15 Day Book Blogger Challenge - Day 2

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge Day 2: What's your bedtime reading ritual?

Here is the link to April's DAY 2 post to put your link in! 

I honestly don't have a reading ritual for bedtime. I used to before I got pregnant but now that there is a baby involved, it's hard to pick times and such. 

Usually, after dinner and dishes are done, my husband and I sit on the couch to watch TV and relax a bit. Sometimes it works that way and sometimes the baby gets fussy and doesn't let us do too much. I mean, who can say no to that face?:

Hahaha....yea she's a cutie. Anyways, if we do have time to relax, and I don't really have too much blog stuff to do (or I'm not up for it), I read my Kindle until it's about 11. Then I go wash my face, change into my pj's and snuggle up. If I'm still wide awake by the time we get ready for bed, (which hasn't been much lately), then I take my Kindle cord into the bedroom and read until my eyes burn and get droopy. 

Bad part about that is, if I am really into the book, I don't stop at all. There are NO clocks in our bedroom so I have no concept of time. Before I know it, I'll look at my cell phone and see it's 2 am and I have to get up in 3 hours. ;-)

What's your ritual?

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge - Day 1

I heard about this challenge from my friend April at Sim Sational Reviews....actually I totally stalked her page and wanted in. ;-) I read her post at Good Books and Wine and thought to myself...."I feel the same. Maybe if I do this challenge, I might get my motivation up again." Who knows right? If not, it's still fun in the interim. 
Without much further ado, here is my Day 1 post for this lovely challenge...

Day 1: Make 15 book related confessions:

1. I find myself liking more and more contemporary romance books. Especially YA. Before book blogging, I never really tried those. I was a strict paranormal gal. But more and more, I find myself being drawn more the the romance side.
2. I don't like books that have no depth. I want my characters to feel and interact. If I find a book that is just a lot of puff and no real substance, I won't finish it. What's the point? I can't relate so I won't waste my time.
3. I'm horrible at writing reviews. COMPLETELY. It's sad really. I feel bad because all last year I was totally gung-ho on it and now I've been slacking. Horribly. Granted, I did have a baby about 8-9 weeks ago and that takes up time but still...
4. My husband came up with my book blog name. Even though my last name has changed since I've married him, I still kept the same name.
5. If I don't write a review right after I finish a book, I forget what happened in the book. That's a bad one lol. I read so many books so fast that I forget what book was about what. Or what I felt. I really need to stop and reflect a lot more and take my time with them. 
6. If there is a girl in the book that doesn't defend herself or stand up for herself, I get angry. Seriously. It's the same in movies with me. Grow a pair of lady balls and take control dammit! 
7. I have a problem when reading a book and finding mispelled words and grammatical errors. I try not to let it get to me really, but it does. I'm not saying I'm perfect but it irks me when it's all throughout the book.
8. When I read a book that I'm into, I ignore my husband. He can have a complete conversation with me and I will not hear a word. I'm sure I'm not the only one that happens to but I still feel kind of bad. When he brings up the conversation a few days later and I try to respond....yea he laughs.
9. I have too many books on my Kindle. Way too many to even think about reading. It's a serious problem. Amazon seems to know what I like and what I can't say no to. 400+ books is too much! 
10. I try not to buy paperbacks anymore. Sad to say that but I can't stand ruining the pages when I read. I stretch the spine and I can't stand it when there are wear lines in it. I'm OCD about it. Plus, on my kindle, I can highlight and make notes. A blogger's dream!
11. I don't like erotica. Not really. The writing just seems silly and too overdone. I like classy love and romance. Not just f***ing. Plus I enjoy reading a story and learning about the characters. Not just how they have sex all the time. Too much sex makes me just skim and makes me sad.
12. I don't like it when the author/publishing company changes the covers on their books. I like to have them all the same. It bugs me when they come out with the same series and different covers. Ummmm....no thank you, I will not pay for the same book twice.
13. Same thing with paperbacks and hardbacks. If I have a hardback of one book in the series....the rest of them HAVE to be hardback. That way they all match. 
14. I am horrible when it comes to books being turned into movies. I ALWAYS go for the book being the better one. If I don't like the actors they pick, I won't see it. (I'm still on the fence about The Mortal Instruments).
15. I judge books by their covers. If I think the cover is lacking, I won't read the blurb. Sad, I know. I try to give each book a chance but sometimes.....I just can't do it. That also falls into the category of having the same covers for different books. Drives me crazy. Gets me confused.

