Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Kindle Edition- 361 Pages
Published May 26, 2011
Purchased

Abby and America have been best friends since childhood and with the many obstacles life has brought including an alcoholic mother, a gambling father and a dangerous childhood, college is Abby's first independent choice. The girls originally leave so Abby can get away from her low life parents and change her surroundings and connections to make the best out of a new start. Abby has sworn off anything that could lead to a scandalous life, so she lays low and enjoys college for it is......well until she meets Travis and her plan gets blown to bits.

One night while accompanying America and her boyfriend Shepley, Abby go's to see Shep's cousin and roommate Travis, a local hero and underground fighting champion {aka...the elusive sexy man-whore of Eastern U} fight live in the ring. Standing out in her little pink cardigan sweater, Travis is taken by the pretty, fresh faced girl who looks nothing like the average bimbos who crawl all over him 24/7 and is immediately drawn to her sparkle. Travis is determined to know her and Abby at first does not fall for his sexy charms and good looks or even the cute name he calls her {Pigeon} no matter the try, he cant change her mind. While a tad awkward due to the physical chemistry between them, Abby and Travis strike up a very snarky and playful friendship that begins having a dramatic effect on Travis, and Travis being Travis, the proud cant share my feelings type, never tells Abby how he truly feels and winds up acting out in some not so gentlemanly ways.

Abby and America wind up staying at the guys apartment for awhile and due to a lost bet Abby winds up moving in with Travis for a month. While Abby tries to date Parker, Travis begins to stray from the one night stands and begins fighting for the one thing he really wants. With all the shared nights of sleeping in the same room, growing close and the escalating sexual tension, Travis and Abby fall in love. Things aren't perfect though, both are immature and stubborn and the pieces of their past come to haunt both of them, making the complicated relationship if you can imagine, even more complicated.

I read Beautiful Disaster due to the controversy it sparked and I cant say enough how much I liked this book, while going into it I was expecting to read about this awful horrid psycho named Travis, but what I realized by the end was that I really liked McGuire's style of writing and grew to care about bad-boy Travis. Was Travis a prince charming? Absolutely not...Travis was an emotional wreck and a product of his childhood, the boy lost his mother, was abused and had a ton of self esteem issues. He protected himself by placing a wall around his heart, most of Travis's behavior {the fighting, sleeping around} were defense mechanisms, he used people before they could use him, pretty much a classic case of an abandoned or neglected child. This complaint about Travis being a domestic abuser...I just don't see it. What I saw was a macho tough guy who's creator indulged him in a fantasy world of being too hot, too tattooed and able to make girls go stupid in their pants. An in depth analysis would say McGuire created him to be the unattainable bad boy who uses his penis like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Sale- only to be tamed by the love of his life, showing us that even the most whorish of men can settle down.

Abby takes Travis by surprise, the real emotional connection brought true intimacy that in itself was too overwhelming for him. It scared him, unsettled him, made him a codependent nightmare that sometimes turned to jealousy, fits of violence against guys who would dare take a crack at Abby's boobs and trashing his apartment. This doesn't scream danger to me, it screams grow the hell up. Fortunately that's exactly what all these issues amount to, stepping stones in Travis's maturity and the big boy pants he would eventually put on. Granted his character was prone to douche-baggery but thank goodness the Travis in the end was not the Travis we met in the beginning. Before we put all the blame on Travis, let me tell you, Abby was no saint in this book, yes she was virgin and tried to maintain a somewhat wholesome lifestyle, but like Travis, she too came from a very rough childhood and escaped a life of crime, gambling and neglectful/abusive parents. It made sense that the first real intimate relationship she would have was with a potentially dangerous guy. Intimacy and emotional connection was overwhelming for her too and she used that against Travis to manipulate him, stringing him along throughout most of the book.

While Abby's emotional level was much more stable, in the end they both were guilty of hurting and obsessing over each other. Neither one knew how to handle the relationship, compounded by the emotional scars of their pasts, its easy to see why things were so intense. I never thought the author had any intentions of making this an evil or murderous love story, or making Travis a domestic abuse hero. Travis was guilty of jealousy, temper tantrums, telling Abby she couldn't wear skimpy clothes to his underground fights and being an emotional tool. However Travis never hit Abby, he never threatened her or even contemplated violence against her, he never isolated her or tried to cut her off from her friends, he never called her names, nor did he ever make Abby feel scared or trapped. Im not condoning or justifying Travis's behavior but I think after reading the book and knowing his love for Abby, I was left with an ending that painted a happy future I can hope the characters receive.

Together in a world of no sense, they made sense and taking her characters through that dark fiery hallway, McGuire showed us how brokenness can heal and how even the disregarded can be redeemed. I wanted to see these broken characters find happiness and romance and find love that stands the test of time. Beautiful Disaster is fiction, so enjoy it for what it is, a guilty pleasure liable to make you blush. Despite a few minor typos, its sure to be an Indie stand out among readers.

