Cover Reveal: INVINCIBLE by: Alana Albertson

 

Title: INVINCIBLE

Author: Alana Albertson

Genre: New Adult Romantic Thriller

Organized by: Indie Sage, LLC

Tentative Release Date: 23rd February 2014

  

 

INVINCIBLE Synopsis:

I’ll be honest with you—I’m no hero. Sure—the media tries to brand every Navy SEAL as some kind of Batman dressed in cammies. There’s even a line in one of our cadences—”superman is the man of steel, he ain’t no match for Navy SEAL.” You’ve seen the movies—we’re indestructible, invincible, invulnerable. But that night, the one you read about in the papers—all I really wanted to do was get laid.

One harmless fuck with a Curaçao whore—no strings attached. I picked her out of a lineup—wild, dark hair, long legs and a crooked smile. After she sucked me off, I relaxed back onto the creaky, cum-stained cot, thankful for the blissful moments she gave me when I actually forgot for a second the faces of my buddies who died because I made the wrong call, the tears of the children I couldn’t save, and the eyes of the enemies I slaughtered during their last seconds of life.

But before I left, her green eyes peered into my soul. She whispered in a distinct So Cal accent, “My name is Annie Baylis. I’m an American citizen. I was kidnapped from a cruise ship five years ago. You’re my last hope. Please save me.”

One desperate plea. This wasn’t a Hollywood blockbuster or a New York Times best-selling thriller. I knew that this time there was no room for excuses, no margin for errors. I had one chance to put the cape on and be her hero...

 

 

ALANA ALBERTSON is the former President of both Romance Writers of America’s Young Adult and  Chick Lit chapters and the founder of Academe Advantage, a college admissions & test preparation company. Alana Albertson holds a Masters of Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Stanford University.
A recovering professional ballroom dancer, Alana currently writes contemporary romance and young adult fiction. She lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, two young sons, and four dogs. When she’s not spending her time needlepointing,  dancing, or saving dogs from high kill shelters through  Pugs N Roses, the rescue she founded, she can be found watching episodes of House Hunters, Homeland, or Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.

Connect With Alana
Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Amazon | Pinterest

 

SNEAK PEEK

To wet your appetite, you can read the first chapter of INVINCIBLE at Totallybookedblog by clicking on the image below:

 

 

My Picks of the Week! (28th January 2014)

Hello, Muses!

If you are a regular and you think your eyes are playing tricks are you, they aren't! My goddess of a best friend helped me make a few much needed changes and updates. Hopefully this will make everything easier on the eye and easier to navigate. I'm still working on a few things, but overall, I absolutely love the change. It's amazing what a difference a few tweaks can make!

In any case, enjoy these new releases in books, movies, and tv shows!

Best Wishes,

 

BOOKS (28th January)

 

 

ADULT BOOKS

Beautiful Addictions
by: Season Vining

Josie Banks is a girl without a past.  After being found unconscious with no memory, she was shuffled in and out of foster homes where she suffered years of abuse. An experience that left her broken, damaged, and clinging to drugs and meaningless hook-ups to numb her pain.

When Josie disappeared years ago, she took a piece of Tristan with her.  She’s the girl he thought he lost forever—the one he’s never been able to forget.  Now a twist of fate has brought them back together, and he never wants to let her out of his inked arms again.  But Tristan is haunted by a dark past of his own.  On the run from ruthless criminals that shattered Josie’s world years ago, reentering her life puts them both in danger.

As Josie and Tristan’s lives become tangled once again, they find themselves unwilling and unable to escape the relentless pull that draws them together.  But will the past leave their love in ruins—or bind them together for a lifetime?

Release Date: 28th January 2014

Website | E-book

Burn for Me (Phoenix Fire, #1)

by: Cynthia Eden

Eve Bradley was undercover looking for a story, not a cause. But something about the man they called Subject Thirteen got her involved. The scientists said he was a devil, and they had a decent case: Terrifying power. A bad attitude. And looks that could lead anyone to sin. . .

