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Thursday 22 August 2013

Review: Tarnish by Katherine Longshore


Author: Katherine Longshore
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Page Count: 448 Pages, Hardcover
Date Published: June 18th 2013
Find it on Goodreads: Tarnish
Source: Purchased






Anne Boleyn is the odd girl out. Newly arrived to the court of King Henry VIII, everything about her seems wrong, from her clothes to her manners to her witty but sharp tongue. So when the dashing poet Thomas Wyatt offers to coach her on how to shine at court--and to convince the whole court they're lovers--she accepts. Before long, Anne's popularity has soared, and even the charismatic and irresistible king takes notice. More than popularity, Anne wants a voice--but she also wants love. What began as a game becomes high stakes as Anne finds herself forced to make an impossible choice between her heart's desire and the chance to make history.






Last year, when Gilt was released, I was reintroduced to my love of historical fiction. As a child, I loved reading historical fiction books and I went through a phase where that's all I really did read. But then as I grew older, I wandered into different sections of the school library and discovered mystery novels and contemporaries and of course, more fantasy other than Harry Potter. But historical books were always something that I loved, even after I stopped reading them all the time. And then I picked up Longshore's masterpiece of a book and fell in love again with the concept of reading a story about someone who lived long ago. Tarnish was the same thing. I adored reading about Anne Boleyn when I was in elementary school... I remember this one series of MG books that I loved and one of the books in the series was on Anne and it was in my top 5 favourites. Anne is such an interesting character to read about and Longshore did a beautiful job of creating a story that kept me captivated the entire time I was reading Tarnish.


Anne was such an intriguing character with her strong personality and a past that haunted her at court. Tarnish was an incredible book that I could not put down, no matter how busy I was. It gave me an urge to study Anne Boleyn more and the other characters in this book. I find the Tudors extremely interesting and this book gave me even more reason to feel that way. I'd highly recommend Longshore's books to anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction or anyone who is interested in trying it out!



Happy reading!
~Kristy

Sunday 18 August 2013

The Roadtrip Dilemma

Hey guys! I'm writing from Oregon!!! I'm on a little vacation with my grandparents and two brothers and we've just spent the last two days getting lost driving to the Oregon Coast! We're here for a week  and I'm super excited to be having a little break from the home routine and I'll be definitely spending a majority of the time with my nose in a book on the beautiful beaches! But today, I wanted to talk more about how packing went for me...


Obviously, an important part of going on vacation is what you pack. It's usually the essentials, right? Clothes, PJs, toothbrush and toothpaste, face wash, whichever electronics you want and a book to read.... But wait. What if you're one of us? I mean if you're reading this blog, I'm sure you're part of the group of people that I'm talking about. Some people have a hard time cutting down on how many pairs of shoes they pack. Us? It's the books. 

While I was packing, I had a pretty easy time with my clothes and shoes and hygienic products. That's simple. But then I started packing my iPod, my laptop, a magazine and then I got to the pile of books I had picked to bring...

Ooops...

So, I had to take some books out of the pile. BUT HOW DO WE DECIDE!?!?!??

Yes, I have an eReader, but it's not the best in the world, so I don't use it very often. I prefer physical books and that's hard when you're travelling. I figured I would bring three books plus my eReader. So I packed one that I've been meaning to read forever (The Book Thief), one that I need to read for review (All Our Yesterdays) and one MONSTER BOOK (Game of Thrones). I figure with those three plus the eReader, I should have plenty and if not, I saw a cute little book shop a few blocks away from where we're camping! 



I want to know: How do you sort out the books you're going to bring while traveling? Is it difficult for you or do you have an eReader and therefore use only that? If you're going on a plane, how many do you carry on? 




Happy reading!
~Kristy


Thursday 15 August 2013

A-Z Survey (Created by Perpetual Page Turner!)

Hey guys! Today I thought I'd do the A-Z survey that was created by Jamie over at The Perpetual Page Turner! I absolutely adore Jamie's blog.. It's one of my all time favourites! So when I saw this survey, I immediately knew I had to do it! 

Author you’ve read the most books from:
Probably Anne M. Martin, considering I've read  almost all of the Babysitter's Club books... but in YA? I'm not too sure. Maybe Richelle Mead. 