Defiantly gritty, defiantly unconventional but nonetheless, still a love story.

Rating

Beautiful Disaster is recommend to readers 18+{think college crowd and adults}and contains violence {boxing and male on male violence} gambling, drinking, smoking, strong and crass language, illegal activites and graphic sexuality.

5/5- Contemporary Romance

Today on April Indie I have author Danielle Weiler author of Friendship on Fire. So welcome to the blog Danielle and thank you for stopping by today and closing this event with a fun guest post. 

 

What inspired me to write Friendship on Fire?

The easy answer: I woke up one Sunday morning and a girl with accidentally dyed red hair was vividly in my head as the school captain of a conservative school who was about to get into big trouble with the principal. I tried to ignore her, saying to myself that I was way too busy teaching to even think of writing a novel. But the first line kept repeating itself in my head – always with the first lines. “You would think that at a school as large as mine, one could go unnoticed and subtly anonymous for one day…” and it snowballed from there. The plot came in such a hurry that I had to plot point straight away and I could have sworn I’d be able to write the story in a week. 

The other bits: I was given a challenge in my mind and I took it. More than that, Daisy’s voice was very strong in her eagerness to have her story told. But it’s more than that. We don’t think to record every idea or thought we ever have. I chose to write my story because I like stories about teenagers finding their own way through life. They are in the throes of learning the biggest lesson of all: life isn’t simple, it isn’t always black and white. It’s multiple and varied shades of grey. If you mix these shades of grey you might end up getting close to black or white, but in the end, it’s the darkening of themselves around the edges and the ways in which they bend and break that will make young adults more wholesome and refined people; people that others will want to be around.

I also love the unabashed honesty of teenagers, the eyebrow-raising comments said with self-confidence and vulnerability mixed equally. They are passionate, opinionated, energetic people, and that is why it was easy to write Friendship on Fire. Teenagers are not only funny, self-deprecating, brave, and resilient, they are also very fascinating and versatile people to write about. That is why I chose to write Daisy’s story, a story to which so many can relate.

Thanks Danielle for stopping by today! I know Im having a blast getting to know Daisy. 

You can grab Danielle's book on paperback or Kindle! 

Learn more about Danielle at Goodreads and on the Web

Yes my friends, this is the end of author guest posts and interviews, I will be closing April Indie on Monday with a final review, in the meantime please check out all the fun giveaways over 15 to enter and hurry, they close at midnight April 30th!

~Today on Indie April I have Abria Mattina author of Wake~

Welcome to the blog Abria, What Inspired you to write WAKE?

The first thing that popped into my head was the scene where Jem and Willa are taking a walk through her neighborhood, taking about various kinds of personal catastrophes. I could immediately grasp the tone and voice that I wanted to write it in, but sat on the idea for a few days before I started writing. By that time, I had a backlog of ideas about what to do with these two characters. 

Indie publishing- Why do you think its becoming so popular?

From what I've seen it seems to be popular with three kinds of people: (1) those who are tired of trying to jump through the industry's hoops to get traditionally published, (2) those who want to maintain creative control over every aspect of their work, and (3) those who didn't produce something a traditional publisher would print. Self-publishing provides a venue for these books and voices. 

WAKE has become a movie, who is playing your main character (s) and why?

I can't picture Wake ever being a movie. The characters are very much themselves in my mind, and I can't imagine them being portrayed by real people. 

Oh but its so fun to pretend...dreams can come true. I read this and really liked it, maybe a great fit for Willa would be Hailee Steinfeld...at least that's a face I could picture.....ps- she was in True Grit with my favorite actor Matt Damon who Im sure we could find a part for in your movie......I think I missed my calling as a casting director...LOL...

What top three Indie books would you recommend to readers and why?

I'm going to have to use the 90's definition of Indie here and include a few books published by independent presses. I've read some self-published books over the past year, but only one has really wowed me. The Indies I would recommend are: 

Angel by Laura Lee, published by Itineris-Press

The White Pigeon by Kevin Kvas (forthcoming, printed by UESA)

Hollowland by Amanda Hocking 

Whats on the horizon for Abria Mattina?

More writing. I still work in production for a literary journal, and do freelance book production on the side. I love doing interior layouts. 

What do you want readers to walk away with after reading your book?

So far the great thing about it is that they all walk away with something different. Some aspects or dimensions of the novel will speak more to some people than others, so they may learn, they may recognize parts of themselves, they may see familiar experiences--it all depends on the reader.

Thank you so much Abria for stopping by and being a part of this event, I really enjoyed Wake, one of the Indie novels I read this month. Best of luck to your writing career.

GIVEAWAY

Today Abria is giving away one Kindle Ebook copy of her book Wake. To enter please leave a comment and winners will be announced at the end of this event....HURRY my lovely readers, there is only a few days left to enter for this one!!

