Posted in Promotional Events

RELEASE DAY: Finding It – Cora Carmack

Cora Carmack’s FINDING IT is finally here!

You can get it in your hands right now! You don’t want to miss this fantastic Contemporary Romance from Cora Carmack. Book 3 in the Losing It, FINDING IT is ready to be yours on your ereader or in paperback form! Check out all of the information regarding this fantastic novel and Cora Carmack below! Then, celebrate Cora’s Book Birthday by entering the giveaway for a signed copy of LOSING IT, FAKING IT, & KEEPING HER!

Isn’t that cover pretty?? Read on and find out everything you need to know below!

FINDING IT Synopsis:
 
Sometimes
you have to lose yourself to find where you truly belong…
Most girls would kill to spend months traveling around Europe after college
graduation with no responsibility, no parents, and no-limit credit cards.
Kelsey Summers is no exception. She’s having the time of her life . . . or
that’s what she keeps telling herself.

It’s a lonely business trying to find out who you are, especially when you’re
afraid you won’t like what you discover. No amount of drinking or dancing can
chase away Kelsey’s loneliness, but maybe Jackson Hunt can. After a few chance
meetings, he convinces her to take a journey of adventure instead of alcohol.
With each new city and experience, Kelsey’s mind becomes a little clearer and
her heart a little less hers. Jackson helps her unravel her own dreams and
desires. But the more she learns about herself, the more Kelsey realizes how
little she knows about Jackson.

 

Cora Carmack Bio:

 
Cora Carmack is a
twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters.
She’s done a multitude of things in her life– boring jobs (like working
retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching),
and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most
awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of
it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, is a New York
Times and USA Today bestseller.
 
Buy Links:
 
 
Links:
 

And now for the Giveaway! Go enter to win!

Posted in Cover Reveal, YA

COVER REVEAL: Freaks – Lisa M. Forester

freaks book front coverTITLE: Freaks
AUTHOR: Lisa M. Forester
GENRE: Young Adult
RELEASE DATE: 28th November 2013
Cover designed by Steven Honey
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SYNOPSIS:

Nobody’s perfect… or are they?

Abigail always knew that she was different, but what she didn’t know was just how different.

That was until her 16th birthday, when her parent’s revealed a devastating secret that confirmed her worst fears and changed her life forever.

Abigail is an Allelobrid: one of five children born as a result of their parents illegal science experiment in genetic engineering. The aim: to create a perfect child.

Yet perfection comes at a price.

Forced into a life on the run, Abigail finds love, danger and an organisation that will stop at nothing to get what they want.

When lives are at risk and freedom is threatened – could being perfect be enough to survive?

AUTHOR BIO:

Lisa M. Forester is a Young Adult fiction author living in the North West of England and her debut novel ‘Freaks’ is due for release on the 26th of November 2013.

She has lived on a diet of books since she was six (when she was handed an Enid Blyton story for the very first time) and she constantly lives in hope that reading will become an Olympic sport. After being inspired to write by the plethora of amazing YA writers that exist across the globe, she put pen to paper and produced ‘Freaks’ – which I am sure she would very much love you to read!

AUTHOR LINKS:

http://www.goodreads.com/LisaMForester
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18484653-freaks
http://lisamforester.wix.com/books
@lisamforester

Posted in Cover Reveal

COVER REVEAL: Far Too Tempting – Lauren Blakely

far_too_tempting500TITLE: Far Too Tempting
AUTHOR: Lauren Blakely
GENRE: Contemp  Romance
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ABOUT FAR TOO TEMPTING:

Jane Black has written the break-up album of the century, earning her a Grammy, a huge legion of new fans, and the pressure to repeat her success. Sure, the heartbreak from her husband’s unconventional abandonment might have been her inspiration, but it hasn’t done her any favors in the dating department. So when Matthew Harrigan, the toughest music journalist out there, asks for an interview, Jane agrees—as long as her personal life is completely off-limits.

British, gorgeous, and way too tempting, Matthew’s the first guy Jane’s been attracted to since her husband. As she spends more time with him and their relationship heats up, though, so does her writer’s block. How can the queen of the break-up pen the perfect follow-up when she’s seriously in love?

ABOUT LAUREN BLAKELY:

Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor, and her books have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. Like the heroine in FAR TOO TEMPTING, she thinks life should be filled with family, laughter, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs. Her novels include Caught Up In UsPretending He’s MinePlaying With Her Heart, and Trophy Husband. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney.

