Book Tour: On Solid Ground by Michelle Kemper Brownlow

The strong force of the wave pulled me under. I gasped for air just before my face disappeared below the surface. My body rolled over and over, my arms flailed, and my head pounded into the sea bed which felt like a concrete floor. The salty water stung my eyes. I forced myself to keep them open, fearing I would slip into unconsciousness from the blow I took to the head. I knew I had to hold it together long enough for the swell to pull me back up when the wave rolled. But something was pulling me deeper. I fought with all my might, kicking against the thick water swallowing me whole. I used my arms like underwater oars and sliced through the depths trying to reach what I needed most, but I was in too deep.

“Get out!” I could barely get the words out before I had to run to the bathroom and void my gut of its contents. Noah didn’t move.

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and screamed, “I said, Get! Out!” I stumbled back into the room, grabbed the box of mementos I’d collected from the last year of our relationship, and dumped everything into the trashcan in the corner. Like a communal grave, there lay movie tickets, dried rose petals, a strip of photos from the boardwalk, all the beautiful letters he wrote last fall semester, an empty beer bottle, and all the rest of what was now just a reminder of the guy I thought I knew.

“Gracie, don’t…” His face fell, but he didn’t move from the edge of my bed.

“Don’t? Don’t what, Noah? Don’t break up with you? Are you kidding?” My ears burned from his admission of guilt. It hit me broadside. I wasn’t prepared for the words he had spoken just moments before.

The rush of water covering me grew cold. Icy. My body quaked. My lungs burned and begged for air. I could see light above. It glimmered and danced on the small waves my panic created. I reached for the surface. Even if I couldn’t pull myself up, maybe just feeling the sun’s warmth would stop the shivering that threatened to unravel me.

My legs gave out beneath me and I crumbled into a heap on my apartment floor. I sobbed so uncontrollably I gasped for air. I was livid. Repulsed. Crushed and torn. Noah was the love of my life, and things were just getting back to the way I longed for them to be. Back to what used to be our “normal.” Before he pledged Sigma Chi. Our relationship hadn’t been easy since I transferred to Knoxville. But our story wasn’t ready to end.

It went something like this:

Bad boy meets good girl.

First kiss.

Bad boy turns sensitive.

Love.

Good girl gives sensitive boy all of her.

Long distance.

Flowers. Love letters.

Long, sweet phone calls.

Good girl transfers to sensitive boy’s school.

Sensitive boy becomes fraternity boy.

Drunken social events.

Secrets revealed.

Fraternity boy pulls good girl under.

Good girl finds herself in too deep.

- In Too Deep by Michelle Kemper Brownlow

BOOK ONE
In Too Deep by Michelle Kemper Brownlow
Publication date: June 6th 2013
by Sapphire Star Publishing
Genre: New Adult Romance

Synopsis:
Long- Gracie has just finished her freshman year of college in Memphis when she takes a job at a local pizza joint in her home town of McKenzie, Tennessee. She is the epitome of innocence when she meets Noah. Noah is unabashedly handsome, intriguingly reckless and just cocky enough to be sexy. Gracie’s instincts tell her to stay far away from him and based on the stories she hears from her co-workers he leaves broken hearts in his wake. But still, she can’t explain her fascination with him.

Noah puts aside his bad boy ways when what he thought was a summer crush has him unexpectedly falling in love. But soon after Gracie transfers to UT Knoxville to be with Noah, their unexpected love becomes riddled with anger, deceit and humiliation.

Jake, Noah’s former roommate and Gracie’s best friend, can no longer be a bystander. Gracie’s world falls out from beneath her and when she breaks she turns to Jake for strength. As Jake talks her through a decision she’s not yet strong enough to make, together they uncover a truth so ugly neither of them is prepared for its fallout. Will Jake pull her to the surface or is Gracie Jordan finally In Too Deep?

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17408300-in-too-deep?ac=1

Purchase:
--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Too-Deep-Michelle-Kemper-Brownlow/dp/1938404602/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369835521&sr=1-1
--B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-too-deep-michelle-kemper-brownlow/1115479302



BOOK TWO:

