Book Blitz: The Only Boy by Jordan Locke

 

Welcome to my stop on The Only Boy Book Blitz

hosted by Xpresso Book Tours.

Blurb:

Mary is stuck in Section One, living with three hundred women in a crumbling hospital. She wonders what life was like two centuries ago, before the Cleansing wiped out all the men. But the rules—the Matriarch's senseless rules—prevent her from exploring the vacant city to find out.

Taylor's got a dangerous secret: he's a boy. His compound's been destroyed, and he's been relocated to Section One. Living under the Matriarch means giving up possessions, eating canned food and avoiding all physical contact. Baggy clothes hide his flat chest and skinny legs, but if anyone discovers what lies beneath, he'll be exiled. Maybe even executed.

Mary's never seen a boy—the Matriarch cut the pictures of men from the textbooks—and she doesn't suspect Taylor's secret. If she knew, she might understand the need to stop the girls from teasing him. If she knew, she might realize why she breaks the rules, just to be near him. Then again, she might be frightened to death of him.

Taylor should go. The Matriarch is watching his every move. But running means leaving Mary—and braving the land beyond the compound's boundaries. 

Cindy's Thoughts: I chose to do this blitz because it genuinely sounds interesting. I would want to read it. And I've seen some encouraging reviews. I also seen it featured on another blog, so I thought it'll be interesting. :)

But also note that this book is in different POVs. One from the boy and the from the girl. Of course. So I don't know how that is gonna go. Some POV's are amazing, but may not be so great. Since I happened read it, I really don't know. But I will get my hands on this book. I signed for a review copy so.... so I just hope it's a good type of POV books. 

Excerpt: 

From Mary's point of view.

I stand on the roof, scanning the city. Many of the buildings are crumbling, from centuries of decay. Below me, trash from the hospital circles the compound, piled into a wall. A fuel tanker sits on one side of our water tower, a broken-down car on the other. In the distance lies the forest. I would love to wander through the trees, to search for whatever wildlife still lives, to see if I can find just one flower.

It isn’t the rules that stop me. It’s the Earthers—the women who live in the woods. I saw two of them, years ago, when I snuck out one day and wandered into the forest. A child’s voice echoed in the distance. I hid behind a bush and peered through the leaves. A woman and her daughter approached, wearing deerskin parkas, their skin darkened by the sun. I wondered, without men and without a genetics lab, how was the daughter created?

The girl heaved a spear at a tree, and it fell short of the trunk.

“You need to follow through,” the woman said. “And turn your hips.” She made a twisting motion. “Like this.”

“Why can’t we just eat vegetables?”

“Snow will come soon.” The woman picked up the spear. “The crops won’t last through winter.”

“I’m not gonna kill the animals,” the girl said.

“When you’re hungry enough, you will.” The woman turned my way, and I ducked.

Their footsteps grew closer, their voices louder. They were within feet of the bush. I crouched. Leaves crunched under my knees. When the footsteps stopped, I ran. Before I got more than a few yards, my foot caught on a stick, and I fell. By the time I righted myself, the woman hovered over me, holding the tip of the spear to my chest.

The girl ran to the woman’s side. “Don’t kill her!”

“Get back, Wren!” She moved the spear to my face, inches from my nose, and held a frightening scowl.

The girl pulled on her mother’s skirt. “You’re scaring her.”

The woman’s eyes never left me as she scooped up the girl. With the spear pointed at me, she backed away. Even though my hands were shaking and I could barely stand, I wanted to follow them into the forest. 

 Author Bio:

Jordan Locke lives in Connecticut with his wife, two lively daughters and a well-behaved whippet. A graphic designer by trade, his creativity spilled over into the literary world. After years of writing, reading and learning the craft, his fifth novel, The Only Boy, brought him offers of representation from two well-known agents. Now, after the dog is fed and the kids are in bed, you will find him tapping away at the keyboard.

Links:

Goodreads 

Amazon 

B&N 

Website: http://www.jordanlocke.com/ 

Twitter 

Giveaway: 

   

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone Excerpt

Time Between Time by Tamara Ireland Stone

came out in October 8th, 2013.

So it is available. But I didn't buy the book yet.

So it doesn't hurt to read an excerpt.