Pre-Order Links:

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Far-Tempting-Entangled-Edge-ebook/dp/B00EGJ334Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380376276&sr=8-1&keywords=far+too+tempting+lauren+blakely

BARNES AND NOBLE: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/far-too-tempting-lauren-blakely/1116968327?ean=9781622662159&itm=1&usri=far+too+tempting+lauren+blakely

Links:

Website: http://www.laurenblakely.com/

Blog: http://laurenblakelybooks.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurenBlakelyBooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaurenBlakely3

FAR TOO TEMPTING Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17935405-far-too-tempting?from_search=true

Lauren Blakely Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6860216.Lauren_Blakely

Entangled Publishing: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/

fartootemptingcover

Posted in Cover Reveal

COVER REVEAL: Moon Song – Adriane Boyd

A.B.MoonSongFrontFinal

TITLE: Moon Song
AUTHOR: Adriane Boyd
GENRE: Romance
RELEASE DATE: October 2013

add-to-goodreads-button3Synopsis

Salem Keats has a plan. Finish her studies at Loyola as quickly as possible, prove to the Louisiana Child Custody Division that she has what it takes to care for her twin siblings Jasper and Margaret, and envelope herself in the strains of music that she creates with her violin. Then her lawyer delivers a 1, 2 punch by telling her that it would be best if she could show the judge that she is in a stable relationship.

Wyatt Crane has watched the girl who lives across the street for two years. When Salem gave him the cold-shoulder her first day in the neighborhood, he thought that would be enough to put him off her. Instead, when Salem shows up asking for his help it’s all he can do to remain aloof. One look into her tired eyes though, and he knows that this is the beginning of his end.

Brantley Howard spent a full year living under the same roof with Salem when they were teenagers. He knows her better than anyone else, and while Salem has placed him firmly within the friend zone, he longs to be all she will ever need. He’ll do whatever it takes.

When she’s forced to choose, what choice will Salem make?

Adriane Boyd Links:
Posted in Books I've Bought

This Week’s Splurges

18271314The Art Of Letting Go – Anna Bloom

Synopsis

One year. One woman. One Diary. One question: can you ever stop history from repeating itself and if you could what would you do to stop it?

When Lilah McCannon realises at the age of twenty-five that history is going to repeat itself and she is going to become her mother—bored, drunk and wearing a twinset—there is only one thing to do: take drastic action.

Turning her back on her old life, Lilah’s plan is to enrol at university, get a degree and prove she is a grown-up.

As plans go, it is a good one. There are rules to follow: no alcohol, no cigarettes, no boys and no going home. But when Lilah meets the lead singer of a local band and finds herself unexpectedly falling in love, she realises her rules are not going to be the only things hard to keep.

With the academic year slipping by too quickly, Lilah faces a barrage of new challenges: will she ever make it up the Library stairs without having a heart attack? Can she handle a day on campus without drinking vodka? Will she ever manage to read a history book without falling asleep? And most importantly, can she become the grown-up that she desperately wants to be.

With her head and her heart pulling her in different directions can Lilah learn the hardest lesson that her first year of university has to teach her: The Art of Letting Go?

Amazon UK: £1.93
Amazon US: $3.09

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18282728Lovers Unmasked – 4 Lovely authors

Synopsis

Mystery and intrigue surround Halloween night as friends surrender to long-hidden desires, lovers relinquish control, and the heat of passion threatens to consume them all…

Danielle has a plan—use the company Halloween party to seduce the sexy mail guy who works a few floors up who she’s been meeting for coffee for the past few months. The only problem? He’s not who she thinks he is, and he has seduction plans of his own.

Kindergarten teachers aren’t known for breaking the rules, but Steph is ready to go undercover—and get under the covers—to work her magic on her best friend, Landon. Sexy costume necessary, multiple orgasms crucial, real identity optional.

When Stacy discovers her sex-on-a-stick ex at her Hollywood Halloween blow-out, she decides to show the cocky homicide detective exactly what he’s been missing. But she’s not the only one plotting revenge, and Ian’s the only one who can save her.

Lieutenant Derek Tyler and Ginger Peet have overcome every seemingly impossible hurdle on the path to happiness, but when they each receive life-changing news on the same day, will their hard-won trust stand up to the test? Or will their attempts to shield one another drive them apart?

Enjoy your tricks and treats in this sexy anthology featuring bestselling authors Katee Robert, Cari Quinn, Samanthe Beck, and Tessa Bailey.