Eighteen isn’t too young to run your life into the ground, but it’s not too old to fix it, either. The desire for change drives Willa Kirk from St. John’s, Newfoundland back to hometown of Smiths Falls, Ontario, away from her mistakes and the place where her sister died. She’s looking for a place to settle and rebuild, but Jem Harper just wants to get out of town, back to the life he knew before cancer. By letting the tragedies in their lives define them, they are both dying a little more every day. Welcome to the wake

Learn more about Abria at Goodreads~On the Web or Buy Wake on Kindle for 2.99
Books Mentioned
          

Today in the spotlight I have Elle Strauss author of Clockwise

Hi Elle, welcome to the blog, What Inspired you to write CLOCKWISE?

Many years ago I wrote a time travel book with a teen protagonist. This was before I was aware of the term YA and long before YA got "hot". I had a lot to learn as a writer and it wasn't very good, but I always like the twists in thinking caused by the time travel theme. Then, about the four years ago, I thought I'd like to try again. Eventually it turned into Clockwise. 

Indie publishing- Why do you think its becoming so popular?

I think it's become popular because it's given authors something they've never had before, control. For so long every little step was decided by someone else. It is now in our power to make things happen for us. What we used to have to wait, hope and pray that someone else would do for us, we can now do on our own. 

CLOCKWISE has become a movie, who is playing your main character and why?

This is a hard one for me because I really don't have time to watch a lot of TV and movies and I don't know who's who anymore. I'll take recommendations in the comments.

hmmmmmm...may I suggest casting Matt Damon for the movie and letting him play all the parts? That would be awesome.....like a one man show......

What top three Indie books would you recommend to readers and why?

There are so many great ones out there, it's impossible for me to choose. 

Alright you cant pick three Indies, how about one time travel novel that sticks out in your mind......and tell us why you loved it.

I just read Tempest and I thought it was brilliant. Julie Cross has a lot going on in her brain to keep all those leaps and story lines she created straight. It's older YA, more New Adult I'd say because of the college age of the main characters in the present storyline--for parents who are wondering. The writing style is compelling and I was pulled in immediately and it didn't let me go, not even at the end, because yes, there's more. 

Whats on the horizon for ELLE STRAUSS?

I have a lot planned for this year. The first new thing to come out is my middle grade, IT'S A LITTLE HAYWIRE, look for it this month. The sequel to Clockwise, CLOCKWISER, will be out in May and a companion book called LIKE CLOCKWORK, is set for June. I'm planning to launch a historical drama called PLAYING WITH MATCHES towards the end of summer. 

What do you want readers to walk away with after reading your book (s)?

First of all, I just hope they are entertained. I also hope that something deeper in the books makes them think. That something about what they read will stay with them for a long while.

Thanks Elle for being on this event, I read and loved Tempest too so great choice for a time travel book. Best of luck to you and the Clockwise series.

GIVEAWAY

Today Elle is giving away one Ebook copy of her book Clockwise. Please leave a comment for your chance to win. Also Clockwise is blog touring right now on various blogs so you can check out more fun things around the blog world and even purchase Clockwise for .99cents on Kindle.

Casey Donovan has issues: hair, height and uncontrollable trips to the 19th century! And now this --she’s accidentally taken Nate Mackenzie, the cutest boy in the school, back in time. Awkward.

Protocol pressures her to tell their 1860 hosts that he is her brother and when Casey finds she has a handsome, wealthy (and unwanted) suitor, something changes in Nate. Are those romantic sparks or is it just “brotherly” protectiveness?

When they return to the present, things go back to the way they were before: Casey parked on the bottom of the rung of the social ladder and Nate perched high on the very the top. Except this time her heart is broken. Plus, her best friend is mad, her parents are split up, and her younger brother gets escorted home by the police. The only thing that could make life worse is if, by some strange twist of fate, she took Nate back to the past again. Which of course, she does.

Find out more about Elle on the Web~Goodreads



**Matt Damon PhotoCredit- CC- Photograper**
PS- I wanted to use a great photo of him but due to Copyright laws this is the best one I could find~

Thoughtless by S.C Stephens

Nook Edition- 1253 Pages

Published 9/3/2011 {First Pub-Aug 2009}

Purchased

Kiera and Denny have been madly in love for two years and cant imagine life without each other, so when Denny gets offered an internship of a lifetime in Seattle, its an easy choice for Kiera to go with him and leave Ohio, her friends and family. Keira isn't sad about leaving her life behind though, shes super excited to venture out on her own and make a life with Denny, she received a great scholarship letting her transfer from college and they find a place to live with Denny's old highschool friend Kellan, a drop dead gorgeous musician and ladies man who rocks out with his band the D-Bags at a local bar called Pete's. 