:)

 Blurb:

      Calling Anna and Bennett’s romance long distance is an understatement: she’s from 1995 Chicago and he’s a time traveler from 2012 San Francisco. The two of them never should have met, but they did. They fell in love, even though they knew they shouldn’t. And they found a way to stay together, against all odds.

      It’s not a perfect arrangement, though, with Bennett unable to stay in the past for more than brief visits, skipping out on big chunks of his present in order to be with Anna in hers. They each are confident that they’ll find a way to make things work…until Bennett witnesses a single event he never should have seen (and certainly never expected to). Will the decisions he makes from that point on cement a future he doesn’t want?

Thoughts: I really want to read this! Omg. This teaser just makes me even more eager. And the excerpt adds to my eagerness. Although I do like Anna's POV, I do want to see Bennet's POV too. I really want to know what happens to Anna and Bennett and what the problem the teaser was talking about. I want to know how Anna and Bennett is going to make this work. Oh, can't wait. And here's the excerpt link:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2013/10/09/tamara-ireland-stone-time-after-time-excerpt/2949149/

This link leads straight to the USA Today website with the excerpt on there.

http://tamarairelandstone.com/time-after-time-book/

This is Tamara Ireland Stone's website talking about her own book.

Happy Reading

Stay tuned for more~

 

Blog Tour: All Hallow's Eve Picture Book

Welcome to my stop on the All Hallow's Eve Blog Tour

hosted by Enchanted Book Promotions.

Title: All Hallow’s ABC

Author: Jenni Kaye
Genre: Alphabet Book

Blurb: From Apples to Zombies, the alphabet has never been spookier! Find visual treats and tricky rhymes in this colorful Halloween primer. All Hallow’s ABC is a delight to read out loud for kids of all ages.


Cindy's Review: I know, you guys are probably thinking ".... A picture book?" But like guys, this picture book is like super duper cute. :D Even thought it's like teaching toddlers how to read, older readers and can just look at the pictures and entertain themselves. Since this is a picture book, LOL, there isn't much that I can write about. Adults can also read this though, and just enjoy a fast moment of looking through a kid's book. :) And everything rhymes. 

Excerpt:

Teehee~

Book Trailer:

Links:

Author Website: http://jennikaye.com

Publisher Website: http://daringinkpress.com

Twitter: @writing1page and @kayebooks

Amazon

B&N

Kobo

Tomely

I just can't rate picture books~ IT'S TOO CUTE. Haha. You know the rating is somewhere near the sky. :)

Happy Reading~

United We Spy by Ally Carter Excerpt!

Ally Carter fans out there? Spy fans? YA? Either way, for me, I'm a super duper spy fan. Like everything related to it. Especially books. :D And those imaginative characters that seem so real. 

Either way, enough of the small talk. :) So Ally Carter fans know we're all waiting for the final conclusion of The Gallagher Girls! :D Cuz I just lurve that series so mucho~ 

United We Spy (The Gallagher Girls #6)
by Ally Carter
Release Date: September 17th,, 2013.

Goodreads Summary: Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle’s elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie—and her country—forever.

Thoughts: I'm so excited for the final book of this series! Can't wait to see how Ally Carter will make this ending. And how Cammie and Zach will end up. :) Okay. Less talk. Onto that excerpt! :)

So it's Chapter 1 of United We Spy, found on the Ally Carter website: www.allycarter.com/books/united-we-spy/excerpt/

Yep yep. Excited! :D It'll come out in a month! 

Happy Reading~ 

Dangerous Designs and Deadly Designs PROMO

Welcome to my Designs Series PROMO Stop
hosted by CLBS Promotions.

      You can find the tour schedule HERE.

Dangerous Designs (Designs #1)

by Dale Mayer

Published by Valley Publishing (Indie)

Length: 200 pages (eBook format)

YA Fantasy Romance

Contains elements of action and adventure

Heat Level: Sweet

Available at:

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058ZY6Y8/

Blurb:

Drawing is her world...but when her new pencil comes alive, it's his world too.

Her... Storey Dalton is seventeen and now boyfriendless after being dumped via Facebook. Drawing is her escape. It's like as soon as she gets down one image, a dozen more are pressing in on her. Then she realizes her pictures are almost drawing themselves...or is it that her new pencil is alive?