Make sure to click HERE to check out all the other confessionals from other blogs. :-)

Taste The Heat Release Day Launch & Giveaway!

Taste The Heat Release day Launch!!!!!

TASTE THE HEAT Synopsis:One sexy fire captain. One Cajun chef. One combustible kitchen… When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home to New Orleans to save her family restaurant, the last person she expected to reconnect with was her brother’s best friend and her childhood crush. As tempting as a sugar-coated beignet, Jason is one dish she can’t afford to taste. Colby can’t wait to leave the place where her distrust of love and commitment originated and go back to Vegas. Fire captain Jason Landry isn’t looking for love, either. Disillusioned by his past, he knows he should be focusing on finding the perfect mother for his daughter. But when he first sees Colby, all grown up and gorgeous, he can’t help but be drawn to her. And when she suggests a no-strings-attached fling, Jason can’t say no. As their relationship grows more intense, Colby finds that Jason isn’t as easy to leave behind as she thought. Could turning up the heat on something real be worth the possibility of getting burned?

Links: Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble

About Rachel:

Rachel Harris grew up in New Orleans, where she watched soap operas with her grandmother and stayed up late sneak reading her mama’s favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, she still stays up way too late reading her favorite romances, only now, she can do so openly. She firmly believes life’s problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.

When not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, she homeschools her two beautiful girls and watches reality television with her amazing husband. Taste The Heat is her adult romance debut. She’s the author of MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY and A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES. She loves hearing from readers! Find her atwww.RachelHarrisWrites.com.

Website/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads/Entangled Website

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Also, don't forget to follow the tour!!!

July 7^th

Between Fantasy & Reality
Fantasy Fairy

July 8^th

All Romance Reviews

RELEASE LAUNCH DAY 

July 9^th

Mostly YA Book Obsessed
Starbucks & Books Obsession

July 10^th

A Book Lovers Review
Unforgettable Books

July 11^th

Romancing Rakes
Every Free Chance Reader

July 12^th

Always YA at Heart
Oops! I Read Again

July 13^th  

A Bookish Escape
Comfort Books

July 14^th

Pink Fluffy Hearts
Brianna Lee Reviews

July 15^th

Dazzled by Books
Library of a Book Witch

July 16^th

ReaderGirls
Books Mystify

July 17^th

Ticket to Anywhere
Tangled Up in Books

July 18^th

Stuck in Books
The Cover Contessa

July 19^th

Books, Coffee, & Wine
Refreshingly Riki

July 20^th

Book Bitches Blog
Harlie’s Books

{Cover Reveal} Every Shattered Thing by Elora Ramirez

{Cover Reveal} Every Shattered Thing by Elora Ramirez

Goodreads Description:

Stephanie fights reality every day. The voices inside, the ones declaring her worth, deem her broken, used and dirty. She is an object. A toy. Something to be tossed aside when bored. Who will believe her if she whispers the truth about her wrecking ball of a family? Eventually, her secret explodes and the person who means the most to her knows just how shattered she is and why she's so afraid. But rescue is closer than she realizes. Hidden in plain sight, her horror hasn’t been ignored by everyone. Racing against the truth of what she faces, forces are joining together and developing a plan to free her from the hell in her own backyard. And while she’s at her lowest point, she’s hit with the beauty of love at any cost - redemption in the face of ruin. Will it be enough?
*Warning: Contains mature content that may not be suitable for younger audiences*

EVERY SHATTERED THING Goodreads

Cover was designed by Sarah Hansen at Okay Creations

About Elora:

Elora Ramirez lives in Austin, Texas with her chef-husband. At the age of four, she taught herself how to read and write, cutting her teeth on books like Dr. Suess and writing anywhere she could find the space—including her Fisher Price kitchen set, the pages of picture books and Highlights Magazine. Since then, she's grown to love the way words feel as they swell within her bones. Writing holy and broken is her calling, and pushing back the darkness and pursuing beauty through story is her purpose. She loves hip-hop, wishes she lived by the beach and cannot write without copious amounts of coffee, chocolate, and her husband's lavender liqueur.