With the bonus of having the "it-boy" connection and the fact that their roommates, Kiera winds up getting a job at the bar Kellan sings at and has the entire summer to get ready for school, swoon over her Australian boyfriend and make new friends, everything is perfect and Kiera couldn't be more happy. That is of course until Denny drops the bomb that he is excepting a project for work that will take him away for the entire summer and will leave her alone in a new city, facing work, school and a flirty new roommate all alone. Kiera's world is turned upside down and without any thought to what he's doing, Denny leaves Kiera in an awkward position unsure of how to handle things without him. However, she deals and things are ok for the first month, Denny calls often and Kiera keeps busy at work and decorating the apartment, after awhile though Denny's calls begin to taper off and their connection starts to slip, she's lonely and out of that confusion she strikes up a very fun and flirtatious friendship with Kellan, who eagerly fills in that void of companionship that Kiera misses. Between working together, living together and spending all their extra time together, sparks begin to fly.

While cool and confidant on the outside, Kellan has his own set of problems, he's a womanizer to the core and has a ton of baggage including a horrendous past and loneliness issues that he's never addressed. After the friendship blooms, Kiera begins filling in all those needs and before he knows it for the first time in his life, Kellan has fallen in love with one of his best friends girl. Its a recipe for disaster....lonely, confused girl + an artsy, tortured musician + desperately needed companionship= eventually in bed. And that's exactly what happens after yet another plan in Denny's future comes to surface. Kiera is mad....really mad.....and out of that sadness, anger and an intense attraction to her roommate, she finds herself heading straight into a sexual encounter with Kellan. That choice changes everything and Kiera is not prepared for the overwhelming guilt, the whirlwind romance, the disastrous consequences and the upheaval of all their lives that would ensue because of it....because guess what... {GASP} Denny comes home and now she's caught in a tornado of two totally different men that she both loves, who offer two different directions on the road her life will take. 

At first I had a hard time getting into Thoughtless, due to the overall redundant sentences and dialog that seemed a tad immature, however once I hit page 75 the writing seriously took off and I couldn't stop reading until it was done. The author certainly picked up a flow and the writing excelled way beyond what I figured judging by the first few pages. The book was addicting, irritating, scandalous and even swoon worthy. 

I always hate cheating books, while I understood what happened in the beginning and liked this book because of Kellan {even though the boy had major parent issues, a cocky nasty attitude and did a few things that made me want to strangle him} I had a hard time getting on board with Keira's choices after Denny came home. As soon as she realized her feelings, she should of been honest immediately, her actions wound up hurting both of the men involved and I can honestly say I really didn't like her. Her wishy-washy immaturity was very grating....the back and forth was as bad as a drunk monkey and after months and months of lying, she never could make a solid choice. Its sad that what happens had to happen in order for things to move forward in her life. However, Kiera is not without merit, by the end of the story she sparked a ton of reaction from me including anger, annoyance, pity and hope....so needless to say, despite my frustration with her, she was in a sense a character who grew on me. Im looking forward to reading Effortless, the second book in the series and would recommend this to readers who enjoy intense, tragically doomed relationships with bittersweet happily ever afters. 

Rating

Recommended to adult readers only {18 &up} and contains: Intense sexual situations including- sex scenes, cheating, dialog and crudeness. Also contains strong language, mentions to childhood abuse, alcohol use and violence.

4.5/5- Adult Contemporary Romance

~Update 9/23/13- Thoughtless along with Effortless and Reckless are now published novels with a huge following, seriously go meet Kellan now!

A Review and Interview by Feature Blogger Tonya

A Ring, A Dance, A Second Change 

by Jonell Kirby Cash

November 15, 2011 by Tate Publishing

Paperback, 303 Pages

Jonell Kirby Cash's love story picks up Katie and Taylor's romance right where it left off, their senior year of high school. However, Katie isn't the same girl Taylor remembers. As a widow, she values her independence, living alone, and making new friends, and when Taylor calls Katie she is on the threshold of exploring herself in the larger world. Taylor, ever the old-fashioned man, is surprised by the new, vibrant Katie. The two must learn how to rid themselves of their old memories and expectations and learn to accept the fifty years of change that has taken place.

Review

WOW! Where do I begin? This book goes so in depth, I felt as if I was Katie -- Katie's husband passed away a couple of years previous.

Katie gets a phone call one day from a high school boyfriend, Taylor. Taylor would like to visit with her. Both of them have had marriages, spouses both deceased. They both have had good lives, kids, grandchildren. Would it be wise to reconnect? What will happen after that? All these questions running through their minds. Will it be like it used to be between them?

Another person has the hots for Katie as well. Her daughter's Pastor. Ugh! He is creepy. You will love reading all the sides and seeing what happens with Katie and Taylor. And why Reverend Fullerton is so creepy in my opinion! What will their kids reactions be if they decide to see each other? Can you ever really find love after being married and your spouse dying?