Cain O'Connor knows the minute he catches her candy scent that Eve could drive him wild. But she's a threat--in a way no one has been for him in years. She's safer away from him, too. But with a powerful conspiracy determined to shut Eve up for good, there's no time to argue. All they can do is trust their instincts--and their hearts...

Release Date: 28th January 2014

Website | E-book | Paperback

Deeper (Caroline + West, #1)
by: Robin York

In this New Adult debut by Robin York, a college student is attacked online and must restore her name—and stay clear of a guy who’s wrong for her, but feels so right.
 
When Caroline Piasecki’s ex-boyfriend posts their sex pictures on the Internet, it destroys her reputation as a nice college girl. Suddenly her once-promising future doesn’t look so bright. Caroline tries to make the pictures disappear, hoping time will bury her shame. Then a guy she barely knows rises to her defense and punches her ex to the ground.

West Leavitt is the last person Caroline needs in her life. Everyone knows he’s shady. Still, Caroline is drawn to his confidence and swagger—even after promising her dad she’ll keep her distance. On late, sleepless nights, Caroline starts wandering into the bakery where West works.

They hang out, they talk, they listen. Though Caroline and West tell each other they’re “just friends,” their feelings intensify until it becomes impossible to pretend. The more complicated her relationship with West gets, the harder Caroline has to struggle to discover what she wants for herself—and the easier it becomes to find the courage she needs to fight back against the people who would judge her.

When all seems lost, sometimes the only place to go is deeper.

Release Date: 28th January 2014

Website | E-book | Paperback

Book Review: FOREPLAY by: Sophie Jordan

Title: Foreplay (Ivy Chronicles, #1)
Author: Sophie Jordan
ISBN: 0062279874
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: New Adult Romance
Length: 304 pgs
Binding: Paperback
Published: 5 November 2013
Buy: Amazon.com

Synopsis:

Before she goes after the life she’s always wanted, she’s about to find the one she needs. Pepper has been hopelessly in love with her best friend’s brother, Hunter, for like ever. He’s the key to everything she’s always craved: security, stability, family. But she needs Hunter to notice her as more than just a friend. Even though she’s kissed exactly one guy, she has just the plan to go from novice to rock star in the bedroom—take a few pointers from someone who knows what he’s doing.

Her college roommates have the perfect teacher in mind. But bartender Reece is nothing like the player Pepper expects. Yes, he’s beyond gorgeous, but he’s also dangerous, deep—with a troubled past. Soon what started as lessons in attraction are turning both their worlds around, and showing just what can happen when you go past foreplay and get to what’s real...

My Rating:

My Review: If you are one of my blog followers then I apologize for sounding like a broken record. Lately I've been coming across books that aren't so easy to rate. FOREPLAY by Sophie Jordan falls somewhere between a 3.5-4 star rating. On the one hand, it's a story we've heard over and over again in the ever popular NA genre: Inexperienced virgin (Pepper) wants a guy (Hunter) that she thinks is out of her league. Slutty/promiscuous friend (Emerson) convinces her to find someone that will help her gain the sexual experience she needs in order to win over the guy. Virgin doesn't count on falling for the "tutor" (Reece) that agrees to teach her foreplay. On the other hand, the author somehow uses the timeworn formula to create a story that in some aspect feels fresh and original.

My Picks of the Week! (21st January 2014)

Hello, Muses!

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Here are the new releases for this week. In books, I have my eyes set on Loving Cara by Kristen Proby, Untouched by Maisey Yates, and the YA novel The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos.

This is a big month for Indie films, so you may want to check out the comedy Instructions Not Included and Sunlight Jr. starring Naomi Watts, Matt Dillon, and Norman Reedus.

I should have another review posted on Wednesday.

Enjoy!