Best Sequel Ever:
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi



Currently Reading:
Pawn by Aimee Carter

Drink of Choice While Reading:
Tea or water!

E-reader or Physical Book?
Physical!!! I do love my ereader for travel though!

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:
I have no idea... maybe Eli from Along for the Ride... we could not sleep, together. ;)

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews 

Hidden Gem Book:
Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky... I don't know if it's 'hidden' but I think everyone needs to read it!

Important Moment in your Reading Life: 
Finishing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for the first time. That was a hard one. 

Just Finished:
Anatomy of a Single Girl by Daria Snadowsky

Kinds of Books You Won't Read: 
Horror books that are filled with graphic scenes... just not enjoyable. eugh.


Longest Book You’ve Read:
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (870 pages)

Major book hangover because of:
Just One Day by Gayle Forman 

Number of Bookcases You Own:
Two. One wide with five shelves and one thinner with six shelves. But I also have books on the shelves in my cabinets in my room, as well as on my bedside table.

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (I've read ALL of the Potter books multiple times, just that one the most :P)

Preferred Place To Read:
Starbucks (or any other coffee shop will do), the big chair on my back deck or my bed, all curled up in my blanket!

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." - J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)
“C'est courageux d'aller dans l'inconnu': It is courageous to go into territory unknown.”  - Gayle Forman (Just One Day)
“Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.”  - Rainbow Rowell (Eleanor & Park)

Reading Regret:
Having not read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy yet...

Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):
The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare... yeah... You know...

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Harry Potter 1-7 by J.K. Rowling (pssh, cheating? Who, me?)
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Unapologetic Fangirl For:
Absolutely everything that Tahereh Mafi does and writes and says and agh I'm not even sorry. I may or may not have teared up when I met her... 




Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:
The Beginning of Everything  by Robyn Schneider AND Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi... AHHHHHHH SO EXCITED!

Worst Bookish Habit:
Putting review books to the last minute and then scrambling to get them read before their release date! OOPS!



X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:
(Since I'm not at home, I am looking at my goodreads shelf & choosing my 27th book read)
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (My bookshelf is currently in disarray so I just picked a random pile on the top shelf and started there! I'm in need of a bookshelf organising party :P)

Your latest book purchase:
What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo! SO WORTH IT!

That was fun! I love stuff like this! If you did the A-Z survey, leave me a link to yours in the comments! I'd love to see what you put!

Happy reading!
~Kristy

Wednesday 14 August 2013

Review: Uninvited by Leah Spiegel & Meg Summers (+Guest Post)



Author: Leah Spiegel and Meg Summers
Page Count: 302 pages, eBook
Date Published: February 11th 2012
Find it on Goodreads: Uninvited
Source: Copy for review for tour from author


When Alley started her senior year at Upper East High in the South Hills area, it was supposed to be the usual drag of hanging out with people who spent more on one outfit than Alley did on her entire wardrobe. That was until Kirsten, a girl in their clique, suddenly goes missing and the only people who seem to care are her friends. All evidence leads to the new comer Shane, a cocky and self-pretentious person in Alley’s opinion, but the police seem uninterested so she and the rest of the girls start a little investigation of their own. But they are nowhere closer to finding Kirsten than when they started and now they had the police’s attention; just not in the way they expected. The girls have to start over and discover that maybe it wasn’t an outsider who took Kirsten, but someone within their own clique who has something to hide; a secret that just might have gotten Kirsten killed.



Uninvited is a book that I wouldn't normally think I'd enjoy, but surprisingly, I did! It was a fun read with a bit of a Pretty Little Liar's vibe, as it involves some sleuthing and mystery, as well as your typical teenage girl drama with cliques, bullying and family issues. But, when I say PLL, it's definitely not the exact same, so don't fret if you're not a PLL fan!

This was a light read for me, one that I read pretty quickly. While there was some predictability when it came to the plot, I was still surprised by some of the little twists and turns and that kept me reading, because I love mysteries, if they can keep me guessing the whole way through! The only thing that I really didn't enjoy was the repetition of phrases and the constant brand-dropping. There comes a point where a Thesaurus is really handy.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fun mystery novel with a high school setting and even a bit of romance on the side! Enjoy!