Jonell left it open for more to come, so I foresee another visit with Katie in my future! I really enjoyed reading this book. It gave me great insight to Jonell too I believe Katie is probably quite a bit molded after her! Bravo Jonell, fantastic debut!

Grade: A

Author Interview

Is “A Ring, A Dance, A Second Chance” based on your own life? 

Certainly the story line was based on an a real incident (see brief bio) and my target audience was based on self observations, the changing expectations we have for our lives and our extended life span; however, the story is a melding of ideas, beliefs, experiences--observed and lived. Thus it is fiction. 

Who is your favorite Character? 

Katie was my favorite character because I identify with her: I saw her change from a woman who never quite stepped out of the shadow of her husband, nor did she totally let go of the cultural expectations that helped define her. Taylor’s call brought excitement and energy into Katie’s life, and also a fear that letting him into her life again could be disruptive. 

Katie made the decision to see Taylor, because she wanted to; however, she also continued to express her independence by letting Taylor know what she wanted and she redefine what it meant to be a wife. This was a learning experience for Katie: she realized that whatever she did meant change. In the story, when Katie embraced change she gained a sense of comfort and competency and was able to assert her preferences, raise issues, and take equal responsibility for the decision she and Taylor made as a couple. 

Have you always wanted to write a book? 

I have authored academic books and published academic materials but I had never written a novel—but had always “dreamed” I would. When I started this novel my main interest was to learn how to write a novel, to understand the creation of characters, and find a story that, when written, could depict truth more clearly than reality. Writing this novel was a labor of love, a learning experience and total enjoyment.

Do you have plans to write more? 

Now that I have this first novel written and am in the midst of book event and interacting with the reading public, I've enjoyed another phase of the writing process and I keep learning about myself. I’ll keep following my passion, so at this point I am beginning to think about writing a sequel, and I’ve been asked to do so by quite a few individuals who have read my book. 

Dr Jonell Kirby Cash, a highly recognized author in the academic fields of Psychology and Counseling, is now retired, and at age 82 her first novel, A RING, A DANCE, A SECOND CHANCE (Tate, 2011), resonates with older readers whose lives were once cluttered with people--and now live alone. 

In 1999, widowed, and in her 70’s, Jonell sold her residence and bought a new home with an eye for being comfortably situated as a single parent of adult children; she enjoyed her work as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer; she lived alone, but still felt married--though she acknowledged that independence had its own rewards--then, out of the blue, her high school sweetheart , Tom Cash, called (Tom was widowed—he was looking for a wife. Because Jonell had moved, Tom had trouble finding her and he was fearful that he was too late, this time around. Tom made his plan and fears obvious when, first thing, he asked Katie if she was involved with someone --or married). Jonell is now busy with book related activities. Please visit www.jonellkirbycash.net for more information and to leave messages. 

Today in the spotlight I have Susan Bishchoff author of The Talent Chronicles.

Welcome to the blog Susan, What Inspired you to write HUSH MONEY?

More than anything else, it was superheroes on TV that got me started telling stories to myself. I've always been in love with love, and even as kid it bugged me that things never worked out for Batman or Wonder Woman in the romance department, and that the Super Friends really didn't try to put characters together that way. So I started to do it myself in my head. Other series came and went, I continued to use those characters to amuse myself when I should have been bored. At some point, when I started to become interested in actually writing stories down and became exposed to romance as a genre, I thought that some day I'd like to create a superhero realm where there was actual dating and relationships could work out once in a while (or, okay, as a general rule).

As an adult, nothing has inspired me more than Buffy. The Talent Chronicles had actually started to take shape in my head, with a large cast of adult characters. But seeing Buffy grow from a girl who was often resentful of her abilities and destiny, into a strong woman who accepted her responsibility and often put the fate of world before her own needs--well, too much awesome of Buffy to talk about here. Suffice it to say that it was during yet another Buffy DVD marathon that the character of Joss was born and I discovered how easily I slip into back into that age.

Indie publishing- Why do you think its becoming so popular?

Why not? I mean, for so many of us, haven't we always wondered if we've got it or not? And here's an opportunity to try--and often to find some level of success--without huge personal risk. (If you put aside the whole fear of exposure, failure, ridicule...maybe I should have said financial risk.)

I got excited about indie publishing in the same way I got excited about Etsy. Technology was affording me a way to present my work to the few people scattered here and everywhere who like what I like and would be interested in it. I didn't have to try to get stores to stock my work or run around the country meeting all these people face to face to offer it to them. It's beyond awesome.

HUSH MONEY has become a movie, who is playing your main character and why?

My Dylan lately has been Chad Michael Murray who played Lucas on One Tree Hill. Joss is harder for me to cast. For some reason, she's always been half anime in my head (and resembles Princess from the old Battle of the Planets cartoon). My current pick for Joss is probably Lyndsey Fonseca, who is playing Alex on Nikita. But I think I just haven't found the perfect Joss yet.