BOOKS (21st January)

ADULT BOOKS

A Little Too Hot (A Little Too Far, #3)
by: Lisa Desrochers

If you play with fire…

Tossed out of college and cut off by her parents, Samantha West is in pretty dire straits. So when her rocker best friend hooks her up with a job dancing at a gentlemen’s club, who is she to turn it down? Plus, there are rules to dancing at Benny’s: No touching, keep your clothes on at all times, and never get closer than three feet. Unfortunately for Sam, her first private client makes her want to break every single one of them.

Harrison Yates is scorching hot, but he’s got a past that involves being left at the altar not too long ago. Sam is determined to make him forget about his ex, but when she makes her move, it flings her life into a spiral of chaos she never saw coming.

Because Harrison Yates isn’t who he seems to be. And his secret will probably get her killed.

Release Date: 21st January 2014

Website | E-book

Believe (True Believers, #3)

by: Erin McCarty

Robin used to be a party girl… until she got black out drunk and woke up in bed with her best friend's boyfriend. Now she's faced with being THAT girl, and couldn't be more disgusted with herself. She can't even tell her friends the reason for her sudden sobriety and she avoids everyone until she meets Phoenix—quiet, tattooed, and different in every way that's good and oh, so bad…

Phoenix is two days out of jail when he meets Robin at his cousin's house, and he knows that he has no business talking to her, but he's drawn to her quiet demeanor, sweet smile, and artistic talent. She doesn't care that he's done time, or that he only has five bucks to his name, and she supports his goal to be a tattoo artist.

But Phoenix knows Robin has a secret, and that it's a naïve dream to believe that his record won't catch up with them at some point. Though neither is prepared for the explosive result when the past collides with the present…

Release Date: 21st January 2014

Website | E-book

Book Review: RAW by: Belle Aurora

Title: RAW
Author: Belle Aurora
ISBN: B00HNG4AB4
Reading Level: Adult
Theme(s): Rape, abuse, drug cartel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 333 pgs
Binding: E-book
Published: 2nd Jan. 2014
Buy: Amazon.com

Synopsis:

***Author Note: This is not a love story. This is a story of love gone wrong.***

Growing up the way I did, you’d think I’d be more screwed up than what I actually am. Soon as I turned sixteen, I left that bump in the road I called home and took my chances on the street.

Best decision I ever made.

Now, at the age of twenty six, I’m educated, employed and damn good at my job. My friends have become my family. Like me, they know what it’s like to grow up unloved.

But the saying is true: The world makes way for those who know where they are going. That’s me. I know where I’m going and I’ll get there eventually. On my own terms and at my own pace.

But then there’s him. I feel his eyes on me. I see him hiding in plain sight. He watches me. He makes me feel. It’s unconventional. But it’s real.

I’m sure you’re wondering how a person falls in love with their stalker. So am I.

This isn’t a story.

This is my life.

My Rating:

My Review: I originally had no plans to review this book. It was one of those filler stories I decided to use as a quick read before I started something new. However, after reading the book and trying to sum up my feelings in a few sentences on goodreads.com, I came to realize that this story affected me more than I initially thought. And to be quite honest, I still don't know exactly how I feel about it. Belle Aurora definitely pushes a lot of boundaries with RAW. Boundary pushing/crossing can be a good thing. It provides a challenge to readers, such as myself, who yearn for something different in a genre that is overwhelmed with the same formula. That being said, in order for a new concept to work, it has to be executed with care. Thus the problem with RAW.

The above synopsis is a bit vague so I will give you a brief summary as to what the story is about without major spoilers. Alexa is a social worker and damn good at her job. She loves helping troubled kids and this probably stems from her own troubled childhood. She has two best friends, Nikki and Dave (who is gay). This is not your typical love story mainly because Alexa's love interest just so happens to be her stalker. Yes...I said stalker. She has known for quite some time (a year or more if I remember correctly) that she is being watched. Instead of feeling uneasy, she feels safe and even gets disappointed during the times when she senses he is not there watching her. Weird right? Anyway, one evening after work, she is nearly raped outside her apartment building. And that's when her stalker, Twitch, comes to her rescue...

My Picks of the Week! (14th January 2014)

Hello, Muses!

