Blog Tour & Giveaway: Inspire by Heather Buchine

Inspire by Heather Buchine

Publication date: March 31st 2013

Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

18-year old Paige Rice, an exquisite beauty from East Hampton, NY, has just celebrated her high school graduation and is expecting to spend her summer living it up with all her socialite friends. But her parents have a different idea – she is being hauled away-literally- to the mountains of Vermont for the entire summer- in an RV! 

Assuming she will be an outcast amongst the other teens at the campground still does not prepare her for the treatment she receives, which is far worse than she imagined. She also isn’t prepared for Travis, the campground owner’s son and the “Sexiest” guy she has ever laid eyes on. Travis is the only one who shows any interest in getting to know Paige. The only problem is that they have to explore what lies between them in secret. But once all the secrets are stripped away, the truth may be crushing.

***Intended for mature audiences due to language and sexual content***

      

AUTHOR BIO

By no surprise my favorite hobbies are reading and writing. But beyond escaping into the written fantasy world, I love experiencing new things. Surfing, motorcycle riding, snow blading, glass blowing, parasailing, SUP boarding are just a few that I have checked off my bucket list, but there is still so much more to explore. Right now, being a mom is my biggest adventure and the best by far!! In the quiet calm hours of the night though, I can usually be found typing away creating a world of romance where drama still exists but love (hopefully!!) always prevails.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook

My Thoughts

Inspire had some ups and downs for me. Buchine's writing is quite good for the most part and the story flowed well and kept my attention (even if it did having me yelling and cussing at the characters). 

If you have ever read my reviews you know that my favorite part of a book is the characters. Buchine's characters had me all over the place. One minute I find something admirable and the next I can't stand the way this person is acting. 

Paige is this really adorable girl that seems to have it all. She has just graduated and gotten into Columbia, she is a dancer and runs events with her friend to raise money for the needy. She seems to be a pretty self assured, happy, and confident young lady. Then she meets the incredibly sexy Travis and instant attraction! Alright I can handle that. A hot date comes next. I'm still good. The next day Travis completely ignores her in front of his friends AND let's them treat her like crap. WHAT!?!?! 

Anyway I don't want to give spoilers but there were a lot of mistakes made by Travis, and Paige turned her head way to easily and just let so much slide. I never could figure out why she let these people treat her this way. I felt Travis had WAY more groveling to do.

As I mentioned before the writing was good and I think I would pick up another book by Buchine because I really do think she could wow us especially if she gives us some stand up characters next time. 

Click on the banner to visit more stops on the Inspire tour to see what other's thought! 

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All reviews of the books I read whether bought, borrowed, or given are reviewed by me in all honesty. I don't intend to hurt anyone's feelings but my opinion is what it is, and I will not be swayed just because I have been given a book to review.

OCD, The Dude, and Me Blog Tour & Review

OCD, The Dude, and Me
Author: Lauren Roedy Vaughn
Published: March 21, 2013

 Seventeen-year-old Danielle Levine is your typical high school teen-ager - if you count havingOCD and ADHD as typical.  

Danielle's "special" conditions lead her to a school for students with learning disabilities, and, even here, she struggles to fit in.

How Danielle navigates her status as a "learning-challenged" teen pariah is told, with equal parts pain and hilarity, in Lauren Roedy Vaughn's debut Young Adult novel, OCD, THE DUDE, AND ME, which Kirkus Review has hailed as a "must-read."

Told through a mélange of Danielle's class assignments, journal entries, emails, texts, and letters to the school psychiatrist, OCD, THE DUDE, AND ME chronicles Danielle's efforts to fit into a world that, to her, can be as alien as a distant planet. Yet, Danielle will be recognizable to her readers, with her body-image issues, her crush on an unattainable boy, and her feelings of insecurity over the rigid social code of high school life.

Just as things seemingly couldn't get worse for her, Danielle meets a new friend, Daniel, who turns her on to the Coen Brothers' classic cult film THE BIG LEBOWSKI and its indelible main character, the ever-cool, ever abiding Dude. Daniel and Danielle end up going to the prom together and to Lebowski Fest, an annual event celebrating the Dudeand his Buddha-like philosophy, which says that things will work out if you "abide."

Vaughn is especially equipped to write Danielle's story. She has been a special education teacher and a writer for nearly 20 years. She understands that each student with a learning challenge has a unique profile that requires specialized intervention strategies. Danielle benefits from the guidance of charismatic adults to learn how to socialize and accept herself. She is also able to leverage her affinities-reading and writing-in order to shift her perspective and grow.

Vaughn's students "live with the stigma" of being called "lazy" and "different," Vaughn explains. "It is my love for them, my understanding of their diversity that compelled me to write a fictionalized account of one of them and their world. I wanted them to see their value within the context of a story."

