Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Wave by Jennifer Foor ~*~*~*~*~ Blog Tour and Review





Wave by Jennifer Foor
Release Date: April 22, 2017

A beautifully interpreted story of perseverance.

Add to your TBR:


Buy Links:





Brian (Baz) Zakins has dreamed of becoming a
pro-surfer since he was a child. At twenty-two, he knows he's running out of time to attract a sponsorship.
Determination. Dedication.
NO DISTRACTIONS!!
Miley Rose never should have been in the water that afternoon. Tourists have no business swimming in local surfing areas, but there she was, being taken under by a ten foot swell.
What Baz didn't realize was that saving this beautiful woman would have devastating consequences; ones that may potentially rob him of everything he ever wanted.
This is the story of
loss - pain- and finding the courage to continue
when none seems possible.
Find out if love can save a lost soul, or if the majestic waves of the sea will wash away the hope for a new future.
 



Review:



I Heart Books Review

Wave by Jennifer Foor
Review by Theresa Esterline
Stars: 5 

Pipedreams

What an emotional ride this story has.  It will pull on your heartstrings from start to finish.  In true J4 style there are quite a few comic breaks.  From competition to the sidelines and from depression to purpose, this story has it all!  And now a bit about the story...

Baz has been given a second chance at competing in the surfing circuit.  He is bound and determined to make it this time.  Miley has just lost her mom to Huntington's and found out her boyfriend was using her as a shield.  With nothing left to live for other than homelessness and sky high medical bills, she heads to paradise to end it all.  When Baz and Miley meet he is cocky and confident and she shuts him down.  When he sees her out in the wave too far intuition kicks in and he's determined to save her, but she may just end up saving him...

Favorite passages:
 - It’s like he works all day to keep from losing it, and the second someone from his life steps in he’s far too depressed to consider a recovery. Baz takes one step forward and two steps back.

 - I know she’ll light up the room and make me smile. “No. It’s silly.” Miley shakes her head. “Sorry. When I’m uncomfortable I tend to go off topic.” “You could talk about milking cows on a farm and I’ll hang onto your every word.”








Saturday, April 22, 2017

Wave by Jennifer Foor ~*~*~*~*~ Release Day Blitz



Wave by Jennifer Foor
Release Date: April 22, 2017

A beautifully interpreted story of perseverance.

Add to your TBR:


Buy Links:




Brian (Baz) Zakins has dreamed of becoming a
pro-surfer since he was a child. At twenty-two, he knows he's running out of time to attract a sponsorship.
Determination. Dedication.
NO DISTRACTIONS!!
Miley Rose never should have been in the water that afternoon. Tourists have no business swimming in local surfing areas, but there she was, being taken under by a ten foot swell.
What Baz didn't realize was that saving this beautiful woman would have devastating consequences; ones that may potentially rob him of everything he ever wanted.
This is the story of
loss - pain- and finding the courage to continue
when none seems possible.
Find out if love can save a lost soul, or if the majestic waves of the sea will wash away the hope for a new future.
 







Thursday, April 20, 2017

Revelry by Kandi Steiner *~*~*~*~* Release Blitz, Blog Tour and Review

Title: Revelry
Author: Kandi Steiner
Release Date: April 20, 2017
Add to TBR


From the bestselling author of Weightless and A Love Letter to Whiskey

Wren Ballard is trying to find herself.

She never expected to be divorced at twenty-seven, but now that the court date has passed, it’s official. The paperwork is final. Her feelings on it aren’t.

Spending the summer in a small mountain town outside Seattle is exactly what she needs. The peaceful scenery is a given, the cat with the croaky meow is a surprise, but the real kicker? A broody neighbor with nice arms, a strange reputation, and absolutely no interest in her.

Anderson Black is perfectly fine being lost.

He doesn’t care about the town’s new resident — he’s too busy fighting his own demons. But when he’s brought face to face with Wren, he can see her still-fresh wounds from a mile away. What he doesn’t see coming is his need to know who put them there — or his desperation to mend them.

Sometimes getting lost is the way to find yourself. Sometimes healing only adds a new scar. And sometimes the last place you expected to be is exactly where you find home.