.5



EXCERPT:

~A few serious looking lifters, wearing do rags over top of their heads, paused to watch us enter the main floor of the gym. I would have thought the wind was blowing through our hair like how it happens in movies by the way their mouths dropped at the sight of us. Feeling like hot stuff, I tried to hold back a smile until he led us off to a side room and explained, “First, I have to measure you.”
“Lord have mercy,” Kayla groaned.
“What did you sign me up for?” I hissed at Val, but she just grimaced and shrugged.
“Is it too late to turn around?” Kayla groaned.
“So who’s first?” Kellen asked brightly.
Kayla and I shrunk back from the rest of the group, but Libby, who had the figure of a stick, confidently strode forward and held her arms out with a smug smile on her face as he took measurements.
“Anorexic,” Kayla coughed, and both our shoulders shook in silent laughter.


"Author can pick one:
1. Creating believable characters
2. A day in the life of the author
3. How to deal with procrastination"

Leah doesn’t have a problem with procrastination. She doesn’t do anything half-way. Number 2 is easy. Leah: get up, write, play with dogs, write, go to the gym, cook dinner, plan with Megan, play with dogs, and then hang out with the family. Megan: get up, teach, go the gym, plan with Leah, hang out with the family. Number 1 is all Leah, once she figures out the characters most predominate trait, she keeps that in mind with every decision the character makes so they never do anything that goes against their deepest desire. 



Although we moved down to North Carolina several years ago, we’re originally from the Pittsburgh area. (That’s why a lot of our characters either live in the Burgh or reference our hometown football team, The Pittsburgh Steelers.) And yes, we even have the Southern accents to show for it now. Although Megan’s is considerable thicker, Leah still can’t understand the locals.We are known as ‘the sisters’ among our neighborhood; when actually we’re probably really known as ‘the sisters with the Yorkies’. Our pups, Skippy Jon Jones and Captain Jack Sparrow, were given long names to compensate for their small size but not their large personalities.If Leah’s not glued to her electronic devices, AKA her Kindle Fire and various laptops, you can find her training ‘the attack dogs’, running on the treadmill while conceiving the next great book idea with the Dave Matthews Band, Muse, Florence and the Machine, The Lumineers, and Pink (just to name a few) blaring out of her earphones.If Megan’s not glued to her electronic devices AKA her iPad and Nook Color, you can find her teaching fourth graders, swimming marathon style at the pool, or cuddling with ‘the attack dogs’ as she watches Duck Dynasty, Gold Rush, Scandal, Person of Interest, Morning Joe, etc.Leah graduated from Edinboro University with a BA in Art Education. Megan received her teaching degree from Edinboro University and Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Technology from Grand Canyon University. 



Review: Letters to Nowhere by Julie Cross (+ Interview & Giveaway)



Author: Julie Cross
Page Count: 360 pages, eBook
Date Published: August 1st 2013
Find it on Goodreads: Letters to Nowhere
Source: Copy for review for tour from author


From the International Bestselling Author of the Tempest series
A Mature YA contemporary set in the tough world of Elite Gymnastics. Grief, love and pursuing dreams are at the forefront of this emotionally powerful coming-of-age story.
Seventeen year old Karen Campbell has just lost both her parents in a tragic car accident. Grief stricken and alone, her gymnastics coach opens his home to Karen, providing her a place to live while she continues to train, working toward a spot on the world championship team. 
Coach Bentley’s only child, seventeen year old Jordan is good-looking and charming enough to scare away a girl like Karen—someone who has spent ten times more hours on balance beams and uneven bars than talking or even thinking about boys. But the two teens share a special connection almost immediately. It turns out Jordan has a tragic past of his own, grief buried for years. 
As Karen’s gymnastics career soars, her nightmares and visions of the horrible accident grow in strength. She can only avoid facing her grief for so long before it begins to surface and ultimately spin out of control in a very dangerous way. Can discovering love and lust (simultaneously) help with the grieving process or will it only provide a temporary distraction while waiting for reality to hit full force.




