Saturday, June 15, 2013

Blog Tour and Giveaway: The Do Over by A.L. Zaun

~ Synopsis ~

Life doesn’t look like it’s supposed to for Dani Ruiz, a hopeless romantic. After a painful and sudden break-up with Rick Marin, Dani hides away from reality, retreating to a world of fiction where she prefers book boyfriends over the hassles of a relationship.

Almost two years later, Dani’s friends are tired of watching her in a holding pattern, so they stage an intervention, forcing her back into the real world of dating.

Unexpectedly, Dani meets Liam Lucas, a down-to-earth firefighter. He might be the person to show her she’s still worth something. Dani’s hesitant to trust her heart with another man, but their instant and electric chemistry is something she can’t deny.

As Dani starts to believe that she’s found her real-life book boyfriend, Rick decides that he’ll go to any lengths to get her back. Seeing Rick as a changed man makes Dani question everything.

Can Dani trust her patched-up heart with Liam?
Or has Rick transformed into the man she’s always wanted?

Written from various points of views, The Do Over is a story of second chances and new beginnings.


~ Our Review ~
5 Star review by Heather
 
Holy Shit Balls was this book amazing!!!  I didn't want to put this book down. 

“I need to go to Kindle Rehab to find balance, but it's so hard when I'm Team Kindle, all the way.”

 Dani thinks she is living the perfect life with Rick. Until he decides to break her heart, because she is getting too serious. She turns to her kindle as a way of dealing with the heartbreak.  Finally after a year and a half her friends set up an intervention!! They want her to get out and start living again. She is afraid to trust another guy though.
  
“I love you.  I love falling asleep with you.  I love waking up next to you.  I love the way your eyes light up when you're reading your books.  I love the way you bite your lower lip when you're texting your friends about me.”
 
 Liam is the very hot and sexy firefighter she meets during her CPR class. He is interested in her from the get go. He soon realizes that she has her insecurities and he is constantly reassuring her that her he will not break her heart. Will he prove his love for her?
 
 “I had to love her more than I loved my dick.”
  
Enter the douchebag ex Rick who thinks he wants Dani back. He sees her again one night after a year and a half and regrets breaking her heart. He decides that night that he will do anything to get her back. What is he willing to do to get her back? Does he get her back?
  
“Part of the process was the journey, not always the destination.”
   
This book is Ah-FUCKING-mazing!!!! I am really excited for book 2. This is a must read. It is on my top 5 reads of the year :)  Well done AL Zahn!!!

 
     ~ Author interview ~
 
Do you remember how/when your interest in writing started?  I've always loved writing, primarily focused on journaling.  I remember a time when I was typing an entry and I thought it would be really cool if I could write my entry and it would be “out there” for whoever had to see it – this was before blogging. 

What were the challenges (research, psychological, and logistical) in bringing this story or characters to life? The biggest challenge I faced writing was time.  As a single mom and full-time employee who has a very demanding boss, I had to carve out the time. I basically considered sleep optional, and that's saying a lot because I love sleep. I existed on copious amounts of Diet Pepsi and chewed lots of Extra Sugar-Free gum.

What was the easiest part of writing THE DO OVER? I loved writing Rick.  Believe it or not, his voice was the first one I had in my head.  It probably had something to do with the fact that I've dated so many Rick's in my life.

What is your favorite scene or was your favorite to write? Don’t forget to tell us why. :) I loved writing the funny scenes.  The easiest one to write was the intervention.  While a work of fiction, I have been accused of pretty much all of those things at one point or another.  I also had a blast writing the scene where the guys are out drinking and Liam is giving Rick the 101 on women. Rick and Maddy scenes were fun too because I worked out some of my own frustrations. Probably the most endearing for me was writing the epilogue. It was the hardest the write but toward the end, I felt Liam's words and his heart and that was the most touching—I think we all want our happy ever after.