Short and sweet. Here are this weeks new releases in books and movies. There are no tv shows coming out worth mentioning this time around.

Enjoy!

BOOKS (13th-14th January)

ADULT BOOKS

Escape, The (Pulse, #2)
by: Shoshanna Evers

In Book Two of the erotic dystopian Pulse Trilogy, Jenna escapes New York City only to be tracked down by a soldier who might be her only hope of survival.

Jenna doesn't know if she believes what Emily and Mason told her - that America is rebuilding and a better life awaits her outside of Manhattan. But with the power grid down and no connection to the outside world, Jenna will die if she stays at Grand Central's FEMA camp, selling her body to soldiers.

Private Ken Barker is sent to capture Jenna when she escapes - but Jenna knows he's one of the good guys and tries to seduce him into joining her. Their passionate sex kindles something even stronger than lust between them, and when Barker goes back to Grand Central he sees the horrors there with new eyes.

Now it's his turn to escape the city, and he knows he must take Jenna with him or she'll die at the camp. On the road, they'll start a new life together, hoping against hope that the electricity between them will prove more than just a spark - that together they might finally light up their dark nights.

Release Date: 13th January 2014

Website | E-book

Falling For Her Soldier (Perfect Kisses, #3)

by: Ophelia London

She fell for the nice guy, but will she fall for the real guy?

Ex-ballerina Ellie Bell has twenty-four days left until her self-imposed man-less year is up. No more falling for the wrong kind of guy—charming, sexy, bad. Why can’t she find someone sweet like Charlie Johansson, her soldier pen pal? His e-mails meant the world to her, and she can’t stop thinking about him…until she meets Hunter, whose muscles and cocky smile threaten to have her relapsing.

Before Charlie “Big Game Hunter” Johansson’s last tour of duty, he’d gone through women like crazy. But after connecting on a real, emotional level via letters with his best friend’s sister, Charlie’s ready for a relationship—with Ellie Bell. But then her brother introduces him as Hunter. Proving he’s no longer a player by becoming Ellie’s dance partner for an Army benefit seems like it could convince both siblings he’s changed, but the harder he falls for Ellie, the harder it is to come clean. Can he convince her to fall for the real him before it’s too late?

Release Date: 13th January 2014

Website | E-book

Fighting For Irish (Fighting for Love, #3)
by: Gina L. Maxwell

Kat MacGregor has forty-eight hours to make good on the debt her ex-boyfriend owes a crime boss. Unfortunately, the measly tips she makes waitressing are barely enough for her to live on, much less cover the twenty-thousand needed to keep her breathing. With time running out, Kat 's forced to accept help from the only man who's ever made her feel fire rather than fear.

When he learns a friend's sister is in trouble, former Boston MMA fighter Aiden "Irish" O'Brien heads to Louisiana to offer himself up as collateral to keep her safe. But to satisfy the debt, he has to do the one thing he swore hed never do again: fight. With more than just money on the line, will Irish have what it takes to not only reclaim the man he once was, but become the man he needs to be for the woman he can't live without?

Release Date: 13th January 2014

Website | E-book

My Picks of the Week! (7th January 2014)

Hello, my lovely Muses!

There are many new releases this week, so let's get right to it. Enjoy these new releases in books, movies, and tv series.

BOOKS (January 6th-7th)

ADULT BOOKS

After the Storm (KGI, #8)
by: Maya Banks

The Kelly Group International (KGI): A super-elite, top secret, family-run business.

Qualifications: High intelligence, rock-hard body, military background.

Mission: Hostage/kidnap victim recovery. Intelligence gathering. Handling jobs the U.S. government can’t…

Over the years, Donovan Kelly has fought relentlessly for justice, women and children always holding a special place in his heart. Working side by side with his brothers, Donovan has witnessed firsthand the toll it’s taken—physically, mentally, and emotionally—on his loved ones, and the innocent lives caught in the crossfire. What he never expects is for his next mission to happen right on his home turf—or for it to take a very personal turn.