Links:

Website/Author Facebook/Twitter/Author Goodreads

Teaser Tuesday: Sellling Scarlett by Ella James

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

·Grab your current read
·Open to a random page
·Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
·Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

My Teaser this week is from:

Goodreads Description:

Elizabeth DeVille doesn't belong at a party like this—one where the gowns cost more than her Camry and cigars run higher than her grad school utility bills. Dragged out of seclusion by her best friend Suri, Elizabeth is merely playing dress-up, rubbing elbows with a crowd that banished her troubled family years ago.
Hunter West is tired. Tired of parties, tired of pretending, and tired of trying to right a wrong that haunts him every day. Bourbon heir and professional poker player by day, by night Hunter is gambling with his life in a high-stakes game of crime and blackmail.

When Elizabeth stumbles into Hunter's den of vices, she's a light in the darkness, a flame in the void. And, just like everything he touches, Hunter mars her in a record time. To rectify the damage done, Elizabeth needs money she doesn't have, and she's come up with a foolproof way to get it.
Follow Elizabeth—code-named Scarlett—to the lush Nevada brothel where she'll auction her virginity and risk the only thing that's not for sale: her heart. The highest bidder is a familiar face, with wicked hands and the devil's mouth. And a secret so dark that it could cost her life.
***RECOMMENDED FOR READERS 17+ DUE TO SEXUALITY AND MATURE LANGUAGE.***

My Teaser (Since I have a hard time finding only 2 sentences, I figured I do a couple paragraphs) ;-)

I have no idea what he's talking about anymore, because my brain has turned to soup. I'm all glowing, glittering sensation as his green gaze sweeps me from toes to crown. His brows are slightly gathered, his mouth still tight. Firelight illuminated his face, so I can see the exact moment he realizes what I've been doing. His torso stiffens as his hands, pressed against the mattress, curl into big fists. He makes a low, approving sound and speaks in a voice that sounds like molten lava.
 "That's so sexy."
 I look down at my hand, still tangled in my gown. "It is?" I search his face.
"Oh yeah. Hell yeah."

Do you have a teaser this week? I wanna see it!!! Post in the comments and I'll stop by!!

Amazingly Broken by Jordin Williams Spotlight and Giveaway!

I was asked by the lovely Jordin Williams to help promote her new book release Amazingly Broken. I was honored and of course I agreed. I have an excerpt and a giveaway here today to share and I'm excited.  Here is some info about the book:

Synopsis:

Life threw Elana a curveball...
Elana’s mother died in Iowa and she was left to fend for herself with an abusive and drunken father who could care less about her well-being. After years of heartache and pain she graduated from high school and moved to Florida to go to college with her best friend Tiffany.

A new beginning...
That’s where she met Jaxon. He was everything she didn’t need. He was a cocky, tattooed, and a beer drinking musclehead. He was the type of guy that she normally would have avoided given her circumstances but when he offers her a bed to sleep on she can't say no. 
She never thought that she would discover they weren't much different from one another and that he had his own secrets and scars he didn’t want revealed to anyone...

EXCERPT:

***BEWARE IT'S A HOT ONE!!!***

He stepped back pushing my hand away. I leaned against the wall, watching him standing before me, wondering what he was doing. Then he dropped to his knees in front of me. Suddenly, he grabbed my leg and pulled it up over his shoulder. He brought his mouth right to my aching core, something that I never had done to me before.              Crying out, I slammed the palms of my hands against the wall. It felt incredible, and as he sucked, swirled and stroked the most sensitive part of me, I made noises that I didn’t know were possible.              Just as I was groaning his name, rocking my hips against him, he separated from me. Stumbling back a step, he brought his mouth back up to mine and shoved his tongue inside. I tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling him flush to my body. I needed him so bad. Groaning, I grabbed his throbbing mass and tried leading him to where I needed him.               “I want you inside me,” I breathed into his ear, wrapping my leg around him and pulling myself against his hand.               He kissed down my neck, down my collar bone, and down to my breasts again. I swiveled against his hips, desperate for more. I was nearly ready to climax from the anticipation alone. He put one hand on each side of my ass and pulled me up. I wrapped the other leg around his waist as he lowered me down, lifting me slightly, lowering me again. Closing his eyes, he sucked in a quick breath through his teeth and dropped his head back His biceps pulsed against my arms as he supported my entire weight. The water pooled at our feet, and the steam filled the room.              “Oh my god, Elana. Oh my…”

*Fans self* well that was...ahem....hot lol.

