Tour Stop {Guest Post/Giveaway}: Oxford Whispers by Marion Croslydon

The story behind the covers of OXFORD WHISPERS By Marion Croslydon

My original idea for the cover of Oxford Whispers was directly inspired by the covers of the Twilight saga. I loved its simplicity and symbolism. I have to admit not being a big fan of the stereotyped romance novel covers: half-naked dude next to an almost-as-naked chick. So we went for a simple red rose (which plays a role in the story) on a black backdrop. I liked it, but I knew deep down it lacked vibrancy and didn’t really match the story and the characters.

That was when I met (online) the fabulous Claudia McKinney at PhatPuppyArt. I loved her covers. Lately she’s done the absolutely unforgettable cover of On Dublin Street by Samantha Young, which features a couple about to kiss each other! I normally don’t like that, but with her it was so tasteful and sensual at the same time… She introduced me to her photographer Teresa Yeh. These two ladies have been truly amazing to me and I’m forever grateful.

They directed me towards a more modern feel by carefully choosing models, while keeping the mystery element of the novel through the digital work on the background, lights etc…

The first cover shows Madison only. I wanted it that way because the book is about a girl’s journey first and foremost. I wanted a really modern feeling to it and the photo does capture that, IMHO. For the second and third book, we have both Rupert and Madison. My favorite part in this process: choosing the models! Going through their portfolios was so much fun.

From the Review Pile #25

From the Review Pile is a meme hosted by Stepping Out of the Page on Thursdays.

This meme is to showcase books that you've received for review, yet haven't yet gotten around to reading.   This gives the book some extra publicity.

The Still Point of the Turning World
by Emily Rapp
Hardcover, 272 pages
Expected publication: March 7th 2013 by Penguin Press HC, The

Like all mothers, Emily Rapp had ambitious plans for her first and only child, Ronan.  He would be smart, loyal, physically fearless, and level-headed, but fun.  He would be good at crossword puzzles like his father.  He would be an avid skier like his mother.  Rapp would speak to him in foreign languages and give him the best education.
But all of these plans changed when Ronan was diagnosed at nine months old with Tay-Sachs disease, a rare and always-fatal degenerative disorder.  Ronan was not expected to live beyond the age of three; he would be permanently stalled at a developmental level of six months.  Rapp and her husband were forced to re-evaluate everything they thought they knew about parenting.  They would have to learn to live with their child in the moment; to find happiness in the midst of sorrow; to parent without a future.
The Still Point of the Turning World is the story of a mother’s journey through grief and beyond it.  Rapp’s response to her son’s diagnosis was a belief that she needed to “make my world big”—to make sense of her family’s situation through art, literature, philosophy, theology and myth.  Drawing on a broad range of thinkers and writers, from C.S. Lewis to Sylvia Plath, Hegel to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Rapp learns what wisdom there is to be gained from parenting a terminally ill child.  In luminous, exquisitely moving prose she re-examines our most fundamental assumptions about what it means to be a good parent, to be a success, and to live a meaningful life.

Add this to your TBR pile on GoodReads and/or buy it on Amazon !

I received an ARC paperback copy of this novel in the mail via Penguin Press. The synopsis alone had me on the verge of tears.  My husband and I have had numerous misfortunes in the children department.  In this day and age where women who have full capabilities of bringing forth life and free access to diverse means of disposal should things not be "perfect"; it's touching to see a mother cope, embrace, and LOVE in spite of flaws!  I look forward to reading this one and I'm prepared to have the Kleenex at the ready. 

Waiting On Wednesday (4)



Hosted by Breaking The Spine

Frost Burned (Mercy Thompson #7)
by Patricia Briggs
Trade Paperback, 352 pages
Expected publication: March 5th 2013 by Orbit

Shapeshifter Mercy Thompson's life is calming down, at least enough that she can focus on mundane matters like Black Friday sales. But on her return, Mercy is unable to contact her mate, Alpha Adam Hauptman, or the other members of their pack. All she knows is that Adam is angry and in pain. With the werewolves fighting a political battle to gain acceptance from the public, Mercy fears Adam's disappearance may be related - and that he and the pack are in serious danger. Outclassed and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from the most unlikely of allies: the vampirey seethe.

I discovered this series when I took a chance on a cool looking cover on the restock chart at the public library.  I've been hooked ever since. "River Marked" (book # 6) was so low on the drama meter, I was almost afraid it was the last one!  I've patiently waited for this. Bring it!  

What are you waiting for?