REVIEW


I Heart Books Review

Revelry by Kandi Steiner
Review by Theresa Esterline
Stars: 5

Revving the engine... to speed away and start over!!

Real life romance with anger, tragedy, rescue, passion, love and survival... not necessarily in that order.  The characters are very relatable.  The scenes are easily envisioned.  And I just couldn't stop turning the pages!  And now a bit about the story...

Wren is recently divorced and has decided to take a summer hiatus from her design business. She still plans to sketch over the summer, but will not be going into the shop on a daily basis.  She needs to find herself again.  Her passion, spark, and design flair has been missing lately.  As she escapes to a small mountain community, she finds her life changing, healing even.

Anderson has been barely existing the last seven years, since his cousins death.  Then a new woman moves into the cabin down the lane.  From the first time he saw her his life starts changing.  He is slowly starting to live again.  

Will they heal each other or give up before they can hurt one another more...

Favorite passages:
 - Funny, isn’t it, how often we fight what our hearts try to tell us.
 - Maybe I wasn’t broken after all, maybe I was only learning to walk on a new kind of path, a gravel road my tender feet had yet to master.
 - Insecurity was a tricky bastard. I’d gone from sailing on the highest of clouds to walking under one that was constantly drizzling on my head.
 - I’d learned that if a move in life didn’t make you feel like singing and throwing up all at once, it wasn’t big enough.
 - And maybe that’s what love was, giving someone the power to shatter you and trusting that they wouldn’t.





I had just grabbed my oversized hat and slipped my sunglasses on when I spotted Anderson walking up the drive with a large trash bag slung over his shoulder. He wore a simple, black V-neck and distressed jeans, an outfit way too dark and hot for the heat. A light sheen of sweat gathered on his neck as he made his way toward my cabin, his eyes hidden behind all-black sunglasses.

"Change your mind?" I asked, not even fighting the grin on my face as I walked outside and leaned against the banister.

Anderson squinted up at me, his boots heavy as they hit each stair. "About?"

"Tubing?" I asked. That was why he was here, right?

"Oh." He shook his head as he hit the top stair, shrugging the bag off his shoulders to hold it by the neck in one fist. "No, I have somewhere to be..." His voice trailed off, and even through the tinted shades of his glasses I felt his eyes on my chest. I'd strapped on my favorite boho print bathing suit and paired it with a dainty gold chain that wrapped around my neck once before dipping between my chest and crossing over my ribs.

He sniffed, holding the bag out toward me. "I just came to drop these off. My clothes. Well, the ones that could probably use a little TLC."

My eyes lit up and I reached for the bag, but Anderson snatched it back, brows shooting up into his forehead.

"No frills, Wren."

I threw my hands up in surrender. "I promise."

He smirked, just slightly, and handed the bag over, tucking his hands in his front pockets.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" I asked, peering into the bag at my project before setting it just inside the cabin and locking the door behind me.

"I can't," he said, lips pressed together. He was tense, the muscles on his forearms tight as he glanced around at pretty much everything but me.

I opened my mouth to ask why but was cut off by the sound of a truck flying into my drive, tires sliding against the gravel.

Tucker was in the driver's seat with Davie in the passenger. Sarah and Yvette sat in the back, laughing with their hands up as the truck skidded to a stop. They were both sprawled out on a pile of tubes, wearing bathing suit tops and tiny shorts.

All of their faces froze when they saw Anderson.

"Hey, you ready, Wren?" Tucker asked warily, his eyes moving from where Anderson stood in front of me, to me, and back again.

"Yeah, one sec!" I called back.

I turned to Anderson, but his eyes were hard on Tucker, jaw ticking under his skin. When he faced me once more, an anchor fell from my throat into the pit of my stomach, immobilizing me completely. Because even though I 'd tried to convince myself I was wrong, I recognized the look in his eyes.

Possession.

And when his nose flared and he took one big step toward me, our chests brushing, his hand reaching out to rest almost imperceptibly on my hip, the anchor in my stomach exploded into flames, burning a desire so fierce I inhaled a toxic breath and didn't let it go.

"Be careful, okay?" His eyes locked on mine just before he leaned in and swiftly kissed my cheek.