On Solid Ground by Michelle Kemper Brownlow
(In Too Deep #2)
Publication date: December 3rd 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:
Gracie survived an emotionally abusive relationship that wrecked her. Her ex, Noah, systematically chipped away at her self-esteem through intimidation, humiliation and infidelity which left Gracie unable to trust her own perception of his intentions. But after falling head over heels for Jake, her best friend and the man who stood by her through it all, she is ready to experience life in the way it was meant to be lived.  However, Gracie may find it impossible to simultaneously heal from the trauma of abuse while navigating a relationship with Jake. Can she put her heart on hold in order to heal her soul?The sequel to the five-star debut novel, In Too Deep, chronicles Gracie’s steps toward healing as she falls deeper in love, reaches out for help, stands on her own, steps out of her comfort zone, faces her biggest fears, and reconnects with a sensual, talented soul from her past all in hopes of finding herself on solid ground.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18376001-on-solid-ground?ac=1

Purchase:
--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Solid-Ground-Sequel-Too-Deep-ebook/dp/B00GOTH8NS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1385994188&sr=1-1
--B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/on-solid-ground-michelle-kemper-brownlow/1117501206?ean=9781783012626


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AUTHOR BIO
Michelle Kemper Brownlow has been a storyteller her entire life. Her debut was on the high school cheerleading bus granting requests to re-tell her most embarrassing moments for a gaggle of hysterical squadmates.

Earning her Bachelor’s degree from Penn State University in Art Education and then marrying her very own “Jake,” she moved to Binghamton, NY where she taught high school. After having two children she quit work and finished her Master’s degree in Elementary Education at Binghamton University.

The Brownlow family of four moved to Michelle’s hometown of Morgantown, PA while the children were still quite young. A few years after moving, her family grew by one when they welcomed a baby into their home through the gift of adoption. The family still resides in PA, just miles from where that high school cheer bus was parked.

Michelle has been an artist for as long as she can remember, always choosing pencils and crayons over toys and puzzles. As a freelance illustrator, her simple characters play the starring roles in numerous emergent reader books published by Reading Reading Books.

“Writing is my way of making sense of the world. When I give my characters life on the pages I write, it frees up space in my mind to welcome in new stories that are begging to be told,” says Brownlow.

Links:
Website: http://www.sapphirestarpublishing.com/michellekemperbrownlow
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6951309.Michelle_Kemper_Brownlow
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.k.brownlow
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MK_Brownlow

Book Blitz: Letters to Nowhere series by Julie Cross

Letters To Nowhere Series Julie Cross
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult


Book 1: Letters to Nowhere

From the International Bestselling Author of the Tempest Series...
Set in the tough world of Elite Gymnastics...

I've gotten used to the dead parents face. I've gotten used to living with my gymnastics coach. I've even adjusted to sharing a bathroom with his way-too-hot son. Dealing with boys is not something that's made it onto my list of experiences as of yet. But here I am, doing it. And something about Jordan--being around him, talking to him, thinking about him--makes me feel like I can finally breathe again. That's something I haven't been able to do lately. He knows what it feels like to be me right now. He knows what it's like to wonder--what now? I think about it constantly. I need answers. I need to know how to get through this. In the gym, if you're struggling, you train harder, you do drills and conditioning. How do I work hard at moving on? At being on my own? And what happens if I might be...maybe...probably falling for Jordan? I mean we live together now. That can't happen, can it? But kissing him...well, let's just say it's not an easy activity to forget.

You can find my review of book one here.

Book 2: Return to Sender

If only summer could last forever…

Karen and Jordan might be out in the open with their relationship, but that doesn't make it any easier for them to face events looming in the future. Like Jordan leaving for college halfway across the country. Or Karen's win at a big international gymnastics competition setting the bar high for her future and adding pressure like she's never experienced before.

But when Nina Jones (aka-US Gymnastics Dictator), makes plans for Karen and teammate Stevie to train at a gymnastics camp for a month—the same camp where Jordan coaches—romantic summer interludes replace their fears of being apart. Both Jordan and Karen know that when fall comes, some very tough decisions will have to be made, but for now, it’s stolen kisses, racing hearts, and whispered words.

Book 3: Return to You

Releasing December 15th 2013

How many dreams can you chase at once?

Even with bad boy, TJ, disrupting their morning workouts, Karen and Stevie’s daily battles with each other are sure to bring both of them closer to a national title at next month’s championships. It’s the kind of feud that creates winning results.

Until a fall from the uneven bars shakes Karen’s rock-solid confidence. Not only does she balk every time she so much as attempts a routine, she’s also facing all this without much support from Jordan. After receiving some bad news, Jordan’s reluctance to listen to reason causes Karen so much frustration she begins to avoid him, needing space to deal with her own issues. He needs someone to force him to make the right choice, he needs his dad to intervene and Karen knows this, but is torn between her loyalty to Jordan and her concern for her coach’s son. Even though both paths lead to the same person—Jordan—it feels like she’s choosing between two different people.