About Jordin:

Jordin Williams is a 26 year old ghostwriter turned author. She lives in Iowa and has always loved to sit down and read a good book. When she started ghostwriting books they would become popular even though she was never given any credit so she decided to write her own book, Amazingly Broken.

Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads/Blog






Amazingly Broken is LIVE!!! Get it here at any one of these links: Amazon/B&N/AmazonUK/Kobo

Want to know what Jordin listened to while creating this? Here is the playlist that she used for Amazingly Broken:
My book Amazingly Broken deals with two broken people who learn to love again after everything they have gone through. You can see below the wide range of music genres included. There is rock, pop, country, alternative, R&B, and a few others. The themes they deal with are love, death, abuse, new beginnings, and loss of something other than death.
"Broken Bones" by Rev Theory “Falling Away From Me” by KoRn “Falling Into You” by Celine Dion “I Believe” by Diamond Rio “Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum “Better Days” by Goo Goo Dolls "I'm With You" by Avril Lavigne "Gorilla" by Bruno Mars “Is This Love?” by Whitesnake “End of the Road” by Boyz II Men “As Long As You Love Me” by Backstreet Boys "Addicted" by Saving Abel

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Thank you, Jordin for allowing me this peak into your world and I cannot wait to start reading this!

Review: Reason To Breathe by Rebecca Donovan

{Review} Reason To Breathe by Rebecca Donovan

Goodreads Description:

"No one tried to get involved with me, and I kept to myself. This was the place where everything was supposed to be safe and easy. How could Evan Mathews unravel my constant universe in just one day?" 
He knows there’s something more to the girl sitting in the back of the class the moment he sees her. She’s beautiful, intelligent, and athletic – but she slips quietly through the crowded halls, trying not to exist. Determined to get to know the elusive girl, Evan soon discovers… Emma Thomas is hiding a terrible a secret. Reason to Breathe is an electrifying page turner from start to finish, a unique tale of life-changing love, unspeakable cruelty, and one girl’s fragile grasp of hope.

Why did I pick this up? Honestly I didn't pick it up myself. I went to a book signing in LA and Rebecca Donovan was there. I saw her book on her table and read the back blurb and thought to myself, "That sounds like a badass book!" So I picked it up, had her sign it and bought the sucker.  What did I think? Um.....wow. Where do I even start?  I'll admit that I was a little wary once I started the book because I thought it would make me cry. It didn't make me cry but it took my breath away. So many emotions ran through me as I kept reading. I was enraptured by Emma's story. Emma has a pretty hard life at home and does her best to bear through it. I have to hand it to her, because what she takes, most people wouldn't be able to handle. She's counting down the days until she can leave and be free. To breathe. I felt her pain and heartbreak. It was practically dripping from the pages. I couldn't look away.  Evan is such a great character. I loved him from the start and he will be a favorite character for me for a while. He takes everything in stride and is honest. You don't find too many honest guys out there. Not to mention what a little hottie he is. Ha! Emma and Evan's love story is timid at first and blossoms into this all-encompassing passion that overtakes them. I think it also takes them by surprise as well. It was really fantastic to read through the book. I think that the best part about this book is that it is brutally honest. When you read about what Emma goes through, you think to yourself, "Why doesn't she fight back? Or leave? I would." But when you truly think about if you were in that certain situation, would you truly be able to? I was thinking that to myself as I read. I honestly don't know what I would do in that situation. No one really does.  Rebecca Donovan did an amazing job with this book. I cannot wait to read the next one in this series. This book will be in my brain for quite a while. As well as my heart.  I highly suggest you pick up a copy soon and start to read! This is one that you do NOT want to pass this one up.