He turned on his heel and jogged down the stairs and past the truck. Sarah called his name, but he didn't acknowledge her, just kept his gaze forward until he'd disappeared from view.

And then everyone looked at me.



Kandi Steiner is a bestselling author and whiskey connoisseur living in Tampa, FL. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.

An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. She started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.” She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic, and likes to highlight all the challenges of love as well as the triumphs.

When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys live music, traveling, anything heavy in carbs, beach days, movie marathons, craft beer and sweet wine — not necessarily in that order.
 

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Paper Fools (Hearts and Arrows #1) by Staci Hart *~*~*~*~* Blog Tour and Review

SBPRBanner-Paperfools-BT

In the game of love, she never loses.

 

Paper Fools by Staci Hart is available now!!

cover-wrap-pf

Title: Paper Fools

Author: Staci Hart

Cover Designer: Quirkybird Designs

Photographer: Lauren Watson Perry

Aphrodite knows love — just don’t ask her to figure out her own mess.
Rather than deal with her sticky love life, she toys with the hearts of unwitting humans. It’s a little game she plays, and the stakes are high. Lucky for her, she’s just found the perfect match.
Lex is everything Dean needs, but he can’t have her.
It doesn’t matter that her eyes speak to a long forgotten part of him, or that her art and poetry touch his shredded heart. She’s off limits — crossing that line would implode his band and everything he’s ever cared about. There’s only one option: stay away from her, no matter the cost. Even if the price is his heart.
Dean is everything Lex wants, but she can’t take the risk.
The second she meets him, she knows her heart is in danger. She’s convinced it’s only attraction that has her hung up on the dark, quiet lead singer, but with every day that passes, she knows it’s more. It’s just that she can’t put her heart on the line. She won’t — love has never been worth the sacrifice.
If only they knew they were just pawns in a much bigger game. And in the game of love, Aphrodite never loses.
*Formerly titled Deer in Headlights, Paper Fools has been rewritten and reedited just for you.*

Excerpt:

She reached into her bag, digging around in the black hole for her book, but looked up, sensing someone in front of her. When her eyes locked on his, she froze. They were the greenest eyes she’d ever seen, shocking and bright, rimmed by thick, dark lashes. His long face was graced with an elegant nose and wide lips bent in a crooked smile. And he was tall, really tall, with ebony hair that fell forward as he looked down at her. He pushed it back without seeming to think about it, but it still looked perfectly tossed, like he’d just rolled out of bed. She realized she still hadn’t taken a breath and flushed as she fumbled and almost dropped her book. “Uh, hi. I’m Lex.” She tossed her hand in a wave, hoping she looked casual. He paused for a second, watching her with an expression she couldn’t quite place. The moment seemed to stretch on forever, and as she studied him, it dawned on her that he was amused. This unnerved her, even more so when it dawned upon her that it was exactly what he wanted. “Hey,” he said, the timbre of his voice deep and full. “I’m Dean.” Lex realized her mouth was open. And that he was smirking. And that he was dead sexy while he was doing it. She closed her mouth and cocked an eyebrow, putting on her snark to hide the fact that he’d gotten to her. “Dean, huh? I heard they call you Professor Panty Dropper.” His smile stretched wider. “Oh, is that what they say?” “They do.” A tall blond, who she guessed was Roe, stood at the microphone, glaring at them. “Mic check, Dean.” They stared at each other like idiots for a split second longer before Dean turned to pick up his guitar, and he took his place with the rest of the band. She watched him walk away and blinked a few times before turning to her bag again, not looking for anything in particular — she only wanted to keep her hands busy and her eyes off of Dean while she scraped her dignity off the floor.

  fb-now-live

Read Today!

(Free in Kindle Unlimited)
Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/SggznE

teaser-break-you

Review

I Heart Books Review

Paper Fools (Hearts and Arrows #1) by Staci Hart
Review by Theresa Esterline
Stars: 5

Oh Gods! I loved it <3

I'm not sure I've ever read a story like this.  It was like two stories for the price of one!  Instead of the narrator just pulling the strings there was a story going on in the narrator's world too.  You'll laugh, get chills, hot flashes, be frustrated, and hopeful!  And now a bit about the story...