I've always been fascinated with the sport of gymnastics, although have never participated in it myself. I was more of a ballet kid, but when the Olympics arrived, I always looked forward to seeing the gymnasts do their thing. When I was contacted to be a part of this tour, I was ecstatic. I adore Cross' series Tempest and jumped on the chance of reading Letters to Nowhere... and I'm so glad I did!

Letters to Nowhere is a book more suitable for older teens as it revolves around some subjects that could be a bit touchy for some people. This book definitely had my heart aching but I absolutely loved it. I found it to be an honest book that didn't need to be all flashy flashy to capture my attention. The characters, the plot, everything just touched my heart and I adored it. The main aspect to this book was Karen's grief over the loss of her parents and then the romance came second. I found that to be refreshing as the romance wasn't overwhelming and there was also the aspect of the sport in the book to keep the story even better. I'd highly recommend this book to contemporary lovers and fans of Julie Cross' work, as well as anyone who is in gymnastics/interested in it!

.5




Excerpt:


My cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I glanced at it, seeing a text from Jordan.

Jordan: So what’s the verdict? Did my dad chew you guys out and send you all back to level 10 or what?

I smiled at the phone and Blair raised her eyebrows.

“Are you texting a boy?”

“No,” I said, “a boy is texting me.”

“Oh my God. This is so crazy.”

ME: Haha . . . actually, now that I’ve experienced the joy of sledding, I’m quitting gymnastics to pursue other missed childhood experiences before moving on to teenage rebellion.

JORDAN: You do realize he would actually kill me? And really? From elite gymnast to heroine addict . . . you’d have your own E True Hollywood Story.

ME: Another plus.



 I live in central Illinois with my wonderful husband and three kids currently between the ages of 7 and 12 (the kids not the husband). My writing journey began in May, 2009 with a short story in a notebook.  Within a year, I had written seven (some good some God-awful) young adult novels. Not being a college graduate and having spent the previous fifteen years teaching gymnastics and working as a YMCA Program Director for Recreational Gymnastics, professional writing wasn't in my plans. Not even close. But ever since the day I started that short story, I haven't been able to stop. It was love at first sight.  After about a year of writing, I had a three book deal with St. Martin's Press, and a film option with Summit Entertainment. Crazy, right? I know. It wasn't until August of 2011 that I quit working full time in order to be at home with my kids more and of course, write more. My young adult time travel debut novel, Tempest, released on January 17, 2012. The rest of my personal story remains unwritten.


Can you tell us a bit about how you got started as an author?
I started writing in May of 2009 and it was mostly for fun. I wrote a YA story that has a similar premise to my now-published novel, TEMPEST. The premise is where the similarities ended. It was not a very good book...lol. But I had a ton of fun writing it. I wrote six more novels between May of 2009 and June of 2010 and each got better and better. The premise of the first novel intrigued and editor who encouraged me to write a new story under that same teen time travel category. He ended up buying the series in June of 2010. 

When writing, do you outline first or do you just write and go where the story takes you?
I usually take off and get my self 50-70 pages of freedom, then I use the Save the Cat beat sheet method, which is very similar to outlining. 

Who are some of your author inspirations?
Courtney Summers, Ally Carter, John Green, Beth Revis, Sara Zarr, J.K Rowling, Stephen King


Do you share any traits with your main character?
Well, I did gymnastics, like Karen does, but no where near her level so probably not. I tend to write characters who are quite a bit different than myself. 

What was your favourite book as a kid?
Either Little Women or Number the Stars

Favourite place to read? Write?
I can read or write just about anywhere. I'm very flexible.


 Favourite drink to get at a coffee shop?
Anything local with a great bakery, even if I'm not eating pastries, I love smelling them. 

Favourite colour?

Pink.


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Go check out the rest of the stops and say thanks to Anastasia for putting on this awesome tour!