And then there’s the growing tension between TJ and Stevie. They’re obviously on the verge of either ripping each other’s heads off or ripping each other’s clothes off. It’s hard for either Jordan or Karen to tell where those two are headed. Tension is building from every possible outlet and there’s bound to be an explosion of some kind in the very near future.



Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/110787-letters-to-nowhere

Purchase book 1:
--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Letters-Nowhere-Part-ebook/dp/B00EAC91YA/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1
--B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/letters-to-nowhere-julie-cross/1116289926
--Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/letters-to-nowhere

Purchase book 2:
--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Return-Sender-Letters-Nowhere-Part-ebook/dp/B00G2G9J7G
--Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/return-to-sender-letters-to-nowhere-part-2

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AUTHOR BIO
Julie Cross is the International Bestselling author of the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex, and the final installment, Timestorm (St. Martin's Press). She's also the author of Letters to Nowhere (8/13), a mature young adult romance set in the world of elite gymnastics, as well as several forthcoming young adult and new adult novels with publishers like Entangled, Sourcebooks, HarperCollins, and St. Martin's Press/Thomas Dunne Books.

Julie lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. She's a former gymnast, longtime gymnastics fan, coach, and former Gymnastics  Program Director with the YMCA. She's a lover of books, devouring several novels a week, especially in the young adult and new adult genres. Outside of her reading and writing credibility's, Julie Cross is a committed--but not talented--long distance runner, creator of imaginary beach vacations, Midwest bipolar weather survivor, expired CPR certification card holder, as well as a ponytail and gym shoe addict. You can find her online via twitter, her personal website, email, facebook, Goodreads, or co-moderating the YAwriters section of reddit.

Links:
http://www.juliecrossbooks.com/
https://twitter.com/Juliecross1980
https://www.facebook.com/FansOfJulieCross
http://www.amazon.com/Julie-Cross/e/B005ORUY1E
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3429117.Julie_Cross

Each blog hosting this blitz is authorized to give away one e-book copy of the first book in this series, Letters to Nowhere.  The prize will be gifted through Amazon.  To sign up, simply use the Rafflecopter widget below!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover reveal: Draw Me In by Megan Squires

Draw Me In by Megan Squires
Publication date: December 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:
He’s a young, up and coming businessman with the keys to his family’s Italian wine enterprise.

I’m a fine arts student, navigating life in the Big Apple, my pencil and sketchpad in hand.

We meet. We fall in love.

But it’s not that story.

Sometimes, by a rare gift of fate, two lives cross paths. And hey, if that happens to occur when staring at Michelangelo’s naked masterpiece, even better. We can tell our future children how a seventeen-foot tall marble guy named David brought us together.

But there’s always more to a relationship than its beginning and ever after. In life, there’s a whole lot of backstory. There are ex-fiancés and hot roommates and family members whose advice continues, even beyond the grave.

When you say you love someone, it’s never just that one person you’re saying it to. And it’s never just that one moment that sets everything in motion.

There is always more that draws you in.



Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18817750-draw-me-in


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AUTHOR BIO
Megan Squires lives with her husband and two children just outside of Sacramento, California. A graduate from the University of California, Davis, Megan is now a full-time mother, wife, and dreamer—though her characters don’t often give her much opportunity to sleep.
Visit www.theoutlierchronicles.com to learn more about her latest young adult series.


Author links:
Website: http://megansquiresauthor.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6547282.Megan_Squires
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeganSquiresAuthor

Book review: In Too Deep by Michelle Kemper Brownlow

Gracie has just finished her freshman year of college in Memphis when she takes a job at a local pizza joint in her home town of McKenzie, Tennessee. She is the epitome of innocence when she meets Noah. Noah is unabashedly handsome, intriguingly reckless and just cocky enough to be sexy. Gracie’s instincts tell her to stay far away from him and based on the stories she hears from her co-workers he leaves broken hearts in his wake. But still, she can’t explain her fascination with him.

Noah puts aside his bad boy ways when what he thought was a summer crush has him unexpectedly falling in love. But soon after Gracie transfers to UT Knoxville to be with Noah, their unexpected love becomes riddled with anger, deceit and humiliation.

Jake, Noah’s former roommate and Gracie’s best friend, can no longer be a bystander. Gracie’s world falls out from beneath her and when she breaks she turns to Jake for strength. As Jake talks her through a decision she’s not yet strong enough to make, together they uncover a truth so ugly neither of them is prepared for its fallout. Will Jake pull her to the surface or is Gracie Jordan finally In Too Deep?