Him... Eric Jordan is a new Ranger and the only son of the Councilman to his world. He's 

crossed the veil between dimensions to retrieve a lost stylus. But Storey is already experimenting with her new pencil and what her drawings can do - like open portals.

It... The stylus is a soul-bound intelligence from Eric's dimension on Earth and uses 

Storey's unsuspecting mind to seek its way home, giving her an unbelievable power. She unwittingly opens a third dimension  one that held a dangerous predatory species banished from Eric's world centuries ago, releasing these animals into both dimensions.

Them... Once in Eric's homeland, Storey is blamed for the calamity sentenced to death. When she escapes, Eric is ordered to bring her back or face that same death penalty. With nothing to lose, can they work together across dimensions to save both their worlds?

Excerpt:

"Storey, is that you, honey?"

Her mother knocked on the door and pushed it open, the light from the hallway lighting the few silver strands in her otherwise brown hair. "Can't you sleep?"

"Sorry if I woke you." Storey sat up, brushing her own jet black hair back off her face. "Just a bad dream."

"That's because you didn't have any dinner. I checked up on you after the meeting finished. You'd fallen asleep." Her mother's fingers twisted around a dangling lock of hair as she stepped into the room. She bit her lip. "Storey, you have to eat. You're already skinny enough."

Bone rack is what a jock had called her last month. Looking down, Storey realized they could be right. Her hip bones stuck out to match her big elbows. And her body had developed to the point where she barely missed the skinny scarecrow look. Too bad. She might have been able to make that work.

"I'm eating, Mom. They had pizza in class today, so I didn't need my lunch. Ate that on the way home." That was a lie. Still, she had more important things to worry about than food.

Relief washed over her mom's pretty face. "Oh, I'm so glad to hear that. Sometimes I worry about you."

Sometimes? Didn't she mean all the time? Was that normal for moms? Then again, there was a world of difference between normal and her mother.

"What time is it?" Storey looked out the window. Blackness stared back.

"It's just a little after midnight. Please get into your pajamas. You don't want to be sleeping in those jeans." She backed up to the open door. "If you're all right, I'll say good night. It is witching hour, after all." With a carefree grin, her mom closed the door.

Witching hour. Right. Only in her house. Sighing at her mother's antics, Storey collapsed down on her covers and fell into a light, troubled sleep.

She sighed. "What now, Mom?"

No answer. She sat up and glanced at the closed door. Weird. She could've sworn she'd heard someone calling her. Lying down again, she pulled her blankets over top, not bothering to get changed into her nightclothes.

She bolted upright. That's it. Who the hell was playing games with her?

Throwing back the blankets, Storey knelt on her bed. "Who said that?" she hissed into the early morning air. Not trusting the gloomy light, she flicked her bedside lamp on, quickly scanning the room. Empty. "I am so losing it. This is nuts."

Her gaze landed on the backpack on her floor. Her eyes widened. Oh no.

"No, no. Hell, no." She shook her head, slowly at first then more wildly. "This can't be happening. It's a picture. Nothing more. Nothing less. I created you. I can destroy you."

That's exactly what she was going to do. She dragged the backpack onto her bed and opened it. The knot defied her first and second attempts, before she managed to pull the laces apart and yank out her sketchpad. "I don't know what's going on here, but enough is enough."

She flipped to the last page she'd been working on and grabbed it at the top left and pulled. It wouldn't tear off. She tightened her grip and tried again. It refused to budge. Scared now, she threw it on the floor and in a fit of defiance, she jumped on it.

And fell through the picture, through the floor even.

She went right through the doorway in her picture.

Reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars – “A Wonderful Read!”

“From beginning to end, Dale Mayer drags the reader on a journey that ends on a cliff! From the beginning, the reader is immediately engaged in the life of Storey Dalton, a teen aged girl who finds herself boyfriend-less and back on the fringes of the social ladder after her boyfriend moves away. Storey's passion is drawing and when she stumbles up a strange pencil in the woods, Storey's life is transformed as she comes to realize the pencil is not ordinary and is leading her to draw things she has never drawn or seen before.