What’s next for you writing wise that you can share with us?  I am continuing with Maddy and Rick's story.  It's Not Over is scheduled for release later this year. While many people disliked the dynamic duo, no one could deny their chemistry and how well they worked together.  Will Rick be the man to crack that thick wall around her heart and will Madison be the woman who brings Rick to his knees? Stay tuned.

 

~ Author Bio ~
 
A.L. Zaun graduated from Florida International University with a degree in English Literature a long time ago. A degree she didn’t use at all in her professional endeavors. She loves to read, write and take pictures. She walks around with her camera, and most importantly she has her e-reader available at all times. Healthcare Management by day, Mommy in the evening and most nights, you can find her sitting in front of her laptop with a bottle of Diet Pepsi, bringing the voices in her head to life on the pages of her debut novel, The Do Over.
 Facebook  ♥  Goodreads 
 
 


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Friday, June 14, 2013

Review: Trophy Husband by Lauren Blakely

~ Synopsis ~
 
Sometimes you can't help falling in love, even when you try to do the opposite...

Successful fashion blogger McKenna Bell has spent far too long protecting herself after the way her ex-fiancé left her at the altar for a college chick he met the night of his bachelor party. Loving again, trusting again, well, that's just not in the cards. Especially now that her ex is back in town with his new woman, demanding custody of McKenna's favorite creature in the whole world--her dog.

No effing way. McKenna's had enough of him, and she decides to even the score by finding her own hot young thing -- a Trophy Husband. Sure, she's only twenty-seven, but doesn't that make it even more fun -- and infuriating to her ex -- to pursue a younger man?

When she declares her intentions on her daily blog, her quest quickly skyrockets in popularity, and that's when Chris enters the picture, and he’s got all the assets. He's handsome, successful, and turns her inside out with a kiss to end all kisses, the kind that makes you feel like a shooting star.

But loving again could mean losing again, and it's so much easier to focus on getting even, isn't it? Unless, you just can't help falling in love. Which means McKenna will have to come face to face with what she really wants in life -- protecting her heart from hurt, or letting go of her fears of a new beginning.

~ Our Review ~
3.5 Star Review by Annie
 
What do you get when you mix a scorned woman and video blog? You get a quest for all woman that men aren’t the only ones who can get arm candy.
The day before McKenna was supposed to walk down the aisle with the guy she has been with for 9 years, she gets the surprise of a lifetime. A phone call calling off the wedding. Her fiancĂ© ran off and got married to a younger girl he meet while celebrating his bachelor party. He destroyed her heart, but he didn’t stop there. Every time she turns around he is finding new ways to hurt her and torture her a little more.
 
So in order to show the world and Todd that woman can do the same thing that men do, McKenna devises a plan to find a trophy husband. Her friend and her set rules:  He can’t be older than twenty-three, he has to be smoking hot and have a rock hard body.  Little did she know the trophy husband search would take on a life of its own.
Everything is going great, until McKenna meets Chris.  Since the moment McKenna met Chris she cannot stop thinking and fantasizing about him. The only problem is Chris doesn’t meet the trophy husband guidelines.  Does McKenna find what she is looking for?
 
Trophy Husband is a fun light hearted romance that has a whole lot of sexual tension and fantasy. I loved the chemistry between McKenna and Chris. They have an undeniable attraction that made me squirm around in my seat.  This book had some slow parts, but overall was a great read.
 
~ About The Author ~
 
Lauren Blakely is an unabashed fan of clever jokes, toast, and good guys in novels. Like the heroine in TROPHY HUSBAND, she thinks life should be filled with hot men, cool clothes, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren lives in California with her husband and children, and spends her days writing both true stories and make-believe ones.
 
 

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Picturing Perfect by Melissa Brown

~ Synopsis ~
 
Life may not turn out like we planned, but sometimes that’s what makes it perfect…

Hadley Foster has always been a planner. But, since the age of nineteen, things haven’t exactly gone according to plan… not at all. And the changes continue to mount when a trip to Europe with her best friend starts a domino effect in all aspects of her life. Suddenly, the future she had envisioned for herself seems unlikely to happen. It’s time to make a new plan… or accept the dominoes as they fall.