A free copy was given to me in preparation for its sequel’s blog tour.

In Too Deep is obviously an Issue Book; you can tell that just from the summary.  Because of that, I feel like I’m supposed to treat it a little gentler than I might with another book, because there’s a lot of psychology behind it and even though I might not agree with Gracie’s choices, I’m sure there are girls who this kind of thing has happened to, and whose stories are too close to this for it to be comfortable.

That said, however, after the first few chapters, I started to have very little sympathy for Gracie.  She’s… kind of stupid, to put it lightly.  Past the gesture Noah made with the Jack Johnson song in the car, I didn’t see anything really appealing about him that would have sucked her in.  He was either really boring or really mean.  The only reason I can really think that she’d want to stay with him is that she gave her virginity to him, which is pounded into our heads.  She even angsts about how whoever she ends up with “won’t have all of her on their wedding night.” Melodramatic much?  Geeze.  I understand there are people who that’s important for them but… well yeah, I don’t get why she cares about that, of all things, after all that’s happened.

The storyline itself is, as you’ve probably guessed, one of those ones that just uses the same plot point over and over.  They break up, she vows she’s done with him for good, she cries to Jake, Noah says he’ll change, she takes him back, he does something stupid, lather rinse, repeat times ten.  Hence why I thought she was kind of stupid.  There’s also the thing about him sucking the life out of her, about how she was so vibrant and full of life, but we never see that, not even in the flashbacks to before they were together.

The dialog is ultra-stiff, too.  A lot of the time they don’t use contractions, and I’m reminded of really bad actors reading from a script.  That’s not good.

And yeah, it reads like wish fulfilment when Gracie finally has sex with Jake.  I swear to God she thinks she’s had a religious experience.  I found myself rolling my eyes at all the “our souls connected” iterations.  I also don’t really get what Jake sees in her considering, again, the whole “vibrant and free” thing is never shown, only needy clinginess.  For God’s sake, she self-diagnoses herself as addicted to relationships.

Yeah this book just didn’t really do it for me.  It wasn’t terrible, but I don’t think it’s lived up to the hype I’ve seen around for it.  It feels amateurishly written from the point of view of someone who either doesn’t understand the subject at all, or is too close to it and therefore thinks that everything they write is the absolute truth.  Either way, I’m hoping the sequel is better.

Cover reveal: Tipsy by Cambria Hebert

Title: Tipsy
Author: Cambria Hebert
Series: Take It Off - all the novels in this series can be read as stand alones
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 13, 2013
Format: Ebook and Paperback

Synopsis

Julie Preston is an artist. But her canvas isn’t paper or clay. It’s hair. She spends her days coloring, blow drying and styling her clients hair at the Razor’s Edge salon. Julie is also annoyed. She went out on a date and had a great time, gave the guy her number and the jerk never called.

So when he waltzes into the salon and sits down in her chair she briefly considers strangling him with the pink cape she fastens around  his neck.

Too bad she can’t.

Blue Markson, the guy who never called, is a police officer so causing him bodily harm would be a first class ticket into the slammer. Just looking at him again makes Julie forget why she was mad in the first place, but she’s already learned that Blue is nothing but heartache. So when he starts coming around, acting like he hadn’t made her stare at the phone for days, she tries to brush him off.

Only…

Her life is about to blow up in her face, she’s about to get caught up in a sticky web of crime and the one guy who can help her is the one guy she vowed never to trust again.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18480355-tipsy?ac=1


AUTHOR BIO:
Cambria Hebert is the author of the young adult paranormal Heven and Hell series, the new adult Death Escorts series, and the new adult Take it Off series. She loves a caramel latte, hates math and is afraid of chickens (yes, chickens). She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband and children (both human and furry) where she is plotting her next book. You can find out more about Cambria and her work by visiting http://www.cambriahebert.com

Author Links:
“Like” her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cambria-Hebert/128278117253138 
Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cambriahebert
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/cambriahebert/pins/
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5298677.Cambria_Hebert
Cambria’s website: http://www.cambriahebert.com 

Feature and Follow Friday!

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, with the aim to increase blog followers and let us get to know each other.  Each week we're given a question or an activity.

This week's question:

Are there any book to movie adaptations where you think the movie is better than the book?

This is actually an easy one for me.  The one that comes straight to mind is Coraline.  You might call me biased since I saw the movie first, but I'm being honest here.  The movie was extremely faithful in its adaptation, but it still expanded upon the story and gave you more than the book did, so I have to say I like the movie better for that reason.

Living Blond Trilogy Book Blitz!

