Thursday 28 May 2015

The Rearranged Life by Annika Sharman



The Rearranged Life Synopsis
Nithya, a vivacious, intelligent and driven college senior has always known what she has wanted: a successful career in medicine and the love of her family. She's even come to terms with the idea of an arranged marriage, a tradition her conservative Indian family has held up for thousands of years.
When a night of partying puts her on a collision course with danger, Nithya's entire life changes.
Enter James St. Clair, the smart, challenging and heartbreakingly handsome American.
As Nithya and James fall in love, she questions the future she and her parents have always planned. Now, Nithya has a choice to make: become a doctor and a good Indian bride, or step away from her family and centuries of culture to forge her own path.
The decision she comes to takes her on a journey that transforms how she sees her future, her relationships with loved ones, and how she learns to put herself back together when even her best-laid plans fall apart
Buy Links
Buy links: Amazon // Barnes and Noble 

Annika Sharman Bio
Annika Sharma was born in New Delhi and brought up in the United States, where she moved with her parents as a baby. A proud alum, she graduated from Penn State University with dual degrees in Biobehavioral Health and Neuro-Psychology, and minors in Biology and Human Development and Family Studies. She received her Master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education before pursuing her dreams of becoming a writer, landing her agent Stacey Donaghy of Donaghy Literary Group while daylighting as a preschool teacher. The Rearranged Life, her first novel, was written in the month before graduate school.
Annika, a Gryffindor and Scorpio, spends much of her time dreaming of adventure, working on her next book, going on Starbucks runs with family and friends, shopping online and watching superhero movies.
Links:  Website // Twitter // Facebook // Goodreads 
The Rearranged Life, have been hitting the shelves since May 15th, 2015, published by Curiosity Quills Press.





4 Stars


This story brings back so many childhood memories. Growing up next door to an Indian family. Watching Indian movies, lots of colourful saris, delicious sweets, different music and dances. The atmosphere always so warm and welcoming, vibrant. Parents migrated and children born and bread in a different country and society, yet remaining loyal to their customs and traditions. Just like having dual citizenship. Always heading home to Indian during break and complaining when school starts back. Reminiscing.


"We have to be as Indian as the people in India and as American as the Americans. 
We can't win."

Annika Sharman gives us a story that delves into and crosses cultural barriers and family. As Indians, whether living in or migrated from Indian, they must stay true to their culture and family. It's all about heritage and tradition. When Nithya finds herself not only attracted to an American but also dating one, it becomes difficult to balance both her family and cultural obligations, that have been set from birth, and her true feelings. Tradition versus Love.

"Aunties don't see love marriages as a path to happiness. It will always be selfish betrayal." 

"She might be a good catch, but she should have stuck to an Indian. What is the point of having your own culture if you just blend right in and marry the one you moved into? You marry your kind. You are no Indian if you don't act like one!" 

Nithya is struggling. She is in college studying to become a doctor, not only has she been rejected by all the colleges she has applied to, but she also has to sit by and watch her friends and boyfriend, get into the colleges of their choices. Whilst, battling choices. Choices that will either help her stay true to her Indian heritage and her family, or one that involves James, and thus shaming her family, by going against tradition and culture.

As an Indian, and and Indian woman, it is Nithya's responsibility to lift her family, in the site of God, society and culture. Daughters bring light to a household, whether their own, or their in-laws. In the Indian culture, Nithya's life has already been set out for her. She will become a doctor, because it is all she knows, and then she will have an arranged marriage, of her parents choosing.  Their is no room for love. It's about cultural obligations and respect.

"Perhaps the idea of falling in love, dating, and making your own decisions is overplayed. Maybe love grows. Maybe it isn't something that exists from the first look or first kiss. Maybe, just maybe, the end justifies the means."

Going against tradition and her family, will be seen as disrespectful, towards her family and her culture. All the blame and shame will fall upon her parents, and they will be disrespected among their peers. 

Indians run a secret spy network, fueled by gossip and funded by rumors.

Not only is Nithya battling her culture based on having an American boyfriend; her inner turmoil, is trying to stay true to herself whilst, still remaining loyal and respectful of her parents, their wishes and their sacrifices. Her inner tug of war takes a back seat, when her parents reunite with another Indian family, whose son, likes Nithya and without a doubt would like to eventually marry her.

Nishanth is just like Nithya, born and breed in America, but Indian to the core. Westernization has not affected him and his culture. So she would have the best of both worlds is she chooses to adhere to her traditions, rather than following her heart. Knowing very well, that the culture shock for James will be too much, along with her family. 