Thursday 8 August 2013

Review + Interview: Over the Rainbow by Brian Rowe


Author: Brian Rowe
Page Count: 260 pages, paperback
Date Published: August 6th 2013
Find it on Goodreads: Over the Rainbow
Source: For review from author in exchange for honest review


Zippy Green never meant to fall in love with a girl, but when she does, her ultra-conservative father tries to send her to anti-gay camp. At the Kansas City airport, however, she hides inside a giant suitcase and sneaks onto an airplane headed not to the camp, but to Seattle, where her online love Mira lives. Halfway through the flight, the plane barrels out of control and crashes into the ground, knocking her unconscious. 
When Zippy awakens, she finds that most of the passengers have vanished. She doesn’t know what’s happened, but she’s determined to find out. She begins a quest on foot toward Seattle, and along the way, she meets an exchange student with a concussion, a homeless man with a heart condition, a child without a shred of bravery, and a terrier named Judy. Together the group discovers that more than two-thirds of the world's population has mysteriously disappeared. But that's only the beginning...
All Zippy wants is to find her Mira, but before she can she has to contend with two outside forces. The first is her homophobic father, who does everything in his power to keep her from the girl she loves. And the second is extinct creatures of all shapes and sizes, including living, breathing dinosaurs, which have replaced the missing population.


I was thrilled when Rowe asked me to review Over the Rainbow, as it had caught my eye on goodreads and I was curious about what it would be like... I always say that I want to read more books about LGBTQ teens and I'm so glad I read this one! This is a strange book, I won't lie, but it was a refreshing read that I enjoyed quite a lot! I loved Rowe's play on the names of the characters Frank, Elle and Baum, as well as Judy of course! (Fans of Oz will understand!) I'm wondering if I would have liked this book had I not been in a reading slump, as there are some extremely odd things that occur in it, but I guess I was just in the mood for something different and something a little bit silly! It was a fun story that I'd recommend to people looking for a book that's a bit out of the norm!

.5




Have you always wanted to be a writer? If not, when you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was little I wanted to be a film director, and much of my young life was dedicated to making films, rather than writing them, or writing fiction. I wrote stories in elementary school, but I started making movies in high school, then focused on filmmaking for about ten years. In 2010, however, I realized what I really wanted to do was write fiction, and I have been focusing on that ever since. From the beginning I've always wanted to be a storyteller, and now I'm finally working in the discipline I believe I was meant for. 

How did you come up with the idea for Over the Rainbow?

Over the Rainbow, a book that incorporates a love story, loads of action, the rapture, dinosaurs, and The Wizard of Oz, started with one simple idea. What if a gay teenaged girl escaped from her bigoted father by packing herself into a large box and mailing herself across the country, all the way to her true love? This nugget of an idea stuck with me for a few years, and I'd always been meaning to explore it. It wasn't until I told the concept to Shaunta Grimes(author of Viral Nation) in January 2012 that I started getting more excited about turning it into a book. 

Shaunta was so enthused about the project that she started working with me on it almost every day in spring 2012, allowing me to toss ideas off her. She helped me conclude that putting her on an airplane would be more interesting than herjust getting packed away in a mailing box. And she also helped me with the apocalyptic elements of the scary new world I introduce in the book. I'll never forget the look on her face when I told her I wanted to incorporate dinosaurs into the plot. The book was already getting a little crazy, and then I made it even more nutso by introducing the living, breathing dinos. I really wanted to be the first author to mix an LGBT coming-of-age story with a Jurassic Park-like action adventure. Lo and behold, Over the Rainbow was born.

Do you share any traits with your main character?

I am gay, like Zippy, but I'm lucky in that my parents, and specifically my dad, have been accepting of my sexuality. Zippy is a girl who at seventeen knows who she is, and exactly what she wants, and all she really demands of her father from the beginning is for him to love her no matter what. I did not have the kind of confidence Zippy has at seventeen—I didn't come out of the closet until I was twenty-one—but I like to think that I'm more like Zippy today than ever before. I might not be able to wield an ax like she does, or fit inside suitcases, but I know if I met Zippy in real life, I would see a lot of myself in her. And I hope readers see a lot of themselves in her, too—both gay readers and straight readers. 

Is there a specific message you hope your book gets across to your readers?

Readers can take away from Over the Rainbow what they want, but if there's any specific message, it's to accept those who are different from you, and to try to be the person you want to be, not the person others expect you to be.

Favourite childhood books?