Living Blond Trilogy: Diamonds Are a Teen’s Best Friend, The Seven Month Itch, How to Date a Millionaire 

Allison Rushby 

Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Book 1 in the Living Blond trilogy…
Diamonds are a Teen's Best Friend

Nessa Joanne Mulholland, aka Marilyn Monroe's No. 1 teenage fan, is used to moving house. This time, however, she's relocating in movie-star style—crossing the Atlantic on board the Majestic, headed for Paris from New York City. And it really would be in movie-star style if it wasn't for the fact that she's bringing her cringe-fest professor dad along for the ride (Dad's specialization: human mating rituals—need Nessa say more?). Oh yeah, and sharing a cabin that's five decks below sea level and next to the engine room. Still, at least Holly Isles is on board. Yes, really, that Holly Isles—star of stage and screen. Suddenly, things are looking up. Looking a little Marilyn, in fact, because events are strangely mirroring Nessa's favorite movie of all time, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Watch!

As Holly Isles, world-famous actress, confides in Nessa over mocktails.

Listen!

As Nessa coaches Holly in the amazing "Nessa's Lesson's in Love"—the ultimate man-catching rules to finding true and lasting lurv.

See!

Nessa fall for Holly's too-cute nephew, Marc. . . and 

Cover your eyes!

As it all goes terribly, horribly, embarrassingly wrong.

There's no doubting it. This is going to be one pitchy crossing.

***

Book 2 in the Living Blond trilogy…

The Seven Month Itch

Nessa Joanne Mulholland, aka Marilyn Monroe's No. 1 teenage fan, is living the high life in Manhattan. Literally. Waffling and pancaking it up every morning (care of housekeeper Vera) in her soon-to-be stepmother's Tribeca penthouse apartment. Things couldn't be better. Or so she thinks, until things start to go terribly, horribly wrong, in true Nessa fashion. All of a sudden, she's starting to feel the need to pull at her collar. Yes, it's summer in NYC and things are heating up fast, including the professor and Holly's wedding plans.

Gasp!

Along with Nessa as her dad's too-gorgeous research assistant moves into the new family penthouse while Holly's away filming in LA . . .

Cringe!

As Nessa gets dumped for "Doris Day" . . .

Hiss!

As Kent Sweetman decides he wants Holly back, wedding or no wedding . . . and

Bite your nails!

As the cupcakiest wedding ever hangs in the balance.

Phew! The temperature's getting hotter by the second, heat rash is setting in fast—and everyone's starting to scratch that Seven Month Itch!

***

Book 3 in the Living Blond trilogy

How to Date a Millionaire

Nessa Joanne Mulholland, aka Marilyn Monroe's No. 1 teenage fan, is about to become a big sister—twice over. Her movie-star stepmother, Holly, is very pregnant with twins when, suddenly, B and G (that's Boy and Girl) decide they need to get away from it all.

Within hours, Nessa, her dad, Holly, her best friend Alexa, and tag-along cousin Nat are on a private jet and headed for some rest and relaxation Hawaiian style. Except that, on hitting the sand, there's not a lot of rest and relaxation to be found. The penthouse apartment they've booked is suddenly unavailable, Holly's blood pressure skyrockets, Nat is bronze-beach-boy crazy, and what's with the three cute guys living upstairs?

Laugh!

At Nat's crazy antics (will Nessa and Alexa really have to chain her to the apartment balcony to keep her out of boy trouble?)

Cry!

When Nessa meets someone who's had the life-saving operation her mother couldn't have.

Sigh!

As two gorgeous babies make their way into the world . . . and

Applaud!

As Nessa finally gets things right . . . for once.  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/114636-living-blond

Purchase:

--Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Allison+Rushby+living+blond

--B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Allison-Rushby-blond?store=allproducts&keyword=Allison+Rushby+blond

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AUTHOR BIO:

Having failed at becoming a ballerina with pierced ears (her childhood dream), Allison Rushby instead began a writing career as a journalism student at The University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. Within a few months she had slunk sideways into studying Russian. By the end of her degree she had learned two very important things: that she wasn't going to be a journalist; and that there are hundreds of types of vodka and they're all pretty good. After several years spent whining about how hard it would be to write a novel, she finally tried writing one and found it was quite an enjoyable experience. Since then, she has had nine novels published. She keeps up her education by sampling new kinds of vodka on a regular basis.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY

Grand prize giveaway

Prizes (open internationally):

--20 super-cute ‘We love Marilyn’ ‘Marilynette’ wristbands

a Rafflecopter giveaway