Jason Kelly has a great life. He’s a successful self-published writer who’s living his dreams. But, something is missing. Hadley Foster. Letting her slip through his fingers is one of his biggest regrets. Over time, he had to accept the idea of being without his first love as he watched her fall in love with someone else.

When circumstances bring Jason and Hadley back into one another’s lives, they’re forced to deal with their past, their present and the possibility of a future together.

 
 
 
~ Our Review ~
4 star review by Heather
 
This book started off a little slow,but a quarter of the way through it picked up and got really interesting.  I then didn't want to put it down.  In its own way it is a love triangle.
 
Hadley is a girl still trying to find where she belongs.  She graduates college and goes off to Europe with her best frined Auden for a month.  She gets really sick and has to come home early.  This ends up being a good thing.  She has to turn down a teaching position at the high school, but ends up working teaching adults with disabilities and loves this job.  She can't picture having a more rewarding job.  Since coming home from vacation her and her boyfriend of six years Tucker are not getting along well.  He is a jerk and decides he is going to break things off with her the same night she has a secret to tell him.  She soon realizes that just because it wasn't in your life plan doesn't mean it can't turn into an AMAZING thing.  She runs into Jason, Auden's older brother.  It has been a while since she has seen him.  She is amazed to find that the attraction she has had for him since she was eight is still there. 
 
Jason is an amazing writer.  He has a chance run in with Hadley one day when she is on a field trip with her clients(the adults she teaches).  He then realizes that day that he wants to let Hadley know that he has had feelings for her for several years.  That he is willing to fight Tucker for her and show her who the better man is.  Can he be the better man?  Can there love they hid from each other grow into something BIG?  Can they overcome the obsticles thrown at them?
 
This book was really good.  I love that we learn that we can do things even if it wasn't in our original plans.  Not everything has to be planned out.  It was an amazing journey that Hadley and Jason went on to get where they did.  I really wanted to give this book 5 Stars, but it was a little too slow at the beginning for me.  I would recommend reading it.  I hope that Auden will get a book.

 
~ About Melissa Brown ~
 

Melissa Brown is a hopeless romantic living in the Chicagoland area with her husband and their two children. Aside from writing, she enjoys reading and baking. She also has a slight obsession with actor Henry Cavill and the TV show New Girl. This is her third novel.
 

 






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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Release Day Launch and Giveaway: One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker

~ Synopsis ~
 
Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents' tragic death and Kacey's self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would...and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she’s going to someday marry. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say ‘no’ to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men’s rowing team. Definitely him. He’s an arrogant ass who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn’t want in a guy. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fits Livie’s criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?

As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.
 
 
~ Our Review ~
5 Star Review by Annie

“Life has a funny way of creating its own tests. It throws curve balls that make you do and think and feel things that are in direct conflict with what you had planned and don’t allow you operate in terms of black and white.”
 
One Tiny Lie was an intense read filled with raw emotion, hot sexual tension and the dreaded love triangle. If you loved Ten Tiny Breaths, which I did, you will absolutely fall in love with this book.
 
“Normal is boring.  Tequila, Livie. It makes wallflowers into butterflies.”
 
Ever since Livie was 9 years old, her dad and her had her picture perfect life all planned out. So when he was killed in a tragic accident Livie felt the need to honor him by following through with their plan. She has lived the life she thought her dad would want her to. She is now attending the college her dad attended, following the career path they chose together and is dating Connor, the boy her dad would approve of. All that changed in a split second, when her sister shoved a Jell-O shot in her hand and the hot guy shoved his tongue down her throat.  Does she really want that cookie cutter life that she planned for or does she want to live life the way she wants to? Does she take a gamble or does she stay with the safe bet?
 
Connor is the hot boy next door with the sexy Irish accent.  His goal in life is to be an attorney just like his father. He is best friends, team mates and roomies with Ashton, and witnesses his daily womanizing ways. Luckily for Connor he has found Livie, the girl of his dreams and doesn’t have to worry about all the row team groupies hanging around.
 