“It would be easy with me. We could be a part of both clubs together. You don’t have to choose one over the other with me.”- Nishanth.



This is just as difficult for James. It's a complete culture shock. Not being able to be oneself, having your family arrange a marriage and being shunned. All he knows is that he loves Nithya and she needs to make a choice. He can't be strung along while she chooses her family over him.

"Who would want to be with someone who has no choice about what to do? Who wants to risk falling in love with someone if they might end up belonging to someone else?" 


As Nithya battles her family, and tradition, she also battles with herself esteem. She has always been a strong young woman, but was that because of her family and culture. Did she follow through, because she felt obligated or were her choices made based on the path she saw her life taking. Nithya starts to question everything she ever knew. Why did she want to become a doctor, would it be so bad to have an American boyfriend, to not get into medical school, to go against tradition. There are so many 'what-if's' for Nithya, her deciding factor, will be the her in the end.



A lovely, thought provoking and endearing read.
*ARC provided by InkSlinger PR on behalf of the author for an honest review* Thanks!!!

Tuesday 26 May 2015

VIOLENT THINGS (Chaos & Ruin) by Callie Hart *COVER REVEAL*


Currently Available for Pre-order

Releasing June 30th




Pre-order available on the following retailers:


 

iBooks
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon AU
Amazon CA
KOBO
Barnes & Noble



Book Summary

 

You’re never really out until you’re dead. That’s what the mob bosses, gunrunners and car thieves of Seattle will tell you, anyway.
 
Zeth Mayfair, ex mafia enforcer, has other ideas. Since falling for Sloane, he’s managed to turn her life upside down. Now, he’s determined to give her a stable, happy and, most importantly, safe life. If that means he has to sleep with one eye open and one hand on a shotgun, then that’s what he’ll do.
 
Mason Reeves is just looking for a way to take care of his sick sister. Since their mother left, things have been hard, and they’re only getting harder. Prescription meds don’t come cheap, and working as an auto mechanic only pays so well. If he wants to give Millie the life she deserves, he’s going to have to earn it with his fists. And who better to teach him how to fight than the guy who took down the biggest gangster in Seattle?
 
You can try to get out…
 
You can try to be good…
 
You can steer clear of trouble…
 
But it’s only a matter of time before trouble comes looking for you


About the Author
Callie has experienced many changes throughout her life, and gone through many ups and downs that have all worked towards shaping and molding her into the person she is today: fun loving, active, social, and hard working. The only thing that has remained a constant throughout her life is writing. Creating characters who will tear your conscience in two is a favorite pastime of Callie’s. There are few real saints and sinners in her books; more often, the denizens of her stories are all very human. Broken, flawed, and always with the potential for redemption.
Despite the subject matter being markedly hot and heavy in comparison to the stories she wrote in elementary school, there will always be an element of fairytale to her work.



Thursday 21 May 2015

Forgotten Treasures by D. Hart


Title: Forgotten Treasures
Author: D. Hart
Genre: NA | Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 19, 2015




Synopsis

In the aftermath of destruction, hearts were destroyed, strengths were stripped, and vulnerabilities were exposed. 



A community was ripped apart after a tragic accident, and the loss hit one family particularly hard as it claimed the lives of three, leaving only one surviving member to pick up the pieces and move forward.



Baylor’s life was wiped clean in the blink of an eye. No family, no home, no name. That is, until she met Brandt. He took a chance, giving her hope and a reason to start over. A reason to rebuild a life full of forgotten memories. A reason to trust. A reason to love. 



Finding love in all the right places should be easy, but when truths are revealed, it's anything but. Brandt will help her rediscover the true meaning of unconditional eternal love that will prove painful, life altering, and redeeming.


Together, they will try to face the future and will use each other’s strengths to learn how to live again. Can they rewrite history, or in the end, will the tragedies of their pasts be too much?




BOOK TRAILER





Buy Links for FORGOTTEN TREASURES




excerpt 

“You want to drive it?” he asked.

“Ummm, yeah, if you don’t mind.” I was dying inside. I loved cars. I didn’t know why, but I always felt at peace driving down a quiet road with the music blaring and the windows rolled down. I felt free.

He held the driver’s door open, and I hopped inside happily. He laughed as he shut the door. As soon as I saw the stick shift, I frowned. The passenger door opened, and he slid inside and watched me glare at the stick.

“Not a stick driver, huh?”
I shook my head sadly.

“Well, I guess we are going to have to change that, aren’t we?”
I couldn’t hide the fact he had just made my night. “Really? I don’t want to break your car. It’s so pretty.” I petted the leather console separating us.