My favorite book is Boy's Life, by Robert McCammon, and my other favorites include To Kill a Mockingbird, Fahrenheit 451, The Shining, A Simple Plan, Looking for Alaska, and The Catcher in the Rye.

Favourite color?

Can I pick two? I like brown and orange, because they remind me of Halloween!

Favourite drink to get from a coffee shop?

I love white chocolate mochas. Yum.

Favourite movies?

Sunset Boulevard is my favorite movie, and other favorites include Mulholland Drive, American Beauty, The Truman Show, Defending Your Life, Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Breakfast Club, Planes Trains & Automobiles, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and, of course, The Wizard of Oz! 

-- 



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Wednesday 7 August 2013

Guest Post: Karolyn James


Hey guys! I'm here today with the fabulous Karolyn James for her to talk about her book series, Brothers of Rock! Scroll down for her guest post!


***For fans of Nashville the TV show and Bella Andre, the BROTHERS OF ROCK series is dramatic, sexy, romantic,and entertaining. It sizzles!***

__

With ALL ACCESS, a contemporary romance series begins that explores, life, love, and music. Join the five band members of Chasing Cross as they find that there's more to life beyond the stage.

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Jess is caught off guard when a sexy stranger buys her a cup of coffee and asks her to sit with him. He's mysterious, nice, and even though he says the right things at the right time, Jess can sense that there's something hidden about him.
*
As Johnnie sits across from the beautiful woman, he can't believe she doesn't recognize him. Everyone does. It comes with the territory when you're the lead singer of one of the hottest bands in the world, Chasing Cross. With one more show to go before taking a small break in touring, it feels like luck is on Johnnie's side. That is, if he can find a way to tell Jess who he is, without scaring her off.
*
After her best friend begs her to come to a concert, Jess finds herself standing in the middle of a crowd. The lights are off, music begins, and the crowd erupts in cheers. She doesn't know much about the band, but that's all about to change. When the lights come on, Jess can't believe her eyes. The lead singer of the band is the man from the café.
*
Plucked from the crowd during the show, Jess makes her way backstage. The encore may have ended on stage, but the real show is just about to begin. Johnnie's passion quickly turns to romance but the more time he and Jess spend together, the more things get complicated. Johnnie has a big decision to make about himself and the band, testing his loyalty and love for the music, and when Jess's dreams start to come true, she starts to realize that true love exists, but it's not always an easy path to take.


The second book in the Brothers of Rock series is BROKEN SOUND, where lead guitarist, Davey, is faced with life changing decisions involving love, family, and as always, music.

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Rockstars expect women to show up at their hotel room, but when a woman shows up with an infant and tells Davey he is the father, his world is turned upside down. 

*

Anna is a teacher and part-time waitress, desperate to make enough to pay off debts left to her by an ex-boyfriend who made her life a living hell. When her boss schedules her for an extra shift, he tells her it's her job to take care of a special guest... lead guitarist of Chasing Cross, Davey. The second Anna meets eyes with Davey, she feels something she's wanted for a long time. But with someone famous? That's impossible. Besides, Davey is there with a date.

*
When Davey returns to the restaurant, sans date, he asks to see Anna. She doesn't understand what he would want with her. He is a man with a big heart, kind eyes, and the true power that only a real rockstar could have. Then Anna learns the truth of Davey's life, from his haunted past to his rocky present. Still, she longs to be part of his future.  But when Anna's own past turns potentially deadly, life and love suddenly collide in a way that could hurt everyone and leave someone dead.



Book three in the Brothers of Rock series - BITTER FAREWELL

When Danny boards the private jet for his father's funeral, he knows he isn't just going back home to settle the estate.

*

He is going to back to find her... the girl who loved him, the girl who understood his family problems, and the girl he left behind to chase his dream of becoming a rockstar.

*

Liv Cryers is stuck in Bakersville. Literally. She came back hoping to find peace inside her empty heart, but now she's forced to care for her ailing father who doesn't remember her most days. She's tired of being forgotten. The sounds of her past seem so far away...

*

When rockstars come to town, crazy things can happen...