“Connor is perfect and easy. Ashton is far from perfect. I know now what Storm and Kacey mean when they call someone “sex on a stick.” That’s what Ashton is. He’s not a forever guy. Connor is a forever guy. “
 
Ashton is the captain of the row team and the big stud on campus. When women throw themselves at him he has no problem giving them what they want. Everything was going as planned until she walked into his life and flipped his life around and completely changed his way of thinking. The only problem standing in his way is his past and all the demons that haunt him daily. Can he get past the thing that is holding him back from living his life, that one tiny lie?
 
“Go forth and make thy mistakes.”
 
The main characters are full of inner turmoil, struggling how to break free and live life the way they want to. It is truly amazing to see them break free and start to figure out who they are.
 
This book has everything you need to make it a no breaks, non-stop sit thru read. You have the virginal honor student in the Ivy League college, the all-star sporty womanizing man hunk and the boy next door all involved in one epic love triangle. Could this get any better?
 
It contained many not so innocent parts that will have your stomach getting all gooey with impure thoughts. This is a fabulous book by a fabulous author. I would highly recommend this book.




~ About K.A. Tucker ~

Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

 Blog Website ♥ Facebook Twitter ♥ Atria ♥ Goodreads





 

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Release Day Party: Destined to Succeed by Lisa M. Harley

 
~Synopsis~

What would you do if what you worked your entire life to build was suddenly destroyed?

Cade Walker is a cowboy Casanova. He’s cocky and he doesn’t care who knows it. He was raised on Walker Ranch and was destined to one day take it over. What he didn’t know was how soon that would happen. After his parents are killed in a car accident he is thrust into becoming a responsible adult. Well, sort of. Cade is always responsible when it comes to business, but pleasure, now that’s a whole other story.

Suzanna Mallory is a red-headed spitfire, who also happens to be Cade’s best friend. She has loved Cade since they met when they were nine years old, but Cade just isn’t the type to get married and settle down. Suzanna finds herself in an abusive marriage and the only thing that keeps her sane is her daughter, Isabella, and working with Cade at Walker Ranch.

 When a fire threatens to destroy the future of Walker Ranch, Cade and Suzanna have to work together to save it.

 What will this mean for her marriage or to the feelings that she has for Cade?

 And now that Cade thought he found love with Loralei Harper, only to realize she didn’t feel the same way, is he ready to settle down?

 Is Cade Walker Destined to Succeed?
 
~Prologue~
 
Six months ago
 
Cade~
 
That was that. I wasn’t the daddy. I was so damn sure that baby was mine. I was already picturing us on the ranch. Her ridin’ horses and me teaching her how to be a real little cowgirl. Lor had shattered that dream, when she knocked on the door that day.
 
I could tell she had been cryin’. Her eyes were all red and her cheeks were tear stained. I opened the door, and I just knew. I knew what she was about to tell me.
 
“Hon, it’s okay. I can tell by the look on your face, what you’re about to tell me. I’ll be gettin’ outta your hair, now.” I started to turn and walk away. I couldn’t help the tear that was streamin’ down my cheek. Damn, I wanted that baby to be mine more than anything in this world. I knew I had lost her momma, but I was hopin’…well, it didn’t matter what I was hopin’. It wasn’t gonna happen now.
 
“Cade, I’m so sorry. I know how much you wanted it to be yours.” She started to cry again.
“Hon, I know you’re happy that it ain’t mine, so quit your cryin’ and go on home to asshat,” I said with a chuckle. I was tryin’ to tease her…to make her smile. And she did. She gave me a very small, sad smile. Then she turned and walked away. That was that.
 
Present
 
Goddamn, I was tired. It had been a hell of a day on the ranch. It was birthin’ season and we had the vet out all day. That was gonna cost a small fortune, but it was worth it when you saw those new calves and foals bein’ brought into the world. I was sore. I was gettin’ too old for this shit. All I had been able to think about all day was gettin’ home, takin’ a shower, and crawlin’ into bed.
 