“Yes, it is quite the beauty, and, yes, I’m sure. You won’t break my car. I’m more worried about you breaking my heart.”

I blushed. From any other guy that would have been the cheesiest line on the planet, but it sounded so natural coming from those lips. And honest. If he was alluding to me breaking his heart, then he must have at least seen himself with me past tonight, which rose my heat meter ten degrees.

“You ready?” he asked.

“Are you?” I responded.


He shot me a seductive smile, revealing his hidden dimples and melting my panties. Dammit. I was trying so hard to keep those in place. 



Author Bio

I'm a...



Mom

Firefighter Wife

Sister

Sister-In-Law

Daughter

Aunt
Friend
Multi-genre Writer
Reader
and so many other ordinary things.

I love my life and am so grateful for all of the support. I have the courage to live a dream. 






Author Social Links

Wattpad (sample Forgotten Treasures) / Newsletter


GIVEAWAY INFO

D. Hart is offering the following prizes!  Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST 05/25/2015.

·         (1) $25 Amazon Gift Card and a signed copy of Forgotten Treasures (INTL)




4 stars

A remarkable and compelling journey, through the recesses of a young woman's mind; from darkness into light. Through sorrow and pain, the memories of, what was and what is no more; comes to us, an epic love story. A young couple transcending all obstacles, proving, wishes and second chances do come true.

Told in two halves; part one is where our amnesiac, Freckles, is desperately attempting to figure out her past. And part two, gives us some more insight into, Freckles, before, during and after certain traumatic evens occur, thus creating her state of amnesia.



Our young heroine wakes up in a hospital bed, without any recollection of her past. Stranded in the dark recesses of her mind are the traumatizing memories that will bring her to her knees, when she remembers. She has Dissociative Amnesia. Commonly caused from trauma- the death of a loved one, a car accident and everything in between. Meeting Grady Reilly, was a breathe of fresh air within the confines of her mind and the hospital walls. He became a daily necessity for her. Helping with her physical therapy, conversation and friendship that settled her mind even if for a little time each day. Grady Reilly is a volunteer at the hospital where, Freckles, as Grady named her, spends her time until she is released. 

On the day of her release, Grady sees Freckles sitting, alone on a pavement bench. Lost and scared. 


Knowing she has no one, especially her memories, Grady offers her comfort in the form of support. He gives her a shelter, all other basic amenities, and most importantly, his friendship. Grady understands anger and pain. What it is to be lost after a traumatic incident.

Grady asks his neighbour and step-brother, Brandt to look out for Freckles, whenever Grady isn't around. Just to keep and eye out. Bumping into Brandt has awakened an attraction that Freckles doesn't understand, but it awakens memories, she thought lost.

"My mind had hidden away the memories, protecting the forgotten treasures."

After some spending time with Brandt and Grady, Freckles does some soul searching and she realises that both Brandt and Grady have painful pasts, and her being in close proximity to them, is causing undue distress.







As the story unfolds, Freckles, memories rush back to her, and the trauma of learning what was forgotten, becomes even more devastating. Her life has been one incident after another. Impacting heavily on her life and those around her.  She finds her one true love, Brandt, and understands that Grady was her friend and confidant.


"I had reached a place within myself I never knew, and Brandt had now become more than just a want. He was a necessity. He was my lifeline."


This was a lovely emotional read. I had some issues early on with the book. Like in the synopsis, Freckles, name was given away. That took away from the story for me a little. Then there was no emotional connection to Freckles at the beginning. I felt disconnected to her character and I honestly, couldn't understand certain parts of the storyline. At 20% I became perturbed by a certain statement from Brandt when they were having dinner.  For someone portrayed as being supportive and loving, I felt his statements at that scene was not appropriate. It was out of character for him.

So that was that till the second part started. This is where the book started to flare and it got me hooked and emotionally drained. I felt so much. Anger, hurt, heartbreak, love, failure, it was all encompassing. Brandt was the perfect hero. Portrayed aptly. Grady! OMG, that poor guy. There are no words for him. I was just crushed. Can't wait for his book.

*ARC provided by As the Pages Turn on behalf of the author for an honest review* Thanks!! 


Wednesday 20 May 2015

BEHIND YOUR BACK & BACK TO BACK by Chelsea M. Cameron *Teaser Blitz *


BYBBTB

Today we are sharing teasers for two upcoming books by Chelsea M. Cameron. 


BEHIND YOUR BACK will be released May 26th, 

and 

BACK TO BACK will be released on June 9th.

 



BehindYourBack

BEHIND YOUR BACK Summary

To get to him, I need to use her.

I’ll play her like a violin and have her falling in love with me before she even knows what’s happening. It will be easy. I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again.