What top three Indie books would you recommend to readers and why?

The three indie books I have excerpts from at the back of HUSH MONEY are Kait Nolan's RED, Stacey Wallace Benefiel's GLIMPSE, and Imogen Rose's PORTAL. 

Kait has been my critique partner for several years and we're often very involved in each other's work. I believe RED is the best work she's ever done. It's a beautifully written spin-off on the Red Riding Hood mythology that tells the story of a girl struggling with becoming the wolf.

I was completely charmed by GLIMPSE when I first read it. It's the first story in Stacey's Zellie Well's trilogy, about a girl who glimpses the future--specifically, how a person will die. The romance between the main characters manages to be both innocent and sensual, and I love Stacey's teen voice.

PORTAL is the first story in Imogen's Portal Chronicles and tells the story of a girl named Arizona who finds herself yanked out of her own reality and plunked down in the life of an Arizona she doesn't recognize. This because of her mother's experiments with time travel and attempts to create a perfect life for her family. I enjoyed Arizona's attempts to maintain her sanity and make her way in this alternate reality as much as I enjoyed Imogen's fresh ideas and command of the story.

Whats on the horizon for SUSAN BISCHOFF?

I'm currently working on book 3 of the series, Heroes Under Siege, and have a lot of plans in the world of the Talent Chronicles.

Sounds exciting.....I myself cant wait to check out book two! Thanks for joining me today and being a part of this event! And thanks for the Indie recs...all going on my TBR today!

GIVEAWAY

Today You can win an Ebook copy of Hush Money {Kindle or Nook} by leaving a comment and telling me who your favorite Superhero is. Winner will be announced at the end of this event.

They call their abilities Talents, and that’s what they call themselves as well. Talents are people born with supernatural powers, feared by the population at large. Possession of an “unregistered ability” has become illegal, and those who are discovered are forcibly removed to government-run research facilities. For Talents, keeping their secret is the most important thing in their lives. For some, that need for secrecy begins to define who they are.

That’s how it is for Joss, a high school girl who does everything in her power to go unnoticed. She's incredibly bright, but strives to maintain grades that are good yet not too good. She doesn't participate in school activities, keeps quiet in class, eats by herself. Despite her longtime crush on Dylan, she wouldn't even think about trying to talk to him. Joss doesn't make friends of any kind, because friends can draw attention, friends can make you slip up, friends can make things complicated.

When new girl, Kat, steps in to rescue Joss from an uncomfortable situation with Marco, the class jerk, she doesn’t realize what she’s getting into, and it blows up in her face. Joss finds herself torn between a desire to do the right thing, to find some way to help a girl who was kind to her; and her need to mind her own business and fade into. For the first time, Joss begins to question the way she operates, and starts to long for connections with other people--especially a connection with Dylan, who's finally starting to talk to her.

But what's up with Dylan's sudden interest? As Marco’s best friend, can he be trusted at all?

It's bad enough when a girl's got to worry about friends, boys, over-protective dads, and shoes that pinch, but when you throw in blackmail, government agents with guns, and really annoying little sisters...that's just about too much to handle, even for a girl with an ass-kicking superpower.
Find out more about Susan at ~Goodreads and the Web. Buy Hush Money (Talent Chronicles)

Books Mentioned:

           

**Chad M. Murray Photo Cred: Creative Common- Free Use**

Book Covers and the Indie Author
by Stacey Joy Netzel

Today I have Belle Whittington author of Cicada in the spotlight!

Welcome to the blog Belle, What inspired you to write CICADA? 

There’s not any one thing that inspired me to write Cicada. I find inspiration in everything around me, and there are a lot of cumulative memories of inspiration from over the years that all culminated into the Cicada trilogy.

Growing up in Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas, afforded me summers full of adventure with my friends. I call on those adventures and memories a great deal for my YA stories. Cicada has a lot of the energy of those childhood adventures spun throughout. One of them is something that actually happened to me when I was thirteen years old. I was on one of my adventures in the woods with my dog, Dusty. We made our way through the woods to a neighboring pasture and crawled through the barbed wire fence. When we got to the top of one of the rolling hills in the grassy field, I realized I was standing in the middle of a giant circle imprinted in the pasture grass. No one had ever told me about crop circles at that time in my life, so I just thought it was an odd occurrence that there was a strange circle in the tall grass. Now that circle is forever memorialized in a YA novel, Cicada!

Indie publishing- Why do you think it’s becoming so popular? 

Traditional gatekeepers (agents, etc.) have long held the power of setting trends of what was published and when it was published, thereby deciding for the masses what would be in vogue in the writing world. The pendulum has swung toward the readers and book bloggers/reviewers, who are now the new gatekeepers. I think Indie Publishing is becoming so popular because authors finally have a venue to publish their works without having to conform to what the traditional gatekeepers want. Indie authors are now able to offer readers a wider variety within each genre, which is better for the reader. Also, there are so many viable options for indie publishing available now, allowing authors to create quality books for readers. That’s my two-cents-worth! 