Picturesque Kentucky Lake is the perfect place for a soul in search of safe harbor. A beautiful stranger has arrived—desperate, breathless, and on the run from a dark past closing in on her and the younger siblings she has vowed to protect. Donovan must now draw on every resource at his disposal—if he wants to save a woman and the children who may prove to be his destiny.

Release Date: 7th January 2014

Website | E-book | Paperback

Before Jamaica Lane (Dublin Street, #3)

by: Samantha Young

One simple lesson in seduction between two friends can turn into so much more…

Despite her outgoing demeanor, Olivia is painfully insecure around the opposite sex—usually, she can’t get up the nerve to approach guys she’s interested in. But moving to Edinburgh has given her a new start, and, after she develops a crush on a sexy postgrad, she decides it’s time to push past her fears and go after what she wants.

Nate Sawyer is a gorgeous player who never commits, but to his close friends, he’s as loyal as they come. So when Olivia turns to him with her relationship woes, he offers to instruct her in the art of flirting and to help her become more sexually confident.

The friendly education in seduction soon grows into an intense and hot romance. But then Nate’s past and commitment issues rear their ugly heads, and Olivia is left broken-hearted. When Nate realizes he’s made the biggest mistake of his life, he will have to work harder than he ever has before to entice his best friend into falling back in love with him—or he may lose her forever…

Release Date: 7th January 2014

Website | E-book | Paperback

Changeup, the (Men of the Show, #1)
by: Rhonda Shaw

After nine years of striking out in the dating department, Maddie Hamlin is throwing in the towel. But just as this mom resolves to remain single, she meets sweet and sexy pitching phenom Chase Patton at a family dinner. He’s perfect for her--aside from the fact he’s only twenty-two.

Chase knows he should be focusing on his rookie year with the Detroit Rockets, but he can’t stop thinking about Maddie. He doesn’t care that the beautiful school counselor is twelve years older, and he’s already lost his heart to her adorable daughter. When an incredible date leads to an incredible night of passion, he knows he never wants to let her go.

But dating in the media spotlight is a whole new ball game. Maddie quickly discovers that not everyone accepts their unconventional relationship and that finding love may mean losing everything else.

Release Date: 6th January 2014

Website | E-book

Book Review: SICK by: Tom Leveen

Title: SICK
Author: Tom Leveen
ISBN: 1419708058
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: YA, Horror
Theme(s): Zombies
Length: 288 pgs
Binding: Hardcover
Published: 2nd October 2013
Buy: Amazon.com, BN.com

Synopsis:

Breakfast Club meets The Walking Dead as a group of unlikely allies tries to survive a deadly outbreak.

Brian and his friends are not part of the cool crowd. They’re the misfits and the troublemakers—the ones who jump their high school’s fence to skip class regularly. So when a deadly virus breaks out, they’re the only ones with a chance of surviving.

The virus turns Brian’s classmates and teachers into bloodthirsty attackers who don’t die easily. The whole school goes on lockdown, but Brian and his best friend, Chad, are safe (and stuck) in the theater department—far from Brian’s sister, Kenzie, and his ex-girlfriend with a panic attack problem, Laura. Brian and Chad, along with some of the theater kids Brian had never given the time of day before, decide to find the girls and bring them to the safety of the theater. But it won’t be easy, and it will test everything they thought they knew about themselves and their classmates.

My Rating:

My Review: Zombie books are hitting bookshelves left and right and are being snatched up just as quickly. The problem is finding one that stands out from the rest. When I came across the synopsis for SICK by Tom Leveen, I was instantly intrigued. Leveen usually writes contemporary YA and has a knack for portraying angsty, teenage characters in a realistic, genuine way, such as his novel ZERO (you can read my review for Zero HERE). So when I heard that Leveen was writing about a group of misfit friends that must survive a zombie outbreak, I couldn't have been more excited. This should have been an easy slam dunk for him. Unfortunately, SICK is his first novel that misses the mark.

Here is what I liked about the novel. First, I think Leveen did a great job with...