She’s just a girl. A tool to get what I want.

When I’m done with her I won’t think twice about walking away.

At least, that was what I thought. Until I met her.







BacktoBack

BACK TO BACK Summary

He underestimated me. 
The girl with the red hair and green eyes.
But I also underestimated him.

We’re both good at what we do. Together, we’re unstoppable.

But I’ll have to be careful.

Last time I played him and he's not going to take the betrayal lightly. I'll have to watch my back... and my heart.



Add BACK TO BACK to Goodreads



  BYBTease6




BYBTease3

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway


BYBTease8



AUTHOR INFORMATION

ChelseaCam
Chelsea M. Cameron is a YA/NA New York Times/USA Today Best Selling author from Maine. Lover of things random and ridiculous, Jane Austen/Charlotte and Emily Bronte Fangirl, red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, vegetarian, former cheerleader and world's worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, singing in the car and tweeting (this one time, she was tweeted by Neil Gaiman). She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is.   

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Rex (Finding Love #2) by Beth Michele *SALE* *.99 CENTS*

Monday 18 May 2015

Forbidden (Fallen Idols, #1) by Savannah Rylan


Forbidden banner

Title: Forbidden (Fallen Idols, #1)
Author: Savannah Rylan
Genre: Erotic Romance
Release Date: May 11, 2015

goodreads


Synopsis

Trista Monroe is badass. She is the only female member to ever wear the cut of the Fallen Idols Motorcycle Club. She's nobody's old lady and she likes it that way.

Blaze Taylor hardly remembers the club, but his old man died trying to protect it. He wants to honor his father, but being a prospect isn't easy. Especially when the president's daughter is sexy, feisty and totally off limits. Forbidden love is the ultimate battle, one that these two Fallen Idols might just die for.

Buy The Book

Forbidde cover


Excerpt

“Stay down, tiger. I’ve found my date.” No one in the bar moved; they just kept doing their nightly routine. Drinking, smoking¸ and making fucking plans. I was ready to make mine. I grabbed my purse. “What’s your name, stranger?” “Blaze, yours?” “Kelly.” That sounded good for tonight. Trista might tip him off to who I really was. A badass MC member. Blaze, that sounded familiar though. I couldn’t figure out why. “Well, Kelly, you want a drink? Or should we get out of here?” I liked how fast he moved. “Let’s go.” I pulled him by the hand through the front door. “Where to beautiful?” I hadn’t thought that far, usually it was the back of some guy’s car. I was only in it for the sex, but with Blaze, I wanted to know more. “My place?” He looked surprised. “I’ll follow you? I’d like to see you on the back of that bike.” Of course he would. “Sounds good,” I said swinging a leg over the leather seat. “Try to keep up.” “I will,” he winked at me.  



About The Author
Savannah
Savannah Rylan is an erotic romance writer that spends most of her time writing and reading with her cat, Gris. When not penning the next great American novel, (HA), you can find her on the beach with a drink in her hand or at the gym testing out some strange new position. Yoga, obviously. She lives in Southern California with her husband and Gris, the true love of her life.



Giveaway

love 2



3 Stars

A short, sexy, sassy read.


Trista Monroe is a biker brat. Born into the life, living by it's rules, she has fought long and hard to become the first female member of the Fallen Idols MC. With her father at the gavel, it isn't always easy, being not only the Prez's daughter, but being the only female member. Trista is tougher than nails and her loyalty and dedication to the club is hands down, indescribable. 

Looking for a night out, Trista walks in a bar, looking deadlier than sin.  A night out gains her one amazing night with a drop dead gorgeous, muscled and tatted hunk. 

The next day, sated and happy as can be, Trista heads to the club. Seeing some new prospects, looks promising, but seeing Blaze Taylor, becomes disturbing. Because not only does she not want him to feel he can use her to get ahead in the club, but also, because, he is a past member's son. Truths unknown to her, Trista believes that Blaze and his family betrayed the club. With lust coursing those her body, but the hatred within her heart wins over, for his family's betrayal, Trista makes sure her opinions are heard at Church, against Blaze prospecting.

At the story progresses we get some suspense into the MC's illegal dealings, and as situations arise and products go missing, rivals gangs are brought into the mix. Trouble starts to stir up, alliances are threatened and enemies are confronted.

An interesting read, with a female MC member. Uniquely different, intriguing enough to keep me waiting for the other books. Suspenseful and mysteriously alluding to deeper threats that may bring the past ah -knocking.




*ARC provided by Between the Sheets Promotions on behalf of the author for an honest review* Thanks!!