The major reason for the presence of THE BIG LEBOWSKI and theDude, Vaughn says, is that the Dude is "an iconic character who lived through a dramatic situation and kept abiding. He is a model for dealing with life's difficult situations. There are other 'dudes' in my story who also affect Danielle."

Vaughn herself says she is a "huge fan" of THE BIG LEBOWSKI. "When I was asking the story Gods to help me come up with what could help Danielle, that film popped into my mind. When Danielle witnesses the film, she realizes that life is unpredictable and often ridiculous ... abiding is a saner choice."

What critics are saying:

Publisher's Weekly:  Pick of the Week

Kirkus Review:  "A must-read." (Starred review)

Star Library Journal: "This one is sure to find an appreciative audience." (Starred review)

Seventeen magazine online:  "The book's fun format of traditional long-form, texts, letters, and emails make this book easy and fun to read."

OCD, The Dude, and Me

Publisher:  Dial Books, March  21, 2013

234 pages,  ISBN-13: 978-0803738430, Amazon Kindle edition, ISBN:  0803738439

Available at Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and book stores nationwide

About the Author: 

Lauren Roedy Vaughn is an award-winning educator who has spent nearly 20 years teaching English to high school students with language-based learning disabilities. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles.

You can visit her website at www.laurenroedyvaughn.com. 

My Review

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started OCD, The Dude, and Me but I honestly wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. Written as a series of Essay's, journal entries, emails and letters OCD, The Dude, and Me chronicles Danielle's life through out her senior year. Danielle doesn't see herself as other people see her. She sees a fat, messed up "freak". She often wonders if her parents are sorry they adopted her thinking that they couldn't have possibly bargained for a daughter with so many problems. 

During Danielle's senior life she grows by leaps and bounds. She finds love, the real kind. Makes surprising new friends. Realizes a talent that she wasn't aware of and finally starts healing from a tragedy in her past. 

In the beginning of reading OCD, The Dude, and Me I was having a bit of trouble connecting with Danielle. Once I started figuring her out a little I really got into this story and have already started recommending it to my daughters and will definitely be telling others I know to give this one a try as well. Reading this makes me want to watch The Big Lebowski again, read more Shakespeare and Rumi, and once again start a journal and fill my fridge with my favorite quotes. A wonderful Young Adult read!

One of my favorite saying from the book, though I actually have many. 

"Little things, little things, are much more important than big things. Big things hit you in the face with their bigness and obscure the little, more important things that really define a life and provide it with delicacy. 

I don't usually reread book but I can see myself reading this one again and again. 

Inspire Book Blitz

Inspire  by Heather Buchine

Publication date: March 31st 2013

Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

18-year old Paige Rice, an exquisite beauty from East Hampton, NY, has just celebrated her high school graduation and is expecting to spend her summer living it up with all her socialite friends. But her parents have a different idea – she is being hauled away-literally- to the mountains of Vermont for the entire summer- in an RV! 

Assuming she will be an outcast amongst the other teens at the campground still does not prepare her for the treatment she receives, which is far worse than she imagined. She also isn’t prepared for Travis, the campground owner’s son and the “Sexiest” guy she has ever laid eyes on. Travis is the only one who shows any interest in getting to know Paige. The only problem is that they have to explore what lies between them in secret. But once all the secrets are stripped away, the truth may be crushing.

***Intended for mature audiences due to language and sexual content***

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17725218-inspire?ac=1

Purchase  

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Inspire-ebook/dp/B00C51HA6E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1368319916&sr=8-2&keywords=Inspire

AUTHOR BIO

By no surprise my favorite hobbies are reading and writing. But beyond escaping into the written fantasy world, I love experiencing new things. Surfing, motorcycle riding, snow blading, glass blowing, parasailing, SUP boarding are just a few that I have checked off my bucket list, but there is still so much more to explore. Right now, being a mom is my biggest adventure and the best by far!! In the quiet calm hours of the night though, I can usually be found typing away creating a world of romance where drama still exists but love (hopefully!!) always prevails.

Author Links:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook

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“Inspire” Playlist

Songs that inspired the book…

Domino by Jessie J

Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band

One More Night by Maroon 5

Butterfly by Jason Mraz

I’m Yours by Jason Mraz

(Kissed You) Good Night by Gloriana

Warning Sign by Scars On 45

Second Chance by Tristan Prettyman

Drunk On You by Luke Bryan

After Math by Denise Grover Swank Blog Tour & Giveaway

Title: After Math (Off the Subject, #1)

Author: Denise Grover Swank

Release date: March 12, 2013

Publisher: Self-Published

Age Group: New Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Tour organized by: AToMR Tours

Amazon Barnes and Noble

Scarlett Goodwin’s world is divided into Before and After.