Amazon UK: £2.84
Amazon US: $4.55

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17838603All Of You – Christina Lee

Synopsis

Avery has just met her hot upstairs neighbor. He’s irresistible. Tattooed. And a virgin.

Nursing student Avery Michaels wants nothing to do with dating—she’s perfectly happy single. Privy to too many of her mother’s bad decisions and even worse taste in boyfriends, all Avery can handle is a string of uncomplicated hookups whenever the mood strikes.

When she meets smoking hot tattoo artist Bennett, she wants him—for just one night. But he won’t accept a no-strings-attached arrangement. He lives by a straight-laced code of values based on his own troubled upbringing.

Bennett sees something special in Avery and he wants more from her. Way more. As Avery wrestles with her emotions for Bennett, danger and tragedy force them to open up to each other. And Avery must face the terrifying realization that she wants more from him, too.

So she needs to make a choice—let Bennett go or finally let him in

Amazon UK: £2.05
Amazon US: $3.28

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17449417Simple Perfection (‘#2)- Abbi Glines

Synopsis

Woods had his perfect life mapped out for him. Rise up the ranks of the family business. Marry the rich girl of his parents’ dreams. Pretend that wealth and privilege was all he’d ever wanted. Then a girl named Della breezed into town, a beautifully imperfect stranger who captured his heart and opened his eyes to a new kind of future. Woods is ready and willing to sacrifice everything for her when the sudden death of his father leaves him with his mother to care for and a business to manage.

Della is determined to be strong for Woods, even as she’s quietly falling to pieces. No matter how far from home she’s run, the ghosts of her past have never stopped haunting her. Struggling to hide her true feelings from Woods, Della fears she can’t be his rock without dragging him down into the darkness with her. But is she strong enough to let go of the last thing holding her together?

Amazon UK: £3.99
Amazon US: $6.39

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17887311Dirt (#2) – India Lee

Synopsis

Five months ago, Amanda Nathan was a dumped, scorned, and tragically bored moderator for the Internet’s largest gossip community “HDU,” spending her small town days and nights hiding her pitiable life from catty neighbors. Then, she became an overnight sensation after negotiating a contract to stage a romance with Hollywood’s favorite womanizer, going from moderating the pages of HDU to gracing them daily.

Now, there are no contracts involved in Amanda’s life — she’s on top of the world with not only a job on the TV writing staff of Leadoff but a Hollywood publicist, a pumped up wardrobe, and a real-life, contract-free boyfriend in the former womanizer, Liam Brody.

But how long will the good times last in an industry known for the worst kinds of drama? Amanda’s high fashion closet isn’t exactly free of skeletons considering her past with actress Casey Mulreed, creator of Leadoff’s rival TV show, Legacy — a prodigy and darling so loved by America that her recently outed addiction can’t keep her from the very top of the industry, where she has every last intention to stay. And of course, keeping that crown requires butting heads with Amanda — to say the least.

Good thing this time, the small town girl from Merit, Missouri is just a tad more prepared to handle that signature Hollywood scandal…

Amazon UK: £2.54
Amazon US: $4.07

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8909152Attachments – Rainbow Rowell

Synopsis

“Hi, I’m the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you . . . ”

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It’s company policy.) But they can’t quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O’Neill can’t believe this is his job now- reading other people’s e-mail. When he applied to be “internet security officer,” he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth’s and Jennifer’s messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can’t help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he’s falling for Beth, it’s way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . . ?

Amazon UK: £0.99 (on sale)
Amazon US: $1.58

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Posted in Books I've Bought

This Week’s Splurges

17887311Dirt (#2) – India Lee

Synopsis

Five months ago, Amanda Nathan was a dumped, scorned, and tragically bored moderator for the Internet’s largest gossip community “HDU,” spending her small town days and nights hiding her pitiable life from catty neighbors. Then, she became an overnight sensation after negotiating a contract to stage a romance with Hollywood’s favorite womanizer, going from moderating the pages of HDU to gracing them daily.

Now, there are no contracts involved in Amanda’s life — she’s on top of the world with not only a job on the TV writing staff of Leadoff but a Hollywood publicist, a pumped up wardrobe, and a real-life, contract-free boyfriend in the former womanizer, Liam Brody.

But how long will the good times last in an industry known for the worst kinds of drama? Amanda’s high fashion closet isn’t exactly free of skeletons considering her past with actress Casey Mulreed, creator of Leadoff’s rival TV show, Legacy — a prodigy and darling so loved by America that her recently outed addiction can’t keep her from the very top of the industry, where she has every last intention to stay. And of course, keeping that crown requires butting heads with Amanda — to say the least.