CICADA has become a movie, who is playing your main character and why? 

Oh, I really do love this question, because I actually have in mind a list of actors who could easily step into the shoes of my characters. By no means did I pattern my characters after these actors though. However, I feel they would fit the parts very well! How about I go a step further and show you who I think could fill all their shoes? Drum roll……….. 

Blair Reynolds: Amanda Seyfried

Blair, the main character and narrator of Cicada, is very intelligent. She is the kind of person that observes people and happenings around her and evaluates the situation. She is a thinker, yet also a doer. Above all, Blair is loyal and brave and loves with the ferocity of a lion. Amanda Seyfried would be an excellent choice to fill Blair’s shoes. She resembles Blair in appearance, temperament, and mannerisms a great deal. And her voice is very similar to Blair’s, too! 

Andrew (and the memory of Aaron): Zac Efron

Andrew, Blair’s surviving big brother, is one of those souls who is loved and respected by everyone. He’s got that All-American charismatic appeal, and he is a genuinely nice guy. Andrew is very protective of his little sister Blair and their mom. After losing his twin brother Aaron and their father, he turned to religion to deal with the pain and loss. Zac Efron would be an excellent actor to fill the part of Andrew, because he’s got that same good-guy persona and really looks a lot like Andrew’s character. 

Everett: Carter Jenkins

Everett Forster, loved by all–readers and fellow characters alike! He is probably the most loved character by my readers. And I’m not surprised. Everett is super-loyal and brilliant! He begins the story as the typical nerd and ends as a sexy hunk! Not only is Everett the best friend of Blair, but he’s also her true love. He would go to any lengths to protect her. And he does, almost to the point of paying the ultimate price. Carter Jenkins would be a terrific actor to play the part of Everett. I knew this as soon as I saw him in Aliens in the Attic. I was flipping through the channels one day and came across that movie! I froze! There was my Everett on the TV! 

David: Kellan Lutz

David Hargrave, high school sports star, is Andrew’s best friend and Natalie’s boyfriend. David is huge, strong, and straight forward. He doesn’t have a lot to say, but when he says it, he means it. David is handsome, blonde, with blue eyes. And he’s definitely got Andrew’s back. He helped Andrew get through the loss of his brother and father. And he loves his girlfriend with his whole being. Kellan Lutz is a good fit as David. He’s big, strong, and good looking! 

Natalie: Lucy Hale 

Natalie is David’s true love. We don’t really know much about Natalie’s family or even her last name. What we do know is that she wants to be a kindergarten teacher after she graduates from college. But the most important thing to Natalie is to marry David and have children. Beautiful Natalie was a high school cheerleader and homecoming queen. She and Blair were not necessarily friends in high school. Lucy Hale looks very much like Natalie and would be a very good actor to fill her part. 

Grandpa: Sam Elliot

Grandpa is actually based on my dear father, whom I love and miss dearly. He is protective of his family…and family is the most important thing to him in the world. Grandpa is a large animal veterinarian and has a clinic on his ranch where he has trained Blair to work with animals so that she can take over the clinic one day. Grandpa has played a huge role in Blair’s and Andrew’s lives since the loss of their father. Sam Elliot really looks and sounds like Grandpa. He would be perfect for the part! 

Grandma: Gena Rowlands

Grandma is the typical grandmother. She loves her two surviving grandchildren with all her heart, and she’s very close to her daughter, Blair’s mom, who is an only child. We don’t know a lot about Grandma, except she likes to cook and entertain at the ranch. And she’d do anything for her family. Grandma seems meek and mild. But we might find out there’s a different side to Grandma before it’s all over with! The lovely Gena Rowlands would be a wonderful actress to fill the part of Grandma. 

Mom: Gillian Anderson

Mom owns a bakery called Sprinkles. She works long hours and loves her children very much. She’s been a single mom since she lost her husband and lives with a broken heart beating in her chest. Mom has secrets, and to tell too much more here about Mom would give away spoilers. Gillian Anderson looks almost identical to Mom. She would be an excellent choice for the part! 

Dad (the memory of him): Daniel Craig

Dad was an explorer and had served in the military during Desert Storm, before Andrew and Blair were born. Dad loved Mom very much. They were soul-mates. Daniel Craig is a dead ringer for Dad! 

Well, there you are! A list of possible actors and actresses who would fill the shoes of my characters beautifully! 

What top three Indie books would you recommend to readers and why? 

1. Cicada: because it’s a really good read, has a terrific storyline and characters. 

2. Grimsley Hollow-The Chosen One: because it’s a well-written, magical story that conveys that anyone can make a difference. 

3. My Blood Approves: because it’s a great book, and also because if one is considering indie publishing, one must study an author who has done it successfully.