Eric Jordan is sent from another dimension to retrieve the stylus (the pencil), left behind by a scientist. After discovering Storey has the stylus and is quickly bonding with it, Eric has to figure out a way to retrieve the object with hurting her. They soon find themselves in the middle of a dimensional war and a struggle to save both of their worlds.

The novel is a reflection of our modern society and it's treatment of those who are different without being a moral brick to the head. Storey's compassion and tenacity are wonderful to see and I loved the way she influenced others to open their eyes and see their world. The cliffhanger the author placed at the end left me stunned! My understanding is the next novel picks up where this one leaves off. I'm ready to pick up the next one (Book 2) to see what happens next!”--Kmoaton

5.0 out of 5 stars – “Fabulous start to a new series!”

“Holy Hannah! Are you trying to kill me, Dale Mayer? Are you?!? You must delight in putting your heroines into horribly taxing situations and then leaving them there like so much baggage! I have to admit that I liked the story before but leaving poor Storey in the lurch she was left in made me gasp and jump online to hunt down when the next book would be available. *curls into a little fetal ball and rocks*

So, in case you couldn't figure it out, this book ends on a pretty hefty cliffhanger. I mean, there are cliffhangers and then there are cliffhangers. This one is the second. This is one that blindsided me. I thought everything was working out and we'd get some happy time before jumping into the next part of the story. Alas, no. Am I salivating to know what happens? Indeed I am.

*deep breath* I liked this book. I liked it quite a lot. I thought Storey was an interesting character. I liked that she thought outside the box. I liked that her questioning of things made Eric begin to question things. I liked that the bad guys aren't all black and white. I have no clue how things are going to play out in the next book and that's kind of a neat feeling. On top of the imminent peril our heroine is in, there are a lot of things that Storey unwittingly did as she was learning to use the stylus that she'll have to figure out how to undo.

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the next book.”--Kelly Rubidoux

5.0 out of 5 stars – “A unique, wonderful book in a new amazing YA series!” “I think the main character, Storey, may be one of my favorite female leads ever. This girl showed almost no weakness; she was strong, determined, and remained calm in the face of danger. Instead of acting helpless and uncertain, she took charge of pretty much every situation, not afraid of her abilities with the stylus. She only yearned to learn more about what she could do with it. I think Eric was a great match for her - even when things seemed hopeless and the council members in his dimension wanted her dead, he stayed by her side and believed in her. When the book starts out, Eric insists that his world is so much more superior and simply believes in everything he's been told. He really shows growth when he stands up to his father and the rest of the council on Storey's behalf, arguing that she didn't know the repercussions of picking up the stylus (which she thought was just an old pencil).

I absolutely loved the characters, they were multi-dimensional and it was easy to see them grow as the story progressed. I really enjoyed the entire story line, it felt really fresh and unique and the entire book flowed extremely well. I literally could not put it down!

I don't have much bad to say about this book. I would have liked to know more about Eric and his world. From what I can gather it is much like our world, only more advanced since they studied us for many years and learned from our technology. I would have just liked more descriptions about the other dimension (both Eric's and the one where the enemies, Louer's, exist).

Romance Sizzle or Fizzle? : I would have to say sizzle! It was a slow moving relationship, with Storey more wary of Eric in the beginning than anything, wondering why he was so interested in her and her "pencil". As she learns about the stylus and the other dimensions, she realizes she needs Eric in order to survive and decides to work with him to try and fix everything. The more time they spend together, the more they are drawn to each other. Their first kiss caught Storey completely off-guard, but\ that's all it took for her to realize that maybe she has more feelings for Eric than she thought.

I found this book to be extremely unique. It involved different dimensions, a stylus that is capable of almost anything, and an enemy that, although terrifying, has a tortured past. It was definitely a very refreshing, new YA read.

This book was so different than any I've read lately and it had me hooked from the beginning. There was a nice balance of action, discovery, and mystery, with a nice bit of romance in there as well. The ending will leave you reeling and I guarantee you'll be saying "I need book two NOW!"--Jamie (Bookerella)

Deadly Designs (Designs #2)

by Dale Mayer

Published by Valley Publishing (Indie)

Length: 200 pages (eBook format)

YA Fantasy Romance

Contains elements of action and adventure

Heat Level: Sweet

Available at:

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009OWQWEI/

Blurb:

Drawing is her world...but when she's banished to a deadly new world and needs help, it's his world too.