Teaser Tuesdays: S.E.C.R.E.T. by L. Marie Adeline

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. 

S.E.C.R.E.T. by L. Marie Adeline

GoodReads | Amazon

Teaser:  

Were it not for the very real weather, causing very real panic, I would have assumed this was, indeed, my rescue fantasy.  But there was a storm to survive and this man's tight expression made it clear to me that this wasn't part of the fantasy at all.  (pg 160)

Book Blast & Guest Post: Leopard Moon by Jeanette Battista

Leopard Moon 
by Jeanette Battista
Paperback, 206 pages
Published March 4th 2012 by Jeanette Battista 
GoodReads | Amazon

How do you disappear when you come from a family of predators?
A wereleopard, Kess is forced to flee her home and family in Miami once her brother's obsession with her turns violent. She runs from city to city, trying to stay one step ahead of the investigators her family has dispatched to bring her home. Kess ends up in the mountains of North Carolina and attracts the attention of Cormac, a young man with a secret of his own. As she attempts to live as normal a life as her were-nature allows, her brother Sek continues to hunt for her. He believes she is the key to revitalizing their weakened clan and is driven to extreme measures to ensure their continued existence. As Kess' relationship with Cormac deepens, Sek closes in, threatening Cormac's life and Kess' freedom.
When the moon rises, the hunt is on….

To help spread the word about the fact that Jeanette Battista's LEOPARD MOON, the first book in the Moon series, is available for free at Amazon for the Kindle until the end of the month Rockstar Book Tours invited the author to the blog to share a guest post about her experience writing the book.

The Moon series consists of four books - LEOPARD MOON, JACKAL MOON, HYENA MOON and HUNTER MOON - and is a series author Melissa Marr says, "... is filled with action and romance, shape shifters and strong heroines."

To check out all the books in the series on GoodReads, CLICK HERE.

Blogspiration # 3

Blogspiration is a new weekly meme hosted by GrowingUpYA&Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers and writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video  is posted weekly, on the day of the author's choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation or just a little SOMETHING.

Help Me & Win Giveaway

Hello Beautiful People:

I received an invitation to participate in a fashion show on Saturday April 6th in York, PA!

Other designers and media socialites from America's Next Top Model, Bad Girls Club in Atlanta, Real Housewives of Atlanta, and other television shows and magazines will also be in attendance.   At the end of the runway there will be press and media. So needless to say I was SUPER excited that someone invited little ole me to show something of my collection also.

I admit that I am a hot mess with nerves right now.

I need to figure out what pieces to show, accessories, shoes, song choice, bio, and model selections.

So here's where I need your help.  As an incentive I'm giving away my ARC of The Madman's Daughter if you're a US resident or book of choice (Under $10.00) from TBD.

The event will be to raise funds for the Keystone Wounded Warriors (www.keystonewarriors.com) They are a nonprofit group in PA that help injured military members that have ties to the PA area. 100% of the proceeds are going to them. The group will also be in attendance along with several wounded warriors.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Smooches!

Stacking The Shelves # 35

Stacking The Shelves is hosted By Tynga's Reviews. This meme is about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be hard-back, paperback or ebook.

For Review:

Wounded by Jasinda Wilder

Silencing Breath by Joanne Brothwell 

{I got this one last week, but now I have cover art to display.  Isn't it purdy?!?!}

The Still Point of the Turning World by Emily Rapp

Review: Don't Call Me Angel by Alicia Wright Brewster

Don't Call Me Angel (Forsaken 0.5)
by Alicia Wright Brewster
Paperback, 120 pages
Published June 15th 2012 by Dragonfairy Press
GoodReads | Amazon

After crawling her way out of Hell, Six is ready to cast aside her angel wings and all the responsibilities that come with them. But Earth is not as peaceful as she imagined it. Demons, dark angels, and other hell-beasties escaped before her, and they're not as content as she is to live a quiet life on Earth. A fellow angel who escaped Hell with her commits a series of soul-murders, destroying human souls so they can't go to the afterlife. Although Six has conflicting feelings about humans, she goes after the other angel to keep their escape a secret from the one she fears most.

Dreamheart Spotlight # 33

"Everyone's unique in a way they have their own way that they think about things, who they see the world in their own view..."

"I think I've been drawing since I was three years old...three or five years old.  When I was young, I thought drawing was something unique to me....like to be able to express yourself through different ways", said 15-year-old aspiring graphic novelist, Marqueet DeShields.

