Love At 11 Re-Release and Giveaway!

Title: Love at 11

Author: Mari Mancusi

Genre: Contemporary

Age Group: New Adult

Re-release date: April 24, 2013

Event organized by: AToMR Tours

Amazon Barnes&Noble

When Maddy graduated from Columbia University, she was ready to change the world. She'd get a job at Newsline, meet a nice guy, and live happily ever after with a real designer handbag on her arm. Five years later, she's stuck producing puff pieces for News 9 San Diego--where "if it bleeds, it leads." She's still single, her family's falling apart, and so is her knock-off Kate Spade.

Then Jamie Hayes walks through her newsroom door. The former filmmaker is everything Maddy has ever dreamed of. Creative, smart, sweet—and with eyes that could make a girl melt. The perfect guy…but perfectly unavailable. And the more Maddy tries to stay away—the further she starts to fall. 

Now a secret scoop from her favorite knock-off purse guy has Maddy chasing a lead that could make her career. Or destroy it forever. How far is she willing to go to broadcast the truth? And will this breaking news lead to a happily ever after…or a broken heart?

Stay tuned...it's the story of a lifetime.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

About the Author

Mari Mancusi used to wish she could become a vampire back in high school. But she ended up in another blood sucking profession --journalism -- instead. Today she works as a freelance TV producer and author of books for teens and adults. When not writing about creatures of the night, Mari enjoys traveling, cooking, goth clubbing, watching cheesy horror movies, and her favorite guilty pleasure--videogames. A graduate of Boston University and a two time Emmy Award winner, she lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Jacob, daughter Avalon and dog Mesquite.

Author social media links:

Website: www.marimancusi.com

Blog: www.marimancusi.blogspot.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bloodcovenvampires

Twitter: www.twitter.com/marimancusi

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21701.Mari_Mancusi

Love At 11 Excerpt

Argh, my head.

My head really, really hurt.

And I was dying of thirst.

I pulled the blankets over my head to block the rays of strong San Diego sun from blasting my sensitive morning eyes. What time was it? Why was I naked?

Uh-oh.

A flashback of memory—a snapshot of my body on autopilot—hit me like a rock dropped from ten stories up.

The last thing I remembered clearly was leaving Moondoggies. With Jamie. Getting refused at the next club. With Jamie. Going back to my apartment.

With Jamie.

The rest was blurry. But what I did remember was truly horrifying. Blasting ’80s music from my stereo. Mixing up margaritas (like I needed more alcohol!) in my blender. Jumping on my bed, singing and dancing like a idiot to Simple Minds.

Making out with Jamie like there was no tomorrow.

I slowly rolled over to face the other side of the bed. To confirm my worst fear. Was there another body in my bed?

There was.

Not just any body, either. But a sexy, rumpled, naked, sound asleep, Jamie body in my bed.

Again. Uh-oh.

I groaned. How could I have been such an idiot? Gotten so drunk I didn’t even remember having sex with the guy? That was so bad. So alcoholically bad. On about a million and three levels:

a) Having sex and not remembering it.

b) Having sex and not remembering it with a guy I barely knew.

c) Having sex and not remembering it with a guy I barely knew who happened to have a fiancée he was going to marry in three months.

d) Having sex and not remembering it with a guy I barely knew who happened to have a fiancée he was going to marry in three months and that I had to work with day in and day out for the foreseeable future.

Now what should I do? Did I snuggle up next to him and pretend I had planned the seduction? Get the hell out of bed and pretend I’d slept on the couch, hoping he didn’t remember, either? Make breakfast? Leave the country and open up shop as a WWJD bracelet maker in Tijuana?

Hmm. Speaking of, what would Jesus do in a case like this? No, bad question. He wouldn’t have gotten himself in this mess to begin with.

I noticed with some relief a ripped open condom package on my nightstand. One of the ones Jodi had stuffed in a drawer one time “just in case.” Thank god, even in my drunken blackout I’d still had the wherewithal to be safe.

I tried to crawl out of bed, but at that moment the sleeping Jamie rolled over, tossing a heavy arm over my body and pulling me closer so I was spooned against him. I was stuck. Extremely comfortable, but stuck.