Good thing this time, the small town girl from Merit, Missouri is just a tad more prepared to handle that signature Hollywood scandal…

Amazon UK: £2.54
Amazon US: $4.03

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17786125A Little Too Far – Lisa Desrochers

Synopsis

Have you ever gone just a little too far?

Lexie Banks has.

Yep. She just had mind-blowing sex with her stepbrother. In her defense, she was on the rebound, and it’s more of a my-dad-happened-to-marry-a-woman-with-a-super-hot-son situation. But still, he’s been her best friend and confidant for the better part of the last few years … and is so off limits. It’s a good thing she’s leaving in two days for a year abroad in Rome.

But even thousands of miles away, Lexie can’t seem to escape trouble. Raised Catholic, she goes to confession in hopes of alleviating some of her guilt … and maybe not burning in hell. Instead, she stumbles out of the confessional and right into Alessandro Moretti, a young and very easy-on-the-eyes deacon … only eight months away from becoming a priest. Lexie and Alessandro grow closer, and when Alessandro’s signals start changing despite his vow of celibacy, she doesn’t know what to think. She’s torn between falling in love with the man she shouldn’t want and the man she can’t have. And she isn’t sure how she can live with herself either way.

Amazon UK: £1.99
Amazon US: $2.99

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??????????Nick and Lilac – Marian Tee

Synopsis

20-year-old Lilac York doesn’t like to talk. She doesn’t like to exist outside her books, and she certainly does not like to be involved with the most notorious playboy in uni. But when the gorgeous and arrogant billionaire Nick Christakos asks her to be his friend, she finds herself saying yes, no matter what “friend” could mean to a serial bed-hopper like Nick. There’s just something about him that draws her, something that makes her think he wouldn’t mind if he learned just how broken she was inside.

Nick Christakos is not used to denying himself. But for the sometimes-aloof, sometimes-naïve Lilac he strives to make an exception, doing his best to keep his hands off her even though just one blink of her doll-like eyes has him on fire. With Lilac, he’s not afraid to show the ugliness in him. When she looks at him, Nick almost believes there’s still hope for him to be the man that he used to be.

When another man threatens to take Lilac away, Nick is desperate and selfish enough to pretend he’s fallen in love with Lilac…even though his heart still belongs to the girl who tore him apart

Amazon UK: £1.96
Amazon US: $3.11

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18074107Out Of Line – Jen McLaughlin

Synopsis

Desperate to break free…

I’ve spent my entire life under my father’s thumb, but now I’m finally free to make my own choices. When my roommate dragged me to my first college party, I met Finn Coram and my life turned inside out. He knows how to break the rules and is everything I never knew I wanted. A Marine by day and surfer by night, he pushes me away even as our attraction brings us closer. Now I am finally free to do whatever I want. I know what I want. I choose Finn.

Trying to play by the rules…

I always follow orders. My job, my life, depends on it. I thought this job would be easy, all the rules were made crystal clear, but when I met Carrie Wallington, everything got muddy. She’s a rule I know I shouldn’t break, but damn if I don’t inch closer to the breaking point each time I see her. I’m ready to step out of line. And even worse? I’m living a lie. They say the truth will set you free, but in my case…

The truth will cost me everything

Amazon UK: £0.77
Amazon US: $1.22

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Posted in Cover Reveal, Karli Perrin

COVER REVEAL + TITLE: April Fools (#2) – Karli Perrin

April Fools Cover Image-02 (1)

TITLE: April Fools
AUTHOR: Karli Perrin
GENRE: New Adult
RELEASE DATE: December 2013

add-to-goodreads-button3Synopsis

Love. Hate. Fear. Fate.

All four letter words.

All consuming.

Naked to the eye, they have the power to control the heart and destroy the soul.

April Adams is about to experience them like never before.

When everything in April’s life goes up in smoke, she is faced with some life changing decisions.

Join April as she continues her journey of love and loss.

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photo (5)Author Bio

Karli Perrin is a 25 year old English Language & Linguistics graduate from Manchester, England. She has always been a big lover of books and is the author of the ‘April’ series.
She is a big believer of fate and is a sucker for a happy ending. She honestly believes that there is a reason why you are reading this right now (apart from the fact that you are awesome!)
Her ultimate goal in life is to live in a house made entirely out of books with her best friend, who also happens to be her fiancé.

…Hogwarts is plan B.

