very well, but maybe Jesse had a point. He watched her for a moment, admiration sparkling in his eyes. It made her want to hug him and never let go. 

FIND BOOK ONE:

The Breakaway (The Breakaway #1)

Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble

What do you think? Does this series interest you?

Big thanks to Giselle from Xpresso Reads and Michelle for allowing us to be apart of this tour!

Cover Reveal: Shooting Scars (The Artists Trilogy #2) by Karina Halle

Shooting Scars (The Artists Trilogy #2) by Karina Halle

Cover designed by Najla Qamber Designs.

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: May 2013
Publisher: Metal Blonde Books

A second chance at first love. 

There are a few things worth risking everything for - even your life. For Camden McQueen, this is one of them.

Shooting Scars is the second book in The Artists Trilogy and is told from the dual POV of Camden and Ellie.

VISIT THE AUTHOR:

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FIND THE BOOK:

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What do you think? The prequel to Shooting Scars, Sins and Needles, is next in Emily's queue and she's extremely excited to read it! We've only heard amazing things about this series, we hope to love it as much as its other readers!