When I walked around the front of my house, I saw Clay’s truck parked out front. What the hell was he doin’ at my place. He was screwin’ up my plans.
 
I walked in the living room, hung my Stetson on the hat rack, and that’s when I heard it. That fuckin’ little bastard.
 
I flung the door to my room wide open. There he was. Screwin’ that little blonde hussy, Ana. What the fuck?
 
“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me, right now?” I screamed as I ran toward the bed.
 
“Get the fuck out, man. Can’t you see I’m a little busy?” He didn’t even stop what he was doin’ to say that. I grabbed him by the hair of his head and pulled him off of her.
 
“You. Get the hell out.” Normally, I wouldn’t have talked to a woman like that. But this chick was a pain in my ass. She was only screwin’ Clay to get to me. She had tried everything in the world to hook up with me. It wasn’t gonna happen. So, now she had moved on to him. I’m sure she was thinkin’ about me the whole time. It was probably her idea to do it in my house, and my bed.
 
“Cade, baby,” Ana said, biting her lip seductively. Then she curled her finger at me, “Join us?”
 
“You have got to be fuckin’ kiddin’ me…Can you not take a hint? I will never sleep with you. You are not what I’m lookin’ for.” I was lookin’ for a wife. Not some cheep ass floozy that just wanted to screw me to get my ranch. “Ya’ll have five minutes to get your shit and get the fuck out of my house. Tick-tock.”
 
I started toward the kitchen. I needed a beer. I grabbed a cold one out of the fridge and took a seat at the table. All of a sudden, I heard the front door slam and said a little thank you that they were gone. They weren’t. I looked up and my cousin Cord was standin’ in the doorway.
 
“I need one of those too. Had a hell of a day,” he said as he grabbed a beer out of the fridge and took a seat across from me at the table.
 
“You and your damn brother seem to think this is your house.”
 
“Well, it kinda is, right? I mean you’re like our brother. Mi casa, su casa?” He grinned and continued to suck down my beer.
 
“Why was your day so hard? Have a hard time pickin’ out your tie?” I loved to give him a hard time. He was the only one in our family that had a job. Meaning, he didn’t work on the ranch. He was a lawyer. I always knew he would make somethin’ of himself. Now that brother of his was a whole other story.
 
“Asshole. I’m working on a big case. I’m gonna have to go to Dallas next week. Why don’t you come with me? It’d be good for you to get away from the ranch for a bit.”
 
That actually sounded great. I hadn’t had a vacation in years. This ranch meant everything to me. Since my parents had died, I had worked my ass off to make it the success it had become. And I trusted my farmhands. I knew they could handle it if I was gone for a few days.
 
“How long you gonna be gone?” I asked.
 
“Three days. Come on, it’ll be like the old days. We used to have fun together, remember?”
“Yeah, that was before everyone in town knew you were a lawyer. That totally ruined your reputation.” He laughed and I threw my bottle cap at him.
 
Dallas would be fun. I needed to have some fun. Some fun that didn’t include visiting the local tavern and takin’ home whatever girl I chose for the night. That shit was gettin’ real old, real quick. Loralei Harper made me realize I wanted a wife and a family. I wasn’t gonna get that with one of those floozies down at the bar.
 
All of a sudden, I heard Clay screamin’. I ran out to the porch and saw what he was yellin’ about. I took off runnin’ toward the horse barn. What the hell was goin’ on? How did this happen? The farmhands were screamin’ and runnin’ out of the barn carrying the new babies we’d spent all day birthin’.
 
Clay, Cord, and I got to the barn about the time it happened. Flames were everywhere and then there was an explosion. I heard screamin’ and cries of all of the animals that we couldn’t get out. I tried to run in. I tried to save them. Cord and Clay pulled me back. I fell to my knees. Dear God, why? Why? Were there people in there? Oh my God, where’s Colt?
 
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Blog Tour and Giveaway: Rose by Alison Chaffin Higson


Blurb

Mackenzie (Mack) Harper is a twenty-four year old school teacher who moves to Rose Cottage in Cape Elizabeth for the summer.  She arrives with her six year old nephew, Lucas, who’s staying with her for a few weeks ­while his parents are in Europe.
 