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Karli’s links:

Facebook:  http://facebook.com/authorkarliperrin

Goodreads: goodreads.com/karliperrin

Website: karlijperrin.blogspot.co.uk

Twitter: @karli_uk

Posted in Cover Reveal

COVER REVEAL:Geli Voyante’s Hot or Not – Elle Field

 

Geli Voyante's Hot or Not Elle Field coverTITLE: Geli Voyante’s Hot or Not
AUTHOR: Elle Field
GENRE: Contemp Romance
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Synopsis

From Elle Field, the author of Kept, Geli Voyante’s Hot or Not will be released on October 17th in Kindle and paperback formats. You can add it to your Goodreads shelf today!

 

‘I think I will always be known as the Hot or Not girl, defined by it for the rest of my career. Even my tombstone will read: Angelica “Geli” Voyante, beloved trendsetter. Death? Not Hot.

Yet, it doesn’t sound right. Why won’t anyone realise that there is more to me than this fickle persona I have inadvertently become?’

Geli Voyante is bored of being the Hot or Not girl, even if it has the perk of sitting next to Theo, the newspaper’s very Hot political columnist. She’s also getting a little lonely being single.

When her arch-nemesis Tiggy Boodles gets engaged, and other loved ones start to settle down, it’s time for Geli to convince Theo that she’s not as shallow as her column suggests and, more importantly, she’s the one for him. Geli should remember though that there are always two sides to every story, and that applies to people too…

Elle’s links:

Shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18481729-geli-voyante-s-hot-or-not

Posted in Cover Reveal

COVER REVEAL: Four Seconds To Lose – K.A Tucker

FSTLTITLE: Four Seconds To Lose (#3)
AUTHOR: K.A Tucker
GENRE: NA/Romance
RELEASE DATE: 4th November 2013
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Synopsis

Owning a strip club isn’t the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine year old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict “no sleeping with the staff” rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain’s self-control…and it’s been a long time since any woman has done that.

Twenty-two-year old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it’s too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she’s putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she’s not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn’t really exist—and the girl pretending to be her doesn’t need to complicate her life with romance.

Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she’s involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her.

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KathleenTuckerABOUT K.A. TUCKER:

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

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Pre-Order Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Four-Seconds-Lose-Novel-ebook/dp/B00BSBVGZI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378843471&sr=8-1&keywords=Four+Seconds+to+Lose+k.a.tucker

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/four-seconds-to-lose-ka-tucker/1115379355?ean=9781476740508&itm=1&usri=four+seconds+to+lose+k.a.+tucker

Other Retailers: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Four-Seconds-to-Lose/K-A-Tucker/9781476740492

LINKS:

Blog: http://www.katucker.blogspot.ca/
Website: http://www.katuckerbooks.com/
Author Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/K.A.Tucker.Author?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kathleenatucker
Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4866520.K_A_Tucker

Atria: http://imprints.simonandschuster.biz/atria

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TEN TINY BREATHS, releases in paperback on September 24, 2013!

TTB cover

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Posted in Cover Reveal, Kerry Heavens

COVER REVEAL: Still Human (#2) – Kerry Heavens (+ Prologue)

Sooooo….Here is the moment you have all been waiting for – THE REVEAL OF STILL HUMAN’s book cover. It had taken Kerry a while to find the ‘right’ cover and now she has! It compliments Just Human’s cover amazingly, so without further ado, here is the cover.

SHCOVERFINALCOPY

TITLE: Still Human (#2)
AUTHOR: Kerry Heavens
GENRE: New Adult
RELEASE DATE: October 2013
Hosted By: Romance Addict Book Blog – http://www.romanceaddictbookblog.com/
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Synopsis

Danny and Liv are back…
Danny loves Liv. He knows he loves her more than she loves him because she ran without a word when she saw their future mapped out before her. He knows he will never love anyone like he loved her and this time he doesn’t think he can move on.
Liv loves Danny. She knows she loves him more than he loves her because he broke her heart in the worst possible way, right when things were falling into place. She knows she will never love anyone like she loves him and this time she doesn’t think she can move on.
They needed a second chance because they just weren’t ready for their first, but when events changed everything between them, they discovered they were just human after all. Now Liv and Danny have to find a way to survive being hurt by each other.
They doubted, they underestimated and they did believe the worst, but only because they were too young the first time and too vulnerable the second time. But now they have changed and if they are not the same, surely things can only turn out differently?
 
kerryheavensAbout the Author: Kerry Heavens
Terrible wife
Mediocre mother
Appalling housewife
Fashion graduate
Wedding coordinator
Sex toy salesperson
Shop manager
Designer
Font collector
Romance addict
Fancier of nice men
Ok, fancier of almost all men
Awesome cupcake baker
Incessant singer
Film buff
Friend
Writer
 
Kerry’s Links

PROLOGUE!