This project started as an idea for a romance series following a band. The original concept was to have five books on the band, Chasing Cross, and each book would feature a member of the band. Well, thanks to the readers support of the Brothers of Rock books, I have officially gotten details worked out for five more books! Those books won’t follow Chasing Cross but a new band. It’s been so fun and exciting writing these novels. They can be read as stand alone books but they’re best enjoyed in order as some of the plots are connected book to book.

Here’s the background on each of the books featuring Chasing Cross along with an excerpt from the newest Brothers of Rock book, Bitter Farewell (Chasing Cross #3) -

In the first book of the series – All Access – it introduces the band and introduces leader singer, Johnnie. He meets a woman who doesn’t know who he is and they fall for each other. The story is flirty and fun with the undertones of what it’s like to be a successful rockstar. Johnnie is sexy and rich, but he faces a lot of troubles. And with Jess, he realizes anything is possible.

With the second book – Broken Sound – Davey faces a real situation. A woman shows up at his hotel room with a baby claiming he’s the father. The flirty and fun feeling from All Access is quickly shaken away here. The book is deep as Davey tries to decide what the right to do is… and on top of that, he falls for a woman who isn’t the mother of the baby. There’s plenty of twists and turns in the book, including an attempted murder!

The release of Bitter Farewell brings Danny’s journey back home after he and Johnnie’s father dies. (Johnnie and Danny are blood brothers.) While Johnnie is able to make peace quick and the band is eager to get back to getting ready for their tour and recording, Danny can’t let it go. When he left town, he left a woman behind. And fate steps in, bringing them back together. This romance book explores love through heartache and proves the true power of time.

The fourth book will follow bassist, Chris, as he goes back in time to follow through on a promise he made when he – and Chasing Cross – were still young. And finally, the end Chasing Cross’s set of books, drummer Rick will face a decision that can – and will – change the direction of the entire band. Both those books will be released before the end of 2013!

Excerpt from Bitter Farewell (Brothers of Rock #3):

(1)