Placing storage boxes on top of the kitchen cabinets, Mack finds a diary, opening it to the first page it reads, ‘This is the diary of a Rose, dated March 4th, 1947’.  Settling down to read this diary, Mack discovers a love story between Rose and a man named Jacob Evans.

Realizing that Jacob is still alive and around eighty-eight years old, Mack tries to contact him to tell him Rose’s story.  She leaves a message with Jacob’s housekeeper and hopes that he returns her call.

While talking to her sister on the phone, she watches a denim and leather clad guy dismount his Harley and move in next door. 
Unbeknown to Mack, he’s Jacob’s thirty-two year old grandson, Dean, who has come to Cape Elizabeth to find out why she wants to talk to his grandfather about a diary and to make sure she isn’t after his grandfather’s money.
 
Within an hour of actually meeting Dean has his hands on her legs, although due to spilled coffee, he discovers he can’t stop touching her.  Dean was only too glad to escape to Cape Elizabeth, away from his mother, who wants him to be married to Cynthia, her friend’s daughter, who he has no interest in. Together Mack and Dean try to unravel the mystery of what actually happened to Rose in 1947.Thomas Degan the owner of Rose Cottage is a loveable eighty year old man who befriends Lucas, taking him fishing and spends time with him reading ‘Our Gang’ Comics.

All these characters come together in a story of loss, love and friendship.
 
Our Review
4 Star Review by Heather
 
This book has just the right amount of romance and mystery in it.
 Mackenzie and her nephew Lucas go to Cape Elizabeth, Maine on vacation for the summer. It is beautiful, relaxing and a slower pace than Boston. Upon arriving she meets Thomas the eighty year old owner of Rose Cottage and their friendship grows stronger with each day. Thomas has no family so in a way he adopts them. 
 
Shortly after arriving Mack finds a diary. She asks Thomas about it to see if he knew about it. He knew nothing about it, but once she mention who was writing in it he knew who's it was. She has no idea who Rose is until she was half way into it. Mack feels a connection with Rose and is determined to find out who Jacob is. She does an online search and finds a Jacob that fits the description. She calls and leaves a message with his house keeper to please have him call her as soon as possible. Is he the Jacob from the Diary? 
 
Dean is a smoking hot graphic designer. He is Jacob's grandson. He over hears the house keeper talking to Mack on the phone and decides that he needs to investigate this lady. He doesn't want anyone trying to take advantage of his grandpa. He uses this as a reason to get away from his mother, who is trying to marry him off. So he books the cottage right next door to Mack. He instantly has a connection with Lucas and Mack. Is his grandpa the guy in the journal? 
 
This is a sweet romance novel. I love all the mystery around the journal. Nothing like trying to solve a mystery, while getting an extra bonus of two blooming romances.
 
 Author Bio
 
I was born in Bolton, Lancashire within the United Kingdom, where I lived, and worked at the University of Bolton. In 2010, I moved to Ireland with my husband, 4 kids and pack of animals. I can tell you it wasn't pleasant traveling in a car with 5 cats in cat boxes. Climbing back into the car after the ferry journey to Ireland was the most unpleasant thing we had to do on moving day!!

We are now settled in a lovely town, in County Cavan. The kids love their schools (once they get there that is!) and the little one loves her play-school where she goes with her imaginary friend, Katie.

My eldest daughter, is on the Irish Junior Archery Team, and spends her time training. At least she does when her dad can get her off her ipad, reading or listening to music.

After writing under a pen name for a short while, I decided to try my hand at writing in third person past tense, instead of first person. Rose is my first published book under my own name, and will not be the last, as I have a head full of ideas, plus covers for some of those ideas!

I have recently joined the book review blog, Book Addict Mumma and made a wonderful new friend in Kristy Louise Garbutt, my new boss!

My kindle is loaded with too many books to mention, and I absolutely love to read when I have the chance.
 
Author Links  
 
Book Trailer