Dita, short for Aphrodite, and Apollo are competing.  Dita to get Dean and Lex together and Apollo to keep them apart.  While the story of Dean and Lex unfolds, there are several stories taking place in Olympus.  Then there is the secret between Kara and Roe.  Band, drama, gods, what's not to love!!

Favorite passages:
 - “His goodness was always there, even when I didn’t want to see it,”
 - It was like caging a panther, beautiful and dangerous — if she kept him fed, she could tame him. And if she couldn’t, he would devour her until there was nothing left but bones. 
 - Every scenario that crossed her mind did not end well. And by not ending well, she meant ending up lip-locked against a wall.

About the Author

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life -- a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife, though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. From roots in Houston to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she's not writing, she's reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.

  IMG_8015

Connect with Staci:

Monday, April 17, 2017

Paper Fools (Hearts and Arrows #1) by Staci Hart ~*~*~*~ Release Blitz

SBPRBanner-Paperfools-RB.jpg

In the game of love, she never loses.

 

Paper Fools by Staci Hart is now LIVE!!

cover-wrap-pf

Title: Paper Fools

Author: Staci Hart

Cover Designer: Quirkybird Designs

Photographer: Lauren Watson Perry

 
Aphrodite knows love — just don’t ask her to figure out her own mess.
Rather than deal with her sticky love life, she toys with the hearts of unwitting humans. It’s a little game she plays, and the stakes are high. Lucky for her, she’s just found the perfect match.
Lex is everything Dean needs, but he can’t have her.
It doesn’t matter that her eyes speak to a long forgotten part of him, or that her art and poetry touch his shredded heart. She’s off limits — crossing that line would implode his band and everything he’s ever cared about. There’s only one option: stay away from her, no matter the cost. Even if the price is his heart.
Dean is everything Lex wants, but she can’t take the risk.
The second she meets him, she knows her heart is in danger. She’s convinced it’s only attraction that has her hung up on the dark, quiet lead singer, but with every day that passes, she knows it’s more. It’s just that she can’t put her heart on the line. She won’t — love has never been worth the sacrifice.
If only they knew they were just pawns in a much bigger game. And in the game of love, Aphrodite never loses.
*Formerly titled Deer in Headlights, Paper Fools has been rewritten and reedited just for you.*


fb-now-live

Read Today!

Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/SggznE


teaser-obsession  

About the Author

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life -- a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife, though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. From roots in Houston to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she's not writing, she's reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.

  IMG_8015

Connect with Staci:

       

Paper Fools (Hearts & Arrows #1) by Staci Hart *~*~*~*~* Release Blitz and Review

PaperFools_banner_RD

Today we have the release blitz of Paper Fools by Staci Hart! I am so excited about this first in a new series from Staci. Check it out and grab your copy today!

Hearts & Arrows

Title: Paper Fools

Author: Staci Hart

Release Day: April 17th

 

About Paper Fools: 

Aphrodite knows love — just don’t ask her to figure out her own mess.  Rather than deal with her sticky love life, she toys with the hearts of unwitting humans. It’s a little game she plays, and the stakes are high. Lucky for her, she’s just found the perfect match. Lex is everything Dean needs, but he can’t have her. It doesn’t matter that her eyes speak to a long forgotten part of him, or that her art and poetry touch his shredded heart. She’s off limits — crossing that line would implode his band and everything he’s ever cared about. There’s only one option: stay away from her, no matter the cost. Even if the price is his heart. Dean is everything Lex wants, but she can’t take the risk. The second she meets him, she knows her heart is in danger. She’s convinced it’s only attraction that has her hung up on the dark, quiet lead singer, but with every day that passes, she knows it’s more. It’s just that she can’t put her heart on the line. She won’t — love has never been worth the sacrifice. If only they knew they were just pawns in a much bigger game. And in the game of love, Aphrodite never loses.  *Formerly titled Deer in Headlights, Paper Fools has been rewritten and reedited for your enjoyment.*

Amazon

teaser-meteors

teaser-just-a-crack

teaser-hoped-for

Review:

I Heart Books Review

Paper Fools (Hearts & Arrows #1) by Staci Hart 
Review by Theresa Esterline
Stars: 5

Oh Gods! I loved it <3


I'm not sure I've ever read a story like this.  It was like two stories for the price of one!  Instead of the narrator just pulling the strings there was a story going on in the narrator's world too.  You'll laugh, get chills, hot flashes, be frustrated, and hopeful!  And now a bit about the story...