Marqueet is not from an artistic family.  His knack for graphite illustrations defies the laws of genetics. "My aunt used to ask me what I want to be in the future, I always said I wanted to be a cartoonist", he said.

Inspired mostly by cartoons from his younger years as well as current favorite prime time television, Adventure Time and Pesona 4 the animation to name a few, Marqueet scowls entertaining illusions. 

"Many of my characters, I just draw from,um like a reference from another characters I've seen before."  For Example "the various Manga books I've been reading lately:

ARC Review {Author Interview/Giveaway}: Heartbeat by Faith Sullivan

Heartbeat
by Faith Sullivan
Paperback, 214 pages
Expected publication: February 5th 2013 
Amazon | GoodReads
My Review: ♥♥♥♥

Katie and Adam are afraid of love.
She carries the scars of a first kiss gone terribly wrong.
He uproots his life to flee the stinging betrayal of an ex.
When trust is no longer an option, all romance is suspect.
As a young paramedic, Adam rescues people for a living but cannot save himself. Katie, just out of high school, struggles with a tortured home life she cannot escape.
Everything changes when Katie hops into the front seat of Adam's ambulance. Overwhelmed by what they are feeling, neither possess the confidence to make the first move. They walk away from each other, full of regret.
To find her, Adam risks his future. To be with him, Katie sacrifices her security.
Little do they know, what little time they do have, is being measured by a heartbeat that is slowly dying out.

Blogspiration # 2: Beautiful Things

Blogspiration is a new weekly meme hosted by GrowingUpYA&Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers and writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video  is posted weekly, on the day of the author's choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation or just a little SOMETHING.

This is so true!

Stacking The Shelves # 34

Stacking The Shelves is hosted By Tynga's Reviews. This meme is about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be hard-back, paperback or ebook.

This has been an awesome week reading wise!  I've found surprises in Indie/self pub bindings. 
I've already read Heartbeat & I loved it!

Check out all of my new additions to the pile...

Dreamheart Spotlight #32

"Everyone wants to be the hero.... "

"I am humble with no attitude and never give up. I'll keep trying until I can't physically move anymore. Even if I hurt like hell I'll still do it and keep quiet."

"My typical day used to be work at 7:30 am as a marketing director, a stunt man actor in the Tournament of Kings show 5 pm-10 pm, then home or workout, movies with the poodz [(girlfriend)] and dogs before bed. Then do it all again", said Hawaiian native Shane Kawamura.

Shane is a man of many hats. He's a model, actor, stuntman and fighter.

"[Modeling] was something my mom thought I'd be good at as a kid. I never wanted to do it until later in life, I owe all of my success to her."

Tour Stop: Touching Evil by Amber Garr

Touching Evil (Leila Marx, #1)
by Amber Garr

Paperback, 326 pages

Published November 5th 2012 by Createspace

Amazon | Smashwords

With one touch, Leila can see it all.
Leila Marx is trying to put her life back together after her fiancé is murdered. When Detective Garrick Pearson enlists her help with a difficult case, she is thankful for the distraction and the opportunity to use her talents as a touch clairvoyant. Leila and Garrick delve into the mystery behind a series of missing teenage girls and mummified corpses while discovering their own growing attraction to each other. 
Conner Hoffman is an intriguing lawyer and striking half-demon who enters Leila’s life unexpectedly. Although her visions are terrifying, she is fascinated by his charm and his legacy. When it becomes evident that the murders are linked to a paranormal event, Conner introduces Leila to a world unbeknownst to ordinary society. She suddenly finds herself immersed in supernatural politics, sorcery, and danger as she becomes the killer’s next target. 
Staying alive will mean relying on friends, accepting the unbelievable, and trusting in her heart again.

Read the First Chapter.
Read an excerpt with Leila and Conner.

Cover Reveal {Giveaway}: Corded by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Corded by Alyssa Rose Ivy
GoodReads
Cover by PhatPuppy Art 

In a world where women are commodities, the only thing more rare than finding true love is a happy ending.
Kayla is in hiding—her only crime being born a girl in a society of 99% men. When her sister and niece are kidnapped, she is willing to do anything to save them. Kayla ventures into the dangerous streets of the city, a place where a woman can be claimed by anyone unless she has been marked by a club.
Desperate, she turns to Mason, a powerful club leader whose help comes at a cost—her freedom.

About The Author

Alyssa Rose Ivy lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write.

 Website | Twitter | Facebook | GoodReads

One ebook of Alyssa Rose Ivy's (Winner's choice.)

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