Before she agreed to tutor Tucker price, college junior Scarlett was introvert, struggling with her social anxiety and determined to not end up living in a trailer park like her mother and her younger sister. A mathematics major, she goes to her classes, to her job in the tutoring lab, and then hides in the apartment she shares with her friend, Caroline.

After junior Tucker Price, Southern University’s star soccer player enters the equation, her carefully plotted life is thrown off its axis. Tucker’s failing his required College Algebra class. With his eligibility is at risk, the university chancellor dangles an expensive piece of computer software for the math department if Scarlett agrees to privately tutor him.Tucker’s bad boy, womanizer reputation makes Scarlett wary of any contact, let alone spending several hours a week in close proximity.

But from her first encounter, she realizes Tucker isn't the person everyone else sees. He carries a mountain of secrets which she suspects hold the reason to his self-destructive behavior. But the deeper she delves into the cause of his pain, the deeper she gets sucked into his chaos. Will Scarlett find the happiness she’s looking for, or will she be caught in Tucker’s aftermath?

My Thoughts

2013 has been the year of New Adult Contemporaries for me this year and I've noticed something. They all seem to follow the same basic formula. A guy and a girl both in college or around college age (new adult). There is quite a bit of drinking, parties, and usually some pretty serious sexy times. Now, I'm not complaining about any of this. Just pointing out what I've noticed.

Then along comes After Math. Yep a guy, a girl, college, parties, and some hot sexy times. However, After Math had something more for me. Both Scarlett and Tucker have emotional baggage. More than a little really. This isn't quite your average my last boyfriend broke my heart and I don't know if I can ever love again kind of baggage. This is real, been in totally shitty situations and they've left me with scars and real issues. I think that is what made me love this book. These characters were real, raw and their emotions made me feel. There were seriously times when I found myself holding my breath. Other times I realized I had a knot in my stomach. I was really caught up in their lives and I honestly did not want this book to end, but sadly it did.

After Math is definitely one of my favorite New Adult books and I'm sure it will find a place on my favorites of 2013 list. If you are a contemporary romance fan and are enjoying the new adult books this year I highly highly recommend After Math. 

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About the Author

Denise Grover Swank lives in Lee's Summit, Missouri. She’s a gypsy who can’t live in one place too long or stay in one genre. She writes contemporary romance, urban fantasies without vampires and werewolves, young adult science fiction, and romantic comedy mysteries set in the south. Denise has six children, three dogs, and an overactive imagination. She can be found dancing in her kitchen with her children, reading, or writing her next book. You will rarely find her cleaning. 

You can find her at:

Her website: www.denisegroversank.com

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeniseGroverSwank and https://www.facebook.com/deniseswank

And Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DeniseMSwank

To view the rest of the stops on the After Math tour just click on the banner!

Picture Perfect by Camille Dixon Blog Tour & Giveaway

Picture Perfect by Camille Dixon 
Publication date: March 26th 2013 
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

On the outside, Devin Thompson looks like he has it all - charm, good looks, and a scholarship every art major at Sanhope would kill for. But on the inside, he’s dying. His family is falling apart, his grades are dropping, and his girlfriend just dumped him for his hockey team rival, who also happens to be his younger brother. Not to mention he hasn't been able to snap a decent picture for his senior portfolio in weeks. But when a sultry redhead with fire burning in her eyes struts across his path, he thinks he may have finally found his muse…

Angela “Angel” Davis learned early on that life never offers any hand-outs. And she’s getting burned out. Between juggling her nights as an exotic dancer at a men’s private club and struggling to keep up with her elementary education courses during the day, she barely has time to think of the future. Not that she wants to. The future implies planning, and Angel is no stranger to broken dreams. Then she meets Devin, a man who’s so wrong for her, yet she can’t seem to stay away from.

When Devin offers to take her on as his private model, Angel finds the cash hard to refuse. Each has something the other desperately needs, and neither one is willing to walk away. As their professional relationship spirals out of control into something more, they learn sometimes the wrong person can be the only right person, and that life - and people - are rarely picture perfect.

AUTHOR BIO

I'm a Southern girl who's spent the last few years freezing my toosh off up north. Except for the snow, things are pretty good. I love sunshine, sweet tea, and romances that touch my heart. A lifelong romantic, I found my own prince charming at an online dating site. Six months later, he asked me to marry him. Picture Perfect is my debut novel.

Author Links:

Camille's Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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EXCERPT – PICTURE PERFECT by Camille Dixon

His brows furrowed. “Is something the matter?”

You.

I choked out a fake laugh. “Just nervous, I guess.”

His expression relaxed, his eyes softening as the smile reached them. “You shouldn’t be. You’re perfect.”

I stared at him, struck speechless for the second time tonight.

Hot. Damn.

“Perfect for the camera, I mean,” he added, shifting his weight. A light blush crept to his face, making his rugged looks turn boyishly cute.

And making me want him all the more.