Her... Storey Dalton wants to go home - but something goes terrifyingly wrong and she ends up in her worst nightmare. There's no escape...not without Eric or her stylus. Then she finds someone who needs rescuing even more than she does...

Him... Eric Jordan races to save Storey, only to realize a close family member has betrayed them both. Now the enemy is closing in on him. When he meets up with Storey, he knows her plans are a bad idea, but she won't be dissuaded...and it could be their only way of staying alive.

It... The stylus, now bonded to Storey's artistic soul, is determined to survive this new chaos - against all odds. But damaged from a prolonged separation, he can't help Story or Eric - without making things worse.

Them... Storey is determined to make things right. Eric is determined to help her. Neither counts the personal cost, until their very lives are in danger.

Excerpt:

Panic sat on the edge of her consciousness, waiting for a moment of weakness to pounce. She'd come to rely on the stylus and sketchbook so much that she found herself at a loss as to what to do now. Her simple codex, not like the high-tech one that Eric wore, didn't appear to be functioning either. She'd tried pushing the buttons, hoping to recreate the same musical combination Eric had used, but the instrument made no sounds.

Had the Councilman managed to switch codexes so Paxton gave her a broken one, too? Or was it the prison walls preventing the codex from functioning? Or her being in an altogether different dimension? She wished she'd taken the time to learn more about how to use these travel machines. She'd figured she had time to study it at her leisure once she got home. Have Eric give her some one-on-one training time this coming weekend, maybe.

Now she was imprisoned with only the codex, which she had no idea how to use, to help her escape. Damn it.

She could excuse her lack of foresight. It had been a hellish couple of days. Her emotions had been all over the place.

Yeah. Hindsight gave her a different perspective. If she couldn't draw her way out of here, or portal her way back through the codex's abilities, she was literally stuck here with only old fashioned methods of escape. Now if only she knew what they were.

She had yet to see her captors. She also had no weapons or anything to make a weapon from. For all intents and purposes, she'd been dumped into a hole in the ground and forgotten.

A horrible thought and one she really didn't want to dwell on.

She couldn't believe how much she missed her stylus. She could only hope whoever had it was taking care of it. There were souls in there. Souls that needed care.

She had been able to communicate verbally with her stylus, at least while she'd been holding it. She'd still had to write the answers down, but…what if she scratched a message in the dirt? Would the stylus be able to talk to her? They were still bonded and according to it, would eventually be able to communicate both ways telepathically. Only she had to develop her skills for that to happen.

It was worth a try. But what did she have to scratch in the dirt with? She studied the tab on her jacket zipper. Made from hard metal, it had ripped half off already.

With a hard tug, she pulled the tab off and took several steps forward, looking for where the ground might be softest. Everything that she'd seen so far had been damn near rock. Back where she'd first regained consciousness, she squatted down and scratched, Stylus, can you hear me?

She scratched again. Stylus, I'm in trouble. Can you help?

More silence.

Damn it. She didn't want to admit it, but fear was starting an insidious slide inside her mind. She tried again, harder, almost making her fingers bleed from trying to scratch an impression into the ground with such a small tool. Stylus. I need help. Contact Paxton. I need Eric to escape.

She bowed her head. What had she expected?

She'd been tossed into a hell hole and no one knew. Except…maybe, the Councilman. The man was a power hungry toad. Remembering the look of satisfaction in his beady eyes as she disappeared to God knew where sent more shivers down her spine. It also had another effect.

Anger and pride rose to battle the loneliness and fear. She would not let him win.

Ready for the Giveaway?
a Rafflecopter giveaway About the Author:

Dale Mayer is a prolific multi-published writer. She's best known 

for her Psychic Visions series. Besides her romantic suspense/thrillers, Dale

also writes paranormal romance and crossover young adult books in

several different genres. To go with her fiction, she also writes

nonfiction in many different fields with books available on resume

writing, companion gardening and the US mortgage system. She 

has recently published her Career Essentials Series . All her books are

available in print format as well.