Whats on the horizon for BELLE WHITTINGTON? 

I’m currently writing the two sequels to Cicada. My goal is to release Firefly, which is book 2 in the trilogy, in July 2012. The third book hasn’t named itself yet; however, I know how the story ends, and I think readers will be both pleased and surprised! Book three is certainly not for the faint of heart, that’s for sure! And I’ve got a few ideas I’ve been kicking around for my next series of books. 

What do you want readers to walk away with after reading CICADA? 

Above all, I would like readers to feel they’ve read a great story when they’ve read the last sentence of Cicada. I hope they would have enjoyed my writing, characters, setting, and storyline. And all-in-all, I would hope that once the reader has gotten to know my characters, and what they face and overcome, they would get the sense that no matter what obstacle one faces, anything can be overcome if one has a strong group of family and friends. And lastly, I would hope readers would be itching to read Firefly! 

Thank you so much for the opportunity to stop by for a coke and a chat. It has been wonderful getting to know you and your readers! I hope everyone will stop by any or all of my social networking sites and say “howdy”! I simply adore hearing from readers! 

My Facebook Fanpage: http://www.facebook.com/BelleWhittington.Author

My website: www.bellewhittington.com

My twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorofCicada

My tumblr: http://bellewhittington.tumblr.com/

My book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF2fd2GxVKo

Thank you Belle for being a part of this event! I love your cast for the movie....how fun!

GIVEAWAY
Today Belle is giving away an eBook copy of her book Cicada. To enter please just leave a comment. Winner will be announced at the end of this event.


Summertime for Blair Reynolds and her friends had always been carefree and fun...until the summer they happened upon something that was not human. As they band together in a fight for their lives, Blair's true love becomes something more than human. Something unnatural. And their survival depends entirely upon their ability to keep a secret.

**Amanda Seyfreid- Creative Common - Free Use Photo**

One Pink Line by Dina Silver

2011 by Kindle

Ebook Edition (Nook)

Review Copy

Review

Sydney always knew college would be an adventure and one she always looked forward to. After an acceptance to Purdue and an eagerness to leave home and begin her life, Sydney is all but unprepared to fall in love, but the summer after graduation she does just that. Ethan blows into her life like a whirlwind and for the first time she experiences true love, throwing a major wrench in her future plans.....she doesn't want to be apart knowing that distance and time could change their relationship, but Ethan is already in his second year of college and knows how important school is and how much they both need to be successful and accomplish those goals. So at the end of summer they say goodbye and commit to stay together and maintain a long distance relationship. At first things are great, they talk, see each other during breaks and stay committed to the relationship. Over time though especially during Sydneys last year of college, the idea of Ethan and the long time apart feels more like work than love. Ethan is ready to take things to the next level.....marriage, family....while Sydney still wants the freedom to be young and enjoy herself, especially partying with her friends and living a 20 something life.

On such a night, Sydney goes out with her best friends and winds up more drunk than shes ever been. A guy shes hung out with for years and who has become a great friend, becomes much more that night......out of carelessness and drunkenness she sleeps with him and 8 weeks later that drunken, cheating, night of debauchery brings her.....an unwanted pregnancy and having to tell Ethan the news...........

When Sydney breaks the news to Ethan he is devastated and while the two remain friends, the relationship ends. Syndney is now facing pregnancy and single parent hood alone, scared and confused. With the support of her older sister, Sydney decides that she wants to keep the baby, even though the "best friend" who impregnated her basically tells her to go the hell, the future does not look impossible. After her little girl is born, Sydney makes the best out of the life she has. A good job, family support and an unexpected romance all help make life that much sweeter.

One Pink Line spans between two generations the past told through Syndey and the future told through Grace, the baby who changed the life of everyone. As we hear the past and the present, it all leads up to how these characters all came together. We find out with Grace about her father, her family and the road her mothers life took after the birth. 

Charming, sweet and a pleasant surprise was the story I found in One Pink Line. I loved Silver's version of a story we've heard hundred times, girl meets boy, girl gets pregnant, both lives change....however what this book offers is generational span between mothers and daughters. I loved the seriousness of the matter and the fact that it felt light and simple and featured Prince Charming, cause be still my heart even I wanted to marry Ethan. There's something to be said about the clean cut, charming good guy who is handsome, forgiving and loves with all his heart...**swoon, double swoon**

I loved reading this, the writing was fun, moved along nicely and stands out as a successful Indie that many will love. Sydney and Grace's story beat the odds and gave us a happily ever after worth hoping for.

Rating

One Pink Line is recommended to mature teen readers (16-Up...more suited for the college age teen) and contains: Drinking, drug use, sexuality including sexual dialog and acts, pregnancy and strong language.

★★★★☆

4/5- YA-Contemporary

Thanks to Dina Silver for review copy

**Be on the look out in May when Dina will be joining me for a Saturday Spotlight**