I felt his hot breath warm my skin and tried to think back to the night before. Damn it, why couldn’t I remember the hot sex I’m sure we must have had? I bet it was incredible. He was incredible. Not that I should be thinking about that. After all, he was taken. And not just kind-of taken, but wedding-invitations-and-white-dress taken.

Oh my god, I was the other woman.

How ironic that I’d been out mourning the fact that my father had cheated on my mother and had inadvertently helped some other guy cheat on his fiancée. And not just any other guy, but my new coworker! How was I supposed to work with him now? Would I have to go into Richard’s office and beg for a new photographer to combat the awkward morning-after syndrome?

  

Review: Tomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi

Tomorrow Land
Author: Mari Mancusi
Release Date: March 8, 2012
Genre: YA Dystopian Zombie Apocalypse
Published by: NLA Digital
Source: NetGalley
Summary from Goodreads:
Can true love survive the end of the world?

Imagine finding your first love, only to be ripped apart by the apocalypse. Peyton Anderson will never forget the day she was forced to make a choice--between her family--and Chris Parker, the boy she'd given her heart. Now, four years later, as she steps from the fallout shelter and into a dead and broken world, he's the only thing on her mind.

All Chris "Chase" Parker wanted was to take Peyton away and keep her safe from harm. But he waited for hours in the rain on judgment day and she never showed--breaking his heart without ever telling him why.Now the two of them have been thrown together once again, reluctant chaperones to a group of orphan children in a post-apocalyptic world where the dead still walk...and feed. As they begin their pilgramage to the last human outpost on Earth, can they find a way to let go of old hurts and find the love they lost--all while attempting to save what's left of the human race? 

My Thoughts:
You know the book you are reading is good when you find yourself on the edge of your seat and you are clenching your jaw until you realize that it's a bit sore. I loved the way Mancusi was able to create so much tension in so many ways. The romance was tense, the journey was tense, Peyton's relationship with her father was extremely tense, and add to all of that her body is literally breaking down a little more everyday. Every situation was intense and the pace was maddeningly fast (in a good way).

The way that Peyton's memories flashed back sometimes made me want to throw the book across the room! I would be gripped with terror or some other all-consuming emotion and then... WHAM!!!! Peyton would remember what it was like before the virus. Now don't get me wrong these flashbacks were placed perfectly and gave you information when you needed it and I actually think it was genius on Mancusi's part to add them when she did, they definitely kept me reading and dying to get back to what was going on in the present.  In other words I was glued to the pages!

The relationship between Peyton and Chris is actually really wonderful to read. There is a constant push and pull between them and trust issues on both sides. I loved that even though these two characters are on a journey through a world full of zombies they still had normal issues to get through as well, it made the story seem more real.

I would recommend this book to the slightly older young adult crowd just because it is really intense and a bit scary at times. Also, there were a few editing issues, but for me at least the story was so good I was able to easily over look these. A great read for zombie enthusiasts as well as romance readers!

Teaser Tuesday (5/1/2012) Tomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi

He reached into bag and pulled out a black leather jumpsuit. "I hit a fetish shop down the road," he said with bashful smile. "It may look a bit seedy, but they have the best leather stuff. It'll protect you from getting bitten if you get into a scuffle. Not that you've had much problem yet, but... well, we don't know how many we'll meet out there or what sort of situations we'll be in."


Teaser from page 111


Summary from Goodreads:
Can true love survive the end of the world?

Imagine finding your first love, only to be ripped apart by the apocalypse. Peyton Anderson will never forget the day she was forced to make a choice--between her family--and Chris Parker, the boy she'd given her heart. Now, four years later, as she steps from the fallout shelter and into a dead and broken world, he's the only thing on her mind.

All Chris "Chase" Parker wanted was to take Peyton away and keep her safe from harm. But he waited for hours in the rain on judgment day and she never showed--breaking his heart without ever telling him why.

Now the two of them have been thrown together once again, reluctant chaperones to a group of orphan children in a post-apocalyptic world where the dead still walk...and feed. As they begin their pilgramage to the last human outpost on Earth, can they find a way to let go of old hurts and find the love they lost--all while attempting to save what's left of the human race?


Published March 8, 2012 by NLA Digital

Miz B hosts Teaser Tuesday every week, check her out for the official rules.  I never seem to be able to stick to the rule about only 2 sentences.

I love reading teasers so let me know where I can view yours in the comments. Have a great day!