Visit Dale online at:

Website - http://www.dalemayer.com

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dalemayer

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/dalemayer.author

BOOKS BY DALE MAYER

Psychic Vision Series

Tuesday's Child

Hide'n Go Seek

Maddy's Floor

Garden of Sorrow - Out December 1, 2012

Single Title Romantic Suspense/thrillers

Touched by Death – out now!

Novellas

It's a Dog's Life- romantic comedy

Young Adult Books

In Cassie's Corner

Dangerous Designs – Book I

Deadly Designs – Book 2 – out now!

Vampire in Denial – Book I of Blood Ties

Vampire in Distress – Book 2!

Gem Stone Mystery Series- out now!

Non-Fiction Books

Career Essentials: The Resume

Career Essentials: The Cover Letter

Career Essentials: The Interview

Career Essentials: 3 in 1

Blog Tour: 6 Seconds of Life

6 Seconds of Life
By Tonya Fitzharris
Release Date: September 1st, 2012

Goodreads Summary: Maura has just jumped.

Now she has precisely six seconds until she hits the water below her--just six more seconds until she is finally freed from her mundane and aimless existence. Freed of all of the regrets and disappointments that have haunted her throughout her nineteen years.

She just needs to be free.

But as she falls, the most pivotal points of her life start to replay like a movie in her head: her family falling apart, her first love, her first heartbreak, and her first betrayal. As she remembers these moments that brought her to this point, will she feel a sense of peace? Or will her death be her greatest regret?

"6 Seconds of Life" is a new adult novel that not only explores the ups and downs of college life, but the ups and downs of life as we know it.

Today, we have the awesome author, Tonya Fitzharris's amazing guest post! Thank you being here on my blog today!

The Real-Life Inspiration for "6 Seconds of Life"

During my junior year of college, a twenty-year-old girl committed suicide by jumping off the the dorm right next door to where I was taking my mid-term exam.  Our classroom was silent, but we were all jolted out of our concentration when we heard the horrific screams from the onlookers.  It was right around lunchtime, by far the busiest time of day on my college's campus.  Hundreds of people witnessed this girl plummet ten stories to her death.  Everyone in my classroom stopped focusing their eyes on their test paper and instead let their feelings of fear wash across their faces.  This couldn't really be happening.  A few minutes later, we heard the ambulances come.  But when they left, they didn't have their sirens on anymore.

"That means she's really dead," said one girl in my class.  Of course we all probably guessed this.  But knowing that someone took their only life just steps away from where we sat was the most unsettling feeling most of us had felt in our young lives.  Hearing it outloud just cemented that fact forever.

The next day, I couldn't stop myself from walking by the front steps of the dorm where she killed herself.  I lived in that very dorm just a few months earlier.  I could have been one of those students that watched her fall past their window.  I stood back and watched as her friends wept next to the plot of grass where her body made contact with the earth and her life abruptly ended.  Flowers and candles and letters littered the grass.  My heart was unbearably heavy, and I just couldn't shake the haunting air of her life that seemed to surround me.  I didn't know her.  But I knew people that did.  They talked of the very difficult months she had leading up to her death, and how they didn't realize it at the time--but she had been planning her demise for a while now.

I never forgot about her.  I never forgot about how sad and how lost she must have been to bring her to that final decision.  And I just couldn't shake the thought of what it must have been like during those last few seconds of her life.  What did she think about while she was falling?  Did she instantly regret it?  Did she feel at peace?

I always knew that her story would be a part of me.  I knew that I wanted to do something to bring her story to light, and maybe help someone else who was feeling the same way she was.  This girl that I never knew changed me.  And now I want to change someone else in a more positive way.  Because her story is a much too popular story.

"6 Seconds of Life" was written for her.

Cindy's Summary: There are such things as captivating covers and captivating teasers. And I must say, in this case, the teaser really captivated me. I mean, I knew I had to read this book, and luckily, it was on book tour, so I got to read it, thanks to Tonya Fitzharris. :) 

That six seconds is like a very important part of her life. The last six seconds she, Maura, have left to live. In those few precious seconds, Maura had basically relived though her recent part of her life. That part that took her by the hair and angrily shook her up and down. That part led her to do bad things. To break out into the world. To do what she's doing right now. Suicide. 