The strap was too long, the cloth frayed and ragged and Danny was too afraid to move it for fear of the strap completely breaking. The strings were like pieces of barbed wire; there wasn’t enough money to buy new strings... not for a ‘damn guitar’ as his father put it all the time. There wasn’t enough electricity either. Danny could plug the guitar into his amp, but he could never plug the amp in. Unless his father was working. But he’d have to get up killer early to play then...
“Dad... did you hear?”
Danny looked up from the guitar... he had to look up to from the guitar because he couldn’t play the chords without looking. Not like Johnnie. Johnnie learned how to play chords without looking. It was seriously cool.
Danny saw that his father wasn’t standing in the doorway anymore.
He had been there a second ago.
Danny put the guitar down and walked to the doorway. He heard the shower running.
‘Dad must have had a long day...’
That’s it, Danny told himself.
His father walked away a lot.
But he worked hard.
That mattered, right?
Danny looked back to the bed and knew he had about two minutes to plug the amp in and turn it on. There really wasn’t anything quite like the sound of his guitar turned on... and it certainly helped with the sting of loneliness.
“Dude, you ready?”
Danny took his eyes off the pearl diamond inlay neck on his guitar and looked up at Rick standing, twirling drumsticks.
“Yeah,” Danny whispered.
“Are you sure? You look like hell.”
“I’m good, how about you?”
Rick threw both sticks in the air and caught them without looking. He stuck them - tip down - into his front pocket. He outstretched his arms and smiled.
“I feel alive, my friend, alive.”
“Good. How’s the arm feeling?”
“Perfect.”
Rick held up his cast and tapped it. He was still weeks away from getting the cast removed at which point he could start practicing drums. Of course Rick insisted the second the cast came off he’d start playing shows. Doctors tried to explain to Rick the time it may take to get used to playing, not to mention the risk of aggravating anything in his arm, but he insisted. Johnnie had already promised Rick that once the time came to play again, he would. He’d start slow, two songs a night and add more each time.
“I still can’t believe you’re doing the show,” Rick said. “It’s... you don’t have to...”
“I do,” Danny said. He looked back to the guitar. He fingered a ‘C’ chord but didn’t strum it. He thought about being a kid, sitting on his bed, struggling to finger the chord. It was so natural now, something he could do in his sleep, without thinking.
“How are we feeling tonight?” another voice chimed in.
It was Peter’s voice.
“Ready to rock,” Danny said, knowing he sounded monotone.
“How’s the arm feeling?” Peter asked, gripping Rick’s shoulder.
“Good to go.”
“Yeah, right,” Peter said. “Dr. Beretti is pissed you told him you planned on opening the next leg of the tour playing a full set... he said if you overdo it, you’ll end up needing surgery...”
“I don’t care,” Rick said. “I’m playing.”
Peter looked at Danny.  Danny just blinked. Hiding emotion was pointless at the moment.
“Danny... why don’t I get Johnnie?”
“That’s cool,” Danny said.
Peter tugged on Rick’s shirt and they both left.
Danny let out a sigh.
He hated this, right now. The moment when everyone looked at him and felt pity.  Their eyes showed it, their kind voices proved it, and no matter what Danny did or said, the truth was present.
His father was dead.
Maybe it shouldn’t have hit him so hard, considering the seemingly always off relationship he had with ‘Big John’ as everyone called him. But it mattered, right? It was his father. Somewhere in Danny’s mind he believed that someday things would matter. That after this tour, he’d head home and maybe have that moment with his father. The one where his father would pull out a shoebox and show Danny he’d been collecting pictures and articles of Chasing Cross all these years...
“Little bro, what’s going on?”
Danny looked at Johnnie and swallowed. “I’m just waiting for the call... to take the stage...”
“You know, you don’t have to do this. It’s just a benefit show. It’s more about the name of the band being online and associated with the cause... and the donation we made.”
“No, I have to play this one,” Danny said. He gripped the neck of his guitar and squeezed tight.
The guitar was his life. His heart, his mind, his soul. His purpose, always and forever. From the second he heard Johnnie drum a horrible sounding ‘G’ chord, Danny knew he wanted to play guitar. It was that simple. A dream found, a dream chased, and a dream lived.
Johnnie walked into the room and shut the door. He crouched down in front of Danny, much like he did when they were kids and the house got too loud... or too violent. He took Danny’s face in his strong, brotherly hands and smiled.
“Don’t be a stubborn ass about this.”
“I’m not, Johnnie, I swear.”
As he looked into his only brother’s eyes, Danny felt his own eyes fill with tears. He swore he wouldn’t cry, not now at least, but looking at Johnnie brought it all back. And there wasn’t a single regret. Because the path they walked, as brothers on stage and brothers in life, was the best damn journey any man could have ever had.
“You know, when Peter called me last night about this show...”
“I know,” Danny said. “You told him I would hate you if you said no.”
“That’s right. I know you, brother, I know how it all works.”
“We’re flying out in the morning,” Danny said. “This is our last show for a little while.”
“I know,” Johnnie said. “Let’s give them a hell of a show...”  Johnnie pointed up.  “Him too.”
Danny half smiled. The relationship with their father and Johnnie was so much different than with Danny. Johnnie took everything on the chin and in stride, perhaps trying to become the real man of the house. And how could that not happen? Johnnie took care of everything and everyone. He was there to raise Danny. He was there to console their mother, Barbara, who passed away of cancer a year after Chasing Cross broke out and became huge. He changed light bulbs. He killed spiders. He did math homework, even when Danny tapped his pencil on the table, pretending he was playing drums, not giving a damn about math.
“I’m sorry about this,” Johnnie said.
Danny closed his eyes and felt tears trickle down his cheeks. “Me too. I don’t know why I’m even crying right now.”
“Danny, he was our father. Our blood. He created us... it’s okay to cry.”
“I know,” Danny whispered. “Can I... can I have a minute?”
“Sure thing.”
Johnnie leaned forward and kissed Danny’s forehead. Danny smiled as another tear fell down his cheek. He knew that life would settle and be okay, as long as he had Johnnie.
And Chasing Cross.





Karolyn James has been published over 100 times, reached bestseller lists on Amazon, and writes in both romance and erotic romance.  Her two newest series are the romance hit, Brothers of Rock, and the erotic romance series, Rock Her Curves. 
 
Twitter:  @KarolynWrites
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