Dita, short for Aphrodite, and Apollo are competing.  Dita to get Dean and Lex together and Apollo to keep them apart.  While the story of Dean and Lex unfolds, there are several stories taking place in Olympus.  Then there is the secret between Kara and Roe.  Band, drama, gods, what's not to love!!


Favorite passages:

 - “His goodness was always there, even when I didn’t want to see it,”

 - It was like caging a panther, beautiful and dangerous — if she kept him fed, she could tame him. And if she couldn’t, he would devour her until there was nothing left but bones. 

 - Every scenario that crossed her mind did not end well. And by not ending well, she meant ending up lip-locked against a wall.



About Staci Hart:

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life: a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife, even though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. Her favorite word starts with f and ends with k.   From roots in Houston, to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she's not writing, she's sleeping, cleaning, or designing graphics.  

Connect with Staci:

Facebook: http://facebook.com/stacihartnovels.com

Twitter: @imaquirkybird

Instagram: @quirkybird

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/imaquirkybird

Website: http://stacihartnovels.com

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Staci-Hart/e/B00BFCANRW/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

 

Monday, April 3, 2017

Revelry by Kandi Steiner *~*~*~*~* Cover Reveal



Title: Revelry
Author: Kandi Steiner
Release Date: April 20, 2017



From the bestselling author of Weightless and A Love Letter to Whiskey

Wren Ballard is trying to find herself.

She never expected to be divorced at twenty-seven, but now that the court date has passed, it’s official. The paperwork is final. Her feelings on it aren’t.

Spending the summer in a small mountain town outside Seattle is exactly what she needs. The peaceful scenery is a given, the cat with the croaky meow is a surprise, but the real kicker? A broody neighbor with nice arms, a strange reputation, and absolutely no interest in her.

Anderson Black is perfectly fine being lost.

He doesn’t care about the town’s new resident — he’s too busy fighting his own demons. But when he’s brought face to face with Wren, he can see her still-fresh wounds from a mile away. What he doesn’t see coming is his need to know who put them there — or his desperation to mend them.

Sometimes getting lost is the way to find yourself. Sometimes healing only adds a new scar. And sometimes the last place you expected to be is exactly where you find home.





I stared at the piles of bags, debating which to tackle first before slowly loading them onto each arm one by one. Once I was red-faced and struggling and decided there was, in fact, no way I’d get them all in one trip, I turned to make my way inside the cabin. But I stopped short.

There was a man at the end of my driveway.

He was just standing there, staring at me, a large, rusted toolbox in one hand and rolled up sheet of paper in the other. Everything about him was hard — the bend in his brows, the edge of his jaw, the line of scruff that framed it. And because I was me, of course I noticed what he was wearing, and it was the first time in a long time that I’d seen someone who dressed for efficiency, not for style. His jeans were worn, but not dirty, with plenty of pockets that I could tell were each used in their own way. He donned a simple, deep red thermal with sleeves pushed up to his elbows and slight stains that ran down his chest and abdomen, and a charcoal gray hat sat low over his eyes, shielding them from the sun.

He was tan, and even from the distance his eyes sparked against the warm hue of his skin. They were bright — blue, maybe? Or green? I couldn’t be sure, and I let his potent appearance mesmerize me for just a moment more before I shifted, hoisting the bags in my right hand up enough for me to attempt a half wave.

If possible, his brow lowered further, and he simply stalked off, clearing the view of my driveway in seconds.

I frowned.

“Well, hello to you, too.”




Kandi Steiner is a bestselling author and whiskey connoisseur living in Tampa, FL. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.

An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. She started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.” She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic, and likes to highlight all the challenges of love as well as the triumphs.

When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys live music, traveling, anything heavy in carbs, beach days, movie marathons, craft beer and sweet wine — not necessarily in that order.