I literally cried through this book, imagining how hard it would be on me, if I was Maura. Like this pain, isn't really something a teenager like Maura should feel. And one pain led to another, leaving her broken like someone breaking glass into pieces, then using a hammer, hammering it to bits. But even though Maura had suffered so much, had she really wanted to die? 


Exerpt 1:
I think deep down, I’ve always known it was going to end this way. I was never meant to live a long life. I accepted this fate a long time ago. I was just waiting for the right moment.

I wanted to fall in love first. I wanted to experience what it was like to have a real family first. I wanted to know what it was like to be sincerely happy, even if it was short-lived. I got all of those firsts.

And now I’m ready to move forward.

I inch my feet closer to the open sky. And closer. Until my naked toes are peeking over the edge. The water cracks violently below me, begging for me to join in on all of the fun. Just a few more seconds before it’s all over.

Until I’m free.

I’m totally relaxed. This moment, it’s all mine. No one can take it away from me. I close my eyes. The sounds of high heels clicking on the walkway and cameras snapping and preserving memories and street musicians begging for spare change surround me. I breathe in their music and let it be the soundtrack to the closing credits of my life.

I raise my arms up to my side, reaching for the skies that surround me. And I step into the air.

I’m flying now.

Excerpt 2:

“I guess I’ll just know it when that time finally comes along,” he whispers. His lips graze my cheek and we stop waltzing. His hand comes up and brushes my flyaway bangs behind my ear, the tips of his fingers running along the back of my earlobe. An overpowering wave of desire and anticipation wells up from my stomach, causing my internal hurricane to erupt into a monsoon. I let his eyes lock with mine, restraining me like a pair of handcuffs. They inspect me, almost like they’re looking right through my skin and into everything that’s underneath, begging to learn anything and everything about me. I don’t move. Maybe if I can manage to stay totally still, this moment might last forever.

His face moves closer. My chest is caving in on itself.

Is this it?

About the Author: 

http://www.tonyafitzharris.com/p/about.html#.UIDNLMXR7mM

So like, this is a  link to her blog that talks about herself. She has this amazing page book thing that shows her basic life, story. So have fun reading it!

Links: 
Barnes and Nobles: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/6-seconds-of-life-tonya-fitzharris/1112764333

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/6-Seconds-Life-Tonya-Fitzharris/dp/1479273074/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1350777579&sr=8-2&keywords=6+Seconds+of+Life

Tonya Fitzharris's Website: http://www.tonyafitzharris.com/

Tonya's Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonyafitzharris

Blog Tour: The Saint's Devilish Deal Review

Title: The Saint’s Devilish Deal

Author: Kristina Knight

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Esmerelda Quinn has been looking for a place to belong since her parents were killed in a car crash when she was young. The closest thing to home has always been Aunt Constance's villa in Puerto Vallarta, so after a string of dead-end hotellier jobs, she's coming home to run the villa.

Santiago Cruz has called the villa home for as long as he can remember. In between surfing events, Constance has always had a room for him. Color him surprised when Constance decides to retire - and leaves a joint interest in the villa to both Santiago and Esme.

Esme isn't thrilled to share ownership of the villa with the the youngest Cruz brother - especially when she learns Santiago's brother has been after the villa for years. But Santiago has grown up while she's been away at school and soon she finds herself falling for the rich boy down the hall.

Cindy's Summary/Opinions: The Saint's Devilish Deal was more of an adult read, but I got through it anyways, since I have read more mature books.The book starts off with Esme going back home to take care of the villa because her aunt, Constance is sick. But when Esme finds out she have to share ownership with her past lover, she doesn't know how to get through. Why Santiago Cruz of all people. Santiago Cruz, on the other hand, is a loud, obnoxious playboy. Even though Esme keeps telling herself over and over again not to fall for him again, she can't help it. Even if it were make Esme fall flat on her face, she still can't help herself but to fall deeply in love with Saint. 

 Overall though, this book was a hot-read that leads you by the tail's end trying to finish the book. When you want to stop, you instead get your head filled up with questions like "Do Santiago (Saint) really end up with Esmeralda (Esme) at the end?" So you don't stop until you reached the end.