Liv

“Please Liv, you have to eat something,” begs Max.

I tighten the covers around me. I’m not hungry, but I keep quiet. If I speak, even about food, he’ll think I’m ready to talk. There’s nothing else to say. I poured it all out when I got home and there’s nothing left. He stayed with me all night, held me tight while I cried and now he is fussing around. He wanted to call everyone to tell them I was safe. But I warned him not to call Danny. I said he could let Mum know I was okay but that was it. No details and under no circumstances were any of them to make any contact with Danny either. I can just imagine Mum and Grace as vigilantes and, while I want him to hurt, he isn’t worth it.

“I’m going down to check on things, I’ll bring you something up anyway.” He says quietly. I don’t respond.

In the silence of my flat, my ears ring. I hate silence, I always have and without thinking I get out of bed, wrapping myself in a blanket, and sit in front of the TV. I find a film on a movie channel I’ve seen before and sit and ignore it. It’s better than the deafening silence. Now that I’m upright, I ponder what to do next. I know I have to pull myself together today, Connie is flying home. Ugh! She won’t let me just wallow, she’ll make me talk. I need to get up, shower and go to work. Keeping busy is my only option, it’ll keep people off my back.

As I adjust the temperature of the shower, I examine my options. I don’t really have any. It’s not like life was going well before I allowed Danny to walk in and screw me over. I have to just try my hardest to get back to normal as quickly as possible. I should have trusted my instincts. Danny was just human after all, hurting me was almost inevitable. Sadly, I knew that but the naive teenager in me just got sucked in for old time’s sake. I knew this would happen, I was safer with Mark, at least I could take that on the chin.

Max is waiting when I come out of the bedroom dressed for work.

“I brought you some coffee and…” He starts as he turns to me. His face falls as he sees me. “Liv, you’re not going to work?”

I walk across to where he is sitting and pick up my coffee. Taking a sip, I smile a tiny smile and sit beside him.

“What should I do then?” I ask softly.

“We have it all covered downstairs. You need to sort your head out.”

“I’m not going to do that here, trust me. I need the distraction.” I put my hand on his knee. “Thank you for looking after me, but I have to get back down there before I drive myself insane.”

He sighs. “Well, you aren’t going anywhere until you eat something.” He holds up a muffin on a plate.

I smile sweetly and dutifully take the muffin. Then, with some physical effort, I force some down. I may as well start now, Connie will be much harder to deal with.

Satisfied, Max sits back and seems to relax slightly. I can hear his cogs turning though and I know he wants to talk. So when he parts his lips to say whatever it is I know I don’t want to hear, I say “I don’t want to talk about it.” Then, getting to my feet, I take the coffee and the muffin and go to the door.

“Coming?” I ask innocently as I head down to the diner.

Danny

Jen places a coffee on my nightstand and sits on the edge of the bed. “If they know any more, they’re not saying,” she says softly.

She was just on the phone with Liv’s sister, trying to get more information. But I know all I need to know. They found the note last night when they got back; it said she was going home.

It didn’t say why, but I know.

She doesn’t love me.

She found out I was going to propose and she ran.

Again.

Last night after the dust settled, Jen found the ring bag screwed up in the trash. I’d left it out on the counter when I went to go meet Liv at the party and it doesn’t take a genius to see what happened. Liv came back just after I left, saw the bag, figured it out, freaked and then packed her things and left.

Scott and Jen left me alone last night, but only after I insisted. Jen came back first thing this morning though, to make sure I was okay. She wants me to get up and go over to Grace’s to find out what they know, but I don’t want to hear it. I can’t face their pity and I’m too angry to see Connie. This is all her fault. Liv and I were getting on with our lives quite happily until she interfered. Now I’m left with that old open wound and I have to start getting over her again. Except this time, I don’t think I can.

“Danny, come on, drink your coffee,” Jen urges. Reluctantly, I sit up and take a sip.

“Thanks,” I say distantly.

“So what are you going to do now?”

“Nothing,” I tell her.

She watches me as I drink, until I can’t take it any longer. I throw the covers off and get up.

“Are you going over there?” she asks hopefully.

I turn and see her optimistic face. “No,” I say firmly. “I have unpacking to do.”

“Danny! You can’t just give up.”

“Why not?” I scoff. “She has.”