This book is a love story that leaves one wanting to read more. I would recommend it to people who really enjoys romance novels at a slightly mature level. Well. It's like PG-13. And I am old enough. I guess. LOL.

Book Excerpt

Santiago casually lounged in one corner of the sofa, looking exactly as he had all those years ago when they were kids.  The board shorts reached to his knees, but instead of camouflaging the cords of muscles on his thighs they delineated every line.  Broken in Birkenstocks covered his tanned feet.  Who attended one meeting – much less two – dressed for a surfing competition?  Anyone with the last name Cruz, a hateful inner voice noted.  He appeared cool and comfortable, making her feel even more hot and uncomfortable. 

So Velazquez and supposedly her aunt wanted her to share the villa with Santiago for the next six months?  She didn't think so.  She'd worked too hard in California to build a great resume and get the right experience to sit back and allow Santiago or his family to add her perfect villa to their over-priced, over-decorated resorts. 

            "Senorita Quinn, I know this comes as a shock, but Constance was very clear before she left for her extended rest."  The lawyer's voice brought her abruptly back to the present.  His glance skipped from her face to Santiago's and back again.  "She wants you and Santiago to run the villa, together.  Her wishes are clear.  As Santiago has been in-residence for the past few months, he is intimately familiar with Constance's business.  At the end of six months, whoever has done the best job will receive full control of the property," Senor Velazquez repeated, looking more annoyed than ever.  Apparently he wasn't used to anyone questioning his explanations.

            What he didn't understand was that Esme was not questioning the explanation but the motivation behind the plan in general.  Just how had Santiago convinced Constance this was a good idea?  A vacation resort needed stability to grow, not one manger one week and another manager the next.  And, yes, he'd been living in the villa, but as a guest not working as an employee.

            The situation reeked of Cruz manipulations.  Crossing her arms over her chest, Esme sat back and declared, "I want to see my aunt before I sign anything."

Santiago shifted on the sofa.  "Esmerelda, I suggest we deal with the situation as it has been dealt to us.  Constance's wishes are clear," he waved a hand toward Velazquez's desk, "so why don't you just say what's on your mind.  You do not trust me, eh?  Constance did.  That should be enough."

She cut her eyes to him.  His olive complexion was darker than ever so he obviously didn't spend much time in the boardroom.  His too-long hair – not that she cared – had to be part of his clinically surfer-boy look.  Were the rumors true?  Had he cut his ties to Cruz Resorts to focus on surfing?  She couldn't imagine him turning his back on the family business.  Santiago might present the image of a laid-back surfer, but he was raised to be a cold-hearted businessman.  The Italian suit might be missing, but the watch on his wrist cost more than her entire ensemble.  Eduardo Cruz's heir might be carefully concealed, but he was still in there.  Somewhere. 

Hadn't she learned that lesson the last time around?

She focused on her nemesis.  "Look, you may have conned Aunt Constance with your surfer boy routine, but I don't buy it.  Why don't you go buy a coffee downstairs while the adults talk?"

The lawyer gasped but Santiago only grinned.  Just like him not to get an insult when it was flung directly at him.  Okay, technically thrown at his feet, because she found it hard to look directly into those chocolate brown eyes without wanting to scratch them out of his face.  Or drown in them.  God, she thought she was past the point of being charmed by The Saint. 

"I see the kitten has sharpened her claws," he drawled, rolling each syllable off his tongue as if it were the finest dark chocolate in the world. 

Despite the heat of the day, Esme shivered.  Annoyed that he could still affect her this way, she snapped, "Yes and this time around I'm willing to use them." 

"That sounds promising."

Author Bio

Once upon a time, Kristina Knight spent her days running from car crash to fire to meetings with local police - no, she wasn't a trouble-maker she was a journalist. When the opportunity to write what she wanted - business and family/parenting articles - and to focus more energy on the stories in her head, she jumped at it.

And she's never looked back. Now she writes articles for magazines and such by day and writes romance novels with spice by night. And any toddler-free, five minute break she has. She lives on Lake Erie with her husband and 4 year old daughter. Happily ever after. 

Links

Website:

http://www.kristinaknightauthor.com

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/kristinaknightromanceauthor

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/authorkristina

Pinterest:

http://pinterest.com/authorkristina/